Changes!

It is with bittersweetness that I make this announcement: I have decided to conclude blogging at The Good Life in an effort to focus more on my Etsy shop, The Lucky Find Vintage. I have, however, started a cleaner, simpler blog on Tumblr that is focused on vintage inspiration and the going ons at the shop. Thank you so much for reading this blog for the past few years - it means a lot to me that you took the time out of your day to follow along with my interior design and creative inspiration. It has been a lot of fun to write and connect with all of you!

I hope you will catch up with me on my new blog HERE

and of course, my Etsy Shop HERE

And please let me know how I can find you in all of these places as well! 

Hope everyone has had a fantastic Easter,

XO Ambs

Recipe: Homemade Flour Tortillas

The sun has been shining its face off for the past three days and it's a pretty big deal. Like every single person in the city is outside in short sleeves and little dresses, sunglasses and sandals - and it's barely 50 degrees outside. But that's how we do in Portland. We're deprived of good weather October - May, so when a miracle like this weekend happens, everyone freaks out and goes into summer mode. Even if we're shivering, we're wearing shorts, dammit! So in a couple of hours, I'll be laying on a blanket, reading my book club book at Laurelhurst Park with my friend and her adorable Vizsla, basking in the glorious sun. 

Aside from getting my butt outside, the only other thing I have on my agenda this weekend is getting my ducks in a row as Maid of Honor for my sister's wedding next weekend and making tortillas. A random combination, yes. I made tortillas for the first time a couple of weeks ago when I had some friends over for fajita night, and I have been making them regularly since then. Like, I can't stop. They're so tasty and so easy; you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen (my recipe doesn't call for the traditional ingredient of lard, which I am okay with).

a plate from fajita night with homemade tortillas

My favorite way to eat these tortillas is with grilled fajita meat, caramelized onions and garlic lime butter. So amazing! They're also great dipped in queso. Later today I'm planning on making them a little thicker than normal so they'll be more like pita bread, to go with the Palak Paneer I'm having for dinner. Below is the recipe I can't get enough of, I hope you enjoy it!

Makes 2 servings (double this recipe for 2 really hungry people)

1 cup of flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup of WARM water
5 tsp. olive oil

1. Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl; slowly pour in water and oil while mixing.

2. Mix until a dough is formed; add water to make it less floury, flour to make it less sticky.

3. Knead for about 20 seconds and then let rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting, lightly flour a cutting board or stable surface that the tortillas can be rolled on.

4. After the 10 minutes, pull apart the dough and roll into balls about the size of a quarter.

5. Heat a skillet on med-high heat (don't coat the pan).

6. One by one, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on the lightly floured surface; you want to roll them out as thin as possible (thinner than 1/4 in.). Add a little more flour if things are sticking.

7. Place tortillas in the heated skillet for about 20-30 seconds per side, depending on how thin they are.
Move cooked tortillas to a plate that's covered in a clean dish towel.

8. After all of the tortillas are cooked, serve immediately.

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

The Tannery Bar

I'm the weirdo who tries to nonchalantly whip out my phone and take photos of things like this in a bar, because it's just so pretty!

I'm falling more in love with Portland every week; five years here and I keep tacking on more reasons I adore this city. And yes, some of those reasons are bars. 

Last weekend I grabbed a drink with a few friends at The Tannery, one of Portland's newest drinking establishments (only 8 Yelp reviews "new") on the city's eastside. I had been wanting to check this bar out for a while, mainly drawn to its tiny size and potential coziness for a cold rainy night. When I walked in the door on Saturday, I was met with a great rustic-Portland vibe, super nice bartenders, and a stellar drink list. Some of the notable design elements included School House Electric lighting, long communal wooden tables, oil lamp sconces and old-timey accents reminiscent of saloons of the Wild West. And just as I hoped, it was really cozy.

I tried one of the beers on draft called "The Cowboy," a tasty Smoked Pilsner by Danish brewer Evil Twin, and it hit the spot. Unfortunately, like really unfortunately, I had already eaten dinner because the food menu looked bomb: bier wurst or monte cristo, anyone? Next time.

I snapped some pics with my phone which I've posted below; know it's killing me that a couple of those photos are as grainy as they are. Lesson learned that I should be carrying my big camera with me at ALL times. 

My new favorite place to eat, drink and be merry....

The Tannery. That's it, folks!

where the drink and food making magic happens, open for all to see

Evil Twin's "The Cowboy"

What bars/coffee shops/cafes in your city do you particularly love?

Moving Up in the World

It's Mooonnndaaaay! I hope everyone had a great weekend despite it probably going by way too fast. I finally got to see Silver Linings Playbook and went to a new Portland bar called The Tannery which was really cool. I also had one of these. :) The biggest event for me, however, was purchasing my first TV ever!  Now I don't have to watch all of my Netflix shows (currently House of Cards) on my little laptop... very exciting. So, I flipped my bookcase on its side, reorganized my books and then put the new TV on top. And I found myself a little overwhelmed. 

It's kind of weird how a television, especially a large one, can become such a presence in a room; just a Giant Black Rectangle hangin' out and stealing the show. Maybe it's because I'm not used to having one and I'm not someone who fawns over the "beauty" of technology, but I just want to hang a pretty textile over it or something when I'm not using it. Am I crazy? Perhaps.

I spent Sunday using things I already have to decorate my bookcase in an attempt to soften up the Giant Black Rectangle. It is a work in progress considering the artwork is hung with no thought whatsoever (the hooks were in the wall when I moved in) and those green ginger jars in front of the screen aren't in a practical location. But that's what I've got so far, and I like it way better than when I started.

Another thing I'm excited about? My sofa is arriving this week! But more to come on that later...

How was your weekend? Did you work on any projects at home?