The Chic Life

Moving On...New URL

2008-01-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and go for Typepad afterall. I'm still on the 14 day trial, so if anything major happens, I'll head back to my tried and true Blogger. But, for now, I'd really like to give Typepad a shot and maybe figure out what all the buzz is about. Wish me luck.

Oh, and I want to take all of you fine folks with me! So, if you're reading this, I've moved here: http://thechiclife.typepad.com/ - please come visit me, I'd love to see you!

Hugs,

Diana :)

...And the Winner of the Flirting in the Dark Set Is...

2008-01-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

...And the Winner of the Flirting in the Dark Set Is...Shredz! I guess that double-entry paid off! :)

Congrats to Shredz for winning the Flirting in the Dark jewelry set I made for my jewelry biz, D Celestine Limited!

Shredz, please email me your shipping address at thechiclife at gmail dot com

Thanks everyone for playing! Stay tuned for my next contest!

:) D

Blogger Vs. Typepad

2008-01-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

So, I'm thinking of switching The Chic Life over to Typepad (but I'm definitely leaving Shopaholics Anonymous on Blogger). Does anyone have experience with both? Which one is better? I've been pretty happy with Blogger, there are a couple features on Typepad that are appealing to me. The major downside? Having to pay for it! Blogger is free!

I'm doing the 14-day trial now - the layout is nearly the same as my Blogger, but in case you curious, it's here: http://thechiclife.typepad.com/

Any opinions of the potential move or opinions about Typepad vs. Blogger?

Mr. Funky Super Crochet Hat

2008-01-10T23:22:00.001-05:00

I have to admit, I can become pretty OCD, pretty quickly when it comes to craft supplies and books. Something in me tells me to buy...BUY! Perhaps it's not an OCD thing so much as shopaholicism, but either way, I had to force myself to stop buying so many craft books to fulfill my newest crafty cravings in the means of knitting & crochet (or anything I can do to make good use of my quickly growing yarn stash). Thank goodness Christmas was coming around the corner when I put myself on craft-supply-probation, so I took the opportunity to request craft books from friends and family. I ended up getting three of my fave choices, including the super cool, Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful, which is turning out to be my fave at the moment because of all the simple and short projects, including an adorable hat & scarf set.

What? You thought the book was only about Amigurumi characters? So did I, until I read through all the reviews. The reviews on Amazon are really great. People typically leave very valuable feedback, like "this book is great for beginners" or "this book is not great for beginners" (very important details for me right now). I always read the reviews before I buy a book - they're sometimes more useful than flipping through the book, yourself, in the book store.

As usual, I dove straight into a couple projects, including the aforementioned hat & scarf set. I'm making this set for myself, partly because I think it's adorable and partly because this will be my first crochet hat and if I make any mistakes, I'd rather keep them than pass them on in a gift. Yes, I'm a type-A perfectionist...not that a couple minor flubs here and there aren't likely to happen no matter how experienced I end up getting with this craft, but if any major disasters happened, I wanted to hold on to them and learn for when I make one as a gift.

So far, so good. I really like this pattern, actually. It's been pretty simple to follow - mostly SC and DC and a couple slip stiches here and there....oh, and of course some chains, but I've been moving along on this one pretty quickly. I like the hat so much, I even got some yarn in another colorway to make a second hat for a friend or loved one...or giveaway, time permitting. We'll see.

NOTE: First Mr. Funky book image by amazon.com

Giveaway: Flirting in the Dark

2008-01-09T19:25:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided to kick-off the giveaways today, so get ready, because I have lots of fun goodies planned to ship off to you fine friends. I'd love to do some sort of weekly giveaway for a certain period of time, but I honestly can't commit to a weekly giveaway. Some weeks I have a harder time finding the time to post than others. What I can commit to is several giveaways over the next couple months, so check back often for the next goodie I'm giving away.

Since I was on vacation this past weekend, and I'm still finishing up Christmas gifts (better late than never, right?), as well as working on some handmade birthday gifts, I haven't had time to create much of anything crafty just for fun, so I'm giving away something I already have made. Enter this week to win this beautiful necklace & earring set, "Flirting in the Dark."

(click here for necklace details)

This necklace set is very versatile with peacock colored freshwater pearls and shell beads and sterling silver. I love the peacock color because it goes with almost everything, making it a very wearable necklace for everyday occasions to your Little Black Dress (LBD) event.

(click here for earrings details)

This fun, handmade jewelry set retails at $62, but you can enter this contest to win it for FREE! This jewelry set is part of my jewelry collection that I design and create under my business name, D Celestine Limited.

*** GIVEAWAY INFO ***

Two Ways to Enter (and you can do both if you want to enter twice!):
1. Leave a comment on this post (only one comment per person, unless you do #2, too)
2. Do a post about the contest on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post (if you do a post about the contest, you may use either or both of the two Flirting in the Dark images in your contest post)

All entries must be received by Sunday morning (1/13/08 noon EST), as the winner will be selected Sunday evening.

Good luck everyone!

Orlando - Day 1 - Dinner Theater

2008-01-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

So, we left for Orlando last Friday for a long-weekend vacation. My sister was sweet enough to stay at our place and take care of Bailey - thanks sis! The first day of our Orlando vacation went pretty smoothly. We finished packing that morning, caught our plane in the afternoon and arrived right around 4PM, which was time perfectly by my SO, so we could go straight to the hotel and check in.

We took the complimentary shuttle to the car rental place, got our car and headed to our hotel. (See the airport in the background? I suppose technically, that is a hotel connected to the airport, but you get the jist)

We arrived at our hotel, checked in and settled in to relax for just a bit. We had the whole evening to spend at our will, so I decided to take my SO to a dinner theater. I remember growing up in Orlando that a dinner theater was a great thing-to-do in tourist-town and that we tried pretty much every dinner theater in town. My fave was King Arthur's Court, but that apparently shut down a few years ago. My next fave was Arabian Nights, so we chose that for the night. A quick tip on dinner theaters - check with your hotel concierge, because they can usually get you discounted tickets. Just remember to tip them - not sure what the going tip is for a concierge so if anyone knows, leave a comment, if you don't mind - I hope we gave her enough!

We accidentally drove to Disney (missed our turn on 536) so after some circular driving, we finally made it to Arabian Nights just in time to catch the end of the magician pre-show. After a greeting from some dude in a purple robe, we were let in to the arena where salads were waiting for us. Thank goodness because we were starving!

Now, I did check some reviews for the place before we headed over and they all said the food was terrible, especially the steak. I decided to go with the chicken option, which I thought was pretty good. The chicken didn't have much flavor, but it wasn't quite as bad as I expected based on the reviews.

My SO decided to try the steak, which he wasn't thrilled with, but I warned him! An important thing to know about dinner theaters is that you don't go for the food - you go for the entertainment. If you go to a dinner theater, don't expect to be blown away by the food - it's good, but usually not great.

Now, while I found the show to be pretty entertaining, another important thing to know about dinner theaters is that they're just that - "theaters." Your kids will probably end up having a better time than you, but I suppose it depends on what you're expecting. You also need to remember you're in Orlando where they're trying to market towards tourists. The show will probably be silly, corny, and sometimes over-the-top, so don't expect Broadway.

I had a good time. The show was pretty good, the horses were beautiful, and I thought the riders did some pretty amazing tricks - flipping, juggling, balancing, and all that fun stuff.

All in all, I'd say a dinner theater is a good thing to do in Orlando, but only if you're willing to let yourself have a good time without expecting complete perfection from the food and the show. My fave dinner theaters are: Arabian Nights, Medieval Times, and Sleuths Mystery Dinner theater. If you want a perfect dinner theater, you may want to try one of the Disney ones - they're not perfect, but Disney has an extremely high standard with everything they do, so you may like it more than the ones around I-Drive (International Drive - the "tourist area"). The only one I've done is the Luau at the Polynesian Resort and it was very good!

Has anyone out there done a dinner theater before? What did you think?

New Year's Dinner

2008-01-09T11:33:00.000-05:00

Before I start with the Orlando posts, I wanted to take a minute to do a quick post related to New Year's Day. I meant to post about this before I left, but I'm sorta one of those people who like to do things last minute...or maybe not so much one who likes to do things last minute but ends up doing things last minute, so last Friday I had the choice to pack or do this post. I chose packing, which I think was a pretty good decision, eh?

But back to the New Year's thing I was curious to see if anyone else out there has a New Year's tradition as far as foods go. Since I grew up in the south, I've been raised to eat collard greens and black eyed peas on New Year's for good luck and fortune.

Does anyone else out there eat collard greens and black eyed peas or maybe some other traditional food? We had our greens and peas with some sauteed chicken and some nice hearty wheat bread. Looking back on it, I think cornbread is more traditionally served with the greens and peas, but I forgot. Oopsie! Maybe I'll remember next year?

Be Back Soon...I'm Going to Disneyworld!

2008-01-04T00:18:00.000-05:00

Hey friends!

Just wanted to drop you guys a quick note to let you know that I'm going to be on vacation for awhile - we're going to Disneyworld! Woohoo! So, we'll be theme-parking and what not, so I won't be able to post for a few days as we're flying out tomorrow (Friday) and won't get back till Monday. But, check back next week, because I'm going to be doing some fun giveaways soon! Yay!

Oh, and I'm going to start by giving away some fun stuff I already have but I might just be able to be coerced into making a little somethin somethin for a giveaway so drop me a comment if you want me to give away something specific (i.e. handmade purse, handmade apron, thrifted tea cup...etc).

Have a great weekend!

Hugs to all,

:) Diana

New Year, New Look

2008-01-03T14:16:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with my New Year's Resolutions, but I've been wanting to make-over my blog template for awhile. Here's a quick lil switcheroo for now. It's not a major change, but I think it gives the blog a whole different feel.

Before:

After:

What do you think?

It's All Fun and Games Until...

2008-01-03T13:34:00.000-05:00

Here's Bailey looking cute as can be and oh-so-innocent on our couch.

It's all in fun games until someone pees on the couch. Yes folks, that's right, our little angel peed all over our couch last night.

We were mad, but not too mad...How can you stay mad at a face like that? It's impossible!

What's Up With That?

2008-01-03T09:59:00.000-05:00

Call it luck or fate, but either way, I hardly ever win contests! What's up with that? I'm not sure why I don't seem to have the best fortune with winning stuff, but what I do know is that times are a-changing! I recently won a fabulous handmade Namesake from the talented crafter, Stephanie, over at Crafty Lolly. Isn't it beautiful?

Made with my favorite color, light turquoise (aka Robin's egg blue), this fabulous little stuffie also has flowers and buttons and other fun knick-knacks, including, my personal fave, a French spoon. I'm not sure if I've ever professed my love for French stuff on The Chic Life before, but basically, I went to France twice in high school on an exchange. I also minored in French in college...for fun. :) But, that's all another story for another day.

Today is about this fabulous Namesake! Here's a closer picture with more detail so you can take in the full awesomeness of it. Oh yea! Thanks for making this for me, Stephanie!

And speaking of contests and organizing, I've decided to have a couple giveaways, so stayed tuned for more info on that! I've got some great stuff to giveaway! :) Some handmade...some thrifted...all fab!

New Year, New You - Organizing - Part 1

2008-01-02T14:45:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by my little blog. I've realized lately that I don't communicate very well how much I appreciate everyone stopping by and taking the time to comment (or just lurking and enjoying my photos and stories...that's cool too). But, comments are my favorite, so if you're shy and not sure if you should comment or not, here's me saying, bring it on! I love to read all the comments people leave...it's one of my favorite things to pop into my email inbox, which is where I see them first since my comments are moderated.

With that said, it's a new year, and time for a new you, if you so choose to re-invent or update yourself, of course. I'm a very goal-driven person, so I love the start of the new year because it gives me an excuse to create new goals for myself. As a Type-A perfectionist, I'm always on the look-out for ways to improve myself, my habits, my home, my life, and I see the new year as a great time to really dig into any new improvement ideas.

So, what are your New Year's Resolutions for '08? Mine are:
1. Pay off my business credit card
2. Get better control over my finances
3. Get organized
4. Especially, organize craft room
5. Stay organized (i.e. pick up after myself to maintain organization)
6. Start a monthly date night with my SO
7. Stop procrastinating

That's it for now...short list, I know. There are many more things I could improve, but these are the areas I'd like to focus on: finances & organization. I was reading an article on MarthaStewart.com about organization tips and 6 things to do everyday (can't seem to locate the article...sorry!) to help yourself stay organized and at some point while I was perusing all of these informative and useful artcles, I remembered a glimmer "old me." Has anyone else had a similar experience? It's like, the older you get, the more personalities you collect, or something.

I remember being a quiet, shy, organized-to-a-fault little girl before going college, where I decided to reinvent myself. I didn't want to be a loner any more...I wanted to be more courageous...more the kind of girl who wasn't afraid to say how she felt or be friends with the "cool kids" or have the drive to go after the things I really wanted. And, sometime just before college, I realized that when I went to school, I would hardly know anyone there. Only a handful of people from my high school were going to the same college as me. I realized that people treat you the way you act and that if I acted like the girl I wanted to be, that they would treat me like her, and I would, in a way, become her. When I got to college, I didn't think about what I would do in a given situation, but what she would do. Maybe not so much what "she" would do, but I tried to think about what I wanted to do without worrying about what other people would think and what I would do if I weren't so painfully shy. Eventually, I became a very social, very outgoing person. I joined a sorority, went out with friends, and had lots and lots of fun. In addition to becoming more outgoing, I learned to not be so controlling and I learned to relax and not be so freakin' anal about stuff. I learned how to get along with people and be more easy-going. Things weren't as easy to control in group situations as they had been in my own little world before college...and I learned that this was ok.

But, more recently, I've also learned that "old me" wasn't so terrible as I thought she was. And, one thing I'd like to get back from who I used to be is the side of me who was so organized. I've gotten, dare I say, too lax in my lifestyle and with my home, which is slowly turning into the perfect candidate for the Clean Sweep team. So, starting this year, I'm going to work on getting organized and staying that way. I'm going to make a better effort to clean up after myself and put things back where they belong rather than leaving them laying (sp?) about. I want to be organized with my lifestyle too and stop procrastinating about that form I was supposed to mail in or that friend I was supposed to email. I'm tired of putting off until tomorrow what I can do today. I've noticed that I've been saying, "I don't have time" for this or that, but the truth is I do have time...I've just been doing something else. I was just reading about this whole "choosing" of time on someone else's blog recently, and for the life of me, I can't remember which blog...so if it's yours...shoot me a comment so others can read your story on this whole "choosing" of time - your post was great!

Anywho, wow, that post was waaaaay longer than I thought it would be so sorry for rambling on...I've been doing that a lot lately! Back to the New Year's stuff. I spent the first day of the New Year hitting up the organizational store. I spent a whole $100 - way more than I intended to spend - but I think I got some good stuff to get myself started on organizing. The truth is, I actually love to organize, but it's expensive and time-consuming! But, enough excuses! I've made money in my budget for organization goods for this month, at least. This is the year! I'm going to get organized, and I'm going to start with my kitchen:

Ok, ok, it doesn't look that different, but I couldn't resist the lid/baking pan holder (to the left) or the pan separator (to the right) - both on the top shelf of the photo. I would have put more baking pans in the pan holder, but the shelf is too short and not adjustable...it still holds the lids nicely, though. The pan separator is pretty cool, too, though, helping my non-stick pans to retain their non-stick surface - should be easier to get to them this way, too! See how the three pans and the one pot are separated so you don't have to unstack them to get to the bottom one in pink? Well, now you see why I started with the kichen...that was pretty easy.

Ugh...now to the craft room...that should be "fun"...lol

Crochet Crazy in the Hizzy

2008-01-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

I've caught the crochet fever...and I've got it bad. I have several projects going on right now (even some knitting projects, but I guess that's another story). Luckily, I finished one of my crochet today...woohoo! Thank goodness because it's supposed to be a Christmas present for a friend. Good thing she hasn't called yet about exchanging gifts!

