Project: Jewelry Stand

This weekend I found an old coffee mug holder at a garage sale for fifty cents. It most certainly wasn't the prettiest thing ever. The wood was scratched and the paint (which wasn't lovely to begin with...) was chipping off.

But after some sanding, some staining, and some repainting-- it was as good as new. (Although in hindsight, I wish I would've chosen a darker stain for the base, or painted it black as well).

Now, considering I live in a tiny apartment with the smallest amount of countertop space ever, I was in no way looking to clutter up my kitchen with a coffee mug holder. However, my jewelry definitely needed some organization-- and this was the perfect solution!

Behold:

Simple, inexpensive and practical. What do you think?

Quiche Pie

This evening I made quiche pie for my husband. Now, I know most people refer to quiche as a breakfast thing, but have you ever tried a dinner version? They are delicious. My mom used to make this for us all of the time, and I love it! And this recipe is so simple. Just mix together a handful of ingredients, toss in the oven-- and voila! A hot meal ready for the table.

(Sorry for the lousy pictures-- they really don't do the quiche any justice!) 

Ingredients:
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
1/3 c. chopped green onion

Directions:
Brown the ground beef and drain. Mix together other ingredients and add browned beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until firm.

That's it! Simple but comforting. I love food that reminds me of home.

Seattle recap

As I said in a previous post, this past weekend the hubby and I -- along with our friend Justin -- went to visit my twin, Mark. He lives in Lynnwood, WA which is about twenty minutes north of Seattle and a good five hour drive from where we live.

The weekend consisted of perusing Pike Place Market, eating at delicious restaurants, catching up with a few old friends, laughing hysterically while playing The Game of Things, and finding treasures at garage sales and flea markets.

 So much lavender! Love it!

There were so many gorgeous flower stands at the market and the lavender smelled wonderful! There were also lots of handcrafted items including jewelry, paintings, soaps, coasters, etc. So many amazing things. I ended up buying a handmade sterling silver ring with a tiny delicate rose for five dollars. (Awkward moment: the seller thought my brother was my husband!) 

 A giant gummy bear made of gummy bears!

 The famous gum wall.

We stopped by the "gum wall"-- which is exactly what it sounds like. Disturbing yet fascinating at the same time-- people can be surprisingly creative with their gum! We spotted the Canadian flag, lots of names, and even a portrait of a woman made entirely out of pieces of gum. Of course we had to add to the wall-- but made sure to pick empty spaces where we didn't have to risk touching other gum!

I love this whimsical umbrella... although luckily, it wasn't that windy when we were there. 

 This guy was real! 

There were a lot of street performers around Pike Place, including the silver man shown here, a jazz quartet, a cross-dresser, and a man who played the guitar while hula hooping and balancing a second guitar on his chin. (Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that!) 

There was also a man selling cat sweaters, and he used his own cats as his models. Now, that may not sound extraordinary, but the cats were unleashed, uncaged and simply sat on platforms looking adorable. They were so well behaved. I swear they had the biggest audience of all. 

We stopped for lunch at The Pike Seattle Brewing Co. where I had a delicious veggie quesadilla with spinach, onions, peppers, mushrooms and four cheeses, topped with chipotle dressing. Yum. 

 The Freemont Troll from the 1999 movie Ten Things I Hate About You. 

All in all, it was a wonderful little trip and I can't wait to go back! Apparently there is a short hiking trail to the Puget Sound only three miles from my brother's apartment, which we plan to explore next time. I also can't wait to see my brother again-- I already miss him! 

On a side note, I picked up an antique tool chest for five dollars at one of the garage sales we found. I plan to sand it down, paint it and restore it... hopefully soon. Expect a post on that in the near future. :-)

Meaningful Monday-- Wisdom from Winnie

A cookie with a surprise!

This afternoon, I'm going to attempt to make these delicious little guys:

It's exactly what it looks like: An Oreo inside of a chocolate chip cookie! Anyone ever try something like this before?

I hope mine turn out okay; we're going to visit my twin brother in Seattle this weekend (I'm so excited!), so I thought I'd bring him something yummy. I'm really hoping you can't see the Oreos from the outside, so that it's a surprise when he bites into them!

Meaningful Monday-- Life is like a song

via here

Life, he realized, was much like a song. 
In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

(And how amazing is that drawing on sheet music? I wish I knew who created it.)

I feel loved!

I'm one away from fifty followers! And while that may not seem like a big deal to some (I can't even imagine having hundreds or thousands of followers), it's a big deal to me! So thank you to all of my new followers-- I hope you enjoy what I have to share.