Remember this?

A while ago I posted about Old Soul New Heart, and now I'm kicking myself for not checking in on them sooner so I could have found these awesome, new headbands. I would have loved to wear any of these for tonight's New Year party. Especially the one above! I'm going to buy this baby just to enjoy throughout 2010.
I hope you all look hot this New Years evening.
Have fun. Be safe. Drink Responsibly.

Setting New Years Goals & Resolutions

Have you pondered your New Years resolutions yet? Maybe set some short or long term goals? Me neither. But thanks to the love of sharing, I heard about this Polaroid mission that Where My Hear Resides has set for herself, and now I'm passing on the love by sharing it with you...
Mission #1: create a Polaroid calendar and Mission #2: create a heart wallBoth missions you would agree are both fun and artistic. I wish her good luck on both her missions, and thank her for inspiring me to generate my own fun and artistic missions for the year 2010.

Brass Knuckles

For all of you coffee enthusiasts, tough guys, non-morning people, hate your job people, etc... here is something that might help add a fun touch to your mornings. Maybe even cheer you up a bit? I introduce to you the Fistcup Brass Knuckle Mug!Warning! Keep the enthusiasm to a minimum - very likely to spill burning hot coffee on you or others around you. Which will just lead you to having an extra bad day.

Jackets for Your Books

Sweet book jackets for your bookshelf. Go for the simple labels like this, or any of their artistic series like this one, this one or this one.

Produce Guide

My friend passed this one on to me from GOOD - it's a full blown guide to help you identify when the 10 most common fruits and veggies are locally available throughout the U.S.
This collaboration was done between GOOD and Always with Honor in an attempt to minimize the miles traveled from farm to table (1,500 miles on average), and encourage buying food grown locally.

Mix it Up: Red Posole

Red Posole

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, 101 Cookbooks.

Serves 8
*See Deborah's notes below

Ingredients for Posole

- 1 pound (16 oz) dried ready-to-cook posole/hominy*

- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

- 3 dried red New Mexican chile peppers, stems removed*

- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

For Red Sauce

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
- 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup ground red chile*
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 quarter of a lime

For Garnishes: tortilla strips, crumbled queso fresco or feta, toasted dried Mexican oregano

Directions for Posole
Soak the dried posole overnight in a large bowl of water. The next day drain the posole and place it in your largest thick-bottomed pot along with 3 1/2 quarts/liters of water, the onion, garlic, chile peppers, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the posole is tender (many of the kernels will have flowered into popcorn shapes). This can take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours. Season with a couple teaspoons of salt roughly halfway through the cooking process. Season again once the posole is fully cooked.

In the meantime

Combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, and oregano in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the onion takes on a bit of color, a few minutes. Add the flour and cumin, and stir for a minute or two or until the flour browns a bit. Whisk the chile into 2 1/2 cups of water and pour it into the saucepan. Stir until the sauce thickens a bit, dial down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes or so. Stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and season with the salt, adding more to taste if necessary. Set aside until the posole has finished cooking.

Stir 1/2 cup of the red sauce into the pot of posole. You can add more red sauce, a bit at a time, until it is to your liking. Spoon the posole into bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, and oregano.

Deborah's notes from adapting this recipe:
"Look for ready-to-cook hominy - the kind you soak overnight, and then cook. A lot like you would beans. I used Rancho Gordo white corn posole, but there is also a thread on Chowhound on how to source ready-to-cook posole As far as the choice of chile peppers goes, I used dried red New Mexican chiles, they have mild heat and aren't overly intense. You might also try guajillo chiles, or if you don't mind a bit more heat, Aji Amarillo chiles with their fruity overtones might be nice. Or maybe try a blend of mild-ish chiles. For the sauce, be sure to buy ground red chile, not chili powder - which has other ingredients mixed in. Also, for the vegans out there, this can easily be made vegan by using something like avocado as a topping in place of the cheese."

"Can you hold on for a second? I'm on my hamburger phone."

I loved loved loved the scenes of Juno talking on her awkward hamburger phone. And so did a lot of people apparently - because hamburger phones are in stock, and selling.

Andy Smith Screens

Andy Smith has a great shop of silkscreen prints, books and other stuff. Here are 2 of my favorite prints for your viewing pleasure.

