MOONDEELA

Manic Monday

2011-12-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

Holy schnikes, the weather has been insane the last few days! The high winds caused power outages, the excessive snow is wreaking havoc, and Alaska drivers are silly! In fact, it's been four days of constant tow truck action in Anchorage. Which is funny, because every time I see a tow truck I think of Adventures in Babysitting - remember the mighty Thor. Remember this classic 1987 movie? No kidding, Vincent D'Onofrio looked a little different back then?!

I hope (knock on wood) that I can contain myself on the roads and stay out of the ditches. I'm fairly certain the mighty Thor will not be coming to my rescue. If the mighty Bryce lived in Anchorage, he would be our rescuer. The mighty Bry is celebrating a birthday today - he's kind of a big deal.

Speaking of the mightiest of them all; Thor and Bryce...it's that time of year when most of us reflect on the many things we are thankful for. I won't get sappy today, but there are so many special people in my thoughts right now. I hope you are all spreading cheer and appreciating the ones you love. Trust me, they are worth it.

XOXO

People are Kind of Rad

2011-10-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Um yeah...I must be in a good mood today. Why not, it's October 28th and there's no snow on the ground. The sun is shining and my four day Nyquil coma is over. And...someone made my day. Which isn't that difficult. If you do my dishes or pick up my mail, my day is pretty much made. I received a call from a gentleman asking if I had lost my debit card. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't know. I checked...of course it was missing. I'm a jackass. He inquired as to where I might have lost it? Uh... Sure as shit, I lost it in the parking lot of Sally's (salvation army) and I am one lucky chick that this gentleman picked it up. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked that I was the recipient of an honest gesture.

Growing up, our parents were pretty strict about honesty...you just kind of told the truth. Otherwise the consequences were pretty rough. Apparently my memory sucks, so I only seem to remember this story about GD. I won't name her, because she's out there somewhere. Anyway...there I was, reading a book during recess (DORK) when GD comes over and starts bugging me. Being the little a-hole that I am, I tell her to leave me alone. Of course she won't, so I call her a bitch. Um yeah, that's a big-bad word for a third grader. GD is shocked, but not enough to keep her from running over to sweet Mrs. Heikkila and tattle. Oh boy, I'm in it now...

Mrs. H walks over and asks if I called GD a "bad word". Hmm... Of course I did, I tell her, "I called her a bitch". I distinctly remember Mrs. H smirking and lightly reprimanding me. She must have been just as surprised as I was to hear that word come out of my mouth. The lesson learned that day, cuss like a sailor and no one messes with you.

The lesson today, most people are pretty rad and when faced with doing the right thing, the majority will. Right?!

On a scary note, he found my number by googling the name on my card. Scary. Lesson #2 for the day, check your public information out!

Architectural Digest Goodness

2011-10-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

If you're not familiar with Architectural Digest, you should be -but it's awesome - in fact, I still salivate when I see the thick glossy cover depicting some fabulous design! Anyway...Grandma had TONS of these, years worth, that she took ideas from and would stack neatly in the toyroom and closets. And sometimes, when she decided it was time to let them go...we got to cut them up and make collages. RADness!

If we could still visit Grandma, I'm pretty sure we would still be eyeing the mags. Looking back, we should have created stuff from her magazines and the piles of catalogs, instead of ripping her name/address label from the front and tossing them. If you have a bunch of mags/catalogs sitting around, check out these great ideas! I'm sure my hubby would love for me to get rid of a couple stacks...perhaps some projects are in order?
Just Like Martha - Magazine Trees
A Little Hut - Magazine Bowl (or trivet)
How About Orange - Fab Magnets
New New Blog - Fun Postcards
Blue Algae - Coasters
Abstract Octopus - Magazine Boxes

Grab those mags/catalogs and get to cutting!Lovely Kitchens via Architectural Digest

Twelve by 2012

2011-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

What a delicious proposition this is, brought to you by the lovely Danni of Oh, Hello Friend I am a list maker by nature (runs in the family), so this public list gives some incentive. She even offered up the lovely button for our blog - lovely!

Here are the twelve by 2012 for MOONDEELA:

1. Launch Mabel McKinley's brick and mortar in November 2011 and have the web-site operational by December 15th.

2. Organize the 100 square feet of fabric in the craft room/woman cave (ACK).

3. Complete the paperwork for Alaska BOOB check's 501(c)(3) status and web-site e-commerce ready.

4. Talk Momma-Sita into writing a book about Alaskan island life.

5. Take hundreds of photos, drink many pints of beer, visit lovely castles, and shop in Scotland next week!

6. Send my husband on a man-trip with his buddies.

7. Design and create a pattern for a couple vintage-style dresses (and a swing jacket).

8. Get the handbag operation back into production.

9. Learn to use the darned tent sewing machine sitting under the cabinet.

10. Build a settee and cover in delicious velvet (costanza style).

11. Build a dog bed for Tank (the laundry basket isn't cutting it anymore).

12. Complete our calendar idea by the end of November.

Can you think of twelve?!

Three Chicks, Two Dogs, Power Tools, a Trailer, and a Shiny .38

2011-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

So, there we were - cruising along the Parks (and the Glenn) Highway... This sentence could have been uttered every five minutes a few weekends ago. Seriously, I'm not sure you can make this ~~shit~~ stuff up. We took a road trip up north to find antiques and pieces for our new shop. We sort of had a plan, but just kind of wanted to wing it and make our final destination stop in Talkeetna. We loaded up the dogs; Tank and Peyton along with us, because they are entertaining and they sleep all day anyway.

The black cloud of gloom was floating over our heads before we even left town...a few hours later than planned. To begin with, I didn't bother worrying about a trailer to haul said "junk" until four hours before the scheduled departure. Moniker saved me by finding a quick and easy U-Haul rental. We were running late because the "Sober September Sisters" had to get their cocktails together, but mostly because I couldn't find all of my necessary power tools. You never know when you're going to have to take some shit apart. In the delayed departure stage, the U-Haul rental place called me twice to get my ETA because her "daughter was hungry" and she wanted to close up - at four in the afternoon. WTH? By the time we finally get there and checked in, we realize that we don't have the right hitch (how dumb am I). We go through the rigmarole and get hooked up, then realize we don't have the right adapter for the lights. Holy schnikes! By this time, I've already realized that I DO NOT know how to back a trailer up. Awesome. Good thing the trailer is itty-bitty.

Two hours later, we're on the open road. By this time, I need a beer...but we still have an hour to go and I have a gun in the rig...you know, just in case we encounter some wildlife? Beer would have to wait. First stop, some little antique and clothing shops - fun stuff. Then we hook up with a chick we found on craigslist earlier in the day. "Um yeah, we'll meet you in a parking lot on a secluded road." We've got the shiny .38, so we should be fine. She's cool and we buy her truck full of stuff. She wants to know what's going on in Talkeetna...is she missing a junk show?! Then she becomes my new best friend, texting me other items. Awesome! I'm actually surprised she and the skeleton didn't meet us up there for junking around. But seriously, I'll find her again...she got me a Thor's hammer that made my day.

Then we hit our favorite store in Palmer - Pom-Pom's. If you haven't been there - go - promise you will LOVE it! They have fabulous, wonderful, shiny things and they offer cotton candy when you walk in the door. By this time, we've decided it's time for cocktails so we head to our friend's house in Big Lake.  Along the way we stop at a gas station to get some delicious beer and whatnot. Princess Sister-Pants is offended by some dude with a BIG trailer because he scoffs at our itty-bitty trailer. I hitched my britches up , straightened up my pink toolbelt, and prepared to take the redneck on, but decided if wasn't worth it. Besides, I'm thirsty. And we're off again...holy BFE...again, good thing the trailer is itty-bitty and thankful that they have a giant driveway. You know by now that I'm not backing the trailer out!

We finally arrive in BFE.  Our friend's hubby is mixing up ~~moonshine~~ home-made vodka. No kidding, that stuff could peel the paint off the walls. We catch up with our lovely friend; Bald Eagle while enjoying cocktails late into the night. When I've had my fill, I try to get Tank into the bedroom I'm sleeping in, but he won't go. He will bark at me and run away, but he's not going in. So, I get to sleep on the couch with Tank breathing in my face. Awesome. I finally give in at 6AM, get the princesses moving, and we're off on a day of adventure.

At this point, I'm ready to find some entertaining junk! We arrive in Talkeetna, what a fun town! The girls LOVE Talkeetna...something to do with the Wilderness Women contest and delicious bachelor auction every winter. At any rate, we get to eat some grub - family style at the Roadhouse. I introduce myself to Tricia, the new owner and inquire about junk places. Tricia has the answer - Wal-Mikes in Trapper Creek - "can't miss it" she says. If you've been there, you know what this entails.

Tricia is correct, you cannot miss this place. It's like a bomb went off and all of this shit landed on the side of the highway. It's the length of a football field and looks like it might be full of treasures. The first thing we notice is the propane smell...he's bleeding off a tank and it reeks. The first thing he says is "I'd better get a torch and go burn some of that off". Yeeeah, can you wait until we're clear of the area. We set to picking through the stuff, LOTS of it!  Dozens of tires, wheels, old windows & doors, rusty iron, old toolboxes, boat windows, license plates, etc.    We get ourselves a pile and ask Wal-Mike to give us the skinny. He hems and haws..."that's not for sale, that's from a Model T" (why the hell is out here then, decoration?), "oh, that's my potato picking basket...that was in my living space" (you live outside on the fence??), "oh, I don't know what that is, but I sure hope I don't need it" (WTF?!). Seriously, you can't make this shit up. Finally we settle on a price for all of the goodies and we get to go inside his "store". His wife is behind a curtain yelling at him, he's yelling back. We wait quietly trying to ignore the angry stickers he has posted, the crazy beaver pelts staring us in the face, and his indifference. Then he follows us outside to watch us load up, I'm sure he doesn't want us stealing his goods!

