How can you say no to that face?

Why do pugs always look so sad?

Answer: you can't!

This adorable card comes courtesy of me via Martha Stewart via children's book author Matthew Van Fleet. Van Fleet is the king of movable paper animals, and his books are adorable. I am already planning on buying Moo for my "future children."

Martha featured three dog breed options, but for me it was never a choice. Once you go pug you never go back.

After some careful instruction-following, and "liberating" three brads (is that how you spell it? Martha calls them "paper fasteners") from bottom of the supply closet at work, I was left with a quasi-movable pug head (note that if you pull that tab with the blue arrow on the right, the pug's head moves! It really does! I swear).

This almost inspires me to start sending more cards the old fashioned way. Now, to buy some stamps.

Brace yourself for a ton of instructions coming your way. I suggest you watch the video as I couldn't get anywhere without it. As always, huge props to my girl Martha as this is all her and Van Fleet's invention.

You can find everything, and more, here: http://www.marthastewart.com/264959/mechanical-dog-cards

Tools and MaterialsTemplates: Top of card ("Hap-pee Birthday," head shaking, or blank), middle (mechanical) pieces, bottom of card, Assembly guide, Printer, Cardstock, Photo of dog (optional), Scissors, Craft knife
Paste, Ruler, Bone folder, Screw punch, Double-sided tape, Paper fasteners, Regular (one-sided) tape

Instructions1. Print templates for each of the 3 layers of the card -- top of card, middle (mechanics), and bottom -- and assembly instructions on card stock. To make a card featuring your own dog, print out the blank template and cut out and paste a photo of your dog that's about the same size and pose.

2. Starting with the bottom of the card, use a ruler and a bone folder to score along the dotted lines. Cut out the full piece on the solid lines. Punch the hole marked by a black dot with a screw punch. Fold up along the dotted lines along both edges.

3. Cut out the middle (mechanical) pieces on solid black lines. Score on dotted lines where marked. Punch holes where marked with a screw punch.

4. Attach folded pink "stop" piece to bottom of card with double-sided tape, as shown in the template.

The pug factory. Or the answer to why pugs look silly.

5. Use paper fasteners to attach the moving pieces to each other. Insert paper fasteners from back to front so "wings" open onto front of tabs.

• Attach the yellow tab arm to the pull tab at point "A."
• Attach the green tab arm to the yellow tab arm at point "B."
• Attach the green tab arm to the bottom card piece at point "C."

6. Fold up the pair of leg/head "flanges" along dotted lines.

7. Cut out the top piece for the card, and cut out circle as marked. Lay the assembled bottom piece flat, fold the two long flaps in over the pull tab, and put double-sided tape along the two long flaps.

8. Lay the top edge of the front of the card over the tape on the top flap of the bottom of the card; press in place. Pull the leg/head flanges through the hole in the front of the card.

9. Attach the bottom edge of the front of card to the bottom flap.

10. Place a piece of tape on the back of each of the leg/head flanges so that sticky side extends past the flanges, facing up. With the pull tab pushed in, position the leg/head over the flanges (leg should cover the word "peee"). Press down firmly so the tape holds leg/head in place. Cut off excess tape with a craft knife.

11. Attach stand to back of card with double-sided tape.

Oops...

Okay, so I might have lied a bit. When I said I was "back", I meant I was kinda sorta back but really I am only going to post sporadically. But I am trying! In fact, I have done a ton of really cool arts and crafts since my not so short hiatus.

This first one may not truly be a Martha Stewart craft. As in, she wasn't the brains behind this operation. However, she was in the inspiration. I think that should count! Right?

Back in the day, Martha taught me how to craft with Fimo clay. After all, remember this?

This time, I opted to make another necklace. I was sick all weekend long and was itching for something new to craft. I scrounged around for things I had on hand and I found my stash of bakeable clay.

For ideas, I turned to the friend that has never let me down: google. I found an awesome site that had a bunch of great polymer clay ideas and settled on a necklace relegated to the beginners page.

I didn't have the exact colors shown in the picture, so I marbled together a dark brownish color with butter yellow and a color called "ocre" and one that looked like my skin color circa mid-winter. While I wasn't quite sure what "marbling" meant, I quick trip to my best friend Mr. G showed me it could be accomplished by rolling together and almost-mixing two different colors of clay. I used my craft macaroni machine to flatten together the colors until they looked awesome.

I made one end bead that was oblong shaped to use as a closure (see picture). Then, I took the flattened clay and punched it into circles. For this, I used a cap from a travel bottle I had lying around. I cut a smaller circle into the middle of the larger ones with a pen cap. I poked holes on either side of each bead and then baked away (230 degrees for 30 minutes).

