DIY

Strawberry yogurt popsicles for the recipe challenged

July 16, 2015 by Angela

Before this recipe, I hadn’t made homemade popsicles since I was about 8 years old and poured juice into ice trays and froze with toothpicks. That was the extent of my DIY dessert, and the extent of the summer desserts my mother made. The fact that these turned out is quite the win. Like my watermelon mojito recipe, I looked up a lot of very basic DIY popsicle tutorials and ended up winging it. Strawberries happened to be 97 cents a package and I had yogurt on hand, so this is what I ended up with. [Read more…] about Strawberry yogurt popsicles for the recipe challenged

Watermelon mojitos for summer

July 8, 2015 by Angela

Mojitos have always been my favorite summer cocktail. You can control how much simple syrup you add and there aren’t a lot of sugars to worry about. For me sugary cocktails = a major headache. I stayed away from mojitos for awhile because both times I had them I got sick… I figured it had to be either rum or mint that didn’t agree with me. But I’ve had them both separately. So I am forced to conclude that I must have had just too many or something else on those days. Phew! I can officially drink mojitos. I am also utterly obsessed with watermelon. Always have been. Even back in my watermelon seed spitting contest days (is that indeed an activity or am I making this memory up?). Watermelon + mojitos are my favorite combo yet. I looked up a few recipes but ultimately decided to wing it and it was soso good. It’s probably not in my best interest how good these are. Hello, pool and mojito party. (Really, a whole party around mojitos? I must.) See below for a quasi-recipe. [Read more…] about Watermelon mojitos for summer

Easy 4th of July dessert idea

July 1, 2015 by Angela

This berries and cream dessert parfait I made in honor of the 4th of July is exactly as technical as I get when it comes to desserts. I hope to one day be better at my domestic pursuits but as of now this is what you get when you arrive to any sort of get together hosted by yours truly. That and my experimental summer cocktails, but more on that later. I’d seen all these recipes on Pinterest, a lot of them being a bit overboard for me, so I finally gave one a try. Honestly, I like being festive 4th of July but I am not the go-all-out type of person. As evidenced by my minty green placemats. You have to draw the line somewhere. Anyway, this is basically berries and a slightly fancier version of cool whip (which somehow makes all the difference), but I’ve already gone back to the store to get more.

Side note: I’ve been trying on some new editing in Lightroom. So yes, it’s well known to me that my photos have been all over the place lately. But, the slightly purple hue of the f1 filter on VSCO that I use for Instagram as my muse, I’m doing a little experimenting with this week’s photos. Why not?

Find the instructions for this little treat below…

4th of July Layered Mason Jar Berries

1. Gather your berries, one small farmers market crate (very technical, I know!) of raspberries or strawberries, and one of blueberries.
2. Make the cream by combining half a container of cool whip with a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt and vanilla extract to taste (start out with 1/2 tsp and increase). There’s an exact recipe for the cream on BHG but I just guessed and it tasted amazing. Mix together thoroughly.
3. Layer ingredients! I loved the delicious, messy look of this one on Thistlewood Farms, but to get the perfect layering that’s all over Pinterest would probably require freezing the parfait for a few minutes in between layers to firm. The cream isn’t quite firm enough with the yogurt mixed in.
4. Add a spoon and scoop right out.

Seriously. This was amazing. I don’t know if you can tell, but the mason jar I used for my first try at this was *huge* and I totally ate it all in one day. This would be really cute in small jars or glasses to give out as a dessert this weekend. Or you could go the shooter route, but who wants to stop at a few bites? Or if dinner is taking too long, you can distract guests with it!

Any plans for the 4th? Let me know if you try this.

Poster tour of my art pieces

June 24, 2015 by Angela

Isn’t it funny how much time passes when we convince ourselves we’re too busy to do a particular thing? I never like when people say they’re too busy, because I rarely think anyone is too busy, to do what they really want to do. It’s just a matter of rearranging and re-prioritizing. Last night, I had this moment where I realized (and I’ve realized this countless times before) that I’m certainly not too busy to create art or write a story or take a photography class, but that either fear or lack of motivation or just feeling tired and immobile in what I’m doing, is what holds me back. I just find excuses. All. The. Time.

About two and a half months have passed in our new apartment. Yesterday was exactly two years since we moved into our first Los Angeles/California/Not Washington/apartment of our own home. These peachy walls are in the livingroom and kitchen because after painting two other rooms we just were not up for it. All of my white wall art stands stark against this tone. It was only last weekend that we put up a few of my favorite pieces, the ones already in frames or that went without. We are still on the hunt for a chair, an area rug, more art, bookshelves, the list goes on. But realistically we haven’t (and of course, I mean I, Kevin wouldn’t notice if we never got these things) really looked all month. I remember in the last place, where I felt really uninspired because we couldn’t paint and it was dark and I once again made excuses, I never really made it how I wanted to. The whole time I kept thinking I would, and then a year and a half passed. So here we are in June!

^^ It’s the important things, right…

It will come together, but I need to realize that if it’s important to me I should make time for it so I don’t wake up in a few months, like a few months before, feeling not so at home and not so inspired. We all talk a lot about the things we want to do. I hope we can do them this summer too.

Deer, Seattle, & Calligraphy prints: alphonnsine (be sure to check out all the t-shirts!) / Floral girl print: Girl and Parrot / Coffee print: chloe vaux

Work in Progress: Crochet Blanket

June 22, 2015 by Angela

It’s eighty degrees outside, I’m confined to the sweltering windows of my wonderfully lit apartment with an awful cold, and what do I do? Decide to make a crochet blanket. I hadn’t picked up any crochet hook in ages, after taking a spring/summer hiatus from Etsy. (After last fall, I decided to essentially quit Etsy, usually I return in September fully stocked with scarves and coffee cozies.) With no intention of selling accessories, I have three boxes of yarn yet to be used this year. It’s all very different and of varying lengths, but mostly pretty bright colors mixed in with cozy neutrals. Considering I haven’t crocheted a blanket in full in years (peek here), I’m not sure what to expect. Last time, I was equipped with a wide array of colors to pique my interest. Now, this bright blanket somehow seems subdued in comparison. I don’t want to purchase more yarn for the occasion; the point being that I crocheted with my current collection. So it takes some doubling up on strands and different stitches and different color blocks. But I needed to do something while sick on the couch.

Surrounded by yarn with the AC on. I don’t know how people crochet in socal.

Details, details. I am so not good at weaving in ends either, one of the reasons I generally avoid stripes. But we’ll see. I’ve always wanted to crochet big time with recycled yarn so perhaps this will get me going. Whats your latest WIP?

Flower friday: Rose wine bottle vases

May 22, 2015 by Angela

I’ve been scooping up flowers at the farmers market every week so I thought it might be time to start up a floral friday around here. These roses smelled too amazing to pass up. Lately I’ve ended up with too many pretty wine bottles to recycle so I have a few new vases around. These two have the lovelies labels.

(In case you missed my DIY succulent planter.)

What Memorial Day adventures do you have planned?