Bohemian Rose Bath & Soap

New Shop Name!

2010-10-18T19:16:00.001-05:00

My new Etsy shop is open this evening. Stop by Barefoot Hippie Soapworks for all of your soapy needs. :) I'm slowly adding all of my products into my new shop - I still need to take photos of balms and scrubs with the new labels on them, but once I do, they'll be up too.

Hi, Everyone!

2010-10-13T17:06:00.003-05:00

I know it's been quite a while, but things have been *very* busy around here. As many of you may know, we were expecting our first baby. So not only was I working on getting things ready to change the name of my soap business, but I was also getting ready for my sub at school, plus getting everything ready at home for little Zoey's arrival. So reopening my shop has taken quite a bit longer than I had originally expected. But never fear, I'll be up and open this weekend with soaps listed in my brand new, squeaky clean Etsy shop.

What, you want to know the new name?

Well, you'll just have to wait for this weekend! :)

But to tide you over until then, here are a couple of photos of Zoey Anne, born September 20 at 10:00 pm.

Get Ready!

2010-08-13T10:32:00.004-05:00

My shops will be going on vacation soon so I can finalize all of the changes being made around here! (If you're not sure what changes I'm talking about, you can read about them here.) But be sure to keep following my blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter to get some sneak peeks at new products, and chances to win some of them once my shop reopens in September under its new name. Stay tuned!

Treasuries

2010-08-12T08:37:00.005-05:00

Well, I had planned on sharing with you today the treasury I created yesterday afternoon (my first one!). Then this morning I logged into Etsy to discover that my Irish Cream lip balm has been included in someone else's treasury (yay!).

Abstract Landscape Inspiration Treasury - My Irish Cream lip balm is here.

Upcycled Blues Treasury - I featured EtsyVeg and Etsy Fort Worth teammates here (including this lovely cameo necklace from silentlotus), come check it out!

Please stop by, click and comment. You know you want to. :)

Hump Day Humor

2010-08-11T08:33:00.004-05:00

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Fail Blog is a hilarious website. And while it's mostly full of fail, every once in a while there's something that wins, like this car.

Rolly-Polly VW WIN - watch more funny videos

Change is in the Air...

2010-08-10T08:44:00.002-05:00

...at Bohemian Rose!

Coming in September, there will be some changes going on around here (and I don't just mean little Zoey, who will be here sometime around the 25th).

Here is some of what you can look forward to:
New products (like the hand and body cream that some of you have been waiting for a long time!)
Reformulated products (they were great before... now they're even more amazing!)

and...

a new name!

Wow!

Keep an eye out here on my blog and on my Facebook page for sneak peeks and other exciting things.

Sunday Spotlight

2010-08-08T08:47:00.002-05:00

Today's Sunday Spotlight is fellow Etsy Fort Worth teammate Heidy of Emma Alison Designs! She makes gorgeous jewelry, and you can shop from her on Etsy (follow the link above) or at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar during Labor Day weekend in Fort Worth, TX.

St. Lucia Necklace - Blue Green Gemstones on Delicate Silk Cord, $68.00
Paola Earrings in Silver, $18.00
Colette Necklace in Sterling or Gold Fill - London Blue Topaz and Apatite, $56.00
Angelina Earrings - London Blue Topaz and Labradorite, $57.00

Book Review - Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

2010-08-07T22:28:00.003-05:00

Chosen (House of Night #3)
by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Young Adult

Book Number: 4 (Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge)

Summary: Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth… (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: The focus of this book is not only the dramatic plot elements continuing from book #2, but in all of the bad decisions Zoey makes. Even though she is Nyx's Chosen One, she is still a teenager, and makes stupid decisions just like any other teenager. Except with Zoey, everything that happens is on a *much* larger scale. Parts of this book are painful to read, and I found myself trying to will her to not do some things. But this book will keep you reading, just to find out how Zoey will manage to work out the mess she's made of everything. And at the end, you want to read the next one, because it's clear that bad stuff is about to go down at the House of Night.

Hump Day Humor

2010-08-04T09:21:00.002-05:00

Ah, Regretsy, how I love you.

Music Monday

2010-08-02T13:37:00.002-05:00

This weekend we had a bunch of friends over for a cookout and game night, which turned into game weekend. Since I'm not currently not drinking anything alcoholic, I made a pitcher of sangria using a recipe from my Margarita Mama cookbook (which I *love*). The sangria was a hit - I even had to make a second pitcher! The only downside was that Ben and his friends decided that it was a good time to sing or whistle Sangria Wine over and over throughout the night. So since it's been stuck in my head all weekend, I thought I'd share it with you too. (Gee, thanks, you're probably thinking. Don't tell Ben, but I'm a little afraid the song is starting to grow on me...)

Enjoy!

Hump Day Humor

2010-07-28T09:17:00.002-05:00

I've read this story before, but I have absolutely no idea if it's true or not. Either way, it's pretty funny. Enjoy!

Attached is some correspondence which actually occurred between a London hotel's staff and one of its guests. The London hotel involved submitted this to the Sunday Times. No name was mentioned.

Dear Maid,

Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Dial. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.

Thank you,

S. Berman

Dear Room 635,

I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management is to leave 3 soaps daily.

I hope this is satisfactory.

Kathy, Relief Maid

Dear Maid -- I hope you are my regular maid.

Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening I found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet.

I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Dial so I won't need those 6 little Camays which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc.

Please remove them.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

My day off was last Wed. so the relief maid left 3 hotel soaps which we are instructed by the management. I took the 6 soaps which were in your way on the shelf and put them in the soap dish where your Dial was. I put the Dial in the medicine cabinet for your convenience.

I didn't remove the 3 complimentary soaps which are always placed inside the medicine cabinet for all new check-ins and which you did not object to when you checked in last Monday. Please let me know if I can of further assistance.

Your regular maid,

Dotty

Dear Mr. Berman,

The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this A.M. that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you.

Elaine Carmen

Housekeeper

Dear Miss Carmen,

It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 745 AM and don't get back before 530 or 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night. You were already off duty.

