rar.

“april is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.”
~ t.s. elliot

why rar? i dunno, that's what sera asked earlier...it's just a feeling i have today. i got scratched, kicked, hit and nearly spit on at school today by the little boy who i know has the most potential in the world to be an outstanding 5 year old (if only someone at his home could fill him with that love & confidence). i mis-grammared (SHOCKER!) a project that i thought i was done with at work & therefore had to re-do it. it snowed, AGAIN. i have heartburn, a headache & need to go to bed, BUT i am also sitting on an announcement that i have been waiting to make and tomorrow is the big day - SO! stay tuned, the week can only go up from here (THANK GAWD!). i did have a fun and pseudo productive weekend, i hope to be back on track here tomorrow and i really want to share some of my favorite must try-on tanks tops for spring...so cheers to everyone on this april-eve!

“april hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”
~ william shakespeare

friday snack.

in leau of a late night snack, i started to browse etsy for a sweet treat and found these black raspberry earrings from clementine - so much better than ice cream, don't you agree?



not only does she have a large collection of jewelry in her shop, but her blog is a new bookmark of mine (somewhat because i heart her chocolate lab zeke!) i, like her, believe that the snow should be done falling by now here on the east coast, but alas on (hopefully the last) snowy friday night i am now going to peruse some more of her shop's creations and the array of links on her blog that are new to me...have a happy weekend everyone!

sounds like.

i JUST did something not known to me...i figured out a tech issue on my own (sans sera, my technical guru). i am always jealous that perez has music to share and tonight i got just interested enough to figure it out so that we can heart music here too...not as pretty in pink like his, but baby steps. so since today was the first day i heard spring sounds outside my door, i want to celebrate with what sounds like spring to me.

i became involved with this song a few years back after it was featured on the series finale of sex & the city...i googled, searched and it was unavailable in the US...then i heard it AGAIN the other night when the hills went to paris (you would watch it too if you were home on cold meds...even if you wouldn't, don't judge!), SO again being OCD - i found it, purchased it and now i shall put it out there for your listening pleasure, many thanks to seeqpod for making this so easy that i could & would do it again!

mc solaar "le belle et le bad boy"


happiness = sun shining, snow melting and a french song in my heart - MWAH!

double duty images.

ok, call me crazazy...i saw this and it made me think - who makes giant wooden granny panties? HA - it's actually a coffee table by melia design, but nonetheless a conversation piece if it were in my house!

i am officially on the lookout for other double duty pics...or let's just call them, misguided first impressions;)

captain stuffyhead.

i have this yucky cold that has been going around...i'm loading up on garlic and taking nighttime meds, using my neti pot and hoping to be back here, feeling better by tomorrow. what is a neti pot you ask? only my new favorite thing, check it out here & here.

choco loco.

"caramels are only a fad. chocolate is a permanent thing."
~ milton snavely hershey

so, last thursday - post-doctor's appointment - i went to the market...i needed rice milk and safe snacks for this new phase of my diet switch-a-roo-o-rama. i was talking on the phone with my friend tara in the snack aisle and interrupted her to say - "WAIT - there is a chocolate bar with my name on it!" i was NOT hallucinating, it was 3400 phinney bars by theo chocolate AND my last name is phinney, so excitement and purchase of said bars followed to my delight.



once i made it to their website, i was really beyond excited because the company and products are amazing in philosophy and yumminess factor - BIG hearts. i found out SO much that i'm not sure where to begin....so i will share some fun bullet points:

#1 - theo was the first roaster of Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa beans and the only roaster of organic cocoa beans in the United States
#2 - the name of the main company theo (they make the 3400 phinney bar) comes from the latin name of the cacao tree - theobroma cacao, food of the gods (and it really is!) and their followers/connoisseurs call themselves theonistas! they congregate here, where you can also find up to date info & recipes & such
#3 - their packaging features artwork & illustrations by Zaara @ kittenchops and it is just the cutest thing (you've probably seen her work on starbucks packaging before)
#4 - the name of the 3400 phinney bar comes from their street address in seattle, but i find it funny that it also rhymes with their founder joe whinney's name!
#5 - they have some of the best flavor combos i have ever heard of, such as:

dark chocolate:
fig, fennel & almond (this one is vegan!)
nib brittle (tried it, YUM.)
bread & chocolate
coffee(tried it, YUM.)

milk chocolate:
hazelnut crunch
vanilla
chai
coconut curry

#6 - they give tours & do wine pairings...if you're in the area, do it and let me live vicariously through your experience (3400 Phinney Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103).
#7 - they were recently (february) featured in oprah's O magazine...'nuff said.

in conclusion, i think i would at least try anything with my name on it once, but this i would buy again and again and if i ever held an event worthy of swag bags, they would be in it. finding new ways to go green and support fair trade products are easy to do when they taste so darn good...eat up!

“my therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what i start. so far today, i have finished 2 bags of m&m's and a chocolate cake. i feel better already.”
~ dave barry

(images by kittenchops via theo chocolate website)

slurp soup.

well, i had a somewhat overwhelming experience today when shopping for groceries (on top of the fact that it was a zoo there because tomorrow is easter and i forgot this fact)...how does one make the transition to a basic vegan except for pork allowance, without the soy option & a gluten-free starting point?? in all honesty, i know that i can have my low-reactive foods on a rotating schedule, but i have to eliminate and then reintroduce them first - which is a real pain. so i became inspired by leeks and baby vidalia onions in the produce aisle and warmed up on this windy day by making a soup that was YUM to the last drop. (perhaps it would have been extra delicious with a cup and a half of heavy cream mixed in, but i'll try NOT to think about it!)

DISCLAIMER: i am NOT a chef, i do NOT measure and my palette is NOT trained, i'm just regular & love food...proceed with caution & enjoy! (also, i decided to document this after i started cooking - apologies for the cell phone pics, i'll try harder next time to be prepared)...

slurp soup
3 medium leeks, halved & thinly sliced (rinse thoroughly!)
3 baby vidalia onions, halved & thinly sliced (i had never seen these before at my market - think large scallion looking small onions at base and long green shoots, if not available use any sweet onion or shallots)
bell peppers, chopped small to match size of above items (mixed colors: red, orange, yellow, i had mini-sized peppers, but any work that you like)
6 large to medium garlic cloves, minced...YES that many!

add ingredients to a large skillet along with 3 tbl. butter, 2 tbl. olive oil, & salt & pepper. saute ingredients until they soften and let off their own juices, add 1 cup of chicken stock and continue to cook until veggies cook up soft as you like.

spice up this mixture (to taste) with: tarragon, curry powder, ginger, celery seed (just a pinch), cumin now

pour skillet-full-o-yum into a large soup pot (i guess you could also just start this in a large pot...i apparently enjoy extra dishes!) and add more chicken stock & about a cup of rice milk (or substitute whatever you like), chicken stock amount is to your liking (less if you like a stew, more if you like it brothy!) then for fun, i added about a cup to a cup and a half of quinoa (keen-waH!) for texture & protein. at this point let the contents get back to a rolling simmer and allow quinoa to cook up.

THEN, taste...assess...add more spices because the veggies are spiced up so yummy, but the broth waters down the taste, so add more as needed (& remember a little dried spice goes a long way BUT if you have fresh, for pete's sake use that instead!). i poured my finished hot soup over some cooked shrimp from the market and think it would have been extra yummy with an avocado garnish atop the wonder-ness (along with some cilantro infused creme fraiche, if you are so inclined/allowed...RAR!) it has a lil kick and made my evening comforting.

(the mini peppers, SO cute!)

post.script. - the quinoa can be a bit of a stock sponge, so feel free to ad stock the next day if your soup has turned into quinoa pilaf overnight!

drum roll.

this is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous, but i am very reactive and should therefore stay far away from...peas & trout!

HA. this is pretty funny (and sad because i love peas, unlike sera who says, "i never choose peas"), but how random? i even have a card in my wallet to carry around that says no peas, no trout. besides those two high-level reactives, i am very low reactive to the following long list of items:

ALL dairy (aka - casein)
all poultry/meats EXCEPT for lamb & pork
all fish shellfish EXCEPT crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters & some white fish
kidney beans
oat
peanut
soy
yeast

so what does this mean?? it means that all things that are low level reactives i can eat in moderation and on a rotation schedule...basically i shouldn't eat red meat with eggs & cheese & kidney beans with a peanut soy dip all at once! (or every day in similar combinations). so i have to spread out these things i heart or cut them out - like i have already cut out gluten, citric acid(which is in EVERYTHING btw), artificial sweeteners(aspartame & splenda) AND preservatives...luckily all fruits & veggies are in, as well as rice & honey & lentils & chocolate - THANK GAWD!

