Happy Holidays!

So I definitely planned, initially, to post this on Friday, since it is basically an inspiration post, and I usually do those on Fridays.  Then, I planned to put this up yesterday, since it was Christmas.  But, I didn't do it.  I just didn't write it.  I collected a bunch of photos and stuff, but I didn't put this together.  However, that's okay, because tonight is the seventh night of Hanukkah, and I don't have to go back to work until Wednesday, so HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Here are some holiday photos, none of which are mine, or belong to anyone I know.  I know that I put out an appeal to my readers for their Christmas photos through my Facebook page, but only one person sent them to me, and it was a very good friend whom I specifically asked.  Since this time, I have realized that I somehow managed to set my wall posts on my blog's page and my personal Facebook page to "Only me".  If you couldn't already guess, which I'm guessing you could, since you're probably pretty smart, that means that no one could see any of my posts but... me.  This has been going on for about a week, and I'm not sure how or why it happened, but I'm working on fixing it.  In the meantime, I have to remember to manually configure my posts to not be for just me.  Because, what in god's name is the point of posting on Facebook if you don't want people to see it.  Online photo storage?  Please.  

Anyway, Merry Late Christmas, Happy Current Hanukkah, Yay for belated yule, that Kwanzaa thing, and have a great day, kids.  

Doxieone

Zena

Food Addict Official

Just a Click

Coffee and Tea

If you've been reading this for any length of time, and have picked up anything about me as a person, chances are, the one fact that you might have picked up is... I love hot drinks.  I love them.  Just, love them, love them.  Coffee, tea, cider, hot ginger drinks, steaming eggnog... Hand me one, and I'm just the happiest lady ever.  Coffees make my heart sing, partially because of the warmth and comfort in every cup, and partially because I'm hopelessly addicted to caffeine.  Teas are so very different from one another. So many varieties!  That probably sounds ridiculous, but wow.

Tea is the bomb.

My love of hot drinks has also made me love hot drink paraphernalia like pretty boxes of tea, stylish mugs, and dainty saucers.  Hell, I even get excited about interesting take-out coffee cups.  Ones with particularly interesting lids never cease to make my day.  I kind of wish that I was kidding.  But, I'm easily amused.

I've amassed a stupid number of photographs of mugs, cups, etc over the past few months of non-blogging, because I take my phone everywhere.  I used to take my camera everywhere, but instead of carrying it with me at all times, I've taken to making specific excursions with it.

Since I started doing martial arts, my bag is constantly full of martial arts gear.  The problem here is that after class is done, my gear is sopping wet.  With sweat.  Gross, gross body juice.  The exact opposite of happy sunshine coffee goodness.  On the list of things I don't want my beautiful piece of digital equipment, my camera, around, clothing drenched in my own sweat is pretty close to the top.  So, I don't bring my camera most places.  Even though things are nasty, I still tend to need my phone, and that makes me use my phone camera.  My phone tends to pop out while I'm in cafes, and, bam!

 Coffee pictures.

I hope you enjoy.

Since this has to do with hot drinks, I know I'll enjoy it.

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Snapshot A La Weekend

I'm feeling kind of lazy this morning, and I thought I'd just compile something silly and fun.

I've had a bunch of people ask me how my house looks, and if they could see photographs of it.  At some point this will definitely happen, I promise.  I'm working on cleaning it up a bit this morning, and the whole thing isn't completely together.  We've been here for about six monthes now, and we finally got all of the furniture we want.  We're still working on the art.

Anyway... here is a little glimpse into how I spend my weekend mornings!  I know... so thrilling, right?  Generally, I sit on the couch, relaxing, reading a book or magazine, maybe catching up on blogs or finding inpirational photographs for my tumblr, responding to emails, that sort of thing. I wear PJ pants, an oversized tee shirt, and no makeup.  This is done with coffee.  The coffee part is mandatory.  I'm a bit of a caffeine addict, coffee just tastes so good.  And it is really easy when you have a lot of cool mugs!  I have a lot of cool mugs.  This piece of gold is one of my favourites.

