Takin on the road...

January 8th, 2010

Some pics of a trip we took to Alabama, more on the whys later.  We were supposed to fly there and visit except our flight got cancelled due to winter weather and so we took two of the kiddos with us on a road trip.  Nine hours later we arrive in Birmingham and even though it was dark, I could see something in the distance, mountains.  Maybe it was just me because I am not used to seeing mountains or big hills but everywhere I looked there were mountains.  This part of Alabama was very nice and the people everywhere were so sweet.   It was pretty cold and got down to 8 degrees farenheit.  Here is Nick with his first snowman ever.

We had to scramble to find winter clothes for Livie but we managed to keep her cute and warm.

Note the frozen waterfall in the background

my guys trying to stay warm

and the beautiful church we went to mass at on Sunday before we headed home.   This is the biggest alter I have ever seen,  the communion rail is all the way at the end of the photo (see the steps leading up to the kneelers?)

I promise to share more info on Alabama later.

Why I eat at Chick-fil-A

I have said it before, I believe it does matter where you spend your money.  We speak with our dollars and I try to make mine count.

Today is the Epiphany, January 6.  I got off the highway on the way home from a celebration at Amy's house when I saw this

and this

and even this.

Chick-fil-A is a company with values and they put their money where their mouth is.  They don't open on Sundays, they are careful of the policies they have in effect in their business and they do things like this.  I can't imagine how much it must have cost to pull off this breath taking display.  The pictures do not do it justice. While many retailers are cutting out Christ from Christmas this company is giving it center stage.

and this is why I eat at Chick-fil-A.  Happy Epiphany everyone

Gaitan Christmas 2009

Christmas here really starts on Christmas Eve.  While most of the world is cleaning up pine needles from a 3 to 4 week old Christmas tree and plotting the de-decorating of their home the day after New Years Day we are busy getting our tree standing up to decorate it tonight.

Christmas Eve day was spent with Poppa and the boys outside putting up the lights on the house and bushes and setting up the nativity set on the lawn.  Erica oversaw the placement of the holy family and made sure that the moving reindeer had plenty of hay to eat.

The women folk planned tonights dinner and got out the decorations for tonight.  We also orchestrated "the outfits" which this year were an understated white shirts with khaki/brown pants/skirts.  Traditional Catholics do not decorate until Christmas Eve as close to midnight as possible because that is when Christmas really starts.  It is not until the last hundred years that the stores got us all used to decorating and shopping early to boost sales. Anyhoo... at 11:00 we started to put the lights and decorations on the tree and decorate the house while Christmas music played all day.

As soon as the tree was done we rolled out our amazingly wonderful Christmas Eve dinner.  On the menu was the most tender ever Salmon, mashed potatoes, green beans roasted with almonds and asparagus.  We do not eat meat on Christmas Eve (which is still something for me to get used to being spanish and eating pork all my life on Christmas Eve).

When we were done we gave the kids their first 12 nights of Christmas presents, new pajamas.  We have been doing the new pajamas since they were babies and my parents did it for me.  Then, we bundled up the troops and headed for Mass to await the arrival of baby Jesus.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night

Our own homegrown hair dresser

December 7, 2009

Some quick before and afters of Erica and Veronica's new shorter hairdo's. Alexandra has gotten really good at giving us our homegrown haircuts and I don't have to deal with the hair salon chemical smell,  p.u.

 I also had my very long hair cut shoulder length, layered and its probably better than when I go to the professionals.  I think all the haircuts came out great, they even got my Mother-in-laws seal of approval.  Encourage your children to learn these life skills, they may surprise you.

Feast of Saint Nicholas

December 6, 2009
Today is, for many Catholics, the day for gift-giving (some do this on Christmas, some do this on the Feast of the Epiphany in memory of the gifts the 3 Kings gave to Baby Jesus, and some spread the gift-giving out on all these days).  In our home the kids put out their shoes to be filled before they wake the next morning.


We also have gift giving on Christmas morning and Epiphany in order to celebrate the true meaning of these days and take the emphasis off of just receiving gifts.


Here are some of the handmade gifts they received:

Olivia received this angora wool softie with cute face hand embroidered onto 100% wool felt and stuffed with wool batting and lavendar and hops scented millet to help her sleep.

Christopher loves his little pony made from fleece with little feeding bucket full of hay.  

JP wished for a puppy and his Momma delivered.

Veronica loves kitties and I have been making this one since I was 12.  She loved it!!

Erica asked me for a mouse named Corn Flower from one of her favorite books.  After combing the internet for a pattern and not finding what I needed, I came up with this one.  I love it so much, I am perfecting the pattern to make more.

Eddie and Nicholas are always asking me to paint them my little people but there is seldom time when there are orders waiting from customers.  They were surprised to find Knights and Ninjas in their shoes.

and last but certainly least, Alexandra received this little dish for her earrings and trinkets which fall from her nightstand and are lost to the Dyson : (

These and all the gifts that we made were so much fun to make and they were very well received.
Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas

Poppa's polo shirt pajama refashion

November 16, 2009
Poppa handed me these two polo shirts which he has never worn to donate.  As soon as I saw them I felt a refashion project coming on.

The first pajama set was very simple, for Christopher, I decided on a one piece because he is small enough to fit in through the neck hole so I can use the ready made collar and button holes in the front. I cut off enough on each side to make it the perfect width for his frame and then I cut off the sleeves and reattached them to the new smaller body.  Lastly,  I cut a slit up the bottom through both layers of the shirt to make legs, sewed it all up and voila.  Refashioned pajamas for my little guy for free and the project took less than one hour.

When I sent him down to show his Poppa what I made, John Paul came to inquire as to why Christopher had this neat-o new pj and he didn't...so I went to work with the next one.

I gave it two minutes of thought and decided that a two piece pajama with elbow and knee pads would be perfect.  The elbow and knee pads are made of a red corduroy fabric from my stash. I promise once my life gets back to normal I will find more shirts (at a thrift store and not my husbands closet) and post a step by step tutorial.  For now my sewing projects will be sparse as I pack up my life.

Where I have been

There are a few readers out there looking for me and I am aware that I "fell off the face of the blog planet" but I have not had the time or energy to share why.

My world, in the grand scheme of things is relatively small.  Like most everyone, it consists of my husband, my children, my friends and extended family members.  Since my last entry I have lost the parents of two dear friends, gone through 4 holidays and had to face the reality of amazing and scary news.

OK, no I am not expecting but we are moving.... to Birmingham, Alabama.

To get you all caught up on the last 2 months, stay tuned for a bunch of back logged, post dated blog entries.

Day eight of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Gift wrap and tags

If you are making your own gifts then you don't have to go out and buy gift wrap and tags for those gifts.  Here are lots of ideas and printable gift tags for you.

This one is dear to me since I do this exact thing when I give gifts.  I also sew some drawstring gift bags to put my gifts in.  Here is a nice tutorial from Zakka Life.

