Tattooed Momma

{Finishing Ink}

2012-01-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yah! I've finally finished my Rock of Ages tattoo that was started back in the Fall. I actually had to reschedule 3 different times due to the whole fam was sick for 2 months straight.

So here she is!! My BIG reminder that when life's waves are crashing all around me and I feel scared and helpless, I have Jesus, The Rock that is higher than I.

BTW- check out Indelible Grace- Rock of Ages When the Day Seems Long. This song actually reignited my desire for this tattoo that I originally wanted years ago. Last year was a really hard one for Joshua and I but this song was a sweet reminder to cling to Jesus in our time of need and it was on constant repeat.

First session-

Second and final session-

Now this isn't the "original" ROA tattoo, but I told JC specifically that I wanted the rays of light to be bursting through the clouds. All photos i've seen of this particular tattoo has the emphasis on the dark, stormy clouds with a little bit of sun shining through. So because of how close I hold this to my heart, I decided to make the changes. I'm super pumped on how it all turned out! I can't wait to make my next appointment! I am probably gonna get an antique sewing machine and some super rad filler stuff. Joshua's birthday is coming next month and we've already set up his next visit! So jealous!!!

{The BEST Homemade "Cream Of" Soup EVER}

2012-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest and instantly wanted to try it for myself. Cream of soup cans are something you always need in random recipes but never seem to remember to stock up on, plus each can is at least $1.50! What better way to put your creativity and frugality to the test! The great thing about this recipe is that you can add the extra ingredients to this recipe in order to make celery, seafood, mushroom ectra soup base. Not only is this the tastiest "cream of" I've ever had, but it's SO easy to make because most of our kitchen are already stocked with what the recipe calls for!

Cream of "something" soup base recipe

1 cup non-fat dried milk (Found in the baking aisle)

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup bouillon (if you have cubes you have to smash them up, although I've noticed that Rapunzel brand is almost mushy/tacky so this won't work.)

4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced green onions (You can also use regular onions)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme (You can also use Parsely)

1 teaspoon pepper

(For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup, mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Cook until thick, stirring every 15 seconds.)

(NOTE- I always end up doubling the recipe because I go through the batch so much! By doubling the above recipe it make exactly 3 cups of the dried ingredients OR equivalent to 9 cans of cream soup base.)

Enjoy!!!

Those are diced green chiles that I whipped up for my green chicken enchiladas!

{New Year's Eve}

2012-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years! GOODNESS how is it 2012 already??! A new year has arrived just in time to help us reminisce on the previous years' memories and stirs us into the future with dreams that have been dormant for way to long that causes each of us to look at their path in life.

Joshua and I played it pretty low-key with a nice spaghetti and chicken sausage dinner, sipping bubbly mango champagne while watching Star Trek. We also managed to take silly photos of ourselves messing around. Joshua was eating the last of a delicious chocolate mouse creme pie!

We enjoyed recounting our past year by thinking about different life changing events that occurred which turned into many great reminders of how truly blessed we are by God. Scripture puts it perfect when it says,"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.- James 1:7"

Thank you Lord for your providence and your sovereign hand with all good and difficult that we have encountered this past year.

2011 event re-cap:

Isaac began walking...now he's running!
We moved out of Joshua's Mom's house and into our own place!
We were given another car!
Joshua got 3 jobs total...which lead into his FT ministry job he current has.
Deepened friendships by opening our home for dinner
We got more tattoos (Yes this was actually one)
Joshua would say that he transformed me into a "Trekkie"...
Enjoyed Christmas Day as just The Gielow's!

Happy New Years!!!!

{A Week in Photos}

2012-01-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hey!! We've been super busy around the Gielow homestead so this will just be a quick photo update!! Hope your New Year's Eve was wonderful!!!

On Instagram?? FOLLOW ME!!!

{Christmas Day 2011!}

2011-12-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning at The Gielow's! We stayed up WAY to late watching It's a Wonderful Life, Joshua actually fell asleep halfway through the movie, but because it's a Christmas tradition around here, I stayed dedicated to finishing it! The next morning, I actually slept in, while Joshua got Isaac up and started on breakfast. I finally rolled out of bed and took over making pancakes.

We had separated all the presents in our own personal piles, having a gist of what Christmas morning would be like after opening presents at Gramma and Grampa's house, the day before we wanted to open then pretty quickly.

So after finishing our pancakes, we cleaned Isaac up and headed for the living room. Joshua and I have decided that traditions is something we want to incorporate in our family, to not only have loving structure in our home but for the excitement of family togetherness. So before we opened our gifts, we all sat down as Joshua read from Luke 2, helping us to not only remember what CHRISTmas really is about, but also have the freshness of His Word written on our hears.

We had cleared most of his toys out of the way the night before, so we would have plenty of room for his wrapped toys. We planned on opening our gifts to one another first, that way we could facetime with Isaac's other Gramma and Grandad while he opened their presents. Unwrapping ours was a little slower than anticipated because we decided to document these precious moments with our camera. I swear we are still 5 years old, ripping open the presents meant for us, so excited we practically demolish the gift itself! We then called a bunch of family and only 2 picked up! I guess they were engulfed in the euphoria of gift exchange as well.

Things settled down around 10am to which Isaac was showing signs that his nap time was upon us. We snuggled the entire time he slept, and after we woke up close to 11:15, we decided to head to the grocery store to make lunch. I never want to be the shopper who goes in a store 5 minutes before they close, likewise on such a sacred holiday that everyone wants to be with family. SO SORRY VONS!!! Obviously this shows my lack of meal planning earlier on in the week. As Joshua was checking out, Isaac again decided it was time to go outside, by way of screeching at the top of his lungs. So we walked around the neighboring stores, and actually got to window shop at the Cosmetologist supply store Armstrong-MCcall's. We then met Joshua at the car and headed home with excitement for our honey glazed ham, chocolate chip mousse pie and double sharp cheese log. We pretty much just chilled the rest of the night playing with Isaac's new toys...I mean showing him how to use them...and then around 4pm I started dinner. We decided that we wanted to dress up for the occasion and dress up we did. He wore a red bow-tie and I wore my new leopard print pumps. Running around the kitchen and worrying that I would step on Isaac, the shoes only lasted about 20 minutes, before they went in the closet. Close to 3 hours later we were enjoying a wonderful home cooked Christmas dinner. I made buttered herb hens, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry mayo and horseradish apricot chutney with wild rice pear dressing and chicken-pineapple-bacon sausage. OMGOODNESS it was SO good, I even impressed myself. Joshua originally wanted duck, but after hearing multiple bad reviews from friends, we decided chicken would be the wisest and tastiest of choices. Since dinner was later than our usual time, we got Isaac ready for bed and settled in to a great movie, That Thing You Do...again Joshua only enjoyed about half of the movie, which means I didn't go to bed until 1am.

Enjoy the visual bliss about to be had!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Exciting Announcement!

2011-12-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

I am pursuing Cosmetology school!!! After years of putting this dream on the back burner, it looks as if I will actually become a licensed cosmetologist! We've prayed ALOT and have toured schools and have filled out TONS of paperwork, and let me tell you...just looking into which school to go to is tiring!!!

We've checked out 3 accredited schools in our area, and after much toil and many pro/con lists, we've decided it's best for our family if I pursue night classes. I couldn't be more happier with this decision because I've always wanted to become a Hairstylist, but nothing is more important than the amazing family God has given me, and I will not allow my desire of going to school, over power the time spent with my Husband and little boy.

I understand that going to night school will still require SO MUCH sacrifice on my part and I am willing to take on the stresses of what will be required on me. Now don't get me wrong, I am still totally freaking out over this decision. To heap almost $20,000 debt onto my family is scary, but we trust that God will sustain us through this time. Graduating will also take 15-18 months as opposed to 11 months for day school. The time frame OBVIOUSLY sucks big time, but when you think about it, that in less than 2 years I will have my license and can start working in the beauty industry, 2 years isn't really that long.

Christmas is in the air

2011-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas on The Gielow home front and we are loving it! We started decorating late this year because we were in AZ for Thanksgiving, but now walls are full of tinsel and doily snowflakes!

Yah, he's pumped to put up the tree.

I made this ornament from a pie box that held our wonderful Julian Apple crumble pie!

Jewish chocolate chip cookies!

A wall with handmade Christmas nic-nacs!

I love our little fake tree!

Handmade ornaments!

Making family ornaments!

Our tree!

Painted ornaments!

We really shouldn't have wrapped all his presents in Toy Story!

Our sweet vintage bean gab nativity set that Joshua's Aunt made when they were kids!

Thanksgiving in Arizona

2011-12-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

We drove out to Az to visit family for Thanksgiving at it was truly a joyous reunion. My Nana had been in the ICU and hospice for just a few weeks before she was released to go back home and it was a relief to see her. We seriously all thought we would lose her. During that whole ordeal, i just placed my trust in Christ, understanding that she was in His hands and that His presence would be known. So we celebrated at their house with a partly catered meal which was nice because we had minimal cleanup. I'm really glad that Isaac was able to see Nana and Papa again. He is SO sweet and gentle to the elderly, it's just adorable to watch! We didn't see anyone, we chose to lay low and make this trip really about family....and thrift stores, TONS and tons of thrift stores. I know I've said this in the past, but I swear Arizona has the best ones. I think we visited 10 Goodwills, Salvation Army's and Savers in the East Valley. We scored some rad things as well. I usually go to the dishware first, then linens, women's shoes and lastly through kids clothes. I don't bother to look through women's clothing anymore...it's just to damn overwhelming.

WARNING: PHOTO HEAVY!!!

Hope you had a grand Thanksgiving!!!

{Lately in Photos}

2011-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

If you're on Instagram, FOLLOW ME!

Here's life lately! Also- we just got back from AZ for Thanksgiving so my next post will be a recap of our trip!

Advent Crafts

2011-11-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

As Christians, we celebrate Advent. It's an old tradition in which the coming of Christ is longed for and celebrated during Christmas.

I have been wanting an nativity Advent calendar for a few years, but haven't been impressed with the cheap quality in which they are made with or either they are way over priced. We almost bought one over the weekend, but I couldn't justify purchasing it even with a coupon. YES, I'm CHEAPER than my Jewish Husband. So we decided that i would make one for our family that would be more meaningful and bring an abundance of joy. I found a handful of super great ideas that I might implement, but I still love the traditional nativity scenes.

Love the house!

Wowwie!! Adore the cross stitch!!!

Adorable shape!

German Cathedral

Super cute quilted calendar

Neat colors

Love that it's huge!

Traditional one!

Are you adding any homemade goodness to your Christmas traditions this year?? If so, what?

{DIY Up-cycled Watering Can}

2011-11-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

I found this idea on Pinterest by just looking through random garden placement ideas. I instantly loved the idea because i've been needing a watering can for awhile and I was about 2 loads of laundry away from having an empty laundry bottle. Not only is this the easiest diy but it saves money as well!

DIY Watering Can

What you need:

- Empty laundry detergent bottle

- Smallest drill bit you own

(Optional- modge podge and scrapbooking paper or fabric)

Make sure you rinse out the bottle thoroughly, you don't want your plants to drink in soapy water.
Make sure the cap is screwed on the body of the bottle. Take your drill and put holes all over the top of the cap. You can drill another hole near the top of the handle for oxygen for the water to flow freely, but we didn't find it that necessary.
(Optional- You can now take your modge podge and decorate your bottle, or just leave it plain as we did.)

