Stick Baby and the Snail

This isn't Goodbye. But it kinda is.

2011-12-30T16:25:00.002-05:00

happy holidays :)

It's been three and a half years since I started Stick Baby. A total of 667 blogs, well 668 if you count this one. What the hell have I been writing about? Considering this was my first post, I think I've come a long way... I've tried loads of recipes, plenty of craft projects, abundant restaurant and local shopping reviews, tips, tricks, a whole documentary on my life in Thailand and sometimes just complete nonsense. But it was good. Good for me, at least. I've learned so much over the years about just what I'm capable of (and not).

However, since I started my Fairview Place store this Summer and will be working under the name (come the new year) for my freelance design business, it only seemed right to have one cohesive look and feel (I'm a designer after all, this is what I do). That is why this will be my last Stick Baby and the Snail post. Don't fret though, all the fun will continue on my new Fairview Place blog. If you like what you've seen and experience at Stick Baby, become a follower at FP and you'll get all the same nonsense, plus Music Mondays (contain your excitement, if you can) and more.

Thanks to all of you for you support and encouragement of my little Stick Baby blog, it's been real.

Chocolate Dreidels

2011-12-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

I have been saving this idea in my recipe box since last year and was excited I one, actually remember to make them, and two, how well they came out! This was a super easy project I got from Martha although I modified it a little since I didn't need 12 dreidels for my occasion :). Instead, I made eight regular chocolate-covered marshmallows, eight dreidels, and with the leftover chocolate made pretzel and Chocolate Cheerios haystacks. The best part? I actually learned how to play the dreidel game!

Luggage Tags Galore!

2011-11-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday morning I had 33 luggage tags, which I thought would be plenty for this weekend's craft show. However, after I was perusing the Flickr craft show photos yesterday I panicked and realized that was simply not enough! I more than doubled my stock in just a couple hours (that's why I love making these) and am happy with the tags which range from airplanes to owls, flowers to tie-dye and everything between.

Come check out the full stock on Sunday...whatever is leftover will make its way to Fairview Place next week.

Display Ideas

2011-11-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

One of the things I'm most excited about is setting up my table at Sunday's show. I've known I was going to use a lot of my vintage goods to display my items and a couple of my grandmother's table cloths to cover the table. Above is what I'm planning on so far. Some of the ideas include frames with my button jewelry (from this DIY I did last year), a Fostoria ware cake plate for some of the felt books, stacking dessert plates for the luggage tags and a shutter I found in the trash (don't worry, it's clean :) for hanging my greeting cards.

Up until today I wasn't sure how I wanted to display all my greeting cards so I started looking on Flickr for ideas. Much to my surprise, they have a whole group called Show Me Your Booth! I've seen so many great ideas and tricks, I can't stop looking! I had to share a few of my favorites...

Love the drawers and lattice work for holding cards.

Love the platter full of buttons.
I could spend hours looking through them all!

The wooden boxes are neat, adds nice height to the table.

Great use of the mini Ball jars to hold clips -
and it takes up a lot of room on the table!

Fun idea, could also use sand or rocks....

You can find old-school suitcases at EVERY thrift store.
I'd need bigger products to use one though...or a smaller suitcase :)

A wooden tray would be ideal for all my greeting cards,
fingers crossed I can find one at a thrift store.

Five Days and Counting...

2011-11-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Just five days left before my very first craft show as Fairview Place! I can't believe it! This past month of crafting has flown by. I thought I'd give a little sneak peak of one product I'll be selling each day until Sunday. Along with some other things I've been thinking about for set-up, marketing and packaging.

To start today's post I'm showing off the greeting cards I've been working on. I posted the Vogue magazine inspired cards last month, but here are the newest packs.

They were created 1970s National Geographics and the Better Homes and Garden Family Medical Guide (from 1973). None of the cards have actual messages inside, but this time I have general themes of get well, pregnancy, space, love and I think my last batch (finishing up today) are drink and food related.

Alpha-Bakery Book

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Did you have this book when you were a child? If so, you know why I was squealing when I found it at a thrift store last week for only 58 cents! It's a fantastic little book filled with great recipes for kids to make, plus cute illustrations throughout. Not to mention, the recipes for play dough and paper mache we made about a million times hidden in the back of the book.

After calling home and confirming with my mom she still has our childhood copy, I've decided to make postcards and greeting cards from the sweet drawings inside. I figure if this book made my week, getting a postcard from the book would at least make someone's day!

Christmas Books!

2011-11-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

Wanted to give you a little peak at my newest felt children's book, which has definitely put me into the Christmas mood. I'm happy to say I didn't have to buy one thing for book, using materials I've had sitting around since I made stockings for my sister and her roommates in 2001 (can you believe that??).

Unfortunately this book won't be available on Fairview Place just yet. I'm ramping up quite of few of these felt books for next month's craft show at the Contemporary Art Center in Virginia Beach. I'm in the process of finished up other themes including fruits, veggies, sea life, shapes and colors. More to come on those soon!

Free Gifts at Fairview Place

2011-11-04T10:49:00.000-04:00

I've started making these cute luggage tags for my craft show next month. It's a great way to use up my material scraps, plus it's fun and easy! I've also decided to offer a complimentary luggage tag with every purchase at Fairview Place for the month of November. Let's be honest, with all that holiday travel you're going to NEED one (or three) :).

Oh, Halloween!

2011-11-01T14:25:00.002-04:00

I had to post a photo of our Halloween costumes (even though it's not a great photo), which we were able to make in $34! Yes, for both! I'd say another successful year of costumes.

Dia de los muertos costume:
Dress - $12 (on sale) at Marshall's
Lace Shall - $1.38 (3/8 of a yard) at Hancock's
Fake Flowers - $4 (for 4 bunches) at the Dollar Store
Makeup - $1, per tube, used two
Black gloves - $3 at Walmart
Tights, shoes and ribbon - Free! I already had :)

Aqua Man costume:
Green Tights - $5.99 at The Party Store
Yellow Hair Spray - $3.99 at The Party Store
Rubber Gloves - $1.99 (for two pairs) at Target
Shirt, goggles, boxer briefs, and sandals - Free, he owns all of that :)

Fantastic News!

2011-10-28T09:56:00.003-04:00

Fairview Place has been picked to participate in this year's Holiday Craft Sale at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art! My main attraction will be a variety of felt children's books like these. I'm finishing up a Christmas-themed book and am designing others about shapes, colors, fruits and even Asian food! I will also have loads of button jewelry and hair clips as well as handmade cards, postcards and new luggage tags. I'm so excited (and nervous with all the craftiness to ensue in the next month) and hope everyone will stop by and show me some love :)

Sweet Score!

2011-10-18T14:38:00.000-04:00

I'm so stoked about today's thrift store purchase of "We Came in Peace." It's an awesome book packed full of graphics, photos and illustrations all about space, according to the year 1969. AND it was only $1.50! Something tells me the next series of postcards and cards will have an "outerspace" theme...

Handmade Postcards

2011-10-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to announce a new addition to Fairview Place...handmade postcards and greeting cards! I've been holding onto these 1960s Vogue magazines I bought at a garage sale since the beginning of Summer with not a clue what to do with them...until now!

I've created sets of four greeting cards with themes like shoes, that sexy 1960s lingerie, fashion and maps. Each pack includes envelopes and the cards are left blank to write your own message.

The postcards are very exciting for me because now I'm able to use my new postcard back stamp I recently purchased on Etsy! Not to mention the Reluctant Wordthief, the Etsy seller who I purchased the stamp from, has tons of cute stamps and card-making gear (at awesome prices) and my package came with the cutest wrapping and thank you note! I just love to be surprised with the additional goodies when I receive something from Etsy.

I'm hoping to get these into local stores very soon (consignment is proving to be a little trickier than I thought), so stay tuned for that news!

Baby Shower Invites

2011-10-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

I was commissioned to make some baby shower invites with an "Autumn theme, banners and possibly bow ties." I wasn't able to incorporate the bow ties, but pulled off the Autumn and banners - complete with vintage fabric I found online! They came out super cute and can't wait to see what they look like printed.

If you're interested in having your own personal invites made, shoot me an email or message me over at Fairview Place.

Fall Dinners Abound!

2011-10-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

This month's Martha Stewart has some delicious recipes for savory pies and I was itching to try one. If you've ever cooked something from Martha, you know her recipes always call for weird ingredients and if you don't add in one thing, it never comes out right. However, I wasn't giving in this time and just made do with what I had or what was in stock at the store. I'm delighted how the dish came out (and how it made the whole house smell :).

What you'll need
3 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, chopped into chunks
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
4 cups butternut squash, 1/2" cubes
1 can beans (the recipe calls for cannellini, but use what you have)
2 tomatoes, chopped into big chunks
1 bunch collard greens, chopped (recipe calls for kale, but the grocery was out of it)
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for dusting (the recipe called for a parmesan cheese rind too, but skipped that)
1 can pre-made wheat biscuit dough (recipe says to make your own, but I took the easy route)

What you'll do
1. In a large stock pot, heat oil on medium heat. Saute leeks, onions and garlic for five minutes.
2. Add squash, beans, tomatoes, kale and vegetable stock. Cook for 20 minutes then stir in the parmesan. Let mixture cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer filling to 9x13 baking dish (I had a lot of extra liquid in my mixture which I did not transfer). Tear the biscuits in half and layer on top of veggies. Brush with a little milk, parmesan and garlic (if desired) and bake until biscuits are golden brown.

Must-Make Mac 'N' Cheese

2011-10-05T22:49:00.001-04:00

My last night in town I decided we were going to make dinner. After tons of debate about what dishes to attempt, all the ingredients we'd have to buy, planning and preparing, Shawn and I decided we'd make our own mac 'n' cheese concoction with the Tillamook cheese we bought earlier that week.

I found this recipe from Food Gawker. We knew we wanted to make two different kinds (because of the cheese options we had) so we split the recipe in two and added our special ingredients to make 1) shrimp scampi mac 'n' cheese and 2) roasted red pepper and onion mac 'n' cheese. The recipes follow.

First, shred all your cheeses. Cut, chop and/or mince your vegetables.
Second, boil a whole box of penne pasta.
Third, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Proceed with the following directions for your desired (or both) mac 'n' cheeses.

Shrimp Scampi Mac 'N' Cheese

1. Saute 1 cup of salad shrimps with 1/2 cup onion, 4 cloves minced garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil.
2. In a small pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Whisk in 3 tbsp flour to create a roux, then slowly whisk in 1 cup milk (we half cream and half skim milk) and stir like a mad person until the mixture thickens.
3. Keep 2 tbsp of the cheese (we used garlic white cheddar) aside and stir the rest into your roux until melted. Stir in the shrimps and onions and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add half of the (cooked) pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well. Dump mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the covering and bake for an extra 5 minutes until it's golden brown and crispy to your liking.

