Random Friday

Askinosie Bean to Bar process poster.

Man with the Golden Voice!

New Starbucks logo.

IPAD Giveaway.

Snow Sculptures.

Hope you have a great weekend! I have zero plans and I like it that way for a change. See you here next week!

 

Thrift Store Score {2}

I’m thrifting more these days as part of our money saving plan. I found this Old Navy Vest for 3.00 last week. My little sister, Morgan, modeled it for me while she was home over Christmas break.  I’ve got her hooked on thrifting too! If all goes as planned she’ll be moving into her first ‘real’ apartment after she graduates this Spring. She’s got a new plan to furnish/decorate it by thrifting as much as she can.

Are there any thrifters out there? Have you had any luck with Ebay or Craigslist? Got any thrifting tips?

Two Ways to Wear the Infinity Scarf

1. Figure 8 wrap.

2. Double Figure 8 wrap.

DIY Homemade Infinity Scarf

I want to learn to sew and I’ve started with a megasimple project.  I made two infinity scarves to give away as Christmas gifts.  I showed the fabric here.  Three cuts and one straight line of stitching and it was done. I started with a super soft fabric made from bamboo.

1. Cut fabric into a rectangle that is approximately 26 inches X 77 inches.

2. Pin the ends together.

3. Sew the ends together.  I like to leave the pins in and sew over them to help keep the fabric in place as I sew.  The particular fabric tends to curl on the ends.

This is my sister, Morgan, she showed me multiple ways to wear scarfs and we documented them all for another post.

2011 Etsy Honeysuckle Finds {1-12}

1. Simple Floral Post Earrings 2. Honeysuckle Pink Scalloped Cowl 3. Throw Pillow 4. Honeysuckle Yarn
5. Fine Art Print 6. Ten Things Earrings 7. Chrysanthemum Modern Cross Stitch 8. White Clutch
9. Receiving Blanket 10. Honeysuckle Print 11. Honeysuckle Hair Clip 12. Honeysuckle Infinity Scarf

Pantone 2011 Color of the Year {Honeysuckle}

 

 

 

 

 

“Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold Spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year.  It’s a color for everyday – with nothing “everyday” about it.” Per Pantone, this is a color for all seasons.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute stated, “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward of the blues. Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities form a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

2011 Megasimple Wordle

I’m starting the year off with a wordle word cloud again.  This year all I did was enter my megasimple url and wordle automatically pulled words from my blog.  All I had to do was choose the font, color and a couple other layout options.  The other option is to enter your own words. It’s a fun and free writing tool. I’ve seen it used in educational settings in a variety of ways. It’s a great way for kids to creatively express their thoughts and ideas. See my 2010 wordle here.  Make your own wordle here.

megasimple 2010 Final Post

I made it.  My goal was to blog for a year. Often times my ideas can be short lived, but this one lasted.  Blogging keeps me interested in learning new things.  Thanks to all my readers and commenters! I love hearing that you tried something I posted and liked it or found it useful!


I’m really looking forward to 2011. I’m working on publishing in a new format and although I don’t have it ready to roll out for the New Year, I’m super motivated to get it done.  I’m going to continue trying to keep things megasimple while adding some new post ideas too.  

 

Happy New Year!

Megasimple 2010 Wrap Up Week {Post 4}

This week I’m going to be wrapping up 2010 by re-posting 4 of my most read posts followed up with a megasimple “year in review” post on Friday.  This will give me some time plan and gear up for megasimple 2011!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. See you back here Jan. 3rd!

Stimmel’s Market

{reposted from 3/3/2010}

Two of my colleagues recently told me about Stimmel’s Market in Napoleon, Ohio. We made our first, of what I’m sure will become many stops.    This market specializes in beers and wines and hosts a deli and bar as well.
The deli menu is written on chalkboards; always a good sign. We ordered a jalapeno cheese dip/chips appetizer.  Fully expecting a hot dip, we were skeptical upon it's arrival, but soon pleasantly surprised that that this dip was served cold.  The kick from the jalapenos was balanced by the cool temperature and likely would have been too spicy for me if heated.  It’s a definite recommendation. We shared the Erie and Riverview, two vegetarian sandwiches and neither disappointed. 
Be sure to become a fan of Stimmel’s on Facebook. They faithfully update their soups of the day. Rumor has it the lobster bisque is A…mazing!

Much to my surprise, this Saturday afternoon adventure proved to satisfy two of my goals for this blog: explore/appreciate what the Midwest has to offer and meet new people.   We were talking with our server, Kimberly Bischoff, only to find that she is a fellow blogger.  Kimberly is one of only five women participating in “The Happiness Project” with Woman’s Day magazine!  She will be posting on the Women’s Day Happiness blog all year long.  Check out the happiness project here and read all of Kimberly’s posts here.   Leave her a comment to show your Midwest support!

Megasimple 2010 Wrap Up Week {Post 3}

This week I’m going to be wrapping up 2010 by re-posting 4 of my most read posts followed up with a megasimple “year in review” post on Friday.  This will give me some time plan and gear up for megasimple 2011!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. See you back here Jan. 3rd!

