Dying Easter Eggs

Happy almost-Easter! Sis and I dyed eggs and got really into it! There were techniques and tools. Ohh my!

I cut painter’s tape to make a chevon egg.
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We did some rubber banded dyed eggs. They came out like tie-dye!
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We broke out some nail polish. That made the easiest dots. Crackle top coat polish made a white-wash looking on.
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I haven’t dyed eggs in years and it was really fun. I’m glad we tried our hands at some different techniques.

Don’t forget: cooled eggs will dye better; white vinegar will make the dye more vibrant. Have fun!

Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve! I love all eves! My birthday eve is exciting! My hometown celebrates Independence Day eve as to not outshine the big city’s fireworks on the real day. Thanksgiving eve was always a relief in school days.

I don’t have a real post for you. Maybeeee I’ll be back to it for Boxing day. If not, this’ll have to tide you over.

Here are my favorite gift-able foods in case you forgot anyone who has been nice. 

Bacon Jam – Make a double batch. Trust me.
The Three Bite Rule - Bacon Jam
Grown Up Caramel Corn would look lovely gifted in a glass jar.
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BBQ Peanuts again are addicting and would survive nicely in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon. No other wrapping needed!
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Napkins with homemade napkin rings are a fun gift. You can buy the napkins and the craft is hugely simplified.
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Or these coasters couldn’t be easier (or cheaper) and the supplies come from a hardwear store which won’t be overrun with holiday shoppers 😉 Use wrapping paper if you don’t have scrapbook paper on hand.
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Any culinary gifts on your list to Santa this year?

Friday Fun

Today you’re not getting a real post. I’ve had a wicked cold, just got back from vacay, blah blah blah. I’m choosing real life and just going with what works at the moment. A post didn’t make the cut. I have unpacked, grocery shopped, gotten a few gifts…I’ve been productive in real life (as opposed to blog life).

Instead, I’ve decorated for the holidays (check out the tree we cut ourselves!)

check out my mantle-scape while watched the original 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street.

This weekend I’ll be sure to get through my New Orleans photos & Caribbean pics. Check out Mr. J’s sneak peek at New Orleans
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I have travel posts coming up, soup, a potluck, some holiday foods, and a cookie swap. Stay tuned!

Thankful and Full

Are you still feeling full of thanks? I’m feeling ever so thankful lately. I love this season of thanks, kindness, and giving.

Mr. J and I spent some time last weekend handing out turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings with our local food pantry. It was a wonderful day and felt so good to know 130 deserving families in our area would have a meal to share with their families. They were so thankful. I was brought to tears when one woman I was helping to her car told me she hadn’t turned her heat on yet.

The food pantry had a great system in place and I was thrilled to see how much the recipients got. In addition to the turkey, they got to choose a pie, then they got a roasting pan for the turkey filled with sides. I was glad we could help since we’re so lucky ourselves. I’ve never been hungry and it breaks my heart to think about it.

My sis and I are signed up to deliver baskets to critically ill patients in a few weeks. My office has taken on filling these wish-list baskets before, and Mr. J and I did some last year. Community Servings delivers 395,000 meals to critically or chronically ill patients and their families annually. They offer nutrition counseling and hands-on job training. Their mission is inspiring. I love how much they fill gaps real people face and how genius they are in using what they already have to help others.
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It is lovely to read facebook posts expressing gratitude rather than complaints. I have so much to be thankful for and I this season is a great reminder of how lucky many of us are.

Chocolate Buffet

I have a lot of catching up to do. I just got back from a wonderful anniversary weekend away and I have quite the backlog of posts for you. Here’s one from a few weeks ago, but not to worry. You can still catch it.

I was lucky to join Ms. L for the Langham Hotel‘s chocolate bar at Cafe Fleuri. It was delicious and I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking. There were so many amazing treats. Everything I had was great and I was sure to choose wisely since there was sooo much to chose from.

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate BarThese macaroons were amazing…one of my favorite items of the day.