the reason i did this test was to find out if i was reactive to gluten and perhaps had celiacs disease & while i thankfully do not react to wheat or gluten, the oats & yeast combo probably lead to a great deal of my issues with the gluten category. i have also decided that since i feel so good being gluten-free and people dislike the cranky mess i am when i'm on the glute - i will stay gluten free (but have the freedom of having tiramisu on occasion without turning on my auto-immune system!). so i am armed and dangerous with my new test results and ready to cut out some more things that have apparently been giving me trouble to see if i can feel even better than i do.

thanks to everyone who has been supportive/interested/pretended to be interested while i go on & on with all of this silliness. i am already "that girl" who has to make special requests at restaurants and brings a cooler full of food with her everywhere she goes, so now i'll just be more selective when i pack up for a night out! break out the rice dream, i'm ready to eat up!!

program note.

so, i obviously took yesterday off...after a hectic day at work, i went to find out the results of my reactive foods test that i have been waiting for to see if i am really reactive to gluten and to see what else i should steer clear of - more on this later! i found out i have 2 silly pseudo-allergies (hint: one is green and one swims) and a BUNCH of minor sensitivities...so, my brain got tired thinking about eating in a rotating food schedule and i went out dancing to celebrate knowing exactly how to attack my food & body once i do a full google session this weekend. everything is always put into perspective after some drinks and calamari with terry kid and drunkle jimmy! see you all later today:)

be the change.

on this anniversary of a 5 year war, i have decided instead of an angry rant to post something that makes me feel peaceful. caroline colom vasquez of paloma's nest, makes these lovely creations that i adore, they are my count-to-ten-breath today. her studio is green powered (by renewable wind energy!) and the quote on her page reads, "do small things with great love" - my new motto.


she adds that, "by adding text, I give written ideas, feelings, and daydreams a place to rest." i can buy a ticket to that - thank you, caroline.

exhale & enjoy.

1998.

"for what it's worth it was worth all the while"
~ green day

so tonight i had a meeting for my 10 year high school reunion...oh boy! 1998 was a lifetime ago and still feels like yesterday at the same time. i sat around a table of friends (luckily!) and as we talked i knew that as far as i have come and all that i have lived through - i can still turn into the insecure girl in an instant when i recall high school sports, friends/rivalries, struggles, EVEN though i know better. i still think of the good ol' days with the hard ol' days and while i'm excited to see people and hear about their new lives and families...part of me wants to crawl into a hole or move back across the country to california. in remembrance of the year that started the new and ended the old, here are some memory snacks from 1998 to remind you:

- titanic was big at the oscars with 11 wins
- 1st class stamp: $0.32
- last episode of seinfeld
- there's something about mary changes the way we think about hair gel
- fda approves viagra
- sunny came home by shawn colvin was #1 at the grammy's
- afi lists top 100 films of all time headed up by citizen kane (#5 was one of my faves, wizard of oz)

lastly, it was during the ice storm of 1998 in maine when my family was camped out at my grandparents house...in one room...without power or water...and it was my 18th birthday. 1998 was a big year personally - i left high school and started college, i left old friends and family and met new friends and chose new family in those friends. the best summation of the feeling i get when i look back is within the senior song - time of your life by green day (and a senior quote i can't remember, but will track down!).

i can't believe it's been 10 years already...

tidbit.

good morning! so this is probably only funny to my lovelies, but i had to share - last night on wheel of fortune, there was a phrase puzzle that read:

"I have an announcement to make"

more to come later today, MWAH!

got irish?

happy st. patty's day - i love taking this day to remind myself of why i'm so darn pale...still haven't figured out why i'm so darned tall yet, but that's ok! since i am gluten-free, i won't be partaking of any green beer this evening or my sadly missed car-bomb (sweet, sweet crazy milkshake!) and since i am headed off to bed i thought i'd share my mellow find from the weekend to sooth those who are laying low on this monday holiday, he also happens to be irish (or at least his name is) - the pat mcgee band!

