Yeah.. Me neither. But apparently they're real and this is what they look like:
This is "Ippo" the Zonkey with his parents..
Now that's some Discovery Channel shit right there!
I think I'm still too befuddled to post anything more about this... I'm off to ponder on it for a little longer.
????
Do you ever have one of those days when it feels like what happened yesterday was SOOO long ago? Well, that's how I'm feeling today and it's got my brain all scrambled. I've also been testing out a new method for etching wine glasses that has left me feeling like I've been rolling around in a sand box for a few hours (a "sugar cookie" as my beach volleyball peeps would call it). This new method also requires me to don full facial protection which makes me think that it can't be great for your brain either? Oh well! Basically what I'm trying to say is that, I'm a mess... inside and out today. Therefore, in an effort to feel shiny and clean, I'm going to show you a before and after of something that is just that!
I mentioned in my post about home offices a while back that I had sent a beautiful antique roll top desk that I inherited from a family friend off to be lacquered to match a new look I was going for in my side-room-turned-office in my bedroom at my parents house. Well, the desk returned and I almost didn't even recognize it when it came back. A total transformation of Extreme Makeover proportions! Here are some crappy photos of the desk before I sent it away to "get in shape":
This couple from Craigslist took her out and brought her back all lacquered up! :)
Once I got it back, it looked pretty spectacular but I couldn't get over the feeling that something wasn't right. I finally figured out that the bronze hardware made it look as though it was having trouble letting go of the past and moving into the modern age. Like the shiny fresh coat of lacquer refreshed it but the antique looking hardware was holding it back. (Too much personification?). I didn't take a photo of it at this stage so that you couldn't disagree with me if you thought the bronze hardware looked good ;).
Anyway, I decided to take off the hardware and spray paint it with this gold spray paint that the "DIY before and after" blogger queen, Jenny, recommended as the best gold spray paint in her post, here.
I was also pretty proud of myself for coming up with a super simple and effective method for spray painting these tiny pieces without having to wait for them to dry and then spray paint the other side... The method is called: STYROFOAM! I just stuck them all into a piece of Styrofoam with the fronts facing up and it made it incredibly easy to get an even coat on all sides... Basically my only real contribution to this project :).
After I made sure they were dry I put them back on and WALLAH! The finished product:
Isn't she a beaute! I also had a vintage chair lacquered the same color and am going to get the cushion recovered in a beautiful emerald green linen and put it with the desk in the little office room which will have this black and cream pineapple wallpaper, that I posted about here, covering the walls:
I'm so excited for it to all come together that I can barely stand it! And don't worry, I will be posting the final reveal for you to gawk at once it's all put together, so stay tuned for that!
But for now, I'm off to take a shower and marvel at the softness of my newly exfoliated skin! :)
Remember when Ugly Christmas Sweater parties used to be a novelty? Ya I know, you're going to have to think WAY WAY back when you were actually capable of being shocked at what could end up on a sweater. Man, those were the days... They've become so common that you have to actually broach the idea of figuring out how to wash these hideous sweaters or even more unthinkable - keeping more than one in your closet. The December party circuit is now saturated with these easy-prep costume parties which are convenient on many levels. Most notably of which being that December has an accurate reputation for hosting cold temperatures and what better antidote is there for bracing the cold than a SWEATER?!?! So, now that we've cleared Thanksgiving, are slinking into hibernation mode and are officially in Ugly Xmas Sweater Territory, let's discuss this emerging fad in a manner of random musings.
Let me get one thing straight, however, before we get any further. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking these parties whatsoever. I enjoy them immensely and am not going to be a grinch about the amount of fun to be had in laughing at others. Just because they've come to lack in party theme originality, does not mean these parties can't measure up to a jolly good time! If anything, their fun potential probably explains why there is such a spike in the number of these parties ending up on your December social calendar - a spike in the punchbowl might help to explain it too ;). However, there is one thing that is remains unclear to me, and that is: why there seems to be an unending supply of atrocious Christmas sweaters.. HOW?? How have so many people decided to delve into this seasonal business venture and why do they all have such uncharacteristically bad taste!? :)
Do you think those candy canes are real?? A sweater with a snack?!
