eatcake

Hello Seattle

Here are a few Instagram pictures from my girls trip to Seattle. My sister-in-law hosted us..thanks Sara! My daughter turned 13 in June and I decided along time ago that when she was old enough I would take her on a girl's trip every year. This was our inaugural trip and I can hardly wait until next year. We ate ourselves sick at Pike's Market, went to Trader Joe's at least three times ( love that store). We took a boat out to see the Killer Whales...ahem Orcas, but they were too shy. Had an amazing lunch in Friday harbor and stayed in a condo on the waterfront where we could saw the most amazing sunsets and homeless. We did a little vintage shopping and enjoyed the Seattle aquarium. The weather was sunny and hot, just the way I like it. If you haven't been I highly recommend it.

Vintage tags...DIY tutorial

It's no secret that I love all things vintage. After scouring the local vintage-consignment-thrift stores, I put together a tutorial to make use of all the treasures I have found lately. The sky's the limit when it comes to making hand made cards and tags, but here is my twist. I am a sucker lately for old games and cards. If it looks a bit yellowed, all the better! The best places I have found for vintage games, cards and craft supplies is my local thrift store. I admit that I do not take the time to shop yard sales, but If you can find what you are looking for the prices are usually great. I have had a bit of luck at vintage and antique stores, however, the prices are usually quite a bit more. I found some paper doilies from the 70's...lovely, but they were $4.00 for about 10-15. A little steep If you are crafting with them. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Supplies needed:

craft glue, or hot glue gun.

washi tape.

vintage greeting cards,tags,doilies,playing cards,game pieces and game boards.

card stock or pre-cut tags or cards.

pages from old books (the older the better...just don't cut up anything too valuable!)

Don't be afraid to glue game pieces and playing cards to your homemade tag. If it becomes too heavy, just reinforce the back with a coordinating piece of card stock.

Step 1: glue doily to precut card stock or tag.

Step 2: trim doily to fit card, just flush with the sides and bottom.

Step 3: glue game pieces or trims to doily.

Step 4: add card or card stock for your personal message. Let dry and it is ready to give!

For this card I used a vintage greeting card I found at the antique store and embellished it with vintage doilies and washi tape for a retro meets modern look. You can write your message on the front or on the back!

Here is another tag using vintage game pieces

Hope this inspires you!

Come join me here for a link party!

Lavender Love...Lavender infused Ginger lemonade

This is a little photo inspiration from the Lavender fields in Mona, Utah. It's not Provence but for $5.00 a bag you can pick as much lavender as you can use! Here is a recipe for Lavender infused Ginger Lemonade from the AMAZING Culinary Crafts catering. They are 9x "Best of State" winner. But really, who's counting?!

Ingredients:
5 cups cold water
3 lemons-juiced and zested
1 cup granulated sugar
1 T ginger, peeled and sliced
fresh lavender sprigs

Method:
Combine all ingredients and let sit overnight. When ready to serve, strain the lemonade to remove the ginger and lavender pieces.

To make the lemon garnish:
Thinly slice 5-10 lemon slices. Cut a one half slit from the center of the lemon wheel to the edge so it can fit properly on the glass.
Zest 2T fresh ginger

To make the candied ginger:
Mix 1 cup pure cane sugar to 1 cup water into a small pot.
Boil the simple syrup mixture in a sauce pan until the syrup has reduced by 1/3 the volume.
Remove pan from the heat and stir in the zested ginger.
Let the mixture soak for 15 minutes.
Remove the zest from the syrup and lay the candied ginger on a sheet pan.
Wait for the product to fully dry. While the product is still wet, dust with a heavy coat of sugar. Let dry overnight.

Roll the lemon in the candied ginger:
Roll the rind of the lemon first in water and then roll the lemon into the candied ginger pieces.
Place the product in the oven on parchment paper (bake at 350) just enough to dry the lemon out and produce a crisp product.(dehydrators can also be used)

To serve the finished product:
Fill a glass with lemonade. Garnish with the ginger lemon slices and a sprig of fresh lavender.

Enjoy!

Summer Sewing

As I was perusing (big girl word) Sew Mama Sew, I came upon a post about trends for Summer Sewing. I was pretty excited to find out that I was right on point for a few of my latest projects!

Project One: Here is a big shout out to the 70's...I love a cute halter, and I don't have many occasions for them (unlike in the 70's when I looked really cute in them...as a 6 year old). I was anxious to whip up a little something for my beach trip. My sewing machine and I have been through alot together lately...and as much time as we've spent together, it has been a little stressful. (More of that to come...) This halter was so fun and perfect for a beginning sewer.

I bought this pattern last year and I'm just now getting to it, seems to be a theme for me lately.

Project Two: A picnic quilt, pattern and fabric by Anna Maria Horner. Isn't she amazing?! We will use this for movies in the park, wrapping up on the deck on a chilly late summer evening, and of course the beach!

Project Three: Amy Butler's weekender bag. When my husband walked by the sewing room as I was wrestling with 4 layers of fabric, Peltex and piping, he said "are you making luggage?". Um yes?! I love this bag despite the sewing difficulty. (I would rate it med-hard). It is perfect for a carry-on bag on the plane or fill it with magazines, red licorice and whatever other "necessities" you need for a weekend away.

Happy Sewing

mary mary quite contrary....week 7-9

Have you ever noticed how when you want something to grow and you watch it and baby it along it grows at a snails pace? ya that didn't happen this time...we went on vacation and came home to an explosion (the good kind) in the garden. I intended to stake everything vertically to save on space and let's be honest who doesn't want to look taller and thinner? My plan mostly worked, except for a few wrinkles, and by wrinkles I mean a certain heirloom tomato plant.

old window frames

I couldn't quite find what I wanted at Home Depot, So I checked the junk area of one of my favorite vintage/consignment store and found some old window frames. I popped out the glass and scraped off the old paint. These are being used to "stake" the squash.

I use geen twist ties that I found at my garden center. I also am experimenting with garden velcro.... crazy but true! It is made to be reused, but my guesse is I won't try to after everything dies back and is cleaned out for the season I will just toss it. It seems to work and I really like it for keeping the squash in line. Maybe I should velcro my kids to keep them in line?

Carlsbad Pipelines...so cool

Have you ever visited somewhere as an adult that you loved as a child? We grew up camping at the beach in Carlsbad, California. And by "camping" I really mean camping...not just a hotel that doesn't have room service. We would fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and wake at dawn to hunt for sand dollars. I guess I wanted to share that with my kids, so we spent a week at the beach (not camping). All beach towns have their own unique vibe, I like to describe Carlsbad as the younger cooler sister of Newport Beach. I love Newport, we lived off there off and on for 4 years, but Carlsbad is just cool without trying to be.

Here is one of my favorite not-to-be-missed spots:

Carlsbad Pipelines surf shop is named after Witt's (the owner) father's plumbing business. It has been in business since 1984. The staff is very helpful and most of all, patient with all the summer tourists! My boys spent hours looking at surfboards and skateboards. The have surf boards for rent and sale as well as a most anything you need at the beach. They have a great selection of sandals and flip flops, which is a big plus. (We inadvertently buried a flip flop in the sand on day 2...ugh)
If you go it is located at 2975 Carlsbad Blvd. Right on the main street just down from The Carlsbad Inn and right next to Coldstone Creamery.