L Squared Studios

experimenting continues

2012-01-22T15:37:00.000-06:00

Here are two more digital scrapbook pages that I made today during my study breaks.

Template: Sketch 40 from Kitty Designs
Kit: Story Telling by Sahlin Studio

Template: Fuss Free: FreeBee 7 from fiddle-dee-dee designs
Kit: sweet as honey by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

-L

my first digi page

2012-01-21T21:05:00.001-06:00

Today I created my first digi page! I can't wait to have time to explore digital scrapbooking some more!

Template: Flight Plan 13 from one little bird
Kit: Design House Digitals Fall 2011 Blog Hop

-L

new eats.2

2012-01-17T08:26:00.002-06:00

Last night for dinner I made Rick Bayless's Enchiladas Suizas. This was my first time making a red enchilada sauce from scratch. They were delicious.

Over the weekend TK made maple nut ice cream. We both think this is one of our new favorites. It is from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook. I gave TK this cookbook for Christmas and we are excited to explore more recipes from it.

-L

December Daily 28-32

2012-01-16T10:49:00.001-06:00

This weekend I finished all of my December Daily pages. I'm very happy with the result and the memories captured. I still need to complete the cover - Thomas has "electrical" plans for it.

For days 28-30 I did non-date specific pages about the holidays.

Coverless December Daily Album 2011

28.12.2012

29.12.2012

30.12.2012

31.12.2012
I cut out this window from a Christmas card we got this year.

Day 32 01.01.2012

side tabs - I really love how these turned out
At the end of the album I put photos and select cards we got this Christmas in the mail.

20.12.2012

- L

share the joy

2012-01-14T08:43:00.001-06:00

Good Morning Weekend!

I've found some great treasures this past week on the internet that I wanted to share.

first:
A few friends have been linking to this video on facebook and it is amazing. I can't imagine all the work that went into producing it.

Their first project was in their own home:

second:
Stacy Julian had a great 5 on Friday post here. I love all the picks (especially the quote).

second.5:
Be sure to click over to the advice on starting the day by Seth Godin - very good words for the start of 2012.

third:
I'm digesting this post on creative practice.

fourth:
For dinner the other night I made Gnocchi Carbonara. It was delicious (what wouldn't be with cream, bacon, and cheese). We used store bought gnocchi this time around.

I've got my 3 day weekend task list prepped - now off to accomplish & enjoy!
-L

12x12 :: 01

2012-01-13T14:57:00.000-06:00

Here are my 12 photos from yesterday. Some of the photos were inspired by the list here.

If you are also participating in the 12 on the 12th project this year I'd love to see your photos.

- L

topped off

2012-01-12T08:32:00.000-06:00

Last night I finished the top of my quilt! I'm so excited to have this step completed.

Don't forget to take your 12 photos today!
L

12 12 12 12 12

2012-01-11T08:04:00.000-06:00

I recently heard about a project that I am excited to join! For a couple of years now people have been taking 12 pictures on the 12th of every month. I'm so glad I heard about this at the start of 2012 because I am excited to take 12 pictures on the 12th for 12 months in 2012.

I invite you to join me in the project. I think it will be a great way to record the everyday this year.
-L

new eats.1

2012-01-10T10:44:00.001-06:00

Thomas and I hope to cook something new every month this year.

Sunday we each cooked something new. I made copycat Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast. Thomas made America's Test Kitchen Skillet Jambalaya for dinner. The donuts were a bit much for just the two of us. The Jambalaya was delicious and a nice change of flavor profile from what we are use to eating.

2012

2012-01-04T09:10:00.000-06:00

On 11.11.11 when I realized we would be able to celebrate 12.12.12 this year I started thinking... how great is 2012 going to be with 12 months. I decided to separate my year into 12 goals - one for each month - which is great since it takes 21 days to make/break a habit about a month.

My January goal is drink more water.
I also have some other overall goals for the year that are more specific (like, finish my quilt).
Thomas and I have also each chosen a One Little Word for 2012. I did this last year but lost focus on my word. I'm excited to see what 2012 will be like since we both have a word.

I had fun creating this journal page:

I also started my year by turning all my hangers around backwards. I really want to shop my closet more this year and wear cloths I love instead of "saving them."

-L

December Daily 20-27

2011-12-30T17:03:00.001-06:00

Here are Days 20-27. I'm sorry the pages are blurry & the lighting bad but you'll get the general idea of each layout.

20.12.2012

21.12.11

22.12.11

23.12.11

24.12.11

25.12.11

26.12.11

27.12.11

- L

December Daily 16-19

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-06:00

19.12.11

18.12.11

18.12.11 - with insert side 1

18.12.11 - with insert side 2

17.12.11

17.12.11 with insert 1

17.12.11 with insert 2

16.12.11

-L

December Daily 12-15

2011-12-21T12:15:00.000-06:00

I'm plugging away at assembling my pages. I'm glad to have a bit more time to work on the pages - even got out my heat gun to do some embossing.

12.12.11

13.12.11

14.12.11

15.12.11

- L

December Daily 9-11

2011-12-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

I'm still loving this project and happy that I'm staying "current" with it.

I'd love to know what you are doing to record your holidays &/or what your favorite page of mine is so far - go ahead and leave a comment. (It's not scary)

09.12.2011

10.12.2011

11.12.2011

- L

December Daily 4-8

2011-12-09T17:07:00.000-06:00

04.12.11 (had to blur some gifts)

05.12.11
I really love my 5 embellishment. (I also love bacon and cream.)

06.12.11

07.12.11

08.12.11

I'm still loving this project and being able to really record what our lives are like right now. These are the kinds of moments and traditions I'm glad to get down on paper!
- L

God Gave Me You

2011-12-09T06:30:00.001-06:00

My cousin shared this video on Facebook and I enjoyed it so here it is for you:

Belmont students have come together to send letters and care packages to an adopted military unit as well as produce this video to share our thankfulness to the men and women who serve this country. The video is entirely produced by students.

Also if you have not checked out drawastickman then you should click on over and give it a shot! Super Fun!
-L

updates around here

2011-12-07T13:17:00.002-06:00

I've been working on a couple of updates to my blog. I hope that more will come over my holiday break, but for now please enjoy the following:

Podcasts I'm listening to :: updated on the top right
Instagram feed :: I mainly share my instagram shots through facebook and the programs built in feed, but I'm glad to have found a plugin for my blog. Instagram is a phone app that allows you to edit photos on the fly and share them. They have many cool photo filters and it is a fun way to document the quick happenings in your life. If you scroll over a photo it should show you my caption. Enjoy!

In other news:

The local deli we love now serves fancy cupcakes!

Maple Bacon & S'more

Thirdly: Thomas and I recently went to an alum event for Hastings College and there we were asked to shot short videos about our "Crimson Connections." If you are interested you can see them here & here.

- L

process

2011-12-06T08:33:00.001-06:00

Good Morning!

This weekend we finally got 2 prints that we bought in Minneapolis framed. We moved both the frames and prints with us but needed to cut the mats to fit. My amazing friend Nicole graciously and professionally cut the mats for our prints. Then a few months later Thomas put the prints in frames (this weekend). We have misplaced one set of the hanging supplies, so hopefully that will appear soon and we can get these hung up when we rotate our art after the holidays.

a shout out to Alison for patiently helping me find a couple of good memory prints over many art shows

December Daily - the past 2 days are a work in progress. Waiting for prints to be picked up and some ephemera to appear.

I'm really loving this project and how my album is turning out (after 4 days). I'm finding that I'm able to document parts of our life that are bigger then the holidays or just December. Capturing specifics from this point in our lives that I believe will be fun to remember in a few years. Some things I hope to record include: what our apartments look like, how we celebrate the holidays as a couple without kids, our routine, and what we eat, watch, listen to, and read.

Here is a work in progress shot from day 4:

- L

December Daily 3

2011-12-04T18:32:00.000-06:00

December Daily 1 & 2

2011-12-03T10:59:00.001-06:00

Well I've gotten the first 2 days of December Daily done and it feels good to be "up to date" so far.

day 2

day 1

I had these photos printed up at Walgreens for quickness and I wasn't very happy with how dark they turned out.

In other news - the sleet/ice has finally turned to snow which is much more fun and easier to deal with.

12.03.11

Perception, Taste & Priorities

2011-11-29T09:08:00.001-06:00

On Thursday I'm embarking on a project called December Daily. Started by scrapbooker Ali Edwards the project encourages participants to document moments of everyday life during one of the busiest months of the year. As with other projects, like the 365 photography project, it encourages one to stop, recognize, and document.

Over Thanksgiving, with my camera in hand, I was able to stop a few moments in time. Here are a some of my favorites:

yoga with Grandmom

parade

For one of my classes today we were asked to read the following article, which dove tails beautifully with my upcoming project.

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother was in a hurry, dragging him along, but the kid stopped to listen and look at the violinist.

Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin handcrafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1713 and today worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston, for which the average ticket price was $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The question posed for this experiment was: In a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written on one of the best musical instruments ever crafted, how many other things are we missing in our journey through life?

The Washington Post

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Thankful for family

2011-11-28T07:58:00.000-06:00

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving and were blessed to share it with family!

-L

fabulous birthday video

2011-11-14T18:18:00.000-06:00

wonton tacos

2011-11-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

I made a version of these delicious tacos for lunch today. I used some pork butt we had left over for the meat and used another version of the dressing then the website recommends. The first batch I made I let them get to crispy the first time in the oven and in turn they were hard to stuff.

These would make a great game day treat.
- L

11.11.11

2011-11-12T08:29:00.000-06:00

An e-newsletter I receive recommended celebrating 11.11.11 by taking 11 photos. I thought that was a great idea, and ended up with a nice summary of our Friday. I think I will end up making a "day in our life" layout with these. Enjoy:

- L

early baking

2011-10-30T08:39:00.002-05:00

This morning I got up and made some Halloween cookies, early in the morning not early in the holiday season. I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest.

I followed this recipe for prepping the dough, though I did choose to roll out the dough a bit after cutting the block slices.

I found some sprinkles by the food coloring in our baking box and loved the added sparkle.

For the cookie dough I used the Wilton sugar cookie dough - it doesn't need to be chilled which is a plus.

-L

leaning into

2011-10-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

My friend Emily posted recently about taking time to let moments soak in, and I took her advice to heart. Last Friday night there was a beautiful sunset and we took time to pull over and enjoy it. The pulling over was really so I could get out and photograph it.

One of my favorite artists recently posted this on Facebook:
Carrie Newcomer :: Listen to your life - What is your life telling you today. so often we talk to our life and tell it what we want. but what is your life leaning into? what is your life saying today?

- L

getting started

2011-10-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

At last count I have 11 Christmas projects to produce in the next 11 weeks. Yet when my fabulous mother came for a short visit last weekend we spent our time together preparing me for my new craft project... a quilt. I'm calling it Quilt 1.0 and I'm loving this project. The colors are yellow, purple, and gray.

Below are two pictures of my progress thus far, please note that these blocks will still go through some more changes before the quilt is done but I wanted to share what I've been working on.

my first 2 blocks

- L

whale humor

2011-10-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

I found this on Pinterest and wanted to share because it is hilarious.
-L

owl Karma

2011-10-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

You know that a) you are loved and b) maybe people know your obsessions way to well or you have made them too obvious - when you have 2 surprises in the mail - days within each other!

So two days ago I got a wonderful little package from my dear friend Alison. (stop and go look at her blog now in and then come back to the story - because she deserves some serious blog love) I opened up the envelope to find this treasure of an owl necklace! Isn't it lovely. I was super excited and thought about how I totally need to do a post on how awesome Alison, owls, surprise mail, and my new necklace are!

Then on my way home this afternoon, while rocking my new necklace, I checked my mail and found a box addressed to me. I carried it home, like a little treasure tucked under my arm, while contemplating what I might have ordered that would be coming in this box. I got home and opened it to find this amazing owl shirt from my even more amazing mother-in-law. So I promptly put the shirt on, with the necklace, and took a photo to share.

Isn't it cute! Can I just add that I took the photo myself, because I was home alone, and that meant I took about 15 photos to try and get a good shot of me and the inanimate objects. Even though another shot had more of the shirt and me, I choose this shot because it reminded me of my favorite senior picture when I was poking my head around the corner of a wall.

Anywho (get it whoo like an owl) back to the Owl Karma Love - Thanks for those who are amazing and brightened my day with some wonderful owl love!

Now I'm going to pass the Karma and mail love on...
heart & blessings
-L

Nicole Gustafsson

2011-09-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

I love that we now live close enough to my good friend and amazing artist Nicole Gustafsson that we were able to attend her recent opening reception in Nebraska City. Nicole and I went to college together and have remained good friends since graduating. I encourage you to check out the links below to learn more about Nicole and support this amazing artist.

Nicole blogs about her process, work, shows, and life here.
You can see more of her portfolio here.
I also highly recommend you check out her etsy store that features original paintings as well as greeting cards and her new hand sculpted brooches!

Here are some photos from her show Through the Thicket at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, NE. This show will be up through October 20 and is worth a drive to wonderful Nebraska City.

Nicole and I at the reception!

If you have ever been to my apartment you know what fans of Nicole both my husband and I are as we often refer to our walls at the Nicole gallery!

Keep up the great work Nicole, it is always exciting to see what your creative energies inspire.
-L

help....

2011-09-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

I've never been amazing at fashion.... so I'm turning to you - my blog readers for help...

I got this vest recently and now I'm perplexed about what to wear with it.... What would you wear under it, over it, with it?

Thanks for any help you can give.... please comment
- L

let the countdown begin...

2011-09-17T10:36:00.001-05:00

One of the blogs I follow mentioned yesterday that it is 100 days to Christmas and posted a link to a tip/countdown blog.

I've started to think about different gift projects and decorations ideas. I guess it is time to start acting on those ideas! (I'm also hoping that if I use up some supplies in my stash then I can justify some of the beauties I've been eyeing...)
-L

Lemon Drop Jello Shots

2011-09-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

Greeting Friends :: I know you have been waiting for a while for the recipe to the beautiful lemon drop jello shots I made over the 4th o' July. Well here it is. They were a bit complicated but much more delicious then just using lemon jello.

Lemon Drop Jelly Shots (Adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen and Machessmo)
Makes about 25 squares in an 8×8 pan.

Lemon Syrup:- 4 large lemons, cut into eighths
- 2 Cups water
- 1 1/2 Cups sugar

Shots:
- 2 Cups lemon Syrup (you may have some left over)
- 1/2 Cup water
- 4 envelopes gelatin (1 ounce)
- 1/2 Cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
- 1 1/2 Cups vodka
- Large raw sugar for garnish

The use of the lemon peels added a wonderful touch of class. I used the peels from the lemons used in the simple syrup. A muffin tin added support and kept them from tipping over.

- L

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TK!

We celebrate round 1 of Thomas' Birthday over the weekend with an amazingly delicious lime cake that his mother made for him. The celebration will continue later today.

Thomas made salted carmel ice cream to accompany the ice cream!

- L

my first mini albums

2011-09-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

This summer I made my first two mini albums for family members. They are 6 by 6 and I loved the process and result. I can see myself making more of these in the future. They are great for themes - such as focusing on a person or puppy as I did or an event/trip.

Tip: I did find that using 2 sided paper made them much faster to put together.

- L

NE Nature

2011-09-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

- L

Old Trustee Days 2011

2011-09-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

Thomas and I went to Old Trustee Days 2011 this past weekend. It is an antique and collector tractor show. The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time.

"the chicken" that had been looked forward to for a couple of months

beautiful surprise!

2011-09-08T16:55:00.000-05:00

The Blue Angles were in town today practicing for their air show on Saturday and Sunday. I spent a wonderful bit of my afternoon watching them from my apartment. Best shot of the day was when they flew over us! Incredible!

