Live Free or Die

I have a change of plans to relate to y'all.  Yes folks, I just deliberately typed "y'all."  Which is rather fitting considering that I might yet end up a total country bumpkin.

It was  no secret that I wanted to move.  I've been talking about that forever, and last you all knew I had planned to end up some where in the greater Boston area.  Well, that won't be happening.  It's because of money.  I had to buy the car.  The stepfather situation has changed the outlook of my financial situation.  There is absolutely no way that I can afford any rents in that area.  So, I needed to embrace my other plan that is been in the back of my head for a very long time.

It's New Hampshire.  I have always loved that state.  Live free or die baby.  Live free or die. The  libertarian part of me cries out in excitement.

The lakes region is pretty cheap.  Like really cheap.  Like 650 to 700 a month including heat and hot water cheap.  With that kind of affordable housing, I can really plan a halfway decent future while still keeping this job that I love.  Especially when you factor in zero state income tax and no sales tax.  Hellz yeah.   Many of the towns are small and economically depressed though.  So, in short, not a whole heck of a lot different than my own town as pointed out by Josh.  I asked him what he thought of one particular place and he said, "Picture your hometown with an additional 15 years of recession under its belt."   I laughed out loud.  So, I get it: run down mill towns with aging Victorians and peeling paint.  Message received.  But I would be free.  And frankly, the above description is exactly what I know and love already right here, but minus the ghosts of my past and within a closer proximity to the ocean, the mountains, swimming, etc. 

Tilton NH

I want to be the sort of person that makes strawberry jam and cans it.  Yeah, I said it.  I might even want a gingham tablecloth or something.  I want to have a fridge full of organic food and spend my evenings crocheting in the country and my weekends swimming or ice skating on a lake.  I want to plop all my paints down on the ground and take in the landscape.  I want to live in the land of maple sugaring. Now that I've learned to make bread, I want to never buy store bought again. That's what I want.  I think I finally know what peace looks like. 

But we all know that I take me with me wherever I go.  So, it won't be a magical solution but it may be an opportunity to put something together that is truly mine.  To make a choice, rather than have a choice made for me.

As usual the hardest part is patience.  I want to go yesterday.  And for once, I can afford to do this now instead of later. But I won't leave here until the remaining occupants find a way to pay the rent without me, or until we reach the end of our lease this next July 1st.  Whichever comes first.  I thought of every way I possibly could to live on my own in CT or Mass and I realize that being a slave to the rent being due would kill me eventually.  That kind of stress takes its toll.  I shouldn't have to pay a thousand a month plus utilities for some closet sized one bedroom.  That shit just isn't cool.  So, bring on the country. 

Brimfield Antique Show and Recovered Dresser Set

It has been a crazy few months.  My father was very ill (terminal cancer) and he recently passed away, so my passion for crafting was put on hold.  I am thinking that life will start to slow down again now.

Recently, I found myself with friends at the Brimfield Antique Shows (Brimfield MA.)  Google it if you haven't heard about this: it was massive.  I thought I'd share some of my pics, and also my most recent furniture redo with you.  I recovered my childhood vanity, mirror and nightstand set by painting it flat black and having my stepfather powdercoat all the (formerly brass) hardware, a satin black.  I admit I did not sand (what a sin.)  And unfortunately, it was laminate in some places, and had a gloss finish where it was wood grain.  So, instead I purchased Behr Ultra Premium Plus interior in "Broadway" with a satin finish (primer built in) as a shortcut and to make up for my laziness.  It took two quick coats (three coats on the laminate top of the dresser) but it seems to have worked.  

 Forgive my crappy photography, especially with the dresser pics.  I used my iphone and my creative streak does not extend to great photo taking. Enjoy!

Dresser/mirror before: the dirty white just stood out like a sore thumb

nightstand before, dirty off white trimmed in gold

mirror before

first coat

getting ready for the first coat, laid down a plastic drop cloth

mirror, one coat: this was the toughest of all three parts

finished nightstand

close-up of the hardware

Pinterest Recipe Successes

In less snarky news, I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking off of Pinterest.  Everything I've tried lately has been a success. 

Here are a few things.

Rosemary Olive Oil bread (baked on a pizza stone.)  Loved it.  This was my first yeast bread attempt.

Totally recommend.


Skinny Mexican Rice (loved it, easy quick side dish, didn't use chiles because of Micah, not a fancy recipe at all.  Perfect for a Tuesday night.)    Didn't take a picture.


Lemon Crinkle Cookies  Loved them.  Micah did too.  Skipped the powdered sugar coating (too much for me.)

Dark Dark Dark Chocolate Brownies from Scratch

Put down your boxed mixes.  Stat.  Because making brownies from scratch is so unbelievably easy.

It's another Pinterest fun find.  And from Pinterest, I linked to this blog where you can find the recipe yourself.  Yum.

