Girly-stash Wishlist

Raise your hand if you have a list of make-up wants that reads like a novel! *raising hand* If I had an income right now, probably more than one of the following items would be in my hot little hands as we speak. Which reminds me, I should probably just start wearing makeup every day, whether I'm going out or just watching Dr. Phil. Purely to justify the cost, of course ;)

Urban Decay, The Fun Palette

I am super-duper pale. And I'm ok with that. What I am not ok with is the fact that certain eye shadow shades make me look like I went on a month long bender. The bruised look is sooooo never happened. Brights are tricky, too, unless you don't mind looking like the makeup is wearing you. I am not one of those girls. Or at least, I don't think I am. Enter this palette. UD is renowned for their shadow formula- velvety, buttery, silky. Perfection. I've never tried the brand, but I love everything about this palette, from the shadow colors, to the turquoise, glittery pouch it all comes in. That tiny tube of gloss looks good to me as well, and well coordinated. Because if you're going to wear a loud teal shadow, you should really keep your lips quiet. I've seen swatches of this palette on a few sites, and I think I could totally pull it off.

Nyx, Be Free Palette

Originally, I was not interested in this one at all. The colors looked too bleah to me, and I was loving the Waiting for Tonight palette, all JLo associations aside. I have since seen video reviews of both palettes, and this one really knocked me out. As a total eyeshadow huss, seeing swatches of these on someone who is also pretty fair skinned was one thing. Seeing how gorgeous these shadows are on that pale soul, as opposed to how boring they look in the picture, was another thing. A revelation. And the review of that other palette? Not as bueno, although several of the shadows swatched (same lady did both videos) were just as pretty as some from this one. The blushes are pigmented, the glosses are not quite as pigmented, but I am never one for palette glosses, anyway. It would also be great to travel with.

Benefit, Sexy Little Stowaways

I have never used any Benefit products. This set, for holiday 2012, would be a great intro to the brand. I am most intrigued by the "The POREfessional" pro balm, "Bella Bamba" face powder, and "Badgal Lash" mascara. The packaging is adorable, the sizes are right for taking them with (hence stowaways), and there is not one thing in this set I couldn't find use for. 

Smashbox, Studio Pop Ultimate Palette

Yes, I like palettes. I like pretty much every eye color contained within this palette. I love that the eyeliners are creams. I love the huge mirror. I love that this palette has way more than the next one I'm going to write about, but costs the same. I can see me in many, many looks with this palette.

Urban Decay, The Vice Palette

Yup, shadows are my vice. Not to be cute, as I really do love just about every piece of makeup one could possibly use (except you, coral-orange everything. And Pantone, really? Please don't pick an orange shade again for...ever.) I love lipsticks for the way they make my puny mouth look a little less so; I love eyeshadow for the way it can take my eyes from favorite feature, to favorite feature on steroids. I love the colors in this palette, neutrals, brights, soft shades and smoky. Urban Decay, for me, really is what makeup should be about- having fun. To whit- I don't understand people who freak out over the prospect of wearing what may be an out-there color. It's makeup, not a tattoo! It will wash off! Also, remove that stick from your behind, and live a little! I could see myself playing with this for hours.

These are my current gimme gimmes. The major ones, anyway :) Maybe Santa will be feeling extra generous this year! I can hope, right? 

Dirty Movies #2: Halloween, the Sequel

Halloween is days away still, which means avoiding trick-or-treaters, and going for Chinese. Traditions are life, people. So here is part two of my dirty movies- Halloween edition post. Enjoy ;)

Yeah, Zombie Walk 04!!

Shaun of the Dead

I really am not into zombies. Like, at all. You will likely never catch me watching The Walking Dead, Night of the Living Dead, or Sister Wives. (what, I never said every thing in these lists would be relevant to each other.) I once lied at a slumber party that I was not allowed to watch horror movies, just to avoid having to watch NOTLD. I also kind of love to hate the Thriller video. That said, I love love love Shaun of the Dead. Sure, it's gory, there are droves of the undead all over, and they're feeling kinda bitey. But at the heart of this story is just a guy, his best mate, and the woman he loves. And her annoying friends. And his bastard step-dad. And irritating roommate. This is a real piece of the human condition, people! But, y'know, with zombies. It's funny, it's British, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost can do no wrong, and it definitely made me want to always have a shovel handy.

Rose Red?? More like poop brown!

Rose Red

I try to not get into many miniseries, for the fact that I tend to forget about them somewhere around the second night. That's also what happened with Rose Red, so it took me a long time to see it. And to this day, I can't say that I have seen it all the way through all at once, but it's a goal. I have seen it all, piecemeal, and it is a favorite. Haunted house, psychic kid, investigative group, secrets, secrets, secrets...it has everything. And Bones! And it reminds me a lot of the next movie...

You think that fireplace is creepy now....ha ha

The Haunting

This one is a remake of a 1963 movie of the same name, and are both based on a book, The Haunting of Hill House, published 1959 (which is probably also the basis of at least 90 other movies with similar titles.) In this, a rag tag group of insomniacs- meek Nell, bi Theodora, and duuuuude, Luke- are participating in what they believe is a study on their insomnia. Another house with a secret, plus a doctor with an agenda, an ancestral connection to the house, and murdered children, however, mean this is more than just a few nights trying to sleep in a creepy house. A few...unpleasant...physical things will likely make you recoil a bit, but the movie is not super scary, so much as a wistful, coming home story. But with ghosts and murder and human guinea pigs, of sorts. 

