All that to say, I did some last minute exploring on Etsy to fill these perfect frames, and I looked back on some of my old favorite shops. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I found Laura George’s selection of Valentine’s Day cards are very fun, and I had to share them with you. JD and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but if we did, I’d probably hit up Laura’s shop for a notecard for my sweetie. Here are some of my favorites:

“All of You” notecard

“Puzzle Pieces” notecard

“Sweeties” notecard

“Holding Hands” notecard

Dunlins Block Print by Amanda Kindregan

We’re getting pretty close to the due date, and I wouldn’t necessarily say that we’re in panic mode by any stretch of the imagination… but JD and I are definitely aware of how close Maggie’s arrival is. I’m in the process of finishing up some projects, we’re completing the assembly of the nursery (even though Maggie won’t be in it for a few months or so), and I’m just generally getting things ready and clean. I think this is called nesting!

I haven’t cooked much lately — definitely not anything new — so that’s why Friday Feast posts have been a bit sparse, including today. (This is a great time to refer you to the whole Friday Feast category to look at old recipes from past months and years!)

So this is just a “thanks for bearing with me!” alert as I try to tie up some personal things before our big addition. I’m excited to set up some interesting guest posts from friends who have volunteered their time to give you some new topics to read.

I appreciate you checking back and keeping an eye on me! I’m going at a slower pace these days, so thanks for hanging tight.

While looking for some inspiration to finish a few more items, I was on Etsy and found this great shop with a few neat items. You all know my love for feathers, but I really appreciate this seller’s attention to detail… the shop, The Blackbird Sings, is full of great items all made by artist Natasha Newton.

Blue and Orange Symmetrical Feathers painting

Hand-painted stone collection

These watercolor silhouettes are amazing.

Set of three fine art postcards

Also awesome was the very great surprise of the arrival of my long-time pal and maid of honor Mary, who JD had arranged to fly in from NYC for the baby shower. I had no idea she was coming in for the occasion, and I was full of (happy) tears and sheer joy. It was a ton of fun to have her staying with us, as well as her husband, and my mom. Epic amazing weekend to say the least.

So, I’m coming down from the big high of the weekend, realizing that I’m pretty close to the due date and trying to get some things done before Maggie arrives. Whenever the birth happens, I’ll keep you posted, but then I’ll be featuring some great guest posters who have kindly agreed to share some of their neat finds and stories in my absence. The next few months should be fun!

I may never, though, get sick of finding fun items around the web for you guys. Here are a few random things that I have found lately that I want to share with you!

I’m always on a search for good wallpapers for my computer or iPhone background. Here’s a great site of varied designs and art just for that! Below is my current work computer background.

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Are you making any Valentine’s Cards this year? I have a funny printable up my sleeve that I’ll wait to show you later, but if you want to make your own, here’s a great tutorial from Craftzine using Gocco Printing.

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Or maybe you aren’t really feeling the DIY Valentine’s this year? Here’s a cute printable download at Love vs. Design.

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I forgot to include this in my “Wine-Learnin’” post, but here’s a fun tutorial on how to drink wine. I’ve since updated my post, but here’s the link from Cup of Jo.

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How great is this Weezer-inspired embroidery?

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I know one particular Stuart in my household who would loooove this recipe for bacon-wrapped jalapeno chicken bites.

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Forkchops: awesome or lame?

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How decadent does this sound? Pomegranate Vanilla Sangria from How Sweet Eats… perfect for the winter months. I’m looking forward to exploring more wine recipes soon!

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I can’t express to you how much I love this. Tell your friends and family how much time and effort you spent on your most recent craft project with these funny woven labels from Sublime Stitching.

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Found this on Pinterest actually… a great map of the Nashville neighborhoods.

“White Wine” and “Red Wine” poster by I LOVE DESIGN

It has only been in recent years, perhaps since we moved back to Nashville in 2007, that I’ve really explored and enjoyed wine. Up until then, I thought white wine was the way to go. I had tried Riesling with certain fish at our favorite Athens restaurant – Farm 255 — when we lived there, but otherwise, I hadn’t tried anything else. I generally thought wine was kind of bitter (red) or wussy (rose).

