Thought this little "Making of" video posted by ModCloth was so fun!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Southern Point
Another week, another Monday.
I don't think I mentioned that I started back in school last week after taking a semester off. I felt rip-roaring & ready to go- and I still kind of do- but the work load is already getting to me a bit. I'm taking three reading-heavy classes (as an English grad student? Who would've thunk), which means in each of these classes we're averaging a novel a week, which means I'm to read three novels a week in total.
Ay chihuahua. This/last week's load: Dubliners (Joyce), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Twain), and The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood). Luckily, I read the latter a couple years back, so I'll just give that one a quick once over to brush up; but even with that little boost, it's not proving to be an easy load.
At some point, I'll have to post a picture of my stack of books for the semester. It should be pretty hilarious to you and maybe even make you feel good about your life. ;)
On a lighter note: clothes! Weeeeeee!
Bought this hat & shirt on our recent jaunt to Seattle, and the purse was from my trip up there last September. I always find some gems in Seattle:
I also found this awesome little cross-stitched pin at a Buffalo Exchange in Seattle, and decided to make it a little hat pin with this ensemble:
Clearly, I need to dye my hair. Hoping that happens this week, with the help of Gina.
I don't think I mentioned that I started back in school last week after taking a semester off. I felt rip-roaring & ready to go- and I still kind of do- but the work load is already getting to me a bit. I'm taking three reading-heavy classes (as an English grad student? Who would've thunk), which means in each of these classes we're averaging a novel a week, which means I'm to read three novels a week in total.
Ay chihuahua. This/last week's load: Dubliners (Joyce), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Twain), and The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood). Luckily, I read the latter a couple years back, so I'll just give that one a quick once over to brush up; but even with that little boost, it's not proving to be an easy load.
At some point, I'll have to post a picture of my stack of books for the semester. It should be pretty hilarious to you and maybe even make you feel good about your life. ;)
On a lighter note: clothes! Weeeeeee!
Bought this hat & shirt on our recent jaunt to Seattle, and the purse was from my trip up there last September. I always find some gems in Seattle:
I also found this awesome little cross-stitched pin at a Buffalo Exchange in Seattle, and decided to make it a little hat pin with this ensemble:
Clearly, I need to dye my hair. Hoping that happens this week, with the help of Gina.
[shirt- thrifted | coat- urban outfitters | pants- old navy
hat- urban outfitters | purse- thrifted
shoes- urban outfitters | bracelets- vintage]
I forgot to mention that I finished the Harry Potter series last week just before school started up (btw: reading HP books 3 through 7 = the best use of my semester off) and cried my eyes out. Just ask Jordan. So. flipping. good.
Even if you're not "a reader," or if you've internally (or verbally) poked fun at those obsessed with HP (or those who call it "HP"), give it a go. Please finish books 1 through 3 and then try not to be hooked. ;)
Even if you're not "a reader," or if you've internally (or verbally) poked fun at those obsessed with HP (or those who call it "HP"), give it a go. Please finish books 1 through 3 and then try not to be hooked. ;)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Poaching pears and other life lessons
Two things I love: cooking food and eating food. Oh, there's a third: taking pictures of food.
I meant to post these pics about a month ago, after the holidays. On Christmas eve, my family always gets together and has a big dinner. My sis is usually in charge of the whole meal (she's kind of a wiz in the kitch, if you know what I mean), but this year, Ibegged offered to help chip in. I made a tasty salad (with spinach and basil and yellow peppers and gala apples), a side (french green beans with feta and almonds), and a dessert: poached pears with raspberry sauce.
The salad and green beans were a smash; unfortunately, the pears looked prettier than they tasted. That's something you kind of have to accept when cooking: things sometimes turn out wrong. It's ok.
I didn't poach the pears nearly long enough or evenly enough. It's my own fault for not really reading up on how to poach pears in the first place, and for assuming the type of pear doesn't matter. Turns out it does. Kind of a lot.
I wish I'd read this article about pear poaching.
