Platinum Locks and Summer Frocks...

Summertime is synonymous with platinum hair and lots of pretty dresses.  I somehow believe that if I go super-blonde early in the spring, the warm weather is sure to follow.  Meaning the boots can go into storage and all of my pretty summer dresses can come out to play.  Being a Cancerian I feel I am at my best during the hot summer season... I feel most creative and less stressed.  I think that can be attributed partially to the insomnia I get this time of year.  I just can't sleep, but instead of stirring in the sack I usually end up hitting the sketchbook, making plans for whatever project I think I'll start at dawn.

Here are the dresses I have been oozing over today, and after my latest project I feel confident I will be able to make some of these.  What project?  Last week between moving to Maryland and flying to Florida for a visit I managed to make time to sew a purse.  I just wanted something that was black in color and big enough to hold my camera and other array of items that end up in my purse.  It also needed to go across my chest as a shoulder bag so that I could have my hands free and feel secure going through the airport.  I managed to sew it, but I didn't manage to get any pics posted... I don't have copies of them at the moment though, so they are soon to follow.  For now, the dresses I'll dream about tonight:

     

Find this great 70's dress here at Market Publique.

     

A la Urban Outfitters.

This next dress is my new fave Mexico pic.  It's the perfect dress for the event, appropriate in design while staying true to my vintage sense of style.  And oh how much I love the little red accents.  

Find this cute dress here at BettyPageClothing.com 

And right after I stumbled on that I found the ultimate Mother-load of my ideal-favorite-bury-me-in-this dress.  It is breathtaking, and it isn't even designer, it has a stock store label. Luckily it has already been sold so I won't suffer sleepless nights dreaming of a night in Vegas wearing this dress.  Who am I kidding?  I am scarred now, and to be honest, a little sad I may never own this, but I digress.

Courtesy of Posh Girl Vintage... click here to see the depressing details.

Summer can't get here soon enough.  I am also on the hunt for the perfect vintage or vintage inspired swimsuit for my Mexico trip.  I can't decide whether I want a one piece or a bikini... here's a couple I've found so far, both of which are authentic vintage:

 

I found both of these suits at my new favorite site... click here to check it out.

Today's Useless Trivia:

By definition antique means objects produced in previous times that are valuable because they are rare.  Technically, in the United States, it means an item that is as least 100 years old, especially where furniture is concerned.  By European standards, an item is only considered to be antique if it was made before 1832, and the Industrial Revolution when items were still made by hand.  While items made since these times can still be considered valuable, they are not considered antique.  Instead, they are called vintage, period, or antique items.  There is also a category called collectable which may be any age at all.  What makes it collectable is appreciations of value since the item was purchased.

Out of Jet Fuel

So, I'm in Florida visiting the best In-Laws a gal could have.  Having a grand 'ole time... well today at least.  Thursday and Friday were pretty miserable.  The Hubs and I arrived Wednesday morning and went straight to the beach.  You could pick us out in the crowd; the fair-skinned morons asleep in the sand without sunscreen.  Yeah, I did that. I haven't had a sunburn so bad and painful in my whole life.  I am ashamed and I am still plagued with guilt and anger towards myself... mostly because I can't forget when the left side of my face is covered in blisters.  Not my whole cheek though, I was 'fortunate' enough to have been wearing giant over sized sunglasses that protected a good portion of my face and left me with designer raccoon lines.  If it weren't my face, I would be laughing it is so ridiculous.  It made me realize that maybe I am more vain than I would like to admit... not that I would ever call myself a vain person, but I guess feeling hideous humbled me in a way.  I'm lucky to have a husband who is so attentive and thoughtful when I am sick... he was all over the aloe and aspirin.  Just so you know I'm not exaggerating:

I know it's blurry, but within the blur you will see the truth in sunburn.  Honestly, I have never experienced sunburn like this before.  My legs still feel swollen, and it's three days later.  On thursday I could barely even stand, the rush of blood to my legs felt like a throbbing that went through and intensified at the core of my shin bones.  Has anyone ever experienced this before?  It was excruciating.

