Day 61- Measure Dresses

Holiday Dresses

It's finally feeling more like fall these past weeks, except for that tickle of snow we got. Umm not ready yet, but thanks! Is it seriously the end of October?! The holidays are approaching and we are finally getting our holiday dresses in from The Measure! I can't believe they will be here this week. These dresses are simply amazing and such a statement piece. 

We decided on two styles for this holiday season and I can't pick out which one I think Avery should wear, of course I'll have to bribe her with chocolate! I hope you are as amazed as we are with the quality and creativity of these pieces. We ordered one of each size, so each one is special. 

Here is a little bit about The Measure: 

Owner, Kiki Fluhr

Clothes for wandering and for coming home.

At The Measure, we create girls clothes that embody the nostalgia and magic of childhood. We make garments that will allow your tiny adventurer the freedom to explore the woods, yet still look her spritely proper self when she comes home for the dinner bell. We're not just making clothing, we're celebrating the inner child, who reminds us that life's simplest joys are around every bend. We understand the importance of laying in the grass and watching clouds roll by, of getting lost in fairy tales and believing in dreams. That is exactly what we dress her for. We're preparing her for wandering, and for coming home.

In every piece we create, we celebrate the untouchable vibrancy of youth: that is why our clothes do double duty. They are special enough for Sunday outings but resilient enough for climbing trees. Our pieces work across and throughout the seasons, and continue to wear beautifully as she grows. Dresses work over tees and leggings in the colder months, and fit is accommodating to growing bodies: adjust the straps, allow a favorite dress to become a tunic. She can hold on to her favorites and eschew disposable fashion.

     Birch Valley knit-top dress in red floral with navy blue gingham      check skirt and house pocket for secret treasures

        Stoneybrook peasant dress in Red stripe and Magnolia print

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMeasure

http://www.facebook.com/TheMeasureDesigns?fref=ts

Day 60 ~ Pinterest Apple Crisp

Pinterest Apple Crisp

Since I've started pinning on pinterest, I'm pretty sure I've never taken the time to go back and reflect on many of my pins..  I've never baked those delicious recipes, I've never attempted one DIY, or went shopping for all the beautiful fashion that I've pinned.  I do admit I once tried getting my hair cut from a adorable hair pin, but let's just say I hope my apple crisp turns out better..

Tuesday blogging is about to change that, each Tuesday will be dedicated to something I've liked or pinned one one of my boards.  For years my mother has made this to die for apple crisp and I've actually always felt my baking skills weren't even worthy of trying to duplicate..  Today I searched high and low to find the easiest receipe possible for apple crisp and this is what I found:

http://eyelikesfood.blogspot.com/search/label/apple%20crisp%20crisp

 

I forgot to put the brown sugar in the picture but obviously you need brown sugar

Slice apples in 1 inch cubes

Preheat over to 375

Put apple cubes in pan and mix all ingredients together in bowl.  Yes, that easy!

Spoon the mixed ingredients on the cubed apples

It looks gooey and yummy

Tristan said it was good but still didn't compare to Grandma's.. He had two pieces so it must of been kinda delicious....

4 large or 5 regular granny smith apples

1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. white flour

1 C. oats (old fashioned quaker oats)

1 1/2 sticks salted butter (softened)

2 tsp. cinnamon

*cut up apples into chunky bite size pieces about an inch wide with skin on an put into greased 9x13 GLASS casserole dish... it makes it more moist and cooks the apples quicker. 

*mix ingredients together- butter will be lumpy, but you can cut it with a couple butter knives to help.

*pour over apples and smooth out.

BAKE: 375

TIME: 20-30 minutes

*eat warm or cooled. with vanilla icecream or without.

*this is also really good to replace apples with rhubarb.

Day 59 ~ New Arrivals

our

What's New at Italy Ava this Week?

Monday ~ Visit Ali
Hours: Noon-4pm
Leiah and I are heading to a photo shoot at 10am with Studio B.  It was such a crazy week with fashion flying out the door, I'm not even sure we have much to model but do want to focus on the Niki Biki seamless ware line..  The fabric on the tanks, leggings, and now long sleeve shirts is pretty dreamy for these cold temperatures...

Tuesday ~ Visit Laura
Hours: 10am - 6pm
We apologize for the hold up on the boots but I've checked tracking twice and they will be arriving Tuesday..  We will be taking hold request but only for 24 hours...

Wednesday ~ Visit Leiah
10am - 6pm

Happy Halloween. 

 Stop in and trick or treat with us and make a free headband..  We haven't offered this promotion since Valentines Day so girls don't miss out..  And for those cute little boys, stop in for a special little treat too..

Don't forget to capture your children's adorable costumes and donate to a good cause

Thursday ~ Visit Leiah & Eden
10am - 7pm
Thursday is the day of fashion..  We have a huge selection of fun fashion finds coming in..  Here are some of my favorites..  Once again we will find one piece to do the "deal of the week" as we did the stripe sweater last week.  

Friday ~ Visit Leiah & Laura
Hours: 10am - 6pm
Jenni from Chewbeads contacted me last week and a brand new product for teething babies..
 Mulberry Teethers for baby!  They come in 4 colorways:  Turquoise, Punchy Pink, Black and Stormy Grey and are packaged in a great gift box.  Hopefully they will arrive just before Christmas..

Saturday ~ Visit Leiah &Ali
Hours: 10am ~ 4pm
There is never a dull moment on Saturday's, the store is always buzzing and  the new arrivals are all finally out..  Don't forget to check out all the new Christmas scents from Indigo Wild.  They even have the wood balls soaked in spruce.

They're super soaked in aromatic oils. Wherever these balls bounce, aura-altering scents will follow: dresser, closet, bathroom, car, gym bag or office drawers. Load up a vase for room refreshment. Five super-scented balls to a set


Have a super week,
Laura ~ Italy Ava
Mixing a Bit of Vintage with Total Sophistication

Day 58 ~ Halloween Face Painting

Halloween Face Painting

Salon 101

Have you picked out your Halloween costume yet?  If not don't spend the excessive amount to get that Batman and Cat Woman costume overnight because I have another option.  Salon 101 is offering exotic, scary, cute, enchanted or whatever it is you need, to make your Halloween party night fabulous.  

Check them out on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/salon101mn?fref=ts

IDEAS

http://www.facepaintforum.com/t9090-unicorn-birthday-party-ideas

http://media.photobucket.com/image/puppy%20face%20paint/chiyo_chan23/puppy_face_paint_denver450x600.jpg

DIY Cat Pumpkin

Love Fall. Love Pumpkins. 

Love when I can decorate pumpkins for my porch! If you have pinterest, you know there are a TON of ideas to decorate, paint, glue, etc your pumpkin into a masterpiece. The other day I found a CUTE cat pumpkin and thought I need to do this for my house :) And it's super easy. Here is a quick DIY on an adorable little cat. 

Supplies needed:

Pumpkin :)

hot glue gun

pipe cleaners in black & hot pink ( or any color of your choice )

triangle or button in orange for the nose

googley eyes

black spray paint

White puffy paint

First thing, spray that pumpkin black! And let it dry, it might take awhile..

Next, gather your pink pipe cleaners, and cut them in half. 

I used 2, so I got 4 after cutting. I am using these for the whiskers!! Hello cute kitty :)

Take one black pipe cleaner, fold in half, and twist a little and bend to make an ear. Do this twice.

Attach the ears to the top of the pumpkin with your glue gun. See, he's already looking cute!!

I took about 3 black pipe cleaners, twisted them together and bent them in a curly shape to form the tail. Really easy! 

Then attach the tail to the back, and make sure you bend it up so you can see it..

Attach his whiskers and googley eyes.. :)

Then cut a small piece of orange felt into a triangle, or use a button, and attach right on top of the whiskers. Almost done!

Add some white paint for the mouth and your are done! Super easy and very adorable little kitty cat!! How cute for your front door?! Meow :)

Day 56 ~ Born to be Alive

Born to be Alive

As I sit here looking at a blank page, I ask myself what should I say and how am I going to share our story?

It isn’t a happy uplifting story. It is about depression, resulting in the loss of our beautiful son Evan Daniel Carrow by suicide September 9, 2008.

I will begin by telling you about Evan…

Evan Daniel Carrow a.k.a. “Evan from Heaven” was the light of our life, our true gift from God.

He was smart, funny, serious, sensitive, giving, artistic, and curious about Faith.  Yes, he had many questions about God &Religion. He asked me,” Mom how can you have so much Faith when there are so many bad things happening to good people?” Four years ago when he asked me that question I didn’t know how to answer him. Today I do.  I would say, “Evan at age 17 it is hard to know these things when you haven’t lived long enough to learn it and develop a strong Faith in someone or something that you cannot see or touch. You just need to believe.”  All I said that day was, “You just need to believe.” I understand today that was too generic of an answer, he needed more guidance.

One month later Evan took his own life. All those clues he was giving us about his struggle with depression went misunderstood. Because he was so smart, loving and giving we didn’t truly see his struggle. We, like so many others thought that he was just like any other teen. He had ups and downs just like we did at his age. We would share our own growing experiences whenever he needed help with a problem and gave him the love, guidance and reassurance we thought would help fix the problem.

We learned that was not enough but not until it was too late.

After Evan left us by suicide we knew that we wanted to spare anyone else of the pain and loss we will go through the rest of our lives.

With the help of our sister Nancy Carrow we approached Avera Marshall Foundation with the idea of establishing the “Tribute to Evan Carrow Fund” to help educate the community about depression and suicide. A partnership which involved Marshall High School, Avera Marshall Psychiatry Associates, Avera Marshall Behavioral Health Center and Western Mental Health Center brought together a focus group of Marshall High School students.

Our goal became a reality when this group formed the “Born to Be Alive”. The teens created the name of the group and designed the logo for the T-shirt. That was just the beginning; all involved also campaigned and organized their first community event in April 2009. It was a success and is being done annually. Their goal was to reach out to encourage teens to seek help if they are having struggles. Also to educate family and friends to know the signs of depression so they can recognize if a loved one is suffering from this disease.  It is so important to teach others to understand that people don’t choose to suffer with depression any more than they choose to suffer from any other disease or illness. Depression is real and can lead to suicide if not treated.

After we lost Evan I myself refused to get myself help with my own depression. I told myself if I didn’t recognize the seriousness of my own son’s depression it wouldn’t be fare to get myself help. I was very wrong. With time I realized that I couldn’t fix myself and that I needed medical help besides the love and guidance of all who love me.

The next four years many things happened to help light my way. The “Born to Be Alive” group was formed, we were able to get a Teen Screen Program into the Marshall Schools, and teachers were being trained to recognize the signs of depression in the students, and many other things.

There is a new store in town,” Italy Ava’s”. Wow! This was my kind of store. The shop keeper is so kind and has so many awesome things to sell.  I found that the best thing that Laura ever sold me was her unconditional love and friendship. When I look into her eyes I don’t see pity or judgment, I see pure honesty. Laura offered to help us sell our T-Shirts to help raise awareness of teen depression and suicide and to stop the stigma of depression. The support she gives me is amazing. Also a percent of each shirt sold goes into the” Evan Carrow Fund” so we can continue with our promise that we made to Evan to keep learning, helping and educating others of the disease of depression.

September is Suicide Prevention month but to us it is our way of life everyday. We must maintain healthy lives year round. It is important too understand that long before suicidal thoughts occur, feelings of helplessness, failure or lack of belonging sets in. Depression is treatable and suicide is preventable with the help of therapy, medications, family, friends and Faith.

We want to celebrate Evans life because there is so much more to our beautiful son than only to be remembered for how he died. When you look at the photo below of our three sons’, Joshua, Evan and Trenton please smile because that is how we remember the day this photo was taken… a snowy blissful day.

Thank you for reading one “Page” of our story. I found that there is not enough paper, or I am just not ready to write a whole chapter yet… Shannon Carrow

Day 55 ~ Witches Night Out

Witches Night Out

http://blessedwildapplegirl.tumblr.com

Come visit us tonight from 5pm to 8pm 

 Witches Night Out

Wear a witch hat and receive 20% off your clothing and jewelry purchase.

Fun Fact on Witches  

-In the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, nineteen people were killed, because they were accused of Witchcraft.
-Those accused of Witchcraft were tried, if you admitted to being a Witch, your life was spared and you were used in other trials to help determine if the person being tried was in truth a Witch or not.
-If you were accused and pleaded not guilty, you were hung.
-One person was pressed to death in Salem. He would not admit to the fact that he was a Witch, so they piled rocks on his chest until - they hoped - he confessed, but in the end, he did not, and so he died from the weight of the rocks.
-A lot of wealthy people were accused of Witchcraft because when they were found guilty, all their properties belonged to the state, so it was a lot more profitable to accuse a rich woman than a poor woman.
-You were accused of Witchcraft if you spoke French, if you talked to yourself, if you did not go to church or if you did not go to the right church, if you were not married, if you did not respect a man's authority, and so on.
-On June 10th, 1692, Bridget Bishop was the first accused Witch to be hung on Gallows Hill, just outside of Salem.
-Other forms of trial they used - not in Salem - included to push you down a hill, while you were in a barrel, into a lake; if you died, then they were sorry that you were falsely accused, if you did not die, then it was presumed that you were a Witch, therefore they killed you. They could also stick you hand in a fire for a certain amount of time, if you burned, then you were stuck with a burnt hand, but you were not accused. If you did not burn, you were accused of being a Witch, and they killed you.
-The Puritans executed 'Witches' because of paranoia.
-No one knows the exact number of accused "Witches" who died in prison.
-The royal governor Sir William Phelps established the court in Salem to deal with the cases.

Day 54 - Best Soups

~ Top Soups of Fall ~

There is nothing better than soup in the fall. The aroma of something delicious cooking after work or a nice fall weekend. 

Of course there are so many soups to try, these are a few of our favorites! We would love to have you share your recipes with us!!

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

Lasagna Soup. This recipe is amazing!!

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

 

Cheesy Potato Soup

Chili, YUM! 

http://eclecticrecipes.com/everything-chili

http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2011/03/24/lasagna-soup/

http://www.between3sisters.com/2010/10/spicy-cheeseburger-soup.html

http://www.cuisinerecipes.com/2012/03/22/cheesy-potato-soup/2/

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/best-soups-stews-829589/#Tortellini%20Vegetable%20Soup;21