heart of saturday night

Pat is away  this weekend so I have the house all to myself. The house is so quiet and still. I plan to take advantage and spend my evening with F. Scott Fitzgerald!

Isn't that cover wonderful?

I am rereading Tender is the Night and I must say it is delicious. The first time I read it I was in high school and I couldn't relate to the character's struggles. Now that I am a little bit older I am really appreciating this book. It is poetic and soft and I love the way he describes the magical life of living in Paris in the twenties.

"... she walked on, between kaleidoscopic peonies masses in pink clouds, black and brown tulips and fragile, mauve-stemmed roses, transparent like sugar flowers in a confectioner's window-until, as if the scherzo of color could reach no further intensity, it broke off suddenly in mid air and moist steps went down to a level five feet below."

I have read almost all of his novels and I will one day sit down and read his letters. Aside from The Great Gatsby I also adore Tales of the Jazz Age. Have you ever reread a book from high school? Given it a second chance? Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate

"I'm Impressed" bruschettaaz

Firstly, I would like to point out that the "aaz" at the end of "bruschetta" in the title occurred when my cat walked across my keyboard. I thought it was funny, so I left it. 

If you are like me, you are always looking for inexpensive ways to entertain your friends. I always want my dinner parties to be full of delicious food but I really can't afford to "go all out" at the supermarket.

Today, I thought I would share my bruschetta recipe with you. Over the years I have perfected this recipe and it is a great, inexpensive way to serve fresh food. Bruschetta is something that is delicious, a little bit fancy, and perfect for vegetarians. It is always a hit and makes a perfect summer meal if served with an awesome salad and a nice bottle of wine.

You will need:

one loaf French or Italian bread (go straight to the bakery because it is wonderful when it's fresh)
one dry pint cherry tomatoes
couple cloves of crushed garlic (I say the more garlic the better but that is up to you)
feta cheese (I like mine with herbs but again, up to you)
olive oil
oven at 350 degrees

Using a whole loaf and pint of tomatoes will serve a small dinner party.

 Start by cutting up your tomatoes. I like to halve them lengthwise and then cut into thirds.

Add garlic.

Add enough olive oil so that the tomatoes are coated but there is not a big puddle at the bottom of the bowl. Add as much feta as you like and stir!

 

 Slice up the bread and top with tomato/feta goodness! Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or longer if you want your bread extra crunchy! YUM!

If you have leftover tomato/feta you can save it and pour it over pasta or toss it in a salad! Hope you enjoy this awesome recipe! Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate

my feet

A huge trend on the internet is people taking pictures of their feet. It is quite an interesting cultural phenomena and one that I appreciate. I enjoy a picture of perfectly polished toes on a terrace or fancy heels on a city block. Taking pictures of your feet is a great way to document where you are and what you are wearing. What I am trying to say is, I get it and I think taking pictures of your feet is "super neato." However, I have realized that it is very, very, rare that my feet ever look good. 
Don't get me wrong, if I could be barefoot all the time I would, but the more I think about it, my feet are often filthy from hours in the garden or I am wearing hiking boots. So why not those kind of pictures? How about photos of one's feet not only pampered and perfect but well, not? Maybe because those pics are boring? What a challenge to try and make the mundane foot photo interesting.
It is only recently that I have started appreciating heels and until I have an amazing collection of shoes well, I am going to take pics of my feet anyway! Here goes!

 

I just noticed how bug bitten my ankle is. Oh well. Hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.

heart of saturday night

Billie Holiday is my favorite. In the summer, her deep, moaning voice is the perfect companion to open windows and dinner parties on the porch. In the winter, Billie comforts you on those frozen nights when all you want to do is drink wine and soak in the tub.

I actually have her portrait tattooed on my leg...

The banner says "in my solitude you haunt me" 

 Last Monday, Pat and I went for a sunny spring drive (having Mondays off is the absolute best!) We stopped at a new thrift store, where  I found a four record Billie Holiday compilation for $4!!

Since I work Saturdays, I tend to stay home and recuperate from the crazy week. Tonight, I will be doing a little crafting and listening to the lady sing the blues.Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.

spring is here

 Happy first day of spring!  

