Rafael Turns 6 Months!

We celebrated Rafael's 1/2 birthday this Friday! I strung up paper bunting, and baked a delicious Black Magic cake. Ramon made a big bowl of pasta salad, and plates of little finger sandwiches. There were colorful bright tulips and sweet-smelling hyacinth. Plump babies being bounced by loving mommies, and daddies talking about computers and sports. Laughter and smiles between friends and family.

But mostly....my mind kept going back to the thought, that I have been blessed so immensely to be holding this boy in my arms. To have been given six amazing, transforming months with this tiny, growing, curious, innocent, beautiful person, who looks at me with so much love and admiration that it makes my heart race.

Every day with my boy is sprinkled with so many instances of pure love. And it is my greatest hope that I am given the gift of many, many more!

Thank you God, Universe, The Powers That Be, for the most amazing blessing in my life.

xoxo

Creative Thievery

After seeing a lot of cake bunting popping up all over the web lately, I put 'cake bunting' into the search engine on etsy, and found myself getting really upset about the amount of shops which have copied my idea and are making a profit with it.

One of the funny things about it all is that the term 'cake bunting' never even existed before I came up with it, and now it's an actual THING. I find that pretty amusing. It's even a Martha Stewart item now.

What I don't find amusing is that there are so many people who would simply snatch up my idea and copy it to make money. There is something about it that really hurts.

I remember the first shop that began selling copies of my cake bunting a while back. I wrote to this shop owner, saying that I hoped she would stick to the original items in her shop and leave cake bunting to me. I said I was sure she could come up with creative ideas on her own, and didn't have to steal mine. She never wrote back and has cake buntings as one of her main items now. This just baffles me.

Now there are too many shops offering cake bunting to count, and I've accepted the fact that the concept of cake bunting just doesn't belong to me anymore. It's become something much bigger and there is no way I can really stop anyone from making a profit with it.

My shop has been closed for a while now and I do miss it. Shipping actually DOUBLED right when I put my shop on vacation, which means I would no longer be able to offer free international shipping like I used to unless I come up with some creative solution on how to package it. I've wondered if I will re-open my shop once we're settled in with the baby. And then another part of me thinks, If there are so many copies flooding etsy, what's the point in opening my shop again?

On the phone with my mom yesterday, she said, "You'll come up with some other great idea and open a shop with that. Creative people always have new ideas."

Still, the thought of leaving cake bunting behind for other people to claim and make money with makes me a bit sad. I was so excited about it in the beginning, and was so pleased when other people were excited about it, too. What a feeling it was, to open up shop with a few designs, and have people and blogs celebrate it and recognize what a fun and pretty new thing it was.

Looking back on my very first cake bunting and thinking of how the idea has spread....it's really amazing and I am genuinely happy that the idea has become so loved and popular.

If only there wasn't so much creative thievery out there.

Has this or something like it ever happened to you? How did you handle it?

welcome!

It's most certainly winter here now. Deep, powdery snow, and trees frozen white. The dogs leap and roll in snow drifts and come home with icy balls hanging from their fur. Home is fragrant and warm, quiet and cozy. When it gets dark around 4 pm I light candles, and being warm inside while looking through the window at the icy world outside makes me feel so safe and comfortable. 

We are still changing things here and there, so I'm not showing photos of the whole apartment just yet. You can expect more festive pictures around Christmas. But here, as promised, are a few impressions of our new home:

This is my Kiki La Ru studio! 

I'm so happy to have an entire room dedicated to crafting, painting, writing, and creative inspiration. I took this picture sitting on the plump white sofa I work from. On the work table, which is actually a coffee table, you see some half-finished cake buntings, fabric containers full of supplies (find your own handmade fabric container by looking here), my calendar and iphone, and glass of water (well, it had water in it). 

Since I have to much stuff that I need, from stickers to bubble wrap to envelopes to rubber stamps, I decided to use this white dresser from Ikea, which has plenty of drawers. The file cabinet to the right is also from Ikea. 

