I need some recipe ideas. Link up.

Me eating a freakishly delicious nutella-banana crepe (my right hand) and a caprese sandwich (left hand) at the Bozeman farmer's market. I think it's obvious that I'm a "dessert first" kind of girl. 

I'm in a culinary rut. People on pinterest keep pinning the same recipes, so I've seen them all! If you have any ideas for really tasty dinner ideas, leave the link in a comment and I'll come take a look. 

Separate question: How in the world do I host a link party? I've looked at linkytools.com and inlinkz.com, and neither of them are free. Is there another site that's free? What do all you super-pro bloggers do? 

Do you ask permission when posting pictures of other people?

This topic seems a little obvious, because asking permission is the most courteous thing to do. I don't personally care if people post pictures online that I'm in, but a lot of people are more sensitive to having their face and information out there.

There's one circumstance in which I always ask permission first, and that's when I'm posting pictures of someone's child. If I had a child, which I suspect I might someday, I'd like if people checked with me, or at least let me know, about posting their pictures on blogs or other websites.

What about you guys? Do you ask permission to post pictures of people or their kids? How often do you ask?

You can call me "Smart" now.

This is the graduation present I came home to! I'm now officially on the bandwagon. Now the only thing keeping me in the "old era" is that my facebook profile still isn't Timeline. 

Don't forget to enter the Kiersten White giveaway!

Giveaway from Kiersten White, NY Times Bestseller!

You guys may have heard of Kiersten White. She's the author of the Paranormalcy series, a teen fiction fantasy trilogy. I scarfed down her first two books in a couple of days, and the final book for the trilogy, Endlessly, was just released! Kiersten was generous enough to answer a handful of goofy interview questions just for my blog, and as if that wasn't cool enough, she's giving away a signed paperback of Paranormalcy! Scroll down for six chances to enter!

1. Do you consider yourself "crafty" (in any sense of the word)?

Only crafty in the sense that, were I an arch-villain, I would frequently do that thing where I steeple my fingers and laugh maniacally while planning world domination.

2. How many friends do you have?

Too many or too few, depending on the day. I'm very bad about maintaining relationships, and really only have a handful of close friends, but many more people that I genuinely like.

3. Have you ever done anything illegal? If so, what?

I once went the wrong way down an escalator and got chewed out by the security guard. Thus ended my short but brilliant career as a deviant.

4. Which Sherlock adaptation is your favorite? 

I love all things Sherlock and Sherlock-inspired. Straight Sherlock, I'd have to go with the BBC's brilliant SHERLOCK. Sherlock-inspired, Veronica Mars can't be beat.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment as an adult. 

That time I shared my most embarrassing moment for everyone on the internet to read.

6. What is your choice beverage? Recreational activity?

Dr. Pepper, much to my waist's detriment. As far as recreation, I'm actually Olympic-level in competitive napping. People wonder how I keep up the rigorous training schedule with two children, but it's only made me a more determined and crafty competitor. (See? More crafts!)

7. Place the following random bands/people in order according to coolness: The Talking Heads, David Bowie, Divo, Ted Dansen, Pink Floyd, Peter Schilling, Justin Bieber, Steve Zahn, and Gary Busey. 

David Bowie, because, hello, Labyrinth. I don't really think anything can compare with the terror and wonder of those pants, so there's no point in putting anyone else on the list.

For more of her musings and answers to questions relating to writing, take a look at her blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Obligatory Graduation Pictures

There was barefoot.
There were grandparents.
There was family.
There were pictures.
There was toothbrushing.
There was a purple lace dress.
There was diploma cover receiving.
There was hand shaking.
There were smiles.
There were congratulations.

Sweet and Sour

It's been a while since I've done a Sweet and Sour post (I don't like being tied down with weekly post commitments) so I thought I'd throw one in. 


Sweet: Walking in the commencement ceremony with my class!
Sour: Not actually being done with school. I still have 2 classes to complete by December until I'm officially a college graduate. 


Sweet: Spending ten days with my family on vacation in Yellowstone. Hiking, exploring, and general memory-making. 
Sour: Sunburns and mosquito bites.


Sweet: Being blond again.
Sour: Having my roots show almost immediately. I'll definitely be going a little darker in the Fall.


Sweet: The upcoming Fall season! I know I'm not the only one excited.
Sour: The impending end to summer. 


Sweet: Not having to worry about how dirty my car looks, because I'm not there to look at it.
Sour: Knowing I'll be returning home to a filthy car, which I then have to clean.