Of course we have all heard of (or used) newspaper, I especially love the funnies for gift wrapping and brown grocery paper bags for gifts (can you say paper or plastic?) but what about using an old map.  With the world map changing lately you may have one that is not current anymore.

Here is a recycled paper bow to go with your recycled gift wrap.  This is a great use for those old flyers or magazines laying around.  Hey you could even use chip bags or sales flyers.

If you are giving a CD or DVD here is a great paper flower case to put it in.

Need a box for your gift, here is a tutorial from instructables on using a cereal box.

To go with all the homemade gift wrap and bows here is a tutorial on gift envelopes which you could make out of what ever you like.

I have found lots of printable gift tags for your gifts:

Birdie ones:

Vintage looking tags and lots more, here, here, and here.

The point to this challenge is to shop at home and see what you have that you can use, now get to work!

Day seven of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Gifts for the Home

Get ready for a slew of long overdue challenges.  Today is gifts for the home.

There are a few things in life that are certain, death, taxes and laundry.  Make it more pleasant with the right accesories:

This laundry bag is easy and very pretty.  Here is a really cute laundry pin bag to go with it (you can find clothes pins really inexpensively and you could go as far as painting some clothespins to go with the theme, (these would be very appreciated by someone who is trying to be green by using a solar dryer, you know a clothesline)

For a really cute door decoration for any season (depending on the colors you use) here is a pom-pom door wreath from Whip Up.

This next gift is so customizable and everyone eats so everyone can use some handmade cloth napkins.  Here is one that uses up the fabric scraps leftover from other projects from sew mama sew.

and for the bathroom, a crochet faux toilet paper roll, toilet paper roll cover from Irish Lace.  This gift would be a funny conversation piece.

For the magazine lover,  here is a tutorial on how to make a magazine holder

Here is a cute gift to go with the cloth napkins, a utensil placemat

Hope you got some ideas, now get to work!

Day six of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Teen girls

I guess if I was posting the more difficult challenges first I probably should have picked this one... teenage girls, oh vey!!

Really there was no shortage to gift ideas it just depends really on what your teenager likes and if they like the same stuff a week from now.  Anyhoo... here's todays list.

Bottle cap pendants:  My daughter LOVES these and makes them for her friends.  You can find these so inexpensively on Etsy or make them yourself.  Here are some instructions.

Here is a great gift for a teenage girl of any age.  This headband by Heather Bailey looks pretty easy but high  in cute factor

or this reversible headband from The Long Thread

If she is a student or has a laptop to carry, she will probably love this messenger bag, or this one made from denim jeans (recycled of course)

For the fashionista teen in your life (and don't they all think they are?) here are some crocheted shell lace fingerless gloves.  I will definitely be working on these.

 

and more jewelry... this one is so pretty and so customizable.  Glass tile pendants are super inexpensive but would make a teen girl feel like you really thought of her and what she likes.  For anyone who wants to support an artist instead of being the artist I found this glass tile pendant on Etsy and there are many more artist making others like it.

I think that moms may want to steal this one... a back to the 80's faux tape cassette Ipod cozy.

or a candy wrapper belt?  The only problem with this project is someone needs to eat the candy (maybe, you could find some volunteers somewhere)

and as long as we are ruining our teeth with all this candy, how about some soda? soda pendants that is.  It seems that alot of this years hot stuff for teens involves recycling or upcycling

and again if you want to support an Etsy artist, here is one and there are so many others.

and to go with the pendant,  here is a soda can cozy.

So there they are, now get to work!!

I will be taking off Saturdays and Sundays during this challenge but tomorrow I will post Fridays night challenge (hey, I do have a life ya know!! as well as a farm to run)

Day five of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Boys

I often hear so many people say that they have a hard time finding gifts for boys.  It is true that there is so much to make for girls but I had no shortage of gifts ideas for little boys during my search.  In fact,  I may have a second day because there will be too many for one.

What boy does not like adventure and when I think of adventure, I think of Indiana Jones.  Even the 40 something year old boys in my family love it.  How about an Indiana Jones Bullwhip?

You are in luck... I found one which is made of fabric and one which is made of duct tape?!!  Maybe you could find a brown fedora (Indiana Jones) style hat at a thrift store to go with the bullwhip.

You could go a little more 21st century and go with a marshmallow gun,  I can't tell you how easy these are and you could either leave them plain or paint them, a bag of mini marshmallows and you are ready to go.  This one has a tutorial for a face shield to go with the gun.

Don't like the idea of marshmallows flying around your house?  How about rubber bands?  I found a tutorial on how to make a rubberband gun.

Alright,  here is a nice quiet gift, a car mat with roads to run little cars on.  It is made of felt, and super simple to make.  You could bundle it with some little cars and make any little boy happy.  The tutorial is in spanish or probably Portuguese but just the pics are enough to get you going.

Here is a gift to alleviate the winter cabin fever episodes, an indoor swing!!  Yes, it is possible and cost little to make.  Check it out.

And once they get going how about some homemade lollipops?  These are really easy and made from hard candies, can you say, recycle that Halloween candy?

Of course after all that shooting, playing, swinging and candy they will need a bath.  This soap is sure to send them running for the tub.  Here we have some Batman soap and this one is my fave... goldfish in a bag soap!!!  Too cute.

 what did I tell you , cute huh?

And from the tub to bedtime,  I always have a hard time finding pajama pants that I like for my kids.  With this super easy tutorial you can make them their pj's yourself.  This is an important one in my family.  My mom started a tradition when I was little of giving us a new pajama on Christmas Eve and my kids look forward to their new jammies every year.  There is nothing like going to sleep in new pajamas on a night when there is so much magic.

That's all folks, now get to work.

Day four of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Stocking Stuffers

Todays challenge is Stocking Stuffers.  To me a stocking stuffer is a gift which is smaller than a regular gift can fit into a stocking and cost less than a regular gift.

Here is a great little stuffer for the coffee or tea drinker on your list:  a mug cozy.  Here is a knitted version from Homespun Living.  You could also make one from an upcycled felted wool sweater.

If your coffee drinker is more of the Latte grab a cup on the way to work person then here is a knitted version to replace the coffee sleeve at coffee shops. Can't knit,  try to sew a coffee sleeve like this one.

A matchbook notepad is a cute little present to find in your stocking,  here is one and here is another

                                                        No coffee drinkers in your life?  How about a wine afficionado?  Wine charms are useful and so simple to make.  Here are some examples, here and here are some made from simple jewelry findings from the craft store and here is one from wire and creativity.

How about a cute Scrabble Tile pendant,  this idea has been around for a few years but still so adorable.

For the kiddies on your list here is a crayon roll to fill their stockings.  No time to make one, buy it handmade from this Etsy seller for just $5.50, so please people, stop telling me that handmade is too expensive.  You would spend more on the materials than buying it and please remember that you are supporting an artist.

Lastly tonight I have for you, the everlasting flat glass marble magnets:  This one is so cute and you could put anything you wanted behind it, think pictures, funny sayings, use your imagination and really capture the person you are giving it to.  I have seen these sets for as little as $3.00 at Etsy.

