October Snapshots.

Oh, October.  You are so lovely with your crisp, golden days distracting from the inevitable winter.  Please come back...
 

//Some recipe links to go along with some of those pictures//
divine crackly banana bread
bread-pudding-pancakes
super yummy apple galette
peach and blueberry pie

Phoenix SB2K14

Spring "Break" Destination?  Phoenix. 

We had the most lovely visit with Alex's family.  (As always, I wish I'd taken more pictures.)  Every moment was so delightful; quiet breakfasts outside, the huge St. Patrick's day party, god-daughter birthdays, the sweet little shower Alex's parents had for Evangeline...

I am so lucky to have been welcomed into such a wonderful family.  I miss it already! (And not just because Chicago is supposed to get more snow tonight...)  

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A snapshot of our mornings...

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Alex took me a little ways up Camelback Mountain to see the city.  So different from the East Coast, but so so cool.

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Pete and Emily's St. Patrick's Day party was such a blast...too bad, Evangeline, no green beer for you.

 

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Reason No. 8798 why Alex is the best. (Happy Birthday, sweet Ruby!) 

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Phoenix Botanical Gardens on our last day with Alex's Dad... 

The Friday Post Day; An Assortment of Things Interesting and Uninteresting

So, my Dad sent along this ridiculous Turkish rock music video the other day.  Alex can't stop listening to it (apparently he listened to it six times at work yesterday, and twice while we were playing Yahtzee after dinner).  He claims that "when you listen to it with headphones you get a great bass line." I'll just take his word for it.  

Looks like we've found a winner for the next Burch Family talent show.

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I've finished Persuasion, and have moved on to The Awakening by Kate Chopin.  

I'm only a few chapters in, leaving me incapable of commenting on the story itself,  but thus far her writing is quite lovely (and vaguely reminiscent of, though not as perfect as, Woolf's).  Plus, the story takes place in New Orleans and the Southern Coast of Louisiana, a setting alluring in and of itself.  The novel exudes the Old South Romanticism still present in New Orleans, and fills me with the strongest desire to revisit that lovely city.  We'll see where the rest of the book takes me, but so far I'm enjoying it immensely.

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I made this ear-warmer/headband yesterday.   Now I won't have to have both my ears amputated due to freezing before the winter is out.

I don't know why I didn't make this ear-lier...haha...get it?

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Look at these awesome Mondrian inspired bathing suits!

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Can I just say how much I'm obsessed with Evangeline?  She must be doing something crazy in there because as I type I can see my stomach moving all around as she moves.  Golly, she's just the cutest, and that's an understatement.    

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Finally, I took the Which Joss Whedon Heroine Are You quiz on Buzzfeed, and am definitely not mad at the result (even though I know I'm not as cool as she is): 

You got: Buffy Summers

Wikia / Via buffy.wikia.com

Way to go, Chosen One. You’re witty, know how to stay cool under pressure, and you have an endless store of one-line zingers. You never run from a fight. Beneath that sassy exterior, you’re very sensitive, and wise beyond your years. You value your friends above everything else, and you make sure they know it.

1. 
   

These Days...

How am I avoiding the winter blues?  

Reading...

Eating...

Staying productive...

Holding out for our mid-March Phoenix trip...

What I'm reading: 

After finishing The Devil in the White City (which read like a sensational, yet depressing documentary), I felt I needed some Austen to rejuvenate me...I'd really forgotten how wonderful her writing is.  The perfect remedy for these dreary winter months...

(The only things I disliked about this book were the soft cover and the predominance of shitty analogies.  Other than that, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I learned about Chicago and the World's Fair, and how much I enjoyed learning about it.)

What we've been eating/what I've been craving: 

I just cannot get enough caprese.  It's literally all I want to eat.   

What we've been doing: 

When I'm not taking Zimbio quizzes and forcing Alex to do the same (how else would I discover  that I am most akin to Berlin Bowie and Pocahontas?!), I actually do productive things.  Like today, for instance, I finally got around to conditioning my leather jacket (definitely the only cool item of clothing I've ever owned).  Now I'll look super hip come Spring.  Watch out Chicago. 

Alex has been diligently caring for our little collection of plants and they are currently thriving.  Great job, Ace.  (Good thing he's doing it because I tend to love plants to death.)

How we're looking: 

Looking good, hollywood.  But I do wish you'd start gaining some sympathy weight.

What I've been thinking about: 

Oh, the warmth...

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My brother Edmund just turned 13...Happy Birthday to him! 

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This article about Putin.

Home Sweet Home.

Alex and I have slowly but surely been collecting new pieces for our lovely little home.  We've been very successful at finding things we love at the thrift stores around our area (thank you, Chicagoans for giving away cool stuff), even if some of it requires quite a bit of work.  Our most recent project was converting this wooden bookshelf...

...into this one...

It was quite a long (and smelly--polyurethane, yuck) process, which required lots of sanding, lots of staining, and lots and lots of drying time.  But I'm quite happy with the final product!  I will be on the lookout for more pretty things to mix in with the books, and I think Alex needs a little scotch in that decanter on top....hmmm...

I found this great print of what I believe to be Judith with the head of Holofernes in Andersonville when I bought the bookshelf. I just love it...and, what can I say, I'm a sucker for gold leaf. 

Who ever said orange was a bad idea? 

Our most recent treasure was this Danish Modern coffee table from the Salvation Army:

My next goal is to find some sort of table or shelf for the kitchen.  I'm in dire need of counter and storage space...A little something like this French Kitchen Island from Crate and Barrel...just maybe a tad cheaper...