Thank You!

February 26, 2010 4 Comments

February just kind of flew by didn’t it?  We can hardly believe that on Monday it will be March 1 and maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to focus on spring and the pretty pastel-colored crafts thereof.

But we’d be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to thank all of our readers, new and old, who visited us this month.

Thanks to interviews with wonderful ladies such as Gretchen Hirsch and guest posters like Alicia Wells – we more than doubled our traffic goals. To say we are excited is an understatement!

And we have so much more planned. Next month, we’ll be having our first giveaway and hopefully begin selling some of the extra crafts we make. In fact, we’re asking you to help us with both of these! What crafts have been your favorite? We will raffle them off.  What would you like to see more of?  We will get on it!

Thank you sincerely for visiting and please continue to do so. And tell your friends! (See you next month, har har.)

lia and erin

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: ,

What's for Supper: Pulled Pork Chili

February 25, 2010 6 Comments

Last night I was tweeting away about the Vodka Pink Lemonade drink I had just made myself when I came across a tweet from Southern Living Magazine discussing a recipe for shredded pork BBQ Chili.  Obviously, I stopped immediately and got on my laptop to check out any accompanying pictures and the recipe.  I mean, wouldn’t you have? The description said the magic word for goodness sakes: Pork.

This is what I'm making for dinner Sunday. Maybe you'll be invited over!

I found the Southern Living recipe here. Looking over it, it looks incredibly easy. Just a few key ingredients: pulled pork that’s already prepared (I may try it with that kind you can buy in the tub), canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili seasoning and BBQ sauce. And then – wait for it – you serve it over cheese grits.  Yep, this is pretty much what they serve in Heaven. You’ll find my review of the recipe and my guests’ reactions hopefully sometime next week.  Until then, let me know if you test it out at home!

Filed Under: Cooking Tagged With: , ,

The Ultimate in Form vs. Function: The Circulating Fish Tank and Planter

February 24, 2010 1 Comment

The most genius idea - the Yanko Design Circulating Fish Tank and Plant Pot

I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of getting a dog, but fear that my current schedule wouldn’t leave much time for its care.  So I started thinking about something much lower-maintenance and remembered my beloved beta fish, Theo, who managed to live through several years of college with me.

My greatest joy with Theo was his tank – which was not your traditional glass bowl but a fake blender.  It even had buttons you could press that yelled things in a tiny fish voice like, “Oh no! Nooo!” and “Not again!”  I loved that blender almost as much as I loved Theo.

more after the jump….

[Read more...]

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Eleven Questions for Crafty People: Gretchen Hirsch

February 23, 2010 4 Comments

Gretchen Hirsch

Warning: The following interview might make you want to both a.) run out and buy a sewing machine and/or b.) invent a time machine to go back to the fabulous 50s.

For the uninitiated, meet Gretchen Hirsch.  And trust when we say that you’ll want to get your Web browsing eyes over to her blog, Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing stat.

Gretchen is a home seamstress in Queens (holla!)  aiming to make all 14 looks from her favorite vintage sewing book, “Vogue’s New Book for Better Sewing.” The book promises that by creating the looks within, she’ll become a better dressmaker – and she’s looking to prove them right.  But along the way, she is making some incredible detours, sharing her trade secrets with readers and showing how they can recreate her incredible 50′s inspired style.

Gretchen recently walked us through where she gets her inspirations, her background and how you, too, might start on your way to creating, not just buying, your own fabulous wardrobe.

[Read more...]

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I Heart Vermont

February 22, 2010 2 Comments

Over the long weekend, I was lucky enough to join a group of a friends on their winter ski vacation to Stowe, Vermont.  For those of you that have never been, Stowe is absolutely beautiful.  The skiing was pretty good, although the snow definitely could have been better – apparently DC hogged all the snow.  We had an amazing time.  We ate at a few really good restaurants, found some incredible antiques at Sir Richard’s antique store and went to Ben and Jerry’s.  Our friend Alison took a snowboarding lesson from a man who  also owned a dairy – Mt. Mansfield Creamery – and made Vermont’s only Havarti! She brought us some of us cheese, which soooooo delicious.  (I mean, really, his life consists of making cheese and teaching snowboarding. Seriously? I’ve never been so jealous of anyone before.)

