Cheer up, Sandra B!

I think this gown could have been quite nice had Sandra Bullock carried herself a little better.  I understand she's had a hell of a rough year but she looks so angry grandma-esque in this photo.  What looks to be a hint of a grin on her pretty face is masked by her you-can't-pull-this-hipster-haircut-off hair and ill-fitting (albeit lovely) gown.  Had she gone for different hair I suppose it might have worked.  Perhaps this photo just isn't doing her justice.  Afterall, I didn't actually watch the GG's (I think I'm better off, no?)  What do you think?  And who was your fave?

* Image via Go Fug Yourself, the best website ever for a good laugh about celebrity style.  I especially love the post about Heidi Klum's choice of GG attire...

This is no good...

{image}

I think this image pretty much sums up my weekend.  Instead of having that sweet weekend that I wrote about on Friday, I ended up spending my entire weekend on the couch, sick as can be.  I got hit hard at the worst time, and I'm sad about it.  Nope, I didn't get to go to that adorable baby shower I have been so excited about for months.  I didn't get to spend as much time with Raegan as I would have liked.  But I did get to see a lot of TV over the weekend (da Bears!)....which really doesn't make me feel good about things.  I've slept soooo much since Friday and while I don't have what could only be the flu anymore, I am suffering from the lingering effects of the ugly winter sickness that inevitably pays a visit every January.  Luckily I've got the best man in the world who took such great care of me all weekend long.  

So I'm spending today on the couch again, trying to muster up some energy for the week ahead.  Thank goodness for a DVR and Netflix on demand!

PS - we watched The Town on Saturday night and it was really good.  If you like suspenseful drama/action movies or if you just like a little eye candy (hello FBI Agent Frawley) then you should take the time to watch it.  It's not a movie I would typically add to the top of our queue the moment it came out on dvd but I'm glad I did.

Have a sweet weekend!

{image}

Hooray for Friday!  This weekend is gonna be a good one.  Raegan is in town! Hadley's baby shower is tomorrow!  So many fun things going on - and my weekend started early with Raegan's arrival last night (rustic pizza + wine + dancing = fun).  Have a fantastic weekend, everyone and stay warm!

Michelle Williams

If you're a subscriber of Marie Claire like me, you've probably already seen the lovely Michelle Williams gracing the February cover.    She looks absolutely gorgeous with her edgy pixie cut and her light pink lips, don't you think?

I also enjoyed reading the interview and learning how the loss of Heath Ledger has effected her through the last few years.  I can't wait to see Blue Valentine and finally know what all the buzz is about.  Have any of you seen it?

She opened her eyes!

Did any of you watch the "Together we thrive: Tuscon and America" speech by President Obama last night?  I caught just a few minutes of it and I'm glad I did, if only to hear this particular sentence ::

"Gabby opened her eyes for the first time."


The crowd began to roar with applause and many broke down with tears of joy.  Michelle Obama hugged Mark Kelly, Gabrielle Giffords' husband.  It was the kind of moment that plays over and over in your head and it's all I've been able to think about ever since.  I'm so happy to hear the news of her recovery (and baffled at the same time - I mean, it's not every day that a person can take a bullet to the head and survive) and wish nothing but the best for her, her family, friends and supporters.  

Lusting for :: Alexandra Grecco

I am in love with all of these silky, free-flowing, vintage-esque pieces from Brooklyn Etsy shop Alexandra Grecco.  What really drew me in was the inspiration behind her designs ::  

"The Brooklyn-based designer pays tribute to luxurious ladies of bygone days, drawing inspiration from silent film actresses of the 1920's and the burlesque dancers of the vaudeville stage."

That alone has sold me on all things Alexandra Grecco.  So lovely and soft; it leaves me with the desire to roam free in the sunny skies with the softest silk gracing my bones.  

If you live in Brooklyn, you're lucky enough to see her designs in the flesh at a few places.  For now I'll just continue to dream of wearing such beautiful pieces....

Dream Kitchens

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and we're always bumping into each other or knocking things off the counter.  There's not enough room to store everything and we have no pantry.  We have seriously maxed out our kitchen space and there are things like our mixer that we got for the wedding that is still in its box in our spare room because it has nowhere to go.  It's sad, really.  So one of our requirements for buying a house is that it has to have a big kitchen.  No matter what.  That room is really important to both of us so it's one of those things we can't compromise on (watch, the house of my dreams will be perfect except for that big kitchen.  Who knows though, if that happens maybe we could figure out a way to knock out a wall and expand? I can dream, right?)

I'd love to have any of these fabulous kitchens.  They're open and full of storage, and the natural color palette has me not only inspired to bake but leaves me feeling weak in the knees.

Images via House Beautiful

Homemade ravioli

For Christmas, I bought the mister a pasta roller that he had been wanting ever since the idea of a wedding gift registry entered our minds.  The one I found is small enough to fit in one of our few cabinets but versatile enough to make all kinds of pasta in different shapes and sizes.  Ravioli has been on our to-do list for quite some time now and last night just seemed like the perfect night to try it out.

After several trips to different grocery stores, we finally had what we needed (we didn't need Semolina flour after all, kind of annoying considering I went to multiple grocery stores to find it).  I watched as he smoothed out the pasta dough (?) in the roller over and over again.  After about what felt like 100 times through the roller, we were ready to fill the ravioli.   Being the genius/practical man he is, he decided to mix our leftover mashed sweet potatoes (made southwest style, yum) with ricotta as our filling.  It was awesome to say the least.

About 6 minutes later, we were ready to eat!

Paired with homemade sourdough bread covered in garlic butter and a vodka soda with lemon, we totally feasted like royalty!

Last, we finished off the night with some lemon meltaways that I had made for our friends' birthdays (muahaha, I only baked half of the recipe for them and saved the other half for us)

* Sorry for the poor quality photos as of late.  My photography skills only come out to play when they really want to.  I just really wanted you to see just how delicious our dinner was...

Robindira Unsworth

I love these rings - I love the style, the colors the simplicity.  One of us could actually win a set of these stacking rings.  Go to Luckymag.com and help decide the fate of the May issue - the Readers Choice Issue.  You could also win a trip to Miami, a shopping spree at Scoop NYC, a Toshiba Mini NB500, a Rebecca Minkoff leather satchel or a 16-piece set from Bliss!  So many awesome things to get you excited on a Monday!

PS - while the snow didn't really last on Friday night, we still enjoyed a cozy weekend full of movies (Please Give is not so good and Barton Fink is weird but good), football and KU basketball, good eats at a local bar/restaurant the Rocking Horse and birthday celebrations with friends at Mixteco Grill.   I hope yours were just as good!