Dear Readers,
Today marks the one year anniversary of Kate Schmate, this blog. Sadly, I’m two updates shy of 200 posts. Oh well! You’ll just have to settle for an imperfect first birthday.
I bet you got to know me quite a bit over the last year:
I made a few craft projects… here, there and everywhere.
JD and I hosted 15 of our friends in our home… here.
I received an awesome gift from an old friend… here.
I probably revealed too much about my gray hair and random clothing choices.
I painted a bathroom (with Mom), got rid of a dead bird (with JD) and trimmed too much foliage (by my ridiculous self).
And, good grief, if you don’t know about Etsy by now, you’ve got some catching up to do!
Thanks for reading. I appreciate your comments, support and steadily increasing blog hits!
Love,
Kate
July 15, 2009
Schmate’s First Birthday
July 14, 2009
Free People, Fun Stuff
Am I late getting the memo about Free People? Sure, it’s a bit edgy with clothes but overall…. I really like their shoes and accessories! They have some serious gems:
The Mai Tai Flat ($108) … I l-o-v-e this shoe.
Quite pricey, yes ($298), but this sculptural ribbon cuff is gorgeous.
These Iron Maiden Hoops are $28.
I whole-heartedly endorse these Red Aviators ($198), mostly because I too have hot red sunglasses that I love… only mine cost 1/10 of this price!
Am I a little crazy for loving this top ($68)? I have no idea where I’d wear it, but come on! It’s fun!
July 13, 2009
Detailed Dishes
Oh, do I love details… those little things that sometimes go unnoticed but, in my opinion, can make an item. These Atelier BB products are all about the details.
Look how wonderful these dishes are! First, I love all the colors. Secondly, the imprint and fine shapes are so great. Enjoy some Monday morning brightness:
Lily Warf Salt Tapas Crostini for $39
A set of two from the Crumby Bowl line is $34.
Another in her “Wobbly Plate Series,” this cupcake dessert set of six is $75.
Oh and the bowls! Love this one from the set for $25.
Aren’t the colors and style so refreshing?
July 10, 2009
Friday Feast: Crab Cakes
It’s summertime! Why not some yummy, light crab cakes for dinner?
Well… it wasn’t as successful as I hoped, but here was my first attempt at crab cakes. I’m passing this along to you so that you’ll avoid some of my mistakes, including burning and over-salting them.
Crab Cakes (Paula Deen’s recipe)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Cleanup Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce, for serving
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (I patted them down pretty thinly to make sure they cooked evenly.) When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. (I actually ended up burning them because I had the grill up on high heat because I was hungry and wanted them to finish quickly. I had to put them back on the skillet until the whole side was a brown, rather than just the burned spots.)
- Serve warm with preferred sauce.
I felt like the recipe was a bit salty. I’m not sure what would help…. maybe bread crumbs? JD ended up liking it, but I did not. Any ideas on making this summer treat better?
July 9, 2009
Colorful Grocery Shopping
I’m home at lunch early today to meet the repairman to fix our garage door torsion spring that snapped in half Tuesday evening. (Apparently, these springs only last about seven years, which is close enough to the age of our house to not be too alarming.) I’ll be glad to have the garage door fixed and be able to rescue our trapped lawnmower!
While I’m waiting, I thought I’d share something my mom reminded me about this morning… grocery bags from Envirosax, which she gave me two Christmases ago.
I love bringing my own grocery bags to the store (when I can remember). I think it makes perfect sense to not waste all those ugly taupe plastic bags they use at Publix.
The great thing about Envirosax is that they can hold a lot of groceries. Plus, the baggers always compliment how colorful mine are:
But Envirosax has a number of other colors, including some from its organic series.
This is a great gift for anyone who wants to be less wasteful while being a little colorful too! I highly recommend them.
July 8, 2009
Feather Round Up
So, I was browsing on some of my favorite blogs today and found this stack of rings on the Hey*Susy blog. Sooooo nice.
As you know from here and here, I love feathers. But then I checked the price (high!) and availability (sold out!). So, I roamed around Etsy to find something comparable and landed on another item that I liked, even though it too was out of stock:
Bent Brass Feather Ring by Erica Weiner Jewelry
Oh well! I’ll just keep an eye out for it. Here’s a round-up of other feather items that I found while searching:
Gold Feather Pin from Designs by Julie ($8)
The Candy Thief’s Feather Band for $30.
Indian Princess T Dress from Whiskey Dog Print Shop ($20)
The Yoki Headband Collection ($20) from Flock Accessories (this shop is all feathers!)
July 6, 2009
Red used to be my favorite color
I think what frustrates me most about a sunburn is that it screams immaturity. Any smart, responsible girl would know to apply sunscreen when she knows she’ll be going to a festival, in the middle of the day, in July. What is especially awful are the ramifications of the idiocy, which are felt for a number of days after said stupid decision.
JD and I got burnt chose to be abused by the sun pretty badly on Saturday at Nashville’s third annual Hot Chicken Festival. Luckily, for JD, he wore a t-shirt, although the tops of his feet, which were unusually pale from being covered with cleats during softball games, got scorched from pale to hot pink. I was burned mostly on my shoulders and back. We’ll both be paying for our fun for the rest of the week; sunburn + work clothes = ouch!
This is a great opportunity to talk about the new love of my life, Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother, a wonderful creation that housemate Claire gave me in sympathy. She used it on her honeymoon in St. John, and she’s right: it absolutely does the trick.
How great is Burt’s Bees? I mean, I love this company. I’m a huge fan of their foot creme, along with their green tea and lemongrass hand soap. Now that they have an “After Sun Soother,” I’m completely sold. I’ve been less than thrilled with the selection of smelly aloe products out there, and this guy does the trick while allowing you to smell great too!
Anyone else have other ideas for my poor burned skin?
July 5, 2009
4th of July Feast
Inspired by this awesome article from Bon Appetit, we had quite a spread for the 4th of July, including fruit salad, coleslaw, lobster, Graham’s awesome apple pie, and, of course, “Patriotic” sugar cookies from Publix. No tummy left empty.
July 2, 2009
Housekeeping, Hot Chicken, and Dogs.
Hi friends. I’ve got a lot on my plate for the long weekend, and I’m excited to share what we’re doing and where we’re going. But, first, a little housekeeping.
Item 1: no Friday Feast tomorrow. We’re having a cookout on Saturday night for July 4th, and I’m excited about all the cooking to be done. We’re throwing hot dogs and sausages on the grill (thanks to inspiration from oh joy! and Twitter) and using this Bon Appetit article as a guide. I’ll be sure to show off all of our concoctions!
Item 2: July 15 is Schmate’s first birthday, and right about that time, we should be reaching our 200th post. Definitely a big milestone! In my first year with Schmate, I have truly enjoyed reaching out to old friends, sharing my ideas, and documenting some pretty funny times in my life. Thank you for your comments and encouragement. I’ll be changing it up a bit on the 15th, so let me know if you have any ideas for blog posts or other stuff you’d like to see more (or less) of.
Ok, onto the holiday ahead!
If you’re in Nashville this weekend, I can’t encourage you enough to attend the Hot Chicken Festival on Saturday. It’s out in East Park, over the river, and the first 500 people get free samples from the hot chicken vendors around our great city.
There will be music, beer, fruit, snowballs, and lots of chicken! If you go, I recommend bringing your own bottled water. And, a word of warning, after you eat your hot chicken, do. not. touch. your. eyes. Whatsoever. Unless you’ve completely washed your hands with soap and water, it will be a painful lesson if you don’t heed my advice!
In addition to that, JD and I are going on a breakfast date to Fido and heading to the cinema to see “Away We Go.” Aren’t you jealous?
See you soon!
July 1, 2009
Pillow Fight
Whew! Yesterday was a big day… JD and I purchased new living room furniture, and we’re so thrilled. It was quite a production, considering I like to think (and think and think) about things, and JD likes to have decisions made quickly. Yesterday, when the store offered free shipping (a savings of $150) if we made a decision by the end of the day (the last day of the month), I adjusted all my thinking to decision-mode. We’re excited to get the set in approximately six weeks.
Our current couch has seen better days. Several naps, spaghetti and coffee stains, and pieces of Lucy hair later, we’re glad to say goodbye to our dingy off-white couch and move on to a more sophisticated “seagrass” set. I’ll reveal pictures when we get them in, but for now, I’ve been thinking a lot about pillows!
Since all three large pieces are the same color, a variety of throws and pillows will help spice up the look. But they need to be sturdy, untearable, and pretty!
My first thought is a Hable Construction pillow. But, come on, people. Theirs are upwards of $100.
Here’s the HC Lemon Rope Pillow for $130, $95 or $140.
Ahh… here are some prices that I like:
World Market Island Stripe Toss Pillow for $19.99.
Pier 1’s Monstera Leaf Pillow for $16.95
Marie’s Cosy Cushions’ flower pillow set of two for $30.
Joom’s Mint Full Print Cardinal on Agapanthus Pillow for $28
Where have you purchased your toss pillows? Any suggestions?
June 29, 2009
Heather Smith Jones
Have Mondays become Kate’s-new-favorite-Etsy-shop-days? Maybe… I guess this Monday is no different.
Sigh. If only I could get my act together to produce something awesome like the stuff in this successful Etsy shop, created by Heather Smith Jones. I’m jealous of her seemingly endless stream of creative designs!
Here’s a set of her Starburst Cards for $14.
I adore her Summer Squares project. Here are eight prints for $23 total.
And, what’s with my new obsession with gift tags? Here’s hers for $8.
Even cooler is the Noticing Project, a daily collaboration of photos by Heather and friend Alicia. It’s quite nice!
June 29, 2009
Rick the Tick
Hello to you this Monday morning!
Before continuing our regularly scheduled posting, here’s a quick snapshot of how we handle ticks in the Stuart household.
The silver leaf is there so not to offend anyone… but I think you can tell how we (or specifically, Graham, into whose back Rick was digging) feels about our new housemate Rick.
June 26, 2009
Friday Feast: Davy Crockett Ground Beef Wrap Ups
Davy, Davy Crockett! King of the wild frontier!
Did everyone know that we have house guests this summer? Our buds Graham and Claire are staying with us for a few months, and JD and I have been thrilled to share dinner duties with them so far. It’s so nice to have other people make your dinner, and I also love to cook for more than just JD, even though he’s so encouraging and eats large enough portions for multiple people anyway!
Since we live in Nashville and Claire is from San Antonio, I figured Davy Crockett was a great historical figure to revolve a meal around, considering ol’ D.C. represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives and died defending Texas at the Battle of the Alamo. And who doesn’t love theme meals? So, here is it is:
Davy Crockett Group Beef Wrap Ups
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 13 minutes
Cleanup Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds lean ground round
2 teaspoons salt
2 (8-ounce) packages crescent roll tubes
2 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles
1 (8-ounce) pack shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 pint light sour cream
black olives, chopped
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat skillet on high temperature. Add ground round, salt to taste and brown.
- Roll out first package of crescent rolls onto a baking sheet. Separate into four individual squares. (Do not separate into triangles.)
- Lay one chile on each of the four crescent roll squares. (Note: If you are making this for someone with the initials G.R.L., ask G.R.L. if he likes chiles before putting them in his cresent roll square.)
- Place three ounces cooked ground round on top of each of the four chiles.
- Sprinkle 1-ounce of cheddar cheese and chopped onion over the ground round on each of the four wraps.
- Open the second pack of crescent rolls and place the same square piece over each of the wraps. Top each wrap with another ounce of cheese.
- Put the wraps in the oven for 13 minutes. (They are going to smell amazing!)
- Dollop sour cream on each wrap. Top with black olives.
And now you’ve got a yummy, hearty meal. It probably didn’t work perfectly in the summertime heat, but it most certainly filled the bellies of everyone under our roof!
June 25, 2009
Cleaning with Cloth
Lately, I’ve been more aware of how much paper we use in our kitchen. Rolls of paper towels and packs of napkins … sometimes I feel like I just make unnecessary waste when I could be using dish towels and cloth napkins. A few months ago, we decided to start using these Orla Kiely napkins, which I love. But, the kitchen towels that I use are actually from our wedding registry, purchased five years ago. Maybe it’s time for some new kitchen linens? If I had nicer ones, maybe I wouldn’t waste paper towels so often!
While searching, I found this Etsy shop, Elizabeth Bentz, with really nice tea towels and other cloth goods.
Here’s a set of blue/gray leaf napkins for $18.
I really like this colander tea towel ($13).
This one with the horizontal lines is $18. I love the color too.
June 24, 2009
So Trivial
Well… since the “Ace Bandage” boots didn’t go over so well yesterday, I’m hoping to redeem myself with something completely different… trivia.
Our group of friends were at one time consistent attenders of bar trivia. If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, basically each table at the bar is a team. A guy on a microphone reads a question, and while a song plays, the team discusses the answer and brings up their best guess on a sheet of paper to the announcer. After a series of rounds and questions, the team with the highest score ends up getting “bar cash” to redeem the next time they are there.
I’m not going to lie… our team is pretty good. Yet it had been months since we got together, and when we finally arrived at trivia last night, the two announcers that usually run the game were no longer there and a new group was in charge. To make a long story short, trivia night was no fun even though we ended up coming in third.
Since most of my readers missed the festivities, here are some of the questions. Let me know how you fared!
- What company stitches a “W” on each backpocket of their jeans?
- What is 15% of 80? (I can’t believe this question was asked.)
- In what decade did “Rapper’s Delight” premiere?
- Name the two elements that make up hydrogen peroxide?
- What is the largest inhabited castle?
- Name the model Mick Jagger married after his divorce to Bianca.
- Where is Howard University located?
- On the television show Beverly Hills 90210, which two characters went to Paris for the summer?
- In the original Trivial Pursuit game, what category was brown?
- Name the two Wayans brothers who were in the movie Scary Movie.
How did you do?
