tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53732675406069981692024-02-28T04:17:48.303-06:00happy notions.a blog that primarily consists of happy things.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13427934961755490240noreply@blogger.comBlogger718125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-74708761682898262082012-09-12T17:06:00.002-05:002012-09-12T17:06:58.741-05:00WHEN will things get easier??GOOD GOD. GOOD GOD. That's really all I can say.<br />
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I'm so sick of dealing with contractors that don't make good on their promises. I'm so sick of having a landlord that doesn't do what he says he'll do, or makes excuses like "it isn't a priority right now". I'm so sick of not making progress, even though I'm definitely making progress - boatloads of progress, really - but it's not progress-y enough. I'm so sick of waiting, waiting, WAITING. I'm sick of feeling stressed and tired and cranky all the time, and now my eye has begun to twitch. It started on Sunday; I thought it would go away but it hasn't and I'm thinking it's the stress. The stress of having to depend on other people to do stuff for you, only for those things to NOT HAPPEN.<br />
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I have wished in the past to just be talented at lots of things - I would love to be able to perfectly execute a ruffled pie crust, paint a beautiful masterpiece and write a short story, within a few hours of each other. But these days? I wish I had a mechanical engineering license. I wish I knew how to install a hood system by myself. I wish I knew how to drive a pick-up truck. I wish I could be in four thousand places at once. I wish I had an architectural seal. I wish I had the ability to rip pallets apart with my bare hands.<br />
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Wish wish wish.<br />
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I can't tell if blogging about this is making me feel better.<br />
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Yesterday, I was about to jump in the shower, when I pulled back the curtain and Scout (our gray cat) was hanging out in there. I picked him up and I guess scared him, because his claws extended and he scratched my ear. I get scratched by the cats ALL THE TIME (usually because I just want to snuggle them always and they never want that) and it doesn't hurt any more, but for some reason, after Scout accidently scratched me, I just burst into tears. Because isn't that how it is? You're so extended in so many directions that eventually you just sort of...shatter?<br />
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Tonight is crafty time with some lovely friends from high school. I'm hoping that in writing this blog entry, I will vent my frustrations now and not with/at my old chums. I don't like being the center of a conversation but for some reason, when someone asks, "how's the bakeshop going?" it turns into a twenty-minute rant with the latest drama. I'm going to try REALLY hard to refrain from that tonight.<br />
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And my eye just started twitching again.<br />
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And hey, I'm back to blogging! I promise there are happy things going on, too. Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-2037873529955324832012-09-11T09:26:00.000-05:002012-09-11T09:26:19.807-05:00Well HELLO AGAIN.Guys, it's been a year and a half since I last blogged here on good ol' happy notions, and here's the thing - <i>I miss it. A lot</i>!<br />
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I don't even know if anyone is still reading this blog - I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't (after all, it's been a year and a half) but if you ARE - lots and lots has changed.<br />
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I'm in the process of opening a bakeshop. I KNOW RIGHT IT'S INSANE.<br />
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I think I'm going to resume blogging here. I miss it a lot. I haven't spent as much time reading other blogs as I would like (owning a business, well...two businesses, is a lot of work and leaves little time for play), and especially I haven't taken the time to comment on said blogs, but I'm happy to be back.<br />
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<i>I'm going to be back</i>.<br />
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What is going on in your lives? Tell me! I want to know! Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-37655821613251260762011-04-21T15:52:00.004-05:002011-04-21T16:33:34.528-05:00So Close...Hi friends! Things are super busy around here. I've spent countless hours at various governmental agencies to get all my permits/licenses/leases signed. I've baked well over 500 cupcakes (which is not a huge amount, but when you're baking out of my crappy kitchen, well...it's a lot) within the last two weeks. But it's starting to pay off! I've booked quite a few events and two farmers markets already, which doesn't sound like a lot, but as Pete says: "you haven't even opened yet and you've already booked this stuff!"<br /><br />What else is happening? Well, I quit my full-time job. Let me rephrase that - I wrote a resignation letter and my last day is Friday, April 29th. I don't know if I've really talked about my job all that much, but let me just say...I really, really had a very hard time with it. There were many factors that I loathed but the hardest part for me was sitting all day. The most walking I did was from building to building (maybe 50 feet) and from my desk to the copier. I started at computer screens for the better part of the day. It wasn't up my alley.<br /><br />So in short I am VERY excited to get out of there and start doing what I love.<br /><br />In other news, the weather in St. Louis has been crazy. Tuesday night found me, Pete and Scout hiding out in our bathroom (we live on the second floor of a four-family building), because the tornado alarms were going off and we don't know our neighbors and I really, really didn't want to go into our basement.<br /><br />This happened.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQs80I_Xc_cTYlx-Pr3jE9xlUNrnrqUlV4NWY5knLtmsfk2rUExUfcaCZIQi-Mon69XD71zdxZKmN0WhmMcV0Z0goZL15tw62Fg5N8hrSuQRfO-sFbLvfi71UhT5QJaZjekEoCqi24u5Bx/s1600/me+n+scout.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQs80I_Xc_cTYlx-Pr3jE9xlUNrnrqUlV4NWY5knLtmsfk2rUExUfcaCZIQi-Mon69XD71zdxZKmN0WhmMcV0Z0goZL15tw62Fg5N8hrSuQRfO-sFbLvfi71UhT5QJaZjekEoCqi24u5Bx/s400/me+n+scout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598151986828442578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't like storms.<br /><br />Also, have I shown you my logo? I don't think so!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1qfW460jzQOBQocdMbnh1hyphenhyphenS6YxEeKJzDrJaIcRJwzmCuYddpqNhTqTvTu2v4Y3KOvnNGzzu82YXfnB6s0L7rTQAfE7Iwzi0JeaSgMEGzq21t1Y_FNPkV0Bs7rMx0PYfUGTfXF6YfyYP/s1600/Farm+Fresh+Design+Marcy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 374px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1qfW460jzQOBQocdMbnh1hyphenhyphenS6YxEeKJzDrJaIcRJwzmCuYddpqNhTqTvTu2v4Y3KOvnNGzzu82YXfnB6s0L7rTQAfE7Iwzi0JeaSgMEGzq21t1Y_FNPkV0Bs7rMx0PYfUGTfXF6YfyYP/s400/Farm+Fresh+Design+Marcy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598153039138009698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was designed by my dear friend Marcy. Yay Marcy!Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-48682051221106749192011-03-27T17:27:00.002-05:002011-03-27T17:33:30.613-05:00Melody FedererSo I went to high school with Melody Federer. She was goofy and wonderful and gorgeous, and she still is!<br /><br />She lived in Paris for a bit, singing in cafes, then moved back to New York City and now she's making music and actually making a splash.<br /><br />Check out her music video. It's so pretty!<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qx_ukL5lb_A" allowfullscreen="" width="640" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe><br /><br />Also, keep an eye out for her. I think she's going to be huge.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-60691905284623422182011-03-21T14:16:00.003-05:002011-03-21T14:36:29.737-05:00Farm Fresh Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2aMXy8RMvTjYUKKE3fBfee2e6Zv32J52zMrYvsf3j8j5rs0IZwxJGOYdG0Lzok813RwtsmdudQFGdNx7XCpE5hws4fD367AZKw_XBYz-cLOGYOVeY0hLGuK5EGhn7Gpc6GhdYLeWK_Zx/s1600/ffc+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2aMXy8RMvTjYUKKE3fBfee2e6Zv32J52zMrYvsf3j8j5rs0IZwxJGOYdG0Lzok813RwtsmdudQFGdNx7XCpE5hws4fD367AZKw_XBYz-cLOGYOVeY0hLGuK5EGhn7Gpc6GhdYLeWK_Zx/s400/ffc+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586619246212820306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sorry for the void of blog posts this last month or so.<br /><br />But I actually have a good excuse! I am starting a business. FINALLY - something that I WANT to do with my time.<br /><br />And guess what? It's a cupcake business!<br /><br />It's called Farm Fresh Cupcakes. You should definitely become a fan on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/farmfreshcupcakes">facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/farmfreshcup">twitter</a>. My website isn't 110% ready yet. Actually it isn't even like 60% ready yet, so I'm not going to link it. But I purchased the domain name and everything!<br /><br />These last few weeks have been insane. I work at my day job all day, come home, and set up shop on the couch working on FFC things. It's like having two jobs - working on my business plan, applying to fairs and farmers markets to vend, reaching out to people to help me, creating and testing recipes, and coordinating all of this web stuff. Not to mention making lists of everything I need to pull this off - like a new mixer and lots of cupcake liners and junk like that.<br /><br />It's gone really, really well so far - I was even mentioned in <a href="http://www.saucemagazine.com/blog/?p=8889">Sauce Magazine's blog!</a> - but it's been exhausting. I'm not saying that I'll NEVER write again but it's quite likely that you won't be hearing much out of the happy notions corner of my brain for awhile.<br /><br />So far, I have learned that I will be selling cupcakes every Saturday morning at the <a href="http://tgmarket.org/tgfm-home.php">Tower Grove Farmer's Market</a> - which was my first choice! If you're in the area, you should come say hi. It's until 12:30 p.m. by the playground, near the center of the park. I've also already booked a few private events (nothing huge, but nonetheless, it's experience!) along with one BIG festival but I can't really talk about it yet because I don't think it's official.<br /><br />So. I'm not saying goodbye for good, and I always appreciate some comment-lovin', but to be honest I may not be back for awhile.<br /><br />And I'm sad that I can't upload pictures of my creations to this blog post right now because I'm on my work computer and I can't access facebook (lame) and I also don't have my camera (double lame), but if you go the facebook link above you can see what I have so far.<br /><br />I hope all is well with you, dear readers! Thanks for all of the support in the past. I would love to meet you in the coming months if you're in the St. Louis area!