Interior Inspiration :: Leonard & Sheldon's Apartment

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With the premiere of the ninth season of The Big Bang Theory tonight (one of my favorite shows!), Sheldon and Leonard's apartment is my interior inspiration of the day. Their apartment is, hands down, one of my all-time favorite on-screen apartments. I mean, it's a pretty awesome space! Have you seen this really awesome floor plan of Leonard and Sheldon's apartment? The artist has renderings of other on-screen apartments as well (I really want Carrie Bradshaw's apartment, too). I always pictured Sheldon and Leonard's room next to each other since they're always talk to each other through the wall. But regardless, it's pretty cool floor plan. And a HUGE apartment.

I think it's all of the personal items items that draw me to Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. All of the  science books, action figures, and other super hero and science-y memorabilia -- it's homey and comfortable. I love checking out the things people have on display in their homes. It's probably mostly because I'm nosey, but I find what people put on display in their homes -- their most private space -- fascinating. It's like a visual anthropology. My photography professor in college was also fascinated by visual anthropology and loved it when students brought in photos of interiors for critiques. She also loved using the term "visual anthropology."

Anyway. Back to Sheldon and Leonard's apartment! It feels like a space that would be totally comfortable to hang out in, thanks to all the warm tones, big cushy sofa, and all those books. Books are just comforting and cozy. Here are some ways you can add a little Sheldon and Leonard style into your space!

1. Boudreau Leather Sofa, $2,299.95 - Totally ready for deep-couch-sitting. Just don't sit in Sheldon's spot.

2. 1921 USA Weber Costello Globe, $83 - For a touch of academia.

3. Library Style 24 Drawer Multimedia Cabinet in Oak, $233.99 - Get that library-vibe with lots of books and this sweet storage solution!

4. Gianna Recycled Yarn Kilim Indoor/Outdoor Rug, $649 for 8'x10' - Warm colors make a space feel cozy -- plus this rug is eco-friendly. Score!

5. EKTORP Chair in Risane natural, $399 - The perfect spot to watch a Batman marathon. Or Lord of the Rings. Or America's Next Top Model.

6. Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope, $149.95 - Get your astrology on and find the constellations.

7. Westland Giftware Ceramic Batman Cookie Jar, $48.25 - "I'm Batman."

8. Viz-pro Double-sided Magnetic Mobile Whiteboard, $259 - You're going to need a good whiteboard for writing out all of those equations and formulas! 

9. Molecular Models 14-DNA2700C 17 Base Pair DNA Model Kit, Completely Assembled, $808.77 - No Big Bang Theory space is complete without a DNA model.

10. Tanner Round Coffee Table, $381 - Ready for a round of 3D chess? Or maybe some Klingon Boggle?

11. You're In My Spot (Sheldon's Pillow), $20 - An exact replica of Sheldon's pillow! I'm sure Sheldon would beg to differ, though; and Canvas Cushion Cover in Dark Orange, $6.99

You're welcome. :)

Friday Freebies :: 5

This is my current mantra. 'Nuf said. You can download it here and print it out!

And now for some links to kick off your weekend:
1. This lip-sync battle between Jimmy Fallon and Ellen Degeneres. Two of my favorite people ever! And, of course, it's straight-up hilarious.
2. Pinterest fails from Good House Keeping -- just keeping it real, people!
3. Make your own tablet and laptop cases -- hopefully this DIY doesn't fall into the fail category! I bet it would inevitably fall into the fail category for me, however. And that's for ANY sewing project. I'm constantly searching for sewing projects, reading about how to sew, and pinning sewing tutorials, but every time I actually attempt a sewing project, it's a major fail. But I'll continue to read sewing tutorials, and maybe, someday, by osmosis or something from reading so many tutorials, I'll actually be able to complete a sewing project.
4. And one more Jimmy Fallon clip because a) Jimmy Fallon, b) Puppies, c) Kaley Cuoco Sweeting, and d) did I mention puppies?!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Interior Inspiration: Brooke Shields' Living Room

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Holy smokes -- it's almost fall and I haven't posted anything since...June! In all fairness, it was a crazy, busy summer involving a move to the other side of the east coast. But now that fall is (almost) here, it's time to get back to down to business. Fall always seems to usher in a sense of organization and routine. I guess it's that whole back-to-school thing, but back-to-school always starts while it's still technically summer. Anyway. Point is, it's time to get back to blogging and time to talk about my new blog series -- interior inspirations. 