they were playing this weekend when i was working an event up to sunday river ski resort and while i would've been up for some dancin tunes being outside in the cold, i was just excited to find a new band. when you think of pat mcgee think: what if james taylor, hootie & the blowfish and dave matthews had a baby? if you're still reading then you're like me and want his cd on while sucking down margartitas in a hammock with the santa ana winds blowing in the background, PLUS he's not too rough on the eyes from behind those aviator rims on stage!

now, i'll admit, i have not listened to all their tracks (you can do some listening here and here), but the most important taste test for me is - what does it sound like live? SO good, and he does covers of crosby, stills, nash & young which i think speaks to what i'm looking for in a good time, smoky bar-type band...

elizabeth was my favorite song he sang this weekend, but i couldn't find it on his website(probably because it's on his new album, but i did find a scratchy video of it: see below) - other songs (like rebecca, annabel & end of october(even the na-na-na-nah part!)) were good too and they remind me of songs i feel like i've heard on my favorite tv shows before, and PS - the next time they write a song about a girl, i sorta wish it would be named kristy :)

ALAS, happy st. patrick's day, enjoy this irishman's band and pour out a little guinness for me!

sing, sing.

i'm having a music moment! i have been exposed to some great artists lately by my ahead-of-the-trend friends and all of the fabulous music blogs, and after trying to pick the one i heart the most, i decided that the one artist who i have to share with you is Meiko. I am not up to date on music, so this may be old news, but her music is like mashed potatoes for me - warm, comforting, familiar, lovely, delicious. i first heard her without knowing it was her on grey's anatomy and then i read all of the rave reviews written by perez hilton who said, "if you like singer/songwriters then you will be foaming at the mouth for Meiko." high praise, but it's completely true.

i took me a minute to love her, but now i just wish i had realized that i was obsessed with her earlier because all of the shows she's playing in my area are sold out...RAR! but check out her schedule on myspace and see if you get a little more lucky! may i suggest for your listening pleasure "piano song" & "reasons to love you" - oh, yeah and everything else on her album! listen to her whole thing here and check out a live radio session from KCRW's morning becomes eclectic show below. happy listening & enjoy the weekend!

bueller? anyone?

a gin & tonic or 2 or 3 was just what the doctor ordered today and i have to say that i am feeling renewed. my good friend and i have not hung out in a while and ok, i admit - i was absent from this space, but will be more present tomorrow. all of the best of intentions to get here failed, but that's ok - after a long day, i came home to promptly put on my jammies and watched hardball while cooking dinner. then an IM came that actually got me to put jeans back on & took me away...being thirsty thursday i could not refuse the cocktails calling my name. it had been so long since my friend & i had commiserated and talked that it was in order, so in lieu of a real post today let me just toast to friends, to laughter, to being vulnerable and speaking the truth out loud. here's to conversations that cannot be had over email or myspace and cheers to time well spent away from the tv - happy (almost) friday!

"happiness depends...
less on exterior things than most suppose."
~ William Cowper

hump day.

"take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."
~ ovid

ok, i have this orchid and i think it's sick...at the very least it is making my room smell like dirt which makes me think it's moldy or something. i have had it long enough to know that i will stick to plants that grow out of doors in the future because the rain and sun take care of them to their liking for the most part. an orchid is fussy and more like an animal than i would like at this point in my life. any ideas on saving the thing would be appreciated, although i think it will just be sent to my grandma's for a while because she is the plant whisperer...i'll just tell the windowsill, she's gone to rehab!

besides the funky smell coming from my exotic pain in the behind, i am in a rut with my bedroom. i live at home with my parents (gasp now or forever hold your peace), and while my room is spacious, it is filled with my crap that i may or may not have a use for in the future, but i can't let go of anything. it is a white-walled, beige-carpeted, boring mess. i am looking for a corkboard which will liven things up a little once i get it covered with everything i have horded with this space in mind, but besides that what do i do with a lack of storage and overflow-age of stuff? suggestions (on a budget), por favor.

i have been thinking though, that i would like to start collecting things (shocker after the confession of the previous paragraph!) that i would like to have in my life so that by the time i have a house/apartment/abode/rv - i will have accumulated items that add to my life in a way that makes me happy, not overwhelmed. at the very least, i will have a very public record of my "would-likes", here goes:

i would like a vintage metal circular rolodex (the kind that spins!) and instead of contacts, i want to file all of my collected quotes and be able to spin to them at any given time. right now i have no system, so when i know i have something written somewhere that means that it could be in a notebook, in a file, on my computer, on floppy discs from 2 computers ago...it's NOT conducive to my joy of quotes. so i'm putting this out into the universe, i would like a clunky and modern-day-useless circular card file - and i will roam flea markets & shoppes until i find one i cannot live without!

i've said it and now i will deconstruct ten magazines to make room for it in my life (of course i will save the ideas and recycle the ads) i have googled and searched on ebay, but i think i need to see & touch this to be certain that i can make it work as a system, but again any ideas of good places to search are always appreciated.

it's been a long week & it's only wednesday, so i'm sending out thoughts to everyone for an easy breezy thursday!

let's salsa.

"when i write of hunger, i am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it . . . and it is all one. " ~ m.f.k. fisher

well, i don't know what this has to do with anything, but i am OBSESSED with hot & spicy things. this is very funny, because 5 years ago i could barely make it through the first five layers of a fireball without taking a break for bread & water. it all started with a shared basket of hot wings, heavy on the ranch. then later my interest was peaked further when i lived in california and became INVOLVED with salsa...all varieties - mango, tomatillo, fresca - YUM!

when i moved home from california, everything was a little bland - overprocessed, overpriced & not organic...i missed the produce, henry's market, dinner parties & sunday breakfast with emilia's dill eggs & potatoes. so i started to put salsa on everything and usually a healthy portion of pepper jack cheese. my parents do not recognize this person, but they like the added spice in their food, even though my dad sometimes will ask me to make it "regular" without the "extras" - you know: garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, more garlic, etc.

last week, however, i was out of salsa. i had already made my breakfast eggs - all buttery and half runny with a pepper jack & cheddar mix melted over the top...i was not a happy camper. so i did what all desperate people would do - i searched the pantry 3 times, then the fridge and then i saw the hot sauce - GOTCHA! i drizzled a little over some ketchup and who knew i was about to find my new favorite. lucky for me frank's hot sauce is gluten-free, now if only i could find some wings at a restaurant that were too (and ranch dressing for that matter...)!

so, in honor of my new love and ever-evolving firey tastebuds, i'm heating up your tuesday with some salsa recipes collected in my travels. both of these change everytime i make them (i keep adding mostly!) i like my salsa full 'o stuff, so delete & add as desired, all seasonings are to taste. i hope you feel inspired to top your eggs, potatoes & pork chops with some of this goodness.

mango salsa
2 mango sliced, peeled & diced
1 seedless cucumber, peeled & diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bundle cilantro, roughly chopped
1-2 lemons, juiced
salt & pepper & coriander (to taste)
black beans or garbanzo beans (optional)

salsa fresca (this is fun to say)
5-7 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bundle cilantro, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbl. apple cider vinegar
1-2 lemons, juiced
salt & pepper diced
jalapeño or anaheim peppers (take out ribs & seeds so it won't be too hot OR add a few shakes of hot sauce to taste)
jicama (if available), peeled & diced
corn (straight from the cob if possible, but there are some great frozen varieties available too!)
black beans or garbanzo beans (optional)

FYI - this is a really fun thing to make before a party with your friends, everyone can chop and talk while you cry over the onions & garlic!

all this talk makes me miss days & beaches like this...

HA!

SO, i have just realized that i have been writing "scarfs" all over the place including this space and a comment i left 1AEON on indiepublic!! i am obviously sleep deprived and adverse to using a spell-check device - apologies, i intend on wearing "scarves" from now on!

scarf it down.

“it was one of those march days when the sun shines

hot and the wind blows cold: when it is
summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
~ charles dickens

ok, so it is no secret once you meet me that i love a scarf! i will wear one on a boat, i will wear one with a coat. in the summer, winter, spring - i wear scarfs with everything...happy belated birthday dr. seuss ;) i am always looking to add to my collection - so lucky me, for my birthday in january emilia sent me a bundle of beautiful coral/orchid colored hand-spun kettle dyed yarn that i have been itching to knit. but then i couldn't decide how to knit it without stripping it of it's texture and making it normal...YUCK.

so i came across directions in an old martha stewart mag (i'm sorry, i'm a fan of hers, funky connecticut accent aside!) for a knotted scarf - basically a series of square knots that makes a loose, chunky & airy scarf. so i finally took the time to figure out a square knot so i could do this project and TADA - i have a fancy, yummy new addition to my wardrobe! it was very reminiscient of my friendship-bracelet-making days - check out the directions and don't be intimidated, this seriously took a very small portion of my sunday.



here are some of my favorite scarves that others have created, consider it my spring wishlist for those windy maine days that have already begun ;)


fox in the snow scarf

by MelissaSue













flirt

by scarfbossybootsdesign





























orange birds by 1AEON










blue beetle by 1AEON













it's a tie i can't decide which one of these i need more!!

