Reasons to get your butt to Richmond

There are many, many reasons why you should spend some time in Virginia's capital city. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've chronicled some of them here, here and here.

There's shopping to be had on Broad at Turnstyle (for the hippest clothes and records) and Quirk (jewelry, art and coolest things you didn't know you needed) before wandering the galleries. Head up to Cary Street for more shopping and a quick bite at the original (re better) Sticky Rice. Check out the latest collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts or browse the historic maps at the Library of Virginia. I could go on and on. Richmond has such a creative, independent spirit*, which is why what's going through the rest of March and April is so incredibly cool!

 photo courtesy of RVA Magazine and Necci

Art Whino (who you know I love) is partnering with RVA Magazine to bring G40 to the Richmond area. 13 international artists will create large-scale murals throughout the city. Richmond is a city that already embraces color and, in my opinion, makes a valiant effort to marry a thriving street culture with an homage to the area's architectural history. I got so happy when I read about this event, I thought I was having a heart attack.

Check out RVA Mag's guide to the murals, and get your butt down to Richmond!


*Thanks to Scarlet, it's one of my favorite cities in the area.

List: Endorsed, 3.22.12

I noticed a theme was emerging as I scrolled through a list of the links I've been collecting. I swear I think about more than food. Still, this appears to be the foodie edition, so I'm dedicating this to two of my favorite foodies (@ipinkgirl and Foodie and the Beatz)!

Endorsed

- Naomi's puffed pancake recipe, I tried these toward the beginning of the month and ended up having them for breakfast all weekend. Pretty tasty and easy to make.

- Remedy Quarterly, I love well-designed niche magazines, and this one looks so smart. via 101cookbooks and Food52

- Outstanding in the Field, I've mentioned this one before, but it's still a goal of mine to go. Tickets for their 2012 tour just went on sale. At $200/person, I may need to find a sponsor. ;-)

- An illustrated map of food bloggers, via 101cookbooks

- Where the Fuck Should I Go to Eat?  This might be the perfect solution to all those times we stand around and ask, "where do you want to eat?" "I don't know. Where do you want to eat?" via Kara Haupt

- maggieonthemove, a traveler who makes me dream of getting back out in the world. via Scarlet

Endorsed is inspired by the Slate Culture Gabfest (and the numerous other lists that circulate online).

Streets of Philadelphia

This weekend, a small group of chums drove to Philadelphia to do a bit of touring, and we had such a great time. It's so rare to have a list of potential stops and actually hit most of them. The planner in me was ecstatic! Too often we tire easily and head back home after only a stop or two.

I've been to Philly a handful of times and am always up for exploring new places. It wound up being a bit of a foodie tour that began with an 8AM stop at Federal Donuts and ended up with vegan pizza for the ride home from Blackbird Pizzeria (fantastic sauce, crust, and even the daiya "cheese" wasn't bad).

   
Donuts I brought back from Federal Donuts. Lavender-vanilla, Indian Cinnamon, and grapefruit-
brown sugar.

Perhaps the thing I was most looking forward to was a trip to Terrain. I can think of no better way to kick off a Saturday than shopping for attractive goods for the garden and one of the best brunches I've ever had. I'm still thinking about the butter made with brown sugar and a hint of sea salt. And, I'm not alone. Terra is still waxing poetic about her mushroom sandwich.

 
My new terrarium purchased from Terrain. I also walked away with a baby succulent, Kinfolk mag, 
a new toothbrush, and a packet of tomato seeds. :-)
 

We did manage to do more than eat. The trip also included a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art, Brandywine View Antiques, and lots of book talk. The Four Corner Store actually has an outpost at Brandywine Antiques, and I was able to pick up a juice box camera and some film. It will be fun to play around with.

Such a great weekend! Needless to say, I'm eating a lot of salads for dinner this week.

challah bread pudding

Sundays I cook. If I'm to eat anything homemade during the week, it has to happen on one of my free days. Earlier during the week, I stumbled across Jen Altman's recipe for strawberry and basil bread pudding (via Design Sponge), and it must have stayed with me. Suddenly, I was throwing a loaf of challah bread into my grocery cart this morning.

I didn't have any strawberries (only a refusal to buy out of season), so I modified the recipe a bit. I've never made bread pudding before, but I'm a big fan of what came out of my oven.

challah bread pudding
adapted from Jen Altman's Strawberry and Basil Bread Pudding

2 c. heavy cream 

2 c. 1/2 & 1/2 

1/2 c. skim coconut milk 

2 pints strawberries {hulled and sliced} 

1 T. fresh basil {chopped} 

zest from 1 lemon 

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

1 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract 

1/2 t. salt 

1 1/4 c. raw sugar 

3 6 eggs 

3 egg yolks 

1 large loaf of challah {egg bread} 

dash of cinnamon

Pre-heat your oven to 325 F.

Tear the challah into chunks and set aside in a large bowl.

Combine the heavy cream, 1/2 & 1/2, and coconut milk in a saucepan. Heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat before coming to a boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Once the milk and cream mixture is warm, slowly add it to the egg mixture, taking care not to accidentally cook the eggs. Now that you have these combined, pour it over the challah pieces, making sure each piece is soaked. Let it soak for 20 minutes before transferring to a casserole dish. Add cinnamon to the last 1/4 cup of sugar and sprinkle over the bread mixture.

Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for one hour.

Greatest hits

Wednesday nights in the sleepy bedroom communities of DC are typically wrought with adventure. Take this week for example. Rather than just RSVP for that game night invite, I clicked on the 'past events' tab on Evite. I couldn't stop a slow smile from spreading across my face as I scrolled through the list.

"No Carb Left Behind or Thanksgiving as I know It"
"Terra's Fabulous Fondue Fiesta"
"Auld Land Syne and Black Jack and Poker"
"Iron Chef: Birthday Cake Edition"
"Funeral and Reception for the Leonards (phones)"

The list goes on and on...over five years of birthdays, holidays, game nights, and themed debauchery. These guys are pretty okay in my book, and I love that Evite provided me an opportunity to reminisce.

50 shades of...annoyed?

Does an author have to have it all? Do they need to weave an interesting story with characters you care what happens to and be able to write with some level of competence? Can you be satisfied, as a reader, with just one of those criteria being met?

Earlier this month, I stepped outside of my traditional genres of choice and, at the behest of a friend, read 50 Shades of Grey. I don't do erotic novels. Don't get me wrong. I spent plenty of time in my youth reading my mom's Harlequin books (hi, mom!) and devoured Danielle Steele, Judith Krantz, and even some Jackie Collins*; however, it's just not my thing anymore.  Still, my friend was persuasive in her arguments for reading it, and frankly, I feel bad for always turning down so many of her reading suggestions.

The book was entertaining**. I can appreciate the fact that, for a book classified as erotic, it took more than 100 pages before the first sex scene. The author was able to draw me in with characters and a relationship I felt compelled to follow along with. That's pretty much where my positive critique ends though. Any leeway I gave the author was continually eroded away by a combination of her writing tics and, at times, what came across as simply weak technical skills. Honestly, I can't figure out why so many found it titillating or even all that risque. Once you've read the first sex scene, you'll find very little variation in any subsequent scene. Again, I've never read an "official" erotic novel before, but is it so wrong that I expect some variability beyond location and type of tie?

I've managed to avoid much of the hype about this book on the blogs and in the media, but the bits that have seeped in have me questioning whether I'm less of a prude than I thought going into this. I just don't think the book and its sex scenes were that incendiary. Is having your hands restrained***, eyes covered, or some light spanking still that verboten? Perhaps society and the modern media has beaten the shock right out of me?

I'm still curious about my initial question. Are interesting stories and characters enough? Judging by the million dollar publishing deal the author recently scored and the women clamoring to get a copy of the book, I'm guessing so. Me? I need more. I appreciate being entertained and will certainly gravitate that way every now and then. However, I want the complete package. Anything to avoid cringing every time someone writes, "laters, baby."

*Not that any of these are considered erotic novels, but I contend they were erotic before erotic became a genre of fiction. Retro erotic ;-)
**Entertaining in Serena-speak is another way of describing candy or fluff. Potentially fun to read but will never be classified as good or great in my world.
***For a novel that discusses the potential relationship between a dominant and submissive, there is talk of agreements and the consensual aspects of each act throughout the book.

