Costume Time

It's almost officially October and this year I promised myself not to wait until the day before Halloween to craft a costume. This year I am responsible for two children's costumes. One for Ash and one for his new bff Violet. Last years martian/ufo are going to be hard to top! Wish me luck and let the crafting begin!

The Silver Lining

I have always taken a lot of pride in being able to find the "silver lining" in maybe not so great situations. I tend to be a glass half full kinda gal, and really like that about myself. But there are times that my optimism is challenged. Is there always a silver lining?

Today's events went something like this:

• Woke up this morning in a terrible mood feeling like doo.
• Started a load of laundry and quickly set out to burn some of my one year old energy.
• After a few hours at the pool, we returned home to find that there was about an inch and a half of water on the kitchen floor.
• After the immediate shock wore off, the panic set in.
• It's Friday and I need a repair person NOW (not sometime next week between 8am and 8pm) NOW!
• Call repair person in panic, there is something wrong! It must be the refrigerator.
• Pace. Pace. Pace.
• Discover that the water is not coming from the refrigerator, in fact it is coming from the laundry room.
• (side note: our washing machine drains into a utility sink)
• There is a towel in the utility sink, therefore blocking the drain.
• Light bulb.
• All of this water came from the washing machine/utility sink. AHHHHHHHHHHH.
• I have secretly feared this day since we moved in to this house.
• This also explains the suds and glorious smell of clean laundry.
• So about two hours goes by of sopping up the water.
• Obviously this answered the question of if i was going to mop the floor today. Yes.
• I mop.

So why all the rambling on and where is the silver lining?
I'll tell you where.....
The "pre-soak" that the kitchen floor got made for one really clean kitchen floor. I am not sure that it has ever been so clean. Even under the appliances. That is one super clean kitchen floor.

Rope Swings

I just settled down after my 4 day whirl wind vacation to the lake. This morning I was so sad to be leaving all of my family to come home to this quiet empty house. I thought that this was going to feel so lonely. Is it bad that I am totally loving it? Alone. Quite.

Is there anyone still out there?

So SO Sooooo sorry about being gone for so long! I am sure that all 3 of my devoted readers really missed me!
It's been hectic around here with the move and the missing computer.
But we are all back in business!
And I think that I may have some interesting things to share soon.

the little man

All week long while I was supposed to be focused on relaxing and finding a house (that sound's like an impossible combo!), all I could really focus on was how big my little man is getting! Where has the past year gone?

DIY: should I?

10 things I couldn't live without this week

1. mother's day roses. even though they were not from the hubs.
2. my new Wii fit plus. which was from the hubs (way to redeem yourself).
3. coffee. this is probably going to show up every week.
4. nagachampa. found one random stick in the bottom of a box of crap. burnt it. still love it.
5. craigslist. i have been a junkie trying to find a place to live.
6. the hubs. i am just so proud of him for his new promotion.
7. great grandmother's painting. found an old oil painting that she did. can't wait to hang it up.
8. new shoes for the little guy. he has such fat feet, finally found a pair that fit.
9. the nikomat. started a new series of pictures documenting the development of a new flower on my peace lily. i have had it for a few years and this is only the second bloom.
10. tetris. it's the only game that the hubs will admit that i am better at.

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. coffee. there were many mornings this week that i was almost concerned with how jittery i got from all the coffee.
2. allergy meds. yuck.
3. tetris party. i've been hooked like crack all week. i think that it may have actually started to affect my eye sight. that's sad.
4. my new black linen pants. i made them last week and have worn them at least 4 times already. they rule. i am going to make so many more.
5. friday nights porch party. great little get together with some buddies and a few beers on the porch. what more could you ask for?
6. jessica. i don't know what i am going to do in five weeks. i have come to find that i need this girl in my life.
7. frozen sangria in a foam cup. need i say more.
8. the curse by josh ritter. i couldn't stop listening to this song all week.
9. ashyr saying his name for the first time. and this time i am not the only one who heard it.
10. mother's day. it started off rough and i was very disappointed, but the hubs redeemed himself when he got home from work.

New study

SO... if you don't already know, The Bright Side Project is absolutely amazing! these lovely ladies deliver buckets full of funshine to daily lucky winners. they have some amazing sponsors and contributors!

today's giveaway was from Dexter Darling. whitney wanted to know what was the one item that we could not store away in storage, since she and her hubs just moved into a 300 sq ft apartment! yikes! this was my response (by the way whitney....you should pick me so that I can receive my bucket of funshine!):
#103
"the one thing i could never put in storage....oh man, i could do a list of like 101 things i could never put in storage! i could never live without my vintage camera. i could never live without my squeaky sewing machine. i could never live without my beat up old cowboy boots. and i mean then there is my hubs and child....i am almost positive it is illegal to store people in storage, so i mean that obviously couldn't go. i mean i could really keep going!"

anyway, this is getting lengthy. my point is this. i have been trying to come up with a little more structure here at Turquoise Violets. So now starting on sundays we will be featuring a new study called, "10 things i couldn't live without this week".
enjoy!

