tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69566405093641870572024-02-19T08:50:23.049-08:00The Purple MartinOf crafts, cooking, and children...Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-79856016333106035922014-01-16T19:27:00.003-08:002014-01-16T19:27:48.959-08:00Homeschooling My 2 Year OldI was homeschooled from pre-school through highschool and then I completed a Biblical Studies degree online from Moody Bible Institute, so I kind of homeschooled college as well! The self-motivated learning style suited me very well and I am pleased with my education and the plethora of benefits that schooling at home has brought forth. I have been teaching children at church for many years and am thankful that teaching is one of gifts! That being said, we have decided to homeschool Emma for at least the first few years of her life. I don't think that homeschooling is the only right way to educate (in fact I think ALL methods of education are flawed), but I feel confident that we have chosen the best path we know how during this season of our lives.<br />
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When Emma was born, we began the lifelong process of teaching her to be teachable. I got excited about each milestone she reached and encouraged her to go farther or try again. She seems to pick up things very quickly which has left both Mike and I wondering "what should we teach her next?" Below is a list of activities that we would like to "study" with Emma in 2014. This will be our little curriculum guidelines even though we aren't using any official textbooks. We may be working on some of these for a very long time but I am excited to see my little 2 year old expand her knowledge and grow!<br />
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Science:<br />
~Create a leaf collection of pressed leaves, labeled and identified.<br />
~Work on cloud recognition<br />
~Plan some seeds and watch them grow<br />
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Social studies:<br />
~Discuss family structure and family trees<br />
~Work on map skills (directions, geography, etc)<br />
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Math:<br />
~Learn to set the table herself (this involves matching with a diagram, confidence in completing by herself, care in handling dishes, participation in family chores, and counting skills. I am pumped about this one!)<br />
~Discuss saving money<br />
~Keep working on sorting<br />
~Be able to count from 10-20<br />
~Continue discussing the idea of addition and subtraction<br />
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Language:<br />
~Tracing<br />
~Listen and retell a story<br />
~Dictate a letter to mom<br />
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This blog will be a great way for me to be held accountable to be faithful in teaching these skills to Emma (even if it takes us two years to accomplish some of these things instead of one). I hope to update in at least June and December as to her progress.<br />
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Woot! I'm excited!! This makes me feel much more like a homeschooled mom instead of just an invested mother of a toddler. ;)<br />
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<br />Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-38713706780831686182014-01-07T14:47:00.000-08:002014-01-07T14:47:51.558-08:00Word of the year 2014<center>
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2013's word was EXCESS. I managed to donate about 700 items in the course of the year. We have less stuff (although it still seems like a lot when it's not organized) and I feel so much more free. No regrets whatsoever about getting rid of what we don't need.<br />
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2014's word is THANKFULNESS. I finally read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp in November and it had a beautiful impact on me. Most importantly I was struck by her point that in Philippians 4:11-12, Paul says "I have <i>learned </i>to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have <i>learned </i>the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (emphasis added). He says "learned" twice, implying that thankfulness and contentment are LEARNED via practice.<br />
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So I have decided in 2014, I am going to be more thankful. I am going to train my brain to give thanks in everything because this is God's will for me (1 Thess. 5:18). I am keeping a journal all year of things that I am thankful for. Naming my blessings makes them more real. So here we go!<br />
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THANKFULLY His,<br />
AmandaAmanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-79030692361894995412014-01-02T10:20:00.003-08:002014-01-02T10:20:42.037-08:002013 Recap!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>SHIH 2013 RECAP!</b></div>
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<b>January:</b><br />
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Word of the year: <i>Excess</i>. I dedicated myself to purge, clean, use less and recycle more.<br />
This cutie got cuter and cuter:<br />
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<b>February:</b><br />
Downton Abbey season finale costume party at our house:<br />
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Mike and I vacationed in Florida which included this bucket list item--swimming with manatees:<br />
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<b>March:</b><br />
Happy Easter!<br />
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Mike began an insane few months of work which included 2 days off in 34 days and then worked 21 days straight after that. It was a challenge for us all. This period lasted through August.<br />
Had a potential miscarriage. Bled for 30 days but we never had a positive pregnancy test. Blessed be the name of the Lord.<br />
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<b>April:</b><br />
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Weekend to Remember marriage conference<br />
Donated 200 items to Goodwill<br />
Little punkin':<br />
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<b>May:</b><br />
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Road trip to Saint Louis for my cousin Nathan's wedding where we were able to introduce Emma to wonderful goodies like the Posh Nosh and Ted Drewes. Yum!<br />
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Two of my best friends announced they were pregnant<br />
Scafuri bakery opened around the corner and our lives (and waistlines) will never be the same<br />
Donated 400 items to Goodwill (goodbye excess!):<br />
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<b>June:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Started the second part of my Invisalign journey. I'll be done June 2014!<br />
Bought a ukulele!<br />
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Got to hang with this sweet girl a lot (and really there are few things better than Chicago in the summertime):<br />
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Another 34 days work stretch for Mike<br />
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<b>July:</b><br />
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Road trip to Camp Barnabas with my sister and niece:<br />
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I got to hang out with this cabin of special ladies for a week:<br />
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I was blessed to be a bridesmaid in my friend Debbie's wedding (and hang with sweet friends):<br />
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<b>August:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Begin potty training Emma (still working on that one)<br />
VBS at Moody Church where the friendship between Emma and her BFF Kaja kept growing (while their mothers plotted to rule the kingdom as Lady Lin and Sir Wally!)!<br />
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Bought Emma a life jacket and she took off in the water this summer:<br />
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Helped Mom begin re-landscaping her front yard and pulled out several of these HORRIBLE roots.<br />
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Eva (from my fabulous small group) got married!<br />
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<b>September:</b><br />
We made it through Mike's busy work schedule. Praise the Lord!!<br />
Last minute trip to Italy. We literally bought our tickets one week out. We visited Rome and Umbria--it was wonderful!<br />
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Emma graduated from the church nursery to her first real classroom setting<br />
We celebrated Emma's second birthday with a chilly picnic at the beach! Some family from Taiwan was in town which made it even more fun!<br />
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Emma discovered how fun it is to dress up:<br />
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<b>October:</b><br />
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Trip to KY to visit precious friends!<br />
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I was blessed to take care of my friend Mary's service-dog-in-training for a few days to work with him on city living! He lay at my feet for several hours while we all cheered for my friend AMY who ran the Chicago marathon!<br />
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Apple picking with small group friends:<br />
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Saw this picture of a deaf 9 year old in China and started researching adoption (I have more info on him if you're interested--he needs a family and unfortunately I am just not old enough. But I can be his advocate to find him a loving home where he can have a chance at a successful life and hearing about Jesus!).<br />
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<b>November:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Took a lindy hop swing dance class with my husband<br />
Mike got an espresso machine (coolest new hobby ever!)<br />
We went to Tampa (again) for Mike's co-worker Monal's wedding<br />
More outside demo at my parent's house--tough boys against tough roots. The boys won:<br />
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Emma got to meet and bond with her Great Grandmother who visited us from Taiwan for a month.<br />
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Thanksgiving with both sides of my family (I love these people):<br />
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Realized that adoption from China under the age of 30 is impossible. But learned much about adoption and my heart strings are pulled!<br />
Foxy lady baby number 4 was born: little Isaiah Schwartz (and you can see foxy lady baby number five still in his mommy's belly!):<br />
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<b>December:</b><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Emma upgraded to a toddler bed and is loving it!</span><br />
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Another foxy lady baby was born: Tristan Hontz<br />
I read 55 books this year including the Mark of the Lion series, Twilight series, Huger Games series and the Harry Potter series.<br />
Cookie baking weekend extravaganza 2013 was a success (something like 15 kinds of cookies in three days).<br />
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Mike worked Christmas week but we make it work and have a lovely Christmas with the family. Gift highlights for me included: new slippers, a cast iron skillet, and rock climbing shoes! Emma got some amazing dress up costumes and 19 puzzles! Mike received some gadgets for his espresso machine! We celebrated Christ's birthday by exchanging gifts and pausing to reflect on the reality of Emmanuel--GOD WITH US. Wow!<br />
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2013 was sometimes tricky, full of travel, and also full of learning and growth! I am so excited about Mike's less stressful work schedule this next year and to see Emma continue to grow. I am ever thankful for my supportive husband and sweet-natured daughter. Truly there is MUCH to be thankful for! Blessings to you all in the new year!Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-53323194862481996242013-05-08T18:02:00.002-07:002013-05-08T18:02:11.552-07:00Facebook Excess and UpdateI've been trying to find more areas of excess in my life as I journey through this year. Next on the chopping block is Facebook. I just don't need to be friends with people I don't like, used to know, met once, don't recognize, etc. So I have deleted quite a few of late. I have no desire to offend, just to cut down on my newsfeed information so that I can spend less time of my life getting all this "vital" information. I also have stopped myself from logging on several times of late--I just don't need to see everything that goes on, but I DO enjoy staying in touch with certain people via this means. So I'm trying to be sensitive to using Facebook in balance (easier said then done).<br />
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Next up: Word files on the computer (eek).<br />
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I am becoming more and more aware of excess sugar in my life. Spring is a perfect time to start hitting up the farmer's markets and changing our eating habits for the better, but I do so love certain processed foods. I'm worried...<br />
