Wednesday, August 31, 2011

"Dump Out Your Sack!"

10pts if you know where the title of this blog came from. It isn't hard if you're a kindred spirit!

Moving on ... I love the magazine articles in which famous people show you what's in their handbag. Let me rephrase ... I like the idea of those types of features. The execution of which is usually a bit misleading and utterly disappointing. Por exemple, the bag usually costs more than our house note, the contents of which are equally astronomical in price range and the practicality of those items is usually debatable. "Oh, I just have some LaMer creme, my iPad and an extra Cartier watch I had lying around. You know, the essentials." I call bullshit. First of all, where is your heaping trash-ball of receipts? Where is the pen that works and twelve more that don't? And what about the tampons!? Sorry, I realize that pretty things in magazines generally have nothing to do with my life, but in order to make the voices stop, I thought I'd give you all a glimpse of what is really in my handbag ... 

Thar she blows, my Big Buddha. I'm pretty sure I traded purses for this, or got it as a gift. I cannot remeber. I know it came from cousin Kristina who loves bags as much as I do. The gold liner is a little "granny goes to the casino" as my sister says, but it reminds me of a big ol' pumpkin and I love it to death. 


As we gaze into the beast, we get a sense of just how much she can carry! 

A few essentials ... my favorite Aveeno moisturizer [available nearly everywhere], the best mascara ever; L'Oreal Voluminous w/curved brush, sunglasses, hair bows, a tampon and some truly divine lip embellishment from For Strange Women . I really think it is a Southern woman thing to never leave the house without mascara and something fabulous for your lips. Check and check.

My little bunny bag is so precious! I bought it a few months after I started dating Brandon. We [obnoxiously] call each other "Bunny," so I thought this was fitting. It is currently filled with pens, earrings and receipts.  Also, Halloween candy!

Okay, feel free to judge. I read Star Wars novels, so should you! I'm about 1/2 way through with a great book called Tasting Freedom about Octavius Catto, but while I generally read non-fiction historical books or biographies, I think it's imperative to break that up with some good old fashioned junk fiction which for me, usually takes the form of mystery cozies or sci-fi. I think you should always have a book on hand. I get a little panicky if I don't. What am I supposed to do while I wait for my oil change or my to-go order or                                       on line at the Post Office?! 

I always carry matches and stamps. These things are important! And apparently Halloween stickers. The tarot greeting card was a gift from Cookie from her trip to Austin. 

I never leave home without my day planner [complete with moon phases schedule]. I love these witchy pens!! I buy them in bulk. I'm really afraid they'll be unavailable in the future, so ... oh crap, I might be a hoarder!![jk!] I just buy lots of Halloween stuff to use year 'round. Totally normal.

LOOK AT THIS PEN! I love Jack! Sorry, moving on ...
I always keep tea, usually peppermint, but looks like I've had some nice Yerba Mate laying around in there for the last week or so. Yum! I think of tea as medicinal, it's kind of like having a first aid kit for me.

This is usually on my bedside table, but I recently went out of town without my hubby, 
so I had to bring it with me. I got this precious frame from Bombay before they closed.

Make-up wipes and a full bag of Jolly Ranchers are not usually in my bag, I promise.
Pretty funny, but please disregard.

My favorite lotion! It isn't really lotion, its like thick, delicious body cream from My Bubbling Cauldron. I love the smell of Neroli & Chamomile. I think it is an added bonus that it is Halloween-y! 

I keep the skull kerchief in case I spill something or need to cover my hair in the rain. It has been washed a billion times over the years and is still in great shape. I think I got it for like $3. 

____________________________________________________________________________

I know, you were expecting worse ... a half eaten apple, some expired vitamins and a vial of what I tell people is Cleopatra's blood, right? Sorry to disappoint. I spared you the picture of that receipt ball I was bitching about earlier. Mostly because I'm ashamed at how many of them say Hobby Lobby and Tacomania and how few of them said something socially acceptable. In any case, my argument here is that what you keep in your handbag really speaks to who you are and just because you don't carry under-eye cream that is made from unicorn tears and costs $400/oz doesn't mean you're not fabulous. In any case, it is an interesting subject. I mean, what are the things you need [or feel that you really need] and what does that say about how you live? Too deep? Alright, fine; I'm going to Tacomania ...



Friday, August 26, 2011

IngenuiTEA, get it!?

We drink a lot of tea at the Hesson Haus. I usually find great teas at World Market or even Gucci Brookshires, but over the last year or so, I've been branching out and getting a better idea of what kinds of tea I really like. I really like white tea and I am a big fan of black tea, but not green tea. I can't quite tell you [in a terribly knowledgeable way] why, other than to say ... that's just what I like. I also really like roobios blends! Brandon's favorite is green tea, in any form. I've found that the more you branch out, the more important it is to try loose tea, so you can experiment with the strength and flavor blends to find your favorite.

Making a cup with loose tea is a bit messy, usually. I have a medieval-esque ball and chain steeper that I use quite often, but I found something truly amazing lately, so I thought I'd share! I present to you; my kick-ass purchase the week ...



