Pleasing By Reason of Comfort

Hi, I'm Claire of Claire_Crafted! I was born and raised in Georgia, but have also called DC and now Denver home. I cannot remember a time in my life when fabric wasn't a part of it. I grew up watching my mother sew our Halloween costumes and cocktail dresses for herself. Her mother, my grandmother, sewed all of her children's clothes and, so far, every wedding dress on our side of the family, including mine.  I started sewing on my mother's Singer when I was very young, but never really got good at it until many years later when I was out of college. Today, I work on a Bernina Activa 240 and a Brother 1034D. I am a very proud owner of not one but two pair of lefty scissors.  You can follow my sewing adventures  @claire_crafted on Instagram. 

I’m Claire of Claire_Crafted . I’m an avid sewist – but only in the free time I have after my day job (health policy work) and spending time with my husband and toddler. Arielle from Seen & Sewn Patterns graciously allowed me to participate with the hack I did of the Aspen Tank pattern. The pattern is super simple, so it left lots of room for creativity – which is exciting but can sometimes be overwhelming at the same time! Ultimately, I decided that the pink clay linen I bought from Stone Mountain and Daughter Fabrics went perfectly with the adorable cotton raccoon fabric I bought at the Denver quilt show last spring. I also only had one yard of it, so the size of the yoke was perfect. Once I picked out the fabrics, I had to decide how I wanted to hack the pattern. Again, it’s a very straightforward pattern, so that left a lot of possibilities! As I contemplated the options, I realized that the popover placket Kalle Shirt pattern from Cl...

Fancy knife that I'm (less) terrified of Realizing that it'd been more than a year since I updated, and all of my posts have to do with cooking or baking, while I chopped up goodies to throw into my slow cooker, I decided to nab a few photos along the way.  Today, I tried a recipe from one of my favorite new recipe books:  Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World . My grandmother, Mama Liz, gave this to me last year for Christmas. I was so curious when I first opened the gift -- especially because I didn't have a slow cooker yet! So, as I creep closer and closer to married life (76 days and counting -- not me, Macy's is counting), I have found myself wanting to develop skills that I feel every woman should have. This most recent? Cooking healthy meals in large portions that can be frozen easily.  Onions apparently look like worms when you cook them this way **Pause as I realize I left my bread proofing in the o...

Realizing that I had been taking all of these great photos of the fun things I have gotten to do lately, and that I haven't stopped in too long to discuss how grateful I am for my life, I decided to do a quick update. Today, I am grateful for fall weather, seeing Noel's eyes light up when he watches glass blowing, and good friends who are always willing to be the "third wheel." Yesterday, Noel, Jade and I went to the Renaissance Festival outside of Annapolis, MD. I have not seen Noel so excited to be in company of so many (strange) people! So, we nerded out and walked around, drinking beer out of our handmade mugs and eating (them) turkey legs and (me) fried bread. It was a healthy sort of day. I think the best part of the day was watching Noel watch the glass blowing from the artisans at Art of Fire . Jade , being the awesome person she is, couldn't resist buying up BOTH of the pieces that we watched being made. Which brings me to Jade. I'm not sure I...

Today, I am grateful to have a best friend in my sister. Today, of all days, I needed her. I needed her not only to answer the phone when I called, but to actually predict that I would walk into my apartment to find yet another ticket from the DC Police for my car. She must have predicted that, because she assured that my incredible care package would arrive on the exact same day that I would break into tears because I'm so tired of paying for things related to my car. Let me just leave it at that with the car because this is a place in my life where I only focus on the positive. What am I grateful for. Just to give a little more background, I'm guessing most of us can relate to receiving care packages at camp. My mom used to surprise me with them. I never knew when I would get one. And, when they arrived, they were incredible. But, what I always loved the most were her letters. She would write more than a card--a story! A story that detailed the lives of my siblings ...

Today I am grateful to have a partner who puts up with the fact that he, sometimes, has to suffer because I don't have my mom to talk to.  I realized tonight that Noel suffers because I can't get on the phone and call my mom when I need to vent. When I have a stressful day at school and am frustrated, I can't call her up and tell her about my bad day, instead I have to unload it all onto him.  Even when it's not easy...he listens and responds.  Even when I can't see him at least 3 nights out of the week because I'm getting home at 9 p.m. every night...he still listens and responds.  I am grateful for how hard he works,  even when I don't deserve it.

