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16.3.12

Inspiration: Vintage Photography


I am always looking for inspiration in some way or another, and I love how vintage looking photography inspires me and makes me think of better times gone by. Now with Instagram, everybody can do it. And art should be for everybody.

I love looking at pretty things and here are some pretty things to look at. :)











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15.3.12

words of wisdom.

Hazelnut Butter Oatmeal



I really must stop it with the oatmeals, but I can't because it's like I've re-discovered them. I just can't seem to stop eating them. Maybe it is my cholesterol levels telling me I should eat more of the stuff. Maybe.

Hazelnut Butter Oatmeal 
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 and 1/2 cup milk (if you can get hazelnut milk, I think it would be wonderful)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar blend
2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
cinnamon (to taste)
a few drops of almond extract

Bring the milk to a boil, and once that has happened, add the oats. Stir and add vanilla and sugar. Stir some more. After the oatmeal has begun to set, add the hazelnut butter and the almond extract and stir some more.

O M G. This was really good. :)

12.3.12

Floral Inspiration





Lately, I have been adding more and more floral themed everything to my wardrobe (and well, everything else I seem to buy). It just happens, like every other tiny obsession I have in my life (like mushrooms, cupcakes, etc.).

Maybe it's because Spring is here (which means nothing to me because here, it's always summer!), or maybe it's because I like flowers so much, but floral patterns have become an inspiration in every aspect of my life. Even my doodles.

So here are some of a few things I like and adore.



















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6.3.12

Hazelnut Butter




Again, something that started in Germany. This was two years ago, when I came across a little thing called Creme de Noix. This is a walnut butter made in France and to this point, I haven't been able to find it yet. It was so deliciously nutty. Not too sweet, just right. I used to spread this over bread and I swear that I probably didn't need anything else for breakfast. Now that I think of it, I may just switch to a diet based on this alone.

So I decided to experiment with nut butters on my own. Using water, using oil, sugar or Splenda. But I think I hit the nut butter jackpot with this one.

My first tip would be NOT to use water. I know it may be the healthier choice here, but water will only hold for a while. If you keep it in the fridge or after maybe 15 min, the butter won't hold. It will be grainy, and fall apart. Not my idea of nice.

Splenda? Sure. Splenda would be nice, but I find that using cane sugar gives it an extra crunch that I appreciated.

Also, I have tried already chopped nuts and I have tried roasting the nuts. If you roast them before, there will be more nut flavor, and if you don't, perhaps it will be a nicer looking color.

What is seriously nice is adding Nutella to this. What I do is combine both of these in a peanut butter jelly sandwich of sorts. Yum.

Hazelnut Butter


16oz (454g) Large Hazelnuts
3 tablespoons of cane sugar (or to taste, I used 5 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon walnut oil


Preheat your oven to 400F (about 200C). Spread the hazelnuts in a baking sheet and roast for about 10 min or until fragrant.

Crush the hazelnut crust (this takes a while! And since we didn't have a nutcracker, my boyfriend used a hammer!) and put warm hazelnuts in the food processor. Blend and slowly add the sugar to taste. Add the oil and blend until desired consistency is reached. I like mine to be almost runny so it can be easily spread on a regular white bread. If you like it a bit more grainy, only add 1/2 teaspoon (or none at all!).





Adapted from here.

Decor Inspiration Tuesday: The Vanity

http://weheartit.com/entry/22175461

I love vanities. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. 

Seriously. 

There is something so romantic about them. The perfume bottles, makeup, the myriad of brushes waiting for you to pick them up. A pearl necklace waiting to be picked up. 

*sigh* 

I want a vanity. I want one now, but alas, I don't have the space for it in my room at the moment. Hopefully once I move, I will. And I will want it to be something like this...

here

here

here

here


here

here








5.3.12

Nutella Pecan Oatmeal





When I read the descriptions of recipes I find out there, I absolutely HATE when they say "a new twist" on whatever recipe. It's overused to the point of ridiculousness. Why not say "my version of"? Or, perhaps, "something extra for"?

Anyways, I always want to take what I make in the kitchen to the next level, and this morning I decided I wanted Nutella AND oatmeal. I wanted both at the same time. So this abomination was born.

Nutella Pecan Oatmeal
Makes 1 serving 


3/4 cup (96 grams) Oats
1 1/2 cup (354 mL) milk (I used soy milk)
3 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (or regular brown sugar to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Nutella
1/4 cup (32 grams) Pecans, chopped into smaller pieces

In a small sauce pan, pour milk and heat until it starts to boil. Add oats, pecans, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir, stir and stir some more.

When the oats have absorbed all the milk and reached desired consistency, add the Nutella and continue stirring. Serve.

Enjoy. :)

2.3.12

Doorknobs

http://whippedstyle.com/2011/07/29/repurpose-fun-and-diys/
Among the myriad of obsessions I have at the moment, doorknobs are one of them. I can't explain how it started (even though I will probably attribute it to boring trips to Home Depot when I was younger and finding pretty stuff among the endless rows of boring stuff) but I have kind of wanted them more and more lately.

I regret, deeply, not having bought a set of 3 flower shaped doorknobs I saw in Berlin during my recent trip there. At the moment, I just couldn't justify paying 6EUR per knob. I will never be able to find them again. *sigh* I thought I could start collecting them in order to achieve this project I'm contemplating at the moment.

This aforementioned project involves tackling the ridiculous amounts of necklaces I own. I have a big jewelry chest, stands, birdcage... you name it. It's all cluttered and I not only want to be able to find them (because I often forget what I have already), but they are so pretty, why not make a decoration out of them? 

http://karapaslaydesigns.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-02-10T09%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=5

So I came across this idea of doorknobs in Pinterest. And there are so many options/tutorials out there! Here are a few I particularly liked:


Canisters DIY via Homes by nine msn

This was probably the idea I liked the most because it's a nice way to make canisters look absolutely cute and use them for jewelry or other trinkets. I am looking forward to making these and perhaps putting them in my bathroom or something. 
Creative Coatrack via Home.

Coatrack? I don't have a need for a coatrack in these parts of the world, but maybe it's a good place to put my purses. 

Necklace Holder DIY via Visibly Moved


Necklace Holder Tutorial via Love People. Like Things.


Towel Hanger tutorial via House of Smiths

Drawer Hangers via Design*Sponge

Knob Bouquet via 100 Layer Cake

How cute is that bouquet!? It's probably not for everyone but I think it's something special and that will last a long time. I like the idea of that. 

I found this super cute website called Bombay Duck and they have the cutest knobs ever! I wish we had stores like this nearby. 


Shelving Inspiration

http://weheartit.com/entry/24136447

Today's inspiration... I love everything about this work area. Big spaces, lots of storage, all of trinkets, note cards, special little things in one organized space, displayed so I can see everything. I think I want to do this when I get my next apartment. Lovely!