i'm taking an indefinite hiatus......

(image via)

I am going on sabbatical from Blogland.

I've been debating this decision for awhile. I enjoy my morning blogging, but it does take a lot of time and I feel if I'm going to keep going, it needs to be with more of a mission. Plus, there are some other things I've wanted to pursue for awhile.

And then the decision was forced on me. I recently got a new job (I wasn't looking, but it's so perfect I couldn't turn it down), as well as an offer to be part of a committee developing a new Early Literacy project for the community...

and I'm still in school full time with a Thesis due in April. I must say, it's a lot to juggle. But since I enjoy it all so much and everything fits so perfectly into my career plans, it's worth the frozen dinners I'm feeding Husband and the weekend hours spent at the library catching up.

And giving up the blog for awhile.

If you want to know when the blog starts back up, email me at
scatteringlupinesblog@gmail.com

And for old times' sake,

-On my way out, I thought I'd share the most interesting hammock I've ever seen. You won't believe the price: $35,000 for the whole set-up. For a hammock. But it is innovative.

-The image above is from a movie party in a barn. I love the hay bale stadium seating.

-A great pair of spring/summer shoes.(At a much better price than yon hammock!)

-How to use your old phone books (yes, like The Real Yellow Pages!)

-So smart. I keep twine (for wrapping male gifts, especially) but it is rather a pain to store.

-The next time I bake a fun cake, it will be this one. Who would have thought? Chocolate would be good, too.

-It never dawned on me to look this up, but they're all on my weekend "movie" list now.

Thank you for reading!
It's been fun, and I hope to be back once time allows...

no photos (and other links)

That's right. There's no photo. And I had a truly awesome one to share. It was a photo of a stack of flour sacks in a restaurant we recently dined in. The sacks read: Hi-Gluten Flour.

But my computer just got purged and the pictures weren't saved like I thought they were. Hoorah for people who remember to double-check. Boo for me. I had a lot of pictures I really wanted... so I'm not going to think about them scattered as fragmented dust mites in the depths of my hardrive.

Clean start for a beautiful day. That's what I'll think about instead :)

I spent little time this week blog-surfing. We've (almost completely) defeated the cold and flu virus.... so here's what I found to share with you in between sneezes, though you've likely already seen most of them...

LINKS for your weekend:

-Ultimately feminine (though slightly pricey for my budget) rain boots!

-Martha's ideas for adult-themed birthday parties (yet still G-rated)!

-And another idea from Martha's team: custom, personalized cake candles. So clever.

-I must be into parties this week. Here's an easy  DIY for unique-ifying crepe paper streamers. And matching party hats, too!

I hope you enjoyed!!!

kuhfoozle books and soft happy pillows

Thank you for visiting me on Valentine's Day! I enjoyed your comments...

 

Aren't these pillows cheerful? I can't imagine how long it takes her to cut and stitch those blitheful birds. Considering the work and tiny craftsmanship, her prices are very reasonable. She has so many designs. I love her owls, birds on a wire, birds in a tree, and her fantastic kites that sing SPRIIIIIING at the tops of their linen-threaded lungs.

The bubonic plague (a.k.a. Cold and Flu virus) has hit our house. So until I can muster up an unfoggied brain and get back on track, I'll likely be absent from blogland. I kind of like the challenge of seeing how long it will take us to knock it out-- it's hopefully the closest I'll ever get to battle :)

Until then, here's a great project to consider while in bed with a thermometer or walking about in perfect health:

SF Girl By Bay shared her inspiration journals where she keeps all the images from magazines and elsewhere that inspire her. I'm thinking of setting up my recipe journals like this-- with more photos and relics on each page with recipes we love. I can see it now: a bright, colorful journal for poultry, pork, beef, fish, shellfish, cakes, cookies, soups, sandwiches, salads....

It seems you could make one of these no matter your hobby or career. From sewing to marketing. I could even do it for my career: reading intervention and children's literature. Or story inspiration. Hmmm....

Side Inkle: (According to spell check, I made up quite a few words in this post! Hoorah for new words! Maybe I could make a "New & Improved Words" inspiration book! Kuhfoozle would be a great one to start with. What could Kuhfoozle mean? Delirious from decongestants?)

