tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31692611905313118592024-03-05T00:55:15.124-08:00Curious OysterFood, travel, arts...and whatever pops into my head.Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-11858688407147348722009-12-14T19:41:00.000-08:002009-12-14T19:43:10.856-08:00Moving BlogHi all!<div>I'm moving my blog to WordPress. Please click <a href="http://curiousoyster.wordpress.com/">here</a> to get to the new blog site. Thanks!</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-34691665257526172992009-12-11T10:33:00.001-08:002009-12-11T10:42:45.610-08:00Canadian Style<div style="text-align: left;">I had no idea that Canadians could be so stylish. Not that I've ever really given that much - that is, until I ran across <a href="http://www.houseandhome.com/">Canadian House & Home</a> magazine online. With so many of my favorite magazines going under these days, I was thrilled to find this one! (Let's keep our fingers crossed that this beautiful magazine does go the way of Gourmet or Cookie or Blueprint.)</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-nXFi9A3VZtPYdD-KwzSAcIOyzr7WLWWt8SitgKI36xDDRRn6sTKGPuEa__hjQ8-sUvHWir0a8_KKQWQvkdf4dgpyisQqS3yMOcKeNX4MvonVUnImrOLo2zmD5K1ZmZ7mWw3GmaYWKg/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414050674510422962" /></div><div>Assistant Style Editor Michael Penney has a blog on the site called <a href="http://www.houseandhome.com/blogs/affordable-style">"Affordable Style."</a> Love it! He's described as creating "prosecco-and-crostini rooms from a beer-and-nachos budget." What a descriptive description - I know, I know, that sounds dumb, but you know what I mean.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can bet I'll be taking tips from him!</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-90940981966574460852009-12-10T12:28:00.001-08:002009-12-10T12:52:39.087-08:00Blustery Beach Vacation<div style="text-align: left;">We had the wonderful opportunity to stay the weekend with some friends in <a href="http://www.oregoncoast.org/index.php">Lincoln City, Oregon</a>, a few weeks ago. You might not think that this would be the best time of year to go to the beach, but in Oregon, any time is a good time. Considering the water is never warm enough to really swim in, even in the middle of summer, winter offers some beautiful scenery and great weather watching.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZ0LdaPoHBKhotwNDo5HXPk-uEL9FNho4NCYLN5IZuM7BZdIMpONxWP5mbhHwBhb3CD0XmXcrU-7NZwZ7Jhyg3C5NSkyJVRZwZsiO9X9Pl5SzGmqgLxMu7TQo0JQQS_cNP6qojg8GE_A/s400/IMG_8220.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413710690038897634" /></div><div>Our friends built their house this year, so it is brand spanking new - and gorgeous! They call it the Knee Deep Beach House - cute, huh. My friend did a great job decorating and furnishing the place. It's a great example of how if you take your time, you can put together a modern, fresh home on a budget. She bought most of the furnishing from places like <a href="http://www.ikea.com">IKEA</a>, <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/home/index.jsp?cm_mmc=Google_New-_-S-Brand_S-Cost_Plus_World_Market_Exact-_-search_4575789333-_-cost-plus+world+market_Exact%7C-%7C100000000000000057162&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000000057162-_-4575789333">Cost Plus World Market</a> and <a href="http://www.tjmaxx.com/">TJ Maxx</a>. But you'd think that it came from much more expensive stores.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQyx9pwglJx7V0iAG16OTYZWrggMQzdAHQErHfJ3xxJLXyDueyOD_G8iBzPUhZFWk1beBkL5G09LZdcscuWKX1VYAzCLcxzet92sW2CNKsJnWFyoIdQG61qIOpU03hAtkHEkH0qQe8nY/s400/IMG_8240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413711277220989474" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 354px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2B39MnZ3RDJv42wowDnjMFnrVtiREv4Wcktjl8FkQqXkNcgwv5GP04_W3ssz04EPCt_7D7pdFG8Rs6ZSfQCmZLlnwPFYHn7j28Wc3zxXsXLaLxJMrmYJDIPEkECKOCVp-jnBLfFWz_s/s400/IMG_8223.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413711269661128994" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1VAoHDWBX8QUNStLE7SrZ_zgbdRq1dpd9MqBopQqtdNxDB4W3zZhYT0xGILZIMR4rAPDDs-k2Wc4nHRIg5_UUr2PAjkfKDNFLqWnWMUMLq_znioa9I1blUw9QQFxW-v1ed7dmI-Na0U/s400/IMG_8221.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413711257979843138" /></div><div>The house is just over the bluff from the beach so it took only 3-4 minutes to walk there. And though it was a little chilly, we had a blast looking at the tide pools and dodging waves. They <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/264720">rent the house</a> out, so I'm sure we'll be back lots of times!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFfQm_EM84q-crxANsgm0UQrMr2osU0pLlZ1UM0N5P302_KCWUuC8e-oLEql7cKaL07yleTwkp7rOxS51FhTEe5d24mF_Vaupr4x71O_TFeZL0MYryVrUDotWvi3SLdxaPn4QtS3nZg4/s400/IMG_8246.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413710676296997442" />Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-38079513918501872362009-11-29T13:36:00.001-08:002009-11-29T13:55:58.202-08:00Let the Countdown Begin!<div style="text-align: left;">My kids keep asking when it's going to be Christmas and since I hate spending a lot on money on Advent calendars that you open one time and then toss out, I've found a couple free, printable Advent calendars that are modern, stylish and take almost no time to put together. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hope you like them as much as I do!