30 Days of Summer Project #1

Has anyone notice the vacuous hole that has been my blog the last 6 weeks or so.  I began with such gusto.  Due to my habitual lack of self motivation- I have given myself an official blog assignment.  This is also a mom assignment and a generally fun-filled assignment.  So... here goes.   Summer has officially just begun.  And with summer comes outdoor (and sometimes rainy, or a nice break from the sweltering heat) fun.  I have a tenacious 3 year old and a wily 17 month old.  What to do with them?  Well other than spray them with the garden hose repeatedly and kick a ball up and down the driveway (don't worry, there will still be plenty of that!)

I am a true arts and crafts appreciator.  I am also a nature lover and a total amateur scientist (well at least I love to see how things work).  Luckily my toddler and preschooler are arts and crafts aficionados and natural scientists.  So we decided together that this summer should be filled with exciting projects.  Thus my blog project:  one month's worth of summery projects in three month's time, or three to four projects a week successfully executed and documented here on "life in the pines."

To show that I am serious and completely committed- here is the first project- ICE PAINTING!

Water, food coloring and something to mix it all up (we used q-tips)

Ready for the freezer...

This project is super easy and great for little hands to be involved in the whole process.  From pouring water into the ice cube trays to mixing in the colors with q-tips, to checking on the freezing process and melting the paints onto paper- we all had a good time.

All you need are ice cube trays, water, food coloring and something to mix it all up (we used q-tips).

I don't think we need an official step by step here- it's pretty self explanatory.  The boys had fun pouring the water into the tray and everywhere around the trays and onto the floor (my floor needed a mopping anyway).  I would suggest a little more diligent supervision during the food coloring step.  Edward loves red, so we had a little color imbalance.  It took some convincing to use the other colors.  

A very proud little artist/scientist

We checked on the freezing progress several times- feeling very scientific indeed.  When we had solid cubes we donned minimal clothing and went outside for cool colorful fun.

The inevitable taste test...

It's no fun without a little mess!

A simple and fun-filled project we plan to do lots more (we even have some cubes left from this round)!

Soon to come... NATURE FOSSILS and FOURTH OF JULY CRAFTS.

Until then... happy summering!

Nakie Boys Series 3

Big brother- little brother.

We keep explaining to E that A will most likely be bigger than him someday. But for now the big brother's still in charge. They are best friends about 95% of the time and we couldn't feel more blessed. They love to love each other, but they are also going in opposite directions (much to mommy's dismay) most of the time. To get them to both look at me and smile is nearly impossible. But we know how handsome they both are- so capturing them in action is really more alluring.

This completes the first nakie boys series.

Nakie Boys Series 2

Alright E's turn.

A wily three year old is not the easiest material to work with as a photographer. Luckily he is 110% character and super handsome (check out those eye lashes).

I warmed up most of these shot in lightroom thanks to my boys' paler than pale skin being practically reflective and leaving them looking washed out. Again, any help is readily accepted (opinions, please???)

I really should be doing before and afters shouldn't I? I'll save that for another topical blog series. How bout?

So, again, the wriggly boy factor- how did I even get these shots? I let him have at the futon- flip the cushion up- make a "bed" out of pillows and covers- crawl across the "train track"- etc. Later the boys pulled the futon half off the frame to make a slide. All this kept them in one general location and yet unposed in the formal sense. And it makes picture time and playtime one and the same. Enjoy!

Nakie Boys Series

So isn't this how so many of us get involved in photography- beautiful children. I'm working on my fixed lens portraiture and lightroom editing. This is all a works in progress, I wholeheartedly admit. I took a bunch of shots the other day when the boys were in transition from pj's to day clothes. The morning light in the playroom was really stunning. I let my camera and models do most of the work. Here are a few of the A man...

I welcome any advice from experienced photographers and any opinions from experienced appreciators. E man shots and duo shots to follow.

P.S. A was getting over pink eye- thus all the "artistic" back of the baby shots. I will share shots of his beautiful face as well. Promise.

