tutorial links...

doesn't it seems like there has been a flood of gorgeous tutorials on the internets lately? here are a few that i will be trying shortly.

a braided scarf at ah-yi.

a super cool superhero cape over at zakka life crafts.

a feathered nest's quick and easy apron looks like my kind of sewing project.

good old martha stewart scores again with this great reversible handbag tutorial.

i am seriously excited about covering every can i can get my paws on using this tutorial by meg at elsie marley.

the winner of the prettiest tutorial goes to geninne's art blog for her hand carved stamp tutorial.

artsy-crafty babe shares this sweet button flower tutorial.

i might have already shared some of these. no matter. i will probably share them again in a few weeks. my memory, short and long term, is gone.

and now for a completely unrelated photo. this is the apron that i made for my mama's birthday last week. she likes it and it fits her beautifully.

a new hobby...

i have never, ever in all of my days needed to know how to knit more than i do right now. and it is all because of this post on the purl bee. oh dear. a new friend offered to teach me and now that i have a project in mind i think i will have to go for it. the call to knit has been growing in strength for the last year or so. looks like the time has come.

check out one of their color combo suggestions, the "funky monkey":



dreamy.

food in june...

this is a well timed project. one food photo a day for the entire month of june. yummy. i will take at least thirty food photos for this project but i can't promise to post one a day. even though i am breaking the rules i am still totally excited. i will be looking at the group's photos on flickr daily.

yummy monday number four...

max's "cupcake kee-koos"

2/3 c margarine, room temp (we use a milk free kind)
2/3 c shortening, room temp
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 t vanilla
3 1/1 c flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
100s and 1000s for sprinkling

cream margarine and shortening together.
add the sugar and brown sugar. mix well.
add the eggs and vanilla. mix well.
in a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
add that mixture to the sugar mixture. stir very well.
scoop out teaspoon size globs into mini cupcake papers.
sprinkle them with 100s and 1000s for a little color.
bake at 350°F until golden brown.





confession: this is just a slightly altered version of my mama's chocolate chip cookie recipe that i grew up baking with her. we make them in the cupcake papers because the milk free margarine has a higher moisture content than regular sticks of margarine that makes them spread out too much when baked without. plus, max seems to like things more when they are presented like a cupcake. don't know why. he likes it so we'll stick with it.

i usually bake half of the dough right away and freeze the other half in saran wrap for future use. the second half usually gets consumed in dough form over the course of a couple weeks, i must admit. it is oh so good with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. yum.

yummy monday number three...

red chili roast

1 T veg oil
1 big chunk of beef (i have used a topside roast)
salt and pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 hot peppers, chopped (i use thai chilis because jalapeños are hard to find here)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 big can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 small thing tomato paste
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin

brown all sides of the beef in oil. season well with salt and pepper.
transfer to crockpot.
saute the bell pepper, onion and hot peppers in the beef drippings.
add chili powder, cumin and about 2 T beef broth and simmer for a couple minutes.
transfer to crockpot.
add the garlic, the rest of the broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the crockpot.
stir well.
cook on auto for five hours or low for eight hours.
either shred the meat or cut it into small pieces.

here is one quarter of the result, frozen.



this recipe is super versatile. i split it into four portions and freeze it until i need to use it. it is great as a burrito filling, the boys eat the meat as is, it is great in nachos and i even eat it as a soup, a very rich soup. it is extra yummy with fresh coriander (cilantro), a bit of cheddar cheese and a little sour cream. i hope you give it a try.

an easy scarf...

...update at the bottom of the post...

i hesitate to call any project 'easy' but this one truly is. if you have a pair of scissors and can cut a straight line, you can "make" this scarf. they are fun, casual and machine washable. i like to wear two at a time. i've seen these for sale in shops for fifteen to twenty dollars. now that's just plain silly.
here's what you do, buy some cotton jersey fabric and cut a strip out of it. no hemming, no ironing, no pinning, just cut the piece to your desired size and wrap it around your neck. that's it.
i like the raw edges and i even decided to leave the selvedge on the stripy scarves because it is pretty. some jersey rolls up on the raw edges, and that's cute, too.
hey aussie crafters, i got all the fabric at spotlight, just so you know.
because i have a few too many scarves for my own use i would like to give a couple away. i have a number in my head. the comment corresponding to that number gets the scarves. fun. i love a good giveaway.







update...
comments are now closed because my mama screwed things up. the number is always one. always. always will be. but not when it is my mama. she wasn't supposed to comment, she never comments. so, all of you who commented already get some scarves. email me your address if you commented anonymously.
much love.

omg! how cool...

holly over at decor8 featured my little shop this week in her "etsy take five tuesdays" post. i can't believe it. decor8 is one of my very favorite design blogs and it means so much to me that holly likes my work. i am extremely flattered. wow. thank you holly!

here's teeny saying "wassat?"



and here's max being sweet

yummy monday number two...

potato chip chicken strips
based on this recipe.
i am sure the original recipe is fantastic but i had to alter it a bit for my family's needs.

