sam's red shoes

Evie's Room

2012-01-21T08:18:00.001Z

My friend Michelle decorated her daughter's room so beautifully and it's been featured on Apartment Therapy! Thanks Michelle for letting me shoot this. ♥

Krystal Images

2011-09-11T13:13:00.000+01:00

I have the most talented of friends. My lovely friend Krystal has started her own business capturing the sweetest moments shared between families and lovers. She took the beautiful photo above of me and Andy this summer. I love love this photo. If you look closely, Andy's right hand is a bit blurred - it's my favorite part of the photo. So beautiful. I can feel Andy's love for me every time I look at this photo. I can't wait to have it printed off and put it by our bed. You can find her FB page here. I've been working on her logo; here's what I've go so far.

My Friend Stephan.......

2011-09-01T09:51:00.002+01:00

....... is one of the best photographers ever. He's posted this photo of Andy and me on his site here. This beach was absolutely amazing, one of my favorites I've been to in the UK.

Goal Post

2011-08-31T05:07:00.001+01:00

Sammy the Seagull by Wayne Pate

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think this post is pretty cleverly named. I like witty things.....

Since moving to Korea, I've been asking myself a lot, "What am I doing here?" It's a fair question.... Why would we leave our beautiful new house in beautiful England, move back to Crazy Korea into a studio apartment where crazy ladies purposely run into you on the street. It all seems pretty crazy actually. Korea is crazy. But I know this is where we're supposed to be right now.

I've been going through a lot of grief lately, remorseful over the fact I was supposed to start my MA tomorrow, that I'm not renovating and decorating our first home, not starting a family.....
But I know that this place, right now, is where we're supposed to be.

Besides buying stationary, pens and cards - making goals is another way I deal with life's craziness. Goals are a nice idea in theory....You plan something, work hard towards it, but know that most won't come to pass. Even so, it's nice just to plan. So I've been planning a lot lately.

I will go to grad school, I'm learning a new language so I can go. That's how much I want to go. Seriously. While purusing the internet, I found this blog. I love it. This is what I want my blog to be like because I can do those things. But with food obviously. Because I am a foodie and their must be posts about food.

Things That Make My ♥ Go Pitter Patter

2011-08-30T13:55:00.000+01:00

My new favorite dress from ASOS. So comfortable and beautiful.

Leather bags. It was Andy and my third year wedding anniversary last month and the gift is leather. He's going to buy me a handbag.... I might hold out for an Orla Kiely one this fall.

My favorite flowers from Andy.

And of course pens, pencils, stickers, tape, stationary, notebooks, cards, bookmarks......

Camp

2011-08-21T09:28:00.000+01:00

The past month I've been busy teaching kids about soccer, tennis, cameras, film, and loads of other important stuff. Like don't hit your classmates and screeching like a banshee won't make you any friends. The sweet little lady in the photo below with the white glasses was one of my favorites. Actually most of them were petty great. We finished off camp with a couple of great games including "Eat the Onion Ring" and "Face Post it". These games may have been more for the amusement of the teachers. Not sure, but I think probably yes.

Camping

2011-08-17T13:50:00.001+01:00

Officially of the sat nav.....

Turtle Rock

Having a foot massage, probably the best part of camping.

Camping

2011-08-15T14:58:00.000+01:00

Today, Korea celebrated it's independence from Japan which meant a nice long weekend for us. We went camping with another couple in the middle of the mountains on a riverbed. It was wonderful. I got some good snaps I'll be sharing soon. I hope you had a relaxing weekend as well. xx

Shirley

2011-08-03T09:54:00.000+01:00

Shirley, Andy's mum, has been here the past week and it's been lovely. She's the perfect guest. She cleans our apartment, cooks every night and brought us two suitcases full of our junk all the way from England. Bless her. She's camera shy but I snapped this photo a couple months a go when we were having a cuppa in her local. (that's a cup of coffee in her local pub)

This week has been crazy again with Sports Camp. We've just bought an oven, so I can finally start making some tasty treats. I can't wait to try this Crispy Potato Recipe. Might try it with apples in the fall.......

Sung gi tong goodness

2011-07-27T12:39:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday, Minju and her hubby, Jesung, took us to an amazing sung gi tong restaurant. Sung gi tong is Andy's favorite Korean food. It's a chicken stuffed with ginseng, spices, green onions, chunks of sweet potatoes and rice cooked in your own personal pot with a type of delicious broth. It's basically Korean chicken noodle soup and it's really really good. We went to the park near our house afterwards and discovered a book park full of sculptures. They have the most amazingly designed library and gardens as well. Amazing architecture - I will most definitely be going back to take some pictures.

House Warming Party

2011-07-23T13:29:00.001+01:00

My friend Minju is adorably pregnant. She also just moved into a new apartment with her husband so we had a party complete with angle cake by Sara and Go Stop. I think I might be addicted. I just downloaded the app. You'll see me in the park with ajoessis in the park betting my wages away.........

My Sweet Rosa

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

My sweet friend Rosa is leaving me to go to Tuscon to do her masters. We went to uni together in Kansas and have been friends ever since. Today she took me to Seoul University, the country's top uni and I was chuffed to bits. It's a beautiful campus and makes me want to go to school real bad. I love you Rosa and will miss you. xoxo

Koreafied

2011-07-18T04:42:00.000+01:00

We had a great time at MudFest this weekend. It was great to hang out with friends. We're both a little pink and from the caricature that we had done Saturday night, we're also turning Asian. Love it.

Killer Moves in the Mud

2011-07-15T09:47:00.000+01:00

Photo by Stephan Anderson-Story

I am officially on vacation. WORD! Tomorrow we're headed down to Boryeong to the annual Mud Festival. Besides mucking about in the mud, we're going dancing. For those of you who don't know, I love to dance- and that's putting it mildly. As you can see from the photo above, I have some pretty sweet moves. Have a fantastic weekend! Or 좋은 주말을합니다!

Vemio and the Greatness of

2011-07-14T09:51:00.000+01:00

Most of you probably know about Vemio, but for those of you who don't... It's the artsy fartsy version of youtube. And it is wonderful. Our school is having science camp soon and I'm creating a class about cameras and Polaroid film both of which contain awesome videos from Vemio. This one is for the Polaroid class. It's pretty boss, you should check it out.

The video below was shot in Manchester. Ah Manchester, home of the world's best Paperchase. Warning Mom, they drop some f bombs so maybe watch it on mute.

Second Shepherds - Make Do Die (Tilt Shift Music Video) from Danny Cradden on Vimeo.

As I said... All the best places start with K

2011-07-13T11:08:00.001+01:00

What.is.up. We have arrived in the mighty mighty Korea. We are alive and eating kim chi. I started working 17 hours after I stepped of the plane, nice. School is good, I'll go into more detail later... lots of good stuff. Andy and I are taking Korean classes. 시 쇼 침 ㄱ포. I just typed something totally random, you should translate it on babel fish. But seriously, we're learning Korean and it's going good. Pictures of our building. It's a typical officetel (office/hotel) complete with stinky drains and the cutest ajossi security guard ever.

Resting...

2011-05-05T03:29:00.002+01:00

Sometimes my body freaks out on me, like killer migraines that lay me out for a day or more. But I will not be defeated! I got a major part of my Korean visa off in the post, had a triple berry smoothie with my Mom and found the most amazing top. I also made portobello risotto for tea tonight. It's easy and yummy.

Sam's Portobello Risotto

Ingredients
1 large onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp EVOO
2-3 cups roughly chopped portobello mushrooms
1 cup risotto rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock/broth or chicken broth
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt (if needed) and freshly ground pepper
parmesan

Directions

In a pan, bring stock to a simmer and leave simmering while doing the following. In a large skillet, heat butter and EVOO over a medium highish heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms, giving them room to brown (think Julie and Julia.) Add risotto rice and and stir until it has soaked up all the liquid. Add white wine and simmer, again until all liquid is absorbed by the rice. Add 1 cup of stock at a time to the skillet, waiting until all the stock has been absorbed before adding the next cup. After the last cup of stock has been added, add the fresh rosemary. In total, it will take about 45 minutes for all the liquid to be absorbed. Season with salt if needed but definitely add the pepper. Grate some parmesan on before serving.

I serve this with a spinach, tomato and balsamic vinegar salad and some fresh ciabatta or focaccia. Perfect with a glass of nice red wine.

Dewlay!

2011-05-03T04:39:00.000+01:00

It gives me great joy to let you know that I am typing this post in sunny Kansas. After flying into Detroit and visiting with family for Grandpa's memorial service, we've been doing lots of laundry and resting. Before we left, Andy and I took a break from packing and visited Dewlay Cheese. It was number 25 on my birthday list and I'm really glad we got to visit before we moved. Lancashire is renowned for it's crumbly cheese and it - is - gooooood! Dewlay also do a killer blue cheese which Jamie Oliver recommends for party nibbles.

Scrummy = Yummy + Scrumptious

2011-04-19T21:12:00.006+01:00

When the lovely Tricia and I lived in Casa Loca she gave me this recipe. Lots went on in that house - baking being one of the better things. This cheesecake is so good it will dust your house, pick your kids up from school and make your wildest dreams come true, Pedro style. Make sure you use good chocolate - Ghirardelli or Green & Blacks baking chocolate works fine. Good chocolate is like singing, you just can't fake it. Unless your Milli Vanilli.

The World's Scrummiest Cheesecake (AKA Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake via taste of home)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 27 wafers) ( I use chocolate cookies.)
2 tablespoons sugar ( I never add this, cookies are sweet enough)
1/4 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPING:
1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Make sure you add this to the whipping cream before you combine it with the chocolate. Trust me on this one.)

Directions

    * In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.
    * For filling, melt chocolate chips in a small heavy saucepan or microwave; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; add cream and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Return pan to baking sheet.
    * Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. For topping, melt chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan or microwave, stir until smooth. Stir in cream and vanilla; mix well. Spread over filling. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

31 Years Young

2011-04-17T21:55:00.000+01:00

It's my sweet hubby's birthday today. With all the craziness happening, it was nice to celebrate with his family. Happy Birthday my love!

My Sweet Belinda

2011-04-16T13:44:00.001+01:00

England has been a very lonely place to say the least. One of my greatest comforts the past three years was my sweet sassy feline friend, Belinda. My baby girl got hit by a car on Monday and it's left a hole in my heart. I'm so very grateful for the time we had together. My sweet Belinda.

Spare Room

2011-04-11T22:17:00.003+01:00

I've been hankering to take photos of our spare room since the day Andy steamed the wallpaper off and revealed the most amazing colored plaster. My two favorite colors in the world: rusty/orangey/red and teal/sea blue/grey, or any variation on those two.

England's gone back to its rainy self so I'm going to bake the best cheesecake in the world tomorrow. Ohhh boy, you're in for a treat. Watch this space.........

Springtime Procrastination

2011-04-07T17:40:00.005+01:00

Q: What's waaaay better than packing and doing things I need to do? A: Walking on the beach in the sunshine, drinking coffee at a cafe and looking at wittle wambs.

Andy has a goatee, hence his nickname The Goat. Here he is pretending to be a goat with a goat. Nice.

Can you spot the lamb peeing? Bahahaha. And on that high note, I wish you a lovely springtime day.

Pesto Presto

2011-04-06T18:08:00.000+01:00

My hubby is in the kitchen making this right now. The ultimate comfort food. Potatoes and pasta and!?! pesto - could it be any better. The recipe says the pine nuts are optional. Yeah like wearing pants to work optional. Unless you're allergic and will die, so maybe then they would be optional. But only if you'll die can you not add the pine nuts. I add loads more green beans and sun dried tomatoes. Those things are "optional" too.

Korea Round II Ding Ding

2011-04-05T12:53:00.012+01:00

I've been reminding myself of all the things I like about living in Korea so I don't get too freaked out. These next few months are going to be crazy to say the least. So here's a few of my favorite things - Julie Andrews style.

Korean kids are ace. They work really hard and listen to you - most of the time. Which means no yelling, which is good for me because I squeak when I try to yell anyways.

My Korean family. Yool is Andy's best mate and Jung Sun is one of mine. We get to meet baby Ye In!! That's my Korean mom (Jung Sun's mom) pretending to be a bird when we were climbing a mountain. And Go Stop; one of Korea's greatest contributions to the world in my opinion. I don't know what to compare it to because I don't know of any other game like it. It's Korean poker, basically. The best part: slamming down your cards, I mean slamming. See, what's not fun about throwing cards around?!

And friends, lots and lots and lots of friends. Can't wait to just hang out, eat food, talk talk talk, go to the sauna and shop shop shop with my mates!

Japan

2011-04-01T18:45:00.003+01:00

I find things that are so close to my heart very very difficult to put into words. Which is one reason I'm a visual artist. I desperately want I could convey how I feel about Japan, so I'll try to do it with these pictures and a few words.

At university I met Ami. We would meet up to practice her English. Ami is amazing and I really love her a lot. When I lived in South Korea, I went and stayed with her family for a week. They were so lovely and welcoming. There are no words to convey how Japan effected me on that trip. When I dream of heaven, I dream that it will be something like Japan. Thank the Lord that she and her family are alright. When I emailed her she wrote, "Japan is now facing to the big disaster and many people are suffering from it. Please pray for us!"

The first time I went to Japan was with Andy. We were on a visa run and only there for two days. Ami had given me some foods that were really good in the provence we were in so we started asking around. Andy befriended a dog at a park and got chatting to his owners, Kazu and Takku. They were so sweet because their English was pretty limited but they were making such an effort. We asked them if the knew where we could get this certain food; they didn't but said they would make it for us. So they took us to the supermarket, bought the ingredients and took us back to their house and made us a feast. That's Kazu below. They spent the rest of the night with us, taking us to attractions and hanging out. Their hospitality blew us away.

I hope that one day we are able to live there but for now I am content with the friends and memories I have. If you haven't already, please consider donating to the relief efforts.

Ami's family and the welcoming feast.

Making soba.

Some green tea deliciousness.

DIY Ideas via the Greatness of Pintrest

2011-03-31T09:50:00.002+01:00

Home Sweet Home

Blue Eyed Yonder

I've been pinning decorating ideas for our apartment in Korea. We won't be able to paint so I'll have to do some serious creative strategizing. I found both of these via Pintrest. If you haven't been there, it can be intimidating at first. "How the heck does this thing work?!?" was my initial reaction and left the site. But I went back and figured it out. Now I sign in with Facebook which makes it really easy. Ashley explains well how it works here. So if you're a creative bunny, don't be intimidated by Pintrest, you'll be glad you signed up. I've even got recipe ideas including these Cookies 'N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies. They were intensely good.

