Archive | September, 2011

all the rage: pinterest.com

30 Sep

seriously, life is too short not to pinterest.

WARNING WARNING:  RANT AHEAD:  if i hear one more person say something to me like “i’m just too busy for that kind of thing” i am going to puke.  you know what that is the equivalent to?  when you were 15 years old and CDs were the “new” rage and your parent refused to use them but wanted to use records because (and i quote) “those new fangled CDs will never catch on and i just don’t understand technology”.

remember how we used to giggle at our archaic parents?  

NOW YOU ARE THEM.  every time you say “i don’t have time to facebook or tweet or spotify” you are looking the current generation square in the face and saying “I’M OLD!!”  do you want that?  do you want to be irrelevant?  NO!!  plus, you want to be able to connect intelligently with your kids don’t you?  well – get with it!!

RANT OVER.  ok.  here is what pinterest is in their own words:

this, girls, is better than shopping, tv reality shows – anything!  not only can you check out and sort by:

but you can see what other people think is cool and then save it on your boards.  it is like a cool, way to save everything you like on-line.  so i have boards named “breakfast for company” – and i’ve pinned pictures of recipes that LINK to the original post.  i have a board that is named “gifts” so i can save to a place and remember where i liked that vintage cooler i wanted to get someone for christmas.    this is what mine looks like:

look at the buzzzz:

have fun and follow me  – i’ll follow you!

XXOO  hello weekend!

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how an irish lass came to make a mean rice ball!

28 Sep

hi.  i’m jeanie hornung.  friends with “the appreciator”. 

when i met my husband it was pretty much love at first sight…i mean he was just smitten with me (hehe)!  not long after that, we went to his home town of gloversville, ny to meet the fam.

well, i’m about as irish as the day is long but was delighted to meet his family which is SO italian! 

and when i say italian…I mean ITALIAN…

i met them all….uncle charlie, uncle mimi, uncle fonzie, cousin mario, cousin chuckie and of course grandma and grandpa franco.  they were (and still are) loud, loving and full of life! 

they also love to eat

they pride themselves and argue about who makes the best puttanesca, pizza rustica, potato gateau and stroffoli.  rice balls happen to be a particular franco family favorite and it is accepted  that grandma franco made the best rice balls.   her rice balls were on every holiday table and made frequent appearances for weekly sunday dinners.  grandma franco passed away a couple of years ago and we miss her a lot.  grandpa still carries on her tradition and makes rice balls every time we’re home to visit.

we make grandma’s rice balls on occasion 

and i can’t think of a better way to honor her memory than to pass on not only her recipe but love of family to my children.  try as i might to perfect them, they still let me know that while my efforts may be acceptable, they are still not grandma franco’s rice balls!

this is a picture of the Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church cookbook that grandma gave to me with her rice ball recipe included among some other gems. 

rice balls recipe

1 lb of river rice (or long grain rice)

3 eggs

parsley ( no measurement…so just guess)

1 stick of butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 handful of grated cheese (no specifics here either, but we’re Italian so go with Parm)

Breadcrumbs  ( use what you need to bring mixture together)

boil rice until almost cooked.  drain and put in bowl.

add eggs, butter, parsley and remaining ingredients including enough breadcrumbs to firm up the mix.  

mix well with hands until nice and firm. 

roll into balls  – a little bit bigger than golf balls.  roll into breadcrumbs.

deep fry in the fat of your choice ( this sentence make me laugh).   make sure the fat is piping hot.

cook until brown. this is what they look like before you put them into the fat of your choice:

you can serve with or without red sauce,

but always with a big loud dose of italian love!

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5 lovely links (you’ll love!): pumpkin

27 Sep

i think you get the point by now, i love fall and everything that goes along with it –

cool weather, sweaters, squash, chili, the holidays.  i especially love starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte.  it’s the only time of year i like starbucks.  but pumpkin flavor, color or the actual vegetable i’m all over.  here are some links to everything pumpkin: 

link #1:  better homes & gardens shows some creative ways to decorate with pumpkins

link #2: pumpkin pancakes.  to-die-for!

found these on a blog called “annie’s eats”  .  and you can get the recipes there too.  just look at these…

link #3:  skinnygirl pumpkin pie dip

here is link to original post at skinnytaste

Pumpkin Pie Dip
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Size: 1/2 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 102.9 • Fat: 0.1g • Protein: 1.8 g • Carb: 27.7 g • Fiber: 0.9 g

  • 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (Splenda would work too)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
  • 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt (I used Chiobani)
  • 8 oz cool whip free
  • cut up apples to dip (extra points)

Mix pumpkin with brown sugar, vanilla and spices, blend well. Mix in yogurt.

Fold in cool whip and chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.
Makes about 6 cups.

link #4: pumpkin smelling candles

it’s almost as good as eating them, isn’t it?  i truly can not get enough of this smell.  makes my house smell like i have been slaving for hours when really i was fooling around on pinterest! check out these i found on etsy.  click here.

link #5: pumpkin scarf

is this not so cute?!  why mess with a big bulky sweater that would make you look huge because you ate too many pumpkin pancakes anyway?  just wear this warming but not bulky neck scarf!  found, yet again, on etsy.  if you’re not into this site, get with it!  click here

hope you enjoyed today’s links!  i enjoyed finding them for you.  no matter where you are today i hope you have a very happy day.

