Modern Art, Fear Style (AKA: Cheap!)

Hello friends! We're alive, we promise. :) It's just been a very lazy summer, and I haven't had much to write about. School starts in a week and I'm ready to get back into some sort of routine, though. I don't know how the girls are going to feel about waking up before 9, but we'll deal with that on Monday.

Jay and I have been playing too much Words with Friends lately, so I've been seeing Scrabble tiles everywhere I turn. During one of my Scrabble-laced visions, I told Jay we should make an art piece out of our non-virtual Scrabble board. And so we did. It is hanging up in our living room, and I love it.

(Sorry, my pictures are not great - blame it on the lighting in that corner and my old digital camera.)

The board is mounted on wood and hung with clear fishing line

The Fear family represented, and we only had to use one blank tile! (And there is only one non-family related word ... can you see it?)

Extreme Close Up!

Next on my crafty to-do list (besides more doll clothes, of course) is a version of this awesome Hardware Store Wreath. Perfect!

So much for posting again before Christmas!

The Christmas tree and decorations are all gone (hmmm, except outside), and my home is feeling ready for some serious deep cleaning and organization. But before I get to that (way before), I wanted to share just a few Christmas pictures. We had a wonderful, low-key Christmas. We missed family who couldn't make it for various reasons, but besides that, everything was perfect.

(Except, why do I stress out making homemade cinnamon rolls every Christmas eve to be ready for Christmas morning, when my kids barely touch them? What in the world is wrong with those kids, anyway?!?)

I got all crafty pre-Christmas ... I made a runner and some banners that matched the lime green we already have downstairs...

(You'll have to forgive the quality of some of these pictures... the ones I take from my phone do not turn out very well.)

...and matching pillows:

Christmas morning, Cal was the first to wake up. I was worried that the kids would wake up before Jay got home from work and that I would have to try to contain them upstairs, but luckily we were all still sleeping when he got home. Ok, not all of us. I was too excited to sleep!

Cal got an early start on his stocking... too bad the item he's excitedly pointing at was actually for Dexter.

Dexter, checking the stocking toe:

I opened my stocking to find ...

...Mr. Pricklepants!! He now holds a place of honor on my desk, right next to my Dwight Bobblehead.

Bea and Natalie finally woke up ... well, Natalie did at least. :)

The highlights of the morning were watching the the kids open their main presents, the ones I've been excited to watch them open for months:

Buzz Lightyear's for the boys:

(even Bea was excited!)

And American Girl dolls for the girls:

Natalie with "Julie," the doll from 1974

Bea with "Molly," the doll from 1944.

The girls have been saving money to buy the dolls themselves, so they were pretty excited when they opened the joint present from Papa, Grandma, and us. I have to say, I was pretty excited, too. The dolls are adorable, and I have been caught brushing their hair a time or two, encouraging the girls to dress them in this outfit or that one. :) I guess some things bring out the kid in me. (And whenever Jay gives me a hard time, I just point to the Wii....)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a very happy New Year. I won't even bother posting about our New Year's celebration, because there was none. I was asleep by 10:00! I guess that's what happens when you're approaching *gulp* 35.

Results x 2

#1 - the results of our family pictures are in! When Jay and I first viewed them, we were alternating between cracking up and exclaiming, "awwww!" Thanks to the wonderful Shannon Montez for the great experience and the great results. You can view the 3 minute slideshow here.

#2 - Remember those apples we picked? (I hope so, it was only one post ago!) Here's the "before:"

And here's the "after":

Jay and I had a blast making the pie together. He tackled the crust, and I must say he did an excellent job. I had the last piece for breakfast this morning. (After the girls went to school, naturally.)

I Can Make That For 5 Bucks!

Whenever my mom, sister, and I go shopping together, it's inevitable that one of us will pick up some cute scarf/purse/picture/vase/whatever, look at the price tag, then scoff and exclaim, "I can make that for 5 bucks!"

Of course, none of us have ever gone on to make a duplicate of the cute scarf/purse/picture/vase/whatever, but today, all that has changed!

