JAMSquared

Author Archives: Jennifer

ATS Challenge #29 and a Sketch

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I always enjoy joining the ATS challenges. They have a nice mix of challenges: some easy and some that put me outside my stamping comfort zone. This week’s challenge, ATS Weekly Wednesday Challenge #29, was to use dry embossing. I also used the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges Challenge #38.

I wish I hadn’t colored her socks red, but initially I hadn’t planned on cutting her out. I like that it is a clean and simple card and that the dry embossing gives the sentiment.

Have a Birthday Ice Cream Cone!

Stamps: C.C. Designs Sweet Kiki La Rue
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Real Red, Always Artichoke
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Summer Picnic
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Markers: Stampin’ Up Real Red, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Barely Banana
Tools: Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder; Xyron 5″ Creative Station

A Birthday Card for My MIL

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My mother-in-law’s birthday is this coming Saturday. Her favorite color is purple so I colored this little fairy baby image with various shades of purple. I received a print-out of this digi stamp from Robin Markowski in the OWH image swap I did back in April. I wish it had been sized just a tad smaller as it almost didn’t fit in my largest nestability. I have colored all 10 of the images I’ve received and this is the first one I made into a card. I have a bunch of ideas for the other images. Stay tuned for those. See this post for the card I made with the image I shared.

I used the Mo’s Dream Team May sketch. It would be neat if I was chosen as June’s guest designer.

Mo's Dream Team May Sketch

Birthday Card for My MIL

Stamps: Mo’s Digital Pencil Baby Fairy Flora; Stampin’ Up It’s Your Birthday (sentiment)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Perfect Plum; the Paper Studio purple textured cardstock; Georgia Pacific white cardstock
Ink: Genuine Canon ink; Stampin’ Up Whisper White Craft (sentiment)
Accessories: Prima flower; purple brad; Basic Basic 5/8″ purple gingham ribbon; purple glitter (on fair wings)
Tools: colored pencils, Stampin’ Up Curly Label punch; Nestabilites Standard Circles Large; white gel pen

On a side note, I’m participating in Operation Write Home’s Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop. I’m super excited about participating as I’ve always just been a hopper, not a stop on a hop before. It should be lots of fun. Come back Saturday for the red, white and blue card I’m going to share. There might be something more to see.

Lemon Cherry Cake

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Not yesterday, but the previous Saturday, we went to Sprout’s Farmers Market (a grocery store, not a true farmers market) to buy avocados, since they ran a one-day special of 4 for $1 and I thought it would be a great food to introduce to Jessica. While there, we browsed the bakery section, since they also had sourdough loafs for $1. James saw a bunch of lemon desserts and got a hankering for something lemony so I said I’d bake him something and picked up some lemons while we were there. Once home, I browsed one of my cookbooks and came up with four options for him to choose from. Lemon Cherry Cake was the furthest from what he was craving, but it sounded intriguing, so he picked it. Plus, we had also picked up some fresh California cherries while at Sprout’s.

We actually baked the cake together last Sunday. I pitted and chopped the cherries and zested and juiced the lemon while James mixed the batter. The result was delicious, although both the lemon and cherry flavors are very subtle.

Lemon Cherry Cake

Lemon Cherry Cake

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book

Cake Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1-3/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purposed flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cup milk

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  • 3-1/2 to 4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. (I used a stoneware pan.)

Pat cherries dry with paper towels; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with cherries. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, in mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon juice and peel until smooth. Beat in enough confectioner’s sugar until mixture achieves desired consistency. Spread on cake. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 12-15 servings

7 Months Old… a little late in posting

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Jessica turned seven months old on Sunday. I’ve started thinking about her 1st birthday party. I like the idea of a cowgirl theme, but James doesn’t. He doesn’t think there needs to be a theme and so doesn’t understand my desire to coordinate the party. As of now, the only thing set is the date, Sunday early afternoon, October 17th.

These photos of Jessica in her jungle tree might become a monthly occurrence. What do you think? Don’t worry, James was sitting in front to make sure she didn’t fall out of the tree. She’s smiling at Daddy in the second photo.

Happy in her Tree, 5/15/10

Smiling in her Tree, 5/15/10

What Jessica is Up To

She has started teething, which is making her fussy. Sunday was especially bad as she didn’t really want to nap, so teething fussiness combined with exhaustion didn’t really make for a happy Jessica. I can’t see any teeth, but she has increased her desire to chew on stuff. She sometimes chews on her index finger in a weird manner that makes me think her upper gums are bothering her.

She now sits up quite well on her own and no longer really falls backward. Occasionally, she’ll fall sideways, but unless something gets between her and the floor, it doesn’t seem to phase her.

Sitting Up, 4/30/10

Sitting Up, 5/11/10

She definitely is a scooter. Jessica will scoot all over the living room floor. She even scooted over to a potted plant and pulled out the American flag I had staked in it and put it in her mouth (fortunately, the non-dirt covered end). I am going to need to move my plants I think (I moved the flag to a different pot for now). Occasionally, she’ll plant her toes kinda like a push-up pose and pull herself forward, so it is no longer just a backward scoot. I think she will be crawling soon.

She likes to babble to James and I, but is quieter when around other people. She enjoys dancing with her mama to the BG line dance (a song on one her children’s CDs), especially the part when you bend down low to touch your toes. She starts giggling when I bend down low with her.

She enjoys stopping at the playground during our morning walks. I think she likes the springy frog the best.

Who's that Cool Cat?, 5/10/10

Swinging in her Shades, 5/4/10

Swinging with her Daddy, 5/15/10

On the Frog. 5/15/10

Jessica enjoys bath time, especially splashing around. Washing her hair is one of the hardest things to do. I love that she has longish hair, but eating and bathing make me think having a bald baby would be easier. I think I will get Sarah to help me trim the front when we go to visit in June.

In the Bath, 5/13/10

Sleeping

Jessica is still an excellent sleeper, sleeping 12-13 hours each night. Her morning nap is typically around 45 minutes long, but sometimes as long as 2 hours. Her afternoon nap is typically around 2 hours long, but occasionally shorter, usually when she naps for longer in the morning. Fortunately, the teething hasn’t interfered with her night-time sleeping, but her naps have sometimes been much shorter.

Food

We started solid food about 5 or 6 weeks ago now. It has been one of the most frustrating experiences of being a mother. I’m glad we didn’t start sooner. We’ve tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, oatmeal, butternut squash, green beans and today for the first time avocados. Bananas seem to be the food she likes the most. Most days, she will only take 1 or 2 spoonfuls before deciding she doesn’t want anything more to do with it. Occasionally, she has eaten much more. She nurses four times a day: when she gets up in the morning, at lunch after her morning nap, after her afternoon nap and right before bed. The solid food had been just before her afternoon nap and around 6 PM (about halfway between waking up from her afternoon nap and bedtime). Recently, I moved up the first solid feeding of the day. Now, she eats solid food prior to nursing at lunch. This has made solid food a much more liked event. She’ll eat most of the 1 ounce serving and then still nurses for quite a bit. Thanks Mom for the suggestion. Apparently, the milk I produce is filling enough that she isn’t really hungry. Today, she surprised me. After only really wanting 4 spoonfuls of avocado, I nursed her. As I nursed, I ate my lunch. After she finished, she was sitting on my lap playing while I finished the banana that was part of my lunch. She seemed really interested in it, so I gave her a small piece and she just ate it up. I ended up giving her like 4 or 5 small pieces. Prior to today, she hasn’t shown any interest in actually eating finger food.

Done with Dinner, 5/12/10

I enjoy watching her learn and discover new things and I’m excited about what the future brings for her.

A Visit from Papa and Nanny

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My parents came to town for a quick visit. My Dad dropped my Mom off Thursday afternoon while Jessica was napping. He then had a business meeting and afterward went and had dinner with Jason, Julia, and Aspen. My Mom had dinner with us.

Jessica and her Nanny

Yesterday, Jason and James took a break from work and came for lunch. Julia and Aspen came for lunch and a play date. (See Julia’s post about our last play date.) After lunch, Aspen and Jessica got to play. Aren’t Aspen’s dimples cute?

Aspen Smiling

Jessica and Aspen aren’t quite to the point where they know how to play with each other. I put them next to each other and Jessica wanted to pull on Aspen’s ears.  At her house, Aspen was rough. At our house, Jessica was rough. Oh well, it will come as they get older.

Aspen and Jessica

Papa had fun playing with his two grand-daughters.

Papa and Aspen

Papa and Jessica

Aspen and Nanny

Aspen is quite mobile. She enjoyed standing up on the Crawl-n-Cruise Jungle. Both girls enjoy the balls that are with it.

Aspen and Jessica

Julia and Aspen

After Julia and Aspen left, Papa read Jessica a story before her nap.

Papa Reading a Story to Jessica

My parents then left during her nap to head on to Houston for a wedding they’re attending. It was nice getting to visit with them.