Nerdy Owl

Insert spider webs, dust and cricket noises

Hey all!

I wanted to introduce my new line of eco-friendly bags! They will replace any plastic baggie or produce bag, helping you to eliminate waste while having a wonderful reusable bag that will last and last!

You can view my entire collection here. I am very excited about this as I have always been a huge advocate for recycling and helping Mother Earth stay beautiful.

I have both unlined and lined baggies as well as produce and bulk bin bags.

Just say no to plastic!

Cinco

2010-09-20T08:38:00.001-07:00

I haven't been posting or even sewing as much as I would like to be, but here are a few items that I have been creating.

Something...

2010-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Vine Ripe Growth Chart

Modern Floral Half Apron

Spring Cherry Pillow

Lines of Circles Pillow

Modern Floral Pillow

Have a wonderful weekend!

Polenta Primavera - from the Local Bounty

2010-08-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

One of my most treasured cook books is Local Bounty by Devra Gartenstein. This book showcases seasonal dishes that are simple yet hearty and beautiful. I made Polenta Primavera tonight, tweaking it as I went along based on the on-hand veggies I had. I might add that tonight was the very fist time I cooked with white wine. I used a delicious chardonnay and the fruity tangents mixed with the flavorful veggies was an amazing pair. I will be cooking with this wine more often.

One vegetable that was showcased was my lovely chard that has been growing the past few months.

It was tender, mild and such a treat. Of course I under estimated the amount of shrinkage so next time I will be cutting double the amount.

Polenta Primavera from Local Bounty

Ingredients – 2 servings

4 - 1/2 inch slices of pre-cooked polenta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 sweet yellow onion, sliced into large pieces

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/3 red bell pepper, sliced into small strips

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup fresh of frozen peas

a few handfuls of fresh green beans, washed and cut into 3 inch pieces

a large amount of chard (depending on the size of leaves – it will shrink down 50% or more)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

salt and pepper

Directions

Sear of bake the polenta. If baking, preheat oven to 375 and lay polenta slices on a baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes on each side, or until crispy on the outside. If searing, place a few tablespoons of EVOO in a skillet and sear each side of the polenta until crispy.

Add 2 tablespoons of EVOO to a large pan on medium. Add onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sautee for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, peas, chard, beans, parsley, pepper and another pinch of salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add white wine, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until wine is mostly cooked out.

Serve vegetables over the polenta.

Sunday Market

2010-08-22T16:45:00.001-07:00

room29 Original

Pink Striped Market Bag

Local Honey

Sweet Cherries

Mama Market Bag

intothewoods1 Orignal

Opart Orignial

Sunday Stroll - Red Scooter Handbag

On the farm

2010-08-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

1881 Farmer's Alamanac

Double Broiler

Shabby Dresser

Soap or Lotion Dispenser

How to be alone

2010-08-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

Place Mat + Coasters

2010-08-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Vine Ripe Place Mat

These fun coasters were a spur of the moment idea as my large glasses of water kept leaving water marks all over the house. I had so much fun making a sew for myself that I kept cutting and sewing away!
These items can all be viewed in my shop.

Fun in my room

2010-08-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sometime I wish I could get into trouble again and be asked to go to my room. That way I would have an excuse for sewing all day and night...

Circle in a Circle Quilt

Flower and Stem Place Mats

I Heart You

2010-08-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

PEACH HEART SHOES

Heart Tree Vinyl Wall Decal Sticker

Coffee Heart tea towel - turquoise

Dutch Heart - linen tea towel (cherry)

Tea Love Knit Mug Cozy with Heart

Sugar Cookies. Jam. Buttercream. VEGAN

Wedding and Anniversary Heart Art

Shiny White Hearts on Aqua

Once Upon A Time Love Locket

Tutorials

2010-08-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of tutorials and DIY links that I have either found or had sent to me. I add daily so check back often! AND if you have found an amazing tutorial please send it my way - thenerdyowl @ gmail (dot) com

Book Page Canvas

Obsession

2010-07-31T14:32:00.001-07:00

I am kind of obsessed with my new hounds tooth ruffle pillows. I want to surround myself with them.

And of course hand drawn birds are so fun to create.

Of course you can view these items in my shop. And did I mention free shipping? Ya, a little bird told me....

Vegan Lentil Soup

2010-07-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

This thick and hearty soup will keep you full all day from the protein, and have you coming back for seconds at the same time! Packed full of carrots, celery, potatoes and spices, lentils have never tasted so good. It freezes well so make an entire batch for tonight and enjoy the rest next week or in a month.

