Aprons for Nana

Here are some aprons I made for my Nana. She wanted some cute aprons to give away as Christmas gifts. Now that's some early shopping! Check out my Etsy shop to see some of the other aprons I have for sale.

Be Your Own Van Gogh

So there is this painting that you love. But you don't feel like spending a fortune on it. Especially if it is a $2.4 million Van Gogh original. What do you do? Throw on an old t-shirt and paint your own! Anyone can do it, and it's easier than you would expect. Here's a paint-by-numbers trick I learned back in elementary school that you can still use today. All you need is a canvas, a ruler, a pencil, some acrylic paint, a pack of brushes, something to mix paint on (you can use a plate in a pinch), and a cup of water.

Apron, Apron!

Yet another apron, chickens! Already sold 2! Get one while you can.

Click HERE to take a look!

Crafty Trails!

New York, New York!

Guess who's living in NYC? Yep, it's me. I'm off to try my luck in the big city and I'll keep you updated on all my crafty and culinary adventures.

I have been having fun settling in, though I am still waiting for some things I left at home, like my precious Kitchenaid mixer (Ahem, Mother? Is that on it's way?). Here are some pictures of the apartment!

Custom Piping

Ever wanted to make custom piping for your sewing projects? Ever wanted to know how to cut it perfectly on the bias? Well, here is a little trick that, once you get the hang of it, will allow you to make yards and yards of piping quickly, easily, and perfectly every time.

1. Take a piece of the fabric you want to use. Use a large piece so that you will not have as many seams and will get a better bias. I don't know an exact ratio, but you will always get more piping than you expect.

Miles and Miles of Texas

So what was I doing this summer? Working the line at The Boot Hill Saloon and Grill in Vega, TX under Chef Rory Schepisi (from The Next Food Network Star). I learned A LOT, got some delicious secret recipes (aren't you jealous?), and made friends with the hilarious guys in the kitchen. Click HERE to check out the website. Stop by The Boot Hill if you are ever in the area. I promise you won't regret it. I suggest the Yankee Platter, the Campfire Strip, and the Bread Pudding :-)

Here are some photos from my summer in Canyon, TX.

The Boot Hill Saloon:

Look who's on Etsy!

I've been hard at work! Come check out my new Etsy shop and pick yourself up a summer apron.

Click HERE!

Cinnamon Logs

This recipe goes out to my college baking buddy, Cassie. Whether we were baking on the dirty purple rug in her dorm room or in our first, real (if roach-infested) kitchen, nothing could stop us from making something tasty. And I promise to never tell anyone about the time we dropped the whole plate of brownies down the dorm stairwell... and still served them at the Christmas party. Oops!

Cinnamon Logs

Servings: 2 Dozen

Calico Cat

So while I consider myself pretty crafty, there is one craft that completely dominates me. Hair coloring. Maybe the problem was that we started the process at midnight. Or maybe it was the fact that we knew from the get-go that we did not have enough hair dye. Either way, we should have restrained. We were aiming for platinum blond and ended up with a horrible mix of orange, pink, brown, and red that oddly resembled a calico cat.

Now what's more summer than Key Lime Pie?

My favorite pie: Key Lime. Only problem is, you can't really enjoy this smooth, cool treat in the dead of winter. Thank goodness it's finally warm outside! My recipe is a family recipe from Mindy Smith. I dare you to find a tastier Key Lime Pie.

Key Lime Pie

Serving: 2 pies

Eclectic Day

One of the few things I miss about Waco, Texas is an ice cold James Callahan from Common Grounds. Lemonade+Ice Tea+some secret magical syrup=yumm.

I never really did seem to fit in at Common Grounds. Maybe I wasn't depressed enough. Or maybe I wasn't reading deep enough books or listening to the right music. Or maybe I didn't own enough braided leather headbands to wear across my forehead. Whatever the reason, I never fit in.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, "Edinburgh is what Paris ought to be," and I tend to agree. I have had nothing but hostile experiences in Paris and I only have pleasant memories of Edinburgh. Maybe it was the friendly people. But maybe it was the crafts. As a private school girl, I know a thing or two about plaid, and being able to go to a Tartan factory was awesome. Weaving+Plaid=Ashley having a good time.

The Blue Plate

One of my favorite summer jobs in high school was working at The Blue Plate Cafe in Union Pier, Michigan. Sure, I made less than minimum wage, and yes, I might have been asked out on a date in the walk-in freezer (talk about awkward... and cold), but the free meal at closing totally made up for it.

Make Your Own Embroidery Machine

So you don't have an embroidery machine, but you need something embroidered. What can you do? Well, you can buy a machine for yourself ($$$!), pay someone to embroider it for you ($$), or... if you have a sewing machine and a steady hand... do it your self! Just set your sewing machine to a tight zig-zag stitch, draw out your design or lettering, practice a few times on a scrap of fabric until you get it right, and then embroider! Here is a pillow I embroidered for a friend.

With a little patience you can save yourself some dough on pricey embroidery.

Crafty Trails!

So what do I do?

So what do I do? A little bit of everything. My first real job was sewing at a slipcover studio, but I've been really sewing since I put buttons on my dad's boxer shorts :-). And while most people would consider sewing piping for eight hours a day a type of slave labor, I loved it. And worked at the same shop for three summers.

Food Adventures: Argentina

One of my favorite countries is Argentina. The people, the culture, the food-I love it all. I was able to live in Mendoza one summer and it is something I will never forget.

There is nothing more Argentine than a Sunday afternoon Asado (AKA BBQ). While a whole roasted goat isn't usually what you dream about, it's a great part of the experience. Follow your lunch off with some Mate (herbal tea) if you can find someone to share with you.

Adventures in Photography

During my last semester at Baylor University (sigh, did I really have to graduate?) I discovered another one of my crafty hobbies: Photography. I had a great professor (who shot with Jacques-Yves Cousteau!) who taught me the basics.

Check out my Photography Website!

Crafty Trails!

Welcome, Welcome!

Welcome to Crafty Trails! Here I will try to take you down my own crafty and culinary trails. You will never know what you will find ;-)

Sometimes you will find recipes, sometimes you will find fun craft ideas, sometimes you will just find my wandering thoughts. But I hope you find something you can enjoy, something new to learn, or maybe something you can try yourself.

Stay awhile, Look around, and Crafty Trails!