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Any suggestions of other things I can focus on or things you have stopped from being excessive in your life? I have cut down on clutter in a mighty way in every room of my house, picture files on the computer, Facebook, shopping, etc. What's next (insert sinister laughter here)??Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-26945192203538925782013-05-01T11:11:00.001-07:002013-05-01T11:11:55.378-07:00Possessions Fast and HUGE Yard Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever read the book "Seven: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker? Last year my Sunday school class studied it in book club and this month the time came for application! <a href="http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR?px=1102849&fr_id=2120&pg=personal" target="_blank">Two friends</a> from our church are flying to Africa to run a 54 mile marathon all to raise money for World Vision--to provide clean water to those in need amongst the African continent. It is a HUGE accomplishment that they are raising so much support and awareness. Our class was charged to set aside 7 items a day for the month on April to donate to a yard sale. All profit from the yard sale will go toward World Vision. As my word of the year is <i>excess </i>this couldn't have come at a more perfect time.<br />
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My first thought was "SEVEN items a day? That's 210 items in a month! I'll aim for 200." Yesterday I dropped off my items to the yard sale location and I tallied up 350 items. THREE HUNDRED FIFTY! That's <i>disgusting </i>considering that it didn't even hurt. To throw away that many items, I didn't have to get to the point of sacrifice where it stung to throw things away. My husband has not even noticed what is gone--we didn't even make a dent. Sick... That is a selfish hoarding of resources from others. I am not proud of giving away 350 items, I wish it was double that. My sweet man didn't even have time to go through his stuff! That is just me, my one daughter, and household items. Big wake up call to me that I need to keep going, keep giving away and keep my possessions under control so that I am not distracted. To be distracted by stuff and kept from what truly matters--relationships--is a waste.<br />
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Enough with the heavy. If you are in the Chicago area you NEED to check out this epic yard sale:<br />
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<b style="background-color: transparent; color: #454545; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">HUGE, MULTI-FAMILY YARD AND BAKE SALE!!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Date: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Saturday, May 4th (rain or shine!)<br /><b>Time:</b> 8am - 12 pm (please, no early birds)<br /><b>Location: </b>3700 block of North Paulina<br /><b>Purpose: </b>To raise money for the World Vision charity (all proceeds will go directly to them)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">All items priced to sell! No reasonable offers refused!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />Some of our items include: Infant (blankets, bedding, boppies, carriers, breast feeding/pumping supplies, bumbos), toddler, and child games, toys, clothes, and supplies. Men's clothing (lots of suits and shoes too), Women's clothing (J Crew and other great brands), jewelry, bags/purses, camping supplies, ice skates, lacrosse sticks, volleyball net, tennis rackets, tables, chairs, electronics (printers and tv's, playstations), picture frames, art, kitchen stuff, linens, collectibles and memorabilia, gifts and gadgets, holiday items, and much more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Spread the word! Consider making a donation to <a href="http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR?px=1102849&fr_id=2120&pg=personal" target="_blank">here </a>to World Vision!</span><br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-59896801776226138772013-04-08T10:40:00.001-07:002013-04-08T10:40:17.915-07:00DIY $2 Sweater to Cardigan <center>
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As soon as I saw this sweater at the thrift store for $2, I was in love. I am crazy about stripes and yellow right now, so this was a "duh" moment for me. However, it was a smidge too small, so I followed <a href="http://www.iammommahearmeroar.net/2011/11/refashionista-delia-from-delia-creates.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> (that I discovered a while ago thanks to <a href="http://pinterest.com/thepurplemartin/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>) to help me cut it down the middle, hem under the sides and turn it into a cardigan. I may add a button or two later or I may just leave it as it. Couldn't be happier with how this came out. Yay!
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-34006255264461050652013-04-05T19:01:00.001-07:002013-04-05T19:01:16.834-07:00Possessions Fast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqaUP5taL9a-PRZPaEjgAR4ZKPXRq3NcaSEfAnAr6AI9tKn8B_AVTg9Rdk_33TN7hEMqjsxy3X8FP0v_c1aLpaFi6Cl0lkr9bAb2pJ9YlkwkwTuXHyx4SYXyT_3l_XpFMsWT-5JrduTc/s1600/anthony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqaUP5taL9a-PRZPaEjgAR4ZKPXRq3NcaSEfAnAr6AI9tKn8B_AVTg9Rdk_33TN7hEMqjsxy3X8FP0v_c1aLpaFi6Cl0lkr9bAb2pJ9YlkwkwTuXHyx4SYXyT_3l_XpFMsWT-5JrduTc/s1600/anthony.jpg" /></a></div>
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Two friends at church are running the 54 mile Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa to raise money for <a href="http://www.worldvision.org/our-work/clean-water" target="_blank">World Vision</a> (an organization that provides clean water to many). To help raise money, my Sunday school class has organized a possessions fast. Let me know if you want to join us (and how timely that this is happening during my focus on "excess" this year)!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Join us in going on a Possessions Fast for the month of April. The possessions that you collect will be sold to raise funds for World Vision as Anthony (pictured above) and <span class="il">Wendy</span> prepare to run 54 miles in the Comrades Ultra Marathon (South Africa). Details for the fast are below.</span></div>
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<strong>Possessions Fast</strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">- Collect <span class="il">7</span> possessions per day for every day in April that you can do without.</span></div>
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- Retain the 210 possession at your home until the end of the month</div>
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- Deliver your possessions to a designated location after the fast.</div>
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- Your possessions will be sold to raise funds for World Vision.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to participate, let me know and I will forward you the contact info of the people organizing it!</span></div>
Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-55069600615232861922013-03-29T19:46:00.000-07:002013-03-29T19:46:00.400-07:00Eliminating more excessMy word of the year is EXCESS (you can read more about it <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2013/03/word-of-year.html" target="_blank">here</a>). All around me I see possessions accumulating. When I tote bags up my 3 flights of stairs into my home, I frequently think "I'd better take some stuff out to make room". I recently tackled these trouble areas in my home and have come up with several more trashbags of donation items:<br />
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<b>Maternity clothes</b>: whittled it down from two big boxes to one (labeled now, of course). If I didn't wear it much (or at all), it's going away.<br />
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<b>Linen closet</b>: I have one queen sized bed but four sets of sheets. I have just one crib, but I had four sets of crib sheets. I used to groom dogs so I had a plethora of "junk" towels but I don't see myself going back to that anytime soon. All that to say, I filled nearly a whole garbage bag with just items from my linen closet--Goodwill here I come!<br />
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<b>Bookshelf</b>: I have learned that like my closet, I have to go through this area again and again and again. Sorting through my too-full shelves just one time a year is not enough. I have now given my shelves a serious stare-down twice in the last month. Each time I go through, I find a book I hated, never read, or just don't see the need to keep anymore. There are currently 15 books in my Goodwill bag and I plan to add more.<br />
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One interesting thing I've learned through this purging journey is that I have often thought "Well, what IF I need an extra ___ in the future?" My previous and quick answer would have been "Oh I'd better keep it in case". <b>But I'm discovering that clinging to THINGS for an unforeseeable future is WASTEFUL</b>. It's a selfish means of hoarding resources from others. It's a wasteful use of my limited space in my home.<br />
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Here's what I'm talking about: Q:What if Emma gets the flu and vomits on her sheets three times in one day? A: Then I'll do laundry or better yet throw any extra sheet on her bed (who said it had to be crib-sized in an emergency?!). Q: What if Emma needs to read Silas Marner in high school--shouldn't I hold onto my copy? A: That is a whopping 15 years away, I can easily get it at a used bookstore for a few dollars then, and I have no intention of going through that book again myself so by all means PITCH IT! It takes me taking the time to go through these questions in my mind as I'm staring into the endless pile of belongings to be able to reach these conclusions. There is no rushing a good healthy purge. It takes a few more minutes to think critically about each item but to see how much I DON'T need is greatly <i>freeing</i>...Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-1234142481569173252013-03-25T10:23:00.000-07:002013-03-25T10:23:00.191-07:00Update on "Excess"Quick update on my word of the year "excess" and how I'm cutting down on mine. You can read my initial post about it <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2013/03/word-of-year.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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~I have made another 4 bags of items to donate.<br />
~Emma's three boxes of extra toys in the back stairwell are now down to two boxes.<br />
~I had three baskets of toys for her to choose from in the house, but whittled it down to just two (she hasn't noticed, shows you how much she cared!)<br />
~I have installed an app on my iPhone called KeyRing and have loaded up all my loyalty cards AND gift cards on there so that I have less to carry around in my wallet. The only cards I carry now are my license insurance and credit card.<br />
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Fun, fun, fun! Every time I lug bags of stuff into my house I think "gotta take something out now to make room". Not a bad pattern of thought I think. :)Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-42825581944648753492013-03-23T07:02:00.001-07:002013-03-23T07:02:09.056-07:00Emma is 1 1/2 years old!My daughter is 1 1/2 today. To pause and remember how quickly the time goes, I made a shutterfly book of the photo shoot that we did when Emma Penelope was a newborn. Shout out to our favorite photographer <a href="http://www.nakaiphotography.com/" target="_blank">Kenny Nakai</a>! First I'll leave you with a recent photo, however. Look how big my girl is!<br />
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Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books" style="color: #6666cc;">travel photo album</a> at Shutterfly.com.<br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-38462800424505474142013-03-07T11:48:00.001-08:002013-03-07T11:48:30.724-08:00Word of the Year<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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My word of the year is EXCESS. A number of things have
contributed to this being my focus this year and I’d like to share with my
readers how my progress has been going. First, one of my best friends Kristi is
teaching in Brazil and she mentioned that there are only two kinds of cereal to
choose from at the grocery store and no one complains about this. There are
about 50 kinds at my local Jewel Osco (can you say excess!). The second
contributing factor to my revelation is that my toddler is beginning to really
accumulate possession and our apartment can only hold so much before we are all
literally tripping over playthings. Oddly, Emma isn’t any more or less happy
when she has 10 toys in front of her or 2. She can only focus on one thing at a
time. Third, there is a family at my church that have three kids and they live
in a studio apartment. There is really no reason for me to feel like I don’t
have enough room for three people in our two bedroom apartment. Fourth, Nate
Burkus always says you should have meaningful things in your home decor and
your home should rise up to greet you. How can I make my home happy if I don’t
know what’s in it?! <br />
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So here’s what I’ve done in my life to focus on eliminating
the excess and organize my life at the same time. Hopefully you will find
motivation to do the same in your home!<br />
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<b>TOYS</b>: Emma has three
small baskets for toys: one in our bedroom, one in the living room, and one in
her room. If it doesn’t fit in the baskets, it goes in the back stairwell which
has three boxes of extra toys (I am ready to cut down on these but at the same
time we like to rotate what’s in the baskets). I plan to further eliminate and
reduce the number and maybe file away the infant toys.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BABY CLOTHES</b>:
Emma has two tubs of outgrown clothes even though she’s only 18 months old. So
I went through all the baby clothes and donated or gave away anything that she
didn’t wear more than twice (lots of hand-me-downs equals lots of clothes that
aren’t quite my taste or the right size for the season but for some reason I previously
felt the need to keep them). Needless to say I donated lots. The clothes
0-9months are now in a vacuumed sealed bag under Emma’s crib.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BABY GEAR</b>: Is now
labeled in a box (bottles, paci’s, carriers, spoons, breast pump, boppy, etc).