Oh, this old thing? Yeah, it was part of Tiffany's "Bloodletting" collection.

Interview With the Vampire

I have seen this (also at Dinnah's...I miss her mom's movie collection!) And I have read the book. It may be cliche to like Anne Rice and Stephen King, but meh. What I do not particularly care for, is Tom Cruise, but in this, he really never looked better. I also like period sets, and this does not disappoint. I do not like having my wrists fucked with, so scenes like the above image, really make me cringe. But what is a horror movie without a few wanna-puke-inducing moments? I have the same issue with True Blood (that, and Marni. What the hell. Really?!) I hope to catch this one on one of the various channels showing it lately, as I haven't seen it for a bit, and really, who is a more lovably messed up vamp than Louis? 

I'm trying to avoid a miles-long post, so that's it for this time. Til next time, have yourself a scary little day!

Dirty Movies #1: Halloween Edition

I am not much of a movie watcher. I hate theaters (panic attacks), Blockbusters everywhere have closed their doors, and I generally fall asleep during them. Seriously, it took me about a decade to see all of Uncle Buck. I am not without my favorites, and I have watched the same twenty or so movies many, many times. A trait from my parents, no doubt, as my father has probably watched The Outlaw Josey Wales oh, every time it has ever aired on tv. Believe me when I say, it was a lot.

When I was about half my current age, plus a few years and a driver's license, I lived for Blockbuster runs. Even if it wasn't actually TO a legit BB store. My mom once refused, in front of god and everyone, in the middle of our local chain, to ever go there, ever, because they wanted her credit card info on the BB card form. Never mind she gave that out to, oh, every other retailer in the area, Blockbuster was so not getting her shit. So when I was able, I got my own, and proceeded to rent The Craft, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and Drop Dead Gorgeous fifty million times. I have a trophy. I was also a fan of Slums of Beverly Hills and But I'm a Cheerleader! So I liked Natasha Lyonne before she was all hot mess. Doesn't mean I bat for the other team, cashier who bore a striking resemblance to Rupaul out of drag, mmmkay??

Repetitive movie rentals aside, and once I'd outgrown my fear of horror movies- another post for another day- I usually made a beeline for the horror section. Less chance that all copies of Marvin's Room would be rented. As far as horror goes, I love anything that involves ghosts. I am all about the supernatural. Monsters are fine, except for zombies, I have liked vampires since childhood, and if anyone does comedy with horror well, then they have my undying (undead?) devotion. Here's the list!

Habbudduh fwabbudduh bwuh bwuh bwuh

The People Under the Stairs

So, I actually rented this one maybe once or twice, every other time, it was on TNT, when Joe Bob Briggs hosted whatever late night movie show that was. I lived for this movie. Suspense, adoptive parents, secrets, old ass houses with a sinister past, A.J. Langer...it had everything I was looking for in a movie in 1997 (and it is by Wes Craven, who I have loved since Nightmare Cafe.) I haven't watched it in more than a decade, and it's possible the soundtrack hasn't aged well, but Roach will forever have a place in my heart. And some Progressive commercials.

Shit, my Tide to Go is empty!

Carrie

This was another one from the "hardly rented but always on TNT" bin. Now, I do love Stephen King. I will read his books, I will watch his movies, and I will forever wish he had a better ending for IT. Not that spiders aren't creepy, but I digress. Sissy Spacek starred in this, about a girl with a crazy mother and a secret. It was the 70s, a simpler time, where bullying a naked girl in the school showers was looked upon as harmless fun after gym class. No big, right? Wrong. You don't fuck with Carrie. If she weren't telekinetic, she could have sicced her mom on you, and called it a day. Instead, she's a real do-it-yourself-er, and took matters into her own hands, and made bbq out of everyone. If you get nothing else out of this movie, besides "I should really be nice to the quiet outcast," at least enjoy Piper Laurie's infamous "they're all gonna laugh at you!" I know I have.

Come play with us....we have Trivial Pursuit...

The Shining

I originally saw this at Dinnah's house, way way back in high school, because her mom owned lots of horror movies. It was glorious. Not only is this movie balls to the wall frightening, it is potently quotable. I'm fairly obnoxious, so quotability is a quality I look for in a film. I wish I had never seen it, so I could see it again for the first time. Dinnah and I were laughing nervously, almost shrieking in fear, and I think we were trying to climb into each others' laps toward the end, because Jack Torrance was after everyone. There have been maybe two remakes, one for tv, but I have not watched it, probably won't, and regret not getting this from the $5 bin last time I saw it at Wal Mart. 

Yeah, I can't believe a palmful of Dep and half a can of Aqua Net is keeping her hair like that, either.

