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5.21.2014

nail glow.

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I've been trying to be a lot better about doing my nails myself, but I suck at it--I will never be someone who walks out the door with an at-home manicure and have it pass for the real thing. I had become really frustrated with the whole process, until I found Dior's Nail Glow.

Admittedly, this stuff is pretty pricey as far as nail polishes are concerned, but I think it's worth it--it dries fast, it gives my nails a shiny, lightly pink sheen, and if it chips it's not noticeable. It's definitely my new favorite polish.

5.19.2014

weekend recap.


This weekend...

  • my mom slept over my apartment Friday night, and it was fabulous: we ate sushi, drank wine, and watched "Her" which was rather depressing. It definitely made be question the merits of checking my phone constantly and entering into a relationship with an operating system.
  • Saturday I did a lot of lounging in my parents' Adirondack chairs--the weather was gorgeous and I soaked up every minute of it--the night was capped off with turkey burgers, butter crunch ice cream and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"--so great.
  • Yesterday my mom and I did a Target run for exciting things like dish soap and Flair pens, and then stuffed our faces at suburbia's finest dining establishment (hint: baby back ribs). I spent the remainder of the day bracing myself for the week: I'm headed to the midwest for what will surely be a crazy workweek--happy Monday!

5.16.2014

cheers...

to the weekend.

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Might have to make these. Immediately.
Is it just me, or did this week drag on forever? I'm really looking forward to taking the next two days to rest and recharge before hitting the ground running on Monday. Hopefully the weekend drags, too--although we all know that's never the case. Le sigh.

5.14.2014

this or that.

this or that.



$528 / $99


I'm definitely not in the market for new dining room chairs, but during my internet travels this weekend I fell in love (again) with the Herman Miller Eames side chair. (There's no doubt my love for Herman Miller is genetic: my grandmother has a bright orange vintage set that graces her kitchen table and it is fab.u.lous.)

While I'm all for making an investment when it comes to quality pieces, at this stage of my life the price for the original is too steep (we're talking $3,168 for a party of six to plop down for a dinner party. And that doesn't even include booze.)

So, I was rather pleased to stumble across the much more affordable replica--it achieves the look at a fraction of the price.

I'd love to know: when it comes to furniture, do you hold out for the investment pieces or do you make do with faux?


5.13.2014

my office wall is complete.



Thanks to my birthday, I was finally able to expand my little gallery wall around my office area. I bought the Rifle Paper print (on the left) at the cutest paper store in Portsmouth, NH: Gus and Ruby Letterpress. I had wanted it for a while, so when I saw it I knew it was meant to be. You just can't screw around with fate, especially when it's in printed form.


The second addition might be my most favorite piece of art I own. A while ago, I read all about Carter Kustera on A Piece of Toast. He's a famous silhouette artist based in NYC and his work has been exhibited throughout the world (it also can be found in numerous Jonathan Adler stores). If you provide digital silhouettes of man or beast, he will transform them into a collectable piece of art. Of course, I decided I needed one of my beloved four-legged friend, and my darling sister and her husband made it happen.

What I like most about his Carter's work is that he does the silhouette and then he adds a sassy saying underneath...and I especially love what is written under Olive:



The absolute best.

5.09.2014

happy weekend.

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Jeez. I must admit, I'm very glad it's Friday--I am totally zonked. I feel like my mind is going a mile a minute and I have been consistently waking up at 2:00 in the morning in order to continue my deep thoughts--this is completely out of character for me because I am a lady who loves to sleep. I rarely have any trouble with it. Woof.

Anyway, it's supposed to be in the upper 70s this weekend (!!!) and I am very excited to see my dear friend L and finally meet her mini-me: we're a year overdue for this introduction. Then, I have some family time planned and will be raising a glass (or two) to my mother dearest. Wire hangers optional.

Happy Weekend!

5.08.2014

gelato fiasco.

I went up to Maine this past weekend and my mom and I hit up our favorite spots, including When Pigs Fly Bakery. We enjoyed a fantastic pizza at the restaurant and then sauntered over to the bakery because I had a hankering for a cookie. I was immediately drawn to the freezer (because I love salivating over all of their varieties of butter) and was delighted to find gelato:

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Gelato Fiasco was started by two friends right out of college in Brunswick, Maine, and it is by far the most delicious gelato I have ever had in my entire life. Oh. My. God. We bought the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato and the Ripe Mango Sorbetto and it seriously is a game changer in the world of gelato: so creamy, so decadent and rich--I had to stop myself from going back and buying every flavor they had.

You can buy this delicious dessert at Whole Foods throughout Massachusetts, so I beg of you: try it. You won't be sorry.

5.06.2014

because...

a girl can never have too much agate.

agate

butternut squash galette.

Spring has finally sprung around these parts, but it has been a long time coming. Last week was especially un-Spring-like: it was raw and rainy and it had me craving comfort food. So, I busted out my favorite cookbook and made a decidedly fall-like dish, but it absolutely hit the spot:


Original recipe here:


Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

These were super easy and super tasty. I halved the recipe and ate the leftovers cold for lunch throughout the week-- and I really can't wait to try some variations on this: I'm thinking of doing a spinach and artichoke filling, and maybe a tomato-mozz version for summer. Yum.

5.05.2014

gratitude.

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The past couple of years have been...trying. And the past couple of weeks have been especially tough, as I've finally had to face a couple of difficult issues head on. It's so, so easy to put the tough stuff aside, but I've come to the very basic realization that this doesn't solve problems: it just prolongs the inevitable. So, I sucked it up, put everything on the line, and I dealt with them.

And it totally sucked.

But I also feel as though a weight has been lifted, and while I know that my life is certainly not perfect, it's still pretty friggin great--trials and all.

I couldn't have come to this place without my parents: they are without a doubt, the most generous, understanding, loving, incredible people I have ever known, and the fact that they have my back no matter what sort of life obstacle I present to them speaks volumes of their character. To have their support means the absolute world to me, and I hope one day I will be able to repay them. (Although I'm not sure I ever will.)

I love you, Mom and Dad. You are the best.