A Little Cat Fur Never Hurt the Meringue

How to throw a [pw] party!

2012-02-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

1. Pick a ~~construction site~~ raw space.

2. Make a pinterest board, brainstorm for weeks with your two amazing co-workers, party planning partners.

3. Don't forget you also need a caterer, bartender, photographer, electricity, exit signs and of course a trip to Home Depot.

4. And maybe some mimosas to get the real creative juices going.

5. T minus 48 hours until the event.

6. Freak out when the power goes out 1.5 hours before the event starts and none of us are dressed for the party yet. Obviously, there was no time for photos at that point. And thanks, D, for keeping us in line and assuring us we'd get it together.

7. Let said hired photographer, who was awesome, take care of the rest of the documentation (all photos below are Nate Fried-Lipski).

[A little Perkins+Will love in the entry.]

[Love my BSU team!]

[Love our Managing Director!]

[View into South Station terminal from the space. So cool!]

[Found time for my sweet fiance, the only guest who arrived on time.]

[Dancing without shoes. You need to sign a waiver for that, please.]

[Amazing co-worker friends!]

It was totally worth all the work put into this event. We were asked several times what event planning company put it together, so if I ever quit my job, you know where I'm heading. Yay! Happy Office Holiday party!

Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night. Marian Wright Edelman

Dogger got a leash!

2011-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

... and he attached it to me!

We have officially been engaged for 9 days. I am so grateful for how lucky we are to have each other and that this feels like perfect timing -- maybe because when you know, any time feels perfect. Okay, okay, enough cheese.

Last Sunday I had given up on him asking that weekend, since it was around 10pm at night. I was buying our bus tickets to NYC for a long weekend vacay and he pretty much just asked in the middle of our office. It sounds very boring, but in reality was not boring at all. I was a lot more emotional than I expected to be so was glad it happened in private.

Stella was our only witness and she is happy to no longer be a bastard kitty.

After I dried my eyes and changed out of pajamas, we headed to a bar down the street for drinks to celebrate and kept the secret to ourselves until the next day. It was so fun being the only two who knew for a bit, but telling people (especially our parents) was very fun the following day.

I kept this secret through the entire week from Ashley, Sarah B and Brit! Whhaaaat? It was hard, but soooo worth it. We also waited to tell Andy's sister in NYC. It was so fun telling people in person and having a craZZZZy weekend with friends. That is another blog post in itself.

In the words of Uncle Otis when he found out we were engaged:

As for getting married, make it for the long run. As to the type of wedding, well, that's up to you.

Cheers to enjoying this time and not stressing about planning a wedding, because really it's about getting married! I am so happy to be engaged to the best guy for me!

Oh, did you want to see the ring? I will take some credit for the design of it, but it was a collaboration with us and obviously the jeweler, who I would recommend.

Nostalgia, working hard and playing hard

2011-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling nostalgic for S. Korea. Please watch Sam Stein's video if you need a glimpse into how freaking amazing Seoul is. I am planning my trip back, alongside a list of many future vacations. But back to my real life instead of my dream life . . .

That same nostalgic feeling is reminding me to live in the moment and be content where I am, which I am. I am more than content; I'm happy and moving forward and working hard and playing hard. I might be slacking on the blog, but life still goes on whether it's documented on blogger or not.

Recently I completed a competition entry with a co-worker for Perkins+Will's annual DLF (internal) competition. The program was a K-12 school in Detroit designed through the lens of health. The brief pushed several components, such as community engagement and access to healthy food. Quite a loaded site and quite a loaded program in the midst of childhood obesity and food deserts. Here are some images from our board.

I've certainly pulled my share of all-nighters but turning in our entry as every one else was coming to work Monday morning stuck with me all week. It's a little harder to recover from most recent all-nighter when you still have to work a regular week, no time for sleeping in the next day. Instead of a restful weekend, a weekend of crazy with the PW girls seemed like a better remedy.

It looked a little like this.

"When people go to work, they shouldn't have to leave their hearts at home.”

Betty Bender

NE weekends with KY friends

2011-08-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Summer in New England is not a place you want to take a vacation from, but rather a place you want to take a vacation to, at least in my opinion. I'm saving vacation time for winter when I'm tired of snow shoveling. Instead, I am enjoying others coming here or visiting others who live in the area.

As mentioned in my blog possibly several times, Sarah and Jay moved to NYC. Andy and I visited them as well as Andy's sister, Catherine, a couple weeks ago. We got in late on a Friday and sat in Kitty's living room that provided this view:

Since I have spent so little time in New York, I enjoyed our quick but thorough tour of the city. After some delicious bagels we headed for the high line, as every good architect should.

Sarah's co-worker invited us to jazz and delicious food at Matisse, which was amazing. Of course I had to order the mussels -- some of the best I've had!

Not only am I lucky enough to live to close to Sarah and Jay, I also was able to visit with Sarah and Rosendo and Baby Merci this past weekend in Buzzards Bay.

I'm not sure if it felt better waking up to the water or to Mercedes ...

Actually, I am certain this sweet face was the best part of the weekend. Is this what happens when you have kids? She isn't even mine and I have 500 photos of her from just one day!

My Dad is coming for Labor Day and I couldn't be more excited. Summer is flying by, but at least it's been filled with amazing friends and beautiful places!

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
Sam Keen

Here and There ... and is it August already?

2011-08-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am lost in blogging world and have so many things to catch up on. Here are a few things to bring the blog up to the present.

1. Happy [very late] Birthday, Kitty!

Several weeks (months?) ago Kitty was in town for a birthday dinner. Pete and Jeanne took us all to Les Zygomates, which is amazing by the way. Pete and Jeanne somehow always find amazing places to eat - whether they are cheap, unsuspecting or expensive and unusual, almost all of the best places I have eaten in the last few years have been with the Zimmermanns.

2. Happy BIRTH-day Mercedes Usandizaga!

Sarah and Rosendo had Mercedes on June 15th and I got to see her (and hold her! Eeee!) when I visited Louisville for Sarah and Jay's wedding. She is such a beautiful baby and I love watching her grow via photographs from far away. I am so anxious to see her again ... and of course miss her Mom so much, as always.

3. We have been cooking and grilling like crazzzzzzy.

Here was zucchini and tomatoes from the garden on top of rice served with delicious fish (originally frozen and from Trader Joe's - everything can't be so fresh)

4. I love this New England summer (and mostly the beach)!

Andy and I have already been to Block Island, Narragansett, the North Shore beaches, and the Cape. And we spent the 4th of July on the Charles River. That just happened to be our 4th Fourth of July together ... and the best one so far.

5. Architectural Discussion!

Most recently Andy and I visited the Cape with several grad school friends. Tammy came into town all the way from St. Louis and several others came from all around the NE.

Frombo and Ellie hosted us in Eastham and were fabulous hosts. I can't pick my favorite part. There were five of us Helsinki - folks and in true Finnish style, we took advantage of the sauna in their basement.

There was some Apples to Apples,

A full day at the beach - how is everyone's sunburn?

A bonfire - along with a classic game of celebrity.

Lindsay made a vegetable terrene. Mmm. Stop blushing when I say you're an amazing cook - you just are and you need to accept it.

Grilled clams .... yum.

And of course, lobster!

To sum up my life recently, it has been revolving around food - fresh, delicious, often sea- food.

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Dr + Mrs Jay Burton

2011-07-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends, Sarah, married one of the best men on earth, Jay, on July 8th, 2011.

There we are at the rehearsal dinner.

Todd Pellowe photographed their wedding - and did a much better job than me, of course. You can read his post and see the slideshow here.

The weekend was nostalgic for many reasons. Sarah's brother, Ben, was recently killed in a car accident. I am amazed at her families strength and the presence of Ben's memory at her wedding.

Shook summed things up pretty well on her blog. Time does fly, right? I can't believe there were years where we spent every weekend together. Ok, let's be honest ... we spent EVERY DAY together in college. There was Sunday Funday, $1 beer Mondays, Margarita Tuesdays ... but that isn't what kept our friendships tight. It was the first half-marathon ran together, the post-break up nights not spent alone, the lessons learned and ability to forgive... and we have many many more things to add to that list as time continues to go by.

Congratulations, Sarah + Jay.
You two are amazing and I am so excited for your marriage. Thank you for having me as a part of the big day. It was, most of all, full of love.

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. Michael Leunig

Bricks

2011-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Remember this? I know, it's been a while since I blogged. Let's have a recap, - one last time - of this backyard reno.

This is what the yard looked like in February, after the snow melted. Check out the bathtub half.

This would be a really nice area for a patio. So, we got on that.

Bricks are expensive when you need 400 of them. We collaborated as neighbors and convinced our landlord to pay for $350 of the patio materials. We went a little over budget, but managed to find used bricks for 15 cents (Thanks, Devin). I love the way they look and think we can feel good about the fact we saved them from a landfill.

Andy, his father, Pete, and our friend, Adam, were hard at work while I was away for a wedding. I came back and the patio was almost finished.

Can you believe how amazing it looks now?

I am excited we don't have to go to Home Depot anymore to compare prices and see how many bags of sand fit in the back of our car. But I'm more excited that we have a beautiful, useable space to share with our amazing neighbors.

"Friends are flowers in life's garden."

Who wants to come over tonight?

Taste of Summer

2011-06-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am savoring every bit of my first New England summer.

This weekend we finally put Andy's new grill to work and enjoyed the fruits of our labor in the yard.

This was the second evening we have spent with our neighbors in the last few days and it was so nice. (Hopefully everyone has less of a hangover tomorrow than they had on Friday. Oops.)

Yep, we grew grass! Devin is mostly responsible for its success, but all of us contributed in watering and wishful thinking.

The meat on the grill speaks for itself, but you can't have a successful cook-out without some delicious sides.

I joke about the back and forth of the weather (Is summer really here yet?), but this summer really has started nicely. This was the first of many, many summer Sunday evenings by the grill.

Grilling is not just about lighting a fire.
Bobby Flay

Happy Fathers Day, Dad

2011-06-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I first posted this here, but it deserved a re-post on the current blog. Love you, Dad!

I LOVE:

1) Father & Daughter camping trips EVERY year when I was younger to the Spring River

2) Paying me $10.00 to paint planters for the FedEx/St Jude golf tournament... I would still take $10 to do this, but back then it seems like millions of dollars to do something I would have gladly done for free!

3) Letting Whitney and I paint your toe nails blue on Cape Cod when we were little

4) Always being supportive of me even when I am doing crazy stuff like moving to Hawai'i or Finland or California or Korea...

5) Being hard-working and teaching me to be that way too :)

6) Always being the best dance partner at weddings and events!

7) Teaching me lots of cool stuff and helping me decide to go into architecture - sometimes I may not thank you for this, hehe, but actually I am grateful because I have found something I really love and inherited some of your talents that have helped me do it!

8) Always telling me how much you love me

I love my father as the stars - he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart.
Terri Guillemets

Illin

2011-06-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

Emily still isn't sure what illin meeans. I like to think I understand it, but I'm sure I don't. However, I do know when Neil and Emily visited last weekend, we illed.

It was especially fun for me to do a little tourist-ing since I am still pretty new to Boston. The Barking Crap really is all it's cracked up to be.

Have you ever had steamers? Mmm Mmmm.

Then, we headed to the American Craft Beer Festival (probably the only reason Neil came to visit).

