Kitty Cat Stevens

Happy New Year!

Kitty Cat Stevens — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:29:52 +0000

Hello everyone! Just wanted to remind you that I’m blogging over here now. I don’t want anybody to think I disappeared off the planet because if you’re reading this then you might not have my updated site. So, so much has happened since I switched blogs so if you’re viewing this in a reader then make sure to pop on out so you can update the link to: http://kittycatstevens.blogspot.com

All my old content is there plus loads more new stuff so what are you waiting for?! I’ll see you around!

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A New Home + Many Thanks

Kitty Cat Stevens — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 02:39:56 +0000

I hope your summer has been lovely thus far! Mine is flying by but I am getting more and more inspired as each day passes. So inspired, in fact, that I took a little time off to evaluate this blog and my goals for it. Since my last post, I’ve decided to move this site to a new home. There you’ll find a new design and a lot of heart.I also wanted to thank everyone that has liked, commented, or subscribed to this blog so far. I’ve seriously met some amazing bloggers and even made new friends ~in real life~ because of it all. I’ve been excited and surprised by how much this blog grows each month. I just wanted you all to know how much I appreciate ya and to be the first ones to know about the move. Please be sure to update your google reader/bloglovin/email subscription to the new Kitty Cat Stevens site so you don’t miss out. See you on the other side!

(Meatless) 4th of July Menu

Kitty Cat Stevens — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 16:24:57 +0000

This Fourth of July hasn’t even happened and it’s already my favorite one yet! I’m excited to avoid the traffic and crowds of the city and instead: watch fireworks from the awesome view in our new backyard, fire up the grill on our deck, and eat SO MUCH delicious food with my friends & family! I’ve been drooling over so many summer recipes lately that I couldn’t resist putting together a little roundup of my top picks for this week’s festivities!

No cookout would be complete without The Best Veggie Burger Ever! This recipe calls for frying in the pan but I bet these would be delicious on the grill, too. I’m gonna try to lightly cook them as called for and then throw them on the grill for a traditional Fourth of July finish.

I already love avocado on my burgers (just like pictured above!) but I can only imagine this Gilled Avocado recipe taking them to the next level!

Baked beans will forever remind me of my childhood. No summer get together was complete without them. I haven’t ever cooked them myself, but the day I do I will be using this Vegan Baked Beans recipe from Pickles and Honey. It looks like an entire meal in itself!

We have been making grilled veggie skewers since Memorial Day. You don’t even really need a recipe for them— we just take all our favorite vegetables (peppers, onion, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, pineapple, mushrooms, or anything we have on hand) and cut them up. Then we dump a bunch of italian dressing on there and sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw them on the grill. But if you want more detailed instructions then this recipe is a good place to start!

To cool down from the heat, I recommend this Watermelon Cucumber Salad. I don’t think anything has looked so perfect in my life! (For a vegan version, try this instead of feta!)

This vegan and gluten-free Raw Berry Tart would look amazing on any dessert table! The best part is that you can make this baby ahead of time and spend more of your day outside instead of in the kitchen! Another quick option is the Patriotic Berry and Cake Dessert Platter at the top of this post. It sounds just as easy as it looks pretty!

Feel free to grab a beer, but to wash it all down I’ll take a refreshing Lemon Thyme Tequila Spritzer! It’s cooling me down just looking at it!

What are your favorite summer, outdoor, or Fourth of July dishes? My partner was upset there’s not a pasta salad on the list, so here ya go!

The Cat’s Meow: June

Kitty Cat Stevens — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:15:12 +0000

This month has simply flown by! There’s a lot keeping me inspired these days so I’ve put together another collection of things to purr over! Here they are:

^I love everything about this room

^Some lovely paper craft— wish I knew who the artist was!

^This picture of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, pre-Fleetwood Mac is making me swoon pretty hard

^This watermelon keg is killing meeeee

^I would love to hang this print in my house! (I also love this Ron Swanson portrait by the same illustrator)

^I do believe this is one of the loveliest collars I have ever seen

^I can’t listen to this Fleet Foxes song enough

^Can I just recreate this outfit and prance about the city?!

LINK LOVE:

This bike poster is simple + true.
I’m a little obsessed with this ”Call Me Maybe” mashup!
If you ever need a pick me up then just look at this picture list.
This “Everyone is Guilty” article is short but raises some great points.

What kind of neat internet shenanigans have you found lately?

Caturday At Last!

Kitty Cat Stevens — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:05:41 +0000

Please enjoy these phenomenal images of my cat lounging about! I don’t usually call attention to a lack of updates on the blog buuuut in all honesty: the boy and I have become hopelessly addicted to Breaking Bad! It’s kind of embarrassing to admit but we get really into a tv show after it has already been around for a few seasons (Ex: Dexter, Twin Peaks, Walking Dead) and then we just end up dropping everything to watch the entire series in a short time. So my tv addiction coupled with the fact that I lost my camera for about two weeks kind of just threw everything out of whack.

