Shrimp Salad Circus

vegan secret supper

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

I've been vegetarian for a long time - six or seven years, but I don't think I could ever go completely vegan. I don't love milk and eggs, so what's the problem? Well, if you tried to take away my brie, manchego, or sharp cheddar, I'd have to slap you.

That said, there are plenty of vegan foods and recipes that I absolutely love. There are all sorts of dishes you could make for your family or for a dinner party, and nobody would even realize they were 'missing' the animal sourced elements. It's a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, cut a bit of cholesterol, and branch out a little. Vegan Secret Supper: Bold & Elegant Menus from a Rogue Kitchen by Mérida Anderson has lots of recipes that fit the bill, including the pesto tortellini in the image above.

I've included the recipe after the jump to give you a little taste (pun fully intended) of what Anderson has to offer. Would you consider going vegan for one meal a month? One a week?

Pipián Pesto Tortellini

(Makes 4 servings as a main dish or 6 appetizer portions)

1 t. grapeseed oil
1 shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ c. pumpkin seed butter
1 T lemon juice
¼–½ t salt, to taste
1 c. lightly packed fresh cilantro
1 c. lightly packed fresh parsley
¼ c. olive oil
1 13-oz pkg round vegan wonton wrappers (approximately 64 wrappers)

In a small frying pan on medium, heat grapeseed oil. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until shallots are translucent. In a food processor or blender, blend shallots and garlic, pumpkin seed butter, lemon juice, salt, cilantro, and parsley. Slowly add olive oil to facilitate blending. On a clean work surface, lay out a few wonton wrappers.

Keep a small bowl of water nearby. Place 1 tsp filling in middle of each wrapper. With your finger or a small brush, dampen edges of each wrapper. Fold in half, pressing edges closed to seal. Dampen 1 corner of semi-circle and bring to center of tortellini; fold other corner over top. Squeeze gently to make sure corners stick together.

Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and cover with damp tea towel or paper towel. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. (At this point, you can freeze the tray of tortellini, transferring to a freezer bag or container once frozen.) Makes 28 tortellini.

Fill a large pot with well-salted water. Bring to a boil on high heat. Drop fresh or frozen tortellini into water and bring back to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes if fresh, 4 minutes if frozen. Tortellini will rise to top of water when done. Drain and set aside.

Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

¾ lb. or 5 medium tomatillos, husks removed
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 t. olive oil
¼ t. salt
1 T olive oil
¼ t. fresh thyme
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
½ t. agave nectar

Preheat oven to 325˚F (160˚C). Rub tomatillos and garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Bake on an unoiled baking sheet for 20 minutes, until soft. Peel garlic. In a food processor or blender, process tomatillos and garlic with remainder of ingredients until smooth.

Seared Asparagus

2 t. grapeseed oil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
salt, to taste

In a saucepan over medium-high, heat oil. Add asparagus and season with salt. Sauté for 2–4 minutes, until slightly browned and soft. Set aside

Plating/Presentation

chopped fresh cilantro
olive oil

Toss tortellini with sauce. Portion into 4 shallow bowls (or 6, if serving as an appetizer). Place a few asparagus spears over top of pasta and garnish with chopped cilantro and olive oil.

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus to help me cover all the time I spend putting it together. I received this book free of charge but was not compensated in any other way, and all opinions are my own. See my disclosure statement for more information.

the countdown begins

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:41:00 +0000

Sooo I'm getting married in three months... You know what that means? It means that it's time to quit slacking and start pulling this shindig together.

Which brings me to the million dollar question: If you could plan your wedding all over again, what would you do differently?

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus to help me cover all the time I spend putting it together. See my disclosure statement for more information.

how to-sday . foolproof vintage marquee letters & a sale

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I'm planning a big art auction fundraiser shindig that's going down this Saturday. I'm doing a loose 'vintage carnival' theme, so doing big light-up marquee letters was a must. I may have just been looking for a good excuse to make them, if I'm being perfectly honest... ;D

Read on after the jump for the full tutorial and to why this isn't like every other marquee letter project!

Materials:

High gloss spray paint
White Christmas lights
Silhouette chipboard
Posterboard
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Exacto knife

The marquee lights tutorial has been done a thousand time - I know. Buuuuut it hasn't been done like this. It's so easy with a cutting machine because you can line everything up exactly where you want and have all the holes pre-cut to the perfect size.

