Our baby is here!

Our beautiful baby girl was born on 8/24, amidst the drama of earthquakes, aftershocks and hurricanes. A healthy 7lbs. 7oz. and 21 1/4 inches long, Baby H has brought a love and joy into our lives that we never knew existed.

10 Things I Love: Project Runway

I've been watching Project Runway since the first season, and I love, love, LOVE Project Runway. Granted, over the years I've gotten quite frustrated with it at times, but I can't get enough of it. I'm always intrigued by the challenges and what solutions the designers are able to come up with. My favorite moment is watching the final designs come down the runway, having previously only been given brief glimpses of them.

Here are 10 of my favorite looks from this season so far (in no particular order, except for by episode).

1. Episode 1, Bryce Black

2. Episode 1, Fallene Wells

3. Episode 1, Bert Keeter
(although the styling KILLS me!)

4. Episode 2, Viktor Luna

5. Episode 2, Laura Kathleen

6. Episode 2, Anya Ayoung-Chee

7. Episode 3, Becky Ross and Kimberly Goldson

8. Episode 4, by Kimberly Goldson

9. Episode 4, by Becky Ross

10. Episode 4, by Anya Ayoung-Chee

Giveaway Winner!

Better late than never, right? I had the best intention of announcing this last night, but I had a very, very busy day yesterday. I planned an impromptu birthday party for Mr. H (which really only involved making reservations and contacting friends), stopped in at work, had a doctor's appointment, went grocery shopping, spent 3-4 hours making a black forest cake for Mr. H, cleaned the kitchen, and got together with friends for dinner and cake (until 2am!). Phew!

So... the winner of the Sweet Feet Launch Party Giveaway is...

Congratulations, Jenny! Shoot me an email at amw1707 (at) yahoo (dot) com with your address and I'll get these pretty little birds out to you tout suite (provided I'm not giving birth)!

Cast Pottery

These cast pieces really make me want to try my hand at casting again.

by Mid­dle King­dom Porce­lain found via handmade charlotte

I was first introduced to casting ceramics three summers ago while in grad school (has it really been that long). We were tasked with selecting two items to make casts of and then make multiples of each item, ultimately combining them into one cohesive piece. This was easier said than done. First of all, the program we were enrolled in was only six weeks long. We were taking four classes, two of which were studios, and this project was one of four (?) we had to complete in ceramics.

It was cool seeing all the random items people were able to scrounge up (as working art teachers, most of us were renting for the six weeks, and having only brought clothes and a few basics, we really had to hunt for objects that would work). Small and/or detailed items don't work well for casting. Ideally you want something with a non-porous surface. I selected a simple rubber duckie and Lincoln Logs. And no, Lincoln Logs are not non-porous, but the instructor and TA were so psyched about the possibilities that we were determined to make it work. I think we ended up making 3-4 molds before we got one that was near perfect. A non-porous surface was only one of the challenges we encountered.

Anyway, you can see my cast pieces in my blog header. I really miss having a full working ceramics studio available to me.

Thank You and Farewell for the Evening!

Thank you all for stopping by today. "Throwing" this launch party was quite a bit more work than I had anticipated, but I'm very excited to be embarking on this new blog project. I think I've given you a pretty good sampling of what you can expect here at Sweet Feet Shuffle, and I hope you'll all continue on this journey with me. I can't promise I'll be posting every day, in fact, I can probably promise that I won't be posting every day, especially with the little one joining us any day now. I can promise, however, to be true to my new blogging mission. Nothing but sunshine and daisies! Okay, well, maybe not, but definitely a lot of positive and upbeat content. There's enough negativity in the world, I really don't want to contribute anymore to it. Thank you again for stopping by, and I hope to see you all here again!

And since no party is complete without something to take home, feel free to grab a button below!

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I Really, Really Want One

I want this chair. 'Nuff said.

Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chip Cookies

If you like traditional peanut butter cookies, you'll probably enjoy these as well (unless you're a purist). If you're like me, and prefer your cookies to have mucho moisture, these might not be right for you, although I'll admit, I have had quite a few more of these cookies than I probably should have... Pregnancy doesn't allow me to discriminate. A chocolate cookie is still a chocolate cookie. And a chocolate peanut butter cookie is yummy no matter what form it comes in.

