getting back into the groove

I guess I inadvertently took a break from blogging during the month of January; at least, the lack of posts makes it seem that way.  Truth be told: becoming a parent changes a lot of things in one’s life.  Suddenly the things you had at the top of your list of to-dos fall way short when you have a little human being that completely depends on you to survive.

Alas, if you’re looking for a blog about parenting, this is not it.  If you’re looking for a blog full of tips and pointers on how to handle your pregnancy, this is not it.    There are already plenty of good ones out there.

So what my blog will continue to be about are the things I enjoy doing: crafting, baking, dining out, taking pictures, and sharing these things with other people who enjoy them.

On that vibe I’m happy to say that I’m trying to get back into the groove with card making lately, and I just dropped off a batch of cards at Davis Squared today.  Yippee!  A couple of love themed designs just in time for Valentine’s day, too.

Now on to finding more time to create some new designs!

blueberry oatmeal bars (a recipe)


I’ve been watching a lot of the Food Network shows lately — I think Ina and Giada are my new best friends.  I saw Giada make some apricot oat bars one morning and decided to try making a batch using things I had on hand, so here’s my rendition with blueberry jam instead of apricots.  It’s a really simple recipe and I think it would work well with any fruit jam you have in stock.  The key thing is to use old fashioned oats and not the instant stuff; she mentioned on the TV show that the instant stuff won’t hold it’s shape once it’s baked.

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peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies (a recipe)

Apologies for the gap in blog posts lately but I guess you can say I’ve been a little busy lately with the arrival of a new family member.  :)

I needed to make some shortbread cookies to soothe my craving for something sweet (yes, I am still having occasional cravings post-delivery I suppose), so I decided to make something that my husband would enjoy too (he was, after all, holding baby to help free up my baking hands).  I started with an old-time favorite easy-peasy recipe I’ve used time and time again: a three ingredient peanut butter cookie that seriously only takes one egg, one cup of sugar, and one cup of peanut butter to make.  I had a box of unsweetened chocolate in the cupboard so I rough chopped 4 of the one ounce squares and added it to the batter, along with 1/2 a cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.

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treasuries


One feature I’ve always liked on Etsy is the ability to create a treasury.  It’s basically where you can select 16 items from crafters’ shops from around the globe and showcase them all at once.  Some people make wish lists this way, some people do it to show off their friends’ work, and some people do it just for fun.  I like to do them when I’m bored and also to make my time spent browsing through the site seem semi-useful.  :)

It’s a good way to find inspiration, gift ideas, or just to see how talented some people are.  Click on the photo above to check out my “seeing orange” treasury.  And if you have time here are more recent treasuries I’ve curated by specific colors:  can never have enough green; red white teal and sometimes gray; and black white gray and yellow all over.

Happy browsing!

knitting :: tummy warmer baby sweater


I am in love with this baby sweater pattern!  I found it on Ravelry and decided to try it out since it’s knit in one piece (I hate seaming!) and I liked the look of the buttons on the shoulder.  It’s knit from the top down and the honeycomb pattern along the bottom was easy to figure out once I got the hang of it.

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