Meet Patricia and Dorsey

Just added Patricia and Dorsey the bald eagles. They are sporting the new feather print, take a look at my etsy shop.

The Fog Comes On Little Cat Feet

Bradin and I hiked to the top of Mt. Sentinel this morning. It's (hopefully) going to become our new Wednesday tradition. This morning was quite cold and foggy, but it was very refreshing to get outside.

It is beautiful here, which makes me happy,

it means...spring.

We have these berries growing on our trees,

and the birds love them.

Is anyone watching the Oscars tonight? I'm sure I'll try and catch some of it.

lovely...

Barbara Munsel's handmade apparel, simply beautiful.


spotted here

Simple Tote

So it has been awhile sine I've updated my shop. I only have this tote, but I'm hoping to add a few more totes and some other exciting things I have been working on.
Check it all out here.

A staple in my house

Okay I am addicted to salsa, it's pretty bad I could eat it everyday (practically do). This recipe is easy and flavorful....so eat up. I know I will.

You just need a food processor and:
2- jalapeno peppers
1- anaheim pepper
cilantro (about 20 sprigs)
2- garlic cloves
1/4-1/2 onion
1- 8 oz. can diced tomatoes

for spices:
1/4 tsp. of all of these:
-garlic powder
-lemon pepper
-oregano

salt to taste
a splash of lime juice
chili powder -(just a dash too much will make it too hot)

Since I prefer my salsa extra hot,
I use 3/4 of the anaheim pepper and both the jalapenos.
If you want a milder salsa just use half the peppers,
and adjust spices.
Also, I process the garlic, cilantro, peppers
and onions before I put the tomatoes
and the rest of spices in.

Enjoy

The happiest Valentines Day to my friends and family. Hope these help with some serious reading time. And as for my husband and I, a vacation is well deserved, but it will have to wait a few more weeks. So tonight the plans are a fancy dinner with Jeff and Lindsay; I'm excited for the festivities (good to have you two).

Rachel Getting Married

I would highly recommend this movie, saw it a few days ago and can't stop thinking about it. Anne Hathaway was amazing, it was beautifully filmed, and the music very eclectic. Tunde Adebimpe, the actor that plays Rachel's fiance is from TV On The Radio too, crazy I know. Just loved this film, it's not a "feel good" movie, but it will surely stick with you.

Happy Weekend

And what a great weekend it will be. Can't tell you enough how happy I am it's Friday (finally have a Sat. off). We will be enjoying the company of my grandmother and father. Hope the rest of you enjoy your weekend.

Recycled furniture

A little diy action and you have yourself a piece of cardboard furniture. The claim is it's functional....you can try yourself with patterns and instructions here . I really like these fold-aways as well.

from here

My Super Bowl Sunday

Since football is not my forte and Bradin wanted to watch the game, we (April and I) opted to do this instead of watch the game. Do these cookies look oddly familiar? Kind of like a confection heart?

Veggie Quesadillas

A recent effort of mine has been to cut meat from my diet (six months now). I really wanted to see if eliminating it would make me feel better, and I must admit it's been a great experience, I had always thought that the meals wouldn't be as tasty without the meat and au contraire...they are great if not better. So I am sharing one of our favorite meals that we can thank April for.

Veggie Quesadillas
1-medium onion
1-bag of burrito size tortillas
2-yams
1-bag grated cheese of your choice
3-garlic cloves
7-sprigs of cilantro
1-can black beans (or any beans you like) -see note*
-optional- sour cream/guacamole

In food processor put onion, garlic, sprigs of cilantro and chop until a thick paste. Set aside. Slice yams into thin slices and place in oven at 400 and cook until tender about 10-15 min.

*note- I like my black beans like this:
In pot heat drained black beans and
1- cup vegetable stock
1- small tomato
2- cloves garlic
1/2- onion
1/4- tsp. cayenne pepper
1- tsp. salt
1/4- tsp. pepper
Cook on medium heat for about 10 min (or until desired texture). After beans have cooked, mash them with a fork.

After yams are cooked spread cilantro paste on tortillas, then mashed black beans, yams and cheese. Heat in pan until cheese is melted. Serve with spanish rice (let me know if you want a good recipe) and enjoy.
This makes about 2-4 quesadillas

I need a vacation! After two and a half years of working for the same people, they have decided to let us all go for a restructuring of their business (whatever that means). And trust me when I say this restructure has nothing to do with the economy, just bad timing in my life.

An Eye For Annai

Jon Klassen + Dan Rodrigues animated film.
Thanks Carly!

There is hope

That's right....Polaroid was bought by Florian Kaps, an Austrian artist in Amsterdam. He is the guy that runs polanoid.net. I guess the plan is to start a factory that will soon be producing the film....which means no more $27.00 dollars for a two pack. So if all goes as planned there will be an abundance of polaroids again.

You can read all about it here.

Just a few more days...

from here

Get your Obama stamp from here.

I Like Your Scarf

How great is this print? Just came in the mail and it's beautiful. It is printed on a poly cotton canvas which makes the print look more like a painting. Ashely G has many more great prints you can check out here.

This photobooth series is worth a look.

Let's call it an update!

I have finally added a few more things to my etsy store, you can check them out here. I'm really excited about the cassette tape print. It is printed on sturdy, reversible napkins that can be used as placemats as well. They are machine washable, the print is heat set to ensure longevity. Make sure to check back, I have more goodies that will be added soon. Hope you all enjoy!

Favorite Mugs

When I was studying at the university here in Missoula I had the pleasure of taking a workshop from ceramic artist Ayumi Horie. I instantly fell in love with her style and have been supporting her since. She has quite a following, so if you are interested in her stuff my suggestion would be to sign up for her mailing list. Be quick if you want to buy anything, she sells out fast. 

My hope is to litter my cabinet with her things someday.....thus far I have only two mugs. 

Looming

I just discovered the loom. My mom introduced me and now I can't stop making stuff.....and by stuff  I mean hats. If you like to knit you will love this. It is so easy and I think it looks very professional. I embellished mine with a little something extra and, voila, in only a few hours I have a new hat.

(Happy Birthday Cindi!)

Alyson Fox

I am enamored with her prints. She also has a clothing collection you can check out here. I was entertained by the unique way she demonstrated her clothing line. So make sure you let it fully download, then click on collection to see her snippets.

the new Toms Shoes

I have been crazy for Toms Shoes since they started. It's exciting that they are extending their shoes to a higher part of the ankle!
So how about this trendy little boot? Is it a boot or a shoe? Apparently the boot expands from the ankle so you can custom wrap it the way you like. They come in five different colors: rust, red, black, chocolate, and olive.
Toms Shoes is also for a good cause every pair of shoes you buy they donate a pair to a child in need. Cute shoe and a good cause.

Vladimir

I'm sure we all remember the old view masters from our childhood. Well, Portland based artist Vladimir handmakes her own view master reels. Each set contains original music to accompany the reels. I like Fear & Trembling, an interesting take on a dinner party, but I find them all intriguing.

Happy New Year! Maybe you can start it out with a Vladmaster. 

book collection

Hope to add these to my assortment someday. These are worth researching. I anticipate the return of this book.