Cute Kleenex!

Thanks to Lovely Little Things for pointing me towards these too-cute tissue boxes. I'm sure they won't really be cost-effective, but they sure are cute to look at, aren't they? From Kleenex's "Perfect Slice of Summer" series. Fun!

The Uke Song by lady danville

Another video for Tuesday. I love these boys.

Lost Generation

The Mind's Still Working...

Ok, so update on the chores of the day:

1. Laundry: approximately 5-6 loads.
   - 3 loads done, 2 loads currently being done, 1 load waiting.
   
2. Change the sheets on the bed.
   - waiting for The Boy to get home (making a Queen-sized bed is easier with two people).
   
3. Do sinkful of dishes.
   - sinkful done! now for the counterfull (not really; there are only a few things)...
   
4. Figure out what to do with pile of backpacking/misc stuff.
   - stuff consolidated into one easily-managed pile.
   
5. Clear dining room table (includes hanging up about 5 coats/fleeces).
   - coats, fleeces, etc. have nice new homes in the closet. Table is so clean you could eat off it.
   
6. Bake muffins (still haven't made the apple-cinnamon ones).
   - Not yet. After doing so many dishes, I'm not in the mood to make a bigger mess. Tomorrow...
   
7. Clean out too-old leftovers in the fridge.
   - done! clean! leftovers gone!

All in all, a productive day!

Kitchen Conundrum

I am always looking for ways to add storage to my tiny kitchen, and it seems that every time I come up with a solution, I run out of room again. I got the picture to the left from an Apartment Therapy article, which has a few tips that I've already used (store things above cabinets, use drawer organizers) and some I haven't (undershelf brackets...hmmm). Basically I just want to make the most out of the space that I have, and I have a feeling cabinets and wall-space are being underutilized.

Here are my current kitchen conundrums, complete with pictures. I continue to look for kitchen inspiration (see diner-style kitchen to the left), and I welcome any suggestions!


#1
I've thought about getting some sort of rack for above the stove to hang pots and pans, or lids, etc. Something like this guy from IKEA. I'm a little nervous that my weak walls would not be able to hold it up, and I'm also worried that it would make my kitchen seem smaller. It's a tiny space, really, and I'm concerned about bringing the walls any closer in than they are already. It's only about as deep as the stove, and it's just about the width from the fridge to the doorway, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Please ignore the dirty stove - I had the motivation to take the picture for this post before the motivation to clean it :-)

#2
Another problem I have is Tupperware* storage. Any tips for that? I have them stacked on a shelf, but there just never seems to be enough room! Right now, they're on a shelf with one of those little IKEA shelf organizer things, but there just isn't enough room. Not pictured: The rest of my Tupperware, which is either being used or drying in the drying rack. Pictured is only about 2/3 of the stuff I have.
*Note: I know that none of this is actually Tupperware-brand plastic storage. It's just easier to say Tupperware (and it looked weird in lowercase).

#3
And the final Kitchen Conundrum for the day is my disorganized spice storage. I have another one of those IKEA shelf storage thingies in here, but it is clearly not being used very well. I definitely need to rearrange things so that I can get to my spices more clearly. It's very haphazard in there right now. Options are: 2-tier turntable thingy, stair-step thingy (only a smaller-sized one that I can't seem to find online), or something I haven't thought of yet.





Thoughts? Suggestions? Let me know! Oh, the things that occupy your mind when you're home all day and not working! :-)

Because That's How My Mind Works

Ok, so this was a busy weekend. The Boy had planned on staying in his apartment until he leaves in July, when he would move everything to storage. But since nothing is ever simple, his roommates decided (last week) not to renew their lease, which meant he had to move out before June 1. Which meant moving him this weekend. And since he now needs a place to live until he leaves in July, he'll be living with me. No, we are not Moving In Together. His stuff is mostly in storage, and the current plan is that he'll live with me for a month, go on his trip, and then we'll figure the rest out when he gets back. Anyway, his things are mostly put away, with the exception of a small pile of backpacking gear and a few little things, and last night we were both pretty wiped out. I slept in until almost 9:30 this morning (wooo!) and went to Curves, and now I am finally ready to start my day of Getting Things Done. As soon as I blog about it.

See, I have a daunting list of tasks to do today, and I feel like if I write it down, publish it, and promise to write an update tonight about how I did, I'll actually be motivated to do it. I like being held accountable to someone/something other than myself, because let's be honest, I let myself slack off when I don't have deadlines or people pushing me. Not with *actual* work, mind you, just with things like cleaning up or doing dishes. I tend to let the pile grow until I can't stand it anymore, which is not the best way to keep a tidy apartment! Soooo here's what I have to do today, because I say so, and because blogging about it will make me feel like I should actually get it done.

1. Laundry: approximately 5-6 loads.
2. Change the sheets on the bed.
3. Do sinkful of dishes.
4. Figure out what to do with pile of backpacking/misc stuff.
5. Clear dining room table (includes hanging up about 5 coats/fleeces).
6. Bake muffins (still haven't made the apple-cinnamon ones).
7. Clean out too-old leftovers in the fridge.
   

I'm Not Looking to Buy, Really...

Ok, I promise this is the last HouseLust post for the day. Really. But One Thing Led To Another and suddenly I have to share these pictures before I explode with their coolness.

First up on the list, a supercool 4 bedroom house in the Elmwood area of Berkeley. I'm pretty sure this is my ideal neighborhood. I love it. It is wonderful. Not too far from where I live right now, just a little closer to the cutesy area of College Ave. Bonus points for fabulous staging!

"Oh, hi. I didn't see you there. I'm just a Ridiculously Cool Kitchen Island!" Look at the legs on that thing! Holy cow, I think I like it so much that I have to share a picture from another angle.

"Yeah, I know I look good from this angle too." Oh, kitchen. I think I'm in love.

And ok, I'm sure the grout is a pain to clean, but I'm really digging the subway tile on this showertub. Also, it looks really deep, and I love a deep tub!

House #2 scores bonus points for labeling itself as "Elmwood Cutie." It is only a 1 bedroom, but it's too cute not to share.

Doesn't this bedroom look soothing? I love the greenery right outside the window...

I'm not crazy about the red paint, but it looks really nice in there...

The kitchen is small, but oh so cute!

Sheesh, from all this HouseLusting, you'd think I was looking to buy a house. Don't worry, I'm not. I love love love my little apartment, and I'm not lookin' to move any time soon! But someday...

Outdoor Dreams

I just got the new West Elm summer catalogue in the mail today, and there are some drool-worthy items for outdoor living. I can never afford West Elm (with the exception of my discounted mirror accessories), but it doesn't cost anything to look! The HouseLust tag is being expanded to include home decor/accessories I am lusting after, in addition to homes and gardens and all that. Basically, HouseLust = any home-related thing that like. Enjoy these lust-worthy images, all courtesy of West Elm.

lanterns, delicious lanterns

I don't know who lives at this hypothetical house ON THE BEACH, but this deck is pretty much amazing.

This mirror is quite lovely. I have one kind of like it from IKEA (not really, but same idea).

Perhaps a nice little lunch in the sunshine...

...and then a summer afternoon nap!

Lovely Living Room

From Apartment Therapy. Yum.

IKEA Summer

IKEA has a lot of great stuff for summer, including these awesome solar lanterns, which I am trying very hard to resist. They also just have a lot of great summer stuff, inspiration for the backyard summer parties of my future...ah, glorious summer parties. Doesn't this just put you in the mood for outdoor living? Someday, I want to have a nice big backyard for entertaining. Growing up in Los Angeles, my childhood was filled with BBQ/pool parties and general outdoor hanging out, and it will be fun to host some of my own. My current yard is tiny, and you have to go upstairs to my apartment and then downstairs to the backyard to get there, but it's a nice little place to hang out. I had one BBQ party last year, and I think this summer will see a few more!

Chicken Parm

Speaking of cooking...my friend Erin mentioned that she had no dinner plans tonight before meeting her husband for his band's gig, which provided the necessary motivation for me to actually try a new recipe! Hooray! Ta-Da! Etc!

I made the Hungry Girl Chicken No-Harm Parm and the Hungry Girl Mozzarella Sticks, which only took about 20 minutes to prepare. Bonus: It tasted good! My notes on the cooking: I made the mozzarella sticks at the same time I made the chicken, but I just left the chicken in a little longer. I also used chicken breast tenders instead of whole chicken breasts (that's what I had on-hand), so they required about half the cooking time (I just omitted the second 10 min of cooking time). I used Trader Joe's Bruscetta instead of marinara sauce, because I didn't have any good thick marinara on hand. I also used a combination of smoked jack and parmesan instead of mozzarella on top of the chicken because that's what I had. Upped the fat content a tad, but that's ok with me, since the meal itself is so low-cal and all. I also served the chicken on a bed of baby spinach, something The Boy named "The Spinach Trick" - and something we saw recently on a Food Network show as a way to make your plate look more full (trick your mind into thinking there's more food, without adding more pasta, for example...and also a way to add some spinach to a meal without much effort). I love "The Spinach Trick."

Pictures below, just because. Click to enlarge :-)

Mozzarella Sticks
I think I left them in a bit too long...they got all oozey and flattened and squished. Still tasted good though. Next time, I think 5 min in the oven instead of 10.

Chicken Parm
Closeup. Mmmmm. Erin's serving, slightly larger because she's eating for two ;-)

Another closeup of the chicken parm. My portion. The two little pieces kinda look like they're facing each other and holding hands, don't they?

Not chicken parm, but this is what I made the other night. Polenta, 3 slices with garlic/basil creme fraiche from the farmer's market, tomato and basil. 3 slices with roasted red pepper spread, mushrooms and smoked jack cheese. Chicken accidentally crusted with Italian herbs: I poured too much into the pan...whoops. Always check to make sure you opened the "sprinkle" side of the container and not the "pour" side! This food lasted me for two meals. Yum!

HouseLust

I am starting a new tag for posts about houses. I am not looking to buy a house (not really the best idea when you're oh, not making any money). But I do love to look at houses. They're pretty and someday I'll have one. With a yard. And a garden. And a big, big, big kitchen.

I subscribe to Apartment Therapy San Francisco, which often has drool-worthy photos like these:


On occasion, I read Bay Area Home Girl, which is written by a woman I used to babysit for. She writes about houses for sale in the area, which are sometimes overpriced, and sometimes "gasp-omg-what-a-steal!" worthy. I mean, look at the tub in this bathroom! WHAT? And at $750,000, the house is not all that bad price-wise, considering it comes with a garden studio that you could easily rent out for around $900-1000 a month. That is, if you had $800k to spend on a house in the first place.


Anyway, this tag is where I will put photos that fall into the HouseLust category of my brain. Enjoy!

Lofty Goals, Admirable Aspirations?

I have this vision of myself, wherein I bake some sort of homemade baked goodie treat every week, my produce comes from my backyard garden, and all of my meals are food-blog-worthy. Now, I know this is highly unlikely. I know it's just a dream-vision, and probably it's not going to happen. Not anytime soon, anyway. Currently, I attempt one big baking project a month, sometimes two, and while I do plate some nice-looking meals, they're not often creative or new or anything. And let's not even get started on my lack of gardening so far this year.

I've just started reading some food blogs (Smitten Kitchen and Omnomicon in particular) which have made me feel simultaneously inspired and defeated. There are so many wonderful recipes to try! So much delicious food to eat! So many people out there having kitchen adventures of the best kind! So with such a wealth of cooking/baking inspiration out there, why do I so often lean back on my staples rather than leaping into a new recipe? Why do I let laziness get the best of me until I am too pooped from being a couch potato (yes, I am still going to Curves) to bake? I actually have the time right now both to cook and to shop. There are at least 15 recipes on my "to do" list. Not to mention the 8 or so cookbooks that currently live in my apartment. So why am I such a slacker in the kitchen these days?

So I've decided to just make a go of it. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it. Maybe if I say it enough times, it'll happen. Here are some recipes I am particularly looking forward to:

1. asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta (from smitten kitchen)

2. ranch rugelach (from smitten kitchen)
   

3. rainbow cake (from omnomicon)

4. ice cream cake (from omnomicon)

5. Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins (from Hungry Girl, not online)

So...I've got a bit of cooking and baking ahead of me. I would like to do one new recipe a week. At least. I can do it! And if you're in the Berkeley area and want to come over and make something with me, just let me know!

She is so Hardcore

Probably the best thing to happen at a Sara show ever. Oh, San Diego, I never knew you were so hardcore.

Blueberry Muffins

For my birthday, my mom got me the Hungry Girl '200 Under 200' cookbook (200 recipes under 200 calories). There are a lot of recipes that look really yummy, although many recipes involve some not-so-basic (for me, anyway) ingredients. I think it will just take a little bit of rethinking my 'basic kitchen staples', and I did a bit of shopping for things like Light Vanilla Soymilk and Sugar Free Pancake Syrup. If you're not sure about the recipes, or don't want to buy the book, sign up for the newsletter - she sends out recipes (some from the book) and tips about once a week. Like I said, a lot of her recipes look great, and I'll try to document and post whenever I try new ones!

Today, I made the Big Fat Blueberry Muffins.

The ingredients, all lined up like ducks in a row (not really). Please note that I am not advertising for any of these companies; this is just what I bought and used. The brown sugar (in the plastic canister) is from Trader Joe's, in case you're looking to brand-copy. The Lucerne carton (back right) contains egg-substitute (a la Egg Beaters). Who knew...the Safeway brand contained less salt (and was cheaper) than the Egg Beaters brand! And yes, the Smuckers brand of syrup was the healthiest option and had less fake-sounding ingredients than the other 4 sugar-free syrups at the store. The email/web-version of the recipe suggests freezing the blueberries so that they don't sink to the bottom of the muffins while baking. I popped my berries in the freezer when I started and pulled them out when it was time to add them, and that seemed to work fine (though they really weren't frozen at all).

The dry ingredients, just because they looked pretty...

Muffins, pre-oven. The recipe makes 6 large muffins, but I think next time I will make 8-12 smaller ones...

Muffins, post-baking! They puffed up a LOT. These things are huge!

Close-up of pretty muffins. I like how the blueberries kind of exploded a little in places, and how the "crust" on top is all crackly.

Artistic Muffin. Actually, this is just what happened when I used my flash, and I thought it looked cool. Also, it shows the semi-mushy inside, which I think is more a by-product of my trying to eat it when it was still steaming hot than of the muffins *actually* being mushy. They're really not mushy at all. Toothpick came out clean and everything.

Like I said, next time I may make smaller muffins, but just one these jumbo muffins could be breakfast. Next up...Chunky Apple-Cinnamon Muffins.

One More...

Thanks to Sara, I am now looking at this lovely blog called Brooklyn Bride. And this picture made me stop scrolling through the first page of lust-worthy pictures to stare at its loveliness. I'm loving the lanterns reflecting in the water, and how the even the tables seem to glow a little. Simply gorgeous. And that's it for crazygirl wedding stuff for today, I promise. The end!

Speaking of Crazy...

American Apparel cracks me up. This is ridiculous. Because nothing says comfy for pregnant ladies like a UNITARD. Have the American Apparel people not heard that pregnant ladies have to pee a lot? Or maybe that they might not like the constrictedness of a unitard? Damn, I don't even like wearing unitards now, and I'm not preggers. Eesh! I thought his was so bizarre that I created an entirely new tag, simply called "ridiculous." I'm sure I'll find other things to put here, but for now...Yo Mama!

For all your stretching and lounging needs.

Because this is way more comfortable than baggy sweatpants and a tank top.

This is what happened when I tried to take a screen shot as the image changed on the website. I think it looks cool. The picture, not the uni.

Because I am a Girl

There is thing about being a girl where you think about weddings. My friend Sara (aka Miss Jane) thinks there is something that happens when a girl hits 25, where you automatically just lose your mind. She might be right. Though I have to admit, I have been thinking about weddings for a while. As far as I can remember, I wasn't the little girl dressing up in wedding dress-up clothes and dreaming of the big day. I think I had a dress-up wedding gown of sorts, but I wasn't one of those girls you see in movies and such who "has always dreamed of what her wedding would be like" and all that. But probably since about college or so, I have had ideas. I know I want a simple wedding, outdoors, small and fun and casual.

Don't take this as a sign that I'm ready to actually get married. I'm not even ready to move in with The Boy, much less take that leap into marriage. I am happily content having my own apartment, a place to call my own that I don't have to share with anyone. I love having my own space and I see no need to rush into moving to that next step.

HOWEVER, I am a girl. And I can't help thinking about weddings, especially since it's "wedding season," and one of my closest friends just got engaged. It was no surprise - she and her fiance bought a house together a few months ago, and we all knew it was bound to happen at some point soon. We'd all been waiting, and it's fun that it's officially official. Anyway, my brain has reverted back into wedding-mode. I got out of it after Katie and Randy's wedding last year, but here we go again!

Sara posted this lovely picture on her blog, which didn't help with my wedding-on-the-brain situation. I think I might be in love with this dress. Click the picture to enlarge; it's worth it.
Practically speaking, I love it because it has straps wide enough to hide a bra strap. The neckline is low-cut enough to avoid the awkward large-chest-uniboob-disaster that high-necked dresses and shirts present. It's not so low-cut as to become a cleavage fest. The back is gorgeous. It's elegant, drapey, and gosh I love it. I will not be one of those crazy girls who buys a wedding dress before she is even engaged, but I will lust after this one a bit. Sigh... It's from the J. Crew Fall 2009 line, in case you were wondering. And if Sara hadn't linked to it on her blog, I wouldn't have gone looking for it or anything, so, um, I'm not crazy?

Crazy or not, I dare you to tell me it's not gorgeous.

Why I Hate Sara

Ok, so I don't hate her at all. But I am incredibly jealous. Oh, Sara, you lucky lucky lucky lucky girl. Damn.

More Glee

Hold the phones! My good friend Paul Peglar made a little appearance at the end of the episode. Doing what else but playing the piano while the glee club sang Journey ("Don't Stop Believing"). If you know Paul, you know how appropriate this is.

The episode's ending made me want to stick around to watch more, just because these kids are pretty talented, and I'm a sucker for nostalgia. I can't resist high school a cappella and musical theatre, what can I say? Ah, the glory days...just kidding. But it was pretty fun to watch. And it was a successful little teaser for the season, which apparently doesn't start until fall. Cruel!

If you missed it and want to check it out at http://www.fox.com/glee :-)

Also, this movie is advertised on the Glee homepage. Looks totally cheesy, but also like a good movie to see with your fellow unemployed girlfriends, perhaps while drinking.