The Economically & Environmentally Responsible Choice

So, we are moving in a few months and with that brings a plethora of changes, including the turning in of my company car in the event that I cannot transfer. We are currently planning the purchase of two new vehicles just in case. My husband (bless him) has been able to happily drive his 1993 Buick all this time with no major problems. He has taken impeccable care of it, but even so, every trip to the body shop results in a $600-700 repair bill so it is probably time to kiss the Regal goodbye. We are looking to replace it with a hybrid, just to do our part for the environment & cut down on costs since gas is seemingly never going to get cheaper. Since cars are not something he cares about (well, at least from an image standpoint) he has decided that the $3/day the prius would cost to commute to the hospital each day next year is quite appealing. It's not a fancy car, but a car is just a piece of metal that is usually overpriced and only depreciates in value everyday. Check out the impressive specs below:

The above is from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/. What is your footprint?

Do you have any experience with a Prius or a hybrid? I would love to hear from you if you do...

Linen Pinboard

Ohhh if only I could make my current salary by blogging & doing creative projects around the home...wouldn't that be a dream! This week brought the return of work which means a lot less time to be creative. So, I am going to post pics from a project I did a few months ago that is so practical & good looking! Here is my inspiration:

I saw a picture of these linen tiles (above) and thought it would be really neat to put a pinboard above my craft desk in my office. This way I could keep inspirational/fun items out in front of me while creating. So, determined to spend as little as possible (the pottery barn pricing was outrageous for as simple as this is to make) I got to working. I wanted to frame a large tackboard with a frame that matched my desk & use linen to cover a tackboard for inside the frame. The above picture was my first inspiration & this woven ribbon pinboard furthered my design concept.

I bought a large corkboard from Hobby Lobby, using one of their weekly 40% off one item coupons (subscribe online if you dont already get this!!). A week or so earlier I got a bargain deal on the linen I used for this project. It was originally $30/yd and was being clearanced out for $10/yd. They applied that week's 40% off coupon, plus the extra 30% off fabric discount and I cant even tell you what I paid per yard. Probably $4-5--what a deal! I have extra that I will make into a headboard for the guestroom when we move, that way everything matches!!

Okay, onto the project. I folded neat corners and used a staple gun to pull the linen tight on the corkboard:

Viola! All stretched & ready to go using only the tools you see here:

This is the frame I bought (again, one week using a 40% coupon) to match my ivory furniture (excuse the spot, camera issue):

I used my sketchbook to determine the overlapping of the ribbon & measured out perfect squares:

I found ribbon that had fine stitching the same color as my walls!!

And here is the final product (well, what was the final product) I added a few tacks to hold up the ribbon so it didn't sag or drop items. A little tip: instead of using ugly pushpins, go to Home Depot or Lowes & find some furniture upholstery tacks. They are super cheap and you can find them in really pretty finishes & designs. Mine are bronze in an antique daisy shape and were $0.50 for a box of 25:

I am in the middle of my wedding scrapbook (I know, 3 & 1/2 years later) so I put all of my graphics up so I can see them all & don't forget what I have. This way I can properly design each page with all the available resources! It may not look as fabulous anymore, but is so practical!

Isn't she the cutest kid ever?

This is my niece, Kyra. I think she is the cutest baby ever. This was taken by her talented Mommy & part of the family christmas card. You can see the complete card her mom designed here. :) Oh, I miss her like crazy!

Happy New Year!

I am not one for resolutions but I think it is a good time of year to be reflective.

2007 was the best year I have had so far. I was able to create a little more, cook a little more, bake a little more, eat a little less, exercise a little more, love a little more and stress a little less. I will continue to do these things and hopefully make next year just as good as the last.

One thing I am going to work on this year is making small steps to reduce the amount of waste I (we) create. My 2008 initiative is reducing my use of plastic bags. They are so harmful for the environment, here are some facts:

• Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags annually, 0.6 percent of which are recycled.
• It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in a landfill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency
• Plastic bags are made from crude oil and natural gas, both nonrenewable resources
• For more on what bags to to our environment and our wild animals, visit here or here.

I went to Whole Foods yesterday and purchased my reusable 80% recycled bags. They are part of the a Better Bag campaign and I happen to think they are quite sassy! I figure, just by making this small change, that I can save at least 400 grocery bags from being used just this year alone. They were 99 cents each and if one breaks, you can bring it back to the store for a free exchange. They sure are making it easy. This is my new bag:

Additionally, I have two other ways to save excess waste when you shop. I try to get one large bag from the first retailer I visit, and add the additional purchases I make to that one bag. I also carry a large purse and actually use that extra space to carry small purchases that I don't need bags to carry. This might be the excuse you needed to go buy that fancy new big handbag you see in all those fashion mags! Somehow my husband might not see how my large handbag will save the environment, but its worth a try, right?!?

Morning Plans

My favorite coffee cup, filled with a piping hot latte. Off to understand exposure...

(p.s. I'm off auto mode...can you tell?? Here's to shooting manually!!)

Sticks & Ice

I found this website a couple years ago and thought it was such a simple concept, but really cool. Sticks & Stones allows you to select from an assortment of photographs of shapes found in public places that happen to look like letters. You pick what you want it to spell and which exposure of each letter you prefer and just like that, the company makes hundreds of dollars per framed set.

One of the things I wanted to do with my new camera was do my own version of this. I am in the infant stages of learning to photograph correctly but here is my first attempt at a "Y", taken on the foggy, icy, cold morning that was today:

Merry Christmas Eve!

My creative projects will be on the back burner for a little while as I learn how to use my new fancy camera. I am still using it on auto mode but am learning more everyday! Hopefully soon I will graduate onto the next level. I have four little critters as available subjects...here is a taste from the first couple days with my new toy:

This is Missy, one of my three siamese-ish cats. She is the sweet one and has some creepy bright eyes. I didn't touch them when editing, they are really that crazy:

This is my favorite "beginners" shot. I haven't quite mastered the quick focus. This, however, is a great representation of my nosy puppy. Anything his mom does, he must be a part of:

Martha's Warm Chocolate Cakes

Today is my husband's birthday and to spoil his chocoholic side I decided to make him a super special cake for his birthday. Six cakes to be exact. The recipe for Martha's Warm Chocolate Cakes was highly recommended to me by Ms. Maggie and I wanted to give it a whirl.

(I am not ignoring my husband on his birthday...I am sitting here laughing at him trying to bowl on his brand new Nintendo Wii!! It is so cool!!)

Back to baking...this was the most labor intensive, patience necessary recipe I have made in a while. I took lots of pictures of the gazillion steps. It turned out very well, though extremely rich. It was too rich for me, but the hubby loved it. :) Success! Here's the process (it took a total of 6 hours):

Prepped & ready. I made the ganache & froze it in the tray. Took 2 hours to freeze solid:

This looked SO gross! I thought I did it wrong! I couldn't find ground almonds so I threw sliced almonds in the food processor:

Egg Whites & sugar (really I just wanted to take a picture of my new mixer in action!):

Above two mixed then placed 3 TBS in the ramekin. Added the cube that will be the molten filling then covered w/ the rest of the batter:

Ready for the oven:

WOW!!! 20 minutes later:

And now the tricky part. I used PAM w/ flour which is a phenomenal product:

Final product!!! Ooey Gooey goodness. I wished I would have placed the cube vertical in the ramekin because the batter didn't form well around the perimeter. Next time around...and the only pic I took was blurry. Grr! Still looks yummy!

Leave some love would ya?!?

Ok, so in the last week I have received messages galore that you are reading my blog...let me know you've dropped by and leave me some love! I just assume I am writing to my sister in law...since she is the only frequent commenter! Really though, I would love this to me more of a correspondence/sharing of ideas blog so let me know you've been here and share some creativity or even just an opinion. Do you love it? Hate it? Have a better idea? Creativity is all about inspiration and I cant be inspired if I am not learning new things.

Speak up!!! Help me out! Be creative!!! The more the merrier...

