Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 83
May 28, 2015
How to pack real food for a family road trip! Our adventure
I think Memorial Day weekend is meant to mark the beginning of summer, so hopefully lots of long weekends, mini-breaks, road trips, and relaxing days off are on the calendar for you. We just got back from a great one--6 days off (though 2 were mostly spent in the car), not much on the calendar for me when we were in the Berkeley/Oakland area, so I had a ton of free time and got in good reading, 
May 21, 2015
DIY Wardrobe Makeovers BOOK SIGNING announced!!!
I am SO excited to announce my book signing on June 7th at Barnes & Noble in Portland! June 7 is the official release date of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers, and if you pre-ordered it (thank you!!) you should receive it by then. Bring a copy with you to the signing, and I'll sign it and thank you in person!!! If not, you can buy a copy at the store! Please RSVP on the EventBrite event here. My box of
May 19, 2015
DIY ribbon trim table runner tutorial
My dining table is usually bare. Except for maybe a notepad or empty flower vase, or overflow from husband's book bag. When we're not using it, the dining table sits plain in the dining area, un-decorated and un-festive. I don't want to put a table cloth on it all the time, or place mats, because they get dirty with use and are harder to clean. I don't have fresh flowers all the time, and I 
May 14, 2015
A book on practically everything interesting - The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook! And a giveaway
There are a LOT of great books out there on topics I care about. LOTS of beautiful real food cookbooks, lots of books on backyard chickens and urban homesteading, lots of beautiful, inspiring lifestyle photography books, lots of books on what's wrong with our food system for sustainability and health. So when Diana Rodgers (of The Sustainable Dish blog and Modern Farm Girls podcast) combined ALL 
May 11, 2015
Pre-summer recipe! Coconut blueberry cinnamon ice cream
I love making homemade coconut milk ice cream. I've tried a lot of different recipes and techniques, and sometimes I just wing it--but it does take a lot of trial and error and sometimes it doesn't work out! I've gotten creative with recipes and solutions for tasty dairy-free ice creams! It's been hot this past week, and getting me thinking about summer. I love picking blueberries at u-pick 
May 7, 2015
A seriously everyday look and new attitude on shoe-buying!
As fun as it is to design cute summery dresses and tops and shorts, play with my favorite patterns and come up with cute or trendy looks to wear to parties... it doesn't help me get dressed for work every day! When I renamed and refocused this blog last summer, I counted all the dress posts I'd done - 119. That means, 119 dresses hanging in my closet (minus a few I've gotten rid of)--they don't 
May 5, 2015
How to bake ANYTHING! The easiest & tastiest way to make veggies
Sometimes I get really excited about the simplest things. Like ingredients I've been eating my whole life, just heated up differently. Since I started cooking again a couple years ago, I've tried a lot of recipes and learned new cooking methods, but my new favorite, most versatile way of cooking almost anythingis SO simple and easy. When I was a kid my mom would steam vegetables all the time. 
May 1, 2015
Comfy lightweight denim ruffle top
Notice a trend in my recent sewing? I love denim. I've been wearing a lot of it (mixed denim jackets and jeans, even!) and have now made two dresses (1, 2) and this top out of this perfect lightweight denim from one of the apparel collections at JoAnn. And I made this lightweight pinstripe denim dress the other week! A long time ago I shared how to make a peplum top out of any dress pattern. 
April 28, 2015
Sun, country, and baby goats
We did something pretty amazing this weekend. Every time I get out to parts of Oregon's beautiful and fruitful countryside, I feel totally grateful to live in this incredible place and totally humbled by the work that goes into (or should go into) creating our food and food system. One of my coworkers owns a nursery about an hour outside Portland, and has alpacas, chickens, ducks, and goats. My 
April 23, 2015
Contrast stripe easy denim shift dress
Three things. It's been warm here, like really warm. 83 degrees. I'm making dresses again! Denim dresses are great. So easy to wear, playful, carefree, neutral so they go with everything. Last year I made this looser one and this classic sundress shape one. This latest dress project was inspired by this striped linen sheath dress by Lou & Grey by LOFT, long sold out. It came out last summer but 
