July 25, 2016 in ,

Sweet Summertime

In between Masters projects, ok I mean procrastinating haha, I set out to make a birthday card for my Dad. I randomly came across a fun paper from Martha Stewart and wanted to create a farm/lake feel  with my card to link up with the sweet summertime challenge at Art Impressions. I loved the sketch over at Mojo Monday too.

Paper - Dakota paper collection (CTMH); Holiday Collection (Martha Stewart);
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black (CTMH); Stamp - Pleasures Window (Art Impressions);
Embellishments - Black Medley (CTMH); Stitched Rectangles (Memory Box).

Another thing my dad also loves is Saskatoon berries. They are usually ready just before his birthday and my mom will often make him a pie to celebrate. I couldn't believe it when I found a TON of Saskatoon berry bushes all over our new property! I've made a couple of pies and some jam, too! I was able to use a recipe with honey instead of sugar - yum! I put a Saskatoon berry beside a blueberry in one of the pictures below to show the size difference. One batch of jam I ran out of Saskatoon berries so I made it half and half. Here's the simple yummy recipe:

Saskatoon Berry Jam
3 1/2 cups Saskatoon berries
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2/3 cup honey
1/2 lemon, juice of

Pour washed berries into a saucepan and mash most of the berries. Add the cinnamon, honey, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Gently bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes until the jam thickens. Remove from heat and pour into hot jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. 




July 23, 2016 in , ,

Reuse x3

Check out the fun project I worked on this morning - t-shirt bags! My husband has had these shirts for years now...first they were in his "good" clothes pile and he wore them until they got a little ragged so he turned them into work shirts. A couple years later I have decided they were unfit to wear to work because they had so many holes at the bottom so I cut them up and made them into bags! The rest of the scraps I turned into cleaning rags. Since I am looking for ways to be plastic free this month I thought the bags would be perfect to wrap the male birthday gifts I will be giving in the next while!



July 21, 2016

Throwback Butterfly Set

Moving definitely has an added bonus of going through things you haven't seen for awhile - especially in the craft room! I came across this cute box I had made at a card class years ago (out of a recycled Cricut cartridge box!) intended for a card set that I had not yet created.


I finally got some cute 3x3 envelopes that were perfect for the inside of this box, so I set out to make some coordinating cards. Luckily I still have ample papers from this set!


This fits perfectly with the throwback challenge at Heart2Heart  and the things with wings challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge :).

Most supplies are Close To My Heart:
Paper - Dotty For You paper collection; Colonial White, Lagoon, Sweet Leaf, Black cardstock; 
Ink - Lagoon, Smoothie, Sweet Leaf; Stamps - Brushstrokes.
Images cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

July 12, 2016

Amazing Adjectives

It was the perfect rainy day to stay inside and make a card! I couldn't help but be inspired when I came across the beautiful inspiration board over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. I also used the fun sketch over at Mojo Monday!
Paper - Happy Times paper collection, White glitter paper (CTMH); Distressed Watercolour paper (Tim Holtz); 
Ink - Memento Black Tuxedo (CTMH);
Stamps & Dies - Simply Amazing, Amazing Adjectives (Verve); Stitched Circles (SSS);
Embellishments - Watercolour paints (CTMH);  Aqua and Clear gumdrops (YNS).

The glowing clouds really stood out to me in this photo so I tried to recreate that by using the white glitter paper on "amazing" and having a sunlight-like background. I also had to use some clear gumdrops to put some water marks on there. I also love woodgrain paper and I can't wait to get some more!

Here is a collection of my favourite photos and quotes that I have come across in the past two months.
My new tattoo designed by Chris' cousin, Char.
A lotus flower to represent something beautiful coming out of the darkness.
The om symbol to represent peacefulness.

We moved into our new house on Friday, June 3!!!
Nothing has brought me more happiness in the past year than this move to our new peaceful sanctuary.  
Backyard bonfires with family.
My first house party with my staff! So stoked to have my kitchen back :).

I have discovered Aerial Yoga.
It is so soothing to be hanging in the air, stretching, and challenging myself!

Back this spring when we were in Maui I made sure to grab some macadamia nuts on our way home. We had so many phenomenal meals over there and many of them used macadamia nuts in some way. I finally had some time to play around in the kitchen and came up with this recipe.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut

2 pieces of halibut
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 large egg (white part only)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400F. Chop macadamia nuts in a food processor and then put on a plate. Gather egg white in a small bowl. Cover both pieces of halibut with the egg white. Roll halibut in nuts making sure to press the nuts into the fish. Heat a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. Fry halibut pieces until lightly golden. Put on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. Serve and enjoy!
There is a myth, sometimes widespread, that a person need do only inner work...that a man is entirely responsible for his own problems; and that to cure himself, he need only change himself...The fact is, a person is so formed by his surroundings, that his state of harmony depends entirely on his harmony with his surroundings.

- Christopher Alexander, The Timeless Way of Building
found in Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Most supplies are Close To My Heart:
Paper - Happy Times paper collection; Ink - Pixie, Canary, Glacier, Sunset;
Embellishments - Le Pen, Canvas Letters; Dies - Stitched Rectangles (MFT).

        Harmony Goals         
Be present
Speak no evil
 Love the Earth
Breathe & Enjoy

Inspired by an amazing person and friend, I am going to participate in Plastic Free July. Check out her inspirational blog here!  It is definitely ambitious to go to zero plastic instantly, but it has been something I have been increasingly mindful about. I am excited to try out some more tips and tricks this month to move towards eliminating wasteful plastic in my life. The quote I found above caused me to really think some more about my Happiness Project. Being in our new home and beautiful, peaceful surroundings has brought a positive change to my life. June was a busy, chaotic month and July should be more slower paced. I have too much stress in my life, though. I'm not sure if I have always carried around a lot of stress or if it has just been weighing me down more heavily in the last year, but it is something that I need to address this summer. There are so many pieces to happiness and peace, and I look forward to the changes that can come with these goals in mind this month.

© Allie's Adventures in the Kitchen, Crafting, and the Kootenays! · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS