dawndefined

serious addiction

2009-06-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

the first twilight book

and gummy candies

(especially the frogs).

i'll let you know when i have everything under control...

dawnie

leaving the nest

2009-05-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

can you stand yet another picture of these little guys?

this week, junior, bacon cheeseburger and talia have grown exponentially and have sprouted actual feathers with white markings on them. their beaks and eyes are formed and they look like they are almost full grown so much that we hardly recognize them anymore! (funny i've heard the same sage warning about kids, but i'm thankful mine will be sticking around for awhile yet...).

we've all been walking up to the nest and taking peeks of all three of the babies nestled together. i think over the week mama robin and baby robins have gotten used to us, and i have to admit, the kids and i have had a blast observing our little tenants. mama bird still flies away when she sees us, but she's never too far away. she's such a good little mum...

and so adorable they are, all squished together looking slightly uncomfortable. maybe a bit too much, because today the kids spied junior leaving the nest and flying away...{sigh-combination of happy and sad}. i think soon we'll be looking at an empty nest.

one down, and two to go...

happy friday too!

dawnie

memorial day

2009-05-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

the visit to the farm was every bit of fun and relaxing as we thought it would be...we headed home a day earlier than we would have liked (to beat the dreaded holiday traffic), but we didn't leave without paying a visit to keith's grandma and grandpa at the town cemetary. it was their beloved farm that we visited and where my hubby spent many happy days of his childhood.

my kids were blessed to have met their great-grandma velma and to recall some memories of her. (she called them little sacks of sugar and read their favorite books to them). there was always a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone. as a sidenote, she made the best homeade doughnuts and strawberry jam (which we got for christmas every year, my very favorite gift).

grandma velma was married to grandpa george, who passed away when keith was about 11 years old. unfortunately we never got to meet grandpa george although many stories have been passed on and retold. he was a wwii vet and fought at the battle of the bulge and contracted malaria during his service. i know that he never talked about his time serving in the army, and that he was broken hearted when grandma velma, his longtime childhood friend, married another man. sometime after, grandma velma's husband who was also fighting in wwii, died in battle. when grandpa george returned home, he proposed..and the rest they say was history.

something that's easily lost.

so that's why we stopped to remember and pay our respects this memorial day. we hope that the stories that lana and little man hear will stay in their hearts and be engraved into their memoires so one day they will pass everything on to their little ones. and that they pause every now and then in life and on special days like today...

and appreciate the sacrifices that were made by their great-grandpa george and countless others throughout the years that risked their lives and everything that they had. and to also know their grandpa george, the man.

happy memorial day to all,

dawnie

memorial day at a glance

2009-05-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

all weekend we got to look at this: there was plenty of relaxing on keith's family farm, visiting with family, a little bit of fishing and even swimming because this year the sun shone brightly...not bad for memorial day weekend in wisconsin, where you never know what you're going to get in the weather department. i even got to chow down on some of uncle mac's famous bbq ribs, which were totally worth the five hour car ride getting up to the farm. sorry, there are no photos. we took care of all the evidence.

the kids turned into some serious fisherpeople over the weekend, perfecting their casting and excercising great patience.

luckily s.a.a.j. (special agent auntie jay) was on hand to bait the worms on their hooks.

hey, a.j., i totally owe you one!!!

our fishing excursion was successful...

after the mr. caught his large mouth bass, the kiddos deliberated whether it was humane to eat the fish or not. it was hilarious to hear them debate the issue, though finally, hunger won out. (the fish was delish by the way...nothing like fresh caught fish in a fresh, clean lake).

it's a law that whenever we go somewhere, we always forget something...this time it was the bucket for the fish. so fordy was in charge of babysitting the fish...

er, walking the fish. or something like that.

we rounded out the weekend with birthday cake for keith's brother andy,

who incidently is a kid magnet...not that you can tell or anything.

some napping while waiting for uncle andy to give out four wheeler rides...

i did mention he was a kid magnet, yes?

frog catching...and frog kissing

(which does not yield any princes, we concluded),

some very important, cousin bonding time,

and s'mores, star gazing and hiking.