Anyway, I’m back now AND I HAVE CAT PICTURES. It’s almost impossible to even decide which one is my favorite— her tongue is cracking me up! What have you been up to this month?! I have some really fun things coming up the next few weeks (including two different baking gigs— eep!) and I can’t wait to share it all with you guys!

Fun with Pegboards

Kitty Cat Stevens — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:13:22 +0000

Since we moved into our new house not a weekend’s gone by without a trip or two (. . . or three!) to a home improvement store. At first it seemed like each night we spent unpacking was just another chance to lengthen Ye Ole To-Do List but after completing this project we’ve really been enjoying the fruits of our labor. Our previous apartment was tiny and made of cinder blocks so bike storage was tricky. We kept tools on she shelves of a built-in unit, spare parts under the bed, and since we couldn’t drill into the walls, Nick built two bike racks to hold all our rides. They press against the ceiling and floor to hold in place and avoid any wall blemishes, like so: Since the ceiling here is vaulted (awesome!) we needed a new approach. A pegboard seemed like the best option for us: simple to keep organized, easy access, less furniture/shelves to buy. But of course we couldn’t stand the thought of hanging a white square with holes in it on the already white walls, so we did the cool thing and spray painted it! Cut your pegboard down to the size you need, tape off your design, and spray away! We bought a 8×12 pegboard and cut it down in 3 pieces to fit 3 different projects. After a couple coats of paint and a few beers, voila! Although most of the pegboard is covered in tools and bike gear, it’s nice to have some fun color involved. After we hung the board, we took the hooks off the old bike rack and simply drilled them into the wall. I don’t think I could be happier with how our little “dining nook” turned out. Having everything out and in one place is so convenient. And mounting the bikes upwards really takes advantage of all the wall space created by the super high ceilings. It also prevents scuffs on the walls from just leaning all our bikes in a pile. It also prevents the bike pile in the first place! It’s so wonderful to watch each space come together and see how it transforms a rental house into an actual home that’s perfect for us. If you can’t be out riding, where’s your favorite place to park your bike?

Secondhand News

Kitty Cat Stevens — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:26:20 +0000

All our free time lately has been spent scouring craigslist and thrift stores for the perfect pieces to furnish our new house. We’ve found some great bigger items like a desk, tv stand, and a shelf for our records but we are pretty far from being finished. Until then, I just wanted to take a minute to share some of the neat little things I found on recent trips to the thrift store!

I found these pretty dried flower pieces at two different thrift shops in the same day. I usually don’t buy things like this but something about them just spoke to my inner grandma. I decided that day to start collecting them. I found this gorgeous one on etsy but I don’t think I’m ready to splurge on my new collection just yet. . I think I’d rather just stumble upon them slowly for a few dollars at a time than to actively seek them out for a lot more dough, ya know?

This dress is super shapeless and awkwardly long but I couldn’t resist the awesome pattern. I wore it around the house on laundry day but I have a little diy planned to make it really cute and perfect for summer.

One of my favorite things to thrift for is pretty dishes. I love to share my recipes on the blog and I’m also in the process of building up a cake decorating portfolio, so it’s nice to have some variety when experimenting with my “foodtography”.

In the background of these photos is a pretty lace tablecloth I bought. I got it on a whim— I didn’t even have a kitchen table at the time. AND I was even searching for a rectangular table but for some reason I went ahead and bought this round tablecloth for no reason? I’m usually very practical when thrifting but I just couldn’t talk myself out of it. Then, when I went home for Memorial Day my mom *just happened* to have this extra table so everything just kinda fell into place!

Have you found any truth to the saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? The percentage of my stuff that is actually something no one else wanted continually blows my mind!

Florals + Stripes

Kitty Cat Stevens — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:35:19 +0000

I saw this skirt sticking out of the rack at a thrift store and immediately knew I had to have it! The floral print reminds me of a watercolor painting and it has pockets, so how could I resist? I was originally kinda bummed about how long it is but I bought it anyway with the plan to hem it to a more “flattering” length. But instead of shortening it, I happened to just throw it on when the weather turned cold again for a day and I couldn’t find any pants—I ended up loving it and haven’t taken it off since!

My necklace also has a story with it: I got it from one of the workshop instructors the summer before last when I attended Arrowmont. These pictures don’t do it justice but it is a beautiful handcrafted piece! People always think it’s some kind of rock or crystal but it’s actually kiln-fired glass.

This will actually be my first summer away from the art school in 2 years and honestly I am a bit bummed about it. BUT the silver lining is that I am here doing what I love and also working on having a space of my own where I can put everything I learned there to good use.

So cheers— to trying new things (maxi skirts!) and to new beginnings with every season!

shirt: target / skirt, bag: thrifted / shoes: plato’s closet

Ps: These pictures were taken on the deck of my new house! I am so excited to have a couple of private places to take photos in . . I guess people think it’s a little strange to set up a tripod in the middle of a field and snap photos of yourself with it!