Get You Through It Mix

 image via the drop

This play list will get you through your next workout or your next bad day. Especially good for pepping you up for projects that you really really don't want to do.

This is the New Year                                              Ian Axel

The Book of Morris Johnson                                    Zee Avi

Such Great Heights                                The Postal Service

Titanium                                            David Guetta feat. Sia

Invincible                                                                OK Go

Stronger                                                          Kanye West

Pursuit of Happiness                                                 Lissie

Shake it Out                                    Florence + the Machine

Mama Said Knock You Out                                   LL Cool J

White Knuckles                                                       OK Go

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)                    Kelly Clarkson

Bulletproof                                                            La Roux

1901                                                                      Phoenix

Dog Days are Over                          Florence + the Machine

Feeling Good                                                 Nina Simone

My Favorite Summer Cocktail

This vintage English cocktail is the most delicious, refreshing summer drink that, to my surprise, includes gin! What really makes this perfect is the cucumber, so don't leave it out.

Pimm's Cup

3/4 c. gin
1/4 c. Pimm's no. 1
1 lemon, cut into half slices
1 orange, cut into half slices
1/2 cucumber, cut into half slices
1 c. strawberries, cut into small chunks
2 large sprigs of mint, muddled

Add just before serving:
2 cans of sparkling lemon soda (I used La Croix Lemon and added a few tablespoons of sugar)


Add all to a pitcher and stir well. Let steep for an hour, and then add the sparkling lemon soda. Serve with ladle so that you get all of the fruit bits in your glass too. If you have any Pimm's Cup left over, cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and reuse it later in the week. Time only makes it better. Just add a bit more gin and lemon soda before your next pour.

Just a Minute: May Edition

exciting...My parents came in for Memorial weekend. This was the first time they've been up to Chicago in the summer, so I had all sorts of plans (and yes, I realize that many of them involved food). When they got in on Thursday night, we had some dinner, then I took them to Lickety Split for some custard. We went to the beach, then on to Chinatown for lunch, bubble teas, and some exotic grocery shopping on Friday and then on a sunset architectural cruise on the Chicago River downtown. Saturday, we headed to Lincoln Park for the farmer's market and then got some Thai banh mi sandwiches for lunch from Ba Le on the way home. Saturday night we went to Smoque for ribs and then headed to the Hideout for an evening of live bluegrass. On Sunday we had lunch at Glenn's diner, explored Architectural Artifacts (an architectural salvage place in Ravenswood), and then grilled out with all the neighbors that evening. On Monday, we had leftover ribs and fried chicken for breakfast before taking a walk to Andersonville in the morning before they headed out after lunch.

  
loving…Cut the Rope Experiments is free in the app store this week. I love that cute little creature. Go get this for your iPhone while you can. Not sure if it's available for Android, but if it is (or if the original Cut the Rope is), it is worth the money because they update and add 25 new levels every couple of months or so. Great puzzles with clever themes.

reading…The City of Dreaming Books, which is quite possibly the weirdest book I've read in a long time. I don't want to give anything away, but the blurbs on back describe it as a "kaleidoscopic vision" and "equal parts J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, and Shel Silverstein." Guess what? That's pretty accurate so far. Luckily, I'm a big fan of all three of those authors, so I'm enjoying it.
 
watching...the finale of House was truly great. I have rarely seen one that fit all the show characters so well and actually left me feeling like the show was wrapped up.

drinking…the Pimm's Cup. The perfect summery adult beverage. It actually convinced me to like gin, which was quite a feat! Stay tuned this week for my recipe.

making...new art to go above our fireplace. I'll be showing that off later this week or early next week.

image from the marion house book

baking...For the picnic on Sunday night, we made these Salty Caramel Brownies that I found on the marion house book ages ago, but hadn't gotten around to making. They are delish. I think they would be perfect made in individual small ramekins the day before and then topped with vanilla ice cream right before serving. Small because they are crazy rich and decadent. The great thing about these brownies is that they're so gooey, their consistency seems fresh out of the oven even when they're completely cool. DO NOT top with ice cream right out of the oven or you might as well just pour milk on top.

Why I Should Never Have a Reality Television Show

I very rarely win my fights with Nathan. No one needs to see that. Least of all me.

I say horrifying things that would make my audience hate me. For example, when I was in college studying abroad in Italy, I was flashed by a man in an alley in Florence one night. I was (justifiably) disturbed. However, I ACTUALLY COMPARED HIS UNWANTED SEXUAL EXHIBITION TO RAPE. Out loud. Yes, I was that girl. I shudder every time I remember those words being let out into the world. Can you imagine if they were actually on tape? And you know they would use that in promos.

I eat entirely too much for television. Not only do I actually eat sandwiches and whole plates of pasta, but I have *gasp* dessert. Sometimes at both lunch and dinner. Not usually at breakfast though.

According to Nathan, I criticize him. All. The. Time. So apparently, I'd look like one of those harpy wives bossing him around and always rolling my eyes and being sarcastic to him. I like imagining that I'm the victim here. I don't need video proof that it's the other way around.

I have been known to smack my cat. But guys, he totally deserved it. He was meowing, and meowing, and meowing, and meowing, and meowing. Still, that would not go over well with PETA, I'm sure.

My sassy gay friends are all 40+ and wouldn't dream of getting into screaming fights with me. They'd rather sit around in the backyard drinking wine and talking about NATO (or DWTS).

I wouldn't dream of paying someone to be my fashion stylist, wig stylist, cat stylist, makeup artist, nanny, cat walker, housekeeper, chauffeur, psychic, pet interpreter, groundskeeper, or husband wrangler (well, I'd consider paying someone to do that last one).

I am a terrible actress. When I was in fourth grade I managed to say my lone line in the class play as "Fish fly in the sky, birds swim in the sea." If someone told me I needed to reenact a conversation I'd had so they could get it on tape, it would be awkward and wooden and...wait, I guess that's not really a deal-breaker for those reality TV shows. Never mind.

New Fruit

I tried a new fruit this weekend. Now I can add the guayaba to my list. Had sort of a banana-y texture and flavor, but with a fruity element too. Kind of a passion fruit flavor, I think, (though I haven't tried a real passion fruit yet, so that's not scientific.)
 

Forgive the blurry photo. People were staring at
me taking this photo, and I felt self-concious. 
The little yellow things in the front are the guayaba.
They're about the size of golf balls, but really soft.

Lots of seeds, which I ate. It was a little odd, but not bad.

Well Said

 "I never saw the green light at the end of Daisy's dock or the parties on Gatsby's lawn, but they seem more vivid than things that I actually lived. If we are the sum of our experiences, as I believe we are, then books are a more important part of my life than my actual life. That's what I try to do with my own fiction. Fill the stories with imaginary people who will become more real to my readers than the people in their lives."

 George R.R. Martin

Excerpt from May 24, 2012 Rolling Stone Interview, "The Hand Behind the Throne" by Gavin Edwards

Image via Quizlet

Things I Am Really Embarrassed to Admit

I ate 1/3 of a watermelon for lunch last Thursday.

Sometimes Nathan and I talk to our cat about his "mommy" or "daddy," and we are REFERRING TO EACH OTHER.

The other day I watched a homeless woman being evicted from the vestibule of the building across the road. An hour later I checked our vestibule to make sure she hadn't moved into ours.

Once I hit my head on the dryer door so hard that I had to lay down on the floor for awhile until I was sure I wasn't going to pass out.

In my fourth grade spelling bee, I got out in the first round because of the word barracks.

I am guilty of rage tweeting. Over a burrito. (Was going to link to them, but I'm pretty sure I deleted them out of shame.)

I was heckled by a small child hanging out the window of his apartment building during a recent tennis lesson. He was right, my swing did suck.

Once, on a day when I worked from home, I didn't brush my teeth until just before lunchtime.

I have used the phrase "kids today" to complain, in all seriousness, about an intern.

I spent a crazy long time trying to figure out what was wrong with our DVD player before finally realizing that I was trying to play a BluRay disc.

I am knowingly and voluntarily a part of a pyramid scheme.