It is glorious outside! Every spare minute I have (if I am not crafting) I am playing in the dirt. It's going to be a beautiful season. I hope you have a chance to get outside and enjoy it!
Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.

 

sewing sassiness

I am sort of new to sewing. I have made a few quilts and a dozen or so Christmas stockings but that's it. I have been reading a lot of sewing blogs and have been overwhelmed with inspiration. Since I can never find clothes I like (that fit all this T&A happening over here) I decided to try sewing a garment.

Well, of course I never start with something simple. I tend to dive in. So, for my first garment I decided to try taffeta.  I didn't start with a cotton skirt made from an old bed sheet... not this girl!  I went for silky smooth taffeta with velvety dots. Why not? What did I have to lose? It was a little frustrating, but I knew I could always cut a fiasco apart and use the fabric for something else. Either way it wouldn't go to waste.

Well, thank goodness for the internet! Today my gratitude goes to an awesome blog called Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing where I found the perfect skirt tutorial (a timeless post from 2009). Thank you Gertie!

This skirt took two evenings, a few swear words, and even more beer but here it is:

To my surprise, while browsing the interwebs today I found this similar skirt on Modcloth.com! I actually like mine better and paid far less!

This skirt would have taken less time if it wasn't my first handmade garment. I was extra careful and measured a dozen times before I cut the fabric.  

For anyone who wants to try their hand at sewing I say "do it!" There is nothing to be afraid of and it's actually a lot of fun. I am very happy and wore this fancy number to work on my birthday! People loved it and it made me feel very pretty!
Have fun. Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate

heart of saturday night

 Last weekend was a whirlwind so I am laying low this St. Patrick's Day. Tonight I will be drinking beer and sewing away!

I'm thinking fancy, puffy skirt? I will post photos when I am done!! Thanks for looking.
Love, Ms. Kate

Brothers are great!

As a kid, my baby brother was my sidekick  and we were always getting into mischief. We survived my parents nasty divorce and since then, we have always been there for each other. He is the person that knows me the best and knows how to piss me off the most.
More recently,  our relationship has been a hilly ride as we both figure out how to be adults and survive on our own.

I have been wanting to make him a quilt for awhile and since he has begun to put in his roots and settle into his life, I thought now would be the perfect time!

 

My brother is a very spiritual person. I wanted to make something that would compliment his sage green room and convey the sense of being outside.

 I don't have a pattern so I will be using graph paper and a ruler to make my own. Have you ever made something for someone you love?? You should. Thanks for looking.
Love, Ms. Kate

In Wonderland

I’m back and full of exciting bloggy goodness! Things are starting to come together and I am very excited to be sharing all my inspiration with you!
To kick things off I wanted to take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about my bridal shower. This momentous occasion took place exactly a year ago today and is defiantly worth blogging about.
Enjoy!

 
Last year I was a bride-to-be planning a tiny, rustic wedding on an even rougher budget. My hubby-to-be and I had recently purchased our home and we wanted to celebrate our life together but were unwilling to acquire any more debt. Planning a wedding on a budget proved to be an extremely difficult process and we ended up cutting the guest list and making many sacrifices (more on that next month when I write about my wedding)

 I knew that my wedding would never be as elaborate as I had originally envisioned which set a high precedence for my bridal shower. Since the guest list was smaller I knew that I could be a bit more fancy in the festivities. My Maid of Honor, Betsy and I decided on an Alice in Wonderland/afternoon tea theme for my shower. Having tea kept the cost of the shower low because we didn’t have to serve a full meal with multiple courses or stock a full bar.

First decision we had to make was where to have the shower. We needed a place that wouldn’t cost a zillion dollars and was somewhere between my house and where my family lived. Since I was so proud of my new home we decided to celebrate at my house! To some, the idea of hosting my own shower was bizarre but it seemed very natural. Betsy was the perfect MOH and managed everything. I simply cleaned my bathroom and moved the furniture around. We did rent chairs and tables for the event but because it was such a small guest list (twenty including myself) the cost was minimal. 

Having it at home meant that we were in charge of all the food. We wanted to use delicious ingredients with the ability to make and prepare the night before. The menu included three kinds of tea sandwiches on high quality bread, mini quiches, croissants, a fruit salad, a fancy couscous salad, and lots of desserts. We served a variety of tea and champagne.

