Crazy about Crazy Horse

Jared and I just got back from a wonderful road trip to the Dakotas.  The first thing we saw was the Crazy Horse memorial.  It is located south of Rapid City, South Dakota in the beautiful Black Hills.

It cost us $20 for the two of us, but before you say "That's too expensive to see a big rock" remember that this project is entirely privately funded.  The memorial does not accept government funding and relies on admissions and donations.  

The first thing we did upon arrival was watch a short film about the history of the memorial, which I found very informative and inspiring. We walked around the museum which showcases a lot of Native American history. The gift shop is huge and we had fun looking around to find the perfect thing to take home.  We settled on a few postcards, a pen for me to use at work, and a wooden Christmas tree ornament.  

Jared & I in front of the model

It was rather windy when we went but still really enjoyed it.  I liked seeing the models for the finished product.  Jared was there about ten years ago and was amazed how much work they've done since then.  Maybe in ten or fifteen years we'll bring our kids there...

More soon on our Dakotas trip!

love and coffee,

Lulu

I'm Getting Married!!

Me and my fiancee

Yup, I'm ENGAGED!  My lovely boyfriend Jared asked me to marry him last week.  We kept it a secret for a few days and then told our families and now I'm telling YOU!  We are so excited.  We are planning a wedding for the end of December 2012.

The actual proposal was very simple.  We were sitting on the couch talking about something completely different and he looks at me and just says, "Will you marry me?"  Of course I said yes.  We kissed and the rest is history.

Since I am a crafter, I am seriously debating doing some knitting for this wedding, maybe a lace shawl?  Hmm....the possibilities....

Lots of love,
Luci

A Use for Postcards

I've been collecting postcards for over a decade now and I have an entire shoebox of postcards from all over the world.  Sometimes I use them in my scrapbooking but generally they just sit in the box on the shelf.  Looking through them brings back lots of good memories from various trips I've taken or the people who have given them to me.

A couple weeks ago, I was looking through my box of postcards and thought, some of these would look really cool on my wall and started exploring options to use them in decorating.  My boyfriend, who used to be a framer at Hobby Lobby, was helpful in what would be really expensive and what wouldn't be.

Then I found a collage frame from Hobby Lobby, normally priced at $24.99 which I purchased for half price.  It took me a while to find the right collection of postcards that looked enough alike but still cohsive.

From left to right, top to bottom: New York City; Crested Butte, CO; Long's Peak, CO; Mt Hood, OR; Den Haag (Holland); Grand Canyon; Navy Pier, Chicago; Paris.

Got it hung up the other day in the dining room and I like the touch of color it adds to the space!

love and coffee,
Lulu

Start of a New Adventure

Most of you readers know that I don't stick to just one or two crafts but fancy several.  Quilting has yet to be one of them, but it has always fascinated me.  My great aunt Nancy is an amazing quilter who made me a gorgeous quilt for my high school graduation.  She has been super supportive via Facebook.  Hi Aunt Nancy! 

Last week, I took a plunge and bought a quilting book from the local quilt shop Stitcher's Garden.

I've really enjoyed flipping through the book and looking at all the projects and reading the how-to sections.  I think I will start taking a beginning quilter's class at the shop.

Then yesterday, I decided to take the plunge and purchase some fabric!  JoAnn's was having a Labor Day sale.

Today I washed it and pressed it.  I will try my hand at cutting with scraps leftover from other sewing projects.  I will keep you readers posted!

love and coffee,

Lulu

Laundry Quandry

This is my laundry room.  It is small but functional.  I love my tankless hot water heater and my snazzy energy-efficient washer and dryer.  However, I want my little laundry room to look pretty...

Painting is out of the question for a while and I think it would be way too troublesome to paint anyway.  I really do want to hang up my ironing board somehow, and I've been looking around at things to hang it it up with.  I think I found something I want at Target.

Maybe some colored bins on the shelf above the washer and dryer would be nice... Not to mention keeping it clean would probably do wonders!

Hmm, so many ideas.... What are yours?

love and coffe,
Lulu

The Beauty of Onions

Onions are so versatile.  You can use them in tons of cooking dishes.  They can be savory or sweet.  The other night I decided to caramelize some onions to top some beef I made for dinner.  I started with a frying pan with melted butter heated over medium-heat.  I thinly sliced a white onion.

Mmmm... Some kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper... Stir them around to get them nice and covered in the melted butter.  Oooh my kitchen smelled so good!  I tossed in a spoonful of brown sugar, a trick I learned from America's Test Kitchen.

After a while, the onions start to get nice and brown but a little translucent. Soft with the most subtle crunch... A few minutes later I added a couple tablespoons of red wine.

Yummy! And they were so good too. I ate several spoonfuls of these onions just plain.

Aren't onions amazing?

New Acquisitions Thanks to Mom

My mom is a bargain-hunting queen.  She was the one who found my china cabinet and buffet table at a garage sale for dirt cheap.  After unpacking my grandmother's good china, I realized I didn't have a teapot.  Or a gravy boat for that matter... My mom texted me Saturday that she found me a teapot at a garage sale.  It doesn't match my china set, which is blue and gold, but it's pretty!

The other nifty thing she found for me were two groovy picture frames on clearance at Target.  Winning price? Only $1.98 each!

I love the color green.  I have a black bookshelf a friend gave me that sits in my living room.  I plan to put these on the top shelf once I find pictures to put in them.

 

Too bad these pictures don't really do them justice!  Hopefully once I get that shelf more settled, I will take more pictures.

What great finds have you taken home lately?