I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check-in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bath-room shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me?

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.

Thank you,

Elaine Carmen,

Housekeeper

Dear Mr. Kensedder,

My bath-size Dial is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room including my own bath-size Dial. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder

Assistant Manager

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Who the hell left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one damn bar of bath-size Dial. Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here. All I want is my bath size Dial.

Please give me back my bath-size Dial.

S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,

You complained of too much soap in your room so I had them removed.

Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing so I personally returned them. The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily (sic). I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Dial. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.

Elaine Carmen

Housekeeper

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory. As of today I possess:

On shelf under medicine cabinet - 18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.

On Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.

On bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1 stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.

Inside medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.

In shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist.

On northeast corner of tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.

On northwest corner of tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.

Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom window sill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries.

One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-sized Dial which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.

S. Berman

Book Review - Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

2010-07-25T08:53:00.003-05:00

Betrayed (House of Night #2)
by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Young Adult

Book Number: 3 (Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge)

Summary: Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: In the second book in the series, we begin to discover that all isn't as it appears at the House of Night. Things that Zoey found odd in the first book--like seeing the "ghosts" of dead fledglings, and her instinct telling her not to confide in her mentor, the High Priestess--are revisited. But this time Zoey begins to discover that all isn't as it appears. While she learns that she can't trust her High Priestess, a student who was her enemy starts to become the one person who knows everything. There's also the beginnings of an uncomfortable storyline (at least, it's uncomfortable for me) between Zoey and all of the boys in her life. For me, the uncomfortable part is between Zoey and one of the teachers. Oy. Anyway, if you've read the first book, definitely give this one a go. It's just as well-written as the first, but now we're getting into the really juicy stuff.

Friday Five

2010-07-23T12:20:00.002-05:00

This afternoon we're taking a bunch of old electronic things that Ben had stored in our computer room to the electronic recycling center in Fort Worth. Our nursery furniture is supposed to be delivered Monday, so this weekend we're finishing up taking the last of the stuff out of that room. (Yay!) So just for Ben, here's a geekery-themed Friday Five. :)

From fellow EtsyVeg teammate Karin Lorenc, Pi Mug in Red - 16 oz., $25.00
From fellow Etsy Fort Worth teammate Casey's Clutter, Googly Eyes Ring, $7.50
From Cherry Laurel Designs, I Said MEH glow in the dark binary beanie, $35.00
From Babywood, Mac Daddy Onesie, $14.00
From Sass & Peril, Open Your Heart Screenprint, $15.00

Music Monday

2010-07-19T08:32:00.004-05:00

Ben played this song for me last week, and I didn't really appreciate it until Saturday afternoon when we heard them talking about it on the Ticket. They not only played the remix version I had heard already, but they played part of the original. I really think having some context of where the remix comes from is what makes it good. So listen to at least part of the first clip, then enjoy the second one. :)

Friday Five

2010-07-16T08:36:00.003-05:00

I realized this morning that I'll miss having fresh blueberries on my Kashi cereal after blueberry season is over. Yes, I know I could buy frozen berries, or buy a bunch of fresh now and freeze them, but it's just not quite the same. Oh, blueberry, how I love you.

From Erin Reynolds Photography, Blueberries Kitchen Art - Fine Art Photograph (8x8), $24.00

From Magic Hands Workshop, Blueberry Sea Salt Bar, $5.50
From Etsy Fort Worth teammate Fitzy Sparrow, Blueberry Estate vintage lucite charm earrings, $14.00
From EtsyVeg teammate Caramel Diezel, Earthy Urban Organic Cotton Beanie - berry with cream, blueberry, lime and kiwi stripes - $22.00
From Bovine Bubbles and Hogwash Ltd, Blue Nectarine Jam, $7.00

Hump Day Humor

2010-07-14T08:55:00.005-05:00

For today's Hump Day Humor I thought I'd share a funny story about my dog, Booger, that happened yesterday morning. I had turned on the water for the shower to heat up, and while I was getting ready to get in I was singing this song to myself (and the baby):

I love that song! :) Anyway, the dog comes in, looking up at me and wagging his tail. (He enjoys being sung to also.) Then as I kept singing, he starts jumping up, running in little circles, and whining. It looked pretty ridiculous, but I couldn't figure out why he was acting like that. Then I remembered. The song I had been singing had the word C-A-R in it. Put that word with R-I-D-E and you've got Booger's favorite pastime. I was just singing, but he thought I was asking him if he wanted to go for a ride in the car.
At this point I totally felt like the worst doggie-momma ever, especially when I got into the shower and he's still running around the bathroom and standing so he can see me better through the shower door. And I would have taken him for a ride in the car after that, but by the time I was out of the shower and finished getting ready, he didn't seem interested anymore. :)

Book Review - The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

2010-07-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Darkest Fire (Lords of the Underworld #.5)
by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance

Book Number: 2 (Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge)
Book Number: 1 (Summer Romance Challenge)

Summary:
He is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a horde of demon lords -- and discover a passion unlike any other... Discover the origin of the dimOuniak and the demon spirits trapped within.
(from Goodreads)

My thoughts: I've read the first three books in this series, and came across this prequel novella. It was good, but not nearly as good as the others in the series. It was interesting to read about how the Demon Lords first escaped and became trapped in Pandora's Box, which is discussed in the other books in the series. Overall, not the best book I've read in a while.

Music Monday

2010-07-12T08:20:00.001-05:00

This morning feels like an Enya morning. Don't ask why, it just does. Enjoy!

Sunday Spotlight

2010-07-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know what you're thinking. (At least, I know what Ben will be thinking when he reads this.) In any event, I'm signing up for another book challenge! *gasp* But Jenn, you've just started one? However will you manage two reading challenges with all of the things you're doing around the house, plus making fabulous soap and bath goodies? Never fear, I've got it under control. :) I read while the paper shredder is resting so I don't burn out the motor, or in the evening before bed, or in the car (while Ben drives, not if I'm driving, duh).

