Rae Gun Ramblings

Oh My Goodness I'm Such a Dork AKA Rae Gun Ramblings has moved please update

2013-06-08T11:06:00.003-06:00

Hey friends, if you are seeing this then somehow your feed didn't get updated. Rae Gun Ramblings now has a new home at http://www.raegunramblings.com. If you're seeing this you've probably missed the last 2 weeks of my posts yikes! I hope you'll come visit at the new spot and update your subscriptions.

I felt like such a dork when I realized yesterday that my feed wasn't getting forwarded when I moved to Wordpess uggg! I hope you'll find me over on the new site I've been working hard to have some great posts and awesome giveaways lately.

Moving to Wordpress!

2013-05-16T22:19:00.003-06:00

Hey friends I just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know that I'll be moving to wordpress over the weekend. So things may be looking/acting a little funny over the next few days but hopefully we'll have everything squared away by Monday. Thanks for bearing with me.

What We Wore, Read, and Made Link Party Sushine and Lemons Features

2013-05-14T17:23:00.000-06:00

Lemon Soap ● Lemon Macarons ● Lemon Rice Krispies● Child's Apron
T-Shirt Rose Bracelet ● Lemon Raspberry Tarts ● 3 Tiered Stand

Here in Utah it seems like Spring is over and we're fully in Summer. We've had a few days in the 90's and I just think it's too soon!

I want to let you all know that I will be moving to Word Press later this week. Since google friends connect and google reader will be retired soon I figured I'd finally make the move. I hope you all will take a second to follow me on Bloglovin, RSS Feed, Feedly or another method so we can stay connected.

Let's see what you've been creating, cooking, eating, wearing, reading, all of it!

Fine Print:

Please be a follower

I'd love you to add my button or somehow link back to me.

Link as many posts as you want (I don't mind if they are older posts).
Please visit a couple of the other people who have linked up.
*if you don't see the linky try refreshing*

Please Note: I will not be sending reminder emails about the party any longer. hopefully having my button, following, subscribing or something else can serve as your reminder.

Let's connect! You can also find me hanging out here.

World's Best Freezer Friendly White Chili

2013-05-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

I am a soup fiend. I could probably eat good soup every day. This white chili recipe is one that I adapted from a recipe my friend Heidi gave me. It's perfect comfort food, comes together super fast and freezes like a gem.

White Chili Recipe

3 small corn tortillas
1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 Anaheim chile pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1-2 chicken breasts chopped (I have used precooked chicken)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups salsa verde or 1 (10 oz.) can green chile enchilada sauce
cilantro (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional topping)
sour cream (optional topping)
grated cheese (optional topping)

In large pot saute garlic, seeded and chopped chile pepper, onion and chopped chicken. Add cumin, beans and broth. Chop tortillas into small pieces and add. Add salsa. Bring to a boil and then simmer until heated through and tortilla has broken down. Top with cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and grated cheese if desired. Serve with my favorite 3 ingredient cornbread and you've got a delicious filling meal. So easy and it freezes really well.

11 Great Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

2013-05-13T01:00:00.000-06:00

This week's Top Ten with The Broke and The Bookish is Books Dealing With Tough Subjects. Here are a bunch of my favorite reads that had tough subjects. What I like about each of these is that they all deal with their tough topic in a realistic way that never plays down the severity of the situation but at the same time in the end all these books are stories of hope, perseverance, and survival.

Escape - Can you believe it I'm including a non-fiction book. This book is GREAT. It's about the first woman to leave polygamy that got custody of all her kids. You get to see what life is like for her growing up, raising her kids, getting out, and living in the real world. It's fascinating.
Forgotten - This book reads like a light contemporary mixed with mild sci-fi but actually deals with some heavy matters. I won't say what exactly since it may be a bit spoiler-y but it's an excellent book.
The Sky is Everywhere - This is a heart breaking beautiful story of sisters. It's about surviving after you lose the person closet to you. I definitely cried during this one and it was hard in some parts but it's definitely worth reading. It is such a gorgeous story full of love.
Pretty Girl - 13 - This one is intense. Think Elizabet Smart intense. A girl gets kidnapped from camp and finds herself back home after two years with no memories. She's experienced some terrible things but can't remember what. It's a super interesting read and while it's a very heavy topic it never felt overwhelming or hopeless.
Airman - This is a midgrade read with some fantasy elements but at it's core it's a story about wrongful imprisonment and how to survive and thrive regardless. The main character is wronged so egregiously and while he could let it consume and define his life he finds a way tho work through it and have something beautiful.
The Book Thief - This is a story about a little girl growing up in Nazi Germany. It's not all sad but it definitely deals with the horrors you'd expect from a book with that setting. But it is also a wonderful story of familiar love and friendship.
Dark Triumph - While the first book in this series, Grave Mercy dealt with tough issues of abuse and more, Dark Triumph delves into even tougher situations. Some of the things we learn about Sybella's past are rough, really rough. But this is a story about a broken girl who has experienced horror making something of her self.
The Program - The Program has been set up to combat the teen suicide epidemic. But while participants seem to be free of their suicidal tenancies the so-called cure achieves this by riding the patient of many of their memories. This book is great. It's intense but never overly heavy. It's a cool spin on the dystopian stories that I love.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Both the Mara Dyer books are SO good. Mara is the survival of a building collapse in which her friends have died. She has obvious psychological issues as a result. But there is so much more going on. It's a crazy series unlike any I've ever read.
If I Stay - This whole book takes place in the mind of a girl who has been in a terrible accident. She is unconscious hearing what is said around her. Her family members have died and she is trying to decide if she should stay. It's a beautiful story full of love and happiness as well as pain. The way it's told is so interesting and the sequel while dealing with more tough issues is just as lovely.
Fire - This is one of my favorite books but it is rough. While it is definitely a fantasy Fire is a story of a terrible totally evil man. If he lived in our world he would be called a psychopath (no empathy, tortures animals at a young age, all of it). And Fire unfortunately had to live with and through his madness but her strength and goodness are amazing. There is so much more to this story than the hard stuff, magic, romance, growth it really is one of my favorite books.

