Ok, so yesterday was a pretty amaaazing mail day! Aaron and I were working away when we heard a thump on the front steps. A glance out the window revealed a huge box...then a step outside confirmed that the huge box was also heavy. But this is no rare occurrence around here...I've got a little brother that has custom "Differential Covers" and "Drive shafts" being delivered on a regular basis. The exciting part was that for a change this box was addressed to me...Ahhh!! Winning things is awesome! Winning things as big as this is pinch yourself awesome! It looks so so happy sitting here on the counter! We still have post storm rewiring to do to this side of the kitchen, but we'll give her a temporary spot on the opposite side of the room so we can plug her in and take her for a test spin tonight! I cannot thank Rosie aka Sweetapolita enough! I was already a dedicated fan of her confectionery magic. Now, when I bake, not only will she be there in spirit...there will also be a tangible reminder of her awesomeness. This is just epic!! AHH!
And while on the topic of fabulous pink appliances...get a load of this cutie! I Found it on ebay for a great price! And in classic ebay item fashion I added a dime to the photo for scale. I've mentioned in the past how much of a kick I get out of ebay photos that show scale with everyday objects. The classic is a coin, and very often it will be a soda can. Every time I take a picture of something...anything at all really...even one of the dogs...Aaron will ask if I want a soda can so that people will at least have an idea of scale. I really don't know why I laugh so much at this idea. It's totally practical and really helps bidders. I guess I get a kick out of unspoken rules of thumb.
I collect vintage tin toys of all types. Vintage kitchen appliances, and cash registers are a fave though. Most of my kitchen pieces are sooo much larger than this. This one is so petite. Perfect for sitting on a shelf and being the centerpiece of a sweet little retro vignette. I can't wait to get the kitchen finished!
To continue with the amazing mail... yep...This arrived! Oh my word! This darling little hand painted mermaid is a gift from the super duper talented, and armed with a heart of gold: Kirsten Easthope. Aaron and I have been fans of Kirsten's work for years! We can clearly recall sitting in the back room of our store flipping through magazines and first coming upon her work in Juxtapoz. Then Aaron did what he always did in those days...he called up his friend Rob to discuss a newly discovered talent. I swear, they'd sit on the phone and flip through Juxtapoz page for page..."did you see this guy's stuff?...yeah, I think it's good too...How about what Robert Williams said in the Letter from the Editor?...yeah, it's pretty accurate." I guess Juxtapoz was their grown up artist version of Tiger Beat. Anyway, on that day Rob knew exactly which artist was up for discussion. Kirsten's hand painted bowling pins blew us all away. These were fully formed gleaming art objects that were perfect in every way. Pin up girls, amazing leopard print details, tiki themed...her faces were rendered so well...and her highlights are a thing of a wonder. One of Aar's few Jenny tattoos was directly inspired by one of her paintings.
Ok, fast forward and with the help of the magical internet we now count Kirsten as a friend these days! And this super special gift for our newly renovated post storm bathroom means so much to us! Love the tiny Aaron tattoo! She looks so happy hanging on our pastel striped walls amid the seashore theme! We love her so so much. You can find your very own hand painted mermaid in Kirsten's shop Queenpin Deluxe.
So if you follow me on Instagram or we happen to be friends on facebook you may have seen this photo the other day. As I mentioned...Aaron jumped up off the couch, marched into the kitchen and proceeded to make "cabbage steaks". He's at the cutting board, cabbage in hand, and says "I saw them on pinterest and since we have a cabbage..."
We both love roasted veggies of all types. Especially brussels sprouts. Cabbage and cauliflower are up there too. This photo is what they looked like just prior to them being popped in the oven. After and hour in there they got all browned and a bit caramelized...very very good! We made ours a bit spicy...but you can stick to just plain salt and pepper, depending on what you are pairing them with. We had ours along side a spicy corn and onion skillet, and Morningstar Farms chick patties that we browned with a tiny bit of olive oil, spices, and bbq sauce. It was a really good, easy, last minute, summery meal.
Here's how to make them:
1 head of cabbage cut into 1" thick slices
about 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
dash of salt
cracked pepper
salt free Southwest spice (optional)
olive oil spray
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. Remove the outer leaf of cabbage, and begin slicing your cabbage into 1" thick "steaks" from the top down to the stump.
In a small bowl combine your olive oil and garlic. Using a pastry brush, brush your "steaks" (both sides). And season with salt, pepper, and Southwest spices. (both sides)
Now roast your steaks for 30 mins on each side, flipping halfway through. Be careful when flipping because they start to separate due to being so tender. Roast an hour total. They should be browned on the edges, and tender.
I've shared my love of candles with you guys plenty o' times. I am such a sucker for those 2 for 22.00 sales at Bath & Body Works . I just can't imagine paying 20.00 for one of the three wicks when I know if I just hold out they will eventually be 2 for. Summer is coming to an end and they have been teasing us with Fall previews. Which by the way...I am so so ready for Fall! But I knew we still had some sunny summer days left to burn (pun intended) So I wasn't gonna jump on the Pumpkiny scents just yet. I'll share more of what I got on this little shopping spree...but for now let me just focus on this one here. It was a total surprise to me that I liked it so much. I am not normally into chocolate scented candles. They are almost always far too artificial and they kinda turn my stomach. So knowing that, why did I order this?? Maybe it was the color. I took a gamble and went with a big ole' 3 wick...where normally when trying a scent out I'll order the minis at 2 for 5.00, which is a great way to find new scents to love. But yep... I went whole hog...and it paid off. I really really like it! So does Aaron! It reminds him of visits to his Grandparents, who always had a bowl of Andes mints.
I think I can actually use the word FUN here! It's a fun scent. Walking into a room and smelling mint chocolate...it's bright, cheerful, sweet, a bit invigorating, heck I'll even use the word whimsical! I'd totally buy it again.
Oh, and last but certainly not least...The Winner of the Fritzi Marie Doo Nanny flower crown Giveaway is Natasha! A very big Thank You to Fritzi Marie for being so lovely and generous! I'll be contacting you both asap!
We are in the studio today...outside it's wavering between overcast skies and stultifying sun. So why not paint away in our hermetic haven? We hope you all are having a great week!
Love from the NJ Shore!
xo Jenny...and Aaron of course!