This challenge is the 2010 Summer Romance Challenge. Romances are some of my favorite books to read. And if I happen to read a romance, it can count towards my other challenge too. Two birds with one stone!

The challenge started back in June, but since it goes until Sept. 30, I think I can still manage. The challenge: read 8 romances by the deadline. Woo hoo! Come join me, it should be fun!

Book Review - Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

2010-07-10T09:47:00.005-05:00

For those of you who may not remember, I had entered myself in the 2010 Summer Beach Reads Book Challenge. My personal goal is to read 8 books by the end of the contest, August 30th.

Marked (House of Night #1) P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Young Adult

Book Number: 1 (Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge)

Summary: The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: I've read this one before, but it's been a while. And here's where my brother in law would laugh at me: I'm rereading this series in order to get to the latest book in the series, which I haven't read. And now that Cliff knows, I'm sure he'll give me a hard time. :) Anyway, I decided to reread this series because I have read so many paranormal/vampire books since I first read these, that I didn't really remember any details about the books.

As the first book in a series, some of this book is setting up characters and filling you in on Zoey's world. Although, since she's Marked as a vampyre in the beginning of the book, you're learning about it right along with her. In Zoey's world, there have always been vampyres, but that doesn't mean that they're socially accepted by humans. Zoey's step-dad is an elder in the People of Faith, which is the super-conservative mainstream human religion, and he, along with most of Zoey's human friends and family, think of her as a monster after she's been Marked. What's interesting to me is how Zoey is able to combine what she learns at the House of Night with her grandmother's Cherokee ways.

If you like vampire stories blended with some supernatural goings-on, definitely take a look at this book. It's a fast-paced, quick read that will have you wanting to read more, to find out what exactly is going on at the House of Night.

And the Winner is...

2010-07-08T09:25:00.003-05:00

First of all, thank you to all who entered my Birthday Giveaway Blowout! I was excited to have so many contestants. But on to the part that everyone is waiting for -- the winner. With the help of impartial judge random.org to help me select the winner, here we go.

Congratulations goes to...

Kylie!

Thanks again to all of the contestants, I hope to see you back at the next giveaway!

Happy Birthday to... Me!

2010-07-07T08:12:00.003-05:00

Well, it's July 7, which means it's my birthday (yay!), but it's also the last day to enter my Birthday Giveaway Blowout. The contest closes at midnight tonight, CST, and I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning when I wake up. Oh, and don't forget to vote in the poll at the top right of the page. Thanks! :)

And now, since it's Wednesday, how about some Hump Day Humor? This kitteh can come over to my house. I've been de-cluttering our house room by room, and yesterday I finally started on the dreaded office. Seriously, it has been the room where we just stick things that we don't know where to put them, which means there was a little pathway (sort of) from the door to the printer and Ben's computer. Oy. I cleared away about half of the room yesterday (yay!) and now can get to the shredder to start on the two boxes of things that need to be shredded or filed. So really, sad kitteh can come over here. :)

Music Monday

2010-07-05T07:31:00.002-05:00

I hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July! Mansfield put on a pretty good fireworks show this year, and the best part is that it's fairly close to our neighborhood, so we just walked down the block to our neighborhood pool and watched from the playground. We could watch the pretty fireworks without having to deal with all of the traffic and people like we would have if we'd actually gone to the fireworks show. Nice!

Ben found this song on YouTube and showed it to me the other day. It's pretty funny. Ben's favorite part is the bear at the back, but keep your eye out for the Swedish Chef. :) Enjoy!

Oh, and if you're looking for the giveaway, it's right here!

Sunday Spotlight

2010-07-04T09:15:00.008-05:00

Are you looking for the Bohemian Rose giveaway? Click here!

I'm currently included in a great Fruit Salad Treasury on Etsy, along with other talented Etsy Fort Worth artisans. I'm also featured in a great Old Fashioned Treasury with some talented EtsyVeg artisans. Come take a look!

Today's Sunday Spotlight is a bit different. Instead of spotlighting a handmade artisan's shop, I'd like you to take a look at another blog... A Fanatic's Book Blog actually. Jessica posts great book reviews and book giveaways. Definitely browse through her blog. I know every time I do, I have more books to add to my Amazon wish list!

Currently Jessica's blog is co-hosting the 2010 Summer Beach Reads Challenge. It's easy peasy to sign up for the challenge, and the giveaway prizes at the end of the challenge are a cute crochet buddy, Mr. Octavio the Octopus, and a copy of Low Red Moon.

Now, I had just recently started reading Mists of Avalon, which so far is good, although I'm really not that far yet... But to me it doesn't fit the description of "beach read" so I'm going to postpone this one. I've been told that it's a great book, so I'll definitely come back to it, but I'll start with some "beach reads" first. Vampire books and paranormal romance, here I come!

Keeping in mind that I'm still de-cluttering the house, and next week am actually starting on the dreaded office, which will soon be the baby's room so everything has to go out of it, I don't think I'll reach the level of Shark in the challenge. I think I'll aim for Minnow. I know, sounds like I'm not aiming high, but Minnow is 8 books read by August 31. Considering all the stuff I've got to get done around the house between now and then, I'd say Minnow is a good goal for me. :)

Birthday Giveaway Blowout!

2010-07-01T08:06:00.008-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday - happy birthday, mom! :) So I'm giving away all of her favorite Bohemian Rose products. You don't have to get them in her favorite scent (which is Tir na Nog, by the way), but instead I'll let you choose your own.

Since she's my mom, I'm pretty sure she's tested just about every product that I've made, back from the very beginning with that first batch of soap. So she has a lot of experience in what makes a favorite Bohemian Rose product for her.