Recent Converstation #11

Me, whining: They cancelled my tennis lessons an hour before it was supposed to start because they don't have enough people.
Him: That stinks. Will they give your money back?
Me: Yeah, but I'm ticked because I was really looking forward to this. I was even going to accomplish a New Year's Resolution for once.
Him: Well, maybe you can take some lessons from Nathan McArdle.
Me: Really? You think? I'm kind of intimidated by him. Also, I heard his class is hard to get into. Can you pull some strings?
Him: Maybe.
Me: Do you think I can get a discount if I put out?
Him: Maybe.
Me: Maybe? Maybe? I'm sure you meant to say definitely.
Him: Yes. I did.

Martha, No. Just No.

It's usually a good idea to go to Martha for upcoming holiday inspiration. However, sometimes those craft gurus at Martha Stewart Living seem so intent on cranking out the projects that you wonder if there's ever a project they deem unfit for the web. Here are a few they've suggested for Mother's Day that I sincerely question.

The perfect gift if mom is working on a rag rug or if she is a Rastafarian
(but seriously, how crazy/cool would this look on someone wearing dreads? )

There is no mistaking this as a stylish fashion necklace.
It is clearly a woman wearing giant bouncy balls and pantyhose around her neck.
Fashion, Martha owes you an apology.

Severed baby limbs? You're welcome, Mom.

You won't find these in a mall, but you might find them hanging from your nearest lamp.
You should not, however, find them hanging from your mother's ears because that's just wrong.

What?! I am sure as hell not wearing a button around that says this
no matter what day of the year it is.
Why, Martha? Why?

New Use for an Old Thing, Vol. 2

Sugar Canister twine dispenser ($0.50, Goodwill)
I can't take credit for this cute idea; I originally saw it on Pinterest. I love that I can leave my twine out with some of my other crafting supplies (see below) because they look good.

Salt shaker as straight pin storage ($1, local thrift store)
When I found this old salt shaker, I didn't have a use for it yet; however, the easy to screw off lid made using it as a sewing pin holder a good choice. Whenever I need to use a handful of pins, I just turn it upside down and shake a few out.

Straw holder for washi tape ($8, eBay)
I had seen these straw holders used to store ribbon on Pinterest and loved the look. I have a giant box of ribbon though, and I realized that finding spools that were small enough to fit was actually going to prove to be unrealistic. With my sudden collection of varieties of washi tape, I knew I had the perfect storage place for them.

Desk lamp wall sconces ($15, eBay; new cord-$5, Home Depot)
We needed some extra light in the living room and in the bedroom, but we didn't have any table or floor space to spare. I had the thought to use a few old shop desk lamps as wall sconces. Once I rewired them, they were the perfect solution.

Toast stand mail holder ($3, hometown antique mall)
I needed a place to put all the paper odds and ends we save on our desk. The few paper bills we still pay, flyers for upcoming events, etc. now go in their little metal organizer and keep our desk top looking neat.






Picture frame mirror ($7, local junk store; mirror-$8, hardware store)
Buying a large mirror new can be very expensive. I found a shortcut by purchasing a large wooden picture frame and getting a piece of mirror glass cut to fit it at our local hardware store. (This strategy came in very handy when I was collecting mirrors for the mirror wall in the dining room.)

Comfort Food

Mmmmm...

    This is my absolute favorite meal. No matter what time
    of year, when I last had fish, or how much time I have to
    prepare dinner, I jump on the chance to have this for
    dinner. I've made it enough that's it's really fast to make
    now, but I will warn you that there are three steps which,
    on your first attempt, can make this seem time consuming.
    A good blender is a must. And the lemon vinaigrette is the
    best part, so DO NOT skip it.

    I think this recipe is originally from Giada, but I got it
    from my upstairs neighbor.

