Friday Plans

It's supposed to be cool and rainy today, with comfortable temps this weekend.  Comfortable temps motivate me, so, naturally, I've got plans.

• My daughter is having her senior pictures done, and she'd like me to tag along.
• It'd be cool to hit the farmer's market.
• There's a Polish Festival that would be fun, if I can find anyone else who'd think it would be fun.
• I've got a box of peaches quickly ripening on my counter. . .I'm thinking jam, especially with the forecast of cooler weather.
• There are shelves to be hung in the last of the repainted bedrooms.  I want to get the last of their gear up and out, just in time for school to start for them on Monday.
• I'd like to reclaim cluttered counters, benches and other flat surfaces that seem to have become big-time collection points.
• If all that fails, there's always something to deal with in the basement.

I get the night off from cooking for my in-laws tonight, as they have other plans so I'll shuffle my menu for tonight to Monday.  I planned this week mostly from Taste of Home, but have a couple pinned items to share.

Mini Garlic Monkey Bread - Yeah, I make my own hamburger buns, but sometimes you just need easy, so you grab that tube of dough.  And when the outcome is really good, it works and it will be repeated. (And yeah, I'll probably try it with homemade dough, too.)
 

Key Lime Pie Magic Cake - I'm not sure what my expectations were for this dessert, maybe like a Gooey Cake, but it was more like a cheesecake.  It was a few more steps than I usually choose in desserts, especially in the summer, but it was worth it.  It was light and creamy with a light lime tang.  I've contemplated adding zest to the mix. . .I go back and forth, though.

Summer Carbonara - This recipe wasn't something I pinned, rather it's from my Taste of Home magazine.  Luckily I did find it on Pinterest.  I like trying to get my kids to eat veggies in different ways, so chopped, sauteed and covered with Parmesan cheese and bacon, worked for the majority of the kids.  And, happily, the majority of the veggies.

If I'm gonna make the most of my last day of summer break, I'd best get to it.

Happy Friday,
 

Are There Bad Photos?

I've been scrapbooking some older photos, taken with my SLR film camera.  Film cameras.  They sort of forced you to know how to take a good photo, or at least try to.  There was no looking at the screen and seeing all the errors of composition, lighting and focus, which allowed you to retake the photo.  Nope, instead you did your best, took the shot (or three) and hoped for the best when your film was developed.  Film and developing was too costly to just fire away.

I'm not a great photographer by any stretch of the imagination.  I get a lucky shot now and then, that I think is great, but mostly they are just passable.  I think I've improved over the years - or maybe it's just a result of the digital age - but I do look through the viewfinder with a little more thought.  Even though I shoot digital, almost always with my phone, I do try to compose better, be more aware of the light and focus, try different vantage points.  I don't want 5000 shots of one event.  I don't post-process.  I don't do digital photo organization.  So I tend to be more thoughtful even with digital photography.

Which brings me to my question:  Are there bad photos?  I've scrapped some under-lighted, fuzzy, grainy, blown-out, taken-to-far-away photos.  I've contemplated not putting them on the page.  But then I look at the subjects or the event and I decide to include them (cropping improves some of them.)  In that grainy, school program shot from the fifth row of the unlit cafa-gym-atorium, I captured my daughter's fourth grade class.  All those kids she went to school with from kindergarten through eighth grade - some she still attends school with - are now seniors.  You can see that layout HERE

The photo above with my son and daughter, was taken on their first day of school (really it was their second, but I wasn't around when they left for their first day.)  I've taken first day photos in front of the door since they were in pre-school.  The light is always hideous, regardless of the time of day, but even more so at 7:00 am.  But these pictures are about other things, too.  Like now, you can barely see the door handle.  There was a time their heads barely cleared it.  Shoot there was a time he was so much smaller than she was.  I've had stoic faces, super excited faces and nervous faces in this spot.  I love this one because it captures something I don't often get on camera - the connection between the two of them.

Here are some other not-so-great photos and why I would probably include them on a layout, despite their flaws.

