Green Chickadees

Fill in the Blank (Black) Friday

2011-11-25T12:30:00.000-06:00

1. Waking up at the break of dawn to go shopping is my idea of a nightmare. I think it's completely nuts. This year, I'm focusing on making everything I give away this year. I want people to know that I'm thinking about them, not how much I was willing to spend on them.

2. If I were to go shopping today I would be on the hunt for a KitchenAid Stand Mixer under $100. I feel like I can't call myself a true baker until I own one of these things. I know that good 'ole fashioned elbow grease is good enough, but if I had to have a luxury kitchen item, this would be it. In Apple Green. Ahhhhhh.

3. The best thing I ate yesterday was the sweet corn muffins at the Hilton Garden Inn buffet I went to. It was the best corn muffin I've ever eaten. I considered several times throughout the brunch going up, grabbing like six or seven and smuggling them home in my Vera Bradley. That thing could hold a dozen, but Thanksgiving is about what I'm thankful for, not what I can stuff in my purse. In case you are wondering, no, I did not smuggle any food home. I'm a classy lady. At least, I'd like to think so. Besides, I'm not my grandmother.

4. Something I've been learning lately is: do what you love. Even if you have to eat PB & J to get by. After I quit my job, I was worried about money and whether or not I'd be satisfied, but it really feels good to have the time to properly take care of my home, craft, crochet, blog, bake and work on grad school. The sacrifice is worth it.

5. I cannot start my day without feeding the cats. Seriously. They'll murder me in my sleep. I don't own cats. They own ME.

6. My nighttime attire consists of one of my swim team t-shirts. I've coached high school swimming for three years, so I have quite a collection of t-shirts from competitions. They are comfy. And on chilly nights, my hubby's flannel sleep pants. He never wears them.

7. I am looking forward to the 2nd trimester. I'm 11 weeks and 3 days. Only two weeks left. I can't wait to start showing and I'm hoping some of the nausea and exhaustion will subside. I'm actually sick of taking three-hour naps and waking up groggy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Saturday Bakery: Pumpkin Donut Holes

2011-11-19T10:14:00.001-06:00

I woke up craving baked goods. It's inevitable on a Saturday morning. I think that's why I chose Saturdays as my baking day. I needed something quick, something easy, something tasty!

So, I went to the trusty couple of Two Peas and Their Pod to find what I was looking for.

Pumpkin Donut Holes! These came out moist, sweet, delicious and they were so easy and quick to make. The whole project took less than half an hour! The hardest part was the butter-sugaring factory, so I took the easy way out and dumped the cinnamon-sugar mix into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. After I buttered each hole, I dropped it into the bag and after all the holes were safely in place, I zipped it shut and shook my heart out. It reminded me of when I was in Girl Scouts and we used to make "puppy chow" for camping trips (no, not real dog food, powdered sugar-covered peanut butter and chocolate Crispix).

They came out sooooooo good.

Especially with milk.

Click on the link for Two Peas and Their Pod for the recipe and enjoy!

Fitz couldn't be bothered to even watch me bake. How rude. He is such an aristocat. Haha. Get it? Ok. I'll stop.

Creative Me Monday

2011-11-07T10:48:00.002-06:00

Since I've been out of work, I've been catching up on some of my old crafting projects and starting some new ones! Here's a peek of some of the new things I've worked on this week:

Flower brooches inspired by the recent Better Homes and Gardens magazine:

Then I found a picture of a really cute crayon roll-up on Pinterest and decided to try to make my own. I didn't get the measurements quite right, I'll have to add an extra 1/2" if I want to add a full box of 16 crayons:

Happy crafting everyone!

Saturday Bakery: Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-05T10:03:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year where foods associated with Thanksgiving are stocked on the most prominent shelves in their full glory in grocery stores. It's hard for me to pass cans of pumpkin without getting ideas or a craving. So I whipped out a recipe for pumpkin bread. If you're a dedicated reader, you'll know that I tried pumpkin bread last year from a box mix and... it... was bad. Really dry, tasteless and needless to say, I was pretty ashamed to call myself a baker.

So I found a recipe, tweaked it a bit and I made the most delicious pumpkin bread I have ever tasted. I am seriously not trying to brag but I was so thankful I finally found a great pumpkin bread recipe. It was moist, spicy and it had the right amount of sweetness.

Enjoy:

Pumpkin Bread:

1 15oz can of pure pumpkin

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

3 cups white sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Mix the pumpkin , eggs, oil, water and sugar well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Make sure you sift the baking soda and spices or they'll clump together and you'll have powder bombs in your bread, like I did on the first try. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Blend well. I recommend using a rubber spatula so you can really scrape down the sides of the bowl while blending. Pour batter into prepared mini loaf pans or in prepared regular-size loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fill-in-the-Blank-Friday!

2011-11-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

1. My favorite thing about this week was, believe it or not, my last day of work. This job has been so stressful, it felt good to travel down a new path.

2. Colder weather makes me feel so very happy and giddy inside. It's my favorite time of year. I love bundling and eating hot soup and warm baked goods!

3. Three things that make me terribly happy as of late are being pregnant, my hubby and his unbelievable support and *sigh* my Keurig. I loves me some hot chocolate!

4. If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I'd choose mary janes. Especially my Keen mary janes. They are the perfect shoe. Or maybe my black Uggs? I love those boots. It it were winter all the time, it would be my Uggs, if it were spring/summer all the time, it would be my mary janes.

5. My personality type is transparent. I can't hide anything. I tell it like it is and I see everything literally. My father-in-law complains about how I misunderstand his southern colloquialisms all the time. (o:

6. I have a serious problem resisting chocolate, dresses, bakes goods and craft supplies. Seriously. It's an addiction. I should probably seek help.

7. My favorite color to wear is brown. I know, it's drab, but it goes with everything! I love it.

Soup's on!

2011-11-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to eat better (not that I've had a huge problem with that before), but I'm having a hard time getting all my veggies in. So I thought one of the best ways to get my veggies in my diet was to make soup! I'm a potato fan, but I really needed a soup that had some protein and greens. So I took a family fave and made some moderations; I removed some of the sodium, added some kale and added some of my favorite pasta.

Country Chicken Noodle Soup

1 can of Veg-All (undrained)
1 15 oz can of chunk chicken in water
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
3 cans of water ( I used the Veg-All can)
2 cups of kale
egg noodles
thyme

I put all of the ingredients in a big stockpot and heat to boiling. Then, I lowered the heat to low. I let it simmer until the egg noodles are done. I think there was enough salt in the Veg-All for me, but I would definitely season to taste. This also tasted great re-heated with a dash of Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread or grilled cheese.

A Long While...

2011-10-27T10:35:00.000-05:00

Notice the absence of "good"? Well, my last post was in August and that's about the time I really dug into my (then) new job as a teacher at a new charter school. Well, to make a long story short, some big changes took place and I'm traveling down a new path now. Now, I'll have more time to take care of myself, time to blog and time to... get ready for the BABY.

Yes, folks, I am preggers! I decided to resign from my position due to having a high-risk pregnancy and I needed to cut down on the stress. So, I'm joining the secret motherhood club and the masses of crafters who have quit their day job. What I'll do in the meantime is up to God, but I do know that I'll finally be able to really, properly, take care of myself.

I'll have time to bake, cook, craft, maybe even start a business. Who knows?

I'll be able to drive again in a week, I'm about 7 weeks along now and my husband already has my baking labels designed and ready to be printed.

Ahhh... feels nice to not have to grade papers.

Teaching is a learning process...

2011-08-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Just because I'm a teacher, doesn't mean I know everything. I am constantly learning, rethinking and trying new things. The moment I think to myself "I know it all," I know my career is over. Part of teaching is about learning how to teach.

I've been busy helping the school get set up, teaching fellow teachers how to use iPads (squee!) and getting my room set up. It's tough work opening up a brand new school from scratch! It's been fun though and I am blessed to be part of an amazing group. This is going to be a great year, I can already feel it.

On a completely different note, but still related to cognitive thinking...

I never really thought about how the "other half" lives. And by "other half," I mean people who don't use iPhones or iPods.

While teaching teachers how to use the iPads we received, I kept doing normal functions like moving apps around on the screen, closing webpages, zooming in on webpages, etc.; things that seem normal to me because I've had an iPhone for 2 years and a Mac for 4 years. I had to rethink the whole process of teaching and orienting them to the iPads because they kept asking me, "How'd you do that?" or "How do I do ____?" or "How do I get this thing to do ____?" Even scrolling was a new concept.

Just a little insight from a teacher. One of my favorite things about being a teacher: I still get to learn right along with the rest of 'em.

Where she be at?!

2011-07-31T21:17:00.000-05:00

I know what you are thinking. Is she *dead*? Or maybe you weren't thinking that at all and you never noticed the lack of posting over here at Green Chickadees. I dunno. But in *case* you were wundering... many changes:

1. Green Chickadees has mostly been Green Chickadee as of late. Mama Chickadee (Suellen) moved temporarily to Memphis TN and is busy starting her independent jewelry business! Check out her website here: Stella & Dot Independent Stylist Suellen Troup

2. Lady Chickadee (that's me) has gone through a *lot* in a few weeks:

I got a JOB! (or as my hubby would say, a JORB) I am now an English and Reading teacher at a brand new charter school opening in Pensacola. It's called Newpoint Pensacola High. Check out their website. It's totally rad. This is my *DREAM* job. All-tech high school? YES PLEASE! They are opening in a brand new building so they needed me to start rightaway! I've been doling out school uniforms, answering parent questions, giving tours of empty classrooms (furniture and stuff doesn't come 'til next week). I am excited, but compressed.
I got seven cavities filled! OMG no way! Yes way. Ow. My mouth hurts so bad, I wish my mouth didn't hurt so bad. I brush 2x a day, I floss every other day, I drink coffee/tea/water/no soda, and I have 7 cavities? My hubby: drinks sweet tea like it's going to banned, like tomorrow, and not a single cavity. I am SOOO mad. His mother says he has good teeth genes. She's a dental hygienist, so she would know, but I'm still a little ticked.
Florida Legislature passed this law (The Cottage Food Law) so now I can officially start The Saturday Bakery! It means I can sell my bread at farmers markets and directly to people without a food license. I cannot sell online or through the mail, so unfortunately, only Floridians within driving distance can eat mah goodies. I've been working on my business plan, collecting recipes, having people sample my bread for free so I can get my menu started and get this show on the road! I am so excited, I am so passionate about baking and I feel like it's something I am truly good at, so to be able to make a little money at it would be so awesome!

So yeah, like I said. Busy. Or something. Next couple of weeks? CRAZY BUSY. But this is a good thing! And I get my license back in one WEEK! WOOTNESS!

Sister Elle Saves the Day

2011-07-20T21:55:00.002-05:00

Oh how I love Sister Elle McCall. She shows up in my life via blog post at just the times that I need her. She can be so inspiring to me. She has this way of reminding me of what is truly important in life, what we all need to focus on. Thanks Elle.

So, she found this nifty blog called Things We Forget, a place where post-it notes are left to their fate in public places. Itty bitty notes of inspiration. This particular note rang true for me today:

You see, I had an interview today. For a job. A totally awesome DREAM JOB. I inquired after this job in February and they finally got back to me in July. I'd like to think that the fact that were willing to even interview me is a very good sign, but after interviewing last week and then being turned down for the job I just got laid off from (yes, I reapplied), I'm worried I'm not worthy. Worthy of any school.

So, seeing this note reminded me that I can't worry about what I don't know. I feel that the interview went really, really well. I'm supposed to hear back tomorrow morning. But my mind keeps messing with me. So I prayed. A lot. And now, I'm going to stop worrying about tomorrow, because today isn't over yet and I don't want to waste any more time worrying about something I cannot control.

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

2011-07-15T08:00:00.009-05:00

1. What I love most about my home is that the outside looks like a quaint little cottage. I love that the siding matches the rest of the neighborhood's and that there's this facade that we live in a quaint little neighborhood (even though we don't).

2. I'm excited because, in three more weeks, I'll be able to drive again! WOOTNESS!

(image source: nuttakit)

3. My preferred method for blowing off steam when I'm frustrated is cleaning. I clean like a mad woman when I'm mad because I can take my anger out on stains and the floors and the countertops and the toilets! Muahahahaha, take that, toilet.

(image source: scottchan)

4. Currently I am craving a Pepsi. I haven't had soda in a good long while. I rarely drink it. But for some reason, I want one. Just one can will do for the rest of the year.

(image source: Rawich)

5. The thing I love most about my mom is how motivated she is. She was motivated to lose weight and she did it. She was motivated to open her own bsuiness and she did it! And when she takes on projects, she always has the drive to complete them, whereas I kinda let them fall by the wayside and come back to them again in 6 months.

(Mum's Burda top. Isn't it beautiful?)

6. If I was going to write a book about my life, the title would be Chronicles of a Chronic Repeater because that's what I do. I eat the same things everyday. I wear the same outfits all the time (despite the amount of clothes I have), I tend to repeat myself when I talk, speaking in a circuitous manner. I go to the same restaurants and get the same thing every time. My mother in law successfully predicted what I was going to order when we went to O'Charley's last time we visited. I'm predictable.

(image source: tungphoto)

7. My daily meal plan for the rest of eternity would be cold-pressed coffee and oatmeal with raisins for breakfast, Zaxby's Blackened and Bleu Chicken Salad (sans dressing and fried onions) with iced green tea for lunch, Ruby Tuesday's grilled salmon with grilled asparagus and zucchini for dinner and low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt with blueberries and mini chocolate chips. The best of everythings.

Creative Me Monday (I mean Tuesday)

2011-07-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it.

I turned on the sewing machine. It's been glaring at me all summer. Enid and my tote bag of clothing "projects" unfinished and not yet started. Yes, I named my sewing machine Enid. So what?

So anyways. Yes, I dusted off the machine and switched her on. I think I was expecting some kind of gentle humming, but then I realized it's a sewing machine, not a Firefly-class transport ship. I've been watching waaaay too much sci-fi lately.

After reading Jenny's (from The Southern Institute) Tank Dress DIY, I had one of those "I can make that!" moments. But the trick here is that I actually have to make it. I bought the tanks. Then, 5 days later, I bought the fabric and notions.

And Tuesday, I made this:

A tank dress. I used a tank top, cut off the bottom and added fabric to the bottom to make a dress. I actually had to take it apart at one point because I wanted an empire waist (to hide the muffin top) and so I had to re-cut the tank to make it shorter. I re-added the fabric and after trying it on, I decided it was too long. Tomorrow I will re-hem it and pull it up another inch, maybe an inch and a half.

Overall, I like this dress and I think I'll make another, especially since I have two other tanks (they came in a three pack). Thanks Jenny for the awesome tutorial!

Fill in the Blank Friday

2011-07-08T10:27:00.003-05:00

1. My plans this summer include finishing crochet works in progress, more beach time and finally getting out and riding my bike.

2. The best summer I ever had was when I was a junior in high school. I went to my friend Carol's high school graduation, I got to tour Washington D.C. and we took a road trip to Wisconsin to go to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. It. Was. AWESOME. FTW.

(image source: Bristol Renaissance Faire)

3. Summer is time to create. To get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer before it all dies out and hibernates for the winter.

(image source: IdeaGo)

4. My favorite summer food is BERRIES! I love eating them, making things with them, freezing them, the list goes on. They are cool, refreshing and sweet, sometimes tart. I love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. especially from the local farmer's market. That makes them taste extra-specially good!

(image source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

5. The best way to quench a summer thirst is with iced coffee. Especially since I know the secret recipe for cold-pressed coffee, diluted coffee is a thing of the past. Now, I can enjoy cold brew in the summers! Yum-O!

6. My summer uniform consists of (right now) jeans and a t-shirt, although I'm trying to stock-pile more dresses. Since SIDAC shared her super-secret method of making tank dresses, as soon as I find some good fabric, I'll be making a ton of those.

(image source: weheartit.com)

7. The best thing about summer is time off. I'm a teacher, so I relish the summer. Working all year long and finally getting two months of solid sleeping-in, unplanned free time is AWESOME.

DIY Tank Dress courtesy of The Southern Institute

2011-07-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

If any of you have read my "About Me" page, you know that I'm addicted to dresses. I love them because you don't have to really find anything to match them, you just put it on, accessorize and go! I especially love cardigans and they are the perfect accessory to a dress!

Here's an easy-breezy-beautiful DIY tank dress tutorial. I can't wait to go to JoAnn's to get fabric and try it out myself! Hop on over to The Southern Institute for this dress tutorial!

If you make this dress, make sure to link up and show your progress!

Rain Drops Keep Fallin' On My Head

2011-07-03T19:26:00.000-05:00

Got out of the house yesterday. Pure wootness. It was so nice, even though we only went to two places: food & books.

We had dreams, he & I, dreams of a fabulous weekend, glorious almost, glittery and glamorous. The beach perhaps? Shopping, perchance?

No, nothing so glamorous. No, instead, we had rain. Lots of it. So that ruled out everything outside. Living in a beachside town doesn't leave us with many options. The one thing we could agree upon is that we were hungry at some point. So, we ate.

Then, as we got in the car, we sat there and thought. And stared at each other. And thought s'more. Then we did that ritualistic:

"What do you want to do?"
"I dunno. What do you want to do?"

Then, I randomly, out of the blue said, "You, know I haven't been to Barnes & Noble in a very long time."

A couple of things you should know about my relationship with Barnes & Noble:

There is something about the smell of paper that makes me have to go to the bathroom. Every time I go to B&N, I have to go. Don't ask me, I have no idea.
There is a secret temporal accelerator located somewhere within that building. I don't know where it is, or why it is, but I lose several hours of my life every time I walk into that building.
Their craft book section SUCKS. 'Nuff said. All knitting books. Not a single crochet book. I know. I dug and dug and dug. And when I asked an associate, they pointed at the knitting books and said "Right there!" *facepalm*
They have the best bargain tables EVAR. FTW.
Their Nook sales associates are good. I *almost* bought a Nook color. Almost. And I'm hardcore Kindle, all the way, to the max, for reals yo.

The one bright spot? I found this:

You should know that this magazine is brand new (that is issue #1 in my hand) and it is only printed in the UK. A U.S. subscription for a year is $93. OMG. So, needless to say, when I found it on B&N's bookshelf, I was ecstatic. Even though I didn't buy it ($12 for one issue? Yeesh!), it was nice to be able to finally read the whole thing. Thank you B&N for providing comfy chairs for people to sit in and shamelessly read books and magazines without paying for them. Alternative library, indeed.

*I should consider a job there... just thinking. Since I'm unemployed and all...

More Steps and a New Discovery

2011-07-01T21:12:00.001-05:00

I begged Adam to get me out of the house today.

I swindled him with promises of Panera and a visit to Best Buy. It worked. So, after a hearty, but healthy lunch at Panera Bread, we moseyed along down the road to Best Buy like I promised. We decided to cut through the mall on the way back to the car (seeing as it was hotter than HOT) outside, at high noon no less, and that's when we made a new discovery.

Our mall now has a frozen yogurt shop. Eatery? Stand? I'll go with shop. It's this new sit-down eat-in place with 8 different fro-yo flavored spigots and a whole bar of toppings and a slew of fresh fruit fixins'. I was in HEAVEN. I loves me some fro-yo. From a spigot.

I chose plain with raspberries, blueberries and sliced almonds. Adam looks at it and says, "Hey, it looks like the 4th of July in your cup!"

I'm eating healthy dessert and celebrating our independence at the same time. Call me a multi-tasker.

Woot.

P.S. I met my pedometer goal today! 4,508 steps! So, it's not really that I met my goal per se, more like eclipsed it by 1,000 steps. Thank you mall!

Tomorrow: the beach. Gots to get out of this house.

Oh joy. (That's sarcasm, by the way.)

2011-06-30T22:04:00.000-05:00

I've gained weight.

Weight I worked sooooo hard last year to lose. I lost over 30 lbs over the past year and half and that was a huge accomplishment for me. I got to my goal, which was to get under 200 lbs. Well, I seem to be gaining it back.

First thing I noticed was the scale. Yes, I weigh myself every morning. I don't know why. I guess it's to keep myself in check, not to beat myself up, but to remind myself to keep it off. Well, the numbers very slowly, but very surely, started to rise.

The second thing I noticed? My favorite pair of jeans don't fit anymore. I mean, I can't even get them over my thighs. Yeesh. So, they sit, lonely and scared at the bottom of my dresser drawer, waiting, hoping, wishing, someday, I'll bring them out into the light of day, pair them with my new "sexy" shoes and show off the wagon I'm draggin'.

Third thing I realized: Oh, yeah, I'm kinda sittin' at home doing NOTHING. Since I got laid off and I can't drive due to a seizure, I'm stuck. Bored. And watching entirely too much Netflix.

Sitting around = gaining weight. Duh, Alicia. Get up and move you lazy cow. (o;

So, off to Curves I went, hoping that the muscle-building, circuit-training would bring me back into check. But after two weeks, the numbers on the scale kept going up, not down, not even staying the same. So, I thought, I need a little more intensity. All I got was dizzy. So I slowed it back down. 'Lo the numbers stay the same.

So, I switched it up and started walking in the neighborhood and doing yoga. OMG. I used muscles I forgot I had. One day of yoga and I was so sore. It was only 30 minutes of Vinyasa flow and yeesh, I had a hard time getting out of bed the next day.

Today, I pulled out the pedometer.

My Goal? 10,000 steps.

My actual? 3, 194.

HA!

So, tomorrow's goal? 3,500. Wootness. And more yoga. Because sore means good, right? Like fat-burning good, yeah? Yeah. I'll go with that.

And no more cupcakes. Or cake. Or cake-like things. For awhile. ~~Two or three days~~. No cake. Moo.

Saturday Bakery: Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-06-25T08:00:00.014-05:00

This week, I tried to step out of the box a bit and mix it up. Zucchini's in season and I get can a ton of it for super cheap at my local farmer's market. So what else could I do with zucchini other than grill it, saute it, steam it or eat it raw? Why, bake it into bread of course!

Zucchini bread is one of my top 5 favorite breads and I love chocolate, so why not mix them together? It came out super-delicious, moist and flavorful. he only thing I would change? I'd add more zucchini. Not nearly enough zucchini!

Here's the recipe I adapted from Joy of Baking. I changed up a few ingredients and added some of my own:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread:

1 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini (I would use more)

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (use less if using dark cocoa powder)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. (I used mini-loaf pans so I could share the wealth!) Set aside. Grate the zucchini, using a medium sized grater (I used my food processor's grating attachment). Set aside.

2) In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

3) In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Fold in the grated zucchini. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the mini chocolate chips.

4) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

Enjoy the fruits of summer's harvest, bake it into bread!

Cold-Pressed Coffee

2011-06-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

OMG. Yes, I use an acronym here because words cannot explain the joy, wonder and rapture that is cold-pressed coffee.

Why have I not found you before?

Where have you been all my life?

Why did you leave me with the glorious dreams of iced coffee brewed hot, then diluted down to the watery dregs of nothingness?

Oh happy day! Thank you Sarah McColl of Pink of Perfection, a lovely little corner of webspace devoted to all things dainty, delicious and delightful. Read her story (she is a marvelous writer!) and discover the recipe gem that is... cold-pressed coffee.

P.S. Read the comments too, because some of her readers left great recipes for simple syrups too, since sugar granules floating in the bottom of the glass make for crunchy coffee. And nobody likes that. I mean nobody.

Kids are cute.

2011-06-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

Must stop looking at pics of babies. Must. Stop. Can't. Help it. Here's my niece Zooey doing yoga with her mama:

SIDAC always posts the coolest pics of her kids on Instagram:

Then there's Lisa's sweeties on GoodKnits:

Oh my. Too many cute kids. I just have to be patient, I'm sure I'll have in one in due time. (o:

Move over Pretzel M&M's!

2011-06-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

And make room for Love Fudge! I call it that because the pretzels look like hearts. I love fudge and it loves me! Sharing the love with you:

The recipe for this can be found in issue #84 (July/August 2011) of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine.

EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE WITH PRETZELS

nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped miniature pretzels

1) Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

2) Place butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until chocolate just melts and mixture is combined and warm but not hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups pretzels. Transfer mixture to pan and smooth top; press 1/2 cup pretzels on top.

3) Refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to overnight, wrapped). Using parchment, lift fudge from pan and cut into 36 squares. (Store in an airtight container, up to 2 weeks).

DIY Sunday: Lampshade Redoux

2011-06-19T11:52:00.003-05:00

My hubby's brother and girlfriend were moving into a new apartment a couple of weeks ago and and she wanted to throw out this lamp. I said "No! I'll save it! (and use it)." So after my father-in-law brought it to me this past wednesday, I discovered it had some stains.

A DIY was born. I'm going to re-cover this lampshade. And I have the perfect fabric for it!

So I gathered my materials: fabric, spray adhesive, the lampshade, and scissors.

Disclaimer: Do not work on a space that you cherish. The spray adhesive will go everywhere so I recommend you work outside on on a covered workspace. That is all. Oh, and wear gloves too.

I started by spraying a small amount of adhesive along the seam of the lampshade. You don't want to saturate the lampshade. It made my hands sticky and it made the fabric and glue very hard to work with. A little goes a long way with this stuff.

As you place the fabric, use your hand to guide the fabric onto the shade, smoothing as you go. Spray lightly in small sections, you want to work slowly. Don't just spray the whole lampshade and put the fabric on. You want to make sure there's no bubbles or folds in the fabric. I recommend pressing the fabric before you even start.

To finish it off, I folded over the raw edge and glued it down to make it look finished. Then, I used Mod Podge with a paintbrush to glue down all the edges on top and bottom. Trim off the excess. Try to trim as close to the edge of the shade as possible so that when you turn on the light, you don't see the inside fabric edges glowing through the lamp.

Make sure it it completely dry before turning on the light bulb. You don't want to start any fires or have a funny smell wafting through the house.

Also can be found on:

Saturday Bakery: Banana Bread Redoux

2011-06-18T11:19:00.000-05:00

I posted the recipe for this simple banana bread before, but seeing as I'm trying to get back into the habit of eating better, I decided to revamp my banana bread recipe. This time, I switched out all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour and added extra bananas. Because you can never have too much of a good thing, right? So good. I think it made it a little moister, but that's just me.

Just click on the Saturday Bakery tab up at the top and click on the simple banana bread recipe link. Swap out all-purpose flour for whole-wheat. Same amount. You'll never even notice the difference. You could also get a little crazy and add nuts. Get it? Nuts? Nuts = crazy. He he he he... he. Ho-kay. I'm outtie. Peace.

Make it a great Saturday and BAKE!

Reflection and Introspection

2011-06-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

This has been quite a week. For me, a week of introspection and reflection, for others, a regular 'ole week. Probably.

Lazy for me and the cats. Staying home mostly, has given me the chance to finish a project I started months ago, a (1) granny square blanket. It's nice having the time to sit and crochet and not feel any guilt about taking the time to do just that. Sit and crochet.

Last week was my last day at school and also the week I found out I was laid off. Adam obliged me by stopping the car so I could take (2) this final pic on the way home from school.I called it my daily moment of zen. Every morning, I passed by this cow pasture on my way to school. As I drove by, I would take a deep breath as I watched the cows so peaceful in their pasture and think about how truly blessed I am.

Although I expected the lay-off and knew it was coming, it is still troublesome and caused some blue-ness, if you will. I can always count on (3) Phin to know when I'm feeling blue and he always comforts me, in that way that cats always do.

I've also had some time to really see how well our little guy Fitz has been fitting in with the two cats. Before the start of summer, I was working 7 am to 4pm, so I was never around in the morning. It turns out, Fitz is on crack after breakfast. I've had to lock him in the garage for fear of him hurting himself or knocking some lamps over. (4) Gretchen, on the other hand is as cool as a cucumber most of the day. As usual.

I've come to discover that I need some time by myself. I really haven't stopped to take time for me. And even though I am alone quite a bit everyday, I still let other worries and strife invade my thoughts. So, now I'm making a conscious effort to take some for myself and be alone for awhile. Not to shut everyone out, but to let myself in. I think these seizures are my body's way of saying, "slow down, take your time, be yourself."

Be yourself.

Up in the air...

2011-06-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

Everything's been up in the air. Anybody who knows me knows that I can't stand it when things are up in the air. I'm a planner. I like to make things settled and all the ducks in a row, so to speak. So, with everything up in the air, the last month or so has been very challenging. From not knowing whether I have a job teaching in the Fall (I found out I don't), to not knowing if I'm going to have a seizure that will keep me from getting my license back (still don't know), it's a lot of anxiety. In the meantime, everything else is the same. There's still bills to pay and life to be lived. I just have to depend upon others to drive me around and hunt for a new job for the Fall.

The good news is that albeit being stuck at home, I have plenty of time to commit to grad school fully. I left grad school last summer in August partially because my GPA dipped to low and I was *asked* to leave, but also because between teaching and coaching, I could not do school full time. Now I can and I found out that for that whole year I was away, they changed my program and I am going to be able to finish a whole lot sooner than I expected! They other good news is that with a Masters' I can teach college. WOOT.

I love this cat. He is my baby boy. He crawls into my lap when I'm feeling blue.

A Moment of Zen

2011-06-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

So, it has been a crazy/busy/anxiety-riddled week for this chickadee, but I am now happy to report that the anxiety is lessened, I am slightly less busy and not as much crazy. (o: I get to look forward to the start of grad school (again) and lot of baking. Here's a moment of zen for everyone. Enjoy!

The week in photos...

2011-06-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

A look back on last week and the lovely moments we all had...

Banana bread... cats sleeping in weird positions... good, clean, classic Yahtzee... magnolias in bloom... boats on the Destin bridge... Gretchen paying bills... you know how it goes...

Summer Goals and a Moment of Zen

2011-05-31T07:00:00.005-05:00

I hate how dependent I've become on TV. I am constantly in front of it, even when I'm really not watching anything, which is even worse because we don't even have cable! We literally have 5 channels. We also have AppleTV, which means I can watch my Netflix Instant constantly. Like I said, I hate how dependent on TV I've become.

I realized this yesterday after getting everything on my to-do list done! I was so into what I was doing, I forgot to be excited. I even got in a little extra stuff. I made invites for our end-of-the-year luncheon at school, made another composition notebook cover for a student who provided the fabric, and changed the litter in the cat box. Woo. I started to wonder what to do with the rest of my day, so I went for a 50-minute walk. I know, right?! I felt so much better afterwards.

So, one of my summer resolutions is to limit the tv-watching and get more active. Not just exercising, mind you, but just up and at 'em. I have ideas but nothing is getting into motion. I want to open my Etsy shop this summer, get some MAJOR yard work done and clean out the garage (which as turned into a dumping ground for stuff we don't even want/need anymore.

Lastly, I want to find a gently used canoe or kayak for cheap (or free?) because there is this beautiful lake around the corner from my house and I LOVE lakes. I miss boating. My grampa had a kayak behind the cottage at Wells Beach and I loved to go out in it when no one was looking. I wasn't supposed to be out alone in it, because the ocean can be kinda crazy for kayaking, but oh my goodness, it was the best. I love being on the water. So...

This summer:
1. fix up the yard
2. find a canoe/kayak
3. get more out and more active
4. open my Etsy shop
5. clean out garage

Five is good, yeah? Yeah, 5 is manageable.

Here is a moment of zen for you. My lovely magnolia tree in my backyard is finally producing blooms!

Etsy Favorites

2011-05-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning fellow chickadees! Mondays will be Etsy Favorites, where I share a collage of 9 of my favorite things on Etsy this week. If you are an Etsy seller and you would like to be featured in my weekly post, drop me a line! I would love to feature you in my post and support handmade goodies.

Since this is my inaugural post for Etsy Favorites, this is just a collection of some of the things I have been lusting after for the last couple of weeks. Enjoy! (and support Handmade!)

1) Seller: MadisonCraft
   Product: Bird on Branch Pendant - Text

2) Seller: MoldMuse
   Product: Vintage Square Deco Button Flexible Silicone Mold

3) Seller: TheTwoLittleMoos
   Product: Zoe Silver Scissors and Freshwater Pearl

4) Seller: shoeology
   Product: Gilligan Shoes Sewing Pattern- Computer Download PDF file -Sizes 5-11

5) Seller: 1canoe2
   Product: Things That Are Long LETTERPRESS POSTER 11x14

6) Seller: PreciousPastimes
   Product: UNDER LOCK AND KEY - Vintage Typewriter Charm Pendant

7) Seller: TheTwoLittleMoos
   Product: Bella - Copper Key and Vintage Pearl Pendant

8) Seller: RobbieMoto
   Product: Bluebird iPhone 3G or 4 Genuine Leather Sleeve

9) Seller: priscilladawn
   Product: Bohemian Tea Princess Dress

Saturday Bakery: Biscotti Love

2011-05-20T22:59:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed my success at making biscotti so much that I decided to try another batch. This time I used Brown Eyed Baker's Basic Biscotti recipe and drizzled chocolate on top. Yum-O!

Saturday Bakery Chocolate Two-Fer: Biscotti and Pound Cake

2011-05-17T21:11:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. I've been going through some heavy stuff and taking a break from the 'net was necessary (except Twitter, I'm officially addicted to Twitter).

One thing I have found to be very therapeutic for me is baking. I <3 Baking. I am not a professional, but I'd like to think that I'm getting better and better with every warm batch of fluffiness I make. This past Saturday Bakery was a two-fer:

I tried biscotti once before (way back when I was a newbie at baking) and it turned out disastrously.

So, after swallowing my fear and armed with a Martha Stewart recipe, I decided to try it again. Voila! It turns out, I can make biscotti.

I brought my leftovers (because baking is meant for tasting, then sharing) to work and left the whole container (with a note) next to the communal coffee pot. I would like to think that most of the teachers liked it since there was nary a crumb left at 3pm.

I have never, ever made pound cake before. My mother in law makes the best pound cake I have ever tasted (although I have never eaten homemade pound cake before I tried hers, to my recollection) and I decided I wanted to give pound cake a try.

For those of you who know me, I subscribe to Everyday Food (or as my husband affectionately calls it, Food Porn) and I consider it one of the many tomes I refer to in my baking education. It helped that Everyday Food's May issue had a whole section on pound cake, including a basic recipe and four other variation recipes.

