HAPPY [LATE] THANKSGIVING!

 Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday! Greg and I started with an early dinner with my entire family (above). For the first time, both of my grandparents (they divorced quite some time ago) were both there, along with the entire rest of our family. It was a great time and we got a lot of great photos to show it.

Every year, we end up at Greg's parent's house later that night for another dinner. It's a lot of food in one day but once a year, who cares. This year, and last, we had a family that Greg grew up with in Michigan joining us. It's tradition at their house that during dessert, you have to go around the table and everyone has to say something they are thankful for. Greg's is always something sarcastic, and the rest of us get serious. What's new...

Today is my mama's birthday so we are heading over there for a Breaking Bad marathon. None of us have seen the last 8 episodes and my parents bought them on DVD. Can't wait to finish that series, it's too good.

MORE BRUSSEL SPROUTS!

As I've already made clear, I love brussels sprouts. Here are a couple of brussel sprout recipes that I've found recently that I'm wanting to try. If anyone tries any of them, post and let us know how they are!

1 /// Brussels Sprouts Skillet
2 /// Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprout Dip
3 /// Cranberry Orange Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS MAMA.

 

Oh mama, how I love you. I'm very thankful for you and everything you've done for me in my life. I know it hasn't been an easy ride and it most likely never will be, but it's been an exciting one. We always will have our differences but I know if we were any more the same it wouldn't be quite as fun to tease you. ;-) I can't imagine who I would be without you as my best friend. Thank you for always whipping me into shape.

I'M THANKFUL TO CALL THIS MAN MY DAD.

My life would've been very different if this wonderful man would of never come into it. Unlike most people's dads, this one didn't have to be my dad but he chose to. He also chose to do a damn good job at it. He has always, and continues to, be the most encouraging and supportive person anyone could have in their life. He bought me every doll and Barbie I could of wanted as a little girl, taught me how to throw a baseball, supported all of my dreams to become the fourth Dixie Chick (I ended up being a terrible violinist, then made another bad attempt at the guitar), he helped me with all of my art projects, and took us bowling every weekend. Even through my teenage years of dating idiots, having sassy arguments, and dumb actions that I thought were right at the time, he was still there when it was all over. He helped move me into the dorm the day I moved out for college, and completed my new living space with a gigantic stuffed lion and a tool kit. There wasn't one night that entire first semester where I didn't call him and my mom crying, wanting to come home! And every weekend that year, I went home to watch football with him instead of partying with everyone else. Even after almost five years of living away from home, I still try to make it home once each weekend to visit my parents.

I'm very thankful to be such a lucky daughter.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS LITTLE SWEETIE.

Well, errrrrr, maybe ornery-sassy-moody little sweetie some days. But I couldn't live without her, even on those days because of all these things:

// She rubs up against my legs when I get home and kneel down to her.

// She comes and finds me and leads me back to her food and water bowls when they need to be filled.

// She knows whenever I'm upset and I can always tell by the tilt of her head that she's concerned.

// She runs so fast around our apartment that she has to put her claws out to stop herself on the wood floor.

// She hops up on the bathroom counter every morning while I get ready for work.

// Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, she is creepily staring at me. I like to think that it's because she's protecting me but she's probably plotting her revenge on me for the times that I've forced her to ride in the car.

// She sniffs the air, it makes me laugh.

// She has a permanent coffee moustache that makes me smile.

// She can sense those evil kinds of people who don't like cats.

// She runs to the door whenever she hears Greg's keys jangling as he's coming up the stairs.

// Aaaaaaand...because....well, look at that face.

BRUSSEL SPROUT AND BACON SALAD.

Ever since I began going to a local restaurant here in SLC, Eva, a few years ago, I have become obsessed with brussel sprouts. Their brussel sprouts must have crack in them or something because I can't eat enough of them.

I found this recipe on Pinterest a couple of months ago, tried it once for myself and loved it. I decided to make it for our office girls night recently (it's a little summery but who cares when it's delicious). Even the ladies who aren't huge brussel sprout fans loved it and needed the recipe.

