The Land of K.A. bio picture

I am Stacy, a thirty-something *cough, cough* (I am I really this old??) mother of two very cute, smart and multi-talented toddlers. This blog is my attempt at being witty whilst I detail the trial and tribulations of having two kids 17 months apart and surviving the ordeal. It really helps that they are so dang cute.

I post crafty/gardening stuff on Tuesdays, I host Theme Thursdays, try to post a kid-friendly recipe every Friday and usually post some photography-related mumbo jumbo on Saturdays. That's if I have time. Sometimes I need to sleep.

The rest of the week it is usually photos of our extremely photogenic children and the ruckus they cause in our lives.

Thanks for visiting!

stacy@thelandofka.com

Fancy Nancy just got fancier!

January 6, 2009 – 5:00 am

This is my first attempt at making some doll clothes.  As I wrote previously, I wanted to get Anya a Fancy Nancy doll for Christmas, but the extra doll clothes were a bit too expensive.  I bought the dolly, took her out of the excessive packaging and measured her all up.  I sat down at the kitchen table to draw the patterns and cut them out.  Anya was there and was very interested in the “baby” patterns I was making.  Soon I won’t be able to pull the wool over these little eyes!

Later I cut out the pattern pieces from some of my many small bits of extra fabric…before I tested to see if at least one fit.  Silly, silly me.  The arms were a bit too narrow and too long and the pants were too long.  Fairly easy fixes, and I didn’t have to recut too many pieces.  It was nice to be able to use the many, many scraps in my big bin to make clothes.  Plus they will match some of Anya’s clothes.

In this situation, bias tape is your friend (narrow double-fold).  That and rolled hemming on the serger.  Some of these little tiny seams are a bit of a bear to do.  The backs of most of them are open all the way down so it is easier for her to put them on and take them off.  I used snaps for closures.  I had a bag little buttons and some satin roses I used to pretty them up.

I just need to figure out how to make her some new shoes.  I’m sure there is a way, I just need to figure it out.  I’m definitely not buying a $20 outfit for a doll so it can have shoes.

This was such a fun little project.  It makes me wish I were a wee little girl so I could play with dolls again. :)  The first picture shows her “suitcase” that I found to put all the clothes into.  It was a nice little suitcase-like box that is light enough for a little girl to carry around with her.  Anya was very happy with Nancy and her new doll clothes, and she even got a few new Fancy Nancy books for Christmas from Grandma Joan.  She all set for much playing. :)

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Just an FYI, if you had bookmarked my Sundress tutorial…I deleted that post.  It got linked on Stumbleupon and on another site and got around 4600 views.  And not one thank you.  That annoys me to no end, so if you need it, just look on my “I make things” page - it’s at the bottom.  I really don’t mind putting the work into doing a tutorial, but people are so rude these days.  I guess if I didn’t get any thank you’s, then it wasn’t worthwhile so I might as well pull it.  Of course, I did get one comment that the dress was “sooooooooooo uglllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!”.  So…yeah… *DELETE*

By Stacy | Posted in Creativity, Sewing | 16 comments         Show Comments | Add a Comment

It’s mine now!

January 4, 2009 – 5:00 am

Look!  Just look what Kitty has conviscated now!

Recognize it??

*sigh*  We’ve bought that cat several beds that she never slept in, but apparently a nice soft one meant for the babies is just what she deserved.  It sits in Anya’s room at the foot of her bed.  Anya’s room is one of the warmer ones in the house, being South facing an all.  It is a Kitty heaven, to be honest.

Now, I will be forced to find another baby bed.  Darn…I so hate shopping. ;)  I let Anya use it for her dolls in between using it for babies, but Kitty seems to really like the soft fuzzy fabric and the feather pillow in it.  Apparently little miss goldilocks found her perfect bed.

I took this shot at the same time…I kinda like it.

By Stacy | Posted in Family | 15 comments         Show Comments | Add a Comment

Back at it…

January 3, 2009 – 5:00 am

Theme Thursday - Holiday Aftermath

Share your favorite memories from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice…you get the drift. :) 

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Hope everyone survived the festivities, food and present carnage.  I know my kids are probably bummed that they don’t have anymore presents to open, but I’m glad to have a sorta clean house.  I was up until 1:30am on New Year’s Day getting most of it cleaned up.  The tree always comes down on that day.  After the tree went down, we dumped out their toys and started figuring out what had to go.  We were ruthless, much to the urchins’ consternation.  I got about 3 bags worth of toys that are going to charity in the next pickup.  They still have PLENTY to play with, though.  Kailan was hoarding his new toys, so I wouldn’t “throw them away”.  Because I’m mean like that.  What’s that saying, “If your kids don’t think you are mean, you aren’t being a good parent”? ;)

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I think we are going to call Kailan Squirrel from now on.  You know how squirrels make little nests in trees from bits and bobs they find in the forest.  We think Kailan was trying to build a nest in the corner of the couch…his most favorite place on Earth.  It was made of candy wrappers.  Yeah.  

Mean, mean mommy threw away the rest of the candy after we found the nest made of individually wrapped Reeses peanut butter cup wrappers.  Apparently he thought he was hiding the evidence…or he was just being lazy and couldn’t quite make the effort to put them in the trash.  Could be either one, really.  That’s our boy.

*****

Our two week vacation went by so fast.  I went into work a few days this week, so I guess I’m getting back into that groove…slowly.  I’m sure the kids will be glad to get back to their friends, though Kailan may go into cartoon withdrawal.  They never slept in the whole time, but opted to get up around 6:30am (or earlier) whereby we would grogily tell them to go into the office and watch Nickoldean.  I feel no guilt over that decision…at all.  Of course, Brian and I have been staying up way too late and are having a hard time getting up in the morning.  During one of those mornings when neither of us wanted to get up, the kids cracked into their fruit snacks and they each finished off at least 5 packages because they were hungry.  I feel a little guilt over that one.  Of course, they chose the fruit snacks over the Nutrigrain cereal bars, so there’s guilt but then there’s also the knowledge that the little hoodlums would have probably chose M&M’s if I hadn’t already thrown them away.

