Fashionista in the Woods

Some New House Pics

2010-07-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend we bought curtains and some pillows for the bedroom, I am so excited to have curtains! The window is for some strange reason is positioned further to the right so we were able to make the window look a little more balanced with the wall. We got a new bedspread a bit ago and today got some new pillows, yes I love pillows, come to my house and you will see them everywhere. We bought a couple of picture too for the hallway, haven't put them up yet when they are hanging on the wall instead of leaning against it I will take some pictures and post them.

It's been awhile

2010-06-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything on this blog, thought I would start posting again and try to keep it up. As to be expected lots has changed in this past year+ ...... But I will start out with a recent trip to Sauvie Island and some Freezer jam.

Last Friday my boyfriend and I went to Sauvie Island to the Pumpkin Patch and did a little Strawberry u-pick. I got a coupon and thought for $1 a pound we could give it a try. Never u-picked strawberries before, once did blueberries but I was much younger and manual labor didn't seem so horrifying. Dan (The boyfriend) picked me up from work a little early and we headed out. Sauvie Island is a short trip from downtown Portland but seems quite different, lots of farms and fresh veggies and fruits, even a houseboat or two. All and all a great place to spend a gorgeous sunny Friday afternoon.This of course was one of my last minute, OMG it's so pretty outside wouldn't be great to duck out of work early and go u-pick strawberries because why not, I have a coupon (and you know that's like free money) and I have been wanting to make freezer jam for forever .... so ya let's do it.... queue to driving up and thinking oh um what are we going to put these almost free strawberries in? Reusable grocery bags of course, lord knows I can't manage to remember to bring them into the grocery store with me, but all of the other uses they have. So down we trek to the strawberry fields and in about 30 mins we had 10 pounds of strawberries.

I have only been to the Pumpkin Patch in October when they have their annual Corn Maize but in late June they didn't even have the corn planted yet, it was really odd to see the giant field totally bare. Hopefully they get that corn planted soon gotta be taller than the people for the corn maze to be fun

So as we are leaving for the island Dan said so you know where we are going right? Now if you know me at all you know the answer to this "NO" .... Well I said kinda, I've been there before. With that out came the iPhone and the Blackberry, I tell you this not only because it shows my directionally challengedness but because when I goggle Sauvie Island there website came up with all of the farms and destinations on the island and one of them was a Lavender Farm. Lavender is one of my favorite smells so we had to go. It's a cute little farm well I wouldn't say farm so much as house with yard attached and lavender planted, but still it's A LOT of lavender. It's another u-pick, albeit much less backbreaking and a little more my speed. You can pick a really good size bunch for $6.00.

After the Lavender "Farm" we headed back home so that I could start on my freezer jam. A quick detour to the store for some sugar and containers and I was ready for my first attempt at freezer jam. I picked up some packets of pectin that had a recipe on the back (so handy) which was amazingly simple for jam that tastes so good.

4 Cups Crushed Strawberries
1 1/2 Cups of Sugar
1 Packet of Pectin

Crush Strawberries (hands work the best and it's fun). Stir sugar and pectin together add into the crushed strawberries mix for 3 minutes. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes (maybe the hardest part) and voila Freezer Jam ..

The jam turned out so good, I couldn't believe how easy it was and per my usual I made more then 10 people could eat in a year, good thing it freezes well.

More New Furniture

2009-02-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

I got some more new furniture, I do love tax returns. I went back to one of my favorite places The Shabby Cottage. This is where I got my Black tall shelf. I got three new pieces, two for my bedroom and one for my living room.
I am so in love with the new pieces. The pink ones for the bedroom look so great. I just changed over my dresser to the new one and I am loving it, much more room in the new one and I need as much room as possible.
The blue side table matches my living room perfectly all of the new blues and greens look FAB.

My House

2009-02-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

I know it's seams that I am always rearranging my house but me and my mom did a major redo this last Monday, I had the day off so we took advantage. We started out at my house moving some stuff around, I wanted my mom to redo my Kitchen hutch, she realized that we needed some plate stands for the hutch which meant a trip to Crafters Warehouse which is sadly by ROSS. So we had to go to both. I have been looking for some pillows for my living room and new couch, I was able to find 7 pillows at ROSS

This little shelf was a great buy, I got it at Home Goods, it was originally $39.99 but when I brought it up to the counter to buy it the girl checking me out, dropped it and they gave me half off, the shelf got a little banged up but nothing that couldn't be fixed, I think it looks great.