Really, everything listed today can be found made by someone handmade at Etsy or at least a variation of it.  Go check it out and the best part is if you don't like the exact color or style you can ask for them to make it custom for you.  I'd like to see you try that at Target : )

Day three of Handmade Christmas Challenge- Baby gifts

Todays theme is Baby gifts.  In my opinion, there really are not that many things that babies really need but there are so many cute and fun things to make for them that store bought gifts really pale in comparison.  Here are some pretty cute ones:

Thrift Chick makes a really functional and easy to make car seat tent.  A car seat tent will keep the sun off your precious babies face, cover them from the wind and keep germy strangers at a distance.

These baby booties from Heather Bailey are so cute and so easy to customize.  I absolutely LOVE Heather Bailey fabric (hint, hint) and her blog is chock full of eye popping color and inspiration.

Any baby's momma would love to have a boutique style fabric covered wipes case to keep in her diaper bag.  I promise this is simple and you can do it, According to Kelly!

Want the perfect companion gift for a baby boy,  how about a pee pee teepee.  This cute little gift has been going around for over 10 years but Little Birdie Secrets has made a tutorial so you can make one too.  What is a pee pee teepee, well, if you have ever changed a baby boy you can probably figure it out.  If you have never changed a baby boy then it is a cone which covers the stream of pee pee when they spring a leak during diaper changes.

I will be working on this one very shortly for some beautiful babies on my list:  A bed time buddy and matching hat from Chez Beeper Bebe.  I am making mine out of super soft angora and cashmere sweaters and stuffing them with wool because wool does not attract dust mites so baby is safe from allergies.

For the cutest little elves,  here are some little Elf shoes from Maya Made.  These can be made from very little fabric and are high on cute factor.

And last but surely not least is my most favoritest (yes I know, not a word) beaded fabric bracelet which will look great on the youngest and oldest of girls. Make it and Love it has a nice tutorial on how.

If  you prefer to buy one, you can't do better than Annie and Olive at Etsy.  That I know of she was the first I found (over a year ago) to make this type of bracelet.  So, so cute!!  I think all of my girls are getting one!!

All right now, get to work!!

Day two of Handmade Christmas Challenge

Here goes Day number two...  Todays theme is gifts for the men in our lives.  This one was definetely a challenge but I rounded up a nice bunch of ideas.  There may be a sprinkling of ideas more to come but for now, here are ideas for guys.

This is my favorite:  Beer Soap (don't worry if you don't know how to make soap, this one uses ivory soap) with olive oil, oatmeal, vanilla and the guys favorite, BEER!  I was thinking of how to package it and if you don't want to make cute labels like this one, then I thought you could patiently peel the labels off the beer bottles and wrap them around the soap bars.  I really can't think of a guy on my list who wouldn't want one.

And what could go better with beer soap but some beer dressed for the occasion with this knitted beer sweater (don't worry if you are a crocheter, I wrote a pattern for a beer cozy and as soon as I find my patterns notebook I will post it at Crunchy Crochet)

How about some Ipod Cozies, this one looks really cute but manly and here is a different variation.

When you have an Ipod, it is good to have a place to keep it... tada!!

Here is a great gift and also a great recycle project, now come on are you still trying to tell me store bought is better,  where would you find something this unique?
You could call this an ibook!!  Very cute huh!

Another good idea:  my husband is a neat freak and his car is always spotless, if your gift recipient loves a neat car then this gift is for him, if not then maybe he really could use a car trash bag even more.  Finnyknits makes this trash receptacle look good and you could use whatever fabric, you could even make it with a sports fabric or logo.

Of course the easiest way to go with the men folk is right to the stomach.  You could make a basket with beef jerky, cookies, treats but I thought of an even better thing to include in your basket... chocolate covered bacon, yum!!!  As my daughter looked on with disbelief in her eyes and my hubby looked on with love in his eyes I knew this had to be something good.  Here is the recipe  This treat is so easy and I can't wait to eat, um I mean give this to my own guy.

I was pretty much on my own for this guy challenge but my hubby threw a few more ideas my way:
Embroidered hankys, Embroidered boxers (apparently Poppa says they like anything with their name on it)
Crocheted beanie or ski cap (there are so many free patterns for this one I will leave the googling to you)
Old t-shirts quilt.
Car wash set

Oh,  I forgot one to go with the beer soap,  this is another genius but oh so simple, why didn't I think of that project from kootoyoo.  An embroidered soap saver bag.  The way this one is made it is done to look like a tea bag but I would embroider the recipients name on the tag instead (you do it however you like)

Alright, this should keep you busy.

Day one of Handmade Christmas Challenge

So, so sorry to get this up for the first day of the challenge so late, I hope I did not dissapoint anyone but we have had quite a day here.  Our day started at 6 AM so we could get the boys to their soccer games by 7:15 AM, crazy isn't it?  We had to take them out for a celebratory breakfast and then home to get the challenge posted.  Well,  that was the plan but we came home to a horrible event.  As we were getting out of the van (Poppa always gets out first)  I see him dart around to the side of the house, screaming and ripping off his jacket he is chasing after something.  So we all jump out and find one of our beautiful chickens (girls) half dead on the floor and Poppa is chasing two very big dogs off our property.  She was still breathing and all we could do was hold her as her neck was broken and she was bleeding profusely.  We held her and comforted her until she breathed no more.  We then accessed the other coops to find they got away with 4 of our Pekin ducks.  Tears covered every face.  Poppa wasted no time and followed the pack of dogs to a nearby ranch and after talking with neighbors found the owners house.  The deputy was dispatched and we were told that those dogs are quite the problem and aggresive. I thank God that Poppa was not hurt by those dogs but he did what Poppa's do, he defended his farm.  The owner has offered to reimburse us for our "livestock".  They are not livestock, they are part of our lives and they will be missed.

So I am sorry to have made you wait but it was a bad day.

I am working on some chicken and duck softies to remember our beautiful feathered egg providers and I will post a free tutorial when I am done.

I want to thank everyone who has been sending in the greatest ideas for the challenge,  I have so many to post in the coming days and weeks so don't miss it.  Oh,  I wanted to post another rule, Don't get stuck on the web getting ideas, get a good idea and get off the computer and get to work on that gift.

Here we go:

Freezer paper stencil or as I call it, Freezer paper silk screen because to me that is what it most reminds me of.  You can put any simple picture or image on a tshirt or piece of fabric.  Micheals now sells a machine that does this but it is more than $200.00 and you can do the same thing for the price of some freezer paper (not wax paper) and some fabric paint.  I think of cute onesies with catchy phrases or a baby or childs name but this one can cover even your hard to shop for brother in law (if you know what he likes)

Here is a shirt from the Angry Chicken to give you a simple but cute example, check out her and another tutorial here and here


How about a embroidered tea light or candle holder by kootoyoo (this one is genius and so simple but really creative) there are also some other great ideas on the same page as the tea light so check them out- kootoyoo is really a genius.

