Fall Wishlist

Here's a list of goodies that I'm dreaming about. I'm thinking pretty and practical...

one: Love this print by Roald Dahl, and would love even more to know where to find it.

two: Now that I'm in the classroom everyday, I've been on the search for some cute knee length skirts.

three: A delicate gold charm bracelet.  This wishbone would be nice.

four: "Don't Sweater It", the perfect neutral pink. 

five: This one's a longshot, but I would kill for an original Herman Miller Eames chair. I might even settle for a knockoff, but it would be even cooler to have the OG.

six: Sick camera bag.

The First Year

So, as you may have noticed, I've completely fallen off the map the past month. I just needed a break. My first year of teaching full time has really taken a lot out of me, as it should. Everyday when I get home from work, I have so much planning for the following day, week, and well, the entire school year. My thoughts are consumed with how I can create lessons that engage all of my students in learning. Some days are great, and I'm filled with hope, and I'm reminded of why I chose to be a teacher. But then the next, I'm nearly in tears and I feel like a failure. (I've been told this is normal so  for the 1st year, so that's some relief). This leaves me with little mental and physical energy, that all I want to do is just sleep.

I've thought about how almost exactly one year ago, I was just starting this blog. I was only tutoring part time, so I could put a lot of my effort into making posts, doing crafts, taking pictures and spending hours processing them. In the past year, I've taught myself Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, how to properly expose an image, and more importantly how to be a better communicator.

By my first week of teaching, I knew/feared that I would have to abandon Calico Skies because it just seemed impossible to continue the way I had been. I stopped posting, and shut out any comments, or interests in sponsoring, because I just couldn't face it. But now that I've got somewhat of a handle on my classes and curriculum, I see that I might be able to keep this little old blog alive. Just maybe not in the same way.

I'm reinventing Calico Skies. My life has completely changed, so it only seems right to reshape CS to better reflect my life. For example, my 52 Week Challenge seems less like a challenge and more of a chore now. I have new challenges that are just, more of a priority for me now, aka my students. Not to say that I won't still be making crafts and art projects, but they probably won't be a regular feature, at least not now (there's always summer vacation, yessss). And I loved having sponsors and button swapping, but I just don't see myself having time to keep up with all that on a regular basis. So I think I'll have to come up with a simpler solution, because having blogger friends is what it's all about right?

CS will be more about my everyday life and interests.

• I want to become a better photographer, so you'll definitely see more of that. 
• I want to go back to painting. Although I've loved making cutsie diy projects, there's a reason why I got my B.A. in Drawing & Painting, and I miss it. 
• Living in Pasadena is completely awesome, there's so much to see and do, so I plan to share more of those adventures. 
• I want to be more selective at collecting vintage and antique pieces, and actually go through with my original idea of opening up an Esty shop to sell my stuff.
• Now that I have my own kitchen, I want share more of my recipes and the all fatty foods I love to eat.

So that's what I've wanted to get off my chest for a while now. I put it off for long enough. I knew deep down inside that I wanted to keep CS going, because it brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. It just seemed like too much, I've only got two hands and there's only so many hours in the day. But then I realized that all I have to do is change my blog, just like my life has changed. We're both growing up.

Easy Tomato Basil Pasta

I'm here with a super simple dish that I make for myself all the time. It's a quick and easy, go-to recipe, and calls for the best ingredients, well in my opinion.

Here's what you need:

About 4 tomatoes diced, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic (about 1 clove per person, or more if you're like me),  chopped basil, red pepper flakes (about 1 pinch per person), salt, parmisiano reggiano, pasta (penne or angel hair) 

Here's the best way to chop basil. It gives you those thin little strips of basil that just go perfectly on top of pasta. Since I've had my basil plant, we've been using it like, everyday. I try to find ways to sneak it into every recipe.

1) Wash and dry each basil leaf.

2) Stack the leaves, and roll them up like a cigar.

3) Then use a chef's knife to thinly slice the leaves.

Voila!

Chop the rest of your ingredients like so. I keep the garlic pretty course, since it's over the heat for so long. At this point it's a good time to boil your water, don't forget to salt your water!

Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until fragrant, no more than 2-3 minutes, or it will burn. And there's nothing worst than burnt garlic.

Add your tomatoes and sauté until they begin to break down, not to long or they'll fall apart, and you'll be left with just skins.

Drain the pasta when it's 'al dente', and add the tomato mixture. Toss together in a large bowl with the basil. Serve topped with a generous amount of parmesan and enjoy!

I love this paired with chicken apple sausage and a fresh salad!