Then we moved back to Nashville, and thanks to a bunch of girlfriends and other fun people in our life, I have explored a lot more wine that I would not have otherwise been brave enough to try on my own. I by no means know much at all about wine, but I’d like to share what I have learned. It is not at all refined or sophisticated but rather a basic guide for me to keep in mind.

I also had hoped to invest more time and money into trying different wines, but then, pregnancy actually happened and I’m too thrilled to care that I can’t explore as much as I wanted.

I have learned over the years of reading the Wall Street Journal’s wine features plus other articles and magazines… wine tastes differently to everyone. Therefore, there’s no reason to be a snob about things, and if you can’t describe the wine accurately (“oaky,” “full-bodied,” “balanced”)… who cares? What is it that you like? Which types and brands do you prefer? That’s really the only thing that matters.

While keeping that in mind, here are some of the highlights while learning more about wine:

• White meats, white sauces and seafood go best with white wines, and the red wine pairs better with red meats and sauces. But, if you’re making chicken with a heavy red sauce, red wine is a better choice since the red sauce is more dominant in the meal. Source
• Red wine is best when eating from a plate of cheese or pate (ick). Source
• White wine is great for appetizers, specifically Chardonnay with salads. Source
• Spicy foods are best with sweet white wines like Riesling and Gewürztraminer. But if the food is so spicy that it makes you sweat, serving wine may just be a terrible choice anyway… try having beer instead. Source
• Red wine and fish are a pretty bad combo because of the high iodine in the fish, which interacts with the tannins in the red wine, making everything taste metallic. Source
• Asparagus, artichoke and egg whites actually don’t taste great with any wine. Source
• Zinfandel gets a bad rap for their popularity among the cheap white and rose varieties, but we actually really enjoy red zin. A trusted friend’s parent first served us some very good red zin, and JD and I have been hooked ever since.
• Malbecs, one of my favorites, are best in the winter and great for cooking. Source
• Pinot noir tastes better chilled a little bit. Good to know. Source
• Merlot is very popular and versatile, which I think is helpful when you’re just not sure what to grab next. Source
• When choosing a Riesling, try the “dry” varieties for a better taste. Source
• Chianti is a good starter when exploring whites. Source
• If you have a very fun vintage wine that you want to show off, don’t make a wild flavorful meal. Make the wine the highlight rather than the food. Source

When we’re not exploring different brands and styles, JD and I tend to choose Gnarly Head, Smoking Loon, or Rex Goliath, usually red Zinfandel or Merlot.

Another question that kept coming up in my exploration of wines: if I like red Zinfandel so much, what is “Old Vine Zin”? Apparently, there’s not much consistency on countries saying that a wine is “Old Vine,” so generally, it just means a change of character, rather than quality. Usually it has the same meaning as “reserve” wine or older grapes. Yeah, I don’t know what that means, but ok great!

Also, this is a great guide on beginning your learning of wine and what to do when exploring.

Here is another fun guide from favorite blog Cup of Jo on How to Drink Wine, complete with humorous illustrations.

Despite not being able to physically experiment with wine, I’m so glad I spent some time researching wine pairings and varieties, just so I don’t feel so overwhelmed when heading to the liquor store or a restaurant. I can’t wait to start drinking wine again, and now I have all this new-found knowledge… plus an item checked off the list!

So, I need your help! What do you like? What are your favorite wines? What are your favorite pairings? I would love to know what you kind folks enjoy most! We tend to stick to a cheaper price range, but we’re always up for a splurge. Help me expand my knowledge base (which is quite limited!!).

I had never seen anything like this before, and I thought it was a super creative gift idea! I looked them up as well as other “chew beads” and found some fun varieties that I thought were worth sharing.

The original Chewbeads like I received… mine are bright turquoise. They are soft and almost feel like hard play-dough.

Another from Chewbeads necklace variation with a bracelet!

This is a fun Etsy shop – Kangaroo Care – FULL of chew bead necklaces and jewelry.

Another wooden teething bracelet from Kangaroo Care.

