vanilla & lace

farm life

2012-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Josh is in New Zealand for about 10 days which has left things a little boring around our house.. (he's the life of this party, its true!) I've been plowing through orders, shooting and editing photos like crazy, and cuddling with the kitty to keep busy, and on saturday i hung out with sarah, at her gorgeous place in the country. She has THE most amazingly decorated house i've ever seen, i must go back soon to do a home tour (if not just to have more perfect chemex). We ended the day watching SNL sketches (target lady, anyone?), which is always a good time if you ask me!

p.s. this is hands down the fluffiest cat i've ever seen! i couldn't stop picking her up..

sponsor in february!

2012-01-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

I still have a few sponsor spots available for february. If you're a shop owner, blogger, photographer, or anything else you could want advertised.. visit my sponsor page!

I'd love to have you! Email vanillaandlace(at)gmail(dot)com to grab a spot.

head to toe (and peoplewebs!)

2012-01-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

yesterday we spent all day at home doing a whole lot of nothing.. which was MUCH needed after a super busy week. The sun decided to come out so I played with my camera a bit... which leads me to the point of this post, which is to tell you about my dear friend Lindsi and the amazing things she makes. Two of which i'm wearing above.. the detachable peter pan collar and scalloped mary jane slippers. Aren't they amazing? I seriously adore every single thing she makes. It looks like both of these are out of stock currently, but this chunky circle scarf is to die for, as is the crown. I'll take one of everything! Be sure to check out her shop and show her some love on her blog too! She's the sweetest!

Hope you're weekend is fantastic.

i ♥ portland: porch light

2012-01-20T22:01:00.000-08:00

So you know how awhile back I said I was starting a new ongoing feature showcasing some of my favorite spots in portland... restaurants, coffee shops, stores, parks, ect. Well I'm finally here with the first one. I get loads of emails from people who will be taking a trip to portland and want to know what i'd recommend they do while they are here (beyond the obligatory tourist places like powells and stumptown.. not that there is anything wrong with those, i frequent both of them!)

I'm hoping to do it once a week which is going to force me to have to get over the awkward "can i have permission to take pictures of your shop/restaurant/ect and put it on my blog?" question. (Why do I hate that part so much??)

Without further ado, here's Porch light

As you can see, Porch light is a great shop specializing in vintage and antique home goods and gifts, and they do it SO well. They also carry the cutest stationery and a few crafty things, and some locally made soaps. I always leave there feeling so inspired.

They have two shops in town, both in great locations, one in the pearl district (on NW 11th) and one on N Mississippi. Be sure to check them out!

i spy...

2012-01-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

The lucy P dress on Stacie.. the talented gal behind Gingiber.. one of my favorite etsy shops! (I'm in love with all of her pillows and prints)

The lydia dress on miss amanda, photographer extraordinaire!

the rosemary blouse on chelsea from tea talk! Feel free to gush over her hair, i know i do.

the lucy p dress on miss rachel from smile and wave! she's a pretty big inspiration to me and it's an honor to see this on her. AND she told me she wore this dress to the shoot for Red velvet in southern living magazine that will be out in march... so that's pretty cool!

the lucy p dress on sarah from zephyr style. i know you can't see the top of it, but i adore her and her kitchen is pretty amazing right? (p.s. please blog more!)

the float away dress on julie from Jooleedoh.

the float away dress on katie from Skunkboy creatures! I admire so much about Katie, so it's also a huge honor to have her support and see her in this!

and last but not least, the lydia dress on Alexis. She emailed this picture to me and said she loved it so much she wore it in her engagement pictures...so awesome! Thanks, Alexis!

it's pretty surreal for me to scroll through this and see the things that once just filled the pages of my sketchbook ON real people all over the country (or world even!)..

i'm so thankful!

if you've purchased something from my shop, nothing would make me happier than to see it on you! you can send a picture to vanillaandlace@gmail.com

new items in the shop!

2012-01-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

I've been working on these new designs for the past couple months and I'm so excited to finally release them! My little store is finally filling up!

Here are some peeks at the new stuff. Head on over to the store for more info and what not..

(you see the hem.. and how it looks crinkly or something?.. yeah, i ironed it on a much too hot setting right before taking these photos...looks like this one is mine! if you choose to buy this, obviously yours will have a smooth hem! i learned from that one)

A bow belt

and a herringbone clutch!

a few goals for 2012

2012-01-03T22:46:00.000-08:00

I am a list maker to the core. I usually have 4-5 separate lists all going daily. Lists of lists of lists.. you get the idea.. (teuxdeux is my favorite list managing website, by the way). So it's only natural that I make a list of some goals at the beginning of the year. There's something about writing it down (or typing it out) that makes you feel THAT much more inspired to actually accomplish it.

(same quote from last year.. it's too good though)

Here's a few of my goals for the year:

1. Stop complaining - This was one from last year too but I think it should be at the top of every year. This is especially important now that social media has become a prime place to complain.. it's pretty silly. This is what I said about it last year. "If you make a conscious effort to not complain, even about the tiniest things, chances are you'll forget about it within a few minutes and you'll have a whole lot less negativity in your life. (When you do this you'll start to notice how much people around you complain, but don't be tempted to point it out.. lead by example)."

2. Read a book a month - I used to read a TON, but in 2011 i only read like.. 3 books? One a month is definitely doable even with my busy schedule. Damned by Chuck Palahnuik is the first on the list. Have you read any great books lately? I'll need some recommendations.

3. Experiment with video projects - Now that I have the equipment in my possession, I want to do lots of video projects this year. Quick recipes, DIY projects and just for fun daily life montages.

4. Split my working time equally between the dress making biz and photography biz. - Both are my biggest passions, and I don't want to see either one fall to the side.

5. Last but not least, Get better at returning texts/emails/phonecalls - Sometimes I am the WORST at this. I truly care about each thing but I far too often check them when I'm too busy to reply and they go unnoticed until its too late (weeks/months) and I feel incredibly rude. So new rule, don't check until I have the time to respond.

Those are my goals.. Simple and doable!

2011 - in review

2012-01-02T23:24:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! I hope 2012 is treating you well so far.

Year in review posts are some of my favorite to read.. so I decided to join in before it was too late. Just one picture from each month.

january. we moved from georgia to washington state, and i finally got to meet my newborn nephew.

february. my sister and i took a trip to seattle to visit my cousin. i house hunted, i job hunted. and i got an iphone.

march. i saw josh for the first time in 2 months. i thrifted almost every day and got a job doing hair.

april. i dyed my hair pink and loved it. worked WAY too many hours and missed josh a whole lot.

may. josh came home for a couple months and we went on tons of dates to make up for the first half of the year.

june. i took josh to forest park for the first time and also (unsuccessfully), tried to get him to drink a cappuccino at stumptown. and best of all, i quit my job that was draining the life out of me!

july. we went berry picking. i announced my new job! and i became a red head

august. my dress line launched.. and i juiced a lot!

september. josh was back home after another 2 months and we squeezed every last ounce out of summer. we visited pretty places and swam a lot.

october. we went to europe and had a blast getting lost everywhere we went and learning to adapt to a different culture.

november. we were still in europe. we celebrated our 4 year anniversary and i also celebrated my birthday!

december. we did just about every christmasy thing you possibly could and ate way too many cookies and treats. I got the surprise of a life time on christmas morning when I opened up my dream camera from my husband... (more on that soon!)

2011 was truly great! The beginning of so many wonderful things.. but I have a feeling 2012 might be even better.

the camera purse update

2011-12-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

So THIS is definitely one of the more popular posts that gets visited on this space of mine everyday. And I suppose for good reason, this camera purse has been a lifesaver for a year now! I've had quite a few people email me and ask for help in making theirs.. and most of the confusion seemed to come from not seeing the inserts out of the purse. So i thought i should make it a little more thorough and add a few new pictures to the post.

To see the full instructions, head on over to the original post.

p.s. This has held up surprisingly well.. i've been using it for exactly a year now. I use it daily and have also taken it on MANY trips and its still in great condition.. no wear on the padding, no tears or anything. easily one of the most useful and fun projects i've done!

one last advent date..

2011-12-23T23:54:00.000-08:00

We put a starbucks giftcard to good use and decided on one last advent calendar date for the season. I had already had coffee so I got a peppermint hot chocolate which pretty much tastes like a melted peppermint patty.. not bad! I was also hoping for a cakepop but they were sold out!

Farewell advent calendar activities.. till next year!

--Merry Christmas eve!--

peanut butter kiss cookies

2011-12-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure you don't need another baked good recipe at this point in the season but these are one of my favorite sweets in the entire world and they happen to be easier than the rest too. So I'm giving it you to anyway.

There has been no shortage of sweets in our house these days.. and cinnamon rolls, cake pops, marshmallows, toffee and dulce de leche are still on the agenda before the weekend. Maybe it'll all balance out with the amount of brussel sprouts we're eating! (maybe?)

Peanut butter kiss cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar (i used half brown, half white)

1 egg

about 18 kisses

Combine peanut butter, sugar and egg.

