Favorite {Cause} Friday 4/27/12

Sorry I have been slacking on the posting this week.  The last two weeks my family has been soooo sick & I used up all my entries that I had saved up for a rainy day!  So I am finally starting to feel better, and this week was crazy busy!  I styled a fashion show last night at SheShe Boutique which turned out FABULOUS!  Plus, I am going to start being a stylist/personal shopper for SheShe clients.  What a great service to offer.  I get to help people feel feminine, sexy and confident.  Plus, I will be able to take them all over town to get anything that they may need and help them purge & organize their closets.  So that is what has been happening in my life in a nutshell!

On another note, I have discovered 3 causes that I am 150% behind at this time.  I would LOVE to share them with you all!

1)  My dear friend Juliet has an amazing foundation that she started called www.attemptedsuicidehelp.com which supports families who have been affected by this.  It is such a unique cause, and Juliet is such a true inspiration & pioneer.  She has recently commissioned me to design a foundation purse just for her organization that you can buy & carry & remember these 3 important words:

Acceptance

Strength

Healing

And she just started another way to help support her foundation as well as give encouragement to everyone who may need a little love & healing in their lives.  They are called Healing Birds!  I have two bluebirds added to my little flock (I am a bluebird lover...read this post to learn more about the meaning of my bluebird collection).  Please go online to the above link and purchase a healing bird that speaks to you! The card attached reads "Every single day, do something that makes your heart sing."  They bring music to my heart every morning when I wake up and at night when I go to bed.

2) One of my friends, Angela Halsey who is a great leader in our community is also a dedicated participant in our Relay for Life Event that takes place in June.  Her motivation & devotion to this cause  is such an inspiration to me.  I have also been affected by cancer in my life & lost loved ones to this awful disease.  Please help her raise money to find a cure!  There are so many different ways to show your support & love.  Please follow this link to Angela's Relay for Life Link & let's help her make a difference!  A luminare is such an amazing, touching way also to remember a loved one that you may have lost to cancer.  This is my luminare for my sweet best friend who lost her battle the summer after our sixth grade year.  Love you baby girl!

3) SheShe Boutique in Montrose has the most amazing jewelry that has an incredible story behind it.  It is called Raven & Lily.  They are featuring jewelry that is handmade by HIV positive women in  Ethiopa.  The beads are made from collected metal bullet casings & metal coins.  I have a pair of earrings but there are several other pieces in the collection that I have to have!  Help this wonderful company who has a Dream to Empower Women - a company that I strive to model my business after!

Discover the full collection along with their other products!

Gold Hoops $38 - These are the ones I got

Want these too!

Here are some of the beautiful necklaces!

Canyon Creek Laff In Comedy Night {Ticket Giveaway}

To those of you who aren't familiar with Canyon Creek Bed & Breakfast or don't live here in Montrose, CO - it's this charming little European style B&B on Main Street.  Local owners, Kendra & Daniel Morrow have created an atmosphere where you can enjoy outdoor live entertainment even with your kids in tow and enjoy one of Kendra's famous Blueberry Martinis!

I am so excited about their newest venture this summer with the Laff In Traveling Comedy Club.  Starting May 6, 2012 every first Sunday at 7:30pm there will be 2 comedians coming to bring smiles to our faces and laughter pains to our sides!  Kendra is always the lead in our community with fun & new entertainment. And this venture is just what the Dr. ordered!

Kendra & Daniel are graciously giving away 4 tickets to their May 6 performance!  To enter our giveaway just follow the steps below! 

1) "Like" Marmie Bags Facebook page for two chances to enter.

2) "Like" Canyon Creek Facebook page for two chances to enter.

3) Follow amarmielife blog for 3 chances to enter.

4) Leave a comment about laughing below and if you have done any of the above steps to be entered for two chances!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Garden} Favorite Fridays 4/20/12

I want one of these bee skeps!

Awesome!

Poppies

I love having my raised cedar beds.