1. Measure the width of the bulb portion of one of your lights. That's going to be the diameter of the circles you'll cut out later.

2. Open Silhouette Studio Designer Edition, and set it to the chipboard settings. I wanted my letters to be really big, so I typed out the first letter and sized it to be as tall as the page. Draw lines to give you a center point to line up the holes. Draw a circle, holding shift to ensure it's a perfect circle, using the size from your measurement in Step 1. Mine were .19 inch. Now just duplicate the circle a bunch of times, and center them using the lines you drew.

3. Using the chipboard settings, cut and repeat for each letter.

4. Use an exacto knife to cut 2" strips of plain posterboard.

5. Carefully use hot glue to affix the posterboard border around each letter.

6. Spray several coats of high-gloss spray paint to give it an enameled metal finish.

7. Carefully poke a light through each hole, leaving a few lights in between each letter. Tape the lights in back to hold the cords down. (Mine aren't taped in the picture because I need to adjust their placement a bit, so that's why you can see some poking out.)

The Deals:

1 Silhouette CAMEO®, 1 pack of chipboard, 1 natural dust cover, 1 $25 download card: $269.99
1 Silhouette Portrait™, 1 pack of chipboard, 1 grey dust cover, 1 $25 download card: $129.99
1 pack of chipboard, 1 $25 download card: $19.99

To take advantage of this great sale, just click this link, and enter the code SHRIMP at checkout! The sale ends on May 15.

this is how you derby

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Happy Derby Day, Shrimpies! Okay - that was lame, and I'll never say it again. Anywho, is anybody celebrating big with a Derby party today, or are you actually at the Derby? Last year a bunch of friends and I rented an RV for the night, made the short trek to Louisville, and Derby-ed it up big time. It was really fun, but I think once is enough for me. Bucket list item: checked off. :D

You know that the mint julep is the drink for the Kentucky Derby, but do you know how to make one? For starters, don't even think about skipping the fresh mint! I'll let Jennifer over at Camille Styles take it from here with a recipe and lovely pictures.

While we're on the topic of mint juleps, these cookies are an absolute must. They're only a teensy bit boozy, so dig right in. I can't handle bourbon, but I love these, so maybe these are good 'training wheels' mint juleps!

The fun folks over at Teroforma sent me a set of Derby-themed whiskey stones, and Andrei was kind enough to review them. The verdict is in. We're fans, especially since our fridge doesn't have an ice maker! Made of solid soapstone, these beverage cubes perfectly chill any beverage without diluting it. The stones are non-porous, odorless and tasteless. Each set of three retails for $14 and are available at www.teroforma.com.

You can't do the Derby (or a Derby party) without a hat The bigger, the better AwardDesign on Etsy has a lovely collection ranging from subtle to fabulously overstated, and there are tons of other great designs in vintage and handmade on Etsy If you're not into the giant hats, pretty fascinators are another fun way to go

mint julep cookies . good eats

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Totally phoning it in with this one since it's Monday. Yeah, that's right. I'm recycling a post from last year. It's okay though, because it's Kentucky Derby week again. Right?

In case you weren't aware, the 138th Kentucky Derby is this weekend, on May 5. The Derby is that shindig that shot gaudy hats and the mint julep straight to world-fame. Problem is, I hate bourbon, so I've never much enjoyed a mint julep. Sarah and I decided we hadn't baked together in far too long, so she suggested these mint julep cookies that she dreamed up last year, and I was sold right away.

How do you enjoy these cookies, exactly?

Tune in to the Derby.
Put on a massive hat with lots of flowers.
Eat some cookies.
Pick the horse with the cutest name. Or the grey horse. I'm going with Creative Cause because he's pretty and has a cool name. Sold.
Eat some cookies.
During the 15 seconds that the horses "run for the roses," yell your horse's name like mad. Acceptable cheers include: "C'mon, Creative Cause!" "Get it, number four - you'realmostthere!" and "Don't you dare let Daddy Long Legs pass you, damn it!"
If your horse wins, celebrate with some cookies. If it loses, drown your sorrows in some cookies.

Recipe below. Thanks so much to Sarah for baking with me again - always tons of fun! And by "baking with me," I obviously mean loaning me her cats and letting me eat the leftover raw cookie dough, of course.

Mint Julep Shortbread Cookies

prep time: 35 minutes . yield: 36

Cookies:

Martha Stewart's Icebox Shortbread

Glaze:

10 large, fresh mint leaves
1 1/4 (285 g) cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons bourbon

Make the cookies as directed in the Martha Stewart Recipe. Allow them to cool on a wire rack for about half an hour.

