Sweater Dress Heaven and Posing for Pictures

I found this lovely hand-knit sweater dress at an estate sale. The cashier told me that the lady's mother-in-law had made it for her but she never wore it because it wasn't her color. I wore it out for the first time today, and the first place I went I got complimented specifically on the color of the dress. I thought that was amusing. It was almost as amusing as the second place I went where the lady told me that I look like the winner of the biggest loser show in this dress. She said, "She was little like you at the end of the show!" I guess I need to wear this more often!



My Mom shared a lot of old photographs with me when I was home for the holidays, along with the stories about my grandmother that I cherish so much. She told me that my grandmother always posed like this in pictures. I think that is so cute and feminine, so i tried to copy her in my photo above.

El Perro Del Mar with Lykke Li

Beautiful...

My favorite colors

These are mostly kitchen, but they are ending up all over my house lately too.



This is a fun place to play with color, as was suggested by Amanda.

My Ancestors

I am the descendant of John Baxter, who died in a duel on the street and has a town in Kansas named after him. This info is from the Baxter Springs Heritage Center & Museum

Settlement within the Cherokee Neutral Lands was restricted to Cherokee settlement. Homesteading was not an option available to land-hungry settlers. However, there was little authority present that could prevent white settlers from entering the Neutral Lands. The law, however, was circumvented. And a few trespassers did venture into the lands intent on setting claim to choice lands.
John Baxter, a resident of neighboring Newton County, Missouri entered the Neutral Lands and lay claim to lands west of Spring River. The year was assumed to be 1849. The exact date is questionable. Baxter was an intriguing character. He had an extremely large, extended family. His eight children had a wide span in ages. Baxter was a self-proclaimed minister, a practitioner of a phenomena called Spiritualism. Largely unknown to the rural Newton County farm families, Baxter and his family were a subject of curiosity.
Wiley Britton, who, as a neighbor boy of the Baxter's, recalled the mysterious Baxter and his family. He described the family as being "enlivened, intelligent, and very liberal for this region. Baxter was an adherent of Universalism who conducted religious services from his home. Baxter was a man of considerable force of character living among us and was distinctly beneficial in bringing about broader religious and political toleration among the people of Newton County.
The Baxters were all extremely talented. They provided newspapers and books which were made available to the community. They possessed an organ. All could sing and would entertain local guests frequently. Great conversationalists, the Baxters were certainly a culturally advanced family compared to their farm neighbors." It is uncertain for what reason, the Baxters elected to depart their Newton County home to move to the Neutral Lands. Perhaps the lure of free lands encouraged their relocation west of the Missouri line.
John Baxter and his large family found land just west of Spring River that they deemed to be attractive and claimed this for themselves. Their claim was entirely illegal, but there was little reason for them to fear being removed from the Neutral Lands.
A small creek fed by numerous springs, one being highly mineral in content, dotted the hillside across from site chosen for the homestead. Abundant timber was found all along Spring River to their east. The homestead lay east of the Military Road which linked Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas to Ft. Gibson, Indian Territory or Cherokee Nation.
The Military Road had originally been surveyed to pass to the east near Spring River and Lowell but its course was altered to the west. John Baxter built his home strategically adjacent to the Road. The springs below his home provided a natural campsite for passers-by. The military convoys frequently traveled the length of the road.
Since no other business ventures were found nearby, Baxter established a mercantile of sorts to cater to the needs of those traveling by. His business came to be known as "Baxter's Place." The Baxter business became a popular wayside stop on the Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Gibson road.
The Baxters were not the only white settlers to take up residence in the Neutral Lands. Another settler by the uncertain name of Rogers or Commons had claimed land on the east side of Spring River. Both families resided near one another, Spring River being a dividing line of sorts. A disagreement arose, however, between the above named individual and a daughter of Baxter over a disputed land claim. Baxter and his son ventured across Spring River to confront the adversary over the "ownership" of the disputed property.
Commons and his family were waiting in their cabin when the Baxters approached. Upon reaching the cabin, civil talk increased into rage, and ultimately shots were fired. The lifeless body of John Baxter lay on the ground. His son continued the volley and killed the son of Commons. The date was December 20, 1860.
The patriarch of the Baxter family was gone. The Baxter era was also over. The entire family departed their homestead in the Cherokee Neutral Lands. Their only vestige of the years spent in this location was the cabin and the grave of the head of the Baxter
family.
The land which John Baxter claimed as his own and the springs that faced his cabin have given rise to the name of the town that we know today as Baxter Springs, Kansas.

