Blackout

Stir Fry Goodness

I am obsessed with this dish: broc, bell peps, tiny tomates, mushroomies, kale, Trader Joe’s Teriyaki tofu, refried beans, and purple onions, with Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch Oil and their Soyaki Sauce. 

Seen In Lambertville

Squiggles - Fashion Icon

Isabella and Sheep were terribly impressed by dapper lil' Squigs and let my sweet birb know!

(Post) College Journal #4

Beautiful Dean Village

This little spot in Edinburgh is like nothing I've ever seen. The below photos are all so similar but it only proves that from any angle, this place is remarkable.

Disappointment

I saw a TON of super rad and vintage-y sweaters on a website and was so ready to buy at least five. They were priced cheap, which is my favourite word when shopping, but something told me to check where they were located. I saw the word "jumper" and was worried that the free shipping wouldn't apply if the order was coming from the UK. Nope. China. Ruh-oh. I did a little sleuthing and most of the reviews said the items were wonky and not what they look like on the site. Wah!!! So I didn't place the order. But if I did, these were the ones I was totally gonna order - the first one is my absolute fave. Beyond cute.

With Marina - 2001

In the late 90s and early aughts, Marina and I were nearly inseparable. Constantly hanging out, driving around, eating in parked cars, going to drive-ins, laughing our faces off, talking about boys, and sharing clothes. Once I got a digital camera, I used it to capture random moments, like these, taken at my parents' house.

The Butterfly Box

In the late 90s I worked at Pier 1 Imports and that's where I picked up this little trinket box. I filled it with the few possessions I had of my maternal grandmother, her dear friend, and her brother.

Butterfly brooch, gold necklace watch, silver wristwatch, cufflinks, bill clip, owl sweater clip - I am certain that the wristwatch was Granny Roseanna's as was the pin and sweater clips. 

Aunt Anna's ring

Uncle Tom O'Brien's little book that held his St. Christopher medal.

BONUS! My half of the Best Friend necklace. Amy had the other half. She is clearly the better of us two, as whenever we would visit, Amy always remembered to wear hers. 

Celine Dijon

Ha! I saw this in the bathroom at Trader Joe’s. Adorable!

John Waters Pillow

I bought this fab Tees4Togo t-shirt a couple years ago but it just looked dreadful on me. So I bought a pillow insert and in December I chopped it up and sewed it over said insert. The best part is that it doesn't matter that the image is wonky and tilted and the different coloured thread shows, because if John Waters is anything, he is unique, and so his pillow should reflect that!

Chili Onion Tofu Greenery

Oh my gosh this was so yummy and simple as hell! Zuke noods, Trader Joe’s teriyaki tofu, broc, bow tie pasta that I had in a jar in the cupboard, kale, Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce and their Chili Onion oil. Throw it all in a skillet and that's it! Can't wait to hit TJ's tonight to get broccoli and a zucchini so I can eat this again tomorrow.

Foxes Everywhere

For years I've heard people talk about "their spirit animal" and I've always inwardly rolled my eyes. It felt so absurd. Really? You're a wolf? A cheetah? It just seemed like people would choose a cool animal and say that was their "spirit animal". It was irritating. 

Beginning in maybe 2022, '23, I started seeing foxes. I didn't pay much attention until the time I drove to the post office in the next town over, at well after midnight, and saw by the forest, at the edge of the parking lot, a little fox peering over the tall grass at Roark and me pulling in. I'm a very big dork and so I squealed with glee and more than likely rolled down the window to say hello, thus scaring them away. I totally forgot about it until a few days later when the. exact. same. thing. happened. I couldn't believe it. I mean, maybe it was a different fox, but holy cow. It was really memorable for me. When I was living mostly at Mum's, I would stand out late at night and have a smoke and sometimes a fox would cross the street and head into the swamp. Once while driving to my place from Mum's I turned a corner by the woods and saw a small animal hopping and thought, "oh, it's a fox...wait, is that a corgi? Is that someone's pet?" So I did what no one else would do. I rolled down the window and said, "Excuse me, are you a corgi?" They stopped and looked at me and that's when I realised, nope, it's a fox. (Thank goodness, cuz what would I do with a corgi?!)

Starting the middle of last year things went off the rails in my personal life and that's when I found that I kept seeing foxes. On stickers, blankets, ornaments, stuffed animals, t-shirts, and even Emily was wearing a tiny orange fox necklace recently. That's when I felt like, ha!, maybe foxes are my spirit animal. Kayla was the one who brilliantly said, "they chose you", and honestly, I really feel that way. I still love vultures and squirrels best of all, but now I feel especially lucky and like I'm on the right path when I see a fox.

Text pic from Kay - one of her "kids" had a fox stuffed pal!

New Year's card that I had in my huge Rubbermaid tote of holiday cards. I sent them out this January. I had completely forgotten that I bought these UNICEF cards at Ikea a few years back.

The fox has long been considered a witty, quick, and intelligent animal.

PS - Oh! And there was that one time that Anne and I were coming back from a garden (I think out in Germantown) and got off track. We went through a neighbourhood and a little fox darted in front of the car and through someone's yard. We turned left then while looking left to see if that street went back out to the main road, that same fox dashed across and cut through another yard. Ha! We drove on, made a left on the next street and the little bugger ran out in front of Roark. And I realise this is of no interest to anyone, but I remembered it and needed to add it to this post for future reminder-ings.