The Beast Shoppe

Check out these prints from The Beast Shoppe by Christopher Lee... This hunters series peaked my interest by both the design and copy writing each print comes with.
For instance, El Cazador (above) has this witty story that I love: El Cazador lived in the Infernio Deserts, where water was scarce and shade was scarcer. Somehow El Cazador never had trouble finding shade, partly because of the periphery of shade his hat gave him but mostly because he was clever like that.
El Cazador's hunting specialty was the guileful use of traps. No stranger to traps, El Cazador himself was trapped in a marriage for 17 years with a woman he knew for 3 days.
From this marriage, he learned that sometimes not knowing about something (or someone) could be more enticing that knowing them at all. His wife helped him develop a high level of patience, a sixth sense for danger, and an appreciation for the appeal of mystery.
He mastered the ability to lure prey into his traps by playing a captivating song on his guitar.

Now meet Woodfred, here's a cute blurb from his story: Woodfred was the 6th child of 13 siblings, making him the ultimate middle child. Growing up in the crowded town of Dwellford, he made every effort to blend into the background so that his siblings would forget to pick on him. And my final favorite is Wendy, she's a feisty chica: She was overactive, flexible, and jumpy. She was known to do superfluous back flips and swing from tree to tree. She had a raccoon's highly developed sense of touch and fierce territorial behavior. The only human possessions she harbored were the clothes on her back, her tiny baby hat, and a razor sharp boomerang (used primarily for hunting and secondarily for sentimental value).

Check out the rest of Christopher Lee's hunters here.

Bubble Pop

Bubble popping dreams are here! Check this poster-sized calendar out - equipped with a bubble to pop every day! The calendar is fully functional, with days of the week and all major U.S. holidays marked and weekends bolded for easy reference.
The only challenge here is making sure that your jealous friends and co-workers don't pop your bubbles before you do! Oh - and stopping yourself from popping the entire calendar in one sitting. Talk about self-control.

The Moment Jars

I stumbled upon this adorable little website dedicated to moments. Where did this idea come from? A book. This limited edition book is a collaborative effort. An artistic endeavor. And an articulation of hope. What is it about? From the time he was a young boy, Samuel has been collecting the Moments of his life. Literally. In jars, in the basement of his house. Now, he and his son, Joshua, have embarked on a road trip to recapture a Moment. Sounds awesome doesn't it?
What's even more awesome is you can go on their website and submit your own moment. All moments are displayed in chronological order as they occurred. At the time of writing this, the site has generated moments going as far back as May 1st, 1920. And oddly enough, there are moments recorded up to January 1st, 2010 (they must be anticipating the moment, or didn't understand the directions).
Submit your moment today, or buy the book for a meere $12.00.
Fabulous idea!

Meditation

Light tomorrow with today.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"Today I am learning that I have a choice in each moment. What I choose to do with this moment affects my future. When I am aware of that, I can act in ways that will bring happiness and satisfaction to my todays and tomorrows. When I forget that, I am at the whim of anything and anyone that comes my way. I feel so much more peaceful when I keep this knowledge in the forefront of my mind. I can feel all my tension melting away and being replaced with positive energy. It feels so good to know that I am doing what I can to create a positive, peaceful future.

"I am mindful of what I am doing and thinking today, knowing that each moment affects the next moment; each day affects the next day."

{Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World pg. 10}

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you! Merry Christmas to you! Merry Christmas to blog world! Merry Christmas to you!

Mix it Up: Chocolate Caramel Treasures

Chocolate Caramel Treasures
Adapted from Gourmet, from Dana Treat
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients for Cookies
- Parchment paper (a must)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tbsp. whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

For Caramel Filling
-10 (1-by 1/2-inch) plain caramels, unwrapped
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream

For Chocolate Drizzle
- 3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions for cookies
Beat together butter, sugar, yolk, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended well. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt and beat on low speed until mixture forms a dough. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls, then coat with egg white, letting excess drip off, and roll in nuts to coat. Arrange balls, as coated, 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets and press your thumb into center of balls to flatten, leaving a depression.
Bake in batches in middle of oven until puffed slightly but centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press centers of cookies again. (Use the handle end of a wooden spoon.) Transfer to racks to let cool.

Make filling while cookies are cooling
Heat caramels and cream in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and mixture is smooth. Spoon into centers of cookies and cool completely.

Make chocolate drizzle
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool to warm (this will take about 45 minutes) and pour into a sandwich size sealable plastic bag. Seal bag, press chocolate to one corner and snip off a very small hole. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

I will definitely be trying this recipe out for my Christmas Eve Cookie Fest! Thanks Dana!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Here's to wishing you a special moment, and a special kiss under the mistletoe, with your special someone.

