what happened to tidbits?

Hello there! Since I discovered Pinterest, I have pretty much stopped blogging on here, because I can save all the pretty things I find on there! I have also started another blog: the rainy kitchen

sweet living room

I think this little space is pretty much perfectly put together. I love the painted wooden trunk for a coffee table and the shades of purple mixed in with the black and white. The chandelier gives the room a touch of sparkle without being over the top. Cozy and unique.

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rosie on the green carpet

Last spring Rosie and I did a fun little "Green Carpet" thing together. It's sponsored by Shoe Fly, our fabulous local shoe store and is a fundraiser for Juneau's Humane Society, you have to dress your pup to match your shoes. I made this silly little costume for Rosie and wore my favorite red shoes (Fluevogs, how can you go wrong?). We won a $150 gift certificate to Shoe Fly! This year we weren't going to do it, just because I wasn't feeling like I had the time, but then Shoe Fly sent out these pictures and I discovered that Rosie is on the front page of their web site...and I started brain storming a little outfit for her to go with my current favorite Shoe Fly shoes. So...if I can get it together, we'll be doing it again this year. We'll see, lots to do. Stay tuned... xo

a tipi in amsterdam

This tipi was found in a concept shop in Amsterdam, I love it! If I did not live such a damp climate, I'd totally make this for my yard. A perfect reading spot for my sun sensitive man and a fabulous place to retreat after soaking up too much of it. Ahhh. Alas I think we'd have to cover it with plastic tarps here in Juneau in order for it to last any length of time. Maybe we'll have a dry summer...

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a lovely home in formentera

As I have mentioned, we have been super busy with chicks, pups, chickens old house, and life in general...thus my dwindling blog posts. However, I just had to share this beautiful home in Formentera, Spain with you. Formentera is the smallest and farthest south island of the Pine Islands, in the Mediterranean. I fantasize about visiting there one day, but until I do, pictures will have to stand in. I think this place is just so amazing! I love the wood and the stone and the simplicity of it all. Gorgeous! Enjoy.

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lunch in the garden

It was beautiful today in Juneau and we were doing more house projects. We did take a quick break for an easy lunch of smoked salmon collars, olives, and fresh bread toasted with soft cheese and prosciutto in the yard. This was all accompanied by S. Pellegrino with fresh lemon. Delicious and simple. Perfect for a busy day with a divine break for lunch.

photo via tidbits

babies!

Today we got our baby chickens. We ordered ten with a friend and each took home five. We have three Barred Rocks and two Rhode Island Reds. They are so tiny and only three days old. They were shipped here from Missouri and their two day travel started on day one of their lives. Amazing! We are keeping them inside in a large plastic container until they have feathers and can stay warm outside (they'll be inside for 2-3 months). We have to keep them very warm (90-100 degrees right now) and make sure their little box is always clean and that they have fresh water and food. They are so cute and super tiny!

Here is a photo of Rosie checking them out, she thinks they're pretty cute too! More soon!

photo via tidbits

spring blooms

One of my favorite things about this time of year in Alaska is collecting the twigs about to burst into bloom with leaves and berries. Two of the types I like best are pussy willows and blueberries.

Pussy willows, are so fabulous because you can collect them in the spring and keep them all year! In order to preserve them, I never put them in water. I bring them home and put them in dry vases. I love them in these silver vases that were my grandmother's, but they are great in a mason jar too!

Blueberries have the most lovely bell shaped pink blossoms. This year, with all the amazing weather we've had the last few weeks, the blueberries are already in bloom! I usually like to collect them and let them bloom in the house, before they get any leaves, but I didn't get there this year. They were all in bloom by the time I went collecting. They are gorgeous in the antique glass vase my mom recently sent me. These do need lots of water so they last as long as possible.

So, if you haven't done it yet, it's time to go twig collecting. There are so many lovely ones out there right now! They make for fabulous decor inside and out. Happy gathering :)

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spring halibut

Last night we ate our first fresh halibut of the season. So good. We bought if from our favorite fish shop in Juneau. It's very expensive this time of year, but here is a tip... Often times fish mongers will give a discount on the fillet tips and other cuts that just aren't as pretty. So, yesterday I got some not so pretty pieces of fresh halibut and cooked it up for dinner on the porch. It was a beautiful spring day in Juneau and having fresh fish for dinner is one of the things that makes me feel so fortunate in this life.

My favorite way to cook fresh halibut is with some combination of lemon, white wine, garlic and butter. In the summer I use fresh dill, but this time of year I use capers. Either way, it's delicious. Try it out. You can use this recipe with really any fresh fish.

The key to delicious halibut is not to overcook it. I learned how to do this from my dad, who is the best fish cook I know. People who say they don't like halibut have usually had it overcooked. Which is too bad, because it should be a fluffy, light and creamy fish. The key to not overcooking halibut is watching it carefully and taking it off the heat when it's opaque, even a tinge pink. It should not be a solid white.

Ok, I will stop babbling, here is the recipe, good for one lb. of halibut:

In a fry pan, saute 2-3 cloves garlic in 3tbs butter
While garlic is cooking, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the halibut and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Ad a few splashes of white wine to the butter and garlic saute.
Place the fish in (heat should be a bit under medium)
Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top of the fish and place some slices of lemon on the fish.
Sprinkle with capers.
Cover pan and occasionally spoon mixture over the fish. Cook until perfectly opaque. When in doubt, turn it off and leave covered for a few moments.
Enjoy with a glass of your favorite white wine and good company as fresh goodies like this should always be shared.
Happy Spring!

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spring

Happy Spring Equinox, my dears. We celebrated by having our first dinner of the season on the front porch. I am thankful for nights like this. xo

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happy weekend

Even though it's snowing, I know spring is coming - or at least I keep trying to remind myself that it is. Here is to finding a peaceful path this weekend, wherever you are and whatever the weather is doing, spring is coming... xo

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kitchen conversions

Love these kitchen charts! Pretty and useful. You can get them from the store site on the food blog, Chasing Delicious. I think I might order one for my newly painted kitchen. There are other charts for sale, I just like these two best. Enjoy!

happy weekend

I am planning to walk the dogs, read my book, clean the house and catch up on some sleep this weekend. Have a lovely and restful one, my dears. xo

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ah...paris

Love this Paris apartment. The whites combined with the earthy tones give it such a relaxing feel. Beautiful. I'd like to live here...

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a relaxing read

Happy Wednesday. I'd love to be reading a book right in this spot today. So beautiful and perfect.

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spacious entryway

I can't imagine (nor would I want) a house big enough to have an entry way this size, but I do love the look of this space. Lots of baskets for storage and a bench to get yourself ready on, make a lot of sense to me. The black and white color theme with the earthiness of the wood, is crisp and classic.

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lovely dining rooms

I love both of these dining rooms. Simple and uncluttered. The cement floors are clean and chic. Our dining room table is painted black, and I have been thinking about painting it white to brighten up the space. I do love this black table though. Hmmm...hard to decide.

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happy friday

I love this bright and cheery dining room space. Look at those windows! The rustic table is hearty and perfect. I hope you have a lovely weekend, my dears and have some time to gather 'round your own table with loved ones. xo

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photo love

Perfect.

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beautiful bedrooms

I hope you had a relaxing weekend, my dears. I had a fabulous weekend being spoiled by my husband and my girlfriends for my birthday. I am such a lucky gal!

At any rate, as I have mentioned before, I am slowly getting our bedroom to where I'd like it to be. There is still much to be done though, and I do like to keep getting ideas. Here are some that I found particularly serene. Enjoy.

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a french inspired birthday

Today I turn 36. I took the day off from work and am planning to spend it in front of the wood stove, reading and drinking tea, cuddling with my pups and generally not doing much. Last night I came home after an eleven hour day, to a sweet birthday gift from my dear husband. He gave me two French design books, a French music CD, and some rose wine (not French because it was all he could find in Juneau), which we loved to drink while we were in France, chocolate croissants, baguettes, strawberries (amazingly yummy considering it's February), some yummy chocolate and of course, the yummiest Camembert cheese you can get in Juneau. What a doll. So, I will be digging into my new design books today and enjoying some delicious snacks. Thirty five was a good year, I hope I discover as much at thirty six! Have a lovely weekend my dears. xo

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kitchen love

Look at this space! Love it! Beautiful wooden cabinets and a hearty farm style table, mixed with the white washed wood floors and the modern chairs, all balances so well. Simple and delicious. I would be happy cooking and eating there. Enjoy.

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a beautiful bath

I love this room! Looks so serene and peaceful. I never would have thought of a black tub, but I think it's very nice in this simple space. I also love the old medicine cabinet and those windows. Yum!

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a great re-purpose

I love this! The whole space is pretty great, but I really think the use of the old bed spring here is fantastic. I also love that chair and the table. Awesome.

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dairy free, gluten free, good eats

I know I have been remiss about posting lately, as I mentioned in my one and only post last week, things have been very busy. However, I am going to try to get back on task this week!

For the month of January, Bret and I decided to cut out alcohol, caffeine, cheese, milk, sugar (including sugar from fruit), soy and refined carbohydrates. We did a week of nothing but raw or steamed veggies, and following that, we could cook anything as long as it did not include the above list.

