La Vie of me

This is not me blogging,

2013-01-27T10:53:00.001-05:00

This is me trying to pin a mood board...

Honest.

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish!

2012-12-29T13:03:00.001-05:00

When I told my friend Al that I was thinking of not blogging any more and that I should really do a goodbye post she told me that it was obvious I wasn't blogging any more since I hadn't posted for over a month.

Well just in case it wasn't obvious to any of you-- I've decided not to blog any more. I was only blogging on the weekends, and my weekends were getting fuller and fuller and I had less and less to say on my blog (hell I don't even pin that much! but by all means follow me on pinterest.)

Thanks for reading, and if you know me in real life send me a text, a gchat, a facebook message, a linkedin message, or a letter, I like friends.

If you feel like it check out some of my favorite blogs on the internet:

Halcyon Style

Elements of Style

Young House Love

Corporette

Simply Seleta

A cup of Jo

We bought a couch!

2012-11-12T08:13:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Tallman and I bought a couch! We went to Jordans with our coupon from when we bought a mattress and spent 4 hours picking out a couch.

This is it. It will be covered in a slate/graphite colored cotton that is on the couch. It seems a little dark but in natural light its not so bad, not like a velvet or a suede of the same color. Its a little shorter than our current couch, but the arms are lower so you can put a pillow on the arm and lie down (which I did in the store and was very comfortable).

Its made in America, and will not get to us for 11 weeks. But thats fine. We're just happy to have purchased a couch we both like and are excited about.

Slippers

2012-11-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

The slippers that I've been using for the past few years I bought for my mother. Then she lost them. Then I found them. Then I took them away to college with me. Since then I've bought her many wool socks. She is less likely to lose those.

But this was so long ago that these slippers are now so worn that they don't have any fluff in them, and they're looking pretty matted and gross.

It might be time for new slippers. Maybe.

Ugg Slippers

L.L. Bean Scuff Slippers

The bottom ones are the ones I have now. But those top ones are looking pretty cozy!

Wild Game Night

2012-11-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking about Scrabble! I'm talking about quail, boar, rabbit and venison. Four years ago I went to my first wild game night at Sel De La Terre, and my eyes were opened. Now I eat venison whenever I can (its plentiful, its a pest, it doesn't pollute, and its delicious!).

My parents, Tallman and I are going again tonight. I am so excited. If you want to have a game night of your own many specialty butchers carry these meats, and so does Whole Foods. Throw on a plaid shirt and invite a couple adventurous friends over!

Recipe for Venison with Mushroom Sauce

Venison is delicious in a sausage mixed with pork or beef, but on its own it is delicious as a steak. Just make sure you do not over cook it! That will cause it to taste like liver which I don't find particularly appetizing.

I've never had it as a shepherds pie, but I imagine it is amazing!

Wild Boar Tacos

Wild Boar is just like pig, but a darker meat. Remember that ad campaign, pork the other white meat? Well Boar is not white meat! Its so good though. Especially in recipes that require slow cooking. People on the internet seem to be raving about boar ragu... yum.

Grilled Rabbit

Rabbit is a bit like duck or chicken, you can do almost anything with it, but tastes best done simply. Grilled, roasted, sauteed up with some rosemary and cherries. mmmmm

I'm hungry. What about you?

ELECTION DAY

2012-11-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

VOTE

Seriously, if you do nothing else today, make sure you vote. Make sure you shame your friends and co-workers into voting. Make sure you participate in this wonderful democracy we have.

I recently heard someone say that our system is a mess, but they've studied a lot of political systems and ours is the best one out there.

Every year they say that this is the most important election of our lives. This one might actually be. We have two options for President neither of which will change the world but one option will move us forward. We have a messed up system of partisan politics and a huge country where people will never completely agree. But we have a system of checks and balances and representative government, so I hope you participate.

God Bless America.

And the wind was blowing...

2012-11-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last Monday I predicted that the Hurricane would be no big thing, and at my house it wasn't (though I did get to leave work early because they shut down public transit). But overall I was clearly wrong. Hurricane Sandy was a very big thing and still is and I hope you are able to take 5 minutes and $10 and make a donation to the Red Cross. (There has been some talk that there are better options, but the President said to donate to the Red Cross, so that's where I'll be donating).

My heart goes out to those who have lost everything, something, anything.

And I hope that even in the aftermath of devastation like New York and New Jersey are currently facing, those of us who are not dealing with the wreckage of our homes and communities will take the opportunity to make an emergency bag, or buy flood insurance, or not think its a waste of money for the local transit authority to put in better drainage.

