Etsy Weekly Wants #3: Back To School

Well, it's my last weekend of freedom before I get back to work on Tuesday, so, naturally I'm thinking about back-to-school supplies for adults!

Up first, a new lanyard for my ID, perhaps?  I have a beaded one, but it tends to pinch, so something softer is on my list.  I like these by Heart2Handbags.  They use really great fabrics and have breakaway velcro behind the neck.  I think the fall colors chevron might be just right.

Next, a backpack.  I don't usually carry purses to work, but need something to put my daily supplies in.  I love love love this colorful backpack by Ottobags.

I carry a lunch bag so I can bring my food in reusable containers.  I really like this one, made from vintage fabric by  MontclairMade.

Travel mugs for my daily coffee.  Enough said.  This one by yevgenia has great painted daisy details.

And up last, a storage basket for my teacher-ish stuff.  For journals, supplies, and anything else I need to keep organized so it doesn't just pile up on a shelf.  Here's one by BaffinBags with an elephant print:

Have a great weekend and maybe I'll be posting, but mostly just relaxing and going to the MN State Fair!

Home meals of the week #20

And another successful week!

First, a noodle soup.  I simmered onion, mushrooms, tomato, ginger, garlic, basil, lemongrass, thai peppers, and oregano for a few hours to make a very flavorful veggie broth.  I strained everything out (nothing was really edible after cooking that long anyways), cooled it down, and added a few tablespoons of coconut milk.  Then later, we heated it up again with some rice noodles.  We chopped up fresh onions and mushrooms and put them in our bowls.  Then we poured the broth and noodles over so the veggies were warmed, but still fresh.  I was pretty proud of this meal.  It was simple, but extremely flavorful, and we both loved it!!

Salad.  I love big salads.  This one had greens, sprouts, blue cheese, onion, and cucumbers tossed with a chickpea/basil mixture that was originally going to be hummus, but we overfilled the food processor.

Mahi mahi with zucchini chips from our garden.  Some of the best fish I've ever had!

This was a variation of the zucchini we've been making so frequently.  This time we tried it with zucchini cut thinly to replace the noodles.  We actually used noodles for the first layer because we literally had two left.  Then we continued the other layers with the zucchini.  It was delicious!  It held together really well, and tasted great.  I'd definitely do it again when we have a surplus from our garden or recommend it to anyone else who wants to skip the noodles.  

So, another good week and hopefully not the last week of meals from our garden!

Feather bottle earrings

Recently I  bought a bunch of little bottles at the craft store and have been trying to think of nifty ways to incorporate them into jewelry.  First, I made a little mushroom pendant.  Then I wrapped up two matching bottles for a set of earrings.  I wanted to add something small inside, so I searched bead stores and antique shops, but nothing was tiny enough. 

So, feathers!  I had a bunch in a bag, so I trimmed a few to fit in the bottles.  I trimmed, and trimmed, and trimmed the feathers until they were small enough. 
 

Although they're not waterproof (I'd know, I forgot to take the mushroom pendant off in the shower), they're definitely more durable than other feather earrings.  Perfect for the end of festival season!

Craft room organization

After the walls were painted and the furniture was moved in, it was time for me to organize my supplies.  Once again, I opted to use things I already had to make the space my own.  I mean, our own.

I sorted through my supplies and made sure everything had some sort of space or organization.  Well, I tried at least.  Thread, needles, pins, etc. went in the antique sewing box my grandma gave me.  Felt into a $5 sewing basket from Goodwill, complete with vintage fabric lining and built-in pincushions.  Yarn in the basket my aunt made. I tied together a stack of fabric scraps.

Since I'd already filled up my table space, I stacked up boxes and baskets between my desks and garbage can.  The gray travel case was another heirloom from my grandma.  It's filled with odds and ends, like old jewelry I plan on cutting up.  The bottom box is beads and wire.  

I used an old plastic crate as a tabletop shelf for craft books, sketch pads, and canvases.

After moving from my apartment, I hung onto a Hello Kitty toothbrush holder that's perfect for scissors and crochet hooks.  Colored pencils in a jar from Toby Keith's I Love This Bar (don't ask... it was a truly painful experience).  I got that adorable little crayon box at the thrift store for $2.

So, there's my initial organization of the craft room!  There's sure to be more as I find more things that belong in the room and I've already decided on a few things to change.  How do you organize your crafts?  Are there any things you struggle with finding a good space for?

Etsy Weekly Wants #2: Festival Supplies

Later today we're headed to one of our last festivals for the season, so no better thing to think about than what we'll need next year.  So, here we go!

Can koozies by Washboard Felts.  I bring a bunch to every festival, but by the end of the weekend, I've usually lent out at least one that doesn't come back.  This is one that I'd certainly be holding on to tightly!  I love the colors and that it's felted!

 

Poncho by karmologyclinic.  There's a 50% chance of rain this weekend.  I have a raincoat, but ponchos seem so much more comfortable- easy to layer and more breathable.  I also love this bright color.

And I'd definitely be wearing this hoodie by thaitee when it's cooler out and not raining.  It might not be quite that chilly this weekend, but this long coat would be nice with leggings in the fall.

A sun hat by Magicdoll.  I really like this one.  It would shade my eyes while watching a band play, without being too big and awkward.  I really never wear hats, but I think this would be a nice transition from sunglasses all the time. 

And last, this hip bag by gabriellamoldo.  I love the fabric and the leaf shape of the pockets.  This shop has other great bags as well.  I crocheted a hip bag to use for now, but this would be a good option if I decide to wear one. 

Well, it's festival time!  Be back on Monday!

