Spray paint magic!

We have had these ugly green stool's for almost four years. I have wanted to paint them the entire time and finally was able to do it! Valspar white enamel for the top's and yellow & red for the bottom's. A huge improvement that really only took me minute's to do. If you have something in your home that you are not totally in love with, consider giving it a few coat's of a color you adore. Happy spray painting everyone!

The treehouse prettied up!

We have this sunroom at the back of our house, Apple used it as an art space but it mainly housed our recycling boxes and other things that had no home. It really needed a purpose, so I made it into an eating space. We found a table and chair set on usedvictoria for a very nice price, I painted and recovered the chairs and the top of the table, white washed the walls, replaced the floor with a recycled linoleum product that amazingly matched our wood kitchen floor. We call this room the "treehouse" because from the outside it looks like one, and it is surrounded by trees, so you really feel like you are in a treehouse!
I still need to do something to the door knob's and a few other touches but overall I am super happy!

Kale Chip Addiction

I am addicted to Kale in "chip" form. Kale is so good for you and I have been eating it for year's, but made into "chip's it is so tasty that it is hard to believe it is good for you! There are probably many different way's to make Kale chip's but here is how I make mine,

Wash your Kale   JUST KIDDING!
If you grow your own Kale there is no need to wash it ( unless it is covered in soil)

Tear the Kale off of the stalk into piece's, save the stalk's as you can boil them to make yummy soup broth.
Place the piece's on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, in this batch I used Grapeseed oil,
Sprinkle with Sea Salt
place in your oven that has been pre- heated to 350, bake for 8-10 minute's, give the pan a shake sometime in the middle of baking. let them cool a few minute's and enjoy! Kale chip's are awesome on there own or in a sandwich, crumpled on top of pasta or soup or anything you want wonderful flavor on!

Adding to my collection

                               Did I need to buy these cute jar's? No, but I could not leave them at the consignment store. I have not seen ones like this before, does anyone out there know what would have been in them, if anything?

Sugar Free Birthday Cake !

                                       The tiniest sprinkle of sugar...............

                                       The munchkins decorated it!

I am really trying to get our family off of refined sugar and sugar cane for that matter. There is no way I could entirely be sugar free so I am using other sweeteners. Raw honey is my first choice, Maple syrup and Blue Agave Syrup. Cinnamon is also very sweet so I use a large amount in most things that I bake. It was my dear Mother in Laws birthday and I made a lovely lemon spice cake sweetened only with honey and cinnamon. I used spelt flour and grapeseed oil to keep it light. My first instinct was to top it with real whipped cream but when I went to the store I saw creme fraiche and could not turn back. Blueberries and raspberries were next, who could resist a cake topped with those yummy gems?!

What's for Dinner?!

                         I am often asked by friends what do I make for dinner. Every day I feed six hungry tummies, breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. Rarely do I plan ahead, I love excitement and what is more exciting than creating a wonderful dish at the last minute with whatever ingredients I happen to have?! The other night it was this lovely, cheese topped delight. I started with quinoa, egg and yogurt, salt & pepper for the crust, the toppings were a layer of salsa ( because I was out of crushed tomatoes) zucchini ,red pepper,italian salami,fresh basil, mushrooms & garlic.I grated old white cheddar on top, it was sooooooo yummy and even better cold the next day!  As long there are veggies and protein in a meal you can't go wrong. All of our meals include raw food like salad or cut up veggies, the children eat those like crazy!
I have yet to name this creation, any ideas out there?

Our flower garden & Munchkin Lunch!

It has been gray and rainy the last few days but the flowers are still happy! I LOVE Bachelor Buttons and every year I scatter their seeds all over the yard. I have also included one of Arlo's favorite lunches, sprouted grain toast w/ butter & local honey, strawberries, cucumber & chick peas, green pepper.

Rain, wallpaper, coziness.......

                                                                  Rainy day wallpaper removal.

                   

                      The" brown with leaves" is the original 1910 wallpaper.

 As we peeled wallpaper Apple cleaned her room. I cannot wait to paint her wardrobe!

                      Arlo had so much fun!

Dandelion Fluffs

                        A collection of treasures waiting on the chair............

                  Apples first crack at pottery

            Apples first gluten free Apple pie made from scratch

        The four munchkins in their natural habitat

On a trip in the best seaside thrift store town with my sister and our daughters I stumbled upon this lovely crewel work framed picture. The frame was a wood that made me feel sad, it needed some paint! I took the orange color from the rooftops, it makes it pop! I already had paint out for the twins kitchen I was making for their birthday. It literally took me five minutes to brighten this beauty up!

Three of my four children are boys. I have always wondered what I would do with sons because I am not into sports or anything typically boyish, neither is my husband. I decided I would just raise them as "people". They play with cars but they also play with dolls. I am happy they have a good balance of interests. My husband is a very gentle man and I think they are taking after him. When he comes home from work and see's little Rolla dressed up like a princess he tells him he looks beautiful, how wonderful is that! I snapped some lovely moments of the boy's playing Raggedy Ann & Andy with their Papa.

Doll house waiting for decor

Paperdoll made by Apple

Apple in a vintage top that was mine at her age

Munchkin lunch

another munchkin lunch

Apples first embroidery

Sunset out our back window

Apples duct tape purse (she even lined it with fabric)

Django & baby

Sunny Rolla

Yummy honeybuns & oranges

Homeschooling happiness

Our favorite things to juice

Arlo's moves

Top of my dresser clutter