a sweet life

finally. . .snow

2012-01-24T23:21:00.000-08:00

Mother nature finally came through over the weekend with some REAL SNOW! (Insert angels singing here.)

J and I drove up early Saturday morning. I usually sleep for the first couple hours, but I was so excited about the snow I could hardly sleep. And we weren't the only ones hungering for some fresh powder, we saw a more than few cars (with skis and boards) heading the same direction as us.

It was so beautiful! (No pictures, sorry, we were busy zipping down the mountain.) It was totally worth the slow, snowy drive through the mountains behind a Raley's delivery truck. Can't wait until we going again!

Keep praying for (more) snow!

friday faves | lovin'

2012-01-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

With a new year underway, one of my goals is to just scrap! Last year scrapping was an afterthought. I can count on my two hands the number of pages I completed. Sad! The truly sad part was that I had so many ideas, but lacked the discipline to sit down and create.

Not surprisingly there already is a lot of inspiration which I will admit to needing.

Love this beautiful minibook to capture 2012. If I weren't already doing Project Life I would definitely do this instead.
January Creative Jumpstart hosted by Natalie Kalbach
Nothing like sneaks for Winter CHA to get the creative juices flowing or at least the enabling juices anyway.

I'm looking forward to another long weekend, hoping it will be a productive one spent hunkered down in my craft room. Thankfully I won't be lacking in the inspiration department.

Have a great weekend!

praying for snow

2012-01-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

J and I snuck away for some snowboarding over the weekend in Lake Tahoe. Despite what you're heard, there is snow in the Sierras albeit man-made. No complaints here. Snow is snow no matter how it's made, and it is perfectly ride-able, there's just not a lot of it.

Like surfers praying for big waves, skiers, snowboarders, and snow enthusiasts alike are praying for snow. We were completely spoiled last season with the over abundance of snow (and I totally wasn't complaining then either).

Still, it was a fabulous weekend! Loved every minute on the mountain, despite the wind and the cold. Loved that it felt so easy, almost like second nature.

Guess I need to step up my snow dances if we're going to get any snow before Spring kicks in!

Happy Wednesday!

fresh start

2012-01-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

I'm nursing yet another cold! Not the ideal way to usher in the new year, but it is what it is. Despite the running nose and congestion, I love the beginning of the new year. It's like a blank canvas on which to create. I'm really looking forward to whatever 2012 has in store for me and J.

Feeling | Optimistic for 2012

Wearing | Comfy sweatshirt & sweatpants

Drinking | Honey & lemon tea

Eating | Ferrera Roche, I can't seem to resist chocolate and hazelnut together.

Watching | Natalie Kalbach's Creative Jumpstart Day 2

Enjoying | The company of my two sweet pups

Excited | About starting Project Life and hoping I can keep it going to the end of the year!

Wanting | To cast-on for the Damson hat

on the needles

2011-11-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Not exactly, at least not yet. What I do have, however, are two skeins of yummy Manos de Uruguay yarn in Adobe already wound and ready to go.

This yarn is simply gorgeous. The silk and merino blend is so soft to the touch. It's going to make for a warm and pretty Eleanor cowl from the Knitty Deep Fall 2010 issue for my sweet mom. She and my dad are coming for their second visit this year (mostly to raid my persimmon tree). Soon. Like in a couple of weeks. And that means I have a quick deadline. I told you my November was going to be crazy!

Did I mention that this yarn is just gorgeous? I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself when I'm done. Of course I would never do that. I'll just have to knit one for myself in another colorway, perhaps Moss.

I'm hoping to cast on before the end of the week and post and update this time next week!

hello november

2011-11-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

Was that a bullet train or October just speeding by? I'm through the roof excited that it's November. So much good stuff coming up this month. Napa, Tahoe, parents visiting, Thanksgiving. It's going to be a good kind of crazy.

And I'm finally going to do a challenge I've been meaning to do for a couple of months now: 30 for 30. I read about it here. The concept is to choose 30 pieces of clothing (including shoes) then mix and match those pieces for 30 days. Love. This. Idea. And to make it more challenging: absolutely NO SHOPPING!

Part of the reason I'm doing this is to help me simplify my life. I get caught up in the material things of life instead of focusing on what's real.

Want to join me in this challenge?

on the menu

2011-10-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! This year I gave up giving out candy because with commuting we just don't get home early enough. By the time we normally get home it's just the teenagers who scare the living you know what out of me. The upside: no candy!

No, this is not our lunch for the week (although this would more than make up for not having any Halloween candy!). It was supposed to be for a potluck at Jay's work, but he conveniently "forgot". This is my go to dessert because it easy and simple.

Rum Cake
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 package French Vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 C dark rum
1/2 C oil
1/2 C water

Glaze
1/4 C butter
1 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/2 C dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan. Mix remaining ingredient will. Pour into pan over nuts. Bake for one hour. Cool inverted onto serving plate.

For glaze, melt butter on low, then stir in sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Cool the glaze slightly then drizzle evenly over top and sides.

friday faves | a little bit of this, a little bit of that

2011-10-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

TGIF! It's been a good week except for this cold I seem to have developed. Oodles of awesome stuff this week, from paper crafting to knitting, and everything in between.

Who doesn't love a garland (or two)? Especially with the holiday season creeping up on us. A Beautiful Mess features several fun ideas.

This DIY tutorial for a bag using u-shaped handles was too cute to not share.

Perfect for fall and winter, this cowl will be keep you very cozy.

It's still fall so I'm still obsessed with pumpkin, but only if it is paired with chocolate. Here, instead of chocolate chips, it's a chocolate pumpkin cupcake. Yum!

And my sweet tooth just can't let this one go, just too divine.

Looking forward to the weekend and crossing my fingers I won't spend it in bed sick. Have a great weekend!

a to z

2011-10-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

I've feeling a bit under the weather today. I woke up with a sore throat and I haven't quite shaken it off. I'm hoping it's nothing and that it will run it's course quickly. (Of course, I had planned on getting my flu shot over the weekend, looks like it may be a no go.) So I'm sitting here resting with the pups and my honey and calamansi tea.

I've been seeing this meme around lately and it seemed like a lot of fun. So here goes.

A. Age: 38

B. Bed size: King

C. Chore that you hate: toss up between vacuuming and everything related to laundry

D. Dogs: 2 chihuahuas, Max & Sparky

E. Essential start to your day: whole wheat toast & peanut butter or steel cut oats and a cup of coffee

F. Favorite color: changes with the season, right now it is eggplant

G. Gold or Silver: both

I. Instruments you play: ukulele (at least I'm trying to) and piano

J. Job title: Peon

K. Kids: do my dogs count?

L. Live: San Francisco Bay Area

M. Mother’s name: Premia

N. Nicknames: Char

O. Overnight hospital stays: 1

P. Pet peeves: people talking on their cell phones in public

Q. Quote from a movie: (crickets)

R. Right or left handed: righty

S. Siblings: only child (and no, I'm not spoiled!)

U. Underwear: of course! (shudder)

V. Vegetable you hate: I'm an equal opportunity vegetable eater

W. What makes you run late: snoozing and little doggie accidents

X. X-Rays you’ve had: way to many to count

Y. Yummy food that you make: linguine & clam, garlic fries, rum cake

Z. Zoo animal: um, IDK, giraffe? lol

What's your A to Z?

proof

2011-10-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

Evidence that my scrapping mojo has so graciously made an appearance. And I'm so deliriously happy. (Please excuse the state of my scrap table.)

The past couple weeks or so I've been happily making some headway (finally) on the mini book of my niece, Ms. H. I've been working with an older Cocoa Daisy kit that contained lots of pinks and blues. Fun mix of stuff for a little girl. I pre-made the first five of so pages, but I ran into a bit of a problem: 4 x 6 photos are not ideal for an 5 x 7 mini book. I've made adjustments and it's coming along really well. You can see a couple of the pages in the picture. I am hoping to order a couple more pictures before the weekend.

one the menu

2011-10-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

Since my weekends are consumed with cooking our lunches and dinners for the week I thought it would be fun to share my weekly cooking endeavours both good and bad. That and I'm still suffering from a bad case of unabletowriteintellibly syndrome.

