Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Yup.  I was born on a Wednesday and I am, apparently, full of woe.  I'd like to think that even on my very worse days, this might be halfway true, but certainly not the norm.  Usually I feel more like a Thursday or Saturday child, but that is never here nor there.  I can't change my birth so I might as well embrace it.

Each Wednesday, I will be doing a post that gives my readers a "woe" and my solution for it.  Most will be based on first hand experience, but there might be a few that I simply have researched or have been enlisted to solve for someone else.  You will basically be getting a solution for all those times life gives you lemons. 

Keeping with the lemon theme, and to give you a few examples.....

1.  Woe:  you want to get the juice from citrus without having to use your hands (welcome to hang nail hell) nor do you want to use an outlet.  Solution:  get a citrus juice squeezer that costs almost as cheap bag of lemons you are going to be squeezing.

2.  Woe:  you are super dehydrated or want to jump start weight loss, but you aren't a fan of plain water and don't have a time to use the aforementioned citrus juicer.  solution:  True Lemon adds a natural lemon flavor to water by adding one powder packet to one 8 ounce glass of water.  It is also sugar free and made from real lemons.

3.  Woe:  you need a quick pick me up.  Solution:  girlfriend, go get yo nails did.  (please note that something like this won't actually be a typical "Wednesday's Child" post, but who doesn't love a bold & bright nail color.

4.  Woe:  there is no way you would be caught dead wearing Croc's and Hunter rain boots are too bulky for warm weather, so what sort of rain shoes does that leave me?  Solution:  jellies are my go-to shoe.  I wear them constantly from April - September.  They can get wet without getting ruined, they look way better than Croc's (and last longer, too), and no more sweaty (and stanky) feet from wearing rain boots in the warmer months.  My favorite ones are by Melissa because they are higher quality and come in a wide range of colors and styles.

5.  Woe:  I having a hard time finding stuff that I can afford and would actually want to hang on my wall.  Solution:  there are so many great letterpress companies around these days, as well as super talented illustrators that convert their hand painted works of art into beautiful prints.  

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Storage Solution: Vintage Lockers

My style has always been a bit eclectic, which is why I love using vintage items around my home.  My main vintage go-to in regards to storage are lockers (and locker baskets), since they are incredibly sturdy and have a wide range of uses.

My newest client recently moved into home after extensive renovations.  Lucky for me, we have a very similar design style.  During the assessment, every closet, unique corner, and cabinet felt like it would be perfect for some vintage lockers. 

If vintage isn't your thing, then check here, here, here and here to find new options that accomplish basically the same thing.  For vintage selections, I'd check out your local flea markets/antique stores or hit up Etsy & eBay.

Here are a few lockers and locker basket inspirational images to get you thinking outside the (boring plastic) box. 

crafting decor is categorized and stored in galvanized metal & wire locker baskets

who needs one basket when you can have the whole set - kitchen & general storage get a unique touch

children's books are kept contained and tidy with vintage wire locker baskets

wire baskets become floating shelves for cookbooks; bathroom towels find a home in a wire basket spray painted white; saving past zines are kept organized; entry way shoes are anything put sloppy in a vintage basket

remove the top three doors and paint a fun shade of coral for a truly unique piece

All Images via Pinterest

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Edible Interiors: Spiced Citrus Tilapia

Remember how I said I had some new stuff in store?  Well, this is the first installment of "Edible Interiors", which will be posts featuring beautiful spaces and the goods that fill them mixed with some of my favorite recipes.  Combining my passion for food & design makes me kind of giddy!

For today's post, I choose Mexican inspired design being that it is Cinco de Mayo.  Think bold colors and ethnic touches.  Keeping with the Mexican theme, my recipe is going to be spiced citrus tilapia that can be eaten alone or made into fish tacos.  Holy guacamole - I'm hungry just thinking about it! 

Colorful & Eclectic Dressing Area via Undecorate

 

Bold Fabric with Bright Whites via Pinterest

Pillow via Burke Decor; Mexican Blanket Lamp Shade via Design Sponge; 
Cactus & Earth Tones via Pinterest; Pops of Color in Bedroom via Elle Decor

Festive Chair via Name Design Studio

Spiced Citrus Tilapia
Serves Four 

Ingredients:
- 4 tilapia filets (fresh is preferred)
- black pepper (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil 
- 2 large lemons
- 3 limes 

Steps:
 1: In a bowl, mix the cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper.
  2: Take the tilapia filets and place on a plate.
  3: Pour the olive oil on the filets, ensuring you coat both sides of the fish thoroughly.
  4: Pour the seasoning mixture on the filets, again, ensuring you coat both sides of the fish.
 6: Cut the lemons and limes in half and pick out any visible seeds.  This will save you from having to pick them out of the hot pan or the cooked fished.  Ain't nobody got time for that...
 7:  Squeeze the lemons and limes into a measuring cup ensuring you get as much juice as possible.  If you find a few seeds floating in the citrus (trust me, you will) then remove them using a spoon.  
 8:  Heat a medium sized pan on low heat.
 9:  Once the bottom of the pan is warm, place the fish in the pan.
10:  Real quick like, you will want to pour HALF of the citrus on top of the fish.
11:  Let the fish cook until brown and flaky on the bottom side.
12: Flip the fish and pour the reminder of the citrus juice on the fish.  
13:  Let the fish cook until flaky on this side.
14:  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  
15:  Remove the fish once you know it has cook thoroughly.  It is now ready to serve as an entree or broken into pieces for use in salads or tacos. 

Now folks, if you don't like spice (really?) then you can skip the steps 1 & 4 and just use the oil, salt, pepper and citrus.  I have never met a fish eater who didn't like it prepared this way, but the spice makes it much more fun.  Of course, this does ensure kids and picky adults will enjoy the meal, as well.     

 

Mexican Inspired Outdoor Oasis via Sunset Magazine

The spiciness and citrus notes added to the fish make it perfect for eating by itself or adding to a salad or as a taco.  This interior design style, just like spicy food, might not be for everyone.  However, small doses of a color are a great way to add a little heat.

Cinco de Mayo Image via VK Rees Photography; Food Styling Images via Pinterest

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