Tie-Dying Easter Eggs *Repost**Update*

Just found a fantastic tutorial about how to Silk Dye, blown eggs, from Our Best Bites, totally fantastic.

Check it out here.

Jeri and I did this last year and it was fantastic.

Can't wait to do this again this week.

Oh my goodness this was my favorite

Start by going to the thrift store and buy all the cheap silk ties you can find. Cheaper the silk the better. Bold colors and patterns look amazing.

After gutting the ties cut a square of the tie just big enough to wrap around the whole egg, We were able to get about 4 eggs per tie. Wrap the square right side around the egg and tie with a rubber band. You want it to be touching as much of the egg as possible.

Stick all your eggs in a old pair of tights and put it in a big bowl of boiling water (medium heat) with 3 tbls of vinegar. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 20minutes.

Run cold water over the eggs when cooled...

Unwrap the magic

Next year I am going to hallow out the eggs so that I can keep them

For more instructions you can watch this.

~Thankful~ Day 12

I am thankful my girl LOVE each other.

I mean really love each other. They play well together, they are constantly hugging each other to the ground. Their eyes light up when they see each other. They truly are best friends. I am going to do everything I can to encourage them to stay that way. To avoid competition between them, teach them to support each other and be excited for each others successes and comfort each other in hard times. And to sit back and enjoy the ride. We will see see how high school goes.

happy friday

It's been a little while since I posted about

Happy Fridays

We had a little play date today with our new friend Gracie.

We made some fun fall masks out of the beautiful foliage falling to the ground.

And then covered it in glitter... because everything is better with glitter.

Have a Happy Weekend!

halloween decorations

Since our home here is temporary we decided to forgo decorating the apartment with our regular home decor. No books, the art or mirrors. Just walls, lots of walls.

Then it was October and I got antsy.

I wanted to do something fun, easy and not too scary.

And we all know I love scrap paper for everything except scrap-booking.

So I made these.

They fly all around the house. The girls love them.

I felt like I needed a little more so I went bigger in the dining room.

total cost = free

The letters are just printed out and glued to thicker paper to keep from curling. Next time I will get some card stock. They are not attached so I can make the little buntings say anything. I liked the look of the old-school typewriter font. I found it for free here.

Trick or Treat!

saving grace

these cookies are helping

a lot

.

.

.

actually maybe not so much, it's slowing my running time.

.

.

.

They are the best cookies in the world!

.

.

.

I got the recipe from my Laurel Advisor when I was 16.

I knew then that I would want my kids to think that I made the best cookies in the world

.

.

.

...and I do.

Here it is

Kelly Johnson's Chocolate Chip Cookies

(with or without oatmeal, coconut, nuts etc...)

1 cup Crisco (I used butter flavored because I love butter but Crisco makes a much softer cookie)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 tbs vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour (I did 50/50 with wheat)

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 bag chocolate chips

or the following combination

( 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch 1 cup coconut 1 cup pecans or walnuts)

Make the cookies like every cookie recipe you have ever made. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, I prefer 8 minutes I like them a little gooey. These however were cooked a little longer but they are still soft and chewy.

*Okay, I just realized that I forgot to add 1 tsp of baking powder, but I just made some with out it and they turned out exquisite. So I am beginning to think that baking powder is just a sham. Discuss.

tie-dying eggs

Oh my goodness this was my favorite

Start by going to the thrift store and buy all the cheap silk ties you can find. Cheaper the silk the better. Bold colors and patterns look amazing.

After gutting the ties cut a square of the tie just big enough to wrap around the whole egg, We were able to get about 4 eggs per tie. Wrap the square right side around the egg and tie with a rubber band. You want it to be touching as much of the egg as possible.

Stick all your eggs in a old pair of tights and put it in a big bowl of boiling water (medium heat) with 3 tbls of vinegar. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 20minutes.

Run cold water over the eggs when cooled...

Unwrap the magic

Next year I am going to hallow out the eggs so that I can keep them

For more instructions you can watch this.

photo of the week 22

this may have been her first Easter, but Miss Brooks understood immediately

she made a bee line for her basket of eggs (filled with raisins, cheerios and dried apricots)

the book in the background is now one of my favorite books in the world