Forgive my "near death" flowers. I really needed a watering can!

I love my cheesy watering can!

{Recipe- Our version of Lasagna}

2011-11-19T00:41:00.000-08:00

Lasagna Roll ups is a dinner favorite around here. Not only for taste but because they are easily prepared and fantastic as leftovers. This is one meal leftover that both my Husband and little boy will inhale. It does take a little longer to prepare than other meals, but after the 2nd time of making it, you will be a pro! One of my favorite things about this recipe is it freezes wonderfully.

Thank GOD for Italians, if it wasn't for their food I swear my son wouldn't eat!

Lasagna Roll ups (great for freezing and eating later!)

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 pound of any meat OR tofu (sausage, chicken, extra cheese) I 3 links of use chicken apple sausage

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (you can totally use the grated jarred stuff)

1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce

2 large sheets of parchment paper and lots 'o kitchen counter space

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just slightly underdone; drain and set aside single file on the parchment paper and let dry.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together grated cheese, ricotta cheese, meat, frozen spinach, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. (I prefer to put the sausage coins on last)

Spread a thin layer of the cheese/meat mixture on the noodle, then add a thin layer of sauce.

Roll the noodle up, and place seam side down in a 13x9 pan.

Repeat for other noodles. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 30 min, or until hot and bubbly.

The really nice thing about this particular way of making lasagna is not only is it fun to eat for everyone, but if you have picky eaters, you have the ability to prepare the roll ups in different favored ways. So, Isaac isn't into meat so I am able to make a few without. Joshua doesn't really appreciate spinach...unfortunately for him, I LEAVE it in! Husbands still need to eat their veggies!

I have made this with turkey, beef and chicken sausage, and we personally prefer the sausage. Not only is the sausage pre-cooked, so that saves me time, but the small apple chunks in the sausage add a delicate sweetness.

Isaac asking for dinner! He's so darn cute!

Drooling right?? Go make this now! You won't be sorry!

{Cloth Diapering...Again}

2011-11-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

(Just wanted to start this off by telling you that this post is not about making you feel guilty if you don't cloth diaper, it's a little bit into our journey including some pros and cons of the different kinds we've used.)

We've picked up cloth diapering...again. We first put Isaac in cloth shortly after he was born and loved it. I wasn't prepared as a new Momma with all the extra laundry so after a few months, we unfortunately decided to pack them up once he was out of the last size we put him in. We've tried AIO, shells/covers, one size and pockets.

So as you assume from the title, we have officially gone back, and I couldn't be happier! For awhile, going back to cloth had been heavy on my heart almost every time I would change his diaper. A big factor was not just the "green" benefits of cloth, but that it's just so damn expensive to buy disposables and I didn't like the idea of Isaac walking around in a plastic bag filled with chemicals. Which essentially is all the disposables are. If you are curious about cloth diapers or think that I'm referring to the diapers your Grandma used on your parents than I suggest researching a little. I really like Zany Zebra, it's a Mom who makes cloth diapers and her site is filled with so much knowledge on the subject!

Anyways, my hardworking Husband, worked a few extra hours so we could purchase some in his size. I was able to hit up a craigslist deal- 6 cd + 13 prefolds for only $35. Then today at Babies in Bloom, they had their bi-annual cloth diaper sidewalk sale. I plan my week around this event! So needless to say I was there a half hour early and was able to pick through stuff before the crowd really arrived. I actually ran into one of my friends which was a nice surprise and chitchatted with a few other scouting Momma's as well. I got 7 more diapers, 14 more prefolds and a pail liner for only $40. I am pretty pumped with how today went. My treasures are currently in a hot vinegar soak in the tub right now, and will get thrown in the wash tomorrow before church, so they can line dry all day.

Below are some cute photos of Isaac in CD.

Isaac when he was about 2 months old.

Isaac currently at 18 month.

Cloth diaper sale today!

Some goodies!

Doesn't he look adorable in them!!! I bet your baby would as well!

As I mentioned above, we have tried pockets, AIO, one size and shells/covers. I actually like all four, but prefer shells/covers. We have tried gDiapers, Bum Genius, Happy Heinys, some small brands and a few different WAHM cloth diapers. There are pros and cons to anything but in our experience I will name a few of each.

Aio
+ Ready to put on, no need to add a cover or inserts.
+ Can use disposable diaper liners to "catch" poop.
+ Many color and design choices.
+ No extra accessory purchases like inserts or waterproof liners.
- One use, then dirty.
- To bulky, especially if you need extra leak protection with added inserts.
- Most are separate sizes, so you have to purchase additional ones as baby grows.
- Husband doesn't like.

Pockets
+ You can build your protection by adding as many as 4 inserts.
+ Can use disposable diaper liners to "catch" poop.
+ Many color and design choices.
- One use, then dirty.
- Husband doesn't like.

One Size
+ Diaper can be used from "newborn" to up to 2yr.
+ Can use disposable diaper liners to "catch" poop.+ Comes with snaps and sometimes snaps with velcro.
+ Some brands make OS covers, so if it's a pee change, just baby wipe the inside of the diaper shell/cover and you can reuse!
+ Many color and design choices.
+ The brands that make OS covers, you can use disposable inserts with them.
- Most OS are pocket diapers, so you only get one use then they are dirty.
- Not all OS have size correctness.
- Husband doesn't like.

Shell/Covers
+ Can last through multiple diaper changes!
+ Some brands make OS!
+ Many color and design choices.
+ Can use disposable diaper liners to "catch" poop.
+ Less bulky.
+ Extra accessories might need to be purchased such as: disposable inserts, extra liners ect.
+ You can purchase disposable inserts, great for travel or nite time diapering.
+ Husband likes!
- Some are not water proof, but instead need to use waterproof liners in order to work.
- Even the waterproof liners can fail and poop can go outside the bounds and dirty the shell/cover.

Now I totally understand that not everyone might have the same praises and grievances as I do, which is why I highly recommend you checking them out for yourself!

Also- if you want to try some out for yourself there is a world of different ways to buy them!
- Ask friends (You'd be surprised at who might use them!)
- Craigslist
- Ebay
- Etsy
- Target, Walmart, Amazon, local baby boutiques/resale shops
- Make your own! So many patterns out there! Check out this cool new line from Joann's called Babyville Boutique!
- Online cloth diaper trade sites

{Flashback Friday V. Probably 15ish}

2011-11-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of flipping through old photographs. I enjoy looking at where we were and seeing how far we've come by the grace of God. Thank you Lord for the camera, a permanent way to capture precious moments in time.

This picture was taken the day after our wedding, we were on our way to Catalina Island to enjoy one another on our Honeymoon. Circa 2006.

Happy happy Friday! Hope you're enjoying FALL weather wherever you are, it's currently pouring here and has been all day.

{Fall Festival}

2011-10-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Instead of celebrating Halloween, we celebrate with the Fall Festival at Gramma & Grampa's church, followed by Reformation Day when Martin Luther tacked on his 95 thesis on the church doors at Wittenberg.

It was super cute to see Isaac run around in his little outfit and jumping around with him in the bounce houses. He is still way to small to go in alone, because there were so many "bigger" kids in there as well. We mainly stayed closed by them and the playground where we let Isaac grab candy from the buckets, which we then stuffed in our pockets. He is still way to young for refined sugar, poor little guy doesn't know what he's missing. We have to keep Gramma on a short leash, when she wants to give him cookies or candy-haha because Isaac is the youngest Grandkid, we keep having to tell Gramma that she will have to pay for all the Dentists bills and Doctor visits for the cavities and health problems that is caused by junk food.

Lotsa pictures!

Which ever Holiday your family chooses to celebrate, please be safe and don't forget to enjoy one another because we can only relive these precious moments in our memories. So make them worth remembering!

Friday Photo Love

2011-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Flashback Friday PEOPLE!!!

Joshua and I were dating and I had just moved out to Cali to be with him. It took him 3 whole months to FINALLY propose...I seriously bugged him everyday to ask me! HA He finally said, "The more you ask me the longer I will wait!" Well, needless to say, I didn't ask him again!

Sept 2005

Any special plans for the Weekend? Our parent's church is hosting a Fall Festival for families with bounce houses, food and dress up with Tons of stuff for kids to do. I can't wait for Isaac to just run around, and maybe he will even want to try a ball pit!

Happy Friday!!!

Sober Moments

2011-10-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

How can I wander on the net aimlessly looking at things or feeding my wants and desires when it will all burn in the end anyway?

You see a few feet away from me my sick Husband is resting and I just found out that my Nana is in the hospital for breathing problems and hallucinations. It's hard because I can't rush to her side and hold her hands and whisper prayers in her ears. One of the harsh inconveniences of living out-of-state.

It's heart breaking to know that there is nothing I can do to take my Husband's suffering away. Everything inside of me wants to take it for him, be sick in his stead, and yet knowing that this will never be achieved, I sit here clinging to Jesus...trusting Him that it's nothing serious. He's been having trouble breathing lately, and we decided to go to the ER tonight to finally figure out what the HELL is going on and why he's been sick 2x this past few months. Well needless to say even with insurance it was to damn expensive and being in between pay periods, we had to forgo diagnosis and possible treatment. He still has an Dr. appointment that awaits him on Monday though. As we drove away, I was so frustrated and angry out of pride that we couldn't even afford to help my Husband. I prayed prayers to a Faithful God, knowing that He is sovereign and will comfort Joshua in his time of utter need. It's just SO hard for me as a woman to see the ones I love and adore the most suffer. Interestingly enough, Hubby and I just finished reading through the book of Job last night, and this time around I had some new things pop out to me, but the most wonderful thing about the history of Job is that God was faithful. Nothing is to hard for Him, and He allowed Job to suffer because of HIS sovereignty. This of course brings me comfort, knowing that nothing absolutely nothing is outside of God's knowledge or reach. He wills what He wills for His perfect plan, of course my feeble mind can not comprehend all of His ways or why He allows what happens but still He is Faithful and nothing takes away the Truth that HE IS GOD.

So for my statement above...I just need to fill my mouth with prayers and not wander aimlessly on Pinterest or Instagram until I finally get sleepy.

Recent Photos!

2011-10-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Add me on Instagram: Tattooedmomma.

{Homemade Butterfinger Recipe}

2011-10-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

It's true. Butterfingers homemade. The only thing better than that which I can think of is that I would be pregnant with baby #2 right now! It's the easiest recipe in the world and only takes 3, YES THREE ingredients to make!!! Please do your Husband, family, friends, neighbors a favor and make this. What a wonderful holiday gift this would make. Just wrap these up in some pretty cellophane paper with a bow and include a handmade card and you will make the recipient feel very loved.