The raspberry sauce turned out famously. The only problem was that it took what felt like an eternity to sieve out the seeds (the only vice of an otherwise flawless fruit, in my opinion).
As in the case with the pears, I didn't read up on this process either; I simply imitated what I had seen Stephanie do to make raspberry sauce last July. I guess I had tuned the laboriousness of the undertaking out of my memory.
But as good as the sauce turned out (eventually), it couldn't save the overall dish- the pears were crunchy, not the tender, smooth, graceful product I had expected. My family was nice enough about it- it was little hilarious watching my sister pick up an entire pear half with her fork and start crunching encouragingly on it.
All that to say: the threat of failure is no reason not to try. In cooking and in life: try! Take risks! I also recommend reading up on whatever you plan to undertake- turns out you're probably not the first person to try something, and others before you will have some great pointers. God bless the internet, and forgive my blunder of not taking advantage of it this time.
Sorry about the lack of pictures of the final product. Instead, here's a pretty picture of someone else's poached pears in raspberry sauce:
I meant to post these pics about a month ago, after the holidays. On Christmas eve, my family always gets together and has a big dinner. My sis is usually in charge of the whole meal (she's kind of a wiz in the kitch, if you know what I mean), but this year, I
The salad and green beans were a smash; unfortunately, the pears looked prettier than they tasted. That's something you kind of have to accept when cooking: things sometimes turn out wrong. It's ok.
I didn't poach the pears nearly long enough or evenly enough. It's my own fault for not really reading up on how to poach pears in the first place, and for assuming the type of pear doesn't matter. Turns out it does. Kind of a lot.
I wish I'd read this article about pear poaching.
The raspberry sauce turned out famously. The only problem was that it took what felt like an eternity to sieve out the seeds (the only vice of an otherwise flawless fruit, in my opinion).
As in the case with the pears, I didn't read up on this process either; I simply imitated what I had seen Stephanie do to make raspberry sauce last July. I guess I had tuned the laboriousness of the undertaking out of my memory.
But as good as the sauce turned out (eventually), it couldn't save the overall dish- the pears were crunchy, not the tender, smooth, graceful product I had expected. My family was nice enough about it- it was little hilarious watching my sister pick up an entire pear half with her fork and start crunching encouragingly on it.
All that to say: the threat of failure is no reason not to try. In cooking and in life: try! Take risks! I also recommend reading up on whatever you plan to undertake- turns out you're probably not the first person to try something, and others before you will have some great pointers. God bless the internet, and forgive my blunder of not taking advantage of it this time.
Sorry about the lack of pictures of the final product. Instead, here's a pretty picture of someone else's poached pears in raspberry sauce:
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Keep your wick in the air and your feet in the fetters
Today's post title is brought to you by the fact that I'm doing a "Best of The Shins" hour at work using blip.fm. The two other 'creatives' I sit with at work and I decided to take turns playing DJ in one hour chunks throughout the day. We had a "Bob Morning" a couple mornings ago- Amy played an hour of Bob Seger, Guillermo played an hour of Bob Marley, and I played an hour of Bob Dylan. Eclectic mix, no? Spices things up a bit.
Speaking of spice, this skirt!
I love the color, which happens to match my fave j. crew socks just swimmingly. And how stinking cool are these scalloped pockets?! I'm obsessed with them. Hands go in and out of the pockets all day, and fiddle with the scallops...
Amy took these pictures, and I love how bright and ethereal they turned out! Great work, Ames!
Also: I got a new ring! It's a sparkly amoebic thing, and it certainly makes life a little more fun. I got it at Banana Republic, which I love but normally stay away from, on account of their prices being a little out of my set budget range; BUT they're having a huge sale! Seriously huge: when I went, all sale merch was an additional 50% off. This ring was normally $32 and I paid $4.50. Four.Fifty. A word about me: I love me some deals. !!
Enjoy your Wednesday!
Speaking of spice, this skirt!
I love the color, which happens to match my fave j. crew socks just swimmingly. And how stinking cool are these scalloped pockets?! I'm obsessed with them. Hands go in and out of the pockets all day, and fiddle with the scallops...