I've written the following recipe assuming you already know a thing or two about baking. If you don't, well, you might want to have someone experienced help you with it. I've been baking for a very long time and have developed a few bad habits and shortcuts that might not work for others (a measuring cup? What's that?).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chip Cookies

recipe found and adapted from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter*

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup flour

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

1/2 cup oats

1 1/2 cups peanut butter and milk chocolate chips

Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Mix well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well blended. Stir in the oats and chips. Shape a tablespoon amount of dough into balls, place on lightly greased cookie sheet, flatten with your fingers or a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
*I modified this recipe using all-natural peanut butter which tends to contain more oil than regular peanut butter. If you use regular peanut butter, you may need to adjust the moisture content of the recipe accordingly by adding a little vegetable oil.

What's your favorite type of cookie?


Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

For the Love of Music

What's a party without some music, right?

Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

The Nursery: The Big Reveal

I've shown many different elements of the nursery I managed to throw together in the past month, but not the entire thing yet. As my projects and the design of the nursery took shape, I noticed I was slowly drifting away from my original inspiration and plan. Unsure of where the new direction was taking me, I was determined not to get down about it until I had seen the final results.

Thankfully, I'm quite satisfied with the end result. Although it's not as frilly and girly as I had originally planned on (but really, what was I thinking?), I think the nursery ended up being a better reflection of me (although, I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head, if I could do it all over again, it would look completely different! Anyone need a nursery designed?). I had originally intended on not being so matchy-matchy with the furniture, and to a certain extent I accomplished that, but as you'll notice, my little "face lifts" resulted in some very coordinating pieces.

I had also originally intended on spending no more than $600 on the nursery and saving as much money as possible by using DIY projects and refurbished and hand-me-down furniture and decor. There were a few elements that we shelled out more dough on than I would have preferred, but all in all, I think I was able to create a pretty stylish nursery for a mediocre amount of money. In fact, our total (approximate) cost for this room was under $1,000.

Ouch. That actually sounds like an awful lot now that I've totaled it all up, especially with all the refurbishing and reusing I did manage to do. But I guess when you take into consideration what everything would have cost had I purchased all brand new stuff... I still saved money, right? I mean, a crib alone could cost anywhere upward of a couple hundred dollars. Same with a changing table. As I previously mentioned, I had no intention of buying a new "big ticket" piece of furniture, but ended up doing so (the wardrobe), sooo.... if you deduct the price of the wardrobe... than we actually spent less than $600 on the entire nursery (that includes furniture, decor, storage and window treatments), and that is a-okay with me.

Enough jibber-jabber, on to the nursery reveal!
(please excuse the low-quality pictures. I am in desperate need of a better quality camera)

A Launch Party Giveaway!

What's a party without some prizes, right? Well, remember that fabulous bird mobile I made for my daughter's nursery? I had a couple of birds leftover who just didn't quite fit onto the mobile (I'm superstitious and had to have just the right number of birds on it), so I decided to turn those birds into ornaments and pass them on to one lucky winner! Don't let these birds fool you. They're not giving you the cold shoulder, they're attempting to soak up some of the afternoon sun coming in through the window!

This lovely lady has a white eyelet belly with a yellow and white polka dot body. She is adorned with sparkly turquoise and aqua beads, a few pearl beads and a fabulous piece of silver and turquoise bling!

This birdie has a handsome belly of white and green stripes and a gray and white gingham body. He's adorned with iridescent green beads and some pearl beads.

How to Enter - There are three ways to enter this giveaway, for a chance to earn six entries!

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me, out of everything you've seen at Sweet Feet Shuffle so far (be sure to check the archives!), what is your favorite thing/part/feature?
2. Become a follower! You can follow through Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin. Be sure to leave me a separate comment letting me know you're now (or already were) following and how.
3. Refer your friends! Know someone who you think would enjoy this blog or this giveaway? Refer them and earn another entry. Your friend must mention you in a comment in order for you to receive an extra entry (limit 3 entries via referrals).

This giveaway will close at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, August 21. The winner will be announced on Monday, August 22. (Please keep in mind, I am literally due to have this baby any day now so announcement of the giveaway winner may be delayed)

Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

Commemorating the Birth of Our First Born... with Beer

In honor of the birth of our first born, and I think just because he wanted to, Mr. H brewed up our own special batch of beer. It was finished this past weekend, so Mr. H was able to bottle it up before the babe was born. Now it's sitting in our den, doing whatever it needs to do in the bottle for the next week or so, and then it'll be ready for consumption! Just in time to celebrate the arrival of our little girl with friends and family! Of course, a special beer needs a special label, so I was tasked to create one. We're both fond of the Art Nouveau style, and I knew exactly what colors I wanted in the label. 

