So I cooked something wonderful yesterday that I wanted to share with you. I'm a firm believer that in order to do any true food blogging you must present a real life picture of the food event in order to adequately tell the tale. I, however, could not get a decent, or shall I say, adequate to my own standards, photo of the pulled pork roast endeavour from yesterday. Let's face it, pork is not very photogenic and after it's cooked even less so. Cooked pork is dull and grey and if it isn't dowsed in colorful BBQ sauce of... Continue reading

A few years ago, when we gutted & remodeled our kitchen and sent our entire floor plan in complete disarray, I parted ways with a very large bulky dinning room table and chairs. I wasn't sad to see it go, but I have since had a difficult time finding something that I was satisfied with. In the interim, I happened across a small wooden drop leaf table (pictured top) at a small local auction. I was instantly attracted to the table, although it wasn't really my style. As I waved the winning bid, my mother who was with me at... Continue reading

It started with an awesome find, a vintage dresser with great lines. I could see the possibilities and was itching to transform it. And now, it has spawned a complete redesign of our main living space. The color is Martha Stuart Lagoon-paint is Behr gloss finish. I highly recommend a tinted primer, as well. The results are perfection. So this is the beginning, my before & after console dresser. My hope is to post the final room reveal this weekend. (dare I tell there may be more chalkboard paint involved?) Continue reading

I know that is has officially been Spring for almost an entire month now, but I, for some reason, can not truly say HAPPY SPRING until the beautiful tulips are in full bloom. And "Hello Gorgeous!" they are awesome this year! Here is a shot from my long walk yesterday morning.... The warmer weather brings more outdoor activities and visits with my neighbors, and I love that. I have been on just a handful of bike rides and I already feel happier and that the winter blues are washing away with each rain fall. Of course, Spring always naturally seems... Continue reading

Usually when I'm in the middle of a good book, as I am now, words tend to flow easy with me. But not today. Few words today. Just a thought. A quote. By Maya Angelou. It struck a cord. Seemed to sum up my mood. So I'm sharing my process with less words and more pictures. 'I CAN BE CHANGED BY WHAT HAPPENS TO ME. BUT I REFUSE TO BE REDUCED BY IT.' Maya Angelou Continue reading

It has been a long while since I have done a recipe share. And as always, if it is not a tried and true and taste tested family recipe, I always try in out a couple times to make sure it is a winner before I share. This particular one I found in Better Homes & Gardens Nov. 2010 issue. (I tend to keep my magazines for at least 12 months as I find myself going back through them for ideas and clippings for my inspiration booklets. You never know what you missed the first 3 or 4 times you... Continue reading

Monday morning creative fuel. *iphone image (Morning sunrise from my back door window.) *iphone image To say that I've taken a hiatus from my writing and my blog life would be an understatement, indeed. For a gal that generally writes something everyday, habitually, in at least a journal or small notebook, it has been an interesting break for me to let all my thoughts brew inside my head, to take root and stay for awhile. A gift to myself each new year is a brand spanking new wonderfully blank journal. And as I packed away last year's journal, I flipped... Continue reading

It has been weeks now that I have been trying to shake this Autumn animosity that I have going on. Typically, Autumn is my favorite time of year and I especially adore Halloween. But for some reason, I'm having a conundrum with the entire season. I can't relate it to one specific symptom. It seems to be many things rolled into one. I'm not digging the cold this year in my ripe old age. I have no desire to purchase a single pumpkin, let alone the six or seven I usually have purchased by this late date in October. And... Continue reading

Feeling back in the blogging saddle with hitting day number 2-in-a-row with a 2 sday top ten! Along with my usual goodies found during my morning web surfing, I'm tossing in a few a my favorite everyday items that I have grown to love and just can't seem to live without. 10. Lands End Cardigans ♥ A staple of life! And perfect with the changing of the season's and the cooler weather upon us! 100% cotton lovelies that wash up like a dream. Check 'em out! 9. Anthology Magazine ! With all the print magazines that have seen their demise... Continue reading

Cartolina iPhone app Continue reading

Extending my weekend a bit with some "me time" play time in the studio. I've been anxious to do some old school scrapbooking/memory keeping.....to kind of get back to the basics of what made me love the process of design and prompted me to go back to college for visual communications. The first clue that I was fading away from the path that brought me here, was when I realized it had been months since I checked out my favorite online scrapbook community TwoPeasInABucket. It is a modern fast paced in-the-know website that offers it all, supplies, galleries, discussions and... Continue reading

"You know I'm a dreamer....." (No truer words have ever been said. Thank you, Motley Crue.) I guess there are worse things to be. Right? I have always been an optimist, almost to a fault. Don't get me wrong, I've got my low days, but most of the time, my hopeful expectations get me into more trouble than I care to admit. A distant friend, who happens to share the same birthday, sent me our horoscope yesterday. (Or as I affectionately call it the "HORRORscope") "Sometimes in life, we have to settle for good when we really wanted great." .....This... Continue reading

