One Fell Swoop: September 2011

9.27.2011

Design Sponge eNewsletter

For the first time to date Design Sponge came out with their first eNewsletter.

They have some beautiful home inspirations along with simple DIYs you can do at home.

Click here to check it out.

DIY: Dip-Dyed Towels

DIY: Leather Coasters

Home Inspiration: Beautiful Beach Home

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Pretty Gradient Cake

Have a pretty party coming up? Try making this pretty gradient cake.

Not Without Salt made it for her daughter's first birthday, but I think it would be
beautiful for any occasion! Also, she made a DIY video just for you (see below)!

Enjoy and if you end up making it, please do share!

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9.26.2011

Summer is coming to a close soon, but I wanted to share my new favorite summer drink...HOMEMADE RASPBERRY LEMONADE! This recipe includes raspberries, but I have also added strawberries; other fruits would work well in here also. It is so easy to make and I would recommend it to all of you.

And of course; homemade is always better!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar

1 cup of water

¾ cup raspberries; pureed and pushed through a fine mesh sieve;

plus more whole berries for garnish if desired

1 cup fresh lemon juice (this equaled close to 8 of my lemons)

4-6 cups cold water (this will vary depending on your taste)

Directions
1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a

saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely

dissolved and becomes clear; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.

2. Freshly squeeze about 8 lemons to get 1 cup fresh lemon juice.

3. Measure 3/4 of fresh raspberries and puree them in your blender or food

processor. Push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to separate

the seeds from the pulp.

4. Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple

syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher.

5. Add 4-6 cups of cold water (I add 6 cups because I don't like drinks

that are too sweet). The amount of water you use will depend on your

taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect

sweet/tart balance.

6. ENJOY!

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9.23.2011

Big, bold, and Beautiful Hair

I found these images of big, beautiful hair on Pinterest...how do I get all the volume and hair?? I guess that would mean lots of teasing and lots of products? Any of you have any favorite editorial or runway hairstyles? Please do share! :)

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9.21.2011

All about me from A to Z...

This fun meme was floating around blogs so I thought I'd play along.

A. Age: 23

B. Bed size: Queen, just enough for the two of us. :)

C. Chore that you hate: Watering plants every day...I love the plants...it's just the watering part.

D. Dogs: No pets...:(

E. Essential start to your day: Breakfast, reading the Bible, and of course all my blogs and Pinterest! :)

F. Favorite color: Green

G. Gold or Silver: Used to be all silver...but adding touches of Gold into my life. :)

H. Height: 5’6"

I. Instruments you play: A little bit of piano, like Fur-Elise, My Heart will go on, Lean on me...and that's about it... :) Plus the stuff I make up.

J. Job title: Wife, Interior Designer, Blogger, and friend. :)

K. Kids: Zero.

L. Live: Buffalo, NY

M. Mother’s name: Anna

N. Nicknames:Din Din, D, ... Not much to shorten from Dina.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Nope, never

P. Pet peeves: Unkept promises, late people, being late myself, people not cleaning up after themselves.

Q. Quote from a movie: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." Dora, Finding Nemo

R. Right or left handed: Right handed

S. Siblings: Two younger - one brother (Edward) and one sister (Christina).

U. Underwear: Always...

V. Vegetable you hate: Celery...tried eating it before...doesn't stay down too well...feel kinda nausea after.

W. What makes you run late: Spending time with hubby...if that includes sleeping in late, taking a nap, watching TV, etc.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, ankle, and toe (yes toe, dumbest thing ever...)

Y. Yummy food that you make: I love my carrot cake! (I'll put recipe up soon)

Z. Zoo animal: Fish...Although I am afraid of underwater (didn't even go scuba diving in Hawaii) I love aquariums.

Well that was fun...if you would like to know anything else about me...just ask!

9.14.2011

What is being a disciple of Christ?

How does your life show Christ?

"Go and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19

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9.12.2011

One Fell Swoop on Knapkins

Hey everyone! One Fell Swoop recipes are now on Knapkins!

Come check them out here...and you can find & vote for other recipes on there also!

9.09.2011

5 Tips for Staying Inspired

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess just posted 5 Tips for Staying Inspired.

I really enjoyed her suggestions and will try to apply them to my life!

Here are the tips from her blog...

head on over to A Beautiful Mess for more daily inspiration.

" "How do you stay inspired?" is one of the questions I get asked most. The truth is that I live for my next project. There isn't a time in my life when I'm not completely obsessed about something. My mom says I've been that way since childhood (any other obsessors out there?). That said, I've put together a list of my 5 favorite ways to get a fresh burst of inspiration when I'm feeling a little lull. Enjoy...

1. Carry A Journal. No matter where I am or what I am doing I will have a little journal with me. It's in my purse, it's beside my bed... It's everywhere. Just carrying the journal is my constant reminder to write down ideas. Now, I don't use all the ideas I write down. For me, the act of jotting down ideas helps keep me in a creative mindset. The more ideas I write down, the more I have... and the better they become!

2. Find A New Muse. Oh my... the concept of a muse is so silly to me, but it really works! My current muse(s) can be anything from a band I'm loving to a movie that stuck with me or a vintage trend I want to re-create. A muse can be absolutely anything, but it's fun to find one with enough history to keep you studying for a while. The more you learn about your muse, the more inspiration you'll receive.

3. Develop A Creative Playlist. Several years ago I started painting on a daily basis. I had a favorite album at the time that I would play when I was working. Pretty soon I could only listen to that band when working... if it came on while I was driving it felt weird. I learned the value in having some comfort music to get me into work mode. This is especially valuable for people who work from home. Sometimes you need something to mentally put you into a creative state of mind and a playlist can most definiately do that for you! I like to have a different playlist (or favorite album) for every major creative season or project that I work on. These songs will bring back wonderful memories later on... trust me.

4. Refresh Your Workspace. This next one works wonders for me! One day I'm painting, the next day designing dresses and then working on a new art journal course the next... All of these different projects can make a studio VERY messy and that can cause stress.
My favorite thing to do when I need a pick me up is to rearrange just one little part of my studio. You don't have to clean or reorganize the entire space, but clear a table and arrange your supplies so that you have a fresh spot to work. If you need some extra happiness in your space grab a pretty bouquet of flowers from the grocery store or take a few hours to create a new inspiration wall. Refreshing your workspace can work wonders!

5. Prove Yourself Wrong! We've all been guilty of saying things like "I would love to, but I don't have time" or "I could never do that". These attitudes are so common, but they probably aren't even true. I know it sounds a little cliché, but if you believe you can do something... you can! It's a magical feeling to set a goal that feels a little bit impossible and then achieve it. I've marked quite a few things off my list that I used to believe I couldn't do. Proving yourself wrong is a great way to stay inspired because you'll be more motivated than ever when you meet your goal.
I hope these 5 Tips resonate with you. I love being inspired and want you to share the joy! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! elsie"

quoted from Elsie of A Beautiful Mess