Apple Pie Oatmeal

While flipping through Pinterest the other day, I came across this spectacular oatmeal recipe. I love oatmeal and this recipe made me pine for crunchy fall leaves and pumpkin patches. I didn't take any pictures of mine because it looked like regular mushy oatmeal (follow the link above for her pictures and original recipe). I decided to add some brown sugar to mine, and I would probably use a bit less next time because it was like eating an actual apple pie, not breakfast oatmeal. I doubled the recipe so I would have enough to take to my Grandpa and have leftovers. Here's what I did:

Combine 2 cups steel-cut oats, 5 cups apple juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 (or more) diced apples, and a splash of cinnamon and vanilla in a slow cooker. Mine cooked long enough for the dog and I to walk around a lake and clean the house (about 3 hours on high). You could cook it for 7 hours or more on low. I did end up adding an extra cup of water towards the end, you'll just have to watch it. It is important to use steel-cut oats in this recipe because they keep their shape and texture. 

This recipe has joined my arsenal of go-to recipes, even Kona approved! I hope you try it! :) 

Good Old Fashoned Fender-Bender

Do you believe in fate? Chain reactions? "Everything happens for a reason"?

I sure do. Whenever something happens I think "If I had spent 2 more minutes in the bathroom this morning, I would have missed this event completely". I couldn't help thinking about that yesterday after my car was backed into in a parking lot! :( Adam was having car problems, so I was on my way to help him. I decided to swing by 7-11 and drop off a Redbox. If I had decided to drop it off later in the day, or if I stopped at Starbucks first, this all could have been avoided. But unless I whip up a time machine, the damage is done.

After the wreck, the jerk that backed into me and ran around the parking lot looking for witnesses to tell the police it was all my fault. Some guy that watched it happen told the police that I was on my phone and wasn't paying attention. This made me absolutely furious because I was NOT on the phone!! Ugh. Since this all happened just yesterday, we don't know what is going to happen yet. All I know is my near-perfect little car is so ugly. :( The only saving grace is that this happened on the passenger's side, so I don't have to look at it every time I get in the car.

My poor, poor car. :( 

Just my luck- he had a ball hitch :-/ 

I do not handle car problems well. Adam's poor brother has seen me flipping out and crying after my car broke down last summer. Lucky for me, I have the best parents ever who always swoop in and solve my problems (extremely spoiled, I know). Mom was on the phone all day with the insurance company- thanks Mom!! Hopefully this all gets resolved soon.

I'm heading to my parent's house for a few weeks (or however long...). I'll get to hang out with my (four year old) puppy and have plans to help my Grandma in her garden! Now, I just have to pack.... 

Live Long and Prosper.

Star Trek, anyone?

Adam picked up his new car last weekend, courtesy of Shalee's sister! It's an Oldsmoblie Aurora which looks uncannily like a spaceship. It is extremely comfy and has all four wheels that run beautifully so there are no complaints about the car, but it has earned Adam the nickname of Captain Kirk. This has been my favorite joke all week- "Hey Captain, let's go to ____." I'm sure he thinks it is just as funny the 15th time. :)

Even the mirrors look like the SS Enterprise!

The above picture isn't his actual car, but it is the same make/model. I have a little surprise for his car next time we (the car and I) are alone. Being computer/Silhouette savvy, I cut a Star Trek (Technically, Starfleet Command) logo out of black vinyl. I can't wait to slap that baby on the bumper!

I'm not going to tell him and see how long it takes before he realizes he's been commanding the SS Enterprise. He has a 24-hour shift today, so I have to be patient for the car to come back. Patience has always been my strong suit. :)

Drowning in Paper.

Two posts in one day- this is what happens when I go on a blogging hiatus for a few weeks due to finals and now I have so many things to share! 

Now that I have a Silhouette, my obsession with paper and card making has gone a bit overboard. Luckily, I have an enabling mom and we make a dangerous pair in a craft store. I'm pretty sure my paper storage box weighs at least 25 pounds. The only solution- make cards! I have used my Silhouette a ton since "Santa" brought it in December, and my favorite things to make are definitely cards. June has been a crazy month for card making (and studying for finals too!). Two birthday cards, four Father's day cards, and one graduation card later, I'm ready to share them with you. :) 

Look how beautiful this paper is!! Swoon! 

A birthday card for someone who likes butterflies and the color purple! If you happen to see this, act surprised for me at the end of the month, okay?? I've learned not to post gifts before they're given (I'm looking at you, mom!) but I'll make an exception because I love this card so much. 

