2014 Resolutions

 

I always like to start my year with a good set of resolutions.  Whether they actually get accomplished or not...well, that's another story.  As long as a few key items and accomplishments are checked off the list, I feel that I've definitely made progress for the year. 

For 2014 I resolve to do the following...

1. Become more physically and fiscally fit. 
2. Expand my business, Swish Productions, to boutiques in Texas and continue to grow my on-line presence.
3. Get with more bloggers to get my name out there more.
4. Travel WAY more than I have in the past. 
5. Integrate more dating into my schedule...even if I do find it to be one of the worst parts of life! 
6. Try new things, especially if they scare me.  (Which most things do.)
7. Read more (I used to read books ALL the time) and watch less reality television.
8. Participate in at least 4x artisan shows throughout the year and get to know other artisans in the community better.

What are your resolutions for the new year?  I would love to hear what you are working on! 

Quiz Time!

The blog has been under construction for quite some time now so obviously I haven't been blogging. To be honest with you, I don't really consider myself a "blogger" at all.  Mostly, I'm a crafter and am attempting [terribly, in my opinion]  to incorporate blogging into my world.  I love blogs and the idea of sharing your world with friends over the internet, but I have proven to be terrible at it.  That being said, what better way to get back at it than with a quiz?!?!  My friend Roxy over at Grrfeisty posted a quiz activity and encouraged everyone to participate, so I did!  Below is a little information about me and my crazy busy life.  I hope you enjoy!

1. I love animals! Share details and photos of your special furry companions. [No pets? Who/What is your favorite cuddle buddy?]

 

I have two dogs that I love very much!  Guido {the malti-poo} was my first dog and is around ten years old which is SO crazy to me.  I remember the first day I go him.  It's funny because I've heard several people say that your dog often takes on your personality, and with Giudo, that couldn't be more true.   He shares emotions on his own terms.  If he wants to be sweet, he will, but if he's not into you, he's not interested.  Stella {the Shitzu} is so sweet and often times puts Guido in his place, which I secretly love.   

                                                                                                                                                                         

2. What is your favorite Friday afternoon/evening activity?

I'm usually exhausted from work and other various activities that I am involved by Friday, so Friday night is when I do absolutely nothing.  I go eat dinner with my family, but thats usually it. If I want to go out or do something fun, that's usually reserved for Saturday.  I'm so old now!

3. A day in the life: What does you typical day look like?

A day in my life is usually really crazy and jam packed with things to do.  I get to work around 9am, which i know sounds late to most people.  I'm not a morning person, and usually have lots to do at night, so it works for me.  I'm trying to work on it, but it seems like no matter how hard I try, I can never wake up early!  I've been a night owl since I was a kid and I seriously do  between the hours of 10:00pm and 12:00pm.  So long story short...I work from 9:00am to 6:00pm.  After work, I am either volunteering at the Junior League, catching up with friends at dinner, working at bingo [we will discuss at a later date] or working on orders from my Etsy shop.  Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm the type of person that has to remain busy or I go crazy.  

 

4. Do you have any fitness routines? What are they?

 

This is a good question and the answer is currently, no.  I've been doing the Paleo diet for about three months now, and I've kind of hit a plateau.  I wanted to make sure I could wrap my head around the whole Paleo thing before I added in exercise, but now it's time.  "It's time, daddy...It's time!  [Steal Magnolia's anyone?]  Also, they just built a LA Fitness right down the street from my house, so I kind of don't have a choice. So stay tuned!  Hopefully I will love working out there.        

5. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

I've never been out of the country besides to Mexico, so I really can't include the WHOLE world.  In the United States, I would love to live in Chicago.  I love that place...It has the culture and diversity of New York City, without the hustle and bustle.  It's like a slowed down version of New York.  There are so many awesome things to see and do there, and the restaurants are amazing. 

High Tea at the Drake...not to be confused with THE Drake...the singer.

The Bean.

6. You've got a whole day to yourself...what will you do?

Sleep, take care of chores that I never get to do during the week, go to a beach and work on my tan, or a spa day.  All things I love to do, obviously not in the same day.

7. Dream job?

 

My dream job would first and foremost include working for myself.  I would probably be an event planner/designer and continue expanding my floral business.  I love flowers.  Examples of my work are below...

 

8. Least favorite chore?

Cleaning house...the end.

