When the Needles Are Gone, It's Time

Tonight we got rid of our Christmas tree. I can't tell if this makes me very festive or extremely lazy.

Our poor tree has done a great job dressing up our apartment but every inch of it is dry and pointy, and it's shedding all over the floor at an alarming rate.  Also, I began to feel like it was a giant needle-covered piece of kindling, which made me worried about turning on the heat. Honestly, it's been in the corner of our living room for three months and I sort of forgot it was there.

So yeah, Christmas is over. Come on, Easter--we're ready for you.

Nope, That's Not Strawberry Jam

 

A few months ago, I noticed that most grocery items that used to come in glass jars now come in plastic containers of some sort. I have a feeling that in the near-future, my salsa will come in some kind of flimsy compostable plastic baggie.  I don't use many jars now but I know that someday, I'm going to need one and regret not saving enough during the glass jar heyday.

At least this is what I tell myself when I look at the collection of jars in my cupboard. 

They do come in handy though. For dinner tonight, I made southwest salads and decided to mix up some dressing.  I threw everything in a jar and then shook it. And seriously, a few shakes of a jar is way more effective than a whisk can ever be.

One thing I need to start doing is removing the original labels and marking the contents on the lids.  Finding salad dressing in a jelly jar isn't that bad, but there's an old salsa jar holding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in our fridge and opening that by mistake might be a bit traumatic.  xo

Busted.

In case you can't tell what's happening in this photo, it's a canister of crescent rolls that exploded in my fridge after a mere two weeks.  It's a bit ironic because more often than not, these tubes won't open for me at all and I have to cut into the cardboard with a knife.  Perhaps this is what I get for buying the generic brand of dinner rolls.  #busted

It's All In the Seasoning

I've always wanted a cast iron skillet. A few months ago, I used the balance on a Macy's gift card to buy a 10-inch skillet and was thrilled when it arrived (and lucky enough to have gotten free delivery--this thing is heavy!). But how do I use it? And how to do you develop the seasoning, which is the pride and joy of cast iron?

I've only used my skillet once so far but I somehow managed to commit all three deadly sins for cast iron care as detailed in this Huffington Post article.  It's going to take me a while to get used to not washing this pan with soap. I may have used a metal spatula when flipping the sauteing potatoes, and I definitely let it air-dry.  I guess I don't have an innate instinct when it comes to cookery.

This weekend, I'm going to take the article's advice and start the seasoning process on my skillet, which apparently only consists of rubbing some olive oil into the pan and then baking it in the oven for an hour.  Sounds easy enough, right?

I must say, these caramelized onions sure tasted good though.  I think it was the perfect thing to break in the new pan and welcome it to our humble little kitchen. xo

Picnic Improvisation

Sometimes, you plan a picnic but not everything goes as planned so you wind up cleaning off your tiny balcony, pushing two chairs together to create a makeshift table and enjoying the spread at home.  Our leisurely three-hour lunch consisted primarily of cheese and crackers, but it was the perfect thing to do on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.

Sidenote: I love how the cashiers at Trader Joe's never judge the contents of my cart, even when it only contains four blocks of cheese, a bag of pita chips, unsalted sunflower seeds and celery hearts. The man that checked out my order complimented my cheese selections and I totally felt validated. He was right; the New Zealand vintage cheddar is amazing. xo

Summer DIY Project That I'm Keeping Year-Round

 

I don't think there's a list-lover out there who doesn't love chalkboards, not only because they provide unlimited list-making options but also because they are aesthetically pleasing (or maybe that's just me).  I'm totally into all of the tutorials that design and craft bloggers have out there using chalkboard paint but they almost always involve cutting wood or making your own frame or painting entire walls. Here's the problem: we live in an apartment. We do not own power tools. We cannot paint our entire kitchen or refrigerator or floor in blackboard paint no matter how cute I think it looks. Let's just file this under S for Sad but True Realities of Being a Renter.

I wasn't ready to give up on the trend though. About a month ago while I was at a craft store, I thought, "Why can't I just spray-paint a piece of poster board and create my own temporary chalkboard?" I experiemented on our balcony with a small can of blackboard paint and the poster board, and was pleasantly surprised with the results (fyi, breezy conditions will totally ripple the paint as it's drying but additional coats will smooth out the area).

I wrote my summer to-do list on our new board in chalk markers and then using two temporary, easily-removable plastic hooks, I hung it on the wall opposite our stove. 

I couldn't be more into this project. It's really a cheapo diy hack but it doesn't really look that way when it's up on the wall covered in vibrant chalk markers.  And once summer is over, I'll just replace this list with another.

Perhaps this means that there is a way to overcome any design obstacle that our small home presents. If anyone can figure out how we can legally have a small fire pit on our balcony, let me know. xo

Topping It Off

Weddings cost so much and while we were planning, I found myself really thinking about every purchase that I made. Some things just seemed ridiculously priced ($1,500 for four hours of DJ services when Anthony and I were choosing all of the songs? Does the DJ double as a cardiac surgeon?). Other things I knew I would never use again but still thought they'd make a difference on our actual wedding day, like my beaded headband from Anthropologie. There's no disputing that this has been a very expensive year.

One thing that I am happy that I purchased is this kickass cake topper from Etsy seller Lollipop Workshop. At the time, it seemed silly to buy such an extravagant accessory for a cake that would be on display for mere hours, but this personalized topper is really special to me for some reason.  Maybe it's the care that I know went into creating it especially for us. I already have a place for it on top of a bookcase in our living room.

Thanks so much to the Lollipop Workshop for creating this cake topper in our likeness (seriously, there was a really long form to fill out for all of the minute details, right down to the polka dots on Anthony's tie). We have a wonderful memento that will be on display for years to come. xo

Crafty Chic

Someday, I will live in a place where I can hang one of these pegboards on my wall with strategically-placed balls of colorful yarn on spools to create a homey and beautiful design.  Yes, it's practical, but honestly, it's so adorably cheerful and crafty chic that I can barely stand it.

Photos via Knits for Life via Design*Sponge

Snowplow Relief

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a plow.

Anthony and I have been stuck in our apartment for almost five full days due to Winter Storm Nemo.  Our street is barely cleared and my office is closed due to dangerous conditions in New Haven.  It is not easy for an unprepared town to quickly remove three feet of snow apparently.  We've been patient but I have to admit that I'm getting a bit stir-crazy.  Everyone in our building was so relieved to see this little fork-lift thing rattle through the driveway; they gathered near the entrance and actually watched the guy remove the snow for several hours.  I'm sure he loved the audience.

I'm hoping to take my little car on a short field trip around the block tomorrow just for fun. Welcome to February, New England! xo

Staying Put

In case you can't tell from all those snowy pictures in your Facebook feed, the Northeast is basically at a standstill right now due to a blizzard that dropped three feet overnight.  Our town, like tons of other communities, I'm sure, was totally unprepared.  We're at two full days and counting of being unable to leave home; there hasn't been one plow sighting.  I'm staying positive but I have a feeling we're going to be stuck inside and off the roads for a while.

When there's a storm warning, I never rush to the grocery store. How long could we possibly be stuck in the apartment?  We almost always have enough food in our cabinets for at least a few days.  Tonight, I broke into the freezer and pulled out three boneless chicken breasts.  It seemed like a shame not to take advantage of the afternoon and make a meal that I would normally never have time to make after a workday.

I did something that I almost never do: pan-fry chicken.  My grandmother is an absolute pro at making the thinnest, most delicious chicken cutlets.  She is somehow able to slice the chicken breasts almost paper-thin.  I've been practicing with little luck but tonight, I felt like I was getting the hang of it.  And since I never fry, I'm never sure of when the chicken is fully cooked and I kind of figured out how to gauge that too.  Moderate success, finally.

Now, our apartment smells like chicken, which is good and bad, but either way, it smells like home here while the snow drifts grow in the whirling wind outside.



Awesome photo of Judy Garland frying chicken via Buzzfeed

Apartment Living

Without a mantle, or a staircase, or even a window ledge in the living room, we decided to hang our stockings on the bookshelves using giant binder clips. Honestly, I love that we put them there right between my poetry books and the travel guides.  One of my favorite parts about living in a small apartment is that at almost any time, you can look up and see all of the things you love together in one place.  xo

Snowman Invasion

This is the stairwell in our building.

The head of the condo association decided that the holiday decoration theme this year would be "snowmen." Every day, a new snowman in some incarnation appears. First, it was the snowman gift bag hanging from the handle on the laundry room door. Then, it was the plush snowman balanced on top of the fire extinguisher box. Now, they are lining the ledge along the stairs.

It's kind of like they are slowly closing in on us, but I don't feel threatened enough yet to actually buy some snowmen accessories and join in. Ask me again in a few days. xo

Entertaining, a.k.a. Everyone loves Cookies

We don't have people over often.  Our apartment is just too small to entertain large groups (we actually still have boxes in a few corners from when we moved in about a year and a half ago--shhhh....).  My father's birthday was last week and since it fell on a Wednesday, we celebrated on Sunday.  Anthony and I dug out the folding chairs and invited everyone over to our place.  We had a simple lunch of baked pasta, and my brother made a pie, but the hit was the batch of chocolate chip cookies that I baked that morning.  Initially, I had planned to make ice cream sandwiches using the cookies but people weren't really interested in assembling their dessert.

In retrospect, the cookies were probably too soft to stack with ice cream anyway.  Lesson learned: I didn't need to fuss so much with the pasta and the salad.  I just need to make sure I always bake fresh cookies when expecting company.  xo

To the Beach

I grew up in a beach town.  Our house was two blocks from the water and even though I didn't go to the beach often, we always had to drive along it to get home.  Maybe that's why the ocean makes me feel like I'm home.  I'm pretty sure I could never live far away from the shoreline or a major body of water for an extended period time.

