He's Here!

After a very fast labor, Cedar James finally showed us that sweet little face! We are all doing very well and he is best little nurser that any mama could ask for! Now for many adventures to come with THREE boys!! 

Just waiting.....

The View From Down Here.

 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

 

~Kellie

 

(I'm taking part in a giveaway! Check out my other blog, The Indigo Forest for more details!!)

5 Years Old!

 

On this day 5 years ago, I first became a mama. I couldn't have wished for a more perfect you! Smart, funny, handsome, sweet, artistic, did I mention smart? : ) I love you more than you will ever know my sweet boy.

 

Love Mama

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

Today for the first time I'm joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude*Sunday

In Taryn's words: :

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

"{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.}"

 

 * Feeling so grateful for all of the time I've been able to spend with my husband lately.

 

*Having prayers answered! After lots and lots of praying, I think we are finally going to move forward as a family very, very soon! (so excited!!) God is so good!

 

*Knowing this little babe growing within me is a strong little fella. His movements say it all.

 

*Grateful for the one actual cool day we've had in a very long time. I am so ready for autumn to begin!!

 

*Getting the chance to eat nourishing and comforting meals.

 

*For all of the support from people purchasing my handmade creations. It has been such a blessing, especially lately.

 

*Finally getting more organized! I'm a lists and charts kind of person (when I get motivated to make them. lol) and It always feels like a fresh, new start to begin organizing.

 

(Believe it or not, that is an actual caterpillar on my husband's face - it doesn't look real to me!)

 

*I'm not really an insect type person, but I suppose I should be grateful for little creatures like the ones pictured above. (except when your husband accidentally drops a huge caterpillar onto your arm and then said caterpillar clings for dear life onto your clothes and refuses to come off resulting in a very scared and hormonal pregnant mama crying. lol)

 

* As always, very grateful for everything the Lord as provided for my family and myself. Each day truly belongs to him.

 

Kellie

- This Moment - Week 2

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(Inspired by SouleMama)

 

 

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

Today for the first time I'm joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude*Sunday

In Taryn's words: :

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

"{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.}"

* My little guy and his friend finding awesome creatures like this turtle and then having my husband bringing it home! (don't worry, we took him back to the woods where he would be safe) 

* Connecting with lovely new people this week! The internet can really be wonderful thing at times.

* Spending time and celebrating with friends and family.

* Being filled with so much creative inspiration!

* Being so ready for autumn to begin. This summer has been way too hot and humid!

* Excited about things to come. My oldest will be turning 5 years old soon and starting Catechism at the end of the month!

(Picture taken yesterday)

* Very grateful to have made it to 24 weeks in this pregnancy!

* As always, very grateful for everything the Lord as provided for my family and myself. Each day truly belongs to him.

Gratitude * Sunday

Today for the first time I'm joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude*Sunday

In Taryn's words: :

G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y

"{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.}"

*So happy to be feeling this little baby inside me kick and move more and more each day.

*Finding moments, even though rare, to create for my shop.

*Finally making a big decision and getting it done. I feel so much more relaxed now.

*Having a friend offer to be my doula for my birth! I'm very excited about that.

*Being able to communicate with other pregnant women. It's always nice when someone knows just how you feel and what you're going through.

*As always, very grateful for everything the Lord as provided for my family and myself. Each day truly belongs to him.



: : Recipe : : Peach Tea Infused Lemon Marmalade

Yesterday I was feeling creative. I knew I had a few sad looking lemons lying around and wanted to make something with them before they needed to be thrown away. I wanted to make something with the lemons that I never made before. I took to searching the Internet and found a recipe for Meyer lemon-lavender marmalade. It looked simple enough, and even though I wasn't planning on adding the lavender, I had something else up my sleeve.  Now, this is the first time I had ever tried my hand at making a marmalade of any kind, so I was sort of just going with the flow. I knew that I wanted yummy and simple summertime flavors in this marmalade, which is what sparked the idea for adding in a peach tea bag to the simmering lemons and also a splash of pure vanilla extract. The results? Delicious!! Now, there are a few things I would do a tad differently the next time around, but this batch will do just fine.

Peach Tea Infused Lemon Marmalade

* 3 medium sized lemons

* 1 cup of water

* 1 cup of sugar

* 1 peach tea bag (I used Celestial Seasonings brand)

* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-First, you'll want to wash your lemons and slice them into quarters, slicing end to end and remove the seeds.

-Next, slice the lemon quarters crosswise into small, thin slices (It's important that these pieces are rather small! I think mine were too big. Oops!) 

-In a heavy bottom sauce pan, add the sliced lemons, 1 cup of water and your tea bag.

-Simmer together on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until the lemon peels are nice and soft, stir occasionally.

-After the lemon peels are nice and soft, take the tea bag out of the simmering mixture and add in your sugar and vanilla and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

-Check your pot to make sure you have enough water while it simmers. (This is another thing I would change with what I did, I feel it got too thick too quickly, I would have liked it to be more smooth in the end and a little extra water probably would have done the trick!)

-When it's all done simmering, pour into a mason jar and leave it at room temperature for a little while before sticking it into the fridge.

-Enjoy on warm buttered toast or crackers and cream cheese!

Remeber, this was my first time attempting to make a marmalade and if you attempt to make this recipe, I really hope it turns out as lovely for you as it did for me! Tweak the recipe if you must!

~Kellie

-This Moment- (Week 1)

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(Inspired by SouleMama)

Some Exciting News!

