tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74117817788698295702024-02-06T19:24:51.441-08:00VerabelleAmanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-35667324337458121012014-02-26T10:35:00.002-08:002014-02-26T10:35:45.278-08:00A Love Letter...Dear Friends, <br /> <br />I am sorry it's been so long since I've written, but I hope this note finds you well. I know you must surely have been wondering what's happened to me and Verabelle, and after much time away, I thought an update was in order! <br /> <br />I have spent the past year taking a break from professional crafting to have some time to reflect and refocus my direction. As the holiday season came to a close back in the winter of 2012, I was feeling very burned out and drained, creatively. Sadly, it felt that Verabelle had become more of a job than a fulfilling creative outlet for me. I felt that I was "producing" more than I was "creating," and that was the last thing I wanted Verabelle to be. <br /><br />I decided to step back for a bit, thinking that I would return to Verabelle once I'd had a break, expecting to feel reinvigorated about the work. But the longer I was away from it, the less I wanted to go back. And as my life moved forward, the more and more if felt like Verabelle was something from my past and not of my future. It took me a long time to come to terms with that, though, to really admit that I was stepping away for good. <br /> <br />During this time, I was focusing my energy on traveling and adventuring, as well as my part-time work, grant-writing (which helped afford me the break). And I put a lot of thought and feeling into what really brought me the most happiness, returning to a discovery process that I had used to get Verabelle started when I decided to leave the 8-5 world. The question I started asking myself back then - and again throughout the last year - was "What do I want my life to look like?" Sometimes it's hard to use our brains to think of what makes us feel happiness in our hearts, but I've found that this question helps me to visualize and tie the two together. <br /><br />Before, moving from the more corporate world to a creative one, my answers were things like, "I want to be able to go to bed and wake up whenever I want, to able to do what I want when the mood strikes." "I want to work by a window with the sun streaming in." "I want to be able to wear whatever I want every single day, so that I really feel like myself." "I want to be able to create things again." As I was visualizing all these things, I thought it was going to be to have a writing life, but it turned out that it was to have a crafting life, a different sort of creating. <br /> <br />This past year, as I took a break and reflected, I realized I had everything I had asked for. I had made it happen. That was a great feeling to acknowledge that and be grateful for how far I'd come. And I took a moment to thank myself for all the work I had done to get there. But I had been living that life for a long time, the one I had envisioned for myself years prior, without taking the time or emotional energy to refocus and redirect. I had been on the same, steady course, but the life I had chosen for myself and spent years working for wasn't quite the life I knew I needed now. It was time to shed that skin. <br /><br />So, again, I asked myself, "What do I want my life to look like?" And though many of the same things still applied - namely, creativity and freedom - I found there were new things. I heard myself saying, "I want to be able to travel as often as I want, to sometimes be gone for long periods of time, but to still have a place that feels like home that I can return to. I want to feel less tied to things, to have less and to love what I have more. I want to explore more of the world and also more of my own home state, to see the back roads and hear the stories of the people who live there. I want to tell the story of place and of the depth and richness that I will uncover. I want to inspire others to have a life well-lived." <br /> <br />It took some time for it to all come together. There were times I thought I needed to return to writing or more traditional ("fine") arts, to go back to school for a list of studies that, truthfully, I can't even fully recall now. Then one day I was sitting by a window with the sun streaming in, surrounded by a pile of maps and travel books, planning a road trip to Florida. I had checked out a book by Jane and Michael Stern (the road food gurus of America), "Two for the Road: Our Love Affair with American Food," which turned out to be a memoir, unessential to my research. But I started reading it anyway and couldn't put it down. As I was devouring their story, it hit me. THIS was what I needed to be doing! They had it all - they had the life I had envisioned! They had combined travel and discovery on the road into a creative profession. And just as quick, the idea smacked me over the head: adventure maps! <br /><br />So here I sit now, having just launched this <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920714852/the-great-nc-bbq-map">new project</a>, a new life adventure, a new life, really. And as I have been going through this official and very public new beginning (<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920714852/the-great-nc-bbq-map">our Kickstarter launch</a>!), I have been reminded so much of what it felt like to begin Verabelle - the excitement, the hope, the hours of tireless behind-the-scenes work as an idea comes to fruition. And it made me sit down and reflect again. <br /><br />Now, with a year's distance between me and Verabelle and the stresses and disappointments that made me leave, I can feel the fullness of my gratitude for what that experience was. It was a wonderful and beautiful life that brought me so much happiness. Every day I got to wake up and create, to surround myself with history, with beautiful things that inspired me, and with memories of my loved ones that made me feel wrapped in their love and lessons. I got to connect with so many lovely people who appreciated my work and who found their own connections to it, and I can never even begin to describe to you the power of that and how much it still means to me! It was a beautiful, beautiful life, and I thank you so much for being part of that! <br /><br />I think the hardest part of leaving Verabelle behind has been to leave you all behind and to find a way to tell you that I am leaving. That I have left. And I suppose that's why it's taken me so long to write this. But I hope that I won't have to leave you behind. I hope that you'll <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920714852/the-great-nc-bbq-map">come along on this new adventure with me</a>. That is the idea, anyway - to inspire others to add more adventure to their lives and to help them find a way to do it! I think in a way Verabelle was that, too. I hope it was, anyway - that the things I created inspired something in you to want to live more deeply, more beautifully, more true to yourself... <br /> <br />Thank you, all, and please, please do <a href="http://www.thegreatbbqmap.com/">keep in touch</a>! <br /> <br />Very truly yours, <br />Amanda AileenAmanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-56554963682032406752013-07-09T10:25:00.001-07:002013-07-09T10:27:43.699-07:00July 4th Burger Cook-Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For our nation's birthday, our friends and I celebrated an American invention with a little friendly competition: a Burger Cook-Off in our back yard! The hamburger was first created in 1900 at Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, and was popularized at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. This past Saturday, we showed Louis how far we've come since then with our own creative combinations!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Pictured Above: sparkler sets that I made for everyone and jars for catching lightning bugs once the sun went down, both pretty good ways to light up the night.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">We started the shindig with all-American snacks, drinks, and yard games. Below: boiled South Carolina peanuts (regular & cajun), locally-famous <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/06/1030115/a-crisp-cheesy-rocky-mount-nibble.html">Hatcher Crackers</a>, refrigerator pickles, and drunken watermelon, which hadn't yet arrived. Refreshments: Roasted Peach Lemonade with South Carolina Peaches from <a href="https://www.bushnvinefarm.com/">Bush-n-Vine Farm</a>, spiked with a little gin and then Smoked Sweet Tea, sweetened with Kentucky sorghum and spiked with bourbon and a dash of homemade bitters. I let everyone spike their own drinks, so that I could also leave them the option of mixing the two for an Arnold Palmer, my favorite interpretation of these ingredients.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">The Cook-Off: Everyone paired up in teams of two (with a few people choosing to compete solo) to create their own featured flavor. Everyone had total control over every element of their burger, including type of meat/protein, bun, and toppings/condiments. Each burger<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> was cut into individual bites so that everyone could sample and vote on their top three. Each team paid $5 to enter, and the winner went home with the cash - $60 worth! Every burger was delicious and well planned, but the winner was our friend, Jessica, whose concoction featured both ground beef and pork, a fried green tomato, bacon pimento cheese, remoulade and a morel cream sauce all on a homemade rosemary brioche bun. Yum!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">A little presidential-themed photo booth fun!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Paul and I were so happy to spend the day </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">with our great group of friends!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><b>- - - Our Burger: The Italian - - -</b></span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;">makes 4 burgers</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">1 lb. your favorite local, grass-fed ground beef</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">100 g. baby bella mushrooms, minced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">5 cloves garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">1 T. Worcestershire</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">1 T. olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">1/2 t. salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">lots of cracks fresh black pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">Combine all the above and shape into 4 patties for the grill. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">Note: I like to throw my mushrooms and garlic in the chopper.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">mix of equal parts dijon and mayo</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">baby spinach</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">your favorite cheese</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><b>Caramelized Onions:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">2 lrg. yellow onions, thinly sliced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Saute onions in a little olive oil until transparent and slightly browned. Add balsamic and cook for a few minutes more. Reserve </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">for topping your burger.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><b>Building Your Burger:</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Add cheese after taking your burger off the grill, and tent with aluminum foil or a plate to melt cheese and let meat rest.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Spray hamburger buns with olive oil and grill until toasty while meat rests. We used homemade English muffins for our buns.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Spread the dijon/mayo mixture on one side of bun, and layer on your other toppings (spinach, apples, prosciutto, and onions). Add your hamburger and enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/02/19/2076517_the-recipe-hatcher-crackers.html">Hatcher Crackers</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Boiled-Peanuts-51156810">Boiled Peanuts</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://freshcatering.blogspot.com/2005/05/vodka-spiked-watermelon-recipe.html">Drunken Watermelon</a></span></div>
