www.thepapersnail.etsy.com

 I am always on the lookout for new ways to work with paper & Mod Podge, so when I saw some wrapped pencils in a fancy gift shop recently, I knew I had found my next project. 
 I had pencils, sealant & of course I have paper...I was ready for this! Some I covered in vintage Comic book pages & other with some pages from a old, damaged Reader's Digest. They took sharpening in the electric sharpener just fine & I love writing with them. Now, to try different pencils & paper combos.  
 Happy Crafting!

www.thepapersnail.etsy.com

www.thepapersnail.etsy.com

  I have always loved & been fascinated by birds. Their calls, feathers, nests never fail to catch my attention &  my imagination. 
 I like to bring natural elements into my home and am always partial to the rustic & shabby. I have been in paradise checking out The Lucketts online Vintage Hip store. A feast for the senses! My current favorite is this metal hook rack. Gorgeousness (& I know just where I would put it!)
http://shoplucketts.myshopify.com/products/metal-wall-hook-with-birds

 I have been working on this wreath for a long time now. It was in an almost finished stage for too long to admit to, but no more! It is finally finished & ready for me to shoot some great pics of it & list it in my Etsy shop The Paper Snail.
 It is made from scraps of an old romance novel & vintage comic books. Each scrap is dipped in glue than inserted in the straw wreath form over & over & over. It is an idea I adapted from a fabric wreath I saw online. I plan on starting another soon & I will post the project in steps. Blessings!

Today I was feeling a bit homesick for my hometown,Yakima (it happens) & I decided to drive across town to our Albertson's store. This weird out of date grocery store, for too many reasons to explain, reminds me of YAK & my folks, my youth & my Grandparents. We stepped inside the store & the smell of fried chicken, baked goods & burnt coffee blended perfectly with the golden oldies being played throughout the store. The boy & I looked at every hula hoop, bottle of bubbles & huge bouncy ball they had. It worked...♥


(Yakima is known for it's delicious Cherries. This sweet vintage cherries image is graciously free to use from thegraphicsfairy.blogspot.com)

  I adore old text and paper. I combined my love of paper and Victorian images in these prints. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do making them♥

 "What's for dinner tonight?"  The eternal question, eh? I try to plan our family's meals around what's on sale, local healthy & of course what we enjoy eating. My husband is a vegetarian (no meat at all even fish, but he will eat eggs) so after 10 plus years of marriage I have become a whiz at meals that are vegetarian for him yet have some meat for our son & I.
 By default, most of our meals are meatless, but I feel this is a healthier, less expensive & a ecologically sounder way to eat. Vegetarian spaghetti, chili, nachos, fajitas & veggies on the grill, are favorites around here but there are nights when the kid and I want something meaty like turkey meatloaf or grilled chicken breast.
 For night such as these, I will make a main meat dish, a starch (potato, rice etc) and a veg (salad, steamed broccoli, green beans etc). Then for my veggie hubs I make an alternative to the meat protein. Tofu cutlets, grilled tempeh, frozen chicken"less" nuggets & the like). The starch & veggie part of the meal is great for him and for us meat eaters. 
 So..what's for dinner tognight???


 From Rachel Ray ( made by: ME above!)

Ingredients

TipUse zucchini instead of eggplant.

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 3/4 pounds), cut lengthwise into 8 slices
• Salt and pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup store-bought pesto
• 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
• 1 cup store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

1. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and 4 tablespoons pesto. Pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ;. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, 2 minutes on each side, using the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and 3 tablespoons pecorino-romano; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining pesto on each eggplant slice and top with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice. Bake until the eggplant is tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer. Serve the roll-ups with the sauce and remaining pecorino.

    


  Every year about this time, I start dreaming of the Beach & summer Vacations. I am wanting to bring some of that feel & capture a bit of the fleeting Season. Creamy color combinations, natural textures, nautical prints & images all play a part in this look. here's to creating the perfect Summer Beach decor!