Happy Heart's Day

Found sidewalk art on South Congress, Austin, Texas.

Freeky

I first heard the new Die Antwoord song: "I Fink U Freeky" a couple weeks ago now and am still enthralled by the sound. The video is bizarre in the standard Die Antwoord way. I wouldn't expect anything less. They are playing the Metro in Chicago and of course the show is sold out. I would have loved to go and dance myself silly to the Antwoord beats! In the mean time, until I can purchase Ten$ion, I've been watching this video. I just found out they're streaming the whole release over here, so I'm getting a preview. Click the link to get yours!

Travel As Equals

Beautiful. I never cease to be amazed by the work of Joseph Arthur.

Shoes Day

These beauties are from J.Crew, photographed on display at their Fifth Avenue (at 17th Street) store in NYC.

2012 Golden Globes: Fashion

Award season is officially upon us with the 2012 Golden Globes taking place tonight at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. I did not watch the telecast, so will have to catch video highlights tomorrow. I did, however, just look through about 40 pages of arrival photos to pick out some of my favorite red carpet looks to share with you. I was a little underwhelmed, to be honest. I don't feel like there was any one look that owned the red carpet. We saw tons of flesh/neutral colors, which all blend together when so many other ladies are wearing it.  

So here are my top pics from tonight's red carpet. A few of these ladies have been in my top picks from previous years, so I guess I like the work their stylists are doing. I would be curious to know who worked with whom in pulling the looks together. Who wore your favorite looks tonight? 

(Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Kate's whole look is old Hollywood glamour. The hair, jewels and the cut of the gown. I love the straight strapless neckline. She looks like she's 100% comfortable in this glammed out look, which is how one should look on the red carpet! 

(Photo: Jason Vespa/WireImage)

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein Collection

So here's Heidi rocking a nudie colored column dress with a turquoise and diamond necklace. I'm a sucker for turquoise, which is mainly why I chose to feature Heidi's look. That and the back of the dress, which was very low cut. Being that the Golden Globes are little more relaxed than the Oscars, I think this works as a Golden Globes look. It certainly doesn't have enough punch to make it at the Oscars. 

(Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Freida Pinto in Prada

I'm all about this color for Freida. I would have liked to see how this moved on the red carpet, as the skirt photographs a little stiff. She's wearing a Chopard gold and diamond bib necklace that barely shows up in this photo. That's a true pity because with 145 total carats of yellow diamonds and 1,705 micro pave diamonds, it should knock us out. Hopefully it did in person!

(Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Nicole Richie in Julien MacDonald

No changes. This is gorgeous. I love the texture and the back of the dress, is stunning. 

(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture 

Charlize pretty much always looks lovely. I would have changed this up a little by removing the pouf so it would be more of a smooth/clean silhouette. Otherwise, I'm a fan.

Annual January Running Tradition

"Annual tradition: standing in line to register for River Bank Run 25k."

I posted that to my facebook last night. On of my friends posted this reply: "can't you do it online?"

Yes, you can, but what fun would that be? This year will be my fourth year running the 25k and each year I've run they've had a registration/kick off event that includes free training t-shirts, free pizza, a slightly discounted registration fee and a mini running expo. My running buddy A and I have only missed out once due to weather. There's something about going out of your way a little bit to register for River Bank. For me it officially signals the beginning of my running season and gives me something to look forward to in the dark first couple weeks of January!

We ran into a few of our running friends and talked about the upcoming training/running season with them. We talked to Marathon Don about getting ahold of old Grand Rapids Marathon shirts that he sells at a discount. We did not eat the pizza. That was a first. A had had pizza for lunch, and I wasn't that hungry/did not want to wait in the line.

And how's the running going? This week was my first week back on a schedule since the Marathon. I ran outside on Saturday and at the gym on Monday and Wednesday. I'm supposed to go tonight. I'm waffling.  That's the good and bad part about being this early in the season, you know you can skip and/or make up the miles too easily. 

The actual running is pretty slow. I've definitely lost my marathon lungs, which makes me sad. I remember being so psyched about finishing the marathon and thinking that I would only take a week off after the marathon so I could get right back to running. With no race on the horizon, it was too simple to not run. So I ended up taking about two and half months off, which means getting my lungs/base back will take a few weeks, I hope! Weekday runs right now are 2-3 milers. It makes me laugh when I get winded and walk a few because I know there will be a time in the not so distant future when I'm running more miles than that and think it's no problem at all! It totally happened last year. I can't wait to get back there!

Random Fun at Work

I received an email today from a coworker who is not in the office asking me if I'd help her out with something. I'm thinking, sure, no problem. As I keep reading it turns out to be the most bizarre request ever. She basically asked if I'd shoot a rubber band over my cube wall and another coworker's cube wall into someone else's cube. Both the asker and the rubber band recipient do not work in my department and she offered no apparent reason for the task, but it was just the right bit of silly mischief for me to partake in.

