Jin6655321

Well, On the Bright Side...

2012-01-27T22:31:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of Michael's broken toe. If you click and zoom you can see that it's a pretty bad break.

We live in a town house where you have to go up a stair case to go inside. We use the space under the stairs to house our garbage cans. Ideally the trash cans should have lids on them at all times. However, Michael prefers to keep the lids off so that he can just stand over the railing of our staircase and toss the trash into the open cans under the stairs.

Last Sunday we had a bout of freezing rain. Since Michael just likes to step out, reach over the railing, and drop the trash into the cans under the stairs he stepped outside wearing only socks. As soon as he stepped out his right foot slipped on the ice and BAM! He rammed it into the railing.

Michael is out of commission from work for anywhere from one and a half to three weeks... and there's a chance he may need surgery. It shouldn't be a big deal except that he hasn't been at his current job for very long so he is not fully benefit eligible. No PTO (Paid Time Off), no sick days, no short term disability. Sigh. At least his medical insurance is with me so he was covered. There will, of course, be co-pays but it shouldn't be budget breaking.

Thankfully Michael and I resolved to be super awesome about our finances this year so, despite the unplanned short coming in our cash flow, all the bills are paid and we have money to put towards savings this month. Depending on how long Michael is out, how often he has to go to the doctors, and if surgery is needed, we probably won't be able to save anything for February.

But, on the positive, we won't have to go into debt and we shouldn't have to dip into our savings. Even if we did, thank goodness we have savings to dip into though, right? Still, it bums me out that every time I think we're going to take a financial step forward we just end up walking in place. Sigh.

Fried chicekn with Cheesey Potato Hash

2012-01-18T11:37:00.004-05:00

Hey, would you like an update on my "Cereal" Challenge? So far I have "saved" a grand total of... drum roll please... $30! Yay. I was doing really well there for awhile. I was bringing left overs to work and even my co-workers were encouraging me. Then, I started to get lazy and default to Kashi frozen entrees. Kashi frozen meals are cheaper than eating out for lunch but they're still a good $3.50. I define "cereal" as either left overs or a "meal" that costs less than $2.

At this point, I don't even really want the jacket anymore, but I am trying to be better with my finances this year, and there are a lot of shoes that I want, for example:

I can't decide what color to get. I am leaning towards the black and white but the lavender and brown is calling my name as well.

So, "cereal" it is then! The problem is that often times, there aren't any left overs to take to work and I'm too lazy to actually prepare lunch. The other day we had Fried Chicken with Cheesy Potato Hash for dinner.

I only fried two chickens since there's only two of us and microwaved fried chicken is not good. We had enough hash left over but did I really want to eat mashed potato as lunch? No, no I didn't, even if it was very, very good.

Fried Chicken with Cheesy Potato Hash
Serves 4

1.5 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large eggs
3 slices sourdough bread, finely ground, about 1.5 cups (screw that, I just used bread crumbs)
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 lb)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups (about 7 oz) store-bought coleslaw mix
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

In a medium pot, combine the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until just tender, about 12 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In another shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and, working with 1 piece at a time, coat with the breadcrumbs, eggs and breadcrumbs again. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2.5 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Wipe out the skillet.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1.5 TBSP olive oil. Add the coleslaw mix and bell pepper; season with salt and pepper. cook, stirring often, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions. Coarsely mash in the potatoes and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken.

My New Ami, Bon Ami

2012-01-17T09:53:00.003-05:00

Awhile back, during Border's last few days on this earth, I picked up Renee Loux's Easy Green Living for around $5.

The book focuses on toxins in every day stuff, why they suck (for you and the planet), and how to avoid them.

Green living doesn't have to be an all or nothing endeavor. To be quite honest, I have very little interest in recycling. I stopped bringing reusable grocery bags because I want to get plastic bags. I use them as liners for my trash can. I consume more than I should. I don't compost. And let's not talk about how much I spend on gas every month... I am, however, into natural living. I know we can't avoid chemicals but I try when ever I can. Of course it helps that natural cleaning products always, always smells better than the "bad" kind. I'm not to the point of cleaning my entire house with just baking soda, vinegar and lemon but I'm over the fake daisy scents that just reminds me of Chore Day growing up. Gross.

One of my new favorite product is Bon Ami Powder Cleanser.

I first picked it up because I loved the packaging (and it was cheap), the fact that it works better than any other powder cleaner I've used was a bonus. Look how sparkling clean my kitchen sink is now!

Okay, I know that's how a kitchen sink should always look but that's the cleanest ours has looked in awhile. Did you know that stainless steel can stain? Hmmm... I didn't. Well, I don't have to worry about it now.

Orange and Balsamic Chicken Breasts

2012-01-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

I am thinking of creating a cookbook, not to sell or anything like that, but for my own personal use. It will be a compilation of all of my favorite, go to recipes. I have read that there are sites that will publish your blog pages into a hard copy. Or, maybe I can do it scrap book style with pictures and stickers and theme appropriate backgrounds. Or, maybe I'll just find a pretty notebook and fill it with my beautiful handwriting (sarcasm, by the way). Something to think about. I think it would be nice to have something to pass down to... well, not really planning on kids so... nieces and nephews it is. When I'm long gone they can think of me by flipping the pages and whipping up Aunt Jin's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Amazing cookies by the way, really amazing.

Well, if I were to create a cook book I can tell you that this Orange and Balsamic Chicken Breasts will probably not make the cut.

That's not to say they were bad, they weren't, they just weren't "Oh my goodness, let's make it again!" good. That being said, the recipe does comprise of things that I probably have in the house already (shallots can be substituted with onions) so it is a nice, "Don't feel like going grocery shopping but feel like doing something more than microwaving" kind of a meal. As an added bonus, you can make this thing in under 30 minutes.

Orange and Balsamic Chicken Breasts
Serves: 4

24 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cut low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup orange juice
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and dredge in flour, shaking off excess

Warm 1 TBSP butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add chicken; cook until cooked through and golden, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add shallot to skillet and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add broth, orange juice, vinegar and sugar; cook, stirring, until slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining butter, and stir until thickened. Season with salt. Slice chicken, pour sauce on top and serve.

Yay, "Cereal"!

2012-01-09T23:01:00.006-05:00

I am still planned on buying that leather jacket. I even put some cereal inside a plastic bag and bought it to work with me last week. However, it also happened to be the first really cold day of the year and, I don't know, something about eating cereal on a cold day just depressed me so I couldn't do it.

Quite honestly, the thought of eating cereal, regardless of weather, just kind of depresses me but I do want to save money so I'm challenging myself to save money on lunch. "Cereal" doesn't actually have to be cereal, it can be metaphor for a cheap meal. Every time I eat "cereal" for lunch I will give myself $5 towards the jacket. I don't even know if the jacket is still available in my size but there are plenty of other things that I want, like this shoes for example:

I have always wanted a pair of wingtips but now that I look at it again, I'm not so sure. Is the yellow a bit too much?

So, the goal is to eat "cereal" to save up for my "jacket". Since I started, thanks Starbucks breakfast sandwiches and brown bagging I have "saved" a grand total of... $15.

Only $110 more to go!

Nothing Like a Cold Bowl of Mushy Cereal on a Winter Day!

2012-01-03T09:59:00.004-05:00

A couple of years ago I used to eat cereal for lunch every day. My co-workers thought I was insane but I was in the process of saving up for a house and, with my meager salary, every dollar counted! All in all, I would say that lunch costs me around $1.25 a day; not bad for a filling, healthy meal, right?

Fast forward to present time and I am scratching my head trying to figure out how I am making more than I was making then yet have less money around. Oh right, I bought a house. Even then, it shouldn't be this difficult to save some money. The problem is I don't have that "gazelle like intensity" because there's nothing that I really want right now, nothing that I can't just buy, and certainly nothing worth going back to eating cereal for lunch...

Until now... Maybe.

Check out this leather jacket.

It is made of leather that feels like butter and it fits me really well (aside from the sleeves being too long). It originally costs an insane amount of money but I have the opportunity to get it for $125. It's a mere fraction of its original cost but it's a lot of money for me. Besides, I already spent $150 on a new winter coat... and I'm broke from all the Holiday spending... and Michael and I both agreed that this is the year we're going to live in poverty to save up as much money as possible. I mean, we have to buy new floors and our house isn't even fully furnished yet!

But... It's a really nice jacket... And it's a jacket that I will have until the day I die. My finance will rebound regardless of if I get this jacket or not; this jacket will not be around for long.

So, that's where the cereal comes in. Let's say that eating cereal for lunch equals... mmm... a $5 savings. That would mean that I would have to eat cereal for lunch, every day I work, for five weeks straight! Is that jacket worth 25 days of eating cereal? Yeah... I don't know...

I Guess It's Kind of Like a Resolution

2011-12-27T10:42:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!

One great thing about working retail is that you get a pass for being late on anything Christmas related. There's so much media attention on crazed shoppers and frenzied crowds you can just totally say, "Hey, sorry I didn't get these Christmas card out in time. Work, you know how it is around this time..." and they're like, "Oh, yeah, totally, how are you holding up?"

Lately Michael and I have been rather concerned about our finances. Well, concerned isn't the right word, reflective maybe... Is there a word that means reflective+regretful? Income wise, this was the best year for us. With all my over time and bonus, I made much more than we had originally planned last year. Plus, there was our super sweet tax refund... However, this was our worst year for savings.

I would be okay with out of control spending if we had something to show for it; you know, like a fully furnished house or something. But no, lots of new things here and there but nothing big like, yes, this is what we did with all that money! Well, we paid off Michael's car, that's something, right?

Well, this year is going to be different! I don't anticipating making as much this year as last. I could be wrong but I really think last year was a fluke. I also imagine that sooner, rather than later, the company will stop being so generous with over time. At the same time, of course, bills are going up. Augh. Michael disagrees but I like this feeling of "WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY!" It's stressful (and depressing) but it keeps me focused. Michael's goal is to have the house "done" (still not sure what that means) by this time next year. My goal is have a shit ton of money saved up by this time next year. Two opposing goals; we'll see how it goes.

As a step towards a new direction, we used all the money we got during the holidays to pay off some of our bills. This is a three paycheck month for us and we already paid off December's bill so we should be able to make one last decent contribution to our savings this year. I don't even miss the stuff I could have bought with that money. Okay, I do, but just a little.

BLT Creamy Mac' n' Cheese

2011-12-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

This is the pasta dish that inspired Michael to start eating healthier.

He dubbed it "heart attack pasta". After eating it he realized that if he continues to eat this way he will die of a heart attack.

It's actually not that bad but Michael isn't used to cooking so he doesn't realize how much fat, sugar, and cream goes into most meals. It's kind of like how I would totally be a vegetarian, in a heart beat, if I had to kill for meat.

I'm starting to cook a little bit more often now and it's fun to discover new ingredients that seems to be common, yet so foreign. For example, a not too long ago I discovered shallots and have been using it regularly now. With this dish, I discovered leeks! It's not crucial to the ingredient but when I'm making something this heavy vegetables help me rationalize it as health food....

And, with a nickname like heart attack pasta you figure it must be good, and oh it is!

BLT Creamy Mac' n' Cheese
serves 4

Salt
1 lb ziti rigati pasta
extra-virgin olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 leeks- trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 TBSP tomato paste
6 oz cream cheese
1.5 shredded asiago, grana padano or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cup arugula (I already had some spinach in the fridge so I just used that and sprinkled on a bit of pepper)
1 cup basil leaves, torn
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve on top of the pasta.

Creepy or Cool?

2011-12-21T10:07:00.002-05:00

I think it's cool.

I found this at a thrift store the other day for just $1.67 (random amount, right?)! There's a sticker on the bottom that says:

Hand Painted
Papier Mache Craft
Copyright By
Pride Creations, Inc.
156 Fifth Ave, New York, NY
Product of Japan

A quick Google search showed that Pride Creations was a company that made adorable paper mache stuff in the 60's. They seem to be best known for their piggy banks (like this super cute owl one) and something called pop up dolls.

I'm not sure how much they are actually worth but people on eBay seems to think you can get anywhere from $20-$50 for them. Not a bad deal at $1.67!

Fair is Fair?

2011-12-16T10:44:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, one of my associate, "Jane" told me about a problem she's having at her full time job.

Jane had signed up for health insurance and was told that that a little over $50 will be taken out of her pay check going forward. No problem. Well, now it's the end of the year and her HR Manager tells her that a mistake has been made and that they hadn't been taking money out of her paycheck so now she owes the company over $1300.

Yikes!

Jane argued that she should not have to repay any of the money since she didn't do anything wrong. She authorized them to take money out of her pay check to pay for insurance and if they didn't do that then it's not her fault. The company is arguing that she should pay it back since it's her responsibility to check her pay stub and she should have noticed, and reported, the discrepancy.

I don't know what the law requires but I think the fairest thing to do would be to split the cost since both are liable. Her company made the mistake in not taking money out of her paycheck for insurance. However, Jane should be checking her paycheck. Since both is at fault, the fairest thing to do would be to split.

It's really poor practice for a company to expect someone to fork over $1300 on such a short notice, especially this time of the year. I don't know what Jane's finance looks like but there are a lot of people out there who don't have that kind of a saving. If they do expect her to pay for the full amount the least they can do is work out a payment plan. Maybe suggest that for the next coming year they will take out $100 vs the $50 to make up for this year?

Jane is pretty amendment about not paying and is considering maybe agreeing to pay for part of it. Personally, if it were me, I would just pay back the $1300. For one, it's something that I should have been paying all along and it's something that I used and benefited from. But, most importantly, I would do it just to guarantee job security. Even if I have the law on my side (and I'm not saying that I do) the worst thing you can do for yourself is lose your boss's trust. If your manager thinks you're unethical then your career at that company is pretty much over. She works for a small company and maybe that $1300 means a lot to that company. If her boss thinks that she is stealing from the company by not paying back the money then they're just going to start wondering if she is stealing by other means as well. I just wouldn't want my boss harboring anything "Must get this person out of here!" feeling about me. Next thing you know I'm getting written up for job performance, hostile work environment, and all kinds of other vague things. No thank you, not worth the $1300.

Mediterranean

2011-12-15T10:21:00.007-05:00

For awhile I was pretty addicted to Trader Joe's single serving Greek Yogurt with honey. Mmmmm... But then I sort of stopped going there because I moved and it was too far away. Every once in awhile I would buy some Fage but man, those little things are kind of pricey. Michael suggested I just buy a big tub of the stuff and make my own. Sounds like an obvious plan but I don't like big tubs of anything dairy. Growing up, our family was not into dairy (unless it's ice cream!) so tubs of anything- sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, ricotta, etc- that I bought to use in a recipe would sit in the back of the fridge forever until whatever inside turned stinky and gross.

But, Fage's are expensive and those Greek Yogurt with honey and granola at Starbucks are really overpriced so I decided to start buying bulk. Now, when I have time, this is my breakfast:

The fruits are frozen, the granola are from the Natural/Organic section of Wegmans, and I throw a few almonds in there to keep me feeling full longer.

That bowl, by the way, is the nut bowl from the Missoni for Target collection. I was pretty lucky that day and managed to score a few pieces. You can still get some Missoni for Target at target.com and I'm considering picking up this crib blanket.

I'm thinking about framing it and using it as art. I need a big piece of art to go over one of my couch. You know what, maybe I won't even frame it, just hang it up like a tapestry. Hmmm... is that too college dorm-ish looking? Do college kids still hang hippy dippy sheets on their wall?

Maybe I'll get this one instead?

That might be too much red for my living room...

$50 isn't too much to pay for a big piece of wall hanging, right?

Chicken with Mustard Sauce

2011-12-13T10:30:00.002-05:00

My favorite time of the year is approaching! Christmas time is nice and all but, the best time of the year is that week long period between Christmas and New Years. I just love how society just tries to wrap up and reflect on the past year. I am a sucker for lists and the year's end is full of all those Best Of lists, which I really love. It's also resolution time so there's this strong sense of a Can Do, positive attitude. Awesome! It really is the best time of the year.

Michael and I are not into making New Year Resolutions but recently, we couldn't help but reflect on the past year and think about the new. We both got pretty bummed out thinking about how, income wise, this was the best year we've had, but, savings wise, it was the worst. What did we spend all that money one? I don't want to really think about it because it's kind of depressing. This year was a good year for me, income wise, and I actually think I'll be making slightly less this year. Something to think about.

One decision Michael recently made was that he wants to start eating healthier. It's all fine and well except that we often make and eat dinner together. This means that if he wants to eat healthier, I have to start eating healthier and I don't really know how to do healthy.

We probably eat better than most people. This year we cut out a lot of processed food from our diet, most of our meals are made from scratch, we try to eat organic if it's affordable, we eat a lot of salads, and we don't eat a lot of fast food. On the other hand, portion control is not in our vocabulary and we both love cheese and butter and red meat and fried stuff and bacon... Mmmmm...

Well, an easy start is proper portion and lean protein so I made Chicken with Mustard Sauce and served it with roasted broccoli.

Look at that tiny thing of chicken; it's the size of a deck of card, just like they recommend.

It wasn't my favorite dish but I like it, would eat it again. Michael, on the other hand, hated the sauce. I'm learning that he's not a big fan of citrus-y tart, slightly briny sauce, like piccata or anything with capers. Shame, I love piccata.

Chicken with Mustard Sauce
Serves: 4

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP olive oil
6 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
6 TBSP chopped scallions
3 TBSP Dijon Mustard
3 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Warm 1 TBSP each of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until cooked through, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add parsley, scallions, mustard and lime juice to skillet and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until well blended and heated through, taking care to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of pan. Increase heat to medium. Add broth and remaining oil and butter and cook, whisking, until butter has melted and sauce is hot.

