eating this week

MONDAY fried eggs with salsa verde and fried smashed potatoes - because I didn't get to it last week and I'm dying to try it.
TUESDAY taco salad
WEDNESDAY summer (this is what we call our traditional warm-weather meal of corn-on-the-cob, boiled potatoes, green beans, and sliced tomatoes - my favorite!)
THURSDAY grilled cheese (not sure which variety as I have about 100 different recipes for grilled cheese pinned but I think I'm leaning on a variation of this one)
FRIDAY loaded sweet potato rounds + garden salad (new)
SATURDAY kale, barley, and feta salad (new)
SUNDAY tex-mex quinoa

I had three new recipes on the menu last week but we only got to one of them - it was so freaking hot that turning on the oven just wanted very appealing and also, the delicious Mexican place around the corner was calling your name Saturday night. More hot weather in the forecast this week which explains the heavy push on salads and quick meals. The roasted broccoli salad with lemons and almonds was delicious though I will probably cut back just a bit on the lemon next time.

the ever growing gallery wall (corner)

I've slowly been adding to this corner for a few months now. I've wanted to create a gallery wall for years but deciding what direction I wanted to go as far as frames and choosing photos is HARD. I know you feel me.

Once I took inventory of what I had on hand though, I had a pretty cohesive start and I've slowly been adding more. I didn't want to do all matching frames as I didn't want to be locked in to the same color and style but what evolved is the mix of white, black, wood, and pattern you see here.

I tried to get a good mix of old photos, new photos, and prints. I want to add something hanging in the corner - a plant or mobile of some sort. Forgive the terrible iPhone photos - my Canon hasn't been charged for months (and for the record, almost all of the modern era shots featured are from my phone as well.)

Left side:

Right side (the empty frame is awaiting the woven piece I'm currently working on):

And a few details...how cute was Carlos?

That wood accent was pulled off the front of a greeting card (that I bought specifically for the purpose of using on a scrapbook page.) It worked perfectly with that photo of C + I from a couple of years ago.

I designed this poster originally for Izzy's room as she was kind of obsessed with Cosmos and particularly this quote (which had her staring at her hands in wonderment.) 

I know it's kind of hard to see because of the glare so here is the original. If you are/have a star-lover and would like to print one yourself (like $4, seriously) you can download it HERE.

The La Linea art I've been dreaming of making forever. Hanging below, a simple print I made to semi-coordinate with the star stuff poster - because it's always a good time for Earth, Wind, & Fire.

A quick and easy way to "finish" a poster. I used balsa wood (this to be exact) to create those bars. I cut the piece to 18" and then, cut that into 1" strips. I used a rotary cutter and it worked awesome - super lightweight and easy to attach and hang. I ended up covering the strips with woodgrain tape that happened to be 1" as well because I didn't love how the bare balsa looked with the other frames in the vicinity but I've done bare wood as well.

This print from Tina hangs on the opposite wall and I used the same technique.

Here's what I realized. The photos you choose don't matter. Simply having them there makes me happy. I can always switch them out and add more to it but as usual, done is better than perfect.

eating this week

MONDAY summer vegetable skillet lasagna - I discovered this yesterday morning and made it last night - delicious and easy!
TUESDAY pancakes + veggie sausage
WEDNESDAY firecracker cauliflower - this sauce is so delicious I want to drizzle it over everything. Also, can you tell I love this blog for dinner inspiration? If you're into meatless meals at all - even just on occasion, I highly recommend it!
THURSDAY roasted broccoli salad with lemons and almonds (new)
FRIDAY loaded sweet potato rounds + garden salad (new)
SATURDAY fried eggs with salsa verde and fried smashed potatoes - this looks amazing and it has capers which I've never had but have been wanting to try forever. (new)
SUNDAY pizza