tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89938361481438530322024-03-13T11:35:37.634-04:00Ramble On RoseJust my thoughts on life, motherhood, work and family, current events and probably a bunch of other stuff.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-50146674613362777112010-05-12T21:47:00.002-04:002010-05-12T22:13:33.542-04:00BackI keep thinking of non-Mollie related things I want to write about, so I guess it's time to pick this blog up again.<br /><br />In case you haven't noticed, this blog doesn't have a particular theme. It is just my ramblings about topics that are on my mind. So today's topic is juice. I admit that I like it. I prefer it to plain water. Actually, my favorite drink (besides beer and wine) is sparkling water with a splash of juice.<br /><br />My kids, Lucy in particular, like juice, so I do buy juice. I only buy 100% juice, I always try to cut it with water to lessen the sugar content, and I laugh when I read how many servings of fruit this juice contains. Seriously? Juice is liquid sugar. They have taken fruit and removed most of the healthy stuff (fiber), so why does it still count as a serving of fruit?<br /><br />There are some fruit juices out there that have fruit or vegetable puree added; I can appreciate the nutritional value of those. I think using diluted juice as a thirst quencher is okay, but I seriously question the health claim that juice is a serving of fruit. There are a lot of studies about juice consumption and health so I'm off to do some research. I would like to find a comparison of people who ate the same number of fruit servings, but one group ate whole fruits and the other got theirs through juice.<br /><br />I'll let you know what I find out.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-57270202173917403442010-02-22T20:49:00.004-05:002010-02-22T21:23:16.381-05:00Maternity Leave?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGreUR46YaJFIBIpgc6R0xX_8A_hsGi9WM-FJYOfUGZG7Ks-zvrMgMGI8WRD5KzITqyrOISqyPTUYCjc7Dmspzf3EcruqikP-Sgkq_aOOzaoUn2j2A5iIgAyP2OMmmgFN7E-vGTs8Xrc/s1600-h/liam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGreUR46YaJFIBIpgc6R0xX_8A_hsGi9WM-FJYOfUGZG7Ks-zvrMgMGI8WRD5KzITqyrOISqyPTUYCjc7Dmspzf3EcruqikP-Sgkq_aOOzaoUn2j2A5iIgAyP2OMmmgFN7E-vGTs8Xrc/s640/liam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441258518679946834" border="0" /></a><br />Oops. I thought I scheduled this post for weeks ago, turns out I scheduled it for 2011. Yeah. This is what happens when you have 3 kids.<br /><br />Anyway, with the arrival of this not-so-little "little guy", I just haven't had time to keep up this blog AND Mollie's blog (www.allaboutmollie.blogspot.com).<br /><br />I'll be back when Liam starts sleeping through the night... stay tuned.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-26424454411455196792010-01-06T22:11:00.004-05:002010-01-06T22:36:06.037-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDMiXszMGigbLJ-ZHWBDKkcblSTqTHnkxV5ctd6R294ISDTw1dXTz5lQpyz8wcUHxHV8_gFB9B4MHemkV2q8RrgzpJrrLrFhAspVT8-zNTbTv_1ff2ZcVb0XL0xEWlVWk1ITOg7El_9w/s1600-h/PC_fire3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDMiXszMGigbLJ-ZHWBDKkcblSTqTHnkxV5ctd6R294ISDTw1dXTz5lQpyz8wcUHxHV8_gFB9B4MHemkV2q8RrgzpJrrLrFhAspVT8-zNTbTv_1ff2ZcVb0XL0xEWlVWk1ITOg7El_9w/s640/PC_fire3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423834147344070226" border="0" /></a><br />We've been having fires every night this week because it's been chilly! It has been in the low 20's at night and a little higher during the day. Yeah, nothing compared to Boston (or Moscow, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Toronto</span>, etc), but pretty cold for the Deep South.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8q5JHsCqZyBhtkdgIyfzKPSCeHbOCc5njBQZcY2LfEJHiRLAgy71iGmw27c7RncZBp1vu7Be3ZH851ESzb8uUudBET-BOm4m1K2wypL0SkaG5xeL_-lHzTUMxgQGT5CF_x9Ua2QO0g/s1600-h/PC_fire2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8q5JHsCqZyBhtkdgIyfzKPSCeHbOCc5njBQZcY2LfEJHiRLAgy71iGmw27c7RncZBp1vu7Be3ZH851ESzb8uUudBET-BOm4m1K2wypL0SkaG5xeL_-lHzTUMxgQGT5CF_x9Ua2QO0g/s640/PC_fire2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423834138657415938" border="0" /></a>Matt and his dad cut down a dead tree in the yard a few weeks ago. We have now burned up all that wood, plus all the fallen limbs from our yard. Matt is anxious to cut down another tree (we have lots and some spindly and unhealthy).<br /><br />My submission to the photo challenge this week, though, is a photo I took on Christmas Eve. Our whole neighborhood puts out luminaries and it is gorgeous. It is peaceful. Calm. Perfect for Christmas Eve. We walked with the girls in the wagon and enjoyed the soft luminaries lining both sides of the streets.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBpoPHGqZETZkpftaihkEqcRXwgFyApy5gOq_T23NTzpqvqFBNsVFiw9GB9Dye-NAs0B5ZpVJeaimd1AcfDQBMnU-YwzFL9v1EIj3bzPcLwqfJOO2cY_EtIVJXYXu8sp_5383lLJLVMY/s1600-h/PC_fire1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBpoPHGqZETZkpftaihkEqcRXwgFyApy5gOq_T23NTzpqvqFBNsVFiw9GB9Dye-NAs0B5ZpVJeaimd1AcfDQBMnU-YwzFL9v1EIj3bzPcLwqfJOO2cY_EtIVJXYXu8sp_5383lLJLVMY/s640/PC_fire1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423834130042496210" border="0" /></a><br />Be sure to check out the other photos in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1165599@N25/">flickr pool</a>. There are some fabulous flames!