Have a great week, folks...

valentine's day activities

-I just paid a stack of bills and sent them off in the mail tacked with heart stickers. I hope Duke Energy, AT&T, and the County Tax Collector appreciate them :)

-I also hope the County Tax Collector reads my Post-It note reminding him about our 2010 tax refunds, now that he's collecting for 2011. It has a heart sticker on it, too.

-I woke up this morning to a box of Belgian Chocolate Thins. They're thin as potato chips and oh so good. And they're almost gone. And I feel a bit lethargic and nauseated. And I think these conditions could be related...

-The Camellias in our yard bloomed this weekend. Just in time for today. No need for overpriced February florals in this house!

-Did you see these CUTE downloadable cards and matching coffee cup wrappers? Good heavens, they're fun... and free!

-Tonight, I'm giving Husband a delicious meal of Balsamic-Glazed Beef Filet  and Roasted Asparagus with a rich Red Pepper Sauce. Both will take under an hour to prepare. Both are highly ranked by our tastebuds.  If you need something to make for your beloved Other, I suggest this combo.

-It's so warm and beautiful here. I have all the doors and windows wide open. It's nice to hear birds  and noises from the construction next door and the school playground a block away. How long will it last, I wonder.

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it's lovely in every way....

stylish out of context (and other links)

This image showed up on a "stylish" Bohemian blog and totally cracked me up. It looks like a real backroad scene from Alabama (where I'm from) or South Carolina (where I currently live). Would they think it was so stylish in that context? I hope so. It's culture. I love culture.

And since it's Friday (woohoo!),

Links for your Weekend:

-An interesting perspective on landscape art

-I'm thinking of starting a collection like this

-We wouldn't need these conversation starters at our dinner table. We often sit talking way past the last bite. But I would use the idea for a small dinner party instead-- one where the guests don't know each other very well. Or better yet, one where they do.

-Not your traditional Valentine's messages

-Use this idea on February 27

-Great idea for globe trotters

-How about this for Saturday morning brunch? I'm in.

-Check out this kitchen makeover.

-Do you ever see an exquisite trio of plates an antique store and think, But what would I do with just three matching plates? I do. All the time. Apparently, someone else does too.

-For the perfect party cheese tray (it even tells you exactly what to shop for!)

-For some reason, I just like knowing this place exists. See more photos here.

Have a great weekend!
And thank you for reading.

I love reading your comments. I love seeing you on my sitemeter. You're the bestest folks :)

just being audrey

Just Being Audrey went on sale January 25. So you could easily say it's fresh off the press. Illustrator Julia Denos did a phenomenal job capturing Audrey's stylish grace and charm.

I've had such fun clicking through her portfolio and perusing her blog.

 

 

there's something sprouting on your neck

I'm not sure how well it would survive hanging from my neck as I can be a bit clamorous in my movements (note: that doesn't say glamorous), but I can picture these hung along a rustic strand of white lights or from the ceiling on long, transparent lines during a festive meal.

They can be used as tiny planters or flower vases.

Such a unique idea.
What would you do with it?

housekeeping resiliency

Don't you just love finding new uses for common objects? Not that shotglasses are common in our house... but you get the picture ;)

our service soiree complete

On Saturday, our dining room was converted into a Valentine factory.

In case you missed the planning post, we invited friends to casually drop in on Saturday evening to make homemade Valentines, mingle,and enjoy dessert and champagne. All the Valentines will be taken to a local children's home and women's emergency shelter.

About 16 people "dropped in" to contribute.

To set up, we completely covered the dining room table with newspaper and taped it down with painter's tape, hung Valentines on a twine "garland" in the window to dry, and spread the supplies down the center of the table for easy access.

Our list of recipients included lots of women and little girls-- definitely the easiest gender to create Valentines for. You just have to pursue one of these goals: pretty, colorful, dainty, sparkly.

But the elementary-high school boys on the list were a little more challenging.

For those, we ended up pulling from history, nature, and sports magazines (one of our neighbor's ideas). We tried to glue fun facts and short articles into their Valentines. The Smithsonians' monthly feature on "This Month in History" provided a lot of concise fun-fact fillers.

