If there were a picture of Jesus, I'd post it.

But since there aren't, I'll post my third favorite thing in the entire world. (one, jesus. Two, family. Three, this guy.)
happy merry lovely christmas, friends.

*k

favorites

First, a discussion on the meaning of favorites for me: Something I really really like, but at any point in time, I may like something more than said object, although I will still call it my "favorite." Same goes for my bff. I have like 5 BFF, although I am fully aware of the definition of "best".

Moving on.

This is my new favorite store. (Referencing an earlier post, EQ3 still holds ranking as my favorite store... how can I have two favorites, when the nature of the word "favorite" indicates only one primary winner? It's possible in my world, with my rules.) Right. It's my favorite for a number of reasons, one of which is the fact that I can practically hear the buyer saying to themselves... "I'm going to bring this in the store because I think it's cool and I feel like it", rather than having any real justification like... shelf life, supply & demand, etc.

Although I'm pretty sure the supply for these shoes is not enough for my demand. I. Love. These.

Also, I fully understand the fact that you can only wear one jacket at a time, and that I live in Texas. This does not deter me from wanting to purchase 16 jackets. This being one of them.

Most of my friends are aware of my fondness of things like this. Robots, ninjas, pirates, flowers, unicorns... Are there any psychologists out there? What does this mean?!?!

And lastly, a home is not a home until you get these candles. CANDLES. I am scared to know what they look like when they're halfway melted.


Oh. Right. shopplasticland.com.

enjoy.

*k

My bff's headboard!!

Apparently, we're in full-blown new headboard season. And I thought it was just Thanksgiving. One of my bff's, who is super-talented, painted an old headboard. After a good bit of back-and-forth with what to paint, he decided on VanGogh's "Vincent's Bedroom in Arles". How fun is this?
thanks to my friend, rickybobby, for sending me the pics!!

I found it!

Well, I found multiple things. One, I found my new favorite store... Called EQ3, they have a *bunch* of great stuff there. Mostly a modern vintage-y vibe, but also set up similarly to Ethan Allen. Which makes no sense. Because Ethan Allen is neither modern nor vintage. Silly. I'm talking about the showroom-style-ness of it all. But you can also run in and grab stuff. The floor samples are super-cheap, so next time I'm looking for some furniture, I'm going there. Or rather, the first time I ever go furniture shopping, I'm going there. Maybe when I grow up, I'll look into that.

Two, I found my new duvet cover. I bought one, brought it home, and it was all wrong. Wrong color, wrong vibe, wrong wrong wrong. And it was like $130 or so. Which was a bit out of my price range. So I took it back and got this one instead. Right right right. Exactly what I wasn't looking for and fell in love with anyway. (Wonder if that's how it's going to be with my future hubby?!) Anyway, I digress. Took this bad boy up to the register, and plopped down a whopping $32. A birthday miracle!! And happiness happens to me any time I walk into my room.


*k

My. New. House.

Here it is. In all of it's messyness and unfancy glory. I kept getting pressure to post some pictures, and despite the fact that nothing is presentable and ready for pictures, I kept getting pressure. So I gave up trying to get the house ready for pictures, because, let's be honest... it's going to take months... years, even, to get the house picture-ready. Years may be a little dramatic, but you get the point. I bit the bullet and posted pics of my unfinished bed/headboard combination, so I might as well post pics of the unfinished house.



And here she is.

The front living room. And Ed.

The kitchen.

The back living room.

And the best part about my house.

*k

headboard!!

Seriously, sorry. I haven't posted in so long. After getting a job, I moved. And I've been moving in and settling in to my new Dallaslife. I finally feel like things are coming together- especially after I could cross a few projects off my list. First, I felt it necessary to make a headboard. The other projects will be coming in later posts. So here's what I came up with... I still have a little bit of tweaking to do- more flowers, and some rearranging, but cousinHeidi keeps asking me for dang pictures.


Problem: The bed has nothing to anchor it.


Step one: (well, the real step one wasn't documented, so we're going to start here instead.) Mount the hanging board to the wall. I took a 2x4 and cut it at a 45 degree angle- mounted one side to the headboard, and one side to the wall... that way, the headboard will just rest in place and can be redone when I get bored with the color.


Step two: obviously, make sure it's level.


Three: Make sure it hangs at the correct height above pillows.


Four: Make sure you have all the supplies you will need- In this case, I bought a few yards of batting to cushion the board.


Lay the board flat on top of the fabric & batting. Then staple the fabric and batting to the board.


Hang it up!! Make sure the fabric looks decent and doesn't pull in strange places.


Again, I forgot to document a step- where I made fabric flowers out of scraps I had laying around. After I made the flowers, I then pinned them to the headboard.


Here are two of the flowers pinned in place...


And more of the flowers pinned in place!! I want a lot more flowers to be pinned on, but that's going to have a to wait for a bit.

I had to make my halloween costume first. :)

*k

wow.

joe, do you want me to strike him with a knuckle sandwich?!

You can't make this stuff up, folks.

