The Monkees

This afternoon I was driving to one of my client's homes when I heard some most depressing news. I was just listening to NPR expecting normal broadcasts and what do I hear? Davy Jones from the Monkees is dead. Now you must be saying to yourself- what does a 25 year old know about the Monkees? (I suppose me listening to NPR also makes me old- but that is another discussion).

Well let me tell you- I had a sever obsession with the Monkees in middle school. They had started playing reruns of the show on one of those oldy channels. I even found an old Monkees book that my dad owned from the 60s that was like my my sacred treasure on earth.

Of course, while watching I, like every other little girl in the 60's fell in love with Davy Jones. Granted, when I was watching the show, he was probably in his late fifties but you couldn't tell me that. He was still a cute young guy in my mind. I literally did not miss an episode. And if I had to be gone from home, I recorded the video on a handy dandy VHS tape. Ah, those were the days.

So goodbye to the cutest 5 foot 4 inch guy on TV. You made one summer of my life quite lovely.

Etsy

Well, I have given in and made my first etsy purchase. When my mom saw the pretty spoon bracelets that I posted yesterday she wanted one. So, I bought her one for her birthday and she bought me one for my birthday. Luckily, she will actually be here visiting me for her birthday and I am hoping I will receive the bracelet before then.

The name of the shop is Mon Petit Chou Boutique.  They have over four pages of bracelets with tons of different patterns. Some of the patterns are even from the early 1900s. I think it is pretty neat that the silverware has been around for that long and is now re-purposed.

They have been very helpful in buying the bracelets because my mom and I both have six inch wrists. With our freaky tiny wrists finding bracelets that fit us is nearly impossible. The shop is having to custom make ours- hence why individual etsy shops are so amazing.

Here are some more pictures of their pretty bracelets:

I can't wait to get mine! I highly recommend this shop if you like the spoon bracelet look. They don't know me or anything- I just like them!

Crafty Thursday

I haven't really ventured into all areas of crafting land. Specifically, jewelery making- I have tried and I am too much of a perfectionist. On the other hand, I am constantly drawn in to jewelry ideas that you can make yourself.

Top 5 DIY Jewelry Projects:

From: Melok's Place
http://meloksplace.blogspot.com/2010/02/tree-of-life-pendant-tutorial.html

So, instead of actually trying something simple I attempted this pendent. It is supposed to be "natural" looking but I still was not happy with it. Like I said- I want everything to be perfect- which doesn't help when you are trying to make complicated necklaces.

From: ECAB
http://www.ecabonline.com/2010/04/braided-bead-necklace.html

From: More Design Please
http://www.moredesignplease.com/moredesignplease/2010/8/4/diy-sailors-knot-bracelet.html

From: Whirly Bird
http://johannainman.blogspot.com/2011/10/craft-project-friendship-bracelet-with.html

Who doesn't remember making friendship bracelets in elementary school?

From: Sarah Ortega
http://www.sarahortega.com/2011/05/diy-fingerprint-jewelry.html


So I could not, for the life of me, find a tutorial on how to make these bracelets that are all over Pinterest. I absolutely love them and I want to make them myself but- no luck. I am about to resort to just buying one!
 P.S. If you happen to know my husband feel free to point him in this direction for gift ideas!



 http://www.etsy.com/shop/monpetitchouboutique

Happy Crafting,

Is it Spring Yet?

If you live in the South, like me, it sure feels like it! I don't think we have had winter weather all season this year. I'm ok with that- I am not made for snowy climates. I feel like I may die.

I really don't want to do any more winter crafts so I have moved on to Spring. I started my wreath- but I feel like it is missing something. Now I have made some spring time topiaries that are easy- and time consuming.

Supplies: 

styrofoam balls (mine are 5')

dowels

little pots (Dollar Store!)

pink paint

floral arrangement foam

moss

some cute ribbon

Mod Podge

Glue Gun (and a lot of glue)

6-7 bags of Lifesavers pastel jelly beans (found mine at Rite Aid)

Start by painting your styrofoam ball. I did pink because the tutorial I found did but honestly you could paint it any spring time color. If you go ahead and put your dowel in you won't get your fingers covered in paint!

Separate your candy- with my 5' ball I went through a little over two bags of jelly beans per ball. It doesn't help that each bag practically has enough purple in it for an entire thing. You really have to go through the bags to get a nice assortment of all the colors.

Start your glueing- it is time consuming but they do end up cute. This is the point that I ran out of colors-except purple and some pink- and had to open my third bag. 

After you have glued all of your jelly beans on shove your foam into your little pot. Line up your dowel in the middle of the pot. Then you can cover the ugly foam with some floral moss.

Tie on some pretty ribbon- and repeat if you make three like me! I did add modge podge to the jelly beans at the end because I am afraid it will attract bugs. Honestly, I kind of wish I hadn't done that. It you do decide to use it try to keep the glue from collecting in-between the jelly beans. You can see little clumps of it and it annoys me. 

