Hi friends! If you are following me on facebook, you know that the Renegade Craft Fair in Austin is this weekend! I can hardly stand it, I’m so excited. Please come. There is an incredible line up of vendors. I’m in booth #87 so please stop by and say hi. The first 100 shoppers who come [...]]]>

Hi friends! If you are following me on facebook, you know that the Renegade Craft Fair in Austin is this weekend! I can hardly stand it, I’m so excited. Please come. There is an incredible line up of vendors. I’m in booth #87 so please stop by and say hi. The first 100 shoppers who come to my booth get a scratch card with a chance to win free products or savings off their purchase.

The studio is full and messy this week while I tie up loose ends.

Here are some recent photos of all my preparation from my instagram (@bookbound).

Wish me luck!

It’s been a busy month for my press and so I often end up pressing my books in between the counter and shelf in my studio.

New gift card holders will be available at the fair!

And a new line of notebooks will be available for the first time.

Can I just say how it makes my heart sing when my boys are busy in the art room along with me? Living the dream.

So now it has been six years of living in Texas. There [...]]]> If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m a Colorado Girl. In college I married a Texas Boy. Of all the advice I received about marriage, no one mentioned that if you marry a Texan, you will live in Texas.

So now it has been six years of living in Texas. There are so many good things about living here. The cost of living is low. Lots of jobs. Really friendly people. Good schools for the kiddos. I genuinely like it here. But I still have waves of extreme homesickness for the mountains. When we first moved here, I took the advice of a new friend who said she always pretended that she lived on top of the highest mountain and that’s why she couldn’t see any other mountains around. That worked for a while (Thanks, Jenny).

The mind trick is wearing off, though. A few months ago, while I was feeling claustrophobic and uninspired, I decided that there must be something beautiful here and by golly, I’m going to find it.

So, I am on a quest to find the beautiful spots in Texas (after all, the slogan around here is “Keep Texas Beautiful” which implies it is already beautiful, right?!).

First stop: Natural Bridge Caverns.

The caves did not disappoint! My boys loved it. They were amazing. The rock formations were unbelievable. Even Owen loved it. We participated in a one hour tour through the caves and then we walked around the grounds for a while looking at all the blue bonnets.

Luckily my sister and her family live in San Antonio so we spent the weekend with them (which happened to be Easter). She made the most amazingly delicious cheesecake known to man. And Chris made me a tiny Easter basket.

So, good job, Natural Bridge Caverns. We’ll be back.

(photos from my instagram @bookbound)

We’ve been supporting a local farm, Wood Duck Farm, for a few years now by participating in their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

I have vague memories of when I was a child and my mom bought in to [...]]]> Every other Thursday, we pick up our veggies. The box of farm fresh produce smells so good. So. Good.

We’ve been supporting a local farm, Wood Duck Farm, for a few years now by participating in their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

I have vague memories of when I was a child and my mom bought in to some sort of veggie co-op. We ate squash for every meal for weeks. We laugh about it now, but it didn’t seem funny at the time.

I love the CSA program because I am feeding my family local produce. The quality is night and day different from what you can buy at the grocery store. It smells good and tastes even better. My kids are eating veggies they never did before because they actually taste delicious! It’s a miracle.

And look at how beautiful these turnips are.

If you are in the Houston area, I can highly recommend Van and everyone working at Wood Duck Farm. Your life will never be the same! I am spoiled with beautiful, delicious farm food. I cringe when I have to buy produce at the grocery store now — and I reach in for an onion and a cloud of fruit flies disperse… ack!

So, dear Van, thank you. Thank you!

This is the cake I made for the recent birthday celebration. It’s my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It is so delicious I am now a cake snob. Boxed cake mixes just don’t cut it.

Auntie Liz’s Chocolate Cake

Mix together:

3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup cocoa powder

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 [...]]]>

This is the cake I made for the recent birthday celebration. It’s my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It is so delicious I am now a cake snob. Boxed cake mixes just don’t cut it.

Auntie Liz’s Chocolate Cake

Mix together:

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the wet mix to the dry mix. Add 1 cup boiling water. Beat well (I use my stand mixer).