I have lent my cloth diapers and baby swing to a new Mama and our giant saucer
toy is in the backstairwell.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE PANTRY</b>: I
have lots in my cupboards that I didn’t even know was there. If the world’s
supply of food ended, I think I could live off my pantry goods for weeks—I’m
not proud of that. I want to keep things that I need and use and eliminate the
excess. So I have been using recipes that will get rid of those random items
like…two cans of coconut milk! Expired or (dare I say) moldy items from pantry
or fridge are now gone. Our medical supplies are stored in the kitchen and the
shelves are now labeled “Emma, dog, vitamins, cold/flu, and pain” to organize
the contents on each shelf.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhgmEOHae5mht5xFtAq4LfbqtzES4DNT4Cv-bpXx6lFtrSFHXBQXDjZuzsSNjMCdJAvCaFzVL7VzP-yhufJO9nJKx8f_R2XrS19lDfAVK0rdutPNv2sNFMUMdRdPsAGIIDQukAoMQlIA/s1600/IMG_7619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhgmEOHae5mht5xFtAq4LfbqtzES4DNT4Cv-bpXx6lFtrSFHXBQXDjZuzsSNjMCdJAvCaFzVL7VzP-yhufJO9nJKx8f_R2XrS19lDfAVK0rdutPNv2sNFMUMdRdPsAGIIDQukAoMQlIA/s320/IMG_7619.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>OFFICE SUPPLIES:</b>
Our small desk was stuffed full with office supplies and we could never find
what we needed. I re-organized so that there’s a box of office supplies in the
closet next to the desk and in the desk is only a few of the things we need.
Ex: one strip of staples instead of 500, four pens and two pencils instead of
30. The rest is labeled and in the box:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfayjnpKpaJ_zVMkyMR7GD9YZ4hrSAAAvKkFwWH25wa9mrv7sYkBclyvw9eSOa-3Ep7jxZIPt7TVrJClS1MZLzr7bwSlbT9IjHe_Gz46EmneSPoF84Dx_TIJ2zd0UqSL23QVzFRMKJAo/s1600/IMG_7623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfayjnpKpaJ_zVMkyMR7GD9YZ4hrSAAAvKkFwWH25wa9mrv7sYkBclyvw9eSOa-3Ep7jxZIPt7TVrJClS1MZLzr7bwSlbT9IjHe_Gz46EmneSPoF84Dx_TIJ2zd0UqSL23QVzFRMKJAo/s320/IMG_7623.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MAGAZINES: </b>I used
to keep magazines that had one or two good-looking recipes in them but no
longer. I rip out the recipe I want to try, fold it up and put it in my recipe
box (which is clearly labeled now). When I am searching for something new to
make there’s only one place I need to go and that’s my box. Neat articles or
pretty pictures get documented on my phone and put on my Pinterest board. I
then recycle all extra paper (side note, we don’t have recycling bins here in
Chicago which annoys me to no end, so I have been sending home tons of
recycling with my family members every time we see each other. So ridiculous.
Okay rant over).<br />
<br /></div>
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<b>PICTURES: </b>Having
an iPhone has changed our lives in more than one way, but one thing we’ve
accumulated more of than ever before is tons of photos and video. When you have
a video camera in your back pocket at every moment, you can catch every (and I
mean every) moment of childhood you so desire but the result is thousands of
photos/videos of the same thing (I surely thing my baby is the cutest but I’m
not going to print 500 photos every month!). So I have been going through each
photo and video from Emma’s life (and plan on going back even further in our
computer photos). So far I have deleted 1900 photos and <i>you’d never know it!!</i> Scary (and excessive, no?)!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>KITCHEN</b>: I went
through my kitchen drawers and cabinets with the term “excess” on my mind and
came up with a whole paper bag for Goodwill (four plastic spatulas and three
soup ladles were hiding in the farthest corners of my drawers. I just don’t
NEED all these gadgets). I know and use what is in my kitchen now.<br />
<br /></div>
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<b>CLOSET</b>: Emma’s
closet has our extra boxes of belongings. I critically looked at the contents
of each box and clearly labeled each.
Every single box or bin is labeled (and I got rid of lots in the
process):<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJS4CSgKhcFbEZmD-f6_TENo1Eq3MDpS_WqrWIo_cjv3zyaP9BdWrT33Xkhb2PvoE4fYJ5j3UeeVfOFLcbZjsTa2TGW1_9suE-AbnItABTbXEkqAjsx2QQ-80A59-gPnuHtg1w8Ydwtds/s1600/IMG_7620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJS4CSgKhcFbEZmD-f6_TENo1Eq3MDpS_WqrWIo_cjv3zyaP9BdWrT33Xkhb2PvoE4fYJ5j3UeeVfOFLcbZjsTa2TGW1_9suE-AbnItABTbXEkqAjsx2QQ-80A59-gPnuHtg1w8Ydwtds/s320/IMG_7620.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
As for the master bedroom closet, I have critically gone through my
entire wardrobe several times (I used to think once was enough each season, but
now I know that that is not enough). Every article needs to be used frequently
enough to warrant its space. To ascertain if I wear my clothes enough for my
liking, I have turned every hanger around. When I use the item on that hanger,
I turn it the proper way. In 6 months I can see what I haven’t worn at all and
in December I suspect I’ll have even more clothing to donate. Extra purses,
bags, bras, you name it, I’ve gone through it. I just don’t <i>need</i> so much! Oddly, I have yet to miss
anything I’ve thrown out. And I’m more excited about my wardrobe than I ever
have been before because I make sure I LOVE everything I have and wear it
often! Here is every t-shirt I own--used to be three times this many:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVlhRCe-lyyNclGhtjjaYUHtbMgNp64OmxsSm_qGk3SDPSCArc7SUcdmdlCXezmLq99CttPjIlzcmghKGIwc25P5at94PoiZcowPUy_JYe_hBnkh5im5IIJacg54gg-rMRQsUEVdhyYY/s1600/IMG_7622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVlhRCe-lyyNclGhtjjaYUHtbMgNp64OmxsSm_qGk3SDPSCArc7SUcdmdlCXezmLq99CttPjIlzcmghKGIwc25P5at94PoiZcowPUy_JYe_hBnkh5im5IIJacg54gg-rMRQsUEVdhyYY/s320/IMG_7622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>MY RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE LORD: </b>The other half of this project is that I am focusing on what it
means to be excessive spiritually. I want to walk with the Lord closely. I want
to love Him excessively. You know, like “God will be most glorified in us when
we are most satisfied in Him” (thank you, John Piper). I think when I’m
excessive toward the Lord by excessively giving Him all of me I will be satisfied
that I am doing all I can to invest in our relationship. Not that our
satisfaction in the Lord is anything to do with what we do or don’t do, but
aiming to focus on Him more and really basking in the joy and grace He has
given me. I am accomplishing this by surrounding myself with Scripture (and
posting it around my home), being diligent with my quiet times, playing my guitar
more, praying purposefully with Emma, and speaking about the Lord daily.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several exciting things about this venture of
mine, but two major ones are that I feel FREEDOM. Free from clutter in my home,
free from the burden of extra. I like my home more since I have thought about
each item in it and decide keep only what I love. It really feels good to
donate 8 bags to the Goodwill store. I feel <i>happy</i>
when my husband asks “where are the batteries?” so that I can say “In the box
labeled batteries! Hooray!” Let me know if you have any tips for ways you have
organized and cut down on clutter. It’s only March--I can’t wait to see what
June, September and December brings for this project! Goodbye excess, hello
freedom!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Future projects: the utility closet, baby
toys, and continue to go through old pictures. Wha-hoo!<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-17537730934433311082013-02-22T06:15:00.002-08:002013-02-22T06:15:57.765-08:00Downton Abbey Finale Party<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Downton Abbey Finale Party</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib59B1ogWeAOBEWqyUWWAWbiV4i_mpXNyoTEfcUgIl5mGSLHmBNAo7_NKg_FCmLsNO7imRdD8CWv2iuJn7O6NW-bLS8urlZu7harQWi_4DNv-KKVzJ-Pc08w_jdd5AaWjC-F8EE4V0UZs/s1600/IMG_7434B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib59B1ogWeAOBEWqyUWWAWbiV4i_mpXNyoTEfcUgIl5mGSLHmBNAo7_NKg_FCmLsNO7imRdD8CWv2iuJn7O6NW-bLS8urlZu7harQWi_4DNv-KKVzJ-Pc08w_jdd5AaWjC-F8EE4V0UZs/s400/IMG_7434B.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downton Abbey is pretty fantastic. Minus a few elements and the deaths in season three, I have loved every minute of it. My husband is equally into it as I am which hasn't happened with other period pieces (he doesn't really care for any Austen, Bronte, Anne of Green Gables, etc). So we decided to throw a finale viewing party for a few friends who are just as into it as we are. Only problem was, we couldn't do a weekend due to Mike's work schedule (and anyway, "what is a weekend?") so we made it a Wednesday night which eliminated the other 8 people that we invited, but we were undeterred and celebrated with two other couples. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Menu:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deviled eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Popcorn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grilled cheese sandwiches with pesto and hummus (thank you Trader Joe's)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pound cake with mixed berries and whipped cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walkers tea biscuits</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">English toffee squares</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An assortment of tea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Punch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We enhanced our table with tablecloth, placecards, my grandmother's suitcase, a few victorian-looking boxes, a hatbox, and The World of Downton Abbey book. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietxGVd0msFNs0zYlSi1I8MejbhubHLWFbTspVi5tVsmdfAR8jfHQNyDQZA6EdKIBrC4-pED-FuGQUkZC6v-vYPMTLTvw2p6lvEwU6zVm2j7VIhWJTenWvsVr8ZkZkvBh1hi3BY_EfrTQ/s1600/IMG_7393A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietxGVd0msFNs0zYlSi1I8MejbhubHLWFbTspVi5tVsmdfAR8jfHQNyDQZA6EdKIBrC4-pED-FuGQUkZC6v-vYPMTLTvw2p6lvEwU6zVm2j7VIhWJTenWvsVr8ZkZkvBh1hi3BY_EfrTQ/s400/IMG_7393A.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUb3QRPCw9WVSZwRvHXihQWJ_0CeneeELTVWM2UP9X5FIUN5_rnU5qHJZ6LB_qw-CtGEgjaPkb5kO3IdLLvunoR6a7ht-liBct12I1uIZjrTnvbNIHcIKPDTiQPoP0E4jIt67N7kYdqg/s1600/IMG_7366A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUb3QRPCw9WVSZwRvHXihQWJ_0CeneeELTVWM2UP9X5FIUN5_rnU5qHJZ6LB_qw-CtGEgjaPkb5kO3IdLLvunoR6a7ht-liBct12I1uIZjrTnvbNIHcIKPDTiQPoP0E4jIt67N7kYdqg/s320/IMG_7366A.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tea sets</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> were loaned to me by my mother. The blue and white China was used daily by my grandmother and holds a special place in my heart. I almost didn't take them for fear of one of us un-trained, clumsy Americans breaking a piece, but everything remained in-tact throughout the evening! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLvsbrqo971ja1VatWLZ8BcCjRh4yNWdptibqYJC8qiZe3UB4RrIS8lPOGfxkt2qjwIiKF6Zy0UMQ0SRzR-FuuM9J2DUuu5Ykmzn84dmr7mSkejoqeQI9B9SmPjVSdjsisfnquZVzt90/s1600/IMG_7367A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLvsbrqo971ja1VatWLZ8BcCjRh4yNWdptibqYJC8qiZe3UB4RrIS8lPOGfxkt2qjwIiKF6Zy0UMQ0SRzR-FuuM9J2DUuu5Ykmzn84dmr7mSkejoqeQI9B9SmPjVSdjsisfnquZVzt90/s320/IMG_7367A.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I created the <b>Downton pennant banner</b>. The outside triangles say "What is a weekend?"</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnczYRQahfQsFAHFHSN02kRWw0okBKptzVv6mcSrbHKsNFBMCrpTtTwr_iDNO9rpR_W79Yi0JUzmL9T-9yoXdvxGvNxQet1CxWxUVZbPMf7iWII2xNN8O3xYe9khfNZl7H_xZDrfkCZwo/s1600/IMG_7370A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnczYRQahfQsFAHFHSN02kRWw0okBKptzVv6mcSrbHKsNFBMCrpTtTwr_iDNO9rpR_W79Yi0JUzmL9T-9yoXdvxGvNxQet1CxWxUVZbPMf7iWII2xNN8O3xYe9khfNZl7H_xZDrfkCZwo/s400/IMG_7370A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had our guests wear </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pins</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> should they deign to show up without costume. Just kidding. We bought these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/117057005/instant-download-printable-downton-style?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=downton+abbey+printable&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all" target="_blank">here </a>on etsy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2aXXXQmQybC9YwQzXXzDrij4cKEyqz5pVS4GTsoCXvzftZ6R1WGkrv1a9x4UpFXT9a0cwEUfyzpAIZnywtxhqHmSuXu8hoe8JexGsgkHj4xIM1j82mVYK1kQu2n24BlFBWMPw2QOj5U/s1600/IMG_7368A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2aXXXQmQybC9YwQzXXzDrij4cKEyqz5pVS4GTsoCXvzftZ6R1WGkrv1a9x4UpFXT9a0cwEUfyzpAIZnywtxhqHmSuXu8hoe8JexGsgkHj4xIM1j82mVYK1kQu2n24BlFBWMPw2QOj5U/s320/IMG_7368A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">costume</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I saw this dress on etsy which reminded me of this one worn by Lady Mary and thought I'd give re-creating it a try.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKvmc8T_b5AZGT-6ZjVRFRO7MQ36ysDa14ksl9q_u2nQjoaui_oHbK5ZdverYYtgkgMjvi4uIAwrLDsjN_Os_62tWFCaqC8MU_iZSSFLGHObl-O1B6jRQs50eIq36s6Eg2_Zf_CfT1R0/s1600/IMG_7010.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKvmc8T_b5AZGT-6ZjVRFRO7MQ36ysDa14ksl9q_u2nQjoaui_oHbK5ZdverYYtgkgMjvi4uIAwrLDsjN_Os_62tWFCaqC8MU_iZSSFLGHObl-O1B6jRQs50eIq36s6Eg2_Zf_CfT1R0/s320/IMG_7010.PNG" width="179" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxWaWtbDfolru-xbOoOKS5xIBRR8kP5zuxSeuClZpuA7J8zy1-0lN3d7jSNiHj6FmdnHdDPfJ4x-7pwFLf7NrK7WZzUKEzuchSw2nOpqtU0LyUKXz-IRV9GUH4SjGHsduErZ5TtG6iJg/s1600/season2_world_style_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxWaWtbDfolru-xbOoOKS5xIBRR8kP5zuxSeuClZpuA7J8zy1-0lN3d7jSNiHj6FmdnHdDPfJ4x-7pwFLf7NrK7WZzUKEzuchSw2nOpqtU0LyUKXz-IRV9GUH4SjGHsduErZ5TtG6iJg/s320/season2_world_style_02.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to Goodwill and scored big with a $7 formal dress and a $4 lacy black lingerie piece that I chopped into bits as soon as I got home. The purple dress came with a matching shawl that I used to lengthen the dress from ankle to floor length. I used the black trim the came with the lacy dress to create the girth, then sewed 6" wide straps of lace to the dress and secured them under the flowers at the back </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR3P3azO_rWSifVOr-sEPQa33cI7kX4pTFGe_2hbHkbw9wJf69n7aetcpPadOhMba11qSBpMO_W0wzuNtTuQAIU4MDfW_PwgSM1Tnc7QbsxJC6j3n1qiubA8bTC_FSCp_80Clc4N1zUY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR3P3azO_rWSifVOr-sEPQa33cI7kX4pTFGe_2hbHkbw9wJf69n7aetcpPadOhMba11qSBpMO_W0wzuNtTuQAIU4MDfW_PwgSM1Tnc7QbsxJC6j3n1qiubA8bTC_FSCp_80Clc4N1zUY/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(here's a fairly good photo of the lace attached to the back)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I found the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/117076705" target="_blank">beading for the dress</a> on etsy for $12 and hand-sewed it to the front. I purchased black opera gloves at Chicago Costume for $10 and dolled-up my own pearl necklace with some ribbon. My sweet husband wore a tux, and even our schnauzer got a bow tie!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hair</b>: I watched several "downton abbey hair tutorials" on youtube but came up with my own solution. I separated my hair into three sections and teased each. I then twisted the sides and secured to my head. Then I used the tube-part of a black sock to wrap the middle section up into a low bun (the sock added some volume). Add some bobby pins, some hair spray, and a brooch from my grandma in-law and my hair was complete. I <i>loved </i>how it turned out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgg9RvKdtq42EXLZsbNVMcpvGgd8LkidnYTd0HAKZP_rsWInCLm8vYzByGCs1rwAfhJg2jjtKT19Rko0BklSqC9fbOBM_HJrt_PG2xl98KOM-rQY0HKgxDakbTd6oJKtCuwG816cvivE/s1600/IMG_7390A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgg9RvKdtq42EXLZsbNVMcpvGgd8LkidnYTd0HAKZP_rsWInCLm8vYzByGCs1rwAfhJg2jjtKT19Rko0BklSqC9fbOBM_HJrt_PG2xl98KOM-rQY0HKgxDakbTd6oJKtCuwG816cvivE/s320/IMG_7390A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the whole ensemble:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBRoO9u0PSgJxifXS7-toUo42kNKmGy0nHg_v33ewP9TPPKn7EB4-IO9cz9bXgBx6tZ8zTl8VIB-zfrwWCB6y7oeGIQ99rerDQuVK7lvwvfOG1VDDJibXK_ZGCxnkiToJ2t6aDL9wakM/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBRoO9u0PSgJxifXS7-toUo42kNKmGy0nHg_v33ewP9TPPKn7EB4-IO9cz9bXgBx6tZ8zTl8VIB-zfrwWCB6y7oeGIQ99rerDQuVK7lvwvfOG1VDDJibXK_ZGCxnkiToJ2t6aDL9wakM/s400/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The home-made photo booth</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> background was our shower curtain and the props I made from foam sheets hot-glue-gunned to skewer sticks. I also found a tray from Goodwill that I painted with chalkboard paint for our sign. I edited the photos with picmonkey.com.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG5wDok0_iLhWbvTjS4nzmWgppbztsAzh4VgSe5XgBA6bwuIt5BE0U7SXS7P960_03EXY7OHMWbPd_YU8j_cMMXlDESWVdy_QND471Ek_5ocedadak4fvtlXI068Jf6P5skWJ7RdyYqQ/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG5wDok0_iLhWbvTjS4nzmWgppbztsAzh4VgSe5XgBA6bwuIt5BE0U7SXS7P960_03EXY7OHMWbPd_YU8j_cMMXlDESWVdy_QND471Ek_5ocedadak4fvtlXI068Jf6P5skWJ7RdyYqQ/s400/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also played trivia. Here are the questions that we came up with along with the correct answers (and some of the best answers that we got from our guests!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> 20 Downton Abbey Trivia Questions from Seasons 1-3</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1)
What is the name of Lord Grantham’s dog? A) Isis<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Best other answers: Pedro and Baxter</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2) What war did Bates and </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Lord Grantham fight in together? A) Boer war</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Before becoming engaged to Matthew Crawley, Lady Mary considered a visit to
what country? A) America<br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">4) What does Daisy’s </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">father in law do for a living? A) Farmer</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">5) Downton Abbey was </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">created and written by whom? A) Julian Fellowes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best other answers: Mark Walberg, J.K.
Rowling and Laura Linney</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">6) DA Season 1, Episode 1 </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">opens which the news of what historic event? A) Sinking of the titanic</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">7) What country was Mr. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Pamuk from? A) Turkey</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">8) In Season 1 what </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">medical condition did Mrs. Patmore have? A) Cataracts</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">9) In season 3, episode 3, </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">what type of spoon did Alfred fail to identify correctly? A) Boullioun Spoon</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best other answers: French onion
soup spoon, spork</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">10) What was Lavinia </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Swire’s father’s name? A) Reggie Swire</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best other answer: Pamook</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">11) Sir Richard Carlisle </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">was a self-made man who acquired his fortune in what business? A) Newspapers</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">12) A badly disfigured </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">soldier arrived at DA and claimed to be the rightful heir. Who was the only </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">family member to believe his story? A) Lady Edith</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">13) Several family members </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">were taken ill in the last episode of season two. What disease caused havoc in </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the house? A) The spanish flu</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">14) Who was Robert talking </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">about when he said “She thinks that if you put a toy down, it will still be </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">sitting there when you want to play with it again”. A) Lady Mary</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">15) Which hand did Thomas injure in the war? A) </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Left</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">16) What is the first name </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">of the Dowager Countess of Grantham? A) Violet</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">17) What is the name of </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the castle where DA is filmed? Highclere</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best other answers: Tower of London, Kensington</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">18) Who left Edith at the </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">alter? A) Sir Anthony Strallin</span><b>Best other answers: “One-armed man”,
Bob, “old man who is awkward”, and “creepy guy’</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">19) In season two when </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Matthew and Mary dance together to a record, what musical is the song from? A) </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Zip Goes a Million</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best other answers: </b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Les Mis, Marriage of Figaro, </b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lion King, </b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">BONUS QUESTION:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">20) Name as many </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ingredients in Branson’s slop mixture for theArmy General as you can. A) Sour </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">milk, cow pie, ink, oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">TIE BREAKER:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How many people in downton </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">house caught the spanish flu? A) Five</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">First place trivia <b>winner </b>won this fabulous framed Downton quote that my friend Debbie made for me (it says "You'll find there's never a dull moment in this house"). Second place got a tea cup (thank you, Goodwill) filled with English toffee squares. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEoSkf0d5R5HCXY7t15W1uCFmXJFCwGrXms8hvefyIDmZJMVKnDUkfKja8uOSHjd8zH2o8ZW6jVg-sKOJ_sLetra4AZssWlcYfOuYx5tqWo0E5Hl1cBjpwwwBgn6wgoV8JGkH-QANEpw/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEoSkf0d5R5HCXY7t15W1uCFmXJFCwGrXms8hvefyIDmZJMVKnDUkfKja8uOSHjd8zH2o8ZW6jVg-sKOJ_sLetra4AZssWlcYfOuYx5tqWo0E5Hl1cBjpwwwBgn6wgoV8JGkH-QANEpw/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwXRH9REqhdJ8xj_uJX4Pi2x0u-J0VG-HNF2m8-uuPpJYhyphenhyphenLO4BxYivESexJ5QMqS2Hu_jQT1FsfwGmQysuwYKxPit0CFV7UjEDbz4pMDUhohBoHidsTyb1HGL2Srbg0TP09EqdhOR_I/s1600/IMG_7371A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwXRH9REqhdJ8xj_uJX4Pi2x0u-J0VG-HNF2m8-uuPpJYhyphenhyphenLO4BxYivESexJ5QMqS2Hu_jQT1FsfwGmQysuwYKxPit0CFV7UjEDbz4pMDUhohBoHidsTyb1HGL2Srbg0TP09EqdhOR_I/s320/IMG_7371A.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Even Emma got into the spirit for the evening:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbZbjCih9TEmqOv3Y2CHwayIETOmATxF9ZoswzYcu9Zc6JlpbmBSjrBBrw8drMo-RvhJyhtohc1-j6kekFpycFUowl0ao9u5u-4h1ePlyLt2J5je5HoylsmaHJaHAIOrKM4V7gGZUClA/s1600/IMG_7440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbZbjCih9TEmqOv3Y2CHwayIETOmATxF9ZoswzYcu9Zc6JlpbmBSjrBBrw8drMo-RvhJyhtohc1-j6kekFpycFUowl0ao9u5u-4h1ePlyLt2J5je5HoylsmaHJaHAIOrKM4V7gGZUClA/s200/IMG_7440.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(just kidding, she didn't spell that, I did).</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We had a wonderful evening and will do it on a weekend next year so that more people can attend. I'll leave you with some final pictures of the night.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rU7n6-Lr_ZrXBRIDznbyppmwuoCc7ghzsvgfSsiQDV0y2AzM2T90ZZLfF-XXHBy3RKQ_AwNfPHNSI7w-e2iav86ujvff-1IgTVLwk6AaCmbz9ufW1BAU-LpqnBhdWGISA1WR4XL2Pqo/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage5A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rU7n6-Lr_ZrXBRIDznbyppmwuoCc7ghzsvgfSsiQDV0y2AzM2T90ZZLfF-XXHBy3RKQ_AwNfPHNSI7w-e2iav86ujvff-1IgTVLwk6AaCmbz9ufW1BAU-LpqnBhdWGISA1WR4XL2Pqo/s640/PicMonkey+Collage5A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HJ8MstBMBhvhJKjFMKIUlFqTHORSRsXyPK_mCKE6R2dFH54YY9m55y9_qHdwBW0w15Wrdv6OBI961QbZdko3HQXnZZY7PPQs8j1xUbboE9YhtYZTt-rA5Kbuz_Ntu86Ka0vH4rpuo7I/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage4A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HJ8MstBMBhvhJKjFMKIUlFqTHORSRsXyPK_mCKE6R2dFH54YY9m55y9_qHdwBW0w15Wrdv6OBI961QbZdko3HQXnZZY7PPQs8j1xUbboE9YhtYZTt-rA5Kbuz_Ntu86Ka0vH4rpuo7I/s400/PicMonkey+Collage4A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-23016439613557350202013-01-11T10:53:00.000-08:002013-01-11T10:53:00.878-08:00Papper Snoflingor Creations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Papper Snoflingor Creations</div>
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My friend Kristen recently started an <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PapperSnoflingor?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">Etsy store</a> and I am in love with what she is doing! She creates these paper snowflakes with no pattern and each is completely unique and different. I purchased one for my mother for Christmas:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6qB0Kp5hL_ebE1wGWAi2kmBNU8tGm2_NW1r-O4tWJym57nrBj7xPtJsKXEpJdVU1fP_O4oDzR74qWKBHre1Qq5dUvjf_zBjZbSNEOmN-zcmiEywXSZ_owKy6EbvNC5c4HmZs0xR5e-w/s1600/il_570xN.387916260_713g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6qB0Kp5hL_ebE1wGWAi2kmBNU8tGm2_NW1r-O4tWJym57nrBj7xPtJsKXEpJdVU1fP_O4oDzR74qWKBHre1Qq5dUvjf_zBjZbSNEOmN-zcmiEywXSZ_owKy6EbvNC5c4HmZs0xR5e-w/s320/il_570xN.387916260_713g.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one I purchased for myself:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Mkr9QbXJzBcrWq5N5FXI_q_nqkSc00q7mOSWklU_MvlOYARwgEwk-oHuDrmLZOkumfJXy3ueV-JzE31zog67ue2OI63rBj6s1_ZrYBVgCQ-hTfK1wfyqPFPbCZmKHFnTKoo0jguwqMQ/s1600/il_570xN.386172618_ortl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Mkr9QbXJzBcrWq5N5FXI_q_nqkSc00q7mOSWklU_MvlOYARwgEwk-oHuDrmLZOkumfJXy3ueV-JzE31zog67ue2OI63rBj6s1_ZrYBVgCQ-hTfK1wfyqPFPbCZmKHFnTKoo0jguwqMQ/s320/il_570xN.386172618_ortl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They come mounted and framed--a perfect and unique gift! Go check her out. No really do! <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PapperSnoflingor?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">click here</a>!</div>
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Thanks Kristen!</div>
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-56502697773598719042013-01-09T10:44:00.000-08:002013-01-09T10:44:00.566-08:00Embroidered House Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u>Embroidered Pillow</u></div>
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I've never embroidered anything before in my life. But I saw <i><a href="http://www.patchworkposse.com/blog/2009/08/picture-this/" target="_blank">this </a></i>tutorial on Pinterest and decided to give it a go. Our good friends <a href="http://karicorsi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kari </a>and Steve moved to Kentucky after living in a gem of a building in Chicago. It was their first place together and despite the 3rd floor walk up, mixed-matched kitchen, grody shower, uneven floor, super tricky parking, and wind like you would not BELIEVE, I know they miss it. Therefore, I decided Kari and Steve's old place was going to be my guinea pig for this project. I snapped these photos of their house, converted them to black and white using picmonkey.com, and printed them on computer paper at home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0-5Bji5TCuYHsMTPsCikKRLaLKyVOutSs6dxHwSFTjpvfTc_uGtvlpf7v18PT9Otlx4gqcRYQ08ScOrmfYrlXdZ6cQDgwvvi7wbZmVNsE_i8kPBNHc1EZ_enqSdUdf2NybOWwjjm3qg/s1600/IMG_5933%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0-5Bji5TCuYHsMTPsCikKRLaLKyVOutSs6dxHwSFTjpvfTc_uGtvlpf7v18PT9Otlx4gqcRYQ08ScOrmfYrlXdZ6cQDgwvvi7wbZmVNsE_i8kPBNHc1EZ_enqSdUdf2NybOWwjjm3qg/s320/IMG_5933%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReuWK3XpWH_6OqtOXgOlCVthVpXXvTKEGIBesSzE-SBhRddW7Q4mCqgyMXE4boUovJ4eBBRSQYb8TnBrAScWprSanVw88gsvH0nYLF9YbNIb05B4HuUuTFFoASm5TPqQ5xcwpMPZ3rt4/s1600/IMG_5927%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReuWK3XpWH_6OqtOXgOlCVthVpXXvTKEGIBesSzE-SBhRddW7Q4mCqgyMXE4boUovJ4eBBRSQYb8TnBrAScWprSanVw88gsvH0nYLF9YbNIb05B4HuUuTFFoASm5TPqQ5xcwpMPZ3rt4/s320/IMG_5927%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I then traced the main building lines with a Sharpie and then re-traced the whole thing onto another piece of paper, creating a pattern. I tried to incorporate some of their building's special features to aid the identification process, which brought me here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBupfbeq-QTK0K-ihvRd6RkVFQWD200Xj-1lhhw8bXFGPssIY9uACAuOZ8hJuBpgNywR_YByH5cz7IpFVpVe2YhkOCalINzNMpxC8OcxeuYJgggHaGVK_mO2XbgzhXqlGTlIodUnagl3g/s1600/IMG_6189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBupfbeq-QTK0K-ihvRd6RkVFQWD200Xj-1lhhw8bXFGPssIY9uACAuOZ8hJuBpgNywR_YByH5cz7IpFVpVe2YhkOCalINzNMpxC8OcxeuYJgggHaGVK_mO2XbgzhXqlGTlIodUnagl3g/s320/IMG_6189.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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(I later tweaked the tree trunk, obviously)<br />
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It was then lightly traced onto a piece of muslin, and I went to town with my embroidery floss and hoop! Added a border and backing and this project was finished!<br />
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I used all scraps so this project was a big ol' f-r-e-e!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwLjjGcP8d7RjLu7vNOlr6epMar-e9xDryyxJUX7yCeQruxKPfVMDSJ8S3BcVT8hJ9nOQD0q2OcTxIL3W3hp-FaYCrqeFZ2uiAr6zCxHgmcl7-onCXtDTuXFA2LjNXURCA6rZQJiFWt4/s1600/IMG_6012.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/AVvXsEhpwLjjGcP8d7RjLu7vNOlr6epMar-e9xDryyxJUX7yCeQruxKPfVMDSJ8S3BcVT8hJ9nOQD0q2OcTxIL3W3hp-FaYCrqeFZ2uiAr6zCxHgmcl7-onCXtDTuXFA2LjNXURCA6rZQJiFWt4/s320/IMG_6012.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtB_Ogv21BxIYJhoCV79A5E4mQxlwSpRDTHZpYoAHa8oxQ3b8TmhiNFkfBypL5JbVfVvo87nFIIxQVw61qVBXJqL874cWAkunj8RfKdlKPgzUzxTcLuqH7CDlx53EAZ_u9zFe9v2xGRs/s1600/IMG_6011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtB_Ogv21BxIYJhoCV79A5E4mQxlwSpRDTHZpYoAHa8oxQ3b8TmhiNFkfBypL5JbVfVvo87nFIIxQVw61qVBXJqL874cWAkunj8RfKdlKPgzUzxTcLuqH7CDlx53EAZ_u9zFe9v2xGRs/s320/IMG_6011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Better yet, I think she liked it. :)<br />
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Go check out Kari's blog: www.karicorsi.blogspot.com<br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-48596617774534974412013-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:002013-01-08T10:23:00.238-08:00Best Thrift Store Find EVER!Yelloware bowls are special in my family because my grandmother made her bread in them everyday for years. They are perfect for my family's beloved rice pudding recipe because you can bake it in the same bowl you mix it in. My mother gave me one of her smaller ones when I got married but I always am on the lookout for more at antique stores. I recently debated over one that was being sold at an antique mall for $45. Ouch.<br />
