dana's favorite things: christmas 2010 #2

cold weather. and things that keep you warm.

i'm a warm-weathered gal, but on the flip side of that i also hate humidity. i've decided i'd much rather be cold inside of something warm than sweat on my walk from the car to the front door. (know why humidity sucks so much? when you sweat, the water on your skin evaporates into the air, giving you a cooled-off kind of feeling. but in humid climates, the air is so wet already, that the sweat on your skin can't evaporate so you're hot and sweaty with no relief. evil, evil humidity!) cold weather also means well-behaved hair, of which i'm much a fan.

back to cold weather and warm things...

(i couldn't NOT use this picture when i saw it. look at that wiener go! LOVE it!)

some of my favorite warm things are scarves! in florida one rarely uses scarves, but you can tell that we love them just the same, as they make appearances whenever possible, even if not totally necessary. hey, scarves are awesome. check out some scarvish possibilities:

the cashmere scarf. ahhhhh. pure delight. god bless the person who developed cashmere.

the ever-growing-in-popularity pashmina. it's a type of cashmere, and most commonly is found in the above format. it can be used for warmth, modesty, or both. and in the world of scarf-fashion, there are many different ways to fashion a pashmina scarf. i only know one, but it does just fine.


the indie patterned "scarf." i use quotations here because they don't really offer a whole lot of warmth. some even call them the "summer scarf" because they can be worn as a fashion accessory in the summer. hah-yeah right...maybe if you live in montana. sorry, if you wear one of those in the south in the summer, i will secretly laugh at you. winter: different story.

the scarf grandma knitted for you that goes in and out of fashion over the years. you know what i mean. the one that you had in a box in your closet that you broke out to show off when the "grandma scarf" came back into style. and when all your friends ooh and ahh over it and ask "where did you GET that scarf?!" you can smugly say "oh this old thing? i've had it for years. my grandma made it for me for my 6th birthday." "omg, that is SO cool! i wish my grandma made me scarves!" (she did. you sold it at the family yardsale when you were 13, remember?)

lastly, the "is that a scarf or do i need to call animal control services" scarf. for some reason these are big right now. to me they look highly aggravating. at some point it would tickle my neck one-too-many times and i'd rip it off and leave it on the ground and never look back. i have a feeling these will be items laughed at in future years when people break out the photo albums. i can hear it now: "mom! what on earth are you wearing in this picture?!" but for today, go ahead. sport that furry little creature on your neck. you're cool...for now.

stay warm out there! wherever you are!

merry christmas and stay tuned for more!

dana's favorite things: christmas 2010, #1

a charlie brown christmas. nothing gives you the christmas feel goods like a charlie brown christmas.

maybe its the warm jazzy-jaz of the vince guaraldi trio. every year i dig out that album and put it in my car's cd player the day after thanksgiving and don't take it out until christmas is over. i could listen to it a thousand times over.

maybe its the heart-melting genius of charles schulz's writing. a charlie brown christmas has saved ugly christmas trees everywhere. after seeing that movie, there's always someone who will drive home with the "ugly" tree on the lot.

maybe its the swirly goodness of the peanuts animation team. look at that snow. doesn't it look so peaceful? another thing that always gets me are the facial expressions of charlie brown and the gang. who knew all it took were the ever-changing parentheses to change the characters' emotions. brilliant.

or maybe it's that mischevious loveable dog.

it's probably a combination of all of those. but for whatever reason, young and old will enjoy this classic for generations to come. i will make sure my kids know their charlie brown!

merry christmas and stay tuned for more!

what does this say to you?

i know, i know, they didn't say much to me before either except for "$$$". except i have always had a huge crush on those iconic wolf red knobs.

last night was my first ever nkba meeting (national kitchen and bath association--don't laugh it's a real thing). after inquiring to a few members "so how does this deal work?" most assured me that we'd have some good wine and hors d'oeuvres (horse doovers as my grandmother pronounces it) followed by a rather boring schpeel on some relevant topic. great.

i was pleasantly surprised (more pleasantly than most) to find that we were getting a tour of products by the wolf-sub zero rep. yesssss. red knobs, here i come. but let me tell you something: it was SO interesting! i don't lie. wanna know some fun facts? ok:

-sub zero refrigeration not only is energy star rated, but runs on 2 air compressors (as opposed to the 1 of all other products), meaning your freezer and refrigerator receive air independent of each other.

- sub zero refrigeration has been known to have heads of lettuce last 5 WEEKS! what?! crazy talk! get outta town! its true. not only that, but each product comes with a chart, showing you exactly where to put each item of food in its ideal location for freshness. neato!

-wolf stoves/ranges have completely separate outputs for a simmering level of cooking, which generate only somewhere in the ballpark of 300btu. everyone else: at least 850btu. so you can leave something to simmer and it will never burn!

-wolf ovens have an infared device on the top which cooks the top of meat (steaks especially) exactly like ruth chris steakhouse, so your meat comes out of the oven sizling on top! delicious!! i want a steak now...

there was tons of other "whoaaa" information that i could go on and on about but hopefully you get the point. and the point is: i want one of each. what can i say? he's a good salesman. and i want 5-week-old perfect lettuce. i can't tell you how much produce i throw out because it goes bad.

of course for any of this i'd need a significant raise. wouldn't it be great if i lived in italy and could buy everything i needed for the day in the market each morning? then i'd only need a tiny little cheap refrigerator. now, that's the real kind of life.

the best musical ever

seriously. genius.

way cool

saw this last night. i was amazed. how do i get that job??

in light of football season

these are now mine. well--and because of all the overtime i've been working i thought i deserved a treat. i got them on sale for $35. they are just as comfy as they are cute.

i can't remember the last time i bought myself anything. in fact, i think the last thing i bought were those danish modern chairs for $50 off craigslist. i'm proud of myself for being so disciplined for so long, but nothing beats that "new shoes for a good deal" feeling.

they are from born. check out the rest of the collection here.

i love it when google does this

upon the anniversary or celebration of a certain artist, tv show, holiday, etc. google will change it's logo into something really creative to represent the celebration. i think its really cool and i wish i had that job. i also wish i started saving them a long time ago. check out just a few of their neato logos.

things that keep my sanity at work

1. bringing my dog to work

i have 2 dogs. this is tilly. i raised her from a tiny little puppy. she is my "onliest little baby." i also have susie, who i've had a little over a year. she's a rescue mutt (half dachshund, half pogo stick...i should have renamed her pogo). since i got susie 2 things have happend. 1. tilly has a new playmate and 2. tilly has vowed to never forgive me for ending her era as an only child. so sometimes tilly and i have our days away together. when i bring her to work she is loved by everyone. she especially likes it when i turn on my space heater.

2. bendy straws

3. our receptionist

this is a 2-in-1. there are few things that bring me joy around this place. one is bendy straws. nothing beats a bendy straw. i discovered them hidden in the back of a cabinet and i used them until they were no more. the day i used the last one, i told our receptionist, mimi, who declared a national state of emergency, and this morning she gave me my own, brand new pack of neon bendy straws. the day can't get much better.

mimi is also our personal ray of sunshine. i don't know how she deals with all the grumpy mcgrumpersons around here, but our old receptionist, berniece, probably handed down a few tricks. she went on vacation a few weeks ago and it only took me one day to realize what a difference a great receptionist makes. it felt like she was gone a year. awesome receptionists are a rare treat.

4. my ipod

seriously. if it weren't for a constant stream of music i would go insane. music can really improve your mood. my favorites lately have been: the format, mates of state, johnny cash and june carter, feist, the almost, bob marley, and ben folds/ben folds five (and when the time calls for it, i've also been known to listen to gangsta rap).

listen up ladies

(disclaimer: this doesn't apply to gentlemen readers, but if you have girlfriends/wives, definitely pass it on)

growing up has its shares of ups and downs, but i'd have to say one of the most surprising downs is how quickly your body loses its tight teenage youth. i mean i'm 24 and already i have to exercise reguarly and eat lean cuisines at lunch to keep a somewhat decent figure. now. i'm aware this isn't the fate for all women. some just naturally have a fit figure, even if they never eat veggies and only run if they're being chased or trying to make it to the conference room before all the good food from the meeting is gone (skinny girls of the world: if you for one day take for granted your effortless perfect figure, i will cut you....just kidding...sort of).

