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It’s true! We’re moving!

We are moving out of state – and pretty suddenly! Here’s the quick story: about a week ago we had no idea this would all be happening, and now in less than two weeks we will be living in Kentucky, Lord willing! So for a few weeks my shops and blog are going to be “on vacation” while I stuff cardboard boxes and probably generally run around like a chicken with its head cut off. A happy chicken with its head cut off, that is!


For now, I will leave you with some photos of the area we are moving to!

Om nom nom: Quick Hors d’oeuvres

Small plates and unusual flavors of soda

I don’t make appetizers very often.  I don’t know, it just seems like a lot of work for something “extra” before a meal.  Sure, I love to eat them, but in cooking, I’d rather make a big pot of curry, or a wok full of stir fry.  I like my food big and bold!

But sometimes for a more formal dinner, or if you’re serving a lot of people, small bites can be a good way to go. Its easier to be able to serve a lot of different dishes and have enough of them all to go around if each serving is, …. well, tiny. :)  And people can always go back for more, but you don’t end up with plates piled high with giant servings of unfinished food at the end of the night, as sometimes happens if servings are very large.

So here are a couple hors d’oeuvre ideas that look good, taste great, and are REALLY easy to make:

Slice the tops off of cherry tomatoes, and gently scoop out the inside. Lay them upside down on some paper towels to drain out some of the extra liquid.  Fill with chicken salad, and garnish with something leafy like parsley. Easy peasy! You can always jazz up the chicken salad a little more with some chutney and a little curry powder.

The one on the left: Smoked cheese and fresh avocado on toothpicks.  Um, how easy is that?! But it is SO good.  As with anything so simple though, the key is quality ingredients – after all, in something as easy as this, there’s nothing else for it to hide behind!  Make sure your avocado is ripe (it should be a little soft when squeezed, not hard) and don’t slice up the avocado ahead of time, or it will turn brown.

Are you a small plates or big plates kind of person?
Do you have easy appetizer ideas to share?
Tell me about it in the comments!!
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Went exploring – and found some beautiful inspiration!

A little spot I found – doesn’t this look like the perfect place to read a book?

I *love* to go exploring. Just finding what my local area has to offer – beautiful spaces to wander in, unique mom and pop businesses, interesting niches to discover. Of course, you already know this about me since I’ve talked about it before.  But we went exploring in a small nearby town this week and I came across this great idea I just HAD to share with you!

So, Maryville is a small town just a few miles south of us, and I definitely demonstrate that I am not native to this area by pronouncing it “Maryville” instead of “Mahr-vul”.  But its a charming little town, which I had never been to until my awesome husband Tim scouted out the historic little downtown for our last anniversary and took me to a gorgeous old art-deco style theatre turned coffee house there. Aaaaaah, SO fun! Yep, he knows just what I like.

The little area we explored – Maryville’s Bicentenial Park

We decided to go exploring there the other day and scout out an area we had stopped by briefly the day we went to the coffee shop.  The library is located in a picturesque area called “Bicentenial Park”, with a small river, lovely bridges, and walking trails. My favorite find, though, which I thinks is SUCH a great idea and really wanted to tell you about was actually connected to the library: A Shakespeare inspired garden.

Now what is a Shakespeare garden you ask?  The plants in the little garden were actually all mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays! Small signs told the plant names and in which play they were mentioned. Loving books as I do, I was in LOVE with this idea!

My mind started whirring – what other kinds of themed gardens could you do? You could choose another author or literary theme … or you could think broader.  What about a musical garden? Plants with music names (like trumpet flowers) … or plants mentioned in music!  A Coldplay garden occurred to me … I know of songs like “Violet Hill” and “Strawberry Swing”. You could do all sorts of themes!

Some more photos from wandering around this little area….

I love the old repurposed railroad salvaged materials here!

 

Fountains and the under side of bridges: LOVE!

Have you been wandering or exploring lately? Have you founds any inspiration?
If you were going to do a themed garden, what kind of theme would you do?
Tell me your thoughts in the comments!!

Remembering the cost, and being thankful

A photo I took today: Memorial Day

Memorial Day is more than just a day for car dealerships to have sales and for the rest of us to have a day off and eat hamburgers. We enjoy so many freedoms in our country, but those freedoms have come at a cost.

Our generation, I think, often has an entitlement attitude, that we are owed comfort and prosperity, but these things which we enjoy in our country have come with a heavy price from others. The freedoms we enjoy, the safety of a powerful nation, the stability of our economy (sure, we have recessions and such, but take a look at other places like Zimbabwe right now, and it’ll put a different perspective on what we consider “hard times”) – many soldiers have given everything to make our country what it is today. I am thankful for our freedom, and I am thankful to the service men and women who have sacrificed for the rest of us and remember them, especially today.

