Chocolatey Love Poem

Food is most definitely my weakness, I just can't say no to a good meal! Last weekend I went to my friends soccer game and afterwards we all treated ourselves to a burger at the campus pub. Later this week it couldn't be helped...happy hour at the pub was calling. If you couldn't tell I enjoyed my meal...

A little later in the week I set out to the Co-Op to get some healthier food and happened upon my favorite chocolate bar. Nothing like some ginger dark chocolate with a love poem included.

So much for healthier food! Although I have heard dark chocolate is good for you.

-E

Congratulations to the Hillery!

Thank you to everyone who entered Runaway Thrift's first giveaway! Congratulations to Hillery from Handmake My Life. Take a look at her blog for great crafty ideas and more! You can also check out her etsy shop Clever Plumage, an eco-friendly accessory shop with beautiful feathered creations.

Congratulations Hillery, hope you enjoy your gold and bronze studs!

Stay posted for more Runaway Thrift Giveaways guys! 

-E

My College Kitchen: Tomato Black Bean Soup

Hey all! I would like to introduce you to my favorite soup, tomato black bean. There's a lot that I love about it, namely that it is inexpensive, full of protein from the beans, and tasty! Not to mention its a 10 minute meal. This soup makes two servings, so if you want more double up! 

1 can Campbells tomato soup 

1 can black beans

1 onion 

Chili powder

I love onion, so this recipe has a lot. Feel free to change the amounts to taste! Dice onions and cook in pan with butter until they are clear. Add can of Campbells Tomato Concentrate and a can of water. Stir until concentrate is dissolved into the water completely. Rinse can of beans and toss into pan. I didn't measure how much chili powder I added, but I'd say about a teaspoon. Add more to taste.

I've found that this soup is a lot like chili in that the longer you let it slow cook, the more flavorful it is! BUT if you are in a hurry [like I am most days] just cook and serve. Enjoy!! 

Recommendations: lime, sour cream, cheese

-E

DIY Signs

Selling anything in a crafts fair or just want to add a little something extra to your living room? Signs are easy to make! Just base coat some wood and write away! My mom and I used these when we sold my jewelry and her soap at a crafts fair once, and since then they have been decorations in my room back home. 

Easy to make and perfect for a custom addition to a room. Even a "welcome" sign on the door. I personally think they would look great with stenciled patterns in bring colors! Do you have any ideas? 

-E

Vintage Rose

I think the awesome-ness of the necklace is pretty well portrayed in the picture but I'll talk about it anyway! Its pretty hard to go wrong with a hand carved rose, but tack on vintage and a pale blue ribbon and you have accessory heaven. Talk about a flawless pendent! 

Now that I think about it, a nice piece of ribbon makes a great cord for a pendent necklace. Easy-peasy! 

-E

su·per·man: Strug Life of an Unfinished Collage

Well that's a long title name! Todays theme [what these Superman Sundays have Themes?!] is a few of my unfinished collages. And there are many! Collage may be one of my favorite forms of art although I haven't picked it up in a while, probably hence the stockpile of unfinished pieces...Happy Sunday!! 

su·per·man 1. binder serving as holder of my massive collection of photos and magazine clippings that have been deemed awesome  2. a widely considered American cultural icon. 

And don't forget Thrifters, there is a giveaway going on through March 29th. Don't be shy to sign your name above or on Facebook so you are entered into the contest!

-E

An Oh-So Studley Giveaway

Runaway Thrift is having its first giveaway in the spirit of Spring! To enter subscribe to the blog via one of these: Bloglovin, Blogger, Pinterest, or Facebook

OR link your blog up with Runaway Thrift via the LINK UP page on the right sidebar.

Prizes are two bags of handsome studs, pictured above for your viewing pleasure. They are gold, silver, and bronze colored. Check out some projects I've done with them here and here.   Oh the possibilities....

Pick two that you would like to win and comment below telling me which ones, how you subscribed, and your email address [so I can contact you if you win].

Winner will be chosen at random and the Oh-So Studley Giveway ends on March 29th. Winner will be announced shortly after. Goodluck!!

This giveaway has now ended :-)

-E

The Tallest Man on Earth

Happy Friday! The best day of the week. I'm going to celebrate by taking a nice long nap. Before you kick off your Friday festivities take a second to listen to listen to this guy perform. It's a concert so he plays several song.  No auto tune needed when you've got talent! Enjoy :-)

-E

Super Rad Vintage Block Prints

Title credit most definitely goes to the lady who wrote the tag on these gems [see pictures], and I couldn't have phrased it better myself! They are totally rad. To say I'm crazy about these prints is an understatement...can anyone else see some off-the-charts amazing fabrics coming out of these prints?!

