Pomegranates

SO! I learned something new today!!! How to pith a pomegranate. If you score a pomegranate into quarters and let it soak in a bowl of cold water, and then you seperate the quarters and rub the seeds out into the water...the seeds will float to the bottom and the pith will float to the top!!! So much easier than me raking through the fruit to get the teeny tiny seeds.

New Project Coming

I have a scathingly BRILLIANT idea!
It's big! I mean BIG! A little adventurous, a little socializing, a lot of cooking, most likely a lot of crazy antics. I'm so excited about this! This is going to take me a bit of time to get set up.  I'm thinking end of September camera's will be rolling....in this case, I might mean literally. ;) In addition, hopefully you'll be seeing some changes to the photography and layout of the blog. Be excited!!! Stay tuned!!!

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Thou shalt not live by the seat of your pants.

So…I need to lose weight. I know! Girls say this…and boys groan and people try to make you feel better by saying things like “No you don’t! You are beautiful just the way you are.” People, it’s not about beauty it’s about health and healing and being and longevity and being afraid of diabetes and cancer and scoliosis and the preservation of my body before I die (Did somebody say “EW!” or was I speaking out loud just now?)

It’s no secret that I’m a Christian…and I’ve been trying to read through the Old Testament. I read through the long books ridiculously slowly and when I grow impatient with myself I read the shorter books, finish them and go back. So I’m on the rather long and tedious book of Leviticus that I find myself usually gleaning over because “we are no longer bound by the old laws…blah blah blah” Well, quite frankly…I want to live my life better and more intentionally, and not that I think it’s a sin to eat pig (I rather enjoy myself some bacon) It just leads me to wonder about the rules the Lord lay forth in the ways of cleansing and food consumption among other things. So on my retreat last weekend, I read a book about the “Hallelujah Diet” and discovered the magazine “Spirituality and Health” both of which got me to thinking.

Man...I wish they talked more about this stuff in church.

 I have, for a while now, been skeptical of Peanut Allergies and ADD and ADHD and people with one hundred bazillion allergies. Why are these things on the rise? And why specifically in America? After reading “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” and having lived in Europe, and having several gorgeous European friends and noticing their food preferences. I’m wondering if the search for convenience and almost an “acedic” outlook on our lives hasn’t ‘caused us to be fat, lazy, highly allergic, hyper, unfocused  American people. According to a lot of the research that is more recently coming out about food linked to moods and curing illnesses etc.

I was talking to my doctor the other day, and I think he was a little upset with me that I’ve only lost 10 lbs. Well Dr. May…I’m a little upset with myself. L

How do I structure my life in such a way that I’m productive, prayerful, healthy, active and not stressed out all the time, running from one thing to another and grabbing a 6 piece chicken Mcnugget meal which is TOTALLY within my daily allowance of calories-but I forgot about the Starbucks and donut I had this morning for my intake of sugar and caffeine to get me going this morning? Right?!?! Right.  (That was a GIANORMOUS run on sentence that was grammatically sound! Good job Sarah!) Not to mention I’m physically drained and exhausted by the end of the day, which for all intents and purposes-let’s blame on my job for now.

Well-it’summer. I’m moving in 30 days. New City. New Life. New Me.

I want to make something clear her; I'm not saying a don't want to be spontaneous- I DO want to be spontaneous. I want to leave room in my life for spontaneity I don't feel guilty about.

Reading both the Hallelujah Diet and The Makers Diet Along with Fit For My King and Armed with Eating Well the website and a vintage 1950’s cookbook called “The Bible Cookbook” and a few other supposedly “biblically based” recipe websites. My goal is to lose at least 8 lbs before I move to California, which should ‘cause me to drop another dress size.  But not only that, I want to stop living, loving and eating by the seat of my pants.  And, whoever you 1,000 people are who read my blog, in your hearts, your thoughts and prayers, I would like you to hold me to that.

