24 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: stars & clouds

"nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."
-seneca

[source]

happy thanksgiving!!  we're off to dana point.  have a wonderful day full of food, family & friends!!

[source]

love.
the interwebs.  please support net neutrality so that we can continue to enjoy the internet the way that we do now.

[source]

wish.
on my wish list:
snow.  wouldn't that be beautiful.

what i wish for others:
a joy-filled day & sweet dreams of upcoming holidays & the new year.

[source]

thanks.
for family & being together.

love.nu

22 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: what does the future hold

"when the bold branches bid farewell to rainbow leaves - welcome wool sweaters."

[source]

we're going to see jay & silent bob get old at the belly up tonight with armand & nikki!!  i'm so excited.  it should be really fun.  love kevin smith & jason mewes!!

matt & i picked up the legend of zelda: skyward sword first thing sunday morning, and i have been watching while matt plays through it.  it is so gorgeous!!  omg.. i am in love with all of the art, characters, & story.  totally thrilling.  we were just disappointed that there wasn't more hype about the game release.  fantastic game + 25th anniversary of zelda = no one cares?!  really??  anyway, zelda seems to have really stepped it up in this game...  she doesn't seem like so much of a helpless princess, which i appreciate because i enjoy strong female characters.

two days until thanksgiving....  is all of your shopping done?

[indie.tobi.kc]

love.
our little family.  our kitty-babies.  & miss our little tobi.

[source]

wish.
on my wish list:
bangles & other jewelry from tinyarmour.  so pretty.

what i wish for others:
"go for it now.  the future is promised to no one."  -wayne dyer

[source]

thanks.
for all of life's comforts, which i too often take for granted.

love.nu

21 November 2011

seeds & buds: cranberry orange relish

"a shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all."
-carl jung

[source]

mmm... thanksgiving is so close now, i can taste it!!  on friday, i started gathering ingredients for my [small, yet important] contribution to thanksgiving dinner.  we bought a bag of 3lbs. of cranberries...  and while i only need 1lb. for my recipe, it was probably still less expensive than buying only 1lb. at a grocery store.  i am actively seeking recipes for cocktails & other treats that call for fresh cranberries, so if you have any ideas, please help!!  not sure what the hell i'm going to do with and extra 2lbs. of cranberries..

it seems like everyone has a different preference when it comes to their cranberries...  this recipe is one that i tried for the first time last year, and i found that matt & i both love it.  it's great spread on your turkey!!  this is not the exact recipe that i use, but it is close enough.  very simple, the way i like 'em.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries
1 orange
1 cup sugar

Put washed, drained cranberries in a food processor with 1 orange which has been peeled and quartered with all seeds being removed.  Pulse for a few seconds, just until coarsely chopped. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl, if necessary, to chop evenly.  Add 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar and taste adjusting sweetness as desired.  Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cranberry Orange Relish may be frozen for up to 2 months.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

[source]:  fresh cranberry orange relish from cooks.com

love.nu

17 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: to hold you now

"to lead a better life, i need my love to be here."
-the beatles

[source]

i miss baking!!  which is why i am so excited that my friend is coming over on saturday to do a little baking with me!!  there have been so many times that i've thought about whipping something tasty up, but every time i decide against it... because if i make it, then i'll eat it.  & i'll probably eat too much of it.  & then i'll feel like a fatso.  SO now i have an excuse to bake, spend time with my friend, and share whatever treat we make with the boys, leaving less for me to stuff my face with.  win, win, win.

[source]

love.
music & all the ways that it affects us & connects us.

[source]

wish.
on my wishlist:
a day to relax, catch up, & just breathe.  a spa day.  maybe more sleep too.  i like sleep.

what i wish for others:
to have a spirit of kindness, generosity, & love.

[source]

thanks.
for good health.  of the body & of the mind.

love.nu

15 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: domino motion

"gratitude: it turns what we have into enough."

[source]

i just got my invite to pinterest a few days ago, so over the past few days i've been discovering how fun it is!!  it's a great place to organize things & ideas that i find on the interwebs...  i probably went a little crazy pinning things to my boards..  hah.

yesterday i got an email inviting me to the diablo III beta!!  i only got to play a little last night, so today i'm antsy to get back to it.  so far.... vomiting zombies: nasty.  my sexy demon hunter shooting them: beautiful.

[unwin thanksgiving dinner 11.25.11]

love.
preparing holiday food & entertaining guests.  & just food in general.

[source]

wish.
on my wish list:
origami peace crane ornaments by localcolorist on etsy.  i'd love to see if i can make some of these on my own as well.

what i wish for others:
fun!!  don't hold back from allowing yourself to enjoy life.

[source]

thanks.
for friends who care about us & love spending time with us.

love.nu

11 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: whispering from the westerlies

"music is a higher revelation than philosophy."
-ludwig van beethoven

[source]

i would be lying if i said that we haven't had our thanksgiving plans figured out for months now...  it seems for us, that everything goes a lot more smoothly if we discuss plans & expectations wayyy in advance.  last year was the first time that matt & i hosted thanksgiving at our house, and it went really well!!  this year, my sister is in england, and my parents are going on a trip to see other family during thanksgiving.  so matt & i will be participating in his family tradition -heading up to dana point to share the holiday with some family friends.  they are a great people, and we always enjoy spending time with them.  i am looking forward to it!!  plus, we get to have a second thanksgiving dinner with my parents when they're back in town.  score!!

what are your thanksgiving plans?

[source]

love.
the wonderful, resonant stories that are told through video games, specifically the legend of zelda games.  i just finished the wind waker for the first time this week, and it is absolutely brilliant.

[source]

wish.
on my wish list:
the anywhere but here lithograph by lights.  i know, i know... i can't shut up about lights lately.  but it would rock to have this hanging up in our house.

what i wish for others:
family & loved ones to share your time with.

[source]

thanks.
for a roof over our heads.  & for all the things that make it our home.

love.nu

10 November 2011

where we'll shine: oreo turkeys

"a good memory is one that can remember the day's blessings and forget the day's troubles."

[source]

i came across these on pinterest & thought they were just too cute!!  i think i may make these to share.  i'm sure you can find all of this candy fairly cheap now that halloween has passed...

Ingredients:
Double Stuff Oreo Cookies
Candy Corn
Whoppers
Peanutbutter Cups
Chocolate frosting
Yellow Frosting
Optional: Red frosting
Optional: black sprinkles for eyes

First step:  Grab a cookie.  You don’t have to put frosting in there, but I like to because it holds in the candy corn a little better. Just give it a little squeeze of chocolate.


Then stuff in your candycorn.  If you’re in some sort of candy corn shortage, you can cut off the white tips to use later for your beaks.  I think the candy corn sticks in better with the tip so I leave it on.  Go ahead and do all of the cookies through this step.


Next put a dab of frosting on the opposite end of the cookie and secure it to the “base” cookie.  It helps to place them next to a wall as they dry so they stay put.


While those are drying, unwrap your PB cups.  Take a sharp knife and cut a sliver off of one end.  (I don’t need to tell you what to do with the sliver, do I?)  It helps to gently cut in a sawing motion so you don’t break the PB cup.  (Although I wouldn’t have to tell you what to do with a broken one either, would I?)  Cut it from the bottom like I show here:


Once those are ready, flip your cookies over, but you may find it’s easy to keep them next to the wall.  My frosting was a bit soft, so they needed the extra support.

Place a dab of frosting on the pb cup, and place it on the cookie like so:


Now those little guys will need heads, so glue a whopper on there with frosting as well. I put frosting on the side of the whopper that hits both the cookie and the PB cup.  Wouldn’t want a turkey running around with its head cut off, would we??


While they’re still laying there, use a dab of frosting (I use yellow) and glue on the white tip of a candy corn for a beak.  Put two yellow dots on for eyes, and for the black spots in the eyes you can use a dab of chocolate frosting, or a mini chocolate chip, or a little sprinkle like I’ve used.  A sprinkle is really the perfect size if you have them.


Once the beak stays put you can flip them over and draw on some little yellow feet.  If you have red frosting too (usually comes in a set with the tube of yellow) you can add a little gobble gobble. Or whatever that thing is called.  What is it called?  I’m too lazy to google.  Extra giveaway entry for the first person who can tell me.  Okay not really but I’ll think you’re awesome.


And there you go, cute as can be!


love.nu

08 November 2011

love + wish + thanks: you're not close enough

"be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need."
-sarah ban breathnach

[lucysnowephotography via etsy]

the concert was more amazing than we could have hoped!!  lights is so incredibly talented!!  we were tempted to drop everything & go up to see her a second time in l.a. on monday, but decided against it... only because we didn't want to be irresponsible.  but seriously..  if you have a chance to catch her on the siberia tour, do it!!

today i'm sharing!!  in light of the upcoming holidays, i thought it would be interesting to do this little, random series of things i love, things i wish, & things i am thankful for.

[source]

love.
when the weather starts cooling down and i start pulling out sweaters & scarves & coats & boots...  i love getting all bundled up and feeling the chill in the air outside.

[source]

wish.
on the top of my wish list:
a vacation to japan with my husband.  & a lot of time spent in tokyo.

what i wish for others:
relaxation & peace.  we're heading into a stressful time of the year.


thanks.
for my husband & for our marriage.  he is everything to me.

love.nu

03 November 2011

lights

“honestly, if you don’t fit in, then you’re probably doing the right thing.”
-lights

[via mindequalsblown]

today i'd like to share one of my favorite music artists and also a person who i have a lot of respect for.  lights, or valerie poxleitner, is an electronic pop musician from canada.  at a young age she began writing and playing her own music as she traveled the world with her missionary parents.  at 18, she moved out on her own in toronto and legally changed her name to lights.  she started out composing music for others, but eventually released her own album: the listening.  last month she released her second album: siberia.  both albums are stellar, although significantly different from one another as her style has evolved.

i first discovered her music when matt had me watch a couple of her music videos on youtube last year.  i was hooked after watching second go.  i just love, not only her music, but her quirky personality, crazy-awesome talent, and outlook on life that i have a lot of respect for.  she has also done some super sweet paintings.







matt & i are going to see her in concert tomorrow night in san diego.  we are both so excited to finally have the opportunity to see her live, and we've been listening to her albums without cease during the past few weeks.

check out her music & let me know what you think!!


love.nu