hmmm, planning thanksgiving menu...
I have only made thanksgiving dinner once before, so I don't really have tried and true items that I've made a hundred times before.
** turkey, of course (I used a recipe last time where you stick lemons and oranges inside, and it came out great, so I'll probably do that again
** homemade rolls, I found a recipe with onions in it, in a cookbook called 'guilt free cooking'
** stuffing (or dressing as some call it) - I saw Rachel Ray on 30 min. meals make one with apples and onions, and she put mounds of it into a muffin pan and baked it, so it's already in individual portions and gets crispy, so I think I might try that.
** something with sweet potatoes, probably a dessert. I had 'sweet potato pie' as a kid that I've never been able to find a recipe for, but I keep trying different things.
** green beans, but I don't know if I'll do the regular old green bean casserole. I might blanche them quickly and then saute them with garlic
** Sasha is going to make a dessert. She wanted to make a tiny cake like the one she saw on the "CAKE BOSS" on TLC, (he made it in an easybake oven!), but then she saw a yummy looking picture of sugar cookie type bars with melted chocolate and m&m's on top, so she is making that.
** Potatoes that my sweet friend is making and bringing with her, so I don't have to worry about that
** cranberry something!!! I usually make this raspberry jello mixed with cranberries combination that has whipped cream and cream cheese mixed together on top, with nuts, but no one seems to like it except me, so I'm looking for something different.
I think that about covers it, plus I have to make the house look presentable.
I have had all these ideas lately like I want to empty out all of my cupboards and cabinets and clean them all, and put all my rice and grain type food into jars, and re-do all of my flour and sugar containers, but that will have to wait until after turkey day :)
fall cleaning, I guess?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
giveaway winner~
sorry I'm late with my drawing guys, it's been a crazy weekend! We drew Becky's name out of a cute litte doily basket, (sorry we did it late in the evening and I failed to take a picture!)
Congrats! and thanks for playing everyone. Last time I did a giveaway there were a lot more names in my basket, but maybe everyone is away from the computer lately.
Please contact me Becky and I will get your address. Thanks!
Congrats! and thanks for playing everyone. Last time I did a giveaway there were a lot more names in my basket, but maybe everyone is away from the computer lately.
Please contact me Becky and I will get your address. Thanks!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
time for a giveaway :)
ok, dear readers.... I haven't done a giveaway for a while now, and I was thinking now that I was able to get my 'followers' box to show up in sidebar again, I'm a little obsessed with checking to see who my new followers are each day.
soooooooo.................
To be entered into this giveaway, you must:
1. click to 'follow' my blog
2. leave a comment on THIS post, telling me which of the following goodies you would like:
(choose any color available in my shop: pink, red, cream, latte, espresso, gray, black, yellow, aqua, etc. - pretty much any color you can think of, I have it.)
********************OR***********************
a little house ornament to hang from your Christmas tree, or sit on your mantle : (yours will be made at time of drawing, so may differ slightly from the ones in the picture)
oh, the excitement!!!!
Contest will run until Nov. 13 (Friday the 13th!!!)
soooooooo.................
To be entered into this giveaway, you must:
1. click to 'follow' my blog
2. leave a comment on THIS post, telling me which of the following goodies you would like:
(choose any color available in my shop: pink, red, cream, latte, espresso, gray, black, yellow, aqua, etc. - pretty much any color you can think of, I have it.)
********************OR***********************
a little house ornament to hang from your Christmas tree, or sit on your mantle : (yours will be made at time of drawing, so may differ slightly from the ones in the picture)
oh, the excitement!!!!
Contest will run until Nov. 13 (Friday the 13th!!!)
Monday, November 02, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
home for the holidays
getting geared up for the holidays:)
I love this time of year, although we haven't seen too many pretty leaves yet and it got really cold really fast....
I'm excited to be cooking thanksgiving dinner this year (I've only done it once before, about 3 years ago), and I'm practicing my recipes and we got our oven fixed! That's helpful when cooking things larger than 4 or 5 ounces. Hopefully friends and family will all be able to make it, and I'll be able to get my island finished before then. It's feeling a little neglected at the moment, but it will get some lovin' soon.
I must be in the mood to work on wood lately, because the little holiday ornaments from last year are making a comeback:
last year I made a lot with little vintage children peering out of windows, this year I can't get enough of the tiny bunting banners made from postage stamps!
You can never have enough bunting strewn about~
I love this time of year, although we haven't seen too many pretty leaves yet and it got really cold really fast....
I'm excited to be cooking thanksgiving dinner this year (I've only done it once before, about 3 years ago), and I'm practicing my recipes and we got our oven fixed! That's helpful when cooking things larger than 4 or 5 ounces. Hopefully friends and family will all be able to make it, and I'll be able to get my island finished before then. It's feeling a little neglected at the moment, but it will get some lovin' soon.
I must be in the mood to work on wood lately, because the little holiday ornaments from last year are making a comeback:
last year I made a lot with little vintage children peering out of windows, this year I can't get enough of the tiny bunting banners made from postage stamps!
You can never have enough bunting strewn about~
Friday, October 09, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
clothing = sculpture
....and I thought I liked ruffles....
"Garden of Delight" by Steven Meisel (2006).
Vogue : http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/112206VFEA/
"Garden of Delight" by Steven Meisel (2006).
Vogue : http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/112206VFEA/
Friday, September 18, 2009
one persons trash...
believe it or not, this is going to grow up to be a kitchen island:
and from the side:
and the lovely top:
This dresser that someone discarded (pictures of drawers later) is actual real wood. I have a keen eye that is able to spot real wood on the side of the road that has lots of potential but somehow no one else has been able to see.
This particular specimen ended up being within 1 inch of the size we had planned to build, since we couldn't find anything the size we needed prebuilt.
so.... after chopping it's height down, changing the drawer slides to shelves, re-doing the top, putting nice wood on the back, and stripping, sanding and staining (the BIG "3"), and depending on my work load in the next week or so, there hopefully will be pics of our brand new kitchen island.
I have a lovely credenza that is the sturdiest piece of furniture I've ever owned that was in an alleyway, with the legs falling apart. A thorough cleaning, a light sanding, a nice paint job, new legs and some nice nickel knobs, and it is sleek enough to almost pass for ikea (although would probably weigh much less if I'd bought it there).
(I'll post pics later since now I know you all have a fantastical visual image in your heads of this amazing transformation, and you'll suffer aesthetic withdrawal if I don't show you.) ---found one on flickr, but it's hard to see:
oh, and let's not ever forget the infamous 'zebra chair' as we refer to it now. (All the former trash to treasure pieces were taken with one of those historical devices using FILM of all things, so the original photos are in a beautiful coptic bound notebook with those adorable little photo corners, rather than being in digital format on my hard drive somewhere.) I did find one picture of it on my flicker - you can see the living room is in a different arrangement here:
The zebra chair is my most beloved furniture overhaul to date, and was previously a bedraggled - shredded 'cat nail sharpener', and I found the tag inside the real horsehair tufted cushion that said 'chicago - 1926'. This was a chair that was in my husbands apartment before we got married, and rather than set it on fire or throw it off the side of a cliff like a normal person, I chose to spend a good 30 - 40 hours of my life completely fixing it. One of the arms was broken and hanging off the side, and the upholstery fabric that still had a few threads hanging was so hideously mustard- ugly, I can't imagine how it was ever a beautiful piece of furniture even when new.
And after many hours of sewing, hammering, re-attaching, staining, etc, it was finished. No visitor in our home has ever failed to notice it! {There were a few hysterical tears when beloved cat previously mentioned decided to consumate the back of the completed zebra chair with her nails.} The chair was then unceremoniously wrapped from top to bottom in duct tape and every wool blanket and piece of thick fabric I could find was piled on top until you could no longer tell it was a chair.
But since that kitty is no longer with us (not because of her affinity for zebra print, but due to natural occurences) the chair now holds a place of honor in front of the TV.
lucky for me my honey enjoys going on these scavenger hunts with me to pick up trash I've seen around town :)
and from the side:
and the lovely top:
This dresser that someone discarded (pictures of drawers later) is actual real wood. I have a keen eye that is able to spot real wood on the side of the road that has lots of potential but somehow no one else has been able to see.
This particular specimen ended up being within 1 inch of the size we had planned to build, since we couldn't find anything the size we needed prebuilt.
so.... after chopping it's height down, changing the drawer slides to shelves, re-doing the top, putting nice wood on the back, and stripping, sanding and staining (the BIG "3"), and depending on my work load in the next week or so, there hopefully will be pics of our brand new kitchen island.
I have a lovely credenza that is the sturdiest piece of furniture I've ever owned that was in an alleyway, with the legs falling apart. A thorough cleaning, a light sanding, a nice paint job, new legs and some nice nickel knobs, and it is sleek enough to almost pass for ikea (although would probably weigh much less if I'd bought it there).
(I'll post pics later since now I know you all have a fantastical visual image in your heads of this amazing transformation, and you'll suffer aesthetic withdrawal if I don't show you.) ---found one on flickr, but it's hard to see:
oh, and let's not ever forget the infamous 'zebra chair' as we refer to it now. (All the former trash to treasure pieces were taken with one of those historical devices using FILM of all things, so the original photos are in a beautiful coptic bound notebook with those adorable little photo corners, rather than being in digital format on my hard drive somewhere.) I did find one picture of it on my flicker - you can see the living room is in a different arrangement here:
The zebra chair is my most beloved furniture overhaul to date, and was previously a bedraggled - shredded 'cat nail sharpener', and I found the tag inside the real horsehair tufted cushion that said 'chicago - 1926'. This was a chair that was in my husbands apartment before we got married, and rather than set it on fire or throw it off the side of a cliff like a normal person, I chose to spend a good 30 - 40 hours of my life completely fixing it. One of the arms was broken and hanging off the side, and the upholstery fabric that still had a few threads hanging was so hideously mustard- ugly, I can't imagine how it was ever a beautiful piece of furniture even when new.
And after many hours of sewing, hammering, re-attaching, staining, etc, it was finished. No visitor in our home has ever failed to notice it! {There were a few hysterical tears when beloved cat previously mentioned decided to consumate the back of the completed zebra chair with her nails.} The chair was then unceremoniously wrapped from top to bottom in duct tape and every wool blanket and piece of thick fabric I could find was piled on top until you could no longer tell it was a chair.
But since that kitty is no longer with us (not because of her affinity for zebra print, but due to natural occurences) the chair now holds a place of honor in front of the TV.
lucky for me my honey enjoys going on these scavenger hunts with me to pick up trash I've seen around town :)
Monday, August 24, 2009
oh the cuteness!
I found this on flickr, and love her blog and so many adorable creations:
btw, sorry I've been a bad blogger lately! I'm back at school and really enjoying it. I've learned that working at home is an awful lot of work, and I like the balance of being home and being at work, flip flopping back and forth. I have some really nice classes this year, and I'm excited about some new projects I'm working out.
I'm really into watercolor lately for some reason, {or at least really into daydreaming about it}, so I'm planning some lessons around that. I think I'm fascinated with the medium (although I'm really not a painter) because it's all about control. (my middle name, some would say).
I go into great detail every year explaining to the kids how the amount of water in the bristles directly affects the intensity of the color and how easily you can control it on the paper. I'm sure they are sitting on the edge of their seats trying to glean every kernel of knowledge from my vast experience as they possibly can.
For some reason it's a lot easier planning a lesson and inspiring others than it is to sit down and actually do it myself. I'm thinking of taping the paper into a grid- like this wonderful artist
so that I'll have some squares to work in, since I'm so used to doing 1 inch scrabble tile collages, apparently I'm not one of those people who likes to work 'large'. Back in college it seemed like in order to be a 'real' painter, you had to make canvases (sp?) about as large as the side of a house to be taken seriously. I am perfectly content making tiny artworks, though, there is something so 'cozy' and 'cute' and makes everyone exclaim..." that is the most ADORABLE thing I've ever seen!"
I think that's my new goal with my etsy shop (that has suffered much lately due my lack of 'gusto' and 'mojo): to make some ADORABLE tiny things that people simply MUST buy, not because they need them, but because they are so darn adorable.
p.s. I'm sorry to all my followers, I've done something to my blog layout and your 'adorable' little profile pics in the sidebar have mysteriously disappeared. But have no fear, I love you all, and you are most appreciated!!
btw, sorry I've been a bad blogger lately! I'm back at school and really enjoying it. I've learned that working at home is an awful lot of work, and I like the balance of being home and being at work, flip flopping back and forth. I have some really nice classes this year, and I'm excited about some new projects I'm working out.
I'm really into watercolor lately for some reason, {or at least really into daydreaming about it}, so I'm planning some lessons around that. I think I'm fascinated with the medium (although I'm really not a painter) because it's all about control. (my middle name, some would say).
I go into great detail every year explaining to the kids how the amount of water in the bristles directly affects the intensity of the color and how easily you can control it on the paper. I'm sure they are sitting on the edge of their seats trying to glean every kernel of knowledge from my vast experience as they possibly can.
For some reason it's a lot easier planning a lesson and inspiring others than it is to sit down and actually do it myself. I'm thinking of taping the paper into a grid- like this wonderful artist
so that I'll have some squares to work in, since I'm so used to doing 1 inch scrabble tile collages, apparently I'm not one of those people who likes to work 'large'. Back in college it seemed like in order to be a 'real' painter, you had to make canvases (sp?) about as large as the side of a house to be taken seriously. I am perfectly content making tiny artworks, though, there is something so 'cozy' and 'cute' and makes everyone exclaim..." that is the most ADORABLE thing I've ever seen!"I think that's my new goal with my etsy shop (that has suffered much lately due my lack of 'gusto' and 'mojo): to make some ADORABLE tiny things that people simply MUST buy, not because they need them, but because they are so darn adorable.
p.s. I'm sorry to all my followers, I've done something to my blog layout and your 'adorable' little profile pics in the sidebar have mysteriously disappeared. But have no fear, I love you all, and you are most appreciated!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
in the pink
new picture of my studio... rearranged slightly with a new curtain. I don't know why I have the urge to rearrange every couple of months, but I do. must be feeling 'pinky' lately. Hard to tell, but the walls are a light lavender. It's so cool that I can have all this pink and purple in my living room and my man is totally ok with it. I love it when the people you love give you the freedom to be who you want to be, unapologetically.
sewing away, working on orders, kind of wishing I had more time to get to the new ideas in my sketchbook... such is life!
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