Growth

I should be folding laundry... What a wonderful and fulfilling method of procrastination you are blog. Thank you for that- I still feel somewhat productive. Speaking of productive... my darling little plants have been working hard. I really don't have much to do right now other than tend to the weeds and cheer on my little sprouts (nature has provided their baths and and beverages with copious rainfall this past week). Here are some before and afters (two weeks of effort on their part- and a few hours on my part).

Before:
After:

Notice the Marigolds from Kmart... according to my mom, who did not so generously pass down her lovely green thumb, they will help with pest control. I think they are a merry addition to my little green soldiers. They are also a hardy frugal flower (frugal? yes, I think so- high yielding, low cost).

Before:After:We have a few more rainy days ahead peppered with sunshine. I'm hoping this will keep my plants happy. I just went and bought another trunkfull of peat moss for my second bed. Overzealous? Maybe. But this bed is already half full and I'm a relentless optimist.

Ode to sweet potato fries

Ah the simplicity.

Sneakily wholesome.

Savory and sweet.

Tantalizing to the eyes and the tongue.

I affirm my love affair with sweet potato fries in one lasting refrain... yummmm.

My cooking technique general follows a {blue prints + whimsy = deliciousness} formula. Sweet potatoes fries are such a fun, nearly fool proof subject to apply to this formula.

Here's my very scientific recipe shared (whimsy in italics).

>>>>Preheat oven to 400

1. Cut the sweet potato into uniform sized fries or chunks if you're feeling deviant

[This is my only issue with the sweet potato fry process- they are hard to cut into "uniform" fries. Don't let this negatively effect your experience. Perfection is not part of the process].

2. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil salt and pepper cumin, chili pepper, old bay, a little honey, lemon pepper- all good options as well- have fun here, these are your fries.

[I love how sweet potato fries can take on their cook's identity or mood. I usually go with the standard seasoning- but sometimes I'm feeling a little kicky and sometimes I want to coordinate flavors with a meal].

3. Que the fries up in neat little rows (no whimsy here- unless you want soggy fries. I mean they don't have to be so neat and perfect like I made them here. I had a moment and there is a certain satisfaction to the orderliness- being the generally disorderly individual that I am. Just try and make sure the fries don't touch- thanks!)

4. Place those fries on the bottom rack of the 400 degree oven (if you don't have two racks, the top is fine- just keep an eye on them so they don't burn. I wish I would have know this in my dorm room at college- could of soaked up a few parties with late night fries). Bake for 25 minutes then switch to top rack for 5- 10 more minutes- just watch them here for signs of overcooking- i.e. major smoke emanating from you oven.

5. Let cool slightly and enjoy! (Share with friend and let them tell you what a genius you are in the kitchen. After the initial shower of praise you can share the recipe and be so happy to know that you are spreading wholesome deliciousness to the kitchens of many as they are bound to share the recipe themselves.

Here we go...

So my inspiration behind this blog stems from a plethora of creative and intellectual needs as well as a plain old desire to show off cute kid picts. Plus I stinkin' love my family and want to chronicle our time together.

I finally have the kids on coordinating nap schedules to boot (as I type this A-man whimpers from his crib- right on cue).

I'm entering into a season of mommyhood where I can revel in minor creative achievements and the fruits of messy (hands in the dirt and dough) work.

The catalyst of this blog project is depicted right along my introduction (which seemed fitting to me). It may not look like much- but those tiny pea shoots sprouting from the ground are years of dreaming in fruition (um, literally). I love the crooked little rows and the coy way they peep from the soil. I am so insanely excited about the prospect of going through the whole process with my food- from germination to table.

So I'm sharing this journey along with many others. Hoping for a sense of community in my novice gardening efforts. Maybe these sweet little potential peas won't make it to my table and I won't get to savor their fresh sugary snap I so long for. But, I prepped the soil in my very own garden water and loved these little seeds and have yielded something, thus tiny accomplishment number one.