We have a really nice pine dresser in our bedroom, but it was missing a little something. I considered painting it for a while — but it’s messy, risky and would mean covering up the beautiful wood. After searching online for ages, I found an awesome Etsy shop that had the perfect solution.
New drawer pulls! Easy, affordable and damage-free.
BEFORE:
Beautiful, no? One of the easiest updates I’ve made to our apartment to date.
xo
I’m on a total plant kick lately.
I’ve been admiring terrariums online for a while now. Even though they’re kind of trendy, they take me back to middle school and I’m a sucker for anything remotely nostalgic. So I bought a big ol’ jar at the hardware store, and a simple terrarium kit off Etsy, and got to it.
Voila! Isn’t she a beaut? I also found a cute little asparagus fern at a nursery in the Marina, and put that in there too.
It looked a little lonely on the table, so I got a cheap slab of oak from West Elm to warm it up a bit.
I highly recommend — it took about 5 minutes to do, and it puts a smile on my face every time I walk into the dining room.
xo
I love my apartment, but it’s been sorely lacking in one department for quite some time: Plant life. When you have a kitty that eats every green thing in sight, your flower and fern options are kind of limited.
So instead, I’ve decided to stick with succulents and air plants.
After biking to lunch at the Sandwich Spot on Sunday (amazing by the way), I dragged Kelly into the Sloat Garden Center off Chestnut to pick out a few adorable little cacti.
I’ve really had a thing for blue lately, so I picked out a blue pot to store my new little friends.
I’ve actually been growing the tall succulent for a while. I have no idea what kind it is — my boss gave it to me, and it’s taken off recently. (My favorite thing about succulents is their amazing ability to regenerate).
An easy, Sunday evening DIY. I’m hoping to tackle a terrarium before the end of the month, too — stay tuned!
xo
My food processor has changed my life.
I really wanted to make this brussels Caesar style salad last night. Pre food processor, this would’ve taken me a million years. Grating the cheese, shaving the brussels sprouts, etc.
Post food processor, a grand total of 15 minutes.
I’m not exaggerating. This includes making the dressing. Accompanied by a sandwich with some leftover roast chicken from the weekend (recipe for that coming soon), it was the perfect, quick weeknight meal.
Faux Caesar brussels sprouts salad:
As many brussels sprouts as you want, shaved. You can do this with a mandolin, but I used an attachment on my food processor to slice this thinly in about 5 minutes. I know raw brussels sprouts sounds kind of weird at first, but trust me, they’re delicious.
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
Shaved parmesan
Faux Caesar dressing:
1/4 cup greek yogurt, 1 crushed garlic clove, a sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, juice from one lemon, olive oil, a tablespoon of parmesan
Combine all of the ingredients until the brussels sprouts are coated well with dressing. That’s it! Really. And it’s delicious/healthy.
He’s the best.
(I might be the only person who finds these hysterical, but whatever)
xo
When I went up to Portland this Christmas, I knew that I’d be making a trip to the Schoolhouse Electric showroom. After interviewing the founder several months ago, I feel head over heels for this amazing company and its quirky style.
Kelly and I decided to devote an especially chilly afternoon to shopping (Yay for no sales tax in Oregon!) and swung by the cozy Schoolhouse showroom first. Although Brian wasn’t there, Scott, the assistant manager was incredibly kind and welcoming, and gave us behind the scenes tour of the factory above the showroom.
The showroom itself is stunning. Highly highly recommend next time you’re in Portland. Have you ever visited a store, and just wanted to live there? Or just steal everything for your own apartment? That’s what Schoolhouse is like for me. The attention to detail is impeccable.
Check out Schoolhouse Electric’s stock of lighting, bedding, and accessories here. Rather than babble on any more, I’ll move on and let you enjoy the quick snapshots I took of their showroom below.
xo
I love the way people write about food.
Especially in recipes.
The word choice in recipes is so perfectly descriptive — maybe because food captures so many of our 5 senses. It makes it a bit easier to find just the right way to say something. I’ve collected a few of my favorites from several food blogs I love. Bon appétit!
twist the peel to express its oils
scrape the fond from the bottom
slice whisper thin
sauté until tender
fold in the vegetables
zest and supreme oranges
followed by a generous heap
drizzle half the cream
save some of the plumped up blossoms
bake until very deeply golden
until you get a touch of browning
sprinkle with scallions
spike with a bit of lemon juice
most will be little nubs
it should hiss and sputter
dollop each with cumin yogurt
