Look what I got!

Look what I got!!

An entire basket full of lovely yarns!!! 

See the white and green roving along the top? I'm going to make a blanket with those using the same idea found here, except smaller.

 And I'm not 100% on these amazing colours, but I'm thinking I might make another giraffe or two...

Ah, I could plop all those yarns in a tub and roll around in them and be quite pleased with myself!

Here's to new projects!!

Musical Monday: A Fine Frenzy - What I Wouldn't Do

I heard this song while driving the other day and fell in love with it.
As soon as we got back to the house I went on a search for it and was so excited to find it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Books

It's been awhile since I updated you on what I've been reading so here we go!!

The Gentle Art Of Domesticity

By Jane Brocket

This is more of a coffee table book to me.

I'm not 100% certain but I think the book may just be a series of blog posts published in book form, but I like that. She talks about all kinds of things and finding the beauty and comfort in domestic arts. I've never sat down and read this book cover to cover, but I do so love puttering through it.

The Help
By Kathryn Stockett
I decided that I had to have been the last person on the planet not to have read this book so I picked it up and didn't put it down until it was done. Seriously, such.a.good.book! I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I baked a caramel cake.
It's the story of coloured maids in Jackson Mississippi in the 1950's and the things they see/experience working in white homes.

Shades of Grey
By Jasper Fforde
This book is a little tricky. I quite enjoyed it, but you very much have to get out of this world to get into the story. It is a story of a world based on chromatics. Your place in society, your jobs and your marriages are all based on your colour perception. The story follows a "red" around named Eddie Russett. He is sent on a bit of a journey from his home of Jade under Lime to a place called East Carmine. Eddie has hopes to not ruffle any feathers and keep to himself while on his trip, confirm his high red perception and move up in the world marrying a high society Oxblood. While on his trip however he meets and falls in love with a beautiful but tempermental Grey named Jane. Jane questions the rules of their colour based society and encourages Eddie to do the same.

I enjoyed the book very much once I was able to get my head into Eddie's world.
This is the first book in a series and I would love to read the other books... once they come out...
I didn't actually know it was a series book or else I would have waited for all the books to come out before I started reading it... I'm nutty like that, I hate reading one book and then waiting a year for the story to continue!!

What are you reading right now? I'd love some suggestions to put on my February book list.

orange yogurt loaf

I made an Orange Yogurt Loaf...

It was tasty.

Orange Yogurt Loaf

1 cup butter/margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

zest of 1 orange

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 tsp orange juice

Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the yogurt, orange juice and zest, mix until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, and mix. Add to creamed mixture mixing until just combined. Pour into two 8.5"x4.5" or one 9"x5" loaf pan(s). 

Bakes at 350 for 55-65 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

For the glaze mix the icing sugar and juice until you're happy with the consistency, you may need to add more or less of each ingredient.

Pour over cooled loaves.

adapted from this recipe.

Snow

Last Friday we got a bunch of snow.

The boys were so excited and couldn't wait to play in it. 

It was pretty blowy though and they really didn't enjoy themselves too much, so come Saturday when the storm had calmed they were counting the seconds until they could get out and make a snowman.

I think this is actually their first ever snowman... 

how sad for them...

Zac loved him like a pet and talked to him the whole time I was taking pictures.

"Don't forget to smile Mr. Snowman..." and then he'd chuckle to himself because he thought he was just so witty! 

I love snow.

Musical Monday: Andy Squyres - Cherry Blossoms

This is Andy Squyres, singing with his oldest daughter. 

Makes me turn to mush.

Love everything about this song.

28 Before 28

As promised, here are are my 28 goals to complete before I turn 28!

1. Twelve date nights (1 per month)

2. Complete house updates

3. Watch less TV

4. Crochet 2 things

5. Do weekly crafts with the boys (at least)

6. Complete one soduko puzzle

7. More outdoor family fun

8. Sell our house

9. Knit a sweater

10. Learn to hand dye yarn

11. Learn to use camera manually

12. Reduce our carbon footprint

13. Finish reading my bible (a poorly executed goal from 2011)

14. Scrapbook

15. Be able to run 5K

16. Make a (vintage) pillowcase top

17. Stay on top of cleanup

18. Wear more dresses

19. Learn to play guitar

20. Homemade Christmas

21 Stick to budget

22. Sew a pretty dress

23. Embroider something

24. Buy less pre-packaged/processed foods; eat more whole grains

25. Learn to shoot a gun (does this make me sound a tad freaky??)

26. Ride a snowmobile

27. Help Eli conquer his fear of the toilet

28. Do something that scares me

Have you ever set a goal list to complete before your next birthday? Last year I did a 27 by 27 list and was able to check almost everything off it within my 365 day deadline.
I do so love setting goals... makes me feel amazing whenever I complete them!!