Let's Make Something! #2

I had it in my mind that these would be weekly updates, to challenge myself to be creative enough to fill a whole blog post full of the things I've done. Which I'd like to think I technically accomplished! The problem is, I got so caught up with doing the creative things… I forgot to make the blog posts about them!

In an attempt to go with my own flow, and not fight the urge to actually get this blog started, I'm electing to make these monthly updates. I still want to make other blog posts to fill in the month between them, but I think that'll give me more time to do all the things I want to write about and to write them… and to give you enough time to read them without getting sick of me!

With that out of the way, I'm so excited to tell you what I've been working on this month!

My Shop

Breaking News: I've lost my Paddington Stickers to the usual suspect, Copyright claims on Etsy. I know the risk I run when I make art of pop culture figures — if I'm not sneaky enough, they'll get taken down whether I like it or not (RIP my Ted Lasso, Grinch, and Barbie stickers). However, I'm also too scared of these claims to try and re-list the offending stickers… So I have more fallen soldiers to add to the Misfit Stickers listing that I'm working on putting together.

The Good News: I still have plenty of my Soup Cauldrons in stock, and my Harry Potter stickers have evaded getting sent to Azkaban! If they speak to you, be sure to get yours before they're deactivated — or worse, sold out 😉

Works in Progress

Last time I talked about making progress on a cardigan pattern that I come up with myself, as a super novice knitter. I thought I had made my peace with trusting the process, and knowing that I would do better on my next project with everything I'd learned.

And then I caught myself thinking things like "This might not fit well, but it'll be good to finish something!" or "I'll never wear this, but I'll be glad to move onto new projects!" 

I'm trying to do what I can to reduce the amount of waste I produce, and avoid buying things that won't last me very long. It took a few rounds of these thoughts for me to realize that I'm the one making the cardigan. It isn't finished. If I am not going to wear it… who will?

So I scrapped the whole project! I unraveled the piece I was working on, and took apart the back panel that has been sitting in my WIP bin for over a year. And I'm very proud to admit that I avoided an impulse purchase — I am not a new owner of a yarn spinner, but rather someone who can wound up a cake of yarn on my thumb! This tutorial I found from Jane Snedden Peever on YouTube was excellent to follow, and really helped me get excited about unraveling all my work (first time for everything!)

But this section is about works in progress… I took my freshly unraveled yarn and got right to work on a scarf! Arguably the better option for a beginner project, and I've still added a fun twist to challenge myself. With another skein of yarn I've had for I-can't-remember-how-long, I taught myself how to change my yarn color on a new row following this tutorial from NimbleNeedles on YouTube.

I can't tell you how excited I am by the stripes I've knitted, and how satisfying it is to have gotten so confident changing colors! I'm starting to get delusional again where I think I've mastered the craft, and I'm doing my best to keep Weasley Family sweaters out of my brain until I've at least gotten this scarf mostly finished! We'll see how I do… 😉

The Game Chair

This week, I don't have any fun or creative Sims 4 stories to share, I've been playing a bunch Fortnite with my siblings who all live farther away. It's been really great to feel so close to them again, especially because I caved and got a K-Pop Demon Hunters skin without a shred of regret — can confirm, Rumi's long brain is satisfyingly swishy, it makes the whole game a little more ✨whimsical✨

Good Eats

I love a good snack. But I also like to try and make healthy decisions where I can, which can be easier said than done. But one night out with my boyfriend at a fairly fancy event, a snack tray passed us and changed my life. This tray was full of Bacon Wrapped Dates, and I will be the first one to tell you that they did not last very long.

The bacon was savory, the date was a complimentary kind of sweet, and the caramelization on top brought everything together… I probably had more than my fair share. But this delicious snack idea is only one of the offerings I present you with this week, because I was reminded of yet another recipe with dates…

We've all seen too many recipes that tell you a "healthy swap" will taste exactly the same as the original, only to leave you with a sad, flavorless imposter. So when my coworker brought in the once viral Date Snickers, I scoffed at the idea — there's no way you can hide a fruit inside chocolate and make it taste like a beloved chocolate bar. One bite told me I was dead wrong.

So, having only eaten dates two times before, I ran to the store to get a package, and make my own Snickers for a "healthy" Sweet Treat™.

I laid out my date halves onto a baking sheet, rolled them as flat as I had the patience for, covered them with melted Peanut Butter, melted Milk Chocolate, and topped with flakes of Salt before putting them in the fridge. (Measure with your heart — I know I did!)

Incredibly easy, and so delicious. Side by side, I'm sure they have their differences to an actual Snickers bar, but the flavors satisfy all the same cravings — so if I can replace one or two ingredients with fruit, I'm going to, and trick my brain into considering it a healthy choice. Bonus: I feel accomplished for having made it myself!

Side Quest: I tried homemade pizza using brie for the cheese, and topped it with chopped dates, prosciutto, basil leaves, and a honey drizzle... If you like dates, be sure to give this a try! It's perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the freshness of the basil leaves makes it a party of flavors.

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I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! I'm looking forward to the month ahead, where I try very very hard to resist the call inside me to start decking the halls…

I'm a Christmas girlie, I can't help it! The Holiday Season is my absolute favorite, with all my favorite crooners playing everywhere, tasty drinks that make you feel warm inside, and a little bit more kindness to go around! But I'll do my best to channel all of that holiday cheer into some Festive Creations to share with you!

I'd love to hear what YOU made this month, what you're working on, or what you want to see from me next? Send me a message, or comment below! 💛