Monday, December 28, 2009

neck warmer

i'm so sorry its been a ghost town up in here. i had really grand intentions of blogging through the whole holiday season. i wanted to share so many things, but i just couldn't bring myself to make the time.

i am back however and my future looks as if i will have plenty of time to get back to blogging.

today i tried my hand at a neck warmer. i had been partly dreaming it up in my head and partl collecting ideas from others i had seen.




i started with a black jersey dress i no longer wanted.
i cut one long strip.


i pinned the two ends together with a few pleats as well.



i cut up an old red cotton shirt into three strips.
i arranged them into flower like shapes.



i hand sewed each one onto my neck warmer.



my neck is now ready for the rest of the winter. 

Friday, December 11, 2009

thrift store jewelry

while thrifting with two friends this week, i came across some killer cheap jewelry for projects i had been thinking of. score!



this was the first necklace i found.
it was a little too long and i wanted to remove the yucky gold beads.
this necklace was $3.



not too much needed to be done,
 but it still looks much better.



this necklace was $2.
i wanted to turn these plain wooden beads into....



this necklace from martha stewart.



sadly it broke in the middle of the necklace.



however i fashioned it into this necklace, which i still love.


Monday, December 7, 2009

craft fair bust #2

so you know how i did a craft fair 2 weeks ago and it didn't go so hot? well, i tried again.

so hopefull, i diligently added to my inventory and excitedly prepared for the event.

this time instead of making nothing, i made $17. well then you subtract $10 for the cost of the table, so i officially made $7. oh yes that was over 4 hours.

i know we are not hitting our 'target audience'..... but how can i only sell $17 worth of goods?!?!

so i would like to enlist your help..... is it my table? is it my merchandise? just give it to me straight. my crafting career depends on you!



the beginning of the craft fair, so blindly happy



top tier- gift card holders, second tier- barrets,
third tier- headbands (like the one i am sporting), to the right- a variety of bracelets



gift bags



wine bags



our entire table, abby included

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

top tres tuesday || sweet potatoes

yes its true. sweet potatoes are my favorite. i really could eat them everyday! plus they are supposedly healthy then their cousin, the white potato. here are my {top tres} ways to enjoy sweet potatoes.


~numero uno: sweet potato fries

of all the ways to make them, this simple recipe is best. i could eat these EVERY day, not joking.



thinly slice sweet potatoes. sprinkle with olive oil, salt and garlic. cook for 40 minutes at 375 or till desired. *try with hiney mustard dipping sauce

~numero dos: apple, sweet potato and turkey sausage bake

this was a recipe i found at a blog i follow, thy hand hath provided. this basic recipe is so yummy and perfect for this holiday time.

1 lb turkey sausage
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 apples, thinly sliced
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 c water
*i added a dash of garlic powder and rosemary to turkey sausage

brown the sausage. line sweet potatoes then apples in a greased baking dish. layer browned sausage on top. mix flour, cinnamon, salt and water, pour over sausage. cover with foil and cook for 1 hour at about 350.

~numero tres- sweet potato and black bean burrito




i had these for the first time about a year ago. i was honestly skeptic because it just doesn't sound all that appetizing. i was wrong wrong wrong. they were so yummy and incredibly filling. i made them for our dear friend laura. you may remember her from my posts at work. she is a vegetarian, so this seemed like a good dish.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
4 minced cloves garlic
1 1/2 cans of black beans, drained
1/4 c water
1 tbsp chili powder
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
10 flour tortillas (approximately)
2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

heat oil in pan, add onions and garlic. cook until soft. add black beans and mash. add water, chili powder, salt, pepper and soy sauce. divide bean mixture, sweet potatoes and cheese over tortillas, wrap like a burrito. place on greased baking sheet. bake for 12 minutes at 375.



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

happy thanksgiving pumpkin pie





i made this pumpkin pie well before thanksgiving because i will be working (sigghhhh) thanksgiving night and also because its sooooo good. hope you can try it!


caramel pecan pumpkin pie
1 pie crust
2 beaten eggs
15 oz canned pumpkin (i used fresh)
1/4 c half and half
3/4 c sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter

stir together eggs, pumpkin and half and half. mix in sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. pour mixture into baked pie crust. bake for 25 minutes at 375. in small bowl stir brown sugar, pecans and slightly melted butter. pour mixture over pie and bake for another 20 minutes.

 

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

top tres tuesday || update crafting

before i get to my updates, i need to confess something... i've not been motivated to blog. it's like just one more chore that i have to get to. ugh. i'm hoping to be re inspired by the holiday season and the nice new camera i have my eye on.



i know i told you i would be updating you on a craft show i would be selling at, but maybe you can just look at abby's post about it instead? i 1) forgot to take pictures and 2) don't have the energy. it was a flop, but i'm still glad we did it. hopefully it will make us better for whenever we find another craft fair to be a part of.

soooooo back to top tres tuesday. i've been crafting as much as my schedule will allow right now. aka- not a lot.


numero uno- recycling coffee bags (i have friends from one village coffee. they let me have some of their coffee bags for my sewing ventures. i made this apron, which didn't turn out as nice as i would've liked but can't wait to try again.)




numero dos- yoga bags (these are two i just made spur of the moment. i thought about selling them at the craft fair, but didn't. they fit a little too snug around the mat.)






numero tres- bracelets (i made like a ton of these for the craft show. oh yea.... i sold ONE.)



 

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

someones birthday.....


 {happy birthday to my very very bestest friend}


*this was our very first photo together EVER. eating dal bhat in nepal.

ugh thats right... its W's birthday! last night we celebrated my husband's 31st birthday.




what were his birthday dinner wishes? to make something i have not even dared before... thai food. i tried to muster all my culinary courage and tackle this meal. here is how it went down.....

tom yum soup (changed slightly from thai table )

3 c water
1 c chicken broth
1 stem lemon grass
1 c shrimp
1 juice of lime
2 tbsp fish sauce
sprinkle of cilantro
1 to 3 chili peppers

bring water, chicken broth and sliced lemon grass to a boil. add shrimp, cilantro and diced peppers. divide lime juice and fish sauce in between the 2 bowls you plan on eating soup from. after shrimp has completely cooked, serve immediately.

red curry chicken (changed slightly from temple of thai )
1 lb chicken
2 c coconut milk (1 can)
3 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 c torn sweet thai basil
2 tbsp fish sauce
salt and pepper
sugar

pour 1 c of the coconut milk into wok, bring to boil. add red curry paste and chicken until meat is cooked thoroughly. add remaining coconut milk, basil, fish sauce, salt, pepper and sprinkle of sugar. serve over basmati rice.

sorry i forgot take pix of the actual meals.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

don't throw it out

i really wanted to show you two yoga mat bags i made today. our camera battery charge has up and left us to some forgotten part of the house. i guess no pictures till then! i created the 2 bags because me and abby are planning to sell our goods at a craft show in lansdale. how excitinnnng! i'll let you have a peak of all the goodies i've made later.




i am reading a few new books. the first is 'don't throw it out: recycle, renew and reuse to make things last' by lori baird. i'm only a few chapters in but here are some ideas i thought i'd pass on from the first chapter:

- to resoften stale cookies, put a slice of white bread in the cookie jar
-if you've over salted a soup, add raw peeled potato to the soup and remove when finished
-bake stale crackers at 250 for a few mintues to make them crisp again
-if you are about to throw out the last bit of a bottle of wine, freeze it in a ice cube tray. use cubes whenever a recipe calls for wine.

and lastly please enjoy this song as much as me.  anyone want to join a traveling folk band with me?

Sunday, November 8, 2009

quiche me

i love to make quiches. they are so easy and you can put anything in them. well ya know not everyyyyything, but just about.

here is my favorite.

1 pie crust
6 eggs
1/2 c milk
cooked and shredded turkey bacon (i use about 4 slices)
1/2 c crumbled goat cheese
3 slices of onion
salt, pepper, and garlic powder

bake pie crust at 350 for 15 minutes. mix eggs, milk, bacon, cheese and seasonings. pour into pie crust. bake for 20 minutes. saute onions.



once onions have browned and the quiche has started to firm up, sprinkle onions on top. continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes. enjoy.


Friday, November 6, 2009

gift bags

i'm finally back to getting some sewing done!
here are a few things i've been working on to prepare for the holiday season....



this one i cannot really take credit for. i received a gift from my friend molly
that was wrapped the exact same way. i use this to wrap
up a gift card.



these i will use for smaller christmas presents.
if your name starts with 'k' and you are
expecting a christmas present from me,
just ignore this!



the fleece bag on the left has a beaded snowflake.
the bag on the right has been made from an old
dress shirt of bill's.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

the unhealthy truth




i don't normally feel compelled by any books i read. i'm typically a fiction kinda girl.
'the unhealthy truth: how our food is making us sick- and what we can do about it' by robyn o'brein has changed me. forgive me if i get really overexcited and fired up when i talk about it, its hard not to.

you need to read this book if.....

a) you have any allergies, food sensitivities or food allergies
b) you have kids
c) you've thought about going organic but are unsure
d) you are interested in how our government controls our food

i read this book thinking i knew a lot to begin with. i watched food inc, big ideas for a small planet, i eat organic and i know why, i've read up on these issues. however this book went to a whole other scarier, deeper level. there is too much information to give you all the horrible details, but try try try to read it!

ok, off the soap box.
thanks for listening.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

top tres tuesday || back






hi.
i'm back.
i've actually been back since thursday...i just haven't written.
sorry.

since it is tuesday.... here are the top tres highlights of my week long trip at work.



numero uno- sunset in turks and caicos



numero dos- sunrise in bahamas

 

numero tres- a week with friends, while getting paid

 
 







 i promise to try not to leave you all again for so long.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Everything Important...no butts about it.

Jessica has been kindly and patiently asking me to "guest blog" for her and thought it would make perfect sense to do so while she is away.  I must admit I have been putting this off as I could not think of anything "creative".  I first heard of a blog about 5 or 6 years ago and thought, "who the heck would want to read about what some guy ate for breakfast and look at pictures only relevant to him and his".  And where did the word "Blog" come from anyway?  (I had to look it up as obvious as it may seem, Web Log = Blog).  Hhhmm...Well my eyes have been opened to the fact that a Blog can be much more than narcissistic people wanting to feel important.  This could not be any more evident than this Blog right here.  The posture of humility in the title alone suggests that this is a person who gently opens her life to anyone interested to share in what makes her human.  It is fun, interesting, informative, open, loving and creative...all qualities of Jessica. Well I miss Jessica terribly, my wife is the most amazing woman I have ever known and ever will know.  Her absence is the only thing on my mind so I shall blog about just that...so let me take this opportunity to try and show why this woman is everything that is important to me and always top of mind:

Jess is...


Fun and Funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0PjJQOdtbo
(must watch)

Cute
 












Beautiful



Loving













Creative


Intelligent



All these amazing things for some reason she married this guy:

yes, they are D&G woman's sunglasses!

I can NOT WAIT until you come home J, I really miss you!

B-

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

leaving on a jet plane




yes that is correct. i am leaving... again. this time it is for work. since my last post about work was received so kindly, i will try to post up this entire trip when i get back.

here you will find the exact details of my trip, in case you want to stalk me of course:

{thur} limo to jfk,  jfk to pls (turks and caicos)
    46 hour rest in pls
{sat} pls to nas (nassua, bahamas), nas to jfk to atl (atlanta)
   30 hours rest in atl
{mon} atl to nas (nassua, bahamas)
   29 hours rest in nas
{tues} nas to pls
   25 hours rest in pls
{wed} pls to atl, atl to pit (pittsburg)
   11 hours rest in pit
{thur} pit to phl (HOME)


exhausting right? so needless to say, i won't be talking to you guys any time soon. i am trying persuade willy to give you a post or two, but who knows if that'll happen.

buhhh  bye.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

top tres tuesday || halloween

since i am loving this fall season, i thought you would like to know the costumes i've wishfully picked out for halloween. i say wishfully because i don't have a cat, a baby or a dog. it matters not. enjoy....

1. i would so make this if i had a cat to put it on. i would make him where it year round though.



 isn't that hilarious? he looks like he is trying to sell you car insurance. if you have a furry friend to dress up, get this at etsy. pronto.


2.  major points for creativity.



this sushi dog costume is also at esty.


3. i fell off my chair when i saw this. can anyone let me borrow their kid?



you guessed it, this gnome costume is at etsy!