Not So Tweet

I signed up for twitter a while ago thinking hey I like blogging, I will like tweeting too. This is decidedly not the case. I guess when I find something I want to talk about, I need more than 140 characters to do it. I suppose that puts me in the lazy category although lazy suggests I am being passive about the whole thing when I have made a decision for one medium over another. At this point the account serves as a way to follow a few people. I guess I could tweet that I just blogged… or maybe not. Graphic via

The Battle

I didn’t really like the G.I. Joe cartoon all that much when I was a kid. I was more into Thundercats and She-Ra. But I did manage to take away one piece of advice from the show. Now you can have it on a tshirt. via

ISO Crackers

In my quest to avoid things processed to within an inch of their life and HFCS filled I have been looking into recipes for things like ketchup, yogurt, torillas… you get the picture. Today the promise of an easy cracker recipe on Tastespotting brought me to a great blog with a mouthwatering recipe for Chipotle Tuna Tartare with Sea Asparagus salad. Oh, and a recipe for some quick rosemary crackers. I do not have access to sea asparagus that I know of, nor have I ever heard of it before but I think I may have to search it out. Thanks for the recipe, Elizabeth! I can’t wait to see what is next.

Better Than a Tent

I love this little 8′x8′ shanty on the banks of the New River in the mountains of North Carolina. Jeff and his wife bought a bit of property and after months of tent camping decided to build the a structure that would not require a permit. Sounds familiar. It was months of tent camping that finally drove M&I to build our 10×10. There are no plans to go along with the exterior photos of Jeff’s tiny structure, but somehow they have a toilet, a queen sized bed and a flat screen TV in there. It is solar powered and apparently stays warm enough for them to stay there in the winter. We are still working on insulation for our cabin, so I am not sure we will be able to brave the upstate NY winters but I can tell you that I don’t miss the tent camping at all!

Reaching For The Stars

I have been listening to NPR Talk of the Nation podcasts on the way to and from work. I am a little behind so I just heard today that after 39 years to the day of reminding us to “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars” Casey Kasem retired. I haven’t thought about him or American Top 40 in ages. Sitting by the radio being ready to hit play and record on my boom box just in case it was something I would want to listen to later, the long distance dedications, and waiting to find out who will be #1. Just for kicks here are the top 10 songs from 1988.

1	FAITH	George Michael
2	NEED YOU TONIGHT	INXS
3	GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU	George Harrison
4	NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP	Rick Astley
5	SWEET CHILD O’ MINE	Guns N’ Roses
6	SO EMOTIONAL	Whitney Houston
7	HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH	Belinda Carlisle
8	COULD’VE BEEN	Tiffany
9	HANDS TO HEAVEN	Breathe
10	ROLL WITH IT	Steve Winwood

Beach Bum

There are days (truth be told, days like today) that I wish I could cash in and buy a place at beach. It wouldn’t have to be a big place but right on the ocean would be nice. I could get a job that allowed me to be outside all day, M could get something that would keep him in the shade. The reality is, we will probably not have a beach house. But I suppose that doesn’t mean I can’t have a sandy place next to water to call my own. Sunset has a DIY beach for your backyard. It won’t be the same without the the ocean, but my iPhone has an app to help with that.

Pink and Red

I heart this red cake with pink icing. I have no idea how I feel about a strawberry cake, but the color combination is so happy. M won’t eat red food dye (it tastes funny to him) so I am not sure I could serve this in our home, although the coloring is from jello (yes, I know, not natural) and strawberry juice. I think I need to get a cake stand too. This cake looks all the more adorable perched above the table.

Monsters

I needed a smile today and these monsters were exactly what the doctor ordered. The rain and stress are starting to get to me a little. I am hoping to get back to a more regular schedule of blog posts so hang in there if you are still checking in!

Floating

I love this house by Rodales + Crecente. The way it floats above the ground, the huge expanses of glass, the indoor/outdoor space relationship, the floor to ceiling bookcases as room dividers with the huge pocket door, the bathroom… I love it all.

Hostel Environments

What kind of images come to mind when I say the word hostel? A room crammed with bunk beds, shared showers that require flip-flops, scenes from a recent horror movie by Eli Roth? You may want to give some hostels a second look. Along the lines of the Ace Hotel chain making its way to a city near you, these hostels are way cool with themed rooms, custom furniture, funky details, and your choice of shared or private bathrooms. Next time I am in any one of the cities listed in this article on Budget Travel you can bet I am going to be booking my room at one of these places. If it is good enough for Nathan Fillion it is good enough for me!