I bought Dexter a little boy tie on Etsy the other day, and when it arrived, my initial response was (say it with me) "I can make that for 5 bucks!" Of course, I only paid $8, but that is not the point. The point is that a few days ago I took the Etsy tie - which turned out to be a tad snug for Dex - and made a larger pattern out of it. Then I grabbed some fabric scraps and sewed away.

The Etsy version. It was the fabric that sold me.

My paisley version. Cost? Free.

Super easy! Now if only he'll wear it. It was quite a spectacle trying to convince him to put the Etsy one on last Sunday, but I prevailed. (As if there was any doubt.)

A Food Storage Tale

Members of my church have been counseled for generations to set aside a little reserve for the hard times that inevitably come. A little reserve of money, and a little reserve of food. 3 months of food storage is recommended, and a year's supply of essentials is encouraged. Some people may think that this practice is a bit strange. I guess I can see why it might come across as a little paranoid, but let me tell you, it sure comes in handy...

Imagine if you will, a young mother at home late one night, depressed because things aren't going her way. The young 'uns are all asleep, her husband is toiling away at his place of employment. The young mother wants comfort food. She goes to her cupboard, intent on whipping up a batch of cookie bars, but alas! She is missing several ingredients. She can't go to the store and leave her babies alone. What is she to do?!?

If the young mother is prepared, she has no reason to fear. She simply goes to the garage (or closet, or under the bed), grabs a box of cake mix and a bag of chocolate chips, and gets back to the kitchen! In no time flat, the cookie bars are made and consumed, and the spiral of depression is stopped. Happiness returns. And it is all because of food storage.

Betsy's Cookie Bars

(super simple, super good)

1 box cake mix (yellow, white, or chocolate)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cube of butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp of water

Mix all ingredients together (I mix by spoon, no electric mixer)

Stir in one 12-oz bag of chocolate chips

Spread mixture into a 9 x 13 (or similiar) pan, and bake for 20 minutes** at 375.

Viola.

(**maybe longer, depending on the oven, as Betsy correctly points out in the comments) :)

High Praise

Earlier today Natalie came to me with some cut-up pieces of blue construction paper and a distraught look on her face. She was trying to make a Girl Scout apron for her beloved yellow bear (to match hers, you see), but after the third try, she was getting too frustrated.

We took the bear and the paper into the craft room to see what I could do. As I began to make repairs, Natalie and I chatted. I made the paper apron slightly too big and was adjusting the shoulders when she happily said, "You can just fix it with tape." I responded, "Oh, I think I'll sew it."

There was a pause. "You can sew PAPER?"

"Yep," I smiled.

Another pause, and Natalie looked at me in awe, "You're tricky, just like Grandma."

It was the best compliment I got all day. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year, etc., etc.

The last week has been full of gift-making, cookie baking, Christmas shopping, present wrapping, and trying to keep my head above water. We are all adjusting to life as a 6-person family ... the kids are probably doing better than I am! In fact, the one person I was most worried about - Dexter - seems to be handling it like a pro. I, however, seem to alternate between feeling completely under control and being a blubbering idiot. Ahhh, such are the joys of postpartum life.

Anyway... with a few days until Christmas I thought I would share a few of the handmade gifts I've made this year. For obvious reasons I can't show everything that I've made, but here are a few examples:

An apron for someone-who-I'm-not-going-to-mention-in-case-they-read-this-blog. It's a self-made pattern, by the way. I actually like this pattern better than the one I purchased! I made a few other aprons as well, but I can't show those yet.

Crayon rolls for some friends of the girls:

These are so fun and simple to make and are perfect for church. I found the tutorial here.

I am also in the process of finishing a quilt for my grandparents, which I am really excited about. A few months ago my mom stopped by my house with a bunch of fabric from my Nana, who doesn't really feel up to sewing anymore. Among (amongst?) the fabric was a half-pieced-together quilt front that Nana had started many years ago. Many of the quilt pieces were hand embroidered with the names and birth places of our family members. I decided that I should finish the quilt for her as a Christmas present, so that is what I'm attempting to do. Wish me luck!

And now I'm heading back to bed since it's 3:30 in the morning and I just got Calvin back to sleep. He actually slept from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. (which was exciting), but of course that meant he wasn't ready to go back to sleep as quickly as I was. :)

I couldn't stand it any longer...

Barbie (or in this case, Belle), needed a serious makeover. Check out the kind of clothes they sell for Barbie's these days:

It barely covers her plastic buttcheeks! Not exactly the kind of image I want my girls to emulate. So... I took matters into my own hands:

Much better, yes?

And so as not to play favorites, Giselle got a new skirt, too.

Now those are the kind of girls you can take home to Mom!

I made the skirt pattern myself (I just lengthened the "skirt" you saw in the first picture), and used fabric scraps, embellished with some rick-rack. I'll probably make a few more and figure out how to make some tops, too. I'm so glad to have found a use for my fabric scraps, and even happier that the girls' dolls are now proper little ladies. I knew that semester in fashion design school would pay off someday...

More June Cleaver Experiments

Because I've been having so much fun sewing (surprisingly, that's not sarcasm), I decided that some of the Christmas gifts we give away this year will be hand-made. And when I saw this flannel material on clearance a while back, I knew it would be perfect as a blanket for Dexter. Here is the final product (don't look too close), which he won't get until December 25th:
I have a few other hand-made Christmas presents up my sleeve, but I can't tell you about them right now, for obvious reasons. I will say that Jay, Betsy, and I are going to quilt some blankets for the girls. We already have the material purchased, and I'm excited to get them started. Of course, I'll probably just be observing Betsy at work since I have never quilted before, but.... baby steps.

On another June Cleaver note, I entered a pie contest which took place last night at our church's Trunk-or-Treat event. I have no idea why I actually signed up for this. I think it was because I was sitting next to a very confident Stacey and Shannon, who were both signing up for the Chili Cookoff and vowing to kick one another's chili-lovin' booties. I just wanted to be cool like them (but at the same time, not to have to compete against them and be assured of losing). So, I signed up to make a pie. Here's the pie I brought (plus a bonus pic of my prego belly and my non-flat-ironed hair):

Chocolate Banana Cream... mmmmm! I got the recipe from a good friend (thanks, Jim!) and let me tell ya, it's good. So good that I'm making another one today to share with the fam. Sadly, I did not win the contest. I'm okay with it though, because now I have weaseled the secret recipe out of my friend's hands and can make it whenever I want, which is quite a consolation prize, indeed.

(Sorry to taunt you all like that, but I can't share the recipe. When Jim is a famous chef, which he's bound to be, I will take you to his restuarant and buy you a piece of pie...or, just come on over to my house.) :)

A Special Birthday and A June Cleaver Update

I told you all that I was going to make an apron! And here it is, a gift for my beautiful mother on her *cough* 60th *cough* birthday.

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you!

First Pies, Now This?!

My quest for homemaking perfection adequacy continues! I have been - don’t faint now – sewing. Yes, it’s true. The last time I attempted a sewing project was when I made a telephone-shaped throw pillow in my 7th grade sewing class. I never finished it because I was too lazy to sew the opening shut. What? You had to do it by hand!

Anyway, I decided to start with an easy project – burp cloths! It’s been really fun. Here’s my first attempt:

(This is each side of a finished pair.)

Once I'm tired of making burp cloths, I think I'll attempt a retro style apron. You know, to complete my June Cleaver makeover.

Two Things

#1 - Jay has completed break-in (otherwise known as field training)! Today is his first day on his own and he is totally excited. I am too, as it means I might actually hear from him during his shift once in a while. Way to go, Officer Fear!

#2 - I am so totally turning into June Cleaver. Check out what I made:

An honest-to-goodness-homemade-apple-pie! And it was even edible! Next thing you know, Jay will come home and I'll be looking like this:

What? It could happen.

*Sigh*

It's been a rough few days. Nothing major happened, I've just been a ball of emotions ranging from grumpiness to tears to extreme productivity. Nothing like a roller coaster ride! Mostly, I have to admit, I've been feeling a bit under appreciated. Not by Jay, but by those kids of mine! Ugh!