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes in a greased pan. I like to bake mine in a bunt pan, but a 9 by 13 works great or two 8 inch rounds.

Happy baking!

The invitations were simple (maybe you saw them if you are following me on Instagram). I used the wording from this spy party, but simplified it some, printed it on graph paper and called it good.

We hosted the whole party in our backyard. I made two giant coloring pages of [...]]]> My boy is 6. So we celebrated.

The invitations were simple (maybe you saw them if you are following me on Instagram). I used the wording from this spy party, but simplified it some, printed it on graph paper and called it good.

We hosted the whole party in our backyard. I made two giant coloring pages of trees and bushes. As the kids arrived, they drew spies hiding in the trees and bushes. It was the perfect thing to keep them busy until all the party guests arrived.

Of course we played games!

First up: target practice with marshmallow shooters and bowls. These paper cup shooters are all over Pinterest. My two cents is to use a paper cup (NOT plastic) and tape the balloon on.

The kids played with these in the grass. Clean up was very sticky. Next time I will set it up on the driveway so I can sweep up the marshmallows.

Next up: spy obstacle course. Run through the red laser beams (crepe paper), dismantle the bomb by building a tower out of blocks, walk the balance beam, dodge through the balloons without touching them, up the ladder, down the fire pole, and on to the finish line.

While I swoon over Amy Atlas designs, I feel no need to recreate tablescapes like those for my parties. But I do believe that food should be unbelievably delicious. So I made the most amazing chocolate cake ever. Smothered in ganache. Topped with sprinkles. I also served cups of fresh fruit and lots of water (we were outside, remember?).

Last up: spy disguises. We all know every good spy has a bunch of disguises. We gave each party guest a bag with spy essentials: fake nose glasses, mustaches, sunglasses, kazoo, finger trap, magnifying glass, notebook, and markers.

The kids got all dressed up and went right to work making top secret notes in their notebooks. Awesome.

Mission accomplished. One and half hours of party fun.

SOURCES:

> overall party inspiration from Chicken Babies
> marshmallow shooters tutorial from Real Simple
> chocolate cake from my Auntie Liz
> fake nose glasses, magnifying glasses, kazoos, finger traps, party hats from my local Party City
> sunglasses via Amazon
> mustaches via Amazon

Maybe it’s because the zinnias remind me of my mom. Maybe it’s because my boys like to dig in the dirt with me. Maybe it’s because watching seeds burst through the soil and mulch seems amazing and impossible. Maybe it’s because every time we pull into the driveway, the boys want to [...]]]> I love my flower garden.

Maybe it’s because the zinnias remind me of my mom. Maybe it’s because my boys like to dig in the dirt with me. Maybe it’s because watching seeds burst through the soil and mulch seems amazing and impossible. Maybe it’s because every time we pull into the driveway, the boys want to stop and say hi to the flowers before I pull the car all the way to the garage. Maybe it’s because I’m in awe of all of God’s creations.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad that such a small, simple thing brings my family joy.

You can see photos from my flowers at our old home, here.

Do you care for flowers?

Letter: V, v

Theme: Heavy vs. Light

Discuss Theme

-What is heavy? What is light? How do you know it’s heavy? How do you know it’s light? I loved the answers in this discussion. They said things like, “It is heavy if your dad can lift it, but your mom can’t” and “Birds are light because they fly in the [...]]]>

Letter: V, v

Theme: Heavy vs. Light

Discuss Theme

-What is heavy? What is light? How do you know it’s heavy? How do you know it’s light?
I loved the answers in this discussion. They said things like, “It is heavy if your dad can lift it, but your mom can’t” and “Birds are light because they fly in the sky”

Science Experiment: Float/Sink

I prepared a bowl with 8 items for each kid and one large glass bowl filled with water. The kids were allowed to choose one object from the playroom that they wanted to sink. I also prepared a chart for each kid with “Sink” on one side and “Float” on the other. We took turns putting objects in the water. I had each kid predict first what he thought would happen. Then they put the oject on the correct side of the chart according to what it did in the water.

Science Experiment: Volcano

Of course we had to build a volcano!

Materials: plastic bottle, play dough, baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, warm water

Directions:

1. Put the plastic bottle on a large jelly roll pan and mold the play dough around it so it looks like a mountain (I let the boys do that).
2. Fill the bottle with 4 Tablespoons baking soda, a couple  drops of dish soap, and .5 cup warm water.
3. Pour in .5 cup vinegar.
4. Enjoy the red, hot lava!

Centers: Popsicle Stick Shape Puzzles

I printed out and laminated a set of shape puzzles for the boys to work on. They matched the popsicle sticks to the shapes. After they did all the puzzles, they worked on creating their own designs with the popsicle sticks.

Centers: Color Sorting

I gave each kid a worksheet with six big circles on it: pink, green, blue, yellow, orange, green. Their task was to sort a pile of 15 stickers into the correct area of the worksheet. Then we counted how many pink stickers they had, etc. Then we compared to the other kiddo’s worksheets with questions like: Who has the most yellow stickers? Who has fewer green stickers than so-and-so? etc.

I would love to add some tree cookies to our backyard play space. With summer [...]]]> While in Colorado, we visited our favorite park. It’s a Montessori inspired park that is part of the botanic gardens. My kids love climbing in the tree house, rolling down the hills, building with the logs, and walking on the tree cookies.

I would love to add some tree cookies to our backyard play space. With summer just around the corner, I’ve been gathering ideas for our backyard. You can see them on my Pinterest board, here. I hope our summer is filled with creative play out doors.

Images from my Instagram feed (@bookbound)

My family loves oatmeal.

And therefore, they also love granola.

Here are my favorite recipes for homemade granola and granola bars.

Homemade Granola

I got this recipe from my friend Laurel (Hi, Laurel!). It’s awesome. And the great thing about granola is you can put anything you want in it. Listed below are the ingredients I always use.

5 cup old [...]]]>

My family loves oatmeal.

And therefore, they also love granola.

Here are my favorite recipes for homemade granola and granola bars.

Homemade Granola

I got this recipe from my friend Laurel (Hi, Laurel!). It’s awesome. And the great thing about granola is you can put anything you want in it. Listed below are the ingredients I always use.

5 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup craisins
anything else you want: almonds, coconut, craisins, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, etc**
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla

**My favorite combo for “anything else you want” is:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup coconut

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix honey, brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter together in small bowl. Add butter mixture to dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon. Bake in a greased pan at 325 for 25 minutes. Right after cooking remove from pan and put in a bowl.

I usually line my cookie sheet with parchment instead of greasing the pan. My oven cooks hot, so I only bake the granola for 15-18 minutes.

Homemade Granola Bars

I quit buying granola bars years ago. Then I found this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. We’ve never looked back.

Click HERE to go to Smitten Kitchen so you can print this recipe with ease.

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Thick, Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

This is probably the most flexible recipe I’ve posted. When it comes to granola, what you’re looking for is a basic proportion of chunky (nuts, dried fruit) to sticky (syrups, sugar, butter or oils) and from there, you can really go to town. The vanilla is optional. The cinnamon is optional. You can use no dried fruit or you can use all dried fruit in your 2 to 3 cup mix. You can toss in things like puffed rice cereal or flax seeds. In the comments, I’d love to hear what mix you came up with and how you liked it. I can only imagine the possibilities.

Of note: The original recipe calls for something called “sticky bun sugar” which can be made at home with sugar, butter and corn syrup. It is for this reason that corn syrup is listed within one ingredient but also separately, and I used all butter rather than two different fats. Whether the corn syrup can be entirely replaced with honey or maple syrup or the butter can be entirely replaced with a healthier oil is worth auditioning, I just didn’t. Yet. I can tell you this: as is, this is the best granola bar I’ve ever eaten.

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (use more for a sweetness akin to most purchased bars; use less for a mildly sweet bar)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)**
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (I used almond butter) (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, namely because I was not convinced that the flavor came through)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (see Note above)
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry (and peanut butter, if you’re using it) until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. [Updating to note, as many had crumbling issues:] If bars seem crumbly, chill the pan of them further in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set the “glue”, then cut them cold. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

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**For the 2-3 cups dries fruit and nuts, I use:
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup peanut butter

OR

1 cup craisins
1 cup hopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ

Enjoy!