Accordion Envelope Book

Yesterday, I made this little accordion envelope book as another take-home project for the store where I teach. When I brought the book home awhile back, I wasn't sure what I'd do with it. It was butter-colored and tied with a brown checkered ribbon, so paper choices would be somewhat limited.

In browsing through the store, I spotted the Junkitz Laguna Guy paper line. Green and teal with a light yellow base, the color and retro-look patterns really appealed to me, and it was a great match for the book. As it happens, the book is made by Junkitz, too.

So I set to work cutting photo cards and covering the front and back of each envelope with patterns from the paper line. I replaced the brown ribbon with an olive green one, added the verses of a poem about friendship to the front of the envelopes, and in no time at all, it was done.

Very easy and very fun. I kind of needed that yesterday.

Fruitcake

Fruitcake has a bad reputation. "There's only one fruitcake in the world, and it just gets passed around," people say. I know people who receive fruitcakes for Christmas and dump them immediately in the trash. I personally have thrown away light-colored cakes embedded with artificial-looking, almost transparent bits of red, green, and yellow candied fruit.

I am here to proclaim, however, that there is ONE kind of fruitcake that will potentially change your opinion forever: The fruitcakes made by the Trappist monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in Lafayette, Oregon. When I was growing up, my dear grandma would order them from the Norm Thompson catalog for Christmas every year. I still remember the small, square box with a picture of a monastery on the lid. For years, I skeptically watched as my grandma, my mom and her sister relished the tiny fruitcakes and declared them to be the best in the world.

At some point along the way, I decided to try a bite and immediately realized that this fruitcake was totally different than the others I had sampled and discarded. The Monastery Fruitcake was a dark, rich cake soaked in brandy and studded with walnuts, pecans, and real fruit. It was the kind of delicacy that we hoarded and savored, the tiniest sliver at a time, knowing that it would be another year until we could have it again. We looked forward to the fruitcakes every Christmas until one year when Norm Thompson stopped carrying them. In the days before the Internet, Grandma didn't know where else to find them, so we concluded that the fruitcakes, sadly, were no longer being made.

Grandma passed away a couple of years ago. This past Christmas, my aunt and I started reminiscing about those fruitcakes made by Trappist monks. What if they were actually still being made? We decided to find out. My aunt found a box from one of the fruitcakes tucked away in her basement. She gave me the name of the monastery and within 30 seconds, I had found multiple Internet sources and glowing reviews for the fruitcakes. Within 10 minutes, I had placed an order. Within seven days, four fruitcakes will be here: one for my mom, two for my aunt, and one just for me. I wish I could have ordered one for Grandma.

We are so excited. And I know that she would have been, too.

Click here for an Internet source for Monastery Fruitcake

In Search of Order: Embellishments

My family was gone over the weekend, leaving me free to do some long-overdue scrapbooking.

On Friday, my friend, Sharon, and I had been talking about organizing dimensional embellishments by color. (I teach an organization class in which we often discuss the merits of such a system. I had just never taken the plunge.) Well, Sharon and I decided to try it over the weekend, and we are both thrilled with the results.

CAUTION: Don't look at these pictures too closely....you'll see some REALLY old (and somewhat scary) stuff that surfaced during the organization process! All stuff I'd forgotten I had!

Moving my embellishments from their old containers to their new home didn't take much time at all, in part because I don't have a huge amount of dimensional embellishments. (People who know me are laughing right now: One package of embellishments lasts a lifetime at my house!) I used three small, three-drawer containers (available at Target or Walgreen's) which I had previously used for adhesive and odds and ends. They ended up being just the right size for this new system. I have the following color drawers: red/pink, orange/yellow, green, blue, violet, brown/white, two for black, and metallic. To keep everything from mixing together, I used plastic and metal lids from various containers to separate items. So far, I have not added my small ribbon cards to the drawers because I haven't found a good way to contain them.

Changing to this system enabled me to re-purpose the four larger containers I'd previously used for storing all of this stuff. Combining it in the smaller drawers saved a surprising amount of space. Plus, I love the way it looks. I keep opening the drawers just to peek inside. (I know, I'm easily amused.)

Since I was scrapbooking this weekend, I had the chance to try out the new system right away. I was amazed at how useful it turned out to be as I was working on pages. I used some things on pages that I'd forgotten I had. Since I'm a person who tends to think of color first when scrapbooking, I just know that this change is going to help me use up my stash.

Found on the floor this morning:

One partially-eaten dryer sheet and one very soft kitty.

Chipboard Box with Cards

This week, I finished up another take-home project for the store where I teach. This one features the Colorboard chipboard stickers by Making Memories. I initially considered making a mini-album or another set of cards with the chipboard stickers, but as I was starting to work on this project, I received an e-newsletter from Splitcoaststampers which led me in a different direction. One of their current projects features a coaster treat box. I decided it would be fun to use that concept to create a box for cards using plain chipboard. My project includes Doodlebug papers with a springtime feel that coordinate really nicely with the Making Memories chipboard stickers, and six matching cards.