Here's a delectable sweet and sour recipe for Frozen Lemon Whip with Blueberry Sauce from one of my absolute favorite cookbooks, Five Ingredient Fix.

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 lemons, zested, plus thin slices for serving
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Blueberry Sauce, recipe follows
• Blueberries, for garnish

Directions

Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until well combined, then add the lemon juice and zest. Pour into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to the consistency of gravy, 8 to 10 minutes, (it should cling to the spoon when you stop stirring). Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over a glass bowl. Stir the mixture occasionally to help release some of the heat. Once cooled to room temperature, put plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Whisk the chilled lemon curd to loosen it and fold half the cream into it to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until just blended. Divide the lemon whip between the muffin cups, smoothing the tops. Put the pan on a sheet tray, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.

To serve, remove muffin tray from freezer and let stand 10 minutes. Serve immediately by placing thin lemon slices on a plate and inverting the lemon whip directly on top of the lemon slices (this prevents sliding on the plate). Drizzle berry sauce over the top and around the frozen lemon whip. Garnish with a few fresh blueberries and enjoy your refreshing cold treat!!!

Blueberry Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Put the blueberries in a small saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice and zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and berries begin to burst. Cool slightly, then add to a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve over a glass bowl and chill, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use. 


I bet it would be amazing with raspberries or strawberries, too. 

Old Faithful

Source: Old Faithful Shop

I found these books over at Old Faithful Shop, which I thought was perfectly appropriate, as I'm in Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful spew her guts. Though I don't have time for reading while I'm here, I've been piling and brainstorming a collection of books to read. Anything about food, decorating, crafts, or travelling is right up my alley.

Here are some shots of what we've been seeing on our trip so far. 

Today, we're spending the day white water rafting, then later in the evening, we're going to float in the Boiling River. It's a water day up here in Montana. I don't know about you guys, but I sure don't have the Monday's. 

This Guy

I was there for his college graduation, and he was there for mine. Happy birthday, Dad! You can bet there will be ample amounts of gorging on delicious food for the next five days.

Last Day of Bachelor Studies

High School Graduation

Later tonight I will accomplish one of the goals I've been working toward my whole life. I'll put on a baggie, black gown, a weird, flat-top hat with a dangly thing, and I'll walk with hundreds of other people in front of hundreds of people, receive a pretend degree, and then celebrate with my family for a week. The real degree will come in the mail at some undetermined date.

Culturally, graduation is strange. We learn a bunch of stuff, then celebrate.

I've learned my stuff! Now to celebrate...

I'm on vacation

My body's on vacation, but my brain is not. Which means my body's not really on vacation; I'm just away from home.

I still have homework, but am equipped with a Stoneage computer and limited time.
I lost my phone somewhere between Long Beach and Salt Lake.
I just "slept" in a 95 degree room, and I think the 3 hours that I actually slept made my fatigue worse.
I woke up sweaty and angry.
I keep stressing myself with the "ohmygoshithinkiforgotblahblahblah" and then remembering where I packed it.
I'm also stressing myself out about graduating in 2 days. Not because of the whole "college graduation thing," but because I don't actually know where or when I'm supposed to line up, or any other details about the day.

Don't have high expectations for daily/engaging posts for the next ten days.

Conrad's helping me keep it real.

Why I'm not a quilter

Last night, I spent the evening with a good friend. She's an incredible quilter and seamstress, so she was excited when I told her I was "working" on a quilt (meaning I started it a year ago, got stuck, and haven't touched it since). We spent the evening sewing my quilt, and it's really close to being done. I got bored with some of the things, and I started dilly-dallying, so she took over and helped me do most of it.

Here's why quilting isn't in my heart:

It's precise.

When I do projects, I like to slop stuff around. I like to just start something and see where it goes. I like to figure things out as I go, which sometimes leads to a totally different finished product than I anticipated. 

You can't be that way with quilting. It takes patterns and measurements and precision. I'm not a straight shot on the sewing machine. Everything I do is squiggly. Never give me a gun. The bullet might end up somewhere unfortunate. 

So I considered dumping this project all-together. Stopping in the middle. I decided against it. I'll finish the quilt, but I'll never start another one. I'll be really proud of myself for finishing something that turned out to be hard, plus it will be nice to have the blanket on one of my kids' beds be something I made. 

