When I go into my day job, I'm all about my ipod to block out any chatter (well, bitching really). Lately I've found myself playing this song again and again. It's like a really good book that you don't want to end. You know the kind. You're so wrapped up in the characters and their story that you're actually disappointed when you get to that last page. With this song, my favorite part comes right at the end but it's bittersweet because I always wish the song didn't end.
My friend Aimee (yes, blueberry Aimee from last week) when to Amsterdam for work and brought everyone back stroopwafels as a souvenir. Obsessed does not even begin to cover it!
If you've never heard of them, these yummy little treats are basically two thin waffles with a yummy layer of caramel in between. They are absolutely heavenly!
Now you would think that since they're not that widely available here in the states, I would eat them slowly, savoring each and every bite. But no. She of little self control has already polished off the whole box-- without even trying them softened over a cup of tea (two hot for tea with the 90+ temps plus stifling humidity here in NY).
Now I'll just have to being my search for a place that I can buy them from regularly. So far, I've found these pretty ones from LittleDutchBakery. Now I just have to find a store that carries them in case a craving comes on and I need them in a pinch.
Thanks Aims, for my delicious treat and for yet another food addiction!
I'm not really sure why, but until a recent breakfast at my blueberry-obsessed friend Aimee's house I was completely opposed to blueberries. I've always loved strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, just about any berry, but I never gave blueberries a shot.
Since that fateful breakfast, I've been consuming blueberries at an alarming rate. When I poke around to look into any health benefits they may have, it only adds fuel to the fire-- rich in antioxidants and may help reduce belly fat?! Count me in.
This weekend, a couple of my friends and I went blueberry picking at Secor Farms in Wappingers Falls, New York. It was insanely hot outside, but we had a great time. My little 4-year old muffin decided she wants to add "expert blueberry picker" to the rapidly growing list of things she wants to be when she grows up (also on her list: baby doctor, president, juice pop licker).
We brought home lots of blueberries and a few new recipes. My favorite breakfast of late is blueberry waffles with blueberry sauce (the sauce recipe is courtesy of the farm. Not quite sure where I found the waffle recipe, but I've adapted it a bit anyway):
Blueberry Waffles
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar (or sugar substitute-- I use Splenda)
1 1/2 cups of milk (I've been using unsweetened almond milk and adding a bit more Splenda to make up for the missing sweetness)
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl first, then stir in the wet ingredients. Heat up your waffle iron while you clean your blueberries. Take out your measuring cup and put a few blueberries in the bottom. Next, add some batter. Alternate until you have 1/2 cup. Pour into waffle iron and cook! I like mine crispy, so I usually turn my iron all the way up and leave them in a little longer.
Microwave Blueberry Sauce (courtesy of Secor Strawberries Inc.)
2 pints of blueberries
1/4 cup of sugar (I used Splenda again)
1 tablespoon of water
In a microwave bowl add blueberries, sugar and water. Mix together, cook on high for 2 minutes. Stir, adding more sugar to thicken if needed. Continue cooking on high for 3 to 5 minutes, checking after 2 minutes each time. When sauce is thick enough, add 1/8 teaspoon of orange extract (I didn't have any, so I added a little vanilla extract instead). This sauce would be sooooo good on some vanilla ice cream.
clockwise from top left: Blueberry Handmade Shea Butter Soap - Vegan by battysbath Blueberry Quartz and Hammered Sterling Silver Earrings by Nyblaque Sky Blue Sky - Earrings . Sterling Silver . Gemstone by ThePeachTree Blueberry Newborn Cocoon by illbeyarned
top of page credits: Good Morning Sunshine 8x10 Fine Art Photograph Print by ara133photography Kira Mitts - Blueberry by sushipie
What is there not to love about weddings?! I'm mad about all of it!
My husband and I got married about a year ago and my wedding mania has not died down one bit (it helps that my sister got married last week and that I write articles for Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever).
Can we talk about wedding shows for a second? I love them! Bridezillas, Say Yes to the Dress, My Fair Wedding, Rich Bride Poor Bride. You name it and I've probably seen it and enjoyed it way more than my husband would like me to publicly admit. And let me tell you, there's nothing like watching a reality wedding show while you're working out. I've had many an elliptical/Bridezillas date!
For a while, I was saying I wanted to be a wedding planner. My husband's reply to that has always been "One word: bridezillas." He's totally right. I want to do the shopping for the wedding, but I don't want to deal with a deranged bride who is unhappy with the shade of white I used for her table runner. I'd much rather shop around and show the world pretty pictures of weddings or display ideas that will get brides' imaginations flowing.
It's sort of like shopping for something really fun without having to spend a cent of my own money-- now that's an idea that works for me (and I'm pretty sure it works for my husband too)!
Sources: Just Married Glittered Burlap Banner by funkyshique; Tiffany- Altered Vintage Typewriter Key Cuff Links by GemmaBeads
clockwise from top left:
Scalloped Bridal Shrug White or Ivory Lace by rohm Our Nest Our Home- custom engraved couple's name stones by sjengraving Small simple clutches for bridesmaids... choose your colours by mollusa Monette Peony Hair Fascinator by SelahVieDesigns
First, let me start out by saying that I was an English major in college. By definition, I'm a word nerd. The written word does things to me that "normal" people might be immune to. That said, it's sort of a given that I should be a snob about what I read. I should be an elitist.
