Miss Modish- Mojo Maker

Flower on the Wall Vintage

Taking a cue from Liz, I'm sticking with the back to school theme for the day... What I'm really wanting this fall is more boots and bags. And flower on the wall vintage has plenty of both! And these are actual vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces scoured from around South Dakota. They even have some good shoe picks for hard to find too-big-for-vintage-feetsies like mine (size 10) Yippee!

Eco-Friendly Find: Back to School

I haven't gone "back to school" in the fall for a number of years (got a reunion coming up, hmmm), but one of my favorite things about this time of year was always starting fresh with a new big, roomy, stylin' bag.

Here are a few of my eco-friendly favorites up for grabs on Etsy right now: (clockwise from top left) vegan granny tote bag from blissthings; leather hobo bag with vintage fabric from panbeh; natural linen tote with recycled leather straps from arva; repurposed vintage tweed coat tote from woodroots.

Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.

Monday Morning

Ahh, it's rainy today. And I like it, becuase it hasn't rained in quite awhile around here. I love how the rain makes everything so still and quiet. And I love the light in this house, especially on cloudy days. It inspired me to pick up a camera which hasn't happened in quite awhile either, so that must be a good thing. My Monday morning looks something like this...

What's your Monday morning like? I look forward to spending another fun week with you here!

Happy weekend (with a pop-up postcard!)

Greetings from beautiful Portland, OR! Isn't this pop-up postcard by Man vs. Ink just the cutest? Brings back memories of how much I used to love pop-up books when I was a kid. Do they still make pop-up books? I sure hope so!

The clouds are coming, the air is cooling and fall is definitely in the air here- and I love it! We have big plans of finding the mister something to wear to our wedding this weekend- wish us luck! I hope you have a good weekend and see you back here on Monday!

<3 jena

set it and forget it: garlic

Last night I took a gardening class from Renfrow Hardware, an old general store that's a short walk from my house. They're a little more expensive than the big box hardware stores, but also offer tried and true DIY and gardening products.  The class, led by David and Mary Beth Blackley, was geared towards beginner gardeners and was all about fall gardening. I don't want to scare you, but we're 3 1/2 weeks away from the autumnal equinox.

I've got a handful of gardening years worth of experience under my belt so a lot of the information was nothing new for me, but it served as  a good reminder of a few gardening truths and was a kick in the pants to get back in the dirt.

The class was all about cold weather crops: think cooking greens, lettuce, root crops, onions, garlic and asparagus. From the fall appropriate list are two of the most rewarding and problem-free things I've ever grown: carrots and garlic.  People, I promise you, cold crops are every bit as exciting as summer squash and home-grown tomatoes, but they're often overlooked because we're all exhausted after a summer of high heat and fighting bugs and are ready for a break.

Even if you've never grown anything, I suggest you take a moment and find some garlic to plant. Simply split the head up into the individual cloves; and plant them 2 inches deep, pointy part up in loose, rich soil.  Each clove will grow into a whole new head. Garlic is a set it and forget it kind of crop: after you've poked it in the ground, mulch, and wait til spring! Around here we get enough rain in the fall that extra watering is generally not needed, but if you're in a dry climate then water once a week. Other than that, there's not much upkeep and the reward is phenomenal.

According to David, and something I didn't know, garlic starts need to be grown on the same latitude as the heads were grown, otherwise it will take the new plant a year to adjust to your length of daylight in order to thrive.

We've still got a couple weeks before garlic goes in the ground, but it's good to go ahead and find a source for it.Where should you find garlic to grow? Maybe you have an old farm supply in your area that would be just as helpful and knowledgeable as Renfrow's? If not, search your area on Local Harvest or buy a bulb at the farmers market.

Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.

Tinker Supply Co

The talented miss Laura Su has done it again! Already an amazing jewelry designer and artist, now you can add chic curator to the mix too.

Her recently launched Tinker Supply Co carries a carefully selected group of new, handmade, vintage and eco-friendly goods. Each item is chosen for it's simplicity, practicality and beauty, and with her stellar design eye and good taste doing the choosing, I think she can do no wrong. New items will be added regularly, so check in often!

The Magic Lady Lichtenstien

Every one of Tamara Lichtenstein's photos are genius. So beautiful.

Broken Fab

In awe. That's what I am over this incredible line of jewelry from Broken Fab. Each piece is intricately crafted by hand- the earrings take 8 hours to make and the necklaces take days! I love seeing traditional forms of craft like beadwork being given a modern spin. You can take these pieces to the streets, out dancing, for some cocktails, to a show and you're sure to snag a gazillion compliments along the way.

