a haircut and cute little meatloaves

Some girls are into make-up and hairstyling and other sorts of beauty routines.  I'm not really one of those girls.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love a killer sparkly eyeliner.  But make me actually have to style my hair and I'm done.  I went to get my hair cut this week for the first time since our wedding.  Yes, four months +.  Needless to say, my hair was long.  And annoying.  As in, hair-in-a-ponytail/bun-everyday annoying.  So my hairstylist chopped it.  I asked for shoulder length.  It ended up more chin length (my hair is getting a little curlier every year since I hit 30).  And I really don't care.  Less shampoo to use, I figure.

I make up for my non-girly tendencies in the beauty routine category by being super-girly in other categories.  Number of decorative throw pillows?  Check.  Cute shoes and scarves?  Check.  Pretty dresses?  You bet.

And I like putting on a frilly apron and baking up a meatloaf.  Meatloaf made of oatmeal (yet another thing in our pantry that we have way too much of) instead of meat.  Baked in muffin tins for cute little meatloaves.  Yes, sometimes food does = love.  I find baking meatloaf for the hubby a romantic enough gesture that it'll be what a serve him on Valentine's Day for dinner when he gets home late.  Maybe with a BBQ sauce heart on top.

snapshot: love/hate

I have a love/hate relationship with duvets and duvet covers.  In the winter, when the nighttime thermostat is turned down to the low 60s, I love it.  But when I'm trying to wrestle the actual duvet into its freshly-washed decorative cover, well...  I've also come to realize that the hate part is directly proportional to the number of black cats owned.

After writing yesterday's post, I got a motivated bug in me and went to the grocery store, made vegan butterscotch pudding (fail), baked vegan biscuits (win), changed the bed linens (see above), and other assorted productive tasks.  Oh, and I burned a scented candle and blasted Miranda Lambert (my current obsession).  So thank you, sporadic blogging venue, for giving me a kick in the rear and getting me going again.

being domestic

There are some days when I am really very good at being domestic.  I get up early, do chores like laundry or dishwasher-unloading, cook something, and all while having music playing in the background and scented candles burning.  And then there are days where all I want to do is watch reruns of whatever Housewives series is playing on Bravo while huddled under an afghan on the sofa.  Today is a mix of one of those days.  Mostly because I can't find anything I want to watch on television.

When I lived alone, lazy days were nothing.  Being married, I now feel the need to err on the side of domesticity.  And when I don't reach domestic goddess status on a day off (especially on a day the hubby is working), I feel guilty.  I always have big plans.  Cakes I can bake.  Soups I can make.  Rooms I can clean.  Stacks I can organize.

Today I have: 1) cleaned up the breakfast dishes (from a breakfast the hubby cooked before work) and 2) unloaded/loaded the dishwasher.  And it is 2:00 in the afternoon.  There is a whole list of things I also need to do today, but instead I sit playing with photo effects on Picasa and catching up on months' worth of blog reading.

I am not a domestic goddess role model today.  Martha would be very disappointed in me.

a snoring cat and married life

For the first time since we got married one month ago, the mister and I actually had a weekend together where neither one of us had to work.  A lazy Saturday morning in bed for me with a snoring cat (ahem, Gracie) and some back issues of People magazine.  Followed by a breakfast I didn't have to make.  Glorious.

Now I am hunkered down for the Frankenstorm with two consecutive days off work and the mister is at work safe and sound (working for a hospital means no days off for silly severe weather).  Tofu slices baking in the oven for sandwiches in case we loose power.  Catching up on some laundry.  And a pile of thank you notes from the wedding that need to be written.

Over the past few weeks I've been trying to settle into married life.  Well, it's not really the married part that has been a challenge, it's more the co-habitating part - the part where we have twice as much laundry and dishes and the bathroom just won't stay clean.  I feel like I'm always doing laundry and know that when we have kids it'll get even crazier.  For the meal planning, I've started using our shared Google calendar, which is helping a lot.  We now have a sub-calendar called "What's for dinner" where I list web links or cookbook references for new recipes based on our seasonal produce and staples.  He can move things around or add in ideas.  Plus, I can set certain meals to repeat every third week or so, which makes it nice when I can't (or am too lazy to) think of new things to make.

Some of the highlights over the past couple of weeks:
~ Colcannon made with potatoes, kale, and sauteed veggie chorizo (perfect comfort food)
~ Chesapeake tempeh cakes (I baked them instead of frying and oh my goodness these were good!)
~ Maple sweet potato pecan burgers topped with cashew "sour cream" (cream recipe from Vegan Table)
~ Chickpea & rosemary baked fritatta (so simple)

All I have to say is thank heaven for Pinterest for gathering meal ideas.  Now if Pinterest only had some magical perpetual bathroom-cleaning solution, I'd be all set!

a closet we can actually use

 

One step forward at a time.  One thing crossed off the list and on to the next.  Slow and steady.  That's how I'm working it, this whole de-cluttering thing.  Bags of clothing and household goods to Goodwill.  Boxes of dishes and clothing up to the attic.  Some things are good enough for the trash.  And you know what?  I'm making progress.  The beau was over last night dropping off some essentials (his liquor, wine, and bar set) and I was so proud to show him all I've accomplished.  I am not sure he was as impressed as he should have been.  Or maybe I'd really been hiding full extent of the mess just a little bit from him.

When I added the side table to his side of the bed I knew we had issues.  As in 'can't open the closet door more than six inches' issues.  And so I added "remove closet door off the hinges" to his to-do list on Astrid (love that thing) and he had it done a week later.  Used a small tension rod I inherited when I moved in, added a shower curtain from Target (on sale), and now we have a closet we can actually use.  Not perfect (the shower curtain is too short for the opening and the doorhinge gaps are a little unsightly), but it will work.

And that is the key for me right now.  Getting it done so that it is good enough.  Hard to not be "perfect" for a perfectionist like me, but I need to prioritize and realize that just getting through the list is as close to perfect as I really need.  Especially when I have so many other things on my list to come...

the Berenstain Bears and de-cluttering

I subscribe to quite a few home decorating newsletters and blogs, catching up on them through Facebook or e-mail.  Normally I skim these or just click delete, not really needing or wanting the same advice or decorator suggestions again (especially when I know we are not in the rental house for long and we have a very limited budget).  Yet, when a recent Apartment Therapy update came through my e-mail, I just had to click through to the entire post.  It was entitled  "8 Truths About Home Organization I Learned from the Berenstain Bears."  I know, right?!

So needless to say, I had a little laugh and a little heartwarming reminder of my childhood, as well as a good swift kick in the butt to get the ball rolling with my own organizational issue.  I mean, if the cubs feel a sense of zen after labeling boxes and de-cluttering, then I'm on board too.

herbs, packing, and a power outage

I am overrun with herbs right now.  Mint, oregano, basil, sage, and rosemary.  In pink and yellow vintage pots in the kitchen and out in the garden too.  I've not been cooking a whole lot this summer, as we don't have a CSA subscription and I always seem to be on the road somewhere - to Richmond; up to Maryland; to Alexandria.  I am looking forward to the craziness of a long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning settling down.  We were looking for a new rental house, but at this point have scrapped that plan for the current one:  the beau moves into my rental house and we get settled enough to buy a house in less than one year.  Our realtor recommended buying within a year and it just seemed silly to pack and move to another rental just to move again.  I hate moving.

But now comes the fun of packing and moving some of my stuff up into the attic (or donating to local charities).  I have more clothes than I really need/use; my shoes are out of control; and magazines are everywhere.  I am excited for the challenge.  I am extra excited to have the beau living under the same roof.  Just need to get started on the packing (amidst the previously mentioned long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning).

This weekend we had a scheduled family girls' weekend surrounding a bridal luncheon thrown by my future sister-in-law and her aunt.  My mother, sister-in-law, and two of my mother's best friends were coming down to visit, we were going to do the luncheon, go shopping, out to dinner, even to see Magic Mike.  But alas, a scary storm came through on Friday night and knocked out power to my house, the bridal luncheon locale, and the hotel where everyone was staying.  So needless to say, things got a little messed up.  Although the luncheon was still lovely (albeit in another location), travel took twice as long as expected, none of the cute boutiques were open for shopping, and the girls ended up driving home the same night instead of the planned overnight.  A bit of a bummer.

Power is back on at my house now, so I am excited for a little coolness today as I get some household chores done and do some more wedding planning work.  Then it's on the road again this afternoon...

just a touch

One of the quirky things about my little 1940s/50s rental house is this massive floor grate smack dab in the middle of the house.  Beneath it is a behemoth of a gas-powered heater.  And even when the heat is not running, the pilot light gives off just a touch of warmth.  In the summer months I sometimes place a washable IKEA rug over the grate, which protects bare feet from the metal bars, but also provides a perfect haven for the cats.  They take turns spreading themselves over the grate and napping through the day.  Kind of like finding a shifting spot of sunshine, but with a lot less work.

When we move, I will miss a few things about my little rental house.  The floor grate  and its imperfect heating isn't one of them.  But I'm betting the cats will have a different opinion.

day off?