Now, on to the part I know you're waiting (patiently) to hear. What you'll win:
-one bar of soap, in your choice of scent
-one sugar scrub, in your choice of scent
-one facial scrubbing mask
-one lip balm, in your choice of flavor

Wow!
How to enter: Visit either my Etsy or 1000 Markets shop and leave a comment here telling me your favorite item in my shop. And please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

Extra entries:
-1 extra entry if you follow my blog
-1 extra entry if you follow me on Twitter
-1 extra entry if you fan me on Facebook
-1 extra entry *each time* you mention the giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter. Just send me the link for each one to get credit.
-4 extra entries for each item purchased from me during the giveaway. Just be sure to put "Giveaway" in the notes to seller at checkout to get credit.

The Birthday Giveaway Blowout starts today (July 1) and ends on my birthday (July 7) at midnight CST ('cause that's my time zone!). Good luck!

Hump Day Humor

2010-06-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

I came across this photo from a post on Twitter. So funny!

Harry Potter!!!!!

2010-06-29T10:57:00.005-05:00

I just watched the new trailer for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movies, and let me tell you, I can't wait to see them!!! Gotta be patient for November.......

Sunday Spotlight

2010-06-27T09:21:00.004-05:00

Before we get on with our usual Sunday Spotlighting, I'd like to direct your attention toward a treasury that my Oatmeal, Milk and Honey soap is included in - Sweet Like Honey Treasury. Thanks for including my soap, Sincerely Serenity!

Today's Sunday Spotlight is Robyn's Art! I know Robyn from a great BNS thread on Etsy. But not only is she a sweet lady, she also sells wonderful photography and handmade journals.

It was so hard picking just one photograph to include here; there are so many that I love. Vintage Daisies 5"x7" photo print, $12.00

Robyn also makes great journals. I just ordered a custom journal, and can't wait for it to get here! The flower on this particular journal is so cute. Bloom - a 6"x9" Leather Journal, $25.00.
Robyn will also be hosting a 6-week long artist empowerment class, beginning July 5. For more details, be sure to stop by her blog.

Friday Five

2010-06-25T09:06:00.003-05:00

Today seems to be a cloudy, gloomy day, with scattered rain and storms. So today's Friday Five is all about rain. Enjoy!

Let's start with a fellow Etsy Veg teammate, 3 Am Art - Dark Stormy Skies Looming Overhead, $20.00

I love doggie raincoats, but my own pup would never wear one. Like Ben says, he barely tolerates his collar. :) Acme Couture - Wet Look Dog Raincoat with Hood, custom made, $25.00
Space Oddities - El Paraguas Pocket Mirror, $7.00
MichelleDigital - Aqua Rain, $36.00
And finally, perhaps the most unique rain-themed item I came across this morning. ClayZ - RainDrop Ocarina Trio, $145.00

2010-05-31T09:32:00.003-05:00

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! In the last episode of Friday Five, I mentioned a Sousa march. I'm sure you all know which one I mean... I played it a week ago at the Mansfield Wind Symphony patriotic concert. Cue the march! Oh, and this one is conducted by the great Leonard Bernstein. Yay!

Friday Five

2010-05-28T12:27:00.006-05:00

In honor of Memorial Day, today's Friday Five is full of red, white, and blue. Cue the Sousa march! (Oh wait, that's on Monday...)

2010-05-05T16:36:00.002-05:00

2010-03-01T17:30:00.002-06:00

Since today is a chilly, rainy day, I thought this seemed appropriate. Relax, and enjoy! Oh, but you might want to go to the bathroom first.... ;)

Friday Five

2010-02-26T12:11:00.003-06:00

Later this evening I'll be back up at school for Fun Night. This is a twice a year fundraiser for the Enrichment team (music, art, PE, and computer). The parent pays for their child to come up to school for three hours of dodge ball, board games, and a movie. It's a lot of fun for the kids, and is cheap babysitting for the parents. :) So today's Friday Five is all about children's games. Enjoy!

First is a fun felt play mat from One Mom to Another. She has several styles to choose from in her shop, but this particular mat is custom made for your child. Send her a photo of your daughter, and the dress-up doll on the felt mat will have your daughter's face! (Princess Dress-Up Felt Play Mat, $30.00).

Next is a personalized I Spy sachet from Chicks & Chickadees. She carries many varieties of I Spy sachets, but one of my favorites form her shop is the Green Flower Pillow. Each Sachet can be customized for your child. You can have the sachet personalized, either words or pictures on the ID card, and if your child has special interests or hobbies, she will do her best to include those. Fun and educational! (Personalized I Spy... My ABCs... and My Colors Sachet - Green Flower Pillow, $25.00).

The last three items are all beautifully crafted from wood. From Sherri Crafts 4U From Me, a wooden doggie memory set. Each wooden disc is hand-stamped with dog-related images, and comes in a cotton fabric bag for carrying. Due to the small size of the discs, this game is not recommended for children ages 4 and younger. (Memory Matching Game - Dog Edition, $12.95).

What collection of handmade children's games and toys would be complete without building blocks? It's the classic children's toy. Christopher H makes all of his blocks from reclaimed wood pallets, from a variety of wood types. This particular set includes six different sizes, and the different varieties of wood give the blocks different shades and textures. The blocks are packaged in a plastic bucket with a snap-on lid for easy storage, and currently has free shipping. (Solid Wood Toy Blocks - 50 pieces, $43.00).

Finally, a unique children's game - story starter dice from The Small Object. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I think this is a wonderful idea. Each set comes with three wooden hand-stamped dice, a Match + Write notepad, index sheet, and a muslin bag to store the dice in. A great way to help your child to be creative! (Tell Me A Story Set, $35.00).

Hump Day Humor

2010-02-24T13:49:00.002-06:00

Since I've spent the last two days home sick, I thought this picture was very appropriate. :) Enjoy!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Music Monday

2010-02-22T16:50:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend I finally watched August Rush, and seriously, I don't know why I waited so long to see it. Some of my fourth graders had told me that I should watch it earlier this school year, and I had it on the Netflix queue, but didn't move it to the top of the list until about a week ago. This movie is WONDERFUL. The music is pretty good too. :) And according to IMDB, Johnathan Rhys Meyers actually performs the songs that his character Louis sings. Bonus points for that.

This song combines classical with rock, which they do a couple of times in the movie. The two main characters, Lyla and Louis, are musicians. Lyla plays classical cello, and Louis is an Irish rocker. So when they're playing at the same time, their music plays together too. Enjoy!

Sunday Spotlight

2010-02-21T09:41:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my new Sunday Spotlight. Each Sunday I'll spotlight a few handmade items from one crafter. Today's Spotlight is Blossom's Wild Herb Lavender Farm. At Blossom's Farm, they grow all of their herbs and plants on a 12 acre farm in northeast Ohio. I bet it's beautiful, and it probably smells great too.

Not surprisingly, since I'm a soaper, we're starting with a bath and body gift set. This particular gift set includes one lavender linen and body dew, one lavender lotion bar, and one lavender essential oil blend soap. Your shipping is included with the price of the gift set, so there are no surprises at checkout. (Lavender Lavender Gift Collection, $21.90)

Blossom Farm also makes a delicious-sounding Lavender Honey. Lavender blossoms are infused in local honey. I think this would be great on a biscuit or toast in the morning, and Blossom Farm recommends it for ice cream and tea. (8 oz. Lavender Honey, $12.90)

Finally, let's look at one more gift set. This one is full of spices and seasonings. The Wild Spice gift set includes Lavender Pepper, Herbes de Provence, Tuscan Lavender Bread Dip, and Lavender Wild Steak Shake. I'm especially interested in the bread dip. Add some of the seasoning to your olive oil, and dip your crusty Italian bread in it. Sounds yummy! (Lavender Wild Spice Blend Gift Collection, $19.90)

Friday Five

2010-02-19T19:29:00.003-06:00

This week marks two changes in my blog staples. I'm changing my Friday posts from a Friday Feature to a Friday Five. One subject, five wonderful handmade products. Oh, and be sure to stop by over the weekend to read another new weekly feature.

Today's Friday Five is all about the Olympics. I love to watch them, even though I'm not remotely athletically coordinated. For example, when I do the balance games on Wii Fit, it asks me if I often fall over while standing up. Yes, but since when is that a crime...

Let's start with beautiful Vancouver. One of the best parts of watching the Olympics is getting to enjoy the scenery. Canada is definitely on my list of places I'd love to visit someday. This lovely photograph comes from Shane Kelly (Vancouver Whistler Mountain Peak and Huskies, $25.00).

Next, let's look at an inspiring art carving from solamar7. This Inukshuk carving looks like a rock, but amazingly enough is carved in foam! Which means it will be lightweight and easy to hang on your wall (Believe Inukshuk Carved Styro Art, $42.00).

I'd like to end with some snowboarding. To me, it's one of the more exciting sports to watch. I loved watching both the men and the women's runs. If I could pick any sport to do, I really think snowboarding would be it, because it looks like so much fun. But I also know it takes balance, which I don't have... So I'll stick to watching it, and enjoying beautiful artwork like this one, found in Ussher Art's Etsy shop (Free Flow, $225.00).

Speaking of snowboarding, watching Shaun White the other night was exciting. The best part was when he had already won the gold before he even did his second run, and he asked everyone with him if he should just go down the middle. While I loved seeing his new trick, that would have been awesome too. From CraftinaT, a 5" felt Shaun (The Red Zeppelin, $39.00).

And finally, what better way than to support your future Olympic skier or snowboarder that with a shirt? From coup, a baseball-sleeve raglan shirt (Youth Olympic Hopeful, $20.00).

Music Monday

2010-02-15T13:45:00.003-06:00

Ben and I have been watching the Olympics, like I'm sure some of you have been doing. (He even didn't change the channel when the pairs skating came on last night. *gasp*) I love Sarah McLachlan's music, and enjoyed listening to her perform during the opening ceremonies on Friday.

Enjoy!

Fresh Off the Curing Rack

2010-02-13T15:14:00.002-06:00

Let's give a big welcome back to my Carbon soap! It's the first soap made by me in 2010. Yay!

We like to use Carbon on our faces in the morning. It contains bentonite clay and activated charcoal, plus a blend of lavender, tea tree, and lime essential oils. You can find my Carbon soap in any of my three shops (Etsy, 1000Markets, and ArtFire. Carbon soap, $5.00)

Friday Feature

2010-02-12T09:02:00.006-06:00

For today's Friday Feature I'm doing something different. In the North Texas area we had record snowfall yesterday, which resulted in a snow day, at least in my own school district. (Thank goodness, car rider duty was bad enough yesterday with just a couple of inches of snow and slush.) So today's feature is the snow. :)

Here was Booger yesterday afternoon around 4:15 tromping around the backyard. Look at his tiny footprints. :) At this point the snow was tummy high for him.

During the night we had a even more snow. The satellite kept going out because of snow buildup in the dish. Ben went out twice with a broom to brush it out, but eventually gave up until this morning. Our backyard is now just a sea of white. Our poor brush trees at the back are bowed over from the weight of the snow.

The snow is now as tall as Booger, so this morning he won't go out in it at all. He's sticking to the part of the yard that's in the shadow of the house, where there is about 6" wide of space not snowed on. It's so pretty outside!

And we apparently had a bunny friend earlier this morning. There are bunny tracks all over our driveway and front yard. :)

I've Been Featured!

2010-02-11T12:48:00.002-06:00

Grevious Angel Designs has included me in a wonderful Celtic treasury. Take a look at all of the Celtic-inspired items, including my own Irish Tweed Soap. Hurry though, the treasury will end Friday morning!

I'm also a spotlight in the Etsy Veg Team blog sidebar. Yay!

In other news, it's snowing here in DFW. Usually we don't get much snow, but I think this is our third snow/ice since November. Crazy! But it's been snowing since sometime during the night, and we have quite a bit of accumulation. I'm hoping to take a picture when I get home. It's beautiful outside!

Soup's On!