Today for breakfast I had

Fried eggs and stir fried veggies in olive oil with a cup of lemon water and a cup of mint tea.

For Lunch I ate a really delicious tuna salad  with Chilli Peppers and Peppers and celery with rye crackers and carrot and celery sticks.

Dinner is steak with Slaw and Salad.

It’s amazing how yummy fresh organic from the garden food is!!! When I live in a place I can plant a garden….I’m going to. SOOOOO worth it! It's prettier plated too. Will start to take pictures tomorrow.

After completing everything I’ve set out to do in my life before the age of 30, I figure I didn’t wake up dead this morning because God still has work for me to do down here. 

Wow. 

On to new adventures!

Moving

I am about to move myself to California for both known and unknown reasons for myself. I don't have a job and I will probably be living with my aunt for a bit until I find one, and then find an apartment. I spent the past week on a retreat and felt the Lord give me peace in my move (though the actual process of moving is horrifying me) and some instructions on how to live my life. One morning I sat intrigued by a hibiscus in front of me and began to write. Like an Ogre/ or an onion I have layers...actually the other day I decided I was a darkchocolate blackberry cupcake pie! I think perhaps this is a culmination of my layers and my heart and God speaking to me. A couple people have asked me to write this out and send this to them. I figured my blog was the most convenient way to do this. So I hope it inspires you. :) 

There is nothing that the Lord makes that is still. 

                                           Only things that man makes. 

Things that God makes are ever changing, ever growing. They surprise you-they move-they are never stagnant. They also have the constant potential to delight you. A special and specific "wink" from God.

God breathes life into everything. Even the tiny grains of sand have ancient journeys, or a rock, or a mountain. oh the testimonies and life stories they could tell!

The things of God change. Everything in it's own way. Everything in His will-in His ordering of things. 

Things that man makes do not change unless they undergo destruction by powers of God or by mans own hand-except in the case of Art.

Art can be constantly changing, constantly growing. The difference is, except for in the case of man all things God has made are made as they are ad take on Gods will at any given point in time. 

Butterfly's don't simply decide to stop being butterflies and question their existence or their purpose. Their purpose is to be a beautiful butterfly and a butterfly, speaks the gospel in their butterfly way and brings honor and glory to the Lord. 

The flower opens- just as lovely as a bud as it is now in full grown bloom. Ever changing, yet always, always perfect. A bird hatches out of it's egg blue shell just as fascinating and precious in it's egg as it is a little baby. 

But we, most lovely of all Gods creations-and most definitely most loved above all, have a ways to grow in God's perfecting of us. Perhaps that is why he loves us the most; because He can see our potential- our movement- His constant work-not only in our bodies- but in our minds-hearts and souls.

This work he has completed in the bird and the flower. They will go on doing and being as they were forever meant to do and be.

But God has an individual mission for us, and individual journey in all respects. We will never be the same or experience the same as any other human- unless we choose to- and then what makes us different from the birds and flowers? We're born. We Live. We Die and are forgotten- and nothing came of it, other than the fact that we existed for a brief period in time- and that is all.

I finally DID IT!!!!!

I cooked salmon! I did it! I did it! I was successful! AND it tasted DIVINE! It was almost as good as my experience at Lydia's last year for my birthday....or my first enjoyment of Pad Thai!
So simple! I was inspired by this recipe I found  for Couscous Fruit Salad it suggested pairing it with salmon.
It just so happened that I had salmon in my freezer that I have bought on a wishful thinking whim. Now, I have been trying to lose weight and so began a cleanse last week. Needless to say. I cheated a TEENY TINY bit EVERY DAY and yesterday I felt like I just went absolutely stark raving mad and ate MickyD's Chicken Fingers and Drank a half and half Iced tea. I didn't feel as much guilty as I felt like that was just a gross thing to do to my body. So for dinner I had an asparagus and mushroom stir fry.

