TGIF

I've been thinking lately about buying some letter prints for the apartment (it helps that both our names start with an 'A'), and I found these letters by Marcus Kelman the other day that I love . . .

Let me know if you have other letter prints you're a fan of, too!

Back in Action

In high school when I was deep in my "listen to music that no one else dose" I listened to the Shins (on vinyl) like a crazy person.

The just released a new album and though it sounds very different for them I'm in love.

You can listen to various songs on the Port of Morrow and decide if you're in love too.

Hungry for more

I know I'm not the only one with Hunger Games on the brain this week. I (finally) had a chance to see the movie, so here are a couple of the Hunger Games prints I'm now trying to not buy off Etsy . . .

$22 | Adam Juresko



$15 | Sweet Potato Shop



$13.99 | Entropy Trading Co.





Get in the Kitchen!

Just got this cookbook from the library, My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

In this practical, homey cookbook is these amazing looking blueberry muffins that I just have to try.

Courtesy of My Fathers Daughter

THE RECIPE: Healthier Version of Blythe Danner’s Blueberry Muffins These muffins made from spelt flour don’t have any processed sugar and are vegan. They still rock the house.

(Recipe courtesy of My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup soymilk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light agave nectar
• 1 cup white spelt flour
• 1 cup whole spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 375°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk oil, soymilk, syrup and nectar in a bowl. Combine flours, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients; fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

The countdown is on

Baseball starts in about 10 days. I'm pretty excited. Here are some of my top picks for the girls to show their baseball team pride this season . . .


MLB collection from Pink by Victoria's Secret





MLB "Great Catch" v-neck tees from Old Navy




Cleveland Indians fog cutter half sleeve tee from Indians Team Shop

Cleveland Indians soft and comfortable cami from Amazon

Also as an added bonus, while searching for Cleveland Indians gear I came across these . . .



Cleveland Indians suede pumps from HERSTAR



TGIF — A little character

Just discovered this crazy-adorable rings from Thred Sence. I've always wanted a little mustache on my finger.

Music to go

Now that I have my iPhone, I'm embarassed to say I'm in love with it. I never thought I would be one of those people, but I am. So I thought I'd round up five apps for the iPhone, a few of which I have, that are great for music and radio lovers . . .

Photo from Google images

1. Pandora - I've been a big fan of Pandora since it first appeared, so this was one of the first apps I downloaded onto my phone. This free app let's you customize radio stations to artists and songs you enjoy and it's great for finding new music similar to what you already love.


Photo from Google images

2. Stitcher - I originally downloaded the Stitcher radio app for my iPhone because it had every episode of "Here's the Thing" with Alec Baldwin. Even if that was the only thing I used this app for I would love it because I'm a pretty big fan of that podcast. But it's great because now I can also get a bunch of other podcasts through NPR, CNN, AP, etc. - it's a great way to stay informed.


Photo from Mashable

3. Shazam - I read about this app on Mashable and I think it could peacefully end a lot of disputes. If there's a fight about whether or not that's a J.Lo song playing, hold the phone toward the sound of the beat and it will tell you the song name and the artist. Plus, the updated version also provides you with the lyrics - another dispute ender.


Photo from Mashable

4. Adaptunes - Another great app I saw on Mashable that I can't wait to download, Adaptunes meaures your speed and pumps up the volume accordingly. So whether you're out for a run or going for a drive, this app will keep you moving.

Photo from PaceDJ

5. PaceDJ- This is a great app for working out. PaceDJ lets you set (and modify) the pace of your workout and builds you a customized playlist based on that pace and the music you have on your phone. I could definitely use this one.


Sweet treat.

Spent the weekend in Bowling Green and came back with a pretty solid idea for speciality drinks. Jolly Rancher vodka. My friend Jess assured me it's the easiest thing to make.

from mixthatdrink.com

All you need is vodka, glass containers and a bag of Jolly Ranchers that you've sorted.

Put twelve Jolly Ranchers of each flavor into each container.

Next up, you pour the vodka into the flasks over the candies.

Then just let them sit for about eight to twelve hours, and all the candy will dissolve completely.

So good.

Stack 'em up

I'm in love with these stacking cups from jimbobart . . .
 

Miss Badger set


 

Mr. Fox set


  

Mr. Tweed Bear set

All of the sets are handpainted and come with four cups - most sets are espresso cups, but the Mr. Tweed Bear set consists of four coffee cups. Pretty marvelous way to start your day!

Loving this ...