Hope they practice again tomorrow.
-L

goodbye August

2011-09-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was going through our August photos preparing to back them up and I came across a few to share. I have a couple of excited things planned for my blog this month so be sure to check our or add me to your reader!

a forming Nebraska storm at sunset

my Goodwill deals :: canning jars and a new vest for fall

a mini for our new neice

a mini for our nephew pup

These were my first 2 mini albums to make and I loved making them! I see more of these coming soon.
- L

No-Knead Focaccia

2011-08-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

Last week I made some no-knead focaccia to go along with our dinner one night. This recipe is very easy, but note you start it the night before you want it (or early the morning of) because it needs 14 hours to rise. I did not note this so we had it a day later than I planned. Also you will notice there is no fat in the recipe so it goes hard pretty fast. We used it the next day for the bread on our grilled cheese and that worked great. I also would say you could freeze whatever you did not use day one and then broil it with some garlic butter and cheese for a nice toasty side. Budget Bites where I got the recipe is a recent find and I'm enjoying it.

Enjoy! - L

Tomatoes! o' the tomatoes

2011-08-20T12:17:00.001-05:00

Thomas and I had the chance last weekend to go and meet our new niece, Holly Ann. While visiting family my brother and sister-in-law graciously gave us some tomatoes out of their garden. "Some" does not accurately describe the bag full of fresh goodness we received. This week we put them to good use on 4 recipes!

1) Summer Squash with Tomato and Basil - we paired with bierox

2) Tomato, Basil, and White-Bean Salad

3) Simple Cherry Tomato Pasta (we added squash and zucchini)

4) Roasted Tomato Basil soup paired with homemade Focaccia grilled cheese (more on that soon). I added garam masala and dill.

Enjoy!
-L

Klug Spicy Pretzels

2011-08-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law's mother brought these delicious spicy pretzels to a potluck and they were amazing and addicting. I finally made some this weekend and they did not disappoint, only disappeared.

Mix together: 1 cup veggie oil

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 pkg. Hidden Valley

Put pretzels in a jelly roll pan and mix. Bake at 200 for 90 minutes. Stir 1/2 way thru. Spread on paper towels to dry. MMMMMM so good!

-L

pinterest inspired

2011-08-05T10:12:00.002-05:00

I saw this super cute pillow on pinterest and I loved the colors and idea...

so I made this new home card.

- L

eats

2011-07-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

roasted chicken - my first to cook

made 2 pie crusts

1st was for the quiche planned

2nd I used to make some pumpkin pie
(very delicious use of extra pie crust and it also makes a great breakfast!)

- L

2011-07-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

TK found this video on YouTube and shared it with me and now I pass it onto you.
It is an arrangement of hymns in honor of our alma mater's retired college president, Dr. Dudley.
Enjoy - L

peaches and a puppy

2011-07-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago TK and I got to puppy sit our nephew pup Titan. We had a blast! The weather was a bit cooler (then the heat we have now) so we took the opportunity to grill some brats and peaches. For the "grilled peaches with goat cheese & balsamic vinegar reduction" we used this recipe. We did find though that the peaches needed a bit longer on the grill and we added the cheese to them while they were still on the grill.

delicious!

-L

Roller Derby

2011-07-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, Thomas & I hit up the local roller derby with a friend. It was fun and a new experience for all of us.

- L

chicken, owls, and fireflies

2011-07-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

chicken off the trigger grill

one of three owls that spent a couple weeks in Thomas'
parents back yard

my firefly shot - i tried so many times to capture the beauty of all the fireflies
they are so fast and their light so dim it is a hard shot to get

Peace - L

Holiday Update: 4th of July

2011-07-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

TK and I enjoyed a wonderfully long 4th of July weekend with family back at the "farm."

I was loving the gradation of green on the grapes right now.

experimented making Lemon-Drop jello shots in real lemon peels

visiting the corn

Titan being spoiled with biscuits and gravy for breakfast!

This was my first 4th with my new DSLR and I had read up on some sparkler tutorials.

TK & I

Sara & Jeff

Sara sword fighting

peace

around here

2011-06-23T07:54:00.001-05:00

prepping rhubarb for freezing

eating pizza with my cousin

Peace - L

Weekend Update - extra edition

2011-06-22T07:06:00.000-05:00

While hanging out with my friends we went to some beautiful places so of course I want to share some non-people photos too!

Let me know which one is your favorite. (I love getting comments.)

Peace - L

Weekend Update - Friends Weekend Edition!

2011-06-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

This past weekend some college friends came to town to visit and we had the most wonderful time!

Arbor Day Foundation - Nebraska City

Thanks for visiting!
Peace - L

Gretchen's Famous Scones

2011-06-16T07:09:00.000-05:00

My wonderful and talented friend Gretchen hosted a crafting party a few months back. She delighted us all with wonderful scones and was kind enough to share the recipe. Well forward a few months and I finally made them and they were amazing! Not only is the flavor refreshing but they don't take much time and are doable in a Saturday morning fog.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2 c flour
2 T sugar (I usually omit)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c butter at room temperature and cut into pieces
2/3 c butter milk or sour milk
1 egg

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Cut butter into dry mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Beat buttermilk and egg in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients and stir with fork until mixture comes together (don't over stir). On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 5 or 6 times (don't overwork). Form dough into a circle and transfer to a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. With a sharp floured knife cut the dough into wedges but not separate.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes until golden brown. Excellent sliced in half spread with butter, jam, marmalade, honey or just about anything. If you have leftovers the next day slice the scone in half and put it in the toaster to warm it. The microwave is also an option, but the toaster is my favorite.

Options
Spoon dough onto cookie sheet for biscuit size servings.

Cheddar-Chive
Reduce sugar to 1T
Stir in 1/2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1T chopped chives

Bacon-Pepper
Stir in three strips cooked and crumbled bacon and 1/2t cracked pepper.