Well this morning I woke up, and found I had lost 9lbs (not in the week of course) but I dropped two lbs this past week. So I was much encouraged....well Martha Stewart's cleanse continues on to allow beans and meat in your diet starting Tuesday. I was going to be really good today, and managed until I realized my raspberries and blueberries in my refrigerator were going to go bad if I didn't do something with them quick. I found the above recipe and decided that we could skip on to Tuesday and pretend like yesterday never happened. Fish it is! I love salmon, and if fish is the only meat I can eat this week....well...we have to learn to cook it.

After church, I ran past the grocery store to pick up a nectarine an a few other items. This was the most fruitless (no pun intended) trip I've ever had to the grocery store. The Bananas were green, no nectarines or Peaches or Plumbs. I have a hard time eating non-organic soft skinned fruits anyways...so instead I bought frozen peaches to suffice. Next time I make the couscous salad I'm going to add black berries and strawberries like the picture....maybe some mandarin orange as well.
Couscous CHECK! Even though I can't have a banana in my smoothie tomorrow morning. :(

On to the salmon...
I read some directions...through some olive oil in a pan....salted the fish, a dash of lemon juice, ground up Lemon and Orange Pepper....Cook Five Minutes on One Side, Turn the stove off, five minutes on the other until it's heated through...and Voila! Oh my goodness...these are the kind of meals I have to praise God for WHILE I'm chewing! I mean I'm not ready to cook Fugu or anything.....but fear factor overcome!

Ironic that my past post was about salmon as well.....I love it I love it I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE It!
Posting pics soon!!

Skin and Bones

So FYI Trader Joes Sock Eye canned salmon has bones and skin. For dinner I quickly made a Trader Joes meal of Salmon and Potatoes over arugula....well I thought it was going to be quick...but I'm a dummy.

Talking about Vinaigrettes again...

Trader Joes Frozen Parmesean Potatoes are perfect for the single girl who is not going to eat...let alone bake a whole potatoe for dinner...and it's a quick Gratin. But after cooking the potatoes I commited a faux pas and didn't read the directions the entire way...I thought I was supposed to cook the salmon in the oil and vinegar...anyone ever say oil and vinegar don't mix?  Well yeah...when you have hot oil and you pour vinegar on top of it...it splashes worse than water  first of all...second of all...I opened the can of salmon expecting my typical bumblebee Tuna consistency. Nope. Trader Joes ain't playin' folks. This is the real thing! De-Bone it yourself! I think the can should come with instructions. I LOVE salmon, but other than the canned variety...I'm scared to cook it...and all of a sudden my canned variety has BONES?! After picking my way through the can with a fork, I threw the salmon into the skillet and then realized there was supposed to be buttermilk in there somewhere? Oh yeah?! IN the buttermilk vinaigrette.....

P.S you can use vinegar to make buttermilk out of regular milk...a few drops of vinegar in the milk, let it set for about 4 minutes and voila!

Vinaigrettes and Pepperplate.

P.S Did I mention I LOVE Pepperplate? It's an ap for your phone too. And I recently discovered pintrest, which just eats at my time some days, but I figure I do that anyway so why not share it with everyone.

In conclusion: I've been on a diet for 4 weeks now. Last time I checked, I had lost about 3.5 lbs. So I've been actually just focusing on counting calories, which has helped me in the past. Then I started reading this book about dieting and it kind of scared me about bleached sugars and flours. I also have felt a real drain in energy lately, probably due to the weather and other things, so I started looking up ways to boost your serotonin levels naturally. Consensus being that certain foods release chemicals in your brain, and processed foods make you feel yucky.

This all has a point I promise.

SO! On days when I go over my caloric intake (usually because I ate something heavily caloric and processed out of the vending machine) I usually rely on salads. I've been using meals off of EatingWell.com...which BTW I love, it's like a healthy spin on Epicurious.com...which I also love.

