kandeland

foul mouth

I did two things to myself today that pissed me off a bit.

1. Wore a beat up bra to the gym and ran 4 miles with the broken exposed underwire ripping into my skin. Dumb move. When I got in the shower and soap and water ran over the fluorescent pink gouge I adopted language I didn't even know was in my vocabulary.

2. At work I had a small bowl of tomatoes and pasta that my guest nutritionist cooked in class for my students, and bit down full-throttle on a rock-hard caraway seed that shot pain from the center of my tooth up to the top of my head, which felt equivalent to taking a hard chomp into a triple-thick safety pin. Oh, the words that went through my mind....

SO since it's been that kind of day, I don't mind sharing with you a favorite site of mine, combining two of my favorite guilty pleasures- the art of yummy food, and the stress-relieving power of nasty language: the genius of Thug Kitchen . How Sandy and I didn't come up with this concept is still beyond me, but whatever.

This week I tried two of the drink recipes I found there.

A soul-soothing Grapefruit-Strawberry Margarita:

(I know it's the wrong glass, thank you)

And a heavenly Spinach Cooler. Mixing some of my favorite flavor combos in the blender- like pineapple, cucumber, spinach and coconut water...

Both delightful and perhaps moreso for the added profanity. Because some of  my days just call for that.

seriously? this stuff is too good...

Let me start with the this- putting two guilty pleasures together as one and making it way better than it even sounds: Chocolate Red Wine. Are we kidding here? I don't even have much interest in chocolate, but I was turned on to this nonetheless. So if you DO love chocolate, you're gonna love this.

And if you're a beer drinker, just go for Young's instead...

Another thing I loved that I found this week was this:

World's most adorable cupcake box. Downloadable from Claudine Hellmuth . How awesome is this?

And I can't NOT mention awesomeness and fail to mention how much I loved this book:

I nearly fainted when David Sedaris came out with another book, and nearly called in sick to work just to read it in a single sitting. A must have, as all of his books.

That's all I've got people. A few good simple things that can make a day better.

Cinco de Mayo

Sunday was an awesome day to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! The weather was gorgeous- mid-70's and sunny. Sandy came down in the morning and we spent the whole day relaxing. We had a fun swap out on the back patio...

The theme was sort of a Memories of Mexico/Spring theme. Look at all these goodies Sandy gave me...

And these are the things I gave her....

I was glad Sandy suggested the swap because I haven't made anything in so long! It inspired me to make this little spring nest from a broken pot in my garden...

and also use this favorite vintage Buffalo photo I've been saving ...

After getting some quick lunch we hit the outdoor antique market...

It was full of good stuff and Sandy bought a bunch of fun things.

I was just happy to be walking around in the sun...

...and anticipating our dinner and margaritas here...

(image via buffalorising.com)

After relaxing over dinner and drinks we swung by the beach to collect beach wood for painting, which we worked on back at the house.

A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

cinco and sandy!

Yay for the weekend! Sandy will be coming to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with me for the second year!

(Cinco de Mayo 2012)

We're planning on doing some antiquing, then off to drink Margaritas and join the Cinco festivities. We are also doing a Spring/Mexican swap to relive our recent trip to Cancun.

(Cancun 2013)

These senoritas will be having fun...Hope you will be too!

what my ordinary looks like

This past week was nothing out of the ordinary really. Although...

- I tried this fruit that I never had before. Known in Thailand as Lam Yai. Like a mix between a grape and something else. Not quite sure what. Maybe a little squishy alien baby. But it was good. And then I took this photo from Google to show you. Sorry Ian.

-I tried to pay for drinks in a bar with a mini pad. Yes, a sanitary napkin. And this isn't the first time in the last month that I did this. Pretty sure it's time to stop putting them next to my cash...

-Food dropped out of my mouth onto my lap while eating. For no particular reason. Except maybe because it was dry and chewy sushi and I think I had my mouth open while gnawing on it, because it was so dry and chewy.

-I had a very vivid dream about how good mango was. And even though I'm not a huge fan of mango, I felt compelled to buy one.

-I had to break up an intensely-escalating argument in my classroom and write up and send home a student for the first time. (I teach adults.)

-I had a very private conversation with a friend while sitting approximately 8 inches from a very old man who I'm pretty sure listened very closely and/or recorded our conversation on his iPhone.

-I recently had a guy tell me that he "wasn't going to play second fiddle" to someone else, and I felt like I had never really heard that saying. Especially in a semi-southern accent. But then I just realized I have a song by that name right in my playlist.

-I realized I should definitely NOT keep my freezer packed with Seagram's Escapes Frozen Drinks.

more boat-floating...

some more things I'm liking at the moment...

the incredible work of Orly Avineri of course....

(found here )

this print by Clare Elsaesser, that I am going to order if I don't win it!...

(enter to win one of her prints here )

all these inspiring words over on the fabulous Justina Blakeney's pinterest...

(found here )

(found here )

(found here )

(found here )

(found here )

(found here )

Also floating my boat:

-happy hour(s) in the sun on city street patios with friends (and having the best mom who will babysit during this time!)

-having a job where workshops are actually fun

-seeing those plants in my backyard coming up like crazy

-the girl who works at Chipotle who always remembers Scarlet's stuffed animals names and makes her day

-the song "Alice" by Moby when I'm driving in the sun with the sunroof open

-seeing the beach being groomed for the summmer!!!

what's floating your boat?

floating my boat right now

still NOT feelin' it when it comes to being inspired lately...

but I am liking these findings:

this room because there's some really cool stuff happening here...

(found here )

this crazy cool embroidery by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer...

(found here )

the thought of planting a bunch of succulent plants, especially colorful ones like these...

(found here)

the paper art and awesome use of inks by Kasia Krzyminska...

(found here )

crowded wall chaos always makes me happy....

(found here)

and this sure floats my boat...

(found here)

happy weekend...

trying desperately

Hello friends...how have you all been? Where have I been?

Well I've been having lots of fun. But I must tell you- as far as art, blogging, and pretty much anything creative goes, I've been super uninspired! Since getting back from Mexico, the only thing inspiring to me is party-mode fun. I've been having a very fulfilling social life I'm happy to say, but on the flip-side of that I have been completely bored to death by everything else!

SO my creative motto is going to have to be "fake it til you make it" for now. I've just wanted summer to come so badly, to get outside more and go places, and meet people and see new things. But I'm trying to keep my creative-side alive, I really am. It's just been tough for me to stay still, let alone stay home and make anything.

I have been trying to find some sources of inspiration this week though. Here's a few things that at least got me started....

Checking out the abstract painting class online with Robert Joyner over at Strathmore Artist Studios ...

Having fun with painting on canvas a bit after reading this new book...

And here's a great Flora Bowley video that's so inspiring that I first saw over on Alisa's blog ...

 

Flora Bowley * Brave Intuitive Painting from Zipporah on Vimeo.

 

And visually this incredible room made me perk up and think my inspired days weren't yet over...

(found here )

As well as this one...

(found here )

Also planning on attending this event next weekend, which will be full of creativity in a party-like atmosphere...

I'm also joining another flickr 365 day photo group this week, which I hope will trigger the old love of seeing daily life through the camera lens.

If there's something inspiring happening that you'd suggest, please fill me in! Hopefully I will be back soon with something tangible to show for my efforts...

certified hedonist

So I'm thinking Cancun was pretty much created with me in mind.

Dancing and Drinking. Beautiful Beaches and Boys. Basically all I require for a blissful time.

Of course it was great fun having one of my favorite people to experience everything with! Sandy and I worked the fun factor like it was our job!

Beautiful pools and ocean all day....

Frozen tropical drinks being pressed into my greedy hand from every direction...

And oh! Did I mention my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET?! The SWIM UP BAR!

Let me tell you, the swim up bar ranks up there with the invention of anesthesia and the internet for most important inventions ever in my book. Words do not express my love of the swim up bar!

And Sandy was a true gem of a friend when I disappeared one afternoon ("be right back Sandy, I'm running to the bathroom!") and the swim up bar sucked me in for 4 hours! She walked by and snapped a shot of me with my new friends when we got out to head to a game of pool volleyball....

And also kept an eye on me when I insisted on doing some nighttime swimming with some new friends....

So getting back to the beaches and pools....blissful!

And by night....

Happy Happy Times!!

Oh Cancun, how I love you and all your fabulous crazy fun...

back from paradise

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Cancun was basically the best time I ever had. Ever. Those days there surpassed my expectations, and I'm clearly going to need to cry for a few days as I go through withdrawl.

Because I'm no longer here:

or here...

or here...

...nope, not here either...

nor here...

(insert sigh)...

not looking at this...

or standing here...

So when I'm done coming out of my withdrawl and slooooow mental return to reality I will fill you in more on my trip to heaven...