But the best part of the trip was hanging out with our friends in the amazing house they rented.  It overlooked the mountains, had an enormous kitchen and huge, comfy couches on which enjoyed hot toddies after skiing!  The house was decorated so cute – but of course – two things stuck out more than the others to me, and I wanted to share them with you. While I doubt the home owners made either of these things, they are two things I hope to be able to make one day:

A Chair made out of skis!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crafting, Home & Garden Tagged With: , , ,

YAY! DIY on U-Chic

February 20, 2010 1 Comment

YAY! DIY’s newest contribution to University Chic is now posted! Learn how to turn your Saturday night Olympic-watching marathon into a drinking game.  Read it at: http://universitychic.com

Happy Saturday!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

I Made: The New York Times' Crispy Stuffed Chicken Cutlets With Ham, Cheese and Sauerkraut

February 19, 2010 1 Comment

You may remember this post a few weeks ago, which was about the New York Times’ crispy stuffed chicken cutlets with ham, cheese and sauerkraut recipe.  Turns out, I did not lie (shocking, I know); I actually made it!  And…..it was DELICIOUS.  So delicious that we happily enjoyed leftovers for next two days! (and no, we weren’t just being lazy!)

From the New York Times....

When I first started making the recipe (which you can find here accompanying an article by Melissa Clark) I got a little nervous.  It seemed complex.  Particularly when you realize that you’ll need to flip the chicken in the pan – while it’s filled with ham, cheese and slippery sauerkraut.  But I used a combo of tongs and a spatula, and it was no problem at all. That little chicky flipped right over and fried away!

If you’re looking for a new meal, this is a great recipe to try. It’s not too hard and not too time consuming.  The directions are spot-on as well. (As a side note, I am NOT toting that this is in any way healthy. It’s not, don’t kid yourself.  But it is delicious.)

We’ll have to test out more of the New York Times’ recommendations.  Do you ever make any of them?

After the jump you can  find photos and captions of the preparation; I thought the visual may help some of you! [Read more...]

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How To: Jonathan Adler-like Pottery

February 18, 2010 1 Comment

Love, love, love – a thousand times love! – this post from Apartment Therapy’s Re-Nest on how to fake your way to having Jonathan Adler-like pottery using items as common as an empty beer can and glue.

We have been feverishly stockpiling various bottles and cans from nights of wishful drinking knowing they would come in handy one day. Lo and behold, “one day” is finally here!

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Must-Dos, Under $20 Tagged With: , ,

College T-shirts: Who knew they would come in handy?

February 17, 2010 2 Comments

Are you ever looking for things to do with your old T-shirts? Look no further. Michelle, our knitting expert and my fabulous roommate has the answer: kitchen rugs!

Wendy's testing out the new rug!

She made a beautiful one for our apartment, and I set out to  copy her genius do the same for a friend.  I loved that it was a great way to reuse material I already had on hand, particularly old undershirts that were too gross to go to Salvation Army.

Michelle was inspired by her favorite knitting book, Mason Dixon Knitting.  The book discusses making rugs using potholders that you can buy in a craft store.  What does a potholder look like? A big circle, or the bottom of a T-shirt cut off in a tube shape!  She quickly cut up her old T- shirts and knitted away.

This is the perfect beginner’s knitting project, and it can be completed in just a couple of hours, which agrees with the side of me that needs instant satisfaction.  I had to pull the knitting out a few times to get the exact size I wanted, but since I was using such big needles, it was easy.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete it at home: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crafting, Under $20 Tagged With: , ,

Finding a Color Pallete…

February 16, 2010 5 Comments

My sweet boyfriend has kindly agreed to let me paint his spare bathroom any way I’d like – as long as I don’t involve him in the process.  Because I can’t make a decision by myself, I’ve polled everyone I know about my plans, including now, you all.

Our friend Leslie over at The DIY Diaries recently posted a slew of inspirational ideas for her own powder room, which she recently refinished.  She has a few great ideas, but this one really caught my eye.  I just love the preppy stripes!

However, when I showed it to one of my friends, she suggested going with a monochromatic stripe pattern, which may be a bit more masculine.  I love the green/blue combo, but I do think a monochromatic pattern would also be nice.  We’ll be keeping the mirror and sink that’s in the bathroom now, which is a more standard bathroom vanity and mirror than what’s in this photo.  I would like to carry the ribbon idea to the top of a few picture frames I plan to hang, even if it is a bit feminine.

What do you think? This color pattern or a monochromatic color palette? Do you have any other preppy design ideas for a bathroom? Do share!

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,
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