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Meandered into my local Goodwill here in Chicago and stumbled across this beauty. It was hiding under an ice cube tray in the knick-knack department and I literally gasped and asked aloud "is this for real?" because I was SO excited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6OtZJ6Czq6t9gtTWAgh52n-aQpFy0SmCvB6X-paZAJNkyAG-008D1SE5v1CFGjppkJFpoNe8rzQdENkCCWlMr7Mk-DfkIfpcJOo-kxMJq5W87zthQbwcKzg-cHvHr2AYCxgtnytGN0M/s1600/IMG_5335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6OtZJ6Czq6t9gtTWAgh52n-aQpFy0SmCvB6X-paZAJNkyAG-008D1SE5v1CFGjppkJFpoNe8rzQdENkCCWlMr7Mk-DfkIfpcJOo-kxMJq5W87zthQbwcKzg-cHvHr2AYCxgtnytGN0M/s320/IMG_5335.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Looks remarkably like <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Yellowware-Bowl-10-inch-104-USA-Brown-Banded-/360157020198#vi-content" target="_blank">this one</a> which is being sold on ebay for $116! Want to know how much I paid for this beauty: $2.25!! That's right; two dollars and twenty-five cents. What's that verse about how every good and perfect gift is from above? ;)<br />
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Beyond pumped. This is why thrifting has me hooked--you never know what's around the next corner or hiding under an...ice cube tray!<br />
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*insert happy dance<br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-11141382026874237552013-01-07T10:19:00.002-08:002013-01-07T10:25:15.144-08:00Sweater Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sweater Quilt</div>
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Saw <a href="http://yellowsuitcasestudio.blogspot.com/2011/10/wool-sweater-blanket-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><i>this </i></a>tutorial via Pinterest to make a wool sweater quilt and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to try something like it. My sister Jenny loves quilting as much as I do, but rarely has time to do it, so I decided to give this one to her. The tutorial called for wool sweaters, but I wanted to keep this gift reasonably priced so instead I headed to my local Salvation Army thrift store and found this selection of cotton-blend sweaters in brown, gold, white and tan:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizogy54I5EhzFZEL9iXHFTuGLuMVWaGG2dWxCiqBJcV5c6CSMhkJIGVBUFoCzIYdq5miRSX8JFHClP1yAYA1jjnUOfXEcnDZ39IJvKwUK378-XFKG0WsLWMZ-EFX_MhSHK1yiPhZd6CCU/s1600/IMG_5983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizogy54I5EhzFZEL9iXHFTuGLuMVWaGG2dWxCiqBJcV5c6CSMhkJIGVBUFoCzIYdq5miRSX8JFHClP1yAYA1jjnUOfXEcnDZ39IJvKwUK378-XFKG0WsLWMZ-EFX_MhSHK1yiPhZd6CCU/s320/IMG_5983.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After a thorough wash, I cut out all the seams and laid out my collection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeT36RaqYTscPHXEzJ3nT8Xd5TlacmFptzLW-6Do26IqjqZBYVNgkRNJPVBPfiaIXTO_vM_BW4qL732U26z5Jt7N_EzlKj0qcVD8kAYBsZseK2I23HKCJi5OoP2OnayvoEPWfD0LoDsTs/s1600/IMG_5988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeT36RaqYTscPHXEzJ3nT8Xd5TlacmFptzLW-6Do26IqjqZBYVNgkRNJPVBPfiaIXTO_vM_BW4qL732U26z5Jt7N_EzlKj0qcVD8kAYBsZseK2I23HKCJi5OoP2OnayvoEPWfD0LoDsTs/s320/IMG_5988.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOUtkTML8U7SFGciJHAlUuz6HIjjQ7k4IJ_Qk98mboIpoEv6zwyu-Q4Kl-AzfVBeY4iYmUul_HJyBhYPU3VAaDH_cSzNv12kGeRMfmvfdz7HKNLIfJMsFJd5xr3O5u-ri8e098cwai1s/s1600/IMG_5990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOUtkTML8U7SFGciJHAlUuz6HIjjQ7k4IJ_Qk98mboIpoEv6zwyu-Q4Kl-AzfVBeY4iYmUul_HJyBhYPU3VAaDH_cSzNv12kGeRMfmvfdz7HKNLIfJMsFJd5xr3O5u-ri8e098cwai1s/s320/IMG_5990.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then I just sewed the blocks into strips and strips into rows.<br />
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I seriously considered leaving it as it was but then decided I wanted a bit more completed of a look. So I backed it with flannel (mmmmmm), turned it right-side-out (like a giant pillowcase), and used brown yarn to create a double-blanket stitch around the edges. I sewed the few buttons left on the quilt from the back to the front to attach the layers together.<br />
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Jenny loved it and was touched that the only quilt I made all year was for her! :) Mission accomplished. Overall this quilt cost about $30--extremely reasonable and one of a kind! Perfect for a car quilt, cabin quilt, or everyday quilt!</div>
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-26974585974168020452012-08-22T13:13:00.004-07:002013-01-07T10:25:41.647-08:00Another Tin!In 2008 (ish) my family started doing an annual Cookie Baking Weekend Extravaganza. I didn't have any cookie tins at the first gathering, so my sweet mother gave me all the tins that she didn't particularly enjoy. Some of them are a bit...outdated and none of them are really <i>me</i> except the sleigh scene pictured lower left. So last year I decided to start collecting my own tins. I am so pleased with how this collection is coming!<br />
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In July I stopped by the CUTEST little <u><a href="https://plus.google.com/104919308892117063498/about?gl=US&hl=en-US" target="_blank">antique store</a></u> in Saugatuck, MI where I spotted the red beauty in the bottom right corner:<br />
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Better still I talked them down to $3! I'm already on the lookout for the next additions to my collection of sleigh tins. If you spot one, let me know! :)<br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-16227770938314238862012-08-19T20:07:00.001-07:002013-01-07T10:25:40.847-08:00Summer Salad<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Summer Salad</b></div>
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<i>This salad represents the epitome of summer to me. Major yum. Goes great with BBQ, Indian food, or on its own as a healthy lunch!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3P8qKyuQA4jg5d-AJRLcBcTsCgvN8CM5gw2nnIe82097dX7_hP8zepl3vEHqlj_nSfc4iSMpw5Fy2VEWiKLwe3E98uY24Gq1M1BeKswsX_84E6em_TyM7bHIHyYbyBwakD9S3-KK1rs/s1600/IMG_4877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3P8qKyuQA4jg5d-AJRLcBcTsCgvN8CM5gw2nnIe82097dX7_hP8zepl3vEHqlj_nSfc4iSMpw5Fy2VEWiKLwe3E98uY24Gq1M1BeKswsX_84E6em_TyM7bHIHyYbyBwakD9S3-KK1rs/s320/IMG_4877.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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One large ripe tomato<br />
One large ripe cucumber<br />
1/4 red onion, sliced and chopped<br />
1/3 cup Italian dressing<br />
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Mix all (vary the proportions if you'd like). Chill several hours before eating to let the flavors meld. Tastes even better the next day, although you can eat it right away if you can't help yourself.<br />
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-66027658550632123982012-08-19T20:01:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:26:17.219-08:00iPhone Trick for Mama's with Squirmy KiddosSmart people probably already have this figured out but I didn't until my daughter was about 7 months old. We all have photos that look like this:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RzWrwsePbGZGgddEsmsRQkGu_17z5w1uc3DRN9AKJD8kcdFLrznydmx-uPM2-N3feD-7g-8gPf8OKgkzsUHxVS5fIS05S1zKJOjqc1A8APN274BpNsmhBLJFxecL_fH-_2BN5hqzoP0/s1600/IMG_4391.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RzWrwsePbGZGgddEsmsRQkGu_17z5w1uc3DRN9AKJD8kcdFLrznydmx-uPM2-N3feD-7g-8gPf8OKgkzsUHxVS5fIS05S1zKJOjqc1A8APN274BpNsmhBLJFxecL_fH-_2BN5hqzoP0/s320/IMG_4391.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
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She looked at the camera and smiled right BEFORE this photo was taken. It will now be deleted because the shutter speed on the iPhone camera is too slow to catch the movement and it's a bit blurry.
THERE'S A SOLUTION!!
Take a VIDEO of your child and try to get them to smile at the camera. Focus on keeping the camera centered on the kiddo and do whatever it takes to get that baby to look at you and smile. Notice the high-pitched talking and face-making that goes on in the below video to get her to smile...if possible:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WCGuPAvFXf8" width="420"></iframe>
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Then after you've taken the video view it but pause it instead of playing it. Use the cursor at the top of the screen to navagate the video and find the perfect spot where your child looks cute. Then tap the screen once to get rid of the cursor. Now take a SCREEN SHOT by holding down the center button and the power button at the same time. Your new photo will go the end of your camera role. This is the photo I got from taking the above video:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVJultemOYAFrYmXOrs8nYnYgv4ugnWc6rfM5L_rrsIkDRwDXKUzw4HOOCu6KvvkRQn1nflEU2UiF6kRAsGx8oETJPWIdOYMiqJYel8Fgt-a-1k41a0eEo48o0NkjCVcasMTI7Ouob9M/s1600/IMG_4872.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVJultemOYAFrYmXOrs8nYnYgv4ugnWc6rfM5L_rrsIkDRwDXKUzw4HOOCu6KvvkRQn1nflEU2UiF6kRAsGx8oETJPWIdOYMiqJYel8Fgt-a-1k41a0eEo48o0NkjCVcasMTI7Ouob9M/s320/IMG_4872.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
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It's not as high quality of a photo as it could be, but your baby will look cute! Now a little tweaking on picmonkey.com and I've got a pretty nice photo (for an iPhone with a slow shutter speed)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGZkPRIybn7hhJKXiHJP3g50f_rXcFPVjaO4V2xt7-L9SwdTd3j9FLh9_st4sKsJjLJyEhL46M7P8tw2x8wBxI4f4ItmNe7WyVTYO0hKJ8XwcX9ghFFBzNggtcaU8bro08BYPJjBpl5Y/s1600/IMG_4872PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGZkPRIybn7hhJKXiHJP3g50f_rXcFPVjaO4V2xt7-L9SwdTd3j9FLh9_st4sKsJjLJyEhL46M7P8tw2x8wBxI4f4ItmNe7WyVTYO0hKJ8XwcX9ghFFBzNggtcaU8bro08BYPJjBpl5Y/s320/IMG_4872PM.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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So to recap, (1) take a video (2) pause the video in the perfect spot (3) take a screen shot. Enjoy!
