Didn't we almost have it all?

I am seeking some advice from my blog friends.  I hope you can provide some insight.

I'm finally, finally, in a place in my life where I'm not living paycheck to paycheck.  I put a comfortable amount of money in my savings every week, but that money, she's calling my name.

The sweetie and me, we've been talking a lot about priorities and what we want out of life.  Be both agree that Travel and Financial Security are at the top of the list.  

The problem is, that it doesn't seem possible to do both right now.  I'm still only in this apartment 5 months and there's a lot that I'd still like to do/buy.  This is where I spend 75% of my time and I'd like it to make me happy, not remind me of all that is lacking.

Then there is my measly savings.  I mean, what's all that business about having 3 months of expenses in savings?  What about owning a house or apartment some day?

Then there is the travel.  I'm itching to take a trip.  It's been 2 years since I've even gotten on a plane!  Isn't the key to being happy "just saying yes"?

How do you balance it all?  Do I really have to sacrifice life's smaller pleasures for the big picture?  How big is The Big Picture?

(P.S.  My camera finally crapped out.  It's 5 years old and it's about time, honestly.  Until I can buy a new one, it's cell phone photos for me.  Oh, so add that to the list of Stuff I Want To Spend Money on.)

Have you seen this?

EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

I saw this video over at Black Eiffel and it made my heart ache a little.  The semester I spent in Paris when I was 21 did much to shape my life and who I am as an adult.  Also, the friends I made are my friends for life - I still talk to them and see them as much as possible.  (Though not as often as I'd like.)

I miss you girls!  And I miss Paris.  Constantly.

Happy Valentine's Day

If I didn't have plans tonight.  I would be going here.

Sophie Blackall draws inspiration for her illustrations from Missed Connections.  Her spin manages to be whimsical and filled with sweet, innocent longing.  I've mentioned how much I love her before.

 

I don't go in big for Valentine's Day.  It's tough if you happen to be my sweetheart because the holiday comes so quickly after Christmas and my birthday!  Plus, it just puts unneeded pressure on everyone involved.  We prefer smaller, more heartfelt gestures at The Works.

Tonight I'm making dinner, which isn't that out of the ordinary, but I might light a few candles and put out a tablecloth.  When we were first dating, I'd invite my sweetheart over for dinner in the middle of the week as an excuse to see him!  Also, for me, cooking a meal  is the ultimate way that I can express my love for someone. 

What ever you end up doing today, I hope you are feeling loved!

I'm a terrible blogger

When I moved into my new place, I had grand plans to feature all kinds of DIY projects here on the blog.  I would document each before and after, each decision, each purchase.

Does anyone notice something missing here?  Yup.  A lot.  I have yet to really achieve these lofty goals.

I have no "before", but I can show you an "after".  Here it is:

I found these bedside tables on the street.  (I know a lot of you will cringe when you read this, what with the bedbug scare and whatnot.  I know.  But I'm a garbage picker, always have been and always will be.)  These were pretty grimy and beat up when I rescued them, but I could see their potential right away.  

I considered refinishing them and staining them, but my bedroom was looking a little dark and masculine with dark walls and a dark wood dresser already, so I went with paint.  I also was torn between a seafoam green or just white, so I picked something in between.  It's Mint Fizz from Behr.  In this picture, it's a little hard to see.  It's very, very subtle, but I like it.

See those handles?  I don't know why they're crooked.  The holes in the drawer seem straight and the other hardware didn't look crooked, but these are.  No idea.

I also decided to pull out all the stops and line the drawers.  I went a little overboard at Papermojo.com in December and used one of the beautiful papers I bought to line the drawer.  Just a little double stick tape on the bottom and it's a world of difference.

Full disclosure on the bedroom as soon as the headboard is built!

Birthdays and more birthdays

It was my birthday last week, which around these parts looks a lot like this:

That is to say, a lot of wine and eating and general merry-making. 