Roasted Red Pepper and Onion Mac 'N' Cheese

1. Saute a 3/4 cup red pepper, 3/4 onion and 4 cloves mince garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil.

2. In a small pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Whisk in 3 tbsp flour to create a roux, then slowly whisk in 1 cup milk (we half cream and half skim milk) and stir like a mad person until the mixture thickens.

3. Keep 2 tbsp of the cheese (we used smoked white cheddar) aside and stir the rest into your roux until melted. Stir in the shrimps and onions and add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add half of the (cooked) pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well. Dump mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the covering and bake for an extra 5 minutes until it's golden brown and crispy to your liking.

Some Fresh Air

2011-10-05T22:08:00.000-04:00

Ecola State Park

I took advantage for the four days of sunshine and nice weather I had while in Portland (that sentence has probably never been uttered before ;). We went white water rafting (no photos of that, just imagine me looking like a wet dog in an musty green wet suit shirt, a life vest and a helmut - HOT) with Adventures Without Limits, an awesome non-profit empowering people of all abilities to experience the great outdoors. I didn't even fall out of my raft! Kudos to me :)

We went to the coast on Friday and to the cute town of Cannon Beach where we saw the amazing haystacks (yes, as seen in the Goonies). Since it was low tide we were able to walk right out to it, even though the water was freezing.

We also got a glimpse of these fantastic starfish (bigger than my head) and some pretty sweet sea urchins as well.

We also make it out to the Gorge for some wonderful waterfalls. I saw a handful of them with barely even getting out of the car. Next time I'm out there I'll have to be a bit more adventure and try a few of the longer hikes.

A Few from Portland

2011-10-05T19:23:00.000-04:00

Since I'm now addicted to Bloody Marys, Shawn insisted we try them at
Tasty 'n' Sons. And this one (yes, just one) blew my socks off!

I can't believe I've already been back from Portland (for those of you who didn't know I went there to visit my bestie for six days for her birthday :) for more than a week now. I've been recovering from a wild and beautiful trip and am just now getting around to posting some photos. From hiking to eating, shopping to white water rafting, we did it all. Plus, we made up our own mac 'n' cheese recipes I'll be sharing in a separate blog!

We ate brunch at Tasty 'n' Sons Thursday morning for Shawn's Birthday. You'd be surprised to see just how many people were at this restaurant on a Thursday morning at 10 a.m. I thought it was a Sunday for sure. But after trying several things on the menu, I realized why every table was full!

Radicchio and parmesan salad

Shakshuka red pepper and tomato stew.
This was so delicious I had to force myself to
stop eating before I hurt something!

Awesome things about September.

2011-09-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

I knew I had a good month, but after making this list I realized just how awesome this month was! And we have two more nights left... Here's what my list includes (since the photo is hard to see):

1 - 30 Days of Lists!
3 - Charlottesville weekend
5 - Labor Day Picnic
8 - Mike's Birthday
10 - Kelly's lemon cupcakes
14 - Surprising my mom
17 - Our successful tag sale
18 - Homemade pickles
20 - Officially owning my car
22 - Celebrating Shawn's birthday IN PERSON!
24 - White water rafting
26 - Hiking at the Gorge
30 - Finished my Thailand book (fingers crossed)

For today's list I used cardstock, scrapbooking paper and those adorable little stickers my sister got for me from Korea (although I have no clue what they say :). I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge. You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

If I Ruled the World...

2011-09-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

I could go on and on with a list like this one, but I decided only to pick a few of my favorites. Here goes!
My friends and family would live all in the same city!

Worldwide health care
End world hunger
End poverty
Cure cancer/AIDS/alzheimer's
Print would NEVER die
Endless sunshine (withouth causing droughts or ruining any crops)

That's not asking for too much is it? My list consisted of cardstock, construction paper and sequence. I felt like I was in first grade making a card for my parents all over again, haha. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Updated cover with a piece of each
day's list...Almost there!

My Overused Words/Phrases

2011-09-28T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is pretty funny to me, mostly because after I came up with my list I had to ask myself if I was living in 1994, haha. Here's the list:

duuuuhhhhhhhh!
[everything is] ridiculous
Actually
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight
No way!!!!!!!
You're a jerk
and I use a lot of cuss words, which I'm trying to cut back on - I promise!

Today's list was kinda boring, I just used cardstock. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Before My Next Birthday...

2011-09-28T16:09:00.000-04:00

My birthday is only four months away so I didn't want to try to conquer anything to extravagant. I think most of them are pretty doable (although Mike disagrees with the five pounds thing). So, before I turn 27 I would like to:

Save money for a Spring-time trip
Get a massage and pedicure (it counts if anyone wants to buy me this for my birthday ;)
Make a trip home to see my grandmother
Get a part-time job
Lose five pounds and keep it off through the holidays
Handmake Christmas and winter birthday gifts (get your orders in now!)

For this list I used cardstock and music paper I bought when in Thailand. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Today's To-Do List

2011-09-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

This list was super easy for me, considering I make a to-do list every morning (or sometimes the night before in bed) when I wake up. Shawn and I had a lot of things we wanted to accomplish and since we got more than half done - and I'm on vacation - I think we did pretty good. Here's our list:

Avoid the rain
Farmer's Market
Zucchini brownies
Call Uncle John
Made in Portland store
Laundry
Blog today's list
Bean salsa
Postcards and stamps

For today's list I used a hodgepodge of items from Portland including a coaster from Cascade Brewery, Shawn's note paper, receipts from Multnomah Falls and Side Car, a bag from the Made In Oregon store, and a business card from Flutter. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

When I'm Sick...

2011-09-24T01:31:00.000-04:00

I don't get sick that often (knock on wood), but when I do I resort to only a couple of old faithful remedies which include:

Drinking ginger ale - which I'm convinced really doesn't do much but in my head it pretty much cures me
Watch Law & Order - or any other criminal/law show that's running a 24-hour marathon
Sleep - in the fetal position

Since we spent most of the day at the coast (Ecola and Cannon Beach) I decided to make my list in the sand. Materials used: sand and my finger :)

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

If I Won the Lottery...

2011-09-23T01:15:00.001-04:00

Such a great prompt! One that actually inspired me to go out and buy a lottery ticket. Rather Shawn driving me to the grocery to get a scratch off from a machine. Sadly, I didn't win, but it was fun scratching and creating the list. It includes:

Pay off my student loans and car.
Travel to South America (Machu Picchu)
Make sure my grandmother is well taken care of
Send my parents on an awesome vacation
Invest
Then travel some more

For today's list I used a lottery ticket, a Body Shop bag (found in the recycling bin :) and a piece of a map of Shawn's neighborhood. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

TV Shows I wish would come back

2011-09-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

Another fun post today - and it's from Portland, woot woot! My list includes:

Friends
Pop Up Video
Scrubs
Boston Legal
Ally McBeal
Family Matters
Step by Step

For this list I used the puke bag from the plane I rode out here, along with my napkin and sugar packets. Had to get real creative for this one!

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Ways to Avoid Housework

2011-09-22T01:14:00.000-04:00

The ways I procrastinate could also be used for this list, but then I realized as I'm doing housework I get easily distracted by a few things, consequently making me avoid the chores altogether. So, here we go:

Watch T.V.
Run errands (anything to get out of the house, where the work is :)
Send emails
Take a shower (because you can't clean after you're already clean!)
Insist the housework can wait (it's sooooo nice outside....)

Materials for this list include the inside cover of a local Portland Eleven Magazine I picked up yesterday while we were out and about. The art is an acrylic print from artist Alan Rose.

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

My Dream Space Would Include...

2011-09-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

Everyday I walk into my office/closet I daydream for a couple minutes about what my ideal space would look like. Granted, I could make this space work if it weren't also our storage and walk-in clothes closet. However, we live in a one-bedroom, so that isn't an option. My ultimate space would be a full room dedicated to this sort of stuff:

Photo studio
Lots & lots of windows - natural light
A big fancy printer and scanner
A light table (which would serve no real purpose, other than looking cool)
A large sewing table
Glass-door cabinets filled with my fabric bins
Bookshelves
A screen printing machine, my friend Krissi would teach me to use

For today's list I used some doilies I found at my grandma's house along with a bunch of scrapbooking paper and cardstock. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Inventions I wish were Real

2011-09-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Pretty much I wish everything I've ever seen in a Disney movie was real. Candlesticks that make you dinner? Sign me up! I've picked five to share, and actually only one is from a Disney movie.

Hair-playing chair - you'd just sit in the chair and magical little hands would play with your hair, or style it, or wash it!
Magic carpet - thanks Aladdin :)
Self-making bed - most of the time the bed does get made on it's own (i.e. Mike), but those other days....
Invisibility cloak - thanks Harry Potter :)
Massaging car seat - seeing as I drove 18 hours in the past five days...

For today's list I used parts of the Augusta Heritage Center magazine I picked up at a rest stop during my drive back yesterday.

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

A Few of my Favorite Things

2011-09-20T10:38:00.001-04:00

I actually consulted my mom about her favorite things and it seems we share a lot of similarities. My list includes:

Homemade pickles
A good surprise
Ice cream cones
Fresh flowers
Fresh laundry
A campfire
A cold beer
Feet in the sand
People playing with my hair

Another fun creation from just markers, colored pencils and crayons (and that Firestone stationery again). I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Fictional Characters I've Fallen in Love With

2011-09-20T10:34:00.001-04:00

Love, love LOVE this prompt! Ever since I was a little girl I remember the first moment I'd see my new character crush, kinda silly, but it's true. These five have stayed with me the past 15 years and yes I'm into the nerdy, yet adventurous types :)

My list includes:

Indiana Jones - I actually had to dress up like him for a school project in 8th grade, my choice of course.
Harry Potter
Romeo (Leonardo Dicaprio's 1996 version) - I mean it's Romeo, how could you not love him?
J.B. "Jeff" Jeffries - from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window
Ichabod Crane - Johnny Depp's version in Sleepy Hollow

For this list I found photos of all the characters online and printed them out. I also used construction and graph paper. Not too exciting, but this is the product of Pink Eye, haha.

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

My Dream Jobs

2011-09-20T10:25:00.000-04:00

While I absolutely love that I can work from home on projects that interest me and run Fairview Place, I still dream of a few jobs that would just blow my mind to wake up to every morning. My list includes:

Owning a successful vintage clothing and home goods store - An actual store with a cash register, price tags and store front windows (which leads to my next job...).
Store front window display designer - Anthropologie, Bloomingdales, Paper Source, etc.
Fabric/textile designer - How fun would this be?
Professional traveler - I'm not even sure what this would consist of, but I'd love to do it!

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Things that Motivate Me...

2011-09-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

There are a ton of things that motivate me, to many to list really. But I decided to go with the top five. They are:

Sense of accomplishment - that last saved PDF, final print, wearing my handmade clothes...it's that in that moment when I know I'm done with the project that gets me excited to start a new one.
Deadlines - especially tight deadlines get me moving real quick!
Fabric - brand new or the awesome thrift store find gets my brain pumping up new ideas immediately.
New skills - the idea of learning something new always excites me.
Money - I'm only human, I need money to survive (and buy more fabric, haha).

For today's list I used cardstock and scrapbook paper and the background is a page from Travel+Leisure Magazine. I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

My Favorite Outfits

2011-09-20T10:07:00.000-04:00

Since I was home and my main mission was to clean out an entire house, I brought a mix of jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts...not my favorite outfits. I decided to draw my favorite clothes and you can just imagine how cute they are in real life ;)

My list includes:

White and black pin-stripe shorts
a black cardigan with everything
Melon-colored tank with black ruffle skirt and flip flops
Blue-flowered vintage (looking) dress with white strappy sandals
Blue shift dress with skinny brown belt and brown huaraches

Of course these are my favorite Summer outfits, I can't remember my favorite Winter ones...For today's list I used old Firestone stationery (where my dad used to work) along with markers, colored pencils and crayons.

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Things I do to Procrastinate...

2011-09-20T10:01:00.000-04:00

I'm awesome at procrastinating and I've known this for a very long time. However, I've never really thought about what it is I do to procrastinate, so this was a fun exercise. Short list, but I could spend a long time doing any of these!

My list consists of:

Facebook - yes, I'm addicted.
Doodle - on anything, using just about any writing utensil
Call my mom (or sister) - they always have new gossip
Read blogs - it's getting unhealthy ;)

I got my first W Magazine in the mail today (recently got a new subscription and after all these years, I'm still in love with this magazine), so I used a page from the October issue. Along with feathers and glitter...note to self: using glitter is not the best idea for this project - I have glitter EVERYWHERE!

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Lists challenge (and currently catching up). You can see the pool of participants and their awesome lists here.

Catching up!

2011-09-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

This is the china I've inherited from my grandma's grandmother

(from England). I can't wait to one day have Christmas at my house and

use these to serve my family :)

This last week has been pretty interesting. I made a trip home (a nine-hour drive from Virginia to Ohio) to surprise my mom and help her clean out my grandmother's house. While I was there I somehow picked up pink eye and managed to sleep half the trip away :(

We did make a pretty penny in our garage sale (luckily the pink eye came after all the sorting), along with making homemade pickles and salsa, so the trip wasn't a complete wash.

I've finally finished catching up with all my lists for 30 days of Lists and will be posting them shortly, along with photos from canning and other fun things. So stay tuned!

Never Have I Ever...

2011-09-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Funny enough we used to play this as a drinking game in college...the games you'd play to drink yourself silly :) I enjoyed the prompt (from 30 Days of Lists) but wasn't feeling all that crafty today so my list design is a little boring. I used lots of tiny scraps of paper from my "miscellaneous" bin and came up with this. I hope to one day accomplish all things, accept being stung by a bee...I can live without that :)

My list goes as follows:

Fluently spoken another language (Spanish preferably)
Been to Disneyland (or World)
Operated a power saw
Been stung by a bee
Been married or have had a baby
Traveled to South America (next stamp for the passport, I hope!)
Had my eyebrows waxed (or anything waxed for that matter)
Seen the Statue of Liberty, but have been to NYC plenty of times!

You can see the entire pool of photos here, leave some feedback - we love to hear what you have to say!

Newest Project

2011-09-11T12:01:00.000-04:00

So you probably remember the letter photo story I did a few weeks ago. I was finally able to give the finished project to Kelly Jo last night and am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I couldn't decide between the color or black and white letters so I ended up printing both options and framing the color prints. I think I may make it a new addition to Fairview Place and do custom orders (four letters or less though ;).

Lemon Cupcakes!

2011-09-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Mike's sister-in-law Kelly Jo graciously offered to make cupcakes for his birthday dinner last night (and of course I graciously said YES!). She was surprised when I told her Mike's favorite flavor is lemon with cream cheese frosting (it is a little random), but she had no problem making the perfect cupcake with awesome lemon cream cheese frosting (my favorite part). I'm anxious to try her next cupcake, which I'll keep a secret for now ;)

Favorite Things about this Time of Year

2011-09-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

Today's prompt over at 30 Days of Lists was super easy for me because Autumn is my favorite time of year. There are many more parts about the season I like, but I didn't want to ruin the design with listing 1,000 things, haha.

My list goes like this:

Football games & marching bands - Every Friday during the Fall at my parents house you could hear the high school football games being announced. I never started going to the games until I was in junior high, but when I was in elementary school we'd sit outside around a bonfire, listen to the games and marching bands during half time. THAT was a Fall night in Alliance, Ohio!
The sound of walking through fallen leaves
Little Debbie Pumpkin Cookies - It never fails, every year I get a box of them from my mom in the mail. I hope when I'm 40 she's still doing it!
Preparing for our annual Halloween Party - suppose to be the biggest yet this year :)
East Coast Indian Summers
Roasted pumpkin seeds - I've mastered my technique the last couple of years and they are pretty damn delicious.

I'm also excited for today's list because I finally got to use pipe cleaners - which I've been dying to use since we started :) Other materials I used include: scrapbook paper, cardboard (from the recycling bin), cardstock and yellow ledger paper. To see the pool of photos, click here.

At This Moment...

2011-09-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Today's 30 Days of Lists prompt is "At This Moment." I decided to get back to my journalism graphic roots and represent today's list as a pie chart. I probably wouldn't have got a passing grade on this chart, since I didn't include a headline, deck or sourceline, but it makes me smile. My list is as follows:

At This Moment...

45% hungry
27% sore from yesterday's workout
20% hoping Mike will get up soon
8% thinking about taking out the trash

I used scrapbook paper and graph paper, pretty simple day. Check out the group's collection over at Flickr. Above it today's cover with the addition of the paper from the pie chart and the number 26 (my age :).

Weekend Plans

2011-09-09T12:44:00.000-04:00

Today's prompt at 30 Days of Lists is "Weekend Plans." Luckily for me, I have a weekend packed full of fun activities to list. Which are....

Lunch with Lisa (thanks to Jenn White and her Groupon she gave us)
Birthday dinners for Kelly and Mike (we get dinner out tonight and homemade tomorrow, yum!)
Hampton Bay Days
Redskins Football
Brunch (hopefully on Sunday)
Enjoying the sunshine
Take pictures

See all the lists here or just my collection here.

New dress for the weekend!

2011-09-08T15:45:00.001-04:00

I decided to get motivated this week and make something from this vintage fabric I found a few weeks back. I knew when I first saw the fabric (how often do you find peacock/pheasant/roses on a vibrant purple?) I absolutely had to have a dress out of it, and since it was only $2.99 for almost three yards, it was mine!

I wasn't sure what kind of dress I wanted to make out of it, but after taking a look through my pattern options I decided I wanted something with sleeves. Last time I made a dress with sleeves it wasn't too great. However, with fall right around the corner I need more dresses with long sleeves, so I knew it was time to suck it up and practice these sleeves again.

I'm pretty happy with the end product. I made the sleeves shorter this time and put in to darts through the middle back to give it more shape. I added a grey belt and voila! the dress is complete! I think I'm feeling comfortable to try some more dresses with sleeves. I guess that means more trips to the thrift stores to look for fabric....darn....

Things That Remind Me of Childhood

2011-09-08T14:57:00.001-04:00

Today's prompt for 30 Days of Lists is "Things that Remind me of Childhood," which I absolutely love. Why? Because childhood was so fun (not that adulthood isn't) and I love to be reminded daily of the simple things in life like candy cigarettes that made my day when I was nine years old.

My complete lists includes:

Totino's Pizza Rolls - my mom always made these for sleepovers, then we'd make a fort out of sheets and chairs and watch movies until we fell asleep.
Tree forts - the ones we made in the woods (behind our house) with the neighbor kids and the one my dad built nine feet into the air in our backyard - with a skylight and all!
Babyface Dolls - probably the scariest baby dolls to be produced to date, but boy did I love them! My first was "Sheri" (the one sitting half on/half off the wooden bench with the purple boots), or as my sister called her "Chucky's wife."
Candy cigarettes - Remember the ones which actually had the powdered sugar in them to make it look like real smoke when you "puffed" on them? Oh yessss!
"The Goonies" - Enough said.
Trolls - the dolls, not real trolls. Do they even make these anymore?
"Pickle Meat" - Actually called pimento loaf, consisting of bologna with ground up pickles and olives. Sounds terrifying but I looooooooved this stuff.
New Kids on the Block - Joey was my favorite :)

I used the front of an "Oh's" cereal box as the base of my collage.

And here's my cover with the addition of the "Y" from my scrapbook paper I used as the background. Check out the group's list here and to sign up, check out the 30 Days of Lists website.

I'm Not Very Good At...

2011-09-07T10:07:00.000-04:00

An interesting prompt today at 30 Days of Lists... I think it's a positive thing to realize what you aren't that great at, it gives you room to grow and better yourself as an individual. Plus, no one is perfect so just accept the fact you aren't terrific at everything :)

My list today reads:
I'm not Very Good At:
Listening to my voice mails (In fact, I almost refuse to!)
Swimming
Talking about my feelings
Asking for help
Spelling (I'm sure this comes as no surprise to many of you :P)
Saying NO!
Sports

Spelling seems to be a popular list item today...wonder what the correlation is!? You can see the group's list here at Flickr and it's not too late to sign up today.

New Additions to the Store!

2011-09-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

If you remember a few weeks back I created some handmade jewelry and accessories using some of my grandmother's buttons. Well, I've finally added a few of the pieces to Fairview Place.

If you're on Facebook and want to follow along when we post new items at the store, just hit "Like" and you'll always be in the know :)

Favorite Color Combinations

2011-09-06T11:51:00.000-04:00

Today's topic on 30 Days of Lists is "Favorite Color Combinations." I feel like mine are always changing depending on the season, my mood, the day or the weather! However, a few have stayed with me the past couple of years. It was also pretty obvious when I started looking through my fabric collection to see what I should use for this list.

My colors include:
teal and yellow
autumn colors
and combination of blues together
yellow and black

Check out all the different lists here and you can still sign up to participate in 30 Days of Lists here.

I Need an APP for...

2011-09-05T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today's list prompt over at 30 Days of Lists is "I Need an APP for..." I thought this one was pretty amusing, and if only it would come true! I used some cardstock from a promotion pack from Domtar which conveniently has a huge 'A' on it. Also used some elementary school writing pad paper (in honor of those heading back to school this week) and regular red cardstock.