<br /><br />p.s. that is my preliminary logo up there. in case you were wondering.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-53671859469654791902011-03-10T08:41:00.003-06:002011-03-10T09:17:49.427-06:0010 Favorite SmellsWhat's that, you ask? I don't blog for a month and I come back to talk about my favorite smells? Well, here you go anyway.<br /><br />These are in no particular order. Bridgett (whom I often gain inspiration from in many ways of life, but today - about her favorite smells) is so eloquent in naming her favorite smells. So, I'll try.<br /><br />+ When we drive to Hilton Head Island, SC (it's about a 15 hour drive), we go through six states. But once we hit South Carolina, the air smells different. I've noticed this over the countless hours of someone in the car feeling carsick and cracking the window a bit. I've noticed this during the many bathroom breaks we take at rest stops and at roadside McDonald's.<br /><br />There's always a long line once you get on the island. Traffic is awful because there are always first-year visitors who don't know where they're going or they've forgotten since last summer. But once we're on the island...we roll down all the windows in the car all the way and breathe in the muggy, salty ocean air. It's amazing. It tells me vacation is starting.<br /><br />+ Baking. Bridgett said this, and I don't mean to copy, but yes, definitely baking. Cupcakes particularly (how could I not say that), but I make a three-berry pie in the summers and I pretty much just salivate while it's in the oven for 40 minutes. My grandma's chocolate cake has a very, very distinctive smell while it's in the oven. Something about the butter and sugar firming up in the oven is just heavenly.<br /><br />+ Garlic and/or onions sizzling in olive oil on the stovetop. YUM.<br /><br />+ Sunday mornings at the Hoffman House. It's the smell of my dad in his bathrobe, and me cuddling on his lap when I was five. The coffee grinder whirring and then the smell of coffee brewing shortly after. And then the 88.7, the St. Louis jazz station, softly playing in the background. Mom usually fries up some bacon, or cooks some eggs, or toasts some English muffins. Someone brings the newspaper in from outside, where it's been cooking on the brick walkway for awhile. Sometimes I still catch whiffs of this - when Pete and I did laundry every Sunday at my parents house we would come and the jazz station would be on and the smell of bacon would linger, but dad was fully dressed and was usually out in the garage working. SO nostalgic. Sometimes in the morning, Pete smells like my dad did. Is that weird? Oh well, I said it.<br /><br />+ Rain. Yeah, it's typical, but I love the smell in the air here in St. Louis right before it rains, especially in the summer. During rain, I like that smell, and after the rain, too, but especially before it rains. There's tension and the air is heavy and it just smells so pretty.<br /><br />+ Cigarettes. I know, it's awful. I've never, ever smoked a cigarette (well, I've never smoked anything, EVER) but the smell of cigarettes reminds me of working at Joanie's. I used to take calls for pizza deliveries on Tuesdays and Friday nights when I was in high school, and the little phone station was on the stoop from the stairs leading from the kitchen into the basement. The waiters and bussers and kitchen staff would take smoke breaks and hang out down by the phone. I would leave every night reeking of cigarette smoke and pizza. As a naive little Catholic high school girl, I would listen to their stories of digging graves (seriously) and stuffing drugs up their behinds to smuggle it into the US (yes, seriously) and take it all with a grain of salt. They would blow smoke in my face and I hated it but I kind of loved the attention.<br /><br />Also on cigarettes. Since I worked at Joanie's, I seriously built up a tolerance for smoke. I also went to a lot of shows in high school at Mississippi Nights (RIP!) which was teeny tiny and perfect. Low ceilings, and so many smokers. The air-conditioning broke down at one concert I went to in July of 2005. In St. Louis. It was awful and wonderful. Sweaty rock n rollers!<br /><br />+ Old Books. Yum. I went to a used book fair a few years ago, found a book I had been looking for, opened it, and promptly inhaled. I got some weird stares for that one. I don't know if this love of old books stems from reading my parents' books when I was younger, or from the fact that many of the textbooks and novels I had read in grade school were from years and years ago, but it's just phenomenal. My fifth grade teacher, Sr. Kathleen, said once, "oh, I just love the smell of old books!" and I knew I wasn't weird anymore.<br /><br />+ My perfumes. I read in a bridal magazine to pick a new perfume to wear on your wedding day, and then whenever you wear it in the future, you'll always be reminded of that special day. So I did exactly that. I bought Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue perfume because I smelled it in a magazine and really liked it. I wore it on our wedding day (although it was so hot and I was so sweaty and my dress was so big it doesn't really remind me of that day) and every day on our honeymoon. It's more of a summer scent, so I haven't worn it lately, but anytime I take the cap off and inhale, it makes me happy.<br /><br />I usually wear Chance by Chanel in the winter. I've been wearing that since high school. It's such a familiar smell. I wore it to my senior prom, to graduation, on my first date with Pete...lots of memories.<br /><br />+ Pete. He doesn't wear any cologne or anything but it's just the smell of his deodorant and...other smells, I guess. It just feels so much like home now.<br /><br />+ Office Supply Warehouses. Weird, right? But when I was younger and my dad still worked at Anheuser-Busch, I would go with him on a walk down to the office on Sundays and he would let me pick two or three pens out of the supply closet to take home with me. I don't know what it is - paper? Post-Its? All of that ink? Envelopes? I think a lot of it is tape. Either way, going to OfficeMax makes me happy.<br /><br />BONUS SMELLS<br />+ My mom. She showers at night (must be where I get it from) and would come downstairs to tuck Emme and I in after she showered, and she always smelled like Pert Shampoo and Angel Body Wash (from Victoria's Secret. I was always so embarrassed to go into the store with her when I was little).<br /><br />+ Taco trucks. Fried food, in general.<br /><br />+ Fresh orange juice. I don't really like oranges or orange juice, but freshly squeezed OJ is so fragrant and lovely.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-58562043608685515732011-02-06T08:51:00.002-06:002011-02-09T20:09:20.519-06:00Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Health and Beauty Products**EDIT: I started writing this post on 2/6 (Sunday) hoping to schedule it to post on Tuesday morning (2/8). I am now revisiting it on 2/9 and am embarrassed because I could only think of eight products. Oh well!<br /><br />As a person who rarely wears make-up (seriously - the last time I wore it was at my wedding which was...sevenish months ago) this Ten on Tuesday made me think. So here are my picks.<br /><br />1. Lip Balm/Chapstick. I was very loyal to <a href="http://www.colorandflavorshop.com/">Smackers chapstick</a> in grade school. Now I usually use <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/lips-lip-care/beeswax-lip-balm.html">Burt's Bees</a> or <a href="http://www.chapstick.com/">Chapstick</a>. I also recently bought some <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LIP.htm">Dr. Bronner's lip balm</a>, which is pretty good.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/">Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap All-One!</a> - Amazing. I prefer the lavender but peppermint is also great.<br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.vitacost.com/Twinlab-Na-PCA-with-Aloe-Vera">Twinlab Na PCA with Aloe Vera</a> - also amazing. I needed a moisturizer and this one had very very high reviews on <a href="http://www.vitacost.com/">vitacost</a> (which I also highly recommend) and I went for it. Love to use it under shaving cream. Makes everything so soft!<br /><br />4. Perfume. This is my one accessory. I love <a href="http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Fragrance-Chance-88240">Chanel Chance</a> in the winter and <a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12420">Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue</a> in the warmer months.<br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.khalldesigns.com/">Lavender Salt Scrub from K. Hall Designs</a> - so yummy. So soft. One problem - the little exfoliating beads are annoying to scrub out of our shower after I use it. But it's totally worth it!<br /><br />6. Gummy Vitamins - normal multivitamins scare me because they are so big. And hard to swallow. And they taste funny if they get stuck in the back of your throat (which they normally do, for me). So I started taking ADULT gummy multivitamins and they're great. They taste good and I don't worry about not getting them down (okay, okay, insert THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID joke here).<br /><br />7. <a href="http://skintimate.com/">Skintimate Shaving Cream</a> - been using the same stuff since I first started shaving. The pink bottle, for sensitive skin. It smells like baby powder. Love it.<br /><br />8. Jergen's lotion. Any kind is a miracle.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-32309639880233596902011-02-06T08:32:00.002-06:002011-02-06T08:50:58.167-06:00Weight Watchers UpdateSo I officially started Weight Watchers over a month ago, and I've lost eight pounds so far! It's kind of unbelievable, when I think about it. It definitely took some getting used to, but I've enjoyed learning more about eating healthy foods.<br /><br />The hardest (and, let's be honest, the most painful) part of the process has been learning how many points items have. For example - I LOVE s'more flavored Pop-Tarts. They are the perfect breakfast (at least this is what I thought). Also, I love s'mores. So, delicious.<br /><br />One package of S'more Pop-Tarts (meaning two tarts) is 10 points. A Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell is 15 points. At the beginning, I got 30 points a day - now I'm down to 29, since I've lost weight. It's crazy to watch the points add up, but I've learned a few ways to keep them down. Almost all fruits and veggies on the new system are 0 points, which is great. So I've been eating lots of apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, carrots, celery, broccoli, etc. Which is something that YES, I totally should have been doing before, but...I just wasn't.<br /><br />Pete and I ate healthy probably half of the time. If we were tired after work, we had the attitude of, "ah, screw it, let's just run by Sonic or Taco Bell and get dinner there." But now we're planning meals (including what we're taking to lunch at school every day) every week and I have to say, it's been great.<br /><br />It's not that hard AND it ends up saving us a lot of time at Trader Joe's or Schnucks, AND it saves us money because I know exactly what to get, AND it's healthy. And seriously, it takes maybe 10 extra minutes a week.<br /><br />So that's what I have to say about that.