Sunny Soulard Saturday.

 i  L-O-V-E  days off.

due to a greatly appreciate act of kindness by my manager at work, i had yesterday off. a full saturday all to myself...no expectations or school work or church picnics or music practices. i could do whatever i wanted to do...

A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G

so...i woke up at 8:15am, ate a bowl of fresh, crunchy granola with vanilla yogurt for breakfast, pulled on a pair of comfy linen pants, tied my not-so-clean hair into a ponytail, summoned my mother & we headed for The Historic Soulard Farmer's Market. 

the markets people-packed corridors welcomed us into their humid holiday weekend rush with open arms. wooden bins over-flowed with fresh produce that smelled of the earth & radiated a vibrant organic rainbow. hundreds of people from all over the world perused the isles. wagons and wheel barrels and strollers and dogs and skateboards clipped at my ankles as they waded through the crowds. on the dirty, damp asphalt rested boxes of lettuce heads & limes & stacks of glowing apples, waiting to be snatched up by an eager shopper.


i sampled sweet blackberries & crisp green beans.
i scaled a flower stand for twenty minutes, convincing myself not to spend my entire (yet small) fold of bills on tall bundles of birch twigs & the florists delightful, radish-red gladioluses.




i picked out a new candle & a bottle of goats milk lotion in a matching scent, and in honor of Memorial Day festivities & new recipes, filled my shopping bag with all kinds of dirt-tucked potatoes.

i also met a kind baker who shared with me a scrumptious sample of her freshly made pumpernickel bread, still warm & perfectly moist... which inevitably resulted in my purchasing a loaf & making an afternoon snack of it along with the to-die-for butter that my mom purchased from a Mennonite meat stand. 

mommy's hands

two hours later, when our wrists were tired from heavy bags & our feet dirty and ready for rest, we decided to get a few sandwiches, share a glass of sprite & head for home...but not before a spunky old, whiskery man playing his guitar & singin' the blues called us his way, enticed a few dollars out of us & charmed my fun-natured mommy into purchasing his CD right then and there!


so, with the windows rolled down, a bouquet of flowers across my lap & a banjo twanging in my ear...
i went home. 

me, sporting my new bracelet from the oh-so-charming Barn Sale that i attended last weekend -- written about here & here -- made by this lovely lady ... isn't it adorable?  

i  l-l-l-l-love  it!

Some Nights...

i hate going to bed alone.

tonight's one of those nights.

Skanky Playlists.

here's the deal...

sometimes i get on iTunes, type in my debit card #
and go wild. today was one of those days & i am thoroughly satisfied with my purchases. 

the thing is, some of you are going to sneer, laugh

& maybe even gag at my song choices.

BUT, i know that you all have a song list of your favorite guilty pleasure tunes that is embarrassing and annoying and raunchy and totally awesome.

so, dear friends, let's all share the hideous
music that we love...

i'll go first. 

my "purchased" folder in
iTunes currently lists:

Whataya Want from Me?  -Adam Lambert

California Girls  -Katy Perry

Kiss Me Thru the Phone  -Soulja Boy

Circus  -Britney Spears

Girlfriend  -Avril Lavigne

Love Like This  -Natasha Bedingfield

I Gotta Feeling  -Black Eyed Peas

With You  -Chris Brown
Halo  -Beyonce

there you have it.

which ones do you hate the most? ...Soulja Boy? Avril? Britney?
yeah, yeah, yeah   :)

Chickpeas. Ew.

i hate chickpeas. 

over the past year or so (while flirting on & off with vegetarianism) have tried and tried and tried them...

and they continually gross me out.

they stink terribly like human, gassy nastiness
when you open a can of them, 

they are gritty & tough when you substitute them
 in chicken salad, & they're bland when cooked (unless thrown into a delightful indian dish).

even-though they are one of those "what's the point" foods in all other areas,  i cannot suggest their extermination because they are the key ingredient of a food that i  L-O-V-E.

hummus. 

it's delightful and a perfect snack and 

versatile and garlicky and lemony and glorious...

and i am becoming a pro at making it, if i do say so myself. 

that is all.




POST EDIT
my sister is teaching me the proper blogging ways.


Hummus Recipe:
1 can (stinky) chickpeas/garbanzo beans -- drained
freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
(approx. 1/3c of lemon juice...or to taste)
1/3c of tahini  (they say tahini is optional, but i like & always use it, therefore i don't know what to substitute for it...
google it!)
1/3c olive oil (may need more if it's too dry/thick after blending)
3-4 crushed cloves of garlic -- or more...loooove garlic! -- shortly warmed on the stove (w/ olive oil) for extra potency


this is the beginning point...using a food processor, blend all ingredients & then, if lemon & garlic don't do it for you, get creative with the flavors!


i always add:
1tsp cayenne pepper -- give or take a little...usually give :)
lots of pepper
a little mrs. dash
some oregano
1/2 can sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers (which adds a little moisture = less olive oil)
sometimes a little more lemon juice
& maybe a little sugar (like...a TINY bit)

blend together to desired consistency --
i like it a little gritty, but some do not.

i usually let it cool in the refrigerator & eat it on warm naan, on triscuits, with baby carrots, or spread onto a veggie sandwich!  Mmmm...


so THAT, my friends, is all.

My Mom.

