It's Scarf Season!

I'm sure it's October, which is normally when I break out my scarves, but right now, the weather seems to think it's August.  However, soon enough, we'll be back to 50, 40, 30, 20 degrees and dropping.  Wearing a scarf helps protect your throat and it looks cool!  Lighter scarves can also be worn in the warmer seasons.    There are so many ways to tie a scarf that even if you wear the same scarf every day and tie it differently, it looks brand new!  I honestly couldn't pick a favorite scarf video, so here is a variety.




Wendy shows many varieties, not all of which I'm convinced are technically different from each other, but she still has some options.  At the end, you can click on the scarf you wanted to see more of, or at least slower, and it will take you to a video where she does a few of them.  At the beginning of the second video, you can just click ahead to the one you want to see, or you can watch all of them.




Michelle Phan has been my favorite for makeup tutorials.  (She has a video on bridal makeup that I used for my wedding.)  Her voice, even when she has a cold, is calm and soothing and not obnoxious.  This was the first fashion one I had seen from her, and I liked how she gave clear steps while Chriselle demonstrated very clearly.  The Criss-Cross is my favorite (Wendy calls it the Twist and Pull) and my scarf stand-by!

Now, I recently purchased some square scarves, and while I've always known how to tie a long scarf, even if I just drape it around twice or something, the square scarf was a mystery to me.  I'd seen them draped and loved the look, but didn't know how to duplicate it.  Hello, YouTube!

Here's one Michelle Phan does, but hers is with a light silk scarf.

 

Michelle sort of gets to my favorite way when Chriselle shortens the necklace scarf, but here's another video that shows a different way to achieve this look - and with a heavier scarf.




This is what I do, except instead of just tucking the ends in, I tie them underneath the triangle.  I find this holds it more securely for windy days - or when I'm around children.

Now go and do likewise. :)

Love and Scarves,
LeahJoy

The Monday Rant: Kids with Cell Phones

Nothing irks me quite so much as a little kid with a cell phone.  I understand if you give your kid one for the sake of emergencies or calling you when they get somewhere.  But the kid then will understand that this is for emergencies only.  And they won't be texting their friends during school.  And they won't be annoying people with their incessant texting.  Are you getting the picture here?  Little kids texting bothers me.

I didn't even use a cell phone until I got my license when I was 17 and in my senior year of high school.  Then I shared one with my mom; I only took it when I was driving somewhere.  She wanted me to have it on my person in case of an emergency.  We shared that phone until my sophomore year of college.  At that point I moved into an on-campus apartment and got my own phone, and even then - even now - I hardly ever use it.

I will not condemn adult cell phone use.  Adults have made their own decisions, and some lifestyle or career choices actually require a lot of cell phone use and I don't mind that.  My husband uses his phone so that he can check his email and keep in touch with people even when he's not around the people or at his computer.  With his job, this is important.  If you're 8, it's not.

I guess I don't understand what an 8-year-old could possibly have to say to another 8-year-old while they're in school that can't wait until recess.  Or that can't be passed in a note.  Seriously.  If the note gets caught, the teacher might read it out loud.  If your cell phone gets caught, you're not getting it back until the end of the day/week/month/year/whatever the teacher decides.

And why would you give your kid a phone anyway?  They want to call their friends - and you don't have a land line?  Okay, let them use your phone and restrict their time limit.  That's what you did on the land line anyway!  If you give them their own phone, they will be yakking and yakking to their friends and ignoring you.

There is a lot of peer pressure on kids to have a cell phone, so your kids are probably begging you to get them one.  And it's up to you to decide what age, if any, to allow them that.  And then do they pay for their own plan/minutes to give them responsibility? - or is this something for which you pay?  What are the consequences for using it during class?  A lot of important decisions for you to make are wrapped up in this cell phone question.

But if your kid is still in elementary school - just don't.  Please.

Love and Cell Phones,
LeahJoy

A Cement Craft

Last year, I taught art and music lessons to my siblings, and I wanted to do a fun, involved craft.  I wanted something more physical than just painting or drawing.  So we made our own stepping stones.  Now, you can purchase these kits at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or other craft stores, and they'll run you at least $18 a piece.  If you've got a coupon, better yet.  Or, you can do it our way.

First, we went to Salvation Army and scoured their dishes section.  We looked for cheap dishes, especially one with the right color tag to be 50% off.  We looked for colorful dishes.  In the end, we spent about $10 or so on the dishes.

Next, we needed something in which to put the cement, so we did have to go to a craft store.  We looked at Salvation Army and Lowe's for some shallow pan, but we couldn't find anything other than a paint tray, and those have ridges.  The trays at craft stores should come in a few shapes and they'll run you a few dollars a piece.  We bought a square, a circle, and a flower.

Finally, we needed cement.  I was a complete cement novice (I still am) and had no idea how much cement costs.  We went with the cheapest one, which was really cheap - a few dollars for a 40 lb bag!  In retrospect, we should have used something else, because this one was supplemented with little rocks.  If we had known anything about cement, we would have known this, but we didn't.