Now before I reveal this beauty of a recipe, I would like to share my thoughts regarding the overall process and outcome. When I first stumbled across the recipe here, I was a little sketched at first, to think that you could actually duplicate this candy at home seemed pretty far fetched to me. That was until I saw how easy it was to make, then I thought,"I need to try this". I had read tons of reviews from other's who have made it, and all had agreed that their creation tasted exactly like the real thing. I was convinced and inquired to Joshua about my newly acquired culinary intentions. He was thrilled, and so I recruited him to help me in the kitchen. I don't normally ask for assistance, BUT Star Trek episodes were awaiting us, and the sooner we got done, the sooner we would be enjoying both candy and show. The original directions were a little lacking, because I hadn't baked with 2 of the ingredients previous, so having more of an in depth path would have helped things run a little smoother in my opinion. So with that said, I will be including my tested directions with the recipe. On a side note- I personally enjoy these homemade ones better, because they aren't hard and don't get lodged in your teeth, although it looks exactly like it, just don't try to sell them as, and you'll be fine!

Homemade Butter Fingers!!!

1 lb Candy Corn (Any kind will do, we used the autumn mix with all 3 varieties. I had a 24oz package as well and just had to eyeball the amount.)
1 jar of peanut butter 16oz (We used Laura Scudder's all natural with the 2in of oil at the top!)
16 oz of Chocolate coating (Our package was 24 oz, so again because it is packaged in mini blocks, we had to just guestimate how much to use. We also used almond bark chocolate flavored.)-

I have included pictures below for those of us who would rather look at them and figure it out without having to read the included instructions!

Directions

- Pour candy corn in microwave safe dish large enough to hold candy and peanut butter.

- Microwave candy corn on high for two 45-55 second intervals, using a fork, potato masher or whisk in between.

- When candy corn is completely melted, add the entire jar of peanut butter in 3 batches combining until well blended.

- Take an 8x8x pan and line with parchment paper or spray pam. (You can make fun shapes with different pans, holiday themed with pumpkins, trees, hearts ect.)

- Pour mixture out onto lined/sprayed pan, and spread out with a spatula or fork and allow to cool completely. (I believe ours took about an hour and a half to cool, but we added on extra time just in case there were any warm spots we missed .)

- Follow the directions on package of chocolate coating to heat up. (We used our stovetop because I wanted to baby sit the chocolate and make sure it wouldn't scorch.)

- Once chocolate is melted, you can either pour in the pan and spread with a spatula or you can dip for bottom coverage. (We figured pouring the chocolate on was less tim consuming than dipping each pre-cut piece in the sauce pan.)

- Allow the chocolate to cool and then using a pizza wheel or a an 8in chef's knife cut candy into strips of 3x1.5x.

- Pour a huge glass of milk of your choice and devour.

This recipe makes about 20 sized squares, so you will have plenty to share or store in your freezer for a wonderful, refreshing treat.

{Hair}

2011-10-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

I've got gobs and GOBS of hair, seriously, enough for the entire neighborhood. Which makes certain hairstyles look horrible on me. When I started growing my hair out to it's current length, my hair was so wavy from pregnancy, that I literally looked like a lion-ness. It was pretty embarrassing to step out in public without my hair flat ironed...my Husband even commented but said he thought it was cute. Now that it's longer, I feel less like an X-man and more like a woman with thick, wavy locks. I'm bored with my natural color and have been considering going back to brunette with peek-a-boo copper. I'm also slightly digging the "ombre" look. Here are some hairstyles that I can just look at all day long.
Check them out on my pinterest.
(I'm not complaining at all, I'm extremely thankful for the extra weight I carry around on my head, but when you see the photos below of my hair currently, I think you will understand.)

Me currently:

DUDE, this is natural.

Wild and crazy,

I mean, LOOK at the size of that braid!!

My hair when it's straight.

Gorgeous right?? Oh man, I can't wait until I can make an appointment!

Happy Weekend, friends!

{A Week in Instagram Photos}

2011-10-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

A Week in photos...actually a few weeks in photos! Add me- tattooedmomma!

Happy Monday!!!

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.- Lamentations 3:22-23

{Fall IS HERE!!}

2011-10-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

I realize i'm a little late jumping on the band wagon, but better late than never! I know that here in SoCal we are super pumped for the breezy crisp air and beautiful changing leaves and of course pumpkin and cinnamon everything! I almost want to dare myself in baking all of these wonderful Autumn recipes, a few I've listed below that have made my heart jump.

Pumpkin Donuts

Pumpkin Mouse

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

Cinnamon Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal

Last Weekend we also visited Bates Nut Farm, and we had a blast even though it was 90 degrees out. I swear man, once you've lived on the coast, even visiting inland is brutal. We went with Gramma and Isaac had so much fun, he was running around everywhere! We looked at the animals, walked through the cute little art booths, walked through their rad pumpkin patch, and even visited their cute little general store.

We can't wait to go back to form new family memories and enjoy our adventures!

{The Past Month}

2011-10-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

So for the past month, i've been sick. First poor Isaac had it, then he passed it on to me, and then Joshua got it. Well, Joshua and Isaac are all better now, but not me. I've never been under the weather for this long in my entire life, and I'm wondering how long it's going to drag on. The weird thing is I feel fine other than freaking coughing up my lungs. I saw our Doctor last week, and he said that it's some stupid virus and it's going around. So much for trying to be extra cautious and not hang with people that are sick themselves. He literally said, "If you still have a cough in a month, then come back and see me." WHAT??!! Seriously a month??!! To which he said, "Yep." I HATE death, and sickness and disease and sin. Jesus, come quickly.

Well trying to make light of this thorn in my flesh, I also report that i've lost give or take about 6lbs since i've been sick. Not from being sick, but simply from not indulging in ANY refined sugar. That's right you heard it right here- no chocolate, ice cream, Nutella, Kit-Kats or Twix for the past 3 weeks. Refined sugar is really bad for you, especially when you have nasty little invaders in your body, they feed on the stuff and just causes it to reside longer in your temple.

Isaac is peacefully sleeping right now, and when he wakes up we are meeting some other Momma's from church and doing a play date at a sweet playground down the street.

Once I'm better, I can't wait to enjoy my very first Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate of the Season!!!! GO FALL!!!

{Flashback Friday}

2011-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

I currently have the longest hair i've ever had in my entire life, although once in a blue moon I do happen to miss my pixie cut.

Current length

2004

My Husband just called to tell me he's taking me on a date tonight for sushi and then to watch red tide together. I'm soo excited!! If you're not familiar with red tide, the ocean lights up at night once a year caused by an overgrowth of algae. The ocean literally glows, it's breathtaking!

This is south San Diego during the day.

Tomorrow morning we're meeting the Grandparents at Bates Nut Farm to visit the pumpkin patch, I'm so excited! Search for the best pumpkins, eat kettle corn, take the hay ride and make more family memories.

What are your Weekend plans?

{Baby Needs: What A Mom Needs}

2011-09-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

So I have a ton of friends who are pregnant and other who've recently over the months also given birth. I'm up to my ears in baby showers! Needless to say this is a time to celebrate both Baby and Momma and 'shower' them with gifts and prayers. My gifts usually consist of desperately needed items that I used almost constantly. While this may seem unfair to some, I do look over baby registries before I make a concise decision on what to gift. If there are items on the list that I can make such as bibs, burp cloths, diaper wipes ect. than I will gladly put my sewing machine to work, otherwise I merely rely on things that I used.
Below I have included a list of much needed baby items to help all those out there who are either needing ideas on what to get, or who are new Momma's themselves and scour the net and talk to friends to get lists.

Crib/bassinet/co-sleeping bed
Stroller/carseat
Baby swing (Don't bother with the vibrating chairs, while in the womb our bodies don't vibrate, we rock as we walk.)
Changing table/dresser 2-1 (It's really hard on your back to constantly change diapers on the ground.)
BeBe Washpod (It's the best baby bath tub ever! We used it for Isaac until he was about 6 months old, then we switched him to a normal tub when he was able to sit perfectly on his own. It's a tad bit awkward at first, but babies love taking baths! No more crying or miserable bathtimes, again mimics the closeness of the womb!)
Sleep wrap (When babies sleep they have 2 kinds of sleeping episodes, transition and deep sleep. During the light/transition sleep, they jolt a lot which causes them to wake up. The sleep wrap mimics the awesome environment of the womb that they spent the past 9+ months, causing restful sleep.)
Sling (We've used everything from ring slings, Moby wraps, and c-slings. We prefer the Balboa Baby and Moby. Again, it mimics the womb and creates a wonderful bonding experience while allowing you to run errands, chores or even use the bathroom all while having baby close.)
Diaper bag/changing pad (Since having Isaac i've gone through 5 diaper bags, I just couldn't seem to find the right one. I finally found a rad big leatherette hobo purse that I currently use. Because diaper bags can get super expensive even for semi cute ones, i'd recommend buying a camera bag insert and using putting that in your favorite bag. This one is great because she offers 4 sizes! You can also sew this and save moolah!)
Pads/adult diapers (After birth your body does some pretty miraculous things, and one being excreting all of the extra blood it has had to produce over the months to support another life. I probably shouldn't say this, but I used adult diapers and let me tell you, it was awesome. I mean I felt like a little bit of a spaz, but Joshua didn't judge me at all that I was walking around in one. Now, to clarify I DID NOT not stop using the bathroom. I couldn't bring myself to go that far...some women can and that's awesome for them, but yeh not my cup of tea. You will bleed a lot so rather than changing bigfoot's pads every couple of hours, just slide one of those Depends on and you are back in business!)
Nursing bras (You will need nursing bras if you plan on nursing your precious little gift from God. No matter what size you are while your pregnant, your boobs will get huge once you start nursing and you need to be able to stop what you're doing at a moments notice and pop it out to satiate the hunger cries. You just can't do that with a normal bra, ALSO get sleeping bras, because you will also need the support at night.)
Nursing pads (Once your milk comes in, it will be very likely that you will leak, and let me tell you, it's pretty embarrassing to walk around in public with wet spots over your goods.)
Mittens (Your little one's nails will be super sharp and jagged but to frail and flimsy to be able to cut or even file down, so really the only thing you can do is to have them wear mittens. You can buy specially made mittens, not the ones you use while playing in snow, but they are super thin, soft cotton material with little elastic rings sewn around the wrist. You can even make them!)
Water/Vitamins (You will be so thirsty all the time, and the more fluid you drink, the more it will help keep your milk supply up. Now that you've given birth your body is flushing everything out, and along with breastfeeding your are STILL supporting a life, so YOU need just as much vitamins and minerals as while you were pregnant. I recommend continuing to take the prenatals you took while pregnant, they are specifically formulated for pregnant and nursing Mommas.)

Hope this list helps, I would love to see some of your things off of your list!

A Grand Realization

2011-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Thinking about my blog recently, i've come to terms that i'll probably never get to a million followers like all the other cool mom bloggers out there. Oh well, my family thinks i'm awesome and not writing as many posts to try and keep up in the blogosphere means that I am able to spend more time with my precious family. This doesn't mean I will be giving up on sharing my life through this blog, but it does mean that I won't be walking around consumed with what I could write out next.

Man I feel free-er already!

Happy Friday!

Ps. We have officially cancelled swim lessons, because does Isaac really need to be swimming in the Fall/Winter?? Nope, but we are excited because now this means we have extra family time on Friday and Saturday mornings!