I strung up a thin length of ribbon along the bottom of the shelves and used tiny clothing pins to hang vintage stencil lettering, ephemera, photos, and a fabric hoop. These will change seasonally.

Here you can see the antique piece we sanded and glazed and are using as a linen closet. The doors are having their glass replaced, so it's open for now. I thought the top was the perfect spot for family photographs and flowers. To the right you see the antique kitchen bench, with a seat that opens and is perfect for storing wrapping paper and candles, which we also sanded and painted white. It's in the hallway, for putting on and taking off shoes. Accross from the linen closet (not visible in this picture) are the WC and pantry. To the left, the entryway to the open kitchen/dining room/living room. 

The royal Doglets. 

The photographs I took of the kitchen itself mysteriously turned out too dark, so I am going to take new ones asap. But this fridge is worthy of it's own picture, don't you think? And I'm very proud of the contents. Do you see all those fruits and greens?


Visitors have said they think it's a beautiful home, but that it's still missing that personal energy that comes from having lived in a place for a long time. I understand where they are coming from, and agree that it will naturally grow warmer and more inviting with time, but personally, I'm also enjoying the newness and lack of clutter, and am especially looking forward to dressing this space up for Christmas! Oh yes, there will be many photos to share then. :)


I miss you all and think about blogging every day. Now that life has slowed down to a pace where there is time for leisure, I hope to blog much more regularly.


Enjoy your Sunday, friends!


xoxo country girl

Happy Harvest!

It's here sweet friends! The best time of the year...the glowing months of Autumn. My heart is so full! I am so happy to be blessed with another season of golden leaves, pumpkin moonshine, cold starry nights and misty magical mornings. 

 

The narrow roads of this little village are sprinkled with the first fallen leaves, and children walk in chatty groups to school on mornings when your breath puffs in white clouds from your mouth. Crows caw their grumpy complaints and squirrels scamper about on important business.

Among the dew-soaked grass, I found this fiery red leaf, and I wished it were a brooch, so I could pin it to my orange raincoat. Nature has the most spectacular colors of all.

I just have to share this tiny butcher's block with you. Can you believe how sweet it is? It's a vintage find from etsy. I put little clusters of crabapples on it and had to squeal with delight!

This mini butcher's block will be fun to decorate with for many years to come, and in all seasons. Just imagine a pint-sized cake or pie on top of it!

This is another etsy find that I am in love with; Vintage By Crystal is such a fun shop, with handmade folkart figurines. I had this one custom-made for a Kiki La Ru photoshoot...but I was most excited about being able to keep it for a Halloween decoration afterwards!

It's a cheerful thought that there are people out there who sit and craft adorable, precious things like this, isn't it? It gives me hope, somehow.

I've been busy with my shop, too, and am very excited about the latest addition to the Kiki La Ru selection: DIY cake bunting kits!

 Perfect indoor project for fall, for all the crafty people out there who would like to make their own cake bunting. I am very curious to see how they will be received.

This autumn is shaping up to be busy and adventurous...only three weeks until our big move! 

The doggies are doing fabulously well, playing, dozing in the sunny spots of the home, barking at cars and dogs and air from the bedroom window. I love them so much.

You know, when fall rolls around, it always catches me by surprise...it's almost as if it were too precious to return every year. I am always somewhat stunned, and my heart starts beating fast, and I am filled with determination; I always promise myself I will do my best to soak up every bit of autumn goodness. 

Let's soak up Autumn goodness together!

A big, mittened, toasty hug,

xoxo country girl

A Change in Weather

Some people are Summer People. They love the heat, the sweat, the skimpy clothing, the sunbathing. I am not a Summer Person. I am an Autumn Person. I like mist. Fallen leaves. Wet grass. Puddles. Woodsmoke. A stack of books. A cup of frothy hot chocolate. Snuggling. Cinnamon. 


