{my life} :: twenty thirteen.

 

happy new year! yes, i know it's almost february. i'm working hard to lose some of the paralyzing perfectionism that often stops me in my tracks.

so this quote that i added to my brand new journal on january 1st was just what the dr ordered. (my brand new journal that only has a few entries.) just get started. don't worry about being perfect. put one foot in front of the other...literally & figuratively.

start small. dream big. and all the rest of those motivational quotes, resolutions, promises and goals that bombard us at the start of every year. i didn't need to set myself up to fail.

this year i resolved to be okay with not being perfect. with not getting everything done right away. or at all. i've set some goals, yes, but reasonable ones.. not the pie-in-the-sky i'm gonna become a super-hero goals.

and, you know what? i'm feeling great about twenty thirteen! 

so, tell me, friends, how's the new year treating you? what are your hope and dreams for the year? it's gonna be a good one!

xo.

{what i made} :: cream cheese chocolate chip muffins.

the recipe as i've used it since at least 2004.

ready to bake.

these muffins are a standby at our house. the recipe is easy to follow, pretty much fool-proof and really yummy. in fact, i usually don't bake them myself. one of the kiddos gets the honors.

i can't remember my source for the recipe, or when i started making them. but i know, it's been at least ten years.

back in the day when we brought snacks to the girls' soccer games, i always made a double match of these in the mini-muffin size (that's 48!). after the game, the whole basket would be empty in 5 minutes or less.











this morning we woke up to 2 degree temps. once i hauled myself out of bed, daughter #2 decided she'd make our yummy weekend standby. this is a picture of the batter ready to bake. 

by the time i got around to taking a photo once they were finished, three were already gone. hmmm...

anyway, enjoy the printable version of this recipe here.

finished. a few missing already.

and, happy new year!

xo, anne

{my life} :: family

when it all boils down to what's important, it's not my crafts, it's not my house, it's not my clothes or what i'm having for dinner or how far i'll run today. it's why i get up every morning and what i think about all day long. my husband, my kids, my mom & sister, my extended family, my friends that are like family, my friends that are friends.

it's people, people!

you can't take the rest with you. if it's a good day or a bad day, being able to give a hug or a kiss to my family is what makes life worth living. i have this on my fridge ::

much as i hate to admit it, God has my days arranged ahead of time. i'm not in control. but i can control how i treat others, and the choices i make every minute of every day.

so, without beating myself up about the past, i'm going to tackle this week with lots of compassion, love and tons of hugs. the girls won't like it, but i hope they'll remember their crazy mama and how she couldn't keep her hands off her kiddos because she loved them so much. who wouldn't want to hug and kiss these beauties?

have a great week, friends. do something you love. let someone you love know how much they mean to you. life is precious.

xo, anne

{my life} :: what to eat?

you're probably going to laugh at this, but i have a recurring appointment on my outlook calendar for every sunday at 3pm. every sunday at 3pm, i am reminded to plan this week's meals, make a grocery list, and print my calendar for the week. every sunday at 3pm, i want to get organized for the week, so i'm in a good place when monday morning rolls around.

now, the time & day are relatively random, but the idea is simple. take 30 minutes (or so) to get it together for the upcoming week, so you can start the week off on the right foot. you'll know what you're going to eat during the week, you only have to shop once, you've got rides covered, activities figured out and you're just going to kill it & be uber-productive!

in theory, this is fantastic. and, truly, the weeks i actually do this, i am more confident, organized, and much less scattered, harried & stressed. so, why don't i do this every week? well, life gets in the way. today is monday, and i'm going to make my list and meal plans right when i'm finished writing this post. why monday and not sunday, after that whole diatribe above?

i was here yesterday at 3pm ::

my 10 year old had two soccer games in steamboat springs, co, yesterday. gorgeous, right?! so, after my show on saturday, i unpacked my crafts, packed up the soccer gear & headed out on a 3 hour drive to possibly one of the most beautiful spots in colorado. after the games yesterday, we headed home & arrived in denver about 9pm. i was too pooped to plan my meals then. anyway, i digress.

what do i use to plan my meals, you ask? well, let me tell you. a few years ago, i stumbled upon this meal planner ::

you can get it on the project girl's blog. it is perfect for me, because i can write my meals on one side, add my shopping list on the other & have everything in one place. notice how someone wrote candy & a puppy at the top of the list? she does this every week. gotta admire her persistence!

i use a lot of recipes from martha stewart's everyday food magazine and website. they're tasty, easy & don't require a ton of ingredients. i also try to make one crockpot meal each week, usually on our busiest day, so there's something for everyone, no matter what time they make it home.

and, without further adieu, i'm off to plan my meals for the week. tell me, what are you cooking at your house?

xo, anne

{what I made} :: curb appeal.

hi, friends!

ok. this could be the easiest way to spruce up your entry way and make where you live look oh-so-cute before anyone even walks through the front door. check out this cute door mat.

i bought the mat for $2.99 at ikea. you could use something you have on hand or buy something inexpensively just about anywhere. this doesn't have a lot of pile, but i've seen pictures of really thick door mats that are painted.