{Family Lunch Date}

2011-09-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

We love us some sushi. We just discovered this new joint fairly close to us, and we had a coupon so we were pretty pumped to try it out. Well Joshua really treated me to a fancy lunch with tons of beautiful, tasty fishies, man was it good. After we came home, I told him I wanted sushi again for dinner! That's how you know you scored big. After our tummies were full we headed to a few stores, where I got new gold ruffle flats. It usually takes me awhile to find the perfect pair of shoes, but when I find them, I wear them until they have holes on the bottom, then I search for my next pair. I also got more foundation and mascara that I had been holding off until the last drop was gone, and then we headed home for a nice late afternoon nap.
I wouldn't mind repeating these events for this weekend. :)

{Power Outage}

2011-09-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

OHMYGOODNESS!!!!! ALL of North County San Diego was without power for over 6 hours today, ACTUALLY many are STILL without power.

Read more here: Lights Out in San Diego County

It all started at 3:30pm when I went to check on my homemade chicken soup I was making for Joshua who was home sick from work. I noticed the crock-pot light was off, and after trying the light switch trigger and nothing, I then opened the fridge and sure enough no power.
Joshua and I immediately checked facebook and twitter. I tell yah man, it's faster than the news on tv or radio! Around 4pm I called his Mom to make sure she was alright, to which she was.

Almost immediately after the power outage occurred, we wanted to ditch the soup I had made and were opting for Phil's BBQ, or Sushi. Funny enough, it took us a few minutes to realize that restaurants were gonna be closed. We were way bummed, but our sadness was redirected to thoughts of our cold food spoiling. With the power out noone could get gas or use their card to by groceries. Heading out the door to Ralph's, we were skeptical because the Albertson's down the street apparently was all out of water and ice. Traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be with all the traffic lights out, so as we pulled in the parking lot, we decided to go to CVS instead, because there were a sea of cars parked in front of Ralph's. Joshua ran up and had to put his name on a list, while waiting outside with other people. We scrounged a total of $6 in cash between the two of us. How scary is that? Out of all the money we have in savings, we couldn't get to any of it, or use it to get the supplies we would have needed. The money we did have, bought only 2 bags of ice. Another reason why CVS SUCKS. Not only is their work ethic bunk and how they treat their employees cruel, but they flipping jump all over inflation.

So we headed back home and pretty much chilled the whole night. Oh yah, except for when I freaked out and had to use a neighbor's phone to call 911 because my phone wasn't making calls and Joshua was missing for 30 minutes, when he was actually just sharing the gospel, and grabbing soup for our druggy neighbor. After we made it through THAT whole ordeal, I put Isaac to bed, while Joshua was puking in the toilet. I covered him in a cold washcloth and then went back to lighting tea lights all over the living room. After about 20 candles were lit, I decided to fill up all the drinking cups in the house with filtered water. It took me awhile, but with the power being out for 5+ hours at that time, I didn't know if we'd have water tomorrow. So our counter is currently covered with water cups. After checking on Isaac and Joshua, I headed for bed. At about 10pm, I woke up to a bunch of neighbors hooting and hollering, but as I listened more intently, I realized that it was the same druggy neighbor shouting. I figured the power was back on, and sure enough it was and I was already closing all the windows and blowing out the candles. I expected the thermostat to read 85 degrees, but surprisingly it was only 76.

As I'm typing this I am just blown away at how dependent we are on technology. We don't have a radio, working flashlights, goodness we were NOT prepared for this. Our ATT phones weren't even working, so we couldn't use the app "iheartradio"to know what's going on. Needless to say, I am checking out hand crank radios to pick up tomorrow, along with water bottles and D batteries.

Praise God we are alright, I know people were kind of on edge, because it's pretty close to 9-11 and there are supposed threats with car bombs, but all in all there wasn't any looting or violence that I'm aware of.

I'm now going to sleep with my air conditioning blasting. GOODNIGHT.

{Recent Music}

2011-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've had the same music in rotation for almost 2 years!! No joke, ask my Husband! I'd love some new stuff to check out so please comment and let me know who you've been rockin' out to lately!
Obviously, I listen to other artists, but I always seem to go back to this selection of songs. I've included only a handful of my favorite songs from the list, otherwise we'd be hear all night jammin' out. (Follow the link to watch on youtube.)

Get ready for diversity!

Happy late Wedsnesday!

{Giveaway v2 Winner}

2011-09-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all to those who've entered the latest giveaway! We've got a winner for the adorable vintage package, and it's D.I.Y. Cupcake!

Congrats lady again! I will contact you soon!

Please remember that the more times you enter the more chances you have to win.

Hope all of you enjoyed Labor Day and please check back soon for another rad giveaway!

{Weekend In Photos}

2011-09-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

My parents are in town for the Holiday weekend and we've enjoyed their company. We love love love how they are with Isaac. It's the sweetest thing ever! We haven't really gone anywhere, which has been quite nice since it's San Diego and everyone seems to make their way here on a Holiday.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend!!!

Isaac jumping on their bed and acting silly.

Trying to eat healthy again. I really do miss juicing.

My Mom made breakfast on Saturday. Protein pancakes with chocolate chips and strawberries. (By request of course)

Grand-dad tickling Isaac.

My Aunt got Isaac a monkey outfit..Yah, he's adorable.

O'Side Pier and beach!

My parents are SUCH tourists.

We walked .5 miles on the pier to enjoy lunch at Ruby's.

{Thrift Store Finds}

2011-08-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with vintage anything. Particularly house decor such as wall hangings, dishware, lamps, fabric, purses and anything else that catches my eye. Here are some finds that I've been blessed to come across!!!

Gorgeous coaster set/Handmade owl cookie jar

Adorable wall plaque/wall frame

{not vintage}Betsey Johnson makeup bag/Dutch welcome wall plaque

Rad kitchen prayer wall plaque/ Tiled loveliness

A friend actually found this and needed a place to store it and after 6mo of never picking it up, well we adopted her!! 1950s dresser!

Understand my obsession now??! I've been over the years searching for the beast thrift stores, and alas, none come close to the ones they have in AZ. Why you may ask?? I have absolutely no idea, it's frustrating actually. Most of my finds come from out of state, when I do visit, but Joshua and I have slowly made our way north to OC trying to hit up all the hot spots up there.

Got any favorite thrift stores?! Come on share the wealth!!!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my newest giveaway! Beautiful vintage items!

{Vintage Shoppes}

2011-08-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

This past Weekend we went to a vintage shop that carries only house decor. I have daydreamed of what could possibly be inside and so to finally stop by was a real treat! It's been open for a year or so and we just haven't been able to make it out, so when we pulled up I was giddy with anticipation. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined. Owl figurines, retro wall hangings, old school kids' toys and the like. I could have cried, and the furniture was pretty breath taking as well! Needless to say we didn't purchase anything at that time, it was mostly just a trip to see what they were hoarding. Below are a few photos from the amazing wonderland!

I walked out of Vintage 101 with so many wonderful emotions, you'd thought I had just given birth! We will be back! Where is the sweetest thrift store where you live?

P.S. Don't forget to check out my newest giveaway, including some pretty rad vintage items!

{Giveaway v 2}

2011-08-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

In honor of Labor day next Week-end I wanted to do another fun little giveaway! My parents are coming in town for a visit and I have an appointment for another tattoo, while Joshua is helping his Mom move into their new house. It will be a fun and busy time for us!
So in order for you to enter the giveaway tell me what your plans for Labor Day Weekend and follow the guidelines below!

Lovely Guidelines:
(Comment for each entry)

Must be a blog follower of Tattooed Momma and tell me what your Weekend plans will be!

Additional entries-

Follow Tattooed Momma on Facebook!
Tweet it on Twitter {Rad vintage GIVEAWAY- @tattooedmommma www.tattooedmomma.com} !
Post on your Blog, Facebook, take a photo on instagram!

Also- all of Tattooed Momma followerd will receive 20% off their total purchase! Use code: tattooedmomma20 in my shop and let me know you're a friend!

Winner will be announced by 9pm of next Monday, September 5!

Please make sure that you include your email address with each comment so I can easily contact the winner!

(This giveaway is only for US friends at this time. So sorry to all my international buddies!)

{FBF}

2011-08-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's Friday, and already things have not gone the way today was planned. I couldn't find my keys this morning OR my backup set, so needless to say, Isaac didn't make it to swim lessons. :( I did want to take him to the Zoo this morning since we haven't been in so long, but we also were gonna stop by Joshua's work and have a surprise lunch with him, then hopefully hit up the best thrift store on that side of town. We were supposed to go last weekend, but they were closed on Sunday! Who ever heard of such a thing?!

Joshua and I as newlyweds around 2007. He is SO ridiculously dreamy!

Have a rockin' Weekend, and hopefully I will have a post of my thrift store finds!!!

{Photos Lately}

2011-08-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned my obsession with Instagram, so here are some recent photos of mine.

Pretty much our weekend in photos.

{Family Date Night}

2011-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last night we enjoyed dinner at Buca Di Beppo and then did some window shopping at the surrounding shops. We haven't been on a date night in so long, but having our little boy there to share it with us was grand. We enjoyed lobster cheesy dip with garlic-y crustini bread and chose the Italiano Supreme Pizza for dinner. So TASTY. We then finished off the meal with a wine and Danny Devito's lemonchello. SOOO GOOD. Good ole' Danny Devito.

We then stopped by a child's wonderland of toys called Geppetto's. To my dismay we didn't really find anything for Isaac. I can't wait until he's old enough to take him to toy stores and watch him run around playing with everything, using his imagination, without knocking everything over in sight. We then headed to Anthropologie to buy myself a new coffee cup to replace my favorite one that broke. It was the beautiful dainty monogrammed cups they sold over Christmas time. Yah to my dismay they don't sell them anymore, but for whatever reason they still sell the more masculine looking ones?!! BOO.

After a depressing and unsuccessful trip to MY wonderland store, we walked over to H&M. I usually adore what they have draped in the windows, but it's getting a little to safari for me. I'm not really into plain beige colors that just kind of hang off your body. So I'm curious to see where their fashion sense will take them. Last winter they had adorable EVERYTHING, so I'm really looking forward to that. I found a rad geo-turquise ring and mustard colored tights that I can't wait to sport.

Around that time Isaac was starting to unwind, so we headed home. After he went to bed, Joshua and I finished off our night by watching 3:10 To Yuma that Netflix sent us.

All in all, our night was perfect!

{Flashback Friday v 9 or something}

2011-08-19T15:54:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday already, sheesh. I actually don't want another day to pass by me. It would be nice if actually all time could stop, because then Isaac wouldn't grow up. You see, 2 nights ago as I was rocking Isaac to sleep, I was overwhelmed with how much I loved my little boy. Thoughts of the first night we took him home flooded my mind, and I wished we could go back. I don't want him to ever stop BF, or cuddling or giving me slopping little boy kisses.

So in honor of Flashback Friday, here's a sweet little photo of my two Men!

Isaac was 3 months old!

In other Weekend news, I'm pretty pumped tonight because we're going on a DATE tonight...Gramma has to work late so we're makin' it a family date. :) Isaac's usually pretty chill on outings so we've decided to go to Buca Di Beppo. We haven't had good Italian food in ages, so this will be a real treat! Plus I love love love the decorations...all the statues, and picture frames on every inch of the restaurant. Eek!!! I can't wait!

Happy Weekend!

