1 thing I have learned this week

The NBC show Undercovers is about a retired CIA couple who are reinstated when another agent goes missing. Sounds good, right? 

Bummer alert: The couple is super young and hot, not in their 70s which I had assumed and would make the show so much more awesome. NBC totally missed the boat on an awesome Leslie Nielson type show!

I think I could write an awesome sitcom about retired CIA agents returning to the agency.

Yo!

Mike and I started a photo biz! We have been busy! Check it out...

http://www.tallandsmallphotography.com/

Muffins and Bread

I bought this book at ReStore, remember? It is totally awesome! It has a ton of bread recipes that do not use yeast so they can be made quickly. Get it, quick breads? Anyway, I decided that I will try to make one bread a week. Last week I made a peanut butter banana bread, no picture. It was pretty good but it looked ugly. This week I made blueberry ginger muffins.

yum!! They tasted more molasses-y than gingery,  I thought. And I think they would be better with butterscotch chips instead of blueberries. I will definitely be making this recipe again.

I pretty much followed the recipe except I used regular milk instead of buttermilk.

nice

I love a man who wears pink!

Links I liked today.

I have always thought I could get super interested in dollhouses, well, now I definitely want to! Check out this blog!

I like party planning. These are beautiful set ups! Especially the aqua and magenta! Yum.

Or even better, just invite me to this party! Best party ever!

Eek! So cute. I'll take the pitcher, please.

I love Johnny Weir. Even though the olympics are over, we should still be celebrating him! Maybe plan this party for my birthday? 

I love this embroidery. Very inspiring!

interesting things from today..

Yes, I love these clothes! And yes, too expensive!

Yikes, this "sandwich" is the craziest thing ever! Could it be worse than the Mc10:35?

I have got to start watching this show!

I have really been interested in this blog and this show. School lunches are crazy!

I want to buy this book.

Sailor Style and Wishful Thinking

So, remember when my New Year resolution was to adopt a sailor style? Mike and I were at Opportunity House Thrift and he found this amazing sailor jacket!

It fits perfectly and has a cute anchor on the sleeve! Now I have a wish-for-it-and-find-it mentality! Currently, I am wishing for a top like this...

This top is from Leifsdottir and is $288!! Yikes!

These shoes from Roxy.

And I am wishing for an elem. school art job! C'mon universe!

Spring!

Happy Spring!

I went to Cincinnati!

Mike has been busy nerding it up with his exams, so I got out of town with a friend for a day trip. We went to Cincinnati, mainly to check out Jungle Jims. It really is as awesome as they say! It was a magical disney-like foodie paradise! I bought weird meat flavored chips, raspberry and cherry lambic, sake, and candy! And some sasparillas for Mike. He is an old man.

yes! Fiberglass animals!

yes! Fiberglass fruit!

And there were weird huge moving things, like this can of soup on a swing. It was awesome.

And a very large and elaborate Sherwood Forest scene over the England section of the store. Robin Hood and Big John moved and talked!

And there was weird bug candy! It was fine to pose with, but we didn't buy any.

There was an extensive wine section. This is where we spent most of our time, mainly checking out the cool looking bottles.

Murdered Out Duck Army

Rob and Big inspired me to murder out my toys at work. The ducks were work incentives and the skull and m&ms were gifts. They look way better covered in black sharpie.

Happy Friday!

I made rainbow cake for a work party today. It is definitely more about looks than taste, it just tastes like regular white cake. I used this idea! Thanks.

Octopi Attack!

Octopuses Attack the Living Room

Octopuses Attack the Living Room II

Octopuses Attack the Bathroom

I listed some paintings from my newest "Octopi Attack" series on etsy!

scarf!

New scarf in action!

Baby Walter!

Nichol and Joseph had their baby! He is beautiful!

And pretty alert for only being 5 days old!!

DIY!

So, I saw this scarf on the J. Crew website and really liked it. I don't consider myself a scarf person, but I think I will be giving them a try! I especially love anything metallic. Anyway, $55 is way too much for a scarf so I made my own from a $.50 thrifted  scarf.

I bought the gold paint from JoAnn's fabric for $5. 

and painted tiny hearts! 

I am considering this scarf a practice scarf because the color and fabric was not ideal. I might wear it tomorrow though! If I decide that I really love this scarf, I think I will make another on a lightweight white fabric and make a small heart stamp to make it a bit more uniform.