While Jay and I have our own tried and true favorite recipes, I also like to try out new recipes. I was inspired by a conversation with a friend about Fall and crock pot cooking, about how Fall inspires stews, soups, and gumbo. I found a crock pot recipe for gumbo here, but after reading through the comments I knew I had to make a few changes. One substitution I made was using fresh tomatoes instead tomato juice; however I also added 2 cups of water. Big mistake.

Overall I liked how it turned out, but I agree that it is not real gumbo. The test though is if Jay liked it and he did so I'm happy. I will definitely try this again this fall and winter with more tweaking of course.

I paired the gumbo soup with saffron rice as suggested by one of the commentators. I used this recipe here. Overall it was good, but I would not substitute the broth the recipe calls for with water. And don't skimp on the saffron, be sure to get nice "big" pinch.

Gumbo
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) package frozen okra, thawed
4 links andouille sausage, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ~~tablespoon~~ creole seasoning
1/2 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to your taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
5-6 tomatoes, diced

In a slow-cooker, combine all remaining ingredients except the frozen okra. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Add frozen okra three hours before end. Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

12 by 2012

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

With the holidays approaching I have a long list of crafty to-do's waiting for me to work my magic. Unfortunately last time I checked I don't have any magical powers that will get them done in a snap of a finger. To keep on track and honest Danni at ohhellofriend has an awesome idea 12 by 2012.

My list of 12 by 2012

1. Sew pillowcase for Sparky's bed

2. Damson hat (for me)

3. Meditate twice a week.

4. Eleanor cowl (for gift)

5. Shale scarf (for gift)

6. Christmas cards

7. Minibook of my niece

8. December Daily (from 2009)

9. Read 6 books

10. Autumn wreath

11. Bake a cake with everything

12. Transfer recipes to index cards.

I love a list and I hope I can most, if not all, of the things on this list done before I ring in the New Year!

What do you say? Is there anything you want to get done by 2012?

friday faves (saturday edition)

2011-10-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

I wish I could claim that these beauties are from my garden, but they are not. Thankfully my in-lays have green thumbs, and they've had a very bountiful year. I decided I wanted to make pasta sauce from scratch with these lovelies. I've already made three pots of homemade tomato sauce which I've frozen for future use.

And yes, it's Saturday, but I'm still not quite up to speed. I'm a bit rusty in the writing department, but I wanted to share some of my favorites from this past week.

I fell in love with the cool colors of this beautiful throw.

Check out the fun collection of products for a December journal kit.

Looking forward to trying to make this and that in my kitchen really soon!
It's never too early to start thinking about the holidays. This is a cute idea for office mates.

And I'm hoping that my in-laws still have tomatoes because I need to make this awesome tomato soup.

Have a great Saturday!

hello october

2011-10-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

It's definitely fall, but winter is currently threatening a hostile takeover. Winter storm warnings and snow in the Sierra at this time of year is, well, unusual. Strange as it may sound, I am reveling in the cold and overcast skies.

This kind of cold calls for comfort food. My favorite comfort food is a bowl of hot soup like the split pea soup I made over the weekend. Absolutely fulfilling, absolutely serendipitous! I think this winter is going to be all about soups, chilis, and stews, especially if I can make it in my crock pot. (And I found a new crockpot cookbook that I can't wait to use.)

What's your favorite comfort food?

happy labor day

2011-09-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I absolutely did! I did a whole lot of NOTHING! Except for maybe eating.

There was also a pan of fudgy brownies that I baked this morning, but forgot to take pictures. Oy! I guess it wouldn't be a holiday if there was no overeating involved!

Starting tomorrow it's back to a healthy diet and working out. (Need to get ready for snow season!). Working out regularly was difficult last month with my work schedule and combined with lack of sleep resulted in a noticeable difference in my mood. Hoping to turn that around this month, pronto!

It's a short week, so we're at least one day closer to another weekend! Have good one!

hello again. . .

2011-08-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick drive-by photo post today. From our date night at Morton's to celebrate our anniversary.

Work has been kicking my butt these past couple weeks and at the end of the day all I want to do is relax. But I'm hoping for some fun time tomorrow night since it's my birthday!

happy anniversay

2011-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

to my best friend, love of my life, my rock, and partner in crime! Looking forward to many more years by your side.

I would marry you again in a heartbeat over and over.

did you miss me?

2011-08-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

After my crazy first week of August, I needed a little time (like a whole week) to recover. So I unplugged from cyberworld for another week. But I'm back! I failed miserably on the 30 day photo challenge this month, as you can well see. Maybe I'll try again next month since it looks like life will be somewhat quiet again.

Despite needing a break, I'm really loving August. Jay and I finally kicked off my birthday month over the weekend with a trip to Red Robin for my birthday burger. Guacamole. Bacon. Burger.

Yum, yum, YUM! Thank goodness we only do this but twice a year because the calorie count is obscene! (And it doesn't include bottomless fries and beer.) Totally and completely WORTH IT!

Otherwise, the weekend was a sea of calm and serenity. Just the way I like it. And I finally gave myself a pedicure on Sunday afternoon while watching a mini marathon of Torchwood episodes. Have a great weekend!

tgif

2011-08-05T23:54:00.000-07:00

I've never been so happy that it's finally FRIDAY!

This week has been super crazy at work. After 12+ hours days for the past four days, I am ready for the weekend especially sleeping in. Tonight has been the first night that I've been able to sit and relax, so Friday Faves is on a hiatus for today. Enjoying some wine and a little surfing for the night.

Looking forward to lunch with the family, lunch with friends (finally meeting their twins!) and somewhere in between some crafting.

What are your plans for the weekend?

aloha august

2011-08-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post, but I have been working overtime the last two nights and was just plain exhausted when I got home to hop on the computer! I LOVE August! Looking forward to all the wonderful things this month brings!

Since the end of Week in the Life, I've really missed taking picture everyday, but found this fun challenge on Amy Tangerine's site via Oh so Lovely that will keep me camera happy for at least a month!

I'm a couple days late, but as usual I plan to play catch up. Check in tomorrow for the day's picture. And hope you join in too!

week in the life | saturday + sunday

2011-07-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday 8:30 am wake-up. Morning view from upstairs. The pups. Steak + roasted cauliflower dinner. Chilling after dinner.

Sunday 8:30 am wake-up. Sunday morning coffee. Pizza dinner.

I'm really going to miss taking pictures everyday. This was a really great experience! Can't wait to do it again!

week in the life | thursday + friday

2011-07-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday 5:45 am wake-up. Always have the bed made on weekdays. Take the dogs out. Quick breakfast of toast. Waiting for the train. Best salad EVER.

Friday For whatever reason Friday was an absolute FAIL! I took no pictures until late in the evening. And this was it.

week in the life | wednesday

2011-07-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

My morning lupus affirmation. Views from my office. Getting dinner ready, or at least part of it.

week in the life | tuesday

2011-07-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Packing lunches in the morning. Afternoon tea. Waiting for the train home. Waiting for my running partner. Well deserved dinner after a great run.

week in the life | monday

2011-07-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I didn't do so well on the first day of a Week in the Life. I was only able to take a few pictures. Here are some of my favorites

Getting ready. First cup of coffee. Mid-morning snack of yogurt. Evening workout with Jay. Max getting his chew on.

I am realizing that Week in the Life does require a lot of commitment especially for someone like me who works. But I'm completely up for the challenge!

pantry treasures

2011-07-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

My pantry is a treasure trove of surprises these days. I am constantly amazed at what I find when I poke my head in. It used to be organized, honest. Now, it's just a plain mess.

Last week I found a bags of toffee and butterscotch chips and I knew exactly what I wanted to make: blondies and toffee chip cookies.

And now we have a ton of sweets in the house, even after giving some to my in-laws and bringing some to work today!

