We were walking around in a fog this morning! Why?
1. Because I woke up a little more tired than usual (late summer allergies keeping me up + reading past my bedtime = groggy IGE)
2. We were literally walking around in a fog! It was as if my Mom and I were in the middle of a big cloud during our morning walk. Cool & misty. 
I felt it was only appropriate to continue on the comfort food train and made a warming bowl of Banana Almond Butter Oats for breakfast!
In the mix:
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 banana (1/2 sliced in while cooking, half on top)
- cinnamon, vanilla extract
- BLOB of almond butter
Ah yes, I think blob really describes it best!
Cascading down my fresh banana, into the fluffy, hot cinnamon-vanilla oats below.
Perfect for a chilly, foggy morning.
I’m actually really excited for lunch today. Like I said, I DO love my salads, but mixing it up keeps it interesting!
First up is a DiLusso Pepper Ham, mozzarella & BBQ sauce sandwich.
Meh – a little random, but DELISH.
A Keylime Pie Larabar Mini – totally tastes like a slice of key lime pie! Have you ever tried key lime pie from Key West? There’s this little shop there, I forget the name, that’s famous for its Key Lime Pie. Bomb.
Plus some crunchy carrots with Sundried Tomato-Basil Goat Cheese for dipping.
Oooo, just realized I hit all 5 food groups with this meal! Dairy, Veggies, Protein, Grains & Fat (cheese & nuts in LB). Sweet!
Wall Art Wednesday!
Thought I’d give you a little tour of some wall decor I’ve got goin’ on in la Casa de IGE! I love to collect unique pieces that remind me of special places and memories I’ve had. Things I can look at everyday and say, aww – remember when?!
This is a postcard I picked up on the Blue Bunny Blogger Summit and framed in a simple, $10 frame. You would never guess it was a postcard, and every time I look at it, it reminds me of how much ice cream I got to eat in 2 days! 
I’ve also framed a postcard Ben and I got in New Orleans at the Laura Plantation. This unique and inexpensive frame really captured the feeling of the plantation with it’s ornate detail and old world feel.
We also spied this spice plaque in an adorable shop in New Orleans, which Ben had shipped to our home as a gift for me. Everytime I look at it, I’ll remember our unforgettable week in The Big Easy. The picture above our wine rack reminds me of one friend in particular, and I always picture us having a coctail together when I look at it.
Of COURSE I couldn’t leave out the infamous big spoon and fork! Purchased from the same place in New Orleans as the spice plaque. That city left a big impression on us!
One of my very favorite things to collect, though, is photographs from around the world. This is a photograph taken by my friend Brooke Peterson on a trip to Thailand.
Again, I think a thoughtfully chosen frame takes an already incredible picture and kicks it up a notch! I love this frame becuase the rough wood reminds me of the wood of the boat in the photograph.
No wall art tour would be complete though, without showing you my very favorite photographs in the house – my Geisha pictures!
My parents gave these to me on my 26th birthday, and they were shot by my favorite photographer Lisa Kristine. Her photography of people and places around the world takes my breath away and she always manages to capture the moment so perfectly. These geisha photos remind me of my time spent in Japan and I love seeing them as I walk down the stairs everyday!
There you have it folks! I’d love to start a wall with blown up pictures of all the places Ben and I have traveled to. Just need to find the time to do it!
Happy Hump Day!
~~~~~
How would you describe the decor in your home? Casual, funky, traditional, in transition?
I love your spice wall art! That is perfect for a kitchen. LOVE it!
We just did a big photo wall in our house a few weeks ago. I posted about it and the process I used to design my wall. Lots of thrift store trips for me along with spray paint for some frames!
I love the wine rack and the big fork! I am SO bad at decorating… I’d have to say ours is in transition!
You have some awesome wall art! My style is modern and contemporary, but as I live at home still, I have to go with my mum’s style, which is more country..alas!
We have a unique decorating style, our house is filled with items from our travels. We buy art every trip and that reminds us of that trip every time we look at it. There are paintings from Peru, pictures from Italy, Masks from Mexico City and an oil painting from the street my husband lived on in Paris.
i LOVE the bog fork and spoon! gonna have to get me one of those!
I love this post! I loveeee your wall art. thanks for sharing. I have a lot of vintage posters, mixed with modern furniture in my livnig room. One poster represents where we’ve been (cote d’azur) one where I’d love to go (Chamonix France, skiing!) and one of an old movie! In my bedroom I have a seperate collages of places we’ve been / pics of us and scenery! you should do something like that (it sounds like you want to!)