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-10855578667554261462010-01-06T17:42:00.004-05:002010-01-06T21:58:05.189-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Brown (catching up from last week)Last week's photo challenge was "brown". To me, that means chocolate!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVw9GF8KrXEXibnxjtoRPjO2rIaKpI9mX4WW0duIkYjsga0nmRQLuabE2js5Qpx5OkOFeEwuao0mvaafxBAaDF1ffrzeNVla7Rgt7aOPev6xF2tuSN6atJyEU2o2N5bh5M3j8T9zm2pY/s1600-h/PC_brown1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVw9GF8KrXEXibnxjtoRPjO2rIaKpI9mX4WW0duIkYjsga0nmRQLuabE2js5Qpx5OkOFeEwuao0mvaafxBAaDF1ffrzeNVla7Rgt7aOPev6xF2tuSN6atJyEU2o2N5bh5M3j8T9zm2pY/s640/PC_brown1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423762139632483682" border="0" /></a>My mother-in-law made these "unbaked" chocolate cookies. They are delicious!<br /><br />Here's the recipe:<br /><br />3 C rolled oats<br />1 C shredded coconut<br />1/2 C cocoa powder<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />2 C sugar<br />1/2 C milk<br />1/2 C butter<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br /><br />Mix first 4 ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix sugar, milk, & butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Drop by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">teaspoonfuls</span> onto waxed paper until cool and hardened.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-29058055558682757042009-12-24T13:00:00.000-05:002009-12-24T13:00:01.616-05:00Merry Christmas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUQXXXYvtHgGQYDo270_P9dVaPYO5bnzNa4ISsPiEW90vISPKcn1hdCg8IPzRgUfrquSGcXM_qszJKRi_19de4PZipmASJ2FGvCz8RhzNc4hSso80RttJnrzhDidd2TQuUO1VL2CCnqU/s1600-h/hanging_mistletoe_card.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUQXXXYvtHgGQYDo270_P9dVaPYO5bnzNa4ISsPiEW90vISPKcn1hdCg8IPzRgUfrquSGcXM_qszJKRi_19de4PZipmASJ2FGvCz8RhzNc4hSso80RttJnrzhDidd2TQuUO1VL2CCnqU/s640/hanging_mistletoe_card.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418636884074931282" border="0" /></a>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-62802502404647953832009-12-23T22:56:00.005-05:002009-12-23T23:08:04.782-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Feet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKrnZPmiGpSXlaldHu34YCcBwVQxlhH7gNJo-zF56jC8z2LORMIks-F4O5kN7T5celzrLVB3Q4jgkTkybm0hrqH1IhimRX4wbFho-kmfpUeNAKWKKQVXBwOKB7t-m85klERapCXp-8Us/s1600-h/PC_feet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKrnZPmiGpSXlaldHu34YCcBwVQxlhH7gNJo-zF56jC8z2LORMIks-F4O5kN7T5celzrLVB3Q4jgkTkybm0hrqH1IhimRX4wbFho-kmfpUeNAKWKKQVXBwOKB7t-m85klERapCXp-8Us/s640/PC_feet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418648827731918114" border="0" /></a><br />At 9 months pregnant, I can barely see my own feet. I was hoping to have some brand new itty bitty feet to take photos of this week, but it was not to be. Mollie and Lucy cooperated though by putting their feet together while they were watching Frosty the Snowman. I kinda like it.<br /><br />Here's another play in Photoshop:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jwFqeSYVdOVzbUu20tEPKlMb_qe0U0P0lxfu8GclrzQuJCMVf5M56vkTRn0NHORMQfpIrLJQCT2WqMN3O5PoEoC5X1Q4wUYUxIooJlpHOGR24dO2Taxmd0PEl6loB5zEyvVYOSFllsA/s1600-h/PC_feet2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jwFqeSYVdOVzbUu20tEPKlMb_qe0U0P0lxfu8GclrzQuJCMVf5M56vkTRn0NHORMQfpIrLJQCT2WqMN3O5PoEoC5X1Q4wUYUxIooJlpHOGR24dO2Taxmd0PEl6loB5zEyvVYOSFllsA/s640/PC_feet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418647386455272722" border="0" /></a> To check out other interpretations of the challenge this week, check out the other photos in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1165599@N25/">flickr pool</a>.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-69528411948470129302009-12-16T21:23:00.003-05:002009-12-18T21:33:55.105-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Road<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvVoTqbYGehJRG_oE7djwicAuH1itNeto2TUkphsHTIyNaMpm82Eq7ttKVQV7VifEXP2VgW3PXroRw-OOHlmdd_BDy3wzAiJ2tpBL6m3DRlHgOb2DRDAGgTEFA5RXP-KgwHY0wGFLLkY/s1600-h/PC_road2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvVoTqbYGehJRG_oE7djwicAuH1itNeto2TUkphsHTIyNaMpm82Eq7ttKVQV7VifEXP2VgW3PXroRw-OOHlmdd_BDy3wzAiJ2tpBL6m3DRlHgOb2DRDAGgTEFA5RXP-KgwHY0wGFLLkY/s640/PC_road2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416026320268665874" border="0" /></a><br />Another photo of the beautiful Botany Bay Plantation in South Carolina. It is part of the Edisto Land Trust. We only had time to briefly explore it by car, but I can't wait to go back on foot!<br /><br />Check out other entries in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1165599@N25/">Flickr</a> group.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-69039127338541792302009-12-10T14:56:00.005-05:002009-12-11T08:21:23.173-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: ColdYesterday it was 80 degrees here. Yes, 80. I could not bring myself to post about cold. Today is a full 35 degrees cooler. Much more like it. Still, the visions of cold that I have involve frost, snow, ice, etc. none of which are occurring naturally anywhere within a 200 mile radius.