Yam fries...!

These quick & easy yam fries are a great alternative to french fries {a big waekness of mine!} & are so easy to make!

You'll need::
1} 1 or 2 large yams
2}grapeseed oil
3}salt & seasoning

Preheat oven to 375

Just wash your yams well & cut them into pieces of your desired size, I like them a bit thicker.

Toss them in 1 tlbs. oil {you can use others but grapeseed oil is best since it doesn't become toxic once it reaches certain temps like oilve oil may}.

Lay them out on a cookie sheet, meaty part facing down & season with kosher salt or I used Mrs. Dash since it's salt-less. Bake for 20 mins or until the thickest pieces are tender!

I served them with turkey burgers...Yum!

One man's junk...another man's coffee table!

Excuse the blurry photo (again) it's not the best camera & it's very dark & overcast where I live so it wouldn't focus...

I purchased this little coffee table for only $40 at a furniture consignment store & had to share it with you! I think it may have been a custom design but not sure. The sides extend out & it's nice & low to the ground, which is good for our tiny house!

Easy chocolate croissants...!

Just wanted to share this simple & yummy recipe with you..

You'll need::
~a package of puff pastry or crescent rolls
~choc chips, Nutella or fudge
~butter

1}preheat oven to the temp listed on roll package
2} roll out puff pastry or crescent rolls, & fill with a tsp. choc (fill towards the wider end to make it easier to roll up!)
3}brush a bit of sweet butter over the tops
4}bake!

They're really yummy but not the best breakfast!!

New on my photostream...

I added a few new pics to my Flickr...check it out!

I couldn't resist!

I couldn't NOT post this...Feel More Human has quite a variety if really cool dinnerware...& don't even get me started on the drinkware! I especially like the map series {above is an aerial map of New Orleans} but they're all fun & there's plenty more where this came from!

What I did this weekend...

Saturday I got this chair, for free since our neighbors didn't want it anymore, and immediately I saw that it had potential! In one afternoon I sanded down the old varnish & painted this black semi-gloss over the entire chair. I recovered the seat {it still had a nice cushion} with a cotton upholstery fabric & Viola! A new chair for our office area!

An eco-friendly to-go cup...

A novel idea...I think...to come up with a porcelain & silicone to-go cup. A cup that can be reused but still retains the shape & size up the typical paper & plastic cups! Pretty cool huh?

Eskell

Similar to Lyell {who I featured a few weeks back}, Eskell makes lovely fashions & I love these photos. With touches of vintage & playfulness, Eskell's Spring line is worth checking out. I'm a big fan of this color palette...the feminine red with florals & high-waisted shorts...{sigh!}

Meyer-Lavigne...

Meyer-Lavigne...I love looking at their things! Anyways, a design duo, Kristine Meyer & Sabine Lavigne {who both graduated from Denmark's School of Design} make up the Copenhagen based design firm. Among their extensive list of abilities, they are interior designers, stylists, writers & designers of housewares including ceramics & bedding. Oh, and they're bloggers! Wow, full plate huh?
Currently the duo is working on a project called "rainy days" which should come out in about a month-they promised to send me pics when they come out so stay tuned for that!!

Hella Jongerius...

This little plate from Rose & Radish has so much charm...I love it! Left alone it's a great centerpiece for a dining table it looks so real but with the snail's golden trail you can't help but to smile! Here's some more I found at Douglas & Hope...or you can just check out R&R's site!

DIY-grocery tote...

fabric from Ikea...

My husband & I have talked about ways we can help cut down our use of plastics (yuck) & decided the best thing would be to cut down on plastic bags. As a result I made myself several grocery totes that I leave in my trunk & take with me to the store. Here a little D.I.Y. project for you...

1}cut your fabric & lining (mine was 18" x 18")
2} to do a French seam you'll pin the pieces right side out & make a 1/4 in. seam::then you'll turn it inside out, press & make a 1/2 in. seam-to enclose your raw edges...it looks the best!
3}I sewed these little darts across the inside corners to give the bag some structure(see the 3rd set of pictures from bottom)
4}finish your raw edges at the top of the bag by sewing a basting stitch 1/4 in. from edge, fold on that line, then fold once more...then stitch
5}To make your straps...I cut long pieces about 5" thick, pressed 1/4 in. on both sides (lengthwise) then folded it on itself, pressed again & stitched 1/4 in. from the finished edge
6}I attached the straps by pinning in place then sewing a "X" pattern, for extra sturdiness

Viola! You have an eco-friendly, reusable grocery tote {or anything tote for that matter} which will help greatly reduce the use of plastic bags!

Now go shopping!!

Great design, brought to you by Marimekko...

by Samu-Jussi Koski
by Mika Piirainen

When it comes down to it, I can't decide which I appreciate more-interior design or fashion design. You live your life in both & sometimes it's hard to separate the two. Marimekko is a fabulous, textile & clothing design company {from Finland} that produces everything from bedding to children's clothes.

The Spring line-which includes 4 versions from 4 different designers is so inspiring! I could look through these product cards for hours!

A Merry Mishap @ the Scoop!

Laura over at the Scoop posted some pics from Omniarte Design...& did some name dropping, which is always nice. She featured some pics from a post I did a while back of Erinn Valencich's work. You can see it here...