Our home is kind of in transition – we rent so it’s hard to want to put TOO much effort in! Whilst it’s not very cohesive, our theme is definitely traveling! We have framed photos up of our travels to thailand in the bathroom (which is painted yellow so it all feels very vacation! ha) and framed old maps which I adore. We found an old road map of Minnesota from the 30s when we were in Seattle and nabbed it! We also have a ton of framed black and white photographs that the husband’s dad gave us – he’s a photographer!
I LOVE that you choose peices that remind you of a place or time. I need to start doing that! hell, I just need to get something for my walls!
Thanks for inspiring me to do so
My apartment is very modern. Bright colors and clean lines. Most of my art consists of canvas paintings from etsy.com. It’s a work in progress – always adding new elements.
I love your wall decor!! I tend to go very modern with mine and stay with deep green, brown and tan with black frames. I have a lot of bible verses right now hanging (family motto), but in about 5 weeks I’m sure my walls will be filling up with my daughters pictures:)
You have a really awesome knack for decorating! Especially love the spice list piece – very fun. My style is contemporary classic with just a few girlie touches. Right now my room is done in shades of white, gray, and black with a huge scrollwork headboard and photos framed in various shapes/sizes of black collage frames.
Your Geisha pictures rock! I love the simplicity of the first one with her bright red lips being the focus. I really want to get a good camera for my husband and me for traveling. He has a great eye and I sometimes get lucky, but our current camera is pretty sad. That said, we decorate with a combination of photos and art we collect from traveling abroad. Most of our photos are wedding photos right now, but we have a series in our bathroom my husband took on a semester abroad that are beautiful. I’m not sure how to describe the art. None of their styles are the same, so it’s pretty eclectic.
I loved the home decor tour! I especially like the idea of a special postcard framed to make wall art–it was wonderful!
OMG! Thank you for linking to your vaca to New Orleans! I am going for the first time in October and was looking for some ideas. I’m planning to read through your vaca posts with the BF this weekend
Haha well, when my boyfriend and I got our first apartment together recently I was a little worried. He has season tickets to our Dallas baseball and hockey teams, so just imagine a sporting arena being blown up inside your home, and that is his sense of stlye. I am talking even a scoreboard his friend made him that can scroll headlines and has the red flashing lights (oh dear). My style on the other hand I would label as European. I have yet to go, but I can dream right?
I have a lot of black wrought iron pieces and effiel towers gallore since I am a tad obsessed. It came together somehow though, but there is still room for improvment!
My apartment is complete minimalist… which works well because we have big, clean white walls and neutral-colored furniture. My husband and I hate clutter and don’t believe in owning a lot so we have very little art on the walls. I have a painting up that my aunt did for my wedding and a cute sign in my tiny kitchen. Other than that I have some family pictures out and I keep candles around. I think not having a lot of stuff on the walls and knick-knacks comes from several relatives I spent a lot of time with growing up, one who had about 50 signs in her kitchen reading “Kountry” and tacky plastic cows out and another who had apothecary-type bottles on shelves lining the walls. I was always afraid I’d break one!
oh i love all of your wall art, especially the cocktails pic and thailand boat! oh and geisha’s lips! reminds me of memoirs of a geisha – you should totally read that by the way, if you haven’t already – i think you’d love it! nothing like the film (in case you have seen that and it puts you off!)
I love the wine rack, may I ask where you got it??
I think it’s so great when bloggers do little tours. I really like the idea of collecting things from your travels!
My house is more hodge podge these days… we dont’ plan on being here indefinitely so it’s hard for me to decorate. Plus we need some new things – furniture wise – and I don’t want to buy things specifically for this house!
what a good idea to frame postcards
i just moved and might steal that little decorating secret!
Beautiful pictures and home decor! Love how everything has a memory or specialness attached. Truly beautiful.
Where is the EAT sign from (above the entranceway in the first pic)!? I LOVE distressed wood and rustic looking pieces
You bought that “EAT” sign at Pier One, didn’t you? If not, ignore me. But I love the decor around your house at any rate. It must be nice to go home to a warm feeling each day, especially when you always have a delicious dinner to look forward to!