These days it's tricky to get all four kids in any photo.  More often than not, these are the results when I do have them all in frame - the "creeper" look they all seem fond of photo bombing each other with.  Not paying attention.  Realizing I'm trying to take a picture and turning away.  In general, spoiling what was, a second a go, a pretty decent candid shot.  Why would I include it?  For the reasons just stated above.

Aside from the fact that his clothes coordinate with the wall color he's applying, it's under exposed, fairly grainy and blurry because of the lack of light and the fact that he's rolling on paint at the speed of sound.  So why include this?  Well for one, the giant smudge of paint in his hair.  Plus, at this point in time, he's all about keeping up with his older siblings.  He wants to be where they are, doing what they're doing.  This photo represents the long awaited "ok" to come up and help his sister with painting her room.

Though the color is a bit off, it's also fairly out of focus - which seems to be an issue with most photos of him, because he's constantly on the move - I'll include this one because it captures the moment he came up, sputtering, from holding his breath and having his head, almost, underwater.  A big deal for him and a giant step from the wall clinging he did only last summer.

Aaannndd. . .I'm willing to concede there might be some photos that need not be included. Chances are there's something better, not perfect, but better.  Buuttt, if this was the only photo from the Family Field Day Kick-ball Game, you bet I'd include it.  I'd make it work.

Could I edit them.? Probably.  But, as I said before, I don't edit; it's too time consuming for me.  I'd rather focus on getting a better shot to begin with.

Maybe it's sentiment.  Maybe I'd have chosen not to scrap those photos of my, then, 4th grade daughter's program if I'd actually done them when she was in the fourth grade.  But I think there is no such thing as a bad photo.  Sometimes there's more, beyond the underexposed, blurry image.  It's about the story.  It's about the moment.  It's about capturing your life.

Happy Thursday,

We Are

• We are way too adept at playing xBox.
• We are seeing evidence that summer doesn't have much longer. . .WooHoo!
• We are hangin' at the high school with big brother during schedule changes.
• We are at the Hit and Run 5K Denver.
• We are takin' Dad to find sister on the next obstacle
• We are all wet at the Big Balls
• We are finished
• We are having peaches with pretty much everything for the next week or so
• We are a pie maker
• We are finally bidding adieu to Mount Giveaway after weeks of growing in my living room
• We are kicking back with a Cherry Lime slush (whoever invented Cherry Vodka is a genious)
• We They are ushering in their first sunrise as Seniors, Class of 2015 (OMG. . .how are we here. . .so soon?)
• We are always awed by Colorado's clouds
• We are at the first day of school - Sophomore and Senior (it's been 13 years since there were just two kids in the "first day" photo  . . . sniff)

Happy Wednesday,

Sketches on Tuesday

Dang, we're well into August, which not only means school has started for two of my four kids - today for the High Schoolers - but autoship members should be in full possession of their August kits.  In those fun little boxes they're finding this exclusive sketch from Becky Fleck over at PageMaps.

Sketches are the ultimate, flex tool.  Take a look at this month's sketch which, as is, has space for five photos.  Either side of the 2-page sketch will stand up on its own, giving you a 1-pager with two or three photos depending on which side you use.

Have more photos?  Stack two 3 1/2 x 3 1/2" photos where you see just one.  Do that the entire length of the spread, or pick and choose where you stack photos. . .maybe just an additional photo under the second photo on the left side is all you need.  You can also divide the one 4 x 5 1/2" photo into two 4 x 3" photos.  You could even do a mini grid of four 2 x 3" photos.

Have less pictures, but want a 2-page spread?  Go horizontal by using the space of two of the 3 1/2" square photos with one 6 x 4 vertical photo.  Replace any of the photo blocks with patterned paper, move the strip journaling to one of the photo spaces or just simply remove any of the 3 1/2" square photos. You could even convert the 4 x 5 1/2" photo block into a mini grid of patterned papers and embellishments.  Go super-size and replace both photos on the right with one 5 x 7" or 8 x 10" photo.

