...mesmerizing...

I could stare at this for hours without the assistance of psychotropic substances.

davidpayneful videos of the twins are killing me!

Ah, the lovely Payne twins. Dave has been posting some adorable pics and videos of his days at home with the girls. This little family makes my heart want to swell and burst. I have been playing this on loop for the last five minutes and it just gets better and better. How fudging cute are these two???

The girls are working on their standup routine. This joke is called "a kitty on the potty."



http://twitpic.com/photos/DavidPayneful
http://www.twitvid.com/videos/davidpayneful

News Flash: Painting (as in walls and base boards) is a PAIN IN THE ASS!!

I don't own this place but felt compelled to paint my apartment in order to keep my mind off some  insurmountable things. If my camera was working I would be able to do some "before and after" photos to show and reflect back on later. That might have helped make it all seem worth while. But no, my digi is broken, and I cannot document this with photos. Aaah... salt in the wounds.

As for now, I am knee deep in base boards, spackle, blue masking tape and semi-gloss with no end in sight. Why am I doing this again? Maybe it's the fact that these walls are filthy and need a fresh coat like Kanye needs a muzzle. This place will look lots better when this is all done. Keep. Telling. Myself. That.

When I buy a camera for my birthday, I will upload the 'after'. This shit had better be done by then...

Check Out Maangchi!!

Not only does Maangchi serve up a recipe for my long sought-after homemade triangle kimbap (perfect for hiking or anytime snacks) she does it while being completely adorable and playing Bobby McFerrin. Her videos are fun to watch and have opened up a whole new world of cooking to me! If only I had known you could buy the special samgak wrappers in Korea I coulda woulda shoulda burned the rest of my won wad on this!!!

Try It, You'll Like It!

Found this on Apt Therapy and decided to try it as I've never made polenta. Turned out to be nearly orgasmic. I recommend de la Estancia organic polenta (find it at Whole Foods) which cooks in 1 minute. This is my new rainy night go-to meal.

Roasted Vegetables on Creamy Polenta

Serves 2 - Use organic ingredients whenever possible

Zucchini, peppers, mushrooms (whatever you have-at least 3 vegetables per person)

1 Red onion (preferably torpedo)

2 Large Tomatoes (1 tomato per person-or more if they’re small)

Fresh basil for garnish

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Slice zucchini, and peppers in long thin strips. Slice tomatoes. Cut onions and round squash in wedges. Tear the stems out of the mushrooms and drop 'em in whole.

Drizzle olive oil over the veggies, just enough to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle everything with garlic salt and pepper. Spread out veggies in a single layer on cookie sheets or roasting pans and roast for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the veggies and roast for another 10 - 15 minutes until browned around the edges. Serve on polenta, garnished with fresh basil.

Creamy Polenta

3 cups filtered water

1 cup polenta

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in heavy pot.

Slowly pour polenta into boiling water as you whisk it.

Turn heat to slow and stir one minute until the polenta pulls from the sides of the pan.

Turn off heat and stir in cream cheese and buttery spread.

Salt to taste.

I'll Carry a Watermelon In My Heart For You Alwayze

Neighbor Take Warning

You Guys Want Some Purell?

If you are a member of my family you understand that "White Nights" is code for the act of obsessively attending a movie in the theater no less than 15 times. My mom has done this with Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Twilight and of course the OG: White Nights. The closest I have ever come to obtaining my mother's glorious White Nights status was my recent obsession with Drag Me to Hell (saw it 5 times at the dollar movie in one week.)

With that being said, I believe I have found my White Nights...

Arty Farty

Just got back from a private screening of Little Ashes with my darling mother at the Tower and I am feeling inspired to start doin' art. Don't get me wrong, I don't imagine myself to be as creative - or crazy - as Salvador Dali, but even watching R.P. (my mom's name for Robert Pattinson) doing a not-half-bad portrayal of Dali made me cry tears of nostalgia and want to start at it again.

Baby steps I plan to take:
a. Complete my registration at the U
b. Get a sketch book and DRAW
c. Find out how to get Pell Grants
d. Read and actually go through with the Artist's Way (this seems more doable lately as I have been more successful at my life-long goal of becoming a morning person)
e. Post some of my stuff here for fun

Other things to do in general:
-laundry (belch)
-find dresser to store clean clothes
-spruce up the entry hall to my apartment with a nice plant and maybe a garden gnome to greet peeps when they come to visit
-get over the anger and resentment I am harboring towards my neighbors (more on that later)
-make time for reading
-print out and hang ceiling_cat somewhere in my house (Thanks Ruby!)

Never No More Romeo

Dear Booze,

How are you? I am doing better since we last hung out. I had a really good time listening to records and mimicking my favorite bird calls. With that said, I realize that these are things I can totally do on my own without waking up to heart palpitations and all my body parts feeling like a bloated dried plum. I really think it's time we went our separate ways.

Sincerely,
Sara

Ah Yes...

It's that time again. The changing from summer to fall is under way. Time for tomatoes, zucchini, and the rediscovery of my deep and undying admiration for Elvis Costello. Goddamnit I love you Elvis. Thanks for being born.

Knitting Attempts

While I didn't last more than two days on the master cleanse (which was damn near impossible) I did manage to spend more than two days perusing craftzine looking for Christmas gift inspiration. My goal: to have presents nearly complete by mid-November. I found several potential projects for firend gifts and also stumbled on a pattern for miss Veronik Avery's Oblique cardigan on Knitty. I believe it to be a very beautiful and I have chosen it as my fall/winter knitting project.



I ordered the yarn today at a close out discount price which was still more than I would have paid for a new sweater. This will be worth the extra female deer because of the challenge and fun I will have making it. I just hope I can handle it. :O

I only just realized that this is the same designer who kept me occupied all winter long last year with her lovely Lace Knit Scarf. Here I am blocking the finished product last spring:

TADA!!