Did you see the Google doodle today?
RF texted me when he saw it because that little 29th bunny is just like our little bunny cat, Oscar. We experience this exact moment every night when we go to bed. As soon as the lights go out, he hops right up and squeezes between us under the covers for the coziest snoozing possible. A little pesty, but very cute!
Will you be watching The Oscars this weekend? I know we will. There’s lots on the agenda between now and then, but I can’t wait to plant myself on the couch with RF, S&O, our Chinese blanket, and a bag of kettle korn – my Red Carpet tradition.
Speaking of the Red Carpet…I’m curious to see if reporters will be participating in the Representation Project #askhermore campaign. We can talk about women’s *and* men’s fashion…but, if you’re gong to ask men the hard-hitting questions, there is zero reason not to ask women the same. Don’t you agree?
If, however, fashion is your true jam, Erin over at Elements of Style has pulled together a nice list of red carpet fashion predictions. I’ll admit, I too am looking forward to seeing some beautiful clothes. This stunner is, appropriately, from Oscar…de la Renta. How could you choose any other designer for this occasion?
My kettle korn tradition might have tipped you off to my low-brow party food tastes. I’m pigs in a blanket over paté all the way. Perhaps that’s why I find these champagne jello shots so intriguing…
Want to read… Life From Scratch, A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness, after deciding this week that my memoir would be titled, “Stripes Is a Color in My Closet”.
Want to watch… Vulcan Production’s documentary, Body 12, after reading this article.
Want to listen to… Ultralight Beam, while I try to figure out how Kanye West is broke.
One of my favorite fashion accessories sites is Moorea Seal. Their selections are typically very affordable, and a terrific mix of classic, earthy, rustic, and funky styles. Strangely, I’ve never visited their downtown Seattle store – well, maybe not that strange since I really hate parking downtown. Instead, I drool over their collections online.
My most recent infatuation are these Compass Studs by Shadow House. In. Love. Such a fun take on the flat discs that have been popular lately. I particularly adore the little star in the middle. Too cute.
I don’t usually wear a lot of gold jewelry, but these got me thinking about other gold posts…like the rose gold Charity Heart Studs by Blair Lauren Brown from my favorite Brooklyn jewelry store, Clay Pot. A portion of the proceeds go to Earthworks’ No Dirty Gold campaign. Cute with a cause!
Anthro’s Futurist Earrings are an adorable set of gold dipped studs, including a simple hexagon and the perfect pale pink and jade green shapes for spring.
I’ve also coveted these Mini Sunburst Studs by House of Harlow for some time now. Chic simplicity.
For the budget conscious, this set of Mixed Cutout Shapes from Forever 21 (only $6.90!) can’t be beat. Almost two weeks worth of cuteness.
And, for those looking for something really out of this world…ModCloth has just the answer. Bling Me To Your Leader! I would love wearing these just to see who would notice.
INT: A Seattle Home on a Saturday Afternoon in February. TRACY and RF are sitting on a living room COUCH
Tracy- “You should write a blog post for next week.” (Batting eyes and moving closer flirtatiously)
Me- “Sure, I’d be glad to write one. But I don’t have any ideas.” (Guilty, downcast look)
Tracy-“It’s OK. I can do it.
Cut To
INT: A Neighborhood Diner/Restaurant, the “The 14 Carrot” Tracy and RF walk through the crowded restaurant behind a WAITRESS, and are seated at a table.
Waitress (to Tracy)- “Corned beef hash, hash browns, gluten free toast, right?”
Tracy- “That’s right!”
Waitress (turning to RF)- “And the usual for you too”
RF- “Yup, Farmer Breakfast.”
Waitress- “You got it.”
Tracy (looking at Blog statistics on her phone)- “Maybe you should write this week’s Wanderlust post.”
RF (Looking a little nervous)- “I could, but…uh…I don’t know where I’d write about.”
Tracy looks a little disappointed.
RF (cont’d)- “I mean…you’ve already written about all the places I want to go.”
He realizes how lame this sounds.
RF (cont’d)-“I can probably come up with something.”
Tracy- “That’s ok…
The vivacious, eccentric owner of the restaurant, TERRY, comes over to the table.
