French Toast

In our home we are breakfast eaters. We love waking up and smelling homemade pancakes, waffles and especially French toast. When we switched our diets we discovered that day old spelt or kamut bread, works amazing in our favourite French Toast recipe.

Our favourite French Toast:

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 cup soya milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp of orange juice
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of grated orange rind (don't omit this, the orange rind makes it so delicious!)
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 vegan margarine
 8 slices of spelt or kamut bread
maple syrup

Step 1: In a large bowl whisk together eggs, soya milk, brown sugar, orange juice, vanilla and cinnamon; set aside.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of the margarine. Dip 1 slice of bread at a time into the egg mixture, press down and let soak for 10 seconds, turn and press again for 10 seconds.
Step 3: Fry the soaked bread in the hot pan for 1-2 minutes on each side, until it is golden.

Pour on the maple syrup and enjoy!

Polka Dot, Polka Dot, Polka Dot, Stripes!

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." ~ Coco Chanel

We love this quote and agree a hundred billion percent. Classy and fabulous can be done and is how we like to style our outfits.
With the nice weather in town, we have been playing with our clothes : ) and in particular, playing with patterns and prints.
Patterns are everywhere and can be at times extremely overwhelming.
How do you wear them? Put them together? Make them work so you don't look like: 'the local pattern loving eccentric girl' seen below? (even though her confidence rocks the outfit)

Have no fear! The Daisies are here!
We love patterns,and prints and hope you do too. Be brave, pull out your clothes and have some fun!
All of our clothing that we found is from sale finds at Zara's, the GAP, Target and H&M


On Miss Charlotte:






















































TIP 1: Wear little prints together.
Tiny prints are key to pulling off pattern on pattern.
Charlotte has a blue leopard print cardigan, over a tiny polka dot t-shirt. They work together because of the small print. It doesn't hurt your eyes, but contrasts nicely. She tones it down with the solid coral pants in the same colour tone as the t-shirt. On her feet she has on tiny print birkenstalks, that are a neutral colour and complete her creative look!


On our Fair Lady Leah:























































TIP 2: Wear the patterns in the same colour tones
Leah has on rose coloured cigarette pants with a tiny pink polka dot pattern, and a thin stripped  top. Her shirt is a neutral cream colour, which breaks up the pattern and doesn't hurt your eyes. To add a little pop to her pretty look, she has on lovely leopard print flats.

On Miss Renee Mary Michelle






















































TIP 3: Wear a dark print and a light print
The mustard yellow and navy polka dot skirt, match with the navy blue butterfly print tee because of the contrast dark and light. To balance your outfit  wear a base colour, like the navy blue. I have on a navy blue shirt, navy blue polka dots and navy blue flats. Again the small prints aren't overwhelming, but add enough for an outfit with pizazz!

A Friday Ritual

one photo without explanation. A moment captured- a time to be still, to breathe and remember.

Happy Friday!

 

No Sew, Easy Peasy Circle Scarf!

Charlotte saw the circle scarf at an art show here in town for a lot of money. It was jersey cotton, thin and did not look worth $40.00. After playing around with her own stash of shirts from St. Vincent and old hand me downs from her sisters, she discovered the pattern. It is easy, quick and so much fun to wear! They can be worn as a scarf or necklace.
 

 

What you need:









 

T-Shirts- Charlotte found men's 100 percent cotton XL shirts worked the best. 

Sharp pair of scissors

Embellishments: Leather, old jewellery, buttons etc. 

Hot glue gun 

 Steps:

1. Starting at the bottom hem, cut it off and save for later. 
2. Cut lengthwise strips 3/4 to 1 inch wide all the way up to the armpits. 
3. Toss away the sleeves and collar of the shirt. 
4. Once your have your strips cut, stretch them out, pulling them until the fabric curls. 

    










    




     5. Gather all your edges with a seam, and place aside in a large loop-it should like a scarf.

     6. Take your leftover top part of the shirt, and cut another strip. Wrap that new strip around the seams, to cover, tying a simple knot.

     7. Decorate!! Use leather, brooches, old jewellery etc. you can braid a few strips, basically  play and have fun. 

     8. Wear with pride! It's recycled, and you made it yourself! Voila.

Mamma Mia's Pizza

Pizza is one of our family’s favourite dinners. We love hearing that bread machine going, knowing that the yeasty smell of dough will be in our near future. Our Pizza Chef Mama figured out how to make a killer spelt crust, and we discovered the best meltable cheeseless cheese: Daiya cheese is our fave!

As you can tell in our pictures, our pizzas are split into three or four different kinds in one pizza pie. All of us have our own unique combinations, likes and dislikes. Our mama spoils us and caters to our ‘refined tastebuds’ : ) and we are forever grateful. 

 

What do you like on your pizza? The options are endless. 

Carole’s Pizza Dough Recipe 

Add in order in bread machine:

1 1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 Tbs of sugar or honey
2 tbsp of vegan margarine or butter
4 1/4 cup of whole spelt flour 5 cups of light spelt flour 
2 tsp of bread machine yeast

Preheat oven to 425’F
Once dough is done, knead for 1-2 min and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
For two pizzas, divide dough in half. Roll out an place on pizza pan, add desired toppings. Bake for 15-25 minutes until crust is golden. 
Enjoy! 