After everyone left, Husband and I sat flipping through the Valentines. The two pewter buckets that started the evening stark empty were brimming with over 100 homemade messages for lonely, neglected individuals we will likely never meet. Each of these cards will go to someone no different in biological makeup than ourselves but whose life has unfolded so differently. I hope these cards can bring them joy, even if just a little.

As we sat considering the profound implications of having new friends (people we've known for less than a year) respond so openly and joyfully to such a bizarre invitation simply because they want to help whenever the opportunity arises, we felt the full impact of the words, 

Our cups [or pewter buckets] runneth over
with goodness and joy and all the blessings of fellowship and service.

Thank you to everyone who helped Share the Love for this project! It was fun, productive, and altogether sweet ;)

Now, if only I could stop eating these leftover sweets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...

For the dessert table, we served:

Lemon-Cream Sandwich Cookies

Dark Chocolate-Raspberry Cake Balls (recipe to come)

and Red Velvet Cheesecake Squares

indoor yard games (and weekend links)

Who says it has to be pretty outside for yard games?

Links for your Weekend:

-What a party! How fun would it be to make each birthday celebration a different city or cultural theme? No Ennui for sure!

-Hardware knock-off alternatives

-Snow day at the beach!

-What a fun Valentine's surprise this would be... for any age!

-A homemade version of the mass-produced classic!

-Let it rain.

-And the hat that matches

Come back next week for a report on our Valentine's party... and a unique (easy!) treat to share with those you find particularly sweet.

Flavor preview: fresh raspberries

how to be neighborly

Our neighbors define neighborly.

Miss E rarely bakes without bringing us a sampling. She'll hand it to me with a comment like, "I just didn't want you to think I hadn't done anything today."

This week was no exception. She showed up on our doorstep with this antique china cakestand full of little Orange Cakes. Frankly, I would have delivered them on a paper plate or maybe even wrapped in aluminum foil. But not Miss E. She goes the whole nine yards.

I knew at first glance that these little gems would melt on contact with tastebuds.

Luckily, Miss E had the foresight to know the next words out of my mouth would be, "May I have the recipe?" So before I could ask she was reaching into her pocket to pull out a handwritten copy saying, "I thought you might want the recipe."

So neighborly.

To make Orange Cakes like Miss E's:

Use a recipe like this. Then soak 1.5 cups raisins in the juice of one fresh orange for at least 30 minutes. Spread the soaked raisins evenly across the bottom of your pan and pour the prepared batter over them.

Miss E says it's best to let them sit for a day to fully absorb the orange flavor. "But," she says, "that's if you can keep your hands off them until then. We never can."

And Husband and I couldn't either.

a service soiree

(Image via Everyday Musings' Dinner Party )



We're having a party on Saturday, and part of the preparation includes calling local shelters and children's homes.

Guests have been invited to casually drop in for a visit. We'll have dessert, champagne, and a spread of paper, fabric, string, and glue for making homemade Valentines.

There are countless options for this sort of party. The tone can be kid-friendly and casual or fetching and elegant .

It could include:

-your immediate household (like a family night activity)

-your children and their friends

-your coworkers
-your book club

-your neighbors

-one or two other couples or families

-or a gathering of a dozen or more people filtering through

If you'd like to join me in this, simply:

-call one or more local children's services, shelters, hospitals, or nursing homes to find out how many Valentines they will need and when they would like them dropped off

-pick a few simple desserts to display on a buffet table

-mix up a pitcher of red punch or just serve champagne with frozen raspberries floating on top

-gather together lots of paper, doilies, glue, and scissors
-Cover your dining room table with newspaper, lay out the supplies, hang some bunting, and play old-time jazz music
-Invite people to drop in between a specified time (such as Saturday between 5 and 10 p.m.)

The point is to bring people together to make pretty, handmade Valentines for those who are lonely or down.

If you want to help but don't want to throw your own party,

email me at scatteringlupinesblog@gmail.com.

We'll talk about how you can simply make a Valentine (or ten!) and mail them to me.

two ways to organize your kitchen

1.

Label transparent glass storage jars by letter-etching the labels. It just looks so neat and clean, doesn't it? 

Tutorial, photo, and idea found here.