Divide chicken among four plates, spoon sauce on top and serve.

Everyone Needs a pair They Can Hose Off

2011-12-08T12:11:00.003-05:00

Is it just me or does it not seem very Holiday-ish this year? I don't know, I'm just not feeling the Holiday Spirit this time around. Even Michael, who is normally all over Christmas doesn't want to decorate this year.

I think the weather is partly to blame. Don't get me wrong, I am loving the fact that it's been consistently above 50 degrees but that's not Christmas weather, at least not around here. Instead of snow we have rain. And, when the skies are looking like this

which it has been a lot, I'm glad I have this shoes.

It's completely waterproof and very comfortable. Not the best looking shoes, I know, but sometimes, function trumps form.

So, if you haven't finished your shopping, and for some reason, it seems like everyone is already done with their shopping, I suggest you get someone a pair of waterproof shoes. Shoes are normally a tricky thing to get someone but this has a generous instep and hidden gores so it's a very forgiving fit.

Yeah, I'm Jelous!

2011-12-03T10:21:00.005-05:00

We've been in this house for over a year now and... Well, it still looks like we moved in maybe a month ago. It's sad, very sad and depressing. We bicker a lot about the house and I can see why. This place just doesn't feel settled. Constantly living in an unfinished house is kind of stressful and a bit of a downer. We're not ashamed of our house, but we're not exactly proud of it either. We definitely do not give this house the respect it deserves.

Recently Michael and I promised each other that we will finish the house by this time next year. Sounded like a plan at the time but... I don't know, there's a lot to be done. We still need new floors for most of the house, there are still some parts that needs to be painted, and oh yeah, we still need lots of furniture. Sigh. Oh, and let's not forget about how much all this will cost...

You know, this is why I hate decorating bloggers out there who manages to accomplish these monumental projects in a week and whose house is so perfect and decorated they have nothing to do but renovate their laundry room.

It's like they're saying "My house is so perfect and I am so rich that I have nothing more to do than to pay for custom made cabinets, granite counter tops, crystal chandeliers, and flooring for a room that I don't even use because I have a maid who takes care of all that for me!" Bitch.

But, you know, I'm inspired! These things have a way of going at a fast clip, if you can build up the momentum. Michael is motivated and has that "If I watch a how-to video on YouTube I can do it" kind of mentality when it comes to DIY projects so... Here we go! I think we'll start at the main floor since that's the easiest.

Too Bad I Never Got Into Velvet

2011-11-17T09:40:00.005-05:00

Michael doesn't like leopard prints. I asked him how he could dislike something so universally awesome and he told me that he finds them tacky and that he would appreciate it if I refrain from wearing leopard around him because he doesn't want to think he married Peggy Bundy.

If he thinks I'm going to let little things like love and consideration come between me and leopard prints than he doesn't know me too well.

I actually don't own a lot of leopard print things, just one actually. It's kind of hard to find leopard prints done well. How they came to represent fast and cheap, I don't know. But hey, take a print that symbolizes loose and fast women, marry it with shoes worn by sleezey, creepy, porn-y guys

and you have...

my new shoes! I'm glad I know how to tie an ascot.

BACON!

2011-11-15T09:47:00.003-05:00

These are maple glazed donuts topped with a generous portion of bacon! There is a butcher shop/soda fountain place in Middleburg that sells these for $5 every Saturday morning. I've yet to try it but I really want to; I bet it's good. It's all organic so I bet they're healthy and good for you, right?

Just Chillaxing in My Greige Room During My Staycation

2011-11-11T10:03:00.004-05:00

I am not a fan of made up words but I have to admit, they're handy. For example, I think "staycation" is really goofy word but you know exactly what it is. Instead of saying, "Oh, I'm going to take some time off to stay home and just relax, maybe catch up on some errands or projects," you can now just say, "I'm taking a staycation." Language is always evolving and most words were hybrid made up words at some point, right? Still, words like "recessionista" send unpleasant chills down my back.

One hybrid word I do like is "greige". Greige, you know exactly what that is, it's like a grayish beige. Some might call it taupe, and I guess it kind of is taupe, but how many people really know what taupe is? If I told Michael I wanted to paint the walls taupe he would have no idea what I was talking about. If I told him that I wanted to paint it greige. Well, greige just sounds like what it would look like. I don't intend on painting the walls greige but greige is the perfect fall neutral color.

Let me introduce you to my greige wedge.

The color is beautiful and it goes with everything. It's my new favorite shoes. Sometimes, beige like/nude colors are too brown for cool colors and too fleshy for darker colors. Sometimes gray shoes are too cool for the more earthy, brownish colors. Greige goes well with every color.

Just did a google search and it appears that "greige" is a hipster made up word and an already existing word meaning unfinished fabric. Interesting.

Actually after checking out some pictures...

...maybe I will paint the walls greige.

Bibimbop Bowl

2011-11-07T23:32:00.004-05:00

Oh man, I spent soooo much money at Trader Joe's today... On the plus side, I'm pretty sure we have enough food to last us the rest of this month.

While cleaning the house I found the most recent copy of their famous Fearless Flyer. From reading that flyer I learned that Trader Joe's now carry bibimbop bowls. How interesting! What does it taste like? Bibimbop is a Korean dish that translates to "mixed rice". It's rice, a whole bunch of cooked vegetables, protein of some kind (usually marinated beef), sunny side up egg, sesame oil, and hot chili pepper paste. It's our favorite Korean dish but I don't really see it going mainstream in America. It involves a lot of vegetables that might be too foreign to a lot of people. I mean, if I didn't grow up Korean I don't know that I would be really into sprouts and roots. I was very curious to see how Trader Joe's would make it more palatable to the masses.

It was... not that good. For starters, microwaved beef never tastes that good. They always have this weird, off putting taste, like you're eating the reject part of the cow. It would've been better to just make it vegetarian. The main disappointment, however, is the "spicy chili sauce". Blech. Very one dimensional. I'm not a chili paste snob. I didn't even know chili pastes had different layers of flavors until I tasted the one that came with this bowl. Sometimes it takes something very bad to make you appreciate the average.

So, a bit of a disappointment, but, from what I recall, the Korean Style Beef Short Ribs (also pictured) is pretty good. And, you know, kudos to Trader Joe's for trying new things and giving other countries a shot. There's more to this world than just Italy and China (looking at you Wegman's!). I hope they come out with some Ethiopian food soon.

Curry Club

2011-11-04T10:12:00.003-04:00

Tom Sietsema, the food critic for Washington Post, denied my friends request. I take it somewhat personally. Granted, you can't blame a guy for not wanting to add a complete stranger but, then again, the guy has added 400+ people to his friend's list since I sent him my request. Clearly he's not being too selective.

Whatever, Mr. Sietsema and I never really saw eye to eye when it came to restaurants. The fries at Hooked? It wasn't that good. I certainly wouldn't make a special trip over it. That Fish Ford whatever place? I think I'd rather eat at Red Lobster. Well, maybe we'll agree over Curry Club, located near the Wegman's in Ashburn.

First off, I remember when that place was the kebab place... or was it the pizza place... Regardless, I always find it a bit distracting when a restaurant is closed and reopened as something completely different, only with the same interior. I get that the owner wants to save money and redecorating is very expensive but, come on now, at least paint the walls a new shade or something, you know?

As for the food...

It was good but nothing spectacular. I didn't see any of the goat curry that Sietsema talked about and, to be honest, the other Indian buffet a mile away (at the Ashburn Village Shopping Center) tastes just a smidge better. I will say their naan was pretty fantastic.

Overall, it was definitely a pleasant experience and we left feeling very satisfied but if we're in the mood for an Indian buffet I think we'll go to the other one in Ashburn.

I can't believe I even like Indian buffets. My sister took me to my very first one over a decade ago. I had already made up my mind that I hated Indian food before even trying it and I swore to my sister that I would never visit an Indian buffet again. So, so far, she has been right about Indian food and show tunes.

Suburban People Problem

2011-10-29T23:04:00.000-04:00

Snow in October? What?!?!?

Okay, the picture isn't from today but it parts of where I lived didn't look too differently from that this morning... Maybe not so much snow on the trees.

What's awesome on the first day of snow? Heat! Guess what we didn't have... Yup, heat! Thankfully, with the help of a YouTube video Michael was able to fix it. While I was freezing my butt off thoughts of having to write a large check to a heating guy haunted me. I'm thankful that's not the case but it's probably a good idea to call someone to do some maintenance work on the furnace and the water heater; I heard you're supposed to do that on a yearly basis. Man, having a house is expensive.

Well, I guess it's a good thing that I've been working all these extra over time (again!). I haven't had a day off in... approaching 12 days now I think... Yeah, I'm tired. I wish I could say that this has resulted in some hefty boost to our savings account but it hasn't really. This month, this month is when we're going to get our savings back on track. Never mind that I say that every month...

On the good news my laptop is back to functioning normally. This poses a problem... Should I not get a new laptop on Cyber Monday? But what if I pass up a good deal then, have my laptop die on me a month later, and be forced to pay more for a new laptop? I heard a new term on the radio yesterday, "SPP" which stands for Suburban People Problem.

It's the Little Things that Keeps Me Going

2011-10-20T09:07:00.004-04:00

When thrifting I often find myself going through racks and racks and racks of discarded Target, Old Navy, and Forever 21 shirts to find nothing. I read blogs where thrifters show off all their vintage owls and bar carts and mid century furnitures and wonder where in the world do these people live? What kind of fairy tale thrift stores are they visiting? But, every once in awhile, I'll stop inside a thrift store on a whim and find magic, like this!

Cute on it's own, yes, yes. Does it make me shallow that I think this is an extra awesome score because it's a vintage apron from Saks Fifth Avenue that I got for $3? Hmmm... Probably... Well, is shallow really the word I'm looking for though?

I also found this whole set for just $14!

I appreciate the fact that they kept the set together. A greedier thrift store would have sold the pieces individually (and made more money doing so).

Book Mark Clean Out!

2011-10-17T20:31:00.000-04:00

It's funny how things start to work a little better once you threaten to replace them. It's like they know. My lap top is still a pain to start but I only have to restart it like five or six times now, which is an improvement.

Michael got a job that requires him to wake up very early in the morning. He's been going to bed between 9 and 10 pm, which is just crazy to me but it's started to rub off on me and it's rare that I'm up past midnight now. Getting more sleep is definitely a good thing. I'm no longer struggling to stay awake as I drive home from work and I'm slightly more productive. The days seem longer and I feel like I have more time. Huh.

While I mop up the kitchen floor (before going in to work, OMG!) here are some articles you can read!

Designing Your Death Dossier- This is something Michael and I should tackle soon, though thinking about death kind of freaks him out. It's not exactly a pleasant topic of discussion for me as well.

Skirt Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad- I haven't really cooked in over a month so I'm trying to get back into it. This seems like an easy recipe to get me started again.

Harm Yourself with These 5 Dangerous but Useful Cleaning Products- I found the comments more interesting than the article itself. Everyone just pretty much confirmed that I made the wrong decision in killing Mother Nature with Drano, especially since I have PVC pipes. Oops. I took Jamie's advice and got a drain cover in my shower.

DIY Idea: High Impact, Low Cost Wall Art!- It looks nice and it's probably easy to do. I can think of a many places in my house where I'd like to do something like that... But... All those those holes! If I ever decide to take it down (or if I mess it up) those holes are going to be a bitch to cover up.

Antique Store Wisdom: A Frank Look at Numbers- Yeah, it's not worth it for me to go into antique re-selling. Maybe I'll just hoard now and make it a side income job when I retire.

The DIY Stain Removal Infographic is a Quick Reference for Removing Common Stains- I love doing the laundry but I've never really gotten into stain removal. I just dump everything into the machine and hope it all comes out. If it doesn't, oh well, try and try again. If it really doesn't come out than it becomes a sleep shirt/trash.

5 Clever Uses for Toothpaste Secret- My mom taught me to polish silver with toothpaste.

Homophobic, Racist Craigslist Advertiser Bans Undesirables from Yard Sale- This crazy lady is from my town!

How Do I Sharpen a Kitchen Knife- You can get your knives sharpened for free during the month of October at Sur la Table. I got mine sharpened recently and OMG, I had forgotten how awesome sharp knives can be.

Before and After Shots of Joggers- Do French women not tie their hair while jogging?

Before & After: Hutch Makeover- I have a very um... wooden hutch that was gifted to me. I don't know where to put it because it looks very um... yeah. Anyway, something like this is a really cool idea though I don't know that I have the dedication needed to pull of a project like this. It's a lot of sanding and painting.

Grass-Fed Beef Better for You than Grain-Fed- So, recently, Michael and I decided to go to a very fancy butcher shop in Middleburg. We decided to buy a nice piece of organic, grain fed, locally raised, blah blah blah steak and have it for dinner. Yeah... $42 a lb! I kept staring at that sign like... I have to be seeing it it wrong... There's no way... Needless to say, we did not have steak that night.

How to Deal with Your Crazy Boss- I had a crazy boss once. She wasn't my direct manager but she made my job way harder than it had to be. I can't believe I stayed in that job as long as I did.

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies- Gross!!! First heard of them this year from a co-worker because we had these tiny flies flying around. We don't use the down stair bathroom very often but I make sure Michael runs the water in the shower for a few minutes every month and we've never had a problem with them... until recently. My sister came over with her kids and, while here, she was complaining having tiny flies around the house. I swear they smuggled some over because now I see them in my house.

Limted Qualities, It's Going to Go FAST!

2011-10-15T09:18:00.004-04:00

Well, it's official, I need a new lap top. Black Friday is coming up and I'm sure I can snag a good deal. If I budget $500-$600 for a new laptop that's what... about a hundred dollars a month that I need to save up...

Yeah... not sure if that's going to happen, especially since The Holiday's are coming up and I am currently obsessed with QVC and HSN. Yes, the Home Shopping Network and whatever QVC stands for, I am obsessed with those channels. I haven't actually bought anything off those channels but I want to. I think it would be fun. I can call in, place an order, and maybe even talk to the host!

Hello! My name is Jin and I just bought the Echo of the Dreamer Purple Garden Party Butterfly Ring and I AB.SO.LUTE.LY LOOOOOOOOO~VE it!!!

It's going to go soooooo well with my Echo of the Dreamer Zoe Cluster Ring!!!

Then the host and I can chit-chat about our shared love of simulated semi-precious gem stones and how gold overlay are the best thing ever because it allows normal folks like me to still enjoy "couture" inspired jewelry, with gold prices being sooo high and all now, you know?

When my obsession first started I told myself that I just like watching it for the train wreck merchandise that appear. I would sit there and think, "OMG, who would wear that?!?!" but I've come to admit that I am slowly starting to actually like the stuff that appears on the show. I think it's grossly over priced but there are some stuff there I wouldn't mind getting for Christmas...

I swear, on the inside, I am a 65 year old retired women who just wants to stay home, bake, knit, and watch shopping networks... while petting a cat. That actually sounds really fun.

Back to my laptop need...

While I haven't actually bought anything off these shopping channels, watching them have instilled a very hyper-inflated value on everything. On these channels they talk about how every single characteristic is like the most amazing thing and the reason that you must buy buy buy it now! It's all going to be so life changing! It will go with everything! You will get so many compliments on it! That kind of thinking starts to carry over to everything I see and it's creating a dangerous shopping habit. I haven't gone on any crazy shopping sprees but I have bought more than I probably should have... especially since Michael and I have some pretty big financial mile stones we are trying to meet.

The smart thing to do would be to turn it off, go outside, and appreciate free things like nature and love and stuff. But you know, the Holidays are coming up...

With All Due Appologies Planet Earth

2011-09-29T10:13:00.003-04:00

You know, I try to be nice to the planet. I don't try too hard but I try. I use re-usable, washable rags, I use eco-friendly cleaning stuff. I... um... eat organic produce and shop from thrift stores. I reuse plastic bags, stopped drinking bottled water (for the most part), try not to drive any more than I have to, eat less meat than I did before and... Oh, and I even switched from bleach to oxy-cleaner. Oooh, yeah, that's how I roll, I roll eco-friendly style.

But, as conscientious as I want to be I have a confession to make...

Sigh...

The other day I bought and used Drano.

I felt bad, I really really did. That stuff is poison and so bad for the environment. What makes me feel worse is that I could have unclogged it rather easily without having to pour toxic goop into our water system. My shower drain was clogged with hair and in the past I have unclogged it myself but... Have you ever pulled hair from a drain? It doesn't matter that it's your own hair it still kind of makes you want to throw up a little.

I will make it up to The Earth. I don't know that I want to change my habits too much right now so I will make Michael make some changes. He's not eco-friendly in the least bit. And, I don't know, I guess I will try to shed less. That's probably a great idea and I would love to figure out how to stop losing so much hair. Not being so stressed out might be a start.

Oh Internet, I Only Kind of Miss You!

2011-09-26T21:34:00.003-04:00

I haven't been on the internet much at all because my laptop is about to bite the dust. I'm hoping it will last long enough until Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I won't bore you with a "Should I get a laptop, a desk top, or a tablet?" question because, truth be told, I'm 95% sure I'll go with a laptop. Is it the smartest, most frugal choice? Probably not, but it's probably what I'll end up getting. Right now, if my laptop goes to sleep it's very difficult to wake it up. It hits the snooze button like ten times until it finally stays awake. That is to say, the screen stays lit for less than a minute before turning black and I have to restart the whole thing. Very, very annoying.