Thanks for the wonderful recipe and friendship Gretchen!
Try these out and let me know what you think.
Peace - L

Pinned Inspired

2011-06-15T08:20:00.002-05:00

I continue to spend time on Pinterest both pinning my own inspiration and looking at others. I'm also trying to use those inspirations in my everyday life. Here are two ideas from this last week that turned into action.

1) Seasoned Roasted Chickpeas

After making the chickpea patties last week I had a few cooked beans left sitting in the fridge. Then I came across this pin and was inspired to roast my own. They turned out very delicious and make a great snack. The two sites I used for recipe ideas were here & here.

chickpeas roasted with olive oil, cumin, chili pepper and cinnamon
(ps - I'm kind of proud of the lighting on this photo)

2) I've been working on being more intentional about looking polished with regards to my wardrobe. I noticed that a lot of the fashions inspiration I was pinning included adding accessories. I have 3 different necklaces that I often rotate between, so I decide though to pull out the old jewelry box and go for something different. I loved the added color and texture.

This is a necklace I got from my grandparents when they traveled in Italy.

Peace - L

Weekend Update - Celebration Edition

2011-06-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we were able to go with Thomas' parents to Omaha and help celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary!

It was a wonderful weekend!

Peace - L

around here

2011-06-13T09:56:00.000-05:00

my succulent is trying to live

I'm working daily on a secret project...

Peace - L

Haute Dish

2011-06-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

One of the restaurants on our list to try before leaving the cities was Haute Dish. So right before packing up for good we headed to downtown Minneapolis for some good eats.

On their website they describe their restaurant as:

A UNIQUE CULINARY CONCEPT THAT BOTH EMBRACES AND REINVENTS CLASSIC MIDWESTERN CUISINE.

Course 1:

STEAK & EGGS

- STEAK TARTARE, EGG IN A HOLE, BLOODY MARY OYSTER SHOOTER

Lindsey's Main Course:
MAC & CHEESE - KING CRAB, TALLEGIO, TRUFFLE

Thomas' Main Course:
DUCK IN A CAN

They can the duck (in a metal can) at the restaurant and cook it in the can. They then bring out your plate with a pile of mash potatoes and open the can in front of you. Then the duck and its fillings are set on top of the potatoes. Talk about presentation!

Lindsey Dessert
Cheese of the Moment

Thomas Dessert
Banana: garam masala, mango, habenero caramel

Overall we both enjoyed the food and atmosphere and would recommend Haute Dish to anyone looking for some unique plays on classic food.

- L

Pinterest - Fashion

2011-06-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend my mom has a craft date inspired by Pinterest. (Pinterest is like a set of virtual bulletin boards where you can collect "clippings" from around the internet. You pin a reminder image from the page to a board and it links back to the original article/idea.) It is really easy to collect ideas for hours on Pinterest without actually using any of them and I'm trying to avoid that.

I found this Garnet Hill t-shirt knock-off tutorial on the main page of Pinterest. I've been looking for some new shirts for my wardrobe and this looked like a fun idea. My mom and I edited the pattern a bit and we're both thrilled with the results.

My mom and I in our new shirts!

a close up of my mom's creation

I've also been trying to come up with some new fashion collection paring ideas and trying to get out of my blue/black shirt rut. I was inspired to create a green leaf detailed shirt by both the tutorial above and the "fashion collection" below that was first pinned by my friend Alison.

lesson learned - green shirt with brown shorts = good idea

detail

Happy Pinning - L

Long Weekend...

2011-06-01T08:35:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Thomas and I took a nice short road trip to see my parents. We had the most wonderful long weekend with them.

Saturday we went to Greensburg to checkout the green rebuilding efforts and also see the 9/11 Flag.

my mom adding her stitch

The National 9/11 Flag will become a part of the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum being built at the World Trade Center.

Sunday was a blistering hot and windy day - a great day to go 650 feet underground and tour the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. It was a wonderful exhibit that we'd highly recommend to anyone!

An example of an area where the roof had a layer fall.

What comes down - Stays down.

Parts of the mined areas have been turned into storage areas used by organizations around the world. It is mild humidity and naturally temperature controlled. Hollywood stores many original movie reels here as well as famous props.

My mom and dad preparing for the tram tour.

Thomas choosing his piece of salt.

The New York Herald from the day announcing Lincoln assassination.

The mine is still active and this is a view through the visitor lot to the active part of the mine storage.

- L

Foodie Update

2011-05-27T08:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a delicious few days around our house!

strawberry rhubarb pie
I made two and they turned our fantastic!

Made this last night and recommend it highly! Please Try!
Curry Egg Salad

Lastly, I was home yesterday afternoon when the FedEx man delivered this box. I wondered "Could it really be cupcakes? Did someone really send me cupcakes?"

the inside box

And the wonderful surprise inside! DELICIOUS mail!

Hope to start posting more regularly.... L

Nephew Pup

2011-05-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

I got to spend some time this weekend playing with our nephew pup Titan. He is so cute and funny!

Titan with his Mom

We have gotten all moved in and settled. Just have a bit of organizational adjusting to do!

I also noticed that this is my 600th post so thanks for staying along for the ride.

- L

Bees @ UTS

2011-05-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today our 2 new hives of bees arrived at United Theological Seminary. Below are a few photos from the day! (more photos & info to come soon)

one of the new colonies

preparing to remove the queen

-L

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

Picture April 23/30

This was what I thought would be Picture April 23/30 but
Thomas and I decided it was to "typical Lindsey" format

Easter Brunch!

BACON!