{Tutorial: Easy Hoop Embroidery}

2011-08-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you want to liven up your walls within 10 minutes than keep reading!

Hoop art, hand embroidery, Grandma wall decor. Many names, much beauty. I've recently stumbled upon it myself and have to confess I am obsessed. Not only do I somehow feel connected to the countless number of women who've participated in the same fun in times past, but it's also an extremely inexpensive way to decorate your house. I was able to utilize some of my prized vintage fabric stash that had been dormant for so long.

Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional when it comes to the art of hoop embroidery. I am just showing a quick tutorial of what worked for me.

1- Pick a cool pattern(s) or print(s) that you want to showcase to help bring life to areas in your home.
2- Trace around the shape, giving about 1.5in extra from the hoop and cut.

(If you are using a regular wood hoop, than just loosen the screw at the top and the inner rim should slide out easily.)
For a plastic wood grain hoop:
3- Unlatch the outer frame from the inner rim.
4- Place the inside rim underneath the fabric with the outer frame directly over the fabric.

(If you are using a regular wood hoop, then just place the fabric over the inner rim and position the outer frame directly over the rim and push the bottom up until the inner rim and outer frame are together. If you like the way it looks without the thread embellishment then hang it now, otherwise continue with steps 7-10!)
5- See directions #4.
6- Slowly pinch the outer frame against the inner rim, adjusting as you move around. Make sure you feel the frame in the groove of the rim.

7- Choose embroidery thread.
8- Thread and choose which areas you would like to add more of a focal point on the piece itself.

9- Don't go overboard with threading, otherwise it could take away from the print entirely...It's like adding to many accessories, to an already stunning outfit.
10- Stop once you're satisfied with the overall look of your masterpiece and from here use the extra fabric to pull taught around the edges of the frame. Cut the remaining extra fabric with either pinking shears or regular fabric scissors. Don't worry about sewing the edges, it won't fray since it's hanging on a wall.

Some of my recent hoops!

To achieve words, I just used a disappearing fabric marker and once I was finished, I then applied a lightly dampened sponge and the ink was gone! I let it dry before I hung it.

I plan on going thrifting this weekend to scout out some frames, more vintage purses for my ETSY shop and hopefully find some hoop frames to create more!

Will you please try this super fun and inexpensive art?!

{Homemade Kit Kat Ice-cream}

2011-08-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

So as you guessed it, I have finally gotten to try out my ice-cream maker that I received for my birthday last month. Let me tell you, this baby is a work horse, she does it all!! I just need to pour in the 4 simple ingredients and she does the rest!!! Below you will find step-by-step instructions on how to make a healthier, creamier and tastier ice-cream then you ever imagined!

Basic Vanilla Ice-cream with Kit Kat mix-in.
(Makes 10 1/2 cup servings)

1 cup whole milk, fresh from fridge.

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream, fresh from fridge

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup kit kat chopped the size of chocolate chips

Make sure the freezer mixing bowl has been frozen at least 18 hours.

Using a hand mixer, combine milk and sugar until sugar starts to dissolve, about 60 seconds. Next stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the work horse on and make sure the churning arm is placed correctly in the bowl, under the dome lid. Slowly pour the mixture in the bowl, through the top spout and allow the ice-cream to churn for 30 minutes. (If you are adding mix-ins, add at the last 5 minutes of churning time.)
ENJOY!!!

My personal trial and errors:

Do not use a wisk, the hand mixer mixes the ingredients beautifully while creating wonderful frothy bubbles.
Only add 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla per recipe, adding more will over power the overall taste of the ice-cream and will leave you with good, but NOT great ice-cream.
Organic is better, better for you and better for your taste buds. But OBVIOUSLY they don't make organic kit kats now do they? :)
If you decide to add mix-ins, you will need to add an extra 2 hours for chilling time for the ice-cream to solidify, so don't fret if your beautiful creation is soupy after the timer goes off. If you don't add mix-ins, your ice-cream should be fluffly and creamy and ready to jump in your mouth.

There are many different variations to this recipe and for a more premium, high class taste you can add eggs, vanilla bean and so on. Just make sure you follow the directions exactly.

So many possibilities! You can make blueberry ice-cream, Irish cream ice-cream, eggnog ice-cream, brownie, chocolate chip mint, strawberry, coffee and so on!!!!! What a special and EASY gift to give someone! Seriously, if someone made me ice-cream?! That's love right there!

Tell me what ice-cream you would make??

{New ink}

2011-08-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

There is just something about getting a new tattoo that never gets old, it's always exciting and for our 5th year wedding anniversary, we got "gift" tattoos coordinating with the 5 year mark. I got an antique spoon while Joshua got a wooden pipe. He didn't want a photo of his until its healed, so just imagine a sweet old looking wooden pipe with smoke emitting. That's JC over at Frontline Tattoo.

{Flashback Friday: Was I really THAT pregnant?}

2011-08-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

I was HUGE during the last month and a half being pregnant with Isaac. I constantly had people asking me when he was gonna pop. See for yourself?! No wonder he was poking out so much, at 9lbs4oz at birth, he didn't have anywhere to hide!

Click on image to REALLY get the pregnant effect.

We've got a busy weekend ahead of us, for which I am excited. I'm about to make scalloped pesto for dinner to bring to some friends who've just had a baby, then off to a Pampered Chef party. Tomorrow morning will be Isaac's swim instructors last day. She's going back to school so she will be transitioning with the other teacher tomorrow. I hope he adjusts well, it took him awhile to warm up to Kiera. Then hopefully after lessons, we will head to the beach. Sunday we are having friends over for lunch that Joshua hasn't seen since College days, so that should be tons of fun reminiscing and meeting his old friends.

Any exciting plans?!

{Guest Post: A.toodle.lee.do}

2011-08-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

I've known Tamara for years and am excited to share this phenomenal lady with you! Also, please check out her blog to read my guest post!

Hi doves, I'm Tamara from A.toodle.lee.do. Lael asked me to share about being a military wife. Ted and I recently celebrated 2 years of blissful matrimony. Life as we know it is beautiful including the military. Leading up to our anniversary I staged a quick photo shoot since we never had taken pictures with Ted in his dress blues. Enjoy.

When Ted and I met, his dress blues were still crisp. Two months into his pledged four year commitment to the U.S. Coast Guard, we both fell head-over-heels in love a week after we met. My thoughts of the military prior to meeting Ted were slim to none. Did I even know the Coast Guard existed? Barely. What did they do? Had no clue. Could I even name the branches of the US military? No. But, now dating a military man was blissful. One thing I fell in love with about the Coast Guard is that their schedules seems to align more normally than any other branch. Ted typically works and will continue to work a normal day job. He's rate stays home and doesn't get underway often. Love that. My knowledge of things military vastly grew as did our relationship.

9 months into our relatioship, Ted bended a knee, I screamed yes. We got married. Six months later, we moved. Three months later, we moved again. The moving part goes hand-n-hand with the whole military life. Scary? No, maybe. No, because I grew up moving. I was born to move. I love the adventure. New things. Exploring. Traveling. It's all gravy for me. Our first year of marriage was busy to say the least. But, we grew so close. We spent all our time together not knowing a soul in Virginia for the three months we lived there and then moving on to Philadelphia. We moved our stuff from New Orleans across the country in the biggest moving truck there is. Memories made.

I've come to terms with no facial hair (except a mustache which Ted is currently sporting). Days on call which aren't so abnormal, I don't have to worry that Ted is going to get shipped off and leave me for months at a time. My heart goes out to the military wives that pray themselves though this. My heart is too weak and I don't think I would manage that. A few days of training here and there, that is fine with me.

Ted and I are up for the adventure of making his career in the Coast Guard for the next 16 years. We look forward to traveling and moving to new cities. Some of our hopeful spots to live are: Seattle, Santa Barbara, San Diego, NYC, Hawaii, etc. Not to shabby.

{GIVEAWAY- Vintage Purse WINNER}

2011-08-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jennifer over at d.i.y Cupcake! You are the winner lady!!! Please check your email tomorrow for winning details!

Jennifer de Cupcake said...

and I follow on facebook I like this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/74840930/sale-super-cute-bright-red-handbag

Diycupcake@yahoo.com
Jennifer

Check back for more giveaways!! I have TONS of rad vintage fabric that I'd love too see go to a good home!

{Meal Planning Made Easy!}

2011-08-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Nearly my entire married life I have struggled in keeping my kitchen under control. Seeing as it is my specific ship to run, I can't let her sink otherwise my family doesn't eat and I will end up with a bunch of rotten food without anything in the fridge. Only within the past few years have I taught myself how to navigate and steer my way through the uncertainty that daily life with a little one brings. Below I have created a step-by-step list that has helped me in my journey of cookery and hope you can glean from it!

·      Meal plan. Create next week’s menu on the Sunday before. To help in this area, think about the meals you’ve made in the past few weeks and jot those down. Try to come up with at least 12 meals and you already have half the month done! Below I will include a menu sample for a week’s worth of meals.
·      List daily main courses. Get an index card or fold a sheet of paper to 5”x 8” and list daily main course. i.e. Monday- Chicken, Tuesday- Seafood. Make sure to include a “left-over” day when you utilize meal extras, so you won’t waste any food. By doing this, it will make meal planning much easier because you will have a quick visual on narrowing down daily meals. Below I will include a sample of our weekly main courses.
·      Trash rotten food. Take about 10 minutes a week and go through your pantry and fridge tossing any food that has either expired or has gotten moldy. The more you do this, the more likely you are to know what you have on hand in order to create a staple pantry list and it will help you account for food needing to be served on “left-over day”. For non-perishable foods if you don't want to throw them out, you can always post them on craigslist under the "free" category. If I don't use an un-opened non-perishable item that is 6mo past the expiration date, then I will throw it out. Usually there are so many preservatives to "preserve" the item, like canned goods or baked goods such as flour that you don't have to worry about it going bad if it's un-opened of course. Otherwise oxygen, hand germs and other air particles are probably in the opened food and should be tossed 2 weeks after the expiration date to maintain freshness of the product.
·      Create a staple pantry list. Take an afternoon either while the kids are napping or after the house has settled at night and look through your fridge and pantry and write down a list of everything you usually have on hand. Then group each item by category so when your out shopping you're not just staring at a bunch of words. i.e. eggs, milk, butter are dairy, salmon, beef and turkey are meat. Below I will include a sample of my personal kitchen staple items.
·      Try to go to the grocery store no more than 3x a week and only go when there is at least 5 items on the staple kitchen list. I know it’s easier said than done. You’re only 1 person trying to account for everything your family consumes on a daily basis, but ask your Husband what he needs along with your kids. I do this quite often and he lets me know if he’s out of deoderent, body wash, ect. which makes what I’m accountable for much easier, so last minute shopping will be under control.
·      Place non-perishable meal ingredients by stove. In the morning, pull out all the non-perishable ingredients that the lunch and dinner recipe calls for. Try not to worry to much about the counter getting cluttered. It’s much easier to have all items out and ready to go when I have a 15mo old tugging on my dress, jumping up and down, wanting me to hold him. This step saves precious time, that you might not have during the end of the day.
·      Make enough for left-overs. Even if you are only cooking for 2, it’s a great idea to make enough for left-overs for an extra lunch or dinner later that week. I also make enough to store in the freezer so I have a ready meal whenever I need something quick on the table.
·      Take a census. After dinner, ask if your family liked the meal and make a note to keep it in dinner rotation. I do this constantly, it’s also a great way to find out what meals my Husband really likes and which ones he could do without.
·      Do you coupon? I coupon, so much so infact that I have about 3 different places that I store them. I have a drawer, a pin board where our mail goes and in my purse. There are multiple was of finding coupons through places such as, mail, specific stores’ website, signing up through email or your Sunday paper. Make sure to keep your coupon areas under control otherwise you will have an angry Husband who will throw them all out if he sees just one more coupon laying around! OOPS!
·      Keep recipes on hand. I have a book shelf with literally 50+ book of all my cooking favorites. It’s located right next to the pantry so I have close access when I run into a substitution problem or I need help pairing sides with a main course. A great way to utilize the daily main course card is by keeping a binder or recipe box with commonly used recipes so you don’t have to scour through 5 books forgetting where you had seen it.
·      Have fun. It’s easy to get stressed out by the steps above, but I by creating my own little list of how to keep my kitchen organized, it makes prep work and cooking much more enjoyable. I also find that it has helped me to start structuring other areas of my life.

