Amy Artisan

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Category: WI-Family (page 3 of 3)

Currently…April

April 30, 2014 / / 2 Comments

April showers…seem to be very prevalent this month…the month is closing today with rains of biblical proportion, to quote the radio announcer on the drive home – it sure seems like it has been a pretty wet month. Although, there was that one weekend of early summertime that yielded some much needed patio time. So what was I into throughout the month?

Reading…quite a bit, as I shared in my twitterature link-up and continue to work through more books. On the nightstand right now, a childhood throw back “Little House in the Big Woods” as I join in a blog-based book club (post coming)

Watching…Sabrina (one of my faves); The Great Gatsby; Heat; enjoying the new Fargo series on FX; the whole family thoroughly enjoyed seeing “God’s Not Dead” while I was home in the ‘Ville.

Listening…I finally downloaded Pink Martini’s new album with The Von Trapps (indeed, from “that” family). As with all Pink Martini albums, it’s a winner! And how can you not help but smile when listening to great arrangements of “Lonely Goatherd” & “Edelweiss” sung by the Von Trapps. It has been way to long since I’ve seen Pink Martini in concert – hopefully one of these days their tour schedule and my schedule will align again.

Crafting…recording the Brewers baseball season in stitches (& contemplating how to use this approach for some other sporting fun); needing to finish up on the baby knit since the baby has arrived

Painting with an Amy Artisan Twist

Painting with an Amy Artisan Twist

Painting…a work team outing to Painting With a Twist was to paint a beach scene with a palm tree & beach chairs – I just wasn’t feeling the palm tree & chairs…so, I googled “Door County Beach Sand Dunes” on my phone, found a couple of pictures for inspiration & instead turned my canvas into an interpretation of my preferred beaches. Thanks to my friend Melissa for being another renegade beach dune painter – we were both very happy with our outcomes.

"Go To" Recipes

“Go To” Recipes

Cooking…Spring Simplicity = Roasting shrimp & asparagus and pairing with homemade citrus curry aioli; Baked oatmeal for breakfast (raspberries in the mix brighten it up for spring!)

Sipping…it’s time to keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge all the time again; while I enjoy iced coffee year round it’s time to order more of one of my warmer weather favorites: Blueberry Cobbler from Door County Coffee & Tea Co.

Warm Weather Fireplace Screen

Warm Weather Fireplace Screen

Greening…now that the fireplace is not in use, I’ve picked up a fun plant to provide a bit of color in front if it.

Styling…a long overdue haircut has really brought out the curly in my hair that is now the longest it has been since high school…My 20% off everything at Ulta coupon was a catalyst for a spring makeup refresh – the Pur Minerals CC cream is perfect coverage, a bright new lipstick, a makeup palette inspired by Capri…

Easter Sunday Family Selfie

Easter Sunday Family Selfie

Traveling & Celebrating, Part I…it was great to be home in the ‘Ville for Easter with the family – I’ll never be too old to enjoy wearing an Easter orchid corsage from Dad!

Will's First Communion

Will’s First Communion

Traveling & Celebrating, Part II…a favorite kid’s first communion was the perfect opportunity for a long weekend in Marinette! When he woke up on Sunday morning, his first words to me were “You can call me First Communion Boy today, Miss Amy!” So many fun moments with my WI family during my days back with them – cheering on a cousin as she hit a home run in her final college softball game on a very chilly Saturday afternoon and having some roadtrip fun on our way there & back; lunch at my fave Marinette restaurant where the owner greeted me with “Good to see you again, Amy”; watching the Brewers on TV; prepping all the food for the family party after church; general silliness among us all…and so much more… We are all counting the weeks till they head my way for some summer vacation fun…

Looking Ahead…planning what patio gardening I will do this summer…summer vacation planning…adding to the never ending “to read” list…

Linking up with Leigh Kramer for the monthly “What I’m Into” round-up. What are you into these days?

P.S. A bit late to the game…I’m finally claiming my blog through Bloglovin – so pardon the extra code…Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Currently…the January edition

February 1, 2014 / / 3 Comments
And just like that, January has morphed into February. Looking back on the month, there are still items to be blogged…some will be their own posts in the near future…for other things, I think that participating in the “What I’m Into” link-up hosted by Leigh Kramer is a way to capture moments of the month.
  • Reading…I mentioned several reads earlier this month in my first twitterature review. Since then, I’ve finished two more reads (The Noticer by Andy Andrews & Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde)…I’ll share thoughts on them later.
  • Watching…like many, I’m enjoying the return of SHERLOCK. Another new show I’m enjoying is “Intelligence.” I’m most of the way through the first season of Friday Night Lights on Netflix. A bit of a “movie marathon” while a friend was in town including the most recent “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Internship,” “Enough Said,” “Love Actually” (always a favorite), and “American Hustle” and a late lunch at Movie Tavern.
  • Cooking…the baked oatmeal recipe I discovered at Thanksgiving continues to be a favorite breakfast – in addition to a cranberry batch, I made a blueberry-blackberry-pecan version that has been delicious! Cold winter calls for comfort foods – for my New Year’s Pork & Sauerkraut, I found a Dutch oven recipe that I modified – the Cider Carmelized Sauerkraut is a keeper. I made a big pot of Mom’s Italian Squash Soup. My”go to” Brussels Sprout Hash is a quick (& frequent) fix that is great for packing for weekday lunches. I’m gearing up to do my second Whole30, so I’m planning out my menu & will share recipes while doing it.
Hanging Hankies

Hanging Hankies

  • Crafting…the knitting needles have been busy. In addition to finishing my afghan, I also finished a simple Shawlette for me & started replenishing the dishcloth stash. One Saturday afternoon, I made art for above my bed using some vintage hankies from my collection mounted on scrapbook paper & framed in 12×12 frames.
Tea @ Tilly Mints

Tea @ Tilly Mint’s

  • Enjoying…hosting a dear friend for a long girls weekend (afternoon tea at Tilly Mint’s Tea Room, a day in Lancaster Co., outlet shopping, movies, talking, hanging out and more) – such a wonderful weekend of R&R and friendship!
  • Trying…a new church and enjoying it. Maybe I’ve finally found one to call home here?
  • Planning…blog posts (& maybe a redesign?)…spare room organization…Spring break…summer vacations…maybe a winter Olympic knitting adventure?
And now, a new month and new things to be into…what about you? What are you into these days?

