Jennuine

MAGICAL BOOKS FOR BEDTIME Here are some of our favorite stories to share with our little ones at bedtime, sure to set their imaginations in motion for a magical journey to dreamland. Good Night, Fairies , by Kathleen Hague~ “Children enamored with the notion of fairies will drink up Kathleen and Michael Hague's lush picture book like nectar. When a mother is asked by her child about how fairies spend their days and nights, she embarks on a dreamy account of these mysterious, magical creatures. For starters, fairies hang the stars in the sky each evening "so every child will have a night-light." They also teach birds to sing, paint the wings of butterflies, comb mermaids' hair, and sleep "on leafy beds in secret gardens." The wondering child falls asleep to these poetic musings, welcomed to dreamland by the fairies. Lyrical colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations, filled with elaborate detail, accompany this gentle bedtime story. Readers are challe

Greek “Meatball” Pitas Trying to find clever ways to get your kids to eat their veggies? These Spanakopita inspired turkey meatballs are devoured by kids and grown-ups alike. The meatballs are also great as a warm or cold appetizer ~ just add toothpicks and a bowl of our greek yogurt dip (TZATZIKI). They pack well in lunchboxes too! 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling 1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1 10oz. box frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 pound feta cheese, finely crumbled 1 package ground turkey breast (approx. 1 – 1 1/3 pounds) 2 teaspoons salt 1 package pita or flat bread Tzatziki 1/3 cup seedless cucumber peeled, trimmed and chopped 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped 1 1/2 to 2 cups Greek Yogurt 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 tsp oregano Salt and pepper to taste Toppings Chopped lettuce Chopped tomatoes Chopped cucumber Kalamata olives Thinly sliced re

Blueberries are in season, so make a batch of these perfectly delicious muffins today... Ingredients: 4 TB (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly 2 cups (10 ounces) AP flour 1 TB baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 large egg 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) sour cream 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed Crumb Cap Topping (See step 12 below) Powdered sugar for dusting Preheat oven to 350. Adjust rack to middle position. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk egg in a second medium bowl until well-combined and light in color (approx. 20 seconds). Add sugar and whisk until thick and color lightens to a pale yellow. Add melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine. Add the berries to the dry ingredients. Gently toss to coat berries. Add the wet mixture and fold with

Today, Rook No. 17 compadre Ahnalisa M. (a fantastic artist and all around cool chica) asked if we had any leads on sources for oilcloth with modern prints. Most of what's out there tends to be the same old checkers, fruit and other things often sported by the cast of Hee Haw. Well Ahna, here are some alternatives Check out Mendel's Far Out Fabrics ( http://www.mendels.com/ ). Of course they have the standards, but check out the print called "San Miguel", my Frida lovin' friend. Fabricworm on Etsy has some great Japanese imports http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5973558 , search under "oilcloth" R&R Mexico Supply on Etsy has some great Mexican imports: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7073924&section_id=6018357

Since J.K. Rowling released the first of her Harry Potter series in 1997, children's literature has been reinvigorated by a new breed of children's novel ~ sophisticated, complex, sometimes dark...sounds like we're describing a new kind of chocolate bar. But the point is that the dumbed-down stories with plot lines flimsier than a Hollywood marriage are no longer the only books on the shelf. Kids weren't the only ones lined up in front of stores at midnight awaiting the next adventure of Rowling's boy-wizard. And you needn't be the age where overalls still look cute to enjoy any of the following books on our list. In fact, if you make these books a part of your family reading over the summer (and we hope you do) you may just find it hard to stop from reading on even after your kids have fallen asleep. The Inven tion of Hugo Cabret , by Brian Selznick: This beautiful "novel in words and pictures" tells the story of young Hugo Cabret , an orphan l

DO YOU KEEP FINDING THE SAME OLD TIRED FABRICS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK? CHECK OUT ROOK NO. 17'S PICKS FOR THE BEST FABRIC RESOURCES ONLINE: SUPERBUZZY ~ http://www.superbuzzy.com/index.php ~ adorable kawaii fabrics, notions & trims, tools and kits OILCLOTH ALLEY ~ http://www.oilclothalley.com/ ~ incredible selection of oilcloth fabric THE FABRIC FAIRY ~ http://www.thefabricfairy.com/index.php/retail/ ~European & Japanese fabrics, organic, sustainable and bamboo fabrics THE FABRIC HOUND ~ http://www.fabrichound.com/store/index.php ~ European & Japanese fabrics, twill tape, nifty iron-ons J CAROLINE CREATIVE ~ http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/ ~ great selection of fabrics, patterns, trims and ribbons REPRODEPOT FABRICS ~ http://reprodepot.com/ ~ amazing selection of vintage reproduction fabrics, plus Japanese imports and much more SWEETFLAVOR ETSY SHOP ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5111444 ~ Here's an etsy shop from California

HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN YOUR KIDS TO SEE A MOVIE THAT LOOKED SWEET AND INOFFENSIVE ONLY TO FIND THAT IT CONTAINED LANGUAGE, SITUATIONS, OR BEHAVOIR THAT YOU THEN HAD TO AWKWARDLY EXPLAIN ON THE DRIVE HOME? HAVE YOU EVER WISHED THAT THERE WAS A PLACE YOU COULD GO, BEFORE VENTURING OUT TO THE THEATRE, WHERE SOMEONE HAS DONE ALL PRE-SCREENING FOR YOU? THE RESOURCE EXISTS. IT IS EASY TO USE AND COSTS NOTHING. INTRODUCING: KIDS-IN-MIND Their Mission: "The purpose of kids-in-mind.com is to provide parents and other adults with objective and complete information about a film's content so that they can decide, based on their own value system, whether they should watch a movie with or without their kids.It's like a food labeling system which tells you what a food item contains. That's it. We make no judgments about what is good or bad or anything else. Indeed, we do not "condemn," "critique" or "criticize" movies. And we don't "p

You'll have to pardon our bawdy enthusiasm, but Wired Magazine's Lore Sjoberg is FRICKIN' HILAROUS. On his insightful, witty & slightly warped "BOOK of RATINGS" you can check out his thoughts on such topics as Conspiracy Theories, Pasta Shapes, Wart Remedies, Marvel Supervillians, State Quarters, Facial Hair, Things from the Dollar Store, and a personal favorite here at the Rookery "Names for Felis Concolor" (that's a Mountain Lion in these here parts). Here's a little taste from "FISHER-PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE " The Upset Freckled Boy Child: It's nice of Fisher-Price to include a dissident among all the smiling Little Constantly Happy People. A dissident with his hat on sideways, so you know he's trouble. He's unquestionably the sort of hard-hearted delinquent who steals apples from Old Man Croody's yard and says "Nuts to you!" to authority figures. I like him. Grade: A You like? Tempted? Try so

http://www.goodguide.com/ ROOK NO. 17 LOVES GOODGUIDE. HERE'S WHY: "What chemicals are in your baby shampoo? Was sweatshop labor used to make your t-shirt? What products are the best, and what products should you avoid? Increasingly, you want to know about the impacts of the products you buy. On your health. On the environment. On society. But unless you’ve got a Ph.D, it is almost impossible to find out the impacts of the products you buy. Until now… GoodGuide provides the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home. WITH GOODGUIDE YOU CAN: Find safe, healthy and green products that protect you and your family Search or browse over 70,000 food, toys, personal care, & household products to see what’s really beneath the label Use expert advice and recommendations on products to quickly learn the impacts of what you buy Find better products and make purchasing d

Rook No. 17 was there to check out the first trunk show from Sprout Boutique . They have a wonderful selection of unique apparel and gift items for babies and toddlers. Have you experienced the new fabrics being spun from Bamboo? Yes, bamboo, that stuff that Pandas eat. This new fabric is simply incredible! It has the softness of silk, but with excellent washability and durability ~ a dream fabric for children's clothing. Sprout Boutique is carrying an exceptional line of chic bamboo clothes from Kicky Pants. Sprout Boutique is now carrying the following product lines: Kicky Pants Organic Bamboo Infant & Toddler Clothing Isa Booties - Organic & Eco-Friendly Dimples Socks Baberoo Organic Cotton Legwarmers Giddy, Giddy Hair Clippies Spitz, Handmade Burp Cloths Empress Arts Accessories, Clothing, Gifts & Accessories Tourance Blankies & Bib/Burp Sets, Made in San Francisco Sprout Boutique's Very Own Original - Give Peas A Chanc

Looking for an easy and fun project to do with your child that yields darling results? Consider purchasing a pattern for one of the soft and sweet little original characters from Sarah at "Bit of Whimsy Dolls". Her patterns are easy to follow and are reasonably priced. With a little time, some fun fabrics, and basic sewing know-how, you can create the most delightful hand-made gifts for birthdays, baby showers, etc, that are sure to be coveted. You can find Sarah at http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/ . She even has some free patterns that are just too cute to pass up.