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>This one is from <a href="http://www.mibostudio.co.uk/#">Mibo</a>, a UK-based design studio. They have cool paper projects that are downloadable for a small cost - and some that are free, like the <a href="http://www.mibostudio.co.uk/#/free-advent-calendar/4537002233">Advent calendar</a>.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_qtywcNdnQD3hKt1xFDop_WRDIKdPnSfd8TMgfvZWZY_K6djXoNt_odwI0MOFp6sRDufjyd4j0MeJguUxuzHIU7qPi21dVhWVz02w-_aGqgWBJl3lYZ6Da8ErI_ueSUbkIhfsLz_Fl8/s400/Advent+Calendar2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409646542927438866" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And this one is from <a href="http://www.cequejevoeu.com/boutique_us/liste_rayons.cfm?code_lg=lg_us">Ce Que Je Voeu</a>, a French children's pajamas designer/maker. Their website is in English as well as French, but the blog where the <a href="http://cequejevoeu.over-blog.com/article-le-calendrier-de-l-avent-de-cequejevoeu-39772446.html">free downloadable Advent calendar</a> is is only in French. But no need to break out the high school French texts (yes, I kept mine), just click on the calendar to download.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAEPBq3nvhKSV-c4JNmvn5U188pD9vs2AUBSYHHacWiWkwQM85amm00840pp9wZNvjHqBCcSZMDZgy63wAh5y05JtLJhqyvljyJOpf0CqJ1505iAy4_Wh9TF4XNuhEkjaP9fRw7TigUE/s400/calendrier1fit.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409644975001573682" />Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-74385395301047230222009-11-27T20:44:00.000-08:002009-11-27T21:23:31.713-08:00The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This blog has become a confessional of sorts for me. First, I told you about my travel bug, then my obsession with bunnies. Did I mention my penchant for fabric? How 'bout handbags?</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh the handbags...I can't stop myself. Even after I started <a href="http://www.alysev.etsy.com/">my own small handbag business</a> (did I mention I love fabric?) a couple years ago, it has been impossible for me to not buy a few gorgeous leather handbags that have crossed my path. I just hear them calling my name.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"They" say that you should be your brand when you own a small company. My brand is modern fabric handbags. Yes, I carry bags that I made quite often and love it when someone comments on them - I even give them a business card! But you can imagine my guilt when the urge hits to carry the new <a href="http://www.katespade.com/home/index.jsp?&cid=">Kate Spade</a> light blue leather handbag that I just purchased during the online sample sale (60% off - love it) or the pink leather <a href="http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/home.jsp">Cole Haan</a> beauty I got at Nordstrom for a steal.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just can't "be my brand" all the time - alright?! I love leather, and I'm not afraid to say it.</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlPkl7xdWTbPwShzdOlshl-kSAIYvIWcuuHLkwnvk7Ld7PvmF_kqTo_onjy_MMySLlqCzLMw-ANXmlU_Ca2wc0VywjRVNZwlzJyy5JpzI3t15mrCb8stsqjbym_BVOWsBRWAcU7by9A8/s400/media.nl.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409020743966449730" /></div><div><br /></div><div>So why this confession now? Because I went to the great handbag store today in Northwest Portland called <a href="http://www.ellingtonhandbags.com/">Ellington</a>, and I just need to share. It's local and fabulous! They design very stylish leather and nylon twill bags which are very well made. I had Ava (who is almost 3) with me today at their Sample Sale and all she kept saying was, "Mommy, I want a bag!" Yes, dear, I do too!</div><div><br /></div><div>There's an awful lot out these days about shopping/buying local. I'm all for it (don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.alysev.etsy.com/">my shop</a>!), and I'll be sure to shop at <a href="http://www.ellingtonhandbags.com/">Ellington</a> again!</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-87945943818638977742009-11-19T13:59:00.000-08:002009-11-19T14:30:52.863-08:00Awe-Inspiring Photography<div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes I have these moments where I realize that I am really lucky. Maybe lucky isn't the correct word. Sheltered. No. Modernized. Yes. Boring. Kind of. Where am I going with this?</div><div><br /></div><div>I love watching <a href="http://travelstotheedge.com/"><i>Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge</i></a><i> </i>on PBS. He goes to these amazing places and takes these amazing photographs. </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf2aZuJRqZJ-hdbt2ycZ4uU8Ya5MBcq4nkWjqEJF7srE3ENLjmsZNI7Ex0dmFHSYXxH8qTLSmkkh0yAKeg6f0CGYakOjiMs50e3MU3DjWTzADF7KU156mbToT0z84AfQviqBbuavqqII/s400/aw_bio2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405943827114365506" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Today, I caught the "Ethiopia: The Omo Valley" episode. He traveled to some of the most remote country in the entire world. The lives of the villagers that he visited are so completely non-Westernized that it was said that the people in one tribe did not even know that they lived in a country called Ethiopia. It was truly amazing to see cultures so unlike mine. So primitive. So pure. So uncluttered. Where it warrants an elaborate celebration for a successful harvest season. Where men from different villages still battle each other for the hearts of the women.