Julie @ 12:11 PM Permalink |

I really prefer All Saints Day, which is tomorrow. But the neighbors carved an Obama Pumpkin (Anthony did too, but I haven't seen his yet). And it was so cute I had to take a picture.

I left work early yesterday to rake the yard, but after 3 1/2 hours, 10 bags and 3 blisters, I still wasn't done. I had to quit because I ran out of bags and I needed to leave to phone bank at the DFL headquarters.

Following free pizza and phone calls, I stopped at Kortes for some more garbage bags, graham crackers, pumpkin and cream cheese for Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Cheesecake. We're having a Dessert Potluck at work today and it looks so amazing, I can't wait to eat it.

Tonight, I'll be masquerading as Sarah Palin for Anthony's Halloween party. There is a lot of hair teasing and red lipstick in my future. I've got my red suit, my baby doll to hold and I need to make a few campaign buttons.
Julie @ 6:53 AM Permalink |

Julie @ 5:27 PM Permalink |

Either have my old iPod fixed = $129 OR
Buy a new iPod that works with Nike+. Either

Nano $199 or

iPod Touch $299

and Nike+ kit = $29

and Nike+ running shoes = $88 (and I DO need new running shoes)

Hmm.
Julie @ 1:04 PM Permalink |

Not the first, but one of the first.


I thought I was hot stuff


Some of the old images had a few issues.


I was a bit grandiose while I was in New York.


I had just discovered photoshop brushes


My photoshop skills were definitely improving.


I began my current style on this banner.


I was documenting a lot of partying at this point. Oh the days of a campaign staffer:)


I was so excited to be working at the Capitol and it shows. I was even in love with my commute.

There were many more revamps in there, but Wayback Machine doesn't find them all.
Julie @ 11:39 AM Permalink |

REAL Homemade Pumpkin Pie
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
* 1 medium sugar pumpkin
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups evaporated milk
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I use frozen crust dough and roll it out.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C).


2. Slice pumpkin in half and clean out all seeds and strings from inside. Place cut side down onto a foil lined baking sheet.


3. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Once done, scrape the pumpkin from the skins, then beat with a mixer or puree in a food processor until smooth. This can also be done the night before.


4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).


5. Mix the sugar, nutmeg, ginger, salt, evaporated milk and eggs with the pumpkin puree. Pour mixture into two 9 inch pie crusts.


6. Roll out the crust and transfer it to the pie tins. Trim the excess with a knife or kitchen scissors.


7. Take care transferring the filled pies to the oven they will be very full. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes on foil lined cookie sheets. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool and refrigerate.

Julie @ 6:32 AM Permalink |

This is old news, but I went to Michelle Obama at Macalester on October 13th. It was fun, but it was a lot of standing in the rain. I thought I had timed it to have the least amount of standing, but I was WAY wrong.


Rollergirls started last Saturday and Erica, Naomi and Jer went to the first bout. Minnesota All-Stars creamed the Arkansas Killbillies.



The team captain and MVP, Suzi Smashbox, came up into the stands during the intermission and I snapped a picture of her with Erica.


As always the ELO tribute band played and gave us lots of entertainment. And one of my co-workers competed with the rookies on the Pirates team. Go Diamond Rough!

I brought my favorite squash soup to the work potluck yesterday and it was a big hit! This will be the fourth time I made it this fall. I told you I was obsessed. We also had a clothes swap. I brought in a shopping bag full of my best stuff and I found a few things to bring home too. I still have tons of stuff to donate (and Jessica I have a few things I thought you might want:).


Last night I made pumpkin pies from a small pie pumpkin I bought at Kortes. I brought one of them in to work today. Mmm, coffee time! I also made some yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Tonight, I'm planning some squash casserole. I think that will finally satisfy my craving for squash.

I'm excited for Danceteam judge training this weekend. It's a few steps from my house at Cretin-Durham Hall, all day on Saturday. I'll be there bright and early with my Kopplin's Coffee. I'm excited to get back in the swing of traveling to high schools around the state and watching dances. And to get paid!

I'm off to lunch before I give blood today. The last three times I've attempted to donate, my iron has been too low. Which is what I told the volunteer recruiter, but she insisted I try again. I'm out of vitamins, but I tried to eat more iron this week, so we'll see.

J.Crew sent me an email about corduroy on sale. If I had extra money, I'd buy these purple bootcut:


Have a lovely weekend!
Julie @ 9:10 AM Permalink |

For everyone sick of the elections, just be glad you're not a poor campaign staffer who has to keep slogging away and contacting voters and can't just turn off the TV. I know I'm glad.

Watching the debates last night, it was so obvious to me that McCain should not be president. That and this massively long article in Rolling Stone detailing McCain's bratty, privileged youth and self-serving "public service".

I doorknocked in Bloomington last night and I was lucky enough to get a lady who only votes on abortion & gay marriage. Even better was that she wasn't the person on my list that I wanted to talk to.

