Wooden Solar System

So our 2.5 year old has been all about the solar system lately. I was inspired by Playful Learning's craft to make a version of our own. Since he can't read yet I didn't make the cards, or the box.

It took a bit of searching, but I found all the pieces we needed as wooden knobs at Michael's. YES! I included pluto. 

We painted them one at a time with a basic water colour set. 

The final product. 

Shop is Back Open

So I've done it! I opened my Etsy shop back up today. I'm slowing going over all of my inventory and listing today. I didn't think this would be as fun as it is!

Also, this is kind of interesting. I don't have too much to tell about my shop, but there is a new "About" section on Etsy's stores. Here is mine! 

Nesting Doll Onsies - DIY Babushka Baby Shirt

A small dilemma we have had lately, is that Baby #2 is a girl but is wearing a little boy's, Baby #1's hand-me downs. I personally don't like to dress my littlest one in head to toe pink anyway, so like I said, small dilemma. I also don't want her looking like a boy so I got to thinking about how to "girlie" some of baby boy's hand me downs for my little girl. I've seem lots of ideas on Pinterest on how to doll up plain onsies to make them more interesting, but none of them were really my style.

If you read my blog, you might have seen my post about my collection of Russian Nesting dolls/ Matryoshka dolls. I really like them and have gathered a number of them over the years, so I had a lot of reference to work from for this project. I've used fabric paints with much success in the past so I messed around a bit and came up with these. 

Its easier than it looks! 

This is what I used: 

1 small paintbrush

primary set of fabric paint (blue, yellow, red, black)

plain onsies

sticker paper (I used Avery Labels)

scissors

scrap cardboard (like from a cereal box)

These are the steps I took: 

1. Draw the basic Nesting doll shape, or you can print out this jpg. image out on the sticker paper. The doll is about 6x4 inches on a 0-3 month sized onsie.  

2. Cut out the doll's body shape. 

3. Remove the paper off the back of the sticker and place the sticker where you want the doll to go on the onsie. 

4. Stuff some scrap cardboard into the shirt before you start to paint, or the paint might go through to the backside of the shirt. You might want to use a couple clips to clip the fabric onto the carboard so it doesn't move around. I didn't since I've got a pretty steady painting hand. 

5. Paint around the outside of the stencil onto the shirt. Work with small amounts of paint in dashes around the doll's shape. If you feel your line getting wiggly, just pull the brush towards the centre of the stencil then start again. It doesn't need to be perfect. In fact, I highly suggest not to get too intense about keeping things tight, loosen up, it will look great in the end after all the details are added. Its also best to do two coats rather than one thick one. 

6. Cut out the head scarf shape (the oval for the face and the line below it). I worked from the same sticker paper. I just folded the paper non sticky side to non sticky side symmetrically and in half, then cut out the headscarf shape. 

7. Apply the headscarf shape sticker where you want it to be. 

8. Paint the oval for the face and line under it. 

9. Wait about half an hour until these lines are nice and dry. 

10. Embellish and be creative filling in the rest of the features of the doll. If you need inspiration there are lots of pictures online of nesting dolls. I used mine as reference for painting the eyes, and flowers on their tummies. For finer details like lips, eyes and outlines of flowers, I used the paint directly from the tube of fabric paint. You could also just use a tiny paintbrush! 

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Enjoy!

Free Printable gift labels - hand drawn from me with love

Christmas is on its way and I doodled a whole page of gift labels. I thought I would share them with love as a gift to my readers so that you guys could print off some of your own. Either print them on regular white cartridge paper, coloured paper or sticker paper. I even included a round label to add to mason jars for those of you who are like me and like to give gifts from the kitchen. 

There are lots of uses for these little guys, get creative! 

Please respect my rights as an artist and use these labels for personal use only. Feel free to share them with family and friends, but please do not use them for commercial gain.

1. Select image from Blog (right click).
2. Save image as... on to your computer.
3. Open file and print.


Would anyone be interested in getting a workable EPS file? I would love to know what people think. When I use these little tags for my gifts, I'll make sure I add pictures to my post.

Enjoy!

Curtain Tieback Blooms - DIY

It has almost been a year now since we moved homes. It has taken me a long time to finish the curtains in my kitchen/dining room area. Moving from a very dark, one windowed basement suite, to a half above ground, bright, 5 windowed basement suite, we wanted to keep the light flowing throughout the main living area.

One of my goals in decorating the kitchen area, was to keep things fairly monochromatic (with pops of colour with the use of small objects), in a light colour palette so that the space would appear as large as possible. I wanted the curtains to be a feature, but not to overpower the space with a busy pattern or bold colour. I decided to use the same fabric I used for the curtains for the blooms so that I would be creating visual interest in a subtle way with texture.
What you will need for each tieback:

4 pieces of 6"x 12" sheer. lightweight fabric
72" of ribbon
clear nail polish

makes one 6" tieback bloom Instructions:

1. Lay all four layers on top of one another.

2. Fan fold along the width of the fabric pieces. Each fold should be about 1" wide.

3. Hold the bundle tightly by the middle.

4. With the other hand, bring the centre of the ribbon to the middle of the fabric bundle. Tie a double knot tightly around it.