Grandpa Miller

2011-03-29T13:53:00.000+01:00

This photo was taken the day my dad graduated university. Pop, my great-granddad in the red trousers and Grandpa Miller in the brown. I'm the blonde one in the cute sailor dress. Grandpa Miller just died a few weeks ago and I've been going through old photos I have of him. He always had Lifesavers in his pocket for Wes and I and a joke to tell. He ate crazy things like French dressing sandwiches and drank buttermilk. When we would visit, I loved watching Law and Order with him while snacking on some Junior Mints. He loved classic old movies and had tons of them cataloged in the spare room. Miss you Grandpa.

Wes & Kendra

2011-03-27T23:16:00.001+01:00

Been busy editing my bro and sis-in-laws wedding photos. I love the one of Wes the first time he saw Kendra. So sweet. Also busy enjoying the SUNSHINE!!!! Oh happy day.

Parlick!

2011-03-22T20:14:00.000Z

On Saturday Andy and I completed number 4 on my birthday list. Is this not the most beautiful hill ever! There were lambs everywhere. Do you see those two bird looking things in the clouds? There were tons of paragliders taking advantage of the good weather. I'm making my first stop motion film of them.

Orange Sesame Shrimp

2011-03-21T21:11:00.000Z

Martha suggested I make this for tea. Oh, and tea is British for dinner. (I wasn't brewing shrimp in hot water.) My shrimp were a bit shrimpy so I'd suggest using very large ones. Would also suggest that you mix the cornstarch, sesame seeds, salt and pepper without the egg whites. Mix the shrimp in the egg whites first and then coat in the flour mixture.

For sides: Rice & Snap Peas

Grate 2 Tbsp of fresh ginger and mix in with your rice 5 minutes before it's done.

Steam snap peas. In a separate bowl mix 2 Tbsp of soy sauce with 2 Tbsp of rice vinegar for dipping the peas in.

I'm going to start practicing using chop sticks because my hand is sore from eating tonight! Koreans use metal chopsticks which are even trickier. They claim that using chopsticks makes you smarter. But I think it's probably the hours and hours of studying they do.

Lisa Stickley Lovliness

2011-03-18T18:40:00.000Z

One of my favorite things about my job is doing the shop windows. Another favorite thing: when things go to plan, and these windows did. Lisa Stickley's designs are absolutely gorgeous. Loving the bag. Loving.

Easiest Ever Stuffed Peppers

2011-03-16T18:38:00.002Z

This is the fastest, easiest meal I make. Next to my killer frozen pizza of course. But this is probably a wee bit healthier than pizza. Maybe, just guessing. You can serve them with Thai rice drizzled with the juice from the cooked peppers.

Ingredients

1 pepper/person your choice of color (my favorite is obviously red)

feta or goats cheese

chopped red onion

chopped tomatoes

chorizzo or pepperoni (optional)

olive oil

freshly ground pepper and salt

Directions

Heat oven to about 325 F (160 C). Drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil in the bottom of a pan so the peppers won't stick. Chop peppers in half and set aside. In a bowl mix onion and tomato and meat if you're using it. Spoon mixture into each pepper and place in the pan. Drizzle some more olive oil on each pepper, not much. Crumble the cheese on to each pepper and add salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes. Done!

See wasn't that easy. Probably the easiest stuffed peppers ever.

Growlers Reusing

2011-03-15T09:54:00.001Z

I'm posting a picture of Andy and my Scrabble game because I had two killer words that got me a gargantuan amount of points and it makes me feel smart. It also makes me forget that I have a house to organize and pack. So I'm just sitting here a bit longer looking at things designers design that never get produced. I wish there was some kind of petition I could sign to get these things into production. Designer Scrabble?!?! A light pendant that holds trinkets?!?! How can the world survive without these two things. I for one do not think it can.

Chicken Potpie

2011-03-14T14:34:00.006Z

I am not ashamed to say it - I love Martha Stewart. I do. Even when she went through her prison stage. So when an app for her recipes came up, I knew it was meant to be. It has been worth every penny. It sends me ideas for dinner every day. EVERY DAY. No more trying to think about what to make. Oh it's grand. So last week when I had an onion, 3 questionable carrots, 2 chicken breasts and half a block of parmesan, I searched Chicken Main Meals on my wonderful app and found this tasty treat. I used this for the crust, using mostly whole wheat flour and fresh ground black pepper. It took a couple of hours but it made 6 pies and if you're cooking for 2, that equals 3 meals. And if I were a betting woman, which I am, I would wager that this freezes very nicely for you to bake for another meal.

My dad grew up in Pennsylvania which means he calls things funny names, like rubber bands = gum bands. And rabbits were always potpies. Must be a throw back to the days when rabbits were potpies. Andy liked it so much he's requested it for his birthday meal next month. I'll be using chicken, not potpies. J

Korea

2011-03-13T22:33:00.002Z

Do You Know South Korea? from David Dutton on Vimeo.

Are You Happy?

2011-03-09T20:01:00.003Z

I found this poster while looking around the internet and it really got me to thinking. Andy and I have been really unhappy here for at least the last year if I'm honest. Just very unsettled. He's been looking for a permanent teaching position for the past 3 years but to no avail. England is crazy for teachers. Teachers here, teachers there, teachers EVERYWHERE. They should ship some of them over to the States where they are in desperate need! If Andy doesn't have a job, it means I can't go back to do my MA which is something I desperately want to do and soon. So..... we did a lot of talking and mulling over things and chin wagging and decided to take a giant leap of faith and move. I desperately want to live in Japan one day, and one day we will but for now we decided the best thing would be to move to Korea. Oh boy oh boy. This is a very mixed emotion move. Very sad to leave England and the home we hoped to create but happy to have steady jobs and lots of friends. Can I just take a self pitying moment and say WAAAAAA, I didn't get to even decorate the front room!!! K, got that out of my system.

On a much more beautiful and happy note - the lovely Adele. (Like my lead in, haha, note and Adele, get it.) She is amazing and amazingly chic. She is so chic isn't she. Anyways, this magazine is British, fabulously so and I'm going to pick it up for a fiver. I'm doing, buying, eating, looking, smelling everything British as much as possible before we move. So lots of cheese eating, sticky toffee pudding indulging, mountain climbing, coast walking, and driving around in the car to soak it all up before we go. And seeing as much of the lovely people here as much as possible. The lovely Sharon introduced me to The Black Keys. You may not know this, but I have a very serious love of all things 1970's rock sounding. The Black Keys are just amazing, just absolutely amazing. They even made me smile and do a little jig on the way home - which recently is saying a heck of a lot.

Oh and I had, numbers 3, 7, 9 and 10 printed for the show. They look great and can't wait to have them in the show.

photo by John Peets

Valencia Pictures

2011-02-10T01:05:00.004Z

I have a show coming up in March and I don't know which pictures to choose. I'm having them printed about 20" square in with white matt and thin black frames. Help! (If you click on the image you can see it a bit bigger.)

Pizza/Bread = Amazing

2011-02-08T19:58:00.004Z

This recipe is amazing. I have made it many times and it is always good. It does take a bit of time, but it's good for a Saturday night movie and a cuddle on the couch. The crust is nice and thick, perfect for dipping in an olive oil/balsamic vinegar combo. I say pizza/bread because that's what I've made it into, you get your bread sticks and pizza all done at once. It is de-lish!

Martha Stewart's Sweet Potato (or other things) Focaccia

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, from 2 envelopes

2 1/4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water, about 110 degrees

2 1/4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl, pan, plastic wrap, and drizzling

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Coarse salt

1 1/2 cups grated (about 4 ounces) aged Gouda cheese (I've used feta when I couldn't get Gouda and it worked alright)

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted ( I don’t do this)

1/4 cup packed small fresh rosemary sprigs and leaves (ESSENTIAL!)

Directions

Stir the yeast, sugar, and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add oil, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt to yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low until dough comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Raise speed to medium, and knead until dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to an oiled medium bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Spread dough into sheet. Flip dough to coat both sides with oil, and stretch dough into corners of sheet. Lightly cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until dough comes to just above rim of sheet (3/4 inch) and is very billowy, about 30 minutes.

Uncover dough; sprinkle lightly with salt. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, walnuts, and rosemary. Top with caramelized potatoes, overlapping and pushing them into dough in places. Bake 5 minutes. Rotate sheet; bake 15 minutes. Rotate sheet again; bake until edges of crust are golden, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with oil. Let cool slightly before serving.

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes (or other things)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (or 2 onions cut into chunky chunks and 3-4 Portobello mushrooms cut into thick slices)

2 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes (or onions first, then mushrooms 5 minutes later); cook, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and stock; simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Add brown sugar and salt; cook, carefully turning potatoes to brown both sides, about 20 minutes. (Not necessary with onions and mushrooms.)

Transfer caramelized sweet potatoes to a plate. Let cool slightly.

Steve & Sharon

2011-02-03T21:53:00.001Z

I made the portrait of Sharon for my show last March and really liked how it turned out, especially her moon boots and West Minster Abbey hair. She was oh so kind and commissioned a portrait of her partner Steve. I didn't want to go matchy matchy but went for subtle coordinating papers. I think they make a nice pair don't you?

Crispy Fish Deliciousness

2011-01-27T15:00:00.001Z

I made this last night. And it was good. Really really good. So good there's hardly any left which means Andy and I polished of a 9x13 pan between the two of us. It doesn't taste fishy at all. I used haddock. I also drizzled vinegar on top of the potatoes and sprinkled some sharp (mature) cheddar cheese on for good measure.

Why yes, yes that is my Orla Kiely lasagna dish. Isn't it pretty. Thanks Charlotte!

Hey, have you seen this? It is so very funny! PUT A BIRD ON IT! Yes. Made me laugh so much.

Crispy Fish Pie

Serves: 4 (Pfff, yeah, not so much. It's waaay to tasty to get past 2.)
Cooking time: 40 mins

450g waxy potatoes (about 2 cups) (a red-skinned variety such as desirée) I used normal potatoes
2 eggs
320g (11 oz) fresh or frozen (but thawed) mixed fish pieces
2-3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced (I used 5)
125g (1/2 cup) button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
250g low-fat creme fraiche (soured cream)
1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
25g (2 tsp) butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6 (400 F). Peel and halve or quarter the potatoes so you have pieces of an even size and boil for 10 minutes. Drain them and leave until cool enough to handle, then grate them roughly on the largest holes of your grater and set aside. Hard boil the eggs (about 10 minutes in boiling water) then drain and cover with cold water. Lightly grease a medium-size ovenproof dish and tip in the fish pieces. Shell and slice the eggs. Scatter the spring onions over the fish, then add a layer of sliced eggs and sliced mushrooms. Mix the creme fraiche with the mustard, season with salt and pepper then spoon evenly over the fish, egg and mushrooms. Spread the grated potatoes evenly over the top of the pie. Melt the butter if using then drizzle it – or the olive oil – over the top of the potato. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the potato topping is lightly browned and crisp (if it doesn't seem crisp enough pop the pie under a hot grill to brown.)

Tip: You can vary the ingredients for this depending on what you have available. For instance, you could add a couple of chopped skinned tomatoes or a handful of frozen peas or spinach instead of the mushrooms, or sprinkle the potato topping with cheese.

Peter and The Black Rabbit

2011-01-20T13:23:00.001Z

Andy and I have a new nephew, Peter! We have these adorable rabbits in the shop from The Black Rabbit. I thought a bunny was an appropriate gift given his name. Shirley, my mum-in-law, and I are off to see The King's Speech. It's gonna be good, how can it not with Colin Firth. Superb acting, simply superb.

Right Old Natter

2011-01-18T18:25:00.001Z

This morning, Andy and I walked just beyond the headland in the photo above. It's the first time that we've done it and it was breathtaking. The sun was out while we strolled and we had a right old natter about a spring break trip I took with the girls to Florida. Michelle and I were strolling along the beach far away from our sunbathing companions. So we did as you do when you don't think anybody's around and revealed as much skin as possible (within reason of course) to soak up as much sun as possible. Good idea until we strolled by a group of construction workers. Oops.
Wishing I was able to watch the Golden Globes. Saw Ricky Gervais on Youtube. Yeah, it was a very Brit style humour. Never really goes down too well with Yanks.

B-a-utiful Friends

2011-01-14T00:02:00.000Z

My very good friends' birthdays are today. Happy Birthday Michelle and Trisha!!!!! Love you both so much and miss you too.

Numbers 7 and 9

2011-01-11T16:45:00.003Z

Yes! I have completed numbers 7 and 9 on my birthday list.

Would you help me promote my Etsy shop? I know I have a few faithful readers (Mom!) so I'm asking for your help.

How can you promote it you might ask?

1. Put a link on your wall on the Book of Face (AKA Facebook)

2. Tweet it on Twitter

3. Good ol' fashioned email

If you do any of those, just leave me a message below and I'll send you a treat! I'm already sending yours Mom. ♥

3 Weddings & 1 Massive To-Do List

2010-12-30T17:03:00.003Z

I've got a lot of photo editing, wedding invitation designing and making of portraits to do. Photos of Wes and Kendra's wedding above and below.

Crimbo!

2010-12-30T16:02:00.001Z

This year I made a few of our Christmas gifts. Heart garland for Laura and a portrait of Robbie the rabbit and Emily the tarantula for Jen.

In Homage to Esmerelda

2010-12-13T12:34:00.001Z

Talulah, our previous Golf, finally died. Finally. And I say that as a good thing. A very good thing. I hated that car with a passion. I seem to be doomed to teal cars that half work. Her only redeeming quality was that she was a VW Golf. So we have a new member of our family, Esmerelda. She is beautiful. We took her for a drive last night up the sheep road to Jubilee Tower. Which looks a bit like a cardboard cutout in the shot below. Craving mince pies and good coffee....

The Glasgow School of Art

2010-11-19T19:52:00.002Z

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was more than just a bit clever, wasn't he. I've wanted to visit The Glasgow School of Art ever since Art History 3, and I was not disappointed. Not one little bit. A-maz-ing. Amazing! Everything was amazing. The attention to detail. Ahh, I love attention to detail. The student above was working on a project on the building across the street. Sigh, I want to go back to school.

Stephan + Fran

2010-11-18T19:13:00.001Z

This is Stephan and Fran. They're both outstanding citizens of the planet. Stephan and I have been friends since 2004 when we were both photography students. Fran is his lovely lady friend. Stephan came to do Charlotte's wedding photography. We got up to Ayr and Glasgow in Scotland. I'll be sharing pictures when they were here because they are awesome.

Birthday List

2010-11-18T17:49:00.002Z

November 3rd was my 27th birthday and I'm going to make a list of 27 things to do before my 28th birthday. So here it goes.....

1. go canoeing on the River Lune

2. finish the front room

3. enter in a 10K (and run it)

4. climb my favorite hill

5. watch an old Clint Eastwood movie

6. visit the south of England, somewhere, anywhere, but hopefully a. Dover b. Bristol c. The New Forest or d. Cornwall

7. open my Etsy shop back up (I've been on vacation mode for over a year)

8. make an art piece just for me, no one else

9. buy a Florence and the Machine CD

10. save for our Asia trip EVERY month

11. finish my niece Evie's quilt!!

12. finish restoring Grandma Peg's bike

13. ride Grandma Peg's bike to work, at least once!

14. get the Valencia pictures printed off so I can enter them for a show

15. paint, refinish the floor and organize my studio

16. start learning Japanese. This requires me to make a Japanese friend. So....

17. meet someone Japanese

18. have the girlies over for cocktails and/or french toast for supper

19. start illustrations for Andy and my children's book - at least one!

20. spend an entire day in the house with Andy watching movies like we did that one time in Korea. Preferably on the floor.

21. give more money to people who need it more than me

22. finally finish reading The Jungle

23. east sushi

24. refinish the front room chairs

25. visit Dewlay

26. swim in a river

27. make cookies and send them to someone

Amanda!

2010-10-28T14:32:00.005+01:00

Photo by Stephan Anderson-Story

Photo by ME!

This is my friend Amanda. She is amazing. Amazing Amanda. She turned 26! yesterday. Aren't we getting old. Amanda is also a lot of other A's. Artistic, authentic, adorable, ardent, audacious (in a good way), au courant, affectionate but most of all I think she's amazing. Amanda also has a extreme love for trees. When I see a beautiful tree, it never fails to remind me of her. Love you!

Quiche Take Two

2010-10-28T11:43:00.011+01:00

Quiche is one of Andy's favorite foods ever, so I make it a lot. Actually, it's really easy, so I don't mind. I had left over egg yolks from meringue and a random jar of pesto so I thought to myself, "Can I make a quiche with pesto?" Yes, yes you can. And I did. So here's my recipe for pesto quiche. I didn't really measure anything so these are guestimations.

I always use Martha Stewart's Cheese Short Crust below with SHARP cheddar cheese.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated manchego or Parmesan cheese
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup cold (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS
Pulse flour, cheese, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; pulse to combine. With processor running, drizzle in 1/4 cup water until dough just comes together. (If dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not process for more than 20 seconds. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a floured surface. Press into a spring form pan. Cover with baking parchment/wax paper and fill pan with beans or rice. Bake at 400F (200C) for about 10-15 minutes.

Sam's Quiche

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup (300ml) of crème fraîche (sour cream)
1/2 cup pesto
2/3 cup fresh chopped basil
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1/3 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup pine nuts

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together crème fraîche and eggs. Stir in chopped basil, spinach and dried tomatoes. Stir in pine nuts. Pour into baked crust. Bake at 350F (180C) for about 45 min or until set.

Wes + Kendra

2010-10-26T20:28:00.000+01:00

This is my baby brother and his fiance, Kendra. Aren't they both so good-looking and fit. Kind of makes you sick, doesn't it. These are a few of their amazing engagement photos by Sharaya Mauck. The rest of them are here. It's been a wee bit difficult coming to terms with Wes getting married. He's just too little! But he's got a good one, so he's got to get while the gettins good.

Other Artistic Endeavors

2010-10-22T14:26:00.005+01:00

One of the small joys in my life is wrapping gifts. It is oh-so-fun. My friend Krystal's dad was the BEST at wrapping gifts. AMAZINGly wrapped Christmas presents were piled ceiling high in their living room every year. I'm also working on Charlotte and Dave's wedding favors. 125 boxes, 2000 cuts, 5000 folds to do in 22 days. Also redesigned Arteria's shop flyer. They go on every bag. Not bad. Bit obsessed with Florence + the Machine right now.

Better Late Than Never

2010-10-20T20:54:00.001+01:00

Mom! It's done!! Finally! Hopefully you think it was worth the wait? My cousin Kala and her husband Brandon were married a year ago. Yep, a year. And it's taken me that long to get this done for them. The book is the frame. That's what they wanted and it looks good.

New Rooms and Fonts

2010-10-14T22:15:00.002+01:00

Since I'm not hobbling around anymore, Andy and I were finally able to move into our bedroom upstairs. Yeah! It's so big and light, it's absolutely brilliant and I love it. Andy striped the walls of it's nasty wallpaper and ripped up the carpet. There's a lot of work to be done before we can decorate so we're making this do for now. The previous owner didn't like the fireplace so he built a half wall to cover it up. What?! I don't get that either because it's beautiful. I pinched the photo heart idea above the bed. It's a nice temporary display of our loved ones. While perusing the internet, I found this site with the cutest fonts.

Ophelia & Belinda

2010-10-12T15:32:00.001+01:00

This is Ophelia. Isn't she the most gorgeous orchid ever. She has something like 20 flowers right now. Craziness. She is named after this song. Belinda's keeping me company and helping me edit photos, bless her.

Autumn Loveliness

2010-10-11T23:58:00.004+01:00

Today was the perfect autumn day. I had on my grandma's hand-me-down plaid jacket and made the most delicious smoky fish chowder. De-lish. Another Real Simple triumph. I also got a little creative and made up the cobbler recipe below. It is also de-lish. And you must must eat it with vanilla ice cream. It is a sin if you do not. I didn't really measure anything, so I'm going by guestimations.

Sam's Apple and Ginger Cobbler
12-18 medium sized tart apples, pealed and cut into chunks (about 10 cups)
1 generous inch cube of fresh ginger finely chopped
juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup spiced rum
1 tablespoon whole-grain flour
salt
11/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup whole-grain flour
11/2 sticks of butter
ground cloves
golden syrup (If you can't find this, try maple.)

Juice lemons into a large bowl. Peal and chop apples adding them to the juice, making sure they are coated in juice so they don't turn brown. Add rum. Mix 1 tablespoon flour and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to apples. Stir so they're all coated in the mixture. Pour the apples in a 9x13 pan or 8 ramekins. Don't wash the bowl out! In the same bowl stir together oats, flour, pinch of salt, pinch of ground cloves. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Spoon over the pan or about 3-4 tablespoons on each ramekin. Drizzle 1/3-1/2 cup syrup over pan or about 2 tablespoons over each ramekin. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. EAT WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM!! This stuff is pretty tasty, so just watch out. Might have something to do with all that butter.

Spending My Allowance(s)

2010-10-11T00:42:00.001+01:00

During our daily trips to the beach in Spain, I concluded that I needed a more "sophisticated" swimming suit. My teeny-weeny-teal-polka-dot-ruffled bikini isn't really communicating "I'm a grown up". So I took advantage of my allowance and bought some things in the J Crew sale. Ah yes, aren't they lovely. Well actually, to be honest, this is a couple of months allowances, purchased in advance. Never was good at that "don't count your chicks before they hatch" thing.

More Upholstery

2010-10-01T10:40:00.000+01:00

Okay, what about this fabric and then the 6 buttons on the back in teal? I'm redoing the wood in the chair so it will be lighter, more natural looking.

Upholstery

2010-10-01T00:55:00.001+01:00

Okay, so at the top are the rug and roman blinds. Then.... here are a lot of options for the two chairs (in a couple of posts below). They're 1950s. I'm feeling the blue/teals. Our sofa is sooo SAFE so I do not want a safe chair fabric. Fun one all the way. Mod Green Pod, Harlequin, Ikat and the amazing amazing Spoonflower. This fabric store is AMAZING! So.... help! What do you think. Right now the rug and roman blinds do not look like they're going together, but trust me, in the room they will. I just need a great fabric to tie it all together.

Charlotte's Invites

2010-09-28T18:01:00.001+01:00

Now they've been sent out, I can share the invites that I made for Charlotte and Dave. They're...um...very florally. On to the next project.......

A Few Favorite Views

2010-09-24T22:35:00.002+01:00

I love when we can see across the bay to the Lake District. Belinda has been a different moggy (kitty) since we've moved. She's been nice. It's very strange. Maybe it's the cat flap. Another nice view below. Wink wink. Wednesday night we watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was indeed fantastic. I love how the characters "cuss, cuss, cuss". If you haven't seen it Mom, you'll appreciate this detail. Definitely Wes Anderson's best movie since Life Aquatic.

Pugly Pixel

2010-09-22T20:02:00.000+01:00

Oh goodness. Look what I just found. Pugly Pixle has created these amazing photo overlays for your photos. You can download them from her site!

Winter Coats and Broken Vows

2010-09-22T14:27:00.005+01:00

I'm not doing so hot on my "not buying anything for a year" vow. It just makes it all that more tempting to buy stuff. I have been very good though. Well better. Well...... I mean, just look at the love milk jug. How could I have not gotten that. I mean it's really just the cutest thing ever and it was only £6.40. I've picked my winter coat and I really excited. I've not had a long one in a while. Last winter was so cold and this year is looking to be the same. When else in my life am I going to get away wearing a white coat? Not when we have kids, tell you that right now. And the mirror, the bathroom needed a mirror. Picked it up for a steal of £9. And who has too many serving platters, I mean really? And just look at our new front room chairs. Gorgeous. Just £20 for two. Andy and I have decided that I need a spending allowance. Oh boy.

Homemade Goodness

2010-09-17T22:14:00.001+01:00

Hiya! So Michelle asked about the chandelier that I'll be making. My inspiration for effect/shape is above. I'm not a butterfly person, so I'll be making small very thin porcelain circles of varying sizes attached to a wooden rim. There's such a nice ceiling rose that I don't want to detract from that, but make something that compliments it.

My friend Laura and her sweet little boy Marley came for lunch today. We had truffle cheesecake for pudding - it is GLORIOUS and worth every calorie. Ahhhh! Got the recipe from Tricia. Thanks Trish!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2-inches up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350°F (175°F) for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°F (160°C).
In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; add cream and mix well. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set.
For Topping, melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in cream and vanilla; mix well. Spread over filling; Refrigerate overnight. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Front Room

2010-09-13T11:48:00.001+01:00

Here is what the front room looks like at the moment as you enter the room and look right.

Here is the view once in the room.

This is the plan. The way the room will be arranged once finished.

And here is the mood board for the room. I decided on the Fireworks rug because I think it will draw on all the colors of the room: gray, yellow, teal and orange. Going for a Vintage Modern feel. So to do....
- sand, fill, and finish floors
- strip and repaint baseboards (skirting boards)
- remove the nasty fire mantle
- paint room
- have blinds made
- have table made
- have Haysey build in bookcase and cupboards
- replace main light with a chandelier I'm making
- replace old radiator possibly with a old school teal! one
- have a light put in above dining room table
- accessorize room
But my leg is still in a cast so instead of spending hours of sanding, painting, sweating, moving, I'm spending hours on the internet finding just the right things to buy/make for the room.

Rococo & Rugs

2010-09-09T14:26:00.002+01:00

Here's a few more shots from Valencia. In my many art history classes, Rococo was one of my least favorite period. I mean, it looks like someone barfed pastel flowered putti everywhere. Eek! It was pretty fascinating to go through this though. On the decorating note, I need help choosing a rug! Down to three choices. For those of you who know, our sofa is neutral. We're redoing the floors so they'll be a light, warm, honey wood. I'm painting the walls a mid gray and the skirting boards are white. Our curtains will be a mustardy-yellow with a graphic gray/white print. Accents will be teal and orange. So with all that information, here are the choices. First, a neutral chunky loop wool rug. Here. Second, a gray with some colors. This is what I'm leaning to. Here. And third a yellow and gray/ropey one. Here. I don't know. Help!!

Valencia

2010-08-24T21:26:00.010+01:00

Andy, his mum and I went to Spain a couple of weeks ago for a week of sun. We laid on the beach, drank coffee and read. It was lovely. Andy and I trekked on to Valencia for 3 days. It was one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to. Very old, very beautiful. We spent a whole day at the Science and Arts City which had the most amazing architecture.

On a less sunny note, we're moving, I've got a show coming up, wedding invitations to finish, I'm PMSing and my foot is purple - so I'm headed for McDonalds for some ice cream. That will make it all go away, right?

My Left Foot

2010-08-20T18:05:00.000+01:00

Well the good news is that I am rocking awesome new bangs (fringe) and the bad is that I broke my foot. My left foot. Boo. But the EXCELLENT news is that Andy and I got our keys to our new house today! Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

We had a great time in Spain, pictures to come soon.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

2010-08-07T00:55:00.001+01:00

My thoughts exactly Wes....What is that caterpillar doing on your lip?!? Hope you have a great birthday. Love ya bubba. (Technically it's still the 6th where you are.)

I want to ride my bicycle....

2010-08-06T20:27:00.003+01:00

Uncle Brad, Mom and I went on a three day bike tour of the Trough of Bowland. The Trough is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The photo above was taken by Uncle Brad just before Mom and I rode ahead and lost him. Ooops, sorry Uncle Brad.

These cheeky sheep are getting ready to be milked. MILKED?!?! What, did you know that sheep could be milked? Their milk makes the most delicious cheese, seriously, we ate it all in one sitting.

Michelle My Bell

2010-08-03T13:22:00.008+01:00

I'm posting twice today because I'm big time procrastinating. I need to be filling out my MA applications. But that's so daunting and boring. I'd rather be doing what I'm actually doing and looking at photos, blogs and listening to music. I regularly read Whatever by Meg. She reminds me of my best friend Michelle in many ways. If Michelle had brown hair, I think she'd kind of look like Meg too. Last time I was home in Kansas, Michelle and I went antique/thrift store shopping and we went to the town that Meg lives in. We drove by her house and she was actually on the porch with her daughter. We are so stalkers. Anyways, in my procrastination, I found the photo above. It's from my hen do (bachelorette party for the Yanks). I love Michelle for so many reasons. I miss her dearly and wish we could hang out way more. Sad. She's preggers and is so cute.

York

2010-08-03T12:37:00.010+01:00

Andy and I will be packing up all are things and moving in (hopefully) a couple of weeks to our new house. That's it above. Haha. Serious about the packing and moving though. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we came back from Spain and the packing fairies had come? One can wish. The house above is one that we visited whilst Mom and Uncle Brad were here. Way back when, our family came from York, 26 Dove Street to be exact. We got to go round the house and see where my great-great grandfather came from. So kind of them to let us invade like that. They had a cheeky cat named Lily.

This lovely lady was in York Minster. Doesn't she just look rather bored with it all.

Mom and I in with the Minster in the background.

Holiday!

2010-08-01T22:50:00.004+01:00

I've been on a semi-holiday for the past two weeks. My mom and uncle came for two fun-filled weeks and we did oh so much. I can't wait to share with you. That's my best mate Charlotte above. Isn't she so chic. She's on holiday in Scotland so Andy and I get to cat-sit little Walter. Listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Kooky but wonderful. Thanks Twila! I think I will be downloading these tunes for our trip to Spain. We leave on Saturday!!! Dresses, dresses and more dresses is what I'll be packing. Finally, warm sun on my cardigan-free shoulders. We'll be headed to Barcelona for a couple of days to celebrate our two year anniversary. Two wonderful years of marital bliss.

Mothe!

2010-07-07T09:45:00.013+01:00

Mothe, Momma Miller, Vic, Vicster - Mom has many names. I went through some old photos and found all these classics.

Ahh, the big bang (fringe) era. You gotta love it. Actually, that flowered collar is pretty rockin. Any chance you still have that shirt Mom?

Ba-hahaha. Look at our dresses, and the bows, but the best by far are the sleeves. Enough poofiness to make even Anne of Green Gables envious.

Mothe showing the boys how it's done at Christmas.

Mom, do you remember this bike ride. I was so out of shape, I think I cried/whined most of the way to the castle. Sooooo out of shape. Not this time though, I'll be given you a run for your money, actually pedal for your money. Can't wait for you to come - IN A WEEK!!! Hope you have a really nice birthday tomorrow. I love you!

Vintage Modern

2010-06-30T17:29:00.002+01:00

I discovered Sproost whilst looking for some inspiring bookcases. I took their amazing quiz and it told me my decorating style. The results were spot on. I am most definitely Vintage Modern, even Andy agreed. Love, love, love the room above. Our front room is going to be painted that exact color, French Gray. Take the quiz, it's so fun!

And on the decorating theme, Picnics Under the Moon featured our shoe-rack. Picnics is the blog of Hygge & West, the boutique I got the adorable wallpaper from. Check it out here.

My Mafia Man

2010-06-29T12:38:00.006+01:00

Andy has two, yes two, interviews this Friday. I'm so very proud of him. He is going to ROCK their faces off. We went suit shopping and got this outfit for him. It suits him, don't you think?!? What a dapper young man he is.

I'm chipping away on wedding invitations this week. The sample below is for Charlotte. Not quite there yet......

Quiche

2010-06-24T14:51:00.007+01:00

Quiche is one of Andy's favorite foods. I made this last night and it was phenomenal. I think I'll try substituting the crab for mushrooms next time to make it veggie friendly. I used Martha's Cheese Short Crust, as I do for many things. I always use extra sharp cheddar instead of the recommended cheeses. Recipe for that here.

Booths Crab and Watercress Quiche

• 1 tsp thyme leaves (Use more if you're using sharp cheddar in the crust.)

• 100g watercress, large stalks removed, roughly chopped
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 10g butter
• 300g white crab meat (either fresh or tinned but if using tinned remove the water)
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 284ml whipping cream
• 3 medium eggs
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c /gas mark 5. (400 F)

2. Roll out the pastry to about the thickness of a pound coin (1/4 in), sprinkle over the thyme leaves and press into the pastry with the rolling pin.

3. Line the flan dish with the pastry leaving a small overhang and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Cut a large circle of the greaseproof paper and place over the pastry, fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake for 15 minutes, then cool.

5. Remove the baking beans or rice and greaseproof paper and glaze the pastry with a little egg wash. Pop the pastry back into the oven for 5 minutes then cool.

6. To make the filling, gently fry the spring onions in the butter until soft then add the watercress, cook until just wilted and remove from the heat.

7. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper. Fold in the crab, watercress mixture and season with salt and milled pepper.

8. Fill the tart case with the crab mixture and bake for 25 minutes. Let the quiche cool before serving. The quiche will be just as tasty cold the following day.

EEEkk!!

2010-06-22T16:59:00.003+01:00

Some amazing news to share: our offer has been accepted for a house! I'm not getting too excited yet, nothing has been signed so I think it will really hit home when we get the keys. I moved around every four years as a kid. So a house, our very own house that we never have to move away from has always been a dream. It gets even better, as if it could - it's a block from the sea..... What?!?! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. The very same day the offer was accepted, Andy got an email that he has a job interview. The boy's not had an interview in five years, that's how competitive it is here for teachers. Yesterday couldn't have gotten much better. Oh, my, goodness.

On to shoe-racks.... The little treasure above was being thrown away - gasp. It was in the tip (dumpster) outside Andy's school. It's a notice board/supply holder for the kiddos but with some Hygge & West wallpaper and some shelves, it's the best looking shoe-rack ever.

Modes of Transport

2010-06-02T23:48:00.003+01:00

Andy's grandma, Peg, has graciously give me her bike. It's rust covered and in need of an overhaul. So we trekked down to Andy's Uncle Mike - bike restorer expert and handy man. I'm so excited to get it restored and start riding it around. This bike has a whole 71 years worth of history I can't wait to share. Mike also has a Morris Minor. These cars are amazing and we got to ride round in town doing errands. Looking at our first house tomorrow........

House Hunting.....

2010-06-01T00:31:00.007+01:00

We received a letter from our landlord that she's selling the house so we're in a bit of a pickle. Now we're on a house hunt; should be interesting to see what we turn up. Today was the Whitsuntide Festival in Garstang. Oh good old pagan festivals. Some of my favorite shots from the day below. My love bought me some unused watercolors from a jumble sale. I will be using them soon, so many colors! Tonight, we went for a drive and found a field of horses so I took some photos.

I had to put one of Dorothy on. The Cowardly Lion looks more like the Get-Me-Out-Of-Here Lion.

Hubert & Wembley

2010-05-26T16:43:00.005+01:00

The trip to Wembley was amazing; 82,000 fans screaming makes a lot of noise. The footy was good too - on the edge of your seat good. The two photos above are my favorite football photos from the day. We stopped at one of our friends family's home in the suburbs of London where the daughter met us at the door with this black mouse. Eeeek! I got some great shots. He is going to be one of the stars in the children books Andy and I are writing. We shall call him Hubert.

Blackpool

2010-05-20T16:46:00.002+01:00

Ah, Blackpool. The cheap travel destination of the North. It has the pier, the tower, the pleasure beach, lots of seedy clubs, etc etc. Blackpool is also home to my husband's favorite football team, Blackpool FC. This Saturday, they have the most important match in their history. This match will determine if they get promoted to the premier league. If they win this match, they'll be awarded £88 million, or some crazy amount. They're playing at Wembley and we're going with a minibus full of fans. It's going to be interesting to say the least and it's definitely going to make for good photographs.

