Out with the Old In with the New

On my summer list - I wrote that I wanted to update my blog.  It's been a good two years so it was overdue.   Well I'm only like a month late on getting this done in the summer.  I didn't spend a terrible amount of time on the updates because seems my blog template is out of date and I kept getting errors and voids left and right.  So I went simple and just did what I could.    I took snapshots of the old and the new as I don't really have a history of all the prior designs I've had and I thought maybe at some point that might be nice to have.  

OLD:    

NEW:

Tuesday 10 - the end of October

It's been a loooooong time since I have done one of these.  But it was Tuesday so I figured better late than never.  

1. Fall Air - seriously I feel like its so fresh and crisp outside, I want to drink the air in.

2. Extra weeks at home. (Sure they come at project delays but it's still home time.)

3.  This quote from Bible Verses. Okay so maybe I know of 5! 

4. The at home series at A Beautiful Mess,  www.abeautifulmess.com If you don't already read this blog this series is one of my favorites.  It's like little peeks into homes around the US.

5. Green grapes.

6. These afghans made by Momo and nanny p or aunt joe.  We often cuddle under them to watch a movie or when chatting with friends late at night.

7. Hearing that Jones and Lo have their own photo wall started with gW frames spray painted.

8. Having four weeks until family vacation.

9. Fried rice. I love this for breakfast.

10. Seeing Dustin as a giant Turkey.  I love that he wants to give back to wheeler and that he loves being an oversized turkey! More turkey events coming up too.

306/365

I started out last week flying to New York.  I was allowed to come home on Tuesday.  That was lovely.  

Monday - the view from my window in the city.  Funny the hotel had balconies but you couldn't go on them!  Doh!

Tuesday - my purse hanging on the back of the stall door.  Ok awkward but I liked the lighting. 

Wednesday - Rose from the mister with breakfast. 

Thursday - mass ave at the start of dusk 

Friday - Vanosky asleep on our floor.  

Saturday - trunk or treat Dustin is in that turkey suit.

Sunday - Indy Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  One of Gretchen's amazing quilts.

Best of Life Videos - Bossy Fresh + Sweet Action Wedding

I actually made this up a while back, but I couldn't decide on the music. So I used 4 songs all which were played at some point at our wedding. It's a good throw back to our wedding which was such a super fun time. Songs are Billie Jean - London Symphony Orchestra, Wouldn't it be Nice the Beach Boys, Home - Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros, I gotta feeling - The Black Eyed Peas.
Click Here to view the YouTube verison (sorry it's not available for iPhones).

299/365

Holy cow almost thru this year.  It seems to have flown by.  Last week I was home all week because of a project delay.  It was pretty much glorious.  Although my photos were dreadful. 

Monday - I had the day off and I worked on a new quilt using scrap fabrics

Tuesday - this is the only photo I snapped.  But I ordered a duplicate of our photobooth photo from Lita's bday

Wednesday - making apple chips

Thursday - no photo taken (this is two I missed now.

Friday - Went to optical Popsicle with some friends.  It's like a interesting collection of skits

Saturday - the Veales stayed with us for the weekend in town for a wedding we got up early Saturday and had breakfast with them and other friends at the steer-in

Sunday - Kathleen and I went shopping and got Dustin this jones like puffy vest.  I think he likes it as its already been worn.

Probably the worlds best apple chips

I love love love apple chips from trader joes they are so very lovely.  

Well I got some orchard apples the other day and I wasn't going to Them eaten up before hitting the road.  So I decided to apple chip them.  Here's my super simple recipe.

Ingredients:

Apples (preferably apples locally grown)

Directions:  

1. Wash apples.

2. Slice apples into thin slices and core the center.  (I cut mine freehand with a pairing knife).

3. Line the apples on the dehydrator trays.  (If you don't have a dehydrator oven at 135 works too just line trays cooling racks for apples so air circulates).

4.  Cook in dehydrator at 135 for 12 hours.  

5. Enjoy best apple chips you ever had.  

No seriously these are like flavor city.  I have been taking little baggies to people because well I want to share.  

Project Life 35

I have been playing catchup with these for a while.  This is week 35 from the last week in August. 

I was on the road in nyc then we traveled to Columbus for a baseball tournament.  Most photos from said tournament.  We also visited a new ice cream shop that has swings.  I saved my wooden spoon from that night just for project life - i think its kind of fun on the page.  I also saved a coaster from my hotel and a business card from a restaurant I went to with friends so on they went - I like weeks when I save these little things best.  Nothing else fancy with these just regular old paper scraps, Washi tape, and old mish mash of letters. 

292/365

Another week that was a blur. Work work work.  Sorry I can't share all of thesez

Monday - I can't share this one because it was taken at work.  Client privacy.

Tuesday - parking lot in class (I debated this but I this one but I think it's safe).

Wednesday - 14 hour day this is my view it looks out on silver cup studios

Thursday - another one I can't share.

