Sketch a Dress

Sometimes you just have to look at pretty things. Or imagine them. Or (in my case) draw them with a Sharpie and some crayons. I sketched 15 little dresses today. Too bad I can't sew any of them. Perhaps they'll just have to stay in my dreams. Or sketchbook. Or blog for my enjoyment and yours.

Chalkboard Wall

After holding up various pictures and mirrors in our kitchen/ dining room area, we finally decided on a much less traditional (and much more interesting) route for our wall feature.

The Frog

Part 4 of my fairytale graphic design collection. :) Inspired by The Princess and the Frog.

Rockin' Sidekicks

Forget Robin, he was lagitimately lame, but I'm here to argue that there are some sidekicks who are way better than their legendary counterparts. Let us begin...

Beauty Buys--December

Chestnuts might be roasting on an open fire, but if Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, at least you can keep the rest of you looking good. Here are a few of my winter favorites this month.

Picture Gallery

It finally felt like home when Jk came over one day and said he wanted to hang up pictures. 

Messy Side Twist

For those days when you want a pulled-together look when your hair isn't as tame as it should be, here's an easy, messy side twist.

Hamburgers & Homemade Fries

Who doesn’t need a burger once in a while? JK. He needs one every day.

Shell Frame

I found this absolutely lovely frame at Pier 1. The whole front is made of up tiny shells, and the intricacy and texture is just amazing! It's like lovely white roses made of porcelain. I'm a huge fan of mixing classic with textured and detailed elements. Plus, I thought this was just beautiful. 

Currently, I'm just waiting for an equally lovely picture to put inside it. Maybe a wedding one? :)

The Cape

Part 3 of my fairytale graphic design collection. :) Inspired by Little Red Ridding Hood.

The Shoe

Part 2 of my fairytale graphic design collection. :) Inspired by Cinderella and her lost shoe.

Our Sweet Home

For me, it wasn't getting the keys to our first house that made my heart smile. It's been the process of making the house a home that is one of the most magical exploits ever.

The Pea

Part 1 of my fairytale graphic design collection. :) Inspired by The Princess and the Pea.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

If you want a super refined meal with very few ingredients, go for this. We were shocked with the taste and ease of this dish. Plus, leftovers taste great on a sandwich!

A Kid on Christmas

Oh to be a kid on Christmas... I might be just beyond that stage, but that can't stop me from dreaming. Here's a list of all the kids' toys I legitimately want this year:

Upon a Pie

"Once Upon A Pie" is a compilation of all the things that make my life fuller presented in a picturesque little blog that I hope brings a little bit of breath and joy to others. But really, it's more than that.

Pie Crust

This is like my most valuable recipe. 

There's something about making your very own pie from scratch. For me, it makes my heart fuller, my problems smaller, and my dessert sweeter. Making your own pie crust can be something that drives you or drives you crazy. I've learned that it's less about the actual ingredients and recipe, than your perspective and how you actually deal with the dough. 

So, here we go--how I make my crusts (a much overdue recipe) from the deepest part of my cooking heart to yours.

Just Pause

In the swirl of the holidays, constant commercial breaks, and the unceasing demands placed on us throughout the days, sometimes it's really hard to just stop.

Artsy HTML

I'm a computer geek, video-gamer, and avid artist. It was only a matter of time before I got hooked on graphic design.

Let it Snow

Last week there were little snow flurries. Nothing stuck, and it didn't last long, but it was wonderful nevertheless. I love snow.

Jasmine Hair

Disney princess hair for everyday. This is dedicated with much love to my favorite little girls who first let me try the look on them and who love traveling to whole new worlds. :)

Monte Cristos

Who doesn’t love a dust of powdered sugar on a sandwich? You can eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Wedding Banner

"Just Married." Isn't that a lovely phrase? It's full of delightful and innocence and happily-ever-afters. Jk and I are wanting to make our wedding filled with as much sincerity and love as possible, so we handmade our  own "Just Married" banner.

Beauty Buys--November

I cannot believe it's already November! It's time to gear up for brisk weather, but that doesn't have to stop one from being gracefully girly. This month I'm sweetening things up with a little pink (and perhaps a pinch of gray just for good measure). <3

Fiery Tree

This was the very first painting I did when I bought my own canvas, acrylic paints, and set of brushes. I saw this photograph in a book, and thought I'd try my hand at painting it.

French Toast

French toast is relatively simple, but when I first tried to learn the recipe (I was about 9) it couldn't have been more complicated.

Hopefully this is easier for you to do than it was for my 9 year-old self. If you've already mastered this sweet breakfast treat, then maybe it'll inspire you to fancy up your week-day mornings--french toast style.