Kitchen staple list

Weekly menu. (I personally use this adorable free menu download from The Project Girl.)

Daily main course list

If you have other ways that help you organize the chaos in your kitchen, please share!!!

ALSO- don't forget about my VINTAGE PURSES GIVEAWAY!!! You only have until 9pm tonight to enter for your chance to win!

{Repurpose a Shower curtain}

2011-08-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

We've got a vinyl shower curtain with a really cool pattern on it but the bottom of the curtain was wasting away and so we recently picked up a new one that was equally neat. They are both lime green with cutesy patterns on them and so as I was putting up our new one I was pondering all the different things I could create with our old one. It just felt like a waste of money to throw it away so I purposed in my heart to remedy with a solution!

Below is the list of ideas that I pretty much settled on. I can't wait to get started and because a shower curtain is so big to begin with, there is enough material for me to choose a few!

Target's leaf peva shower curtain

List for repurposing a shower curtain:

reusable shopping bag
protect floors or table when crafting
outdoor table cloth
picnic "blanket"
use as a tent while camping
raincoat for our outdoor furniture
make a kite with glue, sticks crossed and string

Also to reuse the O rings that you hang the shower curtain on you could:

use for child locks on cabinets
carabiner for your water bottles
key rings

How would you reuse your favored shower curtain you just can't seem to part with?

ALSO- don't forget about my VINTAGE PURSES GIVEAWAY!!! You only have until Monday night to enter for your chance to win!

{AUGUST 5 mark five years of Marriage}

2011-08-04T21:03:00.001-07:00

Joshua and I will be married for 5 years tomorrow and wow time truly flies! We've experienced so much in the short 1,827 days we've been as one that it feels like we've been married for 50 years, and I say that in a good way!
Isaac has swim lessons tomorrow so after those we are dropping him off at the G-parents house and then we head off to OC. I'm super pumped because we haven't been in the LA area for literally years. We usually just play it low key and head to south San Diego, so that's why tomorrow's events will be so grand! Joshua is taking me out to lunch and then we're going to hit all the good thrift stores, I CAN'T WAIT. All the thrift stores in SD suck, it's not even funny. I'm hoping to find some vintage treasures for our home and also for my Etsy shop!

Joshua surprised me with my favorite flowers when he got off work today! When he walked through the door he said,"I have five flowers for you, one for each year we've been married". How romantic is that?! Also, below are some photos from our wedding!

Here's one photo from our Wedding! More to come!

If you can't tell our them is 80s butt rock! Sunday I will post a more thorough wedding recap!

Happy weekend everyone!!!

ALSO- don't forget about my VINTAGE PURSES GIVEAWAY!!! You only have less than a week to enter for your chance to win!

{Birthday F-U-N}

2011-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday this past week and I actually almost forgot. With getting back from Arizona and resettling back in the swing of things, I literally just about blew right past it! Thank goodness I had Joshua to remind me of how O-L-D I would be!
I received a ton of coupons in the mail and through email the week before and the week of my birthday. I highly suggest you sign up for the following places because you either get free food or merch which is always a plus!!!

Rubios
Ruby's
Red Robin
Cold Stone Creamery
Helzberg Diamonds
Phil's BBQ
Famous Dave's BBQ
Ulta
Sephora
El Torito

Yah, I understand that list is pretty overboard, but just give them an email that you rarely use and when that special day comes around wonderful free things will await you! You also will usually get deals coinciding with whichever Holiday it is as well!

We captured some fun photos from my special day, which I wanted it to just be family. We originally were supposed to have a bunch of friends over BUT unfortunately a few days before the party, a crack was found in one of the boilers so the water had to be shut off on my birthday! Go figure. Oh well, I enjoyed my day anyhow!

Birthday dinner at my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant- Anita's in Oceanside!!!

Waiting patiently for his dinner.

I can't stand it. He's WAY to cute.

He loves giving Gramma kisses!

Need I say more?!
(#2-Chicken enchiladas with a chicken taco, rice and beans.)

I love us.

Presents!

I can not tell you how pumped I am to officially own one of these!!! I can't wait to test this out!

It's an owl candle holder. There is an opening in the back for a votive. I ADORE this thing!

Joshua's present to me!!!

Last but not least, Joshua made this for me! He created a birthday card on canvas! I can't wait to hang this up for all to see!

ALSO- don't forget about my VINTAGE PURSES GIVEAWAY!!! You only have a week to enter for your chance to win!

{Giveaway-Vintage Purses}

2011-07-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am throwing a fun giveaway bash!

This will be my first giveaway so I thought I would start the party off by making it really worth while! I've decided that the prizes will be from the current vintage purses on my Etsy shop.

You can choose 1 purse from my ETSY shop, Longlivehonore and comment on which one you adore the most and if you win, it's yours for FREE! Yep- free! A random number will be chosen, just so you know ;) (There is also a banner of my Etsy shop directly to the right of the screen.)

Lovely Guidelines:

Follow Tattooed Momma and Comment! {In order to be entered you must be a follower!}

Additional entries-

Follow Tattooed Momma on Facebook!
Tweet it on Twitter {GIVEAWAY-vintage purses @tattooedmommma www.tattooedmomma.com} !
Post on your Blog, Facebook, take a photo on instagram!

Also- all of Tattooed Momma followerd will receive 20% off their total purchase! Use code: tattooedmomma20 in my shop and let me know you're a friend!

Winner will be announced by 9pm of next Monday, August 8!

Please make sure that you include your email address with each comment so I can easily contact the winner!

Have fun window shopping!

P.S. Also, depending on how well the response is, I have TONS of vintage fabric that I would love to use as the prize of a proceeding giveaway!

(This giveaway is only for US friends at this time. So sorry to all my international buddies!)

{Flashback Friday}

2011-07-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Looking through photos to chose which one I would pick I came across a whole slew of pictures that Joshua and I had taken while we were dating. I decided to pick this particular photo because it is so dear to my heart!

I had flown out to visit Joshua for the weekend and he surprised me with a trip to Disneyland after church. We both agreed that our favorite ride was Peter Pan and we cheerfully enjoyed that adventure many times that day! We decided to take a photo after one of the rides, so here yah go!

I love how Joshua's arms are WAY darker than his legs!!!
Circa 2005

Happy Weekend!!!

{A Glimpse into Motherhood}

2011-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

{You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God's fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.
-Charles Spurgeon}

I believe that what Spurgeon is saying is that nothing is more important for a Mother than to lovingly raise her children up in the Lord, alongside the leading of her Husband. What a calling it is to be a Mother and watch these little people grow up and affect the world for Jesus!

As Isaac grows older every moment, I find myself holding on just a little bit longer than I might have before. I'm rocking him to sleep this very moment and as I kiss his tiny nose and caress my lips across his forehead, I can't help but feel sadness. Being a Mother is such a perfect role for a woman because of the array of emotions we experience all at once and our God given ability to gracefully navigate through it all without going crazy. As a Momma myself I am excited for the coming months when his vocabulary will really start to take off and he will begin to play with other boys in dirt and help Papa with "honey-do" projects. Yet, I just can't get away from the feeling that as he grows up, a small part of me dies with that growth.
The sacred hours that were spent breadtfeeding, the deep woes of confusion and self doubt which comes with the territory of Motherhood that no article or person's opinion could prepare you for. All of these precious experiences that I couldn't wait to fly through will now just be fond memories. I pray that God will preserve each and every one so that these unforgettable moments in time will mean more to me than just a few pretty pictures on scrapbook paper, high up on a shelf piling dust somewhere.

It is so easy to forget that as Isaac is growing, he is learning every second. He is absolutely engulfed with his environment and many times without my realizing, I am teaching him. Teaching him by my tone of voice, if I ignore him to finish just one more chore, if I reciprocate in a playful manner, the way I discipline and restore relationship with him and Papa. The direct impact I have on his future is almost scary and can not be walked out unless Jesus is at the forefront of my every motive and action.

There truly is nothing like Motherhood in the world. I am so humbled and overwhelmed by love that God Himself would find me, ME worthy enough to be entrusted with these little lives.

God, grant me all the mercy, compassion, self control, gentleness and love it will require to guide our children home. Help me not to be consumed by the tasks at hand but to take time in making new memories with Isaac.

{Home Again}

2011-07-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Isaac and I visited Arizona for 5 days and stayed with family. It was extremely hard to leave Joshua back in Cali but work could not permit him to leave on this specific trip. Here was our 5 days easily summed up:

Got my hair colored finally!(It only took 1 year!)
Isaac got to hang with Gramma & Grandad.
Isaac got to go swimming in my Parent's salt water pool(Good for his eczema)
Got to see Emily!!!(Haven't seen her for almost 6 years!!!)
Hung out with family and had a surprise b-day party.
Survived AZ Summer without a bad attitude!(Average temp was 104 and 90 at night!)
Enjoyed 6am walks with Isaac around the neighborhood.
Got to watch breathtaking views of Arizona sunsets and sunrises.(NEVER have I seen them so gorgeous any where else.)

I am glad Isaac was able to see his other Grandparents, but I won't be visiting again without Joshua. Traveling alone with a baby is tough stuff. Never again.

Now here is our time spent in photos!

P.S. My birthday is tomorrow!! I can't believe I will be 26.

Isaac totally feel asleep on the flight after much coaxing of boob milk.

Bailey being submissive toward Isaac./ Isaac enjoying breakfast!

Finally a vibrant redhead again! Notice how I have SO MUCH HAIR that they needed 2 people to blowdry!

Isaac enjoying goat's milk with homemade baked beans./ Party time!

My b-day cake!

My sweet, sweet Emily!!!/ Granddad and Isaac making funny faces!

How was your weekend?

{Quick Arizona Summer Trip}

2011-07-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

Things I'm looking forward to while visiting Arizona:

Gordon Biersch

Epic Salon

Buy Buy Baby

The Coffee Shop @ Agritopia

AND since it's going to be blazing HOT- My Parent's salt water pool!

