things i feel compelled to take photos of

 

Lusting after Halloween costume supplies at SAS.

Delicious dinner idea before.

 The not-so-fabulous execution.

View from where I park my bike at work. 

Cruising around Tempe. 

i get to work too early.

bad lunch habit

Across the road from work is the most lovely little sandwich shop, Sacks Sandwicherie. I am a usual lunch customer (except not very much lately... dang budgets!!) and to expedite my service I almost always call my order in ahead of time. The manager Mike works the cash register during the lunch rush and when I pay with my card he always remarks that they spelled my name wrong. I never give them the actual spelling of my name over the phone mostly because it in no way affects the outcome of my sandwich or that I will be the one receiving it.

Today when I went in to pick up my usual (the cajun chicken salad with romaine lettuce only and one feta yogurt) I was given this.

I couldn't help but give the biggest smile. They really are trying and I appreciate that someone who doesn't even know me is attempting to get the spelling right. (Perhaps this will help justify the amount of money spent at this establishment...)

feeling pretty darn special right about now.

fall comfort food

Let me start this post by telling you about my obsession for the wonderful dairy product cheese. If you have ever read any post of mine you already know I have a food obsession, but today I would like to focus on items that include actual cheese, a cheese flavoring, and foods that taste delicious with cheese.

After our wedding was over we found we had about 378 glass jars of shapes and sizes from hand picked center pieces and drinking cups that were left behind. I gave a couple cases of the smaller Kerr jars away to our friends to be used for canning. Karma did me right! The the reward was a jar of sweet and slightly spicy green tomato chutney!

They recommended we serve the chutney over lamb chops, but since I've only ever eaten lamb inside of a gyro we decided to try it on something a little more basic...

Yes, we decided to add it to our grilled cheese sandwiches.

We sliced sourdough and melted provolone, pepper jack, and colby (I think, it was a yellow cheese anyway) with a generous amount of butter slathered on both sides of each slice of bread. 

  

 I could only serve this caliber of sandwich with a superb soup (have I mentioned I also have a passion for awesome alliterations?), sundried tomato basil from the Safeway Select brand. Yum!

p.s. all those empties were not from the same night this dinner was concocted...

 

 Tuesday night dinner is served!

the Diane Keaton post

Due to my fashion sense and tendencies only an old soul possesses, I have earned the nickname "Diane Keaton" among my family and closest friends. I apologize, this post is about to scream "overprotective religious teenage mother"...

I have never been a fan of music that is graphically explicit (i.e. Rhianna's "S&M") and I would never be caught dead listening to it in my car, especially when my three little sisters are in tow.

(Note to readers: my sisters are 21, 16, and VERY recently 15. Ridiculous, I know)

I am however a huge fan of catchy music, even when the lyrics don't make sense or are not offering up the best advice. The most recent example, amazingly famous (as in, it's amazing that she became famous with what little talent she actually possesses) Ke$ha and her new hit single "Die Young". Let's have a quick listen, shall we?

 

I am the first to admit, I cannot get enough of this song. When I hear it I want to turn my speakers up as loud as they will go and  promptly dance around my living room like a crazy banshee. 

 

AND I WANT TO DO IT FIVE TIMES IN A ROW.

I do not, however think it is a good idea to literally tell yourself "let's live tonight like we're gonna die young" while holding Valentino in your arms and simultaneously consuming copious amounts of alcohol (because honestly, no one is really taking advice from Ke$ha unless they have been drinking). Let's review why this would be a bad idea:

1. What if you don't actually die young? That's right ladies, say you wake up the next morning. Now you have to withstand the walk of shame, buy some plan B, and get tested for every STI (we're calling it that now, right?) on the planet. You were under the impression you were not going to live to see the dawn of a new day. Lord knows what Valentino talked you into doing or not wearing.

2. Speaking of "wearing" items, have you seen the outfit pictured above? Enough said.

3. I know what you're thinking, "YOLO". You Only Live Once. Yeah, I get it but now you may be saying YOLOS. You Only Live Once (and now you got) Syphilis.

 

4. Ke$ha sings: "Looking for some trouble tonight - Take my hand, I'll show you the wild, side
 - Like it's the last night of our lives - We'll keep dancing till we die" While I have already stated my position on the "dancing until we die" I do believe that if you go looking for trouble you will find it. 

5. If it really was the last night of your life would you be worried about "Young hunks, taking shots - Stripping down to dirty socks - Music up, gettin' hot - Kiss me, give me all you've got"?!?!? No ma'am! I would much rather snuggle up on a blanket underneath the stars, or slow dance in the moonlight until I couldn't feel my toes.

While I will bump this jam to dance around our teeny tiny home for the next three weeks in my dirty socks I would like to make it clear that I do not endorse the actual message the song puts out there. Instead of actually living life every night like it is the last one and doing god-knows-what with only-god-knows, find a Valentino worthy of your time and fabulous dance moves. And then hold on to them tight, like it's the last night of your life.

 

just call me an old fashioned, hopeless romantic.