Today I am grateful to have a kind and giving upstairs neighbor, Tanya! I wish I had thought of taking a photo with her earlier so that you may all see her, but I didn't. Tonight she invited us upstairs (to the third floor of the house) to delight in her glorious tomato soup. And, I must say (although it is quite difficult), I found it so delicious, it ranks higher than Bretts. I still love Brett's tomato soup for all of the same reasons, but add butter and flower to this bisque, and you've got my stomach churning! I will also admit that I stole this photo off of the AllRecipes website on which the recipe came...but I did not take a photo of her soup either. I love making new friends and meeting new people! Grateful that it is almost Thanksgiving time, too. Home: A week from tomorrow! All of my Athens friends, I am making an effort to come up to Athens the Friday after Thanksgiving...will update you all if the plans work out.

Today I am grateful that, two years ago today, Noel showed up to Neighbors in Atlanta to get me back. I had recently chopped off all of my hair, and I was wearing spandex and cat ears, and had whiskers drawn on my face. I was dressed for Halloween. Although it would take 6 more months, I gave in. I am so grateful for that night and every day I've spent with him since.

Today, I am grateful that Noel got his first paycheck! So, to celebrate. I baked cookies. As you can see by the title of this post, I ate more dough than I did baked cookies. But, here's the finished product: And now...we celebrate! Off to Truckaroo . Halloween style. And yes. I am wearing sweater leggings. In preparation for the snow we're apparently going to get!!

It has been forever since I updated, I realize. I won't even say that I've been too busy to write. I just haven't made the time. But, I am back, for at least one night, to update and be grateful. Tonight, I am grateful for... Noel and I in Georgetown the first weekend he got here First and foremost Noel Cruse is back in my life. For the first time since 2007, we live in the same city again. I can't express to the people I know up here how incredible that is. Everyone back home understands because they had to deal with the side effects of me not having him around all of the time. Right now he is staying at me and Stef's apartment while he looks for his own apartment. Stef has been wonderful to let him crash here while he looks. What is crazy is that, when he finally got a job, he was hired by ValueOptions. When I was in 7th grade, my parents told us that we were moving to Alexandria, VA. Dad had a job that he was taking and he was flying back and forth fr...

Today, I am grateful for my mother. 12 years ago, July 11, 1999, my mother, Laura Jean Snitzer went to what many of us would call a better place. I am grateful for the 13 years that I had her in my life and the 12 years after that I have had continued support from family and friends. I spent this (warm) day with Noel at the beginning, which is always comforting. I then went to dinner with Stephanie at Brett's Casual American . I absolutely have to recommend 1. their chips and salsa and 2. their tomato soup. It doesn't matter if it's 110 degrees outside...I lap that stuff up. We then spent two fun hours doing one of my mother's favorite activities: Painting! If no one has ever done Sips n Strokes or Pints and Paints , I recommend trying it! *Stephanie recommends more strongly Pints and Paints now having done both. I realize that it's been a while since I posted. I can't say that there's been any reason for that. I'm just as busy as I was when I ...

It's been too long since I posted, I know. That doesn't mean I haven't been grateful for the many things in my life, just that I haven't made the time to seek and point them out. I apologize to myself for that. Tonight I am grateful, again, for many things. First, I am grateful to still have this computer. Ollie, the little rascal tried to break it last week when, in the middle of the night, she knocked it off of my side table. I still love her...but only because it's not broken. I'm only kidding. She's feeling much better these days: She's down to 1/2 a pill every other day. She started at one twice a day...so we have come a long way! And only in 3 months... I am also grateful for my oven and knives and ability to take leftover ingredients and create one of my most favorite dishes at a local restaurant. Big City Bread Cafe here in Athens serves one of THE BEST tomato soups around. It comes with these croutons which have soaked up some of the s...

These past few weeks I have definitely had my fare share of things to focus on. And most of them were negative. But, in the spirit of a gratefulness blog...I will only focus on the positive here in this post. First and foremost...my Ollie cat is feeling better. I woke up to her throwing everything around her kennel...which normally wouldve upset me. But I am so grateful she is feeling back to her normal self. The rest of the things I am grateful for off the top of my head: -I found a dime on the ground today. That's 10 cents less that I have to come up with for the 2500 in vet bills. - I have amazing coworkers who tell me things like, "you're everyone's favorite." - the top button on my iPhone started miraculously working again. - Stephanie made me chocolate covered pretzels. Possible the best treat for a person who really doesn't like sweets. - I have a warm bed and two sweet girls to share it with. Goodnight all. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

