Thursday, August 31, 2006

Throw-back


I have always wanted antique-looking kitchen appliances. Unfortunately, they are super-expensive. And when we bought our house, it already had perfectly good modern appliances.

Well, I think I might have found my chance to own some adorably retro appliances at an affordable price!

I always get the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, but I usually throw it away. Seeing as I have a crazy number of baby gifts to buy these days, I decided to take a browse through it last night. And I found this perfect little pink retro kitchen set!

It's actually pretty expensive (like at least $600 for the basic pieces), and I don't know if you can warrant that when you can probably buy a comparable plastic one at Toys 'R Us for less. But it's way less expensive than the real thing!

Let's just say that I'll be putting aside a "pink kitchen fund" and praying for a little girl. (No -- not pregnant or trying. Just looking for a reason to justify the kitchen set.)

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Coming Soon


Lack of kitty litter necessitated a trip to Target tonight. I was a little disappointed that they only had a very few Halloween items out (baby hats, little boy t-shirts, boxer shorts and socks). But they did have big signs up in the "seasonal" section that said "Halloween: Coming Soon." I appreciate that they realize that there are people like me out there who stalk retail locations looking for Halloween goods, and that they want to calm our anxiety by letting us know that they are working on delivering our crack.

Dilemma


Today is a special day because I am going out to breakfast. And the Red Sox game. But I can't decide if I want to wear shorts or jeans. I know, it's a tough life I lead.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Fingers Crossed

We are going to the Red Sox games in Oakland tonight and tomorrow. I really hope they end their losing streak, or else we will have no fun!

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Ashley's Book Club

I finished this book this week. I picked it out because I loved the last book I read by this author, "My Sister's Keeper." I felt that the first two-thirds of this book were very good. The end part was weird. And the big surprise ending was totally obvious. Still, the whole topic was interesting, and I think it would spur some good book club-type discussions.

Project Menu: Episode 1

Last night's dinner pretty much solidified my standing as a bad cook.

I made pasta margherita from a Cooking Light cookbook. I made the sauce from scratch, and it did seem to be good before I put it on the pasta. But the pasta to sauce ratio was way off, so the pasta was super-bland and boring. I complemented it with salad (good -- but I didn't have much to do with it) and pre-packaged garlic bread from the Safeway bakery (again, good -- but not cause of me). I might try to make this one again, but I'll be sure to double the sauce.

I also attempted to make one of those Jell-O/Cool Whip pies in a pre-bought crust. That was another disaster. By now I should have learned the lesson that the sugar-free Jell-O does not gel correctly in recipes. And I added frozen cherries and chocolate chips in an attempt to be creative. I think those just added to the gelling problem. The pie was a big mess to serve and only OK-tasting.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Time to Make the Donuts


Why the hell are there no Dunkin' Donuts in California?? I have been dealing with a serious DD craving for about four days now, and I have absolutely no way to quell it.

NO, I CANNOT JUST BUY A KRISPY KREME!! It's not the same, and if you ever had the DD you would know not to say that.

The DD needs to set up a way to ship their donuts, just like they ship their delicious coffee. Actually, my brother-in-law did FedEx some to our house once, but they came all melty and smooshed. And I have tried many a time to bring some home in my carry-on bag, but they usually get all sweaty, and with the stupid extremist regulations at airports right now, I don't think I'll be able to ever try that again.

I think my next chance for DD is when we go to Florida over the holidays. And then they won't even be as good, cause the water in Florida is gross, and the donuts don't rise the right way.

Boo hoo. Poor me. :(

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Resolution

I realized tonight that I'm a really bad cook. I can bake OK. But everything I cook that is good doesn't have much to do with me. Like frozen ravioli. Or salad (pre-cut lettuce and dressing from the bottle).

I've been married for over a year and I still don't have a repertoire of standard dinners.

So I'm making a resolution to try one new recipe each week with the goal of finding some keepers that I can put into regular rotation. I did try to make stuffed zucchini boats earlier this week, and they were gross. I think my next try will be on Saturday, as we invited some friends over for dinner. For their sake, I hope I pick a good recipe.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

She's got legs ...

First of all, congratulations to me! This is my 100th post.

I just got home from my first-ever spinning class. I got there early and introduced myself to the teacher, which was a good idea because there were some bike settings/positions she showed me before the class got started. It was SO HARD, but so much fun!

And I'm a little proud, because after the class she asked me if I was sure this was my first time spinning, because I did great and kept right up with the rest of the class. And then the other ladies in the class also complemented me and said how good I did. I'm definitely going back :)

Monday, August 21, 2006

Mixed Breed


I think this is a cross between a zucchini and a baby dolphin. (The can of tomato sauce is in the photo for size perspective!)

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Boo!

We went to a party last night and it was ABSOLUTELY EXCRUTIATING not to be able to eat and drink what we wanted. There was a fruit tray and some veggie spring rolls (sans sauce) that we could eat. And water, of course.

In the spirit of celebrating three months of Halloween, I joined a trick-or-treat swap. Just finished these little pouches, which I stuck an Alpine Spiced Cider packet in. Below are photos of the front and back.


Thursday, August 17, 2006

Yay for Presents!


I did a swap on Splitcoast Stampers that was sort of like a "Secret Santa." Everyone got assigned another person, and you had to buy them $15 worth of crafty presents and send them in the mail.

