Bubble Mailers Tutorial

I am super thrilled to be fairly busy with photography.  This past summer I started using professional packaging to ship out my CD packages-and I love the way it looks.  I use a company called rebinder, and they have eco-friendly products that also have a great feel.  I mail everything out in a bubble mailer, but honestly-I hate the way the envelopes look.  Maybe I'm being too picky, but don't you love receiving pretty things in the mail?  I plan to at least make an honest attempt at making these bubble mailers. What a great idea! I think it will give my products a really nice finished look.

Recipes & Hair-do's.

Fall is in full swing in the DeMars household.  I wait for this time all year, and when it finally comes-I wollow in a mixture of happy & sad emotions.  Happy, because it's the best time of year-everything feels right.  The air smells fresh (aka decaying leaves), the colors are beautiful, the clothes are awesome (seriously-I hate summer clothing), and the food is amazing.  Sad, because I know that it's so short lived, and that in a few short weeks I will be anxiously waiting next year's harvest.

In honor of this amazing time of year, I wanted to share two recipes.  One I have tried-consumed-and conquered.  The other I plan on trying tomorrow during Ingrid's nap time (which is often referred to as mommy-time).

RECIPE #1
Pretzel Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips
{I made these yesterday, and they are half gone.  Granted, they only make about 18-20 cookies total.  Stop whatever you're doing and make these.  Now.}

RECIPE #2
Home Made Spiced Pumpkin Latte
{How AMAZING does this look?  and paired with a cookie and the newest episode of Teen Mom *Hey, don't judge-we all have our guilty pleasures*....sounds like I have my "mommy-time" planned for tomorrow}

IN OTHER NEWS:

I did it.  I dived in head first.  I let go of all my pre-conceived notions that long hair=femininity.  I cut my hair. The first few hours after I did it I totally panicked.  But now....I love it.  It's short.  It's easy.  It's totally different than anything I've ever done.....

T-Shirt Necklace Tutorial

So earlier this summer we were browsing the Farmer's Market, as we do every Saturday, and there was this little girl selling the cutest T-shirt necklaces.  I picked out a grey one to match my 11 grey sweatshirts (seriously, it's a problem-therapy is needed) and I have worn it almost every day since.  I found a tutorial online so I could make a really chunky one myself-and today I finally got around to it.  Sure it cuts of my air supply when I move my head forward, but no pain no gain, right?  Here is a picture of the one I made, and here is a link to do one up yourself.  Happy Thursday!

Nutella Cupcakes

FYI:  I found this recipe on pinterest, and the cupcakes suck.  It's true.  But the idea is great!  So here is the recipe link, and if I were you-I would use your trusted vanilla cupcake recipe, and just add the nutella.  Can't wait to try these again with a better dough recipe!

 

Autumn Decor

This was my first attempt with felt flowers-and they were so fun!  I haven't used a hot glue gun since elementary school-and let me just say-It rocked my world.  I love hot glue guns.  So much power.  Anyway-here it is.  And this is the tutorial I used.  Happy Fall!

Quick Pesto Pasta

Quick is the word!!  I love this recipe because it's healthy, inexpensive, and sooo fast!

Ingredients
* 3 cups of uncooked penne pasta (we always use whole wheat)
* 1/2 cup of pesto
* 1/4 cup of roasted red peppers
* 1/2 cup of frozen pea's
* 1/8 cup of feta crumbles

Directions
1.  Cook pasta as directed (I just throw my pea's in while the pasta is bowling).  Drain.
2.  Add pasta back to pot.  Add remaining ingredients.  Serve warm or cold.

I like fast and easy, just like my men.  ;)  

Happy Wednesday folks.

A growing & changing Ingrid

It was my intention last week to write an in depth birthday monologue on the extensive change I've seen in our little girl over the past year, but alas-time has been my enemy the past 2 weeks.  Sickness, travel, teething, & parties were just some of the things on my to-do list, so a beautifully constructed birthday posting didn't quite make it.  Actually, today is the first day in 2+ weeks that Ingrid has actually been herself.  Plagued with molars & a nasty cold-my little girl wanted nothing else but to sit in front of the TV and watch Cinderella over and over and over (Rogers & Hammerstein version, of course).  Michael said he's been waking up in the middle of the night with the song "Impossible" in his head.  It's like the song-that-never-ends.   However, it's a new week-and I find myself having a few extra minutes to document some of the fun things Ingrid is doing & saying in her 2nd year.

