Loving Lately

(ONE)  Anthropologie lace and blue shirt > For Valentine's Day dinner, perhaps?   (TWO)  Leaning Tower framed > This just makes me laugh.   (THREE)  Oh Darling print > On my Valentine's Day wish list.   (FOUR)  Cheers notecards > Perfect for New Year's greetings or everyday thank you notes.   (FIVE)  Bio Oil > This stuff has revitalized my winter skin.  Plus it smells divine.   (SIX)  One Line a Day journal > I got this for Christmas from my nana and I love it.   (SEVEN)  Under a New Light bracelet > I really, really want this.   (EIGHT)  Aldo riding boots > I have been searching for a good pair of black boots forever.  These are it. 

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I have Valentine's Day on the brain, can you tell? 

We've almost made it through one of the toughest months.  January is hard for so many reasons--it's dark, cold and doesn't feature any fun eating and/or gift-giving holidays.  I can't wait for February to get here already.  Candy hearts, boxes of chocolate, an excuse to dress up for a fancy dinner.  Yep.  February's where it's at.

Notes

As this week draws to a close, a couple of notes on some of the good things I've been enjoying online recently:

//  Not really an online item, although I did rent it via Netflix: I just watched The Switch (with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman).  I expected a dud, but I actually really like it!  Also, how do I say this without sounding weird?  I'll just say it: Jennifer Aniston's blue eyes are simply captivating, luminescent. 

//  Have you seen the new issue of Rue?  It's worth checking out.  When you do, please notice the piece on the Minneapolis-based handbag designer (hooray for all things local) and the dreamy white Chicago apartment (so bright and feminine).

//  Mrs. Lilien is mixing up some Mokolua Margaritas just in time for my Hawaiian dream vacation.

//  Check out the bedroom makeover on A Cup of Jo.  I am in love with that tufted headboard.  I am planning to attempt something similar for my own boudoir.

//  I made this spinach feta blood orange salad from Joy the Baker and it was the perfect complement to my dinner.  The next few Joy recipes I'd like to try are: smashed raspberry chocolate chunk pancakes, shredded beef sandwiches and peanut butter chocolate pillows.  Yum.

//  Lastly, a couple of my favorite (new to me) blogs:  Note to Self, The Rockstar Diaries and Pennyweight.

Have a fabulous weekend!

(original images)

Wanderlust

  

passport // on the rocks // mountain // tent // sailboat // jumping in // eiffel tower

One of my pet theories is that winter exists so that we will enjoy the summer; that without bitter we wouldn't love the sweet.  We feel sleepy so we know refreshed.  We want so that we know how to feel fulfilled.  The contrast makes the pleasure that much better. 

Winter has officially hit here in MN and already I'm ready to feel the sweet relief of its exact opposite--sunshine, warmth, humidity.  I'm also ready for some adventure. I'm itching to break out of my rut and try something new.  All of my spare moments are spent dreaming up far off places where I could sneak away for R&R (or sightseeing or mountain climbing or wine tasting--I'm not picky).  They call it wanderlust and I have it bad. 

Fortunately, I am a very, very lucky girl and I have a vacation on the horizon.  In a few weeks I'm off to dig my toes in the sandy beaches of Hawaii.  I c-a-n-n-o-t wait. 

I'm traveling with my family.  We'll be staying on two islands, renting a condo on each.  The plan is to do a lot of hiking, eat a lot of pineapple and maybe even try a little surfing.  If the plan was just to sit on the beach reading the whole time I would honestly be happy with that, too. 

Many pictures will be taken and most will be shared here.  The living vicariously is on me this time.

Things We Love

I've been feeling a touch of the blues lately, finding it hard to concentrate on the good in my life and instead zeroing in on all that is wrong with it.  To pull myself out of my funk I am trying to make like Kate Spade and concentrate on magical everyday things. 

Kate Spade's little book of inspirations is called Things We Love and you can find it here. 

(from Felt & Wire via Wit & Delight)

A Few of My Favorite Things

(ONE) Polka dot straws > These straws are ridiculously cute.    (TWO) iPhone case > Sadly, I am an Android user.  I love this so much, though.  I can't stand it.     (THREE) Shearling biker boots > I am coveting these boots hardcore. Aren't they great?     (FOUR) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern > My book club's next book. I cannot wait to start it.     (FIVE) The Layover with Anthony Bourdain > Love this show on the Travel Channel. Bite sized pieces of the cities I'm most curious about.     (SIX) Ceramic squirrel > I would find a spot on my bookshelf for this little guy if only he'd make his way to my house.     (SEVEN) Chevron bathmat > I've been stalking this bathmat online forever. I finally pulled the trigger. Now I just need a simple white shower curtain to match.

