* Avocado and Caramelized Onion Pizza *

I have been cooking more since moving home, and am pushing myself to experiment with recipes that I've always drooled over in magazines, but never tried.

This dish is super easy, and super yummy; perfect for a party appetizer or a dinner (which it was for my parents and me). The hardest part is caramelizing the onions, but altogether the whole thing took less than 30 minutes.

First thing I did was buy a frozen pizza crust that could be unrolled and baked. About 5 minutes before it was fully cooked, I added olive oil (instead of sauce), fresh basil, caramelized onions, olives, some spices, tomatoes and plenty of cheese. After 5 more minutes, the crust was perfect and the toppings were just melted enough.

I topped it with freshly cut avocado slices, and served it warm. It was delicious. The sweetness of the caramelized onions mixed with the spices and the creamy avocado complimented each other perfectly. There were no leftovers!

Note: Be careful you cook your crust well, because all those toppings can weigh it down in the middle.

A+

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* DIY necklaces on the cheap *

If you've never been to Promise Tangeman's blog, check it out. She has some really cool ideas for all sorts of artsy things. This DIY blog post in particular caught my attention. It's a simple way to create sculptural and unique necklaces out of shower curtain rings.

I used this tutorial to make some of my own. You can mix and match the materials to make all sorts of different styles. I made one using earth tones for a more subtle look. The other is a bold black and white graphic print with a bright pink accent for a louder statement.

I love projects that are quick and inexpensive, but that you can do multiple times in different ways. This one was a lot of fun to make. I hope you can try it yourself!

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* Butterfly *

A few weeks ago I was visited by a beautiful butterfly who landed on my dress while I was eating ice cream. At first, I thought "well, that's pretty cool". But, then the butterfly just stayed there, opening and closing its wings, for almost ten minutes straight. It even let me put it on my finger for a while. That's when I thought it might be more than just a visit. It might be a sign.

Since then there have been at least 5 different times when I've seen and/or interacted with a butterfly. I know it is trying to tell me something. I've been going through some pretty big changes and trying to make some big decisions about my career, and I truly believe that this butterfly is a sign that I'm heading in the right direction, and that I should be doing something new and creative.

I have been playing with some new materials, looking for a fun new way to create besides the computer. I have been sewing a lot from the fabric I bought. My plan is to set up a shop on etsy once I make enough stuff to sell. And, just in case I needed any more support from the universe on this one, the featured pieces on the etsy homepage today was all butterfly related crafts.

So, I am acknowledging the support, and giving my thanks for the beautiful signs, and hope that they continue. I am certainly more aware of it now, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for sure.

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