"Yummy" Vintage Fashion on Downton Abbey

"Oh DO get on with it, I have work to do, if you please!" - Lady Mary, who doesn't.

Well, how about a lovely fashion show to get you pumped up for the weekend!  I still need to watch last week's episode of Downton Abbey to catch this awesome fashion show.  Most episodes have distractingly beautiful costumes, even though they may be understated.  They are beautiful because of the details.  Details are something that are long forgotten about in our modern fashion industry, except at the couture level.  Of course, the likes of Lady Mary were in fact buying couture.

Okay, I do love the plot, writing, acting, etc., of Downton Abbey, and even though I am not a soap opera person, I am so into this show!  But bar none, my favorite part of the show is the gorgeous clothes.  The costume designer is a costume history buff, and makes sure everything is historically accurate and of the year.  So, you won't see something in 1922 that wasn't invented until 1927.  That stuff really makes me happy.  And as I have said before, they just made clothes better then.

Here is a wonderful slide show of the fashion show they had on Downton Abbey recently.  There are some great quotes from the costume designer about how they search for items, do research, and even restore vintage items so they look new on the show.  Let's face it, no one was walking around with a flapper dress that looked to be 90 years old, in 1924.  In 1924, it was brand-new.

I am always stoked to find a vintage piece--a true, high quality, well-made, vintage piece.  As Downton's costume designer says, "things are disappearing."  I'm noticing this, too.  I first started vintage shopping 20 years ago.  Now, a lot of the stuff that was brand-new 20 years ago is filling up vintage and especially thrift stores.  I wore a lot of 70's and some 60's and 50's items, growing up.  Now, to find an actual vintage item from the 40's or before is like finding the Holy Grail!

Let's not even talk about the current book I'm poring over, Cheap Chic, which talks about vintage shopping, but in 1974.  People in the 60's were buying vintage flapper gowns and gangster moll fur coats...  Like we buy 1970's bell bottoms.  Scary thought, huh?

In another post, I'll talk about my jackets, including my newly re-lined vintage Persian lamb coat (please don't google how politically incorrect Persian lamb is; I had no idea when I bought it, and besides, it was vintage!).  But for now, I'll leave you with this thought.  If we get back to a less consumer-driven society, and stop buying 100 clothing items a year at Forever 21, and begin to repair nice items instead of throwing them out...  Maybe we can one day return to pride in craftsmanship and attention to detail not seen in at least forty years.

When Life Gives You Lemons... Celebrate!

That counter with the rotting grout, amirite?  Gotta love rentals.

About three weeks ago, my friend gave me a bag of lemons.  Why?  Well, she is super into a site called Freecycle, which is awesome in that it reduces waste and keeps things out of landfills by connecting people who need things with people who need to get rid of things.  I personally found the e-mail notification format annoying, so after unsuccessfully trying it in hopes of finding a china cabinet, and being dismayed by people actually trying to pawn off junk (deflated beach ball that won't reinflate?  WHY?), I unsubscribed.

Anyway, my friend has found a lot of neat things there, which takes determination and time to go pick up everything.  She has found everything from sod to a new couch!  To another new couch!  And someone was giving away a ton of lemons, so I got some!  Some things are just junk that take up space and you really need to be careful with what you allow in the door.  Lemons NEVER fit into that category.  They are always a good thing!

I received a tote bag full to the brim of lemons--probably 5 pounds?  I'm not good at estimating weight.  Now the task was to juice all those lemons.  But first, since I was busy, and most of the busy-ness was the result of guests, I offered lemons to some of those guests.  And some friends who I met up with.  Oh come on, who am I kidding?  Everyone likes lemons!

Now that the first phase of the project was done (that would be, reducing the amount of lemons I have to juice), I ignored the bag for a couple weeks because I was just lazy.  Finally yesterday, I was just bored and antsy enough to juice them.  This requires setting up a little station, I find.

1. cutting board
2. knife (any old knife--paring, or pictured above is one of my favorite steak knives)
3. measuring cup (or any bowl type object to collect the juice that has a spout)
4. strainer (so much easier to collect the seeds first)
5. juicer (this could be an old-fashioned bowl-style one, a reamer, or, your hands!)
6. empty ice cube tray (what the juice goes into) (you can put yer juice in there!)

It's so easy.  Just rinse all the lemons.  Then cut all the lemons in half.  Then juice.  Then pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, take out of ice cube trays and put into a gallon size Ziploc bag.  If all goes well, you will have a "squeeze" of lemon, or more, for recipes and tea year round.  Sometimes that's all a recipe needs to give it a little "oomph."

You can also zest the lemons, but the one time I did this, my husband said it didn't add anything to any dish, and it was a major PITA to do.  So, moving on.

If you live in California, doing this is so unbelievably easy.  Almost every yard has some sort of lemon tree.  I believe the ones above, with their lovely egg yolk-colored rinds, are Meyer lemons, my favorite variety.  They are a bit less tart than regular lemons, and are supposedly a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  They are super popular in California, but very hard to find in stores.  Happily, they are so easy to grow.  Maybe someone you know (a neighbor?) has a tree that is more of a burden and they don't use the fruit before it falls to the ground and rots.  Keep your eyes peeled and you too can have a boatload of lemons each year, that will last you many months.

I am growing a Meyer lemon tree which has just given fruit, and it is barely, slowly but surely, turning golden.  I hope to share updates on that and the rest of my garden soon.