DIY: A gift for the mister

So the hubs has been working his butt of lately and to show him how much I appreciate how hard he works I made him this fun little place to rest his noggin!

I want the edges on the "t" to fray some more, then it will be perfect!

Shutter Love

Well it's been quite the whirl wind romance with the old Nikomat. Do you remember when I got this camera? Well, I am in love! After five rolls of film going directly into the trash (actually the recycling bin....not sure if it can be recycled?), I finally wised up and found a users manual on eBay. Turns out that there was nothing wrong with my camera at all....only user error!

So here are a few of my favorites from the first few successfully developed rolls:

This is my adorable little sister.

These are all from a recent trip to Lake Santeetlah, NC. There will be many more fantastic Nikomat pictures to come!

work it

I recently participated in another amazing ARTpool Gallery event, Body Painting and Steampunk Fasion Show.


This artist wanted a funky "Marie Antionette"-ish wig made for her model.


This was for the Steampunk Fashion show. DollFace Inc created some amazing clothing!

Ashyr's First Painting

Not so Valentine's....

I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day for some reason, I think that I find it to be a little annoying. Sorry for the lack of festivity! So instead of love letters and flowers and hearts and cupids.... I will give you this....

Oh the pictures I will take

So, I was sitting here working on my Google Reader obsession, when I was introduced to these ridiculously amazing earrings on A CUP OF JO!THANK YOU! Only to quickly realize that they were a giveaway! THANK YOU AGAIN! I proceeded to stare at them for about 15minutes praying that they would be mine.....and wondering what the hubs was going to say when I showed them to him. I've am hoping it's going to go something like this:

ME: Doodie (that's what we call each other....don't ask!), come look at these awesome earrings!
THE HUBS: Those are awesome, AND I can make those!

Please! Please! Please be how it goes! The Hubs has surprised me a bit lately with the camera, and then there was the hand stamping tools. The Hubs is very handy and crafty and artistic. He's also been known to make jewelry in the past.....so maybe, just maybe!

After that whole scenario played through my head, and I prayed to the random comment picker Gods, I found myself on this website. I've died and gone to heaven! This is what jewelry heaven looks like! Leah Sakellarides, who are you and how did you get in my head? I am going to be obsessing over this for a long time! Not only the amazing jewelry but also the amazing photography! These are the pictures I want to learn to take! STUNNING! Excuse me for cutting this off but I have to go obsess some more!

A Whole Month Of Celebration

So every year as January wraps up and February begins I tell myself that I am not going to make a big deal out of my birthday.... I think the last time that I had a "party" was when I was 16. I don't usually ask my hubs for any kind of gifts and usually tell anyone who wants to get me gifts to get gift cards or cash. And then I end up buying things that I "need" or paying bills. This year I decided that i deserve a celebration! I still don't know about a party.....but I have gotten some of the best gifts and it's not even my birthday yet!


Hubs got me this beautiful necklace that I have had my eye on for a while. It is handmade Irish Porcelain from the Hillgrove House in Co. Kerry. It is even more beautiful in person.


Then there is this little goodie! I have recently decided that I was going to start collecting 19Th century Amethyst glass bottles....and this is my first! This bottle dates somewhere around the 1850's. I never thought collecting something would bring so much passion... but I can't stop researching and learning about these amazing artifacts!


The hubs gave me this awesome camera too! This has actually been sitting in the top of our closet forever... I have just never opened the camera bag to see what was inside! I have recently gotten into taking pictures with my good friend Jessica of Birdlime Photography. She's teaching me the in's and out's of what all the crazy buttons and numbers mean....and she's an awesome teacher! So after a fantastic trip to the Thai Temple of Tampa, (I'll post pictures of that trip soon!) the hubs said that this camera was officially mine! IT IS AWESOME! Now I just need to learn how to use it and all of the lens' that he has with it!
I wonder what else awaits me in this awesome month of celebration!

Man I just realized how long it's been since I posted anything. I guess it has something to do with the old adage "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all". I promise there are good things to come!


So I guess I will just leave you with this adorable breakfast nook....LOVE IT!

Last Nights Dinner...

...Was like WHOA!!!!

I love that I amaze myself on a regular basis in the kitchen! When hubs and I first met, I could not cook! Like burnt toast couldn't cook! But over the years I have learned a few things and taken some risks. I have really embraced the art of cooking with whole ingredients and we eat a lot of protein and veggies. Well last night I tried to mix it up a little...


Hubs doesn't eat any cheese that isn't yellow, so I topped his chicken and mushrooms with cheddar, and mine with feta.

Delicious!

Since my facination with all things handmade has become more of a way of life, I have been obssesed with hand stamped jewelery. "Item #1 on my 2010 Wish List" is an adorable name tag pendant.


I showed this necklace to my hubs last night telling him how much I loved this necklace hoping that if I dropped enought hints then maybe, just maybe I could have a necklace like this....
WELL, get this! Turns out my father-in-law has a set of stamps collecting dust in his workshop, and my hubs knows exactly how to make these lovely little pendants! I feel like he's been holding out on me! And evidently this set is not just letters...it's letters, numbers, and symbols in all different sizes. Hubs thinks there are probably over 100 stamps.....um excuse me?!?!?!? Why am I just finding out about this!