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.artwolfe.com/index.html">Art</a> said that he was not there to document the cultures like many photographers or anthropologists do but rather to document the artful body painting, body adornments and ceremonies. He made mention that these tribes have no museums or galleries or even living rooms to hang art, but it is on their persons that they derive art and culture. I don't know why this struck me as so powerful, but it did.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpSvt67hO4kc3jsnV0wqxNfifOnkjwVVSep7DdlEHJ-8KwQZ6LLHr3NW43yfnsrqzbGuvtuBmnujdmNcfOFXo4zqvZ3pIEBpC0cHHBdVurjPeEk2gyvJ7bSiM_a5t21bJsm2WoLk1Tlk/s400/GP1049.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405944587799322690" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The cultures are truly beautiful in my eyes. It's that they know nothing different. And, it seems, if they do know different, they choose to live the way their ancestors have for thousands of years. Incredible. Interesting. Beautiful.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you haven't seen Art Wolfe's show, you should.</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-804565777568724732009-11-06T16:32:00.000-08:002009-11-09T08:31:50.421-08:00Girly But Not Cutesy<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I certainly don’t consider myself an interior designer, but I sure have fun trying out my hand at it at home. I recently switched the kids’ rooms around. I moved my son into the old guest bedroom and my daughter into my son’s old room. The first order of business was painting. I do enjoy the end product, but, boy, I hate the hassle of preparing a room for painting. But that’s another story - I seem to have a lot of “other stories.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 397px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQLjeB2nkaekjlwdCnkolTwyUm5vA3xBuzsyYtxG7yZ8Mfq73S9nx-iH3JfdvJUYLnYnTUMd-nuqnA0tP7-mptT6x-03pOiFnqXqFi8HCUgw0vXv2IIX7Jhq_dvDyT94WouM9tpSjRT0/s400/IMG_8127a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401153698681180802" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Anyhow...Ava will be three in a few months and moved out of a crib and into a “big girl” bed this summer. So it was the perfect time to switch rooms and redecorate. Ooh, redecorate! Ava told me that she wanted a princess room. Pretty typical for a two year old. But I just can’t stand the thought of too many frills and Disney princesses. Since I have an obsession with fabric, I figured I could satisfy her taste for girly while keeping it sophisticated for my taste. And since she’s not really old enough to object to my ideas...I win!</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Spranq eco sans'; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I decided th</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">at pink walls were OK. Not too pink though. I chose a </span></span><a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com:80/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=fh_mm_hiddenPage&np=public_site%2Fapplications%2Fmultimedia%2Fnatura"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Benjamin Moore Natura</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> paint (No VOCs) in super light pink (forgive me, I forgot the exact color name). It’s light enough that it almost looks white in bright sunlight which I find to be very nice.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">My hubby and I have always like to collect original artwork so when it came to art for the kids’ rooms, I had some great pieces to choose from. I really like the idea of instilling appreciation for art into the kids from an early age.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Spranq eco sans'; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Side note: I took the kids to the the </span></span><a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> this past summer and was so thrilled when Emerson, who is 6, decided he wanted to spend some of his money on art for his bedroom. Granted, he only had about $15, but he looked around and chose some cards and postcards to buy from artists that he liked. I let him make all the decisions and pay the artists. It was neat to see what art struck him.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 397px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iYY8ysKXEcwd0hpLrSjWAOMelPKkxZ6t9_utrvF6S_JSnrq1G4LKdlANLKt28jyuQ9EpNMse-fokNWC7hMRPSTXSuahQQe4wMPXS1H3-PPSFvycf_lD_RGzxaptrsPDCHlhBxThnS2s/s400/IMG_8141a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401154203613470514" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So in Ava’s room, I decided to hang a painting we bought back in 1999 in Minneapolis. I think it was at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design student art sale at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It was a long time ago. But we loved a piece called “oh poo poo” by </span></span><a href="http://www.kurthalsey.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kurt Halsey</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Who can resist a flying bunny pooing? Again, the bunnies - I just love them! It’s such a great painting. Whenever we show it to someone new, they don’t even notice the trail of rabbit poo until we tell them the painting name. The artist now lives in Portland, Oregon, I just learned. He’s showing some of his work at a place in Portland called </span></span><a href="http://sweetpeabaking.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sweetpea Baking Co.</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> - I’m going to have to go check it out.