What's For Dinner Week #169

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

(everything that needed to be eaten soup and 5 Minute Artisan Bread)

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamas out there. I hope you have something fun planned to celebrate. We're heading to a brunch buffet with my mom, sister and in-laws should be fun and yummy. My college roommate is heading into town so we'll be eating out a lot.

On the menu for this week...

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Soup if we're hungry	Grains and nuts: pasta Veggies: Zuccs, Salad Fish: Shrimp
Monday	Tacos
Tuesday	Chicken Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus
Wednesday	Eat Out
Thursday	Red Iguana
Friday	Fun Bus Buffet
Saturday	Fondue

What I've Been Reading: 7 Must Read YA Books

2013-05-09T10:30:00.002-06:00

I have been reading a lot of great books lately. I think that Daniel thinks I'm crazy because I've been walking around hugging books and telling him how great the one I just finished was and reading parts out loud and telling him the latest developments in the stories. He so doesn't care but he humors me. And I want to say that even though I receive some books for review all my reviews are totally 100% my opinion and all the books I read are ones that I would have borrowed from the library any ways.

So all that is to say my gushing is 100% genuine and trustworthy :) I just don't want you to think I'm all rosey it just so happens that I've been on a ROLL with awesome reads and I definitely want to share them with you. If you want more description just click on the links to see a synopsis of each.

Entwined by Heather Dixon - Probably my favorite fairy tale retelling ever. The characters are so strong and interesting it was a tale that had me from beginning to end. If you like stories with hints of magic and historical flair this is great for you. It's like a Shannon Hale story but better (yup I said it). Also it's a stand alone so that's a plus.
The Program by Suzanne Young - I just finished this yesterday. I listened to the audiobook which I do any time I can get my hands on that version just since there are SO many books that I want to read and it just lets me read more. For those of you who are audiobookpMay hobic I recommend giving it a shot I was wary until I tried and now I'm hooked. But back to The Program. This is a wonderful fresh dystopian. It's got things I liked about Matched and Delirium but I think even better. This one just knocked me out with love. In short teen suicide has become an epidemic. To combat it kids are tracked and with any hint of depression they get sent to the program where their memories get taken from them in an attempt to save their lives. Everyone knows someone who has killed himself or who has come back empty from the program. The story is so fun but also I absolutely fell in love with the characters. This kept moving from beginning to end and was great.
Transparent by Natalie Whipple - I'm just going to say it. This may be my FAVORITE kid's with powers book. Seriously it was phenomenal. I've been looking forward to hit for a while (which usually leads to a let down) but this stood strong and surpassed my expectations. Really I can't say enough good things - wonderful friends, cute but not overpowering romance, non-stop action, and just plain fun. I picked this up and couldn't put it down. It doesn't come out until May 21st but you should definitely put it on your library hold or pre-order it (it's that good). Perfect for Harry Potter and Insignia fans.
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman - I see these books on must read lists all over and I'm so glad I got to them. They really are wonderful beautifully written stories with so much emotion. The subject matter is rough but it never felt hopeless or suffocatingly heavy like some books can get. I read them without reading what they were about and I actually preferred that. Just trust me pick it up and read.
Spellcaster by Claudia Gray - This was the one book I hadn't read from the bunch who came through at Dark Days but luckily I was able to listen to the audiobook. I really liked it. A fun action filled, new spin on witches with a great contemporary feel. I definitely recommend this to fans of the Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia's Beautiful Creatures books and the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead.
Parallel by Lauren Miller - I know this post is full of gushing already but I can't help it this book was MADE FOR ME. Really if you interviewed me about all my favorite things you would get this (except maybe fighting but it didn't even need fighting to steal my heart). It's like Groundhog's day but reverse. Every day she wakes up and her YESTERDAYS have changed. It's a fun mix of awesome philosophical puzzles, fun contemporary and great romance. I'm a sucker for alternate realities and time puzzles so this one really hit home. But even if you're not a philosophy nerd like me the story is so well told and unique if you have a sci-fi (not creatures just puzzles and time stuff) bone in your body you should pick this up. The closest thing I can think of was Forgotten by Cat Patrick but really this was it's own awesomeness.

And while these were not to the gush level of the ones above I wanted to mention them

Requiem by Lauren Oliver - I was SO nervous about this book mostly because I am a happy ending/epilogue loving girl and I just have read enough of Oliver's writing that I know she isn't like that. I absolutely loved hearing from Hana and the new perspective. It was beautifully written as all of Oliver's books are and fun but for the the last book in the series there was just not enough resolution for me. I'm glad I read it and enjoyed it but I really wanted more. Also I listened to the audiobook which I definitely recommend.
The Death Cure by James Dashner - I know people adore this book but it was just there for me. It may be that I'm so done with wandering in decrepit crazy people filled cities but this just didn't do it for me. There was something I liked about The Maze Runner books that kept me reading but I never fell in love and I'm sad to report that this one just didn't do it for me I was just kind of bored, didn't care for the characters, and found the ending to be extremely anti-climatic. Those who have read the Kill Order should I check it out? The thing is I kinda like the world I'm very interested in the various twists but the way the story telling for this fell flat for me so I'm wondering if more back story would be fun or if I should skip it.

And to see the unabridged version of what I've been reading (and plan on reading) find me on Goodreads.

Guest Blogging: Jellyfish Kiddo Craft

2013-05-08T13:43:00.000-06:00

I hanging out over at Keeping It Simple today sharing this fun jellyfish craft that we did with the kiddos at T's Mermaid birthday party. I hope you'll head over and check it out.

If you're visiting from Keeping It Simple, welcome it's great to have you! I hope you'll have a peek around. On my side bar you'll find my reader's favorite posts and if you are a blogger yourself I'd love to invite you to share any post you're proud of at my What We Wore Read and Made link party.