I'm anxious to use this concept again with different papers. I think the box would be cute filled with goodies and small gifts. Now that I've brushed up on my lacing skills, I think I'm good to go.

Feline Friday: May I Have Your Attention, Please?

This is what it looks like when I try to use the computer. Tinsel walks directly in front of the screen. She rubs all over it and sits down directly in front of it. It's hard to use the computer when you're looking between cat ears. A moment later, I glance to my left and see Lily peering at me from inside the dollhouse.

These kitties will go to most any length to direct my attention back to them.

And it works every time.

Scones - From Scratch

I don't know where or when I tasted my first scone. Over the course of many years, I have searched for them at bakeries and coffee shops, and I'm always delighted when I find them. The perfect scone is not too dry and not too sweet, and it may be packed with blueberries, peaches, raisins, or cranberries. I think scones are best when paired with a perfect cappuccino.

I actually believe that scones are much more than they seem: Scones have a unique way of making you feel either sophisticated or Bohemian. Enjoy them with tea in the afternoon, and you're almost royalty. Walk through the bustling market with a scone in hand, and suddenly you're living an artist's life.

The best scones I've had to date were at Pike's Place Market in Seattle. We were in the area for a few days a couple of summers ago, and we had the opportunity to frequent a particular bakery on several mornings. Scones were baked fresh early in the morning and wrapped in paper for easy carrying. There, I could pick up a crumbly, not too sweet scone and enjoy it with a caramel latte on those cool Seattle mornings. Paradise, in my book.

Sadly, the scones in our neck of the woods are not on a level with those in Seattle. They tend to be overly dry, sometimes hard as a rock. Knowing my longing for good scones, my aunt bought me several quick scone mixes from King Arthur Flour. Those mixes were so easy to work with, and the scones they produced were surprisingly good. This week, emboldened by my success with the quick mixes, I decided to try making scones from scratch. I'm not particularly adept in the kitchen (some would actually say I am INEPT), so you can imagine my surprise when these scones came out of the oven with a golden color and perfectly crumbly texture.

If you enjoy scones, the quick mixes and many recipes are available at this website: King Arthur Flour Believe me, I'll be trying more of these recipes this winter. I may not get that Bohemian feeling I had in Seattle, but at least it will be fun trying.

Carl's Cranberry-Orange Scones

A classic flavor combination -- cranberry and orange -- is highlighted in these scones.

1 3/4 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour (I used regular flour)
3 tablespoons sugar (next time, I'll add a bit more sugar)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
6 tablespoons half and half
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 tablespoons grated orange peel OR 1/2 teaspoon orange oil (I used orange extract)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, then add the butter, rubbing it in till the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cranberries.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the half and half, egg and orange peel or oil. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir till the dough just comes together. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, knead it a couple of times, and shape it into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut the round in half, and each half into 5 wedges.

Separate the wedges, and transfer them to a nonstick or parchment-lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. Bake the scones in a preheated 400°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Yield: 10 scones. (In my oven, the scones took about 13 minutes to turn golden brown.)

©2006 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Use it Up

In my 2007 quest for ORDER in my life, I've been digging through cupboards and finding all kinds of things. I have a sad tendency to hang onto things for one or more of the following reasons:

a) I love it too much to use it, often for sentimental reasons (I think they call this hoarding)
b) I forget that I have it
c) I'm in too much of a hurry to use it
d) I don't need it now but MIGHT need it someday (this is the reason I have boxes of rocks and wiggly eyes in my basement)

In looking through my bathroom closet, I discovered a plethora of travel-sized lotion bottles. Even more bottles recently appeared on my vanity after DD organized her bathroom and decided she no longer likes certain scents. For some reason, people give me lotion with some frequency, and I also stock up on it when Bath & Body Works has the big annual sale. You get the picture: I have more lotion than an entire group of people could use in a year.

But here's the deal: I never use lotion.

Why? I obviously like lotion, but for reasons a), b), and c) above, it accumulates without being used. Another reason I don't use lotion is that I don't particularly care for it on my hands (even though that's where I most need it), especially if I'm doing something crafty, playing the piano, or handling kitties. But I can use lotion anywhere else on my person without issues, so there is really no excuse for this massive build-up.

So, in my quest for order, I'm on a mission to USE IT UP. This not only goes for lotion, but it also applies to scrapbooking supplies and the mounting problem I have with unpleasantly scented shower gels. To tackle the lotion problem, I devised a simple solution: Fill this cute little basket (made years ago by DD at the state fair) with small bottles of lotion and make a concerted effort to use them every day after showering until they are gone. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and have gone through several bottles of lotion. I have so many that I just keep filling up the little basket.

I do confess, however, that there are a few little bottles (with matching soaps) that I will never use -- see reason (a) above -- like the ones from the Dolphin and Contemporary hotels at Walt Disney World (they're just too cute) and the ones from our stay at Dave Longaberger's house in Dresden, Ohio (yes, the guy who started the basket company, and yes, he has his own lotion) which have a neat design on the front. But there are many, many other bottles to which I am not sentimentally attached. Those will be used up and the containers dutifully recycled.

So here's an amazing discovery I've made about order: If you actually use things, they don't accumulate. And in this case, you even get to smell (mostly) good in the process.

Let the Competition Begin

Well, the 2007 show choir competition has officially started. On Saturday, our school hosted an invitational with over 40 choirs in competition. Trust me when I say that for the kids who are really "into" show choir, it is bigger than life.

I'm happy to report that DD's group won their 9th grade division. We did not expect them to win at the first competition of the season, and let me tell you, there was an extreme amount of excitement in the air (along with the aerosol hairspray).

It wouldn't be show choir season without some Hair Drama. As usual, we used foam rollers to put up DD's hair the night before the event. It takes me about an hour to do this. Unfortunately, we were gone until fairly late on Friday evening and didn't get them in soon enough. Saturday morning, the hair was still damp and we had no curls. In fact, we had a terrible mess. It took some quick action with the TURBO setting of the curling iron to recover. Big stress for mom. Lots of hair spray. High drama at our house.

Six of the top varsity groups competed in finals that evening. It really was a tremendous show, with so many incredibly talented singers and dancers. During the course of the day, I couldn't help but think that a part of this whole process is letting go...letting our kids discover their talents and grow into whoever they are meant to become and wherever it may take them in life. Maybe that's why I was so touched by the lyrics to the song (shown below) which one of the groups performed.

All in all, it was an exciting, emotional day for the performers and those who were lucky enough to watch. And to think, this is only the beginning, in so many ways.

When You Come Home

My first day of recess they all laughed at me
When I fell off the swing set and scraped up my knee

The nurse called my Momma to say I'd be late,
And when she gave me the phone I could hear Momma say
"I'm so sorry, son. Oh I think you're so brave."

And she was smilin' when she said:

When you come home, no matter how far,
Run through the door and into my arms
It's where you are loved, it's where you belong
And I will be here when you come home.

I waved good-bye through the window as I boarded the plane,
My first job in Houston was waiting for me.

I found a letter from Momma tucked in my coat
And as I flew down the runway I smiled when she wrote:
I'll miss you, son, you'll be so far away

But I'll be waiting for the day

When you come home no matter how far,
Run through the door and into my arms
It's where you are loved, it's where you belong,
And I will be here when you come home

Well, I don't think she can hear you now,
The doctor told me, your mother is fading,
It's best that you leave

So I whispered, I love you and then turned away.
But I stopped at the door when I heard Momma say,
I love you, son, but they're callin' me away

Promise me before I go

When you come home, no matter how far,
Run through the door and into my arms;
It's where you are loved, it's where you belong,
And I will be here when you come home,
When you come home.

Feline Friday: Mini-Me

I picked up this card awhile back at Target because the cat bears a striking resemblance to Tinsel (or to almost any brown tabby, for that matter). The only difference is that Tinsel does not have a large white "bib" under her chin. In my Search for Order, I ran across this card and decided that I really needed a photo of Tinsel and her Mini-Me.

You can see by the look on her face that Tinsel does not have great affection for her Mini-Me, nor is she pleased with the impromptu photo shoot. In contrast, Lily was intrigued to think we might have a new, noticeably smaller, cat in the house and immediately jumped up to say hello.

Lilyware

In my quest for order, I cleared out this plastic, lidless container used for hanging files. As soon as it was empty of paper, it was full of Lily. Since discovering it, she's been hanging out in it most of the time. We love seeing her little paws pressed up against the sides. I'm calling it Lilyware, the Plastic Container for Cats.

Tinsel's Cabeza Grande

Notice: The following is another story with no point.

So yesterday was the day for Tinsel's check-up and vaccinations. After pushing her into her carrier, she rode relatively well to the vet's office, with only a few piteous meeee-owwwws for dramatic effect. After six months of being chased by Lily, she now weighs in at around 10 pounds, almost a full pound lighter than at her last check-up. I was relieved that the strange thickening I recently noticed on her right ear is most likely a congenital defect (no doubt her ONLY defect) or the result of an injury before she came to live with us. Her back toenails have been clipped, and Tinsel is looking mighty fine, according to the vet.

It occurred to us recently that Tinsel's head is really quite large for her body. (No, I did not happen to ask the vet about this.) She's not a large breed of cat, so one wouldn't expect to find such a large head on a 10-pound cat body. Lily is now almost as tall as Tinsel, yet her head is considerably smaller. Of course, Lily is younger, but she is very close to being full grown, so one would think that their heads would be closer in size. In addition, when Tinsel is irritated (as in this photo), her ears swivel back, making her look a bit like an owl.

And? Your point?

There is none. Just some observations.