dynamic views for blogger

busynestcards mom blog in mosaic view

ok this is too cool.

if you have a blogger account, here's a quick way to change up the look/feel/navigation of your site using blogger's dynamic views.

are you feelin a bit tumblr-ish? try out mosaic. old skool polaroids? check out snapshot. reorganize by recent, date, label or author. can't decide? just toggle back and forth on the right drop down menu.

send your viewers your new (albeit longer) url for a fun new way to check you out. have fun!

thank you how about orange for the heads up!

mission: gravy | a creative coworking community

it's such an amazing thing when your visions become reality. i always knew one day that i'd collaborate with a friend on a work venture. Little did i know i'd be working with two amazing partners!

enter gravy. before it was gravy it was a positive affirmation entry in my sketchbook. thanks to my inspirational friend, mg, i have been reaping the benefits of writing down (or pinning up) what i want to happen as if it happened already. when i wrote it, i thought, "i don't know how this is going to happen but if i write it down, i know it will." ever have one of those feelings? well write that baby down!

sketchbook entry 11.13.10 | i'm so happy and grateful that i created a space 

for myself and artists to work, teach and learn from each other.

i didn't know what i wanted had a name, i just wanted to bring all the creative people i knew together to make/create/feel that collective energy i felt in architecture school. fortunately for us, coworking spaces and hackerspaces not only exist but thrive around the world - how cool is that!

3 months later, 1 business plan, 1 shared vision and 1 bottomless pit of collaboarative & creative energy, the 3 of us are about to launch our first FREE coworking event (aka jelly) on friday, feb 25. if working at home is too distracting, and the local coffee shop's too noisy, coworking may be for you! bring your work, yourself and your energy and come join us!

refinishing furniture

so, over the holiday, i got the refinishing fever. thanks to my inspirational visit to my friend, jody, i've decided to get over myself and go for it! unfortunately, i was too excited that i forgot to take a before picture. so this is as close as i could get to one.

after!

 after again in action at my desk!

before (you get me)

kudos to the stencil 101 decor book for the large scale chain stencil. instead of dry brushing (as in the tutorial) the orange paint, i traced the stencil onto some contact paper, and cut it out. i then covered the (already spray painted white) side table and spray painted the cut out area orange. i love the surprise when you open the drawer....

also thanks to my sanding and refinishing friend, diana. who knew sanding could be so therapeutic? i will never sand alone again!

organization at the antique store

so there's this antique store i check out wednesdays while i'm at piano with my kids. there are so many old/cool/junky objects in there that in the beginning it was overwhelming. but after 10 or so perusing trips, i think i've got that shop down! here's what i got yesterday for instant organizational transformation.

before: worn 1940's suitcase.
price: $12.50
bonus: did i not have you at $12.50?

after: dvd/game storage!
value: cheap charm!
bonus: a how-to lesson for the kids on those old latches!

before: cigar boxes.
price: $3-$6.50 each
bonus: colorful, paper wrapped wooden boxes

after: kids craft/pencil/sticker/stamp (stuff!) storage! check out this post for my inspiration!
value: an organized, pretty craft cabinet!
bonus: some geography lessons! for the kids too!

so now i'm hooked. i'm usually with my 7 year old girl (who has a very very acute olfactory sense) who says the place stinks. and the stuff is old. but somehow she was able to find an (old and smelly) box for herself. uh oh, i may be passing on the fever...

flyer design - stage + shoot

nothin' like a filling up a tuesday with a photoshoot + some flyer fun! a 11x17 marketing flyer for my gal gina at always gourmet. it needed to be large scaled, eye-catching and have some kid appeal because it's going up in kid-friendly, mom-populated venues. i have a hard time finding the images i want online (and don't want to pay to use), so often times, i stage it and shoot it myself at home: a cutting board here, some eggs there, what else do bakers use? i did get the polariods free online here and have used them on two design projects. i love the nostalgia of them. baking and memories go hand in hand, don't they?

now doesn't this make you want to hire this talented mom/baker?

anatomy of identity design

this project came together in a snap. maybe because i'm the demographic; maybe because i was working with a fellow designer. something magical happens when two designers work together. rules + intentions are more easily expressed/communicated/understood. design takes on somewhat of a shorthand. it becomes a collaboration!

for a consultation contact lauri loesch at minutemoms@roadrunner.com.

EASY teriyaki chicken lo mein

made this last nite and had to share. supper easy + fast + yummy! my three musts in my book.

when mid afternoon rolls around, based on what i have on hand, i start paging thru my recipe collection, cookbooks or my epicurious iphone app (a must have!). nope, i'm not the super plan/shop ahead type, as much as i try, i can only get into that mode if i have company coming over! so, here i am paging thru a free copy of cooks' country i got last year. here, not even dog-eared, is this super fast, easy recipe. what was i thinking? this will definitely be on permanent rotation. enjoy!

3/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp grated fresh ginger (omitted since didn't have)
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch (substituted flour)
3.5 c water
4-3oz. packages of ramen noodles (seasoning packs discarded)
1-16oz. bag of coleslaw mix
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar and cornstarch in large saucepan over medium heat, whisking often until thickened, 2-3 min. pour half out in large bowl. add water to remainig soy sauce mixture in saucepan. boil. add ramen and cook until tender, 4 min. cover & keep warm.

2. pat chicken with paper towels. heat oil over medium-high heat. add chicken and cook until no longer pink, 1 min per side. transfer chicken to bowl of reserved soy sauce mixture, toss to coat. transfer noodles to platter and top with chicken.