Kitties and Shoes

Kitties and shoes are like magnets. They coexist in perfect or not-so-perfect harmony.

You can hide things in them. You can sniff them. You can bat them around. 

You can chew on the shoelaces. You can use them for props and pillows. ;~)

Go invest in a pair of shoes for your cat today! ;~)

Or just let them flop on yours. ;~)

Sew much fun!

Once upon a time, these (cough) lovely pants, came with a dance costume. They were enormous.

So I did some chopping off the bottom, did some trimming and turned into, (drum roll please):

A skirt! :~D

Isn't it cute? :~D

Throwback Tuesday: Mother Gothel

"Rapunzel, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah blah blah blah blah, it's very annoying! I'm just teasing, you're adorable. I love you so much, darling."

Mother Gothel: An evil, overbearing mother, with irresistible music numbers! 

And AWESOME curly hair! :~D

I love this^^^!

Sandy

About 3 or 4 months ago, my friend sent me an email.

She asked if I would be interested in a stuffed dog for my sisters.

I said sure!

This past Friday, she gave it to me.

I was thinking it would be a tiny dog, small and easy to carry.

We'll just say it exceeded my expectations. ;~)

Meet Sandy. He is named after the dog from the movie Annie.

This was the T-bug's expression, the minute she saw him!

He grows on you.......

We like Sandy! :~)

Our Kitty-cat

Yesterday morning, Sully decided to lay on the top of the recliner in the small patch of sun.

Boy, is it COLD!!

It has definitely been a cold snap the past few days, and will continue to be a few more days.

I decided to post this today, so y'all know I haven't froze. ;~)

This was the temperature yesterday morning:

Cold, yes?

And just in case you can't read the TM-500 Thermocouple Thermometer it says -18.5*

Good weather for tea, chocolate, books, and kitty cats. :~)

Throwback Tuesday: Eliza Doolittle

"I ain't done nothin' wrong by speaking to the gentleman. I've a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb. I'm a respectable girl: so help me, I never spoke to him 'cept so far as to buy a flower off me." 

Audrey Hepburn is the most well-known actress for this part.

Though Julie Andrews had it first.

You can't help but sing:

All I want is a room somewhere,

Far away from the cold night air.
With one enormous chair,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Lots of choc'lates for me to eat,
Lots of coal makin' lots of 'eat.
Warm face, warm 'ands, warm feet,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Aow, so loverly sittin' abso-bloomin'-lutely still.
I would never budge 'till spring
Crept over me windowsill.
Someone's 'ead restin' on my knee,
Warm an' tender as 'e can be. 'ho takes good care of me,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Loverly, loverly, loverly, loverly

Meet Winslow

I realized today that you guys haven't met Winslow!

This is Winslow. He is a furby on the curby, looking for anything decorated in a special way. 

He also likes making friends.

He loves the great outdoors, but will stay inside when it is chilly and snowy.

One of his favorite colors is red, just like a hydrant.

Christmas is his favorite holiday.

Especially when there are cookies to eat!

He enjoys going out and about.

From ice skating, to watching Frozen at a theater, he enjoys being busy.

He loves the carousel.

He loves going on adventures.

Especially surprise ones!

And at the end of the day, he's ready to treat others to a snack.

All in all, we love Winslow.

Today he pitched in and helped shovel.

And he was rewarded with a new winter hat.

:~)

Good Bye Christmas Tree!

Last night we decided to take our tree down. So we removed all the decorations.

And removed the tree. The tree is now sitting next to the compost bins, awaiting the ceremonial June 25th, Leon Day campfire. (Leon is noel backwards, because it is exactly 6 months till Christmas).

First half of January

(I didn't read any of these yet, but I will :~)

January:

1. Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris 
2. The Carousel by Richard Paul Evans
3. Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
4. Prince Across the Water by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
5. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
6. A Bride for Donovan by Janette Oke
7. The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon
8. The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon
9. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
10. Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon.
11. The Missing Chum by Franklin W. Dixon
12. The Pieces of Summer by Wanda E. Brunstetter
13. The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter
14. Perfectly Unique: Praising God from Head to Foot by Annie. F. Downs
15. Speak Love: Making Your Words Matter by Annie F. Downs
16. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

I've been having fun reading! :~) 

Throwback Tuesday: Anne Shirley

"That's Anne with an E"

Her spunky carefree gentle nature makes everyone love her. Even Marilla, though some days she won't admit it. 

"Plain, old, unromantic Anne Shirley."

Except for when Gilbert came to call. ;~)

Crumb-coated Muffins

(Pardon the dark picture)

These are really really delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup of milk

1/3 cup of oil

1 egg

Heat the oven to 400* F. Prepare the muffin pan with spray or liners. Combine all the the ingredients, dry then wet. Mix thoroughly and pour into the pan.

Topping:

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of white sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix the topping together into a small bowl and sprinkle over the uncooked muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy! Makes 1 dozen.

Verses about Love

Pavlova!

We've been talking about Australia in T-Tot's school work, so we decided to try making one of the famous Australian deserts.

Pavlova is named after Anna Pavlova, a famous ballerina from the turn of the century. This desert is believed to be named after her while she toured in Australia and New Zealand in the 20's.

 Ingredients:

3 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of lemon juice or lemon flavoring
1 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment. An easy way to do this is to draw around the outside of a 9 inch pan with a pencil.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice.
3. Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment, approximately 1/4 inch thick. With remainder of mixture, pipe or spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape.
4. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes. When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.
5. In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar, and whip until thickened. Decorate with fruit of your choice; strawberries are excellent.

We used dried pineapple, kiwi and strawberries on ours. :~)

Throwback Tuesday: Lizzie Bennett

I love Jane Austen! I love Lizzie Bennett! I love anything from that era! :~)

My absolute favorite quote from her is this:

"The more I see of the world, the less inclined I am to think well of it."

It's so true!

Sometimes a Breath is Needed

Sometimes a breath is needed.

Sometimes it's hard to love.

God's love never ends.

I wasn't happy when a mysterious sibling erased part of the Bible verse on my wall. I just left it alone. The irony was beautiful.

Someone erased my "EUCHARISTEO".

"Charis, Grace

Euchatisteo. Thanksgiving.

Chara. Joy."

- Ann Voskamp One Thousand Gifts

Lights bring peace, and joy. Grace and love. A breath.

And our messy world continues.