September 2010

9.30.2010

my lying mirror

Just to let you know that publishing this post proves once again that either I'm an idiot or as my friend says, a narcissist with low self esteem. I'm pretty sure i'm both. You can see what i'm really wearing this fall here.

In the above picture I'm wearing what my cyber-friend slim hopes to never be caught dead in. Mom jeans. I don't like mom jeans either but i looked high and low last year for a jean that Katherine or Marilyn would wear. Sort of a weekend at the cabin look. I found these jeans and the waistline comes to just above my naval and i thought they were perfect. Wrong, turns out they are just mom jeans, and quite unflattering. But I swear in the mirror, they looked good.

Next up is another disaster that I really loved. My chambray shirt and a pair of high-waisted, wide legged jeans. This outfit is so comfortable that i feel like I'm wearing pajamas. And it turns out that it looks like I'm wearing them too. The shirt is far too loose with the jeans and just looks sloppy and not the casual hipster i imagined.

Here are the same pants but with a more form fitting white shirt. In my eyes it still looks awful. At this point, I'm thinking it's the jeans. It couldn't possibly be me!

Because I wear all black at work, this would be something I would wear quite often. I would just take the jacket off when I began working. So these Theory pants and a black t or mock turtleneck for the fall would be a standard outfit. This is not bad with the jacket but look at how awful it is without...

Was anyone ever going to tell me how awful my bustline looks? I am so embarrassed that I've been traipsing around in this outfit for like 2 years now thinking i was looking good. That mirror lies I tell you.

This is not a fashion blunder but as long as I'm here exposing myself, I'd like to get this off my chest. You all know I'm a passionate vegan but you don't know that in my closet is my favorite piece of clothing and it's a vintage cashmere coat with a fur collar. There i said it, phew. And i plan to keep it.

9.27.2010

how i saute tofu

This is how I saute tofu. I drain the tofu but never press it, weird, I know. Then I cut it into small dice and add it to a hot pan with a little canola oil. I season it during this time.

After about 10 minutes it starts to look like this. When it gets to the perfect color, I remove it from the pan and let it sit for a few minutes. This is when it loses it wobbly texture.

You can do anything with it at this point but tonight I made a bbq tofu pizza. The dough is Trader Joes smeared with some bbq sauce, the sauteed tofu, corn and red peppers. Bake on a pizza stone for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

This is how I saute tofu. How do you?

9.26.2010

downtown saturday morning

9.24.2010

9-24-10

Please go to the newlywed diaries and read jennifer's random story. i'm asked all the time why i am a vegan. this is why...

9.23.2010

flannel and apples*

We have been having some rather autumn-like days here in southern california so I could not resist putting on a flannel and baking an apple crumble.

Apple Crumble

6 tart apples - peeled, diced

1/2 cup sugar

1 T cinnamon

place the above ingredients into a 9" pie tin and top with...

3/4 c oats

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/4 cup earth balance (cut into oats)

1/2 c pecans

bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until topping is nicely browned.

this is a very forgiving recipe. substitute your heart away. white sugar instead of brown, more or less cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, cranberries. i like my topping really well done, you might not, so bake accordingly.

*no animals were harmed while making this recipe.

9.21.2010

the not so joyful aspects of living in a small house

exhibit A

the guest room - aka my living room

guests had better be very small or very tolerant,

preferably both.

exhibit B

notice anything missing?

no dishwasher.

exhibit C

the master bath

no storage or counter space at all.

exhibit D

no interior doors.

you better really love and like the person you live with.

9.17.2010

last night

we ate pasta with jarred sauce.

every night cannot be a masterpiece.

what's your lazy meal?

9.16.2010

yesterday i...

laid around and tried to capture light.

9.14.2010

what i'm wearing this fall

You know my friends, maintaining a mediocre blog such as this is not easy. This post was hard! I have respect for anyone out there with a fashion blog that posts their own outfits. Photographing interiors and gardens is a piece of cake compared to clothing. And the wake-up call you get when you see yourself photographed in what you thought was your favorite outfit - shocking! What I posted is what I really wear and it all revolves around 5 pieces of clothing. I realize that not everyone wants to dress in such a boring manner but I think I may have been born in a pair of levis and a white shirt. This is the way I am compelled to dress. So here are the pieces...

a little black dress

levis

white shirt

chambray shirt

jacket

I change the shoes, roll up the levis or wear them long, add scarves, cardigans and jewelry but basically the outfit stays the same.

first up is a little black summer dress

cardigan, scarves and tights added bring it into the fall.

I will wear any number of different colored cardigans and scarves with this.

levis, chambray shirt and oxfords

with a jacket

with jacket and scarf

white shirt, levis, cowboy boots

with jacket

levis, white shirt, jacket buttoned and belted

same as above but with chambray shirt

What I learned by doing this post is that outfits that I thought I looked fine in really were awful. I may post them one day for fun. It's a real pain to go through but it may be worth it because what I found out is that the mirror is a big fat liar.