Sewing: Autumn Apron

I made this reversible apron last month for my friend E's birthday. It's the same Lotta Jansdotter pattern as the cupcake apron and the kitty apron. This time, I stuck one extra-large pocket well below the waistline on each side. I really liked this print on E's apron. Her favorite season is fall, and she loves leaves as well, so I thought this print would be perfect. (My personal favorites are the apples and butterflies, and the colors are fantastic.) The only problem I had with sewing this apron was that I ran out of the solid burgundy fabric.

Note to self: when buying solid fabrics at Jo-Ann's, buy extra because these bolts are less than 44" wide ... which makes a huge difference with this particular pattern.

To make up the difference, I had to use the second yard of the print fabric that I was saving for another project. You can see in the photo below that the side/back panels are made with the print fabric instead of being continuous with the solid fabric. Oh well. E says she loves it anyway.

Here's a closeup of the fabric print, which I really, really like. I bought it on sale, too. Should have bought an extra yard.

xo, Gladys

Happy Snapshots: December

Happy New Year!

Early last month, I finally went to the doctor for a wellness checkup after three years (I know! my bad) and got great news on all my blood panels and "lady" tests. Woohoo! Since then, of course, I've been binging on sweet wine, chocolate, and bread (damn you, pizza), which hasn't been good on my skin or stomach. So I'm quite happy to say hello to 2013; I'll attempt to make up for my excesses these past few weeks.

But first, I must say goodbye to December and 2012. Here are some of my favorite shots.

A little snippet of my colorful sock/tight collection

Gathering all the animals in the house -- can you guess which one is not like the others? Silly. ;-)

A repeat of this post, but seriously: These shoes! This dress!

A very rich baked pasta based on The Pioneer Woman's recipe. Next time, I would use only half or 2/3rds as much cheese. Big thumbs up on the sauce recipe, though.

My friend E's birthday chocolate cake that the hubby and I made for her.

What I wore to E's birthday party. I liked this outfit a lot, and I love these shoes (Fluevog Giulia boots from the Operetta family), which were the first Fluevogs I bought. I just wish I could have taken better photos, i.e., during daylight and not in the late night indoors like this.

My twin nephews are RIDICULOUSLY CUTE. They're fraternal twins but sometimes it's really hard to tell them apart. Definitely bros.

My own beautiful boy

Children are angels ... when they're sleeping. Haha!

Decorating Xmas cookies on the Eve

These lemon squares were my favorite cookies that the hubby made.

Our family guests on Xmas Day ... you can see a bit of my lovely holiday dress (I'm the last lady on the right-front). 

Just look at that focus. This is serious business, folks, building one of his LEGO sets that he got for Xmas.

We visited the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center. My little guy really enjoyed himself, not just at this exhibit but at the others as well.

We took professional photos with my siblings and mom at a JC Penney studio, but these were the individual family shots of us that I loved. It's weird and cool that the three of us made the same "funny face" when the photographer directed us to. 

And here's to a happier and healthier year ahead for you and yours!

xo, Gladys

New Shoes: Fluevog Radios

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. You know how it is with the end of the year (a friend likes to call it "holidaze"). And to be honest, I'm still deeply affected by the horrible school shooting in Connecticut that happened mid-December. It's been making me think really hard about the kind of world that I want my son to grow up in, and what I can do to make that world a reality. That's no easy task, and this season has in some ways been really bittersweet. But I've also decided to embrace happiness where and when it can be found. Not to numb me or to make me complacent once again, but to remember what I want to fight to make a reality for my child and other people's children. So let me just share with you some things that have been making me happy. Mindful happiness. After all, that's what this blog space has always been about.

These new Fluevog boots were purchased on clearance after I tried them on at the Melrose store in early December. I wasn't even looking for more boots, but I do love the Radio family. This style is called RTP, and it's black suede with a gray strap at the instep. Sadly Fluevog only has them left in size 6, but if you're a true size 5.5 US (they run 1/2 size small), then I'd say go for it.

Click on the image to go to the website.

I've already worn the boots several times this month, and even under jeans they make me feel put together and happy to be wearing them. They're not difficult to take on and off, so I don't worry even if I'm going to a house where I have to take off my shoes. :-)

On this particular day, I wore the boots to Hollywood/L.A. to have lunch at a Peruvian restaurant and sing karaoke with a couple of favorite people I've known for over ten years. It was a lovely outing, and the boots were great for walking the city streets on a cold but sunny L.A. day.

Top: C.C. Couture (hand-me-down from my mom) | Jeans: GAP | Boots: Fluevog RTP (Radio family)

And if you're interested in more Fluevog styles, you're in luck! Their half-yearly sale is going on RIGHT NOW, and there are some truly gorgeous shoes from the Fall season on sale, like these, these, and these. And so much more. I swear, if I had all the money in the world ... but alas.

xo, Gladys

Purple Suede and Stone

Showing off the buckle

Top: via Amazon | Jeggings: a.n.a. via JC Penney | Boots: Fluevog PRI (Radio family)

I'm not overly fond of this top, but it's one of the few tunics I have that works with the boots, which I love. It's one of my favorite pairs of shoes to wear when I visit the Fluevog store (this was from last weekend). The more pairs of Radio styles I wear/try on, the more I appreciate this family of shoes.

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Beef Taco or Burrito Filling

I found this delicious taco filling recipe from a food blog called The Preppy Paleo. The author adapted it from Cook's Illustrated, and since I found the recipe earlier this month, I've made it five times now -- yes, that means I've made it at least twice a week for the past couple of weeks. It is easy and delicious and has my family's seal of approval. It reminds me of my favorite homemade chili, but it doesn't take nearly as long to cook.

This is how I eat it, using large pieces of lettuce as "boats" with dollops of sour cream on top. The extra crunch complements the flavors of the meat perfectly. So good. My mouth is watering just looking at this photo. My husband eats it with flour and/or corn tortillas, and my son just spoons it into his mouth.

I won't actually reprint the recipe here -- just go to the Preppy Paleo webpage -- but I'll note that:

• If you don't want it really spicy, either lessen the cayenne paper to a pinch or eliminate it altogether. You can always add spice to it on your dinner plate with hot sauce or pepper. Meanwhile, your 4-year-old won't get upset that it's too hot in his mouth. Poor thing. (Milk helped.)
• The sweetener and vinegar are unnecessary, but they do add a very subtle flavor.
• Since the recipe doesn't require draining the fat, you're going to have a very wet filling, so just be aware. I personally LOVE the extra fat and always have since I was a kid. I use grass-fed beef so it has lots of Omega-3 and CLAs. The fat flavored with the cumin, coriander, and chili powder is out of this world. Yum!

xo, Gladys