Propriety with a Twist

Look what I spied today!

2012-01-22T11:58:00.001-06:00

How strange but fun --

Found it!

2012-01-06T19:28:00.000-06:00

The opening credits to Dragon Tattoo. Yay!

Yup, pretty cool. And there's all the imagery in there for the Millennium trilogy- not just this first film.
Enjoy?

Great Way to End the Year

2011-12-31T20:43:00.000-06:00

Bought a vintage vanity! Finally! And for under $100!!!

So I spent much of the afternoon cleaning, moving furniture, and organizing clothes.

I will be starting 2012 with all dishes cleaned and put away, and all clothes off the floor and ottoman. 2012 will be a great year.

Happy New Year everyone!! XOXOXOXOXO

Pretty (and Not Boring) Packaging

2011-12-29T06:28:00.001-06:00

I went lame on this year's holiday gifts... but in my defense I was trying to use up what I had. SO. Crappy pre-made bows and all that. Whee.

NEXT YEAR i will channel Aunt Martha. NEXT YEAR i will have fun wrapping gifts. (Btw, NEVER buy Office Depot's 4-pack of scotch tape. It sucks- doesn't tear where it should and is so much trouble. Spend the extra $ and go name-brand.)

NEXT YEAR I will have fun with boxes and washi tape. Picked these up at a discount store and aren't they fun? Thin flags and the pink thicker one which reads "Wishing you a holly jolly Christmas." So i took a plain box from xmas and played:

And should you ever feel like spoiling me, i'd love to receive some washi / japanese masking tape in the mail. You don't have to wait for my birthday. : )

I have some Paris frenchy-inspired ones coming soon- can't wait to play with those!

Opening Credits

2011-12-27T06:41:00.000-06:00

So we went to see the remake of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the opening credits looked like they could be really great, but being in the second row, my view was a little distorted.
Then later we went to see the Adventures of Tintin, and I also liked those opening credits.
But of course, I can't find either one on youtube... maybe after they're out on DVD.

Here's one of my absolute favorites though: Seven (also directed by GwDT's David Fincher, so no wonder I enjoyed the opening, duh!):

And also: The Terminator! Ohhhh goosebumps...
http://youtu.be/K6auDCAGJgE

XMas with the kids

2011-12-26T16:54:00.003-06:00

Playing with his new toys, and wearing his winter sweater.

Modeling her new necklace. Collar and catnip fish from Lizziebees

Testing from my phone?

2011-12-18T19:02:00.001-06:00

Maybe I'll post more now?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T12:49:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!

This was the first Thanksgiving Dinner that I cooked. I've always helped, or contributed something, but this one was all me. The turkey was only a little dry, gravy a little salty, but it was a very good meal. Maybe next time I'll try a whole turkey? (Need to get a roasting pan.)

We had turkey breast (cooked in the dutch oven with wine, veggies and broth), turkey legs (because apparently it's not a "real" thanksgiving without them), rosemary roasted sweet potatoes, lefse & jam, stuffing, pickle-things, mac & cheese, green beans, cranberry sauce with cinnamon and lavender, and mini apple pies (found on pinterest).

The table setting was simple: no table cloth, no placemats. A darkly colored scarf acted as the runner, with a centerpiece of mini pumpkins, rosemary sprigs, clipped crepe myrtle branches (the only fall-colored leaves in our yard), mixed nuts and mercury glass candle holders. Place settings were made up of our black Rosanna dinner plates (acting as chargers) and my Grandma M's Rosenthal dinner plates.

And now back to normal. Pizza for dinner? ; )

The Carnival! The Carnival!

2011-11-21T18:39:00.003-06:00

I probably won't be able to go this time, but I got so excited to see the carnival set up on 290W today. T and I would go to the one in San Marcos whenever it was there, even that dreaded last one*, senior year, and I even skipped my high school prom to go with a friend to the "Cornival" in Helotes.

*So much motion sickness, but I kept riding. All of them. Fun! And yet. so. painful. Even the ride home. After that night, figured I should take Dramamine for the next carnival.

not my picture. found on pinterest; it's pretty.

But does this make sense to anyone? I do NOT ride roller coasters. The only one i've been on is Space Mountain in Florida, which I enjoyed - black lights and glow in the dark stars? Yes please!

Growing up in San Antonio, we watched The Rattler (largest, at the time, wooden roller coaster) being built, and I was convinced that they left off a screw. That's really my reason for not riding them- i'm so certain that there will be one of those freak accidents when I'm on them, so I just avoid them. It's the way it is. I'll ride "the swings" (apparently called a "whirligig" or "wave swinger") and the teacups/pool balls all day long, but no roller coasters. I even did that stupid dropping ride, but no roller coasters.

So if I'm so worried that the roller coasters, which have had thousands and thousands of riders, will crumble, why on earth am i okay with riding every carnival ride? You know, the ones that travel on a semi and are set up probably within a couple of hours? Does that make sense to anyone??

What's Up?

2011-11-20T12:13:00.000-06:00

Participated in Craft Riot last weekend and here's my booth set-up.

After Craft Riot on Saturday, T took me out to a pub to hear his coworker's 80s cover band, and as tired as I was, I do love my 80s music... They put on a fun show, and did a better Heartbreaker than Benatar herself.

Radioactive at the Baker Street Pub

The week flew by, didn't it? And now another weekend is almost over... Prepping for a short work-week (hooray!) and a holiday dinner for two on Thursday. Not being overly ambitious by planning a whole turkey, but will attempt a turkey breast in the dutch oven. I think i can handle that.

And of course I planned on making lefse today but since i forgot the mashed potatoes for them on Friday, I am definitely behind schedule. A quiet weekend home-alone will do that!

Slacker!

2011-11-09T20:47:00.000-06:00

Except not really. Maybe the opposite?

Participated in two sales events in October, the Flea and the Burnet Farmers Market. Hosted a girly night/Naked Lady Party, attended a Scary Movie Night, and I won the costume contest at work on Halloween:

I can't believe October has come and gone already. Thanksgiving plans are up in the air at the moment, Christmas plans are non-traditional this year, and I know that it'll be 2012 before we know it.

But for now, back to pricing cards for the Craft Riot this weekend. If you're in Austin, come by!

Dear Tequila,

2011-09-19T21:34:00.001-05:00

You are evil. I say "only one drink" and in the form of a mexican martini, you come with 4 friends. And I have no choice but to drink you? Evil. EVIL. And also Love.
Now I must drink bunches and bunches of water before bed. Because I am thirty.
Sigh.
Love,
ashley the great

p.s. El Mercado's mex. maritnis, $3.99. Love.

Turning 30: How was it?

2011-08-17T06:43:00.001-05:00

Not too bad. Good hair day (that always helps, doesn't it?), flowers on my desk at work, lunch out (can't get a good picture from that, sorry- it's stuck on my phone), and then after work, to my marketing class.

A coworker gave me a little tiara to wear, which i wore all day long, and later put it on The Emma.

Fits her perfectly, non?

The ladies from work took me to lunch at Le Cafe Crepe and it was oh so delicious. We ordered a nutella crepe to share for dessert, and the owner's daughter brought out another sweet crepe (with birthday sprinkles!) for us as well!

And on Friday, another lovely lady from work took me out for curry.

From Mai Thai- tofu curry. Spicy, salty, good.

And free creme brulee! (YUM!)

It was so good, I almost forgot to snap a picture!

Despite not roaming the streets of Paris or Edinburgh, or reading a book on the beach, it was a good birthday. Thank you to my friends and family who helped make it so. -xoxo

Turning 30 Extravaganza: High Tea with Friends

2011-07-28T22:32:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, some lovely friends and I met at the Full English for High Tea to celebrate my birthday...

Tea, food, cream, jam, food, food, food and friends!
ALL GOOD THINGS

D&W

Cha

And let's get a close up of the food...

Lemon cake, chocolate cake, cupcakes, meringues with cream
Currant scones and sandwiches.
OMG

Turning 30 Extravaganza: Make-Up Lessons

2011-07-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

What better way to turn 30 than with some proper make-up lessons? I finished off my Milk & Honey gift certificates and had 2 hours of make up fun.

Lots of fun things, plus my old crap ; )

We did three different looks- one a "half-smokey" which was bold but really nice, then some green (what i call pixie-dirt, in a good way because it looks like a green fairy dust paired with a brown. i love it.), and then some orange/pinks which is a great shimmery-summery look.

Wish camera phone had flashes b/c the shadow was really pretty on this one.

Crazy Intense Eyebrows! So not used to that.
And playing with green eyeshadows.

Less intense brows; more of a day look? Damn my nose looks huge!

Please forgive the messy messy pulled-back hair. It's been 100* in Austin for way too long. : (

Turning 30 Extravaganza: Crepes!

2011-07-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

Since I was on vacation last week, on Friday T and I went out for Brunch at Le Cafe Crepe. The first time I went there I had La Fromagere (brie, walnuts and pears = yum!) so this time I made myself go savory.

The Bruni:

Spinach, tomato pesto and GOAT CHEESE = yum!!

