think liz.

kage sweater

Elizabeth — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:15:20 +0000

I started knitting a new sweater a couple weeks ago before we left to go on vacation with my family – the kage sweater. I was inspired to do some colorwork after seeing Alphonoso’s color blocked Kage so I decided to do navy and grey stripes with a coral color block at the shoulders (although I was apparently subconsciously inspired by my Catch All Bag because the stripes are virtually the same color and size – I realized that after I was already 10 stripes in!). I’m using shibui linen in suit, sidewalk and poppy and it is a very interesting yarn to knit with. Very springy with a chain ply, it’s knitting up cloudlike into the lightest weight fabric (which is kinda important since it’s rapidly approaching the triple diget temperatures here in central Texas).

And if you can’t tell, I’ve finally caved and started instagramming.

Happy 4th Jude!

Elizabeth — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:52:34 +0000

Happy 4th Birthday Jude!

See last year’s photo mosaic…

still thrifting…

Elizabeth — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:00:57 +0000

I know I had mentioned trying to figure out the disposable clothing issue but I honestly haven’t given it much mindshare lately. My brain is full of so many things competing for my attention that the most I can handle is sticking to thrift shopping for the time being.

Which leads me to my latest thrift store haul. My favorite thrift store was having a 50% clearance and I had an additional 20% off. I ended up with 12 tanks, 4 shirts (including the polka dot chambray shirt that I liked so much from Old Navy!!), 5 dresses, 2 skirts, 1 maxi skirt, 1 pair running shorts and 1 pair brand new flip flops. Many of the items still had their original tags! I managed to find mostly Gap, H&M, Banana Republic, JCrew, Old Navy, Loft and lucked out and found some from Anthropologie, Marc Jacobs, Nike and lululemon!

I was so invigorated by my thrifting finds that I totally overhauled and reorganized my closet. Which lead me to an old pair of favorite sandals that had seen better days. The silver had pretty much worn off the straps…

So I spray painted them (you can see one of the overspray on the sole of the left shoe)! I’m happy that I’ll get some more life out of these shoes and they won’t be given away any time soon.

Sometimes the simple fixes are the ones that bring me the most pleasure!

summer foods

Elizabeth — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:00:57 +0000

We’ve been doing a fair amount of grilling around here since the weather has heated up. And although I didn’t take a picture of this one, you should give Yogurt Marinated Chicken a try on your grill this summer. I promise you, it’s worth it.

We also roasted some poblanos and stuffed them with corn risotto, because Deb from Smitten Kitchen is a genius and created Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers. We topped them with some slow cooked carnitas and took what could have been a vegetarian entree to a meat eaters dish. It was delicious.

In an effort to get us to eat some more fruit, I whipped up Bon Apetite’s Strawberry-coconut lassi (a fancy word for smoothie, I’m assuming): 1.5c strawberry, 2/3 ice, 1/3c buttermilk, 1/3c coconut milk, 1tbsp sugar. Blend. Yum.

And finally, what’s summer without my obsession with homemade frozen concoctions. We tried Cooking Light’s lower fat version of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and weren’t disappointed at all.

KAL Wrap Up

Elizabeth — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:00:11 +0000

Well, I finished knitting my first sweater in time for the KAL! Definitely a learning experience. I decided to modify the pattern a bit by not doing the solid knitted panel at the waist. I’m pretty happy with that decision. It was just the right length before blocking it and then I blocked it. It’s now much longer than I had wanted – more tunic length than t-shirt length. Oh well. It will be great with leggings.

What I love? The color. The slouchiness. The breathability. Not a bad Texas sweater.

Now I am going to finish those cute little toddler socks I started. And then I get to dream about what’s next!

7th Anniversary

Elizabeth — Mon, 27 May 2013 13:00:33 +0000

Here we are. Married seven years with an almost four year old boy. It has been more beautiful and much harder than I could have ever expected. We have made it through hard seasons when running away seemed like the most sane option but thankfully we both meant it when we said ‘for better or worse’. We dug in our heels through the worse and we came out ahead. We are getting better at this dance of marriage and I am lucky to have such an amazing, patient partner. I picked the best one for me.

Happy seventh anniversary, my love. Let’s hope for many, many more. I love you much.

Heart-Stuffed Shells in Ricotta Sauce

Elizabeth — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:25 +0000

I have made this Heart-Stuffed Shells in Ricotta Sauce twice since receiving Smitten Kitchen’s Cookbook for Christmas and it is one of the best things I’ve cooked in a long time (let’s just say I’ve felt fairly uninspired on the cooking front these days). It seems like it would be overly rich and heavy, but the lemon juice in the ricotta bechamel sauce AND caramelized onion and artichoke filling brightens the dish significantly. This would be a great vegetarian main dish with a green salad for entertaining or a nice date night at home. I happened to make it for some friends along with a Salted Caramel Budino for dessert that was scarfed too quickly to snap a photo. The true gauge of whether a dish is successful? How many times Jason asks me to repeat the dish. Let’s just say he asks for it frequently.

summer knitting

Elizabeth — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:00:17 +0000

I’ve been working on my sweater for the KAL and making some good progress! The yarn is very soft and lovely – I think it will be nice for the summer. It’s pretty quick knitting but a little more difficult to bring along to the playground.

Which lead me to making some toddler socks for Jude with my leftover Madelinetosh Sock to tote around. Since I’ve already tried toe-up socks, I thought I would give top down socks a whirl, as well as learn how to knit two socks at once! After the initial yarn tangle, it turned out to be pretty easy. We’ll see how turning a heel goes from top down…

I’m already dreaming of my next summer knit, like this silken sweater (can I have any more expensive taste?) or this linen Hane shirt. Ahh, if only I had more free time!

Sharpie Mug

Elizabeth — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:52:14 +0000

I’ve seen this idea floating around pinterest for awhile and it seemed to good to be true: sharpie, white mug, customize and bake in the oven for permanent results. Turns out, a regular sharpie IS a little too good to be true. But there were alternatives… I bought some oil based sharpies (more like a paint pen) and it worked beautifully! I wrote a message on the front and turned Jude loose to draw on the back. Turned out pretty cute! Bought some yummy gourmet coffee to complete the gift and my mom was a happy lady!

Happy birthday Mom!

Little Cable Knee Highs – Done!

Elizabeth — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:45:56 +0000

Can you believe it? I finished knitting a pair of socks! I am very happy with how they turned out – they fit PERFECTLY. Although, I love the irony of finishing a pair of knee high WOOL socks right as the heat of summer is about to descend on central Texas. Ha. It may be a little while until I wear them. I am now very spoiled after knitting with Madelinetosh Sock (in candlewick). They seriously have awesome yarn in amazing colors. I want more.

I learned so many new techniques with these socks – increases (yo knit through back loop, m1r, m1l), decreases, magic loop, Judy’s magic cast-on for toe up socks, short rows, Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off for the top, turning a heel. Whew. I love the tiny cable running up the back of the socks – reminds me of the old fashioned seam in stockings. I must say that I feel pretty confident in my knitting abilities now. Next socks I make, I’ll be knitting two at a time!

So confident, in fact, that I am going to take on my first knitted garment – the Sophia sweater as a KAL. I already bought the yarn – Universal Cotton Supreme in Emerald and it is knitting up so soft! As much as I wanted to do the sweater in Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in mineral, the color was no where to be found. Oh well. I think I may be happier with this cotton yarn for the summer. AND emerald is the pantone color of the year after all.