As for the storage jars, I have these from Ikea. I love them because they're inexpensive and durable (according to all the times I've dropped them and they haven't shattered... and the lids have clung on amid the impact). The lids are also attached, which makes cooking somehow more orderly. You don't waste time trying to re-match and locate lids during the post-mixing clean-up. Plus, they just look good.

2.

Now, are you ready for the simplest idea ever?

Store plastic grocery bags in empty paper towel and wrapping paper tubes.

This has been a major space-saver for our pantry. Plus, it gives those empty rolls another purpose before they're recycled. It's like thrice recycling.

Idea via Cooks Illustrated (i.e. the-best-magazine-ever)

weekend recap

(blurry group photo that my boots are trying to monopolize)

I hope the weather was as beautiful where you all were as it was here this weekend. I spent two hours reading on our tiny deck in the warm sunshine yesterday and wore a light knit shirt and linen scarf to an Oyster Roast in the late afternoon. It feels so much like the most perfect mid-spring weather-- I'm just waiting for the next cold front to sweep in and remind me that it's February. 

My brother and (we hope) future sister-in-law visited this weekend. And I'm proud to report, my Gluten-Free studies were fruitful! We had a tasty meal when they arrived, and I got the stamp-of-approval for having done accurate research :) It was something I needed to learn more about anyway, as many of my students have been on Gluten-Free diets to help their focus and OCD tendencies. I was also impressed with the Bisquick Gluten-Free mix. We made peach pancakes with Chai Tea syrup in honor of the beautiful weather, and while the batter was a bit gritty, I could hardly tell the difference once they were cooked.

As for Bethany, she had to deal with me setting the smoke alarm off more than once, nearly chopping my finger off (and I'm still not positive the zucchini didn't have a piece of my finger in it), playing show-and-tell with my favorite picture books, Husband and I either meeting them late or making them late everywhere we went, Khan's overwhelming energy, and my brother's shenanigans, which I suppose she's used to by now. 

She is the most pleasantly tolerant person I've met, not to mention one of the most interesting. She's opinionated yet gracious; intelligent yet down-to-earth. She has taught English in China for 7 years and is currently in Tibet for the majority of the year. Hearing about the culture and politics from her angle was fascinating. I'm not very sophisticated (though I'm trying) and didn't even know until Friday night that Mandarin Chinese is communicated mainly through intonations of the voice. The same word has very different meanings, depending on how you say it. It makes me think of a story we were told recently about a woman who could convey thousands of messages simply through the way she said the word, Well. Apparently, all of the Chinese are that adept at communicating through voice control.

Did I mention we really like Bethany? Jack better act quickly. As it goes, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick :)



The weekend was perfect in my opinion-- with the ideal balance of together time with personal time, silliness with seriousness, and antics that were questionably unsafe though not fatally dangerous. If I could change anything, I would have turned the smoke alarm off and let Husband chop the vegetables.

Thank you for visiting us, Bethany and Jack!

We enjoyed you both thoroughly and appreciate the time tremendously.

a canning glow (and other links)

A lamp like this just hollers
weekend-away-with-an-old-classic-and-a-good-view-out-your-window.

(Somehow I feel when you string together words with hyphens, it's like creating a single adjective. Agree or no?) 

I'm currently cramming for the gluten-free test.

We're having company this weekend-- and one has a gluten allergy.

So while I cram for the test every rookie cook must face sooner or later, here are

More Links for Your Weekend:

-This is really possible?!? Khan is SO getting retrained...

-YUM, easy, and creative!

-You'll have to find this book in the children's section, but I give it a "Mature" for intensity and suspense, a "Profound" for its layers upon layers of meaning, and a "Bravo" for its amalgamation of fact and fantasy... not to mention the sheer brilliance of its design and execution. And I guess I'm not the only one who thinks so.

-Such a cute idea (yet kind of unappetizing)

-Speaking of, I love these kits

-There's just something about him that makes me pause...

-Modernized gypsies (the romantic kind)

-Sometimes it utterly shocks me what people will pay for a really fun concept (that could easily be handmade on a rainy day); I guess that's why they say to each his own...

-And as my grandmother would say if she saw this, "Oh, good heavens!"