While the cookies are baking, tear about ten large leaves off a bunch of mint. Roll them up together, and finely chop them with a sharp knife. Keep chopping until the pieces are about as small as you can get them (photo 1 below).

Sift the confectioner's sugar into a small bowl. We muddled the mint with a bit of the sugar in a mortar and pestle to draw out the flavor, but if you don't have one, you can easily skip this step. Add the chopped mint to the sugar, and stir it together with a spoon until well-mixed.

Drizzle the bourbon over the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time, and whisk it in. You want the mixture to be pretty thick - somewhere between liquid and spreadable (photo 2 below). If it's too thick, add more bourbon a teaspoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.

Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon some glaze onto the middle of each cookie. If it doesn't fill in by itself, gently spread it around a bit with the spoon. Spread it nearly to the edges of each cookie. The glaze will harden in about an hour at room-temperature.

favorite finds for friday no. 17

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

I kind of want to live in these all summer...
These sounds absolutely heavenly and would be great for Mother's Day.
Today's the last day for this awesome sale. Don't miss out!
This is so cool and seems easy enough.
Evidently it's Hug an Australian Day. Here are a few lovelies.
Holy crap I'm getting married in less than four months! This is a sweet DIY shower.
These are gorgeous. Think of the cocktail possibilities!
Just in time for summer and perfect for all these.
Did you know about The Tutorial Shop?
Does anybody juice? I need recommendations for a good budget juicer!
Freakin' adorable! This could actually make rainy days fun.
I need a big backyard so I can throw lots of brunches.
Tons of free wedding printables.

Image from Lavender's Blue Designs

how to-sday . easy geometric vinyl decals (+ a big discount!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

I've always been a renter of various and sundry teensy apartments, which I'm sure you all know seriously limits you decor options. I've gotten creative over the years, and one of my favorite ways to spice up a rental is with removable vinyl wall decals. They can be pretty costly though, which is half the reason I got a Silhouette cutting machine. Now I can cut anything I want out of vinyl. Follow along with me to learn how to make fun geometric diamond decals. You could use them to embellish and object like I did with our record player, or you could space them out on a wall like wallpaper!

This tutorial will teach you how to make the shapes from scratch, but since I love you guys so much, I've also created a downloadable Silhouette file so that you can make the exact ones I did if you'd like. To download all these diamonds ready-to-cut, just go like Shrimp Salad Circus on Facebook and then click the 'freebies' tab.

P.S. Read to the end for a mega discount on Sihouette vinyl and Silhouette CAMEO and Portrait vinyl packages!

1. Set your Silhouette page settings to 'premium vinyl.' Use that little hourglass-shaped tool to the left to draw a crazy diamond shape. Don't worry about making it even or proportional. Use the settings from the next image to make your lines thicker. Use that same tool again to add the intersecting lines in the middle.

Now use the diagonal line tool (under the two arrows on the left toolbar) to make little lines to 'shade' in one of the quadrants.

2. Use the top arrow from the left toolbar to highlight every line. Right-click, and select Group to turn the lines into one shape. Make a few more with different heights, widths, and shaded quadrants.

3. Right click each shape one at a time, and select Duplicate. Then you can flip horizontally and vertically to create 'new shapes.'

If you want to get a little more advanced, you can click Make Compound Path and then use the arrow with the blue dots from the left toolbar to change the shapes up a bit, shortening or widening the different angles.

4. Go to the Cut Settings panel (the little scissors on the top right toolbar). Select each shape one at a time, and click the Cut Edge option.

5. Use the image above as a guide to set your rollers. The right roller will be on the fourth notch from the right. Load your vinyl, and go ahead and cut. You don't need to use the mat. I used a speed of 4 and a thickness of 10 with my blade set to 3.

6. Since these have all their components attached together (no "floating" elements), I didn't need to use transfer paper. You can just peel them off and carefully affix them to your surface. The vinyl is pretty sturdy, so I wasn't worried about even the skinny lines ripping.

1 Silhouette Portrait™ + 1 roll of black vinyl, 1 roll of white vinyl, and 1 roll of transfer paper: $139.99
1 Silhouette CAMEO® + 1 roll of black vinyl, 1 roll of white vinyl, and 1 roll of transfer paper: $269.99
All 9″ by 10′ premium vinyl* bought outside of a machine bundle is 25 percent off with your promotion code.

