A Peek

 Wanna take a peek at my latest project?  Here it is.

Last night I finished all the squares I need for my project.  These are just two of the squares.  I'm excited with the way it looks.  It is pretty bold, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

Have I mentioned that Abby sometimes helps me with my photo shoots?

Well, she does.

So I decided to lock her up.

It was just for a minute.  I promise I'm not a horrible mother.

Lo-Fi

My husband and I have been having fun learning how to take pictures.  We are still amateurs, but it is a hobby we enjoy doing together.  My husband's favorite part of it all is the software and post-processing that goes along with digital photography (big surprise there).  If you have looked into photography software (well, photography in general), you know that photography is not a cheap hobby. 

He sent me this link the other day, and I did a download of the 7 day trial.  If you are a beginner and are interested in doing some fun vintage looking post-processing, this program might interest you.  It is extremely simple to use, has quite a few presets for film type, mood, and frames, and... it costs only $30 (which is seriously like a breath of fresh air).  It is not the most amazing thing ever, but for $30, you can have a lot of fun.  Here are some pictures I edited with it.

Architecture

Nature

Portraits

Still-Life

and even Food

Fun, huh?  I haven't purchased it, but am definitely considering it.  Go try it out and play!

Book Giveaway Winner

Thanks for your comments and favorite books.  I loved reading all of them and have added some to my list of books to read.  And many of them are some of my favorites as well.  I love The Alchemist, Pride and Prejudice, and Harry Potter (specifically numbers 3 and 6).  Oh, and yes, Matilda is also on my favorite book list, Jenny.

Okay, the book I'm giving away is...

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

If you haven't read this book, I would definitely recommend it.  It is John Knowles' most popular book, but even still, I don't think it is terribly well-known.  It is popular among my family members though.  When my parents were dating my dad gave my mom a list of books she had to read in order for them to get married.  This one was on that list.  It is also one of my brother's favorites.  And like I said before, Landon loves it as well.

As a man, the narrator visits his old prep school he attended as a teenage boy and tells the story of a terrible event that happened while he was there.  The characters experience a wide range of emotions and feelings, which I think are depicted perfectly.  That is all I'm going to say about it.  I don't want to give too much information.

Okay, on to the winner...

The winner is Annie!

I will get your copy of A Separate Peace to you soon!

St. Patty's

My mom would always make corned beef and potatoes for St. Patrick's Day, served with green milk, of course.  I know it's a traditional meal, but I tend steer clear from it.  I also have somewhat of problem with unnaturally green foods.  I'm okay with green milk (except my mind expects it to taste like mint), but green eggs or green waffles just creep me out.  So if you share my view on St. Patty's Day meals, give these items a try.  Naturally green and healthier than traditional Irish cuisine.

Katherine's Green Drink

Garden Pesto Pasta

Ravioli with Apples & Walnuts (use spinach  and regular ravioli only so it is predominately green)

Arugula Pesto

And for Dessert...

Key Lime Floats

Mint Chocolate Chip Floats

Favorite Books & a Giveaway

The other day I was thinking about some of my all-time favorite books.  Some of these I would like to go back and read again, but there are so many others I need to get to first.

Because I'm in the mood, I want to share one of my favorite books with you.  I guess as a sort of giveaway.  Just for fun.  And just because this book is written fantastically and should be enjoyed.

However, I'm not going to tell you what the book is until I announce the winner.  I know, the suspense will kill you all.  Here are a few clues as to what book it is. 

1. I read it as a sophomore in high school in English and did a group project/presentation with two of my very best friends.
2. Shortly after I met my husband, we discovered that this book was a favorite for both of us.
3. The protagonist is a teenage boy.

To enter, answer the following question in a comment.  If someone referred you to this post, put their name in your comment as well.  I will give the referrer an extra entry.

What is one of your all-time favorite books?

I love getting recommendations and maybe one day I will actually get to read some of them.  That, however, depends on if I ever tackle this beast.  

I'll announce the winner next Friday, so you have until then to enter.

Happy Friday!

Asian Chicken Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing

I'm trying to incorporate main dish salads into my weekly meal plans.  I often struggle to get sides on the table, which essentially means the veggies are left out.  I love main courses that incorporate lots of veggies, and obviously, salads do that.  There are so many delicious and satisfying salads out there and I'm excited to find my favorites.  This one was mighty tasty and will become a regular at our house. 

Asian Chicken Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing

For the Salad
3 cups napa cabbage, shredded
3 cups baby spinach
1 large carrot, peeled
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 cup strawberries, sliced (grapes would be good as well)
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 cup cashews, roughly chopped

For the Dressing
3 Tbs. canola oil
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste


Shave the carrot with a vegetable peeler to make long "carrot ribbons."  Prepare chicken in desired way (grill, bake, or use a Rotisserie chicken).  
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, spinach, bell pepper, carrots, strawberries, chicken, and cashews.
For the dressing, whisk all ingredients until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  
Toss dressing with the salad, serve, and enjoy!

The Monday Workout

This is a good tip that has benefited  me as well as clients I have worked with.

Never skip your Monday workout.

By doing a workout on Monday, I think it sets your whole week up for success.  It helps me to make exercise and eating well a priority for the whole week.  It is so easy to make excuses not to workout on any day, but I feel like as the week progresses,  more things tend to pop up and often replace a workout.  If you get your Monday workout out of the way, you are one step ahead and can say you got in at least one workout for the week.

With that said... make sure you get your workout in today!

#5. Make Abby a Dress

I bought some fabric yesterday, which is one of my guilty pleasures lately.  I just couldn't pass this one up.

  

I love the colors.  I love the flowers.  I think it will make a stinking cute dress for Abby, which is one of my goals (so I'm justified in buying it, right?).

Abby's birthday falls on Easter this year, so I think it will make a great birthday/Easter dress.  I'm thinking this style will be cute since the fabric is retro inspired.

What do you think?

Also, I have had several people ask me to do a tutorial for my mini wallet.  I'm so flattered and plan to have one up next week.  Thanks for all of the compliments!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Funny Face

I haven't shared my favorite photos in a while because I have been working on transferring a bunch of stuff to our new network hard drive.  My hard drive was basically completely full, so it is taken me a while to get things back into gear.  But I wanted to share this hilarious picture of my baby girl.  This is from her 10 month shoot I did last week.  This face isn't her most flattering look, but she does it all the time and it cracks us up.  I'm glad I have a way to remember it even if it embarrasses her when she's older.