Compass & Coffee Spoons

Spaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Two weekends ago, my lovely mother treated me to a massage at the spa at Nemacolin Woodlands, a mountain resort about an hour from Pittsburgh. The spa was very serene, and made me relax, which is a HUGE accomplishment. Well done. This was the very Zen fountain at the entrance.

 

After our blissful relaxation, we had a somewhat greasy but good tasting lunch at their pub restaurant, which features a huge aquarium that must be cleaned by a dedicated marine biologist. You think I joke?

Here's the thing about Nemacolin. It was a pet project of a rich woman (wife of 84 Lumber founder) with not much better to do (heard this from a coworker who worked for them but then again, it's not a huge secret). And, if you ever go, you'll see that her every whim was entertained. Such as creepy dolls everywhere.

 

I mean, how freaky is that? And the little "Main Street" inside of a conference center...

  

I personally like the pack of stuffed dogs guarding the picket fence thing. The whole thing is like a mish mash of everything, from Versailles to live zebras (no joke). Picture Theresa from Real Housewives of New Jersey ("Everything is onyx and marble!"). But, the spa is lovely and I recommend!

London 2009: Give me Liberty or give me death!

Been a little lax. No good reason. This is a post I started awhile ago. Hope you enjoy!!!

I love Liberty. It's a department store in London in a timbered Tudor revival building dating from the 20s.

 

It has a fabulous decorator fabric and haberdashery section as well as numerous wonderful home goods.

 

 

 

 

I of course bought things. I got my mom a little purse with Liberty silk fabric and a Barbara Higgins metallic heart key ring (got myself one as well). I also bought a remnant of home decorator fabric and a Snowden Flood mug with a London skyline on it.  Some fabulous things!

 

Hey, Jicama!

I tried something new for dinner tonight. I've had jicama (pronounced HE-ka-mah for those not priviledged enough to have minored in Spanish or to watch Food Network on cable) before, usually as a slaw accompanying a protein in a froo froo restaurant or raw on a vegetable plate at a catered event, but I've never actually bought one at the supermarket myself...that is, until a week or so ago.

I saw a lowfat dip recipe that recommended it as a dipper, which led me to buy it. However, I ended up not using it for that purpose, so I was curious if there were other prep methods other than as a slaw. I found that people bake them like fries. As you can imagine, I  discovered through Googling that this was a popular topic on Atkins forums.  I decided to try it, particulary as I was hunting for something lower in calories for dinner.

[Before you get all "You have to eat to lose and don't deprive yourself," I had eaten my weight in pizza, cake, and ice cream for my b-day this past weekend and earlier in the day, indulged in a variety of delights including a chocolate covered graham cracker.]

I peeled the jicama and cut it into fry-like matchsticks. It was tougher to peel and cut than a potato, but not as difficult as, say, a butternut squash! My potato cutter/fry maker thing that I rarely get to use wouldn't cut it, but it did make a nice template for my sharp knife to follow.

I placed the resulting pieces on a baking stone covered in baking spray and then sprinkled them with ground chipotle, garlic powder, sea salt, white pepper, and sprayed them with my Misto full of olive oil.

After cooking for 20 min each side in a 450 degree oven, they came out looking brown and fry-like:

 

I attempted to make a dip from Greek yogurt and salsa, but failed when the salsa was too liquidy. It was still a cooler companion to the chipotle. So, how was the result? A delish accompaniment to my frozen fish filet! (Gorton's grilled tilapia--an indirect recommendation from Jennifer via my Aunt Ruth via my mom.) 

Don't get me wrong, there is not much risk of mistaking them for french fries. These are to fries as spaghetti squash is to spaghetti: good in its own right, not good as a substitute for the real thing unless you've been off the potato for a LONG time (like your whole life). (Note below the use of a lunch sized plate...which gives you a nice illusion of lots of food!) When I do it again, I'll cut the pieces thinner--they get a kind of burnt crispiness to them that way. Give it a whirl!

Suck it up!