So I've  been discovering making my own vinaigrettes for salads. They are lovely! For instance, yesterday I had a blueberry walnut vinaigrette for my spinach and Blueberry steak salad with fetta cheese. And currently I'm having a strawberry and spinach green salad with a maple pepper vinaigrette. And the other day I made a spinach blueberry salad for my friend, Jax. Vinaigerettes are super quick to make, somewhat healthy and so much more creative than your bottled french dressing. (Though Newmans Own Dressing is to DIE for.) Different flavored peppers from Trader Joes help to switch it up too!



It also helps that I love spinach.

Here I am Again!!!

Sooooo I haven't posted on here in FOR-Ever....and you know what?! I realized something on Friday, I realized I'm a lot more productive when I'm happy. My house gets cleaned, I don't skip showers.... And lately I have been getting out of my funk, (besides my smelly funk :P) and I'm feeling a lot happier these days. A new chapter in my life is about to start. God is good, and all is as it should be, and Sarah is creatively cooking again. She also set her kitchen on fire, and she is now speaking in the third person....but that's a story for another day.

Moving along.

So tonight we have our first gospel community since before Christmas, and we are having a pot luck dinner.    Two of the guys were bringing main courses and I asked them what they were bringing so I could coordinate a side dish accordingly. Brian said he was bringing "Caribbean Jerk Meatballs" sounded good. But I had no idea what that was and couldn't find a recipe. So I figured I'd go with the word "Caribbean" and see what I couldn't come up with...and wouldn't have a ton of ingredients because yet again...I'm pretty broke....come on pay day!!!

I found a recipe for Caribbean Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup.  I read the recipe...seems simple and inexpensive enough...but then it suggested side items, and I just went a little over board with that and ended up with Soup, Sides with Tortillas and Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut with Caramel Macadamia Nut Frozen Yogurt...whoops! And I wasn't even sure how the soup would turn out based on the reviews on epicurious.

Well the Epicurious site was down, and I was desperate for the recipe. Rachel Ray had a similar recipe online so I ended up kind of sort of combining the two and then adding my own spices. So it ended up being the Original Recipe with tomatoes and Cayenne Pepper with a dash of red pepper flakes and pink salt and pepper to taste. I think it turned out pretty good. Not what I'm used too....but I could get used to it. It's pretty yum! Will post pics soon!

Tuesday

I didn't have time to run down and get the milk, and I forgot to make my molasses cookies I was planning on making. But the deviled eggs were yummy!

Monday

Forgot to buy milk....was running all over the place during lunch. But otherwise everything was yummy. Lunch was about 600 cal. Breakfast 400 I'm not sure how much dinner was, but I just had a bowl of soup so I think I'm good for today. I got home late tonight and I left my awesome lunch box at school....sad day.

Nourishing Lunches

So there is a list in this book for September that lists a whole week of school lunches. Normally I am accustomed to eating the frozen lunch with grapes and pudding, but I'm game to try a full week of Vintage packed lunches in my fabulous metal lunchbox.

I'm kind of curious to add up the calories...the last time I did this I consumed SOO many calories and gained like 5 lbs.

Monday: Chocolate Milk
Cottage Cheese and Nuts
Egg Salad Sandwich
Apple

Tuesday
Milk
Lunch Meat Sandwich
Orange
Deviled Egg
Cookie

Weds
Milk
Orange
Raisin Bread and Butter Sandwich

Thursday
Milk
Tomato
Salmon Sandwich
Sponge Cake

Friday
Apple
Chocolate Bar
Cream of Celery Soup

Shopping List:
Milk
2 Apples
2 Oranges
Chocolate
Smoked Salmon
Tomato
Raisin Bread
Cookies
"Sponge Cake"
Lunch Meat
Cottage Cheese
Egg Salad

Trip to Trader Joes: Here I come.