Shape into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Press a kiss into the center of each cookie until edges crinkle.

I told you! So ridiculously easy..

p.s. josh decided to join the cookie photo shoot. nice pose!

christmas everywhere.

2011-12-19T23:47:00.000-08:00

And we're less than a week away now! I hope your days are full of tons of christmasy activities this week.. I know ours is packed to the brim.
p.s. isn't peacock lane magical?

Library totes now available!

2011-12-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

I've added a tote bag to my shop! These babies are adorable and heavy duty. Definitely my new favorite carry-all! I currently have the 4 prints you see above listed and more colors will be added in the near future. I've been obsessed over chevron prints so it was only a matter of time before something chevron made it to the shop.

Check them out here

p.s. I'm working on adding a few more accessories, and a few new dress designs to the shop before the new year.

DIY Terrarium ornaments

2011-12-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hello! I just want to pop in real quick to let you know that I'm guest posting over on the lovely Sunshine and Carousels blog. I was so happy to be able to contribute to the Making Christmas series. I made the easiest ever terrarium ornament. Last minute gift idea? I think so! Take a peek!

DIY Terrarium ornament

sunny winter days

2011-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty spoiled for the past couple weeks with perfect weather. Blue skies, sun and freezing cold temperatures. It makes for some amazing walks around the neighborhood with this cute husband of mine.

We've been trying to take plenty of pictures this season, since it seems to fly by so quickly. But somehow they quickly turn into floating jump pictures..

p.s. these shoes are my favorite thrift find this year. sometimes goodwill has a gem!

hope you're weekend is relaxing!

crazy week ahead!

2011-12-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's been a whirl wind of fabric and post office trips around here trying to get all of the Christmas orders out. I thought these dresses looked pretty hanging next to each other so I snapped some photos before I finished and sent them on their way. I'm aiming to be completely caught up by Thursday then it's a (much needed) 3 day weekend for me..!

Hope you're week is lovely!

a favorite tradition: advent calendar

2011-12-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was December 1st which meant putting up and starting our advent calendar. It's easily one of our favorite christmas traditions, i almost wish we could keep it up all year. We take turns each day filling the envelope with a special christmasy date or activity, and the occasional small gift. I made a new one this year and I love it.. Simple and easy! It's definitely not too late to make one, even a 20 day calendar is better than none. i cannot stress enough how fun it is.. do it!

December, please go by slowly.

ordering for christmas?

2011-11-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day to order a dress from the shop if you're wanting it before Christmas!
If you have any questions, be sure to email me: vanillaandlace@gmail.com

E

birthday

2011-11-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

My birthday was Monday and a few years ago we started a new birthday/Christmas tradition where we get out our tree and officially begin the Christmas season by decorating the house, drinking hot cocoa and blasting the Christmas music! Its always only a couple days before Thanksgiving, and I like getting a head start on it! This year we have a white tree (thank you christmas clearance!) and decorated it with all vintage glass balls. After decorating we took a walk around our (still very fall-ish) neighborhood.. and later went out to dinner with the whole family. It was perfect!

paris at night

2011-11-12T03:34:00.000-08:00

Paris, after all my travels you still remain the most magical city i've ever been to.

4 years

2011-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

No words can describe how incredible the past four years have been. what a blessing to be married to your best friend..

Happy anniversary Josh!

(photos by the lovely and talented Sara Renee)

south germany

2011-11-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

we spent a few days off out in the middle of nowhere in south germany. it was some of the prettiest views i've seen in my entire life. These pictures don't do it justice. I'd say fall is definitely the best time to visit places like this.

Berlin

2011-11-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

Berlin was by far the best city we visited in Germany. A local friend showed us around the city to all the neat historical places and directed us through the public transportation. We got coffee at a cute little place called Caras and walked around the big mall across the street, where i passed on the cutest orla kiely notebook, which i now strongly regret! (Why did i do that??)

(holocaust memorial)

The netherlands

2011-10-31T04:35:00.000-07:00

Bielfeld, DE

2011-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

{wifi hasn't been steady so i'll be posting when i can but probably not as often as i thought i would be}

Bielefeld was gorgeous, as you can see. We went to Sparrenberg castle which was absolutely amazing. And also walked around downtown a bit. It was nice to have some locals with us who could translate and tell us more about what we were seeing.

We've been having a blast so far. Driving is a little bit crazy for us since the roads are TINY and our vehicle is ginormous (and we can't read street signs) but it makes for some good stories!

Off to Berlin today!

last week

2011-10-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hello!
The last couple weeks have been crazy busy, hence the lack of posting. I spent all last working a crazy amount of hours to finish up dress orders before we left for Georgia saturday morning.. which made for a stressful friday night packing which involved a lost passport and tears.. (it all worked out!) Then we spent saturday-tuesday hanging out in Georgia with friends and family! Vanessa and I drank pumpkin coffee, talked a whole lot, ran around downtown savannah in the rain, gave ourselves glitter manicures. It was awesome!

We're in germany now and it's been quite an adventure, as it always is in a country where you can't read or understand anything! I'll have some pictures from today up soon!

. . .

2011-10-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know today is the last day to order something from the shop and have it shipped before I leave for a month.

I'll continue to take orders while i'm gone but items won't be shipped until late november.

If you're wanting something soon, be sure to buy before midnight tonight!

ramblings

2011-09-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

It is officially feeling like fall. The days are pretty gloomy and gray, which is my favorite. Josh and I have been pretty busy, taking breaks between 10 hour self-employed days to hang out with friends (and family!), hang out at church, and also watching a few episodes of friends daily.
To be honest, I feel like i'm still trying to find my niche as my own boss... sometimes i'm at it from the time i wake up until 11pm, with a few breaks to shove food down my throat.. and other times i feel like it takes me 6 hours just to return emails in between the sink full of dishes and laundry. i love both kinds of days, but i'm trying to find the balance in the two. Either way, i go to bed every night thanking God i GET to be this busy doing something i love.. it's truly something i'll never take for granted. Blessed is only one way to put it.

on a completely different note:
-have i mentioned how excited i am to be going to europe for a month, we'll have our 4th anniversary while were there.. unfortunately we'll probably be spending said anniversary in a van with our best guy friends but hey, we'll be in europe!
-i've been listening to this and this and this constantly.. you should too!
-i think i need to make caramel apples and caramel raspberries. its on my list for next week.

and last but not least, i had the chance to take some newborn photos for a friend. only 4 days old! isn't he so sweet?

farewell summer

2011-09-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of summer, although this year the weather was very mild (except for a few 90 degree days here and there) and the long days are a treat.
It's also a pretty good excuse to wear your favorite swim suit and eat popsicles all the time. I guess it's not so bad after all..!

(film scans from an underwater disposable we had)

It was a great summer but i'm more than ready for fall!

ads available

2011-09-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!
Just wanted to stop in real quick and let you know I have some sponsor ads available for the month of October. October will be a busy month of posting for me, with the recent shop update and the last half being spent traveling around europe (!!!).
$15 will get you an ad for the entire month of October. For more info and specifics, please visit my sponsor page. And if you have any questions, feel free to email me. (vanillaandlace@gmail.com )

shop update!

2011-09-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

The new items are now up for sale in the shop!

All of the above are available in these prints and solids:

I also styled the float away dress for fall.
(Oh! and this sail boat fabric is being discontinued so these will only be up for sale a little while longer. If you want one, scoop it up while you can.)

Visit the shop here: www.vanillaandlace.com

late.

2011-09-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

I was planning on adding the 4 new pieces to the shop yesterday (friday) but I was running out of time and didn't want to rush it, so i'm postponing it to Monday, Sep. 19.

In other news, we purchased tickets for our trip to europe today. We'll be there almost 4 weeks.. and we're leaving in a month. im SO excited..

Dougan Falls

2011-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last friday Josh and I forced ourselves to have the day off (turns out when you love what you do, you never want to stop doing it). I'd been waiting to go to the washougal river all summer so Josh could come and it just so happened there was a heat wave last week. It was perfect! The water is extremely cold, but that didn't stop us from swimming across the way so we could climb the rocks for a better view of the falls. It is SUCH a gorgeous spot. We packed a lunch, read our books, watched dogs (and people) endlessly jump into the water and fully soaked up the last bits of summer. I remembered my camera but not the memory card. I hate when that happens! But iphones saved the day.

and this was at cape horn, a lookout on the drive home.

the Lydia cut-out dress

2011-09-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

This dress design was one I originally planned to have out with the first two but I needed to iron out a few things to get it just right. And I'm REALLY happy with the result.
This will be available in any of the fall prints, and also in a large variety of solid colors. So if stripes aren't your thing, keep your eyes peeled.

I have 2 more designs to show you then they'll all be up for sale in the shop on Friday!

The rosemary blouse

2011-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

This is new item number one. The rosemary blouse in mustard dot and fall floral.
It has a very flattering fit and looks great on its own or tucked into a high-waist skirt/shorts. Also features pleats at the top of the sleeve and a back keyhole closure.