T's Croissant Breakfast Sandwich


My little Chai and his cappuccino

Afterwards we went and got T a belated birthday cupcake from Delish. : )

Turning 30 Extravaganza: Bastille Day

2011-07-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

My dear friend, Ms. Speckled Duck, was my date for crafting at Paper-Source on Bastille Day. Even though we both wished the class would have been a little more advanced, we had a good time.

Suzi instructing us crafters.

Ms. S.D showing off ; )

Fun with stamps, fans, and glassine envelopes.

For dinner after class we planned on going to El Chile Cafe but it turned out to be El Alma or something different. Very different. ECC's sign was still up, but the menus (HORRIBLY DESIGNED- black decorative fonts printed on red paper- so hard to read!) and another sign was for the other place. Food was good but just not. what. we. expected/planned on.

Crafty girly time rocks.

Turning 30 Extravaganza: Girly Day

2011-07-24T17:10:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Mom came over for tea and scones and then we went out for girly stuff.

Went to a make-up boutique, a few other shops in the area, then brunch (vegetarian quesadilla and mango margaritas).

And then we geeked out a bit- at REI and Anthropologie. : ) Fun day. Hot, but fun.

Ouch

2011-07-19T16:59:00.002-05:00

Well, as part of the Turning 30 Extravaganza...

Before:

After:

Ouch.

For about 20 minutes, I was actually regretting it, but by 5 o'clock it had passed.
And now it itches.

Today we also swung by the mall; Victoria's Secret sent me a coupon for a free undie and Sephora had my birthday gift. While there, I finally picked up a fluffy eye shadow brush, and earned enough points for a deluxe sample of, sigh, anti-aging moisturizer. But yay, free things! Happy Birthday Month to me!

Had my make-up lesson this morning at Milk & Honey. Pictures to come.

Summer Fun

2011-07-14T07:17:00.001-05:00


Fourth of July frozen margarita. Met Dad & S et al at Texas Land & Cattle for lunch

Liquor samples from a Texas Cocktail Tasting
w. L & Cha. No, I didn't finish them.

Goofing off at Target in the dollar section with alien hats.
No, we didn't buy them.

Stay cool out there!

I can't help it...

2011-07-07T18:30:00.003-05:00

I totally dig this trailer.

Saw it before X-Men: First Class, which I thought was fun. Better than X2 and X3. Plus, fun 60s styling.

p.s. Isn't it funny that on a blog with "Propriety" in the title, the image showing on the unplayed trailer is so uh... well... yeah. I'll just leave it at that. ; )

Day Off from Extravaganza

2011-07-03T15:17:00.002-05:00

Since yesterday was my brother's birthday, I took the day off from my extravaganza. So generous, I know.

I printed for inviting in the morning and cooked a little bit before dinner.


Making Horchata David Libovitz's Recipe Grinding up the Rice

Making Ginger Ale
Joy the Baker's Recipe
Chopping up the Ginger

Monterey Stuffed Chicken
Don't Panic, More Dinner's in the Freezer recipe
Made a bunch of thighs to freeze, but had to cook the breasts at once

Then birthday dinner at HomeSlice Pizza with Mom, T, the birthday guy, his g.f. and her friend.


The birthday guy. He writes about the Spurs HERE and has even written for espn.com before. Yup, I'm a proud big sister.

The friend, the girlfriend, and the bday guy. Goofballs. : )

But now that his bday has passed, it's all about me again ; )

Turning 30 Extravaganza: Happy Hour

2011-07-01T07:10:00.004-05:00

Tuesday's Happy Hour at El Mercado

$3.99 Mexican Martinis? Check

Chips? Check

$1.99 HH Appetizers? Check

Friends? CHECK!

Wow- there are quite a few martini shakers! Fun times.

Not very good pictures, I know. And the one of Cha, her eyes are closed, and N is blurry so those didn't even make it up. Oh well!

It has begun

2011-06-29T07:25:00.001-05:00

6/28 - Friend at work gave me a big piece of cake from Whole Foods

6/29 - Happy Hour with Friends @ El Mercado

7/07 - Birthday cake @ Work

7/09 - High Tea with Friends @ Full English

7/11 - Tales of Texas Cocktails

7/14 - Bastille Day Crafting @ Paper Source

7/16 - Girlie Fun w/ Mom and make-up

7/18 - Nose Piercing? (Should probably move this to *after* the make-up lesson...)

7/19 - Make-up Lesson @ Milk & Honey

7/23 - Austin Flea (11-5) / Work Party (7-10)

Make Up Lessons Galore!

2011-06-26T14:10:00.006-05:00

So i'm addicted...

Sea of Shoes posted a link to PixiWoo's youtube channel and i can't stop watching their videos!

I'm scheduling my Turning Thirty Extravaganza make up lesson for the 3rd week of July. Looking forward to that!!

Fleur

2011-06-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

Such a pretty and unusual flower, spotted at the 6701 Burnet Rd. Market this morning.

The Turning Thirty Extravaganza

2011-06-24T20:46:00.002-05:00

I turn 30 at the end of July and am giving my twenties a proper send-off. The entire month before my birthday, I'm celebrating.

So far this is what's planned:

6/29 - Happy Hour with Friends @ El Mercado

7/07 - Birthday cake @ Work

7/09 - High Tea with Friends @ Full English

7/11 - Tales of Texas Cocktails

7/14 - Bastille Day Crafting @ Paper Source

7/18 - Nose Piercing?

7/22 - Make up Lesson?

7/23 - Austin Flea (11-5) / Firm Party (7-10)

Taking a week off from work and think I want to visit a couple museums, and maybe go out for crepes one day.

If you can think of anything I should do/try/see, leave me a comment. And please tell me that the thirties are good. Better than twenties?

Playing with new phone's camera...

2011-06-23T07:43:00.000-05:00

A view from the day job

Crafting Day

2011-06-22T20:52:00.001-05:00

So a while back my friend A. from San Antonio came up for a visit and we attended a crafting class at Paper Source with our friend Paula from Speckled Duck. Here are a couple of pictures:

Ms. A focusing on lining up her cards just right.

Ms. Speckled Duck crafting like the fabulous pro that she is.

Ms. A won a prize! While it looks, well, like a pink vibrator, it's a heat gun!
Also in the bag, a stamp and some embossing powder.

After the class, we went to Michaels where Ms A went a little nutso buying crafting items.
We had a fun night. : )

Who Is That Short Chef?

2011-06-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

I think that was the title of my first cookbook. It was bright yellow and very early-80s. One of the recipes in it was for Monkey Bread, which is what I made this morning.


Yum. And there are leftovers for T all week.

For lunches this week, T got Sloppy Joes (made with real meat and not veggie crumbles like usual) and I made a tortellini salad. Goat cheese, walnuts, radishes, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, peas, and cheese tortellini. Will be topped with fresh spinach. Dressing is olive oil, red wine vinegar and s&p.

Because inviting's getting busy, with another show next Saturday, cooking time is being reduced. I ordered 2 cookbooks from amazon, Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. (Was inspired by this post, and those are the books the busy lady used.) Looking forward to trying them out.

Sorry, I'm a Slacker, but there's a good reason

2011-06-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

Yeah, i've be awol for a while. Bad Ashley! But i've been busy. Prepping for this:

So, on SATURDAY, at The Highball there's an Austin Flea going on, and if you're in town come by!! (Sorry if you're not local, but if you have friends who are, send them my way.)

There's going to be a sh!t-ton of vendor and it is going to rock. (Plus, $3 mimosas. Derrick, i'm looking at you.)

Of course, inviting will be there, with some brand new products, from the super-elegant to the borderline-goth. I'm thrilled with them and hope you will be, too!
This will be inviting's first south Austin event. Come out and say hi! (And, maybe buy some stationery? I can accept credit cards now!)

Battle of the Scones

2011-04-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I made the Pioneer Woman's Sweet Cinnamon Scones. They were good, but not the typical scones that I want.

Today I was looking for the Lavender-Lemon Scone recipe and found two to try.

Version A, from Je Mange la Ville

Tasty, but they didn't rise, and the dough was REALLY wet and difficult to work with.
(Dough was finger-licking good though.)

Version B, from Epicurian Piranha

Also tasty, with a more scone-like texture. Dough was easier to work and shape.

Winner? Epicurian Piranha.
Can't wait for snack tomorrow. Tea and a scone. Heaven at 10am.

The New Rooster

2011-04-10T06:46:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I woke up to the sound of a rooster. There are 2 that I hear regularly, but they don't wake me up. This one, however, was much closer. I think the people behind the house next door own him.

Good news, i may not need my alarm clock as his schedule and mine are pretty close! 7am on Saturday, 6:30 on Sunday*.

rooster from the Natural Gardener
Originally uploaded by i heart frogs

*Yes, 6:30 is really freakin' early for a Sunday, but I have yoga at 9 and need time for tea.

Scarves, scarves and more scarves

2011-04-09T14:59:00.004-05:00

J'adore les foulards, mais, je ne sais pas comment les porter.
Until now! ; )

Can't wait for tomorrow- I'm wearing a scarf. Maybe the next day, too.

By the way...

2011-04-06T06:47:00.000-05:00

The Propriety with a Twist Etsy shop actually has things in it now. Check it out!

