eye, me, my

announcement...

2009-06-26T10:47:00.002-05:00

I'm moving! To a new blog(s), that is. I've decided Eye, Me, My is a little, well, unfocused, so I decided to separate my thoughts into two different blogs. I will post about art, design, fashion and other pretty things at A Girl Can Dream and I will write about food/health at A Girl Can Eat. I think they have a nice ring to them, don't they? See you there!

it's hard to mess up pizza...

2009-06-17T18:39:00.004-05:00

I did it! I made a pizza! Actually, four pizzas. Four small and misshapen pizzas, but they were pizzas nonetheless. And they were edible! They weren't the best pizzas ever, but there wasn't a piece left and our guests even asked for the crust recipe. Success!

I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to because it turns out it's hard to juggle entertaining guests and preparing four pizzas with different toppings. And it was hot. And messy. And a little stressful. But, no matter, it was fun.I used this crust recipe from Giada and kneaded it by hand (which was a little frightening). It definitely needs some fine tuning. Next time I will knead it a little better and probably use a finer flour, but, even for a sloppy first attempt, it was quite tasty. As long as there's lots of cheese and good, fresh toppings, pizza is hard to mess up.

stay tuned...

2009-06-12T16:08:00.004-05:00

I'm making homemade pizza tonight... for OTHER people. Yikes. This is my first attempt at making anything with yeast, so it should be interesting. Wish me luck! I will post pictures (even if it turns out hideous) and a recipe (only if it turns out well). I also have a post coming up about why eating healthy is SO important to me (thanks to Conner for the inspiration on this one). Aren't you excited for these upcoming posts? You should be! :)

Have a splendid weekend.

{image via The aim is not to be everyone's tenth favorite blog, but rather ten people's favorite blog.}

i want...

2009-06-12T15:44:00.007-05:00

Abandoned House, original drawing, $70, by Lizzy Stewart

Richie Tenenbaum laser engraved wood figure, $65, by Christopher Bettig (There's only ONE left - blerg!)

journals, $11 each, by Earmark

Erika Somogyi Print, sold out (sad!), Little Paper Planes

this weather can stay...

2009-05-28T21:00:00.010-05:00

Today was absolutely gorgeous. A perfect 80 degrees and sunny. No humidity. No bugs. I could live with weather like this all the time. I really could. So why do I live in Minnesota? I ask myself the same thing every winter.

Weather like this always makes us wanted to grill, and that's exactly what we did. We had a HUGE steak, of which Adam ate the most of (I swear it was the size of his abnormally large head). For dessert I grilled some apples:

And served them with a little of this major yum:

Coconut milk ice cream. It's SOOO good. Yum.

It was my first attempt at grilled apples and they turned out fabulous (they don't look super appealing, though, do they?).

Grilled Apples
Take 2 large or 4 small green apples and core and slice them (you can slice them any way you'd like, just make sure they're not too small so they sit on the grill nicely). Brush some melted butter on the apples (so they don't stick to the grill) and sprinkle with cinnamon. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Easy Peasy!

Next time I think I'm going to try using oil (like canola or almond) instead of butter and add a little sprinkle of brown sugar so they caramelize better.

We enjoyed these outside on our patio as the sun set. Mmmm. Bliss. :)

the past month...

2009-05-28T11:54:00.013-05:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus, I've been spending most of my free time with this gorgeous little guy:

That's our new puppy, Walter! He's so sweet. Until he pees on the floor or chews up my living room rug, that is. But they get over that, right? RIGHT?

In other news, I successfully ran my first 5k... and got this awesomely terrible picture taken of me at the finish line. Yikes! Why do they have cameras there? (By the way, that's my dad coming in behind me. He ALMOST beat me. Technically we tied, but whatever. I'll beat him at something one of these days.)

My time was 29:29, which, I'll be honest, I was a little disappointed with. I know I can run 5k in 28, but what do you do? It was fun and I felt good and that's all that matters. I can't wait to run another race. I'm thinking about doing a 10 mile race in July, but I'm little scared. Should I do it?? Better yet, CAN I do it?

Good news! Adam FINALLY has taken interest in eating very healthy (can I get a Woot! Woot!?), so I've been a madwoman about healthy foods and cooking lately. It's amazing. To kick off our healthy lifestyle I went on what could possibly be the biggest Trader Joe's shopping spree ever.

I got so many yummy things, like flattened bananas, hummus, Larabars (major yum!), a huge log of goat cheese, the best fruit bars ever, raw almond butter, Fage, agave nectar, sprouted rye (yes, RYE!) bread and the biggest jug of balsalmic vinegar I've ever seen. We're so lucky to have a TJ's here. Seriously.

To go along with this healthy change, I'm going to start blogging about some of the things I'm eating/making because I've already gone gaga over so many new foods/recipes (um... Larabars, where have you been all my life?), so keep checking back.

more etsy love...

2009-04-27T16:03:00.003-05:00

This bag is gorgeous. So is the picture. Love it.

Tulip bag in distressed gray, $225, by morelle.

etsy love...

2009-04-24T16:18:00.004-05:00

I was snooping around on Etsy, looking for Mother's Day gifts (ok, Mom, pretend you didn't hear that) when I saw this lovely letterpress print by Hijirik Studio:

I think I will, thanks.

Find it here: Live What You Love Letterpress Print Special Edition, $17.50

holla lolla...

2009-04-23T10:47:00.017-05:00

Yup. I'm still alive. I've just been absent from the Internet world for what seems like an eternity. But I'm back! For good. I swear. Ok, anyway...

So, the lineup for Lollapalooza was announced this week and I'm very, very stoked for August 7-9. Too bad it's only April. *Don't wish away the summer, Marissa, don't wish away the summer.* It's hard not to with such a lineup. Aside from the obvious headlining acts I'm excited for (Kings of Leon, Jane's Addiction, TOOL), the other acts are probably the best thing about Lolla. So many to see, so little time! Here are some of the other shows I will be putting on my "must see" list:

Fleet Foxes {Live on La Blogotheque/Current TV}

Arctic Monkeys {Song: Teddy Picker}

Lykke Li {Song: Dance, Dance, Dance}

Hockey {Song: Too Fake}

Of course there are many other bands I'm wanting to check out, like Lou Reed, Andrew Bird, Vampire Weekend, Ben Folds, Band of Horses, Bon Iver, Cold War Kids, Santigold, Passion Pit... aagh! I CAN'T wait!!!

green with envy...

2009-03-19T09:29:00.008-05:00

I honor of St. Patrick's Day (um, yes, this is two days late. my bad.), here are some lovely green things that I'm coveting right now (besides money):

{clockwise from top left: Neanthe Bella Sheath, $398; Cashmere heirloom henley in jade green, $120; Nanette Lepore Seductress Sandals, $375; Jersey Dolman Minidress in green, $180; My Morning Jacket poster, $25; Robin Print by Happy Owl Glass, $7.50; Sweet Granita Shoulderbag, $198}

loving every minute...

2009-03-05T12:21:00.031-06:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about life and work and not only loving what you do, but doing what you love. A passion for life, if you will. On Tuesday, a dear friend of mine had a terrible emergency (which I'll keep private for the sake of the people involved) and it just reaffirmed my thoughts about loving every minute of life. Life really is too short to be angry, bitter or sad. And it's full of so many beautiful, little things to be thankful for. Think about your life. You may not have your dream job (or any job in this economy) or the perfect relationship. You may not love the way you look or you may feel guilty for mistakes you've made in the past. Generally, though, life is pretty good. For all of us. We have opportunity. We have freedom. We have hope. In difficult times or situations, it's easy to dwell on the negative, to think about how hard life is, but I think it's crucial (especially during during a difficult time) to remember the little things that make you happy. Isn't life essentially just made up of thousands and thousands of little moments? So why let them pass you by?

Some things that made me happy today:

I've been thinking about joining an adult ballet class offered at the St. Paul City Ballet. This image totally inspired me to call and sign up. Now to find my leg warmers...

{Photo from Life Magazine via The English Muse}

I LOVE San Francisco. Love it.

{Photo of Golden Gate Bridge from sfgirlbybay's Flickr photostream}

And this a capella version of For Emma by Bon Iver totally made my day:

window seat envy...

2009-03-04T14:14:00.005-06:00

{From Alvhem via Black*Eiffel}

sample sale! ...

2009-03-02T09:22:00.001-06:00

Built by Wendy is having a sample sale and some of their adorable stuff is - gasp! - only $10! Go now and buy.

love this...

2009-02-26T14:04:00.003-06:00

I probably should have posted this for Valentine's Day, but it's still just as sweet two weeks late (plus I totally love this song).

dining room chairs...

