Domestic Bliss

Where has the time gone...

2011-07-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well its has been over a month since the last post. Life has gotten crazy between settling in to our new home, starting jobs and getting to enjoy the little bit of summer we have. With that being said unfortunately crafting and working on my craft room has fallen to the wayside. But that doesn't mean the creative juices have stopped flowing. They have just transcended into my job... Yes, I get to create at work!

I have been assisting in the operation of a kids day camp. We do 8 or more projects a day... and its exhausting! but still a blast.

We have created a blog to share all of the fun that is had!

Check it out!

And don't worry, I have not forgotten about you and will be back soon with more fun!

Friday Favorites: Pinterest

2011-06-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is something I am not super proud of.. but Hi, I'm Becca and I'm a Pinterest Addict. This addiction/obsession only started a few days ago, but I am hooked! Pinterest has been sweeping the blogging world for a little while now. They suck you in with the beautiful pictures and the fact that it is "elite". For those of you that haven't heard, I will inform you. For it is far too good to keep a secret.

Think of that folder of pictures on your computer. The one that is full of photos that you found on the Internet, photos of beautiful and inspiring things. Imagine that you could access these photos AND the original website that you found them on from any computer. Now, imagine that you could see what other people find and save it for yourself too. You're in dreamland, I know but I'm going to pull you back down to earth and tell you that... ready... Drum roll please, a place like that does exist!

Now the only problem is, that you have to be invited to join. There is also a waiting list for an invitation but I have heard that it is very long and takes a while. If you have been dying to be accepted or I have convinced you that this is something you need to be a part of (because it is) then simply leave your email in a comment and I will send you an invite.

Because this is simply too good not to share!
Happy Friday!

Next big project...

2011-06-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the craft room has hit a "creative" road block. No, the boxes aren't limiting my access to the room; that would be much easier to fix. I have most of everything unpacked and things are starting to come together. The bookshelf is put together, I'm in the process of making a desk, and most boxes are broken down. The biggest issue I now face is the vast amount of paper that is floating around. I mean magazines, inspiration pages, cards and so much more. Its out of control. I know most of you can relate to paper clutter. Even if you're not a crafter you have it. I plan on tackling this in various ways (which I will share later, I know...again with the teasing).

Here is my creative issue:
I want to create a HUGE bulletin board. All of the things that inspire me need to be seen not laying on the floor in a pile. I have thought about this for a while and then I stumbled upon this image...

Photo via Pinterest via Oh Happy Day

PERFECT!

Here is where you come in, I need help figuring out how to do it.
I want what is in that picture except, not really... :) Theirs is made of multiple boards that are put together. I want one big, cohesive cork board with a cool frame.

Here are my ideas so far:

Frame made of molding from Habitat ReStore
Cork squares pieced together
Maybe a big roll of cork (if there is such a thing)

Now what I need help with...

Have any of you made something similar? If so, please share!
What should I use to back it? so far I have thought of foam core board or maybe thick cardboard
Do you have any other suggestions? I am open to all input

If you are a normal reader but do not leave comments, please let today be the one time when you add some helpful insight! Thank you in advance.

Summer is on its way...

2011-06-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

...and this is how I know

Daisy Chains*Fresh Strawberries
Bright Flowers*Cherry Blossoms More organizing, recipes and projects soon to come... this nice weather has made coming inside to write a bit difficult.

Friday Favorites: Magazines

2011-06-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

If you were to ask my husband "what is the one thing that you wish we had less of?" His answer, hands down, would be my (slightly too large...) magazine collection. I blame it all on my father. He collected comics my whole life and his collection was HUGE! I love that each issue provides new projects, photos, and changes in our culture.

Here are the ones that are currently adorning my nightstand.

Country Living (US and British Editions)- I first fell in love with the British edition, its much more country and has BEAUTIFUL illustrations, but alas subscriptions are very expensive.

MaryJanesFarm- Wonderful Organic cooking, projects and much more. This magazine spurs on my dreams of being a true farm girl.

Somerset Life- Purely inspirational!

Where Women Create- I can only dream of having the beautiful studios that this magazine features.

Where Women Cook- Yummy photos and the coolest "dream" kitchens!

What are your Favorite Magazines?

Happy Friday!

Berry Yogurt Muffins

2011-06-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

What happens when you start baking only to discover that you don't have all the ingredients for the recipe?

...You make up your own recipe, of course!

These muffins were created by complete accident but are better than what I originally wanted to make. The yogurt makes them super moist and the fresh berries make them perfect for a spring treat!

