Vieira Girl

Menu of Jan 3-9 2016

2016-01-03T15:09:00.000-05:00

One of my goals for 2016 is to eat more unprocessed foods so cooking more is a must.

So I decided that I can manage to cook four large meals a week, and supplement the other days with leftovers, and quick meals. So each week, I will plan a menu for my four meals. Some weeks, I will be ordering 2 meals from Plated. I will be posting recipes and pictures of the finished dishes on all meals that are not from Plated.

Free Printable: Eleanor Roosevelt quote

2015-12-22T17:35:00.000-05:00

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent " Eleanor Roosevelt.

This is one of my favorite quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt. It is adorned with my Eliza pattern from my Ropes Mansion Collection. Get this print while it is still free! Download it from Dropbox here*

*Please note that my freebies can only be used for personal use. You cannot share or sell any files with this print.

Winter Giveaway 12-23-15 to 3-31-16

2015-12-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

You can enter everyday!

Leave the answer to this question in the comments. If you were to buy a printable item, what kind of items would you want to purchase?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skillshare Class Introduction to Lightweight Air Dry Clay: Creating a Floral Centerpiece

2015-12-17T11:58:00.001-05:00

I have completed my first Skillshare class, on one of my favorite medium (lightweight air dry clay) in this class I demonstrate how to make a floral centerpiece out of clay. See my introduction video below.

You will get a free month of SkillShare. This is an amazing site for anyone who is creative.

Have you ever wanted to create a floral centerpiece that will last forever? Well this class will introduce you to clay flower making. So you can make beautiful floral arrangements for your home, that special event or as gifts. This class will teach you how to make mini roses, lilacs, and large flowers, out of clay and how to assemble them into a lovely centerpiece.

Currently Reading..

2015-12-17T11:23:00.001-05:00

I am a fan of Jojo Moyes, my favorite book of hers is Me Before You. She recently came out with After You a sequel to the beloved book Me Before You. I am starting the After You and will update blog after I am finished.

If you are inclined to follow me on Goodreads please do. I read mostly young adult, humor fiction, contemporary fiction and chick-lit.

My 2016 reading Challenge on Goodreads will be 50 books.

What is in a name?

2015-12-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

How Vieira Girl came to be..

What is in a name? When I discovered Etsy back in early 2007 I had to come up with a store name and in a sense a brand name. The first thing that came to me was my actual name Teri Martin, however there was already an establish artist with that name so I came up with Vieira Girl.

Vieira is a common last name in the Portugal, a place my great grandfather immigrated from in 1916 to Boston Massachusetts. I grew up surrounded mostly by my mother side of the family. So I was raised being close to my great grandfather and grand parents. My grandfather and I were so close that senior year of college I took my grandfather on spring break with me to Portugal.

My grandfather Merrill, retired early after a company shake up. He then took his passion for photography and turned it into a small business. He turned his sun-room into a photography studio and then added extension to the house where he placed a studio. He named his photography business Vieira Studio. I grew up in that studio. My mother liked to joke, that I was the most photographed child. My grandfather was constantly taking my picture testing out his new gadgets, backdrops, and poses.

My grandfather passed away from cancer 2 years after that spring break trip to Portugal. So when I had to come up with a name for my store/brand I thought that Vieira would be a nice tribute, and a personal connection to my brand. I added the Girl to make it fun and cute.

Many have wondered why I choose something that many have a hard time spelling, not to mention most have no idea how to pronounce, but to me breaking branding rules was something I just needed to do.

I think we all should find passion in what we do and even the name we do it under.

Melt in Your Mouth Caramels

2015-12-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

These melt in your mouth caramels take a little bit of time but they are a great to give as a gift or bring to a party

I am a bit of a candy addict. I have the dentist bills to show for it. I love caramels and they are great to give as a gift too. I know many people love caramels, but many complain that it sticks to their teeth. This recipe is for soft melt in your mouth caramels.