9. When do you most feel like a rock star?

When my Etsy shop gets on the front page of Etsy!!!! Holla!

10. What is something you are currently trying to improve within yourself?

My diet and workout plan.  So far so good.  I've been working on it for a few months now and have lost around 20 pounds.

Favorite quote ever...

 

Lime Shrimp & Avacado Salad



Photo credit- Losing It Together

I've definitely been trying more things in the kitchen thanks to my newfound interest in Paleo. Recently, I got a recipe from a friend that was too easy and awesome not to share. 

Ingredients

1 lb Jumbo shrimp {cooked, peeled, deveined and chopped}

1 medium Tomato {diced}

1 avocado {diced}

1 jalapeno {seeds removed and diced fine}

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 limes {juice of}

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

{salt and fresh pepper to taste}

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine red onion, lime juice. olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.

2. In a large bowl, combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato and jalapeno. 

3. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss.

4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

See?  So easy!  I would love to hear any easy Paleo recipe you might have.  Feel free to comment below!

Workin' on my Fitness

So far this year, I've really taken 2013 to focus on making myself {home included} better.  I'm doing things I've always wanted to do, but have been too afraid {hence chopping all my hair off} and I'm in the process of redoing my house inside and out {pics of that coming soon}.  Now it's time to really focus and work on the most dreaded thing of all...my fitness.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't HATE working out and eating right, I just don't LOVE it.  It's hard and takes lots of motivation, dedication and LOTS and LOTS of time and money.   

I've struggled for a while with a slight imbalance in my hormone levels in the past, and recently they've become more apparent.  I'm hoping that with medication and a change in eating habits, I will make this problem history and get that shit under control.  My aunt goes to the Paleo Doctor in Houston, and is a firm believer in the paleo diet.  She's lost about 30 pounds so far following the program  Long story short, she talked to him about me and he things paleo is where it's at.  I'm not a cross fitter, and never will be.  It's really about getting more under control than just your weight, and that's why I'm mostly excited about it.  It's kind of amazing and crazy when you think about how complex your body is, and how it all works together.   

Before I commit to spending a lot of money with a paleo doctor, I figured I would try it on my own for a while and see if I can even stick to it.  I've found a few SIMPLE recipes for the rest of this week.  Did I mention I'm not a huge fan of cooking?
 

I've read up on it {a little}, and I've gotten the core principles down.  Eat lots of lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables...seems easy enough, but we'll see.  I have a feeling that there will be times this will suck...a lot.

Am I excited?  No.
Am I intrigued?  Kind of.  

Talk to me when I have seen results and I'm comfortable with the recipes, and I promise I will have a better attitude.
 

I need recipes!  Please contact me or leave a comment with your favorite SIMPLE paleo recipe!

 

 

Welcome Baby Alyssa!

My cousin had her baby on Friday, and to celebrate, I thought I would post some pics of the shower we threw for her.  She loves anything shabby chic {I mean, who doesn't?}, so I thought it would be perfect for the shower.  Below are a few pics of what I threw together.  Welcome baby Alyssa!  We can't wait to watch you grow!

Ombre is all the rage right now, and I LOVE it.  I had to incorporate it in the shower in some way, so I did an ombre cake.  One word...love!

My favorite part of the shower were the flowers of course!  I just think flowers add so much style and personality to any event.  They're a great natural decoration and they just make you feel good.

What's your go to baby shower them?

Homemade Dog Treats

Last weekend, I decided to make some holiday treats for Guido, Stella and friends.  The dogs love them, and the ingredients make so many that, in the end, they end up being WAY cheaper than buying treats at the store.  I even tried one this time because I was curious as to what they tasted like, but they really just tasted like a cracker.  I got the recipe off of pinterest, and it came from a blog called www.designcrushblog.com.   

Ingredients

21/2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup of Pumpkin Puree

3 Tbsp all-natural peanut butter 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 Degrees F.

2. Place all the ingredients in a stand mixer {using the paddle mixer}.  Mix on low for about one minute, or until all the dough starts to come together.  It won't be one big ball yet, but a bunch of smaller ones.

3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Work it together into a large ball, then roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.

4. You can use cookie cutters for different shapes, or a knife to cut strips.  {I used a large and small bone shaped cookie cutter, and a few different Halloween cutters for the treats I am giving as gifts.}

5. Place the treats on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.  {I actually put mine on parchment paper, so I skipped the cooking spray.}  They don't expand, so 1/2 inch between is enough.  

6. Bake 30 minutes and let cool completely.  Make sure you keep an eye on them as they are baking.  Mine cooked in about 20 minutes, so based on your own oven, watch them so they don't burn. 

The recipe makes 75+ treats depending on the size of the cutters that you are using.  Before you give to your pups, make sure you are aware of all allergies or stomach issues they might have.  Making your own dog treats is a personal experience based on your own dog, so make sure you know what they like and what they can have.  I hope your pups like them as much as mine did!

Fredericksburg Day 2

We started Saturday in Fredericksburg bright and early around 9:30am.  There are tons of great wineries in Fredericksburg, so I thought it would be a good idea to take Saturday during the day to visit a few.  Since there were so many of us, and we knew we were going to be drinking all day, we decided to rent a limo to take us to a from all the wineries.  It turned out to be a great idea because it allowed all of us to ride all in one car together.  If you're planning to visit Fredericksburg, I definitely recommend using Dave & John Wine Tours of Texas to take you around to all the wineries!

Vineyard Tours

1. Becker Vineyards- Becker is a MUST if you are visiting Fredericksburg.  They not only have great wines, they have a three acre lavender field behind the winery allowing them to make amazing lavender soaps, lotions, lip balms, linen sprays, eye pillows and so much more! It was awesome!

Wine tasting Details below....

Hours: 
Mon-Thurs: 10am-5pm 
Fri & Sat: 10am-6pm
Sun: 12pm-6pm

Wine Tasting Fee: $10 for six wine samples.

2. Torre De Pietra Vineyards- This vineyard has awesome wines as well as a great view of the hill country from their herb garden, vineyards, and secluded patios.  Their wines include varietals: Sangiovese, Primitivo, Malbec, Petit Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Spanish, Zinfandel, Moscato, Blanc du Bois, Gewurtztraminer and several popular blends including: Amore de Tuscano, Midnight Nymph, Red Flirt and Dirty Girl.

Red Flirt and Dirty girl were by far my favs.  If you visit this vineyard, you also have to check out all of their different pestos and cute home goods.  One of my personal favs is the Artichoke Lemon Pesto.  It's so good on grilled chicken and in pasta!

Hours:

11am-6pm Daily

Wine Tasting Fee: $10 for six wine samples.

The day ended with dinner at the Navaho Grill.  So good!  If you have a large group, I

definitely recommend reserving the Granite Room.  It's really spacious and quiet.  Perfect for a group of 6-8.

Reservations are recommended, so if you're going to be in the area, and are interested in going, I've listed the information below.

Navajo Grill

Phone: (830) 990-8289

Address: 803 E. Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Website: www.navajogrill.com

Must Have Monday: "Breaking Amish"

As most of you already know, I'm what I like to refer to as a reality TV whore.  If it's on Bravo, MTV, E! or TLC, it probably on my DVR right now waiting for me to watch.  It might be a sickness of sorts. 

Most recently, I've become obsessed with a little TLC gem called "Breaking Amish."  If you aren't already watching this show...you have to start like NOW.  It might just be the best show on TLC at the moment {and that's a bold statement with quality programming like "Say Yes to the Dress" and my "Big Fat Gypsy Wedding."}.  I know you probably think I'm kidding, but if you know me, you know I'm not.  I LOVE THIS SHOW.  

Let me give you a brief synopsis of the deliciousness that is "Breaking Amish," so you can get an idea of what you're missing out on.  The show focuses on four Amish and one Mennonite {all young adults} that have left their restricted lives in their communities to experience a different life of experimentation in New York.  The show follows them making new friends, starting relationships, getting jobs drinking and even doing things like trying sushi for the first time.  I like to refer to it as an Amish Real World.  It's literally the true story of five Amish people, picked to live in a house and have their lives taped.  It's up to YOU to watch what happens when they stop being polite, and start getting real!

They're already three episodes in, but have no fear, TLC plays the old episodes NONSTOP just to give you a chance to get hooked.  At this point, they're all in New York, now wearing what they refer to as "English" clothes, going out and getting jobs.

You have to watch!  There are new episodes every Sunday night at 9:00PM CST, so set your DVRs!  I would love to know what you think!

Fredericksburg Day 1

This weekend my mom and I went on a little mother/daughter girls trip to Fredericksburg with four of her friends and their daughters.  It turned out to be a really fun weekend filled with lots of laughs!  It's really funny how until you're an adult, you don't realize how similar your mom friendships are to your own.  If you ever want to do a mother/daughter trip, Fredericksburg is a great place for it.  There are definitely things for everyone to do...drinking included. 

The day started around 10:00am on Friday, after a LONG time spend stuffing six women and ALL of their luggage into an Explorer.  {Can you even imagine?} 
We went down 290, so it took us through lots of small towns  We ended up stopping at Maudie's Tex Mex in Austin for lunch.  

We FINALLY got there around 5:00pm {don't ask me how that's even possible} and we got to check in to the cabin for our weekend of what I like to refer to as "glamping."  If your not familiar with what "glamping" is, it's basically glam camping.  Doing outdoorsy things, and being outdoors, but with all the luxuries of an awesome cabin!  we stayed at One Big House at the Cotton Gin Restaurant and Lodging.  It was so cute!  If your ever in Fredericksburg, I definitely recommend staying there.  It looked like a little old Western Town with several little cabins.  Ours was by far the largest {sleeping up to 10 people}, but the others were just as cute but sleep only two people.  It would definitely be a fun place to do a Fredericksburg trip with a few couples, with each couple getting their own house.  

One Big House

A few of the decorations on the glamp grounds.

Other cottages and the wishing well

After getting settled in, we all went shopping on Main Street.  This is a definite must if you're spending time in Fredericksburg.  They have so many different clothing boutiques, home stores, wineries, and even a general store...all on one street!  If you love to shop, you will love Main Street!  I ended up buying two of my favorite things...shoes and fabric.  Anyone surprised?  I love both pairs of shoes I found!  Gold Moccasins...I mean, duh?  What's not to love?  The booties?  I mean, what can I say.  They're country chic means 90's grunge.  LOVE THEM.  can't wait to wear them to the rodeo and fit in with all the cowboys.  

Moccasins from Eve Couture

Booties from Eve Couture...country meets 90's grunge?

Things in a Room...CRAFTGASM!!!!

Coppa (Number 84)

My journey down Alison Cook's top 100 continues on, and this time I found myself at Coppa on Washington.

Impressed?  Not so much.

I definitely had high hopes for Coppa upon our arrival, but unfortunately, they definitely fell flat.  Despite that, I feel like I would be doing everyone a disservice by not starting this post by saying I am 100% Italian and I have grown up around AMAZING Italian food my entire life.  Growing up around so much homemade deliciousness kind of makes you an Italian food snob, so my taste buds might be a little biased.  You should definitely try it out for yourself and see if you like it.  If I had it to do all over again, I probably would have went with a pizza.  At this point though, I would venture to say this might have been the worst Italian food I have ever tasted. 

I made the mistake of ordering the Gnocci made with oyster mushrooms, sage, rictotta, mushroom broth, and the ONE thing that sents me over the edge of grossnes...TRUFFLE OIL.  Yuck!  I HATE truffle oil.  I think I was so consumed by the fact that they had Gnocci {which I heart so much!}, that I ignored the fact that it was in truffle oil.  It was disgust!  It was not just in the truffle oil, it was swimming in it, and the gnocci was grilled!  Who grills gnocci?!?!  My brother ordered the chef's "signature" dish, Speghetti Carbonara, which in my opinion was just OK.  I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't happen for me.

I would definetly like to know if any of you had a better experience!    

Over all, I give Coppa TWO stars.  This Italian girl was NOT impressed.

Cuisine: Italian

Entree Price Range: $$-$$$

Where: 5555 Washington Ave.

Phone 713-426-4260

Website: copparistorante.com

Shop Updates

It's been a busy weekend of shop updates, and I'm still working hard!  I just added the jewelry/key holder which is one of my favorite things to make!  They're a great price point and would make great gifts for bridesmaids, friends throwing showers, housewarming gifts or just anyone special in your life!   Take a look at the new updates and let me know what you think!

All jewelry/key holders can be found at www.swishproductions.etsy.com

Crafting under the Influence: Candle Crafts

This weekend we had a long overdue "Crafting Under the Influence" sesh.  With all of our busy lives, and not working together anymore, it's been kind of hard to keep up with our monthly crafting parties.  For the month of July, we chose to do candle crafts.  You could chose any craft that you wanted, it just had to be done with candles.  Of course, I broke the rules a little and used vases for my craft, but it turned out just as cute!  


I want to post a tutorial for one of my favorite crafts which was actually Christine's original choice.  It's super easy, and the end result is super cute.  We found the tutorial on, you guessed it...Pinterest, but it was originally posted on The Divine Minimalist.   I just love it, and I think you will too!  Let me know what you think!


Things you will need:
Candles [I found that most candles I came across were kind of expensive for crafting...in my opinion at least.  So I chose to get two non scented candles from Walmart]
Woodgrain Contact paper with adhesive back
Scissors
Cut outs from the internet


Directions:
1. Print out your image or trace it on a piece of paper and cut it out.
2. Take the cut out image and tape it [in several places to secure each side] on the back of the contact paper.  [PLEASE NOTE: make sure that your image is facing the opposite direction when you trace it.  For example, on my Texas candle, if you don't trace Texas backwards, you will get a mirror image...I hope that made sense.]
3.  Peal off the back of your contact paper and stick away!  

All candle crafts together!

My second round copying Christine.

Roost (Number 59)

This week, I had the pleasure of having an old friend from elementary school in town from Minnesota.  Each time she comes in, we try to get together with our moms and have a little mother/daughter dinner, just to catch up and talk about old times.

We usually go to dinner at one of our normal restaurants [Juanita's], but since I took the "Alison Cook Restaurant Pledge," we decided to try one off her list instead!  I left all the decisions up to Susanne, [I mean...she is the guest, right?] and she chose Roost.  Roost is a little, bitty, almost hole in the wall restaurant in the heart of Montrose.  The atmosphere is super casual, even giving off a hidden treasure kind of vibe.  The only complaint that I had about the location was the temperature.  IT WAS HOT!  They could definitely stand to crank the air up a little!  Despite that, everything else was great.  The owner and chef, Kevin Naderi, even met us at the door, taking our drink orders while we waited.  The whole time we were there, I felt like I was on an episode of "Top Chef," waiting for the next unexpected, yet delicious dish to come out for me to judge!

The menu was REALLY short, and it changes every three weeks or so to reflect what is available in Houston at the time.  This seems to be the trend in Houston restaurants right now.  Although the menu was short, there was enough of a variety of items, that you could find something that you liked.  They even had one vegetarian dish for all my non-meat eating friends out there!  If you go, I do recommend that you start your meal with the roasted cauliflower...IT.IS.TO.DIE.  I'm not a fan of cauliflower, and I loved it!

Overall, I give them four out of five stars.  I loved the atmosphere and the food was great!  

Cuisine: American
Entree Price Range: $$
Location: 1972 Fairview St.
Phone: 713-534-7667
FB Page: www.facebook.com/iloveroost [they don't have a web page at this point]

Underbelly (Number 6)

This weekend, we celebrated Ashley's birthday with a little dinner at Underbelly and a little dancing at South Beach.  The highlight of the night was definitely the dancing at South Beach!  I have to say, for the first restaurant on my Alison Cook restaurant adventure, Underbelly was not what I expected.  The atmosphere was great...It was very industrial with an in house butcher shop and open kitchen.  In the main room, there was community dining with large picnic tables and in the side room, there were smaller, more intimate tables.  Despite the more intimate setting, the acoustics were TERRIBLE, and it was extremely hard to hear even the person sitting right next to you.  HUGE pet peeve of mine when dining out.    


The restaurant was started as an attempt to "tell the story of Houston food," but I guess our ideas of "Houston food" are very different.  I am by no means a chef or food critic, but I know what I like, and this was not my style of dining out.  The menu starts with something like..."To share, or not to share," implying that the portions were "family size," but NONE of the items that we ordered turned out to be remotely close to family size.  In fact, the waitress suggested that we get two entrees per person!  WHAT?!?!  We all tried a little bit of eat person's food, and the only one thing that I was truly blown away by was the "Lambburger Helper."  It was really good, and if it's on the menu the night that you go [the menu changes based on what is available locally], you should definitely try it!  


At this point in time, I give Underbelly two out of five stars.  I'm still hopeful though!  I would love to visit them again and have great experience!


Cuisine: American
Entree Price: $$-$$$
Location: 1100 Westheimer
Phone: 713-523-1622
Website: underbellyhouston.com