Portland Day Adventure

The clouds swirl grey outside; I am wearinga wool blazer and boots; and a pot of beef stew simmers on the stove. At last fall is nearing!! As our vibrant summer draws to a close (rather more a tug-of-war) I thought I would share a fun picture I snapped the other day... just a little portland day adventure .

Blueberry Granola

I had the loveliest time the other day with some good friends out in the quaintly farmed hills of Washington state. We had connections, you see. We were picking blueberries by the pound in a sweet little farm with two sweet old labs lazily following us around pretty much all day. And then I went and done it. I PICKED 13LBS. Sure I cleaned and froze them all and gave some away, but 13 LBS! I have since been planning out a few blueberry themed posts for the rest of summer (just in time for blackberry season I might add) and thought I would share my favorite so far. Homemade Blueberry

Granola. Sweet...salty...an all around healthy guilty pleasure. What I have learned about making granola is that there is a bit of humility about it; just when you feel you have it down pat- poof! youv'e gone and burnt the whole batch in a blink of an eye.  But never fear its all part of the fun and learning process.
          My process:
               I've adapted my recipe from one posted on Apartment Therapy's, The Kitch'n. A regular food writer and granola entrepreneur Megan Gordon has proven to be my favorite granola inspiration. Try her template here!  I have repeatedly used her base recipe to great success- especially with general oven heat and cook times. So here is a quick run down on how I do this and you can change or edit as you wish.
          1. pick out my favorite pyrex bowl.
          2. scoop in about three cups of old fashioned steel cut oats from Trader Joe's.
          3. salt and add PLENTY of cinnamon and then fluff (to taste)
          4. pour in as much real maple syrup as you dare- enough to make you want to eat the oats off the end of you stir spoon :) (about a half cup )
          5. add about a half cup of coconut oils and fluff
          6. add uncooked nuts and fruit now- as much as you want, I use about two cups each of raw  pepitas and slivered raw almonds
          7. scoop into baking dish 9'' by 13'' and pop in oven preheated to 425 - check frequently- usually about the time it smells good its almost time to pull it out because it keeps cooking in the pan while cooling
          8. enjoy your new favorite treat :)
What are your favorite methods of making granola? Let me know!

The Blue Kazoo: June/July

        What a wonderful/busy months its been! June/July has been filled with friends, holidays, anniversaries, and of course my day job. I have decided to begin writing a children's book so keep your fingers crossed for me; getting published is usually quite the process. It has been all to easy to let the little things slip while focusing on work and other big things. In the midst of all the hubbub, though, I have revisited an old favorite DIY project, the vintage cactus planter. I know this has been seen and done a lot this year, but this one is my vintage cactus planter and I love it! Here it is to share with you!

Don't let the soft fuzzy needles fool you, they are still barbed and give the effect of dozens of splinters youch! haha

My Portland Vacation

Summer is around the corner and the itch for a vacation hit me strong today. Having had an unusual shift at work yesterday/today (8:00pm until 6:30 am), my brain was a scrambled mixture of too much caffeine and being exhausted. As I looked around my poor little apartment very much in need of some TLC, I decided I was going on a vacation instead- to Portland. This afternoon endeavor brought the exact diversion I needed and I got to know my city a little bit better. Here is a little photo journal of my afternoon (cleaning not included.

Its a family habit to window shop! Usually at times like this I send pics like this to my mom to show her my changing tastes in style !

This is one of my favorite shops- Crossroads Clothing Company- a clothing exchange. Most of my clothes actually come from here!

Next stop down the block a kitchen shop with EVERY color of Le Cruiset you can imagine.

About a block later I stumbled upon Sammy's Flowers, a treasure of a flower shop.

I am elated lilacs are in season!

Beautiful apartments like these are EVERYWHERE in Portland- they make me feel like I have been transported somewhere in Europe

Not to mention the entire neighborhood is surrounded by adorable houses like these! By the way, if the grey skies make you balk at the idea of a visit- don't let it! The weather was superb today! I could have worn a tank and shorts if I had wanted but was perfectly comfortable to wear a light sweater and some shortened cowboy booties.

Plus I had been stopped by a cute lady who wanted to know where I had gotten my hair done. (I had a friend chop it all off two weeks ago) . Little did she know I had fallen asleep with it wet and left it alone when i got up- which i never get away with :D

Well, thanks for joining me on my little break from the world! What new and inspiring journeys have you taken recently?

The Blue Kazoo Vintage... Etsy Shop

Hi friends!! It is nice to be back after so long of a silence. It turns out I am not a very good blogger for the very reason I was never good at keeping a diary. I hate putting my thoughts and ideas into words. (I should have guessed) That does not mean I am about to give up- I fully intend to keep it up and try to be a bit more consistent in the process. Also, I wanted to announce The Blue Kazoo Vintage my new Etsy shop is now open for business! Don't worry, my husband is helping me maintain it :) I am really excited about the idea of actually being able to share things that inspire me! From now on most of the treasure I hunt down will be posted on Etsy. Here are a few of the things that inspired me tell me what you think!

