pancake of the week: peter pan?

(Nutella hair and mouth, pancake nose, banana & blueberry eyes, strawberry feather)

"Umm...Mommy, that DOES NOT look like Peter Pan."

I'm surprised, based on his obsession, he hadn't asked for Peter Pan sooner. And yes, we read it every single night.

The wild thing pancake from last week could only lead to disappointment. So his beloved Peter Pan was not a success, but next time Ave asks for a deranged elf, I'm prepared.

Full disclosure: I cleaned up his mouth & nose in Photoshop a little. He originally looked even worse!

pancake of the week: wild thing

(Apple for teeth, eyes and nose; chocolate covered raisin eyes and cake decorating gel for line work)

An homage to Maurice Sendak, who passed away last Tuesday.

A sensitive, wise artist influenced by Melville, Mozart and Blake, who readily admitted he didn't know how to write children's books. 

His work lives on in all of us.

And if you have the time, listen to this.

mother's day

It's much easier to share fun pancakes than to open up on a more personal level.

Life is beautiful when styled, blogged and adorned with confetti & bunting on Pinterest. 

But there's no way to gloss over cancer. It just sucks.

So hold your mama extra tight and let her know how much she is loved and appreciated. 

Not just on Mother's Day, but every time you see her.

pancake of the week: boom box

(Blueberries and Nutella)

A boombox is probably as much a foreign object to Avery as a rotary telephone. He does recognize it as a symbol for loud music and apparently wild behavior.

shore life

I've been saying this for the past two years, but one of these days I'll put together a mainlander's guide to Chincoteague Island. I've been going there since I was a child, but never fail to discover something new each time we visit.

project: sell this house – progress report

We are getting so close, folks. Remember the last time you saw it? Just some nail holes to fill and a coat of decorator white on the wainscoting and we're in business. After that, party at our house.

I impulsively painted the pocket door the color I purchased to coat the mirror frame and I couldn't be more pleased (it actually doesn't look very good on the frame). The paint used was Martha Stewart in persimmon red and is available at Home Depot. It's a coral but is a little more pink than I would have liked.

Oh, well. I love this room. And Project: Sell This House is starting to turn into Project: Love the House You're In. It's so us...I can't imagine being anywhere else.

pancake of the week: caillou & gilbert

(Caillou – Chocolate syrup, strawberry and blueberries for neck)

If you're wondering who Caillou and his cat Gilbert are, consider yourself lucky.

Caillou is the whiney four year-old star of his own television show on PBS. The plots go a little something like this: Caillou tries something new, throws a tantrum and learns from his mistakes. Riveting stuff, I tell you.

But Avery loves Caillou. He asks to watch it every. single. day.

And how can I say no? The show is very wholesome, just highly irritating to anyone over the age of ten. Little ones can identify with his behavior and emotional responses.

But most parents on the other hand...hate it. Caillou whiiiiiiiiines, the show is narrated by some annoying Angela Lansbury-esque elderly lady (I know, she's supposed to sound like a sweet grandma...whatev), the laughable low-budget dance numbers, the puppets with creepy male voices, the white feathered border, and Caillou's questionable bald head are just a few reasons.

So when Avery asked for Caillou and Gilbert pancakes, I obliged. They were easy enough, especially Caillou.

When it came time to eat, Avery picked the Gilbert and gave me Caillou. And without a doubt, I've never taken more delight in cutting through a character's face and eating it for breakfast :)

(Gilbert – Blueberry eyes, strawberry nose, dollop of yogurt, turkey sausage whiskers and mouth)