Corner Bakery's Cinnamon Pecan Rugalach

This weekend while in Chicago, we had breakfast at this cute little bakery called the Corner Bakery which was (surprise) on a corner just up from our hotel at 123 Wacker Street. I grabbed the Cinnamon Pecan Rugalach thinking they looked yummy and was curious having never tasted Rugalach before. MmmmmmMmmmm were they good! After doing a little research I learned it is a Jewish pastry that has many different variations. These were the ones I grabbed:

Now that I cant just pop over and pick some up, I am looking to recreate them. Have a recipe? I'd love to know what you have made that are close to this.

Oh how I love Michigan Avenue...

So we just HAD to come to Chicago for my husband's very last medical school exam (really, we had to come) so...I urged him to make it a weekend trip. As he began his exam on Friday, I hopped on the train and made my first trip to Michigan Avenue. Fabulous! I found myself enjoying the mass retail offerings but was the most excited at Filene's Basement...bargain city! There was a whole bin of designer jeans...7's, Paige's, Citizen's...all $99 and 25% off. What a dream! Though most of Michigan Avenue was grossly overpriced it was fun to take it all in. I fell in love with the iPhone all over again...

Today we made a trip to Lincoln Park, a quaint boutiquey shopping experience. We encounted the worst wet & snowy weather...goodbye decent hair & dry pants. I learned that the jeans tucked into boots thing isnt just a fashion statement, it is a necessity. Wish I would have brought mine!

Though I had to drag my husband kicking and screaming, I discovered a new store to add to my list of favorites. I read about lululemon in one of my magazines and put it on the list of "shops to visit" whenever I made it to a big city (yes that list exists). When I read the article, I thought that anyone that would spend THAT much on gym pants must be nuts...but I was mistaken. They make, quite possibly, the best gym pants ever. Who says you need to go to the gym to get the best ass?? These pants literally give it to ya. Here is my find of the day, a way too spendy pair of workout pants (umm...reflective polka dots and two tummy panels that suck it all in plus seams that run at the perfect angles...they are like designer jeans, but spandex...another dream come true!) These are the Groove Pants and the two top panels come in a multitude of colors & patterns. But, I had to have the polka dots. These are [sadly] not sold online because you have to get the "in store experience" as they called it. It was a great one. The salespeople are some of the happiest people I have seen. Maybe it's because they get to wear spandex to work??? Purchases come in this nifty little brown box bag that has the cutest inspirational sayings on the back...

Let me also recommend HOTEL 71. It is in the heart of the "magnificent mile" and more affordable than you might think. We are very happy here. (thank you free wifi!)

Kansas City Gems

After a white knuckle drive to Kansas City through an ice storm, we made it safely. The trees were unbelievably gorgeous, sparkling with ice. (pics to come after editing)

After my work duties were fulfilled, I made my first trip to The Plaza which is the shopping mecca of KC. I stumbled upon two of the neatest shops I have seen in a while.

My first find, was The Paper Source. I knew I was in heaven when I first saw their logo, "Do something creative everyday." This was my kind of store! I walked away with a couple of treasures...and a book I have been eyeing for a couple of months. I am inspired already--it was a great buy.

The second store I found gave me heart palpitations. Fabric is one of the things that leaves me sleepless at night. I think forever about the endless possibilites of combinations! I found a store called 1154 LILL that was one of the most creative concepts I have ever seen. She has walls of fabric in the store and about 50 different handbag designs. You choose the handbag design and then you can choose ANY combination of fabric to cover the bag-inside & out. It was a designers dream come true! The fabrics were dreamy and I swear, I could have spent hours there. I was dragged out by my husband after about 45 minutes, but the website is just another dream come true! If you are a gal that likes things to be uniquely yours...and unlike anything that you will see on the street, you have got to check this out! She has everything from makeup bags to clutches to laptop bags and diaperbags. I was so excited about this find!

Here are a couple of examples:

Every single plane of the bag is the fabric of your choice. Oh, I could gush on and on and on about this store!

Next Stop: San Antonio

News is in, we are heading to San Antonio, Texas. My husband will begin a residency in general surgery in 2008. He is thrilled about the news, as he got the program of his choice! We will be there for sure, until 2014. We are looking forward to this new adventure!

Tomorrow is the big day.