If you can't read my list it goes as follows:
I need an APP for...
1. Painting my nails
2. Grocery shopping
3. Taking out my contacts
4. Cleaning the toilet
5. Reducing my appetite (which I totally adapted from Justine)
6. Cleaning my craft room
7. Cutting vegetables (I do A LOT of this, just ask Mike)
8. Putting dishes away (I do NOT do a lot of this ;)

This is today's cover with the addition of the writing pad paper and red lines. As always, head over to our Flickr group to see what everyone else needs as APP for and if you want to join all the fun, check out the site here!

Things to do on a Sunday Morning

2011-09-04T17:18:00.000-04:00

I spent the morning driving home from our overnight stay in Charlottesville. When I got home I slept for a good three hours, so really, the only thing on my list of things to do on a Sunday morning is sleep! I was finally able to put this little fabric flower I made when I was in Thailand to good use :) Check out all the other lists here and the 30 Days of Lists website here (it's still not too late to join :)!

Also, here is the cover. As I mentioned before I'm adding a piece of each days list to the cover and seeing what I come up with in the end.

People I Love

2011-09-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's list prompt for the 30 Days of Lists challenge was "People I Love." I was in Charlottesville in a hotel getting ready for the William & Mary vs. UVA game so I didn't have much at my disposal for crafting the list. I grabbed the latest issue of "The Hook" and made a little collage from that. You can see all the lists here.

If you can't read what I have written, it goes as follows:
People I Love
My parents
My grandmas
My sissy
Boots! (the cat)
Mike
Those who inspire
Crafty people
Mike's family
Those who challenge me
Those who teach
My girls

I'm Happiest When...

2011-09-02T12:59:00.000-04:00

Day Two of the 30 Days of Lists challenge...and the prompt is "I'm Happiest When..." This was a good prompt for me and makes me realize it's the simple things in life that make me happy! Well, simple and delicious things in life, haha. You can see the collection over at Flickr.

Incase you can't read my writing, here's what I wrote:

I'm happiest when...

I'm outside enjoying the sunshiw.
I can make others laugh and feel good.
I get to travel...anywhere!
I'm spending time with my family.
I'm cooking in a big, fancy kitchen (which means pretty much any kitchen but my own, ha).
I'm snuggling with Mike.
I'm eating delicious Mexican food.

September Goals

2011-09-01T17:50:00.000-04:00

Kicking off the 30 days of Lists with "September Goals." I've kept my list short and sweet for a couple of reasons....mainly because I just finished 85 goals, ha. Also because September is already a packed full month and I want to be able to accomplish the still challenging goals I've set.

A lot of folks created whole journals ahead of time to write their lists in, but since I'm a late joiner I'm making my book as I go along. Right now my cover (right) looks a little bare. My plan is that everyday I'll be add a piece of the list I create to the front, and by the end of the month I'll have a nice little collaged cover.

You can see what fellow listers are doing here. Stay tuned for tomorrow's prompt!

That Didn't Last Long

2011-09-01T09:40:00.000-04:00

I've picked my new blogging adventure! You obviously know my love of lists from the past 92 days, so I've decided to keep it going. I joined the 30 Days, 30 Lists challenge. It's a private blog for those who decide to join ($6 for a month-long list/journaling challenge), you get a daily prompt, free tutorials, giveaways and access to their Flickr group with loads of great lists! Since it's a private blog, you won't be able to see the fun, but I'll be posting photos of my lists here. Today's prompt is September Goals. I'm off to start my list and will post have I have later on today!

Happy September!

2011-09-01T09:30:00.000-04:00

This is it! The 92 Days of Summer list is over. Done. Finished. I was able to accomplish 85 of the 92 items on the list and I've tediously gathered the list below to prove it (I do in no way think you will actually click on more than two of the links :). Honestly, I'm a little relieved and a little sad...whatever will I post about now? Thanks for the support throughout the 92 days and here's to September!

1. Make felt book
2. Plant a garden
3. Print biz cards
4. Create Spain book via Blurb
5. Freebie: Watches
6. Visit Portland
7. Attend 7 Cities Crafters Mtg.
8. Watch 25 movies, rented from the library
9. Thai cooking night
10. Recipe: Torte
11. Organize craft room
12. Volunteer
13. Alphabet wall hanging
14. Attend craft night @ 757 Creative Space
15. Freebie: ABCs of Me
16. Use video camera
17. Get new freelance clients
18. Grill bananas
19. See last Harry Potter movie
20. Freebie: Camping
21. Tides Game
22. Go kayaking
23. Send letters/handmade cards via USPS
24. Attend more music shows/festivals
25. Kerouac Cafe
26. Freebie: Inspiration Line
27. Update Stick Baby Store
28. Finish VFW/American Legion project
29. Thailand article for AltDaily
30. Birch Bar
31. Freebie: Textures
32. Bake
33. Go Antiquing
34. Photo Story
35. Visit Baltimore
36. Shady Grove
37. Ride my bike more
38. Croquet
39. Freebie: Purse how-to
40. Walk a dog
41. Grill unusual veggies
42. Trophy coat rack
43. Cook and eat lobster
44. Try new beers: here, here, here
45. (At least) Start Thailand book via Blurb
46. Freebie: Handmade wrapping paper
47. Local Thai restaurant
48. Hang out with friends
49. "Things I'm Diggin'" monthly blog: here, here and here
50. Visit Richmond
51. Recipe: Cilantro dressing
52. Nurse Susie photo story
53. Cure Cafe
54. Plant herbs
55. Grandma's recipe book
56. Photo Story: ABCs
57. Hot pot dinner
58. Poach eggs
59. Charlottesville Weekend
60. Raspberry lemonade cocktails
61. Freebie: Button Jewelry
62. Build a sand castle
63. Do yoga
64. Read more
65. Grilled pizzas
66. See the sunrise
67. Find new farmer's market
68. Play tennis
69. Take a class or workshop
70. Go to the driving range
71. Fabric banners
72. Fresh flowers, monthly: here, here and here
73. Freebie: Shawn's purse
74. Make stuffed animals
75. Sell pottery
76. Attend more craft/art shows
77. Collect sea shells
78. Veg out in a park
79. Visit family
80. Sew myself new clothes
81. Make ice cream
82. Recipe: Sausage potatoes
83. Visit New York
84. Create new salads
85. Pickle veggies
86. Breweries
87. Photo Story: Krissi shoes
88. Play mini-golf
89. Recipe: Peach Cobbler
90. Make lunch dates
91. Freebie: Etsy earrings
92. Play with my friends' children

Vid, Vid, Video!

2011-08-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

I played around a little with my video camera this summer, but nothing of interest ever came from it (was suppose to be #16 on the list). Instead, I'm posting a video from Thailand that makes me laugh even to this day. It features myself, Bruce (who I'm riding with) and my sister, who gets honked at in the video. Oh Thailand traffic, how I miss thee. But not really.

Anyway, a fail for this one on the list...maybe for the next list?

Felt ABCs Wall Hanging

2011-08-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

This has been a project I've been working on almost all Summer. I was inspired for this by a children's wall hanging I saw at a craft show in Bangkok. I only had sketches of what I had seen that day, so my version has some modifications. The wall hanging is 20"x36" with two felt loops to hang across a dial rod or on hooks.

(left) Front of the fruits and veggies (right) backs with embroidered names

Each of the 26 felt pockets adorns a white capital and yellow lowercase letter. Inside the pocket you'll find a 3" felt fruit or vegetable. I created all the patterns for the food, letters and hanging. All the food is hand sewn, hand embroidered then stuffed with fiberfil. I'll tell you when I started this project I had no idea what I was in for. The patience, the time and the imagination involved was a little intense, but I enjoyed it, and even more the final product. With that said, it'll probably be a one-of-a-kind item and is on sale at Fairview Place.

I've learned that felt is such an underrated member of the craft family. There is so much you can do with it, it's so cheap and so easy to work with. If you have any other fun ideas (or commissions you'd want me to create), send them my way! For now, check and mark #13 off the Summer list!

Meet Tucker

2011-08-31T17:18:00.000-04:00

He's the pooch who let me walk him this summer (or I let him walk me, depending on the day) to enable me to cross off #40 (walk a dog) on the Summer list. Thanks, Tucks!

Starting My Thailand Book

2011-08-31T15:30:00.000-04:00

Now that the busiest of the Summer months is over I'll have more time to concentrate on my Thailand book I've been wanting to design since the day I left for my travels.

The series of travel books (right and below) was really popular when I was in Thailand. Unfortunately, they are all in Thai so I have no idea what was written, but they are so well-designed I couldn't resist getting one. I tried finding the Chiang Rai version, but apparently one had not been created yet, so I ended up buying the one for Chiang Mai.

I finally decided that I'm going to design my book in chronological order (vs. by chapters such as transportation, food, people, etc). I'm going to add exerts from my travel journal and blog. The style of the above travel book is the kind of look I want my book to have. Along with some of the drawn design items I started creating from all the scraps of paper I collected. I've done the first edit on photos, which is at about 600 (yikes, I know!) but it's going to be a long (and hopefully) fun process, which I have officially started....allowing me to cross of #45 off the Summer list.

My Last Freebie!

2011-08-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Aren't these earrings adorable? They were on the front page on Etsy last week and I just couldn't resist. Actually, I couldn't resist most things in Jeanette Petrilli's Store 66 on Etsy, but I limited myself to just one item. An easy and delightful last freebie on the 92 Days of Summer list. #91 you have been crossed off!

"More" Art and Music Shows

2011-08-30T23:27:00.000-04:00

"More" is such a relative term. Number 76 on my Summer list was attend more craft shows. Number 24 is attend more music shows. More compared to what? How many? What's enough? I've started realized if I ever do another list like this I'm going to be a lot more specific as to what qualifies checking off each thing, haha (I'm also not going to wait until the last week to check off 20+ things :).

Regardless, I did make it to quite a few shows and craft shows. Looking back through all my photos I found I didn't document any of these events too well. I suppose at the music shows I was too busy dancing and the craft shows I was too busy shopping...which is great for musicians and vendors, ha. The top photo is pulled from The Fastermores' CD Release Party, my most favorite show of the Summer.

Selling Pottery

2011-08-30T19:00:00.001-04:00

Sadly, I don't think I'm going to sell any pottery between now and tomorrow at midnight when my Summer list ends (which is #75 on my list). I acquired this 80-piece set from an estate sale two years ago. My original idea was to resell the pottery and make a little money off my investment. However, now, three moves later I'm just ready to get rid of this cumbersome collection. The pottery was created in the 1960s, each piece is unique and with all the different sizes there is something for everything! You can read the entire story about the pottery here.

I listed a few pieces on Fairview Place here and here and even have a whole blog dedicated to the awesome art, but no purchases have surfaced yet. So while I may not have sold any pottery, it's definitely for sale. I give #75 an "A for Effort" and am checking it off the list!

Letters as Photo Art

2011-08-30T17:40:00.000-04:00

I was asked to do something like this for Mike's sister-in-law last month. While I was out scouring for the requested "MARS" letters I decided to get the entire alphabet (and multiples of each) in case I was ever asked to do something like this again. I finally finished up the project tonight with the last of the letters. For my photo story's purpose I kept them all in color, but I think I prefer them in black in white, like this one I did last year.

#56) Photo Story: ABC Art, check and done!

2011-08-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

Felt garland for a small package heading to Portland.

When I put #71 on my 92 Days of Summer list (fabric banners), I was thinking how cute this, this or this would be for some Summer get-together/baby or wedding shower/child's birthday party. However none of those three events presented themselves in which I could (or really wanted to) create the banners for. In any case, I realized instead of making big banners, I could make fabric garland (banner = long and big, garland = smaller and shorter). I could also use this fabric garland to wrap presents, send of in Fairview Place packages and help deplete the never-ending fabric collection.

Pink and purple garland,
waiting for a new home :)

With that said, all items bought at Fairview Place in the month of September will receive complimentary vintage fabric (or felt or whatever else I think up) garland with the order, and I promise, no two will be alike! Please, don't all run to the store at the same time ;)

Wrapping a drinking pitcher is not a pretty thing...

Custom Requests on Fairview Place

2011-08-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

I got a request for a custom-made purse for a wedding in a few weeks. My friend sent me this photo (to the right) of her dress she's wearing. As you can tell, it's not a dress that could be matched with many purses, hence her asking me to make her something.

I decided to go with a plain black purse and a fun "patternful" lining (yes, that is a word I made up :). After a few specifics questions and scouring Etsy for purse shape and style ideas, I created a pattern from a few we both liked. The handbag is 11" wide (at the bottom) with an 8" chocolate brown zipper and a 10" hand strap. Each side has two pleats.

Figuring out what I wanted the bag to look like took longer than the actual production. From start to finish I spent about an hour and a half - I now love this purse pattern! Freebie #73 you're off the list!

If you're interested in a custom order, you can message me at the Fairview Place store or email me here.

#64) Read More

2011-08-29T20:24:00.000-04:00

If you know me, you know I don’t read. I have nothing against it at all, in fact I wish I did enjoy it, but the honest truth is I just don’t! When people might find themselves reading I’m busying myself with researching recipes, crafting or scouring blogs for ideas for the future.

While this Summer I did end up reading two books (in attempt to learn how to effectively start my own freelance business), I spent a lot of time with electronic books and podcasts. When you spend 10+ hours in front a computer each day, there’s nothing better than having these resources in your ears. I listened to three books (At Home by Bill Bryson, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen) and loads of podcasts from Hello Craft, CraftyPod and Craftzine. My newfound reading resource has been a great Summer accomplishment for me. And I can't wait to keep it going!

Freelancing Life Style

2011-08-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

When I got back from Thailand I immediately started freelancing with one of the departments from my previous job. It has ended up carrying me through the Summer and hopefully through the Fall. Number 17 on my 92 Days of Summer list is to "Get New Freelance Clients" and I can say I've steadily done that throughout the Summer. Here are just a couple items I've created during the Summer. Fingers crossed, many more to come! You can also see my full portfolio here (no harm in self promotion, right ;).

Brochure I created for Room to Grow Foundation, a non-profit I worked with while in Thailand.

Business card and logo design for New South Design out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Lee also makes fantastic cupcakes under the New South Cupcake name.

Promotional sign for the Norfolk Noblewomen's monthly Happy Hour.

CD cover of singer/guitarist Hayden Lee. We're still in the progress of finishing up the inside artwork.

We Survived!

2011-08-29T15:32:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the brief hiatus in posting. In the past week, we've had an earthquake, wildfires (which isn't anything new) and a hurricane to contend with...I guess Mother Nature was teaching us a lesson. Anyway, I've got a slew of posts to make happen, 19 in fact off of the 92 Days of Summer, so it's going to be a very busy couple of days (Thanks Irene).

I'll leave you with this photo of some taste testing I did for New South Cupcakes last night...strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing. You should be jealous, very jealous ;) Stay tuned for the finale of the list and much more!

Library Movies

2011-08-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

This Summer I've become a huge fan of renting movies from the library. Not because I had to watch 25 of them for my 92 Days of Summer list (#8), but because the library has so many great titles and renting the movies is free! Plus, even in the age of Kindles, iPads and Netflix where going to the library is completely unnecessary, I enjoy walking into that huge limestone building with the smell of old paper and glue.

Anyway, I finally finished my list and here are the titles of the movies and documentaries I watched. And, yes, this is my first time watching every one of these movies!

My Kid Could Paint That
Who the F*$% is Jackson Pollock
Helvetica
Hairkutt
Fur
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
I'm Still Here
Queen
Seven
Exit through the Gift Shop
500 Days of Summer
Bottle Rocket
Pan's Labyrinth
War Photographer
Heathers
Burn After Reading
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Cinderella Man
Outsourced
Word Wars
Pride and Prejudice
Girl With the Pearl Earring
Up in the Air
We Own The Night
I'm Not There

#57) Hot Pot Dinner

2011-08-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

Hot pot dinners were extremely popular when I was in Thailand. You'd find a huge group of friends (or families) gathered around a few of these clay pots sitting above coals on fire. Think Asian-inspired fondue...but here you're making a very tasty soup. You're provided a few bowls of vegetables, a bowl of seafood, a bowl of meat and several dipping sauces (if you did your hot pot dinner right, you went to a buffet-style hot pot where you got to pick out all your own ingredients). So what's next? Start boiling, cooking, steaming and eating!

I unfortunately do not own one of those nifty hot pots, nor an electric wok, so I started out making mine in a fondue pot, but ended up just doing it over the stove (lame, I know... electric wok, you are on my Christmas list!).

What you'll need:
broth (homemade or store bought will do)
meats (chicken, beef or pork)
seafood (shrimp, squid, scallops and fish)
meatballs like shrimp balls, squid balls, pork balls
veggies such as napa cabbage, spinach, bean sprouts, tofu, mushrooms, morning glory, bok choy, basil and cilantro
eggs
noodles
dipping sauces/toppings such as chili paste, minced garlic or ginger, scallions, BBQ sauce and soy sauce

What you'll do
As a boost of confidence, I'm telling you right now, you cannot mess this up. And, use my ingredients and how-to as guidelines.
1. Prepare all your sauces and toppings for the soup.

2. Bring the broth to a boil in your electric wok/fondue pot. Crack the egg(s) into a small bowl and whisk together. Once the water is boiling dump the egg mixture in and give it a good stir.
3. Next you'll want to add the ingredients that take a while to cook like your noodles, meats and meatballs.

4. Finally, throw everything else in the mixture and cover with a lid! It may look a little scary, but once it all cooks down you'll have a gorgeous looking soup.

5. When everything is at the consistency you desire take turns ladling the soup into bowls, and yes, you're allowed to pick out the stuff you like! Use the different toppings and sauces to season your soup, meats and fish.

6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 as many times as you like or until all the broth is gone, whichever comes first :)

Coming Soon!

2011-08-21T19:43:00.000-04:00

The cards used to hold the clips and earrings are actually
old flash cards I bought at a Flea Market years ago when I was in college.

I've been working on a new project for Fairview Place...handmade jewelry and hair clips from vintage buttons! I've inherited buttons through my grandmothers and they are just too lovely to not do something with. I'm starting with a few earrings and jazzed up bobby pins and we'll see how it goes. I haven't had the time to get them uploaded to the store yet, but couldn't resist giving a little sneak peak. When they are officially posted, I'll be sure to post the link (again and again and again :).

#61) Freebie: Vintage Button Jewelry is crossed off the list!

Harry Potter

2011-08-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

Finally saw the last movie in the series. Honestly I didn't want to watch it because I know there won't be anymore. Although, it was amazing and I cried like a little baby :)

#19) See the last Harry Potter: check!

Our Little Nurse Susie

2011-08-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

My mom got this ceramic figurine after she graduated with her degree and it's been at my grandmother's house ever since. We were tempted to put the figurine in the garage sale back in May, but I decided against it. I love seeing those gnome photos so I made my mind up to do my own version with Nurse Susie. Here's what Susie and I got into during a three-day photo stint around Hampton Roads. Oh, and #52) Nurse Susie Photo Story: check and mark!

Hanging out at the Ocean Front

Before a morning run

Shopping for Fairview Place

Enjoying a bowl of Cinnamon
Toast Crunch

At the Pagoda with one of the many Norfolk Mermaids

Shopping at the international grocery

Sitting on the new project
chair I got for free

Visiting the USS Wisconsin

Lunch and afternoon work session

2011-08-18T18:10:00.000-04:00

With Fall right around the corner and me in desperate need of new shoes I decided to make this month's "What I'm Diggin'" about shoes! It stays warm here almost through October so those sandals and peep toes are actually necessary, as well as the two-hundred-dollar booties from Anthropologie :)

Anyway, I can officially cross off #49) Things I'm Diggin' from the 92 Days of Summer list. Woot woot!

a) Chelsea Crew Green T-Strap Sandal, $53; b) Chelsea Crew Jenny Oxford Heels, $61; c) Giacoletti at Aldos, $30; d) Blowfish Newton, $39; e) Chelsea Crew Janice Wedges, $65; f) Xhilaration Taree Oxford Shoes, $20; g) Divided Frond Booties at Anthropologie, $218

Old-Fashioned Shopping

2011-08-16T20:48:00.001-04:00

When I go hunting for new treasures for Fairview Place I hit up tons of thrift stores around the area but usually stay away from the antique shops because of the prices. Throughout the last week I put my treasure hunting to the side and decided to visit some antique shops I haven't been in quite some time (or ever!). Not only are the stores great, but the signage is so enticing! #33) Go Antiquing: check and done!

Monticello Antiques
You might wonder why this store is situated in this awkward location, but Monticello Antiques opened its doors (at this location) in the 1970s! The store itself is an antique ;)

227 W York St.

Norfolk, Va 23510
Open Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Towne Center Antique Mall
A bit off the beaten path, but definitely a gem. This mall is huge, with several rooms (often themed) an upstairs and a separate loft area. It is sure to have what you're looking for.

3900 Bonney Rd
Virginia Beach, Va 23452
757.498.9191
Open Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. 5 p.m.

Futures Antiques
The store's fantastic collection consists of anything from art deco to just plain kitsch and it's all in great condition. Probably not the cheapest antique store you'll visit, but well worth the browse, if nothing else.

3824 Granby StreetNorfolk, VA 23504
757.624.2050
Hours: Wednesday thru Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment

Country Boys Antiques
So think "antiques meet a dingy old basement." Haha, sounds scary, but the place is an awesome maze of collectibles and non-collectibles like doors, mantles, knobs, hinges, light switches and so-on. May not sound like your cup of tea, but you'll be pleasantly surprised.

