Under construction--grab your hardhat!

Making some progress on this little blog of mine. We're I'm hoping to have this up and running and reconnected next Monday!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and have a blessed Thanksgiving!

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Announcements, Updates, Previews, Thank Yous

So the week before last I made a bit of an announcement-I'm rebranding the blog. The aim of my space has changed quite a bit over the last year and I don't feel that the name really fits anymore.

The new name will be

c/o MKE

TA-DA!

I think it fits so much better. The name just kind of came to me and stuck. So now I will have to change over all of my blog-y avenues. I know, I know, I've seen this type of thing get out of control before, but I really hope that all of you will follow me over to the "new" space.

For sake confusion's sake I'm going to lay out a few things on here right now... 

The new url will be www.careofmke.com

Now all of the past posts of Making Life's Lemons will move over to the new URL, but it won't forward from the current domain to www.careofmke.com, however, the www.makinglifeslemons.blogspot.com will.

The Bloglovin' account will also change.

Goodness this sounds like a mess!

Let's just put it this way: I will be taking a two weeks off to get the design finalized and I'll be in FL for Thanksgiving (!!) when I come back after Thanksgiving there will be new posts on a new site with a new design.

I want to thank you all so much for following my adventures and supporting my little space and I really hope that you will take the move with me. 

Also, if you want to follow my adventures the next two weeks you can follow me on instagram!

See you soon!

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MKE Urban Garage Sale

Last week Saturday was MKE's Urban Garage Sale.

Vendors with all sorts of awesome talents and crafts filled Turner Hall Ballroom with their booths. 

Sarah and I wandered through the aisles gawking at all of the cool items we wanted to buy.

I would have bought everything, but I was there to get a head start on Christmas presents and believe you, me, I did. 

{Is that the right idiom?? I never know. Story of my life.}

I would tell you what I bought, but I don't want to ruin anyone's prezzy-surprise. ;)

I did however get some awesome contacts for wall art--there was a booth with some rad prints and a nice feller with taxidermy loot up the wazzoo!

The last few years I had been out of town so I was excited I'll finally be able to go.

If you live in the MKE area and want to get email updates from the garage sale go to the Urban Garage Sale website and sign up!

Do you have any events like this by you?

Southwest Cheesy Gnocchi

I don't normally eat pastas, but a couple of weeks ago I bought a pack of gnocchi. I don't know why, really. Just one of those impulse grocery buys I have. Do you ever do that?

Like when I buy four avocados--there is no way I can eat them all before they go bad. Come on, Lis.
Every time I go to Trader Joe's I buy a can of soup--why? I don't eat canned soup. I think I've been watching too much Walking Dead -- I'm now subconsciously saving up for the zombie apocalypse. {Ok the cans are just really pretty}

Anyways, every time I went to make dinner I would just pass up the gnocchi-- I don't eat it often and I just wanted to use it for something de-lic-ious not just pasta sauce, ya dig?

So here you have it...

Southwest Cheesy Gnocchi

An LPappalardo original. 

Ingredients

17oz gnocchi

2 Tbl butter
1/2c shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend)
1/2c heavy cream
1 Tbl flour
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp cajun seasoning {substitute chili seasoning if you don't cajun or any other spicy type spice/seasoning}

1. Prepare the gnocchi. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add cheese, cream, flour, garlic, and cajun seasoning and stir continually until a bit thick.
3. Put gnocchi in a shallow baking dish and top with cheesy sauce.
4. Bake for 25min or until browned.

Good use of that gnocchi, you got that right.

Anthro Fashion Show 2013

Last week Renée and I went to Anthropologie's Holiday Fashion Show. It was one of their many AnthroEvents they have during the year and it was fancy-schamncy!

R and I miraculously scored some bangin' front row seats and snapped-snapped away at the beautiful outfits. The new collection is inspired by Russia--the snow, the bright sparkly lights of St. Petersburg. Each and every outfit had tinge shimmer. It was wonderful.

