giveaway / Create / Enjoy

3.03.2016

Amazing remodeled homes--and a giveaway!

I visited Street of Dreams last summer for the first time in years and husband and I had so much fun admiring the construction, marveling at the master closets, and thinking about what our dream home would look like. It was definitely overwhelming, seeing so many massively expensive homes all on one street. But we did learn a few things that might translate to our own home goals!

This spring, a similar event is going on in the Portland area: the Tour of Remodeled Homes, an annual show of decor and craftsmanship on regular people's homes--like, these homes are not 5,000 square feet and are actually inhabited by the owners while they are in the show. There are 9 very impressive remodels in the show and they're all normal homes you can imagine yourself living in.

Here's my favorite photo from the 2015 remodels! The lights! The handles! The tile backsplash!

Tour of Remodeled Homes is giving away TWO sets of two tickets to my readers! The show is March 12-13, a week from this coming weekend, and you can visit any of the homes during that time. They're all over the Portland area and you can use your ticket any time the days of the show. (You have to start at one of the three "starter homes" to get a magazine and directions to the other homes--see map here.)

Here are some of my favorite "after" photos from this year's homes!

This is from home 8, a Tudor style home from the 1920's in NE Portland. I grew up in a historic home and I've always appreciated when renovations keep the original spirit of the home intact. From the description it sounds like this one definitely did honor the home's style and add some quality touches (penny tile in the bathroom? I want to see it!).

This one is from home 9, another historic home in NE Portland (I guess I have a "type"...) which included a basement remodel, kitchen expansion, and patio improvements.

This one, home 7, was a one-story home and the remodel included adding the entire second story!

There are remodels of homes as new as the 2000s and a couple from the 1970s-1980s that look like gems in the rough from the "before" pictures, and like some homes I've seen in real estate listings and at estate sales. I love seeing homes of all kinds and I think we'll definitely learn a lot from touring some of these!

Again, the Tour of Remodeled Homes runs from March 12-13, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and my giveaway of two sets of two tickets will end next Tuesday the 8th at 11:59pm PST. If you don't win, you can buy an advance ticket here, or buy at one of the starter homes during the show.

Enter here! Maybe I'll see you there!

1.06.2016

3 ways to make cooking at home easier - and a Sun Basket meal giveaway!

I love cooking my own food. Something about the combination of control over the quality and type of ingredients, huge savings from ordering takeout, and inevitable health benefit has totally won me over and I cook almost every dinner we eat (usually leftovers for lunch!). I love it!

But, it is time-consuming. Sometimes when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is put mental energy into coming up with our meal for the evening. Or, if I have it planned ahead of time, sometimes I really don't feel like chopping the vegetables. And, what if I forgot to get out the meat to thaw?? (We order half and whole hog and cow shares from local farms which is great for pricing and health, but it means you have to plan ahead or defrost in the microwave... ugh.)

This time of year, a lot of us may be resolving to make better food choices and take time for things that are important--giving yourself some ways to make cooking at home easier can really help!! Here are three tips I have for taking the pressure off cooking at home and making it fun and easier to do.

3 ways to make cooking at home easier!

1. Podcasts.

I have personal faves, of course, but pick any podcast you like and have it keep you company in the kitchen. You could even choose a podcast that you only listen to while cooking! (I do this, the habit formation strategy of "Pairing" (from Gretchen Rubin's Better Than Before) and only listen to her podcast Happier while I work out! It makes that time special and I always look forward to it.)

Some current (a couple longtime) faves of mine:

Of course, podcasts about food would also be great for the kitchen! NPR has some great ones like America's Test Kitchen Radio and The Splendid Table. (Also check out The Kitchn's list of 10 great food podcasts!)

2. Great kitchen tools.

Another Gretchin Rubin reference (this one from The Happiness Project)... I'm an Underbuyer, and I really have a hard time purchasing things for myself until the last minute when I really desperately need them. But I've gotten better recently and know that having good cutting boards, knives, and one or two really great pans makes cooking a lot more pleasant (and easier and more effective). (By the way, The Happiness Project was such a hit that you can buy a copy for $0.01 on Amazon so really, what are you waiting for?? It literally changed my life! I love it!)

One trick I do and LOVE is I keep one small cutting board that's for garlic/onion only. Nothing worse than cutting cantaloupe and getting a lingering garlicky taste. I love bamboo since it's durable and easy to rinse and naturally antimicrobial, and sets like these are perfect!

Also, we have this cast iron skillet and use it all. the. time. It's so great.