Dana Elizabeth

  that's her name... 

and during the past two years of my life she has been my closest companion. during a time when much of what i knew about myself & my personal history & where i came from & the places that i called home & my friends & my life was uprooted, my mom has been my safe place. 

she has pretty blue eyes & rosy cheeks, and a spirit that draws anyone and everyone to her. i don't know a single soul that doesn't thoroughly & genuinely enjoy my mother's company.

she is cute and funny and wise. 

she loves her family with the most giving love that i have ever seen. she goes and goes and goes and goes for us. 

she drives and sews and cooks and bakes and shops and reads books and giggles and prays and cries and intercedes and encourages and picks up after and stands by and respects and swings and watches dumb movies and loves and gives and loves and gives. 

she delights in pretty things.

she prides herself in making her home beautiful. her gift for hospitality is one that i have not seen mirrored in anyone else. she has the ability to create space that entices people to relax & open-up...to feel safe. she creates space that emanates the warmth & comfort of our ever-loving & accepting God.

  

she finds pleasure in hard work that results in beautiful things...

gardening, sewing, planting, cooking. 

my mom is tender...she teaches me lessons about & shows me how attractive tenderness is. she is full of buckets of grace for many people that do not deserve a drop of it from her. she stands by her husband & the promises of the Bible no matter what. she is one of the most faithful people i have ever met. 

dear mom, 

thank you for who you are in my life...who you've been and who you will become. you are home to me. on days that i am worn down and weary from life, i look forward to coming home to you. to our sweet smelling home, maybe a cup of hot tea, and to the comfort of my sweet mother. i long to make you proud and to be like you...to be kind and gentle and nurturing like you are. i know that i am difficult at times, but thank you for your constant love of the sometimes not-so-great person that i am. thank you for your acceptance of the person that i desire to become. in your actions you have personified devotion and been a great example of the kind of forgiveness that i am to offer others as a follower of Christ. thank you for the nights you spend watching movies & grey's anatomy with me...thanks for helping me decorate my room...thanks for laying in bed with me late at night, laughing and talking and reading and helping me not feel lonely. thanks for putting up with my crazy, irritating outbursts of complete strangeness and song. thanks for buying me shampoo & naan. thanks for planting pretty flowers in our front yard, so that when i pull into our driveway i get a warm & fuzzy feeling inside that whispers, "this is home." thanks for telling me that you're proud of me, and that you love me, and that you think i am talented. 

mom...i love you, too. 

Happy Mother's Day

These Days...

Here are a few things that i am loving these days...

1.  Denise Andrade; Boho Girl Blog -- it's thought-provoking and artistic and down-to-earth. she lives - and has the guts to document - a beautiful, admirable life.

2.  Psalm 16:5-11

Lord, you have assigned my

portion, and You have made my

lot secure

The boundaries have fallen for me in

pleasant places; Surely i have a 

delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord who counsels

me; Even in the night, my heart

instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before

me.... You have made known to me the

path of life. You will fill me with joy

in Your presence, with eternal

pleasures at Your right hand.

3.  Regina Spektors newest album...Far...she is one of the most creative/interesting artists i have continuously enjoyed in a long time. these songs/music videos of hers are neat: 2 = a little overboard, i know

Laughing With

regina spektor | MySpace Music Videos

4.  Purchasing used books that i have absolutely no use for. there is a tiny used bookstore in the basement of my school's library...its sinfully cheap books & elderly lady staff member who wears terribly cute jumpers & seasoned high heels support my slightly wasteful vice.

5.  And last but not least...photo-shoots & wrestle matches with these varmints (that i am quite fond of). my sparse time spent with these two, their little brother, and my older sister have become my saving grace during the perils of the end of spring semester.

        

       niece & nephew; beck & evie

in other news: 

the weather in STL has been perfect the last few days. these are the days i long for as a cry myself to sleep in the middle of the hot, sticky, completely gross st. louis july. 

More Ink. MY Ink.

by special request of my big sissy

here are my tattoos on an

early, greasy, unshowered morning:

sometimes i forget that my bird exists...

and then a kind customer admires it or i catch a

glance of him in the mirror while getting ready.

they are little,

but i love them both.

Ink.

UH OH.

i have tattoo fever.

what is a girl to do when she has tattoo fever,

artistic juices flowing through her veins, and the world of

tattoo artists and their creations at her fingertips via google?

here are some fantastic pieces

i am finding & L-O-V-I-N-G

these birdie tats are stirring my imagination...

the flock of birds over my shoulder is something

i have been flirting with for years!

(dd this one's for YOU)

this world tattoo is meaningful & charming...

although i don't think i will ever get a foot tat, i love this idea!

this boys sleeves are irresistible.

i would have the biggest crush if i ever saw him walking down a city sidewalk.

i don't think i would ever have the guts or cash flow to get a sleeve...

but if i did they'd be in grey scale & probably have a good amount of text,

just like mr. handsome's :)

i have also been thinking about some scriptural tat ideas...
i like the placement & simplicity

of this girls phrase tattoo:

so, there you have it.

obviously, i am a fan of black & white tattoos...

i love their striking appearance.

plus, color scares me little bit.

who knows if i'll get any of these...

or if i'll even get another tattoo period.

just dreaming.
(my mom is going to kill me)