I used the jump rings I had lying around (slightly too small, I had two use two for each bead) to attach the beads together through the holes I made on either side.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Try it yourself with instructions here: http://www.sculpey.com/projects/mega-links-bib-necklace. Thanks, sculpey!

Hello again

Hello, everyone! As you might have noticed, I took a sudden hiatus from the blog (apparently) never to appear again.

Well... I'm back(ish).

Where was I, you ask? Getting into medical school became a full time job. Even when I'm not interviewing, applying, sending updates, taking biochem etc, I am day-dreaming of/thinking about/obsessing over these things. There have been definite ups and downs; the highs have been high (three acceptances at incredible institutions!), the low have been low (two wait lists at some of my top choices) and lowest (rejection, three in one day at one point).

After a frustrating week of interviews, wait lists and rejections, I realized something: this is completely and utterly unhealthy. For the last five months, I have been letting these applications really get to me. They have taken me away from my friends and the things that I used to do for fun, most notably this blog.

The oddest part of the whole thing is that if I had turned to my blog as an outlet, instead of abandoning it to pursue my applications, I would probably be less stressed than I am now.

Given this, I am back. I can't promise that this will again be a daily thing, but I can give it my best. I owe it to myself to take time to pursue something I have needed all along... a creative outlet to lend balance to my life.

Pearberry New Year

Things have been going fantastically lately. With some INCREDIBLE interviews coming my way, I have a lot to be thankful for as this new Jewish year begins.

I found a wonderful way to say Shana Tova (aka Happy New Year, for the non-Jews out there) in the form of Martha's delicious Pear and Cranberry Bellini. Because who says bellinis are only acceptable before noon?

A very happy and healthful new year to you all! Wishing a family-filled, warm and delicious Rosh Hashana to all my fellow Jews out there (and the non-Jews too!). I feel very blessed to have you all in my life and can't wait to spend the next year and many more in your good company. May year 5772 be filled with joy and peace.

Love from the Beast Coast!

Recipe for Pear and Apple Bellinis: http://www.marthastewart.com/316147/pear-and-cranberry-bellini?backto=true

Ingredients

• 1 cup pear nectar
• 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 bottle Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine 

Directions

1. In a small pitcher or large liquid measuring cup, combine pear nectar and cranberry juice cocktail. Pour 1/4 cup juice mixture into each of eight champagne glasses. Dividing evenly, top with Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine.

Chain link ribbon

Things are looking up! Last week was full of interview invites at  med schools I never thought I could  dream of attending. This means that it's even more important that I look fantastic for my moments in the spotlight. I have to rock their socks off! And look cute while I'm doing it, of course.

I have been thinking of getting together some tasteful, homemade accessories to complement my gorgeous suit (a splurge I acquired at Banana Republic - after all, you only apply to med school once, I hope!). Plus, what is a better talking point then my love of crafting and blogging? I figure some well-placed jewelry will pave the way for a fun conversation topic.

First stop: a cute, simple bracelet. I thought Martha's Chicest Link crafts were a great start. I acquired a roll of simple, chunky chain and paired this with two velvet ribbon scraps I had lying around from another project I have long forgotten.


Adorable, simple and classy! A perfect combination.

More ideas are here: http://www.marthastewart.com/266768/the-chicest-link?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/handmade-necklaces#slide_18

Pasketi

When my baby sis was young, she used to have the adorable habit that many children have: pronouncing spaghetti like pasketi. This is in stark contrast to me who never took any adorable linguistic liberties; I spoke in boring adult language.

Anyway, today I substituted pasketi in this delicious recipe compliments of the big boss. Highly recommend for a late night, quick dinner.

Recipe: from http://www.marthastewart.com/314711/penne-with-two-tomatoes-and-mozzarella

Ingredients
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces penne rigate
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup snipped chives

Directions 

Place cheese in freezer. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.

In pasta pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and pasta water. Cook until cherry tomatoes soften, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add pasta, chilled cheese, and chives to pot, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Cook's Note

Chilling the mozzarella cubes in the freezer for 15 minutes helps them retain their shape when they're added to the hot pasta.

As prepared in Nice

Apparently "nicoise" means "as prepared in Nice." Who knew?  This Nice-style salad is fantastic; it consists of all things delicious: tuna in olive oil, grape tomatoes, russet potatoes and arugula.

I made just this tonight: a Salad Nicoise ala Martha. Delicioso!

Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/313979/tuna-salad-nicoise


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red new potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 bunches arugula (4 to 6 ounces each), ends trimmed, washed and dried
• 1/4 cup Lemon Vinaigrette to Make 1 1/2 Cup
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes on sheet. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes to potatoes on baking sheet; toss. Cook until potatoes are tender and tomatoes are lightly browned and soft, about 10 minutes.
   
2. In a medium bowl, toss arugula with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Arrange roasted vegetables, arugula, tuna, and olives on platter; drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve.