Category Archives: Uncategorized

Two Bits

by Katie | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here:

liveseasoned_spring2015_march27

What a week. I’m glad everyone in the house made it to Friday, people weren’t kidding when they thought moving while days away from my due date was a bad idea. All-in-all, it wasn’t *that* bad, but it really took us the whole week to start to feel like there was any sense of order in the house again. From storms knocking out our internet, to a cold knocking me out, and other technical challenges, we were a house full of first world problems, and it was rough! Luckily, today the sun’s shining through the windows and we’re looking forward to a more relaxing weekend of piddling around the new house and unpacking a few boxes as we enjoy the calm before the new baby storm, which is right around the corner!

Sarah here:

Hmmm, actually, it’s Katie again. I don’t know where Sarah is, but she’s been knocking it out of the water with her amazing posts lately, don’t you think? In case you haven’t caught them all, check out her list of not-to-be-missed Travel & Adventure Documentaries, and then her mouth watering profile, in two parts, of North Carolina’s Fair Game Beverage Company! And don’t forget to stop by their spirit release party tomorrow!

liveseasoned two bits-1-2

*hours pass* Good Morning! Sarah’s here! I was asleep. Go figure 😉  I’ve been running around ALL week, but it’s been fun stuff so no complaints here.  I’m just really tired and want an entire day to sleep, which is going to happen on Sunday – can’t wait!!  This week, other than day dreaming about sleep, I went on a bachelorette party wine tour in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  It was a lovely trip with lots of ladies, which reminded me I should make an effort to plan a big get-together like that at least once a year.  Uninterrupted friend time is SO important and something that definitely gets pushed aside as you get older, get married, have babies, move to other states, etc.  There’s no way you can get into the conversations we touched by just meeting for a cup of coffee, you need days and wine. Lots of wine. So mental note: plan friend weekends!

liveseasoned two bits-1

I also stopped by another friend’s home to visit her and her family, get a tour of their new (ok, new to me) house and watch her (six-year-old) baby blow out candles on a birthday cake.  It was such a nice celebration and I’m happy I was able to be a part of it.  Making a tiny bit of effort to see friends goes a looooong way.  It also reminded me how quickly SIX years can fly by. I was blessed enough to hold that little sweetheart on the day she was born.  I also loved seeing how this family’s birthday traditions formed over the years.  Simple, but really special stuff going on.  I may have to have her share them with Seasoned in case other moms out there want to do something a little bit different that focuses more on family, tradition and time well spent. Just a hint: no disney-themed parties were held.

Now I’m off to the pottery studio to do a bunch of packaging and studio shots for the day.  I hope you have an awesome weekend and like Katie said, join me tomorrow at Fair Game Beverage Company’s spirits release!

 

A Little of Our Lately

by Katie | Leave a comment

So, Sarah sent me the gentlest of nudges last night, that the blog looked “sleepy”, to put up a post already. I have to admit, the combination of pregnancy, moving, unexpected technical difficulties with cameras and a new internet connection, and a certain 2 year old made posting a challenge!

Anyway, I’m excited to share a little bit of what we’ve been up to lately. Last weekend Calder and I totally indulged in the calm before the storm(s) that are moving and new babies. So, we drove up to Nederland and happened upon Frozen Dead Guy Days! We knew nothing about it before then, and if you haven’t heard of it, take a moment to read the story of the crazy cause for the festival. While there, we always give Alex a ride or two on the Carousel of Happiness, and this time we tried to capture some shots of my big belly before it’s gone again :-).

This weekend was a whole different story, we closed on our new house and moved in! Saturday was our first night in the house, and so on Saturday we christened it with a french toast breakfast and the raising of our Jolly Roger flag.

I can’t wait to give you a full tour, but the aforementioned technical difficulties mean I haven’t taken many indoor shots yet. Until then, I have a sneak peak of the outside. The house is located in the foothills of the Rockies, just above Boulder (on a favorite biking hill for the hoards of road bikers in town – Calder’s in heaven). Our yard is basically the mountainside, but if you do a 180, we have fantastic views of the more gently sloping property of our neighbors’ with horses in the pastures.

I think that living on the side of the mountain would drive the gardener in me crazy if it weren’t for the fact that previous owners did a fantastic job of installing a number of large, tiered beds, both off of the deck and around the sides of the house. Most of these are filled with perennials, but there are a few open spaces for annuals and herbs/veggies. Calder’s only request or “house prenup” as he calls it was that I plant strawberries and raspberries, well, as luck would have it, we already have mature beds of both! So this spring I’ll likely take it easy and focus on the annuals both in beds and in pots around the porch and deck.

And there you have it, a little snapshot of our crazy life this past week. Like any good crafter/schemers, we have a few projects that we want to do in the house, so I can’t wait to share more details about the inside of the house and our project inspiration in another post. Until then, we’ll be busy unpacking boxes and waiting for our newest little guy to make his appearance.

Sarah’s Spring Uniform

by Sarah | Leave a comment

liveseasoned_sp15_springuniform-10

Today I wanted to share my official spring uniform.  Sorry gents, this post is for the ladies, unless you wanna peep at my accessories and such.  I’m the kind of gal that finds an outfit she loves and then sticks to it religiously.  I like to call it my uniform.  Seriously, you’ll find me in this outfit for the next month.  I’ll switch up the shoes depending on the activity and the t-shirt obviously, but that’s pretty much it.  For instance, I photographed this yesterday, but I’m wearing the same jeans and sweater only with a tank top and my trail shoes this time.  I know this style post isn’t groundbreaking, but I’ve been wanting to do one for awhile.  It’s kind of tricky since I have to set my camera up on a tripod for the shots so it will be fun to see how these posts progress and improve over time, until then, here’s bar zero.

liveseasoned_sp15_springuniform-5

Continue reading …

Seasoned View

by Sarah | Leave a comment

Each month we share our Seasoned View.  Snapshots of nature and daily life taken by the Seasoned sisters. Find last month’s here and past months’ here.

Screen Shot 2015-02-25 at 9.59.05 PM

Happy Monday!  Hope you’re having a good start to the week!  Here are some sweet treats for your desktop enjoyment.  If you don’t feel like looking at donuts all day there are also nature shots to feast your eyes on 😉

You can upload one or all of these photos to use as your desktop background or as phone and tablet wallpapers.  Simply click on the download link below each photo and save the image.  Enjoy!

liveseasoned_s14_seasonedviewMARCH-1-4Click for A Frame.

liveseasoned_s14_seasonedviewMARCH-1 Click for Donuts Forever. Remember this donut roundup? You should probably make these.

liveseasoned_s14_seasonedviewMARCH-1-3Click here for Full Snow Moon – read about moon names here.

liveseasoned_s14_seasonedviewMARCH-1-2Click for Lake Jordan.

liveseasoned_s14_seasonedviewMARCH-1Click for Winter Foliage.

Peace out cub scouts!

Almost!

by Katie | Leave a comment

Hey, it’s almost the end of February! Often one of the hardest months to get through mentally because we’re all getting a bit sick of winter’s cold, snow, and short days. BUT ~ March starts next week, and while more snow is sure to fall, it seems to be that it’s also the month when we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So we just wanted to wish you a warm and cozy weekend, full of winter indulgences like afternoon matinees in front of cozy fires with big bowls of simmering soup, because before we know it, this season will be far in the rearview mirror and our weekends will be packed with all the projects that those warm and sunny spring days initiate.

xoxo

Two Bits

by Sarah | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here:

liveseasoned_w2015_feb20

I have to admit, this is a week I’m happy to put behind me. Nothing bad actually happened, just a consistent flow of minor stumbles. And since this is all I have to share, I’m sharing it ~ maybe you’ll get a laugh, or you can commiserate if your week was equally blah. The babysitter arrives, I leave the house with my laptop to work, sit down at the coffee shop and realize that my laptop’s COMPLETELY (won’t even turn on) uncharged and I don’t have a plug. Next day, I finally try on a sweater that I knit for Alex, photo above. He looks sooooo stinking cute, but I know that the sweater’s going to fit him for about three days before he grows out of it. We had to take our car to the garage, and what should have been a 30 minute trip turned into a 2.5 hour adventure because of the silliest traffic jam at a freeway onramp. Yesterday the little man gets sick. Today, he wakes up at 4:30 throwing up, so I wake up at 4:30 to be thrown up on. awesome. Fortunately, the high note of the week is that he seems to have the bug out of his system. How do I know? Around 9 this morning he requested cold refried beans for breakfast (no joke!). I was hesitant to serve them, but then I figured, maybe his little body knows. He ate about a quarter of a can, and he’s been as happy as a clam ever since. Ending the week on a high note!

Sarah here:_DSC9702

I almost feel bad writing this after I read Kate’s Two Bits, but this week may have been the best of 2015! These past two months work has been slooooooow.  To keep the cost of my business low, I don’t advertise.  I get a lot of work through referrals or by seeking it out myself and for the most part that works out really well for me, but sometimes there’s nothing going on.  Fortunately my luck changed and last week I worked in Houston, Texas and this past week I had a really cool gig at the North Carolina Central University Art Museum.  Those jobs left me feeling motivated, which is so much better than how I’ve been feeling about work and my own self worth.

Besides the photo gigs, I accepted a new part time position at a local pottery studio!  I’m super excited to work on production as well as all their media materials.  I can’t wait to have a project to work on that isn’t so personal.  It’s nice to be a little bit removed so that I can clearly look at the brand and figure out how to represent it in the best possible way.  I’m also pumped to get out of my house and into a studio a couple days a week.  The studio is way out in the country side near the Haw River, which is a really pretty drive from my house.  No more hermit-working-from-home lifestyle for me! Well, at least for two days a week. 😉

Two Bits

by Katie | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here :

This was a week where we were just living life and enjoying it. The weather was amazing ~ we were excited for the mild winters when we moved to Boulder, and while the east coast was pummeled by winter storm Juno, we were sitting pretty with highs ranging from the 50s to 70s this week, with a similar forecast for the week ahead. That meant lots of outside time with little A, giving me some time to experiment with a macro lens on my phone. Those are some of the results above, not bad, huh? I think we’re going to head into the mountains for the weekend, maybe do some snowshoeing, definitely do some napping, and hopefully C and I will go on a little date. We’ll see!

Sarah here:

Sarah Schu Resume

Katie’s week sounds great! Mine was a major mehhh week.  Lots of soul job searching going on over here. I designed a fancy new résumé specifically for travel jobs; there’s a peek of the top of it.  I obscured my phone number because believe it or not, we have some crazy stalker fans of Seasoned who would want nothing more than to prank call me over and over and over.

Since I was feeling a little down this week I treated myself a little bit more than usual 🙂 I went to one of my favorite grub hubs in town, Al’s Burger Shack, which is actually more of a take out joint in the winter because most of their seating is outside.  K and I braved it out under the heat lamps though.  Al’s is a must if you ever visit Chapel Hill, North Carolina; lots of great local ingredients and brews too!  I also went to the movies, which is a rare treat. I saw The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch and I thought it was really good. I heard an interview on NPR about the movie and I was really intrigued by Cumberbatch’s character study of Alan Turing, which made me want to see the movie even more.

Here’s to hoping we all have the best weekends possible!

Super Simple and Natural Orange Cleaner

by Sarah | 3 Comments

Oranges our our ingredient of the season. We have big plans for a winter of zesty recipes and sweet crafts.

liveseasoned_winter2014_orangecleaner

Hey Spring Cleaners! Ok, I know it’s a little early for that. Hey, conscious cleaners! (How was that?) Do you buy green cleaning products for your home? Ones that aren’t so harsh and better for your kids, pet, waters and earth? I hope you do! I currently use Green Legacy garbage bags because they’re big, tough and biodegradable and for cleaning I use Legacy of Clean products. Personally, I cannot use Clorox or any other really smelly cleaners. I quickly develop a really big headache that just doesn’t go away. It’s probably because the chemicals are poisoning my brain or because I’m really sensitive to smells, who knows, I’m no doctor.

Anyway, if you don’t use natural cleansers, you can always start now with this easy natural orange cleaner.  You just need a couple of items and a little bit of time to brew a batch. It’s super simple and you might even enjoy the smell of your cleaning products! This concoction uses white vinegar which is high effective at killing mold, bacteria, mildew and other household germs. If you don’t have a big jug of vinegar, go grab one! Vinegar is cheap and you get to leave the harmful fumes and toxic counterparts of other cleaners at the store. Vinegar is also biodegradable so you can wash it down drains and toilets without adding more chemicals to our water system.

liveseasoned_winter2014_orangecleaner3

 Natural Orange Cleaner Ingredients:

  • 1 16-ounce jar (or any glass container with a lid)
  • a heap of orange peals (I used about three oranges worth)
  • vinegar to cover

 Natural Orange Cleaner Instructions:

  • Eat a few oranges. Place the peels inside of your empty glass jar.
  • Cover with vinegar. Screw the lid on and place in a dark, cool spot for a couple of weeks.
  • After a few weeks (or a few months – if you forgot it like I did) strain the concoction so you’re left with only the vinegar.  I like to add one part orange vinegar + one part water to a spray bottle for general cleaning.

Katie here: if you want to make a cleaner that you can use immediately, a quick and dirty trick is to use orange essential oil rather than soaking the fresh peels. Make a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon orange essential oil, then you can further dilute it with water as Sarah does. 

I’ve used this mix on everything in my kitchen, bathroom and living room.  Counters, tables, floors, sinks, molding, walls, etc. and it has always worked like a charm. Like I said, I dilute my mixture by 50% with water to tone it down a bit.  I also always finish cleaning by wiping each surface with water so there’s no vinegar left sitting on my wood floors and other sensitive areas.  I have read that vinegar is capable of deteriorating exposed window seals, dishwasher gaskets, and unsealed grout over time, so these surfaces should be rinsed with water after they are cleaned.  Like any cleaning product warning, I suggest test cleaning on inconspicuous areas first to make sure this product is safe for your purposes.  You could also google the specific materials you’ll be cleaning to see if there’s any information on how vinegar will react to them.  So far I’ve only had positive results and lucky for me, this product keeps me headache free!