I guess it's sort of my fault. I've been going through a "creative cooking" phase, and not all of my ideas have been as well-received as I would have liked. Not to mention Bea has started to hate every kind of food except "snacks," the girls have been completely disobeying my instructions regarding a variety of topics, and then to top it off, Jay didn't eat the lunch I packed him for work (and went to Denny's instead). So it should come as no surprise that yesterday found me sprawled out on my bed, crying my eyes out in frustration and self-pity.

Then, in the middle of my bawling, Natalie came into my room. Without saying a word, she handed me her favorite bear and laid down next to me, stroking my back. I can't tell you how much that comforted me. It was so sweet. She was soon followed by the rest of my family, who all tried their best to make amends. In only a few minutes, I was tear-free and laughing. There's nothing like having your whole family hugging you and reassuring you that you're loved.

Another thing that made me feel better was reading this post over at Rocks in my Dryer. All you moms (or people who have moms) need to read this. Seriously.

So... I'm feeling better and realizing that my kids probably won't appreciate me for quite a while, although Jay is encouraging them to be better about thanking me for dinner, which I appreciate. It's always nice to be thanked, isn't it? (Unless it's your teenage kids saying something along the lines of "Thanks a lot for ruining my life, MOM!")

And now, since I mentioned my creative cooking, I will share with you a tip I found on another blog that I stalk, Tip Junkie. It is the cutest kid's lunch in the whole wide world: Muffin Pan Lunch. Basically, you give your child a muffin pan filled with bite-sized items and let them have at it. When Bea sat down at the table she exclaimed, "This is a cool lunch!" Aww! Of course, we then had an eternal struggle over the garbanzo beans, but hey, what can you do? Baby steps.

Here's what I put in the girls Muffin Pan Lunch:

Raisins, baby carrots, diced ham, the dreaded garbanzo beans, diced pears, sliced string cheese, hot dog, a marshmallow, saltine cracker, diced apple, a lemon cookie, and goldfish. Yum!

Jay and I, however, had Panera. :)

I could be seriously shunned for this...

Alright... this is a Teutschman Family secret recipe, but I feel bad always mentioning mayonnaise cake and not passing on how to make it, so... here you go!

Mom's Mayonnaise Cake

Cake:

Preheat oven to 375
1 cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise (full fat, none of that light junk)
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbls cocoa
1 cup water
2 tbls vanilla

Blend together sugar and mayonnaise, set aside
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa
Add dry ingredients to the sugar & mayo mixture with 1 cup water. Add vanilla.
Mix with mixer until smooth
Bake in two cake rounds at 375 for 30 minutes (watch it... in my oven it can take as little as 20 minutes)

Frosting: (this makes the cake - one look at the ingrediants will tell you why)

1 cube butter (don't use margarine - the frosting will not set)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tbls vanilla

Heat all ingrediants (EXCEPT vanilla) to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add vanilla.
Whip with mixture until set. This is the tricky part... it takes a long time to cool and set, but don't give up! It's worth it! You need it to set so that it's thick enough to spread, but not so thick that it's clumpy.

Frost your cake, and enjoy! If anyone tries the recipe, let me know how it turns out!

After School Snack

Creativity in the kitchen is not my forte to say the least, but I am trying to do a little better. So when I saw this cute kid-friendly snack online at All Recipes, I had to try it.

Ladybug apples! Aren't they cute?

The girls really liked them (well, Natalie picked off the raisins, but that is to be expected). The only other creative thing I make is Robot French Toast (see comments for details), so if any of you have some ideas for creative snacks or meals, pass them on!

For the Ladybug Apples, you need:

1 Red apple
Raisins
Peanut Butter
Pretzel sticks
Lettuce (optional)

Core and cut the apple in half. Use the peanut butter to stick the raisins on the apple in a ladybug-like pattern. Use peanut butter to stick the raisins to the pretzel sticks to use as antennas. (I couldn't get my pretzels to go into the apple, so I just had them sticking out from underneath.) If you feel like wasting a piece of lettuce for effect's sake like I did, it makes a cute little leaf for the ladybug to sit on.