November? Already?

2012-11-01T09:09:00.000-04:00

Happy November!

From Pinterest

But when did this happen? It feels like yesterday it was my birthday. November is going to be a fun month though, with the election, and I'm going to a variety of alumnae and networking events after work, my parents are going to Vegas for Dad's birthday, then the week of Thanksgiving I'm road tripping to DC, NC and DE for a brewery tour for Tallman's birthday. (Its my first Thanksgiving away from home!)

Fall in Virginia

But seriously. Where is time going? I am 26. Wasn't I JUST turning 21? What have I done in the past 5 years? (Attended and graduated from law school, met Tallman, traveled, many trips to ikea, etc etc.)

Sigh. Hope the start of your month is lovely and not at all filled with questions about the passage of time.

Happy Halloween

2012-10-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope your day is full of candy and creative costumes and polite children!

Children in costume are just adorable. Best holiday.

From Pinterest

Pottery Barn Kids

I was supposed to be a bumble bee this year, but what with storms and under the weather Tallmen, and shipping it hasn't arrived yet. So NEXT YEAR!

Bee Costume

And here is a helpful link on healthy Halloween candy-- good news: Candy Corn, bad news: Snickers.

RedBook.com

Hope you have a great HALLOWEEN!

I want this bag

2012-10-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

I love this bag. I want this bag.

Mulberry Bayswater Bag

That's really all I have for today.

This is the story of the hurricane...

2012-10-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Up here in Boston we don't get many hurricanes, and after our extremely mild winter last year I think we're a little unprepared for weather in general, but like True New Englanders we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. (I put it out there now: it will rain, there will be wind, but we will go to work and school and continue, just a little wetter than usual). But that said, I did fill up a pitcher of water and put it in my fridge just in case the storm causes the power to go out somewhere that effects my ability to drink water. (Also, my mom told me to, and sometimes its best to just do what your mother says and to not argue.)

Hurricanes are a little romantic though (unless you die in one). Think Key Largo or storm induced spikes in fertility rates. Also, if the lights go out and you are forced to read by candle light and forgo video games and netflix and the internet.

And just think of the lanterns and lighting options:

Hurricane Oil Lamp

Hurricane Lantern

I have some pretty awesome childhood memories of storms where we lost power and I learned how to play cards with my parents by the light of candles and sometimes a propane lantern.

So if you're on the east coast and getting hit by a hurricane, I hope you're having fun and staying safe. Don't light your gas stove without matches handy, and don't cause a house fire with your candles. Also, don't get hit by a tree :)

Secretary Desk

2012-10-24T09:03:00.000-04:00

As much as I love Secretary Desks, I have no where in my current home to put one, and I have no idea if I'd actually use one in a future home, I'm not much of a sit at a desk (other than for 9 hours a day at work) kind of person.

But from looking at pictures on pinterest, Houzz and other fun places, I think I would want a secretary desk near a table, so I wouldn't actually have to sit at the secretary desk (which seems silly).

From Pinterest

But this would allow one to store their bills, letters, etc in the secretary desk and then take them out for Saturday morning bill paying.

From Pinterst

One of the things I like about this idea, is that you can pull a dining room table over to your secretary desk and work on things there if you wanted. Just a smart idea! (also who loves this breakfast nook, I do!)
Then there is a desk in the entry way, which also works for drop off of bills and letters etc because its right as you enter the house. Everything should have a place, if not then how do you put things away-- right?

From Pinterest

But then this placement is lovely too:

Clearly I'll have to keep thinking about it, and maybe the next place I live there will be space for one. Or maybe I could rearrange my entire current house just to have a place for a secretary desk :)

Fun with Spray Paint

2012-10-22T09:21:00.000-04:00

I've been pretty slack on updating and playing with my house lately, but over my birthday weekend I finally updated a candelabra I'd bought a couple years ago with spray paint in mind.

I forgot to take a before picture, duh, but I googled and silver plated candelabra's are everywhere. I got mine for $30 at an Antique sale in Boston. I probably overpaid given the fact that the silver plating was flaking off, one of the arms was a brassy color, not even silver anymore and it was very very loose.

Picture Source

After tightening its arms, chipping off all the wax, and giving it a rough scrub and dry to get the flakes off it, I took a can of white spray paint to it. Just Rustolem Primer. But it took 5 coats to be completely white! I was really surprised at how many coats of primer it took to cover up the silver, especially where it was tarnished. And all the nooks and crannys of the the candelabra meant I had to do a couple upside down coats just to be sure.

