Can we just call it cocktail time? Let’s just take a minute and take in a cocktail.
I’ve got too many Post-It notes with too many tasks on them.
I’ve got too much hairspray in my hair, and not enough butter in my fridge.
There’s clothes that need putting away, and cats that need brushing. There’s just days and days full of full.
You know? Of course you know. Of course you do.
Let’s just take a quick minute and call it cocktail time. Please and thank you.
WINNER UPDATE! Two winners have been randomly chosen! Kierstan @ Live {and running} in Iowa, and Kelly W. You both win win win! Thank you to Minted for the awesome giveaway, and thank you to YOU for being a part of my blog, and making my internet life so awesome. I appreciate you!
I love what happens to my mailbox this time of year! It sills with beautifully designed holiday cards. There are pictures. There are warm greetings with happy wishes.
| I chose these Year in Review Holiday Cards from Minted. I don’t have a baby. No biggie. Minted still helped me make an awesome card!One of my absolute favorite stationary companies is Minted. I love their photo holiday cards! There are options for days, and lots of cute ways to customize your cards. This totally sounds like a commercial, right? Well… here’s some real talk. I love Minted because they have tons of options for all sorts of life and holiday situations. I don’t feel like I need a darling baby or a fiance to make and send holiday cards. I can make cards with a holiday greeting from just little-ole-me. Holiday greetings from babies and engaged couples are always cute. It takes a special touch to make my bonkers life looks holiday worthy. Thank you Minted! |
Minted has holiday love for two lucky readers. Minted would like to offer two of you a set of 50 customizable photo holiday cards. Your photo. Cute colors. Envelopes and return address labels. How wonderful is this!?
Leave a comment on this post from now until Tuesday, November 29th at midnight pst. Tell me what you’re looking forward to this holiday season. Winners will be chosen at random, and will be announced on Wednesday, November 30th.
Check out Minted for some gorgeous holiday cards and some pretty amazing CyberMonday deals. They’re special. Let them make something special for you.
It seems as though… if you put biscuits on it… someone will profess their love to you.
It’s a strange phenomenon. It’s totally true.
Put biscuits on it… people will fall in love with you on the quick.
We’re dealing in comfort food here.
It’s like a food hug.
Get into it!
Would now be an ok time for me to freak out a little bit? ….because I’m totally freaking out right now. I’ve been sitting in front of this keyboard for hours, and I can not, for the life of me, think of a non-spazzy way to introduce what I’m about to introduce. So…
It’s the Joy the Baker Cookbook!!!
how many exclamation points can I get away with there? I was hoping for thirty (million).
The Joy the Baker Cookbook is a heartfelt exploration of butter and sugar. It’s 100 recipes that I made in my kitchen… so you could make them in your kitchen. Things like Red Velvet Marble Cake, and Strawberry Cookie Dough Ice Cream. There’s milkshakes, skillet cakes, and french fries. A whole chapter dedicated to my love of pancakes? Yes… clearly. There’s butter, sugar, cream, love, and smiles. All of these things should be shared in hearty measure, so I put them in a book and I’m offering it to you.
The Joy the Baker Cookbook is published by Hyperion and will be released on February 28, 2012. It is now available for pre-order through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Would now be a good time to nudge you and tell you that this book that came from my heart and soul is under $13 through Amazon and Barnes and Noble? I happen to think that’s bonkers amazing… I was sure that the content of my soul was worth bumble bees and heart shaped chocolate candies… what do I know?
Here’s the thing about a trip to the Emergency Room. In most cases, what you wear stumbling into the ER is what you wear walking out of the ER.
So… what you’re able to throw on as you’re stumbling around your bedroom, trembling like a maniac, halfway doubled over in pain, just trying so so hard to find your favorite scarf… those decisions that you make in those moments, are decisions that you’ll be living with once the ER times are over. It’s not a time to worry about fashion. I know this. Believe me… I know these things aren’t all that important. I’m just saying….
I’m just saying…
If you find yourself leaving the ER wearing the cropped lavender pajama pants that your mother handed-you-down, the cardigan you addicentially shrunk in the dryer, and your furry floppy slippers… the only thing that will be on your mind is how grateful you are for IV medicines and doctors that know things.
And the other thing that might be on your mind is… well, the fact that you’re wearing all of the things that you shouldn’t be wearing… in public. But you’re healthy. You best walk tall.
UPDATE! Thank you to everyone who signed up for ENJOY! Subscriptions are now full and closed until the next round of gifting in February. Love to you all! Joy
I’ve been cooking up a little something for you! It’s not brownies or cheesecake but I hope you like it all the same!
It’s mail. It’s cute surprises in your mailbox that are not bills or flyers. It’s real-life gifts to yourself or for a friend! Let me explain how this works.
ENJOY! is a subscription gift program. It’s a mystery gift delivered right to your door. Like a wine of the month club… only better!
Every three months I pair up with a different cool, quirky company and hand select a unique little gift package for you. It could be a cool kitchen item. It could be something for you to carry in your purse. It could be a little something for your vanity. Whatever it is, it’s a new and exciting thing that arrives in your mailbox every three months. …We’re not talking freebies or samples… we’re talking full-on awesome gifts!
Have you ever been to St Louis, Missouri?
I think it might be a magic place… I think it might also be haunted. Like, seriously.