Terry- “Hi Kids, how are you? I want to see those pictures you took in Spain!”
Tracy brings up her instagram feed, and scrolls through the pictures, telling Terry stories about some of them.
RF stares into space, zoning out a little. After a moment, he looks at the wall, and sees a poster of LEROS, the Greek island where Terry is from. It looks like this: 
There’s another poster, a little higher on the wall.
Terry notices a customer waiting by the cash register to pay, and hustles off, mumbling something about coming back so Tracy can show her how to log in to Instagram.
RF- “GREECE!”
Tracy is confused.
Tracy- “They haven’t even brought the food yet.
RF- “Not GREASE, GREECE!” (Points to the posters)
Tracy is still confused.
RF- “I’ll do that Wanderlust post!”
Fin
*Disclaimer: Descriptions of flirtatiousness and/or eccentricity may have been exaggerated for dramatic effect. In fact, all details in the above scene may or may not have happened, and/or liberties may or may not have been taken with the actual sequence of events, and transcription of conversations. The author makes no claims of authenticity whatsoever regarding…anything.
He does, however, want to go to Greece.
THE FACTS:
Tracy and I do indeed frequent The 14 Carrot Cafe in Eastlake (Seattle). Terry really is the owner, she’s from Greece, and quite proud of it-though she spent enough time in Brooklyn to have the brash, East Coast attitude that’s refreshing to see in laid-back Seattle. She takes great care of us whenever we visit the restaurant (where we’ve been going almost weekly for like…more years than I’d like to admit right now.) And by the way, The 14 Carrot is NOT a greasy diner. Not at all. But you can see how I couldn’t resist that little bit of wordplay, right? (Hope Terry gets it and isn’t mad at me…)
Anyway, there really are posters of Leros on the wall of the cafe, and anytime we’re seated near one of them, my mind wanders. I dream about visiting Greece, and as many of the Greek Islands as possible. The pictures I’ve seen of whitewashed buildings, sun-drenched beaches, and historic ruins…not to mention the FOOD, makes me wish I was there RIGHT NOW. On the day dramatized above, I realized that this feeling is the very definition of “Wanderlust.” So, inspiration struck, and now I can’t get it out of my head. Sure, I’d love to visit all the places that Tracy has written about (The Maldives, Paris, Koselig), but I’ve had the desire to visit Greece since I first read the Odyssey and watched “Clash of the Titans” as a kid.
So, will it be next on the list? I don’t know…but maybe if this post gets enough views, I’ll be able to convince Tracy that it should be! (Hint Hint!)
Ever since last Tuesday’s post, I’ve been on the hunt for more info about shipping container homes, aka “cargotecture”. I stumbled across an article featuring 15 Amazing Shipping Container Homes, and was floored by the Coromandel Beach House by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects. Funny thing is, upon reading up on the home, I’m pretty sure it’s not actually made from a shipping container.
Project info on the Crosson website describes the house as having been “conceived as a container sitting lightly on the land”, but goes on to describe the “unadorned, natural timber”. At the very least, I think we can still file this one under “cargotecture”. It’s a fine example, at that. I love the simplicity. It does, in fact, look just like someone dropped ca giant container from an airplane and it lighted on the land.
It can be completely boxed off when not in use.
Or, opened on both sides to take equal advantage of New Zealand’s verdant hillside and expansive sea views.
Indoor/outdoor living at its best.
I’m such a fan of these collapsable doors that let in loads of light even if the weather’s chilled.
Golden wood finishes complement the cool surroundings.
Despite the airy design, there are hidden nooks…
…and an interesting use of slatted glass, which appears to be on the interior, though I’m not quite certain.
The bathroom is so simple, yet completely stunning with that backdrop.
A view so inviting that you just might want to roll your bathtub out to soak it in.
This may not be cargotecture in its truest form, or perhaps this is the true form from which cargotecture should takes its cues. Either way, I’m inspired!
