tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50804810177882815802010-01-06T22:33:55.829-06:00Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-88873790217502778162009-12-16T08:30:00.000-06:002009-12-16T08:50:53.323-06:00

I finally whipped together a little something for our coming bundle of joy! I saw this ring stacker a few months ago and thought it would be a perfect addition to any nursery.When it comes to following patterns, I've got no expertise. I'll be honest, this one was not for the faint of heart. Once I "got it," the sewing went smoothly, but it took some trial and error on my part. At any rate, it's

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-72939866668757518822009-12-14T08:30:00.010-06:002009-12-14T09:08:13.897-06:00

Since I was a little girl yearning for toe(point)-ballet shoes, I've wanted to go see a "real" production of the Nutcracker during the Christmas season. I've never been one for Broadway or musicals in general, but for some reason an official seat at the Nutcracker Ballet has always been an aspiration of mine. This weekend my lovely sister got the two of us tickets to the Joffrey Ballet's

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-77402734043772709942009-12-09T08:30:00.001-06:002009-12-09T08:36:56.210-06:00

The holiday season brings with it an abundance of opportunities to bake and prepare delectable desserts for those you love (or work with)! My friend Celina and I had another baking extravaganza last night for a work party today. By popular demand I made the Pumpkin-Spiced Bundt Cake (recipe here), but Celina made these gems.A family tradition, we altered the Camarillo's Jewish Coffee Cake and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-11574364083430769242009-12-03T08:30:00.004-06:002009-12-04T16:41:52.507-06:00

There's something wonderfully nostalgic and grand about cutting down your own Christmas tree and lugging it home to decorate, especially for us city-folk! Our tree is up and making spirits bright inside and out with it's lights and ribbon beaming into our living room and onto the Chicago streets.This sucker is drinking up water like no one's business, so I hope we can keep it alive through the

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-49833016968635436702009-11-15T09:30:00.003-06:002009-11-17T09:24:10.547-06:00

Amish Friendship Bread is one of my favorites, and I'm really glad I got a starter a few weeks ago. It's not everyone's cup of tea though, so I'm not about to lose friends by forcing starters on them. The steps involved in making the bread are minimal, and after a painless process you have some to-die-for sweet bread wafting through your kitchen.I created a bit of a monster though when - upon my

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-12040382882952048332009-11-11T08:30:00.002-06:002009-11-11T09:39:08.225-06:00

This phrase that I saw from a friend struck me the other day because it was apropos. I've never been one for making announcements, but I'm guessing I can't just suddenly pop out a baby this March and move on in the blog arena like nothing monumental happened. TK and I are expecting a boy March 2 and are looking forward to this new stage of life with great excitement! I've always wanted to be a

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-19622228573182650272009-11-04T08:30:00.001-06:002009-11-04T08:38:25.899-06:00

I'll admit it. I think I've hated Halloween for quite some time. It's just not my thing. To be honest, any other holiday excites me more. In rebellion against it, my friend Celina and I opted out and stayed in to bake pumpkin goodies. Call me a prude, but it was such a better alternative in my mind.Inspired by The Food Librarian's "I Like Big Bundts" month of recipes, we made a Pumpkin Spiced

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-57687291309809717342009-11-02T08:30:00.004-06:002009-11-02T09:00:11.181-06:00

You know what yesterday was in my book...time to break out the Christmas music! I've got some Mariah Carey playing and am sipping on a peppermint mocha. Now that wretched Halloween is done it's time to bring on the holidays!

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-24520218667356157952009-10-29T09:30:00.002-05:002009-10-29T09:59:25.975-05:00

Just as buying a "real couch" makes me feel a little more grown up, so does signing a contract to be a contributor to a published book...a quilting book no less! My virtual quilting bee, Block Party, is being turned into a book that will be written by our fearless leaders Kristen and Alissa and published by C&T Publishing, a quilting and fiber arts company. As members of the bee, each of us have

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-33885773400032570652009-10-22T08:30:00.001-05:002009-10-22T09:44:25.514-05:00

It is my experience that the modern world is majorly lacking in official rites of passage. As a twenty-something, I find myself constantly questioning whether I'm really an adult or when it was - if yet - that I "grew up." Am I "legit" when I am done with college? When I have a job? If I get married? When I buy a car? If I have my own apartment? When I contribute to society? When I find out what

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-89135251853405577902009-10-09T08:41:00.000-05:002009-10-09T10:40:55.927-05:00

Are there any lunatics out there who don't like pizza? I didn't think so.I imagine that if I were forced to only eat pizza for the rest of my life, I'd be as happy as a clam. Sure, I'd tire of it eventually, but not if I could change it up and put a new spin on a classic. Here's a doozy for you: Asparagus, Tomato, and Goat-Cheese Pizza. You read that right, and it's to die for.When my friend

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-61539319572154602522009-09-22T14:00:00.000-05:002009-09-28T14:14:50.875-05:00

Over the weekend, I led a little sewing session at my church for a monthly event we have called "The Swap." Each month, someone leads those who show up in a session/workshop on something they are interested in or have a passion for. I obviously wanted to spread my love of sewing to any willing participants.Besides teaching my new proteges and sewing together, one of my favorite parts of this