**(Originally written on my other blog for my shop, The Indigo Forest)**

Sorry for my absence here on the blog and in my shop for that matter. I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've done my weekly "Thursday Pick Five", but I have a reason....a good reason why I have not been in this space much lately. A little over a week ago, my husband and I found out that we will be expecting our third child! I'm just about 6 weeks along, so very, very early. Prayers for a healthy pregnancy and safe labor would be very much appreciated for our family and our new bundle to come! I know most people dont share the news this early, but it's a new life! It should be celebrated! So far I'm feeling wonderful...except for the fact that I have been crazy tired! I promise to get back to creating more as soon as my energy levels get back up, until then, please hang with me! : ) 

Kellie

Cheerful Things

There are some new cheerful pieces hanging in my home (kitchen) right now and I just had to share them with all of you! All but one of these prints are by a very creative and talented artist named Nikki McClure. I love her work! The top picture is the first piece of hers I fell in love with. Isn't it just the life of a homemaker? I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me. Little fingers, and some big just want to "try a piece". Again, love it!  

This is also just so sweet. I love the look of Fly Agaric mushrooms already, so this piece was an obvious choice for me.  

 I love the bright green color in this piece, it's so fun!  

Now, these two sweet little owls came from the Etsy shop, Trafalgars Square. I couldn't resist! It is just too darn adorable!

Well, I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at what's been bringing my a little cheer each morning when I enter my kitchen for my morning coffee. Have a wonderful rest of the week to all! 

Spring Cleaning Spray Recipe!

Natural, homemade cleaners are nothing new to most of us, but I ran across an "all purpose" cleaning spray recipe today (website below) that had the most wonderful essential oil combination so I just had to share it here with you. 

All Purpose Cleaning Spray

* 32 oz Water

*1 Tbs White Vinegar

*10 drops each of Tea Tree essential oil

and Lemon essential oil

(I did not use the eucalyptus oil as written because I am currently out of that EO)

*Add all ingredients to a large spray bottle, shake for a bit and you're good to go!

I just LOVE the scent combination of tea tree EO and lemon EO. It smells so fresh and clean, perfect for this time of year.

(Recipe adapted from : : Plant Life World)



My 2012 Wish List

~A list of lovely items I drool over~

: P

* "Please" By Nikki McClure

* Jelly Beans Rainbow Sea Glass Necklace

* Rockets

* Cookie Preparation Board

* Biscuit Bowl (all of them!)

* Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

* Kid's Kitchen

* This House

* Rainbow Yarn

* Moon & Stars

* Holy Cards

* North Carolina

* Muppet Babies

* Lost mine, would like a new one!

* Vintage Pyrex Love

* Gnome Lunch Sack

* Bath Tub

* Sun Rug

* Lambskin Rug

* Batman and Robin

* Mushroom littles

* Daniel

* Lavender-Blueberry Jam

* Milk Pendant

Black Bean + Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

 

 (purple & orange sweet potatoes)

**This recipe was posted on Crunchy Catholic Momma, for her "Meatless Friday Meal Recipe Link Up"**

I love to cook, so from time to time I thought I'd share a simple recipe, sound good? As I was sitting around thinking to myself what in the world should I cook for dinner, I remembered that I had picked up some gorgeous deep purple sweet potatoes from the Asian market! I have never had the purple ones before and loved the color and I knew I had to make something with them. I had heard of people pairing black beans with sweet potatoes, it sounded like a yummy combination, so I thought burritos! 

So I put my thinking cap on and thought what spiced would be good? I wanted them to have a Mexican flair, so I the obvious ingredients came to mind, cumin, chili powder, etc... But them I remembered I had bought a curry powder mix from the Asian market that contained all kinds of delicious ingredients such as cumin, coriander, chili, cinnamon, fennel, and a few more and thought that would work just fine! So came together my lovely mixture of veggies and spices and a beautiful burrito was born! I hope you all enjoy these as much as my family did! 

Black Bean + Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

(as with all of my recipes, hardly any measuring actually takes place, so just use your best judgement and make it your own! Also, feel free to replace any ingredients, just think of my recipes as guidelines!)

* 2 Sweet potatoes, diced into small cubes (any variety will work)

* Half of an onion, diced

* 1-2 Tbs Curry spice (any kind you like) or Mexican spice mix

* 2 Tbs Coconut oil (melted) or Olive oil

* 3-4 Cups cooked black beans

*Tortillas

* Prepared Salsa, Grated Cheese, Sour Cream, Lettuce, Etc...

Take your sweet potatoes and peel and dice them into small cubes. Dice up your onions. Put the sweet potatoes and onions in a roasting pan. Coat in oil and sprinkle in spices. Toss to coat. 

Place roasting pan in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F.

Roast for approx. 15-25 minutes, or until tender and slightly crisp

Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and add them to a pan along with the black beans and saute on medium heat in some butter for a few minutes.
Turn the pan off.

Now it's time to assemble! 

Grab a tortilla and scoop some of the black bean + roasted sweet potato mixture in and add toppings! Easy as that! Simple, frugal, nourishing, and most importantly yummy!!!!! 

Enjoy!

New Blog!

I have started a new blog! The new blog is focused on mine (and my mother's) shop, The Indigo Forest. We would be delighted if you would come stop by and follow us over there. Thank you so much for checking us out at our new blog.

Shop Promotion!

*(examples of our wood gnomes)*

**SPECIAL** The first person to purchase from us in the new year will recieve one (1) free custom wood gnome! There is a minimum $10.00 USD purchase (not including shipping) to recieve the gnome. The lucky recipient will be able to choose from: : green/blue tones, pink/purple tones, or yellow/orange tones for their gnome. I will contact you if you are the winner and ask what colors you would like for the gnome and the gnome will be sent at the same time as the purchased item(s). ~Happy New Year~

~Kellie&Tammy~

The Indigo Forest