There's not a whole lot going on in my life right now, but I've been told I should get into the habit of blogging. Since I don't have much to say, I'll just provide you with some pictures to look at.

After living most of my life in very neutral rooms, I like the idea of decorating with some color. Here are some colorful rooms that I find inspiring.

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Edit: For some reason, the right sides of all the pictures have been cut off. I'm not sure how to fix it.

About a month ago, we signed up for something called a CSA. The acronym CSA

stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically what that means is that a bunch of local farmers contribute their produce, and I pick it up every Wednesday in a handy dandy

little box. Our specific company is Abundant Harvest Organics. Everything is organic, all chicken products are free-range and all meat products are grass

fed.

This week, I think we got a little less than we had the previous weeks. In the picture below are: oranges, tangelos, mandarins, butternut squash, carrots, spinach, turnips, shallots, baby artichokes, Chinese cabbage and potatoes.

All of that comes in the small basic box. On top of that, this week we also added on boneless skinless chicken breasts and a pound of sharp cheddar. I haven't tried the cheese yet but last week we got monterey jack that was wonderful.

In the box, there is always a newsletter that tells what's going on with the farmers and whatnot. It also includes a list of the produce, which farm each item came from and two recipes. Tonight, I plan on making butternut squash soup. That's all I have planned for this week's box, but I know it will all get used some way or another. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Last week Caleb wanted me to take a picture of his plate. I roasted a chicken with some oranges and red onions, and he made the potatoes, broccoli and carrots. It was a great meal, all provided by the lovely farmers of Southern California.

Since I haven't posted in a while, I'm just going to do a quick post to let all three of you know that I'm still alive. I have another post set up, but I can't get pictures until tomorrow.

Anyway, this picture shows several things.

1. The flowers we bought at Trader Joe's for Valentine's Day. I know, roses are totally cliche, but they smell great..

2. Our Valentine's Day dinner. Omelets with leeks, red onions, spinach and bacon. They were really, really good.

3. Fresh squeezed orange juice! It was pretty messy but it turned out well, I think.

4. I finally got all the tape residue off the table. It took a couple hours, but it was worth it to have a nice looking dining table again.

I am ready for Spring. If it's going to be as sunny and warm as it has been, I at least want to be able to plant things. This year, I plan on growing more vegetables and less flowers than last year. Last spring was my first year of growing anything. I was fairly successful, I think. Fingers crossed for another good year.

Some things I have planned for this year are: green beans, radish

es, some sort of hot pepper, green onions, lettuce and tomatoes. On top of the vegetables, I will also be doing some herbs and an edible flower called nasturtium again.

For flowers, I think I'll do gerbera daisies and zinnias. My zinnias

last year did really well. I'm also hoping to grow something to feed the hummingbirds in addition to a nectar feeder. We get a ton of hummingbirds and even still have some in December!

I love this color gerber. It's so soft and pretty.

Oh zinnias. They might be my favorite flower.

Every year, I get asked to make a Christmas wish list. Every year, I don't. Last week, I promised my dad I would actually make one instead of just promising and then forgetting about it. Last night, I got to work on it.

I checked out his book from the library recently. It has a lot of great information that would be handy to have around.

I've been wanting reusable produce bags for a while, but I just never think to buy them. These would be a great addition to our large collection of reusable bags.

I received season five of Gilmore Girls for Christmas a few years ago. I'd like to have the last two seasons as well.

This is probably my favorite season. It has the best hair.

This sugar scrub smells delicious. I found it at Target about a month ago and have been thinking about it ever since.

I would love to have this camera some time in the future, but only if I can't figure out what's wrong with my current one.

This is a bubble bar. When placed in a bathtub with running water, it creates bubbles. This particular bubble bar also turns the water purple.

I'm not entirely sure what the point of a bath bomb is, but I want this one. It's vanilla scented

It took me about two hours to come up with this list. Who knew thinking of things I'd like to have would be so hard?

What's on your Christmas list?

This is a terrible picture, but the apple looks delicious. I had a really hard time not eating it.

As someone who lived in Washington for 18/21 years of her life, Fall to me means apples. Actually, all year means apples, but you know what I mean.

Applesauce may be the easiest thing I've ever made, including cereal. It's also one of the most delicious things I’ve had, fresh and warm. I used this recipe as a base, but made some changes.

Ingredients

• 4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar-I omitted this
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon-I added this to taste
• 
  
• Directions
• In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

I used two Jonagolds, one Fuji and one Granny Smith. It was the perfect combination of sweet and just a bit tart, with no added sugar!

The finished product.

The second best part of making this, after having delicious applesauce, was the way it made my house smell. It's a wonderful fall scent.

We're saving all of the peels and cores for a super special surprise.

I also made roasted pumpkin seeds. I tossed them with olive oil, melted butter, garlic salt and sea salt before putting them in the oven. They're the perfect snack. I've already eaten way to many!

Edit: I apologize for the awful photo quality. I don't know if my camera is being wonky or if it's operator error, but every picture turns out terribly.

I'm back from my unannounced three week hiatus. It was unannounced because it was also unplanned. I've just been so busy.

In the last three weeks, I have:

-finished school

-passed my State Board exam

-spent time with the in-laws

-gotten sunburned twice

-started working out

-gone swimming a lot

-cut my bangs

-spent time with C, who is on leave

-read 6 Harry Potter books

-made a giant fruit salad

and

-decided to start shopping at the commissary again

That doesn't seem like much now that I've typed it out, but it has flown by.

I'll try to keep up with the blogging. Next week, I'll have pictures to share, as we're spending a few days at Big Bear.

Is that not the sweetest face you've ever seen? I'm addicted to Petfinder. Unfortunately, more pets are not in the cards for us right now. I don't know why I continue looking at pets I can't keep. It's heartbreaking, sometimes.

If I could adopt Lollipop, I would love him, feed him, take care of him and re-name him Dexter.

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17015562

So, we got a new car. It's a 2010 Honda Fit, and it's PURPLE.

Ta-dah!

(Caleb and I weren't matching as much as it looks in this picture. His shorts are tan, mine are blue and white striped. Other than that though, we're matching.)

Anyway, the car is wonderful. It's a little scary to drive something brand new, but I love it. I always said I would never buy a brand new car, but Honda was having a deal. We got a significantly lower interest rate by buying a new car, thanks to my Dad cosigning with us. We'll actually spend less in the long run than we would on a used one. I think it's safe to say, this is my realistic dream car.

Tonight, I had my first experience cooking corn on the cob. I shucked it, spread butter on it and sprinkled it with salt and pepper.

Then, I wrapped it in tin foil.

I threw it in the oven at 425 and after twenty minutes, I ended up with this:

It was all pretty delicious. It brought back childhood memories of grilling in our backyard on warm(ish) summer nights.

Oh, PS: I started baking early. I just pulled a loaf of banana bread out of the oven. It smells awesome.

Every Sunday, I try to make a dinner menu for the week. Sometimes we follow it, and sometimes it gets thrown out the window. I'm very happy with this week's menu, so I have a feeling it will be followed.

Sunday- Ham and cheese sliders, strawberries

Monday- Garlic lime chicken, chips and salsa

Tuesday- Barbecue beef sandwiches, corn on the cob

Wednesday- Quesadillas with chicken, red pepper, roasted corn and black beans

Thursday- Mini meatball sandwiches, salad

Friday- leftovers

Saturday- Kabobs with chicken, red pepper and pineapple

This coming week is my last full week of school, so I will soon have a lot more time to cook. I might celebrate my graduation with a baking day. Any suggestions for what to bake?

Lately, Caleb and I have been making an effort to "go green." We've been shopping only at natural food stores, buying environmentally friendly products, and hitting up farmer's markets. We've even started using cloth napkins for everything.

My favorite green product is Mrs. Meyer's countertop spray.

I bought the lemon verbena scent, and so far I love it. It's called countertop spray, but you can use it for whatever you think needs a wipe down.

I also bought Biokleen dish soap.

It's completely natural and biodegradable, and it smells great. It reminds me of the cleaner my dad used to use in the garage. It has a citrus-y scent that I absolutely love.

I highly recommend these products to anyone looking to be more kind to the environment.

On Sunday, Caleb and I got up and decided to go to a farmer's market. We ended up not going to one, but to two. They were both fairly small, but nice. The first one had a lot of fruits and vegetables, and even some locally raised meats. The second one had crafts made by locals. If you could put the two together, it would be the perfect market.

We only bought one thing, at the second market. That one thing is the lovely apron I'm modeling in this photo.

It was made by a local woman, whose creations can be found here and here. It has the cutest vibrant strawberry print with a ruffle trim. Normally, I'm not a fan of ruffles, but this was too cute to pass up. It's really amazing what a pretty apron will do for your house cleaning/making dinner motivation.

I just received my June issue of Country Living in the mail. I instantly fell in love with the cover. Just look at the bright white, airy room. The rafters, the shutters, that big window....swoon. I would love to use those colors in our living room, but I don't think I can pull it off. I don't know if I want to run the risk of living in a Christmas-y room, year round.

Any suggestions?

I bet anyone who knows me though I was abandoning the blog. Well, I'm not. The past month and a half has just been crazy.

Anywho, I'm very into colorful front doors right now.

Source: Lavender and Lilies

Source: Through the Loops


Source: Digging

If I could paint my front door, I would choose a nice rich purple. Sadly, I couldn't find any example pictures that weren't hideous. What color would you choose?

While I would really love to own an old home with a lot of character, I also love the idea of building a new house.

This is my dream home:


How perfect would that look in downtown Puyallup? Here is the description from the website:

This attractive bungalow style home plan with an inviting covered porch can accommodate a large family. With not one square foot of wasted space, this four-bedroom home plan is the perfect habitation for the summer months. The efficient kitchen offers an eating booth, ample cabinet and counter space and all the modern conveniences to make meal preparation a snap. The master bedroom lets you have your privacy from the kids, it also boasts ample closet space and a private bath. The living room has a cozy fireplace and a bright, bay window. There is even a formal dining area. Upstairs the three secondary bedrooms share a full bath. Sip your cool drink, enjoy a summer breeze as you relax on your covered porch and savor the summer. This cottage makes a great vacation home plan.

In what world is that house a vacation home? Not my world, that's for sure.

Downstairs:


It has a window seat and a breakfast nook. I've wanted a house with those since I was tiny.

Upstairs:


One room will be a game room and one an office. I have no idea what the third room will be, but I'll figure it out. A kid's room? Maybe.



I never thought I would want a brand new house. I guess we'll just have to put our own character into it.


All pictures from Cool House Plans

White cabinets and subway tile are my two great loves of the moment.


Source: Country Home


Source: Home By Sunset


Source: Becoming Home


Source: Flickr via House Beautiful

I'm really loving the blue subway tile. I can't stop looking at it.