It's beginning to look a lot like summer.

We're sort of all ready to be done with school. How about you? Things like backpacks and lunch boxes and sneakers are starting to disintegrate, and getting everyone ready and out the door in the morning is getting harder and harder.

Stella always asks when the next day that Mabel and Oliver don't have school will be. (She lives for Saturdays.) She has big plans for this summer, I think. I've even heard mention of a "sister day", although I'm not sure what that entails. Anyway, we're all ready for a change.

So I hung up some hooks for our swimming towels. And purchased the fanciest slip n' slide that the grocery store carried. And then I applied lots and lots of sunscreen, and the kids played outside all afternoon.

If only this was the hottest it got! I have such a love/hate relationship with our Arizona summers.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is one of my most favorite desserts. Once I discovered Martha Stewart's recipe for shortcake biscuits, I never looked back. They are so, so good. But try not to make them ahead of time. They are best fresh from the oven, split in half, and filled with macerated strawberries and freshly whipped cream. (Not whipped cream from a spray can. Please. I have strong feelings about this.) I made them for Sunday dinner yesterday and I think I ate my body weight in them. I don't recommend doing that, but I do recommend making them as soon as possible. You won't be sorry.

Shortcake Biscuits
from Martha Stewart

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (or 3/4 cup), cold, cut into small pieces
2 cups heavy cream
one lightly beaten egg for brushing the tops of the biscuits
sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a pastry blender, but I think my fingers work best.

Pour in the heavy cream. With a rubber spatula, fold the cream into the dough, working in all directions and making sure to get the crumbs at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With your fingers, gently pat the dough into a round, about 1 1/4 inches thick, pressing in all of the loose bits. Be careful not to over work the dough. The recipe recommends a 2 1/4 inch round biscuit cutter, but I don't have that size. So to make big biscuits, I use my 3 inch cutter, and to make mini ones, like in the picture above, I use my 1 3/4 inch cutter.

Place the biscuits onto an unlined baking sheet. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and dust with sanding (or granulated) sugar. Bake until the tops are golden brown. My small biscuits took about 16 minutes, I think, and the big ones took about 22 minutes.

The tops come out nice and crispy, while the insides are fluffy and soft. It is the perfect springtime dessert.

weekend non-plans

Today at our house there are two sick kids and one small cat who is recovering from surgery. That means that the errands I was supposed to run and the things on my to-do list will have to wait. That's ok. As much as I hate having sick kids, I love that it forces us to slow down and rest. So if you need us, we'll be hugging on the couch with a bowl nearby.

The rest of our weekend is blissfully commitment free, and that is the best kind of weekend, I think.

I hope you have a good one!

my big black thumb

On precisely one day a year, I am in the mood to garden. Yesterday was that magical day. I got my hands good and dirty and replanted the pots on our front porch. We'll see how long they last. Did I tell you that I managed to kill a cactus last year. A cactus! Seriously, I'm the worst.

Also, a few weeks ago our front porch furniture was stolen. Little did the dummies who took it know that we had the exact same set on our back patio. So I moved it out front. And chained it to our water main. Take that, robbers!

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I get to bake cookies each week for the women in our ward who are celebrating their birthday. This time, I made Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies. When I saw "dark chocolate cream cheese" on the ingredient list, I was sold. I didn't know such a thing existed, but there it was at my local grocery store, plain as day, next to the regular cream cheese. It is delicious by the spoonful, or smeared on a strawberry. But, oh! It's even better baked into these cookies. They are rich and chewy, with a crunchy, sugary exterior. And so chocolatey, my goodness.

They get a big thumbs up from our house (even from Mike, and that is really saying something).

Hip hip hooray for the weekend!

Mabel plays the flute in the 5th grade band. Last night was their big end of the year concert. Their set lasted for less than ten minutes and left me with a big grin on my face. Oh, 5th grade band, you try so hard. A for effort!

Do you have any exciting plans this weekend? I am just really happy that it's not a million degrees outside yet, so hopefully we will head outdoors and do something fun. But first, we have a little league game tonight. I can't wait. It's just so old-fashioned and American, isn't it? I love it.

See you next week!

on two year olds and tantrums

Elliot has sort of been a mess lately. He is quick to melt into a puddle of distress. Sometimes it is because he is hungry, or tired, or because I am putting jeans on him and he wants shorts instead. Lots of times it is because I am asking him to get his shoes on so we can go somewhere and he'd rather stay home. Sometimes it's for no reason at all. It is easy to get frustrated and snap, but I know that won't fix it. Regardless of the reason for his tears, what he needs is for me to stop what I am doing, scoop him up, and hug him tight. Maybe to slip into the guest room and rock in his old glider for a minute. Or to hug him on the couch and doze the afternoon away. Sometimes we need to read a few books together, or just go outside.

It seems like this is a lesson that I have to learn over and over again (almost 11 years of motherhood under my belt, and I am still learning it). When my kids are having a hard time, it is almost always because I have not been giving them my best self. When I am too busy for them, then they'll get my attention however they can. And that's not always a pretty sight.

And so tomorrow, I will try again. I will show Elliot that he is more important than the dress I am sewing or social media I am checking or the floor I am vacuuming. And hopefully the silly smiley Elliot who makes himself snort on purpose when he laughs will stick around all day.

prom dress no. two + elliot and his belly button

This dress is really just an alteration. I took a strapless lace bodice from a little cocktail dress, added the satin and tulle full skirt, and built up the neckline with more lace and satin edging. It doesn't fit my dress form, so it looks a little wonky here, but I really like the way it turned out. The most important thing is that my client loves it.

And with that, prom season in my sewing room comes to a close. Phew!

back to reality

We said good-bye to my parents today and we are all a little sad about it. Apparently, a 10 day visit from my mom just wasn't quite long enough. No more lunches out, and I guess I better start vacuuming  and doing laundry again. (When you have house guests, do you completely neglect your house, too?)

We consoled ourselves by reading some new books on the couch. Oliver Jeffers is one of our favorite authors. We picked up this sweet book at the bookstore today and read it through twice in a row. Stuck is another good one.

Yesterday afternoon we finally took a little drive out to see the the new Gilbert temple. It seems to be moving right along. The little visitors center there is open for a few more months on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 2-6 pm (on weekdays, too, but I don't remember the details). The kids got to take home a piece of the granite used on the outside. It was a fun little trip and now my kids can't wait to go back for the open house.

What's happening at your house today?

prom dress no. one

Pattern: Vogue 1030

This dress almost makes me wish I was 17 again and going to prom. I think it is so sophisticated and classic. It's definitely not a dress that will be regretted in ten years time. It was so much fun to make, too, from the ruffled collar all the way down to the bound seams. The pattern was great to work with, and I'd make it again in a second. The only alteration I made was to close up the deep front opening.

Let me tell you something: If you are scared to sew, or you don't think you can do it, don't sell yourself short. Give it a try. Maybe don't start with a pattern like this one, start with something simple instead. If you can follow directions, then you can sew. I know it's sort of all the rage these days to wing it or to make something without using a pattern, but your results will always be better if you follow a pattern. I promise. With a pattern, the hard work has been done already, and all you have to do is follow the instructions (which also include pictures and diagrams). And you know what? There are some really great patterns out there these days.

For children's clothes, I love Oliver & S. For women, Lisette and Simplicity are a good place to start.

a good day and a good quote

Yesterday was some of the nicest weather I've ever seen in the state of Arizona. It was beautiful. So of course we went to the park, along with everybody else, it seemed. But it was fun anyway.

Tonight is Oliver's first Pinewood Derby. He is very excited. Naturally, we have tabs like "How to Melt Lead for a Pinewood Derby Car" and "Where Can I get Lead?" open on my browser. :) Should be a fun night.

This morning I listened to Elder Scott's recent conference talk while I was curling my hair. (Did you know you can download the conference talks to your phone? It's the best.) This quote struck me as particularly great, and I wanted to share it:

"I have learned a truth that has been repeated so frequently in my life that I have come to know it as an absolute law. It defines the way obedience and service relate to the power of God. When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve His children unselfishly, the natural consequence is power from God-- power to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord."