5. Pull the layers apart from one another, fluffing them up to make the bloom.
6. Run a thin coat of clear nail polish to the ends of the ribbons to keep them from fraying.

7. Tie up your curtains and enjoy!

Homemade Chai - From My Kitchen

 

Make your home smell absolutely wonderful and have a cup of chai to boot. This recipe is one of my favorites during the holidays and I have been making it for guests for years. Its always a crowd pleaser.
So far since the weather has turned colder, I've had a pot of the chai spices simmering on my stove almost constantly. Many store bought chai mixes or bags have unwanted junk or nutmeg in it. I usually adore nutmeg, but apparently it is toxic to babies while they are in the womb and not good to have while breastfeedng? I was very suprised to learn this since I had no idea about this for my first pregnancy.

What you will need

4 cups of water
1 stick of cinnamon
1 slice of fresh ginger (a chunk of candied ginger would work too)
1 small handful of cardamom pods
6-10 whole cloves
6-10 whole peppercorns
2-3 whole star anise
4-6 whole allspice

2-3 teabags (any plain flavor teabags work - black, rooibos,decaf black are great choices)
2 cups of whole milk (almond milk or soy milks work great with this too)
1 Tbsp of sugar (or to taste)

Method
1. Boil water with spices in medium sized pot for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better I'd say (just make sure it doesn't dry up) down to 2 cups of liquid.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Strain spices from pot.
4. Steep tea bags in liquid for 5 minutes.
5. Remove teabags and return liquid to stove. 6. Add sugar and milk. 5. Heat back up on medium heat to be sure not to scald the milk.

Serves 4

Once you have made my version, maybe consider personalizing it by adding more or less of what you would like!

Other considerations:
Vanilla Bean/Extract
Nutmeg
Fennel Seed
Orange Peel

If you aren't sure what the effect will be if you add more or take away, here is a brief description of what each or the spices adds to the Chai spice blend from my recipe.

cinnamon - slightly spicy, sweet, very aromatic. Gives it that warm cozy feeling.
ginger - spicy/hot
cardamom - is the exotic base spice for this blend. It is slightly spicy, herbal and kind of citrus-like.
cloves - strong flavored, warm and spicy. A little of this goes a long way. Very aromatic. In my humble opinion it is slightly floral tasting.
peppercorns - its a classic... its spicy and warm. 
star anise - aromatically sweet. It tastes a bit like licorice and fennel.
allspice- I used to think that this spice was a combo of a bunch of spices because of its name... but it turns out its named that because others agree: it tastes like mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

Its fun to play around with recipes and create something truly unique. Maybe your version will end up being your family's next best kept secret?

Enjoy!

Lentil Couscous Soup - From My Kitchen

This simple and tasty soup is hearty, and would be perfect on a cool Autumn's day! It features the delicate flavor of fennel matched with Garam Masala. I think I feel a craving coming on...

What you will need

1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 large carrots sliced
1/2 large fennel bulb chopped
1 lb of tomatoes chopped
1 box of low sodium chicken/ veggie broth
1 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of ginger powder
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
2/3 cup of dried red lentils
1/2 cup of whole wheat dry couscous

1/4 toasted slivered almonds (optional) 

Method:

1. Heat oil in large pot. 
2. On medium heat, add chopped vegetables and brown. Add a sprinkle of salt to help the browning process.
3. Add broth and bring pot to a boil.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and let the put simmer for about 15-20 minutes. 

Serves 4

Taco Salad - From My Kitchen

This salad is super easy to make, affordable, fast and yummy. I make this salad for dinner and it makes a satisfying. meal.

What you will need

For the quinoa: 

1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup of salsa

1/2 cup of vegetable stock

For the rest: 

1/2 head of washed and torn lettuce

1 can of black beans 

1 cup thawed and rinsed corn 

1/4 finely diced white onion

1 cup of diced fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup salsa

corn chip 

Serves 3

Method

1. Combine the ingredients for the quinoa in a small pot. Bring to a boil then simmer until the quinoa is tender. Cool ahead of time. (I have added the frozen corn to the quinoa to cool it off faster if you couldn't do this ahead of time) 

2. For the rest, layer the ingredients for individual servings, or lay them all out on the table for guests to assemble themselves! Easy as PIE!

There are lots of other ingredients or substitutions you could make. Why not try avocado, grilled chicken, green onions, chopped bell peppers? I also like to serve extra corn chips on the side. Yum yum! Get creative but most of all, ENJOY! 

Gabrielle 

Crochet Lace Covered Rock - Build Your Home

I really like the combination of the delicate lace and the rough texture of rock in this project.