My first interior inspo is Brooke Shields' living room (as seen in Better Homes and Gardens). The September issue of BHG featured a whole house tour, but I particularly love the living room. Between the buttery yellow walls, the hot pink bergere chairs and the cushy white sofa, the room is so happy, warm and inviting. I can imagine sitting in one of those chairs, sipping tea, and chatting away with Brooke ('cause we're totally on a first-name basis). The whole look is happy, bright and comfortable, thanks to the pops of color, warm tones, and comfy, cushy seating. Here's a collection of pieces inspired by Brooke's living room:

1. Sunset by Veronica Ventress, $31.20 for 22"x22" // I love using Society6 as a source for artwork. This photograph has equally stunning shades of magenta and orange.
2. Numi Ring candleholders, $4.95 and Krylon Metallic Gold spray paint // Get a little crafty to re-create the candleholders on Brooke's fireplace mantle.
3. Kaintiba Cotton Throw Pillow in Tangelo, $39.99 and Bright and Fresh Cotton Throw Pillow in Pink, $98.99 // Love the bright colors in these pillows -- they are sure to brighten up any space!
4. Cameron Square Arm Upholstered Sofa in Warm White canvas, $1,229 // A classic sofa with a washable slipcover. It's a win-win situation.
5. Milk Vases, Bright Orange, $135 for a set of three // The pop of orange in this trio of vases adds a really fun touch.
6. Santa Monica Coffee Table, Antique Gold, $922 // The use of acrylic in this coffee table uses less visual spaces and creates an airy look.
7. Hemsworth Area Rug in Navy and Ivory, $499 for 8'x10' // It's Brooke's rug reversed! As much as I love a white rug, I know it's going to get dirty in about .002 seconds. Enter this gorgeous rug that still has the same pattern and colors, only reversed. And thus, less likely to look dirty in .002 seconds.
8. Baxton Studio Napoleon Traditional French Arm Chair, $320 and Kaufman Lush Velveteen Hot Pink fabric, $14.98/yard // Brooke inherited the chairs from her mother and recovered them with a hot pink fabric and painted the body white. Here's a similar style chair from Wayfair that you can infuse with that energetic pink color!

Key Lime Pie

Okay, so this summer has been really bizarre so far. It hasn't really felt at all like summer yet! We'll get a couple of summer-ish days, then Mother Nature is all like, "Just kidding!" It's almost July and I'm still wearing pants. I've worn shorts maybe twice so far. Yesterday, I wore pants AND a sweatshirt. Today actually has turned out to be a pretty nice summery day. It started out all not-summery, but now it's finally sunshiney and warm out. And I'm wearing shorts. Finally.


Anywho, the point of this post isn't to complain about the weather! The point is to share with you this lovely key lime pie that is the epitome of summer. Key lime pie just shouts summer. Whenever I eat key lime pie, if I close my eyes, I swear I'm sitting on a deck overlooking the ocean in Florida. Key lime pie is my dad's favorite dessert ever. When my brother and I were little, our family always took a road trip down to Georgia every spring vacation to visit our aunt and uncle. Usually we would continue down to Florida. And whenever we ate out at any restaurants in Georgia or Florida, my dad would ALWAYS get the key lime pie for dessert.

For Father's Day, I decided I would make my dad an authentic Southern key lime pie. And it came out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. The meringue has some lime zest in it, so this pie is extra-limey. And extra delicious. When trying to figure out the perfect Southern key lime pie recipe, I pulled out my "Savannah Classic Desserts" recipe book. And bingo -- there was Uncle Bubba's Key Lime Pie. Perfect! (Uncle Bubba is Paula Deen's brother -- so you know it's very Southern and filled with butter).

This recipe is pretty easy to make. I'd say the hardest part is zesting those limes (zesting takes foreverrrrr). But, I mean, zesting really isn't that hard I guess. Plus, limes give off the most wonderful, fragrant smell when you zest them. So. Good. The effort is worth it.

By this point, I'm sure you're like, "Okay, let's get onto the recipe already!" Okay, okay -- without further ado, here it is!

UNCLE BUBBA'S KEY LIME PIE
gluten-free

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
5 tablespoons butter, melted (I used EarthBalance instead. I know, not very Southern.)
2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs (the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup of slivered almonds. I left 'em out since my dad isn't a fan of nuts, but I bet almonds would be tasty)

FILLING
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (I used non-fat -- I know, I know -- again, not very Southern. Shhhh.)
1/2 cup Key lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup of sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust: Combine the graham crackers and melted butter (or Earth Balance, in my case) in a food processor. Put the mixture into an 8-inch pie pan and pat along the sides and bottom to form an even crust. Bake for around 5 minutes, until crust is set. Let cool.

To make the filling: Combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of the zest in a medium bowl. Beat in the egg yolks until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.

To make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of lime zest until the mixture is stiff. Spoon the meringue over the filling and spread it around. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.

Let cool before serving and then be transported to somewhere tropical!

Artist Spotlight :: Babeth Lafon

I stumbled across Babeth Lafon while scrolling through illustrations on one of my all-time favorite websites, The Jealous Curator. And I absolutely fell in love with her work. Her illustrations are so graceful and peaceful. Ahhhh.

So lovely!

Babeth is a French artist and illustrator who now lives in Berlin, Germany. I love that she shares little snippets of her studio on her blog. There's something about artist's workspaces that I find so fascinating; being invited in for a sneak peek of that space is something special.

I want to hang all of her illustrations on my walls. I feel if I were surrounded by her work, I'd always feel calm (well, okay, maybe like 90% of the time).

Gorgeous.

Friday Freebie (On a Sunday)

Wow, I haven't posted a Friday Freebie in a while. Or actually posted a Friday Freebie on a Friday. Or posted anything, really! Well, here's a Friday Freebie (finally) -- on a Sunday! (sidenote -- whenever I hear the phrase, "on a Sunday," I always think of that Citizens Bank commercial advertising Sunday hours, and an older gentleman says, "On a Sunday?!?!" At least I'm pretty sure it was Citizens.)

Anyhow, today's freebie is another one of my favorite scriptures. It isn't the entirety of Romans 12:9 -- the scripture goes on to say, "hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good." Verse 10 is good too, "love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor." Or, as the Message translation says, "Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle." Good words to live by! Print out this week's freebie here!

Speaking of genuine love, this video made by SheKnows, which showed kids pictures of Caitlyn Jenner, is wonderful. These kids are the definition of genuine love and empathy. "It's important to be yourself, because if you're not yourself, who are you?" Good point, kid! Genuine love is all about accepting people who have different backgrounds, beliefs, abilities -- and simply loving them. And these kids nail it. Go, kids! ♥

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Monday Things

1. It's National Best Friends Day! So send your bestie(s) an e-mail, or a text message, or give them a call, or mail them a card, or a letter (snail mail is pretty much the best thing ever) letting them know how awesome they are and how much you love them! And check out 13 reasons a bestie is irreplaceable -- so very true.

Love you, ladies! ♥

2. The Next Food Network Star is finally back. Yesssss. It's still early in the competition, but I think my favorites are Michelle and Jay. They both seem genuine, have point-of-views that are interesting, and delicious sounding (and looking) food. I'm also pulling for Rue -- I think her background is really unique and she can bring something totally new to the stage. That Mozambique stew she made sounded ah-mazing (minus the peanuts because I can't eat peanuts. But for those who are peanut-eaters, I'm sure it was delicious). But, she's got to work on her camera presence and how to describe herself and her food. "Aggressively charming" -- what what? What does that even mean? Come on, Rue! I'm rue-ting for you! (Har, har)

And then there's Matthew. I think B. Flay summed it up best when he said, "Hashtag? More like WTF." That's pretty much all that can be said.

3. Can I just say how much I love Emily Henderson? She is one of my favorite designers, hands down. Her style is amazing, she's super down to earth and hilarious. One of her recent posts, 12 annoying things I ignore every day, is a must-read. Keeping it real, girl!

4. I've been kind of obsessed lately with putting kale and radish slices on my turkey sandwiches.

5. One of the highlights of my day yesterday was when parents were coming to pick up their little kids from summer Sunday School, and I told one of the girls that it was very nice to meet her when her nana came to get her. And she said to me, "It was very nice to meet you too. I hope that we see each other again!" Adorbs.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Mint and Gold Coffee Table

Remember that coffee table project I posted a couple of weeks ago? Here it is in the beginning stages:

And in progress:

And, voila! The finished product!

