drift closely

I was mostly home this weekend. Saturday evening, I made a vegan jambalaya. All day Sunday (literally), I’ve been sewing nonstop. This entire time, I got to observe my cat.

Here are my findings.
1. If it’s a new box, cat be damned that he won’t try to fit into it.
2. He must secretly do yoga.
3. Any place is a good place to sleep, but boxes are just the best.

Seriously. Today, Ashlin barely did anything but sleep and eat. I fed him in the morning, and he took a nap. He woke up and moved into another spot for another nap. Then he woke up and started getting into my work area. (Normally, I don’t mind, but I do NOT like him getting too close when there’s a hot iron.) I gave him a healthy little treat to keep him distracted and because July is his birthday month. :) And then he went back to sleep. Repeat. I even gave him a lecture as to why I wasn’t going to feed him dinner right then and there despite his protests.

But he got his food not too long thereafter, and I think he’s sleeping again. Wait. He’s actually chilling in the tub.

Pictures to support most of my findings:

I’ve been meaning to post with a bit more frequency, but my job has begun eating me alive.

Suffice it to say, I’m up at 5, at work by 6, and usually don’t leave until 6 or 7 although I’m off at 5. Granted, I do have a nice two hour break to work out during the middle of the day, but there’s only so much time in a day! I’ve been meaning to post a bit more frequently and have taken a ton of pictures, but I never could find the time to actually write anything. Of course, inspiration hits at the most inopportune time. Blah blah blah, on to some more interesting content…

Whole Foods has some really freakin’ delicious things in their bulk section. I saw these fried garlic cloves (which I will now affectionally call garlic pods) when my sister came for a visit in May. Whole Foods has a lot of fried things: green beans, carrots, bananas, random veggies in a chip blend… While snacking through the bulk, I came across a container that held garlic cloves. Hrm, never seen them before… As I was pondering the latest fried offerings, an employee chatted with me.

Him: These are really good.
Me: They look salty. And super garlicky.
Him: They aren’t.
Me: Really?
Him: I like them on salads as croutons.

I tried one. And they were amazing.

They aren’t as garlicky as one would imagine. They’re definitely garlicky, but it isn’t sharp or lingering. I somehow thought that they’d taste like raw garlic. Nope.

They’re sweet and (of course) crispy. A lovely crunch. You can even eat them as makeshift potato chips! And they aren’t as salty as I thought they would be, but this really does vary depending on batch. The first time I bought it, they weren’t very salty at all; the second time, salty.

Whole Foods guy had it down when he said he used them as croutons. It is mind-boggling just how good these are on top of a salad.

These are a new favorite of mine. :D Love.

(PS – Another Whole Foods guy said that he eats them when he feels like he’s getting sick. I’m not sure how effective these fried morsels are at warding off illness, but whatever floats your boat, haaaay!)

I like using the zip top bag to store these. Keeps them nice and crunchy; much better than the standard grocery bags in bulk.

On a spinach salad with roma tomatoes and ginger dressing, heaven. :9

Okay, now I’m hungry.

*Um, pardon the plastic rug mat. I use this on top of my table to keep my cat off. Yeah, that never stopped him, even with the pokies flipped up. I swear, I have tried everything (electronic sensors that spray compressed air, tape, water, aluminum foil, spray bottle, coins in a can, stacking stuff precariously) to keep him from counter and table surfing. NOTHING WORKS.

I’ve been attempting to stick to a budget this month. I think I’m doing all right. It’s a work in progress. :p

In order for me to stick to my budget, organizing and seeing what I have makes me question whether or not I really need to make that purchase. This afternoon, I decided to document my shoes. :B

I love shoes. People who know me know that I love shoes. I actually do wear my shoes whenever I can and if I have the proper hosiery or socks for them. Some pairs haven’t been worn yet because they were were purchased on clearance, post-season. (Although I should clarify, I don’t wear my stripper shoes frequently. Those are worn when I caught a show, for a costume, etc. :P)

Not gonna lie; I have a lot of shoes. However, none of them were ever purchased at full-price but rather with a coupon, at sale, clearance, or before being dumped away!

More underneath the cut! :)

Read more…

I finally received my order last week from MAC. I haven’t had time to to admire or play with my order, but I did have time to snap some photos this past weekend! :)

Marine Life.

This powder is so beautiful. I wish the gold wasn’t just overspray, but alas! Got to bring myself to use this…

The rest of my order (though Firecracker and Sun Rush were purchased at Macy’s – they just made it for the photo!). :)

In addition to Marine Life, I purchased:

• Soft Ochre Paint Pot
• Coral Crepe Paint Pot
• Firecracker Eyeshadow
• Sweet & Punch Eyeshadow
• Funbathing Lipstick
• Thrills Lipstick
• Lustre Drops in Sun Rush
• Zoom Lash Sample.

