The Paris Wife

I've seen The Paris Wife by Paula McClain pop up on a number of places on my book radar lately. When I saw it on the "New Acquisitions" shelf at the library, I checked it out. The shelf isn't really called that. In fact, it's not labeled at all." I classed it up by giving it that name. Sweet, huh?

The Paris Wife chronicles Ernest Hemingway's first marriage to Hadley during the 1920's. Hadley and Ernest moved to Paris so that he could immerse himself in writing and be surrounded by other now-well-known writers from that era such as Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald etc. Hadley experienced first-hand the erratic Hemingway and his fly by the seat of your pants attitude regarding life, career, and women. At this point, he was not a known author although during the course of the story he did become more and more published. Unfortunately, the marriage suffered at the expense of Hemingway's search for fame.

This wasn't my favorite. I didn't relate to any of the characters. While I did feel some sympathy for Hadley, she stuck around way too long in the shambles of this marriage. Maybe I didn't really like it because I'm not very familiar with Hemingway's works. It just didn't resonate with me.

Rating: * * 1/2

Weighty Sadie

We have failed our dog child. I don't know how this happened. Well, I know how it happened but I feel badly this it's come to this. Let's back up. Last Saturday, we took Sadie to the vet for her annual heartworm check. They were just going to take her back to do the blood draw when I asked to see how much she weighs. Sadie hopped up on the scale and danced around as the numbers went up and up. I gasped audibly when they landed on 25.4. Twenty-five point four pounds!? This cute little baby was only supposed to be 15 lbs (though the breeder most certainly fudged that number). She had been holding strong around 22 for a couple years. When did this happen?

Not only that but we were refilling the prescription with the vet assistant said, "She's over 25 lbs." I was quick to reply, "We are going to work on that." She looked at me skeptically and said, "Really? Because over 25 is supposed to get a larger dose." And I said, "Yes, absolutely." I'm sure she didn't believe me because she asked twice, but gave us the lower dose all the same. Turn away with your judge-y eyes, lady.

Admittedly, we do not walk her regularly. Shameful, yes. This has got to change. We don't feed her people food except for what I call 'cereal time.' Every morning when I pull out the cereal box, Sadie comes running. She screeches to a halt by my feet and stares at the ground waiting for the rogue flakes to spill while pouting. Full disclosure.......if I am not clumsy and manage not to spill any cereal, I'll give her a flake anyway. But really! One flake a day does not equal this weight gain. Her eyes look so pitiful when I don't drop any that she shames me into giving her some cereal too. So, I'm blaming it on her probably only weekly walks and additionally, the spoonfuls of peanut butter that my mother-in-law gives her because she feels badly for Sadie. Don't feel badly for Sadie. She's a little porker!

So both dog and dog mother are now on a renewed health and fitness kick. Sadie, because those extra pounds are not good for her small frame, and me, because Mexico is only 3 weeks away!

Recipe Re-blog #38

I love hosting gatherings that allow me to try lots of new recipes. Last week, we had the return of Wine Night with friends of ours. The theme was Italian and all wines selected, even the budget bottle, were tasty. So was the food, if I do say so myself.

Italian Chicken over Pasta in a Lemon Thyme Cream Sauce: I was hoping for a lighter creamy pasta dish and this did not disappoint. I cut the heavy cream in half subbing in fat free half and half for the other portion and I don't think the end result suffered one bit. The chicken cooked up easily as well. However, you do not need 1 1/2 cups of flour for the dredge. 1 cup will do just fine. I made the chicken ahead of time and brought it up to temp in the oven. The recipe also calls for this but I think you could finish it in the pan and safely skip the oven time.


Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti: This is a Giada de Laurentiis recipe. It features Nutella. Man, is that stuff good. Even the cashier at Walmart told me how much she loves Nutella. These were easy to make but to me, weren't traditional biscotti. They were more cookie-like in nature. I skipped the chopped hazelnuts because I couldn't find them. I don't think they were lacking because of this. I cut the recipe in half and it still made plenty.