I love this concept… not sure whether this will actually cause Maggie to think it’s ok to chew on ALL of my jewelry, but for the season, it seems like a fun idea to solve a particularly gnawing (hehe) problem.

“Belt Buckles” by Jane Heller

When I first started this blog in the summer of 2008, I was excited to make it a blog all about our growing family, a way to share stories about pregnancy, our children and our very planned life in our fun new home. But then, I didn’t get pregnant right away, but I had really enjoyed blogging in the meantime. So, I kept going.

Fast-forward to when I created my Thirty before 30 list which was around the Fall of 2010, I had hopes that maybe, just maybe, if I put in a lot of effort, I could have a blog that made money. I could have an awesome side business through readership and creating original content.

Then, I read quite a bit about advertising and selling ads on the off-shoot blogs of Design*Sponge (Building a Better Advertiser), Style Me Pretty (Backstage), and Creature Comforts (Guide for Better Blogging). All suggested having a much larger reader base and being able to devote more time than I could currently give to the blog.

After some long thinking and adjusting my priorities, I’ve decided to not pursue making money from my blog… yet. My readership has actually grown from when I started, and the numbers are steady and consistent. But they are not nearly where they need to be to start selling ads. Or rather, the numbers aren’t where they need to be to make selling ads worth my time and energy. Especially in this time period of my life… about to have a baby… the reason I was going to start this blog to begin with!

All of that to say, I have made adjustments to my “About Kate Schmate” page which are a huge improvement from what they were before. So check out my new summary and the highlights of the past three and a half years of blogging.

If anything, this Thirty before 30 list has taught me what I don’t want to do right now (tattoo, business plan, maybe fixing my posture… !), especially after thoughtful deliberation and research. I’m glad that this was on my list.

Can I tell you the best variation I have ever seen to a simple chocolate chip cookie? I came across this recipe via Pinterest, and wow… so easy and amazing! Just add Snickers!

Here’s how… do everything you would normally do to make your favorite chocolate chip cookies. You can use my favorite recipe, or Melinda’s vegan chocolate chip cookies, or just use a store-bought mix. Cut up snickers into 1-inch wide slivers, similar-looking to butter pats. (I halved bite-sized ones, but I’m sure you could use the normal size.) Prior to baking, use your hands and grab enough dough for a cookie and pat it down flat. Place a Snickers “butter pat” and place on top of the flat dough. Wrap the cookie around the Snickers so that none of the candy is exposed. Cook according to your recipe’s directions.

The cookies come out deliciously, and it’s a fun variation on regular chocolate chip cookies. Great for if you have an excess from Halloween, Christmas or Easter!

So my sweet sister-in-law has an allergy to most metals, and it is really difficult for her to find jewelry (or even belts!) that she can wear that won’t irritate her skin. Frankly, I know this stinks, and I can’t imagine feeling so limited while looking online or in stores. For her Christmas gift, JD and I were in hot pursuit to find fun jewelry that was nickel-free and that she could wear. Even though we found a great necklace while shopping on our Babymoon, I also found this nice Etsy shop by Marjon Scheffer that has predominantly all hypoallergenic jewelry that is tasteful and affordable.

Lime Green Earrings ($13.50)

Titanium Bar Post Earrings ($29.50)

Titanium Bangle Bracelet ($30)

Niobium Earrings ($25)

I didn’t exactly do this secretly, but I started keeping an eye out and looked for other people’s solutions to their spice cabinets. Overall, I found I wasn’t alone… the spice pantry is difficult to manage. But, I found particular inspiration in JD’s cousin Amanda’s awesome spice cabinet, and I was so thrilled with her organizational prowess that I took a picture of it:

So impressive. She claims that she needs to be organized since she has very limited pantry space, but seriously folks… what a work of organizational art!

Amanda’s pantry was just what I needed to really encourage me to think critically about this project. I had only tossed around half-baked (ha) ideas and didn’t really nail down any manageable, sustainable and inexpensive solutions. I knew this would be a difficult task. My cabinet was deep, and small spice jars are hard to find and read. But I also had large quantities of flour, sugar and oils that needed to be in the same area.

Here’s what the cabinet looked like first:

Yes, I know, I have a LOT of space. I’m extremely blessed to have such space in which to play. But, I needed to make the most of it.

My first thoughts were… take everything out of their original containers and put them into jars that were cohesive and looked the same. That’s when I did this DIY project with the chalkboard paint. I felt good about putting my basics: flour (both kinds), sugar (both kinds) and coffee sweetener into these containers. I then tossed around if I should do the same thing to all my spices. But, this seemed tedious, annoying and expensive. So I nixed that idea.

Another one of my ideas was to use velcro and to put velcro tabs on all the spice containers and stick them to the doors of the cabinet. It was a great use of space, but it didn’t seem smart for the long-term solution of the organizational mess.

My personal deadline was looming. I really wanted to finish this project after Christmas, but I still couldn’t figure out a smart tactic. While breaking down some cracker boxes after a New Year’s Day chili dinner, it dawned on me… I could display the spices on a selection of stair-stacked levels. No, it didn’t really create more space, but it was the perfect way to show everything I needed without extra purchases or funny fixing.

So I emptied out the boxes that had food in them, stuffed them with newspaper so they would have some substance, and then I wrapped them in neutral wrapping paper I had from this project. I wrapped them just like I would gift-wrap something.

Then, I started arranging. At the end of the whole process, I ended up wrapping five boxes plus an open-at-the-top box for easy access.

And, here’s the finished product… what do you think?

Let me explain just a little bit. The top shelf is full of flours, sugars and Splenda, with the tin box you see full of cake and cupcake decorating supplies that I rarely use but I like having (muffin tins, food coloring, toothpicks). The middle shelf has a section of salts and peppers on the right side, with the open-top easy-access box full of dry seasonings and rubs, next to the range of sauces, syrups and cocoa.

Then, the bottom shelf gloriousness… all the spices have easy viewing of their labels, and if something is behind it, it’s usually the spice’s kin. For example, behind the crushed red pepper is the red pepper flakes and the cayenne crushed red pepper. It’s just… logical.

And for my favorite cooking partner/husband who has a habit of asking where something is without thoroughly looking, I made a graph to help him (and me!) know where specific things are, especially if they are behind other objects. It is hanging inside the cabinet for easy reference.

I know it can’t stay this nice-looking and arranged forever, but I sure hope it works for now. I definitely was able to reorganize it, clean out items I didn’t want or never use, and make the whole arrangement less chaotic.

When I first made my Thirty before 30 list, reading the Bible all the way through seemed like a minor thing, a reading project that I could easily tackle in a few months. I mean, I listened to all of Anna Karenina in two months on my commutes to work and home… surely, I have the stamina for the Bible, a book I really am interested in reading.

Yep. Definitely wrong about that.

I had attempted unsuccessfully in the beginning of 2009 to read a little bit of the Bible every day, but I knew that it could happen. There were several guides to getting through the whole thing in 12 months, even though I figured I would finish it sooner. I was a bit late on getting started, and on February 1, 2010, I printed off the plan to read the Bible in one year. If I followed along with it, I would be sure to have it accomplished by February 1, 2011, just a few days shy of my 30th birthday. I taped the reading assignment in the back of my day planner (which I take absolutely everywhere) and started reading each morning. It dawned on me after a few days that my genius idea wasn’t so genius… my day planner ended December 31, not January 31 when my reading was done. I’d have to squeeze in a bit of extra reading so I wouldn’t have to carry around my old day planner for January 2012. So, my reading-the-Bible-in-a-year plan turned into reading-the-Bible-in-less-than-eleven-months.