all this being said, there is one very painful time of the year that one in florida (or the south in general) simply cannot escape: the time to buy a new swimsuit. usually i put this off until end of season for the discounts (and because my the end of these sweltering summers in a kung fu academy with no a/c, i've usually sweated off an extra 5 pounds). and let's face it. there's nothing exciting about covering a curvy adult body with a teenage looking 4 inch piece of nylon with a millimeter thick triangle of padding (this might be appealing to the rougher sex--here's a secret: most girls dread it!). and when you're 5' 2" there's no need to box up your short-enough torso in a one piece if you don't have to. you get the point.

however, this memorial day my step-aunt modeled a very supportive and youthful swimsuit from lands end. she's about my size, 2 kids, and she looked great. this sparked my curiosity, and along with the offer from my mom to buy me TWO new suits since they were on sale, i gave in. WITHOUT trying on, even. this could be dangerous, but for free, its worth it when you're poor. so i selected the following two swimsuits.




they arrived yesterday and reluctantly i tried them on. after properly adjusting the straps, i cautiously moved to the mirror. angels sang. an ocean breeze came out of nowhere and gave me windswept hair. it was by far the best swimsuit try-on experience ever. we're talking underwire, padding that feels like more than a piece of sandwich cheese--we're locked and loaded. give me 10 foot waves and a fierce game of beach volleyball (i don't do beach sports, but for the sake of the visual, let's pretend i do)--things are staying put, if you get what i'm saying.

now i can confidently say: grown-up, real-looking women of the world, its time to move to a full support swimsuit. put down the roxy swimsuit from dillards--it won't do anything for you, honey. you're better off going in your underwear. i would by experience recommend lands end for sure. they have this cool option that lets you shop by body type. plus the prices aren't that bad (right now most are half-off) and for the quality and fit you get--it sure is worth the money. every limp target swimsuit i've ever purchased has lasted 2 seasons at best. florida living deserves more.

give your body the respect and support it deserves. i'll never go back to an ordinary swimsuit.

southern lights

pottery barn has come out with some new pendants in recent months that, to me, are very reminiscent of the south. i'm in love with them. my favorite is the mason jar pendant. why didn't anyone think of that before? it makes me think of when i went to my grandmother's when i was little. she used to help us catch lighting bugs in mason jars and then we'd set them on our night stands--natural night lights. its getting about that season!

ok so the wine bottles aren't quite as southern as the others...but still. i'll take one of each! check out pottery barn's pendant collection here.

roll up that old stuff

and slap down a few of these:

FLOR carpet tiles, for the home. insta-rug. re-configurable. less mess. less measuring. less wondering what kind of disgusting particles are hididng in your carpet. carpet is so disgusting. when i had wood floors i ran a swiffer over them twice a week and waxed them every few months--my floors always looked great. now that i have carpet, all those disgusting particles and creepies are hiding in your carpet fibers, creating a faux cleanliness. And when i vaccum every week, i fill one of those bagless containers half-way full of dog-hair, dirt, other unidentified particulates...gives me the heebie geebies.

when i have a choice, i'm swearing by hard floors and rugs for the rest of my life. these would be good. they can meet all budgets, tastes, and colors. check it out.

open kitchens, wood frames

two kitchens very reminiscent of each other. two equally great layouts, finish selections, and use of natural light. i'd take either one of them. don't you just love the warmth and hominess of wood ceilings?

first one is here. second one here. check them out.

victims of humidity

take charge.

i live in florida. on the coast. if i didn't do anything to my hair it would look like the above. i can put four products in my hair and flat iron it and, after an hour of intense sweating, running all fans, my hands covered in layers of goop, i get a desired result. that is, of course, until i step outside. poof. all efforts out the window.

until i found this. search no more. this stuff is the answer.

when they say 24 hours, they mean it. i can go to sleep and wake up and still have pretty hair for the gym. not that it matters, but hey. its smooth, its straight, and all it takes is this stuff and a blow dryer.

makes me wanna go to work like this. woo! (i love scrubs)

hollywood

can't think of a better name for this lamp by coronet lighting (password protected, sorry for the curious).

makes me think of ava gardner. classic sexy. i'd put this on a mirrored table in a black and white room...maybe a formal living room. even bedroom. anyhow, i love it. the cinch in the middle really gives it some attitude.

ok, walmart!

walmart is a trap. i go there most times for everything except produce and meat because its cheap. but then they have so much stuff! and you have to look at this, and then, oh!--this catches your eye. before you know it you have an armful of stuff and even though you came for facewash, you're leaving with spray paint, a picture frame, outdoor chair cushions and ben and jerry's cherry garcia.

