BOOZY Watermelon Agua Fresca

I have described it as my "summer cocktail spirit animal" and it might be yours too. What is more "summer" than watermelon?? The answer: nothing. Bienvendio a la Adult Watermelon Agua Fresca!

We are meal planners. We like to stretch dollars and know what to buy for the week so we're not wandering around the grocery like idiots, spending god knows how much on things that distract our attention. I usually go during the day, buy everything I can at Trader Joe's and buy the remainder of our items at Whole Foods. Yes, the 4 or 5 items at Whole Food are almost as much as my entire bill at Trader Joe's, thanks for asking.

If I make it through another week of grocery shopping I usually buy myself two treats at WF:
1. a tiny thing of mixed Greek olives from the olive bar
2. A watermelon juice drink

Both treats are devoured on the drive home as we are not WF/TJ-adjacent.

The juice drink runs like $5 for 12 or so ounces of juice. FIVE DOLLARS!!! I keep thinking 'you know, this shit can't be too hard to make...it's what? watermelon and agave or something??' so this week, when I went to this magical place called Larry's Produce in Suisun City and found a giant melon for $5, I decided to give it a go.

Let me tell you this: it was a piece of cake to make. First, I made the fresca. I did not add even an ounce of sweetener as the ripe melon required none of that nonsense. If it were out of season I'd recommend adding a tablespoon of honey or agave per blended pitcher.

To make the fresca:
- cut the melon up into chunks
- Fill your blender and then add a cup of cold water and blend
- Then, use cheesecloth or a colander or whatever you've got to filter the junk out of the melon-water.
If you have a large watermelon you might need to do this a few times (fill blender with melon, add a cup-o-water, blend, filter).

Once the juice is made, this drink comes together quickly.

Recipe:
In a cocktail shaker, put:
1 jigger of vodka (use the good stuff, people)
several ounces of watermelon juice, depending on how strong you take your cocktails
1 Tbs ginger syrup
4 ice cubes

Shake it, shake it, shake it.

Pour in a glass and maybe add a splash of lime.

Holy. Crap. It's really good. The kinda cocktail that really sneaks up on you!

Frozen Smoothies to Cool Your Face Off

It's getting hot up here and not like desert-hot, like humid, my-thighs-will-surely-start-a-fire hot. It's lovely and cool in the mornings and evenings but right around 3pm you are praying for something to cool you off. Well, here it is!

This recipe is adapted from a new cookbook designed by the Native Foods people. Side note: I cannot believe there isn't a Native Foods up here. I did a quick search and saw an article about how one was slated to open up here but I'm telling you, if it was here, I would know. East Bay is begging for a Native Foods Cafe, trust me. Maybe even Napa. Just sayin'. If you know the business development person for Native Foods, give them my digits. We need one in Northern CA! [still refusing to say NorCal or hella, fyi].

If you're panicked about finding exotic vegan ingredients, I guarantee you can find these things at any grocery store or heck, even Target. And you don't need a fancy food processor or juicer or some confounded contraption more complex than a blender. You need a blender and some simple ingredients and you'll be well on your way to delicious!

The first time I made them I added raspberries but the second round was just pineapple, banana and coconut and it was just as good, maybe better. I'd totally encourage you to try different ratios to find the right sweetness/fruit ratio for you.

Ingredients:
- 13.5oz can of coconut milk (I use unsweetened)
- 1 banana
- 3Tbs agave nectar (I used honey)
- 1-2c pineapple
- 1.5Tbs vanilla extract
- 1.5 Tbs shredded coconut

Blend it and freeze it!

If you have Popsicle molds, awesome! If not, you can find them on the cheap at discount store like TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshalls. I got one 6-pop set for $6.99 and its dishwasher safe, which is awesome. You can also use ice molds.

Fabric Garland

I made this little ditty after seeing something similar on Craftgawker.

Lately I have this affinity (OK, obsession) with party decor. It's all I've been buying at thrift stores and it's all I've been crafting. I think with the [insufferable] job all my little heart wanted to do was throw a party, get some glitter going, toast a friend and make it through. My heart feels lighter now and you can tell the stress has left my face. Belly laughs are back.

You could make this with any color theme. 4th of July would be a great opportunity to make one. I bought a bunch of fat quarters years ago thinking I'd make some funky yo-yo necklaces but after making one which took me FOREVER, I packed that fabric up and let it sit. Until now!

