PlayDough Recipe...

...I've received quite a few requests for the playdough recipe, and since I can't email responses to comments *Hello? Blogspot, are you listing?!* I figured I'd just post it for everyone!

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency.

I add vanilla extract to mine, it makes it smell nice and it keeps it from getting moldy or otherwise going bad. I also use food colouring to colour it, but you can use tempra powder paint or beat juice, carrot juice and spinach juice to colour it naturally.

Also, here's the gluten free recipe for those with little ones who have wheat allergies, it's pretty sticky to start with but keep kneading it and it'll come out lovely:

½ cup rice flour

½ cup cornstarch

½ cup salt

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup cold water

1 tsp cooking oil

food coloring

Cook the same way as above and enjoy!

Holy Mother...

... Does someone want remind me why it is that I take in these poor death row destined cats? Other than because I'm an idiot. Clearly...

Garfield is a cluts. The biggest cluts I have ever encountered in my life. Seriously. His thumbs are obviously not doing him an ounce of good in the agility department like they're supposed to. Open drawers? Yes he can. Walk like a normal cat? Hells no. Out of 6 other cats they all can jump onto the fridge and up onto the top of the cupboards no problem. So far this week Garfield has managed to cause the following while attempting to get on the fridge:

* Jumped, grabbed edge of fridge, slipped, fell. Landing in the bowl of pancake mix I just made, splashing it everywhere and covering every conceivable item on said counter with freaking pancake mix.

* Jumped off counter onto top of fridge, landing on the rice crispy square container, knocking it off the fridge and shattering the lid on the floor.

*Jumped onto the top of the cupboards saw Mr. Pretties, got scared (He's terrified of Mr. Pretties...) and tried to run, in the process knocking over my antique bird house (knocking the door off), my enamelware bowls, my star topiary and then getting tangled up in the strand of mini lights I have there for the 'up lighting' effect.

*Jumped on cupboards knocking a bottle of black nail polish on the floor. Which shattered. And leaked black nail polish all over my white ceramic floor. This while I'm in the basement putting the LP's clothes in the dryer. I come up to find LP's painting apples with the freaking nail polish on the floor. Black apples people. The other two apples left in the house that were for the LP's snack at school tomorrow. Black floor, black apples, black hands, and little shards of glass everywhere. Oh, did I mention I'm out of nail polish remover? Perfect...

***Pippa, If You're Reading This - He's ALL Yours! I'll Have Him Packaged For Your Next Visit***

So again, why did I get myself into this? Why can't I just leave things alone? Oh wait, I know who's fault it is. The Little Voice. Maybe next time LV would like to zip their lip, especially since I can't very well make them clean up the pancake mix, broken Tupperware, knocked over decor and nail polish. Note to LV: I hate you. Go live in someone else's head and make them feel bad for everything. Maybe the nail polish fumes will fumigate it out. Or something. Ugh

Doh!...

Err... dough.

PlayDough to be exact...

Check out that adorable rolly polly dough! I made it. Okay, honestly? I didn't make that exact dough... although mine looks just like it. Minus the great photog skills (you had to know that was no photo I took, c'mon!)

I can even make gluten free playdough which is awesome for kids with wheat allergies, they can't play with traditional PlayDoh, I had no idea! So I think I'll take some of this great stuff to the Mom Expo next weekend incase anyone else's child is suffering from lack of PlayDoh exposure due to wheat allergies. You just never know!

The LP's were most impressed with my dough making capabilities. It was almost worth the entire hour long repetition of:

'My tA-tO done? My tA-tO done? MY TA-TO DONE?!'

*Sigh*

My playdough smells like vanilla too instead of that crappy smell traditional dough smells like. Mmm... and it makes your hands feel super soft after. I lurves me some fancy playdough.

Do you ever feel that I may have too much time on my hands? Funny, so does Mr. Pretties...

Can It Be...

... I found something sweeter than a tutu? I think I might have stumbled across something today... How can I claim to be a pretties loving momma when I have never seen one of these sweet babies?

Do you know what that is folks? No, besides this Etsian's adorable little girl. It is.... a pettiskirt. I'm sorry, but, how freakin' adorable is that?! There are hardly any words that will suffienctly describe this complete overload of adorableness.

I will ofcourse have to research this until I am able to create my own. Not to sell ofcourse, I don't think I could ever do that good of a job. But say for home, preschool, naptime, bathtime, grocery shopping time, you know, those times when it's absolutely mandatory to be sporting no less than a pettiskirt. I would so love to just run out and purchase me.. err... I mean the LP's this

No, not the baby. Actually, Mr. Pretties and I do quite well at making adorable babies all on our own, don't really to go about purchasing those on Etsy. In addition, I'm fairly certain we. are. done. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't jump at the chance to borrow this adorable little munchkin and smooch those chubby little cheeks. Because I would. Obviously.

Now that you've seen these, if you desperately require one as much as I do, and your husband/wife is more understanding than mine and completely understands that this would be $60 more than well spent, pop on over to Rachel On The Flower to see what else she's got! You wont be sorry, let me tell you! Your husband/wife... well, I can't worry about everyone now can I?

Sneak Peek Before The Expo...

I've just finished several batches of various navy patterned no-slip hair clips, they're perfect for school uniforms and the ever popular navy/burgundy colour combo clothing for little girls right now!

Pair of clips - $3.00
Set of 3 clips - $4.00
Pair of pigtail korkersor Pair of fancy clips (metal embellis) - $4.00

I've also got chocolate brown, mauve, and Christmas red velvet clips, perfect for either flat clips (as seen) or tiny flat bows!

If you have any special requests just let me know, I'm happy to accomodate! I'll also be bringing these patterns in addition to several others to the Mom and Me Expo in Grimsby on the 22nd!

Boy Do I Smell Sweet...

... Oh wait, no I don't...

Ahh yes, BLP and LLP have dumped an entire large, full, bottle of powder all over my bedroom. And themselves. Oh, and the cat none the less. Here we are before going straight into the bathtub, complete with zero playtime.

Powdering Mommy's room is a serious offence, you know! Or, atleast I can pretend it is, for their sake you know. In reality, there are so many worse things that my bedroom and my children could be covered in that I'm almost grateful. I said almost.

And just for the sake of it, and for the fact that I had to take a 'right now' photo for Babycenter here are me and the LBP. Don't scream too loudly now, and no, I am not capable of taking my own picture. Obviously.

I've also decided I'm going to start taking my eye bags grocery shopping with me from now on, it'll save me from having to buy them there or carting around my 'green' ones.

So, that's today in the life of the Pretties.

Nom Nom Nom...

Oh My Goodness, I was looking for catnip toys for my personal Noah's Arc this evening (Yes I can make my own, but why?) and came across these. They're called WildMen and they're made by a very funny Etsian who's shop is called ArtToGo. These are what the WildMen actually look like, incase you can't see them through your giggle tears reading that LoLCat type caption.

This is their description:

This is a toy that's just as entertaining for you, as it is for your cat. I've been making catnip wildmen for my cats (I currently live with four) for many years. I make them from the most obnoxious and colorful polar fleece prints I can find. Bug, (that's him, doing a great job of demonstrating don't you think?) has never managed to tear one of these open. Oh, he chews and licks them, and they end up damp with kitty spit, BUT still intact. It's amazing! That polar fleece is mighty tough. I'm not going to guarantee that your kitty won't tear it apart, but Bug is a big ole moose, and if he can't tear it apart, it's not likely that your cat will. This toy is stuffed with catnip, and nothing else. I purchase the catnip, as I've tried to grow my own many times, but every year some creature(s) rolls all over my plants until they die (the plants, not the creatures.) These catnip wildmen are about 9” long, because Bug is a big kitty, and needs a big kitty toy. Postage is $1.50 for one, and $2 for two. Convo me with your color choice (black, purple, or multi) or, I'll pick one for you.

The description alone gave me the giggles. I don't know if it's lack of sleep, lack of brains, or total lack of control, but it just struck me funny. You know what happens when I think somethings funny? Well, yes, I have had three kids and my bladder isn't necessarily what it used to be, but that's not what I meant. Can't I have any privacy around here? I meant, that I share it with all of you. I know one of you out there is madly searching for something like a Wildman for you kitty love and I have delivered! Saved the day again no doubt.

Just incase you're not searching for a Wildman specifically, ArtToGo also creates pieces such as:

Vintage Crazy Quilt Hearts (You know I lurve me some shabby and vintage!)

And these gorgeous crazy colour scarves (I lurve me some wild colours!)

You can also catch her products here, at her personal website:

www.ashlingdesigns.com

I've been thinking I'll change my name... perhaps to something that reflects my habit of devoting posts to other Etsy shops, organizations, and, basically anything that isn't hair clippies. Or, maybe I could mind my own business are worry about my own craft... but, what fun would that be?!