Too Much Happiness

Here's a little Valentine's Day poem from Elizabeth Bishop.  Enjoy this lovely February 14!

Close, close all night the lovers keep.
They turn together in their sleep,
Close as two pages in a book
That read each other in the dark.
Each knows all the other knows,
Learned by heart, from head to toe.

My life in photos

Delicious vegan jam-swirled pancakes from Joy the Baker.  I used blackberry jam for the first batch, but the second batch with pumpkin butter was actually farrrr more tasty!

Another use for roasted vegetables: top some homemade pizza crust with tomato sauce and veggies.  Sooo wonderfully filling!

We had two priests over for dinner last week, and we had a lot of mess left over!  I'll spill the details on that later this week.

Last Thursday, I was at my wit's end at work and ended up going home at lunch.  My cure for beating stress?  Blood orange/lime/pink grapefruit juice, raw brownies and my new Anthology magazine.  I was better in no time.

The Diegos were in town this weekend, and we went to dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Dupont Cirle (Cafe Dupont- excellent service and super tasty food with some amazing vegetarian options).  Dessert was  chocolate-filled beginets with gold leaf, roasted pineapple, and raspberries.  I'd have it every night if I could!

I can't wait to marry this man.  We're less than 6 weeks away, and it can't come soon enough. 

P.S. How handsome does JP look in this photo?  I couldn't be luckier in love.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

via

 



You  may have noticed a serious absence of book reviews here over the past month.  This book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, took an embarrassingly long time for me to read.  To be fair, it've about 600 pages long, but that's no excuse!  Please accept my sincere apologies, and read on for the scoop on this Hamlet-esque novel.
David Wroblewski's first novel was chosen for the Oprah Book Club, but don't hold that against him.  Edgar Sawtelle tells the story of a boy, born mute, in rural Wisconsin.  Edgar is the presumed heir to a kingdom of meticulously trained dogs, with his father Gar and mother Trudy acting as the rulers of the Sawtelle land.  He's grown up with a nearly telepathic dog, Almondine, keeping track of him when his parents aren't around.  The family leads a sheltered, not especially exciting, life until Gar's brother Claude shows up.  Soon after Claude enters the picture, Gar dies and Trudy begins taking up with his brother; this, obviously, leaves Edgar feeling frustrated, angry, and out of touch with his mother.  He spends more and more time with Almondine and the other dogs, substituting their animal affection for human companionship.  When a freak accident forces Edgar away from the farm, Almondine, and his mother, he's forced to take care of himself in the wild and depend on the kindness of strangers to survive. 
I enjoyed portions of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, especially the second half.  It's difficult to get into, as the beginning of the book is so much exposition, with very little action and dialogue.  As Edgar doesn't speak, much of the "dialogue" is short and signed; it would be a stretch to assume that he and his mother are having hours-long discussions in sign on the death of Gar.  Once Edgar leaves the farm and there is action (Edgar traveling by foot for days at a time, breaking into houses to sneak food, etc.), it picked right up.
Wroblewski does an expert job of weaving Shakespeare's more famous tragedy into the novel without it being a complete re-telling.  Claude=Claudius, Trudy=Gertrude, is a bit outright, but using a dog breed endeavor for a country is genius, and keeping Edgar/Hamlet mute does make him seem less emo.  I don't know that I can recommend this book 100%, but the majority of it is a pleasant read. 
Keep in mind, though, that this is based on Hamlet, which does not have a happy ending.  It's best to expect that as you near the last pages.

Super Easy Citrus Juice

Things that made me smile this week:
-hearing John Paul singing pop songs in the shower
-warm days in the middle of winter (no UnderArmor during my morning runs!)
-ordering this sign for wedding stuff (it's so fancy and I love the sentiment)
-chatting with my wonderful DC cousin over a big glass of red wine
-swapping weekly recipes with my mom over the phone (my homemade raw brownies, her mystery soup...)
-the color of this simple juice.

I went a little crazy with the citrus this week at the grocery store, and had to use some up before they go bad!  Thus, this wonderfully bright juice was born.  Simply squeeze the juice of 2 blood oranges, 1 pummelo and 1 lime into a glass, chill, and serve.  The lime helps cut some of the acidity and tartness of the pummelo, and it's a perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up.  It would also be a perfect companion to vodka or tequila... I'm just sayin'.