Italian Cookies: Is that the most generic name for a recipe or what? I made a cookie tray to accompany the gelato I served for dessert. It featured these and the above recipe. These cookies don't have a whole lot of flavor. I added a glaze and colored sprinkles to jazz them up. However, because the gelato and other cookies were so sweet, it ended up being okay that these were on the less sweet side. I cut this one in half too.

All three get sleeves in my recipe binder this week!

Make It: 4 Seam Maxi Dress

Can we talk about how obsessed with maxi dresses I've become? I could not love them more for their comfort, ease of wear, and simple ability to be dressed up or down with a single accessory. Super versatile, super great. Once again, I've had this fabric for years. I know I got a good price on it at the time but I sure couldn't tell you now what that price was. It's a stretch jersey probably of a polyester nature, definitely not cotton. You could probably make this dress in non-stretch materials but you might need more yardage.

Want to make this dress?

Here we go!

1. 
   
   Lay your fabric out flat on the ground.




2. 
   
   The width should be 1 1/2 times the widest part of your body, usually your hips. For me, I needed it to be 60 inches wide. (40" x 1.5 = 60") However, I was a few inches short and it didn't matter in the end. It's still loose and flowy. I think I ended up with a 54" wide piece after I trimmed off the selvage.

3. In order to determine the length, you'll need to measure from just above your bust down all the way to the floor. I wanted mine to skim the top of my feet. You also need to add 9 inches to the length for the foldover (You'll see in a minute, your added amount may be more than 9). I'm tall so I think my length was considerable. Something like 68" probably with the additional amount. This step is also a lot easier if you have a buddy to tell you what the number at the bottom of your tape measure reads. If you don't have a buddy, step on the tape and use the number at your foot.

4. Once you've determined the necessary length, lay the fabric wrongside up on the ground. Fold down one end of the width. This will be the top of the dress. It's going to form the tubes for your elastic and will give you an extra layer of coverage around the bust, an added bonus if your fabric is a little thinner than modesty allows. I folded mine up 9 inches, allowing for 1 inch to be turned under at the bottom (so the finished measurement here was 8".) You'll want to measure from just above your bust, where the top of the dress and elastic will go, to just below the bust, where the other elastic tube will sit. I do not have a large chest. If you do, the amount you fold to create this part will be a lot longer than 9 inches.

5. After you've folded this part, turn the bottom under 1 inch and pin. Then measure an inch from the new turned under bottom, and pin again as a guideline. Also, measure an inch down from the top of the dress (sorry no pic of this). These are going to be your elastic channels, one to hold the dress up from the top, one to give a little more shape under the bust. The pinning may seem tedious and unnecessary but in addition to giving you some guidance while sewing, it also helps keep the fabric from slipping while stitching.

6. Now, it's time to start sewing 3 of your 4 seams. If using a stretch fabric, I recommend switching to a ballpoint needle. I used a normal straight stitch. I've read various tips on using stretch stitches but for this dress, I don't think it's necessary. Look at my fancy sketch! Those vertical lines are where you'll stitch. There is a faint light blue line towards the top, stitch there too! I couldn't change the color when I was drawing it.

7. Once you've sewn your elastic channels, fold the dress in half length-wise (like a hotdog bun), right sides together. Sew up the side seam sewing over the first elastic channel (yes, essentially closing it off) but stop just below the top channel. You'll need to rip out a couple stitches of the channel below the bustline so you can put the elastic through it.

8. Elastic time! I used 3/4" woven elastic. They sell non-roll elastic, pick that! It'll help stave off potential twisting. If you can't find it, that's okay. I've got another fix for twisty elastic. Anchor one end of the elastic at the opening with a safety pin. Put a safety pin on the other end as well to help you work through the channels. It helps if there's something more solid to grip. I never measure my elastic. I just thread it through the channel and out the other end, pulling to my desired stretchiness and then cutting it.