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<span id="goog_494782713"></span><span id="goog_494782714"></span><br />Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-89855485455906276042013-03-06T08:59:00.002-08:002013-03-06T09:01:18.842-08:00Florida Bound!One of my favorite parts of my day is how I start my mornings: with a cup of coffee, some sunny-sounding Cuban music, and a Florida guidebook in my hand. I am getting ready for a Florida-bound road trip with one of my best friends next month, and I cannot wait!<br />
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As you know, I love trip planning about as much as I love trip taking, so I have been savoring every minute. I've been scouring travel guides, blogs, maps, magazines, and online newspapers finding all the best things. And for a little literary context, I've been reading Hemingway's <i>To Have and Have Not</i>, a novel about the sobering adventures of a fishing boat captain who is forced to run contraband between Cuba and Key West to make a living for his family in the 1930s.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">[a little vintage Florida inspiration, including a photo of Hemingway]</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />The plans are still coming together, but here are a few of the things I'm looking forward to the most...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">canoeing & camping in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm">Everglades National Park</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span">the Cuba</span>n food tour I've put together of Little Havana</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://xn--kermits key west key lime shoppe-751t">Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe</a> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">(</span>and about half a dozen other pie place I've found)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #333333;">shopping at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-Boudoir/360884569184">L.A. Boudoir</a>, Miami's vintage lingerie shop</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">watching cigars being rolled at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Credito-Cigar-Factory/168011036544001">El Credito Cigar Factory</a></span></div>
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Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-62080504988372952352013-02-26T10:59:00.001-08:002013-02-26T11:02:32.419-08:00Statesville Barbecue Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've been working on a very special barbecue-themed project lately, which means I have been eating a lot of barbecue all over the state of North Carolina. I'm gearing up for another round this weekend with twenty of my friends I've rounded up for a Charlotte BBQ and Brewery Tour. We're renting a van for the day and driving around to destinations in and around Charlotte. We'll be stopping at five barbecue joints and three breweries, so we are sure to be stuffed by the end of the day. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This brings me to rule number one of BBQ touring... SHARE! Do not attempt to eat five barbecue sandwiches in one day by yourself! You only need to get a taste of everything, so just split a sandwich (and hushpuppies, Brunswick Stew, or whatever classic sides you want to sample) and move on to the next stop.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Above are some photos from my most recent barbecue themed romp around the state, in Statesville. Here's the list of stops (L-R), in case you want to try them on your own:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>1. Little Pigs Barbecue:</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;"> 226 Brookdale Dr, Statesville, NC 28677 (first 5 photos)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;"><b>2. Carolina Barbecue:</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;">213 Salisbury Rd, Statesville, NC 28677 (next 5 photos)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;"><b>3. Pfiffer's Hot Wings and Bar-B-Q:</b> </span><span class="address_part" itemprop="street-address" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1023 Shelton Ave</span>, <span class="address_part" itemprop="locality" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Statesville,</span> <span class="address_part" itemprop="region" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">NC</span> <span class="address_part" itemprop="postal-code" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">28677 (next 3 photos)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="address_part" itemprop="postal-code" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>4. Port-a-Pit BBQ:</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;">119 Marshall Forest Lane, Statesville, NC 28625 (last 3 photos)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;">And yes, there are a gazillion spellings of the word "barbecue," but what really matters is how it tastes.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse;">If you'd like to keep up with all my food adventures (and other), you can follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/amandaaileen">Instagram</a>.</span></span><br />
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</span>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-29519443063810440882012-10-02T20:11:00.000-07:002012-10-02T20:11:24.701-07:00Adventuring: Day 1ish<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<i>For the past few years, Paul and I have been taking a long trip out West at the end of the summer. Each time, we rent a car, pencil in a loop on our worn-in atlas, and aim f</i><i>or that ultimate road trip balance: a mix of city sights, roadside curiosities, and reprieves from it all in the great outdoors. </i><br />
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<i></i><i>This year, prompted by our friends' wedding in Vegas, we chose central California as our point of exploration. But this time we went about it a little differently. Aside from traveling together, we also each went our separate way for awhile to do some of the things that mattered most to us each. This added a whole new layer to the journey, allowing us to discover things that are only revealed to the solo traveler, unfettered and attentive, greeting the world face-to-face and foot-to-earth. </i><i>With the wedding date the same as my 30th birthday, such a deep and rewarding adventure couldn't have been more perfectly timed.</i></div>
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We arrived in central California via Las Vegas via San Francisco. That's what a cheap flight gets you: the opportunity to look down from the airplane and wave hello as you pass your destination. I figure not everyone gets that experience. At least Paul can now say he, too, has been to San Francisco (more on that later). Between the plane and car rental and a full 24 hour day of sleepless travel, a cheap 90 degree motel room never looked so good.<br />
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So we'll just skip ahead and say our first real day of vacation technically began on day two. We woke up in the Barstow Days Inn about half an hour before checkout, showered, and repacked the car for the remainder of our road trip to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm">Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks</a>. Time to prepare ourselves to live out of the car for the next two weeks.</div>
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We had driven through pitch black the night before to get from Vegas to Barstow, as far as we could manage to drag ourselves down the highway. It was dark in the desert, with no hint of landscape, and only the blaring headlights of fellow travelers to lend light.<br />
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The daytime drive from Barstow, southwest and back up again, was much more revealing. Again, our route felt illogical. This time we had to bypass the high, rocky Sierras and rely upon the interstate and highways to take us across flatter ground and back north. And our drive took us through a heaping handful of California landscapes.<br />
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Coming out of Barstow, we passed farmland that looked curiously desert-like. (This is something I noticed last year in Arizona and still do not understand: how, and more importantly <i>why</i>, turn desert into farmland? Does that seem like a bad idea to anyone but me?) Soon the landscape turned more natural, with strange and shaggy Joshua Trees standing solitary among stubby sagebrush and dusty-looking mountains in the distance. There were fields and mountainsides covered in windmills, then fields and mountainsides covered in brilliantly golden grasses and wise, bowing oaks. The desert reappeared, this time with oil drills keeping perfect time as they tipped their foreheads to the dirt. Eventually, this arid yet fertile land gave way to the agricultural abundance of the San Joaquin Valley. This was one part of the drive I was looking forward to the most - to see this giant farmland, the source of so much of our country's sustenance.<br />
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To shop and eat locally back home in North Carolina requires more than little effort, seeking out the farmers' markets, being mindful of the seasons, and constantly questioning sellers and servers. But think about how many things come from California that we see on our supermarket shelves. While we were away, we shopped at major grocery chains three or four times, and the produce section was always dominated by local California products. Local avocados! Local olives! Strawberries picked right down the road at the end of September. Those damn lucky Californians.</div>
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By the end of the trip, we must have driven through hundreds of miles of fruit orchards and vegetable fields, abundant and green. We stopped at one roadside farm stand to peruse the produce, and left with an assortment of the most delicious plums. The tiny green ones I had never seen before and they were the best - the juiciest and the sweetest.<br />
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After a day of eating the things we had packed from home and had picked up along the way - <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/133027/quinoa-spinach-bake">quinoa-spinach bars</a>, string cheese, nuts and some of the fresh plums, we were starving and craving something hot. I flipped through one of the guidebooks I had checked out from the library (I always travel with a stack of library guidebooks and a themed reading selection.) and found a recommendation not far down the road - <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=brewbakers%20visalia&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrewbakersbrewingco.com%2F&ei=16lrUPXHLZOG9QTbsYGQAQ&usg=AFQjCNG1GeapZvc4evOh8xJ4swSaqaHjQA&sig2=GRurW07TWBMfkS9RszZFow">Brewbaker's Brewing Company</a>. Food and beer. Yes. Wait.... <i>And</i> homemade soda. Well, there was certainly no way we weren't going, even though it was ever so slightly out of the way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=brewbakers%20visalia&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrewbakersbrewingco.com%2F&ei=16lrUPXHLZOG9QTbsYGQAQ&usg=AFQjCNG1GeapZvc4evOh8xJ4swSaqaHjQA&sig2=GRurW07TWBMfkS9RszZFow">Brewbaker's</a> was a great place in tiny little Visalia, California. We ordered two rounds of food and a flight that included not only all the beers of the season but all the house sodas too - creme, orange creme, and root beer. Some of the beers had a fruity twist too, incorporating some of the local offerings. Everyone was friendly and wanted to know where we were from and where we were headed. And everything tasted delicious. It was the break from the road we needed and just the thing to get us through the gates of <a href="http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm">Sequoia National Park</a> as dusk began to set on sunny California.<br />
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More soon, friends!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Amanda Aileen</div>
<br />Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-80454397918171862352012-08-01T13:01:00.002-07:002012-08-01T13:03:35.719-07:00Northern California Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Next month I'll be headed out to California, and I've been spending my spare time reading guidebooks, mapping things out, and trying to determine just how much I can pack into this grand adventure. For four days, Paul and I will be hiking and camping together in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Then for five days, we'll split up where he'll continue on what I keep referring to as his "man hike." I'll take the rental car and head out on a solo road trip adventure along the northern CA cost, San Francisco, and back through Yosemite National Park before I pick him up and we head to Vegas for our friends' wedding.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The plans for my solo journey are coming together nicely, with time alloted for exploring tide pools and redwood forests, sampling local beer and roadside oyster stands, and making big-city discoveries in San Francisco and neighboring Berkeley and Oakland. I'll be camping seaside and in a sub-alpine meadow and visiting a new friend who is just moving to San Fran. All in all, I CANNOT WAIT for my grand adventure to begin!!!! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's a little Northern CA inspired round-up to get me through to September.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYEV08OqgQ1erfwKDij7w0WagYq3aNZdNWmAGzCO0OzIlOKOocO1DbC72U-c0pdBN8lNlr4PCIBrxtpOXv5DpZiEJIiR90TOHSAX6fPYFLsRxA4kEgB3jlsHy4pTQGbtXlshVICr_kgM/s1600/CA+adventure+roundup+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYEV08OqgQ1erfwKDij7w0WagYq3aNZdNWmAGzCO0OzIlOKOocO1DbC72U-c0pdBN8lNlr4PCIBrxtpOXv5DpZiEJIiR90TOHSAX6fPYFLsRxA4kEgB3jlsHy4pTQGbtXlshVICr_kgM/s640/CA+adventure+roundup+final.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70990194/a-little-jaunt-through-sequoia?">vintage photo</a>: a tour through the Sequoias.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Visit Sequoia National Park? I will! Love this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69221475/sequoia-letterpress-broadside?">letterpress print</a> by Quaillane Press.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. I want this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66658594/vintage-california-bracelet?">vintage CA bracelet</a> right this very second!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/99331759/forest-friends-v-neck-t-shirt-deer-bird?">Forest Friends tee</a> by GnomEnterprises</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. You all know how much I love sending postcards. This <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/99887176/linen-stationery-organizer-coupons?">stationary organizer</a> by Downstairs Designs could hold all of them and stamps too.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6. A trusty <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/103241970/konica-autoreflex-t?">camera</a> is a must. And when is vintage not better?!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">7. A <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/101237652/vintage-samsonite-leather-look-travel?">vintage Samsonite travel case</a> seems like the perfect companion to ride shotgun down Highway 1.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">8. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80954316/vintage-modern-silver-coleman-lantern?">Vintage camping lantern</a> for my night at Point Reyes National Seashore</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">9. Cream linen <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72276058/cream-linen-cloche-with-red-wooden?">cloche</a> with a red wooded buckle. Says beach AND national park. Yes please!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">10. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96358612/lets-go-on-an-adventure-art-print-yellow?">"Let's Go on an Adventure" print</a> by Bubby and Bean.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">11. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90397599/road-trip-through-the-west-1940s-vintage?">1940's vacation photo</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">12. This <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96917256/bookworm-dress?">adorable dress</a> by The Velvet Bird is perfect for daydreaming by the shore and for exploring the streets of San Francisco. Did you see those elbow pads?!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">13. One of my stops: Point Reyes National Seashore. And what a lovely <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77876038/point-reyes-seashore-letterpress-printed?">letterpress map</a> of that very place by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Quaillane Press</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">14. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A warm</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64458750/beautiful-oversized-wool-fishermans?">fisherman's sweater</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">for those cold Pacific breezes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">15. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/104503283/solid-brass-anchor-bottle-opener?">pop open</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a bottle of Anchor beer after the brewery tour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">16. Mod <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/93482391/unframed-8x10-san-francisco-city-print?">San Francisco print</a> on wood by Petit Collage. Love.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-49487861029558668902012-07-14T10:54:00.003-07:002012-10-03T12:08:59.457-07:00I Heart Breakfast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I love weekend breakfasts on the front porch with a cup of coffee, a morning breeze, and the happy tinkling of wind chimes!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> - - x - x - x - - RECIPES </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">- - x - x - x - -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2012/02/08/chocolate-donuts-with-blood-orange-glaze/">Chocolate-Orange Doughuts</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2012/05/recipe-gluten-free-squash-blossom.html">Squash Blossom Quiche</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/901688/blueberry-dutch-pancakes?czone=holiday/sixty-days-of-summer/recipes-ideas&center=276964&gallery=274895&slide=901688">Raspberry-Blueberry Dutch Pancake</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Follow my <a href="http://pinterest.com/amandaaileen/eat/">"Eat" board</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/amandaaileen/">Pinterest</a> for more </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">food inspiration!</span></div>
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<br /></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-8262382808013226222012-06-25T08:29:00.000-07:002012-10-03T12:09:38.574-07:00Every Day is an Adventure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This was a "yes" day; everything we saw along the road that looked interesting, every idea we had, we had to say "yes" to. This took us into 5 different counties, down hidden back roads, and to places we've lived near and grew up close to,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">some of which we've never visited, others familiar and full of memories. It meant turning the car around many times to go back and go inside some little shop or to walk along the road and take a picture. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A road trip should be cut through with a swath of green in every shade of the country and pops of vibrant color from roadside stops. It should be a little bit of everything. This one had it all, and this daylong excursion took place only an hour or so from home, proving that an adventure can be had anywhere, anytime, and with not much money in your pocket.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Paul and I started our day in our hometown of Mt. Pleasant, NC, where we stopped to check out the new farmers' market. The vegetables we picked up were weighed on this antique scale. While we were in town, we also rummaged around a consignment shop and a roadside yard sale. (Click photos to enlarge.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Next stop: Cline's Antiques, a treasure trove full of interesting finds. Paul and I both grew up down the road from this place (but never met each other until after college - random fact), and I couldn't believe he had never been! It turned out to be one of his favorite stops of the day. We took home some cool letterpress blocks, a dish/tray/contraption for my nature collection, and antique beer bottles for bottling homebrew.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On the road in Stanly County: driving down country roads past fields of corn and soybeans, a church that dates back to 1830, BBQ lunch in Albemarle, and a wine tasting at Dennis Vineyards. We also found a really great thrift store in Albemarle that was tucked away down an alleyway and was packed so full of things you could hardly walk!</span></div>
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<span class="hasCaption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Paul remembered passing over an interesting bridge while driving out to a hike a year or so ago. We found it on the atlas and it was about an hour away. Should we go? There was only one possible answer: Yes! </span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Wading through the Uwharrie River was one of the highlights of the day. It was such a cool reprieve after the 90 degree heat!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A country drive: Seeing another bridge on the map, we crossed over and kept driving. Left: looking down over the second bridge into a nice swimming hole. No road trip is really complete without a dirt road or two, and we found a bunch of good ones! Bottom right: old country store that was at the corner of the road pictured above it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last stop: Pat & Mick's in New London. I used to frequent this country fish camp with my family when we were staying at the lake house as I was growing up. Lots of good memories here! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Dinner to share: cajun flounder, deviled crab, fried shrimp, oysters and scallops. And with full bellies, we drove just a little over an hour back home to Charlotte.</span></span></div>
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<br />Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-91535713919389019462012-06-20T08:29:00.003-07:002012-10-03T12:10:39.544-07:00Weekends with Verabelle<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Warm weather always makes me want to hit the road. I try to plan at least one road trip a year (this spring, it was with three of my girlfriends to Lexington, Louisville, and Nashville), and when I have the time, I fill my weekends with excursions that are close to home. From antiquing to berry-picking to country fish fries to nights at the drive-in or the bingo parlor, there's always an adventure to be had!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This summer, I've been creating <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle">clothing and accessories</a> that I think are just perfect for weekend day trips and summer vacations. Vivid colors, hand-dyed embellishments, and nostalgic trims add a little something special. Those peppy reds, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">merry marigolds, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">azalea pinks, and tart lemon yellows are as bright and warm as the summer sunshine glaring off your dash.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Verabelle on Etsy</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you want to hear from me while I'm on the road this summer, I'm looking for </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/95634938/handwritten-note-travel-postcard"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">pen pals</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">! You can get a </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/95634938/handwritten-note-travel-postcard"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">handwritten postcard</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from me (or sent to a friend) and get the inside scoop on my weekend and week-long adventures. Next up: in July, I'll be camping out and volunteering on a sheep and cow farm in the mountains of Virginia. And later on, I have a hiking and road trip planned to Nevada and California. I love writing postcards about as much as I love the actual vacation!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hope to hear from you soon!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amanda Aileen</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P.S. Get a snapshot of yourself in Verabelle while you're on a summer adventure. Upload it to the Verabelle Facebook page, and I'll send you a summery surprise!</span></div>
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Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-82020388617014166812012-06-15T07:42:00.001-07:002012-10-03T12:11:08.884-07:00Everything-but-the Refrigerator Salsa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElSrqcRfv67t05FmOsFgHTEYFQRPoZsAJ4T6yAWe-pPGb5aq25H5rUE0NCB2J564pFILDxC5t9HvDavhAY35gTJoTz8eQD7YEQTeeBU2qeCofdifaMnkPolHG2yCqil2mG8QCHh1ISI/s1600/salsa+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElSrqcRfv67t05FmOsFgHTEYFQRPoZsAJ4T6yAWe-pPGb5aq25H5rUE0NCB2J564pFILDxC5t9HvDavhAY35gTJoTz8eQD7YEQTeeBU2qeCofdifaMnkPolHG2yCqil2mG8QCHh1ISI/s320/salsa+02.jpg" width="270" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This year, we started having weeknight cocktail parties at our place. Every time we feature just one drink and a little snack to go with it. I love these impromptu soirees for their ability to bring together unexpected sets of our friends each time. People from our different circles get to meet and mingle and find all the things they have in common, and we get to watch our all-embracing friend circle grow larger and larger. It's a wonderful thing!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This week, we had a tequila-themed cocktail party and went a little crazy with not one, but two, tequila-based concoctions. (We have such an extensive selection of tequila that it seemed like a smart idea!) We made a peach-tequila popsicle with peaches we picked over the weekend and an orange sorbet based drink. (Sorbet has got to be the absolute easiest thing to make in the ice cream maker - just juice and simple syrup!) But at the last minute, I was floundering trying to find a snack to go with our spiked coolers. I looked to the bounties of our refrigerator, and it gave me a salsa as serendipitous as the cocktail party, itself! Here's as close to a recipe as I can get...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Everything-but-the Refrigerator Salsa</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">handful of chopped peaches</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">half a red bell pepper, diced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 jalapeno pepper, minced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 lime, zested and juiced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a splash of apple cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">handful of fresh herbs, roughly chopped (I had parsley & mint.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">dusting of red pepper flakes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I considered about adding onions but thought it might be a little much for the kind of drinks we were having. But I do think some mild scallions would be perfect for this. This concoction was very refreshing and light, and everyone went wild over it! </span></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-37255611114490119632012-06-04T13:34:00.000-07:002012-06-04T13:34:59.869-07:00A Day at the Pond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This weekend Paul and I spent some time at his parents' house out in the country, in Mt. Pleasant. I always love going back there. In only a 45-minute drive from the city, we're transported to a quieter, simpler existence, as we watch the landscape outside the car window go to green. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We spent most of our time outside, since it was one of those last cool days of the dwindling Spring. There was time under the trees in breezy hammocks, bottles of homebrew, backyard ping pong games, and fishing at the pond. We also smoked up some chicken, salmon, and pond fish for lunch over a pile of hickory sticks, with an armful of lemons thrown in for a smoky lemonade with tea-infused whiskey.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If you are a country girl at heart, like me, here's a little list of inspiration to create your own day at the pond...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfV32irT-HWA9wrhPPPd0Uw6CBYmg7rZfMpbJ-LqWZ1QFh9XTAzcayaOE1oIDm4j8daJ0gbZbbg7psaqZNSIng-G_kpo6SKiH7ytnxvG3ROkPtqp2zWIinl59BWAEEH_WjQZAUxv7M4Q/s1600/fish+fry+%23s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfV32irT-HWA9wrhPPPd0Uw6CBYmg7rZfMpbJ-LqWZ1QFh9XTAzcayaOE1oIDm4j8daJ0gbZbbg7psaqZNSIng-G_kpo6SKiH7ytnxvG3ROkPtqp2zWIinl59BWAEEH_WjQZAUxv7M4Q/s400/fish+fry+%23s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75888837/the-original-wood-veneer-sunglasses">a pair of shades</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86205396/virginia-woolf-collected-essays-volume">a good read</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100320004/1940s-hat-1940s-straw-hat">a cool hat</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. <a href="http://shinysquirrel.typepad.com/shiny_squirrel_/2012/04/a-few-things-i-love-4.html">a breezy skirt</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82214954/reusable-beersoda-carton-6-pack">lots of cold beer</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/26140908/bob-and-rons-8x10-photograph-print-free">a tasty dinner with the day's catch</a></span></div>
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<br />Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-23658921092840374222012-05-29T10:43:00.001-07:002012-10-03T12:12:17.225-07:00Family Recipe: Ruth's Beet Pickles<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In the spirit of canning season, I wanted to share a recipe from our family's collection. I've typed it word-for-word as my Granny had it printed in her recipe notebook. I love how this recipe has absolutely no instructions for canning. Now, to learn to can, you have to either search out someone who can teach you or read stacks of books to feel even remotely confident enough to get started on your own. But back then, this was something people (ok, admittedly - women) just knew how to do. It was one more thing learned over mama's and grandmama's shoulders in the kitchen. No written directions needed. This is a tradition that skipped my mom's generation, but luckily, Paul's mom is a home preserver and passed the skill on to us.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I love beets about any way you can make them, and if they're canned, I like them especially spicy. So I think this recipe might benefit from the addition of peppers or pepper flakes of some kind. I haven't tried canning any beets yet, mainly because I haven't come across a really huge amount of them at the farmers' market. But the season for root vegetables is nearing its end, so a good deal may be just around the corner! If you have a great recipe for beets that you'd like to share, please send it my way. I'd love to give it a try!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mVumFsJZ4yisD7sX3AeHuZiDaeRTIqR4UPA9fZ8UzUfg185l8V5qqz8R4Y2BKC8HoQS_UlNxSC3AQkOnTr3WaTHcq5E0berORgcIjA6Dr-36wmVFBiyIh0pSKNVMUj8NAuEW0n9Ipgg/s1600/beets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mVumFsJZ4yisD7sX3AeHuZiDaeRTIqR4UPA9fZ8UzUfg185l8V5qqz8R4Y2BKC8HoQS_UlNxSC3AQkOnTr3WaTHcq5E0berORgcIjA6Dr-36wmVFBiyIh0pSKNVMUj8NAuEW0n9Ipgg/s320/beets.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ruth’s Beet Pickles</span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Beats [</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">sic</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">], cooked</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Heat all ingredients and pour over cooked beats [</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">sic</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">] in jar. Makes 7 pints.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">P.S. That's a photo of radishes & swiss chard - not beets, but the closest photo I had in my farmers' market archives! </span></span><br />
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<br /></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-65775021580154711052012-05-02T07:07:00.001-07:002012-10-03T12:13:01.050-07:00Preserving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFvXvltNeLXmf6LidGxO3hC0e8c8rCupT9cqmS-l6SgKrOBN4oyykkprwXr_TaONHJFY51Bd5x5T9m5YVN6V4X3Zkogg7dHroVcO1-bN4D9ToXBBa7zEtNYzWniCaJj4Df_rmZTW60vE/s1600/jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFvXvltNeLXmf6LidGxO3hC0e8c8rCupT9cqmS-l6SgKrOBN4oyykkprwXr_TaONHJFY51Bd5x5T9m5YVN6V4X3Zkogg7dHroVcO1-bN4D9ToXBBa7zEtNYzWniCaJj4Df_rmZTW60vE/s320/jam.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 12px;">It's time for canning! This is one of my favorite parts of spring and summer. Canning reminds me of my great-grandma, Isabelle (who I called "Granny"), who would "put up" green beans and tomatoes every year and freeze lots of other things. I remember the shelves of the outdoor utility closet stocked full of jars of vegetables and going out there to grab a can for her while she was cooking supper. It doesn't seem that anyone has ever been able to top Granny's green beans, but nothing ever tastes as good as it does in sweet memory. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Granny and Papa and Aileen (my grandmother, who lived with them) never had a garden while I was growing up, but we did live out in the country where bushels of fresh vegetables were easy to come by. They'd always buy enough corn and beans each summer to fill several huge aluminum tubs, and we'd all sit around in the front room of their house shucking and snapping for an entire day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today, Paul and I grow what we can in our little spot of sun by our front porch. Our green thumb is still growing and hopefully by the time we have more sunlit space, we'll be more knowledgeable gardeners. But in the meantime, we do what Granny, Papa, and Aileen did. We go to our local farmers and get lots of things while they're in season and can and freeze and preserve away. Our favorite is to actually go and pick the things ourselves, and we do that every year for every type of fruit we can get our hands on. The rest we buy by the bushel from farms and farmers' markets when it's at the peak of the season. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's so satisfying to "put up" the summer's harvest just like Granny used to do, to use every last bit of what the season has to offer us and to be able to keep enjoying it even after its time has passed. The kind of canning that we do at home is a little different than what my Granny did, though. We do can tomatoes just like she used to, but we like to get creative with flavors a little more than she did. I'd love to make her a slice of toast with our Strawberry Provence Preserves, made with fresh-picked berries from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linebergers-Maple-Springs-Farm/179458952097635">Lineberger's Maple Springs</a> Farm and herbs de Provence. Wonder what'd she think of that?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy2546BQyv_IGnEh1zJFIJJq-pLvYXeWSphm6wTtfRFu9g4atl7fDQiWwUIz4fAdnl152l-jmOuC8NRGPEyTSRPxGYwL-AK2uhFoYfA9m2-A9LTmsdJxzU3XGL4JymmX8CZnNUDTIv2c/s1600/strawberries+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy2546BQyv_IGnEh1zJFIJJq-pLvYXeWSphm6wTtfRFu9g4atl7fDQiWwUIz4fAdnl152l-jmOuC8NRGPEyTSRPxGYwL-AK2uhFoYfA9m2-A9LTmsdJxzU3XGL4JymmX8CZnNUDTIv2c/s400/strawberries+01.