A Life-Long Love Affair With Children's Books

One of the longest and steadiest relationships in my life has been with books.  I'm sure it started at a very young age, because I can't remember the first time I held a book.

We have a favorite family story, where as soon as my parents brought my brother home from the hospital, I sat down next to him, plopped open a book, and started teaching him how to read.  I was 2.  The book didn't have any words.  Needless to say, he eventually needed more help.

I come by this love naturally.  I distinctly remember being on furlough (for missionaries, it's a time set aside after every 4 years, when they go back to the States, and visit their support churches), and being drug by my mother to every used book store from Texas, through Missouri and up on to Virginia.  I remember one summer, she was particularly frantic, trying to find "Snip, Snap and Snur" and "Flicka, Ricka and Dicka" books, by Maj Lindman.  (These are some vintage children's books, both series focus on a set of triplets - boys, and girls.  They're very Scandinavian/Nordic in style, and my mom being of Norwegian heritage, I guess felt it to be her duty to have a complete collection.  If you're interested in these, I found my favorite at www.amazon.com/Snipp-Snapp-Snurr-Yellow-Sled)

So, I suppose that's where I get it from.  I like to read most any kind of book, but I would rather curl up with a children's book, or young adult book any day!  I know about, and love books that I think most people my age don't, and I feel like they're really missing out.  And now that we're the ones starting families, I think it would be great to bring these books back.  So today, I will compile some of my all-time favorites for you.

1. The Sound Of the Bell by Penny Anderson, 1983

This is a wonderful book about a refugee family that gets separated from each other.  The oldest sister has to take care of her little brother while they search for their mother and the sound of the bell that is sewn into her sleeve.  In case you want to get this book, you can find it at http://www.amazon.com/The-sound-bell-Penny-Anderson.




2. Princess Tales by Nora Kramer, 1971

This was my go-to bedtime storybook.  It has 8 stories about princesses that take charge, use their brains, and do their own saving.  Even though we like to think we portray women's roles in a modern light to our girls, how often do we resort to the Disney-type characterization of princesses, and real beauty?  These stories focus on real value in women - practicality, compassion, and inner beauty.  Love them!  Available at http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Tales-Nora-Kramer.


3. The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, 1998

It's hard to choose just one Patricia Polacco book for this list, but this is my all-time favorite.  It follows Jewish immigrants to America, where they make a quilt from scraps from their clothes "coming over".  They have many uses for it, and cherish it for many generations.  You can find it at www.barnesandnoble.com.

4. The True Princess by Angela E Hunt, 1993

This story is about a princess whose father goes off to war, and needs her to be safe, and go incognito.  During this time she learns to serve others, entertain herself and do things independently.  When the king returns all the girls in the land try to convince him that they're the princess, but behave in a way unbecoming of a princess - except for his daughter, the true princess.  The same author wrote the story, The Three Trees.  www.christianbook.com. 


5. The Last Dance by Carman Agra Deedy, 1995

I really commend my mom for having this in our library.  It's a little more serious than parents may be used to, however it deals with life and death in a beautiful and even calming way.  The Last Dance is about a girl and boy, and their friendship, that later blossoms into life-long love.  Throughout the story, they "visit" the boy's grandfather at the cemetery, and dance for him, promising they will do the same for each other when one of them dies. www.amazon.com/Last-Dance-Carmen-Agra-Deedy.




6. The Best Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill, 1962

This is a timeless tale of a girl, and her love for her doll.  Betsy is invited to a party, where they will be giving awards for the most beautiful doll, the oldest doll, and the doll that can do the most things.  She has dolls that are all those things, but what about Jennifer?  With her faded dress, bandages on her cheeks, matted hair, and bare feet.  She isn't any of those things, but she's Betsy's favorite. What will she do?  www.amazon.com/Best-Loved-Doll.