I decided to go with a very light mint green because a) I've been really wanting to paint something mint green lately and b) I already had a can of light mint green paint. The paint was actually a reject paint from True Value, so I got it for around $3 (score!). I love checking out the reject paints -- you never know what you'll find! I also used reject paint from True Value for this project that I did a couple of summers ago.

Anyway, the fact that I already had this paint was the driving factor behind the re-design of this coffee table. I also decided that I wanted to try out the dipped-leg look that's so popular. And, I already had gold spray paint, so BAM! Another decision made! And I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Not bad, eh? Now it just needs somewhere to live!

Friday Freebies...On a Saturday, Again!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! Can you believe that it's almost June?! Holy sha-moly. I can't. May has gone by SO fast. Like, it feels like it was JUST the first of May and we were all like, Woohoo! Spring is here! Well, now SUMMER is almost here! WHOA MAN. Anywho, since it's almost June, here's a free printable calendar with all sorts of important dates on it, like National Fudge Day and National Doughnut Day. Very important. You can print it out right here! Now, I'm going outside to enjoying this beautiful day! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Gallery Wall :: Summer Love

I'm addicted to artwork. I have so many pieces collected from places I've traveled, antique stores, a lovely collection from a dear friend (here's one of her watercolors -- I absolutely love it), and things that have caught my eye on websites like Etsy and Society6. Most of them are currently packed up in the basement, just waiting until I finally have the wall space so I can frame and hang them! One of these days.

Society6, Etsy, and Minted are a few of my absolute favorite places to look online for artwork (here's my favorite zebra print from Etsy). I love browsing through and imagining collections. Since summer has been on my mind lately, here's a grouping I put together! I started with oranges as my base (I'm kind of obsessed with orange lately. Not sure why, it's never really been a particular favorite of mine, but now I can't get enough of it!) and then added accents of turquoise/blues/greens. Feels kind of summery, no?

From left to right:

tangerine / pineapple / summer heat / pattern / float

Monday Things

1. Happy Memorial Day, everyone!! Thank you to all who have served and are serving our country -- "land of the free because of the brave." I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend! And -- here's a little history on the origins of Memorial Day.

2. Apologies for the long absence, yet again! Sheesh! This past week, I was awfully sick with a cold and an ear infection -- not pretty. On top of that, I started another new job. It's going to be a busy summer! Yesterday was my first day assisting with delivering/setting up floral arrangements for the new job. One of our tasks included setting up a chuppah -- on the beach. On the super, duper windy beach.

Oh. My. Goodness. Pretty much everything was working against us. The beach slopes downward, so the chuppah is kind of slanted (okay, not just kind of slanted...really slanted!). The wind was INCREDIBLE down on the beach. Those posts are unwieldy enough trying to move around under regular conditions. Try moving them around when it's super-duper ultra windy! Some of the posts weren't fitting where they were supposed to, etc, etc. It was a challenge. But we did it! Good thing we didn't need to put a canopy on top. That would have definitely been in the ocean in about .2 seconds. After running around delivering boutineers, corsages, and floral arrangements (and assembling that beast of a chuppah), I was exhausted and ready to just veg out. My plan once I got home was to make dinner and watch a chick flick. (I do love chick flicks. The cheesier, the better). Which brings me to...

3. The Ugly Truth is a terrible, terrible movie. I think I saw the movie in an article like, "Top Ten Chick Flick Movies" or something similar. So when I was mentally running through chick-flicks, figuring out what I wanted to watch, I was like, "Oh yeah, I remember I kinda wanted to see that movie." I mean, I loved 27 Dresses (one of my all-time favorite chick-flicks) and it has Gerard Butler. Yeah, the premise seemed kind of dumb, but a lot of chick-flick movies don't really have the most impressive premise. So, I decided, why not? Seems like a good vegging-out movie. ACK -- so terrible!! First off, WHERE IS GERARD BUTLER'S ACCENT??! WHERE. IS. THE. ACCENT. The movie had pretty much lost me right then and there when I realized Gerard Butler didn't have his lovely Scottish accent.

