Jenna Lou Loves You

Disgruntled Employee

Monday. It's such a hard day for me. It's hard to get back in the swing of things after two wonderful days off of relaxing and thinking nothing of my email inbox or the 101 things to get done before yesterday.

And it doesn't seem to help that my body aches from the clumsy accidents that have been following me like a hungry dog. Not one day has gone by since last Wednesday that I haven't done something to hurt myself or wreck something. These things include, but are not limited to:

:: Breaking a glass pitcher on the counter by pouring too hot water into it.
:: As a result of the previous mishap; burning myself in an unmentionable place. YES... now I understand how this woman feels.
:: Breaking a glass drinking cup (no injuries this time)
:: Having my legs slip off the kick start of Stella so many times that they are covered in bruises the size of apples. AND Stella had to go to the shop for a tune up because she's not working right. Let's cross our fingers that she is alright because if I have to return her I can't get another (there aren't any more) :(
:: Tripping over the dog leash and falling flat on the cement. Luckily I only bruised my palm, but it's really painful to use (no yoga for awhile).

I guess you could say it's just been a bad week. The good thing about Mondays is that they seem like a fresh start. A new week with new possibilities. Here's hoping that it goes good and accident free.

xo,
Jennalou

SunRoom Stitches *New Patterns*

I'm really excited to announce that Jen and I have decided to pair together to create a new line of patterns and even more exciting.... to teach classes locally. In our SunRoom studio we offer affordable classes and mentoring that change every month to keep your closet interesting.

Our classes will begin is July with four fun projects great for sewers of all skill level. Classes will include:
:: One Piece Wonder Wallet (His and Hers)
:: A Girls Best Friend Wallet
:: Summer Fling 3 tiered skirt
:: Verna Reversible handbag

This is just the beginning. We have lots more plans for future classes and other ideas that we have to keep to ourselves at the moment. To find out more you can visit our website SunRoom Stitches.

And don't think we forgot about about all you stitchers who won't be able to make the classes. We are also offering our patterns for sale online. The SunRoom Stitches patterns will be available here.

Thanks for all your support!!
xo,
Jennalou

Going Greek

This wonderful light green baby lettuce has been gracing our plates for a couple weeks now. There isn't a better sign that summer is truly here than to be eating fresh garden produce.

I came across this recipe in Everyday Food and made it yesterday for a supper with new friends. I thought it turned out really nice. I especially am fond of the kalamata olives. I could eat them all day long and when paired with the dressing and feta it's just to die for.

:::Greek Salad:::

3 T. olive oil
3 T. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 C. crumbled feta cheese (8 oz)
1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
1/2 C. kalamata olives, pitted

In a large bowl, whisk oil with vinegar and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and toss.

** I made the dressing separate and added it to the salad right before serving so I could make it ahead and not worry about the lettuce getting soggy.

Cheers to fresh summer salads and new friends!
xo,
Jennalou

Summer Sweets

Can you believe how fast this summer has sprung on us? It seemed like just yesterday there was snow on the ground and spring was really REALLY painfully slow to come around this year, so summer seems like a surprise. I kid you not that everyday I wake up and am utterly amazed at how beautifully sunny and warm it is outside. It's such a blessing everyday and I'm not complaining one bit!

Normally I'm not much of a cook around summer time. The heat throws me out of the kitchen and I just don't usually feel that need for a home cooked meal to warm the soul like you do in the chilly winter months. BUT there is always room for some home made strawberry short cake come summer. Ms. Posie posted a lovely recipe for ssc a couple days ago. I wrote it down right away and mixed it up yesterday. We don't have strawberries locally yet (soon... very soon) so I picked some up from the grocery store and also picked up the essintial ssc topping: whipped cream! The only thing I changed from the recipe was to add milk to the bowl before serving. This is something we did when I was a kid and I'm a total sucker for soft mushy short cakes.

The flavors of this dessert bring back childhood feelings of summer. Of dirty hands and holey shoes. Of sweet.... warm.... sunny days.

What a beautiful summer!
xo,
Jennalou

Stella

I got a new toy! STELLA!

Isn't she nice.... all shiny and blue! She is so fun to ride. We go all over town on errands, to yoga, and to get groceries and drinks. To parks and water falls (really.... there are some all over around here) on sunny afternoons.

It was a little rough at first learning to shift with the clutch. I must admit that Stella now has a few bumps that weren't on her 2008 body when I picked her up. (Sorry neighbors and your fence!) But we are now past that stage and onto the fun part. OH and did I mention.... Although Stellas exterior is blue her interior is green. She boasts an outstanding 100 MPG fuel usage!

For the most part I'm parking the car for the summer and hitting the roads on Stella... oh and if you see me around town.... please drive nice.... big cars still scare me a little.

Beep Beep,
Jennalou

** Photos by John... isn't he good?

Random Winner

Ops! The contest went an extra day. Not for any reason other than I've been a little lazy lately and it's been SO nice outside that it's almost impossible for me to get any real work done.

Thanks to Random.org for choosing our winner.... lucky number 21! Katherine L can you please send me an email and I'll send you a little wallet of your choice right away! Yey. Contests are so fun. It's nice to hear from all you quite voices and to confirm that there are actual people reading.... no offense mom, but you don't count.