The Gate

This was released when I was still too young to be allowed to see anything without a G rating. Despite my strong dislike for horror as a child, the ads for this made it look too good to miss, but my mom swiftly put the kibosh on it. We probably saw The Aristocats instead. And I did not see The Gate until 1998. I watched it the night of my 17th birthday with two friends, and while this movie was not that scary then, the hair was pretty terrifying. And the little demons bore a striking resemblance to my dog, Psycho. Those are more or less all I recall of that, besides playing records backwards, metal nerd kid, young Stephen Dorff, and the giant hole (the gate) in the backyard. It's not the greatest movie, and certainly was not what I was hoping for in 1987, but if you like to laugh at dated movies (and insanely high, geometric hairstyles) then go find this movie. It is allegedly being remade, and could really be done well, what with improved special effects. And they could reuse the little creatures from Guillermo Del Toro's Don't be Afraid of the Dark. This economy is hard on all of us.

There's nothing under your bed, trust me, I was just there...

Don't Go to Sleep

Last up is a little gem I saw on vhs back when my mom babysat like every kid in the neighborhood. Between this and Old Yeller, the tape was probably personally worn out by moi. In DGTS, we find a typical family starting over after the loss of their eldest daughter, Jenny. They are moving out of L.A. and into grandma's (Ruth Gordon, love her in this) house in the country. Which appeared to be the outskirts of L.A.? I think Aaron Spelling confused suburbs for country. For younger daughter Mary, however, all is not well, as she is soon plagued by noises and general creepiness each night. Is it Jenny? Is it life in an old house? Or is Mary experiencing a psychotic break? What we know for sure is, people are dropping like flies around Miss Mary. It's not super scary, but the suspense is there, and in my opinion, pretty good for a tv movie from 1982. I have seen this on Youtube (you have to watch it in 10 minute chunks last I looked) but it's worth a look if you like a little bit of psychological suspense with your ghost stories. 

I'm considering a part two to this post, maybe worst of scary movies (ahem, Eyes of Fire) or possibly more of the horror flicks I have known and loved. Off to think about this some more!

Girly-stash, October 2012

I've found myself somewhat flush with cash this fall, so like any responsible human, I decided to save that shit like it was the last money on Earth give back to the economy by buying myself a few little things. Never feel guilty for treating yourself, people. Two bottles of Chanel's Peridot varnish? It's called stocking up! Buying five NYX jumbo eye crayons each trip to Ulta? What, they can be hard to find! Sometimes, going a little overboard isn't a bad thing. Just make sure you have money for gas, food, and houseplants (or glitter polish. Or whatever may be on your constant list of wants. I'm not bossy, swear ;) ) The following were found at Walgreen's:

 Sally Hansen's Complete  Salon Manicure line is being discontinued/reformulated, so those polishes are on sale pretty much all over. If you can find any, that is. The regular price of these was about $8. I paid $1.89 each for the two I got, shades "Angel Wings" and "Shall We Dance?" They are not my usual crazy glitters, far from it. SWD? is a pinky nude, and angel is opalescent white in the bottle, but shows up more iridescent pink on my nails. I really like them both. If you are a fan of nudes, you may be in luck, as those shades may be the only ones left in your area. Best part? On those two polishes alone, I saved $11.20. Not too shabby.

Still in the  Ms. Hansen section, I decided to give a new nail treatment a try. Hard as Wraps promises acrylic strength in 60 seconds. I am not so sure about this, as it seems acrylics would not fall prey to a steel wool scrub pad in a sink full of dishes, but I also fully admit, I am murder on my nails. I had been using Nail Life (sans formaldehyde) and it used to work well for me, but it tends to thicken about halfway through the bottle, and leaves a bubbled finish on. Never mind the fact that it peels like mad. So if HAW can outlast my obsessive hand washing, and not turn into a bottle of goo in a month, it may be my new go-to. Oh, and that's assuming it makes my nails longer and stronger.

In the travel section, I found a bottle of Clear scalp and hair therapy shampoo. I had never used it before, it smells ok, and was $1.99 for a 3oz bottle. I know these are about $5.99 full sized (about 120z),and when I did the math, the full sized is, per ounce, a better bargain, ringing in at roughly 50 cents/ounce. The travel size is 66 cents/ounce. Don't be like me and always assume a travel size is a bargain! I hate math, but I love saving my cash, so I promise to work on this :) As far as the shampoo itself goes, I like it so far. The smell is a weird, plastic-y, grape-y scent, but it doesn't linger.

Next is a Studio 35 Beauty brand travel touch-up brush set for $2.99. I've been looking for a set of eyeshadow brushes for a wee bit now, and as I could not shell out for the Eco tools set, I decided to get this one. The blush brush is too small for any sort of blushing, but I kinda like it for an all-over eye color brush. The smaller brushes aren't bad, and it also includes a lash/brow groomer, which I have been in desperate need of for some time now. So, while these are not super-awesome-professional quality brushes, they are at least as good as my travel size mark brushes I've been using for several years now. I do think the blush brush could have been better, though.

Lastly, Invigorating Apricot Scrub (store brand) was 99 cents, and seems ok, perhaps a little rougher than its brand-name counterpart of Swiss origin. I can't use it every day, but I do like it. I am an oily, sensitive gal, and if there is no exfoliation on my face, things go awry.

All in all, I'd say this was a good trip. I'm only sorry that I hadn't signed up for the rewards card before  today.

