The Dandelion Attic

After many past attempts over the years to stick to writing a blog, I finally gave in again. I figured after a couple posts I should talk about the reasoning behind this one and how it came about.

First, the name. This past year I created an Etsy account and had to come up with a catchy name. Lots of different ones came to mind and "Addie Mae Adorables" almost stuck.  I really wanted to stick with baby themed items, but that's not me. I need variety.  I love rustic, vintage, old-fashioned, grandma's-perfume-smelling, dusty ol' junk and I wanted my shop to reflect that, in some shape or form. And then The Dandelion Attic came about. And the dandelion part? Well, they are simple, changing, and not from Arizona.

Back to why I created all of this in the first place. I love creating things. Anything from needlework to painting, from crocheting to sewing.  I want this place to be the "attic" that collects all the work I produce and allow you to find ideas and treasures throughout. I didn't want to have a super specific name that limited my abilities to create. I love the verses in Exodus that talks about different skills.

“I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, 

that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship." Exodus 31:3-5

When my church, Second Mile, was going through the Exodus series a couple years ago, these verses stood out to me like none other. It isn't every day that you hear about craft making or artistic skills in the Bible. These are still gifts and skills that God has blessed us with and that He can use! What I love most about this verse is how it first talks about being filled with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and THEN craftsmanship. Honestly, seeking the Holy Spirit to fill me with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is almost always after my craft projects. I hate how lazy the flesh can be in searching out truth first instead of last. I love, though, how Jesus still loves us AND our crafts and creative adventures!

So one more thing. If you're looking for a super regular blogger, that's not me. That's not realistic in my book. My (almost) 14 month old daughter would not really allow that to happen, and neither would I. So bare with me as I venture through this new world and share with you my current projects, projects I would love to try, and projects that just would never happen in a million years.

So here we go!

The following pictures are finished projects I've completed over the years for you to get a taste of my love of DIY with a splash of antiquity. Enjoy!

My first love, crocheting. Find this for sale here. 

 before and after clothing refashioning 

Needlework designing 

I also give all woodworking ideas to my hubs so he can make things for me :)

Last but not least, the gallery wall in our family area. Specifically the clothespin picture frame is the best. 

Almost every and all projects begin with an inspiration from Pinterest.... 

Do you have any projects in mind that you haven't been able to tackle yet? Tell me! I'd love to give you an extra boost. :)

My take (and first attempt) of Pad Thai

When it comes to homemade Asian cuisine, I am limited. I am notorious for stocking up on frozen stir-fry veggies and whipping them out and tossing in chicken or fajita meat and call it a meal. That's the extent of my Asian recipes. On the other side, I love eating out and getting sushi or Pei Wei or anything technical that I don't have to make myself.

So I got a serious craving and curiosity for Pad Thai. I've had it oh, maybe, twice in my life. But you know, what could be so hard? I got a handy wok as a wedding gift and that automatically makes me capable of cooking rice noodles and everything else that goes with it, right?

Okay so here is the recipe ("Easy Pad Thai with Chicken") I followed and attempted.

I am by no means capable of explaining this cuisine but let me tell you, shopping for it was interesting. Here's my tip from it all, buy tamarind paste  not just wet tamarind like I did. I think the paste may give it more flavor and just more user friendly, but then again, I haven't tried that one yet. 

So about the rice noodles, make sure they are cooked. I have a noodle problem and not thoroughly cooking them through. 

Here's my final plate. Along with the sauce, noodles and chicken I added cilantro, scallions and shredded carrots. I did not add the red cabbage just because my grocery store didn't have any that was in good shape. 

One final note: I am not the expert of this recipe. I only wanted to share my finding and my final project and the mess in between. Please go here for the creator's advice. 

PS: Make enough for leftovers.... this was more amazing the SECOND time around. 

What's your experience with this dish? Any do's and don'ts to share? 

Enjoy!

In need of variety

So Addie has been in a rut with her eating habits.  If it doesn't come naturally sweet or in a squeeze bag, she gives the snooty nose and tosses it on the ground. Pinterest, thank goodness, rescued me (somewhat) with a new way to enjoy apples. Very simple, but she LOVED them and that's the point.

If you don't own a mandolin, now's the time to get one. I just used a basic knife to thinly slice the apples after I took the peels off.

Then I coated them with cinnamon and baked them for around 15 minutes at 350 degrees. 

They weren't completely crispy like I thought, but soft enough for the little one to enjoy. 

I'd be interested to know what else you could coat your apples in. Leave me a comment!


Original source: http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/image/30752522964