As for the name the jury is still out. I really love how many of you thought it looked like a little man! And the snappy thing is starting to stick too. I'm going to think about it a bit more, but I'll be sure to share when I do finally make up my mind.

I'll be back in a couple days with some really exciting things to share! See you then! Here is a hint. One of them goes VROOOOOOOOM!

xo,
Jennalou

Need A Name Contest!

 
Two things that haven't happened in FAR to long:
1. I made a new product!
2. I'm having a CONTEST!

It's been a LONG time since I've made a new product! Well... that's half true. I've made lots of stuff, but nothing that I was really excited about and nothing that I felt would make the cut so they were tossed back into the idea bin (my mind). But now the problem arises with this new wallet of mine.... what to name it? I've had a few ideas cross my path, but none that were truly suiting.

So I propose a contest to help in the naming of this new wallet. Just leave a comment with the name you think would best fit for this new little wallet friend of mine before next Wednesday the 11th of June for a chance to win one of them! The contest will be random so if I pick the name you suggest or not you have a chance to win! I'll pick the winner on the 12th.

Thanks for playing! I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!
xo,
Jennalou

Veggie Garden

Quite possibly the very best thing about owning a house vs. renting is the yard. We were very lucky to buy a house from an avid gardener so much of the hard labor of creating beds and working the soil was already done for us. When we moved in last fall most everything was already spent so I didn't really get a chance to see what was all planted. So this spring has been like magic to me. Almost every day I wonder out to the beds to see what is a buzz. There is always something new for me to discover and it is ever changing. Most of the plants have yet to flower so I am still anxiously awaiting to see what colors things are. We have an abundance of lilies that are just driving me crazy. The other day I noticed that little buds are forming in them and I just can hardly bare to wait to see their color.

The veggie garden is another joy. We were started off by the previous owners with a rhubarb patch and good dark soil. Everything else was planted by me. From seeds to plates... I'm really enjoying the process. It will be a while before I can harvest most of what you see, but I just love to watching it grow. More pictures here.

Here is what I all planted (mostly for my own record):
Yellow squash
strawberries
3 types of lettuce
broccoli
onions
okra (I've never tasted this before, but John says it's great!)
peppers
2 types of peas
green beans
tomatoes (of course!)
asparagus
raspberries

OH MY! and I haven't even taken photos of the front gardens yet!

Jennalou

Jalie Hoodie

So.... who is the worst blogger ever? I am. Sorry people, but I just haven't been getting the urge to blog lately and the longer I've put it off the easier it is to say tomorrow, tomorrow.... tomorrow I will post. I guess I've just been feeling like not much of what I've been up to is very blog worthy. Anyways enough with that.

Back when I was still a bit on the sick side I decided to do a project for myself. Something I don't do enough anymore. So I pulled out one of the new Jalie sewing patterns I got my hands on and started cutting, serging, sewing, seaming. It was such a relief to take an afternoon for myself. Sewing this new pattern brought that joy, curiosity, and creativity back to me the way you can only feel when doing something for the first time. As each piece is sewn together it slowly becomes something whole and the journey to that is what I LOVE about sewing. Plus I got to hang out on the floor with this little helper when I was cutting the pieces out :DAnd so came together my new zip-up hoodie. It makes a perfect cover up for bike rides, gardening, or the quick run to the store. The Jalie pattern was very easy to understand and I felt like the look is very non-handmade. I serged 95% of the seams and used my regular machine for all the top stitching. I love this so much that I just know I'll be making more when this one becomes tired from all the use it's been getting.
 
Sewing Pattern: Jalie 2795 / Womans Jacket and Hoodie

xo,
Jennalou

Ps. Did anyone else notice it JUNE already!!?

Jam'en

I'm back and feeling much much better. Yesterday I still had a bit of a lump in my throat, but today I'm good. I thought I had made it past flu season unaffected, but of course I got hit with the worst of all.... the spring sickness. argh.

Anyways. Despite spending most of my time on the couch feeling sorry for myself I did manage to get up and do a couple projects. The first I want to share I did yesterday. Here's how it goes:

Me: wow.... there is still so much rhubarb... I feel bad just leaving it out there unused.

Deb (Boyfriends Mom): Well.... you could make another dessert.

Me: No... that last one was amazing, but I want something different.... just not sure what.

Deb: How about rhubarb jam.

Me: WHAT? YUM! I would have never thought of that!

In an excited rush I searched the internet for a recipe and ended up chooseing the 'cheater jam' method. I call it 'cheater jam' because it uses Jello. Yeah I know. Not the best for you, but jam is a treat anyways so what the heck.

So here my friends is the best rhubarb jam. It's sweet and tart and so so GOOD!

---------------------------
EASY STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB JAM
---------------------------
 5 c. rhubarb, diced
 3 c. sugar
 1 sm. pkg. strawberry Jello

Combine the diced rhubarb and sugar and let stand overnight.
Next morning simmer this mixture for 10-15 minutes. Stir in
package of Jello. Pour into jam jars and freeze when jam
cools.

*Makes 3 jelly jars full
-----------------------------

Enjoy!
Jennalou

P.S. Yes family... you will be getting some!