<br /><br />My entry for this week is entitled "Cool beans". Frozen black beans, that is. I cook dried beans in big batches and freeze them to use later. I pulled some out and they had a lovely layer of frost on them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hDV78UrLtk4wuoDctzCY0D_utLT9xLkGQWzLQv7anOK-4SpMNsMeIJ-P1HKAoKhZNC7xPszOQtE23fxsHyCq4FDWtQj6u27jTjkr8QIxUjXNKAEx1zYRNDX4OKJj51tYFowMkoFaqg8/s1600-h/PC_cold1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hDV78UrLtk4wuoDctzCY0D_utLT9xLkGQWzLQv7anOK-4SpMNsMeIJ-P1HKAoKhZNC7xPszOQtE23fxsHyCq4FDWtQj6u27jTjkr8QIxUjXNKAEx1zYRNDX4OKJj51tYFowMkoFaqg8/s640/PC_cold1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413700897722476802" border="0" /></a><br />I tried a few other shots before the beans. First, I was just trying to get a picture of my freezer. I hate my freezer because it's so skinny and it's always full and hard to find stuff. Here it is in all it's un-glory:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvQzxwD_VTF3Gvny2Zgo9tmDQU_NSJpEs9_gAZquLhvso-yRfUeqp8soFLAH4yGAyvGDdv5y5wc4c5hht88xJ9usPtZB9cxyOJ9s_CSILNZOanOEotgX8zJkXjHqMUVsw79KdLtp4h2U/s1600-h/PC_cold2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvQzxwD_VTF3Gvny2Zgo9tmDQU_NSJpEs9_gAZquLhvso-yRfUeqp8soFLAH4yGAyvGDdv5y5wc4c5hht88xJ9usPtZB9cxyOJ9s_CSILNZOanOEotgX8zJkXjHqMUVsw79KdLtp4h2U/s640/PC_cold2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413700906474088834" border="0" /></a><br />And yesterday, I captured this tree hanging on to it's last few leaves in the parking lot of Target. While I was wearing a short sleeve T-shirt and had the air conditioner on. In December.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzLwWFEA1x-SVvX5J-G-OdZi6ElcbZ7PJjMtncl5x4JWaOisWm1rscjMvAY9hX2vrKSQiuubS6nkHlxn0TZXB0At7eGiDRrocnfjnSKaJaLjFJTOaSsfmwZyCXcEjA1WqvfVJvKHsEi0/s1600-h/PC_cold3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzLwWFEA1x-SVvX5J-G-OdZi6ElcbZ7PJjMtncl5x4JWaOisWm1rscjMvAY9hX2vrKSQiuubS6nkHlxn0TZXB0At7eGiDRrocnfjnSKaJaLjFJTOaSsfmwZyCXcEjA1WqvfVJvKHsEi0/s640/PC_cold3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413700908832352066" border="0" /></a>It sure does <span style="font-style: italic;">look</span> cold, doesn't it?PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-45912123016878485602009-12-06T09:59:00.007-05:002009-12-06T23:33:07.087-05:00SewI finally made time to do some sewing yesterday! I've been doing little bits here and there, mostly mending, but yesterday I finally did two projects!<br /><br />The first was an apron to give as a birthday gift (excuse the crappy photo- the batteries in the camera were dying). I love how it turned out! And it was so easy (except for the waistband- got to learn a better technique for that). I did the gathering by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">zig</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">zagging</span> over a gimp thread and it worked splendidly. I think I want to try using a gathering foot for my next ruffle project.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwljkZa4K-5WQci4GnzW7wds1X_iuDU2G6A4t6eo1IFEn_TUJFAY6vCYAIcut2GBNMVyy6HygglvN5vn6N9Dtb8kIAtaSyvttqwXEpcQOSklH_rqH9uh6C_VgfisefTkY7_WsVoK7_hY/s1600-h/DSC_0409b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwljkZa4K-5WQci4GnzW7wds1X_iuDU2G6A4t6eo1IFEn_TUJFAY6vCYAIcut2GBNMVyy6HygglvN5vn6N9Dtb8kIAtaSyvttqwXEpcQOSklH_rqH9uh6C_VgfisefTkY7_WsVoK7_hY/s400/DSC_0409b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412344406608691618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My second project was a dress for Mollie. I picked up a second hand T-shirt for her and found some (on sale) snowflake fabric. I don't love it, but Mollie does. I didn't get a photo of her in it before she went to bed... now I'll have to wash it and snap a picture later this week.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-44553799770357134412009-12-03T13:17:00.004-05:002009-12-03T13:25:05.650-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: ForkThis week the challenge was fork. I was figuring there would be lots of forkfulls of turkey or fancy table settings. Other fork-y things that came to mind were forks in the road, pitchforks, tuning forks, and Rock Shox. Yeah, the suspension <span style="font-weight: bold;">fork</span> on my mountain bike. I had to wait until today to take the picture because it's been raining cats and dogs for the last few days. Finally the sun is out and here's what I got:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPE6rFETBLaWCW9mknCb4wiWu_YWK1inCGttofGzGDPkfq8e5HAK3YtZujUGivsZk_DLTt29uaRnh8XmPAFX5gKSf8nSmzvvXDA9Qd8aT3eDK-wxkF34bnEGfWRzoFg1vBWxfHFRQ9QY/s1600-h/PC_fork2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPE6rFETBLaWCW9mknCb4wiWu_YWK1inCGttofGzGDPkfq8e5HAK3YtZujUGivsZk_DLTt29uaRnh8XmPAFX5gKSf8nSmzvvXDA9Qd8aT3eDK-wxkF34bnEGfWRzoFg1vBWxfHFRQ9QY/s640/PC_fork2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411076823804568226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUKw6nMV_7gx2CWacD9o_N6rYaAxRlEoDmOv2j4mOUG9vNa4Un3n5xoEuq6bnlRXTYui5-TXQGtzp-4_gQrErmKEjr8azq-m0RvJ5ehsAYvsOvNaiWb8cE4RI95-vxa6jwsgWxEUgaUA/s1600-h/PC_fork1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUKw6nMV_7gx2CWacD9o_N6rYaAxRlEoDmOv2j4mOUG9vNa4Un3n5xoEuq6bnlRXTYui5-TXQGtzp-4_gQrErmKEjr8azq-m0RvJ5ehsAYvsOvNaiWb8cE4RI95-vxa6jwsgWxEUgaUA/s640/PC_fork1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411076812905325314" border="0" /></a><br />Be sure to check out other interpretations of the them at the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1165599@N25/">photo pool </a>on flickr.