Here's the link to the tutorial I followed:
http://cleverthursday.com/2014/02/diy-scrap-fabric-garland-tutorial/

My two cents on making this:
- you can make one this big in about an hour - 30 minutes for making the fabric strips and 30 minutes for tying the knots
- you can cut or rip the strips
- pick a ribbon that's really thick. The one I chose was a different color palette and I think it actually worked out well since it's mostly covered by the fabric and it anchors the banner to the room. It's the Martha Stewart super-thick yarn found at Tuesday Morning
- you can make this as short or long as you like; you can make the fabric lengths longer or shorter - it's totally customizable

Shortbread for ALL

Simple, elegant, delicious 

You had no idea you were 5 ingredient away from a totally amazing dessert, did you? Butter, flour, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar are the base for an infinitely versatile dessert. You can top it with nothing, with granulated sugar, with jam, with berries...etc etc x infinity.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart but I've taken the liberty to copy and paste the recipe and ingredients here for you.

INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (You can use vegan earth balance or regular butter if you're not interested in it being vegan)
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted (I never sift it)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted (Ditto here - sifting is for overachievers)
• 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. STEP 2

   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour. Mix until well combined.

3. STEP 3

   Evenly spread cookie dough into prepared tart pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

4. STEP 4

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle shortbread with sanding sugar (or not). Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter, make a shallow cut in the center of the dough. Using the tines of a fork, score dough from the edge of the circle in the center toward the edge of the pan into 12 equal wedges.

5. STEP 5

   Transfer tart pan to oven and bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the shortbread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes (I honestly think this is WAAAAY too long to cook it; we cook it 30-40 and it's perfect). Immediately re-score circle and wedges with cookie cutter and the tines of a fork. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 1 hour. Remove shortbread from tart pan and let cool completely. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife along the scored lines.

VEGAN CINNAMON ROLLS

Don't wait to make these. Make them tonight. Right now. Make them yesterday.

OK, you can wait but I would encourage you to make them soon as they are delectable.

The recipe is from Minimalist Baker. Click this link for the recipe and a full set of really helpful photos.

I made the dough the night before, let it rise for a few hours and then covered it with plastic and let it hang in the fridge overnight. In the morning, it sat on the counter for an hour or so before being rolled and sprinkled and baked. I also used a little less butter when coating the rectangle of dough and brushing the tops of the rolls once lovingly placed in the dish to be baked.

The second best part: I thought the recipe was incredibly easy to follow.

A former coworker was invited to test and declared: "WOW! They do not taste vegan at all!" I totally understand that sentiment. I eat a lot of vegan food and sometimes stuff "tastes vegan" to me too. But not these. No vegan handicap here! I'm guessing that's why The Minimalist Baker called them "Easy Cinnamon Rolls" and not "Vegan Cinnamon Rolls."

Vegan Chicken Salad

I'm not posting a picture of this: you're welcome.

This recipe tastes yummy but it looks, let's just say it, like a little bit of barf. But you're not going to look at it, you're going to eat it so don't sweat how it looks! Perhaps this is more of a cleaning-out-your-cupboard recipe than an entertaining-your-cosmopolitan-friends recipe.

The good news is that this concoction has lots of protein. It's versatile - you can put it on bread or pair it with crackers or scoop it on a salad and chances are these are things you already have in your cupboard.

1 can of garbanzo beans (I like Trader Joe's organic)
2 Tbs vegenaise - or less if you like it a little chunkier
1-2 Tbs of Dijon mustard
about 6 Bubbies bread & butter pickles chopped
- you can add chopped celery

I used a potato masher to smooooosh it all together and then got some Trader Joe's Multigrain crackers it in ASAP.

Apricot Jam

Before I took a canning class with Delilah, of Patchwork fame, I never realized how easy it was to make jam. Easy. It's pretty much just a loving marriage of sugar and fruit and it's helped me learn about the magic of patience.

The two main things you need to know: use good fruit that's really ripe and the jam will tell you when it's ready - you can't rush it.

This is Delilah's recipe. I could only glean 4c worth of apricots so I halved it. Another magical facet of these recipes is that they are easily, easily malleable to fit your ingredients. I also didn't have 6 cups of regular sugar so I mixed Trader Joe's organic sugar and the super nubby horrible-to-dissolve-in-cold-drinks sugar we had to squeeeeeze together 3 cups of sugar. I'm trying to be thrifty since ye old separation from the job and making my own stuff is thrifty and exceedingly rewarding.