-Great beach or lawn party dress! Ah, summer. How I hope to see thee soon...

like a silk brocade on the desert floor (a lesson in garam masala)

For supper last night, we tried the Indian Butter Chicken that made Katie Goodman's (of The Good Life Eats)  top five favorite dishes list.

In the process, I learned about the basic Indian spice blend Garam Masala. It basically translates an intense, pungent mixture. Not spicy hot; spicy intense. Not fiery like a pepper; but pungent like a dozen silk sarees against a dirt wall. It has a piquancy both delicate and bold. Flavors that would totally interrupt the dish if they didn't fit it like a fine glove.

The spices in this blend can vary from black & white peppercorns, cloves, Malabar leaves, long pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, star anise, and coriander

depending on the region and the cook.

We bought the McCormick brand, since that's all our little South Carolina grocer had to offer. It was delicious, but I imagine it was also a bit culturally appropriated so as not to shock my all-American tastebuds. I'm sure the most authentic versions can get downright racy.

Find the recipe here.

(I used Canola Oil Butter to keep it less cholesterol-ridden, and Husband gave it the I-can't-tell-you-lightened-it stamp of approval.)

a new look

I love this illustration by Peaceful Forest.

In case you were wondering, the results of this blog's survey were:

Most people want:

-Daily posts

-Moderate length

-Posts about personal life and creative ideas

(with half wanting recipes in the mix as well)

It was a tie between:

-More pictures than text, long posts, very brief posts

-Posts about personal life and creative ideas

Very few people want:

Multiple posts a day

No one wants:

Only weekly posting

Lots of text with few images (which is kind of what I'm doing right now...)

I must say, I'm ecstatic y'all are actually interested in my personal life! I mean, I think our life is pretty wonderful, but I sometimes fear sharing it will verge on:

(a.) narcissism or

(b.) redundancy

I'll try to share more. Thank you for your interest :)

As for changes,
I'm changing the name to Scattering Lupine's No Ennui.

I feel that it fits my life focus better-- it has become my mantra! It means (literally) No Boredom. To me, boredom means apathy, which Ellie Wiesel said is the most dangerous of outlooks. His words were, "What is indifference? Etymologically, the word means 'no difference.'"

No Ennui is about continually striving to positively improve, learn, produce, and become.
Even if some of it is mere (and seemingly superficial) aesthetics.

I'm also changing the subject categories to verbs. They're not fully updated yet.

I hope to continually improve the new banner as well, updating it seasonally.
I'd love your reactions...

knack now

Do you have only one earring you can't seem to toss?

A broken bauble?

Cracked Pottery or china?

If you're like me, you have a whole basket of broken dishes and randomness just waiting on a DIY knight in shining armor, a spare moment on the clock, or a wave of creative brilliance to come along and rescue it from the shards bin...

(I actually have one and a half drawers FULL of pretty things I've broken labeled "Future Mosaics")

Here's one idea-charming:

Use it to make magnets from junk, just like Barb from Knack.

(I think you could also use it to make hardware for the jewelry pegboard.)

Now, if only I could find something to do with derelict socks...

(Image via Knack's Etsy shop)

lightbulb flower vases (and other links)



I would love to spend an afternoon making a trio of these Lightbulb Vases!

Believe it or not, it's a very simple DIY project.

More links for your weekend:

-I've known the bride in this post since I was about 5 years old, and the girl on the far left is one of my oldest, best friends (who reads the blog sometimes... Lowrey, if you're reading, HI!) Back to the bride, I adore her simple wedding gown with that heavy, triple strand of pearls. So elegant. Simply fetching.

-I enjoyed this movie at the gym this week. A few years old, but oh-so cute! It's a real feel-gooder-- and made my workout fly by.

-Speaking of movies, did you see this clever post that links classic films with color palettes? I'm going to have to catch up... I haven't seen at least half of them.

-Pretty funny if you've ever used Craigslist!

-I like the way this gal picked one patterned fabric to work throughout her lair.

-These would make such unique wedding gifts! I love this one and this one.

Have a great weekend, folks!

fresh cherry sandwiches

Sliced Brie

Fresh Cherries

Baby Spinach Leaves

Toasted Almond Slivers

Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread

All pan-grilled until the spinach wilts just slightly, the brie melts, and the bread toasts to a nice, clean surface crisp.

The best winter sandwich ever.