Keeping with the fabric theme, here is another really nice one and if you are giving someone a little gift card, you have a place to put it. A fabric wallet from Lola Nova complete with tutorial.

This one is near and dear to my heart since I love to save money.  For the coupon queen/king in your life a shopping cart coupon caddy from Blue Cricket Design.  Lots of pics to help you get it done.

Many of these items you can make with materials you already have at home.  Think of fabric that is unused, unloved and un-needed in your home.  You don't have anything? What about that shirt that you never wore but there is something about it that you like and so you never donated it, that pair of pillowcases that are hiding in the back of your linen closet, a table cloth you have no use for, use your imagination.  Spending money at the fabric store is not going to improve your creativity (although I should not be one to speak on this subject)  if you must go out and buy some fabric then you must but you don't have to.

I have so so many ideas for tomorrow so stay tuned.

One day until the challenge begins

Only one day until the handmade challenge begins and I have received so many ideas.  I will start posting tomorrow afternoon and will continue to post for many days to come.  If you have pictures of any finished projects send them to me and I will post them to keep everyone inspired.

Thank you to everyone for all your input and ideas.

Here is an important one to go with yesterdays Step One.  Keep a list of what you gave whom so you don't repeat the same gift next year.

See you tomorrow.

Step one for the Handmade Christmas challenge

Step one to get ready for Saturday:  We have to do some planning.

Start a list of whom you need presents for, you could make a list of gifts you will be making and gifts you will be buying (handmade of course).  Or you could do a list for family members and a list for everyone else.

Here are some cute printable lists: List 1 and List 2.  Of course you could just use a notepad to keep your list together.  This will help you with ideas.  I come up with great ideas all the time but if I don't write them down they are gone!!

Stay tuned for step two tomorrow.

Crunchy Catholic Momma is gearing up for the holidays

I have decorated the blog in a festive Thanksgiving theme.  I will probably change it a few times before I am completely happy but here it is.

Handmade Christmas 2009 Challenge

Starting this Saturday, November 14th, I will be starting a 30 day Christmas Challenge.


Your mission, should you choose to accept it, to take the pledge to have a handmade Christmas this year by giving those on our Christmas list a handmade gift.  

Here are the rules:  

1. Gifts must be handmade by you, or,

2. Purchased from someone else who handmade it, check out Etsy or Artfire, go to a craft fair, or, 

3. Upcycled items such as thrift store, antique store or garage sale treasures.  If this one is alarming to you maybe you should think about what it really costs to make something new, the energy to make it, ship it, house it and how buying something pre-loved is using a resource which has already made its impact.  My brother asked me if buying someone a, basket counts, I said yes but buy a pre-owned basket, really could you really tell if you received a new basket or not and if it was new would that make it a better basket?  Think green. 

The point is to use your imagination  instead of buying all the mass produced stuff at the mall which every store is going to convince us we need and will make our Christmas this year perfect.  Shop at home first.  If you are a crafter, you have a stash.  Most of us crafters don't even know all the stuff that is in our stash so instead of heading over to the craft store, shop from your stash first.

If you have a blog and you leave me a comment with a link to a gift idea or better yet a tutorial on how to make the gift, I will post a link to your blog.  Please post your ideas or what you will be giving to your loved ones.  I will be having a giveaway for this one (a really cute Christmas softie, will be posting a pic soon) so please send in your ideas and I will have my 3 year old pick a winner from a hat. (Don't worry he is only a cheater if it benefits him)

I will of course be posting some of my ideas and projects to inspire all of you too. (hey most of my viewers are probably on my list so gotta keep it hush hush) 

Here is the pledge:

I, state your name, pledge to: 

To take a political stance against mass consumerism of Christmas


To give gifts that are unique, meaningful and full of love


To promote, encourage and celebrate hand-made  You may not have the time to make all your gifts but I know you will be out purchasing them.  Why not purchase a handmade gift from someone instead of somewhere.

All Saints Day Carnavale

Today is the big day the Gaitan children have been waiting for sometime now.  The candy, the games, the fun.  In the last 6 years we have always celebrated today with our homeschooling group and the kids have always chosen a Saint to dress up as.  I have spent weeks of my life at a sewing machine making these costumes come to life.  This year Poppa decided that we would do it a little different.  With him traveling so much and our homeschooling group getting together more than one hour south of us, we decided to do what ever the kids could dream up at home.  What did they dream up a carnavale!!

We started this feast day of course at Mass followed by benediction.  The kids received candy from some members at church and we then headed out to a pizzeria for some lunch.  Once we got home they got hoppin.  Children were inflating balloons, gathering ducks eggs (you'll see why) gathering the candy stash for distribution, as all sort of preperations were made.

The first game was darts,  everyone stood behind a line and threw darts to pop the balloons and candy and prizes were given out to winners.  Of course the smaller kids stood closer to the target.  One of the smallest contestants stood a little closer with every dart he threw (Christopher!!!!, shame, shame : )

Next came,  the water balloon toss, in teams of two, the balloon was tossed back and forth taking one step back each time the balloon was caught (some little people did not take very many steps back, Christopher!!! shame, shame : )  Some children whose balloon did not fall and pop chose to pop them on someone else's heads.

Next they moved onto the egg relay (remember the ducks eggs they were gathering).  In teams of two the object was to make it back and forth to the finish line while balancing a duck egg on a spoon.  Most of the eggs were dropped during this game and were tossed into the pond (lucky catfish)  The winners were,  Erica and Veronica.  The funny award went to a little guy who did not drop his egg, because he was holding it onto the spoon, Christopher!!!! shame, shame : )

What's a carnavale without a food eating contest?  Check out the pie eating contest.  Some of my children, decided that pie eating contest are too messy so they took tiny little nibbles and did not get one speck of mess on themselves. Nicholas (who has won many pie eating contests) was the winner today also which is ironic since he always the last person to finish eating at meals.

Once the pies were totalled and the mess cleaned up (Poppa was a master of ceremony you know, he is a total neat freak : ), it was on to the ring toss.  Each contestant was given 8 rings to toss with prizes given for each ring landed.  Some little contestants got so close (even though at some point they were being pulled by the shirt to keep them from getting right up to the target) that they could practically place the ring on the pole (Christopher!!!! shame, shame)

Lastly was the bobbing for apples followed by some Saints trivia with our favorite game show host, Poppa.

Catch the little hand grabbing the apple so he does not have to actually bob for it.

and here he is 'pretending", umm I mean showing us how he got an apple.  Christopher!! shame, shame : ) Does anyone know of a cheaters anonymous?

***Notice*** No cheaters (no matter how cute) were rewarded with prizes during these games, (well maybe some candies did get into those little cheating hands).

It was a wonderful day and planning has already started for next year. 

All Hallows Eve

So before we get to the fun stuff here is the 4-1-1 on All Hallows Eve otherwise known as Halloween.


