New Songs for the New Year 2013

It's time for the annual New Songs for the New Year mix! Molly and I started making these mixes years ago, but this is only the third that we've shared online.

Once again, I've ignored music in favor of podcasts the past several months so it wasn't the easiest list for me to compile. Luckily, I think I dug up some good ones. Molly's choices are pretty top notch too. It's a great mix this year!

Molly selected tracks 1-6, I chose 7-12.
Take a listen here.

And if you'd like to check out our previous mixes...
2012 / 2011*


*Something went wrong and some tracks have disappeared off each of these playlists. I'll have to do a little detective work to piece them back together.

Haiti Babi

Oh... it's been a long time!

I'm just here for a minute or two to tell you to head over to Haiti Babi's blog for 8 days of FREE baby shower downloads!

This is a project I've been working on with friends for several months... and now it's finally ready!

While you're there... take a moment to learn more about Haiti Babi, a non-profit serving mothers and families in Haiti.

Bridal Shower Flowers

I think my favorite element of the bridal shower was these little lemon flower arrangements. I cut the bottom of the lemon off so it would stand up. Then I poked holes in the lemon using a bamboo skewer. Next, it's just a matter of sticking flowers or a pinwheel in the holes!

Party Prizes / Triangular Coin Purse

I knew that I wanted to use some of my sewing supplies to make prizes for the bridal shower games. It worked out well that I had two zippers in the right size and just enough yellow striped fabric to make two triangular coin purses.

I used the instructions here and they were fairly simple to understand. It didn't take too long and I'd probably sew these again if the occasion presented itself.

Next, I wrapped them up and they were ready to be prizes at the shower. I think the recipients enjoyed them.

Party Favors

I've spent the past month and a half planning a bridal shower for a friend. Well, technically my role was assistant to the Maid of Honor... but she graciously allowed me to take over.

The shower was this past Friday. Now the bride has seen it all and I can share the details here, starting with the favors.

I was looking for something affordable and easy to make for a guest list of 22. I somehow came across this project for candy pouches and it seemed like just the thing! I was able to gather all the supplies easily and the only expense was the Jelly Belly jellybeans inside (in the shower colors).

Kraft paper is nonexistent here so I used Molly's hefty supply of lunch sacks to cut out squares.

To personalize the candy pouches I used two of Molly's letter stamps for the bride and groom's initials, and carved my own stamp out of an eraser for the heart.

Then it was just a matter of sewing three sides of the pouch, pushing jelly beans inside, and sewing it closed.

I think they turned out quite nicely. 

Millet Muffins and Roasted Strawberries

This breakfast was four days in the making and kind of a disappointment. I had such high hopes too.

 

Day 1 I carefully measured, mixed, and labeled the dry ingredients for two different recipes. I packed them up and brought them to Molly's house for baking. It was only after I put the muffins in the oven that I realized I used the wrong dry ingredients. Flour and powdered sugar produce more of a rock than a muffin. Oops!

Day 2 was spent pulling the dry ingredients together again but due to time limitations only baking the non-muffin recipe.

Day 3 the muffins were baked and the strawberries roasted, but my appetite wasn't there.

Day 4 it was finally time. I warmed up the muffins, reheated the strawberries, added a little butter and... meh. Didn't really like it. The strawberries were ok but the muffin was weird. Too lemony and the millet was crunchy.

But in case you're so inclined, both recipes are in this post on Bliss, but were blogged by Scaling Back, and originally belong to Heidi Swanson. Complex.

Welcome to Camp

Way back at the end of February we had a little birthday party at Hump Day. It was a double-birthday-camping-in-stripes themed party... and it was fun.

We rigged a few sheets together to make a tent in Hannah's living room. It turned out that she already had nails in the wall at just the right places. We made a little campfire (from paper) and filled the inside of the tent with blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags.

For dinner we had baked potatoes and chili. Dessert was a s'more inspired bar that I'm still thinking about. I think it will be the first thing I make when I get my hands on some more veggie friendly marshmallows.

Happy Birthday to Sarah and Molly!