2015 : Finding Peace in the Impending Chaos

by Katie | Leave a comment

I love Sarah’s 2015 resolutions, don’t you? Such a perfect blend of goals to improve her body, mind, and spirit, while thinking about others too. I’ve set a few resolutions for the coming year, but mine are a bit more modest, because if there’s anything I’ve learned since Little A came along, it’s that I’m not always the one steering this ship, and that’s ok.

liveseasoned_w2015_resolutions4

Over the past couple of years I would come up with a long list of specific goals and resolutions, and then be woefully disappointed when I realized how few I accomplished. So this year, I tried to keep it simple, most of these are goals that easily integrate into my daily life ~ I’m already mothering, so why not try to do it with more grace? I’m taking photos every day; let’s make them better. As I was writing this post, I couldn’t help but also share a few of my pipe dreams ~ I didn’t declare these as resolutions when Calder and I were sharing our goals for the year, but secretly, it would be awesome if I woke up tomorrow with some kicka$$ leg muscles.

Personal

  • Find peace when surrounded by chaos. Anyone who spends time with a little kid, or at least our little nugget, knows that it can be chaotic. There’s the awesome, mess-making, creative chaos, and then there’s the screaming/moaning, what-the-heck-does-he-want chaos. Over the past two years there were moments when I would get frustrated because I wanted a bit of peace and quiet, but there’s nothing like a baby to remind you that you can’t always get what you want, and that even if the world around me feels chaotic, I can take a deep breath and use it to center myself and approach the situation with a calmness and peaceful demeanor (i.e. get what I need). I realize that with two little guys, the chaos will only grow, and so I’m entering this year with the intention of maintaining a calm presence. I’m well aware that this chaotic baby phase will pass quickly, but also that my attitude while mothering the little guys is so important; I want to be able to look back and be proud of how I interacted with them and Calder even during those weeks of no sleep, piles of diapers, and delivery pizza for dinner.
  • Change up my wardrobe and jewelry. I love my closet of clothes and am so happy when I put together a good outfit, but I often find myself reaching for the same outfits fresh from the dryer. This week I straightened up my closet and my jewelry is visibly hanging on my bedroom wall, so there’s nothing stopping me from putting together a good combo when we’re leaving the house.

Craft

  • We are a bread-loving house, living off of the sourdough loafs from Whole Foods. While they are delicious and we won’t stop buying them anytime soon, I would love to perfect my bread baking. This comes with the added challenges of wanting to bake with whole grains, living in a dryer climate, and at a high altitude. I’m looking at it as a fun science experiment for the year, and I’m going to start with this recipe.
  • Improve the lighting in my photographs. Up until this point, I relied on whatever natural light I could find, but wasn’t always happy with the results. Our sister Kris gave me this reflector set for Christmas, so I’m starting there and with these tips.

Work

  • With the second little guy arriving this spring, I’m taking a big step back from my previous job, and while I love the full-time baby care, I know that I’m happiest when I’m still pursuing some work projects. So, I’m hoping that this will be the year that I finally turn some of my knitting and other creative pursuits into paid projects. This may be as simple as publishing a few patterns. You know that I love to give them away, but I wouldn’t mind being compensated for some of the more challenging patterns that I’ve created.
  • The second goal in this category relates directly to a few projects that Calder has up his sleeve. He’s developing a few apps for the iPhone, and we’ve begun to work together on their design and features; it’s something we’re both excited to see continue and grow this year.

Pipe Dreams

… because if I’m magically able to make these things happen amid the chaos and the bread baking and the new work pursuits, then I’m a magician.

  • More camping. Nothing makes me feel more at peace than a weekend in the woods. Luckily everyone in the family loves it too. Our only challenge is planning the trips and getting out of the house.
  • Firmer thighs. I’m moving all day, and I feel like I’m getting exercise, but what I’m missing are intense sessions that target my legs. I would love a combination of running and yoga, but I’d like to do both without the little guys in tow. Scheduling that time is the challenge.
  • Stay organized. I’m happy with the organization of my craft supplies, the kitchen, and the house in general, but it’s easy to fall into periods of laziness where things don’t get put back in their place (sometimes for months). I know that I’m more efficient and the whole house runs better when I put things away, so that’s the goal.
  • Send more surprise packages. Now that we live so far away from many of our friends and family members, I would love to use the mail to stay in touch. It can be hard to find the time for phone calls (baby chaos is the theme of this post), but it makes me so happy to put together a package and send it off. I would be happy if I could send holiday cards and birthday packages this year.

Boy oh boy, the whole process of setting resolutions makes me excited for the year ahead. What about you? Do you have any resolutions? We would love to hear them, and I’m sure we’ll continue to share our progress throughout the year. Happy 2015!!!