Maybe for these chair....

I decided to toss in some pictures of some wooden block stamps I have. I mean a girl never knows when she might need to wood block stamp some fabric, right? 

-E

DIY Fringe Studded Leather Necklace

Hey all! I've been itching to do this post, it's one of the projects I got to work on when I was back home. I've had the vision for this necklace in my head for a few months now, so I was getting antsy to actual do it!

It took me awhile to find the type of fringe I wanted, but when I laid eyes on the Chainette it was love. I was practically jumping around when it arrived in the mail. Mine is 9" rayon in a french beige. I got the beige because I plan on fooling around with some ombre styled dye with it. Ohhhh the possibilities!

I cut my fringe to 15 inches to allow room to attach to the leather strap. I wanted the studs to land right by my collar bones. The leather I cut to 17 inches [although there ended up being about 3 in extra I had to cut off]. I left the width big enough for a little room on each side of the studs, so a little more than an inch. 

Cut a hole in the ends of your leather and slip the ends of your fringe through. Pull enough through so that you know it can be secured and will not pull apart when you are wearing it. GLUE to secure, and fold up.              

Next poke holes in leather to attach studs. You may have to play around this with this a little because the leather is thicker now that it has been doubled up. 

What do we think? I thought it turned out pretty good, and I just can't wait to do more projects with my Chainette fringe. I just may be smitten with it! 

-E

My College Kitchen: Fish Tacos

I think I may officially be in college now that I pulled my first all nighter last night. Cheers to procrastination at it's finest! The whole escapade got substantially better when at 6 this morning, with a page to go on my paper my laptop died. I have now learned the importance of packing your charger when traveling from one state to the other. Life lesson: your laptop is not invincible, it will die.

For the sake of something simple I have a nice recipe idea for your viewing pleasure. Looking back I didn't really snap a good picture, so you may have to trust me when I say it turned out very yummy!

1) Can of tuna

2) Black Beans

3) Tomato

4) Cheese

5) TAPATIO 

This was my friends idea [hence the man hand in the picture], and it was a good one! We heated the tuna in a pan with some Tapatio to give it a little flavor, then tossed it all together on a warm tortilla and BAM. 

Recommended: Avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, sour cream 

-E

Thrifted Find: Quilted Bed Spread

My quilted bed spread is a score from the garage sale I had with my best friend last summer. I love the different patterns, and how seamlessly they blend together with their similar color schemes. You've probably caught a glimpse of it in the background of older posts. Thrifted find? 

-E

su·per·man: Bold chairs

I hope everyone had a dashing Saint Patrick's day yesterday! You have to love a good irish jig and some flogging molly. But in all honesty you have to love a nicely chosen fabric for a beautiful chair more...not many bad things to say about a bold pattern. Just you wait future apartment...you WILL have something as delectably loud as some of these. 

su·per·man 1. binder serving as holder of my massive collection of photos and magazine clippings that have been deemed awesome  2. a widely considered American cultural icon. 

-E

Song and Movie Marriages

Sometimes a song finds its perfect niche in a movie, basically its the perfect marriage that lasts forever. Here are some of my favs...

1. Galaway Girl - P.S. I Love You

2.What a Feeling - Flash Dance

3. You Make My Dreams Come True - 500 Days of Summer

4. Can't Take my Eyes off of You - 10 Things I Hate About You

5. Footloose

Ok so maybe this one doesn't sound the best but...I love Heath Ledger...

And I mean..what would this list be without Footloose? 

Do you guys have any favs?

-E

So much good food...

Yesterday I felt like I was scrambling around all day with a few slow-mos in between. I spent all morning scurrying around my house taking pictures for future posts. Why the big rush? I'm spending the rest of my week on Tahoe, and then Friday night I'm getting home only to hop on a plane back to Washington! Maybe the best part of the day was my "mini date" with my friend at a local Thai restaurant. Is it weird that I loved their tile floor so much?

Next I was off for a quick hike at Sugar Loaf State park to snap some pictures for a Geology project. There's something slightly fantastic about hiking in the rain! And I know that fungi has nothing to do with geology, but I thought it was pretty cool...

Racing back to my house I threw random things into my bag, hunted down some snow clothes [mine are still in Washington] and drove to Tahoe, with one minor stop on the way. I mean, in-N-out is only a Californians crack...

Now there may or may not have been some of my grandma's chocolate chip cookies in between...All in all I'd say I'm ready to hit the slopes. 

-E

Thrifted Find: Geometric side table

My mom started redesigning my room before I had even left for collage. By the time I cam back for my first visit it had transformed completely. Not to mention instead my my things busting out of the closet and stacked on the bed it was her things. Slight bitterness  aside it looks great, and I don't mind the nice big cushy queen bed either. This little thrifted find is now residing in my old room and is credited toward my mom who somehow finds the loveliest things in the weirdest places...and often for free. 

