Monday, December 19, 2011

Barnes Boys Fashion - Golf Day

sadly these posts have died out since bryson started kindergarten and wears his uniform every day. on the weekends we have been doing soccer, then church/golf...so it seems like bryson rarely gets to wear normal play clothes these days. this weekend bryson had a golf lesson and bryan took bodie along too - getting him prepared for the next year or so...bodie is scary good already...its kinda freaky...and little bobby already knows how to hit the ball...i look forward to the future with my saturdays all to myself....and bryan with his foursome...but i think i have a while to go...


on bobby:
hat - H&M
shirt - H&M


on Bodie:
hat - thrifted
shirt - Penguin
pants - thrifted
shoes - puma


i found this vest at the thrift store and bryson loved it and he had a bow tie to match and so i asked him if he wanted to wear it. he told me that he didnt think golfers wore bow ties...i then showed him all these rad pictures of golfers from the 20s, 30s and 40s - with their knickers and argyle and sweater vests....he was totally into it - and i made him promise if he ever becomes a pro golfer that he has to dress like this...he pinky promised. so he wanted to pose like the golfers he told me...

on bryson:
hat - gorin
shirt - H&M
vest - thrifted
bow tie - thrifted
shorts - Shaun White for Target
shoes - Vans


look at this guy...he is so big i cant stand it...i keep wondering how i got a 6 year old all the sudden...so strange that they become little people...

Friday, December 16, 2011

DIY Varsity Shirt


i was at this festival the other weekend and this dude had on this vintage varsity sweatshirt and i loved it. i looked up some varsity "B"s online and found one in my old high school colors and made a felt one for bryson...i loved how it turned out...he was kinda into it too...which is nice -it is getting trickier and trickier to sew for that boy.

i am into these varsity sweatshirts too...may make some for some b-day presents - i have a bunch of fleece that may be good to use for it as well - but its all very nostalgic and silly to me...i told bryson he lettered in golf and he was like, "oh...awesome!" like he knows what that means, ha!



(i found that plaid fabric in the remnant bin at Jo-anns for couple bucks so i picked it up and made this little handkerchief for bryson out of it...super simple...took all of 5 minutes...it would be a great gift for a fashionable little guy, or gal.)

Bread Success! (and fail)


so...i got some crazy wild baking/cooking hair in my pants this weekend...i went nuts - i made 2 different types of pumpkin bread, a loaf of bread (fail), granola bars, soup and some healthy snack thing that turned out awful and my kids looked at me like i was poisoning them...dont you like us mom? why would you make that? i dont know...i was trying to be healthy...but baking and healthy is not always the best combinations...sometimes you just need "a litta bitta butter" as Paula Deen would say!

i have been thinking about bread and the smell of fresh baked bread and how i want my kids to have those smell memories. part of my job when i worked at this Alzheimer home was to do the bread machine every day as a part of aroma-therapy for the residents...there is something healing about bread. so i have made a sort of goal for myself to attempt it at least once a month for a year...maybe trying different kinds of breads and things, but of course trying to master or semi-master this amazing recipe.

i was trying to call my mom to get her bread "recipe" before i attempted bread, but no luck, so i printed one out from the interwebs somewhere and it was awful...and complicated...bread shouldnt be so complicated i dont think... i dont own a kitchenaid mixer...and it seems like every recipe i find in blogs and stuff for baking and bread calls for one...i dont know but my mom never had one and made bread just fine..so anyways - my sister was able to get her recipe and i wanted to share it- both for selfish purposes and knowing i can have access to it whenever i need...wherever i may be...and also for your benefit as well.

my mom and her sisters and cousins wrote down a bunch of family recipes for a family cookbook, complete with stories and everything...i thought it was so touching...wanted to share..


Basic Barmore Bread Recipe
1 cup warm water (see yeast pkg. for temp-not too hot or the yeast will die.)
2 packages dry yeast (rapid rise)

Mix together yeast and water: add 1 tsp. sugar and set aside for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Mix in:
1/4 cup soft or cooled melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup old fashion oats
1 tsp. salt

Add:
1 cup flour-mix together (Total flour will be around 3-4 cups)

After the flour is mixed in, continue to add in 1 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture cannot be mixed easily with a spoon.
**warning**careful here:  the key is to knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. Grandma said that this is the key part to making a loaf and it is mostly by feel of the dough.  If you add too much flour, the bread does not rise.  Flour a breadboard and knead the dough until no longer sticky.

Butter a bowl and set the dough in the bowl.  Cover with hot towel and let rise 1 hour.  After 1 hour (it should have risen to twice its size)  punch down the dough.  Roll out with a rolling pin and roll to fit into a buttered loaf pan.  Cover with damp warm towel and let sit for 1/2  to 1 hour.  Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 40-45 minutes.  Pull the bread from the oven and coat the top with butter to soften the crust.

"I had Grandma show me how to make bread when she visited my home when my kids were young. She would grab the butter dish and throw in an undetermined amount, then shake the salt in, handful of oatmeal, etc. It was so hard to actually stop her to get some sort of measurement since it was so random and fast. I'm sure this is how she had to make the 30 or so loaves of bread every day in Jungo, NV when she had to get up at 4:00 am and ride 20 miles to the ranch to bake and cook for the ranch hands.

But finally- after many failures- I was able to make a loaf that  resembled hers somewhat. This basic dough can be used to make cinnamon rolls or flavored bread of any kind by just adding different ingredients in with he wet ingredients."

Thursday, December 15, 2011

My Lil' Gnome


a while back i went on this fleece hat sewing spree...i had one left and just remembered today...so i stuck it on my little gnome! i love it! garsh...is he the most delectable little gnome you ever did see? this little coat was a little early Christmas present that i could not resist - on sale from the nutmeg tree (on vacation now...sorry!) - other things happening in this picture i would like to point out...he is only wearing one shoe...which has since been found luckily - we are on the 4th pair of shoes for this kid- i dont know what his deal is...
also...those rings on the ground are golf instructional thingees...a birthday present for bryson...i am also hearing rumors about a certain someone installing a putting green in our backyard...hmmm...

in other news...i haven't done a zoodies update for a while now...cause i have been so busy with orders - thank you! i went on a zoodies making spree as well and updated the shop - all zoodies in stock should ship out in time for Christmas! 

Hope you are enjoying the Advent Season!