In Good Company: Pikku

If you don't already know about Pikku, be prepared to fall in love. All the goods offered within the shop are so beautifully made, but I think it's the way everything is arranged by color that really seals the deal for me. I just want to browse, and browse, and browse (okay...and shop too)! See everything in the shop here. xo Ez

All images from Pikku.

Inspired Artist: Jiiakuann

I came across the illustration work of Jiiakuann on flickr a year or so ago (and even featured one sketch in 2010), but it's her latest body of work that really has me smitten. Her use of color and the way she captures movement and pattern with her brush strokes has me captivated.

You can see more of her illustrations here. And psst...if you're looking to hire an illustrator, her profile page says she's currently available. If I had the means, I'd scoop her up in a hot minute! xo Ez

Inspiration Daily: The Earth Sighs in Flowers

Well sweets. Now that Fall is merely days away, the weather here in Oklahoma has finally found a temperature level that I can tolerate. So whenever possible over the past few days I've been outside breathing it all in (it really felt like I was holding my breath all Summer long — sigh) and taking as many photos as I can to document the beauty before it ices over.

What are things looking like in your neighborhood? Are there signs of the changing seasons popping up yet? However you spend it...I hope your day will be filled with beauty. xo Ez

Photos by me (Ez Pudewa) - Taken with a Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens, and processed with Photoshop (just in case you were wondering).

Homemade Apple Ring Fritters - Gluten Free

While visiting with my dear friends in New Jersey last week, we had the chance to drive out to Melick's, a local u-pick apple farm (It's become kind of a tradition for us). It also happened to be the first apple picking experience for their little one which I was elated to capture on my camera.

With limited space available in my suitcase, we decided to pick only a few of the most beautiful apples...taking our time to be selective. Apple picking really is one of my most favorite things to do, and to get to do it with such lovely friends and in such a pretty spot was just awesome.

Anyhow, once I returned home with my slightly flight-bruised apples I realized that I needed an equally fabulous recipe to use them with. Do you remember these Apple Rings by How to Simplify that I posted about a couple weeks ago? Well, I'm happy to report with a bit of modification to make them gluten free a batch of tasty apple ring fritters appeared in my kitchen over the weekend. Oh my goodness were they ever delicious! Kind of like mini batter fried apple pies powdered in spiced sugar and drizzled in cinnamon icing!

Delicious on their own...but they would also pair perfectly with vanilla ice cream. Next time I want to try topping them with some finely minced roasted almonds...the crunch would be a great addition!

More cinnamon spiced icing? Yes please!

Warm, gooey, crispy, sweet and spicy deliciousness.

Don't worry...I didn't leave this straggler on the plate for long!

If you're interested in how I modified How to Simplify's original Apple Fritter recipe to make it gluten free, just make the following simple adjustments:

• Replace the standard flour with your favorite gf flour. My favorite is Carol's Gluten Free Flour
• Use gluten-free vanilla in place of standard vanilla
• (optional) Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (you could also add a tiny bit of ground cloves) to the Cinnamon Sugar mixture.
• You can also experiment with the variety of apples you use. I made this recipe with both Fuji and Honeycrisp, and liked the Honeycrisp best. The more firm the apple is in the raw state, the better it will hold up while frying.

And lastly a quick side note: this is not a speedy dessert to whip up, so make sure you are prepared to stand in your kitchen working for a full hour or so before getting to eat them. The taste however...totally makes up for the long wait. If you make them, I'd love to hear what you think.

A Messy 3-Twist Hairstyle Tutorial

The internet is awesome! I know you already know this, but I couldn't help but marvel at it once again when I received an email from Destri yesterday sharing this awesome 3-twist hairstyling tutorial with me. You see, a couple weeks ago I had repinned a pretty hairstyle photo on Pinterest, adding beneath it that I wished that I could learn how to recreate the look somehow. Well Destri spotted my pin and said she'd be happy to create a tutorial for it. And now...just a short time later I have the directions at my very fingertips! Love it! Thank you so much Destri. Pop over to The Mother Huddle for the full hairstyling tutorial. It sounds like she is gearing up to create more in the future too...so be sure to keep her on your radar. xo Ez