Being frugal and repurposing: “Teacupped” Plants

With the merger of the two shops came a lot of small, heavy-when-in-one-huge-box-one-has-to-carry-around-from-one-end-of-the-store-to-the-other, stuff. I don’t care for a lot of it, they’re not my style, but there are occasional cute items in the mix.

Like this little set of two coffee cup with saucers. They cost around $14, which, for only two cups is pricey for my pocket. So I let them be, and dust them off every time I have the morning shift.

Then, sale season kicked in.

We received the same type of set, now 70% off, because one of the cups was chipped. I quickly bought two sets, because for around $8 they were worth making one set out of the two. Plus, I had a small project in mind.

A few days later, another set arrived, with both cups chipped and one of the saucers as well. Our new store manager priced it at 100% off, and I got to bring it home. (Note: don’t mistake her gesture for something nice. She has me working only afternoon shifts this month.)

So, for inventory purposes, I now have: two perfect coffee cups, five perfect saucers, and four chipped cups with one chipped saucer.

I’m happily using the set and separately the saucers, while in the chipped cups I’ve “teacupped” cactuses and placed bamboo.

They look so cute on my window sill, and with them facing the room, no can even spot they’re chipped!

And as a bonus, the boxes they came in are adorable. I’m using them for storing letters.

 

Have You repurposed cups and saucers, or other household stuff similarly?

 

PS: don’t ask, but as another example, I currently have Basil growing in an old sink in our yard

Recipe of the Month: Mumbai Spice for yummy Green Salads

I’ve been eating a LOT of salads lately. The ones we can make during winter just aren’t the same, so I’m filling up on fresh yumminess as much as possible in between April-October.

Rukmini mentioned on her blog a spice recipe I’ve been wanting to try. It took me a while to figure out where I could find a few of the necessary ingredients since I don’t live in India, but a few weeks ago I could finally mix all spices together in a cute little jar and give it a go. Now, I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, because I simply didn’t have enough time, nor the ingredients as seeds. But…

The end result is a really nice bled, I’m loving it on my salads!

Green Salad with Mumbai Spice

Vegetables of your choice for green salad

I used: tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, scallions, bell pepper; and another time also added some stir-fried chicken strips.

For Mumbai Spice, mix together:

3 tbsp of Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Chili powder, Rock Salt
and 2 tbsp of Ground Mango Powder, Plain Salt.

Chop vegetables into a salad bowl, toss with some EVOO and season with Mumbai Spice.

*Recipe slightly adapted from Trumatter 

Bon appétit!

What Love Does – by Estrella Azul

Love does not last X number of years.
Love only now begins,
for another X earthly years
and an infinity of years afterwards.
Love grows by the day,
as a leavened bread
placed near a warm oven.
Love grows in the sun.
It grows in the grass,
among flowers, in shades of trees
and layers of basil.
Love caresses my dusty cheeks,
warms my icy hands,
carries away worries like the wind,
and kisses me goodnight.
Love does not necessarily make me better,
more cheerful or happier.
But it makes me be myself,
and it makes you be yourself,
and it turns you and I, into Us.

This introvert’s survival guide to a wedding

 

Why the title? Because we had to attend a (granted, super cool Hollywood-themed) wedding over the weekend. I was still drained by the time it was over, but at least I didn’t implode, nor had to leave the party early. And it gave me material for this blog post.

Here are a few things that helped me through it, and which might help out other introverts:

• Volunteer to help with decorating the events hall – it gets you out of the bachelorette party (and maybe even the church reception), while also giving the excuse for that awkward time when guest half left, as you can start picking everything apart, gathering said decorations and actually help out unlike family who just stand idlly around.
• Volunteer to greet guests at the door – it saves you from meaningless chitchat at a table full of people one doesn’t know while waiting for everyone else, and the bride and groom to arrive. It also gives you enough time to warm up to the idea of one hundred people in the same room as you, instead of that shock you’d get walking into the events hall on your own.
• If you know the people with babies there, take one into your arms – you’ll have fun with the kid while using them as a shield. No one will care about you anymore.
• Agree with your significant other when and/or what type of music you will or will not dance to – this way, you’ll both have fun and won’t have any high expectations of each other.
• Dance when the cameras are focused on the dance floor – you’ll end up in the wedding DVD for sure, so people you know won’t say “I didn’t see you at the wedding” years after the fact.
• Drink enough water or soda – aside from giving you the excuse to duck out of the noise every once in a while, it helps prevent headaches.
• Go to the restroom, for a quick walk around the block, or in silly weather like the one we had this weekend, check on the weather – it gives you a little break when in need of a few minutes to recharge. In case you live close by, you could even go home for half an hour and no one would miss you (Boy, I would’ve been so much happier if I still lived down the street from the events hall we were at!)
• Spend a long time thinking what to write in the guest book – when plopped on the chair thinking, people won’t bother you, and you’ll end up with a beautiful, well thought out wish for the happy couple.
• If you have a blog, take notes for fellow introverts to  benefit from and which you can use as material for a blog post.

