Fresh Light Pasta Dinner; Oh My Summer Foods!

I stumbled upon a recipe a few years ago.  But, I didn't have the ingredients so I changed it up.  I have never made the original recipe, because I have enjoyed this one so much!

Cut up some Bacon Fry it till its medium well done.

 then dump on some Parmesan

 Next add some chopped onions, and cook it all together till the onions are semi-translucent

 Then add some rough chopped zucchini and cook it until starts to get tender.

 lastly add the rough cut tomatoes and stir them in until they are warmed

Now serve this on top of pasta ( I forgot to take that picture)

and serve it with some garlic bread 

(I forgot to take that picture too, I was to busy eating- If you aren't making this yet- head to the kitchen now-you will not regret it!)

Vulnerable and Weak: Messy Day

While at HOBY we had an opportunity to hear from Bryan Yager, a man who travels the world talking about leadership. He talked about how a leader is someone that is willing to show their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. This is a delicate balance with a blog, because blogging is really about having the magazine quality life. But then I remembered our mission statement and we are trying to build a blog where you can feel encouraged, inspired, uplifted that can take you to a place of creation. 

Sometimes I am confused and think that I can do it all. Then I go crazy (like smoke out my ears, roadrunner legs and complete confusion). Then I talk to one of my sweet sisters and they try to calm me down. Then I begin to think rationally and eat the elephant of a crazy day one bite at a time.

Today was one of those days, where the realization that I can't do it all came to head.

Last week I spent 2 days in the car driving home. After finally getting home, the next morning I woke up sick. I was SO sick in bed with a sinus infection. My kids, husband and I went in survival mode. Which means that the boxes that needed to be unpacked are still not unpacked. The sewing projects I have planned are still in the planning stages.

 This morning the kids got a special treat, once a year chocolate cake. Boston enjoyed it but she got it all over her face and her hair. It required her to take a bath, then Ryder needed something out of their bedroom so stepped across the hall and then I heard a terrified cry from the bathtub. I rushed to the scene and after a quick survey of the tub, I realized we had a problem. Poop. I swooped her out of the tub. Scrubbed the toys and the tub. Then put her back in to get clean.
All the while this was happening Ryder was practicing X-games tricks with the firetruck walker off his bed. After the vehicle was impounded to our bedroom. It was time for our blog planning meeting, which didn't last more than 5 minutes because the combined noises coming from the kids on our 3 lines was too much.

Jo did gave me a few pieces of advice before we ended our call. Just clean one of the rooms so you have a space to relax. Take the kids to McDonalds to burn off energy. I followed the spirit of her advice and I built a fort from the couch cushions with Ryder. And we may have had a little dance party in the kitchen.

I am working on finishing cleaning the kitchen (figured it was a good first space) and then I will move on to the dining room.
With Love,
Scary

I am hoping by the end of the week I will be sewing and able to play along with the sewing fun, if you aren't having a crazy week/day you should check it out.

PS. Peak A Boo Pattern Shop has all their Rompers on Sale, Click here to visit Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop.

Their Anchors Aweigh Sailor Romper: 3 mos. - 4t couldn't be any cuter! Or the Sea Breeze Romper would be perfect for 4th of July Sewing.

Shaffer Sisters Working Vacation

We grew up with a pretty amazing family!  One of those family members included one of our favorite aunts.  Her name is Aunt Suz.  She is soft spoken, kind, and sensitive.  I remember my Dad always saying how much he loved to hear her sing and play the guitar.  She is married to her high school sweet heart., Though, Scary was always afraid of her husband, Uncle Tim, just because he was a wild, wrestling, tickling, crazy cowboy.  Now that they are empty-nesters, they have decided to embark on adventure of their own. 


Well I bring them up today, because our Aunt and Uncle started a Guest Ranch.  People can come from all over the world to work on their Ranch.  They can drive cattle, help build fence, ride horses, and do a little cowboin', or just sit back, enjoy the view/food, and soak in the jetted tub at the lodge.  Last weekend my sisters and I decided to meet up at Steens Mountain Guest ranch and do a little work to help our Aunt and Uncle in the online marketing area. 
Building a new blog was pretty painful for Uncle Tim, but he muscled through, and in the end, he came up with what I think perfectly represents him and the ranch.
So with out further ado, please go check our Aunt and Uncle out over HERE.
We love them and we know you will too!  Over the next month or so, we will show you what we have been doing here on the ranch. 

Clip Board Jobs: Quick Tip Tuesday

Do you have jobs that you hate to do? ie. refrigerator, clean and vacuum the car, organize the bathroom closet.  Those are my least favorite jobs, because they take time and extra energy that this Momma of 5.5 does not have extra of.
Do you have children AKA cheap labor that like to work for cold hard cash?
If you answered yes to both questions, then you have a dynamite duo on your hands.

Introducing  CLIP BOARD JOBS
(yes I felt it needed bold lettering)
This is an awesome way to get work done around my house.  The visual display of cash gets these little minions of mine busy.
Our rule is that they have to do their daily chores, before they can earn money for extras.  So, I just put the money on the clipboard in the morning, with the jobs I don't wan't to do, and then I go about my day helping and doing normal mom things, like talking with my sisters on the phone.  As soon as the kids see the money go up, they are off and working.
Its magical.

We decided that Quick Tip Tuesday would be a pretty fun summer series.  So, this is where you our favorite fans come in.  If you have some good tips put them on our ongoing linky party and we may choose you to be featured on Tuesdays.  So link-up!
with love,
-Jo

Fun Summer Activities: Field Trip; Nez Perce National Historical Park

I went with our fourth grade boys to the Clear Water river.  We went to a site in Lewiston ID, called the Nez Perce National Historical Park.  There were about 40 park rangers there.  They put on an amazing 6 hour presentation.
The information ranged from imprinting, to micro organisms in the water, to Indian folklore, to actually releasing baby steal-heads into the river.  The program was amazing!  The boys got so much out of it.  I can't wait to take all of my kids back this summer.

A hand made eel net, carved with a pocket knife and the net is made from hand woven hemp.

 This guy was phenomenal he made the net shown above, and carved the eel forms, that he later used a cast for these rubber eels.  He is a native of the area.  He talked about the sacred nature of the eel.  His forefathers refer to the eel as the ancient ones.   

 These rangers taught the boys about imprinting.  

We learned that there are 3 ways that helps a fish to return to its original spawning grounds

1) smell

2) sight-they swim backwards to the ocean

3) these crazy little magnetic rocks in their heads that act like a GPS

 The army corp taught us how to measure water velocity.

 This is important for regulating the flooding in Dams, maintaining streams, and figuring out water temperatures.

 This guy taught the kids about measuring water quality by the type and number of the bug larva in the water.

 After all of that the Fish and Game got together and made us lunch!

 Here the park rangers are teaching the kids how to measure the pH balance of the water.  

They also learned about phosphates and the green house effect on water. 

 The kids started raising these steel-heads in March, from eggs.  They watched them hatch, changed their water, fed them, and maintained their water temperature.  

 This lady taught the kids how microchips are inserted in to the fish.  The yellow ring is a scaled down size of the giant rings that are put in to dams, to "scan" the fish as the swim over them.  The microchip can tell the people who study it what hatchery the fish came from, when they hatched, and which direction they are heading.

This is a video of the actual steel-head release in to the Clear Water river.  

I am so happy that the boys got to experience this!  Amazing!!

OUTSTANDING, we're at HOBY!

So as my first tour home, I get to go on a 5 day working vacation (yep, the kids are with Samson, Grandma, and Grandpa). After near solitary confinement in the basement with the kids for 4 months, I get to soak up the sun and the much needed company of my sisters (Scary and Jo).

Scary and Al

Today, and for the next couple of days, Scary and I are going to be at HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth) Leadership camp. Since budgets are pretty tight, this might be the only conference that we are able to attend this year. The funny thing is that this isn't actually for us. We are volunteering as facilitators over teams of ambassadors (between their sophmore and junior year of high school). I have to tell you though, I am so excited, probably even more excited than if we were able to go to one of those awesome blogging conferences (I hope someday soon we can experience that too).