For more information on the fun things to do with Meyer lemons, click here.  And have a great weekend!

Decluttering: Our Addiction to Cheap Fashion

via

I ran across this book while listening to an old podcast from Stuff Mom Never Told You (one of my fave podcasts).  It is now on my reading list, for sure.  If you get a chance, check out the podcast I linked to, as well.

All this talk about decluttering, and what is the root cause?  Shopping!  And why do we shop?  Because How can we afford not to.  We shop when we're bored, we shop when we're on vacation, we shop when we're socializing with friends.  We buy stuff because it's on sale, it's pretty, it's fun, it might add something, if not to our lives, well, to our afternoon.

The statistics in the podcast are a bit frightening.  Women dispose of many times more clothes than men do.  Because women, like, love shopping!  When you take clothes to the thrift store (as I love to do), not all of them are given to the needy, or sold to fellow thrifters.  Some are recycled into rags (those weird pink rags you see at the auto parts store).  Some are shipped off to Sub-Saharan Africa.  Well, several billions of TONS are shipped off...  And let's not mention how much STILL winds up in landfills.  And, do those in Sub-Saharan Africa actually need our clothes?  Not especially, and there is evidence it is negatively impacting their culture and livelihood.

What can we do, as consumerists?  Consume less.  I am not innocent.  I was a shopaholic for several years, and only in the past four or five years have I stopped, but I had amassed a buttload (to use a technical term) of clothes, shoes, and bags.  Plus, everyone knew I was basically someone who would take any clothes, so people gave me their old clothes.  AND, my grandmother was a clothes horse as well, so I got all her old clothing too.  As an aside, she had excellent taste, and I still wear, and kept most, of her clothing, including vintage Pendleton.  They just don't make things like they used to.

But I digress.

We just really don't need as many clothes as we think we do.  When statistics fly around that women wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time, you know something needs to change.  It's not entirely our fault.  We are being market to, just as we are marketed to about everything.  Every year, we need new things.  Every season, we need new things.  Even in California, where there really are no seasons!

I am trying to make amends for my former shopaholic ways.  I have gotten rid of many clothes, trying to as responsibly as I can, but some were taken to my trusty local thrift store, which claims on their signs that the clothing or money from it goes to help local charities--this is really tops in my book, and not the worst thing you can do--definitely better than trashing it in a landfill.  Others, I have taken to consignment stores like Crossroads.  My friends don't want any, which refutes the suggestion in the podcast that the only responsible way to get rid of clothes is through a clothing swap.  That assumes that you and your friends are clones who all have the same style.

Here are my suggestions:

• Don't shop.  If you need something, think before you buy.
• This means, is there something you own that can already work for the item?
• If you have a shirt that is torn, or jacket that needs mending, don't just chuck it, but try to repair it.
• The mantra should be: repair, replace, recycle.  Upcycle.  Just don't toss.  And don't treat your clothing as disposable in the first place.
• Approaching shopping in a mindful way means less waste.  Less waste means a better economy for our country and world, and it means a better environment, too.
• Shop responsibly.  This doesn't always mean Made in USA, but many times it does.
• Be the non-consumer--buy from consignment and thrift stores.  You can find some clothes still with their tags on!  This means that people bought the garment, never wore it, and then got rid of it.  Or were given the garment from a well-meaning but clueless friend.  Not a good thing.
• Some retailers like Patagonia have programs in place to repair old items of theirs, to keep them out of landfills.  Similarly, such companies often try to make sure their factories have as little impact on the environment as possible.  You won't believe how much water these places use!
• The book I mentioned above, Overdressed, has a handy shopping directory at its site, to guide you to some places that are a bit more responsible than Forever 21.
• Listen, Forever 21 is one of my most favorite stores to shop at.  Fast Fashion is Fun!  But, the cost involved in the creation and eventual disposal of it makes that supposedly expensive $200 blouse that is "slow fashion" look like a steal.
• Google "Made in USA" or "sustainable clothing" for more ideas.

I recently watched an early Hitchcock film, called Young and Innocent.  Besides the fact that the lead actress had the coolest name ever (Nova Pilbeam!) and that I had no idea who any of the stars were, and besides the fact that while I love 30's movies and am interested to see how Hitchcock found his style, what I really noticed was the clothes.  They were cut so beautifully.  Of course, duh, you say.  It's a movie.  But, I will counter that everyone wore the same costume for the entire movie (all 83 minutes of it).  People owned less clothes, but the quality was miles better.  Clothes weren't disposable.  Things in general were less disposable.  I am hoping our generation moves back toward less a disposable society, for the sake of our future and environment.

This is Not Even a Recipe: Lazy Muesli

This is not a sad desk brunch!

Well, the above picture of my breakfast may not look too impressive.  But trust me that it was tasty and can only get tastier.  I found that Trader Joe's makes an "Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal."  It has rolled wholegrain rye, barley, oats, and wheat.  I consider it a nice little change from oatmeal.  Oatmeal is awesome, but all these different grains make for a unique flavor.  You can definitely have it cooked, as any hot cereal.  Here is a good recipe for PB&J hot cereal using the stuff.  As usual, a cheap thrill from TJ's.

For the above, all I did was put some of the uncooked cereal in a Tupperware-type container.  I have some cooler containers, but the ugly Ziploc one was on the counter so there ya go.  I put about half a cup, the serving.  Then I put enough milk to have it swimming around a bit, about 3/4 to a cup.  You could add other ingredients here or the following day, depending.  I put it in the fridge overnight and had it for breakfast the next day (you can microwave it the next day if you want, too).