I also got some people who don't vote in local elections. Just presidential. Not even US senate. "Oh that's local too". What? Fine that just means my vote is worth more. Not sure if they understand the whole - "president can't introduce legislation" thing.

And a ton of people looked out their window and wouldn't give me the courtesy of coming to the door. My pitch is like 30 seconds max. That's including their answer.

Oh and a dog bit me.
Julie @ 1:34 PM Permalink |

Julie @ 12:30 PM Permalink |

Minnesota has same day registration. If you aren't currently registered to vote, you can register on election day.

Just make sure that you bring either:

1. Your MN drivers license (or any MN issued ID) that has your current address.


2. OR You bring a utility bill (electricty, natural gas or land line phone - not cable or cell) with your name and current address.


3. OR You have someone who is a registered voter (in your precinct) or has one of the above (so they can register first) vouch for you, that in fact, you do live where you say you do.

More questions - see Minnesota's Sec. of State

Before you get to the polls, I recommend going to the Strib's website and looking at their myVote tool. It gives you information about where you vote and about all of the races that you'll be voting on. Like those random judges that you forgot to find out about and the soil and water districts that you didn't know about. Yea, it tells you all about those candidates. Then you can print it and bring it with you to the polls easy-peasy.
Julie @ 10:48 AM Permalink |

1. Make curtains to replace the ugly ones I took down a year ago. Now that I have my sewing table out from under a television, I have no excuses. And it has to be done before the plastic seals in the windows for the Winter. And I do have that nice sewing book with instructions for home linens projects as well as all kinds of fabric that I've bought on clearance at Treadle.


2. Make new pillow covers for the boring ones in the living room. But this project is secondary.


3. Have a clothing swap party. I've got two plastic storage boxes full, anyone interested in joining me?


4. Determine Xmas present craft projects and start on them. Tea towels, cardigans, aprons, pillowcases, hankies...


5. Figure out how to describe the font used in the pink letters from yesterday's post. How do I explain them to Google?

Julie @ 7:43 AM Permalink |

Julie @ 6:52 AM Permalink |

Julie @ 1:12 PM Permalink |

I think it's pretty.
Julie @ 7:59 AM Permalink |

Turns out I *DO* have a plum hued party dress. It's a Target frock that I bought at the Salvation Army last Fall when I was addicted to shopping there. I remembered that I had put it in the give-away pile, because I hadn't ever worn it (no where to wear it to).

I pulled it out of the box, added a wide black patent belt, black lace heels and my pearls and I had the chic retro-inspired wedding guest attire for which I was looking. Sorry, no full length pics, I (amazingly) was running late getting ready. I was even still embroidering their gift the morning of (Monogrammed cloth napikins).

Anthony performed the music for the ceremony and DJed the reception. He's so talented. Here he is on the right:

Congratulations to Minh & Robin.
Julie @ 10:23 AM Permalink |

She printed it on clear plastic, but the ink didn't dry so she stamped the pattern on to the felt. Interesting.
Julie @ 11:59 AM Permalink |

Oh dear. If I had more money, I would definitely be going to the Rachel Yamagata concert at the Fine Line tonight AND the State Radio one at Station 4 later this month. And Jaime Lidell and OneRepublic would be fun too. Alas, I must hold myself back.

Instead, I'm going to Trocadero's with Andrew tonight to watch the VP debates. (I'm planning to be Sarah Palin for Halloween. Anyone have a toy gun they want to borrow to me? I made sure to pick up my other prop: a Cabbage Patch Doll when I was in Bemidji but we didn't have any toy guns around the house.)

So, I'm a little late to the Mad Men party, but I'm totally loving it now. I'm trying to catch up to the current season, so last night I watched part of the first season. Anthony's not a fan, but he was working late so he didn't have to suffer through my drama television. I wore pearls and a pencil skirt to work today, because I was inspired by the show.

And I can't believe I forgot to buy hot iron transfer pencils at Ben Franklin when I was in Bemidji. They are amazingly unavailable in the Cities (I made a lot of calls) and insanely expensive to ship online ($8 for $2 pencils, ridiculous). But my lovely Mum, who works in City Hall, down the street from Ben Franklin has graciously agreed to buy me some and mail them to me (for much less than $8). Fabulous.

Now, I can draw on a piece of paper and iron it onto fabric just like an embroidery pattern. Also, I can find things online and create things in Photoshop, print, trace and iron on so much easier than using a stylus and tracing paper.

This weekend I plan to do a good major cleaning of the house and decorate for fall. I'm so excited! Winter curtains and warmer bedclothes for my room. A fresh table cloth and hearty produce (or glitter covered pumpkins) for the dining room. And I'm finally going to get Anthony to move the big TV off of my sewing table and rearrange the living room accordingly. Time for a switch of tchochkes and candelabra too (I'll have to put away the hot pink tapers until February). Secretly, I'm dreaming about how to decorate for Christmas already;)
Julie @ 8:44 AM Permalink |