One of our favorite eats is fish tacos - we generally use halibut because it's often in our freezer. Usually we use corn tortillas and I use all purpose flower in the mix for seasoning the fish...This time, we used Napa Cabbage as the "tortilla" and I used buckwheat flower as the binder. I also made the salsa instead of using salsa verde because we are only supposed to be having the raw apple cider vinegar for this month as well and there is a lot of vinegar in that canned salsa. It was fresh and delicious. Try it!

You need:

- a fillet or two of white fish
- 2-3 tablespoons chipotle powder (or chile powder if you don't have that)
- 3-4 tablespoons buckwheat flower
- olive oil
- an avocado
- two limes
- two tomatoes
- a small clove of garlic
- a quarter of an onion
- a small bunch of cilantro
- a head of napa cabbage

In a shallow bowl, such as a pasta bowl, mix the buckwheat flower and the chipotle powder. Add more or less chipotle depending on how spicy you want it.

Cut up the fish in cubes and put in a separate bowl.

Mash the avocado and add some salt to taste. Cut up the tomatoes, garlic, onions and cilantro and put in a bowl together. Squeeze in lots of lime (to taste) and a sprinkle of salt. Mix together.

Put enough extra virgin olive oil in a pan to have about a quarter of an inch to fry the fish in. Heat it up on medium or a little hotter depending on your stove. While the oil is heating, roll the fish in the mix of chipotle mix a handful of pieces at a time. Then fry the little morsels in the olive oil. They should be small pieces, so they'll cook quick. Don't leave them and walk away - you want to be turning them around and making sure to remove as soon as they are no longer opaque. I like to remove them into a wooden bowl lined with a paper towel to soak up the extra olive oil.

Once the fish is cooked, you're all set. Take a piece of the cabbage, spread a thick helping of avocado inside the leaf, add some fish and a large helping of the salsa fresca you made. Then squeeze some lime over the entire thing and enjoy. YUM!

kitchen update

I am sorry I have not posted in over a week! Things have been very busy. We re-did our kitchen and we adopted a new dog into our family. So, I have been focused on getting Arlo, a two and a half year old Miniature Pinscher, settled in and making sure Rosie Mae is ok with this massive life change. More on that in another post...

Back to the kitchen... Someday we would love to remodel our funky kitchen, but that is financially out of the question at this point. So instead we have finally taken the time to paint it. It's a small kitchen and the only window is on the back wall (not pictured) which is north facing. So, after thinking about lots of different color options, I decided that white would be best to open the space up and give it a clean fresh feel (I know, you're shocked). I also replaced all the hardware on the cabinets with ceramic knobs I bought on sale from Anthropologie nearly a year ago. I wasn't sure at the time what color we would paint things, but I loved them and I knew they would be the right ones.

We did some other little things to update the room. We spray painted all the hinge hardware black as well as the base of the sconce above the kitchen sink. At some point when we re-do the lighting in that room, we will replace it, but until then, it's much nicer black. I also swapped out the art work for some art made by friends and spray painted some letters from the craft store for EAT.

In the end, I am much happier with the kitchen in this state and think the boring gray counter tops even look better. Small progress, but it's a good change, especially during this dark time of year.

Before...

After...

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you say tomato, i say shut up

This fall I read a very funny book by Anabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn, called You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. A love story. This book made me laugh until I cried. It is the true story of the marriage of the authors, and it is written in a he said she said format. I loved hearing both sides, and it was a good reminder to laugh at things that may seem like a big deal in the moment. Marriage is not easy. Anyone who is married knows this (and if they tell you otherwise, they are either totally out of touch or they are lying), but hard does not mean it isn't fun and often very funny. Read this book, it will make you laugh and remind you that being different people from each other is, after all, why you love each other. If you're single, it will remind you that getting married or committing to a serious long term relationship is not something to take lightly. A worthy and very funny read no matter what your relationship status.

yippee, a fancy new light

My sweet husband recently rewired the bedroom so we have a working overhead light with two light switches! Very exciting stuff in our house. However, we have been having a really hard time finding the right light for the room. I was in love with a Capiz shell chandelier from West Elm, but it was too long to fit the space. So, we kept looking and through the wonders of google, we were eventually lead to - and I do realize how ridiculous and shameful this is - Pottery Barn Teen, where we found this awesome chandelier that was affordable, and the right size. Bret just put it up, and I am totally in love with it! Our house will be years and years worth of projects, but the one's you can see are especially fun. Happy Monday!

happy weekend

The holidays have passed. Obligations have slowed. The new year is here. It's dark out, but the light is slowly coming back. Take time to focus on the little things. Take a deep breath and have a wonderful and relaxing weekend my dears. xo

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a beautiful table

I love this dining room. The table is especially fantastic! Love the super rustic look of the reclaimed wood.

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