The next stop was scheduled to be some place at Mile 49 on the Parks, but we get sidetracked by an "Around the World Sale" at a storage facility. We pull into the lot and look around...then some woman comes out and waves us over to this little cabin. Seriously, what could be worldly inside this 15' x 15' cabin? We should have gone with our instincts. Her bed is set up in the middle of the room and we realize that we're in her living space. There are small random things sitting around with price tags and the only "worldly" things in the cabin are a couple of pieces of jewelry. She has to tell us all about the jewelry and says she'll let us look around, but she comes right back into our bubble. "Oh, there are some great kids books here...only a quarter". I spot a typewriter and decide I need it. She has it marked at $35 and I ask if she'll take $30. "Gee, I'd reeeeally like $35...and I will throw in these office supplies". No shit, they were old manila folders papered clipped together, a bundle of pens with marketing on them, and a three ring binder. Um, no thanks - we're good with only the typewriter.
Upon pulling out of the "around the world" sale, we spot an incredible sight...it's like a shanty-town on the side of the highway with little cabins PILED with junk! Apparently the locals call it Skid Row...that's about right. We locate a particularly special pile of junk and explore. The sweet lady covered in grime offered to show us all sorts of goodies, but I was more interested in the iron on the ground behind an Alice Cooper look-alike. He was just sorting junk and drinking good ol' Busch Light...right there on the side of the road. Only in Wasilly. I'll leave out the filthy details, but we scored some cool stuff and hauled ass...wishing the whole time that we had hand sanitizer.

Our next few stops were uneventful, but we'll just tell you that we had to have a cookie at the Sandwich Shop and we scored on some very special items at another shop. As we're high-fiving and getting the hell out of the valley, something goes very wrong. We're moving along the highway at a normal pace when the TINY trailer starts wobbling and trying to come loose. I don't know how, but we somehow maneuvered off the highway without the trailer getting away and injuring someone else. Just as we're slowing to a stop, the TINY trailer comes smashing into the back of my rig. My stomach drops and I don't have the heart to get out to survey the damage. After a few minutes of "holy shit" and "OMG" comments, we get out. Unbelievable, but there is absolutely NO damage to my rig...not a scratch, nothing. The trailer, on the other hand, has a nice 3" square in it. Turns out the hitch (purchased 24 hours earlier) has failed.

Hubby is out of town, so we call everyone that we think can help. Finally, our adorable pregnant friend jumps on it and brings us a new hitch. Two hours later, we're fixed up. The girls had a couple bottles of champagne and cat naps while waiting. Thank goodness I purchased the insurance!

By the time we get home, a gaggle of chicks is waiting for us to re-hash the events of the last 24 hours. Many beverages were consumed and some work was done...

As for the shop, you'll have to read about that in another post.

Silly Bully

2011-09-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

“Bulldogs are adorable, with faces like toads that have been sat on.” - Colette

This dog; this deliciously wrinkled, farting, snoring, butt-sniffing, silly dog cracks me up. Every. Damn. Day. Tank has some strange quirks, I think all bullies do. He is a giant WIMP...if a dog barks at him, he hides behind my legs. Sometimes something drops on the floor, which causes him to run and hide under a chair until danger has passed. And I won't even mention the vacuum attacks, obsession with over processed cheese, chewing of anything plastic, and the need to sleep in tiny spaces. Weird. Dog.

As I've mentioned ~~several times~~ before - I am NOT an animal person, so this new found love for an animal (besides Bub) is pretty unusual. Last week I found myself giving him ice cream off my spoon...and putting back in my dish. WTF?! My Momma would be so proud, since her family is a bunch of animal lovers.

I have an uncle - one of my favorites - Uncle Pitbull (UPB). The name sounds menacing, but he's anything but. My earliest memories are of UPB greeting us at the door on Christmas eve...he would hug us and call us funny nicknames, like "knob". WTH is that?! He would commence growling at us and his whiskers would scrape our faces...ack, the agony! We would giggle and look at him sideways.

In the summer, we would go visit UPB in Oly. We were continuously amazed by his gaggle of rottweilers. Not only were GINORMOUS and sort of scary, but there were at least four of them at a time! UPB would grab them like they were little pups and wrestle them to the ground. Then he would stick their heads in his mouth and bite them - we would scream out in horror! I was slightly horrified and kind of amazed that he could pummel on his BIG dogs and they would playfully joust back. The Uncle Pitbull moniker was born.

So, here I am...twenty five years later, feeding my damn dog ice cream off my spoon, biting his ears, and finding it really humorous that he prances like a pony.

Have I become UPB without realizing it? Wonder if my niece and nephews will mind my whiskers at Christmas time... :)

I Dig Power Tools

2011-09-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

I seriously dig them. They call my name as I walk through the HIW stores, seriously. In fact, one of the willing participants jumps into my cart as I walk by. They want to go home with me, I'm sure of it. It works for me, since I have fabulous new projects on the horizon that require shiny new jigsaws, orbital sanders, skilsaws, etc. Yep, it's the two weeks on...el husbando is gone and I need to work on home projects!

The first project I tackled was a good one! Our spare bathroom is a long, lovely room with delicious heated floors and a great big tub from the 1950's. But it needed a little pizazz. Yes, I used that term...I did jazz hands when I said it aloud.

Before...no pizzazz!

In my daily viewing of Ana White's web-site, (which by the way is the coolest site of all time) I found the board and batten project. BOOM - perfect fix for the ~~shitter~~ powder room. Of course, I got the wild hair for this project while I was at work...without measurements for the room. You can see where this is going. In my gung ho state, I stopped by my favorite HIW and grabbed my 1x's in 8' lengths. I'm thinking, there's no way that wall is over 8' long. Um yeah...I get home, strap on my pink toolbelt, and pull out the tape measure. Houston, we've got a problem...our length is 8'-6" (no shit).

Guess what, the 1x's in 10' lengths cost three times as much. This should've been my first warning sign. Nope, trudging on...I'll save the gory details, but here's a synopsis. Finally, all lumber is purchased and ready. Skilsaw is waiting with baited breath. Tank is running away from power tools - scaredy cat. I get out the level and check out my floor - are you freaking kidding me?! Not even remotely level...we've got a 1/4" gap at the center. Still trudging on...guess what the wall isn't plumb either. Yep...AND the best part yet, the studs have NO pattern, zero! It took a lot of messing around to figure out some weird spacing to make it work and look like I did it on purpose. It took me longer than necessary to deal with the existing conditions, but I'm pleased with the outcome. It also took a 12 pack of Bud Light Lime that I found on the back porch...thank you Dookie!

Finished product. Hmmm.

Now that it's complete, I've decided that the neutral grey paint needs to be pizazzed up too! Jazz hands. If you know me, you can probably guess what color that's going to be! :)

Sweet Pup...and look at that ridiculous
gap in floor! Arrrrr.

This is how Tank helped me along the way...snoring in the middle of the workspace. Until the jigsaw or Dremel (Trio) fires up - which by the way is the COOLEST tool of all time! If you don't have one - go buy one - you will love it...and you will use it for the strangest things imaginable! Seriously, do it now...run to Lowes HIW now! :)

Bet you can't wait to see what I do next!?

The Beer Belly

2011-08-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Literally and figuratively! This is a follow up to last week's post Rotten Headache Friday. I think I already established that my group of friends likes alcohol. Yes, that includes me. That becomes apparent on super duper nights like the "one time in Cordova when I danced on a high table while wearing a football helmet"...another story for another time. You know when you're younger and you're always scheming ways to sneak alcohol into places you shouldn't? Um yeah...that doesn't go away as you get older!

I kind of wish they'd picked an ugly, fat guy
to model...

So...there we were - seven grown adults sitting around between softball games at our state tourney last week. We had to head out to the parking lot to drink our non $3.50 a pop beer, from the back of our rigs, in the rain. Awesome. We were lamenting that it would be so awesome to just be able to sneak our beer in under our shirts. Of course I googled it, because someone had to have already thought of it. No shit. Here it is. The Beer Belly! This thing even comes with ice packs!

Their marketing " The Beerbelly brings Freedom to the Beverage! Now you can drink WHAT you want, WHEN you want, WHERE you want, with no hassles and for less money! What more could you ask for? Now you can drink your favorite beverage at the movies, the ballgame, on the plane, anywhere, YOU DECIDE!"

Genius, pure genius. We were all pretty pissed off that we didn't think of it first.

Then we saw the "WineRack"...shit yeah! We're in, sign us up!

Here's a "cheers" to ingenious alcoholics around the world! Salud!

Rotten Headache Friday

2011-08-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brrrriiing, Brrriiiing.

Whose idea was it to consume a magnum of seven-young-blondes last night? When you're laughing your ass off with a bunch of crazy chicks, it's hard to keep track of how many times you're siphoning the liquid out. Especially when you're telling stories that originated from a drinking episode...like getting Jaeger-rufied (another story, another time). Amazingly enough, I picked up an english accent along the way. It came in handy while talking into the wine bottle and listening from the wine glass...like an old fashioned candlestick phone. There may have been some "brrring, brrring" ringing too. Okay, there was.

There was this one time when TNT and I decided to hit the weekly mead tasting at our local joint. It was so tasty...lined up along the bar and boasting delicious names, like Southern Heat, Honey Do, and Gingerly. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we purchased an entire case of the stuff. A few weeks later, we decided to bust out some of our "special occasion" mead. The Superbowl is a special occasion, right? Mead is fun and should be enjoyed occasionally. Check out our local joint: Celestial Meads. You should take a DD with you to the mead tasting...trust us.

At any rate. I thought we could all use some creative juice to honor our consumption habits.

Make your own damned wine. Because this photo makes it look really fun. Oh yeah...you bend over that cask and I'll pretend like I'm working these grapes over. I'm pretty sure this scenario would lead to very bad things in my household. HA!

Make your own damned wine glasses. It's a two-fold recycling gig...drink the wine, make a glass, drink more wine, make more glasses, etc. Glorious! Chubby Hubby doesn't know it, but I've been stashing away wine and cham-pag-ne bottles for the last year. When he finds the stash, he's going to be pissed. Can't wait. Or maybe that's a "project" for a two week on schedule.

Makes the wine taste better.

Make your damned wine look good. Design*Sponge has a fabulous little tutorial for making a wine wrap...or coozie as we call them. This also comes in handy, if you're trying to hide the goodness. Just modify the pattern for height and use some camouflage fabric. El Husbando will never catch on that you've become a wine-o.

Because I am a procrastinator and I can't find my sewing machine under the sh*t, I will stick with my sock monkey coozie. Totally under the radar.

Okay...last but not least (since it might be a beer night). How to make a beer bong...because some of us never grow up. Plus, these guys know how to make a video. Check it out! Awesome!

Enjoy your Frosty Beverage Friday!

Home Decor for the Dirty...Girl

2011-08-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Chubby Hubby has taken a slope job which is awesome...and not so awesome. The awesome part is the two weeks on when Sportscenter will not be on 24/7 and I can decorate the house however I damned well please! The not so awesome part...the two weeks on when I'm left to my own imagination, which runs rampant with thoughts of burlglars coming to get me and the non-attack dog. You remember Tank...mostly he does something like this.

In the spirit of "decorating the house however I damned well please", I sort of ordered some accent furniture. If you're familiar with my Grandma Nonie style, you can bet it's going to be fun and not Hubby-style. That means I have t-minus 11 days to get this shit in place and tie it all together so I get the thoughtful "oh that looks nice" comment (and not the "where the foxtrot did that come from" comment).

First order of business - the bedroom, which involves tying the disco ball, peacock feather, Grandma Nonie decor together with a new settee (what a dumb name, it's a freaking bench) and rug. Yes, I said disco ball. It was the selling point for me...I saw it and said "yes, this house is ours". Needless to say, we need some curtains and some funky pillow covers to tie it all together. My dirty contractor mind has no problem constructing said items, but I thought I'd google some ideas anyway.

If I'm really fancy, I may end up with some stage curtains...perfect for the disco ball over the bed. Surprise, Hubby!

Okay. Back to the curtains...here are some cool ideas.
Lined grommet curtains from Orange Sugar. Stinking cute (and perfect for our crazy tie in) and easy tute.

Fabulous floor to ceiling curtains from Ginger Freckle - try these!

Or I guess if I run out of time (which means I'm lazy)...I can embelish some curtain goodness like these. Pretty stinking cute.

As for the pillows, there are so many freaking options! I have specific design in mind with multiple types of fabric: velvet, dupioni silk and a little something-something. Like these from etsy seller Material Recovery:

Cottage Mag Pie provides an easy tute here.

Cat Bed by Design Sponge

Design Sponge did a kick-ass tutorial for a pet bed here. (pictured left). Shouldn't the cat be a little more stoked about the bed? Just a thought...

And just because it would make Chubby Hubby laugh...the pirate pillow tutorial by Sew Dang Cute here. Yeah, we have a pirate room too.

Okay, enough yapping about it...I'm off to find the sewing machine. It's under piles and piles of stuff in the woman cave.

A Paper Doll Wardrobe Would Be Rad!

2011-07-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's a lovely Tuesday and I've been running around like a maniac. I started my day off by spilling my breakfast (while driving to work) on my blue silk dress. Okay, the dress is actually my sister's, but still...I look like a slobby slob. I found myself thinking that if I were a paper doll, I could flap on a new outfit in a jiffy! Wouldn't that be lovely! You know you loved paper dolls too and you're agreeing with my right now.

Having the paper doll wardrobe would be a total advantage...especially during construction season. I spend the majority of my time in the office on the phone and at the 'puter, so I dress for the office. Yesterday I visited the job-site in ballet flats and a flipping cardigan. Seriously? If I was a paper doll, I could've flapped on some boots, jeans and a jacket...and ventured into the mud. That's a good time.

Gnomes! Because they're funny!

I haven't played with paper dolls since I was about ten. Grandma Nonie had the BEST paper dolls...old ones, new ones, fat ones, and gnome ones. Yeah, really. (As I read that last sentence I realize that Grandma would've scolded me for using "ones"...but I'm keeping it there). Every visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house was awesome. Seriously. If she wasn't paying us "two bits" to clean the playroom we messed up, she was keeping us busy with crafts. FUN crafts! We can talk about all of that later. There are endless Grandma Nonie stories... (xoxo) Do kiddos still play with paper dolls? Or is that so...three decades ago?

While you think about your potential paper doll wardrobe, check out some of these beauts.

Punk Rock! In case you're feeling S&M-ish...

I don't know what the hell these are...but they are AWESOME!!!!!!!

I'm not sure who would want these...since they don't have any clothes.
But wait...here's Lafayette's wardrobe.

Shit yeah!

Oh yes, we should all learn to dress like Gaga. A meat dress is so classy...

And last...but not least.

From your friends at queergeek.com
You know you want to play with this one...
I'm definitely printing this shit for chubby hubby.

Happy Tuesday. Focker Out.

Summertime Crafting

2011-06-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Um yeah, that doesn't happen for me. You would think that since we have unlimited daylight, I would be all over that. Not so much. Between work, softball, tourneys, beverage consumption, BBQ's, etc., there is no time. In fact, there is so little time to get into the woman cave, that I actually resorted to duct-tape hemming jeans on Monday and chopping off five inches (and rolling up) another pair on Wednesday. Yes, I'm apparently that lazy. Awesome.

Here's a photo of what we've been up to instead of crafting. Yep. That's a Tanker, and that's a keg.

The only crafty part to this day occurred when I pulled out the 3D sidewalk chalk and wrote partial obscenities...in my own driveway. Don't judge me, it's summer in Alaska...it's a free-for-all!

It looked cool in 3D chalk. Almost as cool as
Smiley's 3D "rocketship" (weiner). :)

Until next time...stay classy Anchorage.

Delicious Daily Treats

2011-05-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Besides the obvious choice of something covered in chocolate or a tasty libation...the daily blog Outblush gives me daily doses of wonderful, delicious items. Today, they answered one of my shopping requests (yay!)...that's right, they found the perfect elastic ballet flats for the silly Alaskan! You can check it out here. My advice to you...subscribe to their daily posts - you won't be disappointed! If you're a Facebooker, you can find their page here.

Happy DELICIOUS Friday!

Viking Girl

2011-04-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

midieval weapon pushpins

Holy schnikes! Whatever I ate before bedtime last night helped with some crazy dreams! In addition to waking my hubby up at 3AM telling him that it was snowing (which it was not), I dreamt that hubby was throwing a ginormous party in our house and there were children practicing with Midieval weapons in our living room...specifically a kid with a crossbow shooting at walls inside the house. Wow! Funny enough, my favorite daily blog featured these today...midieval weapon pushpins. Hell yes, sign me up!

Being of Scandinavian descent, I've always had an inclination toward all things Viking...and the plundering and pillaging that go along with it. Our fam has a business named Viking Lumber and a tugboat called the Berserkr. Awesomeness.

Berserkers (or berserks) were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. (Source: Wikipedia)

I like to imagine my brother cruising along in the Bezerkr with his beard flowing in the wind...it's good stuff.

Some of my favorite Vikings on the Beserkr

To pay homage to all things Viking...here are some lovely items that I've collected today.

Beserker shirt that would look fab on Bryce-a-roni

I've been bugging several folks to find someone to knit me a couple of these,

Knitted Viking Hat

because I really want this one, but they are out of stock indefinitely...

Sundance Catalog

In case you're about to go into battle (like the kid in my dream),
you might need these:

Etsy

Or if you're just into a fabulous piece of Viking jewelry, here's a fabulous Thor's hammer pendant...

Thor's Hammer on Etsy

If you know our family, then you know that we miss our Thor very much...he was a great Viking and we think of him often.

And if you're really feeling it...build your own Viking ship to sail into Valhalla

Viking Ship Plans

Until next time...go out and plunder your own village! And make sure you tell your loved ones how much they mean to you before you head off into battle. :)

Fat Tank Tuesday DIY

2011-04-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Asleep in the fireplace...sitting up. Odd Dog.

Tank is a popular pup and it's about time he keeps up his appearance to impress the ladies. Last night, as he fell asleep - sitting up, in the fireplace - I noticed that his once ginormous collar is sadly about to be retired. I've toyed with making him a new collar, but have been busy with other projects. I mean, seriously, if Tanker wants to find a girlfriend, he needs a collar that doesn't accentuate his fat neck. Am I right? :)

In honor of Fat Tank Tuesday, I rounded up some lovely collar samples and DIY sites for you crafty folks. You know, just in case your dog needs to impress too... :)

This site has some cool ideas for all sorts of good stuff: Make and Build Dog Stuff

Union Jack Collar by Fairy Tale Collars

This collar right here might be the perfect one for Tank...I may have to just buy this lovely piece, in lieu of making one - it's perfect for the English pup. You can find it on Etsy here: Fairy Tale Collars on Etsy

Dance with Me Collar by Pinkys

Simply mahhhhvelous!

Pinky's Pet Gear on Etsy has some lovely girlie dog collars that might suit your fancy. Ooh La La! I think Tanker would think your girl dog was lovely in this one!

And Collars by Design has some stinking cute designs too!

Or, if you're feeling crafty today and you want to try some collars out. Check out these sites:

B*spoke has an awesome, easy tute: B*spoke dog collar tutorial
Another lovely tutorial: Richmond Pet Lovers - Collar Tutorial
Ahhh...if you want a collar with a pouch for poo bags, this one is for you! DIY Life - Collar with Pouch
Supplies can be found here: Do It Yourself Dog Collars - Supplies Galore
Cut up an old collar and re-use the parts here: Love Lish Designs Tutorial

Okay, you get the idea...get yourself moving!! Let's see what you can do!

Rockin' the 80's

2011-04-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have a soft spot for all things 80's...even the absurd. In recent years, we've hosted several parties with an 80's theme. My favorite of all was the 80's prom party a few years ago. We required everyone to dress in a prom dress or similar attire for the boys and pose for an awkward prom photo. It was a hoot and everyone participated in some manner. As you can see from the photo, we really got into it, right down to some lacy gloves and sausage curl bangs!