Lavender Hedges are wonderful. I have one in my backyard and I harvested a Full gallon ziploc bag of dried lavender last year.

My lavender Hedge

How cool are these?

Elf Door & Window

Spiral Path

Woven baskets

Outdoor Orbs made from old light globes.

Homemade Mushroom Raviolis

Well, after several cancellations & sickness' - we finally had another Girlfriends in the Kitchen.  We decided to make some homemade pasta.  It is really very easy if you have the right tools - meaning a large food processor and a kitchen aid mixer with pasta attachments!  It was a fun day and a delicious dinner.

Mushroom and Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 batch homemade pasta dough (below)

1½ tbsp. unsalted butter 

12 oz. mixed assorted mushrooms, chopped 

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 tbsp. shredded Asiago or Romano cheese 

6 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese 

6 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 large egg 

¼ tsp. oregano

¼ tsp. basil 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute the mushrooms in the butter with the garlic.  When the water has cooked off, turn off the heat and add the cheeses, egg, herbs and s&p.  Mix good.

Ravioli Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

3-4 large eggs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

I put all the ingredients into my food processor!  It made it very easy.  You could also do it in your mixer too.  When it was doughy but not too sticky, I put it out on the counter with some flour and kneaded just a little until it had a smooth consistency.  Wrap it up in saran wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temp.  Then cut it into 4 sections. Flatten out and then feed through your Kitchen Aid roller attachment.  I LOVE this gift that I bought myself.  It also comes with pasta cutters too.  I got it at Williams-Sonoma.

We fed it through at number 1 about 3 times, then at 2 - 2 times, 3 - 2 times, then at 5 - 2 times.  We placed the sheets on the counter.  Place a dollop of the mushroom mixture onto the sheets.  Have a cup of water handy to wet all around the filling.  Then place the second sheet on top and press down to seal.  Cut out the raviolis.  

Look at that teamwork!

Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil.  Cook raviolis for about a minute.  They will float to the top.  Add your favorite sauce.  I used Muir Glen Marinara, and it was very very good.

Kris is filling the raviolis!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins - Egg Free

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients. Add milk and peanut butter. Pour into a greased muffin tins. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or slightly browned.  This recipe is also easily adapted to switching ingredients for a paleo or gluten free type diets.

Flour - substitute with almond meal and amaranth flour

Sugar - substitute half stevia and half xylitol

Milk - substitute with almond milk

Peanut Butter - substitute with almond butter

This recipe is adapted from Paula Deen's recipe.

SheShe Boutique & Marmie are throwing a Fashion Party!!

Looking forward to our Fashion Show to celebrate the upcoming 'Summer of Color' with SheShe Boutique.

We are going to outfit our models in all the great fashion trends of the season!  Lace, Neon, Color Blocking, Print Blocking, Floral Jeans, Jeans in all colors of the Rainbow, Blazers, etc.....  And some surprises that Kimberly (owner) finds at market this week!!  I can't wait.  We are also going to be dressing some of our models for their body shape & giving tips on what types of clothing looks best for your shape.

Plus, we have the new shoe store downtown, D'Medici who is going to be providing the footwear for the models!

Here are some of our Style inspirations from my previous posts:

Favorite *Mini Bites* Fridays 4/13/2012

I just love little bites of food when catering!  They are just so cute & delicious.  Here are some of my faves.  

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger Cream Swirl - Ginger Magnolia Catering

Mini Noodle Boxes - GM catering

Crudite Cups - GM catering

Mini Spinach Salad in Phyllo Cups - GM catering

Watermelon Cubes with Feta Cream & Tomato Pie Bites - GM catering

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bites - GM catering

Mini Fish Taco

Stuffed Sugar Snaps

Cranberry Brie BIte

Blackberry Tart

Scallop BLT

Mini pancake stack

Mini pies

Mini salad wedge

banana cream pie bite

Panna Cotta with raspberry macaron