Monday, May 23, 2011

monday pick-me-up: inspiring companies

i know we all feel like we spend wayyyy too much time browsing around the ol' worldwide web... but i thought i'd share some of my recent company obsessions - these people are so talented and their websites are sure to quench your need for some creative inspiration today. :)


first up, i'd like to introduce you to illustrator extraordinaire skinny laminx ... absolutely adore her work!


since my dad is a ceramics-jedi-master, i've been able to see firsthand how much care a potter puts into his work... and the guys at heath ceramics are no exception -  their stuff is absolutely gorgeous and is definitely neck-and-neck with dad's stuff. :) {p.s. they're local! anyone want to take a trip to their los angeles or sausalito studio? road trip!}


...and i would loooove a good excuse to take a trip to texas because i'm dying to stay at the minimalist-friendly hotel san jose. i love their site, i love their vibe, i love their bike and polaroid rentals, and i love the simplicity of the overall design.


i'm not a huge fan of online shopping but sometimes it's necessary and super convenient so i do occasionally bite the cyber bullet. the beautiful terrain website, however, pushes all those hesitations aside and makes me want to fill up every inch of my virtual shopping cart...


speaking of shopping carts, i wish i could push one down the aisles of B H L D N and bring their whole inventory home! so many dreamy dresses and accessories... wish i could get married all over again!

happy monday!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

simply spaghetti



when i became gluten-free i thought my spaghetti days were over... which was a sad thing indeed because spaghetti (or biscetti as i used to call it) has long been one of my favorite dishes. luckily, i quickly discovered rice pasta and have been enjoying my favorite pasta dishes ever since. yay!
so after making myself spaghetti today, i thought i would share this super quick, easy, delish recipe with you... hope you enjoy! :)

what you'll need for 2:
   2 cups of organic rice pasta (i used spinach spaghetti to change it up) or desired amount
   1/2 jar of organic marinara sauce {tip: i looove trader joe's organic pasta sauces, i usually get the regular marinara or tomato basil sauce}
   freshly ground salt & pepper {we add kelp just to get in a little iodine}
   crushed red pepper
   parmesan cheese

what you'll do:
- boil pasta for about 7 minutes --- do not overcook rice pasta, it will inevitably fall apart and become just a pile of mush... trust me on this one. :)
- heat up sauce in medium saucepan while pasta is cooking
- drain pasta, serve on desired plates, add sauce, grind pepper/salt over pasta, add red pepper & parmesan cheese
- enjoy!!

.......and if you eat beef, here's an alternate recipe for a meaty marinara, which will also yield a few meals worth of sauce so you can refrigerate or freeze the remainder for an even quicker leftover dinner later on in the week!
what you'll need:
   1 & 1/2 jars of organic marinara sauce
   about 1 pound of organic ground beef {check your local farmers market for the fresh stuff, or just get the organic ground beef at trader's}
   2 cups of organic rice pasta
   1 clove of garlic
   1 tablespoon of olive oil

what you'll do:
- as you wait for the water to boil (for pasta), begin heating the sauce, and heat 1 tablespoon of org. olive oil in a pan then add ground beef and garlic - cook till the meat is 'medium', then add meat to sauce {tip: i always drain the meat before adding it to the sauce to get rid of excess fat}
- follow directions above for pasta
- stir sauce occasionally
- follow directions above for toppings :)
- enjoy!!
- and don't forget to save the remaining sauce in the fridge/freezer and reheat later this week. :)
 

Friday, May 13, 2011

friday finds : books!

i love fridays... not only is it the last day of the work week, but it's also the kick-off-the-weekend day AND i get to go estate sailing! yippee! which brings me to today's finds - old books! not just any old books... i managed to find: an awesome copy of "pride & prejudice" by the wonderful jane austen, a 1950's french course book, and {my favorite find} a first edition of "miracles" by the brilliant c.s. lewis... be still my heart!! now, i know that the gentleman at mystery pier books would tell me that all the "real" value lies in the dust jacket, but i'm still so excited that i have a first-edition-anything from my fave author. maybe it's just me, but i think there's value in that. :) oh, and did i mention it only cost me a dollar?!





p.s. mystery pier books is worth a stop if you're heading to west hollywood anytime soon or if you're looking for a unique gift for an avid reader... it's right behind book soup {another great hollywood haunt} on sunset blvd {just click on 'directions' to find the easiest route from your current location :)}.


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...heading out to an estate sale in costa mesa... wish me luck!

happy friday to all!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

monday pick-me-up: color!!

color (noun): a phenomenon of light or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects; the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources. (thank you merriam-webster)

i love that first phrase: "a phenomenon of light"....... color is a phenomenon and i take it for granted sometimes... so on this semi-gloomy day, i thought i would share some cool, colorful items that will hopefully pick you right up. :)





....ok, so it's actually tuesday now so i guess this could be considered a tuesday pick-me-up... either way, hope you're inspired for the week!
goodnight... and good morning. :)

Thursday, May 5, 2011

a pretty journal deserves a pretty pen

since i featured those awesome journals yesterday, i thought i would follow up with a feature on my favorite pens... because every writer needs one of those. :) working at an architecture firm, i was introduced to so many amazing products which, of course, included pens... pigma micron pens to be exact. once i used them i knew i would never want to write with a boring ball-point again... they're perfect! obviously, i still use boring ball-points for bills, checks, etc. but i use these little treasures for all things creative... personally, i prefer the smaller points (01, 02) for most things but 05 is great too.
you can find them at art suppliers as well as online (they're a tad pricey but so-ho-ho worth it!!).


again, happy journaling! :)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

field notes

i feel the need to apologize for not keeping you in the loop for the last two weeks but it has seriously been crazy madness over here... and where's here? currently, huntington beach. three days ago, costa mesa. six weeks from now, the north. :) i'll fill you in on our travel adventures a little later but today i wanted to feature these cute little ditties i found on our record player last night:



whenever the husband trots the globe sans his wife, he always brings back some sort of goody... and i have to say that these are among the faves! aren't they just beckoning you to document your daily adventures?! well, if these aren't, then i'm sure something on the {field notes site} will inspire you to journal. i think i might order a couple more states... california, oregon, montana.... just to name a few. :))

happy journaling!