But like Sherry says, I did light and even coats and had no drips, and quick drying.

Then I lived with white for a week, and the morning before a party I sprayed it again, but with blue!

This picture is awful, but Sage would not leave me alone, as you can tell from her tail in the corner of the picture. In person its much darker and a little less shiny. This took 3 coats, I stopped because I wanted it to not be almost black, but if I had continued there wouldn't be speckled almost white patches under the candle holders (you can't see them in this picture, those white things are just glare from the camera flash) (honestly, this picture is the best of a bunch, Sage was being a crazy).

I'm in love with my blue candelabra. Its so much prettier than when it was silver!

Also I'm in love with spray paint, I'm thinking of giving the lamps in our bedroom an updated white look :) Tallman is totally ok with it... I think....

I changed the colors..

2012-10-20T11:36:00.001-04:00

Do you like them?

I do.

Birthday Presents!!!

2012-10-16T09:55:00.000-04:00

My parents gave me a set of knives for my birthday, my old knives were some set they'd gotten years and years ago for free and when I moved out they let me take them. Tallman didn't come with knives (though he did come with a waffle iron, blender, rabbit corkscrew, and other fun kitchen implements).

I love my new knives! My old ones were so dull that when the knife slipped this summer while I was cutting a cantaloupe and went with some force into my hand-- it didn't break the skin. It obviously would have been terrible if it had broken the skin, but the fact that it didn't doesn't speak very highly for the knives.

Knife!

These knives though, ohhhh they are wonderful. Chopping veggies is like slipping a warm knife through butter. Of course, we haven't quite learned to be careful yet, both Tallman and I are sporting some cuts where the knife has slipped (usually while cleaning) and nicked us.

In addition to nicking ourselves, we've been putting considerably more wear and tear on the cutting boards. So I'm thinking we might need to get new ones soon. A plastic one, and a big butcher block one.
This is what I'm thinking for plastic:

Antibacterial Cutting Board!

And Etsy has a lot of cute butcher blocks:

Maple Wooden Cutting Board

Wooden Cutting Board-- FDA safe!

Maple and Walnut Cutting Board

I want a very large butcher's block cutting board and that is actually kinda tricky to find, so it'll take some hunting. Also, I want to make sure its safe to cut and prepare veggies on.
But thats the story of a birthday present that is awesome that is turning into a hunt for new cutting boards.

Post Updates

2012-10-15T09:51:00.000-04:00

Well, clearly I took a week off from blogging. Usually I do all my posts over the weekend and schedule them, but last weekend I just wasn't feeling it. Instead I lounged, and took naps with my cat, and spray painted a candelabra. Sorry folks, but I think it was time well spent.

But also during that time I bought myself the Phoenix Roze H necklace I'd been longing for for so long, and it came. (I was all ready to wait a month for them to custom make it for me, which is apparently how they do, but it only took a week! Clearly they had some in stock.)

Phoenix Roze

It is cute and everything I wanted.

Also, I went to Ann Taylor and did NOT buy that green tweed suit, it was hideous! It looked like a muppet that had be dragged under a bus for 50 miles of rough high way. Seriously, its cute in the pictures but in person it is ugly!

Tweed

I did also celebrate my birthday last week, and get a number of fairly awesome presents... tomorrows post will provide details of their wonders, and what I'll be doing now I have them :)

I still want this....

2012-10-05T09:26:00.000-04:00

But I think I want to try it on first?

Phoenix Roze

Because I tried on this necklace and I hated how much it cost, because I fell in love a little...

Maybe Someday...

It was sooo pretty, delicate and sparkly without being over sparkly... sigh... Have a Happy Weekend!

I want a Tweed Suit...

2012-10-04T09:05:00.000-04:00

Ann Taylor seems to have some cute options, like this green:

From my pinterest

Jcrew has this ensemble, but its not cheap!

Jcrew Tweed

Lots of places have womens tweed skirts, or women's tweed jackets, but its hard to find a full on tweed suit! And when you can find them they are expensive. I will hunt, I will pursue. I will find one.

Have YOU Heard of Steven Alan?

2012-10-03T09:40:00.000-04:00

I hadn't heard of Steven Alan until I read this month's Matchbook... have you read Matchbook this month, its very good!

Anyway, I just found out about Steven Alan and it is a clothing store with so many cute cute things!