Picking the paintbrush back up

Do you remember when people used to sit for their portraits? I love the idea of being able to pass down portraits of loved ones from generation to generation. Victoria of SF Girl by Bay has posted some inspiring examples of decorating with vintage portraits. One of the things that draws me to these are how they reflect an interpretation of the individual. Don't get me wrong, I love photography, but there is something intimate about a painting.

I've been looking for a new creative project and was suddenly taken when looking back through old photos of friends (I've got some good ones picked out). My project for the next few months is going to be taking some of my favorite photos of friends and family and painting portraits based on them. I finally got around to sketching out my first portrait (Steven!) this weekend. I'm actually afraid to take paint to canvas. Pencil is so much more forgiving! Instead, I spent last night googling the best way to get the right skin tone. Eek!!

Some of the creative folks inspiring this project...


(1) The Commission Project (2) SF Girl by Bay (3) Apartment Therapy

List: Endorsed, 3.12.12

I'm a relatively new convert to Slate's Culture Gabfest (thanks, @ipinkgirl), but I've quickly become a fan. At the end of every episode, they each endorse something in a round-robin fashion. I love a good list! I know they're everywhere on the internet*, but I just find them so compelling that I can't help but join in.

Endorsed

- video of the Kinfolk dinner in Brooklyn by Andrew and Carissa
- Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. Ah, Mr. McEwan, I'm embarrassed that I've only just now discovered your effortless writing.
- Scarlet, because she wrote, "you find the coolest things" in an email to me earlier this week, and who wouldn't be flattered by that?


Endorsed is inspired by the Slate Culture Gabfest (and the numerous other lists that circulate online).

*i.e, it violates my rule against conforming to something popular ;-)

Saturday night in photos

And happy birthday to my lovely mother. Wish I had been in Texas to celebrate with you!

Getting domestic, the Joy the Baker edition

Tonight's baked lemon risotto. Isn't it pretty?

The making of things has been pretty slow around these parts. I'm slowly getting back in the routine of cooking following the month of eating out (and eating crap) leading up to my move. When I do look back at some of my favorites over the past few weeks, I seem to have a Joy the Baker theme going, and it only seems fitting with her first cookbook being released. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to pick up a copy for myself. :-)

So what exactly have I been making?

• baked lemon risotto - My first risotto! I tried this tonight and was shocked that it actually turned out. I've always heard so many horror stories about how difficult risotto is, but Joy makes it easy. Despite how easy it was, making it completely tired me out. I don't get home from work until 7/7:30, so I generally only heat up things I make on the weekend. Dinner at 9:30 confirmed that I should stick my weekend strategy.
• simple vegan chocolate cake - I told you I have a Joy the Baker theme happening! Another recipe made easy. While I have found I'm pretty good at cooking, baking is so not my forte. My only piece of advice is to use good coffee. I used coffee from McDonald's, and I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference.
• Mexican taco stew - This recipe has quickly become a go-to over the past year.
• mustard-baked chicken with a pretzel crust - I fell quickly for this chicken recipe. It's not terribly difficult (do you see the pattern here) and tastes amazing. Found via Dinner: A Love Story.

Any recipes I should be making?

The Night Circus

    My attempt at channeling a reveur.

Rebel. Trailblazer. Unique. Defiant. I not-so-secretly want to embrace all of these labels. The problem is that this means I have a tendency to automatically reject things that are popular with large segments of the public. We're not talking casual rejection here. This the kind of rejection where the cute guy not only turns you away, but actively convinces others why you aren't dateworthy*. I fully realize how ridiculous this is, so I'm constantly fighting it. I could start a regular feature called things I used to like but eventually pushed away because everyone else started liking it**.

This isn't just a random confession. :-) My stubborn ways almost kept me from picking up The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. My bookstore friends were buzzing about it. The big pubs were buzzing about it. The freaking morning shock jock was talking about it. Thankfully, one of my more finicky friends pressed me on the issue and insisted that I pick the book up.

My heart, it still flutters when I think about this story.

