Blueberry Picking!

Last weekend, my mom and I headed out to Carnation do to some blueberry picking at Blue Dog Farm. We thought we had picked the perfect day for it, too; it was cool, but not cold, overcast but not rainy. So I opted to leave my rain gear and coat at home.

Well, turns out we had misjudged the weather for the day. We were driving through Sammamish, about 10 minutes out from the farm, when all of a sudden, total downpour! Once we got to the farm we sat in the car a good 15 minutes trying to figure out what we wanted to do. Yea, it's just rain, but someone (ahem, me) came real ill equipped for the weather.

After sitting for a while, the rain started to let up, and we decided to make a go of it! So I borrowed my mama's rain coat and we picked away!

The fields were gorgeous and full to the brim with berries. We spent a good hour or two picking berries, and when we were done we had about 7 pounds of blueberries between the two of us and were soaked to the bone! I could literally squeeze water out of my shoes.

After we finished up at the farm, we had a nice lunch at a diner counter and then spent some time in my favorite craft store that we used to visit all the time when I was a kid.

It was a lovely afternoon with my mama (who's the cutest, right?), and I'm looking forward to sharing some delicious blueberry recipes with you next week!

Til next time!

-Becca

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DIY Pinwheels!

Ya know when you really want to do a fun DIY project, but are super swamped, so you want to do something really easy? Well, by golly, pinwheels are the perfect thing!

These pinwheels are quick, cheap, and easy (Like a good date! Sorry, can't resist a ridiculous joke.) and couldn't be cuter. You could display a few together in a vase like I did here, or you could put them on some ribbon and hang them from the ceiling, OR you could make cute little tiny ones and put them on toothpicks to use as cupcake toppers (!!!).

To make these, you'll need a few supplies: Pretty paper (double sided if you can find it!), brads, scissors, a pencil, an embroidery needle or an awl, and a ruler.

If you want to put them on a stick like I did, you'll also need some wood skewers and scotch tape. I would actually recommend a glue gun over tape, but guys, I have a crafting confession to make: I don't own a glue gun. I couldn't tell you why. Obviously I'll fix that at some point, but for now, tape!

To get started, draw a square the size of your choosing, and cut it out. Mine were 4", 5.5", and 7" squares.

Next, use your ruler and your pencil to draw lines from corner to corner on your square.

Then, make marks on your lines about 1/3 of the way out from the intersection at the middle of your square. Once you've got your marks down, use your scissors to cut the lines from the corners to the marks, being sure to stop at the mark and not cut through to the middle.

Use your embroidery needle, or awl, to poke a hole in the intersection of the lines, as well as on one side of the line at each corner. Make sure you stay on the same side of each respective line. Check out the picture to see what I mean!

Begin to fold one of the punched corners towards the center of the square and stick your brad through the hole with the point of the brad heading towards the center hole of your square. Then working clockwise, put the brad through the rest of the corner holes, and then down through the middle one.

When the brad is through the center hole, bend the ends of it to secure it at the back of your pinwheel.

If you choose to add the stick to your pinwheel, just tape it all up in the back. I know, not super glamorous, but it works. I need that glue gun!

Once you've made a few, arrange them to your liking and enjoy!

Do you guys have any favorite quick and easy craft projects?

Til next time!

-Becca

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Woodii Terrarium Necklace Giveaway!- CLOSED

Hi guys!

Today I'm thrilled to share a giveaway from one of my sponsors, Woodii! If you haven't heard of Woodii, it's a Seattle based brand that specializes in making the prettiest terrarium jewelry you ever did see.

One of you lucky readers will win this gorgeous terrarium necklace! Here's some more information from Woodii about this particular piece:

This  micro-miniature terrarium necklace encompasses a tiny universe with materials representing elements of the earth. Inside the small, antique vial is a containment of natural sand, small pebbles, an assortment of  moss, and glass stones. It is enclosed with a cork and has an antique brass chain. This necklace was handmade with care. 

d e t a i l s :  

pendant length: 1.25" 

chain length: 22"

Are you in love or what? I know I sure am!