And so our project began.  The really fun part was breaking everything.  We had a brown paper bag ready and then we threw things around in the garage.  Jacob especially loved this part.  We collected the usable pieces in the bag and swept everything else up.  I guess I should say something about "don't do this barefoot" or "wear safety glasses" but I think you're smart enough.

Our next step was to mix the cement.  This was when we discovered the rocks.  We actually ran the dry mix through a sieve first to sort out all the rocks.  This obviously makes for far less cement, but a much smoother cement.  For three stones, we used about half the bag.  We mixed it in an old 5-gallon bucket and then poured it in to the mold. Then we each got to press our designs in to the cement.  We put them on a flat surface out of the weather and let them dry and cure for several days and then my mom planted Chloe's and Jacob's in the garden.  Mine was too ugly to plant anywhere except the trash.

Our final cost was less than store price per stone, since we did three of them.  Plus, the store kit comes with pre-broken glass shards.  It was way more fun to break our own!

Here are a few pictures of the process:

A broken ugly cat plate.

The broken shards of a few plates.

Jacob with a less-than-effective mallet.

Chloe's broken heart.  :)

A picture of us breaking things.

The finished products.  Chloe's is the beautiful flower.  Jacob's is the simple-yet-adorable baseball.  Mine is the one that looks like a kindergartner vomited "art" on it.

Love and Glass Shards,

LeahJoy

Scones Are God's Gift to Mankind

Ben Franklin is supposed to have said (though I have it on good authority that this is a misquote) that "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Whether or not Mr. Franklin actually said this, I would like to adjust this statement and say, "Scones are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." And then I would add, "Dear America, Scones aren't just for the British. They are amazing and wonderful and delicious."

I love scones. I was first introduced to them while I was studying at the Contemporary Music Center, then located on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Whoever made the scones was amazing. The scones were perfectly sized for a serving, shaped in perfect little triangles, and downright delicious.

If at this point, you're thinking, "Leah, what the heck is a scone?!?", allow me to point you to this Wikipedia page, which should give you a general idea. If your links are broken, a scone is a biscuit of sorts, usually with either sweet or savory flavoring. Some scones are shaped and cut into triangles; others look like big inflated cookies (these are called "drop scones"). Scones can be baked or fried on a griddle. And they are generally delicious.

I have recently come across a few books of scone recipes and so far I have tried 3 of these recipes. I will share all of these recipes because I loved them, but this week we'll go for the Blueberry Coffeecake Scones.

As with most recipes, make sure you have all the ingredients before you start. This is especially important with scones, because they tend to ask for more random or less ubiquitous ingredients than say, cookies.

So, without further ado:

Blueberry Coffeecake Scones

Scones:

2-1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp grated lemon peel

1-1/2 cup blueberries

Crumble:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter an 11" diameter circle on a baking sheet.

In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter in until it resembles coarse crumbs.

In another bowl, stir together eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon peel. Add the egg mix to the flour mix and stir to combine. Dough will be sticky.

With lightly floured hands, gently knead in blueberries.

With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a 9" diameter circle on the baking sheet (inside the 11" butter circle).

Mix together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the dough to cover it. Press in lightly. With a serrated knife, cut circle into 8 wedges.

Bake for 30-35 min, until top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the whole pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then, using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. Recut, if necessary.

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So there you have it. Blueberry Coffeecake Scones. They were astonishingly delicious, but I have a few suggestions, tips, and tricks.

1. I was disappointed that this only made 8. Not to mention they were really big scones! I mean, it was great for breakfast; one filled me up. But for dessert it was a bit much. Each one was the size of a generous slice of pie. I think next time, I'll split the dough into 2 sections and make 2 smaller circles. This may change the baking time.

2. I used frozen blueberries. Frozen fruit really works just as well as fresh fruit in baking. We had picked them in the summer and then had them in the freezer. Just make sure you remove any ice chunks.

3. You will get messy. "Lightly kneading in blueberries" is way messier than it sounds. My hands were completely purple by the time I was done! The dough is really sticky. Making scones is messy! I don't care how "lightly floured" your hands are; you will get dough stuck to you.

4. When you add the butter, it's best if you first cut it into 1/2" cubes before you "cut it in". If you don't know what it means to "cut in butter", don't worry. I didn't either. You can use a hand blender, or if you're not great with one (like me), take two knifes and cut them towards each other, like a pair of scissors. This will start mixing and get the butter into smaller chunks. At some point, I just began using my fingers to smish and smash it all together. Like I said, it's messy!

5. I used a ruler. I can't see what an 11" diameter circle looks like without one!

6. Keep the circle together when you bake it; the cut edges are much nicer this way.

7. The whole cooling process really is necessary.

Happy Baking!

Love and Scones,

LeahJoy

P.S. We bought bacon this week, so I might try my first savory scone recipe: Potato Bacon scones!

Art is Weird

Over the past few weeks, Grand Rapids has been hosting the third annual ArtPrize. I've gone downtown to see it each year, and while I was far more impressed with last year's contributions, I think there are still some interesting, beautiful, or thought-provoking works this year.

However, as always, there is also some weird stuff. And so I stole pictures from across the internet to bring you the Wednesday Weird: ArtPrize 2011 edition.

This piece entitled "Perseverance" is located just outside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. When Caleb and I saw this, we both skirted around it for fear of the guy's face. These pictures really don't do it justice. If you get a chance, check it out. He's terrifying.

This piece is also outside the museum. It's called "Hand Of God (Wrestling with My Demons)", which alone is kind of terrifying. Then you look at it. That's all I have to say.

I think you can click this one to make it bigger. It's a really well done painting and I'm sure it's full of meaning. It's called "Power of Women". But why are there so many horses? Why are all powerful women cowgirls? I don't understand!

These three "sculptures" make up a piece called "Homage to Earth". I read the description even, and I don't get it. Also, someone (maybe the artist?) had stuck fake flowers in the vases, so it looked even weirder.

Now, I know you were all dying for my opinion on the controversial Top 10, so I'll gladly give it so you don't perish.

A lot of people, mostly hipster artsy snob types, think that the Top 10 doesn't accurately reflect what art is. In all honesty, I think a few that are in the Top 10 kinda suck. But you know what? The Top 10 is not, by definition, the Top 10 of true art, or even the Top 10 of Leah Compston, because it's not all about me, fortunately. The Top 10, by definition, is the Top 10 based on popular vote. Is art not for the people? Does it matter if an ugly steampunk dog made it into the Top 10 if that's what people voted for? No, because it's a majority.

Ohhh, a majority. Like in a democracy. Now I understand that all these hipster artsy snob types are really socialists! (Kidding.)

So, no, I do not agree with the Top 10, but I'm not going to argue or complain, because I didn't vote this year. And I don't really care. I got to see a lot of cool art and so did a million other people, so stop complaining.

If you were wondering, my favorites were the "Free Spirit Garden" and the room full of Lake Michigan paintings in the Waters Building, the rainbow glitter trees made from recycled bottles and GLITTER, the stained glass rainbow at the BOB, and the giant Mona Lisa collage at the BOB.

Love and Weird Crap,

LeahJoy

P.S. There is frosting on my backspace key. I know you were wondering.

Spelling Matters

If you don't know how much I love spelling, you must have never met me. This week's YouTube video is from the channel What You Ought To Know, which I've seen before, but just spent about 1.5 hours watching. This guy is fascinating and highly amusing.

I've often received the paragraph to which he refers, either in email or on Facebook, and it's always bothered me. It's like when someone tells you something heretical and you know it's not right but you can't explain why it's wrong. Well, here's someone who can tell you why it's wrong. Enjoy!

Love and Spelling,

LeahJoy

Let "Sleeping" Brides Be

Today's Monday Rant is about people who won't leave newly married brides alone. And I get really mad at them. For the record, no one did the following things to me - probably because I threatened to send Chuck Norris to roundhouse kick them to next year if they bothered me. But I've seen this happen to my friends and it makes me SO ANGRY. Seriously! Few things make me this angry, but I want to go kick people!

So what is this that bugs me so much?

Facebook comments like these, while the couple is on their honeymoon (these are all real comments taken from someone's Facebook):

"You really need to change your last name."

"It's going to be so hard to call you by your new name... It would be a lot easier if I had Facebook to remind me!!!"

"Change your name. Gosh."

And this one is the kicker - posted just hours after the ceremony:

"So, I'm thinking you need to change your name now, and probably want to change your relationship status. Just sayin."

Really? Okay, I can understand if it's been like a month - but hours? Or even days? And even if you're joking, it's not funny. Do you know what is happening on the honeymoon? Lots and lots of personal time when they are getting to know each other.

They should NOT be wasting precious time changing their Facebook status. They'll never get a time like this again.

And another thing that bothers me is when, the second the girl does change her name and status, now all the friends are like, "It's been FOREVER, we need to hang out," "Gurl, it's been soooooo looonngggg, I miss u!" (Okay, I made those up, but I've seen stuff similar to that.)

Do you know what the recently honeymooned bride is doing? Cleaning up the house (especially if it was just a bachelor pad), organizing all the wedding gifts (despite it being wonderful to receive all these things, it does sometimes feel like a burden!), learning how to cook for her husband, settling into new surroundings, and yes, she is still getting to know her husband. Because that doesn't happen over the course of one week.

So leave her alone. Yes, it's good to get out every now and then, and that can increase in frequency as time goes on. But please, everyone, stop harassing newlyweds. They're still trying to learn to please each other; they can't please all of you, too.

If my camera lens weren't dirty, I'd take a picture of my threatening, angry face, and post it here so you'd know how serious I am. Since I can't do that, here's a picture of an angry kid. He hates it when you harass newlyweds, too.

Love and Anger, :)

LeahJoy