1.5 lb chicken breast, cut into 1x3" (or so) strips
3 cups crushed potato chips
2 eggs
1/4 cup soy milk

beat the egg and soy milk together in a shallow bowl.
put the crushed chips in another dish.
dip the chicken in the egg mixture, let the excess egg drip off and then dredge them in the chips.
place the strips on a baking sheet.
cook @ 180°C (350°F) until golden brown and yummy looking, about 16 minutes.
let them cool and then place them in a freezer safe container. they will keep for a couple months.

a couple tips:
i like to use thin potato chips because they crush a bit more uniformly but any chips will do.
i decided to make strips instead of nuggets because my max loves to dip. dip dip dip. the kid will eat anything if he can dip it in mustard or mayo.
try using flavored chips or doritos. we can't do that due to allergy issues but i'd love to hear about the results if you give it a try.
this obviously isn't the healthiest recipe ever but it tastes good, it is fun for kids and it is easy to double or even triple the recipe. i think it will be the perfect snack to serve at max's next birthday party.

custom passport sleeves in my etsy shop...

the passport sleeve tutorial is a simple project but not everyone has a sewing machine or a sweet fabric stash to raid. there has been so much interest in these little sleeves that i decided to sell them in my shop. i am listing several options for purchase. the jet setter, the honeymooners and the family of four.




a few fabric options:

random chatting...

oh leslie hall. i didn't know it was possible for so much awesomeness to be shoved into one person. fyi, i found leslie hall through the yo gabba gabba episode titled "scary".

i don't like cake, but if i did i would want these cupcakes.

me wanty.

how beautiful is melbourne artist eveline tarunadjaja's work? very beautiful.

bubble painting looks fun but it will have to wait for a while. max would decorate the entire world with bubble paint if given the chance.

decor8 featured australian design blogs today. how exciting! so many familiar names on this list of incredibly talented aussies.

i can finally exhale after having completed a big project (see photo below). it has been in the works for months and now it is done. i loved every minute of it and feel so grateful that shooting food is my job. well, my other job. max and west are my full time employers. they are quite demanding but those end of the work day kisses more than make up for it. i don't think i'd like those kisses from any other boss.

yummy monday number one...

introducing... yummy mondays!



i have been doing lots of cooking lately. buying more food, less often and cooking more food, less often. it is working very well for us. our method is similar to OAMC, but we still enjoy the occasional meal out and love our local thai take away. i usually make a few soups or stews, marinate lots of chicken and beef, and slow cook a giant pot of bolognese sauce. my recipes are evolving and becoming quite tasty. i will be sharing my original recipes with you as i become more confident in the kitchen.
why baby food for this, the first yummy monday? i am kind of cheating a little. the photos and recipes are old but i have had so many requests on flickr, here on bunnybum and in real life for these baby food recipes. so, here you go. the individual recipes are some of the ones i sell in my etsy shop with six little containers and a cute tote.
as always, let me know if you try them out. (click on the recipes to make them bigger.)








baby food totes in my etsy shop.



blueberry nectarine puree in the little containers that come with the totes.

NOT invited...

as if these curtains aren't scary enough*, look who decided to join me in my craft room yesterday. for scale, each one of those characters is about five inches top to bottom. we had to suck spider guy up in the vacuum and then release him outside. upon release he was a little dizzy and his fur was dusty but otherwise ok.
now it seems spider karma has come back to me. as i type there is a mystery bite on my foot that just keeps growing and my entire foot is throbbing. um. when do you go to the doctor for a bug bite?
*the curtains came with the house. we don't own the place. i would just take them down or replace them myself but window coverings here in perth are a bit more complicated than those in seattle. the sun is hot and relentless on that side of the house. so the curtains stay. however, if they keep housing giant spiders they are history.

drawstring bag tutorial...

this is a great project for beginning sewers. we have these bags all over the house in all different sizes. they help us hide our mess.


























let me know if you give this a shot. i'd love to see your results!

oh dear...

please don't call child protective services on my ass. seriously. he isn't abused, he just looks like he is.



west gets his butt kicked daily. poor kid. it isn't even max's fault, well, not always. west is a very curious and determined kid. if he decides he needs to scale the new, big, plastic, dangerously tall toy, then by golly he's gonna do it. many times that determination results in a dramatic display of flexible baby limbs. max is responsible for some of the many bruises and scrapes. i can't say he is entirely innocent. but there have been plenty of times when max and i are kickin it in the dining room and west will cruise in from the living room with a fresh bump on his head. he doesn't always scream out when it happens. he is the silent bruisee. no one will ever call west a cry baby.