{found via awesome new fashion/design blog, Street Hanger!}

Outfitted

What I wore out to the mister's birthday dinner- we went to Dove Vivi for some cornmeal crust pizza. Deeeeelicious!

necklace: tasi designs
romper? onesie? what do I call this thing? vintage, thrifted
belt: thrifted
tights: target
shoes: vintage, thrifted

I really got a lot of compliments on the necklace so I wanted to do a special litlte shout out about it. It was handmade by a duo of sisters that I met at Renegade SF, but they are actually out of Portland! They are Tasi Designs and they make gorgeous, organic, worldly feeling jewelry- have a looksie!

Kibber

These highlander bags from Kibber are giving me some serious back to school urges. In perfect for fall wool plaid with great leather detailing, they're not only super cute but totally utilitarian too. I love that you can wear them as a messenger or a backpack and they have pockets and space galore to carry all your goodies. They'd be perfect for heading back to class, or in my case, heading to the coffee shop with my laptop, or up to the park with some books. They'd be awesome to travel with too! Hmm...I just might need one for our little roadtrip...

Eco-Friendly Find: Beyond Her

Summer is slipping away from us, and our focus is shifting from sunny days to breezy autumn ones and the world is abuzz with back to school preparations. But I'm not quite ready to let go of summer, as much as I'm looking forward to the chilly nights and big warm meals of fall.

I think that is why I love these cloth napkins from Beyond Her. Screen-printed with such lovely stylized renderings of nature, they'll bring a little splash of color and warmth (and memories of New Jersey tomatoes, yum!) to my table year-round. The napkins (and a whole wealth of other reusables...tea towels, shopping totes and more) are printed with eco-friendly, water-based inks, making them both better for the environment and nicely pliable and soft for use at the table.

Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.

Our Wedding Plans

Today is my mister's birthday (HAPPY  BIRTHDAY, BABY!) and it got me to reminiscing and looking at old photos of trips we've taken together, which made me even more excited about our wedding plans... 

You see, we're taking a road-trip-elopement-honeymoon adventure! In just a little over a month, we'll be taking a little trip down memory lane along the coast of California for a week, back to many of the places where our love and friendship grew even stronger. Back to the places we used to escape to and have amazing memories of, places with no worries and lots of good food, with laughter fueling us along the whole way.

From Portland, we'll head to Arcata, CA for a night so we can hang out in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park all day the next day. Then we'll sleep in Westport, CA in a tiny little B&B surrounded by the sound of the ocean waves....

Then we'll go down to Mendocino for a couple nights which is where we'll be getting married! It'll be just us, the ocean bluffs and the salty breeze (and, of course, an officiant to marry us and couple photographers to capture the moment to share with friends and family, and you guys! :)

We'll be staying at an amazing eco-resort that we've always wanted to stay in, but now we have a good excuse! We'll canoe in the nearby river, eat incredible (and I mean incredible) Vegan dinners, collect sea glass, and watch the sunset over the ocean.

And then we'll go down to San Francisco for a couple nights where we'll visit all our favorite spots, shop, relax and eat ourselves silly.

And then back to Reno where we both grew up and where we fell in love, to celebrate our new marriage with our parents and family! 

Ahh... I officially can not wait!

Happy Weekend

One thing I will really miss about summer as it starts to fade away is seeing less and less fresh flowers and herbs popping up. Right now my dahlias and zinnias are are in their prime and the mint is going CRAZY. So, I brought in a little bouquet a few days ago with some last summer glances- lavender that has already bloomed and is spent, but still smells yummy + some sage + some mint which is in full-on flowering mode. Off to make a little dahlia bouquet next. Hope you have a nice weekend!

<3 jena

Magically Fig-licious

It's fig time again, my lovelies, and if you, like me, are picking a gallon a day then it's also time to list the many ways to use them. Usually when I mention to someone that I've got figs, at least 'round these parts, they tell me they do, too, but they don't eat them. Whaaaa?

Let's get this straight: wasting figs=cardinal sin. Eat them fresh, straight from the plant (a), bake delicious cardamom infused bread, or turn them into jam for canning. This year I've already made a small batch of jam (b) {not enough to can since it's the first batch of ripe figs} with the purpose of homemade fig rolls {aka fig newtons}. I've also got a jarful dried figs (c) ready for winter use, and mixed the leftover jam with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, a liberal dose of mustard and baked fig glazed chicken breasts (d) for dinner.

The jam started with inspiration from a Roasted Golden Plum, Honey, and Sage Jam recipe {thanks Adrian!} and ended up a Black Pepper Tinged Honey Fig Jam.  Flavor the figs with just enough pepper to make your taste buds notice. Also, get a high-quality honey, not something from the grocery store that tastes metallic and dull. In fact, make a trek to the farmers market and buy some straight from the beekeeper--someone whose face shines with pride because they know you're getting something special.

Got some figs of your own? Try the jam:

 

Like the sound of fig rolls? Pair up my jam recipe with Heidi's cookie dough recipe. You're in for a magically fig-licious treat!

Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.

Two inspiration birds with one stone

Last night I came across a fantastic new-to-me blog, via frolic- Ill see, Ill said. Written by smarty-pants-impeccable-taste-poetry-lover Jane Flanagan, she features lots of lovely things, but I'm especially fond of her inspiring women section- an ode to incredible women from history. When I stumble upon blogs like this, it makes me kinda sad that I didn't discover them sooner!

And thru there I found another inspiring site, not via one of her features, but through an ad banner actually! (see? advertising is a good thing! :) Maska is a Swedish knitwear brand by Maria and Lisa and it's all just too too gorgeous. I already have a serious addiction to cardigans and this shop is only fueling the fire. 

Summer, you've been swell, but I officially can not wait for fall! I want sweater weather, cool breezes and yellow leaves on the trees. It actually feels kind of fallish outside today!

Stina Persson

Swedish artist Stina Persson is coming to the states with a solo show at Gallery Hanahou in New York this September. As a commercial illustrator, she normally has to create more altered, defined, flawless sorts of pieces for clients. So, for this show she decided to offer her original work with flaws and all. To her, that means skewed perspectives, unorthodox color combinations and visible paint drips. And I think the results are absolutely gorgeous! Here's a little sneak peek at some of her pieces for the upcoming show.

 

 

outfitted

outfitted: week 23, originally uploaded by jena:rator.

Out to a belated birthday dinner with a friend, for pasta of course!

necklace: vintage, thrifted
dress: la made (a gift from said friend from a few years ago)
bracelet: vintage, thrifted
shoes: steve madden

Come shopping with me at Palace

Palace is a super adorable little shop that my friend Ronit introduced me to (thanks R!) They carry a mix of vintage and new, a mix of men's and women's and it's all combined together on pretty color coded racks. The vibe is young and fresh, casual and urban with a bit of a softer side- they have organic facial cleaners, perfumes and packs of sage for sale and the scent of burning incense follows you around as you shop...

828 SE 34th Ave, #C

Deliciously Simple Manga Pasta!

Last night, as we sweat it out for yet another night (it's been SO HOT) I had already resolved with myself that it was just too hot to eat. I had no appetite and certainly no will to live cook anything. So we settled in for an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations to take us into the night.

Only problem is, it was set in Rome. And it made me huuuungry!

I am an admitted pasta-holic. A no joke, could eat it every day, the whiter and starchier the better kind of pasta-holic. The mister likes to call me "Pasta Monsta!" because I not only devour it, I lust after it. And my favorite kind of pasta is simple- just give me some butter and fresh parmesan and I'm happy.

So when I saw Anthony's first stop at a Roman restaurant, my pasta-monsta-ness kicked into full gear. They made him a meal of simple handmade pasta, drenched in butter and pepper, tossed with cheese and served in a parmesan bowl. A parmesan bowl, people!

I couldn't take it. I had to grin and bear the heat to make myself something almost as yummy (sans parmesan bowl, sadly.) And yummy it was!

Make yo'self some Roma inspired yummy:

• Cook 8oz pasta according to package directions. (I used linguine cause it's what I had in the pantry, but I think spaghetti would've been even better. Fresh pasta would have been even better!)
• Drain pasta when it's cooked to al dente (which means a little bit chewy- don't want to overcook it, because you'll be heating it again later and it'll turn into mush)
• Rinse the pasta with cool water in the colander until it stops steaming- that will help stop the cooking process.
• Go back to your pot and throw in your butter of choice (I used vegan earth balance) A pasta-spoon full should be plenty. Warm over medium heat. 
• Add some fresh ground pepper to taste, stir into the butter. Keep it on the heat until butter is fully melted and starts bubbling.
• Turn off burner. Grab your cooked pasta and put it back into the pot with your melted butter mixture. Stir it up, babe.
• I added a little lemon juice. Some parsley. A little more pepper. Stir, stir, stir until pasta is fully coated with goodness.
• Stir in some fresh grated parmesan so it'll be in every delicioso bite.
• Serve it up, with more parmesan on top, of course.
• Spin, slurp and enjoy!

Eco-Friendly Find: Katherine J. Lee

I don't know about you, but I could use a bit of cute this morning. That's where Katherine J. Lee comes in.

Katherine's Etsy shop is filled with lovely, lighthearted homegoods—totes, napkins, tea towels, pillow covers and more, all organic!—printed in nontoxic inks with whimsical designs from her own illustrations. Did I mention cute?

Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.