brian’s cookbooks/ measuring cups-anthropologie/ teacups-thrifted/ bowl-ikea

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i’ve been quite the homebody lately. i’ve just been staying in reading, watching movies, figuring out how to cook, and organizing the apartment. i suppose this is all really quite therapeutic. anyway, here are some of the details from around our humble lil’ apartment.

1. fresh flowers: i really love getting fresh flowers and placing them in small vases throughout the apartment. i think that they add color to the space and make the apartment feel more lively. honestly, i don’t even care if they’re filler flowers. i just love the colors and the softness of the petals. and for five bucks at whole foods or trader joes, they can transform a room affordably. it’s all about the little things.

also, it was when i was buying these flowers that i was sent this wonderful surprise from my amazing friend amy!

2. cats: our cats make me feel calm and relaxed. they just lay around all day without a care in the world and when i get home from a stressful day they put a smile on my face and help me relax. i love my lil’ fluff balls.

3. cocktails: as i have mentioned before, i’m a vodka girl! however, this recipe from bon appetit allows for vodka, whiskey, or gin. although the one pictured is made with ketel one,  i made one with whiskey for brain and it was super yummy. it’s comprised of muddled mint, lemons, liquor of choice, and simple syrup (i used agave nectar). these cocktails are a labor of love but delicious!

4. snacks: when i went down to visit my friends chime and zuhair, they prepared the best snacks and meals. not only did everything taste amazing, but it was all aesthetically pleasing as well. i was inspired to make some snacks from the things i tried while staying with them. as i previously mentioned before- i fell in love with the goat cheese stuffed dates. they are great because they can really work as a appetizer or dessert. mmm, good!

5. kombucha: i’m totally obsessed with kombucha. this stuff can really break the bank especially when drinking them daily. so brian is soliciting the help of a friend to teach us how to make our own at home. we shall see how that goes. until that happens we will keep buying them by the case! i love em’, love ‘em, love ‘em!

6. cooking: i’ve decided to try my hand at cooking. saturday night i made dill salmon coupled with quinoa, kale, parsnips and carrots. it was good and healthy. i can’t wait to try some new recipes and hopefully i’m successful in making them. i tend to get a little upset when i ruin recipes. my goal is to keep trying even when i fail.

7.organization: i’m on mission organization in our apartment. i’ve really been trying to edit my closet and other random non-necessities in our apartment. the last photo is of the top our microwave which we use as a storage space for cookbooks, measuring cups, and produce. i like that we saved some much needed counter space! we need to save all the space we can.