Tiny Prints

My new life, with an infant, has become a juggling act of caring for baby Charlotte, while entertaining my toddler, Alexandra. I try to come up with projects that not only occupy Alexandra but also give her the opportunity to safely interact with her baby sister. Selfishly, I wanted to capture this time in my kids’ lives in a cute way, so I enlisted Alexandra to paint her sister’s hands and feet with non-toxic acrylic paint so I could stamp them on a piece of paper. We also stamped Alexandra… which has resulted in a daily request to paint hands and feet.

Hand and Foot Prints

Items You Will Need and Why

• An 8×10 piece of watercolor or heavy stock paper: 8×10 will be an easy size to mat and frame but will also fit all prints.
• Non-toxic, washable paint: Just in case paint ends up in someone’s mouth or on clothes!
• Paintbrush or paint roller: Make sure to evenly paint on the pain and not have a lot of brush streaks.

The best way, I found, to paint the baby’s hands and feet and get open prints is to wait until she is sleeping. Awake babies do not readily open their clutch fists. 🙂

Painting Hands and Feet

Painting Hands and Feet

What Makes a Rainbow – Betty Ann Schwartz

I had huge plans for my three year old’s birthday but since I delivered her sister just two weeks prior, I will have to save my ideas for next year. Instead, her Nammie set up a wonderful and easy party, complete with make-em yourself sandwiches and lots of trampoline fun. My sole contribution, because I had to do something, was to make a colorful and healthy rainbow fruit salad inspired by the book, “What Makes a Rainbow”. This book is very clever because it uses ribbons to add each color to the rainbow, as you turn the page. I am still trying to figure out how it works!

Rainbow Fruit Salad with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

Rainbow Fruit Salad with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

Items You Will Need and Why

• Any fruit you choose, all colors of the rainbow.
• Vanilla Bean: For your whipped cream.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: for your whipped cream and your chocolate.
• Powdered Sugar or Granulated: For your whipped cream. It’s totally your preference; granulated sugar will be a little grainier on the tongue.
• Lemon: For your whipped cream.
• Cheese Grater or Zester: For your lemon, which you will add to your whipped cream for a little extra kick.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: To warm and drizzle on your salad.
• Fondue Machine (optional): To melt and keep your chocolate melted.
• A hand mixer or Cuisinart mixer: To make your whipped cream.

Ingredients

Salad

• 6oz of Raspberries
• 4 medium Oranges: peel and dice about the size of your blackberries. Make sure to cut off all of the pith (white part), as it’s too acidic.
• 3 Bananas: Add your bananas when you’re ready to serve so they don’t brown. Alternately, you can squeeze lemon on them to prevent browning.
• 5 Kiwis: Cut all of the skin off with a very sharp knife and slice little ovals.
• 11oz of Blueberries
• 6oz of Blackberries

In summary, make all of your fruit pieces similar in size.

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup of Heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 a Vanilla Bean: Cut the bean in 1/2, score down the center and scrape out the vanilla with a pairing knife.
• 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 1-2 tbsp of Powdered (Confectioner’s) Sugar OR Granulated Sugar: Add the amount of sweetness you like, start with 1 tbsp and add to your liking.

Chocolate

• 8oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream – warmed on the stove at a low heat

Assembly

1. Chop and assemble your fruit.
2. Either add your chocolate chips and warmed cream (or milk) to your Fondue pot and stir or you can slowly warm the cream and chocolate on the stove at a low heat and drizzle over your fruit.
3. Beat your whipping cream, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla bean until it turns into a thick, whipped cream constancy.

Makes about 8 servings

What Makes a Rainbow by Betty Ann Schwartz

New Addition to Snap Craft Chomp

Just three days shy of Valentine’s Day, my little Charlotte Cristina made her appearance. While I wasn’t really supposed to be moving or lifting objects heavier than 10lbs, I couldn’t resist but take advantage of the beautiful sunlight seeping into my hospital room and the fact that this baby sleeps really well!

Growing Family

Charlotte Cristina – 3 Days Old

I love you, THIS MUCH card

An easy to make, personalized and sentimental card to make for anyone you love! Last Valentine’s Day, I made a card with my little ones feet, this year I decided to use her hands. I love to capture just how small she is right now.

I love you THIS MUCH card

Items You Will Need and Why

• 3 colored card stocks.
• 1 pink or red piece of felt
• Scissors
• Paper cutter.
• ½” heart punch
• Liquid glue pen.
• Die cut or Stamp letters

Assembly

• Trace child’s hand (my daughters hand ended up being about 3” x 3 ¾”, make sure to adjust your sizes according to the size of the hand)
• Cut 2 outlines of the hand out using cardstock
• Cut another color cardstock 1 ½” x 12”
• Fold the 1 ½” x 12” strip into an accordion fold giving you 10 folds approximately 1 ¼” each fold.
• Punch out 1 heart in felt
• Die cut or Stamp out on each fold THIS MUCH (I used Quickutz die cuts Frankie font)
• Die cut or Stamp out in a small font I You arrange letter on the front of the palm
• Once you have everything cut it will be really easy to assemble
• Using liquid glue adhere everything down.

