3 documentaries to watch right now

I'm a huge documentary nerd. Documentaries are pretty much all I've been watching over the past six months and I've watched over 20 since the beginning of the year. I've loved watching docs since the days of Spellbound, but ever since I moved in with a boy who insisted we get HBO (and I then gained access to HBO GO on my iPad) and since I splurged and subscribed to Netflix last year, I've been obsessed with watching all the documentaries that I missed during my years of living under a rock without technology. I've even forsaken watching the new seasons of my beloved House of Cards and Scandal because I've been so obsessed with watching documentaries lately.

I love documentaries because they are educational and a great way to learn about all sorts of topics, while being entertaining at the same time. Between working at home by myself and no longer being subjected to formal education, sometimes I feel like I'm getting dumb. (Dumber?) Education came so easily when I was in school, but as an adult I feel like I have to seek out opportunities to learn. I'm interested in many things and will watch documentaries about all sorts of surprising subjects. True, some docs can be propaganda-ish, but the best docs convey the facts and teach you something new through real-life stories of people who are vulnerable and imperfect and human.

It's hard to choose favorites since I've watched so many over the past year, but over the past few weeks I've watched a few documentaries that I can't stop thinking about. If you haven't seen these, I suggest logging on to Netflix ASAP:

BRIDEGROOM
An extraordinary and tragic love story - I cannot stop thinking about it. Have a box of tissues handy.

BLACKFISH
Breathtaking and fascinating and upsetting.

FORKS OVER KNIVES
I'm late to the party on this one, as it came out a few years ago and has been in my "To Watch" queue for a while. I'm glad I waited though because we decided to watch this a few weeks after Larry's dad had bypass surgery and we were working on changing our diet. I realize that nutrition can be a controversial, constantly evolving, and much disputed topic, but Larry and I both found the information presented to be extremely compelling and it's resulted in a lot of discussion about food, diet, lifestyle, and society in our household. This documentary along with several other sources have given us a lot to think about and have inspired a lot of changes in the Smoellke kitchen.

So those are my recent favorites. Here are some other docs that have fascinated me over the past few years, ranging from entertaining to inspiring to nerdy:
FIRST POSITION
FAME HIGH
HAPPY
LIFE IN A DAY
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN
STRESS: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER
FAGBUG
LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM
FIRST COMES LOVE
MISS YOU CAN DO IT

olympic break

It seems a little silly to be taking an official break on the heels of an unofficial break that's been going on since Christmas, but that's exactly what I'm doing.

Every two years I profess my love for the Olympics, (I can't believe it was four years ago that we were watching the Vancouver Games at Lost River Modern!) and I've been excited about the XXII Sochi Olympic Winter Games since the beginning of the year, though I have to say that the pre-games coverage coming out of Russia is disconcerting. Let's hope Sochi does this right.

That being said, it's not enough to dampen my Olympic obsession, so I'm declaring the next two weeks my own personal Olympic Break. Aside from gluing my ass to the couch and my eyes to the television to watch every minute of Olympic coverage that I can, I'll be working on some creative projects and trying to be as active as possible (nothing like watching world-class athletes to shame me into moving my own butt).

I'm NOT going to read blogs or participate in social media. It will be nice to have a break to focus on me, my projects, and the real live people in my life.

I'll be back in this space at the end of February after what I hope is both a relaxing and productive break. Until then, here are some things I've been loving this year:

+ These nuns adopted a 9 year old pit bull. "She's a senior and we're seniors." This is the best story I've read all year.
+ The best chocolate cookies - they taste like brownies in cookie form. This recipe is Food & Wine editor Dana Cowin's favorite. I made them on whim the other day and they were delicious and easy. They're even better the second day. I'm obsessed and will definitely be making another batch during my break.
+ Blurb photo books. More on this later, but I've had the goal to make photo books for the past seven years. I finally got some of those photos off my computer and into print and designed three Blurb photo books in January. I love them and can't wait to share and design more. (There are 83,000 photos in my iPhoto right now - yikes!) (Affiliate link.)
+ Lumosity app. I've been obsessed with doing these brain teasers every day to supposedly improve my brain function.
+ NeuYear calendar - I've used this calendar in the past, but this is the first time I've planned out my entire year ahead of time (with stickers and colored markers!). I have lots of goals and plans mapped out for Funnelcloud Studio in 2014. Exciting!
+ Congrats to Emmy on the Grammy for Old Yellow Moon. (And to Rodney and Brian, too. An exciting day for the whole family. I may be biased, but I think the Americana category had the most talented group of nominees this year.)
+ A Field Guide to Procrastinators. Guilty, guilty, guilty.
+ Reminders app. Ok, so I've owned an iPhone for four years and I just discovered the Reminders app (that comes on the phone!) a few weeks ago. My list loving self LOVES this app. (So much better than typing my grocery list into Notes! Duh!)
+ I've been focusing our meal planning on a different cookbook every month and right now we're cooking up delicious recipes from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and Edward Lee's Smoke and Pickles.
+ The Instagram feeds of The Travelocity Roaming Gnome (@roaminggnome) and National Geographic (@natgeo). One cracks me up and one takes my breath away. Both make me yearn for more travel.
+ Decomposition notebooks by Michael Roger. I'm obsessed with notebooks and love a good composition book - but not the ugly black and white ones of my childhood. These guys are gorgeous (and made of recycled materials). I just ordered a few to plan out my personal and business goals for the year.

Over & out.

things I love | winter treats

It's no secret how much I hate winter, and I've been surviving the season this year by stuffing my face with some delicious treats. Which might be why when I stepped on the scale on January 1st, I received some very unpleasant news. In an effort to recover from the holiday binge and to prepare for an upcoming vacation, I've been trying to eat healthier and have given up some of my favorite and most fattening foods for the month of February: bread, pasta, dessert, and beer. So basically I'm posting this so I can live vicariously through my own photos!

I also can't help but share some of the tastiest things I've recently discovered. You all know I'm a huge fan of supporting local small businesses, and five of the seven products below are all made within two hours of my house. Luckily, for those of you not in the DC area, several of these treats are available for purchase online.

LANGDON WOOD (Washington, DC)
Langdon Wood was a neighboring vendor at GRUMP - an art market my shop vended at in December. And it may have been the most popular booth - shortly after Larry scored three bottles of their Maple Syrup which HAS BEEN AGED IN WHISKEY BARRELS, they completely sold out! We gave all three bottles away as Christmas presents, so it was a total bummer that we didn't score some of this delicious syrup for ourselves. Luckily, the syrup can be purchased both locally and online.

While Langdon Wood is based in Washington, DC, they source their whiskey barrels from Catoctin Creek Distillery in Purcellville, VA and their maple syrup from Milroy Farms in Salisbury, PA - so it's almost like three local(ish) businesses in one! The company calls their syrup "an adult twist on a breakfast staple" and claims "It Won't Change Your Life. It Will Change Your Pancakes." Awesome.


WHISKED! (Washington, DC)
You guys, these might be the best cookies I've ever had! These were another score from GRUMP - first Brandi stopped by and offered me a cookie from her stash (Thanks, Brandi!), and then I made Larry run over to the Whisked! booth to buy me a whole sleeve of them. Milk Chocolate AND Nutella in a giant, soft, chewy cookie? How can you go wrong?


THE VIRGINIA CHUTNEY CO. (Washington, VA)
I discovered this stuff through Jane - during one of our weekend excursions, she pulled out a smorgasbord of bread, cheese, and this delicious chutney. I sat in the passenger seat and stuffed my face while she drove. "What is this stuff?!" I demanded between bites as chutney dripped down my chin. "Spicy Plum Chutney," she responded. "You can get it at Whole Foods." Done!