I never really understood the appeal of Amy Butler fabrics; most of her prints weren’t suited to my tastes and the price per yard was more than what I would consider paying, especially since it was made for Rowan — and anything by Rowan is ridiculously expensive. However, when I stumbled across her Red Lotus print, I was hopelessly in love.

This is gorgeous. Gorgeous.

I ended up picking up four yards, so that I could make curtains for my apartment. :) I paid $6.29 per yard – a steal in my opinion! I never got around to it until this past weekend.

While I was measuring and cutting my fabric, I felt so nervous and giddy. “Am I really cutting into my precious Amy Butler fabric? Oh god, I need to be precise about this.”

Ashlin was particularly fascinated with this fabric. I cut on the floor, but he decided to put his kitty butt on my fabrics and make a new bed for himself. I had to move him numerous times and had to keep him in the bathroom temporarily since he wouldn’t budge (!):

I didn’t finish the curtains until later in the evening; hopefully I can get a better picture when there is still some natural light in my apartment. :)

(I have to move them away from the right side because it really confuses my cat. He enjoys sitting on the ledge and staring outside the window. My previous curtains were shorter, and replacing them with a longer length left him wondering what the heck was going on and why he couldn’t see the window!)

The curtains aren’t very gathered, and I’m okay with that since I still have a yard or so leftover for projects! ;) I usually keep my curtains open during the weekend. I also would like to put some white curtains on another rod, so that I can keep the Lotus one’s open. Maybe this weekend!

I love kale. As much as I enjoy its flavor in potato soups and in dishes that need a strong green that won’t easily wilt, I normally don’t find the time to cook time-consuming meals, especially during the weekday. Unfortunately, my kale usually goes limp and soggy before I actually can use it. I’ve restored its turgidity a few times, but one easy, sure-fire way to use up your kale is to roast it.

Awhile ago, I posted a rant on Facebook about these ridiculously overpriced kale chips I bought at Whole Foods. I have no idea why I bought them — probably because I just wanted to taste the seasoning used on the veggie. Plus, they looked delicious in the wax lined brown paper bags. I wasn’t sure if I liked them, but after munching on half the bag, I decided I did. The curry seasoning was all right — reminiscent of Dorito Cool Ranch chips that I had years ago. The kale wasn’t particularly crispy either, but that’s almost a given, especially in Houston with the high humidity. Overall, they were mediocre. Factoring in the price, they were kind of disappointing.

My friend Christina suggested making chips. I won’t lie. I was lazy, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend the time making something I wouldn’t like eating.

But making kale chips is simple. Insanely easy. It just takes time to thoroughly clean the kale, dry it, remove the stems, and chop it into pieces.
…that’s pretty much the process.

That’s pink Himalayan salt, not bugs! ;)

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of kale (I used the organic dinosaur one from Whole Foods that was on sale.)
- olive oil
- salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Thoroughly wash the kale and remove tough stems. Chop into slightly larger-than-bite-sized pieces.
3. Completely dry it. I use a salad spinner to remove the water without using a billion paper towels.
4. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
5. To conserve a bowl, pool your chopped kale onto the cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil over it – don’t go crazy! Less is better as you can always add more. Scrunch it with your fingers.
6. Spread kale in a thin layer on the cookie sheet. If you have more kale, split it into two batches.
7. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over your kale. Since kale shrinks when roasted, don’t over do it on the salt, or it will be extremely salty.
8. Pop into oven for 10-15 minutes. I monitor it, so that the kale won’t burn and give it a poke with chopsticks to ensure that all pieces are being evenly toasted and roasted.
9. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.

You can, of course, add whatever seasonings and herbs to the kale. Just be very careful with the salt and salty condiments. I personally prefer my kale roasted with olive oil and pink Himalayan salt, so that I can savor the flavor of the vegetable. :) It is hearty and green with a rich, toasted undertone.

Kale should still be dark green! But brown is okay, too, for the extra crunchies if you like the slightly burned taste. :D

Omg, omg, guess what?

I actually finished a knitting project. :O
(Yeah, I’m totally shocked, too.)

I really enjoy knitting “mindlessly.” Granted, with some of that mindlessness came a Persian flaw or two, but for the most part, not referring to a pattern while I’m knitting makes knitting very enjoyable for me. I like knitting simple things.

This scarf went to Alex as a thank you for being a great friend and for encouraging me to diligent with my workout regimen… even if he refuses to tell me that I have something stuck in my teeth until later because “it was funny.”

I used 1.75 skeins of Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Cotton” yarn in their ivory color. The yarn is very soft and has very good stitch definition! It drapes nicely with smaller needles; with larger ones, not so well. I used size 6 needles.

