All-American.

Hope you had great weekends.

"Fine. I'll Find a Different Man."

Willis

Once upon a time I went for a little shopping trip during my lunch break.  I stopped in a Buy/Sell/Trade clothing store and almost left empty-handed until I sighted a really great bag dangling from the racks.  The size and shape initially lured me in, but upon evaluation I noted its smooth leather and durable quality.  I was ready to pay the $27 with no questions asked, when I opened it up and saw that it was Coach.  So out of curiosity I asked Miss Sales Lady if there was a way to tell whether it was legit or not (although I wanted it either way).  She said without hesitation it was definitely real, and five minutes later I walked out as the proud owner.

So for the last few months I have enjoyed my relationship with the bag.  It is in excellent condition, and I refer to it as my vintage Coach bag because I was under the assumption that it was vintage.  And by vintage I meant it was an older style that no one really cares about anymore.  But then!

Today I came across a Coach ad with a photo of my bag in black as part of their web banner.  So I clicked.  And I browsed.  And I found.  Sure enough, it's my bag, still available, and apparently one of their rather popular styles.  Of course I love the bag either way, but I love it a little bit more when I see what a deal I got on it.  It has function, form, and now fame too.  For $27.  Willis and I will definitely be living happily ever after.

Hello Wednesday

Like It

"I like nonsense -- it wakes up the brain cells.  

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.  

It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope, 

and that enables you to laugh at all of life's realities."

-Theodor S. Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss

A Weekend Away

Presidents Weekend brought for us an annual rendezvous with Bryant's extended family up in Wisconsin.  Three days spent hot tubbing, snow mobiling, eating, napping, drinking, snuggling, conversing among fabulous people, hiking, movie-watching, telling tall tales to the little munchkins, and playing dress-up with colorful hunting gear all made for a grand ol' time.

How sweet is that jacket?

Yep, I'm clear for take-off.

Oh, you're beautiful.

Such a lovely neon orange I am sporting.

Pausing for a photo op during our hike.

How amazing is his cousin's garden?  So.

 I am a child.

The family (B's aunt & uncle) who owns the place we stayed at have quite the set up.  Their hospitality is always so welcoming and you can tell by the way the home is designed that they had guests in mind when they built it.  There are bunk beds in the basement and a basket of fresh towels next to the hot tub.  The fridges are stocked and all dogs are welcome.  It is the perfect place for roughly thirty people to come together and catch up on each others' lives.  

The entire weekend was filled with such good vibes.  Good people.  Good trip.

Favorites Lately

Pops of orange
Baking cookies
All things simple
Hints of Spring
@GOOD on Twitter
Peanut butter toast
Truly wonderful people
My dog & others'
Learning Illustrator

Cooking with boy

Grapefruit

Underage Lipglass by mac

Plans for garden

Wind chimes

Sushi Rolls

First time making sushi rolls was a wild, delicious, unexpected success.  The rice was sticky, the fish was fresh, the flavor was exceptional, and our tummies got fuller than full.  We had our hesitations, but everything turned out wonderfully.  We used salmon, shrimp, imitation crab, cream cheese, pickled cucumbers, green onions, and avocado, ending up with four good-sized rolls.  We also had some (instant) miso soup and sake to make the meal complete.  I am already excited to do it again with different variations...and maybe a few more people to help us eat it all.

Finely diced imitation crab.  We mixed half of this with two teaspoons Miracle Whip per a suggestion found on Google.  I couldn't taste the difference between the rolls with the Miracle Whip and the rolls without.  Probably do without that next time.

 We filled the rolls too full at first and it took a few tries to get it to where we could actually complete the rolling process.

 What a beauty.  Yeah, I think this must have been one of mine.  ;)

Look at that raw salmon.  Mmm. 

And voilà!  Or however you say that in Japanese.

Listening

I have this song on repeat today.
So easy to tap my foot to while getting some work done
and daydreaming about a sunshiney place such as Los Angeles.
Thank you, The Decemberists.

The Decemberists - "Los Angeles, I'm Yours"

Happy Heart Day.

Love it or hate it, today is Valentine's Day, and I am thankful for all the love in my life.  I got a darling little care package from my mom, a valentine tattoo from my niece, and I bought myself some lovely red tulips over the weekend.  My man and I have plans to make sushi tonight, complete with miso soup and sake.  I hope whatever this day brings for everyone is filled with lots of love, whether it be from a family member, best friend, or significant other.  After all, love is all we need, right?