Nice shorts

On one of my walks last week, I was wearing these shorts, and I passed a woman wearing the same ones. Jokingly I said "hey! I like your shorts!" in the hopes that she would notice that we matched and have a laugh with me. 

She did not notice. Nor did she laugh. 

She simply said "Thanks" and kept briskly on. 

It was weird. 

Like Weeds: Some tips that helped me in growing my blog

I was asked by a friend for some tips on growing your blog. Here's what I told her. Add any advise you have! 



As a starter, you should just focus on getting some attention. A good way to do this is to follow and comment on other people's blogs, and leave your URL so people can check you out if they want. Be genuine in your comments, and never say "Follow me back!" Also, never expect someone to follow you simply because you commented. I set a goal to comment on 5 blogs a day, whether I'm a new or old follower.

Another good way to get some attention is to sponsor other blogs, and have the option to sponsor on your blog. Prices will vary based on blog size. A lot of blogs offer an ad "swap," where you can trade buttons and advertise for each other for free. You generally do ad swaps with blogs that are equal in size to your blog. As your blog grows and people want to sponsor you, this will turn into a way for you to make money. I'll post more on making money with your blog.

Start a Facebook page! Invite your friends to like the page, and use "liking the Facebook Page" as an entry for giveaways. Post all your blog updates and posts onto this page so that followers can get the latest! Also start a Twitter for your blog (or just yourself and use it for both). I also linked the two together, so that when I post something to Facebook, it also goes onto Twitter (on Facebook, there's an option to do this). 

Once you get to 50 followers, you can host your first giveaway! If you have a shop or blog who wants to do the giveaway for you, great! If not, use your own creativity. Giveaway something you made or something of value. I've even seen giveaways for gift cards! Using Rafflecopter is a really good way to make giveaways more organized (versus counting a bunch of comments and choosing one at random). Have giveaways as often as you want to.

Once you reach 100, you can start deciding on your permanent blog name. Hopefully at this point, you've developed a style and a specific audience. Decide on a concise, catchy blog name, and get your own URL! You can use sites like GoDaddy.com. To find out if your blog name is taken, simply search for it. I considered the name "I've Been Framed" when I got to this point, but when I searched ivebeenframed.com, it was taken, and the people who owned it wanted to sell it for $10,000! I decided on The Framed Lady, which was available for $12.99/year, which is a pretty typical price.

When you know what you want your permanent blog name to be, you can also invest in a blog design. I'll tell you now that just because you pay more doesn't mean it's a better design. You can find some great designers who are just starting out and are willing to give you a great deal. My designer found me and asked if I'd be interested in a $20 blog makeover. I jumped on it. You don't need to pay $200. Do some research, or barter with a friend.

At this point, you're doing all of the major things to get attention for your blog.
Have a button
Sponsor/be sponsored
Ad swaps
Facebook page
Twitter
Giveaways
Have a name and a design

Remember that these guidelines are not hard rules - they are just what worked for me. One of the biggest things to remember as a blogger is to be genuine. If you find that your pageviews (and confidence) are low, or that you're writing more for the attention than you are for yourself, consider taking a break from the attention aspect. I did. When you've regained your perspective an motivation, try again. A good thing to notice is that if blogging ever starts to feel like a chore, you're doing something wrong.

Good luck! Email me with any additional questions at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com, or leave your question in the comments.

Concert in the park

The other day we hit the Concert in the Park. For most people, including us, the concert isn't necessarily about who's playing. It's about gathering in a crowd with your dinner and your lover, and spending two hours talking and people-watching. I would seriously recommend looking in your area for similar events. It's an evening well spent. Good music, lawn chairs, naked babies dancing, and food. And free. Yes. An evening well-spent. 

Today was a day

Today was a day spent shopping, lunching, swimming, and basking with my mother-in-law and two out of three sisters-in-law. We hopped over to the mall where I picked up some much-needed items: hand soap from Bath and Body Works, some free underwear from a certain "secret" conglomerate, and a graduation dress, which I'm in love with. No pictures yet. There will be an exciting reveal next week, when I GRADUATE and officially become an adult (just kidding. I'll probably never be an adult). We lunched at the always-delicious Borelli's, then came home for some amateur aquarobics and sun-bathing. 

In other news, there's a baby bunny who's been lurking in my garden. If I actually paid for gardening myself, I'd be mad, but I don't, and he's so dang cute that I just can't see him as a menace. Commence adoring of baby bunny bottom. 