On Flights & Family Time

December 31, 2013 / / 2 Comments
As another year winds down, inevitably it has us looking back on the year & determining highlights. For me, a highlight of 2013 was the fact that I wasn’t constantly on the road with work travel. In fact, I only had 4 weeks of work travel this year. With 26 flight segments taken in 2013, only 1 trip was for work. That means that the others were for fun times with family. So where did those flights take me? Here, a few highlight pics from fun times in Georgia, Wisconsin & Texas…
May - A surprise trip home to cheer Rebecca in her first super-sprint triathlon.

May – A surprise trip home to cheer Rebecca in her first super-sprint triathlon.

June - Artisan Family Great Lakes Getaway. We enjoyed a week around Lake Michigan - first at Mackinac Island and then in Door County, WI

June – Artisan Family Great Lakes Getaway. We enjoyed a week around Lake Michigan – first at Mackinac Island and then in Door County, WI

July - In Marinette to celebrate kid birthdays and take in a Brewers game!

July – In Marinette to celebrate kid birthdays and take in a Brewers game!

August - Rebecca & I go back to Mercer to see a thrilling win as Mercer returns to football for the 1st time since 1941.

August – Rebecca & I go back to Mercer to see a thrilling win as Mercer returns to football for the 1st time since 1941.

October - Fall fun in Marinette, including the pumpkin patch and haunted hayrid

October – Fall fun in Marinette, including the pumpkin patch and haunted hayride

October - Trick or treating with the girlies in Texas.

October – Trick or treating with the girlies in Texas.

December - A quick trip home to the 'Ville to enjoy a Family Christma

December – A quick trip home to the ‘Ville to enjoy a Family Christmas

As the 2014 calendars are being opened, I’m already making plans for trips  & adventures with these dear ones!

Entertaining Friends

January 28, 2013 / / 0 Comments

As I was looking at apartments here in PA, one thing I was definitely wanting was “extra space” for hosting house guests. I knew that moving to a new locale would bring friends & family to visit. I’m thrilled with the place that is now my home – and happy to open the doors of the “Artisan B&B” to welcome family and friends.

As my relocation to PA was firmed up, dear friends from my time in Wisconsin started talking about when they would come to visit. My last trip to WI on October, we picked a January visit. Over the MLK holiday weekend, “the girls” came for a multi-generational girls weekend. Mom, Daughter & Grandma arrived on Friday afternoon for a long weekend of fun times. It was the perfect opportunity to be a bit of a local tourist/tour guide.

kitchen_kettle

On Saturday, we headed west to Lancaster County to explore. We went to one of my favorite pottery shops & each of us picked up a fun piece to remember the day. A late lunch was enjoyed “family style” at Good ‘N Plenty Restaurant. There was a bit of shopping at the Kitchen Kettle Village (including yarn).

tea_time

On Sunday, we headed into Philadelphia. This was actually my first time going into the city since moving here. “The” activity was afternoon tea at one of the downtown hotels. Since we got there a bit early, we walked a couple of blocks over to the iconic “LOVE” sculpture. Tea at the top of the Bellevue made for a delightful afternoon.

On Monday, shopping. I think the day can be summed up as “We Shopped…We Dropped…” There is a great outlet mall near me so the combination of good sales and no sales tax on clothes made for a very successful day for all of us. As we piled the bags into the back of my car when we were done, we joked that we were glad I had an SUV now. As for getting all of their “spoils” back home, I’m slated to return to WI for a business trip within the week – with my airline “status” I can check 2 bags for free, so one of my wheeled duffel bags is packed for delivery to them.

When we weren’t out & about, we had fun just hanging out at home. Watching movies…chatting …pizza from my local pizza place…falling asleep in the recliner or on the couch…sleeping in each morning…a simple breakfast each morning…using Face Time each evening to talk to “the boys” back in WI…just unwinding & enjoying being together…

After so much time on the road in the last couple of years, it was great fun to play host! This family has welcomed me into their home so many times while I’ve been Marinette – it was a treat to be able to entertain them in my place. We are already planning when the whole family will come for a visit.

Northern Stitches…

January 15, 2012 / / 1 Comment

When I first started blogging, knitting was a ‘hot topic’ that occupied many of my posts. In recent years, while my knitting skills (& stash) have greatly increased I don’t think I have been knitting quite as much. In 2011, I knit a few things – although most of them have yet to be documented. In the absence of digging into those projects right now, here are a few recent stitches from up north.

For Christmas 2011, I only had one gift knit – an afghan. This was made for dear friends up north that truly are like family. Many a fun hour has been spent with this family – lot of time just hanging out. So, a cozy afghan for the living room. (project details here)

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(this quick pic was taken in my hotel suite – hence the clashing with the chair)

I’m ready to start some new knit projects; however, in the interim I have been cranking out my ‘old standby’ dishcloths. A tableau from last Sunday…working on a dishcloth while teaching a young friend to knit (a hot pink scarf)…as we caught up on life & enjoyed frosted mint mochas at a local cafe…a perfect way to spend a winter afternoon…

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