It is my ACTORS IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S LEADING ROLES mug.  Why did I capitalize it so angrily?  Because, it is capitalized like that on the bottom of the mug.  It has a whole description, saying who each actor is, and what role they are depicted playing.  I bought the delightful thing while seeing "Antony and Cleopatra" done by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon.  Yes, that is Shakespeare's hometown!  That's why I love this mug so much.  Shakespeare paraphenalia from the land of Shakespeare.  To me, that is an ultimate win.

I have a lot of other cool mugs too.  I have one with my "Beach Ninja" print on it.  That makes me happy.  I also have one that is Mickey Mouse's pants.  Not his top half.  Just his pants.  When you drink out of it, it kind of looks like you are doing something raunchy to Mickey Mouse.  We always give this mug to guests, it's a hilarious way to start a conversation and make someone feel a tad bit awkward.  Also, there is the Shakespearean insult mug, whose choicer phrases include "quintessence of dust" and "canker blossom".  We also have two different London Underground "Mind the Gap" mugs, one with the writing of the Rosetta Stone (in all three languages), and one covered in Chinese Lucky Cats.  That's not even mentioning Danny's personalized Lego mug and the Don't Mess With Texas mug... that I dropped on the floor and shattered yeterday.  Oops.  Ho hum.

Anyways, what else do I do on a weekend morning?  I lean against a comfy throw pillow.  We have three of them on our couch- a red one with a big old E on it (that's for Emily), a black and red one with a bird...

And then, we have this thingamajigger...

 

 

I made this one.  Don't get too impressed- I didn't screen print it or anything.  The fabric was just rather nifty, and I took it, put a back on it, stuffed it, and sewed on some beads.  This happened in early high school- I was helping out with my mom's girl scout troop on craft day.  By helping out, I mean I was making my own, more advanced project in the corner as her little sister and her friends struggled to get it done themselves.  That must have been what happened, or I wouldn't have gotten all of these beads sewed on.

In any case, I snuggle up with these pillows, creating myself a nice little nest.  I found the term internest on Urban Dictionary the other day, and the site defined it as, "The concoon of blankets, pillows, duvets, and comfy things you gather around yourself to keep warm whilst spending long amounts of time on the internet."  So, so true!

By this definition though, no successful internest is complete without...

 

THE MEXI-BLANKET!

The mexi-blanket was inherited from my parents, and by inherited, I mean that they accidentally left it here when they helped us move in, and we kept it.  They bought it on their honeymoon in Acapulco, and it is still in great condition.  It was being used to cover furniture in their car, but for us, it is the couch throw blanket of dreams.  We are always snuggling up in this thing.  Danny is Texan, and I think it brings out his Texan sensibility a bit.  But really, it's just comfy. 

It's also fun to hide under it, or wrap yourself up in it and pretend you are Santa Maria.

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Dainty Little Things

The original Anthropologie store in Philadelphia is absolutely worth a trip.  If you find yourself in or around the City of Brotherly Love in the near future... go.  Just, go.  It's beautiful!  All Anthropologie stores are very well designed.  They sell lovely products, and show them off on vintage and antique furniture, using cute little tags and signs to advertise the price and name.  

The original store is particularly good though.  It's in a lovely old building just on the corner of Rittenhouse Square, near a bunch of little French Bistros and such.  There is a winding spiral staircase with what used to be a big grand fireplace on a landing from the stairs.  Gorgeous.

I'm basically obsessed with this company.  If I could fill my wardrobe and apartment with their goods, I would in a heartbeat.  In the meantime, I am content to enjoy their sale racks and photograph their home goods!  

While at the store in Philly, I did pick up a stunning black floral apron from their sale rack... for only $20!  It was very exciting.  My sister bought the little bunny dish in this first photograph... I think it was about $10.  So, they do have cheap things.  You just have to dig a bit.  But, everything is fantastic.

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA