toilet paper roll art: finally done

*project from Chezerbey

TOO SMALL:

Better?

dinner: summer pasta

This pasta is so good. And really easy to make.

Saute zucchini, 2 jalapeno peppers, and lots of garlic in 3-ish tbs of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Once zucchini is cooked, add lime juice (2 large limes), 3/4 c parsley, 1/2 c mint, 1/4 c basil. Add pasta and 3 tbs of olive oil. Lastly, add a good sprinkling of cheese (any parm, pecorino, or locatelli) and some chopped walnuts (toasted). **reserve some of the pasta cooking water just in case you need it at the end (I only needed about 1/4 cup). Enjoy!

favorite etsy shops

It's no secret that Etsy is amazing. I've realized that I could spend the same or less on a gift from Etsy as I would a gift from a large chain store. It just takes a bit more planning.

Here are a few of my favorite Etsy shops:

1. how about orange

This is by far my favorite Etsy shop. And I have never actually bought anything from it! Jessica tracks amazing vintage finds (and orange too!). By the time you see a new item, it's usually sold. It's just fun to look.

2. the bakers confections

Here are a few things I ordered from this shop. For the same price you would spend on ribbon and tags in a chain store you can buy beautiful baker's twine and parcel tags. There are also great baking packaging supplies here -- perfect for holiday gifts.

3. mooza

Ahh mooza. You are a genius.

My parents got us this bathroom sign for Christmas. Isn't it the coolest thing ever!? We are going to put it on the door for our downstairs 1/2 bath.

4. cozy blue

Josh and I were never really into getting gifts for each other -- during the holidays or birthdays. We'd much rather just do something fun together. On Christmas we will usually do a few small things, but they have to be meaningful. Obviously this pillow was perfect.

Cozy Blue has so many beautiful and meaningful things... I love the "family tree" (check it out in the shop).

Happy shopping!

gimme!

We first discovered gimme! coffee during a trip to Ithaca to see The Flaming Lips. We stopped at The Carriage House, a little breakfast place in town, on our way home.

When I got my cup of coffee and took a sip, I realized it was the most amazing cup of coffee I have ever tasted. We asked the staff what their secret was: gimme! coffee. Our lives would never be the same.

Fast forward a few months and we took our parents to the same Cafe. They felt exactly the same... it must be a magical bean! And on their recent trip to Ithaca they brought us some back...

It's so easy to order online! You can also read there about their amazing company.

in-the-works

It's been a super busy week for Josh as he's trying to finish up paperwork so he can move into his new classroom in September. We are so glad it's Friday.

Remember this toilet roll guy? He looks pretty good in this shot. Especially with those fancy yellow pieces.

Wah Wah. He got swallowed up by this huge white wall.

The solution? Make him bigger! Now I'm just waiting on more rolls (that means you, mom and dad!). And of course I had to put this together on the middle of the living room floor...

We've been collecting these Ribba Frames for the dining room. Now that we have a few they're going up on the wall. Just need to find a good formation... but there's not much pressure since we will be adding many more.

Happy Friday!

dinner: succotash soup

Despite lots of chopping veggies and way-too-hot weather, this Succotash soup was really good. It can also be served cold.

Topped with Queso Blanco and blue tortilla chips.

The original recipe was from Rachael Ray (the magazine... recipe isn't online yet) but we pretty much just used whatever veggies were on the counter... saute 1 medium eggplant, 3 ears of corn (corn chopped off), 1 red onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, lots of garlic, 6 tomatoes (peeled), cumin, ancho chili powder. Mix in veggie broth until you get to the desired consistency. Throw in a big splash of lime juice, 1 can of black beans (rinsed), and parsley (cilantro is even better if you have it). Salt and pepper to taste.

coasters by mom

My Mom sewed these coasters from vintage-y fabric. I have so many memories of my mom at her sewing machine. There is something so comforting about her little baskets of supplies and even the sound of the pedal. She used to make our clothes and still makes pretty much anything. She has such an eye!

These two are my favorite:

Thank you, Mom!