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-20667923175070500152009-12-03T12:53:00.004-05:002009-12-03T13:30:16.781-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: GreenLast week I was without internet and with both children full-time- making the photo challenge an extra-big challenge. Actually, I got the photo taken, but the challenge was uploading it. So here we go, a week late. I tend to take a lot of pictures of chlorophyll (as in foliage), so I challenged myself by trying to photograph green dye diffusing in water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7COKR22kreDCdRxB7U8Il61tTpHA-qTGFJ-FyfHBFAJgnBvowdQ5HqJxR38Y9Qm9M3xadZWWaMs2HlHPmKpOCwxUCKm5qG45c-OzRs9nwAhiE6GrxAywF8JTprTY7wXCvMQyqz0qFnuc/s1600-h/PC_green1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7COKR22kreDCdRxB7U8Il61tTpHA-qTGFJ-FyfHBFAJgnBvowdQ5HqJxR38Y9Qm9M3xadZWWaMs2HlHPmKpOCwxUCKm5qG45c-OzRs9nwAhiE6GrxAywF8JTprTY7wXCvMQyqz0qFnuc/s640/PC_green1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411070777654387170" border="0" /></a><br />Then, while we were on our Thanksgiving trip to Edisto, SC, I took this photo at Botany Bay plantation. It felt like the whole place was tinted green, so I'm including that here too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtX2aQY4z4k4fBQwRh1TTuOB2m9ZCaqzFC-SO3xFTDoKLnGBZrmS4pugOG626jYNCqCbFr6qWNa-KImoHzAyjfvgX0MrdO_z0jfqKchxuHBr2Bo57WnBcKovSzK1xES29gnKKd3-FhUU/s1600-h/PC_green3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtX2aQY4z4k4fBQwRh1TTuOB2m9ZCaqzFC-SO3xFTDoKLnGBZrmS4pugOG626jYNCqCbFr6qWNa-KImoHzAyjfvgX0MrdO_z0jfqKchxuHBr2Bo57WnBcKovSzK1xES29gnKKd3-FhUU/s640/PC_green3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411078715036969074" border="0" /></a>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-23141607066679133542009-11-18T15:30:00.003-05:002009-11-18T15:40:22.671-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: WaterSo, I liked this week's topic, but my challenge was time!! I think I need an assistant- I wanted to take a photo of one of my favorite ways to consume water: Earl Gray tea. But, I just couldn't get the image I wanted without a second person to pour the hot water. Couldn't get the 5-year-old or toddler to do that!<br /><br />So, my images are of fall colors on the Savannah river. For some reason, my colors never look as vibrant after I upload the photos to Blogger. Anyone know why?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fsPC7sWZ62qZ7Rwtuqe-XuLmgZzftHXM3af4Qan7GZssfH64-Bivm7QH07XqInwpw0SiFkt8ednCEGF2-fbLSOofMH5TrpndpMnbxwFnpSHbkwhxtUlF62PI81Ik_WpMXm9FYR6390c/s1600/PC_water.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fsPC7sWZ62qZ7Rwtuqe-XuLmgZzftHXM3af4Qan7GZssfH64-Bivm7QH07XqInwpw0SiFkt8ednCEGF2-fbLSOofMH5TrpndpMnbxwFnpSHbkwhxtUlF62PI81Ik_WpMXm9FYR6390c/s400/PC_water.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405545790216111618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOT2-vDIbjbKvy0JWQe6QDzC1fvh1GQHmv7ylg2b7h4f5YcqOYkImpWrVoAFSkyUKVwzn8dhtrMx44hY_JAaZdRO1jw-IMYpETv0BNaaHpmFjWxKa-3SCJEhzlVd96_GV8wUmpW1wt7TM/s1600/PC_water2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOT2-vDIbjbKvy0JWQe6QDzC1fvh1GQHmv7ylg2b7h4f5YcqOYkImpWrVoAFSkyUKVwzn8dhtrMx44hY_JAaZdRO1jw-IMYpETv0BNaaHpmFjWxKa-3SCJEhzlVd96_GV8wUmpW1wt7TM/s400/PC_water2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405545779745182162" border="0" /></a>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-30502987879840845732009-11-11T14:18:00.004-05:002009-11-11T21:22:49.241-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: ZipperI admit I was feeling uninspired for this week's post. And I don't really like either of the photos I came up with, but, here goes.<br /><br />I took this picture of Mollie in her favorite winter coat. She was not happy about the coat being a bit too small or that I zipped it up all the way. I got one quick shot and this was it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYKyUmbLJWRbamywbdmgszmzeiE_E0J0ttG2EP93IogOx8h9FDB7fmOvf3NelDs3OlwDA-SsVWnLDwZn4I9gzJkXT-SvQfdzysCzwKwio4Et-6v9ACgGa6bem_L0aMwi0iQORtsMn8xY/s1600-h/PC_zipper1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYKyUmbLJWRbamywbdmgszmzeiE_E0J0ttG2EP93IogOx8h9FDB7fmOvf3NelDs3OlwDA-SsVWnLDwZn4I9gzJkXT-SvQfdzysCzwKwio4Et-6v9ACgGa6bem_L0aMwi0iQORtsMn8xY/s400/PC_zipper1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402930016609632274" border="0" /></a>The focus was off and I just wasn't happy with that photo, so I decided to take a picture of my all-time favorite zipper. It's from a toddler "busy" book that my grandma made for me in the 70's.