HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

So, just because you can make a fancy cake, doesn't mean that you have too!  We are busy installing laminate flooring and in the midst of this, it was my husband's birthday!  Sophia was desperate to decorate a cake for him so I bought the good ol' stand by...McCain Deep and Delicious!  I think it's super cute, and Sophia was elated that she didn't have to wait for the cake to bake in the oven!  Win, Win!

Gabrielle's Blueberry Muffins

Heat or no heat, it's time to bake some muffins!  Sophia has a friend coming over to spend the day with us and no child can resist warm blueberry muffins!  Not to mention, I bought a 1.5 L basket of blueberries on Sunday and it's dwindling quickly.  These muffins can be made with the store bought large blueberries, but nothing compares to wild northern blueberries!  If you don't have the time or ambition to pick blueberries in this heat, you can always stop by the side of the road and pay through the nose for a basket...which is what I did!

 

Gabrielle's Blueberry Muffin Recipe

1/4 Cup Softened Butter

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Cup Sour Cream

 1 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup Blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar until pale.  Add egg and sour cream and mix until just blended. 
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Add 1 Cup + a handful more if you like.  Gently mix in the blueberries.  The batter is stiff and if you mix it too hard you'll squish the blueberries. 
5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Perfection! 

Make 1 Dozen Muffins 

I haven't been adding much to my blog for the past few weeks but we've been busy having some summertime fun!  

Our big plans for the summer are to rip up our carpet and put in some new flooring.  I also found a chair that I would like to refinish...these projects will be showcased on the blog!  

I was also planning to put up a recipe or two but it has been REALLY hot here up North.  About 30 degrees...but it will feel like 40 degree Celsius = 104 degree Fahrenheit with the humidity!...to hot to turn the oven on. 

Until we get into some real projects, here are a few of the fun things we've been doing to keep cool and enjoy the warm weather!  

Rock Painting!

Calgary Stampede Neighborhood Breakfast

(not my neighborhood but we were lucky enough to be invited!)

 

Fun with Friends

French River Trading Post

Camp with Friends

I am one lucky gal!

Daisy Chain

How to Make a Daisy Chain

Who needs diamonds and pearls when you have a field full of daisies? 

What you need:

~ A field full of daisies (look for flowers that have thick stems and   are healthy and open)
~ Fingernails

• Pick a bunch of daisies; the amount of daisies depends on the fullness and size of the chain you want to make.

•  Make a slit near the bottom of the daisy; don’t go all the way down! Make the slit just a bit bigger than the width of the daisy stem. The closer the slit is to the flower, the fuller your chain will be.

•  Thread the stem of another daisy through the slit.  Repeat with all your daisies

•  To finish, make a slightly bigger slit in the last daisy in your chain and thread the first daisy head through the slit.

Mom- 1 / Bad Day- 0

Here's one, and it all starts with glitter...my nemesis!  Sophia LOVES it; however, she seemed to be getting a little frustrated by it as well yesterday.  She was explaining to me that she wanted glitter that didn't make a "horrible mess" like the glitter glue that she was trying to decorate the vertical surface of a box with.  Of course with the amount of glitter glue she applies, it was dripping down the box and would have taken three days to dry. 
She wanted a different kind of glitter and despite her best efforts, I just couldn't figure out what she was talking about.  After going back and forth for ten minutes, she sighed and said "Mommy, you're being really hard on me!" 
"I am?" I replied. 
"Yes, it's just really frustrating when you don't know what I'm talking about!" 
"Well, I'm sorry sweetie" I replied. 
"Well I know that you're sorry but you have to know what I'm talking about!" 
Ahhh...this went on for a very long time until I finally figured out that she was talking about the Crayola Colour Wonder Glitter Paint Pen that she had used at her grand mamans over the May long weekend! 
Although I'm also not a huge fan of the Colour Wonder, I promised her that we would go on Monday (today) to get one.  We drove all the way out to the north end of town, a 30 minute drive in the sweltering heat.  Oh, we decided to try using my husbands Toyota Tercel instead of the van for the summer to save money on gas...two door and no AC, I'll keep you posted on how long this lasts.  Anyway, her and I drove all the way out there, found the Colour Wonder, it was on sale!!  I also got a minimal amount of groceries while I was there and proceeded to the self check out.  I scanned all my items and "placed my items directly in the bag" and clicked pay, got my total and I reached into my purse only then to discover that my wallet wasn't in my purse....
So, it was a long and disappointing drive home for both of us followed by a solo trip to a store in the south end, where I live to get the Colour Wonder Glitter Pen and oh ya, I took the van!

Crowning Glory!

This cozy crown is a quick knit.  I was tired of all of those cheap hard plastic crowns that seemed to last through only a few rounds of dress up.  This crown is so comfy, it can be worn all day long.
You'll find the free pattern at This Cosy Life, another great blog full of pattern's to purchase and a few freebies too!

Child's Play Crown

Supplies*1 skein worsted weight yarn. You only need about a hundred yds (probably not even that much) this would be a great project to use some of that gorgeous handspun you’ve been hoarding. Just DO NOT use cotton. No elasticity. Stretches but won’t bounce back. I like to use Paton’s Classic Wool.
*16” circular needle, size US 7 (4.5mm)
*Tapestry needle
AbbreviationsK2tog-Knit two stitches together (This is a right slanting decrease)
SSK-Slip two stitches knit wise onto the right needle, replace them onto the left needle and knit them together (This is a left slanting decrease)

Begin knitting the brim.
Cast on 84 stitches. Being careful not to twist, join and begin knitting in the round. Knit in stockinet (knit every row) for approximately 1”.
*Purl 1 row.
Knit 1 row.*
Repeat ** once more.

Begin Points.
Row 1:SSK, k 10 stitches, K2tog
Row 2: Turn work and knit across 12 stitches
Turn work and repeat rows 1 and 2 until 4 stitches remain, decreasing 2 stitches every right side row.
Next row SSK, K2tog
Turn and knit last 2 stitches together. Break yarn and weave in tail.
Repeat for 5 more points, attaching the yarn at the beginning row of each.
***Tip*** When I attach my yarn at the beginning of a new point I like to carry it along with my yarn, knitting it into either the first or third row. Cuts down on having to weave in too many tails.

Weave in all ends and enjoy!

I attached little crochet flowers to some of my crowns and they looked super.  This is a pattern for a basic flower and a video tutorial staring...moi!

5-Petal Flower Pattern

Materials:
Any size hook (depending on what size flower you want)
Any weight yarn

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring  .
Rnd 2: Ch 2 (counts as first dc), work 9dc in ring, join to top of ch w/sl st -- 10 dcs.
Rnd 3: **Ch 2, work 3dc in next st, ch 2 sl st in next st** five times. Fasten off.

magic ring

Happy Canada Day!