Good news is: I finished! Here are some of my random thoughts about the 11-month process:

• I wish I had kept the website where I printed off my reading plan because I really enjoyed how I read it. It wasn’t a chronological reading, even though I started with Genesis and ended with Revelation. But, each day, I was reading in at least two books. For example, I would read a chapter or two in Genesis and then a corresponding Psalm or Proverb. The reading plan kept things interesting, rather than a speed read, and all the flipping back and forth helped me learn the order of the books.
• I learned too late about Bible Gateway, a wonderful free (!) website that offers several versions of the Bible to read online or on your phone. I had mostly read from one of the three Bibles scattered around my reading spots (work, home and purse), but in December, when I was doing the mad dash to finish, knowing about Bible Gateway was super helpful when I wanted to read from the convenience of my phone.
• As you can tell, I’m big into lists. I try sometimes to finish them just for the sake of their existence. I’m thrilled that this project was centered around a list because it actually helped me stay on track. Yes, I was doing a lot of reading in December, but overall, I stayed within a month away of what I was supposed to read. My goal was to get to work a little early in the morning and read my daily assignment before getting my coffee or turning on the computer. But, once I got pregnant, I struggled getting in to work early just because I was so sleepy! Oftentimes, I’d take a few hours on Sunday afternoons or while traveling somewhere and play catch-up on what I hadn’t yet accomplished. December became a mad dash because I had fallen behind in November, plus I had to read January, so I ended up reading two and a half months of reading in one month. But, I really needed that guide to help me progress. The list made the project look possible and attainable… and it worked!
• Yes, some of the chapters were tedious to get through, especially some in Numbers and 1 and 2 Chronicles. But, wow, I learned a lot I didn’t already know. I feel a lot more knowledgeable about the whole book as well as the timeline and history.

I learned so much in 11 short months! Of all the items on my Thirty Before 30 list, I spent the most time on this project, and it is perhaps the most rewarding of them all.

Let me back up a bit. So, my sweet husband JD has diabetes. He got it when he was a kid, he’s insulin-dependent, he’s very healthy, blah blah blah. Thankfully, the boy doesn’t have a sweet tooth. So, while I was on Pinterest before his birthday, he saw over my shoulder a picture of a cake and surprised me by saying, “Wow that looks amazing.” I stored it away on a Pinterest board and made a mental note to attempt it this year. I mean, he was turning 30… he deserved at least a bite of the cake he’d like.

Friends, JD picked out a seriously complicated cake. Yes it was really very good, but it took me quite a bit of time. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t made a real cake with icing in many years. The result was awesome, but it was time-consuming.

The cake came from this recipe here at Real Mom Kitchen, and it is a Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake. It involves a layer of chocolate cake, a white middle of yummy cream and Oreos, and another layer of chocolate cake… kind of like an Oreo! Then, you ice the whole thing with chocolate icing.

Here are the directions. Please visit Real Mom Kitchen’s tutorial if you want to make the icing from scratch. I did not and opted for canned icing, and I don’t think I cheated the recipe… it was still great.

Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake

Ingredients

1 package triple chocolate cake mix

ingredients need to make the cake on the back of the box

chocolate frosting

Filling:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups Cool Whip

12 Oreo cookies, coarsely crushed

• Prepare cake mix according to package directions for 2 9-inch round cakes.  For easy removal from the pan, grease the bottom of the pan, then line it with a piece of parchment that has been cut to fit the bottom of the pan.  Place the parchment in the pan and then grease the parchment and sides of the pan.  Cook cake according to the package.  Allow cake to cool completely.
• Once cakes are completely cooled, prepare the filling by beating the cream cheese and sugar together with a mixer until well blended.  Fold in the Cool Whip until almost blended. Fold in the crushed Oreos.
• Now it’s time to assemble the cake.  With a serrated knife,  cut off the domed top of each of the rounds to make the cake even and level. (These parts are fun to make a mini-cake later with the filling you have left over.)  Place one round on your serving platter or cake plate.  Top with half of the filling mixture and spread evenly.  Top with the other cake round.
• Now use the remaining filling to fill in the center filling section of the cake so that the filling layer is completely even with the cake layers.  (This is very difficult, but keep at it!) You may not need all of the filling.  Then cover the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting.

Then, enjoy the most decadent Oreo cake ever tasted!

Also, just a side note, when you get “yellow gel” decorating icing from the store, it’s not really a pure yellow but a transparent yellow. I really should have used white!

It was a huge hit, and the birthday boy agreed!

For most of my life, I was completely confused about chess. It seemed like only extremely smart people played, the game could last forever, and you have to play while sitting in a very fancy setting, like a cabin overlooking a lake or at a ski resort. Obviously, this is weird but I have always dismissed chess as “too smart for me.”

I’m glad I cut that out. Embarrassingly, after the “Harry Potter” where Ron orchestrates the “Wizard’s Chess” game with great success, I thought to myself… seriously? I can learn this. I mean, I love other nerdy, strategy games like Agricola and Settlers of Catan… I could play chess! But, I didn’t have any motivation to learn until I put it on my Thirty before 30 list as #30.

My fellow blogger friend Meghan offered to teach me how to play, and I took her casual suggestion seriously. So one Friday before Christmas, we headed to lunch and she drew out on a Noshville napkin how to play. We talked mostly rules but a little bit of strategy as well. She was a great teacher (I highly recommend her for future chess needs!), and I felt much better about what it involved.

Then, I played a few games with JD and then once later on with Meghan, and I feel much better about the whole thing. I do have a hard time thinking three or so moves ahead, I tend to be on the defense more than the offense, and risk seems more fun than being cautious to me (but then I lose most of my good players). Overall, it’s very fun if you want to play a game where you need to think and focus. I’m so glad I at least feel competent about the game.

I’m just relieved that chess is no longer a blurry mess to me when referenced… perhaps the whole goal of adding it to my list!

My mom has been (and continues to be) a big help since I got pregnant. From painting the nursery to the promise of help in the future when Maggie arrives, Mom has been a trooper in the help department. I know she’s just as excited as I am about this first birth, so to celebrate that and to thank her for her support, my big Christmas gift to her this year was a little special: a “Gram Bag” of goodies to help her be the best Gram she can be!

The bag was embroidered with her “grandma name” and included supplies that she’ll need to be a grandmother. She can use the bag each time she sees Maggie, using it to hold all of her tricks and fun grandmother things.

Included in the “Gram Bag” was:

• Map of Nashville
• Headache meds
• Anti-bacterial gel
• Kleenex
• Mini-baby lotion and soap
• Notepad, highlighter and pen
• Jelly beans (just for fun)

If Mom didn’t have hearing aids, I would have given her ear-plugs, but she’s fine in that department!

One other added element was a Countdown Chain until Maggie’s arrival. Kind of like an Advent Tree of sorts, Mom can tear away a loop from the Countdown Chain on each day until Maggie’s due date. The gray loops are just fun old pages from a previous project, but on the pink loops, there are tips on newborn care.

Thankfully, my mom doesn’t have the attitude, “I know exactly what to do when this baby arrives!” I know this because after telling her I went to a “Newborn Care” class, she said, “Did you take notes? I want to read all of your notes!” I love that about her.

So, I added some tips that I recently learned to the Countdown Chain so she’s be totally prepared for helping me in those first few days after Maggie is born.

The whole chain is below. (The due date seems so far away!)

Not exactly a DIY project but it’s a gift that required a little more thought and a bit more love. There will be lots of “firsts” for Gram, but this gets her there with more anticipation and fun facts!

I had a great Christmas holiday with family and friends, and there’s just a few hours left of 2011! I have a lot to share with you in the next few weeks as we prepare for Maggie’s arrival in mid-February and I finish up my Thirty Before 30 list before my big 30th birthday on February 6. The beginning of 2012 should be really interesting.

But before we jump in with everything, I wanted to share this yummy recipe my friend Mary sent me in preparation of New Year’s Day festivities. I was looking to do something with black-eyed peas, and I checked to see if she had any suggestions. She sent along her mom’s recipe, similar to a Colorado or Texas Caviar… a fresh, yummy salsa with the right amount of beans and spices. I wanted to be sure to share it with you in case you too wanted to whip this up before you celebrate the new year.

Ingredients

3 cans black-eyed peas with bacon and jalapeno, drained

1 large onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup picante sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup Italian dressing

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup salad olives

Have a wonderful New Year’s! Thank you for your support and love in 2011… I’m excited to start 2012 and share it with you.