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the new black suit

26 Sep

my favorite movie, by far, when i was in my 20’s was…

you see, i was melanie griffin.  i aspired to be a “working girl”  boy, did i get what i asked for.

my first suit, i bought on credit at bloomingdales on michigan avenue.  it was an “urgent” suit because i was asked at the last minute to go to a dealer meeting in cleveland.  and it was an important meeting.  i made $1000 a month in my first job as an account executive at a chicago ad agency.  $500 went to the apartment i split with kerri antles and $500 to drinks.  what can i say – i was 23 years old and living in the city (pronounced SIT EEE). and i racked up some serious credit cards.

so back to the first suit i bought.  it cost me $1000 and probably 2 years of $25 payments and interest rates to pay it off.  i couldn’t tell my mom this until i was well into my 30’s and even then i got a talking to.  i remember at the time her saying “well, i’ll help you buy half – is $150 enough?”  sheepishly, i said “yes”.  this $1000 suit for a 23 year old (18 years ago) was just a lined suit coat and pants.  and i wore the shit out of it.  after year three, i cut the lining down and had the pants hemmed.  i would say i got about 10 years out of that suit or more.  it was really sad when i goodwilled it.  i felt a memorial service would have been the right thing to do.

black suits for women.  when i was in my 20’s – it meant power.  the closer we could look like men without looking like men was the spot-on look to have.  it was really stupid.  we were in the car business, it was all men we worked with so we needed to blend in and not stand out.  like “wow, those ideas came from a woman!”  i don’t really remember it being that bad, but it must have been.  my immediate boss was a man starting out but he reported to two women. 

back to the suits

when i moved to dallas and joined the leo burnett team and worked on cadillac, i was introduced to a woman who ran all the advertising for cadillac.  i remember seeing her on a telecast in a sharp blouse and skirt.  in that one bold move – i saw it as a statement.  it said ” the day of the black suit is over, girls.  we no longer need to look like men to be taken seriously, we can dress like women”.  she probably wasn’t thinking that big, but wearing what was comfortable but i never wore a black suit again!

here are some great suit alternatives for fall:

all of them can be found (with credits) on my working girl pinterest page here

happy monday!

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to make you think is a good thing

25 Sep

i’m mailing this blog post in

figuratively

because i’m enjoying being with ROF and our weekend.  so i found these saying i think make you think.

so think, why don’t you?

 

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how to not stress over a wedding

24 Sep

make it all about you

fortunately, for ROF and i, that wasn’t hard.  it wasn’t about all the little things, it was about the sum of all those things.  today, is our one year anniversary.  you know what surprised me?  it wasn’t “the hardest year of my life” it was fantastic. 

the whole weekend was magical! 

full of family we love, friends we love, steak dinners at mortons, showers at neiman marcus cafe, parties in the penthouse of the joule, bus rides to bbq place with live band, drinks and of course…bbq.  then a sunday brunch at our house to top it off.

i look back on that time and think about all the work my mom and sister put into the weekend as well as my wonderful aunts and can’t tell you how much i appreciate them.  i think about all the planning ROF did and i feel blessed.  i remember how wonderful it was to have susan, mike and michael all together with us.  loved having good friends chris and mark geiger, paul and kelly moser and of course the bolners (who cooked breakfast tacos on sunday) be with us.  what great memories.  and…

what a year! (click on pictures to enlarge)

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friendly skies

23 Sep

so i had a very interesting flight a couple days ago i had to tell you about.

i was a little disappointed (read: a lot) about not getting upgraded and had to smoosh in with all the common folks in the back of the plane.  it was so early, honestly, i didn’t mind,  but still. not a great start to the week.

i was sitting in the aisle seat of a two seat sider when my seat-mate got to our seats.  she was a young woman wrapped in scarves head to toe.  i didn’t really pay any attention as i knew the person sitting across the aisle from me and we were chatting it up.  flight took off and i opened a magazine and the woman sitting next to me commented on a photo in my magazine.    she pointed at an arrangement with two big leaves from an elephant ear plant were stuck in a pot.  she had never seen anything like that before, she commented.  she went on to tell me that in london, they had another kind of vase.  asking her where she was from, she proudly said “jordon”.  she had great english and was very easy to talk to .  she was so proud of jordon that as we began to talk about it – she started like this:

“Are you a christian?”

“yes!” (me)

“in jordon, we have a rock that jesus touched.  it’s so smooth and beautiful.  you can’t believe it’s been around so long!”

“really?  that is cool!”

“yes, and the jordon river is where john the baptist baptized so many people”

i found it so very intriguing that she started this conversation like this.  on so many levels.  what an instant connection she made with me from the get-go.  and i’m ashamed to say, i could probably say pretty few things about her religion.

we talked the whole trip and she told me the most fascinating things about her life and her introduction to texas.  both her parents got their PHD in the states.  she was born here then moved at 3 years old back to jordon where she was there through college and marriage and two kids.  her father died about 3 years after they returned home to jordon and when she was quite young.  her husband worked for the us embassy in jordon and the us ambassador to jordon convinced him to check out the US.  so they moved to texas about 5 years ago.  this was only the 2nd place she had traveled to by plane in her life.  she is a science teacher.

anyway, just a slice of life. 

it was fun to be able to have a small glimpse into someone’s life.  honestly, i hoped that we would be friends!  i enjoyed talking to her so much.  i gave her my card so who knows.  being down here in texas it’s so easy to slip into a texas way of life which is good but also very limiting.  i so appreciate sitting in first class, but obviously i was meant to sit where i sat!  i, of course snapped a picture of her so i could share with you!  (is that wrong?)

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pesto cheesecake, chili, pumpkin somethin’ & sal

22 Sep

let’s put the cart before the horse, and begin with not one…but three recipes…….

pesto cheesecake……the beginning

1 tablespoon butter-
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs-
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese,
16 oz. softened cream cheese,
1 cup ricotta cheese,
1 tablespoon salt,
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
3 eggs,
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce,
1/4 cup pine nuts

1. rub butter on bottom and sides of 9 inch spring-foam pan.  mix bread crumbs with 2  tablespoons grated parmesan cheese. coat pan with mixture.
2. blend cream cheese, ricotta, salt, cayenne and 1/2 cup parmesan in large bowl until light.  add eggs one at a time.  beat well.  set aside 1/2 of the mixture.
3. blend the other 1/2 with the prepared pesto sauce.  pour into the prepared spring-foam pan, smooth the top.  carefully spoon the plain mix over the top, smooth.  top with pine nuts.

bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  loosen sides, release spring, transfer to platter.  garnish with fresh basil sprig.  serve warm with crackers.  yield 16-18 servings.

