All apologies

So...sorry for not posting on here for awhile. I have been doing all things summer. This year, I really owned summer and embraced all of the opportunities that were presented to me. I even got in the water this year.

When I have been home, I have found myself outside in the yard rather than in the studio. Gardening is my new hobby. There were plenty of fun things to blog about from my summer and I hope to share those with you over the next few weeks as I get my groove back here indoors. In summary: Camping, hiking and some traveling around Oregon/Washington.

Actually, if you already follow me on Instagram, you probably saw most of the photos already! So get over there and check them out and see what other random stuff has inspired me.

                                          Fun Fact: nine years ago... the mister & I tied the knot

The Teaches of Peaches.

                                                              photo courtesy of Fitness Magazine

This is not a cooking blog, but it is quickly turning into one! Since peaches are in season right now, I wanted to share this scrumptious recipe with you.

Last week, I made this Peach Pesto Chicken Wrap recipe for my husband, who is a die-hard peach lover. It's so incredibly easy to make and you don't have to turn on the oven. It takes about 20 minutes tops, if you purchase chicken that is already cooked- Trader Joe's has a few different options.

We happened to have some basil growing like crazy, so clipping it from my own garden made this salad even more magical. I know I just said salad, even though the photo and recipe clearly states that it is a wrap. We ditch the tortilla and eat it on top of butter leaf lettuce.

Want to get all fancy? Pair it with some sauvignon blanc. I really like Kim Crawford or Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Enjoy!
-S

10 days and counting...

Fremont Fest is only 10 days away and I am getting pumped! Lots and lots of earrings are being made this week and next week I will be focusing on some new pieces that will debut at the street fair.

I'm very excited (as always) to meet my local clients in person. It's actually one of my favorite things-chatting it up with my fellow Portlanders while getting to know a new part of town.

Here are the deets:

Come by and say hello! Mention that you saw this blog post and save 10% on your purchase during the street fair. See you there!

Lemon Love- Continued

As I mentioned before, lemon is one of my favorite scents of summer. It's refreshing, energizing and so clean smelling. My initial love of lemon came by the way of soap. Yep, soap.

                                                                               photo courtesy of Bloom Decorative Soaps


A couple of years ago, I sat next to the Owner and Mastermind behind Bloom Decorative Soaps at a trunk show and purchased one of everything she had! Guess what everyone received for Christmas!

This little lemon soap blew my mind...it looked like a real lemon. Better yet, it smelled better than the real thing. I still have it next to the sink a year and a half later and it is still going strong. The best part (aside from the lemon smell) is that it leaves my hands soft after washing. 

Julie's work is amazing. Look at extreme detail that she puts into these soaps! They are mini masterpieces! Check this one out:

Lovely, no? The soaps are so pretty that you almost don't want to wash with them! I still have one of her jolly Buddhas on display in my washroom. I think I will save it as a guest soap...

Diet Friendly Brownies!

Yes! There is such a thing.

I found this recipe that we tried out a couple of weeks ago...and I have to say that I was not expecting this recipe to turn out, but low and behold, it yielded a tasty batch of brownies!

Even my husband ate some with no complaints (even though he knew it was a sugar free batch). Enough said.

1 can of black beans
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar substitute (I used 3/4 cup of Truvia)
3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
36 pecan halves

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a 8x8 inch baking pan- I used good ol' cooking spray.

In a blender or food processor, combine everything together except for the nuts.

Scrape the batter into your pan and place the nuts on top in even rows-6 across and 6 down. I know...I know. The nut placement is helpful for distinguishing the serving size when they are all done.
If you plan on taking down the whole pan (I won't judge!), just toss them on top however you'd like.
Also, the batter is going to be runny as heck. It's okay!

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cut into 36 squares and prepare to rejoice! You can still have your chocolate fix in brownie form without funky flour and a lot of 

PRO TIP: I purchased the little mini packet of pecan halves that they have in the baking aisle and I still had enough to snack on while waiting for the brownies to bake. 

Sorry for not taking a photo. They weren't around long enough...

Enjoy!

 

Lemon Love

With a camping trip under my belt, a few BBQs with friends and temps in the 90's, summer is here in full effect! Things are literally heating up in the studio too...I was finally able to torch some things last week and I also fell back into my candle addiction.

                                                                           photo courtesy of: Bridge Nine Candle Co.

Hi. My name is Stacy, and I am a candle addict. For real. I used to have them everywhere, but now I only have them in the studio to get rid of that oh-so lovely pickle smell. Enter Bridge Nine Candle Co.! Bridge Nine is a locally ran company that makes DELICIOUS smelling candles made with soy and essential oils. Local and natural-check!

The candles come in all shapes and sizes...I picked up the mega size just to make sure I have enough of that lemon smelling goodness floating about all summer long.

I cannot wait to see what the come up with for a fall scent. You can bet your sweet patooty that it is going to smell amazing!

This is really happening!

Yay! We have ordered our E-Camper and it is all finished (as of Monday). We are just waiting for it to be delivered to us. I'm so excited! Take a look at Ursa Minor's Website and checkout if your car can be converted into a super cool camping-mobile.

While the Element has been in sunny San Diego, I have learned how to navigate my little corner of the city by bike, which has been so fun! I think I will keep doing it for fun-riding to the market a couple of times a week or to a coffee shop. 


I'm already day dreaming of our first camping trip in the rain!