I can't wait to meet up with old friends and have a white chocolate mocha from Cupcake Wars "Winners" The Coffee Shop and FINALLY after a year, get my hair colored again! It's supposed to be an average of 106 and I don't do well in heat at all so hopefully I won't be slothfully walking around in a sour mood. My skin will probably be prune-y the entire time from spending so much time in the pool, oh well the salt water will do wonders for Isaac's eczema! Although I will be pumped to go, I will be super sad that Joshua won't be able to come with us :( He's got tons of work stuff that he needs available that he can't take with him, so alas my heart will be torn in two. I wonder how will he survive?! No clean laundry, lovingly cooked meals, no snuggle time with wife or baby. At least he will have tons of bro time to keep him occupied until we get back!

Arizona here we come!

{Glorious January 1 Wedding}

2011-07-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some great photos we got back from a dear friend's wedding from earlier this year! They're wedding was stunning to say the least. We reconnected with so many friends from the past, it was great! Britnie over at The Happenings of Zulu is the beautiful bride and just look at this couple! They love the Lord deeply and are some of the sweetest people we've ever met!

A grand fairy-tale of a wedding right?! They truly are lovely people!

Isaac was only 9 months old and look at how chubby he was!!!! I can't believe it, man he was SO darn cute. His face was red in the photo because we went to the Zoo a few days before and he had a nasty skin reaction to sunscreen which caused his face to breakout in painful red welts for a total of 4 days. I was so pissed at Aveeno that their product claimed to be gentle and mineral based. WHATEVER. Because he has eczema, I rarely use any product on his skin that isn't California Baby. A sweet friend let me use the sunscreen and I had thoughts that I shouldn't be doing this, as I was rubbing it in his tender skin, but I didn't want him to get sunburned either. So a few hours later, the unsightly rash came, and I felt horrible. I wanted to cry that I had caused it. Throughout the whole wedding though he was a sweet snuggly bug and actually fell asleep a few hours into the celebration! What a glorious day January 1 was! Thank you Britnie for allowing us to share in your special day!

All photos captured by the talented William D. Branlund and Meghan Incorvaia.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

{Late Flashback Friday}

2011-07-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

So those of you whom actually enjoy seeing old photos of me, I am sorry to keep you waiting! It's been super crazy around here this last week because Isaac is cutting some new teeth and he's been totally miserable. I feel SO bad for the little boo! He just wants to snuggle and and shrieks horror film style the moment I step away, all the while chasing fast after me. WAY-TO-SAD.

So without further a-du:

Now let me warn you! I've had some crazy, outlandish hair in my day, but I don't know what I was thinking here. Looking back, now I know why everywhere I went people ALWAYS asked me, "Is that your real hair?" HAHA Sadly, at the time I couldn't fathom such a stupid question, but unfortunately I now understand what a sincere question it was...

Circa 2003

{A Week in Photos- The Leitner's}

2011-07-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful week starting off with visiting friends from Hawaii that we hadn't seen in almost 2 years! It was so nice to see them and to finally meet their little boy and have Isaac and Iggy play together constantly! SO glad that Isaac was able to have some boy time, seeing as most of his friends are girls!

I got Joshua a tattoo kit this past Christmas and he's never really had the chance to bust it out, thankfully though Phil has tattooed him before so the house was geared up to have a tattoo party! I was even able to get one from my Beloved! Krystal, the fabulous hair stylist was SO kind to have cut my hair, actually she just trimmed the horribly, dead, split-ends off so when I visit AZ in a week all I will need is color. She only cut about an inch off all the way around and slightly shaped my long layers, but of course it feels like a bunch was chopped off. I really do wish she could have colored my hair as well!

Sadly, they only stayed for 5 days and then took off, we totally have to visit them in Hawaii soon!

Isaac had swim lessons again on Friday and Saturday and not to brag but the teacher even said he was advancing so great! I just can't believe how well and long he holds his breath under water!

Sunday after Church, we have pretty much made it a ritual to go over MIL's house. It's great for Isaac to see Gramma and Grampa and to play with the dogs! They ordered a $30 pizza that we all scarfed down while the boys watched Inception and Isaac, Gramma and I laid out by the pool, trying to work on that tan yah know.

Oh, also we finally bought new ben linens. Our previous sheets are great for the winter, but flannel in the Summer- no way. Plus, trees with dancing snowmen underneath you is just awkward.

Hope your weekend was magnificent!

{What I Made: Upcycled Wall Decor in 10 MINUTES}

2011-07-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been on this refashion everything in my house kick lately, and this is no exception. I've found the simplest way to upcylce wall decor in 10 MINUTES!
You probably already have everything on hand you would need to complete this project, so what are you waiting for?!

Wall decor, frames, old cabinet drawers
Favored scrap booking paper OR fabric(I will show you how you can use fabric below)
Tape or modge podge (Video for instructions on how to stiffen fabric for multiple uses, last video)
Scissors, pen

1: Your supplies. (see above for list)
2: Trace around the outer edge. (If you trace around the inside of the cube, you risk cutting the paper too small and therefore you've now wasted your beautiful favorite paper OR fabric)

3: Accurately place the wrong side paper up and tape down onto the cube.(Half of the tape should be on the paper, half on the cube.
4: Using the pen, poke holes in the proper nail hooks that are embedded on the cubes. YOU'RE DONE! Now go and hang your upcycled wall decor! Be prepared for an impressed Husband. (If you're using fabric, slice over nail holes with an X-acto knife or pinch with sharp scissors and cut.)

Much better right? It adds SO much life to an otherwise dull bathroom, and I didn't have to paint the walls for a new and exciting change! SCORE.

{Flashback Friday}

2011-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Friday Friday Friday! I'm sad to say that our friends from Hawaii are leaving today :( We've had a blast all week catching up and watching our babies play together! They're next stop is KC so we'll see...we might just have to fly out and see what's changed in our old stomping ground.

Isaac has swim lessons today and then I will be meeting Gramma directly after and check out the new Costco that just opened up, today actually. Plus we need groceries bad.

Hope you have a radiant friday, also Don't forget to check out my previous post! It's a fun upcycle tutorial!

Isaac looks exactly like me!!!

{What I Made: Upcycled Letter Board}

2011-07-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

For the longest time we have needed a mail center so our kitchen counter wouldn't be cluttered with up to a week's worth of mail. So here are some of my inspirations that I desperately wanted on my walls:

But being my frugal self and wanting to have my creative juices flowing I decided to try and work with what I already had on hand. So I chose to cut-up and cover an old pin board I've had since high school. I am SO glad I didn't get rid of it. Now I don't recommend the method I used in keeping the cover-up fabric in place, but again it is what I had on hand.

Our previous wall-

Tutorial for Upcycled Mail Center

- Fabric(lightweight cotton, vintage)
- Nail gun(sewing pins)
- Ribbon, lace, twine
- Pin board
(click on photos to make bigger)

1: Turn board over and cut interfacing to reveal inner back.

2: Detach whatever buttons on front are connected underneath the interfacing.(mine happened to be attatched to sheet wood)

3-4: Take the ribbons and buttons off.

5: Move ribbon and decide if you want to repurpose or save for another project.

6: Measure the fabric to the board.

7: Cut slits in fabric where the hanging teeth are positioned and pull fabric underneath and through, then pin or staple. (Pin the fabric to the board all the way around. If you have a staple gun, then staple the fabric to the board instead.)

To get perfect covered corners:

8: Fold vertical fabric over horizontal one time.

9: Take your middle finger and press fabric against edge of board, while holding the edge of fabric.

10: Cross fabric over and pin.

11: Bring last edge up and pull taught while pinning.

12: Arrange ribbon, lace or twine on front of board.

13: Flip board over and pin or staple ribbon tail in place.

14: VOILA! You've got a brand new upcyled mail board!!!

I am way pumped about the upcycle and love that I got to use some of my vintage fabric!

{Random funny}

2011-07-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

I thought this was SO random! My top 3 word searches how people find Tattooed Momma are SO funny!

Really?! The longest doggie paddle, how hilarious!!!!

How did you stumble upon Tattooed Momma?

{What I made: peasant top}

2011-07-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

Look-ie what I made this time! My very first shirt! Peasant top to be exact!

I can't tell you how excited I am to have created something that I can wear and just love. I tried to make a dress when I first found out I was pregnant and well let's just say that I didn't know what a selvedge was let alone to cut on it and I didn't cut on the fold whatever that meant at the time. So as you can assume it was a complete disaster! I mainly stuck with sewing cloth napkins and re-usable diaper wipes, but now I have become way more confident. I originally wanted to buy a boat-load of tube tops and cute tanks for Summer, but couldn't find any I liked at a reasonable price, until I started searching for tutorials and came across Sew Mama Sew! Then I knew I had to try it for myself! It didn't look that hard, and well it only took a mini marathon of LOST and about 4 hours. I only got about 3.5 hours sleep that night considering I just created the bomb shirt!

I did do some minor adjustments and add-ons, such as adding pleats to the bottom of the front and back so it wouldn't just taper and flair towards the bottom. I also added a bottom lining piece which I though completed the over look of the tank. Over all the top 2 things that took the most time was picking good, strong contrasting fabrics(I had literally pounds of fabric to choose from), and ironing all the 1.5in folds. Please don't let this scare you if you've been wanting to try something new, because let me tell you...if I can do it, ANYONE can.

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

{Flashback Friday}

2011-07-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yet again, another FBF!

We were at one of our youth kids' high school graduation party. 2005 I believe and yes I was wearing shrinky-dinks around my neck and in my hair.

Have a wonderful weekend!!! P.S. Isaac's swim school is closed tomorrow for July 4th weekend and so tomorrow's plans for beach hang out sesh totally just opened up!!!

{This Week's Photos}

2011-06-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here is to a Week in photos! I can't believe it's already the weekend!!! We have dear friends, practically family coming in from Oahu staying with us for a week, and we couldn't be more excited! We haven't seen them in almost 2 years and they have a little 10 month old boy, Iggy that has never met Isaac. Krystal and I just know they will be best friends!!! Then tomorrow and Saturday, Isaac has swim lessons again and then on Sunday Joshua is getting his Father's Day tattoo, then after that we are all going to BBQ at Jackie and James house for an early 4th of July celebration!

Eeep!!! Can't wait! What are your exciting plans this wonderful weekend?

{What I made UPDATE}

2011-06-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry to keep you in suspense of my "what I made" post from Thursday, but I have a few minutes while little man naps.

A huge, beautiful and ruffled diaper clutch. This brut is a whopping 17in by 12in. I wanted to make it extra large so if I wanted to run and errand but not want to bring the diaper bag, then this would act as a wonderful stand in!

What lovely creations have you made recently??

This is my current list of what I want to make!

What's on your list?

{Pool Day!}

2011-06-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

We had a pool day with some friends and it was super nice. We met at their community kiddie pool which was perfect as it was only 1ft deep! It took a little time for Isaac to warm up, but after he spotted some pool toys he went after them and was fine. I got my kid in the water and I was able to work on my tan :), all in all I am very pleased with today!

{Swim School UPDATE}

2011-06-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

So Isaac has his first swim lessons on Friday and then again on Saturday. If you are new to my blog, Isaac is my 13mo. You may want to read my previous post on our decision to take him to swim lessons.

I've also posted tons of photos and some videos of the Instructor with Isaac.
Friday we were actually running late because I got off on the wrong exit and then I get stuck behind 2 different lanes of semi trucks. Really?! Out of all the days we are out and about, I end up being about 20 minutes late! When we did finally arrive, the staff at Murray Callan were super relaxed and understanding about everything. They said we could go ahead with his scheduled class but that today would also be viewed as a make-up day. How kind of them was that?! So we met Isaac's Teacher and she invited us in the pool with a whopping 10 minutes left of class. Now Isaac does wonderfully in pools and loves bath time...although we are still getting him used to the beach. So he went in the pool fine, but when Kiara was reaching out for him, he started to grunt and physically let her know that she wasn't going to hold him! After a few short minutes in her arms, he quickly warmed up to her. They have large disney characters cut outs posted all around the pool and he was kept talking to her and pointing to the 101 Dalmatians and doing the sign for dog. She said by the end of the 10 minutes he progressed so well that she believed that his next class, the following day he would be ready to go under water! I was pretty surprised when she told me that, but then again she teaches babies all the time all the swimming techniques needed to learn in order to be safe in water. She let Isaac play in the pool after class, so him and I were just hanging out looking at the different Disney animals on the walls and then we left.

Saturday Joshua was able to go with us which is how we were able to get photos and video. This time we were early and Isaac and I got in the pool first. As soon as he saw Kiara, he put his arms up in the air and leapt toward her! She started off with the previous exercises by swaying him in the water and allowing the water to come up to his cheeks. In one of the videos I ask he how babies know how to hold their breathe under water and you see her explaining the it's a reflex all babies are born with called "Swimmers Reflex", that once water touches their cheeks, they have the automatic urge to hold their breath. After a few of those, she felt he was ready and she quickly dipped his face in the water on the next round of exercises and he did great! No crying, no gasping for air, it worked just as she said it would! Joshua came in after that and was near to comfort Isaac, watching him splash and have fun with Papa made my heart so happy! The lessons lasted 30 minutes and it seemed like with each passing moment Isaac was adapting more and more and actually having fun getting water in his face!

So I know you are just dying to look at the photos so here yah go!

We can't wait to go back next Friday!

{Flashback Friday}

2011-06-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yet again, another wonderful Flashback Friday! Please link up if you'd like to join in!!!

This was probably right after I graduated high school and I believe, besides red, black has been my hair color of choice for the longest period of time!

{What I made tonight}

2011-06-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

A SNEAK peek of what I just made tonight!

What do you think it is?

I can not believe it's seriously already Friday!!! Wahoo!!

{Solid Foods: Our Adventure}

2011-06-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

Since Isaac's birth I have been on an extremely restricted diet. He was having horrible tummy pains almost immediately and I figured it was the dairy so I slowly cut all traces of dairy out of my diet. Milk, cheese, sour cream, chocolate. I quickly noticed that replacing dairy with soy didn't work so I was then forced to take soy out of the equation. Which pretty much left me eating plain steamed chicken with white rice every day. I couldn't have cereal, bread, salad dressing...you name it I probably wasn't able to enjoy. I couldn't even have ketchup for God's sake, the vinegar would affect him!

I am thankful in a way for that because I do believe this also helped me lose all the pregnancy weight I gained on top of breastfeeding.

It took about 8 months until I could enjoy the cornucopia of food we take advantage of daily. I was so happy to not have oatmeal for breakfast and to indulge in ranch dressing again. When we started Isaac on solids we weren't prepared for the hardship of introducing solids to a baby with food sensitivities.

We introduced REAL fruits, then veggies and finally meats. The schedule below is pretty accurate to his lunch and dinner menu and roughly 95% of what he ate was and still is homemade real food, not jarred.

6-7 Months

Bananas
Apples
Sweet Potatoes

7-8 Months

Carrots
Spinach
Pears
Turkey

8-10 Months

Blueberries
Mangoes
Chicken
Avocados

10-11 Months

Baby Cereal(organic oatmeal, brown rice)
Pears
Brocolli
Turkey

11-12 Months

Strawberries
Baby Cereal
Apple juice
Tomatoes

12-13 Months

Organic Brown Eggs
Seasonings(salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, ECT.)
Spaghetti(marinara sauce, noodles)
Coconut Oil
Baby Yogurt
Ezekiel Bread(sprouted bread)

13-14 Months(current)

Beef
Fries
Cheese
Goat's Milk
Pork Sausage
Green Beans
Corn
Butter
Beans

It wasn't until he was about 10 months before we started feeding him finely ground oatmeal for breakfast along with fruit, which usually ended up being blueberries. Our reasons for starting him off with meats fairly early is because Turkey is super high in protein and meats have valuable iron. We never gave Isaac vitamin supplements, my breast milk was absolutely everything he needed. I also believe he reaped the benefits from my strict diet. We also chose not to start him off with rice cereal because we had heard of so many other friends that babies get constipated which obviously makes sense because all the grain baby cereals have not been previously soaked to aid in digestion.

As you see, Isaac's eating habits were also fairly restrictive. Yet I think this has helped him to enjoy all foods that have been given to him, which is why I believe we have never ever had problems with him rejecting food. For the most part mealtime is an enjoyable experience because he never knows what he is going to eat which makes it an adventure.

As far as how to introduce solids, there are many ways and differing of opinions. While looking over my own list you might have even scoffed at the choices we've made. After scouring TONS of articles, talking to several Pediatricians and baby nutritionist authors I decided to pick and choose what was more applicable to our situation. Most healthy, full-term babies will not have the kind of food sensitivities as Isaac did, so you may want to follow a different food list.

The absolute best resources in my opinion were as followed:

Kelly Mom
Super Baby Food(We only used a loose version of the foods recommended)
Annabel Karmel

Helping Isaac discover new foods is such a great thing to be apart of. I don't think babies understand the importance of family mealtime! As I prepare dinner, Isaac and Joshua play. We then pray and talking about our day. We always want the dinner table to be a safe common area for our children to frequent. Whether it regards school work or relinquishing spiritual matters, we want to teach our babies from the get go that Momma and Papa care what you have to say!

Again, meals shouldn't be rushing to finish but a time of kick back and enjoying on another! So don't worry if your little one throws food on the floor or spits out those peas, you will never get to re-live those precious memories.

{Swim Lessons}

2011-06-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

SO we are going to sign Isaac up for swim lessons. You may think we are crazy because he's only 13 months old...Heck I thought it was strange when I knew of friends who've put their little ones through classes. But It's really a smart move for any parent, especially if you live near water!

We're signing him up at Murray Callan Swim School. With 2 locations in SD County, they have been around for almost 40 years and specialize in teaching babies as young as 3 months to swim! How crazy is that?! Isaac loves pool water and being in the bath, we just need to get him warmed up to the beach!

To tell you the truth, I am a bit nervous about him getting lessons already. I recall being about 7 when I had my first official lessons and I was thrown into the "teacher's" pool. I believe that was the single reason why I only knew how to do the doggie paddle for the longest time. I am fine around water now and can swim like a normal person, although I won't go in past my chest in the ocean. There is just something about sharks, riptides and the fact that you can't see below you that makes me prefer the view from the beach. When I was younger I thought it would be cool to be a surfer chic, yah obviously short lived.

So as soon as Isaac starts his classes we will be posting lots of photos and I will let you know of his progress! He will be completing 8 classes at 2 per week, although I have heard that they need to take at least 2 full sessions in order for the child to stick with what they've learned.

Photos below:
Isaac was about 3 months old, and he loved the pool! My parents have a salt water filtration system, so it was super soothing to his skin, not drying as normal chlorine water does.

{Happy Papas DAY!!!}

2011-06-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Papa's Day to all the wonderful Father's out there!

Clearly family wouldn't be, without you!

We started off by going to Church this morning. Joshua played on the worship team and I was volunteering in Sunday School. I love hanging out with the 1 year olds, they truly are amazing little blessings!

After church, we went over to MIL house which we pretty much spent the rest of our day. In fact, we didn't make it home until almost 8pm tonight! It was quite nice, I got to catch up on some laundry, watch more LOST and just chill for the most part. We took some family portraits outside in their front yard right before Isaac's 10 minute power nap. I'm not really into those...Joshua spent the afternoon researching theological themes and such.

Unfortunately, we had to re-schedule Joshua's tattoo session for a future date, so no photos. BOO.

Isaac's new faves:

Graham crackers
Scrunching his nose and huffing when you ask him where it is
Throwing himself on the ground and rolling around on it when he's upset
Goat's Milk

Hope you showed the Father of your babies a good time tonite!

Without further a-du:

How did you celebrate your Husband/Father today?

{LONG weekend}

2011-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!

I'm pretty excited about the weekend because Joshua has a half day today so I will be thoroughly enjoying a LONG weekend with my boys. He worked a whopping 14 hours on Monday, so hence the half day today. Even though the weekend will be slightly extended, I have a feeling it will be pretty low key except for Sunday of course. I am slightly jealous because for Father's Day, Joshua is getting another tattoo. I keep telling him since he's covered he can't get anymore until I catch up with him, but it ever works. He's getting a lighthouse on his lower left forearm, so pictures will definitely ensue!

Now for Flashback Fridays!

Circa June 2005. This is the first photo Joshua and I ever took together, it was also the first time I came out and visited him to meet his family.

What are your lovely plans for the weekend?

{Handmade Exchange UPDATE}

2011-06-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

I've officially exchanged!

The wonderfully talented Jennifer over at D.I.Y. Cupcake has exchanged handmade treasures with me, and while corresponding back and forth, I found out she is from my home town. It was nice because she gave me a few options to choose what I would be receiving! How sweet of her was that?! So I chose a sugar skull shirt and to my absolute surprise she sent me 4 different shirts! Yes FOUR. Two matching sugar skulls so Isaac can wear one too, a cutesy dino one and a super rad extra-long scoop neck heart shirt. I can't wait to sport these!

Here is was my handmade gift, a set of vintage style cloth napkins!

The beautiful package I received!

If this sounds super fun than please join in! You won't regret it and plus you will get to meet other crafty ladies and gents out there, not to mention getting some pretty neat handmade goods!

Here are the guidelines to join:

Follow me on Tattooed Momma
Make sure that your item cost at least $10(either to make or retails)
Comment and leave an email to contact with shipping info

P.s. Don't forget to add the button to your site so others can know and join!

{Father's Day SALE: My ETSY SHOP}

2011-06-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Exciting news for you!

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that my ETSY shop, LongLiveHonore is having a sale for Father's Day in honor of all the amazing Papa's out there!

Everything is 20% off and the sale ends on June 20, so hurry up before someone else buys what you've been eyeing.

The coupon code for the sale is fathersdaysale.

Tell all your friends and be sure to check back often for newly added handmades and vintage items.

{Another way to get more discounts, follow me and let me know when you are purchasing so I know how you were referred!}

{Obsessed}

2011-06-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with INSTAGRAM. To be honest with you I upload and check it multiple times a day. It's just so fun to give little snip-its of my day and share them with friends.
As the saying goes, "A picture IS worth a thousand words". Hopefully they will come out with an app soon for the Android, because sadly I am having to switch back and forth between phones, and not everyone has an iphone.
If you do, would you join and add me?

A snapshot of some of my photos!

P.S. Here is the online version of the mobile one. inkstagram