_____________________________

I thought I'd start the week with a few of the things that make getting out of bed on a Monday worth the effort.  The things all ended up being a little black and white and pink all over. Nice how that works. 

Getting out of bed this morning was indeed an effort for the following reason: I stayed up late watching the Golden Globes.  Clare Danes and Jessica Alba wore my favorite dresses and Ricky Gervais is the greatest host of any show ever.  Period.  End of story.

Have a Happy Weekend!

This was a busy week, but aren't they all?  A couple of good things that happened:

//  A counter full of cleaning bottles.  Homemade beer, here we come!  E's first batch is a red lager.  I'm curious to try it...

//  Banana/chocolate/protein powder shakes for breakfast.  Just like melted ice cream.  My sister adds spinach to her smoothies for an extra serving of veggies.  Once I get to the store for a bag of spinach I will try it, too.   

//  Lasagna night.  I didn't quite have the right amount of cheese and the lasagna ended up a little worse for the wear.  Oh, well.  It was still pretty good.

//  Assessing my closet.  I have three silky rose-colored shirts.  I think it's time to hold off on buying another one.  For a little while at least.

//  A pistachio macaron from the bakery down the street.  You know when you tell yourself you are just going to have a small bite of dessert and then wrap the whole thing up and put it away for later?  And then you find yourself coming back to the kitchen for one more small bite ten minutes later (and then one more just after that and then one more and then one more)?  Yeah, it was one of those situations.

//  A dog show.  I've never been to one, but it was worth it to watch the dog grooming process alone.  It was intense--the Shih Tzu groomers used more hair spray on their pups than I have ever used on my hair.  It was awesome.



Watching: American Masters

Woody Allen.  I think I would say I am a fan of his movies, but I always feel that I love a few jokes from each, but never the whole thing.  I don't know if they are too meandering or too intellectual for me.  A little of both.  In any case, I had the PBS documentary American Masters: Woody Allen saved on  my DVR.  After staying up way too late one night last week and waking up way too early the next morning, it was time to curl up on the couch to watch it. 

He's an interesting character that one.  The documentary was worth it just for the the curtain being drawn back to get a peek his directing (I'm always a sucker for behind the scenes anything), but some funny moments had me laughing out loud, too.  Rewatching the bank robbery scene from Take the Money and Run was worth the price of admission.  Also, I had a dream the other night that my best friend was Diane Keaton, so I enjoyed all of the interviews with her, naturally.  The downside:  Woody's marriage to his stepdaughter.  Gives me the icks. 

Next up on the DVR is the next American Masters, Eames: The Architect and the Painter.  I watched a minute or two and already it's really great.

Pizza Night

I've done some research for you.  I've found you the greatest pizza recipe ever.  It's the one you must try.  You're welcome.

It would make sense to start by telling you that my favorite pizza flavor is Hawaiian.  The fancy version of Hawaiian pizza is fig and prosciutto flat bread.  I like to believe that I and I alone made that discovery.  I adore the combination of sweet and salty together.  Take a moment to wrap your mind around that taste sensation and let's get started.

First, make the pizza dough.  Pioneer Woman's recipe suggests making a big batch of dough and keeping whatever you don't use in the freezer for later.  Do this.  She is not lying.  I'm not sure of the science behind it, but the dough is way better after it has been stored for a little while. 

If you have a stand mixer I am jealous of you.  You should use it to make this dough.  I used pure Pilates-honed muscle and a wooden spoon.  Guess which one broke in half in the mixing process.  I ended up using my hands to kneed the dough after the Great Spoon Disaster of '11 and that worked even better.

Just before it's time  to spread the dough onto the baking sheet, grease that sucker up well.  I failed to do this the first time I made this recipe and I so regretted it.

A couple more pro tips:  Err on the side of less fig spread rather than more.  You want a hint of sweetness without the dough getting too wet.  With the olive oil on the other hand, you can err on the side of more.  I accidentally used more than I had intended to and the results were probably just as you'd expect--so, so good.  One other thing--you will feel like you are using way too much mozzarella.  You are not.  More is more in this case.

One other tip: when cutting up the prosciutto, use kitchen sheers rather than a knife.  It works like a charm!  Serve the pizza with a fun red wine or a Rosemary Lemonade Vodka Fizz (I'll share that recipe soon).

Cheers!

Checking In on My Life List

Remember way back in October when I created my life list?  Here are a couple of things I've already checked off my list(!):

Wear red lipstick.  This was a goal because I love lipstick, but it mades me nervous.  I love the way red lips look, but on me?  I'm not so sure.  You see, I have a youngish face (okay, I look 18 or 20, which I'm not).  When I wear color on my lips I feel like I'm a little kid sneaking her mom's lipstick.  Well, I'm proud to say that I've jumped headlong into red--I've now worn it out to dinner and to the office.  Did I look a little different than my comfort zone look?  Yes.  Was that a bad thing?  No way!

Make my own ice cream.  I got a Cuisinart ice cream maker for my birthday, which made this an easy goal to accomplish.  I made pumpkin pie ice cream for the holidays, a vanilla-based concoction for my sister (I mixed in my mom's homemade English toffee) and a batch of peppermint for Christmas Eve (paired with homemade chocolate cake--just call me Martha).  Sooo good!  I'm dreaming up excuses to make ice cream as often as I can.  Adults would come to an ice cream party, right? 

Make ravioli from scratch.  I started with squash ravioli, using Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook (of course).  And of course it was good.  I bought a pasta maker to roll out my own sheets of pasta.  The process was pretty hard and messy.  If you try it at home, it may end in a fight with your significant other.  Just sayin'.

For those of you keeping track at home, the current list is below.  I've added a page dedicated to my life list progress, too.  Talk about accountability.

 

Also, I've decided to incorporate some of my goals into my New Year's Resolutions.  You can read all about that here. 

Now let's go accomplish some stuff!  Ready, set, go! 

See Paris: eat croissant, picture with the Eiffel Tower, use a little French • Skinny dip • Throw pots on a wheel • Picnic under apple blossoms in full bloom • Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge • Change the oil in my car • Sit on a jury • Sip a mint julep at the Kentucky Derby • Take my mom to Hawaii • Get a spray tan • Visit Greece: stuff self with Greek food, dip toe in Mediterranean • Save up one year's salary • Road trip across America in an RV • Become a better swimmer - swim 50 laps all in a row • Drop a dollar in a guitar case • Gamble in Vegas • Dye my hair brown • Attend a rodeo: wear cowboy boots • Do yoga on a regular basis • Know all about wine • Run a marathon • Have the perfect, cozy bed • Knit a sweater • See Tokyo: eat sushi, sing karaoke • Take the train to Chicago • Attend the Oscars • Try vegetarianism for a month • Buy a kayak (and use it!) • Plant tulip bulbs • Try acupuncture • Learn to make Thai food • Visit a hot spring • Hula hoop for 3 minutes straight • Drink wine in a Napa Valley vineyard • See Stonehenge • Adopt a dog • See Montreal • Open a bakery and serve perfect weekend breakfasts • Have a family • Stand atop the Great Wall of China • Master smokey eye makeup • Stay in the ice hotel • Take a hayride • See the Grand Canyon • Spend a weekend free from technology • Visit the Taj Mahal • Purchase personalized stationary • Learn to make Greek food • Mix up 15 fun cocktails (ideas: Sangria, Moscow Mule, Egg Nog, Singapore Sling) • Make and can my own jam • Bake homemade versions of Girl Scout cookies • Read some of the classics • Visit a haunted house • Attend Mardi Gras: wear a mask, collect beads, eat a beignet at Cafe Du Monde • Become a millionaire • Jump into a leaf pile • Watch all of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Movies • Spend a night in a castle • Try body boarding • Learn to juggle • Swing from a trapeze • Try veganism for a month • Spend a week at a 5-star spa • Go to Rome • Try the Atkins diet for a month • Make a batch of gorgeous Easter eggs • Gallop on a horse • Make a necklace • Go to Sydney • Visit Buenos Aires • Kiss the Blarney Stone • Make my own ice cream • Learn to make Spanish food • Buy a cabin • Learn to play a song on the piano • Learn to play the guitar • Memorize a poem • Figure out how to convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade • Learn to line dance • Float in a hot air balloon • Take a helicopter ride • Belly dance • Get to and maintain my fighting weight • See the Mona Lisa • Get a Master's degree • Learn to blow glass • Throw a clambake • Throw a surprise birthday party • See Puerto Rico: swim in the bioluminescent waters • Make ravioli from scratch • Learn to make Mexican food • Learn how to do a drum roll • Host a masquerade party • Take a drawing class • Take a foreign language class • Fly in a blimp • Take a nap in my very own backyard hammock • Zip line through a canopy • Rock climb • Take a camping trip: pitch a tent, build a bonfire, wear flannel • Fly a plane• Sew homemade Halloween costumes for my future children • Own a house • Perform a closet makeover • Be an extra in a movie • Learn to make French food • Host a dinner party • Go on an African safari: ride in a Jeep, see an elephant • Learn to decorate a cake • Plant a huge backyard garden • Be a tourist in my hometown (150 Things to Do in Minneapolis) • Set foot in all 50 states • Set foot on all 7 continents • Wear red lipstick • Do a detox diet for a week • Compost • Take golf lessons • Do the splits • Ride my bike to work • Take ballroom dance lessons • Take a vacation dedicated to volunteering • Attend Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany • Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro • Make 1,000 great recipes • Make 1,000 beautiful things • Send out holiday cards • Ride on a float in a parade • Milk a cow • Make some earrings • Be a guest on NPR • Watch a match at Wimbledon • Take a ferry to get an ice cream cone, like I did when I was little • Install a rain barrel • Learn to snow board • Do pilates regularly • Fully decorate a house • Be a member of a sports team • Be an active alum at my alma mater • Write a book • Take 5000 great pictures • Sit on the board of a non-profit • Knit some doggy mittens (a family tradition) • Complete a triathlon • Meet a US president • Witness the Northern Lights • Ring a church bell • Knit a hat • Attend a movie premier • Bet on a horse race • Do 30 fun things in 30 days • Make Christmas cookies • Become a regular at a farmer's market • Learn to water ski • Revamp my baking supply storage system • Take a surfing lesson • Host Thanksgiving • Treat myself to a bouquet every month for a year • Climb a mountain

