Links
-
What’s Up, Wednesday?
During the lull of the last few months I’ve been… … listening to: America’s Next Top Model. I can’t really say that I’ve been watching it, as it’s mostly just been on in the background as I work. I like seeing the results of the photo shoots, and there’s something about Tyra Banks that I just really like for whatever reason. I don’t really have words for why I like her so much, but I do. I know she’s got a reputation for being a little bit cuckoobird, but I love it. She just seems like she’s so unabashedly her, and I admire that. I imagine it’s far easier to…
-
It’s That Time of Year Again!
I’m really about a week late on this one, but even now, colleges and K-12 schools alike are beginning to trickle back into session. As an educator it’s without a doubt my favorite time of year. So much excitement! So much potential! So many OFFICE SUPPLIES!!! I love it. Back to school season is second only to Christmas in my books. And to celebrate not only this, but also my triumphant return to blogging on a relatively regular schedule, we’ll be kicking off the school year with some school themed posts. Most of them will be aimed towards higher education, since that is after all the level I’ve been teaching for…
-
Tempted by Sweater Knitting
Pumpkin lattes are out, and that always triggers a pavlovian response in me. Because of course, pumpkin latte time is sweater time. Never mind that it’s currently 90 damn degrees out as I type this. Facts? Who needs ‘em? So I’ve been in a sweater state of mind for about two weeks now. My knitting box is starting to look attractive again, I’m itching to pull everything out of storage, and every time I look out a window I’m half hoping that the leaves have already started to turn. But of course, they haven’t. And they won’t for a while. And if I ACTUALLY put on a sweater, I’d be…
-
Filling Empty Wall Space
I’ve been on a home-dec kick lately. Or rather, I’ve been on a home-dec kick on PINTEREST lately. Because actually decorating the apartment requires money – at least a little – and money is exactly what I should not – no, CAN’T – spend right now. But anyway, I’ve been specifically concerned lately about our surplus of empty wall space. There’s just a lot of white, blank walls in our apartment, and it’s starting to get to me a little bit. So I’ve been looking for ideas about how to decorate using as little money as humanly possible, and Pinterest (of course) came through in spades. I figured I’d share…
-
Miso Soup Love
There’s nothing quite like miso soup, particularly when you need something satisfying and light, but FAST. Well, satisfying, light, and fast that’s still warm and comforting that is. I never have been much of a salad girl. But anyway – miso soup is not only fast, but it’s easy to make and to customize. All you need is dashi stock (Japanese fish broth), miso, some tofu (if you like it) and really, anything else you want to throw in. For the dashi stock, I just use granulated dashi stock, since it’s hard to find katsuobushi in this area and I feel weird ordering it from amazon because they market it…
-
On the Needles…
On the needles at the moment is a Liesel scarf (ravelry link) using some of that lovely yarn I broke all my spending rules for a few weeks back. This will be the third time I’ve attempted this scarf – I love the pattern soooo much, but as of yet have never been able to successfully complete it. The first attempt was a number of years ago and I think my lace skills were just not yet up to the task. I don’t follow written lace instruction well – it’s very hard on my eyes – and I hadn’t learned to read charts yet. So after many many mistakes, it…
-
Miso Salmon Dinner
As mentioned last Friday – until Easter, my one cooking day of the week is being impacted by Lent. No meat for us, because the boyfriend fasts. So as promised, after the Miso Mushroom Pasta went over well last week and it was decided that miso is not a flavor that Jim hates, it was time to go full-out and try the Miso Salmon I’ve been craving for forever at this point. Overall it was a huge hit, and it’s really simple. I basically followed this recipe only omitting the mushrooms (the ones I picked up turned out to be moldy at the bottom of the container). It’s really easy,…
-
Miso Mushroom Pasta
I don’t get to cook often. My schedule basically allows me time to cook a nice, hot meal from scratch once a week on Fridays – twice if I’m lucky and don’t have a concert to work Saturday evening. And so I savor my cooking time. It’s something I absolutely love to do, and Friday meals usually work out very well, providing a nice hot dinner for me and Jim (the boyfriend) and depending on the recipe, several other meals that can be frozen and eaten at some point in the future at work. However, recently I’ve run into a problem. It’s lent. Now, I don’t fast. It’s just not…
-
Gave the 30 Minute Scarf a Try
As I said in my post about my big squishy chunky scarf, over New Years I was introduced to the concept of arm knitting by one of my good friends. She quick showed me on her own project, and then showed me a YouTube video illustrating how. Naturally, after we went to go grab some yarn for me, I decided to do something entirely different, and by the time she left I had lost the link to the video she showed me. But not too long after I finished the first big chunky scarf, I got the itch for another, and this time I decided to try the arm knitting…
-
I’m In Love With The Katniss Cowl
I’m a big Hunger Games fan. So when Catching Fire came out I pretty stoked with the press photos, but not for the usual crazy fan reasons. The real reason was this cowl. Ohhhhh, this cowl. I’m not even entirely sure you can call it a cowl, it’s more like a hybrid between a cape, a shawl, a cloak, and a cowl. But whatever it is, it’s gorgeous. The original garment is, sadly, hand-woven specifically for the movie by designer Maria Dora and so obviously isn’t available as a pattern. Luckily, the knit/crochet community also fell as in love with this piece as I did, and since the press photos…