Happy Monday!
xo

week in the life

2011-07-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Ali Edwards' Week in the Life which starts tomorrow and runs through next Sunday. I'm participating for the first time! I'm excited and nervous, mostly because I don't want to flake half way through and not finish.

I'm not sure how many pictures I'm planning on taking per day, but I'm hoping to post whatever I take everyday.

And I just wanted to share a card that I made last week. It was really quick and easy.

I used my new Martha punch. So love this color combination! Thanks for looking!
Have a great week!
xo

friday faves | summer food

2011-07-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! And a truly happy one for me as I finally got a good night's rest last night after several days of insomnia. I'm not sure what did it, I think it may have been the run outside that did the trick. Hopefully it wasn't just an aberration.

Unfortunately my fave selection this week is a bit, well, underwhelming given my state of exhaustion from lack of sleep.

Gelato bars care of Gelaterianaia. Will have to make a special trip to a Whole Foods soon for these!
These ice cream sandwiches look to die for!
The perfect summer snack: smores! Cute gift idea!

I'm sad to see Borders closing down for good. It has been my bookstore of choice for many years. I have spent many hours browsing, having coffee, studying and actually reading at Borders. I was thinking of heading over to the nearest Borders tomorrow morning to see if there is anything leftover. Hoping to find good deals on cookbooks I wouldn't necessarily pay full price on. What's my luck that' there will be anything left except the dregs?

Have a great night!
xo

sweet nothings

2011-07-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Not sure what it is about July, but I seem to be baking quite a bit this month. First, cheesecake for 4th of July weekend, then peach galette. And since the galette last week was so delicious, I attempted another one over the weekend to use the second pie crust. This time: strawberry.

I had a few modifications, including some lemon zest and a couple teaspoons of cornstarch.

Some of the strawberry filling oozed out through the crust (you can kind of see it in the corner), otherwise I was very pleased with the way it turned out. Jay and I pretty much inhaled it. But here comes another weekend and probably more baking. Perhaps some toffee chip cookies?

xo

waiting, waiting

2011-07-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

The countdown began yesterday. My last few days of sanity before trial resumes. Now I’m just trying to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Of all the things I have to look forward to, I’m really looking forward to having some company again; it's truly been a lonely three months. What I’m not looking forward to are the longer work days. And I’m hoping that it doesn't interfere too much with working out. The plan is to do something no matter what, even if it means a shorter run or merely one set of weights.

In the meantime, I'll focus on what makes me happy.

It's not just the food, it's the process. Cooking with him is priceless to me, and eating with him is the cherry on top!

Happy Tuesday!
xo

it's a miracle

2011-07-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday! Hope the weekend treated you well! All in all it was a great weekend; I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

This weekend gets 100 points because I actually scrapped! (Somewhere pigs are flying, lots of them.) As I've mentioned before, this layout has been on my desk for several weeks now, but it just wasn't clicking for me until this weekend. I'm glad it finally did because it was getting really frustrating.

I'm really happy how this turned out! Working on a card using the scraps, hopefully I'll be able to share it sometime later this week.

Have an awesome week!
xo

happy thoughts

2011-07-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm taking my littlest guy, Max, to the vet this morning for some testing. It seems his blood test results show elevated levels of something (the vet talked to J) and she wants to make sure his liver is functioning properly. Otherwise he may have to go on medication long-term. Crossing my fingers and toes that this is not the case. If you could spare a prayer for him, I'd so appreciate it. I'm going to be such a nervous nelly.

Have a rockin' Saturday!
xo

friday faves | this & that

2011-07-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I've craving Korean food for forever. And was looking forward to grabbing some for dinner tonight before grocery shopping only to find that is was closed. Boo! So we ended up here.

Not quite what I was hoping for, so the craving continues. At least got my mojito!

I've kind of been in a random mood this week and my favorites totally reflect that. As you'll see, there really is no rhyme or reason to what caught my eye.

I just love her posts. The succulent garden is simple, but really cute and handy.
This is worth reminding in our increasingly touched-up world.
Tim at Lottie & Doof seems to find the best recipes. I desperately want to try the Buttermilk Barley Biscuits and Sugar Snap Salad.
Kinfolk Magazine. Only hand enough time for a quick flip through the pages online, but am in love. Beautiful pictures, yummy food!
And this hilarious video of a practical joke that Tom Hanks played on Julia Roberts on the set of Larry Crown. Julia is a knitter herself and often knits on set.

Now off of chill with the furkids and strum the strings for a bit before heading off to bed, I have an early start tomorrow.

Have an awesome weekend!
xo

pretty paper

2011-07-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to post a layout that has been languishing on my desk now for maybe three or four weeks. But that ain't gonna happen today. As you can see it is still on my desk, unfinished, in a state of limbo that is particularly excruciating for me.

Let's face it, scrapbooking has not been high on my list of priorities these days. Okay, there, I said it. Whew! It feels good to get that out in the open. Blame it on too many priorities, but not enough hours in the day. But just because I haven't been playing with paper much doesn't mean that I have lost my love for pretty paper. With CHA in a ~~couple days~~ a week, I've been drooling, swooning over all the sneaks online. And I think I'm in love.

Anything from Studio Calico is simply amazing.

Vintagey goodness from October Afternoon.

Gorgeousness from my longtime favorite, Crate Paper.

Deliciousness from Lily Bee.

This is enough to get a girl scrapping again. I guess this means I need to start spending some quality time in my craft room. . . the sooner, the better. All I have to say is "Hide the credit card, honey!"

1-2-3

2011-07-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

Time is precious in my house. So when I was flipping through my most recent Real Simple a couple weeks ago and found a simple peach/nectarine galette recipe, I knew I had to make it.

There's only four ingredients: ready made pie crust, three peaches, 2 tablespoons of butter & 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar. (Sort of forgot the sugar in the picture.) Easy peasy! I didn't have turbinado sugar on-hand so I just used regular sugar, butI don't think it made a big difference. My mistake was not getting riper peaches. Separating the flesh from the stone was all the more difficult as a result.

It was a tad bit tart, but topped with a dollop of whipped cream, it was quite delish. I'm planning on making another one this week with some strawberries.

cooking + love

2011-07-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

My weekends are never what one would call relaxing. It's a whirlwind of errands, chores and cooking, literally. But I've finally come to accept that this is what it is. And I've actually come to love it.

One of the things I absolutely love is, what has come be a weekly habit, of cooking for the week with Jay. It has become such a wonderful respite, to be able to spend the day with him and cook side by side. We talk, we laugh, we eat. (And we have lunch for the rest of the week.)

Hoping it's going to be a great week! Have a happy Monday!

friday faves | summer dresses

2011-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past week's heat wave reminded me that my wardrobe is still missing a true summertime staple: the summer dress. One that is casual enough for weekend brunch, but can be dressed up for work. I'm crushing hard on these three right now.

1. Ruche 2. Ann Taylor 3. Anthropologie

So happy that the week just flew by thanks to the long weekend! No big plans, but really hoping to get some time in the long neglected craft room. I have a page on my scrap table that has literally been sitting there for nearly three weeks. Wish me luck!

through the trees

2011-07-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

Every year I'm amazed at how much light there is at 8 o'clock in the evening. Lately this seems to be the perfect time for me to water. The heat of the day has dissipated and cool breezes gently move through the trees.

And I get to watch the sun set through the our neighbor's trees. A moment of utter peace! Have a great Friday!

abalone sweater update

2011-07-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

After knitting two baby blankets last year practically back to back, I wanted to knit something for me. It was spring, so I decided on Abalone, a cute short sleeved sweater that I could easily use through summer. I excitedly cast-on and mindlessly, but happily knit a stockinette pattern during my commute on BART. Eventually, as with all my projects it seems, the sweater was set aside for another project, Clara (which deserves a whole separate post).

Fast forward to a couple months ago. I thought I'd take another stab at knitting Abalone, after all, it was spring again. As I re-acquainted myself with the pattern I soon discovered that I had knit more rows that needed. Way. More. Rows.

