marvelous, mad madam mim

Sick
Home for 1.5 days
Travel, travel, travel
DMV
8 shows in 5 days
so much to do

am turning into Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim

Be back soon...

franqueo francés

Fantastic french postal images {jpeg and vector} for FREE at Just Something I Made. My mind is whirling with possibilities.....

kirstie alertsy

So maybe I sat next to this lovely lady at dinner yesterday

And maybe she twittered about it!

humbug

So every other commercial is a holiday ad now....I'm not sorry to say that I kind of love it :)

Looking forward to seeing this, as it is one of my favorite stories of all time. It opens this week!

2010 with sarah jane

I love Sarah Jane Studios....not only because we went to college together, but because her illustrations are BEAUTIFUL. I cannot wait to have a nursery because it will be filled with her work. She has recently released her 2010 Calendar and it is the sweetest thing ever!

Check out paper crave for a great 2010 calendar round-up.

roasted veg

Come fall one of the first things I do is get some fresh produce, fresh herbs, chop it all up, toss with olive oil, seasoning {and whatever else you want} and roast in oven to delicious perfection. You cannot do this wrong....unless, of course you burn it to a crisp.

Toss in salads, on pizza, mix into omelets, etc. You will find amazing combos and a zillion ways to use your roasted veggies. I like this how-to for first timers.

ps Brussel Sprouts are soooooo my favorite :)

Before:

























After:


























Pics taken on my iphone with the ShakeIt app

halloween 2009

So I ended up creating and going as a beekeeper for Halloween this year. Have to say it was probably the comfiest costume I have ever worn :) I carried around a little basket with "Bit O' Honey" candies to pass out. I also added some butterflies because I really liked them! I should have sprayed the inside of the hat.....oh well!

Here are some shots:

cannot.get.out.of.bed.

I'm feeling a little under the weather today....I have to get up for sound check soon for our benefit "Witches Night Off" and I can't say I am happy about it. See you tomorrow :)

























photo via Song and Scene

cake pops

So I talked about the cake pops I made with sis Emily a few weeks ago on my twitter and I keep getting questions for a step by step. Here are the Halloween inspired cake pops I made for the cast today....a step by step if you will.....

I found my original inspiration at Bakerella. I like this tutorial from Pioneer Woman too :)

take a cooled 13 x 9 cake and crumble into a large-ish bowl

chocolate pre-made frosting....easy, quick, and unpretentious :)

add spoonfuls of frosting into cake crumbles and mix

continue to mix frosting and crumbly cake together to create a dough

roll by hand into similar sized balls and place on a cookie sheet
Line with foil {or wax paper} to ease clean up

place in the freezer for a quick chill
or put in the fridge for a few hours to get 'em all nice and solid

your tools
styrafoam block, candy/choco melts, deco, lolly sticks

take cake balls out of freezer and insert lollipop stick into cooled cake pop

melt choco/candy melts in a double broiler {I actually did mine in the microwave}
use a little shortening/veg oil to thin out the chocolate a bit if you need
use a spoon or mini spatula to cover cake pop

put them onto the Styrofoam block and into the freezer for a few minutes
then, transfer to the fridge for more solidifying

time to dress it up with some Halloween ribbon and candy wrapper

finished product

A bunch of gorgeous Halloween Cake Pops

all pics taken on my iphone....which now has chocolate all over

mummy heads

Love these mummy treats from recipegirl.com {found via DesignMom}

one singular sensation

I recently watched the documentary Every Little Step and can't stop talking about it in the dressing room. It is quite possibly the best example I have seen of what my career life is all about. I want my fam to see it for sure....and every musical theater actor's family as well! I actually started to get anxious watching it! Ha.....haven't auditioned in a year!!! Plus, its nice to see some friends on screen :)

buzz buzz

This is my alternative costume idea for this year....
Found in Martha Stewart Living Oct 2009

etsy love: gramkin paper studio

Funny. Don't think I would ever have the nerve to use one....Maybe the daytime minutes card, because lets face it those minutes are extremely important :)

Get the Courtesy Card Box Set from Gramkin Paper Studios

have your cake and eat it too...in about 5 minutes

I read about this somewhere before, but Shelterrific reminded me of the genius called 'Chocolate Cake in a Mug' which only takes about 5 minutes to make. GENIUS! I can't wait to try it! This would make such an easy activity/treat for a movie night, or for the kiddos to do for Family Night.

FIVE MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.










Some video to make sure you don't freak out when the cake rises in the microwave:

up up and away

This is what I'm thinking for my Halloween costume....




























As seen in Country Living Oct 2009

not a blow up lawn ornament

Sorry, but those blow up lawn ornaments are definitely NOT my thing. Years ago I saw this in Martha Stewart Living, clipped it and put it in my inspiration folder...this is more my speed :)

with a chick chick here

We went to Howell Farm in Des Moines for a little fall activity. Such fun! Lots of animals, pumpkins, and an AMAZING dried flower barn. I also picked up some fun goodies for sis Emmy including a Pecan Spice candle which smells like Thanksgiving.

Check out that sign....funny

What are you doing this fall?

hallelujia.

What? Michaels Crafts is going to be on the UWS in NYC? WHAT?!?!?! Happy dance is ensuing right now.

cards for dads and a love list

It is not how much we do,
but how much love we put in the doing.
It is not how much we give,
but how much love we put in the giving.
-Mother Theresa

My heart is heavy for my dear friend Natalie these days. See, her sweet father {who is so kind and generous} has been living with non-hodgekins lymphoma for a year and a half and unfortunately it is back and spreading. People are starting to reach out and I caught word from a reader about this project, Cards for Dads over at The Stationery Place {thanks for the info Brandon and Erica}. I love the idea of positive affirmation and love being sent to those in need. Keep the Hill's in your prayers and send a card to Lyndsey of The Stationery Place by Nov. 11 so she can get it out in time for Thanksgiving.

photo: Cori Kindred

Today I'll post my love list for Natalie. I need her to know how much I love her and appreciate her as my friend.

things I really love about Natalie

you are FUNNY
you are loyal
you strive to do good things and be a good person
you are a good missionary
you lift others up
you are full out
you taught me how to treat myself
you are sensitive and thoughtful
you are determined
you are creative
you are skinny and yet you still eats treats!
you are smart
you are talented in many ways
you always introduce me in groups of new people
you came to this earth to sparkle and you are living up to that

Love you Nat.
Miss you and look forward to coming back to the city and spending more time with each other.

write my thesis

My brilliantly talented, beautiful and creative friend Brittany is in Denmark finishing her final year of her master's degree at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Interior Design. Brittany's thesis is focused on design blogs and how they are assuming a more prominent role over magazines and how they are changing design in general. Here's where you enter...

For those of you who have an opinion on this matter (I know I do!) go to her thesis blog HERE and take part in the conversation. Also, keep up with her on her blog, The House that Lars Built. She has great interviews coming up and lots of experience with the bigs {Jonathan Adler, Celerie Kimble to name a few} so I think this might just be the next big thing in the word of design blogs.

Plus she is just about the nicest person I have ever met....Here she is with the one and only Mr. Sartorialist!