I <3 chocolate and decided to try the chocolate pound cake recipe.I am a doofus and did not hear the timer go off, so I think I burned the edges slightly. But then again, it's chocolate and I don't think anyone noticed. It turned out ok. I think the recipe needs some tweaking, especially since the chocolate chips sunk to the bottom of the batter and that was not cool.

I wish my readers godspeed in their baking adventures!

The Kitty Cat Gallery

2011-05-07T08:00:00.005-05:00

Here are my lovelies. Aren't they beautiful? Yes, I am a crazy cat lady. Gretchen is a daddy's girl. Phin and Fitz are momma's boys. And we want kids. *sigh* Our future children will vie for their parents' attention.

Spring is in the air... again?

2011-05-06T22:08:00.001-05:00

We've had some strange weather around here. Weeks ago, it was absolutely stunning. Perfect. Infallible. Sun, breeze, and blue sky. Lovely.

Then, it rained. And it got cold. I mean 65 F in the mornings. Around here, in May, that's downright chilly. I had to pull my tights out again.

But, now, thank goodness, the good stuff's back. Check out some of mum's lovely iPhone 4 photography via instagr.am:

It's Market Time!

2011-04-30T09:48:00.001-05:00

So this week's theme has been about food (mostly) and to keep on going with the theme, I have an absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, decadently beautiful recipe to share with you from another blog I secretly stalk. I mean, who open admits that they stalk a blog called Use Real Butter? Especially since I have high cholesterol.

So, she's making cheesecake in jars. How awesome is that? It's a neat way to individualize deserts instead of bringing one big cake. Plus, they look real purty. She used blackberry curd, but you can use any kind of curd, compote or filling you want. And what better way to celebrate the opening weekend of Palafox Market. It's this local market I use to frequent when I lived downtown. I lived right around the corner, I could walk there with my little basket... ahh the memories. They had fresh veggies, baked artisan breads, fresh eggs, crafts, art, pottery. It was totally rad.

Awesomely Good and Bad Hats!

2011-04-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

OMG. I love hats. I wasn't one of those fanatics who got up at 3am to watch the wedding, but I can truly appreciate AWESOMELY Good and BAD hats.

In the very first photo, check out Princess Beatrice's Awesomely Bad hat and crazy-dark eye makeup. Did she think this was an evening wedding? Eugenie's hat isn't any more conspicuous than B's. Maybe.

Deputy Prime Minister of England and his wife, Miriam. Cool name, classy hat. Hats off to you? (bad pun.)

It's not a royal wedding without Posh Spice! Classy hat for her too!

Is it a requirement that socialites wear crazy hats? So they can draw attention to themselves? Hello, it's about the bride!

Her hat is super mysterious. We don't even know who she is!

I bake when I'm bored.

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

After I got my leads off for the ambi EEG, I was so excited to do *normal* things. So after vigourously showering for 30 minutes, I got cleaned up and went to the store.

So I could make these!

Coconut Chocolate Oat Bars!

They have an oatmeal-cookie-like texture on bottom and top with a decadent chocolate-ganache-like filling in the middle. The coconut was my own idea (I had some in the pantry and thought, "What goes great with chocolate and oats? Coconut!"). I was supposed to use a 9x13 pan, but all I had was a 8x8, so they came out a bit *thick*. He... he... he...?

They still look good, right? Despite the "tallness"? Yum-O!

Chocolate Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Filling:
1 (15-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-oz) package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preparation:

In large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir in oats. Stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until well blended; set aside. Pat about 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of a greased 10x15x1-inch pan. Set aside remaining oat mixture.

In heavy saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla and pecans or walnuts. Spread filling mixture over bottom crust in baking pan then crumble remaining oat mixture over the top. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.

Granola = Goodness

2011-04-28T08:00:00.005-05:00

Don't these look amazing? After eating a lot of junk in the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to turn my eating habits around. One of my favorite blogs is The Brown Eyed Baker and she always has yummy recipes that I like to try. Check out her blog to try these yummy granola bars!

Food!

2011-04-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

I'm a huge fan of food. I like to eat it, smell it, cook it, take pictures of it... you get the idea. Here's a collage of all the awesome food I've made in the past few months:

1) raspberry bars 2) onion focaccia bread 3) strawberry toast
4) tomato and cheese pizza 5) cinnamon raisin bread 6) beer bread
7) minestrone 8) tomato and turkey sandwich 9) white bread

More pictures to come! You know, since I love food so much.
(photo collage made with photovisi)

Ambulatory EEG

2011-04-26T11:39:00.002-05:00

Day 2 of my ambulatory EEG. This is depressing. Walking around with wires stuck to my head makes me feel sluggish and lazy. Kind of an interesting way to step back an assess my life though.

I haven't been blogging, my creativity has been sputtering and I haven't had the drive to do anything. So, I'm going to use my time to make some decisions, try to put some ideas/goals on paper and get some things done. Luckily, I have Spring Break this week, so I'm able to take the time to do this. Wish me luck!

Check out the head gear:

I go in for a re-gel on Wednesday and then I get everything taken off on Thursday. Thank goodness. I had a seizure in January and the doctors weren't sure it if was a disorder or an isolated incident because I have no prior history of seizures. Hopefully, with a 72-hour record of my brain activity, they'll be able to see if I really do have a seizure disorder and we can decide if I need to go on meds for it.

Happy Crafting!

2011-04-18T18:39:00.002-05:00

I got the crafting bug this weekend.

First up: the Spring Wreath

I wrapped yarn around a straw wreath, added some lovely felt rosettes ( my fav!), some pink ric-rac, and last, but not least, a little birdie for good measure. For what would a wreath be without a beautiful chickadee? (o:

Next up: another felt flower brooch

I LOVE brooches. They are a quick and easy way to accessorize if you don't wear a lot of jewelry (like me). I made this one with a monochrome black & white palette using a old pattern made from three hearts. Look out for a DIY later this week!

Lastly: Scrabble Wall Art

I convinced my hubby to do a crafty project with me. When I mentioned that involved his favorite board game, Scrabble, he got... interested. Here's a pic of the first phase. We have yet to add our middle names and last name. Lucky for us, our names work out well so that none of the tiles get in each others' way and they intersect perfectly. The unfortunate thing my hubby pointed out is that our names wouldn't get us any points because you can't use proper nouns in Scrabble. Gah, he is such a nerd.

Check back again this week to see more felt flower brooches, a DIY, and the next phase of our Scrabble Wall Art project. Happy Crafting!

P.S. Bon voyage to Suellen, she's off to beautiful Costa Rica tomorrow for two weeks!

Date Night and Super Secret Crafts!

2011-04-17T10:32:00.003-05:00

Whew. What a week. High-stakes testing is almost over, I'm taking a three-day weekend and lots of craft projects in the works.

Well, the three-day weekend is mostly because I have an EEG on Monday. But, also because I can't wait a whole other week for spring break. Adam and I are having a stay-cation, i.e. staying at home since there's no funds this year for an awaycation. I'm planning to get a second job this summer though, so maybe we can work something out later down the road *keep your fingers crossed*.

So, I'm off to the craft shop for some felt and beads, fabric and notions, and super-secret supplies for an awesome project Adam and I are working on together. Your only clue is that it has something to do with Adam's favorite game: Scrabble.

We had a date night last night. My friend Kat played the White Queen in the play Alice: Through The Looking Glass. So off we went to the Pensacola Little Theatre. It's been so long since I've seen a play!

Vacation Rentals By Owner

2011-04-13T16:13:00.010-05:00

"Mother Dear"
This is the cottage we'll be staying in during week one.

"Dream House"
This is the cottage we'll be staying in during week two.

If you'd like to stay in a cottage while on vacation, I recommend Vacation Rentals by Owner.
Check it out!

Guess where I'm going?

2011-04-12T14:32:00.009-05:00

It involves a beach.

It involves a zip line.

It involves a bathing suit, flip-flops, sunscreen, a hat, and a cover up.

Give up?

I'm going to Costa Rica!

It's been 2 years since we've had a vacation and this one is for 2 weeks. I was skeptical. I didn't think we'd get to take a vacation until we sold our house (it's still on the market). But it's happening! I am now officially excited. I will share more about our upcoming trip tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Teachable Moments

2011-04-11T20:29:00.002-05:00

Ok, I'm sorry I don't have any exciting photos to share, but I did have a totally awesome moment as a teacher today. Read on.

So we had high-stakes FCAT testing start today and last period, my kids' brains were totally fried so I put on Shrek and let them chill out. One of my students decided to forgo Shrek and study for his food-prep class (what a dedicated student!). He asked to me to help him and I used my totally awesome reading skills (being a reading teacher and all) to help him study.

Moment #1:
Student: "Mrs. B, you can use the reading strategies from this class for other classes too?"
Me: "Of course you can!"
Student: "Oh, I didn't know! That is so cool!"
Me: *Facepalm*

Moment #2:
Student: "Mrs. B, do you know how to bake?"
Me: (trying to contain my excitement) "Of course I do!"
Student: "Oh, that is so cool!"
Me: "Check out my YouTube video on how to make Onion Focaccia Bread."
Student: "You know what YouTube is? Wait- you have your own YouTube? Holy cow Mrs. B, you're not as old as I thought."
Me: *Facepalm* "Yeah, I know what YouTube is. I have Twitter and Facebook too."
Student: ":-O"

I love teaching. Sometimes.

Rest, Relaxation and Celebration

2011-04-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

My dear readers. I have been a bad blogger this week. Neglecting you. For shame. As some of you know, I am a teacher and we are gearing up for high-stakes testing next week. So, this past week has been hectic and a little emotional for some and I finally get a little break. Whew!

First off, if you don't follow Gertie's blog, you should. She is so cool. Fantastic sewing and as of late, posts of beautiful dresses. If you have ever read my "about me" section, you know that I'm obsessed with dresses, so take a peek at Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing.

One of the things I like to do to ease stress and tension is to crochet. Here's a peek at the project I started last week:

So, this weekend means rest, relaxation and celebration. I'm off to a friend's son's 3rd birthday party and my hubby and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2011-04-03T09:38:00.004-05:00

Okay, since we only had four entries for the Composition Notebook Cover Giveaway, I decided to roll a die. The winner was:

You rolled 1 die:

Timestamp: 2011-04-03 14:37:37 UTC

Elle from Latest Endeavor!

Congrats Elle!

Email me with your mailing info so I can send you your totally awesome prize!

amariebell[at]cox[dot]net

Speaking of Spring . . .

2011-04-03T08:55:00.010-05:00

Spring! I love it. I get nostalgic about my daughters this time of year. As a young mother, I just loved dressing them in matching spring dresses. Aren't they cute? This was Easter in Hawaii. We had an Easter Egg hunt with the cousins. Fun times!

If I knew how to knit, I would make these cute adorable bunnies! Alicia, are you reading this? It's time for a lesson in knitting. With knitting needles. OK?

Spring. Lists. Love.

2011-04-02T09:40:00.004-05:00

Ahhh, spring is in the air! You know how I know?

1. I'm sneezing. A lot.
2. The weather is going from chilly to balmy to chilly to balmy to rainy. Uhg.
3. I'm wearing dresses and skirts!

Lists. They are popping up everywhere. Literally! This is what i woke up to Friday morning:

1. At the bottom of the stairs:

2. On my bathroom mirror:

3. On my car steering wheel:

I love my husband. Absolutely love him. I love it when he thinks about me. It makes me feel warm and squishy inside. As I tell him, "You make my heart smile."

