Accomplishments today= 0

Yesterday, I was kicking a** and taking names- cleaning the house, going to the bank, planning out my life, getting a bunch of writing done. . . And then today hit. Yes, I did still wake up at 5:00 a.m. and got my work-out on, but outside of that I haven't accomplished a single thing. Well, I did take a shower. And I have fed myself. But other than that I have been staring at the internet. Which reminded me of my favorite blog, Hyperbole and a Half, and one of her more hilarious/sad but true posts.

She just, gets me.



Did you look? Do you love it? Is any body else having a hard time getting started today?

A new Take on an A-Frame

While browsing through some Architecture Blogs, I found this off-beat A-Frame, called the Allandale House, set in the woods. What a wonderful, natural-yet-hip setting. I feel as though loads of creativity would pour out of your soul while spending time in this house!



I am usually not one for minimalist decor- but the fact that the items on the shelves are the only color throughout makes the house seem even brighter- plus the large windows let nature be the main focus. What do you think?



((photos courtesy of Buzz-Beast.com))

Sleepy Saturday . . .

Sorry I have not posted in so long! I have been traveling around the tri-state area, and therefore unable to post consistently. . . I promise I will post something new and more creative soon, but as for right now, I just want to give you something to look at for the rest of this sleepy weekend.

I am officially in love with this wallpaper idea from Sweden!I don't know how practical it is, but the wallpaper certainly is dreamy, isn't it? Although the website I found this product on shows it in a breakfast nook (where it certainly shines), the flower-ed wallpaper would look great in a library, where the other three wall are ceiling to floor bookshelves. Don't you think? Can't you just imagine how wonderful and bright it would feel in any room with this wallpaper in it?! What room in your house/apartment would you put it in?
((photo from Front Projects))

I will settle for fresh flowers surrounding me. . . As you all know, fresh flowers are one of my favorite things. And if I had the money and the choice, I would get weekly arrangements from Siapua, whose arrangements are just so natural! I feel like each of her arrangements looks as if they were snipped from an immaculate garden and arranged by a master such as herself, with simplicity and nature in mind.

Vegetarian?

So, The Boy and I are currently on the cusp of vegetarianism.

We have been doing our best to eat both locally and organically since even before we were going out, but recently The Boy felt as though being a vegetarian was the next step.

Frankly, I was scared I would miss meat. Sorry to all you vegetarians out there, but I loved me some steak, chicken was my stand-by, and pork products were heaven. Fish was only on occasion and a fully vegetarian meal meant pasta.

Then, I started talking to my cousin who is vegetarian, and she was able to siphon off some recipes on the spot which she loved. Next, I read Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals- which I reviewed for y'all about a month ago. After reading his novel, I began to realize that vegetarianism is not just a "animal rights" issue- eating animals (conventional animals, especially) creates an environmental impact as well: communities, human health, animal health, and more.

In short, things started falling into place and The Boy and I are now making a conscious effort to eat vegetarian about 4 or 5 days out of the week. It isn't a lot but it is something. And usually, those other two or three days, we are eating fish. Chicken is now a treat- only occurring once a week (if that) , and beef and pork are almost unheard of in our diet.

And, I have to admit: I Don't Miss Meat. I love Vegetables. I feel as though I have more energy, I feel healthier, more alert and I have been loosing weight with speed.

One more admission: I love finding new vegetarian recipes,making dinner for friends and family who are not expecting a vegetarian meal (tell someone who eats meat the meal you will be preparing is vegetarian and they assume they will be eating rabbit food)- and everyone ends up LOVING it.

I feel like I am converting people every day.

In any case, so today I will share with you one of my favorite quick and easy vegetarian meals:

BLACK BEAN AND TOASTED CORN TACOS

1 cup cooked organic black beans
1/2 cup prepared organic salsa
2 cloves of organic garlic, minced
2.5 tsp. ground organic cumin, divided
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen organic corn kernels, thawed.
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas (Whole Foods carries a 365 brand)
12 organic baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup jarred organic roasted red pepper strips
1/4 cup coarsely chopped organic cilantro
2 small organic green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

1. Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp. cumin to a simmer in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels, and squeeze out excess water. Add corn to skillet in a single layer, then sprinkle the remaining 1.5 tsp. of cumin, as well as the black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 or 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.

3. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Toast the tortillas for one minute to soften. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 beans, 1/4 cup corn, 4 spinach leaves, red pepper strips, cilantro, and green onions. Top each taco with cheese, if using.

((per serving -2 tacos- 362 calories, 14G protein, 4G total fat, 74G carbs,, 0 MG Cholesterol, 904MG Sodium, 14G Fiber, 9G sugars))

This recipe & picture are courtesy of Vegetarian Times.

These are a few of my Favorite Things

When the dog bites. . .
When the bee stings. . .
When I'm feeling sad-
I simply remember my favorite things- and then I don't feel
So bad!

Sorry, I had to type out the song, it was irrepressible. But, in all seriousness, here are a few things that I can't get enough of:

1.) Brown Paper Packages tied up with string. I'm not kidding. Ever since I was little I have loved receiving simple paper packages. I think it's the sturdiness of the paper, I don't know, it just makes my heart sing!


2.) Penguin cloth-bound classic novels- bibliophile or not, I think everyone can appreciate the style of these books. They make the perfect addition to any collection of books, and would even work great as a centerpieces for wedding tables. Check them out!

3.) Vintage Books- I love the process of finding books- rummaging through boxes at yard sales, staring at shelves in Rare and Used Book stores- hunting for something which complements your style and fills a spot on your bookshelf.


4.) Fresh Flowers. Pretty much any type of flower makes me happy, but my four favorites would be anemones, peonies, star-gazer lilies and sunflowers. My dream is to have every room of my house filled with flowers. Right now I only have two small vases in our living room and main bathroom- but one day, my flowers will take over the house!


5.) Vintage Pyrex. I love it. It's colorful, and the patterns are precious! If I had more room in my kitchen I would have bowls in every color. For now, I am focusing on a collection of turquoise. Go and get yours on Etsy!


6.) Speaking of Etsy. . . I love it! If you haven't been using it, then you should start. Etsy is a website where you can buy and sell anything hand-made or vintage. i.e. go here for everything from baked goods to artwork, from vintage books to one-of-a-kind clothing. Check out my favorite seller, SadieOlive - and the vintage book collection I am drooling over!

7.) MODERN HOUSES. I want to eat them up. My new obsession is the magazine Dwell- which covers modern residential architectural design, and takes a green approach to all it does. One the houses I am currently drawn to is the Fish House in Japan (view more pictures here).

((picture compliments of Guz Architects))

8.) Farmer's Markets. They are are a great resource for local, organic and fresh foods, and a great way to support your community. Find one nearest you!


What are some of your favorite things?

Making a Good Brain Great ((review))

Making a Good Brain Great, by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, M.D. was, quiet frankly, a book which was thrust upon me by my boy. At first, I thought perhaps he was becoming a bit neurotic- for the book reads as a bit of a self-help, and the back and front covers splash a claim that within fifteen days you too can have a better brain.

"Trust me," said the boy, so I did.

It helps that Dr. Amen is a clinical nueroscientist, psychologist, and brain-imaging expert, who leads a world-renowned clinic for this sort of thing. With all of those credentials and one easy message, the book became an engrossing and eye-opening read. What was that main principle? Your brain is involved in everything you do- so treat it right.

Amen has a quite a few main ideas, which he illustrates very clearly:
Recognize Stress Can Make You Sick
Amen says that stress hormones kill brain cells in the memory center and cause serious trouble for the body. Just realizing that and deciding to work on reducing stress is a good step.

Get Enough Sleep
"As a species we have not evolved to need less sleep," says Amen. "Six hours isn't enough. We really need nine hours of sleep and almost no one gets that much." Sleep deprivation is very harmful to the brain.

Exercise Regularly
Amen says that regular exercise boosts hormones that keep your brain young. And, there are studies that show that exercise increases the circulation to the brain that promotes cell health.

In his book, Amen calls table tennis the best brain sport. It improves hand-eye coordination. It's aerobic, uses both upper and lower body and causes you to use many different areas of the brain to function.
Amen also speaks out against sports which may cause brain injury. Another main principle of his is this: Your brain is very soft, housed in a very hard skull—injuries can change your life. So, sports like football, hockey, and soccer, and even snowboarding and skiing (where your head is most likely to slam into another object) are even more dangerous than one might think. “As a society,” says Amen, “we have no respect for physical fragility of the brain.” So, the next time you are about to play a contact-sport you might want to think twice.

Avoid Substances Which Stress The Brain
The chief offenders in this category are caffeine and nicotine, drugs and alcohol. These substances actually decrease the blood flow in the brain, which is damaging and can cause premature aging.
Dr. Amen includes side-by-side brain scans in most of his chapters, but none are as chilling as those in his chapter in which he speaks out against substance abuse. Show your child these images, and they will never laid a finger on drugs of any sort.

Take Supplements
In Chapter Five of Making a Good Brain Great, Dr. Amen provides a quiz which will give a complete picture of your brain health (as complete as you can get out of a generalized quiz, that is). After taking the quiz you will find what areas of the brain might be problems. One quick fix to many of these issue is supplements.



There are lots of things you could take, but Amen wants to keep this simple. He says that there is research that shows that Omega 3 (fish oil) and a good multiple vitamin promote brain health. Brain health, he says, can also be regulated by a healthier diet, rich in proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Develop Internal ANT-Eater
Dr. Amen calls ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) stressors for the brain. These are the daily, automatic negative thoughts that go through your head in the day. "Whenever you feel sad, mad or nervous, you need to write out what you are thinking. Look at them," he says. "Are they reasonable or are they torturing you unnecessarily? And then you talk back to them. You don't have to believe every thought you have. Thoughts can lie. Correcting them will go a long way to treating depression and anxiety."

If you feel a little frazzled at the end of the day, misplace your keys, have a short attention span during discussions, or seem to get stuck in negative thoughts or behaviors-- Making a Good Brain Great is an interesting book, which you will find pivotal in your search for a cure.

In fact, you will find yourself spouting off to friends what supplements they should be taking, and what risky factors they might want to stay away from to keep their brains young and fit.

If you think I sound a bit neurotic, what my regimented exercise and supplement popping- then I suggest you read a copy of Making a Good Brain Great anyway, just so I can prove you wrong :)

(photo compliments of The Mind Perspective)

Happy Birthday Net-a-Porter!

I suppose now is as good of a time as any to let you in on my obsession. . . Net a Porter has been, for the past 2 years, my personal playground in fashion. Although I can't always afford everything they have to offer, Net-A-Porter is a great resource for the fashion forward to learn new trends, find fashion basics and learn new and exciting designers-- and of course to buy fashionable frocks.

Designers range from the late Alexander McQueen to Burberry, from Versace to Theory, and everything in between.

Do you need another great reason to check out Net-a-Porter? Well, I can give it to you. The face behind the name of this wonderful company is a creative, inventive and determined Natalie Massenet. Natalie is the founder and Chairman on the world's premier luxury fashion retailer, Net-a-Porter. Massenet graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a passion for fashion- it wasn't log before she was writing fashion columns and testing entrepreneurial ideas. Net-a-Porter started out in 2000 with a handful of employees in a small flat, but boy has it grown!



Now, Net-a-Porter is referred to as the "barometer of fashion" by the Financial Times and is credited by Vogue as "revolutionizing the way we buy designer clothes." Natalie Massenet was able to do all this by living her life via a simple quote: "The best way to predict the future is to create it." (Abraham Lincoln)

So- go celebrate one woman's dream coming true- Go stare at couture or shop for some basics. Find a few key pieces to enhance your wardrobe with- or even just go looking for inspiration.

And, by the way- it's their 10th anniversary


And, if you are afraid to browse around Net-a-Porter, then take a look at their sister site, another brain-child of Natalie Massenet- a fashion outlet dubbed the Out-Net.

Last but not least- keep your eye out for Ms. Massenet's latest and greatest website- Mr. Porter- exclusively for men, which is due out soon.