Jennifer

10 Tasty Summer Mocktail Recipes

08/19/2014 by Jennifer 2 Comments

As a followup to last week’s roundup of delicious cocktail recipes, I want to share some wonderful non-boozy options today! While I love a good cocktail as much as the next lady, I do not love getting sleepy mid-day. Happy hour is great in theory but since I’m most productive at night, I need to make sure I’m awake. There are so many ways to make non-alcoholic drinks taste and look special.

(from top, left to right)

1. Virgin Grapefruit Mojito | HGTV
2. Blackberry Lemon Mocktail | Running to the Kitchen
3. Raspberry Mint Mojito Mocktail | Nourish & Inspire Me
4. Blackberry Lavender Lemonade | Free People
5. White Peach & Rose Lemonade | Heart of Gold
6. Blackberry Vanilla Mocktail | La Fuji Mama
7. Ginger Honey Mocktail | Nourish & Inspire Me
8. Cranberry, Tangerine, Rosemary & Cream Soda Mocktail | Lilly Pulitzer
9. Nonalcoholic Sangria | The Kitchn
10. Orange Blossom Hibiscus Cold Brew Tea Mocktail | The Merrythought

Yum, right? I would like to try the virgin grapefruit mojito asap. Also, I just found out that people call it a “fauxhito”. So good!

DIY Honeycomb Clay Magnets

08/18/2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

Sometimes a long walk through a craft store is all I need to get inspired. As much as my mind is consumed with design and web-based projects, it’s still important for me to have a balance between that and hands-on crafts. Oven-bake clay is something that I loved momentarily a few years ago and then ditched after a few rounds of baking little trinkets. Well guys, I love it again. The possibilities are endless! My refrigerator has been looking sad and empty, so I decided to add some simple hexagon-shaped magnets.

Supplies needed: oven bake polymer clay, a clay cutter or a knife, magnets, a hot glue gun/glue, a small piece of paper cut into a hexagon shape (I made the shape in Photoshop and traced it directly from the screen), and a hard/flat surface (I used the back of my phone).

First, you’ll need to cut your clay into smaller pieces and roll them into round balls. I ended up using 1/4 of the block of clay for each ball.

Flatten each ball of clay with a hard surface, such as the back of your phone or a plate, until it’s wide enough for the hexagon shape to fit over it.

Place the hexagon shape over each round piece of clay and use the clay cutter to cut away the edges.

Carefully place all of the clay hexagons onto a cookie sheet and bake according to the instructions on your clay package. I baked mine at 110°C/230°F for about 15 minutes. It’s recommended that you bake them on parchment paper, but I didn’t have any so I skipped that. It didn’t make a difference because I knew the backs would be hidden anyway.

These magnets didn’t turn out the way I originally wanted them to, but I learned to love them anyway. See how the peach clay above is a pinkish peach? The oven turned them into a very yellowy peach. You can also see that the mint color deepened and got all ocean-like and the gold marbleized even more. I think they ended up looking more earthy and fall-like, which I love. I am also trying to embrace that DIY projects are not always perfect and that there is usually something new to be learned. :)

Once your clay hexagons have cooled off, hot glue a magnet to the back of each one. These would make a sweet gift for any honeybee lovers in your life! …I gifted them to myself. :)

ps. Shout out to my little snow globe-collecting cat lady sister who is nine today!

Cleanin’ out my Closet

08/16/2014 by Jennifer 3 Comments

Hey friends! Happy Saturday. I just wanted to stop by quickly to let you know that I back on my Instagram shop, selling many vintage, Anthropologie, and UO items, as well as some slouchy beanies from my Etsy shop! Go check it out if you’d like on Instagram at @earlgreycloset. :)

I’ll be back next with a DIY project (say what?!) and some more good stuff. Have a beautiful weekend!

My Personal Rules for Blogging

08/15/2014 by Jennifer 24 Comments

In the blogging world, many pieces of advice are relative. What works for one person may not work for another. There are several factors to take into consideration including focus, goals, audience, etc. But I truly believe that no matter what kind of blog you have, there are few personal changes that can make anybody a happier blogger. Today, I want to share three “rules” I have been trying to live by.

1. Talk about your blog in real life.

I used to tell people about my blog as a very last resort. I would dance around the subject and mumble things about crafts when I should have just said, “I’m working on my blog.” Depending on what kind of area you live in, half the people you talk to to might be completely perplexed. They might even bring up “weblogging”. ;) But the more you tell people about your blog, the more you’ll hear people say, “I have a blog too!” And suddenly, you will have a real life blog friend. Piece of cake.

Recently, I have been challenging myself to talk about my blog here in Portland. Already, I have made a few friends at work who are also bloggers! It’s crazy and wonderful how one mention of blogging can spark a conversation and connect you to someone who may also be keeping their blog on the DL. When you talk about your blog enough, I promise that blogger coffee dates will be abounding.

2. Do not try to be passionate about something you’re not passionate about.

Think about something that is really cool right now. Pineapples? Everyone is so into pineapples. I personally only like pineapples on my pizza. But I keep looking at this pineapple patterned cardigan at Target and feeling like maybe I should have it. I genuinely think it’s adorable but I also know that I’ve been strongly influenced by the interwebs. Trends come and go every season and I fall under their spell every time. Say no to pineapples if deep down you want to say no to them.

Here is a more personal example: In high school and college, I was always the crafty girl. That was my thing. But as I said the other day in this post, I’m not too inspired in the crafty arena these days. It’s a bummer because I know people like DIY projects. But slightly changing the direction of my blog toward what I’m more passionate about has been so rewarding and has resulted in more growth than I expected.

3. Try not to minimize your statements or discredit yourself.

Through my psychology classes, I learned a lot about minimizing statements and I realized that I did this (and still do this) a lot! There is a big difference between being humble and being self-deprecating. I believe you can be humble and be happy for yourself at the same time. Here are some examples of minimizing statements (and alternatives) as they relate to blogging:

“I know I’m no expert at all, but today I want to talk about staying motivated as a blogger.”
(Today I want to talk about motivation. These are a few significant things I have learned through my experience as a blogger.)

“It’s super cliche and unoriginal, but I feel most inspired when I’m at a coffee shop writing in a fresh new notebook.”
(There’s nothing like a fresh new notebook and a coffee shop to make me feel inspired.)

“I just love web design. I don’t know, I’m so nerdy!!”
(I love web design!)

I literally said that last quote word for word the other night and my coworkers replied, “No you’re not, that’s so badass!” So…do your thing. Love what you want to love. Do what inspires you. Most importantly, stop putting yourself down. :)

Have any of these issues been relevant in your blogging experience? I’d also love to know how you go about bringing up your blog in the real world.

Thanks for letting me share!

Three Breathtaking Travel Posts

08/14/2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

I’ve been overcome with wanderlust. I can’t say that I haven’t traveled in a long time (little road trips count and living in a whole new state probably counts) but I miss getting way far away! Like out of the country or at least across the country. It’s been a while and I don’t see it happening anytime soon because things are crazy (good crazy) around here. So until traveling off yonder becomes a possibility again, I’ll live vicariously through beautiful travel photographs, each with their own story and occasionally a blog post from the traveler. Here are some travel posts that have inspired me this week.

1. Megan at The Fresh Exchange wrote a beautiful post about a trip to Madrid. It’s one of the most authentic and resonating things I’ve read in a long time. She writes that “travel simply will only bring you to a place where you have to be real with yourself.” So true.

2. Bekuh Browning has been sharing a few posts about her recent trip to Puerto Rico. I just love her perspective on travel, as well as her magazine-worthy photos.

3. Wish I could have read this post by Nubby Twiglet a couple years ago when I only had 1-2 days in NYC! Guess I’ll have to go back someday.

Are you dreaming of traveling abroad too? If you have any travel-related posts, share them in the comments. I would love to read them.

ps. I’m selling clothing on my Instagram Shop, @earlgreycloset. Lots of Anthro, UO, and vintage. Follow along if you’d like! :)

Vintage Finds in Portland, OR

08/13/2014 by Jennifer 5 Comments

The vintage shops in Portland are unreal. During my first few weeks here, I went out and explored SE Hawthorne and found so many wonderful spots. I am so used to going to either hit-or-miss thrift stores or classy (expensive!!!) vintage furniture shops. Here, many of the vintage stores are full of beautiful, affordable midcentury gems. The local flea markets and clothing exchange stores are also pretty well-curated.

This dress was $11 at Buffalo Exchange. It’s a short drop-waist dress with a somewhat pleated skirt. It took me forever to decide whether I should buy it, but in the end it was a big “yes”. I love a bright and crazy floral dress.

I found this amazing embroidered clock at the Portland Flea last month. It was at a donation-only booth and the lady suggested $15. Yes pleeaasee! This made me nostalgic for my days with the roomies in California. We had an amazing wall of crewel and embroidered art (seen here).

Vintage Pink is my favorite vintage shop in P-town. It is the most vibrant, colorful midcentury-inspired place. It’s the love child of Mad Men and Pushing Daisies. The first time I visited, I found this yellow floral kitchen chair (actually, two!) and decided against them. Yellow is my favorite color, but I didn’t know if would go well with my cream-colored walls. I was also thinking I should branch out from goldenrod. This was back when I only had an air mattress and no other furniture. One afternoon I was so desperate for a chair to sit in that I drove over to Vintage Pink and picked up those two chairs. It turns out, they look lovely in my studio. I’m such a weirdo for passing them up the first time.

And lastly, that goldenrod vinyl chest of drawers is goes perfectly with what I’ve accumulated so far! It’s pretty much made of cardboard which I think is really funny. I’m just happy I could easily carry it to my car. :)

Not pictured is a tiny midcentury table from Vintage Pink. This was a gift from my dad. It was another find that I had decided against at first. After a long search for the perfect tiny table, I came back to this one and I love it! It’s a little wobbly but that’s alright. I’m planning to use it in my workspace, so photos will be coming soon!

Have you had any luck vintage shopping lately??