Betsy and I made the dessert stands!!

While the idea of a tea party was rather luxurious, I knew that I needed to throw a little Mad Hatter into the mix. We achieved that chaotic feel of the Mad Hatter's table by buying random, pretty china from thrift stores. The china didn’t match and it looked amazing all mixed together. We also bought random tea pots, serving dishes and decorative vases. I decided ahead of time that I did not want to spend more than five dollars on a single item which kept the cost surprisingly low. Many of the tea cups were less then a dollar!!

 

 While planning my shower, one thing that I struggled with was the whole game/entertainment thing. I didn't want people to play bingo or bet their money on when the hubby and I would have children. I'm just not a game person (especially ones that involve trivia about me)  and since space was limited there was a strict NO GAME policy!

I needed a fun substitute because most of my guests were unacquainted. There had to be a more creative way for everyone to get to know each other?

I decided that people needed a conversation starter, something that the ladies could talk about (other than me and my hubby).  Betsy and I decided that everyone should wear a hat! It was great fun and all the ladies had a blast talking about and complimenting each other on their hats! Since I surround myself with creative types, many of my guests made their hats and it was wonderful! (tutorial for the hat I made coming soon).

 

 

For my bridal shower I wanted to be in charge of the favors. I was very excited to put together little treats that my favorite people could take home and enjoy. I knew I wanted them to be very unique and tie into the theme. I was on a budget so I knew I would have to use my crafty abilities to come up with something stupendous!

I decided to use some old scraps of fabric and I made my guests tiny drawstring bags that I could fill with goodies. It sounds stressful but it wasn't and I finished nineteen of them in a single afternoon. I then took embroidery floss and stitched each guests name onto their bag.

Since I am obsessed with blooming tea I decided to buy the bulbs in bulk and distribute them among the bags. I found some favor jars at my local craft store and they were the perfect size to hold two bulbs of tea. I also included a few packets of flower seeds and of course, chocolate.

My shower was absolutely perfect and I had a wonderful time. I wanted something that was unique and whimsical with a Victorian flare and I got it! I couldn't have done it without the help from close family and friends and all of our hard work really paid off.

Everyone had a great time and many have said it was the best shower they had ever been to! So throw away the games, boil some water and enjoy the simplicity of conversation.
All photos were taken by my sister Courtney and my dear friend Rachel.
Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate

Glue Gun Bliss!!

A year ago this week, I was getting ready for my bridal shower. We decided on a "high tea" theme with a requirement that every guest wore a hat. It was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to give all the frilly details about that awesome day!
Until then, I thought I would give you a little preview and a tutorial on some of the crafty type things my M.O.H and I put together for that special day.

With the tea party theme, my Maid of Honor (Betsy) and I decided that we would start collecting a mixed assortment of vases, tea cups and dessert plates to give our "high tea" a tiny bit of chaos (a la Alice in Wonderland). If the china was all "matchy, matchy" it wouldn't reflect my personality so we decided to mix it up!

A floral pattern appeared on most of the china which made the collection very cheerful.
Betsy and I then found some larger plates and decided to make dessert stands. I am a glue gun enthusiast and this project was great fun! Word of caution: gluing china can be scary if you have invested a lot of money into the pieces and I highly recommend shopping at a thrift store for a project like this.

How to make a dessert stand:

Step One: Collect a variety of plates in various sizes. I like dessert stands that range from dinner plate to saucer but any variety will work.

Step Two: Collect a variety of glassware to place between your plates. I love using candlesticks, champagne flutes, or decorative vases.

Step Three: Find a combination you like. Starting with the largest plate on the bottom, experiment by placing a vase in the center of the plate and then place a smaller plate on the top rim of the vase. Be careful to balance!!

steady.....steady...careful..

Step Four: Once you have found a combination you like START GLUING!! I used E6000 to glue the glassware rims to the underside of the plates first because you have to be pretty precise. Once the tops were dry I used my handy dandy glue gun and attached the base of the glassware to the plate tops. 

Don't forget to glue in a calm, airy place. Balance and ventilation make for happy crafting!

TA DA!!! So pretty! 

Hope you enjoyed this mini tutorial. Don't be afraid and have fun!

Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate