stuff i like part deux

my family seems to be on the mend. thank goodness.
(crossing fingers and hoping to God that i didn't just jinx us)

so i'm switching gears a bit and decided to post some more stuff i like. there's just so much neat stuff out there in blogland.

have you ever heard of the blog chez larsson? i love this site, which is sort of a surprise. it's not my typical style, but i can appreciate this family's aesthetic. there's just something so simplistic and colorful about it.

like inexpensive art made from colorful bottle caps



and again, organizing books by color. really makes the look cohesive and less cluttery.


here she used a vintage hankie with a map on it and turned it into a pillow. how simple and cool is that? i wonder if i have any cute hankies...


ok, moving on...you remember how i'm not really a scrapbooker, but how i love scrapbook stuff, right? well this post on the little things made me consider changing to a full-fledged scrapper.
i am 100% in love with these layouts and want to "scrap lift" each of them!




you know that march and april are our bday months here too.
ben just turned two and next up is josh, then anna one week later.

when i saw these cakes on parenting, i sqealed. out loud.




yep, that last one is pound cake and tinted frosting/ketchup. amazing.

ok, last one for now. (believe me, i could go on and on)

able mabel on etsy makes the cutest baby and home stuff eva!
i want to buy something, but i just can't commit.

for now, this is my favorite in her etsy shop. for now.


i think it might be a good fit for our family.
life should not only be lived it should be celebrated.

yep. i like it.

quick cookie update: there are officially all gone. anna cried this morning when josh got the last one.

home sick with cookies

josh is home sick today.
he coughed all night long but didn't get up until 6:30 this morning!
i think he slept over 14 hours. poor little dude.


today he's a tv zoombie, flicking between his favorite cartoons.
every once in a while he'll give me a big smile.


he loves being home as much as i do.
we're home people.

the house is cold this morning and it's gray and windy outside.
i decided to make a new cookie recipe--actually i wanted to make it yesterday but never got around to it.
almond butter cookies. oh.my.goodness.


they are so delicate and wonderful.
a mix between my grandmom briggs' butter cookies and a shortbread cookie.
and amazing with a cup of coffee, for breakfast of course.



they have a sweet almond icing too.
these are definitely going to be a favorite around here.
here's the recipe if you want to try them too.

listen, if i would take the time to type up this recipe, you know they're good. enjoy!

almond butter cookies (makes about 3 dozen)

cookies:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
frosting:
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
sliced almonds

1. preheat oven to 350. beat butter and sugar, in large bowl, with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. add egg and almond extract, mixing well. gradually add flour, mix well.
2. roll dough into one-inch balls. place two inches apart on greased baking sheet. dip a flat-bottomed glass into sugar and flatten balls.
3. bake 10-12 minutes until bottom of cookies are golden brown. cool one minute on baking sheet then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
4. to prepare frosting, combine butter, sugar and almond extract until smooth. stir in milk, as needed, until frosting is spreading consistency. spread on each cookie; top with sliced almonds.

please don't blame me if your pants won't zip up tomorrow!

yard sales and spring sunshine

saturday was a bright sunshiney day.
we were up early and out of the house by 7.
the kids love to go yard saleing so it wasn't very hard to coax them out the door.

anna found a new stuffed dolphin, a teeny tiny stuffed poodle and a pink tulle bed canopy.

josh hit the motherload of bionicles and magic tree house books.

ben got a new fisher price barn complete with the entire farm accessories.

uncle jason got a new pillow for his sofa (he didn't go but we found it for him!).

john even found a motorized scooter for $5!

i didn't find one stinkin thing. bah.

after shopping we went to uncle jason's to see his new stuff and hang out.
we checked out his backyard and pond.










then we went across the street to visit the city's rose garden.
it's so neat to read all the plaques there that talk about the history of the garden and people who lived there. even one about jason's house!



i'd love to show more pictures, but my camera battery is dead.
maybe tomorrow.

it was so beautiful and well-maintained. isn't jason super lucky to have the park a few steps from his home?

the rest of the day we played and worked outside.
and we all slept like babes. it was perfect.

of course tomorrow it's supposed to be cold again so i'll be dragging out the winter coats (hopefully for the last time!).
and it just started raining like crazy. more pollen.
and josh went to sleep at 4pm because he wasn't feeling good.
and i'm still not feeling 100%. and i have to go to work tomorrow.
good. great. grand.
{sigh}

but, i'm going to work on another 'stuff i like' post so stay tuned for that.

stuff i like

while i've been stuck home and in all my yucky sickiness, i've found some really neat stuff online.

i think a lot of folks are dusting off their winter blahs and are gearing up for spring.
lots of creativity flowing.
i like that.

so, in no particular order, here's some stuff i like:

bakerella's easter. cake. pops.
'nuff said.


lindsey's guest blogger/bff nicole's kitchen island
super turquoise = super fabulous.


meg's new elisalou bag
you bet i ordered one for myself. i deserve it.



how's this for creative? a homemade doll BEACH HOUSE!
it's ridiculous it's so cute.


idea paint. ever heard of it?
it turns anything you paint it on into a dry erase marker surface.
neat huh?


artist woman's spring tree
we painted her fall tree. this one is now in the queue.



pink picket fence's duvet for her daughter
i love that it's made from vintage sheets.
i really love how perfectly girlie it is.




that's it for now.
tomorrow is our community yard sale.
i'm hoping for some good buys.
fingers crossed.

pirates (not the kind that say argggh)

still feeling like complete and total gar-bage. (said in a snooty french way, bien sur!)

and i've been sad too--like i've been missing out on some good things because i've been sick.

yesterday jason brought me lunch from atlanta bread co. yummy broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl and a sandwich. i only ate the soup and honestly have no idea what was on the sandwich (but john seemed to like it!). it was good, but i still can't smell or taste so i felt sad.

later i laid in my bed and with the windows open, could hear my kids outside with john playing in the driveway and in our yard out front. i got up and looked out the window and saw everyone running around with big smiles on their faces, having fun...without me. i felt sad.

then it was time for josh's first baseball game. john packed up the crew and off they went to the ball fields. when they got home, it was after dark and late. anna told me that josh almost got a homerun. he was all smiles. then they got baths and went to sleep. the house was quiet again. and i felt sad.

being sick and staying in bed stinks. today i'm trying to get over the crud and move back into the land of the living. so no more sad for me, thank you very much.

this picture is helping me to feel better too.


josh is playing for the pirates this year.
doesn't he look old?
uh oh...i'm starting to feel sad again...