toasted almonds

Toasted almonds are so very yummy...but can be expensive if you buy them in the pre-packaged salad topper packages. It's so much cheaper to do it yourself...and a lot tastier!

What you need...a sauce pan or skillet, a bag of cheep sliced almonds (off-brand is fine! I used spartan brand...you can find them in the baking isle with all the cake and goodie stuff..), a spatula, and a measuring cup...

step one: measure half a cup of sliced almonds...

step 2: brown on medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, making sure not to burn...about 10-15 minutes. The almonds have a high oil content which will be released while they cook, so you don't have to add any cooking oil.

step 3: once they are golden brown and crispy, put warm almonds in a heat safe dish to cool.

step 4: once cooled, put on your favorite salad as a topper...OR you can eat them as a snack on their own....

YUM!

new purses

I was up till three a.m. sewing last night. I finished two more purses (three total yesterday) and even managed to sell the green day one! My favorite one is the maroon one.

The lining:

Green Day purse. I really like the red buttons.

And a nice punk lining:

taste the rainbow

I've finished my second bag! I decided not to sell the first one because of a few mistakes I made (plus I REALLY liked the first one and it was my first sewing project, so why would I give it away!!??). Anyway, I wanted to make another one on a tee shirt I didn't like as much so I could practice and not feel bad if it ruined the shirt. Well, turns out I really liked the outcome and it's a super cute bag. Now it's time to post it on etsy!! The colors remind me of skittles.

The lining. Found the perfect plaid to match the purple and blue! :

And, finally, a few action shots! I can't decide which one to use in my etsy...I think my favorite is the first one on the fence. Leave me a message and vote for your favorite one!

good deals

Just bought 50 tees at good will for $20! YAY goodwill!! Now, I have to throw them in the wash (because you never know how they've been cleaned!) and then I can start cutting them up!! :)

Etsy and Earth Day 2010

I finished my first purse for my etsy! It's only the second thing I've ever made on my sewing machine!! So, here it is!

Here's a pic in action...you know, you get home, hang your purse on the back of the chair, and pour yourself a captain and diet..

I wanted to take a pic with a size reference, so I stuck my checkbook in the pick. The little tool on the right is a seam ripper.

A huge thanks to Ronnie for generously donating his gently used tees for the greater cause... which is me making money.

So, on a related note...I want to get my stock up BECAUSE, April 22 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. So, the entire month of April, anything that I have for sale in my shop that is either made from recycled materials or meant to replace an item that would otherwise be thrown out (i.e. coffee cup cozies) will have a portion of the proceeds donated to a environmental group. Now, I haven't decided which group yet, so suggestions are very welcome. I was thinking either the world wildlife foundation, or maybe even my local recycling center.

drinking and knitting...my two favorite things

I ordered two pint glasses and two shot glasses from ravelry.com for those days that I really get fed up with my knitting mistakes....

So, fellow knitters, come over with your knitting and when we get frustrated (or even if we aren't), we'll have a shot and a pint! Bring on the Irish Car Bombs!!

food and yarn defects

I'm starting a new workout program called the P90X. It's claim: to transform your body in 90 days. It's supposed to "confuse" your muscles so your body never hits that "plateau" and stops producing results, giving you the best results possible in 90 days. Now, normally I'm not one for infomercials or a big believer in the "claims" they show. I know they pic the best results. But, I actually know someone whose done the program. So, I'm going to try it!
And enough with the plug. Part of the package was a free membership to Team Beach Body...an online fitness site with forums, exercise tips, recipes, etc. I got a wonderful recipe off of that site...with a few adjustments of course! Actually...I saw the recipe and thought...I want one...and the only thing my recipe and the one on team beach body have in common are the eggs...

So, here it is...My breakfast burrito...there are onions, yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, chili and paprika, and cheese...YUMMY The shell was a south beach low carb tortilla...don't recommend them...they are VERY crumbly.

So, I've been knitting a beautiful lace tank top out of the Caron Simply Soft in heather grey (I've been drawn to grey lately...it's basically the only color I wear...that or some shade like black or white or deep navy blue...some color palate..). Anyway, I don't usually have any problems with this particular brand..it happens to be my favorite. It's soft, warm, and beautiful. So, I'm knitting this intricate lace pattern, and I come across this:

really? are you f***ing kidding me??? I had to put it down for a minute and breath because I was so mad. It turned out to be an easy fix...I just gently pulled out the white stuff. But, this was only the first spot like that. There were at least three more (and I haven't finished the skein yet). I hope that it was just this skein and not the whole dye lot that is like this.

So, last week my friend and I went to Hobby Lobby to pic out yarn for his girlfriend's scarf. Here is what we picked out!