I'm a little peculiar when it comes to birthdays.  To me, there is nothing sadder, nothing, than a birthday that goes unnoticed and rather than rely on others to make a fuss over my day, I usually end up throwing myself some kind of party.  This creates kind of a conundrum, because I then start to panic that no one will come, which is the worst kind of sad, because you've gone and made your own fuss and then no one acknowledged it!

In the past I've had parties at bars, or parties that my bf organized that were mostly his friends, or parties that I've shared with roommates (which is perfect when your birthdays are a week a part!), but this was the first year that I've had a party in my own apartment to just celebrate me.

It all seemed a little too self-indulgent.  There was a facebook mishap where a bunch of people didn't get invited.  I begged my family to make the drive to the city, so that if no one showed up at least they would be there.  It was destined to fail and I would spend my birthday alone and friendless with piles of food going bad and drinks going warm.

But of course it didn't.  In fact, I had such a good time that I forgot to take a single picture!  And my apartment was full of family and friends and love and merry-making and I was (am) the luckiest girl in the whole world!

I'm slowly digging myself out, mentally and physically.  All this snow and ice don't help, either.  I finished and started some knitting and I've done a bit of sewing.  All to come soon.  

All. To. Come. Soon.

P.S. Thank you, everyone, for making a fuss and making me feel so loved!

Wants and Desires

With the big move in October and Christmas following so quickly behind, I haven't really been shopping for me at all!

Of course I bought stuff for the apartment, but it's just not the same is it?

With my birthday around the corner, I've been thinking of items that I really want just for little ol' me. Now that I'm firmly in my (ahem, mid) 30's, I also find that I'm drawn to classic, investment pieces that I can keep well into my 40's and that I can maybe pass down to a daughter some day. I think about raiding my mom's closet when I was in my 20's and I was so grateful that she held onto certain items.


Sailor tee. I've wanted one forever!

Grown-up purse, since I'm swiftly approaching mid-life.

This cape. I'm not usually a fan of American Apparel, but this hits all the right notes. Seems vintage and classic at the same time.

Classic Wellies. My last pair fell apart, but these are built to stand the test of time.

5 years

Did you know this blog is 5 years old?  Yep.  I started on New Year's Eve way back in 2005.  I was such a different girl back then - a little lonely, not really sure of her place in the world.  I'm not completely sure of it now, and New Year's Eve still makes me a little blue, but I'm slightly more confident and lot more self-reliant.

If you read the blog, you'll know I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but this time around, the new year presented me with a chance to re-evaluate my health and the poor turn that it had taken.  I had a summer full of pizza and tacos and pasta with pesto and the extra pounds to prove it. 

I started out the new year with Gwyneth's detox.  I modified it a bit, not following the menu's exactly (I just couldn't stomach that avocado soup and I didn't give up coffee), but sticking with the spirit of the fast.  At the end of about a week of no dairy, no refined sugar, and no processed flour, I was feeling pretty good!  

I'm not a convert, by any means.  I fully intend to indulge in a hamburger sometime soon and possibly some birthday cake at the end of the month.  I may have also had a bagel for breakfast yesterday morning.  But I'm in love with my juicer now, and making a decided effort to eat cleaner foods.

This is where Jamie Oliver's soup comes in.  Well, I've been eating a lot of soup lately because it's the perfect food to keep me going through the day and I can make a lot in advance.  But I particularly love Jamie's soup. It's packed with flavor and veggies and with a dollop of plain (non-fat) Greek yogurt, it's positively decadent.

(I've also been eating a lot of this and this.  Both highly recommended.) 

Lentil and Spinach Soup, serves 6-8

*adapted from "Jamie's Food Revolution"

2 tbs. olive oil

2 medium carrots

2 celery stalks

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

thumb-sized piece of ginger

1/2 small red chili

10 grape tomatoes

2 cups red lentils

7 cups baby spinach

salt and black pepper, to taste

1 cup plain (non-fat) Greek yogurt, to garnish, if you like

Put a large sauce pan on medium heat and add 2 tbs. of olive oil

Chop carrots, celery and onion and add to pan

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, with the lid askew, until vegetables are soft

Meanwhile, mince or grate the ginger, seed and finely slice the chili and cut the tomatoes in half.