Cindy Top

Robe

Camilla Bag

Check it out! They have some really cute dresses too!

Tallman Boots

2012-10-02T09:53:00.000-04:00

Tallman USED to have two pairs of boots, one pair was low and brown and good for rainy days, and the other was tall and huge and good for two feet of snow.
Last winter, the mellowest, least snowiest, warmest winter I can recall-- Both pairs of boots broke beyond repair. The smaller pair had the sole disintegrate and come apart, and the larger pair the tongue ripped out.

Tallman, as you may predict from his nickname, has some very large feet, so finding shoes for him involves special ordering.

I checked Timberland's website (I figure good solid workboots are what he needs) but everything in his size was just silly looking.

So I checked L.L. Bean (I like local, I like Made in America and I have L.L. Bean boots that keep my feet warm and dry).

LLBean Iron Works Boots

We went with these fellows. Leather, rugged soled, sold in Tallman's size, and waterproof. And honestly, I just feel better about leather than man made waterproof materials. Oiled leather has been keeping people dry for centuries.

Do you have to clothe an absentminded giant? What brands do you trust?

Happy October!!!

2012-10-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

HAPPY OCTOBER!

From Pinterest

I love October!

It is by far my favorite month, and not just because my birthday is in it.

I love the changing seasons, the crisp smell of the air, the cold rain, the apples, the cider, the apple cider donuts, Halloween, boots, snuggling, mums, sunny days that turn into cold nights, pumpkins, squash, soup, the changing leaves, I love it all.

From Pinterest

Do you have a favorite month? Is it October? If so why the heck not? October is great!

North Carolina Vacation By the Numbers

2012-09-29T11:41:00.003-04:00

10: Purple Painted Toes that endeared me to Tallman's nephew... purple may be for girls according to the rigidly enforced gender stereotypes of the south.... but Little Luke likes purple, so my toes made me a new friend

9: Pecan bars I ate. (I brought pecan bars as a hostess gift and ended up eating a whole bunch myself!)

8: Number of times Tallman swore loudly he would never fly US airways again after a nearly disastrous, definitely uncomfortable, very long and sweaty trip back from NC on Monday

7: People in one house for the weekend, Talman and I, his sister and brother in law and baby, and Tallman's parents. Surprisingly not overly crowded, and great to see his sister her husband after not seeing them for a year.

6: Walks taken on the beach (two Friday, two Saturday, two Sunday, and Two Monday)

5: Number of times Tallman complained that I tan quickly (he just burns) even with sunscreen on.

4: Books I read over the weekend: The Pigeon Pie Mystery, Twilight, The Beekeepers Apprentice, and Seating Arrangements (is that one book a day, oh silly me!)

3: Number of times I went into the ocean, like all the way, dunked my head under and frolicked in the waves. I love playing in the water! I'm so glad the weather was nice enough for us to go in!

2: Pictures posted to instagram of beach scenes, obviously trying to make friends at home jealous :p

1: Day where I saw the sun rise and set over the ocean, it was a beautiful day :) and a wonderful vacation

On Monday we'll return to our regularly scheduled program and fall funtimes!

Vacation!

2012-09-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

Tallman and I have gone to North Carolina for a long weekend.

Beach

Hope you have a great one! You won't be hearing from me for a while :)

I'll be busy eating barbeque, watching college football and taking long walks on the beach.

Kate the Great

2012-09-19T09:25:00.000-04:00

I just want to say that I think Kate Middleton-- I mean Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge-- is fantastic. She is adjusting to her job, which is also her life, with aplomb and style. She is definitely my style guide.

From Pinterest

She seems like a nice, normal person, who has a high pressure, international job in charity, government, and fashion.

From Pinterest

Hip Hip Hooray for the Duchess of Cambridge!

Take a right on Somerville then go West on Elm...

2012-09-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

Hahaha little joke in the title there, the other week while looking for something to get Tallman's mom as a hostess gift I stumbled upon some things as West Elm that I want... ooops.

Bikoux Dots Pillow Cover

Manzanita Candelabra

These don't go in my house at all... but I still like them... is there a place for things like that? Is that why people have second homes?

Coral Reef Silk Pillow

Owl Lamp

Funny Story: You know those plastic owls people put on their houses and barns to scare away mice or squirrels or something? There was one at my parents house when I was a toddler, and I used to carry it around with me, my parents had to wash it and just accept that instead of a soft teddy bear I wanted to carry around a plastic owl that was nearly the same size as me.

I was an odd kid.