enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

  • 40 loaves / whole wheat bread.

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    40loaves

    Bread no. 20 : whole wheat bread from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day

    Adjustments : halved the recipe.

    Notes : this was supposed to be cooked in a hearth oven with steam. I was a bit too lazy for that but did cook it on a pizza stone.

    Review : I am on a mission to find the perfect everday wheat bread. This is not quite it. It was a little too dense and needed a bit more flavor (maybe extra salt?). Still very enjoyable – but not the winner. I'd love links to your favorite recipes for everday bread!

  • new office wall.

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    The strangest part of this deployment is that we will probably move to a new place before Paul gets home. It's a bummer because I adore this apartment, but sort of nice because I can make things work for just one person for the rest of the time I'm here.

    Until yesterday, this meant I had only borrowed one drawer from his side of our dresser.

    But what I'd really been looking forward to was clearing more space in our office.

    BEFORE

    Before

    First of all : I have no idea why I take the most tragic before pictures ever, but I tend to. Whenever I see them I think to myself, "YOU LIVED LIKE THIS?!" It was the exact same when I redid the other side of the office last fall.

    Second, here are the major changes (as numbered above) :

    1. Paul's piles have been sorted and recycled and sorted again. They have been replaced by a plant we had in our bedroom. It might be my favorite part of the new room.
    2. My failed photo project (which I never shared here because it turned out lame) is off the wall and will rise again as something else entirely.
    3. The framed art that has been resting against the wall for a month is now on the wall. Along with some other fun art that I moved from other rooms/the pile of stuff under my work table.
    4. Those little red squares of paper that I used to keep track of products released got taped to the side of the white shelf by my desk.

    AFTER

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    Hooray! Better! Not perfect! But easier on the eyes! And I have MORE SPACE on the desktop and less clutter all around. The art is a bit haphazard up there, but I like it.

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    While I was cleaning through some of Paul's piles I found that gem of him in uniform from almost four years ago. I have no idea why it wasn't blown up and hanging on our wall already. But at least it's there now.

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    And that's that! I get to enjoy a great space for the next six months. And it only took me 14 months to get it together.

    And because I always get questions – that giant calendar is by Stendig and I bought it at Crate & Barrel. I use post-its to plan out blog posts and stick them up there and rotate around as needed. The pages alternate from black to white each month.

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    SECOND TO LAST THING : I'm headed out of town on Tuesday so if you'd like a fall book (or anything else) by September 1st, please shop today or this weekend! I'll be making one last trip to the post office on Monday. Thank you!

    LAST THING : I'm debuting the new blog late Sunday night/Monday! Can't wait to show you what I cooked up. If you check back and notice the blog is password protected, no worries – it's temporary until I get the kinks worked out.

  • the great album re-vamp project.

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    I am excited to announce that I will be partnering with Kolo a few times over the next few months to share different projects using their beautiful photo albums! The first project I worked on was a big one – I went through all the photos and old albums my parents had and transferred the photos into brand new Kolo Hudson 3up photo albums.

    Before
    After

     

    using kolo hudson 3ups. from elise blaha on Vimeo.

    The above seven minute video details my process and what I did to sort through the thousands of photos. And below are a few more in progress and after shots.

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    It was a giant project but well worth it. I gave my parents the albums this past weekend and was thrilled to see how happy the new albums made them. My mom must have thanked me 15 times & my dad said he felt like he was seeing some of the photos for the first time. He also said he had to look at them in bits and pieces because they were making him tear up.

    I'm so glad the memories are now out of that storage cupboard and on display.

    p.s. my next Kolo project will be documenting my week in the life.

    disclaimer : albums for this project were provided free of charge by Kolo. Content idea and expressed opinions are all my own.

  • DIY wrapping paper.

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    When I worked at Paper Source and had daily access to fantastic patterned paper, I fell in love with gift wrap & ribbon. Now, it's hard to shake the habit of putting effort into my wrapping, but I don't always have a chance to shop for large sheets of perfect paper. My solution? Paint it.

    I bought a roll of brown kraft paper at my local art store for a few bucks and just use inexpensive craft paint to make simple patterns whenever I need something wrapped. Some baker's twine and washi tape always finish the packages off perfectly.

  • FAQs.

    I’M COMING TO SAN DIEGO, WHERE SHOULD I EAT?

    This blog post shares our favorite spots.

    HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH?

    Snail Mail? PO Box 600093 San Diego, CA 92160

    Questions? Most likely if you keep scrolling you’ll find your answer to commonly asked questions, but if not or you have another comment, email me at elise.blahaATgmail.com. Please note, at this time I am not running sponsored posts or accepting products for review.

    PRODUCT RELATED

    What kind of camera do you have?

    In 2010, I bought a digital SLR and went with the Canon Rebel XSi. I recently purchased a Canon 35 mm f/2 lens and have yet to take it off my camera. I highly recommend. I take a ton of photos with my iPhone 11 and upload many of those to Instagram. My username there is elisejoy.

    What kind of sewing machine to do you have?