As for knives... Global knives are really nice solid handle Japanese knives at a reasonable price point.

One more thing that may add to your ease and happiness cooking... if you don't have a salad spinner, why are you torturing yourself every time you buy lettuce?? They are so brilliant! (Maybe this sounds like a given but we never had one when I was a kid!) You want the kind with the push-down button, not the crank handle.

3. A meal/ingredient delivery service.

I had never tried a mail order meal ingredient delivery before Sun Basket reached out to me. I thought it sounded a little too convenient... maybe not great quality or local food, maybe too expensive, maybe wasteful packaging, maybe not enough choice in the meal options... but when Sun Basket solves all these problems! They offer easy, healthy recipes delivered weekly with organic ingredients from the best West Coast farms. They offer lots of options and you can pick and choose which meals you want! They're different every week.

Sun Basket is a new healthy meal kit service that delivers organic ingredients and delicious, easy-to-make recipes for cooking at home. Sun Basket makes it easy to cook healthy, with Paleo, Gluten-free and Vegetarian options, plus healthy breakfasts. Get 3 recipes per week for 2, 4 or 6 people, delivered to your door in recyclable packaging that can be shipped back - free- for reuse.

Sun Basket was founded in San Francisco in 2014. Recipes are created by Executive Chef Justine Kelly, formerly head chef at James Beard award-winning restaurant The Slanted Door in San Francisco. Chef Justine has a talent for combining the best seasonal produce with globally inspired flavors to create nourishing meals that are balanced, healthy and delicious.

We tried a week of Sun Basket and it was great! I really enjoyed having three meals for husband and me, with all the ingredients in one place! Everything was super delicious, and definitely fancier and more interesting than I sometimes come up with. I loved the spice blends and dressings, all pre-mixed, so much more flavorful and complex than I come up with on my own most nights.

The instructions were really easy to follow, too, with separate instructions for each element of the dish.

Of course I also love the options for our dietary restrictions, too, and that the food comes from organic farms in and around California.

Good news for you is, Sun Basket is offering my readers a chance to win 3 free Sun Basket meals for two people!

Only readers (or their recipients) in Western states are eligible: California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. If you don't live in one of those states, you can still enter, and gift to someone who lives in one of those states if you win!

Earn additional entries by checking out Sun Basket on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. a Rafflecopter giveaway
And you don't have to wait to see if you won to try out Sun Basket for a week! You can get $30 off your Sun Basket order by clicking this link! The promo code will be entered automatically when you process your order. A little more about the company...

Sun Basket food:

Organic non-GMO produce from the best West Coast farms
Sustainably sourced, hormone-free meats and seafood
Easy, healthy 30-minute recipes designed for minimal cleanup
Recipes developed by an award-winning San Francisco chef
All recipes are approved by in-house nutritionist

Sun Basket meal plans:

Healthy meal plans including Paleo-friendly, Gluten-free and Vegetarian options, plus breakfast
3 recipes per week, with meal plans for 2, 4, or 6 people
Choose any meals you like each week. You can even double or triple up on a recipe
Currently shipping to CA, OR, WA, CO, UT, AZ, NV, and ID

Sun Basket packaging:

Carefully packaged to stay fresh in the box for 8 hours after delivery
100% recyclable packaging
Free delivery and free return shipping so they can recycle and reuse the materials

Good luck and enjoy the $30 off your Sun Basket order!

Thanks to Sun Basket for the trial basket with three delicious Paleo meals! I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are my own.

12.12.2015

The new classic holiday cards! Plus a Minted GIVEAWAY!

Our holiday cards = done. We cut down our tree the other weekend with friends and traded photos of each other at the farm. Cutting down a tree isn't something I grew up with (I'm an only child and my parents aren't too festive, and we bought our trees from the grocery store parking lot) but husband has been cutting one down with his family forever and it's a tradition I'm so happy to adopt now that we're on our own.

I know it's not an original idea, but I really wanted to capture it and share with our family and friends on our Christmas card this year!

Read on for details on how you can win a $125 giveaway to Minted to use on your holiday cards, wrapping paper/materials, art or home decor, party decor, whatever you want! They also have gorgeous non-photo holiday cards!

The farm is so pretty!

We tried some traditional poses...

Plus our favorite party trick, trading piggyback rides...

Then we actually picked out a tree...

And tried an action shot! (Well, he was working, anyway. I just stood there and smiled.)

I wanted to use a kind of goofy photo for our cards to send to family! It's not that interesting to see a photo of the two of us just smiling at the camera, not doing anything. We look pretty much the same as we did last year's cards.