I should probably be ashamed to admit this but it's my wardrobe staple at the moment. I call it free advertising!

More previews coming this weekend!

coming soon!

2011-09-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!

I hope you're enjoying your long weekend!

I have been working on some new designs that will be hitting the shop next week.
I'm VERY excited about expanding, especially with some gorgeous new fabric.
And I wanted to show you a preview!

These are the rough sketches.. I'll be previewing the actual products all this week!

And some of the new fall-inspired fabric!

more details coming this week!

P.s. if you haven't had the chance to peak at what I already have for sale, head on over!

tuesday in black and white

2011-08-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

today was a wonderful, productive, awesome day.

Now accepting: Sponsors!

2011-08-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I'm super excited to announce that i'll be accepting sponsors starting in September! I've been debating about doing it for awhile and decided now would be a great time to do so. My readership has grown tremendously, i'm super blessed and blown away each and every day i look at my stats. I would love to support small businesses and independent artists and bloggers by sending my readers their way.

I have a blog make-over in the works that will debut with the sponsors. And also a few new nifty features, including I ♥ Portland, where i'll be featuring my favorite places here, some long time favorites, some brand new to me.

This is a great time to be sponsoring as i've had a surge in people visiting due to my dress line debut. Exciting!

I'm offering one size for now and if you'd like more info, please visit the sponsor page here

juice. juice. juice.

2011-08-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've been a juicing machine this summer.. atleast 5-6 days a week, sometimes twice a day. Throwing anything I can think of in there. These are some of my favorite combos.. (aka ones i make over and over and over). I'm always on the prowl for interesting combos so if you have any, please share! (A friend recommended juicing a sweet potato with fruit and adding cinnamon, apparently its creamy. I'm excited to try that one)

Apple Basil Cucumber

2 apples
half of an english cucumber
handful of basil leaves
1/2 lemon

Kale pineapple
1.5 cups fresh pineapple
lots of kale (by taste)

Spinach apple cucumber
2 apples
1/3 of an english cucumber
large handful of spinach
1 lemon

Carrot apple ginger
2 apples
5-6 carrots
1 inch piece of ginger

This is THE best juice ever. In fact, its one of the best things i've ever tasted.. SO creamy.
Nectarine Raspberry
2 nectarines
1 cup raspberries

(Don't throw the pulp away on this one.. scoop it into a bowl and freeze it. Then thank me later. p.s. i cant take credit for this tip. thank you kim!)

i could drink fresh juice all day long. there will be more!

weekend links

2011-08-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

(todays loot from the farmers market)

Some links to keep you busy tonight.

I love these free printables. The flashcards are amazing!

Ruby Ellen always throws the best parties for her girls.

I need to make this woodsy candle holder asap.

loooove this DIY chevron picnic blanket.

this quote is my daily mantra

diy bunting tablecloth.

and last, i'm making this and this to bring to a birthday party tonight.

around the house

2011-08-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

(some shots from around the house the past couple weeks)

1. raspberry peach crisp 2. kitchen table 3. a sweet letter from our sponsor child 4. inside our disorganized cupboard 5. the top of the dresser 6. cake making 7. grocery list 8. room temp butter

I spent my friday watching my little nephew, putting some finishing touches on a dress order, organizing the kitchen, and catching up on some online work. Tonight i'll be working on sewing a few new dress protypes and packaging up some orders.
and i think i'll celebrate this being the last weekend i'm home alone with an oven s'more or two.

summer

2011-08-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

a little list of what i am incredibly thankful for and happy about.

-my church
-pursuing my dreams AND having them be successful
-game nights with friends
-lots of laughs with family
-discovering tons of new music on spotify
-gorgeous weather

just missing one major thing... and he'll be home in ten days!

what are you thankful for today?

restyled lace top

2011-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all the sewing thats been going on around here lately, I've been trying to squeeze in at least one project a week that is for me (or the house, a friend, ect). I have a ginormous pile of clothes that i've thrifted that could use some sewing magic, pillows that are in need of new covers.. and the list goes on. Those are the projects where I feel like I can unwind at the machine (it doesn't have to be as perfect as the dress I know someone ELSE will be wearing).

This was just a VERY large and old lace top I found at a thrift store for a $1. I took in the sides, took in the sleeves and also shortened the sleeves. It took less than 10 minutes. And now I love it.
Every time I wear it atleast one stranger has asked where I got it.. Nice!

and my favorite way to wear it is with a pair of high-waisted shorts i have.

Hope this inspires someone to make something awesome out of something that was previously unwearable.

huge sidenote: I am in absolute awe of the response to the dresses. Whether you bought one or told your friends about it or gave me a compliment on them, I appreciate it more than I could ever express on here. I am still up in the clouds!

the dresses

2011-08-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

... are up for sale now!

go to vanillaandlace.com if you'd like one!

There is a limited number finished in each size. After those are sold out, they will be made to order as time allows.

Lucy Pevensie - Navy

Float away

(my apologies for the wrinkles, it was quite a hike to this location)

cold-brewed iced coffee

2011-07-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

have you ever cold brewed coffee? No? Then your time has come. I absolutely love it. It's less bitter, has much less acidity (which is great for my often troublesome stomach) and the background flavors come through more than other brewing methods.. All around, it is one of my favorite ways to drink coffee. Especially this time of year. Bonus: it couldn't be any easier to make!

Cold-Brewed Ice Coffee

2/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 3 cups water. Cover and let rest in refrigerator overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Or press through a french press.

In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk

P.S. the coffee concentrate is great for adding to recipes. I added 1/4 cup to this recipe and it is SO GOOD. Not a strong coffee taste but you can definitely tell its there.

thank you.

2011-07-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

First, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all the kind words regarding my dresses, and my decision in general. They all made my day. I was in the clouds. I can't wait to get the first run done and modeled and up on the website. Hoping to have them out august 1!

And second, since its been awhile, here's life lately through instagrams.

i've been juicing everyday. a post of my favorites coming soon

last week/this week has been pretty grey and rainy.. and also pretty cold. (definitely not complaining)

listening to tons of music on spotify. i'm obsessed. (this is my favorite sigur ros song)

espresso shortbread and tea from a new favorite spot.

sewing snacks. and lots of collars in the making.

red on ring finger.

scarf turban for a dirty hair day. (thanks jessie!)

Hope you're weekend is amazing!

Introducing..

2011-07-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I think its about time I show you what has been taking up the majority of my day, every day.

and voila!

If you follow me on twitter, you probably already knew this. (See? You should follow me on twitter!)

A little over a month ago I quit my job as hair stylist (sometimes it takes working in a field you thought you'd love to realize you, in fact, despise it). And after months (or years!) dreaming about how I someday wanted to design my own dresses and make them and sell them, I realized the only thing holding me back was fear. So after much encouragement from my husband, I decided to take the leap of faith and just do it! For the past month I have been working my TAIL off, sketching and designing and drafting and cutting and stitching for hours and hours. There have been days where I was jumping and dancing through the house after finishing a dress and there were days where i felt like I made the biggest mistake of my life (in reality, i was probably just tired). I don't know how long I'll be doing this or where it'll take me but I do know that wherever it does take me, i'll be so happy i took a step of faith and just did it!

I'm hoping to have the collection out in 2 weeks! And I will definitely keep posting more news as it happens.

Oh, and here's a preview of what you might find in the first batch of dresses.
(think 50/60s inspired)

what i ate - 7/7/11

2011-07-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Breakfast - Trader joe bran flakes, almond milk, fresh strawberries

Lunch - Chickpea wrap with baby spinach and arugula

Snack - Kiwi-apple-lemon juice

Dinner- Salad with cucumber, tomato, avocado, and fresh mozzarella
(bad lighting.. ew)

strawberry picking

2011-07-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I convinced Josh to go strawberry picking with me. You absolutely cannot beat the taste of fresh berries right off the plant. We had a blast and "taste tested" quite a bit along the way. I think we ended up picking 7 pounds.. which means i had plenty to put in the freezer.

Tell me these aren't the most perfect looking berries you've ever seen!
(which is why i couldnt stop taking pictures of them)

red head

2011-07-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

So I finally did what I planned on doing months ago.
I wanted to do pink again but that would've involved a blonde touch up.. so I just went for red.
It feels nice to have some dimension in my hair and for the ends to be soft.
(and bonus! red brings out blue eyes and pale skin {I guess if i wear a blue dress i'll be looking pretty festive for the 4th.})

Hope you all are having a wonderful friday. I've been working my tail off on a new project I'll be sharing about VERY soon. I cannot wait..

crepes and crepes and crepes

2011-06-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

I went a little crepe happy the past few weeks. My love for them was reignited by the cutest little crepe and coffee shop we discovered down the road from us.. a favorite date spot now.
Here is a super easy recipe to make your own. You'll be hooked too.

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Stir down and repeat, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (I always skip this though, since i'm impatient)
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, spray the pan with oil, lift the pan from the heat and pour in 1/4 cup of the batter, tilting and totating the pan to coat the surface. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minute. Loosen the edge with a spatula and flip the crepe over using your fingers, then cook the other side for about 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter, coating the pan with oil each time.

Top with anything you want! My favorites are nutella and strawberries.

may/june in instagrams

2011-06-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite memories of may and june as told through instagrams.
Some of the happiest times in my life right here!

date

2011-06-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

a gorgeous hike through macleay park.

(we felt the need to jump in the doorway. and apparently make scary faces while doing so)

it was SUCH a nice day.
i suggest you go there, pack a lunch and make it a date.

iphone apps i love

2011-06-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

I love me a useful iphone app (i'm not into games or fart apps or whatever else there is out there) and I also love when I see blog posts about peoples favorite apps because I always discover new ones. I made a list of mine, I hope you find them useful! (These are all free, by the way.. i'm a tightwad)

sidenote: Most of these apps are probably made for droid as well, do a little search and see what you can find.

MobileRSS - A great app you can sync your google reader too. This is helpful for slow days at work.. or anywhere you feel the need to catch up on your blog reading.

Tumblr gear - If you're into tumblr, this is by far the best app for browsing through posts. It loads super quick and also makes it easy to "like" and "reblog".

Sparkpeople - This is SUCH (!!) a great one. I think i'm long overdue for a lengthy post about my love for sparkpeople in general. Many people use it to lose weight (very successfully too) but I use this to track my food intake to make sure i'm getting enough protein/fats/ect. You can ANY food and also add entire recipes to see how many calories/fat/protein/vitamins in is each serving. That's just the beginning. I love sparkpeople.. and having it wherever you go is very convenient.

Craiglist - Pretty self-explanatory. I found my couch and bed while waiting in line somewhere.. hows that for convenient.

Yard sale mapper - This app takes all the garage sale listings from craigslist and puts them on a map. Makes it so easy to map out your route and get directions to each one. (You can also view the craigslist listing to see what they were advertising..)

ThriftBuddy - A thrift store mapper that finds any/all thrift stores near your location. Perfect if you're traveling..

PuddingCamera - Another awesome free photo app. It's mostly in korean but still pretty easy to use. You can choose different films and cameras... endless fun.

Fooducate - You can use this app to help read ingredient lists and nutrition labels on food. It tells you other words used for MSG, preservatives, ect.. and if its bad, it shows you a better option for the same type of food. Confusing? Try it out, it'll make more sense.

Pinterest - So glad they made an iphone app! This is just as addicting as the website.

Firefox home - This gives you access to your desktop history, bookmarks and open
tabs on your iPhone. If you're like me and have about a million websites bookmarked on your computer but not on your phone, this one is for you. I love being able to bookmark a recipe on my computer and pull it up on my phone at someone elses house later on..

MapMyRun - By far one of my most favorites.. this makes running so easy (well.. not literally). It tracks your pace, distance, and route using GPS, which makes it easy to hit your goals. I LOVE it.

Some basic ones i use all the time are: twitter, urbanspoon, yelp, pandora, paypal, netflix, and Skype.

And since i'm always looking for new ones, What are your top 3 favorite apps?

stumptown

2011-06-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

(oh yeah! i cut 5 inches off my hair a couple weeks ago..)

Lately, Josh has been showing interest in coffee and has all kinds of questions for connoisseurs. The only way he likes it is FULL of sugar and milk (i'm talking disgustingly sweet). But since we're in an area of the world the takes coffee very seriously we thought it'd be the perfect time to introduce him to good coffee. I like my coffee black and strong so I didn't really know where to start with him. So while we were out and about, we stopped by stumptown and I ordered him a cappuccino. And well, this is how it went...

I guess we started off too strong. I think next time we'll go with a french press with some milk and a LITTLE sugar. I'll keep you updated on the process... ha!

Peanut butter pretzel bites

2011-06-01T23:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had those chocolate covered peanut butter pretzel things from trader joes? If you have, i'm sure you, like myself, had to practice MUCH self-control to prevent yourself from eating the entire bag in one sitting. They are SERIOUSLY addicting. (Josh and I will occasionally eat them as a pre-run snack.. not ideal i know)
Well anyway, I wanted to try and make them myself (as i always do..). And about 15 minutes later, i had big bowl of them in my freezer. These are super easy to make, and it'd be a fun one to make with kids.

Peanut butter pretzel bites

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tbsp softened earth balance (or butter)

1/4 cup powdered sugar (use more if you like things especially sweet)

1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP brown sugar

Pretzels

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter and earth balance in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer. Add the sugars and mix to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go. Refrigerate to firm up, if needed.

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Melt the chocolate chips. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. Return to the tray and repeat with remaining sandwiches. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

instagram love

2011-05-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

I need to express my instagram love for a second here. I'm totally smitten with it.
(sidenote: I'm rounding up my favorite iphone apps for a different post but i thought instagram deserved its own.)
At first, I just used it to take photos and put fun filters on them but then I realized the whole social networking part of it is the most fun. It's like twitter with photos. An exclusive little iphone community!

Not to mention, the filters are the best of any iphone camera app i've used so far. And the tilt shift feature is really fun to play with.

The best part, its free. Need I say more??

If you don't have instagram, get it! And if you do, come find me and lets be instagram friends. My username is vanillaandlace.

yesterday was my favorite day in a long time

2011-05-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

The sun was shining.
We browsed around powells.
Ate at the foodcarts on 10th and alder.
ate a doughnut.
relaxed at home on the couch.
took a long walk around our neighborhood.
all while having long talks about the past and the future
it was pretty perfect..

bbq sandwich for him

spinach and pesto crepe for me.

oreo doughnut. maybe overkill... or maybe the best doughnut ever.

this is my favorite house in our neighborhood. i want to live in it.

from last week

2011-05-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

1. breakfast - greek yogurt with granola
2. his favorite spot in the house
3. afternoon lounging
4. kale chips in the making
5. lunch - quinoa, feta, asparagus, kale chips
6. left-over wings = messy husband
7. sweet baby calvin. (he's growing too fast)

soda dates

2011-05-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

Josh and i discovered a soda place a few blocks down from our house that has become one of our favorite simple date places. (sidenote: we've been going on lots of fun dates lately, making up for lost time!) Now I'm not a soda drinker in terms of regular soda (ie: coke, sprite, ect) but i love me a specialty soda, made with cane sugar and natural flavors like juice (what a concept!). One of my favorites is Dry soda, i LOVE the lavender one. The one below was lemongrass and it was also great.

We went again yesterday and i got Thomas kemper bumble berry, with hints of honey and vanilla.. SO GOOD!

josh has been working his way through all the different orange cream sodas. (..boring)

p.s. have i mentioned how awesome it is to have him home.. i'm on cloud 9 all the time.

a few things...

2011-05-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Just dropping in to say hello!

I am proud to say our little house is finally organized and everything is in its place. I wanted to be done by the time josh got here and I really pushed it to the deadline (he'll be here tomorrow!).
I'm still in the process of decorating and making it home (it takes time and i'm okay with that) but what a huge sigh of relief that there's not piles in every corner.

Also, I'm putting together a little couponing post. I'm kind of addicted to it right now and i wanted to share some of the awesome deals i've got and show you its not just getting 500 candy bars and bottles of ketchup for free every month. So that'll be up soon!

Hope all you mothers had a happy mothers day!

healthier banana bread

2011-04-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

I had a huge banana bread craving for the past few weeks but since i was "off" sugar i thought i should wait to make it. Well, last week I had bananas begging to be used and I figured I could sub something natural for the sugar so thats what I did! This is the first thing i've baked in the new house.. actually, i think it's the first thing i've baked since i moved (January). crazy...

(the muffin pan and liners are from ikea. they make the cutest tall and skinny muffins)

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 - 1 cup honey (or agave... or sugar)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F With a wooden spoon, mix oil into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the honey, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into oiled muffin pan (or loaf pan if making a loaf). Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, (if baking a loaf about 1 hour). Cool on a rack.

spring

2011-04-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

There has been some really amazing spring days here lately... (don't be fooled, they are few and far between.. it's mostly grey and drizzly) I try to take advantage of the sunshine whenever possible and take strolls around the neighborhood and one day i walked to the cute ice cream shop a few blocks down and had a couple scoops by myself.. (have i mentioned i'm ready for josh to be home..getting ice cream by yourself is pretty depressing!)

The house is finally completely unpacked.. and mostly organized. I even managed to get a few of the DIY's done last week. Now I'm just focusing on getting it decorated and feeling homey. I'm pretty much starting from scratch as far as decor so it'll be awhile before it really is done they way i want.. but it'll get there! I actually bought rachels style your space e-course and it has been worth every penny. So much useful info in there! I'd highly recommend it if you want a cute space but don't quite know how to pull it all together.

p.s. josh will be here in two weeks. countdown is on!

cupcake head

2011-04-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

Going baby pink all over is something i've been wanting to do for awhile with my hair. I've secretly been stashing pictures from the internet of gals that have done it (or wigs) and i rediscovered them about a month ago and decided since I'm planning on going dark the beginning of May I thought I might as well go for the pink while i have the plain palette. So here it is. I'll probably be keeping it for a couple weeks... just in time for easter, yeah? It's fun to have. Little girls everywhere want to talk to me now.