You can just send over that Parent of the Year award anytime…I’ll be waiting for it. ;)

(Note:  I was going to include a picture of me drinking wine while I was helping the kids put together their gingerbread house, but my computer was conspiring against me.  Read what you will into that… :D )

By Stacy | Posted in Family | 14 comments         Show Comments | Add a Comment

Recipe Friday - beef tenderloin in red wine sauce

January 2, 2009 – 5:00 am

Ah beef!  We had this for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was yummy.  We got a few fresh tenderloins at Costco and they were very tasty.  I made a side of cheesy hashbrowns with gruyere cheese on them and we felt like we were eating like kings.  Add a bottle of 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe “La Crau” and you are all set for a wonderful explosion of flavor in your mouth.  Yeah, the French like long names don’t they?

2-4 tenderloin cuts

Rub:
1 1/2 TBSP fine ground coffee
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP black pepper, freshly ground
1 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP brown sugar

Sauce:
1/2 cup whatever red wine you have opened
1 TBSP fresh thyme (I used a cube of my frozen thyme)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beef stock
1 TBSP butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP water

Take out your tenderloin steaks a good 20 minutes before you make them.  Prepare the rub mixture and rub well into both sides of the steaks - don’t be stingy with it either!  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and preheat an oven-proof skillet to medium high heat.  Add a few TBSP’s olive oil.  When the skillet is hot, put the steaks into the skillet and sear on one side for 4 minutes.  Flip over and sear a few minutes more and then transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes.  It was about medium rare for us in that amount of time, but our oven cooks slower.

When the time is up, take the filets out of the pan and transfer to a serving plate to rest.  Cover with aluminium foil.  Meanwhile put the skillet back on the stove over medium heat and pour in the wine.  Reduce to about half and then add the remaining ingredients up to the salt and pepper.  Simmer for a few minutes and then mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the sauce to thicken.  If not thick enough, mix more cornstarch and water.  Put sauce over the tenderloins and you now have a very yummy meal. :)

Not the best picture, but trust me…it was yummy!

 

I also added pictures to a few recipes that I made over the holidays:

Blueberry French Toast Bake

Breaded Tilapia with soy-honey-wasabi glaze

Panzanella

By Stacy | Posted in Recipes | 4 comments         Show Comments | Add a Comment

It’s resolution time again

January 1, 2009 – 5:00 am

Here it is again…another year…another set of resolutions that will most likely not come to fruition.  I could pretty much just copy my resolutions from last year, as not many of them were achieved this past year. 

What happened to the year, anyways?  Life seems to go by at an exceedingly fast pace each year.  Before we know it, our kids will be grown and we will be ready to retire.  I want life to slow down to a more measured pace.  If that were possible, it would be so nice.

Now, what shall I do this year?  What goals should I put on my list for it to be a better year? 

*****

I didn’t really do much in the “get healthy” department that was number one last year.  Over vacation I did get on the elliptical several times, so it is a start.  I wish I had a better method of keeping myself accountable.  I need to figure out what to do for that, and I would rather it not involve something online.  I spend too much time sitting in the front of the computer as it is.  The hardest part is fitting it into the work day.  I am not a morning person, but I think I will have to be to get it squeezed into the day.  That will mean getting to bed at a decent time.

*****

I bought myself a Cooking Light cookbook and I need to incorporate those recipes into my recipe binder.  I have 10 weeks of recipes ready to go in there, by the way.  At least I got that done over vacation!  I’m still working on that long list of to-do’s, though.  I got about half of it done, so far.

*****

I put up a few new pages on my site.  It is a bit of a year in review of my photography, though it does include a few older shots.  The first page is just talking about my photography and trying to get inspiration, and then it has links to the actual photography pages.  I am still not planning on opening for business this year.  I rarely get asked to take photographs for others, so I think that is working out to my advantage.  I had a few months of no photo shoots, so that was a nice break.

I feel so overwhelmed these days, that I don’t want to take on the additional work.  I get far more enjoyment from my photography when I’m not shooting under pressure.  Though I love to take on shoots for others, I want to keep them to a minimum right now.  It generally takes up a whole day of my weekend or several week nights, and I don’t like to do that more than a few times a month.  My free time is so very little that taking the time out for shoots is taking time from my family.

Eventually, I would like to start a photography business, but only after I feel I am ready.  I don’t right now.  I still have much to learn, especially on the business side of the equation.  I am in no rush.     

*****

I want to limit my computer time.  I tend to spend far too much time on here when I have so many other things that I need to do.  I wish there were more time in the day, but there just isn’t.  In order for me to get myself healthy, spend more time with my kids and get some SLEEP, I need to limit myself.  The lure of the Internet is strong, though, darn it.  I feel like I have Adult ADD sometimes, which I think is due to my overuse of the computer.  There’s always something to read online, photos to edit, posts to write, designs to make, etc, and if I’m sitting around doing nothing (you know, resting!) I feel a draw towards my computer.  It isn’t a good thing.

*****

I’m sure that this list will be put at the bottom of the pile soon enough.  Hopefully I can keep it front and center…attempt to use it as a guide for the New Year.  I know I will be happier if I implement a few of these goals, and that is what I need to remember.  It may be painful at first, but the end result will be worth it.

May this New Year be a blessed one for all of you and your families. :)

By Stacy | Posted in Craziness | 9 comments         Show Comments | Add a Comment
AJAXed with AWP