Piada – A Restaurant Review

{reposted from 09/07/2010}

I love an extra long weekend and ours started early. We left on Thursday for a quick overnight trip to Columbus to attend the Ohio State Buckeyes opening football game. Included on the agenda was a trip to Piada, a new Columbus restaurant that my sister, Morgan, has been raving about. 
Saturday we visited Piada for lunch. It is an Italian Street Food restaurant that can be compared to Chipotle in regards to ordering procedure and complete freshness of ingredients, but it definitely has its own original and authentic Italian twist.  The menu is quite self explanatory and takes you through the 5 step ordering process.

A piada, also called a piadina, is a wrap-like sandwich built on thin-crust, stone-cooked dough that is stuffed with pastas, meats, cheeses, sauce and vegetables. The chef created my Piada to my own liking with angel hair, chicken, pesto, lettuce and tomatoes. My piada was generously stuffed with the perfect blend of my favorite ingredients. I also had a cheese Piada stick with a parmesan dipping sauce. It was light and crisp and my only regret was that I didn’t bring some home.  Piada’s food quality did not disappoint; tasting equally as healthy and fresh as it looked. The interior was modern yet comfortable with a mixture of brick, wood, stainless steel and classic signage that pulled it all together. 

Fresh, fast, affordable and unlike any of our other routine Columbus stops, I highly recommend you give it a try.  
(Photos/menu from the Piada website and face book page)

Megasimple 2010 Wrap Up Week {Post 2}

This week I’m going to be wrapping up 2010 by re-posting 4 of my most read posts followed up with a megasimple “year in review” post on Friday.  This will give me some time plan and gear up for megasimple 2011!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. See you back here Jan. 3rd!

Red Rambler

{reposted from 12/6/2010}

Recently we’ve been spending some early Saturday mornings enjoying some super good coffee at Red Rambler in Wauseon.  We’ve gotten to know the owner, Jo Michelson and she let us come early this week to get some pictures of the shop before it opened.

The large cup is a double mocha, my favorite!

They roast their own beans at Red Rambler!

You can purchase coffee beans to grind at home or they’ll grind them for you at the shop before you leave. You can order coffee online here.

These gift packages are perfect for anyone who enjoys a good cup of coffee.

What better to go with a cup of coffee than a Stella Leona Artisan Bar?! 

Jo turned her passion into her profession and is living her dream of owning a coffee shop and it’s been great getting to know her. Red Rambler is in Wauseon, OH, but you can also get their coffee at Stimmel’s Market in Napoleon, Stella Leona in Pettisville, Stella Blue in Archbold, Coffee Gallery in Waterville, Sutton's Deli in Angola, IN and the new Sullivan's in downtown Wauseon.

Megasimple 2010 Wrap Up Week {Post 1}

This week I’m going to be wrapping up 2010 by re-posting 4 of my most read posts followed up with a megasimple “year in review” post on Friday.  This will give me some time plan and gear up for megasimple 2011!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. See you back here Jan. 3rd!

Dominican Habichuelas

{reposted from 2/29/2010}

A couple of weeks ago, as we brainstormed possibilities for meatless Lenten meals, Kent recalled a dish that he had eaten everyday for three months in the Dominican Republic.  Since giving up meat for Lent, Dominican Habichuelas have become a staple in our house. On Kent’s last day in the small village, he skipped work and stayed home with his Dominican mom so he could learn how to make habichuelas.
The picture above is the kitchen where Kent learned to cook this meal.  Notice the tiny stove top/oven his mom, brother and sister are standing next to.
Kent said, “I think I still have that recipe somewhere.”  I thought to myself…We have trouble locating a recipe we printed last week let alone finding one you wrote down 18 years ago while in the D.R.  Kent left the room and to my complete amazement, no more than 3 minutes later, he returned with the recipe in hand. This was for a single serving that his mom made that day.  Undoubtedly, this recipe will live on in our repertoire of favorites beyond the Lenten season. 
Ingredients: Pinto Beans, tomato paste, water, vinegar, white rice, sazon seasoning (a general Mexican seasoning mix that includes cilantro, achiote, garlic, salt), garlic and olive oil.
Drain and Rinse a large can of pinto beans.  Add 8 c. water, beans and 4T. olive oil to a large stock pot.  Boil until the beans are soft begin to crack open.
The water will be cloudy and some of the beans will be cracked.
To the stock pot  add 1.5 T. vinegar, 4T. tomato paste, 4.5t. minced garlic, 2 1/2T. of Sazon (depending on your seasoning preference) and bring back up to a boil for 30 minutes.  This is when we start to make the white rice.  We make 2c. dry rice.  Follow directions on the bag.
After 30 minutes to liquid will have reduced down further and turned a deeper red color.  Cilantro makes a perfect garnish, but isn’t necessary.  I like to add a little sour cream on top of mine and eat it with a warm tortilla shell.  We mix the leftover rice and beans together and store for leftovers.  This reheats very well.  This meal is megasimple and megafrugal.  We estimated this makes 4-6 servings for under 3.00!

2010 Christmas Card

This is our 2010 Christmas Card that we designed together. I think it’s a simple way to personalize a card if you aren’t up for sending a picture. Here is a megasimple tip that we learned the hard way…a 5x5 card can’t be sent with one 44 cent stamp.  It costs more because it is square and can’t go through the automatic reader.  That explains why our Christmas cards had a really beautiful Christmas stamp along with two other stamps (A ram stamp and a red, white an blue star stamp) that totaled 64 cents. 

 
I’ll be back on Monday to start a 2010 megasimple wrap up week. Have a wonderful holiday weekend. Wishing you the best of the season! Merry Christmas!