Birthday day off of work so far:
~ Awoke at the crack of dawn.  Correction, before the crack of dawn.  Namely 5:30am.  Was able to doze with various cats jumping on and off of me until 7:00am.
~ Enjoyed coffee and toast and HGTV programming.
~ Swept the kitchen floor.
~ Stripped the bed and started laundry (hi, Gracie).

~ Moved the recipe box from the kitchen counter to the kitchen table as motivation to finally go through my stacks of Everyday Food to pull recipes of interest and recycle the rest.

Other things on the list for today:
~ Mow the lawn.  Backyard-neighbor Steve mowed his yesterday.  My turn.
~ Run errands, especially to the DMV to get my license renewed (expires tomorrow and requires a new picture - eek!).
~ Accept delivery of cupcakes from The Cake Spot (a Groupon gift from the beau a while ago that I've timed perfectly for my birthday, i.e. it expired this week).

A "day off" for my birthday isn't shaping up exactly as I imagined (manicure?), but the weather is beautiful and I am balancing the housework with enough lazy time to make me pretty happy.  Plus, I mentioned the cupcake delivery, right?

some attention

A work from home day means that I can use my lunch break to tackle quick housekeeping tasks - like changing over laundry to the dryer or unloading the dishwasher.  But working from home also means that I get the chance to notice how much I need to tidy, put away, clean, and otherwise pay some attention to my domestic surroundings.  With a somewhat longish-distance relationship going on (about an hour drive apart), I would admit that the normal weekend housekeeping has been largely ignored in favor of hanging out with the beau when I have the chance.  But with him working late tonight and me tomorrow morning, I actually have tonight and tomorrow morning all by myself (sniff) and plan on getting some chores done once the work day has ended.  An exciting Friday night?  Maybe not, but I'll certainly feel better when I get some things in line.  Wish me luck.

Rain, snow, wind, sunshine; I'm not sure whether it is winter or springtime.  The crocus are popping up on the grounds at work and the forsythia branches I cut from my own yard are now blooming in a vase in the living room.  Springtime (including my birthday) cannot arrive soon enough for me.  I long for warm afternoons when I can get out and take long walks to the library or farmer's market or just read outside.  I especially long for springtime vegetables - asparagus and English peas are at the top of my list.

I'll leave it at that for now.  I'm about to head into crazy work mode next week, and gosh, even into the next with some conferences and site visits.  Until then...

P.S. Crazy after-Valentine's Day candy sale at Target has now supplied me with SweeTarts jelly beans and hearts and I fear a massive sugar coma is about to commence.  Lunch today included those addictive jelly beans.  Who knew that you could get jelly beans outside of Easter?!  But I digress...

totally into

Things I'm totally into right now:

~ Wearing my hot pink quilted vest over everything.  Even when inside the office.  Or at home.  Normally I wear it just for running (since it has an iPod holder and key pocket), but I've been really cold lately and find that keeping my core warm makes all the difference.  Plus, I look good in pink.

~ True Blood.  We've just started season two and although I have to roll my eyes at some of the "romance," it really is a fun and exciting show.  Just enough blood.  Maybe not enough sex.  But that's just me.

~ The new gallon-sized zipper bags that just arrived from Love for Earth (see Kara's etsy store).  I got a small snack size as a free gift when I ordered napkins and produce bags last year and loved it for using in my lunchbag to pack carrot sticks or cookies or crackers.  Now, two gallon-sized in lime green (with turquoise zipper) and bright yellow (with hot pink zipper).  No more buying plastic zip bags for me - I had just used the last in the box, and although I do wash and reuse, I knew the last couple in circulation wouldn't last forever.  These are easy to clean and they're cute to boot.

~Knee socks.  Not just for boots, I wear these to work as often as I can (see keeping warm, above).  I need more.  I'd like a funky polka dot pair to add to the stripes and argyle already in circulation.

Work has been a bit crazed this week with meetings for a new building project and filmings in some of our historic structures and answering all sorts of public inquiries and working on a major talk I have coming up in mid-February.   This weekend, normally when I look forward to a little calm, promises to be just as busy with a special tour at the museum and the biweekly visit to my grandmother's.  I think a trip to Trader Joe's might be in order though, and perhaps a stop at Ikea.  I've pinned a rug (the Millinge square black & white checked rug) that I'd love to see in person and maybe use in the office (which is still much in need of some attention)...

out from under the covers

I've been pressing the snooze button like a demon this week.  I think because I got off to a rocky sleeping start on Sunday night due to the Golden Globes and me staying up past my bedtime (normally around 10:30pm).  Once I get on a bad sleep cycle, it's hard to get off.  I like sleep.  And yet I'm totally a morning person and also like to be up and about for a good bit (sipping coffee, checking e-mail, etc.) before I head off to work.  How to balance those two impulses is sometimes a challenge.

This morning I finally got up at a reasonable hour and went for a run (in the dark) and made it to work just a little late.  I call that a major success.  Of course likely Colette disagrees, as she often will disdainfully move aside for me to get out from under the covers only to head back to bed, settling directly on the warm spot I've just vacated.  Smart girl.  When I got back from my run this morning she allowed me to make the bed, but you can tell from this snap that she could not quite understand why I'd want to be out from under the covers on such a chilly morning.

I've made the switch to the wintertime duvet on the bed, which certain makes me want to burrow in the covers at nighttime.  Crazy colors on my bed right now:  blue/multicolor stripe duvet, small flowered quilt across the foot of the bed, and crazy floral and patchwork crocheted pillows at the head.  Not shabby chic florals, mind you, but a little bit bright and wacky.  I'm itching to redecorate a room right now, although don't think it'll be the bedroom.  Pinterest has become a haven for me and my big ideas.  Come and find me there if you're on Pinterest too.  Me and my chevron accent walls and tiled floors and painted sisal rugs.

festive

A work Christmas party (complete with potluck and bingo) was one of the highlights of the weekend.  And that's pretty sad.  Otherwise, the weekend involved work and work.  This is especially hard during the holiday season when you want to be festive and friendly and all I ended up doing was wanting to take a nap!  But the weekend is over and the week is underway and that gets me closer and closer to Christmas.

I adore Christmas.  Must have been instilled in me by my mother, who always had special decorations and special music and special foods this time of year.  And my great-grandmother, Mom-Mom, who invariably had a big punchbowl of eggnog to sip while she methodically opened wrapped gifts with a letter opener.  In keeping with Mom-Mom's tradition, the grocery store tempted me with Rice Dream rice nog, which we enjoyed with a shot of Maker's Mark and sprinkling of nutmeg on Wednesday night.  Friday night was a hot buttered rum made with Earth Balance and light rum, warming us up as we watched a movie (Up in the Air, by the way).

In addition to getting the tree up and decorated, I also set about putting my growing collection of inherited cut and pressed glass to work.  Holding vintage ornaments (also inherited) and candy canes (not inherited, but definitely old and not for consumption).  Last year's holiday craft - a ribbon-wrapped wreath decorated with cutouts - went up on the living room mirror.  The living room is definitely the most festive room of the little house, although I did try to include touches in the kitchen and bathroom (yes, bathroom!) for good measure.  I have just enough decorations for the house and its four little rooms.  Whenever I move into a new (bigger!) house, I just know I'm going to have a blast decorating for the holidays.  Staircase?  Mantelpiece?  Yes, please!

Here's hoping you all had a nice, warm weekend and are all decorated for the holidays!

the little tree

 

I feel like I am constantly running around this time of year - with work programs and family events and holiday parties and shopping to do.  The little (faux) tree finally went up last evening after I arrived home from a visit to my grandmother's.  A little A Very She & Him Christmas blaring and up went the foodie-related ornaments.  The newest addition:  a butternut squash.  Guess I'm a girl of limited interests.

Speaking of limited interests, I feel like every picture I now take must be filtered through Instagram.  Everything looks better with a funky border, fuzzy lighting, and some focal point play.  So my apologies as I post yet another Instagram photograph.  I promise to post some "normal" pictures again at some point.  Maybe.

We did a little museum visiting this weekend - to the VMFA to see the new MUMMY exhibit, complete with introductory 3-D movie narrated by Patrick Stewart.  Yup.  Oh, and Egyptian themed 3-D glasses, of course.  Nah, we didn't look silly at all.

the decline of mashed potatoes

The windows are open, the washing machine is churning, and I have the new Design Sponge at Home book to page through.  I'm enjoying a personal holiday - a day off from work that I didn't actually officially get - after a long weekend away.  I've already taken a bubble bath and it's not even 2:00pm.

The beau and I took a road trip over the weekend; about 20 hours in the car (him driving except for a short two hours where I provided a nap break) through seven states.  Crazy?  A little.  But definitely worth it to see college girlfriends Theresa and Mommy Esq. and their husbands and children.  Given our foodie interests (and my WPA academic ties), we devoured The Food of a Younger Land on cd during the drive.  Amusing and fascinating, especially one particular Federal Writers Project author's obsession with the decline of mashed potatoes.  Hmmm.  Guess you had to be there.

