Fashion Friday:: Summer Styling

Summer means a lot of inside time for me, but I can assure you that I try to wear adorable dresses whenever possible. 

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For the Home:: Gothy Tendencies

I have a tendency to gravitate toward darker decor. I think it has something to do with my father being a funeral director maybe. Maybe not. My home is more kitsch than goth but the impulse to paint the walls black lies beneath. 

Skull & Cross Bones Toaster?

That's a way to start the day.

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Day of the Dead Wallpaper just might be the greatest thing ever.

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This skull lamp would horrify my mother. I love it. 

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DIY Edgar Allan Poe plates? Amazing.

I might just have to work this one out.

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And, why not go all out with this fabu canopy bed?

We're just window shopping, after all. 

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Mid-Week Motivation

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Biddy Brunch

I had the biddies over for brunch. It was a wonderful time. I had originally hoped for produce some fabulous homemade goodness for the event. Sadly, I was not up to par so I didn't quite manage "homemade," but I did cut some fruit up. That counts. Here are some fabu recipes I'm considering for the next time the ladies all head my way for brunch.

Blueberry Biscuits

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quiche

Apple Streusel Breakfast Pizza

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Meal Planning Monday:: Dinners for Late Spring

It already feels like summer here. My health keeps me hidden from sunlight for the most part so I have to find different ways to experience the season (indoors). I've been under the weather for a couple of weeks so I haven't been cooking as often as I would like to be. Hopefully, this week I'll be able to get back into the swing of things! 

Cod with Tropical Fruit Salsa

How delightfully summery does this dish look? I might try to find a rice and coconut milk recipe to accompany this fish.

Summer Vegetable Pancakes with Basil Cream Sauce

Uh, yum. I'm looking for new ways to incorporate veggies into every meal. This looks like a winner.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Vinaigrette

I attempted sea scallops once. Once. It ended badly for all involved, but I think I'm finally ready to tackle this beast again.

Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

I think this would make a great meal paired with a salad. And, I plan on making a salad with the dressing recipe beneath. Doesn't that work out nicely?

Sweet Basil Vinaigrette

We've been growing some basil here and need to put it to good use. This dressing will be great on the salad I plan on serving with the spaghetti squash pictured above.

Strawberry Hand Pies

My mother gave me an inordinate amount of strawberries this week and I need to put them to good use. This seems like good use.

a moment of zen

I had a rough night at the emergency room earlier this weekend. Despite the difficulties, I found this picture to share with my mother and we had a good laugh. No, it was not the worst day of my life, but it was befittingly humorous nonetheless.

Original source is The Simpsons, I would guess. 

I found this image here.

Art Day:: Tarot

I have a meager collection of tarot cards that I always want to add to but it's a slow-going process. It really is a two-fold issue: poverty and availability. 

I love the art and the symbols and the suggestion of mysticism.

The Empress by Cate Rangel from the Lowbrow Tarot Project.

The Moon from the Mystique Ephemera Tarot

The Wheel of Fortune as represented by Schrödinger's cat in the Science Tarot. 

Originally, I found it here. 

And, I love the fox Magician from the Tarot of Animal Lords.

This is actually from the Quantum Tarot which I own. 

Fashion Friday:: the Gold & Glitz of Vegas

Last week I went on a Las Vegas Adventure with my biddies, i.e. my mother and aunt. It was an exciting weekend of moderate debauchery. Okay, okay, maybe not debauchery... but good times were had by all. Sunlight and chemicals were avoided. I decided that I definitely need to add more glitz to my wardrobe before I return to the city. Be afraid. 

Maybe a little gold-wear will increase my chances of winning big next time?
Maybe not.

This Babydoll Disco Dress certainly gets its point across.

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Red Christian Louboutins with Gold Spikes?!?!

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Paul and Joe Sister Shift Dress in Metallic Jacquard with Collar. I love the collar.

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Oooo, or I could invest a much smaller amount on Gold Glitter Lips!

Just a temporary tattoo away from all this fabulousness...

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I love the glitterly gold and matte black pairing from Karina in Fashionland.

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Be back after VEGAS!!

For the Home:: Interesting Walls

Walls in my home serve as space for art to be displayed, but I'm reconsidering the wall as art itself. 

Are you with me? 

Perhaps, I should explain pictorially...

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Fox patterned wallpaper? Make this a reality, please. 

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Ooo, or ombre patterned wallpaper in a variety of colors??

I've always been partial to blue.

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Super fun poms for a kid's room... or my room.

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Dreaming of a Better Summer

Summer in Arizona is a little more desperate than merry. The heat is oppressive and I have to spend most of my time during the "warmer" half of the year indoors. I live for road trips and daydream of cooler locales where summers might mean picnics or beaches, not melanoma and air conditioning.

Choose your daydream:

Summer Picnic?!

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And, of course, glamping.

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How about a bike ride down a Parisian street? 

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Or the ocean?

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Homemade Beauty Products

I recently had to do away with many of my bath and beauty products as part of my journey toward chemical-free living. Sigh. Now that I'm really starting to miss some of my favs I decided it's time to seek out suitable (homemade) replacements for the products I just can't live without. 

Here are some recipes for homemade bath products I'm about to get underway!

Natural Lip Balm

I am a chapstick junkie. I haven't fully relinquished all of my store bought / questionably produced lip moisturizers, but I'm hoping a homemade replacement will help me part with those last couple renegade tubes I keep shoved in my purse.

Cheek & Lip Stain

I love my lip stain. Love it. I almost cried when I tossed it. Beets, however, just might be the answer.

Lotion Bars

Lotion bars are great to rub into rough elbows and feet (or knuckles, in my case). They're easier to take on the road than leaky bottles of liquid lotion (say that 10 times fast). 

Bath Fizzies

Soaking in a delightfully scented tub is one of those simple joys I don't want to give up even though I gave away all the store-bought bath concoctions lurking tubside. Time to make my own!

Sugar Scrub

Sugar Scrub is my joy of joys! And, it sounds super easy to make at home!

Meal Planning Monday :: Fancy Sandwiches

Okay, so I've been out of town two weekends in a row and I'm officially all tuckered out. I don't want to cook this week. Or clean. Or write. I just want to nap. Nevertheless, I must persevere. I think I'll just make sandwiches this week. Just sandwiches. Sandwiches for all. To be fair, I was always a sandwich fan. I love a classic PBJ but I also enjoy getting a little fancier what I put my bread around. Here are three fabu sandwiches that just landed on my must-make list...

Coconut-Curry Chickpea Quinoa Pineapple Burgers

Healthy, vegetarian, and an interesting meeting place between a variety of flavors? Count me in. Quinoa is still holding its own as our preferred grain this season. 

Tuscan Tuna Sandwiches

My fella loves a good tuna salad but we're not too keen on mayo these days. This tuna salad promises tons of flavor without the mayo. A little lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil prevents too-dry tuna.

Gouda Grilled Cheese with Roasted Mushrooms & Onions

Ummm, delicious.

Art Day :: Pierre Mornet

I just recently discovered the work of Pierre Mornet and I'm totally loving it this week.

I had to share. 

All of the images can be found on the Marlena Agency page for Pierre Mornet here.