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Friday 9/28/2011

Wooooo! It's the weekend! Hurrah! Hooray! Yay!

Highlights of today:

1. It's casual Friday so we can wear jeans. It's the little things man.
2. My Mother Unit brought by freaking mini pies! Mini pecan and mini pumpkin. I. Love. Mini. Pies. Also. Pumpkin. Anything! (It's true. Last year my Dearheart almost had me committed when I broke into spontaneous dancing and then growled with my hands in fists while punching the air and said "it's PUMPKIN TIME! My most favorite time! I'm going to eat pumpkin for weeks!" each word was punctuated by a punch of joy for my love of pumpkin and the fall. It looked menacing, but luckily he knows me better than any and wasn't concerned.)
3. Its the most beautiful sunny breezy gorgeous day!
4. We have made the executive decision that our house cocktail this weekend will be .....(drumroll please)......the Scotch 75! A witty (eh, or not) play on the French 75. JMS is Scottish and since we are legally tied together lovingly and monetarily, so am I! The classic French 75 is gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and champagne. We will be making ours with
-Hendricks gin (if you hate gin I SWEAR this will be a game-changer for you. The smell and taste of gin honestly made me want to vomit, then I tried Hendricks. Now I'm an alcoholic! Thank you Hendricks! Just kidding. You are so pricey I can never imbibe you without a trace of guilt as I have calculated the cost-per-sip. Hendricks, you are expensive as shit. But worth it.)
-prosecco (because that's what we have in the fridge)
- lemon juice
- a splash of St. Germaine
- maybe a bit of muddled basil if we are feeling frisky and it's still alive (I forgot to water yesterday and, unfortunately for our basil, I've forgotten the past few weeks as well. Gosh plants are so dang sensitive! You don't give them the one thing they need and they die. WTF.)
5. Our dear friends are coming into town! The dude is in a band! Our favorite band! Which leads to....
6. We get to hear our favorite band!
7. I'm making dinner tonight and my boo is making an antipasti platter so we will be dining like kings and queens. And we are drinking Hendricks! Does our richness know no bounds?!?! Actually yes it does.
8. Yoga during my lunch hour was particularly delightful and relaxing.
9. The house is clean since I did all the dirty work this morning before work! Whoop whoop!

Let the weekend BEGIN!

Wearing Vince jeans, h&M top (the striped one), jcrew silk blazer, cashmere pashmina that is my favorite, rubber clogs from the Dollar General, and a vintage tshirt (I did yoga in it and didnt change afterwards. I'm a dirty bird.)

Also? I freaking WISH this post was sponsored by Hendricks (you make me want to be a better and more relaxed person Hendricks!) but it's not. Le sigh.

Swear we don't beat him!

This is our dog-son. He is adopted and just the sweetest fluffiest little nugget! When my Love is in Alaska in the summer this muffin is my BFF, boyfriend, dog, protector, and mood lifter. Either because of this, or because of how he has always been even before we found him at the shelter, he genuinely worries about a LOT. Examples: the cats being outside where he can't look after them, the noises I make when cooking/eating/watching the x files, watching us cook, when our neighbors get rowdy, etc. His brow? Definitely furrowed more than most. He is so cute with the cats too (wow, I pity bystanders when we have kids as clearly I will never shut the fuck up about them) and his BFF is the younger one who thinks he is a dog. The cat (Marcel) idolizes his dog-brother and tries to mimic him. Except Marcel can be a real asshole (is his car-ness coming out?) and the dog never is. I took these pictures last night and I swear it wasn't like "punch punch punch" and then we snapped a picture. We were wooing him with bits of organic trade-free dog treats (okay, carrots........okay, potato chips. But in our defense they were minuscule pieces and they were Zapps! Nothing but the best for our dog!) and still he was like "what's going on? Are you ok? What do you need me to do?" that little pup is just makes my heart all squishy with love.

Editors note: the dog is 56 pounds of pure muscle and curly fur. I don't know why I keep referring to him as "little" when he is clearly not. But I still hold him like he is a wee nugget.

Fortunes

These fortune cookies aren't being very subtle are they.....I feel guilty and I haven't even done anything. I feel judged by a cookie.