Want to enter to win? Here's how:

Mandatory:
- Like both Woodii and Ladyface Blog on Facebook

Optional:
- Follow the Woodii Blog with Google Friend Connect
- Follow Ladyface Blog on Bloglovin
- Follow Ladyface Blog on Instagram

Of note:
This giveaway will run from August 7th-August 14th and is only available to residents of the US and Canada. The winner will be announced on Ladyface Blog and contacted by email at the end of the giveaway period. If the winner does not claim their prize within 48 hours of being contacted, another winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck, you guys! I can't wait for one of you to be the proud owner of this gorgeous piece!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra

Alright, buddies. Today we're talking Pickled Okra. Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra to be exact. 

Oh okra, you're so misunderstood! People just don't seem to give you much of a chance. But why? You have so much to offer! Sure you're a touch slimy, but you taste SO good and pickle SO well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra is my favorite kind of pickle. It beats out Bread and Butter Pickles, Pickled Green Beans, and even Pickled Asparagus. 

Yep. This is one of those pickles you eat a whole jar of in one sitting. Crunchy, spicy, and incredibly satisfying.

This is another recipe from my favorite canning book, Canning for a New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. Liana has been sweet enough to allow me to share a few recipes from her amazing book on my blog, so check it out! Ya know, and then go buy her awesome book!

Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra- Makes about 5 pint jars

Recipe from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff

Ingredients:

- 4 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

- 2 tablespoons pure kosher salt

- 2 pounds okra, stems trimmed

- 5 teaspoons Creole Spice Blend (1/4 cup ground cayenne, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

Prepare for water-bath canning: Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.

In a non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, 4 cups water, and the salt. Bring to just a boil.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.

Working quickly, pack the okra into the jars, and put 1 teaspoon spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes in each jar. Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles around the inside of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and a ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so it's just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

So, guys, if you can get your hands on some okra, you gotta try this out! Not only is this a great pickle to eat straight out of a jar, but you can use Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra in gumbo, or you could add it to a Bloody Mary as a garnish along with all of your other favorite pickles (uh, Pickled Asparagus, anyone?).

I hope you enjoyed checking out this recipe!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Weekend Wardrobe: Late Summer Light

Top: ModCloth; Pocket Knife Necklace: Snash Jewelry, Belt: Anthropologie/Similar; Skirt: Anthropologie; Flats: ModCloth

Well, folks, it's been another busy weekend! I spent Friday picking berries with my mom (more on that later this week!), Saturday running errands, having a shopping trip with my friend, Michele, and working on projects, and Sunday I got to spend a good chunk of the day with Katie Marie V!

We began our day with a quick shopping trip in the U District, where I managed to actually find a pair of jeans that fit! After some shopping, we headed over to the frozen yogurt shop for a treat, and then headed towards the Ballard Chittenden Locks.

The Locks are a super cool spot! Basically, they were built to connect Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay to the Puget Sound. Those lakes are actually above sea level, so the locks are used to maintain that water level and prevent the mix of fresh water and salt water. That's all very technical, but they're cool! 

And there's more than just that! There's also a fish ladder so the migration of fish, like salmon, can continue to happen even with the locks in place (Man, this is like the most Northwest-y post I've ever written!), and some gorgeous park space and botanical gardens.

Katie and I spent the afternoon roaming around and taking everything in. We particularly loved strolling through the park space and the botanical gardens since they stayed a bit less crowded. It was a pretty great afternoon!

The thing that really surprised me today was the light. After a few cool days I thought we'd completely returned to summer, but guys, can you see it? That light looks like fall. I'm going to drink in this gorgeous August weather as much as I can, but I think I'm going to be ready when the cooler days roll around.

What did you guys get up to this weekend?

Til next time!

-Becca

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