Last week I went back to my 80's/early 90's roots and got myself a perm. Yep, I did that. I needed something new and if I despise it, I'll just chop it off. It's just hair...it will grow back. :) I am digging the new, odd hair that I haven't enjoyed since at least my senior year of high school (sans sausage curl bangs). However, this morning started off with two (bald) dudes in my office scoffing at my newly "frizzled" hair (is that even a word??). Did I fire back an insult in regards to their shiny domes? Nope, I just smiled and thought of how much I like the 80's/90's look. :)

Uber Fun!

I really dig tulle and tutus...we've been whipping some up lately and they are way too fun. In fact, I tried to wear a tutu to flag football on Saturday (along with my smelly perm hair), but it was kay-boshed by the refs. Really, who's pulling my flag, I'm a defensive rusher. Anyway, in honor of this lovely decade, I think I need to whip up some funky skirts for the trunk show. Here's a sample of what I'm thinking... Kick ass 80's style skirt

Here's another delicious wonder ...um yes please! Easy peasy and fabulous!

So...until next time, enjoy some of what they are now calling "vintage" goodies. Wanna borrow a prom dress?! ;)

Brain Overload

2011-04-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to take a break. I had the best intentions last night. I'm blaming it on this - I started my day at 7AM and didn't leave the office until after 6PM...without eating a real meal all day. Then I decided I would draft up a new L/XL ruffle skirt pattern for chicks. Um yeah, apparently I forgot to account for several things when I drafted the pattern...namely that adding three inches, was actually adding six inches to the waistband. WTH?! I realized my error the second I cut the fabric for the prototype. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I will have to finish it because that's my new M.O. in the craft room.

I figured there are lovely ladies and gents out there who make their own patterns and here are some excellent links/tutorials to help you out...on those days you might need some extra brainpower or inspiration. :)

Craftster is one of the coolest web forums ever! I used the zipper tutorial six or seven years ago and it's never failed me. :) Craftster - Free Clothing Patterns

SewMamaSew is an uber cute web resource that you can't help but adore. Sometimes they even have free PDF patterns for your use (Rad). SewMamaSew Pattern Drafting

Here is an easy tutorial to help you make your own skirt (sweet!) Skirt Pattern Made Easy

If you're ready to whip up your own patterns (that actually fit)...check out these sites and get some knowledge. You'll thank yourself later. :)

Here's an adorable (or aborable as we say around here) little girl skirt complete with foldover waistband and glow in the dark fabric. If I had enough fabric, I'd have one too...

Happy Friday!

Craft Room Helper

2011-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

So, this reformed dog lover finds Tank very entertaining. Who wouldn't? He needs to be wherever the action is. If he's not eating random stuff off the craft room floor, he's sleeping under my chair while I'm sewing. Last night he decided he wanted to be right next to Aunt Spanky Joe while she was sewing, so he hopped his little butt up on the benches. So she talked to him in an english accent, because he's english, right? :)

Today, he is so exhuasted from the excitement that he's passed out in the fireplace...on top of my handy-dandy toolbelt. Poor pup. Too bad he doesn't snore with an english accent!

He must be keeping it safe until I arrive back home to work. Awesome!

Duct Tape Goodness!

2011-04-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I forgot to post these Fan-freaking-tastic creations!!! We were lucky enough to score a table to the 2011 Duct Tape Ball - great fundraising event and UBER FUN! The Alice in Wonderland theme was perfect for us...since we LOVE that flick! Here is a sampling of the lovely creations we whipped up...all from tacky duct tape!

Can't wait to make some more duct tape creations!! :)

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, it's that time of year...the snow is rapidly dissipating and the Alaskans are running around in t-shirts. Mind you, it's only 50` during the day, but the sun is out! Glorious!

The busy bees have been sewing away in the craft room and boy do we have some surprises for you! The frilly aprons by Spanky Joe make my heart flutter. Spanky has been fabricating lovely sensations such as the tattoo girl apron below. YUM!

Mabel McKinley has been busting out 2-3 skirts per night! Big girls, little girls, baby girls...you name it! My favorite is the uber comfy yoga skirt. FUN!

If you need a little more fluff in your life, this ruffled number will make your day! Who doesn't love flirty ruffles?!

Come on spring - bring it!

These fabulous products, along with some fabulous NYR skin care products and baubles by Tess Ely, will be available at our Chic Chickadees Spring Trunk Show - scheduled for Friday, May 6th. Come check it out!!

See you then!!!

"Dirty" Fruits and Veggies

2011-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

It's still the first week of the previously mentioned cleanse and I've been devouring fruits and veggies at an alarming rate. Alarming? Yes, when I see lists like this that remind me that washing my fruits and veggies isn't really the answer...especially when all of my favorite fruits are on the "dirty dozen". In my old age of ragged looking skin, random hives and whatnot...this information will be filed away in my brain for very future use. Home grown veggies would be fabulous...wonder when I can start them indoors this winter?? Anyone?

Until then - I will be shopping at the Natural Pantry for non-pesticide laden fruits and veggies. :)

Home For The Holidays!

2011-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I go home for the holidays I suddenly become the laziest human on the planet. I let Mom cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, late night ice cream sundaes, etc. for me all day long - while I lazily lounge on the couch speed reading books I find around the house. In my defense, it's an exhausting trip to get to this place (not really). But we have to fly out of Anchorage at 8AM to arrive in Ketchikan (after two stops) at noon. If we are lucky, we get to fly over the island on a small float plane. If we are not lucky, it's a lovely three hour ferry ride. So, by the time we arrive on POW island, we are tired and hungry. :)

In an effort to feel less like a sloth, I did accomplish a few small tasks. The first of which is funny. So...our Mom has always been a semi-hoarder. Remember the Y2K craze? Well...she has a closet in the house that we still refer to as the Y2K closet. It must have been Christmas 1999 when we got to see the madness firsthand. There was not only enough food in the closet for our family for a year, but also enough to feed every single person in the nearby town of 750 people. No joke...ten years later, we're still eating the canned sh*t from the closet. :) In line with our Mother's love of "preparation" (usually fueled by an "end of the world" scenario from our Father) - there were some boots that they have in excess.

Back in the 70's when our Dad & his brothers started sawmilling, they discovered neoprene boots (we've always referred to them as "red rubber boots") made by Uniroyal (tires, anyone?). I can still picture Dad and his three brothers with their "logging outfits" on...hickory shirts, suspenders, work jeans and red rubber boots. Back to the story...fast-forward to the late 90's again and Uniroyal is no longer making these boots. So the Mom once again gets her hands on a large quantity - they bought every single pair in size 10, 11 and 12 that they could find. No sh*t.

So, now that they are "unofficial" snowbirds and Dad would rather wear his slippers than forty more pairs of red rubber boots - they need to find something to do with the boots. Enter daughter with Ebay account... I am tasked with selling said boots. If you're out there reading this and might want to try a lovely pair of red rubber boots. Check out the listing here.

I will stop picking on Mom and her semi-hoarding...because what do they say - "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". :)

Delicious Veggie Soup

2011-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'm sort of a picky eater...my Mom can attest to that. In fact, just last week she said "don't make that face" when she told me what she was making for dinner. Oops. So...I'm doing a cleanse as directed by a naturopath doctor - I know...not really my style. But we'll see if it helps my rosacea and whatnot. The cleanse means no gluten, dairy, beef, some citrus, etc. Well darn it, I was starving so here's what I whipped up.

1 yellow onion sliced into chunks
4 celery stalks diced
3 leeks diced
2 stalks bok choy diced
Gluten free veggie stock
Spices

So...in the spirit of my favorite french onion soup recipe - I sauteed two cloves of garlic into tablespoon of olive oil. Once browned, I threw in the veggies to saute them in goodness and give them a headstart to soften up. Once carmelized/soft - I poured in the veggie stock (just enough to cover veggies - I like a full soup), some Tapato sauce, red chili flakes, bay leaves, white pepper and thyme. Simmered for 45 minutes. Then, I had some leftover quinoa - so I threw a couple cups of that in there. DELICIOUS...I'm still foaming at the mouth thinking of it. The chili pepper and Tapato gave it a much needed bite.

So...next time can I just cook the quinoa in the soup? I would think so, but I need an expert opinion. Rach? Steph? :) Happy soup day!

**UPDATE**

I cooked the quinoa in it this time and it came out beautifully. :) Yay for good, hearty food! And yes, I'm eating out of a mason jar...I despise heating plastic storage containers. :)

Holiday Party Goodness!

2010-12-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

Dessert Goodness!

Since I'm an ADD crafter extraordinaire, I can always find something else to work on besides the crafts I want to do. Self-imposed deadlines are silly, but I still continue to saddle myself with them. Needless to say, I am hopping on an airplane in t-minus 20 hours and have not nearly completed what needed to be done. But, I threw one hell of a "Bad Sweater" party this weekend and worked diligently on my dessert table (inspired by this).

Pre-food display

My table isn't nearly as beautiful, but it was very "Deela" like. I centered around a couple of fabulous light green serving dishes I bought for $.50 at a thrift store and an awesome cookie tower constructed of cardboard cake rounds and chicken noodle soup cans. :) And of course, peacock feathers. Yes, I have a problem. I have to incorporate them everywhere. Don't judge me, just embrace the beauty of them!


Grandma's cookies..	.

And believe it or not, Wally World had the gorgeous sugar rock sticks that worked perfectly with my theme. I threw some white rice in the bottom of mason jars and tossed them in. My wonderfully talented sister whipped up sugar infested buttercream frosting to match (and as a result, had blue lips all day). We turned Grandma Nonie's white cookies a greenish-blue with some candy melts from Michael's. Which was also how we turned these pretzels into uber-deliciousness!

In addition to some sugar-loaded desserts, we had to have jell-o shots - it's sort of a new tradition. And of course, we needed 200 of them for 20 guests (WHAT?!?!). Yes...all gone! Just in case you aren't a jell-o shot expert (I'm not either)...the trick is gelatin.

Here's a synopsis of how to make AWESOME watermelon shots:

YUMMY Jell-O Shots!

1 large package watermelon jell-o

2 packages gelatine

2 cups boiling water

(stir these ingredients together in a large pitcher until it dissolves) then add:

2 cups watermelon vodka

Pour into condiment cups and refrigerate. YUM.