Amy took these pictures, and I love how bright and ethereal they turned out! Great work, Ames!
Also: I got a new ring! It's a sparkly amoebic thing, and it certainly makes life a little more fun. I got it at Banana Republic, which I love but normally stay away from, on account of their prices being a little out of my set budget range; BUT they're having a huge sale! Seriously huge: when I went, all sale merch was an additional 50% off. This ring was normally $32 and I paid $4.50. Four.Fifty. A word about me: I love me some deals. !!
[shirt- nordstrom | skirt- zara | socks- j crew
shoes- gift from jordan | ring- banana republic]
Still working away on the splits....anyone else have any tips for me? I'm working toward doing the "middle splits" first, and then the "side splits" (sorry; unsure about the 'correct' terms for those). Thanks again, Dayna, for the tip to stretch in the morning- just wish I were more of a morning person! :/Enjoy your Wednesday!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Evie's DIY Yarn-Wrapped Monograms
In the mood for a stunning DIY? Head over to evie s. for instructions to make your own monogram, like this one she made for a baby shower! It actually looks a lot like one I made myself about a year ago- granted, hers is much more refined. ;)
*****sorry about the malfunctioning link- i fixed it! :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
"And we could travel just by folding the map..."
Happy Monday! I'm pretty excited about this week because classes start back up this week. I took last semester off, so now I'm ready to get back! For those who may not know, I'm getting my masters in English, and I should be finished in December! I'm starting to get really excited about my MA project, which is going to be a creative project- I'll tell you more about that as time goes on. :)
One of my best friends, Shannon, gave me this vintage map-printed shirt a few years ago, and it has held a treasured place in my closet- and heart- ever since:
I've been working away at one of my goals for 2011: to do the splits.
Jordan and I used a measuring tape to track my progress. Eventually, in the straight splits, my legs heel to heel should measure 70 inches. Right now I'm hovering around 61.....but I'll get there! Do you have any 2011 goals you care to share? I made a whole list of them that I keep meaning to post...!
One of my best friends, Shannon, gave me this vintage map-printed shirt a few years ago, and it has held a treasured place in my closet- and heart- ever since:
I've been working away at one of my goals for 2011: to do the splits.
Jordan and I used a measuring tape to track my progress. Eventually, in the straight splits, my legs heel to heel should measure 70 inches. Right now I'm hovering around 61.....but I'll get there! Do you have any 2011 goals you care to share? I made a whole list of them that I keep meaning to post...!
[shirt- vintage, gift from shannon | vest- f21 | pants- old navy
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My Folk Lover Calendar deal!
Hey-yo! First off, happy Saturday! I scheduled this to post on account of that fact that I'm [hopefully] still sleeping in! yessssss
But I wanted to make sure I let you know about this sweet deal I found out about on Catherine Campbell's blog- she's selling the last of her 2011 calendars for $12 and throwing in a FREE (open edition) 8x10" print of your choice!!
Here are the calendar images:
and here's the print I chose, the Captain Buttercup and the Good Ship Gypsy print:
Shipping is $6, so you end up with a calendar and a print (worth $25) for just $18! I still can't believe it.
I'm excited to put my new print up next to the beauties I bought from her shop a few months ago...
Hope you think about participating in this deal- who doesn't need a little more wall beautification?
p.s. I've blogged about my love for Catherine Campbell/My Folk Lover before....a few times. !
But I wanted to make sure I let you know about this sweet deal I found out about on Catherine Campbell's blog- she's selling the last of her 2011 calendars for $12 and throwing in a FREE (open edition) 8x10" print of your choice!!
Here are the calendar images:
and here's the print I chose, the Captain Buttercup and the Good Ship Gypsy print:
Shipping is $6, so you end up with a calendar and a print (worth $25) for just $18! I still can't believe it.
I'm excited to put my new print up next to the beauties I bought from her shop a few months ago...
Hope you think about participating in this deal- who doesn't need a little more wall beautification?
p.s. I've blogged about my love for Catherine Campbell/My Folk Lover before....a few times. !