I'm not sure if my first attempt made it into target territory, but I'm pretty certain the second one I just tried did.

Ha! Here's to random fun antics in the office.

Undeniable

Happy 2012!

Another new year is upon us! Happy New Year to you!

I've never been huge on "resolutions." I'm much more a believer in setting an intention and living by it. Whatever your practice as you traverse from the old year to discovering the newness that 2012 holds, you may dig this video I came across on yes and yes today. It's got some great intentions for the new year! Best to you in 2012!

Friday Afternoon

Curious George...

Festive

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Christmas (if you celebrate) is in one week! Over the last week I've been getting my festive on in cupcake, sweater and glitter form! The holiday party with my work peeps was on Friday night. It as at a co-worker's house and everyone was to bring a dish to pass, wear an ugly Christmas sweater and bring a white elephant gift for yankee swap.

Can you guess what I brought?! I knew I was going to bake something, but waffled back and forth about making a more elaborate cake and the festive cupcakes you see below. So obviously, the cupcakes won out!

I found the recipe on Pintrest. (Hello! I'm still pretty new to Pinning, but am somewhat obsessed!)  Chocolate cake with a peppermint cream cheese frosting. Super easy to make, but it looks like someone else did the fancy work! I was a little dubious about the distribution of striped frosting, but the recipe had a great tip for making it work.

I love how the snowman looks like he's rubbing his belly in anticipation of eating ALL of the cupcakes! "Get in my belly!"

One year for a Christmas present for our boss, a few of my co-workers and I booked a portrait session at Sears and we all wore ugly Christmas sweaters. This was like four years ago, before the ironic Christmas sweater craze really took off. I scooped up a few sweaters at Goodwill so we'd have some to choose from for our portrait session. I brought them back to Goodwill post photo shoot, so I had to come up with something special for the party. 

Back to my favorite Goodwill with fingers crossed.  No actual ugly sweaters to be found, but I did find the red sweater above in an unadorned state. I bought the plush Santa and Snowman ornaments at Goodwill, knowing they were destined for the sweater. I found the Santa fur trim and sewed that on. I already owned the belt, which I feel really pulls the whole ensemble together in a very Santa-riffic way! It was a fun project to orchestrate and a riot to wear! I'm set for years now with this creation.

I've seen a lot of glitter manicure photos on blogs recently, but remember seeing my first, done beautifully by ...loveMaegan. Of all the different photos she's posted since, this has been my favorite look. The pink she used was much more pink, but the subtle pink is what I already had. I finally got some silver glitter glue and gave it a go. Subtle, yet still glittery and festive. I love it! 

What are you doing to get festive for the holidays? 

Or Whatever.

OMG Cookies!

I made these cookies yesterday! I found the recipe on Bakerella. She calls them Dark Chocolate Chip Comfort Cookies and I would have to agree on the comfort part. I haven't had or baked a cookie like this...ever and I've baked a cookie or twelve in my time! Chocolate peanut butter dough with dark chocolate chips...ridiculously delicious and they have a perfect texture. They were fantastic to bring to work as a treat to celebrate my five-year work anniversary! They now have a place in my regular cookie baking repertoire and may just be my new favorite.

What's your favorite cookie to bake and/or eat?

Wordless Wednesday

Shufflin'

This is my brain on random/shuffle this Tuesday evening:

Correspondence is important to relationships. This is a note to the world at large as much as it is to myself.

*****

I made Kale Chips yesterday for the first time. They're light with an airy, crispy texture. I like them. I do not like cleaning curly kale though.

*****

The last piece of pumpkin pie is finally gone. And je triste.

*****

Sometimes just going to get coffee, the mere act of walking into my coffee shop and chatting with my baristas, is more satisfying than the actual coffee I walk out with. Not as sad panda as it may sound, although it might be time to change up my game, or find more outlets where there be chatty folks to interact with. Or both.

*****

Are you an Eames fan? I saw Eames: The Architect and the Painter over the weekend. It was pretty cool to see the whole story of the couple and their creativity. I was bummed though, to find out that Charles carried on an affair with another women for a while. I literally thought, "Really, handsome creative guy?! So original in other aspects of your life, but not so much in the cheating on your lady. What gives?!"

*****

Winter weather hasn't officially begun here in Michigan, but it is REALLY cold tonight. I'm straight up wondering how I'll make it through this winter. My entire being and psyche are feeling ill suited for cold weather and snow this time around.

*****

What are your feelings about electric blankets? I had one when I was little. I hear people singing their praises. Not sure I could go there. Although I just shared about my less than enthusiastic attitude about winter and cold, I'm quite content with the comforter/blanket/sheet set up I've got going on in the boudoir. Super cozy and warm.

*****

I am in need of a hair cut. A trim at the very least, but am wanting my longer hair back. Darn hair!''

*****

That's all I've got!

Vintage Fashion Finds

I blogged over the weekend about my treasure hunting trip to a few of my favorite antique haunts. Since I focused on the fun furniture finds, I'm now sharing the fun fashions I found. 

A fun side note before we begin, this is my 401st blog post!! 

At Eastown Antiques:

Vintage genuine Pendleton flannel shirt. This was in pristine condition. Great for the hipster dude in your life or if plaid happens to be your favorite color, this could be yours. It was going for just under $35, a pretty good deal considering a similar brand new Pendleton goes for $105.

At East Fulton Arts & Antiques:

This floral patterned shirt dress with belt was darling! The photo is from the camera on my phone so, it's not the best and also clearly you can't see how lovely the full-ish skirt is. I may go back and rescue it, unless you go and scoop it up first. $25.

At Lost and Found:

I snapped this pic for my mom. She was very much a hippie back in the day and she had a jacket very similar to this one. It may have been longer though. I've had a fabulous vintage leather cowboy-ish jacket with fringe in my collection for years, so this one could be yours, pardner! Apologies, I did not document prices of any of the Lost and Found items.

Beautiful vintage cashmere jacket with fur trim. Very good condition. It would likely keep you very warm and you'd look quite stylish at the same time.

Black and white cotton shirt dress. Since I have a yen for anything black and white, I thought this was super cute!  With a belt, a little cardigan and some boots, you've got a timeless ensemble. I'm still thinking about it days later, so you may have to arm wrestle me for this one.

Do you like to incorporate vintage clothing into your personal style? I'd love to hear about some of your favorite finds.

What's for Dinner.

Huevos Rancheros. Turns out the meal with such a fun name to say is equally fun and easy to make. Are you sick of your Thanksgiving leftovers yet? This might be a great recipe to try! I've had this kicking around in my head for a bit, since the main ingredients are always staples in my kitchen. Tonight was the first time I've actually made it and I must say it was muy bueno!

Here's what I used to pull it together:

1 corn tortilla, warmed 

1 slice soy cheese (smoked provolone flavor)

black beans seasoned to taste with cumin, chili pepper and a splash of salsa

1 fried egg seasoned with salt, pepper and onion flakes

half a roma tomato, diced

salsa

guacamole, which had the other half of the roma tomato

Pile it all together and enjoy! The fun is that you can really play around with the ingredients and add/subtract depending on what you have on hand. This combination above was super tasty and is likely to become a standard quick meal at Casa Starr Fish. 

Saturday Treasure Hunting

I love searching through antique shops hunting for unexpected treasures. I also love an estate sale for the same reason, you just never know what you're going to find. Something for a great deal, something that reminds you of your childhood or someone you know, it's just fun! I'm drawn to furniture, vintage clothing and dishes. Searching for furniture is mostly just for fun (or to share with you!) these days, since I literally don't have room in the house for new (additional) furniture.

I went to some of my favorite spots today in Grand Rapids. It was a lovely overcast, yet unseasonably warm November day, so it was perfect for flitting in and out of stores. Here's some of the neato stuff I found today. If you're into it and you're local, go scoop it up!

At Eastown Antiques on Lake Drive:

Two Steelcase office chairs, (you can see a slice of the other one on the left.) going for $198. The fun part for me is that I have six of these at home around my dining room table, which I've had forever. I don't even remember what I paid, but I know it was a DEAL!

Metal drafting desk with drawer, $595. The stool was sold separately and unfortunately I did not get the price.

From Blue Door Antiques and Elements on Fulton: 

Lovely 60's era sofa. It is in excellent condition and was really comfortable to sit on. I love the simple lines of it! This was offered at $395.

From East Fulton Arts & Antiques:

This flat file looks like it was used as a boat anchor for some time, but I love the weathered look. It would make a great coffee table or you know, a boat anchor for just $350.

If you have a kitchen large enough that doesn't already have an island, this work bench/table would be ideal. Just lay out $400 and it's yours!

 They even had this magazine photo sitting out as inspiration. 

What's not to love about this mini chair? When I was little we had a mini mod rocking chair that we all loved to sit in. This chair was actually sitting on the lower shelf of a workbench type table if that gives you a sense of its size. So cute and in great condition and it's only $82! If you have a mini or two at home, I want you to get it!

Reverse Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving and one of the things I did was go through my closet. The main goal was to remove any lingering summery clothes and get out a few more sweaters/warmer clothes. I ended up pulling a bag of items together to send to Goodwill. I purposely did not shop today, deciding I did not want to take part in the mass consumption orgy known as Black Friday (not that I don't enjoy shopping, but yikes!) When I was pulling things for Goodwill, I realized I was celebrating Reverse Black Friday. It felt good!

What did you do today? Did you brave the masses for some bargains. Travel? Eat leftovers?