Drawing a big blank

monday....

2010-03-29T04:55:00.003-05:00

it's monday morning....and I have got to get on here more! a couple of pics from the zoo this weekend.

g's birthday!

2009-09-30T04:44:00.001-05:00

Two new mugs!

2009-08-02T09:27:00.001-05:00

Reuben brought home Chicago, a new series that is out now. Eric brought us Moscow from his recent trip!

Circus Circus!

2009-08-02T08:42:00.004-05:00

Pictures from the circus!

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Two pieces...

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the first is a piece of art work G drew. I need to add the date to the page...It was Fall of 2008. The second is a picture of nicolas in the street playing after Hurricane Ike hit.

a couple of new ones...

2009-07-28T07:18:00.001-05:00

New Starbucks mugs!

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and

Reuben found these beauties in SIngapore!

Giuna

2009-07-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

I knew this sling pouch would come in handy!

2009-07-16T09:10:00.001-05:00

Our Poor Molasses

2009-07-16T05:48:00.001-05:00

He broke his fibia yesterday. Nico was carrying him and tripped over a stick, dropping Molasses into the grass. Apparently it was at just the right angle to break the fibia. poor baby is miserable. Rightfully so. He will have this wrap onfor the next 4-6 weeks.

some of my latest....

2009-07-10T08:04:00.003-05:00

love summer!

2009-07-01T12:13:00.002-05:00

I actually have time to create! IT's a great time of the year.

2009-06-13T12:10:00.002-05:00

anyone have a chainsaw?

2009-06-13T07:55:00.001-05:00

We woke up to discover this. Luckily, it came nowhere near the house.

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My garden!

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it's finally here

2009-06-09T06:33:00.001-05:00

So after a thousand or so messages of you "You have no space. Clear up some files." Dh bought me a mother! 1 terra of space. Let's see if I can fill this baby up!

Part of my summer reading

2009-06-06T15:59:00.005-05:00

2009-06-05T15:59:00.004-05:00

I am on my way home to enjoy a weekend before the last day of school!!!!!!! It feels so good to know I have nothing to do for a week. Oh and then back to work. But only for four days....and then two more, and then one, and then two, and then one. crap. Summer is almost over!

2009-06-05T04:46:00.001-05:00

I am testing a mobile post to my blog! Let's see if this works!

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two pieces from this weekend

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Both took a while because of all the beads! lol

filled an order!

2009-05-23T20:35:00.001-05:00

she wanted b racelets for her kids' teachers.....the same 5 charms are on each: smiley face, graduation cap, puzzle piece, coffee cup with art paint brushes, an apple.

2009-04-23T18:16:00.002-05:00

Some pieces from this weekend.

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All pieces can be found here: http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.65623974.jpg

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2009-04-08T19:40:00.003-05:00

2009-04-08T19:40:00.002-05:00

here fishie fishie

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I love the pink!....for sale

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a special request

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another...for sale

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love the colors on this one! for sale

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a heart

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black beauties

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potato pearls and crystals

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For a friend at work

2009-04-01T19:42:00.001-05:00

2009-04-01T17:00:00.003-05:00

dragonfly bracelet above sold
clock above sold

2009-04-01T16:58:00.004-05:00

leaf bracelet sold

green

2009-04-01T16:57:00.002-05:00

last one...

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my last two pieces of spring break

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love this piece!

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love these beads!

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korker galore!!!

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another necklace

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a bracelet I made today

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layout

2009-03-19T19:08:00.002-05:00

layouts

2009-03-19T19:08:00.001-05:00

our new fence!

2009-03-19T10:29:00.002-05:00

Check it out!! We have a new fence! woo hoo

St Patrick's day

2009-03-19T08:27:00.001-05:00

Luck of the irish! We had fun wearing green! Nico had a ribbon tied around his wrist. Every ten minutes G would go check on him to see if he'd taken it off so she could pinch him!

layouts from this week

2009-03-19T08:26:00.000-05:00

Just a few

Spring Break is here!

2009-03-15T17:58:00.004-05:00

And would you believe it b ut my lime tree is blossoming!!! The surprising thing is that if you look closely in picture one you see that the branch was all but broken when Hurricane Ike came to visit! AND the buds are only on this broken branch!!! but there they are....little pink pearls!

so many great books out there

2009-03-10T05:18:00.003-05:00

I want to read these next!!! just got to get my hands on them!

Choose a book by it's cover

2009-03-10T05:14:00.005-05:00

Have you ever chosen a b ook because of its cover? How could you not when you saw these covers? I mean, aren't the gorgeous??? Are they not stunning?

2009-01-11T12:18:00.003-06:00

I made my own mozzarella!! I followed Ricki's recipe below. First and third batch came out great! First milk I bought at Target, third I bought at Foodarama. Second batch I bought milk at Walmart and it didn't set, guess the milk it pasteurized at too high a temperature.

So, we made home made pizza with fresh mozzarella for dinner! IT was fantastic!

Ricki Carroll's 30-minute Mozzarella
Yield: 3/4 to 1 pound cheese

1 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/4 tsp liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
1 tsp cheese salt (coarse, noniodized flake salt similar to pickling salt; do not use iodized salt)

Slowly heat the milk in a stainless steel pot to 55 degrees. While stirring, add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly.

Heat the milk to 88 degrees over medium-low heat. The milk will begin to curdle.

Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Then let the milk sit still while heating it to between 100 and 105 degrees. In about 5 to 8 minutes, the curds should be pulling away from the sides of the pot.

The curds will look like thick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them, and the whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes before turning off the heat. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2-quart microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible.

Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute.

Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading bread) with your hand or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145 degrees inside the curd). You may want to don rubber gloves at this point, as the cheese will be extremely hot to the touch.

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time. After each heating, knead again to distribute the heat.

Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it's done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for half an hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although best eaten fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator at this point.

Note: If you are using store-bought milk, and your curds turn into the consistency of ricotta cheese and will not come together, switch brands of milk. It may have been heated at the factory at too high a temperature.

A visit with Grandpa and Grandma Tamez

2009-01-03T08:39:00.002-06:00

We went for an overnight visit and the kids were overjoyed to see Grandma and Grandpa Tamez!

The cousins

2008-12-27T08:14:00.001-06:00

It's always chaos trying to get pictures of the four together. Someone is always doing something else or looking the wrong way! Here's Christmas 2008's attempt!

waiting for santa

2008-12-24T15:20:00.003-06:00

guess who is in position waiting for Santa??? We keep checking Norad to see where he is and if he's near.

waiting for santa

2008-12-24T15:20:00.000-06:00

guess who is in position waiting for Santa??? We keep checking Norad to see where he is and if he's near.oh and she's requested that we sleep downstairs tonight so that she can better watch for him.

This year's cookies!

2008-12-24T14:53:00.012-06:00

Cherry WHites
Cherry whites...formerly known as Cranberry white chocolate cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour; mix well.
STIR in chopped chocolate and cranberries. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each ball of dough slightly.
BAKE 10 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Old Fashioned Shortbreads
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients

1 cup butter (use salted)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream butter until pale.
Add sugar gradually and beat until well dissolved.
Add flour, one half cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Divide dough in half. Form into logs about 2” in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm. (Dough can last in the fridge for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer if properly stored. Let refrigerated dough soften at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing. Frozen dough should be left at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.)
Preheat oven to 300F.
Slice dough 1/4" thick. Place 1/2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Double Chocolate Brownies
Follow traditional brownie box direction but add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup white chocolate chips. After cooled cut into bite size pieces and then drizzle melted chocolate chips and sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
hershey's kisses, one for each cupcake

Gingerbread cookies

I used a regular box for gingerbread and followed the soft gingerbread cookie option. I rolled the dough into balls and then rolled in sugar. Follow with drizzled dark chocolate after cookie has cooled.

Molten brownie cakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a cupcake tins greased and floured, insert one kiss into each cup and bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Spritz dough sliced cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. vegetable shortening
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 lg. egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1. With electric mixer at high speed, cream butter, shortening until soft.2. Add sugar gradually, continuing to cream, about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
4. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; add in 3 additions by hand or with electric mixer; mix well after each addition; dough will be stiff.
5. Shape dough into 2 rolls; wrap in plastic film, foil or waxed paper; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
6. Slice from dough and bake 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees or until just staring to turn light golden around edges, being careful not to overbake.

Peanut Butter Kisses
Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
18 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg.
Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. NOTE: If dough is too sticky, refrigerate 1/2 hour or until easy to handle.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each warm cookie.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg.
Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. NOTE: If dough is too sticky, refrigerate 1/2 hour or until easy to handle.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each warm cookie.

Let it snow!!!

2008-12-11T05:19:00.003-06:00

It snowed last night!!! not much of anything but enough to make the kids excited!! My hands were shaking as I took the pictures...I was so cold! haha

Mama Penny!!!

2008-11-29T16:46:00.004-06:00

Penny came into town for her neice's wedding and we got to see her for a few short hours....it was great!
G was so excited to see her (as was I). We hung out in the hotel lobby and then ran her to the mall so we could see Stefanie, who was getting her nails done. I miss Penny so much! It was great to see her for those few hours....

Halloween.....

2008-11-01T13:36:00.005-05:00

Houston!! We have Power!!

2008-09-27T10:51:00.002-05:00

Power was restored to our block Friday afternoon! Finally!!! Now I am furiously washing clothes in the machine (by hand sucks but I did it every day so I only have some towels to do!) and scooba is busily cleaning the floors! Thankfully we did not lose a single fish. My hand scooping water into the tank saved them! That and the generator that Reuben found four or five days in to the darkness. We were able to run it at night and be moderately comfortable! SO....back to normalcy for us. Now to finish filtering the pool so we can see the bottom.

Labor Day Weekend....

2008-09-01T15:16:00.004-05:00

Nico's first day of First grade.

and oh what an update. Besides watching the hurricane to see where he'll go we've been busy around here. Reuben got home from Louisiana just in time.... Literally hours before the feeder bands kicked in. G lost a tooth. Nico lost a tooth (okay so his was a little earlier in the week). And I have been getting a bunch of seniors ready to take another round of the TAKS test. woo hoo....busy times~

G missing a tooth.

Nico's missing front tooth!

Korker ribbon

2008-08-08T06:24:00.004-05:00

To make Korker ribbon you need dowels, clothes pins, water and starch. Take ribbon and wrap around dowels and secure with clothes pins. douse ribbon with water and spray starch. Bake in oven 25 minutes at 275. Wait to cool and then slide ribbon off of the rod.

my doors of Italy album!

2008-08-03T06:50:00.003-05:00

I am busily starting it!

some of my newest pieces.....

2008-07-26T07:27:00.002-05:00

today's creations....

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Beautiful Torino

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Pisa.....in all its glory

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You know I am standing at the top of the tower when I took this picture!

earrings...

2008-07-14T08:18:00.001-05:00

We went to Barnes and Noble yesterday where I found some great books on wire jewelry...so I can add some earrings to the mix!

Genoa

2008-07-14T07:29:00.002-05:00

two new ones.... Lime and blueberry parfaits!

2008-07-13T08:35:00.003-05:00

Purple beaded majesty

2008-07-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

is available in my store!!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13302619

A new piece....

2008-07-10T11:34:00.003-05:00

I bought the pendant in venice and already had the beads so it just came together!
It's for sale in my etsy shop! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13252559

another piece...

2008-07-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

FLorence part 2

2008-07-05T08:21:00.001-05:00

Day 6 Florence part 1

2008-07-05T07:14:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest things about Bologna....

2008-07-05T06:38:00.004-05:00

One of the greatest things about Bologna was a Nutella shop that we discovered. Now, you can't really tell the size of these cans unless you look at the soda as a comparison. Wrap your mind around this-

This jar- is 5KG- that's 11 pounds.....11 pounds of sweetnutella goodness! Nicolas would have thought he died and went to heaven!

Bologna part two

Day 5 The best of Bologna! part 1

2008-07-05T06:36:00.002-05:00

2008-07-04T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have joined etsy!

2008-07-04T16:41:00.003-05:00

Now I can sell some of the pieces I make and pay for my hobby.

check it out!!! http://www.jmtamez.etsy.com/

I am making jewelry!

2008-07-04T16:40:00.001-05:00

Here's today's

Venice part 2

2008-07-02T06:33:00.001-05:00

a mask in Venice

2008-07-02T05:59:00.004-05:00

This was a mask I fell in love with in venice...only 300 Euro.

Day 4 Venice part 1

2008-07-01T05:25:00.002-05:00

Verona part 2

2008-07-01T05:11:00.000-05:00

Day 3 Verona part 1

2008-07-01T04:44:00.004-05:00

My favorite part of Verona was this place below: Juliet's balcony! the statue is a commerative of Juliet Capulet.

Milan part 2

2008-07-01T03:38:00.002-05:00

My favorite part of Milan had to be the duomo.....it's fantastic and so grand! you can not print pictures large enough to show how amazing this piece is!

day 1 Milan....part 1

2008-06-30T06:20:00.002-05:00

here we go!

2008-06-30T05:12:00.002-05:00

starting the pictures! day one of our journey..... the food at Schipol airport and our teenie tiny elevator to our room in Milan!

We are back!!

2008-06-29T06:50:00.002-05:00

We are back from our worldwind tour of Italy and Amsterdam/ Haarlem!! This picture is the first of 1732 photos I took! Yikes! Plus I need to merge in reubens as well so easy to say that we have around 2000 photos of Italy, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. Over the course of the summer I will show you what we saw! wow.

Oh wait---I lied. this is actually the first picture! This was in the Houston airport by our gate. Imagine- buying an ipod from a vending machine!!!

We are heading to Italy!!!

2008-06-15T14:24:00.002-05:00

Here's the map! Flying out Monday- Tuesday and Wed night in Milan, THurs in Verona, Friday in Venice, Saturday we hit Bologna, Sudnay in Florence, Monday we go through Pisa to genoa and then Tuesday We stay in Turin. The next three days we hit Amsterdam and then head home! Get ready for lots of pictures!!!!

making birthday cards....

2008-06-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

just something to do to keep busy....

birdie likes a sandwhich

2008-06-11T06:13:00.002-05:00

We tried something new today.... just letting her hang out in the living room with G. both
girls loved it! (lol we are assuming she's a girl.) Jake (or Fuzzy depending on the day) definitley likes eating bread, and enjoyed a chunk of G's sandwhich.

2008-06-09T13:03:00.002-05:00

our newest family member....

2008-06-08T16:21:00.003-05:00

We were in the pool and she basically flew right up to Reubenin the middle of the pool and stood on his finger and drank water out of the pool! lol I ran to PetSmart and picked up a cage and goodies . So , now we have a b ird to go with the rest of the menagerie!