My Brain on Hyperdrive

This meal is soooo yummy, I just had to share! I found the recipe in a magazine, and I've shared the recipe with you at the end of this post. You're definitely going to want to try it. Assemble your ingredients. First we chop the half onion. Brown the sausage and the onions together. While the sausage is cooking, cook the tortellini according to the directions on the package. Once the sausage is cooked and no longer pink, you'll need to drain it. I found a great tip for draining meat. I used to look for an empty can or jar, but its frustrating if you've just taken out the recyclables. So I learned a great place to put the hot grease as you wait for it to cool (because you definitely don't want to dump it down the drain no matter how many times the boy tries to do that) is to put some foil in a bowl. When the grease cools, you can just take out the foil and throw it in the trash. Then you get to use the toy to puree the roasted red peppe...

Cemetery in New Orleans As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

Not a very exciting week here. Bryan volunteered again at the library on Thursday, so I stopped by to return some books and pick up a couple more. What's the best book you've read recently?

I mentioned how much I love this design. Here's the newest version. I couldn't settle on just one color, so I made it multi-colored. Maybe you'd like something a little colorful to get you through a gray winter? As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

New earrings have been added to the shop ! My problem with making earrings is trying to get them the same. That's not always easy for me and why I do more pendants and necklaces. I think I did a decent job here, though. I really like the colors and I used a technique I learned making the tree of life. Like them? As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

So these Tree of Life necklaces and other jewelry have become pretty popular lately. I've seen some selling for over $100! Thanks to a friend who sent me a tutorial, I was able to make one for much cheaper! I can imagine I'll be making more of these with different color combinations and whatnot.  But if you like this one, it can be yours ! As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

Since I agreed to sell the first necklace in this style, I needed one for myself. Sorry folks, this one's all mine! I also designed these earrings. Originally I was planning to sell them, but since I screwed up a couple things (not noticeable unless pointed out, I think), I decided to keep them for myself as well. I might get around to making another similar pair for sale purposes. What do you think of these two pieces? As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

I really love the colors on this water fountain, the history you can see. I played with this in Photoshop Elements to mute the background colors a bit to enhance the fountain. Of course right after I took this photo, when I was hoping to do a nice little photo walk, it started raining. Good thing I was happy with this one! What do you think? Drinking fountain in downtown Portland, OR As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

After reading my first Stephen King book, 11/22/63: A Novel  (also awesome, highly recommend!), I've discovered he's not so scary and I wanted to read more. Under the Dome is the fourth book of his that I've read. Under the Dome My rating : 4 out of 5 bookmarks Summary from Amazon page : On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away. Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assis...

So how much do I love this style? Enough that I'm likely to make several more in different shapes and colors!  What do you think about this lovely blue looped design? Buy it here ! As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

One of the newest pieces in my shop , just in time for Valentine's Day! As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

So this is a pendant necklace that I made before my trip to San Diego. I love the way it turned out, and I'm planning on making several more in this style in different shapes and colors.  Bryan tells me I shouldn't sell this one, that I should keep it for myself. What do you think? As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...

Historic Heart of San Diego As always, click on the picture to see it bigger...