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwqeD7M5l0JBpGCf-e0UmGY9ejI2IEXjlS0_6h7EWiPp3DbVGntc-kOt9KM45Qq2xeIRUgB4hU5ChFCQJdXKJdr4WQpWev2G4oCajlVryhrCfPOCkVxkizbTVHTDXpFSNJ30KNgks9c8/s400/IMG_8147a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401154495941485042" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Another piece I have in Ava’s room is a hand-embroidered wall hanging by a woman I met at the Craft-In in Newberg, Oregon, this past August. She and I were vendor neighbors. Her company is called </span></span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/bobetsy"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">bo betsy</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and she makes the cutest hand embroidered art. I was thrilled to get a wall hanging from her, and it looks great in Ava’s room now.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqYvEtv478Qj8R-xp_jQn5tWjoK3s3R4nhMr2gL5zqekpgNthlWYwvvYWKpl6cW1Ox-ANoFlfa7aw1qvLX2OMP2lixUUE7hIST7dTF4BGIpJ2_0KpWTPN07tuSG8YIZ6icCjwX7MRRSg/s400/IMG_8126a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401154926822076114" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I’ve also tried to put some special knickknacks in her room to counter the plethora of plastic toys and general junk kids accumulate. On the dress, she’s got a wooden Pinocchio we bought in Italy in 2000, an antique book my mom gave her, a pair of wooden Dutch shoes from my great uncle, and a milk glass chicken from my grandmother. And though, the lamp isn’t a family heirloom, my husband picked it up in an antique store many years ago and it definitely goes with the aesthetic I’m going for.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd4pqhkj-wgRMbupScVNQfjhJdFF3ZeyxSPUP8EOkP6nfSKKm1eBWoZ_4r5-0cktcrslkg9X1YgtqHke9LnVYblaajWIiH-QuNDDTLGs-jhnwt_iLNZFwcz_2GtYBBd3MeXsNMzbyj6M/s400/IMG_8158a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401154932187388226" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The room’s not quite done yet. I’m waiting for Ava to finish potty training so I can get the huge changing table out and move in a toy chest I got for a steal at a garage sale this past summer (the hubby is anxiously waiting getting the “prime real estate” in the garage back).</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I hope you enjoyed my little tour. Have a great weekend!</span></span></span></p>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-46732745209861694072009-10-25T10:27:00.000-07:002009-10-25T10:29:15.998-07:00Artichoke Dip: A Mission for Yummy Goodness<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Years ago when I lived in Minneapolis, my husband and I would go to this eclectic little restaurant and bar called the Loring Cafe (it unfortunately closed a while back). It was one of those bars where they had live music and comfy sofas and chairs to sit on - of course thinking back you probably wouldn’t want to see those comfy sofas and chairs during the day when their Goodwill-ishness would rear its ugly head. Things like that seem to take on a hip quality in the darkened, mood lighting and after a few drinks. But I digress...</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIvTky4fmuI3_N_7GAyXuTvQ63W1Q9VYLjWzs0v35N73nvEu0f2FZPpYImf71GF-MkcxyNZNAO6z_CHBD1K7XbHGvyBVyaGrv-EvAjtxAElqbdkOtX9W9ug1r8TGizdVBPAHOid890SA/s200/Artichoke+Dip.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396590795291145970" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The restaurant though was delicious. And the best thing on the menu in my opinion was the artichoke dip. Good artichoke dip is hard to find. Often it’s too creamy (too much mayo) or too oily. Or people throw in spinach. I like spinach but not in my artichoke dip.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So one time, we asked what was in the dip. The waitress was very cordial and started telling us the ingredients, but with the caveat that they make it in huge vats so the portions she knew wouldn’t make much sense if you wanted to make it at home. She obviously didn’t know how much I loved artichoke dip.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After that, my husband and I made it our mission to recreate the Loring Cafe artichoke dip. It took years, literally, of trial and error, but we finally perfected it. Now I feel that I owe it to the world to share what I feel is the best recipe for artichoke dip.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 cup real mayo</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Use the best quality you can. Sometimes the really inexpensive brands can get a bit oily.)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 8-oz package of frozen artichokes, thawed and roughly chopped</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Pinch of red pepper flakes</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 tablespoons diced green chiles</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 garlic clove, minced</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Salt and pepper</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Don’t bake for much longer than that or the mayo starts to break down and get oily. Twenty five minutes has been deemed the optimal time. :^)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Do enjoy!</span></p>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-47286636206683399602009-10-22T17:59:00.000-07:002009-10-22T18:08:32.173-07:00Bunny Love<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYd6thNPMlXgmHRfaZj3buYzbm5ZTDrE9grQg55H8txte-z8_VQBdBk982F4NCuzrYBgiQkcRcVaZtWH7r72kYk9JC7vaQyGcDezn-SWtHps2PI5Xqc3dvkY1mgfYyIaJ6rf7ecdlWIY/s200/il_430xN.95693238.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395594156163349538" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m a sucker for cute bunnies. When I was just a wee lass, I started a rabbit collection. My sister collected mice (not real ones, of course) so as a little sister, I had to have a collection too. I don’t really know why I chose rabbits, but I’m still a sucker for cute bunnies. Though I have scaled back my collection considerably as to not be considered a wacky adult woman with rooms full of collectibles - and I try to find more artsy renditions.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">But alas, I just can’t help myself sometimes. I was browsing <a href="http://www.etsy.com">Etsy</a> not long ago and came across an artist named <a href="http://www.noosed-kitty.blogspot.com/">Jamie Fales</a> who draws the cutest bunnies EVER. She has such great talent and imagination and puts clever twists on animals and sweet-looking little children. How can you resist a Zombie Bunny or a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31252862">Boston Terrier Mummy</a>? Or one that I bought - a bunny sitting in a bucket - “i prefer to travel by bucket”. How cute is that?!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So cute, I had to get two!</span></p>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-62754101415449358482009-10-19T12:38:00.000-07:002009-10-19T12:49:31.490-07:00Animal vs. Food Scouts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NCCch-HZJ_9W7MJ51a-ROYKFw7rh8mct8BmtOgwDBCkXjR5Xwf5R0qb5DT2AyPht9JLlgoamQMSkJT_DQSKwxn8qYI7u9Xbhwosa3fPEsxrIUfTDo__ThYiRhUQvbuZ-QGS1ZVh0Ntc/s1600-h/IMG_7816.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NCCch-HZJ_9W7MJ51a-ROYKFw7rh8mct8BmtOgwDBCkXjR5Xwf5R0qb5DT2AyPht9JLlgoamQMSkJT_DQSKwxn8qYI7u9Xbhwosa3fPEsxrIUfTDo__ThYiRhUQvbuZ-QGS1ZVh0Ntc/s320/IMG_7816.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394400018809044370" /></a><br />My son just joined Cub Scouts. It seems like such a wholesome, Americana thing to do. My husband calls it paramilitary with the salutes and handshakes and pledges and all, but my son just thinks it's cool because he'll get to shoot bows and arrows and bb guns - such a boy thing.<div><br /></div><div>Yesterday, we were in the car and he asked about Girl Scouts.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm a Tiger Cub and the Boy Scouts have Bear Cubs too. What do Girl Scouts have?" he asked.</div><div><br /></div><div>"When I was your age I was a Brownie Scout," I told him.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Oh, so Boy Scouts have animal names, and Girl Scouts have food names," he concluded.</div><div><br /></div><div>How cute! "Well, not exactly," I explained. "Brownies are a type of fairy."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Like the tooth fairy?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"Kind of."</div><div><br /></div><div>"So if a brownie fairy comes after you lose a tooth, she'll leave a brownie under your pillow instead of money?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Seems logical in a 6-year-old sort of way!</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-12327301254786591412009-10-17T15:52:00.000-07:002009-10-20T15:11:13.165-07:00Juror #248<div><i>WARNING: I get a bit long winded. Please forgive me.</i></div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71CNTJyI3tzoEONCG1yfqQ8TXbkmiDN2HCnPKVZgawAuSHeY8Pa43yhd3b4iumZqIru57O8Hx9lxnzVJ-LYr9gSqG5rH825D7v-SClYUvnlNJlHmhC5sJMu3n1-NfIWJHRGd2yM0IW9c/s200/sc010aee14.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394807908085262754" />Jury duty. Hmm. I'd been called twice before. The first time was for jury in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I had already moved to Phoenix. It would have been a big commute so they let me skip it. The second time was when I lived in Phoenix, but I was eight months pregnant, and they told me they didn't want me going into labor at the courthouse, so I was excused.<div><br /></div><div>No real good excuse this time. I had mixed feeling about the whole idea of jury duty. I might be cool to see how the whole process works, but not very cool to sit around all day knowing that I probably wouldn't be picked for anything. Alas, I got my butt out of bed early Thursday morning and headed over to county courthouse. I had to be there by 8 a.m., which is about two hours earlier than I've been forced to go anywhere in the last two and a half years. I know, boo hoo.</div><div><br /></div><div>After passing through security, I headed to the basement of the courthouse to the jury waiting room. Never had I seen such a diverse group of people. There was a woman who looked like she had just come from the gym in her spandex capris, a huge man in a huge sloppy red t-shirt and sweats, a guy who, if he had been wearing a hoodie, would have looked exactly like the Unibomber, business people with their laptops, a college girl who looked scared - you name it and he/she was probably there. I also took note of how quiet the room was. I know that we were all strangers, but I don't think I've ever been in a room full of adults that was so quiet.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the juror orientation, I settled in with my book (Dan Brown's <i>The Lost Symbol</i> - really good, by the way). I figured I'd have lots of time to read and might even finish it up; however, two pages into reading, the first bailiff came into the room and began calling names of people to head up for the first jury selection. What was that? Juror 248, Vordermark. That's me!</div><div><br /></div><div>As I stood at the side of the room, I could see the look in other jurors eyes - part "you lucky duck," part "argh, I have to sit here even longer now." But I was thinking, "Awesome, I'll get to go home early!" If I only knew.</div><div><br /></div><div>The walk from the bowels of the courthouse to the third floor was ominous. The ceiling was so low in places that I had to duck my 5' 11" frame down so I would take a blow to the head and have to sue the county! There were pipes and beams along the stairwell walls. It was obvious that the basement was not originally meant for daily occupancy or for people over 5 feet tall.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fater climbing three flights of stairs, we arrived at the jury room of Courtroom 303C. Eighteen adults in a 20' X 20' room with 13 chairs. If I thought the jury waiting room was quiet, that was nothing compared to this tiny room. Strangers all waiting for the unknown - it was a bit like a social experiment. Those who weren't looking at the old magazines on the table were just looking around at each other, trying not to make eye contact. If this weren't a non-competitive task, I'd say we were all sizing one another up. People probably were suspicious of me as I was looking around at all of them and then scribbling furiously in my little notebook (so I could write this!). Oh well, that's just what I do. I'm juror #248. Boy, did I need my chai.</div><div><br /></div><div>So after a few minutes we were all led into the courtroom. I was asked to sit in the front row, center. Good view, I guess. Both the prosecutor and defense attorney seemed really young and nervous. They asked the potential jurors questions. Some people answered more than others. I spoke a little but not too much. Then decision time came. It was sort of like the draft. The judge asked the attorneys to make their first picks or rejections. One by one my front row bench mates were sent home. "Woo hoo, I'm going to get to go home early!" Wait, wait. "Mr. X, please take the first seat in the jury box. Miss Vordermark please take the seat next to him."</div><div><br /></div><div>Me? Did the judge really say my name? Yeah! I mean, Boo. Yeah - the girl with glasses finally got picked for the basketball team. Boo - I don't get to go home early like the other lucky bas*@#ds. So the final jury count was five men and me. So I'm the only one with boobs and am by far the youngest by at least a decade. So it goes.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the sake of not being long-winded (is it too late?), I'll cut to the opening statements...you know how we're all human and tend to make snap judgments, well it's hard to not do that as a juror. But I got over it pretty quick. As I sat there listening to the prosecutor, I was thinking, "Easy. Case closed." Then the defense attorney spoke. "Oh, you mean there is another side to the story? Hmm. What now?"</div><div><br /></div><div>The case involved two criminal misdemeanors having to do with domestic violence. Great (said with sarcasm).</div><div><br /></div><div>The hardest part of the whole day was listening to a 911 call from the defendant's wife. She was sitting calmly and unharmed in the witness chair while it was being played, but her voice was terrified in the call. My eyes began to well up with tears. But I'm a juror...poker face, poker face. I kept telling myself that the woman was safe - she's OK. Don't cry. How bad would that look? The sole female juror starts crying. I suppose the prosecutor would have eaten it up.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was interesting sitting there listening to the witnesses (police officers, the wife, the defendant) and hearing how stories drastically changed from the night of the incident to the day of the trial. We, as jurors, had to figure out which of the evidence to take as fact. It was quite an overwhelming feeling. You are making decisions that are going to affect people's lives. In the end, we found the defendant guilt on all counts. It was a hard decision, but the right one to make legally.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took away a new found respect for the legal system and the jury system in particular. You have to keep emotion out of it. There are strict legal guidelines that must be followed. But thank goodness for that.</div><div><br /></div><div>My civil duty has been fulfilled - at least for two years!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-79074152579066962722009-10-12T12:49:00.001-07:002009-10-12T12:58:47.649-07:00Minimalist Family Tree<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I confess. I’m a home decorating magazine and TV show junkie. Most of the time I see wonderful projects that would look great in my home, but often my actions stop there. I wish I had the time to pull off even a quarter of the projects I see on TV or rip out of magazines. (You should see the “idea files” I have. Think heaping file folders overflowing with inspiration. Sad, really, that they hardly ever get to fulfill their creative destiny!)</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_1m3AMGbXC9mMIuQ7w1NJKb7DPMQ59BN49DQ2_WRwm3W0Q38vl-mfb0ZXzEdqq0YjFdz4sr8a2AWhCOuKfWR_gydgdxG1nv2BLnfxAoBt84qLLASuPpCgnX8gwVchEKpl-ip7VXREvo/s320/IMG_7829.