A Shout-Out To All SAHMs Who Want A Ground Floor Opportunity

As some closest to me know, I have recently become an independent Votre Vu Consultant. Votre Vu (www.votrevu.com)was officially launched in the U.S. in January 2009. This is a privately held LUXURY skin care company offering the finest French-Made formulations. All products are crafted in a family owned laboratory in France except the beauty beverage SnapDragon, which is manufactured in the United States. There is so much good about this I cannot possibly cover it all here. This is not an affiliate relationship with Votre Vu, I am actually signed up to sell this fabulous skincare! This is a shameless PR message mostly because the quality of Votre Vu is so high and the marketing is so flawless that I am PROUD to be part of this team. So many fun events are already taking shape and just within the last few days. I would like to invite you to think about being pampered and venture over to my Votre Vu site to get a 'taste' of what you could be indulging in. I think you will be impressed. In fact, I would love some feedback about the site and the products!

Check up my upcoming events like the "The Kids Are Back In School" Snaptini event.

www.votrevu.com/cecook

Classy Picture Hanging Idea From Country French Magazine

Ok, I"ll admit it. I am just a bit of a Francophile. The history, the architecture, the language and most recently Votre Vu (I'll explain later in another post). Let's just say I enjoy the artistry and beauty of France. This idea for hanging pictures in Country French Magazine was so cute, I just have to share it. There is a picture on page 35 of the Fall/Winter 2009 edition for those who may want to check it out.

To set the scene: The magazine showcases homes across the country and shares how their owners have decorated them using French design inspiration. This picture arrangement was in a California home that belonged to a couple who are connoisseurs of 16thand 17th century French and Italian ink sketches. They also collect French antique furniture. Personally, I cannot relate to any of that other than having a general sense of appreciation.

The pictures: There was a series of 6 framed prints. This arrangement is so simple it's breathtaking. There are no DIY instructions in the article but it looks like they took an ornate, long wrought iron curtain rod and mounted it on a wall, centered it even. They placed three large S hooks on the rod, spacing them equi-distance apart in such a way as to provide balance. From each hook hangs a simple chain link. The three chains hanging vertically, each supporting two pictures. It is mesmerizing, functional and elegant, all at once. at the same time. It would be so easy to change out the pictures to match an event or season. What a charming, unique and inexpensive way to freshen the look of a room.

If I manage to get my hands on a picture, I'll share it with you. In the meantime, fire up those vivid imaginations and make it your own! I'm already plotting ways to frame and hang some beautiful fabrics!

Just Got Some New 'Man' Fabric From Fabritopia!

This stuff is so cute. The designer is Douglas Day and the series is called "Be A Man". This fabric is going toward making a lunch sack for dear hubby. The tires and spark plugs really spoke to him I guess, lol. I'll post a pic of the project once it's complete. For now, here's a look at the fabric along with three other patterns available in this series. Vrooom! Vrooom!

Quickie Post!

Let's call this one a 'hit-and-run' post if you will. I saw this article mentioned on the mommysavers blog. The title of the piece is "One Marshmallow or Two" and it is a discussion of helpful hints about delayed gratification and how we can instill this skill in our children. Personally I could use more help in this department myself! The cool thing is, the ability to wait and appreciate delayed gratification can be learned! I always supposed one was able to be 'like that' or not, that it was all in the wiring. This is good news indeed.

Check it out at http://www.parents-choice.org/print_article.cfm?art_id=164&the_page=consider_this

The Necklace Board Project is Complete!

I am so happy to have this pretty little board ready to hang on the wall.





Nice little detail shot of one of the hangers.








Now I can give this to my mom-in-law because she, well, raised a terrific man.

More Coming Soon (can you hear the approaching footsteps?)

Remember when I mentioned this?

Here's a short list of some topics soon to be covered -
Lessons (things learned from others)
Project Peeks (current creative endeavors, like the spring skirt!)
DIY Corner (home made solutions)
Recipe File (OK, this one will be mostly links with maybe a pic or two of my more successful dishes)
Aviation (fun stuff, cool pics and maybe a bio or two)
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Those are all still in the works btw!

In addition, I will be adding -
a 'salon' with some items luxe
a section I'd like to call 'Humor Central'
and a Green Corner
and yes,,,,,a STORE!

As always, I welcome your feedback on any and all elements present in the blog.

Summer Breeze/Summer Skirt!

Hey Everyone! I am starting to get a grip on the pics I need to post to let you guys know I am truly working on items for the store. It's coming, I PROMISE! I have so many emails inquiring about this, so I thought I'd do a quick PR blurb (shameless woman!).

OK, my store is coming soon. SOON, not in a month, but soon! All handmade items and I will always, ALWAYS try to credit others who inspire me.

For this moment, let us consider a simple summer skirt. This little number is finished and wears quite well. However, I am going to deconstruct it, take out the side zipper and put in a drawstring and then, well, you may see it again!

Here's a pic of it singing in the 100 degree breeze!

Some Sweet Prose

Ok, I lucked out. When I was considering putting something "thoughtful" in the blog earlier today, I really had no idea what it would be, just that the blog needed a bit of tenderness. Cue The MomPack! It was like some unseen hand guided a wonderful email to me and when I went to check out my fellow mom's blog, lo and behold a beautiful gem was there! So, this is for all of you, courtesy of the generosity of Lisa Hawkins of mypumpkindoodle.com

After A While
Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while
you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't always promises and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and and your eyes ahead with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong and you really do have worth and you learn and you learn
with every good-bye you learn.

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This one touched me.

Thank you Lisa for letting this hang on your wall for years and bringing it to life at your site and allowing me to pass it along here!

A Little Brain Food To Chew On

Richard Wrangham at Harvard has written a book called "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human." That got me right there. I had never really thought about this seemingly obvious discovery. Professor Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology, Curator of Primate Behavioral Biology. OK, got that out of the way, wheww! I never would have thought cooking to be such an integral part of our evolution as a species. Isn't that interesting? Professor Wrangham says, "Cooking is the signature feature of the human diet, and indeed, of human life - and we have no idea why." He talks about how cooking saved time for our species early on and freed us up to do other things and develop in other ways. It doesn't stop there. The Professor attributes cooking to bringing families together, establishing the "hearth and home" concept, as well as allowing for a "division of labor" between males and females. Cooking changed who hunted. Instead of everyone hunting all the time, the males of the species took on the hunting and the females took on the cooking. I wonder if the book goes into the theories of why that happened.

Cooking is present in every human society. Wow, some common ground we can all relate to. I like that!

I was alerted to this research and book by a friend of mine(thank-you Frederick) who is a surgeon in Virginia. I find the premise fascinating and will probably get the book so that I can really dig into it.

Here's the link to an article about the book:

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

A Cool Little Green Moment!

Hubby scored our first 'reel' mower off Craig's List for $40.00! Whatta guy. Inspires me to start a little 'Eco-Corner' somewhere in this already crowded blog. Pretty soon I'll have pics of the tulle bags I am making to use in the produce section as a substitute for those thin saran-wrap 'tear here' nightmare plastic bags. If they work as well as I've heard, then they may end up in my store. I'll keep you posted!

PS - I'll probably give away the first few in exchange for some feedback on how they are working out. Check back for more details!

Inspired by a Pic I Saw at the "Reading Amidst the Chaos" site

Thank you, Dana!




What Are YOU Doing Right Now? Reading? Then guess what...!

Warm Wishes Thursday

I am currently trying to catch up and by the end of this day I hope to do the following:

1). Streamline that MckLinky 'thingy'
2). Post some pics of ongoing projects in various stages
3). Post some 'brain' content to help with stimulating our intellectual sides
4). Add links to The MomPack and Angel Valley Farms
5). Post something halfway thoughtful.

Thanks for your interest in my site! Please visit often. I am always trying to change things around.
UPDATE: As of 10:55 pm I have gotten everything done except #2. Ah well, there's always tomorrow!