I like it cold and mushy (that's what she said).  Add some trail mix, chopped fruit, cinnamon, sugar, honey, etc...  You have one fantastic breakfast.  Since I had dental work done yesterday evening and am supposed to eat "soft foods only," I just had this as is, with some dried cranberries mixed in.  I'm trying to reduce sugar, so I had about six cranberries swirled in, and I fished them out like you do the cherries in a fruit cocktail (or is that just me?).

Some ideas to add:

• chopped apple
• chopped banana
• jam (berry jam would work great)
• trail mix (almonds/cashews work great)
• dried fruit (or part of a trail mix - tropical fruit or cranberries works great)
• orange juice (super European way to do things)
• cinnamon
• honey/maple syrup
• pinch of salt sometimes adds a good flavor
• hey, no one's looking...  why don't you add some chocolate chips?  :-D

Dress for Success?

Miss America contestant Yolande Betbeze in 1950, just chillin' in casual wear of the day.

So, we got some exciting news from the head admin here today.  The company president will be joining us from the Mothership tomorrow and the next day.  The frantic e-mail clearly stated not only that we must dress business casual, but ABSOLUTELY NO JEANS.

If you happen to reside on the East Coast, you may be saying "finally, you slacker California hippie!"  But us Californians have a knack for getting shit done while looking uber-casual.  Silicon Valley style, anyone?  Let's be frank, here:  California is birthplace of the modern blue jean.  Levi Strauss?  Anyone?  Not to mention that The Gap, skateboarding, mountain biking, and many other awesome and epic (and casual) things were invented or founded here.

But this is not something you say to the visiting company president.  To say we are casual around here is understating a bit.  Out in the corner of the building where I work, we are not part of legal, finance, or any other business-y department.  We are R&D and QA, and we get the job done in comfy clothes (the job sometimes requires hauling boxes of dusty old documents, or working with chemicals).  The average outfit around here is:  ratty jeans, crocs or beat up tennies, a polo shirt, and an old fleece pullover from a former company.  I figure I am making things a bit classier when I pair slightly nicer jeans with leather shoes (tennies only on Friday for me--self-imposed rule), a blouse that has buttons (tee-shirts only on Fridays--another self-imposed rule), and simple gold jewelry.  We all have our own ideas for what to wear when there is no requirement.

But is this a good thing?  I hope to talk in the future about how women (and people in general) have adapted to modern clothing requirements (seriously, only lawyers and financiers wear suits).  Some good discussions have come up recently.  I'll get back to Women in Clothes (it's on my read list), and Cheap Chic (the most awesome style book ever) in upcoming posts.

But back to the more pressing matter at hand.  In order to be seen as professional and successful, and to leave a good impression, and to be taken seriously, must your clothing and appearance be a factor in it?  I am a feminist and want to be taken seriously for my ideas over my appearance.  But of course, any interview I go to, I am definitely wearing black slacks, a nice shirt, and blazer, with some nice respectable shoes.  It's your first impression.

This is not me, but this is just about the look I go for at an interview.  Still more casual than the 1950's idea of casual wear.

I am a fashion person and I love clothes.  I always have to laugh at people who say "I don't pay attention to what I wear."  Just you knowing that you don't means you do.  Did I just blow your mind?  When you put on ratty jeans or ugly cargo shorts that haven't been trendy for fifteen years, and top with a shirt that has holes and not in a good way, you are sending a message to the world, like we all do when we get dressed.

And what about modern wear?  Were we better during the times of Mad Men, when everyone looked so chic and together, with not a hair out of place, perfectly applied makeup, a sweater, skirt, and heels, even on a chill day?  Watching a few old movies that seem to veer more towards the realistic side of dress, and seeing old family photos, shows me that people looked a bit less put together when being super casual.  But even camping meant:  penny loafers, khaki slacks, and a button down shirt.  Take that, Patagonia and North Face!

I don't know if the answer to the "what to wear?" conundrum is to return to more respectable forms of dress.  And I am a huge fan of blue jeans.  But I think if we each spent about two extra minutes each morning putting just a tiny bit of thought into our outfit, we might be projecting just that much better of an image to the world.  That's not bad, right?

Maybe if I had to dress nice every day, I would not be excited about the next two days.  But, since it's "special," I'm looking forward to wearing a dress or skirt, tights, and cute boots or shoes.  Vive la fashion!

This is Not Even a Recipe: Zucchini Saute

Ah, zucchini.  I just love dark greens, zucchini, and bell peppers (especially red ones).  But, I'm trying not to get in a rut, so instead of doing peppers and chard last night, after a long busy day and on my own for dinner prep, I went with zucchini.

I broke out my trusty big cast iron pan, worth every penny even if you don't take into account that I got it for free from a family friend.  I love this pan!  More on the pan in another post (and how to cook with and season a cast iron pan).  The pan came to me with some rust and wear and a weird layer of not-cool grease.  But now it is a trusty mainstay of my kitchen (and can be used as a weapon if need be, too) (you know, like in cartoons? when the pan would turn into the shape of the hapless person who got hit?).

Okay, I digress.

I can't really say this is a recipe, but I can definitely say that this proves you can put something yummy on the table with little to no skills, no recipe, no time, and only a couple ingredients.  I am not even going to list out the things I used.  Just read on.

