Everyday Beauty

Easter Mallow Kabobs

Easter really snuck up on me this year. I can't believe it's nearly here! We have been so busy with the house, focused on renovations and decorating, which is part of the reason I've been away from this blog for a while. That, and just the usual busy-ness that goes along with keeping three small children fed, clean, happy and healthy! 

But I found a few spare minutes today and took these pictures. I just can't resist cute marshmallows, and few bags found their way into my shopping cart a month ago, with plans for Easter Mallow Kabobs.

One little tip I will share with you about the kabob.....wet the wooden skewer before you try to pierce the marshmallows or you will have a sticky mess that looks terrible. Trust me on this one.

I placed each finished kabob in a plastic bag (the slim ones intended for pretzel rods) and with a few turns of a twistie they were finished.

Found these cute twisties on etsy:

So easy and fun. I am a kid at heart, so I'll admit these are as much for me as for the kids!

Blue Sky

I thought I'd follow up the Pink Sky post with this one about Blue Sky Soda. Do you know about this yummy beverage? I am not a soda drinker, but I do like the occassional fizz in my drink. Usually we've got a few bottles of Pellegrino Limonata or Aranciata chilling, but this is a tasty alternative too. And look how pretty the cans are! None of the bad stuff is in here (high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, preservatives), it's just white tea, carbonated filtered water, sugar and natural flavors. And did I mention how pretty the cans are? How cute these would be in a tub of ice at a summer party. Just thought I'd share!

Soup Love

The beginning of vegetable soup this afternoon. I found the heart-shaped wooden spoon in Target's dollar section. A reminder to cook with love!

I Guess She Likes Hummus

 
Sofia is the pickiest little eater. But we did recently discover that she likes hummus, when I left the container on the edge of the kitchen table, a little too close to her high chair.

 
My initial reaction was to grab the container and start cleaning her up, but then we started laughing and realized she was having a good old time digging in. So, I let her have a bit more fun.

 
 
 
And we discovered a food that she will actually eat!

 

A Place for Everything

 
I'm not typically a maker of New Year's resolutions.

I guess I figure any day is a good day to make a positive change in my life. And if I'm not ready to do it on January 1st, why try and force it just because the calendar says we should? Well, this year -for some reason- I am really feeling the "fresh start" of a new year, and the one thing I want to do is get ORGANIZED!

 
I used to be incredibly, almost obsessively organized, and I'm not sure what happened. I guess life happened, and before I knew it things were hodge podge, willy nilly, tossed here and there. Making me crazy.

 
So, that's what I've been up to lately. Taking baby steps to getting organized once again. I started in the kitchen. Cleaning out cupboards, organizing my baking supplies, getting rid of old dish towels and buying fresh clean white ones. Straightening up the pantry....such an endless task in our home.

 
Some of these chores are not too pretty, or blog-worthy, in my opinion. But I thought these shiny new glass bottles full of sprinkles were a bit of Everyday Beauty I had to share.

 
I had a case of bottles left over from when I used to sell glass glitter, and had been wanting to fill them with sprinkles for 2 years now. While organizing sprinkles is not exactly a priority, it was a quick little project that I checked off my loooooong "organization" list. Made me happy.

 
I'm off to go find something else to organize, while I've still got the urge!

 

Not a Creature was Stirring...

 
...except for a candy cane mouse! Mario and I made 25 of these little cuties for his classmates. I thought they turned out sweet, and those googly eyes really give them a mischievious personality.
The pastel candy canes can be found here. And that's just faux fur from the craft store that I cut into a teardrop shape. Then I cut felt ears in a dumbell shape and threaded them through 2 slots that were snipped in the teardrop. Sounds much more complicated than it is. You can find a pattern for the body & ears here, though I made my mice about twice as big as this pattern. The ears are about right though.

 

I don't know exactly why, but I am SO ridiculously excited for Christmas this year. Like I'm 5. The kids and I have been crafting and baking with no end in sight. Still have 3 kinds of cookies yet to bake today. The dough is made and chilling in the fridge. A few days ago, I made these yummy Angel Macaroons with Necco wafers stuck in the soft chewy coconut mounds.

 
This old Reindeer got a red nose with some nail polish, and voila, he is Rudolph. I swear I could quote the entire script from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at this point....and the Polar Express....

 
Speaking of reindeer, we mixed up some Reindeer Food {oats & glitter}. I hope Prancer & Donner like steel-cut oats 'cause that's all I had on hand!

 
My sweater is hanging up, ready to wear to Mass on Saturday.

And a little more sparkle with the accessories. Hey, it's Christmas! Gotta have some sparkle, right?

 
Well, readers, I'm going to go finish up the baking now.....and a few other last-minute tasks before the big day arrives!

Seashell Sweets

 
I'm a sucker for anything shaped like a seashell....and the fact that these are chocolate doesn't hurt!

 
I found them at this shop a few years ago while searching for pretty sweets for my own shop. I never did sell them, figuring they would melt in transit during the hot months.

 
But I quickly bought a bag for our candy jar here at home, and have bought some every summer since. I love how the shape of this old teacup mimics the lines of a shell, so this year I put a handful in here instead of in the jar.

 
Wouldn't this be a sweet hostess gift for a summertime party? All tied up inside a cloud of tulle and dripping with ribbons.

{I don't know why that thought just popped into my mind, but it did. And now I want to go to a party just so I can bring some to the hostess......I'm just thinkin' out loud here. I know, I'm a little crazy, but these are the things I think about in detail when I let my mind wander!}

This is What's Right with the World

 
My man and I came downstairs early one morning to enjoy our morning coffee together before the rest of the gang awoke. A simple ritual that I highly recommend if you love coffee and you're lucky enough to live with someone who loves it as much as you do. Those first few peaceful sips are the best!

I took a sip. Heaven in a cup. He took a sip, looked at me and said,
"This is what's right with the world".

Absolutely.

...and if you're a coffee drinker,  you totally know where I'm coming from!

Monday in the Kitchen

 
Well, hello! I've been busy doing a little of this and a little of that, and didn't even realize I haven't been around for a week or so. As usual, it seems most of my time is spent in the kitchen, and once in a while I'll reach over and grab the camera and start shooting things that inspire me. This scrumptious pile of fabrics is sitting on the table, waiting to be stitched into various projects. Love the pop of yellow in there. The sewing machine has been humming quite a lot lately, and I generally sit and sew at the end of the kitchen table where there's plenty of room to work.

This is just an old rose, a religious medal and some lace tied to a candlestick. Simple but pretty I think.

 
Fresh baked Strawberry-Banana Muffins on the table. Yum. 
 
Some rosey knobs I just painted for the dresser in the nursery.
 
And a little dish of Italian chocolates. I'm loving the colors so much.
 
Well, Spring Break is officially over, so I guess I need to stop being a lazy daisy and go upstairs to find a shirt that will fit over my belly {nearly impossible these days} and swipe some blush on my cheeks and mascara on my lashes before I take Mario to preschool......so as not to scare the teachers!

See you soon, girls!

Happy Easter!

 
Hello Friends! I can't stay and chat too long, as there is Cavatelli to make and meatballs and sauce to finish up. The bunny cake is complete, and George is out hiding eggs all over the yard for the children to find and fill their baskets with. Happy Easter wishes to you!