WHERE'S YOUR ACCENT, GERARD?!?!

Secondly, Gerard Butler's character Mike is SUCH A JERK. How does Katherine Heigl's character Abby fall for such a crass meanie? I mean, I get the whole opposites attract thing. But, seriously? He has no redeeming qualities. Yes, he did turn down the offer from CBS so that he could stick around for his nephew and be a "father figure," so that's good and all, but seriously. And okay, I (sort of) understand Abby's warming up to him after that conversation about CBS, his nephew, and Mike's chain of messed-up relationships. But then -- THEN -- after the elevator scene and Mike returns to Abby's hotel room but Colin answers the door and Abby tries going after Mike, he's such a JERK! Again! Completely undoes the very little that he did in the previous scene. You totally screwed up and missed your chance, dude. And don't even get me started on the hot-air balloon scene. So. Much. Wrong. Mike tells Abby he loves her, BUT also calls her a psycho in the same sentence. ?!?! Then, Abby launches into a diatribe about not being a psycho. Mike tells her he loves her again. Abby continues her diatribe. It's pretty cringe-worthy, watching that scene unfold. When Abby FINALLY addresses Mike's statement about loving her and asks why, his response: "Beats the [crapola] [<-- my word, not Mike's] out of me, but I am." Oh, how romantic. A real keeper, that one. </rant>

Ah, okay. I feel much better now! And I need to watch a good chick-flick ASAP!

Friday Freebies :: 3

Today's free printable is scripture from the book of Ruth -- another goodie! It's part of the main scripture from this past Sunday's sermon. Which was a very good sermon on elements of strong relationships, by the way. I definitely recommend watching it or reading it, which you can do right here! The whole sermon series on the elements of relationships has been excellent (you should totally check out all the sermons if you can!). Anyway, the book of Ruth is such a good story too. The love and dedication Ruth had for Naomi, and vice versa, is really amazing. And heartening. And inspiring!

Also, to go along with Ruth 1:16, here is Chris Tomlin's I Will Follow. The lyrics are inspired from this passage (at least I'm guessing they are. I could be totally making that up, but the main chorus is very similar to Ruth 1:16). It's one of my (many) favorite songs. The lyrics are incredibly powerful and hold a lot of weight. They're easy words to say, but not necessarily so easy to do. Quite often, we feel like it's all up to us to figure everything out and to pave our own path. But, as Tomlin sings, "All your ways are good, all your ways are sure. I will trust in you alone." A good reminder that we don't have to worry and figure everything out, just as long as we trust (although I still do that a lot. One of the many things I need to work on!)

BUT, back to the original point of this post -- the printable of Ruth 1:16! You can go right here to print it out!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Walking the Rail Trail

Today, my walking route took me by a couple of ponds. I love the ocean, but I also love ponds. I love the fresh smell of the water mixed with the smell of the pines. I love the way the water sounds as the small waves break against the shore.

It's so lovely and peaceful.

There are plenty of lovely trees along the rail trail. Which also means I walked through way more winter moth caterpillar webs than I cared for (one is too many, in my opinion).

Darn those winter moth caterpillars. They're absolutely EVERYWHERE now. They're crawling in my car, and I'm pretty sure I've picked at least four of them off of me today. And one on my sneaker. They're like glitter, only far less pretty. And much more destructive. What eats winter moths caterpillars? We need some caterpillar predators around here, STAT!

ANYWAY. There was lots of gorgeousness going on to negate the grossness of the caterpillars. (How many times can I say -- er, type -- "caterpillar" in this post?!)

Isn't that such a cute little house on the far right? I love the red front door. And it has an adorable little balcony.

And then there's this house that's right across from it. It's been under construction for quite a while, but it's looking pretty done now! Love the screened in porch on the side.

And it has a sweet chimney. Gorgeous stonework!

The one thing I don't understand is the small landing underneath the window on the far right and the slider next to the window. Was it a door initially? And whoever was building the house (or having it built for them), was like, "Oh, I'd rather have a window there. But leave the landing. Oh, and the slider." And having a slider for an exterior door like that would be kind of odd. I mean, how do you lock it? Granted, there aren't any bands of hooligans running around (none that I know of anyway), but still. I would want a locking exterior door.

Anyway. Besides the strange landing and slider, I approve.

Hope everyone's having a beautiful Thursday!