Here's what you need:
8c apricots
4c sugar
1/4c lemon juice

Put it all in a non-reactive pot until it gets mushy - it takes about 30 minutes but you just gotta feeeeel your way around the jam. It looks runny until it doesn't look runny anymore. I know that sounds elusive, but when you cook it, you'll know what I mean.

Set it on the counter in the little jars and let it hang out until it's cool enough to put the tops on.

I like to put them in the fridge to make it a nice cool complement to whatever you smear it on. In my house, that's a hot biscuit.

Thanks Delilah for letting me post your delicious recipe!

Book-Club Blue Cheese Dip

Super-easy recipe for entertaining that we adapted from an allrecipes.com mailer. We look for inspiration EVERYWHERE.

I'm not big on parsley unless it's in chimichurri so we skipped it and added twice the amount of chives that the recipe called for.

This could be served with veggies or crackers or you could totally rub it on some bread and make a fancy-ass sandwich. Allrecipes said it could also be spooned into endive for a fancy-looking and fancy-tasting snack.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs walnuts
4 Tbs chives
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
8oz cold cream cheese (we used Tofutti)

Blend walnuts and chives in a food processor.

Put in another bowl, stir in blue cheese and set aside.

Then blend the cream cheese and the other stuff in the food processor.

It is good for up to 3 days if covered and put in the fridge (but it won't last that long).

You Too Can Make a Personalized Card!

Seriously. This is not hard. You can do this. It's some stickers, a stamp, and some writing. YOU CAN DO THIS.

And honestly, people get SO excited about homemade cards.

This particular card was for Todd's mom's birthday. Todd's name means fox so there's a little inside joke there. I used Thickers letters and a $1 bin bow from Michael's. The cards were two colors from Paper Source.

When people ask for card advice, I usually tell them to use 3-4 elements. Use a card with texture + a scrap of paper + a stamp + an envelope in a contrasting color and you've got a neat card. Stickers expedite the process but can look cheap: buy fancy shit and your shit will look fancier. Seriously. This is easy.

Julep Maven Nail Art

I used to paint my nails every day in high school. Just ask my mom who endured carpet stain after carpet stain. I was nail obsessed. And then college came and it was a lot to just brush my hair and wear pants. Less and less caring during grad school. But now that all that learnin' is over, I can finally become vain again!

I think I've told you before about how magical the Julep Maven program thing is. I enjoy it every. single. month. And as I've been trying to focus on things that make me happy while work is a bear-and-a-half. Over the past few months, this little treat has become even more enjoyable.

This month Julep introduced this tool called the plie wand and I opted for the nail kit which comes with tools that make perfect polka dots ("Jess, you rock a lot of polka dots") and a striping tool. The super mod go go dancer inside of me begged for black-and-white and polka dots. This stuff dries super quickly when you use their "Ta-Da" drops and it looks awesome even through yard work.

Mason Jar Salads: Asian Edition

Another quick salad for the freakin' week.

Simple, simple, simple:
- edamame
- quinoa
- red peppers
- mango
- whatever dressing you desire (we used Newman's Own Sesame Ginger)

These puppies took only the amount of time to cook the quinoa (stovetop) and edamame (microwave).
We just dump parts into jars and seal. Seriously. A whole week of lunches made in like 15 minutes.

Sometimes I bring lettuce to pour it over if it's a week where I'm particularly hungry.

Mac & Cheese for Grownups

Rigatoni!
Mushrooms!
Asparagus!
and the star of the show....CHEESE!

I found a recipe in Cooking Light: Way to Cook Vegetarian called Creamy Rigatoni with Gruyere and Brie. It didn't take much convincing to make it - you saw the part about cheese right? But I'm always worried it's going to yield 2 servings but say it'll yield 6 (fat kid beer goggles, you know?). Good news with this one though: it said 6 servings and that's totally possible if you serve 6 with a small salad as well.