What We Wore, Read, and Made Link Party

2013-05-07T17:23:00.000-06:00

Top - Forever 21

Everbound Necklace - From Brodi Ashton

Skirt - Down East

Shoes - Famous Footwear

Mother's Day weekend holy moley could this year be going any faster?! I hope you all have fun plans. I have a few giveaways perfect for the occasion. I hope you'll check out my Massage Envy Giveaway and my Reboot Book Giveaway and enter out after you link up.

And in case you still haven't, I wanted to remind you to update your blog following subscriptions since the way most of us follow blogs (google friends connect, google reader, or blogger dashboard) will be disappearing. There are a few painless ways to transfer your follows I've tried both Bloglovin and Feedly but there are many others.

Let's see what you've been creating, cooking, eating, wearing, reading, all of it!

Fine Print:

Please be a follower

I'd love you to add my button or somehow link back to me.

Link as many posts as you want (I don't mind if they are older posts).
Please visit a couple of the other people who have linked up.
*if you don't see the linky try refreshing*

Please Note: I will not be sending reminder emails about the party any longer. hopefully having my button, following, subscribing or something else can serve as your reminder.

Let's connect! You can also find me hanging out here.

Authors I turn When I Want Somthing Light and fun

2013-05-06T22:09:00.002-06:00

Rick Riordan - I definitely prefer the Percy Jackson books but his Cane Chronicles are great when I want something light too
Stephanie Perkins - Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door were both so fun and sweet. I can't wait for the new one!
Richelle Mead - I kind of love her! Everything I've read I've loved. Great heroines and usually some good fighting and swoonable boys. Not shallow but they never feel too heavy either.
Jenny Han - I really adored the Summer I Turned Pretty Books. Yes there were some hard issues pop up but the way it's written it didn't feel rough.
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - So I absolutely adored Dash and Lily and Lily's Book of Dares I haven't read anything else by these two (they write both together and on their own) but I've heard great things so I'm excited to check it out.
Brodi Ashton - I really liked Everneath she does an awesome mash up of paranormal romance, mythology retelling and contemporary.
Sarah Dessen - She is like the contemporary queen. While they aren't my favorite books they are good solid fun for when I want something light and sweet.
Eoin Colfer - The Artemis Fowl books are great when I want a break from oppressive governments and the end of the world.
Shannon Hale - There's just something nice about Hale's books. I really liked the Goose Girl series and Princess Academy but Austenland was fun too.
Marie Lu - Marie Lu's dystopian Legend just isn't stressful like some of the others. There's action, romance and great story. It's perfect when I want a little of it all.

Also if you're interested I'm giving away a copy of Reboot by Amy Tintera. Linking up to The Broke and The Bookish

Kid Pleasing Dessert Pizza with 5 Minute Dough

2013-05-06T12:05:00.000-06:00

I've already mentioned my LOVE for the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes book. It's so nice being able to have a tub of dough in my fridge ready for homemade bread, pizza dough, rolls or whatever I want. And not having to really prep the dough too makes it even better.

Today I'm sharing something we whipped up after just feeling like something sweet after pizza with the family. Really all I did was raid my baking cupboard and not only did the nieces absolutely love the activity and the dessert but it was surprisingly yummy.

Pizza Dough Recipe:
(makes two 1-lbs loaves or 4 small pizza crusts)

3 1/4 C all purpose flour
1.5 lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Combine all ingredients in a container big enough for it to double in size preferably with a lid but you don't want the container to be airtight. Allow to rise uncovered until collapses about 2 hours. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For large pizza I cut this into 4 chunks, form balls and roll out thin.

Dessert Pizza Toppings:

Marshmallos
Butterscotch chips
M&Ms
Chocolate Syrup (drizzled after baking)

But I think pretty much an sort of chips, nuts, candies and other baking supplies would sound so good.

After rolling out the dough I put each crust on a piece of parchment paper and add toppings and cook at 425 F for 15- 20 minutes (until crust looks cooked). Drizzle with any other extra topping you want.

What's for Dinner and Instagram Monthly Week #168

2013-05-05T16:27:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting outside typing this up. I've been here reading all afternoon after a absolutely delicious anniversary brunch at Grand America (I'll be posting picture on Instagram). But I'm stuffed so typing this up has been a little hard since NOTHING sounds good haha.

My insta round up from the last month:

Snap fun! See my full re-cap here
Behind the scenes sewing for my Etsy Shop
Kicked off a photoaday challenge (feel free to join in if you want the tag is #rgrphotoaday and you can see the prompt list under my pictures at @raegunramblings )
Aquarium fun with the lovely Debra from Housewife Eclectic
Great reminder from Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts to give proper credit with using and referencing Pinterest
I couldn't control my Potter geekiness and made yet another Harry Potter Gryffindor baby outfit
Happy mail! Books and new bookmarks. If you see me in person ask me for one I got them to share! I may have ahem 500.
I joined in on Kid's Clothes Week. Wimpily but I gave it a go non-the-less
Hanging out with the nieces, and mini housewife eclectic and my sis before the very awesome Robin LaFevers book signing

But before you leave I have Two Giveaways to share with you. They both have kinda low entries so your odds of winning are super high. And for both all you have to do is leave a comment to enter and there are a bunch of ways you can get bonus entries to up your odds.

Enter to win a free massage from Massage Envy. Yup you read that right!
And for my bookish friends enter to win a copy of Reboot by Amy Tintera. A fast paced, action filled ya novel that's great for those who loved The Hunger Games and Divergent!

On the menu for this week...

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Salad (if we're hungry)	Grains and nuts: pasta Veggies: Zuccs, Salad Fish: Shrimp
Monday	Mushroom Soup in bread bowls
Tuesday	Ravioli
Wednesday	Seafood Enchiladas
Thursday	Eat Out
Friday	Meatball Sandwiches
Saturday	Fancy Ramen

Blogger's Night Out for Massages and Sponsored Massage Giveaway

2013-05-04T20:02:00.001-06:00

(Debra and I playing couples massage getting sugar foot scrubs, oh man so good)

If you follow me on Instagram you know I was able to attend a super fun blogger night at the Massage Envy in Sugarhouse this past week. It was so fun to be pampered with a bunch of my blogging friends.