Favorites
Movies (I love her unique and mature taste in movies, with a few kid-approved exceptions):
-What About Bob-  She asks to watch "Bob" and repeatedly exclaims "I sail, I sail!!"
-Roger's & Hammerstein, Cinderella-  This is the version with Whitney Houston and Brandy Norwood.  She knows all the words, all the actions-and asks to watch "Cind-na-na" over and over.
-Baby Einstein-She still loves some of the Baby Einstein movies, but thank the sweet Lord, that phase is coming to an end.
-Walk Away The Pounds, by Leslie Sansone- I had her do this work out video with me once, and it just stuck!  She asks to watch "Walk" a lot...

Television
-The Office- She loves this show, and always has.  Even as a newborn it's one of the only things that would calm her colicky-self down.  Now, she asks to watch the "Off-ees" and loves "Jum, Pam, Wichael, and Daaa-wight"
-Gilmore Girls- If you know me, you KNOW I couldn't be more proud.  I am a Gilmore Girls fanatic-I own all 7 seasons and have seen them all the way through at least 50 times.
-PBS cartoons- (Sid the Science Kid, Super Why {or as she says "soo-why"}, Cat in the Hat, Martha Speaks etc..")

Food & Snacks
-"Gofish" a.k.a. Goldfish
-"Foot-Snack" a.k.a Fruit Snacks
-"Gapes" a.k.a Grapes
-"Appa" a.k.a Apples
-"Chups" a.k.a chips
-"Mac-n-cheese!"
-"P-za" a.k.a pizza
- "Pee-a-but sammich" a.k.a Peanut butter sandwhich
-"Jute-box" a.k.a Juice Box
{Girlfriend has a serious taste for junk food, this is seriously curbed by lots of fruit, whole grains, dairy, and purred vegetables-FYI}

Toys
-"Pee-a-no" aka piano
-"dwum" aka drums
-"chicken" her play kitchen
-"Bi-ci-cle" her tricycle
-"Buddles" her bubbles
-"Puttles" her puzzles
-loves books, especially interactive ones.
-loves to bake & cook, and knows the whole routine
-loves to color & paint (especially good at drawing circles!)

Sleep
-MUST wear her "pee-cess" (princess) jammies every night.  It's tricky getting her to take them off.
-MUST have her "bebe, bankey, and teddy"
-likes to sleep with her fan
-generally sleeps from 8-7:30 and naps from 1-3:30 and rarely puts up a fuss-she is a great sleeper!

Talking up a storm!
{Some of my favorite things she says}
-"I hold you!"- when she wants to be picked up.
-"I hold hand!"-when she wants to hold our hand
-"Oh no! Wud-you-do?!"
-"Oh no! You okay?"
-"Where it go?!"
-"Don't you get it?!" (a line from Cinderella)
-"I need help peese"
-Says "peese & kank you" like a pro!
-"Daddy's home, Daddy's home!"
-"I see a-o-pwane!" aka airplane
"I hear a twane!"
-"Awe-sum!" aka awesome.
-loves singing ABC's
-Can recognize letter's, numbers, and colors (and very audibly points them out by shouting "FIVE!", "O!", "H!", "Bwack!" etc..)

Names for loved ones
-"Gampies" aka Grandpa
-"Gamma" aka Grandma
-"Aunt Mare-mee" aka Aunt Mary
-"BEN!" Does she ever LOVE her Ben (sister's other half)
-"GG!" Great Grandma Stiehm
-"Sa-na-na" aka cousin Savannah
-"SUM!" aka Sam, our downstairs neighbor-she has to run out and say hi whenever he comes home-God bless him!
-"Hi KENT!" she loves our landlord Kent!
-"Tee-na!" her beloved cashier at Wal Mart, they've struck up quite the bond.

Of course I could go on-and-on-and-on-and-on, but you get it.  I love her.  She's awesome.  I'm so blessed. I think having a 2 year old will be pretty cool.