Anthro kindly served delicious, pretty cupcakes, candies, cheese, crackers, and champagne. R and I walked around to find our new victims pieces to keep an eye on. We also admired all of the great outfits of other show-goers {see the Carrie Bradshaw-esque skirt and heels above.}

It was so fun and I can't wait until the next AnthroEvent!

If you're not an Anthro Member, sign up for their card and you will receive emails for all of their events. Believe me, it's worth it.

Also, a shout out to all of their cool displays. They use every day objects and make it look so cool.

Happy Veteran's day!

Cakes in Jars

We see mason jars ev.er.y.where. 

Everyone is putting foods in jars. Pies in jars, jams in jars, fruits in jars, even salads in jars. Love me those salad layers.

I've fallen into the trend, people. Cakes. In jars.

I used this recipe by Sally. It tastes so much better made from scratch than those silly boxes.

I filled the jars halfway, placed them in a 9x13 pan with some water in the bottom, and baked them at 350° for 35 minutes.

I then removed them from the pan and placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them for another 15 minutes or until the bottoms looked done.

I pulled them out to cool on a wire rack and made Sally's butter-cream frosting. When the cakes were fully cooled I scooped out some of the tops {which would be perfect for some impromptu whoopie pies-we used them to dip in hot cocoa at Bible study} so there was enough room for frosting, piped-em with some frosting, and sprinkled them with nonpareils. 

Next time I would add a layer of frosting half-way up the mini-cake.

Ta-da! Delicious, travel-able (??) cakes in jars.

Seriously, I've been a cooking and baking fiend as of late. Really, though, I have a couple more recipes coming at you next week too. :) 

Don't forget!-- There will be some major changes on the blog within the next couple of weeks. I'm so excited for a revamp the design. I will be doing the design change over little-by-little so please be patient with me.

ALSO, I'm going to be changing the blog name. 

WHAT?!

Yup, and I'm PUMPED!

Everything will be forwarded over to the new name so hopefully there will not be too much confusion.

Big changes, big changes! Here we GO!

Fall musings

On Sunday I took a long walk around the parkways in my neighborhood and took a bunch of photos. I wanted to get some pictures of the trees before the color is totally gone and as you can see the sun and I are having a bit of a...thing right now.

Fall has barely even begun and I'm already having to cover every inch of skin to avoid Mr. Frost. As much as I love warm weather I really love living in an area that has all four seasons. 

How is the fall treating you?

Side-note and important news -- There will be some major changes on the blog within the next couple of weeks. I'm so excited for a revamp the design. I will be doing the design change over little-by-little so please be patient with me.
ALSO, I'm going to be changing the blog name. 
WHAT?!
Yup, and I'm PUMPED!
Everything will be forwarded over to the new name so hopefully there will not be too much confusion.

Big changes, big changes! Here we GO!

Life Lately | October

1 << Doddling at Urban while waiting to get my hair cut

2 << Perfect way to start the morning

3 << Dinner in the life with avocado-egg salad and Siracha

4 << Halloween pumpkin carving party

5 << Café café café

6 << My neighborhood at night

7 << Shenanigans at Camp Bar

8 << Walks

9 << Studies at Colectivo

10 << Popcorn and movies with my brothers

11 << Sushi lunch with Jennifer

12 << Bottom of the almond butter jar

13 << Custard at with Bryan

14 << Sweetest tape ever from JoAnn's $1 section

15 << Also the sweetest beer bottle packaging

16 << Skulls in the making

17 << When you need natural light for photos, but it's raining. #bloggerwoes

18 << The chip belt--also best costume winner

19 << Rosie the Riveter and the hippie--opposites attract

20 << Surgery in an hour

This weekend was full of Halloween parties and soaking up the fall. What did you do this weekend?

Other Life Latelys...

{Side-note and important news -- There will be some major changes on the blog within the next couple of weeks. I'm so excited for a revamp the design. I will be doing the design change over little-by-little so please be patient with me.
ALSO, I'm going to be changing the blog name. 
WHAT?!
Yup, and I'm PUMPED!
Everything will be forwarded over to the new name so hopefully there will not be too much confusion.

Big changes, big changes! Here we GO!}