fun at Renegade

rather than fight traffic and search aimlessly for parking, we took the train to Union Station! 

then we only had to walk a few blocks to get to the park and all the fun goodness.

for a while we all stuck together, but there was so much to see and everyone had different interests so we spread out after a short time.

but we came together for fun tutorials, like this one at Sew LA's booth. we all made reusable fabric coffee cozies. Ashley used a sewing machine for the first time! (Kristen and I are in the background putting the final, finishing touches on our cozies.)

another favorite tutorial was these cute feathered hairpieces. on the return train trip, Michaela and I had fun pretending to be Indians! 

we thought we should be serious for this one, but it was too silly.

Kristen and I each think that we have the best husband in the world - I know that I do, but sometimes I let Kristen think she's winning :) 

Renegade!

had the best day on Saturday at the Renegade Craft Fair!! Kristen, Michaela, Noelle, Ashley and I met early to take the train to Los Angeles and spent the rest of the day applying sunscreen, taking tutorials, grabbing business cards, paying $3 for water, losing each other in the crowd, finding each other again, people watching, sweating, meeting look-alikes, winning free stuff, buying cuteness and taking photo booth pictures!!! later this week I'll share my favorite purchases. xo.

Katie & TupperWave

so that post title isn't as charming or alliterate as "Julie & Julia"but that is how I am feeling right now. I just finished reading J&J last week and just as Julie cooked her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," I am cooking my way through the TupperWave microwave cooker recipes. Ok, so maybe it's not just as Julie & Julia, but so far we are 3-for-3 in delicious microwave meals! whoo! 

A few nights ago I made rice and beans in the cooker using Tupperware's Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend to accompany my (not Tupperware) skillet fajitas and oh gosh it was delicious. that seasoning blend is super spicy though - I need to make a note and recommend at parties to start out with half the recommended amount. or maybe I'm just a wuss! 

Last night we had a steak, cheese and prosciutto omelet and also banana bread baked simultaneously in the TupperWave. to pour over the bread, I sautéed canned pineapple rings in a sauce made with Tupperware's Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend and that was another knock-out-of-the-park meal! yum! there was even enough leftovers for breakfast this morning which was a nice change from cold cereal and milk. I really loved how the eggs turned out in the TupperWave cooker because I hate runny eggs so I often end up over cooking them and getting some of that icky brown crust on the bottom. but last night's eggs were fluffy and firm, not runny and not at all rubbery or weird. 

Tonight I was a little nervous because I have never cooked chicken in the microwave before. I've heated up leftovers lots of times, but never cooked from raw. I crusted the chicken with Italian breadcrumbs and some other seasonings and also cooked orzo pasta with chicken broth. When it was done cooking, I tossed the pasta with come grated parmesan (not the powdered stuff) and wow, was it all good!! the chicken was cooked all the way through and so juicy! and pasta+parm is pretty much the best thing ever in my opinion so it's hard to screw that up. the only thing I missed from oven baking the chicken was that good crunchy crust, but the overall flavor and the juiciness of the meat definitely made up for it. also, not having to turn on my oven late in the afternoon in the middle of summer is a real bonus!! 

with my most recent party, I ordered the colander insert for the TupperWave which will make it even easier to get a complete meal done all at once in less than 30 minutes because I'll be able to steam veggies! that order is in transit now and I can't wait!! 

so, in case you haven't guessed yet, YES, I am a Tupperware consultant and please forgive the sales pitch, but I would love to make all your Tupperware dreams come true! Parties are still the #1 way to order products and I travel most anywhere in central and southern California. Online ordering is also available and we even have gift registries and e-gift certificates! Check it out!!

celebrating America

growing up in Huntington Beach, it was impossible to be unpatriotic on the 4th of July. of course, I thought patriotic was what it meant to put on every red, white and/or blue article of clothing I owned, go downtown, get my face painted by the YMCA Indian Guides and eat as many cherry, coconut and blueberry Jelly Bellies possible over the duration of the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi. 

Every year we set up camp on the curb outside Esther's house on Main Street and thanked the Good Lord above that we went to the same church as someone who lived on the parade route and lovingly opened her home to the congregation!

Since getting married and moving north, I've missed the parade but this year we decided that Leila needed to experience an HB 4th for herself. She and I wore our new outfits that I sewed Friday night while Wes was working. It was a little cold in the morning, but by the halfway point of the parade, it was plenty warm enough to bare our shoulders!

It's so easy on a beautiful day at the beach to focus on the sun, bike rides and beer selections but I hope that most people took time yesterday to pause and appreciate how blessed we are in our country. 

late night

tank done! now off to bed!!!

rare opportunity

tonight Wes picked up an extra shift so after I put Leila to bed, I decided to spend my night alone with my sewing machine! I've had One Yard Wonders for a few months now and have bought lots of fabric with the intention of making some cute things, but living my life as I do in two- or three-hour increments between naptimes I rarely sit down to sew, especially in the last couple of months during the remodel. so since there isn't any artificial light in my "craft" room yet, I dragged the machine out to the living room and made this romper for Leila to wear on Sunday! the smallest pattern size given was 2T and Leila is just barely starting to fit in 12-18 month clothes now so I took an inch off the pattern all the way around and am hoping for the best! she's a tall girl and instead of elastic, I put in a halter tie at the top so hope that will make it fit. 

it's hard to see in the poor light (one of my many projects I need to finish before I consider our home "finished" ha ha), but the fabric is lots of different patterned stars scattered across navy fabric. I never sleep well when Wes is working night shift, so rather than go to bed and lie awake for the next two hours, I'm going to tackle one of emma's tank tops from RVA summer camp using the leftover fabric from the romper. whoo!!