Happy LEAP Day!

We're in preparations for a MAJOR shop overhaul at Sylvia-Louise. We think you'll love our new stuff. To make way for all we have planned we are having a Leap Day Sale!

Just enter coupon code LEAPDAY at checkout. Sale ends at midnight tonight PST.

p.s. What are you doing with your extra day?

Cemetery Wanderings

Saturday we rambled around Greenwood Cemetery.

We visited Grandpa's grave. He would have been 91 on Tuesday.

Then we explored some very cool and some very old headstones and statuary.

So peaceful. And somehow calming.

Valentine Swap

I know I'm late.

I participated in the Oh Strumpets Valentine Swap again this year. It's a fun way to meet someone, discover a new blog and craft something you maybe wouldn't normally. My swap buddy was Rachel from Australia. Here's her blog. She gave me lots of great ideas---she has a variety of likes and interests. I was racking my brain about what to make her when I glanced up at the wall in my living room.

Rachel told me she liked deer. I could make her a wall hanging like mine.

This is Rachel's. She told me she loves it!

I also crocheted her a sweet little heart, added some candy hearts and a "grow" your own Valentine bouquet.

And this is what Rachel sent me! She knows I LOVE crochet and owls. It was so fun getting gifts from another country! 

Check out pics of other swappers gifts on the Oh Strumpet's craft flickr group.

3-2-1 CAKE

If you're like me you'll be running straight for the kitchen after you read this.

The other day I came across this EASY way to satisfy your sweet tooth with very little effort and very few calories. I'm not exactly sure HOW few calories---I could probably figure it out, I just don't want my brain to have to work too hard.

Here's what you do:

Take a small ramekin or microwave safe mug. Measure 3 Tablespoons dry cake mix. Any flavor.

Add 2 Tablespoons water. Mix well with a fork.

Put it in the microwave for 1 minute. Instant cake!!! And YUMMY! No oil. No eggs. A little bit of sweet anytime you want.

Top with fresh fruit, ice cream, whipped cream, or nothing!

As soon as I read the recipe I hightailed it to the kitchen because I had a half used cake mix in the back of the cupboard. The original recipe tells you to mix two cake mixes and that one has to be an Angel Food cake. I didn't have Angel Food cake. I think it turned out just fine without. Anyone know what difference Angel Food cake would make? Anyway, as long as you keep your cake mix in an airtight container you'll be set for months of quick sweets. 

I will admit that I tried it out first. It was so delicious I wanted to blog about it instantly, so I went back in and made another so I could take pics. The photos didn't turn out that great. I was going to wait until I had better pictures, but I'm just too excited about it not to share. 

We'll be trying chocolate fudge cake next and adding a few chocolate chips.

Chia Herbs Week 3 (give or take a few days)

Good news! They're not DEAD! This part has been easy---keep a reserve of water for the chia sponge to absorb. I'll admit I've cheated a little bit on this easy step. I put the pots minus their saucers into a pie tin and filled that sucker up with water. Then I don't have to water every other day or so. Just once a week.

From here on out the care gets more intense. Now that these little plants have leaves they require 6 hours of direct South facing sun. My kitchen window doesn't face South. (Plus the pie tin doesn't fit in the sill).

Plus they need plant food. I don't know what plants eat. Pizza?

Has anyone ever grown cilantro? Is this craziness normal? On top of all that, when these baby plants really start to grow I have to transplant them. I don't have a PhD so I doubt I will be very good at performing such a delicate operation.

All joking aside, so far this experiment is working out. And I think these little guys are really looking forward to getting off the top of the fridge.