Here is the original link:

http://craftysisters-nc.blogspot.com/2010/03/jelly-bean-topiary.html

If I can figure out what to do with my wreath I will post about that one soon. Although, spring does not technically start till next month!

Crafty Thursdays

It took me awhile to decide what to post this week- this may be due to my brain being extemely tired after a week of mental health crisis galore. Gotta love my job.

We moved into our town home in July and I still feel like my walls are bare. There are many interesting projects on pinterest but I really like canvas art. I am not an artist but these are some ideas that I think I could really pull off!

Top 5 Canvas Art Projects:

From: The Craft in Me
http://thecraftinme.blogspot.com/2011/09/3d-canvas-art.html

From: Creating While Waiting
http://misswhit-tany.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-to-do-with-blank-canvas.html

From: Two Girls Being Crafty
http://twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com/search/label/Canvas

From: Vanilla Joy
http://www.vanillajoy.com/diy-paper-flower-on-canvas-tutorial.html

So once again no blog was actually pinned to this. But I can figure this one out- put down painting tape and paint over it. Pull off tape- viola!

My only problem is that several of these ideas use the cricut machine. I have seen this machine all over the place on blogs and I still don't completely understand what it does. But, I still want one- to bad it isn't in the budget right now.

Happy Crafting,

Valentine's Day

So, I have never claimed to be a girly girl. Valentine's Day is kind of lumped into that. We rarely put much thought into it. Usually the thought is- we can go out to dinner- I guess. It just isn't a big deal. For instance- this year I decided to make our favorite dinner (roast beef, rice, squash casserole, carrots, and gravy) and just stay home.

Even worse than that? For a gift I bought my husband 28 Days Later- so our "Valentine Day" consisted of watching zombie movies. Like I said- I am not exactly the normal girl. Anyway, the one thing I did plan on was recreating our favorite dessert from our honeymoon.

Seriously, look at his creepy face. He is telling me to stop taking pictures so he can eat his amazing Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. It was basically the highlight of my trip- and I wish I was kidding!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

6 oz. dark chocolate

6 oz. butter

4 eggs (room temp)

3/4 cup sugar

4 Tablespoon flour

1. Melt your butter and chocolate in a saucepan. And because I am lazy there was no way I was going to make a double broiler- and it worked just fine!

Cook till it is becomes chocolaty gooey-ness. Attempt not to eat the chocolate....

Combine your eggs and sugar and whisk for a few minutes. Or be lazy (I am sensing a theme here) and use your kitchen aid mixer to do the hard work.

Add your flour and mix together again. 

Mix in your chocolate/butter mixture with the rest of the ingredients. I suppose at this point you should also scrap down the sides-since obviously I have not.

Pour the batter into 4 greased ramekins. Bake at 390 for 14 minutes. Now- the cake is supposed to have a gooey center. You should basically be eating warm batter here people- enjoy it. I will admit that mine had to be popped back into the oven for a bit because they were complete soup but the finished product:

was literally amazing. Oh- and please eat it with vanilla ice cream. I mean I can't force you, but you are sinning without the ice cream- and well I can't control what God may do to you.

Ok- so I may or may not get a little serious about my sweets.

Enjoy! It is so easy and so yummy in my tummy!

Bernese Mountain Dog

I rarely talk about my dogs- not sure why considering they would probably be an interesting topic. The first job I ever had was as at a dog kennel and basically my job was to play with the dogs. I was 16 and I have been in love with Bernese Mountain Dogs since then. When I graduated from my undergraduate program I bought one as a graduation gift to myself. She came home looking like the picture above. Seriously, she was the cutest puppy ever!

As she has grown up (she is going on 4 years old) she has become slightly neurotic. She is afraid of strangers and, well- she is scared of everything really. Trash bags are the boogy man in her mind. But, once she gets to know you she is goofy and bounds around the house like she doesn't weigh 80 pounds. I normally post pictures like the one above because they make her look pretty. But now I will expose her for what she really is:

The under bite queen! As she has gotten older her under bite just gets worse. According to the American Kennel Club Bernese Mountain Dogs:

 "teeth meet in a scissors bite. An overshot or undershot bite is a serious fault."

So I am normally very entertained by telling her she is seriously faulted. I could be upset by her "fault" if I really considered how much I paid for her. Instead I like to think that it makes her unique. Like a fluffy bulldog or something.

Hopefully I am not the only one with a seriously faulted dog!



It's Friday!

Well, I am almost through with my first week experience of being "on-call". I officially have the crisis line with me at all times. Somehow, I have lucked out and not received any phone calls- of course, inevitably it will ring off the hook as soon as I post this. I am pretty much in a constant state of paranoia that I have missed a call because we are required to call back within 15 minutes.