1AEON is very cool, they make me want to take up screenprinting - find them also on indiepublic. this is reasonably priced art as far as i'm concerned, PLUS they wear a zebra mask sometimes when taking pictures in their items...i love a zebra, BIG hearts - check them out.

TGIF.

"when I find myself fading, I close my eyes and
realize my friends are my energy."
~ anonymous

end of week two. thanks for letting me blather on this week about completely random things! i am one week removed from gluten again & i have to say the fog is starting to lift, thankfully. i have to send a big shout out and loads of hearts to the gluten free girl, who announced today that "the chef knocked her up" - very exciting! also big hearts to my lovely emilia from auburn & ivory who has devoted march (& an entire 2nd blog space!) to uncovering the greenies out there who are doing their part for the environment & doing it with style, check out new posts & interviews with eco-friendly designers & artists daily.

to my new friends on indiepublic who have been so welcoming with adds & comments, i am putting aside weekend time to check out your blogs & shops & flickrs so i can comment back to each of you:)...and to all of my visitors who have been giving me a read, i can see from my tracker that you are from all over the US & the world - big hearts to madrid & kuala lumpur for making the trip! i have post-its all over my computer with collected blogs, sites, quotes & craft ideas that i need to share with you, because i just do and since i will be snowed in & broke this weekend i hope to get it all blogged out & linked up & beautified! i'm really having fun and since it's friday & i am curled up watching a movie with the kidlets, i will leave you with some yummies for the weekend - quotes & cocktails, happy friday!

MOJITO!!
(it's my all-time fave for summer and
i am wishing for summer this weekend!)

INGREDIENTS
(all portions can be multiplied for sharing!)
4 lime wedges
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
10 fresh mint leaves
2 ounces light rum Club soda

DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing glass, muddle lime wedges with mint and sugar until it has dissolved.
2. Add ice and rum and shake, then strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a full sprig of fresh mint.
(This recipe comes from Allen Katz, host of "The Cocktail Hour" on Martha Stewart Living Radio.)

"couglin's diet: cocktails and dreams. "
doug, from the movie cocktail

to the point.

"let's go and get drunk on light again –
it has the power to console."

~ Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat
A Sunday On La Grande Jatte - 1884
oil on canvas

so, i was online last night researching project ideas for my upcoming art immersion program at pre-school. i have to admit, this is a much harder undertaking than i originally imagined. yesterday as i was leaving work, my boss handed me this fun project for a dot-painting idea that uses q-tips rather than brushes so that you get distinct circles. she told me it was monet, i didn't think so, so i did a google and found georges seurat a neo-impressionist who was big in the world of pointillism - think: pre-CMYK printing, pre-pixelization - circa the late 1800's. holy art history! this is exciting because i went to a college that outlawed art history and therefore my info is hazy or based on reports i labored over in high school (not such a short time ago since this is the year of my 10 year reunion, UGH!).

Georges Seurat
Le chahut - 1889-90
Oil on canvas

anyway, i was enjoying seurat today and appreciating the free info from the interwebs and thought i would share his lovely dots which combine primary, complimentary & secondary colors to make a wonderfully complex scheme of things and a visual paint blending exercise using light and dark to trick the eye - ENJOY!

Georges Seurat

The Shore at Bas-Butin, Honfleur - 1886
Oil on canvas

the chills.

"life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. how do you know this is the experience you need? because this is the experience you are having at this moment." ~ eckhart tolle

it's snowy & slushy & cold in the east, i am currently seeking a groundhog to tell me something new about spring! so i mentioned the other day that i just got a job & i'm excited to share that i am working at a pre-school for developmentally challenged kids. it is fun, exciting & making me tired (even though the hours not not what i consider to be full time!). so that has been taking me away from hunting out the things i heart lately, but i SWEAR if you saw these kids you'd realize that all the fashion, fun & delicious recipes in the world are not more important. so while i build up my stamina to work, plus blog, plus clean my room & pay my bills, please be patient and i will be more productive on the weekends...i promise to try!