I loved how this turned out. A birthday card for my cousin Larissa, given with rustic orange flowers and a jute-wrapped mason jar, sooooo cute! Per usual, the colors were brighter in person. I really need to figure out my camera.  

Father's Day Card- outside

Father's Day Card- Inside

"Dad's Stache" filled with Sweet & Spicy Candied Walnuts.

The father's day card pictured above was made twice, one for each mine and Adam's dads. I normally do not like making repeats of cards, but this one turned out so awesome I couldn't imagine making anything different. I was really worried that I would run out of candied walnuts before I filled both jars, so I bought two pounds of raw walnuts. I ended up stuffing the jars as full as they could go, and still had an entire mason jar full of leftovers. Not that I'm complaining about having delicious nuts hanging around. Yum :)

I also made a card for each of my Grandpas and for my cousin Josh's high school graduation but totally spaced on taking pictures. You'll have to trust that they were awesome too!

I am very seriously tossing around the idea of opening an Etsy shop with cards and whatever else I decide to make. Input?? 

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I love freebies. Especially when I feel like I've had to earn them (by leaving a comment on a FB thread). I've been entering all the Craft Warehouse drawings lately and guess what? I WON!

I waited very patiently (right, Adam?) for what felt like an entire month, or like a week, and my package finally came! In the package was Bo Bunny's Hello Sunshine collection. 

See my patience? I managed to take a picture before I ripped into everything.

Brads & Trinkets (aka sparkly, shiney goodness)

Stamps, Jewels, and Petals.

Stickers, Buttons, and Rub-ons.

The whole mess. Beautiful paper and chipboard stickers are behind everything.

I cannot wait to dig in to this stash! It is all very summery and bright ....and perfect for a baby shower, perhaps?? :)

The Beach and a Jewelry Thief.

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend (aka- 3 days with no school!) so Adam and I took a trip home. We got to see a good chunk of Adam's family including visiting siblings- Kevin, Shalee (Hi, Shalee!!), and Kristi with her family. I sped home to hang out with my mom before she left for a church retreat with my sister. This left me with my dad and four year old dog, Kona, for the weekend. We kept busy by planting flowers and tomatoes, grilling pizzas and burgers, and we even took Kona to the beach!

Remember the Mother's Day planters I made? Look how much they've grown! The "flowers" in that lower pot were actually weeds- ha! They've been replaced with much prettier flowers since then.  

Kona loves the beach. He's about to pull my arm off!

Eyeballing me.

I never understand why people swim/surf here. Soooo cold, windy, dreary, and miserable!

He got a little too brave. That little speck is him!

I didn't catch a picture of it, but the stinker decided to root around a dead, rotting seagull and later found a nice pile of dog poo to sniff at. Later, we took him to walk around the shops in Westport and one of the owners came out to say hi to my cute pup. She proceeded to let him french kiss her. Dad and I were both holding back fits of laughter/gagging because she was doing this not 10 minutes after he licked everything dead on the beach. YUCK.

One benefit of Mom and Morgan both leaving for the weekend is that I had full access to Morgan's closet and makeup stash.

Sidebar- I got to right here in writing this post when our lovely toilet overflowed for no apparent reason (this is the SECOND time this has happened. Grrrr). Looks like I get to do multiple loads of toilet-water towels tomorrow. Yay. 

Anyway, back to my point.  I scavenged through old boxes and came up with a ton of old jewelry (which may or may not have been my sister's...):

Exhibit A

I also found an awesome Ikea rack I bought years ago with good intentions but never used. It is now holding pens and misc. crafty goodness next to my desk. I got so excited after finding a stash of my old cds. Unfortunately, I could only find all the burnt mixed cds which were okay but not what I was looking for. Adam and I skipped through them all the way home... until he couldn't take anymore early 2000s R&B ;)

Adam thoroughly enjoying my rediscovered Savage Garden. 

I'd better get to bed so I can go to the laundry mat early in the morning. Oh, the joys of living in an apartment with horrible plumbing and no washer. :)

Pop or Soda?

I say soda. Everybody else I know (except my Aunt Susie, I believe?) uses "pop". Either way, I hardly ever drink the stuff except when I'm crafting. I blame my mom, there is just something about crafting that makes me yearn for a soda. Lucky for me the 7-11 closest to my apartment has the absolute best soda machine! You can choose your poison (for me, diet coke) and add in cherry, vanilla, or lemon flavoring. Addictive, I tell you!

PS- I am never again using Blogger from my phone. Wonky formatting and the picture refuses to turn upright.