it was the perfect weekend...

three day weekend (here we come)

2009-05-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

[photo by friendly made

www.friendlymade.etsy.com]

this memorial day weekend, we’ll be headin’ up to keith’s grandma’s farm for some r&r, hiking and fishing (and if it’s warm enough, swimming). i’m also looking forward to partaking in some of keith’s uncle’s famous bbq ribs, which I happen to get only 4-5 some odd years at a time.

so, in preparation for the two days, I have my lists in hand: my grocery list, packing list, and my master "to-do" list of things that must be done before we leave. anyone else like this? it drives my husband crazy because his idea of packing is throwing one clean pair of tidy whities and a toothbrush in a bag. in this respect and many others we balance ourselves out.

between the two of us, we did remember to pack the important stuff:

the kids
dog
cooler full of cold beverages
sleeping bags
inflatable lake floaties
fishing poles
cameras
roasting sticks
and s’mores-homeade (yeah!)

and there i go again with my lists...

have a relaxing memorial day weekend!

dawnie

kookiness

2009-05-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

i like to run. it gives me much needed clarity and quiet time in my life, plus it's a fantastic cardio workout. really, truth be told, i run partly because i'm lazy. i know once i spill the beans to everyone i know that i'm training for a race, there's no backing out.

[photo by steve rhodes]

just last weekend, in my homestate, the 98th annual bay to breakers race took place in san francisco. it's that kooky race where runners dress up (or not at all-eek...) and hike up a hilly 7 1/2 mile course. i'm penciling it in for next year, but i have a feeling i'm not going to be breaking my p.r. i'll be gawking at all of the creative costumes and probably rolling down the hills to make up for lost time. it looks like one big, fantastic party though.

[photos by rene drivers]

[photo by alan grinberg]

[photo by christian noble]

a+ for originality...but i can't look at this one for too long. yes, moving on...

[photo by christian noble]

[photo by alan grinberg]

bay to breakers 2010.

count me in.

kids at play

2009-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

is there anything better than a sprinkler on a warm afternoon?

the smiles say it all...

pure joy,

dawnie

and then there were three

2009-05-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

the kids finally named them too...junior, bacon cheeseburger, and talia (up front and center).

welcome monday

2009-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

www.petuniaz.etsy.com

goodness...feels as if i'm going to blow away today! it's a good day to stay indoors and catch up on a couple of projects. the weekend was busy as usual, and had us scrambling to get to hubby's biathalon, a saturday night bbq, and putting up a shed... a very productive weekend, it was.

i'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet today to regroup and tackle some creative endeavors.

cheers,
dawnie

friday alliteration

2009-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

the mr. brought home a mystery package yesterday.

curious?

when i looked inside, it made me say, mmmmmmmmmmmm.

and yum...

and hooray!

because you can only get this scrumptious treat once a year

and only if you beat everyone else to the punch.

people trespass to find them.

get in rock 'em sock 'em robot fights

to win out.

what could cause such a reaction?

morel mushrooms...that's what.

i've had them before, but never prepared them. my wheels were turning and my creative juices were flowing with ideas: mushroom panini, mushroom soup, mushroom bechemel sauce...

but we were pressed for time, so we resorted towards simple and easy. lana's spring sing was last night and in a rush to get to school and in a rush to use up the morels whilst they were fresh, we chopped them up. sauteed them in butter. threw in some crackers. scrambled some eggs. and tossed in a little seasoning.

ta da! scrambled eggs a la super dee duper!

