Pretty Spring Sewing Projects + Do Tell Tuesday #73!

Welcome to Do Tell Tuesday!  Do Tell Tuesday is the time where WE get to see what YOU are up to! Share your projects and recipes, then take time to look around at your fellow creatives.  Not a blogger?  That's ok!  You can still take a look around and discover some new ideas and inspiration!

Each week a featured host will be bringing you a set of features.  This week Cassie picked some pretty sewing projects for the spring season and beyond!  Before we get to this week, let's meet the hosts!

Keep up with us at:

Mabey She Made It : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus
Vintage Zest : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Little Red Window : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Lil Mrs. Tori : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Now for the features courtesy of Cassie!

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Massey Honey feature & GIVEAWAY!

For this week's Shop Small Saturday Showcase, I have a tasty feature to share with you!  When my friend and I visited last year's Unique L.A., we couldn't help but notice the crowd forming around Massey Honey to sample their delicious honey!  I adored their pretty packaging as well, and after tasting a few of the varieties, we were hooked.

For all you Southern California locals, they will be at Unique L.A. today and tomorrow, so head there to check them out!  For you non-locals, check out their lovely feature below and enter to win this week's giveaway.  You get to choose between their orange blossom or wildflower honeys, and Ryan and Jessica told me that each variety has been just recently extracted this spring and very tasty!  Yum!

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Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I am a veterinarian with a background in public health and food safety. I came across beekeeping while in college (an entomology class in snuck into) and fell in love with the complexities of bees. Once I finished veterinary school, I got my first bee hive and it grew from there.


Where did the name of your store come from?

We are a family-owned company and Massey is a family name. We are related to the gourmet vanilla company with a similar name- "Nielson-Massey" Vanilla.

Why did you start making goods for Massey Honey?

I originally did not plan on beekeeping with the dream of starting a company. I got one beehive  as a hobby. Word spread that I was an amateur beekeeping and people would call me to try to rescue their hives. I eventually began to rescue and relocate the hives and now have close to 100 located throughout Southern California. With time, I was able to responsibly manage the hives and produce a quality honey. The rest is history.


What is your favorite item?

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Jackalope Arts Wrap-up!

Remember that crazy calendar of spring and summer events that I shared with you last month?  Well, I have been out and about every weekend, and I really wanted to let you take a peek at the Jackalope Arts fair that I went to in Pasadena.  It was a wonderful venue and even though it rained on Saturday, the talent really shone through!  I found tons of amazing new shops that I will definitely be featuring on Shop Small Saturday Showcase.  There was so much to see that I couldn't share it all here, so I hope you saw for yourself!


No fear if you missed it because they will be coming back to Pasadena on November 7th & 8th!  Also, if you live in Denver or Phoenix, they will be in your town soon!  Click here for more details:

• Denver dates:  July 25th & 26th  +  November 28th & 29th
• Phoenix dates:  December 12th & 13th

Now, to the pictures of what I saw at Jackalope!

Robert Kramer Woodworking  +  Twenty One Glass

Of course, I ran into a few shop owners (Clay and Fabric, Foxboxes, Woodbrain, and Squshies) that I previously featured at Shop Small Saturday Showcase.  Hello, friends!

I also found some friendly new faces that I hope to feature soon!

Kenna

Chachi Loves Design!

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Açaí Bowl Recipe & Tips

Have you heard of an açaí bowl?  Maybe you haven't, so if you are not familiar, açai bowls use the superfood açaí berries to make something truly nutritious and delicious!  Besides the health benefits (seriously look them up!) they are a gorgeous breakfast or snack.  In fact, you may have seen some beautiful versions on Instagram.

The best part of these bowls are that they are completely customizable!  I made my bowl using Silk soymilk, in honor of last month's National Soyfoods month, when I shared a savory lasagna recipe.    Of course, I topped mine with some gorgeous fresh fruit for some color, flavor, and nutrition!

Lastly, I always use a few sprinklings of chia seeds, granola, and whatever strikes my fancy!  For this bowl, I used the Vanilla Pecan Granola from Boulder Granola because it is just the right amount of sweet with a super low sugar content.  It's the perfect sweet crunch to complement the creamy, tangy açaí bowl.  Yum!

Just a couple things before digging in.  The recipe itself is super easy and anyone can make this.  Probably the hardest part will be finding the açaí berry pulp.  The easy option in my area was in the freezer section of Whole Foods.  I have also heard that the açaí powder is a great option when buying online, but I have not tried it yet myself.  I'll give it a try next time!

