Foldover Clutch and My House!

My latest sewing project has been this foldover clutch! I think it is super cute (although I guess I may be a bit biased). This has also been the first time I've sewed with leather (well, imitation leather) and so that has been a little bit of a learning curve. I think it looks pretty awesome though for my first time!



If you don't have it folded, it could also make a nice case for other things. I'm also experimenting with a way to add some sort of handle so when unfolded it is more useable.



That will probably be my last sewing project for a few weeks since I BOUGHT A HOUSE! It has been such a great/crazy/scary/exciting/fabulous/unreal experience. I am totally in love and cannot wait to get everything moved in and decorated and made fabulous! Here are some pictures...

This is the front door and porch area. I can't wait to get some patio furniture and a grill for next summer...it will be perfect for hanging out!



This is the living room. I hate, hate, hate the fakish looking wood on the side of the fireplace. It will be painted soon, but I'm looking for ideas to beaut-ify it. :)



Living room from the other side.



View into the dining room.



Tiny kitchen, but I am beyond excited to have nice appliances so that is all that matters!



2nd bedroom waiting to be painted. This will eventually be a guest room for anyone who wants to visit!

Full bathroom. Needs some color and some TLC, but it is functional for now.



And the room I think I will love the most, my bedroom. It is much bigger than my current bedroom and I think my furniture will look great in here. I can't wait to make it cozy and into a safe haven.



Bedroom closets...not walk ins, but they will (hopefully!) be super organized so I don't think I will have a problem fitting everything.



That's it (for now)! I will be sure to post more pictures as things get moved in and I decorate!

My Favorite Tomato Soup, with a Kick!

My favorite tomato soup, well really the only tomato soup I make, has everything you could want in a soup. It's creamy, kicky, and did I mention delicious?

Plus, it's super easy to make.

This gives it the flavor...



And this gives it the creamy...



Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree (I like to use the one with italian herbs added)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. white sugar
1/8 cup milk
2 ounces cream cheese, softened

*These ingredients make about 2 decent-sized bowls of soup. Easily double the recipe for four.*



Start by simmering the tomato puree, red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes.



When it looks like this, drop the cream cheese by a few dollops (love that word) into the saucepan.



And then whisk. This is the best part of the whole recipe because the cream cheese starts melting and smelling sweet and delicious and it perfumes the whole air. The soup will also go from being bright red to a beautiful burnt orange color during this step.



Once the cream cheese is well blended, stir in the milk. Let the milk and cream cheese heat through without bringing the mixture to a boil. And then it's done!

Ladle into a bowl and serve!



PS- while making this soup, writing this post, and eating the soup, I've been watching It's Complicated (one of my favorite movies). I'm in love, love, love with the bakery/restaurant that Meryl Streep's character owns.



Gorgeous, right?
I want one just like that someday. :)

Cozy Scarf with Lace

This has been my latetst project. I've been playing around with different fabrics and lace the past few days and have finally settled on what I like best! This scarf is definitely warm and cozy, with a nice girly touch from the lace. You can instantly dress up a basic tee and jeans with it!

Long, infinity loop design makes it multi-purpose.

Use it as a hood on chilly days to keep your ears warm.



Want to buy one? Here's the details...

Fabric is a cotton knit which is what makes it soft and cozy.
The lace is an ivory daisy pattern.
Approximately 15 inches wide and 5.5 feet loop.
$30 + $5 shipping.

Pick your color below and shoot an email to missmeganj1@gmail.com and we'll get the process started!

<3Handmade in Michigan

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

On the first super hot day of this past summer, my air conditioning broke. Needless to say, it was awful and I didn't feel like doing anything, especially cooking. But, I was craving something spicy, and it needed to have a coolness to it. What better than some homemade chicken lettuce wraps?



They turned out GREAT and were just what I was looking for!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 chopped green onion
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 cup cooked brown rice
2-3 tsp. chili garlic sauce
Boston or Bibb lettuce

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry lettuce.

Saute ginger, green pepper, and yellow onion for 5 minutes until tender. Remove from pan.

Cook chicken and drain any fat from pan. Add sauteed vegetables, cooked rice, and the chili garlic sauce (depends on how spicy you want it- I did 3 tsp!). Cook 1-2 minutes so flavors can meld together. Remove from pan and let cool a bit before wrapping in lettuce.

BONUS!
This made a lot of the chicken mixture, more than one person could eat. It was great to have as leftovers the next few days. Simply put the chicken mixture in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.