I am currently crushing kitschy 50's pottery

Who could resist this as a (small) recipe box in the kitchen?

I have to admit if I had a good excuse to keep this little darling I would.

Just big enough for a couple of buds

I can't get enough of this color!

I think I would use this as a coffee table catch-all.

Trying New Things: Lovely Snacks

Image belongs to http://thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/recipes/fried-honey-banana/

As of late I have been very active on my Pinterest account. My focus has been frequently drawn to new (to me) recipes and I have been happy to report I have had success with many of them. About five minutes ago I felt inclined to try an interesting breakfast recipe- while dinner is in the oven braising. A pile of too-soft bananas, a scoop of coconut oil, and a drizzle of agave syrup soon became the perfect topping to Greek yogurt and some homemade granola (another post for later). My result was a perfect parfait snack and, what I call, a make-again recipe. Has anything special made its way from your kitchen recently?

So ... I Got A Tattoo

"Give her of the fruit of her hands" Proverbs 31 quotation

So while a lot has been going on for me still, one major thing has changed. My arm. I got a tattoo. I designed the idea, carefully selected an artist (Trevor of Albatross Tattoo, Portland OR), and jumped. As a woman born and raised into a Christian lifestyle some people I know loved it- others were offended. I don't mind it either way. I have no conviction about putting something permanent on my skin as it does not effect Christ's love for me at all nor my love for Him. Anyway, here it is- tell me what you think!

Pinsperation: For the Home (Mint in the Loo)

Lovely mints from desiretoinspire.net

I love the subway tile with borders- vintage without being too outdated peppermintbliss.com

thisoldhouse.com

Lovely and simple whitefloors.blogspot.com

Again with aqua/teal subway tile, guess I'm stuck apartmenttherapy.com

A perfect way to use original tile in an old house m.designsponge.com

I have always assumed it was bad form to blog straight from Pinterest, or at least regularly. I have to say however, that my personal inspiration has been growing so much from viewing pin boards that I wanted to spill a little of that here too. I will try to keep everything well documented as I do not claim ownership of any ideas or images- merely that they make my imagination come to life.

Outfit Inspiration: Mint Chocolate Chip

Tippi Sweater: gift from grammy (jcrew) Cap: stolen from my husband Mint Jeans: jcrew $20 including shipping Vans: thrift store $8.00

Do you ever have one of those days you wear what you do for no other reason than you just felt like it? I had one of those recently. I just got a pair of mint jeans (J Crew) and a polka dot sweater (J Crew) that I would not usually have worn together but I just felt like it. You want to know what happened? A whole slew of people told me I reminded them of mint chocolate chip ice cream! Fine by me. What has been inspiring you recently?

Etsy Pick of the Week: dahlhaus

 I know I have already posted some about this shop before- but my renewed inspiration by them warrants its own post. What can I say- this shop is one of my favorite! Instead of saying a whole lot i will the pictures speak for themselves.http://www.etsy.com/shop/dahlhaus  I do not claim ownership of any images all belong to Dahlhaus shop on Etsy.

Etsy Pick of the Week: Whirlwind Shop

Classic lace and vintage fabric style in tons of lovely color combinations

This one could easily be played in a nautical outfit

Attending or throwing a carnival inspired wedding?

Two of my favorite things in one place- aqua and tweedsy fabric

Chevron. enough said.

Even though it is winter I have not been able to let go of fall plaids

I have been finding so many eye-catching goodies on Etsy recently that I decided to try a regular post about Etsy inspiration. Once a week (crosses fingers) I will try to feature a new seller or particular product that I find splendid. This week I would like to feature TheWhirlwind on Etsy. This shop offers adorably made vintage fabric and lace necklaces. What makes this shop unique is the extra dose of personality put into each piece. I have picked out a few of my favorites - looks like I'm on a bit of a yellow and blue kick. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. (All photos are from TheWhirlwind on Etsy. If you have price questions you may contact her directly through her shop as well as sign up for coupons. )  http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWhirlwind?ref=seller_info

A Year Gone By

A late fall display from the rose conservation gardens

Crunchy leaves !

An unusually striking tree

A beautiful local delicatessen - I have never seen such care and pride taken in local artisan shops

Styled to the last detail- look at the penny tiles!

Nothing will be missed as much as Autumn in Portland

The last few months have been a blur in life. Moving was a wonderful decision but being very invested in work was a requirement to make it a smooth transition. Needless to say, I am very glad to be stepping down from my second part time job and only working one. I am hoping this will give me more time to invest in my home life, pursue blogging, my art, a shop, and other passions. This new venture takes place the first of February and I am sooo excited. Until then, this is the last of 2012 in a few pictures.