I made this lace covered rock for a wedding present this last week and painted "build your home" on the bottom to remind the couple to build their marriage on Jesus Christ.

To make your own lace covered rock, you can use any circular lace patten to start. Crochet the rounds flat until it covers up until the edge of the rock. Once the lace covers the top, you decrease the stitches quickly to make the lace stretch tightly over the rock. Or you can follow my pattern below. I'll also explain how to decrease stitches to get the lace snugly around the rock.

What you will need:

- #1 size crochet hook

- washed and smooth rock

- white or ivory crochet cotton 

- acrylic white paint (optional)

- small paint brush (optional) 

You don't need very much yarn but it all depends on how big your rock is. I used about 1/8 of a 1 lb ball.

Pattern Shortcut key:
ch= chain
sl st= slip stitch
dc = double crochet

Pattern:
Row#1
- ch 5 then sl st into the beginning of chain to make a small loop
- ch 5, turn

Row #2
- dc inside the small loop ch 3 (x7)
- ch 3
- sl st in 1st chain of row
Row #3
- ch 9, turn
- dc in top of last row's dc
- ch 6 dc in top of last row's dc (x7)
- ch 6
- sl st in 1st chain of row
Row #4
- ch 4, turn
- dc under last row's chain
- ch 2 dc x5
- ch 2 dc x6 (in next 7)
- sl st in 1st chain of row
Row #5
- ch 6, turn
- dc in last row between stitch 3 and 4
- ch 4, dc between 6 and 7
- repeat pattern all around
- sl st in 1st chain of row
Row #6
- ch 6, turn
- dc, ch 4, dc ch 4 repeat
Row #7
- repeat row #6 if the round needs to get bigger  but increase each chain by 1.

*also keep in mind the next instructions for row 8 and 9 should have an increased chain as well. 

Continue until the round covers the top of the rock. I only needed to do up to Row #7. The next rounds will be decreasing. Always check when you are half way around to make sure that the rock fits inside before it gets closed too tight.

Row #8
- ch 2, turn
- 1 dc under the last 2 chains of the previous row.

*Push the crochet hook through under the chain, wrap the yarn over, pull it through, then go to the next hole/chain from the previous row and wrap the yarn over, pull it through, then wrap the yarn over and finish the dc as normal. I do this instead of skipping to decrease stitches so that you don't get as many gapes.

- ch 4, 1 dc in the last chain and next chain repeat all around

*check your rock fit. The next round will make it tight really fast.

Row #9
- ch 2, turn
- 1 dc under the last 2 chains of the previous row
- repeat pattern all around pulling the lace tight around the rock as you go.
- sl st in 1st chain of row

cut and weave end in.

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad - From My Kitchen

This year my dad decided to put a couple tomato plants in the garden to see how they would do. They did very well! From only two plants there is about 15 pounds of tomatoes. Since I am one of his favorite people, he gave me a few. I made this delicious salad featuring protein packed quinoa, fresh basil, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Very often in my kitchen, I won't use a recipe. Only recently have I started to write some recipes down. I thought I would share this one:

What you will need

For the quinoa:
1/2 lemon, juiced and zest
1 cup of water
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
3 Tbsp of your best olive oil
2 tsp dry oregano

For the rest:
approximately 2.5 lbs of fresh diced tomatoes (I used 3)
1 long english cucumber diced
1/4 white onion finely chopped
1 cup of fresh basil chiffonade
1/3 cup of feta cheese crumbled or cubed
a few garlic cloves finely chopped (optional)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Serves up to 4

Method
1. Squeeze the juice out from half of a large lemon into a measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup with water up to the one cup mark. Add these to a medium sized saucepan with the zest, vegetable stock and quinoa. Bring pot to a boil, then immediately bring the temperature down to simmer with the lid on until the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and fluff.

2. For the rest... combine ingredients into a large serving bowl. I didn't add garlic to mine since I still have a pregnancy aversion to it. I did however, add a dash of garlic powder at the end.

3. Once the quinoa is cooled to room temperature, mix in the olive oil and dry oregano.

4. Add the quinoa mixture to the rest of the ingredients in the large bowl and gently mix with a wooden spoon.

5. Add pepper to taste. You may want to add some salt as well, but I didn't since the feta is already salty.

I made this one night when it was just me and Ezra eating for dinner. He really enjoyed it! I made sure that the quinoa was really soft for him. I made a huge batch because I wanted to have more for left overs. I'm glad I did. It was very yummy.

A Tip!
If you feel intimidated to cook with quinoa, or have found that when you have in the past its been bland, make sure you are adding flavor during the cooking process. That way you can get the flavor deep into the grain. To do this, simply substitute the water for a different liquid(s) such as: stock, juice of any kind (diluted), vinegar (diluted), salsa! You name it!

Once I realized that I could do this with quinoa, it quickly became a main staple in my pantry. It is such a protein packed grain that it leaves the body satisfied for a long time.

Enjoy!

Gabrielle