For those of you who know me in real life I'm kind of a massage fiend. One of my favorite vacation memories is getting cheap massages on the beach in Thailand every day we were there. Ahh yes I LOVE them. I tell my husband if we ever are rich I want a live in masseur. And I'm seriously. I'm constantly trying to get my nieces to give me massages. They've definitely gotten better and I love it. That's what nieces are for right?

(Kari and I as we wait for our turn on the tables)

And as much as I adore the release and the feel of a massage there's something so fun about getting pampered with friends. Every time my college roommate and I get together we treat ourselves to massages and it's great. As much as I love the times when we get together and learn and try to help each other improver our blogs it was fun to be with a bunch of blogger friends and just relax and have fun.

But what's more exciting than that is that they sent us each home with a gift card good for a massage at one of the Utah Wasatch Front locations to share with our readers. Just in time for Mother's Day perfect right? It must be redeemed by May 31st though. To enter see the widget below (if you don't see it try refreshing the page)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What more chances? A few of my friends are hosting a giveaway too!

*I received the gift card to give away on my site, but all opinions and words are 100% my own.*

Reboot Author Interview and Book Giveaway

2013-05-03T02:34:00.000-06:00

I'm here as Reboot's official Dark Days blogger to share more Reboot goodness. After reading and really liking the advanced copy of Reboot I received I was SO excited to have the opportunity to interview debut author, Amy Tintera! In case you were wondering, Reboot is one those books full of action and fighting (you know how I like fighting), great characters in a curious science-y environment, and just enough romance to satisfy my gushiness.

See what Amy has to say and enter to win a copy of her forthcoming book Reboot below.

Q: What has been your favorite moment as an author so far?

I think my favorite moment was at the ALA Midwinter conference in Seattle. I didn’t have any official signings, but several people sought me out to have me sign their ARCs of REBOOT. It was my first time toever sign a book, and it was such a wonderful feeling to have people so excited about it.

Q: How would you describe Reboot in 10 words or less.

Action-packed adventure about what it means to be human.

Q: If you had to pick a couple fictional characters from another YA book or series to have a play date with Wren and Callum who would you pick and why?

I would pick June and Day from LEGEND. Partly because LEGEND is one of my all-time favorite books, and partly because I think they wouldreally get along with Wren and Callum. Well, Wren and June might just stare at each other, but Callum and Day would get along.

Q: You seem like you’re a big fan of Thin Mints do you have any snacks or foods you like to eat while writing? (see evidence here)

Ha! I am a big fan of Thin Mints (are there people out there who aren’t?!?!). If I’m trying to be healthy, I eat fruit and drink a lot of tea while writing. But sometimes I have Diet Dr. Pepper and Whole Foods sugar cookies instead. And occasionally some Cheetos.

Q: Do you have any news about the Reboot movie that you can share?

A screenwriter is working on the script now. I’m so excited they already have someone writing it, and I can’t wait to read it!

Q: What’s the last YA book you’ve read that you’ve really enjoyed?

I have to list two, because I just read two books that I absolutely loved. GATED by Amy Christine Parker (August 2013), which is a contemporary thriller about a girl who lives in an isolated cult-like community. It was romantic and creepy and so compelling.

And BELLE EPOQUE by Elizabeth Ross (June 2013). I don’t usually read YA historical novels, but this one was AMAZING. It’s about a girl who is hired as an ugly companion to make other girls look prettier, and it was such a beautiful, intriguing book.

Q: What is one of your favorite non-spoiler-y lines from Reboot?

One of the very first lines that came to me when I started REBOOT has been in the novel from first draft to finished book. It’s at the beginning, when Wren is describing Reboots, and I’ve always loved it:

“It was like pretty with a hint of deranged.”

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I like to read (of course!). My favorites are young adult and romance novels. I also love good TV, like SCANDAL, DEXTER, DOCTOR WHO, and GAME OF THRONES (among others). And I go to book events often! Los Angeles has a wonderful community of writers, and going to events to hang out with everyone is a blast.

Q: What are you most looking forward to with the Dark Days tour?

I’m looking forward to hearing directly from readers. I spend a lot of time on Twitter, Tumblr, etc, but it’s so much more rewarding to talk to people in person. Book people are my people, so I love talking to them.

And I’m also looking forward to meeting Kiera, Aprilynne, and Liz. I really enjoy talking to other authors, especially those with more experience than me, because they usually have excellent advice and insight.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you or Reboot?

I always want people to know that REBOOT blends a lot of action with a healthy dose of romance. So if you like some kissing with your chase scenes, REBOOT might be for you!

Thanks so much Amy! Reboot comes out May 7th or pre-order it now. Enter to win a copy in the rafflecopter widget below (if you don't see it try refreshing the page).

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out more Dark Days Tour News here!

The Blog Tour!

THE ELITE at The Divergent Examiner

UNBREAKABLE at All Things Urban Fantasy

ARCLIGHT at Cuddlebuggery

LIFE AFTER THEFT at For Those About to Read

REBOOT at Rae Gun Ramblings

The Dark Days Tour Stops!

Tuesday, May 7

Barnes & NobleEdina, MN 7:00PM Me, My Shelf, and I | @MyShelfAndI

Wednesday, May 8

Shorewood Public Library Milwaukee, WI 6:30PM The Hollow Cupboards | @ohaiitschey

Thursday, May 9

Anderson's BookshopNaperville, IL 7:00PM Page Turners | @pageturnersblog

Friday, May 10

Schuler Books & Music Lansing, MI 6:00PM YA Books Central | @yabookscentral

http://www.pitchdark.com/blog/the-dark-days-of-summer-are-here/

The Secret to Blogging and My SNAP! Recap

2013-05-02T00:55:00.000-06:00

Crafting in our PJ's complete with milk and cookies - and yes I did make myself Harry Potter jammies (tutorial to come) - finally got to hug Bev from Flamingo Toes and Kara from Mine For the Making in person!

