Brad Kunkle

Brad Kunkles' work is like something out of a dream.  Nature mixed with figures float through space.  These oil paintings encapsulate the etheral in a way that seems within reach.
Visit his website.

James Roper

James Roper has been the inspiration for many of my pencil drawings lately.  I love the way that he seamlessly mixes the visceral with the mechanical, but makes the combination seem so natural and unquestionable.  Take a peek at his website and tell me what you think!

Beirut

This video is hilarious.  I love the contrast between the military and the high school dance cliche.  Seeing everyone so bored while the  ridiculous is happening brings back memories.  Not to mention the song is great.

Le Mystere de Papier

Artist Peter Gentor has a new exhibition up in Northern France called Le Mystere de Papier.  His sculptures are delicate and ethereal.  They remind me of being underwater in the ocean, and looking up to see a new and fascinating creature above you.  To see a short film and photos of the exhibition, I encourage you to visit Gentor's website.  Happy exploring!

Raw and Vegan?

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to visit a friend who so graciously let me use her kitchen.  We decided to try out this recipe to make raw, vegan brownies. We had never made anything raw before, so we were both a bit apprehensive, but were shocked at how easy and delicious they turned out!  Thanks to her my cooking (or not cooking?) fix has been  met.

The recipe for the brownies is:

• 1cup walnuts
• 1 cup dates 
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• a pinch of sea salt
• a handful of chopped chocolate pieces or chocolate chips.

1. Blend walnuts in a food processor until made into a flour-like consistency (about 20 seconds)
2. Add dates into the food processor with the walnuts, and blend until made into a paste. (another 20 seconds)
3. Add cacao powder and a handful of chocolate pieces and blend until conbined (about 10 seconds)
4. press the mixture firmly into an even layer in an 8X8 pan.
5. cut into squares and enjoy!

This recipe is great because there is very little sugar, it seriously cures a chocolate craving, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make! 

Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Pea, Mint, and Parmesan

I am going to have to start apologizing for all of the food related posts.  I simply can't get my mind off of all the delicious things I want to make once I have a kitchen.

Back at home, my family often serves bruschetta as a tapa or an appetizer.  I think that these pea, mint and parmesan crostini's would be a nice update.  They are also very pretty, and I think they would be great to serve at an outdoor party or BBQ.
You can find the recipe at this website.

Forever

It is an important sentiment to remember that growing doesn't stop; it goes on forever.
Happy Valentines Day.


Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
View in full screen for full effect.

Dessert Nachos

Because I do not currently have access to a kitchen, dessert making seems to be a distant dream reserved for the future; however these dessert nachos are possible even kitchenless!  You could make your own cinnamon sugar pita chips, melt dark chocolate, and add strawberries for a tasty tapa or dessert.
Find the recipe at ourbestbites.com.

Succulent

If I had enough space in my current living situation, I would definitely consider making a hanging succulent garden.  They take up very little space because you can hang them up, and don't require a lot of care after planting them.  You could probably move them indoors or outdoors if you plant them small enough to transport.  Plus they look super pretty!

If you want to get more creative with it, you can choose interesting shapes for the plants to go in.  This is an example from artist Judy Kameon for the New York Times.

Wooden

My obsession with all things wooden continues!  How sweet would it be to give or receive a wooden valentine for valentines day?  I do wish there was real chocolate in this though...

I have also been liking the look of wood working tools, so these vintage tool pendants are right up my ally.  I think that if you clustered them together on chains of different lengths, they'd look really cool.

To see more adorable things made out of wood, check out Haus Interior's website.