People at work

 Hi friends.

Busy days here at my house.

Just popping in to share this weeks challenge card for the Pixie Dust challenge, and a few pictures.

People are working here these days. walls are painted, outdoor areas fixed, indoor staircase fixed and painted, kitchen still in progress...

Still lots left on the to do list...but with all these wonderful helpers I'm sure it will all be good...

:)

Happy weekend!

xo

Repurpose, Reuse and a challenge :)

Hi my friends, and

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH

For all your wonderful, kind, encouraging comments on my new 3ndypapir release. You all made me so happy. More pictures will come tomorrow, so stay tuned. :)

....

.

Today wanted to share a little reuse project I have made.

I have this large pile of old blue jeans. I have had plans on using them forever. And the day before Edvins birthday I decided I wanted to give his room a little makeover.

I purchased a new cover for his bed at Home and Cottage, wich inspired me to dig in to the pile of jeans and make a new pillow-cover as well. :)

It made me happy to use my sewing machine for sewing fabric ( not just paper :P ) and what made me even more happy: Edvin was SO happy when he came home and discovered the little makeover in his room.

This pillow was made out of one of his favorite jeans that are too small now ...

a great way to reuse the favorite jeans.

:)

Oh, and not to forget:

It is my turn up having the saturday challenge over at the Cosmo Cricket blog today

:)

:)

My challenge is all about January.

Make sure you join the fun, and post a link to your january layout over at the Cosmo blog, for your chance to win a "Circa 1934" Kraft Kit
:)

Have a great weekend.

xo

edvins birthday and NEW 3ndypapir collection :)

This lovely, caring, talented, kind, fun, friendly, happy, boy turns 15 today.

Can't believe it is 15 years since he was a little baby boy...and now he is a young man.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Edvin!!!

We love you!

Sol and Eirun was busy all yesterday night and today after school making a birthday cake for you. SO cute :)

Music is a large part of your life - you love music, and play in ceveral different bands. Today was no exception, and now you are off to the symphonic band( with two large chocolate cakes for your friends).

Have a great day my lovely boy!

Yes it is a happy day today.

Sort of one more "birthday".

:)

This is the day for the first sneak peek of the brand NEW spring2011 collection by 3ndypapir:

"sweet heart"

More pictures and newsletter for the stores will come during this weekend.

:)

xo

Gudrun

Merry Christmas

Dear friends.

Wishing you a very merry Cristmas!

The tree is lit, the kids are asleep.
The decorations are up.

No fancy, trendy stuff, just good memories and warm and cozy.

I'm looking forward to the greatest, most magical day of the year.

Wishing you all the best too.

Chocolate Snickerdoodle Drops

Today I made these delicious Chocolate Snickerdoodle Drops with my kids.

First time I tried this recepie, and we had so much fun making these little cookies. And they are SO yummy.

This will be my new favorite Christmas cookie. ;)

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined. Beat in egg. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
2. Drop by slightly rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Stir together remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle dough with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cookies.

:)

outdoor decorations

Welcome.

It is already the second day of december.

I know this season will fly by so fast, and I want to enjoy every second of it.

Today my Home for chRistmas blogpost will be all about outdoor decorations.

It is freezing cold in Oslo, about minus 20 degrees Celcius outside my window.

Brrr

Anyhow I love the winter, the little layer of snow that covers the ground and the beautiful winter-light.

I enjoy ice-skating and skiing, but after being out for a while it is wonderful to get home.

I tried to make the area outside my door welcoming and pretty with some cute, rustic decorations.

I have a vintage-looking birdhouse, where it actually is room for a real bird to come in, and if they like I have some little seeds inside the house for the birds to eat.

I also used some felted hearts and some grain sheaf ( nek in norwegian ) along with the bird-house and with two lantherns.

I have some real vintage wooden fruit boxes outside my door to put my decorations inside and on top.

