All Things Duncan Creative

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Best Books of 2013

Saturday, April 6, 2013

The SUN is out, the temps will climb to the 60's over the next few days. RAIN is predicted, not snow. There are daffodils and tulips starting to poke their way out of the ground. The daylight stays until 6;30. The kids have GONE OUTSIDE to play. The house is a cheery place. Break has been a great time: movies, sleepovers, family dinners, bowling, birthday celebrations, play dates, giant Lego plans, all boys enjoying their time together. Ryan is even wading through his enormous pile of homework assigned..2 large projects, 3 huge packets. I am in a good mood. Working on trickier projects. Brady has learned to tie his shoes. Mitchell is plowing through his assigned reading and entertaining us with all his food facts. Mom and Dad here for dinner tonight. One car fixed, one car taking a break from being fixed and going to the back yard until we can figure out money, time and whether or not to sell it. Enough groceries in the house to make it through the next 2 weeks. Randy working on newer art projects, schemes. More importantly he was recognized at work for being innovative..and that will get him through another month at least. In the midst of the Easter egg coloring we unearthed the Twin Peaks mug from my incredible trip to Seattle and surrounding areas, with my Sister. So grab a cup and smile...this is as good as it gets. Normalcy, happiness in the family and home, sun in the world around us , and caffeine in a good mug.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Pink Cupcake Pity Party

I am about to whine...a lot. My 3 boys have been sick this week..each of them, each with something different. My boys never seem so "boy" until they are covered in snot, puke and well, crap. The want hugs, they leave tissues around, they stay home. Nothing is the right thing to eat, they get smelly, they use up all the towels. I love them even when they are sick. Even when my plans get ROYALLY changed. I was having a friend from Germany stay here Thursday- Saturday. I was extremely excited about this....yea who wants to stay in a house that has had the plague run through it and then take a transatlantic flight home? I wouldn't. So instead of drinking wine, eating out, staying up late with friends..I am home, car-less, with the kids. Two made it to school today, which is fabulous...until they get off the bus, are exaughsted, need homework help and reminders to stay on task with their makeup work. So, yes, I am feeling less like person, a female person at that, this week. I decided to make PINK cupcakes..an unheard of event in our house...because pink cupcakes sometimes just make it all a little better. I also stopped reading my gory, war laden book, A Dance with Dragons, in place of a romantic teen novel..and I will probably paint my toenails later.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Happy Hearts Day and Weekly Roundup

OH boy I didn't link up last week!
SO here we go
PINNING away....

Makin Bacon Pancakes...was all Brady could say for about 15-20 minutes once I told him we were having this for dinner...The reason was that I bought TURKEY bacon instead of regular..which needed to be hidden PRONTO , if anyone was going to eat it!
This was a great idea..no recipe..I just made the batter and cooked the Bacon, then poured over the bacon once it was about 1/2 done..the kids ended up peeling the bacon off anyways since it was harder to cut..but they all gave it a thumbs up!
http://pinterest.com/pin/240098223853867052/

Next up 2 fails...YUP 2 ..so disappointing..the cotton candy in the bubbly water..what a lie...tried this for the kids and those pretty bubbles did not show up..just ended up making a very sweet drink. And the breakfast casserole..kids HATED it! I mean would not eat it...was a thousand pound brick of breakfast food smashed together,,,big pass!
http://pinterest.com/pin/240098223856263691/

http://pinterest.com/pin/240098223856236867/

Finally I made this this headband..and I LOVE it..I made one for me and one for a giveaway on my www.facebook.com/DuncanCreative page
http://pinterest.com/pin/240098223856239638/

And for books: I abandoned two books The Secret Keeper and When She was Bad , both not even worth talking about. I also Read the last installment in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, Ever After, not great, not terrible. The best book I read was The Tenth Gift, 4 out of 5 stars on this one.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2873264-the-tenth-gift

Doomsday Feeling

Do you ever have the feeling that something is just meant to go wrong? I woke up after a strange night of dreams feeling like the bottom was going to fall out. I looked at my husband..still there, snoring nicely, chipper little Brady making Hello noises and giggling about funny words he remembers from our Disney Trip. Mitchell, at a sleepover and Ryan passed out in his room..So family..all OK there. Whew.. Still that feeling persists. I made a pot of coffee, settled Brady into some TV, checked computer, nothing there either. Feeling is NAGGING me now. I get to work, nothing out of order there...Check the bank..fabulous, a bounced check..spiraling the bank account until payday Thursday and Income Tax deposit, never good..weird feeling can go away..figured it out, nope still there. The basement drain is clogged again, which means we need a plumber here again, must be almost spring...which is a good/bad thing mixed. HMM what can it be...I didn't get a call back from my mom yesterday, and that was weird, maybe she is upset with me. Dad came over..he assures me all is OK that she worked late and went in early this morning...sent a text anyways saying I loved her and it is good to see dad every day of break, but that it would be good to see her as well. Text back saying I will call back later, busy. So it could be that. I mean we all want to please our mother's, no matter how old we are. Decide to sit down with bills, and budget the up coming months..because I am already feeling anxious so I might as well tackle something unpleasant. Called my sister to have a little chat, and she assured me that even though she also couldn't talk that it wasn't me..so WHY this feeling?? And why does it matter?? And why can't I shake it? Catholic guilt, bounced check, messy watery basement, budgeting...could all be what it is..but I think we need to go back to my first step STRANGE DREAMS. I hate waking up not knowing what my subconscious was planning for me...but hopefully tonight I will be able to shake it loose and move on with whatever it is trying to work out for me. For now some calming tea and little book might help take my mind off it all.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Winter Wonderland and a Fantastic Book

I am not a fan of winter or snow or clumpy boots..I do have an affection for hats though, could be the fact that I make my living off of them. However, even I can admit that the snow in Rochester is AMAZING right now. It is beautiful and heavy and wonderland-esque. I have had many picture moments outside or from the safety of my window .

Last night my best friend and her family of 6 came over for the evening and it was fantastic to just sit and talk, and drink wine of course, and hear the kids play. Today I had planned haircuts and valentines day supplies and general running around..but I MIGHT actually get my snow gear on and play in this crazy stuff for a bit.

The weekly roundup of pins did not amount to anything this week..we went on our natural kick, and i have been filling orders and working on my new Downton Abbey line of hats.

I did read an amazing book though :

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this and here is my goodreads review:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore

	I LOVED this book..I can see where it is not for everyone though. I am a book nerd..big time. Love the smell (yes it is brought up) I love the weight, the secrets, the bookstore itself. I also love my kindle, the internet and can sort of relate to the excitement the googler-s have when approaching a project. I read fantasy novels my whole life, and I understand the way the characters came together as wizard, apprentice,solider. I also just started with audio books in the last year (the warm knit hat effect) and I could so love a mystical society all around books (but I would be terrible at keeping the secret!) I sat and read this in 3.5 hrs when I should have been sleeping. BOOK NERD..and a little love with fonts and typeface. If you can not resolve an entire book having to do with these kinds of things... then obviously this is not the book for you..but thankfully I can think of so many people to suggest this too!!!

I LOVED this book..I can see where it is not for everyone though. I am a book nerd..big time. Love the smell (yes it is brought up) I love the weight, the secrets, the bookstore itself. I also love my kindle, the internet and can sort of relate to the excitement the googler-s have when approaching a project. I read fantasy novels my whole life, and I understand the way the characters came together as wizard, apprentice,solider. I also just started with audio books in the last year (the warm knit hat effect) and I could so love a mystical society all around books (but I would be terrible at keeping the secret!) I sat and read this in 3.5 hrs when I should have been sleeping. BOOK NERD..and a little love with fonts and typeface. If you can not resolve an entire book having to do with these kinds of things... then obviously this is not the book for you..but thankfully I can think of so many people to suggest this too!!!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Potato Leek Soup, for what ails you

My boys are sick, again. This is day 7 and day 8 of missed school since September. I am not sure what is going on. Lysol is being used liberally, hand washing in effect, covering noses when coughing. Could it be the new school environments? Not sure. Could it be lack of sleep, growing bodies, junk food? Those are the things I can take care of..feed the soul. For the next week we are cutting out processed foods( except for Mitchell's needed Gatorade , dr ordered). And maintaining an 8:00 pm electronics ban. All iPads, video games, iPods, cell phones will be turned in at 8:00pm. Bored..grab an old fashioned book. Need your baby lullaby cd, gotcha, we can dig it up. But the brain WILL rest. Food front, I went to trader joes, bought all sorts of natural goodies, and meats and veggies... So off we go! Today:
Potato Leek Soup
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, chopped
8 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, chopped
1 large onion
5 c broth ( we were out of broth so I did bullion)

Boil all items together, then simmer and cook 25 minutes. Purée 1/2 mix to mashed potato consistency.