But, lists? Yeah, they are everywhere. People setting goals, making cleaning/to do lists, Elle at Latest Endeavor made a totally awesome Spring Mix Tape available for download (loved it!) but for me it's been more like make-up lists at school. I have so many kids with absences, that I'm thinking it's that "I really need my spring break, so I'm gonna take it early!" mentality.

I'm jumping on the list bandwagon. I joined 30 Days of Lists Blog and here some of my March lists:

Guilty Pleasures:

1. "All The Single Ladies"
2. Dancing With the Stars.
3. Eating frosting from the can.
4. Kesha
5. Twitter
6. Ghettospeak
7. US Weekly Magazine
8. pre-cut fruit in packaging (I know. I am sooo lazy.)
9. Grey's Anatomy
10. Starbuck's iced coffee

Vacations to Take:

1. New Zealand
2. Disneyworld (Again!)
3. France
4. England
5. San Fransisco
6. New York City
7. Washington D.C.
8. Alaska
9. Yellowstone
10. Mexico

Things I'd Rather Be Doing Right Now:
1. crocheting
2. sewing
3. reading
4. reading blogs
5. reading on the beach
6. kayaking
7. singing karaoke
8. baking bread
9. watching Castle, Firefly or Big Bang Theory
10. WebWindow Shopping

Celebrity Crushes:
1. Nathan Fillion
2. Zooey Deschanel
3. Colin Firth
4. Gerard Butler
5. Natalie Portman
6. David Boreanaz
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
8. Bruce Willis

Make your own lists!

Enter the giveaway! We still have one day left!!

Photos!

2011-03-31T20:33:00.002-05:00

First off: Kitty Cat Club!

(Photo courtesy of the Hubbs)

Also, mum finished one of her Burda tops. OMG. Cuteness!

Granny squares soothe the soul.

2011-03-29T21:34:00.004-05:00

Not much going on today.

We are all in the Spring Break slump... i.e. waiting for it to come. We have it late this year, not until the end of April. So, the kids, the teachers, everyone is pretty much sapped of all energy, counting down the days.

And we have high-stakes testing before we get this break. Oh the humanity.

So, I eased some of the stress and tension with the activity that soothes me best: crochet!

Enjoy my granny squares. I'm in the middle of a hush-hush project. You'll see next month!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Sewing with the big dawgs?

2011-03-28T07:09:00.003-05:00

I'm sewing with the big dawgs now! Check out my new toys:

Yeah, well, I'd like to think I am. I managed to sew a project, all the way through from start to finish, in one day, without any help. I only messed up twice and was able to successfully fix both mistakes! Woo-hoo!

Here's my finished project:

Yeah, I made another one with totally awesome ric-rac. I hearts me some ric-rac.

I know you guys are sad about me not baking anything this weekend, but I'll make it up to you this week with some sun-dried tomato and basil focaccia!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Composition Notebook Cover Giveaway

2011-03-27T11:19:00.005-05:00

Would you like to win this composition notebook cover for free? Leave a comment with your name & email address, a link to your blog if you have one and answer these questions:

1. Would you buy one of these?

2. If so, what colors would you be interested in?

3. Any other features you would like to see on it (like a zipper, other pocket, closure tab, etc.)

...and you could win Mum's brown and green paisley composition notebook cover for free! (Composition notebook included!)

Winner will be chosen at random next Sunday!

You can get an extra entry by posting this giveaway on your blog! Just leave a separate comment here letting me know you posted on your blog.

Grab this button for your blog:

Sewing and Death by Chocolate

2011-03-27T10:01:00.008-05:00

It was a slightly cloudy day yesterday. Not quite a beach day, but a nice one, nonetheless. The hubby and I joined Mum and Mike for a beachside lunch at Crab's. I order a Spider Po-Boy and figured out why they call it a spider po-boy. It's made with soft-shell crab and they fry the crab WHOLE. So it looks like a spider. On a bun. With lettuce and tomato. A little too fishy for me. I'm going to stick with Dungeness Crab from now on. But by the far the best part?

Death by Chocolate. I'm serious. That's what they call it. I think there's 7-9 layers there. Not to mention the "irresponsible and disgusting" hot fudge on top. (My hubby thought this dessert was disgusting and irresponsible.)

Afterwards, Mum and I went to a local sewing shop to see a serger demonstration. Mum wants to delve into sewing knits territory and she is ready to serge away. So while she was getting a demonstration, I started browsing and came across the coolest pattern for a reusable composition notebook cover. So I bought it, we made a unplanned side trip to JoAnn's and headed home to create.

Here's what we came up with:

Here's Mum's:

As you can see, Mum opted for the business card pocket and you can see what it looks like with a compositon notebook slipped inside. When you fill it up, you can always replace it with a new composition notebook. How cool is that?

Stephanie

2011-03-25T18:00:00.001-05:00

Isn't she adorable? My younger sister:

My first attempt at Burda . . .

2011-03-24T13:04:00.004-05:00

I love to sew and I have used all kinds of patterns: McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick. Those are the standard sewing patterns from which I learned to sew back in the olden days. I have recently coveted the Burda pattern book in the fabric store and Burda style online. The fashions are modern and convey a feeling of youth. The styles call to me. So I listened to the call and bought my first Burda pattern.

My first attempt was daunting to say the least. According to the directions I was a size 22. Yikes!
I'm really a size 10 when I shop at Target. So anyways, I cut on the size 22 lines and went for it. Guess what? I'm not a size 22! The garment was HUGE! So I took the whole thing apart and re-cut on the size 10 lines. Thank goodness, it fits! I am so pleased with the results, and it was real easy to make.

Saturday Bakery: Onion Focaccia Bread

2011-03-21T10:49:00.005-05:00

Focaccia! That's right folks, I delved into savory bread territory! A friend I follow on Twitter (BakingBites) showed off the onion focaccia she made and I though, "I can make that!" So I did. It was so easy. I made the dough in the Breadman and cooked the onions in a cast-iron skillet (the only way to go in my opinion). Let's just say, this turn out soooooo good, that I've already started planning other focaccias I want to try!

Check out my foodie pics and watch the short vid to see how I put it all together:

Make this!

2011-03-19T09:47:00.003-05:00

OMG. This is so cool. Everyone, quick, go out, get a hula hoop, grab all of your old t-shirts and make this rug. It is beyond nifty.

Insta-Winnie!

2011-03-17T20:37:00.005-05:00

Check out this cutie. This is Winston, Mum's long-haired doxy. I call him Winnie.

Credit for the photo goes to Suellen (Mum)

This pic was taken with Instagram, an awesome photography App for the iPhone. I recommend this app if you are into taking pictures (even if they are amateur) because this app lets you play around with the look of the photos. So even if the photo isn't necessarily professional, you can make it look professional with the click of a button. Trust me, you will love this app. You can see some of the other pics I've taken with the Instagram app on our Flickr feed to you hand-dandy left.

The cats are fat. Well, at least, Gretchen and Phinny are. They are on a diet and they don't like it. They hang out in the kitchen, alternating between staring at me and staring at their bowls, hoping some magical fairy will make kitty food appear. I told them they are fat and they meowed at me. I said "I don't care. I can't afford your fat cat vet bills. You are on a diet." They are sulking.

Fitz climbs the curtains in nonchalant apathy. This is why I can't have nice things.

Drink your green!

2011-03-17T08:40:00.005-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day y'all! That's my (yankee non-irish southern transplant) way of wishing you a happy St. Patrick's Day.

Now for the participation part of the holiday. I'm drinking my green today by making a Green Smoothie. Mmmm! The Honeydew melon and kiwi made a beautiful green presentation and tasted even better.

Don't wait for a holiday, make a green drink everyday! The nutrients and energy from a green smoothie will make you feel awesome! Click here to get some more ideas.

Eat your colors!

2011-03-16T13:08:00.004-05:00

I think this concept is brilliant. Especially if you're raising children and you want to teach them healthy eating. Parents could have a chart for them to fill in when they've eaten a "Red" apple or "Green" broccoli. Zooey's mom, are you reading this? Start early!

Raisin Bread Redoux

2011-03-13T18:59:00.003-05:00

So my first attempt at bread from scratch was, I believe, a great success. I decided, however, that the bread itself was a little bland for my taste, so I wanted to redoux the recipe with a bit more raisins and cinnamon. Here was the result:

The texture was light and and airy on the inside with a raisin in every bite, just like I wanted.

The outside crust is hard and crunchy, with a cinnamon sweet taste (because I added some sugar and cinnamon on the dough before I put it in the oven).

My favorite lipsticks!

2011-03-12T11:22:00.004-06:00

My favorites lipsticks are by Maybelline! They cost $4.99 each at Target, very affordable, love that! They actually smell good. Or should I say they don't smell funny like some lipsticks. They don't dry out my lips and at my age I can use a non-drying nourishing lipstick. I like the Pink colors. Enough said. If you're reading this, Maybelline, feel free to send me one for free! Thanks!

Update: Fruit + Bread = Love.

2011-03-04T23:06:00.003-06:00

OMG. I love baking. I finished my very first batch of bread from scratch. That's right, no boxed mixes, all scratch ingredients. The only shortcut: I used my bread machine to make the dough (which I think is perfectly acceptable).

The verdict? Not enough cinnamon or raisins. It seemed a little bland to me.

Next batch is tomorrow. With more cinnamon and more raisins! (And maybe with the super nifty crust I saw on this recipe).

Also, just a note that when making mini-loaves, the cooking time is significantly shortened. The directions called for a 50 min cooking time, but I started to smell "doneness" i.e burning at around 30 min. So, I pulled them out, and checked one of the loaves. Perfection. I. Am. Awesome.

Fruit + Bread = Love.

2011-03-04T19:39:00.004-06:00

So now that I have my bread groove going, I've started hunting down baking blogs and recipes to try out. Right now, I'm trying out the dough function on the Breadman and I'm making cinnamon raisin bread.

The best reason to bake bread is to share it, so I'm going to make mini loaves. The trick here will be to make sure I let the dough rise enough so I'm following the guidelines in the bread machine booklet. I had to hunt down a recipe so I knew what to set the temp for and to see how long I need to bake them for in the oven (instead of in the bread machine).

Check back tomorrow to see how it all turned out.

Meanwhile, while on the hunt for a great cinnamon raisin bread recipe, I found an awesome blog, Brown Eyed Baker. It has a great mixture of recipes (including some non-baked goods recipes). One recipe from this week in particular looked totally awesome and I plan on trying it out later this week.

Fig, Date & Almond Granola Bars. The great thing about this recipe is that you get to decide your sweetener and binder as well as what fruits and nuts you use, so the personal preferences give this recipe a myriad of different tasty combinations.

Fig, Date & Almond Granola Bars

Yield: 8 to 12 bars, depending on how large you cut them

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 25 minutes

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 + ¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Stir in the oats, making sure that it is evenly mixed and all of the oats are moistened. Mix in the almonds, figs, dates and raisins.

3. Turn the mixture out into the baking pan and press into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.

4. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the freezer until the bars are firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Be sure to check out the blog for more great recipes!

Meet Fitzwilliam...

2011-03-02T20:07:00.003-06:00

... or Fitz for short. Adam didn't like the name Darcy (is he CRAZY?!), so he conceded to Fitz. Little does he know that Darcy's (from Pride & Prejudice) first name is Fitzwilliam... hehehe.

So... without further ado... Fitz!

He's a seal point Siamese. He was a stray from my friend's apartment complex so I offered to adopt him. Isn't he a cutie? Gretchen and Fitz won't stop chasing each other. I think Gretchen is excited about having a real playmate. Phineas on the other hand is more like "Meh. Whatever. I'm going to take a nap. Catch ya'll on the flipside, stoopids."

What Would You Do?

2011-03-01T21:34:00.002-06:00

When someone asks, "What would you do if you won the lottery?" I love thinking about all the possibilities money like that can bring. What would I do?

1. Pay off ALL my debt. School loans, the house, the cars, the credit cards, etc. ALL of it. Every last CENT.

2. Take my hubby on a vacay. A good one. A really AWESOME one. Like New Zealand. Or a week long cruise. I dunno. Ask him where he wants to go.

3. Buy my sister the most fuel-efficient car on the market today. So she can get rid of that gas-hog of a suburban.

4. Pay off my mother's house. So she and her hubby can have options.

5. Pay someone to professionally landscape my property. I want my yard to look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine cover.

6. Replace all the carpet in my house with hardwood flooring (because I'm allergic to carpet).

7. Oh yeah... and buy an apple green KitchenAid mixer. And a Kindle.

I love all things yoga!

2011-02-28T13:17:00.008-06:00

My yoga journey is transforming me. I'm experiencing a lot less pain in my body. The healing potential of yoga is proven, I am proof! The pain in my feet is gone and my back is 90% improved. All this in a short 8 months. I have been practicing yoga 5 days a week. Sometimes a short session and sometimes a 90 minute session. Sometimes at home on my own and sometimes in a studio. I love it all! I am inspired to become a teacher.

I think I'll start here. Has anyone heard of Yoga Conference ? LOL -- Beth Shaw of YogaFit is giving away a few FREE Yoga Training DVD Downloads. These are full DVD's and nobody even asked me to buy anything. I think someone forgot... LOL

P.S. The free downloads are kinda hidden look on the left for "Free Yoga Training"

I am excited!

The Saturday cough, cough Bakery: The Breadman

2011-02-25T16:16:00.004-06:00

Yes, I know it's Friday.

Yes, I know this should've gone up last weekend.

I'm sorry. For an act of contrition, I will down a whole sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.

Well, that's really not contrition for me. More like a reward and self-loathing is the contrition.

An-ee-who...

From now on, to give me ample editing time, there will be a week delay next week and I'll restart the videos in March.

For now, enjoy my inaugural loaf using the Breadman. This thing was so cool. It reminded me of days long ago, when my mother had a bread machine and I thought my sandwiches were better than the other kids' because my bread was different. Now I just know that my bread was denser. I laugh now. Ha ha. See?

Mental Health

2011-02-25T07:11:00.003-06:00

With all the craziness of my health issues lately, I decided a mental health break was in order. It just happened to coincide with the Friday that Adam and I are going to PC to visit the birthday girls.

Miss Renee (MIL) and my niece Zooey.

On a related note, I think I had an epiphany yesterday. I think.

I don't think the students I teach can actually concentrate and focus in peace and quiet. I think they actually need noise in order to concentrate. One of my classes was a bit rowdy yesterday, so I asked if they had their iPods (or assorted MP3 devices). They all raised their hands, of course. I told them to listen to their music while they were working and everyone, I mean all of them, not only got the assignment done, but they all did it correctly. I was floored.

I can't concentrate and think critically with background noise. I need peace and quiet.

I guess they're hardwired differently.

But, I broke the rules. They aren't supposed to have electronic devices at school. Or be using them in class. I apologize. I was desperate. All these kids want to do is socialize! They look at me like I'm covered in green scales if I ask them to do any strenuous thinking. I needed to find a way to reach them, not push them away. It's amazing what they'll do for you when you give them a little wiggle room.

So, on an unrelated note... I'm still working on the video from last weekend's Saturday Bakery. Sorry its taking so long. I'ma lazy.

Sinfully Sunday

2011-02-20T10:27:00.006-06:00

So mum introduced me to a new blog. I love discovering new blogs. It's like getting a present you get open and re-open all the time!

So... the new blog:

The Pioneer Woman

OMG. Love. Her recipies are punctuated with the most beautiful photos. Step-by-step photos. And she is one of the most humorous cooks I've ever ~~met~~ read.

This morning, on the loveliest of Sundays in a good long while, I made Egg-in-a-Hole. Which I renamed "Tavern Breakfast" because I made mine with beer bread. Pure Awesomeness. Again, kudos to Miss Renee for the cast-iron skillet of which this breakfast would not be possible (or least not as tasty, in my opinion).

Tavern Breakfast (formally known as Egg-in-a-Hole)

You don't even know how good this was. I am not even ashamed to admit that I licked the spatula. Like a ravenous caveman. Sooo good. I have decided that Sundays are for sinfully decadent breakfasts. Yes, I noticed the irony in a sinful Sunday, but that's what makes it so... so... sinful? I love the play on words. So sue me.

Saturday Morning Luxury

2011-02-19T09:49:00.006-06:00

I made you an omelette, but I eated it. Sorry. I absolutely LOVE Saturday mornings. I can sleep in an extra hour (so that means I wake up at 7am instead of 6am). I get to enjoy loooong, luxurious breakfast time and I can watch the kitties (they are the most active in the mornings).

Nothing beats my Keurig. I need to update my "About Me" section and under the "20 Things You Could Stand To Know About Alicia," I need to add the Keurig in there somewhere. I swear, if my neurologist says it's the coffee that's causing my seizures, I am going to cry. I cannot live without my Keurig.

Today is Saturday Bakery day, which means I have a video in the works! Adam is going to ~~watch~~ video me using my breadmaker for the first time! (Video to follow). But first, we're off to the grocery store, Bed Bath & Beyond for random household needs, like new pillows (ours are totally flat, they, like, really suck right now), a new hairdryer (another item I could not live without and would go on my "Things I Would Take With Me to a Deserted Island If That Island Had Electricity" list), and decently-priced K-Cups for my beloved Keurig (Nantucket brew, of course). Miss Renee would be so incredibly excited to know that it is getting muchly used, since she's the one who got it for my birthday this year.

Ignore the awesome grammar mistakes. I love ~~talking~~ typing like that. It gives my blog voice. Don't hate.

And for your ocular enjoyment, feast your eyes on this beauty:

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT THIS!

Saturday Bakery

2011-02-13T12:48:00.003-06:00

Here's an introduction to my new video blog series, "Saturday Bakery". Stay tuned next week for my initiation into bread machine territory!

Simple things...

2011-02-12T21:52:00.004-06:00

Not much to post in the last few days, so I took a break from blogging...

But I've got a few simple things that have perked up my week:

My new Vera Bradley I won on eBay

A Friday morning:

My lovely kitty, Gretchen:

Stay tuned for a video blog based on my Saturday Bakery series. I'm making Bountiful Beer Bread and Adam is editing a time-lapse video of the bread baking in the oven. This is our first time doing this, so it might look a *little* amateur. Stay tuned!

Kitties!

2011-02-07T07:06:00.003-06:00

Its has been a rough week. In the meantime, enjoy these lovely kitty photos!

Bleh.

2011-01-28T23:33:00.006-06:00

Worst Friday ever. My phone was stolen at school today. I had to drop $200 for a new phone because iPhones don't have insurance through AT&T.

GRRRRRRR.

So, new phone and new 'do (because I'm not canceling a long-awaited hair appointment just because someone decides to convert my iPhone into an iPod Touch).

Trying to stay awake so I can pick up the hubby from work.

Won the Vera Bradley purse I was bidding on! And I ended up paying less than my max bid! WOO-HOO!

Tomorrow: Garage shopping, Tastefully Simple party and Friday's with the Hubs.

Take an hour or two and...

2011-01-25T21:14:00.002-06:00

indulge in a really good movie. I watched Waitress again tonight. This movie is definitely in my top 5 favorites. And no, not just because Nathan Fillion is in it, but just because it is so quirky, funny, cute and powerful. I love it. Who doesn't love a movie about pie?

I just read a scathing review about this movie on another blog, but you know what? I don't care. I know this movie isn't real and that the characters aren't necessarily believable, but for an hour and a half of my life, I got wrapped up in Jenna's little world and I found myself cheering her on, despite her not wanting to have her baby.

That... and Nathan Fillion, of course.

It is a good day.

2011-01-24T16:26:00.003-06:00

I got in my car to head off to work this morning. Luckily I didn't turn on the wipers before I found this on my windshield:

I wore an awesome outfit to school today:

And now I'm off to Curves and then a celebratory green tea. Woot!

Tonight is the night of all nights... Castle and Beckett actually KISS! SQUEEEEEE! (I just hope it doesn't ruin the show.) I'll dish tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Hubby!

2011-01-23T16:13:00.007-06:00

Happy birthday hubby! (Adam). He turns 27 today. I baked him a chocolate-chip cookie cake. We're grilling steaks. It's going to be awesome.

Later, our friends Kat and Nathan came over and we played four games of Clue> I spectacularly lost each and every game, coming close to winning twice, only to be trumped by Nathan. I'm just thankful they play with us. I get really competitive. Like scary competitive.

Green Tea Love

2011-01-22T17:25:00.008-06:00

How about a little green tea love? I can't live without this stuff.

Brooches!

2011-01-20T22:38:00.005-06:00

I finished some new brooches! Check 'em!

Sorry they are so blurry. I am having a hard time with my camera. Either I don't know how to work it, or it's stupid. I'm betting on 'it's stupid.'

So, as soon as I can think of a good name for my Etsy shop, I'll get this show on the road.

Grosgrain Giveaway!

2011-01-19T19:29:00.004-06:00

OMG. One of the blogs I follow, Grosgrain, is hosting a fantastic giveaway that I am totally excited about. She's giving away a Sizzix Big Shot, a die cutting machine. These things can cost up to $100, so to get it for free would be a-maze-ing. Check out her totally awesome blog. She has great tutorials on all kinds of crafts and right now, she's hosting:

Check it! Or perish! (Just kidding about that last part, but seriously, you'd be sad if you didn't.)

Bidding Etiquette

2011-01-18T17:35:00.007-06:00

Easy day back. No kiddos, just a teacher plan day, so of course, I got nothing done. I seem to be way more productive when there are kids around. Go figure.

So, here's a little peek at some brooches I am working on:

Also, this is what I look like with a lot of makeup on:

The rest of the week is a wash for the kids, so I'm going to try my best to make it productive.

I made it to Curves today, had some green tea and I finished two more brooches. (I'll post pics later). I'm bidding on a purse on eBay; a Vera Bradley Cargo Sling in Kensington. Both the pattern and the style are retired. It's at $20, but I'm hoping people will stop bidding on it and wait until the end, because right now, all they are doing is driving the price up. Don't these people know how to bid?

A little more Nathan, please...

2011-01-15T19:41:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday, a day not unlike any other. My kids had a half day due to exams, and the hubby brought me a BLT from Sonic for lunch. Later, I joined my friends Kat, Amy and Katie for Black Swan. Not bad, a little twisty/dark, but pretty good nonetheless. Like I said, a regular day.

Adam got me seasons 1 & 2 of Castle on DVD. Ahhh... Nathan Fillion, whenever I want him.

Isn't he dreamy?

I'm re-reading Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife, just because it's so darn good and I needs me a little Austen every now and then. It's not actually an Austen novel, but a little juicer stuff based on her characters.

Got a gift card for JoAnns from mum, so I've got a couple more projects started... I'll keep you updated...

So this is the new year...

2011-01-06T12:51:00.005-06:00

...and I don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
explosions off in the distance

So this is the new year
and I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogs bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then I could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that could hold us back.

So this is the new year...

