Sensational Coverage

I bought a couple of pairs of shoes (that’s four shoes altogether) last week, and wanted to do something with the shoeboxes that didn’t involve storing shoes. Here are the original shoeboxes (sans shoes, not that you can tell). I bought a pair of nude gladiators and a pair of polkadot black wedge espadrilles. Why do you act like you don’t care about my shoes?!

I covered the boxes in newsprint. I’m so obsessed with newsprint. I think it makes everything look so … newsworthy. And if you know me, I love newsworthy. It’s the precursor to fame.

I also wanted a striped box. I have remembered seeing a striped box somewhere, so I Googled “striped box” and found an exact replica of what I had seen somewhere sometime. I painted the box top black with black stripes down the side.

These boxes are now used to store my Dremel and my power drill. You can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge a storage area by its storage container.

Smitten Mitten

My friend Lauren was at a shop one day, and she messaged me a picture of a Michigan-themed oven mitt that she thought I would be able to make something similar using my mad sewing skills.

I took a long, hard look at my current oven mitt, and decided that I would be more than willing to re-do it. The beverages on the fabric were cute, but I was done with it.

I rummaged through my excessively large fabric stash, and found this XL t-shirt that I received at a Cavaliers playoff game in 2009 (they lost).

I pinned the t-shirt fabric roughly into the shape of an oven mitt and sewed it shut. I also relocated my sewing station into my living room so that I could simultaneously sew while watching Ugly Betty.

I stuffed my new blue t-shirt glove with the mitt. I think I heard some threads ripping  but I am going to pretend like nothing is wrong.

I cut out a block M and made some bias tape out of some maize fabric I had in my stash. My excessively large stash…

Ta-dah! My beautiful new mitt!

Sidenote: I messaged a picture of this to Lauren as soon as I finished it, asking for a bad pun I could use as my title. I told her that all I could think of was Mitt Romney, and she messaged me back with “Mitt Romney is hoot.” I thought she meant hot, but she actually meant good, as in a good pun! I was concerned. xoxo

I went to Australia last November: Day 5 Part 1

We flew to Sydney in early morning. We left a very rainy and suddenly cold Melbourne to fly into a very warm and sunny Sydney. Don’t you always find that the last day of your vacation is always the worst weather? I do. We pulled into Circular Quay on our train from the airport, and walked out to find a stunning view of the Opera House. (The Sydney Opera House, to be more specific.)

We checked into our hotel, and Katie took this awesome mirror picture of me and my luggage. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the mirror Nidhizzle looks a little more swaggery than the real Nidhizzle. Work it, girl, work it. I bet the picture was taken a split second and the light didn’t travel fast enough to ensure that I was in the same pose in both the mirror and in real life.

After checking , then decided to go for a leisurely stroll across the Harbour Bridge. Katie was hanging out by the fence and staring at the Opera House. She was deep in thought about something. I don’t know what she was thinking about, because I can’t read minds!! 

As much as I hated Flat Stanley, Katie looved her. She pulled her out for approximately every picture. “I love her. I LOVE HER.” Katie would say emphatically every time I told her to put Flat Stanley back into her purse.

 

After eating lunch, we started walking around Sydney. Here is a stunning view of the Harbour Bridge that definitely not ever been used in a postcard of Sydney.

We found another Luna Park! Are they popular in Australia? What are they, anyway? Why do I have so many questions? But seriously, though, why is there this creepsauce face eating you every time you decide to go to Luna Park?

Whilst walking around, we found these palm trees that looked like pineapples :) Gigantic pineapples. Mmm. I love pineapples. This pineapple would probably taste like a baby palm tree. (I imagine they are baby palm trees, not entirely sure what they were though.)

While walking around, we saw a fence and I contemplated climbing over it. See, you can see my contemplating face. It looks more like a “Really?!” face, but they’re actually very similar faces.
 

James <3 Georgie one year & forever. I love the name Georgie. It always reminds me of George Porgie pudding and pie who kissed the girls and made them cry. Why did they cry? Probably because they were sad that each one wasn’t the only girl in Georgie Porgie’s life.

In Oz, during the month of November, they run this fundraiser for men’s health. The fundraiser is enhanced by Aussie men growing staches. I am personally a strong believer that mustaches are evil and should be shaved whenever possible. There are better ways to show that you care about men’s health, like getting six-pack abs. #objectification

Even the mannequins were joining in the stache-madness. TWO PAIRS OF SHORTS FOR $100 but no stache, no thanks.