I got my package tonight. Holy cow!! There was so much stuff. I want to move wherever I can buy this much stuff for $15!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Moms

I've seen the site The Shape of a Mother circulated a lot lately. I think it's a great idea -- I'm all for realistic images of women and loving your body, and all that. (Which I realize sounds totally hypocritical given I'm on this crazy diet.)

But geez, the site scares the heck out of me! I was just ignorant, thinking that once you have a baby, your tummy just bounces right back to normal. I'm so glad that I now know that is not the case.

It just freaks me out to think you get up one morning after giving birth, look down and see some totally unfamiliar body. And you're responsible for a new little life. It must be such a wakeup call that you're really a grown-up.

If you look at the site, check out the July archives. That's where some of the more "illustrative" posts are.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Detox

Steve and I started the first "detox" phase of the Fat Smash Diet today. It's the diet that's featured on "Celebrity Fit Club." For the next nine days we can only eat the following:

*fruit
*vegetables
*beans
*low-fat yogurt
*skim milk
*oatmeal
*brown rice
*egg whites

Day one was a success. I passed up Pizza Chicago for lunch today at work. The good thing is that you're supposed to eat small meals every three hours. That actually did make it so I wasn't feeling totally deprived. Tomorrow might be more of a challenge, as we both have restaurant lunches scheduled for work.

Also, Friday we have a party to attend. I'm praying they have a crudite platter.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Neat Site

I got a catalog in the mail today from Exposures. I hadn't heard of the company before, but they seem to have some good offerings for custom albums/framing. You can order on their site too: www.exposuresonline.com.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

How Rude!

Yes, friends. I'm quoting Stephanie Tanner.

I had a party at my house this afternoon. As of yesterday morning, I had 12 people RSVPed "yes." Three people showed up.

Don't get me wrong. I love setting my place up for entertaining, and I love having people over, and I had a wonderful time with the three people who did show. But I think it is INCREDIBLY rude to RSVP to a party and then not show up. Or to back out at the last minute.

Hello. I am an organized person, and I've had things ready for the appropriate amount of RSVPs since last weekend. So that means I totally wasted my time and resources times nine.

I think my biggest pet peeve is people who are flakes. So I'm just a tad upset right now.

I'd like to lead a wave of social accountability. If you commit to something, you show your ass up, unless you're like barfing up your intestines or something.

Here are photos of the things the flakes missed:

Thursday, August 10, 2006

El Oh El Oh El Oh ...


Nothing like the threat of company coming over to make you get off your butt and complete all pending home improvement projects.

I bought these wooden letters online. They were unfinished and I painted them maroon. I added a crackle finish and then painted black on the top layer. I think they came out really cool (though you can't see the crackle effect in this picture).

And I must give a well-deserved shout out to Steve, who painstakingly measured and leveled so they would be hung straight.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Fantastic Food Find

I'm pretty picky about salad dressings, but I discovered one that I really like. It's called Santorini and it's from Trader Joe's. It's a Greek dressing with little chunks of herbs, feta and red peppers in it. It's so delicious and low-fat/-cal. And it tasted lovely on my salad tonight, which included home-grown tomatoes and zucchini!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

... Cause baby, look at you now


Check this out. It shows you what today's celebrity babies will look like when they're all grown up. Kinda fun.

Yellow


Trader Joe's has these great little potted sunflowers on sale for $2.69. I treated myself to three!

Ashley's Book Club

I finished this book last week, but haven't had a chance to do the report. So, here it is.

This book is about four very different people who meet at the top of a building where they've all come to commit suicide for very different reasons. They all decide not to jump that night and form a little gang. The book details their misadventures for 90 days, when they've agreed to reevaluate whether or not to end their lives.

I know the story sounds weird, but it was actually very funny and heartwarming without being cheesy. It's by the author who wrote the books "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy" (yes, they were books before they were movies) and has a very similar tone. I definitely enjoyed it.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Quandary


My dad made me take my wedding gown (preserved in box thanks to mom) home from my former room tonight. I guess it was cramping what is now his personal music studio. I have no idea what to do with this monster of a box. I put a cat on in for size perspective.

Anyway, I feel guilty putting it in the rafters of the garage (especially as I cannot guarantee it will stay "cool and dry" as per the box.) And it is so big, it takes up a ton of precious closet room. Anyone have any ideas? What did you do with yours?

Note to Parents: This is not meant to be a plea to allow me to return it to your house for storage.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Trick or Treat


So, today is August 1. August signals the end of summer for me, as when August used to come around, I knew I had just three weeks to cram in my summer reading before the test at the beginning of school.

Today I decided that since August is the end of summer, I'm also going to make it the start of fall. I put my Halloween CD on for my commute home from work. I love Halloween, and I feel that three months is a good amount of time to devote to it. Once Halloween is over, I will get started with the Christmas music.

I know everyone will bug me for rushing the season, but I don't care. How do they know that the world isn't going to end tomorrow? And wouldn't it be a shame if we didn't get to enjoy Halloween one last time?

Since I've lagged lately, I need to visit another unrelated topic: the drive-in. We went on Friday night and it was great. We put the seats down in the back of the Highlander and curled up with pillows and blankets. It was $6.25 per person and we got to stay for two movies: "Clerks 2" and "Lady in the Water." I think that is an exceptional bargain, and I think I will be taking advantage of it more often!

On another unrelated topic, one of our cats fell in the toilet tonight. I was watching a movie ("Matchstick Men," which was good) in the other end of the house. When I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I realized there were all splashes on the seat and cat hair in the bowl. He he he. I'm just glad he knew how to pull himself out!