(Sorry if this reads like stereo instructions)  The Vigil of, or evening before, All Hallows' ("Hallows' Eve," or "Hallowe'en") came, in Irish popular piety, to be a day of remembering the dead who are neither in Purgatory or Heaven, but are damned, and these customs spread to many parts of the world. Thus we have the popular focus of Hallowe'en as the reality of Hell, hence its scary character and focus on evil and how to avoid it, the sad fate of the souls of the damned, etc.


 How, or even  whether, to celebrate Hallowe'en is a controversial topic in traditional circles. One hears too often that "Hallowe'en is a pagan holiday" -- an impossibility because "Hallowe'en," as said, means "All Hallows' Evening" which is as Catholic a holiday as one can get. Some say that the holiday actually stems from Samhain, a pagan Celtic celebration, or is Satanic, but this isn't true, either, any more than Christmas "stems from" the Druids' Yule, though popular customs that predated the Church may be involved in our celebrations.  It is the dark aspect of the secularized "Halloween" which we condemn.  The celebration of pagan rituals and the satanic aspect which has been adopted as common place.


For many years we celebrated Halloween in the same way most people do but as we made our way back home to the Catholic Church we started to rethink this and for many years just did nothing on this night.  
Here is how he are taking back our Catholic holiday:


On this night we carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds.  We don't carve it in a decorative way (though you could).  We carve it and chop it in order to make our very yummy pumpkin soup which we only eat once a year on this night so the kids are really looking forward to this.


The practice of "trick or treating" comes from the tradition on knocking on neighbors doors begging for a soul cake for ones beloved family members who have passed away.  In our house a soul cake was made and decorated by each child in memory of whomever they chose.  Our evening rosaries were offerred for them also.

We had cakes made for :
Mr Rolando Blanco (Great Grandfather)
Mrs Cecilia Blanco (Great Grandmother)
Mr Juan De Jesus Rodriguez (Great Grandfather)
Mrs Rosa Eva Rodriguez (Great Grandmother)
Mrs Woodbridge (Great Grandmother)
Gladis Restrepo (Friend of Family)
Eddie Polo (Friend of Family)


We had our deliciously creamy and filling pumpkin soup and Alexandra's wonderful buttery, garlicky biscuits.

They eagerly waited all year to watch my favorite Peanuts cartoon, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (I waited too : )  and then its off to bed because the big celebration is tomorrow.  


Not that you were wondering but here is some info on the legend of the carved pumpkin. From the Irish come the carved Jack-o-lanterns, which were originally carved turnips. The legend surrounding the Jack-o-Lantern is this:

There once was an old drunken trickster named Jack, a man known so much for his miserly ways that he was known as "Stingy Jack," He loved making mischief on everyone -- even his own family, even the Devil himself! One day, he tricked Satan into climbing up an apple tree -- but then carved Crosses on the trunk so the Devil couldn't get back down. He bargained with the Evil One, saying he would remove the Crosses only if the Devil would promise not to take his soul to Hell; to this, the Devil agreed.

After Jack died, after many years filled with vice, he went up to the Pearly Gates -- but was told by St. Peter that he was too miserable a creature to see the Face of Almighty God. But when he went to the Gates of Hell, he was reminded that he couldn't enter there, either! So, he was doomed to spend his eternity roaming the earth. The only good thing that happened to him was that the Devil threw him an ember from the burning pits to light his way, an ember he carried inside a hollowed-out, carved turnip. 

Thanks for the love and encouragement

I have received a few emails about our blog today and I just want to say:
Thank you so much to everyone who has been keeping up with our family and this blog.  Your words of encouragement are so appreciated.

I love my family so it is easy to share them with others. I just updated the blog since my hubby has been receiving emails from relatives and employees of his who have been checking everyday and no update.
My brother called this morning to tell me to please update so he can get my mom and cousins off of his back. I told him that I had been really sick and I didn't have anything to write about. He says "Just write something!! Get your netbook out and type, "we dropped an egg this morning, thanks for watching!!" I about died of laughter on the floor.

Thank you for even being interested in our humble little life : )

The Fall Ball

Picture the scenario, A mom is recooperating from the stomach virus (for the third time in 3 weeks) on the couch when she hears scampering in the kitchen, rustling in the foyer, scratching in the kitchen cupboards and drawers.  No, its not mice its bored children who have come up with a brilliant idea.

Children have a different way of seeing the world,  a wonderful, creative and fun picture of what life outside their world looks like.  In my children's world when fall comes to town, you get all dressed up and have a Fall Ball.  They spent the afternoon planning what, where, how, what to where, what music to dance to and what to eat.

What: A Fall Ball (I mentioned this one already you know)
Where:  In the garage
How: They set up a place to dance, a place to eat, chairs for the wallflowers to sit at
What to wear:  They are fashion forward, I saw vests, top hats, prairie bonnets and even a cane.
What music: Mostly swing music and classical
What to eat: Well, they raided the foods we buy for special outings and Freeky Friday (you didn't think we eat this stuff all the time, did you?)  There were cookies, crackers with spread, desserts brought from Miami by Abuela and drinks on the house.

 

After seeing these pictures (did I mention I was not in attendance at the ball, I was sick on the couch), I would like to repeat something which I tell people all the time.  The best gift you can give your child is a sibling!!

Happy Fall everyone.

This is what happens when a cute little frog who looked like an excellent jumper (apparently these are hard to find) crossed our path as we were leaving the library on our weekly trip.  Usually I am peeling children out their new books so they can do important things like oh, I don't know... eating, bathing, evening chores and sleeping, but as soon as we got home it was all about their new captive "member of the family".

We did not even go straight home from the library since I like to save on our gas usage and bundle errands into the same day.  This little frog went with us to Publix and our other errands before coming home to this little aquarium.  Much research was done the next day about the lives of frogs, their habitat, diet and the different species that live in Florida.

As a mom, I pray that Our Lord help me to see this little frog as excitedly as I saw the first one my first born showed me.  I expect to keep saying this prayer for many many more years. Thank you Lord for the precious look of curiosity on this little boys face.

My first crochet pattern is done

What I have been putting off for about a year now, is now done.  My Etsy store is up and running and my first pattern has been tested, tested and retested, made into a pdf, pictures done and it is now listed for sale. Yipee!!!! Why did I put this off so long?

I have a few dozen crochet patterns that I have designed and written, but that does not mean that they are done.  That just means that I can use it.

In order to offer a crochet pattern for sale, here are the things you must do:
1. Come up with an idea.
2. Work on creating the item and write down the stitches and steps used.
3.  Write, re-write and make changes to get it the way you envisioned it.
4.  Make up a sample.
5. Get someone or a few people to test your pattern.
6.  Get the perfect picture (the picture is everything)
7.  Type up your pattern in a professional manner using some type of desk top publishing program.
8.  Covert your pattern into a PDF
9.  Place it for sale, cross your fingers that someone else will think your baby is as cute as you do.

