Stationary to go with a Tea

September 26, 2009 by lydia

I love creating matching stationary to go alongside an invitation. I mean, really, if I’ve taken the time to design a custom invitation, why would I NOT make matching stationary?! All the time that goes into creating a custom design demands additional use… at least that’s what I think!

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Behold! Stationary that matches the 9″ x 12″ tea party invitation!

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I think one of my favorite parts about making stationary is assembling the cards. There’s just something about matching the card stock and ribbon to create such a cute little package… I love it.

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It’s such so sweet and dainty. Something I would totally love receiving.

I will never purchase store bought granola bars ever again…

September 21, 2009 by lydia

Just tried out a recipe for Granola Bars from Smitten Kitchen. Oh my, oh my…YUM!

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I do solemnly swear to NEVER buy granola bars from the grocery store ever again (sorry Quaker Oats).

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Easy to make (just a few simple steps), easy ingredients (oats, honey, nuts, dried fruit, with the addition of chocolate chips for me, of course) and easy to eat (not sure if it’s healthy for us anymore, considering we’ve eaten a 1/4 of the pan already).

Delicious. Period.

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Go make them. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

9 x 12 Tea?!

September 1, 2009 by lydia

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I was asked to make an invitation for a 9×12 bridal shower tea. 9×12? Yeah, I was a little confused too.

Turns out, Kathy (the bride) will be moving to London with her soon-to-be husband and won’t be able to tote a bunch of shower gifts out of the country. Makes sense. That’s where the 9×12 theme comes in…guests were told to bring a gift that could fit into a 9×12 envelope (included in the invitation package), which would be able to be used between the hours of 9pm and 12midnight.

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Love it,…oh so cute! And challenging!  Trying to figure out what you can fit in a 9×12 envelope can be quite a task! However, I was able to make it to this shower and, let me tell you, there were some cute ideas!! Twilight Delight Ghirardelli Chocolate was one of my favorites,… YUM!

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I made a pack of stationary for the bride, which I will be posting about soon. Not that she wants to be writing thank you notes between 9pm and midnight,…I’m sure that’s one of the last things she wants to do, but hopefully she’ll enjoy using them!

Last Week’s Meals

August 25, 2009 by lydia

Last weeks meal recap…..

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MondayPot Roast, Simply Recipes

VERY basic ingredients and SO quick to throw together, I thought this pot roast wouldn’t have enough flavor. But, my friends, it did! Was DELICIOUS! Loved it. Served it with the carrots that roasted in the juices along with some cous cous. Great Meal.

TuesdayTomato and Goat Cheese Tarts, Ina Garten, with side salad

The Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts…they were good, but not amazing or anything. I think I’ll definitely go for this recipe again, but maybe put my own spin on things…maybe try a different cheese and throw a bit more flavor it. Good, but not amazing. Worth trying though! And, I’ll definitely look it up again….they were so easy and still pretty good!

WednesdayCoq Au Vin, The Pioneer Woman

Awesome. Although I made the mistake of overlooking the fact that AFTER you cooked the chicken in the skillet, you had to THEN bake the chicken in the oven for over an hour (WHOOPS!), it was still delicious (although we didn’t eat until about nine ‘o clock at night!!) Wondeful flavor…but, what doesn’t have wonderful flavor when bacon is involved!!

This dish does take a bit of time for preparation and bakes for a while, but it is TOTALLY worth it! So good!!

Thursday- (Community Group, food for 10 peeps)- BBQ Pulled Beef Sandwiches

Another great dish! The slow cooking of the beef was super easy and simple. The BBQ sauce was a bit too tomato-y for my taste, but a bit more vinegar and additional spices did the trick to making it more tasty! I think I just liked the idea of making your own BBQ sauce,…but in all honesty, it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference if you had just poured in a bottle of store bought BBQ sauce. So, if all else fails,…go for that. But, the sandwiches were DELICIOUS as well as the best chocolate sheet cake ever, which I’ve made before!

FridayPotato Bacon Torte, Melissa Darabian

Totally didn’t feel like making the homemade pie crust (I got lazy) so, I ended up making a crustless Potato Bacon Torte with rosemary instead of thyme and sharp cheddar instead of guyere….also added in some chopped green onions. This was good, but more like a gourmet scalloped potato dish. If i had gone for the crust, I’m sure it would have been a bit more like a main course dish.

Now to plan this weeks meals,…a little behind!

Stationary for a Jewell,…

August 18, 2009 by lydia

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A month or so back I completed a stationary order for a sweet, sweet girl across the country.

Nicole stumbled upon my website and emailed me with a request for baby stationary. Of course I said yes, not knowing that I would also find a new friend in it all.

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You know how you meet some people and immediately know you’ll just click… this is how Nicole was. She was so sweet from the start, with such a kind demeanor.

Maybe it’s because we can relate,…both sharing in the fact that we run small businesses. Nicole is the owner of “Jewell Videos”; a business that produces “celebration videos”, which are “DVD-based video production[s] that presents a series of pictures and/or memorabilia set to music”. Definitely something you’ll want to check out, especially if you’re planning a wedding!!

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Or maybe we clicked because we are both in the same stage of life. Me with my new baby, Ruby, and her expecting one so very soon!

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There are many reasons why I enjoyed working with Nicole and, what I do know for a fact, is that I hope we continue to keep in touch…especially with her cute baby on the way (I’m sure we can share in the joys and adjustments of a precious, new baby)!