Monday Things

I know, it's been pretty quiet around here lately! Last week was a busy week between my brother and sister-in-law visiting, starting a new job, and starting to move in my brother and sister-in-law into their new apartment. And, the weather is finally coming around. In fact, it's pretty much like summer already. Spring basically doesn't exist anymore. It's winter, maybe like a couple of days of fake-out spring, and then, BAM! Summer. That's all right though -- I'm not complaining! I've been able to get in more walks with the beautiful weather.

This house is along one of my favorite walking routes. This house is probably the reason why it is one of my favorite walking routes. It's just so cool. It has an AMAZING view of the bay (which is like right behind the house). There's a walkway/hallway with glass walls that connects the main house to another part of the house. How perfect would that be for a dining area?

You can kind of see it a little better in this picture. Anyway, that would have a FANTASTIC view of the bay.

It's just SO. COOL. There are no words that can possibly describe the amount of cool-ness this house has. The outside is so fabulous -- I'm dying to see the inside! I remember years ago -- probably back in high school, or maybe right after I started college -- my mom and I LOVED this historic home back in the town I grew up in. We would walk by, gaze, and sigh at the gorgeousness of this beautiful Victorian. One day when we were walking by, the owner was outside working in the garden and noticed us admiring her house. We struck up a conversation, and the owner graciously offered us a tour of her home! The inside was just as stunning as the outside -- incredible original hardwood floors, trim, casings, and a gorgeous kitchen that was modern, yet still payed homage to the historic style of the house. Not only was the house beautiful, but it had a very interesting history as well! On the tour of her home, the owner showed us a trapdoor in one of the small closets. The original owners of the house were a part of the underground railroad and hid runaway slaves in their house. History + design = a whole bunch of amazingness.

ANYWAY. Back to the modern house. Every time I've walked by this house, no one has been there. It's clearly just a weekend/summer home, which is sad because I would totally want to live in that house year-round. But, a couple of weeks ago when I was walking my favorite route and went by, there was actually someone there!! I almost, ALMOST, told the person how much I admired the house in hopes that I would get a tour of the inside, but I chickened out. Maybe one of these days!

The beautiful weather also means furniture projects! Oh, how I love to work on old pieces and breathe some new life into them!

These chairs are one project I've been working on. I found them at a thrift store for $5 each. Score.

This coffee table is another project I've been working on. It's almost done. So. Very. Close! Painting it has been a pain because of the angles and rounded surfaces on the legs. Every time I think I'm done with all of the touch-up, I find another spot that I've missed! But, it's getting there! There will be pictures of the finished products soon, promise!! (That is, if I ever finish them! Ha!)

So that's some of what's been happening around here! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend, and here's to a great week!

Friday Freebies (On a Saturday!) :: 2

The sun is shining, the sky is a bright blue, and it's finally not freezing out! Hurrah!! I've spent the day outdoors weeding so far. Weeding is a pretty satisfying job, in my book anyway. The stone path to the front door was just riddled with dandelions and other weeds -- they needed to go! When you pull up a weed and the majority of its root system comes up too -- it's like YES!!! So satisfying. Anyway, now the walkway is pretty much weed-free (for now). And it's time for me to get back out there and get back to work!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! And here's this week's free printable -- one of my favorite Bible verses. It's a good reminder, in both good times and the bad. He's got your back! You can print it out right here. I'm also going to leave you with one of my favorite worship songs right now -- Greater by MercyMe. Such a catchy and uplifting song with a wonderful message -- love it. Now, go out and enjoy the sunshine!

Sunbutter Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Bars

Well, I've got a case of the Monday blahs. It all started with health insurance. Dealing with health insurance is never a great way to start off the day, especially a Monday. And, dealing with the totally incompetent, utterly useless health insurance policy marketplace of the state in which I currently reside is just a really, really, really bad way to start off the day. It's been like, okay, you're approved. Congratulations! You have health insurance (only after a totally frustrating and confusing few days of trying to figure out the whole enrollment process). Oh no, wait, now you need to re-enroll. Okay, you're re-enrolled, but, wait -- we're canceling your health insurance because you're not a US citizen. Oh, you are a US citizen. Okay, you're enrolled again. Oh, wait, we need your proof of income again.

*bangs head against wall*

Seriously?! This should not be this difficult, yet somehow it is.

Ugh.

And it's a gray, icky day out, so totally not helping out the case of the Monday blahs.

BUT, I have the new summer issue of BHG's Do It Yourself magazine and these delicious cookie bars. Oh man, these cookie bars are SO. GOOD. And so easy to make! I love cookies, but sometimes I'm lazy and I don't feel like spooning individual balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Enter the cookie bar. Just dump the batter into a baking dish, spread it out, and VOILA! Cookie bars. They're a genius idea. Plus, with cookie bars, you can cut yourself any size you'd like. You want a small piece? Sure, no problem. Personally, I like to cut as big a piece as what seems decent. Colossal cookies -- that's my thing.

I can't eat peanuts, hence the sunbutter, but feel free to swap out the sunbutter for peanut butter if you like. They'll still be delicious. There is something magical about the combination of chocolate and nuts. Or, chocolate, nuts and sunflower seeds in this case. The cookie itself is nice and dense, spiked with a combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate pieces. And the cashews add a nice crunch and an added nutty flavor. A like a lot of different textures going on in my cookies. When I was younger, I hated nuts in my cookies, or any baked good for that matter. Brownies with walnuts?? No way. Pecans in my chocolate chip cookies?? An atrocity. But now, I can't get enough of them. I put them in oatmeal, in brownies, in quick breads, and yes -- in cookie bars. If you're not a fan of nuts, you can leave them out and these bars will still be tasty. But, seriously, the cashews are amazing in these cookie bars.

Between these cookie bars and this summer's DIY magazine, my Monday blahs will surely be banished!

SUNBUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP CASHEW COOKIE BARS
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Yield: 1 8x8 pan

INGREDIENTS
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I love Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (I used a combination of Enjoy Life's semi-sweet and dark chocolate)
1/2 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons soy-free Earth Balance spread (or butter, if tolerated)
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 8x8 pan with Earth Balance spread or shortening (I like to use Spectrum's Natural's Organic All Vegetable Shortening).

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the GF flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder. Add in the chocolate chips and cashews.

In a large bowl, cream the Earth Balance and sunbutter together until smooth. Beat in the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until everything is well combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 35 minutes. Prepare for ultimate deliciousness.


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Friday Freebies :: 1

I love changing up my desktop wallpaper. I usually change it with the seasons, something summery for summer time, something wintery for winter, etc etc. And I don't know about you, but I like my wallpapers simple and minimal. I hate having my desktop look cluttered, so I don't often go for busy wallpapers. The more minimal, the better. So, here is a set of minimal, nautical-themed desktop wallpapers for y'all to download! (Not sure why I added in the y'all there -- it just felt like the sentence called for a y'all for some reason. )

#1 - the turtle

#2 - the octopus

#3 - the whale

#4 - the anchor

#5 - you & me by the sea

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday Round Up :: Eco-Chic

So, today is Wednesday, which means it's hump day. (Mike, Mike, Mike! Guess what day it is?! Guess. What. Day. It. Is!) But, it's also Earth Day! So, here's a round-up of some eco-friendly products to help out the earth. Every little bit helps!

1. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Hand Soap - This stuff smells so good AND its ingredients are 98% naturally derived. No parabens, phthlates, triclosan, formaldehyde, artifical colors, OR animal ingredients. Phew! AND, it's made right here in the U S of A. Pluses all around.

2. California Bear Eco Throw Pillow Cover - How cool is this pillow? Even though I don't live in California, I still think it's pretty darn cool. This Etsy shop has all sorts of other designs too. Made ramie cotton and eco-friendly ink, this pillow is a winner. Plus, when you buy this pillow, you're also supporting a small business! Score.

3. Linen and Cotton Bowl Covers - This is a genius idea to replace plastic wrap. I hate using plastic wrap, but I do end up using quite a bit when I bake or cook. Because they're made of fabric, they're washable, which means reusable! Hurray! And they're pretty, which adds some major points.

4. Kure Bazaar Non-Toxic Nail Polish in Fabulous - Love the color, love the fact that it's made up of natural materials like wood pulp, wheat, potatoes and corn. 'Nuff said.