I don’t have any regrets about renting our house while we were in Spain. It gave us some additional financial flexibility and, thankfully, the renters took great care of our house. For the most part. One of just a few casualties were our nonstick skillets. I guess not everyone knows that nonstick coatings and metal spatulas don’t mix. Oops. Let’s just hope that they didn’t poison themselves with Teflon scrapings…
Alas, I have been left searching for what will be our next nonstick. I’m pretty sure that I bought that Calphalon Signature Omelette Pan Set at Bed Bath & Beyond right after college. You probably have, or have had, the same pans. I’m certain you’ve seen them prominently displayed there on an end-cap. This is the current version:
Workhorses. A totally fine set of pans. I could’ve just ordered a replacement pair and been done with it. But no, I had to go poking my nose around Home Goods today to check out my options…
My immediate conclusion was that any store that sells discounted seconds is not the best place to purchase a nonstick pan. Sorry, Home Goods. I love you, and TJMaxx, and Ross, and all the others, but every pan I picked up already had at least one nick in the nonstick coating. I’ll have to stick with their not potentially poisonous wares instead.
Home Goods’ selection, however, did give me food for thought. Should I be considering ceramic? I hadn’t really thought about it. Since I already had two perfectly good traditional nonstick pans in my collection, I never paid attention to the introduction of ceramic into the market. Research was added to the agenda.
I immediately came home read a variety of online reviews, which, of course, we all know confuses you more than ever. Everyone thinks their product in the best, or that someone else’s product is the absolute worst. These days, scientific research is so often in the pockets of whichever lobby is paying for it – and the makers of Teflon haver some pretty big pockets. Completely confused, I turned to the authorities…Monsieur La Table and Chef Sonoma.
Coincidence or not that I arrived at both the Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma sites to find sales on nonstick cookware? Well, I guess if my search history grants me savings, I’ll take it.
The top rated nonstick set at Williams Sonoma was also Calphalon, but from their Elite line.
One thing that I really liked about these pans was the option to add lids…for an additional $60…but I have on many occasions wished that my pans had lids. This was enough to keep me interested, so I dove into the reviews. I doubt it will surprise you that they were either “amazing” or “horrendous”. More reviewers than not thought they worked like a charm, but the ones who didn’t noted things like the nonstick surface immediately peeling off. Yikes!
I decided to take a gander at the ceramic options. What I discovered is that both Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma (and every other cook shop in the world?) have partnerships with ceramic pan pioneers GreenPan. GreenPan cookware is coated with Thermolon™, billed as a healthy ceramic non-stick coating which is safe to use – no PFOA (a key ingredient in Teflon), no lead, and no cadmium, exposure to all of which is linked to serious health problems. No bad stuff sounds good, and GreenPan claims to not use any harmful chemicals in the production of their pans, but the name Thermolon still sounds pretty creepy to me.
I narrowed it down to two pan sets: the Greenpan™ Black Ceramic Nonstick Fry Pan Set at Williams Sonoma…
…and the GreenPan Healthy Ceramic Nonstick Skillets, Set of 3 at Sur La Table
The WS set is a 10″ and a 12″ pan in black for $99.95. The SLT set is an 8″, a 10″, and a 12″ pan in blue or red for $99.96. For a penny extra, I can have a third pan! That should sell me right there, but I’m crazy and am still weighing the options. The shape of the WS pans looks like lids can be added. Although, I haven’t been able to find them. The handles on the SLT pans look more ergonomic, but I don’t just love the color. (Ridiculous, I realize – especially since I don’t display our pots and pans.) Either way, the reviews are fantastic, which, paired with a promise of health-conscious manufacturing, has pretty well tipped me in the direction of ceramic over other nonstick technologies.
Any tips before I take the plunge? Do you use ceramic pans? Have a favorite brand/style? Do you love that olive wood spoon in the Sur La Table pan?? I might buy there just so I can add that on! Ugh, Williams Sonoma has them too.
Whew boy, I am so ready for the weekend! A glass (or bottle) of wine is already on the agenda. The only thing that I can confidently say that I missed while we were away was our friends. Looking forward to doing some catching up over the next few days.
Do you think you resemble your mum? Check out this fascinating Daily Mail photo experiment. I have to say that they picked mothers and daughters who look quite similar at 25-35 years apart…but how wild when merged together! Some nice thoughts on aging, too.