I've been slowly tinking back to get it to the right length so I can actually knit and possibly finish. I know I really should just insert a lifeline to the correct length, but my last attempt at inserting a lifeline was less than successful. So patiently I continue.

red white & blue

2011-07-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend!

I can't complain! Life is good, very good!

friday faves | weekend inpsiration

2011-07-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy July! Made even happier with a three-day weekend! And if today is any indication it promises to be amazingly beautiful.

Love me a long weekend and of course it wouldn't be complete without some kind of crafty plans. (I always seem to have crafty plans for the weekend, but this time I'm really going to get something done.) On the list: scrapping, tinking back my Abalone sweater, and sewing Sparky's pillow cover. One of my must-do projects is blocking my Sugar Maple Shawl.

It has been sitting in my knitting bin since I sort of finished it a couple months ago. And I've been going back and forth in my mind about what to do with it. I say that I sort of finished it because I may have not knit enough pattern repeats. And because I may not have knit enough pattern repeats I also may not be able to pick up enough stitches for the edging which is the sole reason I wanted to make this shawl in the first place. Que sera sera!

And as if I didn't have enough to occupy myself, here's even more cute inspiration:

Love her stuff: quilt bunting
I just discovered her blog: paint chip banner

I wish I could say that my weekend will be all fun and games. J will require my presence in the backyard as we start to clear away the ill designed pond that came with the house when we bought it to make way for a patio. I'll try to squeeze some fun in! Enjoy! xo

making music

2011-06-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Since getting back from Hawaii I've been spending a number of evenings with my new favorite toy, and it's not a scrapbooking tool.

Long forgotten and thought to have been gifted to someone who would have better use for it (like my hula implements for example), I don't even remember what prompted me to ask my mom about it when they were here last January. I was ecstatic when she indignantly responded that she would never give that ukulele away. I couldn't wait to get the ukulele in my hot little hands.

Neglect and a cool hiding place have kept this beautiful Kamaka ukulele in, surprisingly, mint condition. My parents bought this ukulele for me when I was 10 years old (which means it's pretty stinking old) and wanted to learn how to play. I convinced them to let me take the ukulele class offered at a local library after school. I still remember the frustration of learning how to pick through the entire scale and placing my fingers in the correct fret. I also remember the hum of the strings as I strummed my first chord. It was magical. Simply magical.

I still can't quite get some of the chords, but I am enjoying the process of re-discovering the joys of my ukulele. I wish my 10 year-old self had grasped then the fun of really playing a ukulele. I am finally going to give this ukulele the treatment it deserves: make some great music.

summer loving

2011-06-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

Every summer, without fail, my in-laws grow the most amazing zucchinis. There's no other word to describe them, but gigantic. I'll only eat zucchini because I need to eat my vegetables, but it has never been one of my favorites. We zap them in the microwave until mushy and just plain gross. Until now!

I discovered last weekend the new-to-me and only way to cook zucchinis (other than in zucchini bread, of course). GRILLED. With eggplant, red peppers, red onions, a touch of olive oil and salt & pepper. PERIOD. Love! No sogginess, all deliciousness (is that even a word?). J and I grilled another batch tonight from last week's leftovers and we literally inhaled it. Yum! I can pretty much guarantee this will be on the menu at our house the rest of summer.

Hope you had great first weekend of summer!

friday faves

2011-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Although it's no longer in the 90's here in the Bay Area, summer is definitely in full effect! I absolutely hate looking out the window at work when the view is blue cloudless sky. But these wonderful finds this week remind me of all that the next couple months have to offer (including my tomato).

Can't wait to try this, hopefully for July 4th, YUMMY! Strawberry Icebox Pie

Fun idea, especially if you have out of town visitors. DIY summer in a bag
Perfect way to haul stuff around this summer. totes

The new-to-me Sweet Paul on-line magazine. I die! Amazing photos and food!
Okay, these are not headbands are not just for summer, but are uber cute! Miss H just may see one in her future.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend, some much needed cleaning, scrapping, ukulele playing, knitting, sleeping (and lots of it!), and maybe a run. Not necessarily in that order. Happy Friday!

get your knit on

2011-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't picked up my knitting needles in a couple months and my fingers are itching to start new project (never mind that I already have a couple of unfinished objects demanding some attention). So I was really excited when I came across this post yesterday at Through the Loops.

The talented Kirsten Kapur is hosting a summer long shawl knit-along at Ravelry. I'm always cold in the office and a shawl is perfect to keep me warm. I'm going to knit Andrea's shawl. I don't know just yet which yarn I'm going to use. This means a trip to one of my many local yarn stores or even a bit of surfing at Knit Picks.

Hope you can join in on the fun!

really, june?

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

This year seems to be trudging along with or without me. How in the heck is it almost the end of the June? I swear it was May when we left for vacation! I could easily blame the temporary lapse of time on being on vacation, but unfortunately know the truth: I'm plain just going crazy! Or it's just the heat!

I always pack for trips a couple days ahead so a) that we have everything we need, and b) can get to bed early the night before the flight. As such, I didn't get a chance to share pictures from Miss H's first birtday party back in May. It was the cutest & sweetest party ever and I had a blast taking pictures! Here are a couple of my favorite shots.

My sister-in-law, Z, really pulled out all the stops. From the cupcakes, to all the yummy sweet treats that the kids (and maybe some adults) were high on; to Nixsy, the BEST magical fairy EVER*.

*If you live in the SF Bay Area, I highly recommend her. She managed to keep the kids' attention for quite a while and be entertaining also.

re-adjusting

2011-06-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Five days post-vacation and I'm still trying to get back into the rhythm of my so-called life, and to a lesser degree the rhythm of working. Always a difficult adjustment after a couple weeks relaxing and spending time with family. Did I mention that it was in Hawaii? Sigh. Jay and I enjoyed every bit of our little getaway however short it was.

I gave myself the unenviable task of sorting through my things that I left behind when I moved back to California over 10 years ago. I should not have been surprised to find so much, well, crap. In the end, I sold a couple boxes of books (dating as far back as high school), donated miscellaneous knick knacks (why in the heck did I still have some of this stuff?), recycled what I could, and threw out the rest. Needless to say, my parent's recycling bin was full to the brim. That awful exercise was truly a great lesson in living simply! I did bring back a sweet treasure. More about that in another post.

Off to catch up on my blogs! Hope the first day of summer treated you well!

remember

2011-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

As we enjoy our hot dogs, macaroni salad and apple pie. . .

Let us remember the men and women who have died in the safekeeping of our country. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

weekend blahs

2011-05-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

My crazy, ridiculous to do list.

Green highlighting means very important, needs to be done this week. Red box means that it really needs to be done this week. Red line drawn through the task means "done".

Apparently I haven't been very productive this week. Luckily I have another couple days to get some of these done. Or not!

birthday wishes

2011-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet niece, Miss H!

The small square was actually a make & take by my friend Rocio from a couple years ago. I've been holding on to it and the matching pattern paper I bought separately, just waiting for the perfect picture. And for once my hoarding paid off.

Looking forward to the three-day weekend! (doing the happy dance) So much to do, so much to do! Hope you have a great weekend!

flour + water

2011-05-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love to bake and for almost a year now I've been wanting to make homemade cupcakes. Time, however, has been my saboteur. Over the weekend I finally carved out some time, sacrificing some cleaning that could wait until next weekend, and baked a batch of the Grand Dame of cupcakes, Red Velvet.

As you can see I skipped the food coloring, though the recipe also suggests using beet juice to give the cupcake it's red color. I suppose they can't really be called "Red Velvet" then. Still, very decadent and dangerous even without the deadly cream cheese frosting. I'll definitely be

Tomorrow is Friday! And if everything goes right (early office closing for the three-day weekend-love those three little words), I have a date with some butter flour, sugar, and some nuts! I'm baking Russian Tea Cookies for Ms. H's 1st Birthday Part on Sunday. I'll be putting my nose to the grindstone to get everything done by that magic hour!