Thrifting Log #1, The Lampe Berger

I forget when and where I first discovered the wonder that is the Lampe Berger, a catalytic fragrance diffusing lamp that allegedly purifies air and was used in hospitals many years ago. But I'm glad I did. I am slightly less glad that they tend to cost upwards of $100 (and the oils to go in them, usually $17 and up.) There are a few other companies making fragrance lamps like these; you can get one at Fred's for less than ten bucks (I have two of these), but they aren't true Lampe Berger.

But I found one for 99 cents at Goodwill.

Allegedly a real Lampe Berger, as it is on the lamp itself and the band around the top. However, color is flaking off of it (transparent yellow paint perhaps?), but I choose to believe it is the real deal until I find out otherwise. And even if it's not legit, it is pretty in a shabby chic, seen better days manner, and they are damn good air fresheners. I doubt either version actually purifies the air, but they do make a house with four cats and a dog smell better.

And did I mention, 99 cents?

I have yet to actually purchase LB brand oils to go in my lamps, I buy mine at Fred's. It's been a bit, but believe they are around 7-9 dollars a bottle. My favorites are the mixed berry and another one that is (I think) rum-butter-vanilla-sticky bun frosting. Something like that. It's probably well past time for a trip to Fred's. I'm sure there is some tutorial online about how to make your own catalytic lamp oils, I just haven't found it yet. Or, you know, looked. But! I did just come across a fragrance/essential oils site, Wellington, and that looks interesting. I'm very much into creating my own home fragrance. It'd be fun to see what I could come up with, combining my favorites and Brian's. Violet vanilla springs to mind. Link to Wellington Fragrance.

Speaking of home fragrances, Mary's Candles. Yes please. I've seen those little stands in grocery stores and WalMart for as long as I can recall, and everything smells so good around them. Then you run into the home cleaning supplies and you get a headache from all the Tide/Surf/Gain fumes. Dinnah likes the creme brulee scent, so when I noticed the little stand on my way to grab dog food, I grabbed a bag. Her house always smells good (brulee or no), and any sort of vanilla-y scent goes over well around here. I put the bits in my Scentsy warmer, and while the scent is nowhere near overpowering, everything does smell really good around it. Which I believe has more to do with my warmer's bulb being weak, and not the melts themselves. I'm going to add some to a tea light powered diffuser I have and see what happens.

So I'm happy with my new lamp, legit Lampe Berger or no. It will look sweet on a nightstand or side table, and as I've recently sort of decided on a decorating scheme for what will be the living room, its (flaking) yellow color will go well. Yellow, navy and white are currently my home decor faves :)

October Loves

I am so glad summer is finito. I hate hate HATE summer. Perhaps if I lived in L.A., not La., where temps year-round were not sweltering and too muggy to breathe, my opinion would change. However, I live in the temperate region I refer to as Satan's Taint. It's as unpleasant as that sounds.

Gladly, October has arrived, cooled things down enough to be bearable, so I am in a better mood, and thinking about the things I am loving now. First up, a new favorite blog. Beauty in Budget is written by Teresa, who regularly scours drugstores, Target, Ulta, Sally's and the internet, for the best deals in beauty. Her philosophy, that being thrifty does not equal being stuck with low-quality products, is a smart one. Her reviews are honest, especially helpful if you are a dry-skinned gal (but don't let that deter you! I'm oily and find her reviews insightful for my issues too), and her writing style reads like a chat from your very knowledgeable friend. She also shares her monthly gets from Birchbox, offers giveaways, and reviews any higher end products she receives (as either gifts or with great discounts.) If you love makeup, want to know where your dollars would be best spent, follow her blog. http://beautyinbudgetblog.wordpress.com/ 

Keeping in the budget theme, we move from the vanity to the kitchen. Our eating habits of late have left much to be desired. Frozen pizzas, drive thru, repeat...I'm sick of the same ol same ol. So I made a list one night, based on things we already have around the house, and built a menu from there. The two main aspects of this are 1) will this meal provide leftovers, and 2) are the ingredients able to be used more than once. I call that stretching. And it has changed how I cook. In the past, leftovers either went to waste, or don't exist (on chicken pot pie or enchilada nights, especially.) Now, I am planning leftovers. It's not quite once a month cooking, which I think my kitchen is currently too messy/disorganized/small to make work, but it's in that vein. I keep in mind the number of servings, what goes with the main, and will I be ok eating this more than twice a month? Because a nice pot of red beans and rice is great, but it's not my favorite, so the thought of eating it frequently does not set my heart aflutter. Which might be a shame, I do make really good red beans. It is on my list of to be mades, so sometime before this month is over, we will have some and freeze the rest. My goal is to stay out of WalMart as much as possible, not spend a ton on food, and stretch things as far as I can. I have a list of meals to make, how many servings they will provide, and I have tried to assign them to a day, so I can see how far they will go. It hasn't exactly worked out that way, because so far, two meals went to the freezer, and two more were eaten later in the night, or for lunch the next day. However, I feel I am on the right track, since starting this we have only spent about 200 on groceries, and I know I have enough to finish this month, and stretch into November. Fingers crossed that we make it to November 7th. Probably a lofty goal, but with careful planning, I see no reason why not :) I have a few other culinary favorites right now, but I am saving those for a possible future giveaway, so subscribe and stay tuned!

