uniquely made {mckinley}

I've always loved pieces of art where words are spelled with pictures of objects that resemble letters. Unfortunately, pieces like these typically cost upwards of $75! Back in July I thought to myself, "'Hey, I can make that!" So I set out to take pictures of 'letters' out in the world, and scoured my photo library for anything that could be used (e.g., the "E" below was cropped from a larger word I wrote on the beach in Coronado over a year ago).

I've been making framed first or last names as birthday, anniversary, wedding, and baby shower gifts for a couple months now. My alphabet collection isn't complete (I still need a "G") and I am not satisfied with some of my letters (made from pencils when in a pinch). But now I look for inspiration everywhere. For example, the "C" below I spotted on a wrought iron railing while driving through my parents' neighborhood. Needless to say, I am almost never without my camera.

Here's the most recent project I completed: for McKinley's 14th birthday (today!).

lbd

worn to my best friend's rehearsal dinner

10/09/10

black 3/4 sleeved, layered front, mini dress with black leather cutout heels and chunky pearl necklace and bracelet. 

chicken pesto pizza

ingredients
    10 ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breasts
    Italian dressing
    12-inch pre-made pizza crust
    6 ounces of prepared pesto
    4 ounces of sliced black olives
    1 1/2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese

prepare
    Marinate chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag with Italian dressing for 1 hour. Drain; discard marinade. Grill chicken breasts for 8 to 10 minutes per side (until juices run clear). Slice chicken thinly. Preheat oven to 425. Spread pizza crust with pesto to cover. Sprinkle sliced black olives over pesto. Sprinkle chicken slices on pizza. Cover pizza with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake pizza in oven on pizza stone for 10-12 minutes, just until cheese has melted over toppings. YUM!

*Recipe from Allrecipes.com

i am a blogger

I've finally done it! I've graduated from Facebook to blogging.

I'm that person that posted everything on Facebook: food I've made, outfits I've worn, projects I've completed, etc. After following a few other blogs for a while now (Love, Sweat and Tears and Young House Love), I figured I might as well give it a go. Now my FB friends don't have to be bombarded by my incessant posting about 'this great pizza I made' (find the recipe here) or 'this LBD I wore to my best friend's Rehearsal Dinner' (you can check out that outfit here). Instead, I will share it with all of you (if there are any of you at all) and those FB friends who choose to care about this aspect of my life (okay, okay -- basically my whole life!).

So what can you expect to find on this blog?

    things from my life:
       just everyday happenings; new adventures; things that I want to share
   things from my wardrobe:   
       outfits I've worn; new pieces of clothing/jewelry/accessories I've added to my
       collection or I'm currently coveting
    things from my studio:      
       cards I've made; projects I've completed; pictures I've taken
    things from my home:      
       anything having to do with decorating and organizing
    things from my kitchen:    
       recipes for baked goods or meals

So here it goes -- blog post #1. Get ready for an exciting ride!