The yarn is super soft and I think the scarf is going to be really warm! While I was there, I was thinking about my sewing machine, and how all I've done is make a few cat toys...so, I decided to get fabric for my very first corset! I picked the st. Patricks day fabric because a) it's my first corset and I didn't want to by $15/yard satin fabric only to ruin it! and b) because St. Patricks day is just around the corner....I don't usually celebrate because St. Patrick was a bastard, but, it's been americanized and it's now an excuse to drink! I was going to wear orange just to be different, but this fabric was SUPER CHEAP!! maybe I'll but orange ribbon on it so I can wear both colors....It can symbolize the unification of north and south Ireland! anyway....I'll post pics when each project is done!

I've also got another project on the needles...I'm a test knitter for a pattern called vines, and I told the girl I'd have it done by the end of feb...it's a tank top...i better get working!

home made salsa!!

To make the best salsa, you want as fresh of ingredients as you can get. (I was a little lazy tonight and used minced garlic instead of whole clove garlic!)

tools:
1 food chopper (I got mine from pampered chef..you can also use a knife to chop everything)
1 large bowl
1 knife
1 rubber spatula
1/4 tsp measuring spoon

ingredients:
4-5 medium size tomatoes
1 small white onion
1 jalapeno pepper (or more depending on how hot you want your salsa!)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 lemon
approx 1-2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp minced garlic (or 1-2 cloves, chopped)
1/2 tsp sea salt



directions:
rinse all the veggies and cut each end off. I left the seeds in my jalapeno, but if you don't want it as hot, take the seeds out. (You may want to use rubber gloves when dealing with jalapeno seeds, because the oils can get on your fingers and stay there for a while. You don't want to accidentally rub your eyes and get the oil in your eyes.) Cut the veggies into sections that will fit into the chopper. Chop all the veggies and put them in the bowl. You can use a board scraper to pick up all the pieces. I got mine at Target. Add 1/2 tsp of garlic and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from each half into the mixture. Add about 2 Tbs of finely chopped cilantro. Stir all the ingredients well. Make sure to taste the salsa, and add more salt or garlic to taste. (I ended up adding another 1/4 tsp of garlic, but I love garlic and onions and anything stinky!!)


Serve in a large decorative bowl with your favorite tortilla chips. You can also make tortilla chips by buying soft taco shells, cutting them into triangles (like a pizza), brushing them with olive oil, adding a few of your favorite spices (I use the pre-mixed blends for bread dipping, but experiment to see what you like!), and then baking at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until just crispy. They will crisp a little more once they cool, so don't over do them in the oven.

Recipe makes quite a bit, so enjoy for a party or a group of friends. It also keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge!

Enjoy!!

new etsy items

I didn't do the goals that I set for myself last week. That being said, I DID make three pretty hemp necklaces today while watching "Memoirs of a Geisha". I will be posting these on my etsy shop, but I have to wait for better lighting to take pics in. I think I may walk around in the park and look for some pretty yellow, orange, and red leaves to take them with...here they are:

The first necklace I made was the one with three red wooden beads, the second was the red glass beads, and the third was the three jade green beads....it is purely coincidental that they appear in order of production in the pic...

Here is the jade green necklace again. The picture is showing the closure.

And the red wooden bead necklace. I took this pic just after I finished it.

Each necklace only took me about a half hour to make. Not bad. Of course, now I have mild rope burn on my hands...that's why I keep a big bottle of lotion on my end table!

goals

I have been beating my brains out lately about finances. Money is the BIGGEST stress of my life...well...lack of money anyway. So, it got me thinking. I have the means to make money, I have the talent to make money, and I have the dream. My biggest downfall is that I don't have the mini goals to get me to where I want to be. Where do I want to be? I want to sell my handmade goods and make a fairly decent living at it. Duh. But, the real question isn't where I want to be...because that's obvious...no, the real question is what do I need to do to get there? The answer, I've concluded after a lot of self reflection is to set mini attainable goals. Well...first thing is that I need to finish a project TO sell. But I'm so ambitious that I start a handful of projects at once, then I end up not finishing them..
So, I've decided to create a detailed list of things that I need to do. And I'm going to do this list a week at a time. At first I'll create small attainable goals. Then, as I get used to it, I'll add more to challenge myself a little more.

First list...here goes:
goal 1: Make three coffee cup cozies by the end of the week (Friday)
goal 2: Finish the drop stitch scarf by the end of the weekend.
goal 3: Post the products of goal 1 and goal 2 on etsy.

Unfortunately I missed prime selling time for my favorite holiday..I can't sell Halloween stuff :( But, I'll start making things for Christmas and Valentines day.

Anyway, I think I've talked enough about my problems and my goals. Have a good night.

a few new things

Here are a few projects I've been working on in the past month.



The first is a circular shrug I started at annual training. I set it down for a few weeks when I got home, but picked it up and finished it within two days! I'm so lazy! I could have just finished it in August...oh well. I finished it just in time for fall.

