Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sewing craziness!


tote-1
Originally uploaded by WendiLeigh

I made this cool tote bag. I used a book and followed the directions. This is the second thing I've made with my sewing machine. I am hooked! I only broke two needles on this one, (I broke three one my first project.) I added the applique lolli-pop trees just for the fun of it. I played with that and got better with each tree. Fun Fun!

Saturday, February 02, 2008

First Sewing machine project


pillow 2
Originally uploaded by WendiLeigh

This is my first ever sewing machine project. I am very proud. After countless calls to my mom about thread breaking followed by three broken needles I finished it. I got the pattern from Amy Butler's book, In Stitches. I got the fabric from JoAnn's. It wasn't nearly as hard to use the machine and I realized how hooked on sewing I could become.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas



Rick, Chewy, Frieda and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

I also wanted to share with you the annual Christmas polar bear dip photos with you all ( My uncle and I in Pensacola, FL). If you are in San Antonio next Christmas time and want to join in send me a line.

Wendi

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

I scream, You scream, Yeah!





Ok, first I want to say thank you to Kieran at icecreamireland for the ice cream party challenge. I took the challenge to make some of his recipes and to have a party. Well, the recipes and party were both a big success. I made the cookies and cream and strawberry sage ice cream recipes. They were both fantastic. Being in America I thought there might be issues with conversion but everything worked wonderfully. The only suggestions I had for the recipes were to add more cookies than the suggested four and also to add maybe one more sage leaf and a little more sugar to the strawberries if they aren't in season and not as sweet. The extra sage just helps it have a little more of the different flavor. Of the two recipes I really loved the strawberry sage. It tasted like really good strawberry ice cream with something extra that you couldn't really place. What I did love about these recipes was the way Kieran tells you to whip the cream before you add it to the cool custard. I have never heard of doing this with ice cream recipes and will do this with all future ice cream recipes. The whipped cream makes the final texture really smooth and luxurious. That said I can't wait until his book comes out and I can make some more of his recipes. His Irish ice cream recipes will no have a special place in south Texas. Thanks!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Tagged!

I've been tagged by my friends Brian and Gry at Woodward and Rick Wedding Photography to tell "8 things about myself that you might not know about me". Well here we go:

1. I wanted to be a doctor for a long time and still debated it in college for photojournalism, alas I decided I loved photography more. But, my junior year in college I got to spend a week following an open heart surgeon in and out of the operating room. Watching someone hold a person's heart in their hands and then watch the person wake up later is awe inspiring. I still watch ER reruns at the gym and think about how cool it would be. This was a God thing too because within six months my dad had to have a heart vavle replaced and I was able to comfort him and myself after seeing first hand what the surgery was like.

2. I grew up in a house full of pinball machines and juxboxes that my dad collected and was surprised to go to an arcade and have to pay to play the machines.

3. I started baking for the first time as a way to destress in college. I used to bring the food up to the photolab. They used to know when I had a big test due to the amount of baked goods in the lab the next morning.

4. The first time I met my husband Rick, I thought that is the guy I am going to marry. Five years later we started dating and six and a half years later we got married.

5. I still read comic books and am a bit of a sci-fi geek. I blame an older brother who I always looked up to for that.

6. I love candy! And I am a bit OCD about it. Every holiday has a specific candy that I associate with it. I buy a lot of that candy and eat it and then I make sure I have enough to hide away in the freezer so I can have some all year round. Examples, Halloween=Candy Corn, I likie the harvest corn the best now and the best is the mini pumpkins; Christmas=those chewy peperments with the trees on them; Valentine's day=Conversation Hearts; and Easter=Cadbury Mini eggs, I love these things and I also get a few creme eggs but they are a bit overwhelming. The most OCD thing about candy that I do though is how I eat it. Every candy has a specific way to eat it and I really can't take a bite out of candy bar. The main thing I do is I eat the chocolate on the outside first starting with the ends, then the sides and then the top and bottom. If it has layers, like a kit kat, I separate a layer at a time eating each one. I am a freak but it makes the candy last longer.

7. I once was rather large and lost close to 40 pounds in college and when I went home for holidays people didn't recognize me. I became a bit of a gym rat and still am, it relaxes me.

8. I am a bit spontaneous due to how I grew up. My parents are both teachers so we had the summers off and we used to go on long road trips that really were never plannned. The best example is the time we decided to take a two week trip up the east coast from our home in florida with the final destination, Maine. We decided to do it the night before and some how convinced my grandmother to come with us. I am always up for a road trip no matter what the notice.

Whew! I am done. It was really hard to come up with eight things, I feel like I am pretty open about myself. Hopefully some of this is new to some of you.

Friday, August 24, 2007

pretty sky


pretty-sky
Originally uploaded by WendiLeigh

The sky Wednesday night from my backyard! God is awesome. We have had beautiful skies this summer in Texas. It almost looked like a painting to me.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Lego music video

I know this is another non food related post but I have been busy and my husband is trying to loose weight. Oh Well. I love the Ok Go video however corny it might be. When I saw the lego version I smiled so I thought I'd pass a smile on to you. Check it out here