2010-02-09T17:18:00.003-06:00

Since it's cold and wintry this week, it seemed like a good time to make some soup. So last night I made Hungry Girl's Southwestern Surprise soup. It's a whole lot like the taco soup teachers at my school make, which is just fine by me. I used Boca veggie crumbles instead of the meat (of course), and a packet of Chipotle taco seasoning. I also added a bell pepper and some spinach. Tasty! And since the recipe makes so much, I put one container of it straight into the freezer. The second container will make a lot of yummy, warm, lunches the rest of the week. Yay!

A New Month...

2010-02-06T09:37:00.003-06:00

... a new cookbook!

This week I made the difficult choice of which cookbook of mine to cook from during February. I really had a hard time picking one, but the choice was made a little easier since I had to make soup or salad for our luncheon at school yesterday. I knew how yummy the Sassy Salsa and Pumpkin Soup from Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World, so I went ahead and made that. So this month I'll actually be using a cookbook that I've cooked from several times, as opposed to last month where I cooked from a new one that I hadn't used before. Of course, it had been a Christmas gift, so it makes sense that I wouldn't have used it already.

So, back to the soup. The last time I made it with a chipotle salsa, and this time I used Joe T. Garcia's medium salsa. Joe T's is one of my all-time favorite restaurants EVER, and their salsa is sooooo good, but I think I liked the chipotle salsa better for the soup. It really added to the overall flavor. Next time I'm saving my Joe T's salsa for my baked Tostito Scoops. :)

Calamity Jenn Strikes Again

2010-02-01T17:56:00.003-06:00

Last night as Ben and I were cooking dinner, it happened. I made (once again) a huge mess in the kitchen.

We were making sloppy joes, his with ground turkey, and mine from the Vegan Sloppy Joes recipe in my January cookbook, How it all Vegan! I had made the tomato sauce for mine in the food processor, and it was looking pretty good--all nice and tomato-ey. Ben had put the food processor out for me, around the corner of the counter and down at the end... not where I usually put it, but a decent spot, since we don't have a ton of counter space in the kitchen. So I'm turning to grab the tomato sauce so I can mix it with all of my veggie goodness in the skillet, and my arm knocked the bottle of olive oil off the counter and onto the floor.

I wasn't looking as I turned, but I must have been wild with my arms, because I know I didn't put the olive oil near the edge of the counter. And of course, the dog was already in the kitchen with me, so as I'm trying not to move and step on glass shards in my sock feet, I'm also trying to pick up the dog, so he doesn't step on the glass or go to town licking up the oil.

Did you know that it takes a REALLY long time to clean up a shattered bottle of olive oil that was more than 3/4 full? Ugh. Ben was really nice and did all of the sweeping and moping so that I wouldn't hurt my back (yes, I'm such an old lady... bad back and all). I helped by putting the dog up and fetching soapy water, clean water, rags, etc. Ugh. By then, our food was cooled off, since Ben had turned off the burners. Good thing, too, because it definitely would have burned, and then no sloppy joes for us!

Mine turned out really good, though. If you're a fan of veggie sloppy joes, definitely try it out. I used Boca veggie crumbles instead of TVP like the recipe called for. It's what I had on hand, but it worked just fine. Leftovers were pretty tasty at lunch today too! :)

Stay tuned, because a new month means a new cookbook to use! I have no idea which one to go with, there are so many in the cabinet.... ;)

Friday Feature

2010-01-29T16:45:00.004-06:00

Today's Friday Feature is Gaia Conceptions. Andrea uses certified organic and eco-friendly fabrics in all of her creations, and custom makes your order specifically to your size. That's great for a tall girl like me! :) She also hand dyes the fabric, so be sure to check out all of the color options.

I wanted to start today's feature with Gaia Conceptions' Secret Pocket Long Skirt. I actually have two of these, one in natural and one in avocado. Every time I wear one to school, I always seem to get compliments on them. And they've been great to wear this winter too, with a pair of leggings underneath to keep my legs nice and warm during car rider duty. (Secret Pocket Long Skirt, $72.00)

Another piece I always love to look at is The Market Dress. I love the 3/4 sleeve, which is great for cooler weather, but Andrea can make it with a different length of sleeve for you. (The Market Dress, $145.00)

One thing I love about Gaia Conceptions clothing, other than the made-to-order sizing, is the way the photographs show different ways you can layer her pieces. For example, I would never have thought to pair The Market Dress with a pair of pants, but they definitely look great together.

Hump Day Humor

2010-01-27T12:00:00.002-06:00

Please allow me to put on my dork hat for just a bit. I happen to love Star Trek. The original series is my favorite (I love that the newest movie went back to those original characters!), but I like most of the others too. You can read about just how much I love them here.

Ben came across this video clip. Thanks, Ben! We both laughed pretty hard over this one. Now, Next Generation is Ben's favorite, and I think we've agreed to disagree. I do love Patrick Stewart, though.

So if you like the occasional (or not so occasional) Star Trek, definitely take a look at this clip. Out of context clips put together make for funny stuff!

Enjoy!

Music Monday

2010-01-25T16:41:00.002-06:00

I was just watching a rerun of Whose Line is it Anyway? which is a hilarious show if you've never seen it. I'm sad they no longer make new episodes, because this really is one of my favorite shows. Ben says I cackle when I watch it...but...I can't help it if I do sometimes, they're hilarious!

Anyway, this was at the very end of the episode I just watched. It's a song, so it counts for Music Monday, but it's really funny too. Enjoy!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy

2010-01-24T20:25:00.002-06:00

I know what you're thinking. Jenn, you didn't cook at *all* this week! What about your New Year's Resolution to cook at least once or twice each week???? Pshaw, I say. Sunday ends the week, and I definitely cooked tonight.

I made "Everything Goes" Stir-Fry, with Garlic Toss For Noodles. The recipe for the stir-fry makes me smile, because it actually calls for two cups of "everything goes" veggies -- basically, whatever veggies you have on hand. So I put carrot, onion, red bell pepper, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, and tempeh in mine. I cooked the Garlic Toss in a separate pan so the flavors could all gel together into some spicy garlic goodness, and then mixed it in with the veggies right before serving. Yum!