This is the Kitchen hutch I wanted mostly white in it, but I didn't have enough, so My mom added a little black I think it looks great.

Here is a full view of the hutch I got it at a antique store that my mom drags me too, they have some good stuff every, but I can lap my mom in there about 4 times to her one around the store. Like garage sailing I have to be almost tricked into going but ultimately I like doing it.

These are a couple of the new pillows. The 2 on the ends are leopard print which is something I love, the little round one is very cute also.

This is my new clock, I LOVE it, it looks so great next to the wall color, I really want to get a different chair for this space this one gets a little lost, I would like to get an overstuffed chair with an ottoman, maybe next tax return.

This it quite possibly my favorite piece in my house. I have talked about it before in my blog, we moved it to the other side of the wall and kiddie corner it looks fabulous.

Another one of my mom's creations, she is so much better at the "decorating" then I am, I love the mantle all of the green.

Here is the new Ikea purchase, my new couch. Me and my friend Laura went to Ikea for an $11 slip cover and $370.00 later, I have a new couch. In my defence it was an amazing deal in their as is area plus an extra 10% off, so I couldn't pass it up. I have been wanting to get the bigger couch anyway. I think it really makes the living room look like a living room, something about having the 2 couches together.

This is my mom's invention, I had these little pictures and the white picture frames. Add them together and you get this. I like em. They are a great little display.

Again the new desk, I am happy most of it is done, I still need to get drawer pulls but the holes are not normal width apart so I have to either do some hunting to do some fixing, either one I'm not in a hurry to do, so for now it holds the PC just fine, just no drawer pulls.

This I am quite proud of, I put up this curtain rod all by myself. Now I am sure most of you are thinking ya so what it's just a curtain rod and she's 26, this shouldn't be impressive. I do realized this, but here is something about me, I am the most impatient person when it comes to doing well most everything and I like to get things done quick, so the fact that I measured and marked and drilled holes in the wall and hung the rod properly I find impressive.

Desk Project

2009-01-24T15:57:00.001-08:00

I finally "finished" my office desk. It's painted a light mint/blueish green, the top was made by my friend Laura she did an amazing job, the top is pretty much better then the whole desk. I still have to get drawer pulls, Nothing I have found so far fits the holes are 2 1/2" apart, I might have to fill the holes and drill some new ones, but for now it's at least holding my computer, which is very exciting becuase this means I have my office back as this desk isn't in the middle of the room.

Reasons to never get Married #1

2009-01-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

I can spend $300 in one month on black shoes and I don't have to hear, "don't you already have 12 pairs of black shoes" to which I would have to reply "They are all different! you need more then one pair of black shoes!"

7th, 8th 9th?? snow of 08

2008-12-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Okay well so much for we aren't going to get anymore snow this winter, at my house I probably have 5 inches? Between this and the last post I think it's snowed and melted and snowed and melted about 7 times it's been really annoying. But now I am kinda over it mainly because I have to go to work on Monday and I have no idea how I'm getting there. Should be exciting. I'm not sure but it's a ton more they we are use to. I'm pretty much snowed in this weekend. I just have people come to me, I like that idea anyway.

I absolutely love snow in the dark

This is the road by my house

My Backyard

More Snow?? Could it be?

2008-12-15T20:58:00.001-08:00

More 80's Party Pictures

2008-12-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

I found some new 80's Pictures on Laura's FaceBook that I haven't seen before. Enjoy.

Me with Blonde hair hot right? hahahaha

My Parents 35th Anniversary

2008-12-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

My Parent's Anniversary is the 22nd of this month we are having a dinner at my house this coming Friday, I am really excited about it. I am making a dinner and then we open gifts. I just finished wrapping gifts last night. I had a vision in mind of what I wanted them to look like. I think they turned out pretty good. I made the little hearts that are on some of the packages. I also made the tags for the gifts as well. I have the house decorated still more to do, I will post those pictures after the Anniversary I want to decorations to be a surprise for my mom so no peaking for her. I am taking advantage of the snow day and am going to start looking on the Food Network's website for recipes for our dinner, I have a general idea of what I want to make but want to see what sort of new recipes I can find.