<br /><br />Oh, but then there's the whole exercise thing. I haven't even attempted to do that in the last month. I know, it's awful, but...it's been cold! We've had snow on the ground for the last two weeks, practically. And it's been bitterly cold most of the time. I do realize that there are ways to exercise inside, and I'll be honest - I am LAZY. I love being outside and walking or biking or hiking but inside, during the winter, I'm fine with eating my veggies and watching old episodes of <span style="font-style: italic;">Community</span>.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-7853004646147210372011-01-24T20:41:00.002-06:002011-01-24T20:48:53.606-06:00HHI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.maederphotography.com/fineart/images/Far%20&%20Away%20VI.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 482px; height: 241px;" src="http://www.maederphotography.com/fineart/images/Far%20&%20Away%20VI.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't know if I've shared with the bloggy world, but I am SO excited because I'm going to <a href="http://happynotions.blogspot.com/2010/03/hilton-head-island.html">Hilton Head Island</a> this summer!!<br /><br />Pete's never been, so I am hyped to take long walks on the beach, read six books, go swimming, walk into town, and spend times playing games on the deck. Just thinking about our week there with my family and some very, very dear family friends makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.<br /><br />So this is the big thing to keep me hopeful during these loooooong daaaaaaark winter days and nights.<br /><br />[dreamy picture from <a href="http://www.maederphotography.com/fineart/">cheryl maeder</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-55454193050044076752011-01-20T11:55:00.002-06:002011-01-20T13:26:24.219-06:00Early/Late Sunday Roundup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leky64Evip1qdudzfo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 388px; height: 588px;" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leky64Evip1qdudzfo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I feel so embarrassed that I didn't get around to posting a Sunday Roundup last week! Pete and I started watching LOST, which has been addicting. Absolutely addicting. I am obsessed. I think Hurley, Locke, and Charlie are my favorite characters. But I am also falling in love with Sawyer, and Claire is awesome.<br /><br />Anyway - we started watching it this past Sunday, and just finished the first season this morning. Aaaand we just started the second season about 10 minutes ago, because we have a SNOW DAY!<br /><br />Have you watched LOST? What did you think about it? Any favorite characters?<br /><br />Anyway - here are some great links from the past week and a half.<br /><br />Currently <a href="http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/2011/01/cowboy-cookies-recipe.html">chilling in the refrigerator</a> - can't wait to taste them!<br /><br /><a href="http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2011/01/speaking-of-colour-week-pantone-cookies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FISuVv+%28poppytalk%29&utm_content=Twitter">Pantone cookies</a>. Perfect for the color fiend in your life.<br /><br />An <a href="http://www.chow.com/food-news/55483/the-new-cottage-food-economy/">article</a> about home chefs that got me thinking about new ventures.<br /><br />How to define your <a href="http://girlsguidetothegalaxy.com/2011/01/20/how-to-define-your-personal-style/">personal style</a>.<br /><br />When to throw your make-up away. I need to do a LOT of <a href="http://thebeautybunny.com/when-to-throw-your-makeup-away/">throwing away</a>, apparently...<br /><br />I would like a whole fleet of these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65232845/mustard-yellow-pitcher-by-kaj-franck-for">pitchers</a> (seen on <a href="http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2011/01/20/n-e-e-t-finds-for-your-nest-18/">sfgirlbybay</a>)<br /><br />A good <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/51302284/a-good-egg-print-small">egg</a>.<br /><br />These <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/edor">dainty necklaces</a> are gorgeous.<br /><br />I wish that I had found <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/06/put-a-lid-on-it/">this project</a> before our honeymoon started...<br /><br />I would also like a flock of these <a href="http://threepotatofourshop.com/item/Suspended-Seagull-Sculpture/2392/c21">seagulls</a>.<br /><br />A bowl of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/magazine/11food.t.html?_r=3">1907 French Onion Soup</a>. Perfect for a chilly winter's evening.<br /><br />Preferable over a <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/tips/the-5-indoor-clothesline-and-why-we-cant-live-without-it-080550">dryer</a>.<br /><br />This is a <a href="http://orgjunkie.com/2011/01/organizing-a-snack-basket.html">brilliant idea</a>.<br /><br />So excited to learn that there's a <a href="http://bakednyc.com/">Baked</a> in Charleston, SC!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.swiss-miss.com/2011/01/bloggers.html">Illuminated bloggers</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/how-to/how-to-dry-herbs-in-the-microwave-home-hacks-109484?image_id=1174997">This</a> shall be very useful when I restart my garden this spring.<br /><br />Have a great weekend, everyone!<br /><br />[image from <a href="http://greigedesign.blogspot.com/2010/12/dreaming-in-french.html">greige design</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-28393388129318886952011-01-12T10:36:00.003-06:002011-01-12T10:44:47.042-06:00Worst Snow Day Ever<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lPbD0E3Vk7yqSmSF3i6IBtkhTzu72XXUllc_AWjav_yX-wvtxzMbPYOBiylvsmFTZ_07_CZSvu6hLJnj5hN1Rb15bzCTrmM6IG8RQiQvIt6U5otxe0U0pOho7c3zvOVZlJluGNZi6teI/s1600/snow+day.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 328px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561340564334845570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lPbD0E3Vk7yqSmSF3i6IBtkhTzu72XXUllc_AWjav_yX-wvtxzMbPYOBiylvsmFTZ_07_CZSvu6hLJnj5hN1Rb15bzCTrmM6IG8RQiQvIt6U5otxe0U0pOho7c3zvOVZlJluGNZi6teI/s400/snow+day.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />I would take the time to write about it, BUT my husband already did.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Did I mention he has a new blog? He has a new blog. It's called <a href="http://sonicscrewed.blogspot.com/">Sonic Screwed</a> (if you know Doctor Who, you will like that reference. If you don't know Doctor Who, well...it probably means nothing to you) and it's brilliant.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Yesterday we had a snow day, and it sucked. <a href="http://sonicscrewed.blogspot.com/2011/01/worst-snow-day.html">Here's why</a>.<br /><br />[image from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellalago/4335257436/">bella lago</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-34573789359981361542011-01-09T10:36:00.002-06:002011-01-09T11:27:52.968-06:00Sunday Roundup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lerlqp5IgG1qzz2i3o1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lerlqp5IgG1qzz2i3o1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />How was everyone's week?<br /><br />This weekend, Pete and I did a whole lot of nothing. We saw <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fighter</span> on Saturday with Steve and Mary, ran to Local Harvest for some last minute groceries, and stayed in and watched the new Futurama. It was a good weekend.<br /><br />Here are some great posts from around the web this week!<br /><br />Just <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65467009/just-start-original-art-no-15">the push</a> I need for creative projects.<br /><br />Gorgeous <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61327772/vintage-george-nelson-for-herman-miller">credenza</a>.<br /><br />I will someday learn how to use my sewing machine, and then make <a href="http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2010/06/big-bow-pencil-skirt.html">this</a>.<br /><br />I want to have an <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/11/real-parties-up-themed-birthday-party/">UP themed birthday party</a> for my 23rd birthday...<br /><br />How many Weight Watchers points do you think a slice of <a href="http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2011/1/7/sweet-excess-the-exquisite-pleasure-of-eating-the-pumpple-fr.html">this deliciousness</a> is?<br /><br />Pretty yellow <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Outerwear/Jackets/Yellow+So+Cute+Coat?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2011-01-06-Most-Wished-For">coat</a>.<br /><br />Great <a href="http://candimandi.typepad.com/heres_lookin_at_me_kid/2011/01/naomi-of-the-rockstar-diaries.html">cheap date</a> ideas.<br /><br />This <a href="http://www.martawrites.com/2010/11/how-to-make-yarn-ball-and-ornament.html">wreath</a> is darling.<br /><br />Loving these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62585691/charlie-pants?ref=v1_other_1">pant shorts</a>.<br /><br />How to <a href="http://www.martawrites.com/2010/12/how-to-host-craft-party.html">host a craft party</a>.<br /><br />I'm pretty much obsessed with <a href="http://ashleymeaders.com/">Ashley Meaders</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://alexandergrant.blogspot.com/search/label/Wes%20Anderson">Wes Anderson</a> round up!<br /><br />I'm jealous of all the lovely, wonderful bloggers who are going to <a href="http://www.altitudesummit.com/">Alt</a>. Life goal = go in 2012.<br /><br />Have a wonderful week, everyone!<br /><br />[image = <a href="http://www.martawrites.com/2011/01/blog-thon-brainstorm.html">here</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-19812837641054845002011-01-06T20:47:00.009-06:002011-01-06T21:17:40.362-06:00BestThis is probably the last one.<br /><br />Also - who knew - but <a href="http://www.picnik.com">Picnik</a> is awesome. So much easier to deal with than Photoshop, at least for what I did this evening.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0cAKKVJbiBsddeCv8xsmzyf4SEKbYkW9qnQcePFUZmvG0-GrKA9Xcg4EZaZGC9EV8wIoMwu889-3O8KQRu6qOxkG-zuCki5z1cdHqMjiw0ewFvoKzc7nRpJQOYmLgbMz0rbp6MR6Y1RG/s1600/mobot.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0cAKKVJbiBsddeCv8xsmzyf4SEKbYkW9qnQcePFUZmvG0-GrKA9Xcg4EZaZGC9EV8wIoMwu889-3O8KQRu6qOxkG-zuCki5z1cdHqMjiw0ewFvoKzc7nRpJQOYmLgbMz0rbp6MR6Y1RG/s400/mobot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559273055908382754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_fSJZ-RCgmZ9znv8LPPipaQPUGHzfugYI6-snmpR0ZUEML7wz6JdUFlo8FGc1sG-4FG70_TTBGVuiRbTy6iiQ7gRBYVna4fimmk4kk30NPBCHog9EflRjIbdctBntqTRgYU9n0yxFX_V/s1600/boots.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_fSJZ-RCgmZ9znv8LPPipaQPUGHzfugYI6-snmpR0ZUEML7wz6JdUFlo8FGc1sG-4FG70_TTBGVuiRbTy6iiQ7gRBYVna4fimmk4kk30NPBCHog9EflRjIbdctBntqTRgYU9n0yxFX_V/s400/boots.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559270777089369266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaqfijKzsEydojwpuP69hGRReYNibGO4cvqBjt3sTCHBxlpiDu7eo1hOGgaX_OEsSahy5T5sZU2mKWO2IyiliqQcgIMR7ziwHsmkWX_aLvFzLcYS86gk_d8L8MXBQltUrtlb4ZNv-VYZ3/s1600/macarons.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitee6WeimNgs_exhHMExKMQ32jibXIyaZduVz-np5J47TfDb87yXXS3WvuRcbMe6DrxYAr8vyYS-HFhrU5f5jptjusAdm_9b2k5czf5cr2gxCN5bZvUTnnwP8r6bCJ_wep1PO2OBKubI8e/s400/naptime.