Orange Ruffy with Radicchio,
Cannelini Beans, and Lemon Vinaigrette

 Time: Approximately 30 minutes total
 Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients:
1-2 heads of radicchio*
3 shallots, finely chopped 
1 can* cannelini (white kidney) beans
1/3 c. fish broth or water


4 light fish filets (Orange Ruffy, talapia, etc.)
salt and pepper
flour
1-2 tablespoons butter
                       

            

           

       Vinaigrette:
             Juice and zest of 2 lemons
             2-3 garlic cloves 
             salt and pepper
             1/3 c. olive oil
             large handful of fresh parsley

 If you use a vegetable peeler for lemon peel (which I do), then you probably only need to do one lemon. Throw whole strips of peel, juice of two lemons, whole peeled garlic cloves, and 1/2  t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper into the blender and blend well. While blender is on, stream in olive oil. Stick a finger in and taste. Add more salt and pepper or lemon juice if needed. Throw in parsley and blend one final time. Set aside.

Thinly slice the radicchio. In hot pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add shallots, and cook
until translucent. Add radicchio. Stir occasionally. Cook until wilted with some browned edges.

While radicchio is cooking, pat filets dry. Salt and pepper both sides lightly. Coat well in flour. In another hot pan, add in a pat or two of butter and add two filets. Cook thoroughly, approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Add 1/3 c. fish broth or water (I've used both. The broth gives it a bit more flavor, but it's hard to find in the store. I made and froze broth-in 1/3 c. increments-that I made from crayfish shells, but when that ran out, I've just used water.) Add cannelini (white kidney) beans to radicchio, and cook until warmed through.

Layer plate with radicchio, fish, and then top with lemon vinaigrette. Really great with greens on the side, noodles, orzo or Israeli couscous.

*We really love the radicchio layer, so I usually use 2 small to medium heads of radicchio and 2 cans of beans with a splash more broth/water.

You Should Date an Illiterate Girl

Girl with Book by Imaekelley via flickr

 I love this piece, You Should Date an Illiterate Girl, by Charles Warnke on Thought Catalog.

"Don’t date a girl who reads because girls who read are the storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so god damned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold."

Read the rest, here.

Just a Minute: April Edition

recovering...I cannot wait to get home from this conference I'm attending. Sunday through to Saturday night makes for a looong week. For some reason I am unable to sleep in hotel beds. Every morning I wake half an hour earlier. Considering that my internal clock is still on central time, I'll be waking up at 3 AM before I can get home to my own bed again.

reading…I am currently reading Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, which is an 80's music related memoir. I have laughed out loud a few times already, and I'm only halfway through it. I'm really enjoying Rob Sheffield's take on Glam Rock and New Wave, but I just cannot get behind his recommendation of Haysi Fantayzee's Shiny Shiny though.

waiting...for our newest edition to the family! Maybe is getting a furry little baby sister. Her mother is a Mainecoon British Long Hair so our house will be filled with even more hairy tumbleweeds, but I'm so excited to get to experience the kitten stage, especially since we got Maybe as a two-year-old.We are deciding between Peut-être and Quizás for her name because both mean "perhaps" in French and Spanish, respectively. So far I'm leaning a bit more toward Peut-être because I like the nickname Tetra slightly more than the nickname Sauce.

 
watching...I just watched the last episode of the first season of Downton Abbey, the English period drama that follows a wealthy family and their servants beginning in 1912. I know I'm late to the party, but it really is sooo good. I am terribly worried about the future of one of my favorite characters. I'm so attached to him that I tried to make sure the actor is still on the show for the third season without finding out any other spoilers.

listening…Oh, you already know my faves this month.

loving…Mmm, have you tried these ? They are little bites of amazing. Be careful because it is really really hard to eat just one. I practically have to tape the box and bury it in the cabinet every time I break down and have one just so that "one" doesn't turn into six.

making...You know that too, actually.

Credit: Michael Kraus via Saveur

baking…This month's issue of Saveur is about bread. I am dying to try out some of those recipes, but I'm gonna have to wait until next weekend because I plan on being a lump for my one weekend day off before I have to head back to work on Monday.

Funny and French Illustrations

I just discovered this lovely graphic app by pepillo, a French stamp/stationary/booklet/print/crafty company. It's called Plic, Ploc, Wiz. It starts as a simple puzzle, but then you can use the shapes to create your own picture which you can email and save in your gallery. This is one children's app I don't mind having on my phone and iPad for when the little girls upstairs ask to play on it. The pictures are playful, quirky, and colorful. (One picture is free, to have access to the other nine, you pay $0.99 for iPhone or $1.99 for iPad. The pictures are somewhat different on each).