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LtTc4So95KzZrSSGZOg89tqt6CJ-h-12NA-gywlY2ZmhydHJ9a4J4JKWmMvXlA1AMfZm18rJBBTjSyWP03IzsffTUgntMIgWS6i8Ls4rosY-9cxZk58oGuiVv5J1ewg2guCLkzME-i8/s1600-h/PC_zipper2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LtTc4So95KzZrSSGZOg89tqt6CJ-h-12NA-gywlY2ZmhydHJ9a4J4JKWmMvXlA1AMfZm18rJBBTjSyWP03IzsffTUgntMIgWS6i8Ls4rosY-9cxZk58oGuiVv5J1ewg2guCLkzME-i8/s400/PC_zipper2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402930024652681794" border="0" /></a>I thought it would be more interesting if it had some "toddler hands" in it, but Lucy just wouldn't cooperate. Apparently, the zipper page isn't her favorite. <br /><br />So, I'm not entirely happy with either photo this week, but I tried!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-90854220398843920752009-11-08T18:05:00.004-05:002009-11-08T18:13:30.127-05:00Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Candy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB2MGqC5BnYRYCNouNE-GoX7-o2TPvK43crHL4fnvA0M9Q6CGkbXPTZnM6lThUdivtcPU7rTipTHS7BukeJG0zKR6x4b6iJvKz4b32bog69Dujbrfb6_7VnQijid14P118XJfJjS1DzE/s1600-h/PC_candy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB2MGqC5BnYRYCNouNE-GoX7-o2TPvK43crHL4fnvA0M9Q6CGkbXPTZnM6lThUdivtcPU7rTipTHS7BukeJG0zKR6x4b6iJvKz4b32bog69Dujbrfb6_7VnQijid14P118XJfJjS1DzE/s400/PC_candy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401873894571369538" border="0" /></a><br />I decided to participate in this weekly photo challenge from <a href="http://shutterboo.com/">shutterboo</a>, just for fun. And to help me get back into posting on this blog.<br /><br />Last week's challenge was candy, so here's my contribution. This is Lucy enjoying one of Mollie's Halloween lollipops!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-68277075986572568912009-11-05T17:19:00.002-05:002009-11-05T17:26:25.738-05:00Fall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM451wGSTisrpBG3GdEbwy_GL_Dq4Z_F4kkQ_04DLV2B0SYiV1f5Prty9__eDqWUejndoeVDalBkxCb3EwvWwA4FP5zXSePIZe9IpW0eHBfJah8yoUv-NNDj5qOqAfOqNHGDioEVKXPGs/s1600-h/leaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM451wGSTisrpBG3GdEbwy_GL_Dq4Z_F4kkQ_04DLV2B0SYiV1f5Prty9__eDqWUejndoeVDalBkxCb3EwvWwA4FP5zXSePIZe9IpW0eHBfJah8yoUv-NNDj5qOqAfOqNHGDioEVKXPGs/s400/leaf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400749450860224946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6_QNA6lpfbXeA7uC8cfLLd8lLf1VrUr_cyb6cYI9pIovkgTzBCwEey5OpXaIGe95sZnH9ej-MEi1AWtZu8PH-CBZJKG65eel9JGYLxh3e-qjTrmG9RWX5kiwUGsN_JmzSTpbqPMe7rM/s1600-h/leaf.jpg"><br /></a>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-70196917757859019622009-09-19T16:49:00.004-04:002009-09-19T17:35:35.777-04:00Notes about right now<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;" ><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span">I've see this list on numerous blogs, so here's my take:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Making</span></span> :</span> an effort to put the dishes away<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cooking</span></span> :</span> banana bread<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Drinking</span></span> :</span> <span>Earl Grey tea with milk<br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Reading</span></span>: some really trashy James Lee Burke book that I can't even remember the title of</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wanting</span></span>:</span> to have things settled <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Looking</span></span>:</span> for houses in Charlotte<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Playing</span></span>:</span> Trouble with Mollie (the game with the popper)<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wasting</span></span>: time dealing with stupid administrative issues</span><span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Sewing</span>:</span></span> <span>an apron as a gift<br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wishing</span></span>:</span> for a cure for cancer<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Enjoying</span></span>: the cooler weather and the feeling of fall</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Waiting</span></span>: until the kids go to sleep to grade exams<br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Liking</span></span>: the space in our living room, now that I moved the sofa back a bit</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wondering</span></span>: why cranberry red is such a popular paint color in the south</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Loving</span></span></span>: how much Mollie and Lucy care for each other<br /><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Hoping</span></span>: that the new baby will fit into the family without too many growing pains</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Marvelling</span></span>: at the crap that's on TV<br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Needing</span></span>: a babysitter</span><span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Smelling</span></span>:</span> the baby powder I put down as a deterrent to the ants<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wearing</span></span>: stretchy black skirt, T-shirt, Cure Leukemia bracelet, no shoes</span><span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Following</span></span>: my heart</span> <span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Noticing</span></span>:</span> cobwebs everywhere<span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Knowing</span>: my priorities</span></span><span><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Thinking</span></span>:</span> about the huge list of things I have to do (let alone want to do)<span><br /></span><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Bookmarking</span></span>:</span> quinoa recipes<br /><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Opening</span></span>:</span> the doors to let the breeze in<br /><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Giggling</span></span>: at Lucy wearing at least 20 sets of Mardi Gras beads, a dozen bracelets, and nothing else!