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559273955063010226" border="0" /></a>Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-62448144139036978752011-01-06T08:27:00.000-06:002011-01-06T08:27:00.272-06:00The Mast BrothersHave you heard of <a href="http://www.mastbrotherschocolate.com/">the Mast Brothers</a>? There are my kind of men - beards, glasses, AND they make chocolate? Yes please.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/13664547" width="400" frameborder="0" height="225"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/13664547">The Mast Brothers</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/thescout">The Scout</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />When we hit up New York, I'll probably stuff my suitcase with Mast Brothers Chocolate. They have a tasting room AND hot chocolate. Maybe I'll just stay there forever.<br /><br />All images below are from <a href="http://www.theselby.com/1_8_10_mast_brothers/">The Selby</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cO4Urnl4GjvjC8G1BFb__bBn0C9528zz0-dYtI_KGp2mlKCl6QGmI16nP00ShnqDJtjIaKFZ_MGEz0EAN74_XkHRIYpXFyUdkzT4ZR9MHdsUJcSBzG57MemyG1eGXJdLtfeVnElSZStj/s1600/1_8_10_MastBrothers12447.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cO4Urnl4GjvjC8G1BFb__bBn0C9528zz0-dYtI_KGp2mlKCl6QGmI16nP00ShnqDJtjIaKFZ_MGEz0EAN74_XkHRIYpXFyUdkzT4ZR9MHdsUJcSBzG57MemyG1eGXJdLtfeVnElSZStj/s320/1_8_10_MastBrothers12447.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558527214962550562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszysHbwPkWwqJ_bnqFw9glNg4Ak5Q138uwmSgzqZEWoqx1Pvknw1H3mZaT5SD6g5WqPxo6MW3LcwuRdE-KG4H3XDhElEuuu1PB1lzcKUxWgdGA2373_xYl9yMCZzRxklkADGVtRrhkDYr/s1600/1_8_10_MastBrothers12463.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszysHbwPkWwqJ_bnqFw9glNg4Ak5Q138uwmSgzqZEWoqx1Pvknw1H3mZaT5SD6g5WqPxo6MW3LcwuRdE-KG4H3XDhElEuuu1PB1lzcKUxWgdGA2373_xYl9yMCZzRxklkADGVtRrhkDYr/s320/1_8_10_MastBrothers12463.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558527221358275202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdblTn2U3SSOTCHafswpJKHCXd3wRxQvVfs7zPZUq_WMLNiqYEL5Pa9I5kEF-Gnpnp3wMmiQV6ozwbkQegh-d_GMSOLKuY9CtkCv0Z5cIStJPCg2Dryz76ws51K8x60Pj6w8qm5fmAhnG/s1600/1_8_10_MastBrothers12470.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdblTn2U3SSOTCHafswpJKHCXd3wRxQvVfs7zPZUq_WMLNiqYEL5Pa9I5kEF-Gnpnp3wMmiQV6ozwbkQegh-d_GMSOLKuY9CtkCv0Z5cIStJPCg2Dryz76ws51K8x60Pj6w8qm5fmAhnG/s320/1_8_10_MastBrothers12470.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558527225907049826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x-XpRfhwwRe7GJc0xnUFnCr5lAUnS81BS1KOhRjjBxa26ERMU2073qkyB8UL4fptq_91dZlR4uZb_d6lLrfvuQt_q7DHarxOpVlSnjPy48u2If5Vw-ezvUvzjWt53w9Dk6k8Xc1s0To1/s1600/1_8_10_MastBrothers12487.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x-XpRfhwwRe7GJc0xnUFnCr5lAUnS81BS1KOhRjjBxa26ERMU2073qkyB8UL4fptq_91dZlR4uZb_d6lLrfvuQt_q7DHarxOpVlSnjPy48u2If5Vw-ezvUvzjWt53w9Dk6k8Xc1s0To1/s320/1_8_10_MastBrothers12487.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558527229450647554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqpRihaOSERpFSX4sQfQ2gHrHvLgjh9ynn1vQio6rnN6fg3_lh1J9LgcCjL2iAAW2qVMV5hnMF4TIjym32Jov_9vPah_sdM3XX4QJDLKpVs0Lm9cTa6NSFCO2M2W6NwvphlHiCLt9P0Uf/s1600/1_8_10_MastBrothers12522.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqpRihaOSERpFSX4sQfQ2gHrHvLgjh9ynn1vQio6rnN6fg3_lh1J9LgcCjL2iAAW2qVMV5hnMF4TIjym32Jov_9vPah_sdM3XX4QJDLKpVs0Lm9cTa6NSFCO2M2W6NwvphlHiCLt9P0Uf/s320/1_8_10_MastBrothers12522.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558527231837594210" border="0" /></a>Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-60010437195514972992011-01-05T08:23:00.000-06:002011-01-05T08:23:00.136-06:00Great Advice!Chuck Klosterman is hilarious, and when I saw this on <a href="http://www.designcrushblog.com/2011/01/03/chuck-klosterman-3/">Design Crush</a>, I knew I had to share...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.designcrushblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chuck-K_Design-Crush.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 515px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.designcrushblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chuck-K_Design-Crush.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Oh Chuck. If only it was that easy...Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-19580043662721693332011-01-04T19:56:00.003-06:002011-01-04T20:19:26.487-06:00Another Resolution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LXNpEeFDpWQ3Gxfv1JfpxESLq-83llpyXTLM7GRqq_TLNNxi3ov3vibC9KCIQUcSsgalCJ8yxPuqlgqOie9i3qjw9A-ZZvJCWia_HT8yYo70CqBEr8CLVR18U0rUt28J9GK3GaF-esJQ/s1600/pressies.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LXNpEeFDpWQ3Gxfv1JfpxESLq-83llpyXTLM7GRqq_TLNNxi3ov3vibC9KCIQUcSsgalCJ8yxPuqlgqOie9i3qjw9A-ZZvJCWia_HT8yYo70CqBEr8CLVR18U0rUt28J9GK3GaF-esJQ/s320/pressies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558520420600838546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I know, this blog is all about what I did in 2010 and what I'm planning to do in 2011. Sorry! Maybe I'm almost done, maybe not.<br /><br />Regardless, I thought of another resolution today. Well, actually, I thought of it a few days ago but remembered to write about it NOW.<br /><br />Use all of the gifts that we received from showers and the wedding.<br /><br />People are SO GENEROUS. And while Pete and I cook every night, we still haven't used everything we received .<br /><br />Here's what we have to use. Sooner than later!<br /><br />Giant Wooden Salad Bowl<br />Cocktail Shaker<br />Meat Tenderizer (we've used it, but not for tenderizing meat...)<br />Juicer<br />Crock Pot (we used it to try to make fondue. It was sad.)<br />Deep Fryer<br />Honey Dipper<br />Fruit Basket (I've used it. Since we got back from our honeymoon it's held mementos. But I want to use it for FRUIT.)<br />Gravy Boat<br />Footed Cake Platter<br />Bar Tools Set<br />Fondue Set<br />Dutch Oven<br />Garlic Peel/Press thing (it's a tube. it's weird.)<br />Citrus Squeezer<br />Nine-Person Tent!<br /><br />And my Target registry got deleted so I can't actually look at it, which is what I did for Macy's and Crate & Barrel.<br /><br />I'm excited! Seeing all of those things together in a list makes me want to plan meals for, like, the next seven weeks.<br /><br />Does anyone have any recipe ideas for the cooking things listed above? I've been meaning to make a nice hearty stew these days, since it's so cold, in our Dutch oven. I'd love to hear suggestions!<br /><br />[image: the day after our honeymoon, we tore into our presents and this was the aftermath.]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-84157599614967145482011-01-03T17:31:00.002-06:002011-01-03T21:10:52.282-06:00Books I Read in 2010One of my resolutions for 2010 was to read 20 books for fun. I only read 18. It was really, really hard to not cram in the last two books on the last two or three days of the year.<br /><br />So, here are my 18 books:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Benedict-Society-Perilous-Journey/dp/0316036730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294107545&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey</span></a><br />2. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://happynotions.blogspot.com/2010/01/baking-cakes-in-kigali.html">Baking Cakes in Kigali</a> (click the link to read my review!)<br />3. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Alone-Kitchen-Eggplant-Confessions-Cooking/dp/1594483132/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294107933&sr=1-1">Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant </a><br />4. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Made-Scratch-Discovering-Pleasures-Handmade/dp/1603425322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294107975&sr=1-1">Made from Scratch</a><br />5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108012&sr=1-1">The Omnivore's Dilemma</a><br />6. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Importance-Music-Girls-Lavinia-Greenlaw/dp/0312428375/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294108034&sr=1-1">The Importance of Music to Girls</a><br />7. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hand-That-First-Held-Mine/dp/0547423187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294108067&sr=1-1">The Hand That First Held Mine</a><br />8. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Particular-Sadness-Lemon-Cake-Novel/dp/0385501129/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294108147&sr=8-1">The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake</a><br />9. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Business-Extraordinary-Trying-Things/dp/1596916753/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108173&sr=1-1">Unfinished Business</a><br />10. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Paris-Love-Story-Recipes/dp/031604279X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108195&sr=1-1">Lunch in Paris</a><br />11. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Yann-Martel/dp/0156027321/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108217&sr=1-1">Life of Pi</a><br />12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carrie-Diaries-Candace-Bushnell/dp/0061728918/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108252&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Carrie Diaries</span></a><br />13. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Committed-Skeptic-Makes-Peace-Marriage/dp/0670021652/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108295&sr=1-1">Committed</a><br />14. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Commencement-Vintage-Contemporaries-Courtney-Sullivan/dp/0307454967/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108335&sr=1-1">Commencement</a><br />15. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-We-Read-Gatsby-Novel/dp/0670021784/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108365&sr=1-1">The Summer We Read Gatsby</a><br />16. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Barrel-Fever-Stories-David-Sedaris/dp/0316779423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294108406&sr=8-1">Barrel Fever</a><br />17. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Five-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385333846/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108445&sr=1-1">Slaughterhouse Five</a><br />18. <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Chatterleys-Lover-D-H-Lawrence/dp/193425519X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294108475&sr=1-1">Lady Chatterley's Lover</a><br /><br />I liked elements of all of the above books. But just to be silly, I'm going to write my thoughts in tweet-form (yeah, I'm copying off of my <a href="http://midwestmedievalist.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-i-spent-my-spring-break-twitter.html">husband's technique</a>).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey</span>: Great series for the younger crowd. I enjoyed it but felt a bit juvenile while reading. Suspense! Twists!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Baking Cakes in Kigali</span>: Eye-opening novella about a lady baker in Africa. Heartbreaking but so important. People should read this and be informed.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Alone in the Kitchen With an Eggplant</span>: Made me feel good about the weird things I eat when I'm alone. Fascinating to learn what others eat on their own, too. Very entertaining.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Made from Scratch</span>: This book has made me determine that I need a big backyard when Pete and I buy a house, for a huge garden and chickens.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Omnivore's Dilemma</span>: I learned a lot from this book. I highly recommend it and think you should read it if you care about what you put in your mouth.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Importance of Music to Girls</span>: Originally I was drawn to this book because of it's title. I feel like it could have been better, although I did enjoy certain parts.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Hand That First Held Mine</span>: This book blew me away. It was confusing until it all made sense. And I honestly didn't see it coming.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake</span>: What a crazy concept for a book - a girl who can taste people's emotions through the food that they create. An interesting way to think.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Unfinished Business</span>: Story of a man who loses his job in his 40s and spends the next year doing wonderful, nice things. I want to do what he did now, in my 20s!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lunch in Paris</span>: Like all things having to do with Paris, this book made me want to move there ASAP. Maybe someday. BONUS: all kinds of yummy recipes!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Life of Pi</span>: Blew my mind. The story kept my attention, more than any young boy in a boat with a scary tiger ever has.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Carrie Diaries</span>: This is the high school story of Carrie Bradshaw, of Sex and the City fame. The last line is perfect. The rest of the book was not.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Committed</span>: All about the history of marriage and marriage in other countries. It was a perfect book to read in the summer before MY marriage.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Commencement</span>: Made me want to go to all-girls college, too. Riveting story that follows four ladies from freshman year - young adulthood.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Summer We Read Gatsby</span>: Witty, mysterious, hilarious. Two (half?) sisters meet up in the Hamptons to divide up their great aunt's estate. Entertaining.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Barrel Fever</span>: Not my favorite David Sedaris book, but the last short story is priceless. Most of it was a bit oddball for me, though. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Slaughterhouse Five</span>: Only the second Kurt Vonnegut book I've read. Absolutely fantastic. Sad it took me 22 years to read it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lady Chatterley's Lover</span>: Weird. So, so weird. So hard to get into and to keep reading. But I couldn't give up. I'm glad it's over.<br /><br /><br />Phew! Anyone have any suggestions for books to read in 2011?Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-23741421423854094052011-01-01T18:55:00.003-06:002011-01-01T19:34:23.604-06:00Sunday Roundup, and Happy 2011!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lea6maGPKb1qzyrwvo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lea6maGPKb1qzyrwvo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Guys, I can't believe it's 2011.<br /><br />2010 was a great year - I finished school, got married, went on an amazing honeymoon, and landed my first full-time job. I made lots of new friends, spent time with my family and wrote hundreds of thank you notes.<br /><br />And now, 2011 begins. We had a small get together here at our apartment last night, then went over to Steve and Mary's for brunch. We left there around 1:45, I think - and the rest of the day has been a blur. I've been thinking about 2011 a lot - this is the first time, in my whole life, that there is no knowing what I'll be doing. The world is my oyster! School isn't holding me back anymore. Now: to find out what I want to do with my life. Then we'll get going :)<br /><br />So. Here are some great finds from the last two weeks.<br /><br /><a href="http://testkitchen.marthastewart.com/2011/01/hot-cereals-a-healthful-start-to-the-new-year.html">Hot cereals</a>: the IT breakfast for 2011.<br /><br />Wow. <a href="http://primaxstudio.com/stuff/scale_of_universe/">I feel small. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://letsgorideabike.com/blog/2010/12/a-benefit-of-winter-night-riding/">Night riding</a>.<br /><br />Blizzards from <a href="http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1963551_2062920,00.html">years past</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/asia/travel-tips-and-articles/54006?affil=twit">Top 10 travel experiences</a>.<br /><br />Sounds <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/the-temporary-vegetarian-potato-and-swiss-chard-gratin/">delicious</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/49530132/dazzling-glittery-vintage-wallpaper">Sparkles</a>!<br /><br />I never use <a href="http://shopsweetlulu.bigcartel.com/product/striped-paper-straws-in-9-colors">straws</a> but I wish I did.<br /><br />Pretty <a href="http://daveandjoi.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy-silver-leaf-canvas.html">silver</a>.<br /><br />I actually like cabbage, so...<a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2006/01/tender-is-cabbage.html">this</a> sounds good.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.designformankind.com/">Erin</a> makes me think that a <a href="http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2010/12/29/our-diy-sauna/">sauna at home</a> is possible. Bookmarked for the future!<br /><br />Dream <a href="http://blog.urbangrace.com/?p=3537">kitchen</a>.<br /><br />Lovelies, I hope 2011 is the best year ever for you and yours.<br /><br />[image via <a href="http://papertissue.tumblr.com/post/2540913680">papertissue</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-76621227903210491332010-12-30T17:28:00.004-06:002010-12-31T11:27:22.327-06:002011 Here I Come!Yesterday I talked about the resolutions I completed, and...didn't complete...in 2010.<br /><br />Here is my list for 2011. The following are things from 2010 that I would like to complete!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">12. Rent bikes somewhere and ride them around<br />14. Paint the apartment<br />18. Lose 30 pounds<br />20. Finish writing one of the four novels I have started right now<br />21. Stay up to date on my magazine cataloging<br />24. Have a tea party. Complete with ridiculous hats (Thanks, Emma! It's happening in 2011!)<br />26. Update the logistics of the blog<br />27. Join a book club<br />29. Spend a weekend in a B & B somewhere pretty<br />33. Have an Arrested Development party<br />35. Learn how to drive stick-shift<br />36. Learn how to use the darkroom in my house<br />37. Take a class for fun (yay Emma, thanks for reminding me!)<br />38. Try tennis again once it gets warmer outside<br />40. Get out of credit card debt.<br />41. Go skinny dipping<br />42. Read Metamorpheses<br />43. Ride an exotic animal<br />47. Make gnocchi from scratch<br />49. Create a craft night get together once a month<br />51. Open an Etsy shop<br />52. Take a glass-blowing or letterpress class<br />53. Get all the "good art" in the apartment framed<br />54. Have a boudoir shoot<br />57. Start commenting more on all the blogs I read<br />58. Buy flowers for my parents on my birthday<br />61. ...go skydiving...?<br />62. Read all the Babysitters Club Little Sister books in one day. Eat little kid food and take breaks to call childhood friends<br />63. Write fan letters to 12 people - one per month.<br />64. Go to a blues or jazz bar in Chicago<br />65. See Chuck Berry in concert<br />66. Suck it up and go on a rollercoaster<br />67. Take a candle-lit bath<br />68. Sew something for real and wear it<br />69. Learn how to play chess<br />70. Learn calligraphy<br />71. Embroider another pillow/blanket/something<br />74. Help build a Habitat for Humanity house<br />75. Give to NPR<br />78. Create a clothesline when it's warmer out and dry clothes on them<br />79. Volunteer on an organic farm<br />80. Participate in NaNoWriMo in November 2011<s><br /></s>82. Watch the rest of the movies from AFI's 100 Greatest Films<br />83. Grow a bonsai tree<br />84. Revisit SARK and actually take her advice<br />85. Start and display a collection of something<br />87. Stay up all night long and watch the sun rise. Preferably somewhere pretty<br />88. Have a bed day - read, doze, watch stuff on the computer, doze...eat minimally<br />90. Graffiti something, somewhere<br />92. Get a bikini wax<br />93. Make cheesy/hilarious Christmas cards<br />96. Have something to brag to Swatek about<br />98. Finish an entire coloring book<br />101. Get a passport<br />102. Go paintballing - with very nice people that won't hurt me too much.</span><br /></span><br /><br />Now, here is my addendum for 2011:<br /><br />+ Work my way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Homekeeping-Handbook-Everything/dp/0517577003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293752653&sr=8-1">Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook</a>. (I received it for Christmas and was WAY excited about it.) I want to read the whole thing (clocking in at 719 pages) and take as much advice as I can.<br /><br />+ Bake every recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293752686&sr=1-1">Artisan Breads</a> (I bought this book as a Christmas gift for myself. My first project is proofing currently).<br /><br />+ Start saving more money.<br /><br />+ Organize my craft room and start making more things.<br /><br />+ Floss everyday.<br /><br />+ Use my free time more constructively.<br /><br /><br />What are your resolutions for 2011? Tell me tell me tell me!Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-7840747462331547982010-12-29T18:35:00.002-06:002010-12-29T18:59:41.099-06:002010 New Years ListLast year, I created a list of 102 things that I wanted to accomplish this year. Some of them were big (like getting my first full-time job, getting married, etc) and some where much, much smaller (eat a piece of pizza backwards).<br /><br />I got through half of my list. I had hoped to be farther along in my quest, but alas, I tried my best.<br /><br />As a recap, here it is.<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><s>1. Graduate from college (May 15, 2010)<br />2. Find a job<br />3. Get married<br />4. Go on an amazing honeymoon<br />5. See the sunrise or sunset at the Grand Canyon<br />6. Gamble in a Las Vegas casino<br />7. Drive up Highway 1 from LA to San Francisco<br />8. Visit Disneyland</s><br />9. Drink my own Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista <span style="font-style: italic;">(I tried but it was WAY too strong. Pete had one.)</span><br />10. Stop at any bizarre road-side tourist attractions we see <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><s>11. Get to the beach. It's been too long.</s><br />12. Rent bikes somewhere and ride them around and stuff.