RSSArchives: Brookelynn
Martha Stewart's Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Vegetarians need gourmet Thanksgivings too! I personally am thankful for Martha Stewart and this sensational meat-free menu plan. I will never forget the Thanksgiving when my mother made broccoli salad for my vegetarian boyfriend at the time, complete with plenty of chopped bacon. I chalk it up to true lack of knowledge about non-meat eaters. In her mind, broccoli wasn't a meat, and the bacon added flavor! This menu is a beautiful meal that needs nothing to shine except fresh vegetables made with love!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 20, 2009 11:00 AM
Food, Recipe |
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Sunset Painting with Watercolors
The backdrop of Hawaii is overwhelming with inspiration. Colors are everywhere, and in full saturation. The sunsets are the exact reason why I brought my travel art kit. I've never painted in my life, but have been wanting to dip my toes in. We took our supplies down to the water's edge tonight to set about putting color to paper.
My uber talented husband Nat added a palette of simple watercolors to the art supplies. He sketched with the paint and black pen to render this pretty little painting.
I'm a novice, and so the clever watercolor crayons were a perfect introduction to the medium. I scribbled out the color, then blended it with the wet brush. It went from drawing to painting in an instant. I can't wait to play with the rest of my materials, including the sharpies and the oil pastels, to create a new sunset every night!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 19, 2009 02:00 PM
Crafty Travels, Paper Crafts |
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Macadamia and Ginger Stuffing
I'm on an island in Hawaii. And I can't stop eating macadamia nuts. Let's see, I've found macadamia nut icecream, macadamia nut chocolates, and pancakes with macadamia nuts. Now I've moved on to the pure stuff- raw, whole macadamias, of which I took some glamour shots just now for this post. I am loving the perfectly subtle butter flavor and a nut that I would consider crunchysmooth. The recipe for Macadamia and Ginger Stuffing that I just discovered on Epicurious seems amazing. It's got great ratings and despite the exotic flavors, the ingredients are easy to find. The recipe also notes that you can season the bird with some citrus juices and sesame oil to really bring together the theme between the bird and the stuffing. I won't be home for Thanksgiving, but I most definitely plan on making this at Christmas, to take my taste buds back to tropical paradise.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 18, 2009 10:00 AM
Crafty Travels, Food |
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Book Review + Giveaway: Paper Flowers
"Easy! No gluing or cutting required" says the cover of the book Make Your Own Paper Flowers. So I decided to make my flowers in a place where craft supplies are sparse: an airplane. Before my trip, I stashed the Klutz Chicken Socks book in my purse. Without any scissors in my bag, I cleared security in a breeze! After takeoff, I folded down the tray on the seat back in front of me, and set to work.
As I put together the project, a million childhood memories came rushing back to me. I vividly remember so many fun Klutz books. I had the juggling one, the dollar bill origami one, the magic one with the special coin, and my personal favorite, the friendship bracelet one. And seeing Klutz triggered memories in more that just me. All the stewardesses paused as they walked by to check on my progress and talk about the best Klutz books which, after much debate, it was decided was the braid one!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 17, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Paper Crafts, Super Crafty Kidz |
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Robot Sketchbook Cover, by Toxic_Panda_Crayon, age 11
My amazing friend Sasha is only 11 years old, but she already has quite the body of artwork and graphic designs under her belt. I just love this sketchbook cover collage that she made of a robot, using paper that she cut out of Vogue magazine. With some glue, scissors, and some recycled media, Sasha was inspired and worked on this notebook mod for several hours yesterday. Under the username Toxic_Panda_Crayon, she has posted tons of her creations on deviantart. I am so impressed that at her tender young age she has such a portfolio of photoshop drawings too! After we checked out her journal last night, she taught me how to download and install brushes even! She is totally a Super Crafty Kid, and I promise to keep you updated on her projects in the future!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 15, 2009 06:00 PM
Kids, Paper Crafts, Super Crafty Kidz |
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My Travel Art Kit
I'm leaving for a 3 week trip bright and early tomorrow morning, and in preparation, today I gathered the supplies for a fun travel art kit. I went to Art and Soul, my local arts and crafts shop in Sebastopol (where our Craft Intern Lindsey works!). I found some great things there. All the kit needs is water, and my creative energy. With just it, I can draw, color, paint, and blend. It's a simple and compact collection of tools, including: Moleskins, 6 shades of watercolor crayons, paintbrushes for blending, a fine point ink pen, and two very intersting pencils. One is a graphite pencil that blends with water, and the other is a blue ink pencil.
If you have a great travel art kit, share a list of the contents in the comment section! Bon Voyage!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 14, 2009 07:00 PM
Crafty Travels, Tools |
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Dia de los Muertos Set to Girls
This video of Dia de los Muertos happening in the streets of San Francisco's Mission district, posted by YouTube user documentdocument, is an otherworldly creation. To me, it embodies so many wonderful things about the art and craft of life and death. The participants of the event are an almost overwhelming subject. The face paint transforms the living into the dead, masks identity, and unifies the crowd. The costumes range from quite simple to overly elaborate, and the candles, props, and dance all complete the atmosphere.
The film itself is a spectacular piece of storytelling. Splicing in bridges and tunnels seems like the perfect metaphor for crossing over after death. The impact of this piece is made even more poignant by the way that the musicians and dancers in the parade are visually rendered silent with the musical overlay. We can see the drummer playing, see the horns pass through, watch the accordian bellows open and close, but we can't ever hear a single one of their notes. This helps the film replicate how the memories of the dead can flash in our minds, but never really be heard again.
[via Mission Mission]
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 13, 2009 11:00 AM
Events, Halloween, Video |
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Victorian Gothic Lolita Mini
I can't get over how fun this skirt by blackmirrordesigns is. Not that my booty needs any more volume, but I'd still totally rock it! Coveting.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 12, 2009 02:00 PM
Fashion |
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Flocked Fauns
How cute! These adorable deer would be perfect for just about any holiday craft, right?
Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 11, 2009 10:00 AM
Holiday projects, Home Decor |
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How-To: Grown-Up Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is a childhood classic. One of my fondest memories as a child was slurping half-melted whipped cream off the top of a warm mug of cocoa. I'd beg to have it right off the stove, but it was always too hot for gulping. Instead I'd have to sip it and then savor the cool whipped cream against my tongue. We all remember this moment as kids, right? As I have grown, however, my tastes have changed. What I like now is freshly beaten whipped cream, extra-rich chocolate, and, of course, amaretto. Adding a shot of liquor to this decadent treat pushes the experience over the top. It updates my warm childhood memories in a wonderfully grown-up way. I recommend making a double batch of this hot chocolate, and serving the kids first! Send them off to bed, then relax with your own unadulterated cup.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 10, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Holiday projects, Recipe |
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