Book Club:: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

March 15, 2010 – 10:00 am

To prepare for the recently released movie, our book club decided to read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This book falls in the category of a classic children’s book but also the genre of literary nonsense, which we discovered as we were discussing the book together. I really think the only reason I was able to get through this book is that I had seen the Disney version of the movie as a little kid – the book is so scattered and strange! Why, oh why, does Alice eat anything that is put in front of her that is labeled ‘eat me’? As we were discussing the book, we realized that a lot of the weird imagery and encounters that Alice was having was either stories that Lewis Carroll would tell the little girls from the Liddell family, or it was political commentary – both of which went right over most of our heads as we were reading it!

I think this book may be what an LSD trip would feel like – so strange, very odd, just weird! It was short, fast paced and a quick read. I will say, I am still excited to see the Tim Burton movie and I will probably still read the second book, Through the Looking Glass. Maybe it’s worth a read for you if you liked the Disney movie (which seems to be a combination of Alice’s Adventures and Through the Looking Glass – which were two separate books) and you’re planning on seeing the new movie. 6/10

By Elizabeth | Posted in Book, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Many many Diana Hobo Purses

March 15, 2010 – 8:00 am

If you ever wondered what I did with my time during Jude’s naps, this should give you a hint. I made eight of these purses last week to try and get some inventory in my etsy shop (there were two of the black Ring Dot purses – one had a blue interior, the other, golden yellow – it seemed redundant to show you two of the same) ! Three of them were spoken for before they were even made, but the rest are up for grabs! Oh and there are a couple of slings in there too. I had to share them – I like the way they turned out. :)

Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Diana Hobo Reversible Padded Baby Sling Reversible Padded Baby Sling

Now that I’ve got some shop sewing out of the way, stay tuned for some fun, silly sewing!

By Elizabeth | Posted in Crafts, Etsy Shop, Sewing | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)

Free Pattern:: Krista Apron

March 12, 2010 – 8:00 am

I promised you another free pattern, and I’m excited to share it with you on free pattern Friday! The Krista apron is fun and flirty with an elastic ruched top, cute little side pocket and ruffled bottom. Perfect for the feminine chef!

Custom Order: Krista Apron

Click here to download the Krista Apron Pattern in 8.5 x 11 pdf format. I share this pattern with you guys to make for yourselves, as gifts but I do so under one condition. Please upload a photo of any completed aprons in this flickr group so I can see what y’all are making!

Also this should go without being said but I’ll say it anyways: please do not sell items made from this free pattern and do not claim it as your own design!

By Elizabeth | Posted in Crafts, Free Pattern, Sewing | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

coupon-ing journey

March 11, 2010 – 8:00 am

You may remember me saying that one of my resolutions for the new year was to coupon more, focusing on how to save money on things that we already buy. I think I’ve actually been doing pretty good in this area. I’ve saved anywhere from $10-$30 off our groceries each week without changing much about the way I shop. For me, the most difficult things about couponing is that most of the items that have coupons are super processed! Also, looking at coupons makes me want things I typically don’t buy, like chips and ice cream. I have been trying to stay focused and have found some great online resources for coupons that I thought I would throw out there to share with you guys. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many items have coupons that we typically buy if you just hunt them out! I love being able to support companies whose philosophies I generally agree with! Coupons for organics? Yes please!

  • Horizon Dairy – You have to sign up to have access to these coupons. I have consistently been getting coupons for a 1/2 gallon of milk, and we all know how expensive organic milk can be!
  • Stonyfield – I love yogurt, always have, and I’ve been eating Stonyfield for awhile. Again, you have to sign up, but I get YoBaby yogurt coupons, as well as coupons for adult yogurt!
  • Earth’s Best – OK, I admit it, there are weeks when I don’t have time or energy to make all of Jude’s food. I have been consistent with apples and sweet potatoes, and that’s about it. Thankfully, Earth’s Best makes really great, affordable baby food. And they have coupons on their website for $1 of of 10 jars. For awhile HEB had an additional coupon for $2 off 10 jars, so I was saving $3! Good to have around in your pantry if you have a little one.
  • Seventh Generation – I use their toliet paper, dish soap and dye free laundry detergent (although I don’t like their dishwasher soap at all) and there are usually some good coupons on there for all of those thing. Oh, and I recently used a coupon for their diapers since we traveled to Dallas and didn’t want to use the cloth dipes while on the road. I liked them a lot! You have to sign up for this one as well.
  • Smart Source – I’ve been surprised by some of the online coupons I’ve found here: Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, organic Bordens milk, not too shabby! I check this website once a week.
  • Coupons.com – lots of coupons, most are for processed foods, but every now and then a good one sneaks in there. Worth checking once a week.