My Parents :: Easter 2011

I'm loving the grain mill reflection in the Guthrie.

TK & I :: Easter 2011

My Mom and I :: Easter 2011

I really like this group shot on the
escalator at the Guthrie.

Picture April 24/30
The large reflective panes on either
side of the window made for a great
effect!

Como Rain

2011-04-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

An advantage of going to Como early is the mist resting on the foliage.

- L

Update...

2011-04-22T08:10:00.001-05:00

Having you been following my picture April project and Alison's 365 here... if not you should click on over. I'm really enjoying practicing with my new camera!

Some girlfriends and I had a crafting day a couple weekends ago and our end product, baby shower invitations, have been distributed so I can post them here now. I got to use my new scallop border punch - LOVE IT!

scrap peacock

Last week Thomas and I went to a Twin's Game - it was fun & they won!

box seat - dessert cart

It is a rainy Good Friday - off to Como Park!
-L

Link Love

2011-04-10T08:21:00.001-05:00

Check out the video here for a Japanese cell phone. Amazing.

Find some color inspiration here at Design Seeds.

Check out this blog dedicated to all things OWL! who knew?

09/30

- L

2011-04-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

06/30

07/30

08/30

Follow Alison's 365 and my Picture April over here too...

05/30

2011-04-06T07:17:00.000-05:00

-L

2011-04-04T20:21:00.000-05:00

03/30

04/30

Watch Alison do 365 here along with my picture 30 April project.
-L

Picture April Day 2

2011-04-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

02/30 - "thaw"

alternative shot

Today, on the suggestion of a friend, TK & I checked out a new park in the area where we live. We were very impressed by the visitor's center. It is less than a year old and has an art gallery and coffee shop. Spring is in the air so we even had time to walk around the park a bit.

- L

1/30 Picture April

2011-04-01T19:10:00.001-05:00

1/30 - hope for spring

I need to start using my new camera more regularly so I can develop some mad photo shooting skills. So for the month of April I will be posting a photo a day. Practice, Practice, Practice...

-L

... I've been busy

2011-03-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

Pinning!
That's right. I'm hooked on Pinterest! Check it out when you have plenty of time to poke around because organized inspiration abounds.
- L
(if you'd like an invite - let me know)

The Book Surgeon

2011-03-05T08:54:00.000-06:00

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

A friend of mine saw a link to this article about Brian Dettmer on a mutual friends facebook page and emailed it to me. Amazing work, check out the article and interview for information about how he does this. Plus Brian's webpage and flickr stream for more images and info!

-L

(this website is great for creating slideshow from Flickr to embed on a blog)

uploaded

2011-02-26T08:34:00.001-06:00

I finally got around to uploading photos from the past month to the computer. I'm LOVING my new camera. I love getting to know it, aperture priority, and how little editing I have to do once I upload the photos. So below are a few highlights from February:

Our first coffee bean harvest. We froze the beans with hopes that with next year's
harvest we'll have enough for a whole cup of coffee!

--- We're Eating: Breakfast Potatoes ---

This past month we have been on a breakfast potatoes and eggs kick. They are easy and delicious, yet we hadn't had them in months. I've been trying to pay more attention to the flavor combinations we like when we are out a restaurants and bringing those into our cooking. The chef where I work melted brie on some potatoes a few weeks ago and I was inspired to jazz up our potato dish at home.

I wish this double yoke would have been on Valentine's Day.

Potato's with melted Brie

Potatoes, Brie, and Eggs

Jazzy Breakfast Potatoes
- Preheat oven and cast iron skillet in 425 oven
- Peal and cube potatoes. Soak in water for 20-30 minutes
- Dry and season potato cubes (we use Old World Spice Blend from Penzys Spices)
- Put potatoes in hot skillet and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice
- Once potatoes are about cooked - add sliced brie (the rind is wonderful warm) if you want (TK prefers no brie) to the potatoes
- While the potatoes are finishing, cook some eggs over easy
- Enjoy!

--- ---

Thomas and I before an event for his company.

--- Valentine's Day ---

"Flowers" I got from TK

Me enjoying the flowers. They were delicious.

- L

Magical Ending

2011-02-13T10:52:00.000-06:00

Day 3:

We spent the morning at Magic Kingdom and afternoon/evening at Epcot.

Check out that standby time: 5 Minutes!
This is why you get to parks early and go in the winter.

Us during a "work break."

It rained all afternoon while we were at Epcot. We had made dinner reservations at Norway where we got to dine with the Disney Princesses! I'm pretty sure we were the only adults there with out young girls but the food was good and the princesses entertaining. This is me with Arial.

The rain stopped just in time for the evening fireworks show. Most people had left at this point so Thomas and I got front row seats in Canada.

Day 4: Animal Kingdom

3D Glasses for "It's A Bug's Life"

In the petting zoo the lama wasn't as interested in me as I was.

Expedition Everest! Ended up being our favorite ride and we rode it multiple times. The ride was even better at night.

Animal Kingdom Parade

Day 5: Hollywood Studios and the Disney Boardwalk

The photo may not be perfect but we all know that Thomas enjoys learning about Walt Disney.

Cat Cora's restaurant was delicious!

I hope to share some more highlights later in the week but at least this gives you an overview of our whole trip.
L

a link

2011-02-09T07:13:00.000-06:00

My friend Alison shared this link with me and I thought that some of you who read my blog might enjoy. (FYI- It is not a movie you need to click the forward button after you are done with a slide.)

Have a great day.
Lindsey

Magic - Day 2

2011-02-08T07:56:00.000-06:00

I am trying to get all of our trip posted as quickly as possible. I did go back this morning and add some context to our Day 1 post if you'd like to view a few captions to those photos.

Our second full day at Disney was also my birthday. They even gave me a button to wear and people were wishing me a happy birthday all day long. We spent the day at Magic Kingdom and had a wonderful dinner at the California Grill in the Contemporary Hotel.

The PhilharMagic was one of our favorite experiences.

Dinner at California Grill

The view of Magic Kingdom from our dinner table.

Our delicious cheese plate.
(also note the confetti since it was my birthday)

Birthday Candle

After dinner we hurried back to the Magic Kingdom just in time for the fireworks.

- L

all lined up

2011-02-05T12:19:00.001-06:00

I was making some succulent bacon wrapped pineapple shrimp earlier this week for dinner and while I was prepping the different components I realized that they were all lined up ready for action.

Thomas got into the dinner photo shoot and took some action shots of me wrapping the shrimp and pineapple.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other foodie news: On Sunday Thomas made these delicious glazed pork chops from our America's Test Kitchen Cookbook.

There was a lot of work to catch up with after being gone a week, so I am still busy sorting through all of our Disney photos and hope to post some more soon!
- L

Magic - Day 1

2011-01-31T20:28:00.001-06:00

We spent our first full day at Epcot - catching the good rides early (thanks Alison for encouragement to hit up Mission Space!) & then exploring the different countries.

We also had a nice sit down lunch at the Coral Reef restaurant.

It was hard to narrow it down, but I believe these pictures are a good summary of our day.

England - We got to the worlds part of Epcot before they opened and spent some time soaking up the sun on a bench in England. It was wonderful and a nice quiet moment in an otherwise busy park.

Soaking up some sun and relaxing in England.

Our first sit down dinner of the trip. This is the restaurant that has the aquarium as one whole wall.

I had Mahi Mahi and Thomas had Lobster Ravioli.
It was delicious!

In Morocco - Which turned out to be one of my favorite countries.

Entertainment in France.

Beer in Germany.

A sweet treat in Norway.

It will quickly become clear that we spent a lot of time walking and a lot of time eating!

More soon...

- L

Magical

2011-01-30T07:59:00.000-06:00

Since I have not been very good about the consistency of my blog updates you might not have even noticed the silence over here for the past week. This time however we were doing something very exciting, some might say magical, that kept me away from the blog. We spent the last week relaxing, celebrating, and vacationing at Disney World. As you can imagine I took over 1,000 photos and it will take me a while to sort through them but wanted to give you a glimpse into our trip now. I will be posting more soon!

-L

3 Day Weekend

2011-01-18T06:59:00.000-06:00

I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a 3 days off this past weekend. Thomas and I spent time together doing our usual weekend routine Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, with Thomas off at work, I was able to get in some quality girl time.

Two of my friends from grad school and I met for brunch at Victor's 1959 Cafe. We enjoyed some relaxing conversation and delicious cuban food.

The Kaylas

mmmm... yuca

Early in the afternoon Alison and I met up for some photo taking at Como Conservatory. I'm still working with my new camera and all the different adjustments. On a stark winter day it was nice to be in the lush humid conservatory. It is also nice to get to practice photography with a good friend. Como is always busy with people taking in the green, and their rotating exhibit wing is never empty for the "classic" Como shot. Except for yesterday at 1:20 pm when we walked in to find the room empty. We both hurried to get a few frames shot before people wandered in, and they did about 2 minutes later. While I'm not totally happy with the focus of the shots, I love that I had the opportunity to get something I've never gotten in all the times I've been at Como.

a "classic" Como photograph

I hope to find some time to work through a few more of my favorite shots this week and get them up here soon. You should also make sure you go and see what Alison captured.

Week In Review

2011-01-10T07:14:00.000-06:00

Thomas and I before our New Year's Dinner @ Piccolo
My favorite dish: Smoked eel with hearts of palm, radish, cilantro and lime
Thomas' favorite dish: Scrambled brown eggs with pickled pigs feet, truffle butter and Parmigiano

I had to work Saturday but came home to some delicious french cooking.
Coq au Vin

and for dessert - Cream Puffs!

In other news, our coffee tree is putting on some beans! We might have enough
for one cup of coffee soon.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T08:03:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well I had over 500 photos to sort through... but here are some of my favorite from our Christmas get-away! We had a great time with my whole family! Enjoy in no particular order...

2010-12-22T16:05:00.001-06:00

I'm going to be taking a little holiday blogging break.

Have a wonderful holiday!

-L

delicious holiday

2010-12-20T07:55:00.000-06:00

Thomas and I on our way to Pat and Alison's Holiday Party

Caramel Corn - inspired by NPR
Thomas does love his holiday candy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is what we call delicious teamwork.
Thomas made the pasta & filling - I assembled

MMMMMmmmmmmm
Goat Cheese Ravioli with a Creamy Walnut Sauce

ravioli posing with our new tea pot

- L

como under a new lens

2010-12-19T06:59:00.006-06:00

Christmas came a bit early this year - I got a new camera!

The day after the camera arrived - Alison and I headed over to Como.

It was my first day with the camera, but I feel like I got a few good shots.

a glimpse into another world

The sloth at Como was actually awake and full of un-sloth energy.

Neither Alison or I had ever seen him move so much.

I've got so much to learn - yesterday I got through 70 pages of the owner's manual.

