Wear it Wednesday: Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye

I'm Your Man by bychloesue featuring lipsy

Tomorrow I am going to the concert of a lifetime--well, the concert of MY lifetime, anyway--Leonard Cohen.

Black clothing was never optional. Leonard is famous for his black Armani suits. Black is sleek and sexy, just like the artist's songwriting. It's only fitting. It's the only color that fits in my mind, too. 

Everybody Knows by bychloesue featuring pendant jewelry

Whether menswear inspired or fantastically feminine, I hope to be stunning tomorrow night, as I myself am hopefully stunned!


PS: Happy Halloween everyone! 

Bon Appetiteeeeeee

I am not going to turn this blog into a sad attempt at duplicating Julie Powell's now infamous project. I read the book, and I loved it*. I saw the movie, and I hated it. My husband went to high school with Julie Powell, they still keep in touch, so that's all weird.

But nobody, I repeat, nobody does French Onion Soup like Mrs. Julia Child.

...and I wanted French Onion Soup. It's finally chilly enough in Austin to fully appreciate a bowl of warm, cheesy, oniony soup. So, I busted out the copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and set myself to three hours of quality kitchen time with Julia. 

I do not suggest attempting to make French Onion Soup in a cast iron skillet. I quickly realized my error, and switched to a 4 quart All Clad Simmer/Saute, but the photo was too ridiculous to discard. 

Three and half hours later, voila.

Soup is on, my friends

Julia Child's Soupe à L’oignon – French Onion Soup

6-8 servings
The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 1/2 hours at least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended. 

Ingredients:

5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 quarts beef stock, boiling

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons cognac

4-6 rounds of hard-toasted French bread

1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Cook the onions slowly in the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and stir in the salt and sugar. The sugar will help the onions to brown. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown.
   
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir over heat for 3 minutes. Off heat, blend in the stock. Add the wine and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for another 30-40 minutes or more, skimming if needed. Correct seasonings.
   
3. Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Place rounds of bread in soup bowls or a tureen and pour soup on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and brown under a hot broiler until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

*I also suggest reading, if you have not, My Life in France by Julia Child (aka: the Other book upon which that movie was based)

Sunday Funday

1. Raw fig "cheesecake"--this is a thing? Why didn't anyone tell me that this is a thing? Oh, Ladycakes. I'm dying.
2. I can't wait to play this Halloween BINGO by paper coterie with my students on Wednesday 
3. This DIY tassel scarf (from A Beautiful Mess) is definitely going to be made and worn for E.A.S.T.
4. I can't get over this Falcon Wright bag. Love it so much. 

The Week in Instagram

I drank a lot of coffee, took on more responsibilities, baked three dozen brownies, hung out with my two favorite people, tried a delicious new beer, and went to the most overachieving Halloween party.

Here's to another great week, and all the adventures to come! 

For more posts (mainly those too nerdy to share on the blog), 

follow me on Instagram @bychloesue

Green Things

Our Meyer lemons are finally turning yellow!

 A peak at some of the green things around the McGuire Homestead. Early in my twenties I realized that, contrary to my prior beliefs, I had inherited my mom's green thumb. Granted, this revelation came to me in the Pacific Northwest, which is a particularly hospitable growing climate. Growing in Texas takes a bit more effort.

I've been trying to transition into growing only winter crops in my garden, but these tomatoes, they just wont give up. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes? If George Clooney comes to my aide, they can grow as long as they want. IfyouknowwhatImean.

A baby butternut escaping from its bed

A crazy bumper crop of heirloom tomatoes 

My incredibly talented husband just finished building this new coop/tractor for our ladies. The previous iteration of our chicken coop, was, shall we say, a bit ramshackle, but I LOVE our ladies' new green home.  

The girls in their new chicken tractor/coop, designed and built by my amazing hubs



What's up, Buttercup?

Wear it Wednesday

Autumnal Neutrals by bychloesue

I'm so in love with Polyvore right now. It's such a ridiculous way to spend my time, I know, but it's So. Much. Fun.