 

your next step is to find a stencil you like. for obvious reasons, i chose the F, but you can use just about anything as your design. i was lucky enough to have my friend kristen cut out the letter from an old usps box laying around, but you can print out something from your computer and cut out with an exact-o knife or just freehand a design.

then, i just laid the stencil on the mat and used this, my go-to spray paint color. love. it's called 'eden' by rust-oleum and i use it on practically everything for {afd}!

i sprayed lightly to see how the paint would soak in. worked well, so i kept going until it was nice and dark and i couldn't really see the mat through the paint. when i took the stencil off, though, i could see where some paint made its way to the edge of the mat. that's when i decided to free-hand the border.

then, i looked at the reverse part of my stencil, the actual F. i thought i'd give that a spray & it looked really good. originally, i had the idea to glue wine corks to it to give it a 3d look, but i liked this well enough, so i stopped there. 

i have the blue frame on my door most of the year, and try to change what's in it seasonally. i just punched a hole through the cardboard, put some twine through, and tied it to the frame. easy. this was perfect, and i love how the colors work together.

and, there you have it. a quick, less than 30 minute craft that gives curb appeal a new name.

i was happy it didn't take long, because about an hour after i finished, i hosted a happy hour for 40 great gals.

here's hoping you have a happy weekend! see you next week. xo, anne

{what i love} :: helliemae's handcrafted caramels

every wednesday, I'm going to tell you about something I really love. our first installment of {wilw} will introduce you to my friend ellen, or can we just call her the queen of caramels?

i'm pretty positive that when I try to describe Helliemae's caramels, I will fail miserably. they're just that good. mix a lot of butter and cream together with some incredible flavor combos, and you've got these intense amazing treats that I'm sure people have gotten into brawls over.

Ellen Daehnick owns Helliemae's Handcrafted Caramels. she specializes in dark, rich, intense caramels - slightly bitter treats that pair well with colorado's local beers & spirits. her background certainly doesn't scream food business. before Helliemae's, her only experience was waiting tables at an all-night diner as a teenager.

after an MBA and time as a consultant and in the tech industry, a nudge from her husband got her to launch Helliemae's in 2010. Right at the intersection of food and craft, Helliemae's products are made by hand in tiny batches, using the best ingredients, including organic butter and cream. the yummies are packaged in recyclable, compostable hand-stamped boxes, and wrapped in either wax paper or cellophane.

Year-round, Helliemae's makes four varieties: Classic Salt, Cardamom, Coffee, and Chili Palmer, as well as salted caramel sauce and other confections. And, Helliemae's offers limited-edition caramels tied to the seasons. Right now, Apple is available until 10/31, and Candy Cane returns 11/1.

Why "Helliemae"? Growing up in the Houston in the 70s and 80s, it seemed like Beverly Hillbillies reruns were on all the time (at least when the UHF channels weren't showing The Jeffersons), and people would call Ellen "Ellie Mae", which she didn't love. But put an H on the front, and it just seems right: a handcrafted sensibility that draws from the past, with a touch of post-punk DIY.

here's how to find ellen ::

http://www.saltcaramels.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helliemaes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/helliemaes

check in with her. you'll be glad you did!

now tell me, friends, what do you love this wednesday?

xo, anne

{my life} :: show pics

my life monday posts will be a hodge podge of ideas, because, well, my life is a hodge podge! these posts will be a bit of this and that. make sure to subscribe to my posts, so you don't miss anything important, or fun!

since I started {afd} two years ago, I spend a lot of my weekends peddling my wares at artisan sales and shows in the Denver area. this weekend was no exception.

my partner in crafting crime, lexis from LexisWorks, and i were at the ridge at 38 event in wheat ridge, co, helping the city planners launch a rejuvenation of a great street with cute shops and fun restaurants.

other than the fact that my tent leg snapped in two (thankfully at the end of the day), we created a great shopping space on a gorgeous day!

enjoy some snaps of our booth, and have a wonderful Monday! if you have time, leave a comment & tell me what you were up to this weekend. xo, anne