-L

BRRRIED

2010-12-12T09:25:00.003-06:00

Why yes... we did get some snow...
I'm not sure what our total is here, the wind was blowing so an accurate measurement is unavailable. I'll probably be able to report back later once we have dug out our car. The reported total is around 16.5 inches in our area.

Thomas noticed this nice ice dam forming outside our bedroom
window yesterday afternoon.

This photo is a good illustration of the amount of wind we had,
notice the wave of snow at the bottom. Around noon yesterday
we could see less than a block from out of our windows.

Our lovely ice dam, glimmering in the sunlight this morning.
It really grew over night, probably not a good thing.

and a side view

Our neighbor braving the cold temperatures in an attempt to snow blow
his drive way. The snow was taller then the intake of the snow blower.

The storm has been followed by some very cold arctic air. It is currently -1 with a wind chill of -22.
We are so thankful to have had a warm, safe place to weather this storm. This is the biggest snowfall from one storm for the cities since 1991, when they received 28.4 inches on Halloween. If you'd like to follow along and read more about the storm I recommend our local NPR station's Updraft Blog. You can also see more pictures from St. Paul on my friend Alison's blog.

*note: blog post title was the headline of the paper today, and was reused at the suggestion of Thomas

----------------- -------------------------- ----------------------------- -------------------------------
AN UPDATE - Sunday at 12:30 PM CST

Digging Out the Car Edition

November 2010

2010-12-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

Our first big snow fall of the year - early November.
This past Friday we had another large one 12.3.2010

Thomas with all of his "Darkness" gear.
We went to the opening celebration and got the shirt and glass
but had to wait a few days for the actual beer.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Nebraska!

The whole crew.

Thomas with Titan, his sister's puppy.

Thomas and I at Thanksgiving, but I labeled Christmas.

I've done a bit of crafting.
I got some new white ink and experimented with clear
stamps (the key is the white eraser primer). Also I'm
loving my new large clear block with sponge feet.

Used my new embossing gun on some Thank You notes.
Thomas designed these and I created them (have to make
sure that doesn't become a habit or I'll have a lot of work
to do.)

One of our new Christmas banners.
This is one that my friend Alison and I worked on after attending
an art fair and feeling the need to be crafty. We went to a 2nd hand
craft supply store and got everything we needed for both signs
for $7! The wood is the back of laminate samples!

Some of our Christmas decor.
Some seasonal Nicole art to go with our Nicole gallery!

Our Christmas shelves, including our budding Creche collection.

What you should be doing Sunday night...

2010-10-25T17:19:00.001-05:00

Last night Thomas and I watched the first of the three part series (hopefully eventually more than 3 part series) on PBS of Masterpiece Theatre SHERLOCK! It was amazing, so amazing that I looked at my watch hoping it was going to lasting longer.

I had seen an ad for it on PBS earlier last week and then saw this review on NPR which gave it a rave review. From my research on the BBC it appears that they will be producing more since the first three have been a hit on the other side of the ocean.

Did you happen to NOT be watching PBS last night, fear not!
1) The next two Sundays the next two episodes will air. It is on at 8pm in MN, it appears 8 pm in NE and KS too.
2) For a short time you can watch the first episode online here, and be ready for next Sunday.

I have always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, and I thought the most recent movie was pretty good (though a bit too da vinci code for me). I also enjoy Masterpiece Mystery, thanks to Thomas and my mother-in-law Suzanne. This combination of the two in the first episode of this series, that tracks the meeting of Homes and Watson, blew me away.

I hope you all enjoy as much as I did!
-L

Weekend Update: Denver

2010-10-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went to Denver to see my brother and some college friends.

It was a great time!

My Brother and I

Matt and Nicole @ Red Rocks

- L

L Squared Studios

experimenting continues

my first digi page

new eats.2

December Daily 28-32

share the joy

12x12 :: 01

topped off

12 12 12 12 12

new eats.1

2012

December Daily 20-27

December Daily 16-19

December Daily 12-15

December Daily 9-11

December Daily 4-8

God Gave Me You

updates around here

process

December Daily 3

December Daily 1 & 2

Perception, Taste & Priorities

Thankful for family

fabulous birthday video

wonton tacos

11.11.11

early baking

leaning into

getting started

whale humor

owl Karma

Nicole Gustafsson

help....

let the countdown begin...

Lemon Drop Jello Shots

Happy Birthday!

my first mini albums

NE Nature

Old Trustee Days 2011

beautiful surprise!

goodbye August

No-Knead Focaccia

Tomatoes! o' the tomatoes

Klug Spicy Pretzels

pinterest inspired

eats

peaches and a puppy

Roller Derby

chicken, owls, and fireflies

Holiday Update: 4th of July

around here

Weekend Update - extra edition

Weekend Update - Friends Weekend Edition!

Gretchen's Famous Scones

Pinned Inspired

Weekend Update - Celebration Edition

around here

Menu

Haute Dish

A UNIQUE CULINARY CONCEPT THAT BOTH EMBRACES AND REINVENTS CLASSIC MIDWESTERN CUISINE.

STEAK & EGGS

- STEAK TARTARE, EGG IN A HOLE, BLOODY MARY OYSTER SHOOTER

MAC & CHEESE - KING CRAB, TALLEGIO, TRUFFLE

DUCK IN A CAN

Cheese of the Moment

Banana: garam masala, mango, habenero caramel

Pinterest - Fashion

Long Weekend...

Foodie Update

Nephew Pup

Bees @ UTS

Easter Weekend

Como Rain

Update...

Link Love

05/30

Picture April Day 2

1/30 Picture April

... I've been busy

The Book Surgeon