9. Once the ends of your elastic have met up on the outside, stitch them together so you don't lose them inside the dress. You should now have perfectly elasticized channels at the top and under the bustline of your dress.

10. Last step! At the top of the dress (where you didn't stitch the side seam up the whole way) tuck in the raw ends of the channel. Then, overlap them a bit so cover up the elastic. Stitch. Not only does this cover the elastic but, stitching the elastic to the dress will help it from twisting. You'll want to stitch the elastic in the dress on the other side as well. That way it'll be anchored on both sides giving it plenty of ease to stretch but keeping it flat within the dress. Do the same with the bust line elastic channel as well. I didn't bother hemming the bottom because the fabric won't unravel and the print is busy enough that it doesn't look unfinished. If you feel you need to hem the bottom, please do so. Although it does turn the dress into a 5 seam maxi. Still, not bad for an hour's work!

Put it on and enjoy!

I'm so pleased with the outcome. This dress is definitely coming to Mexico with me. If I could wear it everyday, I would. I want to make 10 more, but that would involve buying a lot more fabric. It's a vicious sewing cycle.

Did you make this dress? Let me know how it turned out!

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere!

Fall is here! I LOVE fall. I'm especially looking forward to cooler temperatures after the beastly summer we had in Ohio. Besides the climate, I also love fall food and drink! Cider, apples and of course, all things pumpkin! John and I are on a quest to try all available pumpkin beers. So far, we're off to a good start. Here are my first 4 tastings........

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale: This can only be found in the Sam Adams Harvest Collection 12-pack. And you only get 2 in there, so share wisely. Or hoard them, your choice. From the bottle: "brewed with over 11 pounds of real pumpkin per barrel, adding a full body and sweetness to this dark reddish amber brew. Deep roasted malts, including a smoked malt, lend a distinct roasted character while traditional pumpkin pie spices give the beer a subtle spice note." This was the first pumpkin ale I had this season so I was very excited about it and thought it was delicious. Then I started tasting the others. While this has pumpkin flavor, it's not as present as in some of the ones listed below.

America's Original Pumpkin Ale: This is a microbrew from Buffalo Bill's brewery. From the bottle: "a true original microbrew that uses baked and roasted pumpkins. Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are added to create what as been described as 'pumpkin pie in a bottle'." I totally agree! This is my favorite out of the bunch. It had the most pure pumpkin flavor to it, in my opinion.

Ichabod Pumpkin Ale: This is also a craft beer we tried in the pumpkin world. It has the added bonus of being spooky (Headless horseman!) From the bottle: "Ichabod combines malted barley and real pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg in a delicious and inviting brew. A rewarding complement to many dishes, Ichabod pairs well with autumnal foods such as poultry and root vegetables. After dinner, try it with your favorite dessert!" I think I shall! I really liked this one. Heavy on the pumpkin flavor and smooth drinking.

Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat Beer: I've never had any other Shocktop offerings because John doesn't really like it so we never buy it. But, owing to my mission I had to do a tasting of this. For $1, how could I pass it up? From the bottle: "traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. This seasonal unfiltered wheat ale has a deep amber color and is crafted with a refreshingly distinct pumpkin spice that fully captures all the flavors of fall." This was good on its own merit but side by side with others, it wasn't my favorite. Not nearly as smooth as I hoped for and slightly bitter. The pumpkin did not come out as much as I like.

Which is your favorite? What should I try next?

City of Thieves

City of Thieves by David Benioff was recommended on a book blog that I follow. I generally like her suggestions and am still, apparently, on a historical fiction kick. So....here we go!

This book tells the tale of Lev Beniov, member of the Russian army, during World War II. He is caught stealing, which he didn't actually do, and thrown into the Crossings, a type of jail. Here he meets Kolya, who has been jailed for being a deserter. The Colonel takes a special interest in these two and tasks them with finding a dozen eggs to make his daughter's wedding cake. In exchange for the eggs, they will be freed from jail and allowed to live. Eggs, during wartime, are impossible to come by. Thus the journey begins. Along the way, Lev and Kolya meeting interesting characters, are nearly killed on more than one occasion, and fight to survive the frigid Russian winter settling around them while trying to tolerate each other and perhaps, become friends.

City of Thieves was a nice departure from some of my usual reads. Benioff does some good story telling and creates curious characters for the reader to discover. I really enjoyed the relationship between Lev and Kolya that formed in such a short span of time on their hunt for eggs. Fast read but worth a shot.

Rating: * * *

Spotty Dotty Dress

I'm not sure how I feel about this dress. I have had this fabric for years. Years, I tell you. It was my first attempt at sewing with stretch fabric. I did some research and took the advice of everything I read, stitching with a ballpoint needle. I'm not sure what that does but it seemed to work okay for me. I experimented on the two side seams with various stitches. I read conflicting information in that I should or should not be zigzagging. One side I did, one side I didn't. The zigzagged seam was bubbly and amateurish. The straight seam puckered slightly less so I stuck with that for the rest of the dress. Also, stretch zigzag uses a LOT of thread.

I went patternless on this one and used the dimensions from a dress I own and love. When will I ever learn to account for ease? WHEN?! It's essentially 4 pieces, back panel, lower front panel and two shoulder/chest panels. I wanted them to overlap more than they do. When I wore this to work, I put a tank top on under it. I don't think it's too revealing without it but I felt more comfortable with it and didn't want to be tugging at it all day long.


Because it was super boxy, I added elastic right under the bust line. I'm not sure what happened with that but I had all this bunchy fabric on the sides. While sewing, I kind of felt like this dress was a lost cause. I don't know that I'll ever wear it on its own but, over a tank top, under a jacket, with leggings, it's not half bad. You can't see all my wonky seams unless you're right up on them.

All in all, people who say "sewing with stretch knits is so simple" are wrong. I'm not giving up but it was about as hard as I anticipated it would be. I'm not sure if using a pattern would have helped or not. I was worried the dress was too short but it passed my arm test. In high school, if you put your arms down to your sides, your shorts or skirt had to come past your fingertips or you were sent home. This dress falls well past that mark, and I have long arms. It has the added bonus of being very comfortable but still, the jury is out.

P.S. I still need a new camera. And a new photographer. Mine refused to put shoes on and didn't want to walk out on the grass in his socks. That's why these are so far away.

Recipe Re-blog #37

This post almost didn't happen. I made the recipe and all but come Saturday afternoon, I realized I never blogged about it. So, in the midst of cooking and cleaning for dinner guests, here we are. John's outside doing yard work. Hopefully he stays out there and doesn't come in and catch me blogging while I'm supposed to be dusting. Recognize the obvious gender assigned tasks here.

Salt and Vinegar Potatoes: Sometimes, my side dishes are lacking. I'm very quick to make plain rice or baked potatoes just to round out a meal. I thought I should step it up. These potatoes are an amalgam of roasted/smashed/baked potatoes. They had good salt and vinegar-y flavor. We really enjoyed them. However, there are multiple steps. A simple side, this was not. It seemed simple in theory. It tricked me. You have to boil the potatoes first. I put them on the stove and promptly forgot about them in order to hold a laundry party. (This is a party in which all invitees fold and put away their laundry. Wild.) Then, you mash them down, season them up and finish them in the oven. So, they still took about an hour. The end result was good though so, if you've got the time, give them a try...mmm. Did that rhyme with time? It does in my head.

Wanted

Bow Bridge James, Kate Spade $495

I mean, really.

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

Also comes in grey but I am in love with the camel.

P.S. Now taking applications for a sugar daddy. Must not care that I am currently married and am only using you to buy me bags, and shoes, and jewelry.