First and Possibly only Snow of the Year

2008-12-14T12:22:00.001-08:00

Today was the first snow this year, it was so exciting to wake up this morning and find snow on the ground, for all you guys on the East Coast our tiny little 1 or 2 inches is nothing for you, but here in my part of Oregon it's pretty exciting. it's been snowing steady all day, I'm hoping for a snow day at work tomorrow, since I have a Saturn Astra it would be a interesting and possibly impossible trip to work.

Sick on Vacation

2008-12-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

This last weekend me and a few friends when to southern Oregon, Sunriver for a long weekend, I got off early on Wednesday which was very exciting, I got home finished packing and was sitting waiting for my friends to pick me up and I felt a little "tickle" in the back of my throat and I thought to myself, great I'm getting sick. So instead of having a fun weekend with my friends, I ended up having a sorta fun weekend. We did go After Thanksgiving Shopping or ATS which was fun and I pretty sure what basicically what killed me, But I got me some deals! so you know pretty much worth it. Last year we took about 700 pictures and this year I think we took maybe 7, it was a pretty low key weekend.

Just Cause

2008-12-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

New TV Crush

2008-12-02T19:18:00.001-08:00

Okay I discovered a new TV Crush Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. I think it's the dirty part and the manlyness, and strangely the hairy chest. It's a odd crush but I think he is totally Hot.

Giant Spider

2008-11-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

Okay it' hard to see in these pictures the sheer giantness of the spider that has decided to make it's home in my carport. Now to say that I hate spiders would be an understatement I am the first to jump on whatever is higher then the floor when there is a "tiny" spider around and then to have this huge one living right by where I get into my car every morning is not good. I sometimes I have to look back to make sure it's still there and hasn't catapulted onto my back. I know what your thinking why don't you just kill it? well there is a small possibility that I will miss if I throw something at it and that it will fall onto me and I don't want to have to strip in my carport which is exactly what would happen, so for the time being he will stay where is he and I will have to look over my shoulder.
I realize I am weird for this line of thinking

Busy Weekend

2008-11-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend was quite busy fun but involved.
Friday I baked and frosted and iced, and then Friday night I went over to a friends house for a game night with my monkey bread in tow it was quite a hit. We played a new card game called mafia it's too complicated to explain here but I'm sure you could google it and find the instructions. It was loud and fun and some of my friends like to analyze things way too much!
Saturday was the day of cleaning and getting ready for my friends little Anniversary party nothing too fancy just a few close friends some champagne and cake. Fun as always, whenever I get around that participial group of people we always end up talking about all the guys that we think are hot and then vehemently agreeing with the others or screaming our disbelief at the others "taste" in men, it gets loud and hilarious.

Sunday was another "Party" day I had a Created Natural party it's a new brand of makeup it's like bare minerals but much better. So another day of cleaning and baking and entertaining. I think I am going to sit in my pj's next weekend and do nothing, of course I say that now and then plans will get made and suddenly I am all over the place. as a matter of fact I think I already have a bridesmaid dress fitting planned, see no pj's for me

My Room

2008-11-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

I was on a cleaning jag Saturday and decided to move some stuff around, The dresser use to be where the purple chair is now, and nothing was wear the dresser is now. I like it so much better now I can't believe how much better it looks.