Use the promotion code SHRIMP at checkout!

* Premium vinyl comes in two sizes: 9″ by 10′ and 12″ by 6′. Only the 9″ by 10′ rolls are on sale!

Silhouette recently reduced the price of their premium vinyl to $9.99. The premium vinyl used to cost $14.99! So with this 25% off discount, that’s a huge savings!! Making it a great time to stock up on premium vinyl. The difference between Regular vinyl and Premium vinyl is: Premium vinyl has a stronger adhesive for indoor and outdoor use. It’s gentle enough for most indoor walls, but resilient enough to withstand the sun and weather.

you are beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Dove's latest ad campaign is sheer brilliance. In case you haven't caught it on its rounds of the internet yet, you can watch the commercial below. Basically, women described themselves to forensic sketch artist Gil Zamora without him being able to see them. He drew them based on their descriptions and then again based on the description of another woman. The results of the two sketches of one of the women are on the left and right in the image above. This woman, just like all the other women, described all her perceived 'worst features.' She clearly focused on wrinkles, the texture of her hair, and the spot on her cheek, exaggerating them all in a reflection of her negative self-image. Look how the other woman described her. That is how somebody else sees her, not scrutinizing her every 'flaw.' How would you describe yourself for the sketch artist? If you'd end up like the image on the left, stop it. Give yourself credit. Focus on the positive. You're so much more beautiful than you realize.

I do think it's worth noting that, while I think this is an amazing campaign, it is an ad campaign. It's intended to make us feel warm and fuzzy about a product made by the same corporation that churns out chauvinistic Axe commercials and produces Fair and Lovely, a cream to lighten the skin of women in India. So, point being, I'm not endorsing a company or product. I think Dove has a perfectly fine line of products, but I'm not weighing in one way or the other. I would also love to know how many women were drawn but didn't have 'negative enough' or 'dramatic enough' sketches to be featured. All in all, I love the idea and think it's something we should all take with us throughout our days.

favorite finds for friday no. 16

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

What a fun, stylish way to mind the time.
These images have me majorly craving summer and beach weather...
Do you self-sabotage? Well, quit it!
What would a day in the life of Don Draper and his crew look like today?
I especially love the clear one.
Addicted to this lately. I couldn't get through the first half when I started, but now I love it.
I think I could wear this every day.
Are you as intimidated by negotiation & haggling as I am? Don't be!
This looks so easy and would be beautiful for summer.
What really matters is not whether you've broken up, screwed up, messed up...
Do you need a vacation from your vacation?
Mother's Day is fast approaching. Dads - you can pull this one off, really!
Tomorrow is Film Photography Day. Find a meetup.
I want to do this in every color for summer.
What are your five things today?

Images by Evgeniya Porechenskaya

swept away motion graphics . be inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Ruslan Khasanov's Swept Away series has me a little bit mesmerized. Can you guess what these vibrant, perpetually-moving little Xs are made of? Read on to find out if you're right...

They're all soap bubbles! Check out Ruslan's site for photos of the bubbles that each X came from. Plus, there are about a zillion other really neat projects, including some free fonts.

Did you guess right? No? What'd you think they were? Tell me in the comments!

channeling grumpy cat

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

It's spring. It's cold. It's almost April. It's gross. It's snowing.

Go home, winter. You're drunk.

So naturally, I'm channeling Grumpy Cat and phoning it in with a post about how spring-on-delay makes me mad. And Facebook clearly agrees with me.

coveting . black and white and cat all over

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

You guys know I'm a crazy cat lady, so today's post should come as no surprise. Naturally, I had to put together a shopping list for my fellow feline fiends (eye roll, please?). Seriously though - somebody please buy me that shirt! :D

1. Earrings, Hestia $38

2. Tee, Burger and Friends $26

3. Ring, Vera Meat $47.47

4. Loafer, Nasty Gal $58

5. Pillow, Urban Outfitters $19

6. Jewelry Dish, ASOS $14.03

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

my wedding . save the dates

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

You guys! I'm getting married in five months - eek! I haven't shared nearly enough details from the planning process so far, so I thought it was high time to give you all a sneak peek at something. You know me - I like to make everything myself from scratch (a.k.a. make everything more difficult), and the wedding will be no different.