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay has been out for a couple years but is quickly gaining in popularity with the recent release of the movie based on the novel. It is a work of fiction based on events that took place during World War II in France. In July of 1942, over 14,000 French Jews were rounded up and kept for 6 days in the Velodrome d'Hiver, an arena that previously held bike races. After those terrible days with no food, water or facilities, the families were transported to concentration camps. The parents were then split from their children and both groups were eventually killed. The roundup was carried out not by the Nazis, but by the French police.

Sarah was an 11 year old Jewish girl who was taken with her mother and father during the Vel d'Hiv. She hid her brother Michael in a secret cupboard in their apartment and locked him away for safety, thinking they would return and continue on with their lives. Desperate, Sarah implores others to help her and tries to escape at every opportunity to save her brother.

Present-day journalist Julia Jarmond is renovating an apartment with her French husband, Bertrand, for them to live in with their daughter, Zoe. She is assigned a story about the 60th anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv that is approaching. During her research, she learns of Sarah's plight and a strange connection between the two. Determined to find out what happened to Sarah, Julies delves into a world that she maybe shouldn't venture. But, she must know.

This was an extremely interesting and sad story. Sarah's Key's chapters go back and forth between the unveiling of Sarah's past and Julia's present. Sarah tells her story as Julia researches the horrendous accounts of this heart wrenching incident that most do not know about and nobody wants to remember. De Rosnay marries the two in a compelling juxtaposition. I find historical fiction fascinating and Sarah's Key did not disappoint. Give it a try. I couldn't put it down. Thanks, Mom, for loaning it to me.

Rating: * * * *

P.S. I do believe I've read more historical fiction than chick list this year. Ooo eeee, what's up with that?

Confessions

Last week, I bought my first bag of mellowcreme pumpkins. Not even two weeks into September and I'm already fist deep in Brach's. This is a slippery slope. Now I'm going to spend the next couple weeks rationing out pumpkins between John and me. Mark my words. Then I can do a second post when that bag is finished about how ashamed I am that we polished off the first bag so quickly. I think you either love or hate candy corn. I, obviously, LOVE it. I am totally Team Candy Corn. I like the autumn mix but I don't like the chocolate ones. Those are always languishing in the bowl at the very end because John doesn't like them either. There's often some sort of bargaining involved, "I can have a real one if I eat a chocolate one first." The pumpkins are my absolute favorite though.

1) Pumpkins
2) Maples from the mix
3) Classic Candy Corn
4) Banana corn-shapes from the mix
5) Chocolate Candy corn and also the bats from the mix

Yes, if you're wondering, I just ranked my preferred order of candy corn. These are the thoughts that consume my time.

........

In a recent zumba class, I caught a whiff of some serious B.O. during the warm-up. I spent the next 3 songs trying to surreptitiously surmise if the offending odor was coming from me. This involved my slyly trying to sniff my armpits during various moves in which my arms were above my head. Can you picture it? My investigation proved that I wasn't smelly but I'm still not sure from whence it came. And, what if I had been the Stinky McSmellsALot? What would I really have done at that point as I still had the whole class to get through? I guess we'll never know.

Happy Birthday to my husband, John!

(Not that he's reading this)

Recipe Re-blog #36

I thought I'd be really tired of finding new recipes to make by now. I was wrong.

Ginger-Soy Chicken: This is one of Rachael Ray's Make-Your-Own-Take-Out recipes from her book, 365: No Repeats. I am always up for a stir fry of sorts. They are quick and easy and can be done very healthfully. The original recipe calls for you to put the chicken over shredded lettuce. Pass. I put it over brown rice. Give me carbs! I also instructed John not to buy fresh ginger if it was too expensive. It was, so I subbed in 1 tsp. of dried ginger instead. Additionally, because I was putting it over rice and wanted more sauce, I added 1/2 c. of chicken stock when you pour in the tamari. I also upped the tamari to 1/3 c. This added liquid turned out to be the perfect amount. If you're looking for a quick weeknight meal, give this a shot. Carbs or not.


P.S. Will September 11th forever be a "where were you" day? I was a freshman in college, walking home from Art History when I heard people talking about planes crashing in fields. I headed up to my dorm room and some neighbors down the hall were watching the coverage. This was probably around 10:30-11:00 am. My roommate and I went to the student center because the TV's there were larger. It was packed with people. None of the phones worked. Classes were cancelled the next day. We all just somberly sat around watching the coverage unfold.

Bossypants

LOTS of books read in the last couple weeks, folks. Gotta play catch up on the reviews. I have been on the hold list for Bossypants, a memoir by Tina Fey, for quite some time. It's gotten a lot of good reviews in the paper and was recommended to me in a number of places. So, I've been waiting not so patiently for this one.

Bossypants chronicles Fey's formative years in the improv world and her training in theatre as she pursued her dream of comedy. She describes being a woman in the traditionally male-dominated world of improv and comedy on television. And quite a successful woman at that. Bossypants shows the journy from improv to writing for and then starring on Saturday Night Live and culminating with her starring on and executive producing the hit show, 30 Rock. The memoir talks about her family and her upbringing but also contains a number of hilarious and interesting anecdotes from her time working with various celebrities and how her popular dead-on Sarah Palin impression came to be.

I really enjoyed this memoir. It was a quick read and I laughed out loud a number of times. Being a writer already, Fey was able to produce a well-written memoir rather than those written by some other celebrities who have no business in front of a keyboard. If you're a Fey fan, check this out for sure.

Rating: * * * * 1/2

P.S. I finally saw The Help a couple weeks ago. Highly recommend! I read it when it first came out in 2009 and loved it then. I liked the screen interpretation a lot.

Zumba - 80's Style

Guys! I totally forgot to tell you about my rad 80's zumba party. I was a guest instructor for this shindig. It was way fun. My outfit was even more fun! I really wanted to Jane Fonda it up and wear a leotard over tights. I had a black leotard (from when I wanted to become an adult ballerina -- that dream didn't work out) and I found these hot pink tights in the Target clearance section for $1.25. When I put the leotard on over the tights though, I felt VERY exposed. Too risque for me! Instead, I added some gym shorts and a knotted white t-shirt.

I made these leg warmers by cutting the toes of a pair of knee high socks, also from the Target clearance bin in the hosiery department. Looking hot, right?

I found these gigantic green plastic diamond earrings at a scary accessory store at the mall. They were a dollar. I was a little concerned they might give me tetanus but, in the interest of the theme, I wore them anyway. And I made those fishnet gloves out of fishnet socks. Why Target had so many of those leftover I'll never know. 62 cents!

I borrowed the crimping iron from a friend and also rocked the high ponytail. We had an awesome time! I wish everyday was an 80's day.

An Echo In The Bone

An Echo in The Bone is the most recently released book of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. You guys, I have been diligently working my way through these large tomes for 2 years and I finally made it the Book #7. Don't read this review if you plan on starting the series at some point because, though I won't spoil this book, obviously there will be spoilers from the previous books.

In Echo, Jamie and Claire are still trying to make a life for themselves in North Carolina on Fraser's Ridge. Unfortunately, the Revolution is brewing all around them and they eventually find themselves sucked right into the middle of it all. Knowing what they know about the outcome of these events, they find themselves having to play both sides carefully. Brianna and Roger have traveled back through the stones with Jem and Mandy to the 1980's to fix Mandy's heart murmur that Claire discovered in the last book but knew she could not operate on herself in the limited medical advancement for the 18th century (how's that for a run-on sentence!?) It is also in Echo that Brianna and Roger discover, through a series of letters written to them in the future by Claire and Jamie, that the Frasers have not succumbed to death by conflagration, as the newspaper article they found had reported.

OK, so we also have Ian, who is most interested in taking a wife but at the same time is hunted by Arch Bug for the murder (by Ian's hand) of Arch's wife. Lord John Grey and son (Jamie's) Willie are, obviously, Loyalists and fight as Redcoats against Jamie and the other team, exactly what Jamie had been hoping to avoid. A strange fellow has come back inquiring about Fergus' background and also, poor Ian the elder is dying which the Frasers discover as they finally make their way back to Lallybroch in Scotland.