-Ben Gibbard, Death Cab for Cutie

I had *a lot* of free time on my hands today (due to a 2.5 hour lockdown at school), so I started thinking about where I am right now. I have been dealing with a lot of uncertainty lately, like my career, my living situation, whether or not I want to have kids, my health.

I realized that I thrive on change. My family was in the military, and due to that situation, we moved about every 3-4 years of my life. New school, new house, new everything. The fact that I've put down roots scares me to death and frankly, I don't like it.

This February will mark my 5th year in education and in my current school district. I realized that this is the longest I have had a job. I have never worked more than three years in any position. And I am starting to get burned out. I don't want to be in the classroom anymore, but I like being in education. I don't like feeling trapped in a fluorescent box for 8-9 hours a day and being completely exhausted at the end of every day but I love what I do. I feel that educators (across the nation) are unsupported and the situation is one that I'm not sure I want to be a part of anymore. Then again, I feel like I don't want to bail out and leave it all behind... it has been part of my life for over 6 years now. I invested time, money and energy into this path and giving it all up, well, I'm just not sure. It's that professional guilt.

Adam and I bought a house last year and while we pretty much love it and having a spacious place to live, we realized that maybe we don't need this much space. We live in a 2-story home with a garage and after assessing our belongings, nearly half of it is in the garage. We started talking about it and I think we would be ready to go back to apartment living in the near future. But until then, we are stuck. We bought our house with the Homebuyer's Tax Credit, so we are obligated to own it for the next three years or else we have to pay the $8000 back. Who has that kind of money lying around? It's a lot of responsibility that I don't think we were quite ready for. Who knows? Are we really ever ready? GAH! I hate uncertainty. It's so... well... uncertain!

Watching my niece and my friends' young children grow is amazing. I get excited for the moment when Adam and I have our first, but I keep changing my mind back and forth about whether or not I'm ready, or whether he's ready for that matter. There's never enough money or time and I grapple with being too old before I have my first child. I am turning 28 next week and I always wanted to have my first before 30. I know we want one, we just don't know when.

So much uncertainty.

I have decided to live life one day at a time, sometimes (especially during school) one hour at a time.

That's about all I can handle. I feel like the only thing I'm certain about, the only thing I have control over, is my health. I have steadily been losing weight, eating better, exercising. It feels great and I'm happy that I've managed to stay on track and not gain it all back. I have noticed that when I take time for me, I feel so much better.

Based on results, you get exactly what you intended.

So, here are my intentions for this year:

no more than 1 hour of TV or 1 movie per day
take deep breaths when I feel out of control ( I have a habit of letting my emotions get the best of me)
pay off at least one debt account this year
open an Etsy shop/sell wares at local Market
clear out and pare down (do I really need a broken lamp? What about that garlic press?)

Over at the Southern Institute, she talked about one word driving your actions this year. My word this year?

RELAX

I let worry run my life.

I sweat the small stuff.

I obsess over unnecessary, trivial things.

I need to learn to relax.

So, there it is. Just getting a little something off my chest. Its amazing how you can breathe a little easier when there's nothing sitting on top of you. (o:

The "What's in your bag?" Post

2010-12-31T12:37:00.007-06:00

One of my favorite kinds of posts I read on other people's blogs are "What's in my bag?" posts. It is so fascinating to see what other people carry around with them because you get an idea of what is important in their lives.

Below is "my bag" and what I usually carry around with me. Yes, it is heavy, but I'm not wearing the bag 24/7, otherwise I'd have scoliosis.

1) My Vera Bradley zip-around wallet in Green Apple. I love this wallet. It carries everything (even my iPhone fits in that back zipper pocket). If you've read my "about me" section, you know that I have an unhealthy addiction to Vera Bradley products.

2) Notebook for jotting down well, notes. I write down ideas, addresses, phone numbers, directions, websites, etc. It has a little snap on it!

3) Lotion! I can't live without it. I love washing my hands and putting on lotion. It keeps my hands and cuticles soft.

4) Writing utensils! As you can see, I'm addicted to Sharpies. Love 'em. I also have a rub-a-dub-dub Sharpie (for my swimmers during swim season because they are waterproof and my swimmers write their events on their forearms). I can't live without highlighters and the occasional expo marker (you can tell I'm a teacher, can't you?).

5) A compact mirror and brush and my leatherman. I love that multitool. It has come in so handy, especially the little screwdriver that fits the screws on my eyeglasses.

6) The only makeup I carry. It's sad, I know. Carmex slimshine chapstick and CoverGirl lipstain in Very Berry, plus two hairclips for... well, whenever.

7) My 8 gig hardrive. My life is on that little black brick. If I lost that, I'd be uber-screwed.

8) My totally awesome stopwatch. It was a gift from the head swim coach who mentored me when I became a head coach for another school. I use it mostly for swim season but I use it in my classroom too, for timed readings.

9) My FlipCam! Love this thing. Great for capturing small videos and it plugs right into the computer, no need for a cable. I have an underwater case too, so I can video my swimmers underwater and help them with their strokes.

10) Portable Awesomeness, my Dell netbook. I bought this because when I got laid off, I had to turn in my laptop and I needed a windows-based computer for grad school. I bought this netbook. Portable Awesomeness. No disk drive, but that's what the hardrive is for. Got it for $250 on Overstock.com and it is soooo light! I bought a matching green wireless mouse to go with it!

11) My Fujifilm FinePix S800 Adam bought me for under $100, an extra SD card and headphones.

12) The BAG. Vera Bradley Cargo Sling in Capri Blue (both the style and color are retired). It has two side pockets, two front pockets, three inside pockets, and one back pocket. The strap is even adjustable. I love this bag. I think I'm going to try and find another in Kensington for the fall/winter months.

So, that's my bag. When I get a Kindle, that'll fit perfectly in the back pocket. So what does my bag say about me?

A Very Crafty Christmas

2010-12-24T12:18:00.012-06:00

Oh where to start?

I've had a week off from school and I'd like to say I've been busy, but I'm really just lazy. I have managed to make a few pieces. Some are gifts, one is for me, mostly because I haven't had the time to make anything for me in awhile.

Project 1: The Basketweave Blanket. I gave you a sneak peek awhile back, but unfortunately, due to lack of funds, I am not finished. The yarn for it is expensive!

Project 2: Hubby's Scarf Ravenclaw Edition. I started a scarf for him a little bit ago, but I ran out of yarn and he ended up changing his mind about it (thanks a lot). So, I took him back to JoAnn, let him pick out new yarn and this time, he requested stripes. GULP. So I pulled out the Nifty Knitter and tried my hand at a striped scarf. Here's the result:

Project 3: Poinsettia Pillow. This is a Christmas present for someone. I won't say who, because they haven't received it yet, but I was just so excited when I finished it that I wanted to post the progress. Without further ado:

and last, but certainly not least...

Project 4: The Mustard Triple Crochet Scarf (for me). This is a project that was inspired by a fellow blogger, Michelle Clement at Scissor Quirk. I love this blog and when I saw the scarf, I immediately recognized it as triple crochet. I love that I'm getting so much better at my craft that I can recognize crochet stitches like Dr. Brennan can recognize attributes just by looking at bones (excellent show, BTW). I'm not finished yet, but here's what I've got so far:

And to finish it off, I'm baking cookies and banana bread. YAY!

Kiss and Makeup

2010-12-08T17:42:00.005-06:00

I have been trying to be more girly, trying out stuff I've never done; for example, coloring my hair. That's right, up until this year, I have never colored my hair. Before we went on the cruise this past summer, I thought I'd try it out. I loved it. It was only highlights, mind you, but it looked awesome nonetheless. The next adventure? Eyeliner. Now, I'm blind in my right eye, so it is extremely difficult for me to put eyeliner on my left eye. So I tried a felt-tip eyeliner pen. It took me a few tries, but I finally got the hang of it. I bought some new makeup today and tried liquid eyeliner for the first time. I love it. I also tried Cover Girl's new lipstain, and for someone who is addicted to chapstick, I think it's perfect. I get the color of a lipstick, but I don't have to worry about it rubbing off. I just put a layer of chapstick right over it and it lasts so much longer. The hard part? Deciding on a color. In the picture, I'm wearing "Nude Kiss" but only because I was too scared to pay $8 and get a color I didn't like.

On the crafting front, I finished a brooch this past weekend:

Now I'm working on a few pillows. One is a poinsettia and the other, something a bit more kitschy, but fun; a Christmas gift. You'll have to wait for the reveal.

OMG.

2010-12-05T16:28:00.005-06:00

So, I love my cats. They are truly amazing creatures. But can you really get mad at them when they do stuff like this:
I mean, he's an indoor/outdoor cat, so he's a natural hunter. But this is the first time he's ever brought home a bird. That was still alive. I didn't know what to do. So, naturally, I grabbed the camera. After getting the shot, I went outside and convinced Phineas to drop the bird. That's when I realized the bird was not dead. It immediately started hopping away and Phineas immediately started chasing after it. I convinced him (if you can truly convince a cat) to drop it again, scooped Phin up and took him inside. I then prodded the bird gently with a stick and got it to "fly" away. I hope it lives. Meanwhile, Phin is furious that I cost him his afternoon snack and he sulked upstairs on our bed for the rest of the day.

I heart crock pot.

2010-11-29T21:34:00.003-06:00

I submit that there is no greater cooking tool than the almighty crock pot. What other tool allows you to dump awesome ingredients into a pot, turn it on and leave it alone for 6-8 hours? When you come home, the house smells a-maze-ING and you get to eat a delectable meal!

Tonight's crockery masterpiece? Chunky Chicken Chili, courtesy of Betty Crocker online. It's just tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, chili seasoning, boneless skinless chicken thighs and hominy. Soooooo tasty and just the right amount of heat. How easy is that? I am such a lazy cook.

P.S. sorry I didn't take any pics, I ate my serving and froze the rest. This is what my chili mostly looked like.

It's been a nice long break...

2010-11-27T11:53:00.009-06:00

for Thanksgiving weekend. I've had off from school since Tuesday afternoon and whiled away the hours enjoying time with friends, family, the hubs and the kitties.

Tuesday night I met up with some friends and fellow coaches at the Bridge Bar in Gulf Breeze. I participated in the 6-month anniversary of Trivia Night on Team Pterodactyls. We came in 6th place, but I had an absolutely wonderful time. Everyone thought it extremely strange that I could have that much fun without consuming any alcohol, but we outperformed nonetheless.

Wednesday, the in-laws came for Thanksgiving. Since we were going to be seven strong this year (me, Adam, my sister Stephanie, my mom and Mike, and my in-laws), I thought we might enjoy a Thanksgiving brunch at the new Hilton Garden Inn in town. It was delicious! And to quote my favorite comedian, "Brunch and no cleanup? Can life get better? I submit that it cannot!" It was an amazing feast and everyone enjoyed it, but the only regret? No leftovers.

My mother-in-law and I went out on Friday afternoon to see if there was anything left over from Black Friday. I managed to score this sweet deal:

Isn't she a beaut? I can't wait to start using it. My mom cut out a dress pattern for me and I'm going to start putting it together tomorrow.

I've also got a sneak peek for you. I've been working on a project for a friend... she doesn't know it yet, but I am just so excited about it, I wanted to share my progress. I tried out a crochet technique that another friend taught me a couple of years ago, but forgot how to do. So I re-taught myself and started this throw. I found some cozy, thick, wool yarn in a lovely green color. This is a basketweave pattern:

I can't wait 'til I am finished and I get to wrap it all up!

Well, I'm off to finish off my lovely weekend with the hubs. We're going to an ice hockey game tonight with free tickets we scored at a restaurant. Woot! Go Ice Flyers!