And to top things off...we set up a photo booth to document the ugly/bad/most creative sweater goodness. Here's a sample of Nanner and poor Tank...he's sooo not interested in this.

Photo Booth Film Strip

Happy Holidays!!!

Times New Roman

2010-12-16T16:37:00.001-08:00

Is it normal to despise a font so much that you want it banished from the face of the Earth? That’s how I feel about “Times New Roman”. I dislike it so much that it almost makes me ill. Seriously, who decided that it should be the default font? It reminds me of a shriveled up old man with a bad attitude and a closed mind. Open your mind and expand your font files. Here are some appealing fonts that make a girl feel like creating technological magic!

Find

How’s that for a Rant of the Day?

DIY Stockings For The Holiday Season!

2010-12-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

This is for Dynasti...who has a new sewing machine that's just itching to be used! Mind you...I make my own patterns and rules, so if you need help - let me know. :)

Step One

Step one - make a pattern (or go to JoAnn's on $1 pattern day and get a stocking pattern). I use old blueprints from work because the paper's huge and FREE. And, I am weird. Here's my pattern (which by the way, I made too skinny on the top - it's not quite proportionate with the bottom. Which is fine because I've always dumped my stocking out to get the loot!). You need to cut two of the outside fabric (you can see that ours are themed for the individual) and two of your inside pieces. And you'll need two of any interfacing or batting that you use (to make puffy or more sturdy).

Cut exterior, interior & interfacing

Exterior & interior sewn

Step two - iron on the interfacing to your exterior pieces (on the wrong side). Pin the right sides (pretty sides) together of the interior and exterior. Sew along the stocking leaving the top open. After you've sewn your seam, turn the exterior piece right side out. Leave the interior sock with wrong sides out. Now you'll have two socks - interior and exterior.

Step three - stick that interior into the exterior piece like so. It will be sticking out of the top a bit - that is perfectly okay.

Interior inside exterior

Interior folded over exterior

Step four - fold the interior piece down over the top of the stocking twice. Now you'll have a nice folded edge on top of the stocking. Cute, right? Yep. Now...it should be noted that I am a lazy sewing chick. In fact, that's what this blog should be called... Anyway, now that you have a lovely fold - do a decorative zig-zag stitch over the fold either at the bottom or both bottom & top. I used rivets here - because like I said, I am lazy! At this point, I also riveted the loop for hanging the stockings. If you want to be fancy, you can take your ribbon and sew directly into the exterior piece about four inches from the top (ribbon loop will be facing into the stocking when you sew the exterior piece).

Here are our finished products...

And then I used some fabulous puffy paint (LOVE puffy paint) and add the names. My hubby also wanted his number...so here we are. ;)


Stocking Love

Good luck my dear. :) Can't wait to see what you come up with!

The Shop/Woman-Cave/Craft Room/Whatever

2010-12-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

I should include before and after photos of my fabulous room! The perks - two large windows, heated concrete floors, high ceilings and TONS of room. The downfall - the two windows are really OLD and the latest earthquake caused some cracking in the wall/window frame - the cool -3 breeze flowing through is "no esta bien". Last night I covered the windows with 3" foam (leftover from bench covering) and some bedsheets. I can do without natural light until the spring...when we can replace the windows.

The Masters of the Universe Crew Assembling the Room

The coolest brother on the planet...designing and installing benches.

The new craft table constructed by El Husbando the Great

The sewing bench section with TONS of storage!

Um yes, that is a leopard print on my benches.

A Little Bit of Motivation

2010-12-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

I can see the counter!

Perhaps I motivated myself yesterday with all of the talk of unfinished projects or maybe the 7500IU of Vitamin D finally kicked my body into high speed?! Needless to say, something worked and so did I. :) I blazed home after work, kissed the hubby, played with Tank, and then got down and dirty in the shop/woman-cave. Then I spent four delicious hours in the shop/woman-cave working on CLEAN/CLEAR counter space. The area is not "photo ready", but I was so excited to see the top of my sewing bench that I couldn't contain myself...it had to be documented! And - I had to finish something!

I chose to finish the stockings (and some other stuff). Awesome-ness! Here is a photo of the finished stockings, I will post a tutorial (for Dynasti) in a bit...

Our Alaska Family

Reversible Felt Coaster

In addition to the stockings, I whipped up a couple of projects.

I wanted to make some cool coasters, but I didn't want to run to Home Depot for tiles. I made felt coasters instead...one set with some real sass.
These coasters are an inexpensive, easy to make gift that you can personalize.

Felt/Sequin Coasters

For the reversible felted set, I cut 4"x4"squares, trimmed them with my pinking shears, and sewed a seam around the edges. Less than 15 minutes and you have a perfect-o hostess gift. The sassy coasters are based on the same principle...two pink felt squares at 4"x4" trimmed with pinking shears. The turquoise sequin fabric was cut into 5"x5" squares and sandwiched in between the felt. They finished out very Grandma Nonie. Love it!

Hey - person reading this, who is still procrastinating, get on it! If ADD craft girl can spend a couple minutes a day to get 'er done, so can you! :)

3 More DIY Gifts For Your SSF

2010-12-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

It's now December 14th, which means we have about 10 days to get our sh*t together and finish Christmas gifts. I am way behind myself, with the exception of a box of gifts sent to WA. We leave town for Christmas, so you would think that I would be really organized and whatnot. Yeah...not me.

Last week I cut out the stockings for our "family", which also includes a couple of dogs and roommates. But that's as far as I got...they are sitting on the craft table - unfinished, unstuffed, unloved. No longer. That's the first task when I arrive home tonight. :) If I don't post photos tomorrow, send me hate mail. :) If I was really cool (and had an xmas tree), I would whip up one of these kick-ass ruffled tree skirts by Prudent Baby. Gorgeous! And super easy to follow instructions!

In order to make myself feel less disorganized and/or creative, I've gathered a couple more cool DIY gifts for those that might stop by this blog... :)

Courtesy of Prudent Baby

1. Freaking adorable coasters brought to you again by Prudent Baby (she's rad). Again, you only need to visit your craft store for mod podge and tiles (or you can get cheap chunks at Lowe's). Kam and I picked up some really cool greeting cards at the "greatest garage sale of all time" a few years ago. I'm thinking these cutesy pie things will be fabulous on the coasters (or some really cool wood grain wrapping paper). ;) Besides, Mod Podge is one of the coolest substances ever...(besides my beloved E6000).

2. Sock monkeys are classic cool. An easy to follow tutorial by Kristine Howard of web-goddess.org is located here. If I were to whip one of these up, I would definitely use mis-matched socks - mostly because the recipients would expect nothing less!

And you could even add a cutesy pie tutu to the sock monkey...find some tulle and work it up! Or a pirate sock monkey...with black yarn dreads and some baubles?! :)

3. And this my friends, is for my Wine Hoes! Trivets made of corks that used to hold delicious wine. Ahhh...a couple bottles of "Peanut Gringo" and you can whip one up. (this tute can also be used for a cork bulletin board).

I'm a big fan of cork anyway...they have fabulous rolls of it at the hardware store. I think it would be fun to make a bulletin board for a little princess I know...more on that later.

Adios Muchachos - get crafting!

Sickness and Creativity...

2010-12-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

So...yesterday I was sick as a dog and stayed home from work after lunch. I was very "Dude" like in my bathrobe and messy hair...wandering from room to room trying to figure out how to be productive. Yeah, not so much. I spent most of the day in front of the tv and enjoyed my lineup: Tale of Desperaux and Marry Me. Marry Me with Lucy Liu was some Lifetime special and it was cute...but I have to say, Lucy Liu's dresses and handbags in the show - PHENOMENAL. Kind of makes me want to get my butt moving on some dresses. Of course I can't find any good photos of her dresses, but the cut and color of this one made me smile...

In addition to the tv lineup, I felt like doing a little painting. I am NOT an artist, but our Grandma Nonie was, so I like to dabble. The best part about this little piece of "art" is that it made me feel better yesterday and I kind of thought it was pretty. Haha. After looking at it this morning, it looks like I was in a cheery, yet dismal mood. :) Um yeah, I think I'll stick with the fabric and rivets.

Or perhaps I should spend a week organizing the disaster area...that might aid in cleaner creativity. Feng Shui, right?

Bouts of Creativity...

2010-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Penelope w/ vintage details

...they come and they go. It's a shame that I can't string them together for an entire week, but that would be much too easy. A couple weeks ago I decided to re-vamp my handbag line (which hasn't been under progress for some time) - the first ditty is Penelope.

It's a typical Moondeela a-line shape constructed of vinyl, lots o' rivets, bottom feet, interior pockets, and seatbelt fabric straps. The bag featured to the right has some vintage corduroy bowling fabric that I've been coveting for a couple of years now. I had to let go.

Penelope with Giant Flower

El Husbando aka Quality Control had to inspect each bag and offer suggestions - including a stiff bottom to keep the shape. BTW - his QC methods are done during a pause of Tiger Woods Wii Golf. Yes, I too wonder why I have a manly Indiana boy checking quality. Compromise?

Random Deliciousness

My new favorite bag is a leather (or glitter vinyl) crossbody bag. It's similar to a saddlebag with a whole lotta sass. Of course I have no photos...so until next time! But here's another photo of a bag that was whipped up one afternoon...the green vinyl is another beauty I've been coveting!

This sick girl is out...peace and chicken soup!

Delectable Lip Balm Success!

2010-12-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Love Spell Sugar Scrub

Crafty Thursday was entertaining, as usual. The experimental lip balms and sugar scrub were a surprising success. With a few tweaks to the sugar scrub recipe from yesterday, Syd & Kam perfected their recipe by adding more sugar/less oil...and some extra flavoring. Coconut and Love Spell were the clear winners. We also used a very coarse organic sugar from Natural Pantry...mixed with a cup of white sugar. Kam brought these fabulous mini mason jars - perfect for gift-giving with a slash of ribbon, a funky label and paired with a delish lip balm - boo-yah.