I took these pictures yesterday right before heading out to lunch with chelsea and another lovely (blog-less) lady. We ate at blossoming lotus, then after talking about how we should cut back on sugar, we decided nah, forget it and went to get some frozen yogurt. It was the best i've had in a long time.. red velvet mixed with peanut butter with lots of mochi of course. Then we shopped around at some local vintage shops. Pretty perfect afternoon, yes?

breakfast

2011-04-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot stop eating these two things for breakfast (not at the same time..eww)

breakfast number 1: greek yogurt, walnuts, sprinkle of chocolate chips (okay, those aren't the healthiest but it doesn't hurt.) My sister turned me on to this yogurt combo and its to die for.

breakfast number 2: toast, sunflower seed butter, banana.
sunflower seed butter is one of my favorite things in the world right now.. i eat it daily and go through a jar a month. its like peanut butter but way better somehow.

p.s.

i finally did something i've been dying to do forever. more pictures soon..

new home

2011-04-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

i FINALLY got internet at the new place... hooray!

it's crazy how much i've missed blogging on a regular basis.. but i'm so so happy to be in my own place with all my own stuff.. making meals and feeling normal again! I'm still working on getting everything unpacked and set-up and decorated.. but since i've been working 50 hour weeks the past few weeks i haven't had much time to do so. i'm going down to 32 hours from here on out (50 is way too much! holy cow, i'm tired) so i can finally catch up on everything i've been behind on and get into a better routine as far as spacing out free time for my hobbies. yay!
so expect to see lots of stuff soon, as i feel the need to make up for lost time.

some photos from the last week..

daily (and giveaway winner..)

2011-03-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

Happy monday! I'm here yet again with another phone photo dump of anything/everything i've been up to. I've been super busy with work and other things, which (as i was telling josh tonight) has made me feel like i'm behind on LIFE. I haven't even been grocery shopping in a few weeks! One thing i have done is found a little house to rent.. i've been apartment/house/anything hunting the past few weeks, and it was pure torture.. (i'd rather do anything else in the world). But I finally found us a cute (tiny) little house in an area i loved and we'll be moving in wednesday (hopefully!). It'll be so nice to have all my stuff in one place and feel somewhat normal again. So if you've stuck around in these past few months of nonsense posting, i appreciate it.. and i'll be back to a regular posting schedule soon with lots of craftiness and food and REAL pictures.

a delicious combo

a new thrifted coat

a kitty yawn

kombucha drinkin'

peach tea drinkin'

i found this anna sui for anthropologie dress at a thrift store last week for $2. i hear it was originally $300-400?? crazy find!

thrifting..

i love technology!

at work..

lunch... my healthy choices amaze me lately.

today I got to "model" vintage clothes for Anja's etsy shop. It was super fun.. she's awesome.

and lastly, tonight i officially started to be a couponer. like those crazy ladies you seen on tv that get $150 worth of groceries for $8.. that's going to be me soon. I'll keep you updated on how thats going.. haha

--------------------------------------------------------
The winner of the Tea collection giveaway is Sarah and how fitting since she is pregnant with twins!

Sarah, i'll email you with the info to get in touch with Tea to claim your prize!

-------------------------------------------------------

Hope you all have a great week!

2011-03-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I'm guest blogging again for the spring fling! Hop on over to sunshine and carousels for a healthy juice recipe to welcome spring. This is my favorite juice recipe so far... (i love juicing!)

While you're there, be sure to check out the rest of the spring fling posts. Thanks again Erin for inviting me to be a part of it!

4 days with josh (image heavy!)

2011-03-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

i had an amazing (but way too short) time with josh when he was in town for 4 days last week. we were so busy.. which probably made it fly by even faster. i haven't touched my real camera in weeks.. but i took about 50 pictures on my phone. here are a few:

friday:

i worked for a few hours in the morning, then a few of us went to lunch then headed to portland to get ready for the show that night. we ate loads of gummy bears and tried to toss them up in the air and catch them in our mouths. i laughed harder than i have in a long time.. it was hilarious. and i fell down while trying to catch one. so graceful. (i also couldn't get over the 20+ boxes of debbie cakes in the van...)

saturday: i had to work again in the morning. as soon as i got off, i hopped in the van and we took off for seattle. vanessa and i "head banged" to songs in the van.. (hello sore necks!). and after the show we all danced like crazy to andrew w. k. songs while packing everything up. (video of that to come!)

sunday:
we went to red robin for patricks birthday, went to a mall to pass time before going to church, afterwards the guys went to a movie while vanessa and i did a rush shop job at trader joes and met with chelsea for frozen yogurt. then we went to voodoo for some birthday doughnuts and hung out until almost 4am, when they had to leave to drive to montana.

i was in heaven the entire time.. which made it a bajillion times harder to say goodbye. yes.. A BAJILLION. man alive.. is it hard!

Spring fling guest post

2011-03-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Erin from Sunshine and Carousels invited me awhile back to be a guest blogger for the Spring Fling her and Sherry are doing.. And its finally here! You can check my post about the homemade all-purpose cleaner right here! I have another one going up next week or so (which i'll remind you about). Be sure to go through the rest of the posts.. They are all really fun..

p.s. i'll be announcing the winner for the tea giveaway soon! I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to get on the computer. And being busy is so new to me, i'm having to relearn how to manage my time.

hello march..

2011-03-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hi friends..

Since its the beginning of a new month i thought i'd do a catch up/fill-you-in post.. i've been a whole lot busier since moving here (like i actually go places now.. and have things to do.. and people to hang out with.. its nice!) but the reason posting has been light around here is because i don't have hardly any of my stuff here. When i moved it was just me, our cat and a couple suitcases. So I have no ingredients to bake with (i guess i could buy some.. but i haven't) and no craft room to DIY in.. ect. so bare with me as i post about non-sense for the next few weeks/months.. until our stuff gets here.

In the mean time, this is whats new with me…

-I haven't seen josh in 6 weeks. but i'll finally get to on march 10 ..for a few days. then he'll be off again for another couple months. is this hard? extremely. but we talk/text/video chat constantly which makes it a little easier.. and also, staying busy and hanging out with friends helps.(so if you live in the area, get a hold of me.. and let hang out!)

(scary eyes)

-i got a job!! i'll be working full-time as a hair stylist starting march 14. i'm VERY excited.. answered prayers!

-we hit a snag or two in the house buying process. wont get into details but it made for a very discouraging and emotional week (last week).. thankfully, my husband stayed positive while i wallowed and it looks like everything will work out just fine again! we're just doing what we can and letting God handle the rest.. and we'll be happy with the outcome either way.

-on a lighter note, i've become obsessed with frozen yogurt with mochi. my favorite flavors are pistachio, coffee and plain tart.

-and last but not least, i should have my etsy shop open later this month. It has definitely taken me longer than expected! I'll be starting out with an apron i designed (7 colors/patterns to choose from) and a few handmade knit things.. and possibly a few vintage items (housewares, dresses) thrown in there.

and some photos from the past couple weeks..

Here's to a positive and productive month!

A wonderful giveaway

2011-02-26T00:28:00.000-08:00

Today i'm here with a little giveaway that i'm pretty excited about, from the lovely tea collection. They let me pick out a few pieces from their collection and it just so happens they have the cutest children's clothing around and i have a new nephew to wear them.

I LOOOVE the simplicity of the wrap one-pieces. The kimono-style is not only super cute but very practical. And the colors/prints they come in are super amazing.

(this picture makes me giggle every time i see it!)

(rock and roll?)

It is often hard to find cute baby boy's clothing (girls on the other hand have their pick from ANYTHING, anywhere) but tea definitely knows how to do cute boy clothes without being overly TRACTOR! and FOOTBALL! and DINOSAUR! (not that there is anything wrong with those either). Plus their girl's clothing is just so cute, i squealed while browsing.
Definitely go check out the website, even if you don't have a little one. They sell everything from baby clothes to 12 years.. and also some womens clothing. You'll probably find yourself squealing too.

And also...

Tea collection is giving one reader a $50 gift certificate to spend on whatever you please.

To enter: Leave a comment telling me your favorite movie. (simple enough!)

Spread the word!
If you blog or tweet about the giveaway, you'll be entered twice. Just be sure to leave another comment with the link.

GIVEAWAY ENDS ON MARCH 4 at 9PM

(I have one more little outfit from them to post, but i'll do that when i announce the winner)

Thank you tea collection for providing us with the clothing and hosting the giveaway!