Thrift find: owl wall hanging

Last weekend we went to the social event of the town: an antique car show.  After our brief venture and a beer, we went into an antique shop that had stayed open late for the evening.  I haven't spent much time in the many shops downtown yet, despite them being a few blocks away.  I guess I miss my favorite thrifting spot in my old neighborhood. 

Anyways, we stopped at this new place and saw the best picture ever.  Owls, tree silhouette, olive green.  I'm so glad we snagged it because it's just perfect.

My favorite owl is the top one- he looks like my Dexter:

Eh, eh?  See the resemblance?  Big, spazzy eyes and pointy ears.  Anyways, I love this piece and seeing it on our wall.  Looks like I'll have to give these new antique shops a chance, even if they're not the one I used to frequent and love.  I can still go back and visit... just not every week.

A big change!

I got a new job!

And yes, this is an old picture, and I'm in the bathroom. 
But I look like I accomplished something, and that's how I feel today.












Over the summer, after my AmeriCorps gig was over, I had some free time to move, go on vacation, settle into my new place, listen to some music, make a craft room, and be awesome, but it was getting old.  I was also on a job hunt: applying for jobs, going to interviews, not going to interviews, being offered jobs, turning down jobs, not getting jobs.  And when I wasn't on the job hunt or cleaning/unpacking/cooking , I felt super guilty being unproductive- like I wasn't deserving of downtime until I was gainfully employed. 

Well, last week I got a few messages from sort-of-bosses from my time in AmeriCorps.  They were hiring new teaching assistants, thanks to a grant, and wanted me to apply.  Long story short: applied, interviewed, got it! 

I'm pretty excited.  Last night I was laying in bed, thinking about how to write this post as someone still looking for a job, trying to remain optimistic.  I didn't expect today to be the day I got a job.  But it was, and now I feel like I deserve that downtime.  I only have a little summer vacation left, but it's going to be awesome.  I'm going to sleep in, craft like mad, cuddle with kitties, and blog whenever I want. 

Then, in September, it's time to shape the lives of twenty-something kindergarteners.  It's going to be an epic school year!

Home meals of the week #19

 Yay for consecutive weekly posting again!  And double yay for more veggies fresh from the garden!

Angel hair pasta with squash and tomato (both from the garden), pesto, and parmesan.  Super yummy and fresh!  I definitely notice the difference with our own veggies, compared to store-bought.  They're sun-ripened, soft but firm, and sweet.  True love. 

We have had a lot of very big (like foot long) zucchini to harvest, and have been thinking of creative ways to use it.  This soup was a super great idea that Mark had.  It may not look like much, but this variation of a recipe we've done before and it turned out great.  Basically, it's a puree of squash, onion, habanero, yogurt, roux, and garlic.  We topped it with more garden tomatoes and parmesan.  Mmm!

 
Lasagna twice.  We wound up with more tomatoes than we could eat, so we made pasta sauce a few times.  It was pretty darn delicious, if I don't say so myself.  We made small lasagna batches a few times with pretty similar ingredients: serrano and green peppers, zucchini, onion, and, of course, a cheesy mix of ricotta and mozzarellla balls.  We also got green beans from Mark's coworker's garden, and they were great!

And another soup.  This one may not have mush visual appeal, but it was very good.  A veggie broth with potatoes, corn, rice noodles, lots of spices and Sriracha on the top.  I definitely want to try more variations of this with more fresh veggies and maybe a splash of coconut milk.

Our new craft room!!

Well, we completed out first major project since I moved in with Mark, and it's pretty much my life dream: a craft room!  

The entire project was done on a budget- basically only paint and a few small thrifted items to spruce up the space, so I hope it provides ideas for using personal items to create a whole new room!

 The walls were white with an old 90s children's border, so we pulled that down and painted the room blue.  It was supposed to be be more grayish, but since it's our first painting experience, I don't really mind.  Plus, it looks different depending on the lighting.

The table had been in the dining room before I moved in with my own.  I suppose it would make more sense if there were a chair at the table, but we're working on that! 

We moved the futon (aka Mark's old bed) in.  As nice as a table is for paper crafts, I sometimes like to just lounge while I crochet, sew, and bead.  Dexter (the black lump on the futon) seems to have decided that this is his craft room. 

We also added this end table with a small TV and a bigger shelf on the wall.  Extra storage and entertainment for craft time.  My parents dropped off a record player today, so that might be great for non-television entertainment (notice the Wham! album on the shelf, awww yeah!)  

Organization and decorating are essential for a craft room, so I'll be posting more of the details later this week!  

Etsy Weekly Wants #1: Yellow brooches

I've been looking to start a new weekly piece.  I read a lot of bloggers that do their day-of-the-week favs, so I'm going to try out something along those lines.  Since I have an Etsy Favorites list that goes on for pages, I figured that's a great place to start.  Plus, I can sort through at the same time and remove things that have sold.  

This week I'm starting with brooches.  Yellow brooches, to be specific.  I used to wear a lot of pins, but lately I've barely been accessorizing.  I think some of these would be perfect to wear with a summery dress over the next few months, or with a sweater come winter.

I love this acrylic yellow submarine from indomina. 

This embroidered avocado from HarpandThistle.  I love the depth shown with the pit and the fruit. 

A Minnesota pin from a vintage puzzle piece by IvyEvaine.  Fun!  I just wish you could read "St. Paul" completely.  ;)

Miniature teapot and accessories by asiskooo.  Tiny things are always great.  Always.

And this cute felt kitty by mochikaka:

I'm considering buying one of these with some PayPal credit I have in my account, but I just need to decide which.  And if you want to check out my Etsy store for some of my stuff!

Road trip 2012, part 6: Backpacking (the flowers)