Craftyminx

A week of meals

This may be a new feature on the blog if Sheldon and I are successful with our new meal planning adventure. Since the wedding, well since Sheldon moved in really we have both put on some extra pounds. I've always been overweight, but until recently I had been the same size since college. We both love food and we love trying new restaurants. The bad thing about loving food is that is often tries to love back by staying around my hips and thighs. So we started a new goal -- Cook all of our meals for a week and see how we do.

We're almost done with the weekdays and so far, so good :) We're going to Sheldon's parents' house this weekend so we only had a five-day week to work with. Sunday I perused pinterest and created a meal plan for the week, then we went grocery shopping and only bought what was on the list. We have always had the bad habit of not planning and then buying too much at the store and it going to waste. So here's what our week looked like:

 

Sunday night I made a huge batch of pumpkin muffins and big bowl of fruit salad for us to eat for breakfast all week. The pumpkin bread recipe my mom sent me made close to 4 dozen muffins so I put a whole bunch of them in the freezer for later. 

I made this lasagna soup for our lunches. We also bought salad fixings to go with our soup throughout the week. 

Source: afarmgirlsdabbles.com via Dana on Pinterest

This soup is pretty amazing! I made some healthy substitutions to the recipe by adding italian turkey sausage and low fat ricotta. 

Monday night Sheldon had to work so we each made Chicken nachos, not the healthiest option, but it wasn't the usual McDonalds run for me and Sheldon scrounging around the house for something to eat at 9pm so I call it a win. 

Tuesday I made balsamic glazed chicken with stuffed zuchinni. 

Source: kayotic.nl via Dana on Pinterest

Another win in my book. These were so tasty and very easy to make.

When I first started thinking about meal planning, I decided that one night a week should be crockpot dinner night. So last night we had salsa chicken and some Brussels Sprouts. 

Source: chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com via Dana on Pinterest

This was probably the best meal all week even if it wasn't the prettiest. It was soo very tasty. 

Tonight we're having dinner guests so we're making easy spaghetti and (frozen) meatballs with garlic bread and sopapilla cheesecake. 

Source: myellowumbrella.blogspot.com via Dana on Pinterest

Tomorrow, we'll just have whatever is leftover or chicken nachos again. We're hitting the road after work so we won't have a lot of time with puppy wrangling and what-not. 

Do you meal plan? I am hooked! I feel so much better this week. I have more energy all day which I need with all the work I'm doing on Crochet School. It's nice to know we can do it even when I'm having the busiest week of my life. I told Sheldon it was his turn to do the plan next week. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Announcing... Crochet School!!

It has been a long long time coming, but crochet school is ready !!!

I wanted this class to be like going to school so  I have created a syllabus for you to look at. Yes, I was an education major in college. Glad you noticed. 

VIEW THE SYLLABUS HERE

Class starts on Saturday, October 1st! I realize this is very soon, but don't worry if you can't get started right away, everything will be here waiting for you. I wanted to give all of you time to learn so you can start making holiday gifts. 

Oh and just in case you skip the syllabus, this class is F-R-E-E free! 

A few F.A.Q.s 

1. Even though I'm calling this "school" and I talk about a "class" this whole thing is on this blog. I suggest you subscribe to the blog using one of the tools on the left side-bar so you don't miss a lesson or bookmark http://www.craftyminx.com/crochet-school  to only see these posts.
2. The class starts in October, but all of the information will be up long after, so don't worry if you don't have time right now or if you miss a lesson. After all the posts are up I'll make an easy to follow table of contents so you can go from post to post without having to wade through all my other blog posts. 

Please share the word! I would feel really bad doing all this work and only have 3 of you following along.  

Here are buttons for you to share and of course you can use the big image above if you like.

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*update - The image code should be working now! sorry for my poor html skills. Thanks Amy for letting me know.

Motif Fall Issue

The new issue of Motif is about the New Feminine! I haven't gotten a chance to read through the whole thing yet, but flipping through I could tell it is really beautiful! I shared a granny square tutorial for this issue. 

Want to read a little about my history with crochet and learn a little on your own? Check it out.

Want to learn more about crochet? Join me here on October 1st for Crochet School. I'll share the big informational post and the syllabus tomorrow :)

Thrifted Thursday

Just a few finds. All bought the same day I found THE sewing machine. It was a really good thrifting day! I also found a blue samsonite profile bag the same day and forgot to take a photo of it with these. 

And no, I don't own the sewing machine this instruction book goes to, but I loved the colors and the sewing machine graphic on the front. :)

Flow Magazine

I would like to introduce you to my new favorite magazine - Flow Magazine. 

I guess I should begin at the beginning. I was interviewed to be in a magazine! (holy crap right?!) The last issue of Flow had a big section devoted to 365 projects and my Granny a Day project must have caught their eye. I was contacted by a freelance writer who was doing the story and have a nice little mention (and quote) in the magazine. Did I mention the magazine is in Dutch? haha Sheldon thought it was really funny when he saw the quote and said, "oh really, you said that? I didn't know you knew Dutch."