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pinteresting Addiction
It's official: I'm obsessed with Pinterest. I can spend soo much time on there, browsing, pinning, repeating.
Here are two of my boards-
"style crush":
"inspiring things":
Let me know if you're interested in joining Pinterest! It's free, but it's by invite only, or by waiting list. I have five invites to send out, so email me at blythehill@gmail.com if you want me to send you an invite!
Here are two of my boards-
"style crush":
"inspiring things":
Let me know if you're interested in joining Pinterest! It's free, but it's by invite only, or by waiting list. I have five invites to send out, so email me at blythehill@gmail.com if you want me to send you an invite!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cherry Pie Sneezes*
I wanted to mention that I spent the last couple days sick in bed- not so you'd pity me- but to tell you about a product that made my sick time a little more cheerful.
You might be thinking: Dayquil? Vick's Vapo Rub? Ear drops? Sudafed? Spongebob shaped chicken noodle soup? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
While I did use (and/or eat and/or read) all of the above, and while they did improve my state, the product I wish to highlight today is below:
Cherry Pie shaped Kleenex.
Cherry Pie shaped Kleenex!
Brilliant. I felt like I belonged in an episode of Pushing Daisies, which is, incidentally, what I want to feel like on any given day. I only wish I had found out about these beauties sooner- it seems they were a limited offering during the holidays. *sigh*
p.s. I'm better now! Gotta love Emergen-C!
*When I first posted this post, I called it "Apple Pie Sneezes." By apple, I meant cherry. Woops.
You might be thinking: Dayquil? Vick's Vapo Rub? Ear drops? Sudafed? Spongebob shaped chicken noodle soup? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
While I did use (and/or eat and/or read) all of the above, and while they did improve my state, the product I wish to highlight today is below:
Cherry Pie shaped Kleenex!
Brilliant. I felt like I belonged in an episode of Pushing Daisies, which is, incidentally, what I want to feel like on any given day. I only wish I had found out about these beauties sooner- it seems they were a limited offering during the holidays. *sigh*
p.s. I'm better now! Gotta love Emergen-C!
*When I first posted this post, I called it "Apple Pie Sneezes." By apple, I meant cherry. Woops.
Back from Seattle
Back from our quick wintery visit to Seattle! It snowed the first night we were there! As Seattle snow usually goes, it rained during the night and the snow was gone by morning. It was a nice little treat while it lasted- I made a snow angel at Jordan's request.
On the plane ride, whilst casually flipping through the Alaska Airlines magazine, I saw an ad for the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Pacific Science Center, so we ended up going the next day!
It was a very cold day. But a very exciting exhibit! We saw food from the Tri Wizard Tournament feast, Colin Creevey's petrified body (from Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets), Harry, Ron, and Hermione's school robes and casual clothes (from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban), wands, Gilderoy Lockhart's robes, quaffles and snitches, and so much more. It was awesome. And luckily, it didn't give anything away (I was in the middle of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at the time; now I'm halfway through the final book)! Here I am, all excited and awkward:
And now, some random photos from throughout the trip:
Highlight of the trip: got to meet baby L! She's a cute little sweetie:
That's all for now, but I'll be posting more pics from the action shooter and Diana later!
On the plane ride, whilst casually flipping through the Alaska Airlines magazine, I saw an ad for the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Pacific Science Center, so we ended up going the next day!
It was a very cold day. But a very exciting exhibit! We saw food from the Tri Wizard Tournament feast, Colin Creevey's petrified body (from Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets), Harry, Ron, and Hermione's school robes and casual clothes (from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban), wands, Gilderoy Lockhart's robes, quaffles and snitches, and so much more. It was awesome. And luckily, it didn't give anything away (I was in the middle of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at the time; now I'm halfway through the final book)! Here I am, all excited and awkward:
And now, some random photos from throughout the trip:
Highlight of the trip: got to meet baby L! She's a cute little sweetie:
That's all for now, but I'll be posting more pics from the action shooter and Diana later!
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