{charmed earth}

The Lifestyle blog of Katie Storms.: something simple, something sweet, something styled.

30 January 2011

Something Yummy: Edible Hearts

24 January 2011
JV loves bacon. BLTs are one of his favorites. He's also quite fond of a fried egg. So as I was preparing one of his favorite dinners, I couldn't help but think of my heart for the day. I rushed to my cookie cutter jar while the toast warmed in the toaster. I found what I needed: my metal heart cookie cutters, in three sizes. The largest heart made the perfect mini BLT.

25 January 2011

 The following morning, I cracked an egg inside the heart shape. Again, a perfect heart. Martha Stewart and I must be thinking on the same creative wave, too. Because when I bought her February issue (I had to cave in--I didn't buy a magazine for 365 days in 2010!), I was excited to see recipes for Chicken Noodle Soup with heart shaped carrots and heart shaped raviolis. I think making heart shaped raviolis can happen this summer:) Oh. And I can't wait to make heart-shaped beets. Look forward to my recipes:)

xo,
katie


P.S. I am still creating my heart every day. Hopefully I will get them all posted one of these days.

20 January 2011

Something Project ReStyle: Harlequin Romance Vintage Postcards



I finally made my first post to Project ReStyle! You can check it out on Flickr.com here.

Something Tangled: Zentangles Heart


This skips a few heart-a-day beats, but I wanted to share one of my new purchases: a book of ZenTangles. I knew that the snow would snow me in, so on the way home from work last night, I picked up a new design toy. I am in love. I remember doing something like this with Mrs. Smith in art class when I was in high school. And my mom has pieces of it framed in my childhood home.

You can check out more ZenTangles here if you are interested. They are proven to make you calm, creative, and happy.

Can you find the heart?

17 January 2011

Something Busy: A Page of Hearts

I am in L-O-V-E with my heart a day project. Here's what I've been up to...


12 January 2011: Cranberry Heart


13 January 2011: Watercolor Hearts


14 January 2011: Heart Button Earrings, Buttons circa 1950s.
I like to think Sally Draper would ADORE them.


 15 January 2011: Back Painted Glass Heart. I used a paint pen. Simple.


 16 January 2011: Glitter Felt Heart Headband. I wanted a photo with my hair, but today is not the day. Maybe I can convince JV a photo shoot is in order soon


 17 January 2011: Today, we saw Blue Valentine. It's depressing. Blue as Blue can get. Which reminds me that I am searching for a Vintage copy of Joni Mitchell's Blue. Today's project: Vintage Sheet Music, Sharpie Ink Heart sticker seal for special Valentines. Thinking on it, I should have made the heart blue. 

Happy Creating.

xo,
katie 

11 January 2011

Something Old: Heart Two, Gold and Beads


For my birthday, my friend Sheri surprised me with a jar of beads that belonged to her great-grandmother--circa 1920s. That makes the beads nearly 90-years-old. They are small, glass, and one strand is the most striking red. I had to uncover some smaller gauge wire from my stash to even get the beads to string.

First, I strung the beads on the wire. Mostly red ones, but I added a few gold ones at random. I used the same technique as yesterday to bend the wire into a heart. The gold chain is from a locket my Grams gave me in 1990, so it's over 20-years-old. My charming husband, JV, is a master at getting knots out of chains. He worked a miracle on this one during a MadMen episode. He's magical.

I just think it's the sweetest Valentine necklace. Today's a snow day, but I can't wait to wear it to school if we ever return...

xo,
katie

10 January 2011

Something Wired: Heart Necklace.

Heart One. I made this one last night. I took a jewelry making class during high school from my beloved teacher, Mrs. Smith. I miss her dearly. Her classes taught me everything I seem to know how to do. Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for my foundations as an artist.


I started with some heavy silver wire in my jewelry making stash. I would like to get a heavier gauge if I try this again. If it wasn't snowing like the mad hatter was running the skies right now, I'd drive off to get it at my nearest craft store with my stash of Christmas gift cards.

It was fairly simple. I drew a heart on a scrap of sheet music the size I wanted. I used it as an outline to bend my wire. I bent the wire into a heart. Then I added jump rings and a clasp. I got so excited, I created two. The necklace thread is embroidery floss that I braided friendship style in the top photo; I simply knotted two strands in the other photo.  Let me know if you need one:) I even wrote out the word love and made it with wire as well.


I am loving this challenge.

Also. Two Mondays in a row have been Moosewood Monday Inspired. Last week, I made flour tortillas from scratch; this week, we are having butternut sqaush soup courtesy of The Moosewood Cookbook. Yum!

09 January 2011

Something Heartfelt: A New Daily Project

I've been searching for something to keep me going, to keep me designing, drawing, and dreaming. Today, I searched for inspiration in thousands of shops and Websites.  I discovered it reading on the etsy blog about Noah Scalin.

