Collage fruit basket

So I have this friend, who is an amazing photographer. I’m not a photography snob by any means – I couldn’t distinguish the lighting used or how different lenses create different textures – but I do know the difference between someone who has talent and someone who just has a fancy camera and a pretty flower within reach. And let me tell you, my girl has some talent! You can see for yourself HERE or follow her blog HERE.

So when I moved into this new apartment I really wanted to display some of her work. I was trolling through her site when I found this picture:

I just loved it so I requested that if she was bored sometime that she take MORE fruit pictures for me to hang up in my kitchen and as awesome friends do, she came through!

I love it! It adds a modern, fruity flare to my kitchen. I especially love the picture of the pears, they seem to have so much character!

Thanks Em! And to everyone else who may be near the Ohio area, hit this girl up for photos!

measuring with style, duos

In a follow up to THIS post, I did end up making another visual measurement picture. This one is a little more convoluted, but is actually pretty handy as I've referenced to it twice already.

8 oz = 1 cup
2 Tablespoons = 1 oz
3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon (You might not be able to see it, but there are small white "teaspoons" tucked inside the tablespoon.)

I currently have these images printed out and above my spice racks.

This is what you do when you work at a university and it's summertime. Well, this and rent lecture halls so that you and your co-workers can eat breakfast and watch the world cup on the screen projection.

GO USA!!

measuring with style

I’ve been very slack on updating. It’s not that I don’t have things to post, I’ve just been pretty lazy about it. So I’ll start up again with an quick post about this great way to remember kitchen measurements that I found HERE.

If you’re like me, then you can never remember how many cups are in a gallon or pints in a quart, but with this quick image it’s much easier to figure things out. I made my own image below:

4 Q(uarts) in a G(allon)
2 P(ints) in a Q(uart)
16 C(cups) in a G(allon) --- It's so quick and versitile!

I would be a happy camper if this image caught on! Right when I saw it, I immediately wished I knew a friend with a printing press that could make a simple print of this for me. I could definitely see it in my kitchen as a classy measurement reminder (along with the images that I’ll be putting up that my oh-so-amazing-friend, Emily, took for me; but more of that later). As for now, it will have to go as a print-out on the side of my fridge.

Anyone else know of some great measurement tips like these for the kitchen?

My eastern European kitchen

This weekend I was happy to finally buy plates for my new place. I went with the classic white with a rounded-off square design (I believe it’s called quatro). I like a white plate for serving food, but as for everything else I love some color.

I think that’s why I’m so drawn to polish pottery and immediately wanted to decorate my kitchen with my small collection of Russian (ie Matryoshka) dolls.

It started when someone bought me this set of DIY Russian dolls.

It was pretty daunting, but one day I took to the task and created these:

I think they turned out pretty cute; especially the middle one with fangs and the scared one next to it. I love putting a twist on things. I placed these on the shelf over my kitchen table.

I paired these with these adorable houseware items – the salt and pepper shakers are from Anthropologie and the measuring cups are from Urban Outfitter (and are still available online!).

My mom also found me a russian doll soap dispenser and spoon rest (yes, it’s an obsession). And my aunt gave me these great little pieces of polish pottery.

Don’t you just love that mug! I haven’t purchased any bowls yet because I really want to get some fun design like this to pair with my white dinner and appetizer plates. This weekend I actually found a polish pottery vase at Salvation Army, so my dream is to find a great set of bowls. But maybe I’ll just end up splurging on those anyway – or see what Anthropologie has and end up buying those instead. I’ll have to wait and see.