The second is kind of a sneek peek. I've decided that I'm sick of stray litter on the floor from when my cats come out of their box and I had a bunch of balls of yarn laying around that are mad from fabric that have been cut into strips and sewn together, so I decided to make a litter box rug. So, this pic is a sneek peek of my kitchy farmgirl rug. It was hard to knit at first..I'm using size us 15 needles and it's still really tight, but I'm used to it now, so it's going a lot faster. Should be done in the next few days.

more stuff

I made another coffee cup cozy for my etsy...however, alana came over and it matched her purse perfectly, so I gave it to her! here's a pic for good measure anyway..I'm currently making another for my shop!

I love the red contrast stitch on the black and white background...

bohemian fall colours bag

I started a crocheted bag a few days ago. Once it's finished I'm planning on selling it in my etsy shop! It's really coming along..it should be finished in a few days...of course, I'll have to line it, and I've never done that before..not to mention I'd have to do it by hand because I'm sans sewing machine at the moment! It should be fine though....as for the lining fabric, there's a small second hand shop in the basement of hospice that has a decent craft section...they sell vintage fabric for $1.00 a yard. If you can get over going into hospice (which I don't have a problem with because the money benefits the place) then there are a ton of great finds! Anywho, here's a pic of what i've got done!

(that's not white, it's tan..the other colors are green, camo, and brown)

etsy stuff!!

So, I started my etsy shop (finally!). Last night I worked on a couple cozies to put in it (I could have done more, but I was feeling lazy and watching reruns of star trek the next generation!!) Tonight, I'm going to make animal print coffee cozies! I think those will sell better than the fun summer colours! Anyhow, here they are!

I know it's not much, but at least it's something in my shop! I'm thinking of taking the earrings I made and put up in the coffee shop and putting them in my etsy!

new things

Before I left for Annual training, I stopped at the Yarn store in ER and picked up a few fun finds. The Buttons are military inspired by vogue, and the yarn is patons silk bamboo in orchid. I bought the yarn to swatch for a short sleeve deep v sweater. It's incredibly soft and I can't wait to start on it.

So, my annual training was kind of crappy this year. We stayed in DIRTY barraks in sleezy Grayling. Now, if I were just spending my time on the field it would be one thing. But, we're in the band. Part of our job is to look our best. How can we do that when we're living in filth? Anyway, the beggining of the second week I got a call from my mom saying my great grandmother was sent to hospice. My command ended up being really cool and releasing me, so my squad leader drove me home for the night so I could see her one last time. She ended up dying on Wednsday morning at 3 A. M.
So, I had a crappy AT. I get home and find a package on my kitchen counter filled with goodies from Wales. It didn't fix my broken heart, but it lift my spirits significantly. Inside were the buttons I ordered (although, I only remember ordering one set...I think the second set were a gift.), and the vintage Rudiments of Music book.

And, SUPRISE!! Birthday gifts from Wondra! Thank you so much! My cats really liked the i.d. yarn. It was apparant when I went up to my attic and it was unraveled all across the floor. Not to worry though! It took me about three hours, but I was able to untangle it and wind it back up into a ball....I almost killed my cats....Ok...so, I googled british military buttons, and I found the two small silver ones. Don't know if you know this Wondra, but the buttons you sent me are almost three hundred years old. No, not almost, ARE!! And they are beatiful..mabey I'll make a doll and use them for eyes, just like in coraline...j/k...I do think I'll use them in my Mrs. Lovett costume though. Anyway, THANK YOU for my presents!!

I bought some more yarn to make more shrugs..I'll be making them in multiple sizes and putting them in my etsy shop. The yarn I picked up is a nice forest green...should fit the falling leaves motif. I'll be starting on a size small tonight. Anyway, I've talked and talked tonight! I'll be back soon!!

grrr

I woke up this morning to my circular shrug-in-progress on the floor and the ball of yarn destroyed...GGGGRRRR!!!! I'll be rewinding the ball in about five seconds....

I started a new shrug today. The pattern is called "circular shrug", from Ravelry.com. Thank you Julia Allen for outlining such a cute piece of clothing using any yarn with any size needle. For mine, I chose to knit it in Patons Divine in white on size US 11 needles. The project is going quite fast, and hopefully I'll have it done by the end of the week. I started the project in hopes that I'll have something to knit to help pass the time on annual training, but I think I'll be done by then, or at least shortly into it! I think I'll bring some cotton yarn and a crochet hook and make a shopping bag, and mabey some washcloths..I want to do so many projects! Right now my knitting ADD mind is going "pack a bunch of different yarn and needles so you won't get bored!!" I think I'll limit myself to the washcloths and bag...MABEY I'll bring a skein to make another strug.

......

i love my cats...i love my cats...

hmmmm

i want to invent a robot that mows the lawn...one who can stand the 90 degree heat!