The House

(I deleted the outside photo of the house just in case I get famous and get stalkers)

There she is. Looking pretty good for 101 years old! Stay tuned for some before and after pics of some small(ish) projects being done.

I have a meeting about a job tomorrow... in bocca al lupo to me! crepi !

I want

everything from this seller on etsy. Especially this hive. That's all.

Altoid Tins

So sometimes I think there are not enough hours in the day. Where does all the time go?? Then I remember that I do things like this:

This robot tin was made in the likeness of Tyler's mom for her b-day. She has crazy hair, is holding a wine glass, and has a big heart. One of her bot-hands is a light bulb, because she has a lot of good ideas. Also, she has a lot of bling. Tyler is the creator of this masterpiece, but I hope to take a crack at it soon.

Just Google 'Altoid tin crafts' and you'll find all kinds of stuff out there. Like mini toolboxes! I thought these would be perfect for holding extra screws, bobby pins, or any other little things.

 

First, I drilled holes in the top for the handles, so I wouldn't chip the paint.

Then,  I spray painted the tins with primer, and then 2 coats of red paint. 

(You can leave the tins together or bend the hinges apart to get better paint coverage like I did)

After letting them dry, I screwed the handles on. The handles are metel eye straps used on boats, so you may have to go on a little hunt for these if you don't live near water. 

  

The perfect size for eyeglass repair kit

 

Just Two Sheds Having a Good Time

I saw this post over at Poppytalk and thought it was such a good idea. Its an outdoor area made by building two sheds facing eachother, and using the space on-between as a porch. 

I like the lamps, too.

Nautical Themed Pashmina Afghan

Just kidding, its a nautical themed DIY tank top. I love my new shirt and love that it cost me $5 even more. Wish I could take credit for the idea, but I copied this shirt almost exactly from an Ali Foster Patterns tutorial.

Before:

-$5 navy tank top from Old Navy

-3" strips cut from an extra flat sheet I had in my fabric basket

I used Fray Check on the edges of the fabric rather of folding over and sewing the edges.  (You can see the little bottle in the right on the picture next to the scissors). I had never used this before, and so far the edges of the strips have not frayed at all, but we'll see after I wash it.

You can see the more detailed tutorial over at Ali Foster Patterns, but I basically gathered the strips into ruffles, pinned them down on the neckline, and them stitched all the way around.

 

After

I love knowing that no one else has this shirt, and I think I'm going to tackle at least one clothing DIY a month.

Summerish

Feeling summerish in Boston (finally)!

So, a few weekends ago, I went to the Taste of Hingham on the South Shore of Boston and had a beet salad that I just had to imitate:

2 cans of beets, walnuts, pea shoots, goat cheese and a splash of pomegranate vinegar

Close up of the pea shoots- a new find at Trader Joe's

Perfect for this salad because they were so delicate and had a nice mild flavor. 

Probably good for you in many ways.

The finished product. 

Not all of my recreations turn out well, but this one did nicely. 

And it was very summerish and healthy.

So did you catch that part about the pomegranate vinegar? I have discovered a love for specialty vinegars (and oils) because they add such a nice touch to anything, and with vinegars, hardly add any fat or calories. I received a nice olive oil, lemon olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar for Christmas, but I just ran out--and I'm hooked on the stuff. So, I took a little trip to O&Co with my friend Justine to taste and buy some new goodies. Justine and I loved sampling all the different flavors (fig, pomegranate, and mint were some of the most interesting), although we did have a bit of sticker shock. 

This is called "the good stuff" in my house, and it just takes a salad up to a whole new level.

I also bought the Honey Ginger vinegar, and it made my asian salad dressing AMAZING (I mixed it with freshly chopped garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a splash of soy sauce). I'm happy I bought them, but I think I am going to try to make my own in the future by experimenting with mixing different vinegars with juice, because that's basically what the ingredients are.

Okay other good stuff: This is awesome, because I love carrot cake in any/all form(s).

 Carrot cake oatmeal:

1/4 c oats

1/2 banana

handful of shredded carrots

1/4 c frozen pineapple

a little milk if you'd like to thicken it up

Topped with:

1/3 c cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

Half of a crumbled Flax Bran Muffins (thanks for the awesome recipe tip, Nat!!)

Puddin' Pops:

Vanilla Instant Puddin

Fresh berries

Patience (about 4 hrs worth)

Simple and good summer treat--and only about 35 calories each. Next time I'm going to add more berries and try to spread the pudding out into 2 trays, because the berries were that good. I might try chocolate pudding with almonds next, yum.

Super Busy

Ahhhh....
I've been so busy lately! I never, ever want to have this much going on in my life ever again:

• Planning for a big event for work (Kentucky Derby Benefit)
• Training my replacement at work
• Group presentation at an upcoming occupational therapy symposium
• Semester ending/finals
• Graduation preparation
• Filling out paperwork & getting ready for summer & fall internships
• Family visiting x2
• Planning to move
• 
  
• Doctor's visits for my poor little foot

 Well, all of this is almost over. Here's some good stuff that I have snuck inbetween all the craziness:

Wheatberries mixed with plain 0% Greek yogurt & fruit

Wheatberries are really easy to make, and so good and chewy. I love adding them on top of yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies.

Ezekiel toast with almond butter and raw honey

The cinnamon-raisin Ezekiel bread is the best, but I think this picture is just regular. The breads are sprouted grains (=magical health powers) and almond butter is an important part of my life these days. Peanut butter is good, but now I am always reaching for this stuff.

Spinach with roast beef and almonds

Side of cantaloupe

This was one of those really random things you make when you are trying to use what's in your fridge. It was so good, though, I had to share. The roast beef slices were nice and salty, the cantaloupe was sweet, the spinach was healthy, and the almonds gave a nice crunch. It tasted very Italian to me for some reason, too. Great lunch, and something different.

If you haven't tried the frozen banana whip, then you have to. right now. And add vanilla wafers on top. Here's more info on wheatberries and frozen bananas.

Nice, ripe tomatoes, dressed in sea salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

So simple, but so good, worth a mention. 

Veggie Omelet

I've been eating a lot more eggs lately since I've cut back on meat. They are so easy and I love 'em. I threw in all my leftover pizza toppings: bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, & spinach. The toast is Ezekiel with a smear of Smart Balance Light. Smart Balance isn't quite the cleanest food, so I try not to use it often, and eventually I'd like to stop altogether. But I have a brand new tub in my fridge....

That's all...I should be studying, because I am a mere HOURS away from being a master. of. science.