Conspicuous Consumption

Let me start off by saying that I love the holiday season. I love everything about Thanksgiving through New Year. I love snow and peppermint and sugar cookies and reindeer and carols....well, you get the idea. What I do not love is the advertising assault that now begins immediately after Halloween and doesn't seem to let up until around mid-January.

I understand that we are in a difficult economic period and that retailers do the vast amount of their business during the holiday season, but it hurts my holly covered heart to see everything be turned into an advertising gimmick; to be constantly barraged by hackneyed, overly sentimental money grabs. Check cashing, fast food, car dealerships, they all manage to find some holiday oriented angle no matter how tangential. It doesn't have to be this way...

If you have to shop do it locally, from small independent retailers. Etsy.com is another great resouce to shop independently. Over the past few years I have been finding ways to extricate myself from consumer madness. One easy way: turn off the TV. Yep, it's just that simple. Simply hit the off button and all the noise suddenly stops.

My family is small and very close. Several years ago we all agreed to stop exchanging gifts. It was beginning to feel like we were simply handing each other cash. Instead of presents we treat each other to dining out or events--concert, ballet, day spa-or make a charitable contribution in their name-Heifer International, Salvation Army, NPR. People rarely remember the gifts they receive, but they will remember a night at the theatre or a fabulous meal. Get off the consumer merry go round and instead of spending your time with irritable strangers at the mall spend it with the people you care about most.

Anna Karenina

So, somebody decided to remake Tolstoy's classic about social class and marriage, Anna Karenina, into a movie staring Keira Knightley. Huh, go figure. Now it just so happens that I recently--recently like this week--finished re-reading this novel and I have to say that based on the trailers I'm seeing I'm more than a little concerned.

The novel is set during the tail end of the tsarist reign of Russia amongst minor nobility, so nearly everyone is a prince or princess. Opulence and lushness are par for the course and it appears that the movie has captured at least that aspect of the book. It looks absolutely delicious which is great, but I have to say that I have grown a bit weary of going to movies that look amazing but completely lack the substance of the source material.  I mean, how are high school students supposed to skip reading the book if you can't count on the movie to get you through the test?!

Keira Knightley is an odd choice for Anna given the fact that Tolstoy repeatedly describes Anna's "plumpness" and Keira Knightley is notoriously thin, but hey, this is Hollywood. Additionally in an interview Keira describes Anna as an "anti-hero" which seems to be a total misinterpretation of the character. Anna is not a seductress or a villan she is instead a victim of social circumstance and her own passionate nature. In the trailers it is hard to tell anything about Anna's husband-except they managed to make Jude Law homely-or the character of Levin but I suspect that their stories take a back seat to the love affair between Anna and Vronsky, which I'm sure will be presented as torrid and highly sensual.

I plan to see the movie-when and if it comes to my area- because I like to look at pretty stuff. I guess I'll  just have to remind myself that the phrase "the book is so much better than the movie" is a cliche for a reason.

Turkey Triumph!

So this year, for the first time ever, I made the Thanksgiving Day bird...all by myself. I'll admit to an extreme sense of panic when this duty fell to me, but, fortunately, my family is veerrrry laid back and knows better than to expect much.

I consulted multiple food gurus: Alton Brown, Ina Garten, my mother, and came up with an amalgamation of all their advice. We had our Thanksgiving earlier this week due to sheduling conflicts (another way to reduce stress and avoid grocery store crowds). According to my guests it was very successful.

Here are some of the things that I learned:
1. Get a smaller bird than you think you need. I got an 18 lb bird for 7 meat eaters and it was waaaay too much.
2.  Brining is unnecessary, trust me. I know it is all the rage, but it is a pain in the pin feathers and tends to make the meat very salty.
3. Don't stuff. Now I love stuffing, it's soggy deliciousness is a favorite, but stuffing takes longer to cook and then your turkey will dry out. Instead stuff the bird with citrus, herbs and onions. When the bird is done cooking, then remove those items and stuff with pre-cooked dressing. While the bird rests all the juices will moisten your stuffing.
4. Start out with the oven on 400-450 degrees for the first half hour. If the bird starts to over-brown cover it with aluminum foil. Then reduce heat to 325.
5. Don't baste. I know this too seems counterintuitive but every time you open the oven you are losing heat. The only thing basting does is crisp the skin anyway, that moisture does not penetrate through to the meat.
6. If you blow it and your bird is dry, burnt or undercooked...don't sweat it, everyone is there for the side dishes anyway. Turkey is just a perfunctory, meaningless tradition...like Easter Eggs or the Academy Awards.

Have a wonderful and relaxed holiday everyone!

Black and White Bathroom Inspiration

My house has 1 bathroom. It is 5x8 and consists of a small (16") vanity cabinet, toilet (from the 70's) and a cast iron bathtub (60"). Everything about it is fairly standard, it is functional, but it is also hideously ugly and in disrepair.
My hope is to remodel this spring when funds and weather cooperate.

This is the current floorplan.

I see no reason to change the layout except for the door. It is currently swinging into the room which takes up precious floor space. By rehinging the door to swing into the hall it will allow for a slightly larger vanity cabinet (24").

I would like to remodel but stay true to the era of the home with a design that is neutral and timeless. Here's some of my inspiration,

Love this classic small scale tile pattern.

Love the use of white subway tile with black listello (that's the skinny black tile that's embedded). Also like bringing tile up the wall, all the way around the room, to chair height. In this image it also appears that a grey grout has been used which means less maintenance.

Love this vintage look, but as much as I adore pedestal sinks I think a vanity is more practical as it allows for more storage which is always in demand in a bath.

This cabinet is classic and provides storage. Also I like the sink's backsplash detail. Very sweet.

My hope is to create something timeless and classic but still with a bit of personality. Also most of these items can be purchased at a big box store which saves $$$.
I can't wait til spring!

Kitchen Refresh!

Table and Chairs

Bar Cabinet

Fabric applied...

Chair Before

Chair after!

Bar cabinet original fabric on the Right...new fabric on the Left!

(I'll post photos of the entire grouping as soon as I have a second to spare!)