Dear Alfani Leopard Print Heels,
When I spotted you two years ago on the shelf at Plato’s Closet, I couldn’t believe my good fortune. You were high quality, filled the animal-print hole in my wardrobe, and only cost eight bucks. Unfortunately, from the first time I wore you, something wasn’t right. I remained in denial because of your beauty. But at the end of yesterday, my feet were more blistered and painful than a ballerina’s. So after trying two different types of gel inserts and hobbling around for many days, I am forced to bid you adieu. I hope you have a better life on someone else’s feet. It’s not you, it’s me.
Regretfully,
Brenda
Shoes have been on my mind lately. I keep a mental list of specific styles I “need,” but I always feel guilty indulging my shoe addiction, so I wait around forever for, like, 80% off sales. Obviously, those don’t happen, and then I end up frustrated. So yesterday, I took the plunge and ordered these:
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| G by Guess – Viaana (nude or blush patent pump) |
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| Michael Antonio – Galactic (neutral wedge) |
A fall shoe high on my list is a dark gray pump, in suede or even wool. I have a lot of gray texturey work pieces for winter, and it would be nice to wear them with something other than black pumps. There aren’t many options, and most of them are expensive. But since I’ve been looking for over a year, maybe it’s time to invest in one of these:
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| G by Guess – Jasleen |
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| Banana Republic – Union |
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| Breckelles – Angie |
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| Kelsi Dagger – Tiffany |
Research revealed that they’re Steve Madden “Dynemite” and retail for $109 on his website. SIGH.
I’ve never been fond of “booties,” but I’m rethinking them this year. This pair is a possibility:
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| Madden Girl – Razcal |
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| Steve Madden – Cindi |
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| Liv Tyler via InStyle |
4 Comments + Posted in: fall, fashion
One of my favorite blogs is Chatting at the Sky. I’m not exaggerating when I say I want to “star” or link to everything Emily posts. Her blog mostly focuses on two concepts: living life in light of God’s grace, and finding the artist within and setting her free. Needless to say, those are currently major guideposts in my own life, so I really benefit from her thoughts.
I pre-ordered Emily’s book, Grace For The Good Girl, and was thrilled to find it in my mailbox yesterday. I am definitely the target audience for this book and can’t wait to start reading and highlighting. I admire her for having the courage to share the message God placed in her heart, even though she didn’t feel “qualified” to do it. I hope that someday, I’ll have the guts and the right words to do the same.
In other, around-the-house news, it was Gandalf’s birthday yesterday. He turned nine. :)
And I finally found a place for my house’s nameplate! It’ll be replaced soon by a fall wreath I’m planning to make, but I’m glad to have it up temporarily.
And I’m seriously considering painting all my hallway picture frames white, a la Young House Love. My house is otherwise devoid of black, and I feel like it makes the hall seem darker. But I can’t decide. Thoughts?
5 Comments + Posted in: cats, domestic, reading
One way or another, I’ve planned to can produce this summer. I planted six tomato plants and expected to be a stewing, soup-making fool by now. Sadly, due to some combination of insects and weeks of extreme heat, I only harvested two tomatoes before the plants shriveled up. My bell peppers never took off, either. But red bell peppers were cheap at Easy-Way and the farmer’s market last week, so I decided it was time to use the half-pint jars I bought forever ago.
This was my first-ever attempt at canning. I considered doing more research beforehand, but the instructions seemed pretty basic, and for once I wanted to try something new without overthinking it. I had everything I needed and was ready to go. I’ve since been told that it’s dangerous to can on a ceramic cooktop, that jars shouldn’t be placed directly into the pot, etc., but you be the judge of your own situation. :)
Marinated Red Bell Peppers
From Well Preserved by Eugenia Bone, via Preserving the Harvest
Ingredients:
4 lbs red bell peppers (about 8 to 10 medium)
1 cup bottled lemon juice
2 cups white wine vinegar with 5% acidity
1 cup olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced (about 1 tbsp) (I used minced garlic from a jar)
1 ½ tsp salt
Directions:
1. Place the oven rack about 7 inches from the broiler. Place peppers on a baking sheet and char them under the broiler, turning them often with tongs so that they blister all over, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a large pot of boiling water.