I've been working on this scarf in bits and pieces. I knew I wanted to crochet something for a friend, but I was completely distracted by a few knit/crochet books I got for Christmas when I couldn't resist starting some projects from my new books. Needless to say, I'm like that girl who is reading about five books at one time. I guess I just like to multi-task...I dunno? Either way, I've been spreading my free time working a round here, a row here on my various projects.

Lately, I've been working on making more "me time" so I can work on some of these "for fun" projects. I've been trying to spend a couple hours cleaning/organizing and making sure to take a break to do something I want...even if it's just working a couple rows for one of my crochet patterns. It's been fun though, tidying up, and then curling up on the couch with some yummy hot cocoa I got from a local semi-gourmet store. It's Ghiradelli Hazelnut Hot Cocoa...and it's tasty!

So, I've spent some time over the past couple days relaxing on my cozy couch, watching some craft TV (which I don't usually get to see b/c they always put the good shows on while I'm at work) and making hoop after hoop with single crochets and double crochets (and even some triple crochets here and there). Even Bailey wanted to get in on the crochet action.

And, just in case you didn't believe me that I actually finished a project, here's a shot of the final product along with another scarf in the same pattern and my butterfly scarf. I can't wait to finish some more projects so I can share them with you!

The Tradition Lives On

2007-12-31T11:36:00.000-05:00

Since my mom is from the Philippines and my dad is from the north, we don't have a lot of family living nearby (here in the south). Luckily, when I was young, or possibly even before I was born, my mom became good friends with a distant cousin of hers who also lived in the states, and our families began hanging out since I can remember. They lived in Canada, but would make long trips in their big van to visit us all the way down in Florida. They are a full-Filipino family (my Dad is American, so I guess that makes us "half") so it was really nice for my mom to have someone to talk to in her native language and someone to cook the familiar foods that they grew up eating. Not sure if you know any other Filipino people, but we like to eat...a lot. I mean, we really, really like to eat, so it was always a fun family foodfest whenever our two families got together.

Eventually, around the time I was in middle school, my cousins moved to Atlanta, GA, so we started taking trips to visit them (a few times a year). We would play video games all day and take trips to theme parks and water parks. It was the best...some of my favorite childhood memories were spent with my "distant" family. My cousins, especially the one my age, became like my brothers. We had the best fun just being kids together exploring those water parks, playing board games, and even playing their keyboard (my cousin was extremely into music and still is to this day...now he prefers to play guitar) to the pre-programmed sounds, like House of the Rising Sun and Hey Jude.

Every time we visited them in Georgia, we had this tradition that we would go to the Dim Sum restaurant for a goodbye lunch. We'd get there very early...before the restaurant was even open. You have to do that with the good Dim Sum restaurants because you will not get a table if you don't go early. Dim Sum is like a Chinese brunch with tapas-style, family-style food. It's much more authentic than many American-ized Chinese restaurants and it's absolutely delicious. Anywho, every time we went to Atlanta, we had to go to Dim Sum. We would get one of the big round tables they had for large families, we'd share food off of the huge lazy Susan in the middle of the table, and we'd eat and talk and eat and laugh and eat all afternoon. I have such fond memories of our Dim Sum outings, so when I found out there was a Dim Sum restaurant in my SO's hometown and that my SO's sister liked Dim Sum (it's not for everyone and not traditionally popular with Americans), I hoped that we would be able to go this past weekend and we did!

For anyone who's never had Dim Sum, here's how it works:

Check reviews or with locals to see if the Dim Sum restaurant is good (has a good reputation). If it does, you will need to get there up to an hour before they open. Get there at least 30 minutes early if you don't want to have to wait for a table to open up. People often will sit and eat all afternoon.

Once you get your table, the waiters and waitresses will push little carts around the room and stop by your table to show you all the yummy foods they have to offer you. Many times, they will not speak English, so you may have to choose your dishes by looks only. This picture features a cart with steamed foods. Inside these containers are a variety of delicious dumplings. You point at the ones you want, the waitress places your selection(s) on the table and marks your check. There are three parts of the check for the various dishes, which are priced by size: small (around $2.75), medium (around $3.75), and large (around $5-ish). They mark an X in the appropriate box(es), which will be tallied up when you check out.

In this picture, you can see some of the dishes we selected: sauteed brocollini, calamari, eggplant & green pepper, turnip cakes with pork, and steamed pork buns. Towards the back, my SO's sister is opening a grapeleaf package, which contains sticky rice with an egg, pork, and shrimp filling.

Same dishes as before except towards the front are some steamed shrimp dumplings...one of my favorites.

My plate...with a bite taken out of the steamed pork bun (another one of my favorites) so you can see the barbeque pork filling. It's not barbeque like you'd probably be familiar with, but it's a slightly sweet taste...trust me, it's good and one of the first Dim Sum I started eating as a too-picky-kid, so it would be a good one to start with.

Though it may not look like it, this is dessert - sesame balls. Balls of dough covered in sesame seeds, deep-fried, and with a yummy bean paste inside. The paste is sometimes yellow-ish, but the red bean paste is the best!

Overall, the Dim Sum was excellent! Just as good as I remember from my childhood. I had such a fun time chatting with my SO's sister and her husband and my SO. I had told my SO's sister about my family tradition with my cousins and she had a similar tradition with her friends growing up. So, as we were finishing our brunch, I was thrilled to hear her say, "Maybe we can start a new family tradition?" I quickly resp0nded, "I would love that. Let's do it!"

You Like Me...You Really Like Me!

2007-12-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

We went back to my SO's hometown this past weekend to see his sister as we had to work the day after Christmas and she wasn't coming to town till later in the week. I, of course, wanted to be there to see her open the quilt I made for her daughter. All during last week I built myself up for the worst case scenario. Not everyone likes, wants, or appreciates handmade stuff quite like the many talented people on the craft blog scene. I tried to prepare myself prior to the weekend that they may just open the box and say, "Hey, it's a blanket. Thanks." (note there's not exclamation in that quote). I did keep hope that they would love it...especially since my SO's sister is such a sweet & caring person overall. All my worries disappeared the moment they opened the quilt. As you can tell from this photo, she liked it! Phew!

See how it's all laid out on the ground like that? She did it all by her wee-little self. She opened the box with her mom, took the quilt, and carefully spread it out on the ground, bit by bit. Then, she sat right in the middle of the quilt and touched the various fabric pieces. So cute!

Then, she laid down on it and rolled around. Thank goodness she liked it! I usually like to keep the "first" of things I make (first quilt, first crocheted scarf, etc), but sometimes the better event is when you can give something so special of yours to someone else special and hope they can appreciate it as much as you would. I think we're good to go here, folks!

The Accidental Goodbye

2007-12-27T19:26:00.001-05:00

Well, it's finally here...tomorrow is my last day on my uptown project. I've been working at the bank since Valentine's Day now...a relatively long project for a consultant, but with the end of the year comes the end of my assignment. I'm not sure if you've every consulted before (or maybe just job-hopped), but it's kinda weird going from project to project sometimes. If you stay long enough, explore your surroundings, and take the time to talk to people, you can get really, well, cozy. You make friends, find your favorite places to eat and places to shop.

I'll definitely miss the convenience of working uptown. There's a whole world out there hidden within those tall structures and behind high glass windows that you would never know about unless you worked in that environment. Tunnels and covered bridges span from building to building and you start creating paths that wind you in and out of buildings, unwittingly crossing several city blocks in one trip while you check out the little boutiques, shops, over-priced convenience stores, and cafes. It's kind of funny...walking down these long, over-crowded halls...there is just so much inside these buildings that you can't even see from the outside. From the outside, you think, hey, there's an office building. I guess bank people work there. Inside, the bank people are scurrying from their desk to grab some fast food, choosing from Einstein, Sbarro's, Chick-Fil-A, and Salsaritas all in one hallway, so they can scurry back to their desk and get back to work, all the while not caring one bit about what street they're technically on or what's going on outside.

Yes, they "scurry". You start to notice...there are the "scurriers", the "Sunday walkers", and the "loungers". I guess you can say I'm a scurrier (is that a word?) because I like to walk quickly. I get frustrated walking behing the slow "Sunday walkers" even when I'm not in a rush...isn't that silly? I get this feeling like if I don't get around the slow people I'll be stuck walking down that hall forever! Walking these uptown halls can be like driving down a multi-lane highway. You have to wait for a "lane" to open up to pass. Sometimes the halls are so full with people walking this way and that way that you just can't quite squeeze through, so you have to wait patiently taking slower-than-normal steps until you can make a move. Ahh...the silly quirks of a work environment. I guess I'll miss that whole everything-you-could-possibly-need-within-five-minutes-of-walking convenience.

I'll even miss our strangely efficient elevators. Instead of up/down buttons, like normal elevators, ours have a touch-screen panel where you choose your floor and the system tells you which elevator to take. You hit the button for the 7th floor, the panel directs you to elevator #4, you hop on elevator #4 and you're off and to your floor in a matter of seconds! No waiting for the floors below you (well, sometimes the system will couple them)...it's quite nice, actually. Not hard to get used to, but hard to get not-used to, if that makes sense. I went to my consultant company's office recently, pushed the up button outside the elevator, got on the elevator and stood there. Our elevators are extremely slow, so it took me a minute to realize that it had not gotten slower, but in fact, wasn't moving at all! Heehee...oopsie! Good thing no one saw that!

I'll miss the constant hustle and bustle around the trade floor. I'll even miss the super dressy dress code. (Button-down shirts and dress pants aren't that bad, afterall) And, I know I'll miss the people. Isn't it sad to say goodbye to people that you know you very well may never see again? I don't like "goodbyes" and I don't like "nevers." They're so finite. A good friend told me once that he always said "Later" to his friends instead of "Goodbye" because "Later" means he'll see them again and "Goodbye" is forever. I've tried to avoid the word "Goodbye" ever since and when I accidentally tell a friend "Goodbye", it makes me nervous...like, what if I never see them again? Sometimes, I'll even follow up the accidental "Goodbye" with a "Later"...you know...just for good measure.

I'll miss my comfy window seat with the great view of the sunset. Here's one I snapped yesterday. The sun was just peeking from behind a gigantic blue curtain of clouds and there was an amazing golden peach spreading through the sky.

I mean, how lucky, out of a building of thousands of people, am I to get a window seat? I was talking to a woman on my floor the other day about how I was leaving and she should try to take my seat when I go, since it's a good spot. She said she'd been asking for a window seat for years but hadn't gotten one yet. Years? What? The conversation made me want to go to my desk, pack it up, and hoard it somehow to keep it safe. What if my company sends me back? Where might they put me? Eek!

Today, I started packing my desk. That's the worst part of moving...whether it's jobs or houses. The packing up, the goodbyes or "laters" you share with friends, the finality of it all.

And yet, with an end comes a new beginning, right? I'm scared and curious and hopeful of where my company will send me next. I hope not too far, yet at the same time, I don't know if "far" wouldn't be good? You never know what's out there for you until you stumble upon it, you know? Cross your fingers it's somewhere good. Till next time...Later!

Christmas-ing Around the South

2007-12-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

It was Christmas-ing around the south for us this year as we visited both my parents and my SO's family for the holidays. We spent the weekend before Christmas with my family. My mom is a neonatal intensive care nurse, so she only gets every other Christmas off. I guess it works out well now that my SO and I are sharing the holidays between both our families. Only problem is, with so few days, you don't feel like you really get to spend good quality time with either family. Don't get me wrong, a couple days with each is precious time, but I love my long, lazy days hanging out with family and doing nothing but eating, resting, and whatever else I feel like. Maybe next year? Anywho, my parents loved their gifts - my mom loved the scarf I knit up for her! Yay!

At my family's house, we had a traditional turkey dinner, but with non-traditional table decor. Doesn't matter one bit to me...turquoise is my favorite color anyways!

Oh yea! Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, steamed veggies...yummy! We even had pumpkin pie and a delicious chocolate cake...mmm...

Last week, I was recounting all the Christmas presents I had hoped to make and came to the awful realization that I didn't have time to get them all done. EEK! I only had time to get a couple done. That was...I thought I had time to get a couple done, and then, the orders for D Celestine started pouring in out of no where! I had some online orders and even had a few custom orders to make with some local friends, which is always a blast, but no time for my homemade Christmas gifts. Luckily, I packed up my knitting supplies and all the yarns I had intended to use in my gifts and knitted up a storm all weekend, and Christmas Eve, and even Christmas Day to complete two (yes, two) more of those butterfly scarves. I finished the second one about an hour before we were supposed to head over to my SO's aunt's house for dinner. Did I mention I had offered to prepare a panettone bread pudding before we left? Phew! What a busy day Christmas was!? Everything came together in the end. The panettone bread pudding was very much enjoyed, and I gave the two butterfly scarves to my SO's two aunts and they LOVED them. Phew! My first major, handmade Christmas gifts were a hit! I've got to come up with something good for next year now!

I'm Loving This Quilt

2007-12-26T18:38:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is...the day I thought would never get here. Mommy fiiiinally finished the pretty baby quilt and I have to say, I've thoroughly been enjoying it.

Wait...WHAT!? What do you mean I have to give it up?

Can't I keep it, mommy...pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? You wouldn't say no to a face like this, would you?

Oh fine! Just take it! You better have some good treats for me leftover in that stocking, though! I'm just sayin...

Christmas Tunes & Binding

2007-12-19T00:04:00.001-05:00

So, tonight was another step towards completing the baby quilt - my first try at binding. I've been avoiding blankets and quilting for awhile now because...well, I've been afraid. Afraid of the quilting...and especially afraid of the binding. I'm one of those people who visualize everything in my head and I couldn't quite wrap my thoughts around how the binding was supposed to work. I. just. couldn't. imagine. how. it. worked. I've been putting off binding projects like a 10 page research paper for school, but tonight, I said, "No more excuses" and dove right in.

I have to admit, while sometimes tedious, and definitely hard work, I'm very much enjoying this project...even though it's starting to get kinda fugly. Not overally fugly, but if you look at it closely and pick out all my mistakes...or if you're a quilt connoisseur, you'd probably deem my quilt unworthy. I made loops in my stipling (which I read you aren't supposed to do b/c the stiches aren't supposed to cross), my squares don't line up right, and when I squared my quilt off, I realized it was lop-sided and had to trim longer pieces of some sides making the border uneven. But, hey, it's the imperfections that make it handmade and therefore special...right?

Anywho, tonight, I turned on the Christmas radio stations, googled some binding tutorials online and pinned and sewed and pinned and sewed till the binding was all the way around on one side. Tomorrow night, I plan to finish the quilt...yay! I can't wait! Now, I just need to get some good hot cocoa so I can really get in the spirit!

If You Can Read This...

2007-12-18T00:39:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if everyone out there is as random as me (probably not, as that would be pretty hard to do), but I was driving to work, half-asleep, without any caffeine in my system, and the most random memory popped into my head, seemingly from nowhere. I'm sure I must have heard something on the radio that triggered my memory, but who ever knows? Alls I know is I suddenly remembered being 8-ish. My friend Dee-Dee (such an 80's name, no?) snuck into her big sister's room to snoop around. I don't remember much, but I remember posters (probably New Kids on the Block and Cindy Lauper), perfume bottles, lip glosses, nail polishes, cassettes, pastels...and a collection of buttons. I remember reading one...the text was so small, it was hard to make out. I squinted to read it, but the words made out eventually but sloooowwwwwly. "Iffffff you can read thisssss....you're stannnnnnnding too damn close." Oh my goodness! I thought. That button is mean...yet strangely funny. I think I loved it instantly, even though I knew it was wrong. At 8-ish, you think "bad words" are so terrible, no? I wonder what that says about me, finding that button so fascinating at what seems like such a young age? I wonder why that memory popped out of the blue to give me a quick giggle on my way to work? Perhaps my brain was pissed off at me for staying up so late working on that silly baby quilt. Why, oh why, did I decide to do stipling for my first quilt?