Vintage Records

Alec and I love to listen to vintage records while relaxing at home. I was telling my Mother today about some awesome records I found at an estate sale and how I got two 101 strings records to add to our collection of those and she remembered the coolest thing! She said her parents walked into a hardware store in 60's and there was a 101 strings record playing on one of the old console stereos there and my grandfather loved the records so much he bought the player and the record. I never got to know him, and my grandmother passed away when I was 12 so it made me so happy to have this connection! Here are a few of the 101 strings that we own:





The best thing about these, other than how great they sound, is that you can usually find them for 99 cents at used books stores all of the time. Here's a sample of one of the tracks:

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

I have been a little crock pot obsessed this week. I made this lasagna recipe from cooking light that has been my favorite for years. It is a little complicated but so worth it if you have the time. Both the photo and recipe are from Cooking Light. You can click through to their site from the title of this blog post.



No-boil lasagna noodles are perfect for this recipe, as they absorb all the juices that accumulate in the crockpot. Use 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh, if you prefer. Also, any mushroom will work.

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

* 4 cups torn spinach
* 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
* 1/2 cup commercial pesto
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
* 1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
* 1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
* 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
* Cooking spray
* 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Preparation

Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.

Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside. Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 398 (41% from fat)
Fat: 18.2g (sat 7.8g,mono 6.6g,poly 2.3g)
Protein: 22.2g
Carbohydrate: 38.5g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 56mg
Iron: 2.8mg
Sodium: 1036mg
Calcium: 407mg

Smitten Kitchen's Yummy Brisket

Since this is my last week of freedom before returning to the grind that will be my life for the next year, I've been celebrating by cooking really decadent meals at home. This brisket turned out so good we ate it for 3 solid days without one complaint about leftovers. Alec and I made this southwestern pulled brisket in the crock pot and it cooked while we slept. I wanted to cook it the whole 10 hours because our grocery store didn't have a 3 lb brisket. The smallest they had was 5lb! I cooked it for 10 hours and kept it on keep warm another hour. I modified the slaw recipe to just be cabbage, cilantro, and red wine vinegar since we don't like raw onions or mayo around here. We served ours on warmed up corn tortillas with a half a grapefruit from the valley on the side and it was a delicious brunch! Not to mention how wonderful the house smelled.

Find the original recipe and more lovely photos here:

(image borrowed from Smitten Kitchen blog)

South Texas

Alec and I took a trip to South Texas for New Years. We watched a beautiful sunset on the way down.



My hiking goal was to "see" Mexico. The river behind us is the Rio Grande and Mexico is just beyond. The khaki pants are supposed to help the mosquitoes leave you alone. I'm told they are attracted to darker colors. They were definitely attacking Alec's arms more than mine so maybe there is something to that.



Border Patrol!


Isn't this an amazing storm front?

Crafty with Eric!

My awesome friend Eric came to visit after Christmas and we had some time to be crafty together. It was a craft explosion in my dining room and so much fun! I wish he could live nearby.



He made me this beautiful card. The scan really doesn't do the colors justice. I keeep it on my desk so Eric can make me smile every day. :)

Book for my Mother

I love my Mom so much and I'm so grateful that our adult relationship has turned out exactly how I hoped it would be. She is amazing! I made her this book to let her know.

Christmas Gifts I received

Alec and I exchanged gifts early because we'll be out of town for Christmas. These are the fantastic things he got me.

An embossing heat gun and embossing powder! Now I need to come up with some projects for these. I had something in mind when I added these to my wishlist...but since I didn't' write it down... poof! Any ideas?




Biscuit/cookie cutters so I can make TONS of yummy things. I've been wanting to make a recipe for ricotta dill bisquits and now I will!


A Jenny Hart, Sublime Stitching, book full of magic. I can't wait!

Things I Made This Week

I got quite a bit done this week in spite of not feeling super well. The first project was spray painting this little metal basket to hold keys, wallets, sunglasses etc. at our by-the-door landing place. The basket came as the base of a gift basket, but red was a little more my style.