Powerful, right? It makes me want to go out and do something nice for someone today.

weekend report

General Conference weekend is the best. We don't go anywhere or do anything, but sit and listen to the words of our church leaders (and then we run wild in the backyard to get out our wiggles). I believe that there are modern day prophets, just like the prophets of old in the Bible. They speak the words that our Heavenly Father wants us to hear. I know that if we listen with our hearts, we can hear things that will speak to our soul, and remind us of truths forgotten.

These were a few of my favorite talks:

Elaine S. Dalton spoke about women and motherhood. She called for a return to virtue, which is so desperately needed in today's world.

Rosemary M. Wixom talked about the importance of how we speak to our children and of the words we choose. Children come to this earth ready to listen, she said. Am I speaking the words my children need to hear? Oh, I hope so! I love that she mentioned turning off our phones and being with our families. Isn't that something we're all working on these days? I know I am. It is time for me to try harder in that area.

President Monson said that there is no reason to sail uncharted seas in search of truth. Heavenly Father has provided an unfailing guide: obedience. Knowledge and answers will come as we are obedient to the commandments of God. I think that is the main lesson we all have to learn in this life. We might not understand why, but all He asks of us is obedience.

And oh man, Elder Holland is always so powerful. His talk pierced me to the bone. It is one that I will go back and listen to again and again.

This Conference passed by too quickly, I'm afraid. I gladly would have sat through another day or two. I guess that means I just need to go back and watch it all again?

Which ones am I forgetting?


(Hmm, for some reason the links to the videos aren't working right now. If you go here, you can click on the listen icon to hear the talks. Sorry!)

Granite Flats

I have really fond memories of piling onto the couch and watching tv with my family growing up. We loved shows like Family Ties, the Cosby Show, The Wonder Years, and all of TGIF lineup every Friday night. I realized recently, that aside from a random episode of the Amazing Race here and there, Mike and I never watch tv with our kids.

The other night, we all found ourselves sitting around the family room, flipping channels for a minute before bed, and just in those few minutes we heard enough bad language to remind us why we never watch tv together. There is nothing worth watching! Even the shows geared toward my older kids make me feel uncomfortable sometimes. Where have all of the family friendly shows gone? Sheesh.

So you can imagine my excitement when I was asked by BYUtv to preview their new, family friendly, show, Granite Flats.

It takes place in a small, quiet town in Colorado in the 1960s. There is an explosion on the nearby military base, and it is up to three young friends and the town sheriff to unravel the mystery. It is clean, wholesome, and entertaining - totally something we could watch as a family together.

After seeing the first episode, Mabel, who is ten, said, "It was really cool. I can't wait to watch the next episode." When I asked her what she liked about it, she said she enjoyed the action, mystery, and characters.

Oliver, eight years old, immediately said, "Can I watch the next episode?"

We ended up watching the first two episodes and "The Making of Granite Flats", too. My kids couldn't get enough of it, and they can't wait for the show's season to begin this Sunday.

Here's the good news: you don't have to have cable or satellite to watch BYUtv. I had no idea! You can access BYUtv programming on a roku device, the BYUtv website, or on the iPad/iPhone app. I love that BYUtv's tagline is "See the good". I believe that there is a lot of good out there, and BYUtv can help us find it. Then hopefully, our family can create the same kind of memories I have from my childhood.

The show premieres April 7. I hope you'll check it out!


The Fine Print: I was compensated for this post (mostly with candy), but the opinions are entirely mine (and Mabel and Oliver's).

I'm babbling.

Elliot found me this morning while I was making my bed. I really had no other choice but to stop what I was doing and hug him. Our morning cuddles are some of the best moments of my day.

In other news, I have already made a complete mess of my new sewing room, as I am in the middle of making two prom dresses. I am determined to finish them this week. It feels like I haven't done much else besides sew for the past few days. I don't love being on a tight time schedule, but I do love sewing pretty dresses. It feels good to use my sewing brain.

My mom comes into town tomorrow. When I told the kids she was coming, they literally jumped for joy. It was really sweet. We probably won't do much, but I'm sure it will be fun anyway.

What are you doing this week?

some Easter pictures

Before church in our Easter Sunday best.

After my favorite meal of the whole year (ham and cheesy potatoes and coconut cake), we had a little egg hunt in my in-law's backyard. Elliot found two eggs, discovered that they were filled with candy, and was too busy stuffing his face to find any more.

It was a good end to a great day.