Food and Drink – Page 20 – Karla's Cottage

A flock of Fairies

celebrations, fairies, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 20, 2009

 
We flew my husband's mother from Wyoming to North Carolina for the wedding last week, and then brought her home with us for a few days after.  So, in honor of Grandma Joan's visit to Kansas, I threw her a fairy tea party with her great grand daughters.
 
Sugarwings was still in the party mood, after all the birthday celebrations this week.  She and little Pixie Pie have had a wonderful time together with so many family gatherings going on all week while Grandma Joan was here.
 
Even the big girls got into dressing up as fairies, although we couldn't convince their boyfriends to wear wings….
 
Our little ones were patient while we took some pictures before the party started. But not for too long.  At 2 and 3, waiting times are limited when there is something exciting scheduled to happen.
 
We served blueberry and cranberry herb teas, but the tiniest fairies were more interested in the spoonfuls of sugar they could add to their cups.
 Sugarwings drank cup after cup, just so she could pour more. 
 
For Sugarwing's birthday, I let her help me decorate the dining room with Dollar Store garlands.  Yes, gaudy and over the top, but she is in love with them, so we left them up for this party too.
 
We just added some fairies here and there. I happened to have a few around to use….
 
We served:
 cherry tomatoes from the garden on toothpicks with grilled chicken breast
 cherries and grapes with mandarin oranges
 crust-less cucumber sandwiches
 red cabbage with cream cheese rolled up in green tortilla shells
  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the littlest ones.  
 
These are my fairy shoes, saved for special occasions like this.  
 
Luckily you can't really tell here, but my makeup job was a bit like Baby Jane.  Remember that scary Betty Davis movie?  I got carried away with the eyeshadow, not a pretty sight after 50… 
I'm on my way now to Indiana for my sister's 60th birthday party.  I'd better pack my fairy wings and hit the road.  The parties never end around here, huh?

Painting roses and a balloon hunt

celebrations, Food and Drink, parties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 17, 2009

Thanks for all the happy birthday wishes for Sugarwings! I think she had a fun day, at least I know that I did!!

She and her daddy picked us up at the airport, and that was the best homecoming ever, to see her face light up as she ran to us. Well worth getting up at 4 am to fly home to spend the day with her.

When we got back to the cottage, she and I baked some cakes. I used a regular brownie mix, but added a can of pears in light syrup (whirred in the blender) and a cup of applesauce, and 2 eggs, no fat or water. She got to push all the buttons and do all the mixing herself, so she didn't care if I was trying to healthy it up a bit.

We also "painted" roses. We used some clear corn syrup and food coloring, then she got to dip away, and add colored sugar sprinkles to each one.

These are the white icing roses that I saw Andrea show on her site, and had her take me to find some for myself when we were out shopping one day, the are really pretty and I just love using them!

.
When her little cousin, Pixie Pie came by to help decorate, they got pretty serious with getting the cakes just right.

But it is hard to stay serious when there are sprinkles to shake! Most photos are a blur of hands whirring through the air and sprinkles flying everywhere.

And so much for adding healthier ingredients to the cake itself, the tops were so goobered up with colored sugars, three kinds of sprinkles, marshmallows, squeeze tube icing, and painted roses that you could explode in a burst of sugary happiness just looking at them!

Sugarwings took her cousin on a walk along the Yellow Brick Road, but most kids her age aren't as informed obsessed about Oz as our fairy baby, so Pixie Pie wasn't too impressed with that after all the icing fun.

She did enjoy the Fairy Berry Trail, though. There was a butterfly balloon for each of them tied to branches out in the woods.

But first, they had to search for them.

The balloons were from the Dollar Store and I don't think there could be a better bang for the buck than the joy we got for $2 out on the Fairy Berry Trail with these balloons.

It was certainly a fun way for me to spend my fairy grand baby's birthday. I can't imagine a better party. Not big, not flashy, just some simple sugary pleasures and a walk in the woods. I think I want to spend my next birthday on the Fairy Berry Trail too….

Varmits

Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / August 13, 2009

Since we have company coming to stay soon, Sugarwing's Daddy has been helping me clean up the place. We've got a yard full of family coming to visit and camp out here with us.

My son filled the truck with branches he removed and has them over by the bonfire pit, ready to burn.

Even though I've severely neglected the yard this year, all the rain we've had has kept it decent. With enough bushes and perrenials, staying green, its passable. So all those years that I did spend working on it have paid off. Of course, it would be better with lots of flowering annuals tucked in here and there, but that just didn't happen.

Sometimes, good enough just has to be good enough.

The veggie garden has been on auto pilot for the season too. We spread recycled brown paper and grass clippings down and have been about 99% weed free!

Its a summertime miracle. I haven't had to hoe, dig, or pull weeds out there at all. Or get desperate and invest in vats of Roundup either.

But we didn't count on this development. Mice live under the paper and eat our
tomatoes just as they start to turn color!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we have to trap the varmits to protect our crop.

Next year, I think I'll do the same thing anyway. Weed free is the only way to go. I might plant some grape vines on the fence, too, we are all crazy about grapes.

I doubt if these adorable, little champagne grapes will grow around here, I wish they would. Sugarwings just loves them. I serve them on butter pat plates because mini grapes deserve mini plates, don't you think?

There are a few new things in the Boutique, that I listed before I went out of town. I'm afraid I can't mail them until Tuesday the 18th after I get back. (This post was written before my trip to the East Coast)

My sweet boy

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, Food and Drink, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / August 9, 2009

Look what was waiting for me when I came in the house, after working for about 10 hours straight on the editing of my little story book ! Sugarwing's Daddy is a sweet heart of a son. He picked tomatoes and peppers and fresh herbs from the garden to make the sauce for the egg plant (from the garden too!)

Not only that, he was invaluable in helping me edit the book. My son has a sharp and critical eye for detail and isn't afraid to let me know if something needs changed in my artwork. It could be irritating, but it isn't because he is usually right.

Plus, did I mention he is a massage therapist??? There was also a FOOT MASSAGE for me after sitting at the computer all day. Yep, he is just about a perfect son.

Its been a good day. Garage sales in the morning, the farmer's market with Sugarwings and her Daddy, then I finished and ordered prints of the book!

Here is the cover.

And this is the title page.

Beth and I had a craft day at her house yesterday, and I painted this page while we talked. I decided that it is much easier to pack for craft day if I'm just painting a little something. If I am packing for a whole hog craft day project, I have to haul boxes and bags of supplies with me!

Beth has a great studio, there is so much to see there. And it is FULL of vintage treasures. You could say overflowing… We joked about starting a new diet fad, the Craft Room Diet. You fill your studio with so much stuff that you have to lose weight to fit in the room with all of it.

Poor Beth, I might have over stayed my welcome. I tend to lose track of time and keep working away. It was after 6 when I realized that maybe I should take off for home.

But she was gracious, even though I am one of those guests that you can't get rid of. She even gave me a stack of these pretty bowls.

And she sent home presents for Twinkle. Now the Dorkies have a whole new wardrobe of neck scarves to show off in.

Yesterday was a slow day for estate sales, my pickins were slim.

But even though I didn't find much, what I found was really nice! Quality beats quantity any day. Seems like I've been on a book streak lately, here is another of those slim, Victorian gift books.

All the items in this collage are in the Boutique now.

Here is the back cover of the book.

I've ordered just a couple copies to see how they look in person before I offer them to anyone. I sincerely appreciate your support and kind words (and inquiries to buy!!).

A Fairy Berry and some other goodness

Books, fairies, family, Food and Drink, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 6, 2009

My Blue Mood is behind me now, thanks for all your thoughtful and caring comments about it. Really, it was not a big deal at all. I think everyone has those days, they are just part of life and aren't anything to worry about. Not everyday can be over the rainbow. And you know what, sometimes, even when things are perfect, a mood can be wonky and out of it. It just happens.

I used to be much worse about moodiness, but had a hysterectomy back when I was 40 (the day before my 40th birthday actually!!) Now that I am hollow like a chocolate Easter Bunny, most of my moods are on a pretty even keel. But those cranky days do come around, and when they are passed, the next day seems even better than it really is.

Of course, my day really was pretty special….. We started out with a tea party breakfast.

And yes, I hate to admit it, but I have succumbed to Disney Princess mania around here. We are serving our tea party breakfast from Cinderella's breasts.

This table and chairs was 4 bucks at a garage sale this weekend and I wanted something to replace the highchair in the kitchen, so that Sugarwings had her own space in there. I was hoping to find a cute, vintagey table, but no luck yet. Hopefully, something elegant and beautiful and equally cheap will turn up and I can replace this media frenzy monster that is smack dab in the middle of my kitchen.

But I am kind of afraid that Sugarwings won't let me… She loves this one. Ooops!

Her favorite part of the meal, (well besides the garish table and chairs) was this mini grape that she called a "fairy berry" because it was so tiny.

The last illustration for my Grumpy Fairy bedtime story is done!! Now, I just need to do a cover, and a title page.

Doing this book has taught me a lot about editing software!! I scanned vintage wallpaper, then aged and tinted it as a different color for each page's background. Then, I scanned the painting, edited and sized it on Picassa, but couldn't do a frame there. So, I went to Picnik and made frames, and did a digital collage with the image onto the background in Piccassa, then added text in colors to coordinate with the painting.

It was complicated, but worth it! When I first started, I was just using the paintings as is, but now, I really like the results of all the extra effort to pretty it up.

I'd like to get the books ordered and delivered by her birthday on August 16th. If I rush, I can do it, but I think I'm going to take my time and make sure it is right. I might order one book to start with to see how it looks. I'd like to order more to sell in the Boutique.

What do you think? Any interest?

In looking around the studio for something to give as the August Giveaway, I realized I still had some of these hand painted charms, and since I was in a painting mood, I figured they would be appropriate.

All comments, all month count. Especially, all those sweet and thoughtful ones that you sent when I was needing a lift! Thanks again!

Kansas Countryside

celebrations, family, flowers, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / July 27, 2009

Kansas Julys are usually miserable. I'm a summer-lovin person, but even I get burnt out by the blasting heat of late July in Kansas. But not this year! Its been as sweet as June all month long. We went to a friend's for dinner over the weekend and were lucky enough to get to sit on their country patio and enjoy our meal along with the scenic views.

Of course, I always have to get pictures of the food…. its as pretty as the view from the porch!

And their view is more than a little special. This stream is right in front of the deck of the log cabin that they built themselves.

The stream looks natural, but the home owners built it too. My husband went out and spent a day helping move rocks to form the creek bed a couple years back. Which, he would never do at our house. Funny, he'd do anything for a buddy, but when it comes to gardening at our own cottage, well, he's not that into it, I guess would be the polite thing to say…

So, do I have a little bit of creek envy? I have to admit that I do. This yard is ideal. It is all landscaped into flower gardens up by the house and the rest of the land is left to go in native grasses that never need mowed or watered.

Most of the areas are left to natural landscaping.

And other areas were steered into that direction. Some native plants that spread and become ground cover make this hillside a no-care delight now that they are all established.

This makes me miss living in the country! When we bought our farm years ago, we were in the middle of no where. Now we have civilization on three sides of us, with just the back acreage that we own still wild and free.

But I'm feeling the farmhouse vibe now, anyway. Its time to put up corn for the winter!

I'm doing it the short cut way. We shucked a few dozen ears, dumped them into the sink, then poured a pot of boiling water over them, and iced it all down after.

Then, we cut the kernels off with a simple corn cutting tool from Bed Bath and Beyond, that made the chore zip by quickly.

The kernels went into freezer bags, and one of the bags was marked Thanksgiving , another was marked Christmas. We save up big servings of fresh frozen corn for holiday family dinners, because there is nothing like the taste of Kansas summer in the coldest part of winter!

There is lots of new stuff in the Boutique right now. I've been playing with the millinery flowers and made up some deluxe, rosey collections!

Also, I did snag a little something to add to the JULY GARAGE SALE GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK. I just haven't had a chance to get photos.

I might have time to get some photos tomorrow. I've had Sugarwings a little bit extra this week, so we've been pretty busy with the other things I found at garage sales this week, princess dresses and tea party toys!

No matter how much you spend on cupcake decor, if you can’t get the icing right, the cupcake still looks homemade

antiques/junking, Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, give away

By Karla Nathan / July 15, 2009

Today is craft day, but with a twist, I am not cleaning up my studio and inviting friends over, we are using a rental studio in KC. ( I'll have details when I get back, I lost the blog address and am rushing right now).

But first, I wanted to take the time to thank you for your purchases and to remind you that the sale is still on at the Etsy shop . Details are in the previous post, but I also want to remind you that you need to purchase the items from Etsy, go to the check out, but do NOT pay with check out. Email me and I will send you an invoice for half off whatever is left.

I'm fine with you just emailing me the info and I go to the shop and delete the items, but I doubt if Etsy would like it, and I might get booted from there, because they don't get their percentage that way. I've done this for a few people, because it was quicker and easier than explaining and no problem to do, but I really don't want to make the big ole Etsy goliath mad at me.

I've made up cup cakes to take today, because crafting in packs is hungry work. We all get nibbly while we are cutting and gluing.

And you know, I really, really, sincerely tried to make pretty cupcakes. These are okay, but not what I wanted. I saw some on Andrea's blog once that made me sigh they were so lovely. So, when I spent a day with her, I asked her secret and she took me to her cupcake decor source, where I bought a big bagful of icing roses.

But, its not the same. Oh, yes, they are the same roses. They just don't look as good without her magic cupcake touch. She has that touch with everything. Heck, she could probably have a cupcake hanging out of her nose, and everyone would think it was the most beautiful cupcake they ever saw. She's that good with making things pretty.

I even tried the edible Glitter that I was introduced to at Debbie's party. The glitter and the roses look good, but with my sloppy icing job and skimpy crooked cupcakes, it just isn't the same.

Well, they might not look like they came from a classy bakery, but they are tasty. Pillsbury strawberry cake mix and a can of cream cheese icing, yum!

See the stack of books? I can't believe it, but I found more of these at a sale yesterday! I listed a couple, the last ones went fast. They are in the Boutique. There are some sale prices here and there in the Boutique, but the Etsy sale is Etsy only.

These teensy framed prints were at the sale too, so I bought a bagful. This one is being added to theJULY GARAGE SALE GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK, a couple others went into the Boutique, and I kept a few for myself to deconstruct and use in projects.

But what is the most special thing in the photo?? Ahh, aren't these just the best?? Aunt Caroline had her pink pearls sent to me. Sorry for the bad picture, these deserve better than that. But I need to throw some supplies and crap in a box and get my butt to craft day, gotta run! (that butt that is a bit bigger after making sure the cupcakes were tasty even though they only looked average)

An Ice Cream Social and a Christmas in July sale

Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 13, 2009

Sweet Jenn at Sweet Eye Candy Creations is having a party today, and I've been to one of hers in person, so I know just what a wonderful hostess she is!

In honor of the occasion, I made a couple little dessert treats myself, but out of vintage wallpaper.

I also took Miss Sugarwings out for ice cream, but after seeing the perfectly groomed and darling children Jenn has shown eating ice cream at her house, I didn't photograph my wild child fairy grand baby smeared with bright blue "Cookie Monster" ice cream. We found a yellow brick road (an actual yellow brick sidewalk through some landscaping) in front of an ice cream store at a shopping mall and she danced and sang Wizard of Oz songs up and down that side walk until it was almost as blue as she was from the dripping ice cream.

When she decided to lay down in the day lillies planted along the yellow brick road, and tell me that she needed to go to sleep in the poppies, I wiped as much of the blue goo off of her as I could and we headed home.

My contribution to the party is photos of vintage wallpaper ice cream cones, that I whipped up this morning when I realized I had nothing to show for the party and I certainly didn't want to miss Jenn's shindig!

This mini notebook is covered in Flocked wallpaper, front and back, ledger paper on the inside covers and Neapolitan ribbons tying it up.

I've made an ice cream cone on the cover with a wallpaper waffle cone and two scoops of wallpaper ice cream in strawberry chocolate chip (glitter chips) and chocolate with pink swvarsky crystal sprinkles. The scoops are both coated in sugared glitter and I've added a strawberry colored velvet posy to a chocolate covered velvet leaf in the corner.

The edges of the pages are coated in chocolate covered ink.

Its available in the Boutique if you are interested.

I've also made this little sweet treat, and since a party should have favors to give out, this tag is going to be a gift to go along with the next purchase in my Boutique.

edit- OMG- I am so sorry about the background of the ice cream cone photo!!!!! I had no idea what the print said, it was just a page from an old magazine that I thought had pretty type. So, that photo is replaced now with a cropped out version. I'm SO sorry for not noticing that was there, and hope that it gets replaced on Google Reader, sometimes they are slow with changes.

This is an odd Christmas card, isn't it? Robins are usually thought of as a first sign of spring, not a winter bird. But, it seemed fitting to use this to illustrate a CHRISTMAS IN JULY sale at my Etsy shop.

So here are the details of the Christmas in July Sale

1- Anything and Everything in the Etsy shop is HALF OFF. Including sale items!

2- All you do is make your selection, but DO NOT pay for it. The discount has to come from me, it won't show up in the Etsy shopping cart.

3- This sale is for readers of my blog only.

4- You need to email me at: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net to let me know what you purchased.

5- I will send you an invoice with the sale price and shipping.

Remember, if you don't email me for the corrected invoice, you won't get the half off discount!

The sale might sound complicated, but its not. Just make your purchase, email me and wait for the invoice before paying. I offered this sale price last Christmas to clear out inventory and thought it might be a good time to clean house and offer some discounts again.

So, go fix yourself a refreshing and rich dish of your favorite ice cream and visit Jenn's list of parties, and of course, check out my Etsy shop to ~~help me get some clearance items whooshed out of there because I am sick of all that crap and want it gone~~ enjoy the sale!!

A fine feathered mess and some mosaic madness

antiques/junking, family, Food and Drink, give away, parties, Sugarwings, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage

By Karla Nathan / July 11, 2009

Sugarwing's Princess bed is coming along… but there have been a few hold ups. Its painted and pretty, that part was easy. But- a regular crib mattress wouldn't quite fit, so I am custom making one. Now, I might have mentioned that I hate to sew- but I seem to get stuck doing it a lot. Well, as long as it is a straight stitch and there are no zippers or buttons involved, I can do it. But I complain a lot!

Add in two bags of feathers and 3 bags of poly-fill fluff, and I have to tell you, it does become any more fun. I am sewing a giant, fluffy pillow for her out of waterproof, flannel backed fabric and trying to get more feathers in it than on the floor. (I bought two down filled pillows on clearance for $7.99 at Tuesday Morning and am using that for part of the stuffing. The pillow cases that came on them are going to be cut up into ribbons, they are silk!)

After that, I'll need to custom make the sheets! I think I'll go with giant size pillow cases.

Oh, but she is worth it!

Before our trip to the zoo, we threw a fairy tea party for Sugarwing's little cousin, Pixie Pie, who just turned two this week.

Then, all the grandparents took the cousins to the zoo. Because the heat was so bad and there had been storms earlier in the day, the place was deserted, like a private playground for these little fairy babies.

I don't know why this was set up at the zoo, but we came around a corner and there sat a jump house. Like I said, the park was our own private play ground, so we wriggled in under the flaps and jumped away. Mostly we just fell down and laughed till our sides hurt.

There is nothing more fun than being a grandma.

Well, garage sailing is pretty fun too.

I had sugarwings till almost noon today, so could only get to a couple sales. But I found some goods, and at one estate sale, I had a long conversation with the family after seeing a billion old patterns. Now, I am not a pattern person myself, but I love old trims. I figured if there were patterns, there were sewing supplies, and they said yes there was. They just didn't think anyone would want them! They said they would give me a call and get a box to me.

For the July Garage Sale Giveaway Prize Pack, I found a little bit, not much. A doily, a bag of buttons, and a pretty button card. I also bought a bunch of ribbon roses, not new, but still nice to use. I tied up a bouquet of them to add to the giveaway. All comments, all month are entered, and I will add more to the package each week.

See, these ribbon roses aren't the same as the vintage millinery that I love so much, but they aren't bad at all. I'm just a bit spoiled by finding old ones so often.

There was a big bag of buttons at a small sale that didn't even look like it was worth stopping at. But since I hadn't been to many at all and it was late in the day, I wasn't being picky, and I stopped anyway. I was glad I did, not because I particularly need more buttons, but because they are always nice to find anyway.

I listed this bunch in the Boutique. There are some sweet ones in the group.

These miniature farm animals too. Aren't they cute? I kept part of the set, some little wooden houses. I want to paint them up and glitter them to use in Christmas decor. I think they are pretty old from the looks of the other things at that sale, but can't say for sure. The person selling them said they were her Mom's and she played with them as a kid.

OK, gotta go. stupid Typepad keeps locking up my screen! Plus, I can't ignore that giant pillowcase waiting to be made so that Sugarwings will have a new Princess bed waiting for her. (I found floral king sized sheets for 15 cents each today too, and am using those to make the sheets for the new bed).

Girls Trip times Three

antiques/junking, celebrations, Food and Drink, Moving to DC

By Karla Nathan / June 17, 2009

Washington, DC is a beautiful place to be. Even if you are not a huge museum fan, simply wandering about is pretty entertaining. Our Girls Trip was such fun. I even let them drag me from one museum after another with few complaints. One thing that surprised me, was how much I knew about the exhibits. I guess from reading Time and Newsweek, I see reveiws of art and absorbed it without even noticing.

One of my pals had lived in the area previously and knew where to go and what to do. Of course, I kind of live here part time, but I sure didn't know much. I can tell you where the best antique shops are, though.

Her advice on lunch? When you go to Chinatown, don't stop on the first block, like a tourist. Go down a block and over and get deeper into the area. Seemed to work for us, my lunch was delicious!

Even though we had some gloom and rain, we kept going. We didn't get too wet. And luckily, we changed our schedule to go and see the Portrait Gallery before the Haulocast Museum. Because if not, we'd have been there during the tragic shooting. That is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

No tragedies in our group! Even Jen's lost wedding ring turned up in her suitcase later on. My husband had to go out of town at the last minute, so it was just us girls. We stayed up late, sipping wine and telling stories all night. Now, to me, that is the best part. It doesn't matter what location you are in, where the trip takes you, it is who you are with that counts.

While we were exploring the Adam Morgan (?) district -in a down pour that kept us from seeing too much- we did get to see some Hollywood set crew guys taking down a scene from a movie being filmed there. I guess we were a bit late to see Reese Witherspoon, but it was still interesting to watch a fake brick store front being carried away.

This week has been extra special to me, not only did I get this Girl's Trip with my friends from Lawrence, and the Blogger's Day out in Leesburg with those pals, I had Beth come to hang out too. It was like a Girls Week on steroids, three gatherings in one!

After dropping off my first set of pals at the airport, I picked up Beth for the 2nd leg of the journey. We explored Baltimore a bit, drove down to the Wharf and ate crabcakes and walked through Little Italy.

With a GPS, you can go just about anywhere! I had some time between dropping the first batch of friends off and picking up the 2nd, so I drove around a bit all by myself too. Then, on the way home from the airport, Beth and I took a little side trip to Kennsington to look at the old Antique District there.

My husband got back in town just in time to take Robin, Beth, and I out to the Tower Club for an extremely schmancy dinner. I usually photograph the gorgeous food there, but my new camera is so much bigger and brighter, it seemed a bit obnoxious. So, my husband reminded me not to disturb the other guests and to be polite. That isn't easy for me…

Its also not going to be easy for me to get back into a routine of being at home and doing my normal chores, not being wined and dined daily while giggling with girlfriends. But, Sugawings is around and I have a feeling there will be plenty of girly gigglling time with her!