chili….the middle

5 pounds ground beef,
3 teaspoons cumin,
1 large package frozen onions,
6 one pound cans of chopped tomatoes,
6 one pound cans of chili beans,
4 cans tomato soup,
3 tablespoons salt,
1 teaspoon pepper,
2 tablespoons chili powder (do not drain the liquid from the beans and tomatoes)

saute beef and onions. add seasonings.  add rest of ingredients. simmer 4 hours. do not add water.
serves 20-25

NOTE: the truth of how you do this is make it a few days ahead, open your spice drawer and keep adding spices. add lots more cumin, chili powder, and a ton of lawry’s salt and pepper.

pumpkin somethin……the end

1 cup milk,
3 eggs,
1 cup sugar,
1 teaspoon cinnamon,
1/4 teaspoon ginger,
1/8 teaspoon cloves,
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 large can of pumpkin,
1 package yellow cake mix,
3/4 cup nuts,
1 and 1/2 stick of margarine.

mix well the milk, eggs, sugar, spices, pumpkin and salt.  pour in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  sprinkle dry cake mix over the top of mixture. drizzle melted margarine over top.  sprinkle nuts on top.  bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until browned.

my name….sally nilsen….i’m “the appreciator’s” aunt (joan is my sister)

the story…..how does a tradition begin?  i know exactly how this one began.  my husband and i  have lived in california for forty four years.  sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents on both sides all lived in other states.  with no “blood” relatives nearby, our friends became very important, especially during the holidays.  we had spent our first five thanksgivings in california with two friends who were transferred to boston.  they vowed to always return for the thanksgiving celebration.  they kept their promise, and to kick off the weekend together, i decided to have a chili party….easy….could make it ahead, and enjoy our “company.”

about forty years ago we started with about 10 people.  now the group has swelled to 75 +.  i triple and half the chili recipe.  lots of oyster crackers, grated cheese, chopped onions and sliced jalapenos are available.

i throw together some large bags of marie callendar’s prepared corn bread mix (add water, bake, it’s done), buy about $100.00 worth of colonel saunders cole slaw, put it in my own glass bowl..nobody knows (expensive, i know, but easy and goes nicely with the chili) and enjoy my guests.  my husband tends the bar, people get their chili dinner whenever they want, some stay a long time, others drop by to have a quick dinner, and say hello.  if there are any leftovers we enjoy them the rest of the weekend, along with turkey sandwiches.

i really have to admit that this is my favorite party to give.

it opens up the holiday season and brings good friends together.  now the event has trickled into other generations.  if a grandparent is in town they come and our children’s friends come with their children. i hear people ask, “are you going to wednesday night before thanksgiving at the nilsens?”  and i sit back, relax, and think about how “the tradition” began.

oh….if you’re in long beach over thanksgiving….give us a call.

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hey dad – start here

21 Sep

this weekend holds two momentous occasions for me.

saturday, is my one year anniversary to my wonderful husband ROF.  i’m going to give that it’s own post.  on the 25th it will be the anniversary of my dad’s death.  it will be 6 years on sunday.  it’s not sad, just i remember back to everything that happened that you can read here.

this story i found on-line on a flint, michigan website.  i’m in michigan now and i think of this with every coney place i pass.  it’s one of my favorite and something that was passed around on email FOREVER.  it so has my dad’s way of telling a story which i miss so much:

Famous Coney Sauce

 Passed on by Barbara Bacon Ewing

 From Jim Krause….R.I.P.


Good Evening folks! Since we all spent at least one afternoon in beautiful downtown Flint, this should bring back some memories.

This has been a secret of mine for years that I have been unwilling to share. However, in my present state, I am hoping that if I can share so much joy for so many people, the good Lord will say this man needs to be saved. OK, I know it is a long shot, but worth a try.


A LITTLE HISTORY:


No matter what you may have heard, I grew up in the Coney Island hot dog capital of the world. (Flint, Michigan.)  As a youth, a perfect evening would be taking a date home and then going directly to your favorite Coney island restaurant. In my case, it was the Original Coney Island located on Saginaw Street down from the Durant Hotel by the railroad tracks.  You could pull right up in front in the no parking space as long as you were just running in for “two to go”.  At 1:00 AM the place was full of drunks and hookers but that had no bearing on the Coney Islands.  I would get two with onions and head for home.  The plan would be not to ever try and eat a Coney in the car. However, about two blocks away the smell would be just too much. I would say to myself, I will very carefully eat one on the way home. No matter how carefully you tried, those onions and sauce would drop between my legs and sometimes fall on the floor. They were also known to ruin a great new tie. It didn’t seem too serious at the time, but the next day when you opened your car door after three hours in the sun, those Coney’s had a different smell.

Now, some people will tell you the key to the Coney island mixture is the Koegel hot dogs that are only available in Flint or online. However, you can still make a great Coney with regular hot dogs.
Before, I give you the recipe, this is the way to fix the Coney Island Dog on a soft hot dog bun, steamed bun would be best, mustard to taste, much Coney island mix, and then top with a generous portion of chopped onions.

Cheese is optional. If you are on a diet, do the same thing without the bun. (low carbs)


I can usually get about two dinners, four lunches and one late night snack out of a mixture. After six days and seven warm ups you sometimes get a little green tint to the meat. That tells you it is time for a new mixture. But DO NOT throw out the old mixture, just mix it in with the new and therefore none is wasted.

Here is the recipe:

1 tb butter
1 tb margarine
1 1/2 lb LEAN ground beef
2 md onions finely minced
1 clove garlic finely minced or equiv garlic powder
3 tb chile power
1 tb prepared mustard
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 6oz can water
10 skinless hot dogs
salt and pepper to taste

Do NOT brown beef before using!!!  Combine all except hot dogs and simmer until thick. Grind up the skinless hot dogs or chop in food processor.
Stir in and cook 15 min longer. The big secret in this recipe is the ground up hot dogs.

DO NOT SEND MONEY………………JUST ENJOY!

 

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5 lovely links (you’ll love): tailgating recipes

20 Sep

happy tuesday!

another day, just aiming towards friday.  i hope you’re doing well.  today is tuesday, so you know what that means…i find links and you click on them.  it’s really that simple.  for some reason lately, i always have food on my mind.  it’s just wrong.  i think it could be stress.  but that’s another blog post all together.

since i’ve been on this fall kick (and if you must know, i am a full fledge cowboy fan) and it’s time to talk tailgating.  here are some links to some good ones.

LINK #1 cheddar blt burgers with tarragon russian dressing

cheddar burger with tarragon russian dressing

LINK #2 italian chicken soup

i think this is great to pack in a thermos and sip while the burgers are being made!  thanks ree

Ingredients
  • 1 box Ditalini Pasta (very Short Macaroni-type Pasta Noodles)
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
  • 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
  • 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Diced
  • 2 stalks Celery, Diced
  • 2 whole Fresh Jalapenos, Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 can (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • ⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano
  • Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
  • Parmesan Cheese Shavings, For Serving

preparation instructions

Cook pasta in a pot according to package directions, being sure not to overcook it. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

Place chicken in a large pot or dutch oven and cover in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred meat. Discard bones and set meat aside.

Dice canned tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and oregano and turn off heat, stirring over the next minute to keep oregano from burning. Set this aside.

Either pour off chicken broth into a separate container or use a new pot to saute onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapenos in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked pasta, cream, and all the oregano and olive oil from the small skillet. Stir to combine. Turn off heat.

Serve with lots of Parmesan sprinkled on the top–the more the better! Crusty Italian bread is good, too.

LINK #3: traditional southern deviled eggs

i’m not usually a fan of paula deen just because that accent drives me BONKERS but these eggs will be the hit of your party or tailgate.  just pop them in a tupperware dish and throw on the table.  BAM! oh, wrong chef.

LINK # 4: amy’s party ideas

check out these great and cute ideas for a theme party on the sidelines…

LINK # 5: carmelized onion dip

gotta have a dip!  check this one out from southern living (click above)


     

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i’m all green with envy

19 Sep

i curated

some great green THINGS for you.  green, along with orange, just makes me happy. you too?  all of this can be found on my green board on pinterest.com here and all credit for photos lives there too.

love, amy

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poetic sunday

18 Sep

i’m dedicating sunday to be poem day. 

rof and i have a friend who writes poetry and i’m going to feature him here on sundays along with some of my poetry and favorite poetry.  if you have a poem you wrote or love, send it to me and it will be included.  have a great sunday.

i wrote this one when i was about 24 years old.

suburbia ordinaria

american the beautiful

vast

wall of brick

holding everything

the little pocketbook

can fit

wear what everyone else

wears

talk like everyone

talks

what is your suburban drug

of choice?

are u looking to get out

of the

subdivision wrapped in hell

bigger house

better school

a cul-de-sac of sameness

boredom and passionless

competition

living a life not their own

but

one that is cloned.

from peace massacre:

bliss found at the bottle’s bottom

peace shared by half a tab

sadness paused thru a shock

serenity held in a shot

euphoria found kissing the cousin of the dragon,

pressure expelled with a burn

prescription heaven.   vanished

 

phenomenal woman

lastly, i love maya angelou and i have the book with this in it and used to read it for inspiration
 
Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to fit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
 
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
They swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
 
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s the arch of my back
The sun in my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
 
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
I ought to make you proud
I say,
It’s the click of my heals,
The bend of my hair,
The need for my care.
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
 
 
 

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week in review

17 Sep

how was your week?

mine was very hectic crazy but all good!  highlights (without boring the heck out of you!) was i traveled to rochester, ny to be a guest speaker at a chevy dealer meeting regarding a program i’m doing in 27 markets.  the cool thing here was 1. never been to rochester, ny and 2. this is a client we don’t have so i met at a competitor’s agency and presented to clients we don’t have.  it was exciting. and the weather was awe-some.  nice and cold and rainy which is a nice break from texas 100+ degrees.  also went to a fantastic dinner party last night with some unbelievable food. this morning, rof and i went to church and we spoke on a panel of married people as the “newly married couple.”  this is where 8 other couples going through a pre-marriage class had the sheer joy to hear from us and also a couple that had been married 48 years and a couple with kids.   here are some pic’s:

sitting in minneapolis airport waiting for next flight

katie makes the best eggs

chip, suzanne, angie, cw and amanda social media talking

 

great friday nite dinner

 

 

can't believe they hung a sign! what customer service!

 

 

 

 

 

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best of houston: dana clover

16 Sep

i’m happy to have

the popular dana clover from the Homesteading Housewife blog.  dana is our chevy lma community manager in houston and i’m excited to get her take on that great city to my south – houston!

where in houston do you live  and how long have you lived there?
i have lived in several Houston area locations, but found fell in love with a small run-down farm about 35miles NE of town.  clover country farms is where I hang my hat and the Man-of-My-Dreams and i are working on raising our 5 kids and countless critters.

other than friends and family, what do you love the most about houston?
i love the fact that i can live out in the boonies in the middle of no-where, but am still within an hour of one of the best medical centers in the world, a theater district second only to new york and some of the best food anywhere!
In other words….  houston has it ALL!

if a friend was visiting you who had never been to Houston before, what would the top 3 non-food places you’d have to show them?
NASA (of course), The houston livestock show and rodeo , and the texas renaissance festival, wow! talk about diversity!

give us a great breakfast place, lunch place and your favorite casual dinner place?
well that’s easy!
my house
my house
and my house.
oh…  you meant the second best places to eat in houston right? heh sorry…

Hmmm, breakfast – there is a little place called the glass menagerie just north of houston that has an amazing sunday brunch, they have everything gourmet and beautiful, something VERY different from the farm and it is my “go-to” place when I can go out with my mother and sister and feel all fancy-like.

lunch- there is nothing better than hitting the kemah boardwalk for lunch on the water. i like the flying dutchman or landry’s for some yummy seafood right on the water.

oooh dinner! – hoffbrau steakhouse has the worlds BEST chicken fried steaks!  this is where i take all out-of-towners who were not born with a bottle of cream gravy in their mouth, they always fall in love with this texas staple!