 

Movember? My favourite. xoxo

I went to Australia last November: Day 4 Part 2

After the wine tour, we sleepily decided to embark on our last night in Melbourne. We took a trip to their very strange “Target.” (yes there was a period in the name) and then rode the tram to Chinatown. Katie’s stupid “Flat Stanley” really wanted to take a pic in Chinatown so I obliged :(

In Chinatown, there is a restaurant called Flower Drum which is apparently the most expensive restaurant in Melbourne. Their soups were $120+! ($120 Aussie but that’s irrelevant).

This is the inside of the really expensive restaurant. KT kept telling me to be discreet when I was taking these pictures, but seriously, we’re at a really expensive restaurant. These people obvi want to pretend like they’re famous and we’re the paparazzi.

After creeping on this restaurant, KT and I decided to go to a much more wallet friendly restaurant across the street. Here is a picture of our spinach dumplings. They were delicious. Also I think we may have still been slightly tipsy from the wine tour because we were sooo sleepy.

This is a picture of our pasta dish, which was really delish. But it probably wasn’t as good as the $120 Aussie soup. It’s making me hungry.

After the food, we went to the Sofitel Hotel, which we had heard had an amazing view of Melbourne from the Ladies’ restroom! And it did! It was on approximately the 18th floor, and the restroom had a picture window. See, there is some stadium and a tall building. So cool.

Look at how the amazing incandescent light just makes our skin glow. The juxtaposition of the incandescence is just wonderful with the sunlight outdoors. I swear we didn’t use self tanner in order to look like Oompa Loompas. Ok, maybe just a little. You got me.

Cute pose, guys. We always try to take pictures in mirrors so that people can see our true reflections.

Merry Christmas! Those Aussies sure do love their Christmas. There were Christmas signs everywhere and Santa postboxes. In November!! In America, since we traditionally decorate Christmas trees after Thanksgiving, I wonder when Aussies start putting their decor up. This was right before American Thanksgiving. I bet they put their Christmas decor up in November.

Freaking Flat Stanley. Gosh she was annoying. See, you can even see her underwear!! If that’s not indecent, I don’t know what is. Katie really should have laminated her, because Flat Stanley’s hair started falling off (and one of her shoes, too, I think.)

On to Sydney next! xoxo

My Pretentious Tea

On Saturday, Mira, Raya and I went to high tea at the Ritz downtown. We dressed up all fancy in our pearls and heels. We started off with the Ritz signature Blue Sapphire black tea.

Just add sugar cubes!

And cream…

And drink it while eating very fancy finger sandwiches. The vegetarian sandwiches were eggs with some sort of spread, cut into circular shapes, and a cucumber cream cheese sandwich. The cucumber cream cheese sandwiches were soo delicious.

Here is Mira looking all cute with her semi-vegetarian sandwiches and tea. I think she had some sort of salmon on rye sandwich as well. Not that it’s relevant, you can’t taste sandwiches through blogs.

Here’s the spread of our food and tea. We were sitting on a love seat and chair around a coffee table. So lovely.

After our sandwiches (ok, I could have used like twice as many; you can never have too many sandwiches), we get our dessert tray. So much sugar…the top platform had a pear soaked in pomegranate (I think) juice, the second platform had a banana cream pie type thing and a chocolate cake with what tasted like liqueur, and the botttom tray had a bunch of macaroons and scones. I really wanted the supposedly lemon macaroon, but Raya tried to steal it. Luckily, I got to it and ate it anyway. Mira asked sweetly, “What was the flavor? Did it taste like Raya’s fingers?”

  

US three lovely ladies crammed onto the loveseat (like I was cramming sandwiches in my mouth) for this beautiful picture. This tea was lovely and pretentious. Many ladies were flitting around the tearoom wearing fancy dresses and fascinators, but we weren’t because we had already tipped our hats off to them.

What a fancy weekend. xoxo

I felt so very French

My friend Mira was in town this weekend, and she and I went to Le Petit Triangle in Ohio City for a late lunch. We initially sat outside on their red bistro tables facing a church, but as soon as we heard the crackle of thunder, we scurried inside.

I ordered a crêpe with spinach, tomato and chèvre and an olive tapenade. It was the best crêpe I had ever eaten.

Here is Mira and her crêpe, but I forgot all the ingredients. JUST KIDDING! I ate half, so I know that it was filled with scrambled eggs, ‘shrooms and Roquefort sauce. Ok I definitely looked up the menu because I forgot that it had ‘shrooms and Roquefort.

Then we made the amazing and not at all terrible decision to order dessert. We made the heart-wrenching decision to drink Dark French Hot Chocolate instead of mimosas.

We shared a dessert crêpe filled with Nutella and strawberries. Oh my gosh. I was so full after eating this. But I would eat it all again!

The ambience of this restaurant made me feel like I wasn’t in Cleveland – the view of an old church, the awning, the fenced in patio area all felt how I imagine being French to feel like. xoxo