My style has evolved quite a lof over the past few years. Previously I favored a more wild style and was greatly focused rocking on the trend-of-the-minute. Lately though, I've begun to favor a style more adequately described as 'classics with a twist'. Not worrying so much about the immediate relevance of my clothes, and finally beginning to purchase staple separates (I didn't own a pair of jeans until two years ago) has left me feeling much more free to enjoy fashion, without obsessing over it.

I happen to believe that sequins can be daytime appropriate in a heartbeat. While both of these looks could easily take a trip to an evening art gallery opening or out to dinner with my honey, they're hardly nighttime exclusive. Both of these outfits would be a a great choice for a weekend brunch or for museum trips with my fellas. The latter outfit would be office appropriate for me as well. Sequins at my desk!

Black & White and Red All Over by bychloesue

Now, how can I DIY this sequin, polka dot Kate Spade blouse? 

Zombies, Cthulhus & Piñatas (oh my!)

Did I ever tell you about the time that I went crazy? Piñata crazy? Somehow this insane idea came up around the time of the boys' birthday party; since we were having an inside party, aka: not piñata appropriate, why not make mini-piñatas for all of our gift bags? 

Why not? That's such a great question. I could give you so many reasons why... now. Agreeing to make eleven miniature piñatas, while working fulltime and being a fulltime parent was one of the most bizarre choices I've ever made. In the end, though, I am so glad that I spent all those hours covered in paper mache, if only for how proud of those piñatas the boys still are.  Okay, I am proud of them too.

This year's birthday party theme was combination of zombies (Max's choice) and Cthulhu (Alex's choice). Did you know that Cthulhu piñatas are not widely available--even in Texas, where it is par-for-the-course for parents to buy Easter Bunny piñatas? Thanks for the Zombie Jesus Day presents, Bunny. WHACK. Yet it remains impossible to find piñatas of soul-eating Old Ones. Figures.

In the end, no piñatas were smashed on birthday party day. They all went home to live with new families, with candies carefully extracted from holes in their heads.  

How we did it: 

For these piñatas I used partially inflated balloons. We covered the ballons with two layers of paper mache. Not more, in order to preserve smashability. I once made three-ply piñatas, that had to be stomped on by adults, in order to crack. I learned my lesson. 

I then painted the piñatas with appropriate base coats: white for zombies, green for Cthulhus.  Once the paint was dry, I glued on concentric layers of fringed tissue paper, in order to create that special piñata texture. The boys drew the monster features, and I inked them in black and color, then glued them on.

Cthulhu's wings are made of craft foam, that was cut and glued to create three dimensionality; the wings were then hot glued to his body. His tentacles are made of tissue-covered green cardstock.   Zombies' bloodies are strips of red tissue paper. I gave all of the zombies brains at the crown of the head by using shades of pink paper. 

Sunday Funday

...a few projects that I plan to attempt in the week ahead.

1. Test out this chalkboard mug tutorial from A Beautiful Mess
2. Make Mrs. Lillian's OMG Bleu Cheese Tapenade for a weeknight dinner party
3. I know they're girly as all-get-out, but I would love to attempt these crochet pumpkins
4. Having so many baby green tomatoes in my garden (still), are inspiring me to make these miniature fried green tomatoes 

For more of what I'm obsessing over now, follow me on Pinterest.

Home Costumery

I've always loved Halloween. I was a lucky child, with an incredibly creative and skillful mama, I had amazing homemade costumes my entire childhood. We lived in the country and so my mom would begrudgingly drive us to the affluent suburbs (they have the good candy) to go trick-or-treating every year.

This tradition lasted a little too long into my adolescence for me to willingly admit to the Internet.  

While I rarely dress up for Halloween these days, I decided that, for the benefit of the littles, our house needed a bit of costumery. Not to mention that, I am on Pintrest too often to not feel pangs of guilt if I don't fancy my life up from time to time. Truth. 

{mama's gifted pumpkins}

{felt spiderweb, purchased, not made; best white candy jar pumpkin}

In addition to inheriting a few decorative pumpkins, I made a boatload of (well, two)  garlands. One interior, one exterior. I'm proud of myself. It's okay. It's my blog. 