When I really sit back and think about it being a therapist is kinda freaky. I feel like I have way to much control over people's lives- plus, they think I am some kind of miracle worker. Which, as evidenced by my own insanity, is obviously not true.

I have now been the lead therapist on my team for three months. I am off of my "probation period". Yay for finally being able to receive health insurance! I feel like I have already learned quite a bit. One thing that has shocked me is that this job seems to be teaching me therapy skills with kids and adults as well as couples counseling, family therapy, and parent skill training.

I think by the time I have kids I will either:
1. be the best, most informed parent ever- or-
2. be a complete and total freak of rules and consequences and not know how to relax about anything-ever.
Right now, I try not to think about that as it is my natural tendency to worry about things that are not even necessary to think about.

As of last month I have even made it past my first 6 month review of my provisional therapy license. I should only have a year and a half left before I can be fully licensed. I still struggle with life in the world of mental health but the last month has calmed down. Slowly, I feel like I am getting into the groove and I know that once I am fully licensed a lot more doors will be open to me.

Does anyone else just think it's weird to be a grown-up? How in the world can I even write a post about my "career"? I am pretty sure I am still supposed to be about 16 years old. Time really does fly.

Hope your weekend will be great! (and I hope mine doesn't include crisis calls in the middle of the night!)

Crafty Thursdays

I don't know about you but my crafty needs can include cooking. Not sure why but I lump everything together. Surely that counts. Anyway- this Valentine's day I am on a mission to cook a nice meal for us. Of course, for me the main part of that meal will revolve around the dessert. Shocking I know.

I am leaning toward searching for a recipe for a warm chocolate melting cake. It will forever be a special dessert after eating it every night of our honeymoon! But, as usual, I went to pinterest and some blogs I love to find some more inspiration.

Top 5 Valentine Desserts:

From: i am baker
http://iambaker.net/mini-heart-cake

Can I just note that I am Baker is such an amazing-well- baker. I wish I could afford to take a cake decorating class just so I could recreate her cakes. She even knows how to make tiny shapes on the inside of her cakes. This cake has a mini heart on the inside that you can't see in this picture. So cute.

From: Bakerella
http://www.bakerella.com/cupids-arrow-cupcakes/

From: Glorious Treats
http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/chocolate-rolled-cookies-recipe.html

From: Glorious Treats
http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/cranberry-white-chocolate-bars-recipe.html

From: Martha Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/270692/xs-and-os-cupcakes?czone=holiday/valentine-center/valentine-cnt-gifts&center=276967&gallery=274841&slide=270692

Hopefully this will give you some inspiration for your Valentine's Day!

Happy Crafting,

Chocolate Pie

Do you ever have those days where you could throw your baking project against a wall? Well this pie seems to be one of mine. This is what I get for straying from the pioneer woman who gives me step by step picture examples.

I will preface by saying the pie still tasted fine- it just annoyed me.

Tip #1: Do not realize in hindsight that you have a deep dish pie pan which forces you to run around and make a second batch.
Tip #2: When a recipe says cook till thick- it actually means thick- like pudding I think. I took it to mean till it started to get goopy but still pourable. I even put my pie in the fridge to set up and when sliced it still was a mess. Again- it tasted really good so I will focus on that.

Chocolate Pie

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon plain flour

1/2 cup cocoa (I use the new dark chocolate cocoa)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

2 cups milk

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cooked pie shell (I use Pillsbury cause I'm lazy)

1. Place first four ingredients into a saucepan.

2. Stir in egg yolks and slowly whisk in milk.

3. Cook over medium heat until thick- again really thick like pudding!

4. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into your pie shell and smooth it out.

It tastes really good with some whipped cream on top. Hopefully, you guys have a normal pie dish and understand what "thick" means. Good luck- it really is yummy! 

Crafty Thursdays

So, I try really hard not to be a crazy dog lady. When you don't have kids to distract you I feel that dogs become little furry babies that you feel you must smother with love. Or, this is just my issue and ignore that.

This was the day we brought home my youngest dog. She is three now but seriously I can't resist the puppy pictures. So this crafty thursday is dedicated to the furry ball of love in your life!

Top 5 Dog Crafts:

From: Martha Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/275173/dog-crafts/@center/307040/pet-projects#/210758

From: Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71783881/i-love-my-dog-9x12-wooden-art-sign

So I found this on Pinterest and it wasn't linked to anyone. I am not stealing :)

From: a. arch
http://andreaarchambault.blogspot.com/2011/12/diy-photo-canvas.html

From: A Kitchen Muse
http://amuseinmykitchen.com/2012/01/11/woofies/

I guess if my dogs had a vote they would only care about the treats. I think they are plotting to eat me out of house and home. Although, it could be my fault that I own a 100 lb. German Shepard and a 80 lb. Bernese Mountain Dog. Or as our friend likes to call them- "our livestock".