I am completely overwhelmed by my end-of-the-school-year gift crafting, which is slightly derailed by my upcoming trip to International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh. But I couldn't let another week pass without bringing up the topic of teacher gifts.
It's been a long time since I've had to do teacher gifts -- I gave them up as each boy moved into middle school and six teachers -- but my daught…
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Added by Mary on May 13, 2009 at 8:10pm —
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This month’s wine is the William Hill Estate’s Napa Valley Chardonnay. For those of you who have a child hanging off one arm, need to send in cookies for teacher appreciation day tomorrow, while participating in a conference call while shopping for this wine and don't have time to read the rest of this, here's the bottom line--it's is yummy. Grab some buttery microwave popcorn to munch while you tweet and we'll see you on Friday.
For those who want to know a little more.... I think this wine sh…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on April 20, 2009 at 6:35pm —
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I'm always interested in learning how people got started with their crafty hobbies. It seems like so many women my age grew up with a mother or grandmother who sewed, knitted or crocheted, and then passed on that knowledge.
My crafty heritage definitely begins with mother. She sewed most of my clothes when I was a child and even made herself some coordinating outfits. But her crafting explorations hardly stopped there. She also knit, crocheted, painted fabric, cross stitched, latch hooked rugs,…
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Added by Mary on April 15, 2009 at 5:44pm —
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If your family is anything like mine, then y'all view a restaurant table covered in paper as an opportunity to doodle, draw and play. It seems nothing is as entertaining to my kids (and husband and maybe me, too) as a blank sheet of paper and a couple of crayons.
While not every restaurant we frequent has the foresight to prepare for our patronage, I have found that making art portable has been a great way to keep my kids occupied, while also encouraging creativity.
Among my favorite finds was…
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Added by Mary on April 1, 2009 at 6:02pm —
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I've been artsy-craftsy nearly my entire life. Painting, scrapbooking, beading, rubber stamping, sewing -- you name it, I've probably tried it.
It's been only recently, however, that I've realized that I'm kind of a by-the-rules crafter. As much as I admire artist trading cards and collage art, I find myself at a loss when it comes to actually making them myself. Too much freedom, it seems, is not a good thing for me. I'll pull out the materials and sit and wait for inspiration. And wait. And w…
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Added by Mary on March 25, 2009 at 5:13pm —
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I was talking to my husband about something the other day -- what, exactly, escapes me at the moment -- but he reminded me that I needed to "simplify" in regards to the issue. Later on, as I was reflecting on my day, I recalled his guidance.
I think it's easy when we're crafting to get caught up in all the tools, products and hoopla associated with our hobbies. I know that I have accumulated a store's worth of craft supplies as I plowed my way through scrapbooking, rubber stamping, beading, pai…
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Added by Mary on February 25, 2009 at 6:00pm —
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Ok ladies. Mardi Gras is February 24. That means we have a lot to do in a short time.
Got beads? Check.
Ordered King Cake? Check.
Invited good friends? Check.
Got ingredients for the classic NOLA beverage the Hurricane? If not, read below.
Here's a bit on the origin from the Pat O'Brian's website:
(BTW - Pat O'Brian's is a toursity restaurant in the French Quarter generally credited with inventing the beverage.)
"Served in a Pat O'Brien's logo glass and garnished with an orange slice and a cher…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on February 12, 2009 at 4:30pm —
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I'd much rather get chocolate on Valentine's Day than flowers, and it's also near the top of the treats I love to give. This year, I'm giving my husband a sweet candy topiary.
It's really easy to make, although it does take a little patience -- and a lot of candy (I think mine used three bags of Snickers Minis). You'll need:
• 6" Styrofoam ball
• 6" terracotta flower pot
• 7/8" wooden dow…
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Added by Mary on February 11, 2009 at 7:21pm —
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It finally hit me a few years ago that the reason I love Valentine's Day so much is because of the many fun craft options it affords. Forget flowers and expensive dinners; I'm happy with paper, glue and copious amounts of glitter!
Since discovering digital scrapbooking, I've found that my favorite Valentine crafts involve a hybrid of digital and paper creations. It's a pretty perfect blen…
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Added by Mary on February 4, 2009 at 4:37pm —
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The Food Network. Top Chef. Iron Chef. Emeril. Ina. Jamie. Paula. Rachel.
Today, you can't have a top restaurant without a marquis chef. Clearly, chefs are celebrities in their own right as food prep, exotic ingredients and creative presentation have captured the imaginations and appetites of Americans everywhere. Eating and entertainment have become synonymous and we just can't seem to get enough.
Quite literally, we somehow remain unsated. Our country is facing a health crisis of epidemic pr…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on January 30, 2009 at 11:26am —
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Beer lovers: This blogs for you. But it's also for those who don't drink that much beer because I've got some ideas that might make it more fun. Because you know the Superbowl is almost here (it's on Feb 1) and of course that means beer. But back to that in a second.
So why do women account for only about 25 percent of the beer consumption in the US? I mean I drank plenty of beer in college and well into my 20s. But now, I almost never order beer at a restaurant and I only drink it at home occa…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on January 23, 2009 at 5:29am —
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Winter has definitely arrived, even here in the South, and the temperatures are cold enough that venturing outside for playtime with the kids is pretty much impossible. I don't know about your kids, but mine start to get a little cabin fever after a couple of days.
If you're tired of the endless rotation of kid-friendly TV programming and DVDs, then I've got some fun crafty activities for you. These are great for anytime but I especially like them when we're stuck inside for a few days (cold, r…
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Added by Mary on January 21, 2009 at 6:30pm —
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(*Alt. Title for those who don't know the 1970s TV show Alice: Food Trends: Southern Cuisine and Comfort Food)
It turns out Southern Food is a trend. If you don't believe me, check out this article from Bon Apetit in December "
The Southern Food Boom." Gourmet did a whole
issue on i…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on January 15, 2009 at 8:00pm —
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Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward to tonight's TwitterMoms Wine Tasting Tweet Up (#tmwc) all week.
So let’s talk about what we’ll be sipping. The selected bottle is the Panarroz Red ’06 out of Spain. How you taste this wine will depend on your individual likes and dislikes, however, the Panarroz is generally described as full of berries, a little peppery, smokey, and with a smooth mouth-feel.
The wine is actually a blend of three dif…
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Added by Laura Zavelson on January 8, 2009 at 8:00pm —
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There are about 240 different types of Stevia plants. Stevia is a herb or bush related to the sunflower. It is native to Brazil and Paraguay, and is now grown quite a lot in China. The specific plant
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, is also known as sweetleaf and is grown obviously, for its sweet leaves. The extract from…
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Added by Beth Ann Bentley on January 8, 2009 at 5:30am —
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I regularly refer to my crafting time as "therapy." My goal is to spend at least a little time creatively every day, crafting something or taking photographs or making art with my daughter. It's intensely gratifying and also calming -- plus I love having something concrete to show off for my efforts.
I'm a creature of habit, a necessity for someone with ADHD, and usually spend the time my daughter is at preschool sewing or scrapbooking or whatever strikes my fancy. Most times, I'm able to take…
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Added by Mary on January 7, 2009 at 6:13pm —
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Crafts for Teacher
Pair Popcorn and Chardonnay for Friday's TwitterMoms Wine Tasting
Have you heard of Stevia yet?