I finished both Alec's and my stockings this week. I forgot to take a photo before I stuffed his full of stuff so the ankle looks a little wonky. He has mine hidden away somewhere so you'll just have to appreciate his and know that mine is a variation on this theme. They're made of fleece so they'll stand up to all of the heavy gifts inside!



I had seen a wreath like this awhile back on someone's blog, but I don't remember where. I thought it looked pretty easy to do. I used my old streetfinder map that is obsolete with the advent of GPS. That makes me a little sad because I bought streetfinders shortly after learing to drive so I could find my way anyhwere. Now it seems too easy. Working to find things was part of the fun! I cut the map into strips and applied them to the wreath form using mod podge. What a fun craft! You get to have glue all over your fingers just like elementary school!




I wanted more room than what I had for hanging Christmas cards so I chain stitched two colors of yarn together to make a pretty chain. I hadn't chain stitched since i was about 8 years old and luckily it came back, just like riding a bicycle. Back then I chain stitched an entire skein of yarn and never learned how to go back and forth to make it into a blanket. Did anybody else do that?




Hopefully more crafts to come after Christmas!

Jewelry Tree

So now that school is out for 5 whole precious weeks I have some time for crafty things again. My friend Laura helped me make this jewelry Christmas tree two years ago. I used jewelry I had been saving for years to put it together. There is some of my mom's old jewelry that I used to play with in her jewelry box when I was little as well as some of my grandmother's old broken clip-on earrings. Almost everything on it has some sentimental reason for being there so the tree makes me very happy to put out every year.

Amazing Speech on Marriage in America

It's too bad her speech did not lead to change at this time in New York State, but hearing politicians speak in this way gives me hope that eventually America will do the right thing and grant equal right to ALL of our citizens.

Senator Diane Savino words are spoken with good purpose but she includes humor, remarking on the "sacred institution" of marriage that brought us such shows as "Bridezillas" and "The Littlest Groom" where 30 desperate women competed for the hand of a dwarf.

Christmas 2009 Playlist

Needlework from Travieso

My awesome friend Travieso made us this awesome needle work as a wedding gift, but it took us forever to figure out to how to frame it! I ended up sewing black fabric around all four sides so it now has a fabric mat in the frame. You can't even tell when you look at it! Anyway, Travieso is so cool. He knows tons about astrology and he made us this artistic interpretation of our star charts combined into one. We love it! It is now displayed on the mantle above our fireplace.

Estate Sale Finds!

It's pretty amazing how many folks will turn up to an estate sale in the pouring rain. I found two super cool things to bring home. I got another pretty Pyrex to add to my collection towards my goal of having a turquoise and red kitchen and a cool old globe.

One Year of Marriage

Traditionally for your first anniversary you are supposed to give a gift made of paper and for once in my life I decided to be traditional. I got Alec this awesome custom portrait of us done by the totally awesome Ashley G.

We love it!

The Proust Questionnaire

Alec and I spent several evenings on the couch asking each other these questions. It was fun at home in the cold entertainment. I recommend it!

The Proust Questionnaire
The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. Here is the basic Proust Questionnaire.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
2. What is your greatest fear?
3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
5. Which living person do you most admire?
6. What is your greatest extravagance?
7. What is your current state of mind?
8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
9. On what occasion do you lie?
10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?
11. Which living person do you most despise?
12. What is the quality you most like in a man?
13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
16. When and where were you happiest?
17. Which talent would you most like to have?
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
21. Where would you most like to live?
22. What is your most treasured possession?
23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
24. What is your favorite occupation?
25. What is your most marked characteristic?
26. What do you most value in your friends?
27. Who are your favorite writers?
28. Who is your hero of fiction?
29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
30. Who are your heroes in real life?
31. What are your favorite names?
32. What is it that you most dislike?
33. What is your greatest regret?
34. How would you like to die?
35. What is your motto?

Willis - Word Up

We are getting closer and closer to our 1st wedding anniversary so I'm getting sentimental and nostalgic. The night we got engaged we were eating at a fancy restaurant in Chicago and this song came on. I asked our waiter what it was because it was the first song we heard (or paid attention to) after we got engaged and he wrote it down on a post it note for me. I never found it until now. I think it is hilarious that it is a cover of Cameo, but I like the way Willis covered the song.