Anyway, lets get back to why this is really my new favorite magazine... This is my new favorite magazine because it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, the thought that went into designing this thing is amazing -- some of the pages are normal glossy pages, some are wonderfully thick kraft paper which is very aesthetically pleasing. 

The artwork is brilliant throughout. 

This issue had a huge spread of pages about Dutch Illustrator Fiep Westendorp and I got lost in the pages about her.

In the back were these really cute postcards you can tear out and use and... a little to-do notebook! It's just too cute :)

Sadly, there is a big drawback. I suppose no matter how beautiful a magazine is, I can't justify a subscription to it if I don't know the language. I guess I just need to learn Dutch!

I've noticed in the past few months how there are these really amazing magazines coming out of other countries that are beautiful and full of crafty details. (Mollie Makes anyone?) We all know how bad the US magazine and newspaper industry is doing. Is it not the same in other countries? I guess these magazines are becoming more aesthetically pleasing to make their place in this world of online media. I'll admit I'd rather read a normal old glossy magazine online than have it clutter my house. Then again, there's just something about getting a new magazine and holding it and tearing out pages for inspiration boards. It must be the crafter (and a little bit of the hoarder) in me that needs print publications. 

Happiness is... Anniversary Weekend

1. Take me with you!, 2. Anniversary dinner :), 3. @prettyrainyday and Adam we're doing a joint anniversary dinner <3, 4. Feeling cute tonight :D, 5. Sheldon has been hiding these in places all weekend for my paper gift. #cute, 6. A friend just picked this up for me. I bought it through text message haha., 7. My MIL just sent me this pic of the kids. #puppycuddles #cuties, 8. Checking in! That hot tub is calling my name!, 9. Just found this in the fridge... Party! Haha, 10. Meatball pizza ordered in from Cafe Amore, 11. The most amazing cheesecake I've ever had!, 12. The most tedious square I've ever made., 13. I never want to leave!, 14. Yum! Year-old cupcakes. They were really good and moist!! Good job mom., 15. One last drive through eureka springs, 16. Visited the carnegie library... Like geeky librarians ;), 17. Grotto Spring, 18. Awesome old house in Eureka Springs!, 19. Lunch... Good god that's a lot of pork!, 20. Sunset on I-40

We had a wonderful anniversary! And while we didn't do much of anything in Eureka Springs since it rained the whole time, we got to spend a romantic weekend together and enjoy the tree-house we stayed in. I'll post photos from my camera later. I took lots of photos of our tree-house and of some of the places we visited on our last day in Eureka Springs. 

Thank you everyone for your sweet comments the last few days about our anniversary! 

Our Wedding Video

The day is here -- We have been married a year! I was talking to a friend the other day and she asked if it has felt like a year. It's really weird because it doesn't feel like a year has passed at all. I feel like it was only a couple of months ago that we were frantically planning the wedding. On the other hand, it feels like I have had Sheldon in my life forever. He's truly my best friend and the greatest husband! 

Ok Ok... On to our wedding video! I really wasn't planning on sharing this, so it's not artfully edited or anything. In fact, we didn't even think about taping the wedding until the week before, and Sheldon was like "I own a professional video camera, maybe we should film the wedding..." then he asked his friend Darrin to do the honors. So big thanks to him for filming and editing our wedding video :D It's 23 minutes long because it has stuff from the wedding and reception on it. You should totally watch the ceremony though because Anna's words were truly touching.

I promise I won't cry if you don't watch it all. Enjoy!

 

A few notes: 

• If you actually noticed me snort and laugh as I walked down the aisle you get a cookie. (this was seriously the only thing I remembered about walking down the aisle for days after the wedding.)
• If you watched me wail like a banshee at the end where I thank everyone for everything. I'm sorry. I was only a little overwhelmed. 
• It was only 500 degrees outside with 120% humidity. That's why everyone looks wet and gross. Sweat was skillfully edited out of our wedding photos, however, the video can not hide this ugly truth.
• Sheldon and I can't dance! 

Drool-worthy Wedding Inspiration

Even though we were married a year ago, don't even think that I have stopped obsessing about weddings. I'm still subscribed to all of the wedding blogs I subscribed to when I was engaged. I still ooh and awww over pretty weddings. Here my favorite weddings that have stood out to me over the year:

• This cute camp wedding on The Lettered Cottage
• This awesome rainbow wedding at a very cool venue on Offbeat Bride
• This very lovely garden DIY wedding on Style Me Pretty
• The vintagey goodness of this wedding on The Loveliest Day.
• And the wedding the blew me away - Elsie Larson's Colorful DIY wedding via Style Me Pretty. Seriously, their wedding video made me cry. I have followed Elsie's blog for years and was really excited about her wedding and she did a lot of DIY's on her blog after the wedding so check it out if you want some crazy good ideas!

Do you love weddings as much as I do? If you do, get ready for tomorrow because I'm sharing our wedding video for the first time ever! If you don't love weddings, be rest assured that I'm done with wedding talk for a little while longer after tomorrow. ;)