twenty-seventh

Wow. What a crazy couple of weeks.

I've moved, and had every possible thing go wrong with my move - from the truck breaking down, to having to go shower-less for almost a week, to having a problem with most every utility - most noteably, at&t (no surprise there). I've had my purse stolen. I could hardly walk for 2 days due to carrying so many heavy items during the move (I'm turning in to my mom). I've had some super dramatic events happen at work. And, to top everything off, I was offered a position at Georgetown Market!

Now, I love my store...how could I not? I've been there for 5+ years. I've got great employees, great customers, and I get to be involved in a industry where I learn something new every single day. But the dramatics that have been happening as of late (to be honest, for the past 2 years, it's just gotten way out of control) have made me dread going in to open the store & see what's waiting for me. I made a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to find a new job. I'm positive that my changing jobs with give my store the kick in the ass it needs to shit or get off the pot, so to speak. And I'm sure that this new position at Georgetown will secure my future and ease my stress, while still allowing me to stick around the industry I love and be surrounded by interesting & unique people.

I'm happy.

So now, I'm getting settle in my new place, and getting ready to get settled in my new job (in a month). It's still hard to wrap my head around, but I'm so ready.

First up, Bloomington Handmade Market on Saturday, April 3. I'm working on a collection of pretty cool hex signs (if I may say so) to bring down to the event. I'll have a few other knit & sewn odds and ends as well. See ya there?

twenty-sixth

In the midst of moving & being completely consumed with watching Lost (perhaps a terrible mistake where productivity is concerned) I have actually been working on some new stuff.

I got a bunch of gift cards for half price books over Christmas, and on one of many trips there I picked up the book Hex Signs:Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft. I've always been quite enamored with hex signs, for some reason. Perhaps it was the girl from Pennsylvania I lived with a few years back, or that trip to Pennsylvania I took when I was just a tiny little thing. Whatever it was, I don't really know. But something about the shapes, colors, "meanings" behind each part, and the pure simplicity of them is just so interesting to me.

After perusing the internet for a while reading the history and looking at lots and lots of classic signs, I decided to start making my own. Expand colors, add my own characters, use patterns instead of flat colors.

I started with making some valentine's for friends with the classic distelfink bird.



After making about 20 of those, I was ready to go for it. I went to a few thrift stores and found some old melmac plates to use as my "canvas" instead of a piece of wood. I rooted around my house and found all the paper scraps I could find, and picked up some more in the discount bins.

This is my new favorite thing, and I can't wait to move in (today!!) to the new house and create one to protect us & keep us happy.











Craft fair season is coming up, & I hope to have more than enough of these for people to take home & enjoy.

twenty-fifth

Have you heard of the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange? If you're anywhere near the midwest & the crafting world, you probably have.

How about Homespun? Oh wait, you probably haven't. That's because they wonderful brains that bring you the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, Amanda & Neil Taflinger, are trying to open Homespun. And they need your help, and my help, and your friends help, and your families help, and your enemies help, to get funding!

Please, take a second a hop over to the Pepsi Refresh Project and vote for Homespun. They're in the running to win $5k to help get Homespun off the ground. You can vote once, or vote as many times as email addresses you have!

Their plan is to open a store and classroom devoted to modern handmade goods. Some of their goals are to "help revive Indianapolis' east side, serve as the hub of Indiana's artisan community, to offer low-cost arts education to our community, to help working artists support themselves."

This is really a store that would be the first of it's kind in Indianapolis. Similar to Renegade Handmade in Chicago, The Makery in Louisville, or MagPie in Boston.

Please help Amanda & Neil realize their dreams. You'll make a lot of local artisan's happy.



refresheverything.com/Homespun

twenty-fourth

I made THE BEST curried vegetables last night.

I've always had bad experience when I've ordered dishes with the word "curry" in them out at restaurants. I've been hesitant to make my own. But, I'm glad I finally did.

I found a vegetable curry recipe on allrecipes.com to serve as a guide. It sounded okay, but I figured I could make it better. And I did.



