splish splash i'm outdoorsy!

two weekends ago good friend of mine was up visiting from d.c.  being that we were still coming down from the biggest heat wave in forever, we decided to take advantage of nyc's awesome parks and rec's programs.  meaning... we were going to kayak for free!  yeahhh!  it. was. awesome.  it was cool and breezy and we had fantastic views of the city... and even new jersey.  highly recommend.  we went up to pier 96- no crowds, no wait, just walked right up, signed a simple consent form, threw on life jackets, and hopped into our individual kayaks.  seriously.  it was that easy.

as i was wrapping up fixing dinner tonight- a yummy grilled cheese- i reached for a plate out of my pantry.  something looked different, out of place.  then it hit me- everything was exactly where it should be, except for me.  i had gone shopping this past weekend and had purchased some rather high heels.  to avoid looking like one of those bent knee, baby step girls you see teetering around the city, i was practicing wearing my heels in my apartment while cooking dinner.  with an additional 6" boosting me up, it's an entirely new perspective of the world.   it's really strange.  then it hit me.  not only can i see things from a different vantage point, but i can reach things i never could before!  do you see where this is going?  justification!  who needs an ugly expensive foldable step stool when you have beautiful shoes!  they're so practical!  who knew?!   need something out of that top shelf, no problem, just let me slip my feet into something pretty!  

my list of things i need, want, plan to do:

bathroom shelves for my mason jars of goodies

bathmat in a nice gray

make a desk that isn't permanently a ginormous space eater

make a pelmet box

make a bed... i hate the word bedskirt bc of the fruou-fy image it brings to mind, so let's go with streamlined under bed storage hider

decide on how to place my new lights

hang my mantle mirror

incorporate some neon yellow somewhere.  maybe not quite day glo highlighter yellow, but close.  yum.  

oh, and i have a feeling this list could grow by the second... 

the current state of my apartment:  every "room" is about half completed.  it is driving me crazy!  i've started a list to recognize what is needed. i'm tackling my entry way first, mostly because that's the closest to completion.  my biggest complaint about it is that my shoes just pile up and look messy(i'm trying to not wear shoes in my apt bc of how absolutely gross nyc streets are).  i have coat/bag hooks, an empty frame, and a place for bills and letters. an entry way rug is on it's way, along with a piece of glass for the frame. my parents actually had a large piece of glass from a mirror that had broken and i was able to get that cut into an oval for a fraction of the cost of a new one($15 v $70!).

as for the shoe problem...i've always thought these were neat. i like how relatively thin they are.  these are how some people have used theirs.  i really like the 3rd.  i've also thought they could be useful in the bathroom- for storing my straightener, brushes, and things. now, if ikea will just restock them for me...  

!!!

so...frriday night my mom was pursuing the internet, looking over my growing list of "wants/needs" when she happened upon the fact that herman miller is having a sale.  of course, i didn't believe her- i figured she probably was looking at a knock off or something.  i hopped online, pulled up a few diff sites and discovered that all they were all running the 15% off sale on herman miller through the 14th.  !!!  i'm ecstatic.  i absolutely adore these two color choices.  aqua sky and wafer.  i mean... don't they just sound happy?  i absolutely cannot wait until i'm rocking in my very own.

lots of lemons

i was wandering through the grocery store looking for lemonade the other day. they had like 8 different kinds, but I wasn't familiar with any of the brands. i was curious...how hard could it be to make my own? i whipped out my phone and pulled up allrecipes (favorite iphone app) to find a recipe.  surprise, surprise i could buy a bag of lemons for a fraction of the cost of a premade preservative filled carton! yay!

what you'll need:
1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 7 lemons)

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.
Enjoy!


*i used what remained after i filled my pitcher to make popsicles! now i'm impatiently waiting on them to chill...  

hmph

dear clocky,

this morning i overslept.  rolling off my nightstand, onto my bed,and bumping right into me does NOT effectively wake me up.  it does, however, allow me to sleepily hit your off button and go right back to sleep. i'll take partial responsibility for missing my doctor's appointment this morning, but still... in the future if you could please be a good clocky and roll somewhere annoying, like under my bed, i'd really appreciate it. 

love,

your oh so lazy owner

fold, hang, done.

i have been on the hunt for a nice bathroom shelf for a while now.  the bathroom is nothing fancy, and it certainly isn't set up perfectly, but it's big enough i can turn around in it so that's a plus.  i just need a little extra storage- something simple, but not too generic.   with the exception of  this silly tan and white spider veiny tile in the shower and the black laminate counter, everything is a clean white.  i just discovered this is being made in single units as opposed to three... and i think i want.  now i just have to hunt down how/where i can purchase it.

summer treats

i was running errands the other weekend when i stumbled upon these really cute popsicle molds. i had to have them. i mean, i figured they would be a far better alternative to what was quickly becoming my night time routine: half a pint of ben and jerry's. eek. delicious, but eek. i quickly got to work googling fun and healthy recipes that i could test out and look at what i stumbled upon... spiked watermelon pops. ok, so maybe this recipe can't replace my ben and jerry's addiction without bordering on another addiction, but it still could be a totally great saturday in the park (with friends) treat!


Ingredients
1/2 (3 pounds) large watermelon, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup watermelon flavored 70 proof vodka (recommended: Smirnoff Twist of Watermelon)* see Cook's Note
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Special equipment: 16 (1/4 cup) ice pop molds, 16 wooden pop sticks or wooden coffee stirrers at least 2-inches longer than the molds.
Directions

In a blender, combine the watermelon, sugar, and vodka. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Add the mint and pulse once to combine. Pour the mixture into the pop molds. Insert the wooden sticks all the way down the inside the molds. Freeze for at least 10 hours or preferably overnight.

To unfreeze the ice pops, insert the molds in hot water for 5 to 10 seconds. Serve immediately.

*Cook's Note: For nonalcoholic Watermelon Pops, substitute 3/4 cup orange juice for the vodka.

MBW

if you're walking through the city, chances are you've seen some of mr brainwash's "work".  he takes popular icons and puts some sort of twist to them.  like, spock turned into marilyn.  not knowing much about him, or street art in general, i decided to check out a show he was having in meatpacking.  i got there early with a few friends, and as a reward, MBW gave us a few prints.  awesome.  a few months later, banksy, another street artist, released a film called exit through the gift shop.  the movie documents a french thrift store owner and self proclaimed film maker who becomes obsessed with the underground world of street art. while documenting his obsession he decides to track down banksy. banksy agrees to be a part of his documentary, but when frenchie fails to produce a decent film, he himself becomes the subject of a film and you see how MBW is born. it's incredibly interesting, but really makes you question the validity of his work. i don't want to give too much away so... if it's playing near you, go see it.