Some of us got tattoos.

We tried bacon beer. Eww.

Walshy met us, too ...

Some of us had a few more of those little beer cups than others.

I am certain several hilarious things were said throughout the weekend, but my favorite quote came from Neil while eating steamers, lobsters, and clams at The Barking Crab:

"This just isn't fair to other food."

Thanks for visiting, Emily and Neil! Come back again soon.

Welcome, June!

2011-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of time outside recently, but this past weekend was the first sunny, HOT, amazing weekend. Woohoo. Summer came to Boston!

Guess who else came to Boston?

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast on Monday morning, beers all afternoon outside in Davis Square with Chin Chin, and a delicious dinner in Harvard Square with Chin Chin, Leo, Andy, and Liz. We didn't take enough pictures, as usual.

After work on Tuesday, June met me downtown for skinny girl margs and tacos. Yum. The company was even better than the food. It was so nice spending time catching up on life with such a close, sweet friend.

Stella is less excited about summer. This little guy took her place in her favorite window.

Instead she just lays around ... which really is no different than any other season.

However, she is sporting a bright pink manicure just in case she gets to take a trip to the beach.

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
Henry James

Pie

2011-05-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of time typically passes between experiences of James inspiration in my life. I still can't believe we didn't go through DP together, especially after reading this. I am lucky to know exactly what he is talking about in every reference. I'll quote:

A Masters degree in architecture or urban design doesn't give you bartering power to justify your concept. It’s an accredited, objective, requirement to becoming an architect.

We can look back to Givens for support and inspiration but we cannot think of our experiences here as the most creative opportunities of our lives.

By definition practice and academia must be separate. They are dissimilar but one cannot exist without the other. But it becomes a problem when the real and ideal plot different trajectories.
(CCB, James Morgan)

I wrote my previous boss an email about my recently accepted position at Perkins + Will in Boston and I found myself naturally thanking him for his influence in my pursuit of architecture because "It is the right place for me". Wow, that felt pretty awesome.

I am lucky to have had so much support from friends and family and Andy during the bad-mood / questioning myself days of the search. I am proud to work at Perkins + Will and already know I have awesome co-workers. Lots to learn, lots of work to do (and some fun, too!) and really excited about all of it!

Growing Garden

2011-05-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Lots of things have been going on around here lately -- a new job for me (!!!), lots of delicious food around Somerville as well as in our own kitchen, etc -- but this post will focus on the garden.

Abbie and I got busy in the front yard to get various flowers and veggies into the beds.

Travel back in time about 4 weeks and remember what this looked like then.

We are excited to watch these grow!

Devin and Andy tackled the back yard ... still a work in progress, but they deserve a shout out. This has not been an easy job! The backyard has basically been a landfill for ... a really long time. Needless to say, it has been quite a job for the boys. It's paying off!

First, let's just take a look at a "before" pic.

And now - with grass seed and a raised bed full of veggies.

Now, if we could just get the weather to understand that IT'S SUMMER!

Then followed that beautiful season - summer.
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Healthy Pizza?

2011-05-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I finally found a new weekly staple to add to our dinner mix:
Whole wheat tortilla pizza.
I modified a recipe from a South Beach Diet cookbook I have.

We cooked a couple slices of bacon just to make sure our hair is staying shiny, then used the same pan for sauteed cherry tomatoes and onions. I covered the tortillas with a little red-fat pesto and then each pizza was a different combo.

1. pesto, mozzarella, bacon
2. pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, arugula
3. olive oil, mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, bacon, arugula
4. olive oil, feta, tomatoes, onions, arugula

This recipe is awesome because you can combine whatever ingredients you happen to have on the tortilla and make something delicious. I do live with an Italian, so cheese and tomatoes are something we are rarely short on. I love arugula, so that might have to also become a weekly staple.

We recently made this Chicken & Edamame Stri-Fry. I didn't take a picture. It is a weight watchers recipe and was VERY good. Great flavor and the edamamers (that is what we call them here) make it feel hearty. I think you could do shrimp instead of chicken. Oh, and I didn't know what Oyster Sauce was (aka didn't feel like looking for it at the grocery) and substituted Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce. Andy said it is very different from Oyster Sauce. It worked and I suggest it, though.

The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness
of the human race than the discovery of a star.
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

7 cubic yards

2011-05-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen 7 cubic yards of dirt? Jules, Devin, Abbie, Andy and I learned on Saturday afternoon that it's quite large. This is how it went down.

What a fun and rewarding day! Murphy Florist even loaned us some very helpful buckets for dirt transportation and several neighbors passing by offered words of encouragement as the pile slowly shrunk.

We'll rely on street sweeping to clean up the rest of that.

I have no idea what I expected to happen when we received our urban dirt delivery, but a street parking spot worked just fine. My dirt shoveling arms are very sore, but this team/neighbor accomplishment means our beds are ready for the plants phase next weekend!

Do you love the brick detail? I do!

All of those babies will be planted along with more established plants we are getting from a local CSA.

The boys worked hard getting weed removal started in the back and put together another raised bed.

The backyard is still a work in progress and I think we have a little extra dirt for top soil.

"The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done something for the good of the world."
Vita Sackville-West

YES 2.0

2011-05-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

Our graduating class (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011) is hosting a Year End Show sponsored by Washington University. If you live in STL you should go. Unfortunately, the only thing that will represent me is a 3 ft X 8 ft paper of images from the past 4 years. I am not going to lie, my favorite part about putting together this board was looking through all my pictures from our first year of graduate school, abroad semesters, and our final year of craziness. Here are a few favorites:

My very first final review in 317.

419 studio at the Getty Museum in LA.

One of my very favorite photos - in Helsinki, Vaclav, me, Cassie

Another fav on Utö.

Hilarious.

Bird's Nest in Beijing.

Busan, the Miami of S. Korea

Exploring Beijing with someone very important that I met in grad school.

The infamous accidental Wednesday night.

Pretty perfect idea for degree project semester, Legos.

I miss y'all and am so lucky to have such amazing relationships, personal and professional, post-grad school. Happy Year End Show! Congratulations to all!

"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines."
Frank Lloyd Wright

Garden - Phase I

2011-05-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Cooking and gardening are currently our two spring priorities. These two things go very well together and are complimented nicely when you have amazing neighbors to share it with. Our weekend included a major yard detox, root excavation and brick collecting (which is on-going).

Green thumb update: My seeds are sprouting! I saw them poke through the soil on Saturday night and I had no idea it would be so exciting. You can see below the beginning of catnip and artichokes.

We have high expectations for the use of our backyard when its complete and of the amazing grilling dinner parties we will be having. In the meantime, we have been fanning our smoke detectors (that inconveniently beep while we are cooking) and braving new dishes.

~~Sometimes~~ Everyday I crave tart yogurt with gummie bears. Berry Line has the best!

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."
Voltaire

Zero

2011-04-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I have to throw a serious post in the mix. This is one prompted by last night's lecture at the GSD. Toyo Ito lectured as part of the Age of Innocence series at Harvard. He is a Japanese architect (for my non-architecture friends) who has been on the forefront of contemporary design. Much of his work looks similar to other work being done, but he has been the first to do it. My favorite project of his is actually the Taipei World Trade Center Plaza, completed this year.

(image from here.)

What was interesting about his lecture was that he really spoke about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the architects' reaction and potential role in its recovery. I am not sure if his translations adequately describe what he was saying in Japanese, but here are his main points about how architecture relates to people - which in turn is related to this recovery.

Architecture is to free people from the constraints of society.
This is perhaps oddly translated, but I think he means that a space can provide somewhere for refuge. He had so many amazing images of people helping each other post-disaster with smiles on their faces. Everyone becomes cheerful when they are reduced to zero, he said. Not that there is anything cheerful about what happened in Japan, but the fact that everyone, no matter their place in life, finds themselves next to someone they don't know, struggling through this same tragedy together. The only thing they have is each other. He had a truly hilarious but also amazing image of two grown men bathing in a make-shift bathtub heated by a camp fire among all the rubbish.

Architecture is to provide a place for people to gather.
This is more true than anything else, in my opinion, and has been confirmed to Toyo Ito when he has visited some of these informal shelters for those who have lost their homes. His main objective as an architect is to think about this in his future work as the primary goal, to create spaces for communal meals and social space for all types of people.

(photo from here.)

I can relate only to the fact that I experienced such a strong sense of community when I lived in Seoul and visited China. I am certain this way of life in Asian culture is one of the main reasons they will recover from this horrible tragedy, although it is much easier said than done.

Spring is coming?

2011-04-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Alright, funemployment isn't really so fun anymore. C'mon job offers ...

I can say with complete certainty that I do not like being a stay at home ~~wife~~ girlfriend. The apartment is just as messy as before, Andy still does the dishes instead of me, and Stella, no matter how cute she is and obsessed with her I am, gets pretty damn annoying when you have to hang out with her 24 / 7. Thank god she can't go the gym with me because it's my only escape.

On my way home from the gym today, however, I picked up some supplies at our local hardware store. This is what I did with them:

Look! Artichoke seeds!

My neighbors have already started their seeds - peppers, tomatoes, various herbs - and I need to make my contribution and get my part of the garden started. I have no idea what I am doing, but here goes! So far I have cat nip (Thanks to Jeanne!), artichokes, and peppers. Of course I get home and read that artichokes take up a lot of space, so they may not be able to be used, but we'll try. We have limited area that gets sufficient light. Regardless, I am excited to have a project to work on, especially since Spring seems to be peeking through the cold.

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer.
Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Gardening Inspiration

2011-04-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is the current situation in our backyard:

A little inspiration:

+ some newly friended neighbors and hopefully we can pull something together. Any suggestions?

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.
Lou Erickson

Kitten Love

2011-04-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Is there a pattern here? This cat is L A Z Y.

But she is also very cute. And sweet, most of the time. Lately, I have been rather obsessed with her and her very soft paws and silly meows. Maybe it is because I am home too much and have nothing else to obsess over (besides getting a job, of course). She loves the attention - Duh.

Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.
Anonymous

Dream Apartment

2011-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

I have recently been telling everyone how much I love our apartment and truly feeling that way. Ask Andy - pretty much every night I tell him how much I love our living room rug. (Is that because I really love it or because I have to make up for the fact that I found it in the sale bin at Ikea right before checking out and then had to go back and change everything else we had already picked out to match the rug? Hehe.)

However, Love and Other Drugs has sparked a little dream in my mind of living in Anne Hathaway's apartment from the movie.

Please tell me if you have ever seen a real-life apartment with a clawfoot bathtub in the living room?

It is so romantic. Unfinished but intentional. I LOVE IT.

I also love how messy it really is without seeming like it should be any different. I think that is how I want to live . . . or maybe how I already live. Andy, you put up with a lot.

Boring women have impeccable houses.
unknown

Cake for Breakfast

2011-04-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did eat birthday cake for breakfast today. I wanted my weekend to be just a little longer because it was wonderful.

Saturday morning I was surprised by flowers, a collaborative effort between Andy and my Mom... And with McDonald's Bacon + Egg + Cheese biscuit breakfast. Don't judge me. You know that sounds like an amazing treat on your birthday.

Then we headed to Rhode Island for a night on the town with some of Andy's family and my friends. Thanks, Jed and Megan, for hosting us and planning our big night out at Ri Ra. I don't want to be too cheesy on the blog, but Megan, you are seriously awesome. You make me feel like I have lived here for years.

