Headed to the Winchester...

I won't be able to join in on this awesome Make Out, but you KNOW you want to release you inner zombies!

Bored with life? Ever wonder how the walking dead experience the day to day? Time to get into their disgusting shoes for one night...the night of the living dead! Join the legion of the dead (aka the Crown Town Handmade crew) for one evening of horror and transformation.

Vanessa and guest host Brittany will show you how to apply frighteningly convincing Zombie make-up, what details to add to really appear undead, and how to make a delicious concoction of dripping blood to finish your appearance. 

Join us after as Plaza Midwood experiences an invasion of the not quite dead. We will be reverse trick or treating and spreading the word about Crown Town Handmade. Be sure to wear clothing that you don’t mind getting blood all over and bring a mirror and towel. Check the supply list for other Zombie necessities.

Supplies:
CHEAP makeup (Wal-Mart/Target Halloween palates are perfect)
Suggested colors: grey, green, black, brown, yellow, purple & (most importantly)White
Eyeliner: Black, blue, green
Lip liner: Red
Mirror
Towel
Make up Sponges
Clothes that can get dirty because THEY WILL. The Make-Up (and blood) Will Stain!
Optional:
Liquid latex
“nose putty”
baby powder
baby wipes
make up brushes, like these . Flat and powder brushes are the most useful. You can purchase basic brushes in any make up section of a store or check out Morris Costumes!

Local Events

Join AIGA Charlotte and Common Market SouthEnd on Tuesday, October 26 for an exclusive FREE screening of HANDMADE NATION, a documentary by director Faythe Levine, that follows the "rise of DIY art, craft, & design." CrownTown Handmade crafters will be there with some great handmade items to raffle off! Make sure you are there at 8 pm on the Common Market SouthEnd patio to watch the film and have your chance at some great prizes!

A Successful Show....

Phew.

Those of you who do this most weekends, hats off to you!

I am three weeks into a 4 weeks craft show/event extravaganza. People, last night I fell asleep by 8 pm. 8 pm! Not too long ago, that was lunch time.

When you do participate in several shows, you start building a community, people get talking and acting silly. Hopefully those pictures never see daylight! Anyway,  I have noticed how many times vendors ask each other "Are you having a good show? How many sales?" While money is important, c'mon we ARE selling our stuff at shows, there are other aspects that make a show successful to me.

If you've met my husband, you know he loves to talk. Perfect, since I am a bit shier.  What is often overlooked about this skill, and it is a skill, is how it builds contacts and friendships, especially a good reputation, and those often leads to advance event notice,  calls about product that hasn't hit the sales floor yet, consideration for consignment spots, and it goes on.  I think you are picking up what I'm throwin' down, right?  

Other vendors love what they do, too, so chatting with them is pretty educational. Whether they sell something you work with, or another product completely, it is interesting to hear their stories and why they do what they do. I have found out a ton of info about vintage jewelry just through chatting, info that would have taken forever looking through books and online sites.

So a successful show to me means more than just sales. Making friends with other vendors and customers, building contacts and inventory, learning more about what I love to do are all important aspects. Oh, and good food and no porta-potties. :)

What makes a show/showing successful for you?

Inspiration?

I am in the middle of a month full of craft shows, art fairs, and a wedding showcase each weekend. I might have to give wine by the box a chance to get through it!

Our first show, AutumnFaire at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, was this past weekend. We shared a booth with Jessica's Jacket and Vanity Independent Creative Design,which was lots of fun, even at 7:30 am, and very successful. So much fun that when Jessica offered to share her booth again at a show this upcoming weekend, Ahlara Art Show in Mooresville, YES! flew out of my mouth so fast I thought we were engaged. So successful that I need to prepare and restock, and make lots of pieces. LOTS of pieces. But everything I touch just seems to turn into....bleh. Boring. Typical. Symmetrical. Bleh.

All that leaves me feeling discouraged, and unmotivated, and uninspired. I will just have to push through it, but any pointers, tips, or ideas out there on how to speed it along will be appreciated. Random acts of wine are appreciated, too. With brownies.

Lunch Bunch - Tues. Sept 21, 2010

Do you love Tuesdays as much as I do? This week was Suzanne's week to cook, and she was bringing a mystery lunch as there were several recipes that sounded SO good, we couldn't decide. Mystery lunch might bring back bad memories of your school lunches as a kid, but we at the Lunch Bunch know better, and we were eagerly anticipating the unveiling!

Those of you who have been in the Carolina's this summer know it has been HOT!HOT!HOT! and we are eagerly anticipating some cooler weather. Doesn't seem to be happening, but if we crank up the AC at work we can pretend, and eat some yummy Lentil Soup!