The highlight of my day today was the arrival of the new member of my family--my Dyson Slim. Man o man, that thing sucks (in the best possible way). Admittedly, I don't have a lot to compare it to considering my last vacuum sucked (in the worst possible way). I was a bit skeptical of the hype, but for the most part the Dyson lived up to its claims. It was fairly easy to assemble (despite the pictoral only instructions...). I was giving it longing glances all day after it arrived this morning at the office. Finally, I was able to try it when I got home. I started with the runner in my hallway. This is the result:

 

WHERE did that come from???? Crazy. Keep in mind, I don't even have wall to wall. I vacuumed the whole apartment (the cord fits--though barely--through the whole place without changing outlets! Yay!) and emptied the bin. I agree with some of the critics that the emptying of the bin creates dust. I had to use my hands to get it all out too.  If I had dust allergies, I'm sure that would be problematic, HEPA filter or no. The brush bar also had issues--like my old vacuum--with my shag rug. I'll have to resort to vacuuming without the brush bar for that during most cleaning sessions.  Fortunately, that's easy enough to do.

 

 

I was relieved that the vacuum was quieter than my last one. The attachments are adequate, though tiny. All in all, I actually can't wait to vacuum again! Did I mention it's cute?

Spread the annoying, crack-like love...

Apparently, according to Variety, Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise is coming to DC. I have NO DOUBT at all that they'll be able to find supremely annoying people to fill the bill. It's one of those shows that is so awful it's good. I don't intentionally watch it, but somehow, it's ALWAYS on, and sucks you in like those Hulu commercials.  The Real Housewives of New Jersey are especially heinous. Just when you thought the series couldn't get any skankier after Atlanta, they up the ante. I particularly love what a positive light the ladies and their families place on Italian Americans. No stereotypes here! Oy. Anyway, if you want to die laughing, check out Scented Glossy Magazines for recaps.  

Happy Memorial Day! Projects...

I hung around here for Memorial Day, and when I say hung around, I mean it. I didn't do a whole lot, despite Leslie's list of activities for me to do (Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day Concert, Parade). I stil have most of today to redeem myself, I suppose! I did, however, get a few things done around the house, including finishing my dresser finally. I also spray painted two Ikea lamps and managed to offload some old stain and paint on a Freecycler. This is good because it saved me a trip to the Hazmat collection site next weekend.

I took about 100 photos of the dresser, but none of them turned out great. As you may recall, I was deciding between spraypainting the feet gold and staining. Well, the stain won out by default because I couldn't actually remove the feet as I thought I could. I also was able to sort of finish the part of the inside of the drawers that showed. At least now it doesn't stand out.

As for the lamps, there's a reason no one ever said that IMpatience is a virtue. I had leftover gold spray paint and thought I'd tackle my old Ikea $15 lamps. But, as you can imagine, having a portion of a can left, covering both lamps was iffy. So, yeah, it didn't. Plus, I sprayed it somewhat unevenly and tried to fix it by...touching it. Um, not a great idea. Anyway, it's not discernable to normal people, but I know it's there! Here's a view.

You can kind of see the silver peeking through (in a place I didn't even notice until the flash exposed it to me). Anyway, moral of the story is to have all the materials you need for a project and take the proper amount of time for it! One of these days I'll actually follow this!

Hee hee

I found this when searching for vacuum info. Pretty cute (and quite a popular thing for people to tape...there are a few of them on YouTube!). Enjoy!

My new vacuum

Okay, if I have learned anything about myself, it's that I like to over-analyze purchases. What ends up happening is that I make a spreadsheet, put a bunch of choices in, shop around and around and around and then get overwhelmed and pick something. I started assembling a spreadsheet, and then I found this deal on a Dyson Slim (DC-18) at Macy's and just decided to buy it.  I was not entirely sure how much I wanted to spend on a vacuum...I KNEW I didn't want to spend $500 as Dysons can often be, but I also knew I didn't want to spend another $50-70 on a cheap one that would spew dust around, so I was looking at models ranging from $150 to $250. This model used to retail at $400+ but has been discontinued, though the DC 25 is similar. It got good reviews on Amazon and on Macy's site, and I just jumped on it. It's currently (with the Memorial Day Sale) $249 at Macy's with free shipping. Anyway, I'm hoping this works! It's expected to ship on May 26...I'll keep you posted!