There might have been some of this, too. It's what I get for asking for girly shots. In Jodi's words: Ew. I'm sorry but it's really bad. Sorry, girl. You're right, though . . . sat a little heavy on top of that [delicious] Whoopie Pie I ate earlier.

Sunday (actual birthday) started with a giant mimosa at brunch. Delicious!

We headed back to Boston, enjoyed some amazing weather around our neighborhood and had a delicious salmon salad dinner. I'll share the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Couldn't forget some Devil's Food Cake with Marshmallow icing...

"Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake."
unknown

Salmon + Salad Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb. Salmon Filet
Lettuce greens (I used a spring mix and some fresh spinach.)
4-5 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
3 T. capers
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T. olive oil
2 T fresh dill
salt and pepper (I left out the salt because the capers are salty.)

Bake Salmon in baking dish at 350° for 20-30 minutes (give or take?). We put a little oil and dill on the salmon before baking.
In a large mixing bowl, add lettuce, celery, onion and capers.

Dressing
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, dill, and a little caper juice.
Mix into salad. Serve with Salmon on top of salad.

Welcome Y'all

2011-04-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Finally, our apartment is in enough order for viewing. We did have a house guest a few weeks ago in the midst of getting settled. She was a trooper in our semi-disorganized home, sleeping on a blow-up mattress that deflated as she slept each night next to our dining room table. (Please, don't let that deter you from visiting us. We will get a new mattress for you, I promise!)

Floor Plan. There are a lot of doors in our apartment. Eleven of them to be exact. (Mom, click the image to enlarge.)

Living Room:

Stella is quite pleased that we bought an upholstered ottoman for her daily lounging:

Kitchen:

Spare Room, nothing much to show, but clearly offering a very good view:

Bedroom:

Amazing Closet:

I love this quote because I can relate to it so well. I do love living in old, quirky buildings, though.

“I have a switch in my apartment that doesn't do anything. Every once in a while I turn it on and off. On and off. On and off. One day I got a call from a woman in France who said "Cut it out!"”
Stephen Wright

DeVotchKa

2011-03-28T05:35:00.001-07:00

DeVotchKa used to be on my regular list of great music. Post-Saturday night, the band has, amazingly enough - if you know me at all - made their way up to the top with Wilco and Ray Lamontagne, who have resided there for several years at no contest. DeVotchKa has been one of Andy's favorite bands ever since he saw them in San Francisco and he had me listening to them pretty soon after we met. We bought tickets to their show at the Paradise in Allston and got excited because we have seen so few shows together.

I don't even know where to start with why I love this band.

1. Amazing vocals / lyrics.
2. Phenomenal Violinist / Accordionist.
3. And the girl. . .

I love a girl who plays the guitar, a girl who sings, but Jeanie Schroder plays the cello, the tuba, and the flute. I'm ~~jealous~~ blown away.

Mariachi El Bronx opened for them - very fun. Nick even brought them back out to play mid-show. All those violins and trumpets!

Have a listen. See why I love their unique, indie, mariachi, rock sound.

The Clockwise Witness
It don't look right
In broad day light
It don't feel right
To me
If you win the rat race
If you come in first place
Then a rat is all you will be

How long will this take?
How long must I wait?
My heart is sinking
What were we thinking?
I can't fake this anymore

In this moment
Of atonement
Can you ever forgive me?
Is there something hovering?
It seems to be governing
Everything once dear to me.

Thanks, bug, for an awesome birthday present to this show. It was better than I ever expected. And now I am hooked on DeVotchKa - who is actually from Denver. Denver friends, check them out. They still play a lot in Colorado.

Without music life would be a mistake.
F. Nietzsche

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH G!

2011-03-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH G! I wish we could celebrate - 90s Party anyone? I hope it has been a really wonderful day. You are such an amazing friend. I can't believe I forgot to mention your birthday when we talked yesterday. I really wanted this year to be the year I had a card in the mail on time - but, guess what? The card is still in my purse. So excited to see you & Ava this summer!

“Very early, I knew that the only object in life was to grow.”
Margaret Fuller quotes

cheers! (Sam Adams style)

2011-03-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Andy and I hosted our first house-guest this weekend. As proper hosts do, we headed to the Sam Adams Brewery on Saturday with Adriane, Liz, Chin Chin, and Leo = tourists in our own city!

It was a beautiful day, so we also did a little lunching and Sam Adams drinking at Doyle's Cafe (the first restaurant to buy Sam Adams beer back in the day) in Jamaica Plain after the tour.

I think I can make it 'til spring with these few beautiful days sprinkled in between all the cold, dreary ones. Not to mention, a little beer sampling always seems to make for a fun Saturday with friends.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin

recipe of the day

2011-03-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Most of you have heard me rave about my favorite curry crock-pot recipe (via Lindsay Nencheck) or have had it at my apartment before. I have had complaints about it having too many ingredients, which I do think you will feel differently about once you eat it. All those veggies are so delicious and really not hard to prepare.
However, I tried another Indian-inspired dish from Real Simple. I chose this dish because I only had to buy two ingredients for it - the rest I already had in my kitchen. Although I don't measure my spices exactly, I think I used quite a bit more salt than the recipe calls for. I tasted the dish after 6 hours of crock-potting and it was not nearly flavorful enough. I am not sure if this makes it high sodium or not, but the chicken and spices previous had no salt at all, so maybe it's still not bad. I suggest adding something to spice it up - cayenne or a serrano chili perhaps?

Curried Chicken with Ginger and Yogurt
* 1/3 cup tomato paste
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 tablespoons curry powder
* 1 tablesppon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 10)
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
* 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (I used 2% Fage)
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste, garlic, curry powder, ginger, cumin, and ¾ cup water. Add the onion and stir to combine. Place the chicken on top and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
3. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
4. Just before serving, add the yogurt and ½ teaspoon salt to the chicken and stir to combine. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

This is what Real Simple says it will look like:

This is what mine looked like:

Do they taste the same?

Now to spent some time with my sweet boyfriend who is working long hours while I get to have fun in the kitchen. . . After all:
Good food ends with good talk.
Geoffrey Neighor, Northern Exposure, Duets, 1993

Dating [for girl friends]

2011-03-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

Did I make the biggest mistake of my life moving to a city without my girl friends? What am I thinking? Carrie Bradshaw would never have done this... or would she?

I have been so lucky to have made incredible girl friends in every city I have lived in. On one hand, I am silly to think it won't happen here, but on the other, I wonder if I have already used up all my luck with friends. Because I have some pretty. damn. amazing. girlfriends. And they are still my best friends and always will be. Is there room for more? I hope so. I think so. It does feel a bit like dating though.

I am so thankful for you, girl friends, you know who you are and you cannot be replaced. I miss you every day, but know the distance won't keep us apart! And I hope someday when you visit me here you will meet some new girlfriends who aren't too scared off by my southern accent or total weirdness.

I have always loved this quote by C. S. Lewis:
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

stinky + tape

2011-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

I heard all sorts of struggling before she came out of the room but as soon as she knows I am watching she tries so hard to pretend nothing is wrong.

"Stinky, what's on you?"
I know she is thinking
"Nothing is wrong at all, nothing is on my rear foot, now leave me the * alone before I claw your eyes!"

(She did this to herself - I did not put the tape on her foot.)

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well."
Missy Dizick

(F)unemployment

2011-02-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie, aside from my occasional freak-out moments, this interim of being unemployed has its advantages. I have been interviewing every chance I get, of course, but this still leaves plenty of time for other things. This week, I focused on new recipes to try, things I hope to add to our typical rotation of staples. This is really fun, too, because we have such a nice kitchen for a change - new gas stove! Valentine's Day was an only semi-successful baked shrimp recipe which I won't make again. Tonight, however, was delicious and share-worthy. It is a recipe from Redbook via my mother. I halved the recipe, but I will give you the entire recipe below.

Uncle Wilson's Stuffed Bell Peppers
6 large red bell peppers
2.5 cups white rice (or whatever type you choose - I can't compromise, I love jasmine rice!)
2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, finely chopped (I used garlic press)
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 10oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
16oz sharp cheddar, grated (I used 2% reduced fat)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
a few dashes of cumin (I added this to the recipe - who doesn't like cumin?)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut bell peppers in half, remove seeds and ribs. Set aside. In saucepan, cook the rice according to its package. In skillet, brown the onions, garlic, and meat. Also in saucepan, bring tomatoes to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine rice, meat, and tomatoes in mixing bowl with salt, pepper, and cumin.
• In a pyrex baking pan, place bell peppers skin side down. Fill them with the stuffing mixture.
• Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove foil, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes.
NOTE: If you boil the bell pepper halves for 5 minutes, you can cut your baking time down to 15 instead of 40 minutes.(This is what I did and it worked fine.)

This recipe seems like a lot of steps and does require you to get several pans dirty, but is pretty easy, healthy, and yummy!

It's also a really pretty dish. Picture pre-oven and cheese. Oh, and I didn't use nearly as much cheese as it calls for - I just sprinkled a little bit on the top.

It went nicely with some wilted spinach on the side, but could go well on its own.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

I am doing some blog updating, as you can tell, but I am not finished.... the green background will be changing soon... I am trying to learn how to really play with all this blogger html stuff. We'll see. Can't I just photoshop my blog and it will automatically update?

# 9

2011-02-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

Since I moved out of the dorms Junior Year of college, I have lived in eight different apartments. This week, I will sign a lease on # 9. Several times I had the intention to stay in an apartment for over a year, maybe two or three... But, I guess when you decide to live in three countries during graduate school, that becomes impossible (and really not a bad thing). Needless to say, # 9 is significant because this place may actually become a home for a few or several years. We are either lucky or had impressive credit / references, because we were chosen for a pretty amazing, newly renovated place in Somerville, MA (home of Marshmallow Fluff and the densest city in all of New England). This 3-family apartment building was built in 1890. We will occupy the third floor, which has brand new kitchen appliances on top of its original (restored) pine floors. It is beautiful -- lots of character. There is nothing we would change about its location - in between Davis (5 min. walk) and Porter (10 min. walk) Squares, both active neighborhood centers with T train stations, delicious restaurants, and various retail. I realize this is just a rental and isn't all that exciting in general, but for us, it is. It is our first post-school place of residence, where we will be paying rent with actual money, instead of student loans, and we will hopefully love enough to re-sign leases on until (someday) we do decide to buy something.

I have written about home so many times and plan to write about it more in the future. I won't apologize to my friends for being dramatic about it - I love what it means to have a home and what it means to share a home... and I hope I always appreciate whatever home is at any point in my life.

"Home is wherever I am with you."
- edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

Snow, snow, SNOW, snoW, snow, snOw...

2011-02-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

. . . and more SNOW. While St. Louis freaks out and I receive "emergency" text messages from WashU warning students not to attend classes, Boston is getting more snow than the mid-west can imagine and life still goes on. There are a lot of winter quotes and sayings that I like, so this is the perfect blog topic for me.
This icicle is at least a foot longer now than it was when I took this picture a couple of days ago. (Andy's parents house) See Andy's blog for further information.

And what is a girl to wear to an interview when the sidewalks look like this? I refuse to drive in this city, especially when it's icy, so high heels are not going to work. I don't even have to suggest it, but Andy knows my mention of this means I am contemplating a new pair of snow worthy boots.

Although snow shoveling is not convenient when you want to get out of your driveway, when you can walk to the train station it isn't so bad. I have to say, I don't mind it all that much. The snow is pretty, my Helsinki wardrobe came back into style since moving here, and the city still feels active and wonderful in this weather.

I do agree with Andrew Wyeth, although I have a feeling I will love spring and summer in Boston: "I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

The Thoughtful Dresser (book review)

2011-01-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

One amazing thing about spending an hour on the subway (besides not having to sit at street lights or parallel park) is finding time to read a book for pleasure. Maybe this is also due to the fact that I am no longer a graduate student. I am currently enjoying Linda Grant's The Thoughtful Dresser, and would recommend it to anyone, actually.

I am finding so many of my thoughts about fashion to be justified by Grant's ability to cite them with historic reference and with real-life stories of heroic women. Defending why I think clothes are important to my boyfriend is strengthened, as I see even some of Grant's ideas ringing true for his clothes-wearing experience... For example, the fact that the man refuses to wear a scarf because of what that may mean for his identity just proves that what he does wear is significant to the person he is trying to portray. (Now my point in asking him to wear a scarf is 1. because they are warm, and 2. because I need new gift ideas for him, to which he makes the point that they are not really for keeping one warm, but for making a statement - and he is mostly correct.)

I also have found analogy in her ideas with mine about architecture - about how important identity and comfort in what your appearance is. I understand right now that what I wear can change how I may appear to a potential employer, not only because of how they may judge my choice of outfit, but because of how I carry my professional self with confidence according to how I feel in what I am wearing on my body.

I am only around half way through the book, deciding whether I am allowed to read the remaining half tonight, as I am sufficiently sucked in right now, or force myself to leave it only for train rides. I am having a difficult time deciding which excerpt to share with you...

"The profound desire for something new perhaps is linked with the strong urge we have to be alive, just to be living. Unconsciously we understand that to live is to be in perpetual motion, and motion propels change. Fashion is always moving; its tendency to abandon abruptly a particular hemline, or color or style of jacket, or even a whole way of thinking about how women dress, getting rid of gloves and hats or pearls -- fashion's maddening short-term memory takes you farther and farther away from the past. And if that past has not been good to you, you might thank fashion for making it look so firmly out-of-date, so old, so decisively not the present tense."
Linda Grant, The Thoughtful Dresser

Oh, and PS, Thanks, Mom, for sharing this wonderful book with me! It is the perfect post-school first book for pleasure material.

I'm famous!

2011-01-21T06:55:00.001-08:00

Well, not really. But I did make a friend via blogging who is an Engineer and PhD student in Switzerland. He posted my Degree Project on his blog.

Click here.

"It's not Wallpaper magazine, but it is 40 people."
Landolf Rhode

Road Trippin to The Bean

2011-01-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Before the actual road trip, packing was the real adventure. Luckily, I have some pretty amazing friends who helped me especially when Andy's flight got delayed. I guess James deserved this after doing all of Andy's heavy lifting. I am overwhelmed by such amazing support from friends --especially James and Mike for the majority of the moving truck packing. Andy finally made it to St. Louis and we headed to our neighborhood bar, Atlas, for a couple (ahem, five or six) of their famous Manhattans before finalizing the moving truck. This ultimately resulted in our moving the leaving time from 10am to 2pm the next day. Well worth it. We finally had everything packed into the truck.
We did almost walk out of the apartment door with a full load of clean dishes in the dish washer, but luckily Cassie caught it. Whew. Favorite coffee mug, glad I didn't leave you behind. Begin road trip after around 3pm on Friday afternoon....

We had a little angry kitty who has been dragged around the country quite a bit in the last few weeks, but she calmed down quickly.

Andy and I enjoyed a mostly whine-free trip and were so excited to see each other after 6 weeks of being apart that we didn't turn on the radio a single time on the entire trip! I have no idea what we were talking about, but it was a pretty nice road trip... and I only had to drive 6 hours of it, so that helped, too. Thanks, babe! :)It was dark and I was a little iphone photo challenged so a googled road sign will have to work.
We made it to Boston! The city where our life-after-school is really starting!

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.
Charles Kuralt

Goodbye 2010...

2010-12-31T11:53:00.001-08:00

Hello 2011! (tomorrow)
This year has been a big year... leading up to another big year.
Year in Review:

Rang in 2010 with Sarah and Marc on the slopes of Breck... before anyone even dreamed of how they would be ending 2010 (well... maybe they were considering it...)
Witnessed my sweet friends, Ashley and Kyle get married in Kentucky
Witnessed my childhood friend, Lindsey, and her amazing rock star boyfriend, Devin, get married in Memphis
Enjoyed a rare reunion of all us "Murray Girls" to celebrate Sarah's baby shower ... all knowing at the time that another Sarah in the group is also expecting :)Found some time for a little fun during my thesis semester with some awesome girls!
Enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and friends in St. Louis before Andy headed to Boston for a recently accepted job!
GRADUATED FROM GRADUATE SCHOOL finally!!!!! Woo hoo.
And, most recently, visited my sweet friends, Sarah and Marc, and their sweet baby girl, Ava Noelle, who did decide to be born in 2010! What a wonderful way to end the year!

HAPPY 2011, friends! Maybe my blog will get more interesting for 2011 as I move to Boston, start the job search (and hopefully SOON get a job).

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

William Arthur Ward

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Graduate school is over and moving to Boston is lingering in my mind right now... only a few more weeks and it will be a reality! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and is eating as many chocolates, cherries, gum drops, and cookies as I am. St. Louis Workout post-holidays, get ready to see me everyday! But, until then... I am indulging in all of these sweet treats with no remorse. My friend, Sarah, is doing the same, but at least she is eating for two. If Baby Gompert is not coming before Christmas, she must experience all the yummy goodness from the womb. I am so excited for this little girl to have her birth day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, friends! I love y'all :)

I was searching for a serious, sentimental Christmas quote, but this one won out:

Roses are reddish
Violets are bluish
If it weren't for Christmas
We'd all be Jewish.
(Benny Hill)

graduate degree - check!

2010-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

click on this to see larger:

just sharing a couple images...

fear of the dreaded 1/4" section...

2010-11-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

After this post I am summoned to section and plan drawings until at least midnight tonight. This is an old very not-detailed-enough section.... hence the need for LOTS of work on it...
I don't know why I am so scared of the section because it looks rather simple while showing only one bay of my structure... especially since I have finally built the structure in 3D:

Oh, guess what? I 3D-printed for the first time! I am still blown away that you can actually 3D print something, even though the technology is not new... pictures of it when I build the printed roof plane into the rest of the model.

Per our recent discussions in studio:
Architecture tends to consume everything else, it has become one's entire life.
Arne Jacobsen

Do you like the new blog banner? Things I do when I am scared of drawing my sections.... ok, time to get over it.

3.5 years ago

2010-11-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

When I started graduate school in 2007, I had never been out of the country, knew nothing about Le Corbusier, and (although I didn't know it at the time) was short on friends. These last 7 semesters have included many crash courses in famous architects I had never heard of, significant travel to at least 7 other countries (two of which I actually paid rent in), projects varying in scope and scale with some amazing professors and some even more amazing peers. As I finish my last 3 weeks of this adventure, I am trying to balance between working my ass off for my project and spending a little time with people here who have made it possible for me to even get through all of this. It is actually a pretty incredible feeling, all of us supporting each other right now, remembering how we felt our first semester and were instantly thrown into being friends simply because we were around each other sometimes 24 hours per day. We've cried through critiques, toasted champagne after reviews, convinced each other to go to Sasha's wine bar when we really should be in studio, broken each other's models, plotted for each other when we were in a bind... and probably will still be adding to this list of things we have experienced together. I write this as if I know I am passing - there is SOOO much to do before then. Good luck everyone and hang in there :) We have made it this far, geez, let's make it through to December 10-11.

Whoa, Cassie had long hair!
One night in 317 we discovered that maybe we had a little time to have fun.
We went to Bonnaroo our first summer while taking Structure I & II in St. Louis.

We all went to Los Angeles with our housing studio one fall.

“A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart.”
Frank Lloyd Wright

waiting

2010-11-14T22:57:00.001-08:00

I recently related to another blog I read every once in a while that had a recent post about waiting. I think anyone can relate to that waiting feeling - waiting for a birthday, the first day of school, the last day of school, Christmas, a new job, a friend to visit, a new life to start with someone else.... it seems like life is too often about waiting and not enough about NOW. Although I go back and forth, quite extremely, from being positive or negative (scared) about waiting for the future, I am making a pact on this blog today to remain (mostly, like let's push for 80%) positive and excited about the next few months, to remain in this exciting moment of being able to move to a new city with a small, inexpensive truck full of junk, to work really hard for a job I really want (Because really, as tough as it looks out there, I do have a lot of time to work towards that dream job, right? I'm okay if that dream job comes after 10 non-dream jobs. Maybe having more time allows me to really figure out what my dream job even is.)

As ready as I am to get out of here (school) and get this real life thing started, I am constantly reminding Andy that: "Forever is composed of nows." and I need to take my own advice. Just waiting for the future and not enjoying the present is a great way to waste a wonderful life, so I am not interested in that.

PS- recently came across our picture on Alive Magazine online... from the wine fest earlier this fall.

cirque du bebe!

2010-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am having a little post-shower (and post-being surrounded by amazing best friends) depression, but Saturday's shower for Sarah and Merry Christmas (baby girl, due on Christmas) was beautiful! I think pictures can tell the story of how much fun we had instead of me trying to re-cap it. Plus, you'll just be jealous of me if I keep going on and on about how amazing my friends are and how they drove from Louisville to stay with me and to celebrate Sarah and Marc preparing for this baby girl.

It's amazing how far we have all come since meeting each other in college over 8 years ago! It is so special to me that we could meet up again for this celebration! So much has changed since 2002, but we all fall right back into our friendships and have a wonderful time together.

The past is behind us, love is in front and all around us.
Terri Guillemets

PRE cirque du bebe

2010-11-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Êtes-vous venir au cirque?

If you are coming to the circus this weekend at the Shook home, you will be having some delicious circus inspired junk foods, cocktails and mocktails, and will be in the best company!

There will, of course, be a follow-up post after the shower and this is my second mention of the shower so far on the blog. Can you tell I am excited to see my sweet pregnant friend, Sarah, and her big belly? Her and her husband told me in person when she was at 3 months... AND I get to be in Denver when she gives birth!

Love and pregnancy and riding on a camel cannot be hid. Arabic Proverb

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

My posts have had such a fall-theme lately, I feel like I should be updating the overall blog look to relate, too, but a new post may be all I have time for. Tammy, Lindsay, and I went to the Art School Halloween Party as legos. It was so fun to make them and to wear them. I am going to go ahead and say we won the group costume contest, even though there never actually was one.

I have A LOT of studio work to get done between now and Friday... but my best college girls (every one of them!) are coming to St. Louis this weekend for Sarah's baby shower. I am beyond excited.

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause
between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."
Carol Bishop Hipps

some pumpkin things...