Getting It All Done This Weekend

This weekend is stretching before me with a few things planned, but plenty of free time.  I want to use the time to get my act together rather than just watching Real Housewives repeats.

Follow along with my list:  

• Get a spray tan (one of my life list items woot woot!)
• Write Christmas thank you notes (I'm ashamed this has not been done yet)
• Go for a run outside (reveling in the warmth)
• Pilates (on Saturday and Sunday)
• Clean the kitchen & dining room
• Work on E's birthday present
• Toss plant and clean out planter
• Make lasagna
• Clean out my purse (finally)

(original image)

Happy Friday!

It's finally Friday!  Vacation is over and now I'm expected to work all day?  Seriously?  It has been quite the rude awakening.

All in all though, I'm still pretty pleased with 2012.  Some highlights of this week included ringing in the new year (of course), freezing cold temps and some unseasonably warm ones and introducing this month's Elle to its new home (right next to my bed).  I also cobbled together a fabulous meal of panko-crusted chicken topped with roasted tomatoes and arugula with cauliflower on the side (thanks again Gwyneth!).  I'm not good about making dinner, so this was a noteworthy accomplishment.

New Year's Resolutions

I always like the idea of New Year's resolutions and I always make them.  Last year my resolution was to be a little fancier: wear lipstick, put on high heels, curl my hair, light candles in my house, give myself pedicures.  I did it (most days) and it was fun!  I think the best resolutions are the ones that are exciting to complete, the ones that are not a punishment.  Quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising more.  Yuck!  Who's going to stick to those?  (Full disclosure: I always make those kinds of resolutions, but I also try to throw some fun ones in too).

This year I want to check some fun things off of my life list--and some of the boring make-myself-better kind of things, too.  Here are the ones I want to accomplish in 2012:

• be a tourist in my hometown
• get a spray tan
• take my mom to Hawaii
• treat myself to a monthly bouquet
• picnic under apple blossoms in full bloom
• knit a sweater
• compost
• do Pilates regularly
• get to and maintain my fighting weight
• start saving up for that Paris dream vacation

(via)

Hello January

{emerson made coat / be classy / cider / dress / candle / white floor}

{cards / kinfolk magazine / white dress / love knot / chevron clutch / bike / keep it simple}

Oh, hello January. I'm glad you're here. You bring new beginnings, clean slates and brand new calendars. Today we celebrate you with the freshest of colors: white, pure white.

January 2012, I like you already.