If you want to see more of my crochet,  here is my new crochet blog,  I will be busy over there for awhile. Visit here at Crunchy Crochet

Here is my baby:

Check it out here.

I want to thank everyone who wrote to encourage me and all your kind words on the baby penny loafer pattern.  Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

Fashion Forward

So Christopher comes around the corner wearing this get up. I ask him, what are you wearing, he says: Momma, this is my new look.

3 year olds are the most fashion forward people I know!!

The stomach bug hits home

What are the most dreaded words any mom can hear, well I guess there really are many things that would be dreaded to hear but in this case it is "Momma, I don't feel so good."

Yep,  those are the words that my little Eddie said to me, followed by Nicholas, Veronica, John-Paul and then ME!!  Those who were not sick really took on their siblings tasks with a smile and they did things that were nice for each other without me even suggesting.

Here is Erica, caught being nice to Eddie with a volunteer game of cards.

Simple pleasures

For those of you who know that we are a Taco Bell family (meaning that is where our families Poppa spends his working days), the following statement may come as a surprise.

Today, we were on our usual busy errand day, piano, the post office, library, shopping and the inevitable happened.  Even though we usually plan ahead and pack snacks for the trip, the kids got super hungry and we were still hours from going home.  Taco Bell to the rescue.  Now here is the statement, Christopher has never tried a Taco.  Everyone was so excited for him that they chanted as he took his first bite and Alexandra snapped this picture.

I love that simple little things like this are so appreciated by our children.  I hope they never take anything in their life for granted, so far so good.

Happy Anniversary, The Story of Us

Last night as Eddie was going through his schedule, he realized that our anniversary was tomorrow (today).  He had to work but arranged to sneak in a wonderful lunch date with me.  In each marriage, I suppose, there are those years where you are a couple, then the years come when you are just Momma and Poppa to a bunch of people and that can change your relationship.  I guess we have phases of both.  I can honestly say that after 8 kids and many years of "us" I love Eddie more than I ever have.  Marriages grow with time, I thank God that ours has grown together.


I should make some emails today to those responsible for such an endeavor, Vince and Peggy. I will be thanking them for having the following story to tell and the wonderful life that has followed that story.


I met Eddie through a neighbor of mine.  I moved to the last possible block of Miami, FL, very close to the Florida Keys and the Everglades.  I bought a 3 bedroom, 2 story house for myself and was out there all alone.  I met some neighbors who had kids, 3 to be exact and the fact that Vince was a police officer really clinched the deal (hello, single girl alone, need protection... get it!)  A few months after meeting them I was visiting when they came up with the brilliant idea of setting me up on a blind date with the perfect guy.  I certainly was not interested in a blind date (I mean who does those anyway?)  After much negotiation, they convinced me that if I saw a picture it was not a blind date.


Fine then, show me the picture!!  What they showed me was a picture of Eddie in handcuffs.  He had shown up at the hospital to see their new baby and Vince took a picture of him in the cuffs.  I can't tell you what it was about that picture (hmmm, maybe the gladiator legs) but I decided to meet him, after all, I lived next door.  If I did not like the guy, I would just go home.

So friday came along and as I was walking past his car with soccer ball hanging in the rear view mirror, I thought OK, either he is an athlete or a couch potato soccer watching guy. From the moment we saw each other, he was such a gentleman and polite and easy to talk to and that night he walked me home.  I then began the search into what it is that is wrong with this guy that he is still available (come on you would too).  He had great manners, always opened doors for me, offered his jacket if I was cold, really listened to everything I was saying and after a long and tired search I can tell you that he was available because God had been saving him for me.  He still does all those things that make him a great catch and he has added to his resume, great friend, awesome father and wonderful provider.  Eddie accepts me with my good and bad attributes, he has never tried to change me and he has never said no to any of my hair brained ideas.  He believes in me and his love has helped me to become the person I am today (I hope a better person than before my blind date).

The first day of school and the Schultuete

My kids LOVE the first day of school!!!  The second day is never as fun.  I think it is probably hearing about all our new plans, the smell of new Crayola crayons, (what you never smelled your crayons when you were a kid, go smell some!!) all the new school supplies and brand new books.  Well, thanks to my friend Mimi, I found out about a German tradition which goes back centuries and I learned that American kids are missing out big here.

It is called the Schultuete.  It is basically a cardboard cone, the translation is literally "school cone"  and it is filled with candies, sweets, school supplies, small gifts and any little delights the child would love on this special day.

I wanted to use items I already have so instead of posterboard, I used butcher paper (love this stuff) and instead of using colored tissue, I used colored tulle which is now nicely folded back in my sewing room.  I have to say this was the best first day of school ever and we will add this to our family traditions.

They each took the time to examine each cone and see how I personalized them with stickers  that match their interests.  Of course they love any excuse to get candy but the best part was seeing how truly grateful they were for everything that was in their cones.  And once they were empty... of course they wore them.  Here are the coneheads.

One of the best parts of homeschooling are these little moments that we share as a family and knowing that my children will remember them.

Going green.... and orange

Yes today is labor day but today is also the day that University of Miami plays against Florida State University in college football.  Today is also the opening game of the season and is being played in Florida State territory.  

For those of you who know that I am not exactly a sports fanatic let me explain why today is special.  Well, of the few sports I do enjoy, football is one of them.  I am through and through a Miami Hurricane and the 3rd real date I had with my husband was to see UM play FSU at the now demolished Orange Bowl stadium in Miami.  We always watch this game together and the kids really get into it.

Ever since I can remember my brother and I waited for this game. We watched as the Canes took us to victory, we watched and cried as sometimes it did not go the way we wanted. During the 1980s and '90s, the FSU-Miami game decided which team would play for -- and often win -- college football's national championship. The Hurricanes won five national titles from 1983 to 2001; the Seminoles finished No. 1 in 1993 and '99.

We have been waiting for years for the Canes to do it again, watching and waiting and then all of a sudden, there it was.  The blood pumping excitement, the nail biting, hold your breath, can't look but you have to moments.  Last night was one of the amazing football moments that my children will remember and hopefully they will not have to wait very long to see it happen again.

Of course we are foodies and the food did not play second fiddle to the game. We made the usual football foods, fries,hotdogs, chips, ham croquets but Poppa bought some yuca and I know exactly what he wanted... yuca fries!!  I also made a very yummy garlic lime mayo dipping sauce to go with it.  

Here is the recipe: 

6 to 8 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons salt, 3 to 4 quarts water, 1 1/2 pounds yuca (washed, peeled, and sliced into fries)  corn or peanut oil for frying

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan , combine garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water. 2. Bring the mixture to aboil. 3. Add the Yuca, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until yuca is tender, but not sticky or falling apart, about 30 minutes. 4.Drain the yuca on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, pat the yuca dry. 5. In a fryer or deep skillet, heat the oil to 375 Fahrenheit. 6. Fry the yuca until golden, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot.

Garlic lime sauce

1 cup mayo, 1/2 a squeezed lime, 4 garlic cloves minced, 2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and pop in the fridge for an hour to let all the flavors blend.  You could also add some cilantro in the food processor but I was all out.

