Chef Lily

The Young Chef's Academy class went great, despite the fact that lily seemed drawn to the baby toys more than the actual cooking. In spirit of our theme (the letter U) we baked "U"psidedown sticky buns and "U"limate fruit dip.



But she actually ate what we made so anything that ends with her eating gets an A in my book.

Here's a little info about Young Chef's. They have locations nationwide and are a great place for kids to learn the basics of cooking while interacting with other 'young chef's';) They offer weekly classes for kids ages 3 to 13+.

From their website: Young Chefs® Academy is a unique culinary experience which offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. Each visit to Young Chefs® Academy is a new experience with fresh monthly themes and exciting new programs.

Vintage bike, today's price!

Do you love vintage bicycles but hate the $2000+ price tag that comes with reproductions? Me too! I've searched ebay as well but rarely do they have one in *pristine* condition and when they do....stand back....it's everyone for themselves. A literal feeding frenzy, forget bargains. I've recently found something I thought didn't exist- Vintagey looking bicycles, today's prices....here!
Granted, they are NOT reproductions. They offer the *look* of a vintage bicycle with white-wall tires and solid colors. The above bicycle is my favorite from their site. Imagine this with a wicker basket on front filled with a bouquet of flowers. Good enough for me:)
With 24" cruisers starting at $120, you have to give them a look-see!!

Now, they look *forward* to drying off!

Lily and her best friend Gracie (picture of the week April 5th) have matching hooded flower towels, store-bought from "The Children's Place". Her mother, my friend Abi, had the foresight to buy two so that neither little girl would want the other's. They were a HIT. Both Lily and Gracie love them. I liked the idea so much that I decided to make some of my own. I started out with lofty goals. I planned to make 6-7 for each girl. Well, that never happened but at least I didn't "throw in the towel" altogether. I did manage to make two a piece- a duck and a bunny (as well as a blue doggie for Gracie's brother). Not too bad. Dressing up never gets boring and better yet, it makes them look forward to drying off:)
(To right) Lily at her weekly swimming lesson, swimming with only ONE back floaty! I'm so proud.

If you want to make your own hooded towel just follow the instructions here. It's VERY simple. If you want to add some animal characteristics I included some inspirations below. The mermaids seem like a great idea although I've yet to attempt it. I hand-stitched most of the features (i.e. the eyes, dog nose and wiskers) with simple embroidery thread. For the duck bill I cut two hand towels in the shape of a bill and sewed them together then turned them inside out and hand-basted it to the hood.

When picking your nose is not just okay, it's fun!

I saw Design Mom post the animal cups a couple months ago but since then I've found more options. Perhaps they came before the animal noses but I thought they were still postworthy. Great for birthday parties! Even adult parties! You can buy the people noses here! And you can buy the animal noses here!

I think I'm going to buy these for lily's birthday party but not mention anything and let the guests discover the fun on their own.

Mmmm Sunday Baklava.

We spent Sunday quietly indoors. I had some phyllo dough that was reaching its expiration date so Lily and I made my favorite dessert (next to tiramisu) baklava! Mmmm. It came out all oouey gooey but golden and crispy. Yum! If the picture inspires you, here's the recipe we used: yum! bakalava. One tip! Don't forgot to cut the pieces before you put them in the oven. I didn't and the tops got a little broken up when I carved them into triangles. Another thing, I let them sit on a dry paper towel before I put them in the cupcake wrappers to soak up the excess honey sauce. Also, the recipe calls for you to start the honey sauce after you make the baklava. I suggest you make it before. If you pour the sauce on hot it will soak to the bottom of the pan and make everything soggy.

Oilcloth is cool. Who knew?

I've found these great bags made out of ever-kitchy oil cloth. The best part- their price! Cheap, cheap, CHEAP! I'm thinking they'd be good for a trip to the Farmer's Market or the swimming pool or some kind of art show downtown where everyone can envy it.

An excerpt from a conversation that followed 2 minutes after the above paragraph.

Brian: "Can I use the computer to check my fantasy baseball?!"
Me: "Ugh! Hold on. I'm right in the middle of a post!"
Brian: "About what?"
Me: "OILCLOTH BAGS OKAY!"

See if you can...."flip that clip!"

These books are great for a coffee table memory of your baby's first steps, a bride's first dance or a high dive attempt. Just upload your clip to flipclips.com Use up to 150 pages (roughly 30 seconds)! Choose from a range of sizes and custom-cover options. The smallest flip books, 3 1/2 by 2 inches, are perfect party favors and can be slipped into muslin drawstring bags. Prices range from $9 to $20.

Let's all go to the Carnival....down the hall.

I like these. It gives you the opportunity to add pattern and color to a monotone kids room. And if your walls are already filled you can hang these from your windows. They look so sweet and whimsical.
Of course, I refuse to purchase them. Instead I'm going to attempt to do this on my own. I think it will be a FABULOUS way of using my discarded scraps! They look simple enough. But I'm sort of backlogged with projects so when I get around to it, I'll post my result.
If you're more practical. You can purchase them at Mahar Goods.

Where crafty and chic intersect

I was never one of those girls who had a different handbag for every day of the week. I had one handbag and it was my favorite. I used it for everything and then say five months down the road I fell in love with another bag that became my new favorite. But recently, I've started to become a 'collector' not only of bags but shoes. I don't know what's come over me. At any rate, my new must-have bag is this. It's by Sommer Designs and is priced at $75. The fabric is Amy Butler and since I can't afford to spend $75 on a handbag I'm going to attempt to make this. I'll be ordering the fabric tomorrow and whenever I finish I'll post my result. But for those of you who have a little more spare change in their coin purse, you might want to take a look at some of her other designs. It's eye candy for your shoulder (and hips).

If I ever win the lottery.......

Wouldn't you love to build a house like this? One question, how on earth would you keep the moths out? You'd have a blanket of insect wings coating all the light fixtures by the end of your first evening. I once opened my kitchen door for but a minute to let out a waft of smoke from the stove and had to deal with 3 very hair-raising ones that had a knack for terrorizing my daughter all night. Still, I've always loved the idea of integrating the outdoors with the indoors. Moths be DAMNED! Love it.