While we were in Spain, I swore that we would be better about taking in more arts and cultural events once we were back home. Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic at Seattle Art Museum makes that resolution an easy one to keep. Can’t wait to see it soon.
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
Harper Lee, may you rest in peace.
Now Reading: The Happiness Code – New York Times Magazine
Now Watching: Photographer Nicolas Bruno – Vice Videos
Now Listening: The Pop Kids – Pet Shop Boys
The weather has been typical Seattle since our return – chilly, rainy, and grey with the occasional sun break. However, there are hints of spring popping up all around us. Bulbs are sending up bright green shoots across our flower beds like little periscopes surveying seasonal conditions. The hydrangeas are tipped with green buds, slowly unfurling into variegated leaves. And, I noticed this morning that our neighbor’s cherry blossom looks as though it’s draped in a sheer layer of white lace, a delicate filigree that will soon burst into a dramatic ruffle of blossoms.
I’m not ready to pull out the full springtime regalia just yet; there’s still plenty of hibernating to be done. Much like nature, however, I too could use a hint of bluer skies and warmer weather to come. A spring lipstick seems like the perfect intimation of changes on the horizon – not to mention, a tiny touch of cheer on a gloomy day. These are at the top of my list…
Dior Addict Lip Glow is a universal balm designed to react to individual skin tones and deliver a natural flush of pink. It’s subtle but radiant color. Plus, it is enriched with Wild Mango and Luffa Cylindrica to protect and moisturize throughout the day.
Nars Lip Gloss in Vida Loca delivers luminous shine without making a strong color statement. This muted coral is a perfect way to wear a little sparkle without diving into full spring mode.
Those who are ready to add a touch more brightness should consider Lancome’s ‘Parisian Pop – Lip Lover’ Dewy Color Lip Perfecter, a sheer but playful pink that also moisturizes and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
Even bolder still is Chanel’s Rouge Coco Stylo in Article, a warm coral certain to brighten the darkest lingering days of winter. Formulated with Apple Seed Extract and hydrating Jojoba Oil and Coconut Oil, Chanel promises “the intensity of a lipstick, the shine of a lipgloss and the comfort of a lip balm — all in one creamy yet lightweight formula.”
I’m personally partial to Chantecaille’s Lip Chic in Wild Poppy, a lively red. Their light formulas, which are designed to be shiny but not sticky, offer sheer yet vibrant coverage. This family company also espouses values I can get behind – all products are free of synthetic colors and fragrances, do not contain any sulfate detergents, phthalates, nor petrochemicals, and are not animal tested.
OK, let me just prepare you for thinking that I’m a total brat. I know that we’ve just spent two months in Spain, and came home to a weekend away, but I am dying to be whisked off to a remote island where there is little more than soft white sand, crystal clear turquoise water, and warm sunshine…oh, and rum. When headed to one of these sorts of spots, one mustn’t ever forget the rum!
If travel time and effort…and money…were no object, I’d want to be whisked right here…
…right now! Can’t you just feel the stress melting away? After two months of jetting around with cats in tow, switching our trip up on the fly, while also balancing work with sightseeing, I want nothing more right now than, well, nothing! To think about nothing, to worry about nothing, to do absolutely nothing…and The Maldives seems like the perfect place for exactly that.
An archipelago in the Indian Ocean, The Maldives are made up of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls. There are 200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts. Getting there from the U.S. takes some time – about 26 hours from Seattle to Male via Dubai, or 28 hours via Hong Kong. Then, of course, there’s the extra time of getting to your particular island destination. Once there, however, you are rewarded with isolation in relative proportion to the trouble you took getting there, world class snorkeling and diving, and did I mention the rum? Actually, alcohol is technically only available to visitors because the The Maldives are an Islamic nation. More for meeee!!!
Accommodations range from dive resorts to holiday resorts to luxury resorts, for a range of budgets. Many offer overwater bungalows, but if I’m traveling over a day to get there, I would prefer a bungalow with a private beach, thank you. Most resorts own their own island, but it seems that more guesthouses have opened in recent years broadening options for travelers seeking non-resort experiences.
Suffice it to say, The Maldives seems like absolute “do nothing” paradise…and I’m ready to go!
You’ve likely noticed from my lack of blogging that re-entry has been a bit bumpy, to say the least! My office stored up lots of work in my absence, all for a Feb 15 site launch. Welcome baaack!! Thankfully, weeks ago, RF encouraged us to plan a Valentine’s/President’s Weekend getaway, so that we would have something to look forward to when we were feeling the anticlimax of being home. So, I managed to put away the keyboard around 1 am on Saturday and didn’t look back.
After a little sleep and a few errands, off we went to Vashon Island for a couple of nights of R&R…in a shipping container!
Technically, I think The Lodges on Vashon are manufactured homes – designed by S+H Works and constructed by Champion Home Builders. However, they sure do look like a collection of shipping container homes, another new housing trend (much like tiny houses) that I’ve been following with great curiosity.
It’s genius, really. The “lodges” are 16 corrugated metal structures positioned around several common areas, all of which are accessed by key code. There was no check in – just an email with our lodge’s dedicated code, which was remotely set to enable at 4 pm on our arrival date and disable at noon on the day of our departure. Similarly, a common pavilion has a shared code so that all guests can enjoy the amenities, including an awesome outdoor fireplace, cozy seating and swing chairs.
Of course, leave it to us to get locked out of these idiot-proof doors. Staff was very responsive and promised to come rescue us within 10 minutes. I took advantage of the wait by lighting the common fireplace and swinging to the tune of raindrops and chirping frogs! Sure enough, within 10 minutes, a friendly woman appeared with her laptop and discovered that our lock had not engaged properly when we went out. She reset it, let us in, and was on her way. No more problems after that.
Back in our lodge, we enjoyed our favorite kind of dinner in front of our own fireplace – the only downside of which was that it was set on a timer, so we had to take turns getting up to reset it every half hour. That timer also ticked. I assume that this was a safety measure and that we wouldn’t have to put our own fireplace on a timer should we decide to buy a little plot of land and drop one of these on it?! I would also make a slight design change to add a sink in the bathroom. For reasons that were acknowledged, though not really explained, lodge design was limited to only one sink; so, the kitchen sink does double-duty for the bath. Awkward and a bit off-putting, but it worked.
Our Meadow King Lodge featured a separate shower room and W/C. When I say shower “room”, I mean it. It was a large tiled room with double doors out to a private patio – likely much nicer in the summer when it’s not so rainy and cold. I was, however, drawn to the funny little “shower window” where you can reach through and turn on/adjust the water. I would incorporate that into a future home.
The bedroom was very spacious, large enough for a comfy king bed. I liked that all of the windows had thick shades; though, we didn’t have to worry about too much light this past weekend!
The living area was split into two sections. The entry was in the main living space where there was a couch, fireplace, and window seat. Cozy, but not at all cramped.
You can see that there was an additional sitting area beyond the main living room. They had it set with a dining/game table, with several games and puzzles available. Had we stayed an extra night, I would have partaken of one or the other. Instead, I was just ready to cozy up on the couch for naps and movies. We didn’t end up spending much time in that area, but I did like the LED tree, and noted that it could easily double as a second bedroom.
The “kitchen” in this unit was more of a wet bar. There was a mini-fridge, perfect for our champagne, plus a microwave and kettle/french press with a selection of teas and coffee that would have come in handy on a longer stay. Though it wasn’t outfitted with full kitchen amenities, there was certainly room enough to add an oven/stove, even a full-size fridge, if you wanted.
You might also note in the photo above that they provided mini-flashlights for finding your way around the lodges at night. The lodges are located right in town, very convenient to the farmer’s market, restaurants and shops, but are set far enough back off the street to give them a remote feel. We didn’t quite need flashlights to navigate at night, but it was a cute touch nonetheless.
We visited an open house while on the island and, even though it backed up to an alpaca farm, we still haven’t found our ultimate island home. As we continue to dream, container style houses are definitely entering the equation. We had a really lovely weekend in our “lodge”. You can no doubt look forward to further exploration of this concept in future posts!
year of months 