Casual Thursday

Just couldn't get my shizz together this morning, but am happy, caffeinated, and clothed so all is well.

Striped top by Vince, pants by Joie, sweater by Ralph Lauren, and vintage necklace a present from my love.

Also pictured: mid morning breakfast of champions. B-12 (sub-lingual no less!) and dark chocolate covered caramel with a side of baggy eye removal. It's gonna be a great day.

Godiva

At work someone sent not one, not two, but three boxes of Godiva chocolate AND a bag of their truffles. It's sort of a dream of mine to be given a box of assorted Godiva chocolates----especially the fun ones with shapes and different fillings. It made my afternoon for sure.

9/26

The art crawl last night was not as fun as we anticipated but we were together so we had a blast. The dark pictures are from attempted photos on the double decker bus. Since I need to eat every hour on the hour and we missed burgers at our favorite bar (sliders actually, I prefer anything that is wee) we stopped and took a trip down memory lane for a snack. We ate at the gas station. A pizza roll, egg roll, taquito, and chicken on a stick later (washed down with Perrier, which made us laugh and laugh) we finished our walk home and crashed out.

Sometimes

All you need is a little avocado with lemon juice and salt. Growing up in Maine avocados were a huge treat and the special indulgence of my father and myself.

They are also how I gained 10 pounds when I lived in Australia. You could get 2 dozen gorgeous delicious perfect avocados for $3. Obviously I ate them for every meal and snack and in between.

Art Crawl Tonight

My most favorite way to crawl is for art! I'm excited to get to go out and explore with my Love. There's an amazing exhibit I cannot wait to see at the Museum. A lady worked at Parchman (a prison) in the early 1900's and her family donated some incredible photographs she took while she worked there. They are all in black and white and just insane. We actually saw them a few years ago in a local gallery (they weren't for sale, they are thinking about just exhibiting them) and were blown away. Can't wait to revisit them!

On an unrelated note, my Bunny says we can GET a bunny when we fence in our yard! Like, he WANTS one! This is a big step for us. I can't wait. I've been sending him pictures of adorable bun buns all day. All photos courtesy of google images.

Tulips

There was a sale on tulips at the local grocery store and I snagged two dozen for only $3. Tulips were never my favorite growing up, but over the past few years I've become a bit entranced with the languid way their stems droop and curve after a few days, and the lushly petaled blooms.

New Shoes

Vintage Etienne Aigner oxblood leather lace ups.

Love. Them!

Aren't my scarred ankles just the hottest things ever?! Bugbites, bruises, scratches, oh baby!

This Weekend We

-cooked our butts off
-ate everything in sight many times over
-slept in
-I went to yoga and got my stretch on
-tried a new sparkling wine
-had an allergic reaction to said wine
-walked the dog together
-cleaned the house
-went to a birthday party
-watched the x-files
-read magazines

It was so fun! I made white bean and basil hummus (my new default setting) apple cake/bread/stuff, coconut strawberry macaroons, cocktails!

We ate (at our house):
-A sausage and cheese plate
-Hummus
-Crackers
-Chips
-Coconut strawberry macaroons
-Grilled oyster mushrooms
-Tomato basil brushetta
-Homemade caramelized onion dip
-Grilled chorizo
-Boiled peanuts
-Apple cake stuff
-Grilled corn
-Eggplant ratatouille
-Sliced avocado and tomato with toasted bread
-Fried eggs on grilled pretzel rolls with avocado, tomato, and red onion
-Watermelon
-Strawberries

Out and about:
-Grilled shrimp on a grit cake with goat cheese
-tres leches cake with strawberry coulis
-flank steak with homemade fries, bernaise, and grilled asparagus
-grilled mahi mahi over asparagus tomato and bean risotto with basil blossoms
-kale salad
-bratwurst hoagies
-better than sex cake (the name is debatable)
-pickles green beans and okra
-homemade focaccia
-bacon wrapped duck breast
-grilled vegetable kebabs

Now I need someone to rub my belly.......

Swear I'm not obsessed with food

But....... These just came out and they are the perfect office snack.