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-14211078699553705982012-07-24T08:00:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:26:28.419-08:00Rick Rack and Minky Baby BlanketI used<a href="http://www.sew-much-ado.com/2009/05/ric-rac-receiving-blanket-tutorial.html" target="_blank"> this tutorial </a>to make baby Campbell's soft minky blanket. I have made about 12 quilts, so I can say with confidence that this is WAY easier! It's more like a giant pillow case with no stuffing. I didn't use an exact measurement for the fabric, I had a large scrap of blue minky left over from the <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/07/diy-crib-bumpers.html" target="_blank">crib bumpers</a>, so I just cut the brown Waverly Parterre Walnut fabric to the same size. Cutting the corners off to make rounded corners makes attaching the rick rack much more simple (and it's another way to make your blanket special). I sewed the rick rack to the cotton fabric because attaching it to the minky would have been way too slippery. I'm not a very faithful pinner, so I just laid the rick rack and tried to keep it equidistant from the edge of the fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVyA-KerEyj_TDe0t9Ti1wdijbp92-l9leAuhoz6L3aATYk8l5Y_hTYEYWLzK_bGFLy3Isy_197SjLqkxcW1n7w2RAzKiAwXA8ls38nEjnekEdlWGCShJexB78ypeRpxg4cus-kf3n7s/s1600/IMG_4533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVyA-KerEyj_TDe0t9Ti1wdijbp92-l9leAuhoz6L3aATYk8l5Y_hTYEYWLzK_bGFLy3Isy_197SjLqkxcW1n7w2RAzKiAwXA8ls38nEjnekEdlWGCShJexB78ypeRpxg4cus-kf3n7s/s320/IMG_4533.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
To end the sewing on of the rick rack, I overlapped them, draping the ends off the fabric:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeaTglxvhmXXlBzxMrPYOE9GC0MpoK8iftIiJWPmofUnqoJ11KTdl2kghgHsP2APiEWMfVWMw1mxLKZcNDihMTeLmCp7xrVpcKeGmuUPOGj1OjVtNIBCuXi0KBAxGO9sVD33mCNbdtUw/s1600/IMG_4534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeaTglxvhmXXlBzxMrPYOE9GC0MpoK8iftIiJWPmofUnqoJ11KTdl2kghgHsP2APiEWMfVWMw1mxLKZcNDihMTeLmCp7xrVpcKeGmuUPOGj1OjVtNIBCuXi0KBAxGO9sVD33mCNbdtUw/s320/IMG_4534.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then, I laid the minky fabric on top, pinned, and stitched all the way around leaving a 4" hole, through which you then turn everything right-side-out and press. Finally, I topstitched around the whole thing--done!<br />
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So cute, so cuddly, and so fast! You can see more photos of the finished room <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/07/brown-and-blue-baby-bedding.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I don't know if I'll ever make a typical baby quilt again--this was way too easy, still special, but less fragile!
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-88269072946594827972012-07-23T12:36:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:26:37.622-08:00Pleated Crib Skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: clear;">For baby Campbell's crib skirt, </span><span style="background-color: clear;">I used the tutorial in Amy Butler's "Little Stitches for Little Ones" book.</span><span style="background-color: clear;"> I used the little blue dot fabric within the pleat as well as on the short sides so that there are two contrasting fabrics. You can see more photos of the bedroom <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/07/brown-and-blue-baby-bedding.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-4116301968475123422012-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:27:05.810-08:00DIY Crib BumpersI followed<a href="http://sew4home.com/projects/pillows-cushions/stylish-baby-nursery-crib-bumpers-two-cool-fabs"> this tutorial</a> from <a href="http://www.sew4home.com/" target="_blank">Sew4Home</a>(which you really should follow, by the way--awesome site) to make baby Campbell's crib bumpers. I used light blue minky for the interior of the bumpers, plain blue for the ties and piping and I used Waverly Parterre Walnut for the exterior. So classy and modern--I love it! My sewing machine doesn't have a zipper foot, so I just used my regular one. Also, I didn't buy enough fabric to be able to make bias strips, so I just cut 2 1/4" strips. They "give" less, but it worked and I didn't have to make another run to JoAnn.
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More photos of his whole room can be found <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/07/brown-and-blue-baby-bedding.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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</center>Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-76724458445806577842012-07-21T08:45:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:27:05.811-08:00Scrappy DIY stuffed animals and burp clothsI had some fabric scraps from when I made baby Campbell's bedding (see photos of the finished product <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/07/brown-and-blue-baby-bedding.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Can't keep it in the scrap bin--it belongs in his room! So I whipped up some stuffies! Never made any stuffed animals before but basically they are just pillows (probably obviously to everyone else on the planet, but I was really quite surprised by their sewing simplicity). I followed <a href="http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/11/guest-post-for-riley-blake.html" target="_blank"><u>this</u> </a>tutorial for the elephant (isn't that just darling?!) except that I hand-stitched the ear to gather it since my sewing machine doesn't have that function (at least I couldn't find it). And I followed <a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/04/stuffed-animal-part-ii.html" target="_blank"><u>this</u> </a>tutorial for the giraffe. I stuffed the elephant plenty full so he'd stand up more readily, but I left the giraffe soft and mostly flat, so it's more of a tag blanket/lovie. Couldn't be happier with this project and it took me all of 30 minutes to make them both.<br />
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But I still had some fabric left over. So I pieced together some minky scraps, sewed it to some cotton scraps, turned it inside out through a 2" hole I had left, and then top-stitched. Super soft burp cloths or runny-nose wipers! And that project also took about 30 minutes. Very scrappy, but one of a kind!<br />
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Great DIY baby gift ideas!<br />
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</center>Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-77201400102107807802012-07-20T08:35:00.002-07:002013-01-07T10:27:05.813-08:00Brown and Blue Baby BeddingI made my daughter Emma's baby bedding (see posts of that by <a href="http://thepurplemartin.blogspot.com/2012/04/emmas-owl-themed-nursery.html" target="_blank">clicking here</a>), so when my cousin Cara asked me to make her baby's bedding, I thought I could do a decent job, so I agreed. After two days of chaos between the dining room table turned into a sewing explosion, and trying to keep my 10 month old from pushing the sewing machine pedal, here it is! I am pleased, Cara is pleased and OBVIOUSLY baby Campbell loves it too! I made the crib skirt, crib bumpers, a blanket, some burp cloths, a throw pillow, AND some stuffed animals (never tried making them before but I LOVE them)
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Isn't this room just too classy?! I'll be writing some more posts about the individual pieces soon. Thanks for the opportunity to grow in my skills, Cara! Your baby is one lucky little man!
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</center>Amanda Shihhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02801988252584591945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956640509364187057.post-34226394440640226962012-07-10T12:29:00.000-07:002013-01-07T10:27:30.766-08:00Cleaning the Grates on the Stovetop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Cleaning the Grates on the Stovetop With Ammonia</b></div>
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I saw <a href="http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/2011/10/i-saw-it-i-tried-it-cleaning-the-grates-on-your-gas-stove/" target="_blank"><u>this</u><i> </i></a>pin on Pinterest about using ammonia to clean your stovetop grates with no elbow grease involved. I didn't even know if you could buy ammonia at the grocery, but apparently you can and it's only about $2 for a <strike>gallon</strike> lifetime supply. I tried it last night and I am AMAZED at the results. Here's how I did it:<br />
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Step 1: Place your grates in gallon-sized zipper bags<br />
Step 2: Place them in a glass baking dish in case they leak<br />
Step 3: GO OUTSIDE with them<br />
Step 4: Pour 2-3 tablespoons of ammonia into the zipper bag and seal [quickly--whew that stuff is powerful]<br />
Step 5: Leave them to soak outside overnight<br />
Step 6: In the morning, pour out the ammonia, and wipe them down with clean, soapy water. I did not scrub at all!<br />
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I am so happy with how these guys look now. Check out the difference between the grate that wasn't clean and the one that was (I did not touch up these photos at all). Pinterest saves the day again!<br />
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