C r a f t B r e a k : O t t o m a n U p d a t e

Awhile ago, I put together a new ottoman for my living room. (Goodbye rickety old table!)

I wanted something that included storage, was comfy enough to put your feet up, and didn't blow the budget.  

After some searching and failing to find what I wanted, I came across these $17 storage cubes at Target.  I decided to get three of them and since they weren't quite the right height for my couch, my always handy dad helped me make some feet to add to the bottom. I painted them in a bright color that still matched my space but added a pop to the mostly gray ottoman. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out! Way more functional than your typical coffee table!

T u e s d a y T u n e s : A n d r e w B i r d

A favorite! 

Andrew Bird - "Anonanimal"

Enjoy!

G e r m a n y P a r t 6 : T h e T o w n O f W o r m s

Here are a few more photos from around Worms, including a picture of the old Roman wall!

F o o d i e : V e g e t a r i a n C h i l i

To get through my weekend of studying I decided to make a filling, healthy, and warming dish. 

Vegetarian Chili!

This is also my own little fall kick-off celebration! 

(Yay it's officially fall! Time for scarves, boots, tights, all things pumpkin and apple, crisp days and changing colors, and curling up with blankets and mug of hot chocolate!)

Now back to the recipe, you will need:

For Chili:

• Olive oil
• 2 small (one medium) zucchini (chopped)
• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato puree
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced
• 1 (or more if you like a lot of heat) chipotle pepper in adobo (finely chopped)
• 1 cup quinoa 
• 1 cup vegetarian "meat" crumbles
• 1 cup corn
• 1 small bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 Tbs chili powder, cumin, and honey
• a sprinkling of cinnamon and/or nutmeg and salt to taste

For Garnish

• Sour cream
• Shredded Cheese
• Cilantro

Here's how to put it all together:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside. In a big ol' pot sauté onions in olive oil until translucent (about 5 min). Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and chipotle pepper. Sauté for about a minute to wake up the spices. Next, toss in beans, zucchini, bell pepper, corn, "meat" crumbles, and both cans of tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add honey, cinnamon/nutmeg, and salt to taste. Let simmer for 25 min. Add quinoa to vegetable mixture. Stir, and reheat. Then plate up and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. 

Time to enjoy!

(This recipe is easily customizable, just toss in veggies that you love and don't fret if you're missing one on the list.  Also, this recipe makes A LOT of chili, great for leftovers or a meal amongst friends and family.)

S t u d y B r e a k

So much studying even Ivy is exhausted. Here's to a weekend filled with writing an 8-10 page paper, working on a literature review, preparing 2 articles for a seminar class, and attempting to read over 500 pages worth of material...

Ah, the life of a grad student. 

Bye, social life and free time...hopefully I'll see you again after next Wednesday!

C r a f t B r e a k : S i l k S c r e e n i n g

Last Christmas I received a Silk Screen Kit and I finally got around to testing it out a few weekends ago!

It's quite a fun project, although a tad messy. 

For this first attempt, I used a pre-made screen, but I already have lots of ideas for designs I would like to create myself. Hopefully, I'll have some more time to play around with this kit in the near future!

T u e s d a y T u n e s : E m i l y B a r k e r

Beautiful piece titled "Nostalgia"

By: Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo

Enjoy!

L i t t l e B i t s O f L i f e L a t e l y

G e r m a n y P a r t 5 : M o r e S i g h t s e e i n g

These photos are also from the town of Worms. Along with visiting the cathedral, we went to the oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany, which has two graves that are over 900 years old.  This was such a hauntingly beautiful place, I'm glad we took the time to visit. 

The first photo is of our view of the Rhine River from the patio where we had lunch while taking a shopping break at the "American style" mall.

C r a f t B r e a k : G r a n n y S q u a r e B l a n k e t

Guys.....They are done! (well kinda)

104 Squares later I've completed a big step in the blanket making process. 

Next, I have to secure all the tails on the squares (that means I have 208 tails to weave in).

After that comes layout, construction, and edging...

If all that goes well, considering I've never done this before...

I might just have a blanket in the near future!

T u e s d a y T u n e s : T h e W e e p i e s

An oldie (meaning I haven't listened to it since high school) but goodie.

"World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies

Enjoy!

L i t t l e B i t s O f L i f e L a t e l y

C r a f t B r e a k : B o t t l e L a m p

Made another bottle lamp with the help of my dad!

This one was made using a half-sized bottle of Riesling that I brought back from Germany.

So happy with how it turned out!

F o o d i e : Z u c c h i n i S p a g h e t t i

Here is a quick, delicious, and healthy way to enjoy some spaghetti! 

To make: Use a julienne slicer to cut your zucchini into strips, stop slicing once you get to the seeds in the center. Sauté the zucchini in a little bit of olive oil until they reach your desired texture and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Plate up and top with some pesto, tomato sauce or whatever you like! I used sun-dried tomato pesto on mine, a little goes a long way.

Enjoy!

V i n t a g e F i n d s

Oh how I love vintage items... I'm going to be starting a new segment with some of my favorite vintage finds in my ever-growing collection. All of the items pictured in this post were spotted on a recent little vintage exploration trip.

T u e s d a y T u n e s : T h e L u m i n e e r s

Another lovely song from the Lumineers! 

Enjoy!

L i t t l e B i t s O f L i f e L a t e l y