um. how cute is this?

I love She and Him and I love their new album! This is In The Sun from it. so fun.

My ideal man.

Heather posted this today and it cracked me up. So I had to share.

Its true. 

The Jenny/Curtis Project: Day 6

Today I went French. (Actually our family does have a little bit of French in us, so I was just getting in touch with my inner French girl!) I made French onion soup and then just for a kick made French macaroons! Raspberry/chocolate macaroons to be exact! I've only ever made the other macaroons that are coconutty, and I love coconut flavor but can't stand the texture of it so therefore don't like them much. But French macaroons are made from almond meal, meringue and powdered sugar. um yum.

French onion soup!

Onions for my soup

all sliced and starting to cook down

onions cooked and then sherry and red wine added

the finished product. Not too bad if I do say so myself. 

When I was little my mom and brother loved French onion soup. Me? Not so much. I didn't like onions. I still am not the biggest fan, I love the flavor they add to dishes, but I am the person who picks onions out anything if they are too crunchy or too big. So I was pushing my self with this dinner, I didn't know if I'd actually like it. Well I did! I think having the cheesy bread croutons help because you're not just eating onions in broth. The broth though is amazing! It's super duper nummy nums! So yet again Curtis, good job. I enjoyed this one very much.

French Macaroons!

Now these aren't a Curtis recipe, I just saw some today online and was like I wonder what those are, I wanna make some, look how cute. So I found a recipe and guess what guys?! THEY ARE NATURALLY GLUTEN FREE!!!! There's just almond meal and powdered sugar in them as the dry ingredients! I was excited, I love baking with almond meal, its delish. 

sitting for 30 min before baking

all baked! ready to be made into little sandwiches

they have chocolate ganache in the middle 

(it has a little raspberry extract in it to bring in the flavor)

how cute are they??? ohmygosh! I love them!!!

I cheated a tiny bit with my macaroons and added some smashed up raspberries to the meringue so they have more raspberry flavor than just the extract in the chocolate ganache. I think these are def my new favorite cookie! And there's all sorts of flavors you can do, and really you could make them any color you wanted! oh oh oh just had an idea to make them for Easter on sunday!!! that'll be so cute! yay. 

Ok well thats enough about Frenchy food. I hope you all have a beautiful Tuesday night!

goodnight loves!

Tuesday sillies: art inspiration

These are all inspiration paintings for a final project I'm working on for my sacred geometry class.

4 and 5 by Bruce Gray

Practice Resurrection by Yeardly Leonard

Raindrops #4 by Bruce Gray

Leaning softly toward the sun by Sally Trace

Music Monday: Owl City

I get to go see him on Thursday night, I'm so excited!!!!!

Shop Update!

Yay, I finally updated my Etsy shop! Woo hoo! I'm really excited about the new pieces, I love love love the zipper flowers! I had so much fun making those, and am hoping to get more colors soon. Here's some of the pieces in the shop.

I am IN LOVE with the white sparkly comb! ohmygosh! I almost didn't put it in because I think its so cool! Its made from awesome vintage earrings I found an super cool antique store, I just think it's so rad. Anyway, be sure to go look at the shop! Happy Friday!!! :)

Tuesday sillies: pretty things

Music Monday: Rilo Kiley

Spring Break!

I wish my Spring break meant I could go lie in the sun on an exotic beach somewhere. But nope, I have to work on projects and midterms and homework. So I'll dream of tropical beaches and warm sun.

Good book Friday

I started reading this book for class, but then of course my prof changed our project on us so I don't have to read it anymore, but I have found it so fascinating that I am still reading it anyway. Fred Pearce travels the world to track down where things he uses on a daily basis start, how foods are grown, how clothes are made, where his cell phone started. And yes its another book about "green" stuff, I can't help it, I'm being inundated with this stuff, but I find it absolutely fascinating. I recommend this book for anyone, its really very entertaining.

My new project....actually lifestyle.

