Author: fp naomi

DIY Fabric Covered Notebook

Posted by fp naomi on in DIY

I first found out about Willow Rose one day when I stumbled upon her adorable blog. She posted lots of stuff that inspired me creatively, so I decided to find out more about the woman behind the blog. What I found out – excitingly – is that she’s a beautiful woman living in the UK who creates neat hand-made treasures.

I fell in love with these fabric covered notebooks she custom-makes for people. All of the fabrics she personally sources herself, and she’ll even cover actual books if you’d like! I love the idea of having one of my favorite books made special by covering it in beautiful fabric.

For this week’s DIY, I’ve asked Willow to show us how we can make one of these notebooks at home and she was kind enough to share =)

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To find out more information and see Willow’s other projects check out her boutique website.

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Berry Smoothie

Posted by fp naomi on in food

There are two kinds of people in this world: sweet and salty. I unfortunately, am one of those with a huge sweet tooth. I’m always trying to come up with healthy options that can still satisfy my craving. This berry smoothie is one of my favorites. It’s made with almond milk which gives it the perfect creaminess, and I also throw in a few mint leaves to make it refreshing. The best part? Almost anyone can eat it! It is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. =)

Ingredients:

-1 cup frozen strawberries

-1 cup frozen blueberries

-almond milk (approx 1 cup)

-1tbsp mint leaves

You will need either a blender or a hand blender (shown in this example)

Instructions:

Fill measuring cup with berries and mint leaves

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Fill with almond milk until just a few berries are poking out on top

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Hand blend (or blend) ingredients

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Once ingredients have a purplish/pink color you can pour it into a glass or bowl and eat with a spoon.

**now that you’ve made this recipe feel free to experiment with any fruit combination you’d like. I like to stick to frozen fruit because they give it a nice cold iciness!

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Meditteranean Orzo Salad

Posted by fp naomi on in food

I wish I could list all of the reasons why I love this salad, but you might all think I’ve gone crazy and stop reading this post. I’ll stick to the highlights. Reason A) you can stick a huge bowl of it in the fridge, and continue to eat it for days – cold or hot. Reason B) Orzo is a huge comfort food although you never hear it portrayed as one. And reason C) It gets its amazing flavor from fresh Rosemary I have planted in my backyard – I love, love, love the freshness (don’t worry it’s still good if you buy it too). Basically, I highly suggest giving it a go – you’ll probably come up with some of your own reasons to fall in love ;).

Ingredients:

1 Cup Orzo

2 Cups Water

¾ Cups Shrimp shelled and deveined (I like to take the tails all the way off for this recipe)

½ Cup Feta

1 Large Tomato seeded and diced

½ Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives

½ Cup Olive Oil

2 Sprigs of Rosemary

2 Cloves Garlic minced

1/4Tspn Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Place orzo and water into a pot, cover and cook until all the water is evaporated – just like cooking rice
  2. In a small saucepan place 1tbs of olive oil, minced garlic cloves, shrimp, and one sprig of Rosemary broken into three pieces. Saute until shrimp is fully cooked.
  3. Place shrimp, tomato, kalamata olives, feta, orzo, olive oil, garlic powder, and last sprig of rosemary (broken up into about 5 pieces) into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
  4. Salt & Pepper to taste
  5. Stick in the fridge to chill or eat warm

**When serving, a nice option is to put it over a bed of greens.

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Grilled Cheese?

Posted by fp naomi on in food

I was raised in an Italian family with real Italian cooks, so I have a tendency give anything an Italian spin in the kitchen. Hence this week’s recipe – my favorite grilled cheese sandwich – is nothing short of delicioso. It’s crazy easy to make and tastes just as good as any fancy Panini.

Ingredients:

2 Slices of bread (I like wholegrain, but if you want the traditional thing, go for ciabatta bread)

1tbsp Pesto

1 Canned artichoke – quartered

1 roasted red pepper – cut into 3 pieces

2 slices of fresh mozzarella (Mozzarella is traditional, but I didn’t have any when I made the sandwich, so I substituted a blend of jack cheeses. You can experiment with whatever cheeses you like. I highly recommend it.)

Spread pesto on both halves of your bread

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Place roasted red pepper on one half

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Place artichoke pieces on top of the roasted red pepper

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Place cheese on top of the artichokes & then toast both sandwich halves in the toaster oven – or regular oven at 350F if you don’t have a toaster oven – until cheese melts (approx 5 minutes).

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Place the top slice of bread on top, cut in half, and you’re done!

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11 Comments on Grilled Cheese?

DIY Dog Leash

Posted by fp naomi on in DIY

In response to popular demand, I messed around with some scrap fabric this weekend, and came up with this extremely easy to make dog leash!

Cut scrap fabric into about 2.5 inch-wide strips. They should be at least a foot long.

Taking three strands, make a knot about 2 inches from the end.

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Make another knot about 10 inches from your first knot

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Fold the section between your two knots in half and begin braiding. You’ll want to add the tails left from your first knot into the braid at the beginning so that they don’t stick out.

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Add in new strips of fabric as strands are running out. Don’t worry if they stick out a little, it gives the leash a nice hand-made look. If you don’t like the way it looks, you can always trim them down afterward.

