Flora in black & white

It's rare that I shoot in black and white. I never feel like I get it right. But this past weekend, when an early Season thunderstorm approached, it seemed appropriate. Now seeing these photographs a few days later, I don't remember the color of the flowers, but the feeling of that afternoon with its sporadic strong breeze, and the light drops of water on my neck is what sticks with me. 

Dessert Confession

Let it be known. I am a dessert addict. It's a problem, especially if you have a Pinterest account and there is a steady flow of delicious, oozy chocolate cakes, or mini cakes with salted caramel, or double lemon cheesecakes staring you in the face. Factor in the whole eating right, making healthy food decisions, and the need to feel better (i.e. cutting out white sugar). So, you can no longer go to favorite food blogs, or pin your own favorite desserts in fear that you wake up in the middle of the night, and start baking.

It's been exactly 2 months since I've had a real dessert. I do feel much better, and I am making healthier choices. But I miss the whole routine of finding a recipe, tweaking it to your liking, buying the perfect ingredients, and settling into the kitchen to create something beautiful and delicious. I've been told "Just make the dessert, but not eat it! Simple!".

Are you serious?

Now that I feel I can eat just one piece and be satisfied (instead of, ya know, three slices.) it was time to get back in the kitchen. We had some friends over for dinner, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to feed my baking needs, and send the leftovers home with others.

Enter: Blackberry & Pecan Crumb Cake

Crumb cakes in general are amazing, but often can be too dry or not have a special ingredient that gives it a leg up on the other crumb cakes. Blackberries, with their jewel-like features can be so comforting and elegant. You can also substitute raspberries, or dried fruit like apricots. They will all taste amazing.

By adding chopped pecans and brown sugar to the crumb itself, it gives the cake a nutty and sweet crunch that is unexpected.

Blackberry & Pecan Crumb Cake

Ingredients
 crumb topping
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

cake
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Heat oven to 350˚F. To make the crumb topping, you can use a food processor to pulse the ingredients together, or chop the pecans finely and add all ingredients to a stand mixer. The crumb topping should be a crumbly mixer, with the butter completely incorporated. Set aside.

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. In your food processor, or stand mixer, add the butter, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Transfer cake batter to the prepared pan. Press blackberries into the batter, it's okay if they overlap. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the blackberries until covered. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before serving.

wander in the forest

With the promise of snow looming over my Holiday week, I thought I'd take some time to visit Longwood Gardens and surround myself with everything that is green, and full of Spring. Kind of a huge mistake because it made my heart hurt for those warm months when anything seems possible. Not that I don't love winter, ( my obsessive book reading, sweater wearing, hot chocolate drinking self loves winter) but there is something about the sweetness in the air that calms the soul.

The conservatory is where all this beauty lives. I got there fairly early, and as always, I was the youngest person there. This never fails to happen and makes me think: Am I really a 70 year old woman inside a 27 year old body? Yeah, probably.

I hope everyone is still enjoying their Holiday, with family, hot drinks, and lots of snow!

A look into our apartment

Ever since we worked on our mid century inspired coffee table (see below), I have been itching to put more interesting pieces in our living room. If you have ever been a renter, you know the frustrations when making the place yours. We have strict rules about painting (as in we absolutely can't, even if we paint over it when we move), and our place is on the smaller side. Like, our only closet is a staircase that is blocked off at the top. Seriously.  Regardless, we want it to be a reflection of us.

We have quirky art, lots of plants, and our color palette is moving into the direction of blacks, whites, with tiny hints of color. I think without knowing it, we based our palette off of our little terror, Trillzmania.

With house hunting in our near future, we've been confronted with "How much more personality do we want to squeeze into this apartment?", "Should we wait to buy a new dining room table until after we move?", "Can we please get Trilly a kitty friend?". That last question I probably ask twice a day, every day. 

For now, I'm happy with the little vignettes we've created. It reflects us perfectly, and it all feels like home to me. 

Recently, I came across an Ikea hack on Pinterest and I bought a Rast dresser almost immediately. It was fairly simple to build, stain and paint and I think it adds the perfect touch to our, otherwise, blank wall. 

Oh, and see that white wire Eames chair in the after photo? I found it on the side of the road. Seriously? Someone thought this was trash? Then call me a dumpster diver, baby because this shit doesn't happen every day!

The total cost for the dresser was $50. That's what I'm talking about!

stuff in this post you can buy

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Ikea Rast dresser

Black knobs - fintorp knob

Coffee table top - vika furuskog

Hairpin legs that we used for our coffee table came from HairPinLegs.Com

Black & white chevron coasters made by an amazingly artistic friend, Jenny Alexander aka The Painted Lily

Sepia beach scene photograph by my very good friend Kaelyn Michaels

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Come say hi on instagram - @tinacrespo

I think I have some splaining to do

Oh...hey. I know it's been forever since I posted an update on the blog. I think I got caught up in life, and feeling crappy creatively. It feels like the slump may be over. Well, maybe not over, but not really a slump anymore either. So a small lump?

I have been keeping myself busy with adding new photographs and products on Society6, and I am really happy about the new totes they are offering! Check them out below.

You can purchase totes here for $18.

So before I officially come back to blogging, you can view these timeless I Love Lucy videos. Honestly, they never get old.

Also, hey it's snowing?!

atlantic ocean: the guardian

in berwyn - fresh ideas main line market

On a morning when the temperature outside has already reached 85 degrees before 9am, a person can be predisposed to be a grump for the rest of the day. I had decided this was going to be me, but once I left the new Fresh Ideas market (where Mr. Yang's market was on Lancaster Ave, Berwyn) the grumpiness had already lifted itself from my shoulders.

I was greeted by a cheery woman named Ann, who also happens to be the very first person to introduce herself when we moved to Berwyn. I hadn't seen her since, but it was a nice surprise and we caught up while she wrapped delicious desserts. She introduced me to one of the owners, Meridith (from Aneu!) and I asked if I could snap some photographs of the new market. She said of course, and went back into the kitchen (where later she came out with a coconut cake that I could have demolished in one sitting). 

I am now armed with a new camera, and was happy to find myself in such an inspiring space for the first time I really used it.  Following Trill around for 2 days doesn't really count. Right?

I really liked the use of jars, baskets, metal containers, and chalkboards. They also have high tables with tall stools to sit and drink coffee (or eat that damn coconut cake). Prepared foods are offered, as well as, deli assortments. It's a drastic change from Yang's market, but the transformation has obviously been done with a lot of thought. Yang, from what Ann told me, is still at Fresh Ideas, gathering all their produce. 

If you're in the Berwyn area, I recommend stopping in to grab a cup of coffee or a delicious croissant. I bought one, man it was delicious!

Read a great article about Fresh Ideas from Main Line Media News.

Jersey Shore

I'm ashamed to say I didn't bring a real camera to our recent trip to Seaside Heights, NJ. Although, with an iPhone and Instagram, you can't really lose. Our days were spent people watching (oh, the people watching is so damn good in Seaside), being the only 20-something's eating breakfast before 9 am, lots of air hockey, and the occasional Jersey Shore cast sighting.

Being in close proximity to "famous" individuals is a strange thing to get used to. There are masses of people trolling the boardwalk, and Ocean Terrace like schools of fish waiting for their prey. All with their iPhones outs, all showcasing their Jersey Shore quoted tank tops. "You Mad Bro?", "Let's Get Weird!", & "I'm DTF" just to name a few. I know I sound like a hater right now, but I have to admit I was slightly interested to see what the fuss was all about. Pauly D's tan did not disappoint.

If you ever get to the Jersey Shore, I highly recommend driving into Asbury Park, and it's neighboring town Ocean Grove, which is full of victorian homes on the beach. Not to mention, the tent city that sets up shop during the warm seasons.

Asbury Park is a standing monument to all those in the community that helped turn it around. The boardwalks are clean, the shops and restaurants are unique and full of enthusiastic people. The beach is packed, and the historical boardwalk landmarks still stand with all their glory. It's easily my favorite spot to be during the Summer.

It doesn't take long...

A few moments like these, and I can forget (if just for a second) that life will sometimes be difficult.
Thunderstorms are rolling in, the fresh rain scent is blowing through the windows, and all feels peaceful in this moment.

A Dog in the House

Working from home today, in the dining room, has me feeling all sorts of out of place. I suppose it's for good reason because we are fostering a sweet little girl named Ariel.  She snores beside me as I type this, and it's kind of soothing.

If you're familiar with this blog, or my flickr, you know how insane I am about dogs. Do you hate when strange people come up and ask to pet your dog? I'm that person. I make that child-like squeal "oooooolookatthepuppy" whenever I see a dog.

But guys, on the real? Owning/fostering a dog is hard-freaking-work. Especially in a special case like this where we don't know if she wants to snuggle or eat our cat Trill (who is safely playing in the closed off office) or how she is with other dogs, or strangers. From her history, she is good with children 7 years and older.

Before I forget, she's a Pit Bull. Which brings on a whole new complication, even though I'm an all out loving dog person, I still have that tinge of fear inside me because of what I've been fed by the media. It's an unfair judgement on the breed as a whole and I hate it. I hate that I even wrote this paragraph - but I wanted to be entirely honest.

This dog loves to snuggle, and give kisses. So far she eats all her meals in the same room as Trill (leashed, of course), and we hope to give them a real meeting soon . Ariel is outstanding on walks and has no reaction to barking dogs, runners, or bikes passing her. She did meet Chester (our studio dog), and sadly it didn't go well at the beginning. We were still able to walk them together for an hour, and afterwards I realized it was my fault for doing the introduction too quickly. Lesson learned. 


At this point we are looking to find her a home with a potential family that is active, willing to work with her on bad habits, and love her to pieces. Ariel absolutely deserves it.  If you or anyone you know is looking to adopt a dog, please let us know! We feel it should be someone who has some Pitty knowledge, or a willingness to learn about this amazing breed.

In the meantime, I'll take all the snuggle time I can get.

Update - I should probably make a note that we have been using some great online sources and books about Pit Bulls, and the basics of training a dog, breaking a dog in to a new home, dog & cat introductions, as well as dog on dog aggression. Here are a few I found helpful.
Diane Jessup Pit Bull Site
Cesar's Way
Pit Bulls For Dummies