Eames Stamps

USPS 2008 collection will be including Charles + Ray Eames design stamps!!!!!

(picture courtesy of USPS)

Charles and his wife, Ray, Eames has done some amazing stuff in their lifetime.

I did a small [2 page] report on him a few years ago for one of my interior design classes. I really enjoyed reading and seeing what he had done for the architecture and interior design world... not only that, they did some pretty awesome stuff for the military during WWII. This is definitely one of the highlights of gifts to give [for me] this year! lol. But instead, I'm probably going to go to the post office and pick them up... I apologize in advance if I run over you because I am overly excited and didn't notice you in front of me.

Here is what USPS had to say:

In recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, manufacturing and photographic arts, designers Charles and Ray Eames will be honored next summer with a pane of 16 stamps designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC. If you’ve ever sat in a stackable molded chair, you’ve experienced their creativity. Perhaps best known for their furniture, the Eameses were husband and wife as well as design partners. Their extraordinary body of creative work — which reflected the nation’s youthful and inventive outlook after World War II — also included architecture, films and exhibits. Without abandoning tradition, Charles and Ray Eames used new materials and technology to create high-quality products that addressed everyday problems and made modern design available to the American public.

pincushion

At work, during lunch, a co-worker (klbruce) and i have a "crafty lunch hour"... she's my craft partner. :)

Since I got a new sewing machine (Eeeeee!), I decided to bring in my old sewing machine to work.

This is my new sewing machine (it's currently on a dell computer box, just in case oil will drip on the carpet; but i just got some cute carpet samples at work that we didn't want to put underneath):

So, here's what I did during our crafty lunch hour:

(using this tutorial)

I needed another pincushion for work, so i didn't have to bring my one and only back and forth.

I think it turned out pretty well.

xo

nicole

low fat cheesecake brownies

I'm more of a cupcake-baker-kind-of-girl. But for the new year, I wanted to make something when we go over to my sister-in-law's. My husband and I have been going over to play with her husband and her this steve jackson game called munchkin. I think we've played 4 nights this week! My sister-in-law and I are on weight watchers, so we need to watch the numbers... and for me, I have hard time getting the "good" oils in (such as canola, olive, sunflower, and safflower). Each brownie bar is 3 points (if you are on ww too). This is what I used for the brownies, and I'm sure you could substitute any part of it.

I snagged this recipe from Cooking Light Magazines, but changed a few to make it even more "lighter".

Low-Fat Cheesecake Brownies
[2 dozen (unless you want smaller bars)
Supplies: hand mixer, 13 x 9 inch pan (I used a pyrex), large, medium, and small bowls, and measuring cups & spoons.

Brownies:

non-flavor canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup light butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2/3 cup unsweened cocoa
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

8-ounce 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
14-ounce fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg

***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray (just don't coat the sides, if you do, just take a paper towel and wipe it off once).

To start preparing for the brownies, beat the butter in a large bowl at medium speed until fluffy, it took me about 5 minutes to fluff this butta!

Add the sugar (which I added half cup at a time) and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until well mixed.
Add egg whites and 1 egg, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add cocoa (be careful here, pour it in slowly, or you'll have a dust of cocoa in your face!), mix well, then add the 1/2 cup of milk. Your mix will have the water down effect when you add the milk. In the small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork to combine it together. Slowly add it to the cocoa mixture in low speed until blended (see picture below). Spoon the batter into the pan.

Now, for the topping!! Place the cream cheese in the medium bowl, beat with a mixer until smooth. Gradually add cornstarch, then the rest of the ingredients. Beat until smooth. Spread evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 for about 40 min, or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

We let it cool for about 15 min, and ran over to my sister-in-law's to play the game!

Everyone enjoyed them very much, I'm more of a chocolate person (and my husband is not), when I make this again, I'm going to put about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips in the cheesecake batter. Yum-Yum!

Enjoy! :)

Nicole