I guess I like a good challenge...and "challenge" it was, indeed. I must have started and stopped a dozen times...breaking string, sewing over the extra edges of my backing, pinched fabric...you know...all the newbie mistakes. Can you tell from the photo that I didn't really know what I was doing? Either way, I really wanted to finish the stipling for this quilt and made myself stay up until it was done. Phew...done it is...but now I have to do quilt binding for the first time...yikes! Luckily, there are some good tutorials out there! Tonight was dedicated to Christmas shopping for the SO...maybe tomorrow night I'll finish the quilt? Wish me luck...I think I'm going to need it!

Jewelry Party

2007-12-15T18:38:00.000-05:00

I had a mini jewelry party at my house today. I was supposed to have it at a clubhouse, but thank goodness I was able to do it from the comfort of my home! I'm feeling much better, but I'm still pretty tired. I actually had to leave my company holiday party early last night! Waaa. Ok, enough whining...here are some photos from my party today:

Hmm...this appears much more cluttery than I thought it did earlier today. What can I say, but it's Murphy's law that the one item I leave put up will be the one thing someone wants, right?

I've actually been working a lot of de-cluttering my displays because I have a tendancy to put too many jewelry designs out, but I like having a good variety out.

I love this little art frame to display my earrings. I made this with a wood frame, some corkboard, some fabric and satin roping. It took a long time, but it was worth it.

When I first started my jewelry business, I said that I would never put anything on "sale". How long did that last? About a year or two...I did pretty good, but sometimes you just want to make room for pretty, new designs.

Anywho, we had snacks and stuff. Next time, when I'm feeling better, I want to have really nice, handmade snacks...even if I have to buy them from a local bakery. I want my guests to feel extra special!

Love these napkins!

Christmas, Ornaments, and Running Late

2007-12-15T18:14:00.001-05:00

Christmas is a funny time of the year, isn't it? You can be running late and be completely early, all at the same time! For example, I was reading a magazine the other day, I think Ideal Home's Christmas edition, and it said that you were supposed to bring the Christmas tree in on Dec. 15th (hey, that's today!). Of course, I brought my tree in nearly a week ago. See? Early! But then, on the other hand, I don't really have any Christmas gifts ready yet, and I've been planning on making all of mine, though, I do need to head to the mall for my SO's gifts (can't make his), and I really don't want to deal with all the traffic. Between going to the mall and not having made all the presents I'm planning to make, I think I can safely say that I'm running late. Boo. Hey, at least the tree is looking good.

Isn't this tree skirt pretty? It's one of the Martha Stewart items I got from Kmart last weekend. It's a bit bunched up, but we couldn't chop off the bottom branches of the tree, since it's so short, so the skirt doesn't quite fit.

As for running late, perhaps I should have spent less time making ornaments and more time making gifts? Although, I have to say, I think my ornaments are looking mighty fine in the tree. Yea baby!

Cozy Crochet Scarf

2007-12-13T23:08:00.000-05:00

I finally got to my most awesome Christmas gift from last year - the Cozy Crochet Kit...uh after a beginner crochet class at a local yarn shop. I think I could have taught myself, but:
1. The first crochet row was really messing me up - I couldn't figure out which loops to pull up!
2. Classes are more fun and you get to meet a lot of cool people. Like my teacher, who (whom?) I see every time I'm in the yarn shop and who always helps me so much for FREE...just because she's nice. Aww

This is the first crochet project I decided to tackle. It was a level 2, but I like a good challenge and I ended up really liking this scarf. I think I'm gonna make me a couple more...for Christmas gifts, of course.

Anywho, I highly recommend this kit to anyone just learning to crochet. I think I first fell in love with the name (how could a cozy crochet kit go wrong, right?) first, but the patterns inside are super fun. Especially this scarf! Can't wait to try some others out, though.

Knitting for Christmas

2007-12-12T15:46:00.001-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but I was sick sick sick with food poisoning...ick! Today, I still feel very weak and I haven't been able to eat solid foods yet, but yesterday was just not pretty one bit! I faded in and out of sleep all day and just felt so...uncomfortable! I wanted to knit or crochet something b/c I find that so very relaxing and comforting, but it was all I could do yesterday to sit upright.

Anywho, on to happier things...like knitting!

I've been working on this simple stockinette scarf for awhile now, and finally finished it this past weekend.

I've seen people pin their knit items down, but I never knew why...until my stockinette stitched scarf started curling up and my friend at the yarn store told me to pin the scarf flat and spray it with water. I patiently waited all day for my scarf to dry and when I pulled it up...it curled right back. boo! I guess the trick only works when you work with natural materials, like wool or alpaca. Oh well, it's still pretty cute and will make a great Christmas gift...I hope!

I've got lots of other great knitting ideas for Christmas presents, but I suppose I'm really running out of time, aren't I? I need to get knitting!

Chicken Vesuvio and Tree Trimming

2007-12-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the wonderful Sarah of Misadventures of Mama and Jack, I decided to take a trip to Kmart to check out the Martha Stewart holiday decoration collection. You have to understand, going to Kmart isn't a simple 10 minute drive down the street, it's more like a 30 minute drive to the other side of town...and it's near a mall, which is always "fun" this time of year. Martha is usually so dependable for chic decorations, but you never know just what a store will be sold out of or not carry. The whole way over, I was keeping my fingers crossed that my trip would not be a lost cause. I have to say, the Kmart was not the most organized place I'd ever been. I couldn't figure out where the holiday decorations were and couldn't find anyone working there to help me. I just walked in circles in complete confusion. Can you tell I don't frequent the Kmart much? Nothing wrong w/ Kmart...I'm just too lazy and too busy to go so far for stuff I can get closer to home. I finally had to ask someone at the checkout (while they're were checking someone else out) where the holiday decorations were. Turns out they were in the Garden section...no wonder I didn't see them when I was circling the store. Anywho, by the time I finally made it to the decorations, I was slightly irritated, but that all just melted away when I took one look at the beautiful Martha Stewart ornaments and trim. Every doubt I'd had when I was driving over, fighting the mall traffic, and feeling completely lost in Kmart instantly disappeared as I started oohing and ahing over all the lovely decorations. I found way too many things I liked and bought far too many ornaments for my tree. By the time I got back from my shopping spree, it was nearly time for dinner. I made one of my favorite Everyday Italian recipes - Chicken Vesuvio

This is a super yummy dish with a light yet tasty flavor. The dish contains chicken, potatoes, artichoke hearts and the sauce is made with white wine, chicken broth, and butter

I've made this dish a couple times and must offer up that I usually only make this with two bone-in chicken breasts, though I keep the liquid ingrediants the same. Also, be sure to watch this dish as it's cooking because the high heat usually burns my chicken and 10 minutes for both the chicken and potato cooking times is too long.

Anywho, I had a lovely evening of enjoying delicious food, sipping wine, and trimming my tree. I think these new ormanents will go great with my sparkly snowomen

And look! My Christmas present came early this year and already unwrapped!

First Time for Indian

2007-12-10T00:03:00.001-05:00

Can you believe I've never had Indian food before? Well, I guess that's not true...at least, it's not true any more! I tried Indian food for the first time last week and it was soooo yummy! I went with a few of my co-workers and some of them were Indian...thank goodness b/c they were able to help me pick out what to order. I ended up getting Morgh Tikka Masala (sp?), which is chunks of chicken in a creamy tomato sauce...but not like Campbells creamy tomato - it's like Campbell's with a kick (it's actually not at all like Campbells, but I have to compare it to something "familiar"). You must try it! I think trying new foods can be so amazing sometimes. When you try a new spice or herb or dish or food or flavor, the sensation of that new taste hitting your tongue can be so exhilarating! I mean look at that color! Something so beautiful must be delicious! I'm here to tell you it is...and I wouldn't lie to you...would I? :)

We all started with a tomato based soup that was slightly sweet and slightly spicy...an interesting combo

Here's my vibrant Tikka Masala - the sauce has cream and tomato and cilantro and tikka, which is a spice, and lots of other good stuff.

Steamy basmati rice

All served with some warm flatbread...I can't wait to go back! Hmm...maybe I can talk someone into going tomorrow?

Oh Where, Oh Where Can My Ornaments Be?

2007-12-09T02:11:00.000-05:00

I am so disappointed with ornament options...why are there no light turquoise ornaments anywhere? WHY? I don't want light blue, I don't want bright turquoise...I want a light turquoise, almost "robin's egg blue" color ornament, in a simple, glass ball. Is that so much to ask for? Apparently, it is...because I haven't seen any anywhere! I guess I will continue to make my own in the meantime...they're super fun to create and craft, but would be much more enjoyable if there were only more hours in the day. I enjoy making my ornaments either way, but it would be so much more enjoyable to work on them without worrying about what I should work on...ah well...such is life, no?

Here are, I think, my fave ornaments so far - they are sparkly snowmen...although, perhaps the little flowers make them snow-women. snowomen? sno-women? I think you catch my drift (get it? drift? snow drift? yea...it's a knee slapper)

I actually came up with the idea to put the "carrot" nose on the pins...cute, no? I figured they would stay on better if I could attach them to the styrofoam bases with pins. I made the flowers and leaves with craft store felt.

Hey ladies! Ready to pretty up my tree?

...And the Winner of the Handmade Gift Tags Is...

2007-12-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

..."Sarah and Jack" of Misadventures of Mama and Jack! She won the contest to get these festive gift tags I made a week-ish ago:

Congrats Sweetie (email me your shipping addy at shopaholicd at gmail dot com)! And thanks to everyone who played! I'm hoping to have one more giveaway before Christmas so stay tuned.

Happy holidays!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

2007-12-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

Although I don't have a house yet (though I desperately want one), I am so thankful to have my own little apartment and the money to be able to get my own Christmas tree. I got a tree a couple years ago, but I feel like I'm in this transition phase of life, between living and home and living on my own, where my home is where my parents live, but it's also where I live. It's kinda tough spreading out like this and being unsure about what is what, but what I do know is that both places are my home, so I should be happy to have them both! Anywho, there's this weird period of time between graduating high school and getting a few years into your career (maybe it's just me) where you are so extremely broke, you're living in whatever is cheapest and eating whatever is cheapest and you don't have the time, space or money to worry about things like Christmas trees because you can barely take care of yourself and furnish your tiny space. Now, a few years into my career, I think I'm worrying too much about my Christmas tree...but I suppose that is just the way of the perfectionist.

My SO and I went Christmas tree shopping Tuesday night...after much bugging on my end. I think I asked for nearly a straight week, every night, to go Christmas tree shopping, but see! It worked!

We hit up a local Christmas tree vendor who has been selling at this same spot for nearly 50 years!

They were so prepared, with tons of wreaths and bows and even Christmas tree stands (thank goodness b/c we tried Tar-jay first and they were sold out!)

See! I told you they had tons of wreaths and bows

A nice man (possibly the owner, but we didn't ask) helped us pick out our tree. He walked us around to a few of the many spots of their setup with the mini trees (we don't have space for much else), and he helped pull out this tree for us to check out. We decided it would be ours and asked him to help take the temp wooden stand off the bottom, which is what he's doing in this photo. He was really so kind and helpful...I love supporting these types of businesses - local (I think they're local) businesses comprised of hard-working every day people with genuine hearts. I only met this man for 15ish minutes, but sometimes people have a look in their face and a way that lets you know...you know? I hope we can visit them again next year...hopefully for a tree for a house!

Glittering Bailey

2007-12-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

I've had quite the glitter production going on on my dining room table lately. Good thing we don't usually eat on it! I've been creating all kinds of sparkly creations to hang on our Christmas tree, but I swear, it's like I'm not working hard enough or something. I feel like I've been crafting ornaments for hours and hours and I only have a few creations to show for it. Oh well, at least I've been having fun and I'll have custom-made ornaments when I'm done! Yay! But, seriously, I think Christmas just snuck up on me this year. It was like, one minute, it's spring and the next minute...it's Christmas! What the hay!? Anywhosier, here's my next batch of ready-to-hang ornaments, straight from the ~~craft room~~ dining room table:

I paired Martha Stewart glitter with red ribbon and added a little metal hoop on top

As you can imagine, with this much glittering going on, I've basically got glitter everywhere! Even on Bailey! Poor little guy. I accidentally sprinkled some on him when I was walking past him with some ornaments. Oopsie! Mommy will try to be more careful!

I'm Dreaming of a Sparkly Christmas

2007-12-02T21:48:00.001-05:00

I've always loved sparkly things. I remember a kid's movie I fell in love with a looooong time ago, called, "The Secret of Nimh" (the book was waaaay better, and if I remember correctly, pretty deep for a kids' book). The movie had a goofy crow character who always said, "Oooh...a sparkly!" I say that sometimes when I see sparkly stuff...yea...it's silly, but I can't help it. I think my love for things that glitter helped influence me to start my jewelry business. At least, it helps influence the materials I select and the ones I put in my designs. I always like to add a little sparkle to each design. Anywho, with Christmas coming up and my nesting kicking in (and me finally having more space for decorations), it was a no-brainer that there would be a lot of glittering going on in my home. I've got quite a few things in the works, but glitters and glues and paints can take some time to dry, so here's the first set that's ready:

They're little embroidery hoops - I sparkled the edges in red (Garnet, if you want to get technical) Martha Stewart glitter and added some light turquoise fabric stretched across the hoops. Not quite the right fabric color, but it's really hard to find the kinds of Christmas colors I'm looking for. Oh well...I'll wait to see how they look in the tree with my other ornaments. I can switch the fabric out pretty easily later. Now, back to sparkling!

Don't forget to enter into the contest!

Gift Tag Giveaway

2007-12-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

I've really been getting into making the smaller things in life extra-special, especially now that the holidays are here. I remember in college, if I had time to gift wrap (because I was an over-achieving workaholic with little time), I was usually throwing something in a decorative bag with tissue paper or throwing whatever holiday gift wrap was closest to me on any boxes I needed to wrap. Not that simple gift wrap doesn't say special...it just wasn't saying "special" for me. I've been getting into adding little details to my gift wrap and thinking through my gift wrap color themes and stuff, and one of the things I've been wanting to add to my packages are decorative gift tags. My family has always gotten those cutesy sticker tags with images of snowmen or Santa, but I've really been having fun creating gift tags for some recent swaps and want to make some for myself.

I made these gift tags yesterday with the traditional Christmas color scheme, but I'm not going for "traditional" with my Christmas color scheme. I'm going for traditional with a twist. Anywho, that means that I need to give these babies away. One set will be for a swap (those aren't pictured), one set will be for a Christmas gift, and one set will be given away to one of my dear readers (or guests).

I am giving away this set, with the glittery gift tags including: red rectangle on holiday print, red swirly circle on green striped print, a hand-drawn holly berry bit, off white rectangle on green print, hand drawn/glittered swirl on red swirl print with off white paper print, poinsettia on cream/red rectangles on holiday print

This set (with the Santa gift tag) will be showing up in someone's Christmas gift (only the first set pictured will be given away)

CONTEST INFO

Two Ways to Enter (and you can do both if you want to enter twice!):
1. Leave a comment on this post (only one comment per person, unless you do #2, too) and say which tag is your fave
2. Do a post about the contest on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post (if you do a post about the contest, you may use the first image of the gift tags in your contest post)

All entries must be received by Friday night (12/7/07), as the winner will be selected Saturday morning.

Happy Contesting!

Happy Handmade Holidays

2007-12-02T00:40:00.000-05:00

I know I mentioned wanted to make all my presents this year, but I've been getting into making my decorations, too. I've really been working on brainstorming the perfect color scheme and found some great inspiration in my Martha Stewart books...only problem is...where does she find all those amazing colors for such regular items as gift wrap, ribbon, etc. Thank goodness she opened her own aisle in Michael's so I can finally access some of her pretty colors in scrapbook paper and tissue paper colors! I think my fave color of her collection is her "Feldspar" - it's like a pale blue-green...not quite "robin's egg blue" - I think "Feldspar" has a bit more green to it...but any-hoosier.

I found these cute and cheap ornaments at Michael's the other day when I "went in for one thing." I'm sure you guys know how that goes. Anywho, I figured they'd be a simple project to paint up and sparkle up...and they were! The little crevices were a bit difficult, and you can see I painted the light turquoise color on the snowflakes a tad, but I figured they'd be covered with glitter. There were also a few black marks on some of the ornaments, but again, I figured they'd be covered with glitter, so who'd ever know...except you guys now.

Painting the background light turquoise

All done! The tops were painted white to accent the snowflakes and I added Martha's White Gold glitter to the tops.

Now I just need a tree!

Bailey Playing

2007-12-02T00:33:00.000-05:00

I know he's not supposed to be on the bed and all...

...but I mistook him for one of my cuddly stuffed animals and he just accidentally ended up here...yeaaaa...that's right...

Shabby Chic Gift Tags

2007-11-28T00:06:00.000-05:00

I finally carved some time out of my evening to make time for a long-awaited project: handmade gift tags. Sure, I had laundry to do, clothes to fold, a dog to take care of (wait, I still did that one), emails to type, but I'm usually one who does what she feels she should do. Tonight, I decided to do what I want to do. I don't get these opportunities often (when what I have to do in a night absolutely must be done by the next day), but I think that helps me enjoy my time better when I finally have it.

After searching for nearly thirty minutes for a pad of Amy Butler scrapbook paper (which, of course, I didn't end up using), I set up our dining room table, sipped some chocolate soy milk and just crafted and crafted and crafted to my heart's content.

I used some random scrapbook paper, craft punches, ink pads, stamps, ribbon, and one of my new fave craft supplies - Martha Stewart glitter! It's fab - so delicate! I also got to try a new crafting trick - the inkpad edging effect that makes the paper looked aged. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and turned out great! Now I know why everyone does it so much!

Not sure if these would officially be considered "shabby chic", but I didn't know what else to call the gift tag style.

I had a great brainstorm today for a winter craft project, but as I've already been to Michael's nearly five times this month (and JoAnn's twice), I need to:
1. Use the craft supplies I already have
2. Stop spending too much money on craft supplies! I suppose I truly am a shopaholic

Butterfly Scarf in Green

2007-11-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

I've decided to try to handmade all my presents this year. What else am I supposed to do with all of these gorgeous yarns, fabrics, and other crafy goodies, but make something that I can share with those I love? I think there's something extra special to handmade gifts...the heart that goes into each creation is something you can't buy with all the money in the world. Only problem is...I've distributed the link to this blog to nearly all my friends and family, so they'll be able to see their presents before they get them. Oopsie! My saving grace? The fact that they won't know which of the many creations are theirs until they open that box on Christmas Day.

Now that I've completed my first "butterfly" scarf project, I've decided to make more in the same style, but different colors, yarns, and textures. The yarn shop I've been frequenting (too much by the way) has these nifty grab bags in the front of the store, allowing me to afford all the yarns I've been collecting lately. Too bad they never put any of the oh-so-lovely alpaca or cashmerino yarns in those...I'm dying to work with that stuff, but I'm trying to buy yarns for gifts for others...not gifts for me. I think after the holidays are over, I'm going to head straight to the yarn store and get me some of the chunky alpaca yarn and some of the uber-cuddly cashmerino in black or off-white and make myself a shrug. I don't know how to make one, nor do I have any patterns, but with all the practice I'll get from these Christmas-gift-scarves, I should be able to figure it out. Yea baby!

Worms? No Thanks...I'm a Vegetarian.

2007-11-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful one and for everyone else, I hope you had a lovely weekend. I spent Thanksgiving with my fiance's family this year...one of several beautiful family get-togethers I've been fortunate enough to participate in. Don't get me wrong...I love my quiet, simple dinners with my immediate family, but with my mom from the Philippines and my dad from the north, we don't have a lot of "other family" near-by. We used to celebrate with some cousins of ours but haven't been able to connect as of late, but hopefully, we'll all get together soon. Anywho, every once in awhile, (maybe it's just me) but, I look forward to one of those big family celebrations with lots of friends and family everywhere. Very holiday-esque, no? My family has always celebrated traditional American holidays, but the older I get, the more I want to celebrate the holidays. The more I want to decorate, to bake, to cook, to gift wrap. I can't wait till my SO and I get a house so I can really get started decorating and maybe even host a holiday dinner. I'm taking notes from my Martha Stewart library...just in case.

We celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving with Turkey, dressing, gravy, dry dressing (a secret family recipe), macaroni & cheese, green been casserole, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls...am I forgetting anything? I mean, obviously, we had dessert (my fave part of any meal): pumpkin gooey-butter cake, brownies, ice cream, and apple pie. If you can't tell from the photo, I celebrated Thanksgiving with quite a few of my SO's family - his aunt & uncle (the hosts) and their two sons, his mom, his brother & his son, his sister & her husband & their son & daughter.

I had a funny conversation with one of my SO's nephews, Alex, while he was playing with this fish toy that had a worm on a pully that when you pulled made the fish's tail swim while the worm moved closer towards the fish's mouth. The conversation went something like this:

Me: What's that in the fish's mouth?
Alex: A worm.
Me: What's the fish doing with the worm?
Alex: He's eating it.
Me: Do you eat worms?
Alex: NOOOO! I'm a veg-e-TAR-ian! I don't eat meat!

It wasn't the answer I was expecting, but it was really too cute.

The weather was a bit chilly, but beautiful. The fire-colored leaves looked so brilliant against the blue-blue sky.

Bailey is really loving all the leaves. He loves to eat them...or pick them up in his mouth at least...

...even leaves waaaay bigger than his head, which is pretty cute.

Oh yea...and he likes sticks, too.

When we got back home from visiting my SO's family, we had a simple soup...gotta eat healthy after chowing down on all that turkey, right? This is the Chicken Provencal "Stoup" by Rachael Ray (click here for recipe). I thought the recipe was pretty good, but if you try it, be sure to get the olive tapenade. I was hesitant to buy it because I don't like olives, but a teaspoon-full stirred into my soup added a lot of flavor, and it didn't really make the soup taste too much like olives. It just added depth to the flavor overall.

Oh, and did I mention that we also got to celebrate my SO's mom's b-day? Happy birthday, you-know-who!

Happy Turkey Day!

2007-11-22T00:17:00.000-05:00

Bailey says...

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

Caterpillar to Butterfly

2007-11-21T18:34:00.000-05:00

My little caterpillar has finally grown into a butterfly! Ok, not really, but wow! How satisfying is the completion of your first project in a new medium? After two beginner knitting classes, and many hours silently & happily knitting, I've got a beautiful scarf that I can actually use. I'm so excited!

It's funky and fun...but, mainly, I picked it out for it's casual style, so I could more esaily hide my mistakes...heehee

Even Bailey wanted to help me model my new scarf!

Quilt Kit - An Update

2007-11-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine, I've been pretty swamped with potty training and house-breaking the puppy...uh...and I may have spent just an hour or so on play time...yea, there may have been an hour-ish spent on play time *hee hee*

But, I did manage to make some progress on the quilt kit.

I laid out all the pieces and figured out how I wanted them to look and I got all the squares sewed into rows.

Of course, by some sort of not-so-much-stroke-of-genius, I managed to sew the first two rows together upside down, which threw off my entire layout, so I had to re-arrange a bit...oopsie!

I'm also not sure on how to machine quilt this bad boy yet, either...I was thinking stich-in-the-ditch would be easy, but now I'm hearing I should just stitch some loose waves...I'm leaning towards the waves...especially since these squares aren't lining up the way I want them to. Not bad for my first try, though...I mean, so far, so good. Now, I just need to finish it up. Too bad I'm starting to get addicted to this.

Pretty Puppy Tarts

2007-11-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

We took Bailey to a local canine cafe today to get him a special treat. This place has the cutest gourmet doggie sorbets, puppy petit fours, puppy tarts, and more.

Bailey picks his treat out...

...and we take it home so he can enjoy it

We also got some puppy training treats that the cafe bakes on site. They have a bakery downstairs of the shop and bake healthy dog treats with organic goods and other special ingrediants. The puppy training treats are especially healthy b/c they're so tiny, we'll be able to give Bailey lots of them while potty training him and working on other training tricks.

Something tells me we'll be back there soon!

Knit Caterpillar...Update

2007-11-18T23:31:00.001-05:00

My knit caterpillar is growing and growing every day.

I'm hoping it will turn into a butterfly one day soon. What do you think?

Handmade Doggie Bed

2007-11-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be a good idea to make Bailey a dog bed...even though we got one w/ the puppy kit we bought when we picked him up from the pet store. I figured it'd be a cinch...I could do a big square and stuff it with poly fill. No, even better, I could use a foam padding I have and do a poly-filled tube to sew on the padding. Well, my "simple" project kept me up past midnight sometime mid last week and then we decided not to use it that night. What?! Why did I work so hard to complete the project that night? Oh well. He seems to like it pretty well either way.

I started by sewing a rectangle a couple inches larger than the width/height. Then, I stuffed it with a foam piece I had in my stash.

I finished the rectangle part by sewing up the edge.

Next, I made a big tube and stuffed it with polyfill.

Then, I just had to sew the tube part onto the rectangle. I'm sure it looks nice from this not-too-up-close photo, but it's actually a bit of a mess. It was really hard to get the tube part under the sewing foot to be able to sew them together, and I'm sure I could have done something better to get the corners down, but I just kind folded and scrunched it and sewed over it. Hey, it works. lol.

Someone sure seems to be enjoying it and that's all that matters. :)

Bailey Visits the Vet

2007-11-15T21:14:00.001-05:00

We took our little trooper to his first vet visit today, and he did great! Luckily, I got a good recommendation on the vet clinic and everyone who worked there was super sweet to Bailey. They definitely did a great job of making him as comfortable as possibly while do his vaccines and other checkups. Thanks guys!

Waiting for the vet

Uh-oh...check-up time! I'm scared!

All done! Yay! Do I get a treat now?

The Good, The Bad, and the...Well, No Ugly Here

2007-11-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple videos I took of our new corgi puppy this morning:

The Good

Just walking around - he doesn't like going down curbs just yet, but his legs will get bigger and it will be easier for him to get down. I think it's so cute how he walks with those short little legs of his!

The Bad

Chewing his leash - he doesn't know what "No" means yet, but we're working on it. We're also thinking of putting something on the leash to keep him from chewing it. Someone told me earlier today to soak it in tobasco sauce (not sure about that one) or that there may be a spray you can put on it. Maybe the spray is the same stuff they use to keep kids from sucking their thumb or biting their nails?

Anywho, we may have the good and the bad, but there's no ugly here!

NOTE: Movie image source not known - if you're the owner and object to it's use, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com and I'll take it down.

Knitting a Caterpillar

2007-11-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well, after two beginner knitting classes, I've managed to create this beautiful knit caterpillar:

Ok, so that's not true...I'm actually working on a scarf I saw in a craft magazine that I bought this weekend, but it does look kinda like a caterpillar, no?

Me Day? Not So Much...

2007-11-12T23:46:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I know I promised that I would take a "Me Day" today since it's a bank holiday so I could work on that quilt kit, but how can you say no to these eyes?

So, yes, to answer the question you may be thinking, we got a Corgi puppy today! He's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and he's absolutely adorable!

Ok, here's the scoop:
I've been trying to talk my SO into getting a dog for awhile now. My German Shepherd (RIP Teddy) died a couple years ago, but my SO has a dog at home, so it's been a tougher decision for him. Fiiiiiinally, this weekend, he told me that he was thinking about getting me a dog for Christmas. Good thing I'd been researching puppies for a few months now. Since we live in an apartment right now, we have to keep the dog's size under 30 lbs. So, I'd been looking into

Shiba Inus

and Corgis

Both are medium sized dogs that I would feel relatively safe walking around by myself (yea, I'm paranoid...especially about being mugged, and yes...even in my neighborhood). Both are smart and have good temperments. Both have a lot of qualities my SO and I were looking for in a dog. We also considered rescuing or adopting a dog and while it breaks my heart that we didn't get one, we feel like our new puppy sorta picked us. We visited a couple pet stores this weekend and saw a couple puppies we liked, but nothing that jumped out at us. But, today, when we found out there was a pet store 30 minutes away that was selling one puppy of each breed we were interested in, we knew we had to check it out. We were actually planning on visiting a couple shelters today, but they only do adoptions on weekends and we had already missed the Saturday boat. I'm still brainstorming other ways I can help out a pet organiziation, but back to the story...we got to the store this afternoon and immediately looked for the Corgi. He was in a circular bin that had an open top, so I leaned over to get a better look and the little Corgi puppy reached up and kissed my nose....Awww...it was a sign...it had to be, right? We asked to play with the puppy and instantly felt a connection. He was so bubbly and friendly and soft and cuddly...after roughly 20 minutes of play time, we knew he was coming home with us. We even got him on a Veteran's Day sale...who knew they did holiday sales for dogs? Anywho, to make a long story short, we and our new puppy picked each other out today and the rest will be history. Now, we just have to figure out a great name...we're thinking maybe Bailey or Duke, but we're not sure. We looked through a couple Welsh Names web sites, but nothing else has really jumped out at us. I'm sure we'll figure something out soon...can't wait!

NOTE: Shiba Inu and last Corgi photo found on the web - if you're the owner and object to its use, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com and I'll take it down.

Tomorrow I'm Taking a "Me Day"

2007-11-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

I'm such a workaholic...most people are, really, I think. If they're not working too-long-days or too-long-weeks at work, they are full time mommies, or passionately putting in hours towards their own business(es) (or a combination of those...like me...except for that mommy thing). For me, there's always something on my to-do list...just always sometime to do. I don't get as much fun time as I like. In fact, I like to think of myself as a crafty person, but while browsing through my blog posts lately, I've realized that I don't make much craft stuff. Not nearly as much as I'd like to...or think I do, really. Even my extra holidays (bank holidays) are spent running errands and what not. Well, not tomorrow! Tomorrow I'm taking a "Me Day." Tomorrow, I'm not going to worry about what I should do...I'm going to do whatever I feel like doing. I'm planning to make my first quilt. And what better way to make my first quilt than to start with this lovely quilt kit:

I got this from Kelly McCaleb on Etsy - click here

Wish me luck!

Comfort Food: Pot Roast & Molasses Cookies

2007-11-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's with me lately, but with all this cold weather, I've really been getting into comfort food lately. Today, I knew I'd have a full day - brunch with the girls, bead show shopping (this always takes a few hours, no matter how hard I try to zip through), and then jewelry making so I'll have some new creations just in time for Christmas. I decided to do a simple, yet tasty pot roast

I've also been itching to make these molasses cookies I saw on one of my Martha Stewart DVDs - Martha's Favorite Cookies

I've been collecting the ingrediants for the recipe for a couple weeks now, bit by bit...I never made a list, so I kept forgetting a couple ingrediants here and there.

Sift the dry ingrediants, then add the wet ingrediants.

Mix and add rolled oats

Use an ice cream scoop to form balls - this is a dry dough, so I recommend patting the dough into the scoop to firm it up a bit. Dip a cup into sugar and flatten each cookie.

Bake, cool, and enjoy!

Now, which Martha Stewart cookie to make next? Hmmm...

Sew Pretty Tote

2007-11-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

After seeing some cute sewing craftiness over at Thrifty Goodness, I was inspired to purchase the book she said she used for her creations, called Sew Pretty Homestyle. I've been really inspired by sewing books lately that have simple ideas for projects - especially the ones that don't require patterns. If they start out with squares, that just makes my life easier...I'm sure patterns aren't hard, but cutting out squares is just less complicated and intimidating for me, the beginner sewer. Btw...am I the only one who thinks that the word "sewer" (as in one who sews) is too easily confused with the other word "sewer," which refers to something entirely different? Turns out that they're spelled the same, but I'm a person who sews...not something that carries off sewage...ick. But, I digress...back to the project! I've finally made something cute that I can actually use!

First, I had to pick my project. This was easy because I instantly fell in love with the tote on the front of the book, so that left me only having to pick out fabric. I didn't actually use all of these fabrics, but maybe I'll use them on my next one?

Using a dinner place to mark the curved corners

Sewing on the curve wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. After slowly going around the first one, I thought, hey...no problem. I learned, however, that I need to work on that curve thing a bit more, because I tried zipping along the second curve and it wasn't quite as on-the-line as the first...lol...oops!

Isn't turning the fabric a funny thing? For a few moments there, it just looks like a gigantic blog of nothing.

Ok, almost there...

One handle hand-sewed on...one to go...

All done...what do you think?

Hanging out on the door...get it? Hanging? Har har har...

The best part of this project is I had a purpose in mind when I made this. I finished my project just in time to use it for my first knitting class! Woohoo! I figured, if I went to the knitting class and I was terrible, I could just hold up my bag and say, hey...I may not be able to knit, but I can make something...see! I made this this weekend! lol

Garage Sale Goodies

2007-11-10T00:13:00.000-05:00

It's been sooooo long since I've been able to spend some good time garage saling, but I finally made time last weekend to hit up three. I found some not so good deals and some great deals. Here are some of my purchases:

Here's what I got:
~ Some cute coral-toned mugs - about 15 cents each
~ a nifty oven-proof container - about 50 cents - I think we're going to use this for dips
~ lotus bowls - so glad I finally got some of these! These were about 10 cents each
~ Can you believe this glass cake stand was only $1? I kinda can't and yet there it is sitting on my kitchen counter

Pumpkin Picking in the Patch

2007-11-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

A little late, but pumpkins are still in till Thanksgiving, right?

We actually went to this pumpkin patch a week or so ago.

Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere!

They even had a couple big containers of water so you could wash the dirt off before putting the pumpkin in your car.

All picked out and ready to go home!

Fresh Pasta Down the Block

2007-10-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

If you're a food fanatic (or maybe a food snob) and have become as obsessed with the Food Network as I have recently, then you, too, understand how much high quality ingrediants can make a dish taste that better. My dad has always been a bit of a health freak, and I remember how jealous I'd be of other kids when I was growing up who were allowed to drink Kool-Aid and eat white bread (things that were never stocked in our house). We drank juice or water and ate wheat bread. I remember being upset that I couldn't eat the junk food that the other kids were eating. Don't get me wrong, it's not like we never ate chips or pizza or fast food, but my parents always tried to limit our intake. Years of misunderstanding have finally paid off as I now choose to eat wheat bread over white and buy fresh foods and veggies, and try to shy away from processed foods. But, another thing my parents instilled in me was to strive for a high quality of food that I took for granted in my younger years. We weren't rich...we didn't buy gourmet...but we did eat well. Thanks mom and dad...as usual...you guys were right.

Anywho, I've been loving the Food Network show Everyday Italian with Giada DeLaurentis - her recipes are overall simple and always tasty, and thanks to her recipes, I've finally started cooking with fresh pasta. Wow! What a difference it makes...even if you just get the fresh pasta from the regular grocery store. So, when I found out there was a place nearby that makes fresh pasta daily, I knew I had to check it out...asap!

When you enter Pasta & Provisions, you are greeted by a cooler filled with yummy sauces, including Marinara, Marinara with Meatballs, Alfredo, Basil Pesto, and more.

Follow the counter to the left and take a peek as you walk to see their fresh olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatos, pine nuts, and other goodies that can be nearly impossible to find at the grocery store sometimes.

Just past the counter is another cool stocked full of more sauces and fresh pastas, including manicotti, ravioli, and stuffed shells. The fresh pasta is ordered at the front, cut to your order and sold by the pound.

Inside the other side of the store is a collection of fine wines and other gourmet goodies like Amaretti cookies (often used in Giada's dishes) - this is the first place I've seen them sold.

I ended up coming home with a complete dinner: manicotti, bolognese sauce, freshly shredded mozarella, rosemary foccacia bread, organic salad mix, and a bottle of pinot grigio

I put everything together and baked for about 45 minutes. A far longer cooking time than the other fresh pastas, like angel hair, which literally cooks in under a minute.

See - all done and looking good!

All I have to say is, "Squisito!"

Halloween Dinner Party

2007-10-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned when I made my pumpkin favors, I decided to have my first official "dinner party" with a Halloween theme - primarily themed with the color black. Although it was lots of work and took up most of my weekend, I really enjoyed putting this together. Here are some shots from the evening:

I decided to make a nice, cold-weather comfort food, with a nice red tomato-juice-based sauce to resemble blood (just a bit...nothing realistic). It's the Brisket with Carrots & Onions by Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa. I also served it with spinach dip (from The Fresh Market) and roasted potatoes:

Roasted Potatoes Recipe
1-3 lbs small, red-skinned potatoes
4 garlic cloves
1 TBSP Italian seasoning (or other dried herb of choice)
2 TSP salt
1 TSP pepper
4-5 TBSP olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Peel rough parts of skin and eyes from potatoes (I like a little skin left on, but feel free to peel the whole thing). Slice potatoes into 1/2-1" chunks (the smaller the chunks, the faster they'll cook). Put potatoes in baking dish. Top with garlic, spices, salt, pepper, and drizzle olive oil on top. Toss potatoes to cover and distribute seasoning and oil. Potatoes should be lightly covered. Bake for 40-60 minutes until to desired tenderness.

I went with an all black table setting...well, except for the plates. A black, sparkly table cloth from target, 3 black candles, & the black flowers/vases I crafted earlier

A closer look

An armoire in the living area got a scary makeover with these Michael's skull luminaries, red/black candies, and black web-covered branch

I wanted to do a themed dessert since the dinner wasn't too scary looking, so I chose the spider "creep-cakes" from the Martha Stewart mag and re-created them without the fangs.

Unfortunately, one snuck away and we haven't seen him since.

We even had some "Witches Brew" complete with spooky dry ice effects. The dry ice didn't last long though...I'll have to get a bigger piece for next year. Anywho, if you check out the recipe, I subbed Kool-Aid for the soda packets, and I opted for the dry ice effects over the "frozen hand"...I'm sure either is scary. The spiders seemed to enjoy the special effects, watching carefully with their beady, red eyes.

This rustic, hearty dinner was served on a candle-lit table.

I even had time to make little name cards for each place setting.

After dinner was over, the spiders were served up. Unfortunately, the black sugar on top turned everyone's mouths black (lips, teeth, tongue), but them seemed to think it was pretty funny, even reaching for a second spider snack. Hey, it could be a good prank if you want to get one of your friends.

All in all, I'd say it was a successful dinner thanks to special help from my honey. Thanks babe. Hope everyone enjoyed.

Pumpkin Favors a la Martha Stewart

2007-10-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

Ahh...Martha, how you've been inspiring me lately...

We decided to have people over for dinner this weekend, so I decided to make it my first "dinner party." Sure, we've had people over for dinner before, but nothing fancy. I wanted to take advantage of the Halloween holiday and use some of the ideas I've been gathering from my Martha Stewart Good Things and Bad Things collective Halloween magazine. In preparation, I decided to make some of those cute, little pumpkin goodie bags:

Start with orange paper bags. Get the smaller ones, though. The first time I tried making these it was with the big ones and it seemed like the bottomless paper bag. Of course, if you want to put lots and lots of candy (think 20 mini-sized candies), then go for the big one. Anywho, fill with candy (the small fits about 8-10 mini candies)

Twist the tops. Cut a piece of floral tape and pull to make it stretchy. Wrap the tape around the "twig" of the pumpkin and leave a few inches for the curly-Q. Twist the end of the tape till it's thin.

Wrap the thin part around a highlighter to make it spiral.

The bags can be ripped into when your friends are ready to snack.

Here they are in the entranceway for our guests to see.

And they're labeled so everyone knows to pick one up on the way out. There, got at least one thing done before our party.

Rainy Day Soup

2007-10-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

After weeks of dry weather, the rain is finally here. I'm normally not a fan of the rain, but I realize how important it is at this time, so I'm welcoming the wet weather with a nice, big, hot bowl of soup, b/c there's not much better on a rainy day than hot soup.

I saw a picture of a chicken breast and white bean soup in one of my Every Day with Rachael Ray mags, so I thought I'd try to figure out the ingrediants on my own when I realized I wouldn't have the recipe on me at the grocery store. I got chicken stock, white beans, and a rotisserie chicken, which I pulled the meat from. I also got some fresh spinach.

When I got home, I quickly found the recipe and realized that I'd forgotten or simply missed several of the recipe's ingrediants. I also realized I got some wrong...for example, the recipe called for arugula...not spinach. Oh well, I shrugged. I figured it would have to taste good on it's own.

Care for some soup?

Easy Chicken, White Bean, and Spinach Soup "Recipe"
(in quotes b/c it's not really a true recipe...just something I threw together - very simple and makes a great healthy meal with minimal cooking)

Ingrediants:
1 Rotisserie Chicken (full or breast only) - meat pulled from bones
1 Box Chicken Stock
2 Cans white beans (I used Northern) - rinsed
1/2 bag fresh spinach (baby may be better, but the regular stuff was cheaper)

Directions:
~Heat broth over medium heat (add a couple cups water if you want it more "brothy")
~Add chicken and beans to stock
~Bring to boil, turn down to low heat
~Stir spinach into soup to wilt
~Serve with nice crusty bread

New Etsy Items 10/23/07

2007-10-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

I finally updated my Etsy shop since I first opened it a couple months ago. I was going to photograph some of my new designs, but *grrr* my camera battery just died. It's charging away now, so maybe I'll have time later this week. I hope I do. We're having some people over for dinner this weekend...it will be like my first real dinner party, so while I'm' kinda scared, I'm pretty stoked, too...I've got some Halloween decorations and other fun stuff and lots of goodie bag ideas from my latest Martha Stewart. And a couple MS Halloween projects to show off.

Anywho, my etsy shop is dcelestine.etsy.com - I hope you visit soon!

Another Busy Weekend!

2007-10-21T15:54:00.000-05:00

No sitting around and relaxing for me this weekend. I knew going into it that it would be quite action-packed. Hmm...maybe "action" isn't the right word, but I knew that my plate was pretty full. First, I went to a birthday party for a friend at a local bar where she was collecting new toys or donations for a newly opened hospital. But, I couldn't stay out late b/c I had to go to a jewelry/gift show for wholesale buyers with a friend who also makes jewelry Saturday morning. I was disappointed to see that there was pretty much only wholesale goods for resellers b/c I was there to get wholesale jewelry supplies. I ended up still spending a pretty penny on new bead strands as there was one booth with a relatively good selection, so I'll have lots to work on in the next few weeks (if not longer). It was probably a good thing that there were only a couple vendors with beads, b/c I had something special lined up at 11:30am Saturday. Something I've been dying to try for what seems like the longest time - a fused glass class (to make pendants). Here are some photos:

The instructor uses a special cutter to score the top of a sheet of glass

Then, the black clamp tool is used to completely break off the scored section into two pieces

I quickly picked out my colors - the turquoise was an obvious choice for me

Here are some of the pendants I designed in raw form. These still need to be fused together in a special kiln at a mere 1400 degrees farenheit. Hmmm...I made a bit of a mess, no?

I'd show the finished product, but the pendants go in the cool kiln, which is then heated up in a slow process. Overall, it takes a few hours to completely heat up, fuse and cool back down. I won't be able to pick my pendants up for a couple days since the instructor needs to bring me some bails so I can make these babies into wearable art.

The instructor said we could take a peek at the pendants about an hour or so after she put the first batch in. To kill time, I grabbed a quick bite to eat at a local market - very funky...I should have taken pictures, but was too timid to ask and didn't want to offend anyone by just whipping my camera out. Anywho, see that Famous Pumpkin Roll? It was quite tasty...I knew when it said famous, it'd be worth trying...they were right.

As you can see, the sandwich was quite yummy, too. I had chicken salad on marbled rye. After lunch, it was back to the bead store to peak at my new creation...which is beautiful (I suppose nearly all artists say that of their own work when they're super proud). Can't wait to pick it up...even if it will take a couple days.

No problem for me as I had lots more to do Saturday. Next, I made a quick trip to Salvation Army to do some thrifting

I found this vintage-y floral bowl - quite used - but that makes it easier to actually use it, an interesting plate, a gravy bowl (maybe?), some yellow gingham fabric, and a couple baskets.

Then, it was back to the house to clean before we went to a charity BBQ dinner for a friend who passed away a couple years ago. They had a golf tournament, the dinner, and a silent auction to raise money for scholarships that have been set up in her name. I donated a necklace/earring set with Swarovski crystals for the silent auction. The event was at a golf course, and all around were signs of fall.

Then, it was to the bar to hang out with some of my SO's friends to watch some games. Then, a tennis lesson Sunday morning. Phew! I'm exhausted! Can't wait to see my pendants, though...yay!

Halloween Costume Idea

2007-10-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

Can you tell I'm up late blogging all night. I felt so bad neglecting my blog for several months like I did, and there are really so many fascinating things for me to write/photo/blog about...if only there were more hours in the day. I'm sure we all long for that. I suppose we can call these multiple posts in one day making up for all that neglect.

Anywho, I've been trying for years to come up with a unique idea for a Halloween costume that would be perhaps memorable to some, while still not being the same thing everyone else does. I'm a bit of an 80's girl and I grew up watching all those fantasy-themed movies like The Labyrinth, Neverending Story, and Legend (with young Tom Cruise). How cool would it be to make a costume to resemble "Dark Lily" from the Legend movie from this scene?

What's that? No one else will know who I'm supposed to be? Oh well, at least it would look pretty cool and be different. I wonder if my sewing skills will be up to par so I can make this by Halloween? Prolly not - this idea may have to wait until '08.

It's weird how certain clips you saw while growing up and watching cartoons and movies stay with you. This is one of my all-time favorites - very enchanting.

I should add that if you've never seen this movie and like a good fantasy-themed movie, you should def check this movie out sometime. Otherwise, this scene will be completely random...lol.

I Can't Get No...(Instant) Satisfaction

2007-10-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

I'm all about instant satisfaction - especially when it comes to crafting. Sure, I appreciate the long-lasting craft as good as the next girl, but every once in awhile, you want something you can throw together quickly. Kinda like those pre-formed cookies they have the grocery stores these days. Just break apart and bake...mmm. I suppose it's too late for cookies tonight, huh? Anywho, I think part of my desire for the quick projects stems from my busy life. Most people out there are pretty swamped these days - I don't really know any people who just sit around all day with nothing today (sounds boring to me anywho), but you busy girls know what I mean. Sometimes, you don't have time for a project that takes days and days. Personally, I wouldn't mind having one of those going on in the background (and I guess I kinda do with my embroidery), but it's nice to be able to completely create a couple little things here and there in no time.

I finally had my first "A-ha! This isn't so hard afterall" sewing moment last weekend when I made my first tote - a project from The Crafter's Companion (a truly awesome book) - except for that little seam ripping incident when I sewed the strap in upside down. Oopsie! Anywho, I was so floored by that experience, I turned out a vintage-style apron - a project from Bend the Rules Sewing - as well as this zip pouch - another fab Amy Karol project from BTRS:

Picking out all the fabrics and accessories - I decided to match the apron fabric b/c I adore it and b/c it was already out.

All done and ready for zipping. Unfortunately, I need to redo the lining inside - it seems to be getting slightly caught in the zipper teeth, but no worries. I already know how to use my seam ripper...lol

I guess my only problem now is that since I'm quite the "newbie" at sewing, projects that would take AK 5 minutes take me more like 5...hours. lol. Oh well, it should get faster with time. One day I'll have my instant gratification sewing projects down pat!

My Kind of TV Dinner

2007-10-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

Salisbury Steak is one kind of frozen food that I think is actually pretty tasty. Especially, if you get the Stouffer's version. However, if I have more time, I like to make a Rachael Ray version I saw on TV almost a year ago. Since the first time I made it (back when I first saw it), this meal has become almost a "staple" of my repertoire of cuisine choices, but I finally took the dinner up a notch by getting these cute TV trays from Tar-jhay (Target - but you have to say it with an accent to make it sound snooty...lol...not b/c it's snooty...just b/c it's funny). Here's my version of the 30 Minute Meal - Salisbury Steak with Wild Mushroom Gravy, Smashed Potatoes with garlic and Herb Cheese and Chives, Creamed Spinach (except with peas instead of spinach):

Gotta start the potatoes first - they take the longest. Although, if you're doing this recipe, don't underestimate how long those steaks will take to cook. Go ahead and get started on at least forming the steak patties next.

All the steak ingrediants go in one bowl. Mix. Form. Wait to cook.

Just a couple mushrooms. I actually don't like mushrooms - mainly the texture. But the flavor can instantly change a meal, so I always try to add at least a little bit of mushroom when the recipe calls for them. There are two creminis (baby portobellos) and 1 shitake here.

These ingrediants will make my mashed potatoes extra tasty. I used alouette for the soft cheese.

Browning the beef...mmm...lookin good! A little on the well-done side, but like my mom, I like things just a tad burned. That and I get paranoid about undercooking food. I'm working on that one.

Then, like the finale of a great musical, it all comes together. Ok, so not exactly like that, but it does look pretty tempting, no?

I think perhaps one of the best things w/ these nifty little trays is that your food doesn't get all garbled together. I saw this movie once when I was a kid...something to do w/ a kid and their toy house (can't remember the name of it for the life of me), but I'll never forget when one of the characters said, "I'm a military man. I don't like my food to touch." My dad poked fun at me quoting that line for years and years after (read he still does today), but it's true for the most part. I'm not a fan of mixing food unless you're supposed to (think stir fry), so these trays keep all my food nicely separated so my gravy doesn't get all over the peas and so my bread doesn't get soggy from the other foods. It's genius. Hmm...maybe I'll eat all my meals on these now? Prolly not - but I'll def be making this meal again soon.

Mini Donuts...Mmmmm...

2007-10-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

Homer Simpson would be in big trouble if he worked anywhere near where I work. I recently found out that a man sets up a mini donut stand just a couple blocks from where I work every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (except today b/c it was raining...I checked). My mini donut craving will have to wait over the weekend. But in the meantime, here are some photos from my most recent visit:

The cart comes with a sort of dough holder, which when a certain button (or lever?) is pushed, creates these perfect hoops, which start bubbling away as soon as they hit the hot oil below.

They follow a path of hot oil, while gently being flipped - to brown both sides, of course.

Then, once they're done cooking, they are flipped into a metal bin where the excess oil drips off and they cool down just a tad

See? There are some cooling right now. Want him to make you a bag?

Top them off with powdered or cinnamon sugar...shake around to coat...

...there! Perfectly sugary sweet little mini donuts that simply melt in your mouth.

Want one?

My First Handmade Apron!

2007-10-16T20:45:00.001-05:00

I have a serious sewing bug! First the tote, now the vintage-style apron! I have something else I cooked up (not literally) last night, but I'll save that for later this week. Anywho, I'm not sure where this came bug came from. One minute, I was hiding the sewing machine (that I was slightly intimidated by) under the side table in my living room, the next, it's taken over the dining room table along with piles of cloth, rick-rack, ribbon, vintage buttons, and other sewing goodies. Now, I finally get to put all the supplies I stocked up on several months ago to good use.

I suppose I can credit the success of my first project this weekend and how much easier it was to do than I thought it would be...or could I could credit the most-awesome craftiness of the authors and contributors of all the crafty books I've been stocking up on...or I could consider that I may have gained some extra craftiness through osmosis by spending all day with the crafters at the Etsy Crafting Patch Market. I like to think it's a combination of all of the above that led to my second project - the Vintage Apron in Bend The Rules Sewing by Amy Karol:

Gathering my materials

Getting ready to put the pieces together

Sewing the last bit - finishing the waist band

The directions said to embellish as I wanted, so I added a simple pocket with some pretty rick-rack

It's far from perfect - the gathering wasn't so hot and I didn't sew the lines quite as straight as I could have, but I'm pretty proud of this for my first apron project. Can't wait to wear it for my next cooking adventure. Thanks Amy for the fun project!

My First Handmade Tote!

2007-10-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

Yay! I finally bit the bullet and jumped head-first into one of my first major sewing projects. Perhaps it was the collection of talented crafters yesterday who inspired me or perhaps it's just that time of year? Whatever it is, I'm glad I did it. Oh wait, I know at least one good reason for the crafty-cravings - I just got my copy of The Crafter's Companion and noticed a couple somewhat simple looking beginner projects to try out. I went for the Library Tote by Fiona Dalton of Hop Skip Jump

The storm before the calm

Aligning the pocket

A rookie error while sewing the top sections together - serious sewing crafters are now either laughing at this photo or shaking their head - can you see what I did wrong?

Yea, that strap was supposed to be INSIDE the purse!!! Doh! After some serious seam-ripping I started the top-sewing again. Ahh...that's much better

Wow - my first tote! I'm so thrilled! I should have reinforced it with interfacing, but didn't want to waste it in the event I totally goofed this project up.

I think this tote might just be with me for awhile. Maybe forever.

That was fun! Hmm...which project to do next? Maybe I should try to finish that embroidery project from awhile back?

Pre-Etsy Show

2007-10-14T22:15:00.001-05:00

Crafters out there will understand how not-such-a-good-idea it was that my SO wanted me to help him make these the day before my big show.

Silly boys!

I'm a Craft Pioneer!

2007-10-14T21:45:00.001-05:00

At least that's what the girl running the Etsy Crafting Patch Market craft show told me. When I signed up for the Etsy sponsored event, I knew it was the first one of it's kind in NC. What I didn't realize was that the event I participated in on Saturday was the first Etsy craft show EVER! Can you believe that? I'm honored...seriously!

The show didn't have the traffic I was hoping for, but I had a blast and met a lot of super cool crafters. Everyone there was so nice and it was like everyone was part of a little family. People were helping each other set up their booths, gabbed all day, swapped goodies, and even helped each other take their booth displays down (even when they had a 6 hour drive to make directly after the show - thanks Michelle and hubby :) ).

One of the highlights of the day was my booth display. I didn't win any awards, but in a way I won a personal victory. It's taken me a really long time to get my booth looking in a way that I'm actually happy with, so I'm super proud to share these photos - there has been a lot of hard work and heart put into getting the booth this way:

To my left, I had the lovely Michelle and hubby with AsianCharm (click) and to my right, I had two super friendly girls with Microwave Girl (click)

I also got a fab organic shirt from Ahpeele (click)

Thanks to Angelica and everyone who helped put this together. I hope to be accepted to the Market for '08 - I'll definitely be applying! Hey to all my new Etsy friends - it was so nice meeting all of you and I hope to see you around the craft scene.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-11T22:02:00.001-05:00

I got this fabulous Breast Cancer inspired mosaic from Simply Mein - Isn't it beautiful?

Just a reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I was trying to have an annual Shop for the Cure event (this year would have been my second event, but alas, I couldn't secure my venue in time). That's ok, though, because I'm going to try to work with a larger group to plan something spectacular for next year. In the meantime, there are tons of ways to support Breast Cancer Awareness and research. You can raise money and participate in or donate money to your friends who are doing either the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure or the Avon Walk for Breast cancer - or you could just volunteer at one of the events - volunteers are always needed.

If you're strained on time this year, there are many goods out there you can purchase so a portion of the sales is donated to a good Breast Cancer related charity. I found a bunch of nifty kitchen stuff at Target today all in pink, including this cupcake carrier:

Bialetti Cupcake Carrier (image/item target.com)

I should have gotten this, but nooooo...I just had to get the pink whisk, pink frying pan, pink tongs, and pink scale instead. Maybe next time. Anywho, Bialetti had lots of Breast Cancer related items. I'm not sure if they actually donate a portion of the sales of these items, but they are a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, so I guess somewhere down the line they end up donating a portion of sales.

Anyone doing anything special to support Breast Cancer? :)

A Martha Stewart Halloween

2007-10-09T20:37:00.001-05:00

I really like to celebrate holidays, but I feel like I just haven't been able to get in the spirit of the season (any season) no matter how much I want to. It seems like every year, we say that we're going to do this and that, but I'm tired of talking. Actions truly do speak louder than words, and I've been ready to get my Martha Stewart on for awhile now! On Monday, I decided to take some time to try a couple of the Martha Stewart crafts from her Good Things and Bad Things collective Halloween magazine. I hit up Michael's to stock up on the necessary supplies and had lots of fun! It's been awhile since I've been able to just craft and not worry about making jewelry. I think I earned some fun time when I spent nearly the whole weekend making jewelry non-stop.

First I had to get everything prepped. I wasn't sure how exactly to spray paint the glass vases I got from Michaels for roughly $1, but I figured out that an empty toilet paper roll can be squeezed in to perfectly prop them up. Per the mag, I was supposed to use Mint Julep cups, but I wasn't sure what those were and didn't see anything that looked like the photo in the store. These will have to do for me.

Turns out the toilet paper roll idea worked out pretty well - I easily got a nice coat all over the vase - no sticking to the paper or waiting for it to dry.

Then, it was on to the flowers. I bought the cheapest roses I could find at about $1.25 per stem (one rose per stem) and got 6 so I could put 3 in each jar. The flowers were kinda fun to paint, but if you decide to try this, know that it's kinda hard to get a full coat on and it looks kinda cool with part of the color sticking out from underneath, so definitely go with red roses for that scary look

Don't the roses look scary all black!?

There, all set up in the black vases.

Looks pretty creepy, but a little sparse to me.

There, that's better!

Now I just need to make some creatures to fill up the branch...

Hopefully, there will be lots more crafting in my near future - I have creatures to make and more crafty ideas to bring to life!

Long Weekend Work

2007-10-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

We had a relatively relaxing weekend, this past weekend. I wish I could have spent more time crafting or making jewelry today since I had Columbus Day off. I love being at home during the day, watching the craft shows on TV, and making stuff (jewelry, crafts, whatever). I don't get enough days at home, and it stinks b/c when I finally have one, I usually have to run errands I normally can't do b/c of traffic or not having enough time. I think I spent about 3 hours at Target today, but I guess that's what happens when you don't go for months at a time.

Anywho, we had a pretty good weekend. We visited my honey's mommy and got to hang out with his dog (I think it's funny how she sleeps almost like a human - my SO says that she copied him by the way she hangs her arm off the side of the bed. I know...he's crazy! lol...jk)

I figured out that there's a bead store about 3 miles away from his mom's house and hit it up twice, yes twice, to get lots of fun beads for some upcoming shows. I think I spent a total of 4 hours in that store. Wow - do I have my work cut out for me? Look at all those beads! This is after I spent nearly the whole weekend beading with my new beads!

I even had some time to make some nice snacks. This is one of my favorites. It's a baguette, sliced somewhat thin (about 1/2 thick), drizzled with olive oil and toasted under the broiler. Served with a soft cheese, this is simply yummy. You seriously have to drizzle the bread w/ olive oil - it makes a huge difference in taste that I hadn't expected the first time I made it:

I actually did manage to get a couple fun Martha Stewart crafting project done and I can't wait to share them with you later this week!

Shabby Chic W/E Project (Redux)

2007-10-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

I originally posted this Shabby Chic project on my other blog, Designing Sass, but I'm not sure if I'll ever post there again? I'd really like to, but it's really hard to keep up two blogs, let alone three. A shame, too, because I spent so long making the template of that one really pretty. Anywho, more on that later...Here's my original post:

I've been looking for a printer stand for awhile...not necessarily a true printer stand, but anything furniture-wise that I could put a printer on. Right now, it's propped on some plastic drawers, but the top of one is caving under the weight of the printer, so...you get the point.

So, as soon as I saw this dresser at the Salvation Army, I saw the potential in it to become my printer stand...with some nice paint, scrapbook paper, and decoupage.

Here's, basically, what it looked like before:

I had already taken off the knob (see below) and 3 little colored domes that are fit just above the drawer (you can kinda see where they used to be by the indentations)

Not so cute knob...it's ok, just not my thing

Same thing w/ the feet

All sanded and primed now! Ready for some pretty paint!

All painted up...still not thaaaat cute

Ah...now we're getting somewhere! I used some pretty, floral scrapbook paper to do a decoupaged finish to the top of the nightstand and the front of the drawer...it's far from perfect, but I love it! Now, all I need is a new knob...hmm...

That's when I run into this...argh! Who knew a store could have so many!? I went with a cheap acrylic one...it's just for me and for a $10 difference, it doesn't matter too much...I still found the look I was going for.

All done! Yay!

But...now, do I really want to stick a stinky ole' computer on top of my super cute handiwork? Decisions, decisions...any ideas?

I posted this a few months ago, and haven't put a printer on it yet. Guess that answers that question! lol

Can't. Remember. Sandwich.

2007-10-02T20:14:00.000-05:00

I did something bad today...ok, not really, actually bad. See, I work for a major bank, and this bank, being quite major and quite large, has multiple buildings in the downtown area. One of these buildings had a small fire a couple weekends ago, which caused all the of the sprinklers in the building to turn on, thus flooding the entire building. To make a long story short, the building was closed for almost two weeks, so as a welcome back, they've been having little events all week...free breakfast on Monday...free lunch today. Now, I have meetings in this "problem building" all the time, but I don't actually work there, however, I took it upon myself to attend two of the events this week. What? What do you mean that's not nice? Sure the party was private, but the signs around the events didn't say "Only for Employees of Company XYZ Who Work in this Building"...they said "Private Party for Company XYZ." I work there...ok, ok...you guys keep catching me. I don't work work there. I'm a consultant...whatever...details, details. I went late and waited until they were about the pack up the food...that means I was just helping clean up...yea...I was just trying to help by not wasting food and stuff.

At today's lunch event, my friend and I were some of the last people there, so they told us we could take the flowers off the table. Aren't these little yellow flowers cute?

There was a shopping event downtown where roughly 20 vendors set up tables to sell their wares, so, I had to stock up on Tupperware (they always have discounts at this thing, so I always hit up the Tupperware Ladies' table) and with the Tupperware and the flowers, my load was really growing for my walk back to my car (3 blocks from my building). Throughout the day, I glanced over at my little hoard of goodies trying to figure out the best way to carry it all home. I could put this in my work bag, this in my purse, this I'll loop over my wrist...I also had to remember to take my daily sandwich home with me. I've been trying to save money by eating in and bringing sandwiches to work. However, since I got free lunch today, I decided to eat my lunch sammy for dinner to save money and not waste food. Can you tell I'm big on that? Anywho, I started thinking that a sandwich and fries...sounded pretty good. I made a mental note to take the sandwich w/ me. At around 5PM, I remembered my plan to take my sammy home, and even thought to go ahead and put it in my bag, but I knew I'd be at work till closer to 6 and didn't want it to spoil. Certainly, I can remember to take a sandwich home with me I thought. I tried to remember over and over again for the last hour of my day:
5:10PM - remember to take the sandwich home
5:17PM - gotta get the sandwich out of the break room
5:23PM - maybe I can go ahead and get my sandwich now? No, no...just wait. You'll remember
5:35PM - remember the sandwich
5:42PM - remember sandwich. must. remember. sandwich.