I love you THIS MUCH card

St. Patrick’s Day Card

St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time- a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic. ~Adrienne Cook
I always find it to be a sweet surprise to receive something in the mail that isn’t a bill or advertisement. Sending out handmade cards to my friends and family always makes me smile, this particular year I sent out 15 of these happy heart shamrock cards.

St. Patrick’s Day Card

Items You Will Need and Why

• 3 shades of olive green colored card stock.
• 1 pattern paper (olive paisley by Chatterbox)
• 6” Raffia
• Paper cutter.
• 1 ½” heart punch
• Double sided adhesive (like scotch ATG 700 double sided tape) or acid free  adhesive squares
• Envelopes: My cards were not a standard size so I ordered clear 4 ¾” x 10 ¼”  envelopes from Clearbags.com
• Chestnut brown colorbox ink pad
• 1 glue dot

Assembly

• Cut the base of your card (dark olive) 8 ½” x 10
• Cut the olive paisley pattern paper to 4″ x  9 ¾”
• Cut the lightest shade of olive green 2 ¼” x 4”
• Punch out 3 hearts in the medium shade olive green & free hand cut out a stem
• Tie a bow in the raffia
• Lightly ink the edges of everything you have cut and even the hearts, with your ink pad. You do this by taking an ink pad, hold it along the edge of the paper and slide the ink pad across the paper to ink the edges. You can also use a marker but you have to have a steady hand.
• Once you have everything cut it will be really easy to assembly
• Use a glue dot to tack raffia bow down

Pocket Invitation

I wish I could save these moments, put’em in a jar.
I wish I could stop the world from turning,
and keep things just the way they are…

Before my 10-year high school reunion I decided to get some friends together from high school for a mini reunion. Where we could reconnect and meet their children. I made 15 of these adorable pocket invitations and sent them in my favorite clear envelopes.

Pocket Invitation

Items You Will Need and Why

• 2 different colored textured card stocks (I used the brand Bazzill Basics)
• 2 different patterned papers
• Pocket pouch, you can either buy premade pockets from Paper Source or I make your own. (I made my own template)
• Ribbon.
• Paper cutter.
• Corner Rounder.
• Double sided adhesive (like scotch ATG 700 double sided tape) or acid free double sided glue squares.
• Envelopes were from Clearbags.com
• Ink pad

Assembly

• Completed project size is 4 ½” x 5 ¾”
• Print on your lightest/top layer card stock before you cut
• You will cut your printed layer to 3 ″ x  3 ¾”
• You will cut your tag 4 ¼” x 5 ½” (cutting the corners can be tricky. I like to cut one side, then hold that cut piece to the non-cut side to get an equal cut.) Then adhere the printed layer to the tag.
• You will cut your pattern paper (Flower paper for mine) 3 ¾” x 4 ½” and a 1 x 4 ½”
• You will cut your other pattern paper (Striped for mine) 1” x 4 ¼”
• Lightly ink the edges of everything you have cut with your ink pad. You do this by taking an ink pad, hold it along the edge of the paper and slide the ink pad across the paper to ink the edges. You can also use a marker but you have to have a steady hand.
• Adhere your pattern papers to your tag. Your sizes may vary depending on your pocket size.
• Cut your ribbon 2 pieces of ribbon 1- 5 ½” & 1- 4 ½”
• Use glue dots to tack down the 5 ½” strip of ribbon
• Tie a bow using the 4 ½” strip of ribbon and use a glue dot to tack bow down.

Pocket Invitation

Pocket Invitation

Attaching ribbon to card

Strawberry Shortcake – The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey

Today, I took my daughter to the park, the same park I used to take her to when she was an infant. I can’t believe it’s been over two years since we quietly sat in the sun, reading some of my favorite childhood stories. It was then, that I first fantasized about introducing her to these wonderful stories and all of the fantastic foods and dishes that were mentioned in her books. Then, she started walking, talking, tantruming and only wanting to eat junk food. The peaceful, immobile days are long gone but we both still love reading together and she loves watching me prepare food in the kitchen… so we’re on the right track!