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391804281542740610" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Though, if I think about it, I <i>am</i> a bit crafty, at least with simple projects. I think it was in a magazine like Domino or Blueprint (two of my favs that went under) that I came across the idea of creating a “family tree” with small blank canvases, printouts of old </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">family photos and decoupage.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It’s very minimalist, but I think it’s a great way of highlighting the photos rather than their frames. It’s also minimalist in execution - print photo, glue onto canvas, let dry, and glue over the top.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It <i>really</i> is that simple.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Here’s what you need:</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">* Blank artist canvases (I use 8” X 10” ones.)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">* Decoupage glue (I use Mod Podge but plain white glue works too.)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">* Paint brush (I use a small foam brush.)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">* Photos (Don’t use originals.)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px">First, use your computer’s photo editing program to crop and enhance your photos to your liking. I used the “sepia” coloring effect on all my photos for consistency. Some of my originals were black and white and some were color, so using the sepia color made them all look like they came from the same era.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5hxuqy1p2iZGGPkawUnB6WBau_4hBwor-khg4BUnsDOwN7ZTX5_NeQ3Z3lLyuDzhh1rpOg0anD2oQc3U4kpagqufCYA50gfeNNkul4kXsa_GubCNRf4hM9r9vqIRAknaK6sBgZAmN8g/s200/IMG_7823.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391803720583121794" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Print out the photos in various shapes and sizes. I made some of the photos square, some horizontal rectangle, some vertical rectangle. Making them each a bit different in size and shape adds interest. Be sure to let the photos dry before cutting them out or handling them, as printer ink has a tendency to smudge onto the canvas if it’s not dry when you glue them on (I learned this the hard way).</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Next, paint the decoupage glue onto the entire back of the photo and press photo onto the canvas. I place a paper towel on top of the photo while pressing down so that my fingers do not get glue and printer ink on them and smudge the canvas. If you do get a little ink smudge on the canvas, just use a damp paper towel and wipe it away gently.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ6x28WNMHgZM6-gv-CAov7xSAES8JB6VOdtFb3rtraIORRnu4idsxpKBr2r4VhlRo6o69363cvNy1OdYCEw0Ggs0bHxrS31wOmXOQBfpTnqJnJ4slc1jZadKAv190zII3xAuEtniEMM/s200/IMG_7824.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391803728387631026" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Let the photo dry on the canvas before preceding. After the photo is dry, use the foam brush and carefully paint the glue over the top of the photo and onto the entire canvas front and sides. The photo will have a milky look, but once dry, the entire canvas will have a glossy sheen. You’ll see the brush strokes a bit when dry, but I think that adds to the character of the pieces.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tip: Paint the glue sparingly, but entirely, over the photo. The more brush strokes on the photo, the more likely the ink is to smear.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQaFj_Qv4K1erITjJr8LbxIWBmwjhl2HaPjdgGYYzGhmqQYaSY1icjllZ3NemArkd5XhCjpZaXgShyeRoeMfSNaIXUYm8POVhgkyZe-8-SFu051EinG6G3MswtNMODsXg5Se5Q40ghyphenhyphenM/s200/IMG_7833.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391803735347023730" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">If you like, once the entire canvas is dry, you can put on another coat of decoupage glue. This will add to the glossiness.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After everything is dry, hang the canvases up. Voila! You have a one-of-a-kind family tree.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Easy peasy. Now go be crafty!</span></p>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-73097331832803571072009-10-08T16:51:00.000-07:002009-10-12T13:24:13.122-07:00Yummy Autumn Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQA7tbWAYcDdYElSzpRx_RZHijDFjsGQK7GdV0W76TIFzlWwMaiCHhyVTe3YQ1DSeSPOiDxxE6r4-GS9I0FWrR5OUfmMZVO90OlFP2agqI6zb2Y471iiOVp0wLS_hHhHHBYAjkGMewm8/s1600-h/IMG_7806.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQA7tbWAYcDdYElSzpRx_RZHijDFjsGQK7GdV0W76TIFzlWwMaiCHhyVTe3YQ1DSeSPOiDxxE6r4-GS9I0FWrR5OUfmMZVO90OlFP2agqI6zb2Y471iiOVp0wLS_hHhHHBYAjkGMewm8/s320/IMG_7806.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390381298174432290" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I love autumn...the leaves start to change into brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange, skies are bright blue but there is a chill in the air, and you can start to eat yummy soups and chili for dinner again.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Luckily, my kids (6 and 2) are pretty agreeable to eating chunky soups - at least most of the time. We’ve conditioned them to like all kinds of beans, so when we throw in beans and sometimes small pastas, they never seem to notice the sneaky vegetables hiding in the soup. Hee hee. I’ve done a lot of experimenting to see what I can get the kids to eat without fussing.