Oh, and just a side note. Don't forget to check on your rice as it cooks. I was so busy stirring my Garlic Toss into the stir-fry that I ended up with little crispy pieces of rice at the bottom of the pan. Turned out fine, but Calamity Jenn nearly struck again.

Hump Day Humor

2010-01-20T17:47:00.002-06:00

OK, so I'm not going to claim that I found this on my own. Ben and I were watching Daniel Tosh's show on Comedy Central recently, and he showed this clip. But I loved it so much I had to share it with you guys. Enjoy!

Chili-rific!

2010-01-19T17:08:00.002-06:00

So this past weekend was our second annual Chili Supper. We had a bunch of people come up from Austin, along with a bunch of our local friends too. All together there were five different types of chili. Personally, I thought mine was the best... It was also the only veggie chili, and so was the only one I tried. But keeping with my New Year's Resolution to cook one month from one of my cookbooks once or twice a week, I made a new chili recipe. I tried out Sarah's Delicious Chili from How it All Vegan! and it was pretty tasty. I hadn't had chili with garbanzo beans before, but I have to say that I liked it. I would have added some additional spice to the recipe after taste testing for seasoning, but my in-laws were joining us for dinner, and my mother in law can't handle any spice right now. So I was the good daughter in law and made mine not very spicy. *pat on back*

I also made Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. This would be only the second time that I've made vegan cookies. These turned out so yummy! I picked up some chocolate chips that were swirled with peanut butter and added walnuts. Yum! The consistency was different from a non-vegan cookie. My friend Nick said it reminded him of a biscuit, but to me it was a cross between cake, cookie and biscuit. So good, you definitely should try this one.

Well, It's Friday...

2010-01-15T21:50:00.002-06:00

...and I missed today's Friday Feature. No worries, I'm full of excuses tonight.

1. We had a workday at school, and I was busy workday-ing.
2. Ben and I are having friends over tomorrow, and we were cleaning and washing sheets from the guest room.
3. Tomorrow is chili supper, so I made a grocery list.
4. Oh, and I was finishing up counting shrink wrap and packaging for inventory. That's my very least favorite part of inventory, don'tcha know.
5. And how could I forget, I seem to have hurt my back. Again. As in, my back stretches and Aleve haven't done a lick of good. So here I am, about to lay down in bed with the heating pad. Here's hoping it will feel better in the morning, or at least well enough to stretch it better than I could tonight.

And yes, I know it seems that I haven't cooked this week, despite my New Year's Resolution. Well, that would be because I haven't. Sunday I made a Use Up What You Have pasta-casserole-bake. I cooked up the last of the package of macaroni from Thanksgiving, and mixed it with the last of the veggies from when I made pizza that week, with the last of the Zesty Tomato Pesto sauce, also from pizza night, and the last of a package of veggie crumbles. Mix it all together, top with vegan Parmesan, bake for about 15 minutes at 350, and you're good to go. The leftovers made for pretty tasty lunches this week.

No worries, though. Tomorrow is Chili Supper. But enough for tonight. Right now my bed and heating pad are calling. Goodnight!

Music Monday

2010-01-11T20:58:00.003-06:00

I just came home from dinner after my Orffestra program at school. Orffestra is my after-school club of 3rd and 4th graders. We sing and play Orff instruments, with a lot of the music we play coming from the Orff Music for Children Volumes, and basically have a good ol' musical time. Today's Music Monday is inspired by a different Carl Orff piece, Carmina Burana--one of my favorite vocal pieces *ever.*

Enjoy!

Pizza Crust is Hard to Do

2010-01-05T17:13:00.003-06:00

Now just sing the title of this post to the tune of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and you'll be on the same page as me. Of course, it could be because right now I'm watching an episode of Buffy that has everyone singing and dancing.

Last night I tried my hand at making Yeast Free Pizza Crust, along with Zesty Tomato Pesto. Well the sauce turned out great, I added a bit more garlic and basil than the recipe called for, but then I do love garlic more than any other seasoning. The crust was another thing altogether. Yesterday I said it couldn't be too hard, but I think I spoke too soon. Should've learned my lesson from the lasagna noodle fiasco. Dough is hard...at least for me. *sigh* I'll get the hang of it eventually...

Music Monday.... and Go Frogs!

2010-01-04T18:16:00.003-06:00

Today is not only Music Monday, it's also my first day back at school from Winter Break, Dinner No. 2 from my New Year's Resolution, AND... the TCU bowl game! Wow, what a busy day! I forgot how tired I always am the first day back at school, and then I had to run by the grocery to pick up a couple of things for tonight (like parsley... the store I was at yesterday didn't have it, gah!).

Honestly, the last thing I want to do tonight is cook. Fortunately, I'm making pizza, which is pretty painless. The only thing is, I'm making Zesty Tomato Pesto and Yeast Free Pizza Crust from How it all Vegan! I've never made pizza crust before, but it doesn't look so bad.

So here I am on the couch, already tuned into Fox, wearing TCU plaid flannel jammies, and a TCU t-shirt. Go Frogs, beat the Broncos! (The video isn't from when I played in the band not too long ago, but it's nice to see that pregame hasn't changed!)

Hump Day Humor

2009-12-30T19:14:00.003-06:00

I was so busy today, that I almost forgot to put up my humor for today! And that really would've been a shame, because this is really funny. I came across this print in Dan Jackson's Etsy shop. Enjoy! :)

(108 Print Guitar Hero, $22.00)

I Knead Noodles

2009-12-29T14:15:00.007-06:00

Ha, get it? Yep, I'm a dork.

The lasagna turned out pretty yummy last night, but I can't say the same for my first attempt at homemade noodles. Apparently I didn't knead the dough long enough the first time, because when I put it through the roller part, the dough fell to pieces. So I kneaded and kneaded, and kneaded some more, and tried again. Came out fine, and I cut it into lasagna-sized strips. But when I cooked them in the boiling water, a bunch of them came apart. When I drained the water, I had a few whole noodles, and lots of little bits of noodle. So I ended up having to use the store bought no-cook noodles anyway, which ended up working out great.