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The recipe we used for our Strawberry Provence Preserves was adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canning-New-Generation-Flavors-Modern/dp/1584798645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270921632&sr=1-1">Canning for a New Generation</a>, a canning recipe book that I'd highly recommend for its modern twists on the classics. We used the recipe for Strawberry and Lavender Jam, substituting the herbs. If you're new to canning, I'd recommend starting with freezer jam, which is how we first began. It's a great way to familiarize yourself just a bit with canning before committing to it. You make the jam but instead of canning it traditionally, you place it in jars (even reused ones will do), and pop it in the freezer!</span></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-91998233202236218602012-04-30T11:47:00.000-07:002012-04-30T11:47:39.971-07:00a quick word...Spring has been a busy time for both me and the world of Verabelle. There is something about a change in the season that reenergizes me and makes my mind burst forth with new ideas and inspiration. This also makes it hard to find time to sit down and write, reflect, and catalogue these new memories. But I wanted to let you know that I'm still here, creating away! From road trips to our friends' wedding to picking and canning, springtime has been filled with adventure. And I promise to find time very soon to sit down and share more of it with you. But in the meantime, here's a lovely quote that I heard from my friend (and previous Verabelle intern), Kimi. She discovered this on the <a href="http://smartprettyandawkward.com/2012/04/27/it-is-impossible-to-live-without-failing-at-something-unless-you-live-so-cautiously-that-you-might-as-well-not-have-lived-at-all-in-which-case-you-fail-by-default-j-k-rowling/">Smart, Pretty & Awkward blog</a> by Molly Ford. Seemed quite relevant. I am proud to say that this is the way I live my life, and that is the best thing that I can wish for you too!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #121212; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"Build a life so uniquely yours that no one can imagine anyone but you living it. Make your choices so intentionally and specifically tailored to your personality and your goals that it is impossible to conceive of anyone but you living the one specific life that you live. Your life should not be interchangeable with anyone else’s – and that’s a good thing because it means you are listening to your own specific heart, mind and values." </span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #121212; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-49811695433963079352012-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:002012-10-03T12:14:07.267-07:00Road Trip ChecklistI am starting my 30th birthday celebration 6 months early. It's a big one, so why not?! And besides, this is a bucket list kind of thing, something I've always wanted to do... an all-girl road trip with three of my best friends! Most of my really close friends are normally spread all over the country, but the universe managed to align itself this one time, with all of us being in the same state and having the same few days free for travel! We've decided to explore Lexington and Louisville in Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee. We head out in a few days, and I can't wait! The itinerary is ready to go, my seersucker has been laundered, and my car is washed, but I still have a few things left on my to-do list before we pack up and head out. For me, getting ready to go is half the fun!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">road trip mix</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">make skirt for Nashville</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">pick out outfits</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">make granola, bread for sandwiches, and mozzarella</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">pack travel games</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">pick up F. Scott Fitzgerald short stories from library</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">choose audio book & check-out from library</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">make all camping reservations</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">business cards for the road</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">postcard stamps & addresses</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">hat(s)?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rb2hUOdAnTv6y1WexQkVRwj_CrXtxw88iWBOJ4xJTrEGkgxwcedQDrtUjVqIhIZEFyORJbNWDPlqgPa1zs1B4Ml50hg6W1NnmHLgCVVeLc9I1RgWNv077uOgzMrUEqR1gSbsAOVwEo8/s1600/il_570xN.319810200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rb2hUOdAnTv6y1WexQkVRwj_CrXtxw88iWBOJ4xJTrEGkgxwcedQDrtUjVqIhIZEFyORJbNWDPlqgPa1zs1B4Ml50hg6W1NnmHLgCVVeLc9I1RgWNv077uOgzMrUEqR1gSbsAOVwEo8/s400/il_570xN.319810200.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a2c4c9;">I wish I had <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/95108340/buttercup-hat">this hat</a> for the horse race we're going to in Lexington!</span></div><br />
If you want to get in on the action and hear all about our journey, I would absolutely LOVE to send you a postcard. For me, no road trip is complete without a stack of postcards to accompany my rides in the passenger seat. I have a little summertime <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/95634938/postcard-correspondence-handwritten-note">fundraiser</a> in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle">Etsy shop</a>, so for $5 you can get a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/95634938/postcard-correspondence-handwritten-note">handwritten traveling account</a> from yours truly. The proceeds will help fund my travels to this season's craft shows, so I would really appreciate your support (and love to write to you too)!Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-78541566212080038702012-03-09T07:04:00.000-08:002012-10-03T12:15:27.511-07:00Drink It UpAs promised, here are the drink recipes from the 1920's speakeasy party we hosted this past weekend. I'll just have to say - I could have a BBQ whiskey sour everysingleday if I wasn't worried about turning into a total lush. We served all of these drinks in half-pint mason jars, which we luckily have a slew of from all of our canning. I have been picking up even more lately from all my Goodwill and thrift store trips to stock up for the season. They're fun to drink out of, and you can snag them from 10 to 40 cents apiece. Now try to beat that with a hickory stick! If you try any of these out, let me know which is your favorite!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h-MBK2EFyQgmRyveSP3r-5QA_LkZbEaHm-HRfuJV0gJSsoADrSX17ObUK7iPrUsxzbeFIOIcK0HY_FcQlwgQMzeztG1f3ACQbF3m8n43red9eIyy4Kc6mQbGSHLIxhq0OevxYB6Lol8/s1600/speakeasy+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h-MBK2EFyQgmRyveSP3r-5QA_LkZbEaHm-HRfuJV0gJSsoADrSX17ObUK7iPrUsxzbeFIOIcK0HY_FcQlwgQMzeztG1f3ACQbF3m8n43red9eIyy4Kc6mQbGSHLIxhq0OevxYB6Lol8/s400/speakeasy+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">yours truly, serving up <a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Lemon-Herbsaint-Poppers-Recipe">Lemon-Absinthe Poppers</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Blind Pig</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.cherryteacakes.com/">Cherry Tea Cakes</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">equal parts (1 oz. or 1 shot each)...</div><div style="text-align: center;">whiskey</div><div style="text-align: center;">fresh lemon juice</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cherryteacakes.com/2011/05/foodbuzz-24x24-bbq-for-all.html">BBQ simple syrup</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Bee's Knees</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1146249717">Southern Cocktails: </a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Cocktails-Potions-Classic-Libations/dp/0811852431">Dixie Drinks, Party Potions & Classic Libations</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 shot gin</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 shot fresh lemon juice</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 shot honey syrup*</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Tequila Toss-Up</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>recipe created by me!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 sm. jigger tequila (1 oz.)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 lrg. jigger grapefruit juice (1.5 oz.)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 lrg. jigger basil or thyme syrup** (3/4 oz.)</div><div style="text-align: center;">splash seltzer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;">-------- x --------</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>*Honey Simple Syrup Recipe</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 c. honey</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 c. water</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/ c. fresh lemon juice</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 t. grated lemon zest</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Remove from heat and let cool. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Pour into jar and store in refrigerator for several months.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">** <b>Herb Simple Syrup Recipe</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Make basic simple syrup by combining equal parts water and sugar (ex: 1 cup of each). Bring to a boil. When mixture comes to a boil, throw in a generous handful of fresh herbs of your choice. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, until the herbs just begin to loose their color. Remove from heat, cover and let cool. Pour everything, herbs and all, into a jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks. If you add in a shot of vodka, it will keep longer, about a month.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And don't you even think about using anything other than a real lemon for any of these recipes!</div><br />
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<span id="goog_679415177"></span><span id="goog_679415178"></span>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-36746606692594667462012-03-06T09:07:00.003-08:002012-10-03T12:15:27.506-07:00A 1920s WeekendThis weekend, Paul and I threw a stock-the-bar speakeasy party for our friends who are getting married. I just love a good themed party! We went all out with old-timey treats and DIY drinks, and I even turned my dressing room that I use at craft shows into a photo booth! Yes, you had to take your own photos using my camera, but it didn't make it any less fun. And afterwards, I turned them into photo strips for everyone. Below are a few of my favorites from the night that I'll share without getting too many of my friends in trouble. :) On the left, I'm with Paul and one of my very best friends, Sarah. Then when Paul and I were cleaning up the next day, we decided we'd take a few photos with the dogs. (The chihuahuas, Lola and Biscuit are ours. Emerson the beagle we were watching for a friend.) Later this week, I'll share some food and drink recipes with you and a few more photos to go with them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOnreVlYV4g87bn3NDH_76m3MXPbH-9I6gAZhlTW6f0F2zn1tvO5L7J1X8HTAN0-AX7m2TwxWIpApXxuUYax7-pABak6ubqAK_w8zFaMnXu3eQ91dDSpKK5Q9RKpyefx34Jni9X9R50s/s1600/photo+booth+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOnreVlYV4g87bn3NDH_76m3MXPbH-9I6gAZhlTW6f0F2zn1tvO5L7J1X8HTAN0-AX7m2TwxWIpApXxuUYax7-pABak6ubqAK_w8zFaMnXu3eQ91dDSpKK5Q9RKpyefx34Jni9X9R50s/s640/photo+booth+01.jpg" width="163" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT3Gorn0sOtz78IoEZ7ZnT471J7kJTYJ8PnIoQlf2M_ET6gzNvFvJgkMDZcF3fkdku8HyRO3YZXzm-pYjfiqOqwjkvr9BK5RGJXK3fH7-OGJda-ZmN8ap8hZuIQrEb-xiaLythw0kA7U/s1600/photo+booth+09B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT3Gorn0sOtz78IoEZ7ZnT471J7kJTYJ8PnIoQlf2M_ET6gzNvFvJgkMDZcF3fkdku8HyRO3YZXzm-pYjfiqOqwjkvr9BK5RGJXK3fH7-OGJda-ZmN8ap8hZuIQrEb-xiaLythw0kA7U/s640/photo+booth+09B.jpg" width="163" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUFCRRvFw2GUW0eQY1lCkMzSBF91vq0lewEtKJn1-_nYgq0Jdc6FVu_gt84TjTJrvx1G-WUuxVlSWhDTYDZ2y7wnteAYJXf8KcBEFdzeWtUMjPAIL-7rlFh8D_JuxVKPLqKXep9TzPwo/s1600/speakeasy+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUFCRRvFw2GUW0eQY1lCkMzSBF91vq0lewEtKJn1-_nYgq0Jdc6FVu_gt84TjTJrvx1G-WUuxVlSWhDTYDZ2y7wnteAYJXf8KcBEFdzeWtUMjPAIL-7rlFh8D_JuxVKPLqKXep9TzPwo/s400/speakeasy+02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-74481846422401903452012-02-22T07:01:00.000-08:002012-10-03T12:16:52.595-07:00Craft