Don't forget there's rotating the sketch to accommodate the orientation of your photos.  Mix and match any of the ideas to best suit your needs.  You could easily use 4 x 6" vertical photos straight across, if you needed to (some photos just can't be cropped.)

What will you do with the August sketch?  This month, challenge yourself to use the sketch more than once and see how even just different papers and embellishments changes things.  There's no shame in reusing a sketch.

Happy Tuesday,

Plans and Food

I have a plethora of things I'd, 1) would like to get done, and 2) need to get done this weekend.  The least among them is to spend some time crafting.  I sat last night and cross-stitched after dinner.  I'm just some back stitches away from completing another ornament face.

I need to get the Everest mountain of clothing that the kids have culled from their rooms inventoried and ready for pick-up next week.

I need to craft.

I need the kids to complete their rooms so the last of the items in the upper hall can be put away and their rooms returned to normal. 

I need to scrapbook.

I need to take care of some Apron Strings stuff.

I want to do some Super Stash Busters purging.

I want to head to the Peach Festival this weekend.

I'd love to watch my daughter and friends run the Hit and Run 5K.

I need to get the school supplies for the 5 y.o. labeled and packed in his back-pack so they are no longer cluttering my living room couch.  His siblings need to gather their items off the couch as well.

I want a nice refreshing cocktail.

I tested a few more recipes from Pinterest this week.  Most were quick and didn't add a lot of heat to my already overheated kitchen.  If you're looking for something cool, or something easy so you can get back to your own crafting this weekend, check these out.

 

Favorite Fresh Raspberry Pie - I can tackle most recipes with a fairly consistent level of success.  I've learned what I'm good at, can read a recipe and tell if the flavors will be tasty and "work", where I'd rather make my own vs. store bought and how many steps I'm willing to put into a given recipe.  But when it comes to pie crust, homemade pie crust, I have yet to master it and it continues to intimidate me.  So when I come upon a recipe, be it Pot Pie or dessert pie, my go-to has been store bought crusts.  I decided face my fear head on and made this Raspberry Pie from scratch - pie crust too (a double crust at that!)  It was really good, if I do say so myself.  The filling was tart and thick enough to hold up when cut.  The crust was light and, thanks to the sugar on top, crunchy and sweet.  Perfect for the tart berries.

 

Italian Shredded Beef - This was delicious.  I'm not a huge fan of seasoning mixes (usually too much salt) but as a now and then thing, I'll use them.  I thought I had Italian Dressing Mix at home, turns out not so much.  So I used an Italian Dressing recipe found in The Homemade Pantry cookbook and just pulled out the dry ingredients.  It was French Dip, but not.  I made homemade buns (found in the same Pantry cookbook) and they were thick enough to hold the drippings without making the bread a totally soggy mess.  If you pick up buns at the store go for a more dense roll.  Next time, I'll butter and toast the rolls and add Muenster or Swiss cheese.  

 

Turkey Quinoa Taco Lettuce Wraps - I could have sworn I hadn't made these, but found the Pin on the "I Cooked That" board.  So either I pinned it twice or I sorted the recipe into my menu of untried recipes.  It seems the first time I used Feta and corn tortillas.  This time I used Colby Jack, homemade taco seasoning (I have two I've tried.  Unlike packaged mixes, add the seasoning while the meat browns without adding any water) and lettuce - of which my family was either confused or not a fan of or both.  I got a lot of, "Are we out of tortillas?" and blank looks around the kitchen for said tortillas and some grumbling when they overfilled their lettuce leaves and they split.  I used Green Lettuce and Romaine Lettuce (I looked for Bib or Butter but they were too pricey.)  As long as you don't over fill and simply fold along the spine of the leaf, it's good.  Rolling like a burrito or taco will just make a mess.  They were good despite the grumblings of some male members of the household about a lack of tortillas.

 



 Lemon Chicken Pasta - This was okay.  The recipe is just for the pasta, though the title leads you to think otherwise.  The pasta was light and refreshing, but I forgot to save the pasta water and so the sauce quickly set up and got dry.  Since the recipe calls just for "grilled chicken breasts" I seasoned mine with Mrs. Dash.  I have other lemon pasta recipes I like better, so I didn't save this one.  If you decide to make it - SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER!