Monkey Bread

2008-11-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

Also on Friday I made some Monkey Bread for a game night over at a friends house. I got the recipe from My Romantic Home It turned out so great. I did make a little more of the coating and didn't make as much of the icing.
Please see the jar "bundt" plan invention. pure genius
Ingredients
FOR THE BREAD
1/4 cup warm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus pinch for yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed
2 tablespoons shortening, plus more for pan and bowl
1 package yeast
FOR THE COATING
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
FOR THE ICING
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk

Directions
Put the warm water and a pinch of sugar in small bowl; sprinkle yeast over top. Stir; let the yeast soften and dissolve, about 5 minutes.
Place shortening, warm milk, sugar, salt, and egg in mixer bowl. Grease Bundt pan and a medium bowl.
Once yeast is dissolved and foamy, add it to mixer bowl; mix well with dough hook. Slowly add flour. Knead on medium-low 1 minute or by hand 5 minutes. Place in the greased bowl; cover with plastic. Set dough in warm place and let rest 20 minutes.
Make coating: Put melted butter in a bowl. In another bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts; sprinkle 2 tablespoons of nut mixture in Bundt pan. Cut dough into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll into balls.
Dip balls in butter, then roll in nut mixture; place in prepared Bundt pan.
Cover with plastic wrap; let rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in pan.
Turn bread out of pan; cool 20 minutes on rack or plate.
Make icing: In small bowl, stir milk into confectioners' sugar. Drizzle over bread.

My First Cake

2008-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

I made my first cake this last Friday for one of my friends 4th anniversary. It was 3 layer chocolate with chocolate frosting. My mom pointed out that it looks a lot like a thimble. My mom helped me SO much, there is no way I would be able to make it. This is the first of the frosting I really like to cake it on I'm in the cake for the frosting.

This is the very little bit of decorating that I did I am still not too happy with it but it didn't turn out too bad.

My Mom again had a brillant idea to add shells, which worked out perfectly because my friend Laura loves the beach.
All and all it turned out pretty good. it was quite yummy the cake was a little on the dry side, I don't think I will make that cake again but the frosting was amazing.

Random thought for the day

2008-11-05T18:26:00.001-08:00

Pudding - Seriously it's good stuff

Just you know cause

2008-11-05T18:24:00.001-08:00

Current Project - Computer Desk

2008-11-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

I am currently working on my computer desk, I was given to me by my grandparents, I spend the weekend sanding and painting it, I need to get drawer pulls and something to cover a hole in one of the drawers were I pulled out a lock. The top still needs a lot of work I am thinking about putting tile on it. A lot more work needs to do done on it, Hopefully I can finish it this by this weekend.

Technology - Seriously can't live without it

2008-11-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

Text Messaging - I know some people hate it, but I think it's quite possibly the best invention ever, how else can you carry on a conversation with 7 different people at once and still get work accomplished? The one downfall it's really hard to convey tone in letters on a screen but still best thing ever

My iPod - I have no idea how I got through a work day, traffic, extended car ride pretty much anything without it. Gone are the days of visor CD pouches and mixed tapes, how exciting it is to have your ENTIRE music collection with you at all times.

My Blackberry - Okay I know it's a bit of a cliche but I love my phone, clearly as it's sitting on my bed with me as I speak, I think this goes hand in hand with text messaging but really so great.

DVR - I am a big fan of my DVR I have no clue how I watched TV before I had one. I mean really how can you watch TV without the option to pause and or rewind that one or two scenes 17 times?

Chocolate Trifle

2008-11-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup water

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy

DIRECTIONS Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
I add Strawberries into the layers it's so amazingly good.

T.V. Crushes

2008-11-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Ed Westwick - Gossip Girl - I don't know what it is about him but me and my friend Laura find him so extremely hot, it's the voice and the broodiness and the evilness. Yes I realize that that makes us a little bit messed up.

Tim Daly - Private Practice - I don't care that he is 50ish, he is so hot.

Joshua Jackson - Fringe - I have loved him since I was 1o and he was in Mighty Ducks, and loved him even more on Dawson's Creek.

Jeffrey Donovan - Burn Notice - Hot, Detached, Hot, Carries a gun.

Damian Lewis - Life - This one is fairly recent crush, I have discovered this fondness for red heads, it's strange.

Some New Furniture

2008-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Some new furniture for my house.
The Kitchen table, my mom and I found at a garage sale and I sanded cleaned up. I love the shabby look to it, it's my favorite look for furniture.
The Black shelves, I am completely in love with My mom found the place where I got it, it's a family that restores furniture from thier home, they have the most amazing pieces it was really hard not to buy everything.

80's Party

2008-11-02T21:14:00.001-08:00

A couple of Pics from my 80's party of me and my fav girls.