I had the opportunity this weekend to meet the designer of these really cute hand-made accessories. These adorable cloth buds are are by Ljubezen brew and are perfect for putting the "Spring" in your season.

TGIF

One of our lovely readers sent us to this awesome cast iron skillet in the shape of Ohio. In fact, FeLion Studios has handcrafted 48 states into cast iron skillets so you can take your pick - as long as that pick doesn't include Alaska or Hawaii.

I cropped FeLion's photo a bit so you could get a good look. How awesome!

The workmanship on these is fantastic, I absolutely love them. I'd love to add one of these to my kitchen (cast iron is the best), but for $350 a pop this will probably have a permanent spot on my dream list.

Turn it up!

I have been looking a cute little radio for my ipod. In my pursuit, I found some pretty neat options for pumping my playlists.

by SUCK UK

from Target

from Orla Keily

from NPR

Sushi + friends = perfection

I love sushi and I love my friend Tibbs. So when you combine the two, it's basically the best thing ever. Our favorite spot for sushi in Akron is Big Eye on West Market Street. The sushi there is phenomenal and the best part is they have happy hour from 4:30-5:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday, so you can get sushi half off.

A few of our staple sushi choices are the yellowtail, spicy octopus and Alaska rolls. It is really hard to choose so we always end up with an enormous plate, which is okay since it's half off. I also really love the restaurant itself. The interior is nice and cozy, and it's always quiet in there (sushi isn't the rowdiest food) so it's the perfect place to have great conversations with great friends.


Trust me, no matter how much sushi it looks like you ordered your plate will always look like this by the end.


Check them out
Location: 2965 W. Market St. Akron, Ohio 44333 (right by the intersection with Miller Road)
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
You can place carry out orders or make reservations if you'd like. Their phone number is (330) 836-4433.

March Madness!

March Madness is here again. I'm so excited, here are some fashionable styles to support your teams.

from American Eagle

from Old Navy

From adidas

from Nike

Tabletop upgrade

I need new silverware. I think I'm in denial because I love the silverware set I scored on clearance at Target when I first got an apartment in college. But since the handles are starting to fall off, here are a few options I'm considering for replacements . . .

Cutensils cutlery set (16-piece set) | Modcloth, $29.99



Mix and Munch cutlery set in monochrome (16-piece set) | Modcloth, $29.99

  

Mix and Munch cutlery set in multicolor (16-piece set) | Modcloth, $29.99


 

Solano (20-piece set) | Target, $21.99






Working out

It was a little bit summer in Ohio yesterday, which got me thinking about kicking my butt in gear and working out. So here are a few songs that will be on my workout rotation this spring . . .

1. Obsession - Sky Ferreira

2. Crazy Beautiful Life - Ke$ha

3. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

4. Oh No - Girl Talk

5. Starship - Nicki Minaj

6. Glad You Came - The Wanted

7. This Love (Will Be Your Downfall) - Ellie Goulding

8. Mean Planes and Taylor Gangs - Whiz Khalifa and Taylor Swift

9. United State of Pop 2012 (World Go Boom) - DJ Earworm

10. One - Sky Ferreira

Fudge Bars

Made some Pillsbury peanut butter fudge bars this week and now I'm obsessed.

• Prep Time: 15 min

• Cook Time: 20 min

• Ready Time: 60 min

• Yield: 36 Servings

Ingredients

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

• 1 cup Jif® Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 large egg

• 1 (18.25 oz.) package Pillsbury® Golden Butter Cake

• OR 1 (18.25 oz.) package Pillsbury® Yellow Cake

• 1 (16 oz.) can Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 1/2 cup Jif® Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

• 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces

• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Preparation Directions

• HEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 13 X 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray.

• COMBINE 1 cup peanut butter, water and egg in large bowl, stirring until smooth. Stir in cake mix until blended and evenly moistened. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown. Cool completely. Blend frosting with 1/2 cup peanut butter in small bowl. Spread over cooled bars. Top with candy pieces and chopped peanuts.

Aztec

I've been seeing a lot of Aztec-inspired prints lately, and I think this is a trend I could be on board with. Not head-to-toe but everything in moderation, right? Here are a few of my favorite pieces . . .

Embellished sequin mini skirt | Express, $59.90

Aztec graphic shirttail tank | Express, $39.90



Aztec hi/lo pullover | Delia's, $29.50



Pieces Aztec print scarf | ASOS, $26.86



Dress in Aztec print | ASOS, $83.26