These Little Piggies

January 24, 2017January 23, 2017 / Jodi / 51 Comments

When I kiss them
and rub them
and tuck them in
her little jammies,

I think about
the first wobbly steps they will take and then the walks that will follow holding mommy’s or daddy’s hands and later with a beloved friend or pet or me.

I think about
the times she will stand tall and proud on them for important things she believes in.

I think about
the times when she will vehemently “put her foot down” about something important to her.

I think about
her skipping on a hopscotch game chalked on the pavement or into the house with her heart fluttering from her first kiss.

I think about
her jumping rope in the playground or jumping off a diving board or from a plane.

I think about
her dipping them in and splashing at the edge of a pond or kicking them in the vast ocean.

I think about
her marching in a band like her mommy and daddy or in an important protest that could change the world.

I think about
her putting them gingerly on top of her Daddy’s trusting, sturdy feet learning to dance.

I think about her slipping them gracefully into delicate ivory wedding shoes to dance with the love of her life.

But for now,
I just kiss them
and rub them
and tuck them in her little jammies.

And I am thankful
for these little piggies.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Canon EOS Rebel T5

In Love

January 20, 2017January 19, 2017 / Jodi / 36 Comments

pink-orange-gold-abstract-watercolor-with-hearts-11x14-on-300-lb-arches-cold-press

Pink Orange & Gold Abstract Watercolor with Hearts 11×14 on 300 lb Arches Cold Press

In love with…

Pink and orange and gold
and dots and lines
and hearts and swirls.

In love with…

Fridays with my little C
and smiles and snuggles
and happy times.

Happy Friday!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Abstract Watercolor done using: Opera Pink, Quinacridone Rose, Cadmium Orange, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Copper Plate Gold, and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White, Salt, Twine, and Black Micron Pen.

McKinneyX2Designs

The Little Things

January 7, 2017January 7, 2017 / Jodi / 51 Comments

Enjoy the little things in life.

One day you will look back
and realize

they were the big things.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Creating a Nursery at Grandma’s House

December 16, 2016December 15, 2016 / Jodi / 57 Comments

I am having so much fun creating a nursery at “Grandma’s house” for our new granddaughter.

A sweet little haven for her to rest if I ever decide to let her out of my arms when she is at our home!

I promised I’d show you how I turned bumper pads into a window treatment valance. Didn’t it turn out great?!

Almost everything in this room was a passed on from a friend, was given as a gift, is something I made, or something I re-purposed.

Thanks to our friends Sue and Rodney for “gifting” us with this beautiful crib they had outgrown from their two beautiful granddaughters.

And thanks to our BFFs Jill and Todd who gifted us with this beautiful rocking chair when we learned we were going to become grandparents. (Hope you don’t mind I painted and distressed it!)

And thanks to our sweet Joyce and “Oh Rob” for this darling antique child’s art desk with paper roll that will be so fun in coming years!

And a dear friend, Diane, who sent this sweet little hanging pillow months before our granddaughter arrived, but made me wait until her birth to open (and I really did!). What truth there is in this message! What joy!

I’m looking forward to reading many, many books – over and over and over – in the years to come.

And playing with the basket of toys generously passed down from a sweet friend and incredible young Mom, Stefanie.

Sometimes I just walk into this room and smile… thinking of the memories that are going to be created and the love that is already there from the sharing of so many.

I remember the days when this was a little boy’s room with blue marbled walls and baseball trophies. I reminisce about the two boys who shared a wall between their rooms and secrets I still don’t know about… Two boys who were best buddies when they were little, didn’t like each other very much when they were teenagers, and are back to being each other’s “bests” as young adults.

Creating a nursery at Grandma’s house…
It is so very much
home sweet home.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

December 6, 2016December 4, 2016 / Jodi / 36 Comments

For those of you that have been following my blog for a while, you may recall this recipe.

It is worth repeating – at least for me.

Let me share what I wrote in my post two years ago when I first shared this recipe that is one of my ALL-TIME favorites.

December 15, 2014:

One of my favorite things to bake (and eat) for the holidays is my Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.

For me, it is like spending a little time with Grandma – even though she’s been gone for 20 years now. The smells that fill the house… using her recipe card – complete with stains from baking episodes past… using her old tin measuring cup, snipping apricots, chopping nuts… To me, the holidays aren’t truly here until I make Grandma’s Apricot Nut Bread and spend a little time with her through this ritual.

When I was young, I spent Christmas vacations (and every other moment I could) with Grandma. We spent a lot of our time together in the kitchen. While we were cooking or baking, Grandma would tell me stories about her childhood. It was sadly a pretty short one, because she had to become Mama to her baby brothers at only 9 years old when her mom died at a devastatingly early age. We would talk about her early married life with outhouses, coal furnaces, and washboards. And some of my favorite stories, especially when I was young, were the ones she would tell about me when I was a baby and how she danced in the hospital hallway with the doctor after I was born and how she fed me her homemade chicken soup on my first day home.

We laughed while we worked, and I never felt so loved.

One of the things Grandma made every year was Apricot Nut Bread. Growing up, it really wasn’t my favorite. I much preferred the lady locks or nut horns or nut roll – even the chocolate chip cookies. This bread is not overly sweet. It is not overly moist. But as an adult, it has become my absolute favorite. A slice with a swirl of creamy salted butter or a schmear of rich cream cheese and a cup of coffee might just be my favorite way to start the day.

This weekend, I once again made my annual batch of Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread. I can only hope for cherished times like this to share with my granddaughter some day.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try. May it bring you as much joy as it does me.

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Servings: 2 medium or 1 large and 1 small loaf
Print

Ingredients:

1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2-3/4 c. flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together 1 cup chopped apricots and 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

In larger mixer bowl, beat two eggs and gradually add 1 cup of sugar.

In a third large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder salt and baking soda.

Add the first two mixtures to the dry ingredients – alternating as you incorporate. Fold in chopped nuts.

Bake one large loaf at 375 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes, then 350 degrees F for 20 additional minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For smaller loaves, bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

P.S. I typically quadruple the recipe, and I get 8 mini loaves and 1 large loaf. We eat the large loaf (right away!) and I give away the mini loaves.

Cheers & Holiday Baking Hugs,
Jodi

Except Another Grandmother

November 19, 2016January 2, 2017 / Jodi / 97 Comments

Mother Nature must’ve known
my joy of becoming a Grandma this week

Gifting our sweet baby girl with
a 73 degree mid-November day to come home to

For no one else
in the entire universe

Could understand the immense love
and immeasurable joy

Except perhaps…
another
Grandmother ❤

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

There are truly not enough letters in the alphabet
or words in the dictionary
to describe how I’m feeling!!

Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch

October 27, 2016October 26, 2016 / Jodi / 44 Comments

Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch 9×12 Watercolor

Autumn is so leisurely lingering
and thoughts of pumpkins and trees in shades of oranges and red and yellow
are ever present.

I truly can’t remember when I have enjoyed the Fall season more.
The weather has been so beautiful.
Work has been busy.
Life has been full of exciting changes and anticipation.

One late evening this past week,
I felt the need… the urge… the desire… to paint.
I opened my palette and wasn’t sure what to do.
So I searched my Pinterest inspiration and found and amazing artist, Herry Arifin,
whose style totally intrigued me!

The looseness, the light, the brightness, the bold strokes and color
totally captivated me.

I used one of his paintings as an exercise to practice and created this.
It doesn’t even come remotely close to the talent of Herry, but it was sure fun to try.

And I made myself do it from memory and imagination and with freedom and abandon as opposed to looking at and copying.

It’s been fun watching friends post photos of their little “pumpkins” in pumpkin patches and dreaming of our little pumpkin. In fact, it is getting hard to think of much else!

This grandma-in-waiting is ready to take on the official role and title. Just a few more weeks to go!

Happy Autumn!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Funsy Onesies

October 6, 2016October 6, 2016 / Jodi / 40 Comments

Book My Reservation – I’m Going to Grandma’s Onsie

Does any baby ever have enough onesies?

And why not make them funsies?!

For a fun little shower gift, I made these two little funsy onesies
for our soon-to-arrive baby girl.

Can you tell we are very excited to be grandparents?!

Pap Pap’s Perfect Princess Onsie

Just a little fabric paint, time and creativity, with a heaping scoop of love.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Hot Air Balloon Themed Baby Shower

October 4, 2016October 3, 2016 / Jodi / 52 Comments

Oh what fun we had this past weekend celebrating the anticipation of the sweet baby girl we are awaiting with a Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower!

I made these miniature hot air balloons using super inexpensive 12″ white paper Chinese lanterns that I attached to quart-sized cardboard pulp berry baskets with wooden skewers and embellished with all the pink ribbon, yarn, sequins, buttons, lace, or pearls I had in my craft stash. I added a tiny battery operated tea light to each basket and hung and placed them all over the house.

It was such a collaborative effort of all the girls involved. Check out this amazing Aunt Squad surrounding the beautiful momma to be!

We had a hot air balloon cupcake cake,

Hot Air Balloon Cake Pops in a puffy white cloud,

and Hot Air Balloons, clouds and cherubic baby faced sugar cookies.

The favors were made using Eos Lip Balms to thank our guests for sharing their time and love with us.

A Hot Air Balloon banner with baby pictures of the mom and dad to be as babies themselves was a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

An Extra Large Basket Lady Pole Handle Wicker Storage Basket with pink and white balloons tied to it was filled to overflowing with children’s books guests brought in place of cards to start a wonderful library for baby.

The books were requested by a special insert in the invitation, and the overflowing abundance of new and extra special, well-loved books from people we love will be so cherished.

The time and love put into gifts blew us away. A very special Gram blessed Mom and Dad to be with this amazing handmade Hot Air Balloon quilt.

We also had a Hair Bow Boutique…

where guests were invited to create a hair bow (or two or three – like sweet Ella did) for baby.

And they surely blew us away with their talent and love.

Instead of a guest “book,” we had guests add their fingerprint and name to a hot air balloon watercolor painting that can hang in baby’s nursery as a sweet reminder of all who shared in her special party.

A simple game of “Guess the Baby Item in the Bag” had guests brainstorming

on what the heck starts with an “O” or “W” or “H”

while munching on fruit from a hot air balloon fruit tray (which we forgot to get a picture of – 😦 – sorry Jen!) – but looked a lot like this inspiration from Pinterest, as well as Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders and Chicken Salad with dried cranberries and walnuts in miniature croissants, veggie pizza, and Strawberry Spinach Salad.

and yep – we had that yummy Salted Caramel Apple Sangria too!

My heart is surely overflowing!

Balloons are now popped, and the house is back in order. Grandma is still glowing, though, as we await the arrival of this already abundantly loved baby girl.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS Thanks to BFF Jill for being event photographer for Grandma-to-be who was simply too overjoyed and excited to even think about snapping pics! What would I do without you!? ❤

Showers of Love

October 2, 2016October 1, 2016 / Jodi / 36 Comments

Showers of love
in pastel shades
of pink and ribbons
and braids.

Dreaming of cherubic
rosy red cheeks
and plump, chubby thighs
to pinch and kiss and squeeze.

Preparing for sweetness
for sugar and spice…
showers of love
my heart’s delight.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

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the creative life in between

cherishing the moments and exploring my passion for creativity… through art, photography, food, and writing

Grandma

These Little Piggies

In Love

The Little Things

Creating a Nursery at Grandma’s House

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Except Another Grandmother

Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch

Funsy Onesies

A Hot Air Balloon Themed Baby Shower

Showers of Love

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