(sorry there's no pic of the scrambled eggs. i mentioned that we were

in a hurry last night, right?).

it wasn't fancy, but it sure was yummy.

and if it seems a travesty to waste such specialness on something as common and simple as scrambled eggs, all is not lost. my husband's coworker (who so graciously shared his mushroom treasure with us) is morel hunting this weekend, so i may have a second chance at culinary redemption. you can imagine the serious butt-kissing going on...

mr., mystery, mmmmmm, morel mushrooms.

it's a wrap.

and it's friday friends! amen.

have a fabulous weekend.

dawnie

news alert

2009-05-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

baby birds in the house!!! yes, the babies have hatched- two of 'em to be exact. we're still waiting on the third and final one to make his debut. the kids were relieved, excited and beyond happy at their arrival.

it happened so fast... just this morning i checked on the little buggers and they were still nestled in their cozy little eggs. and the next moment, it's the p.m. and the kids are tumbling off the bus, peepin' for progress. and there they are! two little brand new babies, mouths turned up and calling for mama robin for a little something to snack on.

they are so fresh and new. some might say not the, uh...cutest things in the world. still pink and featherless and their eyes have yet to be developed. but we will rival that they are the most adorable little baby robins because they're "ours" (you know how it is). now that they've made their way into the world, it's only proper to name them now. it will be interesting to see what the kids pick out...

we are happy to have them here, alive and well after all the drama last weekend. round one, over...(ding). now for round two...fingers crossed that the neighborhood kitty stays away.

to spring, baby birds and all that's new,

dawnie

lesson learned

2009-05-11T06:15:00.001-07:00

a week ago the kids and i made a wonderful discovery that was hiding right under our noses. a mama robin had made her nest and laid four of the most magnificent blue-hued eggs under our back porch. each day we would roll the grill off to the side and mama bird would flee from her nest and into the neighboring maple tree and watch us as we peered through the cracks of our deck at the four little birdy eggs.

over the weekend a sad thing happened. after telling the kids to only look at the nest and eggs and not to disturb them, a friend convinced them that birds can't sense humans and therefore they could handle the eggs. so as my daughter scooped a tiny egg out ready to pass it on to my son, it slipped before he could catch it. it fell to the ground and cracked...

two stricken children ran into the house, tears streaming their faces. to their credit they told the truth, all of it. elena cupped the little egg in her hands and found a box to nestle it in. keith grabbed the shovel and we headed out to "the" corner. after it was done, and after some heartfelt "sorrys" were expressed, she laid a flower on top.

at bedtime there were more tears, hugs and prayers that baby bird was in heaven and that mama robin would come back to sit on the rest of her eggs. we talked about mistakes and and what we learned from it all. another of life's lessons on forgiveness, and respect for life and nature all rolled up into one.

i promised lana before i went to bed that i would walk down the steps of our back porch to see if mama bird returned. if she was there and she heard me, she would fly away. if not, there would be nothing. i opened the door quietly so as not to scare her off before i had a chance to spot her, but then walked halfway noisily down the steps. and mama bird was there. i was happy to report to the kiddos that she flew away like a banshee into our maple tree and chewed me out whole-heartedly with a "TWEET TWEET TWEET!!!". relief all around.

[photo by joseph hollick]

fingers crossed and maybe a few more prayers for good measure, and hopefully we'll have some of these cuties to show you soon...we certainly hope so.

(to be continued...)

mother's day VIIII

2009-05-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

mother's day love...

snuggling

morning movie

sushi

flowering everything

poem

the lady i owe my thanks to... thanks mom!
(you too dad!)

the man who started it all...

and the little ones who make my life worthwhile.

(more snuggling tonight).

xoxo,

dawnie

part deux- hello cupcake

2009-05-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

phew! for a moment i thought i had lost my cupcake-making mojo. good thing it came back, because today i made some petite-sized mother's day cuppies that go perfectly with the cake platter i made yesterday. sweet success...

can you tell they are a bouquet of carnations and begonias? hmmmmm...me either.

but i think they look pretty nonetheless.

and here's another cake platter that i made with another porcelain bowl. another lucky find at goodwill. i like how the lavender cuppies look all grouped together.

i thought about giving them away...

...but then the kids and i ate them. we couldn't resist.

luckily they can be made in a snap.
here's my favorite recipe for chocolate cake below.
it has never let me down...

lennie's deep dark chocolate cake
from recipezaar.com

2 c. white sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. canola oil (or melted butter)
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. brewed coffee

preheat oven to 350 degrees. line mini-muffin or muffin tin with liners. in a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. add the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. stir the coffee in by hand. the batter will look a tad soupy, but do not fear, they will puff up and round out evenly when they bake. next, pour evenly into the liners about halfway. bake for 15-20 minutes for minis or 20-25 minutes for regular cupcakes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

buttercream frosting

2 sticks of butter, softened

4 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 c. milk

cream butter until light and fluffy. beat in sugar, vanilla and salt. add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting has a smooth consistency.

then click on this link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9qtZwHHmx4

and it will take you to a video tutorial on you tube that shows how to frost the cupcakes into begonias and carnations. do not fear: a lovely lady named allison will walk you step by step through the process.

i won't show you the cupcakes from yesterday because, frankly, they had the face that only a mother could love... they tasted good anyway:)

so if your mom loves:

chocolate + flowers + cupcakes +handmade

this is a winner.

(and the cake stand is a bonus).

happy, sweet mother's day to all the moms out there!

dawnie

part un: mother's day cake platter

2009-05-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

oy. so the best laid plans don't always work out as i found out today. at least half of my project worked out, and tomorrow is a new day. so here is the half that did work out. i've been wanting to build a cake platter for some time now and finally found some suitable dishes to make one.

here are the materials that you need to do the job...q-tips and napkins for cleaning up the goopy glue spillover, a ruler to center your pieces together, a washable crayola marker and some good bonding glue. i used e-6000 that i bought at jo-ann's that dries transparent and is supposed to be washable.

i found two porcelain dishes at goodwill for 3 buckaroos total. the container is a shabby chic piece that someone originally bought at target (i thought it'd make an equally cute pencil/pen cup but decided to sacrifice it) and a white plate. you can also find bowls, plates and cups at your local target, kmart, walmart, and so on that would work too.

you can use a ruler to measure exactly where to center your bottom piece, but i just plopped my bottom piece down the center of the plate and marked the circumference with one of my kiddies crayola markers.

then i squeezed a ring of glue around the edge of the top of my cake base and glued the sucker down. **note about the glue**: it is super stinky so best to use it outside or near a window (or else pass out from the smell). then i used my q-tips and napkins to clean up where the glue squished out and wet another q-tip to erase my marker dots. i let my cake platter dry for a couple of days; you can put some weight on the top of the plate to hold it down if you like.

voila! cake platter!!!

i think it turned out pretty cute. ahhh...too bad my other "project" is not so lovely, but i will repost "part deux" of this mother's day gift tomorrow.

i'll give you a hint: petit gateau!

until then,

oh and happy friday!

dawnie

lets get crafty

2009-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

mother's day is just around the corner (3 days to be exact). but don't panic...there's plenty of time to whip up something special and heartfelt for mum before then. if you try to avoid the malls and are a sentimental sap for anything handmade, like moi, then some of these should be right up your alley:

bakerella does it again...flower cake pop cuties using leftover easter candy. i've actually made the cake balls using her recipe and the process is easy and the results yummy.

bakerella.blogspot.com/

lovely handmade tea bags with cut-out tabs a la martha stewart.
www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/mothers-day-tea-sachets-and-gift-box

vintage lace brooch by martha stewart. the lady (and her brilliant staff) is pure genius.
www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/blossoming-brooch

i can't resist this bag by posie gets cozy. i would use it at the grocery store, library, overnighters, practically anywhere....click here for directions:

rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2009/05/the-jane-market-bag-pattern-is-ready.html

flirty apron by one more moore. if mom doesn't bake, this apron might make her want to.
morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2007/02/valentine_tree__1.html

mom might appreciate a pinchushion designed by anna maria horner if she's a seamstress. red, standard tomato pincushion, move over.

www.bhg.com/crafts/sewing/projects/wild-flower-pincushion/

a photo lantern by a field journal is a creative way for mom to display photos of the kiddies. i can see this working with candle votives or glass vases also. step by step tutorial at decor8.
decor8blog.com/2009/04/01/craft-tutorial-photo-lanterns/

you can never go wrong with breakfast in bed...seriously. and this tres chic (and simple) bed tray by ashley is the perfect accessory. check it out at design sponge.

