i (heart) webpages!

after i've checked my email, clicked on the updates for myspace and read my msnbc, i love to peruse the many articles at ivillage.com and marthastewart.com. when i need a little feminine boost of gardening how-to, celebrity gossip, (yes i know, bad) or recipe browsing those are usually my two dependent girly websites. i do recommend them when you are at work and need something to zone out on for a few minutes. there's always something new.

another website that i love? etsy.com has great handmade items for sale by different categories. you can find most anything there. also? my check out my sister's etsy page at vpecc118.etsy.com and buy a skirt or something!

you can stream NPR online for free or click on 'all songs considered' for free concert streams at npr.com

also, here's a great store i wish i could afford: anthropologie. while it's true that they are grossly overpriced, they are easily made and so i could easily steal the designs. for instance, i found a cute halter style apron that i could simply make from an old dress. just cut out the back, seam it up and sew on the ties. easy!

i hope you have fun with those! oh, and happy leap year day!!!

sun and lavender.

spring is beginning to affect me. the warmer weather motivates me to open the windows, pull open the blinds and to remember the smell of budding plants in the breeze. it motivates me to haul out my planting soil, rinse my dormant pots and to nurse baby seedlings.

i've been talking to my friend lacey lately, and she is just the best go-to as far as gardening. she has the most adorable home up in oregon and i just can't wait for the day that i have a little home myself. i have many ideas for flower and vegetable gardens, my two main ideas being lavender and tomato plants. i would love to plant the lavender by windows so the breeze can bring in their scent, and i would love to make homegrown sun-dried tomatoes as a side dish for BBQs and sun tea.

we're going to be moving to a new place in may, so it's about time i started my spring cleaning. always nice to declutter the place and shoo out the old smells of winter. a few weeks ago i bought an eco-friendly multi-purpose cleaner from trader joe's and it works so well. plus, you don't have that harmful chemical smell afterwards. i know clorox has just come out with a line of greenworks natural cleaners that i'm also eager to try out.

cloven footed faun.

so, i've had these shoes for about five years, i think they were actually one of the first heels that i bought. but as i was getting ready for work this morning, i looked down and noticed that my shoes actually reminded me of cow hooves. they kinda do, don't you think? or goat hooves? they even have a stitch down the middle to represent the two toes. i don't know why, but i found my discovery important enough to take a picture and share it with you all. i even brought it to my boss' attention this morning. i don't think he saw any hoofs though.

family tree.

i've always been interested in geneology, but don't think i possess the dedication or patience enough to research my own family tree. thankfully, it is a convenient hobby of my mom's cousin, doris.

from time to time, she sends an emormous email to her mailing list of family members and gives an update on her progress. in her most recent email i learned that i have jewish ancestry, something i have always suspected. my mom's family is dutch, but we're all dark haired with olive skin tones, not the typical fair skinned and blond.

jewish ancestry would also explain why so many men in my mom's family have that distinctive hawk-like nose. mainly, my brother. :)

happy st. valentine's day!

happy creamy-chocolately filled day to you all!
in honor of such a sweet and romantic holiday, here's a recipe from my favorite recipe source, MARTHA STEWART! i haven't tried it yet, but it looks so good. (i know it's not an organic recipe, but at least it doesn't have any fuctose corn syrup or red #40.)



Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling!

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup cherry jam, strained

directions:
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse pecans, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.
Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

friends.

here are a few pictures that i took when we went to visit paul and jenn in arizona this last weekend. enjoy!

unwrapping the person beneath.

this week i got a big mental slap in the face from myself. i'm not living the way i feel i should and i'm getting pretty tired of it. my biggest problem? food. i love food, but it's not always good (for me) food. candy, burritos, chips, chinese food. my aim is more organic foods, more vegtetables and drinking more water. my favorite new foods include: organic tuna sandwiches with low fat crackers! dried mango slices! and organic herb salad with organic red wine and olive oil dressing! soooo good!

oh, and my embarrasing tidbit of the day? at work with my co-workers i was deciding which piece of candy to eat, a lifesaver mint or a fruity candy cane with winnie the pooh wrapper. so i voiced my decision saying... "i'll eat pooh."

nice going jenn. there's another reason to not eat candy.