Lip Balm Supplies

Speaking of...the lip balm is another story entirely. I decided to "experiment" with several things. Since I had beeswax, almond oil, coconut oil, glycerine, vitamin e, macadamia nut oil, etc. on hand - it seemed like a good idea to try different concoctions. Well...it was, except I neglected to write down my experimental recipes and have no idea what is what. :) Awesome. I "think" our favorite was 2 parts coconut oil, 1 part almond oil, a smidgen of glycerine (so Julie Andrews), one vitamin E tablet, some lip safe mica coloring and essential oils.

My favorites were the watermelon and love spell.

Delectable Lip Balms!

They are certainly pretty...but I'm at a loss for what the "best" one might be. So...don't be afraid to just try it - you have to make some mistakes along the way to magical concoctions!

Lovely Tins of Sugar Scrub

On a side note...I was wiping so much experimental goo on my lips and hands last night that they are both buttery soft. Now, if I can locate my husband this morning...I could test them out. :)

3 EASY DIY gifts for your SSF (super special friends)!

2010-12-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's December 9th and I realize that I've been lollygagging around the holiday shopping, mostly busy unpacking the house and setting up the craft shop. AND the "online coupon/non-black friday extravaganza" packages have arrived...lo and behold, I don't have all of the shopping done. Well shiiiite. This leaves me no choice but to start emergency crafting. Since there are only two followers to my lovely blog, I'm doing this for my own edification. :) Here is a list of DIY projects that anyone can make. It may require a trip to the craft store, secondhand store or the kitchen...no big deal!

#1 - Record Bowls
These are so much fun to watch while they melt - you only need an oven, a cookie sheet and some apparatus to use to shape! Don't forget your oven mitts! Here's an easy to follow tutorial. I like to finish mine off with a piece of felt or cork glued to the bottom (E6000 is the bomb-diggity glue).

**If you have concerns about melting vinyl in your oven and/or melting plastic...go here.

#2 - Homemade Lunch Bags (and/or shopping bags)
Most of us are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and carrying a cute lunch bag and/or shopping bag is one small way to do our parts. Mind you, I still drive a gas-guzzling SUV, so this is a small part. :) Lemon Squeezy has provided a fantastic, basic lunch bag tutorial here. She even provides some PDF patterns!

WHOA - there are a lot of great and free shopping sack tutorials out there - this link will take you to several cool ones. This one, by Martha Stewart is funny...and superbly easy! I am a huge fan of creating out of old bed sheets and pillowcases - this tute gives you the rundown on turning a pillowcase into a shopping bag! How's that for recycling!

#3 - Homemade Sugar Scrub
As discussed in my previous post, we are concocting homemade body goodness tonight. Sugar scrub makes everyone happy...especially when it smells delicious! Our cool Alaska weather creates lovely, flaky skin that welcomes a sugar scrub! This is the recipe we will be using tonight courtesy of Daily Worth:

Sugar Cookie Body Scrub
Makes 1-3 scrubs, depending on jar size. This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled or more!
Time: approximately 5 minutes

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water soluble castor oil (optional, but cuts down on the slippery shower effect of the olive oil)
2-3 drops each of vanilla and almond essential oil (can use just almond, as vanilla can be harder to find and more expensive)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir. Scoop into a jar. Voila!

And seriously, my seven year old niece could whip this up. We plan to package in fun metal tins and mason jars. Should be a fabulous time!

Okay...all two of you, tune in tomorrow for more fun! :)

Crafty Thursdays Rock

2010-12-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

It’s been a few years since the MOONDEELA creativity train has made it to the station. It seems that work, chaos, break-ups, love, marriage and dogs take up quite a bit of time…that’s life, isn’t it. It’s a beautiful thing! But, with the addition of a new home, with twice the space, my crafting desires have returned. Not only do I have enough storage for all of my crafting goodies, I have work spaces!! El Husbando whipped up a rolling cutting/work table last night…stud. The new handbags and creations have evolved from the original Tova (as seen to the right) and offer some new funky details. Stay tuned... :)

Photos will follow soon...if you know how I "work" in my craft room, then you know it's never suitable for photographing. :)

The holidays are fast approaching and homemade gifts go over very well for some people…so I offered up crafting supplies to my friends every Thursday night. Last week we made fabric flowers to embellish handbags. Tonight’s agenda: homemade sugar scrub and lip balms. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? And superbly easy! I was googling additional lip balm recipes and came across this

YIKES. Shortening and Kool-Aid as a lip balm recipe. Yuck. I don't even keep shortening in the house, let alone smear it on my lips.

A few years ago I purchased some fabulous supplies from Brambleberry and still have the lip balm base, colors and essential oils. Here is a sample of what I made then...cute, but not impressive. The lip gloss was hard, not the glossy goodness I imagined. So...the goal tonight is to surpass my expectations for fabulous lip gloss/balm/butter...whatever!

I think vitamin e and coconut oil are going to save it! Here are a couple of very simple recipes from Eco Friendly Daily:

LIP BALM RECIPE #1:

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Grated Beeswax or Beeswax

Pellets

1/2 Teaspoon Shea Butter or Cocoa

Butter

Sweeten to taste, if necessary

Any Flavored Oil To Taste

1 Vitamin E Capsule (as a preservative)

(optional)

LIP BALM RECIPE #2:

3 oz. Almond Oil

Sweeten to taste, if necessary

1/2 oz. Beeswax or Beeswax Pellets

1 Vitamin E Capsule (as a preservative)

1-4 Drops Essential Oil (peppermint or

tea tree or sweet orange, etc.)

LIP BALM RECIPE #3:

2 Teaspoons Grated Beeswax or Beeswax

Pellets

3 – 6 Drops Flavored Oil

1 Teaspoon Sweet Almond Oil or Jojoba

Oil or mix 1/2 and 1/2

1 1/2 Teaspoon Cocoa Butter

1 Vitamin E Capsule (as a preservative)

LIP BALM RECIPE #4:

This one is positively excellent for

dry, cracked lips – even helps heal cold sores (it’s the emu oil….)

1 oz. Emu Oil

1 oz. Almond Oil

1 oz. Avocado Oil

1/2 oz. Shaved Beeswax or Beeswax

Pellets

6 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

2 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

3 Drops Lime Essential Oil

So tune in tomorrow to see what goodness was created in the kitchen! :)

Holiday Madness

2010-12-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not alone in thinking that the holiday madness gets worse as we get older!? I gave myself a break this "Black Friday" and did all of my shopping online, all the while congratulating myself on finding awesome coupons along the way. I would exclaim to my husband, "Oh look Bub, it's almost free". He was engrossed in college football and nursing a slight hangover, so the almost-enthusiastic reactions were fake. Boy, oh boy, do I love coupons!

Today, I found myself getting really excited about coupons arriving in my yahoo inbox. So, I hurriedly clicked to the sites and filled my basket with goodness and entered my coupon code - saving me 20, 30 or 40% more. Then I stopped...what the heck was I doing to myself? Really, I mean really...do I need to order more yoga pants from Victoria's Secret because they are on sale and they're really cute?! Um no...I can't even fit clean laundry into my closet. What will I do with more clothing? And more importantly, how will I explain said clothing to previously mentioned husband? Right.

It's supposed to be the season of giving...so I have a plan. Tonight, after I Skype with Rachel, I am going to clean out my closet of unworn winter clothing that might keep some folks warm. (And...just maybe it makes more room for after holiday shopping! HAHA....where does the madness end?!) And this weekend, I will drag my sister to the store to purchase a couple of "angel" gifts for those in need. In the spirit of giving, hopefully we can put a smile on a couple of faces. And besides, I'm sure I have some coupons somewhere... Heehee.

Dog? What dog?

2010-12-03T16:44:00.001-08:00

So…what kind of animal would a non-animal loving person get. If you said “none”, you would be correct. However, if you live with an animal lover that hounds you for months (and you’re a big pushover), you eventually give in. Which is what I did…and here we are. This is Tank. Whom I find to be the coolest dog on the planet. He snores like an old man with sleep apnea, has an overly wrinkled face, eats his food like a little piggy, and is a pretty great snuggler. Tank (or Tanker or Frank the Tank) has broken me…I LOVE walking in the door after work to find him leaping toward me with enthusiasm. I know, I’m, a big wimp. If you looked at this face on a daily basis, you would smile too.

In addition to Tank, there’s another male in the house who makes me smile daily. We recently moved into a bigger house (that’s another delicious blog in itself) and we have the luxury of a double shower. I’m not just talking about a bath/shower with double heads…I mean a full on locker room style double shower. This glorious thing makes mornings easier and way more entertaining. I stand across from Bub in the mini-locker room shower every morning while he sings country music at the top of his lungs. I'm a little groggy most mornings, so it takes me a few minutes to enjoy it. By the end of the shower I am usually singing along (not well, mind you) and I'm smiling. There's something to be said about the little things in life...you never know when a small thing will change your life.

One Hell of a Year!

2010-10-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

You know that you've been busy, when you've neglected to post for over a year. Or...that must have been one hell of a wedding, if I haven't recovered enough to post! :)

For any folks that might be checking this blog out...sorry!

In a nutshell...we got hitched, bought a bigger house, took on more responsibilities at work, working on expanding our non-profit breast cancer awareness corporation, and just flat had a great time. Time passes by so quickly, it seems that we are constantly looking forward to the next event, birthday, holiday, etc.

I feel pretty stinkin' grateful for my thoughtful, adorable husband and wonderful family and friends!

Here are a few photos from the wedding that make me smile on a daily basis...

Venue Hell...

2009-08-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

T Minus 5 Months...thought we had a date and a venue. Went to sign a contract and give them some dough..."a problem with their books" is causing a delay and they want to push us to Sunday...the day after. I could have freaked out, but instead I skipped the rest of the workday and consumed two bottles of wine with the future hubby and his "boyfriend".

Guess, we can get hitched on a Sunday. It'll be the beginning of Christmas break for some and a good excuse to skip work on Monday for others. :)

Let me think...become a Bridezilla...

...or drink wine? I'll take the wine! :)

Wedding Planning For Tomboys, Who Want to Have a Girlie Day.