however, check out walmart's new line of throw pillows. for some reason the one i saw in the store i can't find online, and some of the ones online i didn't see in the store. go figure. but check out this high-end look-a-like. impressive, walmart. way to step it up.

if it weren't for the fact that i have nothing close to that green to match, i would have scooped it up. not bad prices either! all of their pillows are under 20 bucks, most under 12.

allergies, meet your match

florida is a haven for pollen right now. i didn't know i could dislike something more than the humidity of florida. well i found it: pollen. allergen experts say this is one of the worst years ever. i'm sold on that fact. some mornings i wake up and sound like i've been smoking since birth. its nasty.

how am i surviving these tough times? well, wall-itin (walgreens brand of claritin), mucinex, and this little weapon: hot tea. now, not that i'm particular to any kind of tea for allergy treatment, but bigelow (my favorite tea brand) makes a green tea with lemon. i've been a fan of this tea since around new years when i gave up caffeine (not permanently, no no no-- dunkin donuts just opened right around the corner from my apartment and it is nearly impossible to pass up hazelnut coffee with cream and sugar--no, i just gave up drinking it every day; DON'T recommend dropping the habit cold turkey if you ever get the same inclination...we're talking headaches, irritability, wanting to kill for a 10am nap...not good). ok back on track:

today i discovered this little puppy is my secret weapon. i noticed my allergies were especially bad. to the point where i wanted to rip my sinuses out through my nose, egyptian style. then i realized "hey! i didn't have my tea this morning!" at first, this was totally unrelated. but then after inhaling the steam and a few big gulps, i noticed my allergies were calmed almost instantly. don't ask me why. i just know it works for me.

so if the pollen brigade hasn't reached your neck of the woods yet, i recommend stocking up.

go concrete!

flying turtle is a company that creates cast concrete that is both green and stain free. they do commercial and residential, and most of their work is both custom and beautiful.

cast concrete has taken a major popularity leap, not only in modern structures, but even in traditional homes as beautiful countertops (such as seen above).

their fireplaces are outstanding. one is even made to look like a custom wood installation.

one day i'll have to get them to make me something!

happy little kitchen

i love this kitchen. its small but they've so cleverly worked with the challenging space. when's the last time you saw a kitchen with vaulted ceilings? there's still plenty of storage, the color palette is fantastic, AND i know my life would be a little more complete with a red gas stove. electric users, save yourselves the disappointment. i had to go from electric to gas, and back to electric...not fun. gas is clearly superior.

another interesting element: kitchens are also usually against an exterior wall. this one is separated by a hallway (interesting because i did that on a project in school once!), but has that large pass-through window to allow access to exterior windows. and in case that isn't enough, there's a skylight! lighting of champions.

get back!

isn't this cool? its an old train station light pendant. get back, inc. is a website mentioned by one of the diy-ers on apartment therapy. i decided to check it out and it is super neato. almost all of their items are vintage. prices are not listed, but i'm sure they're a pretty penny.

check it out!

kitchen aides

i am moving soon to an apartment with a much larger kitchen than what i am used to...meaning i can fit more than 2 people (uncomfortably) in it at a time. there is space for an eat-in table, which i have no use for, so i've decided to fill it instead with a portable island. naturally, i spend a couple of minutes here and there searching for them. luckily i came across this article in the kitchn, a division of apartment therapy.

the island is nothing fantastic, except that it works exceptionally in this cute little kitchen. kitchens and baths (and naturally, tile) have always been some of my favorites and i could look at photos for hours. this particular kitchen i've seen before in apartment therapy, and after a while of scrutiny (apartment therapy must have a thousand writers because they post so many entries a day) i found it. chris and heather, whoever you are, you have a great kitchen.

first of all, they pulled off the painted cabinets exceptionally--especially using a color besides white. on top of that (literally) are beautiful marble countertops. sometimes marble can be yuppy, but with all this, it looks fantastic. the color palette is fantastic. i would not normally think to use it in a kitchen. gas stove, fogged glass doors, pine floors, and lets not forget that tile! i can't tell if its silver or gold, but i want it. i wish they would note the manufacturer. apparently i'm not the only one. they have a lot of people wanting to know the same thing. and for good reason!!