P.S New Favorite Food Website www.eatingwell.com

September Assignments (mostly) Accomplished

So I've been diligently working on Septembers assignments while having a frenzy of information go through my mind (maybe "bevy" is a better word?)
First, I would like to share my new door dec. I made for my front door today. I think it's super cute it says "Blessings Fall" OR "Fall Blessings" Whichever way you look at it. I love sparkleys for the holidays, but my tastes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and I'm not using Orange in my home decor anymore....until Halloween anyway. I also am becoming more convicted that the word of the Lord should be written all over your house. Some of my friends from church write scriptures and frame them. I'm working on incorporating Gods word into my home decor.  Deuteronomy 6 4 “Hear, O Israel: dThe Lord our God, the Lord is one.2 5 You eshall love theLord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.6 And fthese words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 gYou shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 hYou shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 iYou shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Anyways...so Hobby Lobby was having a sale and I found the acorns and Leaf for 40% off and the ribbon was on super clearance. I bought a paint pen and wrote Blessings Fall, I thought that was rather clever since everything in the store said "Fall Blessings" What the heck IS a fall blessing? and how is it different from any other kind of blessing? I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to attach it to my door. so I ended up sewing a loop to the back of the bow that allowed for the back end of the wreath holder to loop into it. 

The other "crafty" thing I did in the same regard was a vase I found at peir 1 imports for super clearance as well. I keep it in my bedroom. I wrote Psalm 4:8 on it.


In peace I will both slie down and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me tdwell in safety.

 It doesn't look as great in photo as it does in person...and the surface was kind of difficult to write nice font in...but I like it. 

Anyways on to Sept. assignments. 

"Cultivate a sense of appreciation. Love your work, trust your work, keep in touch with today. Teach yourself to be practical, up-to-date and sensible. You cannot fail." ~Henry Van Dyke

" Appreciation is the key to knowledge, the key to art, to literature, to good work. Without it, beauty is not seen nor understood and perfection is never acquired...We women hurry all too rapidly through the days, forgetting how big they are and how many times we could touch hands with real happiness if we would but appreciate the opportunity." -Mary Brooks Picken

One of my complaints from last year was that I didn't feel like there was enough time in my days. But I am beginning to realize there wasn't enough day in my time, and not enough relationship in my day.  When I spend time with other people, or spend time alone with God, or doing something I really truly love, my days seem like the last forever, in an incredibly good way. However, when I am totally unproductive, checking facebook, watching movies/television shows playing dumb computer games, my days go back SO fast and I wonder where my day has gone to. Sometimes I am SO tired at the end of the work day that I don't WANT to do anything else. But this semester I've booked myself solid, with spending time with friends, taking classes, auditioning for shows, and church related activities. While work still leaves me exhausted and rather grumpy, I enjoy my life a little more now. 

I came across an article by Fredrica Mathewes-Green. I heard it referenced in a sermon I was listening to, and I went to look it up. The article is entitled "Three Bad Ideas for Women"  She makes this statement: 

Though I use the term “careerism” to identify this value, I don’t mean that women shouldn’t have careers. I mean rather a half-conscious ideology which holds that the most important thing in life is the rank conferred by a place of employment. It’s as bad for men as it is for women.

Careerism is a foolish idea on many levels, not least because only the most fortunate, and elite, people get to have careers. Most people just have jobs. When I was a young feminist mouthing off about how I was going to be out in the workplace and not stuck at home, my dad gave me a few wise words that, improbably, sunk in even then. He pointed out that most of the people in the world don’t get their fulfillment from the thing that gives them a paycheck. They get their fulfillment from other facets of life: faith, family, hobbies, literature, music. For most people, a job represents only the hours they must spend each week to earn the free hours in which they can do the things they really care about. Careerism is the misguided notion that work trumps everything else.

Which I think is so true! I have been living, and I believe have been aught to live like work trumps everything else. Which sucks!!!  A) Essentially we're trying to search for fulfillment in our jobs, which really isn't there, or if it is, its there temporarily. Only Christ can fully and eternally satisfy. At some point our jobs are going to let us down and B)  When our jobs trump everything else, it trumps family and relationships. I know I've lived like this for...well the majority of my life. When really, I COULD have a job that paid the bills, was less than 30 hours a week and gave me time to spend with friends and family. I just...didn't. I didn't make that choice before. I thought my "career" was the most important factor in my life; I had to prove that I could support myself, be responsible and independent.

I've been keeping kind of an ongoing "goal" collage and one of the sentences I clipped out was "The thrill of choosing which way to go." As opposed to "knowing" which way to go, "knowing" isn't very thrilling...I don't think. Knowing doesn't cause me to step out in faith, or change, or do bigger and better things. Knowing isn't a choice, it's a duty. 

We were made to help each other out and part of helping out is taking care of the home, and passing down the word off God to our children. Journeying together through life to ultimately come to the fullness of Christ. You can't "Journey" in stagnation. You can't cease to stagnate when your days consist of waking up: going to work: cleaning the house: cooking dinner: going to sleep.  But quite frankly, when your career becomes who and what you are, that's really all there is. The same phenomenon would happen to someone who was barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. I have met more and more intelligent, incredibly capable amazing women who have chosen to stay home and take care of their children, and its truly a shame that the majority of american society looks down on them. 


I was reading this other article I heard referenced about why men don't grow up, or the Peter Pan syndrome.  Can I survive on my own? Yeah. I can, I can make enough money to support myself, and I'm responsible enough to get the trash out before it starts smelling. Do I WANT to? No. No I don't want to do it by myself, and more than that, I believe that God called us to help each other out, as iron sharpens iron. (Prov 27:17) 

Assignment #1 Orange and Peach Jam

I've made Jam before: Strawberry Jam...I don't think I was patient enough with it, because it turned out a bit too fluid. This is my canned version. I'm afraid to open it. I can't remember when I made it, and I'm afraid it is probably nasty inside.

 but today I made Orange and Peach Jam....which is why I'm up so late. It took me longer than I expected it would. I put it in a jar marked "not for use in canning" so I'm not "canning" it...I'm "Jarring" it and it's going directly in the refrigerator when it cools off, so I'm pretty sure it should be okay. The recipe in the book was a little vague and complicated all at the same time. So I followed another recipe and kind of combined the too. That seems to be a pattern in my cooking lately. 

Peaches/Oranges and Peels/Water and Sugar Boiling

Finished product cooling off  (jam all over the stove)

Jam on Beer Bread I made yesterday.

Assignment #2 Cross Stitch

I almost completed a cross stitch. I'm out of string of one color, but after that I'm finished. I haven't done a cross stitch since I was like 9. I think most cross stitch patterns are stupid. But I found this cute one for an apron. It goes with my kitchen perfectly!!!

Cute Cute!!!

My next project is to make an apron, I'll have to get some fabric for, and to make a week of "nourishing" lunches. 5 more days until the month is out...I've been pretty productive this month....do you think I can make it? 

I kind of thought this was funny....

September

I'm beginning Septembers Blog Mid August, because August is almost over and I'm getting very excited about fall. Not to mention that school USED to start in Sept. so Amy Barrickman's book focuses on school for Sept.

For those of us who wish to make progress, no matter what our aims may be, there is no better teacher than a child. If a child wants to know about something, he asks a lot of questions. If something happens with which he is unfamiliar, he demands an explanation. Of course, the child looks to his parents for answers. But what a fine example he is to all who want to learn. "If you don't know, ask!" Ask somebody else, or ask yourself an then answer yourself be consulting the proper authority, be it a person or a book, But ask! Don't stifle your desire to learn Be as a little child, and ask. -Gustave L. Weinss

I find that God has this habit of speaking to me through movies and plays, and books that I am reading, people I meet or engage in conversation with, that just begin to align, pull at my heart, and form my thought process. I have a tendency to process things very slowly.  I am beginning to learn that leaps of faith and prayers that consist of  "Lord, I have no idea what I need to pray, but my heart is full, so send your holy spirit to speak to you in my behalf" tend to lead me into fantastic adventures, and change me from the inside out. It's important to ask questions, but sometimes we are in positions that nothing but your own heart can provide the answer for.

FINALLY

I FINALLY made the Ice Box Dessert. A fruit Parfait.

You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Hell no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious! 

Parfait's gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet! -Donkey


Well here is mine. And it WAS delicious!! Everyone said it was at church, the only reason I had left overs was because we ran out of forks! Next time though, I"m going to make the Lady Fingers myself instead of buying them from the store. I'm sure I can make some that don't taste sooooo....store bought---ey. . 

Again with the iritating Phone Camera...where is my REAL Camera?!?!?!?

Also I wanted to make a comment about the new salon I go to. I LOVE it there. It's totally quirky, but I always end up with an amazing haircut.

Here is my new haircut I'm so uber excited about! :D

I think it kind of makes me look like Jean Crain. I <3 her!!!

Yay for Chop Tops <3 you Jenny D! On to June's assignments, but I'm going to be in LA for most of July.
Amy Barrickman is talking about Neighbors (I don't know mine and I've lived here for almost a little over 2 years now.) Embroidery, making a summer purse, and Summer Refreshments. P.S I thought a mint Julep was Iced Tea alcohol and mint, but this is saying it's ginger ale mint and lemons and oranges.Most of those should be fairly easy and I can finish them before my trip to LA next week. I'm thinking about having peeps over next Sat. for some cake for my Birthday. I can make some version of the Mint Julep then...maybe I should try to meet my neighbors this month?


I've been working on that hat, it's taking me a long time...longer than I expected, though when it's finished it's going to be uber cute. In the meantime I've been also working on some baby clothes for my God child, Andy. I get to see him in one week exactly!!!! Oh, and can I just say, speaking of the baby an baptisim etc. I have this pink dress I LOVE, but it really needs a full slip because it buttons down the whole length and is a light cotton so if I bend the right way it tends to gap. Since when did people stop making full slips?!?!?!?!? I haven't been able to find ONE. The other day I was browsing at a dress shop near my house, (I'm sure she hates me 'cause, I buy something maybe once a year, but I go in there at least once a month.) and they had some vintage lingerie and low and behold-full slips from the 50's and 60's. My monthly browsing paid off. The one I got is a little too big, but I can take it in if I need to. 

Did I mention?

When I say "this month" I mean from the 20th to the 20th 'cause that's when I get paid. :P I am going home next week. My mom has this material I got for a scarf a couple months ago, and I need to decide what kind of yarn I am going to use for this hat. I used to own this awesome crocheted beanie I wore all the time that I bought from Thomas Jefferson's house. I loved it! I have no idea what happened to it. :( Sad day. It wouldn't match my sense of style anymore anyway...

I've also been working on my version of the Evelyn Carey Painting. I'm still in sketching mode but here is what I have been working on. Her breasts are too large and I can't decide on the face. These pics are with my sucky camera phone again...Oh where oh where did I put my camera?!?!?!

New Favorite Blog: http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2009/02/recipe-index.html

When You Step Inside...Amy V.

Amy is assuming I have a front hallway....I don't. My front door leads right into my living room. Not very welcoming according to Amy V. and this 1960's "How Things Work Article" She does suggest the obligatory Umbrella in the Corner and Quirky Coat Rack. I'm not sure about the most  space efficient way to partition off the door from the rest of the living room...think think think....

Cafe Curtains Success!!!

