Month: August 2016

The List

Everyday Adventures

One day last week, on my lunch break, feeling a bit frustrated and exhausted by work and life in general, I made a list:

Things I’d Like to do Again

I wrote down whatever came to mind, everything from having confidence in my work (it was a low day, remember) to blogging regularly, to specific craft projects. Getting it down on paper felt good, it helped me see what had been overshadowed these last couple of months by work and work and trying to de-stress from said work.

As an aside, I now know exactly what kind of days Todd routinely has, days when he doesn’t have time to stop for lunch until the late afternoon (if at all), days when all you’re good for when you get home is to veg in front of the tv for an hour before falling into bed. Not all my days are like that, but enough have been that I get it, now. 

 Now, a list like this could stand on it’s own, being looked at from time to time, wistfully wishing I could go back to having time and energy for these things.

Then I reminded myself that, hello, I’m the one living this life and it’s up to me to make what I want happen, right?! Right.

So, on the facing page I made a companion list:

Ways I Can Make That Happen

And for each item on the first list I gave myself some instructions.

Want to blog regularly? I can either stockpile posts on the weekends or tap out some quicker posts on evenings and weekends. I’ve been working on this one and I hope the shorter, but daily, posts are enjoyable. I feel a bit stiff, still, but I’m hoping that as I keep doing it, it will feel a bit more natural.

Some goals might take a bit more time to get to–taking a vacation, throwing a party, etc.–but they got the simple, “do it” treatment just the same. Whether it’s planning and saving for it, on the list it went.

And what about the work confidence? Work hard, learn more, be patient.

I give pretty good advice to myself. Now to just take it.

Tonight we’re satisfying one of my more frivolous wishes: having chocolate cake for dinner.  I mean, really, why not, right? One of the perks of being a grown up is indulging flights of fancy. I warned Todd it might happen and even put it on the menu. The only real question still to be decided is whether I make the cake myself or I swing by Publix and pick one up on the way home. It depends on how long I’m at The Fuzzy Goat this evening, probably, but those Publix cakes really are very tasty. And already made. No oven required.

Currently the list stands at 13 lines, I suppose I could add more if other ideas present themselves. Have you ever thought about what you’re missing or have put aside that you really want back? And, more importantly, have you ever thought about how you can go about making it happen?

 

A Project You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

In The Studio

 

There are few things in this life that squick me out more than tooth issues, but even my dental demons didn’t stop me from creating these cute tooth fairy pillows for the Helmar blog.

Just the right size to slip under a pillow

Just the right size to slip under a pillow

Growing up, I had one of those interactive board books called Bruce’s Loose Tooth, about a moose named (you guessed it) Bruce, who had a tooth that just wouldn’t come out, despite how loose it was. So there was a string running through all of the pages showing all the different ways he and his friends tried to rid him of the tooth. The most memorable involving a moving train, I seem to recall.

At any rate, like most kids in the US (a safe generalization, right?) when a tooth came loose it was placed under a pillow and magically replaced my money in the morning. Silver dollars were the big money prize, back then, but I know I’ve heard of modern day tooth fairies bringing 5 or 10 dollar bills.

Inflation is everywhere!

While it might have been cute to make one of these for Duncan’s puppy teeth, I think we’re past that stage (not to mention he’d just destuff it), it’s a cute and simple project for those with little ones of the tooth-losing ages. It uses a fray-blocking medium as well as a basting spray that would come in handy in any number of projects, so go check it out!

I So Needed That!

Everyday Adventures

And by that, I mean an honest to goodness day off this weekend.

I checked a big, huge item off my to-do list at work on Friday so it felt like a good time to start reclaiming some me-time on the weekends. It wasn’t a complete sloth of a weekend since I had to go grocery shopping and had a few design team projects to work on, but I made the most of it!

Saturday morning Todd took Duncan to the dog park so I could sleep in a bit. I was already awake when they left, so I put the time to good use by working on my current knitting project (Interweave Knits’ Washington Square Vest) and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Aside from a quick client call mid-afternoon, that’s what I did for the rest of the day, too, only switching to “work” mode after supper to put together this week’s menu and grocery list, pay bills, etc.

Sunday wasn’t so bad, either, from a non-taxing standpoint. I ddin’t have to go down to Tallahassee, after all (my former boss took a Sunday drive up my way and brought me a file I needed, instead), though Duncan totally wigged out when he found Bob in our front hallway.

Now, Duncan met Bob the day after we picked him up (Duncan, that is). He came to work with me several times after that and Bob was quite generous with the treats and pets. So I think we were both shocked that Duncan not only wouldn’t come to Bob as he stood just inside the doorway but barked his head off, fur raised on the back of his neck, and fear-piddled in the hall as he pulled a barking reverse.

Dude, way to be friendly.

Of course Bob thought it was hilarious and actually told Duncan “good boy” a few times. I’m not sure I agree! I’d like to have visitors over from time to time, our friends and what not, without Duncan losing his ever-lovin’ mind!

