"It's like Richard Scarry characters went to a Grizzly Bear show."

this tumbler is killling meeeee (thanks nora!)

Foodhatz

Was feeling inspired by the fabulous gaga during snack time @ work today....

 You like-a my giant ricecake+peanutbutta hat?

Pancake bunny feelin' it too...

I gotta go... there's peanut butter in my hair.

Mad Men: Don Draper Says "What?"

This absolutely slays. Nora brought this delightful nugget to my attention this afternoon. I don't know how I've never noticed that Don was deaf.... did you? WAT WAT WAAAATTTT... even in a flashback of him in the war.. he's all "WUT". 

slays.

Amy Sedaris LOVE

 This is her new book...and I must have it.

Over here on the Renegade Handmade blog they have a video of her and Martha baking.

Amazingness.

fun at the amusement park... i mean bar.

Greetings from...

[ view from outside during the day]

Yup. I know you've been looking for a retro circus themed watering hole. Welp.. this is it. You're welcome.

[ drinking and driving discouraged...]

make-it-happen

This past weekend was a make-it-happen weekend. I resolved to make some new things and I did!

After work on Friday, I went over to the massive Spec's downtown. This is not just a liquor store...they have an amazing and exotic assortment of foods from all over the world! Cheese, jams, fruits and veggies, crackers/cookies, spices and sauces...you could really hurt yourself there..and sometimes I do.

It's been ridiculously hot here...Typically after work I enjoy a glass of red wine while watching the news, but lately it's just been too hot for room temperature red wine. Remedy? Sangria! I don't know why it took me this late in the summer to whip up a pitcher, but I think it will be a weekend staple from here on out in the house. Everyone loved it! I emptied a bottle of Tempranillo Rioja into a pitcher with 2 large handfuls of pineapple chunks, strawberries and grapes. I added 3 tablespoons of sugar, a little pineapple juice and stuck it in the fridge for about an hour. After a good stir, pour over a wine glass with ice, throw some fruit in there and shazzam! It's cool, sweet and refreshing. The perfect summertime substitution for a Cabernet.

While I was browsing cocktail recipe books at Spec's I came across this amazing appetizer. I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese and I had goat cheese at home so I made a little substitution and whipped up a batch of these guys:

You need- 2/3 cups walnuts, chopped (you could substitute pecans or any chopped nut, really) 4 oz cream cheese, softened, 6 oz crumbled blue cheese, 20 loose seedless red grapes

Toast walnuts under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, transfer to a small bowl. In another small bowl blend and mix together the cheese, cover and place in refrigerator to firm up slightly for approximately 15 minutes. Put one heaping teaspoon of the mixture in the palm of your hand with a grape in the center and roll between both palms until the grape is completely coated, then roll in the toasted walnuts. Place on a plate single layer without touching each other and chill for 30 minutes or until coating is firm, and serve.

Friday was full of kitchen fun!

Saturday was a busy one, too. Ryan and I got up semi-early (read: 9am) and hit the Farmer's Market! We stocked up on mangoes, nectarines, lemons, limes, cucumbers, tomatoes and lots of other colorful fruits and veggies. We had a great lunch at Onion Creek before heading over to Central Market...and regretting that we paid for lunch. You really can just fill up on all the wonderful tasters there. We sampled coffee, wine, bread, salsa, cheese, juice...you name it. We left feeling like we were going to pop. We were supposed to hit the junk shop, but succumbed to a nap instead. That evening, I made my first ever batch of chocolate mousse with homemade whip. oh.. my...want it every day. Recipe over here!

Sunday was nice and lazy...the temp on my car read 104...I'm not doing anything outside when it's 104.

This weekend I took out some bright, colorful skeins of yarn and got to work on an urban guerrilla crochet project I had been wanting to start. I finished and "installed" it on Saturday night and snapped a quick photo Sunday morning. Don't you think it brightens up the corner of Hopkins and Fargo a bit? Gotta love the Montrose.

I'm pretty sure it's illegal...and it would honestly make me sad-face if someone tore it down...but I'm gonna enjoy it as long as it's there.

For more on urban/guerrilla knit, click here!

Wowsa

Sigh. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of this week were absolutely nuts, and I have 2 photos to show for it. The Lady Gaga shows were fantastic and we were so lucky to see them from such an amazing point of view...such a great experience. I couldn't thank L&S enough.

Jetsetter Bunny!

most. amazing. ever.

Last time Michelle was in Houston (she came in for a wedding at the end of March) I gave her a few felted springtime critters- some birds..and this blue bunny. Over the past week, Michelle and Dylan had some time off, did some exploring/travelling and they took blue bunny with them!

He went everywhere! All photos courtesy Michelle and Dylan <3[Bunny @ Notre Dame, Indiana, where he went to Easter mass]

[Bunny at Grand Central Station in New York]

[Bunny and Lady Liberty]

[ Bunny in Brooklyn!]

[Bunny in Love Park, Philadelphia]

[Bunny @ the Liberty Bell!]

[Bunny @ Niagara Falls, NY]

[ Bunny @ the Canadian border. Neat, eh?]

[Bunny's home in St. Paul, MN]

I love it. Thanks to Michelle and Dylan- it looks like it was a really great trip!

ohmigosh

INSPIRED!! FELT SWEETS. also food-inspired.. because i'm pretty sure adulthood means you can have S'mores for dinner.

[found here]

Sigh. Maybe it gets better with practice?

poor little owlie. i gave you a face, and it's not very pretty. so maybe hand sewn felt owls aren't my forte. thats ok. you were fun to "make"... i can learn other things...? maybe you can be a dog toy... wait, what's that? you want a girlfriend?.... mannnnnn.....

totally looks like...

Blago = Mon chi chi.

for. real.

except mon chi chi is kinda cute.

get out of here with that!

So I'm a massive fan of lists. I think I get it from Dad- the man makes lists for everything.

Grocery lists, lists of things to do, When I'm going on a trip, I plan my outfits, write them down... what shoes to wear, what jewelry to bring... its kind of absurd.

Two summers ago, summer of 2007, the summer of Amy and Ginny in San Marcos, we made lots of lists. Should I go to Boston? Why/ Why not? Should I get back together with _____? Pros/Cons. Should I teach English in Prague? When I was in Prague.. Should I go back home? Why/ Why not? (the answer was yes...I should) .

Today there was a little package on my doorstep and inside of it, was a very important pad of paper. A formal Pros/Cons list... absolutely imperative when making any big decision, and I think 2010 will be full of them. When Amy saw it in a shop, she said she immediately thought of us... because its obvious.


Thanks Ame!

Dixie deckin' the halls and getting stuck in the blinds:

and i couldn't stop laughing....

look out, work.

I found a little flash game online that's a massive time vampire. It's called Chat Noir, and it sort of reminds me of the game I play with Fuzz and Dixie every time someone goes out the front door.. they're always trying to escape! (I don't know why... the house is warm and has lots of food and water.)

Its quite simple, but a little challenging. Each time you hit a circle, the cat jumps to another one, and will eventually jump off the pad ( you lose). If you choose the right circles, you form little barriers and block him in! ( you win!).

Sigh. Little pleasures on a Thursday.
VICTORY!!!!

Play here!

airport surprises

For about 30 minutes, I was able to meet up with Michelle at Bush Intercontinental on her layover between San Diego and St. Paul. Ryan's flight to Omaha departed @ 9 and Min's @ 9:10 so it was perfect. We met up in terrible terminal C:

Me: C is crap. I don't even think there's a place for us to meet up and grab a beer.

Mom: I have beer.

Me: You smuggled a beer into the airport in your purse?

Mom: I have 6.

Me: You smuggled a 6 pack in your purse?

Mom: No... we have a cooler.

awesome.

and so...me, ryan, mom, dad, michelle and michelle's friend from St. Paul drank St. Arnold Christmas ales in a Ford truck in the parking garage of Terminal C.

Texas is fantastic.

"Don't think of other people when we kiss".. and other requests from the 70s.

So heartfelt. I mean, what was going on in 1976? Did girls just swoon over guys that forget her birthday, were occasionally cold and heartless and very noncommittal? Who would want to receive something like this as a gift?

[ alright, fine. yes, I am pretty much digging on her dress in this one right here....ugh...]

but still... YEESH.