I hope you took some time out of your day to remember them as well. :)

What freedoms are you thankful for especially?
Personally, I am especially grateful for the freedom of religion.
Let me know in the comments what you are thankful for, and how you remembered our soldiers today!

What’s your creative style?

I tend to like quizzes and discussions that analyze your personality, so when I came across this quiz about your creative style linked on Mayi Carles’ Heartmade Blog, I just had to click! The quiz is from Psychologies Magazine, which I was not familiar with until coming across this quiz.

It was pretty much right on for me, saying that my creativity is a release, and that its a very basic part of who I am. One bit that I thought was especially fitting was that using my creativity in everyday aspects of my life whether going on a picnic, singing to the baby, or choosing what to wear is a big part of my creative style. Sooooo true! I love trying to take creative approaches in all sorts of everyday areas! This is exactly why I like to experiment in the kitchen!

Take the quiz here!
And then come back and tell me in the comments if the results were fitting for you or not! :)

Get Inspired: Look Through the Eyes of a Child

A Quarter to Fly by sunshineartdesign

 
Remember when you were a kid, and dandelions were begging to be blown, butterflies were fairies, and backyards were secret gardens? We were driving home today through a small stretch of road with tangled trees and underbrush, and my three year old exclaimed, “This is a jungle!”

Everything is amazing when you’re a kid.

Wonder Embroidery Art by Merriweather Council

And really, I think its good to not lose that sense of wonder.  We live in an increasingly apathetic society where people are unimpressed and bored. No thank you!

Wonderland by Raceytay

Go for a walk.  Try to see things in the same way you would have when you were small.

We live in a city, and our neighborhood probably doesn’t look very inspiring.  However, my daughter and I went for a “nature exploration walk” the other day just around our neighborhood, and even the smallest things impressed her. We had fun exploring, and when we came home, we brought home a collection of all sorts of natural found objects. And then we had fun photographing them together! The results:

Don’t lose your sense of wonder! We live in a beautiful Creation, and I am thankful to God for it!
Go outside and look around the way a child would.
Lose yourself in a book the way a child would.
Care. Give someone you love a bear hug.
Catch a firefly, let it go. 
Draw a picture without worrying if its perfect
Play with your food, run in the rain, blow some bubbles, pick some wild flowers.
Have some wholesome wonderful fun! Remember what it was like to be a kid and you will be inspired!

Little Miss Mia Journal by Mayi Carles

What are some things you remember being amazed by as a kid?
Do they still amaze you?
Tell me what you think in the comments!

I’m a happy customer – yay Gardenmis!

I’ve gotta share this with you all. I’ve enjoy being Etsy-friends with Priscilla, the lovely maker behind Gardenmis, and I decided to buy something from her shop. I got my package recently and ooooooooooh, I loved it!!

The sachet, with her own blend of lavender,  rose and jasmine, was sooo lovely, and I just absolute loved the stamped “Dream, Inspire, Create” on the front!! The hair flower (which she was soooo sweet to send for my little girl!) was absolutely incredible. Her quality of product is truly remarkable.  And my little girl LOVES it!

Plus I really loved her packaging. Sweet and breezy, just like her shop — go check out her work!
Shop: gardenmis.etsy.com
Twitter: twitter.com/gardenmis
Blog: www.gardenmis.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gardenmis

Yay! So glad I ordered from her, and I plan to order more in the future. Thanks Priscilla! 

Behind the scenes – take a tour of my space!

Me, in my creative space. Although most of the time, I’m not holding a frame.

(Just a quick note: It’s taking longer than I anticipated for Blogger to replace all the comments. They say they are working on it … *sigh* Hopefully I can announce the giveaway winner soon – I will as soon as all the entries are back! Now back to your regularly scheduled program!)

I think its so interesting to see how different artists use their space and where they work. Sooo, I thought I’d take you on a tour of my space, too! And throw in a few storage and organizational ideas along the way. So if you will, step right this way…

And, ahem, pardon my narrow shots – I don’t have a wide angle lens, so some of the pictures have overlap to get the full picture :)

I’m a big fan of these stacking wire storage units. You can build them to whatever shape and size you like! And then fill all the shelves with your boxes/tubs/containers. Oh, and you see that rockin awesome camera bag over there on the right? It’s from Porteen Gear, and my husband got it for me for Valentine’s Day. I highly recommend her shop for any photographer to get some gear!

See that photo on the wall? It’s one I took! And yes, it includes that same frame I’m holding my my photo. :)

 So, I forgot to take a picture of this, but under that curtain on the front of my table is a seriously awesome organization idea my aunt gave to me! She took a drawer from an old unwanted dresser, painted it white and stenciled on the front to make it pretty, and put rollers on the bottom.  Voila! A large, easy to roll out storage compartment, perfect to go under a bed or table. Love it!! :D

You know how in my shop I’m always talking about decorating with record albums? See, I do it too! I love this album cover from the Ink Spots. And in front is a goooorgeous print from Tahlia Day. Her artwork is absolutely stunning! Oh, and that is an ostrich egg on the left.