The other loves of my autumn are pretty much required for this time of year. Halloween, pumpkins, candy, nicer weather...the usual. I loved Halloween as a kid. I was always very shy, but putting on a costume seemed to help some of that float away, at least for the night. I love the holidays, despite their inherent insanity, so this time of the year is like the best of both- fun days are coming, but things haven't gotten nutso stressful just yet. And fun sized chocolate everything is everywhere. Love that! ;)

Sugar Cookies....Sort of

Madalyn came to visit today, which was a perfect reason to make cookies. She's been waiting to make them since Christmas, about two years ago, and is all about being in charge of frosting. Or sprinkles, she isn't picky. She is also dying to decorate a gingerbread house, which, should stars, space-time continuums and schedules align, we should hopefully do this December.

As Katie (my sister) and I have had plans to make tons of Christmas cookies practically since birth, we tend to go a little overboard buying supplies every holiday season. "Red and green sprinkles? Yes, please!" "Multi-colored sanding sugars? Don't mind if I do!" "Edible glitter?!?! Where can we find this greatest invention of the last 1200 years?" This extends to cookie mixes. We have quite a few. So many, one might think we are rolling in dough (*snicker*) every weekend, cookies up to at least our ankles. Truth is, they are pretty much just taking up prime cabinet real estate. Enter Mady.

Now, our grand cookie plans would have been much, much grander if A) there had been any clean, unoccupied counter space in the kitchen at the time and B) my parents ever kept real butter in the fridge. I have to work with what I've got, because I'm pretty sure it's in the Bible, if you promise to make cookies with a 4 year old, and then don't, you're going to hell. I'm not an expert, but if it's also a meme, it must be true. Right? Armed with our pack of sugar cookie mix, we headed to the fridge to make our fortunes cookies. I have seen many times on Pinterest, in magazines, and just online in general, you can substitute healthy things for fats/eggs in baking. I have used applesauce in brownies previously, to pretty decent results (unless your name is Brian and you have a sugar problem), so I decided today was the day I use Greek yogurt to replace butter. And now that I think about it, I think yogurt might be one of the suggestions to replace eggs, not butter, and these cookies call for butter, not eggs, so possible oops on my part. But what is baking without throwing a little caution to the wind, and throwing a little yogurt into your cookie dough? I'm not entirely sure. Ignore the rhetorical lady on the laptop.

Yogurt Sugar Cookies
1 package Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix (the smaller package, possibly also labeled "snack size")
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used honey Greek, Greek Gods brand)
2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or use tinfoil without it) and drop by rough tablespoon sized blobbys (trust me, they will be blobbys! This is not a firm, roll-out-and-cut kind of dough!) Add sprinkles, if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes. Et voila, sugar cookies. Sort of. Yield varies.

One day, I will have a nicer camera. But I love how festive the sprinkles are and how they pair nicely with the plate. Kind of reminds me of the circus. But way nicer, no animals were harmed during the making of these cookies. Except Ralph. His tail got in the way of my foot. Sorry, Ralphie!

Note the biscuit-like texture. The too-brown bottom. The unpolished sausage fingers. 

Verdict? If you are looking for a pretty cookie, move along, bub. If you are looking for the next taste sensation, take a hike. If you want a cookie that is also kind of like a biscuit, in that it is light and fluffy, and not super sweet, welcome home! You are among friends. I would also say they have a somewhat toothsome bite. These cookies remind me a little of those frosted sugar cookies you can get at any Wal Mart- they are light, soft, slightly dense somehow, but not as crumbly (not that those WMSCs are crumbly, just slightly more so than these.) They do get way browner on the bottoms than the tops, which led my mom to claim they were under baked. I think she's ready for Shady Pines, she claims everything is either undercooked, under baked, still mooing, not enough mayo...it's never right. But she also never cooks, so I'm curious where her frame of reference hails from. I would make these again if I had no butter but did have yogurt. If you have ever dreamed that you, too, could have a cookie that was also like a biscuit (and you aren't confusing American and British versions of the word) then try these! A pretty decent little cookie for when you kind of feel like having a cookie. Sort of.

Pretty Nifty Books #1, Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars

I love this book. Which might be amusing to some, as it is marketed to grandmas, and I am merely an aunt. The official title may actually even be "Grandma's Bag of Tricks: Toad Cottages..." Now, I DO have somewhat granny taste in some things, such as clothing, hobbies, clip art and such, so books are no different.

Image from Amazon. Obviously. 

The author, Sharon Lovejoy, is a grandmother, has written quite a few books about gardening (my favorite being "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots," which is for kids, but I tend to like kiddish things!) but you need not be a child, a grandmother, or even an accomplished gardener to enjoy her books. My nieces are currently 4 years and almost 2 months, and I know I will get a lot of use out of this book, at least from the eldest, Madalyn, who loves being outside. Kaitlyn has a while to make up her mind regarding the great outdoors :)

With chapters ranging from setting up your house for kids, learning about nature, cooking, gardening and things to do on rainy days, there is no shortage of "things to do" within this book. Best of all, you need not have tons of money to do them. You needn't also be a grandparent or live in the country- I think some things could be adapted, for instance, if you have no room to garden, but do have access to a farmer's market, voila, instant garden. Nature walks can happen in city parks. Your imagination is the only limit.

