Eats: Mango & Kale

N and I have been making an effort to visit our local farmers market more often. Last week, we came home with a bunch of kale and a few other goodies. Having never had kale before, we decided to pair it with an extra sweet mango and some roasted pumpkins seeds when we found this recipe. It did not disappoint - it was earthy and sweet and made us want to eat good, healthy superfoods way more often!

Handmade: Downton Abbey Card

My lovely mother had a birthday this month and I decided to incorporate her love of Downton Abbey into the card I made for her. I used these Downton Abbey paper dolls from Vulture to create it - very handy since my drawing skills are less than stellar. Since her card was Downton Abbey related, you know her present had to be as well - Season 1 & Season 2 plus the gorgeous coffee table book all in custom polka-dotted wrapping paper I painted myself!

Eats: A Beet Cake

I made this Beet Cake to go along with N's surprise Valentine. I had never roasted beets before, and then I roasted them not once, but twice while he was out of town. Funny how things like that happen. This cake was delicious...and moist...and not at all beet-like. There was the slightest hint of beet, but it only served to enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake. And can I just state for the record how beautiful and rich and deep the color of beet juice is -that flower in the picture is almost an exact color match! We indulged on this cake all weekend long, and I might, just might, have even had some for breakfast this week. Please don't tell on me; but then again I have heard of this new fad diet that is all about eating cake for breakfast, so maybe I got a little caught up in that. 

Handmade: Holiday Greetings

The feat was accomplished - I succeeded in making our holiday cards this year! I tried my best to keep them as simple as possible; sending around 50 cards made that a necessity. And what fun it was visiting family and friends over the holiday and seeing our card displayed with other holiday greetings they received.

Hope your holidays were Merry and Bright and I wish you and yours the happiest of new years!

Handmade: 2 Thumbs Up Card

My lovely sister-in-law, Alexis, had a birthday back in November. She and her husband are notoriously known for giving two thumbs up in pictures; this card appropriately extends our wishes of her having a birthday worthy of a two thumbs up photo!

Eats: A Thanksgiving Meal

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. One that left us all full - full of laughter and smiles - full of delicious fare that warmed our bellies - full of love that left us with gracious hearts.

Handmade: Give Thanks Card

With Thanksgiving upon us, I thought I should share the invitation I sent to my parents to join us on Thanksgiving day. N and I are hosting them at our home - our first time hosting and doing most of the cooking. Preparing the table and the menu has been fun; photos of the feast are sure to come!

Handmade: CELEBRATE Birthday Card

[Via Text Msg]

My Big Bro: Thanks for the cool card

Me: Oh I'm glad you liked it. It's my new thing, watercoloring personalized cards.

My Big Bro: Yes its really nice and better on my eyes. You should make your cards and sell them!


Me: :)

Weekend Snapshots

I spent another weekend in full craft mode, this time working on some Thanksgiving projects. It's funny, these past few weekends I've been in this manic state of DIY, jumping from one project to another in excited anticipation, barely finishing one before I start another. I suppose it could be my way of escaping reality somewhat, but hey, whatever gets me by, right?

Farm fresh eggs; look at those colors!

A delicious lunch made with said farm fresh eggs

Beautiful Monarch 

Nature walk loot for Thanksgiving table

Glitter paint to sparkle things up

Pop of color

It's been wonderful to feel motivated again to work on projects outside of work. I have a feeling good things are going to happen, especially because I have some wonderful people encouraging me to pursue them.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend was bustling and full - abounding with wonderful smells from the oven that filled the house with an autumn warmth - brimming with inspiration and energy from recent artistic endeavors. The kitchen served as my base camp; if I wasn't mixing something up or preparing a meal, I was hunched over the kitchen table (my makeshift craft area) working in watercolors or pasting envelopes together. It proved to be a productive weekend, most worthy of the extra hour we received on Sunday. I collapsed into bed Sunday night, exhausted yet satisfyingly fulfilled.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits via Joy the Baker

Backyard Blooms

Bittersweet Chocolate

Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread via 101 Cookbooks

A little peak at some cards in the works

Runaway glitter 

Beef Bourguignon, similar recipe here

Oh, and I also finished redesigning the blog - it's simpler and cleaner and I love that the layout allows for pictures to be a bit bigger. What do you think? Do you like it?

Weekend Snapshots

Last weekend was full of goodness and preparation for Autumn's arrival: long dinners at new-to-us restaurants, pumpkin roasting, leisurely walks in the park with Lily, and a bit of new home decor. There's nothing like changing up the usual routine to usher in a new season both weather-wise and life-wise.

Homemade pumpkin puree

Sugar & Spice Pepitas via FoodJoy

Sweet Lily

Homemade Pumpkin Butter via here

Enjoying a Pumpkin Ale while making Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin was unintentionally the predominant theme of this weekend, both in taste and in color. I suppose when you have two sugar pumpkins sitting in your kitchen, they have a way of taking over!

Handmade: 3 Cheers Card

3 Cheers cards for family and friends!