WTF Wednesday

Wednesday, June 30, 2010


Are words really necessary?? I hope not, because I'm speechless. I know they're not really shoes, but even as "art" - WTF?? C'mon Truebies - tell me I wasn't the only one to wonder if Maryann wore these with the big bull head...



My own little LOLCat...

Tuesday, June 29, 2010



Sandal search!

What the heck is going on? I ordered three pairs of sandals last week and I had to return them all!!

I'm really not asking for much. Just a pair of cute brown sandals. I had (well, I still have them, but they're so worn that I'm afraid to wear them away from the house, LOL) a pair of brown Dockers sandals that were perfect. They looked so cute on my feet, and they were oh-so-comfy. I wore them everywhere for a couple of years. And I've been trying to find replacements for them ever since.

I got these Anne Klein sandals from Piperlime last week - but when they arrived - well, let's just say "oh my".
Yep. They're bronze all right. Shiny Super-shiny bronze. And the edge of the footbed? Yeah. That would be super-shiny gold. Like blind you in the sun gold. And the "ornamentation"? Well, they would be really large, super-pearlized thingies. Maybe appropriate for the retirement home in Florida, but they won't work here. So back they went.

Then I saw these really cute sandals on dsw.com - so adorable! And in so many cute colors!! I ordered two - one pair in cognac and the other in black.
 
But no - they look horrible on my feet. The strap that goes across the foot crosses too high on my foot - it needs to be back another inch or two. Sigh. So two more back to the store.

I'm looking for something with straps across the top, sort of like these (but not in green, and not like the rest of the shoe) - but maybe also with a thong (because I find it easier to keep thongs on my feet):
And with a heel like these (or maybe a short, flat heel - but not completely flat; and absolutely no rubber soles!!):
No ankle straps, no gladiator sandals - just some cute, strappy, feminine sandals for everyday wear. Help??


Monday's Meal

Monday, June 28, 2010

I admit, when I first heard of fish tacos, I almost gagged. It sounded totally disgusting. Last summer, Gus and I were at The Pub, and they had fish tacos on their summer menu. They were served with some type of Caribbean salsa, which caught my eye - so I thought I'd give them a try. Okay, I admit, a pint or two of Young's Double Chocolate Stout may have lowered my resistance a little, too.

But whatever it was that prompted me to try them, I'm glad - because I loved them! I've had them several times since then, but have never attempted to make them until now. (Mainly because I haven't been able to convince anyone else in my family to try them. Sigh.)

I decided that I was going to give the Cilantro Lime Rice recipe from Annie's Eats a try because I knew Gus would at least eat that, LOL. (Just click on the name of the recipe to go to Annie's Eats and see the original recipe.)

Doesn't this look yummy? Fresh cilantro, garlic, olive oil, fresh lime juice, and water!

Um, it's not looking so yummy now. It's bright. It's neon. Hmmmm.

It's perfect!! And very tasty!! So don't let the bright neon green scare you!

Then I found a recipe for Mango Papaya Salsa at allrecipes.com, and did just a little tweaking. You can see the original recipe by clicking on the name above - and my version is below:

Mango Papaya Salsa
1 mango - peeled, seeded, and diced
1 papaya - peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large sweet red pepper - seeded and diced*
1/2 Vidalia onion, peeled and diced
2 TBSP. chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. (I chilled mine for about 3 hours.)

(*I chopped the red pepper into larger pieces because while I like the flavor, I don't like to actually eat them. Making the pieces larger allowed me to remove them easily.)

(recipe modified from allrecipes.com)

The salsa was beautiful! And yummy!

Of course, I needed some type of sauce for the tacos, so I found a recipe for San Diego-style Fish Taco Sauce on Soup Addict's blog and modified it a little by leaving out the capers and hot pepper. You can see the original recipe by clicking on the recipe name above.

This is what my fish taco sauce looked like - it was really good and I think it would make a great dip, too!

And last, but not least - the fish. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com for grilled tilapia with mango salsa - and just used the part for the grilled tilapia. The original recipe can be found at the link above - and my adaptation is below:

Grilled Tilapia
1/3 c. olive oil
1 TBSP. lemon juice
1 TBSP. fresh minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (6 oz.) tilapia filets

Whisk together first 7 ingredients in bowl and then pour into a resealable bag. Add the tilapia filets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.*

To grill the tilapia: I made little foil pockets, sprayed them with Pam nonstick cooking spray, placed the fish inside, and sealed them. Then we placed those on the grill for about 10-15 minutes, opening the foil packets for the last 5 minutes.

(*I know that you're not supposed to marinate fish for a long time, but we prefer the flavor of fish that has marinated for 3-4 hours. So I marinated our tilapia for 3 hours.)

(recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

After the fish was cooked, we assembled the tacos as you can see below (I used Mission White Corn Tortillas):



Gus gave one a try (Minus the salsa because he doesn't eat fruit. Ever.) and said it was "okay". Another sigh. He did like the tilapia and rice a lot - just not on a tortilla. I thought they were delicious!! But if you're not into fish tacos, I do recommend the grilled tilapia - it was very moist and had a ton of flavor. The cilantro lime rice is a great side dish for the fish, too.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think!


My little world...

Saturday, June 26, 2010

So here's what happening in my little corner of the world...


We were eating dinner on the deck one night, and this mama duck and her four babies were in the neighbor's yard having their dinner. Too cute!!


Exactly one week later, they were making the trip from one pond to another - walking across the yards. I couldn't believe how much the babies had grown!


This was the night of the bad storm last week. That cloud was soooo nasty-looking! It was like the mothership of clouds hovering over the city - like the alien mothership in "V", LOL.


This colorful little fella spun his web on the deck between the grill and the house. It was a huge web, too! I think he's some type of orb weaver from the look of his web.


And he looked like he had a huge eyeball on his body, LOL. Don't know what happened to him though, because when Gus took the cover off the grill, he didn't see Spidey. Oops.


So. You see these clumps of Japanese Silver Grass? Yeah. Well, we planted them at the same time two years ago. Obviously, they get the same soil, sun, and water, so I'm not sure why one is huge and the other is tiny. Any ideas?

flowers on one of my hostas

campanula

butterfly on the buddeleia

another butterfly on the buddeleia

Have a wonderful weekend!!


Gone with the Kitty at Dusk

Friday, June 25, 2010

I named this look after the two Meow Cosmetics eye shadows I used - Gone with the Kitty and Dusk...


The list of products I used (and links, if available):




Eyes: First, I applied a primer from my lids to under the brow. Then I used Aromaleigh's Terpsichore as a highlighter under the brow down to the crease, and also on the inner corner. I patted Meow's Gone with the Kitty on the lid up to the crease, and also along the lower lashline. I used Meow's Dusk eye shadow for definition in the crease, the outer vee, and also to line the upper and lower lashlines.




Cheeks: Meow's Frisky Feline Chartreux foundation to contour (it's one level darker than my foundation shade); Meow's Masterpiece Blush in Midsummer's Eve on the apples of my cheeks, and LORAC Tantalizer Baked Bronzer to highlight my cheeks, forehead, down the center of my nose, and the tip of my chin.

Lips: I used MAC's lipliner in Whirl and topped that with a Chanel Glossimer lipgloss in Glow.



I love these neutrals for a quick everyday look that goes with whatever I pull out of the closet! What are your favorite eye shadow colors?


Deals!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Just a couple of deals to share...



For DSW Rewards members (it's free to sign-up if you're not already a member):
  • Take $10 off any regular-priced item ($10 and up) with code TAKE10
    (About the $10 off regular price offer: Valid only at dsw.com. Log in as a DSW Rewards member and enter offer code TAKE10 at online checkout to receive $10 off a regularly-priced purchase of $10 or more June 21 - 28, 2010. May be combined with up to two certificates (e.g. Rewards certificates) and not valid with other offers (e.g. 20% off). Excludes Skechers Shape-ups and Reebok Easy Tones. Not valid on gift cards, shipping and taxes, on store purchases or orders, for cash or cash equivalent, or toward previous purchases.)
  • Free shipping on a $35+ order with code SHIPR
**You can combine these two codes if your order total equals $35 or more after the $10 discount is applied**



Receive $5 off all Behr gallon and $20 off all 5 gallon pails by manufacturer mail-in rebate with the purchase of Behr interior and exterior paints and primers, decorative finishes, waterproofers, stains, and cleaners purchased between June 24-July 5.
Details & form here.


Thursday's Blog

I haven't done a Thursday's Blog post for awhile, so it's about time I do!!

This Thursday's blog is Go Fug Yourself.
 
If you haven't seen it - you must go right now. Yes, that's right. Just stop reading my blog and go directly to Go Fug Yourself. Do not pass "Go", do not collect $200.

This blog makes me alternate between giggling with glee at how some stars with bazillions of dollars to buy clothes and shoes can't dress themselves any better than, well, some of the people on the People of Walmart website (This pic of Shannon Doherty will serve as Exhibit A) and drooling over the loveliness and classiness of other stars (This pic of Salma Hayek will serve as Exhibit B).

And seriously - what was Jessica Simpson thinking when she went out in public dressed like this?? From the neck up, she looks adorable. Heck, I'll even go so far as to say from the waist up, she looks adorable. But it's all downhill from there. Yikes.

But I digress.

The pictures are awesome and the writing is hilarious. I usually save all of my GFY reading until the end of the day, when I can kick back, relax, and really enjoy it.

Check it out. Now. Tell me you love it!


Meow Cosmetics IdealEyes swatches, part 2

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Here are the rest of the Meow Cosmetics eye shadow samples that I purchased. If you love purples, I highly recommend "That Cat" - it is sooooo pretty!!






Close-up swatches and descriptions from the Meow website:

That Cat: deep smoke with a sheer plum undertone

Sexy: muted smoky violet (I'm not sure I agree with this description - as you can see, this had a rosy/pink look on me - not smoky violet at all)

Tongue Tied: deep smoky plum

Anti-Social: blue-grey

Dusk: deep espresso with gold

Muddy Paws: deep rich, true purrlized chocolate with subtle metallic bronze shimmer (sorry the pic is blurry!)

Bad Girl: rich hot chocolate brown with copper and gold sheen

Krazy Kat: blue and grey and mysterious...oh my! Metallic undertones, bold depth, and high sparkle add complexity to this unique feliner!

Fornicat: brilliant aqua green/blue with sparkle

I'm alternating between throwing a fit and jumping for joy - I just found another page of eye shadows on the Meow site that I hadn't seen before - don't know how I missed them!! Now I have another list of things to buy!!


Deals!

Monday, June 21, 2010


Take 30% off everything in the whole store. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Valid 6/24/10-6/29/10.




Take an extra 40% off all sale items online and in-store!! Reduction taken at checkout - no code needed.




$15 off $15 with code MSJUNE26; expires 7/1/10
This is a sister site to Chadwicks.com, so I don't know about the quality of the clothing, but for $15 off $15, it might be worth it even for something that just lasts one season. 



 $15 off $15 with code CHFORYOU15;expires 6/24/10




15% off w/code MVCXTRA15 and your Kohl's charge card - valid thru 7/13/10 
10% off w/code NEW1598 - valid thru 7/3/10




40% off regular prices or 10% off sale & clearance prices with code 40summer - valid thru 6/26/10