Strawberry Shortcake

Items You Will Need and Why

• Strawberries
• Vanilla Bean: It could really be optional but I really love the flavor it adds to the dish.
• All Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Crisco Shortening
• Milk: Whole milk is going to be more flavorful and rich but I always just use what I have in the fridge which is usually low or non-fat.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: You could also buy whipped cream, but what’s the fun in that?
• Powdered Sugar
• Lemon
• A Cuisinart mixer or hand mixer:
• An 8″ round Baking Dish: You’ll need this for your dough, you could also use a small Pyrex casserole dish, if you didn’t have a baking dish, just keep an eye out while you’re baking and make sure the dough cooks until it’s golden brown and doesn’t burn.

Ingredients

• 1lb Strawberries
• 1 Vanilla bean
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 3 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 tbsp Powdered sugar
• Lemon zest from 1 small lemon (optional)

Assembly

Strawberries

• Chop up the strawberries into bite sized pieces and dump in a tbsp of granulated sugar (optional if you want to go healthy).
• Cut the vanilla bean in half, slice it open and scape out the inside into the strawberries. The vanilla, too, is optional but adds such a nice, creamy flavor.
• Set berries aside. If you can let them set overnight, your vanilla flavor will really come through.

Dough

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and grease an 8″ round baking dish with butter or spray.
• In a mixing bowl, with the paddle attachment, combing flour, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, baking powder and salt and start to mix. Add the shortening (Crisco) and continue to mix until the shortening is mixed in (maybe 30 seconds)
• Add the milk and mix until milk is mixed into the dough (maybe 45 seconds). Don’t over-mix.
• Dump the dough into the baking dish, flatten with a spatula and place in a 450 degree oven.
• Cook until it is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
• Remove your dough from the pan and set it on a wire rack to cool, you don’t want to bottom to get moist and mushy. Sprinkle the top with some sugar

Whipped Cream

• Whip the 1/2 pint of whipping cream for about 2 minutes or until it resembles whipped cream.
• While it’s whipping, add about 1 tbsp of powdered sugar.
• Add the scraping from the 2nd half of your vanilla bean or some lemon zest for a little extra flavor boost.

Break up your dough with your hands, top with the strawberries and whipped cream.

Makes about 6 servings

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey

Four Generations of Women

There is so much value in photographs and taking the time to gather people together for special photo sessions. In this photo shoot you will see four generations of beautiful women coming together to celebrate each other and their special bond as great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and baby!

Four Generations

 

Four Generations

Toddler Portraits

Another Fairy Toddler

Toddler Fairy

When I was pregnant with Alexandra, I swore that pink, glitter and tutus would not enter our house… what was I thinking?! The best part of having a little girl is everything pink, glitter and tutus! I didn’t make any part of this outfit, she got it as a gift from her Nammie, but it was “tu” cute not to photograph! The best way for anyone to capture toddlers is to let them just roam around and feed them lots of non-messy snacks, which is how I captured these adorable and whimsical pictures of my little fairy.

Spring Toddler Fairy

Spring Toddler Fairy

Spring Toddler Fairy

Spring Toddler Fairy

Pink and Brown Baby Announcements

I have mentioned in a few posts that I have been thinking about my daughter’s 3rd birthday photo shoot – what I haven’t mentioned is that I am also anxiously awaiting the birth of her baby sister! Three years ago, when I had Alexandra, I managed to capture one of my very first images of Alexandra smiling. This was the image I decided to use on the birth announcements that my brilliant friend, Maggie, made for me. Now, in addition to planning photo shoots and birthday parties for Alexandra, I need to start thinking about baby announcements!

Baby Announcement

Items You Will Need and Why

• 3 different colored card stocks.
• 1 photograph 3 3/4″ x 5″ (this is not a standard print size so you’ll have to trim down from a 4X6).
• Ribbon.
• Paper cutter.
• Double sided adhesive (like scotch ATG 700 double sided tape) or acid free glue stick.
• Envelopes: My cards were not a standard size so I ordered clear 4 5/8″ x 9 3/4″ envelopes from Clearbags.com

Assembly

• Print on your pink/top layer card stock before you cut it (I used the brand Bazzill Basics, color is Blossom, bought online Scrapbooking.com )
• You will cut your top layer (pink stock) to 3 3/4″ x 4 1/4″
• The middle layer is a dark brown and was cut to 4″ x 9 1/2″ (brand is Bazzill Basics, color is Java, bought online Scrapbooking.com )
• The first layer is a white metallic and cut to 4 1/4″ x 9 3/4″ (brand is Aspire Petallics, color is Beargrass, weight is Cover. I bought it at Kelly Paper, a great resource for bulk paper and envelopes)
• Cut your ribbon to 6 1/2″
• Once you have everything cut it will be really easy to assemble
• Affix your ribbon to the back of your middle layer of card stock. It’s best to cut sheer ribbon at an angle it won’t fray as easily.

Smiley Newborn