One Stitch Two Stitch

This Weekend

my bf and I along with some friends decided to take a mini road trip down to the Keys on Saturday . . .

We made an impromptu stop at Burr's Berry Farm. They have a stand where you can buy freshly-picked strawberries and seasonal produce, along with homemade jams. Their strawberry milkshakes are yummy!

We made two stops, one to Alabama Jacks (sorry no pics!) and then here to Gilberts which is a huge Tiki bar right on the water. The view is pretty amazing here. I had a strawberry daiquiri, sat back and enjoyed the live music . . . very relaxing!
On Sunday, we went down to South Beach and had a nice stroll on the beach. The day was amazing - a clear blue sky and lovely sunshine. These are the times you know how lucky you are to be living down in south Florida! We then had a couple of drinks here at Free Spirits. This not your typical South Beach bar; its vibe is reminiscent of the dive bars you find in the East Village - dark, dingy yet comfortable and casual. While we were there, my eyes kept wandering to the ceiling; it's completely wallpapered in old British newspapers! It was an interesting place to take a break from the heat!   

This Saturday

My bf and I drove down to Flamingo in the Everglades National Park for some fresh air and a scenic hike. I'd never been there and was excited to discover that you can camp right on the beach! We took the Coastal Prairie Trail, a 6 mile hiking path that leads to a secluded beach. Unfortunately, my flat feet only took me about 2 miles, but I promised my bf we'd make it on our next trek. It was really beautiful. I especially loved spotting egrets take flight from the mangroves on the trail. Here are some peeks from our hike . . .

Halloween Weekend: Pumpkins and Garlands

This past Friday, I got to do my favorite Halloween tradition: making a jack-o-lantern. My bf and I save a day before Halloween to carve a pumpkin, bake pumpkin seeds, and enjoy watching a scary movie together.

My bf will do most of the carving and gutting and I take care of designing the face and separating the pumpkin seeds from the gunk.

I love giving my pumpkin a menacing look!

I've been also working on a pretty fall-themed garland to decorate my living room. I finally got around to finishing it on Saturday. The leaves are made from crushed velvet and it was project that was pretty easy to sew up. I really love how it came out!

How has your Hallow's eve weekend been? Parties, crafting, baking, or just hanging out? Sue

This Weekend

. . . literally flew by. Friday came and went. Saturday afternoon was dedicated to attending my school's annual festival. That evening, my bf and I had some friends over, and we all enjoyed some tasty bbq (courtesy of my bf!) and some gooey brownies a la mode (courtesy of me!). On Sunday, my bf and I had a beach day. Lots of sun and well-needed relaxation. Throughout the weekend, I was able to sneak away to my craft room and work on my new embroidery project. Here are some pics:

 

I'm hoping to finish these by Tuesday. How was your weekend? Was it relaxing, busy, or crafty? Sue

Spring Fling Recap

What a hoot! My 2nd time around at the Indie Craft Bazaar was amazing! I got the chance to mingle with a wonderful mix of very talented sellers, and felt the handmade support from all the lovely customers (SeeSueStitch's dollys were a hit!). I think the best part of going to these shows is meeting on-line friends like LeeLee; she is sooo sweet and her booth was super cute! During the downtime, I was able to snap some pics of my table stand: I had all the intentions of capturing many of the wonderful sellers at the show, but to my dismay, my camera's battery died (I forgot to charge it!!). Oh well, I'll be sure to never make that mistake again! I'm planning on posting a lot of new cozys and change purses onto my shop, so stay tuned later this week for a shop update! Talk soon, Sue

This Weekend

This weekend was pretty special because I had the chance to spend time with my mom. My parents live more up north, so it always a treat when they come down my way. I brought her over to my apartment and gave her the grand tour (the whole 950 sq ft of it!), but she was so delighted and oohed and aahed over my new craft room, inspecting all my projects with great curiosity! I really love her to pieces. Most of the time, I was quite lazy, working on some projects here and there, but really just bumming around the apartment. Sometimes having that off-time can really recharge the batteries, especially since I've planned lots to do for this week. How was your weekend spent? Lazy, busy, with fam or all of the above? Sue

This Sunday

This Sunday my bf and I headed down to Key Largo to the John Pennekamp Park. It's a wonderful place to go canoeing, swimming, fishing, biking and even camping! It's especially great for snorkeling since they have some pretty spectacular coral reefs. Since my bf recently invested in a kayak, we spent the day mostly paddling around different mangrove trails and soaking up the views. It was so relaxing.