Friday - live from 6 hours at the airport

Saturday - my six month anniversary card from my husband

Sunday - I went on a picnic and banjo session with Amy on the river in our usual spot.  I play fast banjo (made up songs). Amy plays slower but real songs.  

Soups on - Potato soup

Jono messages me the other day and said we haven't been sharing recipes lately and he is right.  Dustin is having a party tonight and I made soup.  Potato soup with the leftover potatoes from a bag we bought. I adapted a recipe from here.  It turned out pretty good although next time I might add cheese and peppers.  It thickened during the party and was best hot.

Ingredients: 

1 package bacon

1 onion

8 potatoes chopped with skins (I actually used about 10 little ones)

1 cup celery

3 cloves garlic chopped

3 tblspns butter

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

4 cups of chicken stock

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

1/2tsp cayenne

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup flour

1. Oven cook the bacon at 400 around 15-20 until crispy

2. Drain 1/2 of the bacon grease into Dutch oven.  sauté onions garlic and celery with the bacon grease.

3. Add the bacon and diced potatoes to the pan cook for a few minutes then add in chicken broth and bring to boil.

4. In a sauce pan melt butter.  Mix in flour and whisk. 

5. then add in cream and milk and whisk.  Add in seasoning and bring to a boil - cream will thicken. 

6. Stir in cream into potatoes soup will thicken.  

7.  Serve with chives and cheese.

Book 25 - 1,000 Gifts

This book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp, popped up on my "recommended" list at the library ten times.  I also ignored it several times.  Then I picked it up. 

It's a quick read about finding gods grace/gifts in every day life. I found as I read it I made little notes and verses on things (see note I made on a file folder for work "seek god where you doubt he is").   Reading it led me also to reading my bible a little more frequently, not intense deep reading that's not really me.  But short passages.  

And as I finished it I too wanted to start a 1,000 things journal - I too want to find grace in the every day.   Grace in the all the time.  Being the creative I of course wanted to find or make the perfect journal.   Well my mom sent me a journal from a yard sale she went to in California (a while back actually) and I finally settled on that.  But all this week I carried it in my purse and today I made the first entry  - maybe I will not get to 1000 and maybe I will get to 10,000.  We'll see.

Another book down and in less than a week. Perhaps I will hit 30 not 26.  

Book 24 - A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

I finally finished this one.  I checked it out in June from the library and renewed it oh so many times.  I actually started it back in August.  It was a good read the story kept my interest.  I liked the main character Francie.  Many of the places are also familiar to me since I have been working and staying in New York.  It actually made me want to read up more on tenements in New York.   So I think that's a good thing.  I slowly pick away at my 52 books maybe this year I will get thru 26.  Small feats.

285/365

Last week is pretty much a blur too much work.  

Monday - the kitchen in my hotel a rare thing in NYC.

Tuesday - project life happening

Wednesday - our last week in manhattan we wanted to eat our favorite things pistachio doughnuts seriously like heaven in your mouth.

Thursday - waffles

Friday - Japanese curry

Saturday - fall fun with our friend Kemi.

Sunday - apple cider seriously this one was the best I ever had.

On six months

Today we have been married six months.  The time has flown by much faster than the first three.  

We traveled to NYC, Detriot, Columbus, Springfield, california, and West baden. 

We found we liked having the housekeeper.

We laughed.  

We cherished quiet moments at home.

We had many late night phone conversations. 

We spent five weeks together the longest duration we had since we were dating.

We fought a little. 

We pushed each others buttons.

We got new living room furniture.

We said goodbye to the old sofa (FYI I made a nice profit on it).

We went on double dates. 

We took Kathleen on many dates.  

We swam even when only I wanted to swim. 

We saw the golden gate and sunset piano together. 

We celebrated reserve championships.

We got new patio furniture. 

We got up early.

We stayed up late. 

We splurged on Black Market. 

We rode a Ferris wheel. 

We went on several sets of swings.

We started breaking bad together.

We set goals.

We forgot about the goals.

We fasted. 

We got sunburns.

We saw/played baseball. 

We had several house guests. 

We discovered we need a new roof. 

We played a lot of trivia. 

We learned we have a lot more to learn.  Here's to many more months. 

Dear Dustin -

This fall.  Lets work on house projects.  Saving money.  And trying to find a good balance of nothing and something on the weekends.  

Each week coming home is bittersweet.  Sweet because you are home "home is whenever I am with you" sappy but true.  Bitter because I know it only lasts until Sunday night or Monday.  So many times when we are separated I try to make not of things to tell you or share with you.  But this is only temporary.

Traveling this summer has been fun even though most of it has been for baseball.  Hopefully someday we can travel to the far edges of the earth together.

I find it hard to stay mad at you and I am eager to apologize when we argue.  Lets always make up.

Happy six months!

Love always.

PS. Don't buy that dog. 

PPS we also need to work on selfies!  That's to all the people who snapped photos for us.