I know you're saying, Marissa wasn't SNAP! two weeks ago? And you're just now posting this? I know I know. Things have just been a tad non-stop but I really had so much fun and learned so much at SNAP! that I wanted to share. Better late than never right? This is going to be kind of a rambling post so the pictures might not relate to the paragraph below but there were so many great moments I wanted to include them all.

the swag there was SO much!

If you don't already know SNAP! is a creative blogging conference held here in Utah. Bloggers (and brands) from all over come, hang out, learn all kinds of things, and connect. This was my first official conference and I loved it. I met so many awesome people. And let me just say there is just something so wonderful about finally meeting friends that I've only known through my computer in person.

My roomies (Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget and Vanessa from Our Thrifty Ideas) and I won "most interactive door" but we'll call Becky from Utah Sweet Savings an honorary roomie- fun Pinterest snacks - Cute dinner and headbands from Cricut - Debra from Housewife Eclectic and Stacey from The Potter's Place stopped by for the Queen Bee Market

I learned so much I have a notebook full of scribbled notes about SEO, Pinterest optimization, Instagram, photography and more. It was this great source of knowledge and I just sucked it all in. I'm not going to lie though, that amount of info-dump was at times overwhelming. It's like who can think of ALL of those things at once, AND actually do them? Some times these people seemed super human.

all of the business cards I got (and I only met a small amount of the awesome people)

But then it all sort of clicked for me. Blogging is just like exercising. The things that are most important for me as a blogger are the ones that I'll actually do. I tried a spin exercise class once and hated it, so while it may be an awesome workout it doesn't work for me because I won't do it. In SO many of the sessions I heard the message "figure out what it is you like to do, and do that". Yes as a blogger you should have a presence in a variety of places, update regularly, be aware of your key words, and photo lighting, etc. but what's most important is what you are actually willing and going to do. In the same way that I'll force myself to do cardio and eat veggies I'll try and keep up with the parts of blogging that aren't my favs but there's just something so nice about picking a few areas that really do get me excited and putting most of my energy there.

It all finished with a giant dance party. Got some good time with Elizabeth from Sew Chatty and played in a photo booth - And it was all such a blast!

For any one considering going to SNAP! or another blogging conference or even bloggers get together I say do it. Meeting with like minded ladies who get the whole blogging thing from the inside was a breath of fresh air and a whole lot of fun.

What We Wore, Read, and Made Link Party Mother's Day Gift Features

2013-04-30T19:03:00.000-06:00

Infinity Scarf ● Framed Pin Cushion ● Fingerprint Necklace ● Painted Wooden Spoon

Darling Gift Card Holder ● Polaroid Pendant

We're just a little over a week out from Mother's Day. I hope you all have fun plans. In case like me you still need to come up with a few gift ideas here are some darling gifts you can make for mom. Whether it's a necklace featuring the kiddos fingerprints or beautified kitchen gear each of these project are easy and relatively fast.

In unhappy news, you all know that Google Reader AND Google Friends Connect (the way most of us follow blogs) is going away right? So if you rely on your blogger dashboard or Google Reader to stay up to date on blogs you love you'll need to transfer your subscriptions. I tried Bloglovin and didn't love it but this week I started using Feedly and really really love it. I hope all of you will be transferring sooner than later. Both of those services let you transfer your google stuff in one easy move.

Let's see what you've been creating, cooking, eating, wearing, reading, all of it! (Also feel free to link up any Mother's Day gift ideas no mater how old or whether you've already link it up here before)

Fine Print:

Please be a follower

I'd love you to add my button or somehow link back to me.

Link as many posts as you want (I don't mind if they are older posts).
Please visit a couple of the other people who have linked up.
*if you don't see the linky try refreshing*

Please Note: I will not be sending reminder emails about the party any longer. hopefully having my button, following, subscribing or something else can serve as your reminder.

Let's connect! You can also find me hanging out here.

Recipe: Lemon Wilted Spinach

2013-04-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not shy about my constant battle with getting more veggies in my body. It's not that I don't like veggies it's just I never crave them and I forget that they are in my fridge. But spinach has been good to me lately. And this is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. Not only is it delicious but it's super fast.

You want equal amounts of butter and olive oil. For two people I wouldn't go more than 1/2 tsp of each to start with. In fact I've even done it with just spray oil and that works great. (I used too much oil in the pictures so don't base it off of that).

Melt the butter and oil and then add 1/2 a tsp of chopped garlic until it starts to be fragrant.

Then add lots of spinach. It will cook down a ton and it's an easy way to get a lot of veg into the meal. Using tongs or something similar move around and flip the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste and a squeeze of fresh lemon. This step only takes a few minutes.

Serve it with your favorite protein and you're good to go. I did mine with some rotisserie chicken and Trader Joe/s risotto and it was a super yummy and healthy dinner. I also like it a lot with salmon and cous cous. I hope you like it!

The Ward Penny Necklace, Book, and Tutorial

2013-04-29T12:29:00.000-06:00

I've read A LOT of great books over the last month or so but one that just blew me away was The Ward by Jordana Frankel. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of it (it should be in bookstores everywhere tomorrow) and I just fell in love. But more about that later.

As with all books that I love I wanted to immortalize it in craft. There were a few things that stood out to my crafty side. First the phrase "Good Skill" as a substitute for "Good Luck" I really liked that concept. And then the main character Ren wears good luck pennies on a necklace. So I decided to make myself a "Be Like Ren" necklace. And I absolutely love it. I just like the look of it!

But even if you're not a book geek I think this could be a super darling Mother's Day project. You could find pennies in the years that the mom's kiddos were born and then instead of the "Good Skill" quote you could use a dictionary page on the word "mom" or "mother". I think that would be really sweet.