Here's the recipe:

6quarts water
12oz rigatoni
3Tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1Tbs butter
5oz. shredded Gruyere
3oz. soft-ripened Brie, rind removed
mushrooms
asparagus

add salt and pepper later - they tried to tell me to use a ton earlier in the recipe and I politely declined

steps:
1. bring the water to a boil and cook that rigatoni according to the package

2. place flour and 1/2c milk in a saucepan and whisk it til smooth

3. add another 1/2c milk and stir stir stir

4. add the last 1/2c milk stir stir stir and bring to a boil

5. cook 2 more minutes past boil point

6. stir in butter

7. remove from heat and let it hang out for a minute, then add mushrooms and asparagus and whatever amount of salt n peppa that you desire

it looks like this when it's all cooked:

(wipe that drool off your chin, child)

Blame it on the rain

We often get starry-eyed taking about rain. It was raining a lot when we started dating and we lived in a place that doesn't get much rain so it feels romantic. Yes, we are those kind of people. We are indoor kids who like to curl inside. Sometimes its with a book, sometimes its crafts, sometimes its as many seasons of a treasured tv show as can be consumed.

This craft is admittedly a copy cat situation. I saw it, I think on Etsy?, and it made my heart flutter a little bit. Here, I found it! Let's talk about the cute little girl in the picture for a second?? ......OK.

The craft I copied used fancy Marta Stewart puffs which cost a million dollars and make me a little angry. And they used two colors of plain blue paper, which didn't blow my hair back. I had leftover puffs from the Valentine's that I'd purchased at the magical world of Daiso and lots of patterned blue paper calling my name. It kinda became a project that helped me get some use out of stuff I'd been havin' for a long time. Use-up catch-up project? I forget what these things are called. There's probably a real, universally-acceptable craft term for this...Kam would know. Kam?

BACK TO BUSINESS:
Step-by-step for you:
1. Puff up your puffs
2. Stick them to a cardboard backing or some other backing with some substance to it
3. Cut out your raindrops. I had a little system going with cutting 2-3 inch strips and then cutting those into fourths and free-handing the crap outta those raindrops.
4. Took some baker's twine (that shit is everywhere these days, isn't it?) and hitched the raindrops to the twine at intervals that pleased me

[This is when I realize that explaining creativity on a blog is really tedious and gain a really funny out-of-body experience.......]

5. Twine is now glued to board
6. Cloud is lovingly hung on wall
7. Raindrops were then spaced at intervals again...man, those raindrops just call out for intervals, don't they?!
Here is a pic of the reinforcement I made for the drops; yes, that is just tape.

And then, magic on the wall.

This would work for baby showers and sad parties too. Me? I leave it up all the time.

Surprise Gifts

I think most people expect birthday and Christmas gifts (even if you don't celebrate!) so sending unexpected surprises is a fun way to connect with friends. And right now, I could use some connection. Work has been...ugh...and our people feel very far right now. I say I'm not homesick I'm "friend-sick"; I miss you OC peeps.

Our first excuse for a care package came when our brother made Captain and had been traveling for like 6 weeks. First, a little about our brother: he is a lovely man. He is smart and has such a lovely dry sense of humor. It's taken me all 9 years in this family to figure out if he's making fun of me, but it's funny. He is a JAG for the National Guard and I'm so proud of the work he does every day to ensure our servicepeople and their families are taken care of. He's so humble. You'd never know he graduated from UCLA and has a law degree. Part of being in the service is that you get told where you will be. One good thing about being a JAG for National Guard is that he's going to practice law here because he passed the bar here. But you still have drill weekends and just recently he spent 3 weeks in Europe, had a day off, and is being sent to one of the Carolinas for another couple weeks, then back for a day, then to more training. It seems nearly impossible to have a normal life where you can have friends over or date or make plans for vacations. I have a lot of respect for his patience for that.

Ok, enough bragging. He'd hate it anyhow. We were at H&M last night and there was a t-shirt featuring Statler and Waldorf. My husband and his brother are exactly like those Muppets and have been since they were babes. Crotchety old men who giggle to one another and speak a completely different language than the rest of the world. An idea popped up: what if we sent our brother a "Relax" package? So we bought the t-shirt, pajama pants, Robin's eggs (his favorite candy), and will add a magazine and maybe a lego thing. I also had a little plastic trophy lying around so naturally I put some glittery stickers on it to say "Top Cap'n". We're not a "military family" so knowing what's appropriate is not our bag. But we are very very proud.

