Fabulous Etsy Find

Six Poppies Archival Print

My office (the day job) recently moved from the 5th floor to the 2nd floor. In the process, I lost a door, but gained a huge (HUGE) window and, best of all, a couple of walls to decorate. Keeping with our clean Ikea decor, I decided to order a couple of prints from Etsy and frame them with simple light wood frames. I asked Jen for a few recommendations and among the fabulous options, I came across Rachel Ann Austin’s work. I love it. I love her sense of proportion and color and her interpretation of the natural world. I ordered a couple prints of her Poppies. They’re colorful and fun and work perfectly with our new palette of tan, deep red and chocolate brown.

I also ordered one of her adorable journals. No idea what will end up in there, but it’s still cute!

Rachel has both an etsy shop and a blog so we can all be inspired by her work. Enjoy!

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cake

I spent this past Saturday night with three wonderful friends, one who had a birthday to celebrate~ Instead of going out, we decided to stay in and had a lovely Thai dinner. There was seafood ceviche, shrimp and tofu spring rolls, Thai vegetables and a fabulous Coconut Shrimp Curry. I was asked to bring Dessert, and as luck would have it, the January issue had a recipe for Coconut Cake. How appropriate!

It called for coconut milk in the cake, along with shredded coconut and chocolate chunks. There’s also a quick glaze made with more coconut milk and coconut flakes. I thought it was pretty good, but surprisingly, a little dry. The recipe said it was similar to a coffee cake and it was, for it seemed a little casual for a birthday celebration. It would be great on a brunch buffet or for an afternoon tea. Either way, it was easy and came together very quickly. And it helped us celebrate a birthday!

Artsy Clutch

I just finished my first Artsy Clutch from Amy Karol’s Bend the Rules Sewing book. It’s the cover project and it was really very simple. I like it well enough, but I think next time I will use a lighter cotton flannel. The clutch turned out pretty “fat.” The button in the photo is temporary. While it looks great, I really need a two-hole button so I can sew it on tight enough to act as a closure. The best part was choosing the fabric, since both sides are seen. I’m looking forward to playing around with colors and patterns as I make more!

pARTy Cards!

Jen hosted another pARTy this past weekend and I made a few cards. I brought a box of old paper samples I found while cleaning out my office, and after a lot of digging I came across these stamps/stickers. They were perfect on these two cards.

I made a few more with other goodies I found in the box. I need to make more, there’s nothing better than saving $4 and sending a homemade card. And they’re easy to make. Do you make your own cards or buy handmade cards? I’d love to hear about what you’ve made or where you’ve found cool cards. Leave a comment and let me know.

A Fresh, New Tilapia Recipe

I found this recipe for Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia with Cilantro Pesto in the Star Tribune a couple weeks ago and it was a wonderful new way to prepare tilapia. The crust was crunchy, the sauce was light and flavorful. We served it over mashed potatoes. I think we’ll be borrowing this method again, and again.

Note: I searched and searched for the recipe on the Star Tribune site, with no luck. But I did find it on the Washington Post site. Enjoy!

be happy

Amy Butler Placemats

I’ve been sewing again and this time I made a set of placemats for my Mother-In-Law for her birthday. They turned out to be remarkably easy. The hardest parts were cutting out the huge pieces of fabric and trying to fit the finished placement on my desk as I sewed it. Overall, I think they turned out pretty good. There were a few things I would do differently, but nothing major. I followed a simple pattern from Amy Butler’s In Stitches.

Wednesday Walk (Inside)

It’s cold outside, so instead of bundling up and facing the elements, I wandered through the building where I work. It’s an old warehouse that once held the John Deere factory. Like about a hundred years ago. There are still a few signs of those times, and riding in the gigantic freight elevator is one of them. Enjoy.

Abby

My brother and his family had to say goodbye to their beautiful Abby last week. She was 13 years old and so very sweet and gentle. She greeted them with a wagging tail each time they brought one of their babies home from the hospital. They have four. She was patient and let them crawl over and around and under her. All she asked for were a few tennis balls, a few throws of the frisbee and a few treats from little hands. I took this shot at the end of last summer. Two tennis balls at once. She hit the jackpot.

Abby, you will be missed.

Ikea Fabrics

Ikea can be a dangerous store. It’s almost as bad as Target where things you didn’t know you needed just jump into your cart. Last week Jen reminded me that Ikea has fabric. Great.  Just what I need: an excuse to go to Ikea and shop for fabric. But I went out there and actually had some self control. I bought three yards. With two I plan to make a pillow for the TV room and the third? No idea. I really love it, so maybe a bag or a little backpack. Any ideas?