Happy Halloween Weekend!

 

Hope everybody has a wonderful, costume-y, safe, fun Halloween weekend!  Unsurprisingly, I'll be pretty busy with parties and costumes and hanging out with friends. I hope all of you will be having lots of fun plans as well!

What plans do you have for Halloween, dear readers?

Recipe Fridays!

Jack o'Lantern Tarts

from Martha Stewart

I haven't made these in awhile, but I have not forgotten the deliciousness that are these little tarts. They are like mini pumpkin pies; I mean what could be better than a pumpkin pie you eat with your hands?

Ingredients

Makes 12

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 1/2 recipes Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)
1 fifteen-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk

Directions

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out six 6-inch circles. Fit pastry in bottoms of six 3 3/4-inch fluted tart tins. Trim overhanging edges. Place tins on an ungreased baking sheet, and transfer sheet to refrigerator; chill shells until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with second disk of dough, lining six more tins.

Roll out third disk of dough to an 1/8-inch thickness, and cut out twelve 3-inch circles. Place circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and transfer to refrigerator. Chill until very firm, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, honey, sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly beat together egg yolk and remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Remove the tart tins from refrigerator, and brush crusts with egg glaze. Divide filling among shells.

Transfer baking sheet to oven, and bake tarts until edges are golden brown and filling has set, about 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool.

Remove chilled pastry circles from refrigerator. Using a clean utility knife or a sharp paring knife, cut a jack-o-lantern face into each circle. Chill faces in freezer 15 minutes. Brush faces with remaining egg glaze.

Transfer baking sheet to oven, and bake faces until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

When pies and faces have cooled, place one face on each tart.

Huge Problem . . .

There's been a lot of news lately about obesity on TV.

According to the CDC, 1 in 4 people in the United States is obese. I don't have to tell you, that's a lot of people. You can do the math. Or, you can look around. While in the media there is an incredible prevalence of less-than-zero images out there; ie: stick-thin models and stars who are then Photoshopped to look even thinner, the actual American public is growing in size. So, it seems natural that some of these "regular" people would start to show up in the media, right? A few years ago, you couldn't find a gay person on TV. The same will happen with the overweight, it stands to reason.

And, superficially, it almost seems to be happening. This fall, CBS introduced a show called Mike and Molly, about two overweight people who meet and fall in love. ABC Family ran a critically-acclaimed show called Huge, set at a fat camp. Lifetime runs a successful show called Drop Dead Diva, with a plus-size star. We're getting better, right? More accepting, less size-ist?

Wrong. Just take a look at these examples: CBS' Mike and Molly may feature two overweight stars, but nearly 100% of each episode is dedicated to their weight. Fat-jokes, some of them horribly embarrassing, abound. Drop Dead Diva makes a big deal about the fact that the concept of the show is centered around a thin, "beautiful" woman who dies and is put in a fat body. I'm not kidding, this is the concept. And, ABC Family's Huge, the only one of the lot that dealt with overweight characters as people irregardless of their weight, has been cancelled by the network. A little too groundbreaking, it would seem.

Today the blogosphere is alive with the controversy initiated by a blog post by Marie Claire contributor Maura Kelly that suggests strongly that "fatties", as she calls them, are too disgusting to watch on television. She sites Mike and Molly and says that it is unattractive to watch these two actors making out, that she cannot even handle watching a fat person cross a room without feeling grossed out. She has since been forced to post an apology after the barrage of anger this post created (I can almost feel the Marie Claire spiked stilletto in the back behind her retraction), and Marie Claire has been quick to jump on the tolerance bandwagon with a new series of posts suggesting that fat people should be--gasp--treated the same as thin people by the media. This is extraordinary, given that it comes from a fashion publication that would probably shut down rather than publish an issue with unretouched images of plus-sized models within its pages (and remember: plus-sized in the modeling world is size 10-14. The average American woman is size 14-18). Not that Marie Claire deserves all the blame; every other magazine, with few exceptions, does the same. London Fog was recently called out by feminist blog Jezebel for Photoshopping inches off new spokeswoman Christina Hendricks in their ad campaign, an actress famous for her size-12 curves. Nobody in the media, it seems, is comfortable looking at "fatties".

We live in a society that preaches tolerance, but often offers very little, and obesity seems to be the last allowable prejudice. It's okay to put down a fat person because it's unhealthy, right? And it's okay to show fat people on TV as long as we make sure to remind the viewer of their "other-ness" constantly, by referring to, or worse, making jokes about their weight. Think about the little girl watching television or reading Marie Claire, the little girl whose body doesn't look like those models and stars, and is being systematically taught to hate herself with every fat joke and hateful op-ed she sees. Being fat is not disgusting. It's the haters who are.

Personally, I may never buy another issue of Marie Claire again.

No Plan B . . .

I had a long and upsetting talk with my sister last night, outlining my fears for the next few months re: the Big Move.

See, all my life, I've been a Fixer, a Get-Shit-Done Machine, a Problem Solver. We had a lot of roadblocks when I was younger, never enough money, and I became an expert at figuring out how to make things happen. I could create elaborate Rube Goldberg-esque plans to try to get the things myself and my family wanted or needed. I very rarely took no for an answer, because I've always believed that if you wanted something enough there was a way to get it. Everything I've gotten in my life has been gotten through this skin-of-your-teeth mentality; nothing has ever just happened or landed in my lap.

The Big Move is like this: I made the decision, and I haven't stopped fighting since. Every waking moment has been spent planning and scheming and rearranging plans and schedules and budgets. My life is focused, incredibly focused, on getting out there. And, I have no Plan B if I fail.