I Did That!

Just wanted to share a couple of projects that I did around the house this week.

At work I've been creating an hour-long workshop to present in just a week (my first one-I'm super nervous!), but even though my work hours have been longer than usual, I've found myself inspired to tackle some big projects around the house when I get home.

Last weekend we hung a new flatscreen in the tiny bedroom (it's on a moveable arm, so it might look a little off center in this picture), but I actually got the cord situation under control! And see that little hidden shelf for the cable box? Oh yeah, I did that!

It suddenly hit me how much nicer the dated wooden headboard in our guest room would look if I painted it. I could use a fun, bright contrasting color to all the deep reds in the room, and it would make such an impact. I chose Moonlit Pool from Behr.

While I was moving the bed, I came across these folding wooden chairs that I bought at a garage sale two years ago to fix up as a "project." I used a floral canvas and striped oilcloth I already had on hand, the paint I was using on the headboard, and white paint in our storage closet.

Almost to Etsy

I've made a few fun pieces of jewelry in the past few months with the plan to finally get something new up on Etsy. Happily though, before I could, I sold them!

I wanted to share them somewhere since I went to all the work to take pictures of them...

How I used the cool vintage metal pressings from Paris I found:

Laure Necklace

Frances Necklace

Now I'm working on some pieces with small colored vintage glass domes:

Stanton Earrings in Emerald

An Eggcellent Time

My sister, mom, and I spent Saturday morning decorating eggs. We managed to hit every current trend in our egg decorating-chevrons, color-blocking, washi tape, jewel tones, and even neons!

Photo by my sister, Jessica

Five for Friday

If you haven't heard these five songs you need to!

Cults: Never Heal Myself

I find myself humming this all the time.


Goyte: Heart's A Mess

I'm sure you've heard of Somebody I Used to Know by now, but he has other great stuff too. This video alone is mesmerizing, but the song itself is just as great.


fun.-Some Nights

These guys live up to their group's name. I'm sure you've heard We Are Young, but that's just the tip of the iceberg! The odd mix of styles and influences makes their whole album fun; it's tough to choose a favorite from it because every song is good.


Kimbra: Settle Down

If you watch this video of her at SXSW, you'll understand my obsession with this song.


Kate Miller-Heidke: The Last Day on Earth

Sad, but so lovely.

Sweater Pep

I just bought this sweater on sale from The Loft. I like its subtle details, but I decided that I wanted to pep it up a bit and make it truly unique.


With the addition of some vintage buttons and colored stitching, this sweater went from this

to this:

Dark red orange buttons with purple thread

Just a Minute: March Edition

exciting...What a great week this has been! Not only did I get to spend the early part of it with my sister in Savannah, but now we're expecting my sister-in-law, Jenny, who is coming to visit today!
  
loving…The Peasant Top Jersey Dress from Ann Taylor Loft. Too bad I didn't come across it while they still had my size, or any size, really, in stock.

reading…The Winter Sea, which appears to be somewhat of an historical romance. I am not sure how I feel about it right now, but it's set in Scotland, so I'm giving it a chance.
  
 
watching...I can't wait for the new season of Game of Thrones to start on Sunday! I am all caught up on last season (since I didn't start watching last year until halfway through), and now I'm anxiously awaiting Sunday night, especially since last Sunday night's long awaited show return (Mad Men) was a bit of a disappointment.

 
  
listening…the latest album from fun. Some Nights is amazing! It's so good, I actually paid for the whole CD. I honestly can't remember the last full CD I've bought, but this one is worth it.



 
making...I've been blowing eggs in preparation for some Easter Egg decorating. I am going to tackle some this weekend. Somehow I ended up getting a free subscription to Martha Stewart Living, and my first one is the Easter Egg decorating feature, so I may try a few of the ideas out.

baking…Made Black Magic cupcakes last night as a goodbye treat for a friend's last day of work today. It's a pretty great recipe for a moist rich chocolate cake/cupcake.