Summer Chicken Salad - The moment I read this recipe it intrigued me.  Blueberries and onions and dill?  I had to make it.  It's a Pioneer Woman recipe and it was virtually no-heat (I grilled the chicken and the corn outside.)  It was really good though.  The combination of ingredients was different, in a good way, from typical chicken salads.  The dressing was light, though I'll dress it a little heavier next time because I like a creamier chicken salad.  I didn't by the recommended lettuce to serve it on, too pricey.

Tonight I've got a Key Lime Magic Cake (already baked and cooling), Monkey Bread and Summer Carbonara.  If I can knock off some of my to-do's I'll be better set to pass the hot weekend in my cooler studio.

Happy Friday,

Throw-Back Thursday Sketch Solutions Lesson 11

I'm not always one to finish my challenges/lessons when the class ends.  It's just life that I fall behind and have something I don't get to while the class is in session (I was so not this kind of student in school, though.)  In the past, I've just sort of stopped, leaving the leftover stuff, well, leftover.  Lately, I've been making an effort to finish up even though the class is over.  I've loved the content and nudges the classes have provided, so I just keep plodding along.  

The key?  Even though the content is online for life, I don't usually go back (though I have high hopes to "retaking" some of my past classes.)  I've tried to download the content to my computer for easier access and, frankly, I forget about it there, too.  So, I've taken to printing the content as it comes out, stacking it on my work table with my supplies and keep it there until I've completed the lesson/challenge.  So far it's working. 

Case in point, this layout is from lesson 11 (of 14) from the Sketch Solutions class I took.  The class ended back in mid-June.  

I used the class sketch, which was a one-pager with two vertical 4x6 photos.  Because of the orientation of my photos, I rotated the sketch 90 degrees, trimmed down three photos (instead of two) and it became the right side of my layout.  I used the Fancy Pants Tradition line from the Smaller December 2010 Apron Strings kit.  

I have a bit of paper left, the rub-ons which were an add-on and an odd embellishment or two.  I'll probably make a couple cards or tags when the mood strikes.  If the leftovers sit too long, they'll go to the Kindergarten.

Happy Thursday,

We Are/#100HappyDays

The light is changing and I've seen a few clumps of yellow leaves in the Green Ash in our backyard.  The seasons are starting their hand-off.

Last week we didn't do much. . .we must be in the before-school-lull or denial, depending on who you are.  My week in pictures, courtesy of #100HappyDays.

Day 35/100 - I read cookbooks like some people read novels. My stack from Christmas is now half as big as it was.  I have a new, ever growing list for the upcoming gift-giving season. (Submitted for lessons on Shapes and Lines in the Phone Photography Project.)

Day 36/100 - Feet up and a few moments with the only magazine I get.  Well, besides my Taste of Home, which is more cookbook than magazine, to me. (Submitted for the lesson on Fill the Frame in the Phone Photography Project.)

Day 37/100 - Chop only dinners for too-hot-to-cook-in-kitchens. 

Day 38/100 - While these are in season, they may or may not be the only thing that makes up my daily intake of fruits and veggies.

Day 39/100 - Homemade Raspberry Pie for dessert.  Of note, I made my own crust, something I've yet to master, but this crust was good - light and flaky and crunchy on top thanks to a dusting of sugar. (Submitted for the lesson on Vantage Point in the Phone Photography Project)

Day 40/100 - Doing it "old school" and drawing with real chalk instead of digital chalk.

Day 41/100 - Reward for FINALLY finding curtains. And it was Happy Hour! Half price limeade, baby (Submitted for lesson on Fill the Frame in the Phone Photography Project)

Day 42/100 - Sha. . .cookie dough.  I'd serve it raw for dessert if I could, but logic won out, and I baked them up and served them with homemade ice cream. (Submitted for lesson on Rule of Thirds in the Phone Photography Project)

Day 43/100 - Some days need a peek at these sweet faces...So I have a Pinterest board full of them.

Happy Wednesday,