Berry Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk (none of that water they pass off for milk, non-fat. The richer the better, whole or 2%)
8 ounces Greek yogurt with fruit in bottom (I used cherry but any of your favorites will taste just as good)
1 cup chopped berries (I used Strawberries but other seasonal berries will work too)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a 12 muffin pan.
Add all dry ingredients to mixer and stir together.
Mix wet ingredients (except strawberries) in a separate bowl. Once completely mixed slowly pour into dry ingredients. Stir until completely combined.
Fold in berries

Fill muffin tin about 2/3 full. Then sprinkle each lightly with sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
When removed from oven, place muffins directly on a cooling rack.

Be creative and try different berry combinations. What is your favorite berry?

original recipe from Gooseberry Patch, Simple Country Pleasures.

Drawer bookshelf

2011-06-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

About 3 years ago while looking through my favorite magazine, Country Living I stumbled upon this project.

Photo by Country Living
Making this is not quite as easy as it appears. Unless you,
A) Have a old dresser lying around
or
B) Feel like seeking out the right one for the job.
But, then either way afterwards you will have a frame to dispose of...

My solution, get just the drawers.
I went to our local ReBuilding Center. If you live in Portland, OR then the ReBuilding Center is the perfect place to get the drawers. I payed between 2 and 5 dollars per drawer. Another place to get drawers is Habitat for Humanity ReStore. There is a store in almost every state. The only thing to make sure of is that your drawers are somewhat the same size.

Directions

After you get them home you need to decide whether they should be painted and/or wallpapered. I chose not to paint mine and just wallpapered the insides. After cutting the paper to fit, spray adhesive the paper and adhere to the drawers.
Decide how you want the drawers arranged: vertical or horizontal and in what order.

I choose horizontal.

Attach them to each other. Making sure that the drawers are level along the way. Attach each drawer to the ones around it.

Lastly, attach the top drawers to the wall. If you have more than two across then attaching the end two is just fine. For added stability use a stud finder (I checked and they won't help you find your boyfriend or husband...I know, lame joke) to locate the studs in the wall and drill screws into them.

When creating your bookcase feel free to get creative. I have built this two different ways. I used the same drawers just for different purposes and arrangements.

At our Portland houseSorry this photo is kind of lame... just pretend that the shelves go across and down the other side :)

and at our new house
I am sure that you could come up with another way to make it work for you.
How would you build yours? Feel free to ask any questions too :)

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

The streets of Downtown Redmond are filled with flags today. Walking by is a great reminder to remember those who have made and make our freedom possible.

Friday Favorites: Quilts and Glee

2011-05-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite things this week.

Vintage Quilts

I have a special place in my heart for old fabric so I practically screamed when I saw this 1920's quilt at a garage sale. It may just be the beginning of a new collection. What do you enjoy collecting?

and

Photo Courtesy of Fox

Glee!

Glee is totally off blog topic but none the less a favorite of mine! They wrapped up the 2nd season this week. I am not quite sure if my inner Gleek can wait until the Fall.

Do you have any favorites this week?

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Getting Started, Part 2

2011-05-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is the second installment in the series Creative Chaos. If you missed the other posts they can be found here.

We covered the first two steps of the four that are found in Jeff Bredenberg's Book, How to Cheat at Organizing. Today I will cover the last two, Sort and Store.

These may be the toughest two steps. This process is kind of like losing weight. People usually think they can lose it with either working out or dieting, but you need both to be successful. If you just Strip and Scrap your place and think your done, guess again. Sorting and Storing are equally, if not more important.

Here is a quick review of the first two,

Strip, down to the essentials.
Scrap, what you don't need.

Now for the challenging part,

Sort- The things that you decide to keep should then be separated out into like categories.

For my craft room this will consist of things like all paints, paper, fabric, etc. There are a couple different ways to sort stuff out, especially in hobby rooms.

You can sort by,
Like Items (all "Mediums" in the same spot, ie. pens, paints, crayons,etc.)
Or
Individual Hobbies (all Painting stuff together, ie. brushes, canvas, and paints)

We will go into greater detail about what system works best for different people but in the mean time it's a place to start.

Store- This is my favorite part! and probably the part that we all struggle with the most . Our things need homes. If they don't have them then guess what, everything will go back to the way it has always been. And no one wants that now do they?!

I love to hunt for little containers that are stylish but also serve a great purpose. I can't wait to share my favorite reuses with you, but I will leave you in suspense for now. Yes I am that mean.

Here is one pearl of wisdom to start you off though: contain everything, even the bigger things.

Happy Organizing!