SILLY COW FARMS by BURNHAM AND MILLS (Wells River, VT)
Last winter, I was on a mission: I spent several months searching for The Best hot chocolate. I sampled many that were disappointing, some that were undrinkable, and was about to settle on one that was just average when I caught sight of these adorable mini milk bottles of hot chocolate in Whole Foods. While I made the purchase based entirely on the cuteness of the container (they make great bud vases when empty), Silly Cow Farms ended up being the winning cocoa and now it is the only hot chocolate I drink. (Yes, I am a hot chocolate snob - I think that's allowed considering how discerning people are about their coffee. I don't drink coffee, but I do love a hot drink in the morning year round.)

I've tried several of the flavors (and consequently have amassed quite a collection of bottles), and while they're all good, the Chocolate Moo-usse is my absolute favorite. Add a splash of cream to your mug for extra decadence.


WONDERMADE (Orlando, FL)
I can't talk about hot chocolate without a marshmallow mention, can I? Larry was intrigued by the gourmet flavors at Wondermade and purchased three boxes before Christmas: Peppermint (our favorite), Bourbon (really good), and Guinness (more of a novelty). These aren't your grocery store jet-puffed mallows - they're delicate and tender and really do seem to be made of sweet, magic air. Eat these plain or put them in your cocoa, but as we learned during our cabin weekend, they melt over a fire.

Also, last night I had the pleasure of meeting Beth of FLUFFED UP DESSERTS. Beth makes homemade marshmallows here in the DC area and she has over two dozen flavors, including cookie dough, chocolate-covered strawberry, eggnog, and cinnamon toast! I'm so happy to have found handcrafted marshmallows made locally and can't wait to work my way though Beth's offerings.


THE FARM AT RED HILL (North Garden, VA)
Just as I'm a hot chocolate snob, I am also a hummus snob. I eat hummus nearly every day and find most of the grocery store choices extremely disappointing. Enter hummus from The Farm at Red Hill, which is hands down the best hummus I've ever had. I discovered it at Whole Foods and was elated that this hummus comes from a local Virginia farm - bonus! Their original flavor is my favorite, and it contains a dash of cayenne and some cumin for an extra kick.


LINDEN VINEYARDS (Linden, VA)
I have to include at least one adult beverage on the list, right? In my opinion, wine is the best medicine for surviving winter!

I first visited Linden with Jane in the fall, and then went a second time in January - that's all it took for me to become a lifelong fan. This really is some of the best wine I've ever had and definitely the best in Virginia. The winery is gorgeous, too, and the owner is an inspiration for all small business owners. I'm currently hoarding three bottles on our wine rack: a 2007 Late Harvest Vidal, a 2010 Vidal Riesling, and a 2009 Boisseau. Now I just need a special reason to drink them!

pretty things by other artists

One of the most dangerous things about having the proceeds from my Etsy shop go into my Paypal account and vending at local art markets is the temptation to spend all my profits in the shops of other artists. There are just so many talented people out there who make such gorgeous things, and I want them all! (See the 50 PAGES of favorited items I have on Etsy - I need to win the lottery so I can spend it all on art and handmade goods!)

I haven't been blogging recaps of the markets I've been selling at as much any more - to tell the truth, I'm usually too busy at the markets to walk around taking pictures, and lugging my DSLR along with all my art and equipment is kind of a pain in the butt. But I wanted to share some of the pretty things I've purchased lately - some at local markets (where I was lucky enough to meet the artists in person) and a few online purchases, too. (Note: All the artwork featured here is the work of the artists I have linked to below the photos, and all the photos were taken by me, the happy new owner!)

First up - the goodies from Charm City Craft Mafia's Pile of Craft, where my shop was a vendor in June:

I adore this stoneware garden gnome from Richmond potter Tasha McKelvey. I quickly found a home for him tucked among the thyme sprigs in my herb garden.


