Makely

Let's Make Life Awesome

From Her Plate to Yours

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On Sunday, I met up with my good friend Kristi for our weekly bi-monthly whenever we aren’t feeling lazy bike ride. We used to train together a LOT last year during triathlon season, but this year we are taking it easy for a number of reasons. But, mostly it’s just my own laziness. We have an urban adventure race we are racing in on June 27th, so it’s time to get serious again.

Kristi showed up to our ride with a shopping bag in hand and said it was a little gift for me. Oh, how I love gifts! She had recently cleaned out her storage building and came across a little something she thought I would like.

She was wrong. I didn’t like it…I LOVED it!

After she acted silly and said I didn’t have to keep if if I didn’t like it (HA! Whatever!), she explained that it was a delft plate from the Netherlands. It’s a Delftse Pauw piece and is hand-painted and numbered.

The hardest part of accepting this gift was deciding where to put it in my home. We all know I’m crazy for plates, but I wanted to find a really perfect place for this new one. I ultimately decided that it would look great on my nightstand as a little catch-all for all the “stuff” I put on top of it when I go to sleep.

Besides her fantastic taste in Delftware, Kristi can cook like nobody’s business. At the beginning of 2008, she decided that she would visit a local farmers market each week and publish a recipe on her blog using in season ingredients purchased at the market. She’s also been doing a lot of work supporting our local Sustainable Food Center. If you like to cook or just like to salivate over yummy recipes, you definitely need to check out Kristi’s blog, Austin Farm to Table. It’s always fun to be her guinea pig and test out new recipes. She has never disappointed!

A friend who can cook AND gives you gorgeous clayware? What more could a girl ask for? Thanks for being there, Kristi!

Bringing Beauty to Unexpected Places

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Beauty is giving life to a few old Styrofoam balls as the center of a new project.

Beauty is knowing that a project is always more fulfilling when it involves your 3-year old son.

Beauty is displaying seashells picked up on a recent beach trip along with Dollar Store moss.

Beauty is realizing there can never be enough Dollar Store moss. Or seashells. Ever.

Beauty is combining your son’s sterling silver cup with his father’s sterling silver baby spoon unexpectedly into a vase of natural elements.

Beauty is a hurricane vase filled with a few of the things that remind you of those you love.

And sometimes, beauty is seeing your child’s own creation and realizing that maybe there is more of you in him than you ever imagined.

Watch out Eddie Ross. You’ve got a Zachary Thomas waiting in the wings.

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You can easily recreate your own “beauty”:

1. Find a jar or vase you’d like to use and add a few pieces of foam for filler. I stacked mine on top of each other with a craft stick, but hot glue would work, too.
2. Fill the vase about 1/3 full of moss.
3. Add a layer of shells and push a few of them down in front of the moss. If you can’t visit a beach or a costal town tourist shop this summer, check your thrift stores and craft stores for shells.
4. Add another layer of moss.
5. Add more shells and top with unexpected items such as old sterling silver pieces, ceramic bird statues, small mirrors, broken dishes or vintage costume jewelry. Just keep all of the items in the same color scheme.
6. Add a little more moss, just for good measure.
7. Step back and admire the beauty.