Home wishlist

2011-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

With the house buying process progressing along just fine, I am getting more and more anxious to just be in there already.. and decorate! I keep a folder on my computer to save "home inspiration" photos in and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.. and my wishlist that goes along with them.
Mid-century design is so simple and beautiful, i love it. And its my hope to have our home reflect that.

i'd like:

1. a hutch in the kitchen/dining area like this one
(i'd take those chairs too)

2. this couch/coffee table/chair/side table

and this coffee table too.

an Eames lounge chair would be amazing

3. i'd love this bedroom set up

and this one too
(source 1) (source 2) (source 3)

...i can dream.

pictures via phone

2011-02-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

After MUCH waiting and anticipation for the iphone to come to verizon, i was finally able to pre-order my phone last week and i was pretty ecstatic when it came in tuesday. I just love it. And maybe once i'm more familiar with it i'll do a post on my favorite apps.. because there are so many helpful ones!! Anyway, one of my favorite parts is having a pretty amazing camera on me 24/7 and i've already taken full advantage of it.

This is what i've been up to this week told by phone photos (all taken with the instagram app, which is free and amazing!)

I've had a vintage table fan on my "to thrift" list for ages and one day last week as i walked to my car at my sisters apartment i spotted one next to the dumpster. it needs some cleaning but its perfect. don't you love when that happens?

this little man is getting so big. and he's starting to get really generous with his smiles.. which melts me.

dollar scoop night.

lots of orders packed for joshs webstore. new book comes out tuesday..!

kitty kisses and snuggles. being away from josh is starting to wear on me..

finally got to see blue valentine. it was good/sad/too real/heartbreaking/the best acting i've seen in a long time.

finally getting to work on the product for my etsy shoppe.. i'll let you know soon when everything will be listed!

greek yogurt with agave and pears for dinner.

energizing sunrise juice

2011-02-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Happy monday! Here's a quick, tasty and refreshing juice that will definitely perk up your monday morning and give you some energy.

1 small-medium pink grapefruit, peeled
1 small apple
3-4 small organic carrots
1/2 small lemon, peeled, de-seeded

Juice all ingredients in your juicer

I have another interview at a salon today. Wish me luck!

seattle day trip

2011-02-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

I got to spend thursday in seattle with my sister and cousin, mostly window shopping and eating. (Afterward I went into a sugar coma.. you'll see why) I like seattle a whole lot and its super nice living close enough to visit often! Though i'm still a bit distraught they no longer have one of my favorite places there anymore.

the gum wall. super pretty from far away.. super gross close up

caprese sandwich from DeLaurenti

browsing and sampling pikes best produce.

doughnuts at top pot

salted caramel cupcake from cupcake royale. it was the best thing i've ever tasted.. i would highly recommend getting it as soon as possible. and share with someone because it is WAY rich.

I worked out with my mom's personal trainer the next morning and i definitely felt the effects (i was weak and headachey) from eating SO MUCH sugar. but its fun to splurge in a big way every now and then.

Hope you're having a great weekend so far.

WHAT I ATE - FEB 1

2011-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

breakfast - sprouted wheat flax bread with coconut oil and black tea

mid-morning snack - beet-apple-carrot juice

You'll need: 1 large beet (size of baseball)
1 apple
2 carrots

Juice away.
(word of warning: your entire mouth will be bright pink/red)

lunch - brown rice bowl with black beans, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, and homemade yumm sauce. with a side of brussel sprouts

dinner - spinach wrap with hummus, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, brown rice and avocado.

not pictured:
afternoon snack - chips and salsa
post-run snack: 1/4 cup walnuts

it was all so delicious!

my favorite snack plus links

2011-01-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

Brussel sprouts are definitely my favorite vegetable. i love them so much there are often days i'd choose them over ice cream. I eat them as mid-day snack or as a side with lunch or dinner. And this is my favorite way to prepare them.

Chop the ends off one pound of brussel sprouts and cut in half
Add to pot, along with 1/2 cup water and a pinch of salt. put a lid on and cook on high for five minutes, stirring after a couple minutes.
Divide among bowls and top with a smidge of earth balance (or butter), pepper and a handful of bread crumbs.

sooo delicious.

Links from around the web:

Did you know you can roast your own coffee with a popcorn popper?

I love this DIY chevron rug.

This vegetable lasagna with butternut bechamel looks divine.

I scored one of these juicers off craigslist for $40. A serious deal!!

This pantry makeover is amazing.

and last but not least, I signed up for my first race!! I'm doing a 15k in the shamrock run. If you live in the area, you should do it too! You can choose a 5k, 8k or 15k. I couldn't be more excited..

Hope you have a great weekend!

blessed.

2011-01-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

Wow, this week has flown by but its been a good one. I've got to catch up with old friends, i got my old car back (so thankful for that!!), i had an interview at an amazing salon this morning, i've been thrifting my little butt off and tomorrow i'm meeting with the realtor to look at the house we've had an offer on since november (short sale.... long, annoying process). I've been super anxious to see it in person and i'm praying my little heart out that our offer goes through. I'm trying not to get overly excited about it just in case somehow it all falls through, but its really hard to not envision how it will be set up with our stuff and go over every detail in my head.

Anyway, here is some of the loot i got from estate sales, garage sales and thrift stores this week. Some for me, some to sell...

I got the september issue of glamour magazine from 1965.. i'll probably be framing a few of the ads.

And while i'm at it, i might as well sneak in this picture of my nephew from a couple days ago.

I'll be back this weekend with a "links" post. Happy friday!

adjusting

2011-01-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

And just like that, we're moved! well.. josh isn't here yet and won't be for awhile because of touring.. but mosey (kitty) and i are moved.

and despite being in a carrier for about 15 hours, he did well and stayed calm.

I've had a busy first few days here, and next week i'll get my car back so i can actively job hunt and start checking things off my abnormally long to-do list. For now, i'm mostly making up for lost time with this little one..

and eating delicious food like this, from chucks produce
p.s. that lavender soda was too die for

music video + weekend links

2011-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

i've been meaning to post this music video from josh's band..

And just for fun!! some links from around the web that i love:

I've been wanting a juicer. This is making it worse

I'd love to try this custom color chalkboard paint in our new place.

A fun wreath for the tea-obsessed like myself

i cant get enough of this band lately. their new EP's are amazing.

i love this video tutorial for a ruffle cake

i've been enjoying sheena's fun posts about her road to healthy eating.

finally, have i mentioned i have a tumblr? its like my online hard drive of pictures i find inspiring (and some silly nonsense from time to time)

packing and packing and sorbet

2011-01-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

I've been spending the better part of every day surrounded by boxes. Packing is overwhelming! It makes the home look very unorganized and i have a hard time functioning in a place that isn't organized.. so i find myself walking in circles a lot. I'm almost finished though! It's looking pretty empty, especially since we sold our couch, coffee table and dining table. Yay for craigslist.

We've been eating some pretty weird combinations of food as a result of trying to use up what food we have. But one thing I wish I had more of is this meyer lemon sorbet. I've been on a (refined) sugar fast since the beginning of the year and surprisingly i haven't had any terrible cravings for it. As i was trying to figure out what i wanted to do with a bag of meyer lemons, i came across this sorbet recipe. I gave it a shot and used agave in place of sugar. It was most delicious!! And I promise you there is no difference in taste and texture as far as the agave vs. white sugar. If you're trying to steer clear of refined sugar, give this a go.

Meyer lemon sorbet

3/4 cup agave (i highly highly highly recommend xagave, i've used other agave brands in sorbet and they were no good)
1 cup water
1 cup freshly squeezed juice from meyer lemons (it was about 5 lemons for me)
2 teaspoons fine lemon zest

Mix together all ingredients and chill in the refrigerator until cold.
Once cold, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture into a shallow pan and freeze in your freezer until semi-solid. Then take a fork and fluff it up, returning it the the freezer to freeze firm. Then put in a food-processor or blender to process until smooth.

Place sorbet in an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

new chapter

2011-01-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

Warning: this is somewhat lengthy rambling post.

So.. josh and i are moving to washington! After discussing our future plans and life and hopes and dreams about five months ago, we decided moving would be best for us at this point in our lives. I'll briefly tell you why!

Josh is in a band, its his career but even more so its his calling in life. His passion. And part of this, a huge part in fact, is being on the road.. most often times, for months at a time. Previously, I had always gone on tour with him. And while touring is extremely fun (imagine a 2 month long road trip with your best friends, going city to city and being mostly care-free), it is also not for everyone (now imagine what i said above, and add no sleep, eating exclusively packaged food, being in a vehicle ALL day, and no hobbies, ect ).. even with all those cons, touring is still a pretty good time. however, its not MY calling or career or passion so it can suck the life out of you… Which is why most, if not every wife with a touring husband stays home. Looking back I am SO grateful for the opportunities to go with him, so many countless memories and experiences, not to mention, i met some pretty amazing people out there. But i'm ready to move on, and work toward my own career and passions and dreams, and luckily i have a husband who not only understands but pushes me to do so. Which is where washington comes in… I have my cosmetology license in washington state and i have yet to work in a salon because a few days after graduating we moved to georgia.. and then tours, and then later realized that i couldn't just transfer my license, i would have to go back to school here. So that is one of the main reasons we're moving.. living there we'll both be able to do what we love to do… (since he's able to live anywhere and still do what he does)

The other big deciding factor in moving is the church we LOVE is there. It's really important to us to be involved in and part of a church, which we haven't had since we lived here. and we've been avid podcasters of solid rock for years and it was a dream of ours to be able to actually go there and be involved. i am so excited about this.