I am slightly obsessed with the geometric design at the bottom and its overall petit-ness. I can't wait until I have an apartment of my own to decorate! 

In other news I'm off for a rainy day hike and then to Tahoe for some boarding with my mom and dad! 

-E

DIY Leather Studded Bracelet

I was so beyond excited when I discovered that a package I had been waiting for had gone to my home address instead of my school address. I ordered some studs a few weeks ago and have been anxiously imagining what I would create with them. It was literally like christmas when I walked in my room and saw the package. This project only uses the silver studs...wait until you see some of the other great colors I got [ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!].

Nothing like a little scrap leather and studs to get a girl excited! 

I decided to make a thin bracelet because I happened to have some silver crimp ribbon ends. When cutting out your piece of leather the length should depend on the type of clasp you are using. If you are attaching button snaps, leave room for the ends to overlap. If you are using crimp ends like me, you don't need that excess room. 

To attach the studs use a denim needle to poke through the leather [this case 4 holes] then bend the ends down.  

Be sure to reinforce the crimp ribbon end with glue!  

This was all so inexpensive to do, and really easy! I found my studs on etsy and happened to have the scrap leather laying around. I worked on some other designs too, stay tuned! questions or comments? I love the hear them!! 

-E

Laying around

Maybe the best moment so far of coming home was walking into my room. I missed the blue walls, laying in my bed looking up at my chandelier, rustling through my boxes of beads and fabric, and my parents. The free people magazine waiting for me was the icing to the cake. *sigh* I remember when I was in middle school and my aunt gave me my first Fp magazine. Since then I've been drooling over their designs daily and drawing inspiration from their use of lace and color. 

Oh and some quality time with our chickens who wander the backyard didn't hurt either...I missed my animals! 

All in all I don't have anything to do, and I love it. Oh and did i mention I got some studs in the mail...post on that coming soon! 

-E

Baby I'm Back

Midterms are over and after a two day journey [UGH] back to California and 4 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours, I have napped and feel slightly re energized. That's a rant story for another day though!

I made it to my favorite flea market in SF this morning and found a little much needed inspiration. Baby I'm back, just needed to focus on my school and come back to all the lovely things I can't fit in my room at school. I can't wait to re boot this week, yay home!! Here's some awesome stuff I oogled at the market.

Mini Singer...I want!!!!!

1/3  of the Market...serious digging

I practiced come uncharacteristc non shopping today, slightly weird but it was really nice to go back! Oh and did I mention it was SO nice out? Lovin the mild weather. 

-E

Watch Please

I don't have much to say about this video, I think it speaks for its self. I will say my sophomore year of high school my teacher showed me the invisible children movie, if you haven't seen it, check it out. And share this video. This is the type of thing that should be on the news. 

-E

Home-made Tortilla Chips

When I was little my mom was my superman in the kitchen. It seemed like she knew how to make everything, and for some reason when she informed me we could make our own tortilla chips my mind was blown. Why something so simple was so revolutionary to me is a mystery, but I can still remember how impressed I was. I mean, would her knowledge ever end?! The other day I was trying to clean out my "pantry", and once again my mom came to rescue!

Here's the hilariously easy steps to making your own chips:

1. Cut Stack of CORN tortillas into triangles

2. Heat up pan of Vegetable Oil and place tester chip in, you want it HOT so it bubbles instantly

3. Remove when golden brow, lay on paper towel to soak up excess oil, and salt. 

                                                                         

-E

Monday Blues

Oh Monday. How I dread you. This week is going to absolutely hectic, so I apologize ahead of time if my posts don't seem 100%. I'm flying home on Saturday for Spring break, but before the festivities can begin I have to battle my way through some pesky midterms. I have some great ideas for some re-vamping of the blog, but those will have to wait until break. Keep your eyes peeled, because I also have some awesome projects to share with you, I can hardly wait!!! Until then, I leave you with some musica, and a challenge: turn up song #2 as loud as you can, close your eyes and DANCE. 

1. Elvis Costello - Welcome to the Working Week

2. Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself 

3. Alaska! - Resistance 

-E

Su·per·man Sunday

Happy Superman Sunday guys! Is this bed not to die for? I'm about 99.9% positive I ripped this out of an Anthropologie magazine *drool*. 

 When I do collage I love cutting out skylines or holes in furniture etc., then backing them with something else.

su·per·man 1. binder serving as holder of my massive collection of photos and magazine clippings that have been deemed awesome  2. a widely considered American cultural icon. 

-E