HOBY left such an impact on the person I am today. It helped me see the potential that I held to bless others lives. I was pretty motivated as I was growing up, but I lacked the confidence or know how to really make a difference. I remember going to HOBY as a scared, shy, and excited teen and going home braver and a more aware leader. Some of the phrases I learned while there were, be the change you want to see in the world,  when you have gratitude in your attitude-you get altitude, fake it til you make it, the choice is yours- what are you going to do with it.

 

Remember that we were girls came from a super small town in the middle of everywhere, but close to nowhere. There were 15 kids in my graduating class, and 17 in Scary's. This was our first real exposure to a bigger world. Before going, I remember wondering how a girl from such a small town could ever make a big impact in the world. HOBY played a big part in our choices for college. Scary saw that she could make a big difference by being a political scientist. I saw that by being a science teacher I could make little effects that might ripple out to others.

Today we aren't working in the jobs we got degrees for, but it is still our goal to make an impact. The values and vision instilled upon us from HOBY have brought us to create a blog that's foundation is to: inspire, encourage, uplift, and create.

HOBY is held in each state that takes one ambassador (chosen by the school) from every high school in that state. The seminars last any where from 3 days to a week and are run almost exclusively by volunteers. Most of them are former HOBY ambassadors (like us) who want to give back. "Currently, more than 9,000 students,... attend HOBY programs each year. These programs are run by over 4,000 volunteers. Volunteers donate their time, talents, and labor by planning, coordinating, facilitating, and serving as mentors to tomorrow’s young leaders." (Source: HOBY.org)

After 3 days of HOBY, Scary and I are headed to Steens Mountain to meet Jo at my uncles working guest  ranch. We are looking forward to fixing fence, riding horses, making homemade biscuits, hand quilting and hours of sister time!

Wonderful Wanda Gown: 1940 Embriodered Vintage Style Dress

This post was orginally shared over at A Jennuine Life as part of the Lost Art of Sewing Series, but we are bringing it home today.

One of our sewing resolutions this year was to learn more about the "sewing lost arts". I have wanted to learn for quite some time but didn't know where to start. But when my mom's neighbor, Wanda lent me three patterns to choose from for Boston's Easter dress (ya I was about 2 months late), I picked this one. It was a good baptism by embroidery fire.

My reason for wanting to work with the lost arts of sewing is to have a connection to my sewing foremothers. One of those women who I consider a personal sewing foremother is Wanda, so for me it was a joy. It was encouraging to sew with one of her patterns, for more on that click here. 

For this project I used:
McCall 927- Size 1: a vintage dress pattern from the 1940's with embroidery detail along the neckline.
Main fabric: Joann's Casa Collection Glitter Satin, Calypso (I would call it Coral)
Contrasting Fabric: Legacy Unbleached Muslin
Embroidery Floss: DMC colors based on the color scheme Riley Blake Designs Promenade in Blue Floral, which I am making a skirt for me, for a coordinating mother daughter outfit.

After weeks of diligently working and weeks of tossing it off to the side because I was frustrated, I finally finished this dress!

Lost Art Resources used for this project:

Wild Olive: Embroidery basics tutorials

My neighbor Linda






I opted to do satin stitch for the outside part of the petal and chain stitching for the stem and the interior of the flower petals. French knots for the buds.

I made a few adjustments to the pattern by doing a pleated front & back instead of a gather, because I was using satin instead of a light weight cotton as the pattern called for. I also used 4 colors of thread as opposed to the 1 on the pattern examples.

There was no direction on the pattern piece for back closures so I did a exposed zipper with only the teeth showing up the back.

I opted for a bubble skirt instead of a 4 inch wide hem.

I added a pleat to the shoulder seam because the side was way too big, but she needs the extra room to be able to get it on. 

For the bloomers I took the embroidery pattern and blew it up 300 percent and instead of using 1-4 threads like I did on the bodice I used between 4-6 threads to get a bold design.

It has been a pleasure to share this project with you. I have started an English Smocking dress and have an idea for a fun summer dress using embroidery that I will be posting in the upcoming month.

With Love,
Scary
PS. If you liked this project you should check out the sweet dress that my sister, Al made with almost endless chain stitching on the bodice.