The book is currently on Amazon going for $10.97, but I found my copy at B-A-M for a whopping $3.97, on one of those clearance tables. And don't forget to check your local library! I also wholeheartedly recommend "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots," and will say I look forward to building a Sunflower house, solely because of that book.

A Really Dirty Post

I believe this was the year I found my "plant to always grow." Sorry I lack a clever, catchy name for said plant, maybe at some point one will enter my head.

Sorry for the upside-down pic. And my ugly floor. 

So, what is this brave little plant that won't quit? Moss Rose. AKA Portaluca and Purslane. I hear it is both edible and considered a weed. Which kind of saddens me. Why? Why is it considered a nuisance of a plant?

Not long after planting. Note the dried out soil and the dying Petunia, desperately trying to escape this dried-out hell.  I am a fan of this particular color variation. Very saturated in pictures!

Apparently, these guys are not just drought-tolerant, they prefer to be in drier soil. Its planter buddy, the Petunia, not as much. This has worked out great this summer, as I have gone away, forgotten to water, and just when all seems lost, we get a nice storm, and a day later....

KA-BLOOM!

And after that....

It's like it rained Miracle Gro. Please excuse my filthy carport. The maid is off. For life.

So far this year, I have managed to kill a Celosia, Begonia, Petunias, a lovely pink Gerber daisy, and have managed to not plant two bags of Gladiolus bubs. My rose from earlier this summer is still very much alive, the two Orchids I got seem maybe ok (one flowered and looks like it now wants to die; the other one is still bright, green, and flowerless.) My rose from last year is still blooming, which is great except I am not a fan of the color. Sickly pink striped with white. Meh. And my Azalea from last year has grown quite nicely. So, to my original point, if you currently suck at gardening, but love flowers, and would like to not suck so much at gardening, start with something easy. Like Moss Rose. And Zinnias. Just don't give up because you think your thumb is less than green :)

Double Chocolate Muffin Loaf

I have been promising Brian muffins for days now. It all started the night/morning I looked up strawberry muffin recipes online. Well, ok, it all really started the night/morning I ate an entire pan of Martha White Wildberry muffins all by my lonesome. Though they may not be his favorite flavor, Brian was marginally upset by this event, so I promised him new muffins. Better muffins. Chocolate chip muffins. I am not a fan of straight-up chocolate chip anything (save cookies), especially muffins. So, I decided they should be double chocolate. It was also a cheap ploy to get a canister of cocoa powder, which I promised to put into a pot of chili at some point. Don't laugh, it's good.

So, this recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen Blog, but I added a teaspoon of vanilla, a dash of salt, changed the chips from bittersweet to milk, and they aren't actually going to be muffins. My muffin pan is rusted, and rusty muffins are no bueno. So, a muffin loaf it is, which is actually our preferred way to eat them (no wrappers to compete for muffin with, you get a substantial chunk without the "I just ate an entire pan of muffins!" guilt.) Muffin loaf just might change your life, if you let it.

Taste Verdict- I like it. It's not too sweet, it's dense, pretty moist, and for breakfast, you won't feel like you're eating a big chunk of cake. And it could be gussied up for dessert, too, with the addition of ice cream or whipped cream or whatever topping tickles your tastebuds. I would also suggest adding nuts. I like nuts in my baked goods.


Double Chocolate Muffin Loaf

2 whole Eggs
¼ cups Canola Oil
1-¼ cup Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Granulated Sugar
½ cups Cocoa Powder
dash salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour 
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Add the cocoa powder, followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note- I baked mine a hair over 50 minutes, and part of it was still gooey in the middle. Perhaps my oven was not hot enough or retaining enough heat; I used a toaster oven. I will try again using our regular, gas, heats-up-the-whole-dang-kitchen oven next time! 

*Something I learned recently, did you know you should heat your pan slightly after you spray it with non-stick spray? I did this last week when I baked a bundt cake. I'd never actually read the back of the can, but it's right there, silently instructing us to do so. It worked fine, no better or worse than not heating it. I do have a theory it helps cut down on that post-baked pan stickiness (hate that!) but only time and further baking/experimentation will prove me right or wrong.*

So Much For That

That job I posted about last.....not happening. Part of me is irritated as shit by this, another part very much "when one door closes, another opens," and yet another part is bothered by the lack of jobs in my line of experience, and the fact that I should have gone to school, oh, twelve years ago.

So for now, I am scouring the local job sites, hoping to find something above minimum wage, maybe with various benefits. Close to the house would be lovely. What I want to do with my life is still unclear, which is why I did not go skipping off to higher learning in August of 1999. I have ideas but lack direction. Maybe this was easier for women sixty years ago, but I don't necessarily want to go that route. I'd like to retire with some money to my name, but the way I'm going, it'll only happen if I win the lottery. So back to the drawing board, annoyed, kind of sad and confused, and really tired of being broke. I have a real problem with wanting to progress right fucking now, because most of my life has been stalled since I got out of high school. Engaged for four years, no degrees, no nice place to live, no kids...I am utterly frustrated and hoping I figure out a way to change it. Soon.

