Pet Portrait Photo Shoot with Doll Furniture

I love a great a find.  I always feel like I just won a contest when I score a great deal, it feels even better when I find what I am actually looking for and it is super cheap.  Last week we were at a local thrift store and I scored on some super cute doll furniture.  It wasn't tiny doll size it was like small child size doll furniture.  I got a crib, a bed and a chair.  I thought they would be great for photo shoots with little kids or say... some of my animals.  So after getting home and setting up, I enticed some of my cats and kittens to use the new furniture.  Here was the results.

Ash thought this was a purrfect place to rest

In fact Ash seems to really want to pose for the camera

Our kittens Gwynn and Buddy were not as excited about it.

Our big cat Lou just does whatever he wants and refused to stay in bed, but instead stretched out to be petted.

Studio Tour of the Creatively Happy Studio Part 1... The computer station

It was so much fun to share our "keepin it real friday" photo that we have decided to do some videos of our creative space (thanks to a fellow crafters suggestion).  So here is part 1, the computer station where I sit as I type this.

Keepin' it Real Friday ... In the Studio

I love the beautiful magazines full of studio pictures.  I love to scourer all the tiny details and see how people organize.  I even sometimes dream of owning that kind of studio, but lets face reality... at least mine.

My studio can look that good for all of 5 minutes because as soon as it is clean I think of something else to try and before I know it, every surface is full of something.  So instead of being upset about it I decided to share it with the world.  We are going to call "Keepin' It Real Friday" and I plan on showing the reality of our creative world.  The space we create, the mess we make and the outfits we wear on a day to day basis.

What I am hoping is their are others out their like my Mom and I.  The ones who dream of beautiful, clean organized space but in reality create chaos while creating something beautiful to share for the world.

So the idea struck when I had the camera and walked into this.  We have been finishing up a custom order, creating fairy furniture, testing out new props for a photo shoot and recovering from Christmas.

So here is our first post for "Keepin' It Real Friday"  Our studio at our 11 acre hobby farm.  Please feel free to share your own chaos.

Delicious Easy Butternut Squash Soup .. A Family Favorite

Today is a soup day.  You know why today is a soup day, its is because I am home alone and I love to cook during these times.  Its beautiful and sunny outside but not very warm at all.  Everyone around me seems to be sick so I feel like soup is the perfect thing to make them feel better and the perfect thing to do on a chilly winter day.

 I also love to bake during these times, my family loves to eat what I make and I find great satisfaction when they enjoy it even though I only get to watch because I am a suger free, gluten free kind of gal and I have come to terms with it.

My grandkids love my baking, will try my soup but I am pretty sure they consist on cereal right now.  We get four or five boxes in at a time and the milk doesn't even to stay in the fridge long enough to be cold it flies in the cereal bowl so fast, but thats okay because every once in awhile I make something they love and they appreciate it (kinda).

Butternut Squash Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 medium potatoes cubed
1 medium butternut  cubed
 1  32  ounce container of chicken stock

Brown all ingredients in butter except broth for about 5 minutes then pour just enough broth over the vegetables to cover them. Bring to a boil then lower heat cover and cook for 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Carefully transfer to a blender in small amounts and puree till all are blended. Put back into pan and add the rest of the chicken broth and heat up. Eat and enjoy with a thick slice of bread and butter or not.

~Linda

This Overnight Layered Lettuce Salad was a delicious addition to our Christmas Eve dinner.

I love being able to get things ready ahead of time when we have a lot going on so we tried this new salad that could be prepared the night ahead for our Christmas Eve dinner and it turned out delicious.

Overnight salad from Taste of Home magazine

1 medium head iceberg lettuce torn ( I used butter crunch lettuce)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium red onion sliced thin and separated into rings
2 cups frozen peas ( about 10 0z.)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tblsp. sugar
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 avocado

1. In a 3 qt. or circular glass bowl, layer first five ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and sugar; spoon over salad spreading it around to cover all.
2. Sprinkle top with cheese, bacon, cranberries and cover, then refrigerate overnight.
3. Win serving add the avocado cut up into pieces  over the whole salad.

16 servings at 1 cup each

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone, here we are looking at another year gone by to quickly. It seems the older I get the faster they go. I remember being a kid and the years moving like slugs, they couldn't go fast enough for me. Now I wish they would slow down and let me catch up. Don't you feel like you are always trying to catch up?

With what I do not know, but I am still trying.  Some days I think I wonder what I want to be when I grow up and then it hits me, Oh Yeah I am grown up and past it a few years ago. Oh well, it is all in your head anyways and I am still the young hippie I once was.

I got this really good quote today in my daily quotes and I would like to share it with you.

  "I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. Your're doing things you've never done before, and more  importantly, you're doing something."  By Neil Gaiman. I really thought this fit me.

Well now I am off to make some more fairy furniture and enjoy this beautiful sunshine we are having this morning. Happy New Year all.
~Linda

My sisters and I last summer in Winthrop.

Night Before Breakfast Casserole was a Huge Success

On Christmas Eve we always have family over to stay the night and be here when everyone wakes up in the morning.  Each year I have tried a new recipe for an easy morning breakfast that I can make the night ahead.  None so far have been that delicious until this year.  I tried this new recipe from the Taste of Home Magazine and everyone loved it.  It was fairly easy to make the night before and we were able to use our farm fresh eggs for the recipe.  I think this one will be used over and over throughout the coming year.

Holiday Brunch Casserole   from Taste of Home Magazine

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed ( used hash browns you find in the bacon section fresh and they worked fine.)
1 pound pork sausage, cooked and drained ( I used one package Jimmy Dean original)
1/2 pound bacon strips cooked and crumbled
1 medium green pepper chopped
1 green onion chopped
2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 eggs
3 cups 2% milk
1 cup reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix ( I used Gluten free baking mix)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, sausage, bacon, green pepper and green onion; stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese.
Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish.
2. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk,baking mix and salt until blended; pour over top of potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.
Refrigerate, covered overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, 30 -35 minutes or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.
Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 12