It's time for Fifth Grade Journal Friday!

Here's 10 year old Sam on boys:

 10 year old Sam on Vanilla Ice and Bob Dylan:

Wow, it's like my life hasn't changed at ALL in the last 20 years! While I don't necessarily think boys are "stupid" anymore, I can definitely relate to 10 year old Sam's frustration about the whole dating scene. And I still think Vanilla Ice stinks....although in a totally AWESOME way!

Thanks to my former roomie Beth for coining the term "Fifth Grade Journal Friday". It was Beth who inspired me to unleash the pages of my journal upon the world (based on her reaction, I thought others might appreciate it too). Thanks your support, Beth!

all I want for my birthday...gift ideas

My birthday is in exactly one month! I know you're super excited and wondering what you can do to make it the best birthday ever. Let's just say if you bought me any of the items below, I would be the happiest girl alive!! 

Head to the store and buy me this now!
I'm really drawn to this coat! Look at that lush fur trim on the hood. But wait, is that a toggle missing?

ho! ho! ho!
I know Christmas is over, but I can't stop drooling over this awesome toilet seat cover. Oh, Santa! i bet you're dreaming about the good ol' days of milk and cookies....

this is foxy
This accessory is shocking and amazing in a Lady Gaga kind of way. Am I right?


Thanks in advance for any of these gifts you might get me. Consider yourself invited to my birthday festivities, where I plan on showing off all my new goods (except for the Santa toilet seat cover of course!). Can't wait!

Levain, cookie of angels

Adapted from an original photo by angela n.

I'm pretty sure every time someone bites into a Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, an angel gets its wings. It is THAT good! I've never seen a cookie so thick and luscious. Fresh out of the oven, it is warm and oozing with chocolate heavenly goodness. If I ever dropped a Levain cookie on the ground, I would definitely pick it up and eat it, five second rule or not. I'd chase after the crumbs too!

I'm not going to name names but I once brought my friend a Levain cookie to try, and when asked if she wanted to share it with her 2 year old child, she got this crazy look in her eyes and refused. She also shot me a look of death when I suggested she share the cookie with me (the original plan was for us to split one cookie). I ended up giving her most of the cookie, but I definitely learned a lesson that day: Do not try to share this cookie with anyone!

Although I only have room in my heart for the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, Levain does offer other flavors as well: Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip. And bread!

Visit Levain Bakery at your own risk... You might never be able to enjoy another chocolate chip cookie again!

Levain Bakery

167 West 74th St

New York, NY 10023

(212) 874-6080

the truth about word verification...

Word verification, you torment me so. I've had to guess two or three times before I could figure out what the heck you are saying! You couldn't be a wee bit more legible? Really?

For those readers having as much trouble with word verification as me, the translation of those items listed above is as follows:
- word verification sucks more than a kid in a candy shop with a lollipop

- get a life, word verification, and stop wasting mine
- there's a reason "verify" rhymes with "terrify" 

I know, I know. I should be a copywriter. I get that all the time!

Thank you Mar for the gift of photography x2

In my haste to thank my friend Char for giving me her camera, I foolishly forgot to thank my twin sis Marian for giving me TWO cameras just earlier that day. I was confused and blinded by all the generosity, but that is no excuse! Duh, how can you forget that someone gave you two cameras? So silly!

So thank you sooooo much Mar for giving me not one, but TWO cameras! And thank you for being the best twin I could ever ask for. And thank you for reading every blog entry I post and adding your genius hilarious comments. You are awesome! I am one lucky twin!! HUGS! 

 

All I want for Xmas...Gift Ideas

I would be the happiest Jew in the world if I were to receive any of these Super GREAT products as a gift today! And if the timing doesn't work out for today, my birthday is just RIGHT around the corner...if you know what I mean (HINT! HINT!)...
 

pretty please buy me this!  $24.95 for an adorable coat and puppy! That's a steal! I'm assuming it comes with the dog, anyway. 

rain, rain go away!  Make sure you click though all the images of the coat. It is just so versatile! I don't understand why the person in the first pic looks mad. If I had this raincoat I would never be mad again!
 

showers have never been so awesome  I can't tell you how many times something like this would have just saved the day! You could use it to store a sandwich or that sweater you're knitting on top of your head while you're in the shower. How convenient would that be?

Hope you were showered with wonderful gifts today! Merry Christmas!

Thank you Char Ong, for the gift of good photography

Holy Moly! For a Jew on Xmas Eve, I sure made out like a bandit. My lovely friend Charlene (who is moving back to Sydney, Australia tomorrow) gave me her old Nikon Coolpix P90, only a year old. She said she doesn't use it much, and thought I could use it for my blog. Seriously, that was one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me.

Imagine all the meals, babies and bulldogs I can now photograph with ease. The possibilities are endless!

Char, may the great generosity you've shown me today be returned to you (and land you a seat next to a really hot guy on your flight home tomorrow). But seriously, you are amazing, and have inspired me beyond belief. Char, I dedicate this song to you.
MERRY HAPPY to all!

Oh, and today's pic was made possible by my new camera!

All about Food! RECOMMENDATIONS

The year is winding to a close, and this blog about "food and funny" has yet to address one of my favorite topics in the world: EATING! Here are the restaurants I first tried in 2010 and can't stop thinking about (and the dishes that inspired me!):

Ippudo
The Akamaru Modern is an AMAZING!
 