Summer So Far

Unemployment, relationship woes, non-working vehicle- so this is my summer. Let me clarify: April, I quit my job because my ovaries are bitchfaces. May, I broke up with the fiance and then convinced him we should reconsider the break. We are back together. My car overheated and stopped working on my way home from Lafayette, and hopefully will be repaired soon. I waited almost 2 months for my dad to come take a look. Mechanic dad is, in my imagination, as good as doctor dad or dentist dad or carpenter dad. If he were "mechanic-I'll never make spaghetti again in my life-here's some money for all the years you never got an allowance, aka 'all of your childhood'-I quit watching Fox News because fear mongering and lies are not cool-I have a magic box that makes appear before you any food you could ever want" dad, well, I might have to move back home. But I hate spaghetti. And Fox News. But I love my dad, and can usually count on him to maybe not agree with my food/social oddities, but understand them, because he's pretty much the same. Hell, I had to get it somewhere. I will say this- he is very odd where cheese is concerned. I am the same way with my fruits and veggies, so perhaps I should not go "ok, weirdo," next time he's all "how can you eat THAT <points to slice of Swiss cheese I'm shoving into my face gap> straight from the fridge? At least melt it first!" Ok, weirdo.

Perhaps the second biggest thing of the season for me is Pinterest. I have become a pinning fool. I'm also considering starting a Dirty and Girly Pin page, but then I would get even less done, and I have to sleep at some point. Someone mentioned if they were paid to pin, they'd be rich. I'm approaching that faux income bracket quickly myself. I think I'm over 600. If one received five dollars per pin, that'd be 3,000 dollars. I'm willing to sign up for this. Other things I am considering are a mobile beauty service (I watch too much Jerseylicious. And I would need to go to beauty school. But it's a goal!) and possibly start working towards a degree in Pre K-3 education. It is hard to get a teaching job in this area, however. And I doubt "opening a homeschool" counts or is even a good idea. But since I was about 4, I claimed I would teach kindergarten during the school year, cut hair during the summer. I keep going back to those two, possibly because Vet school is 8 years total. And I would like to finish before I'm 40.

The biggest of all.....my newest niece! Kaitlyn Elizabeth, born July 8. She was not due to meet us until August 4, but she decided earlier was better. Hopefully she keeps that in her little bag of virtues; my mother is late to everything but work and dessert. This has somewhat trickled down to my sister and me. The day we show up to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner before everyone has eaten is record-shattering. Kaitlyn, our little early bird, is also the first July baby in a while for the family. She is sweet, calm, smiley, intrigued by whatever may be going on around her, and completely photogenic. I don't say this as any sort of bitchy remark, but babies are not generally a pretty lot. Unless you find raisins and aliens pretty. There are plenty of cute babies, and I can think of one gorgeous baby (to whom I am also related, my little Brookey, sweet west-coast cousin) but Kaitlyn, she is so pretty.

And don't tell me I'm biased, this kid is clearly ready to take the world by storm. After her nap.

I am allegedly starting a new job soon, so I plan to blow most of my income on getting out of debt. And nail polish. And on the Nyx website. And books. And magazines. And probably cheese. Now I intend to look forward to fall, and hoping that it's going to be a cool one. A frigid one.
Praying for a September blizzard,
-C

A Visit to Dinnah

Some days you just need to punch someone in their teeth. Sadly, this isn't always the best idea (if, for instance, you actually kind of like the person you sometimes want to slug) so let's pretend I am not giving that as "good advice for relieving stress." Forgotten? Good. Since I was having one of those days last week, I decided a quick getaway was in order. So I went to my first choice, mom and dad's. Which would be great, except their idea of good food is chicken strips 3 ways, and they have spiders. Huge spiders. No thank you sir. After a day, I'd had enough of the wilderness of my childhood home, and decided to head further south to visit my bff, whom I call Dinnah, even though she prefers Anna. She accepts she will forever be Dinnah, and this is part of why I keep her around.

If you have never been to Lafayette, La, you should drop what you're doing and make plans to go. Now. Sure, everyone knows about New Orleans, and N.O. is just fine, sure, but Lafayette is like that, but without the sewage smell. (this will piss people off, but to me, New Orleans has always smelled like toilet. Sorry...that New Orleans smells...) Ok, and there is no French Quarter, no Bourbon Street, no crazy, touristy attractions that I know of. Really, if you want good food and entertainment and not to feel like a total fish out of water, you want Laffy. I <3 Lafayette. I could come here just for the grocery stores and still consider my trip a smashing, riotous good time. I found Maggi seasoning here! That was a big, huge deal to me, but I'm a bit nerdy. And I really need that bottle of Maggi seasoning. If they had a Penzey's here, I'd make plans to relocate, pdq.

Most of this trip has found me alone at Dinnah's while she's at work, which is fine as I'm awesome at self-entertaining (and have been since long before smart phones came along, so ha.) I have ventured out into traffic alone, which could be terrifying (the drivers here are my only complaint. They're awful. Slow the hell down and remove your phone from your head and your head from your ass, you're no more important than anyone else on this road, I'd like to get my groceries and back home in one piece please and thanks.) However, I braved it alone/with gps, and made it back. Success. I made it there and back and with macarons. Triple success. Sucre macarons. Move over, space explorers, I just discovered shit that will blow you out of orbit. So, maybe the current macaron craze is overrated. You could probably spread cold fudge frosting on the flat side of a meringue kiss and voila, trailer park macaron. Problem is, those are not fancy, Marie Antoinette did not have access to the Pilsbury Doughboy's hydrogenated, chocolately wares, and I don't live in a damn trailer park. You go for the real ones when you want to feel fancy; you eat the knockoffs when you're willing to debase yourself for the nine dollars it takes just to get six of those bad boys.