Here is a picture of the care package thus far:

Family Circle Oatmeal Cookies

I am not sure how I ended up with a subscription to Family Circle. It would not be my first - or tenth - choice in magazines and yet, I find myself flipping through it, usually walking away with inspiration. A lot of the articles are about child rearin', which, sorry to disappoint everyone, I'm not in the least interested in at this time. 

During the holidays, I ran across the ubiquitous cookie section and came upon these little gems. They're the kind of cookies you can amend a billion times and are really, really hard to screw up. They're also satisfying in ones or twos - you don't feel like eating 1000 of them. Or at least I don't. Maybe I haven't made them under giant emotional disturbances, though...hmmm.

- Time out: Can we all talk about how the estimated number of cookies that the recipe states is NEVER correct? I usually come out with far fewer cookies than the recipe says but it is absolutely never the same amount. -

OK, back to cookies.

Here's the recipe:
Set oven to 350degrees

3/4c all-purpose flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1/2c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I usually leave salted butter on the counter - who's perfect?)
1/2c packed light brown sugar
1/4c plus 3tbsp pure maple syrup
1 egg
1&1/2c quick-cooking oats
1/2c raisins (I usually use more)
1c confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and 1/4c of the maple syrup for 3 minutes. Beat in egg until just combined. Pour in flour and beat on low until just combined. Stir in raisins and oats.

Drop scant tablespoon-sized rounds of batter onto baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350degrees for 12-14 minutes until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, remaining 3tbsp maple syrup and 1tbsp water on low until well combined. Slip a sheet of wax paper under the cooling rack and drizzle the frosting with a spoon.

For some friends, we add extra raisins, for some we withhold the frosting. These could easily be made vegan and they stay super moist for like a week.

Buttermilk Biscuits a la the biscuit people

Inside the Ferry Building in SF there's a little cart that sells biscuits called Biscuit Bender.

I suppose it goes without saying that they are delicious. The last time I picked up two, I noticed they also sell the biscuit mix. Swoon. This is such a great way to make a vacation last or to bring a slice of yum home and I usually make an effort to bring some food-type thing home with us whenever we travel. God knows what I'll bring home from New Orleans later this month!

It's been so sweet and rainy up here the last few days that we've been indulging in some really decadent indoors-couch-vinyl-baking time so it seemed like the right time to break the biscuit mix out and get crazy. I served 'em with berries and coffee for breakfast but the mix made 9 and, well, we had to try one...and a half...each....thesecondtheycameoutoftheoven. We're impatient like that.

We both dressed them in vegan butter and put black currant jam on half and honey on the other half.

Cardy Party

We are a family who believes in the healing power of cats, vegetarianism and cardigans. These are strong convictions we hold.

When I spied some clip on earrings at an antique store the other day, I knew I had to have them. Problem is they are instant-headache machines so I had to come up with a plan for them and a cardy clip seemed like the best plan.

The clip-ons, chain and a couple of jump rings means a 4-ingredient, 1 minute craft that will have a major impact. I've even seen the savvier set use them on collared shirts. That would certainly improve those suckers. I of course had to try them on the uber-chic sweatshirt I'm currently rocking.

Here's a bad picture of the final product:

There's no filter on that picture. I'm either terrible at taking photos or these puppies are so shiny bright that they made everything look decadently blurry. Let's go with the latter, ok?

Amethyst Neck Candy

My sweetheart always says "You could MAKE that!"and it's usually about things I lust for and could never dream of making or things I'd rather just buy. Like a coatrack. Who is going to, after zero experience with woodworking, decide they'll just make their own? He's a sweet man for having so much faith in me. Sometimes my vision comes to fruition and sometimes...well...

I've seen a lot of these really natural necklaces at craft fairs for some fair and not-so-fair prices. They're running anywhere from $25-45 on up on Etsy but this little puppy was made for $7.50. I had the clasp, jump rings, chain and eye pins at home, so this would admittedly cost a few more if you didn't have those. Don't forget your Michael's coupons if you don't - bead supplies add up quickly!

Pliers open the jump rings and eye pins and really, other than opening and closing the rings, the amethyst does all the word.

A fun little addition to an outfit, if I do say so myself.

Martha Stewart's Meatless

I knew it was going to be good, and it is. That bitch knows how to COOK. There, I said it.

Every. Single. Page. has a recipe that I would gladly consume.