2. Let the peppers stand until cool enough to handle. Don’t put them in a paper bag, as some people like to do, or they will steam and change their texture. Remove the charred skin, cut the peppers in half, and remove the seed pods.
3. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a saucepan and heat just to boiling over medium heat.
4. Have ready 3 scalded pint jars and their bands. To scald, simply dip the jars in boiling water. Simmer new lids in a small pan of hot water to soften the rubberized flange.
5. Pack the peppers into the jars and pour the marinade over them. Using a butter knife, pop any air bubbles in the jars. See that the garlic slices are distributed evenly. Be sure to leave 1/2 to 3/4″ headspace in the jars. Wipe the rims, place on the lids, and screw on the bands fingertip tight. (Confession: I don’t know what this means)
6. Process the pepper jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 5 minutes, then remove the jars and let them rest for 4 to 6 hours. Check the seals and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year. (Press down in the middle of the jar lids; if they don’t cave in, that means the seals have set. Thanks Stacy!)
I had fewer peppers than the directions call for, so I also scaled down the marinade ingredients, unscientifically. I think I added too much lemon juice, which is why the marinade looks funny. Hopefully the peppers won’t taste too lemony, but even if they do, there are worse things.
3 Comments + Posted in: food, gardening
Now that Labor Day weekend is over, it’s time to tally the stats for summer 2011!
States visited: 4 (1 new)
Siblings moved to new homes: 2 (that’s 100%)
Weddings attended: 1
Game show auditions: 1*
Nashville trips: 3
Major appliance replacements/repairs: 3
Parties attended: Many
Trips to YoLo: Plentiful
Salads consumed: Innumerable
Afternoons spent poolside: 0 (still can’t figure out how this happened)
Days spent at the ocean: 4
Heat: Third-hottest Memphis summer in recorded history (source)
Garden report: About 20 jalapenos and 20 cucumbers harvested; everything else died
Baseball games attended: 3
Movies seen in the theater: 5
Total percentage of summer weekends spent out of town: 50%
It’s been a good summer – possibly the most eventful of my life. But I welcome fall! I’m really looking forward to settling down, getting back on a more regular schedule, watching football, enjoying wonderful weather, seeing friends more, and starting some new events at church.
* = I never heard anything more from Wheel of Fortune. They said callbacks would be in August, but I wasn’t contacted, nor do I know anyone who was, and I’m not sure if the callbacks happened at all (I have a Google Alert set and am generally in touch with local news). At this point I’m assuming that’s the end of it, but you never know. In any case it was a great experience!
Walk The Line, the biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, deserved every Oscar it won. Although it has upsetting and disturbing elements (as real life often does), it’s a fantastic story of redemption that happens to include some great music. A lot of it was filmed here in Memphis, too!
I knew almost nothing about the Cashes before I saw this, but Joaquin Phoenix really conveys Johnny’s deep pain, awkwardness, and passion. It must have been a very difficult role. I consider this movie to be Reese Witherspoon’s best work, which is saying a lot since she’s so talented. Who knew she could sing?
Last year I started to see June (at least as portrayed by Reese) in a new light, as a role model of sorts – another woman of faith who was divorced and kind of ashamed of it, but who eventually found an epic, redeeming love that would inspire songs, books, and movies! I needed to know more about her and Johnny, so I read John Carter Cash’s memoir of his parents. It was disillusioning. Johnny had big problems that didn’t just go away, even with June there to support him. Although I still find her very admirable, she was honestly kind of an enabler. He had affairs after they were married, though he continued to love her passionately. I thought, if a man can love a woman that much and still cheat, what hope is there for the rest of us? But it’s always more complicated than that. Even the most epic love won’t stand without self-control. Among other things. Anyway, it’s a fantastic movie.