Babies and Elephants

08/26/2009

It seems like every few weeks I find out another friend is pregnant. Does that just happen at my age or are A LOT of people pregnant right now?

The best part of having pregnant friends is, of course, babies! Last week I got to meet 2 new babies!

Mikaelyn:

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and Benjamin:

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I had to patiently wait 2.5 weeks to meet handsome little Benjamin. (He lives out of town.) But it was worth the wait! Mikaelyn, on the other hand, I had the privilege of meeting 1 day after she was born. How cool is it to hold a newborn baby?? I’m so AMAZED at the miracle of life — to be able to hold a little bugger that just INSIDE my friend the day before. It blows my mind. God is so awesome!

I sewed Mikaelyn a fleece elephant pillow:

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Her room is decorated in an elephant theme and I really wanted to come up with a design that was an “M” and also an elephant. (Can you tell I’m a graphic designer?) After a couple of days of searching and sketching, I found this inspiration finally:

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I hope she likes it!

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Jason and I look pretty good with one of these, don’t you think?

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Though I do have to say, if our future-someday-theoretical baby comes out with a full head of dark hair like these 2 did, I’ll be completely shocked!

I was making the elephant pillow WHILE Mikaelyn was bring delivered so I didn’t pause long enough to take step-by-step photos. However, if anyone is interested, I can draw up instructions. Just let me know!

1 Comment | Art, Art: crafts, Family, Family: Extended Family and Friends | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Blackberry Hand Pies

08/25/2009

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Mmm… hello delicious! I made these sweet little blackberry hand pies using this recipe. (You’ll have to go there to get ingredient amounts and specific instructions—I won’t take credit for someone else’s work.) As an inexperienced cook  I thought it’d be fun to document my adventure with step-by-step photos.

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Blend flour, butter, salt and shortening in food processor. Pulse in a little cold water.

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Wrap up dough and refrigerate at least an hour.

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Warm blackberries in a sauce pan. (I used frozen.)

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Add sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.

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Gently heat into a sauce. Set aside.

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Roll out dough. Find something round to use as a template. (This is my first homemade pie crust. Please don’t criticize my rolling skills!)

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Plop a spoonful of blackberry yumminess into circle of dough.

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Carefully rest loaded pastry on a baking sheet and seal with a fork.

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Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. (I used my finger as a “brush”. Shhh… don’t tell anyone.)

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Bake. Be patient a minute. Serve to your husband!

(And enjoy one for yourself, too, of course.)

3 Comments | Art, Art: Cooking | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

What my nightstand says about me

08/24/2009

What’s on my nightstand?

an IKEA lamp
an copy of Alice in Wonderland from the 1940’s (on loan from my sister-in-law … it belonged to her grandmother)
Paper Source catalog
Vaseline
Geriatric size digital alarm clock
Dust

nightstand

What does this say about me?

I love cheap and modern home decor. I like to read before falling asleep or graze through creative stationery catalogs. I have a very sweet, trusting sister-in-law. My lips are soft in the morning. I can’t see anything more than 18″ from my face without my glasses on. Cleaning is not a priority for me, much to my sweet husband’s perturbation.

* * * * *

That all sounds about right. 🙂 Got this idea from Joy the Baker. She has lots of delicious dessert recipes on her blog. This nightstand reveal idea was actually an intro to a Lemon Rosemary Palmier cookie recipe but I thought it would be fun to do my own.

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Posted by mahlbrandt

Drive-By [Photo] Shooting (MCM Architecture)

08/23/2009

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Location: NW Nashville/Bordeaux

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Posted by mahlbrandt

Fruit-sicles

08/21/2009

If you live in Nashville surely you’re familiar with Las Paletas, our local gourmet popsicle dealer. They’re delicious and absolutely creative in their flavors (all made with real fruit and natural ingredients).

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•

But… they can be a bit pricey. So I decided to make my own. Hubs and I make smoothies at home all the time so this was a simple adaptation. I blended up a mix of way-too-many kinds of frozen fruit (we buy bags of frozen fruit and freeze our own bananas), sugar, and water. Then I carefully spooned the mixture into my popsicle molds. Easy peasy!

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Might as well make yourself a smoothie while you’re at it…

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Afterall, it takes a while for the fruit-sicles to freeze.

3 Comments | Art, Art: Cooking, Art: modern design | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Phone Photo Friday

08/21/2009

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Posted by mahlbrandt

Cup of Inspiration

08/20/2009

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I’m very sad to report that my favorite tea cup — the one I use EVERYday — the one that my best friend fellow graphic designer gave me — did not survive the office move. :: sad tears ::

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I just discovered a new blog called Naturally Nina and it’s full of beautiful inspiration. Her mug shot post (where I found these pictures) gives me hope. I will find a new “design-licious receptacle” for my morning cup of tea.

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2 Comments | Art, Art: modern design, Family, Family: Extended Family and Friends | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Phone Photo Friday

08/14/2009

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2009-08-14

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Posted by mahlbrandt

2009 East Nashville Tomato Art Fest

08/12/2009

One of my favorite things about East Nashville is the annual Tomato Art Fest in historic 5-Points. There are all kinds of activities like a 5K run, red-head contests, tomato beauty pageants, NOLA-style parade, vintage fashion shows, local artisan vendors, burrito eating contests, wine tastings, bloody mary contests, lots of tomato inspired art and like every Nashville festival — tons of live music. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking.

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Wonders on Woodland mid-century antiques:

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More vintage items for sale out front. I Dream of Weenie in the background. (I love these goofballs.)

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Fanny’s House of Music:

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The Groove new & used vinyl, CD’s & more:

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2 Comments | Art, Art: crafts, Art: mid-century design, Art: music, Family | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

08/11/2009

I’m not going to claim that it was my favorite hymn before last week but I’m really loving it now. Originally I saw this video on Design Mom set to Sufjan Stevens’ version of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Then I downloaded the song and have been listening to it for days. I’m definitely buying the rest of his Songs for Christmas boxed set this year in time for tree trimming and hot apple cider.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of thy unchanging love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

(I’m highlighting my favorite lines in teal.)

Wondering what Ebenezer means? I was and this answered my question well.

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Posted by mahlbrandt

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