Ack! The Full English in Austin? Yes, please!

2011-04-03T18:26:00.003-05:00

So the "full English" is one of the most amazing meals/things *ever*. Had it a few times in England and in Scotland. Imagine my surprise and joy when I saw that there's a cafe IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD called Full English. (Okay, not exact neighborhood but close enough to ride a bicycle to should I be so inclined. (i am not.) you get the idea though.) I'm really wondering how i am just NOW finding this out?* It's off a busy road and you can see if when driving by! Madness. But anyway, I know of it now and am thrilled.


One of the many cozy seating areas of the Full English cafe

We went there for breakfast today because, again, a Full English is, well, when done all out, it's B.T.S. ; ) This one wasn't b.t.s, but it was still pretty damn tasty!

Bangers, fried toast, roasted tomato half, tasty tasty mushrooms, fried eggs, and yummy salty bacon. $8.

Turns out they also do a High Tea ($15/person) so I'll be doing that (soon i hope!) with mom.
Check them out HERE. (*Oh, and turns out they just had their official grand opening on the 25th so I don't feel so bad now. yay.)

Any one know where to get black pudding in Austin? (The pudding at Fado in their Full English is pretty good.)

In other news...

Made these Saturday morning for inviting. An etsian said she liked my folded cards and was looking for something like that to frame for a newborn's room, so I came up with these. The pinks (shown) are a little larger than 5x7, and they're also printed on white cotton paper, gray cardstock, and a cool coppery-shimmery cardstock.

Tried making tempura veggies for the first time. A little difficult when the package has no english whatsoever. But I made it work, and wow was it yummy!! I did asparagus spears and avocado quarters. The avocado not so much, but the asparagus- très délicieux. So that, plus some ramen and edamame (not pictured) was dinner one night. Not the healthiest, but something new.

Have a great week, and don't forget you can purchase a letterpress printed bookmark HERE - all proceeds go to relief efforts in Japan.

Help Japan

2011-03-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

Just printed these bookmarks. All proceeds will go to Japan.
Click on the picture to be taken to the etsy page for more info.

Spring Fair - Arts, Crafts & Vintage

2011-03-08T20:20:00.002-06:00

Yeah, you should totally check it out. It's going to be great!

Spring Fair: Art, Craft & Vintage. 16th March 2011. from Hannah Stoney on Vimeo.

New Recipes!

2011-03-06T18:27:00.000-06:00

You know that person who bookmarks or emails herself every recipe that looks yummy, and then just sits on them? Yeah, that's me.

But not today!! This morning when looking for something to cook for lunches this week, I looked in my "cooking" bookmark folder and pulled two to try!

The first - Cheese-free Stuffed Shells from vegetarian times. Super easy to make, pretty economical (extremely important these days), and from the little bit of filling i tasted, it should be good.
Now, instead of the traditional ricotta cheese, this recipe uses tofu. If that's not your thing (I haven't told T what's in it, and i'm not going to until I hear "Lunch was really good!") then know that it doesn't taste bland. Really. With the added salt and spices, it really might as well be the ricotta- texture is the same. (And, it's good for you!)

Looks good, right? I subbed regular mozzarella cheese for their recommended fake cheddar "cheese"

So, that plus steamed broccoli is our lunch for the next 2 days.

And then last week I somehow got on this blog that is so pretty... And this was the recipe that I landed on. French Breakfast Puffs. Really simple, and quite tasty. I baked them for about 23 minutes. Nice and crumbly. Can't wait for breakfast* tomorrow.

*Breakfast is actually already made for the next 2 days, to ensure that we don't skip it. Scrambled egg, 1 slice of bacon (nitrate-free thank you very much), and some quartered mushrooms sauteed. Plus tea. Earl Grey (and never buy the Bigelow brand for Earl Grey. Buy Twinnings (yellow box). Trust me on this.)

It Looks So Small...

2011-03-02T07:20:00.000-06:00

When it was in seven or so boxes, my inventory (boxed cards) looked like so much more. Now that it's all nicely tucked away, it doesn't look like i've been busy at all!

Or maybe it just looks like I get a lot of etsy sales? Sure, we'll go with that.

Top shelf, A7s, A6s, and my groovy "goth invites" as well as some of the smaller packs.
Middle shelf, A2s and 4bars, plus coasters and bookmarks.
Bottom shelf - holiday items.

On display, jasmine-scented candle (my favorite scent for candles), extra SXSW invitations because they look so damn cool, a little budha, a sequined skull (the question isn't why do i have a skull, it's why *don't you* have one?), and an antique stamp (for fabrics i believe) that was a housewarming gift from one of T's gaming buddies and his g.f. Pretty cool.

No, I still haven't finished painting.
Like that surprises you.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2011-02-27T12:30:00.000-06:00

Just got back from the store, left my list in the car, and only forgot 1 item - taco seasoning. No worries, b/c I remembered The Kitchn had a recipe for one:

Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper/Paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried Onions

Measure: Measure out all ingredients side by side to ensure you don't double up or leave one out.
Mix: Combine ingredients in a zip top bag or bowl and shake/stir to combine until cornstarch and onions are well distributed.
Store: Keep in an air tight container for up to 1 year.
To Use: 7 teaspoons of mix is enough to season 1 pound of meat. We often start with 4 teaspoons and increase it from there. Some meats like turkey and chicken take less, while pork and beef might take a little more. Play to your own tastes and remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it out!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Movies, movies, and more movies

2011-02-27T00:14:00.001-06:00

I am movied out. Of course, this is only a temporary condition. Could be cured in 5 minutes if I choose, but I think I'll choose bed instead.

5 movies today and 5 last Saturday.

Haven't decided what my favorite was, but here are my brief notes:
Inception - great visuals, JG-L is great, and parts took place in a letterpress workshop in Paris- hell-o!
Toy Story 3 - not-recommended when PMSing - tissues. So good!
The Fighter - Boxing, hell-o!
The Kids are All Right - California douchebaggery + Annette Benning doing a fab. job.
Winter's Bone - haven't seen Pete of "Benny's World of Blood" (From Dusk Til Dawn) in a while. Good movie, but not happy.
The King's Speech - fab. (Didn't recognize Jennifer Ehle though! Lizzy and Darcy in the same movie and I didn't even appreciate it!) Also, I now have Beethoven stuck in my head.
Black Swan - am i the only person who really liked that? Everyone I know was really disturbed by it.
True Grit - Good, but in a regular movie way, not a Coen Brothers' way. HS - great newcomer.
The Social Network - facebook sucks (necessary evil these days though). Well done, but most of the characters were jerks. Best line of the movie: "I'm 6'5", 225lbs, and there's two of me."
127 Hours - wicked cool. Love desert scenery like that. Also, ouch.

Looking forward to the Oscars Sunday night. Hopefully it's better than last year's telecast, which bored me to drink. (Okay, i would have had my bubbly no matter what. But still, it was boring.)

A little closer...

2011-02-25T07:04:00.000-06:00

to getting organized.

Last night, after printing and trimming invitations for SXSW, I spent a little time purging and organizing things on the bookshelf. Of course I still have 2 envelope-boxes of little decor items that are currently homeless...

Decided not to paint the little A-hook and hung up my small collection. I need/want more : )

Other things wanted for the study:
-bulletin board or bulletin board/ dry erase board combo, 18x24 roughly.
-ornate frame for bulletin board
-plush faux fur throw from target
-small wall-mounted fan for corner by closet.
-small rubbish bin, small recycling bin
-wall mounted lamps for desk area, clear up some desk space
-reading/floor lamp for chaise corner

I found a cabinet for boxed-card storage. It's a lot like the white (tea) cabinet that I purchased a few months ago, which I still love, except it's darker and doesn't have the little drawers. It should hold quite a few packages, which will clear out the boxes stashed (and overflowing from) under the chaise. Of course if I had more sales, this wouldn't be a problem...

My Mostly-Painted Study

2011-02-23T07:21:00.001-06:00

Since the other bookcase's order was closed (still not happy about that) I found a quick replacement for 1/3 the price. Super quick (and free) shipping was great but
a) it was a bitch-and-a-half to put together. I believe it was a 2-person job but that's not how i roll.
b) it's cheap. during the shopping portion that's great, but during assembly, not so much.

But it's up, and while less real estate than my bricks-and-boards leftover from college, i'll make it work. (Bulk trash collection was the other day but someone adopted my cinder blocks before it came. Glad they got a good home.)

The color is from Lowes, "pink wink," and i actually brought in a letterpress card i printed to match because i really love the (discontinued) paper:

So, the plan I guess:
-finish painting, maybe Friday evening I'll complete it. I have above and behind the door, above the window, and some touch-ups left. Then of course the door itself, which i'd rather just replace but i can't find what i want.
-paint the trim and door frame. Plain white or glossy black?; ) Probably white. bah.
-paint the wood of my desk chair and an "A" hook (thanks, mom!) glossy black.
-figure out how to hang my collection of framed art and pictures. Over the chaise (aw, there's a kitty curled up on it right now.) i think.
-oh, and most importantly, get myself organized!!