In the night there was a change in weather. You could see it coming in...just look at the photographs in the post below. The rain and wind has been an enormous relief. I slept the night through without tossing and turning on a sweat-dampened pillow. Kiki slept better, too, and when we woke up in the morning, we looked at each other and smiled. Aaaaaaah YES, a good night's sleep. Wind in the trees. Rain-soaked streets and fields waiting.


I put on my new boots, a new rain coat, and wrapped my spirit around me. It wasn't cold, but a very comfortable cool. No horseflies biting my legs, no bubbles of sweat on my lip. Everything felt fresh!


There were some pretty yellow leaves in the dewey grass. And then I thought to myself, "A four leaf clover would make the morning perfect." And a second later God showed me a five-leaf clover and said, "How do you like them apples?!" Oh yes, God...You are truly talented. Thank You for this cool, wet morning swathed in mist.


Now for that frothy hot chocolate and stack of books...


xoxo country girl


p.s. see a preview of three new kiki la ru cake buntings by clicking Here .

Collecting Faces and Stories

"Beverly, 10, and Kaye, 6"

I have a new passion: vintage photos. It all started with the photo above; I loved these two girls on a swing, enjoying a summer day. When it arrived, there was a description scribbled on the back with their names and ages. There was something about seeing these faces, and learning their names, that really interested me. I went searching for other faces and happy moments, and this is the collection I have put together so far:

"Bobbie Boyce, February 11 1927, Oglesby, Illinois"

little boy with american flag...love the tomato garden with tomato plants in the back!

"Alethia Black, age 13, taken October 7, 1903"

Such a beautiful face!

You have to wonder what her life story is.

couple at the beach...they look like they're having fun!

family on their farm at haying time...this picture just makes me happy!

"April 1945, St. Louis Missouri"

I love that someone felt the need to take this 'family portrait.'

They will all be framed and hung in our new apartment, along with other vintage paintings and book illustrations I have found on etsy. 

We went to look at our new apartment on Tuesday for the first time, and it's beautiful! We wanted to move in right then and there. My mind is whirring with design and decorating ideas. Looks like we'll be moving in October.

The Kiki La Ru shop is doing well, and I am working on new Cake Bunting, putting together new color combinations. Luckily it's my nephew's birthday next week, so I can combine making his cake with modeling the new bunting. 

xoxo country girl

Chocolate Cake and Healing

It was time to celebrate my mother in law's birthday, and time to see my sister in law's new son for the first time. I remember when I was pregnant last fall, I told Ramon's mother, "We'll be giving you a grandchild for your birthday!" "Well, that's just the best present I can think of!" She answered.


As you all know, I was not able to give her a grandchild. Instead she got a pink rain coat and shiny black rain boots from us. And a towering, 4 layer chocolate cake, decorated with Kiki La Ru Cake Bunting and flowers. My 3 year old nephew, who is still getting used to having a little brother, got his own mini cake, complete with rainbow sprinkles and a flag with his first initial. Something just for him, that he didn't have to share..."Only big brothers get these," I told him. 


I was nervous about meeting my newest nephew, who would have been about two weeks older than my own baby. And I was holding in feelings of sadness because I was going to this celebration without a newborn in my arms as I had pictured eight months ago. But it was time.


And once I saw that little being, sleeping stretched out, with a mohawk of fine hair and the smoothest, rosy skin, I only felt love. 


We dove into that huge, delicious cake while the baby slept behind me in his cradle. Once I heard him fussing a little, and I turned around to comfort him. He opened his eyes when I stroked his belly and smiled at me! A toothless, crooked little grin, before his heavy eyelids dropped and he fell asleep again. The sweetest thing. 


The only time I really felt my loss was when my sister in law nursed her newborn. Odd as it may sound, this is something I crave with my whole soul and body.


All in all though, it was a healing experience...over chocolate cake.

Black Devils Food Cake

a delicious vintage recipe from 'betty crockers picture cook book'

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)
Grease and flour 2 9inch layer pans or a 13x9 inch oblong pan.


Cream together 2/3 cups shortening (i used butter)  and 1 2/3 sugar (i used brown)


Add 3 eggs


Blend together 2/3 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 1/3 cups cold water.


