Too oft taken for granted



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This is a flower that gets a bad rap.

Maybe it's because the stems closely resemblence boney skeleton fingers with haphazard, spindly little leaves.
Maybe it's because corner florists have a tendency to use fake dyes to turn them unnatural hues. yuck!

It's definitely not for lack of beauty in the bloom. The ruffled petals are so feminine and delicate.

more carnations after the jump

Patiently waiting

Here's just a glimpse of what I've got to share with you...as soon as I get my sewing machine back from the hospital.

I got a call from the doctor last night, said she's doing fine and almost put back together. It seems a screw came loose. Now, if it was the screw that holds up the feed dogs or the one that controls the whole timing of the operation, I am unsure. Either way, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the sounds that were coming out of her before aren't any more.

I was able to get a definite price, still more than I ever thought I'd pay coming from Out West. But, as my repair guy at A-1 Vacuum and Sewing in Orem said when I called to find out what he would have charged me, I "live in New York."

500th Post



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No, this is not my 500th post. It's only my 427th post. But seeing the proximity to the big five-oh-oh has really made me think.

What is the point people!?

This blog has evolved and devolved and evolved again many times since my first post back in 2007. It has served as a chronicle of my life as I have also de- and evolved. E.g., It's all too obvious in my writing when I have been starved for conversation and when that need is satisfied. I used to write a much greater number of words--they used to be so freely flowing. Now it takes much for forethought and concentration.

The years I was in school studying to be and interning as a marriage and family therapist, yielded posts that were, I thought, provocative and philosophical in nature. I was also single and dating and living with single people who were dating and trying to understand how to not be single. I really miss the philosophical part of that, but my life has changed so much since then--the main difference being my marital status. I don't really see myself getting back to the point where so much of my life revolves around analysing relationships.

The years I've been working for the man have yielded different fruit. Maybe a few rumblings. Maybe they just haven't produced as much. Sometimes the man stifles the creative process--even when my job was "creative". Somehow making brochures for buildings is like waiting on the platforms of the D/B (orange) line. Why oh why is it always a sauna down there? A metophorical tug at my stiff, pointy Brooks Brothers collar.

This blog has followed me from coast to coast, through ups, downs, heart aches, joys, endings, beginnings, and a whole lot of growth. How many careers have I had? Will I have? How many states have I lived in? Will I live in? How many roommates have I lived with? Will I live with (tee hee, except I'm hoping they'll be my kids)?

Those are questions that won't be answered in 73 posts. BUT as I'm gearing up for my 500th, have decided that I need some focus. I can't promise that focus will always be cohesive or even clear. My life will continue to change and so will my blog. With that said, at 3 posts per week, that gives me about 6 months to figure out what the point of all of this is. For now, I hope whoever you are will bear with me as I experiment and seek out my e-niche and do a little self-branding. Should be fun.

So here starts the count down. 72 more to go.

Bundle of Joy!

Long over due, the post not the babies...yet. Here are a few pics from the brunch baby shower we threw last month. Images courtesy of my co-host Ashley. (you can see her work here.)

On the menu: orange-cranberry and blueberry-almond scones, mini pancakes, frenchtoast with coconut syrup and strawberries, turkey bacon skewers, yogurt & granola parfaits, orange juice and milk.

I have a few more pics that I want to post, so check back if you want to see more!

Respite

My sewing machine went to the hospital last night. It's been out of commission ever since I tried to lower the feed dogs the other day and then couldn't get them to go back up. I probably made it worse by opening the thing up and attempting surgery. I finally had to call in an expert.

Like any mother (hey, people have fur babies, can't I have a metal/plastic/pistons/gears baby?), I am worried sick and longing for it's safe return AND hoping the bill isn't exorbitant.

I'm also mid-project several times over. Fabric is piling up in the corners of our house because I can't stop acquiring it. For example:

1. I made a stop at Chic fabric for black stretch twill to make a pencil skirt and found fabric for another black skirt AND some chiffon for a blouse.
2. I've been looking for polyester or nylon tricot for a project for months and finally found a store in Midtown that carries it. Only problem is the minimum cut was 5 yards or $10 per material. Bah! I ended up with about 100 sq ft of off-white and black silkies (but it would've cost triple with shipping for the same amount online).
3. Lindsay gave me a box of remnants her aunt shipped her and she couldn't use. I have a healthy stack from that acquisition.

And I cannot wait to show-and-tell a little refashioning I've been working on. Turning a few long-sleeve, tailored dress shirts for work into a bit more summery feminineness.

I guess my respite isn't really a respite. More like brainstorming ideas and procuring materials and gearing up for projects that will initiate the gradual decline in performance and needing another tune-up for my machine baby.

Chicken pot pie

I have a lot of favorite "comfort foods", but chicken pot pie is up close to the top. Even so, it's been a really long time since I've indulged because, let's be honest, they don't call it comfort food because it makes you shed fat cells.

I adapted Ina Garten's recipe, probably enough to call it my own, and used this recipe as a spring board for the sauce. Here's how I made it:

 

Ingredients:

This makes enough filling for two 9" pies or 8 ramekins

3 chicken breast halves, boiled and cut in 1" cubed

2 large carrots, cubed

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 medium red potatoes, cubed (I leave the peels on)

1 c. frozen peas

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 c. milk

1 c. chicken stock, plus 1/4 c.

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1/2 t. celery salt

1/2 t. onion powder

2 pre-made pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
2. Boil the chicken until cooked through, then cube.
3. While the chicken is boiling, saute the onions and garlic in a little bit of olive oil until the onions are transparent. Add the carrots and potatoes and 1/4 c. chicken stock, let simmer.
4. In a separate sauce pan (2 qt.) melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until it becomes a paste. Add the milk and the rest of the chicken stock, bring to a roiling boil until it thickens to your desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, celery salt and onion powder.
5. Add the cubed chicken to the veggies, add the peas and fold into the sauce. I had to use a separate bowl to combine all the ingredients.
6. For the crust, I rolled out the pre-made crust and, using my 3" biscuit cutter, I cut enough to place 1 circle in the bottom and 1 on the top. Stretch the top and press along the edges to seal. Make several small slits in the crust.
7. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees farenheit for 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Time to fire up the grill

 I love a juicy cheeseburger hot of the grill. This felt version may not taste the same (you'll have to ask Paul, the cutie pie, just turned 2-year-old who was the recipient of this cheeseburger creation), but I think it looks pretty appetizing.

I think that once you get a handle on a few basic stitches and general know-how, you can create pretty much anything out of felt...and a bit of ric-rac.  

Speaking of crafty. Paul's mom made his Winnie the Pooh cake...and that cute little beehive hanging from the ceiling. Marie made a marshmallow fondent that turned out amazing. I love how fondent looks, but have never been a fan of the way it tastes. This is super yummy. 



Polka Dots!

Last month my cute sister posted a DIY tutorial for polka-dot pants. We've all seen them everywhere and not for cheap! This is such a great way to save some cash and still dress on trend.

She invited her readers to join in the fun and just posted a few pics of their projects here.

Here is my attempt. I found these mint green pedal pushers at H&M and used white Tulip fabric paint that I had left over from another project. I still have to finish the back, but I think they'll be a fun addition to my summer wardrobe. The Captain likes them too, which is always a plus.

Google Search by Image

Have you tried Google's Search by Image tool? Go to [images.google.com]. Just upload the image you want to search for. If you do it from your smart phone, you can take a picture then and there and it will search its image database comparing your photo with their bazillion images.

I saw these boots on Pinterest, but the pin that I was looking at didn't have the source material linked. I think they are super cute and I wanted to figure out who makes them, if they were still available, and if so--for how much. It's possible that I was the only person who didn't know who made these boots, but that doesn't say much since my fashion designer sense is not very finely tuned. Anyway, I uploaded this image and was immediately referred to a myriad of sites, the top one being the Free People site (which brand they happen to be). I also learned that they are way out of my price range. Ah well, a girl can lust after a pair of boots, can't she?? 

After the web search results, there is a fun little feature that pulls up images similar in appearance to your uploaded image. Kinda cool! Here are some of my favorites from the similar images that came up from my search...

In clockwise motion: Pita  Dough, Chaiwa Tewa (1922), Worell Young, ballerinas (not linked because I don't want to subject you to the source site's language), Lilli Palmer. 

I love that they all have the same coloring even if they are random in content.

Then I had the brilliant idea to upload a picture of yours truly. I half expected it to generate a bunch of photos of me from facebook or other people's blogs. I was curious to see what's out there on the internets. Ha! My ego got the best of me... here's what came back:

Pretty great, right?



Birthday Boy!

Man, we're getting old! I think the Captain would've preferred to pretend it wasn't his birthday--he kept forgetting. "Oh yeah, it's my birthday tomorrow." "Oh yeah, it's my birthday today." We had a small celebration with chicken broccoli casserole (aka: chicken divan). So yummy! I put a lot of curry in mine and this time, made it with homemade cream of chicken instead of the can. I wish we could eat it weekly (no good for the waistline). But it's a good thing it's his favorite because it means we get to eat it at least once a year. He opened gifts and we washed it down with a couple German chocolate (his other favorite) cupcakes from the Little Cupcake Bake Shop. So good! I love these cupcakes. They aren't sickly sweet and make my teeth hurt like most well-know cake shops.

Happy Birthday, Babe! xoxo

Last One!

 I know I've dragged this out too long (not as bad as I've dragged out posting about our wedding and honeymoon though!! Those are two events that are still on my list of things to write about. Sheesh, I procrastinate). But here are a few final pics of our Winter Beach Retreat. I'm pining for some warmth right now and looking at these photos are making me nostalgic for the sun!

The first photo you can see our sunburns in full force. Like rookies we both fell asleep without sunscreen. The very thing I said I wouldn't do. Now, a month later, I've finally stopped peeling. The beach shots give a good idea of the luxury of Serenity Beach. It was a little beach oasis!

 We had beautiful blue skies five out of six days. And even the sixth day when it rained, the sun was nice and hot between storm clouds.

I think next time we go the the DR, we'll try Punta Cana...doesn't this look appetizing??
It's on the Caribbean side, so the water is that clear blue. Paradise!

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Bijou!!

If you are in Utah, you must go...even if just for me since I can't be there. Shop your little hearts out. You won't regret it!! (and say hello to my family, here and here, for me!)

Click here for a list of vendors.

Felt Yummies - Tutorial

Here they are! Instructions for the felt desserts I posted last week. I hope they make sense!! I think the best thing will be to look at the pictures while following the step-by-steps since I didn't take photos as I made them. 

A couple notes that apply to all of the desserts:

* I used a wool blend purchased from Sweet Emma Jean on Esty. You can use the synthetic felt from the craft store, but I prefer the wool blends. I love the way it feels in my fingers and I think it looks better, too.

** If you opt to use a sewing machine, substitute with matching thread.

***For tutorials on embroidery stitches, go here. These are the best videos I've found.  

Click on the button to download the patterns!

Click on the continue reading link for the full instructions...