Phew!

My friends, that doesn't even begin to chip away at the tip of the iceberg. This was a serious page turner. I even stayed up until 10:20 pm on a work night to finish it. Madness! I might not have devoured it so quickly had I not read that the next book should be released some time in 2012. Silly me, I thought this was the last book! How excited I was to find myself incorrect, especially after the cliffhangers Gabaldon left me with. An Echo in The Bone will not disappoint. Promise!

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you all celebrated (or mourned) this unofficial end of summer with picnics with friends. John and I ate all weekend long. We visited lots of family including the Texans (who were thankfully in Ohio). Hope you had a great weekend!

Back tomorrow with another book review. I'm a reading fool!

Recipe Re-blog #35

Only one new recipe this week, folks. I was busy getting ready to travel (just to Cleveland) for the long weekend.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas: These came to me from How Sweet It Is (big fan of this blog). I was reluctant to try these this week because I just made those awesome Honey Lime Enchiladas a couple weeks ago. These didn't quite measure up to that but they were still good. Next time, I'll definitely go with a brand name enchilada sauce. We bought an off-brand and while normally that doesn't bother me, this one tasted a bit off. There was also a LOT of extra sauce. Some people like saucy enchiladas. Normally, I do, but since this sauce wasn't my fave, I didn't need all the excess. John likes things hotter than I do so we probably ended up with about 1/3 c. of buffalo sauce instead of the 1/4 - 1/2 c. that she recommends. This didn't get a sleeve yet but I think it might, with a different brand sauce.

About Ashley

Oh, hi. Welcome to my blog. If you're just stopping by, here's a little more about me. If you're been around for years, well then pat yourself on the back because you'll probably know all this already.

That's me. This picture is form last year but my hair changes color and length quite often so,

this is closest to what I look like now.

1. My favorite color is blue, always has been.






2. I've lived in Ohio for 28 years. (yes, that's my whole life --- including college)
   






3. I LOVE to read and love the escape books provide. In 2009 and 2010 I read 50 books each year. I'm very proud of that. This year, my total will not be so high but some of this year's reads are LARGE.
   






4. When I retire, I want to work at Joann's because sewing is a passion of mine. I like sewing everything from clothes, to bags, to things for the house. I made the blouse in the picture above.
   






5. My husband's name is John. We have been married for 3 1/2 years but together for almost 10 years. He's the best!






6. Sadie is our dogchild. She is a shih-poo (shih-tzu/toy poodle mix)






7. Food is something that I get super excited about. John and I typically only eat out once a week but we have that meal planned days in advance so I can look forward to it.








8. Traveling is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. I love seeing new places and experiencing different things and cultures. And I love cruising!








9. My drink of choice is wine, of just about any variety. However, I also like beer, and rum. And martinis. I swear I'm not a lush.
   
   
   
   




10. This year, my New Year's Resolution was to try at least one new recipe every week. Here we are in September and I'm still going strong!




11. I really enjoy working out. Every week I devote time to zumba, running and strength training. Having struggled with weight my whole life, I discovered exercise (surprise!) is what really works.




12. Shopping is my favorite. I love it so much that sometimes I go on self-imposed shopping bans. Then I let myself fudge on the bans and shop anyway.




13. My feet are terrible. I have a tight achilles tendon and the bone at the base of my large toes is off-kilter. This means I have trouble wearing high heels. This makes me sad.




14. I am always ready for the next season to start about halfway through the current one. I've been wanting to wear jeans and sweaters since July. We're not quite there yet. At least I hope not because I just bought a new dress (See above, #12)




15. I blog as a creative outlet. It lets me write (I majored in English) even if no one ever reads it.

Thanks for stopping by! Stick around for awhile, pleeeeeeeease.