 

How about you, my introverted friends? Any other tips you can share?

PS: I might have another wedding I need to attend in August…

How often…? – by Estrella Azul

A couple crosses the street. Hand in hand, they ignore stop signs and slalom through cars, laughing. Reaching the bus stop where I am waiting, they kiss.
Everyone in the station is watching them.

She, looks at her boyfriend with a kind of adoration one only sees in movies. She radiates happiness.
He, reciprocates. They don’t stop smiling and talking.

As the bus rolls to a stop, they follow me behind my seat.
I make myself comfortable for the long commute, and gaze out the window – listening.

It has been four years to the day since the accident, I overhear. Details aren’t shared; they seem unimportant to the conversation and the silence following his words makes it clear she knows them. I can almost hear them exchange a look, then talk about something else.
Small things, of family and friends, places they like and wish to visit. They want to find out everything there is about one another. They are clearly at the beginning stage of their relationship. Infatuated with each other.

A few stops later, they walk to the door.
As they get off the bus, people stare at him.

His sunglasses keep his eyes from showing, but I can imagine them.
Despite all the wonderful moments I have overheard, they hide a sadness, a question.
The long scars stretching all over his face, the ones that start at his nape and continue down his back, the ones that cover the length of his arms – they do the asking.

And I can’t help but wonder myself – how often does he start relationships, how often does he experience only the infatuation and understanding stage of them in this world where nothing is perfect and looks seem to account for everything?

 

*** With the above piece of flash fiction I’m participating in Friday Flash Dot Org’s Fourth Anniversary Blog Hop, running thru the end of the month.
Go read the announcement post, and write a flash or comment on one of the entries for a chance to win a prize!

A Super Sweet Blogging Award

Franny has been at it again, and shortly after the previous one, has awarded me with another, couple of, blog awards. I am floored. Super sweet awards, from a super sweet lady! Thank you so much!

This time, it is The Versatile Blogger Award, which I’ve received and blogged about before, so won’t do it again today; and the:

Super Sweet Blogging Award from Franny Stevenson of dr.franny and mrs.myself

 

The Rules:

• Thank the Super Sweet Blogger that nominated you.
• Answer five Super Sweet questions.
• Include the Super Sweet Blogging award image in your blog post.
• Nominate a baker’s dozen (13) other bloggers.
• Notify your nominees on their blog.

 

The 5 Super Sweet Questions:

1. Cookies or Cake? – I’d say that depends. Does it have chocolate in it?
2. Chocolate or Vanilla? – Chocolate. Except if we’re talking about ice cream flavors, in which case I combine chocolate with a scoop of melon.
3. Favorite Sweet Treat? – Stroopwafels. Because I love tea, and they go together perfectly.
4. When do you crave sweet things the most? – When I’m tired. Sometimes I am too tired to go fetch them from the kitchen, but I still crave them. Just the other night I was craving chocolate and was lucky I had leftover Easter Bunnies
5. Sweet Nick Name? – “Kicsi Kincsem” (= My Little Treasure), the Chef’s sweet nickname for me.

And now, I am shamelessly going to ignore the requirement, and nominate only seven blogs instead of thirteen. However, these people are all super sweet, and as far as I know also like sweet things!

Catherine Russell
Lynn Obermoeller
Tabula Rasa
Kenneth Hopkins
Janel Gradowski
Deanna Schrayer
Rukmini Roy

Have fun!

 

I’d also like to thank Franny for the Because You’re Fantabulous Award and the Awesome Blossom award. These two are no-strings-attached blog awards, so if you would like them, please take and post them to your blog/bestow as you see fit.

Love, to each and every one of you! <3

Tea Cup Tuesday

I’ve been reading my friend Becky’s blog for a long time now, and have always adored her tea cup collection. So today, inspired by Becky, I’m very pleased to join Terri of Artful Affirmations, and Martha of Martha’s Favorites for Tea Cup Tuesday!

I received this tea set for my birthday yesterday, from my boyfriend. He really nailed it in regards of birthday presents – I’ve had my eye on similar tea sets, but have always talked myself out of buying one. Truth be told, I managed to, because the ones I’ve seen were smaller than this one and I love my tea way too much to drink only two sips of it.

The above set it the Katie Alice English Garden Tea For One. I love that it’s a great size, the teapot holding two servings of yumminess for the teacup under it. That equals to one good-sized cup of tea; plus, it keeps the tea hot for a long time!

Its teapot section is decorated in a pretty floral motif and other elements from the English garden, such as bees, birds and butterflies woven into this classical design. The cup and lid are simply adorned in delicate white spots on a pale blue background.

Happy tea partying