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Lifestyle branding for the guy-hot girl and the hot guy who loves her

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifted floral fabric = 2 yards for $2 = tube top
Gray wool Sears skirt headed to the shop :)

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kat's Hump Day Inspiration - Michael Kors


I am admittedly in a torrid love affair with my Michael Kors purses, particularly the Astor style (in luggage).  They drive me wild with excitement - even (especially!) the ones I've owned over half a decade. 

This little clutch was the gateway Michael Kors, purchased from the Von Maur department store in Iowa City, Iowa.  Maybe in 2007? Early 2008? It was on clearance for about $30 and I was enchanted by the beautiful tan leather and subtle silver accents.  To me, it felt so very early 1970s Almost Famous.

By fall of 2008, I was ready to take the plunge with this much larger catch-all purse.  MJ helped me date the purchase by remembering that when it was pretty brand new, we went to Washington, Missouri to see the Gougers at a little place called Otis Campbell's and the sweet drummer, John Ross Silva, got a Sharpie mark on it (I never revealed this to him).  My trusty old battle axe has since seen so much action that the mark I figured was permanent exists only in this memory.


By spring of 2010, my big Michael Kors purse was feeling a little too big to be my full-time purse and I scaled it down a notch with this stocky guy above.  I ordered it online and my cute cute cute postman (who looks like a young Mexican President Obama) knew I was waiting for it.  Even though I had it sent to my home address, he brought it to my work so I wouldn't have to wait so long.  I nearly jumped over my desk when he walked in with it in his hands.

My latest addition to the family is this little dude, a cross-body purse just big enough for phone, keys, Chapstick, cash and concert tickets.  It's perfect for shows and outings, but I'm currently using it as my regular purse to break it in a little bit.  

I have done nothing to care for my Michael Kors except love them desperately.  They've been kicked around, caught in the rain, drenched in beer, dropped in the mud and abused in all the ways we hurt the things we love the most.  And the magic is even stronger now than the first time ever I saw them.  Thank you, Michael, thank you.



Sunday, January 27, 2013

January Meringue: Lemon Twists


I bought this gorgeous book at Anthropologie during New Year's.
2013 = 1 Meringue a Month
The ingredients.
Waiting f-o-r-e-v-e-r for the egg whites to reach room temperature.
This is what we're making.
Soft peaks forming. Three egg whites and cream of tartar.
Note: even though it look pretty, it tastes pretty yucky right now.
Sugar. A tablespoon at a time.
A dash of salt. 
Gettin' stiff and glossy.
The zest from our Greenling, local, organic lemon.
A bit of juice.
Another dash. 
Bake 90 minutes at 200 degrees + Rest 60 minutes in oven = Lemon Heavens

Sunday in the Shop

Some dresses for work and skirt that's a fashion building block. Check 'em out.

Gray wool Classic Fashion skirt
Red paisley dress by Leslie Fay
White paisley dress by Breli Originals

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

MJ's Image Icon: Celebrity Chefs


I like my celebrity chefs to be
blonde and British like Sophie Dahl.
They should make fabulous meals like Jamie Oliver, the formerly Naked Chef.
And if they're beautiful (the chefs and the meals) all the better. I love you, Gwyneth Paltrow.
If their husbands are musicians, I will definitely love their cookbooks.
 Sophie says in her book "my beloved is a musician", what could be better?
I think it's ambitious if they campaign for better school lunches while giving their children
 names like Honey and Poppy (examples but not far from actual given names I'm sure).
And I think it's okay if they aren't actually British but pretend
 they are in movies and live there with the aforementioned musician husband.


Monday, January 21, 2013

Front Porch Dreamin'

Easy to read house numbers so you won't get lost if you visit.

Our beautiful porchlight. If you turn it on the doorbell rings and the
 electricity buzzes so we do not turn it on. But isn't it pretty?

Go watch Almost Famous

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Collage Book

Some of what inspires me. xoxo, MJ

The beauty of Brigette Bardot

I've had that black and white picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar since high school.
 About 14 years....if I dare admit it.

Nothing says sexy like a man with a carnation in his pants.
Thank you Kiefer Sutherland.

That cabin captures all of my childhood Little House on the Prairie
 fantasies of which there were many.

I love putting Kid Rock on the same page as a man with a
scarf and umbrella. A perfect mix of high and low.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Dress Up Time






Dress: Banana Republic
Earrings: WetDesert
Tights: Wal-Mart (I'd rather not admit that but it's true)
Shoes: Jessica Simpson









Monday, January 14, 2013

Booze & Crack, or "What I Did on Sunday Afternoon," an essay by Kat

We're planning at trip to MJ's brother and sister-in-law's place up in Dallas this weekend.  They love good food and good wine and treat us well, and we usually end up going home with some of their chickens' subdivision-fresh eggs.  In return, we wanted to bring along some of the one natural resource we have in abundance: pecans.

I feel it's far more thoughtful to show up with cracked pecans (though the opposite is true of the eggs), so that means a couple hours of standing at the bar in the kitchen, shelling away.  It's been my experience that a gentle little buzz really makes this time pass far more enjoyably.

With that gentle little buzz in mind, I made a cocktail of gin, orange juice and ginger ale; a bit of fizz, some vitamin C for my good health...  I don't know if there's a name for this (if you do, please comment), but it seemed to work out pretty well for the task at hand.


I ended up with a pint bag of halves and a pint bag of pieces to bring (along with some empty egg cartons) for bartering.