As a Newly-Wed…

…I have been learning a few things.  Over the last month and a half, Isaac and I have laughed over various things as we set up house and figure out life together as a couple. Here are a few tips for those of you who are not married yet:

1.  It is not always worth it to go for the cheapest quality in order to save money.  Even though many times one cannot tell any difference between a name brand product and a generic brand product, at least in the area of can openers, do not skimp.  I now have two different kinds of can openers in the kitchen drawer, and neither one works.  I am now forced to resort to the faithful Leatherman. 

2.  There is a reason for those sometimes intricate, sometimes simple, designs on silverware: It helps that spoon, fork, and occasional knife, from sliding down the edge of the plate and into your food or off the plate.  Trust me—I speak from experience.  

3.  Do not try baking while the sun beats outside.  I nearly drove Isaac out of the house it was so warm inside.  Fortunately, I think I redeemed myself with the fresh bread that we had for supper.

4.  It is fun to work on a project together.  Isaac and I arrived in Hot Springs, South Dakota the middle of June, a little late for doing much of a garden, but we decided to try on anyway.  We are now coaxing a small 8x8-foot garden into producing some kind of fresh garden goods.  So far, it looks like we’ll have a bunch of radishes and cucumbers, as well as a few tomatoes.

5.  Learn how to cook before you get married.  I may be blessed with a husband who is particularly enthusiastic and verbal about his appreciation for food, but I think the saying about “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is quite true. Sometime soon, I’ll share the recipe for the bread I made that is seriously the easiest and most amazing bread recipe ever!  

6. Turned-off electric ovens do not lose their heat very quickly. I found this out the hard way: Keeping pizza warm in the oven for an hour is a bad idea, even with the oven turned off. The result of such an attempt? The worst pizza I’ve ever made. Or, to be more extreme, something that can barely qualify as pizza. Fortunately, Isaac was a good sport about it and ate it all anyway! 

I am sure there are many more entertaining moments to come... :)

Pinterest and Scarves

I have recently become {somewhat} hooked on Pinterest.  It is fun to have at one's fingertips so many ideas on how to become an efficient cook and homemaker, ultimate Do-It-Yourself-er, and maybe even a successful seamstress.  The resources are plentiful...and seem practically bottomless.   I don't know if anyone else has this feeling, but I have the problem of never really getting around to actually trying out the ideas and seeing if they work!

Well, about three years ago, I fell in love with {scarves} (Well, I have also fallen in love with Isaac Stanley, but that wasn't quite three years ago and the story would require its own post!)  Anyway, when my aunt gave me my first scarf from Afghanistan--a long, narrow, black crocheted-type scarf with specks of green and pink, as well as little sequins-- I smiled and politely said "thank you," while inside, I thought, "What in the world am I going to do with this?!?"   Ahh, that scarf has since become one of my favorites!  

Once I finally decided to go out on a limb and risk looking totally ridiculous in a scarf, I loved it!  Do you know how much fun scarves can be?  With just one scarf, you can dress up a plain t-shirt. Or, use different scarves with the same shirt and you get a totally different look!  Or sometimes...well, you get the idea. :)  

Needless to say, I now have a pile of scarves in my closet...several from Israel that my dad brought back for me, a solid green one from India that my dear friend Claudia, the previously-mentioned one from Afghanistan has been joined by another one from the same aunt,  as well as a bright cheapy Family Dollar scarf...and the list could go on.  

Soo, I've recently noticed the popular use of infinity scarves this winter.  They're fun and have a different look to them.  But,  I hate to spend money if I don't actually need the item I want to buy (just ask Isaac...or my family.  They'll tell you how often I talk myself out of buying something!) So, as fun as infinity scarves look, I still haven't talked myself into getting any. 

Well, I ran across this genius idea on Pintrest for turning a regular, long, narrow scarf into an infinity scarf!  I've tried it and it works! (And actually, it can be done with a large square one as well, you just have to loop it around a little differently!)  

Here's the idea: 

"I have a ton of pashmina scarves that I love for their pattern or color, but I prefer infinity scarves when it comes to the actual style. I figured out a solution last year and now do this all the time. 

If you have a long rectangular scarf, just tie the two ends together by the corners, and put it on like a circle scarf. If you wanted to, you could just sew it together at the ends, but this is super quick and you can take it apart at the end of the day. " 

Ta-dah!  I knew I didn't have to go out and buy an infinity scarf!  

So you see, Pinterest does have some good ideas...they can save you money...and they can be incredibly fun as well...especially when you get to do it yourself and you get to save money at the same time! :)  

Three down, two to go...

And:

Four wheeling in the desert...

Homemade pizza...

Near-midnight attacks on fellow Spring-breakers...

Staying up late...

More thinking...

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