So, my location in connection with the title of Today's blog means I'm really missing my little doggie boy.  My Mom said he is sitting by the window staring out all the live long day, which just breaks my heart.  My husband and I always say it's so tough on us because we know that he can't understand what a vacation is and whether we are coming back... we reason that at least a child would understand.  But who are we kidding?  A child, because they can understand, can look up and say, "Don't go."  Now that must be heartbreaking.

Tomorrow a Yankee pre-season game against the Twins. Yay.

Yesterday we went golfing.  My husband and Father-In-Law went golfing rather.  Mom and I drove around on the golf cart and gawked at the amazing houses... and the cute cows.  You can tell from her expression that she is suspicious of me.

Here's a fun shot of the Hubs at his best... sort of.  He hasn't played in about five years, so I don't think his game was where he wanted it to be.

But he still looked cute.  This coming Wednesday we are going again and I think I'm going to take a crack at golf myself.  I will confess, openly in fact, that I have absolutely no athletic skill at all.  I'm Artist in Red, not Athlete in Red.  Every time I try I pretty much make an ass of myself, so we'll see about the golf.

Today's Useless Trivia: In honor of the task at hand:

The Maryland Real Estate Commission consists of 9 members; 5 licensed Realtors and 4 consumer members, each appointed by the Governor.

A Cardboard Blur

I am up to my ears in cardboard boxes. Actually, most of the stacks of boxes tower far over my head.

Things
blankets
candles
sewing boxes and seasonings
tossed
around and in
blurring the origin of memories.

Our last Saturday night meal at home: Cornish hens in a cranberry orange glaze, croissant stuffing and fresh steamed green beans followed by a homemade creme brulee.

The last breakfast cooked here: a Cowboy egg. Just toss a piece of bread with the center cut out into a pan, crack an egg in the middle and cook to your desired doneness. Tasty and easy.

No matter how much planning you do, you always end up like this. Standing in the middle of a box-filled room thinking, "where the hell is my..."

... Cutting board. In this case it was already packed away. We made due with a make-shift cutting board made of a Home Depot packing box and some parchment paper. It did the trick!

My beloved beagle staging a sit-in protest to the move.

Today's Useless Trivia: What sets poetry apart from prose? The right side of the page.

The Camera Took No Adventure Today

Today I spent the afternoon with a close friend and her four month old baby. I love hanging out with them... and it's nice to get a little practice. My family is full of babies, but I only get to see them for such a short time. Little Danny is the first baby I have really hung out with on a regular basis. I love getting to see him grow but it is a little bittersweet. I have second cousins that I know less about. Granted, having four and five states between us is pretty good reason for not seeing them regularly, but it still makes me a little sad.

Tonight the Hubs and I are hanging out with another couple... we are sure to have a heated game of Trivial Pursuit. I am determined to have my husband on my team tonight. Somehow or another everytime we play this game he is on the other team. Fun at first, until he starts winning. No one talks more smack than my hubby when he's winning. It would be great for once not to be on the receiving end.

In June I am taking my first trip to Mexico. I am so excited that I am already planning my wardrobe. So the purpose of this trip, aside from pleasure, is to attend a wedding. The wedding is going to be a fairly formal wedding on the beach. Well, the ceremony will be on the beach, but the reception is going to be on a terrace. So outside, but in a place where I can wear heels. Thank goodness, I hate being without that extra four inches of height. When your height barely kisses five feet, you get a bit of a Napleon Complex I guess. So, now I am trying to design my perfect out fit for the wedding. It has to be breezy because it is June practically on the Equator, but it needs to be a little formal also. And would it be too much to ask for it to have at least a touch of vintage in it?

This is my current shoppers-fantasy-favorite. Nothing about it is Vintage, but it looks so edgy I had to fall in love with it. I hadn't realized that edgy-ness could cancle out lack of Vintage-ness. Naturally, in my dream world I would also own the Jimmy Choo shoes she is wearing with the Jean Paul Gaultier dress.

You can buy the dress and shoes here... if you want to give up both an arm and a leg.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Jean Paul Gaultier is a French fashion designer who never received formal training. He started by selling fashion sketches to established designers. He is known as the enfant terrible, or bad boy of French.

A Beagle and a Beach

Here is where today took us. A Goodbye to Long Beach Island.


This dog would do anything for food. Believe me.

A healthy fear of the ocean is good for everyone.

Just so you know, the second round of Breakfast Bread was an exceedingly monumental failure. I'm too irritated now to try again. At least until after I get to Florida and taste the real deal again. Normally when I eat Breakfast Bread I'm just eating to enjoy and have breakfast. This time I am eating with intent to replicate. I may also try to bribe a member of the Publix Bakery staff into giving me the recipe.

This time next week I will be rellishing the thought of one more full day and night in this little home. March 7 is fast approaching. Yesterday I thought it was three weeks away... it SO isn't.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Sharks attack some 50-75 people each year worldwide, with perhaps 8-12 fatalities, according to data compiled in the International Shark Attack File (ISAF). Although shark attacks get a lot of attention, this is far less than the number of people killed each year by elephants, bees, crocodiles, lightning or many other natural dangers. On the other side of the ledger, we kill somewhere between 20-100 million sharks every year through fishing activities.

Another Shot at Glory

They look better... but we all know the proof is in the pudding. Hmmm, is it okay to use an unrelated food euphemism when describing a food? I'll let you know how these puppies taste once I cut into them and whether or not the recipe is worth sharing.

Pre-cooked loaves... I had to get creative with the parchment. I went to roll out what I needed and all I got was a thin little strip. I made it work though.

Definitely shinier this time around... what do you think?

Today I am running errands and trying to get packed for a vacation that isn't happening for 3 weeks. If I waited to pack until after the move though, I know it would be disastrous. I'd rather be ready to go so that I can focus on setting up our new living space. I am more excited for the move each day. Although it probably won't set in until after I return from Florida and realize that I won't be going home to the cushy little condo I have now. It is sad, but I am too excited to make a new home for us to dwell on this one. We have nothing but good times ahead of us and I am ready to start our new adventure together. Here is what we have in our immediate future to get things started: boutique shopping with my Bestie in Baltimore (she has already left me a frantic message describing, in broken shopping English, that she stumbled on a Vintage shop with a great sale), Lithuanian and Ethiopian cuisine with Friends and a Father-Daughter day spent lurking around museums in Washington DC. I also have to put my nose to the Real Estate books. The Hubs and I only have 90 days, which is probably to about 80 now, to take and pass our Maryland Real Estate test or else our New Jersey Real Estate abstracts (a record of our education) will no longer be valid and we will have to re-apply. Did I ever mention I was a Realtor? I haven't been practicing in New Jersey for a while, just processing and running an office. After meeting and working with some Realtors in my office, I realized I need to get back in the game... not because of their inspirational sales skills, but more because they were morons.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Presidential pets have been a varied bunch: The Bushes had Scottish terriers, Woodrow Wilson had a tobacco-chewing ram and William Howard Taft had, fittingly, a cow. Did you know that John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, housed an alligator in a bathroom in the East Room of the White House? True story.

Relaxing with My Breakfast Bread

My attempt at breakfast bread was a little disappointing. I admit, if I had never had Publix Breakfast Bread before, I would probably be pretty happy with it... but my tastebuds have known the truth. It needed twice the fruit, maybe more, twice the nuts and an egg yolk wash on top to make it shiny. I also think it needs brown flour... or maybe brown sugar instead of molassas, which just made it yellow. I will have to experiment. It helps that I will be in Florida in a couple of weeks where I can read the label with the ingredients listed for me. Until then I will just have to keep tweaking the current recipe. As soon as I master it, or get close, I will be sure to share the recipe.

The loaf before baking.

The final product. It just doesn't glow like the Publix kind.

Here is a photo I took out and about.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Drying is the oldest method of preserving food.