Penny Necklace Tutorial

Pennies
Jump Rings
Chain
Frame Pendant (found mine at Michael's)
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Glue
Printed text or other image

First you want to put holes in your pennies I just drilled them in with a regular drill. Easy. Then add jump rings to the pennies. Make sure to separate the rings by pushing the sides parallel as opposed to just opening the circle.

To make the pendant you want to measure the size of your works image space. I used 2x4 pendants and the space was 1.75x0.75 inches so that's the size I made my text. Scan your image, size it, and print it. Trim along the edges. Then glue the paper into the pendant. Let dry.

Then add a thin coat of dimensional magic. This will give it a glassy resin like finish (I've said it before but this is my absolute favorite craft product). Let dry for a few hours (I just do it overnight).

Attach the pennies to the pendant with jump rings and string on a chain and you are good to go!

More on the Book: The Ward

And if you are curious about the book that inspired this project, The Ward, I like to describe it as a dystopian Speed Racer in water meets American folklore. The synopsis which you can read on amazon or goodreads made it sound interesting but it's so much more than it describes. Something really clicked with me for this one. Like in the way that Insignia, Ender's Game and Ready Player One clicked for me. Really I loved it. There are so many layers to the story which made it more interesting. And it is definitely it's own unique thing. The Ward is a fast paced fresh story, with great characters, conflict, action and unexpected twists. It's a bit hard to describe without giving too much stuff away but suffice it to say it is one of the only books I gave 5 stars to so far this year. You can read my full review here.

World's Best Quick Biscuit Recipe and What's for Dinner/Book Haul

2013-04-28T18:15:00.001-06:00

My sister made the most amazing biscuits for Beautiful Creatures party and my mom made this super tasty fried chicken for part of our Chinese New Years feast (she dosed it in sweet and sour sauce) and I have been craving those two dishes like a crazy girl (minus the chicken sauce) and finally I got them to indulge me.

It turns out the biscuits are super fast and easy to make so took a few pictures while she whipped up a batch.

World's Best Quick Biscuit Recipe

2 C All Purpose Flour
1 TBS Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar

1/2 C shortening (chilled)
1 C milk (chilled)

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in cold shortening. Slowly stir in milk. Press the dough into a rectable and then fold in thirds on top of itself and press into rectangle (try to transfer as little heat as you can so do it fast). Cut into shapes and back for 12-15 minutes.

On the menu for this week...

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Corned Beef Sandwiches and Bacon wrapped potatoes	Grains and nuts: pasta Veggies: Zuccs, Salad Fish: Shrimp
Monday	Clam Fettuccine
Tuesday	Cobb Salad
Wednesday	Catfish Mediterranean Tacos
Thursday	Cream of Mushroom Soup and Salad
Friday	Eat Out
Saturday	Cowboy Hamburgers and Grilled Zucchini

Here's my latest book haul:

borrowed/free

Where She Went (already finished this and it was great!)
Palace of Stone (audio)
The Great Gatsby (audio)
Gravity (the kindle edition is free right now on amazon)

for review

And in case you missed it I've got a fun bookish photo challenge that is starting this week. Feel free to play on Instagram or Twitter and just follow me at @raegunramblings and tag your pictures #rgrphotoaday

National Infertility Awareness Week: My Story

2013-04-26T11:18:00.000-06:00

(my husband being the best uncle in the world)

I've felt the need to write about this for a while. I've wanted to but at the same time I didn't. So this is going to be a bit disjointed because while I've learned to become open about my baby making troubles in real life, on the blog I'm stuck. I don't know everyone who will read these words. I can't read your expression and stop and walk away and I'm not going to lie I'm usually not a hyper-sensitive person At.All but with this stuff just the littlest bits of insensitivity or ignorance can get to me.

So let me first ask. IF YOU ARE GOING TO COMMENT ON THIS POST OR TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS PLEASE READ THIS POST IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE DOING SO. This post is going to be pretty personal. I know it's not usually how this blog is so if that doesn't interesting you I totally understand just check back next week and I'll be back to my crafty bookish self.

So this is my story.

We got married. We worked hard. We were happy. We finally moved into a house big enough for us and to start a family. I was winding down with my grad school stuff. So we started trying. I was on prenatals, I charted faithfully, temperature every day and other fertility signs (if you haven't read Taking Charge of Your Fertility it is quite great).

And then we had a baby. We saw a heart beat. And then we didn't.

I was about 10 weeks along when I miscarried. We hadn't told our parents yet. I had bought picture albums and scheduled a dinner with all of them since all four of their birthdays are around the same time. So I sat through this awkward dinner knowing I had lost the baby that was the whole point about the joint birthday thing. I took the medicine that was supposed to help the process finish but my body just wouldn't and after watching a close friend go through months of waiting for her miscarriage to be complete we decided on a DNC.

But that was real surgery and I flipped out and decided we HAD to tell our parents and our sisters. How would it feel if they found out, how would I have felt, what if something worse happened? And it's not that we didn't want their support. Both our families are GREAT I just felt like I had robbed them of a happy couple of months and was just going to spring "dead baby" on them. Plus I was a mess to begin with. So Daniel went on his own to tell my family and to tell his family. I just couldn't. But it's not like he wasn't rocked by all of this also, he was.

And I knew that miscarriages were common so as awful as it was, being a worrier I was as ready as you can be for that. I threw myself into my work and became obsessed with reading getting lost into other people's stories. These dystopian tales where the kids dealt with such unfairness and such horror. If they could make it through so could I, right? It was still horrible and hard but I was coping.

And we started trying again as soon as we got the okay. I was still charting. But nothing happened. I got on vitamin D and that helped with the depression that had crept up. Months and months passed but still nothing. I told the doctor something was wrong but she said I was just being impatient and we knew everything worked already and just to give it time. I gave it a few more months and then basically said either we start testing or a find a new doctor (it had been over a year).