 

Vacuum: RIP

Admittedly, I've been wanting a new vacuum for awhile. Mine just never seemed to quite pick up what it needed to. I got this one, a cheap Dirt Devil, about 6 years ago when I lived in Annapolis. Yesterday, I'm pretty sure it bit the dust, excuse the pun. All of a sudden, it started making a really loud noise, and something smelled like it was burning. I dissembled the vacuum, but didn't see anything that had been sucked into it and stuck or anything. This is where I left off...

It's still like this now. I am not sure what to do. I need a new one, I guess. I'm not sure what kind to get. I've always had an upright, but I'm thinking canister. I need a vacuum that will:

• Easily go under my bed with good extensions to use for vacuuming my upholstery and drapes

• Easily work on both hardwoods and my shag bedroom area rug without damaging either

• Store in a relatively compact space

• Keep the damn dust inside of itself

• Be on the quieter side--the current one hurts my ears.

So, any vacuum recommendations?

London 2009: Food, Glorious Food

One of the best things about travel is sampling local delicacies. Or, in the case of London, the delicacies of the world and home-grown pub food! This trip was no exception.

On our first night, after a city planning lecture in Clerkenwell (that Erin and I had a hard time staying awake for), Emily took us to a pub that won 2009 Town Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide, a serious commendation in a nation swarming with pubs! The Jerusalem Tavernis the pub of St. Peter's Brewery, based in Suffolk, East Anglia (I attended school in Norfolk, East Anglia). I enjoyed a delicious "Suffolk Gold," which I chose simply because of the name. After our drink, we went to a "gastropub," whic is a relatively recent invention (as in newer than 10 years!). Essentially, it's a pub with an elevated food selection. This gastropub was the Coach and Horses, and I ate a delicious cottage pie with beef marrow toasts. I had a delicious buttermilk pudding with shortbread and strawberries. All of the food is made fresh (not frozen and microwaved), and the menu varies.

We had most of our breakfasts at Costa in the Embankment tube stop. It was wonderful to have a proper cup with coffee--something that happens less and less in the States. Costa is a chain of coffee shops across Britain, and is faltering, largely due to the spread of Starbucks. Indeed, there was a Starbucks adjacent to the shop we frequented. I had a conversation with an Italian barrista one morning (sparked by his seeing my Italian surname on my card). Next door to Costa was a 24 hour convenience store, also a popular stop for us--for water...or Cadbury!

On Saturday, after going to the Tate Modern, Emily and her husband Kerry took us to the Borough Market, which is one of the most fantastic places in the universe! (And the oldest food market in London.) Fresh foods of all types--from produce to Polish Sausage to artisan chocolates to meat pies! I had a delicious round of fish and chips with a diet coke in a real bottle which we ate on tables beside the Southwark Cathedral on a perfect clear day. It was glorious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That evening, we had a night out in the Clapham section of London with my British friend Amanda (on the right below, with her friend Candice on the left) who I hadn't seen in 10 years! That was the type of pub outing I remember. I ate a cheese toastie (toasted cheese sandwich) and a nice pint or so of cider.

 

Of course, one of the wonderful things about London is also the proliferation of great ethnic choices. Erin and I had a great "Indian Tapas" meal at Imli in Soho. It was a pretty good meal and a good deal--we had a "buy one, get one" for a 3 course meal for 23 pounds total.

Emily led us to another ethnic choice, a great Thai restaurant in Bloomsbury called Busaba Eathai. My food there was mediocre (though the other ladies had great food), but the decor and atmosphere made up for it.

 

We followed this up with a pint at the Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia, a pub that the poet Dylan Thomas  frequented. I'm seen here with a lovely cherry  beer.

