Touring the Town

 
On Saturday, I met with a friend from college who is now back in Connecticut for a PhD program.  He'd never seen New Haven so we spent the day walking around the city as I did my best not to sound like a tour guide. 

I've worked in downtown New Haven for over seven years but I almost never walk around the Yale campus anymore.  When I first started my job, I used to take walks during my lunch hour but found that I loved reading in the courtyards so much that I could barely get myself back to the office for an afternoon of work.  This weekend, the weather was just perfect.  It was almost like we were undergraduates again, blending in with the groups on the sidewalks, talking about television and museums.  It was the kind of easy day that made my friend and I declare that we want to be professional college students and just live on a campus forever.

For me, the best thing about working on a college campus is that things are always happening.  The lectures and speakers and concerts are open to the public and if you really want to take advantage, you can attend an event every night and learn something new daily.  I loved being in school and attending classes.  I even loved writing papers, at least most of the time, and in a way, I think that being a student is the only thing at which I ever really excelled.  But if I can't perpetually be enrolled in graduate programs, working at a university is certainly an acceptable compromise, especially one with so much history. xo



Photo of Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University

Temporarily Tatted

Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?  My brother, my sister-in-law and my best friend each have several and I've always liked the way they look.  My reservations are mostly associated with my indecisiveness.  It's hard for me to make decisions sometimes (i.e. choosing which kind of crackers I want at the grocery store) and tattoos are permanent.  If I'm going to get something permanently inked onto my skin, I want it to be meaningful.  In other words, a pink butterfly on my lower back won't cut it. 

I'm so excited to have found these fun temporary tattoos at Tattly, which was founded by Tina Roth Eisenberg, who writes swissmiss.  I've never seen such cute, authentic-looking fake tattoos.  I especially love the designs by Julia Rothman.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 

I think I'm going to buy a few of these to try, kind of like a trial tattoo (that Happy Birthday banner would look so cute on the nape of my neck!).  Which ones do you like?  xo


Images courtesy of Tattly

Cute Names = Instant Interest

Have you heard of Red Head Roasters, Wendy's new coffee line? When I first saw it advertised, I loved the catchy name.  It sounds more like a cool, quirky cafe instead of a fast food restaurant's beverage menu.  We kept getting all these coupons in the mail for 'buy one, get one free' drinks so we decided to get a couple one night.  Truth be told, I think I would have given them a try either way (usually a cute name immediately piques my interest!). 

Verdict: ehhh.  A bit too sweet for me.  We tried the mocha and the caramel, and I couldn't tell which one I liked better because they were both just okay.  I'd be willing to give the drinks another try though.  Have you tried these coffee drinks?  And am I the only one who loves catchy product names?

Tea Time

I came across these cookies on Pinterest and I am in love.  They are shortbread cut into the shape of a teabag, complete with string detail for the tag.  They are just so creative and would be absolutely adorable for an afternoon party.  What do you think? 

It was really hard to find an original source for this but I think I tracked it down to this awesome French site.  (via Le Petrin)

Make It Melt

I know melts are just fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, but I really love them, like I could have them for lunch and dinner every day for months and not get sick of them.  Almost anything taste good when it's pressed between two pieces of deliciously buttered bread and warmed to the perfect temperature.  The melts we had for dinner the other night had honey ham, honey mustard and two(!) kinds of cheese on a rye-pumpernickel swirl bread.

It's almost like the sandwich is trying to hypnotize you into believing it's going to be the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.  No worries, I didn't need convincing. xo

Movie Monday: Rom-Com Comparisons

We had a Netflix movie sitting on our television stand since December.  December. In case you're wondering, the DVD inside the red envelope was The Way We Were.  I don't know why we waited so long to watch it, but I do know that when I popped it in the mailbox to return it, I felt relieved.  We can finally get a new movie.  I don't have to feel badly every month because I'm paying for a service that we don't really use.  I am obviously the ideal Netflix customer.

But here's the important part:  I liked the movie.  I'm on a bit of a 1960's/1970's kick lately (The Graduate, Barefoot in the Park, The Good-Bye Girl) but these movies tell stories differently than movies today.  The people who wrote The Way We Were really trusted that their viewers were somewhat informed, somewhat intelligent, somewhat invested.  It's about love in a confusing time, which is made even more confusing when politics are mixed in.  The characters are majorly flawed, and mistakes are made, but the film confronts that head-on.  It's worth mentioning though that if this movie was made today, the end would have been very different due to society expectations and film industry pressures for happy endings.

This weekend, we also saw Friends With Benefits and found ourselves comparing it with other recent romantic comedies that we've seen lately.  It was one of the best romantic comedies we've seen in a while, mainly because it was romantic but not in a mushy way, and comedic but in a smart, snappy way.  There were lots of pop culture references, the dialogue was realistic and, if I'm being honest here, the stars, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, are adorable.  Friends With Benefits trusted that its viewers would get and enjoy the fun, yippy conversations and the darker, less-fun family situations.  It's kind of like The Way We Were with a happy ending, if you'll allow me to majorly oversimplify.

Anyway, I can't wait for the next movie on our queue to arrive and to share more Movie Mondays with you. I hope you all had wonderful weekends! xo

Makeshift Pizza Night

 
I know that I'm not the only one who has come home from work, opened the refrigerator and stared in wondering, "What am I going to make for dinner?"  This happens to me about two nights per week, and last night, instead of making the usual "big salads" with lots of croutons (by the way, big salads always makes me think of Seinfeld!), I assessed the contents of the fridge and created my own concoction.

We always have an abundance of flour tortillas and I still had some fresh purple peppers from this weekend's farmer's market.  With a jar of sauce (I know, I know, homemade is always better but ehh...) and some cheese, a tasty dinner was made very quickly.

The best part about this meal is that you can improvise.  For instance, I thought I had mozzarella but I really only had half a bag of shredded sharp cheddar.  My tortilla pizza was still delicious despite the change-up.  And don't forget to add your favorite toppings.  I only put on onions and peppers but some bacon or mushrooms would have been great too.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and then drizzle olive oil over the foil. 

2. Place two flour tortillas on the cookie sheet.  Cover tops of tortillas with tomato sauce, leaving about half an inch unsauced around the rim. 

3. Generously sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese.  If you would like additional toppings, add them now.  Then, cover with shredded cheese. 

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Edges will be brown and crispy, and the cheese will be completely melted. 

Tip: It's a good idea to serve this pizza with a side salad so that the pizzas can cool off while you eat your bowl of leafy greens. This tortilla-tomato sauce concoction heats up like molten lava.

Enjoy! xo