Blaze Bratcher

Cold Brew Baby

Blaze Danielle — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:10:54 +0000

This morning we woke up enthusiastically, for a special treat awaited us in our fridge! We’ve been interested in the cold brewing method of coffee for a while, but found Ree Drummond‘s approach this week and had to give it a try!

Do you ever get that icky oily film at the top of coffee? Or feel that it tastes burnt and bitter? We normally use hot water to release the flavor more quickly, which often burns the coffee grounds and makes a acidic brew. This recipe lets a pound of coffee soak in two gallons of cold water for 8-12 hours, releasing a delicious and sweet drink minus the bitterness (not to mention it is a more cost effective – less waste)!

I honestly had my best tasting iced coffee ever this morning, right in my very own kitchen. No coffee shop, no barista (other than my husband). :) If you can be patient, it is worth the wait – plus, now we have two gallons of sweet black coffee concentrate in a dispenser in our fridge! Instant iced coffee at our fingertips. Yummm. I don’t see ever going back to the old way.

P.S. If you like it hot (like most of us Seattleites do), we read online you can add some boiling water on top of the concentrate and it’s still delicious.

If you try it, I’d love to hear know how it goes!

Me-ow, Me-oh….

Blaze Danielle — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:48:12 +0000

Kitty likes the view from way up high. Her most favorite window was this one in Denver; it had a tree full of birds next to it, and the windowsill made a little hammock for her. She practically lived there all summer long. Since we’ve been back though, I’ve seen her enjoying others. I’d say she likes them all, as long as she can pretend to be an outdoor cat!

Light and Color

Blaze Danielle — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:05:46 +0000

I got to hold a piece of rainbow the other evening. The rain is taking a short break to let the light come in, and sometimes that light dances on the walls and my lap.

P.S. I never posted these photos, but last June we got a double rainbow on our second anniversary! Isn’t that fun? I couldn’t get the whole rainbow in one shot, even though it was so beautifully clear in front of us. Thank goodness for a bit of cut and paste. ;)

Lessons from January

Blaze Danielle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:18:41 +0000

I took these photos this weekend while we moved some furniture around and ate chocolate. Also restarted the LOTR saga, in which we kindled creative concepts and discussed the art of storytelling – and definitely confirmed that we eat like Hobbits.

January has become a month of fresh starts and new beginnings. Goals are being met, resolutions kept. I am learning how to be brave, joyful, and innovative.

Turning to Books

Blaze Danielle — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:10:14 +0000

The snow has become rain, and today I am turning to my art books to further familiar myself with some painting techniques.

I’ve also changed the face of the blog, and I am pleased with the new layout. I look forward to seeing the front page change with each post! Happy Friday and weekend to you – I have some exciting posts coming soon, so come back next week for a peek in my world!

Happiest

Blaze Danielle — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:07:35 +0000

I was rifling through old photos yesterday, and happened upon a little series in the making… I really enjoy capturing my happiest moments, which has resulted in my practice of journaling, blogging, and taking pictures of myself. In the first photo, I was in Boulder, CO, and I was elated to find a Seattle-esque strip in which to drink tea, enjoy the rain, and shop for vintage trinkets. The second photo was taken on this day, and I was trying to soak up the bitter-sweet moment of ending a chapter, to begin a new one. The third is of me standing in the South Platte River with my color changing nail polish and a picnic watermelon in my hand – cooling off from the heat of the day. And the last is from yesterday’s walk, The compilation of these photos make me feel blessed, strong, humbled, and grateful. But mostly really joyful.

I think today is the last day of our snowstorm, though it’s coming down pretty strong right now. I’ve truly enjoyed being a snow bunny these past few days… Ah well, I guess that means we can anticipate spring all the more. Each season feels like an eternity to be in but time really does fly by – making me want to capture significant moments in my life all the more.

A snowy walk to the park

Blaze Danielle — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:28:58 +0000

Hello! There’s even more snow today, making the total about 6 inches or so! We went on a walk with the pup, and boy was she in heaven. I think she dreams of being an iditarod dog when she sleeps at night – that would explain those racing paws and love of snow!

I love how the snow makes everything so beautiful and interesting outside… I couldn’t stop taking pictures of every single branch – making our walk take about twice as long. The second photo above is our new home! We’ve actually been very blessed with a special opportunity and we are living in my Grandma Lois‘s house. We feel fortunate to stretch out in a spacious home after living in a tiny apartment and carriage house previously. It truly is a cozy and comfortable home to live in as we reacquaint ourselves with our beloved Northwest. By the way, I’m wearing her scarf in the last photo as well as my grandpa’s sunglasses. They make me happy.

We normally don’t get much snow here in December (I can only remember a couple of white Christmas’s), but this January snow makes the winter continually exciting as it chases away winter blues. I must take advantage of the radiating light the snow creates – my studio is as bright as if it were a summer day! Plans for the rest of the day consist of more painting and then making a batch of chili! I have three pounds of beef chuck steak in the fridge calling my name to make something of it. Ha. Here’s to staying warm and dry, and taking long walks with loved ones.

Snow day

Blaze Danielle — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:15:29 +0000

This weekend has been so wonderful, I don’t even know where to start! 2012 is settling in very nicely for us, and this weekend’s snow makes it all the more beautiful. The window above is our current headboard, so it was a happy surprise to open my eyes to snowflakes falling through our blinds!

I have spent the last few days planning paintings, meeting new friends, creating hot soups for cold days, and taking green tea baths, while the two of us have very much enjoyed driving around town, watching old favorite movies, taking long walks on new beaches (while listening to barking seals), and cuddling up with our animals and a good book. Besides those treatsy activities, we have been working really hard making our house a home and pulling long hours to become a well oiled machine.

I’m excited to use this snowy day to my creative advantage, and get sketching. I hope to get a bundled walk in either today or tomorrow, so keep a lookout for more snowy photos up around here!

Painting with Favorites

Blaze Danielle — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:25:59 +0000

I love these illustrations from the book ‘Red is Best’ by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Robin Bird Lewis. I’ve had this book for a long time. It explains that juice tastes better in your favorite cup, and you feel happier in certain jackets (even if it is too cold out). Oh, and certain colors are just more fun to paint with. I totally get that. ;)

The New Year: On Thriving and Rewinding

Blaze Danielle — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:18:45 +0000

Happy 2012! I trust you all had a happy Christmas and New Year and are ready for a new start. I absolutely love January and the newness it brings (I thought the above picture was apt for this post, as my baby maiden fern has the teeniest baby leaves on it and is thriving in its new home on the windowsill). This past week has been full of unpacking and getting our home settled, finding homes for my many houseplants, setting up my new studio space, cutting dozens of tiny snowflakes with friends, hanging out with my husband and enjoying our friendship, digging out old VHS videos and rocking the rewind button on our “new” VCR (seriously, I don’t remember it taking five minutes to rewind a video, but it does!), cooking in the kitchen, building new routines, reading new books, and anticipating a happy new year.

I feel rejuvenated from my blog break and look forward to sharing what has been inspiring me lately. This month I’m hoping to post photos of our unpacked home, new paintings, illustrations that stimulate my imagination and encourage me to learn, and captured moments that bring me joy and fulfillment. Here’s to a year of new adventures and accomplishments! ♥

(p.s. I’m only doing one more shipment of calendars this month so grab one for yourself before I take it out of the shop!)