2010-10-27T21:26:00.001-07:00

... but mostly pumpkin beers.
Sorry, pregnant friends, you'll have to wait until next fall, but I have been indulging in some delicious fall ales this season. Something really nice about St. Louis is the beerS... not just Budweiser, I may add. The favorites, which, I will admit, are my typical favorites in other beer categories for local St. Louis brews are:
1. Square One Brewery's Pumpkin Ale: it is so pumpkin-y and smooth. I had two with dinner last week. This is currently the BEST fall drink in my mind.

2. Schlafly is pretty much everyone's favorite local beer, for good reason and their pumpkin ale is available in bottles at most grocery stores. I enjoyed this beer with my friend Lindsay and boyfriend while eating sausage and vegetable stuffed acorn squash and wild rice while watching Mad Men. Jealous?

3. Not a local, but Blue Moon's Harvest Moon is not far behind these local choices.

I'll continue enjoying these delicious beers through the rest of fall and will potentially mourn their disappearance, more because it means fall is over, but also because they are my favorite seasonal beers.

“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure.”
Czech Proverb quotes

Bloated baby goats

2010-10-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

These baby goats live at Grant's Farm in St. Louis just south of the city. For $1 you can feed them a bottle of milk... and let me tell you, everyone wants to feed these babies, even me. I am pretty much against the fact that all these animals are fed all day long by visitors and are miserably bloated and unhealthy, but I could not resist. You can judge me, I deserve it.

We also fed some coy fish at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens... also bloated and unhealthy, but not as cute as the goats.

"Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." (and - added by me - they love you if you have food, no matter what else)
George Eliot

Pere Marquette!

2010-10-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

Andy and I went to Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois for the weekend to celebrate his 30th birthday a little early. It was the perfect little one-night getaway!

We put up our tent on the same camp site we camped at 2 years ago :)

We went apple pickin'

We went to some redneck wineries

We ate delicious salsa and chips at a little place on the river, The Loading Dock

Did a little rock skipping

Laid around by the camp fire, waiting for it to get dark and for our stomachs to get hungry for hot dogs

And hiked in the morning before leaving for home...

It was wonderful. :) Love you, bug.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
John Muir

october birthdays, fall, and friends

2010-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Several of my closest friends (and sister) celebrate birthdays this month. I would be jealous, because October is one of my favorite months, but I was born in April (along with my Mother and Grandmother), which also happens to be one of my favorite months. Of course, right now I LOVE FALL more than I could explain to you, but that is because I am experiencing it right now. Last weekend Laura turned 29 21 ~~again~~. Tammy turns 21 next week. Luckily, I am really happy in school right now and moving forward with my degree project studio... but I am also enjoying my last semester with some of the greatest people I will ever know, my grad school friends. Just like no one can replace Shook and the Louisville girls, no one can replace these WashU girls for me either.

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
George Eliot

Happy Birthday, Bag Lady!

2010-10-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dearest sister,
I am so happy you were born 24 years ago today. I was not sure I understood how important sisters were until the past few years. I used to think it was a bit annoying that you could never get rid of a sister, they always had to be your friend in some way... but I have to admit now, though at times we have not been on the same page, and maybe if we were only friends, we would have gone our separate ways. But, because we are sisters, we never can go our separate ways. I am lucky because this fact has allowed me to get to know you on so many different levels, has given me a friend who can really understand where I am coming from literally, and has given me the pleasure of knowing a really amazing young lady who I can call sister AND friend. I guess you reach an age where you really understand why sisters are so important... and I only need one to get it. You are amazing. I hope you have a wonderful day. I wish I were in Denver with you today! Love you, Whitney!

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Edward Estlin Cummings

on being happy

2010-09-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

As much as I hate the cliche phrase we all have heard our mothers say, "you are in control of your own happiness", I find it to be irritatingly true. In the blog world, I even find myself reading negative takes in general or on basic daily life which tends to diminish the value of life, in my opinion. (Please don't take this out of context - of course, people encounter tragedies in life that deserve negative attention and I am not referring to that type of situation.) I am not interested in getting hung up on the details or worrying about things I can't change. If life were easy and perfect and truly simple, I would be bored. Give me whacha got, life! As I really jump into my final semester of graduate school, I constantly find comfort in what I have learned up until this point; to keep moving forward, don't get down on myself or situations, and indulge in some enjoyable things along with the tough stuff. Sometimes just a coffee with a friend is all I need... and that makes me happy :)

Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.
unknown
Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.
Unknown
The more passions and desires one has, the more ways one has of being happy.
Charlotte-Catherine
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.
James Oppenheim

And, speaking of mothers, look at this amazing picture from 1979 of my Mother and my grandmother. My Mom was 27 in this picture (my age!) and I get the impression her and Grandma Dee are feeling pretty happy... maybe because they are drinking vodka and definitely because they are with each other.

wine festival 2010

2010-09-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Tammy, Lizzie, and I headed to Forest Park on Saturday afternoon for the annual St. Louis Wine Festival. It was a beautiful day and we took advantage of it.
In addition to lots of wine, we indulged in Butternut Squash Gnocchi too!

Post-wine festival (and several wine glasses into the night)we met friends at the Boathouse, had dinner at Scottish Arms, and finished the night off at Subzero Bar. Whew. I am grounded for a couple of weekends in order to get more studio work done, but this afternoon turned late-night-out was worth it!

Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine.
Charles Dickens

Friend High

2010-09-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

There are several grad-school friends who have graduated and moved on to bigger and better things... but there are a few of us still here carrying on the girls' night tradition. This particular celebration was on a weekend: a little more convenient for the next day hangover.

Potluck style, everything homeade! Yummm.
Drinks:
Sangria
St. Germaine Cocktail
Champagne
Riesling
Apps:
Tandori Chicken & Tandori Paneer
Turkey and Poppy Seed Salad
Fruit Salad
Brie and Water Crackers
Main Dish:
Veggie Curry and Jasmine Rice
Dessert:
Peanut butter Fudge
Chocolate Heath Bar Amazingness Cake

"You only have 6 forks, but you have three decorative cheese knives?"
Laura Mark (referring to my lack of functional kitchen items)

Sweet Runtsky Boy

2010-09-11T11:41:00.001-07:00

My sister's sweet, sweet golden retriever has gone on to doggie heaven. He was the son of my first dog, Sierra, and was a brother for several other sweet goldens, Nevada, Montana, Abilene, Cheyenne, and Rocky. Catch a theme? He passed away and will be buried in the mile-high, mountain city of Colorado. He is now growling at all of the other dogs in heaven who may want to carry his red ball around. As anyone who has ever lost a loved animal knows, my family will miss him forever... especially Whitney. Runtsky really only loved her and pretended to love the rest of us. Thinking about you, sis!

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. Colette

Jeff Tweedy Day

2010-08-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a dear friend of mine from college, I am madly in love with Jeff Tweedy. It happened in fall of 2002 when I saw my first Wilco show here in St. Louis at the Pageant. (Shhh! Don't tell my Mom because I was recovering from being sick and snuck to St. Louis for this show... after all, when you're a freshman you still have to ask permission for your weekend activities. Sorry, Mom. I did survived.) I FINALLY SAW JEFF TWEEDY SOLO at this weekend's LouFest in Forest Park! It was every bit of amazing that I expected it to be. I staked out a front-row spot and sang along with every song.

Yes, Jeff, you ARE breaking my heart. . .

Other shows of note included: Corey Chisel, Fruit Bats, and She & Him...

Best of _summer '10

2010-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have never felt like I was clinging to summer in the way I have been feeling these last fews days of my last summer as a student, as someone who has some type of change in my schedule/life/daily activities that designates summer as something very different from not summer. Andy and I were craving ice cream around 11:15pm last night and well, in true summer spirit, we followed our junk-food cravings and went and got some darn ice cream... French Silk to be exact. So if this is an event that makes me love summer so much, why can't we just go get ice cream at midnight every time I start to wish it was summer? Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way and I am almost positive you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about, even though I cannot really explain it.

So I've decided a BEST OF list is in order, to explain to myself and others what made this SUMMER OF 2010 so great.

1. Best Movie: Inception
I have already mentioned this in a previous post, but the movie was a great summer flick and I will want to see it again when it comes out on video. Andy and I saw this with a friend, Jon, at our favorite theater, the Moolah, with beer and popcorn in hand on a leather couch in the middle, perfect view.

2. Best TV Show: Mad Men
Andy and I speedily caught up on every single season 1, 2, and 3 episode this spring in preparation for season 4... it has not disappointed us. I almost love reading the recaps even more than watching the show.

3. Best Vacation: Pure Michigan
This is a tough decision, but Leland, Michigan, had to win. It was beautiful and we had the best company. (Dear Mike Kupkowski, I want to move to Chicago just so we can be friends with you and Tiffany, even though I haven't even met her.)

4. Best Discovery: Mr. Wizards Custard
Thank you, Cassie, for getting me addicted to the custard/slushy mix and ultimately ending my no-carb diet.

5. Best Meal: Argentine-style BBQ in Louisville, KY
See image in my blog title... best friends, best food, best state in this country, that's all you need to know! Sometimes Kentucky feels like home to me more than Tennessee.

6. Best Show: Delta Spirit
Tammy, Clayton, Jenelle, and I saw Delta Spirit several weeks ago. I had never seen them and now I can't wait for another opportunity to see them! Oh, and we had our little photobooth session with the band... They are really good, check 'em out.

7. Best Sunday-Funday
Hands down, Taste of the Central West End with Neil, Jason, Jav, and Andy... it took me a good 48 hours to recover :)

"You know I don't like buying junk for us to eat, but just this one time..."
-Andy, last night when HE was the first one to bring up the idea of ice cream and I, of course, quickly agreed

Cagle / Hightower (Memphis Wedding Weekend)

2010-08-17T08:56:00.001-07:00

I returned Sunday night to St. Louis after an incredible weekend in Memphis for the wedding of me my oldest, dearest friend, Lindsey, and her now husband, Devin.It was an overwhelmingly wonderful weekend for so many reasons. We stayed at the La Quinta near our old house; I felt so at home in my old neighborhood and it felt good. Thursday night we spent at a Nail Salon in Saddle Creek getting manis and pedis with the bride. After that we weren't done catching up, so we headed to my favorite taco shop in the United States, Swankys, for drinks, nachos, and maybe a couple tears of joy! Co-bridesmaids became new-found friends.Friday's bridesmaids luncheon was at Perkins, where I remembered how amazingly delicious their homeade muffins are. At the rehearsal dinner I was able to reveal this cookbook I have been keeping secret from Lindsey for several weeks.This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever had the opportunity to do. Because I pretty much consider Lindsey my sister, it is really meaningful to me that I could gather up all these recipes and photos sent from about 70+ others friends and family of Lindsey's and design a cookbook/memory book to be published for their wedding gift. I had a really hard time keeping this a secret from Lindsey!
Post-rehearsal dinner we did make a visit to The Windjammer... Oh, yeah we did. Mom and I sang Prop Me Up on the Jukebox and Andy might have considered breaking up with me when he saw I knew every lyric to all those country songs.We kept saying we don't want to rush this weekend, let's savor every moment... but the wedding day did come and it was BEAUTIFUL. Especially after going through all of the old photos, I had been thinking a lot about how beautiful Lindsey always has been and she was even more beautiful in the wedding than I ever could have imagined.(Russell Hays Photos)
For me, a former Memphis resident, it seemed so Memphis to me that Devin and Lindsey be getting married there... Devin is a real rock star, currently playing with Surrender the Fall.
The reception featured a friend's band and it was a blast!Even though Susan has said she could not have done the wedding without my Mom, I think my Mom really needed this week spent with Susan, too. Susan is such a special woman, friend, and mother.You might think Lindsey just picked all her prettiest friends to be in the wedding, but we had a pretty darn good time. I am a little mad Lindsey had not introduced me to more of these girls before! :)...especially this girl...
(Russell Hays)

Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Avett brothers

I'm dreaming about teeth & pink dresses

2010-08-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Alongside the recent release of Inception, a discussion about dreams seems very appropriate. I don't know about everyone else, but I have crazy dreams pretty much every single night. I know "they" say everyone dreams every night, so possibly it is just that I remember them every morning when I wake up or experience the ever-so-awkward moment in the day when I see someone who appeared in my dream the night before and have a flash back. Psychoanalyze the details I am about to share with you and this is probably too much information about myself.

