Thanks to Ashley and Shawn, my creative side has been fulfilled this past weekend. Isn't she gorgeous? Her smile and serious faces are to die for... I couldn't have had a better couple to photograph yesterday! These are just 4 of my favorites.
I forgot how much fun it is to photograph a couple that's so in love. Shawn was fairly hesitant at first, which is fine, I generally rule out the first 10 photos anyway (those weird awkward-I-don't-think-I-know-what-I'm-doing smiles...). Also, you'd never know it, but it was about 90 degrees and awful humid, they had a blast and I did too!
When you buy an old house, you sort of expect some things to be needed to be done. One of those things is painting.
Like the walls, very easy to prime and paint, like the rear entryway.
But when you prime with bright white paint next to a ceiling that you thought was white, it totally grosses you out. I don't think this ceiling has been painted since the house was built in 1949. Gross.
And even grosser. I think it's mostly because it's next to the kitchen and who knows what cooking oils, grease, grimy hands and what else you can think of has touched this ceiling.
Spending the time to clean, prime and paint the grossest ceiling ever has totally been worth it. BUT, dripping and running gross dirty grease running down the ceiling, not so great. I went through a lot of rags, a lot of degreaser and vinegar to get this ceiling back to clean. Yuck.
Yep. I can sew. Well, sort of. My first attempt at hemming the curtains took about 6 hours. And then one is still too long.
But I did make a purse. With lining.
I really don't think I'm all too crafty, however when all I have to work with is easy fat quarters and a Sew, Mama, Sew! tutorial, I do pretty well. But I wasn't exactly smart enough to pull out my white sheet to photograph it on a bright background. Go figure.
And unfortunately, not cooking very much lately or I've been cooking the same things like eggs, pasta and grilling brats which I don't find blog-worthy because honestly, they're super easy and well, I just wouldn't want to see scrambled eggs on my blog every day.
However, with Bimmer Man going to the racetrack this weekend, I will be making at least one item with mushrooms.
But for now, here's what I've been doing: The trim is now white instead of the awful, awful old ugly stained oak.
The living room is yellow, which I like much better than the blue (Midwest Spring by Freshaire at Home Depot). The blue looked like Barbie's boyfriend Ken had a bit too much fun on a Friday night and vomited up his favorite color, blue.
So the living room is super messy because I'm trying to paint around everything. Soon I'll have different curtains (I think I may make them myself) and then eventually different furniture.
Why hello, Alcide! Woo hoo!! I'm so excited, I just can't wait. It's going to be a fantastic season!
Plus, if you haven't read the books, definitely start. The show doesn't exactly follow along with the books, but it takes the big pictures and incorporates those into the show. I've been waiting for Alcide to show up... And Eric the Vampire, yes, please!
I have no idea if anyone but my mom and sister reads the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I do and I enjoy them. They're fairly laugh outloud funny and hysterical.
Much to my amazement, yes, there will be a movie. Katherine Heigl will be Stephanie and then I have even better news.
"Cookie Cutter" houses? What? I live in a cookie cutter house that's ticky tacky cookie cutter from 1949, however, we live in a well built ticky tacky cookie cutter house, which reminds me of the theme song from Weeds. So I'm going to share it with you.
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There’s a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses all went to the university
Where they were put in boxes and they came out all the same,
And there’s doctors and there’s lawyers, and business executives
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course and drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp and then to the university
Where they are put in boxes and they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.
Started off with a sore throat... then onto a dry hack... and now well, let's just say that I can probably blow a small sailboat across Lake Calhoun with my sneezes...
I hate being sick. It's awful and this past weekend was so dang nice outside that I still planted lobelia in the flower boxes and braved my allergies to mow the lawn, all the while sniffling, sneezing and hacking away. I hope that I can't give flowers a cold!
My favorite fish is probably salmon. Yep, more than likely! When its cooked correctly, it just flakes apart and melts in your mouth.
For this, I just a large pat of butter, some olive oil and heated it up over medium-high heat. Then I drizzled the salmon with olive oil, salt, pepper and some lemon juice (save the other half for AFTER it's cooked to drizzle over the fish).
Cook approximately 5 - 8 minutes on each side, until the fish flakes easily.
I love mushrooms on burgers and Bimmer Man was at work most of this week. Which was too bad because he missed out on some good food (sorry, honey, but you don't like mushrooms, maybe I'll make you a different burger next week). So I sauted some mushrooms for my burger topping before I started on the burgers.
For stuffing the cheese into the burgers, I used crumbled bleu cheese. I made the burger pattie like normal but then flattened it out a little more than normal, put the bleu cheese in the middle and then wrapped the meat around the cheese (if that makes any sense, however, I've decided that I'm not like Pioneer Woman and I don't need to show steps of everything because that's like a sensory overload when you just want the recipe).
And then I added the mushrooms, spinach, ketchup and mustard to my burger because I can't live without ketchup and mustard on my burger.
Mix all together in a large bowl with your fingers. Score into 4 sections. Take each section and form into a burger pattie. Cook on the grill for approximately 4 - 7 minutes per side. With fresh beef, cook however you like because I like my burgers medium-rare.
Tis the season of grilling (or using your grill pan) when it's raining outside or management doesn't let you have a grill.
Happy grilling! I hope y'all share some of your burger recipes with me!
Yum. Sizzling away in the large skillet... I generally make the dogs their eggs first to make sure the pan is warm enough for my own eggs!
Yep, there is spinach and cheese in it, however, the tomatoes just didn't want to stay put!
Omelets are so easy to make, mix eggs, milk, salt & pepper, pour into a hot pan (the drop the temp to a little lower so the outside doesn't get too brown). Add in your extras and you're good to go!
I can't wait until the new season starts! At least we have these little minisodes to keep us entertained!
Also, you've got to read Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 1) and all the rest of the series. Let me tell you, these books have more sex and more violence and satisfy all your vampire needs much better than that Twilight series! Phew...
and all the rest of the series. Let me tell you, these books have more sex and more violence and satisfy all your vampire needs much better than that Twilight series! Phew...