SO, in terms of the new job i was sharing the overall story of how it came about last night with one of my lovelies and she said - you have to tell people that, so i will because it's pretty amazing (to me). i wrote a day or so ago about the eckhart tolle book that I am reading, A New Earth. it's about great things like letting go of your ego and shutting down the mind chatter (both negative & just plain unnecessary) and while it is new age by genre, it's a whole new outlook for me. i won't get preachy, but if you are searching for directions, try this as a road map starter kit! so i was going through this extended, yucky gluten testing and was without job for 6 weeks. last thursday, i had my test and came home and decided to find a job & have NO expectations, no qualifiers, no exclusions based on location, embarrassment, etc.

i was ready (and so were my very patient parents...) i put it out into the world and planted it in my head...when i came home, my friend called - she had a job for me - only problem, it starts in the morning! i said ok - instead of saying, it's part-time, it's not my thing, i'm not qualified - i said ok, i'll try it, if it doesn't work i'll move on. i went on friday, and the owner asked me to come back monday, if i wanted i could come back all the next week and if possible i could just never leave - HA! job, check. friday while at my new found job, i got a message from another friend asking me to work an event over the weekend to the tune of $140, second job, check. things are shifting and as far i can tell the law of attraction is in play, it's everything i thought was a crock about the secret coming to fruition. believing in the new age, check.

i went to work monday and was put in charge of the just starting 6 week art immersion series...could you knock me over with a feather, yes. so good things are happening and i believe that it's because good things are going on in my thoughts and in my intentions. so i am reconnecting with art and creativity - first with this space which i am grateful to have and second in an unexpected place working with amazing little miracles who benefit me more than i can hope to help them. it's a little slice of therapy & patience, i am being forced to slow down and enjoy the view, i totally suggest tapping the brakes every now & then.

other suggestions include the gluten-free brownies i just made & ate - YUM!

food for sight.

i totally forgot to share! on sunday i went snowtubing with my niece & nephew at this very cool place. on the way home, i was talking to danica (while brody was asleep & snoring on my shoulder!) and she looked intently at me for a second and then declared that my eyes looked like chocolate covered cucumbers...i find her very cool & creative for this because upon inspection it's true! i have hazel eyes (a phenomenon that happened in my twenties, i had brown eyes for the first part of my life) and they are mostly green with more of a brown-ish border & brown flecks.

FULL DISCLOSURE: i should state that my mom always tells danica that she has warm chocolate chip eyes & tells brody that he has fresh blueberry eyes - so comparing eyes to food is a running theme, BUT still i was amazed by her thinking of something that doesn't exist in a processed and primary colors, mcdonalds and M & M's world. as a matter of fact, i was so interested that i googled it (did i mention that google is my middle name?) and i could find no such thing! so being in awe of an 8 year olds imagination (and wanting to taste test a chococumber someday!), i am hoping to be wowed by any & all information that you may have about unknown chocolate covered items/delicacies, so please post all ideas(known or imagined) here for all to enjoy! thanks;)

a break from the blah.

SO, another long day with some unexpected tasks thrown my way, along with a case of the sleepies! it is super junior tuesday in the world of politics and while i am obsessed (and therefore not on task), i just can't bring politics to this page - it's like a dinner party, don't bring up politics and religion! so while i am distracted by primaries and caucuses and preparing for yet ANOTHER snow storm, i took time out to let my brain laugh, thought a little 80's never hurt anyone, so have fun with this too:)

80's Survey

1. How old were you in 1980?
born january 11th!

2. How old were you in 1989?
9

3. Were you a Toys R' Us kid?
not really - it was expensive back in the day, i was a k-mart kid

4. Did you watch Transformers?
YES! but i loved thundercats more.

5. Did you see E.T. on the big screen?
not that i remember.

6. Did you own a Lite Bright?
no, just majorly jealous of people who did (like my friend lyla)!

7. Who is your Favorite Golden Girl?
ROSE! betty white is as funny as you get.

8. When someone says " Who you gonna call? " You think?
ghostbusters!

9. What was your favorite toy?
a battery operated 4-wheeler that i named "KIT", after knightrider, of course!

10. Did you have a Pogo Ball?
pink with turquoise!

11. Did you listen to New Kids on the Block?
did i listen to anything else? i also saw them in concert and we booed tiffany (the opening act) off the stage...