Minted has the greatest holiday cards, all designed by independent artists, and they'll help you customize the card with text placement, colors, etc. It can be hard to choose a design when there are so many good ones!! So I went simple and chose a nice white script over our photo of choice.

Also, the GREATEST thing is that Minted can print your return address on the back AND you can upload a spreadsheet of all your recipients/addresses--so it barely takes any time at all to get them mailed!! (I whited mine out in these pics but you get the idea!)

Enter the giveaway here!

Good luck!!

And if you don't win, check out the total order discount going on on Minted right now, plus free shipping deal!

8.14.2015

Win my book! DIY Wardrobe Makeovers giveaway - 3 copies! And reviews

Three copies of my book to give away, plus two very special raves to share!

I wrote a note to my grandma in her copy of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers. She's not known for being the sentimental type, but sometimes I am, and she's been sewing for most of her life and was part of my growing up surrounded by sewists. She and her mom taught my mom to sew. My mom is a professional seamstress, and taught me when I was very young to play around with a needle and thread, then a sewing machine, then patterns at the cutting table. It was so special to be able to sign a copy of my book for my grandma, and even more special when she called me on my cell phone (I forgot she had the number) when she got it in the mail to thank me for the kind words, and compliment my hard work!

My husband's grandma ordered a copy of the book. When she got it, she sent me the sweetest email (she's 90 and excellent at email) complimenting the photos, the projects, and my hard work. She's been in a book group for something like 30 years and every July members share their lists of recommendations with each other. This year she put my book on her list and was so proud to mention it was written by her grandson's wife! She said everyone at the book club looked at it a long time, passing it around. Of course I signed her copy when I saw her recently, too!

I'm so, so flattered by the positive attention DIY Wardrobe Makeovers has received from these, and other readers.

I'm excited to give away 3 copies to you!

If you haven't bought the book already, take this opportunity to enter the giveaway below!

Here are a few of my fave projects and photos from the book. These are all from the last chunk of the book, the DIY style projects.

The book is organized into 1) basic sewing techniques, tools, and inspiration ideas; 2) fit fix projects--hem, lengthen, take in, etc., and 3) DIY style projects--turn a garment into another type of garment. All based on my years of sewing, blogging, and working with friends, I've figured out what projects are super helpful to know! All the content is brand new, never seen on the blog before, except the bonus mending project in section 2 for my 2009 essential jeans-mending method tutorial (my most popular post ever).

This is the dress-into-peplum top makeover (the top on the cover is a variation!)...

Here's the contrast sleeve tee... (they painted over this wall not long after we took this shot!)

And here's the tuxedo stripe pants project! The chalk in the background was so fresh the guy doing it was just a few steps down from these stairs in the Park Blocks!

So if you haven't already, please check out DIY Wardrobe Makeovers on Amazon and add it to your wishlist--and enter the giveaway below! If you don't win, of course I'd love if you buy it, but you can also get it at the library or flip through it at a bookstore. =)

I do have one favor to ask--however you read the book, whether yours or borrowed, if you like it, it would be SO wonderful if you could leave a positive review on Amazon! Most craft/sewing books do not get a lot of reader-written reviews, so I'd love if you could help mine stand out with more positive words from readers! So far I have four great reviews. It makes me so happy to read each one. If you have or find a copy of the book and if you like it, PLEASE share it with the world in a review!

Thank you and good luck!!

6.02.2015

DIY Wardrobe Makeovers GIVEAWAY! 3 copies!

What an honor it is to be able to give away copies of MY book!!! I seriously wish that I could give one away to each and every one of you - thank you for reading this blog and following along in my exciting publishing journey!! But, I can't.

I can, however... go this giveaway of 3 copies of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

And, if you're in the Portland area, please come to by book signing this Sunday, June 7 at Barnes & Noble! RSVP here. You don't have to buy the book or anything, just come say hi and chat about sewing, Portland, blogging, whatever you'd like! If you do have a copy of the book, I'll sign it!

Check out the options below to enter the giveaway! I truly appreciate every time you share the book or keep up to date on social media. Thank you so much!!

5.14.2015

A book on practically everything interesting - The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook! And a giveaway

There are a LOT of great books out there on topics I care about. LOTS of beautiful real food cookbooks, lots of books on backyard chickens and urban homesteading, lots of beautiful, inspiring lifestyle photography books, lots of books on what's wrong with our food system for sustainability and health. So when Diana Rodgers (of The Sustainable Dish blog and Modern Farm Girls podcast) combined ALL those topics and more into this one amazing book, I knew it was worth having!!