I used Prismacolor colored pencils

I think it's absolutely perfect! I chose green to go along with the beauty of the August birthstone, peridot, and I surrounded the baby with beautiful pink and purple gladiolus, the flower of August. I used a classic Art Nouveau font, threw in a stork, and added some peacock details! And voila! A gorgeous piece of art work to place on a special brew to commemorate an important event.

Did you do anything special when your first born arrived?

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The Nursery: The Artwork and The Mobile

The Art Work

Summer Butterfly Russian Doll Print (from Etsy seller AmyPerotti- $12.00)
Matte (from Michaels- $2.99)
White frame (from Michaels, 40% off- $11.99)
Sun Yellow Krylon Short Cuts Spray Paint, 2 cans (from Michaels- $6.00)

Everything Wonderful Happens Here Print (from Etsy seller Laura George, gifted from sister- $0)
Matte (included in gift- $0)
White frame (from Michaels, 40% off- $11.99)
Sun Yellow Krylon Short Cuts Spray Paint, 2 cans (price included above- $0.00)

Sing Out Loud Every Day Print (from Etsy seller Please Be Still- $25.00)
Matte (from Michaels- $2.99)
White frame (from Michaels, 40% off- $11.99)
Sun Yellow Krylon Short Cuts Spray Paint, 2 cans (price included above- $0.00)

Baby shower invitations (made by my sister- $0)
Up-cycled frames (already owned- $0)
Sun Yellow Krylon Short Cuts Spray Paint, 2 cans (price included above- $0.00)
Total Art Work Cost: $78.95

The Mobile

Misc. fabric remnants and sewing supplies (from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft- <$20)
Branches (found while on a walk outside with Mr. H- $0)
Total Cost: <$20

I have been coveting bird mobiles on Etsy ever since I started digging up inspiration for my baby's nursery. Unfortunately, with prices ranging anywhere from $60 to $160, I couldn't justify the cost. Especially when it seemed like something I could probably make myself. I scoured the internet for bird mobile tutorials and came across a ridiculously easy one from Spool (which I'm pretty sure most of the Etsy sellers used to make theirs as well).

My lovely birdies waiting to be placed on their new roost.

It should be noted, in no way shape or form do I consider myself to be an expert seamstress. In fact, not even an amateur. I'm a novice at best, as I have very little sewing experience. I'm pretty sure my mom attempted to teach me how to use a machine once or twice, but I can't remember how that went. I do recall attempting to hand sew some clothes for my Barbies way back when. Those poor, poor Barbies. That being said, working as an art teacher, I have had to learn a few stitching techniques so I could teach my students, so I'm not completely ignorant. These few skills I picked up were enough to get me through this project swimmingly!

Trying to find the perfect placement

You only need a few basic supplies, some fabric scraps, pins, a needle, various colored threads and filling. Sewing these little guys really is a great way to relax, and I really enjoyed mixing and matching the different patterns and colors. I think the hardest part of this project was figuring out how to stitch up the tail and then attach them to the branches. I used embroidery thread to place them on the branch, mimicking feet, but that wasn't quite enough, so I put a couple dollops of glue from a glue gun underneath them.

You can find the super easy bird pattern to download here. I'm sure you can resize it prior to printing it out for different sized birdies.

Have you ever done a simple, hand sewn project? How did it go for you?


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Rockabye Baby!

I love the Rockabye Baby! musical series. It's already been played a few times in our house. I love the idea of putting rock music into lullaby form. What a great way to introduce your baby to good music! We added a few of the collections to our registry and were fortunate enough to have one gifted to us, the More Lullabies Renditions of the Beatles. If you're unfamiliar with this series, here are a few selections.

Not a fan of these musicians? Not a problem. Rockabye Baby! has renditions of over 25 different artists, so you're bound to find something you like.

What's your favorite music to play for baby?


Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

Homemade Sorbet

Throughout most of my pregnancy I experienced major fruit cravings. I couldn't get enough pineapple or strawberries, and I thoroughly enjoyed peaches, grapes, grapefruit, everything berry and pears as well. As yummy as fruit is, I eventually tired of eating straight up fruit and looked for other ways to quell my cravings. I then discovered the world of fruit smoothies, and for months I enjoyed experimenting with different ingredient combinations. But I soon tired of smoothies, and while looking for a use for the plethora of basil we've grown this summer, I discovered homemade sorbet. What a lovely and delicious way to beat the heat!

If you've never made homemade sorbet before, I highly recommend it. Most recipes call for the use of an ice cream maker, but I had no problems making mine without one. Because we wanted to use up our fresh basil, I selected sorbet recipes containing basil, which may be a bit off-putting at first (it was for me!), but you'd be surprised at how tasty and refreshing the basil is in these recipes!

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

recipe found and adapted from two peas & their pod

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh basil, finely minced

1 tsp. lemon juice

• In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and the sugar. Cover and set aside for at least an hour, stirring if needed.
• In a blender, puree the strawberries, their liquid, the basil and the lemon juice until smooth.
• Pour into a freezer safe container, cover and freeze for at least 4 hours.
• Remove sorbet from freezer and allow to soften for 5-10 minutes. 
• Return sorbet to blender and puree until smooth.
• Pour puree into individual serving dishes.
• Return to freezer until ready to serve.

Of course, you can adjust these directions as you see fit, but based on the success I had with this approach with my next sorbet recipe, I chose to repeat it again with the strawberry basil sorbet. The second puree step may not be necessary, but seeing as this was the first time I used this recipe, I wasn't sure if my sorbet would separate during the first freezing as it did with the following recipe. Note: The strawberry sorbet didn't separate but I wanted to put it in individual bowls so I proceeded with the second puree anyway.

Basil-Lime Sorbet

recipe found and adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 6-7 limes)

20 fresh basil leaves, finely minced

• Make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; allow to boil for 1 minute; remove from heat.
• Add the syrup, lime juice and basil to a blender and puree until smooth.
• Pour puree into a freezer safe container and freeze for 4 hours or until thoroughly frozen.
• Remove frozen puree from freezer, break into chunks, return to blender, puree until smooth and thoroughly mixed (ingredients will separate during initial freezing).
• Pour puree into individual bowls, cover, and return to freezer until ready to serve.

Alternative: The second time I made this sorbet, I used lemons in addition to the limes because I didn't have enough limes on hand. I used 2 lemons and 3 limes to get 3/4 cup juice, but you may need more depending on the size of your fruit. I imagine this would be just as delicious using only lemons.

I can't tell you how psyched I am to discover that making sorbet is so easy. I can only imagine that the flavor combinations are endless. What's your favorite flavor of sorbet?

Late to the party? No worries. Check out what you missed here! 

Hi! I'm so glad you could stop by today! Welcome to the official launch of Sweet Feet Shuffle, my brand new blog. The timing of this launch couldn't be more perfect as I am expecting another brand new project any day now, a sweet baby girl! My official due date is tomorrow, so what better way to celebrate than with a party? If you would like to learn more about me or this blog, go ahead and click on the About Me tab above. Now, let's get this party started, shall we?

I have a fun line-up of posts scheduled for today, so be sure to check back every couple of hours for something new! And if you can't be around for the entire day, no worries, you can always check out what you've missed later. Here's what you can expect today...

10:00am EST: Homemade Sorbet

• I'll be sharing with you two of my favorite homemade sorbet recipes

12:00pm: The Nursery: The Artwork and The Mobile

• This is my last nursery preview before the big reveal. I'll share with you some fabulous Etsy art I found for the nursery as well as a hand sewn bird mobile I made, including a link to where you can find the pattern to make your own!

2:00pm: A Launch Party Giveaway!

• Everyone loves a giveaway. Be sure to pop in to enter Sweet Feet Shuffle's first giveaway!

4:00pm: The Nursery: The Big Reveal

• The nursery that I have been slaving over for months (okay, maybe a month and a half?) is finally finished! Be sure to stop by and see the final results of my turquoise, yellow and green design!

6:00pm: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

• Yup! Another recipe! What can I say, I'm pregnant, and I have sweets on my mind!

8:00pm: Thank you and Farewell for the Evening

• I'll officially wrap up the launch party with a big thank you and something for you to take with you.

Now don't think this is all you're going to see today. This is just the scheduled programming. I'm sure there will be a few surprise posts here and there as the mood strikes me. I'm thinking maybe some music, some pretty things, and possibly an update to my cloth diapering predictions. If I haven't already mentioned it, thank you for joining me today, and I hope you're able to find something you enjoy!

It's A Party!

10 Things I Love: DIYs and Sweet Treats

I recently embarked on numerous DIY projects for the baby's nursery. I gotta say, I'm pretty burned out from them. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't love a good DIY project. Here are some I came across recently that I think are really cool and/or would love to tackle. Someday.

1. Up-cycled paper lamps by Umbu, found via Creativadoration

2. Twig and leaf nursery mobile by Lilac Silhouette 

3. Chevron fan blades by Halligan

4. Origami balloon lanterns by Banquet Atelier & Workshop found via {frolic!}

5. Rocket garland by Guusje's Appeltaart

In these last few weeks of my pregnancy, I've been craving sweets and baked goods BIG TIME! I've been very good about restraining myself from indulging in these cravings, but that hasn't stopped me from drooling over all sorts of sweet recipes and photographs of yummy looking things.

6. Heart cupcakes by Made with Love found via Everyday Rainbow

7. Rubik's cakes by Stasty

8. Yummy ice cream sandwiches via Everyday Rainbow

9. A yummy looking no-bake cake via Joyfolie

10. Raspberry brownies via Indie Pretty Projects

The Nursery: More Decor Details

Despite my attempts to save as much money as I could decorating the nursery by re-purposing already owned items, making use of gifts, and buying items on sale or clearance, I still ended up spending a pretty penny on a couple of items. I had an image of what I wanted the bookshelves to look like and thus spent more than I had anticipated to get the perfect look. After purchasing yellow and white window treatments, we quickly discovered that the intense afternoon sun coming through the nursery window meant we needed room darkening/thermal curtains, which aren't cheap. Despite these unanticipated, excessive costs, I still think I did a pretty decent job at decorating the nursery cheaply.

Wall Hooks

3 Buttercup Hooks* (on sale from Anthropologie, no longer available- $8.85)

Yellow ribbon (re-purposed from baby shower gift- $0)

Silver bowl and cup (mine from when I was a baby- $0)
*The other two hooks hang by the closet
Total Cost: $8.85

Book Shelves

2 white mantle ledges (from KMart- $52.00)

Vintage books (gifts from my sister- $0)
Vintage silver salt & pepper shakers (already owned- $0)

Total Cost: $52.00 (ouch!)

Toy Storage

Toy basket (gift from baby shower- $0)
Total Cost: $0

Nursing Area

Rocker (from Walmart, gift from my mother- $0)

Quilt and pillow (handmade gift from my mother- $0)
Total Cost: $0

Window Decor

 Yellow and turquoise birds (gifts from my sister and nephew- $0)
Total Cost: $0

Changing Table

Console table (already owned- $0)

 Yellow handled basket (from Michaels, 30% off- $9.07)

Changing pad (from Amazon- $23.02)

Changing pad cover (from Amazon- $15.99)

4 canvas storage baskets, blue and maize* (from Home Depot- $29.08)

Wicker basket (baby shower gift- $0)
*The fourth basket holds books on the floor next to the rocker
Total Cost: $77.16

Window Treatments

Double rod, bronze (from KMart- $35.99)

Panel curtain set, yellow (from Target- $19.99)

Sheer eyelet panels, white (from Target- $60.00)

Insulated curtain panels, turquoise (from Bed Bath and Beyond- $60.00)
Total Cost: $175 (double ouch!)

See other nursery project posts here.

SweetFeast

I am a huge, huge fan of the site, We Love Indie, and it's affiliates, Wedfully and Artessen. Now it seems they've gone and added another wonderful link resource, SweetFeast. I think I might hate them for it. As if I really need an easy go-to source for all sorts of yummy goodies I shouldn't be eating? I don't. I really don't. Check out some of the treats they think they can tempt me with...

Oreo Stuffed Brownies by Kirby's Cravings

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownies by Savanna's Savory Bites

S'Mores Brownies by Brown Eyed Baker

And just so you aren't under the impression that the only treats they feature are brownies...

Rainbow Cake by Just My Delicious

I am so glad we are nearly out of most of the ingredients required to make any of these goodies!