texas forever

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

you can't go on a west texas road trip without referencing friday night lights, am i right? (if you haven't seen this show, do it! it is so not about the football. well, it is, but it isn't.) i spent a long labor day weekend visiting my friends out in alpine, texas. it was my third trip out to west texas in less than two years and each time, i like it more and more. there's not a whole lot to see and there's not a whole lot to do, but, man, it's beautiful.

of course there were a few trips to marfa, which is just west of alpine. i always make the trek to snap a picture of prada marfa (which isn't actually in marfa) and this time there was a new (controversial) installation just outside the city, playboy marfa.

we also ate at el paisano hotel, where james dean and elizabeth taylor stayed while filming giant in the early 1950s, before standing under the amazing night sky trying to find the marfa mystery lights.

a few of my favorite places to visit in west texas are terlingua and big bend national park. terlingua is a mercury mining ghost town and has an amazing cemetery with graves dating back to 1903. it also has a fantastic view of the chisos mountains in big bend and the sierra del carmens in mexico.

we did a driving tour of big bend this time (there were five of us in the car) and got out to hike to the hot springs. it's crazy how quick the landscape changes from mountain to desert to something almost tropical. it was stupidly hot and we were all glad to be back home after a long day exploring (read: mac & cheese and pajamas).

of course, there was some much needed couch-surfing on the last day. after a late breakfast at buns & roses in marfa, we pretty much devoured the first season of american horror story (why did it take me so long to watch this?!) and grazed on pizza. 

so, all in all, an excellent little break from real life. did you have a good holiday?

the many moods of mr. jerry orbach // root beer float day

did you know today was national root beer float day? i had no idea root beer float day was even a thing and just this past weekend i gathered all the ingredients to make my favorite cocktail when my friends were over. it was meant to be!

jerry wanted me to remind you that brain freezes hurt -- celebrate responsibly, friends.

it's december 23rd...

*can we talk about how great pugly pixel's tutorial for tinsel text is? because it totally is. a festivus miracle, perhaps?

the holiday season // pink peppermint popcorn

i like to make food for people during the holidays; unfortunately, i'm usually crap at it. i'm no stranger to those late nights (early mornings, really) in the kitchen dumping a whole batch of something into the trash because it just didn't work out right. i'm also the person who leaves things semi- last minute, so there's that, as well.

but! here's a recipe that is super easy and pretty much no-fail. also? it's really good. to make pretty pink peppermint popcorn, you'll need:

- two bags microwave popcorn. you want something not completely saturated with butter and salt, so i chose orville redenbacher's tender white. if i had thought about it more, i would have popped my own.

- one bag andes peppermint crunch baking chips. this is only available during the holidays in grocery stores, but you can find it on amazon year-round (at insanely inflated prices, but if you need a fix...).

- sprinkles. totally optional, but fun.

- two medium-to-large bowls. for tossing.

- one microwave safe bowl (not pictured). for melting.

- wax paper. for drying.

- pop two bags of popcorn according to instructions. put one bag in each bowl.
- melt the peppermint chips in the microwave. heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chips are completely melted.
- divide the melted chips between the two bowls of popcorn.

- toss/massage/roll the popcorn until it is almost entirely coated in peppermint. 

- add sprinkles liberally and toss a bit more.

- lay sheets of wax paper on a flat surface and spread the popcorn in an even layer to dry. try to avoid clumps and clusters.

- let dry for at least an hour.

- package and enjoy!

being a procrastinator actually helps with this recipe because it's best made right before it is to be gifted (or eaten) - wait too long and it starts to get stale. it's easy to make large quantities, too - just remember 2 bags of popcorn to 1 bag of peppermint chips. my niece and i made three batches in under an hour and it yielded approximately 42 cups of popcorn.

the holiday season // root beer float cocktail

i just wanted to pop in to share a quick recipe today. the hands-down hit of the party the other night was a root beer float cocktail made with marshmallow vodka. it's a cinch to make, a real crowd pleaser, and, if you give it a silly name like rudolph root beer or frosty float (see what i did there?), it's perfect for holiday get-togethers.

to make a frosty root beer float cocktail, assemble the following:
- root beer (i chose a bottled craft brew from world market)
- marshmallow vodka (i think vanilla vodka would also taste great - it would be interesting to try a homemade vanilla bean infused vodka, too!)
- whipped cream
- ice

pour the vodka and root beer over the ice and stir. my sister made the drinks at the party and she paired two shots (approximately 3 oz.) of vodka with 6-8 oz. of root beer per mason jar (16 oz. size). the drinks were on the stronger side, but they weren't overpowering (flavored vodkas can be deceiving, though, so drink responsibly!)

top with whipped cream and stick in a striped straw for maximum happiness. oh, so good, i tell you! and it gets even better when the whipped cream has melted down a bit and the drink gets a bit sludgy (that's not a good food adjective, but you know what i mean, right?)

cheers!

tinsel + tonic

i had a holiday "tinsel + tonic" party this weekend, which is, of course, the perfect excuse for going overboard on vintage glass ornaments, kitschy santas, and crafty fun.

i made homemade christmas crackers (directions here) and yarn pom pom garlands (directions here). homemade touches were complemented with thrift store finds and fun finds from bake it pretty.

pinterest played a big part, too. make-ahead mason jar cocktails? such a good idea. also? i never want to have another drink without a festive paper straw (purchased here).

even the portraits were decked out in holiday finery (can you tell who the subject of the portrait is? a good story post coming soon).

it was so much fun to get my house ready for the season - i don't think i put a single decoration up last year. the party was a success with lots of laughing and talking into the wee hours, vintage records, good food (and so much of it, my goodness!), amazing friends, and a bit of mischievousness for good measure.

vintage christmas card display tutorial

last year, right before christmas, i came across a 1950s stationer's stock of christmas card samples at an estate sale. i think i picked up just over 50 cards for around $5.00, which is a great deal considering how amazing the designs and colors are - i would have gladly paid more.

i wanted to display the cards around the house this year and i briefly considered a garland across the door; this idea was quickly nixed, however, as i've been a bit garland-mad of late (the holidays will do that to you). instead, i came up with a minimalistic display incorporating one of my favorite vintage accessories - wooden hangers!

to make a christmas card display, you'll need:
1. vintage wooden hangers.
2. a drill and drill bit. make sure the drill bit corresponds to the thickness of your string.
3. string/twine; scissors; miniature clothespins; a tape measure; a marker or pen.
4. your choice of christmas cards, new or old.

to make the display:

5. arrange your selection of cards to see how many you can get across the width of your hanger. i could get about three cards across without crowding them.

6. measure your hanger and mark off where you'd like your holes to be. my hanger measured almost 16" - i made marks at 2", 8" and 14".

7. drill holes where you've made your marks. safety first!

8. cut lengths of your string. hold your hanger up and determine how long you'd like your display to be - i cut each string at approximately 36".

9. secure the string on the hanger by knotting a loop through each hole.

10. use the miniature clothespins to secure your cards to the string. hang your display and enjoy!

it takes a little bit of a balancing act to get each side level and i played around a bit with the arrangement before i was happy with the dispersion of color and orientation (portrait vs. landscape). all-in-all, though, it was a super easy, fast and inexpensive project (i had all of the materials on hand).  

i ended up making two displays for different areas of the house. i love being able to see all the cards during the season and i think it would make a great postcard or snapshot display for the rest of the year.

how do you display your cards?

(note: here's the non-christmas version of the display!)

the holiday season // 12.02.2011

can we talk about how much i love christmas music? because i do. it's so darn chipper and happy. and sometimes it's wonderfully nostalgic and sad. something for everybody, right?

while you can bet that i am fond of the classic crooners and tunes, i am especially smitten with odd and non-traditional holiday songs. in a weird way, i've listened to these songs so much and for so many years, they have become traditional to me.

one of the first albums i listen to each year (who am i kidding - i listen to it all year) is sufjan stevens' songs for christmas. this album doesn't seem as odd and non-traditional as it did when it first appeared ten years ago (it was actually released over the course of several years) and i'm sure by now it is a staple of the hipster holiday season, but the first time my brother-in-law played that was the worst christmas ever!, i was completely mesmerized.

the album is full of unique renditions of traditional songs, as well. what child is this anyway? is another of my favorites:

and the tenderness of the friendly beasts is too magical not to share:

sufjan stevens' musicality is what has always drawn me to his songs and the same is true for this entire album - it's just a great blend of instruments, vocals, and emotion. if you're looking for a little something different this holiday season, give the curmudgeon who pored over the reader's digest christmas songbook in order to better appreciate christmas a chance.

what's your favorite christmas album?

the holiday season // 12.01.2011

it's the first of december - are your holiday cards in the mail yet? yeah, me neither. if you're looking for a little vintage inspiration for your tidings of joy, visit the local zoo. apparently, exotic animals and christmas went hand-in-hand back in the day.

i found the utterly brilliant british pathe films via eartha kitsch a few weeks ago and i have been enthralled ever since. if ever during the stressful holiday season you feel the need to decompress, mix up a peppermint cocktail and watch a few of these gems.

sparkle on, america

things that make me feel american, in no particular order:

(via)

stars and stripes and glittery sights | liberace. oh, my, need i say more?

patriotic ditties | little edie beale was amazing! if you have never seen grey gardens, carve out some time and visit the beales on hulu immediately.

(via)

americana decor | red, white, and blue? yes, please.

picnic foods | solid potato salad by the ross sisters. how many times have i watched this since seeing it on ranch dressing with eartha kitsch last year? too, too many. eartha, i cannot thank you enough for sharing this bit of internet kitsch!

fireworks | i hope you have a fun and safe holiday!

slainte!

happy st. patrick's day! here's to a bit of guinness and getting indecipherably teary-eyed at the end of the day.

oh, beeker. you're the best <3