2009-08-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Why isn't this manual available for my consultation...might make life a little easier right now. Actually, choosing a venue and a date...and sticking with it - might be the best bet! Then the other stuff follows along, right?

My most favorite tidbits from planning so far...the "wanna be a flower girl" conversation with my six year old niece:

Me: Hi Midget! How are you?
Kathleen: I'm not a midget anymore.
Me: Well, you're still shorter than me, so you are my midget. :) I was calling to ask you if you wanted to be in a wedding.
Kathleen: Oh yes, my Mom mentioned that you and Bobby Roe were getting married. (WTH - what six year old says this??)
Me: Really, she "mentioned" it? Well, would you like to be the flower girl?
Kathleen: Yeah. I even have the shoes!
Me: Really, you have the shoes already? What do they look like?
Kathleen: Oh! They are white, with heels and little flowers on them (I can picture her twirling herself and the phone cord around) - but I don't have a dress!
Me: Well, good news - you and Aunt Sarah can pick them out together!

That conversation made my day...I just thought I would "mention" it. :)

And my other fave tidbit so far...in our "we're getting married" conversation with Mom & Pops Dahlstrom, Kirk dryly told us that Bobby was "another mouth for him to feed" and he was "jumping for joy". LA-MOW.

We'll call this the pre-engagement photo...says a lot about us really. :)

I Don't Care...Okay, Not Really.

2009-01-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember "Really Rosie"? I don't remember if it was on PBS or what, but anytime I hear the theme song, I smile. The video clip below is one of my favorites. To this day, I still sing-song "I don't care..." when I'm being a smart-alec (which is pretty often).

Talking to old friends and my cousins on Facebook has made me nostalgic lately. I really miss being around the whole family. Those days/nights at Grandma and Grandpa's house when we'd dress up in Grandma's old clothes or make some fabulous art project were pretty neat. Yep, I said neat. That's all I'm going to say today...back to work I go - even if "I don't care"...right now. :)

Happy Almost February!

12 Alaskan Women, Two States, Big Trouble!

2008-10-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

That's right, twelve of us ventured from Anchorage to the great state of Oklahoma (HAHA) to play in the national softball championship. We detoured on the way down and back to enjoy some time in lovely Dallas!

We took sixth at nationals in Lawton, Oklahoma and didn't really mind too much. We had such a great time as a team, that the less than par finish we were hoping for, didn't faze us too much! Lawton wasn't sure what hit them - we whooped it up and made friends everywhere. The abundance of cheap beer and pork rinds made for a delicious time!

Here's to next year *cheers* and great friendship!

Football, Snow, and Love...

2008-10-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

So, we decided to engage in women's outdoor flag football this year. It's a non-contact sport and a lot of fun they said. Pong (Tia) and I joined the team with blind optimism - we get to play on turf and under the lights? Sweet! Mind you, neither one of us know the rules of football, let alone what each position is supposed to do.

If that wasn't the first indication of things to go awry, the fact that I was provided a size Medium high school football jersey, this gorgeous thing was so long that I could wear it as a dress. So while the rest of my team sauntered around the football field in fancy Steelers jersey, I looked like a 10 year old wearing her brother's jersey.

Then we played our first game against the aptly named Raiders, who turned out to be the number one team in the State (for old lady flag football). This little known fact would've been helpful prior to lining us up on the defensive line. Knowing what the defensive line was supposed to do would've been good too...but that's all history.

This slaughtering was made even more fun by the fact that I was matched against a very voluptuous creature twice my size. The first drive I got choked - that's right, she wrapped her hands around my throat. Did I say this was non-contact? After regaining my wits and shaking off the dizziness, I lined up again. This time I got socked in the gut, which I just chalked up to an aggressive play. Then the third drive I decided I would start protecting myself, so I raised my arms to block...and I got bit. Yes, I said she bit me. I would've probably come unglued, but it looked like I gave her a fat lip in the process. Don't worry, my sister rubbed me down with Clorox to ward off any infection.

To recap the season's injuries - I got knocked down so hard that I had a mild concussion and whiplash, slapped in the face, and some other stuff. It was a really fun season! :) To top off the ridiculously funny season, we ended yesterday's "Superbowl" with an inch of snow falling on us as we took second place behind those damned Raiders. It was a nice way to welcome winter to Anchorage!

This is a photo of our team enjoying post-game festivities. I'm fairly certain that we were number one in the beer drinking league!

Sports, friendship, and humor...it's a beautiful thing!

Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
Heywood Broun (1888 - 1939)

Summer Schmummer...Anchorage Weather Stinks!

2008-07-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

With this rain, I feel like I'm back in western Washington or Southeast Alaska - thought it was supposed to be dry here?? Good thing I don't mind playing in the rain. Don't have the time or energy to write...so here are some pics. I'll update the life story at a later date...

Camping on the Kenai/Skilak Lake Area

Enjoying beverages at the Brown Bear on a Sunday night. Yikes! Enjoying dollar beers at Koots on a Monday night. Hmmm...seems to be a trend here. But really, they have PBR on tap for $1.75!
Party barge for Red's birthday - Stephan Lake is RAD!
Lucia's virgin night out on the town!
Happy summer ya'all.

Springtime in Anchorage!

2008-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

Long time, no speak...betcha all like that! :) Just to catch you up...it's been busy around here with beautiful (and not so beautiful) weather, softball, triathlons, races, friends, etc. Here are some pics from recent activities...

Hell's Belles concert in May (female ACDC cover band)...
Girls iN Training triathlon pics...these are the softball girls...
Fear and Loathing Memorial Day weekend...T.R.O.U.B.L.E.
And boys vs. girls golf game...winners receive dinner & drinks at restaurant of choice. Shanna and I are pretty hungry... :)

And I'm out...softball the next two nights, women's run this weekend, fishing & floating the kenai, Busch light...and so on...

Happy Spring!!

xoxox - Dee

Recent Photos...

2008-04-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of my niece Kathleen - aka Monkey Girl, my nephew Trevor - aka TrevorBug, and pseudo-nephew Maverick - aka Captain Adorable. HAPPY Spring!

We rode bikes, hiked, cooked, threw the ball around, watched Trevor ride all over the chip pile on his motorcycle, and had a fabulous time! :)

I taught her how to make rice krispie treats and we cut them out with cookie cutters...can't go wrong with that. She thought the bunny rabbit and moose shapes were the coolest!

Maverick has the best Moe scowl ever (three stooges)!!

Missing in Action...

2008-04-29T16:37:00.001-07:00

...but I'm back! April has been hectic. Fabulous things in April...

Maverick Montana was born.
Sunshine, snow, sunshine, snow...but the sunshine always wins!
Visit to Craig, Alaska was awesome! Family, friends, food, sunshine, steelhead, etc.
Enjoying visitors from Montana.
Big projects gearing up for spring/summer...some challenging aspects, but pretty cool.
Softball starts next week. Holy Smokes!
It's beer drinking/BBQ-ing season - can't wait to enjoy!
Training for tris, marathons, etc. are lots of fun in the sunshine.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here! :)

Tagged...

2008-04-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kamie tagged me, but I don’t have a large community of “blogging buddies”. I guess I’ll tag Aurora and Lisa, even though I’m sure they’ve already done this.

1. link to the person who tagged you.
2. post the rules.
3. share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. tag at least 3 people.
5. make sure the people you tagged know you tagged them by commenting to them.

Six things, huh? I already know I’m weird, now to put this stuff out there for the world to see…yikes.

I sleep with my big toe and second toe wrapped around something. If the big guy is in bed when I go to sleep, my toes automatically wrap around his achilles. If he’s not there, they’re wrapped around the blanket.
I can burp the alphabet and many lovely songs. My Mom still looks at my brother and me in disgust during our performances. She should be proud that we’re so musical, seriously.
I love to read. If I could get paid to sit around and read books, my life would be perfect! Any kind of books, even that Danielle Steele stuff. Books on tape are pretty rad for those times I have to be looking elsewhere.
I love crap food. For instance, I easily can eat a bag of circus peanuts or candy corn in one sitting. I could live on a box of Saltine’s and Diet Coke. If I could eat French fries for every meal and be healthy, I totally would…I would drench them in cheese too! Throw in a cheap beer and my life would be complete. I’d have a heart attack sooner than anticipated, but what’s a couple years off my life?
I don’t like animals. Yes, that makes me satanic, which doesn’t bother me.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. However my ADD prevents me from finishing anything since the next big idea is trying to pop into my head every 2 seconds. Someday when I get some Ritalin and learn to procrastinate less, I just may do it. Or I could join the circus.

Happy Hump Day! :)

What I learned on the radio this morning...

2008-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Governor Palin is 7 months pregnant. the poor woman has four kids, she's got a lot of work to do, and she's 44 years old. She must be one heck of a chick or she really likes a challenge!
37% of women won't use the restroom at the workplace (I'm assuming #2). They cited unsanitary conditions and lack of privacy. Privacy schmivacy, when you have to go - YOU HAVE TO GO.
The flippin' traffic dude actually referred to a bottleneck situation on the highway as "nuclear fusion". Seriously?

Now you know what I know. Have a great Thursday! :)

Morning Commute

2008-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a good example of why Alaskans LOVE Alaska...this was the morning commute today. 7am and the sun is dying to creep up over them there mountains. Awesome. We're gaining daylight, the weather is stable, and people are starting to cheer up. Before we know it, we'll be walking around in shorts and flip-flops. Then it will snow another 2'. HA!And yes, I was driving on the highway while photographing this view. Sorry Mom... Happy Monday!

Sunday Funday and Adult Diapers??