Eagerly Awaiting...

2011-02-05T13:14:00.000-06:00

Other than being "antique black" instead of "black" I think this will be a great addition to my study. So excited to finally get rid of the "bricks-and-boards" leftover from college.

Should arrive late Feb.

The snow has all melted away. : (

Snow in Austin

2011-02-04T07:39:00.000-06:00

"Mom, what's that white stuff??"

My Weekday Breakfasts

2011-01-31T07:18:00.004-06:00

Drinking one of these every (weekday) morning is my way of making sure I'm getting my veggies!

It's 1 cup kale, 1 cup baby spinach, 1/2 a pear, 1 banana and I use 1 cup 1% cow milk. (Yes, Andrew, it really is that "ninja turtle ooze green.")


Picture is Joy the Baker's, not mine

And rather than make kale chips for T or spinach pesto to freeze since the greens' Use By date was rapidly approaching, i spent some time blending up my 1 cup servings for the freezer. This morning I just plopped in a frozen glob of kale and a frozen glob of spinach, and added the rest. I let them mingle for a minute (so as not to kill my little baby blender) and it took no time to blend. Result? A little colder but otherwise no difference! Also saved about 5 minutes (not to mention some $ in the produce department.

This is my baby blender. I wanted to try this recipe but with the bread machine, couldn't afford to give up any more counter space.

Picture Overstock.com's ,not mine.

Tiny. And the little jars are the perfect size for toting a chai latte to work. Not their original intended purpose but it works for me. (Okay, I used a smaller one for chopping up my veggie portions yesterday.)

Drink the smoothie. It's good. Until the very last bit- that's when i go "blech." But until that point : )

Mushroom Toast, v.2

2011-01-23T21:30:00.001-06:00

Made another loaf of french bread (i'm totally addicted- tweaked the recipe a bit and wow...) and had more mushrooms. Here's what I did this time:

2 tablespoons of butter in med. saucepan, medium-high heat.
Into that, I mixed:
5 large mushrooms, roughly chopped
3 or 4 strips of bacon that were cooked in the oven rather than the pan, roughly chopped
A couple sprinklings of dried parsley flakes (maybe 1 tablespoon total?)
a teaspoon or so of garlic powder
a pinch of ground black pepper
and 2 swooshes of olive oil
Stirred them around for a bit, until the bread was ready

The bread was buttered on one side and both sides toasted under the broiler. Then the mush-mix was put on it, with a sprinkling of grated parm, and cooked under broiler until cheese was all melty and delicious.

Yum

Marble Falls, TX

2011-01-23T20:08:00.002-06:00

T had a job interview in Marble Falls, and I had the day off from work so I tagged along. We had lunch at the Blue Bonnet Cafe (2 friends recommended it, especially the pie)...

I had the smoked chicken (delicious!), potato soup (yum), salad and fries (eh.) And cherry pie for dessert. T had a pot roast, green beans, cooked spinach, and fried okra. Ice cream for dessert.

After lunch we headed to Main Street to kill some time before his interview. Visited shops, hit a wine bar, had wine... and a little more...

Fun shop, but the shop keeper rushed us out so quickly. Whatever, I got a picture of the decor.

Little turtle statue. A few grand out of my price range

But we had a nice time together.

And then we went to Starbucks b/c it was really close to his interview. I struggled through some french Vogue and in the end, he was offered the job, but turned it down. It was lower paying than his previous job, and with the price of gas, it just wasn't do-able.

Mushroom Toast

2011-01-08T22:35:00.001-06:00

Made this for dinner last night because i had homemade bread, mushrooms, and butter. (And parm. cheese which was quite nasty, but was saved by the helpful blade of a chef's knife.) It was very good! And, amazingly, T liked it too! Loved it actually. : )

I don't know who's happier that I got a bread machine, me or him. I've made 3 loaves so far- the dough for a cinnamon raisin, which I baked in a standard pan in the oven and took to work the next day, a loaf of french bread, which I used the timer for so I woke up to freshly baked bread- smelled sooooo good, and today the dough for french bread which i baked in a pan in the oven. Never been a fan of bread baked in the machine, but i'm a big fan of not having to knead the dough and find a good place for it to rise. : )

All Grown Up

2011-01-03T17:27:00.000-06:00

I am officially a Grown Up.

I cooked my first ham.

And it was good!!

Whew.

So yes, I believe that makes me a grown up. I'm sure vegetarians have other standards, but that was a big one. (Of course, I've yet to do a turkey... yikes. Maybe next year?)

Christmas Eve dinner was fondue (the tradition, but with a twist- rather than cook the meat and seafood in oil, we did broth) and my late Christmas with my dad was the ham.

Also, my brother's girlfriend gave me Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I made some carrots from it (basically carrots simmering in butter and water), which i overcooked. Sigh. They tasted good but were too soft. Next time. (I hate carrots, but they're cheap and "healthy.")

World Market was having a sale on enamel cookware and I've been lusting after the le crueset dutch ovens for a while, but not their price tag, so picked one up from WM. I'm sure the quality isn't the same as l.c.'s but hello, i can't afford a $300 piece of cookware.

WM's picture. Not mine.

Wanted to get the smaller round one, but theoretically I could cook a whole chicken in this one...
Of course now i'm needing new potholders... i have 2- one has holes and the other is thin. Always something, right?

Hope everyone had a happy new year. 2011 is going to be great!!

Ready for a Change, Part 2

2010-12-30T08:33:00.001-06:00

Well, sadly the black is out. I purchased a black chaise and as much as I like black, black furniture and black walls is not right.

SO.

Now I'm looking at soft blush. Light pink walls with black furniture can look just as glam and fabulous, I am sure.

And WTF, Ikea. This is some bullshit.

There is no way in hell i'll pay $99 shipping for a bookcase. No effing way.

Guess I have to hold off on my bookcase until i can get up there with someone with a good trunk/flexible seats. Mega-bummer.

Checked on craigslist too, but they only have the lighter colors, and pre-assembled. (No truck.)
BUMMER.

Ready for a Change

2010-12-23T07:41:00.000-06:00

I have next week off from work, and am super excited about it. One thing I plan on doing is re-painting my study.

Here's a fairly recent picture, tho the bookshelves and desk position change often and no longer look like this.

Paint color is from Lowe's, "Vintage Pewter. Still pretty, but scuffed up. Plus, i want to go BOLD!

BLACK BLACK BLACK
Repaint my little desk white.

And one day...
-get a large bookshelf from Ikea, the Expedit for it's great storage options (in black)
-get a chandelier for some glamour
-get a settee/loveseat so i can study/stream a movie/draw comfortably
-and get some new curtains

Here are a few things that I like/want/wish I could afford:

Why is anthropologie's furniture so expensive?

This is a little deeper than I'd like, but the shape is good.

Maybe i'll get lucky and find something (clean) on craigslist that will work.

This is affordable ($133), I'm just waiting until I'm ready.

And the bookcase, in black-brown

(would prefer just black, but i'm sure a quick paint job can fix it.

OR i can just get white... Think the black would "disappear" though.)

Also affordable ($129) it's just a matter for going to Ikea to get it!

Thoughts? I need my study to be a refuge/creative space/virtual shop space for inviting. Want it bold, glam and creative.

Map It!

2010-12-22T07:44:00.002-06:00

This might be really nerdy, but I think it's cool to see where my customers are.

Blue = 2009 Customers

Yellow = 2010 Customers

Look at all that yellow! There is more blue than is shown, but the yellow covers some of them up.

It's been a good year. : ) I'm ready for 2011!
And if you want some letterpress goodies on sale, visit the facebook page and click on Email Signup tab. You'll get the coupon code before it's shared publicly. : )

Holiday Fun in San Antonio

2010-12-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

We spent the night in San Antonio with friends, and went out to eat (and drink, and drink, and, yes, drink) on the Riverwalk. It's my favorite part of San Antonio- I grew up there and don't like the city, except for downtown. And at christmastime it's particularly lovely.

Fun with Fuchsia Ink!

2010-11-30T14:10:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when you have the day off, finish a print-job using fuchsia ink, and find more blank coasters...

Uh, yeah these are on etsy if you're interested!

It's insane how happy I am when printing. Practically indecent.

Poor Little Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T14:02:00.000-06:00

I always feel bad for Thanksgiving - there's large retailing for Halloween, and once that's over, it's xmas everywhere! It just kind of gets skipped over, especially with people decorating with string-lights and putting their xmas trees up before the turkey's been eaten. Not to mention, if you didn't grab your fall decorations before Halloween, it can be pretty hard to find fall paper napkins...

We went to Brownsville again for Thanksgiving to visit T's family.

And on Saturday after lunch we all went to the Brownsville Heritage Museum where T's great-great-great(?) uncle's saloon had a display. Pretty cool.

And now we're home. It is good to be home. Have 2 days off after the long weekend and am decorating for xmas. (See? You do it *after* Thanksgiving, not before. Keep the holidays separate and special.) The tree is up, garlands and wreaths up, and tonight we'll decorate the tree. Will probably watch Die Hard or Scrooged and drink some spiked eggnog. It's our tradition. : )

It's already October. Oof.

2010-10-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Are you throwing a Halloween party and need invitations? Or some festive stationery?
Check out my letterpress shop : )

Neglect is Good?

2010-09-30T06:48:00.004-05:00

With my plants it would seem so!
Because it's been so hot, i hate being hot, and i'm lazy, i haven't done much gardening since the spring. The most I do is snip off some basil for cooking and toss its flowers in the dirt.

Well, cooler weather has arrived so T mowed the lawn and i cleaned up the edges around my gardens, and was pleasantly surprised!

My mint is bad looking *but* there are a bunch of babies popping up.

The sage thing in the middle was surprisingly in bloom- doubted it would survive the summer.

And my basil is out of control!

There are 2 small plants, 1 good sized one, and 1 that's almost 4 feet tall!

The over at "The Sophie Garden" the pentas are doing great, the sage okay, and the rescued tropical plants from work are alive, and that's pretty much all i could ask.

Lost a branch in a tropical storm so had to re-hang the wind chimes.

Ready for outdoor parties!

This is the branch we lost.

I'm going to spray paint it, hang small crystals/beads from it, and voila! - winter decoration.

Oh, and the cherry tomato plant (which produced a whopping THREE tomatoes) is still alive.

Earrings!

2010-09-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

Had some time this afternoon to make a few earrings, and then put together a make-do earring holder. I really like the empty frames with wire strung across in several rows, but until I find a frame that i like, this may do. A little w.t. but it's making me happy.

All the post-earrings are in a fancy dish above my dresser but all hook earrings are here.

What I would love to do is find a vintage/art deco vanity for use in the dressing room and move the dresser into the bedroom to store linens.
Something like this:

Craigslist often has some excellent looking pieces (and for under $200!!) but with no truck it makes it difficult. Can't really throw it on a skateboard and drag it home on the scooter, can i?

Beads!

2010-09-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

Went to Bead It with Mom today... Spent a little more than I planned to but there was a sale in the back..

What I came home with

Close up of the strands... Aren't they pretty?

After shopping we went next door to Opa! for sangria and a Mediterranean plate (yum!).

Fun afternoon. : )

Printing Saturday

2010-09-04T13:49:00.001-05:00

Like most Saturday mornings, today's was spent in the print shop. Today's projects included some Call Me calling cards, those damned Ladies of Letterpress postcards (doomed project full of frustration and procrastination), some halloweenish invitations, and a couple other things. Busy morning. Overall, it went okay, minus the LOL postcards. I hate that project. *But* the ladies of inviting had their first printing injury. My partner got her fingers smooshed.

Ouch!

Her fingers are still swollen but not as bad as this. The knuckles are very very bruised though. She can bend them okay so we're hoping nothing is broken or damaged.

We're both relieved to know that getting your fingers caught between the paper and the image isn't as bad as we imagined: flattened fingers or pieces missing! But we were using the aluminum base and polymer plates and not metal type. Ughhhhh.... I feel woozy just thinking about what *could* have happened.

Well, it was bound to happen eventually, right? We've had the machine for 3 years...

Cocktail of the Summer

2010-09-02T07:10:00.001-05:00

Usually my summery drink of choice is a gin & tonic but this year it's been a Pimms Cup - Pimms No. 1 and ginger ale. That's it. Super simple, super good.

The first time I got drunk was actually with Pimms, in England. There it was mixed with a lemonade and fruit- delish. I just never have lemonade on hand but there's always ginger ale around. (Next up, making my own- I found a recipe and will try it maybe this weekend.)

If you haven't had Pimms before, get thee to a liquor store. It's usually in the schnaaps aisle and a bottle's about $17. It's gin based and fruity. Fill a glass 1/4-1/3 with Pimms, add ice and top with ginger ale or fizzy lemonade. That's it! No special skills involved.

Comment vous appelez-vous?

2010-09-01T22:18:00.001-05:00

Mon cours de francais has begun. I'm taking French I at the jr. college in town and am only slightly overwhelmed. Which is good. I wasn't expecting this to be easy and am nerdy enough that i'm totally getting it. : ) The Rs are tricky- sometimes I feel like I am pronouncing words properly, and other times, well most times, I don't. But i am trying!

Class materials were more than I anticipated though so I cannot sign up for the Beginner's Ashtanga Workshop series at Yoga Yoga. In the spring I guess; it's not like it's going anywhere, right?

I did my homework and now I'm tired. Il est dix heures et quart du soir. I am lame and sleepy so that means it's bedtime!

Oh, and French Vogue is freakin' expensive- $15!! I spent $28 on TWO magazines at Borders today- French Vogue and Cote Paris (some elle decor type thing. I don't really know what it says yet, but a) i will and b) it sure looks pretty on my coffee table!)

BTW, inviting is giving away a groovy spider card this week- you can enter HERE. And you should enter, because I made the card. : )

Oof.

2010-08-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

I was hoping to have more here this year but have been very busy with the printing. And when I'm not at the day job or working for the weekend job, I'm trying to do nothing. (Nothing sometimes = a beer on the couch while zoning out to South Park. Need to get to knitting again, holidays are coming up.)

But alas.

Seriously, i've "worked" the past 2 weekends, and have 2 more coming up. Longing to sleep in, but with the temperatures the way they've been, even with the portable a/c unit, the mornings are the only good time to print. And there's been a wedding, personalized cards for a photographer in PA, cards for a friend in NYC, experiments, etc.

I do love it though. : )
And am very much looking forward to winter- sleeping in a little, enjoying a nice long morning, and then getting up to go print.

Anyhoo. What has been going on?

I turned XXIX and got sick with a horrible sinus infection a couple of days before so was totally miserable that week, and I even had 3 days off from work to celebrate ME and it was terrible. Then that week my girlie doctor told me she wants me to lose weight, to get back where I was 2 years ago. (If I didn't like her so much I'd call her a total bitch and be looking for a new dr. But a good dr. is hard to find, and she is pretty cool. And okay, fine, she's right. Still.)

But my bday wasn't a total dud: my brother and his Ashley came over to grill dinner and my mom baked a rhubarb crumble. It was a nice dinner but I was just wiped out.

I have a thing for fun make-up palettes

and am trying out a dry-shampoo for those

'i really don't want to wash my hair' days.

There's been a make-do area in my kitchen area: an old aquarium stand with a crappy shelf laying on top of it, serving as a little "this is where i keep my tea pot and sugars" area. And yeah, it was probably as bad as you're picturing. But looking on crateandbarrel.com they had this lovely tall and narrow wine shelf thing that would have been perfect... except it was over $500. Bah. And all the bakers racks I'd seen were too country, too 'vintage wine country,' or too traditional - so not us. But then I saw a simple little white cabinet, glass doors, 2 drawers, would look great in that space... for under $150! Sold! And i got it 2 days later. Crazy fast $1 shipping. : )

Well, then I had to put it together.

Fuuuddddgggge. NOTHING came pre-assembled.

1 cocktail (Pimms & Ginger), 10 minutes of music, and almost all of Gordon Ramsay on Master Chef, it was completed!

And it's perfect. Little (and I do mean little) drawers hold teas and sweeteners, and as it's mounted to the wall, nothing jiggles when the doors open or close. Only thing I need to change- add 1 more shelf (crap, and i was at Lowe's this morning too) so that I can hold ALL my tea things and not have anything stacked. But it looks nice, right? Surprisingly, even T likes it.

Since inviting has been rather busy this month (had to make project sheets to keep everything straight- it's been wonderful!) I've been taking any help I can get. Business Partner's been coming out again, and when photographing and posting in the afternoons when it's too hot to print, these two have been helpers:

The Emma's "helping" cut paper? Uh, okay.

She also keeps an eye on the computer while I'm out printing.

I come in to wash my hands and see her either on my desk or on my chair, supervising.

Darcy "helping" me with etsy.com listings.

And see? Been busy, and this isn't even everything I've worked on this month! (But I'm really not complaining. I *challenge* you- let's see how many orders I can handle. Hit me with your best shot. And, uh, the holidays are coming up. Really, they'll be here before we know it! Shop early and you'll be less stressed later!)

New Chair

2010-07-18T18:20:00.002-05:00

I haven't taken the tag off, so please ignore it. : )

Deco Bacall Velvet Side Chair
Darcy acting as a silly chair model / Ignore the tag under the chair

It's not a "comfy" chair but it is good for sitting with good posture and maybe a cocktail. Plus, it looks fabulous, does it not? I think it's going to be one of those 'the more I see it the more I love it' things, but I do like it a lot- especially the way the fabric is pulled down so low in the back.

Where Have i Been?

2010-07-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

Well, amongst other things, I went to the Grand Canyon!

My dad took this picture- his caption was "Ashley scaring the shit out of me." Well, it was worth it- I got some great pictures.

Had a family reunion in AZ, south of Flagstaff so there was a road trip through NM, and then as soon as I got back, the office was moving buildings so I was working my butt off with that. Now I'm happy things are pretty back to normal.

More later.

Cute Lunch Boxes

2010-06-17T22:00:00.001-05:00

I still love my bento box (I did mention that somewhere, didn't I? Wow, just did a search and it looks like i NEVER mentioned my adorable and awesome bento box. Another time!) but saw these on modcloth.com and would love them as well, like for snacks and such. Too cute!

Mega-Ultra* Cookie

2010-06-15T07:21:00.002-05:00

I did it! Attempted macarons for the third time and they came out with the perfect texture!

Ultra Mega Cookie - the most perfect one of the bunch

Added matcha powder to the cookie batter and the filling is strawberry jam mixed with cream cheese (it's all i had). YUM!

*Mega Ultra Chicken from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Gardening Plan...

2010-05-16T21:09:00.001-05:00

Started a garden along the back of the house today- lined the area with that anti-weed fabric and started the beer-bottle border. Got about 4 feet of border done, planted the basil, but ran out of dirt so the mint is still in its pot.
It's going to be a long process. But here's my plan so far:

Wildflowers aren't there (garden hasn't been started yet- am waiting for the grass to be mowed before covering it with the fabric) but i have some seeds already- bluebonnets and wine cups. Need to figure out which other seeds to get and then that can get started. I just like the idea of tall flowers being visible through the windows.
The blackberry plant is small but alive, and in need of some mulch, and the pentas in the Sophie Garden need some good dirt as well. Would like to try some fragrant jasmine, honeysuckle or wisteria along the chain-link fences. Guess I'll need to keep an eye out for some sales.

Anyhoo. I'll post a proper picture probably next weekend. Should plan out the front yard too. Another time. : )

Burlesque

2010-05-01T10:46:00.001-05:00

Okay, so if you know me, you know I love a good burlesque show. I really should attend more, but well, I'm lazy I guess. I did make it out to the Texas Burlesque Festival (1 night of it at least) and it was so much fun!

All of the dances I saw were great, there was an aerialist using the awesome silk, and the below video might have been the same lady, but the performance at the TBF was more awesome:

Then there was a pole dancer who's name I can't remember, and i love a good pole dance. It takes some serious strength and I'm just in awe.

My other favorite of the night was Vivienne Vermuth. This is a video her performance she did somewhere else last year (same dance though):

1- I love Gene Kelly, and Singin' in the Rain is one of my favorite musicals.
2 - Did you notice her shoes? I have a similar pair now!
3 - WHY don't I have a glittery umbrella?!
4 - Such a fun performance (the one at the TBF was a little better than what the video shows, I think, but you get the idea. She's good, and so adorable.) Love the music selections and wardrobe choice.

It was a fun night and I'm glad I went. Also saw Satan's Angel light the tassels from her pasties on fire and twirl them. That's hardcore.

Aw...

2010-04-22T07:02:00.001-05:00

One of my dearest friends just sent this of us. Last month during SXSW we went to a twitter thing and grabbed a few/several drinks afterward. This was taken at Annie's on Congress.

Thanks for the picture!

Wildflower Center

2010-04-20T19:02:00.002-05:00

Got the day off from work to spend time with my dad and stepmom. We went to the Wildflower Center, then got lunch at the cafe, and bought herbs at the Natural Gardener. Was quite a warm day, even in a sundress, but it was perfect for walking through gardens. Had a very nice day.

In my vintage floral dress and silly beach sunglasses

More pictures HERE

Friday with Friends

2010-04-20T07:09:00.000-05:00

Last year friends D&W moved to Philly, and Friday they came back for a visit! A large group of us waited for 90+ minutes for a table at Moonshine (no reservations on Fridays- be prepared to wait at the bar) and had such a fun time:

Thanks to Chantal for sharing her pictures!!

Soaked

2010-04-15T18:26:00.004-05:00

So today I rode home in the rain. I've attempted it once before, then bailed at a coffee shop. Today I figured what the heck? Well. I was soaked. Took the stockings off at work cos I could only imagine how icky *that* would be, but stuck it out with the heels, and they did surprisingly well!

Traffic makes cool sounds in the rain, and the smells (minus the 1980s chevrolet in front of me) were wonderful. It was actually kind of fun.

But there are jerks everywhere, right? While stopped on top of the bridge, some asshole in a white pick up (go figure) with a Ginger Leigh sticker (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) decided to stop next to me, and when i turned my head, he grinned and waved like seeing me was just the funniest thing ever. I sarcastically waved back- scooterists do NOT give the finger. The physics are against it. But really, what an asshole! Offer me a ride home or mind your own business. Let me enjoy the rain. This is Texas. Summer is approaching. We won't have much more of it.

My short "trench coat" was soaked, my dress had several wet blotches, and i might have ruined one of my favorite pair of shoes so I must go prop those up against a fan. Cross your fingers for these ladies:

Unlisted's Tube Top in gray. Sooo comfy and practical, while still being a little sassy

My Name is Ashley, and I'm an Addict

2010-04-13T19:32:00.005-05:00

...Addicted to fun footwear! (There are much worse things to be addicted too. Of course I'm also hooked on Newflower Market's gummy bears, but that's another post...)

Last week I checked out my shoe store online and ordered these ladies, that arrived today!!!

(Remember, I am not a shoe model. Don't expect perfection or loveliness!)

Pair #1: Indigo's Dodie in purple:
First thought: Damn, am i really that white?!
Second thought: I have 2 dresses that these will look *perfect* with!
Heel: moderate. Shouldn't be a problem at all.
Tread: awesome for scooting
Comfort: pretty good. We'll see how they are after a full day at the office though.

Pair #2: Chelsea Crew's Bell in tan:
First thought: they're so vintage-y! Can't you just see Keira Knightley's character in Atonement wearing these?
Second thought: i like the color; should be great for spring and summer.
Heel: moderate.
Tread: okay. I've scooted in worse
Comfort: well, one toe (my second toes are a little longer than my first- go ahead, call me a freak) might pose a problem but as long as i keep my toe nails nicely trimmed, i'm sure it will be okay.

And Pair #3: Naturalizer's Beacon (I think): First thought: these might be returned. They're just not summery, yanno? But should I keep them for fall/winter? Can I make these summery? Hmm...
Second thought: again with the paleness. Sure I aim to be Dita von Teese pale, but i usually don't think i'm any where near that! I guess that's what flashes do... But about the shoes, yeah, I'm going to have to think about them...
Heel: again, moderate. I think everything I ordered is 3" though these might be 2.5.
Tread: decent.
Comfort: a little tight across the vamp but it feels nice a secure. And this is post-workout so my feet should be as swollen as they'll get, right?

SO, what do YOU think?

Workout & Gardening Fun?

2010-04-11T08:43:00.008-05:00

Started working out after work last week. Will be doing the trail 2-3 days (4 miles, walking then adding running) and climbing the emergency stairs at work (29 flights) up and down (and repeat) 1-2 days a week. A few of us from work will be signing up for the Fight for Air Climb in May, so watch out for a fundraising request as soon as i register! : )

With my tax refund I was able to buy new running shoes and so far (having not actually *run* in them) I love them. They're comfy, have lots of cushion around the ankle, and don't make my big feet look like boats. AND they were less than I expected to spend so I was able to get 2 more capri workout pants, 3 more pairs of socks, AND 5 cheap-o plain t-shirts from a craft store. (I'm not spending $16+ on a t-shirt that's just going to get ugly after 3 wears. No thank you.)

The new shoes! $40 at Academy

The rose bushes in the front yard are awesome. Previous Owner cared for them lots, we've heard, and I'm just trying to keep them alive. Apparently I'm doing okay on that front because even the ugly one at the front of the yard is getting 5 flowers, I clipped a favorite peachy one for my desk on Friday, and the big red one has 7 or so coming in. The middle one (another red I think) has so many buds appearing I just can't wait for them to bloom!

My favorite kind of rose from the yard.

Spent a day last weekend de-grassing the "garden" - the grass took over and there was no clear distinction between "rose garden" and "grassy yard." Now you can see the dirt/old mulch. Need to get a little rock border going and throw in some good organic mulch. Problem is, all that costs money! sigh. (Another pro of San Antonio- dig a hole for your plant, dig *up* 20 small annoying rocks you can use. We don't have that here- it's all dirt.) Well, it's at least tidied for now. The border can wait.

And by the front door there's a little garden with the crepe myrtle and some little boxwood things. I'd like to transplant them elsewhere, but for now they'll do. Yesterday I planted zinnias and a few daisies in that same garden; I hope they'll grow tallish so the garden gets some good fun color coming out in between the boxwoods.

Obviously I haven't swept up the mess I made yet!

Okay, Grandma, are you happy there's finally an actual post? : )

Stolen picture of bluebonnets...

2010-04-01T06:59:00.002-05:00

One of the best parts about San Antonio:

(Picture swiped from Dad's facebook page)

In Austin there are bluebonnets but not nearly as much as San Antonio has. Wow!

Well, this is a little odd...

2010-03-28T22:02:00.002-05:00

The Oscars

2010-03-08T06:39:00.003-06:00

I did AMC's Best Picture Showcase the past 2 Saturdays, so I've seen all the Best Picture Nominees. Favorites were The Blind Side, Up and The Hurt Locker.

T was kind enough to get the digital antennae and converter thingy for the old TV so that I could watch the Oscars last night. And watch it I did. As T was using the internet I couldn't have fun with twitter, so here are my thoughts, delayed:

On the red carpet, Kathy Ireland was painful. The way she was speaking I felt she should be on an infomercial or something. So annoying.
Carey Mulligan's earrings were FABULOUS. I want. Really really want.
Sarah Jessica Parker looked *awful.* The tan, the yellow, the skeletal look, and that ridiculous bun. Wish the red carpet guy would have let Broderick speak b/c he's probably far more interesting. And looks better.
Streep and Mirren looked awesome, but they usually do, don't they?
Bored with Anna Kendrick's hair style. I think she's done it that way a few other times this awards season. Meh.
"Intern George's" hair could have looked better.
Twilight is not a horror movie. Why was it in the montage?
Did I miss Farrah Fawcett or did they just not mention her in the year's passings.
Really glad Sandra Bullock won. She's come a long way from Speed, hasn't she? And her performance in The Blind Side was excellent.
Queen Latifa looked fabulous. She usually does tho. Cameron Diaz looked lovely, too.
Tom Ford = nice. Haven't seen his movie yet but I will.
Liked seeing the guys from The Hurt Locker at the end- they looked so excited and thrilled on stage.
And yay for Kathryn Bigelow! It really was a badass movie.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T07:48:00.005-06:00

As some of you know, we took Darcy to the vet for a small bump on his chin. Poor guy had a (non-cancerous) tumor that needed to be removed. He did really well, the people at the animal hospital love him, and he had to wear a silly collar (which he kept flipping back like a bib so we just left it like that) for a week, until his stitches were removed.
Here's Darcy trying to sit comfortably:

I have a slight eye glases addiction, thanks to the super affordable zennioptical.com. Had $ to use up from my flex spending account in December so I ordered SIX pairs. Here's one of the more fun pairs : ) It's lime green on the inside, black on the outside, and had lots of sparkles at the corners, pink sparkles making little flowers, too.

And for my dressing room, I made a very nifty purchase. A girl needs a place to sit while she puts on her stockings and shoes, no? Found a fabulously huge (40" across), tufted, round velvet ottoman (from overstock.com) for a *great* price (plus used BillMeLater so no payment is due until May- nice). Here's Darcy modeling it, the evening his stitches were removed:

And on the stationery business front, the AMOA (austin museum of art) downtown is holding a Hatch Show Print exhibit and the buyer, who is fabulous, contacted inviting about having cards for sale in the gift shop during the exhibit. I busted my butt last week and got 2 dozen of 5 designs printed and packaged, and they will be in the shop early this week! Show your support for a local letterpress printing shop and buy a few cards. I'd love to get an email saying "we sold out and need more!"

(The trains are actually printed in brown, not orange)

That's it for now! More later I'm sure. Since I've neglected this I have some catching up to do! : )

Happy Valentine's Day, whether you celebrate it or not. We pick up some chocolate covered strawberries from Amy's Ice Cream, a pizza from Homeslice, and watch a movie; nothing fancy. Almost like any other day ; )

How I Know...

2010-02-07T15:35:00.002-06:00

...I am officially too old to shop at Forever 21:Seriously I should not shop any place that offers these as "Accessories."

But I am anyway. Online only, of course.
I like their knitted berets.

New Project

2010-01-20T19:41:00.002-06:00

Since I'm always doing crafts (it's what I do when I'm watching movies) I end up with extras. Sure, I could put them aside in the Gift Closet (or Cabinet as it is here) *or* I could try to share them with the world, and get a little $ for more crafting supplies, and put them on etsy! So that's what I've done. Propriety with a Twist now has an etsy shop now! Check it out!

Happy 2010

2010-01-02T17:26:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Last year I made a list of goals. For laughs, let's see how I did!
1. Do more design work for stationery and invitations - Check!
2. Continue de-cluttering and be tidier - Not so much. Still a work in progress.
3. Be less boring in my wardrobe - Off an on. I try different things but still fall back on boring basics too much.
4. Cook more healthy meals; experiment more on my own - Off and on. Learning new things, but not enough.
5. Wake earlier and do yoga before breakfast on weekdays; go for long walks at least once on weekends. - Nope. As in not at all. I'll do really well for a while, then a bad weather day will change it and it will take forever to get back to exercising. Besides, let's be honest, there are just so many available titles on netflix!
6. Build up savings account; reduce debt even further - Savings? Well, there is $ in it. Not much, but enough for a few "oh shit!" moments, or maybe one ER visit. Reduce debt? 1 credit card. Could be worse. Couches are paid off tho, so that's nice.
7. Read more - Started off really well but am regularly reading before bed.
8. Be nicer - LOL. Well, off an on. Depends on who you talk to ; )

Goals for this year? Hmmm...
1. Work on my jogging/jumping rope/avoiding tendinitis in my shins so that I may consider going back to boxing classes come Spring (when it gets darker later. Class is east of downtown so that's a longer scooter ride home.) Also, get into a lower weight class.
2. Cook even more. Learn new things and make more vegetarian/healthier options. Eat less cheese? (I *love* cheeses. Would eat it every meal and snack if I weren't afraid of a heart attack at 30.) Maybe I'll work on that one. Maybe.
3. Double sales for inviting. Those goals are separate though.
4. Knock out remaining credit card.
5. Purge, purge and purge. I'm not a hoarder or anything, but I have way too much stuff.
6. Try to look nice every day. Life is too short to look like you don't care.

I hope everyone had lovely holidays and that their 2010 has started off great!

Btw, hop over to inviting's blog and enter the giveaway this month!

Post-Holidays, and in need of a de-tox!

2009-12-26T09:39:00.009-06:00

Oh my goodness, the xmas dinners are over. After sleeping for 10 hours last night, I feel rested again. The past 2-3 days have been BUSY with preparations and cookings and cleanings. And now it's the weekend, the wonderful weekend!

Xmas eve we celebrated with my mom, brother, T's uncle, and a friend of mom's and had a super fun time!

Dinner was: sirloin/scallops/shrimp fondue, lefse, salad, bacon-wrapped-stuffing balls, pickle things, steamed green beans, roasted tomatoes and eggplant bruschetta, cheese puffs, brie stuffed mushrooms, and I can't think what else. T's uncle brought sparkling wine, and dinner wine to share- delicious! Plus we had some cocktails/beer before and after dinner.

After dinner we opened gifts and planned on playing a game or two, but by then it was too late for games.

A wonderful xmas eve.

Xmas morning there was breakfast (and Santa gifts) at Mom's home, and we played a few rounds of Pictureka. I knew my brother was be a stiff competitor, but T surprised me- he and my brother dominated! Fun times.

Then, a few hours (and no nap for me) later, my dad, stepmom and her son arrived at the house for xmas dinner. I purchased ham and cornbread stuffing from Threadgills the day before so we had that, zucchini cakes, cheese puffs, pickle things, lefse, steamed asparagus, more brie-stuffed mushrooms, marinated mushrooms, and something else I can't remember. After lots of conversation, a little bit of pie, and more sparkling wine, we opened gifts at the tree.

There was a long running argument between dad and my brother about the spurs trading manu ginobili (who apparently is "a bad man"), which was quite funny! Yes, bourbon was involved.

After they left, we (T, my brother, and I) tested out the Santa gift- a fire pit.

Good times. But I am glad it's all over. Now regular life can resume. : )

I hope everyone has had enjoyable winter holidays.
It's such a pretty season how can you not enjoy it?

And, now I need to detox.
As there are some yummy leftovers, I'll start Monday. : )

How do you detox?
I am thinking no sugar, alcohol, breads, fried foods, cheese (sniffle), and go on nightly walks (looking forward to longer days). No coffee, only tea, unsweetened. Proteins will be baked or grilled, veggies will be fresh or steamed, and that will be it for a couple days.

Got any recommendations for me???

Aw, Nobody Wants a Free Card?

2009-12-16T20:53:00.002-06:00

That's sad. Somebody should say they want it. Really. It's pretty. Pink snowflakes, what's not to like? ; )

Warren was kind enough to share a cocktail idea- white choco. liqueur + vanilla vodka + peppermint schnapps. Yum! I need some tweaking on the proportions, but I've had half of one and am a little tipsy. Thank you Warren!! (See you in Feb! You too, D.)

One of the cashiers at my "neighborhood liquor store" (it's walking distance, love it!) doesn't card me anymore. I asked her about it and yes, it's because she remembered me. Hee.

Holiday Card Giveaway

2009-12-11T16:30:00.004-06:00

Because I'm in a good mood, enter to win this letterpressed holiday card from inviting.

To enter, leave a comment: What was the best part of 2009?

I'll select a winner by random on Monday morning, and I get up early, so enter by Sunday night just to be sure.

Also, become a fan of inviting on facebook.
Or, follow inviting on twitter.
It'll make me happy. Really.

Holiday Stuff

2009-12-06T07:05:00.006-06:00

First, probably the best "modern" (well, non-classic) holiday song. : )

Second, check out inviting's etsy shop for letterpressed goodies.

And third, here's our tree!

P.S. Need help tying bows? This fabulous little video will help!

Festive Cocktail Options...

2009-12-01T09:51:00.004-06:00

Because I'm very strange, I like to start planning parties MONTHS in advance. And what is xmas eve but a tiny little party of 4-5 people? The menu planning started last month so now it's time for the ever important "what to drink?"

I like to offer 2 festive drinks, plus the usual eggnog, wine, and "whatever's in the fridge, help yourself, be creative." These are my options:Going from 12 and roughly clockwise*

The Grinch: lemon juice, simple syrup, midori, marachino cherry. (Served before, good.)
Hot Brandy Alexander: milk, brandy, creme de cacao, whipped cream & chocolate shavings. (Never had before.)
Candy Cane Martini: vodka, peppermint schnapps, club soda, candy cane. (Served before, yum!)
Hot Buttered Rum: brown sugar, boiling water, butter, dark rum, nutmeg. (Never had before, Mom loves them.)
Foamy Mexican Hot Chocolate: milk, wedges of mexican hot chocolate, marshmallows. (Never had, virgin.)
French Kiss: lillet, champagne, orange twist. (Think I made a few years ago, can't remember. If I buy more Lillet I can make Vespers.)
The Snowplow: aquavit, lemonade, lemon. (Never had, but am curious about the aquavit.)
Pear Champagne Cocktail: pear eau de vie, champage, frozen pear. (Never had but it sounds lovely!)
Silver Bell Martini: gin, vermouth, pearl onions, silver candy balls. (Pretty standard classic cocktail + candy. Wonder if the candy will sweeten it at all?)
The Elf: lime, sugar, midori, champagne. (Believe I made this before too. Think it was good, but it was *quite* the new year's eve party so...)
Mulled Cider: apple cider, maple syrup, lemon, orange, nutmeg, cinnamon. (Pretty standard, but am used to brown sugar instead of the syrup. Virgin.)

*these are from the Holiday Cocktails Deck.

Okay Readers, what looks good to you? Anything else I should consider? What will you be serving?

The Secret Fantasy Life of Ashley the Great

2009-11-30T07:09:00.001-06:00

This is my new "happy place"

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T07:04:00.002-06:00

We went to Brownsville to be with T's Grandpa, and also saw his mother, younger brother and uncle. It was a very nice visit. Short, but T didn't want to be in traffic with everyone else on Sunday.
While down there we went to the ZOO! I had been looking forward to it for weeks and it did not disappoint!
Check out the rest of the pictures : )

Ack! It's been forever...

2009-11-19T06:26:00.003-06:00

...since I've posted, and I really don't know why. Oh wait, yeah i do! T got sick with a cold on Halloween (and we were both off from work the following week) and just when he was getting better, I got it. I didn't start feeling 100% until last Thursday so Friday and my weekend were spent making up for the week before- cleaning, walk/jogging, shopping, etc.

But while on my break I finished Dita:

I also went through the huge stack of magazines that had been piling up.

And a watched a TON of movies. To name a few: Brideshead Revisited, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Wives & Daughters, Fallen Angel, Pure, The Other Boleyn Girl, Incendiary, Sweet Bird of Youth, and Harper. Not all were good. Some were really bad!

More later...

Required Reading: Atlas Shrugged

2009-10-27T21:13:00.007-05:00

If you haven't read this novel yet, or even if you have- it's worth a second read, please pick it up at your earliest convenience.Seriously. Make it your holiday/winter reading. I'm on vacation next week and will be picking it up again. It is probably more relevant today than when it was written, with all this talk of nationalizing industries (without having the balls to call it nationalization!)... yikes. Scary times, my friends.

Have you read it? What'd you think? Leave a comment : )

I'll Never Buy Sushi Again

2009-10-18T16:39:00.004-05:00

Okay, that's a lie. I probably will, but really, there's almost no need! (Except the raw stuff; I'm unsure about trying that.)

Using the Pioneer Woman's sushi chef as a guide, it was actually edible. And not just edible, it was good!

Yes, I'm aware that California Rolls are meant to be inside out, but those weren't very pretty so I switched to this method. Much tidier!

This was my second attempt (ever) at any sort of sushi. The first time was in my first apartment in Austin was it was so bad. Really, just so bad. Still have that rolling mat tho! This time, I used my new rice cooker (also a steamer- i could multi-task if i wanted to!). It was only $14. Spouts some messy liquid out the vent hole, and was sticky on the bottom, but overall, I'm pleased. I'll just aim the spout at the sink and use some non-stick cooking spray on the bottom of the pan, and then clean up should be a breeze. I think I really like the idea that I could add the rice and water, go workout for 30 minutes or so, and when I come back, the time consuming part of dinner could be ready.

What's your sushi-making experience? Got any favorite rolls I should try?
Leave me a comment. : )

It's here, it's here!

2009-10-18T08:11:00.007-05:00

The new sofa is here!

So now this is how the living room looks. Much better than just a large entry, but still loads of work to do!

Some ideas are here.

Apartment Therapy Cure Update:
So last week I was supposed to clean the whole house. I didn't do that, but I plan to do it week by week. Tomorrow starts Week 2: The Kitchen and I was on my hands and knees last night scrubbing the floor. I loathe mopping so only do it half-assed, so it needed a good scrub. At Target last night I purchased a large (machine-washable) rug, the same as the one by the door in the above picture, so hopefully that will help keep the floor clean. The cats' food and water now have a carpet-sample as their placemat (maybe they'll get a proper one for xmas?) and I cleaned out their food bowl as well. Ew.
I haven't been buying fresh flowers, but clipping them from the yard. There's a soft pink rose in the front living room and a zinnia on the windowsill in the kitchen.
This week I'm to try a new recipe so I bought a rice cooker (it also is a steamer) at Target and am going to attempt a brown rice california roll this afternoon. Will take pictures later.

Yesterday I got the most fun thing in the mail- a pack of 3 british home magazines from my aunt! Trent kept laughing at me because i was *so* excited! Such a treat!! Thanks, Aunt Teresa!

I'd love to hear from you- leave a comment! : )

Cooking Fun

2009-10-11T08:43:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday, my regular cooking day, I made:
baba ghanoush
Didn't have any lemon juice (shocking!) so used a wee bit of lime, but wow was it good. Best eggplant food I've had. Made a great afternoon snack for a couple workdays.

mac & cheese
Didn't have whole milk so used skim with a little whipping cream. Wasn't as creamy as I'd like but it was still really good. I'm a sucker for mac & cheese tho.

curried vegetable & chickpea stew
in the slow cooker, 4 hours
Didn't add the spinach but I thought it was really good. The addition of the coconut milk it what made it, I think.

banana bread
From a cookbook I have. It was a little dry (my fault) and not as banana-y as I would have liked, but I wanted to try a new recipe.

Today I won't be cooking much. Making rice for some curry dishes in the freezer, and prepping veggies for salads. Easy. Maybe I'll make more banana bread tho. If I get bored, maybe a carrot cake too.

Have another blog, a collection of recipes. Needs loads of updates, but it's searchable by ingredient, which makes me happy - http://curiosityinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

House Things

2009-10-11T08:16:00.003-05:00

It's coming! The fabulous sofa from Macys will arrive this coming Saturday! We are so excited.

I've also signed up for the Fall Cure. Hoping to finish some projects, make a few adjustments and changes, and not necessarily redecorate. It starts on Monday.

Last weekend my Grandma from MN was in town visiting (hi Grandma!) and it was really nice seeing her. We had birthday burgers in the backyard (luckily the weather cooperated) and met for pizza before the end of her visit. Yesterday my dad and stepmom were up for the record convention and we all (brother, his girlfriend, and her parents) met for dinner, then had a belated-birthday cake and drinks over here.

The house is decorated for halloween, sans the foam headstones for the front yard and the purple lights for the crepe myrtle. Maybe I'll get to those today...

Ew. Worst Wedding Invitations. Ever?

2009-10-05T06:46:00.002-05:00

I'm so bummed I can't find a picture online. Perhaps I'll make a trip to the store and stealthily take a photo. At Borders, in the Paperchase sections (a british stationery store) they had some pre-printed wedding invitations that were so horrible. They are sold in packs of 8, say "Wedding Invitation" or "A Wedding" or something yawn-inducing, on the front and inside it is a FILL IN INVITATION. Fill-ins are great, for kids' birthday parties, cocktail parties, bbqs, etc, but for a wedding?! ew. ew ew ew.

Cross Stitch Project, so far

2009-09-23T12:41:00.005-05:00

Craft Work-in-Progress
Originally uploaded by autzve

So I obviously couldn't wait to start my Dita x-stitch projects. Here's how much I got done this weekend. Oy. But look- you can see her belly-button! See it? You do see it, right?
Hopefully I can finish this section of the pattern this weekend.

Oh, and the pink in the background are her ostrich feather fans. You'll see it when it's done I'm sure. (I wish I had huge ostrich feather fans. How cool would that be? Fan dances are awesome.)

Oh, Rock On

2009-09-23T12:41:00.004-05:00

I just see that Somebody Up There Likes Me shipped today. Boxing + Mr Newman, i'm sure i'll enjoy it!