Friday the Thirteenth

Today could have been very unlucky.
I could have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Late.
I could have missed a homework assignment.
My haircut/dye could have been seriously botched.
I could have gotten food poisoning.

But none of that happened. The day started off slow, with some cereal munching and some internet browsing. As I always do, I get bored with the internet rather quickly, and I turn on Spongebob and make the bed and start cleaning up my pile. Off with the shorts and baggie shirt, on with the clothes. Commence an hour or two of simultaneous homework/web surfing. 1:45 rolls around and I set off for my hair appointment, which was unfortunately expensive, but worth it. New hair is a success. Stop at a hidden little bakery and taste a shameful amount of cupcakes, and get a Mexican Brownie for Conrad - his favorite. Stop and get 3 rolled tacos. Feel full after 2 (success again! We're not counting the cupcakes). Come home and gaze adoringly at Ninners. Brush teeth. Watch Gossip Girl until Conrad comes home. Greet him with a big, slightly open-mouth kiss, then go get burritos at Chipotle. Join the in-laws at the concert in the park.

Not an unlucky day. Not at all.

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward
+ My showering situation. There's not so much of a situation that's preventing me from showering. I just haven't taken one in...a few days. Meaning four. I'm pretty ashamed.
+ My pinky toes. The nail is so tiny that sometimes I have to paint the skin so people don't ask me where it went.
+ Sitting next to a person with really bad breath. Every time they breathe, you try not to. But it doesn't work and you can smell their breath anyway, and you're fighting off the gag face.
+ The gag face.
+ Leaving the house with a clear face, then looking in the mirror a couple hours later and realizing a big, new zit has sprouted and is shining its beacon for all the world. How do these things happen so fast? It's probably a result of me not showering for nearly a whole work week. Maybe.
+ Me tasting alcohol-free wine. I'll stick with my sparkling juices athankyouverymuch. Because I'm five. And Mormon.
+ How humid it is where we live. It may be the only negative thing about living by the beach. I wake up sweaty like a little fat kid who took a long nap. I shower and I never totally dry off. I wear my bathing suit all day, under a dress or shorts, and it helps a little. But when it's time to get back in bed, the sheets feel damp. Not pleasant.
+ My blog's images which are on the wire right now. Sorry about that, for those of you who were trying to, you know, navigate the site. Working on it.

Awesome
+ White nail polish. It makes my hands look so tan! See this post.
+ Conrad. Conrad is awesome. Most people receive compliments on their clothes or hair. I get compliments on my husband. "He's so sweet to you!" "The way he looks at you..." "Honey, maybe you should take note at how loving Conrad is to Tess." "Awww, he went out to the car to get something for you? My husband would never do that!" It reminds me how lucky I am.
+ Finishing up the semester with A's and B's. This may not be that impressive to most of you, but for a while it looked like it might be C's. And maybe a D. So I'm rather impressed with myself.
+ Our Graduation/Yellowstone trip which we leave for on Wednesday! I've got packing, and final homework assignments, I need to find a graduation dress, and I have to find a sitter for Ninners. So excited.

The lovers see a show

Conrad and I went on a date last night. One of our best. Maybe THE best. He took me to eat at the Nordstrom cafe, which is one of my favorites. We had a beautiful view of downtown San Diego. After dinner he took me to see Wicked. Guys. GUYS. My life will never be the same. I totally cried. Like five times. I've seen musicals before, but never one with such a high budget and such talented actors. It's an emotional overload. It's so funny, then it's so moving, and the music... Oh. On the way home we talked about all the musicals we'd like to go to (hilariously, my macho husband loves Broadway). On the list is Lion King, Sweeney Todd, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Producers, and Phantom. What others should we see?

How do you know if you've had a good day?

Black and white worn with shades of beige. Simple. Year-round. Also, if you look to the right, I've got one finger showing, and it's painted white. And I love it. White nails (or white anything) makes your skin look so tan in comparison. 

Conrad and I had a fabulous weekend this last week. On Saturday, we cleaned the whole house in the morning, then went to the beach and got some sun and surfed, and then we came home and swam in the pool and laid out some more. In the evening, we snuggled and watched some Seinfeld episodes. I call that a successful day. On Sunday, I took Conrad for a walk around the lagoon, and we came home and swam and basked some more. We went to church and heard some inspired words. For dinner we had delectable filet mignon (courtesy of Conrad, the grillmaster), mashed potatoes, and green beans with feta. 