Another thing, it is extremely (incredibly, awfully) hard to be away from your spouse for months at a time.. like something i will NEVER get used to. But it is so so so helpful to have a support system in the form of friends and family, and i honestly don't have that in georgia (the only friends i have here are the guys in the band and band wife, vanessa). i think i would've turned into a compressed mess of tears had i ever tried to stay home. in fact, last summer i had plans to stay home from the 2 month tour but days before they were supposed to leave i had a full on panic attack and breakdown and we quickly realized that staying home while we lived here wasn't really an option.. and i ended up going!
but i grew up in washington and my entire family and tons of friends are there, so my support system is already in place.. (and boy do they have their work cut out for them)

This is going to be an incredibly exciting and sad and happy and crazy year. But i'm definitely ready for it!! I am a workaholic at heart and as much as i've enjoyed the past three years not working, i am SOOOO ready to be a busy working woman again.

Of course, I will miss things about georgia.. the guys in the band are like my brothers (and they better call me at least once a week!), and i'll miss josh's family whom i love dearly (the in-law stereotype must've skipped us, i seriously adore his parents). There will be things i don't miss though, like the humidity… good riddance to you.

So here's to this new chapter in our lives!

p.s. I would like it to be known that i didn't force josh into this decision, or give him an ultimatum or ask him to quit the band, or any of those horrible things wives do… in fact, it was his idea and decided on after much prayer on the topic.

DIY camera purse/bag

2011-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! After a few days of being really sick i finally feel good enough to stare at the computer again and share this DIY.

Somewhat recently my camera bag was stolen (luckily JUST the bag, not my camera) and I was bummed since I would have to re-buy but I also saw it as an opportunity to get a better (read: cuter) one. I often would not bring my camera places because I didn't want to carry around a camera bag with my purse and whatever else.. Either that or wrap egg crate or scarfs around my camera and stuff it in my purse. Neither were cutting it for me. I looked online and i found some good non-traditional camera bags that look like purses, but all of them were well over $100 and up to $300.. (if you put all the purses i've ever bought in my life together it still wouldn't come close to that total). Procrastination eventually lead to an idea in the back of my head of just making one myself. And after christmas I found the ideal shape/size purse at target on clearance. I got the rest of the supplies at joann fabric and made it in a night, while watching the beauty and the beast blu-ray. This purse probably wouldnt have been my first choice if I were just picking it out as a purse, but it looks a million times better than any plain camera bag so i'm very pleased! And it all cost less than $20.

(Edited to add updated pictures and note: December 2011

a better picture of the inserts out of the purse ^

---------------------------------

and a photobooth picture to show my camera inside

Here we go, I'll try to explain this the best i can..

You'll need:

a purse/bag - i wanted something very specific..ie: just tall enough for a DSLR, just wide enough for the camera to sit flat, a tapered top so its easy to carry, zipper closure, room to fit other lenses and camera equipment and also room for a small wallet and other everyday things.

3/4 inch foam - 1/4 yard
1/2 inch foam - 1/4 - 1/3 yard, depending on how many inserts you want.
1 yard of fabric to cover foam - you might not need a whole yard, but i wanted to make a whole bunch of extra inserts just in case some get lost.
Velcro - one package should do

Opt: velcro glue

I measured the inside of my bag, and decided i wanted foam on all sides (bottom, both long sides and both short sides).
These are the measurements i used for my foam, yours will probably be different but overall it should be around the same size.
Bottom pad: 13 1/2" x 4 3/8" using 3/4" foam
Short sides: 4 1/2" x 4 3/8" (make 2)
Lens dividers: 7 1/2" x 3" (make atleast 3)
Straight divider: 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (make 2)
Long side pads: 10" x 4 1/2" (make 2)

Now, use all these foam pieces as a pattern for the fabric, adding about an inch to all sides for seam allowance. Cut two pieces of fabric for each foam insert (obviously!)..
Note: For the lens divider, add 2 inches to the short ends so you have little flaps to sew velcro onto.

Decide where you want your velcro and cut to size and sew onto right side of fabric.
Now, sew three sides of the fabric, and stick the foam in, making a pillowcase type thing for the foam, then fold in and pin the opening closed and sew shut.

(Alternately, you could use velcro glue to glue the velcro anywhere you wanted to save you some trouble.. but i opted to sew my velcro on)

When you are done sewing all your pieces together use velcro glue to put velcro on the inside and bottom of the purse to keep your main foam pieces in place. Add your dividers and you're set.

If you have ANY experience sewing you can definitely do this, and even you don't, i bet you could. I just made it up as i went along and made it work and it turned out extremely well!

There are so many little parts to it, it can seem overwhelming but it was actually super easy and quick. I have a hard time explaining things like this all at once, so if you have any questions, feel free to email them to me. vanillaandlace@gmail.com

2011 goals..

2011-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back this year with a new set of goals and a crazy drive to accomplish them. I am constantly making goals throughout the entire year, even on daily basis, so new years is basically just an excuse to share some. Also, on my birthday this year i wrote down down 21 goals i want to accomplish before my next birthday.. so this is a mix of everything... in no particular order.

1. Stop complaining -
i wouldn't consider myself a big complainer but i've noticed small things i complain about.. like josh is driving 10 miles under the speed limit, or the neighbors music is blasting through the walls, ect. If you make a conscious effort to not complain, even about the tiniest things, chances are you'll forget about it within a few minutes and you'll have a whole lot less negativity in your life. (When you do this you'll start to notice how much people around you complain, but don't be tempted to point it out.. lead by example.)

2.Absolutely, positively no high fructose corn syrup
3.work on more advanced sewing projects
4. do the 365 bible reading project
5. study physical fitness and nutrition for fun
6. go to yoga classes weekly again
7. get a new (small) tattoo
8. make money doing something i love - i will be getting a job as a stylist soon, but i'm also opening an etsy shop, and starting to take clients for photography.. all of which i LOVE. hooray for working again!

That's all for now. 2010 was a good year, and i have a feeling 2011 will be even better.

baby calvin

2010-12-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was so bittersweet. My sister hannah called me in the morning to let me know my other sister jasmine was in labor. I was super happy the day was finally here (and about 2 weeks early) but so sad at the same time because i wouldnt be able to be there, since i live thousands of miles away.. 2817 miles to be exact. She brought the laptop so i could skype with them off and on throughout the day.. I got to "be" there through a couple hours of labor, chatting in between the contractions. Although she had gone through about 6 hours of natural labor, her doctor didn't think things were moving along fast enough for baby so he suggested a c-section and the next hour my sister and her husband became parents. She had a few hours of recovery so i skyped with the family out in the waiting room (all 13 of them!). Finally, hannah texted and said they were back in the room and i could see him.. and when they pointed the computer screen at him, with the whole family gathered around the bed and computer, i barely got out an "awww" before i erupted in tears and sobbed for a second with my hands in my face. i finally pulled it together and admired his adorable face and long hands, and how happy my sister looked as a mama. I stayed in the room and visited with them for over 2 hours, and i am so so so thankful for the technology to do so. It was definitely the hardest day in 3 years of living away from family.
I'll get to see him and smother him in kisses in about 3 weeks, which is when we're moving there. Oh! thats other big news.. i'll explain later..

For now, welcome to the world little Calvin Shane Lee

with my sister hannah

with my dad

my mom and dad
(pictures taken from various friends facebooks.. thank you!)

...counting down the days

our christmas

2010-12-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

It came and went so fast! But it was such a great day.

Josh and i couldn't fall asleep on christmas eve, not because i was "excited" but because our sleeping pattern has been really messed up so we tossed and turned for a few hours then at 2am we got up and watched a christmas mass on ABC then the blindside. After that i was finally sleepy enough, then got a whole 2 hours of sleep before the alarm went off. We opened our presents from each other and my whole family, then drove to Josh's parents and opened gifts from them and watched our nephew enjoy tons of little toys. Then we napped for a LONG time and ate lunch, played a game and went to see black swan (which was AMAZING)..

Santa brought me:
an ikea giftcard, UO owl catch-all, UO labratory vases, built by wendy dress book, moleskine, an 11X14 print of this amazing painting, the black apple paper dolls book, Seychelles clogs, vintage style oxfords from jshop, an ikea muffin tin, matroyshka doll measuring cups, this paper trimmer, and more super sweet and thoughtful gifts.

The day after christmas I got up pretty early and went to target to pick up some christmas clearance.. its the best way to build your christmas decor collection! And when i came home it was snowing.. it didn't stick for long but it was still fun.

How was your christmas?? And what was your favorite gift?

merry christmas.