Once the leash is your desired length, tie off the end with a hair tie – leaving about 10 inches of excess unbraided fabric at the end. Feed the unbraided strips through the end of a Swivel Eye Bolt Snap Hook (you can get this type of snap anywhere, but I got mine from the home depot)

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Tie off the end by making several knots around the hair elastic. You shouldn’t be able to see it once you’re done.

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Trim excess fabric

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And you’re done!

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My dog Abigail definitely approves ;)

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10 Comments on DIY Dog Leash

Fashionable Fringe

Posted by fp naomi on in fashion, Uncategorized

Fringe has been everywhere lately – it’s definitely a trend we’ve fallen for here at free people. I love how the look can be interpreted differently depending on the garment or material. Sometimes it takes on a light and airy ethereal look, while other times it looks tough and edgy. No matter how it’s used, fringe gives off a great bohemian vibe that I just can’t get enough of.

Here are some of my favorite examples of fringe I’ve collected…

photo by alexandra valenti

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photo by alexandra valenti

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At Free People we’ve always loved fringe & our collection contains some really great pieces. I’ve had my eye on a few that I want to pick up for spring. Here are three of my favorites:

shoreline binetti bag

The Shoreline Binetti Bag

beach comber cardigan

The Beach Comber Cardigan

wink fringe sandal

The Wink Fringe Sandal

What do you guys think about fringe? How would you wear it?

All inspiration & magazine photos taken from mariediena (tumblr)

7 Comments on Fashionable Fringe

Mother’s Day Waffles

Posted by fp naomi on in features, food

Here’s a delish breakfast for those of you in search of a good way to surprise your mom for mothers day. If you missed breakfast, well, who doesn’t like brupper (breakfast for supper)? Either way, she’ll think you’re the best kid in the entire world.

Ingredients (makes 8 six inch waffles):

2 cups almond milk (vanilla or plain), or any non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose works, too)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sliced bananas
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups greek yogurt (can leave out the yogurt or use non-dairy yogurt if you want to leave the breakfast entirely vegan)

Instructions:

  1. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside to curdle.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add the flax seeds to milk mixture and mix vigorously until frothy (approx. 30sec-1min)
  4. Add milk mixture, water, olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and half of the bananas to flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until mostly combined then fold in half of the almonds until all ingredients are moistened.
  5. Preheat waffle iron and let the batter rest. Cook according to waffle iron directions. Be sure to spray waffle iron with oil or cooking spray between each waffle.
  6. Garnish with extra bananas, almonds, and a spoonful of yogurt. (as an idea, drizzle the whole thing with honey instead of maple syrup, it’s so good!)
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Wall Art

Posted by fp naomi on in Uncategorized

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I was inspired by these wallpaper designs sold out of the Greenwich Village shop, Secondhand Rose. The owner, Suzanne Lipshutz, has devotedly sought out vintage wallpapers since the 1960’s. Today her neat store boasts a collection of over 2,500 vintage prints from all around the world. Interior designers, magazines, set designers – you name it – they are all flocking to her one-of-a-kind store to find exciting wall decorations. I personally stumbled upon the collection one day while I was looking for inspiration and fell in love with the selection she offers – each one is so unique and beautiful! Just imagine the crazy rooms you could design with some of them…

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Green Tea with Lemon and Blueberries

Posted by fp naomi on in food

This holiday season my grandmother gave me an adorable tea pot, and I’ve been obsessed with tea ever since. Many say that tea offers a range of cleansing effects and health benefits but all I know is that the many comforting cups of tea have definitely been good for my soul. Messing with different blends and experimentations has been a fun and tasty adventure. I began to spice it up recently with the addition of fruit. Here is one of my favorite, antioxidant rich, energizing creations. Drink it hot or stick it in the fridge for a refreshing iced tea – perfect for summertime!

Ingredients:

2 Teaspoons of green tea or two green tea teabags

2 Cups of boiling water

2 Thin slices of ginger

2 Lemon Wedges

¼ Cup of lightly mashed blueberries

2 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey

Preparation:

  1. Prep all ingredients and put water on to boil
  2. Place everything together into a pitcher
  3. Once the tea is fully brewed (about 5 minutes) remove green tea & enjoy!
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8 Comments on Green Tea with Lemon and Blueberries

Morning Glory Toast

Posted by fp naomi on in food

There is no meal I love more than breakfast. Maybe I’m a bit too enthusiastic, but I truly believe it has magical powers – who’s not happy after a delicious morning meal, right? Case in point, my “Morning Glory Toast.” It’s a simple recipe that I made up the other day to cheer up my roommate and best friend who was having a rough weekend, and it was a big hit! I think it made her feel a little better & hopefully it can bring some sunshine into your lives too. =)

Ingredients:

1 Slice of multigrain bread

1 Egg

¼ Avocado

3 Half slices of tomato

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Grease skillet and crack an egg into it. Cook the egg sunny-side-up style. Salt & pepper egg while in pan.
  2. While the egg is cooking, place bread in toaster, slice tomato, and cut up avocado.
  3. Once toast is ready, spread avocado, place tomato slices on top of avocado, and then top it all off with the sunny-side-up egg.

I like to slice the entire thing in half and pair it with a glass of OJ. Hope you like it!

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17 Comments on Morning Glory Toast