Lessons from Lyrics #4

photo by stilllearninghowtofly

"Oh, Five years time
I might not know you,
In Five Years Time
We might not speak at all and
In Five Years Time
We might not get along
In Five Years Time
You might just prove me wrong."

 - Five Years Time Lyrics

so don't give up 
even if you already broke your arm

Unsaid Words

My friend and neighbor Brittany has just begun to make these darling masks. She sculpts the base and adorns them with colorful and shimmering materials. I always try to sneak a peek of her handmade flowers when I pass by her apartment. To purchase Brittany’s masks which I think make great bachelorette or evening wear accessories, drop me a comment or email. 

 

Enjoy this Mark Strand poem about masking oneself with words.

Harmony in the Boudoir

by Mark Strand

After years of marriage, he stands at the foot of the bed and
tells his wife that she will never know him, that for everything
he says there is more that he does not say, that behind each
word he utters there is another word, and hundreds more be-
hind that one. All those unsaid words, he says, contain his true
self, which has been betrayed by the superficial self before her.
"So you see," he says, kicking off his slippers, "I am more than
what I have led you to believe I am." "Oh, you silly man," says
his wife, "of course you are. I find that just thinking of you
having so many selves receding into nothingness is very excit-
ing. That you barely exist as you are couldn't please me more." 

"Harmony in the Boudoir" by Mark Strand, from Almost Invisible. © Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.via The Writer's Almanac

Courtyard Chili Cookoff

We haven't had a party at our apartment complex since July 4th for the crawfish boil. My husband and the neighbors decided the next event should be a chili and cornbread cookoff. It turned out to be a great idea. The French Quarter was very busy and the streets were filled with Alabama and LSU fans for the National Championship game. We were lucky enough to have friends willing to brave the crowds with their entries. We had eight total including a white chili, veggie chili, pork chili, steak chili and beef bouillon chili. The only thing that was missing was a seafood chili. My chili and cornbread came in second place. It had beans, plenty of peppers, ground meat and sausage. The cornbread came out really moist and flavorful, like a casserole. I got the recipe from my boss. It had corn, onions and jalapenos too. 

The winner was my husband for his steak chili. He used chilies imported from New Mexico because he's so fancy. He also won best cornbread by using his Grandmother's West Virginian recipe. Some of her secrets are whipped cream and honey. Amanda brought a veggie chili and won first place in the spicy category.

Lindsay’s Second Place Pepper Chili 

(aka My Bean Beef Sausage Chile Chili)

• 1.5 pounds ground beef chuck
• .75 pound Italian sausage
• 5 strips bacon
• 1 (15 ounce) can light kidney beans, drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chili beans in spicy sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (from can)
• ½ packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup beer
• ½ cup salsa
• ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Cook crumbled beef and sausage in bacon drippings just until brown; drain. Stir taco seasoning into meat.
2. Pour meat into large crock pot. Add all chili beans, all tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chipotle peppers, chile peppers, crumbled bacon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salsa, salt, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. Simmer on low as desired. If the chili is too watery. Cook without lid for an hour or two. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and refrigerate to serve the next day. Top with fresh parsley or cilantro and cheese as desired.

MidCentury Modern Me

My husband and I have started shopping (mostly window shopping) to furnish the new house. On a recent trip to Houston, he fell in love with a Knoll Bertoia Large Diamond Chair with yellow upholstery. This sparked his interest in researching Midcentury furnishings, their values, their designers etc. I've always liked the chair but was hesitant to make the $1200 investment. I'm not quick to spend so we are going to shop around until we feel like we find a good deal. We always find bargains so I'm confident.

photo via dwr.com

 While we both like the MidCentury aesthetic, I find that too much of it can be a bore. In the end our home will be an eclectic mix of antique, midcentury, modern, and just plain weird pieces. Take my husbands thrift store stocked apartment for example.

Below is an image of Gio Ponti's work and a quote of his about MidCentury design for 1951. I for one can't argue the approach.

“Everything is going from the heavy to the light, from the gross to the subtle, from the opaque to the transparent, from the dark to the light, from the colorless to the colorful, from the fragmentary to the unitary, from the complicated to the linear. Anyone going in the opposite direction is in error.”

Timeline of My Life to Music 2011

It's that time of year again when I reflect on the past year and select a song to describe each month. In the beginning of the year my boyfriend moved here from California. We had many late nights dancing through the city. Towards the end of the year, we realized that we couldn't live without one another and decided to dance our way down the aisle. I hope you enjoy this set. If you'd like to see the songs from 2009 and 2010, click the links below.

Music Timeline from 2009

Music Timeline from 2010 

 January 2011

February 2011

listen here >>> hello saferide - valentine's day

image from dasklienicum.blogspot.com

March 2011

April 2011



May 2011



June 2011



July 2011



August 2011



September 2011



October 2011



November 2011



December 2011