When I was in college, the beginning of every semester we would have to log our computers on to the network, after the process was through the screen would flash "SUCCESS!!!!" It always made me feel like I accomplished something!!! :) I accomplished another project today. I made my Cafe Curtains for my Kitchen. $18 and I purchased everything from Hancock Fabrics. The Fabric wsa a remnant for $4 a yard. I bought two yards but it seems I bought a yard and a half too much and now I am going to have to figure out what to do with the rest of the fabric...As soon as I find my real camera I will take pictures of them. I also found a never been used set of  1950's cake and pastry frosting equipment today. I was super excited about my find!!!!

Make Your Front Door a Welcoming One

Amy V says that the front door should be welcoming, and the color of the front door is important...unfortunately I live in an apartment and I can't paint my front door. She suggests that apartment dwellers should place a particularly pretty mat in front of the door. So I bought a green and brown one today from World Market. I had an Orange one...but I have been increasingly hating it. She also suggests placing a pot of philodendrons beside the front door, but alas, there isn't enough space in the stairwell but, I think my living wreath will suffice quite nicely.  When my living wreath seems to be blooming I will hang that on the front door. Hopefully it's welcoming enough!!! Maybe it needs a sign that says "Welcome"

Vintage Notions: May

I'm going to be better at keeping up with my projects this month.

"Prayer is the peace of our spirit , the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seal of meditation, the rest of our cares and the calm of our tempest; prayer is the issue of a quiet mind, of untroubled thoughts; it is the daughter of charity and the sister of meekness."

 In Amy Barrickman's book, may seems to be a month of prayer and the home. Last semester, at church we were studying prayer, and a lot of people were reading Paul Miller's A Praying Life. I didn't have a chance to purchase it at the time, but I heard it was really inspiring, and in keeping with Barrickman's theme, I think I will read it this month. I have also had the book  The Sacred Romance  by John Eldridge recommended to me, as well as Evlolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Evans. So thats my reading list for this month, we'll see if I can them all read!!

Projects this month:

Fashion: Sewing a Scarf

Crochet:  Hat

I'm thinking about working on this one.

http://www.antiquecrochetpatterns.com/sparkling-beanie.html

Good Looks:
Cupping the face. "Simply place a small glass cup on the face, holing it there for a few moments til the suction draws the blood to the surface. Then, move it to a new spot, continuing in this way until the face has been covered and the blod made to circulate freely." (SCARY) Who DOES that?

Cleansing and moisturizing the face a priority.


Home:

A Little World of Peace

by W. Dayton Wegeforth

Mould yourself a little world of peace

To live upon in blissful sweet content; 

And place it in a cloud of silver fleece

Amid the blue of your own firmament.

Build  around your hope a golden fence

To bar out care-to keep your joy within;

From radiant sunlight glean your confidence,

And with its shimmering beams  your future spin.

Place your faith in God, and tread the way

Through flowered years, with some twin-hearted soul; 

Let no dark sorrow dim your perfect day,

But seek the myriad joys that make life whole.

(I want to put this on an Art Print)

A Smiling Garden.

"A plot of flowers will delight you in three ways-first, through your sense of sight; secondly though your sense of smell;and thirdly, through that joy of all flower lovers, the luxury of giving away."

It's May, and I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Today has been one of the first where I felt productive though. I made this living wreath: 

Sorry, I don't know where my camera is so this is my sucky phone camera.

I got the idea from the Hostess with the Mostess blog. 

We'll see if I just ended up destroying the flowers.:( I'm hoping it will work and I can hang it on my front door. It will be my inspiration for decorating the rest of the house in a close to 30 manner as opposed to "twenty-something just out of college and things are just hodge podged together."

Considering: Re-doing lampshades for the Living Room.

Cooking:
Icebox Pudding

Amy Vanderbilt Reading:
How to Decorate with Accessories

Sew Retro:
Cafe Curtains for Kitchen (Hopefully Creating the Illusion of a window in the Kitchen???)

Oh and I saw this poster by Evelyn Rumsy Carey in someones House and I want it, but it's like $60.00 and I can't afford it so I'm posting it here. Maybe I can recreate it with my own spin on it?