This was the first thing I made from it and it was a WINNER.

page 215 from Meatless:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and trimmed
1 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 Tbs. EVOO
coarse salt
1c. part-skim ricota cheese (we used FF from Trader Joe's and WAY less than 1c)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
crushed red pepper flakes

1. Heat broiler with rack 4 inches from heating source. (Or cook super high, like at 425/450 until crispy).
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss broccoli rabe, chickpeas, and garlic with olive oil; seasons with salt.
3. Spread in a single layer and broil 2 minutes, then flip broccoli rabe and continue to broil until leaves are crisp and steams are tender, about 2 minutes more.
4. To serve, put a little lemon juice, some ricotta and the crushed red pepper flakes and ya, amazing.

Eggplant Wraps

Another quick dinner idea adapted from a veggie cookbook (I can't remember what it's called and it's not that great, so don't be sad I can't recall) but this was good:

Cut up an eggplant into medallions. Rub it with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. We cooked it at 450 for about 20 minutes.
Dry off some roasted red peppers - get all that oil off.
Then layer on a tortilla (like an Italian taco!) or whatever bread-like item you have at home:

ricotta cheese (1-2 Tbs) with some salt and pepper sprinkled on it
basil (I did about 4 leaves per wrap)
Then a good chunk of roasted red peppers
Then the medallions of eggplant

Voila! Dinner is ready. It was yummy and required minimal effort. Who could ask for more??

Snacky Snack for Fancy Fancies

Do you ever just want a snacky dinner? Like a lavish platter of things to nosh on? Why don't we ever entertain ourselves? I would totally put this spread out for company but I'd never thought of just having it on a quiet-177-episodes-of-whatever-and-catching-up-on-embroidery kind of night but then I did and it was awesome.

We had:
1. little bit of hummus with carrots, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower & watermelon radishes
2. fig jam
3. apricot cheese and light brie
4. pepperoncinis
5. medjool dates
6. pink lady apple
7. black olives
8. some bread. Duh.

Most of these things were in our fridge, leftovers or from a quick trip to Trader Joe's.

Put on some pajamas, get into your nest, and just nosh. Perfect for a lovely evening of not cooking!

What about craft ruts?

A coworker of mine was recently telling me that he was feeling depressed and he realized it was from not being able to paint. He is an amazing painter but since he and his wife moved earlier this year, he had to pack his paint up. Their new place isn't conducive and then work picked up and then he had to apply for his job and then it was MONTHS later and he hadn't painted at all. During grad school, someone told me "you've lost your spark" and it made me so very sad. So I took a week off at Thanksgiving and put glitter on everything I could. Squirrels gotta craft, ya heard??

When there are regular life lulls there are still opportunities to craft and a 30-day challenge is just the thing that might help you through the rut (or through having packed up supplies or a rough schedule). Even in the roughest parts of grad school I'd have a minute every day that I could craft.

30 Days of Lists is a good one, run by a friend of mine (Kam! of Campfire Chic) and her friend Amy (Lemons & Raspberry). They do it a couple times a year and it's fun. I signed up for one, it will probably take me like 4 months to complete, but if you weren't trying to get rid of a ton of crafts like me, it would take 30 days:
http://30daysoflists.com/

Kam just launched an app for writers too called Write365 for iphones. She is amazing.

I just started this one and I'm doing it with my gentleman. It's fun being able to talk through the creative process with someone else; a full email conversation about things that begin with "g" is thrilling. At the end of the challenge we're going to scrap it a la 30 Days.

How do you combat hurdles to your creativity??

Lampshade Mappin'

This was one of those stuff-I-have-lying-sround crafts. Two lampshades, a map I couldn't figure out where to hang, some Zots, a free night...you know the story. 

When the light is off, the shade looks white, which makes this a fun surprise. The map was $5 at a vintage shop in my old town and the shades we had because it took so long to find attach-at-the-top shades that I just bought them in white so I could make decisions about them later. 

I started by turning the shade so the hardware was on the floor. Then I unrolled the map inside it, marking the top of the shade so I could cut it. The longitudinal lines on the map made for great cutting guides! 

I didn't want to ruin the shade in case we get bored of the map or want a change so I just spaced Zots at 3-inch intervals at the top and bottom. It gapped a little so I folded it at intervals around the lamp. It is certainly not perfect up close - there are gaps and folds but overall the effect is pretty. 