I'm starting to really believe that I won't find a job. And, without a job, I can't leave Chicago. Period. I do not have the money saved to live out in LA for two or three months while I look for a job there; I would need an extra $5-7K, and unless I get a sugar daddy or a Daddy Warbucks in the next month, that won't be possible. The dreary abyss this idea opens before me is vast and almost inescapable; when I have been so trained on being there, staying here will be a failure of epic proportions. I would have to admit to myself and everyone else that I just wasn't good or smart enough to make this happen, and now I'm stuck with the alternative. I don't know how to survive that.

This sounds grandiose and over-dramatic, but I don't know how you get more important than the rest of your life. Here in Chicago, I would never make enough money to save enough to leave and live on my own at the same time, so if I don't leave in January (while I'm still able to share rent and bills) and I'm forced to find a place here, I'll never get out. Ten years from now I'll be shovelling out my car from another snow storm and I'll look back on this time and realize that this was where I lost my dream. Not because I gave up or was too afraid to try for it. Because I failed.

There is no Plan B. My new life starts in January, or it stays in limbo. And for once, I don't know how to make this work.

Love by Enzoani 2011

2011 Collection C20

I love Love. It's not a pun at all; I love the sophisticated, well-designed pieces in Enzoani's Love line. They consistently turn out Evening and Bridesmaids Collections that would make any wedding look like it cost a million bucks, and would make any bridesmaid look at home on the Red Carpet. take a look at some of their new offerings:

C3

C8

C9

C16

C33

C42

C40

C45

They offer their gowns in multiple colors, like any bridesmaid line, but the styling is impeccable. Trust me, your maids will thank you, and they might even actually wear the dress again!

Stress-Monster Update . . .

found here

If you're just joining us, I am Arthur P. Monster, otherwise known as Stress-Monster. When we left Ginger, she was losing sleep and stressed out over the coming move to the West Coast. We're checking in with her now.

SM: Ginger, how are things? Any improvements on any fronts, job or otherwise?

Ginger (eye twitching): Do you know your acronym can also mean "sado-masochism"? (giggles queerly) I've got legs.

SM: Ooookay. (clears throat) So, how's that not-sleeping thing going? Any more nightmares?

G: Last night, I dreamt I was assisting A in torturing a suspect in terrorism, a petite Russian woman. I was just supposed to be there for show, as he needed me for a "good cop/bad cop" scenario. Then, I was at college with the guy who plays Lucky Luciano in Boardwalk Empire. *I wish I was kidding about this, but I really did dream about this last night.

SM: Sounds terrifying.

G: It was bizarre, okay? (starts humming and tapping foot)

SM: Moving on, then. (shuffling notes) Any job offers?

G: I think I shall move out there directly into a cardboard box. The weather is nice. I'll need a bike to carry the box on, and I will have my home with me, always. (goes back to humming, this time, the Marseillaise)

SM: Sure. That could be . . . interesting.

G: What? You have something against refrigerators? Are you a member of the Communist Party???

SM: What? No, I--

G: NO MORE WIRE HANGERS! (gets up abruptly and goes into the kitchen, to peel the skin off grapes and rearrange the silverware)

Well, there you have it. I'm certainly no medical professional, but I'd say the stress is getting to her. If something doesn't break soon, especially on the job front, she'll be talking to the walls and licking her boots in no time.

G:(calling from the kitchen) The livingroom wall is called Jerry!

Oh, dear.

This is the Stress-Monster, signing off.

A Tribute to Teal . . .

Images courtesy We Heart It

I love teal in all its variations and forms. Whether it is going by the moniker turquoise or peacock, or even green/blue or blue/green, I love this hue.

 

 

There is something beautiful and carefree about teal; it is elegant without being stuffy, as its cousins sky blue or hunter green can be. A pop of teal in a room makes it suddenly stand out and gives a breezy Mediterranean feel. And paired with red or orange, it sings even more.

I think it's a safe bet that teal will be appearing in the new place . . .

What about you, dear readers? Is teal a decorating do or a don't?

Favorite Site Tuesdays: Blik

Anise Wall Decal

This week's favorite site is Blik. As any habitual apartment dweller will tell you, it can get pretty frustratingly boring to never be able to paint your walls and bring your personality into a room. Blik solves this in the coolest way possible: removeable wall decals by graphic designers, artists, and interior decorators.

Apollo Wall Decal

From the simple to the elaborate, Blik has something for every taste and every style. Not everyone will want a half-naked tree woman in their front hall (but I know a few people who would!)

Storm

They also collaborate with Threadless and have produced several decals based on their designs. Being a huge Threadless fan, I'm pretty excited by that!

99 Luftballons

Many of their designs also come in multiple color choices too, so you can match them to your decor. Though, I don't kow why you wouldn't want red, in this case;)

Moon Kite

There are darkly goth designs, stark silhouettes, whimsical graphics, and utterly modern pieces. Check out Blik (and their 18 pages of designs!), and I dare you to resist getting something for your walls, apartment or not! I know I have a few earmarked for the new place . . .

New Items in my Etsy Shop!

Anastasia

There are finally new items in my Etsy Shop! Yay!!! It's been a pretty busy summer and autumn, as I'm sure you can all tell, so it's taken me a while to get anything new up. But, I hope it's been worth the wait! The emphasis in most of these new pieces is winter, and most of the pieces are definitely bridal.

Andrata

Candy

Helene

Marilyn

Katrina

Nina

Thank you to Hairspray Revolution for doing the lovely dewy makeup and gorgeous hair for this shoot! You ladies are amazing, and it's nice to finally meet you in person!

What do you think of the new pieces, dear readers?