Kits<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have loved craft kits since I was a kid, and nothing much has changed now that I am an adult. Don't you think it's so satisfying to sit down with all the parts to something and then walk away with a finished project, completely created by your own two hands? And the great thing about a kit is that is everything is all ready to go. All the pieces are in place; you just have to put them together, sometimes learning a new skill along the way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I think craft kits are great for so many things. I love them especially for road trips, and I can guarantee you I have my own craft kit packed for every long car ride. But think of every other time you might be sitting around twiddling your thumbs: getting your car worked on, doctor's/dentist's appointments, hanging with your man during a football game, waiting for your name to be called at a restaurant... It never hurts to have something to do waiting for you in your bag, something to occupy your mind and fingers besides your smart phone. :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's a round-up of craft kits that will satisfy a variety of ages, from ones I'd have been happy with as a child to ones I'd love to have in my lap now. All of these kits are available on Etsy. And yes, there are even a couple in there by yours truly! (A little shameless self-promotion never hurts, right?)</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj12Y4wpqLd-oLsONyYtxDqHcIOGNwdsOeUXdrcsra0akaZa5NW8umBOiKEQTKcuyZfXR7GpPAuox6peaPsDxUKg37eMi-Xja5nVid_ZF7-cBZosXha-XvqeYDXqs13nge2WaAbT53Sp0/s1600/craft+kit+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj12Y4wpqLd-oLsONyYtxDqHcIOGNwdsOeUXdrcsra0akaZa5NW8umBOiKEQTKcuyZfXR7GpPAuox6peaPsDxUKg37eMi-Xja5nVid_ZF7-cBZosXha-XvqeYDXqs13nge2WaAbT53Sp0/s1600/craft+kit+04.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76829468/create-your-own-red-dream-bag-putpull"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">DIY purse</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Elenushka</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUyfMoC55ZQcRLnCB3lhkRcQOVGqXtHbsefXJ8JWx6ObRZ8sY8TShuXqV8Ds-6VRGh1H99tjVImSCJ0Gh4t_NLUnxW3_2hotVTWlhQ2I13pHrB6MSSUWLncJPCq0BRsMkqzDETM7NsA8/s1600/craft+kit+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUyfMoC55ZQcRLnCB3lhkRcQOVGqXtHbsefXJ8JWx6ObRZ8sY8TShuXqV8Ds-6VRGh1H99tjVImSCJ0Gh4t_NLUnxW3_2hotVTWlhQ2I13pHrB6MSSUWLncJPCq0BRsMkqzDETM7NsA8/s1600/craft+kit+01.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91620881/virgo-zodiac-embroidery-kit-diy"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Zodiac Embroidery Kit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Miniature Rhino</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA-pRBpvS2H6szSywjDAOd_80MPFOWZLMMkAGsZSOi1MH6OtFdGfvdiHIIJ1W-jE7JscsMiYQ7WFhLhyphenhyphen-LQ12_csaERzpAEGseb5z0ltGCPi_OsMw-MSz3HC1qyO1CZn2Sbo_b4ixIKg/s1600/craft+kit+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA-pRBpvS2H6szSywjDAOd_80MPFOWZLMMkAGsZSOi1MH6OtFdGfvdiHIIJ1W-jE7JscsMiYQ7WFhLhyphenhyphen-LQ12_csaERzpAEGseb5z0ltGCPi_OsMw-MSz3HC1qyO1CZn2Sbo_b4ixIKg/s1600/craft+kit+02.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/92432509/doll-kit"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">DIY Doll Kit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sophie Tilley Designs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2Ys_0tbzfJoFxpAk8U6Y4iaRwdgjTFYWOEKlS7gIMpATcqQM83X3YiyTLqsDDlUyDhRbOyi4cQEFrituMcc_zYMAWE_uvm64PdyRjphA85nT3iJTO9N0iX_upX_SjWCsKOWn0WXL8ps/s1600/craft+kits+SIY+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2Ys_0tbzfJoFxpAk8U6Y4iaRwdgjTFYWOEKlS7gIMpATcqQM83X3YiyTLqsDDlUyDhRbOyi4cQEFrituMcc_zYMAWE_uvm64PdyRjphA85nT3iJTO9N0iX_upX_SjWCsKOWn0WXL8ps/s1600/craft+kits+SIY+02.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78529103/applique-grab-bag"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sew-It-Yourself Appliques</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by Verabelle</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHiUOGk0TVWx06ai6yh3Eu5Sb1i8yWo74XC04j4EXc3ii8pl2DFjWoEWwBVszGUhsIe98fAkb-hZT3eOHJu2V2ZZd-fP2s_fto4fkK7TRWx1X7uTwC4_lm_M2paH7GYn8bUKB7sUon6E/s1600/craft+kit+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHiUOGk0TVWx06ai6yh3Eu5Sb1i8yWo74XC04j4EXc3ii8pl2DFjWoEWwBVszGUhsIe98fAkb-hZT3eOHJu2V2ZZd-fP2s_fto4fkK7TRWx1X7uTwC4_lm_M2paH7GYn8bUKB7sUon6E/s1600/craft+kit+05.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60698808/diy-embroidery-card-kit-5-smile-inducing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hand-Stitched Card Sets</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Curious Doodles</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxD8ZphnC4hM9kctMUx5uHIsXRJ62GEBA2FLHSWkmXEwD8G6Vcf4hQqMXtP-OIsUpD4aYCe1lVOItTeC7SI8yNfBLkvkrD09DJIiHzmXS8at0NS57ZEZUMcNpan6HpzLuVrCpLwSdHPY/s1600/craft+kit+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxD8ZphnC4hM9kctMUx5uHIsXRJ62GEBA2FLHSWkmXEwD8G6Vcf4hQqMXtP-OIsUpD4aYCe1lVOItTeC7SI8yNfBLkvkrD09DJIiHzmXS8at0NS57ZEZUMcNpan6HpzLuVrCpLwSdHPY/s1600/craft+kit+03.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73365839/needle-felt-vegetables-kit-diy-felting">Needle Felting Kit</a> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ag Snag Breac</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR5eGpKfwm_5yex4TpK2pv3R3MtQLAnjd2LvDuDWqV9FtnegdkGP0db0OMy2OE4QXx_1rVIZTlAGfPRpL2HWtvSAjNsvuFh-0Md7BbXRn2CYNr5qsvzuVKQmdAv0ePpvbdVrHJV9G1PU/s1600/craft+kit+08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR5eGpKfwm_5yex4TpK2pv3R3MtQLAnjd2LvDuDWqV9FtnegdkGP0db0OMy2OE4QXx_1rVIZTlAGfPRpL2HWtvSAjNsvuFh-0Md7BbXRn2CYNr5qsvzuVKQmdAv0ePpvbdVrHJV9G1PU/s1600/craft+kit+08.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91634915/diy-sewing-kit-craft-kit-hexagon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Patchwork Pouch Kit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sew Sew n Sew</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GpqPPWwKEfC_Ix7VMEQa41UN2DwAimLSY43ZEFIT3JfzUayvoISd_9zAdf4PRMM5lDGmW5JCHJaW2-W1WvTEDSO5Duza1RyHjJ6cyrbX3Q64d4QoQeDAq8EiqcuOEZurYNB8rzQMdOM/s1600/craft+kits+SIY+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GpqPPWwKEfC_Ix7VMEQa41UN2DwAimLSY43ZEFIT3JfzUayvoISd_9zAdf4PRMM5lDGmW5JCHJaW2-W1WvTEDSO5Duza1RyHjJ6cyrbX3Q64d4QoQeDAq8EiqcuOEZurYNB8rzQMdOM/s1600/craft+kits+SIY+01.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88507994/woodland-sewing-cards-for-beginners"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sew-It-Yourself Lacing Cards</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by Verabelle</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z-q2WWdDrRD8LbyGnMUsD1PTMLHlB1u1OR1KYnuKGE5zS1nXCxcWeVBMMsh5rtINESeuvMWsEBbqt07GlWImMOPUJzNn70UZfSjkjkiuwHPoMokZ1tJqQT_0lSisue5JhbJ4FFZvBaY/s1600/craft+kit+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z-q2WWdDrRD8LbyGnMUsD1PTMLHlB1u1OR1KYnuKGE5zS1nXCxcWeVBMMsh5rtINESeuvMWsEBbqt07GlWImMOPUJzNn70UZfSjkjkiuwHPoMokZ1tJqQT_0lSisue5JhbJ4FFZvBaY/s1600/craft+kit+07.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71662236/new-mini-craft-kit-for-kids-set-of"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Coloring Box</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Leon + Coco</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tc2X9k94vnZOdkru5P7527bl_x-oxKJISVb7cmCOD9he04CHAR1U3H0g1bbEWeMzVObNAyOR_FBpJcUy9UlVhI8GST1-rRpLtnnA2iWRw7LL6nIYRfjbEwtm1VrK74-nTU_bJrm7x_w/s1600/craft+kits+grab+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tc2X9k94vnZOdkru5P7527bl_x-oxKJISVb7cmCOD9he04CHAR1U3H0g1bbEWeMzVObNAyOR_FBpJcUy9UlVhI8GST1-rRpLtnnA2iWRw7LL6nIYRfjbEwtm1VrK74-nTU_bJrm7x_w/s1600/craft+kits+grab+bag.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80254892/deluxe-grab-bag"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mystery Grab Bag Craft Kits </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">by Verabelle</span></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-8997541489133931792012-02-14T06:17:00.000-08:002012-10-03T12:19:54.967-07:00Charlotte Bakery Tour<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I work in one of the best bakeries in Charlotte one day a week, but I like to stray from <a href="http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com/">Amelie's</a> once in awhile to taste the other sweet treats the city has to offer. I recently took my mom on a Charlotte bakery tour to show her some of my favorite spots, because really, show me a woman who doesn't love a baked good. So if you're looking for something to do this Valentine's Day, here's a delicious itinerary to share with anybody you're a little sweet on!</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://sunflourbakingco.com/">Sunflour Baking Company</a> </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">2001 E. 7th St.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is my favorite breakfast bakery, with from-scratch sweet and savory pastries made from local ingredients. Sunflour uses organic flour from Lindley Mills in Graham, and their eggs and buttermilk are sourced from Cackleberry Farm in Concord. Start your day with a blueberry "pop tart" like I did, and you'll get to savor jam from Hazel's Jams just down the road. My favorites, though, are the hazelnut orange roll and their morning glory muffin. Also not to be missed: homemade croissants, quiche, and fresh-churned ice cream. Sunflour also offers sandwiches for breakfast and lunch and features a few local craft beers.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjhyJIft3VLklcznPmnuw3SsHO0sTlAFXPGRNM4ncEEAAG9Frqp0M7xsFiH8oT7HEFuU8VE0VZ0FIv-I63sxvL9h7faJxdQw2PI8w0mRGV9nz94RwrTSWUeJi4bgC8-K93dGQ3bTffxs/s1600/DSC00082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjhyJIft3VLklcznPmnuw3SsHO0sTlAFXPGRNM4ncEEAAG9Frqp0M7xsFiH8oT7HEFuU8VE0VZ0FIv-I63sxvL9h7faJxdQw2PI8w0mRGV9nz94RwrTSWUeJi4bgC8-K93dGQ3bTffxs/s400/DSC00082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1T7EvAqwuU6wIhTMQ6Gwdjmk-_6pTS5AE1QdfgpuISsS8KjwtMwQcwbEFP-ma2mvMbyD7dG1wE5Lb8l582GxD1sW_NNR0v1Mewg1NyhbGAjwBKvhwCKf5EHH8XvlZm7q4DUPWFvup30/s1600/bakery+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1T7EvAqwuU6wIhTMQ6Gwdjmk-_6pTS5AE1QdfgpuISsS8KjwtMwQcwbEFP-ma2mvMbyD7dG1wE5Lb8l582GxD1sW_NNR0v1Mewg1NyhbGAjwBKvhwCKf5EHH8XvlZm7q4DUPWFvup30/s400/bakery+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://suarezbakery.webs.com/">Suarez Bakery</a> </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">4245 Park Rd. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Suarez Bakery serves up the kind of breakfast pastries I grew up with: doughnuts, bear claws, and danishes. They also make the completely homemade version of one of my childhood favorites: the cream horn. But this time, my mom and I both went home with their elephant ear, a crispy round of puff pastry topped with cinnamon and sugar. So good with coffee - yum! Note: Tizzerts shares the same bakery space and offers homemade (and quite lovely) cakes and cupcakes.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8wZGCfWc5X4TE17RFkrFHPyoMs_j1cinmO8z63Di5nacZKSnPsig84SP7w4P55cBpKjKLK5iqpXr5rBHRaXvCbrVhS4BkKKRFw2cUHOodGTlBI6YPZuKD89omj8Xjhdf9sx0FXaHoMY/s1600/DSC00084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8wZGCfWc5X4TE17RFkrFHPyoMs_j1cinmO8z63Di5nacZKSnPsig84SP7w4P55cBpKjKLK5iqpXr5rBHRaXvCbrVhS4BkKKRFw2cUHOodGTlBI6YPZuKD89omj8Xjhdf9sx0FXaHoMY/s400/DSC00084.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMCC776zNsfYeOaq0JuC2TzazeTQGwvsjNBGW7i2I3DmKKsn34_18A_Rnw_Pw-RRIHr1BoKjl8VVfRgdMDLXqBoK7qSixVTS3yf2WhdvkONYtsD67mwQF7MzBqrTEUTq525e4wznRIJo/s1600/DSC00088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMCC776zNsfYeOaq0JuC2TzazeTQGwvsjNBGW7i2I3DmKKsn34_18A_Rnw_Pw-RRIHr1BoKjl8VVfRgdMDLXqBoK7qSixVTS3yf2WhdvkONYtsD67mwQF7MzBqrTEUTq525e4wznRIJo/s400/DSC00088.