This semester I am taking sustainable design. I was super excited about it because "green" design has always interested me since I heard about it in undergrad. I really think that I want to specialize in this area of design because I am so passionate that we need to take care of our planet so that for future generations it will still be a healthy and functioning place to live! (I've already started looking into programs for when I'm done with this one)

So, I've decided to start doing as much as I can now without having much money to my name. My goal for a long time in the future is to get a new car that is totally electric or a clean fuel and be able to build a sustainable house; but that will only happen once I'm done with school and have worked and actually have money! For now I've decided to start buying as much natural and organic products I can. I also have made the choice to stop buying things in plastic packaging (as much as possible).

My dream car. The Nissan Leaf

Herman Miller plant. Its an amazing sustainably design building!

So I'm going to buy shampoo bars and conditioner bars, as well as soap bars that are made from natural products. I found a great shop on Etsy here that has shampoo and conditioner bars. I just bought the "conditioner that rolls" because I ran out, finally, of my old stuff and I loved it! It works just as well as liquid conditioner!!! Once my shampoo is gone I'll get the matching shampoo bar.

I've just decided that this is my first step in truly living a more sustainable lifestyle, eliminating as much plastic as I can. And lets face it, bathroom products use A LOT of plastic! And we use A LOT of bathroom products.

One thing I really want people to learn or to understand about sustainable or "green" living is that as far as from a design stand point we don't want people to think they have to live in mud huts and start living off the land. We as designers want and believe that we should use the technologies we have to come up with new designs that really sustain and feed the Earth! We want to design without loosing basic dignity for humans! The main idea behind this movement is just to make different choices that will give back to the Earth what we take from it. And using those resources responsibly!

New tattoo?

Lately I've been wanting a second tattoo really badly! I don't even know why! I thought for sure the one I have would be my only one, I never thought I'd want another! I'd love another Kurt Halsey inspired one. I found a saying a love and then either I would use two of his butterflies or a bird with it. 

This is the saying I love.

And I like this little birdie, probably in blue. 

So anyway, I'm still thinking about it and mulling it over. Plus I'd have to save up some moneys, because I don't want to spend my student loan money on it! So, we'll see. 

Tuesday sillies: beach love

This Tuesday is dedicated to the beach. Its the thing I knew I would be the hardest to move away from when I moved from LA back to home. I mean we live just as close or closer to the ocean here, but you def can't just go to the beach, 9 months of the year its too cold to. In LA we were there year round! I miss it the most of anything in LA I think. If I could be one of those hippie types and just live on the beach the rest of my life, I would.

source: weheartit and my own

Music Monday: Peter Bradley Adams

I'm basically in love with him right now. His music is amazing. Sorry there's no good videos.

the Jenny/Curtis Project: Day 5

Hello, I'm Jenny Nelson (ok you have to say that in a Julia Child-esque voice because I totally did).

Tonight I made Greek doughnuts!!! I wasn't sure how the dough would turn out because I had to use gluten free baking mix obviously; but it worked pretty well I think! I'm not sure what "normal" ones are supposed to look or taste or feel like, but I think mine turned out well! Oh Curtis you never let me down!

I'm trying to show restraint and not eat them all.  But if you find me passed out on the floor with an empty plate and carton of milk next to me and sugar all over my face, you'll know what happened.

They were pretty fun to make! I'm a big fan of anything that involves frying, not because I think frying makes everything taste amazing but because I have fun deep frying things! I don't even know why! You'd think most people wouldn't want to be near bubbling oil that can burn your face off...

Tibby helped me. He came running into the kitchen and was all "OMG mom, doughnuts??" And I was like "yeah, Tibs, doughnuts." So he sat on his stool next to the counter and watched me, gave some helpful advice, did some Julia Child impressions, you know normal cat stuff. 

Yet another successful Curtis recipe. 

Greek doughnuts FTW!

ok I'm off to eat myself into oblivion. 

