Summer Kick Off!

Memorial Day was last Monday and what should have been the (unofficial) kickoff to summer was cold and dreary.  I was in Minneapolis visiting a college friend, so at least I had good company.

 I've visited Minneapolis twice now and each time I go, I fall in love a little more.  It was fun to walk down the streets and fantasize about which house we would buy.

I got a taste of a lot of what it had to offer, which is, in itself, quite a lot.

Famous Bloody Marys!

 Didn't actually get see any music, but cheap beer!

 Minneapolis Mule (that mug has a $25 deposit!).

 Downtown.

Skeeball, 25 cents!!

Send-off breakfast.

Today, I'm back in NYC and it's 90 degrees!  This weekend feels a lot more like the kick off to summer.  I'll be headed to NJ wish my brothers happy birthday (they were born 1 week and 6 years apart) and hopefully log in some hours by my parents' pool.

Summer weather means another summer list!  I'll be back soon with the 2013 edition. 

Here's 2012, 2011 and 2010.

"Doing" vs. Doing

Not too long ago, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't get to "do" anything on my one free weekend in a while.  No movie, no happy hour, no museum visit, no cool flea markets, or parks.

But then I went back through my Instagram feed and realized that I "did" quite a bit.  Maybe I need to re-evaluate my idea of "doing".  Living in a big city like NYC makes me feel like I'm constantly missing out on EVERYTHING.  If I haven't hit every major cultural high point one weekend, I feel like a complete and utter failure.  

There are a lot of other things to DO, though.  Sometimes it take a little reflection to realize how full your days really are.

 Finally installed this mirror.

 Finished some handmade gifts.

 Tested out my grandmother's much-prized pierogi recipe.

Finally got around to putting together (and painting and staining) my new dressers from Ikea.  Inspired by this Ikea Hack.

What about you?  Do you ever feel pressure to "have fun"?  

There's a long weekend ahead of us - what will you be "doing"?

Secret Weapon

Have I told you about my secret weapon?  

It's this very unassuming recipe from Jamie Oliver, from this book.  I've used it once to twice to make regular pancakes.  My favorite thing about it, is that it's easy to remember, so I never have to look it up. It's just 1+1+1.  Do you recall how I love these little formulas?  I've talked about them before.

Here's the recipe:

1c. self-rising four

1c. milk

1 egg

That's it!  Can you believe it?!  It makes 12 pancakes, 1/4 cup portions.  I don't even add sugar or anything when making them, but you totally could.  Or vanilla.  Mmm.

I was pretty content with my little pancake recipe, but then I saw this recipe on TheKitchn and it was the answer to all my CSA prayers.  For (almost) every vegetable that I stumped me, I now had a secret weapon.

The recipe says, and I quote,  "Make one recipe of your favorite homemade or store-bought pancake mix."  I have one of those!  It was meant to be!

So, you take that magic, secret weapon, easy-to-remember recipe and add about 10oz of most any vegetable, shredded.  I find the tender, spring/summer variety work best.  Nothing that needs to cook too long.  Think, carrots, zucchini, corn, asparagus (chopped), bok choy, spinach, etc.

(10oz is the sweet spot for me.  1lb. was just way too much.)  

Then, go crazy.  Add herbs, onions, garlic, whatever kind of seasoning you like.  Use the recipe I linked to as a guide and let your imagination run wild.

The first round was carrot, parsley, scallion, garlic.

The second round was corn, cilantro, cheddar, scallion, garlic.

I was dreaming of a version that was pan-Asian, with soy sauce, cilantro, ginger, carrots and bok choy.  With a green salad on the side and a large dollop of plain yogurt (or sour cream) it's a light, but satisfying dinner.

It's almost too easy.  And I almost can't wait for zucchini season.

Time Machine

This new project from the New Museum is amazing.  I love this kind of interactive exhibition.

