2.25.2011

Princess Apparent

Happy Friday everyone!  I can't thank you enough for all of your wonderful help in selecting my new glasses!  I think I have taken your suggestions and the suggestions of many many others and made a good selection.  I'll let you know soon!

I found the most wonderful article the other day from Time Magazine, September of 1953.  It's about one of the biggest movie stars of all time, yet it is a sweet insight into her life pre-fame:

As the princess in Paramount's new picture, Roman Holiday, the newcomer named Audrey Hepburn gives the popular old romantic nonsense a reality it has seldom had before. Amid the rhinestone glitter of Roman Holiday's make-believe, Paramount's new star sparkles and glows with the fire of a finely cut diamond. Impertinence, hauteur, sudden repentance, happiness, rebellion and fatigue supplant each other with lightning speed on her mobile, adolescent face.

Can you imagine what it was like before Audrey blew up on screen and became one of the biggest influences on cinema and fashion and well, everything?  The article is a great read and I highly recommend it.  It's nice to take a trip to the golden years of Hollywood when they had a newcomer named Audrey Hepburn.

I hope you all have a dreamy weekend!  
--MEL

Cover Browser

2.24.2011

Warby Parker

So, I recently discovered the undeniably amazing glasses company Warby Parker.  I know, they've been all over the blogosphere for a million years now, but I just recently pulled up my boot straps and did the virtual try on.  Yes, I'm from Texas.

The virtual try on is this wonderful thing they have on their website where you take a picture of yourself and then virtually try on all their frames.  And if that wasn't enough, they let you pick out your favorite 5 frames, then they send them to you in the mail, you get to keep them for 5 days, show them off, and then return them at no charge.  

Amazing.

So, that brings us to our next 5 points:

Colton (Sandalwood Matte)


Miles (Revolver Black)

Fillmore (Tennessee Whiskey)

Sinclair (Burgundy Fade)

Crosby (Greystone)

So let me know what you think!  Which one is your favorite?  I need all the help I can get because I think they are all amazing.  

And did I mention, for every pair of glasses Warby Parker sells, they give a pair to someone in need?  

Yep, pretty awesome.

--MEL

2.23.2011

Eat Green

Happy Wednesday folks!  I am in a particularly earth friendly mood today!  Partly because of this:




My japanese magnolia is blooming!  Isn't it amazing?

And because of this:

Amazon

I am researching creation care for a bible study I am starting at my church.  Hopefully, it will lead to a church that is a leader in it's community for demonstrating stewardship and environmental awareness.

And last but not least, this:

Time Magazine

I found this article a while back via FNJ and found it to be very inspiring.  Even though the majority of the article discusses the weaknesses of the green movement, the upside is that one way we can personally, and strongly, contribute is by changing the way we eat.

Now, I am certainly not a green goddess and I certainly pull through the Chick-Fil-A every few months to get my fix.  I'm not perfect.  None of us are.  But I definitely strive to be a more green person.  And if there's one way I can hop on this bandwagon, eating is going to be it for sure.

How wonderful that just by eating conscientiously and thinking about where our food comes from and acting accordingly, we can contribute to taking care of our planet.  I am a proponent of this, not only for environmental reasons, but simply because of how much better food tastes when it is better for you and better for the earth.

Give it a try this week.  Eat vegetarian for one whole day.  Buy your meat locally.  Maybe try and visit the farm where the animal was raised.  Plant something outside that is edible or go to your local farmer's market and meet the people who do it for you.

Then cook an incredible meal with family and friends and celebrate life and all the abundance of the earth.

That reminds me...gotta go pick up our CSA from the farmer's market today!

--MEL

2.22.2011

Wish List

Hello internet cosmos!  I can't believe I've been away from here for so long (even though it has only been a few days, it feels like forever).  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are having a great start to a new week.

Yesterday was my Dad and little brother's birthday.  It's so nice that they have the same birthday because that makes one less special date the family has to remember.  No, that's mean.  I'm just kidding.  Sort of.

Anyway, another reason I love their birthday is because it means mine is just around the corner.  That means I've got goodies on the brain (as if that's any different than any other day).  Here are some things I'm lusting after this year:

1. Every single thing from Zara, especially these:

Cube Messenger Bag

Leopard Print Ballerina

Top with Neckline Flounce

Note:  The closest Zara store to me is here.  Go and conquer.

2. This cookbook (found via Oh Joy!):

Communal Table

3. This bike basket:

Nantucket Bike Basket
4.) This wallet:

Hobo International Belinda Clutch

Please and thank you.
--MEL

2.18.2011

Pax in Bed


Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all have had a wonderful week and I hope you have a beautiful weekend ahead of you!  We are going to fire up the grill tonight and probably spend the entire weekend outside in this beautiful weather.  

I woke up this morning, hopped into the blogosphere, and read this post.  Then I went over to the good 'ole NYT and read this article on pets in bed and realized that as I was reading, I had our lovely Florida brown dog, Pax, at my feet.  In my bed.


First of all, let me explain my reaction to this article.  I thought, "Our dog doesn't sleep in our bed!  We make sure to put him on his bed on the floor every night before we go to bed!  He knows his place!"  

Then, I stopped and came back to reality.

Fact of the matter is that every single night, like clock work, Pax will wait until the Mr. and I are fast asleep, quietly get up off of his bed and climb up at the foot of ours and snuggle up at our feet.  We don't even realize he's gotten on our bed until the morning.  Except for the times when he decides to sleep on our feet, and come to think of it, those times are not few and far between.  That actually happens quite often. So I guess actually, we do notice him in our bed.  All the time.

The truth is that Pax sleeps in our bed every single night and we do absolutely nothing to stop it.



Anyway, reading this article made me smile this morning so I thought I would share it with you all.  Tell me, do you have pets in your bed?  Don't be ashamed. 

After all, how could we possibly resist that face.  


Here's to lots of snuggling with your pets this weekend.  
--MEL


2.17.2011

Art + Fashion

Well, Miss Moss has done it again.  I can't stop staring at these color comparisons.  Every time I look at them, I find a new piece of the fabric that matches the painting to a tee or a subtle pattern that mimics a brushstroke perfectly.

Enjoy!

All images from Miss Moss.





2.16.2011

Wednesday Beauties

Hello internet cosmos!  Hope you are having a fabulous hump day!  Is it looking like this outside to anyone else today?


The sun is bright, it is crisp but warm, and all I want to do is ride my bike everywhere.  Unfortunately, I have to make this trip today so I think bike riding is out of the question.

Anyway, here are some wonderful things from around the blogosphere to brighten up your day.  Hope you enjoy!

First off, a bit of information you might not have known about me is that my Mr. is actually a Dr.  Well, a Dr.-to-be.  Anyway, my uncle is also a Dr. and he carries around an old leather doctor's bag with his initials on it and everything!  I have always thought he looked so handsome and smart (two fashionable adjectives I'm bringing back) carrying that beautiful worn-in leather satchel.  I so badly want to get this one for my Dr.  (found via Design*Sponge)

Forzieri

I am always dreaming of new ways to change up the decor of my home.  My most recent obsession (like I've actually dreamed about it on numerous occasions.  Like in my sleep.  Like really sleeping.) has been wanting to recover a pair of old swivel chairs I got off Craig's List.  Here is what the chair looks like:


And here is the fabric I am lusting over:

ebay

Too bad this amazing fabric costs an arm and a leg.  Maybe for the next 5 years I'll only ask for yards of the same Otomi fabric for gifts?  Yeah, that sounds like a plan.  That's how bad I want it.

And I will be purchasing all of these leggings for the next baby that pops up in my viewfinder because they are so damn cute.  I cannot handle all of those Navajo prints and that graphic snakeskin print??  Cooooo. (found via Unruly Little Things)

thiefandbandit

thiefandbandit

XOXO
--MEL







2.15.2011

Raw Food: THE RESULTS!

Hello everyone!  So sorry I was MIA yesterday.  I was busy giving my husband this, receiving a beautiful new succulent and amazing necklace from Anthro from the Mr., cooking this, this, and this, watching this, and then passing out into a food coma.  I told you it would be romantic.

Anyway, it's the time you've all been waiting for:  the update from our CafĂ© Gratitude dinner!


To begin with, I'll let you know that overall, it was a success!  However, that's not to say it was easy.  Or uneventful.  Or filled with the occasional disaster.

First of all, I'll tell you about our meal.  First, we had Marinated Kale Salad, and it was delicious.  Here's what it looked like:


Yes, it may look like a bunch of slop in the picture but in actuality, it was a delectable mix of kale, cucumbers, carrots, seaweed, and shitake mushrooms, mixed with a marinade of Nama Shoyu, orange juice, and rice vinegar, among other things.  It was flavorful and filling and sweet and salty and beautiful.

Our next course was Mac Nut and Not Cheese Alfredo Sauce.  It was absolutely amazing.  It was a play on Fettucine Alfredo and it was right on.  The veggie noodles were just like al dente pasta.  The sauce, made with macadamia nuts, almond milk, garlic, nutmeg, white pepper and scallions, was so similar to a creamy cheesy sauce, it was just downright weird.  It was delicious and really easy to make I was told and the ingredients were easy to find.  Here's what it looked like:


Then it was my turn to bring out the dessert.  This was my course to make.  So, let me tell you about the process first.