Thomas Fuchs, www.aheartaday.com
Noah recently published his book, 365: A Daily Creative Journal, after creating a skull a day back in 2007. My object to create a day was easy to choose. It's my favorite shape: a heart. I considered a lock or a key, but I am confident with the heart. It's been done already by graphic artist Thomas Fuchs, but I must say I got the idea before I saw his idea. I checked his blog, www.aheartaday.com, and I am relieved to know we are nothing alike in artistic style. I love his heart bike, pictured above.

This also helps me out because sometimes I just want to blog a picture. Now I can. I can also upload a few at a time if I need to. And, just so you know, I am still trying to limit what I buy.

Kate Bingaman-Burt, katecunsumption on etsy
I love the idea to draw a daily purchase. The book Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? is in my wish list. But you know me. I'd rather try to draw what I didn't buy.


Here's to a year of hearts.

06 January 2011

Something ReStyled: Fashion Mission.



I'm in. Are you?

More details here at A Beautiful Mess.

I need to get on Flicker soon.

05 January 2011

Something New: Mission (Un)accomplished

At midnight, the challenge to not buy anything new for an entire year officially ended. I stopped by an antique shop I love today on the way home from my first day back at work, and I scored the cutest 50s cigarette case to carry business cards in. But according to my rules, I'd always be allowed to purchase that. I still love a discovery.

I've been keeping a list of what I've learned during this journey, but I can't quite put it in the right words. I can't make it as eloquent as I would like.

Most of all, I feel satisfied. I feel calm. I feel accomplished. Despite my lapses for clothing--December was a nightmare of sorts--with less than a week left, I went crazy at Forever 21.

But despite that, I don't know many people that will do what I did: I didn't buy any new clothes for a solid four months straight. And after the New York leggings, I went cold for another five months. In my book, that's impressive. And clothes--and materials for my jewelry making and other art--are the only new things I purchased. Oh. And the dishwasher and kitchen re-do I planned in January 2010.

Plus there are all of the little things I've learned in celebration of Mother Earth: one box of foil (recycled) can get you through a year. So can one box of ziploc bags (I'm sure we still have 3/4s of the box left). And baby food jars are the perfect way to dress up holiday treats. Cereal bags replace wax paper. Buying beans dry means less waste, more food, and more money in the bank. And no one needs ten bottles of body wash. It's more than enough for a year. My bathroom looks much less cluttered with two bottles. And old bingo markers, poker chips, and dominoes make the perfect jewelry.

I learned that I appreciate gifts more from others. And I've learned to give more gifts to others. I've learned that things are more comfortable with a few hundred dollars hanging out in a MadMoney savings account. I've learned to never know boredom. I've learned to bake a three-layer cake, rolls, and tortillas from scratch.

I became a real artist this year--and, who knows, I might not buy anything for the month of February.

Here's to a new year of discovering what's really important.

02 January 2011

Something Short: Two Days Left

I can't believe that there are only two days left of my mission. I know I didn't accomplish it completely, but I can't wait to publish my final thoughts on the 4th.

Right now, I thought I'd cover the Year of the Tiger: 2010 in Photos.


January 2010: Family portrait that I love. It reminds me of love--calm and sweet.


February 2010: Rolls, with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Baked from scratch. 


March 2010: Discovered Mere's Aprons in Mama's Cedar Chest. Delightful. I wore one this holiday.


April 2010: New York, NY trip to visit Julie and Jared. And to sit in the front row at the Letterman show. And to have our memory captured on the Brooklyn Bridge. Love it. 



May 2010: Discovered Hipstamatic. Hipsta-in-love.

Pure Happiness
June 2010: Trip to teach in Wyoming, searching for female sage brush crickets. Captured my favorite photo of the year. I finally framed a copy last week. It's pure happiness. We also celebrated four years together. Pure happiness. I imagine us in the white pick up.

Love.

July 2010: I fell in love with this heart graffiti on the cobblestone alleyways of St. Augustine. I can't wait to submit it for sales at the new gallery opening in Dexter this February. 


August 2010: Captured my antique button earrings in beautiful light. 


September 2010: My birthday inspired this printer's drawer jewelry box. This image is one of my favorites. It reminds me of simple things. Plus, the salt and pepper shakers are family vintage from my Aunt Agnes. I adore them.


October 2010: I used a gift card to buy black skinny jeans without one regret. And Cheryl took pictures of our family. 

Locked

November 2010: My Love of My Life and I drove up and down country roads. Right at sunset, I captured this lock and barn. I adore it. I will never tired of Saturday drives through the country, stopping whenever I think I might capture something wonderful.


December 2010: I handmade Christmas for many dear friends and family members: I need to post the pictures before it's old news. This dinosaur begged to be photographed as I smothered his friends in gold spray paint to make holiday ornaments.

2010. The year ends, and I celebrate a decade out of high school, a decade with the love of my life, and a decade I never thought would end. Here's to another decade. And I can't wait to make a wish on 11.11.11. I hope your 2011 is beautiful.