I wouldn't come to NYC until 6 years later, in 1999.  Even then, I only commuted from NJ, taking the train to work in Soho and back every day.

By the time I moved for real, in 2004, this world seemed to already be rapidly changing.

Full Disclosure

I have a formula for clothes shopping/getting dressed.  It's really more of a color theory, but let me tell you, it's genius.  And it makes packing for vacation really, really easy.

The secret is I only buy clothes of a certain color so they all go together. 

I have my building blocks of neutrals, which are denim and khaki and sometimes army green.

Then, basically everything else I buy is navy or grey, with occasional yellow and orange accents.  Most of my tee shirts are navy or grey.  I have some special silk blouses that are gold.  A striped shirt in cheerful orange.

To be fair, the navy and grey kind of act as neutrals, too, but take one from each category and you have a complete palette.  So it's goes something like this: khaki + navy + gold = outfit. 

This spring I was inspired by Pantone's Spring 2013 color report and I expanded a bit.  See, the Linen is my neutral and the Nectarine and Lemon Zest are already there.

So, I added two new colors to the rotation!!! Pantone calls them Princess Blue and Kelly Green.

I know, crazy, right?  But what about the formula?? How will I ever get dressed in the morning?! 
Let me fill you in on another little trick.  I use the color wheel.  It may seem really silly (or crazy), but if you ever feel paralyzed facing a rack of clothes, this will help.  I find that if I stick to Complimentary or Analogous colors, then I can always come up with a perfect combo. 

Complimentary colors are across from each other on the wheel and Analogous colors are next to each other.  So, by following my new formula, Princess Blue and orange are Complimentary and Kelly Green and yellow are Analogous.

Here are some ways I plan to use my new spring palette.

 

Neutral khaki shorts + blue checked shirt + cute orange bag

 

Neutral denim jeans + bright blue sweater + dotty orange scarf

Neutral denim tee + kelly green skinnies + yellow sandals

Neutral grey tee + kelly green skirt + yellow flats

I'm super excited about my new spring palette!  Do you use a formula when shopping or getting dressed in the morning?  Have you ever resorted to something like the color wheel? Or am I the only (OCD) one out there?

Now back to our regularly scheduled program

Whew.  That was quite a break.  I never intended to be gone for that long, but it first it was the holidays and then I went on vacation and before I knew it, it was March!  

We've got a bit of catching up to do.  While I was away, this blog turned 7 and I turned 36.  It was a quiet celebration for both of us.  Oh, and my hand-me-down camera went kaput so I've been relegated to Instagram, which is actually a lot of fun.

Here's what I've been up to for almost 3 months.

 Christmas at home

 Edible gifts

 Handmade gifts

 My birthday, here.

 Homemade bread.

Kings County Distillery

 Singlecut Brewery

 The prettiest beach

Fancy drinks

 Queens speakeasy

Follow me on Instagram: rebacrea

Handmade Holiday

Well, that time is upon us.  I leave work today for NJ to spend some time with loved ones and then I'm on vacation for a whole week!  Woot!

 

This year's holiday continues to be a scaled down one.  A few years ago, my immediate family (brothers, mom and dad, and sister in law) decided that we would all draw a name and buy one gift instead of five.  It was the best decision we ever made and tell that anyone who will listen to me.  It somehow makes the whole gift-giving process 100% more relaxed and exciting.  (Who am I going to get this year?!  Who got me?!)  Trust me, if you haven't already, suggest the idea to your family.  They just might heave a huge sigh of relief!

 

I do like to make homemade gifts for a few special people and I turned to the old reliable recipes I've been using for a while now.  This one, this and this.  So easy!  My favorite part is finding cute packaging.  The best find this year? 1/2 lb. coffee bags at the Container Store.  39 cents!  And they look so fancy.  

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.  This year, especially, there feels like there is a lot to reflect upon.  Make sure you tell your loved ones how much they mean to you and keep the spirit of the season in your heart.

See you next year!