Breakfast the day we left was at Monmouth Coffee. Wonderful coffee, wonderful brioche, sitting in a small, uncomfortable hard booth in the tiny space with a strange looking student, not so wonderful!

We had tea and sweets many times, of course. I took a fancy toward flapjacks for some reason. Odd, because I never ate them when I lived there. They're kind of a blondie without chocolate chips--an oaty buttery bar. My favorite tea occasion was at the Victoria and Albert, sitting in the courtyard. I think it's because the pot of Earl Grey and Flapjack was SO needed at that point!

On a last food note, I chose a "low calorie" option on my British Airways flights, and I highly recommend! The main courses were grilled fish or chicken with veggies with sides of fruit, and the snacks were also light...much preferred to the greasy dishes my neighbors were getting!

Stay tuned for additional installments!!!

London 2009: Old Place, New Experiences and Things

Hi everyone! I'm back from England, and ready to share some of my trip! I had a good time, and am only suffering from mild jet lag right now.

Though I studied in England for a year in college and visited again in '99, there are still many things I hadn't seen or done. Some were simply because I didn't take the time at the time, like...

Changing of the guard:

 

 

Or the Sir John Soane Museum (more on that at some later point!). Or, the historic Hampton Court palace:

 

 

While these have been around a long time, there were other things that simply weren't there yet! Like the London Eye...

 

 

 

 

 

Or, going to the Tate Modern. There were also several new pedestrian bridges.

 

Dresser, with renewed handles

I hope Colleen hasn't had to resort to stripping herself! Here's the promised "more!" I spray painted the handles a metallic gold, which I'm quite pleased with. They turned out better than I expected. What's left are the feet. Opinions, please--do you think I should spray paint them gold or stain black?

Dresser Before:

 

Dresser After:

 

Handles before:

  

Handles after:

 

On other news, I leave Wednesday for London! I won't be blogging whilst there (going to be more or less low tech...too darn expensive to use my iphone, so unless I find a way to get a phone there for cheap or have internet access somewhere, I'll be off line!), but I'll be taking lots of pictures and notes to blog once I return. It's really funny how times have changed...I was feeling concerned about not having much cell service or web access...meanwhile, as I said to someone the other day, people existed and managed to make plans pre-internet and pre-cell phone. Heck, when I lived in England, I didn't have ANY phone. I used to walk to meet up with friends!

Hope everyone's having a great week and staying cool! It was in the mid-80s here today and is going to be near 90 this week! Hot hot hot!

The (almost) finished dresser

Here it is! Handles have to be painted so I only put some handles on. I'm not sure if it will stay where it is though I have to admit that it does fit perfectly under the window!

I'll get into the flaws--there was the sanding before poly issue (not sure if I mentioned), I also missed stripping & staining in the strip of wood between the drawers so it kinda stands out. I also have yet to do anything to the legs.

More later!!

Scariest part of staining

I'm getting ready for the scariest part of furniture finishing--the topcoat! First of all, you have to lightly sand the surface, which is mentally upsetting, and then I constantly worry about lint and brush strokes in the poly finish. I had to go buy a new can of the poly this afternoon because I wanted semi-gloss to match the nightstand (I had some leftover satin). And, I bought a quart because the pint looked too small...I know I'm going to have a ton left.

While at the hardware store, I bought spray paint for the hardware--metallic gold. I'm not sure about it. I was torn between that and black satin. Well, I can't use that today anyway. Not an indoor activity! The store didn't have the little brass feet for the legs. I didn't stain the legs yet anyway.

Update, 9:12 pm: Oh boy. Big Duh moment. This is why I hate this step. I erroneously sanded BEFORE the poly, versus between coats...something I only realized after applying the poly to the first drawer when the sand marks didn't go away. Sigh. So, I had to go back and try to remedy the situation. I applied more stain to the body of the dresser. I kept the drawers as is because they kind of look "rubbed" and I wanted them all uniform. So, I'll probably only get one coat of poly on tonight at about 11, and then apply the next one tomorrow night. Ain't furniture refinishing fun?!?

Waiting for Coat 3