Monthly Archives: April 2012

MONDAY MOVE: 93 Days

Posted on 04.30.2012 by Lindsey • 0 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Daily Grind, What's For Breakfast?

Do your Mondays drag on? Do they lack excitement and spunk? I have great news.

For the next 4ish months you can meet me right here on Monday mornings (or whenever you can make it) for MONDAY MOVE: the story of three roommates making life altering decisions that require BIG moves.

I will be sharing the crazy, overwhelming, frustrating, exciting, and (let’s be honest) sometimes boring process of our moving adventures. Nothing will be held back! If I have to shave my head because packing tape attacked me, I will write about it and even (gasp!) post pictures. We are for real up in here.

So, here is what we’re all doing & where we’re all going:

Miss Meg is moving to Hawaii for a change in scenery August 1st
Miss Melissa is getting married & moving into an unknown place with her hubby July 15th
I am moving to Southern California for graduate school July 31st (this is when our lease is up & the date our countdown is based on)

We have lots to figure out & plenty to keep us busy, not to mention I am Melissa’s wedding coordinator. It’s like wedding threw-up all over our little home. Don’t get me wrong, this is exactly how it should be. Planning a wedding is special & top priority…it also gives us a reason to drink champagne way more often then usual. So here is to weddings and moving and champagne…mostly moving though.

Let’s get down and dirty! Seriously dirty, because our first adventure is cleaning out this nifty little storage closet. Tune in next week for the gory details of what’s behind this door…

Thanks for joining in on our moving adventure…

SUNDAY BRUNCH: At Mundo

Posted on 04.29.2012 by Stesha • 0 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Sunday Brunch, Vegas

I’ve noticed that as the days get longer and summer gets closer, our Sunday brunch keeps getting later and later.

And there is nothing I hate quite as much as waiting for a table at Brunch. Am I alone in that feeling? It’s morning, you’re starving, everything smells delicious and you’re in dire need of coffee. Waiting is unattractive to say the least.

Unfortunately for us slow starters, our typical brunch spots are packed solid by 11:00. Enter Mundo – a delightful option that’s totally on our schedule. You early birds won’t appreciate this, but Mundo opens at 11:00. So when we rolled in at 11:20 the crowd was just forming and we snagged a quiet corner table without any wait. Perfect.

Then our drinks came and things got even more perfect. Yeah, I went there. Ryan indulged in the Paloma, a mixture of grapefruit juice and tequila. I know what you’re thinking, “How can you mess that up?” answer: you can’t. It was delicious. I ordered the usual sangria, because it isn’t really brunch without fresh fruit. If that fruit so happens to be immersed in wine, all the better.

Toss in some funky lighting, an attentive wait staff and quiet sunday morning atmosphere and you’re set.

Now for the real story… Ryan threw me for a loop and ordered the Benedict Mexicano, a fun take on the traditional with jalapeno corn bread, poached egg, pork carnitas, and green chile hollandaise. Ryan’s only gripe was that he could have used more carnitas. Then again, more is usually better.

I stuck with my new brunch standard of Chicken Chilaquiles. My note: I could have bathed in the salsa verde. It was that good.

The verdict? Totally worth the trek. Mundo is located in the downtown area and definitely worthy of the “hidden gem” designation. Of course with a brunch this good it most likely won’t stay hidden for long.

For more information, visit Mundo at mundolasvegas.com

SUNDAY BRUNCH: A Mason Jar Oatmeal Party

Posted on 04.29.2012 by Lindsey • 2 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Other, Sunday Brunch

An oatmeal party? Why yes, an oatmeal party is what we had. At a slumber party too. I’m a big believer that you’re never too old for a slumber party. Ever.

Overnight mason jar oatmeal was the perfect solution to our predicament: too many people with different food wants and no time to make brunch before heading out to hit some estate sales. It’s crucial to get to the sales first. Otherwise people could be buying your stuff. Tragic! A slumber party guaranteed an early departure and more time for fun.

The night before each of us made our oatmeal with exactly what we wanted…at like 1am.

These were our different concoctions:

1. Strawberries, slivered almonds, almond cocoa spread, vanilla almond milk, and oats
2. Blueberries, cinnamon, vanilla almond milk, and oats
3. Strawberries, blueberries, dehydrated bananas, slivered almonds, almond cocoa spread, vanilla & chocolate almond milk, and oats
4. Strawberries, blueberries, slivered almonds, vanilla almond milk, and oats

We had more than enough ingredients to choose from. You start with the oats, add your toppings (frozen, dehydrated, or fresh fruit, nuts, cinnamon, almond cocoa spread, or whatever you can think of), cover with milk of your choice (cow’s, almond, rice, soy, coconut, hemp, oat…), and screw the lid on. Easy-peasy.

