homemaking

How to Enjoy Carving Pumpkins with Small Children

October 28, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 19 Comments

In my naivete’ as a young mother (many years ago), I would often save the pumpkin carving for Halloween night.

Because small children jacked up on chocolate in layers of netting and green paint isn’t stressful enough.

I’ve since learned that pumpkin carving can be enjoyable—–under the right circumstances.

::And here are those circumstances::

You need not go to a certifiable pumpkin patch. One of our local churches has made their front lawn into what for all intents and purposes is the perfect pumpkin patch. And it’s right in town. There are no farm animals or funny smells. And it’s close to TCBY.

TCBY makes children compliant and agreeable if not down right giddy.

Take your perfect pumpkins home and quickly get those seeds out, wash them thoroughly, removing the stringy mess of pumpkin-stuffs. Preheat your oven to 275 and spread your pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a pan —ready for roasting.

Then sprinkle my new friend ‘Jane’ liberally over the seeds and roast for 45 minutes—shaking the pan periodically to keep them from browning too much on one side. I was introduced to ‘Jane’ by a new blogger friend and I can’t wait for you to meet her on Sunday as she kicks off our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas with a wonderful tutorial. I know, the suspense is killing you.

But you’ll just have to wait.

After they finish roasting, pour them into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and add more Jane’s to taste. Only after you’re enjoying your wonderful–popcorn like- pumkin seeds with a tasty beverage (Mike’s Hard Pink Lemonade for me) may you continue your carving duties. This little treat will have the same effect on you that the TCBY had on the children. Now everyone’s happy and agreeable.

Carving pumpkins has never been so good.

For those of you who aren’t sure how you feel about christians celebrating Halloween, you will enjoy this segment by Jennifer Roback Morse on IssuesEtc. For those of you who would love to poke fun at my southern accent (when I called into to Issues today as they were interviewing Gene Veith about homeschooling), click here.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas {Sweater Stockings} Preview

October 25, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 50 Comments

Welcome to the preview of the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials! Join me next Sunday November 1 and meet one of my favorite {new to me} bloggers. It’s a secret until then but you’re gonna love her. To give you a taste of what’s in store, I thought I’d do a tutorial on how to make sweater stockings from old sweaters.

I first saw this lovely idea at an antique store downtown. There are so many things to love about the sweater stocking. You can use old/sentimental/colorful sweaters to make the most lovely and meaningful Christmas stockings. And then embellish them with almost anything you like. There are no rules and no two need be alike.

Start with a stocking whose design you love. I used this one {for the large size}

that I bought at the antique store. Just find a stocking you love and use it as a template.
This particular sweater was one of my favorites {from Gap} for several years and then I accidentally dried it. Its’ colorful stripes are perfect for a stocking.

1. Turn the sweater wrong side out and use the band of the sweater as the top of the stocking. Lay your template down and use a rotary cutter to cut around it leaving about 3/4inch of fabric all the way around for the seam allowance.

2. Sew the stocking {leaving the top open, of course} using about a 1/2 inch seam.

3. The stocking will then look like this. Turn it right side out……

and let one of your sweat shop helpers demonstrate its’ loveliness.

4. Embellish ’til your hearts’ content. The girls and I used felt flower pins and initials for this one. We bought these wood letters at Hobby Lobby and then spray painted them, drilled a hole in the corner and then hung them from the stocking. I used a cut piece of the arm band of the sweater as a ‘hanger’ for the stocking—-but you could use any ribbon or fabric.

Your helper will then proceed to find every old sweater she possibly can

and stockings will begin to take over your life.

She may then have the brilliant idea of using her sentimental baby blanket

to make another gorgeous beauty.

Warning: This activity is highly addictive and may result in a VERY cold winter. Hope you enjoyed and let us know if you make some stockings! No children were harmed in the making of this tutorial.

This is a teaser/sampler of what you can expect during the 12 days of handmade Christmas tutorials that begins next Sunday November 1. I’d love it if you shared this adorable little button on your blog. {Thank you Darcy}.

Any contributors to the ’12 Days’ who haven’t emailed me lately with a post update, please do so. I’m trying to stay kind of organized but it’s not my strong suit.

Love to all and happy crafting! Visit Kimba’s and Kim’s and Kris‘s sites for other fun DIY projects.

Visit here to for the 12 Days of Christmas Tutorials.

{glazed apple bars} and a friendly family feud

October 21, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 31 Comments

I found this {glazed apple bar} recipe at Meg’s blog. I will repost it here for the ease of my readers but please visit her site and be amazed and inspired. I am posting it for two reasons. One is because they are absolutely delicious—made with a short bread crust, then a layer of apples, sugar and cinnamon, and then topped with shortbread crumbles. Divine, I tell you. Divine.

But a little family feud {I think I said ‘violent conversation’ on facebook} ensued about whether or not these bars are better than apple pie. To be fair to my husband, he was reared by a woman who makes the best pies I have ever tasted in my life. This woman knows the temperamental nature of pie crust {and dough in general} like nobody’s business. She has a sixth sense about all baked things. She makes comments about the humidity is affecting her crust and the tapioca pearls are not quiet the right size. She is the pie whisperer. So, for the sake of our argument, I think I’m going to have to exclude her pies from this discussion. Because we can only get her pies about once or twice a year. Unfortunately for me, in this battle of the baked goods, he just had her pie a few weeks ago.

Here’s a snippet of a recent conversation about the apple bar/apple pie showdown:

Me: Honey, did you taste the apple bars I made today?

Stevie: {engrossed in his iPhone and watching Glen Beck and therefore doesn’t look up to answer} Um-hum.

Me: Well?

Stevie: They’re alright. {looks up at me, thinking that the ‘alright’ might get him in trouble}. Yeah, they’re pretty good.

Me: Whaaaaatt? Pretty good? Really? Because I think they’re possibly the best non-chocolate baked good I’ve ever tasted. Even better than apple pie.

Stevie: {he laughs uncontrollably} Better than apple pie? Are you kidding me? That’s outright blasphemy.

Me: Okay, well maybe not your mother’s apple pie but it’s better than every other apple pie.

Stevie: Iiiiiii don’t think so.

Me: What bite did you taste?

Stevie: What do you mean, what bite did I taste?

Me: I mean, was it a bite from the edge where there were not as many apples? Did you try a whole piece or just a bite? Did your ‘bite’ have the shortbread crumbles on it or was a stripped down bite?

Stevie: {looking at me and realizing that I’m armed for battle here—-and hoping to pacify me, put this all behind him and finish watching his news in peace} You know what, it was just a bite from the edge. I’m sure the rest of it is just as wonderful as you say.

And to be fair, he did love it once he had the complete apple bar experience. But I wouldn’t let it go. So, I took a plateful of them to the dance studio {where my girls dance and I sit and knit and chitty-chat} and passed them out to get the response of the public at large.

The results of my intense double blind study: woman prefer them to apple pie and men do not.
In fact, one of the men ate the bar, said it was ‘good’ and then proceeded to eat a whole, raw apple. That would not be my first inclination after eating these buttery delicious bars but whatever. Marcus {Steve’s son and self-proclaimed foodie} responded to my facebook update about this ongoing apple battle and said he would be the judge when he comes to visit this weekend. I’m a little nervous. Because Marcus just had the best apple pie in the known world too. But I’ll report the results to you without bias.

I think you should make them and weigh in. {although don’t literally ‘weigh in’ because they have 3 sticks of butter)

Here’s the recipe:

{glazed apple bars}

First you combine 4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt and 2 C. sugar.
Then, cut in 3 sticks of butter. The mixture will be crumbly and Meg recommends you use your hands. I wholeheartedly agree. I first tried my mixer and it didn’t work well. Press about 2/3’s of this crumbly mixture into a jelly roll pan.

Peel, core and slice 4-5 Granny smith apples and layer over the shortbread mixture.
Combine 1/3 C. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon, sprinkle it over the apples.
Crumble the remaining flour/sugar/butter mixture on top of the apples.
Bake it at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes…until it is crispy on the bottom.

After it bakes, let it cool.
Make a glaze with 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. water.

12 Days Tutorials Teaser

October 19, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 13 Comments

what I need to be doing is pricing items for the

tag sale (ie yard sale)

i’m having this saturday.

instead, i’ve been making stuff

all weekend.

with the most wonderful

fabrics and wools

you’ve ever seen

some from my very own closet

some from Goodwill

and some from talented designers

like amy butler

i can’t wait to show you

what we’re making

and you’re gonna love the guest posters

my little elea has knit

her little fingers

to the bone

on her red scarf

we’re so jazzed about the

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials

that our creative juices are more like spritzers

bubbling over

making us merry

and distracting us from

things like

laundry

and toilet scrubbing

and yard-sale pricing

So, Save the dates

November 1-12

with 11 days of guest posters

hosted by me here at

i’d be so thrilled if you’d help me

get the word out

oh yeah, and the proceeds

from the tag sale?

an embroidery/sewing machine!

next monday, we’ll have a special

blog button for the occasion that you

can share with your friends.

hugs and happy monday!

p.s. I loved your ‘uni’ stories! y’all are funny.

Visit Kim at Today’s Creative Blog for more crafty goodness!

What do ya get when you take two girls thriftin’ downtown?

October 16, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 17 Comments

A little bit of this……

‘Down down baby down by the roller coaster

sweet sweet baby I’ll never let you go

Shimmie shimmie cocoa puffs

shimmie shimmie wow…..

Grandma grandma sick in bed

call the doctor and the doctor said,

Let’s get the rhythm of the head (ding dong)

Let’s get the rhythm of the hands (clap clap)

Let’s get the rhythm of the feet (stomp stomp)

Let’s get the rhythm of the ~~~hotdog~~~~ (swirl up and down)’

And thank you Savannah!

and a little bit of that…..

and not much shopping for these……

okay, so maybe we found a couple of things…….

todays’ treasures total $28

hope your friday was full of treasures……

happy weekending!

check here, the flea market magazine, for other nifty/thrifty finds.

Must-Have Makeup Tips :: Oh To Be 25 Again!

October 9, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 52 Comments

Girls, you are in for a treat!!!! Savannah (political science graduate turned MAC make up artist) has graciously agreed to give us 30 and 40 somethings some tips. I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of that magical make-up brush of hers, and though there’s probably nothing on the market (short of a scalpel) to make me look 25 again, I am completely in awe of her knowledge base and skill level with a wide variety of ages, colors, face and eye shapes, etc.

I’ve asked her a zillion questions since she’s been here and now I am thrilled to pass the ‘must have’ tips on to you all! (Any male readers still with me at this point should probably see if there are any good football games on. There’s nothing for you here. You have entered the sacred life of women’s beauty and trust me, you don’t want to know what goes on here. Do me this favor though, tell your wife she looks beautiful today!)

Beware of this ghetto video and don’t scramble to write stuff down because I list everything you need below. This video is proof that I love you. Amen.

Steps to a flawless face and the Audrey Hepburn (or Marilyn Monroe) look:

1. Start with your normal foundation and preferably a tinted moisturizer. Then apply Mineralize Skin Finish liberally all over the face. (I just bought one and it is WONDERFUL stuff—-and not that expensive compared to other department store brands)

2. Eye primer—Use the tip of your finger to apply painterly (from a paint pot) all over the eye from lid to brow. This functions like double stick tape for your eye shadow and gives much more even coverage. (I’ve been using this product or one like it for 3-4 years and I love it.)

3. Apply brule’ eye color over the whole eye. Then use a light brown like wedge for the crease. To apply the crease color, use a blending brush (MAC brush number 217) and apply the color at the lateral edge of the crease and then do a windshield wiper motion just under the brow bone in the crease. It’s better to start with less color and then build it; you can’t easily remove the color. Of course, if you’re Tammy Faye like me, then more is better.

4. A good way to brighten the eyes is to add a light color like brule’ to the tear duct. You can apply it with your finger or with the same blending brush.

5. The Audrey Hepburn eye is heavy on the black eyeliner. And it’s not rocket science, but it’s not that easy to do either. To make it easier, Savannah used a small angled brush (MAC #266) to apply a brown eye shadow (Handwritten) in exactly the place where the black eye liner is to go. It serves as a template for where to place the liner. Start by lining the lower lash line as close to the base of the lash as possible. Then extend the line past the corner about 1/4th an inch following the natural line of the lower lid. It’s a common mistake to just free hand the top liner without paying attention to the actual shape of the eye. (This usually results in having it curved upwards in an unnatural way).

6. Then fill in the template with the black liner. The one from MAC is called Boot Black liquid liner and it is fantabulous. After Savannah did my left eye, I practiced on my right eye. Not too bad, huh? Then finish the look with the brow groomer. It is applied with a wand (like a mascara) and makes a huge difference in the overall look. I used to never leave the house without lip gloss and mascara. Now, I never leave without brow groomer heavily applied. It would be one of the ten items I’d take if I were stranded on a deserted island.

7. Apply blush (Dainty) with a good brush (MAC #168) on the apples of your cheeks. A peachy pink blush (or as close to the same color as you would naturally blush) works best. I love dainty. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE apply blush in a stripe on your cheekbone. (Savannah’s emphasis) You apply blush where you would naturally blush.

Go ahead and confess it, ’cause we both know good and well that you’ve been guilty of the striped cheek.

Quick tips: what you must have

1. Mineralize Skin Finish powder

2. Brow Groomer

3. Painterly paint pot (to use for eye primer)

4. Boot Black Liquid liner

5. Dainty blush

6. Hue lipstick (for me) but Savannah says the lip color is not limited with this eye look because it’s so basic and pared down.

Big round of applause for Savannah!!! Thank you for taking the time to teach us. Being around you makes me FEEL 25 again—-that counts for something!

Disclaimers:

This is NOT, unfortunately, a paid advertisement for MAC. I’ve been using their products for 7-8 years and love them. I’m doubly blessed that our wonderful Savannah works for them. This would have been way more fun if they would have sent me $200 in free products to sing their praises. But they didn’t.

I’ve written a much more important post on beauty that I highly recommend you read. A woman who is at rest— comfortable in her own skin—accepting of her own flawed body—is a beautiful woman to me. But, hey, we’ve got to take help where we can get it. And make-up, to a southern women, is serious business. I’m still working through Kubler-Ross Stage 2 over all the MAC lip gloss I had stolen last year. It is not safe to come between a woman and her beauty products.

Post Edit: I re-read this post this morning and I’m not sure I made it sufficiently clear about the power of the brow groomer.
I need you to be on the same ‘brow-groomer’ page as me. There’s power in the brow.
So, I snapped another little pic for you this morning.
Go to MAC. Go directly to MAC. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Get some brow groomer—which is officially called brow set. Mmmkay?