Weather- you crazy

Ok this was from a few days ago. A with a high of 108 today, you would have never known it was like this just a few days ago!

At my parent's house in Indiana, the high was this?!?! Never heard of reaching 100 there EVER

Let's go to Ireland instead! Who's with me?!

Te Amo

I found this woodcut on Etsy, and while I love the texture of the woodcut, I thought I should try to paint it before I pay for it. 

Here's my attempt!

 

 And THANKS to Sue for the corner cutter I got to use on the notecard (and the notecard for that matter)!

O to trust

I've had a hard time trusting God this week with just lots of anxiety...which is actually ludicrous because He's been talking to me a lot!  To voice my questions a different way, I used some leftover acrylics, cardboard, and labels from school to paint what I was feeling.

Tea-infused butter

I had made iced tea yesterday with a loose-leaf Earl Grey and lavender tea.  Soooooo goooood.  But it seems so wasteful to just throw away 1/2 cup of tea leaves!  Wouldn't that flavor be awesome in a baked good!?!  But how?!?!   I was trying to figure out a way in my head, but it seemed all possible options resulted in strange, watery baked goods. Not ok. 

I hunted and found this.   It seems the thing to do is infuse butter with tea - BRILLIANT!

So take your tea leaves...

(pay attention to ratios on website and watch for oz versus tablespoons)

Melt down your butter

Once liquid, add your tea leaves

Cook for 5 minutes on low, and then let sit for 5 minutes until tinted

Strain!

Tea-infused butter! 

I put it up here on the window so you could see the color. Also, I put mine in a plastic canning "jar" designed for the freezer, just in case I don't use it all in whatever baking adventure I soon embark on.

Stay tuned for some AWESOME tea-infused baked good!

Seattle in snapshots

Yes, it was epic. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was awesome. 

Here's a teaser...

Off to Seattle!

(insert squealing and much dancing here)  

It's been quite some time since I've gone anywhere, and my inner Hoosier is turning to jerky in the summer heat. SOOO I am headed to visit one of my old college roommates and her husband, two of my very dear friends, so fyi...scattered postings are imminent. 

 However, expect some lovely greeny, watery, Seattley shots via Hipstamatic :) 

 Like this one! (taken with Hipstamatic I mean) which I leave with you as a parting greeting from the teacher:

Table upon which to paint

I've been hunting for a table to put in the guest room (which I have commandeered to paint and journal in).  I wanted something chippy and rustic, and I actually bought a cheap salvaged gate, but it was too big and would have taken a LOT of work...and I had no legs for it...and no carpentry skills to attach would-be legs.  

And then I found THIS!  Tres Amigos was having a CLEARANCE sale, because that place is waaaaaay too expensive to shop at.  

Isn't it gorgeous?!

The lighting is hard in this room, so it was mostly backlit because it's by a big window, but you get the idea!

Thaaaaaanks God! It's been great chilling and painting there with you :)

Embracing

It's been quiet here in the blog-world, as I've been taking care of a friend's dad. 

An 87-year-old Navajo man with bone cancer...with such a cool life story.  Also this week, my mother called to tell me my grandma had a small heart attack and that one of my dad's best friends from high school is dying of cancer.
It's been a reflective, slow, needing-to-mourn kinda week.

But I thought you might enjoy this photo - it's an artichoke flower!   

It's been reminding me to embrace the little things in life, alongside the painful.  

Also helping to flesh this out is a book that a friend gave me called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  Some parts aren't exactly me (and yes, if you look it, Sue and I agree the cover looks uber cheesy), but it's been highlighting many things God has been trying to teach me that the book adds some concreteness to.  Good summer read!

Rings by Etsy

I've been in wedding-world the past week (bridesmaid and general set-up gal for the shindig), and while I'm STOKED my friends are married, I'm happy I made it out alive!  Carnivorous things, weddings are... 

 But I got this video delivered to my email this morning, and though I'm ready to say GOODBYE to wedding world for now, I wanted to share it with you because it's pretty dang cool :)

Lavender simple syrup

My friends are getting married this week, and since I'm a bridesmaid, things have been a little crazy! However, I did make time this morning to try a recipe for lavender simple syrup since my lavender plant died...it was inevitable. But a fun alternative an super tasty! I only wish it were thicker...