Next add the stock, ginger, chili, tomatoes and lentils.

Bring soup to a boil and reduce to simmering.  

Simmer, with the lid on, for about 10 minutes or until lentils are falling apart.

Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds, or until the spinach is good and wilted.

Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve with yogurt if you like!

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

This is a blurry, blurry picture of my kitchen after buying some bookcases at Ikea and after my Christmas "Not-A-Party", as I am calling it. Cause it wasn't. A party.

Anyway. During Ikea pit stop on the drive home from Thanksgiving in NJ, I picked up two bookcases. I intended to put them against the chalkboard wall and use them as a place to store my cookbooks and growing vintage Pyrex collection.

Since most of my Pyrex is white, I painted the back of the bookcases turquoise with leftover paint from my living room. (Yes, that is really the color of my living room. I know I haven't shared that with you yet, but it's coming.) It was really easy to do, as anyone who has ever put together an Ikea bookcase will know, because the back of it is actually a thin piece of fiber-board that slides in at the very end. So, simply paint and allow to dry before you finish it up!

I'm really pleased. The Pyrex pops against the turquoise and the bookcases are a good height for staging a temporary bar. And my guests actually used the chalkboard, which made me very happy.

I did a little Christmas baking in the form of cupcakes, but only for the Not-A-Party. There are no gingerbread men or sugar cookies in The Works this year. Left over cupcakes make and excellent breakfast, by the way.

I've also been doing a little Christmas knitting. I have no pictures, however, other than this one.

Sad, I know. But it's hard to get decent pictures these days, what with the dark and cold and whatnot.

So, Merry Christmas, y'all! Here's wishing you all the best for your holiday. Be sure to spend it with someone you love and treasure every moment!

See you again in the New Year!

In which she makes something crafty

I had a Sunday at home for the first time in what seemed like months. I used the rainy weather as an excuse to lock myself indoors and do some nesting. Or, rather, crafting.

I had bought some nylon thread ages ago, with the intention of making a garland similar to this, but after decorating my tree this week, I felt it was a little empty looking. So, Christmas garland it was!!

I used felt, because it didn't need any hemming and cut about a billion little triangles with my rotary cutter and mat. You basically line up the corner on the bias line and cut horizontally and then diagonally. And voila! Tons of triangles.

Then you just run them through your sewing machine. I made the garland in three sections. It was more manageable that way and I could also gauge how much more I needed as I went along.

This was a really quick, easy and satisfying project and, at probably less than a 1/4 yard of felt, it was also very affordable I've dialed it way back on the crafts this holiday season and it feel pretty good. I'm looking forward to a relaxing Christmas season and I hope you all are, too!!

Wants and Desires

Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, I've been doing a little Christmas dreaming of my own.

Here's what my list for Santa would look like.

I'm still wishing for stuff for the apartment.

Some pretty and comfy linens.

A cool (and functioning) telephone.

Somethin' a little sparkly.

And, well, a girl can dream, can't she?

The Most Wonderful TIme of the Year....

Thanksgiving is under our belts (literally) and, at The Works, that means Christmas is in full swing.

I've got gifts to buy and candy to make, but first, this Saturday is the 3rd Ward Holiday Craft Fair. I'll be there this year with Little Bunny so come by and say hello from 12-6pm. And maybe buy a little somethin'.

Thankfulness and Another Project

And so I painted one of my kitchen walls black. I kind of love it. In fact, I love it a lot. A lot.

And it is. indeed, a chalkboard wall. My friend, L, says that it "creeps her out" but I love looking at it next to my awesome wall paper.

Then, next to the fridge, I installed a bottle opener. It also makes me happy. So there you have it.

Tomorrow I head to NJ to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I have a lot to be thankful for and, before dinner, we all go around the table and say what that is. I know it's not a unique tradition, but we do it every year and every year I get a little nervous when my turn comes.

I'm counting all the ways (that I'm thankful) and I hope you are, too. And I wish you the happiest day filled with your favorite people.

Apartment Project- kitchen

In the last 4 weeks, I've painted my bedroom and living room, hung curtains, and painted my kitchen table and chairs. What I did not do was take any before and after pictures for you.

I did, however, put up some awesome temporary wallpaper in my kitchen, of which I have photos. The kitchen is black and white and the walls just seemed sooooooo white. I had intended the wallpaper for the entry way, but none of the walls proved a likely candidate.

So I started out in the top, left corner and it wasn't quite flush against the corner. So I stopped and called my mom. It seems, that this is not how one hangs wallpaper.

It appears that one has to first hang a plumb line. A plumb line, apparently, is useful for "determining center of gravity of an irregular shape". I improvised one with some yarn and a bunch of belt buckles.

So you have to hang the first strip a little away from your corner and follow the plumb line. Then you go back later and patch in the corner. This ensures that your pattern is straight across the ceiling.

This is the point where my first roll of paper ran out. This is also the point where I realized that everything - EVERYTHING - that I would need for my apartment would cost between $100-150.

And, ta-DA! The finished product (project). You can also see the table and chairs that I painted. They were a hand me down from my parents and about 25 years old. I love the new paint color. I was going to go with black, but decided to go really, really dark teal instead.

The kitchen has taken on a life of it's own at this point. It's gone a little glam, which I'm thrilled with.

More pictures soon!

You Be the Judge

Which table and chairs cost $900? And which one cost $550?

I'm trying to find a reasonable option for a dining table. If I can hardly tell the difference, is it worth the extra $350?

Fretful Knitting

In the stress-filled weeks before I moved, I occasionally had the spare moment to knit. The management had my application for 2 weeks (2!) before they set the ball rolling. I had pretty much stopped looking at other places, because this was The One and I had nothing but time on my hands.

In those weeks, I would come home, pack a box or two in the name of positive thinking, and then settle in to watch a little TV before fretting myself to sleep. I needed something to keep my hands busy, but nothing too taxing on the brain.

My very cool friends who live in Paris, just had their second child. The first baby, I actually got to visit in person and he was the recipient of a little pea coat and knitted hat. L said that he wore the hat all winter until the nanny lost it. Well, I couldn't let N's new little brother go hat-less and of course he had to have a new one (to replace the one the nanny lost!).

I can't tell you how I made these. I think I Googled "child head circumference" and then cast on accordingly. As a result, they are a little on the big side. But, it's good to have hand knits to grow in to, right?

The yarn is Spud and Chloe worsted superwash. I really, really love it and will be using it for many more hand knits for all the babies being born around me these days.

Oh, and I included a I *heart* NY onezie and a tee, so the boys will know where their cool friend from the states lives. I can never resist a plug for good ol' NYC.

Wants and Desires

Ever since moving into the new place, all I can do is daydream and surf the net for stuff to fill my apartment. Oh, wait, I did that before. Don't tell my boss.

campaign table, for next to the love seat

Jonathan Adler bedding, I've been looking everywhere for this color!

This rug, for the living room, to balance the bold walls and curtains (pictures to follow).

Or this one, 'cause I love it. So help me.

Le Retour

Le Retour, in France, means The Return. It's what they call that time of year when everyone returns from their summer vacanes and readies themselves for the (school) year ahead. Nine years ago, I packed up my world and moved to France. It was the beginning of October and there was a palpable energy in the air. It may have been emanating from my own person, but I felt it. The change in the climate and the change in my life.

I've always felt like Fall was the perfect time to start anew. It's better for me than the New Year, somehow. Maybe it's the magic of the changing leaves, maybe it's the promise of new notebooks for school, but the change in the season heralds, for me, the possibility of a change in your life.

Last year, around this time, I was flying on the trapeze, and taking stock of my life. I had been a single girl in the city for a year and I had grown by leaps and bounds. (Literally.)

This year, however, I'm taking a different kind of leap. Two weeks ago, I moved into my own apartment. No more boyfriends, no more roommates, no one but little ol' me to paint the walls and call the super and deal with the internet installation.

I've never been totally on my own. And to tell you the truth, I'm not. I'm in this great neighborhood, where 80% of my friends reside, and there is love and support all around me, but at the end of the day, I'm savoring all the tiny, wonderful moments that are mine alone.

It may seem a little quiet here at times, but I'm getting used to it and, as I type, there is a batch of apple butter in oven and a pot of soup on the stove and it's starting to feel a lot like home.

That's all she wrote!

Hey kids. There's no getting around it now - summer is officially over. There are no loop holes this time and I'm going to have to face it. I have to tell you - I feel pretty good about Autumn coming. It's my absolute favorite time of year and I'm just fine with summer ending. I think I just heard a collective gasp shudder through the universe, but it's the truth. I will not miss it. This summer was just. Too. Hot.

I did OK on my list, too. I did 6 out of 11, which ain't too shabby. Also, I did two things that were pretty cool that weren't on my list.

I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I've lived in NYC for 8 years and have never done it and I was pretty thrilled on that random Saturday afternoon. It was all totally random - started out in Chinatown with random, unplanned dim sum and ended walking across the Bridge to a BBQ in Brooklyn. Lovely.

I also did this crazy taco truck crawl through Queens. I found out about it from Jeffery Tastes, who hosts all kinds of these crawls. I think I ate a total of 3 tacos, which is a lot and, at the same time, isn't very much. I don't think I took full advantage of all the goings on and fully plan to go the next time he organizes one. With a big group of Queens peeps. (I'm also considering going back to this particular truck, 'cause it was soooo good.)

I have some finished knitting projects that I'd like to share with you, but I've yet to take decent pictures. Also, my life it pretty much totally preoccupied with The Great Apartment Search. I'll be checking out until that is over.

In the mean time, I'm going to watch Vampire Diaries. No, I'm not kidding. Later!

Afterthoughts

Hey guys! Thank you so much for those of you who spoke up after my last post. Shana, you were right on with your advice. I cannot tell you how right you were. I found The One last week and the process is rolling. Please send all your positive thoughts towards the management company!!

I wanted to talk to you for a minute about pesto. Did you know you can make pesto out of anything? Not just basil. No really.

Typically, pesto is basil + pine nuts + parmesan cheese + garlic + olive oil. There is a magic ratio that I've discovered over the years and there are only two numbers you have to remember. 2 and 1/2. Here's how it goes:

2 cups of basil

2 cloves of garlic

1/ 2 cup of pine nuts

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup olive oil

This time of year, however, I make a lot of arugula pesto. More often then not, I buy a big bunch of arugula to make a salad and I have a bunch left over and that becomes the basis for the pesto. I simply swap out the arugula for the basil.

The olive oil and garlic are constants, but you can sub out the type of cheese or nuts and also the base. It helps if the cheese is a dry crumbly variety.

It might go a little something like this:

arugula + pine nuts + parmesan

sun dried tomatoes + almonds + goat cheese

sage + walnuts + parmesan

olives + pistachios + feta

Mix with pasta and veggies (remember to reserve some of the pasta water to mix with your pesto. At least a cup) for a great main dish.

I like to mix it with small white beans for a great side dish to serve with fish.

Ooh! Imagine an olive pesto mixed with white beans and luscious canned tuna for a great lunch! Maybe some diced tomatoes, too?

It also makes an awesome marinade for meats or fish and freezes like a dream. Often I make it when I have a lot of leftover herbs and then freeze it for a rainy day.

(The recipe above is enough for 1 pound of pasta.)