2010-12-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke, chapter 2

advent calender: psl

2010-12-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is in FOUR DAYS! (i still cannot believe how fast this year went by, ive said it a thousand times i think.. but i need to say it again)
We've watched just about every christmas movie made.. quite literally. We've been drinking hot cocoa and cider as much as possible. And each day coming up with clever things to put in the advent calender. Today josh put a note in there that said "pumpkin spice date". I haven't had one yet this year, so i was over due. it was delicious. and over priced.

i made peanut brittle to send my grandparents this year but i didn't have anything to put it in so i stitched up the sides of parchment paper and added some ribbon and a tag. it ended up looking cuter than expected.
(grandparents if you're reading: i hope you enjoy it!)

and this is our kitty being naughty and climbing in the tree. he gets sprayed with water every time, yet still does it multiple times throughout the day... sending the ornaments flying..

hope the beginning of your week has been stress-free.

weekend in black and white

2010-12-13T23:46:00.000-08:00

and a little color:

over the weekend:
i put finishing touches on some handmade gifts that i sent off today.
made caramels and reindeer cake pops
drank some coffee that didn't hurt my stomach
went shopping at the mall to get one present i couldn't online (it was crazy, and i won't ever do that again)
read a whole lot. (the glass castle and josh's upcoming memoir)
wore a cute dress i got for my birthday.
but other than that was in pajamas most of the weekend.

tomorrow we're going ice skating with friends, which i'm super excited about. i love ice skating, even though i tend to fall a whole lot.

modcloth guest post (& happy birthday mom)

2010-12-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

just a quick little post to tell you i was lucky enough to be a guest blogger over on the modcloth blog.. a marshmallow recipe and cute way to wrap them up for gift giving.
check it out here!

and...

Happy birthday mom! I love you and i hope you had a beautiful day.

triple chocolate cupcakes

2010-12-08T23:55:00.000-08:00

When I first saw the recipe for these cupcakes I was very fascinated.. an entire cupcake.. with frosting.. using no sugar. That's right up my alley. And I have to say, they didn't let me down one bit. They taste like "real" cupcakes, with a bittersweet chocolate frosting. They are quite perfect for those days when you are needing sugar (or chocolate) extra bad, but don't want to spoil your no-sugar rule.

Well, for me, that rule is not in place in December. Too many things to indulge in!! But come January, these will be a close friend of mine. (these are also a better alternative for diabetics)

I used xagave in these. It's the best agave i've tried, very subtle in flavor which makes it a great substitute in baking and cooking. I love the stuff.

Triple chocolate AGAVE cupcakes
vegan

Filling:
5.5 ounces silken tofu, drained
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup agave

Melt the chocolate and agave over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Set aside. Puree the tofu in a food processor, until perfectly smooth. You will need to scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the tofu and process until smooth and thick. It will look like chocolate pudding. Set aside while you bake the cake.

Cake:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup agave
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

To bake the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin tins with papers.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Melt the chocolate and oil in a medium sized bowl over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Whisk the agave into the chocolate mixture. In a third bowl whisk together the soy milk, vanilla, and vinegar, then stir it into the chocolate mixture. gently whisk the wet mixture into the dry. Divide the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.

Using a paring knife cut out a portion of the cupcake, to make a space for the filling. Don’t cut too much away or the cupcake may not have enough structure and fall apart.
Use a pastry bag with a round tip to fill the cupcakes with the filling and spread it smooth.

Optional:

Ganache:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons coconut milk

Melt the chocolate and milk over a double boiler until smooth

Spoon the ganache over the top of the cupcakes.

recipe source

brrr...

2010-12-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

It's 24 degrees right now!

It's been really cold the past few days and its supposed to keep up for awhile. And its about time! I've been staying cuddled up on the couch (where a hot cup of tea is always within reach) whenever i'm not doing projects that involve the sewing machine. I've been busting my butt to get christmas gifts made and so far i'm on schedule.. deadline is the 12th.

some snapshots of the day:

morning tea in my (new!) favorite mug

some cuddly knit gifts i wish i could keep for myself

i've had a mini obsession with matryoshka dolls lately, so i decided i better make some felt ones. these are unfinished..

pretty colorful felt

a print from black apple (the first of many i plan on collecting), a gift from vanessa.

pretty ribbon i picked up on black friday.

i got this poster sized street map of Paris in the mail from a friend. I'm so in love with it, I cannot wait to frame it and put it up in our new place. Thanks Kim!!

Stay warm!

christmasy times

2010-12-04T23:56:00.000-08:00

We've been having lots of fun with our new flip camera. It's so dang convenient, we find ourselves using it constantly. I put together this set of clips last night and hopefully i'll be posting videos more often.

(I apologize in advanced if they bore you to tears.)

music: horchata by vampire weekend

pinning

2010-12-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

I've had an awful headache all day, so i took it easy (ha! like my days are so hard in the first place) and did some of christmas music listening, kitty cuddling, christmas movie watching and a whole lot of aimlessly perusing the internet. One of my new favorite websites for doing that is Pinterest. Ever heard of it?? I just discovered it and i'm kind of obsessed now. It's eye candy in every category possible.
Here are some of my favorites from today.

ALSO!

the new dujour magazine issue is out.. and it is chock full of beauty. You can see a sneak peek of the issue here, or you can get an online subscription for $10/year. (Its worth ten times more than that) I have quite a few recipes i contributed to this issue, and a travel diary spread from my San Francisco trip as well.

Have a great weekend.

p.s. I'll be posting my first video montage from our flip camera on Saturday. be excited.

DIY: wreath

2010-12-01T01:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe its December!! This has been the fastest year ever.. but it seems like i say that every year.
Our little apartment is looking pretty christmas-y and we have the holiday pandora station on just about 24/7. Christmas time is the best.. (never mind that it was 80 degrees today...)

I made four of these little wreaths in about five minutes.. instant christmas decorations.

You'll need:

a large embroidery hoop (or just about anything circular; foam wreath, cardboard cut to size.. ect.
1 strand of tinsel garland

Well.. its pretty self explanatory, you wrap the tinsel around and around and around.. occasionally sliding it one way or the other to fill in empty spots, keep wrapping until you meet your starting point. secure with a piece of tape. And hang!

(great minds think alike. Tinsel garland wreath tutorial also seen here)

caramel apples (and raspberries)

2010-11-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well.. I made these a month ago and then the pictures got lost into the unorganized mess that is my pictures folder. But since caramel apples are one of my favorite things in the world, I thought it was still worth a share. Roll them in crushed peppermint and its perfectly festive for christmas.

Caramel apples
makes 4

1 cups granulated sugar
1 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy sauce pan over medium heat combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. This will take some time.

Once the mixture boils add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream in a slow trickle so that you do not cool your caramel mixture and it continues to boil uninterrupted.

Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to boil for 5-6 minutes without stirring.

Add butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each melts. Clip on your candy thermometer and allow to boil over medium-low heat until the mixture just hits 250°F (Firm Ball stage) stirring occasionally. This should take about 30-40 minutes, if your temperature is climbing too quickly you might need to reduce heat all the way to low. By the same token, if you're not hitting 250°F by 40 minutes you might want to increase the heat a bit.

While waiting, clean apples and insert sticks.

Once you've hit the right temperature, quickly remove from heat. Stir in the teaspoon of vanilla and dip the apples into the caramel. Place on parchment paper to cool.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I got a little carried away and started dunking raspberries in the left over caramel. It was out of this world good! I strongly recommend.

sweet.

2010-11-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

A sneak peak at a few of the delicious things I made for the next issue of Dujour Magazine.

This issue is stunning, and once again I'm super grateful to be apart of it. I'll let you know when its out!

Also! A reminder that i have a little formspring i try and keep up with. I've answered quite a few questions over there.. take a peek if you want. And please feel free to ask, or tell me something! I love hearing from you guys..

daily

2010-11-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

i like..

getting the sweetest packages in the mail from my dear friend. thats french macaron soap! its too cute, how am i supposed to use it??

a yummy breakfast. toast with coconut oil, oj, and greek yogurt with raspberries.

cupcake happy hour. and playing bingo for cupcakes.

the yummiest cinnamon ice cream. and an amazing read

taking engagement photos. or any photos for that matter..

November has been good.. great even. I'm looking forward to sunday, not so much because its my birthday but its the day we put up our CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. we don't buy into this "you've got to wait until after thanksgiving" hype.. Where did that come from anyway?? that logic bugs me.

but anyway, i have some things to share soon (ie: when i get around to it) like caramel apples, some exciting news for josh and i (not a baby), what i've been "working" on, and a pretty personal post i've been debating to share.

and pssst.. if you haven't downloaded josh's bands latest album, you should go do it. its amazing and free.

who can know it..

2010-11-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

Today josh's band releases their fifth album! Its called Who can know it? and it is available to download absolutely free on their website. (No signing up required!)

I know i am sort of biased, but its a pretty incredible album. (My favorite songs are number 5, 8 and 10.)

You should definitely check it out.

What does it sound like?? Well I'm bad at comparing music but early reviewers have said it sounds like weezer, REM, the eagles, flaming lips and MGMT.

Click here to download