2009-02-21T13:19:00.015-06:00

When we first bought our dining room table my intention was to buy black chairs to go with it. I'm suddenly having a change of heart. I'd like to give the dining room a little more of a modern twist and since the table is a little bit country, the chairs might need to be a little bit rock 'n' roll. Or just a little bit modern. So, I'm leaning toward aluminum or white:

Alston Aluminum Dining Chair, $139 at Dining Rooms Direct and 1006 Navy Side Chair, $415 at DWR.

NORVA LD dining chair in white, $69 and URBAN dining chair in white, $39.99 both at IKEA.

Jake Chair in white, $79 at Room and Board.

Thoughts? Love it? Hate it? Do you know any other places with affordable chairs?

poster purchases...

2009-02-21T13:03:00.011-06:00

Last night I ordered two super sweet posters for our house. It was a slight act of compulsion as I promised myself I wouldn't buy anything for the house until I saved up enough money to buy some dining room chairs, but they were affordable and awesome, so big woop right?

Kings of Leon poster by The Decoder Ring Design Concern, $25. I love, love, love it.

Trampled by Turtles poster by Minnesota design company Withremote, $15.

hello lovely...

2009-02-19T18:20:00.011-06:00

Could it be? Two of my favorite things, Italian culture and gorgeous design, are combined in this book:

The book, Italianissimo: The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best, was designed by Jessica Hische for Little Bookroom.

Not only is this book gorgeous, but I'm totally loving her illustrations and (yes!) typography.

{via Design Milk; images from Design Milk}

oh, sigh...

2009-02-19T11:28:00.005-06:00

I'm not doing so hot at this blogging thing, am I? I think about writing something for the blog everyday, yet I haven't been doing it. So, I've decided to make an action plan to get my butt in gear. I will start posting at least twice a week, I promise (that's more of a promise to myself than anything, considering I have about two loyal readers).

I'll be back with another post later today.

well, this just made my day...

2009-01-29T15:59:00.005-06:00

German Bundesliga Fashion

hehe. So random. My favorite is the crowd and how straight-faced they are. How could you not be laughing?

{via swissmiss}

speaking of...

2009-01-29T15:44:00.011-06:00

I can't decide if I find this awesome or a little eerie...

The Jesus Lamp by Ricardo Garza Marcos

Creative indeed. I wonder if they make a holy-water side table to match?

{by Ricardo Garza Marcos via Apartment Therapy}

um... a sign from God?

2009-01-29T08:43:00.003-06:00

This morning when I went to take a peek at my blog (sometimes I just visit it to take mental notes about what can be changed, design-wise. That's not narcissistic is it?) a bible study website came up instead of my blog! First I had a mini heart attack and then (after immediately clicking out if it for fear of it eating my computer) I giggled a bit. Is someone trying to tell me something? Either my computer has a virus, or blogging is my calling. Wait, can blogging even be a calling?

happy friday?

2009-01-23T09:25:00.005-06:00

You know it's going to be a great day when you wake up (after having a dream, uh... nightmare, where your husband dies!) and are certain you have pink eye because your left eye itches so bad you want to take it out of your head and scratch it, but then you look in the mirror and realize you don't have pink eye and it's probably just something stuck in your eye that you will never, ever get out. So then you hop in the shower because you're cold and a hot shower sounds nice, but wait... THERE'S NO HOT WATER. As in the coldest shower you've ever taken in your life. The kind where you know you will not be warm for the rest of the day despite putting on your biggest sweater and warmest socks. THEN, you rush around the house getting ready for work and actually (miraculously) leave for work on time, which could potentially mean your day is going better, until you get stuck behind the longest train in the world that goes forward, stops for what feels like an hour, and proceeds to back up. So now you're tired, itchy, cold and 20 minutes late for work. But, hey, it's Friday... so you slap a smile on your face and pray for 5pm to come, even though you know, you just know, that it's going to be the longest day ever.

reading goals...