One Dress Three Ways!

“For years now I've kind of operated under an informal shopping cycle. A bit like a farmer's crop rotation system. Except, instead of wheat, maize, barley, and fallow, mine pretty much goes clothes, makeup shoes, and clothes (I don't bother with fallow). Shopping is actually very similar to farming a field. You can't keep buying the same thing, you have to have a bit of variety. Otherwise you get bored and stop enjoying yourself.” 
― Sophie Kinsella, Confessions of a Shopaholic

We love that quote. It makes us smile because we sometimes feel the same way. A little variety adds spice to your wardrobe, and makes you love your clothes all over again.

Charlotte rocks the sales at the GAP. Hands down. We will all be in the GAP, and Charlotte will emerge victorious with shirts, dresses, bags, shoes etc. that none of us even saw. An example would be this grey sweatshirt dress, it was a bit big, but only $5.00!! For that price, Charlotte was determined to make this great find work in her wardrobe. Turns out the $5.00 dress fits all three of us : ) Today we thought we would show you one item: the grey dress, three different ways.

On Lady Charlotte:

Bright pants echo summer and can be toned down with neutrals, like the grey dress and the peep toe wedges. Charlotte found her cool pants at the GAP ( yes I’m jealous), for only $10.00. She rolled up her pants to pull off the vintage capri look, and it shows off her dainty ankles : ) The peep toe wedges are a super find from Winners. 

To dress up the cotton dress, she has on a ruffled vintage scarf from Heaven's to Betsy, pearl bracelets from Joe Fresh, a thin leather belt from Forever 21 and her beloved friend Louis on her arm. 

On Miss Leah Alice Elizabeth

We call Leah’s look: The Romantic Book Lover. : ) Leah transforms the grey dress into a soft, frilly, girly look. She added the lace slip (so that our mama won’t tell us it’s too short!) from Forever 21, awesome, pattern white tights are Calvin Klein and were only $3.00 at the Bay!! ( I bought them for every girl I knew) the lovely lilac scarf is from Heaven’s to Betsy and the  twisted belt from Zara’s, cinches well at the waist and makes the grey dress more fitted.  The very unique beaded collar is from the 50’s and we found it in our favourite shop here: Madonna House Gift Shop
Nude flats from Zara's, a bright purse from Target, and a  pink ring from our Mama,  complete her look and make her look oh so romantic. 

On Mademoiselle Renee 

To switch up the dress a bit, I went for no belt as I like the tunic look. It goes well with the skinny dark denim Calvin Klein jeans major STEAL from Costco! They were only $15.00! and are super comfy. If you ever see those jeans again at Costco, please let us know immediately. ASAP. Pronto. Thanks : )
In my hair Leah wrapped a sparkly sequinned scarf from our friend Anne Carpen. Love you lady! The golden yellow purse is another find from Winners, and matches well with the faux fur yellow flats from Zara's. Yellow and grey is a nice colour combo, and is actually popular now in weddings (we are in the midst of our sister's wedding planning). 
The blue leather bracelet is from Heaven’s to Betsy, the silver wrapped bracelet is from Madonna House, the sterling silver and black antique locket is from Flock  and the turquoise ring is from a friend’s late stylish Belgium Mama.  

Alrighty now go dig in your wardrobe and see what you can wear three ways! It will surprise you!

How to do the Fishtail Braid

You might have noticed a different kind of braid around town these days. It’s called the Fishtail, and it looks like a very complicated, tricky hairstyle, but it’s not! 

It’s easy and thankfully braids are forever in style.  If you follow Leah’s super easy steps, you can do it too. 

We found this neat link..worth the read!

Neat article and slide show on braids

Leah's Steps:

(This is our first ever Crazy Daisies video. Bear with us dear readers as we learn the art of cinematography : )

Step 1: Divide hair into two sections 

Step 2: Take an inch piece of hair from the left side and cross it over into the hair in your right hand. I like to press my thumb against the piece of hair so that it doesn’t move. 

Step 3: Do the same thing to the other side :) Take a piece of hair from the right, an inch thick and cross it over to the hair in your left hand. 

Now repeat that over and over! 

The idea is to weave the hair back and forth, from left to right. 

It’s ok if loose ends stick out, looks more messy. If you want a more sleeker braid, do it when it’s wet and then hairspray. 

 

A Friday Ritual

one photo without explanation. A moment captured- a time to be still, to breathe and remember.

Happy Friday!

A Lesson with Matisse

"Creativity takes courage" ~ Henri Matisse.

Throughout our homeschooling years, our parents sprinkled art throughout our everyday activities. We spent many days on art projects, crafts, activities, read about artists, learned techniques  skills etc. Our parents taught us that art is not a separate activity to be done when Math or English was finished, but was just as important, and should  done alongside with Math, with English, etc. 

Today we thought we would share with you a lesson that we did together on Henri Matisse's Goldfish.

We love Matisse and his art. His paintings and colleges are full of life, colour and expression. 

I (Renee) wrote up this lesson while at University, (hence the rubrics) but you can change, modify and make it work for you and your family. A few years ago Charlotte and John both made their own versions of Matisse's Goldfish, and they are each uniquely beautiful. Actually they still hang on display in our family room. : ) 

So if you are a homeschooling mom, a teacher, a student or just you, take a peek, pull out your materials and have fun. 

Two Loves

Boston Love 

First of all our hearts and prayers go out to all those in Boston. We are a running family, all of us have been part of many races and our hearts are hurting.

In the face of such tragedy though, there is hope. The news and social media are full of stories of people rushing to help. Take a moment and check out these stories they will warm your heart. 

We pray for all those injured, for all those who are suffering, and most specifically we pray that this never happens again.

Guacamole Love 

On another note, we want to share with you our favourite Guacamole recipe. Charlotte came up with it, and we love her for it's creamy goodness. It is quick, healthy and a great snack! Pick up some ripe avocados and give it a try.
 

Ingredients

2 large avocados 

1-2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup of salsa

Juice of one lemon

baby tomatoes
3 green onions

Step 1: Mash avocados (we like to use a fork) 

Step 2: Chop garlic, and add to avocados. Add salsa and lemon juice. 

Step 3: Slice tomatoes and green onions then place on top. Add the pit of the avocado if you aren't going to eat the whole dish immediately  Good luck : ) 

to be or not to be creative...

Creativity at times can be challenging. Sometimes we-Crazy Daisies desire to be creative, to express ourselves but get stuck, busy, restless, and nothing creative gets done. No art is produced, projects are left for later and we feel down in the dumps. When that happens we turn to faith, to our inspiration walls, and we work at it. Being creative doesn't always happen, and sometimes we have to practice. And practice. And practice some more, and then turn up and do it again.



An amazing art quilt made by our mom Carole

Julia Cameron wrote these basic principles on how to live out the Artist's life and we thought we would share them with you:

Basic Principles of the Artist’s Way:

1.    Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.

2.    There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life–including ourselves.

3.    When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.

4.    We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.

5.    Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

6.    The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.

7.    When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction.

8.    As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle though powerful changes are to be expected.

9.    It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.

10. Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.

If you want to read more of the Artist's Way, check out: Julia Cameron

But I'm not an artist, how does this apply to me? ..you might be thinking : ) 

We believe that all of us have a creative nature, it just has to be explored. Our society tends to stereotype what it means to be creative: "Oh so and so is an artist, so they naturally are good at drawing," or "I could never do that, I'm not artsy enough."  To create is to make something new. It is in us all to create something new in our world today, to add a bit of ourselves to this huge tapestry of life.

So today perhaps make a list of all the things you might want to do, pick one and get cracking.
Happy Creating!

"“No matter what your age or your life path, whether making art is your career or your hobby or your dream, it is not too late or too egotistical or too selfish or too silly to work on your creativity.” 
― Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Head Scarf Fun

In the past, women wore scarves all the time, in many different ways. Around their head, around their neck, like a headband, like a hat, in a bow, in a turban. The options were endless. We find head scarves brilliant in hiding hair that needs to be washed. They are a perfect way to add a bit of style to your hair, without having to wash,  blow dry, curl, straighten etc. Leah is our expert at tying scarves and so today we are going to share her tips. We found these scarves at a second hand shop in Combermere Ontario, each one was only fifty cents. Most second hand shops have them, and when they do, snatch them up and give it a go!



How to Wear a Rectangle Scarf:































Step 1: Fold it in half length wise
Step 2: Fold it again length wise if scarf is wide.
Step 3: Wrap it at the nape of your neck, with both ends in each hand.
Step 4: Tie it in a simple knot on the side of your head
Step 5: Tuck ends into the scarf or tie into a pretty bow.


























































Voila~




The Knotted Crown:

































Step 1: Wrap it at the nape of your neck, with both ends in each hand
Step 2: Bring the ends to the top of your head, like you would wear a headband, and tie the scarf into a few knots.
Step 3: Tuck in the ends into the rest of the scarf around your head.






































Voila~


The Bow Band:

































*Similar to the Knotted Crown, but instead of knotting it on top of your head tie the scarf into a bow.
Enjoy! :)

































The Rose-Bud Band

































Step 1: Wrap scarf a few inches from the hairline.
Step 2: Criss-cross the scarf at the nape of the neck.
Step 3:Bring the ends up and tie into a knot on the side of your head.
Step 4: Tuck in the ends around the knot to form the "rose-bud" look.

























































Voila~


How to wear a Square Scarf:





















































































Step 1: Fold it into a triangle
Step 2: Wrap it around your head and tie it under your chin
Step 3: To avoid looking like a milkmaid turn the knot over to side, just like Jackie O


How to Wear a Super Long Scarf:


































Step 1: Wrap it at the nape of your neck, with both ends in each hand
Step 2: Bring the ends to the top of your head, like you would wear a headband, and cross them over, creating a twist. Leah twisted hers twice, but it depends on the length of your scarf
Step 3: Tuck in the ends into the rest of the scarf around your head.
































Voila~