And The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook has not disappointed. I've loved sharing this book with my husband (we dream of having chickens!) and am excited to read it with my mother-in-law, a pro gardener and the one who introduced us to local grassfed beef- and pastured hog share-buying.

So I was also very excited to share it with you! And overwhelmed as to where to start on this review. So much good stuff!

Check out this page on Diana's blog for more about the book, plus a beautiful video trailer!

The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook is more than 400 pages of info, including gorgeous photos (they were shot in FILM photography!! How many gardening/homesteading/cookbooks can say that?), and is split into sections about 1) the case for sustainable living and eating, and the problems with standard modern diets, 2) Raising, 3) Growing, 4) Cooking, and 5) Living. So many things I care about!

The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook Review

Here are a few of my favorite pages and tidbits from the book.

The "Raising" section talks about chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and even bees!

I've heard about Diana's chicken coops on wheels (on podcasts), so it was cool to see this photo of them! And read about the role chickens play in a sustainable farm.

The "Growing" section is also an incredible resource. The parts about getting started with a food garden (on any scale, even porch planters) are helpful for me since I'm a newbie at it. Some great science on soil health, too.

And specifics about growing each family of produce.

Possibly my favorite page in the book is this map of what you can grow on a 1/8 acre, 1/4 acre, or 1 acre plot of land. Oh, how I hope I can one day (soon?) have a yard of any size at all, and be able to produce some of our own food on it!

Of course, there are also RECIPES! In the "Cooking" section, the 100+ recipes are organized by season. This is super helpful for those of us with CSA subscriptions, too... I've been getting a lot of the ingredients for the "Early Season Recipes" in our CSA box each week, and this book is organized for seasonal eating and using foods that are available at the same time as each other. Perfect!!

Diana took more than a year to get all the photos taken, so she was able to capture each season on the farm. It's incredible what we can produce all year 'round, and if you subscribe to a year-round CSA or winter CSA like we do, you know you get some amazing produce in the winter, too. The photos of all the recipes are so gorgeous (film photography of fresh, local food through the seasons... what more could you want in an appetizing cookbook?), every page is inspiring. And, Diana is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and notes in each recipes if it can be made nut-free, egg-free, Autoimmune Protocol-friendly, or Whole30-compliant. All the recipes are gluten-free and most are or can be dairy-free.

This roasted asparagus soup with trumpet mushrooms and sorrel recipe is also available on Diana's blog!

There are important kitchen tips in the "Cooking" section, too, like basic canning methods (I need to learn!!), how to make and refrigerate broths, how to grill... and this, how to care for cast iron cookware. We love our cast iron, but it did take some getting used to.

The "Living" section of the book has DIY projects like beeswax candles, ideas for games, and tips for de-stressing. And some tips and encouragement on eating good food on a budget/"making it work in real life."

Even if you don't have land (we have two decks, no yard) or a green thumb, the book is helpful and informational about how we buy food. The first part shares some help for being an educated consumer (like what all the terminology on egg varieties means), and I love reading stats like how Americans' budgets have changed over the years on how much we spend on food.

Giveaway!

I can't explain how much great information is packed into this beautiful book. I'm sure you will love The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook if you love cooking real, high quality food!

Diana has generously offered one of my readers a copy of this incredible book! Enter here! Ends Thursday, 5/21 at 9:00 PM PST.

12.05.2014

Holiday card time! Minted giveaway!

Have you ordered your holiday cards yet??
Have you checked out the cute cards and home decor goodies Minted has? One reader will win a $125 gift card to use toward a Minted purchase of your choice!

My pal Janae at Minted sent me these beautiful cards I ordered (after much deliberation, seriously it took me so long to decide) and I am in love. I used a photo from our anniversary session with my lovely wedding photographer Becky of Studio 623 Photography, and I used a simple design from Minted's photo holiday card selection.

Also, they come with pre-addressed envelopes (it's easy to submit the addresses in a .csv file). LIFE SAVER!!

It's so easy to compare card options and photos with Minted's Find it Fast tool. You can upload your photos and preview all the cards with each one for quick viewing! And open a million tabs with each card idea as you decide. See?

I chose rounded corners and I think I changed the font size or placement a little, but the simple design we went with was great as-is and I love how they came out!

Seriously, that pre-addressing feature is amazing, too. I think they'll always offer the free printing of the return address on the back, but for a limited time this year you can also get free recipient addressing at Minted! There were tons of pretty designs to choose from, too.