Feelin' Crafty: The Felt Dahlia

2010-11-14T22:15:00.007-06:00

I was feelin' crafty and had some time today, so I sat down to try out this new project I found online. It's a felt dahlia, originally a corsage for Mother's Day, which includes a little felt pocket on the back for a small picture.

The project calls for fabri-tac, which is a type of fabric glue, but I was impatient and used hot glue instead. I don't recommend it. I burned my fingers several times and I'm pretty sure I no longer have fingerprints. I do recommend using hot glue for the last steps, i.e. attaching the petals and the backing, but not for the actual petal construction. I also recommend using stiff felt because using the flimsier stuff made my petals look a bit floppy and not so natural looking like in the original tutorial. For the middle, in the tutorial, you are supposed to use curled up felt cut with pinking shears, but I didn't have any leftover felt (I made a boo-boo earlier) and I don't have pinking shears; but I did have this awesome cream-colored button I found that I thought would look perfect in the middle. Lastly, this tutorial calls for a pin backing, but I like using magnets since they don't leave holes in my clothes!

P.S. I am pretty sure Gretchen ate one of my leftover felt petals. I saw her playing with one and now I can't find it. This is why I can't have nice things.

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-11-13T14:25:00.009-06:00

I'm on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I cannot call myself a true baker until I have mastered this time-honored skill. I tried the Nestle Toll House recipe on the back of the chips bag and my cookies fell absolutely flat as a pancake. So, I fed them to my best behaved students and decided to try again. This time, I turned to one of the top names in cooking, a man I knew I could trust with a task such as this: Alton Brown. I found two recipes and decided to try his "Puffy" cookie recipe. Here is the result:

The "Puffy" Chocolate Chip Cookie courtesy of Alton Brown

1 cup butter-flavored shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 1/4 cup cake flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used minis)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer's work bowl, and cream until light and fluffy. In the meantime, sift together the cake flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add the vanilla. Increase the speed until thoroughly incorporated.

With the mixer set to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening and combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips (I actually add these to the flour mixture so the chips don't all fall to the bottom of the batter). Chill the dough. Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets, 6 per sheet. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. (I actually baked them for 6 minutes, rotated the pan and baked for another 6 minutes. This worked especially well for my oven). Let them sit, then transfer to wire rack to cool and store in airtight container. (I store them in a ziploc bag with a slice of bread to keep them from drying out).

The Verdict:

I really liked this recipe. The cookies did not fall flat, they were crispy/crumbly and tasted great. I was hoping for something a little bit chewier and I don't like the idea of cooking with crisco. So, I'm going to try his "chewy" recipe next to see how those come out.

The Buttercream Conundrum

2010-10-30T14:58:00.002-05:00

I am a huge fan of cake and cupcake decorating. I have always wanted to master that particular skill, so I decided to try my hand at decorating. Since it was Halloween and I was attending a party thrown by some of my friends, I thought I would bring cupcakes to share and make them unwitting testers of my cake decorating skills.

I used a box recipe for dark chocolate cupcakes and used canned buttercream frosting. I colored it orange (for the occasion) and piped it using a ziploc bag and the corner tip cut off. It was so much easier to frost the cupcakes this way, but I'll admit, I am not a fan of canned buttercream frosting. I'll either try a homemade recipe or maybe cream cheese frosting (my fav!) instead.

Burnt bakery this week.

2010-10-25T07:20:00.004-05:00

I am so ashamed... well, kinda. So, I set out to start my Saturday bakery for this weekend and I ended up being really lazy and not grocery shopping until Sunday. So, Sunday, I have all of my ingredients and I start baking (I'm not going to tell you what because I'm still planning on making it and I want it to be a surprise). Well, half-way in between baking, while I'm waiting for my crust to set in the oven, my hubby and I sit down to a well-grilled dinner and The Princess and the Frog. First, we smell it. Then, we hear the smoke detector go off. I should have known better. The crust burned and I have to start all over again this week. When I find time. Grrr.

The Saturday Bakery

2010-10-16T19:33:00.011-05:00

Baking is just soothing to the soul. After a very rough week (and I mean rough) I decided another round of the Saturday Bakery sounded like the perfect balm for a troubled chickadee. So, here's what I whipped up this weekend:

Pumpkin Bread
This Saturday's bakery was another round of bread. My oven's final masterpiece? Pumpkin bread. It was a box mix, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Now that it's fall, I decided it was high time to start dabbling in the comfort foods. I found the box mix at Wal-Mart. In it contained: a can of pumpkin, the baking mix and a pouch of frosting, but I felt the need to omit the frosting (it felt like cheating to me). The final tasting was pretty delicious, very moist and spicy, but it needed a little something, which is why I'm guessing they included the frosting packet. I think a schmear of butter should do it. All it needs is a warm cup of Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin coffee and you are all set. Yum-o! The mix yielded 6 1/2 mini loaves, which is perfect for sharing! (The half-loaf is for me.) Now, I'm off to create cute tags to wrap them up in!

P.S. Can I just take this moment to praise the amazingness of my Wilton mini-loaf pan? This thing has lasted 5 years and it has never let me down. The loaf size is perfect for making the giveaway loaves for sharing. It has gotten me through Christmases, Thanksgivings and occasional baking days. People have always complimented my loaves and I credit it to the wonder of the Wilton mini-loaf pan. Click here to check it out and maybe buy your very own!

Giveaway!!

2010-10-16T19:19:00.009-05:00

Check out this giveaway from one of my favorite blogs, The Dainty Squid!

The Saturday Bakery

2010-10-09T20:28:00.009-05:00

Tried two new recipes this week:

Roasted Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup

This first recipe comes from one of my favorite subscriptions and what my husband affectionately refers to as "food porn," Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. This recipe calls for sirloin, mushrooms, and shallots on a roasting pan seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with EVOO. Roasted at 425 for 30 minutes, you pull it out, put it all into a pot with 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup of quick-cooking barley, bring to a boil and simmer for about 12 min. It was so easy and I didn't even have to add any extra salt during boiling because roasting everything beforehand really sealed in the flavor. The meat was perfectly tender, the shallots gave the soup a great savory taste and the mushrooms were golden brown. This was an amazing soup that was so easy to make and something I'd eat over and over again.

Simple Banana Bread

This is one of my classic recipes, one that I have kicking around in the cupboard and enjoy making each year. I had some bananas that I just didn't have the heart to eat this week ripening on the counter and since they were organic and I spent the extra money buying the organic ones, I thought it would be a huge waste to just throw them away. So, I pulled out the 'ole banana bread recipe. It's basically 3 ripened bananas mashed together with 3/4 melted butter. Then you add 1 egg, beat that together, add 1 cup of sugar, mix that in, 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking soda and salt and I added my secret ingredient: a dash of nutmeg. After mixing all of that together, you bake for an hour at 350. This came out wonderful and the whole house smelled like banana bread. (P.S. you can add walnuts like a traditional bb, but I'm not a walnut fan myself.)

One of my baking tips: to ensure that your baked goods slide right out of the pan every time, I grease the pan with Crisco. I know it's horrible stuff and I never actually cook with it, but it makes a great greaser. My baked goods never ever stick.

Ahhh Friday, you are an elusive mistress.

2010-10-08T06:55:00.004-05:00

I'm having so much fun with this Flickr thing. I've been trying to take more photos of myself, especially since Mom and I went to Tanger and I spent $300 on clothes and shoes for the whole of winter. (The sad part is, I still need a pair of brown mary janes, a decent pair of jeans and new undies!) So, I got the idea of taking pictures of my outfits from The Southern Institute; she's been taking pics of her outfits and sharing the details. Now I know where to shop because her outfits are adorable!

In way-more-awesome news, my hubbie finally broke into the full-time sector at work. He is now a full-time prime time editor for one of our local news stations. Although I won't get to see him for more than an hour each night M-F, he now has weekends off, so we both have the freedom to do fun things together! I foresee a mini-road trip in our future, or as the Britons might call it, a weekend holiday!

Keep checking back, I have some awesome new recipes to share, a dress in the works and Adam and I are considering adopting a new kitty! So look out for pics and fun things ahead!

Bacon Police.

2010-10-03T20:16:00.002-05:00

So, Gretch has this awful new habit of exploring the countertops and stove while we're cooking. She hasn't burned herself yet... but give it some time.

It's the meatiest!

2010-09-12T20:24:00.005-05:00

Yes, yes, I know. It's been awhile. I have this thing I do during the week called teaching and it is kicking my butt this year. I'm glad that they are holding us more accountable, but man, there is just no time to do everything.

So, I know we're all about healthy eating here at GC, but my husband refuses to eat his veggies, so I have been venturing into casserole and slow-cooker land. As many of you know, these aren't the *healthiest* meals, but I wanted to share my excitement at having made my first successful meatloaf despite 3 tries over the last four years.

My mother-in-law signed me up at KraftFoods.com and I've been finding some pretty decent recipes lately that Adam likes and I am willing to eat. Tonight's experiment: slow-cooker cheeseburger meatloaf. I like how moist and flavorful it was. The other meatloafs I have made in the past have been extremely dense and kinda bland. This one actually tasted like a cheese burger. I also can't stand American cheese ( I think it's gross) but it wasn't too bad on top. I recommend this recipe.

Green Chickadees

Fill in the Blank (Black) Friday

Saturday Bakery: Pumpkin Donut Holes

Creative Me Monday

Saturday Bakery: Pumpkin Bread

Fill-in-the-Blank-Friday!

Soup's on!

A Long While...

Teaching is a learning process...

Where she be at?!

Sister Elle Saves the Day

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

Creative Me Monday (I mean Tuesday)

Fill in the Blank Friday

DIY Tank Dress courtesy of The Southern Institute

Rain Drops Keep Fallin' On My Head

More Steps and a New Discovery

Oh joy. (That's sarcasm, by the way.)

Saturday Bakery: Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Cold-Pressed Coffee

Kids are cute.

Move over Pretzel M&M's!

DIY Sunday: Lampshade Redoux

Saturday Bakery: Banana Bread Redoux

Reflection and Introspection

Up in the air...

A Moment of Zen

The week in photos...

Summer Goals and a Moment of Zen

Etsy Favorites

Saturday Bakery: Biscotti Love

Saturday Bakery Chocolate Two-Fer: Biscotti and Pound Cake

The Kitty Cat Gallery

Spring is in the air... again?

It's Market Time!

Awesomely Good and Bad Hats!

I bake when I'm bored.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Granola = Goodness

Food!

Ambulatory EEG

Happy Crafting!

Date Night and Super Secret Crafts!

Vacation Rentals By Owner

Guess where I'm going?

Teachable Moments

Rest, Relaxation and Celebration

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Speaking of Spring . . .

Spring. Lists. Love.

Photos!

Granny squares soothe the soul.

Sewing with the big dawgs?

Composition Notebook Cover Giveaway

Sewing and Death by Chocolate

Stephanie

My first attempt at Burda . . .

Saturday Bakery: Onion Focaccia Bread

Make this!

Insta-Winnie!

Drink your green!

Eat your colors!

Raisin Bread Redoux

My favorite lipsticks!

Update: Fruit + Bread = Love.

Fruit + Bread = Love.

Meet Fitzwilliam...

What Would You Do?

I love all things yoga!

The Saturday *cough, cough* Bakery: The Breadman

Mental Health

Sinfully Sunday

Saturday Morning Luxury

Saturday Bakery

Simple things...

Kitties!

Bleh.

Take an hour or two and...

It is a good day.

The Saturday cough, cough Bakery: The Breadman