What makes my life easier

John Paul and I have lived in three homes together, and each one has had its own personality and layout.  We've kept some of the same pieces of furniture (my beloved Heywood Wakefield dresser, school desk nightstand, our bar cabinet), but the way we arrange our stuff behind the scenes has drastically changed at each place.  John Paul does not like outer clutter, whereas I like a little bit of stuff showing to keep our home from looking sterile.  We've compromised by having little things like umbrellas out in the open, but put most of our stuff behind doors.  Literally.

Our broom, mop, aprons, and Mia's leashes are hanging on this little device from Container Store on the door that hides our washer and dryer.  There are four hooks and 4 spaces where you can just jam a handle in there and it stays in place.  So much nicer than just throwing it into our hall closet, which is currently holding...

... all of our gloves, hats and scarves!  My mom turned me on to the idea of using an over-the-door shoe holder for winter essentials, and this has truly been a lifesaver in the morning.  Rather than rifle through my box of stuff, I can see what matches my outfit and quickly pull it out for the day.  This is from The Container Store and was all of $25.  Great, great purchase.

I bought an iron this weekend!  Although I hate to iron, it's kind of a must for JP, as he wears lots of suits and button-downs.  To save space, we bought this over-the-door kit for $11 for the board and iron, and it's awesome.  Cheap, easy to put together, and slim (less than 7 inches deep with everyone on it).

If you live someplace where it gets cold in the winter, you probably live in fuzzy-ish sweaters.  They're superwarm and cozy, but pill like crazy!  I bought a handy little comb with a rough sandpapery material on the end that pulls all of those little fuzzies off the sweater and helps it look like new.  It cost about $6 from my dry cleaners, and I've used it for months.

Trays like this black leather one help clutter look purposeful.  Currently, this tray is being put to use holding all of our clear liquors, wine (dark liquors should be kept out of the light!  Apparently liqueurs like Bailey's and Disaronno are okay.  Whew.), and bar accessories.  The corkboard is JP's concession to my need to informally display art like a homemade postcard from Haley and screenprint from my Anthropologie days.
I had a hard time getting a picture of this, but it's also really helpful to keep my tablecloths on hangers in my closet; they don't get wrinkled, and I don't have to fold them to perfectly fit our narrow shelves.  Try it!
What are your tips for keeping life somewhat organized and sane?

P.S. I'm realizing now that I'm coming off like a Container Store spokesperson.  I just happen to buy a lot of stuff from their stores.

Red Shoes

Peacoat and sweater: J. Crew

Pants: Gap

Scarf: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Shoemint

Purse: Fossil

I had the most delightful Sunday morning: got up and enjoyed a tasty breakfast at home with my man, saw a matinee of The Descendants (George Clooney was phenomenal in it; I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up), and had a really great vegetarian lunch in Georgetown at Bangkok Joe's.  If I may say, this is my ideal outfit for a day like that. 

It was a bit chilly out (low 40s), but I was very comfortable with a warm sweater and coat.  Warm enough to wear these amazing new shoes without socks.  Seriously, these are the funnest flats to grace my closet: red dalmatian calf hair smoking shoes.  They even have tassels!  I love them. 

P.S. How do you like my crazy Sunday morning hair?  Messy buns have never looked so....messy.

My life (mostly in food) last week

Have you tried this mushroom bourguignon?  Oh, it is so, so good.  We had this for dinner last Tuesday night after craving it for several weeks, and were incredibly happy.  Add a little extra red wine; trust me, you won't regret it.

Mia's favorite way to lay on the couch: against my back, with me on the very edge.

Cappuccinos and croissants at Dean and Deluca during a lazy trip to Georgetown.  We sat on a rock wall on the C&O Canal on the most perfect weekend afternoon and enjoyed a little jolt of butter and caffeine.  Yes, please.

On days when I do a circuit weight workout, I like to have hearty toast with guacamole and sauteed tempeh.  Tempeh is a fermented soy product with tons of protein (more than tofu) and a mouth-feel really similar to meat.  Slice it thinly and saute in a bit of olive oil or Earth Balance for a protein boost in the morning.

This photo is from last Monday; sadly, there is no snow on the ground in DC anymore.  However, last week someone made this really cute little snowman!

More pie from the Pie Sisters; this one is lemon cream.  Please stop by here if you're in Georgetown.  All of the dessert pies I've tried have been uncommonly delicious, and the sisters who run the cute shop are absolutely sweet as, you guessed it, pie.

Sister Act

Button down: H&M
Dress: Gap
Earrings: birthday gift (from April Daze/ my mom!)
Shoes: Mia
Belt: J.Crew

I came out of the bedroom this morning and asked John Paul if I looked like a nun-in-training.  He assured me that yes, I did.  I added these shoes, and he changed his mind.

I know, I know, I'm doing a lot of button-down layering lately.  Can I confess something?  My iron broke months ago, and I haven't bothered to replace it.  Call it laziness, call it indifference to wrinkles, but I have no way of getting the creases out of my blouses.  It's winter, though, and I have to layer pieces to stay warm.  Thus, rather than ironing, I layer.  No one can tell if the hem is wrinkled, and I can straighten the collar with my flat iron.  That's called thinking outside the box.

Crunchy snack beans

Since I've cut down on animal products, I'm always looking for ways to sneak extra protein extra protein into my diet.  I've always liked beans (especially my mom's hummus!), but it can get boring eating them in soups and dips.  When these crunchy beans came up on Hello Giggles, I knew it would be a slam dunk. 

Basically, the recipe calls for draining some canned beans (I used cannellini and garbanzo), drying them, adding some spices and roasting them until they're crunchy.  It doesn't get much easier than that.
The taste could easily change based on the spices you use; I went with the garlic, cumin and cayenne called for in the original recipe, but also threw in some sweet paprika aka pimenton for color.  This batch is earthy and pretty mild.  The white beans explode a bit in the oven, and get extra crispy, while the garbanzos hold their shape nicelly.  They're great for munching throughout the day, and would definitely fit in on top of a salad or on a snacks table for football games (Super Bowl anyone?), etc.

Mine were a little stale the day after, so store in a very tightly sealed container, or use immediately.  Let me know if you make these and use your own tasty combination!

2011 in brief

I saw this survey on another blog, and thought I'd fill it out to close up 2011.  It's a little late, but still interesting!  Feel free to respond with your own answers in the comments or your own blog.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
run 10 miles in a row

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept a few of them: hike up a mountain with Summer (Sugarloaf), take a dance class, collect white porcelain animals, see Kanye West live. 
Yes, I've got my to-do list for the year. 
3. What countries did you visit?

none, unfortunately.  But that should change this year!

4. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
more patience with myself, more opportunities to travel
5. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
1-1-11, when JP and I got to tell our families that we're getting married!
6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting most of the logistics of the wedding sorted out, although I'm really impressed with all the family time I got in considering that my immediate family members each live at least 10 hours from each other.

7. What was your biggest failure?
making time for my friends who don't live in DC.  I'll do better in 2012!

8. What are you really excited about?
wedding, honeymoon, being able to think of something other than those two things!
9. What song will always remind you of 2011?
The entire Watch the Throne album.  One song in particular, whose title is too inappropriate to list but I couldn't stop listening to!  (Katrina, you know what song I mean.)
10. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier? probably equally happy
Thinner or fatter? thinner

11. What do you wish you’d done more of?
visited friends

12. What do you wish you’d done less of?
worry

13. What was your favorite TV program?
Happy Endings.  So funny.

14. What was the best book you read?
The Kind Diet

15. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Ellie Goulding

16. What did you want and get?
I wanted to be a more serious runner, and I've definitely become better at working it into my daily routine.
17. What was your favorite film of this year?
I saw a lot of great films, but Our Idiot Brother is the first one to pop to mind.  I saw it in an awful mood, but walked out feeling great and like good things would happen if I was a kinder person and gave people the benefit of the doubt.

18. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
25- I had to work the first day of Orientation at CUA, and then I had drinks and dessert at Blue Duck Tavern with JP and some friends.
19. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less expectations of myself!  I need to stop comparing myself to everyone.

20. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
A work in progress.
21. What kept you sane?
hot tea breaks

22. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I love Michelle Obama's style.  I even follow a fashion blog dedicated to her.

23. What did you miss the most in 2011?
living close to my wonderful sister, Haley

24. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
accept help from people.  They don't offer if they're not willing.
25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name" The Avett Brother, Murder in the City