www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/diy-project-ashleys-picture-frame-tray.html

i think we all wish we had more time to enjoy a long, relaxing bath. give mom a chance and permission to indulge and whip up some lavender bath salts by lost button studios.

lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com/search?q=bath+salts

i find that flowers, time spent and heartfelt notes are always welcome and preferred. a little spoiling doesn't hurt though :)

dawnie

p.s. tomorrow i'll post an easy and yummeriferous craft that you can surprise mom with for mother's day. stay tuned...

ode to blogging moms

2009-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

in honor of the upcoming mother's day, i've thought about what makes certain moms i've known or come to know in some form or another, extraordinary. there are many moms that pop into mind that i'm blessed to know personally and then there are blogging moms that i've come to feel as if i know them personally through their trials, shining moments, and creative endeavors. here are a few of my favorites:

gabrielle blair

www.designmom.com

she's hip and she's a new yorker that recently relocated to denver, colorado. mom of 5 kids ('nuff said) who finds the most fantastical kid (and big people) items. she seems down to earth and yet fun- you know, the kind of mom your kids, and yourself, would like to hang out with. and look at this family photo...egads. how does one dress 5 people (correction: 7 people including herself and her hubby) with all those colors and patterns in such a coordinated and fashionable way? my daughter would be in heaven.

ree drummond

www.thepioneerwoman.com

i love the pioneer woman's colorful insights and her sense of humor on everyday little occurances on her ranch where she lives with marlboro man (her sig other) plus her punk and punkettes. this lady is funny. i mean FUNNY. and talented. she homeschools her four kids (okay, she's crazy too- ha!) and still finds time to help run a ranch, cook amazing meals for her family and ranch help, and host complete strangers/guest bloggers in her beautiful home. then she finds time to artfully blog ( and take totally artistic photos) about the above mentioned... and more. phew! just talking about it all, makes me tired. pioneer woman, i am not worthy!

anna maria horner

www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com

she's a mom. she's a fabric designer. artist. talented photographer (see above). business woman. blogger. and she's phenomenally creative. she's preggers with her 6th child (they span 18 years old and college bound to bun in the oven) and she still manages to look and exude youthfulness and manage a fabric business to boot...i think she's one of the pioneers of fabulous, modernized, hippy chic fabric and the mastermind of some equally fabulous clothing and home good patterns. i admire her balance and commitment to both of her passions- family and her craft.

and last but not least:

stephanie nielson

www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com
my favorite. stephanie nielson is a blogger from utah, and lives with her doting husband and 4 young, beautiful children. i love the aura of her blog; it's like stepping into an anthropologie catalog- all dreamy and artfully documented but so personal. i may be speaking to the choir, because many know about stephanie and her husband already, but stephanie was in a plane accident that burned 80% of her body and 30% of her husband's. i had admired her blog pre-accident for her devotion to her family, her perspective on life, and the simplicity and creativity that she diffuses into her home all in the name of her family. now that admiration is 100 fold for her strength and humor through this trial.

so, here it is...my favorite mom bloggers. what are yours?

just dandy

2009-05-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

each spring, the kids are on the lookout for the first dandelion of the year. this year lana lou hoo spotted the first one in the yard. she was so excited she was beside herself.

then as we all know, before you can say 'holy dandelion', the little buggers pop up everywhere. like overnight.

some people call them flowers and some people call them weeds.

we think it's a matter of perspective.

hope your weekend is grand!

dawnie

craving...

2009-04-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

ripe strawberries.

a sunflower field.

summer thunderstorms.

a good, long bike ride.

chalk sessions with the kiddies.

ice cream.

coney island.

the beach at sunset.

and all things summer...

p.s. find these scrumptious photos on www.etsy.com:

strawberries- eternal images

sunflowers- art of whimsy photo

summer rain- wood and pixels

bicycles- dripstick

chalk- sheena lu

ice cream- the block store

coney island- gallogirl photos

sunset surf- aaron overstreet art

daffodils

2009-04-23T08:06:00.001-07:00

the daffodils have finally come out to play.

happy, sweet friday!

dawnie

little thank you's

2009-04-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

i went into my kids' school, just like every wednesday, and look what happened!

i was bamboozled by some 20 pretty cool first-graders and one talented teacher.

actually i am embarrassed to say that i was 10 minutes late (without a good excuse) and as i walked through the door, mrs. polglaze stopped the kids from whatever they were doing. in a snap, 20 pairs of eyes were focused on me. my first thought was crud, i am going to be made an example of how not to be late...

instead, i was rewarded with this...

and this...20 sweet and thoughtful cards.

i so love their artwork and the touching things that they wrote. i think this picture looks even better than the "real" version of me.

and this picture cracks me up: forget about carrots...here's the easter bunny pointing to some chocolate chip cookies instead- er, they are cookies right?

and this is the 'after' pic of me once i polished all those chocolate chip cookies that the easter bunny made.

all this just for doing something that i enjoy and feel blessed to do. their appreciation and kindness made an already sunny day brighter. i plan to pay it forward.

it's amazing what little thank you's can do.
dawnie

bug love

2009-04-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

ever since i was a wee lass, i've coveted my cousin brad's '68 black convertible bug. funny, i don't remember ever actually riding in it although i did get to cruise in his sister's ghia-what great fun too!. i do remember longing, hoping one day that i would own my own convertible bug...maybe even have brad's beetle one day. i think i held a funeral the day brad broke up with his girlfriend and she relinquished custody of it and bye-bye bug... what a lucky girlfriend.

i got over my heartbreak (kinda) and so did brad, and i figured one day probably when i was old and gray and had some cabbages to throw around, i'd own one. mind you, not one of the newer, slick, easter-egg hued bugs you see zipping around town, but the older-quirky-rumbling-retro version.

i didn't have to wait too long. christmas 2008 to be exact. see the mr. above? he's so sneaky...

and here she is...world, meet madam blueberry!

last friday, the first 70 degree day of the year, we were finally able to dust her off so she could make her debut. we packed the kids, the dog, turned the top down, and headed to the park (the long way, of course) for a picnic. i feel a little embarassed to say it, but we felt a bit like celebrities, as we puttered along, sun on our faces and wind blowing through our hair. people stopped to look, wave, honk, smile, and we even got one thumbs up. now i know that it wasn't us that was garnering all the attention, rather the car, but it was fun to pretend we were famous.

speaking of kids, here are the rascals. i think they did their share of waving and had a fun time in the back seat enjoying life and having fun. i'm pretty sure they will put this somewhere in their memory files, hopefully in the happy section.

i know i definitely will. it was every bit the wait and more.

cheers!
dawnie

p.s. first picture of the black bug is by gl0ri.

easter recap

2009-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

tye-dyed hands.

jeweled eggs.

fresh air and sunshine

(and of course an egg hunt!).

fairy houses.

and daffodils.

each one of these things made for a perfect day.
hope your easter was lovely too!
dawnie

happy easter!

2009-04-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

i can't believe that easter is a mere day away! it snuck up on us this year, but we managed to get eggs filled for the egg hunt tomorrow, prepare the house for company, and our sunday's best is pressed and ready to go. and hooray- we will be enjoying our 60 degree weather with no snow (unlike last year) so we can have an outside easter egg hunt this year. we are officially ready to celebrate easter.

have a wonderful easter everyone!

dawnie

milwaukee museum

2009-04-02T09:56:00.001-07:00

as promised, i wrote earlier last weekend, that i would share what the fam and i did over the weekend. the kids are titanic nuts- they've pored over countless books about the titanic. we missed the last exhibit in chicago, so when the titanic exhibit made it's way to milwaukee we jumped at the opportunity.

when you arrive at the beginning of the exhibit, you receive a white star line pass to "board" the titanic. i learned a couple of new things that day; one being that one first class tickets cost about $4000, the equivalent of $69,000 today. holy dang...that was a lot of money. i also didn't know that a lot of passengers (who were scheduled to board other white star line ships), in an unlucky twist of fate, were transferred to the titanic because of a coal strike.

the neat thing about the boarding pass is that on the other side, it has the name of a passenger who was on the titanic. there are facts about each passenger, where they were originally from, where they were traveling to, their class, age and family. throughout the exhibit, it was interesting to watch people "own" their ticket. they would say things to their companions such as, "who are you?" and "i am so and so; i'm in the second class." and "i'm going to _______."

lana recieved the boarding pass of lady lucy duff-gordon from london, england. she was thrilled that "madame lucille" was a famous fashion designer who traveled to her businesses in paris, london, ny and chicago. did you know that she coined the word "chic"? above, is a photo of madam lucille looking very chic, holding a very cute dog.

keith had the ticket of an 18 year old from the u.k. named percy andrew bailey and fordy had the ticket of a male named frank thomas andrew, both who were in second class and making new lives for themselves in the states. as for myself, i held the boarding pass of mrs. stephen hold (annie margaret hill) from england. she was 36 years old and traveling back to her home in sacramento. it was interesting that i would receive a boarding pass of a lady who was the same age as myself and also traveling to my home state of california.

there were many artifacts in the exhibit, like a toothpaste well, leather suitcase, money, watches and even perfume in their original vials, which supposedly you were able to still smell. see the plates all lined up in a row at the bottom of the sea? the same dishes were displayed in the exhibit, looking as brand-spanking new as the day they were placed in the kitchen cabinets of the titanic. being in the same room with all these objects, many still intact, was humbling.

in the last room, there was a large list on the wall that organized all of the titanic's passengers by class and then further separated by who survived and who perished that fateful night. the discrepancy between what class they were in and how it influenced who survived and who didn't, was staggering. lady duff-gordon survived as did mrs. annie hold. mr. bailey and mr. andrews, who were of course men and second class passengers to boot, did not.

in all, 706 passengers survived and 1517 passengers died. when you take in account that these passengers had families who loved them and many had bright hopes for the future, it really hits you.

if you ever get the chance to experience this exhibit, i hope that you will. i know that we were happy that we took the time to go. of course now this has resparked the titanic craze in our house, so you can only guess what we're going to watch tonight?

dawnie

victory weekend

2009-03-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

winter paid us a surprise visit again yesterday with a slushy mix. it rained, it froze, and it snowed in repeating, random order all afternoon and into this morning. just when the trees decided to bud, the grass turned green, the robins returned and the flowers began sprouting, winter reminded us that it's really not over until it's over. it was definitely a good day to stay indoors (of course we didn't... but more about our weekend to follow later this week).

don't feel too sorry for me though. today the sun is out and the snow is melting rapidly. spring is victorious, at least for right now...

another victory of sorts occured for me in the baking department over the weekend...i made ebelskivers for the very first time and achieved success! ebelskivers, for those who don't know, are danish pastries, sort of like little rounded pancakes that you can leave plain or stuffed with a little bit of jam, fruit, custard, pudding, or whatever your little heart desires. this morning we decided to make them with a little bit of smuckers berry jam tucked inside and a heavy-handed sprinkling of powdered sugar to mirror the great snowy outdoors.

you can find ebelskiver pans at williams-sonoma or a cheaper "pancake puff" version at stores like target or walmart. i found my cast-iron pan last friday at the local goodwill for a mere $10, another reason to feel victorious. i wasn't too sure about the quality of the product because it is an "as seen on tv" product, but i thought it was worth a shot for as much as it cost. i figured that back in the day, danish people didn't have fancy ebelskiver pans sold at fancy cooking stores like williams-sonoma, but rather good old sturdy cast iron pans. i double oiled the pan and double crossed my fingers that it would work...

i was not disappointed!!! they are a little tricky to turn over, but once you get the hang of manuevering the two skewers it is kind of fun. what also helped is brushing the wells with some butter and having some extra helping hands. as i poured the batter in the pan, "jelly man" (my better half) dropped dollops of jam in the center and i followed with a little extra batter. miss lana lou, my "sweet" assistant, sifted powdered sugar over the tops of the ebelskiver. we all couldn't stop saying ebelskiver (pronounced like "able-skeever") as we made them. we also couldn't stop eating them off the plates, still warm and yummy.

we used this recipe from the williams-sonoma site (keep in mind we swapped the blueberries for premade jam, poured in a shot of vanilla extract, and used half wheat flour and half white flour):

Ebelskiver Recipe

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 pint fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Maple syrup for serving
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions. Put 1/2 tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Put 5 or 6 blueberries in the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Using 2 wooden skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and blueberries. Dust the pancakes with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with maple syrup. Makes about 40.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

enjoy~ hope your weekend was just as sweet!

dawnie

tidings of spring

2009-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

it's been a full week of meetings, running around and slaying viruses- both kids have been home from school this week with illnesses. alas, today is friday and i'm looking forward to spending a couple of supreme, lazy days over the weekend with the kiddies and the mr. i'm thinking some reading, relaxing, a movie, and some coffee and homemade pancakes are in order. maybe perhaps, if i'm feeling a bit ambitous too, a homemade cake.

so in the lines of keeping it simple, may you have a wonderful weekend!

happy spring,
dawnie

paris envy

2009-03-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

paris' evening

a bird trapped

in its charms.

by john tiong chung hoo

at the tippy-top of my great, long list of "to-do's", is to visit paris and all "its charms" with my family. luckily i can live vicariously through nichole robertson until that day appears. she takes the most fantabulous photographs of quaint cafes and streets, fancy parisian sweets (need i say more?), and anything else that catches her fancy... and her very artistic eye. i realize as i admire her photos, that i really could use a better camera for taking pictures. oh- some talent and a scenic location such as paris, couldn't hurt either...

aren't these tulips beautiful? isn't the photograph of the tulips beautiful? see what i mean? view more photos of her and her family's adventures in paris at http://littlebrownpen.blogspot.com/

as if i needed more motivation and affirmation to head to paris, i discovered "paris on a budget" by gourmet magazine at usa today's website. bad economy or good economy- i'm always for a great deal.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-08-27-gourmet-magazine-paris_N.htm

as a family we are going to learn how to speak french. that way when we finally master the language somewhat and make our way to paris, we can ask for an eclair or some pain in proper fashion. "i mai s'il vous plait un eclaire?"

heureux vendredi (happy friday),
dawnie

surprises

2009-03-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

earlier this week, my first born child surprised me by commenting that her heart's desire was to have an "old-style" typewriter. what is this? i couldn't believe my ears.

i don't know about you, but i was thinking that it was very cool that she would request that over a new nintendo or psp (or whatever is the latest and the greatest), so happily i obliged. after a quick search on ebay, and then onto one of my favorite websites- the local craigslist, i found this beauty... an olivetti lettera 32. something about the seafoam color and the description of this compact retro workhouse being used from the Vietnam rice paddies to Paris coffeehouses made my heart swoon.

and check out the neato-bendito, spanish characters on the keys...this little guy is a world traveler. from buenos aires. i think i'm in love...

turns out my dad still has his old royal and now my daughter will be the third generation to use it. i hope that she'll enjoy tap-tap-tapping on it during lazy afternoons, watching the figments of her imagination leap from the keys onto her paper. and i hope my dad won't mind if i paint his old royal this really cool turquoise color.

and as for that olivetti lettera 32...maybe i'll keep that one for myself:)

dawnie

greetings

2009-02-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

hello,

welcome to my little piece of the blogging world:)

my name is dawn and i live in wisconsin with my darling husband, two spirited kids, one nappy lil' dog named sake, and one ornery bird named bonito. i make my living by being one part stay-at-home mum, one part teacher, and one part artist. i dream of beaches, world travel, writing a book, owning my own business, creating, and...well, don't get me started!

in case you're wondering, i created this site to inspire myself and others in my creative endeavors. a sort of online journal to inspire myself to keep dreaming and celebrating the little things in life and to continue searching for who i am, what i love, and what makes me tick.

so here's to light and new beginnings~ cheers!
dawnie