Long time gone. School break has flown away and summer is fleeting quickly. I am ready for the break in the humidity and a more composed schedule. It works out perfectly really, whomever worked out the logistics of summer break from school. (I know, I know. Thank the farmers.) But in all honesty, when summer break begins it seems I am perfectly ready to end all things scheduled and structured. I am ready to relish in the do-nothing days right along with the kids. (This is also a huge downfall for someone like myself that works from home and why... Continue reading

In all of the memory keeping art classes I have ever taught, the most common question is "where do you find the time?" And although I completely love the long drawn out process of creating, when it comes to memory keeping, I most often try to keep it simple. I love to give mini memory books as gifts. Yes, they take time, but I always figure I would rather spend the time creating something unique instead of aimlessly wondering through a shopping mall. (Ya, ya, I love me some retail therapy, too, but nothing says how much you care about... Continue reading

All I can say is WHOOPS! Sorry folks. Had set Tuesdays Top Ten on auto post and it didn't work so great! I was a bit out of sorts yesterday recouping from the what-felt-like-an-all-night-event Eclipse premier. Yowza! Staying up and out way past my bedtime is not all that it is cracked up to be when you are older! #10 PaperSource.com A great source for so many yummy goodies! And not just paper........ #9 EveryIota.com Another wonderful paper supply site! The patterns will knock you out! I've had an infatuation with iota paper for years! # 8 CommArts.com No its... Continue reading

I'm not a master gardener by any means, but I do enjoy the process. I adore perennials and my challenge over the years is to work out the math of these Indiana summers and figure out what will bloom when. My butterfly bush never fails me in celebrating the first signs of summer with it's purple blooms. Soon come the butterflies shortly followed by me with my camera sitting indian style right on my front lawn for what seems like hours sometimes, clicking hundreds of pictures in hopes to get just a hand full of good shots. For me, it... Continue reading

I came across this old polaroid while searching through some old pictures this past weekend. Being that is was Father's Day, it was quite appropriate that I found this one of me and my dad. At first sight it is just one of those random photos, but it literally goes far to explain why I am still an avid bike rider, as it looks as if I got a very early start at it. That's me on the back in the not-so-safe-looking-baby-bike-seat, but hey, it was circa 1971-ish, I'm guessing late spring, way before the time when seat belts in... Continue reading

Trying something fun with my inspiration pictures today and as Tuesday always seems to be a bit of a lull in the week, I thought it might be fun to do a top ten list......{ala Letterman style.} #10. Soundtracks are a favorite staple of my life....always...but the best so far this week for keeping the carbs burning on the eliptical are...... and #9...... {I think there is an underlying GIRL POWER theme going on here} #8. Is a photo posted by Sandra Beijer on her swedish blog Rodeo.net.....I can't read most of the blog as it is in swedish, but... Continue reading

.....{a little slow on the uptake.....as usual.....I am just now beginning to read "Eat, Pray, Love".......it is quickly becoming a favorite and hardly want to put it down.......perfect for this rainy morning......have you read it? what did you take away from the story?}..... ~via iPhone Continue reading

So yesterday's post looks completely wonkey.......text not so readable and the photo is huge! As I opened it up late last night, I gasped and promptly delivered my favorite Tracey Morgan phrase, "What the WHAT?!?!" The hitch? I posted it from my iPhone using my typepad app. Aside from the fact that it took me an extended amount of time to figure out why it wasn't posting right away as I had to change my settings for automatic sleep/shut off mode on my phone. I really thought I was onto something grand as I could post from my phone so... Continue reading

Just a quick little recipe share this morning while I work on a new post. This recipe is an all time favorite and perfectly fit for summer! Add lime totillia chips and a mojito and I call it LUNCH! 1 small red onion diced 1 each of green, red, yellow (or whatever you have in your garden or in season) diced 2 mangos (originally I only added one, but I love mangos!) diced Fresh bunch of cilantro chopped (approx 1/2 cup or more as you desire) Juice of 2 limes This is a fun recipe to experiment with! I have... Continue reading

With an email folder full of all too kind messages, I am soulfully moved today to finally post a long, long overdue update. The question that begs to be answered is "Where, oh, where have you been?" During this last semester of college I had felt very bogged down with the work load and needed to simplify to the bare bones in order to make it through. Producing a stellar graphic design portfolio for my final presentation became paramount. Had I been a regular college student in her final year at, let's say, the average age of 22, I may... Continue reading

My mantra that I adopted from one of my favorite Disney cartoon characters, Dory, from 'Finding Nemo'....."Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." That is what I feel like most days. As if I stopped that I might sink. So I keep swimming. I have been told it is because I am truly an individual that needs a 25 hour day. Um, ya, that would still not enable me to get everything done. It is more of an overzealous to do/wish list and and a smidge of lacking in the time management skills department. You'd think I'd have all the kinks... Continue reading

My dear friend and artist, Elizabeth Jorgensen, is prepping for an art show and I was so honored to do her invite cards for her! I did a set of drafts/mock-ups using several photographs of her pieces. The process of a final draft was fun because we got to sit down together and tweek them over some coffee and chit chat in my studio. Here are the samples..... I am so excited for her show.....can't wait to see all her work gathered together! ♥ART....xo Continue reading