My theory is, because he’s never acted this way before, that he was spooked by Bob just “appearing” and that maybe, just maybe, if he’d been with me at the door to greet the visitor he wouldn’t have looked at his like an intruder?

Not sure. But we might have to give all future visitors a few treats to appease the beast.

Stuck on Xyron!

In The Studio

Hey there! Today I get to share one of my Imagine projects over here on my own blog because we’re having a little hop with Xyron!

2016_august_jv_xyron_magnetic_countdown_board_main

Before we get into how I made this any-occasion countdown calendar, I’d just like to thank Xyron, not only for sending us product to work with, but for sticking around (hah!) all these years. Both the little 150 Sticker Maker and 500 Create-a-Sticker that I used in this project I’ve had for something like 15 years and even with all that time and the evolution of their product line, the refills still work in these older “machines” and for that I am sincerely grateful.

Okay, enough gushing, let’s get to the project du jour!

Any-Occasion Countdown Calendar

Are you ever shocked when that one friend (everyone has one) comes into the office or posts on Facebook, etc. “only XX days ’til Christmas”? Even though they come around at the same time every year, I’m always a little gob-smacked at the small number of days before a holiday or other event (and how generally unprepared I might be for them). So I thought a countdown calendar would be an excellent thing to have on hand, and even better if it worked for any holiday or occasion coming up!

To make this countdown calendar I used (more or less in order of use):

Wow, that looks like a lot of stuff and explains why my work table looks like a tornado hit it.

Step One: Emboss and Emboss

Step One: Emboss and Emboss

So I could have sworn I had a clock-patterned embossing folder but apparently I talked myself out of that one (why?!) but I will not be dissuaded. I used the gears embossing folder and inked up one side with the clear Versamark pad. Once it was embossed I sprinkled it with white embossing powder and heat set it. My coverage wasn’t perfect here, but that’s okay, since I really just needed two “perfect” gears.

Step 2: Prep for letters!

Step 2: Prep for letters!

There are many things you can use a Xyron for, but hands-down my go-to use is for letters. With the Create-a-Sticker I will do a larger piece I can run through the die cutter and boom, intantly adhesived letters. No fussing with adhesive all over the place, just so super simple. This time I did two layers (one white, one red) through the Sizzix at once, vastly cutting down the cutting time.

Step 3: We have a title!

Step 3: We have a title!

As you can see, I fussy-cut the gears and added some strips of black cardstock for arms, then I secured them with a brad. The ends of each arm are decorated with a homemade “enamel” dot made from StazOn Studio Glaze. I made a bunch of these on a lark and have a little box of them on my work table for whenever I want one. Basically, you just squeeze a little puddle out onto your craft mat and let it dry.Done.Apply with a tiny dab of white glue.

My title is made by offseting the red letters just a hair behind the white, and sticking them down directly to the dry erase board. The gear-clocks are popped up with a couple of ZapDots a piece.

What you won’t see (because I apparently forgot to grab the camera) is my cutting out a scalloped oval from a piece of white cardstock and blue fun foam. Why blue? It’s what I had. These were put together and attached to the board with some Tear It! Tape.

Step 4: Here's your sign!

Step 4: Here’s your sign!

Here’s where you get customized. I used a variety of stamps and inks, along with some hand lettering, to create little signs to go under the frame I made in the last step. These are just a few I’m starting with, but the beauty of this board is that you can make any occasion you need.

Step 5: Make mine a magnet, please!

Step 5: Make mine a magnet, please!

This magnet tape is really what inspired this project, let’s be honest. On the back of each occasion sign (which have been matted once or twice, each, for strength and prettiness) I placed a piece or two of the Xyron Magnet Tape. This is what makes the countdown any-occasion.

Step 6: Little Letters

Step 6: Little Letters

To finish my board, I cut tiny letters to decorate the bottom of the countdown frame and ran them through my little Xyron 150. Like I said, my favorite use for my Xyrons are letters and for tiny things the little X sticker maker is perfect.

Make good use of the extra space!

Make good use of the extra space!

Since my countdown calendar only takes up 2/3 of my dry erase board, I can use the remaining space to either hold some of the other signs, like in the first photo of the post, or I can use it as a to-do list for the upcoming event. Now I really have no excuse for holidays sneaking up on me.

What would your favorite countdown be?

50s Food is Pretty Tasty!

Nibbles

Or so said Todd, midway through my latest Junior League cookbook week. I’m not exactly inclined to disagree, either!

Monday we met up with friends at George and Louie’s for a much-needed catch-up session. Considering the restaurant has a retro feel with it’s sign and it’s music, I’m going to say that it was a happy accident to make it fit in with the rest of the week (well, most of it).

Italian Pizza Pie with Savory String Bean Salad

Italian Pizza Pie with Savory String Bean Salad

Tuesday kicked off the tour through the original River Road Recipes (affiliate link), published in 1959, with Italian Pizza Pie and Savory String Bean Salad. Like last time, I’m including the images of the recipes rather than typing them out because part of the undeniable charm of these sorts of cookbooks is the look of them. Transcribing them just insn’t enough!