so many people I work with and know are not from texas.  we’re constantly having to explain why texas is different than the rest of the country.  does your family have one tradition or activity that is truly texan?
wow…   that’s a LOADED question! i was born up north and got to texas as fast as I could, and the reason texas will always be home is the people.  i love the fact that when you pass another car driving down the road, they wave.  i love the how welcoming and warm texans are. texas is not just a state in America…. it is truly a state of mind!

if you couldn’t tell, i love to cook.  my BBQ cook-outs are as texan as they get. (my hubby built my smoker out of an old 500gal propane tank!) i spend more time cooking outside than I do cooking in my kitchen, and there is never a weekend where friends and family cannot be found getting all sticky w/ some BBQ sauce and having fun.  good foods & good friends is what texas was built on!

i’m a fan of BBQ. houston seems to be a great place to get it.  where should I go?  
well duh!  my back yard!
but, if i’m not home, i recommend  a tiny hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint called the “tin roof” they smoke some amazing meat!

Last question.  
if you could hold a happy hour with 5 people who would they be – living or dead – ?

Well…  it would be at my house for sure!

#1 & #2 would be my brothers dan and ryan, they died when I was younger and there is nothing I would love more than to introduce them to my boys.  they would have been the best uncles in the world!
#3 alton brown, because he is my boyfriend. (don’t tell my hubby tho!)
#4 carla emery, because I could have learned SO many homesteading skills from her!
#5 marlene, my friend from high school, so she could see alton and i together and finally admit that he is MINE!

by the way, dana, i love this photo from your blog

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shrimp, potatoes, beer & karen

15 Sep

low country boil recipe

by karen krause, aka “the appreciator’s”  stepmom

having lived in south carolina for a few years, this recipe represents traditional low country cooking.  it was my quick and easy solution for a casual dinner party, not much fuss, prepare in a big pot, add cole slaw and piping hot bread and finish with peach cobbler.

fill a large stock pot 2/3 full of water

add 3-4 tablespoons old bay seasoning

16 small red new potatoes

8 ears fresh corn (i break in half)

2 1/2 pounds kielbasa sausage, slice into one inch pieces

2 pounds xl fresh shrimp, unpeeled

bring water and seasoning to a rolling boil in large stockpot
add potatoes, return to a boil and cook uncovered, 10 minutes
add sausage and corn and return again to a boil and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender
add shrimp to pot, cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink, careful not to overcook
drain off stock, toss with butter and serve on a huge platter over newspapers spread atop your table

tip from me to you-often times rather than buying shrimp by the pound, i calculated approximately how many shrimp servings per person, perhaps 6-8 xl depending on the appetites of your guests

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magazines, advertising & loving your job

14 Sep

i can credit magazines for heavily influencing the direction of my life.  

both for good and bad. but more for good.

i became obsessed with magazines when I was 15 and discovered “SEVENTEEN” magazine.    one of the best parts of the month was when it arrived in the mail.  it arrived in plastic wrap –which they don’t do too much anymore.  the excitement was so overwhelming (seriously) that I couldn’t open the magazine until everything was just right.

ok, so first it had arrived (squeal!) then I hoarded it from any possibility of it becoming damaged (i.e.sister reads it first with greasy fingers)  by carrying it to my room and placing it, ever so gently, on my dressing table or desk.  now I just let the anticipation well up inside me for a few hours.  i would wonder what was in those pages, what secrets, models, stories, ads.  only when I had a full hour or two to myself, would I lay on my bed, on my stomach and open up the magazine.  then I would start at the very first page and work my way to the back.  slowly.  the smell of the printed page enveloped me.  the crispy, pristine pages responsive to my touch.  sigh.  that was all on the outside.  on the inside, was my dream.  dream hair, dream outfit, dream boy, dream design, dream bedroom.  every page of articles and ads influenced me.

and not always for good.

i really wanted to be like the things i saw in the magazines.  you know… perfect.  even at 15.

pretty soon SEVENTEEN magazine turned into ELLE magazine (one of my teenage favorites!) because it was so…french!  ha.  and VOGUE and you’re starting to glimpse how completely odd I am, right?  my bedroom at our house in naperville, illinois outside chicago was collaged with things I ripped out from magazines.  we’re talking all four walls  top to bottom.  not the ceiling because that would have been too much work.  my mom will tell you the story of the realtor saying the house was in great shape but you’d “have to do something with that upstairs bedroom”  i ripped out cool ads, hip models in creative backdrops, I kept in mind color and design when i did my bedroom artwork.

anyhow..

i went away my first year of college and didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. i switched schools after that first year and really thought long and hard about what I liked.  i liked magazines.  i liked the ads in magazines.  mostly because they worked on me and they transported me to a different, perfect, place.  so i decided i wanted to do something with advertising.  an advanced english teacher of mine in high school insisted i go to columbia college in downtown chicago because it would be the perfect, creative school for me.

and it was.

i took all the marketing communication classes and minored in fiction writing BUT it was all the internships i did which shaped me.  the first internship was truly awesome.  i got a glimpse right there at the truly glamourous part of advertising and magazine ads.  i worked for a fashion photographer called john beckett.  i just found him and his studio which is now in phoenix.

he had a studio in a warehouse on morgan street on the west side of chicago (which is really built up now) he had ad agencies like leo burnett as clients as well as sports illustrated.  i was the assistant studio manager to a really fun studio manager – mary kay.  i got to pick out the models for the ads from a ton of headshots, work with celebrities nadia comanche, all the stylists.  it was straight on cool.  picture big open space, clothes on big carts on wheels, SEAL playing on the surround sound and espresso bubbling in the kitchen.  I over-romantized the heck out of it.  i  even did an “on–location” shoot.  i was a junior in college and thought I was the shit in downtown chicago, taking the train and telling models “thank you but no thank you – just not a fit.”  i loved seeing the ads in the magazines!

then I did an internship below beckett & beckett at the compshop.  they built comps for magazine ads and so much more – movies too.  then I did an internship for his wife margaret carsello who did incredible graphic design work.  I learned so much and felt like I was really living out what i loved.  and i did get into advertising!  been doing in for about 19 years now and have even have done some magazine ads.  

now I read every magazine under the sun. much to rof’s dismay.  I’m not talking people and us.  I’m talking food & wine, house beautiful and about 15 other monthly ones.

still loving

looking at the perfect. 

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5 lovely links (you’ll love): relax why don’t you?

13 Sep

i don’t know about you, but i love tuesday’s “5 lovely links” because it is fun finding them.  yesterday was so stressful (it was a monday) and so i decided to give you 5 links to help relieve stress.

tech note: oh yea, my mom wanted me to give a shout out to all of you who are receiving this via email.  click at the top of the email and you’ll be transferred to my actual blog.

now

the best thing to do to relax is to take a break or a vacation …but wouldn’t we be less tense if we took a little 5 minute break every hour or two to just refocus and clear our heads?  kinda like a “smoke break” in the mad men era.  i think so.

link #1

is called moodturn.com and you can check it out here.  this is a website that will turn your desktop into a sweet oasis.  now, i can’t say that i would listen to this at work but at home I can listen to the rain while working on something and because we haven’t had any in, like 4028, days it sounds pretty calming.  ahhhhh… but it also made me have to go to the bathroom after listening for a while. tee hee.

link #2

i don’t know who “angelcrack” is but he created a lovely relaxing playlist on 8tracks.  listen to it here.  it is appropriately called “calm down, bro”  how funny is that?  i most certainly did,bro.

link #3

ok, you’re for sure going to say “whatchatalkinaboutwillis” here.  but trust me.  let’s say you are in dire need of relaxation because you’re putting in 12 hour days at the office.  then you need to try this.  guided meditation.  i first was introduced to this when my dad had cancer and i was looking around on itunes for something for him to relax and found something similar to this.  must listen to this laying down with eyes closed.  don’t be afraid.  there is nothing hocus pocus about this.  it is just a mental break.  you can’t do this with ROF because he makes me giggle endlessly.  there is a british guy who is like the best at this named glenn harrold – which is who dad and i listened to – and ROF imitates his voice which cracks me up.

link #4

here is  a top 50 list of ways to relax.

and lastly,

link #5

i did this for only a moment, but very relaxing.  choose a fish on the left and they follow your mouse!  make them jump and twist.  relaxing, right?  i may have ‘jumped the shark’ with this one.  (sorry i couldn’t resist!)


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words to live by

12 Sep

… or just laugh at

all can be found in my curated collection on pinterest and all credit is there too.

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today is just another day

11 Sep

but not really… right?

welcome sunday. a sad sunday, albeit, as for what today was 10 years ago.  the sadness for all the loss – really unbearable and honestly, more than what our minds are capable of holding and digesting.

when i woke up this morning, i really wanted to turn on the TV and go back 10 years.  i felt the day deserved my attention and my tears.  i did turn it on briefly but then quickly snapped it off. not because i didn’t want to “go there” but because well…i didn’t want to go there.  and that is not disrespectful.  i think of 9-11 pretty much every time i fly.  every time i go through security and every time i kiss ROF good-bye at the airport.  i remember.

today, i decided not to tell my 9-11 story because, well,  who cares?  who cares about where i was because the only thing that matters is what was happening in NY/NJ, PA and DC.  my thoughts and prayers and love go to my friends and family in new jersey (because i know there are at least 2 of you!) reading this today and to the people affected around the world.   i decided not to show pictures or give you links to stories all of which i thought about doing.  you can get that on cnn.

do you remember how long it took to feel somewhat normal?  a long, long time.  i was so immersed in the stories both of heroism and of loss after 9-11.  being in chicago, i felt the entire country pull together and we were no longer from different cities, cultures, backgrounds – we were all one.  my friend melissa and i took our cameras and walked for miles around the city and took photos of all the flags and signs of solidarity and patriotism.

that’s it for today.  i had something else planned (ha! that you will see tomorrow)  boy do i appreciate all the people in this great country that keep our country as secure as possible  – from TSA to our armed forces to people in leadership positions for our country, for businesses and for families.  i appreciate people that have been through MORE PAIN than my mind could ever, ever comprehend.  i appreciate having God in my life to be able to make sense out of a completely senseless world.

love, me

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saturday: week in review

10 Sep

wow. 

this week was awesome.  i’m so appreciative of so many things.  it was labor day weekend and we had monday off and lots of stuff going on.  good friends, parties, birthdays (D turned 40!), seeing friends haven’t seen in a while.  but then it was back to work.

thankfully, i love my job (for real) and this week it took me to beautiful savannah, georgia.  although i did fly in a little early, i worked in my hotel room until dinner and then i got to walk the streets of this beautiful town. the chevy dealers and i got to talk social media the next morning (which is one of my favorite subjects!) this was the second time i got to spend time with them.  super nice.

lastly, ROF had to get his monthly injection in his left eye on friday morning.  seriously, is that not the WORST place ever to get a shot?  i needed to drive him home because he can’t see after that and is in a lot of pain.  thankfully we love his doctor who gave us the good news that there is no bleeding or fluid in his good eye and he can wait 6 weeks instead of 4 for another shot.  we decided that after each shot, once he rested, we’d go to our favorite restaurant, cane russo for dinner.  something to look forward.  so very very good.

here are some pics:

this was the best dinner i had in savannah ever!!

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inspirations & drags

9 Sep

ok, so with all the travel i do

i have found that i get the most work done in the air.  i mean REAL WORK.  not chase emails all over the place in one frenzy mess.  (did i say that out loud?)  but as many of you know, there is a window of time that you can’t have your laptop out but only your phone.  there is that small window.  i started a long time ago collecting words/phrases of things i find inspiring and things that are drags.  they are just quick nibs or bites and it took me a good couple of months to gather these lists on my cell phone while waiting for the lady to pass by and say ” turn that damn phone off!”

inspirations

Design books & mags
Vintage hippy things
Balanced mish mosh
Big ideas executed stylishly perfect
Blogs by creative fun playful people
The thought of not taking one too seriously (note: the thought)
Watching cooking shows make everything look so simple and easy
Airplane rides in first class with tons of magazines, no cell service or email
Shopping 4 the perfect thing designed in my mind – and finding it.
My husbands drive and passion for his friends, family & career
Sisters ability to be truly giving without expectations
My moms unwavering support and true interest in what you’re saying
PHPC way of showing us God from the top (pastors) down
Smart car dealers that are willing to be taught, experiment and connect with their audience
Using fine linen naps for pizza and Coke
House music – Chicago style
Cool restaurants
New York city
Woody Allen
Passion, design, decorate, inspire, uplift, care
Praying nonstop to God & Jesus
Unknown beauty aids
Smell of bacon, cut grass, tuberose, peonies, coffee
Saturday mornings
The feeling that everything is ok
Flying through rainstorms
Orange
Thoughtful gifts
When people say “this is so you!” which means I have a style they recognize
“I love to hear you laugh”
ROF driving me to the airport
Early morning
The word moxie
Picking up where you left off
Smell of: frying onions, pesto, aftershave, angel perfume, new books
New websites like wantist, pinterest
apps
Ina garten
seeing friends you haven’t seen in a while

i see all those as contributions to style.

now the drags.  usually written when in a bad mood.

Feeling helpless to take control of my weight
That little voice that says “it’s ok to have a smoke”
Stress pains
People who are negative and close-minded and stupid
People who talk about themselves…all.the.time…
The feeling that you have to prove yourself
Being called defensive –  like you aren’t allowed to defend yourself
People that don’t look where they’re walking
Feeling rushed
Feeling not pulled together

Being helpless to help someone going through a hard time
Wanting things
Fake plants or flowers
Entitled bloggers
Disheveled outfits
The word moist  
Driving in a city I don’t know
Eating something knowing I shouldn’t
The word pantie
Secrets
People that say “don’t tell anyone” ( I say it all the time)
Having an on-going mental list of “things I’ll never do” like be an Olympian or iron chef
Slowed metabolism
Weeding out friends
Hangovers
Monday mornings
Men that don’t stand up for women
People that rush to try to beat you in line
Moms who think that the whole world is as impressed with their kids as they are

I guess the question is here is – how much time do you spend dwelling on your inspirations and on your drags?

i pray we all focus on inspirations.  happy friday, folks.

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best spaghetti, buttery breadsticks & mom

8 Sep

today’s guest recipe blogger is my mom. 

if you don’t know her already, you can read about her here.  Or click the “wednesday story” to the right!

i’m joan krause, mom of “the appreciator”.  she invited me to supply a favorite recipe and story.  my absolutely favorite thing to make and to eat is spaghetti.  who knows, maybe it’s because of the lycopene in the tomatoes. 

 according to wikipedia:

 “lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes.”

hello?  testes? well, i’ll tell you one thing, they have never found lycopene in my testes and that’s a fact!

i truly think i’m a spaghetti-a-holic.

when I turned 16, my mother gave me a surprise birthday party.  i’ll never forget it.  she told me that i had to babysit my cousin on my birthday and i just couldn’t understand how a mother could ask her daughter, on the most important birthday ever, to babysit.  when i got home, mom asked me to go in the basement and get something out of the old chest freezer. i went downstairs, there were all my friends and i was surprised!  i, obviously, forgave my mom.  plus, she fixed spaghetti for us all.

then, on our mom and dad’s 25th anniversary, i was around 22 and my sister sally was 18 or 19.  we decided to give them a party (much to my mother’s dismay).  our mom was quite the entertainer, so losing this control was not easy for her.

side view of our house in cincinnati - wish i could find the front view - darn!

what did we decide to cook? 

spaghetti of course – not necessarily my parents favorite dish, but it was mine.  my parents were out on our beautiful long front porch having drinks with four other couples.  meanwhile, sal and i were busy in the kitchen and i’m carrying the spaghetti pot from the old chambers stove to drain the water.  sally said, “don’t drop it!” which i promptly did.  spaghetti was everywhere.  we were literally skating on the starch and sally was laughing so hard.  i shouted, we’ll laugh later, these people have to eat now!

my mother

walked through the closed swinging door from the dining room – had her hand over her mouth and not saying anything, turned around and went out to the porch.  needless to say, the cocktail hour was extended, more spaghetti was made, and the guests were finally able to come to the table.  we heard that it was the best party ever.  hmmmmmm …could it have been the extended cocktail hour?

mom, sally & me (mom is turned around and Sal to her right)

oK, i’ve changed my mind – everyone has their own favorite spaghetti recipe.  i’m going to give you something you can make that is so easy and always goes with my spaghetti and everything else.

hot dog breadsticks

i have passed this recipe on so many times and i feel it’s a real winner.  this was my mom’s recipe.

take a package of hot dog buns – cut the buns lengthwise, so that each bun makes 4 breadsticks.

take 2 sticks of BUTTER – not margarine – and melt in a frying pan.

get a cookie sheet lined with foil ready.  dip one of the sticks in the butter till coated and put on foil lined cookie sheet.  put them close to one another.  after all have been dipped and warm from the butter,

take parmesan cheese, out of the shaker container, and heavily coat the sticks. 

then sprinkle lots of poppy seeds on top – you can shake a little garlic salt on top if you want. (I don’t do this – but you can).  now, if you’re making a lot, you might have to melt more butter.

i have cooked these several different ways – fast oven and a slow oven.  The main thing is that you have to watch them.  They brown fast.

400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and watch – could take longer

325 degrees for 30-40 minutes and watch – could take longer

a couple of variations are that you substitute cinnamon and sugar for the parmesan cheese.  douse them in the butter and shake the combined cinnamon and sugar heavily over the top.  or douse in butter and put any kind of finely grated cheese on top.  so good!

you can do ahead and freeze then warm in the microwave. Great for large parties – everyone always asks about them!