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.polkadotbakeshop.com/">Polka Dot Bake Shop</a> </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">1730 E. Woodlawn Rd., Ste. H </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Charlotte's first cupcake bakery is still one of my all-time favorites for single serving cake. Their cupcake menu rotates during the week, with special flavors featured every day. I have to say that I used to not be a cake fan, but this bake shop is one of the places that has officially turned me into a cake lover. Some of my favorite flavors: key lime pie, cookies and cream, and strawberry shortcake.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymrIfDmz8le9xWRN2O8wgZjRdulEm_QNzstmiL_NzrK2a70_8c913TESo-wIkrzcEt3ZV3R2HoMKy8kRf0V6yzsJX8Bru9Tc3Nh_YXe7kpXsoXv93kTB8UMFyqn5pyXenGkUvIBIeiU0/s1600/DSC00091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymrIfDmz8le9xWRN2O8wgZjRdulEm_QNzstmiL_NzrK2a70_8c913TESo-wIkrzcEt3ZV3R2HoMKy8kRf0V6yzsJX8Bru9Tc3Nh_YXe7kpXsoXv93kTB8UMFyqn5pyXenGkUvIBIeiU0/s400/DSC00091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.davidsonchocolate.com/">Davidson Chocolates</a> </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">123A East Blvd. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am so happy to have a neighborhood chocolate shop! Though it's more a confection than a true baked-good, how could I leave chocolate off the tour? Davidson Chocolates has a case of traditional and creative truffle flavors, as well as other chocolate candy creations. I am sad that the garlic truffle was out when I visited, but I am certainly curious about that one! For Valentine's Day, they have a special pomegranate truffle that sounds amazing: half milk and half dark chocolate ganache with a hint of pear and honey. Yes, please!</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.greatharvestcharlotte.com/">Great Harvest Bread Company</a> </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">901 S. Kings Dr. / </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">6420 Rea Rd.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before Paul and I started making our own bread for sandwiches, we'd make our weekly trip to Great Harvest for one of their delicious loaves. But we still stop in regularly for their scuffins, a muffin-scone hybrid which combines the best of both baked goods: a little sweet, a little savory. Their focaccia is also amazing and, really, anything is that comes of out of this well-known national bakery chain. Their menu changes every month, with the selections rotating daily. Both Charlotte locations now offer sandwiches on their slices, so this is a great place to grab lunch (and one of their Savannah Bars for dessert) and end your tour!</span></span></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-20240229510355308042012-01-17T07:12:00.000-08:002012-10-03T12:22:19.290-07:00Object of Affection: NC Pennant<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I am a huge fan of kitschy travel memorabilia, but I didn't have to travel too far to find this vintage NC pennant. This little treasure came from one of my favorite Charlotte antique shops, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1510-antiques.com%2F&ei=tYyQTsT9GYaitgf2tfCdDA&usg=AFQjCNH1KNXs-9ERv4cViUkV9x5A1f-_GQ&sig2=ellewy2xzZnl9gBmZCdyww">Fifteen Ten Antiques</a> on Central Avenue. As a NC native, this keepsake tugs at my heartstrings. I imagine someone picking it up on their vacation to Kitty Hawk or on a tour of college campuses around the state. I love it for its bright colors (that coral pink is one of my all-time favs) and its adorably retro illustrations of North Carolina landmarks and tourists. This pennant has a home on the wall by my sewing machine.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTEOtlcvwM9uxWzrv_vZe56a8rhv3pGcScBa2eTKIRDOjWYco-6OexXbFLOTn_CIgXRf-_h0OoHwOWPGae3efbA-bRoH7p87RY2iTGYATu-qyYfuVDyQ9kwwIQmRaLJ8OnnvXQqHBeWI/s1600/DSC00030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTEOtlcvwM9uxWzrv_vZe56a8rhv3pGcScBa2eTKIRDOjWYco-6OexXbFLOTn_CIgXRf-_h0OoHwOWPGae3efbA-bRoH7p87RY2iTGYATu-qyYfuVDyQ9kwwIQmRaLJ8OnnvXQqHBeWI/s400/DSC00030.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUmc8VZYZDBEJFMBP1cH47wKC5csznY5hSmqjw1uzCdnUG_U70eQsVsFK1E1jhOScdcn_74Q6c4kHTjCaNg8OLNUN_cjuT4Rcu4Ikh54BQ2E_W3_SlMGisY-d7dONxl2ZV8e-ZXrDVe0/s1600/pennant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUmc8VZYZDBEJFMBP1cH47wKC5csznY5hSmqjw1uzCdnUG_U70eQsVsFK1E1jhOScdcn_74Q6c4kHTjCaNg8OLNUN_cjuT4Rcu4Ikh54BQ2E_W3_SlMGisY-d7dONxl2ZV8e-ZXrDVe0/s400/pennant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-78187813981887476372012-01-11T08:14:00.002-08:002012-10-03T12:23:38.691-07:00a place for everything & everything in its place<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXtu6n-DScjsA57Ay7dt48SqAF6EiyFtO2AsMZl3TK6rVhrqlBoYk3oynWUu58hyphenhyphenfocZiR-yP__K77Vk3HvodzQ-BlkTcC3cVTcqDFOsgrEqn8Py-K-GsySQ_eW6jw6fDIOBxaERJ7Dc/s1600/DSC00089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXtu6n-DScjsA57Ay7dt48SqAF6EiyFtO2AsMZl3TK6rVhrqlBoYk3oynWUu58hyphenhyphenfocZiR-yP__K77Vk3HvodzQ-BlkTcC3cVTcqDFOsgrEqn8Py-K-GsySQ_eW6jw6fDIOBxaERJ7Dc/s400/DSC00089.JPG" width="300" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Who doesn't love the promise that a new year brings? I don't think I've ever started out a new year with quite this much deliberate intention, taking the time and energy to really prepare myself and my surroundings for what I intend to accomplish. I have spent the first days of 2012 cleaning out and clearing my head, getting ready for the rest of the 365 in front of me. I've cleaned out and done away with my storage unit, filed away stacks of papers and receipts, organized bins of supplies, finished little projects around the house that I've been putting off, and given away things that have been setting around gathering dust. It's so refreshing to have a desk cleared, papers tidy, a room readied, all the what-nots and do-dads put in place, and everything I'm not going to use out of sight. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I started realizing early last year that when my home and work space became too cluttered, my to-do list always somehow seemed more overwhelming, like my mind couldn't cut through all the clutter to just simply think. This feeling was confirmed when I read this month in Whole Living magazine about a finding by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute: "... Having a disorganized work space makes it difficult for people to process information efficiently. Objects scattered around compete for your attention and disturb concentration." Precisely! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last year I instated a 10-minute cleaning habit that really helped in moments when I just couldn't take it anymore. I'd set a timer and clean or tidy up something (anything!) without stopping. As long as I was moving, it didn't matter what task I was tackling. When something feels daunting, ten minutes seems manageable. And it's always amazing how much you can actually get done in those mere 600 seconds. This year, though, I'm going to try to take my initiative to a whole new level and continue to find new ways to keep the clutter under control! If you have any tips or suggestions, please share them!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">a look around my freshly </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">organized sewing room..</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;">.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihN_yPcficsNhl5PFMvUrYl0WHU_-iQNya2FIy3HsM1uY_PYPGbZXR4TQpkItkvGrMEgYPgIU9HFVZOsCT890Ob2DQHf4u6E1_BcN_LKm_TNs7d0-S3VV3Diu6O_bJZQ0bvix0cDn8LsU/s1600/DSC00029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihN_yPcficsNhl5PFMvUrYl0WHU_-iQNya2FIy3HsM1uY_PYPGbZXR4TQpkItkvGrMEgYPgIU9HFVZOsCT890Ob2DQHf4u6E1_BcN_LKm_TNs7d0-S3VV3Diu6O_bJZQ0bvix0cDn8LsU/s400/DSC00029.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A cabinet for storing trims & embellishments, as well as smaller projects in the works. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I repainted this vintage cabinet that came from a family friend and added the knobs. Lola sits on a crocheted rug I found at the thrift store.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMFvzyhZlPq1iH7RcBCRDi2xFO2HRVdDRiSM6GI-JmDxBD6yL0XkEvStzPBlQFnA4QcAICQML07URK5rCy6RiPqoNQvHkVPfWYDPbyHl-sQ1RucpBUFRRERaaKlPGQnHrXvRB2WKyGgg/s1600/room+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMFvzyhZlPq1iH7RcBCRDi2xFO2HRVdDRiSM6GI-JmDxBD6yL0XkEvStzPBlQFnA4QcAICQML07URK5rCy6RiPqoNQvHkVPfWYDPbyHl-sQ1RucpBUFRRERaaKlPGQnHrXvRB2WKyGgg/s400/room+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A collection of vintage and natural objects; a painting by me, a pillow by a friend, & my grandmother's ashes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoyLwJqBiy4DqU8BsSn2JrVNrXJHnaeEf2O0E3s2k5R_aFy3WciDTKDnKSGjPxwHDcdO6123wbimsffo2nqdBX2GgW1-LGAGLFEYjF_YBFIPWmOB1w8UrM4lMLtqkBcToX7dIdr6_m_I/s1600/room+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoyLwJqBiy4DqU8BsSn2JrVNrXJHnaeEf2O0E3s2k5R_aFy3WciDTKDnKSGjPxwHDcdO6123wbimsffo2nqdBX2GgW1-LGAGLFEYjF_YBFIPWmOB1w8UrM4lMLtqkBcToX7dIdr6_m_I/s400/room+05.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The jewelry armoire my grandmother, Aileen, gave me when I was a little girl still houses all my accessories and sits in front of one of my paintings. Photos of family: Aileen when she was a little girl (middle) and my great-grandparents, Papa & Granny</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Read more...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9v0DU9cqO1Lcc1ORWKWcAgyTjqWfE7WYjpxxPAwI_8a3C_DnvKQ-FihwftVekTYtpfObwr3HQpnFs5K4c-TN4-F4MYcxHwdzFDRXu_HIIdQXrdnHdcb-P7gwH5vOoDXQa_bGhV_-EuU/s1600/DSC00005_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9v0DU9cqO1Lcc1ORWKWcAgyTjqWfE7WYjpxxPAwI_8a3C_DnvKQ-FihwftVekTYtpfObwr3HQpnFs5K4c-TN4-F4MYcxHwdzFDRXu_HIIdQXrdnHdcb-P7gwH5vOoDXQa_bGhV_-EuU/s400/DSC00005_2.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Where the action happens! My sewing machine stays atop an old school desk with a yard sale find of a chair. Watercolor paper hangs in a vintage straw bag, and a stack of journals is stored on the desk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj7p7L-BeVGWhwUgIlPVw9WiKpko1lKvgwoP6gNi9H5CkDAsuREPE7xS6vdfKKBFR7qCvCcXxxOVXhNqfpFi_WoYGCLxpKocjJ_bglthfhTQzRnqqJxgMopti7G3t76Nfby3dn4-RTYM/s1600/room+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj7p7L-BeVGWhwUgIlPVw9WiKpko1lKvgwoP6gNi9H5CkDAsuREPE7xS6vdfKKBFR7qCvCcXxxOVXhNqfpFi_WoYGCLxpKocjJ_bglthfhTQzRnqqJxgMopti7G3t76Nfby3dn4-RTYM/s400/room+04.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bobbins from the cotton mill my grandmother used to work in and a card of hand needles that belonged to Granny; vintage sewing tools from my Granny & a rooster to store straight pins sits atop her old sewing box.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rCbYpdtdKDkvlYERdlnZfPH6yxi8HyA2n_lgCGUbGjR1xZWWmMGp57Wm26tc7DDOO5liM5aB6Ij8mVJLpw0otITlIcAs5cHcLwlFP8_cIjuIh2Kwla5ACyxEZAg4GtNvuwqiR6nsrHk/s1600/DSC00051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rCbYpdtdKDkvlYERdlnZfPH6yxi8HyA2n_lgCGUbGjR1xZWWmMGp57Wm26tc7DDOO5liM5aB6Ij8mVJLpw0otITlIcAs5cHcLwlFP8_cIjuIh2Kwla5ACyxEZAg4GtNvuwqiR6nsrHk/s320/DSC00051.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The first dress I completed hangs on my closet door. Buttons, sewing books, and scissors are organized on top of a pie safe made by my daddy's grandfather with the use of only one arm after suffering from a stroke.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESymZdxxDdSNcODXr6kZhxiyN7lPC8ZiSfHiKq6QBwvr8VWtyN9acHgCGjZOMM9Ilkzl0k-wH2RUekAW069oZW7MpKBQUqtKjRg972l1h-luLUu6SRybjlkaeLhlTaiUuVdaEg1V6uRw/s1600/room+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESymZdxxDdSNcODXr6kZhxiyN7lPC8ZiSfHiKq6QBwvr8VWtyN9acHgCGjZOMM9Ilkzl0k-wH2RUekAW069oZW7MpKBQUqtKjRg972l1h-luLUu6SRybjlkaeLhlTaiUuVdaEg1V6uRw/s320/room+02.