I had about a pound of green zucchini from Trader Joe's.  I chopped off either end, then cut them lengthwise into quarters, then sliced that into coins.  In other words, 1/4 of coins, like little triangles.  You can cut it up however you want, but I wanted to save cooking time by taking some time on the front end with prep.  You could also grate it, but I wanted a little bit of "meat" to my zucchini.

I added some olive oil to my cast iron and when it shimmered, I dumped in the zucchini as I cut them up.

I usually add onions first, but in this case I really wanted to cook the heck out of my zucchini.  So, once I had the zucchini all in, I grabbed one medium-sized onion (about 4-5 inches in diameter), peeled it, and diced it up.  For a good method on how to mince or dice an onion, YouTube it.  Once you get some practice in, it's easy peasy.  Just remember to have a sharp knife.

Add the onions to the zucchini and stir around.  Things should be shiny and start looking a little translucent.  Then add seasonings.  Go with whatever moves you.  But definitely include salt and fresh-ground pepper in this.  After adding salt and pepper, I added some thyme, turmeric (love the color and it's so good for you, and also super TRENDY now), and garlic powder.  I might note a lesson I learned here:  I treated us to truffle salt, but that really is a finishing salt as the truffle flavor was more or less absent from the final dish.

Stir and stir and scrape until it is a doneness you like.  I wanted this to be almost like zucchini butter.  Yes, google that and you can find something really fantastic to put onto your toast if you have gotten tired of avocado toast (come on, even though it's overdone and trendy, avocado toast is delicious). 

Once my zucchini was about a third in volume of what I started out with, I tasted a bit to check for seasoning.  You can serve as is, as a side, or in my case, I mixed some pre-made ravioli from Trader Joe's into it, along with some French butter.  Magnifique!

Sunny January Weekend

 



Not bad for my iPhone, huh?  Taken at the cliffs by the cute town of Davenport.

 

This weekend, temperatures were "unseasonably warm"--whatever that means.  A year ago, temps were about the same.  Mid-70's.  Sunny at the coast.  Crazy-high waves.  Even if I did have previous plans, I would have cancelled them to escape to my favorite place on earth.  This place is great even when it's foggy and cold, even in the middle of the night...  But on a day like this--heaven.  I didn't even care if there were more people than usual at a lot of my happy places.  I was glad that people were getting out there to enjoy all that the Bay Area has to offer!  I always have to remind myself about this place when I get too crabby about having to pay so much to live in Fremont, which is getting more congested and charmless by the day.

 

I turned around from the first picture and saw this.  Dan teased me for taking a picture of the sun, but another guy walked by to take the same shot right after me.

While most people head straight down 17 to Santa Cruz, and still others head straight up to the Golden Gate and points north--our favorite place is the San Mateo Coast (although Sonoma Coast is starting to grow on me).  Lined with peaceful and picturesque beaches, cute restaurants and markets, and so much nature it takes your breath away, the SMC is a short hop and skip over the mountains from the Bay Area.  The best way to go is straight from Fremont on Highway 84, crossing the Dumbarton Bridge and following 84 as it goes past the flatlands of Redwood City, up into Woodside to where the rich tech guys live, and up a windy mountain road over the hill, eventually taking you to La Honda, then down to the coast past pretty coastal ranches, and into San Gregorio and Pescadero.  Check out a map to see which way makes the most sense to you.  While out there, you will see roads that speak to the agricultural history of the area--this wasn't always Techieland.

Not a bad view of Pigeon Point, with no other cars around, as we ate a late lunch.

Since the weather was so nice in the entire area, our sometimes plan of traversing Highway 1 all the way up past San Francisco, or down past Santa Cruz, was out.  It was jammed right past Half Moon Bay, and we assume jammed into Santa Cruz, too.  So, we made loop-de-loops in the area, and found lunch at New Leaf Market, which I wish they had one of in our area (it seems to be Santa Cruz-centric) (WAIT!  There is one in South San Jose and one in P-town!).  It's what Whole Paycheck WISHES it could be.  Cheese from Central Point, Oregon (near my grandparents), made with Rogue Ale hops, an olive medly, date sweets, and uncured Italian salami.  Acme bread slab not pictured but very much enjoyed. 

 

Our lunch, courtesy of New Leaf Market.  Includes a little cheese knife we bought for $4, our new favorite kitchen gadget.  Note:  My chilled glove compartment makes an excellent table.

After lunch and a bit more driving around, it was time for sunset, so we headed back to our favorite spot, Pescadero State Beach (where we had been earlier in the day).  You can see a bit in the picture below, but the beach was packed with people who had the same idea.  It was hilarious to see everyone race to their cars and jam up the exit as soon as the sun set.  But at least they were outside and not watching reality TV indoors.  So, we take what we can get.  I took a few pictures of the high waves, but they don't turn out as impressive as they look--similar to taking a picture of something steep.

I hope you enjoyed this little "travelogue."  I hope to share some of our travels here and there on the blog.  Traveling can be a cheap thrill, and if you took into account our cost, it was half a tank of gas in my diesel car, and our lunch.  You can do it even cheaper than us if you pack your own lunch.

For more information on parks and attractions in the area, visit here or here.  For hiking in the area, visit here.

 

 



Let's Keep it Clean

It's always a struggle to keep one's house clean.  Well, unless you're a neat freak, in which case, want to help me clean mine?  I have been called a neat freak, but trust me, that I am not.  Some weeks are too busy, with too many commitments and too many people to make happy, that I just don't have the time to do much past emptying the trash and cleaning up after dinner.  Then the weekend comes, and we have more commitments and guests and places to go, sometimes overnight.  Vacuuming out the cabinets becomes a non-priority.

I was reminded of the need to put things on a schedule thanks to this handy chart.  It starts out innocently enough, reminding you to wipe down counters daily (doable), and even ends by reminding you to do things seasonally like clean out the pantry.  But it lost me at "scrubbing tile grout" because we have a rental with rotted grout, and it's not on us to repair/replace/regrout.  We just have to make do.  As Bay Area residents, we are far from alone in being renters.  It also lost me at "wipe down inside of medicine cabinets."  We have one very small one, which I guess I wipe down once in awhile, but if you don't have too much junk, the actual cleaning of things is not too ornery a task.

If you just modify a list and make it work for you, that's a good start.  Some weekends, I can set aside two hours to clean the house--this weekend, I did the bathroom and kitchen.  But, some weekends are too busy (unless you want to be that weirdo cleaning the bathroom when everyone is enjoying a potluck?).  In that case, we break up the cleaning--bathroom sink and counter and toilet one day, shower/tub the other, kitchen floor another, and so on.  Once in awhile if I'm feeling zesty, I'll even scrub the baseboards.  Use your eyes and nose to help guide you on what really needs to be done.

I personally think it's all about simplifying things--your surroundings and your possessions, so that the cleaning and tidying is super easy to do.  Then, simplify the cleaning and tidying.  Find multi-taskers that can clean both floors and counters.  No need to have three cabinets' full of cleaning supplies for every surface.  For us, we use a Method brand cleaner on the tub and tile, and Dr. Bronner's peppermint cleaner on the floors (the whole house smells like a candy cane when done).  Bon Ami works great on our stainless steel sink. 

Natural products like vinegar, lemon, and salt, also do some great cleaning.  Vinegar is king!  Just google to find out ratios for cleaning different household surfaces.  The internet is awesome.

For some good tips on how to whip your kitchen into shape, I really liked these ideas.  Also, this article on how to care for kitchen items.  I'll talk about kitchen stuff in a later post.  I just wanted to focus on general house stuff in this one.

Just Go!

Aren't those shoes cool?  Yeah, they're my new shoes.  Yay!  I treated myself this year.  Oh wait, but this isn't a style post, this is a fitness post!  We'll get back to shoes, trust me.

I hate fitness.

But I have the metabolism of a banana slug, so just eating right is not enough to keep the weight off of me.  I was never much of an athlete on any level.  I was always picked last for teams in school, never was in extracurricular activities.  I even walked most of the mile we had to do in school.  I was bringing up the rear with a girl who had asthma and a guy who was born without leg muscles.  I'm not joking.  I was perfectly healthy.  Just not athletic.  Give me a cozy nook with a book and we are good to go.

But you need to stay active.  Even if you are one of those lucky few who can be stick-thin and still eat whatever they want and be sedentary, you still need to keep movin' and taking care of your body.  If anything, look at your older relatives (or those of your friends), and you will see the difference between someone who does no physical activity, and someone who does at least some, and someone who does a lot.

It was so hard for me to find something to motivate me to get out there.  Oh, excuse me:  #getoutthere.  I realized I don't like team things, I don't like classes, and I want to be solo.  I also don't like lots of equipment.  For me, that meant walking.  I have tried running, but to say I'm not a runner is putting it mildly (see above paragraph about high school).  I will jog on occasion.  And by jog, I suggest you pronounce what I am doing as "yogging."  Walking is great, and I can walk forever.  But, you only get so much cardio and strength training in that.  And you need a balanced workout.

This is where hiking has come in handy!  Hiking gives you lots of cardio as you climb those hills.  And believe me, there are hills somewhere close to you.  I am lucky to live in the Bay Area, which is surrounded by hills.  There is a place by the Bay, only five minutes from my house.  More intense, "East Bay" style hiking can be found within 20-30 minutes of my doorstep (and redwoods only an hour away).  The above picture is taken at Pleasanton Ridge, part of the East Bay Regional Parks district.  Find your local parks district or State Park, and get out there.  It's cheap-to-free and so good for the soul to be out in nature.

An aside about gear:  I don't like gear.  I don't like technical clothing.  Meh.  Bah humbug.  I was hiking with Converse or Vans on, or my Clarks desert boots (hey, they had a picture of someone hiking on the shoe itself!).  After a few times of almost twisting my ankle, or sliding backwards down a hill as I tried to hike up...  I treated myself to the above boots.  What a difference!  And hopefully a way to help reach my full potential.

A few other things I do in my spare time:  I am married to a mountain biker, so naturally I have an epic mountain bike I am far from qualified to make good use of.  More on mountain biking in another post (I'm beginner level).  I also just recently signed up for ballet/lyrical/barre classes at my local rec center.  Added bonus:  My work is reimbursing me!  A class!  Who would have thought I'd be motivated.  But, it is a block from my house and free--can't beat that.

I'll talk more about mountain biking (as a beginner being drug out by an advanced rider), and barre classes (woohoo I get to buy ballet slippers!) in other posts.  I want to leave you with this thought:  Just get out there.  Find what you like to do.  Maybe it's joining a softball team, or taking a new class, or joining Planet Fitness (only $10 a month!) (I didn't like it because I hate the gym).  Just find what you like and keep showing up.

Summer Tomato blog has a great article about getting out there and how you will never regret it.

The last time I went to my lady-doctor, she said I had gained weight since last year.  I was shocked!  I thought all my clothes were shrinking in the wash.  I said I try to hike or whatever, but then things get busy and I fall off the habit and can't get back into it.  She said JUST KEEP GOING.  JUST GET BACK IN!  So, even if it has been a few weeks since you did something active, just get out there!  Today is the beginning of the rest of your life.

Stupid Easy Somewhat Healthy Saute

Let me just preface this recipe by saying that just about everything we cook is stupid-easy and somewhat healthy, sometimes entirely healthy.  So from now on, just assume that all recipes here are easy.  Unless I write "Really Difficult" in the title.

Also, let me apologize for not having a fancy kitchen or fancy camera.  I'm a fan of using my iPhone camera instead of the Canon DSLR (need to work on that), and we have a rental so the kitchen is not exactly stylish.  It does, however, have a gas stove and lots of storage.  So, I can't really complain.  But it is ugly.

As an aside, this ugly rental kitchen has hosted several parties a year, some of which we feed upwards of 30 people at.  So, not too shabby.  My point is, you can do it, too!

The above picture is of a quick sauté we put together the other day.  I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's, but you can probably find the stuff elsewhere.  If you don't like to cook, don't know how, or don't have the time, I hope this recipe and others on the blog will change your mind.

Let's get cracking!

You'll need:

- Half pound of bacon or another fat source like a few glugs of oil
- Mirepoix mix or: one onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks (eyeball them), all diced, one pound total
- cooked lentils (about one pound cooked)
- at least one pound of greens of your choice.  Here, we used red spinach and green spinach.
- season to your taste:  always salt and fresh-cracked pepper, and here I added some garlic powder and French thyme.

1. We started this out by putting about half a pound of bacon in a hot pot.  If you're a veg, you can use olive oil or fake bacon.  I prefer thick-cut and as free of additives as you can get.  We sliced it into half-inch chunks.  It'll cook down.
2. When bacon has rendered fat and begun to brown, add mirepoix.  Mirepoix, which is not in the spelling dictionary on this word processor, is a combination of diced/minced onions, carrots, and celery.  "Your aromatics," as some may say.  The Italian word for it is sofrito.  In Cajun cooking, they use red bell peppers instead of carrots in their "Holy Trinity."  Again, Trader Joe's commercial:  they make a pre-chopped container of mirepoix, or as one lady there asked for it, "soup starter."  Yes, it's fresh and it's fine and dandy.  Or, you can buy the items separately and process them.  Since we were lazy, we got the container, and didn't even need to use a chef's knife when preparing this.  More time to drink beer!
3. When carrots begin to soften and onions are translucent, add the cooked lentils.  You might need to break them up if they are in a container like the one Trader Joe's has--they are all stuck in a block.  Let the bacon grease coat them and everything meld and soften.
4. When everything starts to get browned, lentils are broken down and warm, and mirepoix is well on its way to rendering out all its flavors, add the greens.  This is the fun part.  You might need to add them in batches because huge amounts break down into a tiny little bit.  Can you imagine all those NUTRIENTS in those greens?  Holy smokes.  Amazing.  You'll feel like Popeye the Sailor Man after this.  Please tell me you understand that reference.  If not, YouTube it.  All you do is stir those greens around, coat them with the pan liquid, and things wilt down.  Keep stirring for a few minutes and you will have something similar to what's pictured above.
5. Correct the seasoning, as you never know how salty the bacon will make things (usually I need to add a bit more salt).  Add the other seasoning.  Mix and sit to meld flavors.
6. You can let it sit or eat right away.  I encourage you to play around with ratios and ingredients.  Maybe you don't like lentils (what's wrong with you?)--you can sub out any other bean or legume.  This is a vegan meal if you leave out the bacon and add vegetable oil of some sort.  Any green that benefits from being cooked will work here.  You can add bell peppers, too (lots of nutrients), add broth to turn it into a soup or stew, or plop a poached or over-medium egg on top to make things rich.  The sky's the limit when you're cooking.  Cooking is fun!

I hope you give this a go the next time you want something quick and are too hungry to even find time to get takeout.  This is quicker than takeout. 

Decluttering the Spare Room

Wow, isn't that a lovely picture?  Don't you love clutter?  I know I do.

Said no one, ever!

Except maybe hoarders.

I'm not a hoarder.  But maybe I was at some point.  The above picture was about the worst our spare room looked.  This is when I first moved in with my now-husband, from my apartment.  I just had the movers (aka my friends) throw boxes in this room to get them out of the way.  But it may have stayed cluttered for more time than I care to admit.  Even if the clutter got shuffled around, there was still stuff that I didn't really need taking up space in a more or less unusable room.

The years went by (well just a couple years), and the spare room got organized, but was still full of clutter and not really usable.  It also became a catchall for other clutter in the house.  Every time we needed to clear spaces because of a party, all the junk got thrown in this room, and the door closed.  Every time someone gave me something I didn't want to deal with or find a place for yet, it got thrown in here.

While I did get pretty good at contortioning myself in an ungraceful version of some movie star playing a spy and getting through those laser maze thingies, I was tired of having this junk room.  Compound that with people who were comfortable enough to poke fun at it, leading me to silently ask them why they never invited me to THEIR house??  But I digress.

