The Kate Effect

moving out

it's time. time to pack it up and get out. moving day has arrived. 

 

 

movie nite at the park

spontaneous works some nights.

speed sewing.

*yay* for finishing projects. I am furiously sewing so i can pack up all my stuff! I just know that if I don't finish these I wont get back to them EVER.
I am pretty sure once i step foot in this house ALL previous dreams and inspiration will be replace with a new passion: making my house a home.

and there are so many wonderful things I have dreamed up and would hate to loose! SO here I am speed sewing - watch out.

I can NOT wait to show you all the little makings!

taking a "coloring" day

Kate told me today that "dad is working really hard, he should take a day off to color." 

yes. yes he should.

i'm off to schedule a family "coloring" day

jersey knit bracelets + necklaces

hi. oh my I should probably clean my camera, yikes. 

so i made this bracelet I have been eyeing for a while - it turned out quite nice.

heres a link back to it so you can be inspired to cut up your shirts.  who needs clothes when you could have fun accessories ?!?

* I did both the braid and the finger knit version. i preferred the braid but i liked both. I made necklaces earlier this year and they were pretty cool too.

 

Source: u-createcrafts.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: melissaesplin.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Kate says she's a Ranger fan....

We headed out to the ball fields to see the Rangers and the RR Express play. It was a perfect evening... not too cold or windy - but not hot either. Kate doesn't remember coming to the games int he past so it was like the first time all over...

Little does she know we spent MANY nights at the baseball games her first year. My parents game brad and I a season pass and it was a out "free" outing/date nights for along time. The picture in this post was from a night at the RR Express http://thekateeffect.typepad.com/the_kate_effect/2006/08/i_am_an_aunt.html

Kate was definitely *jazzed up* by all the lights and sounds - I was so prepared for a meltdown or a freakout - but she did awesome. She only got stuck in the folding seat twice - and I managed to keep the sugar input to a falafel and dip-n-dots. whew. 

we might need glasses - she sure has been doing this a lot lately.

poor dad - there is a fine line between a hug from kate and a choke hold.

this is uncle diddy, brad's brother, and this is his "you don't worry about me" face.

most of Kate's entertainment came from Uncle Diddy and the Dip-N-Dots Grandpa got her.

Chicken Dance was her favorite part - and yes, she made it on to the BIG SCREEN. Only we missed it because we were trying to contain her dance moves to our row. The fans around us lets us know about our big debut.

 

egg drop soup + lettuce wraps

tonight I whipped up some lettuce wraps and some egg drop soup - and it was SO VERY YUMMY!

I was happy it tasted good and even more thrilled that it was super easy.  of course I had to share the food love and post the recipe links. I am currently moving so I my cookbooks and recipes are nicely packed away. To build me grocery list I have been using a site called Photograzing.seriouseats.com -it's perfect for extremely visual people like me. Brad can simple read a recipe and tell if it "sounds" good but I do not have that skill. On the other had - I can drool over beautifully crafted photos of food all day. This new way of sifting through possible recipes via photos has been appropriately coined on the web " Food Porn".

Both of these insanely easy recipes were found on Photograzing.

Here are a few adaptations or tips:

*I used sugar-free honey on the Lettuce Wrap sauce and it worked really well - plus it help me cut the sugar out which makes me happy. 

* Make extra sauce because it goes great on salads.

* I actually had not carrot int he house but I did have some cabbage+red cabbage+carrot mix I had chopped up for coleslaw - so I threw that into the chicken lettuce wrap mix and sliced some mushrooms up. I worked great! 

* I also did not have almonds *grrr* but I really wanted the nutty crunch so I threw in a small handful of chopped pecans I had - worked wonderfully. Tasted like Pei Wei lettuce wraps and we basically liked the bowl.

* I could NOT find walnut oil - have you ever seen this? - so i used olive oil. Also worked fine. Makes me wonder what it would be like with Walnut Oil.

 

Source: thelittlekitchen.net via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

packing.

these two items rule my life at the moment.

they are means of survival and whether I can find them at any given moment dictates how good of a day I am having.

we are moving. yay.

*Lord willing* we will close mid April. right in time to be in a new house and totally dis organized for Easter. BRad was kind of confused the other day to find me packing the kitchen. He said. " umm, we ha a few weeks before we move and we kind of need to cook in the meantime.... why don't you go pack your office or your sewing machine?" 

In reply I huffed, " because this seemed easier at the time and I can't pack the sewing stuff until I make kate's easter dress...."

yes, i know they sell those at stores but....i just might be able to pull it off. 

yes, I am aware this is a sign of instability but .... lets not forget I gave away my dishes so i am quite prone to unreasonable acts!

 

 

 

because kate says she is a better photographer....

kate lately has refused to let me photograph her - instead she has taken off with my camera. 

she says there are too many pictures of her .... so here is a picture of me to level playing field so i can post more of her cute-ness - the little toot.