As for my place, there isn’t much to brag about. This poor college student lives in an apartment. I don’t spend too much on decorating it due to my not being there much between work and school, and because I don’t have the money (boo!). I like to think it’s comfortable though. I have a England/France theme going on and two filled bookshelves to keep it feeling artsy.
i was just talking to matt the other day about how i want to tour the blue bunny factory! looks like a blast.
Your oatmeal looks divine!
My home decor is definitely casual. A little contemporary and a little traditional but overall we strive to be comfortable.
I LOVE the giant fork/spoon.
I would describe our style as NY loft. Even though I live in SoCal, I think I have a very East Coast decor sense.
I love the wall art… It’s always fun to see that kind of stuff and have good memories
I am currently trying to find a nice box frame for a picture and boomerang from Australia, so I can make a little wall art myself.
Those oats look so yummy!! I’ll have to try adding a banana to mine tomorrow while they cook
Your decor is so fun, I love the giant spoon and fork! It’s hard to find things that are so unique.
Love all your artwork! You guys have done such a great job! I always see the big fork and spoon at Pier 1 Imports and it makes me think of you!!
I just love the big fork and spoon but I’m not sure I’d have the guts to put up such big pieces. They look good!
Love the rest of your art and that Thailand picture just makes we want to go there and sail blissfully in the warm, calm waters without a care in the world.
Wow, I love all your wall art! I have no talent for decorating but I love seeing how others approach it. The big silverware is so cooL!
I love all your pics! I think my taste is pretty similar- I have a few gorgeous pics of Boston (where I’m from) floating around my house, and a few prints I ordered and had framed, etc. I like simple, but meaningful prints! I don’t have anything funky like the fork and spoon, but it wouldn’t match in my house. I do love it, though!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kristin, sara ragaller. sara ragaller said: LOVE the massive spoon & fork! RT @iowagirleats: Home Decor Tour! http://tinyurl.com/26fv8az [...]
My apartment is “in progress”. I moved about 2 months ago and am having fun slowly decorating it, buts its expensive to decorate with the big stuff!
Love all your decor. I would say ours is family style. It’s not too traditional but friendly to children since we have a toddler. I wish I had more creative tastes though.
I love, love, love this post! We do the same thing. I always buy a print when we travel to a new city, country, whatever! Then I frame and hang them around the house….it’s the best!
BTW, My fiance got a job with a company out of Iowa, and he’s been there all week. He went out to eat at Gino’s last night! Before he even said the name, I knew what it was. He start to say, “An Italian Restaurant called G-”. Hilarious!
I have no eye for home decor. I love your wall art. So eclectic and personal. I love it when art tells a story and has meaning to the owner.
Lovely! I haven’t added to many pictures in our place since I moved in with my boyfriend except snaps of the dogs, we have an indie car in our living room and some sort of airplane above our bed lol, it still has a very bachelor feel. I did get some simple black frames and added some pictures of him and his friends from ski trips, and a few of myself and my family so it’s feeling a bit more homey but I think the giant gorilla pictures and Clint EastWood in the entry way eventually need to be changed lol! Although, Clint is pretty cool
I’ll have to get a picture of it for you, it’s pretty funny. Not to mention the “Kramer” but I quite like that one lol!
love all your decor! we rent and can’t paint so everything is kinda blah… i need to do some work to make it prettier. thanks for the inspiration!
Love your decor!
We are still in the verrrrry early process of decorating. But both of us like a modern, but comfortable feel, with neutral furniture accented with bright colors and fun art!
xo
Kris
I love it all! I am currently staring at a massive white wall in front of me on in my living room surrounding the TV. I need to figure out some things to hang! Maybe a collection of framed postcards? I also have that IKEA wine bottle holder that I need to put up in my kitchen…
What a great collection of ‘art work’ you have there!!!
Well I still live at home, but my mom has an amazing eye for home decor. She said “I’m like picasso, I’m in my black phase”…no joke, every picture frame is black in our house, and black accents everything. One thing she does that I LOVE is buying calendars with sweet pics and then framing those! I love your pics, ESPECIALLY the geisha’s…for obvious reasons
Love the spice wall art! So cute! my walls are covered in black and white photos. I am obsessed. I have one wall with 9 black frames at about 14 x 20 with large white matting and random b & w pics of my wedding, family and kids! Its my fave!!
[...] Home Decor Tour! | Iowa Girl Eats [...]
[...] Home Decor Tour! | Iowa Girl Eats [...]
[...] Obviously Big Fork Worthy… [...]