</span><br /><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Feeling</span></span>: like I need a day off<br /></span></span>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-27323407241492053162009-09-02T22:12:00.004-04:002009-09-03T11:10:49.334-04:00School Lunches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDZspeH7rfyWxhtU5SqsuwyUfRCjT5gWuLoCOINXw-7vELKppaS3tKOzRc9dV-LGi-oTenuarQz5wFN7R7lTDzDCrgj0U_3FlXEPaEL7fUI-wFjgRp-IaD5oospGI_lpaDyienJWJFzg/s1600-h/DSC_0024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDZspeH7rfyWxhtU5SqsuwyUfRCjT5gWuLoCOINXw-7vELKppaS3tKOzRc9dV-LGi-oTenuarQz5wFN7R7lTDzDCrgj0U_3FlXEPaEL7fUI-wFjgRp-IaD5oospGI_lpaDyienJWJFzg/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377060896150050082" border="0" /></a><br />Here's an update on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bento</span> box lunches:<br /><br />Week 1: Mollie hardly ate anything. I think she felt overwhelmed by too much food, too many containers, etc. I experimented with using muffin cups instead of lidded containers, but then some foods took on the flavor of other foods and the pretzels got soft; in short, it didn't work.<br /><br />Week 2 (and beyond!): We received a lovely (and timely!) package from my friend, Lauren. It contained a simple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sigg</span> lunchbox and foil stickers to decorate it with. And a drink bottle. My first reaction was that it seemed small. As it turned out, it works great! It holds the perfect amount of food for Mollie and it comes home completely empty almost every day!<br /><br />I had saved some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">BPA</span>-free baby food containers and they fit perfectly inside the box. A typical lunch includes any combination of:<br /><br />protein: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Babybel</span> cheese, yogurt, peanut butter sandwich, hard boiled egg, bagel & cream cheese<br />veggies: carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, steamed broccoli<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">crunchies</span>: animal crackers, graham crackers, trail mix, pecans, pretzels<br />fruit: grapes, apple slices, berries, dried fruits, applesauce<br />drink: water, milk, or juice<br /><br />She also gets a small snack (packed separately), usually crackers or dried fruit. And occasionally she gets a treat (small pieces of candy or a few chips).<br /><br />Now that I know she knows how to open everything and has time to eat it, I might experiment with a few new foods. Thanks for the box Lauren- it has been a success!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-71904556954949714342009-08-17T21:12:00.003-04:002009-08-17T21:21:25.162-04:00I've gotta get me one!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeviILs38zHHTgoKJwymDlzgzcUXKZN3A2XWSsSVhwITPyE7OoAXRqNHbF8vtZ8la40bqAY_TWjbjHNnrN-HTRJWMRLzxacy3TPJjhAPuE_T2RMG1HF8SLXUg7MFoG_-kqyR90IagixU/s1600-h/26676_zm-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeviILs38zHHTgoKJwymDlzgzcUXKZN3A2XWSsSVhwITPyE7OoAXRqNHbF8vtZ8la40bqAY_TWjbjHNnrN-HTRJWMRLzxacy3TPJjhAPuE_T2RMG1HF8SLXUg7MFoG_-kqyR90IagixU/s400/26676_zm-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371105805475130914" border="0" /></a><br />I saw this motto on someone's blog recently (I'm sorry, I can't remember where I saw it) and thought, "Crap! That's my motto!" So, tonight I was <del>working</del> wasting time on the internet and I came across <a href="http://www.retroplanet.com/">retroplanet.com</a>. They have this dishtowel and some other vintage-inspired items. I am particularly enamored with the dishtowels...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />http://www.retroplanet.com/PROD/26676</span>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-60435876851721723592009-08-08T14:51:00.003-04:002009-08-11T15:22:48.593-04:00BentoSo, Mollie starts kindergarten on Monday! We decided that she will bring lunch from home, at least for the first week or so. The school lunches might be okay, but I am afraid that they are not big on fresh fruits and veggies and I think Mollie would choose PB&J every day. I shouldn't pre-judge, but I'm guessing the sandwiches are not made on whole grain bread with low-fat peanut butter.