This moment of zen has been brought to you by Eleanor. She takes joy in the simple things like smells and movement. My mantra for this week will be "Seek to be as Eleanor is." Hopefully, without the fixation on fecal matter and licking strangers.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
a moment of zen
This moment of zen has been brought to you by Eleanor. She takes joy in the simple things like smells and movement. My mantra for this week will be "Seek to be as Eleanor is." Hopefully, without the fixation on fecal matter and licking strangers.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Art Day: Reading Blog
Please forgive this little shameless self-promotion. In addition to this blog, I also run Book.Read.Good. where you can find my literary endeavors and check out what I've been reading. Here are a few recent books I've read in the past couple weeks that you can learn more about on my blog here.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Home:: Garden Woes
Oh, how I long to grow my own food. Every year I invest in gardening gear and prepare to do battle against all that impedes my progress: the harsh Arizona climate, limited space, a black thumb. I pulled several of my plants through the winter. My household has been enjoying the fruits (herbs, actually) of that labor. The vegetables... well, some have pulled through with little to show by way of bounty. Now one of my tomato plants appears to have developed a fungus.
Yesterday, I called in the experts and decided to ask my mother what to do. She's the one with the green thumb but no time. I have the time and the hand of death. Mother gave my dwindling garden the once over and delivered the verdict. "I would start again." Harsh. The herbs might make it through. The rest has got to go. Victory will have to wait for another season.
Here are some inspiring gardens that were not made to suffer the same fate as plants left to my care...
Yesterday, I called in the experts and decided to ask my mother what to do. She's the one with the green thumb but no time. I have the time and the hand of death. Mother gave my dwindling garden the once over and delivered the verdict. "I would start again." Harsh. The herbs might make it through. The rest has got to go. Victory will have to wait for another season.
Here are some inspiring gardens that were not made to suffer the same fate as plants left to my care...
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Randomness:: Solar System Scope
Today, I offer the Solar System Scope. (Click the link to check it out)
Use it as a meditative tool to open your mind to the endlessness of nothingness.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Food:: Delicious Things I'm Not Eating Today
With the return of my beloved iPad, I have decided to totally re-commit to my previous health plan. Prior to the untimely destruction of said iPad, it had been my fitness buddy. Always there to record my exercise and caloric intake. Ready with an endless supply encouraging pictures of skinny girls and cute dresses when I was needed encouragement. Last night, I retrieved my resurrected buddy ready to restart my transformative journey to health. Today, all I can think about is food that I'm not eating. If you are also on a path to health that does not include chocolate or cream-based sauces, allow us to commiserate together for a moment. If you are not, indulge in my honor and I hope it goes straight to your ass.
Chocolate Lavender Pie
homemade snickers
ice cream sandwich
Sunday, April 22, 2012
a moment of zen
Before the week sets its hellish fury of tasks upon you, take a moment to pause and reflect upon a world without paperwork, rush hours, bills, phone calls, dentists, and other obligations. Then come back to us. If you stay at your reflection point too long the calming sensation you feel might transform into a permanent insanity. Trust me. I know crazy.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Art Day:: New Tattoo
Body art is the preferred medium of my generation. Last week, I celebrated Friday the 13th by investing in some lucky tattoo art.. can't tell that story here, however, as I am planning on writing a piece for YabYum's May issue on the experience (I'll post a link when it's up). I can post a picture of my new ink. Not a great picture, admittedly. It's difficult to photograph the inside of one's own wrist...
Friday, April 20, 2012
Fashion:: Ode to Stockings
How can something be so classy while increasing your sexual charge by at least 10 points? Perhaps it is the suggestion of removal, the slow slide off, the promise of underlying skin... who knows? I love them and for that reason I bring you the glory of stockings for our Friday Fashion post!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Home:: A Relaxing Bath
I am sore today. I have been slowly trying to return to my exercise regime after a bout of bad health. All I want to do is sink into a hot and fragrant tub. I imagine tension melting, aches dissolving, my fingers pruning, the edges of my book achieving a dangerous moisture level as I attempt to carefully turn the pages... Imagine is all I'll be doing on this particular day because as I pulled back the shower curtain this morning to begin my bath preparations I realized the filthy state of my tub. My loving and helpful boyfriend washed our mongrel beast, Eleanor, yesterday in the bath. Her cast off fur and abandoned filth rings my bathtub. So, sadly, I am left to daydream about the luxurious bath while I put off cleaning the bathtub until tomorrow...