Keeping all your most essential go-to tools in one place makes life SO much easier as you don’t have to spend time hunting down what you need each time you get a chance to work on a project.  This lovely basket (in my yellow no less!) was a gift from my husband’s grandmother. I love it so much! It’s quite spacious in the middle of the basket, and has all sorts of pockets on the outside, too!

An easy way to store my handmade jewelry!

Recognize that picture frame? Yeah, I pretty much love it.

 My vintage sewing machine (still works, and is what I sew with!) and a cute hoop from Danielle over at the Merriweather Council, and a little bunting from Palimpsestic — both fabulous shops. (You may remember seeing those from an earlier post!)

This is one of the places my little girl likes to be creative! I snagged this vintage school desk recently, and she keeps some of her art supplies inside it. :)

A couple ideas from this shot – if, like me, you’re in an apartment where you can’t paint, you can still get some color on your walls but putting up a colorblock of fabric! Also? Pages from vintage atlases look fabulous framed.

Can you tell I love books? I stacked books alternating horizontal and vertical for added interest on this DVD rack.

This concludes our tour. Thank you for visiting .. my home!
Do you have any organizing or decorating tips to share?
Do you have any pictures of your space? Do share in the comments below!

Om nom nom: An under appreciated cooking staple

My “The Cook Gets to Lick the Spoon” Illustration

I knew someone once who said they liked their food bland. Um … that’s definitely NOT how I like my food. I like colorful spices, bold flavors, and bright flavors. I’m sure that each cook has their own set of flavors and spices that they consider staples – but one that I consider a staple that seems to be under appreciated in general: the lime.

Candied Lime Peel by HarmlessColor

Flavors that can be used in both sweet a savory cooking are some of my favorites. Cinnamon, mango, allspice … and of course, lime. Of course, we all know of key lime pie, and the occasional slices of lime as garnish, but how often do you cook with lime?

The first time I realized just how essential lime can be to a dish was when my Dad stopped at a tiny little Hispanic grocery/restaurant to try their tacos. It was just a corn tortilla with some shredded pork, maybe a little cilantro – and plenty of lime. And it was deeeeelicious.

Some are just a few ideas on ways to use lime…

Little Limes Fine Art Photograph by AmeliaKayPhotography

{ — Squeeze lime juice in with fresh diced onion, jalapeno, green pepper, tomato and cilantro for a refreshing salsa. }

{ — Sauté squash with lime juice, cumin, oregano, a little cayenne, add stewed tomatoes & serve over yellow rice. }

{ — Kaffir lime leaves are excellent in Thai curry. }

{ — Whisk a couple eggs with about ½ cup of sugar in a pan over low heat, add ¼ cup lime juice and a half stick of butter and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often. Chill for at least an hour. Makes a sweet delicious spread. }

{ — In a blender, add stewed tomatoes, fresh garlic cloves, and generous amounts of lime juice. Toss in a skillet with sautéed chicken and black beans. }

{ — Add lime zest to a basic sugar cookie recipe. }

{ — Add lime juice or lime slices to iced tea. }

Bright Lime and Yellow Pot Holders by xxxRedStitcHxxx

Do you use limes often in your cooking?
What are some of your flavor staples?
Tell me about it in the comments!

{ and don’t forget – today’s the last day to enter my vintage raincoat giveaway!! }

Get the creative gears turning- Be a local explorer!

Are you a local explorer? You’d love it!! Few things inspire me creatively more than this.
Not sure? Ok, I’ll give you some reasons – and then some helpful tips and tricks. :)

All of the photos in this post are from my local explorations here in Knoxville!

I’ve lived in several awesome places in the past — places that other people take trips to go visit. (Prague/Czech Republic, Gettysburg/PA, Tampa/FL..) But one thing that completely took me aback was how people who had lived there their whole lives had never taken the opportunity to go see the sights!

I mean, c’mon –  someone else pays a lot of money to travel here, but you don’t ever take an afternoon to go check out your own backyard? It’s available right there, all the time!
(Actually, that’s one of the reasons why people don’t: its always there. You can do it next weekend, or next month. Maybe next year. But in the end, you never get around to it.)

It’s easy to get the point if its somewhere famous. But taking the time to play explorer in your own town, where ever it is, can really be a great way to get your creative gears turning. Consider…

1 – It gives your brain the chance to unwind.
You know the feeling: You’re trying really REALLY hard to remember the name of Rupert’s-great-grandmother’s-cat, but you just just can’t think of it. So you stop thinking about it — and a minute after you stop trying to remember it suddenly pops out – “OHHH! Mr. Mittens!!!” It can be the same way with your creative focus. If you’re thinking TOO hard about it all the time, give your brain some “time off”, and you’ll probably be surprised to find a little while later the ideas come spilling out.

2 – It’ll introduce you to new experiences and new inspirations.
If you’re stuck in a rut, stop and consider when was the last time you did something new? Introduced yourself to new tastes, new sights, new experiences – or even looked at something familiar with a whole new perspective? I like to imagine I have little creative monsters running around in my head, always giving me new and awesome ideas. But sometimes they get hungry for new materials. Give them something to play with!

An everyday sight, from a different perspective.

3 – It’s just plain fun.
Take your family. Take your friends. Have some fun. I mean, why not?!

4 – It’s free!
Going on vacation is fun, but can be expensive — and complicated. Arranging schedules, finding a place to stay, packing, etc, etc. Having a day trip in your own town avoids all this – its like a getaway without the stress.

Ok, ok, but I hear the gentle murmur of concern coming from you through my computer screen: “Sure, if you live in a vacation destination, that’s works. Here in Bland-ville there’s not much to do!”

So sure are you? I currently live in Knoxville. Have you ever gone to Knoxville on vacation? I kind of doubt it. When I first moved here I asked my husband if we could go exploring. He, having already lived here a couple years before we got married, seemed confused and said, “Well, there’s not really much to do!” And I’ve heard that from someone or other pretty much every where I lived: “Well, there’s not much to do here.” I took him exploring, and now he thinks very differently – and even takes other people exploring!

From a photo my husband’s sister took while visiting us and doing some local exploring! Her photography site

And really, when I’m talking about exploring, I’m not talking about amusement parks, resorts, or tourist traps. I’m talking about finding a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that makes THE best hot and sour soup. I’m talking about discovering that little shop run by an old man who has all kinds of experiences to tell you about from WWII. I’m talking about visiting your local farmer’s market, riding the trolley, driving down a road you’ve never driven down before, taking a tour of a local farm, hiking in the state park, listening to a local band play at the park! Where ever you live, there are things to do, places to explore!

So here are some tips and tricks to find out about awesome things to do where you are, whether where you live, or somewhere very nearby:

1 – Google “the-name-of-your-town visitor’s information”
There’s a lot of info out there. Check out your city’s .gov website, look for a schedule of events, look at the list of attractions, historic sites, museums, etc. Find out if there are fairs, farmers markets, concerts, free events. For instance, the Tennessee Theater, an opulent art nouveau theater downtown, offers free “Mighty Musical Mondays” – you bring a sack lunch and listen to a free concert from local talent in gorgeous surroundings. And where do they put the information for this? Online! Find out what’s offered near you.

2 – Visit your local Visitor’s Center.
They’ll have information on all kinds of things going on. Talk to the people there – let them know what kinds of things you’re looking for. Find out if they host any events at the vistors center! Here in Knoxville the local bluegrass station, WDVX, hosts the “Blueplate Special” each day at noon – you can come to a live concert they are broadcasting onto the air! Go. Ask. Find out.

3 – Request a information pack from your state.
This is something people do when they’re planning to visit other states – why not find out what your own state has to offer? There are various places you can find this – here is one site that lists the information by state.

4 – Ask local friends for recommendations
… and don’t get discouraged if they say “There’s nothing to do”. Keep asking (and ask specific questions like, “what’s the best local restaurant?” or “when people come to town, what do you take them to go see?”, etc.) and you’ll find some good ideas. Then go back and take those people who thought “there’s nothing to do” exploring with you!!

5 – Follow local newspapers/radio stations/visitors centers/etc on Twitter.
I’ve found out about various awesome events in Knoxville from tweets!

6 – Find out if local businesses give tours.
I’ve seen how an antique letter press works, eaten potato chips while they’re still hot, found out the back story on a local seller’s coin collection, seen the amazing machinery in the back of a capitol’s post office – all from “tours” of businesses. Some in scheduled group tours, some just the owner showing you around. I LOVE IT!

7 – Just go do it!
Park the car somewhere, and get out and walk. See what you can find!!!

8 – Take your camera and sketchbook when you explore.
Snap a lot of pictures. Jot down places you want to remember, ideas you have, or events you hear about for later. Or sketch the sights you see! When you get back home, look though your photos, notes and ideas. What drew your eye? What did you end up taking lots of pictures of? (I’ve been amazed at how many of my pictures are of building/architecture/arched windows) What flavors made an impression on you? What do you want to find out more about? Let the ideas start flowing!

Are you a local explorer?
Do new experiences inspire you creatively?
What gets you out of a creative rut?
Tell me about it in the comments!