My first introduction to this unusual phenomenon came from the movie Bridget Jones Diary when Bridget and Mr. Darcy both have to endure a family holiday get together while wearing itchy and ugly Christmas "jumpers." Sidenote: why do they call them "jumpers," it makes no sense!? At least the name "sweater" warns you of the likely possibility that you will end up sweating. Was that the original source of this theme idea or was there another, more obvious origin that I'm not aware probably because I have little familiarity with anything that could be considered "unattractive"? Just kidding! :) Well, as long as no one has evidence to dispute BJD as the birthplace, then it is my theory that we have Ms. Jones and her granny panties to thank for inspiring a party trend that has caused a geyser of ghastly sweaters to be secretly flooded into the marketplace and consequently every thrift shop in your local area, all under the guise of being "vintage."
Another aspect of this topic that is worth mentioning: despite the stated purpose of this party (that everyone will look ugly and one is not supposed to "try"), there is an underlying, unspoken agreement that standard costume party rules still apply. Therefore, you don't want to be the one that shows up at the party in unawares of this universal pact. If you didn't know, now you know. The only thing that can defeat this unsaid "law" is if, in fact, your sweater is the ugliest. But honestly, that's a dangerous gamble in this day and age and thus I suggest you go with the aforementioned rule of thumb.
Clever or crass?
My go-to sweater, between you and me, is actually fairly of cute in my opinion and has an itchiness percentage of about 30%, so overall, I see it as a sweater win. Although, if I'm reading the Christmas tea leaves, I'm probably going to need to add another "god awful" holiday sweater (wink wink) into my wardrobe mix soon. And since I'm not a secure enough person to go totally fugly or bet all my marbles on the ugliest sweater, I've got my eye on this relatively aethetically-inoffensive one:
Childhood throwback + Macaulay Culkin reference + knitted sweater with holiday allusions = SWEATER SUCCESS
The only problem is, they want 50 bones for this no-doubt ill-fitting garment that is only wearable during one month a year. Hence the reason I began to contemplate the tenents of this popular party theme and thus write this article. What I'm hoping comes out of all this, is that they lower the price on this item to a justifiable amount so that I can begin to pontificate about what kind of pants to wear with it. Come on Amazon, where is your Christmas spirit!
So, on this random, #didievergettoapoint post, what are your thoughts on xmas sweaters, ugly sweater parties, this Home Alone inspired "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" sweater and everything in between? (En-light-en us readers to the opinions brewing in your head, below... No pun intended ;)
This post may squander any credibility I've accumulated on here but it's probably time you knew the truth about my so-called-cred anyhow and therefore I'm "green-lighting" it... Or actually, "purple-lighting" it (that joke will make sense at the end of this post... hopefully :).
I'm one of those people who loves those stupid personality quizzes, any chance to take one, I'm all over it! Call it vanity or just plain silliness, who knows... But I do believe there is a small part of them that can trigger introspection and cause people to think about how they relate to others. Either way, the well known flaw with most of these tests is that I can't recall ever a time when I've taken one and the resulting personality description has been "wrong." There's an obvious amount of adjusting expectations to fit the result and a definite degree of wanting to possess the mentioned attributes (whether they are reflective of your personality or not) - this due in large part to a lack of negative qualities ever being mentioned in the descriptions. We'll coin that concept as "making-the-shoe-fit syndrome" something Cinderella's step-sisters know all about baha! There's also the undeniable issue of controlling the outcome based on predictable quiz question answers, thus allowing people to steer the direction of their personality result. And frankly, this quiz I'm about to share with you is no exception to any of those aforementioned margins of error. But bottom line, I don't really care, enough of this pontificating! I'm happy with my result and I'm sticking to it.
The quiz will tell you what your aura is... Wait, wait, don't X out of the screen just yet! I swear, it doesn't get too bizarre in a hippy-dippy way, and trust me, I would know. I encourage you to take the quiz because it's light and it's fun and isn't there a weird part of you deep down that 's a wee bit curious to know what your aura is? Or what an aura even is?