The Craving Chronicles: Sinfully Dark Chocolate Brownies 

Especially if you are not into things that are overly sweet.  I find milk chocolate brownies to just be too sickening sometimes, but these brownies are black and deep and delicious.  I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder and Hershey's special dark chocolate chips.

Also, I made it in a pie pan because I wanted to. It's a pain to do that, as you have to watch the cooking time closely and estimate it.  But I wanted to turn it out and cut it like a brownie cake, which is why I did that. 

And before you start wondering, I really am doing well at losing weight again.  It's easier to make treats in a house with so many people, because I take one piece and everyone eats the rest for me.

a wedge of the whole

A Tale of Three Scarves

It's March.  Oh hell: how did that happen?  Time is flying.

I wanted to have the etsy shop launched by my birthday but I am thinking that April Fool's Day might be a more realistic date.  Plus, that's just amusing.

Today I am working hard to finish my scarves.  I have three nearly done right now.  I don't know why I didn't just finish one before I started another, but alas I did not.  Here's a sneak peak at two of the scarves.  The pattern is the same, but the materials and colors are different, so the end results are different.  I think that I am going to make them round infinity scarves.  At least that is the tentative plan.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies with Dark Chocolate Chips

Okay, so, this is a must-try recipe IF you like the taste of brown sugar and/or oatmeal cookies and/or coconut.  It's another Pinterest winner.

Yum.  I added dark chocolate chips.  I made the first pan without chocolate chips and I felt that because of the coconut, they were super sweet.  So, I used the dark chocolate chips to sort of cut the sweetness in a way and give more flavor depth overall.  Think of it as a Mounds bar in cookie form.  I might try using unsweetened coconut next time.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies:  

(please link to this blog for the original post: The Dough Will Rise Again ) and for detailed cooking instructions.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies
1 cup butter, slightly softened   (I used smart balance butter blend but I used that in ALL of my cookies now due to concerns about trans fat and heart health)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed  (I used organic Trader Joe's, completely different taste.  You must try organic brown sugar if you want to know what brown sugar is REALLY supposed to taste like)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut  (I may try unsweetened next time.)

I added Hershey's special dark chocolate chips, about 1/2 the bag

So, because I used the smart balance that may be why mine did not spread as much as the original blogger's.  She likes hers that way, but my Mom complains if a cookie is TOO chewy (she feels it's underdone) or too flat, so I was pleased with the size/way mine came out.  Also, I make my cookies huge so this recipe did not make 5 or 6 dozen for me or even close to it. 

Valentine's Day 2013

It's no secret that I despise Valentine's Day.  And this is NOT a post divorce thing.  I hated it then too: because I wasn't dating/married to the romantic type. Well, that's not entirely true.  The one and only good V-Day I ever had was February 14, 2000.  He really loved me in month six. That may have been the one and only time he deemed me thin enough to receive the gift of chocolate   ;)

I recall the V-Day I screamed at him because he came home at 10:00 at night to cold steaks that I had made, because he spent that entire Saturday snowmobiling with his Dad's drunk friends.  I recall the cold and awkward V-Day in Bertucci's when he yelled at me for leaving the coupon in the car.  Mostly I remember that we always bought each other good shit, because we were good at presents.  Not feelings.  But when it came to presents we were solid.

But I digress.  Anyway, as kids it was the sweetest thing, right?  It meant those little foldable valentine's cards with characters on them from your entire class, and doing a craft project to make a mailbox for them.  It meant candy: my parents always bought us those little russell stover heart shaped boxes with chocolates.  Mostly it meant nothing more than the superficial, and that was pleasant.  Mostly in the adult world, it's a shitty holiday that puts pressure on people who should just otherwise focus on treating each other well every regular day.

So, this year I am determined to dial it back to the childhood level.  What did it mean then?  Treats and decorations.  And that's what it's going to mean to me again.  I refuse to feel badly about being alone, because even people in relationships struggle on this particular holiday.  I'm going to treat myself and celebrate my awesomeness on my own.  I'm buying myself flowers.  Yes, I am.  From the same delivery company Jaime used to use and I'm dragging out that beautiful red vase he gave me the flowers in on that last V-day together because I fucking love that vase and I'm going to get good use out of  it.  And I asked my cousin Michelle to make me a dozen cupcakes (she has a business).  I'm getting dark chocolate with raspberry preserve filling, and white chocolate chambord swiss meringue frosting.  Yes, be jealous that I'm going to inhale those bitches (okay, I'm going to share with my family) and enjoy myself.  And I'm going to share with you all my attempt at putting a tiny bit of V-day spirit into the family home.  May your Valentine's Day NOT suck.  :)

Proflowers.  He used to buy me flowers from them because Howard Stern used them: oh love.

Courtesy of Happy Cake, see description above.  Yum.

my homeade mantel decor

my wreath v-day craft project