Chasing Sticky Goodness.

While we're on the subject of the wonderful Thompsons...

Today I have food on the brain (who am I kidding - when do I not?) so I thought I'd share one of my all time favorite recipes with you. We call them "Lucy's Famous Ham Sandwiches." Lucy Thompson is not only a great little cook and baker, she also happens to be Eva's Mom AND one of MY Mom's best friends. Matching nails!

I've whipped up these little sandwiches for baby showers, bachelorette parties, picnics, dinner parties...they're always ALWAYS a hit and I inevitably receive multiple emails the day after - Can you send me the recipe to those nummy sandwiches?

Buttery. Sweet. Salty. Gooey. Cheesy. Uh...Hammy?

LUCY'S FAMOUS HAM SANDWICHES

Boil the following together:

1 stick of butter

1 T mustard

1 T worcestershire

2 T brown sugar

1 T poppy seeds

make sandwiches with small buns, ham, and swiss cheese. Place in 9x12 cake pan

baste sandwiches with sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over the sandwiches

marinate 24 hours

bake 325 degrees for 10 covered then 10 uncovered

BON APPETIT!

Best Friends.

659 Days.

Eva sent this my way this morning. Her header was, "I like this one and think you will too!" How did she know that it was exactly what I needed to get my morning going? That's what best friends are for...

If you are reading this now, I challenge you to carefully read 1-45. One or all of these may help you on your way today. Give you peace. Or direction. Or a little lift to the soul.

I've highlighted my favorites. Or the ones that are hitting me the hardest at this time! Viva la Vida Loca!

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate,resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others.You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19.. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone for everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved..
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Eye Candy.

665 Days.

Elizabeth Messina. Her photographs are unbelievably delicious. Truly, you can almost taste them. Sugary. Sweet. Romantic. Fantastical.

Someday I hope to meet this extreme talent. Until then - she can inspire me from afar without even knowing it! Thank goodness for the World Wide Web.

www.kissthegroom.com

www.elizabethmessina.com

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Messina

Lucky Me.

“your love is king…
crown you with my heart.
your love is king…
you’re the ruler of my heart.
your kisses ring…
round & round & round my head.
touching the very part of me.
its making my soul sing.
i’m crying out for more.
your love is king…”
SADE

Chasing Beauty.

L.O.V.E. Lake Harriet. Beautiful summer evening in Minnesota.

And this picture may be one of my favorites to date - because it takes me there...

Back to LA.

Before I left town, the jobless life had me feeling surprisingly: liberated, creative, inspired, motivated... Post MN: paralyzed, panicked, confused, lazy. It was extremely difficult to leave this time around. Visits in the summer have me falling in love all over again with home, debating where it is I really want to be and how soon I want to be there. Hoping for some healing, I'm forcing myself to get writing again in the mornings. Maybe even that slight bit of momentum will have me functioning properly again. I have to get moving. And speaking of moving...moving on...some details from the weekend festivities.

The Johnson Wedding

Theme: Traditional, Formal.

Ceremony: Catholic but quick! Led by Bride's uncle, a Pastor. Saint John Newman - Eagan.

Music: Churchy.

Flowers: Red roses. Deep purples, fuschia, black.

Bridesmaids: Strapless, black, bubble-hemmed mini dresses.

Jewelry: Bride wore a diamond (or diamond-like) bracelet and vintage-inspired earrings. 'Maids donned chunky and funky necklaces with a shimmery, charcoal hue.

Reception Venue: The A.G. Hill Ballroom at Macalaster College.

3 of the 4 walls - floor to ceiling windows. On this sunny day the sparkly light filtered in through the trees and had the room feeling warm, summery, and full of love.

Decor: White, sheer linens and lights draped about. A variety of floral arrangements - in vases, hanging, floating...

Food: Chicken breast stuffed with wild-rice and apricot. Served on mashed potatoes with a white gravy and topped with asparagus.

Music: DJ.

A beautiful couple. A beautiful party.

We had a blast dancing the night away. And apparently so did the Newlyweds...

Cheers and Congrats! xo

Not the early bird.

673 days.

Disappointed with myself this morning...woke up at 10:30AM. Sick and WRONG! Hoping to get the guest room cleaned and then zip up to Santa Barbara to spend the night with Ari. Perhaps get a peek of the beach and dinner date in while I'm at it...

I have the laundry going, the dishwasher going, a to-do list growing - so I must be swift. I'll leave you with a snapshot of my guest room closet and - if you care about your shoes - a very fun way to organize them...

How to do it:

Step 1: Take pictures (I used Polaroid) of your shoes with various backdrops. I did some outside, the floor, on rugs, grass, etc.

Step 2: Boxes - http://www.uline.com/BL_5622/Shoe-Boxes

Step 3: Tape photos to corresponding shoe box.

Step 4: Voila! You have Mariah Carey's shoe closet!

Okay...not quite yet. But this is the closest I could get for now.

p.s. Check out the latest playlist samples the right. Some of my most played at the moment. Good for rainy days, sunny days, sad days, happy days, all days...

p.s.s. Credit to Ari for the shelve-building genius that allowed me to pack these in so tightly!

Pretty in Pink. But maybe not for long...

I've lived in the Rangely house with Ari for a little over a year now and our room has remained art-less, much to my dismay. A print I've been eyeing:

Yes, it's strange. But so am I. A large pelican. Cawwwwww! But I have a feeling about this one and something tells me it will just work - with the oranges and yellows splashed throughout the house.

Until the day comes that we're ready to throw down 500 bones for this print, thought I'd find something to take up some wall-space. A trip to Pearl, 15 dollars, and an hour later:

Keep in mind - Ari is out of town. I have been on his ass about adding pink to this house. But I may have mentioned doing something with juusssst a twinkle of pink. Ended up to be a bit

more than a twinkle - whatever a twinkle may be.

Don't be surprised if I post in a week or so and this painting has morphed into something a more masculine.

Chasing Sun and Glass.

674 days.

I'm finding it funny that it's going to take a trip to Minnesota to get some sunshine in my life. June gloom has officially kidnapped the early summer in California. My mood and my tan (or lack thereof) do not appreciate this.

Last night I was flying solo - Ari is up in Santa Barbara working with Shawn Stussy. Now, what to entertain me? Thanks to the Netflix Watch Instantly feature, I was able to choose from an

array of movies to stream directly to my computer, watching in the comfort of my own bed! Gosh I sound like an advertisement with all of that unnecessary enthusiasm. Anyways, my pick for the evening: the documentary, "Glass" - a 12 chapter portrait of the in

famous composer Philip Glass.

I was fascinated. Fascinated enough to stay up until nearly 1AM glued to this story. His character. Ego-less workaholic. His talents. Many. His spiritual interests. Self-proclaimed "Jewish-Taoist-Hindu-Toltec-Buddhist."

Take a quick listen on iTunes. Or the samples I've posted in the right column of this blog. You certainly might recognize his music. The Hours. Notes on a Scandal. Koyaanisqatsi. Watchmen. The Fog of War. Now listen, close your eyes, and imagine this far-from-mad madman sitting at home, penciling bitty notes on music paper as if he were writing a script in some alien language, building entire symphonies from scratch.

Glass likens music to a river running under ground - it's always there, he just chooses to listen to it. Something tells me I don't have the same access to this river. But I am happy to hear what it tells him.

Photo Credits: Chuck Close

Chasing Marriage.

675 days.

Leaving for Minnesota in 3 and can't keep my mind off of the countdown.

I predict that the Johnson wedding (6/13) is going to be both a beautiful affair and reunion of friends. I see a lot of tears and laughter and getting down and dirty on the dance floor in the near future...

