Emmy

Emmaline loves to look at herself in the mirror on bottom of the mobile on her swing.  She often laughs and talks to the baby up there.  It's pretty darn cute :) 

i need a mental health day

I am feeling a little overwhelmed these days.  There is so much to do and we are accomplishing so little!  I am tired (without any real excuse since Emmaline has been sleeping through the night (10 hrs) for weeks now) and short tempered.  I can't seem to organize my thoughts let alone my house.  When we do school it has been going better this year than ever before, the problem is finding time (and a clean space on the table) to actually do school!

If I could just bring myself to allow some sort of routine and spend a little time planning each week I know things would be much better, but everything in me fights against routine!  The problem is, when you have 8 people living, schooling and running a business in a small space you have.to.have. some structure! 

So, I think it is time to stop all the activity, organize our space, and make a loose plan for our days.  I also need to carve out a few minutes everyday to write down my thought and ideas.  Wish me luck!

P.S.  I couldn't get my act together enough to work out while the kids were in PE at the Y today, but I did spend a few minutes drawing up my June pattern for the calendar and as soon as I get things in order here I will start stitching it up :)

better late than never! (May embroidery pattern)

I am WAY behind on this calendar project!  While at a craft show last week my friend asked how my calendar was coming along and said she planned to make one herself once I finished the patterns.  It was a gentle reminder that I need to get busy and finish this up!  So, here is May.  No promises on when I will get June up here.  I have a sketch already done, I just need to draw up the actual pattern and get it stitched up.  In case you've forgotten what all the others look like here are the links: January, February, March, and April.

May Calendar Pattern
Don't forget, if you stitch up your own version of my pattern I would LOVE to see it! Please share pictures in my Flickr group!

new camera straps in the shop

I just added a handful of new straps to the shop.  It's not too early to start your holiday shopping, and don't forget, everything in the shop ships for free now!

more pictures from the camera...

Angry baby...

Silly girl :)

who's been taking pictures with my camera?

Among a myriad of photos of cute babies and gymnastic moves found on my memory card today was this

Words fail me right now :)

in the kitchen: a few fall favorites

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Squares

Pumpkin Pancakes 

 Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes 

And a new one we tried this morning...

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

 

Mini Apple Galettes (Sorry, no picture)

Apple Cinnamon
3-4 apples peeled, cored and sliced
a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar or maple syrup
a generous sprinkling of cinnamon a squeeze of lemon juice
Mix together and let sit.

no-fail dough:
makes 1 large galette or 8 minis
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
12 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 a cup of ice water as needed

-Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
-Cut in butter, blend until there are pea-sized pieces.
-Sprinkle on water, one tablespoon at a time, until you can form the dough into a ball.
-Press into a disk on counter and cut into eight pie slices.
-Refrigerate 6 slices while you work with the first two.
-Form each piece into a ball and roll into a disc (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface.
-Keep dusting surface and rolling pin with flour to discourage sticking.
-Set each circle on a cookie sheet. I like to use unbleached parchment paper underneath...no mess.
-Place filling in center of disc with 1 1/2 to 2 inches left around the sides for folding up.
-Drizzle juices on top.
-Tuck your fruit in, overlapping the sides and pinching any opening along the bottom shut...to keep the juices in.
-Paint the exposed dough with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a little cream or milk) using a pastry brush (optional).
-Sprinkle crust with sugar(optional) .

-Bake at 375 degrees until golden and bubbly.

I think I just gained 5 pounds just looking at all these yummy baked goodies!

Adelaide

Found these pictures this morning...

too cute :)

shop talk

I've been busy doing some different Handmade by Amy work this week.  There is a local shop, Kitsch, in Norfolk that sell all handmade in Virginia wares and I am going to be putting some of my camera straps and bunting in the shop!  I am super excited!  I am also working on some more masculine or gender neutral camera straps (sorry, no pictures of those, I am still waiting on some of the fabrics I ordered to come in).  And the biggest news is the change I made in my Etsy shop, starting today all items Ship for FREE, cause who doesn't love free shipping?

meow

I finished this kitty, Sox, late Saturday night.  She was a birthday present for one of Tallulah's friends from church.  She looks a lot like Lulu's kitty that I made her for Christmas back in 2009.  There are more kitties in the making, but some other business stuff has pushed them aside for the moment.

And in other news I started the paleo diet again this morning.  Not quite as strict as when we did it last summer- I'm eating butter this time :)  but I needed something to kick start my metabolism and get all that sugar out of my body.  This was my breakfast this morning.