As usual, thanks to heartflood for being a great knitting friend and suggesting her favorite patterns to me. :)

I went to Austin and San Marcos this past weekend my family. The trip was all right. I’m sure if I wasn’t going for a reason other than “business,” then it would’ve probably been much more enjoyable.

I picked up a pair of Anne Klein synthetic coral open-toed pumps for $18.99 and two tea cups with matching saucers for $6.99 each. I also bought a pair of work shoes, but those aren’t very exciting.

These are actually quite comfortable! I love the color and the contrasting gold panels. :)

Tea for two. I need friends who enjoy drinking brewed tea out of light, dainty teacups!

I’m hoping that I can wear heels again soon. Ever since I sprained my ankle wearing high heels, I’ve been a bit wary. But in my defense, some of the walkways aren’t very smooth and level. Then again, it’s also very likely that my foot didn’t land straight.

And totally random, but are any of you on SparkPeople.com? If so, I’d love to be your buddy. :D

Can I let you in on a little secret?

I’ve always wanted a wonderfully tacky flamingo sculpture to stick on my front lawn. I see these flamingos made from metal lining the antique and thrift shops on Westheimer, and my heart aches so badly.

You see, I would love and cherish those flamingos. Give them a nice lawn to errr… graze on. Thing is, most of the flamingos are a bit pricey (more than I’d like to pay), and let’s face it, I don’t even have a lawn to offer them.

One evening, when I was at Arne’s, helping my brother gather supplies for his end-of-the-year banquet, my heart stopped. I saw… flamingos?? Beautiful, pink, glittery flamingos? Suffice it to say, thank God I had finished helping him pick out most of his stuff because I could not focus on anything else other than those flamingos. I had to have one. After examining the birds, I chose one that I thought was perfect.

Please meet Vladimir, King of the Flamingos:

Here he is, in front of my apartment, in his full glory. (Please pardon the weird plug thing. Come to think of it, I have no idea what it is.)

And a close up. Gorgeous, isn’t he?

I’m so happy to have him guarding my little home. :) My brother named him, and it suits the King well!

My flamingo dream came true. :D All is well in the universe.

Hi, everyone!

I know that I may not have many readers at my little blog, but it’s a place that I call home. :) For those people who read it, I am very grateful to have you read what I have to say – from the reviews to the complete and utter nonsense. Things have been going very well for me lately after a year of… unfortunate luck. Thankfully, the new year (lunar, might I add!) has been very kind to me, even though I’m a lot busier than before!

I’ve been very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people online. One of these people is Grey from Le Gothique who writes about fashion and makeup, where she focuses on handmade and cruelty-free products with a vegan perspective. Her posts are a lot of fun to read and also informative. What I enjoy the most about her journal is the fact that she shares ideas openly, whether it be some tips on making your own eyeshadows, lip glosses, or sewing up a pair of knickers. ;) I truly believe in encouraging people to make their own things instead of always buying everything.

That being said, Grey and I are co-hosting a giveaway in celebration of her May birthday. :) April showers bring May flowers, and here’s a little box of sweet treats for you!

Aside from Unii palette and a bunch of other birthday surprise goodies, which Grey is offering in the giveaway, I’m including these items tucked into the prize package:

• 0.114 kg of Lush’s Gentle Lentil Solid Shampoo
• Morgana Minerals Eyeshadow in Buried Treasure
• SoBe Botanicals Eyeshadow in Dreams
• HiFi Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Big Shot
• Blue Plumeria Hair Clip
• Ice Cream Parfait Earrings (pierced)
• BPAL Imp in Queen of Hearts

.

That being said, the contest is open to everyone, but if you are the winner and live internationally, I will substitute the Lush shampoo for something else since many countries have strict rules on products that contain fruits/vegetables/etc. being imported (and I am clearly not a company authorized to do so). I apologize in advance for this, but I do not wish for your prizes to be confiscated or held up in Customs limbo. Thank you for your understanding!

To enter, please visit Grey’s website here for the giveaway. I’ll post the rules here as well! :)

* Between now and May 1st, simply comment below with your favorite cupcake recipe.
* You may enter (comment) only once.
* If you include a photo of your finished cupcakes (made by YOU, please) that counts as a second entry.
* If you tweet (or Re-Tweet) a link to this contest on Twitter, that counts as another entry! Link: http://legothique.com/2010/04/20/a-very-happy-un-birthday/
* The winner will be drawn at random on May 2nd!

Thank you very much for visiting, and good luck! If you like, I would love to hear about your favorite thing to do during the summer, whether it be a specific food you like to eat, a drink you like to drink, or an activity you like to do in the comments. This won’t count as an entry, but I love listening to other people’s ideas. :D