Happy Thursday folks! xoxo

for the love of salsa

2011-05-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't tell from my last post, J and I have a serious obsession with chips and salsa. In particular, we have an extreme fondness for fresh homemade salsa. Not the kind in a jar, full of preservatives that you can buy from the store, but the kind that you can actually smell the tomato, cilantro, onion, garlic. . .

Oh, sorry, kind of got lost in the thought there.

To enable said obsession, we added to our garden repertoire, tomatoes, cilantro and pesto (not for salsa, but for another soon-to-be addiction: pesto or bruschetta depending on how I feel).

The tomatoes are thriving, but the poor basil, not so much. If this keeps up any longer, I may have to go to "Plan B", which involves buying a new plant and giving him his own home (though this could mean more tomatoes). And unfortunately the cilantro is already starting to bolt. The good news for the cilantro is that it is flowering so that means more seeds to plant!

The week seems to be going faster than usual, very unusual for a week leading into a three-day weekend! Oh, do I love the sound of that: three-day weekend. Can't wait! But I shouldn't get to ahead of myself, there's still three days of work to go. Happy Wednesday! xoxo

chips + salsa

2011-05-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

Lazy Sunday afternoon.

Well, not really. You'd never know by the looks of it, but there's always quite a bit of activity in this house of two.

Best way to end another busy weekend! I hope to share some of that fun stuff later this week so check back. Is it bad that I'm already looking forward to the 3-day weekend coming up?

hello, is anybody listening. . .

2011-05-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I let all of April go by without at least one post, not that there anything fun and exciting, except for the awesome snowboarding J and I got in before the end of the season. And what a great season it was! Sad to see it end, but I am actually looking forward to some warm weather activities, including, but not limited to biking and maybe tennis.

I put on my crafty cap on this weekend (miracle) and cranked out a couple pretty cute tags, if I do say so myselft, for my niece's first birthday coming up at the end of the month. Loved playing with Marshmallow Tattered Angels. You can't quite see it in the pictures, but both butterflies are quite sparkly.

This weekend was my belated National Scrapbooking Day since last weekend was filled with pre- and post-Mother's Day doings (like cleaning the house the day before). The tags were the extent of my crafty endeavors, but I very pleased to be ahead of schedule for once (two weeks ahead!). The hard part comes in when I have to bake Russian Tea Cookies to fill the bags to which these lovely tags will be attached.

Hope you have a great week!

rainy days

2011-03-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

So happy it's finally the weekend! This week has been tough. How tough you ask? I was already asking the rhetorical question, "Is it Friday yet?", on Tuesday. Yes, it's been that tough, but the promise of a normal work week more than makes up for it. I'm really looking forward to coming home at a decent time and being able to workout.

Enjoyed a yummy lunch with co-workers at Bocanova in Jack London Square. We had a great time chatting and laughing, totally forgetitng about the craziness of work. Lots of delicious food and drinks.

It's another rainy weekend which means quality time in the good old craft room. So many crafty ideas swirling around in my head. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xo

pizza, pizza

2011-03-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite way to end a fabulously relaxing weekend!

wordless wednesday

2011-03-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

hello, again

2011-03-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

Oh my, has it really been two months since I last posted? Obviously the delicate balancing act of work and home life is not working so well. Things are looking up though. I'm hopeful that my evenings will free up a bit in the next couple weeks so I can start, among other things, working out again and posting regularly.

The past couple months haven't been a complete loss. Mom and Dad visited in January. Then in February Jay and I spent another FABULOUS week in Tahoe. While we were there a couple storms dumped about seven feet of snow. It was seriously wild! I got stuck in some sweet powder a couple times!

Today has been a wonderfully rainy, overcast. Love it! What better excuse to just hangout in the scrap room in jammies all day long? Not that I've done any scrapping. Actually I've been knitting; I have to finish a second baby hat, quick!

I'll have a couple crafty thing to share this week. Hope you have a great Sunday evening!

the lost months

2011-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

As it turns out I wasn’t a stay-at-home chihuahua mama for too long. I landed a “long-term contract position” soon after my last post, much to my surprise. Of course, it would be just my luck that it would be on an ongoing trial. Thankfully, the hours aren’t ridiculous like other trials, but it still drains the life out of me daily.

It hasn’t been all work and no play. A couple of early storms dumped a lot of snow in the Sierra in time for opening day on November 19th and Thanksgiving weekend. Jay and I headed up to Tahoe the last two weekends of November to get our first rides of the season.

It was a great tune-up for our week at Heavenly in early December which was absolutely perfect!

happy 2011!

2011-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

I’m very excited about the new year, like Oprah says, it’s another chance to get it right. Not that 2010 was horrible, but it is always nice to start with a clean slate. So much to look forward to this year: my parents’ visit later this month, my 20th high school reunion in June, more snowboarding and so much more!

Jay and I spent New Year’s Eve in our typical fashion: some appetizers and a bottle (or two) of bubbly!

May the new year be filled with all you dream of!

done and done

2010-10-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

With all this time on I my hands, I no longer have an excuse not to finish Miss H's baby blanket. Hopefully she (and her mama) will like it and make good use of it this winter.

I finally weaved in the ends over the weekend, but the blocking-the more difficult part of finishing-still needed to be done. I was apprehensive about blocking since I didn't block the first baby blanket I made. I found a awesome blocking tutorial at The Purl Bee which put me at ease. It was perfect because it didn't require soaking in water which meant quicker drying time. It also helped that the day I blocked it it was quite hot. I also blocked a scarf I finished earlier this year in March.

The blanket is a bit larger on one side than the other, but it's still rectangular-ish, besides I'm still just a newbie. Not too shabby for my second baby blanket especially given the pattern! So happy about how it turned out!

perfection

2010-10-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell, this is my idea of a perfect day. A girl could really get used to this kind of daily routine. I have to remind myself though not to get too comfortable. Off to enjoy the rest of today!

sew happy

2010-10-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

For a long time now I've been wanting to sew on my layouts. The only problem, besides the fact I don't have a sewing machine, is that I don't know how to use a sewing machine. Just like crocheting I totally regret not having my grandmother teach me how to sew when I was a child. Yes, I am stubborn like that!

I decided to finally bite the bullet a couple weeks ago and signed-up for a class at Jo-Ann's. I wasn't looking to be a seamstress, I just wanted to get the sewing basics under my belt so I would know how to actually use a sewing machine and be comfortable with it.

Our class project was a simple apron which turned out to be really cute and super easy! (It could almost be a really cute skirt, couldn't it?) I was actually the first person to complete the project.

I completely enjoyed this class. I don't know what I was ever afraid of. Going into the class I had no intention of doing any fabric sewing, but I think I may have found another hobby! I don't think Jay is going to be too happy about that! I'm already looking for my next project.

10 on 10

2010-10-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

1. Finished weaving in the ends of the Bunny Hop baby blanket.

2. Will block said baby blanket tomorrow.

3. Excited to cast-on a new knitting project tomorrow.

4. Loving my new apron that I made yesterday at my sewing class. (More on that later this week.)

5. Can't wait to figure out what I'll make for my next sewing project!

6. Had a good workout tonight. I love that I feel strong after doing weights.

7. Sat down to do some job searches since I'm a stay-at-home chihuahua mama again.

8. Looking forward to hanging with Max & Sparky (but hopefully not for too long)!

9. Watched the 49er's lose, AGAIN!

10. But I also watched the Giants WIN!

All in all it was truly a good day!

the best month evah

2010-10-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

So. . .yes, I'm a tad late to the Project 12 game, but better late than never I say. I had intended to play along for 2010, but lacking any scrapping mojo I completely forgot until a couple months ago when I spied it on someone's blog.

I thought it would be more than appropriate that August be the first Project 12 sketch I do since it's likely our most active month of the year. It's been quite a while since I've worked on a two-page layout and I have to admit that it was a little weird, in addition to working with more than one photo.

My inner detail oriented perfectionist though cringes every time I see the completely-wrong-shade-of-blue frame. Otherwise, I'm really happy with this layout. It perfectly captures our amazing August. I can't wait to work on September.

Our house was so cold this morning that I didn't want to get out of bed when my alarm went off. The mornings have been getting progressively cooler over the past week. I guess this means that Fall has finally taken hold. Looking forward to sweaters, tights and boots. And from the looks of Heavenly Ski Resort today, winter is not too far behind. Sweet! Happy Tuesday!

pumpkin + chocolate

2010-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that I'm not a pumpkin lover. I don't get giddy in September like everyone else when Pumpkin Spice Lattes start popping up at Starbucks. In fact, I dread Thanksgiving because my in-laws prefer pumpkin pie over pecan pie.

The only thing pumpkin that I've come close to enjoying is something my friend makes which is somewhere between a muffin and a cookie, and contains the all important chocolate chips to distract me from the main ingredient. (Unfortunately I don't have the recipe, but I promise to definitely share if I ever do.)

I was very surprised when I felt that I needed to make this recipe (shared by someone on the Studio Calico forums). It is, afterall, pumpkin. And I'll admit that the chocolate chips were helped.

So on Saturday afternoon, when I probably had something more productive to do (like make cards for World Card Making Day), I baked these sweet morsels of pumpkin and chocolate goodness. Love! I didn't have any use for the left over puree so I doubled the recipe. Doubled, the recipe turns our 24 cupcakes on the small side. Thus I recommend filling the tins with more batter for a bigger cupcake.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. In large bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree and vegetable oil together; combine flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Ironically, a day after I made this I found this Ina Garten recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes which is essentially the same minus the chocolate chips and adding ground ginger and nutmeg. For comparison sake, I will have to make these also!

friday random

2010-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

My brain is fried from lack of sleep. I don't know what on earth possessed me to go to bed so late knowing full well that I had to go to work the next morning. This means that I have not one eloquent brain cell right now so bullet points are all that you get.

Getting a haircut tomorrow, debating on whether I should back to a short cut (which is easier to take care of) or try to grow it a little longer.

Waiting patiently for (what little) persimmon (we have) to ripen.

Coveting Still Life over at Studio Calico. People, please put me out of my misery or I just might cave and buy it (J will not be happy!).

Drooling over Brooklyn Tweed aka Jared Flood's new line of yarn. Just absolutely gorgeous! The best part it is purely sourced and made in the US.

So happy it's October! Now just 49 days until Heavenly opens! Have a great first weekend of October!

world card making day 2010

2010-09-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

About this time every year I start thinking about designing my Christmas cards. Yes, while I haven't yet put up my Fall decorations, but I have started to think about my Christmas cards. Last year was a complete, epic FAIL. I cheated and bought a box cards from Papayrus, but I vowed never to do that again.

I mention this because just like scrapbooking has it's day in May, so does the wonderful art of card making.

This Saturday is World Card Making Day. What exactly is World Card Making Day you ask? Originally started by Papercraft's magazine to kick off the holiday card making, it is a day to celebrate handmade cards along with other cardmakers around the world.

I'm normally not a cardmaker, in fact, I think I've actually seen pigs fly when I've made one. But with the holiday season slowly creeping closer, this is a good a time as any to start making (or at least designing) this year's card. It might be a collection of cards since I have lots of bits and pieces leftover from previous years as well as from last year's ill-fated December Daily (which I may or may not revive in the not so distant future). Hopefully this weekend, instead of thinking, there will be a lot of doing.

still hanging around

2010-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

I'm finally tackling the beast I've been avoiding for months: weaving in the ends of the baby blanket for Miss H. I'm not allowing myself to cast-on for this, which is also for her, until I finish this blanket. So if I want to have the jumper done in time for Christmas (crossing my fingers and toes) I need to start, like yesterday.

Truth be told, I finished knitting the blanket about a month after she was born, but I felt like I needed a break. From the monster that it became in my life. I should have know that it was trouble when it initially took me three attempts to cast-on. Of course, my problems didn't end there. Early on in I knit a row twice instead of going on to the next row and flipped the pattern. Although it set me back timewise, I ripped back to the problem area and started again. Then I also managed to knit the rows wrong, not once, but several times. As if I couldn't make matters worse, I left my pattern in the plane pocket (luckily it was easily re-printable).

It truly was a huge undertaking for a second project. And as you can see, it was a long and arduous road. However, despite the challenges I came out of if a much better one, though quite tortured.

tempting...

2010-09-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Studio Calico has done it again with another kit to tempt even the strongest of wills. And this kit is truly testing me, especially since I have a 10% off coupon in my hot little hand which Studio Calico generously included in last month's kit. As if the kit isn't enough, April has also filled the shop with a great collection of stamps, punches and embellies. The kit goes on sale tonight for non-subscribers at midnight (ET) or 9 pm (PT). I think I may have to leave my knitting group early again tonight to get home in time to order.

Over the weekend I decided I needed to get in tune with Fall, but when I went to look for decorations I found that I really didn't have any. I must be confusing this life for my other life. Right? Not. Anyhow, I did some shopping on Saturday and found some pumpkins, but I still need a couple more things to tie it all together. I'll share pictures when I get everything in place.

By the way, can someone give Mother Nature the 411? Last time I checked the calendar said Fall, not summer!

hello first day of fall

2010-09-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Getting excited for October which is right around the corner. Looking forward to a drive up to Sonoma to pick up our wine club selections at Imagery Winery. I’m hoping that the weather will turn more Fall-like soon, perfect wine tasting weather

Spent some time in the scrap room over the weekend again, made a layout and a card for a very special cousin. Played with an SC Add-on Patterned Paper kit from earlier this year (I’m not certain which month, maybe January).

The layout is my take on the Sunday Sketch at Studio Calico from the previous week while the card is inspired by the same sketch. I had so much fun playing with this kit because the papers coordinated so well. Kudos to Studio Calico again for having the best kits around.

toffee mocha

2010-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I had my first, of what will probably be many this fall, at Starbucks. At least until they start serving mint mochas (my deference to Pete's notwithstanding). I wanted so bad not to like them, especially after my first sip, but after a couple more sips, it turned out to be very delicious! Now if only the weather would cooperate; humidity and a hot mocha just do not make a great pair! And unfortunately, it looks like we may be getting an Indian summer after all.

I'm super excited about premiere week! Seems like forever since I last watched some TV and not just clicking through the schedule. All my favorite shows start this week: Chuck, Glee, Supernatural, Criminal Minds and Smallville. And kicking it off tonight is Chuck! Can't wait to see how they weave Mama Bartowski into the storyline. All I can say is our DVR is going to be working overtime. Happy Monday!

love a great burger

2010-09-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

The stars finally aligned yesterday and blessed me (and everyone else) with clear, blue skies in the morning so I could finally take a picture of my layout! This layout is based on the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch from two weeks ago.

And here's my take.

If you're curious, it's the Whiskey River Burger at Red Robin. YUM! Yes, it has barbecue sauce. It's pretty daren good and pretty much the only burger I eat.

Super excited about the weekend even though I don't have any fun plans and it may rain tomorrow. It's been overcast and gloomy with some misting and light raindrops, almost, dare I say it, Fall-like for this part of the country. I don't have a lot in the way of chores and errands so I foresee a weekend full of paper and glue!

Have a great weekend!

labor day weekend pictures

2010-09-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

I promised I'd share pictures of our Labor Day weekend. Looking back, the three-day weekend turned out to be an excuse to eat! I'm seriously still recovering!

Saturday BBQ at the in-laws.

(You've already seen my Red Robin burger from Saturday.)

Monday BBQ at our house, just us.

In scrappy news, I have a layout to share, but I haven't had any opportunities to take a picture; it's either been overcast in the morning or too dark by the time I get home after work. Hopefully, I'll have better luck in the next couple days. Happy Wednesday!

hunger games

2010-09-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

I have been reading good things about "The Hunger Games" for quite while now, but resisted picking it up because I don't normally read young adult novels. I finally succumb to the hype a couple weeks ago and wondered what took me so long to come around. It didn't disappoint!