Craftgawker

I hate Pinterest: there, I said it.

I always feel sort of lost and pressured - it makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland but not in a good way. In the nasty, scary forest kind of way. Things peeking at me in the dark, reminding me of my insecurities, flowers mocking me. I think it's a good idea, it just doesn't work for me.

I do however recommend Craftgawker. Think of it as a bite-size version of Pinterest. Ideas about everything from jewelry to how to display things in your home to papercraft ideas. It comes in mobile version too so instead of playing a round or two of Bejeweled Blitz, I sift through some inspirational craft ideas and save the ones I like.

Here's the logo:

There are often cute FREE printables too.

There are a few things posted every day so you don't feel like you're missing things and the ideas are varied - some for punks, some for moms, some for punk moms.

Try and it and see if you like it too!

Giada's Fancy Jarred Pee Drink

We have a lemon tree in the back yard and I'm never sure what to do with it. It bears a ton of small, nearly juice-less lemons so I have been wanting to find a recipe that would allow me to use the delicious zest and not require much by way of juice...in walks limoncello.

Giada De Laurentiis has a fantastic recipe that only requires a few ingredients and is easy to make. I am not blessed with a lot of patience but watching the jar turn yellow was a perk as we waiting the requisite days. AND I DO MEAN DAYS. I think the waiting is the most important part, so don't rush it!!

I did not follow her recipe exactly but close enough.

I did not:
- Trim the white part of the lemon peels. Our peels are so tiny, I would have cut myself and I doubt it added much to the drink to painstakingly peel the white away - there wasn't much anyhoo.
- Wait for the sugar syrup to cool completely - I kinda just dumped it in and kept on goin'.
- I split it into 2 jars because I didn't have a larger one.

All said and done, it is delicious and I can't wait to share with company!

For the full recipe, go here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-recipe/index.html

Cotton Candy Bouquet

I'm happy to share yet another cheapie Valentine craft with you!

Daiso and the Target $1 section are my favorite craft supply vendors outside of thrift stores and they are seriously delivering this season.

Daiso sells these packs of paper flowers for $1.50 year-round and in an exciting array of colors. I chose these because, well, I've already confessed my love affair with valentines:

Straws were uncovered at Target for $1. I of course bought as many packs as I can find because I had no less than 4 ideas of what to do with them:

The flower frogs were already part of my stash and I highly recommend picking at least a couple up as they provide many craft opportunities.

Here are the steps:
1. Fluff paper flowers according to Daiso instructions. Don't feel like you have to treat them like baby chicks - they can take it!
2. Pull the twist tie on the flower taut and stick it into the top of the straw
3. Add to flower frog and voila! Romance!

Beeee Mine, Valentine

I am a sucker for a cheap craft and this one was less than a few bucks.

These little bags are $1.50 at Daiso:

These stickers, "Roller Rink" Thickers, were picked up for $1.49 at Tuesday Morning:

The little heart doilies were in my craft stash but can be picked up rather easily around this time of year at an number of stores (I know they're at Michael's). And the remaining ingredients were red and white paperclips.

Steps:
1. Fluff out your bags
2. Add your stickers to the hearts
3. Roll the tops of the bags down, I did about 1.5 inches
4. Paper clip the hearts to the bags
5. Arrange and let your family and friends fawn

I didn't use tape or staples because these beauties stay up on their own and I wanted to use them next year (and the next and the next).

Welcome to Craftyland!

Writers have to write so it only follows that squirrels gotta craft, am I right?

Since we moved to the Bay Area, I've been overwhelmed with the need to make. There is something in the air up here that makes you want to pull out your scissors and CRAFT.

It's my favorite time of the year, winter, when cocoa and long-johns happen but, having been a Southern California girl all my life, my love of winter was kind of a farce. Now I can walk to the bus stop with 2 pairs of pants on and four tops and still be cold. It honestly makes me so happy.

Winter also means the preparations for winter holidays which include, for my little family, personal celebrations as well. We were married in January and my birthday and my dad's birthday are also this month. February brings my favorite holiday of all, St. Valentine's Day, when everything is red and pink and white all over. Glitter is my favorite color and it is everywhere this time of year!

I'll be blogging about food and drink and crafts and merriment on this blog. Join me for ideas to add a little whimsy to your life and home!