granola

tonight I made homemade granola. i am always amazed when i come across a recipe and i actually have all the ingredients on hand. so with no trip to the store stopping me, i proceeded to make it. it was so simple and is oh so delicious. and so much cheaper than buying it, might i add! here is the recipe i followed out of Real Simple magazine:

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (preferably unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup dried fruit (such as cherries, cranberries, raisins, or currants)
• *I also add 1 cup flax seed

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and seeds with the maple syrup, oil, and salt. Bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

my new appendage

check out my new appendage. it's the only thing i asked for for Christmas. feeling grateful. now to read the manual from front to back. :)

oh beautiful driftwood

While shopping at my local thrift store, this beautiful painting stopped me dead in my tracks. I mean, come on, that's some beautiful driftwood. Psych. Remember saying that in elementary school? I'm bringing it back.

What really stopped me dead in my tracks was the size of this painting and the fact that the frame wouldn't need to be refinished. Visions of a huge chalkboard to go with my non-existent dining table ensued.

Lucky for me, not only was the frame in great condition, but the material of the actual painting was perfect for covering with chalkboard paint. No priming needed. One coat would have done it, but I did two for good measure.

I'm super pleased with the results. So, I encourage you when you're out and about to see past the driftwood - look for the potential in things!

baby bowman

in one month from today, my bff katie's baby boy is due to grace the world with his presence!! i had the pleasure of designing the baby shower invitations recently:

The theme was "Babies are a hoot" to correlate with baby bowman's manly/woodsy nursery theme. Included with the invites were "WHOOO loves you baby?" cards for parental advice keepsakes for Katie and Adam. Clever, right? Katie and her mom are quite witty, I must admit.

Although I was admittedly impressed with my own cleverness in this print I designed for Baby Bowman's room. His room is going to be awesome! Katie is super creative and has a great sense of style and from what i know/have seen already, this nursery is gonna rock.

old wreath, new take

i decided to do something a little untraditional with my oh-so-traditional grapevine wreath this holiday season. i thought it would be a great base for an ornament chandelier! and i love the way it looks hanging over my kitchen table. all i did was string it up with pretty christmas ribbon and then hang various ornaments and viola! did you try to mix it up with your decorations this year? do tell!

proudest monkey

yes, i am the proudest monkey. (and yes, i love dave matthews band.)

i made these. i know, i can't believe it either. my amateur sewing skills got me through.

it all started when i spotted these beauts on PB's website:

not willing to shell out $39 a pop, I decided to make my own. this meant a trip to the thrift store in search of discarded cable-knit sweaters. and lo and behold, a men's large cable-knit vest was just the ticket:

after seeing this photo, you may be asking yourself, "why would she cover up such a beautiful pillow?" ah-hem. no, the only reason i hung on to these 'beauties' that came with my couch is that their one redeeming quality is that they are actually pretty sturdy.

the red pillow is actually made from a last-season old navy sweater that i got for $1.97 when winter was turning into spring.

a simplified step-by-step for those who might want to attempt this:

1. Find sweater you want to use and pillow insert.

2. Measure how big to make your cover.

3. Cut sweater to appropriate size.

4. Fold over raw edges and sew a straight line.

5. insert pillow

6. hand sew final side using a blind stitch

7. admire your stitch

8. Love your new pillow!

so, i'd like to dedicate this post to my highschool home-ec teacher: Mrs. Sargent, thank you for teaching me how to sew. I am forever indebted to you.

note to self

family head shots

do this. only with smiles. yeah, i think smiles would be better.

i wish

braids

my braids looked this cool. i braid my hair often when i don't feel like washing/doing it but i haven't quite mastered that i-did-my-hair-to-look-messy-on-purpose look. although, that third one looks semi-achievable.