Snowmageddon Scarf

Thanks to the record-setting snowstorm that blanketed Oklahoma this week, we still have about a foot and a half of snow on the ground at our house. While I’ve quite enjoyed being snowed-in for a few days, cabin fever has definitely started to set in now (although, I certainly can’t complain about being stuck indoors when the view out the window is a beautiful, ice-coverd lake!). Nonetheless, today we took a long hike outdoors to get some fresh air and soak up a little sunshine before the next wave of snow hits.


Snowmageddon 2011

The snow and the fireplace have provided a scenic backdrop for getting some knitting done. This weekend I finished a scarf I started before Christmas. While the pattern promised to be a quick project that could be knit up in 2–3 hours, it took me significantly longer because I kept knitting too tightly and had to start over numerous times. But once I finally got the rhythm down, the scarf did come together pretty quickly. I used size 17 needles and 1 hank of Twinkle Soft Chunky yarn in Fig (kind of a purplish-brown color). The result is so soft and fluffy! I made this scarf as a gift and now I’m wanting one for myself, too!

Christmas Creep Scarf

More snow is headed to Tulsa this week but, fortunately, my needles won’t have a chance to rest. I’m starting the Knitting 202 class at Loops on Monday and am excited to learn about cabling and using double-pointed needles. Gotta make more cute things to keep warm, you know!

Design Hound

We recently welcomed a furry new member into our family….a 5-month-old(-ish) Chocolate Lab puppy!  My brother rescued this cutie after it was dumped on the side of a country road and fell into a deep hole where it was trapped. (Luckily Trent was working nearby and heard him barking!) Since my brother and sister-in-law already have four dogs of their own, they needed to find a forever home for this little guy. At first I was extremely hesitant to take on the responsibility of another dog, but as soon as we met him we knew it was meant to be!

It took a couple days of getting to know him before we could choose a name that fit his personality. Some of the names we tried out included: Tex, Behr, Cooper, Ryder, Fletch, and Drake….but, alas, he is an “Oliver”. Here are some pics of the little nugget on his first visit to the park over the weekend.


Oliver
Ollie has been part of our pack for a little over a week now and this is what we know about him so far:

  • He smells like gingerbread cookies.
  • His tongue is ALWAYS hanging out.
  • He is incredibly clumsy and springs around the house like a Slinky.
  • He loves going outside to eat snow, but prefers to do his business indoors where it’s warm.
  • He scarfs his kibbles (as opposed to his big sister Denver who eats one. kibble. at. a. time.).
  • When no one is looking, he takes every single pillow and cushion off the sofa to make a giant nest on the floor.

Yes, apparently Oliver has some strong opinions about decorating. Fortunately for him, there is more stylish swag available for dogs right now than ever before. Here are some of the items currently on Ollie’s wish list:

Oliver's Picks for Design Hounds

1. Mustache Dog Toy 2. Hand-Embroidered Dog Collar 3. Pet Camper
4. Bedside Table/Dog House 5. Giraffe Print Dog Pillow
6. Hand-Stamped Pet ID Tag 7. Mod Dog Prints 8. Dog Bowl Tray
9. Dog Boots 10. Barkitecture 11. Lattice Dog Bed Duvet

Thanks

Considering he was a free dog, Oliver sure doesn’t have cheap taste! But who am I to judge another design hound? Especially one that was rescued from a hole in the ground Baby Jessica-style.

We already love you to pieces, Ollie-dog!

Ski Trip 2010

Ski Park CityI cherish days like today! It is cold and snowing outside, so we are snuggled up at home by the fire. Watching the snowflakes fall reminded me that I still needed to post the video from our holiday vacation. Jason and I spent the week after Christmas skiing in Park City, Utah, where several feet of fresh powder made for some memorable times on the slopes! Since it was our first time there, we skied Park City, Deer Valley, and The Canyons to scout out which part of the mountain we liked the best. All three resorts offered incredible skiing, but Deer Valley was our absolute favorite…I can’t say enough good things about it! We will definitely be back.

