Christmas Crafts Continued

Shocking I know, another post! I have been so terrible about blogging this year but I am making up for it a bit with all of these crafty posts. Well, these little guys were another craft from this month's Martha Stewart Living and they've been a big hit with all of their recipients; my boyfriend's parents, my mom, my boyfriend and myself. They are so easy to make and the result is darling, I tied strings around them to make them into Christmas ornaments and put tinsel pipe cleaner trim on their hats for a vintage feel. My crafting supplies are a bit limited (since I am visiting family) but all this project took was scraps of felt and a couple of pipe cleaners. I found the toppers for their hats while looking around my mom's house, I snipped a couple of red and white "berries" off of her Christmas garland. It's not noticeable that they're missing and the elves appreciate their berry toppers.
Here's the tutorial to make these jolly elves.

Candy Cane Lane

This post has nothing to do with candy canes but it is all about candy of some sort. I saw this lovely little cupcake ornament tutorial and had to go out to the craft store and pick up all of the necessary items for these little confectionary snowballs. Mine did turn out a little bit overstuffed but I like them like that.

I just hung them up on the Christmas tree and they are quite cute.

I like to find inexpensive craft supplies, these foil liners were only $0.77!

I lined the walkway to the gingerbread house with cuppity cakes. My sister had the idea to put shredded wheat on the roof of the house to make it look thatched and the gumdrops on the front are surrounded with icing grout to look like a cobblestone front. I have been having a merry time around here in my crafting/baking paradise.

New Discoveries

I have been wanting to make Thai Coconut Lemongrass soup for some time now, but I was having the hardest time finding lemongrass stalks. Yesterday my manager at work told me about Allgreen Market, a grocery store that sells Asian and Latino groceries. Well, I certainly had fun in there yesterday! Not only did I find lemongrass stalks (for $0.39!) but I found an entire houseware section full of Asian goodies, the things they sold reminded me of my time in Korea. The soup recipe I made with the lemongrass turned out so delicious that I have decided to post it.

Tofu Coconut Soup with Lemongrass
4 cups chicken stock
4 slices peeled fresh ginger
1 large lemongrass stalk, cut into 2 inch pieces and crushed
Grated zest of 1 large lime
2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon red chili paste
1 package of firm tofu, cut into bit sized pieces
1/2 pound fresh enoki mushrooms
5 small fresh green or red chilies, sliced crosswise, paper-thin
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 Package of rice noodles

In a large saucepan, combine the stock, ginger, lemongrasss and lime zest. Place over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, add the coconut milk, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add the lime juice, brown sugar and chile paste. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tofu, mushrooms, and rice noodles and simmer until tender.
To serve ladle soup into warmed bowls. Float the chili slices and cilantro leaves on top.
Serves 4 to 6.

Yum!

I saw this cute little bunny bowl at Allgreens (it has a plastic cover for it too, for delicious leftovers) and dearest D. bought it for me. :) Isn't he nice?. I couldn't wait to put my soup in it, somehow that bowl made it just that much better.

These little Hello Kitty containers are also from Allgreens, they're the perfect size for my Healing Bar face soap from Union Street Soapworks

Christmas Crafting Extravaganza

I know I have been terrible in updating this blog but due to the copious amounts of crafting I have been doing, I have decided to create a mega-post. It has been a long time since I've made so many crafts and I thrilled that I have found myself making all of these cute projects in between working and going to school. The latest issue of Martha Stewart Living has been the source of inspiration for many of these projects. Martha Stewart carries a whole line of craft supplies at Michaels, her glitter is one of my favorites! Here my sister and I bought some clear ornaments from Michaels and covered them in glitter and hung them up with solid colored balls from her candle holder in the kitchen. The sparkle mixed with the solid is a nice mix. Here is another from the study, we added a wreath around the light fixture. This is starting to sound like a post about Michael's but since they accept competitor's coupons I was able to get this $$$ paper punch for 1/2 price! Christmas cards to add with all of our Christmas cookies that my sister and I give away. One of my favorite crafts from two years ago is this little ginger boy, I made him out of felt, used rick rack as icing and gave him little buttons with glittery pom poms. Another favorite of mine is this vintage inspired holly brooch out of the latest Martha Stewart Living (here's the simple how-to), they are easy to make and very cute. I've been having so much fun crafting this Christmas season and I'm not done yet, I plan on making these little elves too when my boyfriend comes down this weekend.

Riding the Rails

With Halloween right around the corner I've been trying to narrow down an idea for a costume, well I do believe I've decided on the perfect one... an old fashioned hobo. Yep, tonight while shopping with my sister at Target we stumbled across the perfect felt hat that inspired us to be old fashioned hobos for Halloween. I then proceeded to mention the costume idea to my boyfriend and now we are all going to be a happy little trio of hobos.


Oh to be a happy carefree hobo!


A few necessary hobo items, a five o'clock shadow, a kerchief knapsack, a beat up hat, patched up clothes, a can of beans, fingerless gloves, a bow tie or suspenders, a rolled up newspaper and perhaps a scruffy dog.




Hobo soup, who knew?

The Fruits of My Labor

Yes, the pun is intended. After two hours I managed to make this little strawberry cutie and she's sure to look darling adorning any cell phone. My mom bought it as a kit for me while I was in Korea, and after viewing this lovely blog, I was inspired to finally make my project a year later.
I wish my camera didn't take such blurry pictures.

Finally!

Well after a long absence I am back! I had a jammed packed summer, taking a bus across country, working at a summer camp and finally stopping off in Cape May, New Jersey for some end of summer fun. I finally got around to painting my gnome and dearest D. made one too. The rocks in my little garden are from the beach in Cape May, I tried to imitate this earlier post, and I must say I am pleased with the result.

World Traveler

I haven't travelled overseas in quite some time now, well I guess it's been only 5 months since I've come back from Korea, so I decided to venture to Thailand via my front porch today. :) I couldn't help but wear red lipstick, it is such a fun color, but I can only do it when someone isn't around...

Owl Always Love You

I made this for dearest D. a while ago, but I just now got around to posting it to my blog. I'm so glad that he likes it.

I saw a picture of an owl t-shirt, printed the picture, enlarged it, traced it with a Sulky pen and embroidered this zip up jacket for my appreciative gift recipient. Oh I love making things for people who like handmade projects.

Buttons, buttons

This bottle of buttons is on the shelf above my desk and I like to look at it whenever I sit at my desk chair. I just like the way it looks filled with all of those buttons. The glass bottle is from a little dessert shop I went to with my mom while visiting her in Seoul. It's called Passion 5 and the bottle was filled with the most wonderful custard. Too bad there isn't a Passion 5 here, then I could have more bottles scattered about my room filled with all kinds of little things.





This butterfly button is one of my favorites, I acquired many while at Dong Dae Mun with my mom. We took many jaunts into that wonderful crafter's paradise.



Another cute button acquired at Dong Dae Mun, too bad it came out so blurry. It's still really cute. :)

Oh Shakespeare...

Little did Mr. Shakespeare know that 400 years later college students would be dragging their feet in writing papers about his plays. I mean c'mon, do you really think he wrote Othello with the intention of people writing papers about it, or was he just looking for an honest living? I believe it was the latter.

Happy Spring!

Death to winter, long live the warm weather! I created this little doodle while not listening to the ramblings of fellow classmates during my psychology class. I was wishing that I was next to that cute little rabbit in the corner. :)

20s-esque

I had my eyes on these for quite some time, and I was surprised to see them on sale on Target's website. They came in the mail today and they are on my feet as I type. I feel like such a flapper, 23 skidoo!

Wasted Time

I thought it would be fun to make homemade marshmallows, I heard wonderful things about how delicious they are, and how they are so much better than store bought. Well, I used a popular domestic homemaker's (*cough*cough* Martha Stewart) recipe, and all I got was a sick-o gelatinous mess. I tried to eat one, but it was so bad I spit it in the rubbish bin. I was very disappointed. I will try making them again some day in the future, but I will NOT use that horrid recipe.



I found this sad little marshmallow on etsy.

Books That Strike My Fancy

I've been eyeballing these books for quite some time now, I just might have to go out and snatch them all up.



This book would be especially wonderful to own, I enjoy adding things to my "record of daily events" log (otherwise known as a journal), and having a book full of ideas and prompts sounds like a fun time to me.



I remember when the only craft books that I ever came across were dorky Carol Duvall-esque ones, full of strange creations made out of polymer clay. Thank goodness for books like these!


I seriously think that my college art class could benefit using this as their curriculum. Perhaps I shall suggest it.

On the Hunt...

I am looking for the perfect rock to paint a gnome on, this is more difficult than you might think. It must be smooth and triangular in shape. I came across this cute little clay gnome on etsy, and he is similar to something that I want to try my hand at making.


Yesterday, while walking across the Costco parking lot, I did find a rock but it looked exactly like a potato. I stuck it in my pocket and I walked around with it for an hour. I came back home, put it in the kitchen, and fifteen minutes later when I went back into the kitchen I thought it was a potato. No, a potato rock will not do.

If Only I Could Shrink

While perusing some of my favorite blogs, I came across this fun little garden-scape. Wouldn't you like to live here?




This consists of echeveria, hens and chicks, weeping rosemary, creeping thyme, a bonsai tree, a small mundo grass, kingsville boxwood, black fine sand, rocks and little bamboo sticks. I want to make one right now...

Impatient for Spring

Well, it is March, still a little chilly but I know spring is just around the corner. I wore a springtime dress with a big sweater to keep warm with on this frigid day. Please pardon the silly face, I took one quick photo before I left in a hurry for school.



Dress*Target
Sweater*The Korean Bus Terminal
Sparkle Tights*The Korean Bus Terminal
Shoes*Target
Sunglasses*Grandma's glasses from the 1960s

The Korean bus terminal is just that; a shopping terminal in a bus station in Seoul, Korea. Oh how I miss that place!

Baking Delectables

I realized that I enjoy making sugary treats in the kitchen, but that is all I ever seem to make. Well, that and biriyani. I think I need to graduate into making entrees. Here is a wonderful crepe recipe that I discovered over the weekend. They were surprisingly easy to make. Of course, I had to make it into desert by topping it off with homemade strawberry ice cream and powdered sugar.

It's That Time of Year Again

Well, tonight is the night before the day of my birthday and I will keep up the long standing tradition I have of summing up the past year of my life every birthday eve.

This has been quite an interesting year taking me all over the continent and into another country. I have lived in 3 different states and took quite an extended jaunt into Korea. I must say I miss Korea and every time I see a Korean with their cute fashion sense, I get a little bit sad.

This past year I finally went to summer camp. All growing up I remember wanting to go, but I never was able to. So I decided to work at one. I believe everyone should experience camp at some point in their life. The earlier the better, because once you reach a certain point, all the magic is gone. And you can no longer find fun in the simplicity of little things like fireflies and jumping in the lake with all your clothes on.

Of course I have saved the best for last. I really must tell you about the best thing that has happened to me in the year of 2008 and that would be meeting my dearest. Oh it is very true, he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am thankful that I know him, and I see him as my gift from a loving Father.

This was a good year.

Dummies and Dunces

Why is this world so full of these types of people? I do not know. 

Bye, Bye Myspace

Well I did it. I got rid of Myspace. You know I remember what life was like before I had a Myspace account. In fact I remember when I didn't even know what Myspace was. All of these social networking sites are getting a tad bit out of control. It's like we  don't know how to function without them and it's sad. What happened to writing letters? Oh if only I could get rid of Facebook too...

 

Belated Valentine's Day

I had such a delightful Valentine's Day, but sadly I was behind on mailing out my cards. I finally got them out today, yay! I purchased a pack of blank cards from Target for $1, rummaged around in my closet for some doodads, and came up with these lovelies. p.s. DYMO label makers are fun for adding personalized stickers.

 

Welcome One and All!

At the end of last year, I decided that I want to have my own personal blog once I become "interesting". My definition of "interesting" is to be cultured and accomplished, but I have decided that this is an ongoing process. So, even though I am not there yet, I am on my way. I have also created this blog before becoming "interesting" because it is a school project, so thank you Intro to Computers for speeding up the process! Stay tuned for lovely craft-related posts.