Anthony and I currently live right at the entrance of the town beach.  In the morning, you can hear the seagulls and sometimes, when it's very quiet, the faraway sound of waves, but my favorite thing is how the air seems extra salty and crisp at the beginning of autumn.  On a Sunday walk down to the pier, my friend and I watched boats crawl between the sandbars.  The sun was warm but the ocean mist was cool.  Summer is really on the way out and I'm more than ready for corduroys and pumpkin bread. xo

Photo taken at Short Beach in Stratford, Connecticut

Sunday Funday

I always look forward to three day weekends.  They are like built-in bonus vacations and I try to take advantage of the extra time.  This weekend was packed with commitments and the only time Anthony and I had to do some chores around the apartment was Sunday morning.  Here's how the morning went:

I decided to make homemade pancakes using buttermilk I had in our refrigerator.  I found the perfect recipe in this awesome Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for Newlyweds that my wonderful aunt gave to me around Christmastime.

I then realized that we ran out of coffee because I'm awesome and forgot to buy some so Anthony ran out to Dunkin' Donuts for us.  So sweet.

The pancakes were good, a little heavy but still delicious.  I burned the last few and our smoke detector went off but whatevs.

Anthony took one for the team and put together the kitchen cart that I bought from IKEA a few months ago.  He did a great job, despite the horrible Swedish cartoon directions.

And now, we're both back to work tomorrow.  It's not officially summer yet, but it's been hot and humid, more like July than May.  There's so much scheduled for the next few months already, but Anthony and I are both looking forward to a few more Sunday mornings like this one. xo

Dark-Haired Girl In Search Of: One Comfy Armchair

I think everyone has one favorite spot in their home.  In our last apartment, I liked sitting in the corner right near our kitchen table.  It was only a few nights ago, when I had a project to work on, that I realized I don't have a really comfortable place to sit in our new apartment.  Usually, I'm either camped out on the couch (where I can't balance my laptop) or at the kitchen table on a hard wooden chair (which hurts my back after 25 minutes).  We don't even have a seat at our desk.  Then it dawned on me: we need an armchair.

Now, our space is limited but there is this little area right by our bookcases where I think we can squeeze in a nice, soft, comfy chair, one that would be perfect for reading, or writing, or typing, or possibly watching television.  A seat that makes the apartment feel like home, for real. 

What's your favorite place at home?

P.S. I love this chair (pictured above, courtesy of Pottery Barn)!

Reason #102 That I'm Tired of Renting

In addition to waiting for landlords to make repairs and worrying about rent going up every year, one major reason that I wish we didn't rent our apartment is so that I could paint the rooms a color other than white or eggshell (I'd also love a tub and not a shower stall, but that's another story).  I think that if we could, I'd paint the bedroom walls a shade of light peach and then paint the ceiling with this chevron pattern in gray, which was featured on Design*Sponge today.  For now, I'll put it in the "Ideas for Later" folder and just admire the loveliness of these photos. 

Photos courtesy of Design*Sponge

Design Aspirations

On Saturday, I tried to straighten up our apartment a bit and couldn't believe that it actually looked messier when I was done than when I started.  I'd love to have one of those homes where everything has a place, where there are shelves with alphabetized books and shiny cabinets with cake platters organized by size and color.  How can we keep our comforter fluffy? And why is it so hard to find curtains that fit our windows and actually look good?  These are all things I hope to learn as I grow up and become an adult (sidenote: I'm almost 30 and have lived on my own for many years without gaining much knowledge in this area.  Maybe I'm missing the decorating gene...).

After the mild weather this weekend, I'm anxiously awaiting the first warmish day so that I can open windows and air out the apartment, as if that would somehow make it more cheery.  Also, new goal for the year: try to make our bedroom look as beautiful as this one below, which was featured on Design*Sponge.  Happy Monday!

Photo courtesy of Design*Sponge

Trees That Will Make You Happy

Maybe it's because we don't have a tree up this year or it could be because I saw a tabletop tree outside Stop & Shop that I am coveting hardcore.  Maybe it's just how joyful these old, leafless branches look, but I'm crushing on these gift-covered trees in a big way.  Leave it to the lovely Swedes to be whimsical in freezing weather. 

Or maybe I'm picturing how hysterical it would be if Anthony and I tried to pull this off ourselves.  I wish the display was closer so I could see the decorations in person. 


Images courtesy of Tottinyon

The Brave Little Christmas Cactus

I do not have a green thumb.  In fact, I think that both of my thumbs are probably red, signaling to unsuspecting plants that I will most likely cause them harm.  Plants enter our apartment healthy but don't stay that way for long.  It's sad, and even though I've placed a fair amount of blame on our old apartment's mold problem, I just don't think that I'm a nurturer of potted plants.

But...last year, a sweet co-worker gave me a Christmas cactus for the holidays.  I loved this little plant but knew its days were numbered.  It looked great until February, then it started to wrinkle and shrivel.  No amount of water or sun could save it.  When we moved to our new place in May, I took the plant with us.  What harm could the move do since it was already pretty dead?

Here is a look of this brave little Christmas cactus today, almost a year after I received it:

I don't know what happened, but it somehow beat the odds.  I feel like a proud mama every time I look at its beautiful bright pink flowers.   Let this be a lesson to us all to never underestimate a little bit of perseverance, although part of me hopes that I don't get another plant for a long time.  My success with this specific cactus might very well be a gardening fluke, aka a gardening miracle.