Shake it like a Polaroid picture.

......like a salt shaker. I am loving these balloon shakers from Kurokawa on Merchant 4. These are not only for S&P but can be filled with an array of colorful and flavorful spices. Yes, please.

Tramp stamp...

Only in Disney....starved for some vittles and without a car I began perusing the room service menu. Turns out spaghetti and meatballs is also know as "Lady and the Tramp," not wanting to go overboard with the tourist trap I ordered a simple tuna cobb salad (Mickey ears not included). .......what happens in Disney.......

It's not my party...

...but I'll celebrate if I want to. Sure my birthday is a few weeks away, but I am celebrating a friend's this week and having just as much fun as if it were my own. After a less than fab day at the office I was looking forward to a birthday dinner for a friend last night. It did turn into quite a comedy of errors {and successes!}. The birthday girl started inviting work friends to a different birthday dinner since she had no idea there was one already planned, thankfully most of them asked me if I was coming....but then I had to tell them that the boyfriend had already planned a surprise dinner. I was uninviting people left and right, even inviting someone last minute-thanks, CW. But a few moments later we were all secretly en route to the destination to taste the delicious vittles that awaited us. Let me just say I am not a foodie, but I know a thing or three about food and this meal was absolutely amazing..here let me give you the Reader's Digest version: flambeed wedge with spinach, cream and bacon; bruscetta with boursin and ratatouille; tuna nicoise salad; Pekin duck with blackberry compote, candied pistachio dust and butternut squash; and steak with crispy asparagus and forme d'ambert mash completed with a peach clafouti with whipped cream and pecan dust....yummy to my tummy. I swear I am still drooling and dreaming about the meal.

Gone fishing.....

Product of Norway. Heck yes, for once in my life I was thankful as I read the label on the salmon at Publix. I typically cringe when I see the small print declaring the country of origin, but this time breathed a sigh of relief knowing my salmon came from foreign waters sans oil. I wonder if all tuna is packed in oil these days?

Drink up!

How many of you recall the post of my toddy necklace? If you don't here's one below--constructed of a vintage carafe label. Pick your poison.Turns out you can label your mug. These wer too cute not to share--with the subtle monochromatic design you can hid your anger.

Fresh-ca!

In the words of Sarah Jessica Parker and in honor of SATCTM2, "Hello, Lover!" Literally! This can of carbonated goodness is a delight to my taste buds! I have been sickly and living off yogurt, crackers and ginger ale--but yesterday I discovered {thanks, Mom!} this yummy old school treat. If you haven't tried this I highly recommend the peach flavor and I cannot wait to try black cherry {there's a 12 pack guiltily chilling in my fridge}.
*This commercial not brought to you by Coke.

Brown bagging it....

Well it was definitely a day for a brown bag lunch (too bad I forgot mine!). It is flooding rain here and I forgot my umbrella to make a bad day worse! I left my science class to go see the banquet facility and lo and behold it was flooding rain and I got soaked. A little drowned rat I was. My dry clean only outfit got wet cleaned. But on a brighter note I found this wonderful idea for a menu--a brown bag!A perfect rustic place setting for outdoor entertaining in the summer months to come.

Bitter{sweet}.

Take a close look at these candies. Sugary sweet.....I think not. Seven days to V-day.

Carbo-licious....

Last night I carbo-loaded vicariously through another......what did I just say? Well to explain myself further there is a Double-bridge (15k) run in my town and at the moment I type the faster runners should be finishing (it began at 7). My date opted to do the 5k portion of the race instead of the whole kit and kaboodle as he did last year. I myself will readily admit that I am not much of a runner and for obvious reasons am not jogging across the finish line today. Last night in preparation for the jog he wanted to carb-load...I said sure I can always get something else....so that my fellow readers is eating vicariously through another.....hope the run goes well.

Happy Hallo-Thanks-mas.....

Yes, I am one of those horrid people that merges holidays into one and begins thinking about lights and garland as soon as I see Halloween costumes. Speaking of Halloween....I watched a plethora of 30 Rock this past weekend and caught one of my faves, Mr. Jordan, referring to Halloween as "Prison Parent's Weekend." With all that orange and black that comment is down right FUNNY considering the men at work had referred to my outfit as prison like (black and white tweed skirt with an orange sweater).....ahhh the humor in every day life.I think I'm going to stick with happy Christmahanakwanzakah.....or however The O.C. used to say it!

Beef, it's whats for dinner!

More like chicken or fish thanks to several bouts of unexplained high cholesterol...I have food on the brain and am on a "take my lunch to work" kick thanks to my ipro, blood sugar testing and a slew of other issues......and I think this bag would be a perfect Taking Woodstock addition to the company fridge--Give Peace a Chance....or at least during your lunch break.

Billy goat gruff....

The Billy Goat Tavern was opened in 1937 by Billy Sianis and achieved fame through the supposed curse on the Chicago Cubs and the famous Saturday Night Live sketch {Cheezborger, Cheezborger, Cheezborger. No Pepsi. Coke.} of the Belushi era. The curse on the Cubs began when owner Sianis tryed to enter a Cubs game with a goat {the restaurants mascot} but was turned away by Cubs owner. Sianis supposedly cursed the Cubs to never play in another world series.Has anyone been to this landmark?

Thursday treat!

A great surprise sat on my desk Thursday morning {all the way from Rhode Island}! Now on to cooking.

Jack Burger....

View from a lunchtime burger joint...reminds me of Carrie's {post it breakup} fling.

Starry nights...

......and twinkling lights...love this simply lighted dinner.

Working 9 to 5....

Donuts have to be the quintessential office food. Why is this?

Nice is nice...

Nice {long e} is nice {long i}. Mom found me a cute coaster from the Hotel Ruhl in Nice, France. The name almost sounds like Ruehl {Abercrombie}. I had been craving vintage hotel flatware or plates {anthro-esque} but this is very cute and a pale yellow color {bad photo-sorry! blame my blackberry since my real camera is hopefully getting repaired.)I found some postcards from Nice online as well as some hotel artwork. Can anyone find some photos of the locale?

What you see.....

......is not necessarily what you get....This receipt is not as it seems. It is actually stitched if you look closely.

Basket case...

Check out this lovely edible bouquet. How is it made....well it is cupcakes, they are inserted into the arrangement, then decorated. So cute.

A box of what?

I saw the oddest thing today! Coffee in a box....not the typical carafe..a box....Shocking, but it turns out Starbuck's offers the boxed variety as well. Am I the only sheltered one that has never seen a boxed brew?