And while we're on the subject of weddings, you may have heard that I am the slightest bit interested in them and, eh'em, mine. Planning on any level really gets my juices going. Baby showers, bachelorette parties, birthday soirees - anything involving food, friends, themes, design, making lists - I'm there and on it. I'll be dedicating a portion of my blog to what is said to be a near obsession of mine.

Whether it's posting plans and photos of parties of my own, or sharing ideas stolen (or borrowed) from others, I figure this is a good outlet for me to rant and rave. And a good outlet for poor Ari who has been endlessly tortured by my talk of weddings and marriage and hurry-up and...would give the man some damn time and space and let him have his own way!? But a girl has to dream...and I will. Online.

My first of the wedding posts is of a picture I pulled off of Style Me Pretty - currently one of my favorite blogs out there. This particular bride crafted her own necklace for the big day. Absolutely stunning. What a unique piece to throw into an otherwise very traditional bridal getup. And she opted to only wear for some pictures which adds variety for her selection of photo faves and looks.

Cheers to breaking away from the norm and styling on a tight budget!

Photo Credit: Alders Photography

Tip: Homemade necklaces - very affordable bridesmaids gifts too!

Stay tuned... Johnson Wedding details and pictures to come.

Don't matter if you're black or white. Or both.

Ari and I have been working on our photography skills since purchasing our baby (until a pet or real baby comes along this will have to do) - the Nikon D80. Being "green", and maybe lazy...I've found that often times if I am clueless how to deal with lighting settings, or if photos turn out color-funky, black and white is a good place to turn to try to salvage. The dramatic contrast and blur make the photos look romantic and as if you're watching the subjects in motion.

Check it:

Chasing Queso.

676 days.

Good Morning, world! After a lovely night of doing absolutely nothing (aside from burying my face in a Philip Roth book) - I am beyond rested and welcoming the warm sunshine pouring into the home office and beating on my back. Looking forward to celebrating the Pinter twins birthdays today with family and friends. Also looking forward to eating a mound of chips and some of my favorite shrimp fajitas ever at Marix by the beach.

Speaking of Mexican food by the beach...a few more of my favorites.

Mucho - Manhattan Beach


I dream of their light, cinnamon dusted chips and creamy queso. Try the carnitas and split. The meat was juicy and portion plenty. Your going to spend more here than at your average Mexican spot but certainly worth it, especially for a special occasion.

Z'tejas - Costa Mesa Plaza (Newport Beach area)

One of my all time beloved restaurants. And I can say that even after working there! Can't wait to hit up the Scottsdale location when I'm there in 2 weeks!

The tex/mex/asian fusion really gets me going. The fish taco recipe is oh-so-inventive which makes them, by far, the best I've ever had. Blackened catfish, slaw, avocado, jalapeno mayo, tortilla strips, and a sesame dipping sauce that I would be happy to drink... The queso is served in a cast iron skillet and warm cornbread placed on every table with a side of honey butter. That alone is a reason to go. The margaritas (all 13 flavors) are tart and delicious and customers are limited to 3. They are strong, baby!

Garage Remix

Makeovers can make anyone and anything feel better. Even our spidery, stinky, dirt-ridden, cluttered garage. An entire days work for this little thing!

BEFORE:



AFTER:

Chasing Nuts.

Why? Because they're amazing.

Chasing Me.

677 days.

That seems to be a question I'm asking myself quite frequently as of late. Who is this little girl in a bow tie - smiling with wonder and glee. Before the anxiety set in because she was chasing thirty.

My boss sent me off on hiatus for the first time in 5 years. He felt like a failure. So did I. But we both agreed that there's a bit of peace and war going on inside of us. The free fall and clean slate and unknown - so peaceful. The free fall and clean slate and unknown - internal, emotional, psychological battle of the century. I said, really. I'm fine. More than anything I am just wondering, who am I? Well, Katy. I can't help you there. And so the quest to find out...begins.