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 40 min

Yields: 45-60 pieces 2lbs of caramel

Caramel Ingredients

2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup corn syrup light
1 cup butter, cubed
2 cups half and half, or eggnog if you want eggnog flavored caramels
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Materials Needed

wax paper
aluminium foil
13x9 pan or 11x7 for thicker caramels
candy thermometer
dutch oven or stock pot

Cooking Instructions

Over medium heat add sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup of half and half or eggnog, stir consistently until mixture begins to boil. Once boiling, add the other cup of cream. Stir, bring to a boil again
Attach the candy thermometer to the pot. Do not stir unless the liquid starts to grow near the edge of the top of the pot. Just stir till the mixture deflates. Keep cooking till 245-250 degrees (hardball stage)
When waiting for the mixture to reach hardball stage, line pan with aluminum foil and rub butter on the foil.
Once the liquid mixture reaches hardball stage remove from heat. Add vanilla and then the cube butter gradually. The butter will want to separate just keep stirring until mixed well.
Pour into the butter foil lined pan. Let cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Remove the caramel sheet from the foil. I recommend using a cutting board and large knife and make large strips of candy and the cut of 1 inch pieces.
Using wax paper cut into squares and wrap each caramel individually and twist the ends. Serve at your next party or give as gift.

Rustic Pasta Sauce with Spinach and Linguica

2015-12-17T08:54:00.000-05:00

I am a pastaholic, I admit it I have a problem. So instead of trying to remove pasta from my diet I decide to start dressing my pasta with farm fresh and local ingredients. That is how I came to make this rustic pasta sauce.

This simple recipe is for a chunky pasta sauce that will delight friends and family. The ingredients can be found at your farmers market and your local grocer.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ready in: 30 min

Yields: 2-4 Servings

Ingredients

1 half red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
3-4 vine ripe tomatoes or bunch of grape tomatoes, chopped in chunks if using vine ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup of stock, I use whatever stock I am going to add as a protein. If I am not sure I just add vegetable stock
olive oil
Dash Cream
few handfuls baby spinach
pepper and sea salt, to taste
fresh Parmesan/ Reggiano, freshly grated

Chop garlic and onion finely into small pieces
If you are cooking a protein such as sausage, I tend to cook in a skillet first, and remove the cooked sausage and put it aside and use that skillet to finish the sauce. The Portuguese girl in me likes pasta with linguiça.
In a large skillet drizzle olive oil, enough to cover a large portion of the pan over med/high heat. After oil has heated add the onion and then the garlic let it cook until the onion and garlic start to become translucent.
Then add either chopped tomatoes or the grape tomatoes, Mix the tomatoes, onions, and garlic around the pan. Turn the heat down to medium. Let the tomatoes start to cook for about a min or 2 and then add the stock.
Cover the skillet and let it simmer in the stock if the liquid is evaporating then turn the heat down. Cook until the tomatoes start to fall apart. The grape tomatoes tend to deflate and shrivel.
When the tomatoes looked cooked add baby spinach and cover. Once the spinach has wilted stir, and add a dash or two of cream, just to thicken the red sauce. Add pepper and salt to taste. I usually grate some fresh Parmesan/reggiano into the sauces for added taste
Serve with your favorite pasta add your protein and some more Parmesan /reggiano grated on top.

Easy Apple Crisp

2015-12-17T08:46:00.001-05:00

Easy Apple Crisp recipe will be great on rainy day or as a fall or winter treat not to mention that your house will be filled with the amazing smell of sugar and apples.

Cook Time

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ready in: 1 hour 15 min

Yields: Serves 8

Ingredients

10 apples, peeled, and sliced
1/4 cup White sugar
1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Quick cook Oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven at 350F
In a large mixing bowl place peeled sliced apples, add 1/4 cup of white sugar and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Then add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix with your hands so all the apples are covered in sugar and cinnamon.
Pour the apple mixture into a pan that is about 9x13.
Then use the same mixing bowl to combine,flour, oats and the rest of the brown sugar along with the baking soda and baking powder. Mix the dry mixture well, then add melted butter and the water.
Then spread the batter over the apples. Bake for about 45 mins or until golden brown and apples are soft.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

Bio

2015-12-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

Teri's love for art and crafts came out of necessity. She was born with half of her heart missing and was not able to play sports, go to dance classes like the rest of her classmates so she spent her time after school, drawing, writing and reading. Hence her love for arts was born. She was often found in her room busy with her latest art project.

In college, Teri studied Apparel Marketing. She was able to use her love for art in a few of her classes, but her love for art took a backseat to her other studies and activities. Once she graduated from college she joined the corporate world. Her desire for art making, came in the form of crafting and designing things for her apartment, and hosting elaborate themed dinner parties for her friends.

In summer of 2007, Teri had discovered Etsy. Vieira Girl was born (click here to learn more about Vieira Girl) as a handmade card store. Her store helped her fund her large wish list on Etsy. She continued this as a hobby and slowly started to turn her card store into an art print store.

In early 2009, Teri health had decreased to the point that her cardiologists recommend that she stopped working full time. In 2009 Teri purchased a condo in a new city a 30 minutes outside of Boston and started the process of applying for disability.

In 2010, Vieira Girl etsy store was brought back as a print shop. Then in 2013 Vieira Girl closed it doors and Merci Kiss which was an instant download version of our art prints. Due to the nature of her disease she was no longer able get packages mailed on a regular schedule.

Teri health has stabilized over the last few years, and she spent more time developing her art, learning new processes and in 2015 decided to bring Vieira Girl back in the form of her new love for pattern design. She opened the Vieira Girl Spoonflower shop in the fall of 2015. She has decided that Vieira Girl Etsy shop will reopen in early 2016 with her new design focus, along with her Redbubble and Society 6 stores.

In the Studio This Week

2015-12-16T16:38:00.001-05:00

It is all about dogs

If you know me you know I am that crazy dog lady. I thought I take my love for illustrating animals and bring them to life in a few pattern. It all started with the knitting dog walker pattern. I decided to create a few breeds of my favorite dogs.

The Spoonflower theme this week was knitting and since I don't knit much I do however walk my dogs all the time and as I thought about yarn and knitted things I thought how about knitted sweater for dogs and the string could be like a leash. So the fabric knitting dog walker.

Winner of the Family Portrait Design on Spoonflower

2015-12-16T16:24:00.001-05:00

I am so excited my woodland family pattern won the Family Portrait Contest on Spoonflower

I recently won, the Family Portrait weekly contest on Spoonflower. I have to say I loved making this design. Nothing is cuter than a family of woodland animals. You can buy this in fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap in my Spoonflower store.

Reading is Cool

2013-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. flapperdoodle 2. ThePendantGarden 3. janethillstudio 4. thePicsees 5. thedreamygiraffe 6. dazeychic

Butterfly Love

2013-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. Vieiragirl 2. f2images 3. terrediluna 4. AmyKirkpatrickArt 5. LolasBaby 6. nansmithimages

Landscape Paintings

2013-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

1.HannahCHeyer 2. PaintingWell 3. JShears 4. AsheArt 5. GerckenGallery 6. ArtistiicAbandon

Bookmark It

2013-03-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

1.Namoo 2. bethydesigns 3. ColorAndThread 4. elelands 5. ovejitabe 6. Minasmoke

Soap Love

2013-03-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

1.RadicalWorks 2. SpringwoodSoaps 3. ShopStellas 4. desertsoapstone 5. JDNatladysCreations 6. TheScentedRetreat

Loving Lavender

2013-03-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. TheFoxandTheTeacup 2. PhotoLadz 3. dedeetsyshop 4. haleysheadbands 5. talkingtwineandtrim 6. CheapSeeds

Boston Flower Show 2013

2013-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

My mother and I attend the Boston Flower Show every year. I think it helps kick start spring for us. Here are some pictures from my instagram account. If you like to see more or follow me @ VieiraGirl http://instagram.com/vieiragirl/

Time to Spring Forward

2013-03-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. ArtGlamourSligo 2.DesignAtelierArticle 3. iluxo 4. uncommon 5. terrafirma79 6. Shannybeebo

Stunning Studs

2013-03-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. littlehawthorne 2. bkandjio 3. starlightwoods 4. CutieCottage 5. lauralynncrafts 6. Mindielee

Easter Eggs with a Twist

2013-03-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. WildMarigold 2. GTcottagecrafts 3. PrettyKiku 4. Imaginationkids 5. MyAuntieEva 6. applenamos

For the Love of Owls

2013-03-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

1. WestWindHomeGarden 2. courtneyoquist 3. spoolandsparrowshop 4. FinalTouchesArtwork 5. claylicious

6. PaperHouseDesigns

Spring Giveaway

2013-03-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Craft Boxes

2013-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my new years goals, is to be more organized. I started with my home office, by working on organizing my craft supplies. I have an office with open shelving, so I knew I needed to use boxes to hide all my supplies. I ordered plain cardboard boxes from Uline here. You can get 50 boxes for about 45 dollars. I use the rest for sending gifts of as party favors. Having boring cardboard boxes on my dark wood shelves didn't seem to appealing so I decided I was going to decorate them.

I used the Daisy and the Martha Stewart Stencils found bellow.

I stenciled with acrylic paint in a light pink color. I recommend stenciling the boxes before assembling them just figure out the top the sides before starting stenciling. If you mess up you can always turn the box around and stencil the other side.

Let the boxes dry before assembling them. I will add labels later, but I think these are great gift boxes or favor box ideas too.