The protagonist is Katniss Everdeen who has been providing for her mother and sister since her father was killed in a mining accident by hunting. When her younger sister, Prim, whom she has tried to protect, is selected for the annual Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place and thereby completely altering her own life. I won't give away too much, but I can say that it is a very good read. (Not as good as the Harry Potter series, but still entertaining and a worthy read.)

I highly recommend this book to everyone, but most especially to tweens and teenage girls. I don't remember a lot of characters like Katniss when I was that age and I think I would have loved this over 25 years ago. I can't wait to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Right now I have both on hold at the library, but I think it will be months until I get my hands on them.

Otherwise I'm patiently waiting for my Back 40, Open Pasture and other littles goodies coming in that brown Studio Calico box! Tomorrow can't come soon enough!

weekend bliss

2010-09-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

What an awesome long weekend! I couldn't have imagined anything better. The weather cooperated for once in the past couple weeks and gave us something akin to absolute perfection. Everyday was amazingly beautiful: clear and blue (no clouds that needed to burn off)!

The plan was not to do anything remotely related to housecleaning. And I pretty much stuck by said plan until Monday when out of necessity I did a couple loads of laundry. Otherwise, the weekend consisted of food+drink, relaxing and scrapping (unfortunately I didn't pick up my needles at all)! I'll have food pictures later this week.

And I actually finished a layout! Again I used a sketch from the August PageMaps to jumpstart my scrapping.

All supplies are from the November 2009 Studio Calico Marketplace kit. I love this kit!

I'm glad it's a short week, but I'm already looking forward to the weekend!

happy labor day!

2010-09-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hope all you readers in blogland are enjoying this gorgeous three-day weekend (at least it is here in Northern California! I for one am not complaining!

Red Robin birthday burger. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Enough said!

Have a great Monday!

style crush: shopruche.com

2010-09-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Obviously I've been living under a rock since I only recently discovered this swoon worthy website when I was making my daily stroll through her fabulous style blog. I instantly fell in love with their version of modern vintage and the fact that they are absolutely affordable. LOVE! These are just some of my favorites from the Fall Lookbook.

1. dewy lanes navy dress 2. cinnmon sparkles beaded bracelets 3. junnet peep toe wedges 4. sabina indie flower ring 5. silhouette flower purse

If you're like me and have never checked Ruche out, I recommend you should, like NOW, because things are already sold out! Happy Thursday!

another year older

2010-08-31T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'm still basking in the afterglow of a fabulous birthday yesterday (and weekend). It being my birthday made Monday all the more bearable. I was completely overwhelmed by all the birthday wishes, but feel so blessed by everyone's kindness.

For my birthday dinner Jay braved the cold and overcast skies to grill a couple of steaks (well, really, one big one that could probably feed 4 people easily) and shrimp. I love my husband!

I did get some Studio Calico goodness for my birthday, on the night of reveal, compliments of J: Back 40, Open Pasture and More Color as well a some mists, stamps and pens. Have I mentioned that I love my husband? Can't wait for that box of goodies to make it's way to my front door!

I couldn't ask for a better 37th birthday!

guess who made a card. . .

2010-08-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick share today of a card I made for a friend of mine who was born two days before me in the same hospital. We joke that we probably were next to each other in the nursery for a short period of time.

The card is based on a sketch by Becky Fleck at Page Maps. I'm not a big card maker so having a sketch is a great help! All supplies are from the Studio Calico Marketplace kit (except for the letters).

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

yummy

2010-08-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

Such scrappy goodness! {sigh} I'm trying to be good, but the gang over at Studio Calico is making it very hard! Go check them out and you'll see what I mean. The sneaks are seriously amazing! Back 40 goes live tomorrow at midnight eastern time. My personal picks: the main kit, Open Pastures and Free Range.

Also check out the Studio Calico blog for a chance to win Jenni Bowlin Studio's newest line, Playdate.

With the exception of a few things (including my Cinch), I've been very good about my scrappy purchases so far this year. I have become a firm believer in kits after cleaning out my scrap room recently. So I've decided not to buy anything scrappy (except for adhesive and ink) until all my kits have been used up! And that shouldn't be a problem because I have fun plans for all of them!

Getting an early start to my birthday celebration tomorrow night since this year it falls on Monday. Free burger at Red Robin. Playing with paper and maybe yarn. A facial. And who knows what else!

Happy Friday! xo

cooling down

2010-08-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

The fog has finally rolled back in. I never thought I would be happy to see overcast skies, but I am. I am appreciating the cooler temps after the heatwave of the past couple days. The heat can be so paralyzing. J and I spent the last three nights in front of the TV because our office, which is upstairs, was too hot. (Although, sitting on the couch isn't exactly pleasant or productive either.)

Still, the mild weather has made for an unusual summer overall. And I'm less than thrilled that there may be some sprinkles early next week. The cool weather, though, has been quite conducive to knitting.

I've been making great progress on my Abalone cardigan. I wish I had started earlier instead of procrastinating. I had planned on finishing it in time for this summer, but its looking more like next spring (*crossing fingers*).

I'm quietly hoping for an Indian summer to kick in soon so we can enjoy a least a small transition into fall, but I have a feeling we're not going to be so lucky.

Happy Thursday! xo

bringin' back the mojo

2010-08-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

After many, many, many months of having absolutely no desire to scrapbook, I finally SCRAPPED! It only took me three, maybe four, weeks to finish one page, but who's counting. Yay, me!. It's nothing amazing, but it is very special to me and I love it.

Who knew that all I needed was to put aside the 2009 December Daily to get the mojo flowing again. (This may be my last ever December Daily. . . I think.) The mojo is slowly coming back, at a snail's pace, but I'm not complaining. I'm challenging myself to use my stash and really enjoying the process which I think is just as important as the page itself.

sin city

2010-08-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

Jay and I just got back from a couple days in Las Vegas yesterday for an anniversary and early birthday celebration. Loved it, but wow! It. was. HOT. Seriously could not walk from one hotel to another without breaking into a sweat. Forget about looking cute, once you pass through the doors you simply melt. We had planned on lounging by the pool, but decided staying indoors was more our speed.

We got to catch up with my cousins, over food, of course. Three cousins, three awesome meals! Good times!

Tomorrow night I'm playing catch-up with the Pillars of the Earth series with some knitting on the side. And also looking forward to catching up with some much needed sleep.

seven

2010-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to many, many more. . .

Happy Anniversary, my sweet love!

4 simple goals

2010-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Always inspired by Elsie, I love her idea of a 4 Simple Goals for the rest of the year. And I really love that she suggested we choose goals that are meant to enrich our lives. I don't know about you, but my life can always using some enriching.

1. Journal. I used to journal often, but over the years my entries have become fewer and farther between. Writing felt fulfulling and very cathartic at the same time.

2. Yoga. I already run and lift weights six times a week, but yoga will add another dimension to my workouts.

3. In bed by 11 pm. I'm doing well now going to bed around 11:30pm, but I know there are even more benefits if I went to bed earlier.

4. Meditate. I've lost the art of this practive but I know the positives that come out of just 10 minutes everyday.

What could you do to enrich your life for the rest of the year? Have a great weekend! xo

new kicks

2010-08-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

The week is moving along swimmingly and for once I don't feel the need to ask "Is it Friday yet?" I'm really, really looking forward to this weekend for the sole reason that it will not include any cooking on my part for once. Serious bliss!

Loving my new kicks! The colors on the website were not correct and I was actually expecting it to be orange. So I was pleasantly surprised (not to mention happy) that it was maroonish and orange. Not loving having to break them in though. At least I haven't had any ankle pains in the few times I've tried to run in them. I soon hope to back up to my normal mileage.

hello beautiful august

2010-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite month of the year.

(And not just because it's my birthday and anniversary month!)

Jay and I started off the month with a fun BBQ: hot dogs and beer! We do this maybe once or twice a year so it's a real treat.

I spent most the weekend cleaning my scrap room. I hadn't planned on it, but one thing led to another and before I knew it I was pulling baskets off shelves. As daunting as it sounds, I actually started to get excited about scrapping again and started to come up with ideas as I was sorting.