We did lots and lots of tests. And I was normal. He was normal. The doctor wanted to put me on fertility meds. So I found a second opinion. Apparently there was one test she didn't run a Post-Coital test. Basically they swab the woman after sex to see if the sperm are still going strong. And low and behold I was a sperm killer. So glad we switched doctors.

So with some intervention we should be able to easily by pass the issue. But here we are on round 4 of intervention. The second level even. And I'm here waiting to see if that feeling I suspect is me about to get my period is real or just my paranoia.

And that's we're I am. I'm mostly okay. Really. But those first few days that I get my period I'm a mess. But it's hard because I know it's okay for me to be sad but then I learn of a friend who's sibling or parent has just died or an acquaintance who's kid is extremely sick and I feel like an ungrateful, selfish, jerk for hating my life in those moment.

Because I don't hate my life I have a good life. But it does have this huge sucky part to it. And I just don't know how to feel. That moment when the doctor told us she couldn't find a heart beat is one of those freeze frame moments that pops back up and attacks me out of no where. And when I get my period each month it's like torture. Conveniently after the miscarriage with every cycle I get full on pregnancy symptoms as PMS. You can see how I could commiserate with my YA heroines. I don't wonder why this last try didn't work. All I can think about is why I couldn't just have that first baby. We had one! But it is what it is.

I think the hardest part (at least today) is that I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. I'm scared to hope. But scared not to. I'm a very religious person but I don't believe that this life is fair and I know I have been blessed far far beyond what I deserve already. It might sound crazy but really I don't know how I feel.

What I do know is that I can let this sucky thing consume me and rob me of everything else that is great or I can walk through it continue to try and figure it out and focus on the things that I have. My family, my nieces, my business, my amazing friends, this wonderful online community, my books, and my husband who is more perfect for me than I could have ever dreamed, and much more. And so while sometimes I feel schitso -in one moment so sad and in the other so happy- this is me right now. Most of the time I genuinely enjoy my life, I've learned to relish the little things like the triumphs and loves of my silly books. And when it's a rough day I let myself feel it. I call my friends I hug my husband and nieces. And we continue.

I hope that I will be able to share good news on this front some day but PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME FOR UPDATES EVEN IF YOU'RE REAL WORLD FRIENDS AND FAMILY that's something I just have a really hard time handling. I have a few people that I found can ask and I can go to without falling apart and that's just what works for me. When there is news worth sharing don't worry it will be shared. And I trust that we will have a happy ending. Whether it's that I can finally be content not having my own children and just being an aunty or that we do eventually have kids (however that may happen) I don't know. Even with that uncertainty I really do have a lot and I know it.

KCW Day 4: Quick Super Hero Dress Tutorial

2013-04-25T12:24:00.001-06:00

Today I'm sharing a super easy kiddo dress. T is current crazy obssessed with super heroes. You will remember her obsession with Avatar's Waterbenders and He-man and She-ra. She's all about being strong and brave and courageous. I really love it. So when I found this fun comic book fabric I knew I needed to make her something fun.

This little dress is a spin-off of my upcycled shirt dress tutorial that I shared last year. But I did a few things differently on this one. I use both ways it's just whatever I'm feeling at the time. Check out both and see what sounds better to you.

For this I used a tank top and half yard of fabric. Start by cutting the shirt to a proper bodice length (I just held it up to a dress that I knew fit properly).
Then cut a piece of elastic the same length as the circumference of the edge of your shirt.
Take the elastic and while stretching it serge it into the top edge of the skirt.
This will gather it up and make it stretchy. One tip I do is to mark the half way point on the skirt and the elastic so I know about how much to stretch it (you want those points to match up). If you don't have a serger you can do the same thing by finishing the edge of your skirt fabric and then instead of serging use a 3-step zig zag stitch to put in the elastic.
Next attach the skirt to the bodice. Pin the trimmed top to the skirt right sides together then run a 3-step zigzag to attach the two. This will allow for some stretch and the elastic that you put into the skirt part will help it keep it's shape.

Easy and cute especially for fabrics that are more fun and funky right? It's one of those comfy easy to wear styles that you can make with just a little bit of fabric.

Who else is joining on on the Spring Kids Clothes Week? How has sewing been? I've had kinda a busy week with the shop so while I'm sewing a lot of kids clothing it's mostly been orders. I did finally fix T's Water Princess dress but hopefully tonight I can get something started for the nieces and a baby birthday party I'm headed to.

What We Wore, Read, and Made Link Party AND SNAP! and Queen Bee Market Giveaway

2013-04-23T18:10:00.000-06:00

As most of you know I spent much of last week at SNAP! a creative blogging conference. It was absolutely fantastic. I'll be posting more about my experience soon. But while at SNAP! we also attended the Queen Bee Market that was full of wonderful handmade creations. My roommates Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget and Vanessa from Our Thrifty Ideas got together and bought some goodies (and made a few extras that were inspired by items we saw at the market) to share. We're also including a brand new Coldstone Chocolate. We were able to sample them first and they are crazy delicious. Think super yummy truffles in fun flavors.

Be sure to come enter the giveaway after you link up and feel free to help us spread the word! If you don't see the rafflecopter widget below try refreshing the page.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Let's see what you've been creating, cooking, eating, wearing, reading, all of it!

Fine Print:

Please be a follower

I'd love you to add my button or somehow link back to me.

Link as many posts as you want (I don't mind if they are older posts).
Please visit a couple of the other people who have linked up.
*if you don't see the linky try refreshing*

Please Note: I will not be sending reminder emails about the party any longer. hopefully having my button, following, subscribing or something else can serve as your reminder.

Let's connect! You can also find me hanging out here.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Liked More/Less Than I Thought I Would

2013-04-22T22:02:00.000-06:00

10 books that I liked more/less than I thought I would. Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish.

Books I Loved

Inkheart - Have you ever wanted to interact with characters from a book? This one is so fun for those of us who love books. And it's beautifully written.
The Host - I thought it would be shallow and fun, but it's pretty thoughtful, and full of interesting complicated relationships and dilemmas.
Ready Player One -LOVED this so much and I'm not really a video game fan (I just know many).
The Covenant Series (book one is Half-Blood) - It was hard for me to see huge chunks of the Vampire Academy books in these but they just sucked me in and eventually headed their own awesome direction.
Cinder - I thought "cyborg Cinderella, how dumb" how wrong! This was one of my favorites from last year

Books I Thought I Would Love But Just Didn't

The Giver - I don't get the hype. It's barely a story more like some world building.
Blood Read Road - Holy moley I cannot handle that broken English.
Life As We Knew It - Talk about depressing without any hope or resolution (and it continues that way for THREE books)
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - I loved book 1 but this one just didn't grab me
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - I liked half of the book mostly in the middle but I just did not see the hype. I really wanted to like it more.

And I've got a big announcement. Some of you already know how addicted I am to Instagram. And since the ladies at Book Soul Mates only did their bookish challenge for one month I thought us nerds needed a photo-a-day challenge just for us again! So next month join me at @raegunramblings for the #rgrphotoaday challenge which will feature many bookish photo prompts. Feel free to join in when you can or do all of them. And if you're not on Instagram feel free to play along on twitter. Just tag your photos #rgrphotoaday .

I would LOOOOVE help spreading the world so feel free to repost the picture and let your friends know. Also if you have any good idea for future prompts leave them in the comments :)

My Awesome Cinderella Dress Tute AKA Cricut T-Shirt Fashion Challenge AKA Day 1 KCW

2013-04-22T01:00:00.000-06:00

I'm joining in on Kids Clothes Week. Go to their page to learn more and join in but the main idea is that you work on kids clothes for an hour every day for 7 days. Since I have a baby birthday to go to and some new Rae Gun designs I decided I definitely wanted to do it this round! I'll be sharing my progress on Instagram so wish me luck!

My first creation is a part of another challenge. Remember how I told you that Cricut is now making iron-on vinyl? Well they challenged some of us bloggers to "make something wearable" from white T-shirts and iron-on vinyl. We were each given a few sheets of vinyl and up to 10 T-shirts (whatever size we requested I just used 1 size 3XL shirt for this project).

After seeing Cricut's Disney Happily Ever After cartridge and all it's awesome princess related designs I decided I wanted to make a Cinderella dress.

To make your own you'll need:

3XL shirt (a regular XL would probably have worked, I think the 3XL could get up to a size 6 or so)
1/2 yard Colored fabric
Iron-On Vinyl in coordinating colors

To start off I first cut a skirt piece from the T-shirt. I cut a straight line from the shirt and voila. Then I cut along the sleeve seams and opened the shirt up flat. I folded the front down the middle and used a trusty bodice pattern and cut the front piece then repeated with the back and the back bodice piece. I cut both on the fold. Since the T-shirt is stretchy it will just slip over her head. Then I cut 2 sleeve pieces (I just used a poofy sleeve from a random pattern) from the color and the shirt (on the sleeve part). And for the sash I cut a 5 inch strip the length of the fabric (so it was 44" X 5").

Next I put in an inset Peter Pan collar on the front bodice piece. I didn't have a patter for this so I made one. I free handed a shape that I thought looked like the right size and then cut 4 out with a generous seam allowance. Then I sewed the outside of the curve and snipped to the sewing line to help it lay flat. Next I ironed it. Then I cut along the collar about 1 inch from the edge and pinned my collar pieces. Then I sewed back on the piece of the bodice I cut off so the collar was sandwiched between the white pieces. Finally I understitched the seam down (i.e. folded the seam towards the bottom edge and then sewed along the top (under the collar)). Now the front bodice piece is done.

Start by sewing the shoulder seams of the bodice from to the bodice back (right sides together). To make the sleeves see my princess sleeve tutorial. But really fast I slit the sleeve pieces sewed them together, and then sewed them to the shirt. Next gather up the skirt. I used my favorite gathering techinique but you can do it however you want. Then attach the bodice to the skirt by sewing them right sides together. And the dress is done. To make the sash fold the strip in half length-wise and see. After you right side out that strip tuck the edges in and sew. And you're done with the basic shape.

Now comes the fun part. Play around on Cricut Craft Room or flip through your cartridge books and find designs you want to use. All of mine came from the Disney Happily Ever After Cartridge. Cut the vinyl out. Remember to mirror flip your images before you start cutting! Then just weed the design and iron it on. If you've never used iron on vinyl before see my vinyl tutorial.

L really liked how her dress came out and her sister was telling me exactly how she wanted hers to be ;) I think it's pretty cute and I didn't get a picture but I actually really liked the look of the top without poofy sleeves. I think I might make myself a Peter Pan tank top.

Also be sure to check in over at Cricut at the end of the week to see all the other fun creations that are a part of this Fashion show challenge.

What's for Dinner and Book Haul Week 167

2013-04-21T17:05:00.001-06:00

Last week was crazy fun! I spent the first part of the week doing last minute stuff for SNAP! the creative blogging conference and then Thursday through late Saturday at SNAP! I've already shared some pictures on my instagram but I have a bunch of other fun stuff to share from the conference.

Luckily I don't have too endure too much blogger withdrawal since we have a connective circle class this Tuesday. If you're a Utah blogger and want to learn more the connective circle offers awesome classes. This month it's on SEO but they've had ones on Pinterest, affiliate, links, taxes and more.

On the menu for this week...

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Fried Chicken Biscuits and Cauliflower	Grains and nuts: pasta Veggies: Peas, Salad Fish: Shrimp
Monday	Chicken, Mushroom Risotto and Peas
Tuesday	Big Salad
Wednesday	Ravioli
Thursday	Eat Out
Friday	Creamy Enchiladas
Saturday	Shrimp Alfredo

Here's my latest book stack

For Review:

The Bane Chronicles: What Really Happened in Peru (audio)

I have a few books waiting for me at the library hopefully I'll be able to grab them tomorrow.

See what I've been reading on my Goodreads. Linking up to IMM and Stacking the Shelves.