(not really)

(actually probably a little bit)

(and in case you were wondering, yes I am a crazy cat lady who talks to her cats, not even kidding)

Alice in Wonderland

I have always been a huge Alice fan, its one of my favorite stories of all time. I think because its just so full of imagination and wonderful images! This is the very first film made of it from 1903! How awesome!!!! Enjoy!

Baking soda?! Who knew!

Today mom and I stopped and Nanny's (grandma) house to help her go through her clothes for a trip her and mom are taking in about two weeks. While there she was showing us the bag she's gonna use for her makeup (she's a nervous traveler so has to have everything in order beforehand) and she had a bottle full of baking soda, and I was like what do you use that for? And she uses it as a facial scrub! I was like what?! Baking soda??

Now all through middle school and high school I had horrible skin, as did my big brother, but neither of my parents had struggled with skin problems so we figured out it came from Nanny. therefore I figured she would know what she's talking about (well for the most part).  Just in the last 4 or so years I feel like I've got my skin under control and I don't feel embarrassed about it anymore, but I still have times when it breaks out or just gets super oily or whatever. So I researched this baking soda thing and it's legit!

I tried it tonight and my skin feels so nice and soft! Who knew! A lot of reviews said not to leave it on long because it can cause irritation, but just do a quick scrub and wash it off. And people said it took away blemishes and lightened up acne scars! Sweet! Hopefully it'll help my skin, lately it's been being mean to me. i think I'll just do the scrub a couple times a week so as not to dry it out and we'll see what happens. Anyway just a tip I thought I'd pass on. Hope your hump day has been a good one!

The Jenny/Curtis Project: Day 3 (and 4)

Today I decided to make Greek salad with grilled salmon. The fam loves Greek food (it's one of my two favorite types of food Mexican is the other) so I figured it'd be a good meal for the parents and I.  Plus I have a thing for feta cheese... I love it...a lot...like really a lot...I usually end up picking out the feta in Greek salads and just eating that, well and the cucumbers. Mmmm feta...ANYWAY, more about my cooking tonight. I made dad bbq the salmon because, well lets face it, I really should probably never be allowed to operate a barbeque. I would probably make it explode. I'm really not kidding. So dad bbq'd the salmon for me.  I made the salad and the vingarette. Ok so it was pretty much the easiest meal ever, but whatever, it tasted oh so yummy.

pre-cooked salmon, it's marinated with salt and pepper, olive oil, a little garlic and oregano (I was lazy when looking for the oregano bottle so just used the Italian seasoning bottle, same thing right?)

Oh and this is my most favoritest feta! It's sheep's and goat's milk so its like the real deal.

And my beautiful salad. 

I am now craving something sweet...perhaps I'll have to make a dessert as well tonight...or make another bonoffee pie, that things is amazing.

Oh and I forgot I made the raspberry muffins this weekend for my friends Megan's birthday brunch! They're yummy, they don't have much flour in them, mostly powdered sugar, my type of muffin. They are rather moist muffins because of the whole raspberries in them, and I have to make my gluten free obviously so that probably changes how they are supposed to be. I'll have to experiment with them to make them less mushy (probably just some extra flour). 

Well I'm off to walk the doggie then I think I'll make something sweet for my little sweet teeths (I have a whole mouth full of sweet teeth, not just one tooth btw. I love sugar, more than I love feta). 

Tuesday sillies: winter? I want spring!

Suddenly this week it turned cold cold cold again! Just on Saturday we were at like 65 and sunny. I am all ready for Spring to come, in fact it had come a bit early, we have daffodils up and crocuses up and trees are blooming. But now its cold, and it even SNOWED yesterday! Now I love snow, but once March hits, I want sun and warm (especially after living in LA, I miss sun). 

But apparently this is what we get for the next couple of weeks. (I may have exaggerated a bit...we really didn't get much snow, it didn't even stick.)

But this is what I'm craving.

Source: weheartit

So happy wintery Tuesday to you all. I hope you are all happy and warm. I'm sending thoughts of flowers and sun your way! <3