Pacing at the beginning is measured, crossing space and time from chapter to chapter and adding to the air of mystery building throughout the story. Morgenstern builds an elaborate universe and then goes on to create universes within that universe. She builds a lush world where even black and white manage to be vibrant colors. What impresses me is that she does this effortlessly. I really dislike when you can see an author struggling to be descriptive (*cough* me *cough*), but this wasn't an issue here.

Pick this book up for its heart. The love story here is so subtle and selfless. It's beautiful, and you should experience it for yourself.


*God help anyone this has actually happened to.
**I still haven't seen Exit Through the Gift Shop because it suddenly seemed like every person on the planet was waxing poetic on Banksy. 

Spotted

Did you see my guest post over on Run With Scissors? I'm over there talking about the dots I added to my wall and who inspired them. It's crazy how many more polka dots are bombarding my stream since sending the post along. Seems like everyone is dot crazy! I approve.

Coffee crawl, the birthday edition

I'm on the final leg of winter birthday celebrations. These are the final few miles of the marathon, my coterie. Ravena's birthday festivities were this weekend.


She organized dinner for 10 of us on Friday night at Lighthouse Tofu, a little Korean place in Centreville with a Yelp page full of great reviews (my bulgogi was great). My favorite part of dinner may have been Amanda and her conspiracy theories involving the chicken and tofu. Afterward, a few of us headed back to my place for a little champagne (thanks, Allie) and photos in front of my polka dot wall.

Maybe the part of this weekend that was the most Ravena was Saturday morning's coffee crawl. She shares my affinity for coffee shops and, in fact, might be a bit more obsessed. As you know, not all coffee is created (or sold) equally, so it only made sense to try a few different places in Northern Virginia. We hit up St. Elmo's Coffee Pub and Misha's.



First stop was St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in the adorable neighborhood of Del Ray (in Alexandria). This placed was packed! Families, friends, meetup groups...they were all there. Luckily, St. Elmo's has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Rather than feeling claustrophobic, this all led to a friendly, casual vibe.

I decided at the last minute that my test beverage for each shop would be the cafe au lait. My bev at St. Elmo's was fine, nothing really special. Their selection of baked goods, however, was seriously tempting. It took me all of five seconds standing in line to find three or four things (red velvet cupcake, come to mama) I wanted to try. Self control reigned supreme, and I only snagged the sparkly, golden beauty above (apple cider donut). It should also be noted that it was at this coffee shop that I was convinced to read a book that is very much outside my normal bailiwick.


We ended up at Misha's Coffeehouse in Old Town Alexandria next. We were actually headed to Grape and Bean but ran into the St. Patty's Day parade. I'm thankful for the roadblock because the  cafe au lait was really on point and definitely my favorite of the day. Bitter coffee has never been my thing, and Misha's brew was smooth and rich. I'm also cliche enough to appreciate that they roast their own beans (pointed out by Ravena).

How was your weekend?

postscript: I popped into Coffeesmith in Chantilly this morning to grab another cafe au lait and round out the weekend review. My coffee was good, and while I prefer the cozier atmosphere (and great neighborhoods) of yesterday's shops, the space was certainly clean, airy, and tech friendly. They even have iPad stations. Craziness!

List: how I plan to own March

I kind of let myself sail through January and February* without much in the way of goal setting. I really want to get back in the habit of planning, though. It's so easy to let those extra little things I want to accomplish or those trips I want to take continue to slip to the bottom of the list.

Here's my own version of March Madness:

1 - Throw a wake for the passing of winter.
2 - Take my vitamins every day.
3 - Officially start the portrait project I've been practicing for. Paint!
4 - Finally see the Kara Walker exhibit at the Hirshhorn.
5 - Plan my trips (Marfa, Charleston, NYC, Germany) for the year.
6 - Buy new bras. TMI? Maybe ;-)
7 - Capture 10 smiles. Be the reason for those smiles.
8 - Mail the letters I wrote back in January.

*...if an insane workload, moving, celebrating three birthdays and a fun out-of-town guest can be considered sailing.

Put a little spring in your step

Happy Leap Day!

 I started off the day with the idea of taking a picture every hour. However, I quickly became frustrated with how boring photos of conference calls and computer work can be. Even my attempts to head out at lunch were marred by dreary weather. So, I focused on the next best thing...putting the LEAP back in Leap Day. I love that I have enthusiastic coworkers.

Party of one

I silently began cursing my friend Conor when I saw that he linked to the New York Times article, One Is the Quirkiest Number, by Steven Kurutz. After a week of lovely weddings and the Night Circus (more on this later in the week), I didn't think I could take an article on how I was dooming myself to a life of solitude by living alone (the word 'perils' is in the subtitle). Luckily, the gist of the article was that (1) living alone can be awesome and (2) you may develop some unique habits that may be hard to break. The ladies of Sex & the City referred to these habits as "secret single behavior", but I like how one of the interviewees refers to it as behavior developed as a result of "living without social checks and balances". Ha!

This piece got me thinking about whether I have my own quirky, single behavior (short answer: um, yes). I was able to come up with a few tics that can likely be attributed to the fact that I live alone. Here's a little peek behind the curtain.

- I check in every room and closet when I get home. Hello...hidden serial killers.
- On most weeknights when I'm home, I may cook dinner and watch TV in my slip.
- If I get out of bed in the middle of the night, I tend to (literally) leap back in.
- I have a special relationship with the snooze alarm. I've been known to keep hitting it for up to two hours.

Not too weird, right? I'm not too worried about getting stuck in my ways. The right person can get me to leave the snooze alarm behind ;-)

P.S. You know you've been blogging a long time when you feel like you might be repeating yourself.

Crafting a new space

One of the things I worried about most when moving into a new space was the loss of my built-in craft area. While my old apartment was small, I was lucky enough to have a built-in desk that made for a perfect place to hide away all of my craft supplies. Even though I was gaining more space, it's not like I would have an extra bedroom/office/craft room (leave a girl to dream). Enter the filing cabinet...

 

If you know me at all, you know I'm obsessed with things that have multiple drawers (I will own a library card catalogue one day). My solution came in the form of a tall filing cabinet being tossed by my office. Free? Industrial? Yes! I was a little worried that it wouldn't properly blend in, but I was happy to be proven wrong. In fact, it's one of my favorite corners.

My type collection graces the top, and there is the beginning of an inspiration board happening on the side. Open the drawers, and you may find things still a bit messy, but it's coming along.






(ribbon, vintage bias tape, crepe paper for that spontaneous party, vintage photos and bowties, 
a print by Rar Rar Press, blank canvas, etc.)

Rules of engagement

I am such a sap at weddings, and Saturday evening was no exception. I went with Ravena to Ish and Clement's wedding, and true to form, I was fighting back tears at the walk down the aisle, the first dance, and during the speeches. It really was a lovely wedding. I never thought I'd be that big of a fan of navy, but I really did love how she used it.


Ish harassing Ravena about wearing 5-inch heels. 

I'm probably jinxing myself here, but watching others get married definitely helps me narrow down what I do (and do not) want as part of my future ceremony. I thought I'd share a few of the fun rules I've come up with. (smile)

1. No photos during the ceremony. In my world, wedding ceremonies are meant to be intimate, and I want everyone to be present and in the moment. Watch the bride walk down the aisle; don't scope her in your little screen. No photos taken with your point and shoot, cell phone, etc. I'm so serious about this that I'm tempted to confiscate them at the door. The photo rule does not apply to the reception and/or cocktail hour.

2. Rule #1 includes professional photography. I realize this is likely to be seen as a bit crazy, but it goes back to my wanting an intimate ceremony. I find professional photographers and their flashes really distracting during the ceremony and know that I wouldn't be able to ignore them. Plus, how many people display photos of the actual ceremony? The professional photographer will have free reign any other time during the event.

3. Late people won't be allowed in. In fact, I won't really have ushers so much as bouncers.

4. Pre-wedding cocktail hour (or maybe a shot bar...haha). Might as well get folks nice and loose from the get go.

Am I alone on my weird photography rules?

Hang in there

We made it to Friday! You have no idea how happy I am about this. I'm ready to pack up and get the weekend started. Lots of planning on this weekend's horizon.

List: Blogs I'm digging

Me, sporting some of the random items I ran across while packing.

I realized the other day that it's been a while since I shared some of my favorite blog reads. I don't know about you, but there are those blogs I skim quickly, ones where I only read certain regular segments, and those that I devour immediately. The latter category includes the people who I secretly wish would post more, if only to feed the minor addiction I have to what they have to share. I need to remind myself to share a few of these reads every now and then because I totally get all self-satisfied when I get my friends hooked on someone new.

So, without further adieu, here are a few of the blogs, etc. that keep me eyeing my Google reader.

Shutterbean: Tracy has a little bit of everything, and I love it. The recipes she posts always look amazing, and I'm a huge fan of the juice and adult beverages she shares. I generally need a little bit more than recipes, however, and Tracy delivers with regular life updates and a weekly list of her finds around the Web. I might be even more smitten with the Joy the Baker podcast, which she co-hosts with Joy the Baker. Every week I end up laughing to the point where that embarrassing snort sneaks out (seriously, listen to the episode where they talk about uncomfortable knickers). Have I also mentioned we share a love of stripes?

That is all.: Ashley's a local girl with great taste! Her VA is for Lovers series is a must read, particularly if you live in Virginia or plan on stopping by soon. Sometimes I find we've been haunting the same places and other times I discover something new to explore in my state (i.e., pie). Perfect. What I love more, however, are her makeup posts. I've always loved makeup, but over the past decade or so (let's blame it on working for an environmental nonprofit) I've gone super natural. I'm good with this, but I've also been telling myself for the past couple of years that I want to start experimenting with makeup again. Ashley is super inspiring. Her reviews and tutorials are the just the kick in the pants I needed. Things to check out - the YouTube channel she launched late last year.

andrew and carissa: Beautiful photos, video, and lots of soul. Following their adoption story totally melted my heart and made me question whether I am doing enough.

Search for Stars Hollow: Staunton, VA

The first thing you notice when you get to Staunton is the way the buildings nestle into the surrounding hills, followed by lots of amazing old shit*. The second thing you quickly learn about this adorable town is that the locals pronounce it Stan-ton (and they will harass you if you say it wrong).

 

A potential Stars Hollow can't be judged by adorableness alone.


These people are serious about their history. A group of concerned citizens banded together in the early '90s to save this city from being bulldozed in favor of a major highway and a potential mining operation, and thank god they did. Instead, this Shenandoah Valley hub has pretty much anything you'd be interested in. Art? Numerous galleries. Theater? They're home to the Blackfriar's Playhouse, the only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theater. There are also the requisite number of antique stores (which I've managed to avoid...cute town tends to equal pricey vintage) and plenty of history, including but not limited to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and the Frontier Culture Museum.


There is also plenty of the good stuff - coffee, restaurants, nature (lots of good people in local government making good things happen for the rivers and trees). Staunton has all the small, local stores covered, including stores for clocks, party, books, music, cameras, hobby, and many more.

Guys, this may be the closest Stars Hollow hit I've come across! They even have an ongoing campaign to save a local bridge. Flabbergasted.

*Honestly, I couldn't resist. It's the first thing that came to mind, and I have been promising to keep it real. ;-)

Gatsby girl

I know a lot of winter babies, and this girl is no exception. We celebrated Scarlet's 32nd birthday in style this weekend, Gatsby style. Not a lot of photo documentation of this night given the low lighting. Trust me, more people were there. :-)



The evening started with classy beverages reminiscent of the 1920s at Claire's at the Depot, a cute spot in downtown Warrenton housed in an old train station, and ended at the local Irish watering hole.

 


This last series of shots is my attempt at a 1920s hairstyle. If you guys know me, you know I specialize in using a flat iron and pulling my hair up in a bun. Luckily, I was saved by a $5 curling iron from Wal-Mart and a little inspiration in the form a Clara Bow. Curly hair, dark smoky eyes, and what turned out to be an awesome tube of $0.93 ruby lipstick by NYC.

Train travelogue, final notes on my journey

You may remember a little (*cough* 53-hour) train trip I took from DC to Texas in December. I've been waiting until I sorted through some of my video to write more about it. Of course, if you follow me on twitter, you probably already saw my train travelogue. I took a similar trip a few years ago and loved it. It should then come as no surprise that I went into this trip completely romanticizing the journey.