Ingredients: noodle soup with Ippudo's special sauce, pork belly chashu, cabage, kikurage, scallions, miso paste & fragrant garlic oil
 

Make sure you ask for it with a boiled egg. It used to come that way, but now you have to request it (and OH MAN is it delicious!)

Yerba Buena 

Try the Tacos De Pescado.
 

Ingredients: crispy tilapia baja style, jicama cabbage, chipotle slaw
 

Delicious! I know what you're thinking: "Gross, I'd rather gouge my eyes out than eat fish tacos" (or maybe you weren't thinking that at all, in which case you probably think I'm crazy). But trust me, this dish will convert you. Also try the Choclo (Peruvian corn, aji amarillo butter)

Casa
I recommend the Moqueca de Frutos do Mar com Pirao de Peixe (but i don't recommend trying to pronounce this to the waiter! Tell him you want a #18, they'll know what you mean)
 

Ingredients: squid, shrimp and fish with coconut milk, cilantro, tomatoes, and "dende" palm oil served with fish and yucca flour puree.
 

You'll feel right at home at this restaurant (pun intended... but seriously it's true. So cozy!).

6th Street Kitchen
Ok, so it was only a special and you might never be able to get it again (don't hate me!)...But let me tell you, I'll be dreaming about this dish for the rest of my life:
 

Pork Belly with Avocado and Buttermilk
 

Ingredients: same as above

HEAVEN ON EARTH! All the other dishes I tried there were scrumptious too, and the atmosphere was amazing! New favorite place for sure..at least for now...

Restaurants I want to try in 2011: Casa Mono (can't believe I still haven't tried!), Ai Fiori, Traif, ABC Kitchen

NAME THAT CAPTION!

Wow, finding copyright-free images for this blog has been harder than I thought! In my quest, I stumbled upon these crazy drawings from the book "Human Anatomy for Art Students", published in 1911 (Thanks to Karen Whimsy for supplying such an awesome assortment of Public Domain images on her website).

Unfortunately, the drawings did not come w/ captions, so I had plenty of fun adding my own!

 

 

 

 

Feel free to suggest your own caption ideas (make sure you label what face it's for: A, B or C)...

And the answers are....

Today I received a blog award from Primoeza. Thanks Primoeza! Not only for this sweet gesture, but also for inspiring and encouraging me to start this blog. I am a huge fan of your work and blog, and couldn't have done this without you..ok, now onto the questions!

1. Why did you create the blog? Good question! People have been telling me to do it for a while now(very nice of them!). I thought it would be a more fun and inspirational use of my internet time than Jdate or Match.com (NOT that those sites don't inspire me, but that's a whole other post). Plus, now that I have a blog, I have a good excuse to get a camera!

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
I love any blog that tells me where I need to eat next (must find out about Michael White's newest restaurant before the masses! have to know about $1 oyster specials!).

3. Favorite makeup brand?
I love Fresh. Their products are amazing. And that packaging! It's all so light and airy!

4. Favorite clothing brand?
oh J Crew...your shiny baubles and sequins and deliciously colored Cashmere sweaters...and your sale rack of dreams!

5. Your indispensable makeup product?
Eh, I don't have any product I couldn't live without.

6. Your favorite color?
Can't choose just one. Love yellow, orange, purple...

7. Your perfume?
I've been searching for the perfect scent for YEARS now, and I finally found one I love at Anthropologie. It's Royal Apothic (Courts of Venice scent), and BOY does it smell good! Love their packaging too. And might I add that it was very reasonably priced?

8. Your favorite film?
Would I alienate a good number of the very few readers I currently have if I said "the Notebook"? Because let's say for instance I DID love "The Notebook" more than any other movie in the whole wide world, not that I do...Would that be a bad thing? Could you blame a girl for being swept up in the magic of Ryan Gosling? Could you?? I mean, how hot is that moment when he grabs Rachel McAdams in the pouring rain, and tells her "it STILL isn't over!!"?...but uh, back to my favorite movie...It's actually something more socially acceptable (but also with Ryan Gosling): "Lars and the Real Girl".

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
Greece! If it's anything like it looks in the movies, I need to go there NOW! That bright blue water! Oh, and the food....I can only imagine how delicious the food is there.

10. Make the last question and answer to yourself: What makes you laugh out loud?
I know someone who actually slipped on a banana peel in real life(this was 12 years ago at this point)! It doesn't matter how many times I think of this, it ALWAYS gives me a good laugh! I thought that only happened in the cartoons!

Now I am supposed to pass this award on to 10 blogs I love, but I am new to the community and don't know that many bloggers yet.. Instead, I will choose one person who is like 10 people in one (talented knitter, painter, textile designer, comedienne etc): my friend and coworker, Knit Darling.

HELLO BLOGGING!

The moment I have been waiting for has finally arrived! I HAVE A BLOG! I can't think of any better way to begin than by posting some pages from my fifth grade journal. If THAT doesn't hook you, I don't know what will. Please note that the thoughts (and spelling) expressed in this journal are those of my 10 year old self and do not necessarily represent the views of my current (and more sane) self. ENJOY!