Monday, April 20, 2009

Earth "Day"

Why should there be just one day dedicated to the Earth, our home and life line? We should live every day respecting the planet and as the old girl scout camping motto says, leaving it the same if not better than we found it.

In any case, it just so happened that my beloved grocery tote that I made a few years back is dying a slow death. It has carried about all the gallons of milk that a bag made of an old plastic tablecloth can possibly carry. This time, I decided to make one out of some more durable fabric accented with some fantastic vintage curtain fabric that was recently "scored" by my fabulous mother.

This bag, like the last one holds an entire load of my groceries (albeit for one person, mostly) and makes it so I only have one trip from my car to my door.

More bags to come...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

the.cookroom

Come stop by my new blog, the.cookroom dedicated to food. I will feature recipes, reviews and more so check it out!
See you soon.

Bailey

Monday, March 23, 2009

Estate wars

The battle is on mom...and I think I win.

Just a few pieces from the estate sale I went to yesterday.


A soup tourine. Not the most practical but quite beautiful. I will have to have an occasion to serve soup.


This is a Fire King buffet casserole designed by Georges Briard. He was a famous designer in the 50's, 60's and 70's. This casserole set has a gold base with wooden handles and a clear glass dish with gold embellishments and is signed on the top. This is a rare find indeed.


This little glass flower dish was too cute to pass up. I'm undecided on how to use it as of right now...it could be a good soap or jewelry dish.

Some salad servers that spoke to me...plus:
  • an ottoman that needs to be reupholstered (before and after to come)
  • an old pyrex measuring cup (for my morning green tea)
  • a tablecloth (probably from the 50's)
  • a canister set
and drumroll please...all for $20. Now that's what I call a good day.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

My Secret Garden


Something that has always been a dream of mine is to have a garden full of beautiful flowers, vegetables and herbs. When I was little, I even tried this at my childhood home to no avail. Some things, like gardening do not come naturally to me. Therefore my goal this growing season is to have a successful (which by my definition means alive) garden.

The secret garden was always my favorite, the mere thought of escaping into your own secret place and getting consumed by it always seems to heighten my imagination. This is my own secret little oasis I want to share with you. It's modest but I'm in love. I think that I will spend my days out here dreaming away.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

While I've been Away


Just wanted to give an update as to where my journeys lately have taken me. Above, as you can see are pictures of a Fredericksburg wedding that we did a few weeks back. It was really beautiful and both the church and vineyard (for the reception) turned out to be fantastic venues. This was the first wedding I have been able to be a part and I fell in love with the process.

The wedding ceremony was in the Catholic Chapel right off Main Street. It was ideal for a wedding because the entire inside was painted white and really made all the flowers pop. This chapel was build in the very early 1900's so it also has alot of history behind it.

The reception was held at Becker vineyards in Stonewall, TX right outside of Fredericksburg. This also turned out to be incredible and beautiful as you can see in the pictures. We incorporated the rosemary and lavender grown there in the vineyard into the floral arrangements for a genuine touch (it also made the room very fragrant).

After the wedding to relax, I went over to the wine tasting and sampled a few of the many wines that they produce. To my surprise (I really shouldn't have been) they were fantastic. Becker vineyards is one of the better known Texas wine producers and have a vast selection to choose from. Unfortunetely, many of them are not readily avaliable at your local supermarket. In any case, I bought six various bottles and will definitely be buying more in the future.

Other than Fredericksburg, I've also been in Houston twice and also home to Austin (finally...it had been about 4 months). All of which were fun but I am glad to be home and looking forward to getting many projects up and moving.

Now I leave you with my Posey...

Monday, February 9, 2009

Soup for Healing

Today I am sick. What I crave when I feel down is my mom's chicken noodle soup. Of course it isn't the same as having her prepare it for you but it is pretty simple to make, which is good since you don't feel well. I even have ideas to make it even easier if you, like me live by yourself and don't have mom to make it. It is so simple and delicious...no canned soup could ever compare or work as well!


Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Free range chicken breasts (skin on, bone in)*
4 ribs of celery, split in half and chopped**
2 carrots, chopped**
1 clove garlic, minced
1 32 oz box low sodium free range chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 bag thin egg noodles
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot and add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. While chicken is searing, chop celery, carrots and garlic. Make sure you sear chicken on all sides. Once seared, take chicken out and add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and pepper. Cook until celery is becoming translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken back in and cover with stock and water.

Raise heat to medium/high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover, cooking for 45 minutes.

Take chicken out of broth and let cool slightly before handling it. When you are able to touch it, hand shred the meat, discarding skin and bones (they have already done their work). Add back into soup, along with the noodles and raise heat to medium. Cook for 8 minutes until noodles are tender. Taste and add seasoning if necessary.

Set off heat and have ready for whenever you need a healing bite to eat.

*The chicken I get comes from the Dallas Farmers Market and is raised in a healthy and natural manner. In a pinch I would seek out chicken from Central Market or Whole Foods where they are careful to buy meat that is also raised appropriately. Once you have cooked and eaten natural farm raised chicken you will not turn back.

**Of course, organic and local vegetables are wonderful in this soup. In a pinch, substitute 1 1/2 cups of both celery and carrots from the grocery store salad bar. When you're feeling horrible, this will eliminate extra time standing in the kitchen.

I suggest making this soup anytime you or a loved one feels down, or even if you just can't get warm during winter time. I guarantee that this will lift your spirits no matter how bad you feel. Thanks mom for sharing the recipe...I'm sure I will use it for the rest of my life, it hasn't ever let me down so far.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Mannequin Carnage

Shot at the warehouse this morning, there is something fascinating to me about nude realistic mannequins (some are based off of real people you know). Like models, no matter how messed up they are, they still photograph beautifully.