whimsy in carpinteria

Over the weekend, my best friend (and Man of Honor at my wedding) came up to SB for a long-overdue visit. We spent a lovely Saturday in Carpinteria, a town that makes SB look bustling and fast-paced. The beach is absolutely gorgeous and peaceful, and it was so amazing to lay in the warm sun and listen to the waves. Summer is coming!

(isn't The Husband handsome?)

We ended up wandering into Whimsy, one of the million antique / shabby-chic little shops on the main drag in Carp. It's a little bit expensive for my taste, but in retrospect things weren't terribly overpriced. Regardless, it's a great place to wander around and get decor or project inspiration!

I really wanted this giant metal star from an old barn:

And how cool is this arrow?

There were a ton of old photos for sale. I don't know how I would feel having a stranger's personal photos on display in my house, but they were certainly fun to look through. It was really neat to see old Model T-era cars and women in Victorian clothing.

(I really wanted this "O")

music: hanni el khatib

Hanni El Khatib is on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic on Friday! Will you be listening? I've had "Penny" stuck in my head for days if not weeks. If you haven't heard it, check it out. It's produced by the same guy who does The Black Keys' albums, so you know it'll be that perfect balance of catchy and awesome.

(if the video above doesn't work, click here)

today

(i only buy running shoes on sale. because of that, they're usually a really great combination of pink and hideous)

Today was one of those hard days. I stumbled upon something I made a year ago, when this whole crazy journey began. I forced myself to chuckle aloud at my former naivete, but all I could feel was this deep ache in my gut. The ache has certainly dulled over the past year, but I still can't help but feel it. And honestly? I wanted to wallow in self-pity a little. I wish this could be easy and I wish I never had to experience any of this. I miss being naive and optimistic. 

I wanted to throw away what I found, so that I would never stumble upon it in the future and have it hurt me again. But then again, if this all works out, I would be throwing away something important and valuable. If it doesn't work out, this thing is useless. I guess I still have a little more hope than I realized, because I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.

Thank goodness for exercise, endorphins, and sunshine. This evening's run is much-needed and will be much appreciated.

recipes: chopped salad & easy healthy chicken

I don't know what to say or think about what happened in Boston yesterday. My feelings change by the minute; from despairing when I think of how Newtown was only in December and now it's April and yet another horrific act of inhumanity has ruined more lives.....to feeling hope and inspiration from all the reminders that the good, empathetic, compassionate people far outnumber the cruel and terrible ones. All I can do is try to be an example of hope, love, and empathy in honor of the innocent people who were hurt or killed yesterday. Sending my love and support to Boston.

The Husband and I are quite experienced with making compromises with each other, especially when it comes to food. I'm the ex-vegetarian health food freak who won't cook meat and is disgusted by anything greasy (except fish and chips. those are the best). He's the fancy cook who loves a good steak and thinks fat is a wonderful source of flavor in a dish. Both positions are valid, but since my POV has a more positive impact on our waistlines, we generally eat meatless, one-pot meals loaded with vegetables and healthy legumes. 

(mise en place for veggie stir fry)

Every so often, we decide to indulge with a meat entree for dinner, and one of our favorite easy, healthy, weeknight meal options is chicken with a honey-beer glaze and a wannabe tabbouli chopped salad. Click through for the recipes!

free download: stripes and scrolls

  

   

I created some nursery art for my cousin's wife, and thought the background design was something versatile and fun. I saved it in a couple different colors for anyone to use as a basis for some easy art. Fill in the blank spot with a quotation, recipe, photo, silhouette, anything! Click through the link to see and download the backgrounds. I am too lazy to set up any sort of file hosting thing, so right click and save the image (hi-res, roughly 2MB each).

how to stop biting your nails

I'm 27 years old and I just stopped biting my nails in the past month. I know, I'm embarrassed that it went on this long, too. I've tried to stop biting my nails many times before, but it never lasted more than a day or so. The no-bite bitter nail formulas at the local drug store? They didn't even phase me. For some (weird) reason, the taste didn't bother me enough to deter me from biting. 

Until I found Bareille No Bite Pro Growth. 

This stuff is incredibly bitter and it really works. I tapped my fingernail on my lip absentmindedly and even that caused the bitter flavor to completely invade my mouth. This stuff does not mess around, and I highly recommend it for the most stubborn nail biters. The taste is so incredibly terrible that even raising my hand to my mouth would make me shudder in remembrance of the first (and only) time I tried to bite my nails with this stuff on.

After going two (TWO!) weeks without biting my nails, I rewarded myself with my first-ever manicure. The pretty nail polish helped me to continue not biting my nails. Once the polish started to chip, I started putting the Bareille stuff on again.

This is probably the most boring thing I have ever written, but I really can't express how grown up I feel now that I have abolished such a gross habit. My next goal: to figure out how to apply nail polish myself without the end result looking like I did it while completely hammered.

roger ebert

(a photo of an old polaroid, east beach, sb)

Roger Ebert passed away today at the age of 70. I remember when 70 seemed like an incredibly old age to me, but now....well, it doesn't seem like nearly enough time. When Roger was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2007, he made one of the most poignant comments I have ever heard about death.

"I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear.

I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can’t say it wasn’t interesting. My lifetime’s memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris."

Rest in peace.

PS. Roger Ebert's loving relationship with his wife is seriously one of the most beautiful things ever. This picture is breathtaking.

(source)

lemons and lemonade

(los angeles, ca)

"What looks like a loss may be the very event which is subsequently responsible for helping to produce the major achievement of your life."

-Srully D. Blotnick

quick link: masako miki

Masako Miki is an artist from Osaka, Japan who now lives in Berkeley, CA. I am in love with her offbeat, mixed media creations. 

(always together, source)

Her latest exhibition in Oakland just ended, but check out her website for any upcoming events.