mini, helps

As mentioned, I've been behind on the crafting.  But, I've managed to do some mini projects:

I picked up some mini glass candle holders/planters/i-don't-know-but-they-were-cute/ things at some point and painted them using Martha's all-purpose craft paint in pink and gold.

I made more cards/postcards - these were with stamps and craft chalk.

I screen printed a shirt for the boy with  his home state of Arizona and a little cactus cut out around Phoenix. 

I sewed a utensil pouch to match my sandwich wrapper.  I keep a fork and spoon at the office, and now they have a nicer place to live than just in the drawer. and it's seersucker, so it's extra classy. 

i do love a mini project, finishing something in a couple of hours is so rewarding. 

keep crafting it up!

xoxo

chilly days

Spoon is having none of winter. even the mild form we've had this year. 

So he's been curled up with the heated blankets:

and looking pretty adorable too. 

He has some new joy - Keeri gifted him a fresh catnip plant, and he seems to enjoy rolling around and looking ridiculous:

xoxo

surprise! it's a cake! no, it's a fruit!

jonathan's birthday was in august. so of course, i made a cake. but the boy loves fruit, so i went with something i'd seen on the ever inspiring pinterest and made a surprise fruit cake. no, not the terrible kind you eat at christmas, but rather a cake made from fruit that looks like a cake but is really just a lot of fruit.

it starts with a medium sized watermelon. i cut off the top and bottom and then cut off the sides to form a cylinder

then i cut mine into two 'layers' and put the bottom layer on a platter

next i whipped up some cream with some sugar and vanilla and spread a layer on top of the watermelon and then topped it with kiwi and pineapple 

and then another layer of whipped cream

followed by the second piece of cake, err watermelon 

then i frosted the entire 'cake' in whipped cream 

and decorated it with more fruit

and then a lot more fruit. i also drizzled some caramel sauce on it, because, why not? 

doesn't look like a watermelon from here...

and the big reveal! 

he was happy. obvi.

xoxo

basket weave?

So I recently finished a scarf that i started a while ago..shocker...but anywho, i wanted something a little different but not hard so i made up a pattern that i think looks like a basket weave? maybe.  

Here it is: 

Cast on 24 stitches
Knit row 1 
Knit 4 purl 4, repeat until the end of the row for five rows
Knit 2 purl 2 for five rows
Purl 4 knit 4 for five rows
Purl 2 knit 2 for five rows
Repeat the sequence until you have your desired length, and then knit the last row before casting off. 

In progress: 

and complete, ta-da!

stay warm during this arctic vortex!

xoxo

food lately: you know, from the last six months (part 2)

don't worry, there's more:

arugula salad with tomatoes and cheesy croutons 

pasta salad with cantaloupe, arugula, and prosciutto (awesome!)

pasta with eggplant, grilled onions, and tomatoes in cream sauce

one of my favorite pizzas i've ever made with eggplant, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto

and... the strangest pizza i've ever made with leeks, broccoli, and veggie patties, but not terrible

thyme & parmesan biscuits, fried eggs, and left over dressing 

cheese dip nachos (oh yes!)

a delicious feast of roasted sweet potatoes, greens, caramelized onions, chorizo sausage, goat cheese, and crepes (also one of my favs)

plus some sweet treats: 

brownies

and blue bell! 

xoxo

food lately: you know, from the last six months (part 1)

I obviously ate and cooked while I was working away. here are some things:

root vegetable soup with smoked coconut 

 

(vegetarian) french onion soup

 

lentil & eggplant soup with basil 

thai fried rice and sweet & sour tofu with broccoli 

southwestern sauté with soyrizo, peppers, and goat cheese, over polenta

eggplant parmesan and spaghetti 

sautéed  squash, greens, and onions with fried eggs

couscous with cucumber & tomatoes  and chickpeas with chard

pizza with zucchini & caramelized onions 

dill scrambled eggs with cheddar and paprika 

keep cooking team!

xoxo

crafty cocktails?

Ashley and I assumed that when we moved in together we would have crafternoon after crafternoon. Sadly, the first few months have been a busy time with lots of travel for the both of us, so we have been under our craft quota. But we were able to have a few, including an afternoon making earrings, and drinking a few cocktails too.

We started with Bloody Mary's made with Tabasco mix plus original tabasco, tabasco spicy worcestershire sauce, and celery. Delicious.

Then we started crafting, making some earrings. 

You just need some clay, craft paint, super glue, and earrings from the jewelry making section of the store plus the odds and ends of a knife and paint brushes 

It's pretty straightforward actually.  Just take some clay and shape it into your desired shape, then bake following the package directions 

 Then painted them as you like; we used craft acrylic paint and gold leaf.  

And we moved on to cocktail #2: Summertime? Madness

 After the paint dried, we used super glue to attach the earring backs.  We also tried a hot glue gun and liquid cement, but good old fashioned super glue worked the best

 Ta-Da! 

(plus a bead for a necklace on the right)

 I also put some gold leaf on one of the pumpkins because, why not??

The earrings are a great afternoon project - straightforward with lots of down time.  Ashley and I often make the mistake of taking on more than we can accomplish in an afternoon.  We are just too darn excited to craft when we finally get to! 

On a side note, we also recently had a sewing adventure night where we tackled a lot of odds and ends.  Though I don't have any pictures from the night, we made/repaired/redid 2 pillows, 2 skirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and 2 dog travel beds. amazing!

xoxo

where the dog stops and the couch beings, pillows

And this girl! Chloe also did a lot of curling up for cuddles and naps.  

Such a cutie.  She even has her own blog!

But seriously, she and the couch match:

Did I mention she loves a pillow?

xoxo