Delicious and Quick Dinner Idea (French Stromboli)

Here's a quick and tasty idea for a hot and delicious dinner!
Take one can of Pillsbury Crusty French Loaf (or two if you want leftovers)

Pop open the can and roll the dough out in a big rectangle on a cookie sheet. Layer whatever ingredients you want to melt together inside the bread. Make sure you lay them in a 'stripe' down the middle of the dough, lengthwise. This tastes good with mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, any type of meat or all of the above! Don't foget to add spices (like garlic or basil). Basically you choose a theme and dress the dough accordingly.

Pull edges of dough together above the 'stuffing' and pinch closed. Use water if you need edges to be stickier. Flip the entire thing over so that the seam is not showing and is closest to the pan.

Bake according to dough instructions on can, usually about 20 mins or so. Get ready for your house to start smelling really really good after about 10 minutes.

It takes about 10 mins to throw it all together, another 20 or so to bake it and then about 5 minutes to let it sit before you cut it. That's 35 minutes from start to finish. It will taste homemade and makes great leftovers for a couple days, depending on what you put in it.

I'd love to hear how yours turns out. Take a picture and let me know how it goes!

What Is It About Dads?

Ok, I came across a blog I have to share with everyone! It's called "4 little men and girly twins" This is the love effort of a very proud papa and rightly so!! Moms are established icons in our culture and yet, I gotta say, Dads who are involved with the lives of their kids are quite an example for us all! I challenge any of you to go to the "4 little men and girly twins" blog and NOT smile your face off!

Coming Soon!

One of the things I hope to accomplish with this blog is to pull bits and pieces of life together in bundles to present to my guests. That means, I'd like to be able to get you plugged in to a fun activity, quick and easy recipe, some positive philosophy and imagery, and humor. The plan is to grow this blog into a place where 'crosstalk' rules (as much as it can in this medium). Please bear with me as new features are being added.

Here's a short list of some topics soon to be covered -
Lessons (things learned from others)
Project Peeks (current creative endeavors)
DIY Corner (home made solutions)
Recipe File (OK, this one will be mostly links with maybe a pic or two of my more successful dishes)
Aviation (fun stuff, cool pics and maybe a bio or two)

Something To Smile About....

My notions basket has been sitting on the table just calling me and calling me. I took a look at it and decided it was such a mix of prettiness and promise that I just had to take a picture! Well, truth be told, I need lots of practice in the art of photography. Since it was not yet sweltering outside, I placed it on the stainless table next to hubby's BBQ. It looked so pretty, and yet a little lonely, so I decided to sit it on a textured cushion and as a finishing touch, my four-year-old's latest mural served as a background. I am happy with the results. It's a little blurry but full of color and in a way, it kind of looks like a painting. Can't you just feel the color lift up your spirits?

Mom's Getting Geeky!

Fun, musical and geeky little gizmo over at http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix. They call it a 'Tone Matrix.' Briefly, it's a blank grid filled with little squares which each emit a different musical tone. You can create a quick little meditative chime or something equally unique to boost your energy or at the very least attract some office-mates over to your desk. The developer notes it is based on the "Audiotool" engine that can be found at www.hobnox.com. There is more info at hobnox on how to create your own electronic music with base/drums/guitar, etc. Audiotool requires Adobe Flash to play. Just think, our kids may think we are 'cool' for about 10 seconds!

Giveaways

Just in case some of you like to have fun with the blog giveaways, TipJunkie.com has collected a few and put them all in one place!

Interesting phenomenon occurring. I got a new cell phone and all of a sudden my fingers seem huge!

Joining the Ranks!

I am happy and grateful to be able to join the ranks of moms all over the world who have already broken the ground and had the courage to hang out their creativity for ALL to see! Moms everywhere are an inspiration to me and I all I have to offer is a heartfelt "Thank You!"

Multi-Moms to the Rescue!

Moms Of The World - I Thank You!

I learn so much from my sisters, every day. There is always a lesson in how to be fit, creative, patient, thrifty, silly, sexy, etc. This blog is going to be about the one thing I love doing above ALL else and that's being a mom.

I am a strong mom, a loving mom and a total student-of-life grateful mom. I enjoy the connection with all moms of the world and know that collectively, we are a force!

I am shaking at the thought of having this privilege of jumping into the pool of mom blogs!!!

Here I go.....!