Then, right before 6PM, I knew it was time to go. It was the time when you look at the clock, smile a bit inside, and know you get to home...YAY! I love this time of day. I even like my 3 block walk home (except when it's raining). The weather today was nice - a bit gray by the time I was leaving, but the temperature was nice - not too hot, not too cold - a slight breeze gently blowing through the trees along the street. I left the building, smiled at the security guys (a friendly smile, not a Joey-hey-how-you-doin smile), and made my way down the sidewalk towards my car. I noticed the very tippy-tops of the leaves were starting to turn gold. I notice a lot of stuff, usually. I notice weird things a lot of the time...someone bouncing their head to the music in their car as they pass me...birds playfully chasing each other through the trees. I noticed one of the security guys waving at several cars as they drove by. Some honked, leading me to believe they must drive by there the same time every day and he's out there the same time of day ever day to wave hello. I got to the intersection where I can see my car from across the parking lot, and I noticed...uh oh. I noticed that I forgot my sandwich. :( It's amazing that someone can be so forgetful so much, but sure enough...I do it all the time. I decided that with my hands full of Tupperware, flowers, and purses, I'd just drop everything off at my car (except my purse b/c that's just asking for it to be stolen) and walk back to get my sammy. Yea, I had to walk back to the building, go all the way back up to my floor, get the sandwich out the fridge, and walk the 3 blocks back to my car. I didn't notice as much this time around, but at least I got some exercise, right? Right? Ok, not really.

Anywho, I did manage to bring my sandwich home and toasted it a bit in the oven while I baked some seasoned french fries. Not the fanciest dinner, but it was hella easy.

I get so jealous of the other bloggers I see crafting and creating all the time. I bought lots of craft goodies, but haven't had the time to make anything. At least, I thought I was making anything. Sometimes, I don't even think about making jewelry as I do as crafting or being creative. I really need to work on that perspective, I think, b/c my jewelry making takes up lots of time and I make cool stuff, too...at least I hope I do.

This is a jewelry set that I've been making for awhile, but not in this color combo. This is actually one of my best sellers, but I've been trying to make more of these in some sports-colors. People seem to go crazy for their sports teams and love to have anything in their fave team's colors. I hope they think this when they see me selling my jewelry later this month. Wish me luck...I have so much debt to pay off...grr.

Anywho, I simply love how sparkly these Swarovski crystals are. They're much more expensive than glass, but I think they're so much more worth it. The sparkle and shine you get from Swarovski crystals is practically unbeatable. I love the sparklies...I think that's one reason I got into jewelry making. Ooh...sparkly!

Almond Cake

2007-10-02T19:58:00.001-05:00

I saw the most lovely recipe in one of my Rachael Ray magazines for an almond cake. It looked so scrumptious, I simply had to try it out.

This recipe has lots of yummy ingrediants, including orange zest...it gives it a little something extra...

Care for some of the cake, dear? I made this with my own two little hands...can you believe it? I still can't...I'm not the best baker.

Look at all those little almond slices...I think almonds are one of the best nuts around.

Now to squeeze the cake out of the pan...this is the tricky part. Then, I just top this cake off with powdered sugar, like so...

Would you care for a slice? It's still warm from the oven...mmm. Have some orange slices with it to help pull the flavor of the orange zest.

Now, to brew some coffee. Good thing my honey bought me this for my b-day.

Anyone in the SE Want a Dog?

2007-10-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

This is a long shot, but I caught wind of a dog that needs rescuing:

This dog needs to be adopted asap. Here's the email I got:

Hello
Tammy and I work with the Anderson Humane Society and Tammy has this particular doggie case that is a rush rush for pooch ( read below and see photo)

We are networking him/her but wanted to ask you ( see email from Suzanne?) to see if there was any chance you knew of anyone that could foster or a home for him? Bad thing is we have to do something in a hurry...................

Thank you for your time and if you can please send us an email just letting us know you got this and any suggestions you may have, many thanks again!!!!

Stephanie~

Stephanie, Wanda and Angela -

Town of West Pelzer called me this morning saying they have found a stray running around town and caught him. Evidently they have caught him before but he manages to escape from their kennel. They wanted to know if we wanted him because if no one claims him in three days (providing he stays in the kennel) they will take him to the shelter.

Here is the description on him and I have attached the photo they sent to me.

Young dog, probably under a year. Very friendly and used to people apparently. About 2 feet tall, slender, but healthy. Black and white.

Do you know of any possible foster homes or maybe even a permanent home? They only problem is the time....they will only keep him for 3 days.

If anyone knows anyone who would like to adopt a super-cute doggie in the Greenville, SC area, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com and I'll provide contact info for you.

Comfort Food: Cooler Weather Dinner

2007-10-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

What is it about the weather cooling down that makes you want to have something baking in the oven for dinner and something warm for dessert? Maybe a roasted chicken and home-baked apple pie? Mmmm...maybe I'll try both of those for the first time later this year. It's kinda weird how as much as I cook now, I didn't cook all that much before. Sure, I played restaurant owner when I was kid and I remember wanting a cash register so badly. More than I wanted dolls, Barbies, or even an easy-bake-oven. Perhaps I've always wanted to own my own business...not so much cook. Either way, I grew up watching food TV back when no one knew who Emeril or Rachael Ray was and when my favorite chef was Martin Yan from Yan Can Cook. He came into town this past weekend, but I didn't get to see him. This is the 2nd year I knew he was here and somehow missed out. Oh well...there's always next year. Funny how that happens. Everything seems to turn into "I'll do that next year" or "I'll do that next time" if you're not careful.

I'm working on that...not procrastinating as much. Actually completing my to-do list...or at least getting the most important items out of the way first.

Doesn't this chicken dish look yummy? It's actually quite the semi-homemade meal. I've actually featured it here on The Chic Life before, but my future mother-in-law bought me the most adorable baking set and I had to take more pictures with the one I used for this meal.

A meal is never complete without dessert, right? I don't think it is...I like to say that even when my regular stomach is full, my dessert stomach is waiting to be fed. Does anyone else out there have a "dessert stomach"? Not only do I have one, but I have the worst sweet tooth...I'm a dessert-a-holic, basically.

These are some super yummy Blueberry Dumplings by Paula Deen. They are one of the best desserts you can make on a cold or rainy day it says so on Wikipedia (ok, not really...you caught me fibbing). I'm sure it would be good on a warm day, but it's just so ooey-gooey and warm on your throat...I bet this would be so tastey if you had a cold - one of those colds where you can actually smell and taste food, of course. If you try this recipe, watch out b/c this recipe is super-sweet...I mean really sweet, and that's coming from a self-proclaimed dessert-a-holic, so you know I mean business.

Now This is Singing

2007-09-30T10:53:00.001-05:00

I forgot how much I used to love and appreciate truly good singing by more "classic" artists (i.e. non-pop-stars). I'm not sure if it was my dad's love for beautiful music or my background in figure skating (where we almost always skated to a classical piece of music), but I rediscovered it at random the other day. My mom was telling me about how there was a man on the TV show Britain's Got Talent who looked like a blue collar worker but who sang beautiful opera (yea, that happened awhile ago, but you know I'm a bit behind on news sometimes). What I especially like about the story is how they (the judges and the audience) so wrongly judged him by his looks. You have to see the video below to understand, but basically, he walks up on the stage and they ask him what he's there for. He says, "To sing opera." The judges roll their eyes and it's as if they, as well as, the whole audience thinks he's mad. But, the music starts and Paul begins to sing Nessun Dorma...to the shock of everyone...it's simply beautiful. Can you believe this raw talent? You show 'em, Paul... you show 'em:

I don't know what it is about this song, but I want to listen to it over and over and over again...I can't get enough! I've been listening mostly to this version by the great Pavarotti live in Paris in 1998:

In case you're a figure skating fan, here's skating great Brian Boitano skating to Nessun Dorma for his Artistic Program at the 1994 Gold Championships:

Ok, now that we're all sick of Nessun Dorma, I'm off to finish cleaning my house...almost there...phew!

Steak Salad...Sorta

2007-09-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

Can you tell I'm a little behind on my food posts? I've been posting food like mad the last couple days (or was it weeks?) and it must seem like I'm some sort of Johnson & Wales student or something. We don't actually always eat like this. I mean, I truly do enjoy cooking, and I'm kind of a food snob, so I do like to cook really interesting, unique and tasty meals, but I don't have the energy to cook them all the time. I guess that should be rather obvious as I barely have the energy to post the pictures of all these fab meals, let alone cook them. Not to mention most of the recipes on Food TV seem to cost a small fortune. Who can afford to have fresh parmesan blocks of cheese in their house every day? Those things are like $10 a pop! I try to keep a lot of my meals under $10 (for 2 people)...But I digress...I saw this recipe on Food TV for a delicious steak salad type thingy. I'm not sure if it's really a "salad" b/c of the pasta, but whatever it is, it's rather tasty. The below pictures are from the most recent time I cooked this Giada DeLaurentis dish, but this is actually the third time I've made it. You can find the recipe for this on FoodNetwork.com - it's called "Penne With Beef and Arugula" (click for link). I'm not sure if it looks complicated or not, but it is super easy to make. If you like steak, arugula, and balsamic vinegar, I say you should definitely give this one a go...even if you don't deliver it to your SO's office (like Giada did on the episode). I didn't...I just made and served it at our home and it was just fine.

Look how glossy that is! Mmmm...this is so good!

Sumo, Nutella, Etc.

2007-09-29T12:52:00.001-05:00

My company had a most-interesting fundraising event this past week - sumo wrestling. And they didn't have just anyone sumo-wrestling...I mean, who would go to that? They had some of the company big wigs doing it...of course. I have to admit, this is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I didn't really know any of the people doing the sumo wrestling, but it didn't matter. As you can tell from this photo, you can't really see their faces anyways. I actually thought about doing it, but I was wearing a skirt, and I wasn't sure there was a graceful way to get into the sumo suit with a skirt on. A girl's got to be classy at all times, right?

The $20 ticket I bought to get in came with a $10 game card (as the event was held at one of those restaurant/bar type places with tons of fun games - from skee ball to basketball to racing - you get the idea. With the ticket I also got two drinks and free apps. I only got to drink one drink b/c I have asian flush, and two would have turned me into a walking beet. I gave the other ticket to my boss's boss. What? I'm not sucking up, I only knew like 5 people there. Anywho, the apps were ok and consisted of raw veggies, meatballs, tortilla chips & salsa, and chicken wings (which I don't eat...the wings, that is). Don't worry about me, though. I didn't starve...I just noshed on my SO's Chick-Fil-A meal when I got home and also managed to snack on this:

Have you ever had Nutella? If you haven't, and you like chocolate, you must make a run to the grocery store now for some plain white bread and some Nutella. Seriously, you're totally missing out. I first had Nutella when I went to France on an exchange in high school, and if it weren't for this (and the numerous other delicious pastries readily available on nearly every street block) I so would have lost 10 pounds due to the rather strange cuisine (read my picky eating) and the constant walking. I never walked so much in all my lifetime! But I digress...Nutella and white bread - it's all you need, really, for a delicious snack. What's that? It's not healthy, you point out? Like french fries are healthy...and you know you eat those! Everything in moderation, my dear, everything in moderation. Anywho, toast up some white bread (or don't toast at all) and slather on some of this delicious, ooey, gooey, choclately goodness. Wow, this post is kinda making me hungry.

Anywho, it's a lovely day today, and I have cleaning to do, so I'm off to clean the house...yay! Oh, and work on my evil plot to talk my SO into getting a dog...or a cat. A dog would be better, but I'm in desperate need of a cuddly pet. Pet lovers...I think you know what I mean. Wish me luck!

Pantry Meal: Spagetti Pomodoro

2007-09-26T22:05:00.001-05:00

Ever have one of those days where you and your SO are standing, starving and lost in your kitchen trying to figure out how to make a meal of your pantry items? If you're ever in a jam, then try this recipe out: Basic Tomato Sauce by Mario Batali (click here). Ok, so you have to have garlic, onion, and carrot in your kitchen, but those are relatively common items. Toss this sauce with whatever pasta you have in your pantry, and you're good to go:

Why did I call this post Spagetti Pomodoro, you ask? Well, have you ever been to Macaroni Grill? This sauce reminds me of the one they use in their Capellini Pomodoro dish. It's super yummy and the flavor is suprisingly robust. I think this would also taste good with grilled chicken (if you need some meat in your dish), as well as, with some fresh parsley and basil. Mmmmm...

Williams Sonoma Blueberry Quickbread

2007-09-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

There's something very rich and robust about everything in Williams Sonoma. Shopping there reminds me of shopping in the fancy clothing stores as a teen drooling over the expensive clothes, shoes and accessories that I knew I couldn't and may never afford. Of course, anyone who reads my other blog, Shopaholics Anonymous, knows this to be false thanks to my treat last March (my black, gold-chained, quilted-leather baby). But I digress...anywho, there's just something about a place like Williams Sonoma that makes you want to buy something...anything...just to get a piece of the beautiful kitchen supplies they offer. I've gotten a couple tools and my Wusthof from them, but awhile back, I fell victim to one of their delicous samples and purchased a package of their blueberry quickbread. Wanting something delicious and luxe, yet easy to make, for breakfast recently, I was able to throw this together pretty effortlessly:

I topped the quickbread with a quick glaze...mmm...

I tried finding the blueberry quickbread online at williams-sonoma.com, but alas...could not. I did, however, find a delicious-looking pumpkin quickbread (click to shop)

Comfort Food: Paula's Beef Stew

2007-09-24T22:16:00.001-05:00

With the weather getting colder bit by bit, I'm turning to comfort foods for dinner these days, especially nice big pots of soups or stew. Take, for example, this delicous Old-Time Beef Stew by Paula Dean (click for recipe):

Although it took a long time to make (hey, it's beef stew...what do you expect, right?), it was super simple to put together. Following some tips from the reviewers, I added quartered red potatoes and substituted beef broth for the water. Also, I added extra liquid b/c it didn't seem to have quite enough and I don't mind my soups and stews a bit soupy. As it turned out, it wasn't really soupy at all, so I guess whatever I did worked!

The stew was a big hit w/ my SO and will definitely be a cold-weather staple in my household!

Happy Coffee...err...Birth Day to Me!

2007-09-24T22:08:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is a post about a coffee machine. Why you ask? Well, I haven't had a coffee machine in years...yea, like more than one years...more like 5ish...and even then I had a crappy $10 coffee machine that didn't brew the best coffee. Why is this a big deal, you ask? Well, I have a confession...I'm addicted to coffee. Yes, I'm a coffee addict. If I don't get a cup in the morning, I get the worst headache...I'm sure other coffee fanatics out there know exactly what I mean. Anywho, I've either been drinking instant coffee (not the strongest or tastiest) or spending too much buying Starsucks...I mean...Starbucks in the AM. Well, enter brand spankin beautiful new coffee machine thanks to my honey - a portion of my b-day presents:

Isn't this the cutest mug?

Can you believe I got it on sale at Starbucks? I have to admit...although overpriced, I like not only their coffee but their adorable, little mugs, too. Especially when they're on sale. :)

Happy Coffee Day!

My Mother's Garden

2007-08-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

The flowers in my mom's garden are really pretty...but then again, what flowers aren't pretty? Even some weeds can be "pretty." Here are some up close shots:

See the butterfly?

Here's a closer shot:

I can't wait to have my own house and yard. I want to plant a cutting garden so I can have fresh flowers in the house all the time (without having to pay for expensive bouquets). Does anyone have a cutting garden and if so, what kinds of flowers do you have?

Nice/Mean Dog

2007-08-23T18:12:00.000-05:00

Check out this "interesting" assortment of goods for sale at Wal-Mart:

How bizarre is that dog? It looks so nice and cute, but did you catch that sign? Granted, it flips and the other side says, "Welcome" but still...

I got a giggle out of seeing it, so I thought I'd share.

Mediterranean Cuisine: Fried Kibbeh

2007-08-13T20:02:00.000-05:00

I love trying and eating exotic foods. You get to try some of the most amazing flavors and textures, that you may not have eaten growing up. There's a cute little Mediterranean restaurant near my home that serves some of the most amazing food AND they have baklava, which I have a weakness for (can't wait for the upcoming Greek Festival). I have a couple fave entrees at this restaurant, but last week, I tried something new:

Fried Kibbeh:

The shell of this dish is actually made with ground beef - I mean, it's filled with ground beef, but the shell has beef in it too. Apparently, it can take hours to make these little things, and looking at them, I totally believe that. The manager also mentioned that these are made when you visit someone's house - they're a treat. Well, I certainly enjoyed my treat!

Summer Barbeque Stand

2007-08-08T20:11:00.001-05:00

Nothing beats finding one of those "hole-in-the-wall" type places that is like a local secret and true gem of a find. There happens to be a barbeque stand that sets up near my office twice a week. Sure, it's a couple blocks of walking to get there, but the food is well worth it (not to mention, probably warrants it...haha). Here's the barbeque I've been enjoying a tad bit too much this summer:

Can you believe this is the "small" plate?

Giada's Scampi on Couscous

2007-08-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we decided to try Giada DeLaurentis' Scampi on Couscous (click for recipe). It was pretty tasty, but not something to make on a night you want something quick. I mean, I actually think of couscous as being a quick and easy side item, but not this couscous. This couscous was more difficult b/c of the sauce you have to make, then puree, then cook the couscous with. Don't get me wrong, the sauce makes the dish, but I recommend this dinner for a night you want to take your time cooking.

I also didn't use all the clam sauce the recipe suggested, but maybe I should have tried? I dunno...maybe I'll try that next time?

Simply Healthy Chicken Dish

2007-07-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

I've made this simple, healthy & delicious chicken dish before, but it's become a regular meal in my household. Here's the Chicken with Tender Leeks by Rachael Ray Encore!

As usual, I didn't do the rest of the recipe - just the chicken/leek part, but this time I did a rice pilaf by Zattaran's and some peas...mmm.

Click here for the recipe

Sick Day - Beef & Barley Soup

2007-07-24T20:08:00.001-05:00

I was sick last week, but luckily, I had some yummy Beef & Barley soup that my mom maid for me the last time I was home (it keeps well in the freezer). I can't put the recipe up b/c I don't have it...sorry! I do know that it's from a Disney cook book, if that helps. Anywho, I really love these little vintage-y napkins I found while thrifting recently. I think one is hand-embroidered!

Thanks Mom!

Btw...this is weird, but I have to point out...doesn't this piece of barley look like a monkey face or something? Bizarro!

Old-School Doggie-Wash

2007-07-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

We went back to my SO's hometown this weekend to visit his mom, and whenever we go back, like a great son, my honey helps out with some chores. We managed to squeeze in an old-school doggie-wash:

"Uh-Oh"

"The Inevitable Shake"

"Ahhhh...Much Better"

Giada's Chocolate-Hazelnut Ravioli

2007-07-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

I made Emeril's wonton soup a week or so ago (which I haven't posted yet), and had so many leftover wonton wrappers and no desire to eat any more wonton soup. It was a good thing I remembered drooling over Giada DeLaurentis' chocolate-hazelnut ravioli (click for recipe). I quickly dug out the recipe and got to work. With few ingrediants and little prep or cook time, I had these delicious goodies in no time:

A must-try, chic-sweet for you dessert lovers out there!

On an unrelated note, so sorry for my lack of posts lately. I feel like I'm stuck in that situation that most of you probably have felt before where you have so much going on that you become completely useless. It's amazing that I make it to work, am able to provide food for me and my SO, ship my jewelry orders in a timely manner, and post anything over on SA, but somehow it gets done. Then, there are my other "tasks" that seem to get swept under the rug...or lost on my to-do list...or forgotten in an unusual moment of free time that really isn't free, it's just not being used b/c my head is spinning so fast I can't remember exactly what it is I'm supposed to be doing at the time...I just have that icky feeling that there's something else I should be doing - how's that for a run-on sentence? Perhaps the run-on sentence is an extra description of how chaotic it seems things are right now. I'm in that place where you have so much to do, that you do a little of this and a little of that and none of it is good enough or enough at all to be acceptable. Whoof! I feel better just blogging about it, especially knowing that so many of you out there are in the same situations (or similar enough) and actually understand me, when so many of my normal, non-type-a friends don't. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. :)

The Wreck of Richard and Charlene

2007-06-05T19:24:00.000-05:00

I knew several months ago that I'd be going to Charleston, SC for Memorial Day weekend, so when I saw Giada's Weekend Getaways for Charleston (which will air again on June 15th - see web site for details), I tuned in! One of the restaurants especially caught my eye - The Wreck of Richard and Charlene. Located where a trawler, the Richard and Charlene, wrecked during Hurricane Hugo, hard to find, only spread by word of mouth...the place doesn't even look like a restaurant or have a sign...how cool is that? Maybe I've been watching $40 a Day one time too many, but I've been seriously inspired by Food Network to look for the unique eating spots in every city I visit. Not to mention I've always liked eating the foods I can't get back home. I somehow talked my fiance and two of his frat-boy-like friends into going.

Just like Giada said, the restaurant is hard to find and doesn't even have a sign. To the left and right of the location are two shrimping docks (at least I think that's what they are)

Not much to look at from the front, eh? It seems the best places are these "hole-in-the-wall" spots. I believe Giada said to look for the huge anchor in front of the restaurant (far right of the photo)

In the entrance, there are tons of pictures...apparently of friends and family...and a certain celebrity we know and love. They have a picture of Giada with some of the staff and her actual menu. See, here at The Wreck, you are given a paper menu and get to circle your meal of choice with a marker. Your meal is started with a yummy bowl of boiled peanuts, which I love! The menu touts that the Wreck was voted "State's Best Shrimp" - fried shrimp, that is. Of course, I ordered the fried shrimp, and they truly were some of the best fried shrimp I've ever had. I also got to try the grilled shrimp, but I'd definitely go for the fried if you ever eat here.

Here's a picture of the back of The Wreck. You can see their screened-in patio area, which is where you'll be seated if you grab a bite to eat.

I even got a great shot of the sunset from the dock area.

Only downfall of this wonderful spot is that it's a bit old-fashioned so they don't accept credit cards and they don't split checks. Remember to bring your checkbook or some cash and be prepared to figure out your own check if you're splitting the tab. Either way, the billing policy is not enough to keep me from headed back to this local favorite.

The Wreck of Richard & Charlene is a must-see if you're headed to Charleston, SC! Be sure to visit their web site for menu, history, and more info - http://www.wreckrc.com/

Deliciously Unique Dessert at PF Changs

2007-05-30T21:29:00.000-05:00

I took my honey for dinner to PF Changs (after he took me to see Pirates of the Caribbean - which was so-so) as a "let's end our vacation / kick off the new week with a treat" treat. I don't know why, but we hardly ever even glance at the dessert menu there. However, this past Monday, we decided to split a couple appetizers and an entree to save room for dessert (guess we were on vacation mode still...lol). We got Wonton Soup, Peking Dumplings (aka Potstickers), Moo Goo Gai Pan, and this fabulousness:

It's called the Lucky 8 and my SO and I were feeling pretty lucky we had ordered it. It's basically Phyllo dough brushed with chocolate, rolled up, deep-fried and served with gooey toffee and heath bar crumbles. You dip the chocolately sticks in the toffee, roll them around in the candy crumbles and voila! A deliciously unique dessert.

Now, I'm a pretty big dessert connoisseur...not so much that I claim to have expertise in the area, but I've eaten out at a lot of restaurants over my lifetime, and I have a huge sweet tooth, so I've seen my fair share of good desserts. Let me tell you, this is one of the best and most unique I think I've ever had...off the top of my head, this is in my Top 5, and that says a lot for anyone who knows me pretty well. For anyone headed to PF Changs any time soon, you simply must try this. If you don't think you can finish it all, our waiter told us (after we had him box two sticks up for us) that we could have ordered a half-order. Oh well...you live, you learn, right?

Giant Sugar Cookies a la Martha Stewart

2007-05-21T20:46:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I finally remembered to buy some sour cream to make the yummy-looking "Giant Sugar Cookies" I've been wanting to make from the Issue 41 Everyday Food. I even got to use my vintage Pyrex mixing bowl (very carefully, of course):

I've been trying out different sugar cookie recipes for awhile now and out of four batches, these are the best! If you subscribe to Everyday Food, I highly recommend trying this recipe out - it's on the last page.

Mine ended up a little more well-done than I had intended - I guess some ovens bake faster, even when you shorten the smallest time by two minutes! Watch your cookies! :)

If you don't subscribe, there are a couple other recipes on MarthStewart.com - click here for one

Leftover Spaghetti Sauce = Baked Ziti Dinner

2007-05-21T20:17:00.001-05:00

My sister came into town Friday night and after a bit of indulging at the French bakery, I decided to keep dinner simple with spaghetti. After making tons of sauce on Friday, though, I had plenty left over this weekend and I thought...hey, I should use this instead of freezing it. What can I make with leftover spaghetti sauce, I wondered. Aha! One of my honey's faves - baked ziti!

I added a can of tomato sauce to the leftover meat sauce b/c I like my ziti kinda saucy. Meanwhile, I cooked some ziti pasta - I just eyeballed how much would go with the sauce. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the sauce, mixed and poured into a glass casserole dish. I topped the pasta with mozzarella cheese and baked for about 20 minutes - till the cheese was slightly browned on top. I made my favorite garlic bread recipe - a Rachael Ray recipe - to complete the meal. Well, bread and a new Martha Stewart recipe - Giant Sugar Cookies from Everyday Food issue 41.

Chic Homemade Lunch a la Martha Stewart

2007-05-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

I've been subscribing to Martha Stewart's latest mag - Everyday Food - so far so good. After weeks of eating turkey sandwiches for lunch in an effort to save money during the day, I've been on the lookout for some good, new lunch recipes. I decided to try my first Everyday Food recipe - Chicken Club Salad:

I decided to substitute Bibb lettuce for the pictured Romaine. It came out pretty good, although I will say you need to watch your bacon if you prepare it a la the recipe - it will burn if your oven cooks too quickly! I made a second batch of bacon for day 2 of the Chicken Club Salad lunch and microwaved it over a sheet of paper towel for 2 minutes - they came out nicely, took less time, and made less mess.

I'd definitely give this one a try if you're thinking about it - but I will definitely cut the chicken into smaller bites next time or possibly even shred it (or use rotisserie chicken...hmmm) - the possibilities are endless!

Where Have I Been?

2007-05-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, so sorry for the delay...I'm sure (or maybe hoping) that a couple of you noticed that I haven't been posting hardly at all lately. You're probably (maybe) wondering where on earth I've been.

Well, I've been super busy the last 3ish weeks with two back-to-back craft shows:

My friend and I each setup a table at a couple shows around town. This is a photo from day one of the first show - it looks nice doesn't it? The weather was actually ridiculously hot...actually I'd say painfully hot, but we still had a pretty time and had a pretty good show. The second show was another story altogether - it rained the entire first day, then was windy the second and to make matters worse, people were shopping for cheap junk jewelry (think imported from overseas less than $10 crapola) so we hardly sold anything. :( We still had a good time, though, and met some interesting people, so not too shabby overall.

Look, the cotton candy matches my dress!

Warning - Don't Sign Up For BMG!

2007-04-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Just a quick warning to my friends to not sign up for BMG, based on the horrible experience I just had about...oh 5 minutes ago. I decided to finally redeem some of my free CD's, so I added the 4 that I wanted and went to the cart to checkout. I selected the Free CD drop down list and selected that I wanted to redeem 4.

I clicked the Update Your Cart button...nothing happened. Hmm...I clicked it again...again, nothing happened. I guess there's a bug in the system? I didn't get any error messages. Well, maybe I'll click Submit Order, and I'll get a page where I get to validate my order looks correct.

I click the Submit Order button - I get "Thank you, your order has been placed and a confirmation email has been sent...yada yada." But wait, I wonder, how will they know where my order is going? Oh, silly me, I forgot that I setup the Express Checkout...and yet they still don't display the shipping address...why? That should be on the screen so you can confirm.

I go to my email...surely there the order has been updated so I'm not being charged for all these freakin' CD's. No...my order is still $60! Ouch...I just wanted to redeem my free CD's.

Ok, I'll call the company, I think. I search the customer service page...no phone number...listed...ANYWHERE! What the...? Luckily, I do a google search and find this site (click here). Here's the BMG phone number: 317-692-9200 (just in case the other web site ever closes or whatever). Coincidently, the site also has Columbia House's phone number.

So, I call the phone number and get someone on the phone who tells me that the CD's I ordered are "Premium Titles", which means that you cannot redeem them for free. Huh? How am I supposed to know what a "Premium Title" is? I don't remember seeing that these aren't available to be redeemed for free! "Click on the info button for the CD and it tells you there," she says. What info button? I never found one...I can only assume she meant this one - Sales Exempt:

After you click Sales Exempt, you get a little pop-up that says, "Already specially priced, not part of regular sale, or available as a bonus or free selection, or free with Music Points." Now, how on earth was I supposed to know I had to check that little link to see if the CD was ok to redeem for my Free Music?

Oh ok...my bad. Well, let me cancel my order, I say. No...can't do it. I ask to talk to the manager...still can't do it. I just placed this order, literally 3 minutes ago...I can't cancel it!? Nope. No can do.

FINE...I want to cancel my membership. But, you have 8 free CD's they say. I know that though...I just feel so deceived, and so tricked into spending $60 when I expected to spend $10, that I don't even want them. Much like breaking up with an A-hole who has some of your stuff at their apt...sometimes you just have to "cut your losses," as a good friend once told me. BMG could have easily displayed bolder messages to alert people that these CD's are not available to be redeemed for free, but instead, they try to hide this fact and trick their customers into buying CD's they don't want to buy. If I wanted to pay money for these CD's, I'd go to Best Buy, or a used CD store, where they are much, much cheaper.

It doesn't end here...

Well, I tell them I want to cancel my membership and update my shipping address since it's wrong. They say they can cancel my membership, but they can't update the shipping address. What? You can't just change the address? No can do. Why not? I just can't do it b/c blah blah blah...something about the shipping and billing address being different (which the order confirmation doesn't say). I mean, I understand if the order has already been processed ...or shipped...that you can't change the address, but it hasn't even hit the system yet! It's been 4 minutes! You can't change it? Nope.

FINE! BMG, you stink! I'm never using your service again, and I'm warning my friends!

Sorry for the rant, friends, but I do want to pass on what I feel is an important warning.

Comfort Food-Inspired Dinner

2007-04-24T20:49:00.000-05:00

I'm getting ready for a craft show this weekend, but with all the eating out I've been doing lately, I wanted to make something simple, but tasty. I decided to try one of those recipes on the sides of the Campbell's Soup cans I always see. This is the chicken and rice bake - recipe on the Cream of Chicken soup can:

You stir the soup with water, rice and onion powder, then top with the chicken, then bake for 45 minutes. How simple is that? It was a real crowd-pleaser too...or an SO-pleaser, since I just cooked for two. I just served the chicken and rice with frozen, mixed veggies. I think the meal took about 10 minutes prep time total. per request of my SO, this one's going in the regular rotation.

I don't know why, but I also decided to make sugar cookies...from scratch. I used a Fanny Farmer recipe to make these:

They didn't really flatten and smooth out quite like I thought they would, but they were darn tasty! Looks can only count so much...as long as it tastes good, I don't care!

Easy Shrimp Dinner

2007-04-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

My SO and I have a favorite shrimp recipe by Rachael Ray - 4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp. It's super simple and super delicious. Although, I did forget the fresh parsley. If you try this...def don't forget the parsley!

Since the shrimp are so easy to make...especially since I got easy peel and my SO was sweet enough to do the peeling for me...I decided to make something special for the side. Using new baking ware, I made scalloped potatoes and just steamed broccoli for a nice, healthy side. Mmmmmm!

Vintage Book - Under the Lilacs

2007-04-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Lookie what I found thrifting:

Under the Lilacs - a book by Louisa May Alcott. I guess since I never read Little Women, I didn't realize this was the same author. I just figured I'd found some random, obscure vintage book, but I guess this one is actually pretty famous. I read a couple reviews on Amazon, and apparently people who like Little Women will probably also like this book. I suppose the fact that this book is written by the same author would make one gather that conclusion, but you never know.

Anywho, I'm not sure exactly how old this book is, but it's about to fall apart...lol. However, I love the vintage binding and the darling drawings throughout. I wonder if the new version still has them? (the images, of course, not the binding)