JC handmade

may days ~ 9

may days ~ 8

may days ~ 7

may days ~ 6

may days ~ 5

recipe for good times via the ever-so crafty candace - thanks!

may days ~ 3+4

::

may days ~ 2

may days ~ 1

*whoosh*

that's what life has been like these past few weeks.  sorry to anyone who has stopped by only to discover we've dropped off for a while.  everything is fine.  quite fine, actually - plenty of living and enjoying and being in and of it all as much as we can.

and we're going to continue to be out of blogging commission for the time being due to some construction that has us unbelieveably dusty and out of the house most of the time.  for another few weeks, it looks.  i miss blogging :: catching up, reflecting, sharing, listening and learning.  so, in an effort to continue to offer a daily story, i'll be photoblogging for the month capturing images of our may days.  join me if you like.

i hope that you stop by to say "hi" now and then.  xoxo

treasure hunting

while running a few errands friday afternoon, the girls and i came across a rummage sale at a small local church.  they were most excited when i suggested we go for a treasure hunt.  almost as excited as mama.

we headed straight for the children's room, which was a treasure trove, let me tell you.  not only did i find the prettiest little vintage polly flinders hand smocked dress which will fit the girls in a few years, but there was also a pair (as in two!) of handmade, hand-smocked gingham dresses.  (let me add, being twins is supercool, but i just never felt the need or desire to dress the girls alike.)  but these dresses, well how could i pass up two of these?  i mean, one even came with a special hanger.

and the books, oh the books - some very special titles have now been added to our bookshelves.  so so good.  i tried to exercise some self-control as i scoured the bins, but there were so many gems.

and for the first time, the girls each were able to pick a treasure by themselves.  one treasure.  they spent upwards of 15 minutes picking and choosing, changing their minds, carefully considering which one item they'd each like to bring home.  there were a few cringeworthy moments with cruddy dollbabies and the like, but mama bit her tongue because this was to be their choice and their choice alone.  my children really took the concept of "one special treasure" to heart and appreciated what i was trying to convey without saying as much.  and we stayed under budget, with the entire lot including two full-length vintage skirts (bought for the fabric amazingness) coming in at a whopping $8.55.

more than ever, i am looking forward to rummage sale season this year as well as the coming months of garage saleing.  what a joy to have two eager little treasure hunters in my company.  xoxo

more pink

i love pink sauce.  actually, anything cream-based is extraordinary in my book, really.  but let's be real here - cream is not the friend of almost 40-year-old curves (ahem) and general arterial flow. the traditional recipe (according to our favorite italian restaurant) is 50% marinara and 50% alfredo sauce.  yes, you read that right.  don't be fooled by that pretty pink at your local cucina.

but i have been regularly doing a substantial number of cooking light recipes (or the like) that i felt comfortable trying my hand at making a healthy + tasty alternative to my beloved pink sauce.  oh yeah, and it's super easy.

put the tomatoes aand about a cup of the cottage cheese in your blender, whizz it up and add chicken stock to thin it to your personal preference.  i made the ravioli first, drained them and while they sat in the collander (also pink - what's up with this place) i quickly heated the sauce through in that same pan and then ladled it over the "cheesy noodle pockets" on our plates.  some of us (cough cough) ate extra sauce by the spoonful (like soup) when we were done with the pasta.  yum.