A Snow Cone in January

Maybe I am just pining for sunshine and beach days during this cold gray winter, but I a little color is just what I need lately.

These little treats came about through a special request from a customer, and I got a little crazy with colors and letting my nostalgic tastebud fantasies go a bit wild. I started out with solid colors, but then remembered my summers as a kid - when no less than 3 syrups were lavishly dripped over my snow cones. So, with those memories in mind, I recalled my favorite color and flavor combinations from those days.

Of course I was treated to several "licks" of the first felt versions by my 2 year old daughter, who insists she sit on my lap as we share the new treat together. She always gets my first prototypes for her felt food collection, and if they pass her inspection - meaning, if they survive her, the next in the batch go in my shop. She is a great product tester! I love her little imagination, because after I had my 20 minutes of taste-sharing, her snow cone was then lovingly jammed down the throat of her all-too-willing squeaky tub-toy shark. I am sure he liked it too.

My FAVORITE Treat

Ok, those of you who know me well know that I am a bit of a health freak. Granola. Crunchy. Whole-foodie. Whatever. Anyway, it is hard for me to find snacks and treats that taste good and that are acceptably good for me. I present to you my favorite.

This is a modified recipe I found in "Five Star Recipes" from Jeffrey L. Anderson. His version calls for 2/3 cup of sugar which makes them too sweet for me. I replaced the sugar with Stevia and let the natural apple, carrot, raisins and Stevia sweeten the cake much better than the sugar does.


 Apple Carrot Cake - serves 9, or 12 muffins
2 Stevia packets
1/3 C. Canola Oil
2 Eggs or 1/2 C. Egg substitute (if Vegan, add 2 Tb. Flax meal & a little water)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/3 C. Soymilk (or Buttermilk/Milk)
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 C. Carrots - Finely grated
1 C. Apple - grated
1/3 C. Nuts (Almonds, Pecans etc)
1 C. Oats, Museli or 6 Grain Mix
1/4 C. Raisins

Grease an 8x8" pan OR 12 muffin tin, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix Stevia, oil, eggs, salt, cinnamon and milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into greased pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Movie Night

We love movies at our house. Escaping everyday life into worlds of intrigue, thrills and quite often, a sweet love story. The lights go down, we don jammies, toe socks and warm blankies and mix up a batch of our favorite snack - POPCORN.

My husband and I love the old-school popcorn popper we received for Christmas 2 years ago (thanks Mom and Dad!), especially because it makes the best cinnamon kettle corn ever! So, in tribute to our favorite movie nights, I decided to make a felt version of our favorite movie treat.

Happy New Year's

Happy New Year to all! It has been a wonderful rollercoaster of a year for me and I have loved the ride!

I have never been one to stay up until midnight - though I valiantly try every year. I think there is a gene that is triggered after you have kids that your body simply has to go to bed at 10pm. So while you all will be partying away, banging your pots & pans, lighting firecrackers and dancing in the new year, I will be cozily snuggled in bed with my toe socks, warm jammies and dreaming my way into the new year.

I found these questions on a great blog that I read & thought it would be a fun way to sum up the year. Some are pretty personal and deep, but I loved the memories they brought back. I hope you enjoy the peek into "me."

Reflection Questions for 2009
1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
We moved to a new home
2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Managing my time as a business owner and making my family the first priority.
3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Swimming laps most mornings - I used to HATE them in Middle School
4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
My Son starting Kindergarten
5. Pick three words to describe 2009.
A rollercoaster ride
6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
happy felty fun
7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking).
Fishing. More. Fishing.
8. What were the best books you read this year?
Friday Night Knitting Club, The Eagle Has Landed, The Scarlet Pimpernel
9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
My husband and children of course!
10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
Learning to ask for help
11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
Learning to let go my need to control everything.
12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
Learned that I need constant, DAILY help from God - and that I must be worthy to receive that help
13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
Swam & worked out a lot this year
14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
I am learning to trust people more
15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
I love the feeling of a clean house
16. What was your most challenging area of home management?
LAUNDRY.  Bane of my existence!
17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
The Wii -dang addicting games... though learning to knit was not wasting time, it took up a lot of it!
18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Taking my kids to the park, and swimming together

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
Trust
20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you.
Come what may and love it. - Joseph B. Worthlin

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Associated Press Interview

A few months ago, I was contacted by a reporter from the Associated Press, who had found my shop via Etsy and Twitter,  and was interested in interviewing me about my felt play food. By chance, I found that the article came out today!

I am so excited to share it with you as well! I found it on a few media websites, like sun-sentinel.com abcnews.go.com, and newstimes.com. I love that they mentioned several other Moms like me who are tired of worrying about the quality of items their children are playing with. It is wonderful to see the creativity of caring mothers, and the beautiful felt food they are making. 

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Balance...

I am having flashbacks of crazy college end-of-semester days - where deadlines loomed, art projects and final papers scrambled together, and last minute studying done in attempt to get every last bit of information stuffed into every spare memory brain cell? Then... the blissful moment when the last exam is done, all art projects turned in, and the feeling of numbing bliss washes over, and then utter relief. I am reliving those feverish days.

The prospect of a full day with no sewing before me is so unfamiliar. I see my empty, clean desk - no towering, toppling cutout felt stacks, spools of unraveling thread, random bits of scrap and fluff littering my space making my OCD brain crazy. For the last 4 months, I have been a whirlwind of planning, sewing, processing orders, trips to the post office, reams of paper, boxes and boxes of printer ink, and so many yards of felt - I don't even know the count. Now, finally, the quiet... My desk is clear - who knew it was white underneath? My sewing machine sits idly in the corner, cooling down for the first time in way too long. I still giggle at the weekly cleaning of my trusty machine - pulling out enough fluffy felt fibers to stuff an apple.

So, with the utter relief of all Christmas orders shipped out and no customer cue cards papering my computer monitor, I have days of freedom before me. I really do not know when my shop will reopen for business, but I promise myself that it will not be until I have had a great long rest, am restocked (I will NEVER sell items I don't have in stock again - playing catch-up sucks!) and am excited to sit down and sew again. I greatly look forward to my days of knitting, baking, making homemade marshmallows and being a lazy bum playing games and blocks on the floor with my two kids. I have been the Elephant balancing on the ball, and am ready for a more steady foundation.

The long absence...

The holiday season has begun with a KABOOM (instead of a bang) this year. Please forgive my long absence from blogging - I have been flooded with sales and special requests for the Christmas season, and my once-ample stock of felt play food has been almost completely depleted. 

So, with my head barely "above water" and my "to do" list is down to only 7 orders behind (a vast improvement from the 15 or so), I feel I can almost breathe! I am so excited for the Christmas holiday to spend with my family baking gingerbread, sledding, making our snowman, and going to see the beautiful Christmas lights in downtown Salt Lake City. I just hope I can get a leg up on these orders and get them out the door in time for Christmas.

Stay tuned - I have LOTS of great new designs coming out in January, or as soon as sales slow down enough for me to make & list them in my shop! I have several new ORIGINALS that can not be found on Etsy, or anywhere else, and I am so excited to "unveil" them!