Sift together 1/3 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.


Stir in alternately with with the cocoa mixture.


(I just threw the ingredients into my kitchenaid one after the other, beating well after each addition, and it turned out very fluffly and delicious)


Bake for about 30 minutes.
................


My etsy shop is officially open now, with 10 lovely items. I am especially proud of the cake bunting. Stop by and have a look, if you like! click here: Kiki La Ru Shop .


xoxo country girl

4 Leaf Clovers ARE Lucky!!

Added to my etsy shop  one day, featured in an etsy Treasury the next!

This giant 4 leaf clover was featured in a Treasury named 'Crimson & Clover.'

Click HERE to have a look!

I guess 4 leaf clovers really ARE lucky!

Thank you Carleen from Bunk Foss Baby  , for this awesome feature.

This is a wonderful omen and I feel very blessed. Now I just have to hope that Carleen's Treasury makes it to the front page of etsy. 

Kiki La Ru has it's own blog where I post news like this and new products; look HERE . I would really appreciate it if you 'followed!'

Thank you all, SO much, for your encouragment! It's so precious to have this supportive and positive community.

The needle and thread await.....

xoxo country girl

Setting Up (etsy) Shop!

Yes, Kiki La Ru will be open for business soon!

I am still working on product photos. So many details involved with setting up an etsy shop, I'm tellin' you! It's alot of work and alot of fun. I can't wait for you all to see it (and hopefully love it).

One of the hardest things when selling something handmade is to name a price. You want your hard work and hours of bending over with a needle and thread to be rewarded, but you don't want to make things so expensive that no one buys them. I think I have finally found prices for my items that I feel comfortable with. My handmade items are unique, precious one-of-a-kinds, and will make some Special Someones out there very happy.

The sun is shining here and I am full to overflowing with creativity. The days don't have enough hours for all the things I want to make and do. It is my great hope that, whether I am painting pictures for my book, or sewing cake bunting and little letters for my shop, the joy I experienced while creating will be spread far and wide, all over the globe, when I am able to share these things with the world.

xoxo country girl

praying for happiness

Once, when I was in highschool, I was so in love with a boy that I actually prayed every day that he would love me back. We dated for about three years off and on, and he treated me horribly. Still, I prayed, and prayed, and prayed: "Please God, let him love me, let us be together." 

I had a friend who liked to hold gatherings, mostly during the full moon, with only women; we would take moonlit walks to the beach, light candles, burn things, make potions and talismans, all sorts of hocus-pocus. Mostly just for fun. But at every one of these little parties, I would ask my friend to cast a love spell, in hopes that this boyfriend of mine would finally love me and belong to me. 

One day, heartbroken and exasperated, I said through tears to my friend, "I just wish he were mine!" She looked at me and said, "If he were yours, who's to say you would be happy? Maybe, instead of praying for him, you should pray for happiness."

That single remark changed the way I thought, and prayed, for a long time. And it served me very well. Any time I found myself praying for a particular thing, like a certain job, apartment, vacation, result...I would correct myself, let go of wanting that thing, and pray for happiness instead. And that practice of letting go of specific things really worked well, because I felt I was leaving the details up to God, and living in faith that God knew what was good for me much better than I ever could. 

Then, the other day, I was talking with an old friend on the phone. He has been through alot in his life, but has managed to remain a positive person. We were talking now about my miscarriage, and I told him how it had come as such a shock, and as such a stark change from the happiness we had experienced while I was pregnant. I told him I was praying that I would be happy again some day soon. 

To that he said, "But hard times are a part of life, too. People need to stop their addiction to happiness and to good times, and accept the hard times as they come. We need to be at peace with the fact that life isn't always easy or happy."

This made me re-think my prayers for happiness. I began to realize that I often spent many hours of my days thinking of the future, of all the things I hoped would happen or come, of all the happiness I hoped to experience 'some day.' And now I feared that, by always praying for happiness, I was neglecting the opportunity to live in gratitude for what IS. For all the happiness I already have. For my life exactly as it is today, in this moment. And to live in acceptance of the hard times, too. 

