keep the dream alive

happy MLK day.

tag on...

this is one of my favs. i guess it's the 80's legwarmer fan in me.


i recently discovered urban knitting. love it. it's right up there with guerrilla gardening. beautifying those dark space.

ahhh saturday...

busy day on the home front. throwing a baby shower in san pedro @ noon which i'm ready and excited for..

but before then a little home improvement. we've been looking for a small desk for the guest room to house the desktop. while i prefer to work in our "dining room"...not so much a dining room right now...where the light is divine and the views are good, the bf finds his focus facing a wall with no distractions. to each their own!

when we first moved in we had envisioned one bedroom to be our sleeping quarters and the other to be a guest bedroom and office. since i work from home, the bf has let me be the main decision maker as to where that office is located in the casa. a couple of weeks ago we decided to use our dining room as a....DINING ROOM (which will also be my office sans bulky printer and file cabinets...thank you laptop!) so we can start having those dinner parties we've been dreaming of. (and secretly i'm double excited because you know what kind of shopping is on my horizon....CHAIRS! my fav)

i'll take better before and after picks of this $19 baby, but here's a sneak peak....

original lion drawer knobs and a possible ikea trade out....but probably not....

toodles!

my babe and his dusty self....

meet my new friends

these three brothers were found on my fav score site and all for a mere $40!! they are Kinetic chairs from Canada. all have the stickers on the bottom...praise allah...if i ever feel the need to sell them. but i'm not looking that direction. bent plywood goodness with that funky tinker toy base.

they can be connected together to create bench like seating...




detail of back while connected


or they can stand on their own...i'm planning on using them as some of the chairs at my dining room table.


sexy side shot

oh...and on a mid-century furniture website i found, they go for $100 each.
can you say holler?!

just sayin....

i am a craigslist junkie and see SOOOO much amazing furniture in my area daily. if i had a 5000 sq. ft. house to decorate, i'd be stoked. deals galore for many items i don't need in my current space but they're such a bargain...and the design! the design!

i'm constantly sending the bf postings of this credenza, or that chair...or check out this amazing lamp! i want to start a green design business where i furnish ONLY with used pieces and for a price that speaks to the pocket.

just brainstorming. i need a "first client" to get the ball rolling. someone who appreciates my style and would let me shine. takers inquire within. my first job could be pro-bono.

winter luv

Beach Greens Winter Pasta

Ingredients:

2 leeks (whites only), cleaned and thinly sliced

1 bunch kale

1 can white beans

3 strips center cut bacon (optional)

1 clove garlic

½ package crimini mushroom, thinly sliced

2 T. olive oil

3 T. good balsamic

2 c. dry shell pasta…or any other will work

Directions:

-cook pasta as directed

-while pasta is cooking, chop bacon into thin strips and cook in large skillet until brown and crunchy (if you don’t eat bacon eliminate this step)

-remove bacon and place on paper towel, reserving the fat for cooking.

-sauté cut leeks in bacon fat until soft over medium heat (substitue olive oil for fat is desired)

-add chopped mushrooms and brown

-season with salt and pepper. If you’re going the bacon route, make sure you don’t over salt since the bacon will add more sodium to the mix

-clean kale, stack the leaves on top of each other and cut into chiffonades…or thin, ribbon like strips

-add kale and chopped garlic to pan to begin to wilt

-cook for aprox 7 minutes

-drain and wash white beans to get rid of all of the canning juices then add to the pan.

-cook for another 5 or so minutes to heat the bean thoroughly

-add bacon back to the pan

-drain pasta and mix with the vegetables to incorporate all flavors

-add balsamic 3T. or more depending on your taste

Beach Greens is the local CSA i subscribe too. this recipe i created was inspired by what came in my box yesterday and what i had laying the kitchen. it turned out REALLY good.
wintery. healthy. easy. try it!

swamp dogg

such a good tune....lookin for the LP.

:::LOVE TO HAITI:::

the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti epic. a country with people that already have so much stacked up against them and now this.

a good friend sent me an email this evening about Wyclef Jean's foundation, Yele, which is now taking donations which go 100% to the relief effort. no bs like many other "relief" groups.

“Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.

I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.

President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.”

Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here to DONATE.

Thank you,
Wyclef

dear god, allah, buddah,

please bring me this LP.

Labi Siffre- I've Got The Blues- Remember My Song

joke 3:

a man is driving down the road.
a woman is driving up the same road.
they pass each other.
the woman yells out the windown, "Pig!"
the man yells back, "Bitch!"
the man rounds the next curve, crashes into a huge pig in the middle of the road, and dies.
-Plato and Platypus Walk into a Bar, by Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein