blast from the past

I'm currently preparing for my upcoming weekend beach trip to the Ft. Myers area with the AT. We're going to see some great sights, eat some good eats and hang out with his sister. Outstanding.

My man is, well, a bit pasty. A walking glue stick, if you will. Whereas I plan on parking myself on the beach and toasting all day long rotisserie chicken style (flip every 15 minutes to ensure an even tan!), he's going to be running for the nearest shade and slathering on SPF 50. The kind they make for babies.

In thinking about sun block, I had a weird trip back to the late 80s/early 90s. Remember Zinka? We had the green kind in my household. Who was the schmuck who thought this stuff was a good idea in the first place?! Regardless, they marketed it well enough to make a killing.

Apparently the stuff is still around, making appearances at 80s parties and surfing events. Who knew?

eat smart

I got these facts from Eating Well magazine, the July/August 2009 issue:

20% of the world's population could be fed with the grain and soybeans used to feed U.S. cattle.

5,000: gallons of water it takes to produce 1 pound of meat.

25: gallons of water it takes to produce 1 pound of wheat.

30% of the world's land is involved in livestock production.

4.5% more greenhouse gases are produced worldwide by animal farming than by transportation.

20% reduction in meat consumption would have the same impact as switching from a standard sedan to an ultra-efficient vehicle.

Did you see that? Just a 20% reduction in meat consumption. In other words, if you eat meat 14 times a week, three times sometime in your week choose a veggie wrap, a meatless salad or stir-fry with brown rice, veggies and eggs instead of that turkey sandwich, hamburger or chicken salad. You'll do your part to make a 20% reduction in meat consumption, which is far more than you would do if you bought a Prius. And guess what? Unlike that Prius, swapping in three meatless meals per week will trim your waistline and make your feel healthier. Score.

P.S. I doubt Food, Inc. is going to come anywhere near Lakeland. But the book, a companion guide to the movie, is shocking, disturbing and convicting - but also in many ways encouraging, motivating and inspiring. I highly recommend it.

awkward

Katy introduced me to this blog by alerting me to this entry.

This may be one of my favorites. Look how happy that kid is! Touching, really. I wonder if the photographer told them to smile and say, "Aquanet!"

changing the landscape

A quote from "At Home with Paula Hayes - Love Alters the Landscape," published in The New York Times on June 10, 2009:

"The thing about being an overachiever is, you are stoic and you believe you can do anything, so you do," Ms. Hayes said. "It is not until you find love that you realize you are fragile."

Read the whole article here.

Thanks for sharing, KGW.

keeping it weird

The AT was working in Austin last week, and I used my weekend to go out and visit him. He had business. So did I. Lots of stuff to see, lots of shopping to do, lots of people to visit.

Progress Coffee. They don't have sprouts, FYI. And if you ask for sprouts, they might bring you peanut butter.

The steps at the Hotel San Jose.

Can you see the side of the building? It says, "Beer Wine Smokes Peace" The other side says, "Bread Eggs Milk Love" :)

E picked up this hat at a cool little Mexican trading store for $3. Score!

Jo's Coffee on South Congress.


Awesome centerpiece at Big Red Sun.

The front of Big Red Sun - very cool shop. One of my favorite parts of the shop (besides the huge selection and variety of succulents they have - including a type called "lamb's ears," my favorites because they look and feel like baby lamb ears) is the bathroom - they have yummy smelling organic soaps in there, and there are two huge bird cages. OK, so it's a little weird to go to the bathroom with the birds watching you. But they're pretty and they make sweet little birdie noises.

Check out this agave!The asparagus looking thing is going to turn into a tree, then a flower, and then the whole thing dies. Buzz kill.

hunting for antiques with stephanie

Saturday morning Stephanie and I putzed around downtown Lakeland in search of fun, vintage finds.

Pots like these with numbers on them were featured in the most recent June edition of Anthropologie's catalogue. We found some of that nature at a large shop downtown. (By the way, check out the June edition of Anthropologie's catalogue - parts of it were shot in Austin, TX, which is where I'm headed on Friday to meet up with the AT).

I love, love, LOVE this vintage mixer!I'm a fan of old jars - I failed to take a photo of the bookcase stacked full of apothecary jars, at the same big shop where we found the pots. I just love the idea of lining up lots of little glass jars with wildflower cuttings.

sun fun love

i dare you to watch this and be in a bad mood. 

i want to figure out how to tie my scarf like this. 

christina is going to be making stuff like this and i'll be able to say i knew her before she was a famous pastry chef with a cult following. 

the thought of ever participating in something like this makes me want to hide in the corner and suck my thumb. 

Christina spoiled the secret and ratted herself out: this will be my birthday present next year. I mean, really, how could she have known that it's what I've always wanted? With this kit I can now baptize myself, anoint myself, purify myself and multiply myself - all without Jesus. I can to through the motions of the Christian faith without Christ. It's salvation in a box! What a friend - few would spend the $15.95 (plus shipping & handling) to save their friends. Didn't Jesus say something about a true friend laying down their life for another? Christina is purchasing salvation for me. That's a true friend if I ever heard of one. And don't forget the complimentary crucifix they throw in there at no extra charge.