Valentine's Day fabric heart garland

 I have an addiction to textiles.  Which is weird because I find the fabric store to be the most infuriating place in the world.  It brings out the not so flattering aspects of my personality.  So, I opt for buying online which is really safer for everyone.  This project stemmed from my ever growing collection of fabric scrapes. 

 

I ended up with so many hearts that I think I will end up restringing them onto two ribbons so I can spread the love around the house.

  

The first thing I did was pin the fabric to card-stock and draw a heart on the back. 

  

I used the heart as my guide on the sewing machine, telling myself that it was ok if they turned out looking more whimsical than uniform.  Next, I cut out the hearts with pinking shears.

Finally, I used a razor blade to make slits for the ribbon to pass through.  As always, I encourage you to use what you have, so if you seem to accumulate wrapping or scrapbook paper this would be a great project to put it to use.

A cell phone for Valentine's Day. Really?

It's Valentine's week, which means, men are busy buying chocolates, ordering flowers, pricing jewelry, and according to Verizon Wirless, buying the woman they love cell phones? It is enough to make me wish I had my own Avatar to escape it all.  Am I the only woman out there that finds this a little repulsive?  I want to be appreciated, I love a thoughtful gift, but things seem to have gotten out of hand.  Here is my Valentine's challenge: Make a meal for someone you love.  

Is it possible that we have forgotten the simple beauty in sitting down and just "being" with one another?

Because Valentine's Day shouldn't be the only day we express, love, appreciation, vulnerability, etc.  And I am not just talking about romantic love.  Maybe it is time you made your dog some homemade dog food and had a heart to heart over candlelight (you animal lovers do that kind of thing, right?).

For me there is so much symbolism in cooking a meal for someone.  Marinated Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Red Pepper Salsa actually says, "I thought about what you would love, created it for you, to share with you, in order to show you how much you mean to me."

 

 Something that I can not take credit for in this series of pictures but was (and often am) the grateful recipient of.

Here is to love and all the many ways it can be expressed!

Find your inner Yogi

I just came back from Yoga at the YMCA. 

 

A little bit of this...

A touch of this...and man I am feeling one with my body.

I kid. Obviously.

It was little more like this.

I was actually at family Yoga with Pearl. I am reading your mind right now and you are thinking, "how relaxing" (sarcastic voice).  Yes, Pearl sang in a loud 2 year old voice during meditation and occasionally there was a 22 lb weight on my back in upward dog but I have got to say I still feel rejuvenated. 

I have practiced these three styles of Yoga over the years; Ashtanga (changed my body), Bikram (Speedos are apparently not just for swimming), and Vinyasa (great intro to Yoga that won't bore you).

And now I practice in the main ring with Pearl the clown.

In all seriousness I have found that my mind as well as my body needs this time.  I have been having trouble sleeping lately because I can't seem to clear my mind.  For me meditation is about just being with my body, the moment I try to not to think, I snap back into reality.  

Let me illustrate.

 

How I love thee nothingness.  

So, my point is that you should try Yoga.  And please don't just try it once, keep looking until you find a style that works for you.

Now back to more pressing matters like: what is really going on here?

Flowers for the soul

Fresh flowers make me happy.  Especially, when my coat is soggy, my skin is dry, and my spirits correlate with the weather (I live in Seattle).  Fresh flowers are also expensive, dang it.  No matter what they will always be a splurge but by knowing what flowers last the longest, are the cheapest, and can have the biggest impact you at least aren't throwing money down the drain.

Here are some of my tips:

Purchase cheap glass containers at places like Ikea.  These small vases can double as candle holders. 

Create interest by combing different heights and grouping flowers by color. 

Invest in flowers that are going to last; they are usually the cheapest.  Peonies, roses, lilies, flowering branches, Mums, carnations and gladiolas will give you the most bang for your buck.  For more info on making your flowers last, take a look here.

Use free stuff like; rocks, sticks, leaves, and pine cones in or around your arrangements.  I used rocks I collected at the beach to stabilize the lily and add texture to this arrangement.

Divide and conquer.  I love to break up a grocery store bouquet into my little vases and scatter them around the house.  Then, if I am in the mood for a bigger impact I can easily bring them all together on my dining room table.  

So, don't pick your neighbors flowers, invest in a few blooms of your own and see if it helps take you to your "happy place".

A Birthday party on a budget i.e. without pony rides or a jumpy castle

Yes, it's true, (cue sad violin music) Pearl's Birthday came and went without intricate balloon animals or a visit from the reptile man.  But I think it is safe to say that she had a great time. 