Now, are you ready to dig in!

Açaí Bowl Recipe & Tips
Adapted from here

Ingredients

• 100g (3.5 oz) pack frozen unsweetened açaí berry pulp
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup frozen fruit  (I used a three berry blend and dark cherries)
• 1/2 cup milk  (I used Silk unsweetened soymilk)
• Fruity Toppings!  (I used strawberries, blueberries, banana & kiwi)
• Crunchy Toppings!  (I used chia seeds & Boulder granola.  Sometimes I use the roasted coconut chips picture too)
• Honey for sweetness, to taste  (optional)

Directions

1.  Thaw your açaí puree by running under water for a few seconds.

2.  In a blender, add the banana, açaí pulp, frozen fruit, and a splash of milk.

3.  Blend on low until larger chunks are broken down, then gradually increase speed.

4.  Adding the milk a little at a time, stopping to scrape down sides of blender if needed.

5.  Stop when the mixture is the desired consistency of a thick smoothie, then blend on high for an additional 15 to 20 seconds.

6.  Add toppings! Arrange the fruit and crunchy toppings any way you would like!

7.  Enjoy your gorgeous açaí bowl!

I absolutely love the deep purple of the açaí bowl, and it always feels like I'm having a luscious sweet treat in the morning... even though it is super healthy!  Give it a try since it is super easy and it's fun to see how everyone decorates their individual bowls.  A little bit of craftiness is a good way to start every day, right?

What will you top your açaí bowl with?

You might also like...

Favorite Breakfast #5: Easy Green Smoothie!

Grilled Tilapia with Spicy Mango Pineapple Salsa

Homemade Kale Chips

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of the links, a small commission will go to support Vintage Zest.  I will only recommend sites with products that I think you will love and enjoy!

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Cinco de Mayo Recipes + Do Tell Tuesday #72!

Welcome to Do Tell Tuesday!  Do Tell Tuesday is the time where WE get to see what YOU are up to! Share your projects and recipes, then take time to look around at your fellow creatives.  Not a blogger?  That's ok!  You can still take a look around and discover some new ideas and inspiration!

Each week a featured host will be bringing you a set of features.  This week I got to choose!  Before we get to this week, let's meet the hosts!

Keep up with us at:

Mabey She Made It : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus
Vintage Zest : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Little Red Window : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Lil Mrs. Tori : Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter // Google Plus

Now for the features courtesy of me!

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Nora Floral Studio feature, promo & GIVEAWAY!

On this week's Shop Small Saturday Showcase feature, I have a shop to feature that everyone will want to take note of... because it's perfect for Mother's Day!  I first met the lovely Nora from Nora Floral Studio at Artisanal L.A. and fell in love with her ceramic, geometric designs.  The shapes and colors that she uses are so interesting, and I absolutely love how both floral arrangements and succulents look like in her creations.

Definitely take note of any gifts that you would like to purchase for mom, yourself, or someone special because Nora is generously giving a 10% discount to all of my readers!  Not only that, she is also giving one of my lucky readers a matte white Double Triangle planters in the giveaway!  Enter to win at the end of the post and as always, enjoy all of the beautiful pictures and enjoy learning more about Nora Floral Studio!

Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I am originally from East Texas. I have a BFA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from Art Center College of Design, I have been a practicing sculptor for over 10 years and have exhibited in the United States and Europe. I began Nora Floral Studio 2 years ago. My favorite colors are pink and grey, my favorite flowers are the ranunculus and anemone, my favorite succulent variety is the Echeveria.


Where did the name of your store come from?

When I started doing this all my friends told me that since my name rhymes with flora that the name of my business should be "Nora Flora" but that to me seemed to rhyme too much so I made it "Nora Floral Studio" the studio part reflects the studio practice that is involved with the slip cast ceramic production.

Why did you start making goods for Nora Floral Studio?

My studio practice was always very labor intensive, and after the downturn in the economy and the birth of my son I needed to find a way to enhance my income. It was a process to figure out how to combine my love and aptitude for making objects and something that the world needs. I had learned slip casting years ago in a sculpture class, slip casting is a process where you pour liquid porcelain into plaster molds to get your clay form.  I started taking floral design classes and in the meantime cut up some of my old sculptures in progress and made molds of the pieces. It seemed obvious to use this process to make planters and vases for the succulent and floral designs I was into.


What is your favorite item?

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