The Postcard

We are going with a loose vintage travel theme for the wedding, so we decided to do a save the date inspired by antique travel postcards like these. I used lots of different pieces, parts, and tutorials to put the front together from scratch, and I used a scan of an antique postcard with some tweaking for the back. I've linked to all the resources at the end of this post. My favorite part is the little personal touches I've added, like a picture of us or that little paper plane I drew. Since I'm a little bit crazy, I couldn't send it out without sneaking Mish and Ross in there somewhere, too...

The Calligraphy

I knew that I wanted our wedding invitations done by a calligrapher, but when I started pricing it out, I realized that it was not going to happen on our budget. After being broken-hearted-ish for a little while, I remembered Melissa Esplin's I Still Love Calligraphy workshop. Most other calligraphy classes and lessons and book I've seen have focused on that really bold, angular old English style, and that's just not what I had in mind... Melissa teaches the copperplate style in her e-course, and I've always loved the flourishes, bold thicks and hairline thins of the style. I was a bit hesitant to try to learn something as hands-on as calligraphy online, but I can now officially vouch for the course. I hand-lettered the save the date message (above), and while it's not the best calligraphy you'll ever see, I did it about ten days after starting the e-course. I still have four days left in my month-long subscription, and even though I've been majorly slacking on submitting my work for Melissa's critique and advice, I feel like I've already gotten so much better than I was when I did the postcards. Because the class has several videos, I was able to see that how I was holding the pen was wrong and then correct myself, which was really helpful.

Now I don't have to settle for wedding invites sans-calligraphy.In fact, I'm not going to be able to have pretty, scrawling script on every piece of the invitation suite, which would've cost me a fortune if I had to hire a calligrapher. My favorite part, though, is that this is a new skill I'm going to have forever. I can whip up a pretty card for somebody in a few minutes, like I did for this project, instead of being stuck with my handwriting or computer fonts.

Resources:

Barn, Justin Byerline Stock
Vintage Card Tutorial, Design Instruct
Horse, Horse Precuts
Postcard Back, Vintage Field & Garden
Marketing Script Font, Dieter Steffmann
Realistic Shadow Tutorial, Layers Magazine
Paper airplane was hand drawn by me.
Calligraphy hand-lettered by me using I Still Love Calligraphy workshop.

Do you have any questions about how I made the postcard or how I did the calligraphy and got it onto the postcards? Leave your questions in the comments, and I'll see if I can help you out!

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. I received a free calligraphy course, but all experiences and opinions are entirely my own. See my disclosure statement for more information.

coveting . mint + taupe

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

1. Floral Crown, Serenity Crystal $68

2. Nail Polish, OPI $8 . 24hr Eyeshadow, Maybelline $6.99

3. Petty Booties, Sam Edelman $130

4. Zip Clutch, ASOS $30.52

5. Clip Art, The Ink Nest $8.58

6. Necklace, ModCloth $9.99 . Earrings, Givenchy $26

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

favorite finds for friday no. 15

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I kind of love this whole naked idea - and not just for wedding. Pretty and easy!
Pretty much everything you need to get creative and crafty.
Seriously - gorgeous. Make them. Lots of them.

I suddenly feel like I need to get super healthy, and I'm leaning toward this to help.

Somebody give me some alpacas. Stat.

I'm ready ready ready for spring/summer, so I clearly need this...
Used this for our wedding list, and it's amazing.
I guess it's time to get rid of my 'happy fall' wallpaper anyway.

Is it bad to be more excited about planning the honeymoon than planning the wedding?!
I like that this is all-natural, and the tan-phobe in me is happy, too.
Three start-up tips.

Photo by House of Earnest.

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

claudia dolez by laurent nivalle . be inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

You would never know from looking at these images of Claudia Dolez that Laurent Nivalle's day job is as a photographer for Citroën, a French car company. The Parisian creative tends toward portraits and fashion photography when he's not busy with cars. I think he's doing quite alright with it, too... There's something about the tone of this set that I just love. Oh, and can I please have lips like that?!

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

favorite finds for friday no. 14

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

A fun perspective on a trip around the world.

This is such a simple way to add a bright pop of color!

I'm intrigued. Might have to try this one.
I'm completely in love with this, especially at this price. And honestly with anything this color...

Finally! A fresh spin on this.

Mine's a tiny bit skinnier, and I never take it off.

A beautiful sneak-peek.

What do we think of these with a wedding dress?

These would be cute stamped or painted.

This keeps getting a tiny bit cheaper, which makes it a tiny bit harder not to buy.