It is hard for the birds to find something to eat during the winter, and I thought i was nice to welcome the birds to my front door as well as it looks pretty for my friends and family when they come home.

This moss-and-twig-heart is simply decorated with a leaf I found on the ground and a felted heart.

The moss-and-twig-heart is bought in a flower-shop, but it is possible to make one too using twigs and thin metal wire, and decorate with moss.

I found a really cute heart here at the " sweet Paul" blog .

Have a great day, and enjoy the season!

:)

bread and ATC

Made this ATC inspired by Ronda and her Inspire ME 2010 project. This weeks promt is "happiness is..............." and she have a great tutorial on the coolest tissue-paper technique on her blog :) :)
This picture was taken for this weeks "selfportrait tuesday" - it's all in the eyes -. YES, I'm totally aware it's not tuesday today..... LOL Time just flew by so fast this week....

Did you know I love to bake. To bake bread is one of the things that really makes me feel relaxed and happy....and useful. LOL. And my family get happy too...They all love homemade bread. :) :)

I have a few favorite recepies, but most of the time i just improvise. :)

Here are two of my favorites, one in norwegian and one in english ;)

ENJOY!

FOUR grain bread

• 2 1/2 cup(s) flour
• 1 cup(s) whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup(s) coarse cornmeal
• 1/4 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup(s) wheat germ
• 1/4 cup(s) brown sugar (packed)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoon(s) honey
• 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk, warmed to 100 degrees F.
• 3/4 cup(s) (add more as needed) spring water warmed to 100 degrees F.
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the honey and buttermilk and stir into the dry mixture. add the Water 1/4 cup at a time until a dough comes together. On a work surface lightly dusted with whole-wheat flour, knead dough by hand until glossy and elastic -- about 10 minutes -- or process in food processor for 45 more seconds.
2. Proof the dough: Coat a large bowl with the vegetable oil. Shape dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning dough to coat all sides. Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size -- aprx 1 hour.
3. Form the loaf: Punch down the dough and shape into a tight ball. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Shape the dough into a 10-inch oval, tapering the ends, and place on the baking sheet. Cover with damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size -- about 20 minutes.
4. Bake the bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon rolled oats. Using a sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes in the top of the dough. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped -- 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature or toasted. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe was found in Country Living magazine :) :)

Now for my norwegian friends:

HJERTEBRØD

5 dl vann

4 ss olivenolje

1ss honning

1 pose tørrgjær

9 - 10 dl hvetemel

2 1/2 dl grov sammalt rug

1 neve sesamfrø

1 neve linfrø

1 neve solsikkekjerner

1ss havsalt

- varm vannet til ca 40 grader

- tilsett olje og honning

- bland alle de tørre ingrediensene i en bolle (hold igjen litt av melet)

- tilsett den lunkne væsken og elt godt

-hev deigen i ca 1 time

-bak ut brød i hjerteform eller vanlig brødform :)

-etterhev brødet i ca 20 minutter

-forvarm steikovnen til ca 200 grader celsius

-sett brødet midt i ovnen og senk tempraturen til 175 grader.

-stek i ca 45 minutter, eller til brødet høres "hult" ut når du banker på det. :)

:)

at home

Hi! Here is a little peek of what I'm working of these days. As many of you know I live in a pretty old house - a house that needs alot of paint, redecoration and renovation. I did alot when I moved here, but then I had a break from doing things in my house for a while. However the house still needs alot and now I'm back with paint and new enrgy. :)
I'm also trying to get all this little things in place. I'm SO tired of mess, and piles of things all over. So, when it was my turn to share a tip over at One Little Word today I chose to make some small boxes for the kids "office", where they can keep things like glue, erasers, pencil sharpeners, scissors and so on. I also decorated a glass jar for their pens and markers. To learn how I made this please come over to OLW today! :)

I made this LO of my dear boys a little while ago with the WONDERFUL Boyfriend collection by CosmoCricket. Love this collection - just up my alley :)