Here is the video my multi-talented hubby created to document our trip. (Unfortunately, he didn’t capture the part where I parachuted from a helicopter to ski a few double black diamond runs in the backcountry. Oh well.) Anyway, if you want to spend 12 minutes of your life watching someone else’s vacation memories, then by all means enjoy!

It’s a Wrap

Before I sign off for the holidays, I want to share a little secret you may not know about me. For as long as I can remember, one of my dream jobs has been to work in a gift-wrapping kiosk at the mall during Christmas. (I know, it’s a pretty lofty thing to aspire to but sometimes you have to dream BIG!)  Seriously, wrapping presents is one of my guilty pleasures. I’ve even been known to purchase gift wrap a year in advance and plan entire decorating schemes around it. I think it goes back to my obsession with anything made of paper.

Despite all the thought I put into coordinating gift wrap and ribbon every year, it never fails that I run out of supplies right in the middle of my wrapping frenzy. Perhaps there are a few little elves out there in the same boat who could use a hand getting those presents under the tree, so here are some resourceful ideas for creating festive packages from items you probably already have around the house or can download from the World Wide Web.


Free Printable Christmas Wrap

1. Paper Star Toppers 2. DIY Clay Star Trim 3. Fois Bois Gift Box Template
4. Printable Graphic Wrapping Paper 5. Recycled Paper Flower Tutorial


 

DIY Holiday Gift Wrap

6. Recycled Gift Card Envelopes 7. Printable Bow Gift Tag
8. DIY Monogram Gift Labels 9. Printable Candy Box Template
10. Gingerbread House Gift Box Template


Free Wrapping Paper Downloads

11. Origami Box Tutorial 12. Free Gift Card Box Pattern
13. Printable Holiday Gift Wrap 14. Printable “Trees Please” Gift Wrap
15. Downloadable Typographic Gift Tags

Hopefully those same little elves have already finished their holiday shopping because, while I’m happy to help wrap presents all day long, there is no way I’m stepping foot inside a store on December 24th!

Wishing you and yours a Merry little Christmas!

Rethinking Wreaths

I love sprucing up the house for Christmas, but sometimes its difficult to find contemporary holiday decor that reflects our clean, minimalist style. This year I’ve had my eyes peeled for a festive new wreath…something simple, yet slightly funky that will coordinate with the white and silver color scheme we already have going on. Oh, and also no fake greenery or silk flowers allowed (which pretty much rules out anything you might buy off the shelf at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby).

I’m afraid I may be forced to fire up the hot glue gun and get crafty in order to see my envisioned Christmas wreath come true. Fortunately, there is no shortage of gorgeous, DIY wreath-making inspiration on the interweb…..


Modern Christmas Wreaths

1. Fur Wreath 2. Cushion Moss Wreath 3. Yarn Wreath with Crochet Flowers
4. Snowball Wreath 5. Ornament Wreath 6. Tinsel Garland Wreath
7. Eucalyptus Wreath 8. Coffee Filter Wreath 9. Bubble Wreath
10. Paper Flower Wreath 11. Twig Wreath 12. PVC Pipe Wreath

Apparently you can make a wreath out of almost anything….fur, moss, yarn, ornaments, coffee filters, twigs, paper, pipe. The possibilities are endless….and the results so stunning that I may decide to leave my imagined wreath up long after the other Christmas decorations are packed away.

Thankful

Well, now that the leftovers are in the fridge and the china is washed and safely stowed away, I can finally sit down to recap our Thanksgiving. I hosted the big meal for the first time this year and, thankfully, it went pretty smoothly. I always imagined hosting Thanksgiving to be a really stressful and overwhelming endeavor, but I learned a few tricks along the way that actually made it a fairly simple task. In fact, I really enjoyed the process of decorating and cooking this year!