Delicious and super pretty!

What do you guys think of this trend?

Image by Ann Shen for Freutcake.

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

pantone pairings . be inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

David Schwen, a Minneapolis artist, has taken the iconic Pantone swatch and given it a fun, edible spin. His series Pantone Pairings includes chicken and waffles, milk and cookies, peas and carrots, and many more. You can find the full series on his Instagram. They'll soon be available for purchase as prints in his shop #PantonePairings.

This has me thinking about fun food combinations. I'd have to put together wine and cheese! What would you team up for your own Pantone pairing?

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

on birthdays and surprise talents

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I’ve partnered with Green Giant for this sponsored post, and they’ve asked me to share a surprise talent. It could be mine, a friend’s, or a family member’s, and since it happens to be somebody’s birthday today, I decided to share the birthday boy’s surprise talent…

You probably remember my brother Cody Griffith from this and this and here and this, too. Clearly I’m a proud sister. Today, as we celebrate Cody turning the ripe old age of 25, I am reminded how much he has contributed to the world in a short quarter-century. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do in the next one!

His talent is pretty obvious; he’s a brilliant artist. He can put pencil to paper for five minutes and come out with a work of art that I couldn’t duplicate in any length of time with all the pencils in the world. He can create a photorealistic portrait with charcoal on paper or an incredible and imaginative work of vibrant color twenty feet tall. With all this obvious talent, what could his ‘surprise’ skill possibly be? Well, he can whip up a caricature of anybody in about 30 seconds flat! That’s right – in less than a minute he can create a cartoon that somehow actually looks like the person (a quirky, adorable version, anyway).

Happy birthday, Cody – you’re amazing, and I'm endlessly proud to be your sister!

Green Giant has a Giant Surprise: New Veggie Chips. They’re a great-tasting chip that snackers can actually feel good about. The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips**! Check out the surprise talent the Green Giant has unearthed!

Green Giant: Facebook . YouTube

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant. Certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

** Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

march desktop wallpaper . freebies

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Happy spring, everyone! It's almost here. Although I love the snow that is currently on the ground, I also love spring flowers. What is your favorite part of spring?

1600x1200
1024x768
800x600
iPhone

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

peek-a-boo polaroid card . how to-sday

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I'm a little bit obsessed with photobooths. I have trouble passing them by and have pretty much started a collection of these little strips of memories. My second-favorite photobooth ever is the Magbooth Portrait of America van. They turned an old van into a killer photobooth and are driving it all over the country collecting little snapshot of America. Andrei and I tried it out at Forecastle Festival in Louisville last summer.

I was trying to think of a fun inaugural project to test out my Silhouette CAMEO and Design Studio software. Incidentally, I also love Polaroid photos, so I decided to make a card that featured both styles! Read on for the tutorial and a find a big discount on the Silhouette and Design Studio software at the end!

Supplies:

Heavy white cardstock
Blank card (I used 5"x7")
Photobooth strip
Washi tape
Silhouette CAMEO
Design Studio software
Marker or pen
Glue

For this project, I wanted to showcase something featuring the Design Studio software but using its most basic features, since I'm a total novice. My favorite aspect of the software is the ability to import SVG files because then you essentially have access to a huge library of free designs. I'm going to start by showing you how to import an SVG file.

1. Start by downloading this free SVG file set with three cute little Polaroid frames. Unzip it to a location you'll be able to find easily, like a folder called SVG Files on your desktop. Open your Silhouette Design Studio program, and find 'Import to My Library...' in the 'File' menu.

2. Find the file you just downloaded, and double-click it. A box will pop up for you to name the shape in your Silhouette library. You can also tag it for easier searching later. I tagged it with terms like 'frame,' 'heart,' Valentine's Day,' etc. Set it as a regular cut file, and click 'okay.' It's now in your library!

3. Double-click the frame in your library to open it into the Design Studio. You'll need to adjust the size so that the inside square is no larger than one square on your photobooth strip. I just measured the actual photo and then used the ruler at the top of the screen to adjust the frame. When you have it at the right size, go ahead and cut it out on heavy white cardstock.

4. Now you need to cut the little window out of your card. Set the paper size for the design to the size of your card opened flat. You don't want to cut through the front and back. Now decide where you want the opening to be by seeing where the photos line up when the photobooth strip is inside the card. You can pretty much estimate, but make sure you place the hole somewhere that the photos won't end up having to poke out the top or bottom of the card.

