Rainy Day Baking

Today I was car-less, it was raining, I didn't want to clean the house, and I was tired of the computer. So, what could I do? I decided to...

BAKE!

I made an apple cake and monkey bread. Both were new recipes, and neither turned out spectacularly, but the family appreciated them. And Luke helped me too: he likes to "bang" eggs.

Free in January

This year, I'm going to continue to keep a record of what I get free, but now I'm going to focus on the retail value of each item rather than the places I get the items, so I will know how much I saved during the year.
How do I get free items? The most usual ways are by combining sale prices with high-value coupons, by using rebates, by rolling drug store "credits" into new purchases (Extra Care Bucks and Register Rewards), and by accepting items my friends offer me.

Scotch Pop-Up Tape: $4
5 blocks Kraft cheese: $7.50
Philly cream cheese: $1.50
5 bags Quaker Quakes: $9
2 Chobani Greek yogurt: $2.68
7 Oikos Greek yogurt: $14
Duck packing tape: $2
2 bottles Eucerin Calming Itch Relief: $16
Eucerin Intensive Repair Hand Creme: $5.69
Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer: $12
2 large bottles Ester-C: $22
2 small bottles Ester-C: $18
3 refill packs A&H Essentials: $12
Arnold Whole Grain bread: $3
6 lb Italian sausage: $24
2 lb pork chops: $8
Total: $161

Mantel in Black and White

My newest re-do of the mantel decor, going from late Christmas, to the black and white of winter.

I left only my great-grandmother's watercolor painting hanging on the wall; all the other elements I pulled from cupboards and closets throughout the house. The two large glass apothecary jars on each end are fairly new. I especially like the bubble glass jar below, sitting on an old Bible and Homer's Illiad. Behind it, I have a thrifted white mirror. I would prefer having a black piece here instead of white, but I don't have anything else in black.

In the center are silhouettes of my children cut in the Kristkindlmarkt in Munich in 2001. I was fascinated watching the artist cut them in just a few moments, using only his eyes and scissors. Also from Europe are the lace-edge linen napkins from Bruge, Belgium, draped over the mantel edge. The little Eiffel tower tealight holders are not from France; they are from Target. The pierced white plate from Williamsburg is one of my favorites in my plate collection.

I usually struggle to build successful table and mantel arrangements, but I'm quite happy with this one, and I think I can live with it for a while.

Something Borrowed

Wreath photo courtesy of snippet and ink

Greta found this beautiful photo online. She has two wreaths almost identical to this that she will be using in the church...borrowed from her sister's wedding four years ago. Something borrowed for the bride!

Invites

Invitations are ordered. We found great prices online, and since Greta didn't want anything in a contemporary style, we went with a very traditional invitation and wording. I also ordered an interesting monogram return address stamp. The great thing about it is it can be used for all our correspondence as long as we live at this address.

Mission Accomplished: Dress

I think I tried on hundreds of MOB dresses at the local bridal shops and I came up empty. Next I looked online for hours. Finally I found something promising at Nordstrom's site, but I couldn't print it out. Heather and I decided to go to a real Nordstrom's to look around, so off we went to Northpoint Mall. But... Nordstrom's isn't at Northpoint Mall! Dillard's was handy though, so we took a look. I bought the only long blue dress they had, not because they had only one, but because I liked it. Above is a blurry shoulder shot. (The little ribbon for hanging is poking out the back. Oops!)

Wedding Website

Greta and I finished some details on their wedding website tonight. It's not completely finished yet, but it is ready for viewing. Go visit if you would like, at:

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/DanielStreet&GretaNoren