refueling

WHEW!! It has been a very busy year so far, with no signs of slowing. I did leave one of my two personal trainer jobs... I am excited about focusing and growing with the studio close to my home. I am also excited about getting some free time back in order to craft more!

I have not been able to create much except for food (I have to eat!) so I am thankful for the birthday gift from my mother... all new pots and pans! I took some pictures with my phone of some of our recent kitchen adventures:

grilled cheese with garden vegetable soup

grilled eggplant and onion, with tomatoes & peperoncini on crostini

grilled bbq chicken with asparagus fries

greek panzanella

chocolate covered: animal crackers, strawberries, pecans, sugar cookies, and thin mints.

tomato salad with crostini

I have a few sewing projects on my list, as well as experimenting with metal (thanks, Jaime!). I need to finish dressing the bedroom walls and continue to help Mary plan for her wedding. Next up, working on the etsy shop!

adventures in instax

David gave me the cutest ever little Fuji Instax Mini camera for Christmas. Here are some of my favorite instant photos with that camera:

faux fries

I saw a cooking show today where they made portobello mushroom fries... they looked pretty darn good, even though I do not care for mushrooms. I had asparagus in the fridge, so I used that up and baked the fries on a baking rack instead of deep frying. I used panko bread crumbs and italian seasonings with a little bit of grated parmesan cheese. They came out so delicious! Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside... and with plenty of kick! I used a lot of black pepper. I was sure to season the flour, egg, and bread crumb mixtures. What a delicious and healthy option if you are craving "fries." I would have taken pictures, but David and I ate them all as soon as they came out of the oven!

Next up for this weekend... trying to copy the Chileanos Compleatos hot dog from Neal's deli in Carrboro. We found pretzel rolls at a local grocery store (our attempt at home to make these wasn't so successful) and our favorite taco joint now sells their salsas (yes all 7 of 'em!) by the pint. We are breaking out the Weber and charcoal again on this spring-like weekend!

let them eat cake...

...or cookies or other snacks... from a cute cake stand!

I've seen several etsy shops and crafters with their own mixed-matchy cake stands. Seems easy enough. I went to the thrift store to find some materials... the possibilities are endless with all the candle stick holders and dinner plates!! I limited myself to one of each to see how it would turn out.

What do you think?




I'm going to keep my eyes open whenever I go to the thrift store for things that go better with my home decor. This was a very quick and easy project! And for around $1.50, why not?

new addition

OK, so I didn't create her... but we are going to create a healthy and happy home for her!

Meet Pepper:

introducing....

LOWELL & LOUISE
our new crafting and creative empire. watch out world, here we come!

Our website begins! It is very young, so check back for updates. But it is there, and it is ours.

www.lowellandlouise.com

The etsy shop is up and running! Tell your friends! We have jewelry and lighting for now, and will have artwork and other creations there soon.

www.lowellandlouise.etsy.com

More items to be listed this weekend. Thanks for looking!

say cheeeeese!

My sister gave me a cheese-making kit for Christmas... it worked! We bought a gallon of milk, and made mozzarella cheese! We tried twisting & braiding some of it. You have to work quickly when it is hot. We also made some tiny cheese balls (bocconcini) and I marinated them in olive oil, garlic, and italian spices. YUM.

stirring the milk and checking the temperature

the curds and whey are separating!

you gotta stretch it. and it was HOT. next time we'll use gloves.

attempted braid, and a little taste test.

marinated bocconcini.

The kit came with enough ingredients to make THIRTY batches of cheese. Yes, three zero, 30. We will experiment with adding different spice combinations (instead of just salt) and maybe rolling it up with special things like ham or pesto. And in the summer, I will make my own pizza dough... and have tomatoes and basil from my garden, and make my own cheese and have a completely homemade pizza!

bathroom redo - stage 2

the light is complete! David made this new light for the vanity area over the holidays. Made of maple and a metal right angle. The wood came from scraps from the bed my dad made... so everything flows very nicely in the master suite.

before:



and after!!

bathroom redo - stage 1

The bedroom and vanity/bathroom upstairs got new life recently in the form of paint on the walls. They used to be blah and beige. Now they are a clean crisp light grey.

Before...


After...


Stage 2 is a new light for the vanity area, already in production. And stage 3 will be deciding how to decorate the vanity area wall... a decal? paint chips? artwork?

more jewelz

After creating that gold beaded necklace a few weeks ago, I just can't get enough! Here are some new creations, and a couple oldies but goodies.

delicious dish

I love spending time in the kitchen this time of year when it is too cold for me to play outside. My mother made a yummy salad for our Thanksgiving dinner this year:

2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
baby spinach
lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Spread the sweet potatoes and onion on a pan and cover with olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix it around so everything gets coated. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. The potatoes will be nice and tender and the onions will be slightly crispy. Place on top of a bed of baby spinach, add 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice and a pinch more salt. Delicious!

thank you

Thank you everyone who went to Acme to view my first ever public art display!

These are just a few things that were displayed over the past two months. Thanks Acme, and thank you friends and family!

jewelry EXPLOSION!

I forgot how much I enjoy making jewelry. I used to make tons of earrings. I was inspired by my friend Shelly recently... she had on a cute necklace that she made. I decided to copy it. Here is my gold version:



I especially love the vintage-looking clasp.

After making one necklace, and getting overwhelmed in the bead section of the craft store, I decided to make some more jewelry!



I ended up making 4 pairs of earrings and 3 necklaces in one day. I am excited now to dig up some old jewelry creations and add beading back into my crafting repertoire.

sweet sleep

The last time I had a bed was.... well, I think that was in college in an apartment that was already furnished. So it has been a while. Since then I have had a box spring and mattress on the floor of the 3 or 4 places I have lived since then. Now that I own a house, it is time to get a real bed. I had an idea. So I told my Dad about it. I found some silver colored furniture legs at Ikea, and Dad made the rest! Made of Maple and Ash (headboard), and stained with a cherry color. The frame houses the box spring perfectly. I LOVE IT!!

Before (gross):

After (pretty!):

Next, I will paint the bedroom and the adjoining vanity and bathroom. Check back for before and afters of that project later next month.