Photo 6-30-08

This might be my favorite cloud photo that I've taken. At the very least, it's the one I've used the most in various design projects.

Also, I'm going to dig up some old pictures and try to post one every day this week to make up for the long dry spell of no posts.

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Now playing: The Surfaris - Wipe Out (Live)
via FoxyTunes

Fresh Limeade

The other day I found a recipe for lemon- or limeade that used the entire fruit, rind and all. It caught my attention, so I tried it out. It's really simple and a lot easier and quicker than the normal method of juicing the fruit.

I was a bit reluctant to use the peels of both limes, thinking it would be too much, so I used one and a half of the peels and added an extra half cup of water. The end result was actually kind of watered-down. Next time, I might even use less water than the recipe calls for. Also, I'd really like to try this with 2 cups of water to blend with the limes and sugar, then crush 3 cups of ice with a half cup of water and strain the juice and mix together. Kind of like a frozen limeade. It might need more sugar though... When I try it out I'll update this post.

Also, the warning about keeping leftovers is quite valid. I refrigerated the remaining limeade, and it tasted pretty bad the next day. I could easily see 3 or more people finishing it off in a sitting though - it's that good.

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Now playing: Daft Punk - Veridis Quo
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Red Velvet Cake Balls

A cousin of mine graduated from high school this weekend, and I wanted to bring something sweet to the family get-together afterward. I had seen this recipe on Bakerella a week or so before, and thought they'd be perfect for the occasion.


I will give a bit of a warning: these take a while to make. Plan time to bake the cake, wait for it to cool, actually form the balls (I used my hands to mix in the frosting - worked well but made a mess), chill them, then coat them. Also, my entire kitchen was red from the all the coloring in the cake mix.

Sadly I didn't get any pictures of the actual cake in the middle, but they're quite stunning with the white outside/red inside contrast. Click here for some wonderful pictures and the recipe.

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Now playing: Round Table featuring Nino - Let Me Be With You (New Step Mix)
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Photo 5-11-08

It was raining pretty hard the other day; we had tornado sirens going off and everything. After it let up, I went outside and noticed this leaf at the bottom of my front steps.

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Now playing: Jake Shimabukuro - Let's Dance
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Silly Walks

I'm a big fan of Monty Python. And I was in a pretty silly mood.

Above: Yeah, that's me.
Below: Inspiration!

I might this shot again sometime. My leg's not angled, I don't have a cane/umbrella, and the bag's on the wrong side. I was originally going by the picture of him in the hallway during the actual skit, but I think this image looks closer, at least perspective-wise.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun setting up and trying to get the picture to take at the right time. I'll have to remember to stretch a bit more for the next go, though.

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Now playing: Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
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New Site Design!

I've updated the blog a bit, might have to refresh if you don't see any changes.

The picture is of a tree in my front yard, taken around noon. No Photoshop levels/color adjusting required; nature saw fit to provide me with all that.

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Now playing: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - 'Ulili E
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Ebb and Flow Necklace

I first got into beaded jewelry through chainmail jewelry (which I got into through chainmail armor making, but that's a different story). It started with adding beads onto the chain to add color or focal points for the particular piece. After a little while, I started repairing jewelry (including beaded necklaces and bracelets) for my mother and her friends. From there, it was a pretty natural step to start making my own.

This necklace was inspired by a similar design on ArtBeads.com, located here. ArtBeads is an amazing source of jewelry-making supplies. If I'm looking for something particular and can't find it locally, I order it from them. I also find inspiration just by looking through their catalog. They also offer free shipping! Honestly, how can you beat that?

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Now playing: Arctic Monkeys - Balaclava
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