I’m here visiting my dearheart Rachel. The light here is like sun shining through milkglass. There are piles of leaves everywhere. The houses are HUGE! and beautifully bricked, and scary, and haunted, and regal. There’s so much beauty and pride here. And people say hello to one another when they walk down the street.
I’m staying in a house that has a claw foot tub and a lady ghost whose giant dragging skirt can occasionally be heard going down the stairs. I haven’t heard it yet. I had a preemptive conversation with the lady ghost explaining that when I get spooked, I also get screamy and punchy.
Beautiful and haunted, this place.
Yea… I’m a little scared
I need stew… like, right now!
A thought for this Wednesday:
Tell a friend that you love them. Tell them that you think they’re incredibly special… that you’re lucky to spend time with them, and share smiles, and lunch, and lavender soda. It’s an important thing to tell people. We don’t know how long we get to last in the world.
I care about you. I made you beef stew. Recipe shortly.
Given the choice between being home and not being home… I’m the girl that always chooses home.
Brooklyn is amazing. San Francisco is delicious. Baltimore is bonkers. Home is my heart. Home is where I keep my jar of Sharpie markers, my clean white sheets with the familiar smell, and my giant mankitten.
Home is also where I keep my fry thermometer and bowl of apples.
Home will come soon… until then, I still have some new sights to put my eyes on. Until then… please enjoy these fried apple things I made.
Remember high school? I totally do! I played volleyball. I was an editor in journalism class. I took all the AP classes. I stressed out over Algebra… and my hair was cut awkwardly short. Like… really bad. I also didn’t have a boyfriend. I didn’t even have the prospect of a boyfriend. I had to ask out my dude prom date. I dunno. I had some of the best friends ever… I wasn’t really worried about too many things.
I feel like a good amount of high school girls read my blog. I know this because most of them write me emails asking how to get through high school. Usually the only answers I have for them include trying out for volleyball and journalism, and cutting their hair awkwardly short. That’s really the only experience I have, and I really shouldn’t push that on strangers. It’s rude and damaging.
I recently received a question from a dear and darling high school senior in Chicago. She called into the Homefries voicemail to ask us a question. She didn’t have a Chicago accent… I was listening.
The questions boils down to this:
I’m in high school. I’m a senior. I’ve liked this dude since my freshman year. We’ve texted a few times. I think he likes me. I just don’t know if I should keep pursuing this guy because we’re never going to see each other again once I go to college.
My answer is this:
You’ve liked the same dude since freshman year? Dang. It’s too bad dudes in high school don’t know how to act. I’m 30 and most dudes my age don’t know how to act. Here’s the deal. You can sneak this dude behind the bungalows to make-out with him… that’s it. Simple. (Mom… I didn’t do any of this. Seriously. That’s not even a lie to spare your feelings). Mostly you just have to wait for this dude to grow up. That will probably take a while. Sorry high school is so awkward and confusing. We’ve all been there…. except without the text messaging confusion. Make-out or don’t… but don’t make it too complicated. In short, go to college, don’t sleep around, learn how to be an awesome and independent woman. No biggie.
Oh! Also… learn how to make an awesome cheesecake and feel good about your life.
Let’s be people that host parties.
Let’s not just have people over… let’s host parties.
Let’s be people that look effortlessly elegant all night… even if this just means wearing the perfect pair of flattering jeans.
Let’s be people who always have perfect lipstick. Let’s be people who wear comfortable and stylish heels all night. Let’s be people who rock the most appropriate obscure playlist.
Let’s be people who start the game of Pictionary.
Let’s be people who send guests home with full bellies and warm cookies.
It all starts with a perfect cheese plate! And it’s totally not even hard! Come on… Play along!
It’s time for just a touch of real-life blogger talk.
It’s not often that bloggers talk honestly about the beginning, the behind the scenes, the flops, the late nights, and all the doughnuts.
Allow me to lay a tiny bit of truth speak on you.
I’m the boss of me… dig it.
My hair is in rollers. Like… kickin’ it old school in Velcro rollers.
No one needs to know that besides the 137 of you who read this blog, my cat, and any random person who comes to this blog after Google searching “the most awesome biscuits ever made, for real”.
Ah.. the rollers. It’s amazing how un-cute you have to look to eventually look cute-ish. Boys don’t do this. They just put on cardigans and look hot.
Now… there’s a lot of good news I need to tell you about these biscuits. First: bacon. Second: brown sugar. Third: butter. Fourth: they’re freaking biscuits!!! And fifth: they do not have an un-cute phase. They’re all cute/delicious/freak-out-worthy, from beginning to end.
Do you really need convincing? No. Do I really need these rollers? Um… today? Yes.
Note: It’s past midnight… and I’ve lost my mind raiding my chocolate drawer.
Second Note: I have a chocolate drawer… it’s an occupational perk and hazard.
Third Note: I used to have a chocolate drawer. Just wrappers now.
Fourth Note: Why does Kim Kardashian insist on making such a joke of her life? It must be the money. Right? It’s gotta be the money.
… and now! SALAD.
I know what you want.
It’s not Brussels Sprouts.
I know what you want… because what you want is what I want.
You want chocolate. I know this because I’m eating chocolate, kinda right now.
Seriously though… we have to play it cool. We have to sit at the table until we finish our vegetables.
There’s salted caramel in our future. There’s fried things. There’s cocktails. There’s all the buttery things you would expect from me.
Eyes on the prize. Let’s just hush up and eat our pretty salad.
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