Elf Yourself

Join in on the holiday fun and Elf Yourself... I did it on Johnson Gray and then went ahead and did it at MySalesTax.com just for the hell of it. For Johnson Gray, we just did it for fun and posted the videos on our blog - check them out here. For MySalesTax.com, we sent the videos out to our clients as a happy holiday wish. Do the same for your friends and family! It's fun and easy.

Tip: For girls, get pictures with your hair down. For anyone, get pictures as straight on as possible - makes it easier! Go for it! Trust me the laughs are worth it!

A Day In...

... Dainty Wedding Shoes.

Naomi Murrell

Naomi Murrell's Etsy shop has these adorable necklaces that sing peace, love and tranquility. Check out the rest of her shop's stationary and bags.

Print Me This

I just found this Etsy shop The Paper Apartment, and I'm falling deep in love with these prints. The one above, We Grew Together, is something I would die to have hanging in my future home. And the one below, which is my favorite of the Up and Away set, would be a perfect addition to any tranquil space.

Klein Dytham: Tokyo

Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) is a multi-disciplinary design practice established by Royal College of Art graduates Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein in Tokyo. This 'cutting-edge' salon located in Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo was done in June 2007.

See more pictures, and read more details here.

Meditation

To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.
- Sandy Bierig

"When we simply accept what is, neither good or bad, right nor wrong, we sit in the pure space of now, in this one moment in time.
"When we see ourselves, all of ourselves, just as we are, without judgements, without looking at ourselves as we think others see us, we can find peace. If we can do this, we have a much better chance of accepting others just as they are. Our relationships with other people improve. Our own self-esteem improves.

"Acceptance leads to peace and feels so good. Today I am being very gentle with myself and accepting myself just as I am."

{Peace in our Hearts, Peace in the World pg. 9}

My Weekend at a Glance

Cinema love this weekend. Finally caught up on some blockbuster movies...
The Hangover - very funny. Which was a surprise considering that I heard very mixed reviews about it. Fat Jesus had me rolling in laughter.
Public Enemies - with a very sexy Johnny Depp. Actually didn't finish it completely. It was the last movie of the night and I ended up falling asleep. It was a smidge slow, but with all the tommy guns and sexy looks of Johnny, I'd probably watch it again to see the ending.

The Perfect Getaway - my man will probably be mad to find out I watched this one without him on Saturday. Especially when he finds out this one was sooo good. This mysterious, thriller keeps you wondering all the way through. You think you know who's doing the killing and then BAM! Big twist!

Bones, Season 2 - Oh yes! I am a Bones fan, more like a David Boreanaz fan. Got through 3 discs.

I'm Feelin' Like... Cupcakes

Good Afternoon Post #300!

Yay, 300 posts on this mini-blog, I'm so proud.
Today has been a pretty great day if I do say so myself. Great day at work, I had my holiday party at my internship - where my Secret Santa got me a sweeeet book. Show Me How by Derek Fagerstrom, Lauren Smith & The Show Me Team. It's pretty amazing.
So to celebrate my 300th post, I'd like to share with you Show Me How #184 - Remove Stains:
- Stain = Solution
- Chocolate = Dish Detergent
- Candle wax = Ice
- Grass = Nail polish remover
- Coffee = Lemon Juice
- Wine = Salt, then boiling water
- Tomato = White vinegar
- Sweat = Hydrogen Peroxide

I think I've decided I will use these awesome how-to's and share 1 with you each week. Sound good? Kay great!

Mix it Up: Chocolate Gingerbread

Chocolate Gingerbread

Adapted from Martha Stewart, Dana Treat

Serves 10-14

Ingredients

- 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan

- 1 1/2 cups flour

- 2 tsp. ground ginger

- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

- 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

- 2 large eggs

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

- Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Using Crisco, grease a 12-cup bundt pan. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and make sure pan is evenly coated. Dump out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not over mix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let sit for 15 minutes.

Run a thin knife all around the outside and inside part of the pan that sticks up. Using your oven mitts, give the cake a firm little toss in the air. It will become clear what part of the cake is still stuck to the pan so go over that part again with your knife. Give it another toss. If it all seems free and clear, carefully turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.

Allow to cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top, if desired.

Snapfish Memories

My parents are huge fans of Snapfish, and after seeing a lot of their projects in print I decided to add some of my own to my wish list. Its fun and simple to use. Just upload as many pictures as you want and personalize just about anything you want. Their calendars, notepads and notebooks are clearly my favorites.
What I love, is that when you create your calendar you can input special dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and when you create your next years calendar, they save the dates which allows for a quick creation. Then on the notepads you can add your own messages.
I have both a calendar and notepad coming home to me this Christmas holiday. I can't wait! Personalize your own gifts, goodies and personal indulgences here.