Wordless Wednesday "Blessed"

ok...I'll add a few words...

This is my beautiful banner I made this week out of fun vintage ribbon, felt and paper. And you may ask....How did you get those letters so perfect?...It's not me, I love my cricuit!

April 22-Heart the Earth Day...

Tomorrow is April 22nd...Earth Day! Yay! What a perfect time of year for this. Plants are growing, lots of spring cleaning happening, and everyone is much more motivated this time of year. Everyone has a right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. That is why I think this day is so important. Having a day dedicated to this helps people to become more aware with information, new ideas and how to make more informed decisions. For those that want to be more "green" or so they call it; just knowing what is helpful and what is harmful toward the environment is key. Even just doing little things like driving less, taking shorter showers, or avoiding access packaging in the things we buy. I remember learning in school as a kid that even the simple act of turning off the lights when leaving the room can be a huge help...so I always did from that day and it is now a habit.

Being "green" has become such a trend these days. That can be a wonderful thing so that it helps more people to be aware, but unfortunately because of it's popularity there are so many "green" products or eco-friendly gear. Most of these things are great!..although it can give you the gimmies. There comes a time when we have to choose whether we are still helping the environment or are we harming it with too much consumerism. There is nothing wrong with buying a fun fashionable reusable grocery bag, or an organic t-shirt. But when we already have 12 of them and we are buying because everyone else is, then it may be a problem. So I encourage you with earth day coming up tomorrow to rethink about what you have, what you want, and what you probably don't need. I know I will be thinking about this. I am also hesitant bringing up this topic because I do not want to sound hypocritical..being American, or even just being human makes it hard to not want when I do not need, but I do know that I can try by simply being more aware of the things I buy and why I buy them. Here is an article on consumerism in America.(just the top part of the page)... it is very blunt, but will make you really think. After reading this I wondered if what people call the "American Dream" is even acheivable anymore? Interesting article.

So in summary one of the easiest ways and best ways to "go green" is to stop consuming so much stuff!...not to say that it is bad to shop because I love shopping, but to be more happy and resourceful with what you have. Below are some other great new links that I came across.

-check here for ways to recycle just about anything.

-check out an old post of mine here on how to make your own household cleaners.

-click here for guide to think more eco in just about any situation; at home, work,weddings, holidays, dorm rooms, cars, food, beauty, gift guides, and lots more.

-borrow or buy used; go to libraries, consider craigslist or freecycle.

-...and of course I talked about consuming too much in our country, but if it would truly help you waste less think about getting your own bags for grocery shopping. I have made one that is for sale in my etsy shop with the hope to make lots more. I have really got into hand embroidery so there will be lots more of that coming soon as well. Check it out here.

Have a splendid day!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Amy at Park City Girl is hosting a Blogger's Quilt Festival  running through next week.  There will be lots of giveaways, quilting and crafting. Each person joining has to post about their favorite quilt and the story behind it...so I chose this quilt below that you all have seen before. I have only made a few quilts, but this one is by far my favorite! I love waking up to the beautiful Amy Butler prints every morning. My mom got me the strips for Christmas one year and over the holiday break my sister, mom and I went to a small quilting retreat center where we quilted all day and night and then slept there. It was so much fun, and I was able to finish piecing the quilt together in that 24 hour time! The pictures are not very bright..but I added one with little Will in there...he looks so little in that picture. :) So go check out the festival over at Amy's blog, there are so many fun quilts to look at. Happy Quilting week!

Wordless Wednesday "Will's first taste of food...banana"

Easter Weekend Reflections

*Sunshine and playing in the mud.

*building a shed

*shopping the Co-op, Menards, and downtown Stillwater

*drawing and painting with glitter

*chocolate eggs, sweettart jelly beans, and ice cream!(from Nelson's..Yummy!)

*easter egg hunt and face painting

*homemade mac 'n' cheese and veggie spaghetti

*grilling out with new grill

*frisbee, hula-hoop, and frisbee going through the hula-hoop

*balloons and pollys

*tired Will; falling asleep easy, but not staying asleep :(

*tickles and giggles 

*naps

*broke down car=rental car(much more spacious though :)...)

*green crocs with the flower

*bouncing Will

*toilet problems...TV problems

*church at 9...nope turn around so Will can be happy and nap..go to church at 11:30-sermon on "hope"-doughnut holes and cookies

*raking of leaves

*hide and seek..."I am Edmund and you are Lucy"

*late night conversations

*dresses, plaid pants, and sweater vests

*trouble pushing the jogger stroller

*open windows and sandals

*itunes and dancing

*"Sweet Dawg!"

Spring Spring

I have been looking at a bunch of wonderful ideas that have to do with spring because I am so excited that it is finally here! Some days in the midwest it still does not feel like spring, but the sun has been shining this week and Easter is this weekend and it gets me in the mood. Below are a bunch of links to great websites, projects or etsy finds that have to do with spring. I did not want to forget these for future reference...so it is always good to blog and mark them down so I can find them again someday.

Here is an easy seed starter tutorial.

If you are growing anything you probably have these started already, but I thought this was a great tutorial that I wanted to remember.

 baby hat and  flower stacker toy....super cute for the kiddos.

birdie wallpaper silhouette...love it!

Here is a great tutorial on how to Make your own kite.

   

...and we all know there will be spring cleaning going on at some point. Here is a spring cleaning guide, and a great idea for storing all the STUFF we have...

personalized storage baskets.

Also click here for yummy stuff...so cute! 

Happy Spring! We are off to Stillwater to see family...have a good Easter!

love-

6 month photo shoot

So i finally got a few good pictures...it was hard to find a day with good sunlight where Will was also cooperative, but we had fun. Click here to see the rest of the pics. enjoy!

Etsy Store Now Openned!!

I am super proud to announce that my Etsy Store is finally openned! Over the past couple weeks I have been gradually adding more of my handmade goodies...but I still have so much more to add. So please come browse around my store by clicking here. Anytime you want to take a look and see whats new just click on "shop" in my sidebar. I will always be adding new stuff. 

In celebration of just recently openning I am offering a free card( that matches) with all linkys purchased before April 18th.

6 Month Cutie

Yesterday Will turned 6 months old! I can hardly believe it...it seems like it was not too long ago when we took him home from the hospital.  He has been sitting up pretty well now for the last month, likes to growel, giggle lots,shake his head "no", and is super busy trying to grab everything in sight to put in his mouth.

We love you so much Willie!

Farfalle con Pesto di Arugula

aka...farfalle with arugula pesto and tomatoes... :)

Today being the first thursday of the month is the recipe box swap over at Randi's blog, and the theme happened to be pasta...so being that one of my goals for the year, as seen on a previous post, was to learn to cook more authentic italian meals... I decided to cook this delicious meal. I got the recipe from a Williams-Sonoma Italian cookbook and it is super yummy, super easy and super fresh! In fact the only thing that is actually cooked is the noodles.

6 oz. arugula, tough stems removed

1/4 cup italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup walnuts

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup grated romano cheese, plus shaved cheese for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. farfalle (bow tie pasta noodles)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

In a food processor or blender combine arugula, parsley, walnuts, and garlic. Blend until finely chopped. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper. With the machine running gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until smooth.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the farfalle and salt to taste and cook stirring frequently. Drain the pasta and place in large serving pasta bowl with the pesto. Toss well, and then add in halved cherry tomatoes and toss again. Garnish with grated cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday "Nurturing Cousin"