When you've decided where you want it, position your Polaroid frame on the virtual paper until you have it in the right spot. Now set it to not cut. Add a new square that lines up with the inside square of the frame. It's the one in red in the picture above. Set that one to cut, and then go ahead and cut it out of the card.

5. Use washi tape with a coordinating color or pattern to tape the photo strip into the card so that one of the pictures peeks perfectly through the window. Attach the little frame to the front with glue, and pen a sweet message inside next to the photos.

To get this deal, just click here, and enter the promo code SHRIMP at checkout. Then join the party, and show me what you make!

More Shrimp: facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. I received Silhouette Design Studio free of charge, but this project and all opinions are entirely my own. See my disclosure statement for more information.

glowing cherry blossom branch . how to-sday

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

You guys know that I'm in full-on crazy mode with the wedding planning, so I was really excited when I got a big box of David Tutera Bridal goodies to get crafty with. I try to put an unexpected spin on projects whenever possible, so I didn't want to go with your standard silver and white and sparkly for this one, though the possibilities are definitely endless in that regard!

My favorite item in the collection is the lighted branch - so pretty and versatile! When I was working as an Americorps VISTA at a local literacy nonprofit, we had a once-beautiful, now-dead tree inside the children's reading area. It was way, way too heavy to lug back down to the first floor. Instead, I spent an afternoon creating tiny paper blossoms and taping them all over the branches to make a whimsical little reading nook. I've had a bit of an obsession with paper flowers again lately, so this blank twiggy canvas was pretty much begging to turn into an airy cherry blossom branch! Read on for the incredibly easy, incredibly affordable tutorial!

Do you think this is something you'd actually try? I think it'd be great for way more than just weddings. Imagine this is a nightlight in a little girl's room!!!

Supplies:

David Tutera LED Light Branch
Tissue paper
Chopstick or small paintbrush
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Acrylic gemstone vase filler
Vase

1. Cut pink and white tissue paper stacks into squares of roughly two inches. With 6-8 squares stacked together, fold them in half and then again into quarters. In the image above, I've marked lines where the folded edges are in each step of the process.

Once it's folded into quarters, pinch the folded corner, and cut around the rest of the corners so that you have a teardrop shape. Unfold them, and you'll have four-petaled flowers that sort of resemble butterflies.

2. Stack a pink and white flower together with the petals of each color in opposite positions. Poke the front middle with the end of a skinny paintbrush or chopstick while pinching the tissue in the back. The chopstick should help you gather the end together.

3. Twist that end a little bit to hold the flower together, fluff the petals a little bit, and set it aside. Make a bunch more. You can do different combinations - all white, all pink, or even single-petaled blooms for contrast. It'll look more natural that way.

4. Squeeze a dot of hot glue onto the twisted base of a bloom, and lightly stick it to the branch directly underneath a tiny bulb. Continue until you've put a bloom in front of each light, and then add one to the ends of the branches and wherever else you think needs a little somethin' somethin.' If you want the branch to look great from any angle, you can add blooms to the other side of the lights, too.

5. Fill a vase with plastic diamonds. Bend the wire stem of the branch if you're using a short vase like I did. Stick the branch down into the diamonds to hold it in place. If you have a big enough vase, you can tuck the battery part into it. Mine was a little too small, so I just hid it behind the vase.

*This is the part where Fatty McGut decided he didn't like this particular vase. His solution was to knock it onto the concrete porch, leaving yours truly to sift through shards of glass and zillions of tiny fake blings.

Shrimp: facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

Darice/David Tutera: pinterest . twitter . facebook . Darice twitter

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with David Tutera and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own. See my disclosure statement for more information.

favorite finds for friday no. 13

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:56:00 +0000

Real talk blog tips. Do what you do.

Don't you think everything would taste better with these?!

On Xanax and spin cycles.

I am all about some crazy florals this week.

I think I could pretty much live in these.

Would you?

A friends has this, & I'm coveting it. Indestructible enough?

Super chic for the plus sewist.

I'm a little bit obsessed with these right now...

And also with this.

Friday absolutely calls for this.

Leg shine??

Photo by Amelia Lyon

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

* Disclosure - certain links within this blog may result in a commission for Shrimp Salad Circus. See my disclosure statement for more information.

modern portraits of old craftsmanship . be inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Alessandro Venier, an Italian photographer and videographer, has invited us into the workshops of artisans keeping alive the tradition of handcrafted goods and small-scale production.