So today I alternately lounge and tidy the house and just enjoy the day.  The couch is a perfect perch for the above-mentioned lounging and a view of the newly-blooming peace lily.  If I can gather the motivation, perhaps a run this afternoon.  Or perhaps a nap.

blue, part two

The bedroom is actually making me pretty happy now with its bright blue accent wall that coordinates nicely with the random assortment of pillows and throws as well as the painting of the Grand Tetons I have hanging on the wall.  (Disclaimer:  I've never been, but my father lived for some time in Wyoming growing up and this was painted by his uncle decades ago.  But owning this makes me want to fill a wall with retro paintings of mountains...).

Because the room is so small, the bed really dominates, and now the blue wall draws your eye away from the wall of cabinets/dresser/shoes on the opposite side of the room behind the door.  Which is a good thing.  The nightstand is one from my childhood bedroom; the bed from Ikea; and the lamp (one of a pair) from my mother's room growing up.  On the bed - large pillow covers:  Ikea; crocheted pillow cover:  HomeGoods; coverlet and shams:  handmedown (but originally old-school-JCPenney); quilt:  L.L.Bean (reverse side of pieced quilt face); cat:  Colette.

Invasion

Ants have invaded the kitchen.  Not just on the floor (as has been the case in years past), but now in the cabinets (honey!) and countertops (yes, crumbs).  I've been researching eco-friendly (a.k.a. cheap, on-hand) solutions and have broken out the cinnamon sprinkling and now spray down my counters and cabinets with a mixture of white vinegar and water.  But I feel like I'm losing the battle and commercial ant traps may not be far behind.  Although on the bright side, each spot the ants discover makes it necessary to take up the contents and clean like nobody's business.  Spring cleaning spot-by-spot!  Today I've taken the day off from work to get errands and other tasks done and I'm going to try to investigate outside and see if I can spot the nest or point of entry (somewhere behind the stove) from the exterior.  What an exciting day-off activity, right? 

You are all jealous, I know.

blue

I have a slight addiction to home DIY blogs and magazines.  Decorating, but not 'decorator' decorating.  Nothing too coordinated or polished.  Shabby chic with splashes of random color.  I've been dogearring and ripping out inspiration pages for fun bedrooms for years, but haven't been able to commit to a look/color scheme/etc.  I have that problem - I plan, plan, plan, and in the end just end up doing impulsive things because I cannot decide.  So when I woke up on Sunday morning, I bit the bullet, used paint I had on hand (Grandma's Sweater leftover from my parents' latest painting campaign), and went for it.  No test patches.  Figured I could just paint over it if I hated it.

I think I'm loving it.

Yesterday was my birthday.  Now that I'm sort of in the "mid" 30s, I'm stopping.  Just saying.

little sprig

Mother Nature has been teasing us a bit here in the Chesapeake. Sunny, warm days in the middle of February? I know the cold weather cannot be over with already. At least I'm trying to not get my hopes up. A little sprig of forsythia in the bathroom has blossomed, satiating my need for spring (at least for now).

In order to prepare my freezer for the upcoming growing (and eating) season, I started a big pot of vegetable stock this morning. Asparagus ends, broccoli stalks, carrots, and chives from the stock box. The smell is so heartening as the wind gusts blow around the little house.

This weekend will be a good one for cooking. Butternut squash and quinoa soup out of one of the vegan cookbooks borrowed from the library. And perhaps some crock pot banana nut bread using some of the many frozen bananas that seem to have multiplied like rabbits in the freezer.

saturday morning

I was up early this morning to pick up my car from the repair shop. Normally I would laze around on a Saturday morning - no husband, kids, or dogs to get me up and out. But Jason at the repair shop was pretty adamant about the 8am pick-up, so there you go. So now the house is clean, coffee has been drunk, and I'm ready for a crafting day with some of my girlfriends. Only I have two hours until they arrive.

So I went out in the garden and cut some forsythia branches. Put them in the new beautiful, frosty glass vase from anthropologie that I treated myself to around the new year. Looking forward to the little yellow buds to burst forth.

This shot of the living room gives you a good sense for how the place has developed, even though I've never really done a 'decorating' sort of post. [Forgive the empty coffee table - ready for crafting.] Pink walls (that are almost neutral in the morning light), striped rug, colorful throw pillows. I've developed a bit of a color palette that has really covered the whole house (the tiny four-room house). Based on a painting, a rug, and a pair of throw pillows. Not sure it's a long-term palette, but I'm having fun living in a colorful, girlie house for now.