Here's the criteria for a good day:

Time spent in the sunshine

Substantial amount of good food eaten

Time spent with your favorite person, with at least some physical contact (hugging, snuggling, holding hands, etc.)

A dash of spirituality

Also see this post on good day ingredients.
See this blog and this blog for a hilarious coincidence of us all wearing black and white striped skirts on the same day. 

Hot Balls

I'm a sucker for sweets. I will ALWAYS ask Conrad if we can get dessert, and he will usually say "no, we had it last night and we don't need that much sugar" and then I will have it anyway.

I went to girls camp a couple weeks ago as a counselor, and since I'm so young and hip (har har), I wanted to be the cool leader who brought candy to share. So I brought it and I shared it. With the leader I was sharing a room with. I did not share it with the girls, and here's why: I consider myself a sugar snob. I don't like cheap candy. I like the good stuff. Good chocolate. If it's expensive, even better. If it's European, EVEN BETTER!

So I deemed my candy "Adult's Only" and proceeded to have grown up conversations late into the evening with my bunkmate.

One of the leaders at camp offered me chewy, spicy cinnamon balls, only she called them Hot Balls. And now all I ever want to say is "hot balls." I think it'd be a good expletive replacement, don't you?

Here are some sweets I've been eyeballing. Or hot balling.

source

source

source

source

source

This one's the killer. If tiramisu is on the menu, I'm ordering it. I don't care who I'm with or what my other options are.

source

These little double cherry suckers are so cute. You can cut them apart and share with a friend, or sit cheek-to-cheek with your lover and share with them connected.

Go check out this site for a really big group giveaway that I'm part of, and to see some blogs that are similar to mine!

Siblings, selfishness, and scars

I have three siblings: a sister and two brothers, in that order. They were all born after me. Which means they, from their moment of conception, were a sibling. I have been something that they will never be: an only child.

Granted, I was only an only child for two years, the entirety of which I do not remember. But still.

So I like to think that during those two crucial, formative years, I developed something similar to "only child syndrome."

I'm sad to say that I'm a selfish person. I'm never (I should say rarely) deliberately mean, but sometimes I get consumed with myself. I married someone almost entirely selfless. It had to be that way, otherwise my marriage would never have lasted.

Sometimes in my self-consumption (are we calling it that?), I throw tantrums and only think about what I want RIGHT NOW, and think less about who it might affect or how much...ahem...money it might cost. Anyway, I'm quite proud to say that my siblings, who have always been siblings (unlike me), are very selfless people. They're sensitive to other people's feelings, they're happy, friendly people, and they always make an effort to make someone's day better.

Especially this one.



See that scar below her lip? I did that. As a teenager, we were in a car accident and I was driving. The collision's force caused her to bite through her lip. I consider myself lucky that the only thing that happened to her was that, but I also feel a tinge of guilt every time I think about it. If I had been more careful and less selfish and thoughtless, she wouldn't have that scar.

To further my point, she's not even mad about the scar. In fact, she says she likes it. How's that for a selfless sibling?

2 dips for entertaining

source of picture, but not recipe

For the 4th of July, we went to Conrad's family's house for a giant, all-family party. I brought a couple of dips and some pita bread, and they were a huge hit, so I thought I'd share them. They're both very simple and very impressive. 

Layered Pesto Dip

In a flat dish, layer a single layer each of basil pesto, chopped sundried tomatoes, and feta cheese in amounts to your taste. 

Tzatziki

Mix together the following.

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of garlic paste or crushed garlic

2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill

half of a hot house cucumber, sliced and diced finely (use a whole cucumber if you want)

Serve both dips with pita bread or pita chips, and get ready to receive compliments.

A different perspective

Have you guys seen this lip balm? I love it. It's so tasty. I have the strawberry sorbet flavor, and I'm looking to invest in the sweet mint soon. Go buy it. You can find it at Target or any drugstore.

Now, on to matters that aren't so "product placement"-y.

Sometimes, when I look at Conrad, I see something different than what I usually see.

Every once in a while, I see him like other people see him. As if I didn't know him. He's just some handsome person who's heart I've only seen a glimpse of, despite a three-year marriage.

Every once in a while, I see him like his parents see him. I imagine him as a little kid. And then that kid grew up (sort of) and I married him. That little person is the same person I share a life with.

But usually, I see him the way I normally see him. A big oaf with a big nose and long legs and the biggest heart. A man-child who is a provider and protector. Who also takes forever to get ready for bed.