Cocoon of Chaos

Pinterest Project Success: tshirt bag

Don't mind the terrible picture or my dirty table, here, my friends. It was so damn humid this day that my lens was fogging up, awful. Anyhoo, we spent the afternoon transforming old t-shirts into bags, like we saw here, courtesy of Pinterest. This one was my favorite, made from one of Devin's old t-shrits. The project could not be easier, no sewing machine needed, just scissors, needle, and thread. So easy, so quick, and a lovely way to pass a dreadfully hot summer day! Bea is getting pretty good at hand sewing and is headed to a fashion camp where they repurpose old clothes into new items, can't wait to see what she comes home with! Happy Sunday...

Kale Pesto for Days...

  

image source

 

Yes, I too, am riding the bandwagon of kale. I just love it. What other super green will my kids eat? None, I tell you. So, yes, I'm a fan. I made a jar of kale pesto last week and I've had it on everything. Thought I'd share the ridiculously easy recipe and some ideas what to do with it.

What you need:

4 cups of kale (I prefer the Tuscan Kale from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup of olive oil

juice of one lemon

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves (peeled)

salt and pepper to taste

a food processor

What you do:

trim the leaves from the stem of the kale (enroll little hands if you'd like, it is a great fine motor skill activity)

add the 4 cups of kale to food processor, juice of one lemon, red pepper, and garlic cloves. Start to pulse for 20 seconds, then slowly add the olive oil as the processor is working it's magic. When it is a pesto-ish consistency, scoop out and put into an air tight jar.

Some recipe suggestions:

Pasta with Kale Pesto, ricotta cheese, and lemon

Pizza with Kale Pesto, cheese, salami, and onion (no red sauce)

Mix in a dollop of Kale Pesto into a little bit of olive oil to make a yummy dressing for an antipasta salad

Spread on crunchy bread, top with an overeasy egg, and tomato slices

Spread on crunchy bread with a delicious hard cheese of your liking

Add to a basic Minestrone soup recipe for a little kick

Mix with a bit of mayonaisse as a sandwich spread (very yummy with tuna)

Spread across proscuitto, place asparagus in the middle, wrap proscuitto around the asparagus and bake (so, so, so good)

I mean, really, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy and just a warning: make sure you have some peppermint around, it is rather garlicky. Happy healthy eating, my friends!

Repurposed and Revamped Accessory Tower Using Sharpies

This project was thought up on one of the many snow days when I was so tired of playing school or Legos, that I collapsed on the kids' carpet and my eyes landed on a piece of furniture that we were going to throw away. A few holidays past, my lovely husband bought me a tall jewelry box that was beautiful and inexpensive, those were my requests! However, due to my accessories addiction, I outgrew the jewelry box and it was bound for the trash until my crafty light bulb sparked. I grabbed my two favorite Sharpie metallic paint pens and got to work. 

Rather than full of my accessories, it is now full of the girls' accessories! And, believe it or not, they've kept is organized and just love their "unique accessory tower".

I decorated the sides with bows, arrows, and hearts

and the top with a favorite quote from my style idol, Audrey Hepburn, because really, no matter what is in your hair or on your body, it is what inside that makes us all pretty darn beautiful. Just a daily reminder for my girls...

Seems a bit odd to reference Teddy Roosevelt and Audrey Hepburn in the same post, but I'm a fan of his encouragement to make do with what you have. A big fan.

 

 

Sunday Ritual

Since I was a kid, I've always loved Sundays. They usually included relaxing mornings of reading the Arts and Comics part of the Sunday paper and not doing much of anything. I've tried to continue the relaxation that the last day of the week provides as an adult, and have a bit of a Sunday ritual I thought I'd share here.  Once the Privacy Please sign is hung on the bathroom door, the kiddos know to stay away. (A little souvenier from my last trip to Washington D.C.)

 

My morning usually starts with a hot yoga class at 8 am that really lets me focus, release the past week, and prepare for the next. I love this class, it is the highlight of my week.

Once I arrive home ridiculously sweaty, I concoct my Sunday shower accompaniments, a salt scrub and hydration mask. These could not be easier to make and truly do wonders for my skin.

Salt scrub (some people prefer sugar, but I like the purification properties of salt):

small jar

kosher salt

oil of some sort (some use baby oil, I prefer the natural olive oil)

essential oil, optional for scent

Mix salt and oil to consistency that works for you, it should not be too oily, as it can cause a slip in the shower, I usually use just enough to soften the salt

Place on your body, let rest for a few minutes, and rinse off. A warning: if you have a cut or have recently shaved, avoid adding salt, it burns.

Face Mask

plain yogurt

honey

a bit of lemon juice (very small amount)

mix a small amount of yogurt, honey, and lemon juice. leave on for a few minutes, avoiding your eyes,  rinse off, and apply moisturizer. the yogurt moisturizes, the honey purifies, and the lemon brightens and smells amazing.