Sweet & Spicy Vegetable Curry

2 tbsp butter (can easily be omitted to make a vegan dish!)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (increase this a bit if you skip the butter)
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tbsp curry powder
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp agave nectar
5 red potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup water
jasmine rice

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots, cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and fresh ginger, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and carrots are tender.
2. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and agave nectar.
3. Add the potatoes to the pan, and stir to coat with spices. Reduce heat to medium-low, add water, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
4. Serve over jasmine rice.

Please adjust agave & curry to taste...mine was just the right amount of spice for me!

twenty-third

When I'm not creating things with my hands, cooking/baking, or working....I'm thrifting.

James & I finally got our asses in gear and started our vintage etsy shop!

Take a peek!

twenty-second

On December 27th, we finally made our Christmas Dinner!

It was too bad we didn't have any gifts left-over to unwrap after such a wonderful meal.

I couldn't find a field roast to cook, so I opted for a quorn turk'y roast. I've always had good experience with other quorn products, so I figured it was a pretty safe bet.

& I figured right. James said something to the effect that the quorn roast was the closest to the "real thing" that he has ever had.



Unfortunately, I didn't read the directions very well, and failed to notice I should get a roast bag so I could get all the delicious flavors in there. So, instead I just mixed up herbs & olive oil and poured it over top, after poking lots and lots of holes in the outer wrapping. It didn't turn out half bad!



We baked sweet potatoes!




& the best part: apple-cranberry-"sausage" stuffing & vegetarian gravy! The gravy even started getting that little film over top of it like the real stuff!




Easy 4-Ingredient Vegetarian Gravy (from vegweb.com)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp flour
1 cup homemade (if possible) vegetable stock
whole herbs- sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, rosemary

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium high heat. Sift in your flour evenly and stir. Cook the flour until a light tan color.
2. When your roux is a nice tan color, add your broth and spices. Cook, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
3. Remove your spices and season with salt and pepper.






Apple, Cranberry, Sausage Stuffing


Ingredients

3 cups cubed sourdough bread
10 ounces ground fake sausage (or, you can use real sausage?)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chopped onion
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp chopped celery
Fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme (enough for your liking)
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples & dried cranberries.
4. Pack dressing loosely in buttered baking dish. Drizzle with stock & melted butter. Bake for 40 minutes.
5. Take stuffing out and drizzle with a little more butter. Cook about 20 minutes more, until top is is crisp & golden.


Food is awesome!

twenty-first

I've had a very etsy christmas!

James & I both purchased gifts on etsy, we've created some gifts & are in the processing of posting the extras on etsy, and finally, christmas night I created an etsy treasury list.

Am I a bit addicted? I think so...

I thought we needed more than just monster ornaments for the tree, so I bought a cute little wool bird from Melissa Sue.



For my boss, I bought this cute (nursing) necklace from Natural Kids Toys. Although she isn't pregnant or anything, I'm sure she'll love it & will probably end up pregnant again some day.



James got quite a few etsy gifts....a moped shot glass from Of Mine Design.



An elephant taxi from Bunny With a Toolbelt. (if you haven't checked her stuff out yet, you really should, like, right now!)



And finally some little monsters from Happycloud Thunderhead.






And I finally got my very own petit from Morning Lori (lori brown)! I've been eyeing these cute stuffed creatures for months now. I'm so stoked!




Finally, here's a link to the christmas night treasury list: midwest is best! (it's so true)

This christmas has been one of the best yet! Christmas dinners have consisted of mushroom ravioli, chinese food, and gumbo. We're making a "traditional" dinner tomorrow (stay tuned for how that turns out :\). I feel like I gave awesome gifts, received awesome gifts, and spent every penny (pretty) wisely. I'm happy that I made a few people's christmas' with handmade items. I pretty much had the best company ever (james & my girls).

I still have gifts to give out that I'm way excited about, and a christmas party to attend with my Origins girls. Cheers to the holiday not ending officially until January 3rd!