3818 Granby St.
Norfolk, Va 23504
757.737.5452
Open Monday thru Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and "By Chance" on Sundays

2011-08-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

I had to get a little crafty in how to execute #6) Visit Portland and #22) Go Kayaking since I won't actually be able to do either in the last few weeks of my Summer list. So... I went "Kayaking" via Kayak.com and booked a ticket to "Visit Portland" next month. Not exactly what I had in mind for either of those items on my list, but I guess it's a good thing I didn't give specific instructions on completing each item.

Nevertheless, I'm super excited for my trip out West next month and can't wait to see and share Portland with Shawn!

2011-08-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

Last time I was home and in my grandmother's home I came across her recipe box. It was so amusing looking through the old thing...four recipes for meat loaf, 15+ salad recipes containing Jello, a "recipe for hat" (yes, there was a knitting pattern in her recipe box), special recipes from her mother-in-law and so much more. I knew I had to do something with this treasure I was holding in my hands.

I decided I wanted to make a cookbook out of her recipes, but did NOT want to make all the food as the accompanying artwork. So I went on a little photographic journey through her kitchen and took snap shots of the plates, cups, silverware, even the knobs on the stove I grew up with. I then photographed each of the (more than 100) recipe cards. I have yet to get the book printed, but will do so at Blurb very soon. You can preview the full book here.

#55) Grandma's recipe book: check and done!

The ABCs of Me!

2011-08-12T08:52:00.000-04:00

I was reading the Pink Lemonade blog and loved the author's (who, by the way, is 15) "me {a-z}". I asked Mike to come up with something similar I could fill out and blog about. I love what he came up with and am excited to share. I'm coming up with a version for him and will be anxious to see what his looks like....if you're lucky, maybe he'll let me share :)

Anyway, I'm using this as my #15) Freebie. Enjoy!

attitude: open-minded

bread: rye or pumpernickel, it's a tie

coffee: iced, with loads of sugar and cream

dreaded chore: putting the dishes away

exception to the rule: sincerity

fastest you've ever gone in a car: 90 mph. and i got a ticket for it.

goal for fairview place: world domination. or daily sales. either is fine.

habit: cracking my knuckles

instrument you enjoy hearing: horns

jinx you believe in: putting your feet up when crossing railroad tracks

kids: one day

love: three years strong

miles driven: 49,856. certainly not enough

new: i prefer old

over the top moment: looking forward to it

purses/bags: at least four on me at all times

quote: it's actually a poem by dorothy b. parker:

Why is it, when I am in Rome,

I’d give an eye to be at home,
But when on native earth I be,
My soul is sick for Italy?

And why with you, my love, my lord,
Am I spectacularly bored,
Yet do you up and leave me- then
I scream to have you back again?

required reading: stick baby and the snail

sleep: early bird gets the worm

trick or treat: treat

up in the air: my feelings on the new light rail

vegetables: i'll take them all, except black olives

where was waldo? the in the port-a-potty

x-games sport you like: skateboarding, best trick

yikes! i'm twenty-six!

zoo animal favorite: meerkats, of course!

Homemade Ice Cream

2011-08-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

I had every intention on making ice cream when I was at home with my mom. Coming up with some delicious new recipe and using her ice cream machine I bought her years ago... That didn't happen though. And since I don't own my own machine, I thought of this as a daunting task and have been putting it off all summer. However, I'm here to tell you, it's actually really simple!

I decided on coconut ice cream, which takes 2 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar and an 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. After chilling the mixture you'd normally transfer to your ice cream machine, but I transferred mine to the freezer. For the next three hours you make a routine of freezing for 40 minutes then blending with a mixer, back and forth until you've got the consistency you desire. After the last mix I added in a small can of crushed pineapple to making coconut pineapple and froze overnight.

Today I served with some graham crackers and it was perfect! It may have taken a few extra hours, but the process is half the fun, right?

#81) Make ice cream: check!

Surprise Flowers!

2011-08-10T21:12:00.000-04:00

There's nothing better than coming home to fresh flowers, especially when you didn't buy them! I was so excited when I came home from work today to find this lovely bouquet on the mantle and am finally able to cross #72 off my list!

Lunch Dates for Thai Food

2011-08-10T15:56:00.001-04:00

Sweet basil with tofu at two stars of spicy!

Now that I'm (temporarily) working the normal 9-5 again, it's been fun making lunchdates with friends and co-workers. Recently we checked out one of the nearby Thai restaurants - mostly because I wanted to see how it compared to my tasty memories. Bangkok Garden (the Town Center location) has several dishes that are very Northern-Thai like pad prik, laab and panang curry.

I had to try the Som Tam (papaya salad) which was just okay for me. It didn't seem super fresh and was a little fishy for my taste (it's made with fish sauce, a little I like, but this was a tad too much). For my main dish I went the sweet basil and tofu and I got it spicy. The dish was awesome, but not like anything I had while I was in Thailand.

After tip and tax I spent $18, which isn't terrible considering I got a spring roll/salad appetizer and definitely enough food for two people. However, thinking back to my Thai days that amount of money would have feed me for at least five days!

#47) Trying a local thai restaurant: deliciously checked off.

#90) Make lunch dates (thanks Tara!): check-and-done!

Bangkok Garden
4000 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, Va 23452
757.498.5009

Personalized Wrapping Paper

2011-08-10T08:43:00.000-04:00

I'm past due in sending a birthday care package to my best friend in Madrid, so I finally got the ball rolling this week in picking up the last few things I needed. Everything but wrapping paper, of course... I have tons of brown packing paper for shipments on Fairview Place, so I decided to make my pal her very own personalized wrapping paper! It's nothing fancy and doesn't take much time, effort or materials but adds a nice flair to a somewhat normal package.

#46) (Freebie) Personalized wrapping paper: check and done!

Another Recipe from the Vault

2011-08-08T15:14:00.001-04:00

This is yet another recipe of my grandmother's, although this time I didn't change a thing. We had planned to hit up a peach orchard while in Charlottesville, but the morning rain forced us to go directly to the wineries (darn). Instead we stopped at a little roadside vendor and picked up four baskets of peaches to make our delicious dessert. Kudos to Grandma Barb for such a great recipe :)

French Peach Cobbler

What you'll need:

Peach mixture

6 fresh peaches, sliced

3/4 cups sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Batter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

1 slightly beaten egg

What you'll do:

1. Combine all ingredients for peach mixture and spread evenly in 9x7 baking dish. Dot with butter.

2. Combine all ingredients for the batter and spoon in nine portions over peaches, spreading slightly.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

#89) Freebie Recipe, check-and-done!

Charlottesville Weekend

2011-08-08T13:21:00.000-04:00

My friend Susie saw my 92 Days of Summer list right when I started it. She said she'd love to do #59) Charlottesville Weekend with me. That was really all I needed! On Friday she and I and a couple other girls headed up north for a proper girls weekend (reduced-fat Cheez-Its, Kashi cookies and Champagne comprised of our snacks :). Friday night we laid low with some pizza and beer in preparation for our big day on Saturday: Wineries!

We were suppose to start the morning with peach picking at Carter Mountain Orchard, but the rain had other plans for us, so we made a group decision to start our winery trail early. We visited four wineries including Barboursville, Burnley, Horton and Keswick. Barboursville wine was probably my favorite, but the family-owned-and-run Burnley winery was at the top of my list for atmosphere and people.

After a few hours the rain passed and it ended up being a beautiful day. We loaded the back of the car with three boxes of wine and a few souvenirs, then headed back to make some dinner and delicious dessert...peach cobbler. Stay tuned for that post in a bit :)

Our Little Garden

2011-08-05T10:52:00.011-04:00

Outside our apartment there is a private communal garden. It's small, but cute and definitely does the trick for what we need. When I moved into the apartment, the area was pretty overgrown and in need of some TLC. I talked to my neighbor about cleaning it up and offered to do all the work. I cleaned and cleared the weeds. I replanted and reorganized. After seven hours of work, it looked great, like a whole new garden. I should have taken photos right then and there, unfortunately I didn't and it's right back to its original state.

I plan to take a day and do another cleanup as soon as I can, it's such a nice outdoors area to be all cluttered up and not in use.

#2) Plant a garden: Check. Keeping up a garden: Uncheck.

#25) New Coffee Shops

2011-08-04T15:06:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of the Summer I went and checked out Kerouac Cafe. It's a curious little coffee shop, kind-of in the ghetto in Norfolk, on 35th Street - very fitting for the name though. They constantly update their Facebook page with events like palm readings, mini art galleries and other fun happenings. The day I decided to take my work there, they were out of ice and anything cold to drink, and the internet was down... So not the greatest first impression. I've been meaning to stop back for a second try but last week Cafe Stella opened in Ghent (next to Cogan's) and completely caught my eye.

Cafe Stella is a coffee shop with a vintage twist. They sell all your favorite coffee drinks, along with freshly-made pastries and snack-specials like homemade hummus and pita bread. Plus, they sell all sorts of vintage and antique items throughout the store. It's practically like my (future) store plus a coffee shop :) The food prices are good (the food and coffee is even better), the products for sale are a higher than average (that's why you should shop at Fairview Place ;) but the atmosphere is relaxing and beautiful.

Cafe Stell
1907 Colonial Ave
Norfolk, Va 23517

#25) Kerouac Cafe turned Cafe Stella,
check-and-done!

The Blog's Mascot!

2011-08-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

My advanced pattern-making
skills at their finest, ha.

I was really inspired for #74) Make a Stuffed Animal from Martha Stewart's t-shirt bunny and the quirky big-headed stuffed animals I saw everywhere in Thailand. After deciding I was not in need of a t-shirt bunny or a big-headed pumpkin/bear, I decided I would make a little mascot for my blog: The Snail! I made the ever elaborate pattern myself (ha) and quickly learned how to make a stuffed-snail all wrong. But, all in all, the little gastropod came out pretty cute.

Number 74, check and done!

#30) Birch Bar

2011-08-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

Let me just say I love The Birch bar! It's a quaint little bar which opened earlier this year in Ghent (T-West fans, it's right next door!). It has more than 20 beers on tap, loads of ever-changing bottles, growlers and a small, but pleasing menu. They have weekly specials (you can see here), which include a "Steal the Pint Night" on Wednesdays (that's tonight!) and "Growler Night" on Thursdays. It's a great place to sit back, learn about specialty brews and try a few from across the world...but be warned, you should also bring your pocketbook - some of these brews cost up to $30!

1231 W. Olney Rd
Norfolk, Va. 23507
757.962.5400
Open Tuesday to Thursday 3 p.m. to Midnight, Friday and Saturdays 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.