River Road Recipes, page 89

River Road Recipes, page 89

Yes, pizza night, and the pizza was very good for being a simple ground beef and cheese combo. While the recipe called for roll mix (and I’d originally planned to use gluten-free Bisquick for that step), I ended up buying the Schar gluten-free pizza crusts. I’ve had their bread before and it was a little iffy, but these pizza crusts were amazing! It may have helped that I added garlic olive oil to the crust, some of which seeped through the docking marks, meaning the bottom of the crust “fried” in the olive oil as it baked, but whatever. I’m definitely buying those crusts again.

River Road Recipes, page 34

River Road Recipes, page 34

The side dish was the real surprise. It was a bed of lettuce topped with dressed green beans, topped with egg salad. But that egg salad, though. It had bacon in it. I’m pretty sure I’ve made egg salad sandwiches somewhere in my past that had bacon on top, but this was very next-level. If you like bacon and egg salad, chop up some bacon and added to the egg salad next time and let it sit for a bit before eating it. Trust me.

Lemon Pork Chops + Eggplant Supreme

Lemon Pork Chops + Eggplant Supreme

Wednesday was another winner of Lemon Pork Chops and Eggplant Supreme.

River Road Recipes, page 84

River Road Recipes, page 84

Making some rice or noodles would not have gone amiss with the very tomato-ey Lemon Pork Chops, as there was a fair amount of gravy left over.

River Road Recipes, page 55

River Road Recipes, page 55

Eggplant is rather hit-or miss for Todd, but I keep searching for ways to prepare it that he might like. This Eggplant Supreme was a surprise win with the celery, bell peppers, and cheese. The bits of Worcestershire and hot sauces weren’t super-strong, but they definitely added a little something to the dish!

Thursday was a bit of a rough day at the office, resulting in a tension headache that just wouldn’t go away until sometime after 8pm. I didn’t feel up to cooking, so Todd picked up sushi for us.  Maybe not the standard headache “cure” but it worked for me, that night!

Shrimp Floridian en Papillote + Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream

Shrimp Floridian en Papillote + Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream

Friday I was back in the kitchen with a little Shrimp Floridian en Papillote (try saying that without a Justin Wilson accent, I dare ya!) along with some Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream.

River Road Recipes, page 113

River Road Recipes, page 113

Usually en papillote would have me making parchment paper packets but this recipe just called for cooking it in a covered dish. You will not see me complaining about this fact. The combination of blue cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and white wine (a Florida muscadine wine, because we had it in the fridge) was quite good, and could have easily been a topping for pasta or the baked potatoes we had with it.

River Road Recipes, page 60

River Road Recipes, page 60

Now, why would we feel the need to have a recipe for baked potatoes–isn’t that pretty simple and straight-forward? Yes, but there was something special about the sour cream mix, namely the addition of celery salt and a little hot sauce. It wasn’t a lot, but it did change the overall flavor of the topping in a very tasty way.

Pot Roast in Red Wine + Sour Cream Noodles

Pot Roast in Red Wine + Sour Cream Noodles

This past Saturday was the first in a long time that I got to just spend at home, working in my pjs in The Abyss, and not having to go into Tallahassee, since the beginning of July. It was heaven. So was the Pot Roast in Red Wine and the accompanying Sour Cream Noodles.

River Road Recipes, page 79

River Road Recipes, page 79

I usually do anything pot roast-related in the slow cooker for ease and consistency. I stuck to the stove top this time and took my luxury of time at home to let it cook nice and slow for a few hours. Worth. It. I’m not 100% sold on baking the noodles for an hour (I think I did just 30 minutes), but the combo of the sour cream noodles and the rich pot roast gravy was reminiscent of beef stroganoff, so yeah. Very tasty.

Sunday Night Quickie

Sunday Night Quickie

If Saturday was my day home to play, Sunday was the make-up day as I made my pilgrimage to the old office for a couple of hours. But I had an ulterior motive as there was a planner meet-up that afternoon that I wanted to go to. This meant I didn’t get home until after 6, though, so something called a Sunday Night Quickie sounded like a good supper option.

River Road Recipes, page 71

River Road Recipes, page 71

Essentially it’s scrambled eggs on toast but mixing in a can of chicken noodle soup? Color me intrigued. It was surprisingly tasty and not overly salty like I thought it might have been. Go figure. Breakfast for dinner is nothing new around here. of course, which is why I felt semi-confident about putting it on the menu in the first place. I think, were I ever to make this one again, I might opt for some grilled tomato slices on the side or something just to brighten up the plate.

So that wraps up our trek through the 50s, or does it? I never got to the poultry chapter and there were plenty of other intriguing recipes–do I stay in the 50s for my next week in the kitchen or shall I turn the clock back further? Time will tell!