Inky Imaginations

Just give me a pen on a rainy day, and I'll slip into a whole other world...

My Glistening Yarn

I've only been in a couple yarn shops, but from what I can gather, there are about two different types. The first type of yarn store is the kind that makes you feel as though you're curling up by a fire with real logs silently sipping from a cup of hot chocolate with real marshmallows. You go in to find real woolen yarn from real sheep that you expect to be humbly housed in a quaint little farm in the hills of Ireland or Wales or Scotland.

A Little Lace

I've been feeling girly lately. And nothing makes me feel prettier than adding a little lace to my locks.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Alfredo is always one of 3 of JK’s dinner suggestions. This recipe has a homemade sauce and broccoli to make it so delicious and way better than the kind you find in a jar.

Sock Bun

For the perfect bun every time forget the bobby pins and hair ties... all you really need is a tattered sock.

Where's My Cell? I Need To...

After a little internet inspiration, I've come up with all the areas in which my cell phone has become my crutch. Can you relate? :)

Where's my cell? I need to...

Best Get Yourself Some Boots

Rainy fall days, chilly fall nights. Snowy winter mornings and brisk winter eves. You best get yourself some boots.

What it's Like...

It's like spending every night looking up at the stars--singing sparkling melodies to each other, and then going out far from town and for the first time really seeing the stars in all their splendor--how they paint the entire night sky, filling it tip to tip.

How to Dunk

The very first time I went out with Jk and his family, Jameson showed me how to dunk. I call his move the "Running Jump Rim Removal."

Pizza Dough

When I first made this, I cursed the dough the whole time. Then I baked it and tasted it. BEST CRUST EVER!

Press START to Begin

I love video games.

I was that 1st grade girl who hung out with the kindergarden boy next door because he had Super Mario 3 and I just loved the power Mario wielded once he ate that raccoon-morph-inducing feather.

Pineapple Chicken Skewers

Oh how I miss Psych... Pineapple!!

Tangy, refreshing, and the dipping sauce is the best barbeque ever. We make a double or triple batch of the sauce to have homemade barbeque anytime. :)

Sideways Braid

After finding a breathtaking picture of a sideways braid, I decided I must try it out for myself.

Easy Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatballs always seem very intimidating to make. Recipes usually call for 3 types of meats—pork, beef, veal. And the amount of spices are crazy! However, I found this recipe and LOVE it. Simple, cheap, and fresh meatballs anytime.

Outfit of the Day--Melon Dress

Two looks, one $5 dress at Goodwill. Travel from the last bit of summer's warmth into a snuggly fall sweater.

Fashion Sketch--Melon Dress

I used to do quick sketches for myself to remember different hairstyles I wanted to try out. Then, I thought maybe I'd take it a step further to share some of my favorite outfits. Here's the first batch--inspired by a fabulous Goodwill find--my watermelon colored dress.

Cake Monday

It's hard to make a Monday better. With a full work day, classes, and coaching Quidditch (oh, did I say coaching? I mean trying to keep 12 boys from stabbing each other with brooms or pelting each other in the face with black dodgeballs) at the start of the week, I can get a pretty bad case of the Mondays pretty darn quickly. The best remedy? A little something my college roommies cooked up: "Cake Monday".

My Favorite Wonky Words

I love words. I love the sound of them strung sweetly together and how a single word or syllable can invoke all sorts of feelings. I sort of collect words. 

Not in a stamp collection or dictionary kind of way, but I wear certain words on my tongue like flavors of the week (or month, or year, or what have you). To make it into my casual repertoire, a word must meet the following criteria:

Mini Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate chip scones in a smaller version that's much more endearing. :)

To Sleep: Perchance to Dream

Sleep. Mmmmm sleep.

There are times when the whisper of that word sounds so lovely... Grab a fluffy pillow (or a pillow case with about 3 feathers if you're Jk), and cozy up to these wonderfully sleepy thoughts:

Beauty Buys--September

Sharing some of my beauty buys to spruce up a casual look as we head into fall. Enjoy!

Home

Home is different than a house.  Home is where your heart feels full and you feel safe. A house is where you live. Sometimes they're the same. Sometimes they're not.

When I picture home, this is what I see.

But when I really think of home, I think of something that will come much later.

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling..."I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this."

--CS Lewis, The Last Battle

A Cause to Believe In

Jk wears this green bracelet all the time. It's one of those rubber, livestrong-like bracelets that only cost about $2, but it means the world to me.

Elegant Braided Bun

Make a simple bun neatly poised by adding a few braids to elegantly twist around it.