We are sick with nerves over here. Not much sleep has been had in our household. After 3.5 years, the day we have been waiting for will be here tomorrow. The military resident match is complete and results will be posted online at 0530, 12 Dec 2007. Tomorrow we will find out (a) what specialty my husband will begin his career with (b) if he was selected by the program of his choice (c) where we will be living for at least the next 6 years.

All in ONE day!!! Yikes! I dont think there will be much eating or sleeping fo the next 24 hours.

Who says IOWA isn't beautiful?!?

Today was one of very few days that I looked through my windshield and was thankful that my job required a 400 mile commute. I have been stuck within the metropolitan area the last couple of weeks due to unsettled weather. Finally, I was able to make my (usually) weekly jaunt up to Sioux Falls and after getting about 20 miles north of Omaha, I found the most breathtakingly beautiful landscape that I have ever seen. This part of rural Iowa is quite pretty in the fall, and fun to watch as the crops develop in the spring...but nothing compared to this. I have never seen a sight like the winter wonderland I was part of today.

There was an ice storm over the weekend that left the trees coated with a thick layer of white frost & ice. All I saw for miles and miles were the white flocked trees upon a blanket of untouched white snow meeting the bright blue sky. I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't have my camera so I used my cell phone camera to catch the beauty. Sadly, by the time I made my return to Omaha, the ice had melted. With the ice storm warning over the same area again tonight, I am sure this will be the scene again tomorrow. How beautiful!

Thank you Photoshop, for giving me the ability to remove all of the bugs on my windshield.

The big mama!

Since I have discovered how much baking (especially baking to the sound of Christmas music, woah Sirius channel 2!!) calms me down, I have increased the volume of my production! I decided that my Christmas wish list included the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I was talked out of it when I was originally registering for wedding gifts (not my smartest move) and decided that it was time to make an investment.

I decided on the KitchenAid Professional 600 6qt Stand Mixer in Pearl Metallic. I will be breaking her in tomorrow. Isn't she pretty?!? She matches my espresso maker exquisitely!

And a little tip...Linens N Things will accept the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon that arrives monthly in the mail. This coupon is good on KitchenAid products! There is a promotion running until 12/18 for an additional rebate which means you can get this product at an amazing price!

Sheets!

I have a slight obsession with linens. I LOVE creating beautiful beds! I finally found the perfect sheets for my mini bedroom makeover. I looked all over and ended up ordering them from Macy's online. When they arrived, they were the perfect bronzy brown. And, since I enjoy all things polka dots, the design was perfect too! I chose Chestnut, which is the color at the very bottom of the stack. They are from the Martha Stewart Collection and are called the Jacquard Dot.

Art for Kyra

I saw some paintings in a magazine and was inspired to create some art for my little niece. These are not original designs, but they are original paintings.

I spent FOREVER mixing the right colors! I ended up dry brushing them at the end just to give some depth & tone them down a bit. I know my sister in law likes bright colors, but they got a little obnoxious:

Penciled on the design:

No eyes! Basics finished:

And the finished product:

A moment of reflection...

Today in my city, the largest mall shooting in our nation's history took place. I am reminded that tragedy can strike at any place, at any time. Our Omaha, the affluent, crime free west Omaha that I call home was where this horrific scene took place. How could this happen here?

I was tracking back and realized I was driving on Dodge Street within 15 minutes of the shooting. One week ago at about the same time, I drove off the expressway and stopped in Von Maur to do a little christmas shopping. This has hit just a bit too close to home.

My thoughts & prayers go out to the victims of this horrible crime.

Scottish Shortbread

I tried this recipe after reading the rave reviews on allrecipes.com. I have never tasted shortbread as good as this stuff! Not even any I have bought at a store or bakery! It was FANTASTIC! I made the recipe as described. Rolled out the dough and used cookie cutters. I ended up kneading for about 10 minutes to get all of the flour to stick. The thickest cookies were the best, and cook less time for softer cookies. Yummy!!! Use this recipe for your own Scottish Shortbread.

After sugar dusting; before removing excess:

Packaged to take to my brother & sister in law in NJ:

They made it through the flight beautifully:

Packaged in pink & purple in honor of my newborn baby niece!