Care Package Giveaway

....over at Sidenote Cal's place: 

http://www.sidenotecal.com/2010/08/mail-is-awesome.html

Sidenote is one of my best good friends in the whole world.  Did you know that we "met" via our blogs?  Yes, we did.  Way, way back in the day.  And now we talk (on the phone even!) almost every day.  I can't think of anything much better than a Sidenote care package en route to my house.  And now, it's your turn :)

Sidenote and Skeddy:

** I can't find the other photo that Sidenote fabulously took of us, so you'll have to do with a repeat.  We seriously need more photos when we're both in the same time zone at the same time.

Found.

Remember, a few months back, when I was whining and sobbing and crying about things I'd lost in the move?  Well, good news!

One coat. Navy wool with barely-there orange plaid. With ridiculously cute - but understated, natch - cornflower blue and white ruffles on the sleeves and pocket. And a back panel vent sewn from four different patterned silks. Perfectly matches my orange and navy scarf. The one that I got on clearance from J. Crew because, evidently, the only people buying orange items are Oregon State grads.


Oh, I'm so happy to have found this coat!!!  This baby was hiding in my snowboard bag, of all places!!  It wasn't until we were cleaning out the garage and reorganizing piles that I thought to open my bag and see what was hiding in there.  Hurrah!!
 


Two bath towels. The big kind. The big, thick, soft kind. The same shade of green as 80% of the things I own. The towels that minimize the frequency of my having to do laundry. Which may have played a role in the disappearance of the last item on this list.

One of these towels was crammed into a random box with books!  But, I still haven't found the other towel :(

Dental floss. The good minty Glide kind that doesn't shred in crowded teeth. Last seen in a convenient spot in the car, within reach of the driver. Part of a whole suite of tooth-obsessed items belonging to a tooth-obsessed girl. Said girl frequently snacks in the car, requiring the assistance of said missing floss.

Gah.  I didn't find it.  I bought another 3 containers.  I now only know where one of them is.

Bucket loads of sleep. The kind of sleep that makes a girl pretty and nice and charming. Last seen in a fleeting moment of bliss, atop amazing new mattress, piled beneath two fluffy down comforters. This cherished friend is greatly missed.

Big fat X.

Cooking with Sara: Chewy Granola Bars

You might remember a while back, that I posted a recipe for granola bars that were pretty "meh."  I vowed to find a better recipe, and I'm happy to report that that conquest is over!  Let the cheering commence!  I started with a pretty decent recipe and then I made it 3 different ways in order to tweak the ingredient amounts.  (We were bound to find a good use for my OCD Perfectionist ways, right? :)  )

One important thing:  Follow the directions, and let these babies sit before cutting into them.  I tried them immediately post-cooling and then again (lots of agains) the next day.  The texture and flavor are definitely better the next day.  Definitely.

Chewy Granola Bars on From Blah to Ta-Daa

p.s.  Jenny - Thank you for the adorable napkins!!!  They made their photo debut with this recipe, and they're in every single photo over on the Blah blog today :)

Wordless Wednesday: Fruity

Monday Show and Tell

Some of you have already seen all these photos, but I thought I'd post them anyway.  Sometimes, I need to look back and remind myself what I've accomplished over the past month or week or even day, so that I don't start feeling so overwhelmed with life.  It's like, "Oh yeah!  I forgot I did that!"  It also helps remove a tiny bit of the blur that seems to encompass my life. 

This past month has seen oodles of custom requests come through for Sarandipity Sweets, and I still have another list of shapes to mock up.  It's crazy how creative and imaginative you all are!  I love it!  It pushes me to try things I never thought I could, and it makes me feel artistic for the first time in my life.  Artistic.  To say it out loud even feels foreign :)

The month of September will hopefully yield some behind-the-scenes biggies for me too.  I'm in the process of finding a graphic artist to work with (hurrah for logos and website images!); I'm working with a supplier for preprinted bags (hurrah for my new logo on a printed bag, all fancy-like!); and I'm mulling over the idea of hiring an assistant.  Ack!  That part alone scares the heck out of me, and I don't even see how it's possible, but it's something I'm rolling around in my brain.  It's getting to that point where I'm seeing the value in having someone take over some things for me, even though the control freak in me doesn't want to let go of her white-knuckled grip on every aspect of the operation.  Ha!  We'll show her! :)

Cooking with Sara: Miso Chicken

OOoohhh...another steam photo...

It's Friday, and that means it was my turn to cook for our food blog! 

This week, I made Miso Chicken, and it was Mmmm...Good.  It only takes a few minutes to whip up the marinade and then another 15ish to cook.  Definitely a great choice for a weeknight dinner, especially because it's better if you marinate the chicken overnight.  I served it with brown rice and stir-fried veggies (cooked with oyster sauce, fish sauce, and chili paste).  We scarfed down the whole meal, and I don't feel a speck of guilt because it was so dang healthy.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Miso Chicken on From Blah to Ta-Daa

You want to make this.  You do.

Cooking with Sara: No Food, Extra Questions

Yes, that's me.  Evidently, Gramma's cupboards are lots of fun.

I didn't cook this week! 

Ok, that's a lie - I did cook this week, but nothing beyond quick and utterly lacking in pizazz.  Instead, for this week on the food blog, I posted my questionnaire along with some old photos.  You can learn allllll about meeeeee. 

If you've always wondered what meal I cooked to cast a spell on Bo or to hear me mention chocolate chip cookies 3 times in a 5 minute span and profess my love for a garlic press, it's all in there.

Q&A with Me!  on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Cupcake Poll

[ image credit ]

I'm taking a poll!

Why?  Because I'm about to delve into the world of cupcake-baking, and I'd like to know where I should start!  I've already found a killer Strawberry Cupcake recipe, but I need at least a handful of other flavors to add to my go-to list. 

Tell me what your favorite cupcake flavor is!

Bumper to Bumper

I don't know if it's luck, my apologetic face, or what, but twice now, I've been uber-fortunate with run-ins with the police.  Yes, police.  Here's what happened:

I was just finished delivering 100 Cupcake Pops for a local bridal show, jittery from caffeine, sweating like a dog (our heat index is a balmy 100 degrees), and totally focused on my next errand.  I hopped back into my car and had to wait for an enormous Triple-A tow truck to slowly notice that I needed him to move so that I could back out of my parking space.  He finally got with the program and moved, so I put my car in reverse and backed out two feet.  And hit a car.  Crunch.

This is where the story gets interesting.  It wasn't just any car. No, my dearies.  When Sara does something, she really aims high; she's quite the overachiever, you know.  Your friend Sara backed right into a cop car.  Isn't that just wonderful?  Your efficient friend eliminated the need to call the police to report an accident because the police were already sitting right there.  Yes, indeed. 

So, I rolled down my windows, had my license and paperwork at the ready and sat there in the 100 degree heat, expecting the worst. ("I just hit a car.  I just hit a *cop* car.  Sara, oh Sara, why couldn't you have just looked the other way?  This is the absolute worst!  And how much will this end up costing??")  Another officer had to be called in to actually report the incident, so our tally is now up to two cop cars parked behind me.  The reporting officer came to my window and in soothing tones, explained that he'd have to take some photos before things could be wrapped up and I could be on my way.  He gave me some paperwork, and very nicely described my next steps.  And then went back to snap photos of my bumper and of the first cop car's bumper and to write some things down. 

While I sat there, another cop car pulled up (that makes three), and the officer got out to hear the story from the other two.  He began snapping photos and poking at our bumpers, and another cop car pulled up.  So, yes, I sat there in my car in a parking lot with four police cars parked behind me and four officers pointing and photographing our bumpers.  This isn't exactly how I was planning to spend my lunch. 

Did you know that I sweat buckets in the heat?  I do.  I make tidy little sweat stripes on whatever clothing I happen to be wearing at the time.

Eventually, all information was gathered, all photos were taken, and three of the four cop cars left.  The officer whose car I hit told me that they were all finished, and then apologized for not getting his car into reverse fast enough when he saw me backing into him.   Yes, you read that correctly.  He said: "Sorry!  I tried to get my car in reverse, but I just wasn't quick enough!  I'll probably be in more trouble than you will!" and chuckled.

And because of something or other about private property, I even didn't get a ticket.

I have the very best luck ever when it comes to my dealings with police officers who are nothing but kind to me.  Is it because I look pathetic?  Are they worried that I'll burst into tears at any moment?  (I'd be lying if I said that some tears hadn't jumped out of my eyes when I was sitting there in my car today.)  Whatever it is, I'm grateful.

Whew.  What a day.   Is it time to go home yet?

Cooking with Sara: Banana Bread

I brought the leftovers in to work yesterday, and now I'm wishing I hadn't.  I could really go for a slice (or 4) of Banana Bread right now.  Mmmmmmm......

Anyway, you don't have to sit there making drool pools on your keyboard.  You've got the handy dandy recipe link here, so scoot on over:

Better for You Banana Bread on From Blah to Ta-Daa

I took my Mom's scrumptacular recipe and made a few changes so that I wouldn't have to feel so guilty cramming the whole loaf into my belly.  I have to practice the strictest restraint with this banana bread, otherwise, the whole loaf is gone in a day.  I cannot be trusted around baked goods, it's the honest truth.