7. Too Many Mittens by Florence and Louis Slobodkin, 1958

Louis Slobodkin has many heart-warming children's books.  This one always makes me smile.  "The twins" lose one of their red mittens, so it gets around, that if anyone finds a red mitten, it must be the twins'.  Everyone brings them mittens, until they have over 10 pairs.  They decide to hang them on a line, for anyone who is REALLY missing their mittens.  This book is bona-fide vintage, so it's hard to find it for a reasonable price, but ebay is probably a good place to start, and www.amazon.com/Too-Many-Mittens carries it as well.

8. Princess Bee and the Royal Good-Night Story by Sandy Asher, 1990

This book isn't hard to find online, but none of the places I found it had a cover picture.  I think more people would buy it if there was, the illustrations are so sweet.  When I was little, my mom travelled some, and this book helped me with separation anxiety. It's about a princess whose Mum goes on a trip, so she's not able to tell her her bedtime story like usual.  The royal big sister, royal big brother and the king all try to help, but it's not the same.  "Mum never runs out of story before I fall asleep", Bee says.  www.amazon.com/Princess-Bee-Royal-Good-Night-Story. 

9. Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say, 1993

This story follows the narrator's grandfather's immigration from Japan to America.  It's an excellent portrayal of turn-of-the-century America, and the emotions of being drawn to two homelands; something that I, as a missionary kid struggled with too.
www.amazon.com/Grandfathers-Journey-Allen-Say.




10. Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis, 1998

This isn't an old book, but I don't think enough people know about, or use this book.  As someone who has always been emotional, it was comforting to have a book that said that emotions are okay, and that some days you feel a certain way.  My favorite was "Today I feel quiet, Mom understands.  We went to the movies, and then we held hands." (That was from memory, folks!  The power of books!)  If you have a child that struggles decoding social cues, there's a great wheel at the back where you can match the face to the emotion.  I think this would be perfect for the first week of school as well.

I found a website called openlibrary.org, and they have many of the books I listed.  You can borrow physical copies, but many of them also have digital copies you can read.  For example, Princess Bee and the Royal Good-Night Story, Princess Tales and Grandfather's Journey are available to read through your browser.  Perfect for reading to a class!  All you have to do is create an account.  It's a wonderful resource that I'm sure I will be using.

I hope you feel inspired to visit some used book stores, search the web, or maybe give your mom a call, to help you remember your favorite book growing up!  I have vivid memories attached to each one of these books, and I'm sure there are books like that for you too.  So find them, share them, and let's give every child the print rich environment they deserve!

Coming February of 2014... a.k.a. Confessions of the 1st Trimester

Well, hello there!

I apologize for my recent absence, the reason is that there has been a slightly all-consuming change going on, however I have not been at liberty to say.  But I can now!

Dan and I are thrilled to be expecting a baby in February!

So, just to give you kind of an overview, this is how it went down (don't worry, it's all PG).

So, Dan and I had been talking about starting to try having a baby, and decided to start in May, giving us time to ease into it, hopefully get pregnant by the end of the summer, so that the baby would be due at the beginning of the summer, right at the end of the school year.

But the thing about plans are, that they rarely go our way.

First, Bella ate my pills.  Yep.  Ate all the placebo ones, and about 3 hormone ones.  So, I went off a little prematurely.  Nothing life-altering (yeah right), but makes for a good story! :)

A few weeks later, I started to have these awful, and I mean AWFUL cramps in my lower abdomen.  I had the idea of getting a pregnancy test, since for the first time in my life, that was an actual possibility, and the whole notion was very exciting to me!

So, we got one on a Sunday, on the way home from church, and when we got home, I took it!  It was all very unceremonious, because we both figured I wasn't pregnant, but wanted to rule it out before I bought any medicine, or anything like that.

Well, apparently we're a lot more "talented" than we thought, because lo and behold, the little screen came up "pregnant".

So, we hugged, and kissed, and cried, and stood with our mouths open for a while... could this be for real!?  Are we for real pregnant!?

Dan set up a doctor's appointment for me that Monday with my regular GP.  We went in, they confirmed the pregnancy, and then also told me that I had a UTI.  The doctor prescribed me Amoxicillin, because he knew that that was okay for me to take.

