Hi I'm Aimee, this blog is about a gypsy girl trying to live the city life and all my adventures in between from reporting my latest encounter with domesticity, reviewing the newest pop song, or just life in the moment. One day it struck me that I was constantly planning for tomorrow or what was coming next instead of living for today. Here is where I record the adventures of today.
Growing up I had always heard urban legends about people who lived in small towns and knew their neighbors by name. Or the family who had the block party and invited all the neighbors to barbecue and play games. I had never actually known these people who not only knew the names of the individuals living next door, but actually liked them.
You guys, I have become the urban legend! Clayton and I met our new next door neighbors and they have proved to be nothing short of awesome. We cook dinners for each other, grab drinks together, and talk about our other grumpy neighbors/living in really old and *charming* homes.
One morning I even awoke to find this on our doorstep!
The rice krispies did not last long at all, and once you moved past the burned bottoms the muffins were equally delicious!
Since we have also found "hand-me-down-smut" aka last week's People magazine and varied fruits and vegetables on our doorstep. I am so happy to know that in trying times when it feels like the amount of people you can trust in this world is dwindling, there are still thoughtful and lovely people all around in the most unexpected of places!
Last weekend our neighborhood held one of the two annual community yard sales. Basically it is awesome because they pay for all the advertising and signage and all I had to do was lug my junk out onto the carport at the crack of dawn (okay, more like 7:30am). I combined my unwanted items with some of my aunt's things. My mom and sister Emily came by with some of their stuff too.
It was by no means the snazziest sale I've been to, but it made me enough to take my husband out for a night on the town! But more importantly, my neighbor traded me some jars for her old wheelbarrow!! At first Clayton was giving me his skeptical look mixed in with his "humor her" eyes. After a quick trip to Home Depot I transformed the old wheelbarrow into a lovely front yard addition.
I drilled/hammered a few holes in that sucker and planted an assortment of pansies and petnunias. I fell for the little white pansies with the sweet purple faces, which turned out to be a great color contrast for the new (old) green planter.
What was that? You noticed something in our carport in the background of one of these photos? It's another project we are working on, also purchased on the same day as the Willo yard sale!
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...)
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...
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.
This week has been one of "those" weeks. It seems the world is falling apart and just as you are patting yourself on the back for being so calm and collected you realize you are the craziest one at the party. It was best described to me as an out of body experience. That is a great way to put it, suddenly becoming conscious of a situation in the middle of a screaming match with your 14 year old sister.
I guess it is in these trying times when we find our flaws that we have a decision to make. I can berate myself for the nasty words or irrational decisions made and try to make up for it with gifts, words, or affection. Or I can take a stern look at myself in the mirror and have a come-to-Jesus of sorts. I can grow from this, choose to alter my actions and my mindset. I can ask for help and loving reminders from my family, friends, and that of a higher power. I can continue to strive for who I want to be by surrounding myself with others who radiate the qualities I aspire to posses. I can make this about me, or about them.
Growing up the oldest of four girls has had both its advantages and trying times. I struggle on a daily basis to walk the line between sister and parent. My relationship with my mother and father are not conventional and with that I am in a constant state of tug of war between child and peer. I am going to take the lessons I have learned from this week of insanity with my family and use it to help myself grown instead of stint my relationships with them.
we met in december of 2009 and were married last spring. he is patient when i whine and understanding when i am not. he loves to draw, wear green shoes, and ride the light rail.