I dream about my teeth A LOT... usually they are just loose and I am wandering around hoping they stay in, but once I fell asleep with a cough drop in my mouth and I woke up thinking I had a tooth that had fallen out. I read teeth dreams represent insecurities and fears... well, secret's out now, I have teeth dreams! :)

The most interesting thing to me is that whenever I have any dream that is set in a home it is ALWAYS in my childhood home, which I have not lived in since I was 14, or my Grandmother's home in Caruthersville, MO, which I have not been to since before she died when I was 12 or so. I am constantly realizing this when I wake up. Even dreams obviously set in the present are inside these homes from my past. I must have some kind of attachment to these places and I find it pretty cool. The world of dreams is pretty interesting, although I have done very little reading about it and know I cannot begin to de-code my dreams.

This weekend is my dear friend, Lindsey's wedding and I have already dreamed about it more than once. However, the real deal will be much better than the weirdo dreams I have been having about us all wearing neon pink dresses and standing in line for several weddings to take place before her's in a white gazebo on the same afternoon.

Anyone can escape into sleep, we are all geniuses when we dream, the butcher's the poet's equal there.
E.M. Cioran, The Tempation to Exist

Lindsey, me, Mom, Susan (Lindsey's Mom)

a computer & a cat

2010-08-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

I got a new computer (laptop)! It is an ASUS UL30Vt. It is so thin and tiny; I can't believe how easy it will be to drag around with me. (I'll get a large screen monitor for studio so I don't have to squint.) I rushed home the other day to open and start my new computer...

But someone else was even more excited about the box it came in...

I don't know why I would ever spend money on cat toys. It seems like Stella is more interested in random things and absolutely IN LOVE with boxes whenever we have them in the house.

“The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look whether they see a moth or an ax-murderer”
Paula Poundstone

beware, cheesy post :)

2010-07-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Andy has been out of town for 10 days without me! He has been in Boston and New York, visiting family, friends, and having a few job interviews in between (yay)! I have been working and eating mexican food every day. I just want to say, Andy does the dishes way more than me because I notice that I am spending a lot more time doing them alone than if he were here. :) Thanks, babe!

Here are a few photos of us so far from the summer...
(Louisville, Kentucky)
(Middlebury, Vermont)
(Boston)

I'm excited for him to come home tomorrow! :)

Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year - it brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul.
Author Unknown

Dear Cassie

2010-07-21T12:23:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of friends who mean a lot to me, but today here is a particular shout out to a dear friend of mine, Cassie. I first met Cassie at WashU Open House before coming to WashU. She was the most excited person I had ever met, beaming with energy for architecture school and completely positive she was choosing WashU. We didn't exchange info or anything, but I did see her again some when we started school. We were in the same studio second semester and I briefly got to know her, although she sat at the other end of studio.
THEN during our fall 2008 semester, as the Helsinki semester planning was underway, James and I were searching for a friend to room with. Cassie was not going to Helsinki at the time, so we approached her, saying why the heck aren't you coming to Helsinki? She said she wasn't sure... so it was quite easy to convince her to change her mind. That is where our friendship really began! We got to know more about each other than we ever could have wanted, sharing a bedroom while James got the big, beautiful middle bedroom in our Helsinki apartment. I had finally found another friend who loves black beans as much as me! AND she even taught me how to cook the bags of beans, instead of buying the pre-cooked canned ones.

(me & Cassie during Spring Break in Norway, 2009)

(me & Cassie during Spring Break in St. Louis' Forest Park, 2010)

I am so lucky to have Cassie in my life. She is a good listener and a sweet friend. I know she has seen me, good and bad, strengths and weaknesses, and still wants to hang around me! And she has taken care of my silly cat, Stella TWICE this summer! Not all friends would do that so willingly! :) Thanks for being so awesome, Cassie!

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.
Bernard Meltzer

Turkey Bacon Amazingness

2010-07-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

This summer I have spent more time in the kitchen than I have in a long time (probably since college when I used to cook regularly with my sweet girlfriends.) It has been so much fun discovering new recipes and making some up too. I have discovered a joy in cooking and since doing it often, find I can whip up a pretty decent meal with ingredients around the kitchen and no recipe sometimes. I am a real cook! Recently on the list of my made-up on a whim recipes is this amazing and easy dish:

I am taking name suggestions, but I will call it.....
Turkey Bacon Bruchetta
I cooked 3 slices of Trader Joe's Turkey Bacon in the skillet and then placed sour dough bread on a cookie tray with a little Olive Oil Mayo, diced up Fresh Basil, the cooked bacon, and Sliced Pearl Tomatoes... Oh, and don't forget a sprinkle of shredded cheese and salt and pepper on top! Placed it in the oven until warm, added a little fresh lettuce on the side and YUM YUM YUM! :)
It was way better than I expected! I think it would be just as delicious without the cheese or if you don't like mayo, substitute Olive Oil.

"No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers."
Laurie Colwin

What is the Blog about anyway?

2010-07-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have struggled, and am still struggling, to have a blogger identity since my life started getting real when I returned from traveling the world and now have to stand on my personality for entertainment instead of stories and pictures from the places I was going. I have ALWAYS been a quote person... don't know why or how it happened, but even earlier than High School I was quoting inspirational or thought-provoking things left and right. Quotes are really sort of weird, when you think about them, but I don't really care. I read things other people "quote" or find words in books I find particulary true and I always write them down or remember them. Today is one of those days. I'll just leave you with this quote, which I really believe is true:

"Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to, But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen"

Away We Go

2010-07-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Andy and I have been comparing our lives to the movie, Away We Go, as we discuss every day where we might end up in the next few months. Granted, I still have one final semester of school in St. Louis (and I am NOT pregnant like Verona in the movie), but we are currently looking for a city to call "home", similar to Bert and Verona. If you haven't seen this movie, it is a good summer flick and the southtrack isn't half bad either. I don't know if we are quite as cute of a couple as Burt Farlander and Verona De Tessant, but we have visited several cities and have several very dear friends in them who have pitched their sell for cities like Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Boston.... I won't tell you my preference order, mostly because it changes everyday. Ultimately, JOBS are what will get us somewhere... and while it's scary and makes me nervous sometimes, it's really exciting. We are also really lucky to have so many different options where we know we will have friends and/or family welcoming us. :)

There is a lot of dialogue I like in Away We Go, but my favorite quote-worthy part which I find myself relating to best currently is... (read this with a sense of humor)

Verona De Tessant: Burt, are we fuck-ups?
Burt Farlander: No! What do you mean?
Verona De Tessant: I mean, we're 34...
Burt Farlander: I'm 33.
Verona De Tessant: ...and we don't even have this basic stuff figured out.
Burt Farlander: Basic, like how?
Verona De Tessant: Basic, like how to live.
Burt Farlander: We're not fuck-ups.
Verona De Tessant: We have a cardboard window.
Burt Farlander: [Looks at window] We're not fuck-ups.
Verona De Tessant: [Whispers] I think we might be fuck-ups.
Burt Farlander: [Whispers back] We're not fuck-ups.

Spinning & (road) Biking

2010-07-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

...in that order.
I have been a little bit of a spinner for several years, it all starting in college with weekly spinning classes. However, these classes were just used for work-outs when I didn't feel like running.
I have since lost my motivation (and shape) of a long-distance runner, mostly because graduate school took over my life.... but I am getting back into shape this summer via spinning and (very recently) road biking. I have committed to morning spin classes which are AMAZING and I absolutely love it. And, to contradict all you spinning/biking haters, I did read an article that a 40-minute spin class can burn around 475 calories... which is the same as what I would burn running 4 miles.
BUT, more exciting is the fact that I have now braved the road (for real) on my pink vintage road bike.... after owning it for, oh, 2 years! While I have done a lot of mountain biking, it was never as daunting to me as the road. Surprisingly though, I was not terrified like I thought I would be and Andy and I braved major roads and intersections, a few really small hills, and I carried the groceries back home in my backpack on our most recent ride. Yay! I am so excited for this new sport... and it's been mild in St. Louis (not 100 degrees) so I might be headed out for another ride right now....

Two quotes for today:
one for spinning:
"Cycling is unique. No other sport lets you go like that - where there's only the bike left to hold you up. If you ran as hard, you'd fall over. Your legs wouldn't support you."
Steve Johnson

and one for road biking:
"A bicycle does get you there and more.... And there is always the thin edge of danger to keep you alert and comfortably apprehensive. Dogs become dogs again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become personal. And getting there is all the fun."
Bill Emerson, On Bicycling, Saturday Evening Post, 29 July 1967

Happy (long) Weekend!

Oil Spill

2010-06-23T12:40:00.001-07:00

Unlike most of my happy posts, this post is not happy. I have been thinking about the oil spill a lot, which accomplishes nothing productive, unfortunately. After working last semester on urban design projects in New Orleans, my understanding of what the oil spill means for the future is a little more developed than it would have been a year ago. I feel particularly attached to the animals, as I keep coming across images like this one from boston.com.
It just makes me feel sad. If you don't feel small on this earth already, this catastrophe sure makes you feel small now... How can you even imagine undoing this? Unfortunately, it cannot be undone. I could go on and on about how selfish we are as people... blah blah blah, but I won't bore you with negativity. I wish it would change everyone's actions... but instead we look around for someone else to blame.

This comment was on the article and I think it sums up my feelings, as well as others' I'm sure:
In the words of Dr. Masaru Emoto, I offer this prayer as a positive influence to the situation, the people, and the waters of the Gulf:

“To whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures in [the] Gulf of Mexico:

I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.”

This isn't the only situation in the world right now that is worthy of our humility, forgiveness, thanks and love. We, humankind, cannot do whatever we want, or whatever is technologically possible to this earth, without there being implications, whether it is damming up water, genetically modifying seeds, or drilling for miles into the earth. There is a price to pay for upsetting the balance -- are we willing to pay that price when many people don't even understand that there is a balance in our world to start with? Let's pay attention to the messages that the earth is giving us -- we can go too far.

Let your light shine and let your love bless, not curse, our beautiful home. Let's be better stewards of this earth.

Delta Spirit

2010-06-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

We saw Delta Spirit at Firebird last night. It is definitely next to some of the best live shows I have seen. And, there was a Photobooth... the band is jumping into our photos, yep. Good night!

its such a strange vine
wrapped around my neck bone
twisted up between my steps
between my steps

I'm tripping and falling over
things we just couldn't get over
i tried my best
to get it off my chest

songs we never wrote
seeds they wouldn't sow
were taking it all to the end
and we're planting our own garden

the sun came
while you were shining
the tide flew
when we were writing a symphony
in the key of D

songs that had lost their luster
finally they found their color

we made jokes
about starting a new band
six years working this whole plan
maybe ill make a home with you

its been the
these brake lights
and city limits
i can't afford the truth
we are two indians in the same canoe
maybe i'll just start something new

we're taking it all to the end
and we're planting our own garden
strange vine, delta spirit

Korean Night in STL

2010-06-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

TJ hosted us to his home last week for an authentic Korean dinner. I know it was authentic because it tasted at least as amazing as the food we were eating every day a few months ago in Seoul. It was soo good and made me miss Seoul quite a bit.

Are you salivating while you look at this picture of spicy chicken and bulgogi? Mmmm. The only thing missing was the soju!

“Friendship is a treasured gift, and every time I talk with you I feel as if I'm getting richer and richer” unknown

St. Louis Brewers Festival

2010-06-16T21:32:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went to the St. Louis Brewers Festival in Forest Park. Ok, so actually, the boys went and I tagged along, but what else is new? Of course it rained and was amazingly disgusting walking around under a tent that was covering deeper mud than the mud outside of the tent, however that happens. The sun started to set and especially after I had ~~a lot of~~ a few beers, this view seemed like the most amazing sunset possible. I managed to get my camera out of my raincoat without dropping it into this: (I painted my toe nails right before we left the house... Why?) Javier, Jason, Neil, Andy and me (and Andy again)I've never been drunk, but often I've been over served. George Gobel

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Sumner!

2010-06-07T16:53:00.001-07:00

Congratulations you two!
Where do I even start? Andy and I drove to Louisville for a wonderful weekend celebration for Kyle and Ashley's wedding. We made it in plenty of time for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Seriously, move over any past or future brides, it will be really tough to be more beautiful than Ashley. The patio at Gingerwoods was an amazing place for appetizers and drinks while waiting for the bride and groom (and gourmet cheeseburgers and mac and cheese for dinner!)The reception witnessed a classic B-Ditty Dance-Off.Saturday night Sarah and Rosendo hosted us, Ashley, Kyle, Sarah S., Matt, Kako, and Tavi for aaammmaaazzing Argentine-style meats and salad.

life, friends

2010-06-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

I met Lacey in Memphis before I moved to Saint Louis through mutual friends. She was actually one of the last people besides my family that I had a meal with before I left town in August 2007. Then, Lacey moved to Saint Louis the following year for a job at Barnes Jewish Hospital. We were clearly meant to be friends! :) Anyway, I spent a few hours with Lacey today because she is now headed to Denver for a new nursing job... where my parents live! So I know we will see each other soon. It is so crazy we haven't spent more time together, but gosh that girl can make my day in a big way! She is so positive and I feel like we know each other without even trying. In a world where so many things seem hard or terrifying, it is so encouraging to have friends like Lacey. She pops into my life whenever I need a boost. She definitely did that today. I am so thankful I didn't have to say any sad goodbyes to her... just "see ya in Denver"
me & Lacey a few years ago at a baseball game :)

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
Ashley Smith

Congratulations, Babe!

2010-05-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Andy, for graduating with TWO Masters Degrees last Friday!

We had such a wonderful week with my parents and the Zimmermanns (Jeanne, Pete, Aunt Cathie, and sister Kitty) We had such a delicious meal at Luciano's Trattoria in Clayton after graduation. Activities also included the Budweiser Brewery and Cahokia in Illinois, as well as many other yummy meals and a picnic in Forest Park! It was so nice to spend this event together with our families. It is one step closer to real life . . . but we are enjoying every place along the way :)

"Forever is composed of nows." Emily Dickinson

Final Reviews round......6

2010-04-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

As stated in a previous blog post, I should not be blogging, but I guess I have decided these insane moments of school might be worth documenting, especially since afterward they really seem like a blur. I am in the middle of my 6th session of final reviews... the second to last of them I will have in graduate school. I have two main points to make:
1. I am surrounded by supportive, amazing people, some in school with me and others being my friends and family from outside of the architecture world. After my laptop computer's motherboard and graphics card blew up (convenient, right?), I thought I would have to cry for a week, fail out for the semester, and all my friends would disown me for being a big lame-O. However, I pouted for one evening and decided to get the heck over it.... not to mention, it really helped that my friend, June, brought me her desktop from home that she is currently not using to use in studio for the next two weeks. I had other friends offer to lend me their laptops after their reviews since mine is after. Seriously? It's amazing how something negative can happen but instead of feeling bad, I felt all warm inside because of the support I had around me!
2. No matter how much I hate school sometimes, you cannot beat the feeling of accomplishment after a really, really, really long night of working really, really, really hard and being happy with your work. Even the miserable tiredness is worth it somehow. And, no matter how much professors or other students don't always have the same ideas about design, when I work hard and believe in my own work, that is all I need. (I am going to make myself re-read this every day so I maintain momentum...) At times I have felt I lacked some talent that others' around me seem to naturally embody, requiring me to work harder to make something half as good, but ultimately, for myself, the hard work ALWAYS produces something worthwhile.

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work."
Emile Zola

forgot a quote in my last post!

2010-04-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

James recently sent me this Archinect Blog entry to read. I don't really have anything to say about it, because this girl sums it up pretty well. I remember working before graduate school and really LOVING it! This is why I am here! I love architecture! Even though sometimes I hate school. AND I love other things in life besides architecture that I can use to make my architecture better. :)

"I don't want my life to be about architecture; I want architecture to be about life."
(Slartibartfast)

In progress

2010-04-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how this drawing can take 3 days.... and still needs about 3 more.

That 80s Club

2010-04-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

We went to Rue 13 for Jenelle's (second) 25th birthday. Now I need to stop blogging or going to bars until May7th (final review).

I really, really love Prince.
"She wore a
Raspberry beret
The kind you find in a second hand store
Raspberry beret
And if it was warm she wouldn't wear much more
Raspberry beret
I think I love her"
Prince

boys don't like girly bedding

2010-04-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

Sarah and I often chat via internet sending each other every dress we like that we see online. But I have gotten a little bored with the dress hunting and moved onto bedding hunting. I think solids would be more readily accepted by Andy. I love the ivory one, but it seems like a bad idea. The navy would look really great with my minty green shams....Bow Tie Duvet
Rosette Quilt

Unfortunately, I find this familiar quote a little bit true.
Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.
Bo Derek

peeps + mad men

2010-04-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

If you watch Mad Men, you will understand why I have to post this. I wish it had been on a large canvas at my party. How perfect? Mad men AND peeps! I don't think this one needs a quote - you're probably giggling too much to read this far now anyway. :)

a VERY happy 26th birthday!

2010-04-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Andy threw me a Mad Men themed party. I am so thankful for Andy and all of my friends for making it so fun! I know other people took pictures too, so maybe there are better ones around, but these are the ones Andy took. Thanks to all my friends for making it the best birthday evening ever. I am lucky to have you!!

“Very early, I knew that the only object in life was to grow.”
Margaret Fuller quotes

$2

2010-04-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

My Mom sends me a lot of cards in the mail. It is pretty much one of the best things in life! Often, there is a one or a couple of dollar bills inside. I know it seems weird, like what is $2 going to do for you? But, for some reason I always spend them carefully. Typically, I'll splurge on a latte at Starbucks or something. Recently, I got a card with $2 and I bought a diet coke with $1. I still have the other dollar in the wallet, saving it for a special treat. Mom, you are the best! (Although, when Dad sends money or sneaks cash to me when I am home it's usually $20.00. Hehe.)(We also like to send each other pictures we take of ourselves after we get new haircuts.)

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
William Goldsmith Brown

Peeps for Easter

2010-03-28T18:16:00.001-07:00

Do you love Peeps as much as I do? I only let myself buy them at Easter, even though they are made for pretty much every single day of the year now. I just bought green and pink ones at Target and have eaten every green one already. I had to share the conversation my mom and I had about this on gmail chat today.

me: ive been eating Peeps all day
oops
shouldnt have bought them
nancy: wish i had some
me: i can send you some
nancy: i saw where there was a peep eating contest somewhere
me: oh really? i could win
nancy: i want green and pink ones
no, I would win. I have been practicing longer than you have
me: green and pink? that's so weird, i bought green and pink!!!!
nancy: weird
but not surprising
me: yeah
nancy: what wine do you think goes best with them?

I miss you, Mom!!!

Belated Weekend Overview

2010-03-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

I was stuck in school for quite a lot of the weekend, but found time to enjoy life, too. Andy and I had dinner with friends, Lucas and Jamie, at an Indian restaurant near the airport. It was delicious!

Saturday was spent at school.
Sunday morning I went to spinning and oh. my. gosh. I thought I was going to die during sprint intervals. Then Andy and I made breakfast (eggs, black beans, bacon, jalapenos, & frank's hot sauce) and had a cleaning party. We also FINALLY put up curtains in our bedroom. I think they look so good, and Andy doesn't have a sheet pinned with push pins over his window anymore! I feel like it was the finishing touch to our place. Living together is actually feeling real now. Maybe it is also because we filled out the census as a household together, which was pretty cool for some reason. Also, have I told you that I love this cat? She always finds the warmest place in the house to lay, and since I drag this fluffy warm blanket everywhere, leaving it in the last place I was sitting, Stella's place of rest often follows the blanket.

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy (late) Birthday Sarah Jesse Gompert!

2010-03-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sarah Gompert's birthday! (She is really bad at blogging right now, so don't be surprised when Mom and Dad's remodel is still the most recent post.) Sorry this is a couple days late, Sarah, but it's more fun to make your birthday last the entire week anyway! This is the short month in every year that Sarah is 1 year older than me! We have celebrated many birthdays together since college. I wish we lived closer, but since my parents are in Denver, we get to catch up often in person. I miss you Sarah and hope you had a wonderful, wonderful 26th birthday!!!! Sarah & me at her rehersal dinner
Sarah & me in Hawai'i

"All good things are wild and free."
Thoreau

Back to School

2010-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Boo, I hate the last day of Spring Break. Just before 3:00PM I am finally peeling myself away from The Hangover and the couch to come to studio, and I am blogging instead of working. Less than one year and I'll be finished! C'mon, December! I am happy and refreshed since taking time off this past week, but know it just means extra work the next couple days for pin-ups and mid-reviews, so conveniently scheduled for after spring break. I think this is my first post without a picture, but it seems appropriate. Back to studio . . .

"They say that we are better educated than our parents' generation. What they mean is that we go to school longer. They are not the same thing."
Douglas Yates

amazing amazing amazing!

2010-03-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Sarah U and I met Ashley, Brittany, and Sarah S at Jean Farris Winery for dinner in Lexington a couple of days ago. I have a lot of amazing friends, but there is something so great about college girl friends. No one else knows me quite like these girls. And, no one else that I go out to eat with wants to order every single dessert on the menu and pass them around . . . like we did! :) I am so excited to see y'all again very soon for Ashley and Kyle's wedding festivities!

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together."
Woodrow Wilson

Sarah's kittens, Lelo and Paton; look at those tails!

Spring Break - Day 1

2010-03-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Andy and I started our Spring Break with a date night at The Brasserie in the Central West End. I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! Then I took Andy to the airport for Austin, TX to visit his cousin, Mike.
Saturday afternoon, Tammy and her three out-of-town friends, Masha, Jill, and Debbie hosted a yummy picnic in the park on the most beautiful day of the year so far!
Then, we went to the Saint Louis Zoo, which is amazing and FREE!
"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."
Charles Dickens

Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer

2010-03-03T08:57:00.001-08:00

I have this cute little coffee table book called Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer from Chronicle Books. I thought I'd share some of my favorite lines from it:

"All compliments can be handled by simply saying Thank You, but it helps if you say it with a southern accent."
I think I got this down. :)

"Figure out where you want to live. And go there. Everything else will follow."
Maybe Andy and I should follow this advice. Everyone keeps asking us where we will move and we keep saying we don't know, because we don't, even though we talk about it all the time.

"Wear cheap pants if you must, but never cheap shoes."
I'm asking for a pair of expensive shoes for my birthday. My shoes affinity is largely the fault of my Aunt Lucy... but I am not complaining!

"If you think your friends are normal, then the friendships probably have room to deepen."
Hummm, I know my friends are weird and I love them. Speaking of friends, I'm going to Lexington. Kentucky next week to stay with Sarah. I'll also get to see Ashley, Brittany, and Sarah S. I am soo excited, counting down the days.

Architecture School

2010-03-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

As if architecture school wasn't demanding enough. . . Tuesday I have two places to be at the same time. I realize this happens a lot in life, but OMG, I can't work so hard that my body becomes two. (I am using the blog for venting right now.)

I read something recently that applied directly to my academic life. So often I get caught up in wishing I was the best or better, further along in my design abilities, but I have to remember it's better to be working towards something, instead of already being there.
"Seek criticism, not praise."

I find myself being jealous of people who get little criticism or seem to be "born with talent", not needing to improve themselves, but is that really a good place to be, in architecture or even in life?
Michelangelo said, "I am still learning."

I spent my weekend driving around Saint Louis, searching for potential sites for my Degree Project (thesis) semester. I am currently taking Design Thinking, the predecessor to Degree Project, in which we decide our design interests, site, program, etc. Luckily it was a beautiful weekend, the sky is so blue in my photos from the day! I didn't crop out the windshield wiper so you can tell I was taking pictures literally while driving. Possibly not so safe, but, gosh, architecture students get the weirdest looks when we're wandering around random places taking pictures of things that seem very uninteresting (and sometimes a breach of privacy) to others.

My Boys!

2010-02-25T09:05:00.000-08:00

While I went to Nashville with the girls, the boys had a REAL boys night! I say "real" because over the last year boys night typically included me and I am not a boy, even though some people think I have a boy's name. I did get copied on the e-mail of photos from the weekend. This is one of the favorite photos ever. I won't get sentimental, but if you don't know James or Andy, you're missing out.

Ironically, Andy and James' parents are both in town this weekend. They are all staying at our favorite hotel, the Cheshire. PLEASE look at their website. Our favorite bar is housed inside, the Fox and Hound. You'll understand why if you look.

Also, James' exhibit will be pinned up tonight!!
~~"Mmmm Bop"~~ "Bi bim bap"

Becky's 30th Birthday!

2010-02-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

Becky, Tammy, Laura, Lindsey, and I met Becky's sister, Rachel and friend, Nika, in Nashville for the weekend, an occasion to celebrate Becky's anniversary of her 21st Birthday. We got to Nashville around midnight and made a direct connection to the bars on 2nd street, found one just trashy enough and taught Becky how to take Jell-O shots (although I don't believe this information that she had never had them before). The night ended with Becky on the bar for her birthday girl dance.Saturday was BEAUTIFUL, sunny and warm, so we took advantage by not doing any studio work and meeting a dear old friend of mine, Erin, at the brewery near our downtown hotel.Then we got all dressed up for a delicious dinner at Sunset Grill on Music Row. Sherry picked us up and when we got there we enjoyed cocktails, wine, amazing food, all at a reasonable price. We headed to Robert's Western World for some amazing live music and dancing. And I stopped taking pictures at that point.
How lucky am I to have these amazing girlfriends? We all had the best weekend together, and I am so thankful for these girls. I also love the south and miss it more after being there for the weekend.

"Well we got a Duke's Mixture here tonight, don't we?" - Sherry, our lovely and hilarious ride to and from dinner

A Duke's Mixture : a grouping of things that are odd, varied, and random in composition (referring to all of us girls being from very different places in the country, something that is a bit hard to describe to people when they ask)

Pre-Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

I know single people hate Valentine's day. I don't particularly LOVE it, even though I do have a boyfriend, but it is an excuse to be sappy. I was one of those single people on several valentine's days, so I gotta make sure they feel as miserable as I did. Hehe, totally kidding!!!
Busan, South Korea
Partying it up in Beijing, China
Andy visiting me in Helsinki, Finland - Whoa, crazy year of traveling for us! We are happy to spend this Valentine's in Saint Louis. Our first Valentine's day was here at 1111 Mississippi (a really yummy, nice restaurant here). We had only been dating a couple months so I was still nervous around him. This year, we have decided to do brunch instead of a dinner date, since evenings are usually full of studio work. I have a couple DIY surprises up my sleeve, but Andy reads my blog so I can't share yet!

"Baby
It’s been a long day, baby.
Things ain’t going my way
you know I need you here
here by my side
all of the time

And Baby, the way you move me its crazy.
it’s like, you see right through me, you make it easier,
You please me and you don’t even have to try.

oh because,
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
ever happened to me . . . "
(Ray Lamontagne, You are the Best Thing)

NOLA studio trip

2010-02-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a week in New Orleans, Louisiana. 11 WashU students, 25(ish) University of Toronto students, and our professors spent the week touring, researching, collaborating, asking questions, and sorting through more information we could ask for. Our studio is under the Gutter to Gulf project.
It took us a little longer than expected to get to NOLA, sitting in stand still traffic for hours . . .

We did some touristy visits, like to Saint Louis Cemetery,

learned what lake-front property means when you live next to a levee wall.

I got pretty excited to see the Industrial Canal, since I had been studying it non-stop for the week before.

Jono showed our model to guest critics and friends.

And then it rained, so we got to see what we had been studying in action - the difference in NOLA dry and NOLA wet.

After working hard all week, we had to hit Vaughn's for some jazz and Bourbon for, well, some dancing on the bar.

"GO SAINTS!" (who dat)

The loaf of bread lasts longer with just one person

2010-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Living abroad doesn't count in my real life living experiences, because those months seems so different. I wasn't in either place to get comfortable with a lifestyle, so my only comparison to living with Andy is to living by myself. It's funny how just the fact that sandwich bread doesn't last nearly as long is surprising to me. I used to have such a hard time eating the entire loaf alone, but now I am so tired of going grocery shopping for deli meat and bread and it's only been a few weeks! (Or maybe we have just been eating a lot of sandwiches!)

I also have realized that Andy has little interest in eating a can of refried beans for dinner. This also surprised me for a couple of reasons, but mostly because I love eating refried beans straight from the can and think it makes a marvelous dinner (lots of fiber). However, Andy wants a real dinner and has no problem with being the one who makes it. (Confession: Yesterday Andy had night class so I snuck home for my refried bean dinner without him.)
Anyway, if the biggest adjustment we have living together has been that the shopping list is longer and I eat more balanced dinners, then we made the right decision!

Our cute + messy kitchen :)

"i have a lover friend
he snores softly while he sleeps
and it makes me smile
everything he does makes me smile"
(excerpt from an anonymous poem)

PS- I haven't tried the cake in a mug, but I will ASAP. I leave for New Orleans this weekend and will come back with pictures and more exciting posts than I have had lately, I hope!

Desserts

2010-01-24T19:41:00.001-08:00

My sister, Whitney, lives by this:

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." (Ernestine Ulmer)

I noticed this recipe on another blog and thought I'd share it too. (and try it!) Although, I think I will leave out the red food coloring, cause that makes it healthy if you leave out the "un-natural" ingredients, right?

[Not]Red Velvet Microwave Mug Cake
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons buttermilk
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
A little bit of white vinegar
About half a container of red food dye (I'm leaving this out)
Melted white chocolate, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, you choose (I'm going for fat free whipped cream - again, making it healthy!)
Steps:
Put all of the flour, sugar and cocoa in a large microwavable mug and mix it. Drop in the egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, vinegar, food coloring and stir it until it is thoroughly combined. Place the mug in the microwave and heat on high or 1,000 watts for two and a half minutes.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Saturday Dim Sum with my 오빠

2010-01-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

(오빠 "oppa" is older brother in Korean)

My roommates and TJ became some of my dearest friends while we were in Korea. Today we met for Dim Sum and it felt just like where we left off. I love y'all so much and am so lucky we are all still in the same city, even though I know we miss Seoul.

The picture is of us all at the Great Wall in China.
(left to right, back to front)
James, Willie, Nick, Andy, me, TJ

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." (Marcel Proust)

Last Option Studio - Day One

2010-01-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

We do a lottery for option studios. There are 12 options studios this semester of 10-20 students each. We listen to each studio's only somewhat brief explanation of their project, fill out our ranking of what studios we'd like to be in, and wait . . .

I got my first choice! But I would've been happy with any of my top five I think. I will be in an urban design studio cited in New Orleans with Derek Hoeferlin. It is something I have little experience in but am really excited about. We are headed to NOLA January 30th! I haven't been to that city since college, before Hurricane Katrina. Lots to learn - which makes me excited and motivated for the semester to start.

I think I'm ready for this second to last semester of school back in Saint Louis. It makes it feel so fast since I was gone for the entire year last year.

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." (Nelson Mandela)

Winter

2010-01-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Possibly the most amazing winter place I have ever been: Pykeija, Norway.

Years ago I read an article (and have somehow kept up with a copy of it) in Memphis' Commercial Appeal entitled A cold fact: Winter isn't everyone's season of discontent.
I loved the message of David Waters because it rang true for me. There is something I really love about winter and am soaking it up right now in Saint Louis. Waters quotes several other authors, but his basic message is that winter, for some, is a time of silence, self-sacrifice, ardent prayer, renewal. I find it comforting that I am not in control of everything in my life and winter seems to remind me of that. I feel more creative and self-reflective. Even though the absence of leaves on the trees here can seem dreary, it was nice to have a clear view through Forest Park on my walk to school this morning with Andy.

Sarah and I this New Year's day in Breckenridge, Colorado, enjoying the sunny winter weather.

So for my friends (like Sarah) and my mother who love warm weather and never understood my love of winter . . .

"Winter isn't the end of the old year but the beginning of a new one... With every passing day of winter your world gets a bit more daylight. With every passing day of winter your world leans a bit closer to the sun." (David Waters)

House Warming Party

2010-01-15T22:10:00.001-08:00

Andy & I hosted our first casual potluck get together in our new apartment! It was a reunion of friends who had been spread around the world this past year. There were a few faces missing of friends who were still moving or weren't back in town yet, but overall it was refreshing to see friends I have been missing. I am looking forward to my semester back in the USA.

One of the things I cherished most while I was abroad was my friends, a few who were with me and the ones at home who were supporting me. I am happy to be back in the same city with some of them and in the same country as others who are just a few hours drive or flight away.

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
C. S. Lewis

We love our new apartment! We are not too far or too close to school, we have a working fireplace, each other, and sweet Stella cat!