That being said, going without internet isn't as hard as I thought it would it be. I wouldn't say I was ever addicted but, in the past, a day off-line felt like I was on a deserted island somewhere. But of course, I haven't gone completely off line since I have been going on line with my phone. It's nice to know that I'm not super reliant on the internet but, I don't know, I feel like I'm missing some "me" time. Before I would spend about an hour after work catching up on blogs, checking out sites, etc. but now I just... I don't know... talk to people. And that's a good thing, I know, but I'm the type of person that just needs to be alone for a bit everyday. And yes, I know I can always read a book or knit or something but it's not the same. The internet allows you to be connected without actually talking to anyone. It gives you a nice, false sense of being amongst society.

Maybe that's why I'm so tired all the time. I have been super good about getting (almost) eight hours of sleep on a daily basis but I still feel worn down and tired. Isn't that what being an introvert is all about? Needing some alone time to re-energize or something?

My House Smells

2011-09-22T08:23:00.004-04:00

There's no law saying that your role model has to be someone older than you and one of my role model is Terrance, a sixteen year old kid. Well, he's probably more like eighteen by now; he was sixteen when I first met him.

Terrance is this kid that I hired at my old job. He was what the company was looking for- fashion forward, knowledgeable about current pop/counter culture, social, and responsible- and he was also very smart, funny and polite. He was the kind of kid that gives you hope for the future generation. One thing I really admired about Terrance was that he was very clean, like Monk clean, clean bordering on OCD.

One of the most inspiring thing he ever told me was that he once invited his friends over to his house and they said, "Wow, your house smells like nothing."

That's what I really want, a house that smells like nothing. Don't get me wrong, flowers smell nice and so do cookies in the oven but there's just something about a distinct smell that just seems... inorganic. It's sad, I suppose, but a culture of candle, spray, diffusers, and such has conditioned me to believe that a scent is a cover up. You know how a truly fresh fish doesn't have a smell, well I am starting to believe that a truly clean house shouldn't have a smell.

Right now, my house smells. I wish I can say it's a nice smell but it's not. There's the faint smell of bacon from last night, the faint smells of apple scented candle, and, if you're in the kitchen, the faint smell of garbage that needs to be taken out. Gross, right? So, no more Fabreeze and scented stuff. I'm going to try to not keep gross garbage overnight, make sure the sink is always empty, and... well, can't do too much about the food smell... I'm going to wash all the curtains and pillow covers, make sure the air vents are clean, watch out for molds, etc, etc, etc.

It's My Money and I Don't Want it Now!

2011-09-18T08:33:00.003-04:00

Michael has been gone for the past two weeks but he's back now. Fall is a big freaking deal at my job and since Michael's absence coincided with massively heavy work load week I decided to keep myself busy and work as much over time as I could. Wait, that's kind of wrong... "Could" implies I had a choice, I didn't really have a choice. I've never worked for a company that was as "generous" with their overtime as this one.

The last two weeks have been all about working, working, working. My 9th day of working straight ended with a 15 hour shift. By that time I was so tired I was ready to puke.

Yesterday I calculated all my overtime pay and, you know, it was kind of disappointing. Really, all that work for that?! I mean, don't get me wrong, it was a nice chunk of change; but once you take out taxes... meh. I'm not very impressed with a few hundreds here, a couple hundreds there, etc. My paycheck reflects a running total of all the over time I was paid for the year and that sum makes me happy. A few extra hundreds tacked on to my paycheck is kind of like whatever. What I really wish they would do is hold onto all of my overtime pay and give it to me as a lump sum at the end of the year. A couple thousands will definitely put a smile on my face.

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining about the extra money and I'm not complaining that the extra money isn't enough. And, as tired as I've been, since it's slowed down a lot, I'm going to miss the opportunity to earn some easy extra cash. I just wish they would pay me a lump sum at the end of the year. A substantial check after I've forgotten all about how tired I was and how I worked myself to death would be a very nice way to end the year.

Twenty Nine More Years to Go!

2011-09-08T10:38:00.004-04:00

It just recently dawned on me that we've owned this house for a year now.

I'm starting to re-think this whole home ownership thing.

For starters, what's the point? Ideally, you would buy a forever home at a young(ish) age so that by the time you retire the house would be paid for and you won't have to worry about paying a mortgage or rent during retirement. This house that we bought isn't our forever house. I mean, it could be, I guess... There's certainly nothing wrong with it. Our town was rated #4 in Money Magazine's Best Place to Live. Really! Number Four! I was quite surprised myself! It's plenty big for the two of us and neither us are dreaming of McMansions and luxury town homes. Still, I don't see us spending our retirement here because... well, I guess because I don't think I'd want to spend my retirement here. I mean, if I'm 70 years old I'd like a house with considerably less steps. Because I know we will (most likely) move on eventually it kind of feels like I'm renting... from myself...

And, you know, home ownership comes with a lot of stress. Of course the year we buy a home is the year Armageddon hits the DC Metro area. Okay, gross exaggeration, but seriously, massive snow fall, earth quake, hurricane, twisters, and flood watches?!?! If there's a mold issue because of all the rain and humidity in the house that you're renting, you can just walk away from that situation. If there's mold in the house that you own... Well shoot, that's going to be really time consuming and very expensive. I live in fear of property damage; it sucks.

Speaking of walking away... if you rent, you always have the option of moving out if your neighborhood turns to crap; not so easy if you own a piece of that neighborhood. Every new neighbor and development is a potential threat.

Having to stay put also limits your career opportunity. Thankfully I live in an area with low unemployment but it can still suck. I very much enjoy working for my company and would like to stay on with them long term. However, I am also ambitious and would not like to stay in the current role; I would want to be promoted in the next few years. However, if the next step is offered to me, it would be at a location that is not ideal, commute wise, but close enough that it wouldn't make much sense to relocate. Moving out of your apartment to save an hour off your commute to a new position that pays a little bit better than your current position is totally doable. Selling your current home and buying a new one so that you can save an hour off your commute to a new position that pays a little bit better than your current is not so doable. So, I can either hope that fate and magic somehow makes it all work out or I can hit that ceiling and start looking for another job.

But you know, despite it all, if I had to do it all over again, I would still buy this house. I don't know why. It's not a decision I regret, I just don't know why I don't regret it... If that makes sense...

I'm a Genius!

2011-09-02T10:23:00.003-04:00

If Truette Cathy can claim that he invented the chicken sandwich then I'm going to say that I invented the naan pizza. One day I came home and there was nothing to eat. So, in a stroke of brilliance I pulled a frozen naan out of the freezer, opened up a can of crushed tomatoes, sliced up some fresh mozzarella cheese, grabbed some basil leaves, stuck the whole thing in a toaster oven for a bit and... voila!

Naan margherita pizza!

Prep and cook time total is like less than five minutes. It's cheap, quick, easy, delicious and you can work it in endless possibilities. I have been eating this every night since Tuesday and I'm still not sick of it.

Well, I am kind of sick of it, literally, because I made a Mexican version last night and... I don't know, maybe the salsa was old or maybe there was something wrong with the cilantro but ugh... not a happy camper right now.

Anyway... So the first time I made it I'm all like, "I am a genius!!!" until Michael bursts my bubble by telling me that Wegmens has been selling their naan pizza for some time now. Bull, I say! I shop at Wegmens at least once a week and I have never seen a naan pizza. Clearly he is mistaken and I am the first person who thought to slap on pizza ingredients on naan. I see a brilliant future in fast food for me.

Carefree and Unburdened

2011-08-31T10:41:00.000-04:00

I've always been into big big bags. I don't need most of the stuff I carry around with me (like my day planner) but it never fails; the day I leave it behind is the day I need it (d'oh! My Wegmens ice cream coupons were in there!). Recently I have been seeing a lot of women with crossbodies and, truth be told, I started to get a little jealous. For one, they're small and cute (my favorite being this Marc Jacob one).

The women looked so carefree and unburdened with their tiny little purses. I want to be carefree and unburdened! There's no doubt that I need a good sized work bag. But, on my days off, I have been experimenting with small crossbodies and clutches and I like them a lot.

For one, it's less cumbersome. If you're shopping in tightly packed areas (like an antique mall) you don't have to worry about your big purse bumping into things. It also allows for freer movements. One day, after lunch, Michael and I decided to play miniature golf. Such spontaneous acts do not happen often but I was really glad I wasn't carrying my big bag like I normally do. Best of all, you can go hours without your shoulders hurting.

The only down side is that I can't carry by bottled water and I get thirsty very quickly. I'm not completely sold on crossbodies so instead of investing money into something I might never use after awhile I have been picking them up at thrift stores. My latest acquisition:

I don't know if it's patent or plastic but at $5, I don't really care. It's a beautiful bright shade of red that I absolutely love. It's actually a crossbody that I sometimes use as a clutch by tucking in the straps. It's just big enough to hold my wallet, my phone, my keys, and maybe one other small thing, like hand sanitizer or a Kind bar. It's the perfect size!

Ugh, Depressed

2011-08-26T12:01:00.003-04:00

Just got done reading getoffmyinternets.com for over an hour and I am now kind of depressed. The world is a shallow, shallow place full of shallow, shallow people. But, what does it say about me that I am strangely fascinated by these people and the shallow life they lead? Fascinated as in how I'm fascinated by train wreck reality shows.

Pesto Steak Rigatoni with Caprese Salad

2011-08-24T12:17:00.003-04:00

Want a fast, easy, delicious dinner?

1) Cook some pasta.
2) Rub pesto on a piece of beef and grill. Slice the meat after it's done.
3) Slice some tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. If you want to go for presentation arrange in alternating pieces. You have just made caprese salad, kind of.
4) Put pasta on plate next to the caprese salad and arrange the sliced pesto steak on top.
5) Drizzle the whole thing with pesto and, for extra credit, chopped basil and toasted pine nuts.

BAM! You have:

a really awesome dinner. Enjoy!

At Least I Have a Job to Be Late To

2011-08-22T00:00:00.005-04:00

Of course the only time I need to get gas is when I'm running late for work. So, I pull into the station, insert my card and start pumping. Shortly, about $10 in (so not quite 3 gallons) the pump stops and tells me that I've reached my limit.

What's going on? I was using my credit card and I pay that sucker off every month! There is no way in hell I reached my limit on that card unless... WTF! Did someone steal my account number?!?!?

I would've stood there longer scratching my head and freaking out but I was running late for work. I was about to get into my card with the intent to call my credit card company once I got to work when the gas station employee starting running up to me asking me to stop. She explained that the gentleman on pump 8 (I was on pump 10) prepaid inside since he was paying with cash. He told her the wrong pump number which is how I ended up with $10 of free gas. She asked if I could lend him my card so he could pay for $10 worth of gas.

Lend a stranger my credit card? Are you freaking insane?! I told her no, but that I would go in and pre-pay $10 worth of gas for him once I finish filling up my car.

I was completely annoyed at the whole situation. I was running late for work and didn't really need this extra thing in the morning. However, as I was driving away I started thinking about the other guy and started to feel really sorry for him.

You have to wonder about a man who can only afford $10 worth of gas. I mean, maybe he left his wallet at home and $10 was all he had. Or, maybe he's poor and $10 is all that he can afford. I tried to imagine how it must feel to be so poor you can't afford a full tank of gas and realized it's a whole new level of poor that I can't relate to.

At work I have worked with people who told me that they would love to pick up an extra shift because they need the money but they can't because they're low on gas and they didn't budget enough for the extra drive. So, if they come in today, that means they don't have enough to get to work later in the week. Sad, yes, but they're teens who live with their parents in their super expensive houses. If absolutely needed I'm sure their parents will float them a few dollars to cover gas. That's different than a grown man who is on his own. It's easy to see how hard it would be for someone to break out of poverty. In order to make more money you need more money- to drive to job interviews, buy appropriate work outfits, drive to pick up more shifts etc.

I'm not about to start spouting liberal view points because I don't even know that my view points are liberal but it annoys me when people say poor people are poor because they're lazy. That may be the case for some, that may be the case for a many, but it's obvious that there are some underlying factors that some of us can't even fathom, or relate to, like not having enough gas money to get to work.

So, let's say that I had just driven off before the gas station lady flagged me down. Let's say that the gas station lady was like, "Sorry buddy, you're out of luck. You told me pump 10, I pressed pump 10. It's your fault and I'm not about to give anyone free gas." What would have happened? Would he have to call out of work because he couldn't make it? Would that have resulted in lost wages because he didn't have any PTO? Would that have cost him to lose more hours in the future because his boss is thinking, "Well, he's not very reliable so I don't want to give him too many hours?" Would his already tight finances just fall apart?

Or, you know, maybe he's well off and he was just a guy who forgot his wallet at home and $10 was all he had on him at the time.

Translucent Glasswares Rock My World

2011-08-19T10:19:00.006-04:00

At the moment I am really into milk glasses; you know, those white, milky translucent glassware.

Luckily they're an antique mall staple and usually quite reasonably priced.

I would also love to start collecting jadeite but they're pretty pricey.

Maybe I'll luck out and see some at a thrift store one day. Or... Maybe Anthropologie will pick up on this little thrifting trend and come out with their version. As over priced as Anthropologie may be, what ever they charge for jadeite will probably still be less than the price you pay at antique malls.

Oh, and there's also this:

Not sure what it's called but it's a gorgeous shade of hypnotic milky blue and it was something like $75 for a set of five. It's another thing to be on the look out for when I go thrifting.

A Bit of a Let Down

2011-08-13T10:26:00.006-04:00

Little late in posting but... About a month ago several of the restaurants in Loudoun County participated in Farm to Fork. They created a special menu where at least 75% of the ingredients came from local farms in our county. The event coincided with my birthday and so I told Michael that for a present all I wanted was to go out and eat!

For lunch we ate at Palio's in down town Leesburg. I had eaten there before, about a year ago, and really enjoyed it. It's not a place that we can afford on a regular basis (though their lunch menu is kind of reasonable) so I was excited to go back.

We started to meal off with some bread and pesto.

I got an inkling that this meal wasn't going to be as fantastic as before because the pesto wasn't as amazing as I recalled.

It was still better than anything I've made in the past (or anything you buy at a grocery store) but... I don't know... I recalled the pesto being so good I wanted to punch someone in the face, not this time around.

The waiter raved about the Farm to Fork salad so I suggested it to Michael. This is what he got... for NINE DOLLARS:

It was so hilariously ridiculous I couldn't even get mad at the price. I tried beets for the first time and did not hate it. Since the "salad" obviously wasn't going to fill him up I suggested he order another appetizer so Michael ordered this:

Also $9 and very delicious, especially when eaten with the bread.

I ordered the entree off the Farm to Fork menu.

The first time around the steak was completely over cooked- brown through and through. I was just going to keep quiet and eat it but Michael pointed out that if I'm going to pay that much for a steak, I should expect to get them to get it right. True that! So, for the first time ever, I sent my plate back. Steak #2 was still a bit over cooked but much better, though the steak itself was a bit of a let down. They went way over board with the char and it was all I could taste. The vegetables were good. The potatoes were over seasoned but once you got past the salt and thyme and all that other stuff it had an awesome buttery-ness to it.

I was a little disappointed in Palio's that day. I've had better meals in places that charges way less. It was the first day of Farm to Fork so maybe that day was kind of like their practice run? It was lunch time and maybe they bring out their best chefs for dinner? Maybe the place has gone down hill since last year? Maybe I should have known better to order steak and potatoes at an Italian restaurant? Whatever. Overall all, a let down.

Because Bad is Good, So So Good

2011-08-12T18:07:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to eat well, you know, no HFCS, home made, locally grown, blah blah blah blah blah. I don't know that I feel better or healthier but it's been fun trying new foods and making things from scratch. I like this newer way of cooking and eating but recently I've been craving some bad, bad food.

Ever had a hankering for some bad Chinese? You know, greasy, saucy, one note chunk of meat and sweaty rice? Mmmm~ Had that for lunch the other day with some soda! The other day, for dinner, I stopped by Sheetz and had their onion rings, steak and cheese and, again, soda! Their onion ring is epic! One of the best thing I have had recently is...

Mac and cheese from the blue box! Well, not the blue box but the Wegman's version which was like twenty five cents a box! Mac and cheese from the box is by far the best kind of mac and cheese. I've had the "gourmet" kind and I've made several versions but none of them taste as good as the cheapo ones you make with the glow in the dark orange powdered cheese.

Well, at least I made it with some organic butter and milk!

Embossed Snake Print Ballet Flats

2011-08-11T10:39:00.002-04:00

Check out my new(ish) shoes!

Snake print ballet flats with wingtip detailing and tasseled bows! Cute!

I was a bit hesitant to pick them up because of the embossed snake print. I'm pretty hard on my shoes and I scuff them up all the time. Dyed leather is easy to fix because you can just polish them to look like new but scratched embossed leather (and metallic leather) is impossible to fix. But, you know, they went on sale and...

I'm glad I got them. They're a surprisingly versatile neutral and it's a nice break from all the brown shoes I wear.

Heart to Heart

2011-08-08T10:24:00.003-04:00

Michael and I are making a very concerted effort to eat healthier and cheaper so I've started to eat a lot more cereal. I spent over two years eating cereal almost every day at work (to save money for a house) so I'm kind of over cereal but... It is cheap and fast. My current favorite cereal is:

Kashi's Heart to Heart! Sure, it may look like dog food:

but it's really good and has this healthy and honey taste. Look how some are shaped like a heart, how cute! As far as cereals go it's kind of pricey, but there's something to be said for enjoying cereal that doesn't change the color of your milk. It may be three dollars for a small box but that's still only 50 cents a serving, not counting milk. The only problem is that it doesn't keep me full for too long and I think I'm lactose intolerant because after cereal my stomach feels odd for awhile. Can you develop lactose intolerance? I never had problems with milk before. Hmmm...

Screwed Up Priority

2011-08-05T10:45:00.004-04:00

Even though we're pretty bare bones when it comes to indoor furniture (too expensive, let's wait until we're done painting, we need new floors, etc) Michael went out and bought some outdoor furniture, along with some flower boxes and plants to decorate out out door space.

I wasn't completely sold on the idea. We're not exactly dining alfresco type of people (well, at least I'm not) and it's currently averaging around the high 90's with freakishly high humidity right now. The radio is always warning us that it's code orange or red or something, not exactly ideal.

At least he got a good deal. The table was $90, each chair was $25. We still need an umbrella and a bench to go on the other side. That will probably be like another $175. That's over $450 for an outdoor dining room set... not including those flower boxes. Did I mention that we still don't have a dresser? Our indoor dining room set, the ones that we use every day, cost us around $40- $25 for the chair (75% off clearance at Target) and $16 for four sets of chair from a thrift store.

Well, might as well enjoy it, right? A few days ago, it was actually pretty nice out at night so Michael made some chicken Vietnamese curry from his new cook book...

and we had it outside, enjoying a very suburban view of the sunset.

It was actually pretty enjoyable... until the bugs came. Note to self, buy some Citronella.

Left Over Magnets

2011-08-03T10:34:00.002-04:00

Michael and I have become a lot better at not wasting food. We still throw away more than I like (damn milk and their expiration date!) but we've become more mindful of making dinners with left over ingredients. Alton Brown, one of my favorite TV chefs, calls those dishes, dishes where you can just throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand, left over magnets. My favorite left over magnet are tacos.

Here's a steak taco made with bipim bop left over stuff.

And here's a fish taco made with random produce.

To make these tacos all you do is throw in some random produce, a protein of some sort, chopped up cilantro, and lime juice. The lime juice and cilantro are enough to make it taco-ish for me but Michael likes to sprinkle on some taco seasoning and or add some salsa. To each his own.

Childhood Dream Come True

2011-08-01T10:42:00.003-04:00

I grew up reading the Washington Post. Well, I that is, I grew up reading the Style section of The Washington Post, that's where the comics were located. In the Style section, back when I was young, there was a column by the columnist Bob Levy. Ever month he would have some sort of a contest and he would take the winner out to dinner at McCormick and Shmidt. Somehow, I got it into my head that McCormick and Shmidt was a very fancy place to eat and I told myself that I will eat there one day. One day.

Awhile ago (before the weather turned all horribly brutal) Michael and I decided to have a date night. It was a Friday night and I wanted a reason to go out wearing my newly acquired heels. We decided to go to Reston Town Center and while trying to decide where to eat I saw McCormick and Shmidt. No time like the present to make your childhood dream come true, right?

Was it everything I thought it would be? I don't know... Not too sure what I expected. The restaurant was very old fashioned conservative looking, dark with lots of wood every where. It was actually nice because so many places try to be all trendy and modern and Ikea looking. The prices were high but the food was good.

I had the shrimp orzo.

It was very well flavored and way more filling that it looks.

Michael had cat fish and fried green tomatoes.

It was the first time either of us had fried green tomatoes and cat fish so that was cool.

Michael was not impressed with the place and, truth be told, neither was I. If all the food was maybe like five dollar cheaper it would have been perfect.

Next Time, Throw In Some Kimchi

2011-07-27T09:31:00.003-04:00

I like to cook but I don't like to cook for other people. I don't handle rejection very well; what if they don't like it? That's a reflection of me on that plate! I only have a handful of dish I feel comfortable serving, most of which are desserts.

My cheesecake is sure to please, no doubt about it. If you like cheesecake, you will love my cheesecake. You will, it's a given. Hell, even if you don't like cheesecake you will still like my cheesecake. I hate cheesecake but I really like mine.

I digress...

My mom is not a good cook so, by comparison, she thinks I'm Julia Child. Whenever she plans on a party she always asks me to cook something, you know, since I'm so good. It's nerve racking, the pressure! I am definitely not good enough to cater anyone's party. Recently she asked me to make something for her Fourth of July party so I made pasta salad.

With ingredients like toasted almonds, roasted red bell peppers, grilled asparagus, chickpeas, fresh mozzarella and basil, etc it was fresh and healthy in a bowl. Lovely. Looks nice too, right? It tasted good, I liked it, but I knew it would bomb at my mom's party. The taste was too subtle; I didn't use any dressing because who needs dressing when you have fresh tomatoes and red onions? All you need is a little bit of olive oil, right?

So, the salad didn't go over too well but that's okay, I liked it. I guess I could've made it a bit more popular by adding in some meat (bacon maybe?) or just drowning it all in Italian dressing. Lesson learned, know your audience.

Way off topic and about a month too late but...

Michael and I saw fireworks on the night of the 4th. It's been well over a decade since I saw a large firework display and it was nice. I couldn't get that Katy Perry song out of my head though; damn you Katy Perry!

First World Problems

2011-07-26T10:00:00.003-04:00

The HEAT! Oh good golly the HEAT!!!

For the past few days the temperature and humidity have hovered somewhere around the INSANE level. We finally got some rain yesterday and it's cooled down to where it's now a comfortable mid 90's. Yay.

Work hasn't been quite as stress free as I would have liked. I don't think it'll ever be stress free or anything other than stressful. It'll get better sure, situations will improve, yes. But, that's the thing, as soon as you improve things they put you in another broken situation because, well, I mean, you can fix things and that's what they do with people who can fix things. And, if you can't fix it, then they scoot you out. But hey, at least my commute has improved. I thought this would free up more time for me to sleep, but no, no it hasn't. I am still quite sleep deprived.

Internet has been HORRIBLE. Who ever said Verizon is better than Comcast lied. For the past two weeks or so we kept losing our internet connection. We thought we solved it by moving our cordless phone because, did you know that you should not put your cordless phone within 10 feet of your wifi router? Well, I didn't, but I do now! That helped, a lot, but it's still be very unreliable. As a matter of fact, I should be wrapping this up because we can drop connection any second now.

Still here? That's amazing. Thank goodness for smart phones or this past two weeks would have been pretty difficult.

So basically, I haven't been the happiest camper the last few days. I have, however, been the sleepiest, laziest, slightly crankiest camper. But, today is the start of my mini vacation! Yay!!!

And, at least there's still one awesome thing about summer:

On a bad, bad day I can eat an entire plate of fried zucchinis and find peace.

Farm to Fork

2011-07-19T11:12:00.003-04:00

Farm to Fork starts July 21st!

Basically, from July 21st to the 31st, a few local restaurants have agreed to offer a special menu where they utilize no less than 70% of ingredients from local farms in Loudoun County. Spiffy? Yes! Michael wonders why they don't do this year round, I kind of wonder that as well...

I've been looking forward to Farm to Fork since I found out about it in June and I thought it was pretty awesome that it fell on my Birthday Week. I had plans of taking some days off and treating myself to a gastronomical magic trip of fresh, local cuisines created by talented people. After looking at the menus... I don't think that's going to happen.

More than half of the participating restaurants have menus where entrees average around $30. At one of the restaurants the cheapest item was $36 vegetable curry. A $30 entree isn't an unheard of price for a nice dinner out but I can't exactly go gallivanting around the wine vineyards of Western Loudoun County feasting on expensive food all week. Poo. Oh well. I think I'll pick one nice "fancy" place and spend rest of the week visiting the more affordable options. Yay local economy, right?

Goodbye Stress, Kind Of...

2011-07-16T10:50:00.004-04:00

Two more days.

Just two more days until I can go back to my normal job. My normal job with my normal commute. A job where things are stable and I don't have to come to work and wonder, "Gee, who will I have to let go today?"

I will miss the people, of course. One great thing about my field is that you get to know a lot of really weird people, a lot of really bad people, but a lot of really awesome and inspiring people as well. I will miss the sweet, sweet end of the month bonus (I will miss it a lot, actually) and the seemingly endless overtime. Good bye extra income, I wish I appreciated you a lot more, sniff sniff. I will miss the... No, that's about it, I'll miss the people and the extra income and that's about it.

I guess I'll miss the experience. I complain a lot about how I'm always the one to be cleaning up a situation and after working my butt off, putting myself in un-ideal situations, and making tough decisions, and being the bad guy- after all that I end up walking away and moving on to the exact same thing. Same story, different walls. Why can't I be the one walking into an easy situation. Why can't I be the one that someone says, "Welcome to our company! Here is your new store. There's nothing wrong with it! Just maintain it!"

Truth be told, if that was the situation I would be very bored. That was the situation two years back and I left it to take on one of the most broken store in the entire company... an hour away. I didn't enjoy it and I wasn't as successful at it as I would have liked, but I enjoyed the challenge, the experience, and the sense of accomplishment. Recently my boss and I were talking about how nice it will be once Problem X,Y, and Z is fixed and everything will be so much more easier. "Yeah, but let's be honest. Once things start being easy we'll both be onto something else because we'll be bored." We laughed, because it's true.

So, temporary position with a hellish commute. Thanks for the past four months. Geez, I can't believe it's been FOUR MONTHS!!! I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm not done with you, because, of course, as I approach the finish line something has to go wrong. I have a feeling I'll be back to that location more than I would like, but it's okay. It'll be different because the burden won't be on me.

Bye!

Arugula Salad Pizza

2011-07-14T09:46:00.003-04:00

First cauliflower, then chickpeas and now arugula! I've been trying a lot of new ingredients recently. Though I love food I am not a very adventurous eater. I'm willing to try a lot of things if it's free but if I'm paying for it I want to make sure I'll like it. I made arugula salad pizza recently because it's a pretty safe recipe. I've had arugula before in a salad mix but (before) I couldn't tell you which leafy green was arugula. However, I've never had a salad and thought, "Ewe, something in here is pretty gross" so I figured arugula was safe. Besides, it's pizza; it's hard to mess up a pizza.

It turns out that arugula is that skinny green thing that tastes bitter in your salad. I liked the pizza but Michael thought it was too bitter.

This recipe calls for shredded mozzarella cheese but I strongly urge you to use sliced fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella adds this lovely warm smooth and awesomeness that you just don't get from shredded.

Arugula Salad Pizza
Serves: 4

2 Tbsp olive oil
10 oz button mushrooms, sliced
salt
1 lb. pizza dough
8 oz part skim mozzarella, shredded
4 cups baby arugula
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 475. Warm 1 TBSP oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and saute until mushrooms release their liquid and are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Press and stretch dough evenly to cover a 15 inch round perforated pizza pan. Scatter mushrooms over dough; sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until underside is golden and cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Toss arugula with remaining 1 TBSP olive oil, lemon juice and .5 tsp. salt. Arrange greens on top of pizza. Scatter tomatoes over greens. Return pizza to oven to wilt arugula, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice and serve.

Couscous with Chicken, Chickpeas and Apricot

2011-07-09T10:09:00.003-04:00

Until recently I've never had chickpeas before. Oh I've had hummus many times, but never chickpeas. I don't know, they never looked that appetizing. Discovering that cauliflower are not disgusting gave me the courage to try new things so I decided to make Couscous with Chicken, Chickpeas, and Apricots.

If you're looking for the apricots, don't bother, they're not there. I'm not a fan of dried fruits and I felt like it was an added cost that didn't really need to be there.

Speaking of costs, hey, did you know that chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans and they're super cheap... and very delicious! Well, okay, I wouldn't say delicious but totally non-offensive and mildly pleasant. They're a neutral tasting source of protein so I can understand why they're so popular. You can throw them in any salad or soup or pasta to make it more filling.

I made my salad thing with a grilled chicken marinated in some lemon sauce thing because I was afraid that without the apricot the whole thing would turn out too bland. The marinating the chicken was a nice touch but it would've tasted just fine with plain chicken. If you find it a bland you can always throw in a some lemon zest.

Couscous with Chicken, Chickpeas and Apricot
Serves 4

1.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup couscous
salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups shredded cooked boneless, skinless chicken
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
8 cups chopped romaine or mixed salad greens

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to boil. Stir in couscous and 1/2 tsp salt; cover and remove from heat. Let stand until couscous is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

Whisk together oil, lemon juice and cumin. Pour over couscous and toss to coat. Stir in chicken, chickpeas, almonds, apricots and scallions. Season with salt and serve over lettuce.

Our House is Going to Be So Tacky!

2011-07-08T10:44:00.005-04:00

I've wanted a cross stitched artwork for some time now. I think a nice sampler, for example, would look pretty awesome on my wall. It's not really a matter of talent because cross stitching is pretty easy, but a matter of time. You can find some nice ones in antique stores quite often but they'll usually run you around $30 to $70 dollars. That's a lot for me to pay for something that I know I can make on my own.

Recently I was at the Hope's Treasure Thrift Store in Countryside (formerly known as the Good Shepard Alliance Thrift) and saw these:

I was beyond thrilled! They reminded me of the set that I saw at the Leesburg Court of Shoppe for a stupidly high price.

In this set we have... Hmmm... Not too sure... Jack Splat?

Speaking of Jack, we also have Jack Be Nimble.

I almost didn't get it because the frame was snapped in half and the cloth is stained but I got the dude to knock a dollar off the final price.

Moving on to the fairy tales we have Little Red Riding Hood.

And my favorite, Pinocchio!

I got them for $3.50 each (except for the broken one which was $2). I'm not a hundred percent sure where they will go. I think I'll put them in our "library" once we get the book cases in place.

I was pretty happy with my purchases but Michael wasn't too pleased. "Augh, our house is going to be so tacky" he said. You say "tacky" I say "kitschy".

Coconut-Curry Beef

2011-07-05T21:40:00.003-04:00

I grew up eating Japanese instant curry which is some potent stuff. It stains your utensils, smells up your entire house, and tastes... strong. I wasn't really a fan of the stuff. It wasn't until fairly recently that I discovered curry can be subtle and very delicious. Recently I tried a recipe for Coconut-Curry Beef and both Michael and I fell in love with the dish.

Goes great with rice, of course, but also great to eat with naan (Trader Joe has the best). It uses the slow cooker which makes this a very easy dish to prepare but the hours of waiting becomes excruciating once the smell starts to fill the air! Oh, when eating, be sure to pierce the tomatoes first other wise if you bite into it lava hot tomato gut will burst inside your mouth.

Coconut-Curry Beef
Yields: 6 (more like 4, actually)

2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt
2 large onions,each cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 TBSP finely chopped fresh ginger (I just used ground since I already had that in my pantry)
1 12-oz can light coconut milk
2 TBSP packed light brown sugar
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 pint cherry tomatoes

In a large skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to slow cooker along with onions, garlic and ginger.

Whisk together coconut milk, brown sugar, curry powder and cayenne and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low until meat is fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours. Stir in cherry tomatoes and let them warm and soften in stew for 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

NEED!!! No Really, it's Definitely a Need.

2011-07-03T09:08:00.003-04:00

I'm upset and disturbed by how little we've managed to save recently. I've been working, miserably, for some time now just to rack up over time and a big bonus but it still seems like we haven't really saved much. And the fact that I say "seems" as if I'm not sure, proves that I don't have a tight reign on my finances like I should.

There's whole bunch of reason why we haven't been saving as much as we'd like but that's in the past. I need to focus on the future! We still need new floors, we still need more furniture (like a new mattress) and I would really like a new dishwasher. We need to save, save, save and save, which will become harder now that July is finally here and very soon good bye temporary position, which means goodbye over time and goodbye bonus.

I want to start trimming fat and live much more modestly and stop buying things that we don't absolutely need. Of course, as soon as I make that resolution, I see this:

!!! Oh my !!!

The ever elusive fuchsia Mackenzies!!! Cole Haan makes a line of women's cap toes called Mackenzies. So far I have three and I love them to bits. Every time I wear them people stop me to ask where I got my shoes (especially the chambray ones). The fuchsia pair was exclusive to SoHo and by the time I heard of them only one single size 8 was left in the entire company. I cried. Well, not really, but I was devastated.

And now they are available on-line and I couldn't be more thrilled except... the smallest size available is a size 6 and I'm a size 5. Oh, I'm still thinking of getting them but I don't know that I want to spend that much money on a pair of shoes that will definitely be too big. I don't even know if I'll be able to wear them. Maybe in winter with the thickest of thick socks? Maybe I can Frankenstein it with heel grips and tongue pads and insoles?

Maybe I shouldn't be spending money on an ill fitting shoes?... Sigh.

Couscous and Squash

2011-06-30T10:42:00.004-04:00

Many thanks to Michael for introducing me to couscous! I first heard of couscous back in elementary school. I was watching that movie where The Chipmunks travel around the world in a balloon. The Chipmunks were in the Mediterranean and Theodore couldn't get his couscous and I wondered, "What are couscous?" I really loved that movie growing up. I wonder if I'll find it incredibly racist and offensive now. That movie had the best sound track. Youtube won't let me embed but Girls/Boys of Rock and Roll is pretty amazing.

Oh, but back to couscous... So yes, cheap, fast, and easy. Throw some grilled veggies on top and BAM!

If you need a recipe to use up all those zucchinis growing in your back yard, this would be it!

Couscous and Squash

Finely shred peel from 1 lime; set aside for couscous. Whisk juice from the lime, plus juice from a second lime with 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, salt, and pepper. Cut 2 zucchini and/or yellow squash and 1 red onion into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut 1 small head of cauliflower into 4 equal slices. Brush vegetables with some of the lime olive oil. Grill, uncovered, directly over medium heat until crisp-tender; carefully turning once with a wide metal spatula (5 minutes for zucchini; 10 to 12 minutes for onion and cauliflower. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup couscous, as package directs, with the shredded lime peel stirred in. Serve vegetables over couscous. Drizzle with the remaining lime olive oil and top with parsley.

It was nice to eat a vegan meal but, couldn't help but think that some grilled steak...

...would make it so much better... Maybe next time!

Why Isn't Fox News All Over This?

2011-06-27T21:10:00.003-04:00

Sleep has been on the news a lot lately. Or, to be more specific, the dire consequence of people who work on little sleep has been on the news a lot lately. There were those air control people, that bus driver guy who killed four people near Richmond... The finding that like half of all Metro drivers are sleep deprived... and so on and so on.

The consequence of chronic sleep deprivation is dire and it's linked to everything from weight gain to early death. It's proven that sleep deprivation is similar to being drunk and I believe it. When I don't get enough sleep I'm sluggish, I slur, I'm not focused, and I don't really care... about a whole lot... I get sloppy. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

You know who doesn't get a whole lot of sleep? The President. When something big happens on the other side of the world he has to wake up and deal with it. And, you know, something big happens on the other side of the world all the time. Have you seen him give a speech recently? The dude looks worn out and you can tell by the way he talks that he's gotten like three hours of sleep. Is anyone else concerned that the man deciding the fate of our nation is, scientifically, "drunk" all the time? He's out there making critical decisions even though his mental acuity isn't quite at a 100%. Does he not love this nation enough to be well rested? What kind of respect is he showing his position? We've all had bosses, peers, and subordinate who came to work on little sleep and you have to pick up their slack. It's a pain!

I think we as a nation should demand that our President is always well rested; we deserve nothing less. The course of our nation depends on it!

Bookmark Clean Out

2011-06-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

I'm off!

The kitchen's looking a little gross and there are all these little flying things around the house... And ants, of course, I'm always battling ants. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. I've been told that cockroaches and ants are natural sworn enemies so if you have one, it means you don't have the other. I'll take ants over cockroaches any day! Still, this does not mean I should encourage any bugs to take residence in my residence. So, this means that I'll be spending my day off cleaning and straightening and doing the laundry, again. But you know, I don't mind, don't mind at all. I actually kind of like cleaning. I like maintaining my possessions, it validates my consumerism. It's why it takes me so long to clean, I can't ever just wipe things down and put them away I have to admire them, try them on, read them, try to find the other thing that goes with them, find a new place for them, etc.

Anyway, while I sweep up the floor and put things away here are some articles you can read!

How to Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint- My sister suggested I paint my paint my fridge with chalk board paint. Interesting idea...

Spring Forward with Handmade Pillows From Sukan Art- Well no, I would not pay for these pillows, as cute as they are. However, it gets me thinking... Even with my very rudimentary sewing skills I know I could make most of them. All I need is some felt, fabric scraps, and, oh yeah, free time. Hmm... The last one might be a challenge.

How To: Make an Inexpensive, DIY Reed Diffuser- I bought a $5 diffuser from Walmart and hated it. Of course, it was a $5 diffuser from Walmart. I might try this; I love the smell of roses.

A Glossary of Rose Fragrances- Oh well hey, speaking of roses...

Romanian Woman, 23, is World's Youngest Granny- OMG! Well, you know, at least her husband was roughly the same age as her; don't know about her daughter's husband... I once read that the average age of a grandmother in the US was like 44 or something, that seemed pretty young to me. The youngest mother in history, in case you're wondering, was 5 years old.

'60s & '50s Motel Room Post Cards- I have a craving to watch some Dragnet now.

Learning to Love Food You Hate- Had cauliflower for the first time recently. Never gave it a try because I'm totally unfair and judge food by appearance. There is nothing that looks appetizing about a cauliflower. It either looks like some foamy mold growing in some dank dark corner or a Bunnicula victim.

Invasion of the Harry Hunters- Dear Taylor McKinley, why in the world would you agree to be interviewed as a disillusioned gold digger who abstained from dating in high school to "hold out for royalty"? Pray tell what kind of royalty did you think you would find in Northern Virginia? Oops, sorry, Chesapeake Virginia (discovered via facebook). That's even worse! At least NoVa is near DC. Personally, instead of obsessing over royalty in HS, you should have studied harder. Not too many royalties send their kids to George Mason, should've gone for an Ivy school, you know?

6 Important Things You Didn't Know We're Running Out Of- Nothing like a humor blog to make you feel depressed. They didn't mention bananas, tunas, and tigers. Awww, tigers, I will miss you.

Nintendo Duck Hunt Art Bomb- WANT! So clever, wish I could think of stuff like that.

15 Lovely Alcove "Bedrooms"- I've always had a fascination with small intimate spaces. When I was little I had a picture book of giant stories (that is, stories about giants). I don't recall any of the stories but I do recall a picture of a little boy who had a bed in an alcove and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

Make Your Own Easy Eco Hair Treatment- I often have over ripe bananas lying around. I'll have to try this the next time one gets too black.

Fairy Tale Cottages- The one almost completely covered in foliage just looks gross, think of the bugs!!! The white one looks too much like a face, creepy. But this one...

It's perfect!

Saturday Throwback: Five Nonfiction Books for the Frugal Foodie- Michael is really getting into food. If he could just learn some basic techniques he would be a regular foodie. He loves watching anything Chef Ramsey (I have a soft spot for Master Chef myself) and Jamie Oliver (and as someone once pointed out to me, yeah, he does seem a bit chunky himself). Maybe I'll pick these up for him. In Defense of Food is a great book and I can honestly say that Fast Food Nation changed how I eat and Alton Brown taught me how to not suck at cooking.

Beef with Peppers- Oooh, I picked up some beef on sale the other day.

Mid-Century Wall Flower- Yup, yup, yup. I was definitely born in the wrong decade. Well, I mean in terms of hygiene and science and technology and you know, social awareness and equality, I'm glad I was born in this decade but for everything else...

American Eagle Stole My Identity

2011-06-25T10:08:00.004-04:00

This is the story of how American Eagle violated ethics and lost a customer.

Yesterday I went into American Eagle to return a shirt that I had purchased the day before. I am outside of their target demographic range but they sell thin, slouchy sweaters and shirts that I find comfortable and, if on sale, are at a good price.

Every time I shop someone asks me if I want to sign up for their membership program. I've considered it (since I do like their shirts and undies) but have always refused since I don't shop there that often (just a handful a year) and no one has ever taken their time to explain the benefits of their membership program.

So yesterday I am at the Tyson's Corner location to return a shirt. The girl asks me for my driver's licenses. I'm in retail so I know that collecting addresses for returns is the norm and it's for loss prevention purposes, not marketing, so I didn't mind, even though I knew that technically she couldn't ask me to show ID to complete a transaction. Whatever, she's young, it's busy and loud, it's just easier to ask for ID.

BIG MISTAKE!

After the transaction is over the girl hands me a membership card and walks to the back. I am stunned. What is this? Then, anger slowly surfaces as I realize that she had signed me up to their program without asking me first. I was outraged! I asked to speak to a manager, some thin scared looking kid named Jacoban or Joban or something. I told him that I did not appreciate being signed up to their program without permission. He completely missed the point and told me that it's not a big deal because it's not a credit card and that I can just throw it away if I want. I told him that's beside the point and that what I am unhappy about is the fact that they took my personal information and used it without my permission. He informed me that it's just what they do and they do it to everyone. I told him that I've shopped, and returned, items at different location and this has never happened before. He just stuttered something about how it's not a big deal and I can just throw the card away if I don't want it.

Ugh, I hate people that lie to me. Maybe all the teen customers they usually deal with buy that crap but I'm not idiot! He could have made this whole thing go away with just a simple apology but no, he had to lie.

Now, as retail manager who has worked for companies that offered incentive programs I know the pressure to meet/exceed goal is HUGE and, at times, oppressive but there is NO excuse for what they did. Beside violating consumer rights they're also cheating, and I hate cheaters.

And the great big irony in all this is that their rewards program isn't half bad. Had anyone in that company actually taken 30 seconds to explain the reward structure I would have signed up. It would probably have been more out of sympathy than anything else (like I said, I know how the pressure feels). But no. Instead of doing their stupid job and explaining the benefits like I'm sure they were trained to do they decided to cheat and steal my identity. I am pissed.

The very least of what I expect and want is an apology from that manager dude who lied to me. I want him say, "I'm sorry we were acting unethically to meet our goal. It is NOT our policy to sign customers up without permission. I am very sorry that I lied to you by telling you that is our policy." I don't think that's asking for too much.

Still Tired!

2011-06-23T23:15:00.003-04:00

Ta Da! This is the picture of the first cauliflower I've ever had. It was taken about a week ago.

Michael cleaned out the fridge and learned something that I've known for awhile now; we waste a lot of food. He's committed to eating every thing we buy so I am curious to see what he will do with the rest of the giant cauliflower head that he bought. He's thinking mashed cauliflower. I'm thinking that doesn't sound too good...

We've been pretty good about cutting down on processed food and eating more vegetables. We're eating healthier than ever but I feel worse than I've ever felt before. My hair looks hideous; it's this weird combination of dry and oily. My skin looks horrible, all sallow and life less. People are always asking me if I'm doing okay or why I look so sad. It must be all the stress and lack of sleep.

But, tomorrow I am off!

I need to stop using work as an excuse for why I never get anything done. Sure, the commute is brutal and work is stressful but other people have aggressive jobs and still manage to see their friends, pick up a hobby, keep their house clean, etc. Starting tomorrow I will find ways to lead a normal life. Maybe read a book or two, write a letter to a friend, actually call and talk to someone instead of just shooting off short texts. I think I'll be happier and more alert if I make some time for myself.

Leather!

2011-06-18T09:49:00.004-04:00

I really like the look of woven leather. Bottega Veneta bags are gorgeous but waaaay outside of my price range. Even "inspired" pieces, on sale, are a bit cost prohibitive. Cost aside, as much as I love the woven look, I don't think they are right for me. It's easy to snag a loose weave, especially if you're as rough on your bag as I am. Still, I've been wanting something leather and woven for a long time now which is why I got so excited when I found this:

I needed a new wristlet and this is the perfect size! It looks like this (only not gold).

It's the perfect size for all my cards and receipts. If I take all of my discount/membership cards I can even fit my phone in there. The leather is very soft and I just want to pet it. Sorry if that came across weird, I just really love the feel of soft leather.

Speaking of small leather goods I want to pet, I also picked up a business card holder.

Was it needed? Of course not, but organization is important for a professional women, no? I don't get asked for my card too often but when I like handing them a crisp new card out of a case rather then a dinged up one that I found hanging out on the bottom of the bag or in some far dusty corner of the desk.

Oh small leather goods... it's an addiction and a sickness.

Stir Fry!

2011-06-16T09:43:00.002-04:00

Michael and I have re-committed ourselves to cooking more at home! Right now it's not so much for health or budgetary reasons. For me, it's about diversity. Even though Eastern Loudoun County is full of restaurants there aren't a whole lot of variety. One Italian restaurant is the same as other.

Now, I know stir fry is not a unique dish but it was new to me- not eating, of course, but making.

I've made pre-packaged stir fry before but I've never made my own sauce. Once you master a few sauces a whole world of diversity opens up to you because you can take that sauce and put it just about everything. This stir fry sauce is kind of vinegary and tastes good on vegetables.

Stir Fry Your Own Way
(from the April '11 All You Magazine)

1.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP cider vinegar
.5 TBSP light soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP canola oil (though I prefer sesame oil)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups of your favorite vegetables (broccoli cut into bite-size pieces, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell peppers, chopped onion or thin green beans)
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks, canned in juice, drained, optional (which I skipped)
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSP cold water
2 cups cooked brown rice or whole-grain noodles (I just went with white rice)

Preheat a wok or a large skillet on low. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Turn heat up to high. Pour in 1 TBSP canola oil and, once hot,, add half of chicken and saute until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Repeat with .5 TBSP. oil and remaining chicken.

Add vegetables and 1.5 TBSP oil to wok; saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute.

Return chicken to wok; add pineapple, if desired. Pour in chicken broth mixture and stir well. Add cornstarch and stir until sauce thickens and becomes shiny. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.

Nature Break!

2011-06-13T20:27:00.003-04:00

The weather has been pretty nice these past few days and recently Michael and I did something that is pretty out of character for us, we went for a walk. There's a trail that leads by our house and it takes us unto some pretty nice areas.

I used to be one of those kids who ran played outside, every day, from right when I got home from school to when it got too dark to see. Not too sure what happened but right around middle school I started to spend more and more time inside and now... I mean, I'm not saying I hate the outside, nature is beautiful, but I prefer to be inside. I think I would enjoy the outdoors if it weren't for bugs. I don't recall there being so many bugs when I was younger.

People say I need to be more spontaneous and romantic with Michael; I'm sure he'll agree. If the weather stays nice I think it would be fun to have a picnic out in all that grass, but the bugs... I don't know... Though, it would be nice to have an excuse to buy that cute tiffin box at Target...

Aiyara Thai Restaurant

2011-06-12T09:54:00.003-04:00

The first time we ate (well, ordered) from Aiyara Thai Restaurant, it was okay. We liked it enough to try them again. The second time? Amazing! I had the seafood fried rice, Michael had the green curry and both were absolutely delicious! The next day I was racing home to get to the left overs before Michael but of course he got to it first because he works like 15 minutes away where as I sit in traffic for eternity. The selfish jerk ate it all and looked at me going, "Oh, but you don't like left overs..."

We've only ordered from them in the past (free delivery!!!) and recently we decided to give the actual restaurant a try. It's located in the Catoctin part of Leesburg which is an area of Leesburg that I never knew existed until about a year ago. The area is untouched by time, very little renovations and face lifts went on there. The restaurant has no curb appeal but the inside is quite beautiful. It's refreshing to eat in a Thai restaurant that isn't trying to be trendy with the whole bistro/Ikea theme.

We, well, I, started the meal off with some Thai Tea.

Strong yet creamy and just the right amount of sweet. Perfect!

Because Michael and I liked our last meal so much we decided to repeat it. I got the seafood fried rice.

And Michael got the Seafood Green Curry.

It was... not that good. I hate to say it because the people there are so freaking nice but the food was just not that good. Everything tasted fine... except for the seafood, which is kind of important. All the seafood tasted very frozen and kind of freezer burned. Now, I'm not a snob about frozen meat. Frozen seafood is about the only kind of seafood I cook but when I'm paying a pro to make my meal I expect a little better. If they want to use frozen seafood, that's fine, but at least make it not taste so frozen. The scallops were really bland, the shrimp were over cooked, the squid was kind of rubbery, and the mussels... ewe... It had this really... off... taste. It was either freezer burned or it had gone bad. I hope it was freezer burn. Everything tasted like it had gone straight from the freezer to the pan with no thawing in between.

Maybe we caught them on a bad day. Maybe seafood just isn't their thing? The folks there were super nice so I definitely want to try it again at least once more before writing them off.

Tilapia! I Still Love Ya!

2011-06-10T08:34:00.003-04:00

Work has taken over my life. If I'm not working, I'm commuting, and if I'm not sitting in a car, stuck in traffic, I'm probably sleeping. There really isn't much time to do anything else, like cook.

Thank goodness for tilapia!!!

This is tilapia with paprika and curry. Guess how long it took to make, from beginning to end.

Around five minutes!

You sprinkle some curry powder, paprika, a little bit of salt and pepper, and fry it up. Afterward, sprinkle a little bit of lemon juice and BAM! Dinner under ten minutes.

If you have a bit more time (like twenty minutes) and some more ingredients, you can make Peppered Fish with Vinaigrette.

1 heaped Tbs mixed peppercorns
1 heaped tbsp all-purpose flour, seasoned with a little salt
2 fresh or frozen white fish fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp coarse-grain mustard
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Coarsely crush the peppercorns and mix them together with the seasoned flour. Skin the fish fillets, wipe with paper towels, and coat them with the peppercorn mixture, pressing it well onto both sides. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine in a bowl the garlic, mustard, lime zest and juice, 4 Tbsp of oil, salt, pepper and cilantro.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the fish and fry for 3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Keeping the heat high, pour the vinaigrette around the fish and maintain heat for a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid.

The recipe comes from a book titled Super Foods by Michael van Straten and Barbara Griggs. It's a great thick glossy books full of pretty pictures and lots of information. My favorite cook books are the ones that read like a regular book. My all time favorite is Patty LaBelle's cook book, not so much for the recipes but because it's basically her biography. Even though I'm not a Patty LaBelle fan I enjoyed reading how food has played an integral role in her life.

Super Food starts off with a short, easy to understand bio of different ingredients and how they effect your health. Then it goes into the recipes, which are separated by ingredients instead of courses, which I appreciate. Then it goes into ailments and recommends ingredients and recipes to address what ails you. It's a great book to have for someone like me who cares about nutrition enough to want to know but don't care enough to read anything complicated.

Perforated Shawl in Papaya, Size 5

2011-06-06T22:28:00.004-04:00

I have a passion for man inspired shoes so when I saw these:

there was no doubt that I would get them. Kiltie (shawl)! Brogue (perforation)! OMG, what's not to love?! The leather is like butter. There was no breaking needed and they're like one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I've ever owned!

I need to be good and take them to a cobbler and have them put rubber soles on the bottom so the leather sole doesn't wear out. I'm torn between wearing them every day and using them sparingly so they'll last forever.

My next possible man inspired shoes are these:

On one hand, I really want a pair of classic pennies, I really want a pair of spectators, and these are pretty cheap. On the other hand... I'm just a big fan of black and white... I don't know...

Home Made Vinaigrette

2011-06-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

I'm not a big fan of chicken. I mean, I like it okay, I'll eat it, but I don't love it. Does anyone truly love chicken? Isn't it kind of... I don't know, it's always, you know... meh. I find cooking chicken properly to be quite difficult. It usually ends up dry and hard, much like the chickens of my youth. My mom's chicken were more like chicken jerky. Well, every meat she cooked kind of turned out like jerky; she was not one to take chances when it came to e.coli and salmonella.

I'll give chicken some credit though, it's pretty cheap and takes on all kinds of sauce very well. Lucky for me Michael is a master at grilling chickens.

Don't know what his secret is and don't really care. I'm just glad I get to enjoy juicy chicken for dinner. My contribution to the meal is my homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Super easy to make, are you ready for it?

You need:

some olive oil
some balsamic vinegar
a splash of red wine
a dash of salt
a sprinkle of sugar
a pinch of garlic powder

Whisk it all up with a fork real quick and, voila! Awesome home made vinaigrette!

Not Homeless

2011-06-02T21:32:00.007-04:00

Several years ago Daria and I drove out to the great state of Wisconsin for some beer, frozen custard, and cheese. On our way back (or was it to) we found ourselves in Indianapolis when there was some big race going on. Long story short, much like Joseph and Mary, no vacancies were to be found- anywhere. Mind you, this was before GPS so we had to just cross our fingers and hope to come across a hotel or something. It was very late at night and after being turned away from every motel, hotel, and inn Daria suggested we just sleep in the car.

I AM NOT SLEEPING IN THE CAR!!! I yelled. I think I really did yell. Daria is just one of those people you don't yell at because she's so sweet and it would be like yelling at a bunny rabbit or something. I was just really tired and really cranky and just very very tired.

As exhausted as I was there was no way I was about to sleep in my car. Really, who does that besides homeless people?

Yesterday I slept in my car. This looooooooooooooooooooong commute is kicking my ass and eating up my free time. I haven't been sleeping much and yesterday I just knew that if I didn't pull over I would die, like literally die, as in get into a very bad car accident. There was just no way in God's green earth I was going to make it home in this condition. As soon as I got off the interstate I pulled into a deserted part of a mall parking garage and took a nap (around 30-40 minutes). It took me less than a minute to fall asleep.

This temporary promotion will be coming to an end mid July. The extra income is nice but I'm ready to get my life back.

Oh, and according to Daria, who is like the Cross Country Driving Queen the safest place to sleep (in your car) is at 24 hour Walmart parking lot.

Free Money!!! Well, Kind of... Okay, Not Really...

2011-05-30T21:28:00.003-04:00

Even though this temporary promotion has gotten me a sweet bonus and lots of over time money has been kind of tight lately. Not tight as in, oh crap, we have to cut back, but tight as in our cushion amount in our checking account hasn't been looking too cushy lately. Even though we have an emergency fund I always get a little panicky if our checking account gets too close/dips below a certain amount. Oh no! What if there's a fire! What if our water heater breaks! What if our car dies! What if?!?!?!?!

Part of it is because we've been spending more money on food. I'm always too tired to make anything and Michael has always been too tired to make anything so we've been eating out/ordering in a lot more than we have in the past. Bad, I know. Aside from that I drive an extra 42 miles every day (ugh) and gas is near $4 a gallon right now. Oh, and if that wasn't bad enough, I have to pay around $14 a day just to park. Ridiculous!

Well, it's a good thing I get reimbursed for miles and parking. I finally got my first reimbursement check and it is sweet! I know it's not free money since it's reimbursement for money spent but it can't help but feel like a windfall. It is, of course, going straight into our savings account.

You know, I'm proud of us. We may have spent more money this month than I would've like but even with this massive work expense we've managed to not cut into our savings. And now we have this large amount to add to our emergency fund! After my temporary promotion is over and I'm back to my normal commute (and free parking!) I'm going to increase our weekly savings rate.

Of course, my bonus helped absorb all of my commuting expense... Hmmm... We definitely didn't put my bonus into savings as I had originally planned...

Okay, so the goal for this month is to:

1) Continue saving our normal amount.
2) Put all of my bonus into savings.
3) Put all of my June reimbursement into savings.
4) Put all of my over time into savings.

I guess we need to get used to the feeling of being (near) broke...

Panna Cotta!!! Yeah!

2011-05-29T23:42:00.003-04:00

I made panna cotta yesterday!!!

It's another one of those "looks like it would be really hard to make but is in fact super easy" kind of recipe. Honestly, it's just cream jello and the hardest part is waiting six hours for it to jell. There are many recipes floating around but I used this one. Since it was my first time I halved it because I wasn't sure if it would turn out well. It did and I wish I made the full six serving because it tastes amazing. If you're wondering what it tastes like, it tastes like milk and honey jello. Oooh, milk and honey... mmmmm... milk and honey... It reminded me a lot of the honey ice cream I made last year. Mmm... honey ice cream...

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh right, panna cotta. So if you like jello-y dessert, heck, even if you don't, it's a must try. It's super easy to make and it tastes like it's food from God. Well, I guess technically one can argue that all foods are from God, but you get what I'm trying to say.

I wonder if flan is this easy to make... They're kind of jello-y too, right?

Thanks Blogger

2011-05-28T09:32:00.003-04:00

Oh, what's up Blogger. I'm sorry, what was that? Oh, it's cool not for me to start leaving comments and blogging again now? Yeah, what was all that about, anyway? I mean, I know you're letting me do all this stuff for free so I guess it's not like I have any right to complain. 'Cause, you know, man isn't it annoying when people complain about a free service or goods? I say, if you didn't pay, you don't get a say. But you know, just saying, it was kind of annoying. I mean, I appreciate you fixing it and all but...

Too Much Red?

2011-05-24T16:18:00.004-04:00

As an early birthday present my sister bought me a KitchenAid Mixer!

Now there's a whole new world of recipes that are open to me. I'm all for going old school and mixing and beating things by hand but when it comes to things like meringues and angel food cakes it's just better to have a mixer.

Unfortunately I've been too sickly and coughy to make anything. I'm not super into pastries and sweets but I can buy attachments to make my own pasta, sausages, ice cream, etc. I don't think I'll really be making my own sausage but I am very interested in making my own pasta.

Now all I need is a good food processor and I am set; there shouldn't be anything I can't make (in theory).

My Very Own Rock Wall

2011-05-21T21:45:00.003-04:00

Want to know what I did on my day off in between all the coughing and coughing and more coughing?

Ta da!!!

I got a few free portrait frames from work. I have a stack of t-shirts that I still really like but don't want to wear anymore. I always knew I wanted to frame them. It was just a matter of finding four that fit into a theme and wasn't so... dark. The latter was the real challenge. I knew I wanted to go with music but most of my band t-shirts were so dark and black I feared they would look very out of place in my happy bright living room. I picked the three brightest band shirts I owned and threw in one of Michael's so he wouldn't feel left out.

I really love the way it looks and can't wait to put up some more artwork! Best of all the whole thing was free!

Ford's Fish Shack

2011-05-19T10:31:00.006-04:00

Have you ever seen that Seinfield episode about the guy who opens a restaurant in the same location where a million restaurants before have failed? The location is a revolving door of failed eatery? There's a location like that in Ashburn, VA, in the Cameron Chase shopping plaza. Every year it's a different restaurant and Michael and I will always go, "Huh, let's see how long they last." Regardless of what restaurant went in there we've always referred to the place as Beef O'Brady because that was the most memorable restaurant we've seen to date. Not memorable as in the food was good. We never at there because, I mean, Beef O'Brady doesn't exactly sound appetizing. But memorable as in the name: Beef O'Brady. It does roll off your tongue.

Recently Michael was in the mood for some seafood and and a quick internet search showed that Beef O'Brady is now Ford's Fish Shack and it has a pretty good Yelp rating. Beef O'Brady, Ford's Fish Shack... What is up with these names? What's next? Wang's Dang Fine Chinese? Well, judging by the crowd, Wang's Dang Fine Chinese might not get the chance because I think Ford's Fish Shack might be around for awhile... Or not.

For starters, the hostess was kind of a bitch. Maybe she thought she worked at some exclusive hot spot and not a place called Fish Shack? She was the only rude staff member though. The wait staff weren't particularly charming or friendly but they were amiable enough.

Reading the menu I found out that Tom Seitsema rated the place. Tom Seitsema!!! Not sure why but I really like the guy. He said the place was okay and if it's okay for Tom it's okay for me!

No! Maybe after they got their soundbite from Seitsema they all went, "Okay guys! We can stop trying now!"

The meal started off great with some corn muffins.

They were, by far, the most excellent corn muffin/bread I've ever had. It was super crumbly, warm, buttery and slightly sweet. It even had real corn!

The honey butter was just a tad too sweet for the already sweet corn muffin... kind of reminded me of Country Crock. Oh Country Crock... It's what my mom used to buy. Why did we even have Country Crock in the house? I don't recall us eating a lot of bread.

Michael ordered the special, which was the red snapper with mango salsa on basmati rice.

The snapper was a bit over cooked and over seasoned, the salsa was too... herbed and spiced and the rice was very bland.

I ordered what I thought was going to be similar to a po' boy. Instead I got fried and battered popcorn shrimp on a fried hot dog bun.

I wasn't quite sure how to eat it. Am I supposed to eat it like a sub? There's no way that can be done. Am I supposed to just ignore the bread? I started to eat it with a knife and fork but decided to give up on the bread; it was too greasy.

The shrimp was far too salty, the coleslaw had an odd taste, and the dip was way too... Well, basically everything was just over salted and over seasoned. I felt like I was eating at Applebees or The Cheesecake Factory or Uno's or any other massively popular chain restaurants. It was kind of like eating Chinese food. And you know, there are times when I want something that just taste like sauce but if I'm paying for seafood I would like to actually taste the seafood.

The fries, the fries were good... And did I mention the corn muffins?

Oh! Their bathroom was amazing! It was, by far, the coolest bathroom I've ever been to. If it wasn't weird to take a camera into the bathroom I so would've taken a picture. At the bottom of the door there was this small textured ledge thing so that you can pull the door open with your feet! Why don't more places have those? I think they should be required by law for all public bathrooms.

So, Ford's Fish Shack, I hope you stick around for awhile. Your food may taste like I licked the bottom of my spice cabinet but I appreciate your dedication towards public health!

Bookmark Clean Out

2011-05-17T10:15:00.004-04:00

I'm sick!

I've actually been sick since Sunday. I'm at the contagious coughing stage which is annoying but means it's almost over. I believe in the theory that germs are into self preservation like every other living things. When they know the battle is lost they like to trigger a contagious stage (coughing, nose blowing, sneezing, etc) in hopes of escaping the recovering body and trying to make it unto a new host. This theory was brought to my attention in one of the chapters in Hot Zone where it says that during the last stage of Ebola, while the victim's inside is just liquidfying, they will go into this violent seizure and all the liquidy bloody mess will just go everywhere. It's the Ebola's last attempt to infect others.

While researching Ebola for a science class in high school I also learned that there are those who believe that epidemics and pandemics are Mother Nature's way of protecting the earth from over population and deforestation. The theory is that Nature intentionally planted like a virus bomb within the deep depths of nature, like the rain forest, set to detonate and infect when Humans get too close- the prime example being AIDS. Some things are just sacred. You know how God planted a giant flaming sword swinging angel to guard the Garden of Eden from exiled humans. It's kind of the same thing instead of seraphs think chimpanzee with a deadly virus.

I do think there is some merit to that theory. I don't think "Mother Nature" is an actual entity but disease is a scary effective means of population control. We've all heard of the Black Plague, right? Killed 1/3 of the European population! Not only is it effective, but it's also efficient and very Darwinian. Only the strongest (or the richest) will survive.

But yeah, going back to me being sick... So hopefully this coughing stage will end today and by tomorrow I will have graduated to the sneezing stage. I'm just ready to get over this thing. While I suck on cough drops and drink plenty of warm fluids here are some articles you can read!

How to Accessorize the Pottery Barn Way- Nothing against the Pottery Barn aesthetics, it's very nice, but it's not really my thing. Regardless, it offers some nice, basic designing tips.

How to Remove White Heat Marks on Furniture- Well, the good thing about having pressed wood/fake wood furniture is that you don't have to worry about things like this. However, good to know for when I get some "real" furniture.

If You Got It, Flaunt It- I am fascinated by people's shoes collection, namely, those of women who only wear heels... What do they wear to the grocery store?

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla- Overall I'm not a big fan of goat cheese but it's growing on me. I am always a fan of mushrooms and spinach.

Intergalactic Space Decor- Want want want! Those prints would look so good in my living room. $30 for a 8x11 though...? Yeah... I don't think I want them that much.

The World's Most Expensive Bed- I wonder who bought it.

Breakfast Hash Brown Pizza- It's from a blog called Slimming Eats and it has fried potatoes and bacon? Hmmm...

When to Trench- Men's fashion is extremely fascinating. Since guys are kind of limited in what they can do every detail matters so freaking much. Very very interesting. I have a few co-workers who take style very seriously and they can go on and on about pant breaks and cuffs.

Living With Less: Linen Closet- Oh hey! How timely!

The Top 3 Money-Saving Cleaning Must Haves- You know, lemon really isn't that cheap; they're like a dollar each. It adds up. I guess the idea is that you're supposed to use used lemon halves, like maybe the ones you've already juiced and zested? Who uses that much lemon in their cooking?

Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers- If it didn't require me paying $8 + SH for a tiny cookie cutter I would totally try this. Well, I guess there's no reason why it has to be shaped like a fish... Or tiny for that matter...

Shrimp Creole- Oh shrimp... I love you so... I wish they weren't so expensive. Is it me or has the price of shrimp gone up? Is it the whole oil spill thing? Damn you BP!!!

Chefs are Masochists, Culinary School is a Scam- Anyone who has ever seen any episodes of any of Chef Ramsey's shows could probably tell you the same thing as this article.

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread- So cool (and surprisingly affordable)! If I were the more crafty type I would totally steal that idea and DIY it. I mean, all you need is some cork board, right?

Master Closet Phase 5: The Big Reveal- I love looking at other people's closets! And, just because I'm totally jealous I will like to point out that knits should be folded and all jackets and shirts should be fully zipped/buttoned to prevent weird sagging.

Shoe Year Resolution- This post made me sad. Poor girl forcing herself to suffer through the day in ugly shoes and for what?

Troll Dolls Get Sassy Makeover, For Some Reason- I never understood why the originals were popular to begin with. I once had a frenemy in high school that looked like a troll doll. Oh frenemies... high school is such a vicious time.

The 10 Worst Lyrics From the 10 Richest Rappers- Stupid lyrics aside I was surprised at home much (or little) some of these rappers were worth.

Linen Closet: Before

2011-05-16T19:56:00.002-04:00

Being a closet organizing freak I've always liked the idea of having my own linen closet. In my mind I pictured a linen closet neatly stacked with fluffy towels, soft sheets, crisp table clothes, and perfectly lined products. Instead, I have this:

So shameful, so so shameful...

Since I'm off tomorrow I'm going to see if I can reign all that mess in, get rid of some weird linens, and make sense out of the chaos. In my defense, if it was just me it would look much nicer if it was me but Michael doesn't believe in folding apparently.

You know, I googled pictures of linen closets and where do people store toilet paper? I know lots of people buy them in those giant packs of like bazillion rolls. Target was had a few on clearance and Michael saw fit to stack up. One is in the linen closet, as you can see, the other is in closet inside Michael's "office" and the third is in his car.

Free Table!!!

2011-05-12T10:07:00.000-04:00

I got a free table!!!

My boss stopped by to help clear out the back room with our stock guy. I came into work and saw this AWESOME table kind of skootched over to the crap pile with some more crap piled on top. It was love at first sight.

It has a mid century look about and looks like it belongs in a brightly colored living room with a sunburst clock. Hey! I have a sunburst clock!

Doesn't it look like a Star Trek com badge? So cool!

Now the question is, what to do with it. It's too small to be a coffee table and too big to be a side table (at least for our space). Hmmmm...

Leesburg Court of Shoppes

2011-05-11T10:03:00.003-04:00

During a late night googling I found out that there is a big antique mall I've never heard of just 15 minutes from my house!

What?!?!?

Of course I had to check it out. It's called Leesburg Court of Shoppes and it's a former motel in the middle of nowhere converted to an antique mall.

They took down the walls between each rooms and made it into a big long corridor. Even the hall way connecting all the rooms to the central check in rooms were crammed with antiques.

Sometimes I find the history of the building more interesting than the antiques inside. Why was there a motel in the middle of no-where part of Leesburg? Was it a nice classy motel or a seedy one?

As always it was nice to be around so many old stuff; I like old. However, I don't know, didn't really find anything that caught my eye. The place was full of knick knacks and that's not what I'm really looking for. I wanted something big and substantial and old and cheap. Most of what they had was small and not cheap, and made of glass.

Lots of glass. Lots and lots of vases and plates and cups and saucers and glass and porcelain and china and breakable stuff just everywhere.

I did find a pair of wall hangings that I really liked.

They would have been perfect for my living room! But, at $75 each... Yeah... Way overpriced.

So, I didn't find anything I liked but since it's so close to my house I'll give it a regular go. It's a huge place, there's a lot to take in, I probably missed a lot.

Second Best

2011-05-09T10:12:00.006-04:00

I bought Michael a black cap toe oxfords because every man needs a pair of dress shoes and his last pair was this thick soled square toed monstrosity that looked more like construction work shoes then dress shoes. I'm a big fan of cap toes. Wing tips, kilts, tassels, medallions, bits- they're all nice but sometimes you just need your shoes to hush and play support without looking too boring.

This was the pair that I wanted to get him.