    A Singer Esteem II that was a bridal shower gift.

    There is a big calendar on your wall in some of your old photos, where is that from?

    I bought it at Crate & Barrel and the brand is Stendig. I use it to map out my blog posts for the month.

    BLOG RELATED

    Will you link to my interesting blog post? Share a link to this cool thing I made? Add a sponsored link to a post? Do a link exchange?

    No.

    Will you donate to my silent auction, blog auction, fundraiser, giveaway, great cause, etc.?

    Due to a large amount of requests, I have decided to address this in the FAQs. While my initial plan was just to donate whenever asked, it’s no longer realistic for me or my small business. So at the moment, I am not giving away product for donations or fundraisers unless there are special circumstances. Thank you so much for your interest. I will make an adjustment here when this policy changes.

    Can I link to your blog and use your photos?

    Yes, you can link. Yes, you can use my photos but you must provide a link back to where you found them. Common sense. Credit where credit is due. Thank you!

    Can I pin your stuff on Pinterest?

    Yes.

    Can I advertise on your blog?

    At the moment no, I am not accepting blog sponsors. The labeled “affiliate” images that you see on the sidebar are affiliate links, which means if you purchase something through them, I receive a small commission.

    Will you do a giveaway of my product on your blog?

    At the moment, no. I do not do giveaways of anything but my own shop goods.

    Can I write a guest post for your blog?

    No.

    How do you get people to read your blog?

    I have been keeping a blog since December 2005. At first, it was just for my friends and I managed to get my parents reading. At the time, I was active on a scrapbooking message board, and some people found the blog from there.

    If you are working to grow your blog, I encourage you to take pride in your work and be willing to share. Focus on creating unique content and posting often. (Here is how I develop blog content.) Ultimately though – stay true to who you are. People like honesty.

    SMALL BUSINESS RELATED

    What is your job?

    I am self-employed. A big part of my job is maintaining this blog and dreaming up original and inspiring content. In April 2015, I launched GET TO WORK BOOK, a daily planner + goal setting journal. I also sell handmade products in my shop at elisejoy.com. I teach & contribute to online workshops & e-courses. I am so happy to have this flexible work schedule. I wrote a series of posts that share my small business story. You can start them here.

    How to you “balance” motherhood and working?

    I don’t. But everyday I try anyway.

    You used to sell rubber stamps. Who made them for you?

    I design them and had them made by Simon Stamp.

    When is your next workshop?

    I always blog about online workshops weeks in advance of when they will run. You can also keep an eye on this page of my website.

    How do you stay motivated working from home?

    I wrote a pretty in-depth post on this here. 🙂

    PROJECT RELATED

    Tell me more about Project Life.

    There is lots of information here.

    THE PERSONAL STUFF

    Where do you live?

    I live with my husband, Paul and our daughters, Ellerie and Piper in San Diego, California.

    What is that paint color on your walls?

    Benjamin Moore Cloud White

    My friend just has a baby! What should I get her?

    Hooray! Check out this list of suggestions.

    How old are you?

    35. My birthday is in February.

    Are you glad you did your own flowers for your wedding?

    Yes. Totally & completely, yes. You can read more about the flowers here and our DIY wedding here.

    What inspires you?

    Everything. But you can see it all at a glance if you follow me on Pinterest.

    Don’t you worry about sharing such personal stuff online?

    I do not “worry” about it, but I do think about. It seems like I put a lot of stuff out there, and over the past nine years I have shared a lot. But in reality this blog is just a fraction of my life and I am very happy with the boundaries that I have drawn for myself and my family.

    Would you like me to send you feedback about the product I just purchased from you?

    YES! I would love to hear what you thought and how it or my customer service can be improved. Thank you!

    Would you like me to send you feedback about your blog or your life?

    No. 😉

    Thank you so much for reading.

  • tutorials.

    DIY HOME DECOR

    Media
    low profile media cabinet

    Plantstand
    wooden plant stand

    Ikearast
    ikea rast hack with leather drawer pulls

    Hangingplanters
    hanging hurricane planters

    String
    wood & string art

    Script
    big wall art

    Heartpillow
    graphic heart pillow

    Succulents
    potted succulent party favors

    Textart
    text art


    Pinwheelpainting
    pinwheel painting

    Table
    hairpin leg coffee table

    Quilt
    quilting steps

    Triquilt
    making a triangle quilt

    Faces
    silhouette wall hangings

    Chevronheadboard
    chevron headboard

    Ruffle
    ruffled pillow

    Plants
    potted plant hangers

    Tapedtable
    taped work desk


    Autumnwreath
    felt leaves fall wreath

    Lanterns
    paper lanterns

    TIPS & TRICKS

    Indoorplants
    simple tips for raising indoor plants

    Selfportraits
    tips for taking self-portraits

    Tomove
    tips for how to move

    Photobook
    personalizing a digital photobook

    Herbs
    trimming tomatoes & growing healthy herbs

    Everyday
    taking interesting everyday photos

    Photos
    taking fun vacation photos

    Letterpress
    how letterpress printing works

    DIGITAL PROJECTS

    Digitalgrid
    creating a digital photo grid

    Fullpage
    printing a 12×12 photo at home for Project Life pockets.

    Banner
    making a mosaic banner

    Handwriting
    adding your handwriting to digital projects

    Digital
    building a simple digital scrapbook

    Collage
    creating collages in PSE

    Textonphopto
    combining text and photos in PSE

    Sidebars
    creating blog sidebar buttons

  • i love august.

    Iloveaugust
    neon t-shirt bras, stem maxi skirt, kiehl's volumizing shampoo & conditioner, revlon fire & ice lipstick, j.crew newsstand tote, steve madden sandals, bloch ballet flats.

    It was much easier to put together an I LOVE list this month. I think I've been spending a bit too much money on retail therapy since Paul left. Super excited to pack all of the above into my suitcase on my traveling adventures next week.

    p.s. want to see other LOVE lists? here's july, may, april, march & my summer essentials.

  • 40 loaves / banana bread.

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    40loaves

    Bread no. 19 : banana bread

    Adjustments : per usual, I swapped out a cup of white flour for a cup of wheat. I also reduced the sugar by another quarter cup so just 1/2 C of brown sugar was used.

    Notes : I've already done banana bread, but this loaf needed to be made as my bananas were going brown before I had a chance to eat them up. PLUS, I knew I'd be seeing the family this past weekend. Now that Paul is gone, I need "helpers" to get all this bread eaten.

    Review : Really good (and my parents thought so too). I didn't think you could notice it was low-sugar, because let's get serious : it's banana bread. When is the last time you thought, "You know what would taste great on this banana? Sugar!" (Although a bit of peanut butter on a slice of this bread was AMAZING.)

  • autumn books available.

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    now for sale in copper & white. also : minibook covers!

  • small diet changes.

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    I mentioned awhile back that I had read Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism (on the recommendation of Cathy Zielske) and it had influenced my diet quite a bit. It has been on my list to write a post about it, especially after sharing so much of my food choices during Week in the Life.

    To start, thanks to running and Bar Method, I have reached a weight I am happy with that works for me. Now, my goals involve maintaining, building more muscle and continuing to have a good relationship with food.

    I should also say, I have struggled with food in the past. In college, I went on a crazy calorie constricting diet that took the weight off, but really messed up my emotions, sleeping pattern and life. I know for certain that calorie counting is not for me. It was addicting and terrible.

    Because of past struggles, I am really happy to have a new outlook on food. Food is something that keeps me going and that I enjoy, but not something I stress over or worry about. I have been focusing on eating real food. Stuff that expires. Stuff that needs to be refrigerated. Stuff with minimal ingredients on the package. Stuff that's naturally colorful.

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    Real Food. What a concept.

    And the focus of the book is Real Food along with an exhaustive list of reasons for why it's good to eat real. It's pretty science-y and reads a bit like a textbook. And at times, in the words of my friend veronica, "the author can be a little alarmist." And that's totally it.

    But for me, at this point in my life, it was really great. I soaked up the information like a sponge and was bummed when it turned out Paul already knew about all that science stuff. He reminded me that he'd already told me a lot of it. But I guess I had to read it for myself to make the changes.

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    So what are the changes I've made?

    1. no yellow cheese. Cheese is white when it comes out of the animal. Keep it that way.
    2. no non-fat or low fat dairy. Except for milk, it's now whole everything. (I just haven't made the whole milk switch yet.)
    3. I eat a bit of protein with fruit. (slice of cheese, swipe of peanut butter)
    4. I eat all natural peanut butter – just peanuts and salt on the ingredients list
    5. no extra stuff in my coffee except just a bit of milk.
    6. I eat trader joes sprouted wheat bread
    7. coconut water instead of gatorade
    8. greek yogurt (I add a bit of honey for sweetness)
    9. less sugar in general
    10. no crackers or cookies in the house (which we don't have anyway)
    11. I eat EGGS. Real eggs. I was an "egg beater" girl for years. And now I eat cage free eggs for lunch all the time.
    12. real butter. No chemical crap.
    13. more wheat flour when I'm baking
    14. more greens (still really, really working on this.)

    And what are the results after a month of this?

    Overall, I am less hungry. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. But rarely need snacks. And when I do, it's fruit or almonds. Before this, I was eating low-fat or non-fat crap, but a lot of it. Basically everything that I have added to my diet has more calories : butter, eggs, all that non-fat dairy. But I have not gained any weight.

    And more importantly, I feel so much better. The difference was really noticeable when Paul and I spent last week in a hotel room in Ventura. We were eating almost all our meals out and I felt like a sloth. I had a list of things to do while he was working and nothing got done. Instead I laid around the hotel room all day and bummed out. No good. Now, after almost a week of being back to my normal eating routine, I feel motivated and in general have a higher energy level. Much better for my health and sanity.

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    I think after a while of eating Real Food, what you crave changes. I really believe that eating better fuels better eating. It's like a ride. And that book helped me hop on.