The Crafty Caterpillar

Book Review: His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

2011-11-06T00:15:00.001-05:00

The year is 1820 and tensions are high between the North and South. There is talk of war and succession. There is talk of freeing the slaves.

Amanda Belle, daughter of the local Pastor, is content to raise her siblings and honor her dying mother's last wish. She has everything she needs on their small farm. Family, Friends, and a sense of purpose and responsibility. When she meets Captain Kent Littlefield, a Union officer, she finds herself wanting more.

When war breaks out, Amanda is torn in two, just like her country. She is pushed to remain loyal to her way of life in Texas, the only home she's ever known, and told to forget the enemy she loves.

Amanda's faith is challenged, along with her strength and integrity - and love for Kent Littlefield. Can she continue to bear the burden her mother left for her? Can she remain loyal to the South and love a man from the North? Should she risk losing her family forever for a man who may not even survive the war?

This book brings a renewed and personal perspective to the Civil War. You can see at a human level the impact on family life an the new challenges that arise.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be a fairly quick and easy read. It was well written and the story flowed smoothly. The author did a good job of placing the characters at historically appropriate places, such as specific battles and towns. There was not a very deep level of challenging scripture, but the main character did have challenges to overcome and relied on God to do so.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a relaxing book to read that they can get throughout in a few days. If you love historical fiction novels, like I do, this book is for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

What We Ate { the day before } Wednesday

2011-10-05T07:47:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

SLOW-COOKER STUFF:
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 lbs.), skin discarded
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup chopped scallions (about 6)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
OUT-OF-THE-POT INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup chopped scallions (about 2)

*Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a greased 6- to 7-qt. slow cooker.
*In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup scallions, the garlic, soy sauce, honey, ginger and sesame oil. Pour the mixture over the chicken, cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone reads 165°, about 4 hours. Serve with the pan juices, sprinkled with 1/4 cup scallions

Delicious!

*picture and recipe courtesy of rachaelraymag.com

Who's Baby is This?

2011-09-19T09:49:00.001-05:00

*My mom may kill me for sharing this photo, but I just can't resist. This is me and my mom...many years ago.

I'm not very good at looking at babies and saying "she looks just like...", various people say The Caterpillar looks 'just' like me; you be the judge...

Wordless Weekends

2011-09-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

What We Ate { Thursday, Instead Of } Wednesday

2011-09-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

For those of you who love food as much as I do, I apologize for neglecting you the past two weeks.

The truth is, The Caterpillar was going through a growth spurt { which leaves me with very little energy } and now, we are on vacation. { !!! }

To make it up to you, I will share a very special family recipe...

I have no clue how you would spell it, but the pronunciation is as follows: g-wump-keys { AKA: cabbage rolls }

Filling:
Groundbeef
Cooked White Rice
Chopped Onion
Chopped Bellpepper
Salt
Pepper
Garlic (minced or powder)

*Mix all together

Other:
Crushed Tomatoes
Cabbage

*Take handfuls of filling and roll in raw cabbage leaves; in large kettle or crockpot, layer with crushed tomatoes; fill with water until all rolls are covered; cook at a simmer all day; eat.

*I didn't actually cook this. I called my dad 2 days before we left and asked him if we could have these for supper the first night we were at his place. Thankfully, he didn't put up too much of a fight! Since it's my grandma's recipe, she walked him through it. Now, we both know how to make them and a legacy can live on well into the future!

**They were amazing.

Wordless Weekends

2011-09-10T14:58:00.000-05:00

A Gift for Sarah

2011-09-05T08:32:00.003-05:00

I have a good friend getting married this coming weekend. She and I only worked together for just over a year but, between business trips and sharing an office, we got to know each other quite well. Add to that our mutual love of Excel charts, Grey's Anatomy and Starbucks... We were destined to be friends.

Sure, there are far too many 'inside' jokes, junk food binges on break, encouraging words, movies cried at together, and stories we don't retell, but that's what friendships are made of. Friendships are also made because you know you can count on the other person.

A little over a week ago, { via text message } Sarah asked me to make her something. Because I'm 'the craftiest friend she has', she asked that I make her a card box for her wedding, as her shower gift... the shower that was 2 days away. I was flattered to know she trusted me with this important task. She knew I wouldn't let her down; she could count on me.

I had a great time picking out the fabric and playing with shapes and textures. She gave me no direction except that the wedding colors are white, black and red. { I prefer to work with few guidelines. }

I was pleased with the result, and knowing her, I knew she would love it. { She did. }

Here is the result:

Exciting announcement... After some encouragement from a few { unnamed } people, I am now offering custom Wedding Card Boxes in my Etsy shop, here.

What We Ate { last } Wednesday

2011-09-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

This Wednesday, the husband didn't eat supper {he had a banana} and I had a BLT. While I assure you it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. ... it's nothing to blog about.

So, here we go with WWAlastW...

Eggrolls!

Filling:
Stir-fry the following together:
Bok Choy
Straw Mushrooms
Bamboo Shoots
Sliced Snap-peas
Meat of Choice (I used Beef)
Onion
Carrots
Celery
Water Chestnuts
Dash of Soy Sauce
Dollop of Fresh Ginger

Then, fill an egg roll wrapper with filling (see pkg directions) and fry.

*These take some time, but SO worth it!

Dipping Sauces!

Mustard Sauce: (shown)
Dry Mustard
Water
Mix and make a paste. {Easy, right?}

Ginger Sauce:
Fresh Ginger
Soy Sauce
Mix {Even Easier}

Again, the husband was impressed. :)

She's Got Me Trained

2011-08-31T10:53:00.003-05:00

Sleep is something I've always really enjoyed. I can fall asleep almost anywhere at anytime and sleep through anything. I've never had aspirations of getting up at 3am to snag some *great* 'after Thanksgiving' deals or making it to Perkins for an 'Early Bird' special. I'd rather pay the extra money and get my sleep!

I thought once baby came along, my attitude about sleep would change; that I would supernaturally have a desire for serving my baby and no longer care if I slept more than 2 hours each night. Part of that is true... I do find myself eager to serve her and on very little sleep, but that doesn't mean I don't want more sleep.

In the first few weeks, the lack of sleep was harder on my husband than it was on me. I suppose it was the surge of mothering hormones rushing through my body every time she cried. It was just so heartbreaking to hear that little voice cry out in the night. She had even perfected a cry that sounded as though she was specifically crying out to me - mmaaaaaaaaa, maaa, maaa, mmaaaaaaa....

Months later, I've gotten pretty use to the routine:
8:30pm - Nurse to sleep
10:00pm - Wake and nurse back to sleep {unnecessary and annoying}
1:30am-ish - Wake and nurse back to sleep
3:00am - Wake and nurse and decide she's not going back to sleep...so she cries...
5:30am-ish - Scream hysterically as I take too long to drudge my zombie-self across the hall, nurse, fall asleep on her own without crying {it can be done!}
6:30am-ish - I have a minor freakout because my wonderful husband's alarm has been going off since 6:00am
7:30-9:30am - Up for the day!

For the past week, we have been working on getting into something more comfortable {AKA: Sleep training}.

I started by ignoring her 10:00pm screaming. I knew that 1.5 hours after eating, she couldn't possibly need something. We had developed a habit that needed to be broken. To my surprise {and relief}, she only cried for about 30 seconds and stopped... I couldn't have even gotten to her room in that amount of time! After 3 nights she stopped this waking.

Next, I stopped feeding her at 1:30am. Instead, I went and picked her up, told her I love her but she is going back to sleep, lay her back down with her paci, kiss her and then leave. On the first night she just fell asleep - no fuss! After 2 days of this, she stopped waking!

Finally... the 3:00am waking... honestly, it just disappeared... I don't know where it went, but praise God, it's gone!

*I should note that the Caterpillar has become a professional thumb-sucker and when I go in to check on her, it is firmly planted in her mouth. I believe this has greatly improved the quality of our sleep.

As of last night, our new routine is as follows:
~8:30pm - Nurse, fall asleep on her own {without a single cry}
10:30-11:00pm - Dreamfeed {feed without waking her}
1:30am-ish - I wake, toss and turn, get up to get a glass of water, fall back to sleep
3:00am - I wake again {certain I heard crying}, toss and turn, get up to visit the water closet, fall back to sleep

6:30am-ish - I have a minor freakout because my wonderful husband's alarm has been going off since 6:00am
7:30am-ish - Up for the day!

So, after 5 months + 1 week, it would appear she's got me trained... The Caterpillar finally slept throughout the night {9 hrs 43 mins}...too bad I didn't.

The Caterpillar is 5 Months Old!

2011-08-23T08:36:00.001-05:00

Today The Caterpillar is 5 months old. At times, it feels like she was just born yesterday {because I still find myself clueless at times}, yet it also feels like she's been with us forever; like, she just belongs.

This month, she learned to sit upright on her own, started 'singing' along with momma, had a nibble of avocado, and decided she really likes to suck on lemons. She also went on a 3 night retreat at the lake with just the ladies, attended her Aunt B's wedding, and learned frying pans are not for touching {she was okay, just scared}!

Here are some photos from our 5th month as a family:

For the Love of Weddings

2011-08-22T21:31:00.001-05:00

My little sister got married this weekend and she was BEAUTIFUL!

Here are a few pics from the big day:

guest book

cheesecake!

first dance

happy

the first time my husband has ever danced with me...
he's not a dancer {so he says}

cha-cha slide

sleepy caterpillar

mmm...

a little of my handiwork :)

more cheesecake please

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs!!

Wordless Weekends

2011-08-20T11:24:00.001-05:00

The Rehersal

Mom picking something from the Bride's mouth :/

My Sissy and The Caterpillar

Waking up at the hotel on wedding day...Love.

What We Ate { 2 weeks ago } Wednesday

2011-08-18T16:55:00.003-05:00

Last night, I pretty much just cleaned out the fridge and made a meal out of a-scoop-of-this and a-spoonful-of-that. But, fear not, I like taking pictures of food so much that I actually had pictures of a previous Wednesday meal!

Pan Fried Tilapia with Lime Glaze over *Some Sort of Rice Blend*

Fish
Tilapia (cook in frying pan)

Rice
White Rice
Parsley
Salt
Garlic

Lime Glaze
Lime Juice
Honey
White Vinegar
Corn Starch (a little goes a LONG way)

Even The Caterpillar liked it!

This will be made again as well. I think it would be really good as fish tacos with some avocado and add some jalapeños to the lime sauce. :)

Wordless Weekends

2011-08-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

We have all heard that, "A picture is worth a thousand words", so I'll let it be just that. Enjoy!

What We Ate Wednesday

2011-08-11T10:14:00.002-05:00

Sorry, it's taken me a while to get back to blogging. My weekend was great, but I was tired after all that fun! Thankfully I've recuperated and am ready to start sharing...so here we go:

Anyone who personally knows me, knows I love to cook and I love to eat. Unfortunately, since The Caterpillar was born, my priorities have not been in the kitchen. Thankfully, I have a very loving and understanding husband who doesn't mind a PB&J or frozen pizza for supper.

You may be familiar with blogs boasting a 'What I Wore Wednesday' post featuring a super-cutie in adorable attire (http://www.gussysews.com/), but no one reading this cares to see me in old T's, blue jeans and a ponytail.

I realize that even though I'm a momma, I still have a husband to please and I need a little accountability. That said, every Thursday I will be posting a picture of what I made for supper on Wednesday. And, because I don't like to follow recipes, a quick overview of the ingredients.

I hope you all enjoy!

Last night's meal: Veggie Stir-fry with Hot n' Sour Mango Sauce

This was inspired by yesterday's trip to the local Farmer's Market in So St Paul.

Ingredients
Egg Plant
Zucchini
Carrots
Bok Choy
Leeks
Bean Sprouts

Rice

Sauce
Mango Puree
Honey
Lemon Juice
Rice Vinegar
Corn Starch

The husband said I can make this again. :)

Winner of Grand Opening Giveaway

2011-08-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone!

The Caterpillar is currently napping so I thought I would take this opportunity to announce the winner of the Grand Opening Giveaway.

Winner was chosen at random from 46 entries by Random.org.

Drumroll please...

The winner is: #3 - Dawn Schlienz

Congratulations, Dawn!! You have won $10 to spend any way you would like in my Etsy shop! You can contact me via Facebook for more information on using your $10 credit.

Thank you for everyone's participation and sharing The Crafty Caterpillar with your friends and family. Because of you, The Crafty Caterpillar hit 100 fans last night!

I will be spending the weekend with the ladies and will not have access to internet, but rest assured, I will respond to any inquires and resume regular blogging on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Giveaway Entry Log - Closed

2011-08-02T10:29:00.012-05:00

If you are new to my blog, this post won't make any sense unless you read this blog first.

For those of you familiar with my blog, I know why you're here, so here we go!

1. Dawn Samuels
2. Beth Jannetto Reiland
3. Dawn Schlienz
4. Amanda Prihoda
5. Amanda Prihoda
6. Amanda Prihoda
7. Emily LePage Suthoff
8. Carrie Dippel
9. Carrie Dippel
10. Carrie Dippel
11. Carrie Dippel
12. Amanda Prihoda
13. Amanda Prihoda
14. Amanda Prihoda
15. Amanda Prihoda
16. Amanda Prihoda
17. Amanda Prihoda
18. Amanda Prihoda
19. Evie Swenson
20. Evie Swenson
21. Evie Swenson
22. The Enchanted Image Photography
23. Amanda Prihoda
24. Dawn Samuels
25. Dawn Samuels
26. Dawn Samuels
27. Dawn Samuels
28. Carrie Dippel

29. Gina Ashley

30. Gina Ashley

31. Gina Ashley

32. Gina Ashley

33. Gina Ashley

34. Beth Reiland

35. Jessica Simons

36. Jessica Simons

37. Jessica Simons

38. Jessica Simons

39. Jessica Simons

40. Ellie Osmundson Tomford

41. Sarah Prihoda
42. Sarah Prihoda

43. Sarah Prihoda
44. Sarah Prihoda

45. Sarah Prihoda

46. Ellie Osmundson Tomford

*List is being actively updated throughout the giveaway. If you don't see your name yet, don't panic. Either I haven't updated the list or you don't have any entries, but you still have time to get them. Go here to learn how.

Grand Opening Giveaway - Closed

2011-08-02T10:02:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone!

To help celebrate and get the word out about the Grand Opening of my Etsy shop, I am giving away a $10 Gift Certificate to one (1) lucky reader!

Contest runs Tuesday, August 2nd - Thursday, August 4th. You may enter each day by doing each of the following each day. That gives you three (3) days to participate!

To get in on this giveaway, you can do five (5) things:

#1: Become friends with The Crafty Caterpillar on Facebook and share the Facebook link on your wall. (If you have a business page, you can share on both!) (This will earn you one (1) entry each.)

#2: For each new friend you refer by doing #1, you get an entry. They must post on my Facebook wall with your name or page name as the referral source. (This will earn you one (1) entry.)

#3: Follow me on Pinterest and Pin at least one (1) of your favorite items from my store. (This will earn you two (2) entries.)

#4: If you blog, mention me in your blog. You must include a link to my blog and my Etsy shop. (This will earn you four (4) entries.)

#5: You or someone you know can make a purchase in my Etsy shop. Upon checkout, you/they must include a note listing your full name or business page name as the referral source. (This will earn you five (5) entries.)

Each day you have done any of these things, come back here and let me know in the comments of this post. Please include links to where I can view your work. (If I can't find it, I can't count it.)

Easy, right? Now, go forth and prosper (get entries)!

BONUS: If I get over 200 entries, I will name 2 winners!

Additional Info: List of names with assigned #'s will begin being compiled immediately and will be listed as my blog post for 7/3/11. This list will be updated periodically with hopes to have the full list by EOD Sunday (because I'm leaving town for the weekend with the ladies). Monday, a winner will be chosen by number using RANDOM.ORG and their name will be announced on the Monday blog, so check back to see if you've won!

*Gift Certificate must be used during the month of August 2011. Total value of GC must be used in one shopping experience. All items will be shipped to the same location. GC not valid on custom orders.

**Keep in mind, I'm still posting new products, so the shop is not fully complete.

Open For Business!

2011-08-01T08:43:00.000-05:00

Phew... it has been a long and trying couple weeks, but my Etsy shop is officially open!

If you are joining me for the first time, take a few minutes to browse my previous posts... but don't take too long or you'll risk missing out on the great items in my Etsy shop!

I am still listing products and will be adding the first wave of items though out the next few days. (Listing takes a lot longer than one would think!)

Here are a few pictures to get you excited:

Now head on over to the shop!

If you haven't already 'liked' me on Facebook, you can do that here. You can also follow my Pinterest here.

*This is by no means the end of my blogging saga. I have lots in store and can't wait to share my world with you. I hope you stick around for the ride... it will be fun!

Grand Opening TOMORROW

2011-07-31T18:53:00.003-05:00

Good evening everyone!

Phew...the past few days have been busy! We have had a handful of various activities including 3 birthday parties! All the while, I've been preparing for tomorrow's Grand Opening for my Etsy shop, The Crafty Caterpillar. I just finished taking a ton of pictures and am getting ready to start drafting my listings.

I'm a little nervous because I'm afraid no one will stop by the shop. (Please don't let me down.)

If you haven't become a fan on Facebook yet, you can join me here and RSVP for the Grand Opening here.

Well, I just wanted to stop in and let you know what I'm working on. Now, I have to get back to work.

Thank you for supporting me and The Crafty Caterpillar!

I'm So Bad...

2011-07-28T09:32:00.001-05:00

With only 4 days left until the Grand Opening of my Etsy Shop, I'm struggling against my better judgement. I don't know if it's the hours of poking myself with a needle, the hot-glue burns, pride in workmanship, or just this pesky nasal congestion clouding my mind, but I'm having a hard time committing to part with some of my product.

I know that as soon as the pictures are up and the listing is open, there's no going back...

Here's my current struggle:

(Isn't she cute!?)

Is there any hope for me? Oh, the agony...

5 Days and Counting

2011-07-27T09:31:00.003-05:00

Good morning friends! The countdown continues.

With 5 days left until the Grand Opening of my Etsy shop, I am busy crafting... so busy that I've let a few other things slide...

Thankfully, my wonderful husband has been ultra supportive and continually offers to give me a hand around the house. Despite pushing myself to launch August 1st, I did take a few breaks yesterday to ensure we had clean clothes to wear and, of course, care for our daughter. :)

Here is today's sneak peek into what I've been filling my time with:

Turning this...

Into this!...

If you can't make it for the Grand Opening, you can still stop by anytime (24/7) to see these and many other creations by The Crafty Caterpillar. Hope to see you soon!

6 Days and Counting...

2011-07-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

Only 6 days to the Grand Opening of The Crafty Caterpillar!

So, between The Caterpillar's 4-month doctor appointment and not feeling too well myself, I didn't exactly get a lot done, yesterday. Today will be much more constructive!

Baby is currently sleeping and I'm having a great time with these little guys...

Here is what I'm working on now:

Now, if only my hardware would arrive!

Side note: The Caterpillar gained 1.5 lbs and almost 4 inches in 2 months!

The Countdown Begins!

2011-07-25T12:51:00.003-05:00

I realized last night, there are only 7 days until the Grand Opening of my Etsy shop!

I have been very busy, but not busy enough. Plus, I'm waiting on a few things to arrive in the mail so I can put the finishing touches on some projects.

Here are a few pictures of the mess I've made this week. (They will provide a sneak-peek into what is coming your way.)

(What was once a civilized dining room has become craft central.)

(Paper)

(Zippers)

(Buttons)

Don't forget to 'like' The Crafty Caterpillar on Facebook and see what inspires me via Pinterest!

Meet the Caterpillar

2011-07-23T22:22:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you've wondered where my blog and Etsy shop name came from and, 'who exactly is The Caterpillar?'.

On March 23rd, at 11:22pm, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. As a newborn, we would swaddle her in a leafy-patterened swaddle, which gave her a striking resemblance to a friendly green caterpillar. In the beginning, she was only referred to as 'The Caterpillar' when she was swaddled and ready for bed, but the nickname grew on us and we became affectionately attached to it.

Well, today she is 4 months old and I'm proud to say we've made it through another month of parenthood. This month she learned to babble, had a growth spurt, and had several crazy crying episodes. She also visited the Minnesota Zoo, took her first road trip (5 hrs to SD), attended 2 showers for other babies, learned laundry baskets make great playpens, and spent 5 hours with Aunt C while mommy and daddy attended a Twins game!

Here are some photos from our 4th month as a family:

[Napping with Aunt B]

[Trying to Load-up for the Trip to SD]

[Playing in the Laundry Basket]

[At the Zoo]

A Not-So-Simple Trip to the Craft Store

2011-07-15T23:18:00.005-05:00

So there I was, screaming baby in one arm and a declined debit card in the other...

This is probably a familiar scene for many mothers, but having that knowledge makes it no less embarrassing. What was supposed to be a simple trip to the craft store, turned into another reminder that, 'life changes when you have a baby', is a very broad, all-encompassing statement.

I arrived in the morning, just when The Caterpillar would go down for her nap. She did, as planned, and we perused every aisle quite thoroughly. During this time, I paid no attention to the clock or the baby sleeping soundly in my cart. No, instead I was dreaming up plans for my Etsy shop. I had visions of colorful head wear, creative pendants and cute clutches, running through my head.

After WAY too long at the cut table, The Caterpillar began to stir. As any mother would, I quickly made my way to the register, jiggling my cart along the way. I filed in line and tried to wait patiently behind a lady who wanted to pay in pennies. She was sure there was more change at the bottom of her purse; if only she could just dig deeper...

I jiggled and jiggled, trying to buy myself the few minutes needed to pay and bolt out the door without causing a scene. Becoming restless behind the penny lady, I nervously watched as The Caterpillar awoke. As I wheeled up to the register and my items were scanned, she smiled a big toothless grin, reassuring me everything would be okay. I whipped out my debit card, door in sight, and then it got ugly. The words "your card has been declined" mingled fiercely with the full-on screams of a hungry baby.

So there I was, screaming baby in one arm and a declined debit card in the other...

How does this happen, you ask? What lessons can we learn from this story?

#1 - When in public with a newborn, watch the clock and your child.

#2 - When the bank sends you a new card, activate it before the old one expires.