But they were out of his size so I got him this pair.

Hmmm... It's okay. The outer sole sticks out too far and the toe line looks a little too squared and clunky.

Michael thinks they're fine but he also thought his last pair were fine (they weren't). Hmmm... I don't know, I might return them... Maybe get him a brown pair. Did you know that according to Italian tradition you're only supposed to wear black shoes to weddings and funerals? Michael is Italian and we don't anticipate too many weddings and funerals in our lives. Of course, he's not one for sartorial traditions but I think it's fun to take details into consideration.

I used to think men had it easy when it came to fashion but it's quite the opposite. There are so many "rules" and traditions, very fascinating. I guess when you're limited in methods to express yourself even the tiniest little details matter.

Chard

2011-05-06T10:12:00.003-04:00

Michael came back from the farmer's market with this:

Me: What is it?
Him: I don't know.
Me: Why did you buy it then?
Him: They say you should try new things at a farmer's market.
Me: Well yeah... but you didn't think to ask what it is?
Him: We'll figure it out.

As I looked it at it a word came to mind: chard. I didn't know if chard was even a thing but that word just came to me.

Me: I think it's chard.
Him: What's chard?
Me: I don't know. But I think it's chard.

Google image confirmed it! Rainbow chard! It's interesting how I knew it was chard without knowing that there is a thing called chard. It makes me wonder what else I don't know that I know... Does that make sense?

It's a gorgeous piece of vegetable but kind of disturbing as well. Look at it:

Doesn't it kind of look like blood veins? Ewe.

Wasn't sure how to cook it so I cooked it like I would any leafy green vegetables. Toss it in with some onions, some garlic, some tomatoes and olive oil... BAM!

Much like spinach, the volume dwindles after applying some heat.

In case you were wondering, it kind of tastes like spinach. We had it with some Japanese style pork chop. Yay for food!

All Natural Pig

2011-05-05T10:21:00.004-04:00

Michael has been trying to eat healthy for awhile now; he just didn't know how. So, I got him to read this book:

Which not only breaks it down for you in super easy to understand, short, short explanations but also gives the reasons behind it (if you don't care about the detailed explanation and history, just get this book). So, in an effort to eat "food" Michael went to a farmer's market and came back with this:

Pork. Raised locally not fed crap pork.

As much as I like (love) bacon, I'm not much of a pork person and the only way I like them is Japanese pork chop (donkatsu) style, which is how I decided to prepare them.

Now, I don't know how much Michael paid for this pork, and I'm not sure that I want to know, but I was a bit disappointed. It was a pound of meat but it had quite a bit of the bone in there, so you know that added to the weight. It also had a lot of fat.

That's just off one chop. Now, if you're roasting it or grilling it I guess the fat could be a good thing. It'll melt and make the ends all nice and crispy, like bacon! However, when you're planning on pounding it flat and battering it up... not awesome.

Oh, and what about this fatty chunk of meat?

I saved it and froze it figuring there's something I could do with it later on. Maybe baked bean?

I wish there was more meat and less fat but, can't argue... Best. Pork. EVER!

Tax Deduction!

2011-05-04T09:18:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I was driving to work when, close to home, I saw the world "THRIFT" on a building.

OMG!!! A brand new thrift store!!! How exciting!!!

Michael and I recently checked it out. We also brought along four bags of donation. Being home owners now we, of course, made sure we got a receipt for those donations. I should have researched the value of before hand but I didn't. The lady there just eye-balled it and said, "...$200?" I'll take it! At first $200 seemed generous for all that crap but thinking about it now it might be worth more. Let's see... I donated:

9 pairs of shoes
1 purse
1 house hold item (a salt and pepper shaker set)
3 jackets
2 hats
1 necklace
4 pants
5 tank tops
8 shirts
5 blouses
11 sweaters

Maybe it's worth less than $200, maybe more. I guess I don't really care. I got rid of some stuff, got a $200 tax deduction, and I get to help the community.

The thrift store itself wasn't too awesome. Oh wait, I take that back. It was totally awesome because they had these:

GIANT vintage posters of trains.

They were amazing I mean, talk about a conversational piece! Best of all the lady was willing to sell them for just $5 each!!! I wanted them, I really really did, however I had no idea where I would hang them and neither us are into trains.

Snap Decision

2011-05-03T09:06:00.006-04:00

It's odd, it really is.

I agonized over if and how many rice bowls I should purchase. They were three dollars each! Should I get them? They're so cute! But do I really need bowls specifically for rice? I have cereal bowls, why not just use those? How often would I use them? Etc. Seriously. I'm sure the Crate and Barrel Outlet folks thought I was either very poor or really indecisive. Every once in awhile Michael, instead of being helpful, would try to slink away and I would call him back with, "Wait, come back! What if...?"

Spring has finally sprung (yay!) and low and behold, we discover we need a new lawnmower. Young McCai n left one behind but supposedly there's something wrong with it, I don't know.

Michael: I think we need a new lawnmower 'cause that thing is old and it kind of works but I don't like it.
Me: Okay, try to keep it under $300.

Twenty minutes later Michael is back with a brand new lawn mower ($250).

Now, logically, I knew that it was probably a frivolous purchase.

1) The old lawnmower did technically work. I'm not too clear on what was wrong with it but he never said it didn't work. He just said it didn't work right.
2) My dad probably could have fixed it.
3) Even if he couldn't both our parents live about 6 miles away and Michael mows the lawn about twice a week. He could've just driven over their and borrowed either dad's mower, especially since we drive by them to and from work.
4) I'm pretty sure Michael said his dad is thinking about signing up for a lawn service so he might've let us borrow it indefinitely.
5) We could've done our research and gotten one for less than $250.

And so on and so on and so on...

But, you know, it was a snap decision. We "need" a mower? Well go buy one! I don't regret it. Michael loves his mower. We're not financially impacted. Easy. So why was that rice bowl decision so hard?

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

2011-05-01T20:35:00.002-04:00

It's a pizza face off!!!

On one side we have my shaved asparagus pizza!

On the other side we have Michael's traditional Hawaiian style pizza!!!

Which pizza will come out on top?!?!?!

I guess it depends on who you ask. Me, personally, I'm not a big fan of white pizza. As far as I'm concerned a pizza without marinara sauce isn't a pizza, it's a tart. Oh, and the asparagus are a pain in the butt to shave. Overall it was delicious though, being a huge asparagus fan, I wish the asparagus taste was a bit stronger.

Michael's pizza was delicious as well and I was quite envious of all the marinara sauce on his. But, you know, it's a been there, done that kind of pizza. I say take a little risk now and then and try something new.

If anyone is looking for a fun way to use up left over ingredients (other than fried rice) I highly recommend make your own pizza night.

Asparagus Carbonara

2011-04-29T10:29:00.003-04:00

Michael is trying to lose weight and eat healthier. I wonder if I'm being a saboteur. I applaud his new healthy direction but the meals that I have been making aren't exactly considered light... or healthy. For example...

Asparagus Carbonara!

I subscribe to the theory that if it's made at home with good ingredients then everything is healthy- in moderation. And, you know, I did lighten it up a bit. I forgot to buy the heavy cream so I used low fat milk instead. Still tasted awesome!

One thing I am trying to do is use less meat. I do agree that meat should be more of a sprinkle on a cupcake rather than the cupcake itself. Not to get on a soap box or anything but eating less meat is better for your finance, your health, society, and the environment. Plus, for me, eating less meat just feels right. They say that, for your health, you should eat in the manners of your ancestors and it's not traditional for me to eat so much meat.

The problem is that most of the recipes out there are centered around a big hunk of meat. If not, it's probably for a side dish. Plus, let's not forget that meat just tastes good and there's this mentality that a meal isn't a meal without some meat. Yum.

Fried Rice Bowl!

2011-04-28T10:54:00.000-04:00

I've become a big fan of fried rice and it's become a Sunday tradition. By the end of the week we have all these little bits of produce and various protein left overs from all the meals we've prepared through out the week. It's a shame to throw away like four mushrooms but what can you really do with four mushroom? Fried rice!!!

Much like pasta it's a fun dish to experiment with. Pineapple and basil? Yum! Some dried pepper flakes? Eh... not too much. Shrimp? Yay! Chicken? Meh. Beef? Ewe.

Oh, and check out our new rice bowl. Isn't it snazzy. We picked them up at the Crate and Barrel outlet. There were three different designs (orange and lime green being the others). They were $3 each and I was in my thrifty mood at the time so I hemmed and hawed about which color to get and should I even get them and oh man, I should really be saving more money towards retirement etc. My guilt only allowed me to buy two (got the teal, as you can see) but now I wish I bought a pair in all three colors. Oh well, maybe there will be some left.

Bookmark Clean Out

2011-04-25T10:59:00.001-04:00

Well, this temp promotion is definitely not fun. The people the work load, the drive... It's all a bit of a downer. I've been talking a lot about why I continue to do this and all I can say is that it'll pay off in the end, eventually, right?

Anyway, while I sit in traffic here are some links you can read!

Thai Shrimp Curry Recipe- Hmmm... Looks easy. Something tells me that when I make it it will come out too watery so I'm not sure...

Home Management Notebook: Quick Instructions- I first learned of these things when I was into checking out fundamental Christian women folk's blogs (so fascinating!!!). While I'm not into most of their ideals (family cloth?!?!?!) the idea of having a home management notebook seemed ideal. I have one at work, why not home?

Chalk it to Me Piggy Bank- So cute! Not, you know, $85 cute, but definitely "maybe I can make it with some chalk paint and a piggy bank" cute.

Pantry Pasta for Two- Looks good and easy. Getting kind of tired of pasta though...

55 Green Uses for Yellow Lemons- Yellow lemons as supposed to... what... the purple kind?

How to Flush a Water Heater- We need to buy a hose so Michael can take care of this. Good thing there's a bathroom right across from the water heater. It seems kind of complicated though so I don't know... We don't need a pro for this, right?

Moroccan Stencil Staircase- We're going to replace our flooring one day, I swear that we are! I'm leaning towards laminates. We have laminates on our main floor and after seeing how much dirt and crumb and hair (Michael sheds like a freaking dog) ends up every day the idea of carpet kind of grosses me out. Michael wants hardwood because he's just like that. I don't think we can afford hard wood. Anyway, even if we do get laminates the stair cases are going to be super expensive. I want to just rip off the carpet and stain the top. He wants it professionally done. Maybe this will be a nice compromise, though, I think it's a bit above my DIY skills (and focus and attention span). Maybe I can sucker my sister into doing it for me.

Fast Food- Ads vs. Reality- I don't think anyone really expects the local McDonald to serve up anything that remotely resembles what they present in the ads but it's interesting to see them compared side to side.

Complete Kitchen Makeover on the Cheap- One of my biggest pet peeve is before and after pictures on design blogs where the before is taken with flash and the after is taken without a flash or with a diffuser. Don't get me wrong, the before is very ugly, however I don't understand why the before pictures are always taken with flash and the after without. Did all remodelers learn how to take good pictures during their remods? It's so stupid.

Clean Jeans Right Without Going to the Dry Cleaners- Have you ever had your jeans dry cleaned? It's nice. That being said, even I would never dry clean my jeans. I know that you're never supposed to wash your jeans but I find that whole concept to be pretty gross. Like the whole Sisterhood of the Traveling pants... gross. It's a good tween read but the concept is still pretty gross.

Chicken Cutlets with Caper Sauce- Ooh, I have most of those things. I'm not the biggest fan of capers but I do like piccata...

How to Hack Your Brain- Hmmm... Now what would I like to change about myself?

Reader's Home- A Jaw Dropping Renovation- I kind of like the before picture, definitely has more character. I wouldn't want bright orange walls but those wall papers were pretty cool.

Halving Casseroles: Tips for Reducing the Size of a Recipe- I thought all I had to do was divide by half.

Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions- You know, I don't think I've ever had a meatball sub. Hmmm... Maybe I will.

Mackenzie Oxford in Woodbury and Chambray

2011-04-25T09:18:00.004-04:00

Check out my new shoes!!!

The Mackenzie oxford in woodbury and chambray. Beautiful! The Mackenzies are my favorite shoes and I have a mini collection going now.

It's been a very rough week at work and they went on sale. I saw it as a sign that I should treat myself to some new shoes. Buying a new pair of fancy shoes isn't the most practical financial decision right now but when is it ever financially smart to buy a new pair of fancy shoes? Or cheap shoes? Besides, it was Easter. You're supposed to get new shoes around Easter, no?

Even on sale they weren't cheap and I'm starting to get a bit concerned that I didn't even think twice about buying them. Well, I did think twice... but usually I would've thought about it for a good week before biting the bullet. I may not need to get my spending under control but I definitely should. I can justify it all I want but bottom line I am a sucker for a nice buffed sued sole.

I promise that once work gets back to normal I'll be more content and satisfied and stop trying to find happiness through material goods. Hey, at least I'm aware of the problem, right?

How to Care for Your Stuff- Shoes!

2011-04-19T01:41:00.005-04:00

I've become very passionate about shoe care. I have feet that are hard to fit and I can't count on being able to find an awesome pair of shoes every season. Therefore, I have decided to just invest in good pairs of shoes that can be recrafted and to take proper care of the shoes I own so that they last a good long time.

Every women needs a good pair of black heels and these are mine:

Yeah... I know, right? They are like ten years old and pretty worn out (to say the least). I was going to get rid of them but I can't find any other black heels that fit well so instead I'm going to salvage them.

The first step is cleaning and conditioning. For that, you will need a shoe cleaner and conditioner.

Dry leather scratches easier and will crack and peel over time. A bottle of conditioner is like $5 and will help preserve the leather for a very long time. If your shoes aren't badly worn, just looking a little tired, a leather conditioner is all you really need. They're also great for textured leather, like pebble grain, since creams and waxes tend to goop up in the many ridges of such leather.

Use it to get rid of dust, dirt, and help worn spots.

Next up you want to bring out the shoe cream!

Apply it onto the shoe with a cloth, let it dry for a second, and scrub it off with a clean cloth. It's like the Karate Kid: wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off. Repeat twice.

You can also use a shoe wax.

Shoe wax are great for getting that spit shine "lawyer finish".

A good shine can make all the difference. The left is how my heels looked with just the conditioner. The right is how it looked after a shine.

Ready for some before and after?!?!

I wear out the back part of my right shoes a lot, probably from driving.

After:

Looks almost brand new!

The heels were an embarrassment.

After:

All I need is are new heel taps!

The final reveal...

An embarrassingly worn out pair back to it's former glory. All I need to do is snip off the few loose threads, replace the heel taps and they're good to go!

Nude heels are also a wardrobe essential and I have a pair of my sister's old dancing shoes.

Scuff marks really stand out in light colored leather and leather cleaner, cream, or wax won't really help much. What to do? Are they destined for the donate pile?

No! The answer lies in this:

A suede bar!

It's originally meant for suede but I find it works wonders on leather, especially patent. It's the Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser for shoes.

Scuff marks on heel?

Gone!

Scuff marks on the front?

Gone (ish)!

Once the scuff marks are gone, condition and wax as usual and...

Yay!

It could be all the shoe wax fume but there is just something very relaxing about shining shoes.

After a hard day of work I like to just bust out my shoe shine kit and get to work.

Yeah, it's probably the fumes...

Tired!

2011-04-18T21:43:00.003-04:00

To all those who regularly work 10 hours a day, I salute you. To all those who work a "real" job and a part time job, I salute you as well. To all the students who carry a full class load and work a part time job, I salute too.

This temporary promotion is kind of kicking my butt but the light is at the end of the tunnel! It's a great learning experience.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB! (Pt. 4)

2011-04-13T23:50:00.005-04:00

First impression matters and the first part of a first impression is your look. The way you look says a lot about you which is why you should always wear your very best to an interview. I don't care if it's for a fry cook, a janitor, or high level management, you should always where the nicest boring thing you own. I say boring because you do not want to come to an interview in anything with too much pizazz.

"Oh, but I'm interviewing for a job in a very casual environment," you say? Doesn't matter. What you wear to an interview isn't so much about if you'll fit in; it's about how much respect and pride you have for the job. Rolling in with khakis and a polo shirt does not convey respect it says, "I make the minimal effort." If the thought of someone wearing a suit to a position that you're applying for seems laughable to you well, laugh all you want. They are and they're getting the job. If I have two qualified applicants to choose from I'm going for the dude who wore the sweet bow tie, not the guy who couldn't be bothered to tuck in his shirt. It's all about showing respect for the job, the opportunity, and the person who is taking time out of their schedule to give you a chance.

The market is tough so yes, this goes for every position. I'm not exaggerating when I said I have guys coming in for low level positions in suits. It happens quite often. So, if you're interviewing for any kind of managerial or high level position, oh... You better look put together.

There are, of course, exceptions. If the company you're applying for is known for a certain look or a culture, like it's a crucial part of their branding, then yes, you might want to shy away from the more traditional garb.

You know, I get it, I do. Not every job is the job and not every interview is going to get you all excited. So, if you're interviewing for one of those jobs and you don't want to really make the effort... but you don't want to not get the job... I'll share my secret tip with you.

If you don't want to dress up but you don't want that to count against you all you have to do is ask...

"I'm coming straight from work, would it be okay if I'm in dress code?"

No manager is going to insist that you put on a suit. Every manager knows that if you're looking while still employed you wouldn't want to raise any flags. When you get there just say, "Thank you for allowing me to come straight from work, I apologize for looking so casual." Bam! That's all you need to do.

No More Peep Show!

2011-04-11T23:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry looky-loos, no more free peep show into our fascinating lives because we have curtains now!!!