About the series, Venier says,

These images tell stories of those people who continue works, searching for the unique product. This book talks about those people, who I found after a long journey during more than a year. Portraits of them in their workspaces, where the final customer usually does not have access. Women and men, witnesses and architects of a world that, despite the difficulties, and the modernization continues to exist. A reality that today more than ever shows us the way to an innovative generational shift, looking to the future without forgetting the past.

This last one reminds me of a couple of my friends who have an ever-growing home-brew hobby. I won't be a bit surprised if it looks like this one day!

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe

how to tailor shirts & dresses . sewing 101

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:48:00 +0000

Thanks to Valerie of Threads Thoughts Things and Dottie Adele for yet another amazing Sewing 101 installment. I have to say that (besides this), this might be my favorite of her tutorials yet. It's just such a great, versatile, and practical skill, even if you never plan to sew anything from scratch. (shirt via Macy's)

Have you ever found the perfect dress while thrift shopping, but a size too big? Ever been handed down a fabulous top, but the fit isn't quite right? No more having to let those finds go! Here is the quickest, simplest way to take in clothing to get a perfect fit.

Before we get started though, don't forget about the rest of the Sewing 101 series!

Essential Tools . Get to Know Your Sewing Machine

Sew a Super Simple Skirt . Make a Turban Headband

Two Ways to Add Pockets to a Skirt
Easy Infinity Scarf . Sweater into a Hat & Mittens

Easy, Cozy Cocoon Cardigan

Supplies:

Garment to be altered (shirt or dress for this tutorial)
Scissors
Measuring tape
Straight pins
Matching thread
Full-length mirror

1. Try on your garment and use the mirror to study the parts that you want to take in. For my shirt, the main issues were that the area across my chest was too big and the armpit area was about an inch lower than it should have been. The rest of the top fit just fine, but I wanted the top portion to be more fitted.

2. Once you've identified what you would like to be altered, flip your garment inside out and put it on again. Use your straight pins to pin along the sides seams, taking in your garment so that it fits the way you would like. I pinned mine up the side of the bust and under the arms. This might require some contortionism or the help of a friend!

If you have a dress, the basic idea is the same. If your dress needs to be taken in along the hips or legs, pin the sides so that they fit, but be sure you still have enough room to walk!

3. Very carefully take off your garment (those pins will get ya!) and lay it on a flat surface, inside out, with the pins still in place.

4. Now we want to make sure that we have taken in everything evenly from both sides. First, I laid my measuring tape in a straight line across the bottom of my pinning, to make sure I began at the same place on each side. Make any adjustments necessary to make the starting points on each side the same. If your garment needs to be taken in all the way to the bottom edge, move to the next step.

5. Next, measure from outside edge of the seams in to where you have pinned on each side. I had taken in approximately 1" from the right side and slightly more on the left side, so I evened out the pinning and made them both 1". Symmetry is key! Repeat all the way down your garment on both sides, making sure it is all even.

6. If you are taking in sleeves or armholes, match up the seams exactly. Make sure that the seam at the armpit is perfectly in line from both sides. If your top has any other seams at the waist or attaching a skirt to a bodice, make sure they are lined up as well.

7. At your sewing machine, change your stitch length setting to a long basting straight stitch (4.5mm-6mm). Sew along the sides seams you pinned in, just inside the pins. Basting is not meant to be a permanent stitch - we'll use it now as a quick way to test if our alterations are correct before sewing the final seams.

8. Be sure that your new seam merges gradually into the original seam. Sharp corners or crooked stitching will not look as neat from the outside. The new seam should join the old seam in one nice, smooth line.

9. When you have basted both sides, turn your garment right side out and try it on. It should now fit you the way that you would like. If there is any area that still needs adjusting, flip it inside out again and repeat the previous steps. If it does fit well, move on to the next step!

10. Turn your garment inside out again and take it back to the sewing machine. If your garment is a knit (stretchy) fabric, use a zigzag stitch to sew directly back over your basting stitches. If your garment was a woven (non-stretchy) fabric, use a straight, shorter stitch (2.5mm) to sew directly back over your basting stitches.

11. Cut off the excess fabric to the outside of your new seams. Cut very close to the stitches you just made.

12. Flip it right outside one last time, try it on, and enjoy your new fit!

facebook . twitter . pinterest . instagram . subscribe