Ingredients – see below for notes

2 cups lentils, rinsed and looked over

6-8 cups of vegetable stock or water

1 medium yellow onion

2 cups of chopped yellow potatoes

2 garlic cloves, chopped or tablespoon of garlic powder

3-4 carrots, chopped

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1-2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot pour your water/vegetable stock. Turn stove on high heat. Add rinsed lentils, carrots, garlic, onion, potatoes, herbs and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer (medium-low) and cover for an hour.
Check often to make sure water level is not too low, adding small amounts at a time.
The end result should be a thick and creamy soup, with the lentils being broke down and soft. Taste to make sure it is seasoned the way you like it, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
Serves 4-6

Notes -

Use yellow, creamy potatoes in this soup. I used 5-6 fingerlings - I HIGHLY recommend them! You can also use Yukon gold.

I used garlic powder instead of whole cloves.

Add more vegetables for more soup yield. I would have loved to see more vegetables in my soup – next time I will adding double!

Enjoy!

Patchwork Pillows + 3 Little Birds

2010-07-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

New pillows in the shop - enjoy!

Playing Favorites

2010-07-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday I like to play favorites. These are items from various sources that have caught my eye. I love promoting other small business owners - we really do put a lot of love, energy and time into our creations.

Enjoy!

Eco-chic Handmade Vegan Flats in Grey

Mod Car Quilt

Wise Craft

floral nesting bowl set

Green Vintage Storage Jars

Fine Art Polaroid- Summer Love- Alicia Bock,

Hello Sunshine - 8x8 Fine Art Print

Yo Yo Time

2010-07-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

I started making yo-yo's when I was about 7. My Great Grandma, who taught me everything there is to know about sewing, had me start making yo-yo's when I would visit her during the summer months. I was fascinated by them! I still enjoy creating these little circles of joy to this day.

Vegan Banana Bread Muffins

2010-07-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Banana bread is comforting with its warm cinnamon and nutmeg flavors. Now you can enjoy them all wrapped up into individual muffins. Serve warm with Earth Balance spread.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil OR 1/4 vegan butter like Earth Balance
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1 cup unbleached organic white flour and 1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 360 degrees
Cream sugar/oil with sugar. In a separate bowl mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas to butter and sugar and mix well.
Now add the dry ingredients to the wet, making sure to scrape the sides and mix well. Stir in nuts at the end if you plan to use them.
Spray cooking spray in a muffin tin and add dollops of batter into each slot – 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.

Vine Pillows II

2010-07-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

More pillows added!

Vegan, dairy free, pancakes

2010-07-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Oh, Pancakes. How I love you. You are soft, luscious and irresistible.
I love making my my pancakes from scratch - no box mix for this lady. You can sub the whole wheat flour with any kind of flour you prefer – this is a wonderful kitchen staple for vegan, dairy free pancakes!

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup non-dairy milk (1 1/4 cups if using flax meal)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons flax meal (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon oil, vegetable
1 teaspoon organic raw sugar (optional)
Mix the dry ingredients together, sifting if possible. Add milk, oil and whisk to make batter. Thicken by adding a little more flour, or thin by adding more liquid.

Heat pan on medium heat. Pour desired amount of batter in pan. Once you see bubbles that are starting to pop, flip gently. Cook another minute or so. I found that mine were pretty thick and they needed to cook a tad longer.

Top with syrup, fruit and nuts and enjoy!

Organize me!

2010-07-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

I have always wanted to make organizers but never fully understood how to actually make them. You will quickly learn that I am horrible with patterns. I just cannot understand them for the life of me. But what I can do is take a project and visually tear it apart and lean how it was made. From there I make my own custom pattern. It may seem like a lot of work but in the long run it saves me headache and frustration.

I finally had enough detailed images to create my own version of a daily organizer - I love the edges and the custom appliqué I added to each one. Every one is unique, personable and stylish.

Cherry Blossom Organizer

Shabby Floral Brown Organizer

Vine Ripe Pillows

2010-07-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

I have been busy this weekend - creating, drawing, planning, sewing and producing. Here is a sneak peak on my new pillow line:

Vine Ripe in Pink

Vine Ripe Multi

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! It has been pretty hot in Seattle, and much to my surprise and liking we awoke to the crisp smell of rain. I love the rain.

Mod Floral Pillow

2010-07-11T01:42:00.000-07:00

Decorative pillows are such a treat for me. I would have them all over the furniture if I was allowed to do so. This poor pillow has been kept in the closet for quite some time... I thought it needed to make an appearance.