Well first, the technical definition of an aura is: the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place. The elaborate/incorporeal definition (summarized) basically says that an aura is a paranormal/spiritual field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object. There is debate over whether an aura is possessed by only those with a particular power or holiness versus the notion that all living things manifest an aura. In this case, we are going to go with the latter belief.
This very definition may contradict your belief that an aura can be told through a computer quiz, but I suppose that is for you to decide, not me.
So, after that definition, if your interest is piqued, you can click HERE to take the quiz for yourself, if for nothing else than for a little chuckle.
And if anyone was wondering, It turns out my aura is PURPLE. Which I love because in my fave flick, Almost Famous, there is this scene where this hippy girl keeps telling William, the main character that his aura is purple while he is talking on the phone to his worried mother and the girl keeps repeating herself louder and louder.. which my sister and I always joke about. So imagine my delight when my aura turned out to be purple too!
I also love it because it says I am intuitive, seeking, creative, kind, self-sacrificing, growth oriented, VERY wise and rare.... Naturally, I agree ;).
Also, if you feel so inclined and want to wave your aura flags loud and proud, I would LOVE it if anyone commented on this post with what your aura's are! I'm beyond curious to know the presiding aura of my readers... or maybe we'll make an exciting discover denoting that only certain auras are brave enough to comment and which ones those are! ;).
Anyway,
- Peace, Love and H̶i̶p̶p̶i̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ Happiness
This weekend I made the most delicious meatballs with rosemary sprigs for toothpicks for a tailgate and ate m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶h̶a̶l̶f̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ just a few, before they were served. The truly conflicting part was that I initially wanted to make them because of their adorable presentation potential but then ended up eating so many beforehand that I almost jeopardized the cuteness effect by not having enough to fill the platter. Um... Oops! #cantstopwontstopeatingmeatballs? But the good news is that, at my expense, you have a verifiable testimonial that these mini balls of meat are just as tasty as they are petite (in that way that all things mini are cute). And, my expert recommendation: hold a few back or up the proportions so that you're not met with the same dilemma I faced: gorging yourself vs. doing the responsible thing.
I'm not going to lie to you... this was not the easiest recipe in the world to make nor was it the quickest one. But trust me on this one when I say, to the sweater go the spoils! #realisticcookingimagery
One of the primary selling points for me, was the generous amount of parmesan cheese that the recipe calls for but, if that's not what brings you to the yard.. You can't deny that these make a fabulous holiday party snack.... Guaranteeeed to garner ooh's and ahh's in all applicable sensory categories.
But alright, enough of my sales pitch. Let's get started because this recipe isn't short and I know how long the average attention span of my readers is, based on my Google analytics data ;).
MINI MEATBALLS WITH ROSEMARY TOOTHPICKS
*This recipe yields about 60 meatballs
INGREDIENTS
EXTRA VIRGIN OIL
3 SMALL ONIONS (DICED SMALL)
3 CLOVES GARLIC (SMASHED AND FINELY CHOPPED)
3/4 POUNDS OF GROUND BEEF
3/4 POUNDS OF GROUND PORK
3 TABLESPOONS OF FRESH ROSEMARY (CHOPPED FINE)
3/4 CUP OF FRESH PARMESAN (GRATED)
1/2 CUP OF BREAD CRUMBS
3 LARGE EGGS
2 CUPS OF CHICKEN STOCK
KOSHER SALT
ROSEMARY TO MAKE TOOTHPICKS OR A ROSEMARY TREE
DIRECTIONS
AND NOW FOR THE BEST PART: Make toothpicks out of Rosemary stems OR if you opted to buy a rosemary tree (not that expensive at the grocery store and ALSO: the symbol of friendship), cut sprigs off the tree to use as toothpicks and stick them in your meatballs. I went for the tree option and now have a beautiful addition to my kitchen that is sending out positive friendship vibes in some way! :)
They are "Muah! Delicioso! "
(And I'm pretty sure The Wedding Singer would have agreed to have been paid in these meatballs too!)