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Walking Inspiration
I continually seek inspiration from the world surrounding me.I start most mornings with a walk around my neighborhood. Good for the body, good for the soul, good for the dog. Hopefully, it doesn't creep my neighbors out when I pause to photograph something in front of their homes. Here are a few moments from my day that helped to get it going.
There is a lot of community-sponsored artwork around my neighborhood.
The artsy, eclectic feel that permeates throughout my hood encourages residents to display their charm rather than cowering underneath the sameness enforced by HOAs.
Flowers bloom in abundance.
I did not enhance the color of these roses. Just photographed them in the morning light.
Found this abandoned boxspring in an alleyway. It reads,
"People Fell In Love On Me"
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Fashion:: Grunge All Grow'd Up
Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you...
No Grunge. You struck my preteen heart with perfect timing. My first fashion love will never die, although one might say it has matured somewhat... somewhat.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Reading Room
I would love to have space within my home to create a reading room. Every bibliophile has their preferred settings for a perfect reading environment. Today's post is brought to you by my dream of a reading room...
This last photo is actually Karl Lagerfield's "reading room."
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A Platter of Figs
The fig trees in our front yard are revealing the first signs of the coming bounty. I decided to seek out a cookbook in a fury of anticipatory planning for the harvest. Thank you Tempe Public Library for facilitating my need for books in a time of poverty.
a platter of figs and other recipes
David Tanis
"Do you really need a recipe for a platter of figs? No. Is that the point? Yes. Does it have to be more complicated than that? Not really. Yet to serve the figs, you need to know about ripeness and seasonality - the seasons of the garden - and you need to know your figs. By this I mean, are they sun-ripened and bursting with jammy sweetness? Are they succulent enough to eat as is, or do they want a sprinkling of salt, a drizzle of good olive oil, perhaps a thin slice of prosciutto? A dab of fresh ricotta and honey to heighten the flavor? Or should you roast the figs with onions and thyme and serve them warm with rare-grilled duck breasts?"
- quote from the author
I feel this quote best surmises the premise of a platter of figs. Recipes are divided into seasonal menus. This week I'm planning on the "slightly all-american" menu from the summer selections... we start seeing the fruits of the summer harvests a bit early in Arizona. The meal begins simply with Sliced Tomatoes with Sea Salt and is followed by Grilled Chicken Breasts and Corn, Squash, and Beans with Jalapeno butter. The meal is completed with a Blueberry-Blackberry Crumble.
The fig in my front yard that started it all.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friendly Friday: Product Safety with Skin Deep
This week's website worth checking out is Skin Deep: Cosmetics Database. Find out if the cosmetics products you are using are "safe." Living with CPH, I have to be extra careful about what toxins I am exposed to. This website makes it easy to find out what is lurking in my shampoo or facial lotion. Thankfully, my Yes to Blueberries line made the cut. Don't let money-grubbing companies poison you through the things you buy. Support clean products with your purchasing power!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Mid-Week Motivator: Change of Scenery!
Yesterday marked my fella's birthday and we decided to celebrate with a little distance! Arizona road trips are something spectacular for adventurous spirits who pack plenty of water. We meandered without destination and gave Eleanor, road warrior, plenty of opportunities to stretch her wee legs.
Salt River
the desert is in bloom
Eleanor waits for us to return from a picture-taking pit stop.
bees abound in the desert but they had little interest in us
no matter how close we got
Eleanor, mountain goat, looking at the Verde River
A long drive is good for the soul
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Cooking with Fresh Herbs
As an individual with assorted dietary restrictions and food sensitivities, keep meals simple and additive free is necessary in the day-to-day. Keeping an herb garden allows me to add flavor to an otherwise bland repertoire of permissible foods. Today, I added coarsely chopped herbs to a mixture of organic chicken broth and water to cook chicken in for the week ahead.
from the plant to the bowl
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