I'm not the biggest fan of blinds, especially when they're old, discolored, and broken, like our kitchen blinds. We've just kept them up and given the entire neighborhood a very boring peek into our daily lives as we do the dishes, mop up the floor, make dinner, and sit on the island checking our emails.

I always knew I wanted cafe curtains. Our kitchen gets a lot of light, which I love. Our house is up high enough that cafe curtains would give us enough privacy. Cafe curtains aren't very popular and I never really found any that I like. I decided to just bite the bullet and buy white curtains to match the dining "room". Then, while at Target, I noticed that these cute apple dish towels were only $3 each. Two sets of white cafe curtains would have been $30. Five dish towels and two sets of drapery clips were... $27. Okay, so not a huge savings but the apples are cuter, right?

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB! (Pt. 3)

2011-04-07T10:23:00.006-04:00

Most companies do phone screening.

I feel like there isn't enough literature out there on phone screening. There's all kinds of advice on how to properly shake hands (firm grip, two pumps, three max) and what not but, not so much on phone screening.

A phone screen is the beginning of the interview process and it's just as important as any other part. That is why when I was looking for a job I never picked up the phone; I always let it go to voice mail. Would you allow someone to just barge into your home and start interviewing you? No, you'd want to be prepared, right?

When I phone screen I'm looking for several things:

1) Are you stupid? "Well... Um... What I am looking for in... uh... employment... You see, is the opportunity to um, you know, express my potential and give my absolute all because, you see, I am a highly motivated individual and um... I am committed to delivering... all that I can be to the... benefit of the company."

2) Do you even know who you applied to and what position you applied for? "Oh well, you see, I haven't had a job in... pffffffffffft, a long time. And you know, bills are starting to get a little... Well, you know. I mean, at this point I'm just applying everywhere. Who is this again? Oh, yeah... Okay... I think I've heard of you guys. What do you do again?"

3) Are you a positive person? I mean, you don't have to sound like you just won the lottery 'cause I called you but geez, show some enthusiasm!

4) Are you taking this seriously? When ever I call I always ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" and everyone always says "yes", even when it clearly isn't. If you're having lunch with friends, watching your kid play at the playground or at the checkout at the grocery store, guess what, it's not a good time. You might think you're saying, "This is important so I will drop whatever I'm doing to talk to you!" but what I'm hearing is, "This is so unimportant to me that I don't require it necessary to give it my full attention.

So, my advice? Have the caller leave a voice mail so you know exactly who called you and why. Then, think about a good answer to "Why do you want to work here?"; research the firm a little. Then, put yourself in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed,take a deep breath, and call that number back. Be chipper!

Remember, first impression is everything. If my first impression of you is, "I think that guy was high..." then yeah... It's not going to happen. I don't care how impressive your resume is.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB! (Pt. 2)

2011-04-05T21:38:00.003-04:00

Hi!

Are you a top level exec with decades of really interesting experience?

Did you spend decades hopping and switching from field to field? Like were you an accountant for four years, teacher for ten, then decided to chuck it all to sell organic maple syrup for a couple of years before re-entering the work force as a CIA agent only to discover that your true passion is in interior design?

No? Well if this doesn't sound like you at all then there's really no reason why your resume should be any more than one page long... two pages max.

One of my biggest pet peeve is when someone turns in a resume that's like a freaking novel which details every single boring, menial aspects of every single job they've ever held. I don't even bother reading resumes that are more than two pages long. If you think the most basic aspect of your job is worth mentioning on a resume then you are probably someone who expects to be applauded for doing the bare minimum. I don't need people who think doing their job is cause for recognition. Meeting standard is nothing to brag about, that's like getting a C on your report card.

If you have experience relevant to my field all I really pay attention to are your title and the companies you've worked for. From those two information I can pretty much tell if you're qualified. I only read bullet points if you put down something interesting, like numbers.

Don't list the obvious, it's a given, you should only list achievements. Listing your daily duties makes you look like someone who is proud to have never managed anything greater than showing up to work and not screwing up.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB! (Pt. 1)

2011-04-04T15:17:00.002-04:00

There is no reason why you should have an objective line on your resume. Your objective is to get a job. The fact that I am holding your resume in my hand clues me into this fact; you do not need to state it on paper. You can froo froo it all you want but unless you have a very specific objective in mind, I do not need to know about it. Please do not tell me that you are looking for "a challenging environment where I can best utilize my skills".

If you do decide to put an objective in your resume please, for the love of God, make it relevant to the company. You should not tell me that your objective is to advance in social services or IT security because, guess what, that's not the position you applied for!!! And, if I call you and ask, "Why are you applying here for this position when you state you're looking for something in grant writing?" you probably should not reply, "Because I got laid off and I need a job, any job."

You know, I'm just saying... I mean, that's if you want to work for me, which, you clearly don't.

People are so stupid.

Baby Elephants!!!

2011-04-02T23:52:00.003-04:00

Check out my new lamp!!!

Wait, wait, wait... We need mood music.

Okay, got the music going? Awesome!

Check out my new lamp!!!

I got it at Marshall's for just $24.99! It's got a yellow polka dot shade and...

Elephants!

The obvious place to put it would be in my bedroom since it fits in with my gray/yellow scheme. However, Michael has a stainless steel like lamp with frosted shades. It's a very manly, masculine looking lamp. They do not look good together and sadly, I have not been able to locate another white and yellow elephant lamp. Hmmm... Well, it's not like he needs a bed side lamp anyway.

And yes, I have finally started to paint my bedroom walls!

At first I was all, "Oh shit, it's really really really gray..." but it has quickly grown on me and now I can't wait to finish decorating!

No Grocery for Two Weeks!- Results!

2011-04-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

Our No Groceries for Two Weeks experiment was kind of a semi-fail.

We started by eating all of the meats.

Michael is a big fan of creating these fantastic and elaborate sandwiches. The problem is that he buys enough ingredients to make several sandwiches and, just like myself, does not enjoy eating the same thing twice in a row. Since he's big on freshness he avoids buying things with preservatives and... You can see where I'm going with this, right? The amount of sandwich fixing I end up throwing away is disgusting and he is now forbidden to buy any more than 1/2 lb of deli meat at a time...

Next we worked our way through the fresh produce.

I was hoping that working with a limited selection of ingredients will force me to get all super creative with food. I imagine who ever discovered that jam+meatball= amazing was in a similar bind where they were like, "Well shoot... It's either this or nothing!" No earth shattering flavor combo discoveries but I did find that I like crushed tomatoes, a dash of salt, and olive oil in my pasta much better than marinara sauce. It just tastes more tomato-y, a lot lighter, and it's easier on my stomach.

We ate a lot of pasta and rice, not that I'm complaining.

After that we ate through our frozen foods.

You are looking at fried lobster ravioli (from Trader Joe's) with tilapia in a light tomato sauce. It's good, I recommend it highly.

So everything was going pretty well until one day Michael decided that he wanted to finish off the meunster cheese by making a sandwich. And, as I've told you before, Michael only makes elaborate sandwiches.

He went to the grocery store and bought bread, ham, roast beef, fresh vegetables, and some green bean chips to use up two slices of cheese. ARGH! Me? I would have melted those cheese over some crackers or something.

Michael ruined the experiment by buying groceries and we also bought some ingredients for Make Your Own Pizza night. We promised our family Make Your Own Pizza night awhile back to thank them for our new oven.

So yeah... It wasn't the big money saving experiment that I was hoping for but it was fun and our fridge is super clean now! We are two people who really love food and if we pay a little bit more on groceries than the average two people household... Well, who cares. At least we're not spending it on drugs and alcohol, right?

We do need to stop wasting food so I deem April to be NO GROCERY WASTE MONTH!

We'll see how it goes.

Plain Jane

2011-03-31T10:03:00.004-04:00

I present to you the most expensive shoes I own. Why did I buy another pair of expensive shoes, you ask? Because it came in a pretty red flannel pouch, obviously!

I kid, but not really. I didn't buy them for the pouch, I bought them because I decided that since I have such a hard time finding shoes that fit I am going to focus on buying well made shoes that can be refinished, recrafted, and resoled. This means good quality leather and leather lined insole, outsole, and heel. I want to slowly build my shoe wardrobe with shoes that will last me a very long time because finding a replacement for a busted pair is not easy for me.

So what do these shoes look like?

A bit underwhelmed, are we? It's very simple. There's a reason they named the shoes "Jane". It might be plain but it's also classic.

The devil is in the detail.

It is hand crafted out of the most awesome bridle leather. The innersole is lined with smooth nappa leather and the nice plushy high arch support is a huge bonus since I have a high instep and it's very hard for me to find shoes with proper arch support.

My taste in shoes tends to be a bit masculine and I've wanted a pair of chukka boots for years, ever since I saw some dude wearing a pair of Wallabies. I think they're a great transitional footwear. Something to take you from the winter to spring and from fall to winter.

I can't wait until they are broken in; it's going to age so beautifully. I would wear them every day to speed the process but the heels are more delicate than I thought and I want to get heel taps put in before they get too worn.

I Got a (Temp) Promotion!

2011-03-29T10:05:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I was offered a temporary promotion which comes with a pretty sweet monthly bonus. Yay! I was mentally spending this sweet bonus in my head when I realized that it's a bonus, which means it will be taxed at a much higher rate. Boo.

On one hand I will essentially be asked to do what I'm doing right now, so it's not like I have to do more work. Doing this will get me some recognition (provided I do it successfully, which I feel I will), so that's a HUGE plus. The only down side is that I'm looking at... approximately 10 hour increase in my commute time per week. I get reimbursed for miles so, essentially, this bonus is compensation for sitting in traffic for around two extra hours a day.

After taxes, is it worth it? Meh... It's definitely way more than what I would make at a part time retail job, so yes. Then again, we're not having any financial issues so the money isn't substantial enough to get me all hot and bothered. Bottom line, I'm more excited about the recognition and the opportunity than the dollar, which is how it should be, right?

I just wish in was a temporary increase in pay so they would take less out for tax. Oh well. I'm just grateful for the opportunity!

Valise Kendra E/W Tote

2011-03-28T10:34:00.004-04:00

Check out my new bag!

I like to treat myself to a nice new bag every year. Michael thinks it's silly to spend so much on a bag when I already own so many. I pointed out to him that since they are my every day bags the cost per use is way less than anything he's ever bought. He's still not convince. Whatever.

I was a bit hesitant to get this one because I'm used to slouchy bags that I can just toss around. I need things that can take a lot of abuse and still look good because I know myself and I know that I'm not going to treat anything gently. That caviar leather trim? Once that gets scratched up there's no fixing it. But, you know, I took a leap of faith and bought it.

I'm trying to act more "grown up" this year and move away from beat up slouchy messenger bags with receipts and other various crap just all smooshed in there. The structure allows for better organization and look!

It takes me like .00003 seconds to find everything. Beautiful!

My only complaint is that it's a bit heavy and the straps aren't long enough to comfortably wear around my shoulder. It does come with a cross body strap but I'm not a fan of that look.

Someone Knows What They are Doing

2011-03-24T15:30:00.004-04:00

A few days a go the weather was feeling pretty nice and I got the thrifting bug again. I headed out to one of my favorite thrift stores, Blue Ridge Hospice in Purcelville! That thrift store has a book section (the Book Nook as they call it) that will rival any used bookstore. Most books are a dollar or less and it's a great place to pick up some cheap read. I usually go there when I'm in the mood to read but this time around, I was looking for something cute to spruce up my house, more specifically, artwork.

I don't know if there have been some changes or if I've never noticed but someone there really know what they are doing. Their selection of home decor are much better than your average thrift store... and the prices reflect that fact. It's more of an antique store than a thrift store with prices averaging from $8 to $30. Sure there were some cheap things here and there but most of the things worth buying were marked up at a very high (for a thrift store) price. Bummer.

I did pick up some jewelry, however!

I got this pendant because the artwork reminded me of a picture that would be hanging in a 70's home.

Even though I'm not much a bracelet person I got this because it looked like something we would sell at work.

Only, instead of $1.5 it would be more like $60.

I know they run sales a lot so I'll be on the look out for the next time they have sales on home stuff.

Balsamic Teriyaki Steak

2011-03-23T23:25:00.004-04:00

"What's your favorite food?" is a question that I get asked more often than you'd think. It's a pretty loaded question and my default answer is steak. Mmmm... Steak. Today someone asked, "What's your favorite flavor?" Oooh... That's different. Didn't require a lot of thought though: A1.

No, I don't put A1 on everything. Here's how I see it; I love steak, it's one of my favorite foods, but I love steak only if it has A1. Ergo, A1 is my favorite flavor.

My love for A1 is to a point where I won't even order steak at a fancy place because I know they won't have any A1. I don't care how fancy the meat is and I don't care how well it's cooked. I'm sure that herbed butter or wine reduced sauce is fantastic but I like my steak with A1. I once knew a guy who said that if a steak required sauce than the chef didn't know what he was doing. I beg to differ. I make damn good steaks and I still need A1.

Every once in awhile I'll try something new, just to see what else is out there. Recently (before my now defunct No Grocery plan) I tried this recipe for Balsamic Teriyaki Steak.

It was good; I enjoyed it a lot. Michael absolutely loved it. But, as good as it was, it was no A1.

The balsamic teriyaki sauce is pretty easy to make. I would definitely not use your good balsamic vinegar for this recipe. Instead of shallot I used diced onions because we always use onions; we don't really use shallots. Speaking of ingredients we never use, I didn't really foresee a need for mirin in the near future so I just went with some Marsala wine 'cause that's what I had. It still turned out pretty good... Just not as good as A1.

La Travinia of Leesburg

2011-03-22T20:16:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to think of something that has actually lived up to its hype.

Hmmmm...

This is hard...

Well of course there are things like cars. I agree cars are pretty spiffy, can't argue with that. However, when it comes to more frivolous things like arts, entertainment and stuff I've found that few things lives up to the hype. Michale calls me a contrarian but I think he's a sheeple so there.

Since we only eat out once a month Michael wanted to make it count so he did some research on Yelp before picking a place. For the month of March, based on some very favorable reviews, he decided we should check of La Travinia in Leesburg. It's one of those places that are constantly busy, there's always a long wait, it's a tad bit too dark, and always too loud. The food was okay and the experience was not horrible.

I ordered some uninspired pasta dish with shrimp and spinach.

Michael ordered the lasagna.

It wasn't bad but it wasn't good; the sauce was way too sweet.

Honestly, I don't understand why that place is so popular. For about the same price you can eat at Palio in Down Town Leesburg where the food is much better. Maybe that's where we'll eat for April.

Ahoy Matey!

2011-03-20T14:34:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you think you know a person and then they say something that makes you realize you don't know them at all.

A few months ago Michael and I were discussing decorating themes. I asked him what he had in mind for his bathroom when he mentioned pirates.

Pirates? He likes pirates? Since when? A pirate themed bathroom for a man of his age?

I knew he liked beach themed bathrooms since his old bathroom had lots of seashells and pictures of light houses. He's never talked of his love for beaches or wanted to go to a beach but, you know, whatever. A beach themed bathroom doesn't seem as odd as a pirate themed bathroom. He told me he was joking about a pirate bathroom but when ever I see something kind of pirate-y and jokingly point out that it would fit well in his bathroom he seems to be all over it... Like this print that we saw at Joanne Fabric:

That would look good in my bathroom but how would I use it? Do you think I can make it into a shower curtain?

Um... no. It's flannel and... you have a glass shower door...

I suggested he frame it and that's what he did.

The fabric costs less than a dollar and the frame was on sale for like $5. Not a bad price for a wall hanging.

Speaking of pirates and the deep blue sea, I saw this mirror at Pier 1 and I think it would be the perfect mirror to put in his bathroom:

It's hard to tell in the picture but the frame is made of a gazillion little shells and it's quite impressive if you're into beach things. His bathroom is the last room in the house that I'm interested in decorating but it's on sale for $79.99 right now and that's actually a pretty decent price for a mirror of that size.

In Case of a Zombie Attack

2011-03-20T11:12:00.001-04:00

I was discussing my NO GROCERY FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH challenge with one of my associates and he said, "Well, don't forget you need to save some for emergencies."

???

"You know, in case there's a flood or an earthquake or something."

Oh. Haven't thought of that.

Every time someone talks about emergency food I always think of 28 Days Later. You know, how the guy gets sick 'cause he's running on candy bar and soda? You know, how they had to resort to drinking toilet water? You know, how they came across a grocery store with irradiated "fresh" produce and they were SO over joyed? You know how an entire country just completely fell apart in a span of a month?!?! That's what makes the movie so freaking scary, not the "infected" and the body nom nom nom-ing but that an entire civilization with it's rules and structures and back ups and enforcements and such can just be completely fall apart in a matter of days.

What's the point of emergency food? When shit hits the fan, shit is going to go everywhere and some cans of tomatoes really aren't going to make a whole lot of difference. If it floods our food will just be ruined. If the house comes crumbling down our food will be squished. If there is a huge terrorist threat and we're all under lock down... Okay, then some food would come in handy.

It's like 28 Months, you know the beginning when they're eating that horrid looking pasta dish? Yeah, I bet they were grateful for some emergency food. Of course, they did get eaten by zombies shortly after, but whatever.

Emergency food is an idea that I'm going to consider. I'm not planning on lining my basement walls with cans of spam and jugs of water but maybe it's a good idea to make sure I always have a few cans of soup, boxes of pasta, and jars of marinara sauce. They all cost like a dollar each anyway. You can easily stock an emergency shelf for like $20 and as long as you're eating from it and restocking it the food won't spoil. I don't expect a zombie attack in the near future (knock on wood) but the weather has been pretty vicious. It would be nice to have food in the house if the roads are too icky to venture out.