So, for the giveaway. Now through Monday (9:00 PM PST), enter to win $125 to spend at Minted!

Minted is a design marketplace connecting you with the world's best artists.
Truly original holiday cards sourced from indie designers.
Spread holiday cheer with the perfect card.
Create a holiday card like no other. Minted had unique accessories to add the perfect finishing touch and make it your own.
New this year: The Minted Envelope -Save time and make an impression with beautiful envelope designs and recipient addressing – FREE for a limited time.

Good luck!

If you don't win, there's still time to buy your holiday cards at Minted!

Update: Congrats to Danielle, winner of the giveaway!

36 comments

3.10.2014

Easy DIY leather camera strap tutorial and Leather Hide Store giveaway

My first attempt at sewing on leather, and I'm so happy with it!! I was intimidated, but now I'm sold--real leather is wonderful to work with, and creates a really nice end product--I look forward to using it more in the future!

Leather Hide Store has been doing some fabulous blog collabs lately and there have been some very cool tutorials with their stuff (see some on their Facebook page)--and I'm so glad they reached out to me to send me my choice of one of their leather pieces, and the first thing I thought to make was this camera strap!

Turns out with just a few special tools, sewing on leather isn't hard at all, and this strap is just my kind of project! Simple, easy to measure, and, with careful sewing, creates a very pro-looking, practical accessory!

DIY Leather Camera Strap Tutorial

You will need:

A piece of leather (at least 4.5" x 24")
Clothes pins, binder clips, or Getta Grip Sewing Clips
Seam ripper
Leather scissors
Leather needle for your machine
Thread in the colors of your leather and the foundation to your camera strap
An old camera strap (or the components of the adjustable base and connection point--you can buy adjustable strap materials at the fabric store)

Step 1: Using a seam ripper, take apart the base of the original strap. Those stitches are really in there, trust me! This part takes some patience.

Step 2: Now to the leather. Even it out so you have a perfect rectangle or at least a right angle on one side. Align your ruler and mark it with pen or pencil, then cut with leather scissors.

Step 3: To make the smooth-edged 1.5" strap, you'll a 4.5" piece of leather on itself 3 times, leaving a discrete raw edge on the inside. Cut your leather into a 4.5" wide, 24" strip, using the clear ruler to draw the edge.

(My typical pro Canon camera straps was a little over 1.5" wide by a little over 24" (the nylon/rubbery strap piece only, excluding the base. I cut my leather to be these same dimensions, but you could make yours a little longer or shorter if you like!)

Step 4: Using the ruler and pencil, draw lines along the length of the leather strip 1.5" from the top. You'll be folding it on itself in 3 almost even, 1.5"-plus-fold-room pieces--a tri-fold.

(The tri-fold finish for a leather or fake leather strap is a technique I learned from a sponsor back in 2011; she has this tutorial of the method and some good tips about fine points if you want to get technical!)

Step 5: Since you can't pin leather, to hold it in place, fold it carefully back to the 1.5" line and clip with your clothes pins, binder clips, or Getta Grip Sewing Clips, along the length of the strap.

Step 6: At the sewing machine (put on the leather needle!! and matching leather-colored thread on the bobbin and top thread), top stitch at the edge of the folded side of the strip (I used about a 1/8" seam allowance).

TIP: Use a big stitch length for a more even, professional look and just in case you need to take out a stitch. I hurried through and used different seam lengths in my top stitching, and I wish I hadn't!! Wish I'd used a medium-long stitch the whole way along. Oops. Do as I say, not as I do...

Step 7: Fold the raw edge back toward the folded side, clip in place, and sew along that edge with a matching seam allowance. This time you're sewing through 3 layers of leather, so it may be a little tougher for the machine. Go slow if you need to!

Step 8: Flip back to the first edge and top stitch 1/4" from the first seam.

Step 9: Back on the second edge, top stitch 1/4" from the second seam.

Step 10: The strap is now done. Grab the bases of the original strap (or the adjustable strap pieces you bought at the fabric store) and put the leather strap in between them. Pinch in place and sew through all the layers, retracing the X and rectangle stitching of the original. Repeat on the second side.

Done!! Here it is, smooth and nicely finished and ready for use!

It's perfect. Just the right size/length, has that nice leather smell, is more durable than the nylon/rubber/embroidered strap... so happy with how it turned out!

And here it is in use! Love it!!

And what a great DIY gift this would be!

If you want to try this yourself, check out Leather Hide Store--and one of you will win the $50 gift card! Enter here or on my Facebook page!