<br /><br />So, I'm thinking of trying a bento-style lunch. You know the cute little Japanese boxes with small servings of different items? Mollie loves going to salad bars because she can select small amount of a variety of foods. And she is big on presentation, so I think it might work. I'm getting inspiration from Shannon's blog: <a href="http://bentolunch.blogspot.com/">What's for lunch at our house? </a><br /><br />Now, I've just got to find some containers that will work. I am headed out grocery shopping and keeping my eyes peeled for just the right box. If I don't find something, we'll use some of the yogurt containers and small Tupperware that we have here and see how it goes.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-39232326904405985572009-07-22T10:54:00.003-04:002009-07-22T11:24:07.973-04:00Happy Half Birthday, Lucy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFbe_xmsgmdZbrChao5IaLAWvbkjGnSYbvIjZKzBo8CUepykDwlDJTp1Y58AvF5zy_Y0Nno0Jc3tMHLo20HfGj8k7NJekkvutP2l-TJlCPVueLzo2zqkG5iIcao6pFodgkXi59QrCVNI/s1600-h/DSC_0035crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFbe_xmsgmdZbrChao5IaLAWvbkjGnSYbvIjZKzBo8CUepykDwlDJTp1Y58AvF5zy_Y0Nno0Jc3tMHLo20HfGj8k7NJekkvutP2l-TJlCPVueLzo2zqkG5iIcao6pFodgkXi59QrCVNI/s320/DSC_0035crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361304454492359298" border="0" /></a><br />Lucy is 18 months old today!<br /><br />She is such a joy! For such a small person, she has big presence. Doors don't close, they slam. She doesn't take one crayon, she dumps all 64 of them out. She doesn't just pet the cat, she lays down on top of him.<br /><br />Her absolute favorite thing to do is play with balls. She likes little bouncy balls and big beach balls, glittery balls and bakis (basket)balls, golf balls and baseballs; she likes balls. We have to avoid the big bins of bouncy balls in the store because she gets really excited (legs pumping and yelling, "Ball! Ball! Ball!" ) and then upset if we don't buy one.<br /><br />She also enjoys balloons (bwoons), shoes, combing her hair ('pitty'), and reading "Moo, Baa, La La La!" by Sandra Boynton. She makes some good funny faces and <span style="font-style: italic;">adores</span> Mollie.<br /><br />My favorite thing is how she will just walk into the room and squeeze my legs in a hug! Happy 18 months, little Lu!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-61062337212146731102009-07-02T21:15:00.004-04:002009-07-03T10:47:56.867-04:00Printmaking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hLxWao6Da0MtGvOJUnYF4qzoQ5HlUePLFs4MxxmsCQ4kaR6PQc48O1ZG2qm93pfA5yZxzJFOZnc1tDHKY2ow2x1g_iHVI7uAZynb9iHepIfTREjTYsdZibmHNdr2pgxdBGbYdWZTPdo/s1600-h/vegprint.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hLxWao6Da0MtGvOJUnYF4qzoQ5HlUePLFs4MxxmsCQ4kaR6PQc48O1ZG2qm93pfA5yZxzJFOZnc1tDHKY2ow2x1g_iHVI7uAZynb9iHepIfTREjTYsdZibmHNdr2pgxdBGbYdWZTPdo/s320/vegprint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354245308924298066" border="0" /></a><br />We were inspired by this <a href="http://whipup.net/2006/09/18/veggie-prints/">post</a> at whip up (linked from <a href="http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/">A Crafty Crow</a>, a GREAT website for creative kids' projects) to try printmaking using fruits and vegetables today.<br /><br />Mollie's friend Bella joined us and it was a lot of fun! We tried both acrylic craft paint and washable crayola paint. Both work well, but it was best to thicken them up a little with some flour (to a paste consistency).<br /><br />The fruits and veggies we used were things I had around the house that were a bit past prime:<br />garlic<br />onion<br />apple<br />butternut squash<br />asparagus<br />lemon (my favorite, by far)<br />bell pepper<br /><br />Slice the produce, make the paint paste, dip the produce in, and make prints! It helped to have some sponges to wipe off excess paint; a light coat of paint works best. The girls enjoyed touching the different fruits and veggies and discussing which textures make the best prints.<br /><br />The produce manager at our grocery store said he would give us some of the expired veggies to use next time. I would love to try a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pomegranate</span>, star fruit, and corn on the cob. You don't have to waste the whole fruit/veg either- you can just use a thick slice and eat the rest! If you use non-toxic paints, rinse and throw the produce on your compost pile after painting.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-74171294066808174642009-06-21T12:01:00.007-04:002009-07-02T21:15:37.516-04:00Happy Father's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiore_7huGtZD0P6_66dwpPlorc4rwah_At6TuXwj5wAja7EoulPDp-PpQeeQqaM8MD4KvbIYe88CzTZDsycMyNuqmoXYDwZ02ncjaXOOSDpdjLAAsryIaGm3vS1xpomR0Kuf1q4gpZUkE/s1600-h/DSC_0082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiore_7huGtZD0P6_66dwpPlorc4rwah_At6TuXwj5wAja7EoulPDp-PpQeeQqaM8MD4KvbIYe88CzTZDsycMyNuqmoXYDwZ02ncjaXOOSDpdjLAAsryIaGm3vS1xpomR0Kuf1q4gpZUkE/s320/DSC_0082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349812876047238210" border="0" /></a>to Matt, my dad, Charlie, Blake (Mollie's godfather), Bill (Lucy's godfather), Sam (Lucy's honorary godfather), C.T. and all the dads and father figures out there!<br /><br />We are remembering my grandpa George; this is our first father's day without him.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.someecards.com/card/3065"><img src="http://d3gkbha1s7sr56.cloudfront.net/someecards/filestorage/fd_26.jpg" alt="Don't let the fact that Obama became president without having a father in his life make you feel unimportant this Father's Day" /></a>PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-35158834292664839642009-06-09T22:51:00.011-04:002009-06-10T00:31:30.591-04:00Fun (and free!) Online Photo SoftwareOne of the fun things about digital photography, is playing with the pictures! If you haven't tried it yet, you should check out <a href="http://www.picnik.com/">Picnik</a>. You can do all sorts of fun things with your photos. Best of all- it's easy! Here are a few examples:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Original<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw6AOKSGY2QFFd9bdK2u2Rzsa31XIqDo7ifr-L4PAWrha2WjjMui6y0YzHJv_AkJaEwKQUXhgZwarV-T-FU2hBGIFNn-xsVkBktlV7Ls3faUAMLiEBfGuCoyoGgFSeIPkD8aIaF30D7I/s1600-h/DSC_0183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw6AOKSGY2QFFd9bdK2u2Rzsa31XIqDo7ifr-L4PAWrha2WjjMui6y0YzHJv_AkJaEwKQUXhgZwarV-T-FU2hBGIFNn-xsVkBktlV7Ls3faUAMLiEBfGuCoyoGgFSeIPkD8aIaF30D7I/s320/DSC_0183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345527670641745890" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Orton-ish<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pzQKcV9yvUknv0Kd34GsP-KxM6fm8F3Se4aRaQrKt1ZZGokj1MecsiRDOAhv5WuxvxPA133EC4jXTKNM00R5ekDvac9jF367iQ1HkZymqoPElOLrIt90eUDpNsMUPq4SFKHxUxIys8s/s1600-h/Orton-ish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pzQKcV9yvUknv0Kd34GsP-KxM6fm8F3Se4aRaQrKt1ZZGokj1MecsiRDOAhv5WuxvxPA133EC4jXTKNM00R5ekDvac9jF367iQ1HkZymqoPElOLrIt90eUDpNsMUPq4SFKHxUxIys8s/s320/Orton-ish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345527667466005458" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black and White Focal<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89pim8bfLhSoyt-2lGF80_w7_QxgNJRrsimoDmD-wf65kW_VKoLCdr2GCHwOHqQy4ztq0eyvwHYB8O6g5ZEZH-yIjkUIcd-4GB8E1DBjHU01H5tWCA3yOIXUfkeE0UmJZB_gWuf1YBzk/s1600-h/bwfocal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89pim8bfLhSoyt-2lGF80_w7_QxgNJRrsimoDmD-wf65kW_VKoLCdr2GCHwOHqQy4ztq0eyvwHYB8O6g5ZEZH-yIjkUIcd-4GB8E1DBjHU01H5tWCA3yOIXUfkeE0UmJZB_gWuf1YBzk/s320/bwfocal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345527658350776402" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1960's<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQWzRXQVkhUu3NQfAm2IEL6MORgWMOvNfCe5Qf_AGVGvvx5MZXmWa9_OboNpNRVtgG1b4P1LXH9Si-2GkyZi0FT_Xm_8AXkBH4-J_sF-UaFkZINz7HXRqyjQUMaHo3k0l5dVSUnVLPus/s1600-h/60s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQWzRXQVkhUu3NQfAm2IEL6MORgWMOvNfCe5Qf_AGVGvvx5MZXmWa9_OboNpNRVtgG1b4P1LXH9Si-2GkyZi0FT_Xm_8AXkBH4-J_sF-UaFkZINz7HXRqyjQUMaHo3k0l5dVSUnVLPus/s320/60s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345527662491860914" border="0" /></a><br />These transformations took about 5 minutes, in total, since I just used the stock effects. I haven't tried printing them yet, but I'm interested to see how they turn out.<br /><br />For those interested, I still haven't figured out how to photograph fireflies... they are so ethereal anyway. Maybe they aren't meant to be caught on film.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-70397833977335827512009-05-31T13:36:00.005-04:002009-05-31T20:04:25.340-04:00Photographing FirefliesSummer in the South is not what I would call pleasant. There's the heat, the humidity, and the <span style="font-style: italic;">bugs!</span> However, there are some good things- the fragrant gardenias, the creamy white magnolia blossoms,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHuCOjP-u-fHEpS_mq0umnP2MjsH-g575RxBcTFEwYt_E429s34YhoEHgue66Xc-jl_8P3q1AVKJbEBk1Q6xw8700clOLNnMipwKbemStVU0_1muy0vlFYcXOYtLxBVi1bfdmo7baqec/s1600-h/mag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 429px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHuCOjP-u-fHEpS_mq0umnP2MjsH-g575RxBcTFEwYt_E429s34YhoEHgue66Xc-jl_8P3q1AVKJbEBk1Q6xw8700clOLNnMipwKbemStVU0_1muy0vlFYcXOYtLxBVi1bfdmo7baqec/s320/mag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342142296958785570" border="0" /></a>and fireflies (yes, they are bugs too, but in a completely different category than roaches, ants, and mosquitoes).<br /><br />The fireflies are my favorite part of summer, but capturing them on film (or digital storage media) is hard! Anyone have any ideas? I'm thinking slow shutter speed and wide aperture and a tripod.PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993836148143853032.post-20880184316362261442009-05-15T10:20:00.003-04:002009-05-15T10:29:23.828-04:00Mother's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhUYvlXEU6-CCNqkR41YOEDeKtmgGQf2B50ciN7mq3_Jm6fbGsCImQBvAEyco6waRTxxK2zSWtno5v1B5IIyWUikbA4tj7zMAiTrgvvJiHbOq0ZO2-UKCGnBRBAfKO6yQubLbf5osh3Q/s1600-h/mothersday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhUYvlXEU6-CCNqkR41YOEDeKtmgGQf2B50ciN7mq3_Jm6fbGsCImQBvAEyco6waRTxxK2zSWtno5v1B5IIyWUikbA4tj7zMAiTrgvvJiHbOq0ZO2-UKCGnBRBAfKO6yQubLbf5osh3Q/s320/mothersday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336057267655415826" border="0" /></a><br />I had a nice mother's day with Matt, Mollie and Lucy in Columbia, S. C. We saw the "Turner to Cezane" exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art and enjoyed the sunny day in Columbia!PleaseRecyclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983474157607882308noreply@blogger.com3