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-67567384778808196862009-09-22T08:30:00.000-05:002009-09-22T09:40:28.483-05:00

Time to resurrect the old blog. My writer's block from late June carried through August, so... my apologies. I'm committing to get back in the habit!A few weeks ago I bought Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby... a great find for some quick, cute projects for any little ones in your life. It's full of patterns for toys, clothes, and housewares that are easy and fun.Take this fine friend

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-78444904751176306092009-08-18T08:30:00.000-05:002009-08-18T08:50:31.703-05:00

"Designers, gather 'round!" Project Runway and our favorite fashion consultant, Tim Gunn, are back! Turn your channels from Bravo to Lifetime and tune in this Thursday for Season 6 of one of the greatest reality shows of all time.I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of Heidi Klum's class, Michael Kors' one-liners, and Tim Gunn's sass. Due to its late-in-the-season airing and previous

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-68166438098424689492009-08-14T10:30:00.001-05:002009-08-14T10:37:02.899-05:00

A little Agnes always makes my Fridays in the office better! [Click on the images to enlarge.]

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-15938356227229321032009-08-10T10:30:00.001-05:002009-08-10T10:47:23.679-05:00

I'm finally getting around to my month in one of my virtual quilting bee groups! Using this tutorial, I'm asking my pals to put together 4 string quilt blocks for this month's project. The fabric is cut, some samples have been made, and the goods are out in the mail.At long last I've found something to do with the phone books that are delivered at what feels like bimonthly intervals in Chicago.

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-68772570481141060572009-07-30T09:00:00.003-05:002009-07-30T16:09:51.449-05:00

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I've discovered the precious key to romance. Sure, my husband is appropriately appreciative of a meal cooked lovingly for hours with great ingredients by yours truly. BUT I've found that at his core, he's a sucker for a simple home-cooked meal that is in all ways unassuming.I found a simple and delicious gem online from Cooking Light that hits

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-57345437342520614832009-07-22T09:00:00.000-05:002009-07-22T09:00:59.224-05:00

An extra-long weekend spent on the beach in Michigan is nourishment for the soul! Sunsets, sweet babies, blueberry picking, and rest for the weary do a body good.

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-57887602673777808102009-06-26T10:00:00.002-05:002009-07-03T08:33:19.272-05:00

Excuse my absence friends... sometimes you just have writer's block and are generally uninspired, right?Moving on. As part of our church's "Just Food" ministry, an urban vegetable garden has been installed in our back yard. Some friends, TK, and I have spent several weeks installing and caring for this living beast. Over a weekend, we leveled the ground, built raised beds, filled in soil, and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-47549511196610966512009-06-10T08:30:00.002-05:002009-06-10T08:59:08.576-05:00

I have a healthy fear of bread baking. Until the other day I was intimidated by those who speak of their exploits with and knowledge of yeast. I listened jealously to their tales of focaccias and sourdoughs and was envious of the fresh bakery smells that were sure to be wafting around in their kitchens. I love crusty bread, but it's not exactly cheap, and with only two peeps in the house, it

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-86710887363899328092009-06-03T08:30:00.001-05:002009-06-05T11:47:50.206-05:00

This lovely lady hails from Ethiopia and was custom made for a coworker of mine whose friend is adopting a little girl from Africa. I hope that this princess dressed in her finest will be a dear friend to her for years to come!

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-15528533136809109292009-05-27T08:30:00.010-05:002009-05-27T14:32:26.780-05:00

Last summer when I grew some basil on my back porch, it astounded me. I loved being able to head out my back door and pick some fresh leaves whenever a recipe called for them. We made some killer pesto, a few memorable pasta dishes, and saved some cashola. One can buy herbs in the grocery store for around $2 to $4 for a bunch, or the same amount of hard earned dough can be spent on an entire

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-46156235579534390432009-05-19T09:30:00.001-05:002009-05-19T09:33:21.424-05:00

Over the past weekend my mom and dad had many of our extended family over to their house in upstate New York for a good old-fashioned garage raising. After tearing down the older and smaller garage, a roof had to be placed over the new garage walls. My family is at no loss for strapping young men with both brain and brawn, so the invitation was extended and the masses flocked. While I like to

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-24996980634908126832009-05-04T08:30:00.001-05:002009-05-04T09:21:39.513-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again...making meals or desserts from scratch is a worthwhile effort that pays off. If Mine that Bird was a good investment (he only cost $9500 and was a 50-1 long shot), so is using some elbow grease to whip together some homemade cupcakes...Mint Julep Cupcakes in honor of race day!On mine and my friend Amy's part, a decent amount of expectation and hope went

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5080481017788281580.post-34740800065638716262009-04-27T08:30:00.000-05:002009-04-27T08:42:27.845-05:00

A friend of mine is getting married this June, so I thought some homemade decorative pillows were in order. The happy couple is all about orange and blue, so picking fabric wasn't strenuous. I'm more and more a fan of orange with each passing day. I'm not an orange addict yet, but I'm inching closer to that slippery slope!

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495420255101853794sarahondrey@gmail.com23