 

 

 

For those who have never been, if you're ever in Miami, make sure to head down south of Miami and visit the Keys, you won't be sorry! Hope you're all having a great Sunday evening. Talk soon! Sue

This Past Sunday

About two weeks ago, my bf and I took a little road trip down south to the Biscayne National Park. We had never been and were pleasantly surprised by the quaint little park with its hiking trails, fishing spots, and picnic areas. We went back this past Sunday and toted along my bf's newly purchased kayak (he's been wanting one for ages). It was so relaxing. We paddled out to the bay, around the mangroves, and watched herons glide effortlessy above the water and pelicans torpedo into the ocean to catch their next meal. Truly amazing! Later we stopped at our favorite eatery at Black Harbor. They make the best catfish sandwiches! This little guy above kept us company while we ate! Hope you're having a great week so far! Sue

Skinny Tres Leches Cupcake Recipe

  I'm a die-hard fan of Tres Leches or Three Milks Cake. Here in Miami, it's a very popular Cuban dessert and can be found just about anywhere. The dessert consists of a 6 egg-based cake seeped in a sweetened milk syrup and topped with merengue . . . absolute heaven but calorie suicide!

  I started thinking of a way to make my own version while lowering the calorie intake and prep time. This recipe is quick, easy, and a yummy alternative!

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix/  3 eggs / 2 tablespoons of applesauce/ 1 teaspoon rum extract (optional)

 2 1/3 cups of milk (2% fat)/ 1 can of light condensed milk/ 1 can of evaporated milk (2% fat)/

 light or fat free whipped topping

Prep & Baking Time: 35 min.

Steps: 1-Preheat oven to 350 degress.  2- Blend cake mix, 1 1/3 cups of milk, eggs, applesauce, and rum extract. Just in case you're asking yourself why applesauce? Well the original recipe asks for lots of eggs but no butter however the applesauce will give your cake all the moisture it needs and has no fat! 3 - Beat at medium for 2-4 minutes and then pour the mixture into cupcake molds (pre-lined with baking cups)  4 - Bake your cuppies for aprox. 20-25 min., cool for 15 min., and remove cupcake liners. 5 - Make your milk syrup by mixing the condensed, evaporated, and remaining cup of milk together (hence the three milks!)  6 - Now the fun part, poke the top of your cupcakes several times with a fork. 7- Transfer your cupcakes to a deep dish and slowly pour the milk syrup over the cupcakes. Cover the dish and refrigerate for an hour. This dessert is meant to be served chilled, refrigerating your cuppies will also allow them to suck in all of that milky goodness.

Spoon milk syrup over your cuppie and top with whipped cream . . . enjoy this guiltless pleasure!

Gone Swampin' This Sunday

My bf and I were back up in Fort Myers this weekend. On our way back, we decided to take the scenic route which is a stretch called Tamiami Trail that cuts straight across the Everglades and connects Miami to the Gulf Coast.

I can only describe this rustic, two lane road as pure serenity. A paint-by-numbers landscape of lush greenery with an array of herons swooping through the sky.

Smack in the middle of the trail, we stopped at this tiny eatery called Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe. We ordered fried green tomatoes and the Swamp Combo - gator, frog legs and crab cakes! I know you must be thinking gator and frog legs?! but it was absolutely yummy (both taste just like chicken)!

I love the hokiness of the "Thank you" portrait.

The cafe has a very eclectic decor with plastic bottles turned into lanterns hanging from the ceiling, as well as colorful postcards stapled to the wooden beams. The walls are covered with pretty paintings and photography by local artists.

After having lunch, we snooped outside and discovered two gators wading in the swamp behind the cafe. For a second, I was overwhelmed with guilt that I might have feasted on one of their gator cousins, but the swamp girl in me quickly shrugged it off. After all, it won't be the last time I eat gator!

What's the craziest thing you've eaten? Send me a hello! Sue