The more I thought about it, the more I decided that I should strive for a balance of the two....because although it's good to live with an atitude of gratitude, it's also important to dream. 

Those are the thoughts I am having today. 

My head is also swarming with ideas for my etsy shop, Kiki La Ru, for which I am so grateful! Ever since I decided to open up that little online store, I have been having one inspiration after another. So, yes, dreaming is important. Having a vision and following through is important. 

Well, that's what I think right now.....who knows, maybe that will change too, some day! I am open to learning new truths and changing my mind. And I hope that fact remains until the day I die, because a willingness to learn and change are what keep a person young.

xoxo country girl

Washboard Tea Biscuits

Just reading the description of these in Cook's Country made my mouth water and I knew I had to try them out: "These cookies are crisp and not too sweet, with the distinct flavor and aroma of coconut." The first tray-full burned horribly, so I was extra careful with the next. These fill the kitchen with a delicious coconutty, buttery scent, and that's how they taste, too. These are meant to be the perfect addition to tea. I ate mine with a glass of milk. These washboards, named for the ridges made with a fork, are highly addictive; the mixture of coconut and nutmeg, which I never would have thought to combine, lend these tender buscuits a delicious and delicately spiced flavor. I hope you enjoy them!

Washboards

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed (I used my kitchenaid), beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and coconut, and mix until just incorporated.

2. Flour your hands. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a 15-inch log.  Flatten the top and sides of the log so that it measures 1 inch high and 3 inches wide. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. (The dough can refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

3. Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange the slices 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Dip a dinner fork in flour, then make crosswise indentations in the dough slices. 

Bake until the cookies are toasty brown, 15 to 18 minutes*, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve.

*I don't know if my oven is really hot, or if it is because I baked these one sheet at a time, but mine were done within 10-12 minutes. So keep a close eye on them!

I want to thank you all for the support and enthusiasm regarding my etsy shop Kiki La Ru! It was great to hear some feedback. I've been very busy sewing these past couple days. It's such a great form of meditation. I'm getting more and more relaxed about it all. Have been exploring other etsy shops, comparing prices, examining other shop designs and policies. Waiting on my business cards, vintage fabrics, and packaging material. I've also ordered a few things over etsy to see how other artists package their items. Some are very intricate and detailed, others very plain, with basically just the product. It's going to be a bit of a challenge to find the middle road, as I want to package my items beautifully, but not to the point where I have to charge more because the decor is expensive. So many things to think about!

We woke up to snow this morning; it's still sifting down, covering tree boughs and roof tops. Confusing us thoroughly. As my husband says, "This weather is getting awkward." Will we ever be able to fold away our sweaters? When will I get a break from mopping up the muddy hallway? Only nature knows.

xoxo country girl

Introducing Kiki La Ru!

Hello friends!
It's been a few days. Time away from my blog always feels like ages have gone by, I'm so used to checking in daily. I haven't forgot you all of course! I've been busy getting something started. Something exciting: my very own etsy shope! Kiki La Ru (one guess who it's named after :)). It will be a while until it's really up and running; right now I'm still attending to the details, like logo, business cards, packaging, finding out prices and shipping rates....and I've promised myself I won't open up shop until I have at least ten products. 
I've been turning the etsy shop idea over and over in my head for quite some time now, and I finally decided to quit worrying and wondering and just take action. I am aiming to open up Kiki La Ru some time in May. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I'm giving myself time to make sure I have everything the way I want it, and a nice stack of lovely handmade items that I am proud to offer to the world. 
This process has me wondering if other people in my position have the same cocktail of excitement and worry churning around inside of them: excitement at the thought of making and selling things you love, and worry that no one is going to buy them!
If anything, this will all be an interesting experience. 
I'll be back tomorrow with a delicious old-fashioned cookie recipe! 


xoxo country girl