Friday Favorites: Taco Soup

2011-05-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

From now on every Friday I will be sharing my Favorites of the week. I will be sharing recipes, blogs, shops, and things that I am just plain obsessed with currently.

I invite you to share your favorites as well. I always love discovering and sharing new things.

Here is one of my favorites right now!

Photo Courtesy of Chic Galleria

Taco Soup!
One of my good friends invited us over for dinner earlier this year and introduced me to the best and easiest taco soup recipe. From there I became obsessed to the point of typically making it once a week. Some where probably around the 7th or 8th week my husband kindly stated that he was growing a tad bit sick of his "liquid" diet. So the soup took a break. Until this week and man was it good. I have adapted this recipe to work in the slow cooker.

Ingredients

2 15 oz cans of Beans (either pinto, black, kidney, or any other kind you like)
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chile's
1 16 oz can of corn (sweet, white, or yellow, just not creamed)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole and raw
1 packet of Taco seasoning (if in bulk, 7-8 tbs)
1-2 cups Water

1 tsp Hot Sauce (optional)

Toppings Optional but highly suggested

cubed avocado
shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican)
crumbled queso fresco (Mexican cheese found in most grocery stores)
sour cream
salsa
cilantro

Directions

Dump all cans and ingredients into slow cooker, including the chicken breasts. Cook on low for 6-7 hours (this could take more or less time, it just depends on the slow cooker). Once the chicken breasts are cooked take two forks and shred them into the soup. This should not be hard to do because the chicken should be very tender and practically falling apart. let sit for about 1/2 hour more. Then your ready to dish up and top with whatever you decided. Substitutions

Here

Enjoy!

Creative Chaos: Getting Started

2011-05-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

The first box is open! and look I'm not scared... yet. Before I open another one and create a complete mess there needs to be some order to going about unpacking. My favorite system was found in a book written by Jeff Bredenberg, How to Cheat at Organizing. His method is called The S4 Technique.

*Strip*Scrap*Sort*Store*

Lets start with Strip and Scrap, here is my summarized synopsis of what he means.

Strip- Strip down your stuff to only the things that you,

A) Can't live without
B) Have used recently (meaning in the last 6 months to a year)
C) Actually remember you owned

Scrap- Scrap anything that doesn't fall into the above categories. These items either need to go into the trash or a box for thrift store donations.

This is the part that everyone (myself included) has problems with. It seems like the second those items go into the big black bag of death we all of a sudden develop the same emotional attachment we have to children. Seriously though, if you didn't know you had it then you will not miss it. If this is hard for you, then having someone stand by and watch you keep the stuff you don't need might be motivation enough to toss it.

Please tell me I am not alone in my "mild" hoarder like tendencies. How do you deal with pairing down? Is there another system you like? Do share!

Tomorrow, I will break down the next two steps, Sort and Store. To make sure you don't miss out subscribe via email.

Creative Chaos: let the project begin

2011-05-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Over the past month My husband and I made the first big move since we have been married. After one U-Haul, 4 or 5 full car trips, one emergency ("we have more stuff than can fit in the car") trip, and traveling 200+ miles every weekend for a month we are finally in one place.

The hardest part of moving has been all of my craft stuff; unpacking every other room seems petty in comparison. Once we were all moved in I stood staring at this...

(I was unable to capture a picture that could contain all of the stuff that is crammed into this tiny little room right now. If I had a panoramic camera that might begin to cover it...)

I could only think about one thing, how scared I was to go through and organize my own stuff when I had been doing the exact same thing for other people for years. This series will be all about organizing. It will include posts about small spaces, the needs of a creative space and much more.

I can't promise how often there will be posts, as I will most likely be hiding under my bed in terror of opening another box. Any words of encouragement and motivation are gladly appreciated.

Christmas Projects: Vintage journal

2010-11-08T19:14:00.001-08:00

Ben and I decided that for Christmas this year we are doing things a bit differently. We are going to spend time together making gifts instead of shopping. Our budget is any craft supplies we already own (trust me we have a lot!) and 25 dollars. The money we would normally spend is getting donated to Advent Conspiracy through our church. Advent Conspiracy distributes the money to places that it is needed around the world; Haiti and to build fresh water wells in third world countries are just a few. This is especially important since the cholera outbreak in Haiti recently.

I will be posting some of our projects here. Some of them might have to wait until after Christmas, seeing as how family members would then know what there getting :)

I'm really excited about the first project. I love paper!! I mean really love all kinds, cotton, handmade, textured, old and new. I also adore journals. So, what better to start off with than a journal.

I have a rather large collection of double sided 12x12 scrapbook paper and that's what I used for the cover.

The book's pages consist of a stack of scrap paper from one of those "1lb scrap paper" bags from Joann's. For some reason the scraps were about the same size. So, it works well for a book.

For the cover decoration I used a photo that I found at an antique shop. I don't know who sells their family photos but I happened upon a hat box full of them. Most of which make for a nice story, whether it be for a card or journal. I also glittered the photo corners because everything is better with glitter!

And lastly I used Japanese stab binding to hold it all together. This technique is a good one to start with. Here is a link for directions.

Happy crafting!
Becca

In the Christmas mood

2010-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

I went shopping at Monticello's Antique Market this last weekend and was inspired! To start decorating for Christmas. Granted it's only the second week of November so the decorations will not come out for a few more weeks but I can start dreaming.

A choir of candles

Wonderful vintage ornaments

Tis the season to start wrapping....

2010-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

It's getting close to the holidays now. I find it helpful to start wrapping presents as I collect them so that there is less to do as Christmas draws near. At work last spring I brainstormed ideas with one of the women I work for on how to organize gift wrapping supplies. This is what we came up with and created.

Out of 1x2's, cup hooks, and dowel roads we made a rack for wrapping paper

To sort flat fold paper and gift bags I used wall mount magazine/file folder holders. They come in a set of three from the office supply store. The ones we used stacked atop each other but they can be used separately like seen here.

We found a drying rack at the Container Store and used it for tissue paper.

And lastly, Ribbon. We used kitchen towel racks from the Container Store and lined them up on the wall.

Now, the only thing that would be better than that much wrapping paper and ribbon would be having the space to create this set up. Not everyone has the room but even some of these elements will make your wrapping season easier. Happy wrapping!

Becca

Famous Mac n' Cheese

2009-10-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

My favorite food since a very young age has been Mac n' Cheese. Naturally I have been in constant search of the "best" recipe. I am proud to say that for now, I have perfected a favorite.

Becca's Mac n' Cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grate three kinds of cheese:

4 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar (about 18 oz)
2 cups Smoked Gruyere (about 8 oz)
2 cups Romano (about 8 oz)

I have been using Tillimook Vintage extra sharp white cheddar, Apple Smoked Gruyere, and Stella Romano Cheeses.

Cook up a pound of macaroni noodles, drain and rinse. set aside for later. I personally like to use Rigatoni and Penni, using about a half a lb of each mixed.

White Sauce

4 tbs Butter
4 tbs Flour
1/2 tbs Salt
1 tbs Pepper
2 cups Milk

Mix in pan and bring to a boil. Stir until thick adding a few handfuls of grated cheese.

Now, in a casserole dish layer in this order noodles, sauce, and cheese. Repeat until the dish is full or your out of the three. put lid or tin foil over dish. Cook in oven for 30 to 45 minutes. for the last 5 minutes take lid or foil off to let crisp.

enjoy!

Optional: You can also crumble saltines over the top to give it some crunch. I have also added chicken before and I'm sure that you could add other meats as well.

Tomatoes!

2009-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of tomato season we had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. Wasting them I tried this. It has proven so far to provide a really good spaghetti sauce and flavorful tomato soup! I'm sure there are more uses too I just haven't thought of any yet.

Ingredients:

- lots of tomatoes, quartered (large ones, no cherries)
- onion, chunked
- garlic, smashed
- Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
- fresh herbs, chopped (basil, etc.)
- salt and pepper

Directions:

- pre heat oven to 450 degrees.
- spread the tomatoes on baking sheets with a lip to them.
- disperce the onion, garlic and herbs over the tomato wedges.
- drizzle evoo over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- let it roast in the oven for 10 to 15 mins.
- once removed from oven use tongs and a fork to remove tomato skins.
- then slide contents into a bowl.
- blend using a emulsion (hand-held) blender until mixed well but small chuncks still remain.
- measure out two cups worth and pour into freezer bags for flat freezing or into freezer tupperware containers.

From this point you have the start of spaghetti and tomato soup.

Spaghetti is really easy defrost the bag by running under warm water and then pour it into a pan to heat up. Add a can of tomato sauce, more garlic if desired, a packet of Italian herb seasoning and browned hamburger meat or sausage. Let boil and thicken to taste.

For tomato soup all that you do is add a can of tomato soup and some more herbs if you want. Then let it thicken. If you want some cheesiness to it add half or part of a can of cheddar cheese soup.

Welcome!

2009-10-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog entry. I'm excited to share with you my discoveries, projects, and orginizational epiphanies. So welcome, into our home and life.

Becca

-- Posted from my iPhone