Bacon and Brussel Sprout Salad
By Lindsay: Pinch of Yum
Serves 8-10

You will need:
1 lemon
1 orange
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
4 dozen brussel sprouts
1 cup almonds
1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Cook and chop the bacon.
Step 2: Squeeze lemon and orange into a large bowl with the shallots. Pour olive oil into the bowl while whisking to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 3: Shave the brussel sprouts into thin slices, creating a slaw texture.
Step 4: Chop almonds (I used a food processor) finely. Add 3/4 of the cup of almonds, the bacon, and the cheese to the brussel sprouts. Toss to combine.
Step 5: When ready to serve, toss the dressing and the remaining cheese, almonds, and bacon in with the brussel sprout mixture.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS GIRL.

Oh, my little French-Irish-American-whatever best friend. I've never connected with a girl in my life like I do with Maeve. In the short amount of time that we have known each other, I feel like we have shared enough laughs, smartass remarks, bitch sessions, and tears to make up for the 20 years that we didn't have one another. There's not a day of my life from here on out without this girl in it. Love you, Marve.

EXPLORING SUSTAINABILITY.

 

During my junior year of college, I took a class called Design Process by professor Carol Sogard. During this class, Carol's curriculum incorporated design with environmental issues. She then taught a class called Sustainability in Design this past spring for the first time. In the class, we were taught about the designer's place with the controversial subject of a degrading environment across the globe.

 

By tracing the process backwards, you begin to see that it is not completely the consumer at fault. As a designer, our goal is to catch the audience's eye through our designs in order to sell the ideas. Many times, these ideas are products. By thinking of this subject in this way, you begin to see that you play a large role in the problem. We focused on finding our place in this, as well as solutions for how we can help, through intensive research, "field trips", and design projects.

 

We got the opportunity to have our projects in the class featured in an exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. The projects could be on a related topic of our choice, and we were able to decide how we wanted to represent our information and research. Some students chose installations, some interactive pieces, etc. I was also given the opportunity to help Carol put the show together for my required internship credit for my degree. Being a part of the production of putting together the exhibit was great. It opened my eyes to some of the issues that you face putting artwork in a museum, the work that goes into it, and how each and every aspect helps to determine the show's success. The show has been up since September and will continue until July 2014.

 

If you are in the Salt Lake area, go take a look at the show! And if any of you readers are design students at the University of Utah, I highly recommend taking Carol's Sustainability in Design class, it is held during spring semester.

 

Artist Credits:

Photo One //  Jonathan Gracey

Photo Two // Michelle Mann

Photo Three // Alex Douangdara

Photo Four // Kris Sovereen

Photo Five // A compilation of process of students by me.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THESE GIRLS.

These three cute girls are my oh-so-special cousins that mean so much to me. The oldest, Hannah, is more like my little sister than a cousin. We grew up really close to one another, even living together at times. The other two have come along just as I'm at that age where I adore little kids and babies. The things that little Mia has to say make my day every time that I see her. I've never met a funnier kid. And that little baby, I'm pretty sure she holds my heart in the little palm of her hands. I can't imagine my life without these three.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS BOY.

 

First and foremost, I'm thankful for this boy. He's been in my life now for over 3 and a half years and even through the most trying times in our relationship, always comes out being my best friend. I can't imagine my life without the laughs that we are able to have, the special lingo that we have developed that probably appears to others as some sort of code, and the shoulder to cry on when I'm having one of my ridiculous, irrational freak-outs. Some days you drive me crazy boy, but I love you.

THIS WINTER.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not a winter hater. However, I think since I do like it that maybe I need to take advantage of it a little more. I'm one of those people who has an easier time achieving goals if I write them out and give myself a time limit. So this list needs to be done by the end of winter.

// Take ski lessons. (I promised Greg's mom that I'd try skiing this year.)

// Read 3 books.

// Sew something.

// Bake a couple of batches of homemade bread.

// Save up some money.

// Try five new recipes. (This shouldn't be hard, I love to eat.)

// Get my studio room organized.

 

Bangles // A little bit of everything...

Bracelet // House of Harlow