Received: Camera

2010-05-13T22:08:00.007+01:00

You may remember this post. Well, I've saved my pennies and finally got a camera. This was pre-vow planned purchasing, mind you. Today it finally arrived in the post, so in honor of my new artistic tool, I am posting a guessing game. Can you guess what the photo below is a close-up of. I'll give you a few clues.

1. It kills thousands of people.

2. One is worn on Remembrance Day

3. Hundreds of them made an appearance in The Wizard of Oz

For My Mum

2010-05-11T14:05:00.004+01:00

Mom, sorry this is a few days late, but my timing is one of the things you love about me, right?!? Thanks for being the best mom ever. You tie the best bows (which is what you're doing above), and I really miss you when I'm wearing a dress that needs tying. You are a beautiful person, inside and out. Thank you for your patients and your wisdom (I took your advise and wasn't too desperate). You make the best Christmas breakfast. You give great hugs. You are hands down the best emailer/keeper-in-touch person on the planet. I can't wait for you to come and visit! Thanks for being my mom.

On a side note, that's Kendra on the right-side of photo. She and my brother just got engaged!!! Eeek, I'm going to have a new sister and I couldn't be happier! And on side-side note, the small hand you see behind me; that's Michelle - and she's PREGNANT! Yeah! I can tell the world.

I ♥ My iPhone

2010-05-11T13:12:00.006+01:00

I have wanted an iPhone for several years now; they're so sleek, shiny and like a magic wand really. They make you seen hip and trendy. Nearest sushi restaurant? Why let me just whip out my iPhone and google it. MMM yes, that's two blocks away and I can give you its reviews as well. This May marks my two years since I've been in England, which means my old phone contract was up. So my lovely little iPhone was free when I signed up for another contract. Oh yes, isn't it grand. And the photos above, of course I took them on my iPhone. Jemima from fig tipped me off to this great app. It takes photos as if you were taking them from analog retro camera. Brilliant.

Politics & Thrift Store Finds

2010-04-27T22:57:00.005+01:00

Found the two treasures above on my trip home. One dollar for the ring and a dollar fifty for the bag. Not bad. The ring is also a locket so I'm going to put pictures of Andy and I and wear it as an occasional wedding ring.

The elections are coming up on May 6th and the country's all a buzz in a political frenzy - a three horse race is what they're calling it. Tonight, Charlotte, Andy and I went to a Q & A for our local constituents.

As You Save.... So You Prosper

2010-04-26T22:49:00.006+01:00

Those who know me best, know that the title of this post is not my motto. I like to spend money, I like earning it, getting it - finding pretty things and buying them. I really like pretty things; things that sparkle, jingle, flash and are bright. I could have easily been a magpie in another life. Those of you who know Andy know that he would rather wear a nasty, faded, stinky jumper (sweater) than fork over to buy a new one. So for his 30th birthday last week, I got him this lovely vintage globe bank that cost $3.20. It still has countries like Siam, French Indo-China and Rhodesia so I know it's legit. But I know that if Andy and I are to ever own our own home, have a car that isn't old enough to remember Clinton in office (as if cars remember this sort of thing), I need to save some money. So....(gulp) I've decided to not buy clothes and/or non-essential house items for a year. EEEEK. I did it once in university and it was hard, really hard. I also want to take this pledge to curb my consumerism. I get one freebie, which is a winter coat, because I really do need one of those. I decided to do this yesterday, which means I'm one day down but it already seems like a week. We have lots of nice new things in the shop this week, like that striped, no clasp watch......

The Beautiful Seul Ki

2010-04-19T17:31:00.008+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of my best friends, Seul Ki came and visited. I hadn't seen her for a couple of years so it was great catching up. We travelled to one of the great design meccas of Britian, the Orla Kiely shop in London. Words are not enough. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Men

2010-04-18T19:04:00.004+01:00

Since entering the world of blogging I have noticed something very unfortunate; there is a serious lack of male bloggers. "Where have all the cowboys (sing men) gone?" Today, I found a wonderful male blogger, Joel. He made the sweet zipper pouch above.

Speaking of men, I'm missing my man. We're supposed to be flying out tomorrow, but that seems doubtful. Cabin fever is setting in, so I'm going to start organizing a garage sale.

Found Chairs and Ikat Fabric

2010-04-18T01:37:00.007+01:00

One of the great things about Kansas is all the thrift and antique stores. Someone was throwing away (gasp) this amazing chair. Now...how to get it to England, this is the question. Would most definitely cover it in the Ikat fabric below. Shirley and I are trying to fly out again tomorrow. I highly doubt we'll make it, but I will be packed just in case.

Stuck

2010-04-17T03:32:00.003+01:00

Photo by Brynjar Gauti

So.... I'm one of the thousands effected by Eyjafjallajoekull. Oh boy. I'm supposed to be in London on Monday for meetings, hopefully, hopefully our flight will leave on Sunday as planned! Having a blast in Kansas with the pocket rocket and my family.

Show at Arteria with Gallery 23

2010-03-28T17:49:00.011+01:00

Some pictures and a video from the opening.

Andy and I at the opening.

Painting by Patricia Haskey Knowles

Waiter by Lauren Van Helmond

CJ and the Millers

2010-03-27T09:53:00.002Z

This year for Lent, instead of giving up something, my Dad decided to take on something, Cardboard Jesus. CJ has been making the trek with my dad for the past 30-something days and my mom's been blogging it out here. I love the photo above because it's like they're in the twilight zone, or the galerie de Jesus actually.

Home Again

2010-03-26T19:58:00.005Z

Soon and very soon, I will board that mechanical bird, cross the pond and return to the promised land. Well, maybe not the promised land, but it certainly is a good land. Last night was amazing! Simply brilliant. I sold a lot of work -eek- and had an amazing time with my friends and family. Made me wish my American friends and family were here eating curry in celebration. I'll be posting pictures and maybe a few video clips of the opening soon.

Seul Ki arrived this morning. Yeah! We're headed up tomorrow to the Lakes. Fingers crossed the weather will be good. We're going to Beatrix Potter country as well as Ambleside. Thanks Dad for the flying monkey tip. It finished it off nicely, don't you think?

Show at Arteria with Gallery 23

2010-03-24T16:55:00.004Z

It's done and hung! Tomorrow is the opening with nibbles and wine. I've already sold three pieces which is encouraging. After the show, we're all headed over to the Sultan for some curry.

19 Days 13 Hours & 12 Minutes

2010-03-17T20:02:00.010Z

19 Days 13 Hours & 12 Minutes. That's how long until I get to go home. I put up my work today at the shop. So far, so good. I'll be posting pictures of it soon. I'm on the BBC (it's like the PBS of Britain) Lancashire website, here.

I ♥ Spring

2010-03-10T14:24:00.005Z

Winter is leaving at last. As I've been told countless times (because the English love to talk about the weather) it has been the coldest winter in 31 years. I think I've seen the sun everyday for a week, which I didn't think was possible in England but as I type this, it's warming my back. T-minus 8 days until my work is going to the show. Folding, folding, gluing........

Check me out on the Arteria website here.