Here's where it gets hairy.  I mean almost literally.  First of all, let's talk irish moss.  Here's what it looked like while soaking (hairy):


Yeah, looks appetizing right?  And here's what it looked like close up (my apologies for the blurry pic) (I did not use the brown pieces in cooking, just the clear gummy pieces):


Irish moss is used in raw cooking (oxymoron, no?) as a sort of gelatin, to bind things together.  So I needed it for my Lemon Meringue Pie.

First, I set off making the Meringue topping.  This consisted of irish moss, coconut meat, coconut milk, agave nectar and vanilla.  Let me start out by asking, have you ever tried to crack open a coconut by yourself before?  It was not pretty.  I was hacking away at that thing for half an hour before it broke just enough for me to jam my knife in and get some meat out.  Plus, there were shards of coconut shell flying all over our kitchen.  We're still finding it lying around.


My biggest fear throughout the "cooking" process was that the irish moss would not do it's job and nothing would set up.  Well, lo and behold, here's what the meringue looked like after it sat in the fridge for a while:


It was creamy and thick and amazing!  Completely set up, just like real meringue!  So at this point, I'm feeling good about the irish moss.  I'd even go a step further and say, cocky.  Maybe that's where I went wrong.

Anyway, then I ventured into the pie part.  First, I made the pie crust.  Which was amazing.  Not only because it ended up being delicious, but just the process.  I literally threw a bunch of macadamia nuts into the food processor and before I knew it, I had dough.


Then to the lemon filling.  I began by blending lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, agave nectar, a pinch of turmeric and of course, irish moss.


Then I poured the filling into the beautiful crust and into the fridge it went to set up.  Just like the meringue had done.  To an amazingly beautiful jelly consistency.  I hoped.  And prayed.

Anyway, let's just get to the point.

The lemon pie filling did not set.

It remained a liquidy bunch of tart lemony goodness.  But goodness nonetheless.  It was delicious.  But it was more like lemon/agave nectar soup rather than any sort of pie.

So, we sucked it up and scooped out the meringue topping with an ice cream scoop, covered it with some of the crumbled up pie crust and poured over some of the lemon filling like a sauce and ate it that way.

There is no picture of this.  I couldn't bring myself to photograph the failure.

But, even though it was not a pie, it was a delicious dish of coconut meringue "ice cream", covered with macadamia nut pie crust crumbles and lemon sauce.

So, overall, I'd say it was a success.  And it was an amazing night with amazing friends.  I highly recommend doing this yourself sometime.  It's a great experience to put on your life resumĂ©.

See you guys tomorrow!
--MEL

2.11.2011

Awesome World

Happy Friday everyone!  Tonight is our CafĂ© Gratitude extravaganza and I'm preparing by soaking Irish Moss.  I have to say, I'm super nervous.  But disaster or not, it will still be a great time with friends and I'm looking forward to it.

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while but just haven't gotten around to it.  I first saw it here and immediately jumped over to here and fell even deeper in love.  Then, I watched this, in which this wonderful thing was featured and I giggled a lot and then it reminded me to blog about it.



An Awesome Book and An Awesome Book of Thanks are incredible books written and illustrated by Dallas Clayton.  I have sat down numerous times when I'm having a particularly overwhelming day and read through these books online and every time afterwards, I am overcome with a sense of joy and calmness.



These are wonderful reminders of how wonderful our world can be and how we should always live life to the fullest and be thankful for it.  It's a simple message but a good one and one I hope you will carry with you throughout the weekend.

Have an inspiring weekend!
--MEL



(All images from Very Awesome World)

2.10.2011

Audrey + Anthropologie = INSPIRATION

Hello internet cosmos!  So sorry for the hiatus yesterday.  I found myself mopping the kitchen floor and shopping for Irish Moss in preparation for tomorrow night instead of blogging.  Here are a couple beautiful amazing things that make me uncontrollably happy today!  I hope you find them wonderful too.

First and foremost, it is no secret that I love Audrey Hepburn (along with 78 bajrillion other people on this planet).  Everything she did exuded grace and sophistication and full on glamour.  So when I ran across this collection yesterday, all I could think about all day is how I needed to hold my head up a little higher and lose 1,398,456 lbs, and put on a black long sleeve tee and black leggings and trot around town just like Audrey.  

P.S.  If you haven't seen Funny Face, watch it tonight.  It's a classic.

Wikipedia

Next up, we have the most amazing thing ever.  I can't even use words to do it justice it's so wonderful.  So I'll just put it out there and garner a response.  Get ready.  Are you sitting down?

ANTHROPOLOGIE IS COMING OUT WITH A BRIDAL LINE.

And I'm so jealous Joanna got to go sample the beauties!  Here are some sneak peak photos from her adventure to view the collection.  Get ready.  Drool.

A Cup of Jo

A Cup of Jo


A Cup of Jo