knitcole

Doe a Deer...

Recently I posted the following picture on Instagram with the caption "Yes I taped a picture of a deer to my sliding glass door. Why you ask...I'm working on a project."

Well I finally finished my little secret project and it turned out fantastically! Since we moved into our condo last October our bedroom wall has been missing one little feature...

That lovely frame from Ikea has sat empty for nine months now. Just waiting for something amazing to be put inside of it. I've always had an idea for the frame but finally decided it was time to execute on it. (Sorry all the photos aren't that great, they are from my iPhone.)

1. I traced the image of the deer onto black fabric using a white color pencil.
2. When I finished tracing this is what it looked like.
3. I doubled the fabric and applied Heat 'n Bond to one side and cut the deer out twice because I wanted to make sure it was very opaque. I peeled the paper backing off the second deer and then ironed both pieces together.
4. Time for background fabric choices. Choice #1
5. Choice #2
6. Choice #3
7. Using the cardboard from the frame I cut out a piece of fabric,
8. and a piece of batting.
9. After affixing the head to the fabric using more Heat 'n Bond I wrapped the fabric around the batting and cardboard and put it in the frame. Pulling the fabric tightly I taped it to the back using some moving tape. (I know it doesn't look pretty but it works.)

I am absolutely thrilled with how this turned out. Mr. Coleman really likes it too, he told me it's a shame that it's in the bedroom since we don't spend as much time in there.

I'm actually thinking these might be something fun to make and sell, what do you think?

Nicole

 

 

This Old Married Life: What's for Dinner

Hey party people, it's time for another addition of This Old Married Life! Today's topic that inevitable question that plagues each and every person every night of the week, "What's for Dinner?"

 
As the wife I always feel like it's my responsibility to make sure that Mr. Coleman and I have plenty of food on hand and creative dinners. I thought that this would be pretty easy, when we first got married it seemed like there were a million different things I could make for dinner. I have cookbooks and there are probably millions of recipes on the internet but it didn't take long before I started running out of ideas.

When this first happened I scoured my favorite cookbook and starting making items from it and while they were all delicious some of them aren't practical for the everyday dinner. I will say that the Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes are DELICIOUS!

Pretty soon I felt like I was stuck in a rut again. While Mr. Coleman will eat grilled chicken and broccoli everyday I get bored and I like to change it up a little. I started to realize that we have our regular rotation meals. In my head it looks a little something like this...

• Baked Chicken with Vegetables
• Spaghetti / Pasta
• Tacos
• Enchiladas
• Picadillo
• Sliders / Sloppy Joe's
• Crock Pot BBQ Pork
• Crock Pot Carnitas
• Tri Tip Steaks
• Pizza

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head and I have to add that some of these things don't really end up the way they sound. For instance Sloppy Joe's aren't like the ones I ate as a kid that came from the can, (not that I don't love those!) it's more of a ground turkey with BBQ sauce served on Hawaiian Rolls. We try not to buy anything processed in our house and only eat real food. It's the one way I try to keep us a little healthy.

At first it was fun to make homemade pizza (I buy the dough already made thanks to Trader Joe's,) and to experiment with things like making a whole chicken but now I just get frustrated! After only nine months of marriage it feels like we've tried it all. I know this can't be true but it can be discouraging when you walk into the kitchen every night and always feel like you're making the same old thing.

So, how do I combat this feeling. First, I try to buy different things to liven it up. We bought some Polish sausage to BBQ on the 4th (thanks to Jolene putting the craving into my head,) and we had the other half for dinner. Buying something a little different each week can liven up one meal just enough to feel different.

Secondly, I look for new things to make when I'm at the grocery store. 99% of the time Mr. Coleman and I shop at Trader Joe's and they have a ton of pre-made things to buy. Last week Mr. Coleman saw the pre-made stuffed peppers while we were shopping and instead of buying them I made them myself. It was a pretty big success and I always feel accomplished when I conquer a new item that I can add into the rotation maybe once a month.

Lastly, I try to find new ways to cook the same old thing. We eat a lot of lean meats in our house; chicken, turkey and pork and sometimes I forget to try to find a new way to spice up our meals. Last night it was pork chops and I thought "isn't maple a big thing when it comes to pork?" I found this Maple Glazed Pork Chop recipe online and it turned out amazingly! (See photo above.) I also made some Fried Apples (I didn't exactly follow any recipe,) and they were sweet and delicious! I'm not saying it was the most healthy meal but it definitely felt like a treat and something I can make every now and then.

That's how I conquer the "What's for Dinner" question every night. I can't imagine what I will be doing in five years but hopefully I will keep expanding my repertoire and be able to throw in those fun, just a little fancy meals every now and again.

What are some of your favorite recipes?