And yes, actually, I AM obsessed with food. I figure its better than cocaine or meth and moonshine?

Mini brownie

It's been a rough afternoon. This little nugget of chocolate should have helped but it tasted awful!

Pants and shirt by Vince, shoes Frye, sweater Ralph Lauren

Coffee

Every morning I drink coffee out of the same cup. I get really particular (believe it or not) and very set on things sometimes. Thus, coffee must be consumed from my happy rainbow flowers mug or I am not a happy rainbow flower of a person for the rest of the day. This morning was extra happy because I had a small peach pie for breakfast.

Why....

Hello there. Is that a book you're reading? Allow me to sit on it. Do you like biscuits? I shall make them on your lap while I gaze at you lovingly.

9/19

Last night we slept under a light down blanket and it was magically comfortable and warm and delightful. It's my most favorite time of year finally! Hooray! We had loaded baked potatoes and arugula and sautéed green beans for dinner and mini peach pies for dessert and watched the X files. It was just a perfect evening. Although I think I can't watch the X Files (amazingly well written and acted and awesome as it is) because it's really scary to me. Like soap-in-my-eyes-while-showering-because-I-couldnt-keep-my-eyes-closed-due-to-fear-of-alien-abduction scary. Yes, I'm ashamed.

So this morning when I woke up alive and warm and snuggly and NOT abducted (success!) I met a friend for breakfast and celebrated with a bowl of soul. Steamed milk, espresso, coffee, and a titch of chocolate syrup. Yes! So delicious! Take THAT alien life forms! You're just jealous (and rightfully so) that you don't have that on your planet. Sorry.

Tonight we dine at the Crawdad Hole. It serves (surprise surprise) crawfish! And shrimp! And that's it! Gotta love a one-themed restaurant.

Snacks

My favorite midday edible is cheese and pop chips. So salty and delicious! Do you like my fancy plate?

Twin Shadows

Best. Night. Ever. Highlights:

-The Family H first and foremost.
-drinking the fastest celebratory glass of prosecco on record with said Family H
-delicious delicious Vietnamese food
-the Bottletree Cafe. I loved it. Both my Love and I had the strangest sense of deja vu there which was interesting.
-self made ET (the Extra Terrestrial) wallpaper in the ladies restroom in the cafe.
-the hipster Christian youth of Birmingham, you guys are so respectful at concerts it is ridiculous! I love you! More importantly JESUS loves you!
-Twin Shadows and Niki and the Dove. Magical. Wonderful. Best. Show. Ever!
-people watching at the show was really great. Someone was wearing rollerskates. And they weren't wearing them ironically, they were wearing them as their straight up shoes. Mad skillz and propz, yo.
-grilled pimento cheese sandwich that blew. my. mind. Cheese laced with mayonaise and heated up on grilled bread?!?! Get in my mouth. Why do I not eat this every day? Oh,  right. Because of my crazy fondness for fitting through doors and not having to buy all new pants. Rest assured I WILL be eating this more though. I think it would be amazing with tomato soup, as breakfast food, whatever and whenever really.
- riding in the car with JMS my Love. He is the best road trip companion ever. He is the best life companion ever. He is just the best person ever. He is the grilled pimento cheese sandwich of my heart.

Non Highlights:
-leaving at 4:30 this morning
-not getting to play with baby E

Undecided Highlights:
-only finding Phil Collins on EVERY radio station at Birmingham in the wee hours of the morn. What's up with that?
-my almond amaretto fake cappuccino coffee-esque gas station beverage. Why yes, for the record, almond amaretto is repetitively redundant. It was a taste that was so strong I felt as though it had seeped into my skin and was a nimbus around my head of fake almond scent. It was sort of nice for two minutes, except then I didn't want it all in my mouth and I am still tasting it hours later.
-only having pictures of Vietnamese food from last night and the welcome to Alabama sign. I was too busy having fun. Although, there was a full length mirror in the restroom that I really should have taken advantage of.

For those who are wondering, yes, we did get three entrees. And this morning at 4:30 am I turned to John and said "you know, we really should have gotten two extra sandwiches and left them in the fridge for this morning." Clearly I am off of my A-game. Next time, next time.