The crock pot was in the break room, and we could smell the soup while we worked, exquisite torture! The keilbasa, carrots, lentils....oh my! And then. You know what, let me just show you.



Swoon. We were a little unsure, as the cake was short and quite frankly looked like an Easy Bake oven cake. I would still eat it, after all, I had an Easy Bake growing up. Who doesn't enjoy baking with a light bulb?!?
But one bite...it was a denser cake, almost like a pound cake. Perfect size. Perfect taste. We learned our lesson....don't judge the cake by its layers!

Recipes

Lentil and Sausage Soup
6 points (we think 5!) Weight Watchers
2 tsp olive oil
2 carrots thinly sliced
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 lb turkey kielbasa thinly sliced
1 1/4 c brown lentils picked over and rinsed
5 c water
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/ tap black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med hi heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes
2. Add kielbasa, lentils, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.


Vanilla Layer Cake with Chocolate Ginger Frosting
3 points.
Tip: Don't substitute fat-free ricotta, the grainy texture doesn't work as well.

1 c + 2 tbs cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c + 2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs + 1 tsp unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/c fat free milk
2/3 c part skim ricotta cheese
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbs packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350, spray two 8 in. round cake pans
2. Cake: In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In medium bowl, with electric mixer on high, cream sugar and 2 tbs of the butter; add egg and 2 tsp of the vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, until batter is smooth. Divide batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on rack. Place one cooled cake on platter.
4. Frosting: In a food processor or blender, combine ricotta, cocoa powder, brown sugar, the remaining 1 tsp butter, ginger, and remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla. Blend until smooth. Spread a thin layer over the cake on the platter, top with remaining cake, then ice with remaining frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lunch Bunch- Sept. 14

Another week of Lunch Bunch! What you don't hear is how much we talk about the day of Lunch Bunch before it actually happens. Halfway through the meal, out come the cookbooks! Anyone else out there agree that *ALL* the recipes should have pictures?!? We are often drawn in with the professional food styling, and probably overlook some just as good recipes because there isn't a picture!




This week was my turn to cook. I definitely picked this recipe based on the picture...and luckily it was also the easiest thing in the world to put together. If you have the chicken ready, this is something you could put together while you are putting away the groceries, settling in the family after school, or after a hectic day at work. I even assembled it the night before. And, the servings were huge!

Black Bean-Chicken Enchilada Casserole
7 WW points
Can be frozen
3 8 oz. cans no salt added tomato sauce
1/2 c. salsa
1 tsp cumin
3 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 15 oz rinsed and drained black beans
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, undrained
12 5 in. corn tortillas
1 c. reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. reduced fat shredded monterey jack cheese
3/4 c. reduced fat sour cream (optional)
1/2 c. chopped green onions(optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients; stir. Spread 3/4 c tomato sauce mixture in bottom of 13x9 pan.
3. Combine chicken, black beans, green chiles, and 1/2 c. tomato sauce mixture in a bowl.
4. Place 6 tortillas on top of tomato sauce mixture in baking dish, top with half of chicken mixture and half of remaining tomato sauce mixture. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with toppings, if desired. Serves 6.

Lunch Bunch - Sept. 9

Mmmm, time for Lunch Bunch again! I don't know about you, but we talk about it all week. All. Week. This time it was Jean's turn to cook, and we were all drooling over the picture of Mulligatawny we saw in a Weight Watchers cookbook. The smell of curry wafting down the hallway completely distracted me....it smelled soooooo good! Jean wouldn't let us peek while she plated it up, but I went in anyway and could barely contain myself.

We decided it was worth it to add the extra toppings at the end to really round out the meal. Sometimes the smallest detail makes the biggest impact.

Mulligatawny
weightwatchers.com 5 points

Cooking Spray
1 8 oz. pkg refrigerated prechopped celery, onion, and bell pepper mix
1 1/4 c. chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1 tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
3 c. fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
1 13.5 oz can light coconut milk
1 1/4 c. chopped tomato (~1 large)
3 c. pulled cooked chicken breast
1 tbs. red curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
1 8.5 oz pkg precooked jasmine rice
6 lime wedges

1.) Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery mix, apple, and ginger; saute 4 min. or until tender. Add chicken broth and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in tomato and next 3 ingredients. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in lime juice.
2.) While soup cooks, microwave rice according to package directions. Spoon rice evenly into 6 bowls. Ladle soup over rice, and serve with lime wedges.

serving: 1 1/2 c soup, 1/4 c rice, 1 lime wedge.

Optional toppings: plain yogurt, chopped fresh mint, sliced toasted almonds, and mango chutney.

This recipe is something I would make again, especially with the autumn and winter months coming up.