Nicole

Pinterest

source

I know I may be a little late to the game but I've been reluctant to join Pinterest for awhile because I knew once I got started on that site that I would be forever sucked in. It's a pretty awesome way to tag the things you see on the internet and see the things other people have pinned. I haven't been on there long and I've already been amazed by all the pretty pictures I've seen. I'm sure I will be spending a lot of time pinning and looking at things that other people have pinned. You can find me on Pinterest here. Like I said, there isn't much there yet but I'm sure there will be soon.

Nicole

 

Do you sell your stuff on Etsy?

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (username nicoleguthary,) then you'll notice that I post a lot of photos, like the one above, of things I've made. I'm always working on different projects and I'm always excited to share what I am doing but I've been reluctant to open my Etsy shop.

I get asked all the time if I sell my stuff and right now I only sell to friends and family who know about me but I do have the desire to sell online or at craft shows. So, why haven't I done it?

The simple answer is, it scares me. I know that may seem kind of silly since if I try to sell online what do I have to lose? I mean it works or it doesn't, but somehow I over think it every time I'm about to put my stuff online and just freak out.

I'm thankful for my husband and my close friends when these times come. Mr. Coleman is always quick to remind me that I am talented and that people would want to buy my stuff and that regardless of whether or not it's successful I will feel better if I just try. He supports me 100% and that's extremely reassuring. 

My close friends are quick to remind me too. In particular, my friend April never lets me forget how "freaking cute" my stuff is. She is probably my #1 encourager besides Mr. Coleman. She works at Seed People's Market which is this amazing vintage, handmade, repurposed, etc. amazing little store and she went so far as to show them my aprons and now I have the opportunity to sell some of my aprons there! I am fortunate to have such wonderful friends.

So, where does that leave everything for Knitcole? Well, I've decided that I need to start with small goals, today I am working on getting some business cards and stickers ordered. Then I need to edit some photos and get them up in my Etsy shop with descriptions and all of that. I will be working on some aprons that are specifically for Seed in hopes that I will have those in the store by mid August. I just have to remember to keep trucking. Things are happening for me and I need to take advantage of it!

Thank you all for your constant support by reading and encouragement from your comments! It means more than you'll ever know!

Nicole

Journeys with Jeanie. A new blog feature!

After my last feature, This Old Married Life, was received well by all of you (thanks!) I decided that I wanted to add another feature to my blog. Journeys with Jeanie is a tribute to my grandmother and the lessons she taught me.

My grandma Jeanie was my best friend and when she passed away I wasn't quite sure how I was going to go on without her. Turns out she instilled values and lessons in me that I would never forget, she made me a lot of who I am. I remember things she taught me every single day and I want to pay tribute to those things here. First up...gardening!

 
My grandma always kept a garden. As a kid I just thought it was fun to cut string beans down and pick the radishes and tomatoes. She grew beautiful flowers and lettuces and had the most amazing brain bush (hydrangeas,) that you ever saw!

Because of what I thought was normal growing up as a kid, (all people grow tomatoes in their flowerbeds right?) I have a desire to grow my very own garden. I decided that this year we would start small and shoot for growing everything I need for salsa; jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro plus a couple other herbs and flowers.

My herbs are doing great! First lesson learned, cilantro if given too much sun will bolt and turn into coriander. Those little flowers might be pretty but then the leaves stop growing and it stops being cilantro. This is my second cilantro plant and it stays in the shade.

My veggies have been the most rewarding. To see something you bought when it was just a tiny little plant grow into this amazing vegetable is so wonderful. I can't wait until we can eat them! I'm thinking some of our jalapenos will be ready next week quickly followed by our tomatoes. And that beautiful chocolate beauty bell pepper...I can't wait to see what color that one ends up!

Oh and my snapdragons were the most beautiful bush of flowers until our pup decided that they were also extremely tasty. Sadly, they're not looking so hot anymore. He also managed to eat my zinnias into an early grave.

My grandmother taught me that growing your own food can be not only rewarding but gives you a sense of completion. You learn to understand the whole process and when you know the work it takes to put food on your table you appreciate that food more. It's also cheaper, that jalapeno plant doesn't know that Mr. Coleman and I won't be able to eat the 25 peppers that are about to be ripe all at the same time before they go bad! 

I'm thankful that a bit of her green thumb was passed on to me and that she instilled in me a desire to do for myself. I will definitely think about her when I make some fresh homemade salsa from my garden. I can't wait to grow lettuce when it cools down!

Thank you grandma for always teaching me how to be my very best.

Nicole

TIME for a little change.

This is one of my living room walls. It's been like this pretty much since we moved it. I always thought I would add more photos as time went on and I haven't. I guess I just got used to it but that all changed the other day when I was looking at one of my favorite sites, ideeli. 

I saw this George Nelson clock and was ecstatic when Mr. Coleman said he also liked it and I could get it! It has the most amazing 1950's kind of thing going on and I just knew it would be the perfect centerpiece to my living room wall. 

It took more work than I expected to rearrange everything but I love how the wall looks with the new clock. The best part was how much my little dog LOVED the boxes the clock came in. Hours of enjoyment for a sweet lil' pup.

Nicole