Great teas! Try Wm. Hooper's Blend or Marie Antoinette. Delicious! Adagio has wonderful teas as well, I'm a big fan of both of these companies. I just love Old Wilmington because it reminds me of my first trip to see the Atlantic Ocean.
 
Remember my amaze-balls teapot!? Still my number one purchase of 2011.

 Mmm, yummy tea awaits.

:: click :: No, way!


Yes, way. Get your very own from Adagio Teas or stop by Sunshine Health Foods on Youree.
[disclaimer; don't make your tea this strong unless you're used to it! This went over ice and I added mint, which is why it looks so black. Good luck!]

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Kiddiot ♥

While I hope that no one has suffered any property damage from yesterday's storms, I would like to say that I am grateful for the lovely weather we had. I finally got a chance to cool our house off. A lot of people are overheating their air conditioning units by setting them at 70 when it is 110 outside. The best that you can hope for is a 20 degree variance between indoor and outdoor temperature, so when you set it down really low, you run the risk of losing it altogether! I always think about what I would do if the power went out during this kind of heat. I usually go straight to suicidal thoughts, but then I think ... I'll just sell my dog and get a hotel until it's fixed. That sounds rational, right? Monster, for one ... loves the idea.




Saturday, August 20, 2011

Purrrfect ♥

My newest babies! I have a Khloe Kardashian-esque obsession with leopard print. I have bags and some clothing in leopard, but by far the most prominent manifestation of this particular obsession comes in the form of shoes. Shocker, I know. I have a few pairs of heels and some flats, too. But no platforms! So, I fixed that last weekend when I picked these little babies up. They're not calf-hair which is my favorite way to wear leopard, but they were on sale and fit like a dream, so there you have it. I'm really ready to pair these with black opaque tights and a LBD, or bare-legged with a black sweater-dress and my classic trench coat. Eek! Fall is nearly here! 

Fun fact: I was wearing leopard print shoes when I bought these. It's official - I'm nuts. Yay!





Thursday, August 18, 2011

Turkey Burgers ♥

Surprise! More food! I have been craving hamburgers lately, but I can't eat beef [long story ...] so I thought I'd showcase one of my favorite "cheat" foods. We try and substitute turkey when possible; ground turkey is 98% fat free! There is less grease [less guilt!] and when seasoned well, the taste is delicious. I love making turkey tacos and similar meals with lots of different elements, making the turkey an easy switch; but with burgers, the meat is the concentrated point of flavor, so it's best to do a lot of prep-work if you're not able to eat classic beef hamburgers.

These are so easy and delicious! Just take your ground turkey and add minced veggies like onion, garlic and bell peppers to taste. [leave the tomatoes for slices on the burger itself] If you want to go majorly "veggie," dump in a 1/2 cup or more of each, but if you're just wanting to add a little flavor, simply add a few tablespoons of each. Rosemary works really well with turkey, so I usually add quite a few chopped sprigs. Now, the trick to the moisture is to add a beaten egg. Turkey is nearly fat free, which means there is less grease, therefore less moisture. So beat an egg and add it to the mixture. Lastly, I like to add salt and pepper after I've pattied them up. Just grill these like you normally would and serve with all the trimmings! We don't have a real outdoor grill, so I always pan-fry mine. We chose to make these cheeseburgers [colby shred] and serve corn on the cob and some BBQ chips for the perfect summer meal.

Bonus: you'll find that the clean-up is easy without all that grease ... yay!
Tip: Kraft Mayo with olive oil is delish on these!





Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Pizza Forever! ♥

Pizza is one of my all time favorite foods. I really like to make it at home ... the veggies are always crisper and you're guaranteed to have exactly the right amount of toppings. Not to mention that pizza making is super fun and romantic ... if you're both food lovers that don't mind making a mess. 

This particular pizza doesn't have any sauce. I had some really ripe roma tomatoes [my favorite!], so I thought I'd use them instead of slathering sauce all over the place. Fresh basil, garlic and a mixture of Italian shredded cheeses make this a super simple and really flavorful meal. 

[That looks like an ad for Chicago Cutlery ... but it isn't. I'm not even sure that knife is mine.]




Always drizzle with olive oil! Bake at 350 until perfect. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Thoughts & Prayers

I've always been a bit put off when people cast a quizzical look in my direction when I offer prayers. No, I'm not a church-goer, but if I'm not mistaken, prayers aren't exclusive to Christ. I know a lot about this ... and not just because I opened a new Google Chrome tab and went to Wikipedia to make sure. I've always thought of prayer as a meditation, even when I was forced to do it as a child in church. You know, communication to the higher power, that sort of thing. As I got older, that translated into a vibe or a happy feeling or thought you could send toward someone else. But now, apparently, you can only pray, or use the word pray if you go to church. I've actually started saying "thoughts" or "wishes" so I don't have to justify myself to anyone. The bottom line of my argument is ... if someone is wishing you well in a time of need ... why the hell do you care what they call it?! As long as it is positive and in good spirit, it should be gladly received.

It is possible to be spiritual without being religious. Now for a few pictures that describe the week I'm having ...







Thanks SenorGif, for helping me properly describe my current misery.