Aug 31, 2010

Bollywood Nights

So Juhi asked me if her wedding would warrant a blog post.

Uh, more like a week of them!

Y'all, I have to confess that I was not the biggest fan of Emory Law School.  This was due to the fact that I didn't like law school in general, thought a lot of the people there were nerdy jerks, and didn't give it enough of a chance because a huge group of my best friends from college were in Atlanta, so I got to hang with them instead of classmates.

However, I have never been so thankful to have gone to Emory opposed to Vandy, or Georgia, or UT, as I was this weekend.  For one, I would not have gotten to attend this amazing event, but more importantly I wouldn't have these ladies in my life.

Alright, that's enough of reflection and sentiment.  Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

So I left from work on Friday, drove to Nashville and hopped on a plane to Detroit with Miss Shelley.

And her bag.


Y'all- we were in Michigan for probably less than 24 hours.  I carried a tote bag.  Although to be fair, Shelley did have my sari in there as well.  I grew to love Big Red when I could stash my toiletries in there, and not worry about having my perfume confiscated.   I love how you can tell we have made it to Detroit by the bystanders in this photo.  Hee.

A little punchy when we finally arrived to our hotel, (understandably as it was past midnight, quite the shocker to my [geriatric of late] sleeping habits), we decided that I should try on my sari. I had bags underneath my eyes the size of Shelley's suitcase, but revived quickly when I got this gorgeous thing on me.
I thought Shelley did a great job, no?  There are three parts- the petticoat, which is a simple drawstring skirt which you tie around your waist, a little shirt thing which fastens in front and stops right under your boobs, and a giant piece of gorgeously embroidered fabric.

For comparison purposes- here's me the next day with my sari properly done (thanks to our wonderful "sari ladies").


Isn't is amazing?  I wish I hadn't gotten bangs right before, because you can't really see my bindi. I saved it though- might start wearing it about town. . . .along with my sari of course.  We ogled all of the saris all day and night.  My favorite of the day's was this one-
The green was blinding in the sunlight, it was so sparkly.  I'm like a magpie- when I see something sparkly I want it immediately! Oh, and that's the groom on the horse- we'll have to get to that tomorrow!

Aug 30, 2010

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Let's all have a little celebratory dance party this morning!

Because in a few months, that girl in the green will be the one in white!

Congratulations Kingsley!

I will be practicing my Proud Mary moves all winter to get in proper Tina shape for your nuptials!  So excited for you and Chas- best news ever!

So y'all please wish Kinger the best on her recent engagement!  She is getting off lucky as my scanner is broken, so I'm not going to share embarrassing photos and stories from college this morning.  We'll wait to until later on that one. . .especially our first few meetings.  Let's just say they didn't go to well. . .

Saris, and Emmy dresses shall commence tomorrow, but had to be interrupted for this news flash!

WHOOHOOO!!

Aug 27, 2010

Sari About That (I know-it's terrible, I couldn't resist)

A year and a couple months ago we were here.  And now it's finally time to head to Michigan for Juhi and Vivek's nuptials! Remember this?  Can I tell y'all how excited I am- look at this completely gorgeous fabric which I will don in less than 24 hours-


A little taste of what's to come with the couple's engagement ceremony-



Thank goodness Hubs and I didn't have to dance when we got engaged. . .he is good Carolina shagger, and I can pull out some jazzercise moves.  That's about it.

Have you ever been to an Indian wedding?  Tell me all about it!

Aug 26, 2010

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Hey, did y'all know I'm from East Tennessee?  And I think it's right pretty around here?  My brother and I went to look at some property Tuesday night (second favorite thing to do besides look at houses?  look at property where I can build a house).  Here's the gravel road which leads to the property.
Through a kudzu jungle.
To the lake.
The adventure was made more enjoyable by our chariot- Brother's new toy- a '77 Bronco.  Side note- I used to have a '70 Bronco without power steering or power brakes.  It was a three on the tree, which I had trouble stopping since I weighed about 90 lbs at the time (I was 15).  I loved it, then my mama rode with me around the neighborhood.  When she witnessed me stand up, stomping the clutch and the brake with all my might, to slowly roll to a stop 100 yards later, well that was the end of that. 

Luckily Brother's has both power steering and brakes, and I weigh substantially more than 90 pounds, so I should be fine to drive his.

Although not in Athens.

This is the view of the river and the mountains from the ridge. Isn't is beautiful?
Brother contemplating where we would put our boat dock if we bought the property.  From the time we were little kids, we talked about getting a family lakehouse together.  A rowdy one with lots of porches, as we always spent the night on the screened porch of our parents' lakehouse growing up.
It's funny to think about a bunch of towheaded cousins running around, getting into trouble, and learning how to ski.  I like that idea.

Aug 25, 2010

Reader Advice Time- Fall Boots Addition

My big shoe purchase this fall is going to be a pair of riding boots.  My budget is $200 or under, and I want a classic pair which I can wear with brown.  Here are the front runners-




Number Two



So which one?  I am currently leaning towards Number One, so I can wear them with black as well- can't wait for skinny jeans, a crisp white button up, and blazer (maybe one of those corduroy ones I showed y'all yesterday from L.L. Bean?), and my new riding boots.

Okay, so I do get a little excited about fall.  However, by the time it actually gets cold, I wear my new duds a couple of times, and can't be on the lake, I will be grumpy about fall and the chill.

Aug 24, 2010

Craving Bean

Y'all are going to love these pieces!  L.L. Bean!  bastion of preppy and slightly frumpy staples!  I'm full of retail fever and can't stop exclaiming!  Please go here now and check it out.  Meanwhile you can peruse my pics, which would get me through fall work and play.







Please go check it out, and let me know what would truly complete your (and my) fall wardrobe!

Also, please check out the stacked heel penny loafers.  I secretly want them because they remind me of a pair my best Friedan and I both purchased from Nine West for freshman year of high school.  We felt sooo cool, and I adored those shoes.  Nothing like back to school shopping, and planning your outfits.  Sigh.

Aug 23, 2010

New Do!

Six inches of Britney Spears type hair?

Gone.

I'm rocking bangs and a bob, and I love it!  This is the polished Sunday school teacher version, while Friday night I roughed it up a little bit.  Now I can't wait for turtlenecks and rising boots.  When fall actually comes (in oh, a couple of months), I will be prepared!

Aug 20, 2010

Stuffed Shells, Giada Style*

There's my Giada impersonation.  Completely irrelevant to the recipe, much like how all of her boob shots are- pointless time-wasters.  I'm sure Hubs and the rest of the male population feels differently but. . .this rant will go on for ages, so I'll stop now.  However, if I have to hear randomly selected words pronounced with an Italian accent!  Disclaimer- when making this recipe I did catch myself saying "ree-cot-TA!". 

Moving on. . .


First- preheat your oven to 400 degrees, toss a bag of frozen artichokes with a tad of olive oil and some salt, throw on a cookie sheet, and stick in the oven to roast.

Next, set your water to boil, for the "paaahs-TA".  When it comes to a rolling boil, throw in a box of jumbo shells for 4-5 minutes.  If you overcook those suckers, they are like trying to stuff a jellyfish, so don't do it.

Also, pour a couple of jars of high quality jarred marina (or tomato sauce of your choosing) in pot to slowly heat.

While that's going on, chop an onion (she calls for half, but I am a big fan of Allium cepa**).
Let's throw in 3-4 cloves of garlic, as well.

So the onion and the garlic go in a large saucepan with a splash of olive oil (make sure the pan is big enough for a pound of turkey that will joining the onions and garlic).  Cook them until they are golden and smelling to high heaven of deliciousness.

Meanwhile chop enough basil to fill a (heaping) 1/4 of a cup.


Then chop a handful of Italian (flat-leaf) parsley.  Throw those in a bowl with 15 ounces of whole milk ricotta, and a cup of grated Parmesan (please grate yourself.  If you don't, which I understand due to time restraints, be sure to buy freshly grated).


Put a pound of ground turkey in with the garlic and onion, and sauté until not pink anymore.  The recipe says golden, but I have never seen golden turkey in my life!  Ugh, Giada.
Lightly beat two eggs.

Remove your artichokes from the oven and chop. Well, cool them a bit first so you don't burn your fingers off.  Add them to the turkey mixture.
At this point, you are supposed to let the turkey mixture cool.  I have zero patience, so I skip this step.  However, you need to temper your eggs, so you won't have scrambled-egg stuffed shells (which actually could be kind of delightful- mmmm with bulk sausage?).  Anyhoo, toss a touch of the turkey into your eggs and stir to gradually warm them.  Add the turkey mixture to your cheeses, then stir in the eggs.

Now it's time for the stuffing.  I prefer to use 3 8x8 pans for this recipe- one for dinner tonight, one for a friend, and one for the freezer.

Cover the bottom of the pan with the tomato sauce.
Put a stuffed shell in one hand, and with the other hand, grab a handful of the turkey and cheese mixture.  Fill that shell up, and put in the pan.  Repeat.  A bunch of times.  Giada says this makes 24.  I don't know what kind of shells she is stuffing, but I usually make 36.

Drizzle heaps of the tomato sauce on top, then throw a generous amount of shredded mozzarella on top.  I won't give y'all my lecture on pre-shredded cheese again, but you know what I strongly advocate doing!



If you freeze the shells, bake in a 400 oven for an hour.
If eating now, bake in 400 oven for 20 minutes.

Y'all these really are soooo good.  You could add spinach too, which would look really pretty, and add some more veggie power.

Giada style, another gratutious picture of me in something low-cut.



*Gratuitous ta-ta shots involved
**Did y'all know I took 3 years of Latin?  Mama thought it would be helpful for learning other languages.  She was wrong, and I suspect this was a cover.  She really just wanted a Latin reader for aid with her New York Times crosswords.

Aug 19, 2010

Desperately Seeking Advice

This is bad.  My hair has turned into straw in the last month.  I have deep conditions, hidden my hair power tools, and avoided chlorine to no avail.  It's dunzo. 
I can't believe I just put my too blonde, split-ended trailer trash hair on the internet.  I have no shame apparently.  Shudder.

First of all, it's time to take it back to my natural color-

The question for y'all is as follows:

Do I

(a) Get it cut like above?
or
(b)  Cut off my hair!

I stumbled upon this picture of my mama, and have an itch for this hairdo of hers.  I can't decide if it's because I think this haircut would make me as pretty as my mama, or if I need bangs and a chop!

I have been growing my hair since my 1L year of law school-

Please ignore the size of my face.

That's all its grown in like 5-6 years.  Oh dear.

And it's stopped growing.  So haircut?  Bangs?  Hubs, of course, is not so keen.  Whatevs.  He's not the one slaving over a hot blow dryer.

Tell me what to do readers!  I am making a hair appointment asap after looking at the back of my head.  I look Britney and Crystal Gayle's love child.