I have a collection of fun tea towels, so I love the banjo and guitar tea towels by screen printer Kelly Smith-Tilly of Tiny Peepers. Larry spotted these and honestly, what could be more perfect for a couple of music lovers (with a dog named Banjo!) and an artist who loves screen printing? They're the perfect artwork for our kitchen and are almost too pretty to use! (We also got the silver camper tea towel.)

And I just noticed that she also has a fiddle tea towel (Perfect! Fun fact: I used to play the violin) and an airplane tea towel. (For some reason I love airplane imagery even though I'm afraid of tiny planes.)

Next up, a few things from Artscape, where I was a vendor in July:

If You're Not Sweating, You're Not Living letterpress print by Virginia printmaker Deirdre of Lennah Press. I saw this during a quick jaunt around the Artscape campus and couldn't believe how true it was and how perfect it would be for Larry, my dear (sweaty) boyfriend! I didn't have a chance to go back to buy it at Artscape, but promptly ordered it from Etsy once I got home. Once Larry and I finally decide on some bedroom furniture, I can't wait to frame this and display it on his side of the bedroom. (And as soon as Deirdre prints an edition of You Will Have Your Cake and Eat It Too in either yellow or orange, I will definitely be ordering ASAP. YUM, caaaaaaake!)


International Boozing T-Shirt from Baltimore screen printer Matt Snow, owner of ExBoyfriend t-shirt shop. A guy came into my booth at Artscape wearing this t-shirt and Larry and I both commented on how awesome it was. He said that he had bought it from another Artscape vendor the day before, so Larry headed out to get one for himself. It's so clever and perfect for him.

And now for the most dangerous (to my wallet) category of handmade goods: jewelry. I'm fairly certain that ALL the jewelry I've purchased over the past five years has been handmade, with 99% of those purchases being from Etsy sellers. I just can't help myself:

Mod Moire Pearl Earrings by Summer Powell of Summerized. Ok, I actually bought these through a Fab sale. I think Fab might be the most dangerous website on the internet and I actually prefer to purchase directly from artists because I know that selling through deal websites cuts into the artist's proceeds, but the Fab sale put these earrings within my budget, so I jumped. I've never seen anything like them and the packaging is fabulous.


Golden Scalloped Necklace by DC jewelry maker Daisy McClellan of Lanyapi Designs. I've had my eye on this necklace (and a few others in her Etsy shop) forever and it's even more fabulous in real life. Plus, I was Lanyapi's 2,000th customer, so Daisy sent me a package chock full of bonus jewelry. Thanks, Daisy, and I hope to meet you in person at a local market soon!


Gold Statement Earrings by Elisabeth Space. Over five years ago, one of my first Etsy purchases was these Flight Earrings by jewelry-maker Elisabeth Percival. They quickly became a favorite and I still wear them several times a week. I've loved Elisabeth's shop ever since and am so excited to own another pair of her earrings - which will coordinate perfectly with the Lanyapi Scalloped Necklace!


Another Fab purchase: Regarde Le Ciel print by photographer Nichole Robertson of The Paris Print Shop and the Little Brown Pen blog. I love industrial art (graffiti on concrete!) and I love the message in this print (Look at the sky!). Can't wait to get it framed. Now should I hang it in our bedroom? The living room? My office? Decisions, decisions!

things I love | summer

It's been way too long since my last Things I Love post. A few of my favorite things for Summer 2012:

THE OLYMPICS
I've been an Olympics freak since I was a child. I love everything about them - cheering on the home team (and the underdogs), the competition and suspense, the trivia and statistics, the human interest stories, all of it. For someone who has never been athletic and who doesn't watch much TV, I realize it is strange that I spend two weeks absolutely glued to the television. I remember my dad taping the 1992 Barcelona Olympics for me on VHS when I couldn't watch due to summer babysitting gigs. The 2008 Beijing Olympics happened a few weeks after Larry and I had moved into our house. We didn't own a nice TV, we didn't own much furniture, and we hadn't finished unpacking, but we spent those early days in our new house watching the Olympics on a TV with fuzzy reception that was perched on a cardboard box.