Long story short, the UTI was what was causing the excruciating pain.  It was the worst pain I'd ever experienced.  It would last anywhere from 20 minutes to 90 minutes, and the only thing that helped was a warm water bottle (Dan wouldn't let it be hot, he said I was cooking the baby), or laying under a warm shower (because you can't take hot baths, because it gets too hot for the baby, and it can't cool off).  So, an E.R. visit, and a new, terrible antibiotic later, I was finally feeling better.  

And by better, I mean I only had normal pregnancy side effects.  Like nausea, and morning sickness, and food aversions.

Now, at 10 weeks however, I am doing so much better!  Honestly!  But I'd like to share what I've already learned about pregnancy.

1. Even though your breasts growing may be the only pregnancy side effect you're looking forward to, it may not happen for you.  You get everything else.  Just not that one.  Of course.

2. Bad breath is a pregnancy side effect.  Yes it is.  (Apparently your baby is sucking the calcium out of your teeth.)

3. You may have a hard time keeping down prenatal vitamins.

4. Morning sickness does not know what time zone you live in.  You know the saying "it's 5 o'clock somewhere"?  Well, it's morning somewhere! Morning sickness can be all day.  For me, it was worst at night.

5. Constipation.  Need I elaborate?

6. Food tastes funny.  Like, I swear root beer has a chocolatey undertone.

7.  You have the only super power you're ever going to get.  The super sniffer.  Good, bad, you smell it all (mostly bad).

8.  Even though your husband loves you more than anything, and can handle most bodily fluid issues, he may have sympathy-morning sickness, and tell you, after you get out of the car to be sick, "honey, you stink, you have to sit in the back".  

9. You may actually lose weight.  See, all this time, all I needed to do, to drop a few, was get pregnant.  Oh, the irony.

10. You may feel sick while singing in the choir, requiring you to make a swift exit off stage, and therefore alerting the entire soprano as to your "state".  

These are the new and wonderful things my body is doing!

Here's the best part my body is "doing":

Our 10 week sonogram!!!

Baby Blair waving at you!

100th Anniversary Blue Ball Mason Jar Bathroom Accessories

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  It's the perfect time to try one of those pinterest DIY projects you've been wanting to do, but haven't had the time.

For me, it's a mason jar project.  Not just any kind, but a functional  one.  One I need.  Or at least want.  Bathroom accessories.

Ball just celebrated their 100th anniversary, and produced a commemorative version of their signature blue mason jars.

When I saw this, I knew I had to have them!  I ordered mine from kmart.com, and had it sent to a store.  sears.com and Target also carries them.  They are adorable.  I was so excited when mine arrived!

 Next, I needed some pumps.  I wanted metal, but was willing to get one of those plastic ones they paint to look like metal.  They're actually more expensive than you would think.  If you're looking for one, search "replacement pump", amazon has them, and Lowes and Home Depot carries them too.

Or...

you could do what I did.  I went to Beals Outlet (you could go to TJ MAXX or Marshal's too), and found their bathroom accessory section.  On top of that, they had a clearance section, which was even better.  

So, I found these awful beach ball soap dispensers.

First of all, who would spend $15 on these?  Secondly, yay, they were $2.98!  

You could obviously save money, and use one from a used hand sanitizer or soap.  I just wanted it to look as "finished" as possible.

Next, nab yourself a helpful, and always supportive (oh, and handsome) husband, to help drill a hole in the top of the mason jar lid.

He was very meticulous, measuring out the center of the lid.

And then, he drilled a hole on the top.

Once the hole was done, we put the pump in it.  To make it water resistant, we put caulking around it.

Spread it around, to make sure it's in all the nooks and crannies. 

Wait for it to dry, place on lid, and ta-da!  I made two, one for soap, one for lotion.

Bella had to check it out for herself.

The beach balls were shorter than the mason jars, so I had to go buy some tubing.  They had some at Lowes, and it was SUPER cheap!  Check it out:

14 cents a foot!  Score!

For the toothbrush holder, I just left the metal ring on the jar (taking out the "lid"), for the Q- tip and cotton ball container, I found a votive that fit the top at World Market, took off the whole lid, and done.

I am going to wrap some raffia around the mouth, and hang a little tag that says "lotion" or "soap".  I'm trying to figure out though, if I can laminate chip board.  Anyone know?

Well, hope this helps, and that it inspires you to make something of your own!

Quick review, here's what you'll need:

Mason jars (from a garage sale, or around the house of course would be cheaper, but if you want it to be uniform, buying them would be easiest)

Drill

Replacement hand pump

Caulking

Votive

Possibly extra tubing

Danish Lagkage For A Special Someone's Birthday

Happy Saturday, folks!

So, my husband turned 29 yesterday, and I wanted to do something nice for him.  He's not really a cake guy, but when he lived in Denmark for a year (attending Master's Commission), he found a cake that was much to his liking.  It's called lagkage (pronunciation [ˈlɑwkʰæːɪ]).  It literally means layer cake.  I think he likes it because it's not super-sweet, (like many European cakes are), contrary to most American cakes.  Also, it has a light, airy texture, which makes it a nice summer cake.  In addition to all of that, you can use any filling, and my man does love fresh fruit, so there you have it!

I made lagkage.

I searched online for a good recipe, and found this one: http://www.food.com/recipe/lagkage-danish-layer-cake 

While the recipe itself was good, I had to tweak it to my own oven-situation.  My oven loves to overcook/over-bake stuff.  So, I followed the recipe to a T, and ended up over-baking the first layer.

Not terrible, but not the "airy, spongey" texture I was going for.  Plus, the bottom was... well ... done.  Very done.  The original recipe said it would make 4, 9 inch cakes.  In my opinion, it only made 2.  

So, with half the batter left, and since it is called a "layer" cake, I decided to make a whole new batch.  Therefore, I had 1 1/2 of what it called for, and thought it was just the right amount.  So for you, that's the amount I will give.

What I ended up with, and I quote, was "Exactly the right taste, and even better, because even Danes don't make it from scratch."  You tell me this now???  Anyway... on to the recipe.

Cakes (makes 3 layers):

6 eggs

4 1/2 tablespoons cold water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

(you can use anything, Nutella, jam, plain whipped cream, fresh fruit, whatever you like)

I used:

1/2 cup fresh blue berries

1/2 cup fresh, chopped strawberries

2 cups heavy whipping cream (I actually eyeballed it, but I think that's about what I used)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

What you'll need:

Mixing bowls

Hand or Standing mixer

9 inch cake pan

Cooling rack (I used a silicone baking sheet liner)

Instructions:

1.  Separate all the eggs into two bowls.

2.  Beat the egg yolks.

3.  Add 4 1/2 tablespoons of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar and beat for 2 minutes.

4.  In a separate bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups of flour, 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.  

5.  Add to egg yolk mixture, and beat well.

6.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  (This was my first time beating egg whites, and it took longer, and a higher speed than I thought it would.  Once I saw bubbles, I knew I was on the right path.)

7.  Once they are stiff, fold into the egg yolk mixture, and add the 1 1/2 tsp vanilla until it looks like this:

8. Preheat oven to 425 F.

9. Pour a third of the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch round pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just slightly golden brown.

Place on cooling rack, and bake the next two layers.

Now for the filling.

1.  Put the 1/2 cup of blueberries, and the 1/2 cup of strawberries in a mixing bowl.

2.  Add 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.  Eyeball it.  If it doesn't look like it's enough, add more.  You can never have too much whipped cream.  Next, add the powdered sugar, and whip away!

It should look like this:

Then, start spreading it generously between layers.

                          

If you're not planning on eating it right away, leave it at this, cover it, and put it in your fridge, so the cream doesn't lose its consistency.

(We went out to dinner at North Beach Fish Camp, and got a fantastic, free cranberry bread pudding for dessert, and were feeling very full when we got home, so cake had to wait.)

You can leave it plain, you can can decorate with fruit, you can do whatever.  I chose to decorate it with some whipped cream and blueberries. 

And then, being the fabulous wife that I am, I brought Dan breakfast in bed.

Ps: the sweet and condensed milk is for the coffee.  Try it.  Trust me. :)

So, that is how you make Danish lagkage.  Dan has told me, that this is what he wants for his birthday, from here on out.  And that I'm not allowed to make it for anyone else.  So, if you want some of my lagkage, you'll have to come by next year, on May 24th. :)

Hope this recipe helps, and inspires you to make your own lagkage.  

Here are some questions:

1.  What is your favorite European dessert?

2. If you've made lagkage before, what filling did you use?

3.  Do you have any filling suggestions for me for next year?

Thanks for stoppin' by! :)

Industrial Crate Coffee Table Instructions

So, I've wanted a coffee table for a long while now, but I wanted something that made a statement, that said something about us.  Of course, we could only find something like that at World Market or Pier 1 Imports.  But I don't have a budget that fits those stores.  Therefore, I turned to pinterest, and found this blog, diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com, where she used wine crates to make a coffee table.  Bingo!

For this fantastic piece of art you'll be creating, you'll need:

4 wine crates

4 round ball feet (whatever size, depending on how high you want it)

1 quart stain

2-3 foam brushes

Drop cloth

Sand paper

Short screws

Drill

So, I have been collecting Michael's 40% off coupons, and then my sweet mother-in-law came to town, and bought me my crates.

Originally they were $12.99, but with the coupons, they were $8 each.

Then, I needed to find a stain that I liked.  I don't really like red-based browns, like cherry, and some shades of mahogany, so I wanted to make sure I had a nice, dark brown.  You won't believe it, but this was the hardest part of the process!  The stain I liked was a new color they'd just added, so they didn't have a sample, and I'm a little indecisive, so it took a little longer than needed.

But finally, I settled on 1 quart of Honey, from Minway Polyshades (polyurethane and stain in one), and I love it!

The worst part of the process was the sanding.  The inside of the crates were still rough (one of them wasn't, and if I were doing this again, I would try to make sure they all were clean and sanded down, would've made it easier).  I've never worked with wood before, so I finally learned what "not going against the grain" means.  In this case, it was going side-to-side, rather than up and down.

Next came the staining.  I put down half the drop cloth (all my little patio needed), and started staining the inside first.  

The stain I got was really runny, and a crate being the shape and size it is (slats), it was very difficult to paint it, without dripping.  So, I simply started with the inside, going out, and then set it down on the edges (upside down).

I let them dry, and then stained them again.

I had bought some wood ball feet at Michael's for $1.34 each, and stained those too.

We bought some screws, Dan borrowed the screw driver from church (birthday present idea right there!), and he screwed it all together.  The crates weren't perfect, naturally, so he screwed them together in such away that the top was straight.  So,  the bottom wasn't as straight, which was fine, because on a carpeted floor, it shouldn't matter too much.

He put at least 5 screws on each connecting side.  One more if he felt it needed it.

Finally, he screwed on the feet, and was done.  We kept the middle free, and put a vase in it, for branches, or something like that in the future.
That night, we went to Michael's again, and found a couple things I couldn't live without, and lucky me, they were 50% off!

We liked that it was still "beachy", but with a modern twist.
Also, figured Bella wouldn't be as tempted to chew on it.

Love the color, it's bamboo, it was on sale...
what more do you need?

So, are you ready to see it?

Bella really likes it too!  Just have to learn to jump around it!

I just love how it turned out!

So!  There is my biggest project yet!  I love, love, love it, and it makes me happy every time I walk through the door!

Please leave your comments, and let me know if you have any thoughts, ideas or improvements.  If you're unable to comment, and have any ideas on how to fix THAT (which is a huge pain in my butt) please email me at abigailgracza@gmail.com.

Have a crafty day!