Perfect gift for a beader
I am in love with these little gloves my sister gave me for my birthday! It was a thoughtful gift because she knows that I do my beading in our small basement which gets pretty chilly. For those of you who bead, you know that it is not easy when your fingers are frozen!
I just wanted to share this wonderful object, as it is a great gift for the beader in your life. Of course, these don’t have to be worn just when beading. These are made in California from recycled #1 and #2 plastics by a company called Whole Body by Gypsy and Loic. They claim that each yard of their fabric keeps 24 plastic bottles out of a landfill! Eco-friendly and warm, you can’t beat that combination.
This morning, in Yosemite....
My husband and I had a brief getaway to Yosemite this week. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be less than 4 hours from such an amazing place.
Even though I’ve had spring on my mind lately, I thoroughly enjoyed the winter wonderland we found in Yosemite: beautiful snow capped cliffs, lounging deer, ice cold waterfalls and the unparalleled warmth and comfort of The Ahwahnee hotel.
This morning as we were leaving it started to rain. They were expecting quite a storm today so we were lucky to sneak away before it got too bad. The photo above was taken on the side of the road as we made our escape. I miss it already…………..
Feathered friends
We have an amazing magnolia tree in our back yard, and it is a popular hangout for the neighborhood birds. It may have something to do with the bird feeder I just put up, but these two mourning doves are often seen sharing a branch together. Did you know that these birds are often monogamous? How romantic! As we approach Valentine’s Day, I thought it would only be fitting to give this couple a name. I’m also hoping that they will make a nest somewhere I can see.
I would love to get some suggestions on some names for this sweet pair. Please leave a comment with some names for my feathered friends!
Here’s a closer look: I think the male is on the left.
Inspiration - Music & Life
My husband introduced me to this video, Music & Life, narrated by Alan Watts. I thought it was perfect for my inspiration series as it always makes me think about how I find myself focusing on the future instead of enjoying the present.
The animation in the video (done by the South Park guys) is surprisingly charming, too. It makes a deep message very accessible. Enjoy, and happy Monday!
New Etsy Shop Discovered!
It is always such a pleasure to discover new shops on Etsy. There are so many to see, and so little time…..
With all of the rain we’ve had lately, I’ve been thinking about spring and so it was just perfect to stumble upon Monkeys Always Look’s Etsy shop. Allison, a fellow Californian, has a wonderful collection of vintage items, gardening markers, plants and candles. Her shop’s motto, “Things you never knew you needed but can’t live without” is not only brilliant, but perfectly appropriate to her selection of items.
There are so many items I’ve already added to my must-have list. In my spring state-of- mind, I immediately was attracted to her herb garden markers. I love how she has re-purposed silverware to make these charming objects.
I am a huge lover of succulents with their infinite shapes and sizes, combined with the fact that they typically thrive despite neglect. Allison’s Hens & Chickens gardens tucked into a beautiful ceramic dish is the perfect houseplant for your desk. A small cluster of Hens & Chickens will definitely brighten one’s day!
Allison has another Etsy shop called papervictory which offers one of a kind stationary. I’ll have to save that one for another post to give it the attention it deserves.
Definitely take a moment and browse through Monkeys Always Look’s Etsy shop. I guarantee you will find something that you didn’t think you needed, but just have to have.
Inspiration - Turquoise
I was thrilled to find out that Pantone selected turquoise as 2010’s color of the year! I have to say, I have always been drawn to turquoise, the color, and turquoise, the stone. As indicated by Pantone, “Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of well being.” How could anyone not love turquoise?
With this inspiration, I found some lovely turquoise beads in my collection which were just begging to be made into a necklace. Pictured above, I wanted the necklace to be all about the natural beauty of turquoise. I used black leather cord to knot between each bead which gives the piece a little bit of a rustic look. This necklace is the newest item in my Etsy shop.
On a fun note, I found a couple of wonderful blogs totally dedicated to turquoise. The first one is House of Turquoise. I have never seen so much turquoise furniture in my life, but I love it. The second blog is Everything Turquoise. Have fun getting your turquoise fix :)
Brief break in the rain.....
We have had heavy rain storms all over California this week, and all this rain has made things incredibly green. This in itself is such a refreshing change since California has been in a drought for several years. As I mentioned in my previous post, I attribute my first daffodil bud to all of this lovely rain.
Just a short time ago, it stopped raining and blue sky is now peaking through the clouds. When I went to check on our bed of daffodils, I was met with this gorgeous blossom still heavy with drops of rain. What an amazing vibrant yellow! I say that they should name a crayon color “daffodil”.
If you didn’t check out my mini treasury with daffodils as the inspiration, take a look here.
Spring is around the corner for sure….. Have a great weekend!
Great cookbook!
I think that borrowing a cookbook from the library is the perfect way to test whether you really need to own it. My latest discovery is the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook. Typically I ignore branded cookbooks, but I am really liking this one. Given that I’m committed to eating whole grains wherever possible, I am totally intrigued by it’s extensive range of recipes.
Just the other day, my husband (a huge pancake lover and connoisseur) and I tried King Arthur’s Simple Spelt pancake recipe. They were absolutely yummy! If you are not familiar with spelt flour, you must try it (I find it at Whole Foods). It has a wonderful subtle nutty flavor to it which worked wonderfully with these pancakes.
Simple Spelt Pancakes
Yield: 16 pancakes
Cooking Time: 4-6 minutes
2 cups whole spelt flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional) - I would recommend it :)
Whisk together the spelt flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and melted butter, and the vanilla if you’re using it. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened: it will seem very wet, but will thicken as it sits. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. (this is very important)
Heat a non stick griddle. If your surface is not nonstick, brush it lightly with vegetable oil. When the surface of your pan is hot enough that a drop of water sputters across it, give the pan a quick swipe with a paper towel to eliminate excess oil. and spoon the batter onto the hot surface, 1/4 cupful at a time. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the cakes, 2 to 3 minutes. When the cakes are just beginning to set flip them and let them finish cooking on the second side until they’re golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute more. Enjoy!
The next recipe we are going to try is their chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes :)
Inspiration - Daffodils
We are having TONS of much needed rain here in Northern California. All the surrounding green has intensified several shades just in the past 48 hours! The other day I noticed that our patch of daffodils already had blossoms. I thought I would get inspired by my fellow Etsians’ interpretation of this bright, cheerful flower. Here’s what I came up with….. Happy Tuesday!
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Spring?
I noticed these buds on our daffodils the other day. Frankly I really think it’s a little early for them, but we’ve had some nice rain and some mild weather which has likely been the cause of their growth spurt . There’s something about spring flowers that is so cheerful and refreshing!