This week, I am grateful for many things. First and foremost, my family. My sister: Saturday afternoon she spent 5 hours of her free time (which she never gets) back that the hospital helping my poor Ollie cat when she was sick. Throughout this week, even after her 13 hour days that begin at 5 a.m. and don't end until 7 or 8 p.m. that night, she has helped me feed and fluid and poke and scoop and everything else so that I might save some money and time with Ollie being sick. Her husband, my brother-in-law, Will: He has helped me in so many ways, namely by keeping Lindsay sane, but also through coming to my work or going by and checking on Ollie. I'm so grateful that my big sister decided to take his name and be with him. He's such a great person. My aunts and grandparents: For letting me bring Ollie with me to Mama Liz and Papa Joe's house last weekend while she was sick. Even though Cricket, the dachshund was not happy about that. Grateful, also, to have a job that...

Today, I am thankful to have family recipes that are so delicious. I am sitting here, early in the morning, listening to the sounds of my gas oven turn on and off as my Baked Apricots cook. This is another Boozer family recipe (shhhh, secret). Yet, none of them are overly complicated. My favorite part of Thanksgiving growing up was when my mom let me crush the crackers for the Baked Apricots. I would crush, crush, crush some more, and come back and say, how do they look? She would say nope, needs some more crushing. I just remember it taking me forever to crush those crackers! But, it was always worth it in the end: Baked Apricots. Another family must-have for our Thanksgiving is Sauerkraut. Yum. I was talking to Mama Liz (mom's mom for those who don't know) the other day and we were planning out Thanksgiving. The first thing she said was, "well you know we have to have sauerkraut for Papa Joe. He loves sauerkraut." And I said, you know, so do I! She laughed a...

Today, I am grateful for butter. I don't think I could ever give up eating dairy products like butter and cheese...because I found this beautifully simple recipe for pumpkin seeds. I just had to pass it along.    The seeds came from Will and Lindsay's pumpkin. Lindsay and I were very upset to see that Will had not grabbed an ounce of chocolate, so we went to the store on Halloween because he could not leave the house. He loves Halloween, apparently. When we came back, this is what he had carved. I love that it's not exactly an original theme...but man, that is a drunk pumpkin if I've ever seen one. The recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Seeds from AllRecipes.com 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt (I used onion powder because I didn't have garlic salt...just as delicious.) 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 cups raw whole pu...

This turned out so well!! I had to share my own made up (almost vegan) recipe: Equal parts Turnips and Black eyed peas 3 T flour 3 T butter Garlic to taste Salt, pepper and onion powder to taste 3 T nutritional yeast Boil the peas and turnips for approximately 20 min together in water. Drain. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add butter and mash. If too wet, add more flour or yeast. ENJOY! I'd post a photo of the finished product...but it tastes much better than it looks. Promise. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Today I am grateful to have a patient and forgiving boyfriend. I put him through hell and he stays with me, still. I love him dearly. Tonight in sewing class we learned buttons and hooks. I successfully buttoned and hooked fabric tonight: And, lastly, through teamwork, we began the dress!! I don't care how dorky it is...but I will spend the next hour or so sewing and watching Singin' in the Rain. Goodnight all. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone Location: Normal Ave,Athens-Clarke County,United States

Today I am grateful for running water. So I can wash my hands and brush my teeth. I don't know why that struck me while I was brushing this morning. But I am so lucky to be able to have good dental hygiene. I got to play bingo tonight. I was so excited! In the two years I've been volunteering at Iris Place, I've never played. Unfortunately I did not win a cent. Now I'm out 50 cents. Dangit. Now some insight to those who are interested. Bingo ladies: - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Today I am grateful for being forced to sit and observe the faces walking by the information desk at the hospital. I know it's been a while, but this sweet couple walked by and it made me whole day slow down and come into focus. I noticed her sitting down in one of the chairs, waiting quietly for something. I don't generally pay much attention to the visitors who are minding their own business and aren't clouding my waiting area with loud, boisterous music from their 'confounded' cell phones. But, of course, my eye turned to this older woman who had been patiently sitting for several minutes. An older gentleman finally walked in, whittled cane in hand. As they passed my desk, she quietly stated to him while grasping her painful, limping hip, "I should've parked the car and let you stay in here. You're in worst shape and I am." Neither of them said another word as they walked onto the elevators together. That is the stuff that we all need to slow do...