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jeanie’s best of boston

7 Sep

by jeanie hornung, president of touchstone marketing group

what do you love the most about boston?

wow, that’s a tough question because I love so many things about boston.  but if I had to limit myself to “the most” then I would have to say  family (and friends).  

do you miss it?

desperately.  but not so desperately in the winter!

if you brought a friend to boston who had never been before, what would the top 3 non-food places you’d have to show them? 

fenway park, the freedom trail and nantucket.

give us a great breakfast place, lunch place and your favorite casual dinner place?

doyle’s in jamaica plain has the MOST amazing corned beef hash…none of that canned stuff, big chunks of corned beef and they serve the hash on english muffins with poached eggs and hollandaise.

for lunch  I would take you to a great seafood restaurant.  we just had  great lunch at the mill wharf on scituate harbor a couple of months ago.  the view is spectacular and we enjoyed  stuffed quahogs, clam chowder, shrimp cocktail and lobster rolls.

for dinner I would take you to my cousin richard’s restaurant woody’s.  they’ve been honored with a “Best of Boston” award for pizza.   their pizza is spectacular...thin crust in a cooked in a scorching wood fired oven.   it’s a real neighborhood restaurant located in the fenway section of boston.

where would you stay and why?

i would spend a few days in Boston at the four seasons and then spend a few days on nantucket at the white elephant.

if you were going to have a ‘power’ business lunch in boston, where would it be? 

The bristol lounge at the four seasons is a great place for lunch in Boston.

i’m a fan of seafood.  boston seems to be a great place to get it.  what kind of seafood do i HAVE to try in boston?

you have to go LOCAL when it comes to seafood, so you must have clams casino, clam chowder, stuffed quahogs, lobster (any way) and you have to have baked scrod.  boy ….i miss boston seafood!

Last question.
if you could hold a happy hour with 5 people who would they be – living or dead ?

my dad, gandhi, eleanor roosevelt, paul revere, anne frank and harriet tubman. my dad died when i was three and i’d sure like to enjoy a glass of wine with him. i’m a big history buff and have admired the others for some time.  their incredible bravery and courage in the face of adversity is admirable and i’d love to be able to spend time and converse with all of them.

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5 lovely links (you’ll love): orange is it

6 Sep

lately, i’ve been inspired by everything orange. 

is it because i’m desperately wanting october to arrive?  orange reminds me of the fall leaves that we do get, believe it or not, here in the big d.  or maybe orange reminds me of the morning which is my favorite time of the day.  the sun coming up…orange juice.  whatever it is  – orange is my color pop of choice.  not surprisingly, i don’t have a lot of orange in my house.  i’ll have to change that.   but here are 5 links to some cool pops of the color that i call my favorite:

print of chinoiserie chair by Anne Harwell

these are from the one, the only wisteria.   wisteria is located here in dallas.  and i am a fan.  my husband ROF, has been known to say to me “we don’t need anything” which is really always a true statement.  however the definition of the word, NEED, varies considerably depending on who you talk to.  right? my definition of NEED is very similar to the terminology of WANT.   which brings me back to wisteria.  oh wisteria.  this is a very high fahluton catalog with great stuff you’d have to be stupid to pay full price for.  the wisteria outlet is very close to me and i have gotten some very unbelievable deals there.  i also can walk into anyone’s house and tell instantly if they’re a fan.   call it a gift i have.  then we talk a language foreign to any non-wisteria fans.  kinda cultish.

decorating with orange is fun as an accent color. 

if i NEEDED new artwork, this is what i’d get.  to your left is a vintage horse poster from stories divinations i would frame and hang and then throw this great pillow (on your right) on the chair on the other side of the room.  these pillows from erin flett are fantastic.

finally but not leastly…

i want these so bad.  since ROF and i make a big deal about our morning coffee i love these retro espresso mugs with the splash of orange to pop out of the BROWN.  oooohhhh.  i can see us using these right now.  love-er-ly.  thank you jo and sonja for finding these.

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digging the hip chalkboard paint

5 Sep

an easy, inexpensive way to spruce up your home is with chalkboard paint. 

it’s great for kids, obviously, but i’m also talking about chic, cool ideas for decorating. here is my chalkboard paint for our kitchen pantry doors.  i took a barefoot contessa cookbook and had my nephew use his design, architect handwriting to write words from recipes.

i had him do the same for the kitchen cut-out but use the all-important cocktail words:

here are some other funky ways to use chalkboard paint. click on the picture to enlarge.

all links and credits to all pictures, you can get here at my pinterest board.  the last photo i took at a great crepe place in san francisco that i can’t remember the name!

happy labor day!  go paint something chalky.

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who is on your fridge?

4 Sep

today i’m re-posting an article from the harvard business review.  since you may have missed it from when i forwarded on from twitter, you need to read this gem today. 

read the real blog here.

who’s on your fridge?

by peter bregman

9:18 AM Wednesday August 31, 2011

I was lifting weights at my gym, a community center in New York City, when he caught my attention.

His name, I later found out, was Marvin Moster. He stood a few inches over five feet, mostly bald with some white hair on the sides of his head, sporting a mustache, and wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue shorts. In the obvious ways, he was unremarkable. And yet, I couldn’t help noticing him.

Continue reading →

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saturday: week in review

3 Sep

thankful to have had a fantastic week. 

no traveling this week but lots of work.  it started out last sunday with a breakfast fit for a king for ROF (my king) and moved on to monday and lunch with good friends and fantastic business associates (@jeaniehornung and the marvelous alex harland) @ rise no.1.  the sweetest slice of paris in dallas.  (notice a theme here)

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i appreciate: samantha french

2 Sep

from samanthafrench.com

i adore her art.

thanks to victoria at sfgirlbybay for introducing me to her a while ago.  it is now even more exciting that sfgirlbybay has a great contest (which i gladly entered) with s. french.  her latest pool collection is so very refreshing to look at.  i love feeling something from art.  plus i’m a bit addicted to the color orange right now.  or obsessed might be a better word for it.

Continue reading →

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