With that mindset, I decided to temporarily put my 2009 December Daily aside and do some layouts instead. I found a picture of my dad that I had been planning on scrapping late last year and decided to work with the Studio Calico November kit, Marketplace, then to hopped onto Studio Calico for some inspiration. Will share as soon as I'm done!

It's been a while since I shared picture of Max & Sparky and they were very obliging over the weekend, so here are some gratuitous shots of our furry kids!

Have a great week first week of August! xo

long way to go

2010-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Can't wait until November.

when these fruits are a little bigger

and are that beautiful warm orange color.

I can almost taste it.

summer reading

2010-07-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to be flying by! And my reading has picked up since I finished the baby blanket for Miss Hannah.

Recently I finished Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. I normally prefer more current books but I was inspired when I came across a display of required summer reading at Borders. I had just binged on The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest back to back and thought a little change of pace would be nice. I decided to pick up To Kill a Mockingbird. Reading it a second time around was much more satisfying, more meaningful than when I read it twenty years ago.

I just started reading the new book in the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French called Faithful Place. I really enjoyed her two previous books, In the Woods and The Likeness; she keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend both.

Up next is likely The World is Flat (we all need a little non-fiction every so often) which I had in my little hands over the weekend at Borders, but Faithful Place made the cut.

work in progess

2010-07-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report the left side of my brain was made of use over the weekend, but not to the extent I was hoping for.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon and early evening cooking for the coming week. By the time we were done eating dinner I was exhausted! So instead of 3 hours of scrapping, I only got one hour. Here is a sneak peak of what will probably one of my favorite pages ever.

As you can see I'm not quite done yet, and I still need to add a couple things. But I'm so excited about the whole scrapping process again, even dug into an oldie, but goodie. Can you recognized what it is?

Have a great week! xo

aloha friday

2010-07-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ready to ditch the work week and say alo-ha to a little of this!

I took these pictures a couple months ago the last time we grilled for ourselves and forgot to post them. Love our tri-tip! The secret is Basque marinade which is just delish. Think this means we need to grill again soon, unfortunately it won't be this weekend.

Lots on the to-do list for this weekend (no surprises there), but I'm hoping to carve out some time for more than just cooking and cleaning including a few creative endeavours.

Happy weekend! xo

good weekend

2010-07-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

As usual the weekend has come and gone in the snap of a finger. And here I am on Sunday night wondering just where it went. It wasn't all a loss. Amid the normal errands, cooking and chores, I was able to sneak in some scrap time. As you can see I am still working on my 2010 December Daily! How embarrassing, right? And I had an unexpected surprise when I found a great trench coat at Old Navy at an awesome price. All and all it was a great weekend.

right now

2010-06-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

I finally get to start a new project and it's all for me! I'm planning on making Abalone, a short sleeved cardigan. The yarn is Mirasol Cotatani which I got at a great discount.

I saw this list on Amy Tan's blog and thought it was a lot of fun! Here's my take on it!

listening: GLEE Showstoppers

eating: salad, rosemary fries & beer

drinking: beer (duh!)

wearing: shorts & a t-shirt

feeling: like I accomplished a lot today

weather: clear, cold with a little bit of wind

wanting: something sweet, anything with chocolate

needing: a massage & facial

thinking: I should probably hit the scrapping table while I have chance

enjoying: all the cooking I've done this weekend

wondering: what is coming week will have to offer

Now it's your turn!

Have great week!

summertime

2010-06-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

In my book summers are synonymous with potlucks. Laidback and relaxing afternoons spent with family. Laughing. Telling stories. Enjoying life.

My go-to dish to share at a potluck is a super easy Tuscan Bean Dip with pita chips. The dip itself is made in a food processor or blender. The pita chips are baked, however, you could buy premade pita chips.

Looking forward to a long summer of good food and good times!

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
Everyday Italian, Giada Delaurentis (c) 2005

4 pita breads, split horizontally in half
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1-1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup (loosely packed) Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon
1 garlic cloves (I usually add a couple more)

In a food processor or blender, combine beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse the mixture until coarsely chopped. Gradually add 1/3 cup of olive oil as the machine is running until mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges (I use the smaller pitas from Trader Joes and cut the halves into thirds). Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil and dried oregano. Brush the wedges with the olive oil mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Both the bean puree and pita chips can be made 1 day ahead.

Bon appetit!

best.burgers.EVER.

2010-06-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

When working on a trial in Washington, D.C. a couple years ago, a co-worker introduced me to Five Guys Burgers & Fries. It was love at first bite. How can you not love two patties, your choice of toppings, and super yummy fries? So about a week ago, I noticed what I thought looked like a Five Guys Burgers and Fries sign at a local mall. Curious, I made the nearest U-turn and doubled back. And to my extreme delight (which is an understatement) it was Five Guys!

So in between errands on Saturday I dragged Jay there to overindulge. And it was so worth it!

running for life & lupus

2010-06-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

In a fitting way to end Lupus Awareness month, I woke up bright and early yesterday to run in the Lupus Foundation of Northern California's Annual Run and Walk for Lupus. The weather was gorgeous with clear blue skies and sunshine, though it was a little on the hot side for nine o'clock in the morning. I'm not a fast runner by any means, but I think I did quite decently for myself, finishing in 37 minutes and 32 seconds (still far better than my time last year).

Every year it overwhelmes me to see how many people support LFNC and their mission. I benefited from the services of LFNC (then known as the Bay Area Lupus Foundation) when I was first diagnosed with lupus in the form of books and information. At the time, I could not easily find current information on lupus. That book (which I still have) changed my outlook on the rest of my life. I thought that lupus was a death sentence and the book showed me that it absolutely was not.

I've been living with lupus for 15 years and I'm a prime example that a diagnosis is not the end of the world. I count my blessings everyday that my lupus is, for the most part, under control and that I can live a semi-normal life. I do have days when I am fatigued or my joints are swollen, but they are few and far between. And over the years I have learned what works and what doesn't work for me. I wish everyday that I didn't have to live with lupus, that I didn't have this extra challenge. But I am grateful for everyday that I have.

hawaii

2010-06-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am having a difficult time reconciling in my mind that it June. I think, however, that I probably had a harder time believing last month was May given the totally ridiculous weather. Obviously, the highlight of May was our week in Hawaii visiting family and relaxing! Jay & I got out of Honolulu and spent a few days on the Big Island. We stayed at a resort which, for whatever reason, was practically deserted. Big plus for us; less hustle & bustle, more lounging. And for the first time, I didn't bring a book for poolside reading forcing me to actually get into the pool or lagoon to cool off. I had fun, but I think I missed out on a lot because I'm just not comfortable swimming.

We also did quite a bit of eating. A big part of being home for me is eating. There is something so comforting about the food I grew up eating. Every trip I look forward to getting a taste of the gastronomic abundance: poke, plate lunches, anything from Zippy's, Leonard's Malasadas, Garlic chicken from Mitzu-ken, Hawaiian food from Helena's, Chocolate Haupia Pie from Ted's Bakery. My stomach aches just thinking about it.

get in the loop

2010-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

May is lupus awareness month. Educate yourself. Some you know has lupus.

in the beginning

2010-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

As a child my mom desparately tried to teach me how to crochet. Sadly, she had a penchant for doilies and nothing else, and my only reaction was to run for my life in the other direction.

Etsy played a big role in getting me interested in fiber related crafts. I would ooh and aah over all the wonderful (but expensive) hand-knits. And I thought, "Hey, I can do that!" So off to Jo-Anne's I went for the basic knitting class. I learned how to throw, but after a month practicing (and finding Ravelry) I knew wanted to learn the continental method. I turned to the web and found more resources than I could handle.

I am a mere a novice at knitting and have completed only two projects (with a third one hopefully in a couple weeks), but someday I aspire to knit brooklyntweed's beautiful Girasole. I am not a lace type of gal (see me running in opposite direction of doilies), but after I saw this I became on convert!