30 in 30: Just the Basics

Ok, I’ll admit it; I’m a craft supply hoarder.  

There I said it! 

One of the combinations that I hoard the most of is needles and threads.  Threads of all kinds and needles of all shapes and sizes are tucked into every corner of just about everywhere.  I am known at work as the lady with the sewing kits, yep that’s right I said kits.  Five to be exact, a little excessive yes, but I like to see them every time I open my desk drawer.   

Since I love to hand stitch more than machine my collection is heavily weighted towards embroidery/cross-stitch type stuff. Take for instance my floss, I just can't help myself when I see it on sale! Now believe it or not I actually went to stitch something the other day and didn't have the color the chart called for, I couldn't believe it.  I mean with 136 colors (not counting the variegated or metallic) in my stash how is it possible that I didn't have that one! 

Sometimes I find the number of colors and types of threads overwhelming so I have my favorites set aside as my go-to colors, makes life easier when all I want to do is whip something up quick.

These little guys are my newest, $0.50 on a clearance rack! Woo!

Now my fingers are itching to stitch!

~Leah

30 in 30: Presents in Progress

So back in July a friend of mine mentioned she had already started her count down to Christmas, at the time I couldn't believe it but now I find myself with several Christmas gifts already in the making.  I'm a little bit more than half way done with this one and I have been working on it for about 20 minutes a day during my lunch break.  Its a nice relaxing rest in the middle of my day, most days I get so involved I don't want to go back to my desk! I think to myself 'just one more row'!!

When all is said and done this will be a biscornu pin cushion for one of my aunts or maybe my mom, I haven't decided just yet.

A little more than 50% done and I love them already.  I snagged the pattern from the free gift pattern book that came with The World of Cross Stitching issue 189 but chose not to use the free pink and purple threads that came with it.  The ladies in my family aren't pink lovers so a change of colors was needed. 

The patterns work up so easily I may just have to stitch up a few more :)

~Leah 

30 in 30: Works Almost There!

My attention span with crafting is very similar to a cranky two year old’s.  I like to keep moving and get bored pretty quickly.  I always end up circling back around so I have been able to stockpile a little bit of everything for a lot of different disciplines.  No matter where my mind wanders off to, like say to a candle making fiasco, I always come back to working with felted wool and wool felt.  

This is the first of many projects I have planned for the holiday season.  It came from a kit with pre-cut pieces (I can't remember the maker but I know I bought it at a quilt show a few years back) and was super easy to stitch up.  All thats left to do is attach the backing (more fabulous blue felt) and blanket stitch all around the edges.  I love the little extra sparkle the beads give it!

With fall barely here I'm ready to decorate for winter!

Have any of you started on holiday projects yet?

~Leah 

30 in 30: Crafty Love

I love giving handmade items as gifts and I try to do so as often as I can. I know they are not everyone’s cup of tea but I like knowing that my friends and family have at least one thing that was made just for them.  I feel super honored when I am given a handmade gift and I treasure them.  One of my favorite items in my craft room is one of those gifts, given to me several years ago by one of my previously mentioned craft aunts. 

I opened her up and had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard, I love her to death and promptly named her Chikita Chicken! I still smile every time I see her!

I hope she made you smile!

~Leah 

30 in 30 - A Month in My Life of Crafts

I want to try something a little different with September.  My past posting consistency has left a little something to be desired so I am setting myself up with a goal of posting something every day during the month of September and I am giving myself a theme.  September will be all about the crafty side of me, what inspires me, what I’ve done, what makes me smile while crafting, what I love to work with most, the crafty love I’ve been given, where I craft and just some other random tidbits.  My little project falls right in line with the 30th observance of National Sewing Month. A whole month of national crafty goodness, I'm all over this! 

I am also trying hard to become a better photographer so I am hoping September will help me kill two birds with one stone! I guess we could call this my own version of a craft-a-thon as I am hoping that all of the postings will help me stay focused on the projects I have going on.  I have Christmas projects in the works, birthday presents, guilty little makes for myself and lots of pages marked in my favorite books for things I would love to have time for so I really want to make the most of this month.

Wish me luck!

~Leah 

Summer Dinner In a Snap

I have always considered myself more of a baker than a cook but my summer CSA adventure has forced me to be a little more of a cook than a baker.  Zucchini has been one of the most abundant staples of the weekly baskets I pick up from the CSA and its something that I don't normally eat.  Every now and again I will toss some in some jarred spaghetti sauce but other than that I never really know what to do with it.  My  mom and I were trying to come up with an easy, mess free recipe to use some up and last week in the basket we received small red onions, bulbs of garlic, tomatoes, zucchini and some yellow squash.  We decided to just throw it all in a pan and see what happened.

What we ended up with was super light and really tasty.  We have made it twice since our first experiment and I have a feeling that this one will hang around for a while.  

We call it the Back Garden Pasta.

Here's what we used...
1 Large Zucchini
1 Large Summer (yellow) Squash
1 Small Red Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
5 Tomatoes (we prefer Roma or any of the Heirloom varieties)
Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta
Olive Oil

It couldn't be easier.  Cut the tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash into bite sized pieces, leaving the juice of the tomato intact. Mince the garlic and onion.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet, once hot toss in the onions.  Let them sweat out until softened and somewhat translucent.  Add in the garlic, cook just until fragrant.  Dump in the zucchini and summer squash and toss to combine.  Let that mix go for about 5 minutes, letting the zucchini and squash start to soften.  Once that is well on its way add the tomatoes.  The goal is to let the zucchini and squash to soften but not completely go to mush while allowing enough time for the tomatoes to break down and make a little sauce.  While all that is happening cook the angel hair according to the box.

Here is your pan once everything is in.

To serve simply top your pasta with lots of sauce and veggies and you have a super easy, quick dinner. Its also good with a handful of shrimp thrown in but I prefer the vegetarian option topped with a little fresh shaved Parmesan cheese.

Finished product :)

Sorry for the rough photos but my camera is down for the count and my iphone is on its last legs!

I hope you enjoy your summer feast!
~Leah

C.S.A.A.D. and I've got it bad!

Community Supported Agriculture Anxiety Disorder

 C-SAAD for short, its the term I have coined for what I suffer from every Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  It happens the minute I open my fridge and see heaps of fresh greens and vegetables peering back at me.  It happens because I know that after work on Thursday evenings I will add to those heaps!!

I only signed up for the half share thinking that I could handle it myself but what I really need is a half of a half share!  So far this year I have received Romaine lettuce, red lettuce, butter lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, beets, turnip greens, collard greens, Swiss shard, kale, corn, English peas, green beans, wax beans, radishes, leeks, daicon, spring onions, garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, eggs, fresh cream, strawberries, blueberries, herbs a plenty, 3 vegetables I have yet to be able to identify and things I am sure I have forgotten.  Needless to say I am overwhelmed and my fridge is constantly full. 

This weekend I tried to use as much as possible.  I made a salad with the various lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, peas and green beans mixed with my own garden heirloom tomatoes and snap peas and it was delish! I then used some of the zucchini and tomatoes with the onion and garlic to sauté up a great little sauce to put over angel hair pasta – oh my gosh the tomatoes were amazing! I moved on to blueberry muffins – whole wheat, yogurt blueberry muffins to be exact - and strawberry rhubarb pie (rhubarb grows wild in my backyard).  Finally I used the pickling cucumbers to try my hand at homemade pickles; I have to wait a week to see how they turned out!   

Once I hear back from my guinea pigs I may or may not be sharing my recipes! Hopefully later this week I will be posting all 4 recipes but I am always looking for more yummy ideas for my CSA treasures so if any of you out there have any ideas I’ll take them!

I'm off to cookbook stalk!

~Leah