<br /><s>13. Have a giveaway on the blog (whee aren't you all excited?!? Sooner than later, I think.)</s><br />14. Paint the apartment <span style="font-style: italic;">(we painted one room. I want to paint more.)</span><br /> <s>15</s><s>. Adopt a dog.<br />16. Buy a new couch (broken)<br />17. Buy a new bed (the bed frame/headboard part. The mattress is fine)</s><br />18. Lose 30 pounds <span style="font-style: italic;">(I gained three pounds. oh well. However, I signed up for <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx">this</a> today. Hopefully I'll get going now.)</span><br /><s>19. Get a doctor.</s><br />20. Finish writing one of the four novels I have started right now.<br />21. Stay up to date on my magazine cataloging.<br /><s>22. Keep a tidier, more organized apartment<span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /> 23</span>. Make a ton of crafts (watch the blog for developments on this)</s><br />24. Have a tea party. Complete with ridiculous hats.<br /><s>25. Buy an original piece of art.</s><br />26. Update the logistics of the blog (I'm ashamed this hasn't happened yet.)<br />27. Join a book club<br /><s>28. Write more letters</s><br />29. Spend a weekend in a B & B somewhere pretty<br />30. Get fresh flowers for the house once a month (I did for nine of the three months<br />31. Go on runs with that dog we're apparently going to get. <span style="font-style: italic;">(We didn't get a dog, but we did get Scout!)</span><br /><s>32. Make dinner for friends and family more often</s><br />33. Have an Arrested Development party<br />34. Spend an entire day in the Central Library, taking photographs and reading whatever I want<br />35. Learn how to drive stick-shift<br />36. Learn how to use the darkroom in my house<br />37. Take a class for fun (sewing, cooking, knitting, baking, SOMETHING)<br />38. Try tennis again once it gets warmer outside<br /><s>39. Get a credit card</s><br />40. And never be in debt, once said credit card is received. <span style="font-style: italic;">(I got a credit card stemming from Pete's credit card account, and he was in debt. Not in a LOT of debt, but debt nonetheless.)</span><br />41. Go skinny dipping (after I lose those 30 pounds, duh)<br />42. I have had <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Metamorphoses-Penguin-Classics-Ovid/dp/014044789X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262666962&sr=8-1">this book</a> since the day after I saw the most amazing, inspiring play of my life. I want to finally read it.<br />43. Ride an exotic animal (camel, elephant...something weird)<br /><s>44. Put my arms around an enormous redwood tree (Muir Woods)</s><br /><s>45. Have a portrait painted/drawn of Pete and I (we've already decided that this will be our wedding gift to each other)<br />46. Start a garden</s><br />47. Make gnocchi from scratch<br /><s>48. Stay home on Valentine's Day this year and cook an amazing meal and watch Disney movies</s><br />49. Create a craft night get together once a month <span style="font-style: italic;">(I did this a few times. Not enough.)</span><br />50. Ask for help. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Working at a new job? Constantly asking for help.)</span><br />51. Open an Etsy shop this year <span style="font-style: italic;">(also ashamed that this didn't happen.)</span><br />52. Take a glass-blowing or letterpress class<br />53. Get all the "good art" in the apartment framed<br />54. Have a boudoir shoot <span style="font-style: italic;">(scheduled for 2011!)</span><br />55. Be comfortable enough in my own skin to go swimming with the kids from Wilson. <span style="font-style: italic;">(HA! I'm done with that place. This one doesn't count.)</span><br />56. Get completely off Paxil. <span style="font-style: italic;">(I tried. It couldn't happen.)</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">57. Start commenting more on all the blogs I read. I'm horrible at that.<br />58. Buy flowers for my parents on my birthday and my wedding day<br />59. Send a message in a bottle<br />60. Throw those rocks into the ocean<br />61. ...go skydiving...?<br />62. Read all the Babysitters Club Little Sister books in one day. Eat little kid food and take breaks to call childhood friends.<br />63. Write fan letters to 12 people - one per month.<br />64. Go to a blues or jazz bar in Chicago<br />65. See Chuck Berry in concert<br />66. Suck it up and go on a rollercoaster.<br />67. Take a candle-lit bath.<br />68. Sew something for real and wear it.<br />69. Learn how to play chess<br />70. Learn calligraphy<br />71. Embroider another pillow/blanket/something<br />72. Make a <b>100 Books To Read</b> list and read 20 of them this year <span style="font-style: italic;">(SO CLOSE. 19.)</span><br /><s>73. Clean out my apartment and donate, donate, donate</s><br />74. Help build a Habitat for Humanity house<br />75. Give to NPR<br /><s>76. Buy cloth napkins and use them</s><br />78. Create a clothesline when it's warmer out and dry clothes on them<br />79. Volunteer on an organic farm<br />80. Participate in NaNoWriMo in November 2010<br /><s>81. Visit Rodeo Drive in LA and maybe (<i>maybe</i>) buy something. Small.<br /></s>82. Watch the rest of the movies from AFI's 100 Greatest Films<br />83. Grow a bonsai tree<br />84. Revisit SARK and actually take her advice.<br />85. Start and display a collection of something <span style="font-style: italic;">(I have started a collection of Pez dispensers. They are not currently displayed anywhere.)</span><br /><s>86. Talk less, listen more</s><br />87. Stay up all night long and watch the sun rise. Preferably somewhere pretty.<br />88. Have a bed day - read, doze, watch stuff on the computer, doze...eat minimally.<br /><s>89. Go to a drive-in movie</s><br />90. Graffiti something, somewhere.<br />91. Dance in the rain<br />92. Get a bikini wax<br />93. Make cheesy/hilarious Christmas cards for me and Pete's first "official" Christmas together and send them to everyone we know <span style="font-style: italic;">(After sending hundreds of wedding invitations, thank you cards, graduation announcements, etc...I was sick of buying postage. Next year, for sure.)</span><br /><s>94. Learn my blood type<br />95. Get a massage</s><br />96. Have something to brag to Swatek about (this will definitely happen in the later part of the year)<br /><s>97. Really, really surprise Pete. No hints allowed.</s><br />98. Finish an entire coloring book<br /><s>99. Eat a piece of pizza backwards (how have I not thought to do this until NOW?!)<br />100. Make some delicious baked goods every month and take them with somewhere else - mom's school, Pete's school, fire station, etc.</s><br />101. Get a passport<br />102. Go paintballing - with very nice people that won't hurt me too much.<br /><br />and one big fat MAYBE<br />103. Try surfing. We're only going to be in LA for a short period of time but I would LOVE to take a surfing lesson. I've wanted to learn since freshman year of high school.</p> _____________________________________________<br /><br />Most of the things that I didn't complete in 2010 were simply because of laziness. Others - I couldn't afford it financially. Or I just ran out of time.<br /><br />For 2011, I am planning on attempting to do all of the things above that I couldn't complete in 2010 (within reason - I won't be returning to San Francisco to drink my own Irish coffee). I will also be making some more resolutions, but things that are a bit more...simple. Definitely not 102 of them. I'll share those tomorrow.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-10496285644733301862010-12-19T19:57:00.000-06:002010-12-19T20:44:25.762-06:00Sunday Roundup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldg2lrEYX01qf42cno1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldg2lrEYX01qf42cno1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You guys, Christmas is in six days! Insane!<br /><br />It certainly feels like the holidays here at the Wissinger Complex...we've been getting Christmas cards in the mail, all the Christmas presents have been bought and are (mostly) wrapped, stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're almost finished with school and work! We're heading up to Chicago to hang with my family on the 24th, and then driving down to Cairo to be with Pete's family on the 26th. I'm excited to see everyone and, as usual, get out of St. Louis for a little bit.<br /><br />Here are some fun links from this week!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/the-30-most-important-cats-of-2010">The 30 Most Important Cats of 2010</a> made me giggle like a little girl.<br /><br />Thanks to my friend Lindsay, I was able to enjoy <a href="http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/let-it-dough/">this lovely story</a>.<br /><br />Tips on putting together a holiday cheese plate. <a href="http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/12/star-holiday-cheese-plate/">Yum yum yes please</a>.<br /><br />Dreamy <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ellogovna?ref=seller_info">prints</a> from California.<br /><br />Perfect Christmas <a href="http://us.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33060&storeId=13052&productId=2039461&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=cream%20sweater&pageSize=20">sweater</a>.<br /><br />These <a href="http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=496208&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-n-_-n-_-n">earmuffs and this scarf</a> would certainly jazz up my plain black peacoat.<br /><br />Love this homemade <a href="http://kojodesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/kojotutorial-stripe-y-yellow-teacher.html">tote</a>.<br /><br />Beautiful colorful <a href="http://crate.typepad.com/cratepaper/2010/09/lolly-chessies-famous-cp-christmas-trees.html">Christmas trees</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/12/in-the-kitchen-with-martha-bernabes-gluten-free-pancakes.html">Pumpkin pancakes</a> = perfect breakfast.<br /><br />I would like to try to make <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fleur-de-sel-caramels-recipe2/index.html">Fleur de Sel caramels</a>.<br /><br />Liz's <a href="http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2010/12/diy-big-bow-christmas-wreath.html">wreath</a> is gorgeous.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/salad-pizza/">Salad pizza</a> sounds delicious right now.<br /><br />This <a href="http://toddpelloweblog.com/louisville-wedding-photographer/index.cfm?postID=262&Hannah-Anthony-Green-Building-Wedding">wedding</a> looks super fun!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2010/12/14/homemade-felted-magn.html">Homemade felted Katamari set</a> - Bridgett, this one is for you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/beginning_to_look_a_lot_like_c.html">Christmas is everywhere</a>!<br /><br />What a <a href="http://elevatedpress.com/work/prints/">pretty little letterpress studio</a>.<br /><br />I don't know if I'll be back around the blogosphere until after Christmas, so if NOT, Merry Merry Christmas! I hope you and your families and friends have the best Christmas ever.<br /><br />[image via <a href="http://lindsayyellow.tumblr.com/post/2320222901">here</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-24939452099039311892010-12-16T20:23:00.002-06:002010-12-16T21:23:08.821-06:00Advent Calendar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcicro8RVz1qcow3vo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 415px; height: 416px;" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcicro8RVz1qcow3vo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The last couple of years, Pete and I have tried to make an advent calendar and stick to it. And when I say "advent calendar", I mean "plan one Christmas-ey thing a day and DO IT" leading up to Christmas Eve.<br /><br />We've done a pretty good job this year. I wrote each item on our calendar in red Sharpie so I would remember what to do every day. We haven't really done them in order, but this is what we've done so far:<br /><br />- watch <span style="font-style: italic;">A Christmas Story</span><br />- wrap presents<br />- get and decorate a tree, plus the rest of the apartment<br />- make homemade marshmallows and hot cocoa<br />- go to a Christmas party<br />- watch our Christmas shows (Christmas episodes of TV shows that we like a lot)<br />- watch <span style="font-style: italic;">How the Grinch Stole Christmas</span><br />- drink eggnog with friends<br />- exchange one gift with each other<br />- go to a Christmas concert<br />- watch <span style="font-style: italic;">Love Actually</span><br />- make snowflakes and hang them up<br /><br />Other things that are on the list, but haven't been completed yet:<br />- go ice-skating<br />- make Christmas cookies for our co-workers<br />- have a full traditional Christmas breakfast while listening to Christmas music<br />- watch <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie Brown Christmas</span><br />- watch <span style="font-style: italic;">Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer</span><br />- finish making Christmas presents<br />- drive around and look at lights<br /><br />What do you and your loved ones do to get ready for Christmas?<br /><br />picture: <a href="http://maryruffle.tumblr.com/post/2340963489">via here</a>Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-33197035846466389342010-12-13T09:29:00.000-06:002010-12-13T09:29:00.165-06:00Honeymoon Day 7Driving! Up! The! Coast!<br /><br />This was one of the best parts of the whole trip, although our day started slowly. We woke up late, thought about hitting up the new Magnolia Bakery (it opened in LA THAT DAY, but the thought of cramming another cupcake into my mouth was just...bad...) but then decided against it and drove towards CA 1.<br /><br />But it took forever to GET to CA 1, and once we hit it in Santa Monica/Malibu, we were in traffic for close to two hours. The traffic moved occasionally, but it was so slow.<br /><br />But we had some great views - beautiful architecture and houses on one side, and the Pacific on the other.<br /><br />We stopped at the vista points a lot, which means that we took a LOT of pictures...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijllNPDrj86Q_zZs5qDH2etGMKK3Js5qfB20-QQ-yPILMbcLxN-SOtd5FEWx75BSHxb7N2caJ-diZWw87xAyB25_9De6BfflDEmRYB21L8kkZEroQFgsTrDcJW0S-Z9_vR9Rt38SRAK_-k/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+528.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijllNPDrj86Q_zZs5qDH2etGMKK3Js5qfB20-QQ-yPILMbcLxN-SOtd5FEWx75BSHxb7N2caJ-diZWw87xAyB25_9De6BfflDEmRYB21L8kkZEroQFgsTrDcJW0S-Z9_vR9Rt38SRAK_-k/s320/honeymoon+part+1+528.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549572441154926498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Pete climbed the rocks and I thought it was fun for about a minute and then I started yelling at him to get down.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A1f0OEk4g6vRuJmlUaNPsf1w5DczCvzr3ye_l9qKKzGfzKgQ9-ysa4-hP6M3Sly1o-VJA4JndQXzXZiFnIIECaagqjn5xb7KXsRUfp1NL7I-ZjPTQPNsIqTCw9PoZr1MyFMBJiD6vw4e/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+520.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A1f0OEk4g6vRuJmlUaNPsf1w5DczCvzr3ye_l9qKKzGfzKgQ9-ysa4-hP6M3Sly1o-VJA4JndQXzXZiFnIIECaagqjn5xb7KXsRUfp1NL7I-ZjPTQPNsIqTCw9PoZr1MyFMBJiD6vw4e/s320/honeymoon+part+1+520.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549572444968030706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VnLF6ceheQdkrsvZrgDahfUfuBOToO1fQHntVkWjzXqz2WHHIytGJP6LfaLMQRX5jU3x9Q_OxDSrqKZ42XfHs5ZCTwJPGXvTzWCtSFyoXO0S7xOUr02PBblbZXvpQUKDeMmZge2IqV4w/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+521.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VnLF6ceheQdkrsvZrgDahfUfuBOToO1fQHntVkWjzXqz2WHHIytGJP6LfaLMQRX5jU3x9Q_OxDSrqKZ42XfHs5ZCTwJPGXvTzWCtSFyoXO0S7xOUr02PBblbZXvpQUKDeMmZge2IqV4w/s320/honeymoon+part+1+521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549572454852848418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Bb1hrF6GyjR9PZj0fZE_Hhx5PM1wudpKfv6n3AZCimnar1uIfk8Wi51jPKSxHYaJcOa-2UZhMD_0Q4g607V3vRuewnYOwHYcnzgK0hR8NzM72CxLlL3BYyCrBNg9JWnQoPIdqfiHp0rD/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+536.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Bb1hrF6GyjR9PZj0fZE_Hhx5PM1wudpKfv6n3AZCimnar1uIfk8Wi51jPKSxHYaJcOa-2UZhMD_0Q4g607V3vRuewnYOwHYcnzgK0hR8NzM72CxLlL3BYyCrBNg9JWnQoPIdqfiHp0rD/s320/honeymoon+part+1+536.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549576078314918002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVG9kiK_L5aqiWtHhZzP_LSCHS-ey26Ty-Jg1ucqNbLVlAcaDI57hHynLXLNHlPXUCAsvJ_GnO8dG2f2sz8nkyuldE0zsbRxor5s6sVvBSoMySK763-kGHNRVLdZxeBFvIDA3OxU1wi2g/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+538.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVG9kiK_L5aqiWtHhZzP_LSCHS-ey26Ty-Jg1ucqNbLVlAcaDI57hHynLXLNHlPXUCAsvJ_GnO8dG2f2sz8nkyuldE0zsbRxor5s6sVvBSoMySK763-kGHNRVLdZxeBFvIDA3OxU1wi2g/s320/honeymoon+part+1+538.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549576082159731794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our stopping point for the night was in San Luis Obispo. We checked into the hotel, got some dinner someplace in town (I don't remember where) and then walked around the downtown area. THEN we went to the Sunset Drive-In Movie Theatre. And it was AMAZING.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIs1Vjp9zHiP2QdQioFZHqAwHXyhu4dfLnwOy3Hf1Bt2NaOtxCEnJAzEKYR27kCDcyZGgrMzz_xu6JT7gmcR1FAZiS5rkWU5F8as2Ejlv-ZhQQkonF6UanftE8UULlmcsZ3tD_f1BCYOZ/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+545.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIs1Vjp9zHiP2QdQioFZHqAwHXyhu4dfLnwOy3Hf1Bt2NaOtxCEnJAzEKYR27kCDcyZGgrMzz_xu6JT7gmcR1FAZiS5rkWU5F8as2Ejlv-ZhQQkonF6UanftE8UULlmcsZ3tD_f1BCYOZ/s320/honeymoon+part+1+545.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549576091356026546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUsxeC8QiM_YCnbMAYBrFhH_YFrJMt4tTBud7ENG0357v0EZwhN1XMnV50NlDc40F4CJR1iUjIW6k1ad8VIUhZ-Evgcn3JLoDqtRk1ccJXU0lnQ8RvwGx2mfJYKDtujQ_f3zDUan3JhCd/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+546.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUsxeC8QiM_YCnbMAYBrFhH_YFrJMt4tTBud7ENG0357v0EZwhN1XMnV50NlDc40F4CJR1iUjIW6k1ad8VIUhZ-Evgcn3JLoDqtRk1ccJXU0lnQ8RvwGx2mfJYKDtujQ_f3zDUan3JhCd/s320/honeymoon+part+1+546.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549576094409808322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8EFBBWH_pdUWSqDQXf2w5DyO9IqXNE6vNZjaQxfhqfssc0QxpF9B0uroADCT4tFHaf66gDijTqSy7QUldcuIOla4zjnwkcnPKNvT6tg3Ihm5O7FuON97DcIt7w6iffjedvcuBxa98Cew/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+548.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8EFBBWH_pdUWSqDQXf2w5DyO9IqXNE6vNZjaQxfhqfssc0QxpF9B0uroADCT4tFHaf66gDijTqSy7QUldcuIOla4zjnwkcnPKNvT6tg3Ihm5O7FuON97DcIt7w6iffjedvcuBxa98Cew/s320/honeymoon+part+1+548.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549576106915080082" border="0" /></a><br />[complete with retro paintings]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaLA9a4zkhg1NLlwWb5O8diyiDRQUMWmw7ei5OAvp5JXqqpDopIjOYJSX_knUedxgF6YwCCi0_favZJ7h7W8uZ_aCr1iPaz406MKazq6IRCCoxgBRBd9NRaEblBIDp_RBIFyUVWbUT-Ma/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+550.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaLA9a4zkhg1NLlwWb5O8diyiDRQUMWmw7ei5OAvp5JXqqpDopIjOYJSX_knUedxgF6YwCCi0_favZJ7h7W8uZ_aCr1iPaz406MKazq6IRCCoxgBRBd9NRaEblBIDp_RBIFyUVWbUT-Ma/s320/honeymoon+part+1+550.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549577321391741922" border="0" /></a><br />[the evening fog rolls in]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s0B2E7oAgrpvgZLdJqT5GUKJ_8iMWMWKsApkd6zymkuZvtslciW9zTM_-xfaSSb8AWQW-wRRl3lx2UIuh13GW4xvL4jayL99G3KzQDeVlogLlEqJ_heifKqI4S7hHO5cA8LcLum_YA4X/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+551.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s0B2E7oAgrpvgZLdJqT5GUKJ_8iMWMWKsApkd6zymkuZvtslciW9zTM_-xfaSSb8AWQW-wRRl3lx2UIuh13GW4xvL4jayL99G3KzQDeVlogLlEqJ_heifKqI4S7hHO5cA8LcLum_YA4X/s320/honeymoon+part+1+551.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549577322717212898" border="0" /></a><br />[I could even put my feet up without disturbing anyone!]<br /><br />We saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Inception</span>, which was excellent. I highly recommend drive-in movies. The next showing was the new Twilight movie, which we did not stay for. Just in case you were curious.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-71998642367576512572010-12-12T09:12:00.000-06:002010-12-12T09:12:00.408-06:00Sunday Roundup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcsxsd7sBa1qa38cjo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 334px;" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcsxsd7sBa1qa38cjo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hola, everyone! We're only 13 days away from Christmas. Can you believe it?! I love Christmas so much. Pete and I started wrapping gifts this weekend - our theme for this year is brown paper packages tied up with string! But with red and white bakers twine, specifically. I love how they look. We also nabbed some gift tags from a <a href="http://www.paperboatstudios.com/index.shtml">small letterpress studio</a> down on Cherokee Street. They look pretty rocking, if I do say so myself.<br /><br />How is your holiday shopping going? I'm hoping to share some gift guides and ideas for people this upcoming week. And after Christmas, I'll share what I got for everyone in our family. We stayed pretty close to the <a href="http://happynotions.blogspot.com/2010/10/christmas.html">resolution I set for myself</a> to only buy handmade! But then I amended it and allowed myself to buy things in a store, but only in local stores. So that was good. However, we did do some shopping at Target and Hobby Lobby for picture frames and craft projects...so, it was close.<br /><br />Here are some wonderful links to kickstart your Sunday!<br /><br />Is it warm yet? I like this <a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml;jsessionid=JXUANTORCRTOUCQAAKSRABA?itemId=prod124800014&ecid=NMALRFeedJ84DHJLQkR4&ci_src=14110925&ci_sku=T336Y">suit</a>.<br /><br />Coldplay is one of my faves and their newest <a href="http://blackeiffel.blogspot.com/2010/12/music-monday-coldplays-christmas-lights.html">song/music video</a> is stupendous.<br /><br />I think <a href="http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-make-5-pointed-paper-snowflakes.html">orange</a> is the new white.<br /><br /><a href="http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/">20 untranslatable words</a>. I love <span style="font-style: italic;">wabi-sabi</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">hyggelig</span>.<br /><br />Remember <a href="http://happynotions.blogspot.com/2010/11/sunday-roundup.html">Paris vs NYC</a>? Well, <a href="http://www.society6.com/studio/parisvsnyc/store">prints</a> are being sold and I want ALL OF THEM.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthropologiephotos/with/4275931661/">flickr stream</a> devoted to all things Anthropologie.<br /><br />So <a href="http://www.swiss-miss.com/2010/12/fast-motion-in-slow-motion.html">dreamy</a> and magical.<br /><br /><a href="http://postgradhaircut.blogspot.com/2010/10/lauren-dicioccio.html">Embroidered slides</a> are something I would never ever have the patience for.<br /><br />When I open a storefront for my yet-to-be-created Etsy wares, it will be decorated like this <a href="http://hellosandwich.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-do-people-get-so-cool.html">Spanish place</a>.<br /><br />Have you been following <a href="http://youaremyfave.com/">Melanie's</a> easy DIYs? I love this <a href="http://youaremyfave.com/a-minimalist-ornament-chandelier-is-my-fave/#comments">chandelier</a> and these <a href="http://youaremyfave.com/ornaments-with-a-little-extra-sparkle-are-my-fave/#comments">sparkly ornaments</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://happynotions.blogspot.com/2010/10/scout-plays-bananagrams.html">Scout</a>'s Christmas present from us will be a <a href="http://www.fredflare.com/customer/product.php?productid=6542&cat=255">scratching post</a> of some kind. (However, it's hard to justify $40 on one...)<br /><br />The last few days I've wanted to move out of the country. If it's ever REALLY a possibility, I would want to be a <a href="https://www.caretaker.org/m.php?smPID=PHP::eu_subscribe.php&caseFlag=I1">house caretaker</a> on the side.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/cooks-illustrated-foolproof-pie-dough-recipe.html">Vodka pie crust</a>. I'm curious.<br /><br />When we have kids, I want to recreate this <a href="http://www.sarahjanestudios.com/blog/2010/11/30/childrens-book-advent-calendar/">Advent calendar</a>.<br /><br />Have a great week, everyone! My first big project at work will be finished (fingers crossed) by Tuesday, and it's gone very well so far. I hope I have a few moments to wind down and process it at work this week...<br /><br />P.S. We got a Christmas tree, and Scout has been super curious about it. This morning I was baking cupcakes and he wandered into the kitchen with a head full of tree sap. We had to give him a bit of a haircut, because the sap wouldn't come out with baby shampoo and water, and now he has a bald spot on the top of his head. It makes me giggle and feel bad every time I look at him.<br /><br /><br />[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugar_kane/5047467631/">image from here</a>]Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5373267540606998169.post-22206238498577654302010-12-11T16:56:00.008-06:002010-12-11T17:28:18.202-06:00Honeymoon Day 6This was our weird day in LA. We wanted to go to Graumann's Chinese Theatre and do the Walk of Fame and stuff, but I had forgotten how INCREDIBLY touristy it is, and Pete was interested for about a half hour. So we just sort of wandered throughout LA.<br /><br />We began the day with <a href="http://www.bestfishtacoinensenada.com/index.html">fish tacos</a> in Los Feliz - this is the menu:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumoGFC3iFGx3SCtI3oZgw9XJCsXxuLsI85qL6olX7iTCmLyB-QlEAz3n26UOLnMf1T4dG0DzNKEilQMVbbt44m1iBhhZDVGpQH7jYHBgohUhdKlYK98N8SOI0HF1yxRbs2SevSLZTKl7u/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+455.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumoGFC3iFGx3SCtI3oZgw9XJCsXxuLsI85qL6olX7iTCmLyB-QlEAz3n26UOLnMf1T4dG0DzNKEilQMVbbt44m1iBhhZDVGpQH7jYHBgohUhdKlYK98N8SOI0HF1yxRbs2SevSLZTKl7u/s320/honeymoon+part+1+455.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549563675626232882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then we headed to Hollywood, where it took us about 20 minutes to figure out where and how to park (we parked underneath the Kodak Theater, in their ridiculously huge underground parking lot. It was a little...scary. We wandered through the mall, then went to the handprints, and then debated between Ripley's or The Hollywood Museum. And we went with <a href="http://www.thehollywoodmuseum.com/">The Hollywood Museum</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCmCj8bq0zFvj7WduQRlo8KiKeZK0zZrkJpRrs9TLrI1EQ5BPNFLzeLq0OK8FoJcOZ7yqTQNNhyphenhyphenEDPFNpXkkPeKNQcJHkgJnPPtBAKQodKgcVpOW2BDFpvrfOrX111xRrN1G2ATWe5Hl3/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+468.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCmCj8bq0zFvj7WduQRlo8KiKeZK0zZrkJpRrs9TLrI1EQ5BPNFLzeLq0OK8FoJcOZ7yqTQNNhyphenhyphenEDPFNpXkkPeKNQcJHkgJnPPtBAKQodKgcVpOW2BDFpvrfOrX111xRrN1G2ATWe5Hl3/s320/honeymoon+part+1+468.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549564535175047490" border="0" /></a><br />[Pete and Harrison Ford]<br /><br />It was nice to get in from the heat (LA had a heatwave while we were there, which was funny because we're from St. Louis and when the heat index is 93, it isn't THAT hot) and enjoy the air-conditioning, but I wouldn't go back. It was pretty cheesy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShJitndTnzMe45FvLl1RCsWa-8OJNG7hEhv4QLKA-mQo6j5OYS3v9satC0k9YtfhRdZ3XKe3N8R16NE1cEfkJ0gnUzWI84hGtvMoFwdlJntwU1RN8Z_Lc_y5Rg49-aAoVBhV5oxkrxTqp/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+475.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShJitndTnzMe45FvLl1RCsWa-8OJNG7hEhv4QLKA-mQo6j5OYS3v9satC0k9YtfhRdZ3XKe3N8R16NE1cEfkJ0gnUzWI84hGtvMoFwdlJntwU1RN8Z_Lc_y5Rg49-aAoVBhV5oxkrxTqp/s320/honeymoon+part+1+475.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549564543813278642" border="0" /></a><br />[Me and Marilyn, outside of the museum. I originally tried to give her a kiss, but bronze gets hot in the sun.]<br /><br />After we wandered around the museum for an hour or so, we hopped back into the car and just drove around aimlessly. I love doing this in cities I'm unfamiliar with - it's such a great way to explore. And since LA is SO big, we never ran out of places to go. Plus, having the iPhone was handy because if we got REALLY turned around or went off the map, we could locate ourselves pretty easily.<br /><br />We drove by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klasky_Csupo">Klasky-Csupo</a> studios and soon after that found our FIRST cupcake stop of the trip - <a href="http://www.frostedcupcakery.com/">Frosted Cupcakery</a>. It was delicious.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xT5YkD3lwFWg_B0AWdO5wrGXgQfgi-0z-1ZLWFs_nEvpb0tYLxw1Oz8CzzTDbyDEJM3RdwU4c8WDI8OlAn9RfPPz1pCnWQjLtWJhHqJIHoEKkTxG2OmV5cz8Ue2Keasu83p3Xtv8V-_t/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+494.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xT5YkD3lwFWg_B0AWdO5wrGXgQfgi-0z-1ZLWFs_nEvpb0tYLxw1Oz8CzzTDbyDEJM3RdwU4c8WDI8OlAn9RfPPz1pCnWQjLtWJhHqJIHoEKkTxG2OmV5cz8Ue2Keasu83p3Xtv8V-_t/s320/honeymoon+part+1+494.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549566486471931586" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnChspajiWhzWQzBQJZS663N0q_061gc_f24X08KtMj1CMzU-PYVQobITPbUdhOtkQddNuEGvgwTrtlXmYEsEywRLW3jzyqorIgxLfYHImp-DoAoVUndzzwqcrFTG9xHyP8eSKPXi8kSPn/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+493.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnChspajiWhzWQzBQJZS663N0q_061gc_f24X08KtMj1CMzU-PYVQobITPbUdhOtkQddNuEGvgwTrtlXmYEsEywRLW3jzyqorIgxLfYHImp-DoAoVUndzzwqcrFTG9xHyP8eSKPXi8kSPn/s320/honeymoon+part+1+493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549566479199510642" border="0" /></a><br />[but we were in a hurry to get somewhere else so we took them to go]<br /><br />We somehow found our way to Larchmont. This area was AMAZING. We went to the <a href="http://www.villagepizzeria.net/default.aspx">Village Pizzeria</a> and then to <a href="http://www.crumbs.com/">Crumbs Bake Shop</a>. Needless to say, we were STUFFED by this point. Two cupcakes each and a huge slice of New York pizza. We were also getting kind of cranky because we didn't know where we were and we also didn't have much of a plan. I realize that a lot of people, on their honeymoons, want to rest and relax and spend time together being calm. Pete and I were very different on our trip, though - we just wanted to cram as much in as we could.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbDA0ouETElUAVXxZfIgy7m45dgPMbDBS2wOuCLGFKNa3DPppxA0q0kNeNXUqbhPjAasCjFyG0Oolicl_2-DcibUxQNwGGy25RM8hGw1GpFlPBpkDvswsBNQNdztpggeEpWQzrDVWcMSJ/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+501.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbDA0ouETElUAVXxZfIgy7m45dgPMbDBS2wOuCLGFKNa3DPppxA0q0kNeNXUqbhPjAasCjFyG0Oolicl_2-DcibUxQNwGGy25RM8hGw1GpFlPBpkDvswsBNQNdztpggeEpWQzrDVWcMSJ/s320/honeymoon+part+1+501.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549568075627520722" border="0" /></a><br />[peanut butter & jelly cupcake and that famous pizza]<br /><br />We jumped back in the car after reading about Judy Greer's favorite hangouts (she probably sat where we sat at Village Pizzeria!) and walking around and window shopping. Then we headed towards Beverly Hills.<br /><br />BH was fine, but also kind of boring. We went to Rodeo Drive but couldn't find a parking space, so we never parked. We couldn't have afforded anything anyway.<br /><br />However, we DID find the Sprinkles. Which is (you guessed it!) another cupcake place. I didn't even WANT another one, but Pete and I both waited in line for a half hour (yes, a half hour) and each got a famous cupcake. I ate mine the next morning for breakfast.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0X0blmBD6nuXabKDIgYNOAsKEnZ86T_69RbT5tVTKEwWVMqEf9rxQ0dSkcP7dKS8lNIZ0N8E-QHuEkfIGt5nUw-pyCpT8xvDzlW_yXAh8wZIZL4Mj2WGHoonhwEE-8cD-Gf4BsMm9nG4/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+506.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0X0blmBD6nuXabKDIgYNOAsKEnZ86T_69RbT5tVTKEwWVMqEf9rxQ0dSkcP7dKS8lNIZ0N8E-QHuEkfIGt5nUw-pyCpT8xvDzlW_yXAh8wZIZL4Mj2WGHoonhwEE-8cD-Gf4BsMm9nG4/s320/honeymoon+part+1+506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549569050672393074" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5mRhPmx9VbpJI7XtZD8jZ0ssqFWNM8WiKA6SCvdMf0DgcAgJi5MzrgSZXWoA1Rsp5KpnclnhVKslwsdtMFzR5AiuL7VGdmmsPdM7Mq-SPtz82FSnPU2S6z5KftBFjKwJ5XOEEJe_WDzy/s1600/honeymoon+part+1+509.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5mRhPmx9VbpJI7XtZD8jZ0ssqFWNM8WiKA6SCvdMf0DgcAgJi5MzrgSZXWoA1Rsp5KpnclnhVKslwsdtMFzR5AiuL7VGdmmsPdM7Mq-SPtz82FSnPU2S6z5KftBFjKwJ5XOEEJe_WDzy/s320/honeymoon+part+1+509.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549569062818594050" border="0" /></a><br />[magical.]<br /><br />We slowly headed back to the our hotel and relaxed there for a bit, before we ventured out for In-N-Out burgers. Oh. So. Good. We took it easy the rest of the night, as it was time to begin our drive up the coast the next morning!<br /><br />DISCLAIMER: After writing this post and looking at the pictures that I included...I am afraid that I look like a HUGE fatty. We did do more than eat cupcakes this day, although it isn't worth noting... Also, I just didn't take pictures of us sitting in traffic.Kaylenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09055664983331618582noreply@blogger.com0