I did a free trial of the grocery game for a little while, but found that they didn’t have good information for the Austin HEB’s that I was going to, but I know a lot of people have a lot of luck with that program. Sometimes, when I’m meal planning and a recipe calls for a certain ingredient, I’ll do a quick google search for that ingredient to see if I can find any coupons . . . sometimes it works and sometimes I get nothing, but I figure it’s worth a try! What about you guys? Any good resources that you recommend?

By Elizabeth | Posted in Bargains | Tagged | Comments (15)

Simple Beef Enchiladas

March 10, 2010 – 8:00 am

Jason loves enchiladas. He gets pretty excited when I say I’m making them for dinner. I like them because you can make them ahead of time, serve a lot of people with them and they are easy to make vegetarian. The things I don’t like about them is that fact that it takes a long time to get everything assembled and makes a mess to roll each one up! AND I can never get them from the pan to the plate and make it look pretty. It usually ends up looking more like a pile of yummy goodness instead of enchiladas. Ah, well, such is life. Not everything can be served looking pretty.

I was on a pioneer woman kick for recipes a couple weeks ago and decided to try this enchilada recipe. The ’simple’ part pulled me in. What can I say, it’s easy to get my attention with recipes titles. The one thing I did differently from the recipe is that I didn’t fry the corn tortillas before rolling them. I brought some chicken stock to a light simmer and dipped the tortillas in that before rolling. I just can’t bring myself to dip each tortilla in oil. Too much for me. I ended up having enough of the filling and sauce to make two pans of enchiladas, so I felt like the serving size was a little off, but that was ok with us. More for leftovers, which were indeed delicious.

Recipe for Simple Beef Enchiladas

Simple Beef Enchiladas

By Elizabeth | Posted in Beef, Recipes | Comments (2)

HOPE: Kalpana

March 9, 2010 – 8:00 am

Read more about my partnership with Hope International here.

Kalpana came home from work each night exhausted, disheveled, damp, and only 32 cents closer to making ends meet. Since her husband was out of work, she had been forced to find employment to provide for her daughters, ages five and two. She missed spending time with them, but couldn’t bear to think what might happen if she didn’t continue to work such grueling hours. She was working for them – she reminded herself – as hours of monotonous dishwashing droned on and on. Still, 32 cents a day could hardly sustain a family. She dreamed of somehow earning enough to provide for her children.

At the church she attends, Kalpana learned of self help groups administered by HOPE International. She could join a group of other hardworking mothers who would pool their savings, demonstrate their fiscal responsibility, and then obtain loans. Kalpana received $125 to purchase a sewing machine. Her eyes lit with a new glow when she thought about the opportunity to start her own business and the chance to utilize a skill passed on from her mother when she was only a child.

Kalpana’s sewing machine provided an infusion of confidence and a wealth of new opportunities. She visited department stores near her home in urban India and won contracts to sew key fobs, Bermuda shorts, sari blouses, and dresses. The store provides the raw materials, limiting Kalpana’s upfront expenses, and Kalpana provides the labor and a high quality finished product.

As a seamstress Kalpana earns more than 10 times her previous wage – enough to provide for her family. She works from her home and is able to spend far more time watching her little girls grow up. Kalpana dreams of taking marketing classes and expanding her business by hiring an employee and landing more contracts. Mostly she dreams for her daughters. She wants them to sleep on beds in a sturdy home and she wants them to attend school.

By Elizabeth | Posted in Etsy Shop, Hope | Tagged , | Comments (3)

Custom New Mama Survival Kit

March 8, 2010 – 1:00 pm

Can I just say, again, how much I like getting to sew with such pretty fabrics? I mean, c’mon, Amy Butler’s new line of fabric, ‘Love’ is just awesome, and I got to use it to make a custom NMSK! The exact fabrics are Sun Spots in mint and Cypress Paisley in blush. Love it.

Custom New Mama Survival Kit Custom New Mama Survival Kit

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for paisley, and I think you guys may be starting to sense a trend in my love for polka dots too . . . put them together and you get one awesome combination!

Custom New Mama Survival Kit

I also just love this combination of colors. It’s feminine but not too over the top. The green really makes me happy (does that surprise anyone?).

Custom New Mama Survival Kit

So cute! I think the new mama to be is going to enjoy this set a lot!

Custom New Mama Survival Kit

By Elizabeth | Posted in Crafts, Etsy Shop, Sewing | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)