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Here is one of the recipes for kid-friendly pasta fagioli that I’ve come up with. The original recipe is from a Rachael Ray, but I’ve tweaked it a bit.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Pasta Fagioli</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">4-5 slices of bacon, chopped</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 small (or 1/2 large) yellow onion</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 carrot, peeled and chopped</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 stalks of celery, chopped (chop same size as carrot and onion)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 bay leaf</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 clove of garlic (optional)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Salt and pepper</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3 tablespoon tomato paste</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">4 cups of chicken stock</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2 cups of water</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 can (15 oz) of cannellini beans (or white beans or black-eye peas, whatever you have on hand)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1 cup small pasta (like orzo or small salad pasta, again whatever you have on hand)</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Heat a large saucepot (I use a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add bacon to the pan and cook until crispy. Add the bay leaf, garlic, onion, celery and carrot to the pan and cook until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Add the tomato paste, stir into mixture and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, water and beans to the pot and bring liquids up to bubble. Cook for about 10 minutes and then bring up to a boil. Add pasta to the liquid and cook until tender (cook time according to package directions).</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Once pasta is done, serve.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Spranq eco sans"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I sometimes make crunchy croutons to put on top. If I don’t have the time or inclination to make croutons then I serve it with bread for dipping in soup. Hope you like it as much as we do!</span></p>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169261190531311859.post-85485558495557543342009-10-07T22:22:00.000-07:002009-10-07T23:03:54.068-07:00Dream Job or Just Dreaming?So if I could have any job in the world what would it be? Hmmm. It would have to be something creative. Something involving travel. OK, who am I kidding? I know I would love to be a travel writer. Ever since I was a kid, I've been into writing. And my parents were kind enough to instill a travel bug in me - from my dad taking me on business trips with him to places like Boston and Maine, to my mom taking me to London for spring break when I was a freshman in high school, to my parents letting me study abroad in Melbourne, Australia, during my senior year in college.<div><br /></div><div>When I was in high school and the editor of my school paper, my aspiration was to be editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Oh la la! Still would love to do that - even more so now that I've been to Paris. Though I have to admit, the high fashion aspect of Vogue scares me a little. Do they have a French Vogue home edition? That's a little more up my alley these days.</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6eTmw_5qhjOgXznl4qdzA3u89VoRgmHD5YIJ8m8GNm_vQtyphPM3mcgI6RxGrBzVDRsATRSWLhD641lAV0hkN_d4D6sL8cUoKvNO3D_1Rl2GIN-fEkxII5M62tBb0Ses-PPuRpPasiA/s320/france_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390104071302191410" /><div>The reason I bring this all up is that there are two shows that I've caught recently that make me dream. The first premiered tonight on The Sundance Channel. It's <a href="http://www.sundancechannel.com/man-shops-globe/">Man Shops World</a>. Keith Johnson is a buyer for Anthropologie (who doesn't love those stores?). He travels the globe seeking out wonderful furniture, accessories and other items for the stores. How fabulous is that?! Please give me thousands of dollars, a plane ticket to France (or anywhere for that matter), and free reign to shop. What a lucky guy!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3CAhuNHPBI0mrX-oQl622UWzZWaH6v7UnHnWOMKhrsjLnVQhz3llpAbThpbfB2SHAOxCfapAsib8vPv_-xg3Z68LYp04MdNhAVRGB9c1bnjzr3sW0tBxRvdGh0R5AYGjU9cZ6TJnYI0/s320/IMG_7492.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390103848835204610" /></div><div>The other show was called Confessions of a Travel Writer, which was on the Travel Channel in August. Though the show has only aired the premiere episode and had mixed reviews, it made me decide that I needed another writing outlet; hence, this blog. And it made me realize that I need </div><div>to get out and travel more, again. Though my life is fully consumed with the busy-ness of a first-grader, a silly 2-year-old, and a great, but often traveling husband, even little trips give the gift of newness. Hence, a train trip from Portland to Seattle in August with the kids. It was a little adventure and just what I needed. No car meant the kids and I went by train, bus, foot and taxi. A little break from our usual minivan-ed lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>So for me a little writing, a little travel and a little dreaming keep the soul happy.</div>Alyse Vordermarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216254326125995884noreply@blogger.com0