I took a few hours on Sunday to make meals for the week ahead, and I'm glad I did because work has been busy busy busy. It's nice to come home and find homemade black bean veggie soup or rosy potato soup or coconut lime chicken soup waiting for me.
Oh, and I can't forget the peanut-butter balls. Om nom nom nom.
As far as the photography goes, I must admit a little disappointment with the quality of images I can take in my galley dungeon of a kitchen. Our apartment in general gets very little natural light. It's a constant challenge to use existing light and keep that flash off. I'm envious of domestic champions like Smitten Kitchen and Bakerella, whose crisp, mouth-watering images always look like the sun itself resides within them.
Dear future self: Next dwelling MUST have more windows, K? Thankyouverymuch. Also, a little less cayenne pepper in the next batch of black bean veggie soup. Your past self's tongue is on fire.
I've always been interested in the "a picture is worth a thousand words" concept, and every now and then there's one that really captivates me.
Exhibit A:
Left: John and Yoko's iconic Annie Leibovitz photoshoot on Dec. 8, 1980 Right: Sean Lennon's re-enactment with girlfriend, 2009
Ever since this pictorial homage made the rounds earlier this month, there has been tons of feedback, including more than 700 comments on The Huffington Post alone. Some of the words being tossed around are "cheap," "anti-feminist," "nice try," "not as special," "bad career move," "nothing shocking," "a tasteful homage," "art." Even people who supposedly hate the new photo are tripping over one another to comment on it. It's amazing!
The most debated thing is why Sean is clothed when his father wasn't. Why is Sean lying flat on his back instead of in the fetal position? Is it a statement? Is he saying he is unlike his father? Is he saying he identifies more with his mother? Is he simply too shy to take off his clothes? What do you think -- what's the symbolism, or is there any at all?
As for the original, Leibovitz herself said of her photograph:
John said, "You've captured our relationship exactly. Promise me it'll be on the cover." I looked him in the eye and we shook on it.
T.E. Lawrence: I killed two people. One was... yesterday? He was just a boy and I led him into quicksand. The other was... well, before Aqaba. I had to execute him with my pistol, and there was something about it that I didn't like. General Allenby: That's to be expected. T.E. Lawrence: No, something else. General Allenby: Well, then let it be a lesson. T.E. Lawrence: No... something else. General Allenby: What then? T.E. Lawrence: I enjoyed it.
It's World War I, and Peter O'Toole is T.E. Lawrence, an eccentric British officer stationed in Cairo who has plans to infiltrate the Arab tribes and learn what Prince Feisal is planning to do against the Turks. He eventually aligns warring tribes to stage battle on several cities, the last of which is Damascus. Along the way, he gets really tan. People die. And he keeps getting promotions in the army despite his conflict of allegiance to the tribes he's been leading into battle. Truthfully this four-hour movie could've been half the length. I had to watch it in installments. But the breathtaking desert scenery on our flat-screen? Now that was inspirational. Gorgeous, gorgeous Super Panavision 70 cinematography. I can't say enough about it.
Steward: I said, "Breakfast, sir?" Charles: Two scotch and sodas with plain water. Jean Harrington: Don't you take cream and sugar? Charles: No, I always take it black. [pause] Charles: Say, what am I talking about? Jean Harrington: That's what I was wondering.
In a nutshell, Barbara Stanwyck is a con artist who falls in love with a wealthy ale brewer. He finds out, he dumps her. To torture him for breaking her heart, she feigns a new name and a disguise (well, not really, but kinda) and re-introduces herself. He for some reason can't tell that she's the same woman. Follow me? They end up getting married, she tortures him some more, he wants a divorce. She then re-re-introduces herself as the original con artist, and he once again doesn't realize she's the same woman he just married. Follow me? And, here is the kicker, he is overjoyed to be reunited with the original con artist. Whew. Inspiration? Maybe, if you know a really dense man, you can pretend to be someone else who just happens to look exactly like you and he will believe it's not you. But he has to be honest-to-god Forrest Gump dense or you'll never pull it off. Good for playing practical jokes and/or exacting revenge.
How is it 1 p.m. already? Sorry I'm late, friends. Today I decided to start a Tumblr page to document little bits and pieces of things I find interesting. It's dangerous, though, because apparently I've gotten sucked in for hours. Here I am, still wearing my yoga pants and bad Dudley Moore-esque bed head. Time flies and all that.
What's on the agenda this weekend? Me, I have started a few lists. One is the groceries for the upcoming week, during which I plan to make coconut lime chicken soup and peanut butter balls. Another is a craftsy list of projects, including finally framing a Beatles poster I bought back in June. The third is the fun list: going to the movies, the beach and maybe even moseying up to the county fair finally. What about you?
You just bought this huge rug, and who do you call? Why your friend Harry, of course. You've really started to lean on him lately. He's handy like that. He helped you drag a Christmas tree back to your place, too. Of course he'd never admit that you were friends because he doesn't believe that men and women can ever truly be friends. It's not like you'd ever sleep with him, not in a million years. For crying out loud, he's so clueless he wouldn't even know that you were faking your orgasm while trying to figure out what to order for dinner. Maybe a salad. But with balsamic vinegar and oil instead of the regular dressing. And it has to be on the side. Oh yes, yes, yes!
Everyone's talking about how the "New Moon" soundtrack is shaping up to be the best of the year. I'm a little distracted by, y'know, vampires and werewolves to make any educated speculation about the music, but all the talk got me reminiscing about my favorite soundtracks. One thought led to another, and before I knew it I was narrowing down my top soundtracks of the 1990s. Yep, you read that right -- the 1990s. Let's not discuss my eccentric yet genius train of thought.
I have a few rules when it comes to soundtracks. 1. Various artists are a must. If all the songs are by the Bee Gees, it ceases to be a soundtrack and is instead a Bee Gees album. 2. The songs as a whole must reflect the mood of the movie. If the songs are all doom and gloom and the movie is about high school, I'm gonna go ahead and say it's a little melodramatic for my taste. 3. Can I put the movie on repeat? Then I can put the soundtrack on repeat. That's how I roll.
What are your favorites? Did they make my list? Scroll through to check it out.
Reality Bites
1. My Sharona - Knack 2. Spin The Bottle - The Juliana Hatfield 3 3. Bed Of Roses - The Indians 4. When You Come Back To Me - World Party 5. Going, Going, Gone - The Posies 6. Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories 7. All I Want Is You - U2 8. Locked Out - Crowded House 9. Spinning Around Over You - Lenny Kravitz 10. I'm Nuthin' - Ethan Hawke 11. Turnip Farm - Dinosaur Jr. 12. Revival! - Me Phi Me 13. Tempted (94) - Squeeze 14. Baby, I Love Your Way - Big Mountain
I have vivid memories of listening to this CD on my very first CD boombox. One of its only special settings was "repeat," and I wore that sucker out, especially with this album. I only wish Ethan Hawke's version of the Violent Femmes tune "Add It Up" was on it; that's one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Otherwise, best track: "When You Come Back to Me"
Brokedown Palace
1. Silence - Delerium 2. Party's Just Begun - Nelly Furtado 3. Policeman Skank (The Story of My Life) - Audioweb 4. Rock the Casbah - Solar Twins 5. Damaged - Plumb 6. Fingers [Original Mix] - Joi 7. Contradictive - Muggs, Tricky 8. Leave It Alone - Moist 9. Naxalite - Asian Dub Foundation 10. Even When I'm Sleeping - Leonardo's Bride 11. Bangkok [Thai Version] - Brother Sun Sister Moon 12. Wind - PJ Harvey 13. Deliver Me - Sarah Brightman 14. Arrest/Darlene Goes Home - David Newman
Why is it so damn difficult to find a decent clip of this movie on the Internet? It was made 10 years ago, not 10,000 years ago. Puh-lease! At any rate, I found the trailer, which includes my favorite track, "Silence." The music might be a little sullen, but that's OK because the movie is, too.
Pulp Fiction
1. Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (Dialogue)/Misirlou 2. Royale With Cheese 3. Jungle Boogie - Kool & the Gang 4. Let's Stay Together - Al Green 5. Bustin' Surfboards - The Tornadoes 6. Lonesome Town - Rick Nelson 7. Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield 8. Zed's Dead, Baby [Dialogue] 9. Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest (Dialogue)/You Never Can Tell 10. Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon - Urge Overkill 11. If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags) - Maria McKee 12. Bring Out the Gimp (Dialogue)/Comanche 13. Flowers on the Wall - The Statler Brothers 14. Personality Goes a Long Way [Dialogue] 15. Surf Rider - The Lively Ones 16. Ezekiel 25:17 [Dialogue]
I owned this soundtrack on tape back when I drove an ancient Ford pickup (true story) in high school. It got a lot of play, especially "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon." One night on my way home from a party I rolled down the window and sang along with the tape at the top of my lungs as the wind whipped my face. My favorite tracks? The surf guitar tunes scattered throughout.
Romeo & Juliet
1. #1 Crush - Garbage 2. Local God - Everclear 3. Angel - Gavin Friday 4. Pretty Piece of Flesh - One Inch Punch 5. Kissing You - Des'ree 6. Whatever (I Had a Dream) - Butthole Surfers 7. Lovefool - The Cardigans 8. Young Hearts Run Free - Kym Mazelle 9. Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) - Quindon Tarver 10. To You I Bestow - Mundy 11. Talk Show Host - Radiohead 12. Little Star - Stina Nordenstam 13. You and Me Song - The Wannadies
This is one of the few movies I've ever stood in line to see. To teens my age when it came out, it was revolutionary. First Mel Gibson in "Hamlet," now a hip version of "Romeo & Juliet"? Sign us up! Shakespeare had never been so sexy. Best track: "To You I Bestow"
Batman Forever
1. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" - U2 2. "One Time Too Many" - PJ Harvey 3. "Where Are You Now?" - Brandy 4. "Kiss from a Rose" - Seal 5. "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" - Massive Attack & Tracey Thorn (Smokey Robinson cover) 6. "Nobody Lives Without Love" - Eddi Reader 7. "Tell Me Now" - Mazzy Star 8. "Smash It Up" - The Offspring (The Damned cover) 9. "There Is a Light" - Nick Cave 10. "The Riddler" - Method Man 11. "The Passenger" - Michael Hutchence (Iggy Pop cover) 12. "Crossing the River" - Devlins 13. "8" - Sunny Day Real Estate 14. "Bad Days" - The Flaming Lips
OK, so this movie has Val Kilmer in it, and that's a big plus for me. It's not the best "Batman" movie ever made, but it does have the best music. Everyone has a soft spot for U2 and Seal, but I've got to give mad props to "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game."
Dazed and Confused
1. "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" - Rick Derringer 2. "Slow Ride" - Foghat 3. "School's Out" - Alice Cooper 4. "Jim Dandy" - Black Oak Arkansas 5. "Tush" - ZZ Top 6. "Love Hurts" - Nazareth 7. "Stranglehold" - Ted Nugent 8. "Cherry Bomb" - The Runaways 9. "Fox on the Run" - Sweet 10. "Low Rider" - War 11. "Tuesday's Gone" - Lynyrd Skynyrd 12. "Highway Star" - Deep Purple 13. "Rock and Roll All Nite" - KISS 14. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
This movie was so full of awesome music they released not one but TWO soundtracks. I'm rocking the first one here because it got a lot more play on the aforementioned boombox. My favorite music scene is when Mitch goes home, puts on his headphones and out comes "Slow Ride." Take it easy.
Oh, to have my own personal Burt Reynolds. We would lie cheek to cheek so I could admire his great profile. And I could switch out his mustache when he wanted to go undercover. This pillow by Sally England Design is just the ticket.
Top: Adam, Karen Walker, Lela Rose, Lacoste Bottom: DKNY, Stella McCartney, Rachel Roy, Peter Som Photo Credit: NYMag.com
I was sifting through the images from New York Fashion Week, and I kept seeing one thing over and over that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside: the Mr. Rogers* cardigan. Y'know, a long, loose cardigan that may or may not have belonged to your grandfather. I especially like the look over a skirt and tights. Loose-fitting and a perfect layering piece, I don't think a gal can have too many long cardis.
*Singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor" while wearing a long cardi isn't mandatory, but it is encouraged.
It has to be said: My pal Sara is a bargain-shopping genius. As proof of her genius, she writes a feature on her blog in which she puts together entire outfits she has thrifted and tallies the amount she spent (oh so little) compared with the amount she would've paid full price (ouch!).
Husband and I are so lucky because whenever she finds a great deal in our sizes, she's quick to gift them to us. Husband in particular has been the recipient of many a great item, so during a closet clean-out this weekend I pulled out some Sara-found Juicy Couture jeans and a Diesel shirt. I envisioned a Walking the Walk post for Sara and promptly announced that it was "Photoshoot time!"
Husband, usually an enthusiastic model, had lackluster energy at first, standing stiff as a plank of wood with a blank look on his face. My attempt to play "Vogue" with him -- during which I say, "Go! Go! Go!" while expecting a different pose for each "Go!" -- fell flat, and several pictures in a row captured that lovely blank stare. Tyra would've been mortified.
Then I figured out the secret to unleashing Husband's inner supermodel.
Dancing.
And kicking.
How much did Sara spend on Husband's outfit and how much would it have cost retail? Find out here.
I remember huddling around the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine when I was kid, waiting for that perfect mixture of ice and sugar. My friends and I would compare our tongues later to see whose was the "reddest" of all. Afterward, we'd ride our bikes to the little grocery store on the corner and buy Pixy Stix. Wow, no wonder I had the energy of firecracker, being hepped up on sugar all the time.
Hope you have some sweet plans for the weekend. Me, I'm trying to get over this monster, two-Kleenex-boxes-empty cold that has crippled me all week. The first goal is to get my sense of smell back, then my sense of taste. Then we're going out for a low-key night with friends. Playing it by ear tomorrow. What about you?
This little number by Label of Hope really caught my eye on a recent Etsy browse. In fact, I'm thoroughly impressed with all the store's one-of-a-kind DIY shirts. A-maz-ing.
Woah. Wait a minute! How have I managed to miss this DIY chalkboard globe, and more importantly, why haven't you informed me of my oversight? C'mon friends, you know how I dig globesofallkinds. And a globe I can doodle on and draw squiggly countries on and leave a honey-do list on? Yes! Yes! Get all the instructions here.
And while we're on the subject, here are a few other photos of the oh-so-trendy chalkboard paint. I tip my eraser to these applications, which take the idea beyond just slapping a blackboard on the wall and calling it a day.
Both of these movies have the distinct honor of inspiring me with fashion.
[after Ellie stops a car by showing her leg] Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars. Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.
A rich girl runs away from home, relying on the bus to get from Florida to New York. Along the way she meets ex-newspaperman Clark Gable, who helps her in hopes of getting the "scoop." Of course they fall in love, yadda yadda yadda, the end. The dialogue is just as crisp today as it was in 1934. And so is Claudette Colbert's awesome chevron-striped outfit.
Chow Mo-wan: In the old days, if someone had a secret they didn't want to share... you know what they did? Ah Ping: Have no idea. Chow Mo-wan: They went up a mountain, found a tree, carved a hole in it, and whispered the secret into the hole. Then they covered it with mud. And leave the secret there forever. Ah Ping: What a pain! I'd just go to get laid. Chow Mo-wan: Not everyone's like you.
The premise: Two neighbors fall in love but never follow through with it because they don't want to end up like their cheating spouses. I can't say I was impressed with this movie. It was so unimpressive, in fact, that I was able to fast-forward with subtitles on and still understand what was happening. The best thing about it was the array of 1960s-era cheongsam shift dresses throughout. Yay for eye candy.
Because, more than anything, you want to be first female shuttle commander, you head off to space camp for the summer. Along the way, you meet a young Joaquin Phoenix who is BFF with an idiot robot, Jinx. Your mentor has a stick up her ass and is making you train to be a pilot instead of a shuttle commander! As if. You want to have fun, but the one time you make out with your nemesis Kevin, you get caught. If only you were in space! It's times like these when a gal could use a good thermal curtain failure, but you're told the chance of this happening is once every 4.9 million years, and you won't live that long.
Gotta love a gray jumpsuit. Light blue NASA gear is so 1986.
If there's one thing I miss about working the Monday-Friday schedule, it's the fact that I no longer have the chance to enjoy a lazy Sunday. You know, one where you wake up but don't get out of bed for a few hours. One where you lie in a disheveled bed and thumb through a magazine and/or read a book. The sun peeks through the curtains, but you smile in defiance. It's your lazy Sunday and you don't have to move till you want to.
Some links for such a Sunday:
Don't you just love argyle? Make your vases cozy and your notecards classy.
Mad props to Kate, whose interview skills are tops! I'm honored to be the featured seller this week on her blog, Where Eagles Dare. Click here to read all my dirty secrets. While you're there, scroll through her hilarious archives and the store she and her husband run on Etsy. Love, love, love her.
If you're stopping by after reading the interview, welcome! Make yourself at home and stay awhile, mmmkay?
Friends, what are we up to this weekend? I'm considering a trip to the county fair. It's been far too long since I played a carnival game. Do they still have the one where you throw darts at balloons for small stuffed animals? I'm killer at that.
I also have a hankering for spiced pumpkin cake. Now that it's finally not 1000 degrees in my apartment, I can entertain notions of baking. That's right, it's beautiful again here in the South Bay. Yay!