Maybe it was because I'm almost ten years older or perhaps because the train was a lot more crowded, but it didn't turn out to be the inspiring trip that I expected. Despite the unexpected, there is always so much to take away. I've grown to love the Texas countryside after years of craving mountains, greenery, and trees.


I didn't realize it until I was midway through my trip, but one of the things I like most about trips like this is people watching. Trains are chock full of a variety of different characters. As I watched the way they interacted with each other, it occurred to me that I was developing plot lines around this not-so-merry band of travelers.

Spending as much time as possible in the observation and cafe cars, I left myself open to random conversations with my fellow travelers. The conversation that will stick with me most is an early morning chat over coffee with a Chicago nun on her way to West Virginia to visit her sister. Her demeanor was infectious, and her stories of bear spotting and dancing at midnight in a meadow are the reason I'd consider doing it all again.

Some of my favorite notes (made to myself on my phone) include:

"Love gained and lost. Plaid pajama pants. Smoke break relationships."

"In real life, people who hook up aren't always attractive. The unfortunate and downtrodden also seek solace in each other."

That last note might seem a little harsh, but you weren't witness to the things I was during the witching hour in the observation car.

Bathroom redecorating on a budget

One of the nice things about moving is the ability pare down and start anew. I am enjoying figuring out on which walls to hang certain pieces (and what to cycle out for a bit). My bedroom is currently pretty sparse considering that I had very little in the way of official bedroom furniture (save for a bed) in my previous apartment. I crave real wood, vintage pieces and am refusing to rush the process.

Another room that I'm focusing my redecorating efforts on is my bathroom. I had my eye on a white ruffled shower curtain but couldn't bring myself to pay what both Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie were asking. I'd rather invest money in fancy bath and beauty products than in a shower curtain. Luckily, I stumbled across a $20 version* of the shower curtain on Amazon one night.

Armed with the shower curtain I wanted, I focused on making my dreams of a winter white bathroom a reality. Enter my second hurdle. Attractive bathroom accessories are difficult to find. Everything looks the same and is overly priced. A simple tumbler** was $12.99 when purchased in the Bath section. Something similar, when purchased in another section, is half that price. This is why, when I ran into friends while shopping at Target on Wednesday night, I was in the kitchen section. Bigger selection, prices more reflective of the quality of the item being purchased (I may have grabbed my soapbox while standing in that kitchen aisle).  I walked away (very pleased with myself) with the items pictured above. The ceramic ramekin is perfect for holding sundry bits and was about $3. I think the latte mug, which will hold my toothpaste, etc., was a dollar more.

Are there things you're willing to get creative with? Should everything be about quality?

*The quality is definitely fitting something you'd pay $20 for; however, it suits my needs.
**A cuter, even fancier tumbler can be found at Anthro for around $8, if you're in the market.

Pajamas, brunch, and a relaxing weekend

This weekend was such a relaxing treat after last week's move and unpacking fiesta. Some of the group came over for Allie's last night in the states. Conor popped a bottle of wine before we headed to Rio for dinner (I'll spare you the protracted debate around eating at the restaurant or getting it to go). We all wound up back at my place in our pajamas, watching Bridesmaids.


Ravena cracking up at me getting on Conor for playing with my balls of yarn.

The next day we managed to get in some shopping, brunch, and internet time before I dropped Allie off at the airport.



Brunch was at one of my favorite places, Community Canteen. I played around with the Super 8 app on my iPhone and shot a little piece of our meal. I struggle with what to do with random snippets of video, but I like the idea of little video diary entries.

Letters of love and wisdom

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I was touched by this letter John Steinbeck wrote to his son in 1958. I've highlighted some of my favorite lines.

via Brain Pickings, via Letters of Note

"New York
 November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,
Fa"

 

Almost normal

I finally got everything moved!Thanks to some stellar friends (yes, even Terra) we made quick work of it. I even survived an insanely busy January at work. Hopefully this means things can get back to normal around here. In the meantime, here are a few corners of my new home.