2009-01-19T12:37:00.007-06:00

One of my goals for 2009 was to read a book a week. Well, it's week four of 2009 and I haven't successfully read a single page from a single book, though I have successfully watched a full season of Mad Men, many episodes of Sex and the City (for the fourth time?) and several episodes of a silly show called Dead Like Me that I'm not even sure I like. It's gotten so bad that I've made my husband monitor my TV viewing, like I'm a five-year-old: "You can watch ONE episode, but then you have to read." Luckily for me, my husband has discovered the mini-series John Adams, which I find painfully boring and he, somehow, finds more fascinating than the discovery of a new world. I would call him a nerd, but I watched the documentary Helvetica with such giddy fascination that I'm pretty sure I took that title for the year.

I figured a Monday off from work would be the perfect day to start the goal of expanding my literary mind. (Also, I have decided to change the goal to a book every two weeks, which seems much more realistic for someone with my interest in sweet TV shows.) I'm starting with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, a book that's been staring up at me from my bookshelf for a least a year (along with many others). Let's just hope I can ignore my desire to watch another season of Mad Men long enough to finish it.

i love...

2009-01-19T12:36:00.003-06:00

waking up next to a sleepy puppy, smelling fresh coffee brewing and knowing I have the whole day ahead of me with nothing planned.

starting over...

2009-01-16T11:34:00.003-06:00

Ok, here's the deal. I have this silly little blog and it's been just sitting here begging me to write. But about what? I have this fear of becoming one of those bloggers that is overly enthused about my own life, thinking that the rest of the world actually cares that I had banana-bread oatmeal for breakfast (they don't care, do they?) and yet I feel the need to just write about whatever pops up in my over-active mind. So, take this as fair warning that I'm no longer caring if my content is interesting to the rest of the world. I will simply write and blab and hope for the best. And that's all I wanted to say. Thanks for listening (and, most likely, not caring).

P.S. I really do love banana-bread oatmeal.

i love award shows...

2009-01-12T15:18:00.014-06:00

Maybe I'm just going through television withdrawals (it's been over a month now), but I caught a bit of the Golden Globes last night and remembered how much I adore watching award shows. All those gorgeous people in those gorgeous gowns... sigh! My favorites:

Oddly enough, one of my absolute favorite things about this year's Golden Globes was the awesome stage decor/design. Just look:

Old-school Hollywood glam. Lovely.

All-in-all I think it was an entertaining year for the Golden Globes and it made me realize how many movies I have to go see and books I have to read (i.e. Revolutionary Road). I'm going to see Slumdog Millionaire this week and I'm expecting to be impressed, which I hope doesn't lead to a let-down.

pretty pretty posters...

2009-01-08T14:32:00.026-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for cool, independent art and posters, especially now that I have a house to put them in. So, today, as I was looking through the list of vendors that were at the No Coast Craft-o-Rama in Minneapolis (that I was unfortunately not able to make it to since I was moving), I came across the work of Amy Jo, a local designer who makes some of the prettiest posters I've seen in a while and even has a storefront studio (Who Made Who, 158 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis). They're now on my list of things to buy for the house.

{2009 Peacock Calendar, $12; The Raveonettes poster, $40; Square Lake Festival poster, $30}

You can see more of Amy Jo's work here and here and you can purchase here, here and here.

on another note...

2008-12-29T15:17:00.001-06:00

I've decided to join a race team for the Tour de Habitat, which is an indoor bike race to raise money for Habitat for Humanity AND I'm dragging Adam with me (hehe). I've posted a link to my fundraising page on the bottom right of this page, so please spread the word for a good cause (one that just might get me off my lazy butt this winter)!

whoa...

2008-12-29T15:09:00.007-06:00

It's been ages since I've posted. Where did the time go? In my defense, I have been awfully busy moving, shopping for Christmas and not having TV or internet, so I've been a little out of the loop.

So, now that the holidays are finally over, I can finally start to focus on other things - like our new house!

There's a lot to be done, but first on my list (aside from finishing all the unpacking, of course) is painting the kitchen and getting some dining room chairs. We found a dining room table and it's big and kind of rustic, just the way I wanted:

... but, I hated the chairs, so we just got the table. Now, to find chairs for cheap...

some honeymoon highlights...

2008-11-22T16:34:00.009-06:00

a few highlights from our honeymoon.

you can see the rest of the photos here.

some wedding highlights...

2008-11-22T16:06:00.012-06:00

a few of my favorite shots from the wedding.

obviously, there are a lot more that i love, but these are in my top ten. one thing i think we're lacking are detail pics of the day (like pics of the table settings and flowers, etc.), so if you have any or know anyone that does send them my way!

{all photos by Helios Photography}