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This shelf doubles as a display piece when I travel to craft shows. Clockwise from top left: flowers crocheted by my Granny; a tiny bird card given to me by a friend sits next to a bird call I've had since I was a child; books I use in my displays and for taking photos, with a vintage nic-nac and the harmonica I'll learn to play this year; my proud creation - Crown Town Handmade, Charlotte's group for crafty entrepreurs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0F9y3X85A1k1cDlNmyngPyCDVPFcyZdp2F1BBmMLrav-l4BJx9sfO1VAB4aG1JTVTuiAowM1VytsMccdlIdtwXW54sH_gdDkpIm20zajejoGEDexlQJa5WeAe-5mXbb-eOG9bhs4Z9M/s1600/DSC00056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0F9y3X85A1k1cDlNmyngPyCDVPFcyZdp2F1BBmMLrav-l4BJx9sfO1VAB4aG1JTVTuiAowM1VytsMccdlIdtwXW54sH_gdDkpIm20zajejoGEDexlQJa5WeAe-5mXbb-eOG9bhs4Z9M/s400/DSC00056.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A collection of vintage hats, almost all of which belonged to </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Aileen & Granny; </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I love to accessorize with these!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wSPjxPC3m4RitClha2ZbUTZP3YFJ3NMDzdDofmDt4XDHHTz91jJaqhYCF-M_1XM_71Yxk7EARksnn6wy57z_OfDTxG3OllHqKQcv0tuYoTx3HhC5wvO5yaIgJtx5RZnlkQSdFvmdAD4/s1600/DSC00087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wSPjxPC3m4RitClha2ZbUTZP3YFJ3NMDzdDofmDt4XDHHTz91jJaqhYCF-M_1XM_71Yxk7EARksnn6wy57z_OfDTxG3OllHqKQcv0tuYoTx3HhC5wvO5yaIgJtx5RZnlkQSdFvmdAD4/s320/DSC00087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A well-organized desk is the sign of an organized mind! This desk houses my yarn collection, embroidery thread, my patterns & embroidery hoops, felt, watercolors, and dyes, as well as all the fun things that are included with online orders.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9v0DU9cqO1Lcc1ORWKWcAgyTjqWfE7WYjpxxPAwI_8a3C_DnvKQ-FihwftVekTYtpfObwr3HQpnFs5K4c-TN4-F4MYcxHwdzFDRXu_HIIdQXrdnHdcb-P7gwH5vOoDXQa_bGhV_-EuU/s1600/DSC00005_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNrjekapGVnMt1i6upmYEuIzUqwYSDvmejW7_o1WJtc7-uFPGadajxfAwT0JM1AXODHnc59GYTXHi9XWdHsSZ2YdZzFiiCq15WdGAMJDgwRI6CuL1tx_FINGccuRzE8gDo46cuUMQv4w/s1600/room+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNrjekapGVnMt1i6upmYEuIzUqwYSDvmejW7_o1WJtc7-uFPGadajxfAwT0JM1AXODHnc59GYTXHi9XWdHsSZ2YdZzFiiCq15WdGAMJDgwRI6CuL1tx_FINGccuRzE8gDo46cuUMQv4w/s400/room+03.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wSPjxPC3m4RitClha2ZbUTZP3YFJ3NMDzdDofmDt4XDHHTz91jJaqhYCF-M_1XM_71Yxk7EARksnn6wy57z_OfDTxG3OllHqKQcv0tuYoTx3HhC5wvO5yaIgJtx5RZnlkQSdFvmdAD4/s1600/DSC00087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Next to my desk hangs all the clothing that I am currently working on, with the originals of my animal artwork hanging above. I've turned the cabinet door of my desk into a chalkboard. Currently, I have a list of stitches that I think are all good additions for my men's collection.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I hope you've enjoyed this little tour!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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</span>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-23587593506309829172011-11-30T05:50:00.000-08:002012-10-03T12:25:04.009-07:00Family Portraits in Cross-Stitch<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I recently saw this idea for cross-stitched portraits in <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/857131/cross-stitch-family-portrait">Martha Stewart Living</a> and just about flipped! Although I love doing embroidery, I've never tried my hand at cross-stitch, but this moves it to the very top of my must-learn list. I would just LOVE to have a little cross-stitched portrait of Paul and me along with Lola and Biscuit (our two chihuahuas) hanging in our house. Adorable.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Follow along with <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/857131/cross-stitch-family-portrait">Martha's instructions</a> for how to design and cross stitch your own family portraits. (Gosh, the sketches are just as cute as the finished work.) What a great gift this would be for someone for the holidays! Oh... and please let me know if you try this!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7JQSAG2Y3C_yzqtuTorGIOQOM6-yBSMQ6dlgq1b8r7ckQcTPG-dY1-QC7J6MZzrKDT_Nivb4o6WQ-z7KdYAwI6Z-UekGAhTGKfXueLvxP9Tuf_vd_NcrzMODqBbHGYUJdKekPS1LEWs/s1600/cross-stitch-6-md107751_hd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7JQSAG2Y3C_yzqtuTorGIOQOM6-yBSMQ6dlgq1b8r7ckQcTPG-dY1-QC7J6MZzrKDT_Nivb4o6WQ-z7KdYAwI6Z-UekGAhTGKfXueLvxP9Tuf_vd_NcrzMODqBbHGYUJdKekPS1LEWs/s400/cross-stitch-6-md107751_hd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTjanbvPYaQltgV5QL3cLzFqbD5FDPesCju5OC-zgqBN_IFCbHvWqkdDOXGW9OZqvj34Nl9Z0AK62sr-qFxqf_Vb6k4jDv-oY3tyo5Zx8685PRA5RJikk-4Crc1xsD4BFSEKdxOVL_o/s1600/cross-stitch-4-md107751_hd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTjanbvPYaQltgV5QL3cLzFqbD5FDPesCju5OC-zgqBN_IFCbHvWqkdDOXGW9OZqvj34Nl9Z0AK62sr-qFxqf_Vb6k4jDv-oY3tyo5Zx8685PRA5RJikk-4Crc1xsD4BFSEKdxOVL_o/s400/cross-stitch-4-md107751_hd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-2616164123931548252011-11-15T06:32:00.000-08:002011-11-15T06:32:18.919-08:00Postcards from the Road...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_798426396"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span id="goog_798426397"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8CEe1rMmwh8OlN4CL084Vin_whUjaWJbOk0RpliTIrPgrHS_-JJS-EAqW9fNTlr38kyl-4Y9Cb91Nlzoa8Gtywm9KjV40tGeWGyCL4z5UD0Y9ifU5p510qFZPHW6QHDutYPkgjhZNLE/s1600/Grand+Canyon+postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8CEe1rMmwh8OlN4CL084Vin_whUjaWJbOk0RpliTIrPgrHS_-JJS-EAqW9fNTlr38kyl-4Y9Cb91Nlzoa8Gtywm9KjV40tGeWGyCL4z5UD0Y9ifU5p510qFZPHW6QHDutYPkgjhZNLE/s1600/Grand+Canyon+postcard.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-12655923308023117592011-10-31T14:11:00.000-07:002011-10-31T14:17:17.968-07:00Top 30<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Earlier this year, Paul and I were at our friends' house making dinner together. The meal included avocados, which I loooove. I scooped up a big mouthful of guacamole with a chip and exclaimed, "Mmmm, avocados! Definitely one of my top 30 things in the world." Everyone kind of stared, wide-mouthed, with responses ranging from, "What?! In the WORLD? to "Where in the top 30?" to "You have a top 30?" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is something I've always kind of thought about, but it definitely sparked a conversation that night and made us all seriously think about what our Top 30 would be.... to the point that some of us actually got out a pen and paper. I don't think anyone has finished their list yet, and I think it probably should be something that's in constant revision. But I think making a Top 30 is a wonderful exercise in gratitude; to recognize how much something means to you helps you to continually acknowledge it in your everyday life. You know that you're doing/eating/seeing something truly special and worth savoring when it's on your Top 30, and it makes you appreciate it a little bit more. So what's on <i>your</i> Top 30? Here's what I have on mine so far, in no particular order... avocados no longer included... Ha! (Click to enlarge.)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibftnLaIGCzFN4Qm1Ekvbrbtp_ZRjsAqFi9zcWp0_wHQryKXPUZqBW7_L47miejQFebFW1Jp8QV8kzR-RpKwEyUc5zXip2fPgNPzrNVOZX7Yi1Mw00Mid0jqpRyvovn9miFom7YP2xc_w/s1600/top+30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibftnLaIGCzFN4Qm1Ekvbrbtp_ZRjsAqFi9zcWp0_wHQryKXPUZqBW7_L47miejQFebFW1Jp8QV8kzR-RpKwEyUc5zXip2fPgNPzrNVOZX7Yi1Mw00Mid0jqpRyvovn9miFom7YP2xc_w/s640/top+30.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">P.S. We have decided since then that anything that can reciprocate love doesn't count, so that means no friends or family or pets. That would just be way to easy...</span>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411781778869829570.post-66449755322632122402011-10-26T06:45:00.000-07:002011-10-26T06:50:11.099-07:00Introducing... Allman, a men's line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjk13SiE9iA3NMiqOYec2Wyrku9Vpx_RYApCAy3QOuESa3hXdXjXN114edmfFrRHzOxUQVaN8ku_i6TbPemgcT7nGqyhfUilHf43XCCDnJfOuhw1lusYpdQVwhcbalQUGpjusqFvS8bo/s1600/LEWIS+ALLMAN+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjk13SiE9iA3NMiqOYec2Wyrku9Vpx_RYApCAy3QOuESa3hXdXjXN114edmfFrRHzOxUQVaN8ku_i6TbPemgcT7nGqyhfUilHf43XCCDnJfOuhw1lusYpdQVwhcbalQUGpjusqFvS8bo/s640/LEWIS+ALLMAN+photos.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="481" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My great-grandfather on my mom's side,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">William Lewis Allman.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I always called him "Papa."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(Pictured below: Papa with my mom, Janet)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">"Allman" is a project that I've been working on for a long time. I've dabbled here and there in <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle?section_id=7020235">menswear</a>, making a few things that I'd take to craft shows to sell. But finally, I've sat down long enough to put together a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle?section_id=7020235">one-of-a-kind collection just for men</a>, all inspired by my great grandfather, William Lewis Allman.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">I was lucky enough to grow up with two generations of grandparents on both sides of my family, but I spent the most time with my mom's side who lived just a few minutes down the road from us. After my grandfather died when my mom was just 15, her mother's parents moved in with her. The three of them lived together - Aileen, Granny, and Papa - forever after.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">Many of my summers and afternoons after school were spent at their house, playing in the yard, watching TV, and helping out in the kitchen. Papa would always be waiting on the porch for me when I got off the school bus, and most days, we'd walk to the post office together to check the mail and to Moose Drug for a cone of ice cream. We'd pick up pecans in the back yard and on the weekends, walk to the auction house with Granny.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbLwsU6HkJBErOgUDekrWuphPLNABEFRSwT-kado_lI-4rCkaQA3ClDJp5usI2mHaYsuyEESZ5zgrLEQGGQEzQQm8t_PQpzo2QGt-bT6oV5JNcHu44TBZCVNt4a7W7yPO3SWosePF4kY/s400/LEWIS+ALLMAN+photos_2.jpg" width="277" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">My mama has always told me that Papa loved me more than anybody, though I have a strong feeling he really loved her the most. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">She got to know Papa in a way that I never did. Papa lived just until I graduated from high school, so I was lucky to have him for quite awhile, but Mama got to know the much younger version of our grandfather. She knew the man who was a machinist at the cotton mill and fixed radios and TVs in his backyard shop in his spare time... the man who raised roosters and hunting dogs and kept bees.. the man who helped build the Baptist church.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">When I look back at old black-and-white photos of Papa, I see a young man that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">exuded such a masculine confidence, an ease of being, and downright coolness. I love imagining what he must have been like back then, back when my mom was growing up. And I love that I can create something that brings this mood and that era of his existence back to life. Recreating this vintage clothing helps me to recreate him, and I am so happy to share that with the people who will end up wearing it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px;">Below is a preview of the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/verabelle?section_id=7020235">collection</a>, which features men's button-ups, sweaters, jackets, neckties, and hats. You can expect to see much more in the coming months as I continue to photograph the line. And each piece comes with a handmade tag featuring a reproduction of one of those old black-and-whites. My great-grandfather is the one pictured on the far left.</span></div><br />
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</div>Amanda Aileenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505806791232580231noreply@blogger.com2