Bobbles for my babies

These were so much fun to make. They are so simple and sweet and my girls could not wait until they were dry to hold them. Here is Ronnie modeling one. This one was actually for a customer but I am making some that look like my girls.

Happy Birthday Little People

Today is the second anniversary of my creating these cute little wooden people. I first made these to give my kids some personalized little people to use with my vintage collection of Fisher Price Little People houses. A few months later a neighbor saw them and told me I should sell them in my store.

I have now created more than 50 of these custom made little people usually copying a family from the picture they send me. Here are some of the ones I have made in the past.

These are the type of gifts that I love to give. I hope that every little (and big) kid who has received one of my creations feel as special as these little people.

Homeschooling freebie- Labor Day Unit Study

Here is a great little freebie. I like Unit Studies, my children always seem to remember what they learned. This company, CurrClick does these freebies often. You have to set up an account and then you download the unit study for free.

Do you know what Labor Day is all about and who started it? Here is your chance to teach your children while learning it yourself. Download the Labor Day Holiday Helper here .

Walking in her shoes

I have a friend named Amy. I have known her for 2 years now though it seems much longer to me. She is a wonderful woman, friend, mother and wife. She is in the battle of her life right now, with cancer. She has fought this battle before but this time there is uncertainty.

I had not seen her in 7 months since we both had babies this last winter and the craziness of her new battle and beautiful new baby arrived. I have missed her much, you see... I admire Amy and love to spend time with her.

I got to see on thursday and friday to celebrate the birthdays of two of her precious little girls. I was wearing my usual birkenstocks (a hippy girls shoe of choice) when I noticed her husband was wearing the same clog style Birkenstocks. He said he wears his everyday which I understand. She told me that she had a pair which she had outgrown after this last pregnancy and they were practically new. At first I jumped at them because I love Birks and did not have the kind with 3 straps but the ride home I realized something else.

I cannot share in her battle, her pain or worry of uncertainty but I can pray for her and when I stand in her shoes I can feel her patience, strength, wisdom and courage.

I can walk in Amy's shoes.

Kisses the cow

I am putting out a BOLO (be on the look out) for a Dexter cow for our farm. I have wanted a cow for about 10 years now. I have been planning my escape from the city for about 12!

I knew I wanted to get a heritage breed and a miniature cow was also important so the perfect match was a Dexter cow. They are usually 36 to 42 inches at the shoulder and give 1-2 gallons of milk per day as opposed to 8-9 gallons per days (what would I do with that much milk?) They require half the amount of pasture and are supposed to be very gentle (for a cow I guess). If you want more info just check here.

I have been looking high and low and found this 18 month old cow named Kisses, her momma's name is Hershey, get it... Hershey's Kisses : )

We drove 3 hours to see her and when I got out of the car and went up to Kisses the cow, I realized that my concept of a miniature cow was slightly off. I have never handled any type of farm animal bigger than our chickens or ducks and the cow was definetely bigger than our dogs so.... I guess I was a little scared.

Kisses owner, Patty (hey great name) was so super sweet. She is a plethora of knowledge and taught me so much. She helped me milk the momma cow Hershey and we talked all afternoon. Kisses has horns which I would have to have removed because.. well, because they are horns. Patty has done alot of work towards training Kisses to walk on a halter and stay still. I hosed off Kisses and pet her. She bellowed (moo-ed) the entire time I was there because she did not like being seperated from her momma and every time she bellowed Olivia would freak out and start crying. It really did sound like a cruise ship horn and I felt bad for little Olivia because she was scared of the loud sound but we could not stop laughing.

At the end of the day, I shared some Kefir grains with Patty and went on my way home. Alexandra thinks we could definetely handle this cow but after talking to Patty I have decided to see a few more cows before I decide.

Be it ever so humble there is no place like home!!

OK, (what is OK short for anyway) so I am in Miami and a family member asks me about my home. I say "It is on my blog, isn't it?" She says that she must have missed it. I realized when I got back home that I have never posted pics of our home and farm.

***Disclaimer*** These pictures were taken when we first moved here so it is missing all the trees and gardens we have added but you get the idea.

Obviously the front of our home

My favorite place to be... the front porch.

Our pole barn which will be partially closed in someday soon.

The boys down by our irrigated catfish pond.

Folks, that concludes the tour of the outside, please come and visit us again.

Special delivery

A few months ago I got a unique request. I was asked to paint this family of four. Well, the fourth person in this family was still in his Momma's belly. I sent the Poppa, Momma and daughter out in time for Christmas and was to wait for news that I had a baby to deliver : )

Well, here is baby August, born in July.... pretty cute huh? He arrived to join his little people family and the real family in this cute little mailbox. Keep the requests coming, I love a challenge.

Save $2,196.00 a year by doing your own haircare

Well, you could if you had 4 girls, 4 boys and your own hair. If you only count the kids haircuts we save about $800 per year by doing it ourselves. We have been cutting hair in our household since the early days when my hubby was downsized and lost his job while we were expecting Nicholas, now 12. My poor husband was the guinea pig back then and though the haircuts were not that great he was a brave subject.

Most of the boys hair are cut by me with clippers and scissors but John-Paul's hair stylist is now officially Alexandra (so is there anything that Alexandra can't do?)

As for the girls, we trim the girls bangs and ends every few months, Alexandra and I swap haircuts and I love my hair straight so instead of going to the hair salon every Saturday as I had done since college, we invested in a $200 hair iron which has paid us many times over and I don't have to deal with the chitter chatter or smells of hair dye.

If you think that you would like to try your hand at home haircuts here is a good tutorial on a cute blog at Almost Frugal. Let me know how you do if you decide to give it a go. Remember it is just hair and in most cases it will grow back : )

Nicky turns 12

From May 28th until July 6th every year I have two sons who are the same age. This is because Nicholas and Eddie are only 10 months apart. When you are the older of the two, these few weeks can go by pretty slow.

In most big families there are customs, traditions and policies which develop over the years. In our family we have a policy about birthdays. You get a birthday party until you are 5 and after that you may pick a friend to celebrate your birthday with. This includes going out to eat at your choice of restaurants and spending $50 on whatever it is that you have been wanting.

Nicholas chose to take all of us to his fav restaurant, Texas Roadhouse Grill. As a foodie, I personally love the ribeye and fresh made rolls with cinnamon butter. Here is Nick sitting in the birthday saddle.
Nicholas spent his $50 on a new Lego Soccer set which we had to order from Ebay since it has been discontinued. He received very generous birthday cards from grandparents and lots of phone calls.

After a very relaxing day (no chores on your birthday) he enjoyed his hamburger cake (his favorite food) and as you can see little brothers are grateful benefactors of birthday cake.

This is the look of a rare site in my home. The blissful look of a chocolate lover with a mouthful.

Happy Birthday Nicholas.

Where did June go?

And for that matter, much of July! If you read a few posts back, my netbook is broken and I finally got everything on it backed up so it can get sent in for repairs. The computer in the studio is very difficult to upload pics onto so... there you go.

We spent much of June, reorganizing and preparing for the next school year, working on our farm and going on outings. Oh the carefree days of summer!

Sometimes the most important thing to do on a farm is get some rest. It does not happen often but there is nothing better than an unplanned nap with a cute little kid.


We had the opportunity to get a visit from my little brother, Uncle Marvin. Uncle Marvin is always lots of fun and pretty good with those little things that need to get done like programming things and household repairs.

I was invited to spend the night at the D's house along with Alexandra, Nicholas and of course Olivia. I was pampered with rest, wonderful food and 5 star hospitality. I have acquired a new hobby while there, quilting. I have made quilts in the past but seeing Monique's beautiful quilts has revived my interest. Another thing we got from this visit was a new way to serve our chili... over crushed fritos. Hey, if you are gonna be bad, do it good! Here is the view from the lake at the D's house

I gotta do it my way.

The funny thing about having a large family is that every child is totally different from the others. My little Olivia has definetely come to teach us all new tricks. Just when we thought we KNEW how to handle babies and keep on with our busy lives we get a cute chubby little girl who does not like to be put down, will only accept a certain amount of time being carried in a sling, does not nap hardly at all during the day, sleeps the entire night and has a grumbly tummy if she cannot nurse all the time. I caught her with her new little trick, she discovered that she can suck her thunb, except in her case she decided the index finger was way yummier.

First blueberries of the year.

The hardest part of growing and maintaining a blueberry orchard is waiting for the small little bell like flowers to turn into berries and then waiting the eternity it takes the berries to turn from green to blue. I have, in past years, caught small little boys with mouths full of green berries. Today was the day, I have been monitoring the blueberries and there are some that are ready to pick (before our birdie friends figure it out first).

I sounded the call this morning that we would indeed be picking our first fruits and everyone was out and ready to pick. This year our harvest will not be that great. I neglected to prune and fertilize last year due to a tiring pregnancy but it is certainly more than enough for our families use. As soon as we pick the last berries we will be pruning every bush down to shoulder length, which I am not sure has ever been done before we moved here, and then fertilizing and mulching with pine bark as well as pine needles from across the street in the 800 acres of pines. Blueberries love acidic soil and pine needles are excellent for this. Next year, I hope to be able to sell off some of our bounty, well, maybe the year after that. The other surprise was that we picked 4 more peaches today. Gotta love it.

Last note, as you can see in this pic, we have purchased a food scale in order to keep track of how much food we are able to produce from our land each month and then try to improve the amount next year. Stay tuned for the tally ho.

Future cake bakers of America and Happy Birthday Eddie

Lately, whenever one of our household's members needs a cake, Nicholas has been stepping in to make it. When you live with a cake designer, your children are apt to follow. This time he came up with a Star Wars theme since his brother loves Star Wars. Most of the cake is self-explanatory but the fruit loops may not be as much, they are the craters on the moon. Alex and Nick made a coconut flavored cake and a cream cheese frosting. It was quite yummy and absolutely no help from me was necessary. Happy Birthday Eddie and congrats to Alex and Nick on a yummy cake.

Memorial Day on the Weeki Wachi River

Our neck of the woods hold some of the most beautiful rivers in Florida. What better place to spend Memorial Day at than one of the them, the Weeki Wachi River. This river is crystal clear all the way to the bottom. The river winds down quite a ways. Alexandra and Poppa kayaked down the river with some of our very dear friends The M's. The kids and I were waiting for them at a place called Rogers Park which has a small beach area on the bank of the river.

It was great to see the kids swimming and playing in the sand. I spent the day with her majesty (Olivia) under my Pottery Barn umbrella which I purchased a few years ago and have never had a chance to use. We ate fruit, sandwiches (emphasis on the sand), chips, cookies and of course drinks. Three hours after I had parked myself in the sand to watch my family have fun, Poppa and Alexandra came around the bend of the river in their kayaks. It was a fabulous day and the rain fell everywhere apparently except where we were.

Happy Memorial Day to everyone and to Poppa who served in the Navy and all those who write our government a blank check by serving our country ready to give the ultimate gift of their lives for it if necessary, thank you.

A little cuban boy in Brooksville

OK So he is not completely Cuban but doesn't he make a cute little Cubanito in his butter yellow guayabera. All he needs now is a pastelito and some cafe con leche.

My Dad would have squeezed him to pieces if he would have seen him. Of course, the women at church today gave him all the attention he would need.

The Little Engine that Could- Train cake

This cake was fun but challenging since it is not really my style of cake but it was a special request from a very cool client. Thank you to Yvette for your order. You were a pleasure to work with.

Checklist for projects on Moss Flower Farm

Here is my new checklist for projects to continue our journey toward self sufficiency. I will check them off as they get done.

Introduce compatible fish to catfish pond (probably Tilapia)
Buy a Dexter cow
Buy an angora rabbit pair for wonderful poops for my garden and wool to spin into fiber and don't forget the cuteness factor. Angora rabbits look like cotton balls.
Plant malabar spinach vine (not really spinach but tastes just like it, more nutritious and grows all year from one planting.)
Mulch blueberry orchard and veggie garden.
Add more strawberries to strawberry bed.
Start an asparagus bed.
Plant nasturtiums for edible flowers.
Plant pansies for edible flowers.
Plant hazelnut bushes instead of ornamental bushes.
Acquire 3 new apple trees
Plant a plum tree.
Plant 30 new blueberry bushes in orchard.
Add more raised beds.
Acquire 40 gallon tree pots to grow veggies in to maximize space in garden.
Run irrigation lines to new trees and citrus behind barn.
Build floating fish cage to use as nursery for fry (baby fish).
Buy some Goji berry bushes.
Plant daylillies (they are edible and delicious battered and fried)
Plant Kiwi vines
Plant cat tails in pond.
Introduce duckweed to pond to feed ducks, chickens and fish.
Find a paw paw tree
Find a soapnut tree for natural clothes detergent.
Find an olive tree, almond and cherry tree.

Laptop notebook blues

In case you were wondering where I have been... I have been baking cakes, working on projects and working here at Moss Flower.  The reason I have not shared any of my activities... my new notebook is not turning on.  I feel like I am trapped inside my broken notebook.  All my crochet patterns which I have designed are in it (months and months of work), pictures of cakes for clients, pictures of my beautiful kids and especially the pictures of Olivia's birth.  Before I can send it in they told me to get someone to do a back-up- eeekkkk!!!!

I do have another computer in the house but it is in my loft which takes me away from the kids and life and so I have had no time to post anything.  Say a little prayer for my laptop blues to get resolved. (I wonder if there is a patron saint of computers : )

Graduation cake

So busy around here with cake orders,  here is one for a beautiful girl named Ariele.  Thank you to the D's family for their order from Patticakes.  Alexandra and I had lots of fun putting this one together.