typography.love

o, next semester, i get to take typography. what a cool art. the few tastes i've had of it, i have loved.

and, the genius of typographer & illustrator jessica hische at daily drop cap is nothing less than inspiring.

as much as i'm tired of school, and want it to be soooo over, i can't wait for my classes in the coming semester.

i'm sure i'll be soooo over them soon enough.

good thing there are great artists around to keep me motivated.

photo 101

i'm taking a photo class this semester. it's been so much fun. all of the photos below were taken down by utah lake. there's something about using film and developing your own pictures in a darkroom. it's so rewarding. i love learning how to manipulate things just the way you want them. it's very time-consuming, but relaxing at the same time.

i got one of these babies....

and she has been too much fun! she came with a fish eye lens with which i took these pictues....

the best thing about using a diana is that it's so unpredictable. look at the awesome vignettes in the first horse shot, then the unexposed corners in the second. every picture is different. i love it.

becoming a woman means...wearing lipstick, i think.

at least i feel much more sophisticated when i do. i've always had a hard time wearing the stuff because it's just so darn hard to keep on! lip gloss has been a safe haven for me. but, i don't know about all of your significant others, but...mr. austen does not enjoy his mouth glossified. on top of that, i'm a terrible lip-licker! i know i know, that's so bad. i might as well usher chapped lips in on a red carpet. any rate, a constant mouthful of gloss gets my gag-reflex goin. and, forget straight up lipstick...hello red teeth! and, that stay-put stuff clumps off all crazy-like with my lip-licking ways.

i've been searching and searching for a classy, trendy, natural pout for so long! and, for a while now i've just been using the "rose salve" by bigelow. which, is a dream. it's thin and fresh and you can use it anywhere - hands, face..it's a salve, have at it! amazing. i swear by it.

but, that still didn't solve my color problem. i have small lips, and when they are pale, i feel like a snake-woman.

i saw an ad for the covergirl lipstain stuff, and i knew at that moment that my problems were solved. just the name, lip stain...it sounded wonderful. i love it. I LOVE IT!!! it's like a magic marker for your lips. and it stays forever! i feel so finished and confident when i have it on. like a woman should! i found my perfect color - "sassy mauve." and it matches the natural hue of my lips very well.

burke laughs so hard because i now can never leave the house with out my lips on. i feel like my mother! but, i love it.

(funny story, my neice, phebe, would call her lipstick "her lips" and she always had it on, all over her face. she would even use it to draw a few sets of eyebrows above her given pair. she was like 2 at the time. sassy little thing. one day, when she couldn't find her lips she said, "oh, where are my lips? oh sh**! i lost my damn lips!" even a two year old understands the need a woman has for beautiful lips)!

so, if my problems sounded similar to those that you face...here is your solution: put on some lip-stain, let it dry, add a layer of rose salve...and away you go! worry-free. you'll be a new woman! free from clumps, red teeth, mouthfuls of gloss and unhappy boys.

next project please...

is this not just darling? oh goodness. what a great idea.

i've been getting so excited to make some cute and citchy crafts for christmas. i started looking for ideas, and when i found this little jem at KnocKnocking's etsy shop, i knew that it was just the thing. (check them out here, they have such a great vintage feel). i will have to play around with a few different possibilities i have dancing around in my head... and doesn't that prospect just make your heart flutter with excitement? it does mine!

oh, and i am just dying over this little darling!

you can find the tutorial here.

mmmmm, christmas is so nice. i can already taste it!

an afternoon stroll

this past friday, the weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and autumn was at it's best. i grabbed our dogs and my camera and we went for a beautiful and lengthy afternoon stroll. i'm sure that i looked really cool taking hundreds of pictures of trees and leaves, but it had to be documented! it's been so cold here, so i was grateful for at least one true (california-like...sigh) fall day. (i know, there's been at least a few)! you may disagree if you live here in provo as well, but fall is not supposed to feel this much like winter, i promise. it should be perfect! at least it was on friday.

remind me, again?

this little quote has been feeding and comforting my soul lately. so, i made a couple little prints. if you need this constant reminder, like i do, feel free to use any of these in your own home. or, if you want me to make you one a little bit different, let me know! i would love to. :)

which one do you like the best?

"Bright Star"

um, so i just cried a little when i watched this trailer. i'll have to trick burke into taking me to see it. (then he'll ball his little eyes out and love it). i can't wait! (insert girlie scream and clinching of my fists). and just like johanna goddard put it on her blog (here), abby cornish is totally my new girl crush.

our new curtains.

i finally finished our curtains for the front room and kitchen! we live in a little studio apartment. so, when i say front room, i mean our bedroom/living room. and, we live in a basement with miniature windows and proportions that no one sells in curtain form, so, i definitely had to make the curtains myself. i was so excited, because i haven't really gotten into sewing yet. i mean, i made a couple of quilts for my laurel project when i was 17...that's almost 10 years ago! so, my mother-in-law, nancy came over and gave me a quick tutorial of my sewing machine, and then got me started with my kitchen curtains. she's an amazing seamstress, and has an alterations business. (thanks momma nancy)!

i think they turned out quite nice!

i love the color - that wonderful not yellow but not green (as my darling friend ashley has so eloquently put it).

that headboard is my next big project, by the by. i found it on craigslist and burke got it for my birthday. (back in march!) we've painted it already (it started out as a nasty light oak), and i think it looks great at this point. but, once we can justify spending another little chunk of money on it, we're going to add padding covered in beautiful fabric. you'll see! it will be fabulous!

i love our kitchen curtains. they're just so cute and playful.

the best part about doing this project is that i'm no longer scared of the sewing machine! i've jumped on and used that thing to fix all this random stuff, which i never would have had the guts to do before. it opens a world of possibilities! i love it.

poppy.love -> liz tran

i am going oogley-town over liz tran. i adore her work. it inspires and motivates me. i yearn to become a better painter. i will let this inspiration work it's goodness in my soul!

Directing Traffic with Dance

i truly appreciate this man. he can just keep doin' what he's doin'! i just hope that i get to drive down his intersection someday.

kitchen curtains - sneak peek

this curtain project has been on a little stand-still ever since my sewing machine went into the shop.  i can't wait to finish them!  our kitchen needs them so badly.  right now we are using a baby blanket in the window.  and that is just pathetic.

austen yum-town: butternut & arugala couscous

butternut & arugula couscous with citrus honey dressing

i have no idea how this idea came into my head, but this dish was scrumptious.  now, i don't expect ANYONE to ever like our concoctions.  but, when they work for us, i like keeping a record.  and, maybe someone else will enjoi them too!  (ps-i promised myself that i would post something more artsy before i did another cooking post...but this turned out too yum-town...oh well)!

this literally took us about 20 minutes to whip up.  

ingredients:

4 tbs. butter

1 butternut squash

1 yellow onion

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

couscous

ricotta cheese

2 grapefruits

arugula

2 tbs sugar

2 tbs honey

salt & pepper to taste

directions:

first - prepare your butternut squash.  a really easy way is to just split it in half, sprinkle with salt & pepper, put in a dish with 1/4 cup water, cover with saran wrap, & throw it in the microwave for about 10 minutes.  if you want to bake it in the oven, it's gonna take longer...but, it might taste a little bit better.

while that's cooking get your couscous going.  nothing fancy, use just water and butter.

dice up your onion & bell pepper.  warm butter in pan to saute them until they're nice & yummy.

when your squash is done, slice it up & throw it in with the onion/b.p to kinda marry the flavors.  about 2-3 minutes.  season with salt and pepper.

throw in baby arugula & continue to saute for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

prepare your sweet dressing.  squeeze juice from grapefruits, & mix with honey and sugar.

lay a bed of couscous on your plate, & cover that with a bed of small dollops of ricotta.  top with your salad.  

drench everything with the dressing and...

ENJOI!

it's so fresh, & sweetly satisfying.  

(arugula is not pictured b/c it was an afterthought.  it was great either way, really.)

austen yum-town - tex.mex soup.town

this was deeeelish!  after we scarfed it all down, our bellies were so full, they were protruding with pleasure!

you can substitute any of these ingredients with cans, but tis' the season for garden fresh!  and, really, throw any veggies you have, or want, into the pot!  but this mix worked really well together.

we used:

1 large yellow onion

2 green bell peppers - seeded, if you want

1 anaheim chili - seeded

1 jalepeno chili - seeded

3 large tomatoes - diced

3 cloves garlic

1 box veggie stock (32 oz.)

3 ears of corn - kernels only :)

1 large can green chilis

salt & pepper to taste

3 Tbs. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

2 diced avocados

1 bunch cilantro

3 limes

sour cream

***dice everything up real small, so you can get one of everything in each spoonful!***

in a large pot, warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 cloves minced garlic.

add your onions and peppers.  saute for about 5 minutes, until they're all tender.

add your tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.

add box of veggie stock and bring to a boil.

throw in your large can of green chilis and corn.  

add salt & pepper to taste, cumin, and paprika.

bring back to a boil, then let simmer on low-ish for 30 min, stirring occasionally.

serve it on up with grated cheese and/or queso fresco, fresh squeezed lime, cilantro, avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips crunched in to your liking.

burke made a delicious black bean salad.  it was AMAZING!!!  here's the link to that recipe : mmmmmmmm.

note- he didn't put in the tomatoes, and it was fabulous.

what a meal!  complete with a soda.  

we've already eaten leftovers, and this is one of those meals that is almost better the next day.  all of those yummy fresh ingredients seem to ripen even more.

ENJOI!

just cook already!

you must check out this site!  just cook already is an ongoing compilation of recipes with great contributors.  the recipes are simple and quick!  burke and i have made quite a few things and loved them!  one of our more recent meals included the "skillet bake ziti" with the "parmesan zucchini".  we were so surprised with how quickly and easily we whipped it up and how delicious it was!  i also really enjoy all of the little tips that they give.  they do a great job at getting me motivated to cook more regularly.  which sometimes feels not worth making all of the mess and fuss for only the two of us.  but, you know what?  it is worth it!  and we have so much fun cooking together.  

have fun cooking, everyone!!!

yum-town #1 - yellow austen curry

mr. austen and i love to cook together.  we're learning together, so we usually make our own collaborated take on different recipes.  we think we found a winner for some yellow thai curry.  we're no pro's, but some of our stuff is so dang yummy that i just want to share it!  we'll call em' our "yum-town" posts.  and this can be the first!  :)   oh yeah, i don't eat meat (unless it comes in the form of a corndog or a jack-in-the-box taco), so most, if not all, of our recipes will be veggie only.  

yellow austen curry (took about 35 min. - you might have to change up some values to your taste - like the jalepeno, we like it spicy-ish)

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 small yellow potatoes

3-4 medium carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 large yellow onion

1 jalepeno pepper

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

2 cups veg. or chick. broth

1 can coconut milk

2 tbs. white sugar

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 1/2 limes

1 bundle cilantro

2 cups rice (whatever you're preference)!

DIRECTIONS:

dice up:

yellow potatoes and carrots (bite sized) 

*boil em'

dice up:

red & green bell peppers 

yellow onion

jalepeno pepper (dice em' up real good-minced style)

garlic cloves (minced)

in really large saucepan:

throw in olive oil with garlic & jalepeno 

*heat 'er up on med. til' that oil starts to barely bubble

toss in onion and peppers

*cook em' all up on med-high heat (saute slowly)

*let cook-3-4min

add to saucepan:

curry powder, cumin powder, salt, white ground pepper, and paprika

throw in 1/2 cup of your broth

*mix all together-let cook for 1 min

add another 1 cup of broth

*while your mix in the saucepan is cooking, drain your cooked potato and carrot and throw into saucepan

add another 1/2 cup broth

*wait until boiling

add in:

coconut milk, sugar, and red pepper flakes

*stir it all up, cook until boiling

add lime juice

*test veggies and sauce, if it all tastes good...

turn off heat and throw in: 

chopped cilantro

*mix 'er all up in there and...

you're done!  serve over cooked rice.  soooo yum-town good!