5. Volupsa Coconut Wax Candles - I love, love, love candles, and Volupsa's coconut wax candles burn up to 90% cleaner than a soy candle! That's pretty darn awesome. And once you've finished the candle, you can re-use the tin! It's like a 2-for-1.

6. Stubby Pencil Studio's Eco Dry Highlighters - Another genius idea. Regular highlighters usually have solvents and other gross, chemically things. Since these are all wood, there's no plastic, ink solvents, or VOCs involved. The company is based in Portland, OR, so another US-made product for the win!

7. Colorhouse Paints - Okay, this is a seriously cool company. Not only are their paints VOC-free and are free of toxic fumes and chemical solvents, but they also manufacture their paint in a LEED Gold facility, use recycled materials for their containers, AND have a drop off site where customers can drop off their used paint to be recycled. In addition to interior paints, they also make chalkboard paint. And they actually have good colors. AND they're based in Portland, OR. Portland is kicking some serious butt in the eco-friendly department!


Other ways you can be kind to our planet is by making your own eco-friendly cleaning products. Baking soda and vinegar are pretty much the most fantastic cleaning products ever -- they do the job AND they're all natural. Recycling, upcycling, and reusing things are all great ways to cut down on waste and keep things out of landfills. I love scouring thrift stores, yard sales, and the swap shop at the dump for furniture pieces and anything else that might catch my eye. You're doing something for the environment AND saving money. It's a win-win. Every small act helps to keep our planet healthy, and small things add up!

Cranberry Coconut Bread

All right, Mother Nature. Can we please get back to spring? Pretty, pretty please? With a cherry on top? The weather this weekend was so gorgeous and beautiful and fantastical. Like what end of April is SUPPOSED to be. I feel like we've totally earned a warm and lovely spring with the winter that we had (I love how I say "we." I wasn't even here for the worst of winter -- I was off in Madrid enjoying blue skies and warm sunshine. But, shhhh.) ANYWAY. We're back to like the beginning of March now with the raw wind and rain and it's so not cool, Mother Nature. Not cool at all.

Anyway, I digress. Onto the bigger and better things -- this cranberry coconut bread!!
Okay, so this bread might not be the prettiest looking bread ever, but oh man. It is DELICIOUS. I would have photographed more slices, but by the time I got around to photographing the bread, I may or may not have already eaten like the entire loaf. This bread all started with a purchase-on-a-whim from the grocery store. Langer's had a cranberry coconut juice, which I had never seen before and sounded quite intriguing, so into the cart it went. Unfortunately, actually drinking the juice was not as intriguing. It was, well, kind of odd. So, I needed to figure out what to do with an entire bottle of cranberry coconut juice. I love baking quick breads and thought about orange juice bread. Why not just swap out the orange juice for the cranberry coconut juice? Throw in some cranberries that were sitting in the freezer, add some shredded coconut, and bam! The cranberry coconut bread was born. The tangy-ness of the cranberries pairs so super well with the sweet flavor of the coconut. It's a little tropical from the coconut and a little New England-y from the cranberries. And the juice helps prevent the bread from getting too dry. SO GOOD. I think I need to make some more, like, right now.

PS - You want to know what is the most amazing baking tool for gluten free baking?? This bread loaf pan from King Arthur Flour made specifically for gluten free baking. It's taller and narrower than your standard loaf pan which is super helpful for gluten free baking. I use it ALL. THE. TIME. I discovered this little gem when I visited my mom's cousin last fall. She works at King Arthur Flour, so naturally we had to stop in and do a little shopping. While we were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over King Arthur's abundance of baking pans, she pointed out this bread loaf pan. Genius. AND I got to use her discount. Score!

Now, onto the recipe!

CRANBERRY COCONUT BREAD

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 - 60 minutes Yield: 1 9x4-inch loaf


INGREDIENTS

1 large egg
3/4 cup cranberry coconut juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons cold Earth Balance spread, cut into pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup of shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling on top



DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x4-inch loaf pan (or 9x5 works just fine) with shortening (I like to use Spectrum's Natural's Organic All Vegetable Shortening).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the Earth Balance to the dry mixture, blending the ingredients together with your fingers until the Earth Balance is well incorporated.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the cranberry coconut juice and vanilla extract.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then stir in the cranberries and shredded coconut. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with extra shredded coconut.

Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the bread cool for 10 minutes, then dig in and enjoy!


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