And speaking of lasagna, here's a good looking one I found in GulfCoastCottagePDF's Etsy shop. (Italian Feast Felt Food PDF Pattern, $5.99)

Music Monday

2009-12-28T14:51:00.003-06:00

Tonight starts my New Year's Resolution, and yes, I know it's a little early. Oh well. I was inspired. (And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, check yesterday's blog update.) One month of cooking from my newest cookbook, How it all Vegan! by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer. My mom is coming over, along with possibly a couple of guy friends, and I'm making Classic Spinach Lasagna, with homemade Traditional Tomato Sauce from the same cookbook. (Homemade pasta sauce rocks, and is super easy!) I'm also making Easy Garlic Spread and cooking it in some puff pastry to make garlic bread rolls. Yum! I bought some lasagna noodles just in case, because the closer it gets to cook time, the more chicken I'm getting about making my own pasta. We'll see... I might save homemade pasta for another night when I won't have company...

What about Music Monday? Hold your horses, I was just getting to that. I was putting groceries in the trunk of my car today and had a very "hippie" moment. In the Whole Foods parking lot, wearing faux-suede boots and an organic cotton skirt, putting reusable grocery sacks filled with tofu and organic veggies into the tiny trunk of my Beetle...

Needless to say, I listened to some Beatles on the way home.

This is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Whew!

2009-12-27T16:52:00.004-06:00

I hadn't realized that it's been so long since I updated my blog... Oops! The holidays are busy for everyone, so hopefully you didn't miss me too much. ;) All I know is, we were definitely Christmas-ed out. Five is a little much, but there's not really much to be done about that. It's nice to be able to spend time with so many different family members, though!

During my week away from school, I've been doing some thinking. And no, it didn't hurt, thank you very much.

Ben and I have been going out to eat most nights, and not cooking at all. For a while I was doing pretty good about cooking at least one dinner per week at home, but the last couple of weeks the only cooking I've done is to take to Christmas Eve dinner at Ben's grandmother's house. The way our schedules are, Ben and I really only eat together Monday and Wednesday nights, plus the weekend. So ideally, one (or both) of those nights would be staying at home for a home-cooked meal. Then, since Mr. Picky Pants doesn't really care for leftovers, that would leave me with lunches to take to school or leftover dinners for nights that I eat without him.

So I've decided that my New Year's resolution this year is to cook one or two dinners per week. That being said, I am a cookbook-holic. Yes, I admit it. I love to look at cookbooks, but the problem is that since I don't cook often, they don't get much use. This means that part of my Cooking Resolution is going to be to use those books! Right now I'm thinking of spending one month per cookbook, so I can try out as many recipes as possible. And I'm not afraid to admit that I was inspired by watching the movie Julie and Julia while wrapping presents. I'm starting with How it all Vegan! by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer, which my mom gave me for Christmas. Oh, did I forget to mention that I've recently started cooking vegan at home? Except for Christmas Eve macaroni and cheese, that is. My mom is coming over for dinner tomorrow night, so I'm making something from my new cookbook. I'm also trying my hand at handmade pasta, to use my brand new pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid. Wish me luck!

It's the Holiday Season!

2009-12-12T19:00:00.005-06:00

It's finally starting to feel like Christmas in our house. First of all, to give you a little background, we're "not allowed" to put up Christmas decorations until *after* Ben's birthday at the beginning of December. Yes, he has a complex. And since I don't have any Fall/Thanksgiving decorations, the Halloween decorations stayed up inside the house until the weekend after Thanksgiving. I know, I know, that's way too long. Halloween is my favorite holiday. Sue me. :)

When we bought our house a couple of years ago, we thought it would be a good time to upgrade our tiny, apartment-sized Christmas tree to a house-sized one. Well, it barely fit in the 2-door Civic Ben drove at the time. I sat crammed in the corner of the backseat while the front seat was folded backwards so the giant box could lay in the entire passenger side of the car at an angle. Putting it together was a big adventure. You'd think a pre-lit tree wouldn't be so bad. You'd be wrong. Two years of listening to Ben yell and curse at the tree, and several broken light bulbs later, he decided he's not putting it together anymore. (Taking it apart was just as bad.) Oh, and did I mention that the darn thing was too big for the room anyway?

So after us not putting up a tree at all last year, I finally convinced him that we should get an aluminum tree. You know, the kind that they put up way back in the day. (I found this awesome vintage tree ad on Curly Wurly's blog. Lots of great stuff to look at!)

I already had my grandma's old color wheel in the attic, so all we had to do was get a tree. Low and behold, they sell aluminum trees on Amazon! So tonight we put it together, and it was *way* less stressful. Almost peaceful, even! So I'm ranking our new vintage-looking aluminum tree among my top purchases ever.

In no particular order: ski gloves and jacket for car rider duty at school, Neti pot, tiny whisks, and the aluminum tree.

Friday Feature

2009-12-11T12:44:00.004-06:00

Today's Friday Feature is Designs by Kari, who I met on a BNS thread on Etsy. Kari makes gorgeous jewelry. In fact, I've ordered from her a couple of times. :) Not only is everything in her shop beautiful to look at, she is currently running a 25% off sale! All you have to do is put "Happy Holidays" in the notes to seller at checkout to receive your refund.

Honestly, I had trouble picking just a few items to feature today, so I started with something I have a weakness for... Rings! Kari's Raspberry Coral ring is made with a raspberry coral cabochon on a silver plated adjustable base. I personally love buying adjustable rings, because I can make them smaller in the winter when my hands are cold and shrunken! :) (Raspberry Coral Ring, $10.00)

Another beautiful item in Kari's shop, her Rock of Love Necklace, is on sale! The focal bead is jasper, with fuscia, black and green all swirled together. I love how the green Czech glass beads pop and give the necklace sparkle. (Rock of Love Necklace, $22.40)

Hump Day Humor

2009-12-09T17:04:00.000-06:00

It's Wednesday. And you know what that means. It's business time - conditions are perfect. :)