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate BarThis was hands down my favorite item. There was something about Peanut Butter Bomb in the name. The tan part was soft peanut butter dough with a peanut butter center on some dark chocolate with a milk chocolate mousse.
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
Thankfully they had some salty treats to keep us going. They make their own potato chips!
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Bar
I felt a bit wasteful since anything I deemed unworthy I didn’t go beyond the initial bite. There were too many good things to eat! We did a good job and left full without being sick, but  it was overwhelming. I loved it for the price tag (free!) but I would be hesitant to pay $40 for one sitting of chocolate. The desserts were really great, and there was an impressive spread of choices, but I’d only spend $40 on a box of chocolates I could enjoy until empty. I worked a gourmet candy store in high school and college so it isn’t lost on me, but free was fantastic.

Full 3 Bite Rule Disclosure: Our invitation from Google+ Local to the chocolate bar was completely complimentary but my thoughts, opinions, and words are entirely my own.

Room Redoing

Did I mention we’re in the midst of a room reno? Mr. J and I are painting our bedroom. We’ve been dining and dashing upstairs to paint a coat every night. Here’s what we’re going for. I’ll be sure to show you the finished product (so excuse my poorly crafted mood board in the meantime).

We painted the walls an icy gray and the trim a bright white.

The Three Bite Rule - Bedroom Mood boardWe have our eye on a gray tufted headboard (that appears to be back ordered). We need to pick out a new mattress too. The chevron rug is on the way to help the wood floors feel homey. We will hack our ikea dressers at some point too. Momma R finally has our go-ahead to make our wedding quilt. We have closets the entire width of the room with bi fold doors. The doors are Mr. J’s nemesis so we’re going to try to change them up too. We’re toying with the idea of a gallery wall or photo canvases. The pup might get a smaller bed since he only spends about 50% of his night’s sleep there anyway.

Have a happy weekend and just wait till I tell you what I’m up to this weekend! 😉

Keep Calm

I’m realizing that some of my posts might make it look like I have it all together. If you happen to be having one of those days where the blogosphere appears perfectly coordinated when you aren’t as put together then I hear ya but I can also console you. I don’t have it all together.

Did I mention Mr. J and I are painting our bedroom? This is quite the undertaking for us. We’re new to being home-owners and it is a learning process. Thankfully our house didn’t need much. Ummm have you seen my gorgeous kitchen?
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The bedroom painting is progressing, slowly but surely. Here’s what I keep telling myself:
a) we’re lucky that we can just set up camp in a guest room.
b) that we don’t have any actual renovation projects.
c) it looks awesome (the parts that are done).
d) that Mr. J and I work together really well and definitely have similar tastes.

Here’s what really annoys me:
a) the trim is taking FOREVER…as in 4 coats. It didn’t seem like much trim but the radiators, around the windows, closets, baseboards, and the door, is quite a lot.
b) to get dressed I need to put on my paint flip flops to traverse over the plastic sheeting because there are clothes in both bedrooms and my stuff feels scattered.
c) by the end of the day I’m tired- trying to set up to paint and clean up each night takes time and we’re only inching closer to being done.
d) I haven’t cooked, grocery shopped, or meal planned which means we’ve been buying lunch and feeling physically crappy for eating poorly and not sleeping well. I like my routines.
e) every weekend is jam packed and there still a lot to do before we can actually move back into the room (like pick out a new bed etc).

September is going to be a very busy month. I keep taking on more things which I love, but which also overwhelm me. I have 1st world problems. I have some work travel, 2 weekend trips away, I agreed to walk an insane distance in the name of work-research, and there’s lots more bedroom re-doing to do. I have some fun posts for you coming up (like a potluck! something with bacon! something with neutella!) so stay tuned, and good luck if you’re feeling the weight of everything too.

(need bacon? get fun bacon stuff here!)

Sandwich Meal Board

Need a good summer sandwich idea? Ms. A shared her sandwich with me…well, not the actual sandwich but what her sandwich was!

sourdough bread, toasted
sundried tomato pesto
tomato
avocado
swiss cheese

Sandwich IdeaYum!

What are your makings of a good sandwich?