12. Which New Kid was your favorite?
donny...bad boy.

13. Did you play M.A.S.H?
i'm playing it right now! i loved that game, i think i always ended up in a shack with corey haim

14. Did you watch The Care Bears?
yes, i love sunshine bear.

15. Did you have Jelly bracelets?
yes and i could twist them to make them a chain! and i had jelly shoes too, but they are all fun & games until you get a rock in the bottom...

16. Did you have a charm necklace and/or bracelet?
i don't think so, maybe a best friend split heart with tara or chrissy!

17. Did you own a glo-worm?
yes, my favorite, i bought an identical one for my nephew when he was born

18. Did you ever own a slap bracelet?
i owned A LOT of them and then they were outlawed at school and were less cool

19. The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles?
breakfast club - i do a great molly ringwald in the library dance

20. Did you have a crazy hair style?
i had the white rain sprayed claw bang hair-do, off to one side, sweet!

21. What was your first bike?
huffy pink & white checkered

22. Name one thing you still own from your childhood?
i had my teddy ruxpin until this past summer, but i still have my stuffed little foot from the land before time!

23. Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid?
yes! her name was essa - who thought those names up?

24. Did you dress like Madonna?
oh boy! i took outfits to school in my backpack and changed into them - sequins, leggings & all

25. Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake?
rainbow brite, obviously!

26. Did you watch Miami Vice?
no, was after my bedtime

27. Did you own a pair of Jelly Shoes?
yes, see #15.

28. Did you own a Trapper Keeper?
light blue with a tiger on it! i think that i still have it somewhere in storage.

29. Atari or Nintendo?
EEK! atari for pong, nintendo for super mario. my brother had both so i guess i just liked whatever one he would let me play!

30. Did you play Pac-Man?
not a lot

31. Which was better: Jem and The Holograms or Barbie and The Rockers!?
JEM! holograms are way better than rockers in terms of a back-up system as a rule!

32. He-Man or She-Ra?
She-Ra! how cool was she? BIG hearts.

33. What movie scared you the most?
wizard of oz, those monkeys and the trees freaked me out...now it's one of my favorites

34. Did you try to dance like Michael Jackson?
i did, with my switchblade comb in hand and my white glove...slight MJ obsession in my youth!

35. What Is The First Thing That Comes To Mind When You Hear "FLUX" ?
i have no idea! uh-oh, bad 80's child.

36. What other colors did Pepsi come in? Which is best?
clear, which is just weird! regular pepsi was best

37. Roger Rabbit Or Howard The Duck?
roger rabbit - i love jessica rabbit, "i'm not bad, i'm just drawn that way" words to live by!

38. Did you ever beg your parents to have your school picture taken with the 'LASER' background?
HA! Yes! and i got it once and then i wasn't even crazy about it, i always wanted the double silhouette (i just had to spell check this word!) too but never got that one!

39. Do you know what the Ninja Rap is?
if it has to do with four turtles - YES!

40. Do you know why people cringe when they hear the word BUCKNER?
no...

41. Can you name the family members from National Lampoons Vacation movies?
clark, that's it

42. WallyWorld or Europe?
WALLYWORLD!!

43. What was your favorite movie from the 80's?
can't buy me love...me and tara watched that movie till it wore out! classic.

44. Who puts Baby in the corner?
according to johnny - NOBODY!

manic monday!

ok, so i am sorry for this space's lack of blog today...i have been a crazy person and while no excuses is my motto (well, it's at least my tattoo!) i just did not get here with all the things that i wanted to share today. some reasons for the delay - i got a job on friday (YAY employment!), i worked an event this weekend, i went snowtubing with the kidlets (my niece & nephew, danica & brody) on sunday, and today after work i had to arrange for the group gift for a friend's wedding that has to be in the mail & in florida by saturday....yikes! PLUS, i am about to log on to my first class with THE oprah winfrey and MR eckhart tolle for their teaching of his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. i am very excited and anxious all at once, so stay tuned for updates on how this goes! otherwise i am happy and i had swiss chard for dinner so i am ret-ta-go for my brain work, hoping to be better organized as the week moves forward, MWAH!