This is a DIY I did a few weeks ago...

 

Bow Sweater!

I followed a tutorial from myvintagesecret.com. It was pretty easy except my sewing skills are a little wonky.

Happy Birthday Valentine!

super bowl

So, I could care less about the super bowl. However, since we live only an hour or so from Indianapolis, there is really not escaping it! At work on Friday we were supposed to wear "Colts gear", which I do not have. So, I made a blue bow tie out of felt and pinned it on my "Virginia is for lovers" shirt, so I could support VA too. Not wanting a good bow tie to go unused, I am wearing it again today.

I think I am technically rooting for the Saints. Mainly because I like cheering for the underdog and I like Reggie Bush and I like this guy.

Reasons to have a baby...

There are a few reasons I should have a baby.

1. Nichol would make the baby this! And I love it! (I totally stole this image from her blog, sorry Nichol!)

She made this for her baby and it is the most adorable mobile I have ever seen!

2. I could dress it up as this for Halloween!

3. It could wear this!!

I found this at a thrift shop outside of Louisville. It is maybe the funniest thing I have ever found at a thrift shop... or anywhere?

None of those reasons are really good enough for such a life changing decision... so I listed the hilarious cowboy face baby outfit on etsy. Check it out here!

pin up girls!

Mike and I have inherited a ton of things from his grandfather, including a stack of these amazing pin up girl cards! My favorite is the vespa girl!

I think I am in love...

with google reader! Seriously, it knows me better than I even know myself. I love what it recommends to me! And it has totally revolutionized my work day! 

Here are some of the awesome things it has recommended to me...

A look into the past

Mondrian cake!

Crazy digital guitar

Baby shower!

Mike and I hosted our first ever baby shower last week! It was a success!

We played games...

baby food is weird.

We served food!

I made ham biscuits, a spiced pear cake, assembled a veggie tray with hummus and blue cheese dip, and made grape salad! It is easy to make and delicious...

We played bingo!

While Nichol and Joseph opened their baby gifts.

Albert the dog helped.

The parents to be!

Grape Salad recipe (from my Mother-in-law's friend)

2 lbs. green seedless grapes

2 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup crushed pecans

• Wash and stem grapes; set aside to dry.
• Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla by hand until blended.

• Stir grapes into mixture and pour in large serving bowl.
• Combine brown sugar and pecans.
• Sprinkle over top of grapes covering completely.
• Chill overnight.

The entire recipe serves around 12-15. 

When I made this, I only used brown sugar and I did not use 4 lbs of grapes! That is way too much, so I added a little less of everything. It was a big hit!

Sundays are good cooking days.

I have been cooking/baking up a storm today! This was the second time I made the curried golden vegetable soup. This time I made it a little differently. I didn't use leeks, I used a red onion and this time I didn't measure anything, just dumped it in. And I didn't use raisins either time, I think raisins are kind of gross.

I also used Joy the Baker's recipe for sea salt and poppy seed crackers. Who would think it make homemade crackers?? But, they are very easy and delicious! I might try to make some different types of crackers, pretty fun.

I also made banana bread.. no photo. And I am planning on making some english muffin pizzas. Yummers.

ps. A post is still coming on how my first time ever hosting a baby shower! I made another Joy the Baker recipe for it!

Erin and Mike dolls!

Nichol made Mike and I in doll form! I love them so much, especially doll Erin's bow tie and acid wash skirt!

I think it is a very good likeness!

The Online Shoppe of Christopher David Ryan

I love these!!

You can order them here!

Reeboks?

I kind of want these shoes. I designed them! You can customize your own here! Mike thinks he can design cooler shoes, but we'll see!

Snow Day!

2010!

Mike gave me this vintage sailor shirt for Christmas. I love it, especially the bow! So far I am doing awesome on my New Year resolution! I think most of my resolutions for this year are pretty much the same ones I made last year. I feel like I did fulfill those resolutions, so I want to do more of the same this year! This year I would also like to make some major changes, new job and new location! Also, maybe a new haircut.

So.. my 2010 resolutions are:

1. Wear bowties/bows

2. Have more dinner parties, at least one a month.

3. new job! new location!

4. Work more on my etsy shop, list more artwork.

5. Have as much fun as possible in Bloomington before we move!

I got a flip!

Untitled from Erin Lee on Vimeo.