 

I just wanted to share a few things I learned in doing this (my first time) that I hope might relieve some stress for those of you out there that are as frightened by children's Birthday parties as I was.

 

You might recognize some of these decorations from this post.  The great thing about having a collection of neutral decorations is that you will truly use them over and over again.  I spent about $30 at the dollar store for this party and with one girl and another on the way I am sure they will get used many times!

I put a framed picture of Pearl on our front door to welcome guests and collected black frames from around the house to decorate the mantle.  Then, because I had a hard time choosing what to frame we covered the whole fireplace with pictures!

  

My wonderful mother-in-law made the cupcakes, my soon to be sister-in-law took all the fabulous pictures, my sister made a salad, my mom made black beans and my mom and dad saved me in the kitchen, prepping ingredients and doing dishes.  What did I do?  Sat on the couch and ate bonbons of course!  My point is that there is little glory in a one woman show.

  

This is not the time to try a new recipe or make anything that needs to be fired up last minute.  I made two different types of enchiladas: Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas with salsa verde  and my own recipe for chicken enchiladas (ask me for the recipe).  My mom made some black beans, dressed up with bacon, onion, roasted poblano chilies, and Cotija cheese.  My sister made a fabulous Caesar salad and we had tons of salsa,  guacamole, and sour cream to munch on beforehand.  If you do decide to go the Mexican food route please find your nearest Latin market and purchase as much as you can from them.  The quality and prices are better and you are supporting an important cultural fixture in the community.

Unless you want to stand next to your food and give descriptions.  Didn't think so.

Hurray for glow in the dark jewelry from the dollar store, and balloons you have to (gasp) blow up yourself! Put on some tunes like Putumayo's Latin Playground and get down with your bad self.  At the end of the night we all sat down and watched Pearl's favorite short film "I Want a Dog" . 

As long as everyone is having a great time, I believe that it is all good.  You know your child, so hopefully you wouldn't have a rager for your sensitive introvert.  Throw your hands up and put your feet on the coffee table you just cleaned five minutes ago.

Mixing patterns in your home = a good time.

  Last week I talked about how to mix and match furniture in this post.  Today, I want to talk about tying pieces together using textiles and other decorative elements.  One of the rules that I have made for myself (because I can tend to go overboard on the eclectic meter) is that textiles must have one dominate feature in common in order for them to become friends in my home.

I inherited this chair from my great uncle and it is one of my most treasured pieces.  The pillow and chair have two things in common: their green/golden background and dense floral pattern.

 

In my dining nook I decorated around my favorite Anthropologie table cloth.  I dressed up my old white curtains with a panel of fabric from my thrift store fabric collection.  Side note: I have found really beautiful textiles at thrift stores, in the form of curtains, duvets, and even sheets.  If you see something that you think is visually stunning, buy it, fabric can be re-purposed in so many ways.  Think: curtains, baby blankets, pillows, dining room chair covers, and table cloths.  To tie the two colors together I used red and green Anthropologie pulls on my china cabinet.

 

Let something really beautiful shine.  We bought this Afghan rug in Budapest, Hungary and I consider it our first "art" purchase.  I have kept the color palette in our living room relatively simple to allow for this piece to shine.  This doesn't mean you can't play around with texture.  I like how this vintage chair's scalloped back and crushed velvet fabric stand out without competing with the rug.

I realize that for some of you, pattern is just plain scary and a throw pillow is as far as you willing to go.  So, my challenge to you would be to try combing different patterns with your pillows... it might just add some excitement and whimsy to your life!

What's for lunch?

I ask myself this question everyday...shortly after breakfast.  I am the type of person that likes to think about my next meal like some sort of sick virtual appetizer.  Maybe this is because it is easy for lunch to get mundane.   I find myself shopping for breakfast and dinner, and end up foraging around for something in the middle of the day.  That is probably why I have become addicted to this fast and healthy lunch.  If you take your lunch to work, spend about five minutes the night before preparing it, it is wilt and stale proof, I promise!

The salad: cherry tomatoes, red onion (OK so maybe not ideal for a work lunch), English cucumber, feta, red pepper.

The dressing: fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning (if you have it).

Flat bread: Trader Joe's Spicy Spinach Pizza (140 calories, 2 grams of fat), one slice prosciutto, scant sprinkle of whatever cheese you have around (I prefer, feta, goat, or Parmesan for this). Pop it under the broiler until the cheese is golden.

As always with my cooking these are methods, not recipes, so substitute to meet your dietary preferences.