How do I know you get six for $9? I'm really, really good at math. Really. 

This trip hasn't been all "Who the bleep Did I Marry?!" marathons and fancy French cookies; no. There has also been jalapeno kettle chips, cheese pizza, cheese pizza rolls, raspberry danish, lots of yogurt, Amy's macaroni and cheese, and these two bits of awesome-

Athena's lentil soup. I had not had lentil soup before I had this lentil soup, and the ones since are not as good. Our tradition is lunch or dinner at Athena's soon after arrival. I get a chicken shawerma wrap. We split a plate of halloumi, we laugh, have extremely loud conversations, talk about who would be most put off by getting a hookah for Christmas/birthday/just because, and generally catch up on everything, because we don't see each other often enough. P.s., if you ever hear someone complain they wasted money on halloumi cheese because "it doesn't melt like it's supposed to," laugh your ass off at them, and don't feel bad. Then break out some food snob knowledge and be like "you raging buffoon, you grill it, not melt it. Melting ain't what it's made for." They might not thank you for dropping that wisdom bomb, but do you really wanna hang out with someone who spends ten dollars on a block of perfectly good cheese that they had no idea wasn't for melting, then bitched about it? No? Me neither. Anyway, Athena's- yes please. They also have fruit and nut Toblerone, and for that, my firstborn may well be named Athena.

Shrimp fajitas! These were actually supposed to be quesadillas, but some random act of miscommunication (and not the language barrier, tyvm) sent this massive pile of fajitas our way. So, so good, but Dinnah and I agree, no more shrimp for 85 years, at least. I had a similar experience this past Easter with seafood enchiladas. A recipe I should really post, as they were so tasty, but also so rich that I could only eat one. Normally, I'm a 2-3 enchilada gal. But normal enchiladas aren't full of crab and shrimp and chiles verde and Cacique crema and tons of cheese. I just gained 3 pounds typing that. 

So my time here has almost come to an end, I can't be mad, or sleep on Dinnah's couch forever, and I miss Sophie. And I have some fruit back home that is begging to be made into something yummy. If you have a bff in a faraway place, you should make plans to see them. Bonus points if you don't visit/text/call often. Go now, they probably have really good Greek food  waiting for you!

Hey There

Been a minute! A lot has transpired since March, I quit my job, going through some health issues, moved back in with the fiance (gah, gah, gaaaaaaaaaaaah), and I'm trying to remain positive throughout, but I'm not the most sunshiney gal, so it's a challenge. I'm also trying to figure out which career path is the one I should finally commit to, and my former high school seems to only employ people with their heads up their asses, as they never understand me when I say "Hi, I need proof that I received my GED. It was in '99." I hear crickets. I am told "can I call you tomorrow?" and tomorrow has yet to arrive. Lots of things are pissing me off currently.

In happier news, I keep hitting up Lowes' garden department, and last time, found some decent items on sale. My biggest win was a rose bush (in gorgeous bloom!!!) for 6 dollars. Originally, it was about 15. I also got a $1 wave petunia and yellow celosia, which I might have killed. Poor little celosia :( Last bit of the haul are two bags of glads, one pink and the other a yellow and purple mix. I'm still waiting on a package from Park Seed with some more sale items, the ones I look most forward to are the green zinnias. To go with my purple ones. I love zinnias, they are the first flowers I ever successfully started from seed and transplanted (which is not necessity, they are so easy to grow!) I find myself on a purple flower kick this year, wanting to pair them with green and white. Which sounds a little Barney-esque, but they aren't grape and....Barney green....so I am not worried that my flowerbeds will look like some overly affectionate singing dinosaur.

My big household goal for the spring is to clean off the front porch. As nasty as this house is (to me), it has a lovely porch, with a swing, and is mostly screened. When we first moved in with Brian's mom, we hung out on the porch all the time. Mostly because it was more tolerable than being inside without air conditioning. And the swing. I would also like to build (or have *someone* else build, heehee), a lattice structure for my vining flowers. I have 2 kinds of morning glories, moonflower, and passion flower. I hope the mix of all these smells as good as I imagine. And I look forward to the crazy looking passion flower blooms, and the changing floral display between the early blooming morning glories and the night blooming moonflowers. I am considering putting the passion flowers in a container and putting them somewhere they can be alone, but we'll see.

I hope the house is full of flowers all summer long :) And also that I finally grow a few vegetables.

A Case Full of Happy

I <3 nail polish :)

Hola and Explanations

Hi, and welcome to dirty and girly! You may think I am nuts for calling a blog dirty and girly. I say, nuts like a fox, babes. It means I am a girl. I love girly things. But I am not afraid to get a little dirt under my nails in order to have those things, whether it be ripping out weeds for a flower bed or sweating my ass off while earning a paycheck. (and trust me, sweating is the least grody thing I am required to do/wind up doing at work.) So when you join me here, you can expect to find all sorts of girly goodness, from good food to good deals to good times.

What this blog is not, well, I hope that is obvious to you by now.

So, thanks for finding me, please enjoy, and come back often!

-Christy