So how is it that I'm obsessed with the Twilight series? There are plenty of reasons why a girl in her 20s shouldn't like it. First of all, you find it in the Teen Fiction section of any library or bookstore. Then there's the writing. Fluffy and repetitive (we get it Bella. Edward is breathtakingly hot and icy cold to the touch. Jacob is young and warm and muscular), the writing pretty much sucks. The story itself is an over-the-top soap opera that sounds absolutely ridiculous if you try and explain it to someone (believe me, I did).
Then there are the movies. Let's just put it out there. The actors kind of suck. It helps that they're attractive (Team Edward! --although I will admit that the pasty makeup doesn't really do him justice), but their lack of skill can be totally jarring. So why oh why am I hooked?
There's something about Stephenie Meyer's tale that seems to resonate with women of all ages. Maybe it's the complicated love story. Maybe it's the girl who is just trying to figure out where she fits in in the world. Maybe it's the sort of fairytale quality that we love from the time when the only person we can imagine marrying is our dad. I haven't put my finger on exactly what it is just yet, but there's something about it-- and I'm hooked.
For those of you who are just as hooked, Rebecca from Rapunzel's Gold is offering my reader's 15% off your purchase today!!! Just put "Jennifer sent me" in the comments box at checkout and she will refund you through PayPal. Happy shopping :)
clockwise from top left: Cullen Crest Black Leather Cuff Bracelet by laserbird Twilight-Inspired World Traveler Pendant - Volterra, Italy by kimiko611 Sterling Wolf, Swarovski Crystal Heart Necklace by Rapunzelsgold Sterling Silver Lustrous White Pearl Ring by bluembrownlee
For top photo source and an article that echoes my thoughts, check out Letters to Twilight.
I'm the kind of girl who develops a lot of obsessions. It's a falling in and out of love of sorts. I find something that really "speaks to me" (whatever that means) and I become kind of manic about it. Sometimes I fall out of love with whatever it is just as hard and as fast as I fell in love (hello field hockey, clarinet, and running). Other times, my obsession endures. It can last for months, sometimes years. Either way, it happens fast and it happens often.
I thought it might be fun to share some of my obsessions with you here in a weekly installment. Since I'm never really lacking in the obsession department, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to keep this column going for awhile.
This week my obsession is Florence + the Machine. I'm madly in love (sorry hubby!). So in love that, not only have I been listening to her album Lungs every time I'm in the car, but I'm also listening to it on repeat throughout my five-hour shift at work.
The sound is a combination of rock and soul with boatloads of emotion and a healthy dose of eccentricity. Florence's velvety voice reminds me of a sultry lounge singer-- similar to another of my obsessions, Cat Power. In terms of lyrics, her songs are not for the faint of heart (to give you an idea of what I mean, one of her songs is called "Kiss with a Fist"). Dark and emotional, she is one of a kind.
I loooove tea. I was never really into it until I took an incredible trip to Ireland during college. Just about everywhere we went, we were offered tea. At the time, I didn't even know how I liked mine (today a packet or two of Splenda does the trick).
I'm not sure if it was because tea reminded me of our excellent adventures or if it was that I fell in love with it, but as soon as we got back to the States, I hunted down a box of the Irish tea we drank there. I've been kind of obsessed ever since.
My tea craze has slowly bled into being obsessed with all things tea related. I have about a million little teacups and adore cute little teapots so much that they're slowly starting to take over my cabinets. Luckily for me, my husband loves tea just as much as I do (the teacups and teapots, not so much). We have an entire shelf in one of our cabinets that's like a tea explosion. White, green, black, herbal and in just about any flavor you could want. We could open our own little tea spot.
Lately, I've been wanting to throw a tea party. I know it's summer. I know it's been tropical in the northeast. I know tea doesn't mesh well with heat and humidity. But I love the idea of them! So pretty and feminine-- and when you throw in a woodland-themed kick they're downright magical.
I've put together a little collection of tea-related lovelies that are sure to put you in the mood for tea too-- heat or no heat!
clockwise from top left: Antique silver plated cake server, hammermann; Marjorie's Spring Garden photo, fastwinn; Field of Blooms napkins, indobaytextiles; vintage tea cups, stablemates
My beloved show is ending this weekend in a 2 1/2 hour long bonanza. I'm equal parts elated and devastated. My husband and I are such huge LOST dorks though, we'll probably start rewatching it again from season one pretty much immediately.
If you don't know anything about LOST, I probably shouldn't try to explain it to you. If I was out of the loop and someone tried to get me hooked on it by telling me about smoke monsters and sideways realities and an island with crazy electromagnetic forces, I would roll my eyes and never give it another thought. I'm not too into sci-fi or monsters. But LOST is so much more than that. It's smart and well written. The characters are well developed and the actors do a great job. Most of all, it makes you think and it relates back to reality in unexpected ways. I just can't gush about it enough!
Another thing about LOST is that it has a cult following. It's fans are crazed about it and there are countless fansites and forums dedicated to it. There are also lots of talented artists who also happen to be LOST fanatics. I've collected a small sample of the LOST art out there as a sort of farewell to my favorite show ever. Tear.
Is there a topic you'd like to see me tackle? Do you need a gift for someone who is tough to buy for? An outfit for a special occasion that is infused with your personality? Party ideas? Email me here: jennifergarrydesigns@gmail.com
Jennifer Garry is a writer and accessories designer living in Westchester, NY with her husband and daughter. When she's not up to her ears in kiddie crafts, you can find her swimming in a pool of beads. Her obsessions include tea, chocolate, sarcasm and her daughter's giggle--any of which can be used to coax her from her little jewelry-making fantasy world.
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