Our purple gallery wall

5Dec by Andrea

Purple gallery wall

After messing with the wall for a couple days, I ended up with this. You may notice that I flipped Sitting Bull and the lion head in the process. I wanted to expand the gallery and the light switch prevented me from moving Sitting Bull over so I just moved him to the other side.

Purple gallery wall

We were gifted our felt family by some dear friends after the wedding. They are so, so, SO cool. I think Nate and I squealed with joy when we opened the gift. I love all the details especially of the cats.

They have been sitting on a bookshelf all summer, but I wanted a better way to display them. Now, the floating shelf gives them a place of honor, plus it’s out-of-the-way of small hands.

Purple gallery wall

My big conundrum was how to display the 3D elements with the regular frames correctly. After a little experimenting, I realized I liked them better above the other frames. Then I played with the rest of the artwork using tracing paper cutouts to get it right. I am really happy I was able to camouflage the light switch by placing the monogram and skull art around it.

Purple gallery wall

Ok, one more glamour shot. With the monogram plaque, I pulled artwork from other places in the house including my new skull art, unicorn cat and a framed album cover of Madame Butterfly.

I am still thinking of a few more little frames to the composition. I need to keep staring at it for a while before I make a decision, but overall I am really happy with the new gallery wall. It makes me smile every time I walk by.

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A monogrammed plaque for our wall

3Dec by Andrea

Monogrammed wood

Here’s our wall in the great room. Sitting Bull has been here since the beginning. He was painted by my mother and then gifted to me in college. The rope lion head was my birthday gift to Nate this year.

Monogrammed wood

I thought he’d love it being feline and colorful, but jury is still out. Maybe it will help if I paint the blood off the teeth.

Monogrammed wood

Regardless, mama lion is now part of our home, but the wall looks a little uncompleted.

Monogrammed wood

I wanted to step up the look and add some more artwork. Make this part of the room a little more exciting.

Monogrammed wood

My first addition is a painted version of our A+N monogram.

Monogrammed wood

Using a sample of plywood, I transferred the design with pencil and then painted it in with acrylic paint.

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I painted on three thick coats to give the piece a little texture.

Monogrammed wood

When the paint was dry, I hot-glued a saw tooth hanger on the back. I hope the glue will hold since the board is so light. If not I’ll go back and nail the hanger on. Next up, a shelf and some more artwork.

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My thanks

1Dec by Andrea

Success! Alt Thanksgiving is all prepped and I didn't cut off a finger with the mandoline.

Wow. The interwebs are already in full holiday mode already. I’m excited, but I still have Thanksgiving on the brain. Nate and I had the last week off so I really tried to unplug a little.

The sides had it this year #thanksforthefeast #fallfavorites

We were lucky to have two Thanksgivings this year – one with his family on Thursday and then my side’s annual Alt Thanksgiving on Saturday (more on that later).

My thanks

This morning, I’ve been catching up on blogs I read and feel inspired to take a moment to record my own thoughts about thankfulness this year before moving on to the next holiday.

Reception24

2013 has been a start of a new adventure/phase/chapter for me and Nate. Our nuptials brought a lot of stress, creativity and love to our already blessed lives. I was very hesitant to have a full-fledged wedding, but having all my loved ones together on that night was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I am very thankful for that and so glad we did it our way.

My thanks

I am also very thankful for my husband. Yes this is a given, but love is a blessing. I;ve learned so much from him in the first 11 years and can’t wait to see where we go from here. He’s rad and I’m a lucky girl.

My thanks

And finally I am thankful for now. I feel I have been doing a lot of soul-searching this year and I am excited to see where it takes me. Life is good and I am thankful to have a (leaky) roof over my head and an abundance of love and beauty around me.

My thanks

Speaking of beauty, Nate and I spend the first part of our week off in Monterey and Big Sur last week.

My thanks

It was nice to get away together with no grand plans except to chill out and enjoy the ocean views.

Heading home. Goodbye Treebones!

Nate and I were gifted a trip to the Treebones Resort as a wedding present. We stayed in a yurt overlooking the ocean and just relaxed.

My thanks

The weather was wonderful and I can’t say enough about the place. Beautiful spot and I am so thankful for the experience. It was the perfect time to take a moment and reflect. We had a great week and I am thankful for that.

The boy is away and I got a long project list #ilovediy

Looking forward, I have a bunch on exciting things on my project list.

We are doing a handmade Christmas this year. I’m excited by the challenge and hope (fingers crossed) not to bite off more than I can chew. To get a heads start, I have taken this week off work and am really excited to get begin later today (plus catch up on Breaking Bad, Walking Dead and cheesy Christmas movies).

I also am tinkering with updating our living areas during the holiday shuffle. I think it’s time to move some furniture around this house.

In the kitchen, I plan on playing around with some more recipes in the kitchen. I’m craving some hearty soups and warm drinks right now, so we will see what I come up with.

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Feline Friday: Ears

29Nov by Andrea

Feline Friday: Ears

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Feline Friday: Late night selfie

22Nov by Andrea

Feline Friday: Late night selfie

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Feline Monday: Annual shots

18Nov by Andrea

Annual vet visit. Pixel is not pleased.

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Cranberry salsa

14Nov by Andrea

Cranberry Salsa

I have an undying obsession with this seasonal cranberry salsa a local Mexican eatery has in their salsa bar. I love the stuff and usually bring home a little extra to use. I finally got around to making my version so I can enjoy it without my wallet feeling it.

This salsa is a tangy little bite, so I prefer it in something instead of on a chip. I like to use it in my green salads that I take to work. My current favorite salad combo is a mixture of spinach and lettuce, pomegranates, pepitas, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and black beans. I layer the salad with the wet ingredients on the bottom so the leafy parts don’t get soggy by the time lunch rolls around. I then bring a little container of homemade salad dressing (olive oil, apple cider vinegar and mustard) and mix it all together at lunch.

*****

Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa

1 cup fresh Cranberries
2 tbsp fresh Lime juice
1/2 a chopped Jalapeño (without seed)
1/2 c of chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt

Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until all chopped. Add jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt and sugar. Mix and taste. Add more salt, lime juice or sugar to your liking. The taste will develop over time as well, so I like to make it the night before and then taste it in the morning to get the flavoring just right.

Cheers!
Andrea

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