2008-03-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

So...while the kids are off watching the start of the Iditarod, I'm at home puttering, sewing, and doing "honey-do's" (an early hockey game prevented me from going to Willow). My sister's birthday was last week and as my gift-giving in 2008 is going, her gift is extremely late. I had this fabulous idea to design a new gym bag with a shoe pocket...not working out for me today. This is what came out...uh, no thank you. It looks like an old lady bag made to hold adult diapers. I'm back to the drawing board for a more trendy version for gym-goers. If anyone wants a bag to hold adult diapers let me know. :)

On a side note - the weather is fantastic - so hopefully the kids will come back with fabulous photos! Happy March. :)

Chicken Fingers and Onion Rings

2008-02-28T12:46:00.001-08:00

In an effort to be golfing, sunning myself poolside, and enjoying sunshine in Arizona, I put myself back on the South Beach diet. SB works, but the NO beer clause is difficult for me, so I make sure to cut back on other carbs. And you can only eat so much chicken before you want to throw your plate against the wall and grab some ice cream. I'm here to tell ya, I discovered a fantastic chicken tender type recipe...in fact, it's even on the side of the box!

1 can French Fried Onions (I like the cheese ones)

2 large chicken breasts (thawed)

1 egg

Salt, Pepper, whatever...

Crush up the entire can of onions. Dip your chicken breasts in egg and roll in the onion crumbs. Bake at 400` for 20 minutes. Holy smokes - I thought I was eating fried chicken - sweet! I promise you'll like it - or you'll get your money back.

Pop Quiz in the Mornin'

2008-02-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post, I was mocking the radio traffic man (which is really fun) and talking about how entertaining it is to listen to the pop quiz in the morning... You can see where this is going. That's right - I won the pop quiz this morning - AWESOME!

The Question: 750,000 people in the US say they make a secondary or primary income from this?

Dee's Answer: Selling stuff on Ebay.

I was pretty stoked...as stoked as I could be at 7am. My prize: two tickets to the Miner's and Trapper's Ball this Saturday. We probably won't use them, but I can certainly sell them on ebay! :)

Happy Hump Day...

500 Women, 6 Reindeer, 2 City Blocks...

2008-02-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic weekend in Anchorage! The weather was a balmy 18 degrees and sunny - so it felt more like 40. HAHA. The annual fur rendezvous events are in full swing and some of us enjoyed them more than usual this weekend. We started early Saturday morning with some mimosas, followed by a brisk 3.1 mile run (Frostbite Footrace) around downtown Anchorage. I joined a group themed "Victorious Secrets" and "Big Test Icicles" - very fun!

Our Sunday events included the Running with the Reindeer, the name says it all. It was the first time this event took place and I think it will be a hit in the years to come...as long as PETA doesn't shut them down. We dressed ourselves in red and placed targets on our backs to encourage the reindeer. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was a fantastic end to a great weekend! Cheers to good times and good friends.

Panty Lines and Duct Tape

2008-02-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

OMG! No, I'm not kidding, this is a new product by Shibue - yes folks, it's a strapless g-string. Yes, it attaches from your "nani-nani to your bum-bum". LOL

Why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah, because the adhesive might freeze at 10 below. I can see it now...I'm walking, no strutting down the street in my pantyline-less outfit, a cold blast hits me, and whoops, I've lost my panties.

All kidding aside, I'm ordering a pair of these just for the heck of it! If I have to duct tape them to my body, so be it. Happy Friday! :)

Hungarian Mushroom for Hungry Alaskans!

2008-02-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

You'd think that we're in break-up here in the AK. It's 40` and clear...the snow is melting, the roads stink, and people are trying to wear less clothing?? I still would like comforting foods and snuggling on the couch. I'm fairly certain I'm still in hibernation - I fall asleep on the couch at 8pm everyday!

Now the soup that I promised in the title...the Moose's Tooth serves a Hungarian Mushroom soup that is to die for and I would eat it everyday if possible! So....we did a little research and found a very similar recipe. Here it is http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hungarian-Mushroom-Soup/Detail.aspx courtesy of All Recipes and a hard copy below... Delish. Try it some night when you feel like hibernating.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

The Viking Will Rise Again...

2008-02-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

I finally decided on a sewing machine to replace my beloved Viking that recently died of a heart attack. The new machine was purchased on Ebay and is en route to the AK right now! The Husqvarna Viking Designer SE is a fantastically intelligent machine. In addition to the quality, speed, and options of the machine; I'll have the capability of creating an embroidery design on my computer and uploading to my machine! Look out people...I have a feeling that any obnoxious MOONDEELA items can now be stepped up a notch. I can embroider on anything - even ballcaps! Hello! Yay for me.

Many thanks to Lisa - the Domestic Diva for assisting me in my search for the perfect machine!

Best Darned Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Ever!

2008-02-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Oatmeal cookies...yum. They were not only delicious, they reminded me of this fabulous oatmeal bar recipe my Mom used to make us from the Dr. Spock book. Strange memory, but extremely familiar taste with all of the buttery goodness....ahhhh. I am sharing this glorious oatmeal cookie recipe for you all to enjoy...just in case you need some comfort food today.

3 cups rolled oats

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1-1/2 softened butter

1-1/2 cups al-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat/half all purpose white)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cups peanut butter chips (added for Daniel's benefit)

This is the fun part. You throw all of these ingredients in a bowl and mash them together with your hands - FUN! After it's mixed and any aggression you may have had is gone, roll them into balls and place on cookie sheet. Take a drinking glass, dip it into sugar, and flatten each ball. Cook at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Uber-delish.

xoxoxo

Beautiful Friday...

2008-02-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

The weather is amazing...it snowed about 12" overnight and was cloudy this morning. But the sun has decided to shine...beckoning to me to get my butt outside and enjoy it. So I'm off...skipping out of work to enjoy the weather...and do some baby shower prep. Be sure to tune in next week for baby shower pics. Happy Friday!

Gorgeous Good Things!

2008-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Look at this gorgeous girl!! My sister just sent these photos, which were taken by her fabulous, talented friend Jen of Polka Dot Photography. Sarah is beautiful and these photos show off her gorgeous features - I had to share with all. xoxoxo

Welcome to Alaska...

2008-02-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

...where the snow and moose fall out of the sky...what? yup, that's right. check it out... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23135666/?GT1=10856

Form, Function, Fabulous

2008-02-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much the most RAD laptop bag I've ever seen...I think my sister may need a MOONDEELA version of this bag for her birthday. Not only does this fabulous bag fit your laptop, the inside is like a purse. :)

The real version can be found here. Fabulous, smart, and chic - and a heck of a good price.

Traffic Dude

2008-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Every morning on my little 40 minute commute from the Riv' I listen to the same radio station - Mix 103.1. They have a couple of DJ's who are sometimes humorous, which provides a laugh or two on the commute. Besides their feature "celebrity hot tub", which features the latest celebrity gossip, they have a fun little morning quiz that allows us annoying listeners to test our knowledge, hear our voices on the radio, and possibly win $20 at Gwennies.

The reason I'm mentioning said radio station today is the traffic "dude" - Randall Brandt. His name should be the first indication that something is awry...the second would be his condescending, game-show host voice. The third and final would be his attempts at inserting "big words" into the morning commute report. He not only finds a way to use the word "ubiquitous" everyday, but this morning he actually ended the report with "how's that for a double entendre". WTF? Seriously? It snowed 4" in the last few hours, visibility is less than 20', and Randall Brandt is spouting about double entendres? Not to mention the fact that his "double entendre" didn't apply to my flippin' commute. Done spouting...off to my coffee....

Houston, we have a problem...

2008-02-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yep, welcome to frigid Friday. After summoning the courage to call the sewing machine repair place to inquire about the status of the Viking, I thought my life would be grand from there. Nope. No such luck. They don't even recommend fixing the machine for this exorbitant amount because it's not worth it and I should put the estimated $370 for repairs toward a new machine. I could cry...or I could drink my coffee and look at this positively, right? I can take the money (and another large chunk) to upgrade to a faster machine that does embroidery and look around for a used industrial machine for the thicker fabrics (which caused said damage to Viking). It's an investment, right?

Good Things vs. Bad Things

2008-02-05T15:18:00.001-08:00

Good Thing: Gaining 5 minutes of sunlight today
Bad Thing: Negative 24 degrees this morning

That made me think of this cool race flyer I'd seen before - looks like fun, huh? HA HA. 'Bout as much as waiting to give birth...two friends are overdue this week - I'm crossing my fingers that they are in the midst of it now!

That's pretty much it - the rest is all good. I'm busy - bidding a project at work this week, kinda makes my eyes swim looking at the drawings. Good stuff, good stuff.

Go Red Today!

2008-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today is National Go Red For Women Day. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. Like women don't have enough health issues to worry about, now we get to worry that our hearts will fail us.

In honor of Go Red Day, I almost had a heart attack! The sewing machine repairman called this morning with the estimate to fix the Viking. $370!!! Holy crikes - when I heard that, the little paper heart attached to my shirt flew across the room and stuck to the wall. WHAT? Typical Viking - plundering and pillaging throughout the land...

Yeah, I'll go red today.... Red in the face. Be still my beating heart - I'm off to the gym to work it out.

Thursday Madness

2008-01-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those mornings? I can't drive all the way back home to crawl into bed, so I had to find something to make me smile.

This little monkey makes me smile - even when she's 1,000 miles away. I called Mom's house the other day and Kat answered with her sweet little voice. I asked her the usual questions - what are you doing, what's Grandma doing, are you watching tv, etc. Then I asked if she knew who I was...she scoffed and said "Dee-la". She knew it was me because she "noticed my voice". Why, of course...how silly of me to doubt her intelligence.

Can't wait to see that little toothless smile again.

Tuesday Happiness

2008-01-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Poppy

I love this art by Australian artist scarlettcat. Sort of Tim Burtonesque, yet bright and colorful. Love it, love it! I would love to post her in my hallway and laugh as she watches me walk down the hall...

Update: Poppy is on her way to the US from Australia. She will fit perfectly in my newly organized craft room. You may doubt that, but I will post photos - soon! :)

Sewing Machine Debacle

2008-01-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

My glorious, well-loved Viking sewing machine decided to stop working last week...right in the middle of a project. I think it's karma...for all of the times I procrastinate on something...my machine was teaching me a lesson. In fact, the repair person informed me that "my timing was off". How appropriate...

Thankfully I was able to rent a basic machine for $4/day while the beloved Viking is being repaired. It's working pretty fabulously and I have no reason to procrastinate now...