#82) Recipe: From the Vault

2011-08-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

Doesn't actually look that appetizing, but it was! You have my word :)

This is an oldie, but a now vegetarian goodie: Scalloped Veggie Sausage and Potatoes! I found this recipe in my grandma's collection, of course it calls for real sausage, but I substituted with fake sausage patties and it worked just as well. It's also easy to cut in half and make for smaller crowds.

What you'll need:
1 lb sausage
4 cups potatoes, sliced thinly
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheese (I didn't have enough sharp so I used mozzarella too)
1 1/2 cups milk

What you'll do:
1. In a skillet, brown sausage then drain oil (if you use veggie sausage patties, you'll first have to defrost the patties, then chop up into small pieces).
2. Place half of the sliced potatoes in a casserole dish (2-quart). Sift half of flour and half of salt over potatoes (I added pepper too).
3. Next, top with half of the sausage and then half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. Pour milk over mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Next time I may add some diced onions and green peppers for a little extra kick. Freebie recipe #82, you have been baked!

Making a Racquet

2011-08-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

Not the most athletic-looking pose.

The last two Summer my sister and I played tennis a lot. Okay, by a lot I mean like once a week on average, but I figured keeping the tradition alive wouldn't be that hard. Unfortunately, it has been! I've only played tennis twice this season. Tonight, instead of going for a run we headed over to Maury High School and played under the lights (fancy, I know). Nice alternative to a boring three-mile run though :)

Number 68 is off the list!

Poached Eggs

2011-08-01T20:23:00.000-04:00

This all came about because I was watching a cooking show one day and the special was on brunch and making poached eggs. It looked so simple and I was regretting not making one of my "Sandwich Month" sandwiches with a poached egg. Anyway, tonight for dinner I tried my hand at #58 on my list and had a very successful time.

Incase you're like me and don't know how to poach an egg, you can follow my little photo directions.
1. Prepare toppings for a sandwich (if that's what you decide to do with your egg).
2. Crack your egg into a small cup or ramekin, without breaking the yoke.
3. Start heating a small pot of water and add a tablespoon of vinegar.
4. You don't want to bring your water to full boil, but a "rapid simmer."
5. Gently Pour your egg into the water.
6. Check the clock.
7. Boil.
8. Boil.
9. Boil.
10. Boil.
11. Boil.
12. Check the clock. At 4 minutes, you're ready to remove.
13. With a slotted spoon, remove your egg and place onto a paper towel.
14. Toast the bread.
15. Assemble the sandwich.

If you want a tasty little spread, mix 1/2 of an avocado, 3 cloves of garlic (minced) a teaspoon of fat free cream cheese and salt and pepper. Healthy and delicious :)

It's August!

2011-08-01T19:58:00.000-04:00

Getting a little ratty-looking, isn't it?

I'll be honest, I'm freaking out a little it's August already and I still have 43 things to cross off my 92 Days of Summer list. I need to get on the ball...or get crafty with the way I execute some of these items! Nevertheless, I hope you stay tuned for the last month and see if I can make my deadline!

Hot Pickled Veggies!

2011-07-31T19:02:00.002-04:00

My sister informed me of a really easy way to make hot pickled veggies was to just buy a jar of hot banana peppers and combine it with an extra cup of vinegar and cauliflower and voila, you're done. I should have done what my sister said and made this task easy on myself, but I didn't. Instead I made up my own recipe and am not 100 percent impressed with my results. Do you have any favorite pickling and/or hot pickling recipes? Here's what I did...tell me where I went wrong!

What you'll need:
1 large carrot, sliced in 1/2" pieces, then halved
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup Brussels sprouts
1/2 broccoli
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 large banana pepper, cut into rings
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
salt and pepper

What you'll do:
1. Boil the carrots, cauliflower, sprouts and broccoli for about five minutes, until just tender.
2. Drain the water and rinse with cold water. Combine cooked veggies, along with onion, peppers and garlic into an air-tight container.
3. Pour water and vinegar over veggies, season with a teaspoon of (each) salt and pepper. Let sit for at least a day to get full effect.

Regardless, #85, check-and-done!

Craft Night

2011-07-31T10:27:00.001-04:00

Somehow this post got lost along the way, my apologies. In June I attended an Etsy-sponsored craft night at 757 Creative Space in Norfolk. The venue is new to me, but I checked out their web site and what a great idea! It's a bunch of offices and conference rooms nicely designed and decorated which you can rent by the hour, day or month. Definitely forward-thinking for Norfolk.

Anyway, the Craft Night was really fun. There were give-aways, cupcakes, music and how-to presentations from local crafters. I tried my hand at making a little, big-headed bear from designer Jaclyn Ashley. My Cyclopes bear definitely didn't come out as cute as the original, but what a fun little tutorial!

I'm excited to check out more of these craft nights at 757 Creative Space...

#14) Attend a Craft Night at Creative Spaces: check-and-done!

Another Thai-Inspired Piece

2011-07-29T17:01:00.000-04:00

Touring the Buddha Caves.

Number 29 on my 92 Days of Summer list is writing an article about my experience in Thailand. AltDaily was going to run something a few months back, but I never followed-up with the editors and became busy with the Summer. I had in fact written something that summed up my trip while riding my last bus in Thailand. I figured this would be the best time to present what I wrote, tying it in with my Thai cooking night and all. I added some "me photos" to accompany the story :)

This 11-hour bus ride to Bangkok from Chiang Rai, my home for the past four months, is strangely symbolic of my entire time here in Thailand.

First week in Thailand.

I arrive to the bus station 30 minutes early with 100+ pounds of luggage in tow. I move from platform to platform, trying to figure out which bus is mine, dripping sweat and praying this sky-blue-and-hot-pink, double-decker bus is mine. This is called "Hurry up and Wait." I've become quite accustomed to it. Your bus is late. Your train stops for two hours in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Your bus has arrived early, and left without you. You wait an hour to board a bus, arrive 30 minutes early, then wait for the 'song-taews' to gather 10 other travelers who are going the same way as you. Even though there is a lot of waiting around and extra hours spent on public transit, it's like that in any big city, right? And why not be in a place where the scenery is beautiful, the people-watching is terrific, and the endless food vendors at every stop are magnificent...(?)

Riding a motorbike!

Getting onto this bus turns out to be like walking into most rooms in Thailand. You're the only 'falang' (that's what Thai's call Westerners). The locals will generally watch you, even stare at you for a little while. The little children are the best. They love to stare and giggle. If you become friendly with them, they'll pull your arm hair and get right into your lap. Their parents just smile and look on, something most mothers in the Western world would find quite alarming. The Thai women can't quite understand why our arms and legs are exposed with no sun block or whitening agent. You see, they prefer to be white like most Westerners prefer to be tan. If the others in the room speak English, they'll tend to ask you where you're from, how long you'll stay, and if you love it here. "America", "four months", and 'Of course! I may not leave", my answers every time. The latter was definitely a true statement for a while.

Visiting the Queen's Gardens
with new friends.

Hula-hooping to get free beers!

Everyone is finally settled in, the bus has pulled out of the station and the attendant comes around with food. Our little box lunch consists of a (1) 'cupcake' made of bread and painted three different colors, (2) 'pizza', a flat round pastry filled with a gooey filling made of (maybe) meat, and (3) some juice which tastes like roses. This, fortunately, doesn't remind me of anything from Thailand. Well, maybe a few pastries I tried at work one time, but definitely not the norm. I was a little worried about the food when I first arrived. "Don't drink the water", "watch the ice", "everything is ridiculously spicy", "you won't find tasty sweets". The first two, without a doubt, are correct. I learned the word for little bit (nit noi), so I could communicate only a little bit of spice. Or, every table is equipped with its own four-dish spice tray (salt, sweet, spicy and sour - the fours S's of Thai cooking), so you could jazz up your own meal. And sweets? Not as easy to come by as Pad Thai, but the mango sticky rice was to die for. I was also surprised to find that vegetarian selections were often available. Not sure what food group the fried bugs fit into, but I was able to avoid those the whole four months. The cooking class I took gave me quite a bit of inspiration to do my own Thai cooking as soon as I get back. There are plenty of dishes I won't be able to live without.

My going away presents
from Paul and Patricia.

As the bus passes a family of four on a motorbike, a smile spreads across my face and I think about all the things I will miss about my Asian home: The night markets with a sea of people, fried goodness and shopping galore. Your worldly possessions fitting into a 40-liter pack and a backpack. My friend Muay's heart-warming laugh. The amazing Pad Thai, puffed pea snacks, stir-fried green beans and basil, the obnoxiously sweet Thai tea, the lip-puckering pineapple and drinking every night (if your gut can handle it). Seeing what the locals will transport on a motorbike (A 40-inch TV? No big deal). The adorable wide-eyed children. Nobody knowing me. The kindness and willingness of the locals to help me understand. Six-dollar massages (the PG kind) whenever I want! The beautiful sunsets over the mountains outside my window. The Hill Tribe babies wrapped to their mother's backs in the most ornate fabrics. The small cats with their little stump tails. The variety of transportation, especially the tuk-tuks. The young Monks in their orange robes walking to class. And just the constant feeling of 'newness'.

The 17-hour train ride from
Bangkok to Chiang Rai.

It's starting to get dark and the exhaustion of traveling for four months is sitting in, so I'm slowly drifting off to sleep. I start thinking of all the things I'm looking forward to: Fresh laundry from the dryer. Pancho's, Victorio's, soft chocolate chip cookies, crisp pickles, fresh buttered popcorn, and cooking in my own kitchen. Not smelling raw fish, sewage or hot trash once a day. A cooler climate. Seeing my grandma and other loved ones. No more squat toilets. The beach. A clean shower and clean feet. No more rats, rabid dogs or mosquitoes. No more earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters (god willing). Sharing souvenirs with friends. Starting a book of all my photos and adventures and keeping in touch with my new friends....

Muay and I eating ice cream
a few days before I left.

I just awoke as we pulled into Bangkok. Feels like I just fell asleep, but it turns out I slept more than nine hours of the bus ride. Strange how it seems like I've only been in Thailand a month, and it's going on four. I know my experience differs from every other person who has visited Thailand, or traveled anywhere for that matter. But it's the expectations, the thrills, the scares, the high-times and low-times that all travelers have in common. It's what keeps our memories alive and inspires our every day activities to become exciting and new... And keeps our spirits hungry for more. Even though my four-month stint in Thailand may only seem like an 11-hour bus ride now, I'll cherish those memories until I take my last ride.

Thai Cooking Night, Finally!

2011-07-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

For Sonia's Celebration Day (this occurs once a year on July 23rd and you're require to tell Mike's mom she doesn't look a day past 25 - which is the truth :) I decided to prepare an authentic Thai meal for everyone. The menu consisted of papaya salad, green curry with chicken, pad Thai, Thai vegetable soup, and pineapple chicken. The five hours of prep work paid off because everything turned out wonderful. I think my favorite was the green curry, and I never even ate that dish much while I was in Thailand. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after dinner was served, cleaned up and put away in tupperware I remembered my camera! How could that have happened!? I did manage to grab a shot of all the ingredients (more than 40) required, so I broke it down to what everything is. I'll also pass along the recipes for trying at home, these are the actual recipes I got while taking my Thai cooking class, so it doesn't get much more authentic than this! Number 9, check-and-done.

Papaya Salad
What you'll need:
1 cup green papaya
1-2 Thai chilies
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup chopped green beans
1 tomato, cut into six
2 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp salt

What you'll do:
1. Mash garlic, beans and chilies. Add lemon, sugar fish sauce, tomato and salt.
2. Add shredded papaya and mix well. Serve immediately and garnish with peanuts and cabbage.
Makes one serving.

Green Curry with Chicken
What you'll need:
Prepared green curry paste
2 cups sliced eggplant (small green ones, or you can use cauliflower or potatoes)
1/2 cup small pea eggplants (I added carrots because I couldn't find them)
2/3 cup onion
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves (could find these either so I added some lime juice instead)
4 stems sweet basil
2 cups coconut milk

What you'll do:
1. Pour coconut milk in pot and boil with curry paste. Add chicken and stir until chicken is cooked.
2. Add veggies, 1 cup water, sugar, fish and soy sauce and salt. Turn heat up.
3. When all is cooked put sweet basil leaves on top and serve over rice.
Serves 2-3 people.

Thai Vegetable Soup
What you'll need:
1 cup tofu
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water
1/2 cup galangol, sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 Thai chilies
2-3 kaffir lime leaves (I left out)
2 spring onions
1 cup green beans
1 cup pumpkin (I used butternut squash)
1 cup carrot
4 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

What you'll do:
1. Boil water and coconut milk. Add galangol, lemongrass, onion, pumpkin, beans and carrots. Cook until fragrant.
2. Add tofu, mushrooms, tomatoes, continue boiling.
3. Season with fish/soy sauce, sugar and salt.
4. Add lime juice and leaves, spring onion and chilies. Serve over rice.
Serves 2-3 people.

Pineapple Chicken (This recipe didn't come from my Thai cooking class, but at the request of Mike I made it :)
What you'll need:
1 lb chicken
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp garlic, mince
1 tsp ginger
2 cups bell peppers (your choice of colors)
1 Thai chili
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup pineapple juice

What you'll do:
1. Mix chicken, fish sauce and cornstarch, set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil. Add garlic and ginger. Fry for 30 seconds. Add peppers, chili pepper and pineapple. Fry another 3-5 minutes.
3. Add pineapple juice and stir until headed. Remove from skillet.
4. Heat remainging oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook. Return pepper mix and heat throughly.
Serves 3-4 people.

Last, but not least, Pad Thai
What you'll need:
5 oz rice noodles
1 cup bean sprouts
4 tbsp tofu
2 eggs
1 tbsp pickled white radish, minced
1 tbsp peanuts, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup tamarind juice (which can be made by combining 6 tbsp water and 4 tbsp white vinegar)
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp spring onion
2 tbsp dried shrimps (I omitted these)
4 tbsp oil

What you'll do:
1. Prepare noodles according to directions
2. Heat wok on medium heat. Fry tofu.
3. Turn heat to low and add garlic, radish and shrimps, then stir. Add tamarind and noodles and turn heat to medium. Stir until noodles are soft, turn heat to low.
4. Add fish sauce, sugar, salt, peanuts, sprouts and onions. Turn heat to high and stir fry well.
5. Serve with lime.
Serves 4 people.

Boston Gave Me Hives and Other Fun Things

2011-07-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

My five days in Boston was an absolute whirlwind. Like I mentioned last Saturday I went there to help create the third issue of Ink (while you're there, don't hesitate to buy your own copy!!). The trip started off with a workshop (#69) about design stories. I heard how design helped one girl cope with pain, made two people fall in love, helped one person become more comfortable with public speaking and on and on. Throughout the week, I met so many talented designers across several platforms, ate a lot of delicious food, helped publish a 32-page magazine (and yes, I acquired a weird rash), but didn't get to see much of the city. I'm sharing a collection of behind-the-scene photos from my five-days in the Beantown, hope you enjoy! Number 83, you are officially off the list!

An old-school Boston Globe stamp rack we found in the library while we were searching for some photos. Martin Gee ended up using the stamps for the awesome artwork we used on the cover.

Photos we retrieved from The Globe's library of Lynn Staley, a member of the visual team from 1980-1995. Just a fraction of the library photo files at The Globe. I love this! The makeshift Mickey Mouse clock...that is just paper glued onto a regular clock!!

A Rolodex! I bet a newspaper (or your grandparent's house) is the only place you'll find of these today. "Unbylined Heroes" of The Globe include your trusty librarians! And the paper cutters.

Harvard Square is where we spent a lot of time eating and buying some pretty awesome magazines for the "Bookshelf" section of Ink. View from outside the Font Bureau. View from Font Bureau's kitchen (while we were talking to Mary Louise Marino from the FB). A nice little restaurant sign we passed on the way to the "T."

Spinach, artichoke hearts, chevre,
slow roasted tomatoes pizza from Cambridge 1.

One of the tasty meals we had...Cambridge 1 is the place to go for gourmet pizza. We also checked out Kingston Station, Flour Cafe, The Border Cafe and the Boston Globe's cafeteria :)

2011-07-26T08:28:00.001-04:00

I bought this awesome vintage fabric from a thrift store last week. I wish I lived in a time when I could buy fabric for 86 cents a yard! Anyway, I was playing around on Etsy and found this great bag and decided that's exactly what I wanted to do with my fabric. I figured I'd give a little how-to on making a bag, since I haven't done any how-to's in a while. Plus, I'm counting this as my #39 Freebie for my list.

Here's my disclaimer: I'm not good at following patterns, therefore I make my own. Along with making my own instructions! I'm not claiming my ways are the right ways, because they aren't :) This is just the way I've taught myself to sew over the years, so don't make fun of me for my elementary way of sewing, haha.

1. Cut out desired pattern in outer fabric and lining (2 of each).

2. Start with the bag outer fabric. With right sides together, sew the sides and bottom together (a). The bottom notches (b), which will create the sides of the bag, need to be folded together, pinned and sewn (c). Repeat for the lining, except leave about four inches of space along the bottom of the bag (d), this is where you will pull the finished bag through at the end (hold tight!).

3. Pockets! Cut out a pocket for the front of your bag, one from your contrasting outer fabric and one from your lining (a). With right sides together, sew around the pocket leaving a three-inch opening at the bottom (b). Turn right sides out through the opening and iron flat (c). Pin the pocket to the bag (d) and sew to the front of the bag (e). Repeat all steps to make an interior pocket (f). You can sew lines through the pocket to create different size pouches to store pens, a cell phone, etc.

4. Handles! I make handles the really elementary way, don't judge :) Cut out a strip of fabric about 32" long by 9" wide (a). You can make it longer or shorter depending on where you want your bag to hang. Iron out the fabric and turn right side down. Turn both edges to the center (b) and then turn the bottom onto the top (c). Pin down (d). Sew together and pin to the outside of the outer bag (e).

5. With right sides together, pin the bag together. This means you'll want the outside of the bag, right side out, and the lining inside out. You'll put the outer bag into the lining and pin together. Make sense? Good! Now sew all around the top. Remember that hole at the bottom of the bag? Pull the entire bag through there and iron. Slip stitch the little hole and you're finished!

If you stitch a few inches into the top of the pocket,
it'll give you more security and your belongings won't easily fall out.

If you know exactly what you're planning to put in
your pockets, measure first, then stitch!

Things I'm Diggin'

2011-07-25T08:33:00.000-04:00

July Edition brings us six items I'm totally into right now.

a) County Nights Dress from Lace Affair, $49. I mean how is this not the perfect wedding/cocktail party/wine festival/summer dress ever? It's a one-shot dress for every occasion, plus add some tights and brown boots and you have a great Winter dress too!

b) Sound of Dawn by Tulisan, $34. A graphic designer who has taken her illustrative and typography techniques to fabric to clothes, bags and stationery. Each design is so unique and the vibrant colors are screaming to worn (to me at least :). And don't be thrown off by the 288,000 IDR, when converted, that's only $34!

c) Norfolk Library Card, free. The library is an unemployed girls best friend. I go there weekly to peruse through the selection. Surprisingly, their DVD choices are really good (working on #8 on the list). And it's how I got introduced into my new relationship with yoga. Plus, old libraries are so neat!

d) Airborne Toxic Event, $10. I first heard "Changing" on the radio about a month ago. I could never remember the name of the band though...Atomic Event...Toxic Horizon...haha. It's a little teeny-bopper, but it's that fun Summer/sing-out-loud/dance-in-you-car kind of music you just can't resist.

e) Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen, $5 (at your local pub). I tried this beer for the first time last week and can't get enough of it. That made me sound slightly alcoholic, but you know what I mean. It's delicious, refreshing and light - just what a beer should be.

f) The Regional Assembly of Text, $6. My bestie out in Portland sent me a postcard from this fun design group. I checked out their web site and it's a wealth of awesome pillows, journals, cards, buttons and more. Check out the "About Us" page, what a clever idea :)

g) Necklace from Mothers For All, $13. My friend turned me on to this amazing jewelry when I was in Thailand. She worked for the organization for years and had the most exquisite pieces you'd ever imagine - and it's all paper! Plus, what's better than buying handmade, beautiful jewelry and knowing that the proceeds go straight to women fighting HIV/AIDs and the children effected by the infection.

#49) Things I'm Diggin' July Edition, check-and-done.

New(ish) Market Downtown

2011-07-24T06:50:00.001-04:00

On the corner of Botetourt and Bute, downtown Norfolk

Shady Grove Marketplace opened earlier this year downtown Freemason. With the closing of the Farm Fresh Market downtown, I was sooo happy to see something to fill its spot. While Shady Grove is about 1/18 of the old market's size, it makes up for it in originality and personality.

The store carries tons of fresh local produce (they go out and pick themselves), Sugar Plum Bakery breads, Carolina Cupcakery cupcakes, Azar's sandwiches and salads, Nana Sushi, local beers and wines and SO much more. Plus, they sponsor wine tastings, have a fun Facebook page and have a water bowl outside their door for thirsty dogs. What more could you ask for in a local market?

Oh! I almost forgot...they have a super cute chalk board which sits outside everyday with specials. Reminds of Thailand, where each restaurant, bar, barber shop, whatever, had one outside its door.

501 Botetourt St.
Norfolk, Va 23510
Open Daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
757.533.5459

#37) Shady Grove, check-and-done!