SWIMMING
I started swimming laps for exercise this Spring and I love it! I'm not fast and my technique could probably use some serious work, but I get in the pool 2-3 times a week, swim for an hour, and feel freaking awesome afterwards. After reading this inspiring post by my friend Sarah about changing how you think about exercise, I stopped counting how many laps I swim, and just enjoy my time in the pool. For the first time in my life, exercise is actually fun. That Sarah knows what she is talking about - who cares how far/fast I swim, what matters to me is that I'm getting in the pool, swimming regularly, and enjoying it.

SANGRIA
Oh, how I love sangria! I just can't seem to get enough this summer. The best I've ever had is the sangria at Alegria in Vienna - doesn't matter whether they have white or red on tap, both are delicious. I decided to switch it up this year and instead of making my tried and true White Peach Sangria, I made a batch of Pineapple Sangria (based on this recipe, but I used 4 times more coconut rum). Cheers!

CROSS-VENULATE EARRINGS

Ok, I actually purchased these earrings from Nervous System last summer. But they quickly became a favorite and I've been wearing them almost every day since. The silver goes with everything, but the unique design dresses up any outfit.

HBO GO
I grew up without cable TV and had never watched HBO until Larry signed up for it last year to watch Game of Thrones. And boy, were my eyes opened up to a whole new world of television! Not only that, with our HBO subscription, I can watch any HBO show on my iPad through the HBO GO app. Love it.

BIG LOVE
Speaking of HBO, I've been watching Big Love on my iPad since December. I'm on the last season right now and have been limiting my viewing because I just don't want the series to end. I adore this show and while I can't imagine sharing a husband, I think I might like having a sister wife... (Especially Ginnifer Goodwin. She really could not be more adorable.)

SHRIMP & GRITS
This recipe for Homemade Shrimp and Grits with Homemade Roasted Pecan Butter, Proscuitto, and Snap Peas is one of the best recipes we've ever made. Seriously outstanding. (If you make it, you will need twice as many ears of corn as the recipe called for though. And a dog to clean up the mess that resulted from grating corn by hand!)

THE HORRIBLE CROWES
Ok, I'm late to the party on this one, but The Horrible Crowes are a side project by Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem. I've had the song Ladykiller on repeat for the past two weeks.

MAUI JIM SUNGLASSES
I've probably had my beloved Maui Jim's for six years now, and even if they might be looking a little dated, I adore them. (The big Jackie O and aviator styles don't work for me anyway.) They're the best sunglasses I've ever owned and I have to say, completely worth the price tag. (When I first got contact lenses in my early twenties, I was excited to be able to buy cheap non-prescription sunglasses. Almost every pair I bought broke within a week and the lenses were cloudy and scratched easily. Expensive sunglasses are worth every penny and my world looks a little rosier through my Maui Jim's.)

FRUIT DESSERTS
I love fresh fruit desserts in summer, and just because I was busy with art markets and didn't have a chance to go blueberry picking this summer, didn't mean I was going to let it keep me from baking up and then devouring both a blackberry buttermilk cake and a blueberry cobbler. Perfect for dessert, perfect for breakfast the next day.

WACOM BAMBOO STYLUS + PAPER APP FOR IPAD
I finally bought a stylus for my iPad and now I can draw quick digital sketches much more accurately than trying to draw with my finger. It still takes some practice, but right now I am loving the simplicity of the Paper app by 53. Above is a sketch of a cocktail table I hope to build. Also, stay tuned for many more crudely drawn comics on the blog...

BRONZER
D'oh! Why did it take me so many years to discover the magic of bronzer? I've been using Enchanting Sunlight by Maybelline all summer. Pale face be gone - now I can have sun-kissed skin without the UV rays and future wrinkles.

LINDOR TRUFFLES
Yes, I am a chocoholic and one treat I allow myself is an ounce of chocolate a day. My current obsession is a couple of Lindor Truffles chilled in the fridge and washed down with a cold glass of milk. Mmmmm!

DOCUMENTARIES
Call me a nerd, but I LOVE documentaries, and now that the world of HBO GO is mine, I can learn about everything: history, medicine, art - I've watched documentaries on just about every subject.

MADDIE THE COONHOUND
It's no secret I'm a dog lover, so I adore Maddie on Things - an amazing blog featuring stunning photos by Theron Humphrey of his coonhound Maddie balanced on everything from a tortoise to a pile of suitcases to a basketball hoop to a telephone pole. Amazing photography, amazing dog.

recent discoveries

HERSHEY'S COOKIES N CREME BARS
I couple weeks ago I had an insatiable craving for anything Cookies & Cream. It may not be fancy, but I nabbed one of these Hershey's Cookies N Creme Bars and it did the trick. Then I got another one. And another. Oink.

CHECKING OUT E-BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY
Larry and I are recent e-book converts - me reading on my iPad and Larry on his Nook. However, the instant gratification of being able to buy a book with the click of a button is getting expensive. I had heard that you could check-out e-books from the library, so for the first time since I was a teenager, I now have a public library card. (That's pretty embarrassing to admit. But I have an Amazon Rewards credit card, so I've always redeemed the points for books on Amazon.)

After watching a series of confusing videos on how to check out e-books from the Fairfax County Public Library, I almost gave up on this - it required installing software on my computer, transferring the file to my iPad, blah blah blah, and I just didn't have the patience to deal with it. But then I discovered an iPad app (Overdrive Media Console) that allows me to check out library books and downloads them directly to my iPad with the click of a button. There's a waiting list for a lot of the popular books, but I was able to snag a book from my reading list immediately. Currently about halfway through Patti Smith's Just Kids.

WOODY'S ICE CREAM
There's been a soft-serve ice cream place in Fairfax since 1998, and I didn't know about it? Granted, I never go to Fairfax, but Woody's is a reason to make the trip.

SLUGABED
Larry, being the bookworm that he is, has a very good vocabulary. He often uses words that I swear don't exist...and he's always right. Did you know that slugabed is a real word? And a great one at that:

       slug·abed

 noun \ˈslə-gə-ˌbed\
               : a person who stays in bed after the usual or proper time to get up

COUSIN RELATIONSHIPS
None of my parents' siblings had children, so I don't have any first cousins. I have a lot of other cousins, though - my parents' cousins, their children, their grandchildren - but I've never known the correct term for the relationship. We've always just called them second cousins, because does anyone really understand that once removed business? Turns out it isn't that difficult. My parents' first cousins are actually my first cousins once removed because they are removed by one generation. Aha!

Homemade Lamb Sfeehas

LEBANESE BUTCHER
Lebanese Butcher is a Falls Church institution. When we moved to Falls Church, we looked forward to eating at the cafe and buying fresh meat from the butcher shop. But it burned down before we got the chance. A few months later, they reopened the butcher shop/grocery a few blocks away, but didn't have space for the restaurant.

Over the weekend, our friends hosted a Mediterranean cooking/dinner party. Larry and I chose to make several Lebanese dishes and needed some obscure ingredients, so we headed to Lebanese Butcher to stock up on pomegranate molasses and sumac. And the place is full of all sorts of ingredients that I previously had no idea where to buy. They also have lamb's brains and lamb's tongue if you're ever in the mood for that...

Don't worry, we didn't make lamb's brains or lamb's tongue! Not sure that would've been so popular at the dinner party. But we did make lamb sfeehas (Lebanese meat pies) and cheese borek/beoreg/boureki (a pastry common all over the Mediterranean, especially in Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans).

Fried Pies, ugly-style

FRYING
Conquered my fear of frying and been on a bit of a frying kick lately. We've made ricotta fritters, fried chicken, steak fries, sweet potato fries, and some extremely ugly fried pies (made from the weekend's berry bounty) that looked more like fried tacos that had been run over by a trash truck. I have a few more things I want to make while I have my oil thermometer out, then I promise I'll repent in September and eat nothing but rutabagas.

Yes, that is a BLACKBERRY PIE CUPCAKE. And a Red Velvet. Mmmm.

BUZZ BAKERY...NOW IN BALLSTON
When I lived in Arlington, Larry and I would go to Buzz Bakery in Alexandria for a cupcake fix. Over the weekend we discovered there's a new one - in Ballston. It's even fancier than the original location, and it's open until midnight on the weekends. Oink oink.

good things to distract me from my brain pain

While Larry was traveling in Central Asia last month and I was on my own to survive February bachelorette-style, I started a list of things that were making me happy - you know, to distract me from gray skies, freezing temps, muddy paws, insomnia, and missing my boy. The list is on an index card next to my computer and I thought today would be a good day to break it out...

I've recently started another cycle of cluster headaches, so if I don't write much in the coming weeks, it's because of my insane clown posse brain pain. The "good news" is that the headaches will be gone in about two to four weeks (hoping for two), so I'll only look like this temporarily. Until then, to distract me from my shattered face, we have some happy things:

Things I'm loving:

Homemade custard for breakfast and reading in bed with our yellow comforter, finishing a book on my reading list, snowflake pajama pants.


Fuzzy slippers.

Fuzzy puppies.

Sales for 50 days in a row in my shop (my first non-sale day of 2011 was the day Larry returned from Asia safe and sound - I was ok with that!)

The skylight in our bedroom.


300+ ideas for my freelance gig.


Being accepted to the Ballston Arts and Crafts Market. (I'll be there on June 11 and October 8 - stop by and say hi!)

Reading every day. (Per Personal Resolution #2 - I've kept it up and read every day this year.)

A new issue of Food & Wine and mini marshmallows - lots of 'em!


Dinner at my favorite local restaurant - Sea Pearl.

New cookbooks.

Wine.


Candles in jars.



Moroccan food.

Sartori Bella Vitano Gold - my new favorite cheese.

The Boden catalog - always so cheerful.


"Men" who will carry your purse.


Oreos.

Curry.

An awesome new address stamp from Paperwink. (I thought about designing my own, since I have designed my own stamps before - but why bother when Paperwink's stamps are perfection? My favorite design is Highway 1 - but I thought it just wouldn't look as cool with a Virginia address as it does with a California address!)


Llama Love!

Winter sunsets.


14 types of cheese currently in my refrigerator!


Recipes inspired by books I'm reading. (I made egg curry as inspired by Interpreter of Maladies. If I had a book club, I would totally combine it with a dinner club to continue this theme. I recently finished reading Empire Falls - not sure what recipes would be inspired by this book - diner food? Currently reading Gilead...so far the only food mentioned in this book is "fried mush." )


Etsy shopping sprees and pretty packages.


Sugar cookies.

Wayfarer Prints from BKNY. (Can't wait to get these framed and up on the wall! Also, just saw that they are sold out - got mine just in time!)

Leftover Italian Cream Cake.

Bakery treats.


iPad2 - soon to be mine!

Favorite grilled cheese sandwiches - gouda, swiss, and tomato on potato bread.

Discovering USB ports on my iMac keyboard - only took me three years to realize they were there.

Pretty stamps.


New nailpolish (Larry calls these my "Terminator 2 nails".)


Cheesetique - my definition of heaven on earth.

Burgers and shakes at Elevation Burger.

Pudding cups - I told Larry the only thing I felt like eating the other day was pudding and he stopped at the store on the way home from work and bought me 24(!) pudding cups!

What are you loving these days?