I did end up doing a version of the "clear it all out and evaluate" technique I mentioned yesterday.  I cleared it all out to the living room, except for the closet (which would wait for another day--I'm not insane, mind you).  It took me a sixteen hour day (I'm not joking), working non-stop and almost throwing out my back to go through all the junk. 

I do have some awesome things, and I did keep them.  But now they are actually easy to find and access.  I know where all my stuff is.  I did keep some mementos, too.  But, I suggest you define the word "memento"--or it can easily turn into JUNK.  Mementos shouldn't really take up more than a box. 

The main rule, the golden rule of decluttering is this series of questions (a quick google search yields neat articles like this):

- Do I use this?  (Additionally, if you haven't used it in a year, why is it in your home?)

- Does this bring me joy?

- Does this add beauty to my surroundings?

Once you answer these, you get a better idea with how much actual junk is sitting around just taking up space in your house.  It impedes energy flow, it impedes your movement in your house...  It's just no bueno.

This article also suggests to digitize nostalgia.  This was a HUGE boon for me.  Just take a pic on my smartphone of those awesome shoes I never wear but like to look at, or that coat that has an awesome lining, or that memento from that one awesome trip to wherever.  Maybe some things that bring you joy but are not useful and don't add beauty to your surroundings...  Maybe they would be best kept only in digital form.

The trend toward paring down is gaining steam.  Hopefully I'm not bombarding you with information and links, but here is another one.

Here is a nice write-up about a book you can peruse at Amazon or your local bookstore.  It has some good common sense.  You do want to have a super awesome and clean house that has a really chic Japanese vibe to it, right?

I'll give you a moment to cruise those links.  Done?  Found more links?  Awesome.  Getting inspired?  Where do you start?

I started with this one room.  Just with the boxes in the room, full of stuff I had no idea I owned.  In that sixteen hour day that I believe also made me catch a cold (seriously, this is hard work but worth it), I got TWO CARLOADS of bags of things to donate to my local thrift store (Thrift Town, woohoo!).  The house actually felt lighter.  In the end, that meant I could actually walk into the room and use it as a room. 

Another weekend day was spent whittling down the clutter that rested along the walls (LOTS of stationery) yielded several more bags.  Also, I filled up our empty recycling bin twice--so much stuff I had been hauling around!

Once the bags were out of the house, and the house itself (then car) felt lighter, I could focus on the next step (and the next step--it's addicting!).  I'm in the midst of a clothing declutter, which will be in another post.  Some advice says to start with clothing, but I had been doing that slowly all along.  Clearing out that spare room motivated me to really pare down my clothing.  As I said, I used to be a shopaholic.  Now I have, I just counted, eight purses total.  And one duffel bag for traveling.  I could have less if I wanted--three are in the current rotation.

Lastly, one final thought for you.  You could take it ALL to the thrift store, which is an awesome idea.  Maybe you have something worth a lot, but it's nice to just leave it there for someone to discover.  Or, you can go to eBay or the like and see if what you have is really worth a lot.  Then you have to decide if the effort to sell it is worth your time or not.  I have had luck with places like Crossroads to buy back some of my clothing, but sometimes they don't need what you have.  You decide what to do, but the end goal should be a lighter house, and not being owned by your things.

One final, final point.  When my husband and I were looking for homes to buy in the past few years (the market is too crazy now to do much besides save more money), we felt that we couldn't have smaller than a 3 and 2 because we had so much stuff.  Talk about being owned by our stuff!  How much stuff do you really need, two people who sleep in the same room??  My husband was raised in a 2 and 1 cottage, with his parents and brother.  The fact that half the people need twice the space is ridiculous.  So, give me some more of those garbage bags to fill (and show me the listings for cottages).

High Fashion on the Cheap

I am in the midst of my monthly foray into high fashion.  Which I am able to enjoy for free.  How?

Why, my local library, of course!

Your local library has all sorts of things.  The newest books, which could be put on hold and requested to be delivered to the library closest to you.  Old, out of print, priceless books that can be yours for a few weeks thanks to interlibrary loans.  The newest movies.  Discounts to museums and other institutes of culture.  I have an Master's in Library and Information Science, so I am definitely a cheerleader for all that the library has to offer.

What I am enjoying today is my digital access to hundreds (thousands?) of new magazines related to all subjects.  Of course, my go-to is Vogue.  Besides, do you really want to lug around the paper version of this behemoth?  In this digital age?  I like paper as much as the next gal, but NO.  It's mostly ads anyway.

If you have an Alameda County Library card like I do, you can access Zinio's portal here.  If you don't live in or near Alameda County, you really should check out your own local library.  Libraries are awesome!  Fashion is awesome!

Also, is it me, or do the fashion poses get more and more ridiculous each year?

The Struggle: Decluttering

We all have problems, at various levels, with controlling clutter that enters our house.  I think there are a few problems that make life as a middle-class American especially cluttered.  I want to talk about this here and there on this blog as I myself struggle to declutter our house and not be owned by our things.

The first problem is that shopping is a pastime in this country.  People shop on vacation for souvenirs, people shop for gifts for every occasion (whether the item is meaningful or needed, or not), people shop with their friends as a way to pass the time on a Saturday afternoon.  People shop because they're bored.  They shop because there is a sale they couldn't pass up (how could you afford not to?).  People put stuff on credit because they just had to have it.

I have one word for this:

NO!  STOP!

Okay, that's two words.

I speak from the standpoint of someone who used to be a shopaholic.  But what is a shopaholic?  I was able to quit cold turkey a few years ago, and I definitely did not develop the shakes or the sweats.  I did notice something growing exponentially:  my bank account!  Imagine that.  When you spend less money, you are able to save more money.

Over the past few years, I have decided to not be owned by my stuff.  At first, this meant just not buying new stuff.  Maybe this even meant allowing things like shoes and coats to show some wear before buying new ones.  However, I didn't get rid of the things I had already purchased.

As an aside, let me tell you that when I stopped being a shopaholic, I also went through some moves.  I moved out of my parents' house and into my friend's house to rent a room.  I moved out of there and into my other friend's condo that she was selling.  Then out of there (all the while some things being stuck in storage) and into my own one bedroom apartment (and out of the storage unit too).  And the best one:  out of my one bedroom and into a two bedroom just across the complex, as my brother moved in with me.  This involved walking my belongings across the parking lot, from one second-story unit to another.  Finally, I moved all my items in with my then-boyfriend-now-husband and his brother.  All the while, my long-suffering friends had to move pounds and pounds of JUNK.  Sorry guys.

Now, let me introduce you to my new addiction:  I am addicted to getting rid of stuff!  I decided I want to live a more clean life.  I guess in current terminology, I want to be more MINDFUL.  But I think that word has become so clichéd as to lose its meaning.  So, let's just say I want to not be wasteful in anything I do.  I will go into my individual processes in subsequent posts, and believe me, it's a process.  But I want to leave you with a good tip I just ran across today over on the blog Seventeenth & Irving:  to clean out your bedroom, take everything out of the room except your actual bed and sheets and blanket, two nightstands, and their respective lamps.  Then only put back the stuff you really need.  Read more at the link for more information.

I guess the moral of the story for now is, we actually need a lot less STUFF than we think we do.  Stay tuned for more posts as I continue on my decluttering journey.

Fancy Fast Salad

Recently, what with the cold weather and all those pesky germs floating around, we have gotten in the habit of doing our best to eat our leafy greens at lunch or dinner.  But, salad is boring, right?  Well, it can be fun and easy to do if you apply a basic formula.

The formula that works for us is:

1. Salad greens:  The darker, the better.  Spring mix, mesclun, spinach.  Kale?  Hold that thought.  If you want to add kale, you should "massage" it first to break down the fibers, and then massage a bit more with the dressing added, let it sit, then add the rest of the ingredients.

2. Dressing:  Oil and vinegar is so versatile--olive oil alone has hundreds of varieties, and vinegar comes in all flavors (we have a coffee one right now!).  Homemade dressing takes seconds, and is so much better for you than the bottled variety.  A simple Google search will yield recipes for homemade ranch dressing, honey mustard vinaigrette, and on and on. 

3. Protein:  Are you meat-free?  Add cheese or vegan cheese.  No such restrictions?  Add a hardboiled or poached egg, cold cuts, roast chicken...  The salad above has rosemary ham we got from Trader Joe's--so good.

3a. Nuts:  Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein for all diet requirements (unless you're allergic to nuts, in which case, sorry!).  The salad above has pepitas and slivered almonds.  They add CRUNCH too!  Which is important in a salad.

4. Crunchy veggies:  You need a salad to be nice and crunchy.  I personally like mine vinegary and crunchy and well-seasoned.  To add crunch, bell peppers are my favorite because they are so easy to find year-round, super easy to grow in the Bay Area in the summer, and packed full of nutrients.  My favorite are the red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, which add nice color to a green salad.

5. Avocado:  We're Californians.  We love our avocados.  In fact, I have three trees going, two from seeds!  But in the middle of winter, even in California (at least here in NorCal), the avocados in the store are sad indeed.  Guacamole is an option.  The above guac is very simple and can be found in packages at Trader Joe's.  Make sure the first ingredient is in fact avocados, and that there are no more than some lime juice, salt, and seasonings added to it.

6. Seasoning:  Seasoning is the spice of life.  Or something like that.  I usually add fresh-cracked pepper* and salt of some sort.  Maybe add some dried garlic, special salt (smoked sea salt or truffle salt, perhaps?), cumin, turmeric, chili, thyme, basil, or whatever strikes your fancy.

*I also want to take this opportunity to say that while we don't like kitchen gadgets, especially unitaskers, having a good pepper grinder (you can get them at any price point) is definitely a necessity.  Fresh cracked is a different animal than the pre-ground pepper in the can at the store.

Welcome to Our Blog!

Phew!  Hello there, and welcome to our new blog.  Click around, as we get on our feet, and we hope you enjoy yourself.  My name is Kati, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts on all sorts of topics.  Sometimes, I might even have guest bloggers, so we can get a new perspective on things.

We are going to focus on:

- Style - Style tips for the rest of us.  News and trends.  Shopping tips and how to apply them to living a less consumerism-driven life.

- Cooking - My housemates and I are not chefs, but we are cooks.  I hope to share some of our go-to meals, and new ideas too.  Let's eat yummy and healthy food--the two are not mutually exclusive.

- Home - Organization, decoration, gardening.  Including tips on how not to do things the tacky way, how to make the home a place you look forward to being at, and gardening ideas for my fellow lazy gardeners.

- Travel - Tips on traveling and camping, and enjoying the outdoors.

- Fitness - Tips on staying fit, even if you are busy, or if it takes a lot of motivation (it does for me).