About a year ago I joined a fitness group (well…a fitness group with an interest in cosplay) that gets together once a year for DragonCon in Atlanta. When I joined I just wanted to stay on the perimeter and be the introvert that I am. As a newer member of the Spartans (300dc), I thought […]
Author: Sheila
One Vinaigrette to Rule Them All
I refuse to buy salad dressing. Store bought dressing is full of sodium, and once I tried homemade salad dressing I never looked back. What’s great about my go-to vinaigrette recipe is that most ingredients are already in my pantry (or in the herb garden outside). I can also add or substitute ingredients for a […]
Costuming Littlefinger’s Brothel Dresses from Game of Thrones
It’s probably impossible to costume something that is cheap, easy to make, beautiful, AND comfortable…but I’m pretty sure I pulled it off (times five)! Before I learned how to sew, I had most of the pieces of Catelyn Stark and Littlefinger from Game of Thrones commissioned for my husband and I. I was very pleased […]
Pepper Jelly and Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Butter, Oh My!
There are a few recipe variations from my basic jam/jelly/marmalade formula. Apple Pepper Jelly has always been a huge hit at parties. It is blissful on crackers with cream cheese, and I’ve heard of some people spreading it on sandwiches in lieu of mayonnaise or mustard. My Cranberry Sauce is a holiday favorite, and leftovers […]
A Mathematical Formula for Jam/Jelly/Marmalade
I’ve been canning for over 20 years. I went through a lot of trial and error the first few years as I tried different recipes and combinations. At one point I realized that all the recipes were crap, so I threw them out and just used my own. I actually came up with a simple […]
Finally Calling Myself a Runner
I ran for a year before I would call myself a runner. I thought I had to be fast or run long distances, or maybe something other than just me. I had participated in 5k races before, but I had to walk quite a bit, and I would be wiped out for the rest of […]
The Kentucky Derby for us Plebeians
I’m not a sports fan, but I love hosting themed parties. Any reason to dress up and decorate outside the box is a good enough reason for me! My favorite thing about hosting parties is the planning, and I tend to spend months obsessing, organizing, crafting, and preparing for these parties…and then they’re over in […]
Lazy Wine Making
I wish I owned a vineyard, or a winery, or really anything in the wine industry. But I don’t. I have a day job…a desk job. The next best thing is being able to make wine at home or in a boutique. So that is exactly what I do every year towards the end of summer […]
The Evolution of a Laundry Room to Butler’s Wine Pantry
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British Isles Cruise on Royal Princess (Part 3: Scotland and France)
Continued from British Isles Cruise on Royal Princess (Part 2: England, Ireland, Northern Ireland) Day 6: Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland & Excursion: Best of Scotland Highlands Oh Scotland, I love you. What a beautiful place! And not just the scenery, but the crisp air and the smell of earth and mist and green. We took a ferry […]