{felt bat garland and cameo by creepy holographic vampire portrait}

{in a house of three men & me, I sneak in my sparkle where I can. Sparkle bats!}

I am moderately obsessed with my DIY glitter skeleton garland. I've seen a lot of glitter skulls, and as mentioned above, when I have a chance to incorporate a something shiny into my life, well, carpe sparkle. I also noticed that these skeleton garlands, are, like, a thing. I can get on board with any idea that is creepy enough to please the littles, but also step-mama tolerable.

These guys came from a dollar store and were initially white (my very tactful co-worker deemed that they "look hella cheap"). So I painted them with neon green paint; then added a few coats of glitter/Mod Podge mix (1 part neon green glitter, 1 part Tooth Fairy mix) and voila. Skeleton of questionable taste, but definite happiness.

{cameos by the Creepy Talking Witch and the skeleton one foot behind the glass door}

Did I mention that we like skeletons around here? No?

{Martha Stewart made this skeleton. I love him. His face is really dopey}

We like skeletons around here.

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Pearly Perfect

{The above picture is not representative of all the workplace pears. It is merely a sampling.}

Earlier this week, I happened upon a large bag of pears at my workplace. More pears than, realistically we could eat before they went to funkytown. This is a bizarre occupational hazard that this house has seen before, and will inevitably see again. The solution to this problem is always the same: baking. 

{Festive cupcake liners. It happens}

Using Pastry Affair's recipe for Vanilla Pear Muffins resulted muffins so good, that my husband sent me a 3pm text message reading only, "Damn. Those muffins are the bomb!"

Yeah. My husband still says "the bomb". Did I mention that he's old?

PS: These muffins are the bomb. 

The First Year

Friends. Internet friends. Entire Universe. It was my wedding anniversary yesterday. In fact, it was my very first wedding anniversary, and I am still in shock. Never in my life did I foresee getting married, which, yes, I know, is such an unfeminine thing to admit.

Well, whatever. Sorry traditional concepts of femininity. 

Yet, here we are. I've survived my first year of wifeliness and official stepmotheriness, and I think (I hope) that I've come out a better person.

I've loved harder, hurt deeper that I could have ever imagined. Being a partner and a parent is the most difficult thing I've ever done, and it's also the most amazing, rewarding and generally earth-shattering experience of my life.

Plus, look how handsome my three sweeties are. I am a lucky lady.

Blogging is Terrifying

I've always maintained that I am "not narcissistic enough to blog". I've been lying to myself, though, because I am as narcissistic as can be. I admit it.

{today's to-do list: a rarity, all accomplished!}

Not to mention, that I love reading strangers' blogs. I love getting little glimpses into the lives of people that I don't know. I love to be inspired by the creativity that these internet superpeople seem to exude. Fashion bloggers with infinite bank accounts and perfect figures. Adorable mamas who somehow manage to have perfectly clean houses, perfectly adorable children, and somehow seem to have infinite amounts of time to craft and create. Food bloggers who create more unique recipes in a week than homecooked meals that I seem to manage in two.

{designing my business cards}

Where does everyone find the time, not to mention the fantastic lighting?

{Nutella pumpkin bread recipe from Freutcake}

"Stitch in the Sea" is the name of an etsy shop that I opened in 2008. Ever the overachiever (well, ever the overcommitter), I decided in college to sell cephalopod-themed embroidery pieces. Well, I sold a few, but then I decided to shelve the project in favor of another (political organizing, but that's another story for another day).

Yet, here I am. Four years later, two thousand miles from where Stitch in the Sea first began, and it's time to start a new chapter. I still rock the needle and floss--in fact, I have my first of new work exhibition in a month (I'm terrified). I still rock the spatula. Now I try to rock the wedding band and the twin stepsons.

Maybe I shouldn't tell you right off the bat that I'm petrified to put myself out into the world. Maybe I should play it cool. Maybe I should quit before I start.

But on a day when everything on your to-do list is accomplished, you just have to keep a little faith in yourself and press Publish.