Author: amanda

amanda

Sartorial Saturday–Duotone

When Splendette previewed their summer Duotone range, I was ecstatic…the colors and carvings are amazing! Like everything else this year, it was delayed due to COVID-19, but since they arrived during summer (and since I don’t have many places to go), I guess that doesn’t matter too much. My very favorite pieces from this line are the bright pink and mint Flamingo and Parrot colors…I purchased all of the Duchess Bangles, both necklaces, and one pair of earrings. They’re so mid-century marvelous!

I did discover that I don’t have a whole lot in my wardrobe that goes with them, so I’ll have to work on that, but I do have a few things I can pair them with. And did I mention the new mint and iris pink leopard bangles are a perfect match for the Duotone?!?

There are several other color pairings in the Duotone range, but the only other I ones I bought (for now) are the clematis and violet, a beautiful pair in shades of purple.

I’m already looking forward to seeing what Splendette has in store for fall!

2020-21 School Year–Week Four

Hymn of the Week–“God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (Lutheran Service Book #594)

At this point, I think we’ve really settled into a routine!

Turkey and Bunny worked with functions in calculus. They read about several different types of writing (including travel and business), in On Writing Well. They finished the second chapter of advanced biology and started the fifth act of Macbeth. In history, they read the second book of the March trilogy, and learned about Hernando de Soto in 1491.

Ladybug went through algebraic properties in algebra. In history, she and Chickadee learned about the Dominion of Canada. She finished As You Like It…we’re looking forward to starting The Trojan War next week! She learned about water in science. She also started working on her first big writing project of the year.

Chickadee read more about how the Wilder family ate in Farmer Boy (she is very impressed with how often they have cookies, which is saying something given that we bake cookies every week!). She reviewed Roman numerals in math. In science, she learned about bird calls and songs.

Next week marks a full month of school in the books!

Tasty Tuesday–The Omelette Maker

Confession time: I can’t make an omelette to save my life. For all of my culinary skills, when I try to make an omelette, it always tears…or turns into scrambled eggs. But I really like omelettes. So I decided to buy an omelette maker.

Yes, I know it doesn’t really make true omelettes…more like quick-cooking mini breakfast casseroles. But it’s good enough for me, because it lets everyone choose their fillings, and approximates the omelette experience.

It’s a pretty nifty machine. You mix four eggs with your choice of fillings, close it, and let it cook for about 10 minutes, and voila…two omelettes!

The best is when we have an omelette bar, where everyone can choose what they want in theirs, from meat to veggies to different cheeses:

It’s the perfect set-up for breakfast-for-dinner!

In addition to the omelette bar, I’ve made Denver omelettes, BLT omelettes (with spinach in place of the lettuce), leftovers omelettes (with salmon), as well as whatever-we-have-on-hand omelettes.

Along with the waffle maker, the Soda Stream, and the as-yet-unmentioned Ninja blender, this is one of the best things I’ve purchased in this very strange year!

Sartorial Saturday–Vacation Dreams

Last month, I took a look at my Micheline Pitt floral swing skirt, and along with it, the vacation blouse. Today I thought I’d take a look at the blouse in all three colors I own…I may not be able to go on a vacation right now, but I can dream about sightseeing in this gorgeous blouse!

I love this top. The cut is perfect, and the fact that it doesn’t have short (or tight!) sleeves makes me really happy. It’s not too hot to wear, although I do think I’ll enjoy it even more once we have more fall-like weather. And the colors are gorgeous…the saturation is outstanding. All three tops go with the floral print skirt…as well as many other things in my wardrobe. I will definitely be on the lookout for more vacation blouse options in the future, because this top has already become a staple in my wardrobe!

2020-21 School Year–Week Three

Hymn of the Week–“Jesus Loves Me” (Lutheran Service Book #588)

The first 15 days of the 2020-21 school year are complete!

Turkey and Bunny had their first science experiment of the year this week, and they got to get out the microscope! They looked at different kinds of tissue (lung, stomach, and skin), as well as a sample from a salivary gland. They’re really enjoying reading On Writing Well…especially when it tells them to break the rules! They started reading John Lewis’ March trilogy, and are enjoying that, as well. They also had their first psychology test, and since it’s an AP class, it was a little preview of college!

Ladybug is almost finished with As You Like It, and she has, well, really liked it! She and Chickadee read about the American Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in history this week. In algebra, she practiced multiplying and dividing polynomials. Our cobbled-together science lessons (I hope the new textbook arrives soon!) focused on correct units and converting measurements between the metric and imperial systems.

Chickadee learned about field marks on birds in science this week. We continued to read Farmer Boy together. She moved on to fractions in her review of math concepts. Her writing lessons for the week focused on a selection from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and we really enjoyed reading that story!

Here’s a look at our regular Friday routine. We sing our hymn of the week, and Ladybug accompanies us on the keyboard (after we discovered that I just don’t play fast enough for singing!). (In other news: Today I discovered that Moose can play by ear, when we asked if he could try, and then proceeded to play the hymn without looking at the music!)

It’s supposed to cool off next week, and I really hope that’s correct, because we want to get outside and play tennis or take a really long walk somewhere that it isn’t our neighborhood!