crazy for cacti (guest post by nate!)

over the years we've become obsessed with the desert.
trips to palm springs and joshua tree can change you forever.
i'm guilty of over thinking things (wait, should i delete that?) and going to the desert is like a mind cleanse.
after spending a year in the "concrete jungle" of new york i found myself craving open space.  i'll admit, on several occasions, i even took virtual trips on google maps to some of my favorite california spots.

well, we're back in california, albeit still in transition.
since your regular host has been occupied with work and house hunting (that girl is a real go-getter i tell ya) i've been looking for opportunities to contribute.  she encouraged me to shop for her etsy store, which we now call "our" etsy store.

i recently picked out some tissue for wrapping our orders.
so now, if you purchase something from us you get a little piece of california desert vibes....
reuse it too!

i'll leave you with a sweet cactus t-shirt i recently found on etsy from October18th.

"nobody likes a guest host" - ira glass

it's march, already?!

hello! happy national women's day. (ha ha)
well, actually, it's a pretty big holiday in russia... kinda like valentines here. which reminds me, i should call my mom... 

anyway
 
i've been making granola for the last few wks. experimenting with recipes...actually i don't have patience for real recipes sometimes, & i often find that recipes have way too much sugar/sweetener in them, so as a rule, i only add half the sweetener that a recipes asks for...sue me!
my own, latest,  "recipe" has been my best one i've made, so far. i bought some coconut butter....& it tastes so good! i add about two tablespoons of softened coconut butter & four tablespoons of agave & sprinkle some nutmeg & cinnamon to about two cups of rolled oats & some nuts. this time i also added chopped apple & toasted it all at 325degrees for about 30min or until lightly brown,  it turned out terrific!
(i know it turned out pretty good, b/c my mother in law, who doesn't normally try my "interesting food" had some, and liked it!)

i put some granola into a bowl, then pile on my favorite fruit!
add a little almond (or soy or rice or w/e) milk to it, a dalop or almond butter.....mmm
[also, if you have ever made granola and have any tips, let me know!!]

this is the nut butter & coconut butter i used. wow. rozzy is really selling that coconut butter!! sexy!

nate got this little navajo pattern vintage jacket, we both really love it, so we share it. but just to be clear, it was a present for me...so it's ...mine. :)

here's my little sweet niece, izzy. she is so chunky and soft and smells like a the best baby smell. she's just so loveable. (sorry, very self indulgent here, but hey-- we look cute together :) )

last weekend, we went to the Alemeda flea market, near san fransisco & it was insane! so huge, we walked around for about four hours & didn't even get thru the entire thing. & it's right on the water, with amazing views! nate & i went with our friend leeza, she's awesome.
we're planning on going next month too... what is it about a flea market that is just so fun?
maybe it's b/c you might find that something, but you don't know what it is, until you find it.
(got that cowboy-witchy hat there!) 

ok bye guys.
coop & rozzy are loving their new little beds their momo got them. they look like little berries to me. (the beds look like little berries...kitties look like tiny little cuddly aliens still :) )