The key for me was to begin preparing several days in advance by breaking the tasks down into manageable pieces. This was my timeline:

  • Week Before: create menu, make shopping list, order smoked turkey, call guests to confirm time
  • Weekend Before: go grocery shopping, wash china and serving pieces, polish sterling silver flatware, press tablecloth and napkins, set table and buffet and cover everything with a sheet (to keep the clean dishes dust-free until Turkey Day!)
  • 2-3 Days Before: prepare pumpkin dip appetizer, cranberry chutney, mashed sweet potatoes, and desserts
  • 1 Day Before: prepare stuffing, brew iced tea, arrange fresh flowers for centerpiece
  • Thanksgiving Day: watch Macy’s parade, cook turkey, heat up side dishes and rolls, prepare gravy and butternut squash risotto, brew coffee, simmer apple cider in the crockpot

Another thing I found really helpful was to decide in advance which serving pieces and utensils would be used for which foods. Then I wrote the name of the food on an index card and put it inside the corresponding dish to eliminate the guesswork and the frantic, last-minute search for the gravy boat.

Thanksgiving Table 2010

Setting the table was my favorite part, of course. Inspired by some leaves, acorns, and seed pods that Jason and I found on a recent hike, I decided to go with a green, brown, and silver color scheme. I turned the leaves into placecards by simply writing each guest’s name on one with a silver paint pen. The acorns added visual interest to clear vases holding candles (other vases were filled with fresh cranberries, dried green peas, and coffee beans). I misted the seed pods with silver spray paint and used them in the centerpiece I created from some store-bought greenery, hydrangeas, feathers, willow branches, and moss. I really liked the contrast between the rustic, natural elements and the more elegant look of our wedding china paired with my great-grandmother’s sterling silver.

TurkeyAlthough the table looked lovely and the food was delicious, I would be remiss in not mentioning the great Thanksgiving Day catastrophe of 2010. After lunch, we went to visit my mother-in-law in the hospital and accidentally left some food out on the kitchen counter. When we returned home a while later, we found the turkey carcass in the middle of the floor….and one very happy doggy licking her chops!

Perhaps I should take that as a compliment to the chef?

Feeling Loopy

Y’all, check it out!


First Knitting Project

I finally learned to knit!!! Despite several failed attempts at teaching myself, I decided to give it one more shot and signed up for lessons at Loops, a fabulous yarn store here in Tulsa. My knitting guru, Gina Y., was incredibly patient and ENTHUSIASTIC as she taught us to cast on, knit, purl, increase and decrease stitches. After just 3 short classes, I was able to knit the scarf and hat pictured above. Now I’m totally obsessed and all I can think about is what my next project will be.


Knitting Inspiration

1. Hair Raising Headband 2. French Press Felted Slippers 3. Infinity Scarf
4. Chaussons Mignons 5. Organic Coffee Sleeve 6. Laurel Love Cocoon
7. Berry Baby Hat 8. Orangie 9. Cinder Scarf

Ahhh…so much yarn, so little time! There is certainly no shortage of inspiration thanks to Ravelry, which is where I found and bookmarked these delicious projects. However, I definitely need to practice what I learned before I tackle more challenging patterns, so I’m thinking I’ll make another simple scarf first. Then, in January I’m hoping to take the Loops 202 class to learn pattern-reading, cabling, and knitting on double-pointed needles. Watch out…before you know it, I’ll be churning out entire sweaters like nobody’s business!

Sanity Savers: Part 3

When my besties Christian and Bethany were in town last weekend they were laughing about the random assortment of items I keep in my car and decided I needed to blog about it. So you actually have them to thank for this post! :)

Before I show you the junk in my trunk, let me first give you a little background. We live way out in the boonies so I spend about 2 hours each day in the car commuting back and forth between home and work. Fortunately, it’s a scenic drive and the speed limit is 70 mph most of the way with very little traffic….unless you count the deer. The sun is usually just coming up when I cross over the lake on my way to work and, now that the days are getting shorter, it’s already completely dark when I return home. I really relish the morning commute because it gives me time to wake up before I have to be “on” for the day, but the evenings are a different story. Most days I’m too tired, hungry, and anxious to put on my PJs to enjoy the scenery very much. Plus, Oklahomans don’t know what it means to drive “Texas Friendly”. But don’t get me started on that.

Since I practically live in my car these days, I’ve found its nice to bring along some of the comforts of home. This brings me to my third sanity-saving strategy: putting together a commuter’s kit so you always have what you need right at your fingertips. Mine is just a basket of a few essential items that lives on the floor behind the front seat where I can easily reach it.


Commuter's Kit

  • Magazines – Ok, I’m not advocating reading while driving here. I’m just saying that loooong red lights provide ample time to get caught up on Courtney Cox’s love life.
  • Snacks! – While we have some healthy and delicious Soy Crispettes pictured here, I must admit that you can also probably find Goldfish swimming under the driver’s seat in my car.
  • Coffee – The bigger the mug, the better.
  • Hand Sanitizer – Because filling stations…eeewww!
  • Tissue – Just to ensure you’re not that guy picking his boogers.
  • Slippers – Have you ever tried to drive in high heels?

Other handy items I usually have in my console or trunk:

  • Burt’s Bees Lip Gloss
  • Breath Mints
  • Picnic Blanket
  • $20 Bill
  • Reusable Shopping Bags
  • Windex
  • Paper Towels
  • Jumper Cables
  • Bag of Quarters
  • Eye Glass Cleaner
  • Colgate Wisps

I guess you could say I’m like the Boy Scout of commuting….always prepared. So, what random things do you keep in your car?

Sanity Savers: Part 2

Sorry to leave you hanging for a few weeks; I’m sure you’ve been in complete suspense awaiting the next Sanity Saver! If there has ever been a month that challenged my sanity, this October has been it for sure. So, without further ado….

My second sanity-saving tip is creating a monthly menu rotation. I’ve written about my weekly menu plans in the past, so this isn’t a totally new concept. However, I recently discovered that I can recycle a month’s worth of favorite menus to save time in the meal planning department. Start out by biting off a week at a time, then at the end of the month transfer the menu you planned for each week onto a calendar to create a schedule for the next month. Planning ahead is simplified by capturing the decisions you’ve already made and making a master shopping list for each week’s meals. You can recycle this rotating menu each season, or for as long as your family tolerates it.

Monthly Menu Planning Template

Download my free Monthly Menu Rotation template to personalize with your family’s favorite meals. If you need menu suggestions, these are some great places to start:

One more tip….always have a few frozen pizzas on hand for those hectic nights when cooking a real meal is just not in the cards. Actually, that is probably the real sanity-saver here!

There are still more sanity-saving tips to come but, in the meantime, please leave a link to your favorite recipe in the comments.

Sanity Savers: Part 1

University of TulsaThe past few weeks have been especially hectic around our house with Jason starting law school and me beginning a new full-time job. Thank goodness we only have a dog and a cat to keep alive; several of hubby’s classmates have young kiddos and I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to juggle work, law school, and a family at the same time. That is just crazy talk!

Anyway, perhaps it has more to do with being lazy than with being organized, but I’m always looking for ways to make life a little bit easier. I have a few sneaky tricks up my sleeve for keeping our household humming along even during the busiest of times. These are really simple things I’ve gotten into the habit of doing weekly that actually save time and energy in the long run. I thought it would be fun to share some of these strategies with you in a blog series I’m calling “Sanity Savers”. Are you intrigued?

My first sanity-saving strategy is keeping a weekly cleaning calendar. I borrowed this concept from FlyLady. The basic idea is that rather than saving all your cleaning chores for Saturday, you spread them throughout the week so you don’t have to spend your weekend scrubbing toilets. By doing a little bit each day, it’s easier to stay on top of the mess before it gets beyond the point of no return. My schedule is pretty simple:

Cleaning CalendarSunday: yardwork
Monday: dust (alternate upstairs one week, downstairs the next)
Tuesday: vacuum & mop downstairs
Wednesday: vacuum upstairs
Thursday: laundry, take out trash
Friday: clean bathrooms
Saturday: change sheets, do laundry
Every Day: wash dishes, tidy up cluttered areas, shred junk mail

(Download my free Cleaning Calendar template to personalize with your own schedule and keep on your fridge.)

Of course, on busy evenings when I get home late, my chore for the day may not get done. And that’s ok! The key is just keeping up with things as much as possible during the week so there is more time for fun on the weekends.

This strategy works pretty well for me and is a lot cheaper than hiring a maid. (Although, if all our extra money didn’t go towards this little thing called tuition, then I would not even hesitate about paying someone else to srub the toilets!)

Like the idea of simplifying your life? Come back next week for another easy, sanity-saving tip and free download.

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