A weird tidbit: my very first publication was in 2005, explaining just this routine, in Real Simple Magazine; and 9 years later, I'm still going strong with my Sunday ritual. It is important to take time for ourselves as parents, even if it means rubbing salt and yogurt all over your body!

Bea's Repurposed T-shirt Infinity Scarf Tutorial

Bea decided to switch from her drawing and painting class to fashion design this session and one of the projects she completed was making an inifinity scarf. This inspired us to finally do something with all the old T-shirts we've been keeping for rags and such. Bea gave us a little tutorial...

WHAT YOU NEED:

T-shirt (we used a men's tee so we could wrap it around a few times) 

scissors (if  you are using 100% cotton, I recommend using pinking shears to avoid fraying)

chalk

ruler

WHAT YOU DO:

1. cut the shirt horizontally, underneath the neck, without cutting the seam

2. With a ruler, draw a straight line from the left side of the seam to the right

3. grab scissors and start cutting from the bottom of the shirt to your chalk line in strips. make them as wide or narrow as  you like. we found the narrower  you make, the  more texture it adds to the final project

4. wrap around your neck and enjoy!

Star Wars Playdough

I've said it before, but this boy of mine is obsessed with Star Wars. He is also 3, which means he is constantly on a roller coaster of sheer happiness and utter insanity. Trying to keep him occupied can be a bit of a challenge, but as long as I mention Star Wars, he is on board. While Devin and Pippa were making Sunday dessert, Oliver and I made some Star Wars Playdough.

You'll need:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 cup salt

- 1 tablespoon Cream of Tartar

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 cups water

- 12 drops of neon blue food coloring

-6 drops of neon purple food coloring

-2 drops of neon green food coloring

- 1/4 cup glitter (more or less to your disgression)

- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract (not pictured in above photo)

Mix oil, water, & food coloring in a medium saucepan on medium heat. As it is heating, mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing constantly. This requires constant attention, or you will be scrubbing playdough for days. When the liquid is thick enough like store bought playdough, remove from pan and let cool on a cutting board. Once cool, add glitter and extract. (I like to add different extracts to wake up those olfactory nerves!)

Grab your Star Wars figurines and go to town. I do sincerely hope none of you are asked to build the "Miwennium Falcon" out of playdough like I was! Happy playing...

Summer Cocktail: Belle Rossa

This drink is my new favorite, a little combination of France and Italy in a glass. It has everything I love in a drink: sweetness, bubbles, and St. Germain. Oh, I LOVE St. Germain. It is a French liquer made from elderberry flowers. My family teases me and calls it my fancy flower drink, but it suits me just fine.  To me, this new cocktail of mine defines summer. This could be made in a champagne glass, but I've given up on trying to have a champagne glass during cocktail hour, as one of my kiddos always breaks the glass by accident.

1 oz. of St. Germaine

fill cup 1/4 of the way with Prosecco

fill rest of cup with Aranciata Rossa

Enjoy!

Vlog: Duct Tape Hair Bow Tutorial

We are big fans of duct tape in this abode and one lazy summer afternoon, we decided to make something a little different than our standard bookmarks and jewelry. As we were making them, Ava asked if she could record me doing it on the camera. Of course, I said yes. Yes, the quality is not the greatest, but she did a good job for her first time recording!

  

 

 

 

Handmade Holiday Roundup: Sentimental Stitching

Each day as I do laundry, I walk by a bag full of fabric from my Nana's house. Somedays, it makes me smile, other days, a tinge of sadness perks up. I've tried a million times to think up some great crafty project with these little bits of my Nana's creativity. Then, inspiration struck, I asked my little creative cohorts and we got stitching. We made some for each of our family members so they could have a little piece of Nana on their tree each year. Lovely...

This was Pippa's first sewing project and she did an awesome job. That little lady of mine is so meticulous and patient. Ava is an old pro and really enjoys it. I must say, the mister and little mister were out doing errands and all felt right in the world while I sat in my pajamas with my little ladies sewing, chatting, and laughing. I just love these little ladies so very much and am so proud of who they are becoming as they grow. We promised to do this more often...

Handmade Holiday Roundup: Infinity Scarf

I made these scarves for the kids' teachers for two reasons: they are so easy to make and I thought of a great note to go with them. (Most of my craftiness is inspired by some sentimental thought I have in the middle of the night, thank you insomnia.) They take maybe 4 hours to make and they are the coziest way to get through the winter. With each scarf, I thanked the teachers for their infinite amount of love, patience, and dedication. See the link, my friends?! I am always thankful for the wonderful women that educate my children each day, but now, more than ever, I am grateful for also keeping them safe. These were, by far, my favorite craft this year because in some small way, I hope they know how much I appreciate them for all they do, not only for my children, but for so many others as well.

Materials: Lion Wool Ease Chunky yarn and size 12 circular needle. Cast on as you see fit, knit as you see fit, and bind top and bottom together to create a circle. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.