Oh Stella...

So Stella, our 2 year old pup, is full of constant entertainment! For those of you who know my dog, you know what I mean, and those of you who don't, well let's just say that she should have her own TV show!
Stella has a little bit of a sensitive tummy sometimes. And by sensitive tummy, I mean expensive taste! She just can't handle inexpensive dog food... it makes her puke. I don't blame her!
So, since we are all eating healthier as a household, and I am on this whole food eating kick, I thought I would give making dog food a try.
I have known many people in the past that make their own dog food. My old boss used to feed his pure bread pups whatever leftovers were in the fridge. An old friends mom used to make Spanish style chicken and rice everyday for his dogs. But as of recently one of my closest, and more sensible friends Jessica, of BirdLime Photography, introduced me to the answer! SoJo's! So it seems pretty easy...just add chicken and veggies!


But I thought we would do an experiment tonight, before I spend $30 on a giant bag of feed. I made some chicken and carrots and mixed them with a small amount of her yucky food. You know just to see if she was interested....am I crazy of coarse she was interested.
Now normally, Stella LOVES carrots! Tonight, this happened:


She did eventually clean up all the carrot pieces that she spit out, and loved her little concoction. So the verdict.... I think that i need to buy the SoJo's!

Take A Moment...

My best friend told me the other day that I do too much for everyone else and that I needed to take a moment and do something for myself. I tried to explain to her that I just couldn't do that, but really had no explination of why I couldn't do it.

Evidently, all signs are pointing to "taking a moment". As I am sitting here looking over all the blogs that truely ispire me I found this on Design*Sponge:


“WE BELIEVE that clouds are unjustly maligned
and that life would be immeasurably poorer without them.

We think that they are Nature’s poetry,

and the most egalitarian of her displays, since
everyone can have a fantastic view of them.

We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it.
Life would be dull if we had to look up at

cloudless monotony day after day.

We seek to remind people that clouds are expressions of the
atmosphere’s moods, and can be read like those of
a person’s countenance.

Clouds are so commonplace that their beauty is often overlooked.
They are for dreamers and their contemplation benefits the soul.
Indeed, all who consider the shapes they see in them will save
on psychoanalysis bills.

And so we say to all who’ll listen:
Look up, marvel at the ephemeral beauty, and live life with your head in the clouds!”

Item #1 on 2010's Wish List!

This awesome hand stamped necklace comes from a great little etsy shop called The Rusted Chain. She has some amazing and inspirational handmade jewelry! Some serious MUST HAVES! I have really been wanting a necklace like this one with Ash's name on it since before he was born! Maybe the hubs will get the hint for my birthday! The Rusted Chain also has a great blog! Check Check It!

Jewelry Hanger

I have been seeing a lot of really neat jewelry hangers around lately, and thought that i would just go ahead and save $40 and make my own...here is the finished result!

Dry Erase Wall Calender

I finally finished 2010's first craft project! My step mom can't believe that after all the crafting i did over the holidays that i would have anything left in me. but for those of you who know me personally i don't know what day it is without a calander.....SO......after searching for a while and not wanting to give in to the calender of baby photos made courtesy of "SnapFish"....i decided just to make my own! I refinished the frame and hand cut the calender from scrapbook paper.



And in the process of hanging the calender i was inspired to give the kitchen a little re-arrange! i have been re-arranging all over the house lately. it's so refreshing you know!?!?!?



oh...i also ripeed this picture of a "thinking of you" card my step mom sent me a while ago and made it into a magnet! i just love this picture! i reminds me so much of all of my girlfriends!

How did this happen?

Growing up in such a large family I know that kids can get themselves into some strange situations! But can some one explain to me how this happend?

Two New Recipes

My mother-in-law gave me these recipes the other day. They are classics that she's been making forever. The casserole is my husbands favorite childhood dish (and it just so happens to be gluten free!) and the salad is from the Columbia Restaurant...it is so good that i could eat it every day!

Columbia's Original "1905" Salad
4 servings
prep time: 25 mins

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce torn into bite size pieces
2 ripe tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup thin strips of Swiss cheese (2oz)
1/2 cup thin strips of ham (2oz)
1/4 cup pitted green Spanish olives
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup evoo
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, ham and olives.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, oregano,Worcestershire sauce. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, continually beating to form an emulsion. Stir in the vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add the Pecorino and toss and serve.


Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
4-6 servings
prep: 10 min, bake: 55min

1 (30oz) package frozen shredded hash browns
1 (8oz.) package Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 cups milk
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl
2. Stir together milk and the last tree ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour over hash brown mixture. Pour all into a lightly greased 13x9inch baking dish
4. Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 mins or until golden brown.



so yummy!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year friends and family! I have some pretty amazing art, craft, and restoration ideas for this upcoming year! I can't wait to share them all with you guys! For today though I am just enjoying this rainy New Years day snuggled on the couch with the hub and baby!