So I started work last week. LOVE IT. I've been going to THE grassy knoll during lunch time and enjoying the sights. After the first day of lunch out there, I knew I had had had to take my camera with me. Some of the stuff I saw was just too good not to document. So as I headed out to eat my picnic lunch on Friday, I happened upon my very own parade. Just to welcome me to the city, I'm sure. And I started taking photos, started furiously texting... and giggling. I loved every second of it. Despite the fact that many of my friends thought I was lying to them (Jessica), I have proof. And here it is. You can't make this stuff up, folks.


Quick. Find the off-duty Santa.


Nothing says State Fair of Texas like turkey legs, green chilis, and crawfish tails. What?


Chickenhead. Literally.


This duck, you may notice, is farting bubbles.


Pirate ships? In Texas?


I have NO idea what these guys were doing in the parade. Other than being really really awesome.


This guy was infiniti awesome better than the other guys, though. That's a DART train.


Typical. Stagecoaches in Texas. Typical.


Also typical: poop clowns. They walk behind horses and clean up the poops. I almost wish I had their job. And then I punch myself in the face and realize that no, no I don't.


I literally squealed with delight when I saw these horses wearing unitards. Just like their riders.


Hello, Ms. State Fair of Texas. You are so honor-able.


To my utter delight, two cowboys walked by. Ahhhh drink it in, friends.


This poor guy was wearing waders as his band leader boots. Not like that was a problem or anything. Just noting the facts.


And lastly, when you can't march, you might as well get a dude to push your wheelchair in a parade. Wonder what the guy would have been doing if he wasn't pushing his bff around the streets of downtown Dallas?

*k

5g_studio

So since my time in Dallas, I've come across this design firm (5g_studio). They do some amazing things... furniture design, architecture, interiors... a whole host of things, really. They're a collaborative that makes their way across the states and finds themselves overseas quite a bit. In fact, they have offices in Vietnam and North Africa, among others. So here are a couple snapshots of their work...






And the best part about this firm? I now work for them. :)

terrible, terrible, terrible.

today was a sucky day. but this made it a little bit better.

an amazing thing called meat cupcakes.

I am thrilled to guest blogging at Kelly's request :) Kelly was intrigued by a recent dilemma of mine. About a week ago, I was confronted by a horrifying proposition. I was responsible for providing birthday goodies for my friend Susan's birthday. This would usually send me into fits of delight; baking is always a wonderful way to spend an afternoon if you ask me. However, quite literally the day before this revelation, Susan told me she was strictly on the Atkins diet. What do you make for someone who only eats meat and cheese??? As I pondered this thought, all I could think of was Susan telling me how she loves the diet because she simply orders meat at a restaurant and then inquires as to if they might be able to add bacon and cheese to it. Bacon cheese steaks are not really my idea of birthday goodies. And thus, the brilliant invention of the meat cupcake.

Now, I understand the total revulsion to the idea, but I have to say, they are at least 80 times prettier then what you first pictured in your head. Not that I would have particularly enjoyed it as a dessert myself, but then, that would be why I made mango sorbet for all of us non-meat for dessert folks. These are my little creations. Three varieties in fact. So the next time you are faced with a similar dilemma, might I suggest that a little prosciutto, salami and pepperoni can brighten an Atkins's birthday. Plus, then you too can claim the title of Maker of Meat Cupcakes. And really, who doesn't want that?

oh, and for those out there who honestly would want the recipe, here you go:

1- buy cold cuts.

2- curl into pretty, less deli meat style piles.

3- stick in silicone baking cups.

4- refrigerate until serving.

enjoy!

~b

Aunt Sue Sunshine.

It's been so great to be able to stay with UncleFather and AuntMother these past couple of months. I don't have a lot to repay them with, so I do what I can, with what I have, where I am. I think that's a quote from a president's wife. Let's just check to make sure. False. It was from Teddy Roosevelt. Which would make him NOT a President's wife.

Anyway. Aunt Sue's birthday was yesterday, so once again, it was cupcakextravaganza time. This time, however, the cupcakes decided to either riot or throw a rave in the oven. I can't decide which. After careful monitoring of their progress, and sweating it out, they made it to the other side. (From raw to baked, of course) In a moment of clarity, I decided that the cupcakes needed to be green. In fact, they MUST be green. That was in order to acheive my full design vision, of course. Which was a sunflower, by request.

Anyway. I tried out two new recipes. The first was for a delicious sugar-cookie-tasting cupcake. Which ended up tasting delicious, despite the bailing out of their containers. The second was for the icing. And that was a bit too confectioner's sugar-y. I guess the combination of the cake and the sugar was okay in the end, but during production, it was a mess.

So. Here they are. The unveiling of the preliminary Aunt Sue Sunshine cupcakes.
I made a much bigger mess than last time. And this was only at the beginning. I could not pick up my camera for fear of sugar invading the casing when I was midway through cupcake-ing.


This is me. Waiting. For the butter to get to room temperature.

ONE TIME. I have been tempted ONE TIME to eat a creamy butter and sugar mixture. And this was that time. It looks like mashed potatoes and delectable. I resisted that nasty urge, though.

The cupcakes after they were done cooking. MESS.

The cupcakes have been cleaned up some. But they still look like leprechaun snot.

And this, my friends, is what homemade icing looks like.

And now... the unveiling.






Ta-daaa!!!