We put them in the fridge to “cook” while we slept.

Literally, we woke up, got ready (just enough to make it look like we look good when we roll out of bed), ate our yummy mason jar oatmeal, and headed to the car for an early departure. The most deliciously simple and satisfying brunch I’ve had all day.

Because of our early morning, we scored big time! Say hello to my precious finds…

I collect old hardback books in blues and greens. One day I will have enough to display all together. Normally I don’t care if they are good reading material, but today I scored BIG time. I found the biography of Zelda Fitzgerald. Ya know, the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the guy who wrote The Great Gatsby. I’m so excited to read it! Not to mention the peacock feathers are to die for! I also got an old iron that still works…I kind of have an ironing obsession (I iron my pillowcases), a random blue hardback book, a cool milk-glass vase, and a beautiful pink glass dish.

What do you collect? Is it packed away in a closet or on display? Send us pictures of your collections to goodmorning@breakfastbanter.com…really we want to see them!

 

LOVE FEST FRIDAY: PeanutOak Print

Posted on 04.27.2012 by Stesha • 2 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Random Goodies

Well friends…we made it to Friday. I can’t believe it either.

As a reward, we’ve got some seriously cool eye candy for you.

If you haven’t visited Etsy before you should put down your coffee, open a new tab and immediately go check out www.etsy.com. Don’t blame me if you find yourself lost for a few hours in this community of hand and heart crafted goodies. Etsy is like a giant virtual swimming pool of creative, quirky genius.

So after you’re caught up, come back and read this post. For the rest of us, lets continue…

On a recent swim through Etsy I found Patricia at PeanutOak Prints. Now, I’m a sucker for a cool poster, but when I saw this little goodie I squealed.

WAFFLES! You all know how I feel about Waffles.

So after browsing through Patricia’s gallery I knew we had to have a love fest in honor of her posters. Thankfully she’s as sweet as can be and was even willing to share a bit more about herself and her work!

Without further ado, please welcome Patricia all the way from Lisbon!

What inspires you as a graphic designer?

As a graphic designer or a communication designer as I like to think of myself, I’m inspired by everyday life, from the big things to the little things, from nature to road signs and it goes on and on … I think all things around us can be a source of inspiration and they don´t have to be visual, because Music is also very important to me.

How long have you been an Etsy seller? What made you take the leap to opening up your “virtual” storefront?

I’m an Etsy seller since 2008 with my Peanutoak profile, as an urban jewelry and bag designer. The PeanutoakPrint (the Posters Etsy shop) opened this February, as a result of an artistic need to reach other ways of expressing myself. And Etsy is such a great place to reach the world, and to think that your work can go so many places   it´s an amazing feeling.

Do you offer custom color/sizing options?

Yes, it’s something I put in all of my listing descriptions, because I think it’s important to give the buyer some space to find a Poster that can be custom made to his/her personal taste.


How would you describe your home decor?

I’ve just moved to my new flat with my boyfriend and we are still in a decorating process, so it’s an ongoing project but I would say it’s a modern vintage with a glimpse of a romantic feel to it.

What’s your favorite breakfast food?

I love breakfast! It’s my favorite meal in the day, following the old saying that my grandmother used to say to me “Always have a Queen’s breakfast and a Poor girl’s dinner”. So, I try to make it as fun and diversified as I can with things such as: croissants, bread, french toast, tea, orange juice, milk, cereals, scones with butter and jam, ham and a variety of cheese! Not all together, but alternating to make it different everyday! It’s a real nice moment, and we seat and take our time in the morning just eating it, it’s kind of a tradition or a good habit I would say.

A HUGE thanks to Patricia for participating in our little interrogation.

And if you want more… (Me too!)

You can view additional work from PeanutOak Print, order any of the prints shown here or just to avoid that first email for a few extra minutes visit her Etsy shop at:

PEANUTOAK PRINT ETSY SHOP

At $19 a piece, or two for $30 you could afford to make a whole wall of her reto style posters! How cool would that be? Hello collage love!

Are there any fellow poster lovers out there? I feel like posters can bring a bit of childhood spunk to an otherwise serious space. And lets face it, at the end of the week we could all use a little extra spunk.

 

In bed with Stesha

Posted on 04.26.2012 by Stesha • 2 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Daily Grind, What's For Breakfast?

Catchy title no?

Let’s talk about my bed. Seriously.

When I first moved to Vegas I slept on a twin mattress. It was the only time in my life I’ve been glad not to have gorgeously long limbs. My stumpy little legs barely fit on that bed, for a tall person it would have been a deal breaker.

Eventually I graduated to a queen bed and let me tell you…I was in heaven. It was amazing. All this room for little old me. I slept in the middle of that bed every night.

But then I got married. And that GIANT queen sized bed wasn’t so giant anymore. In fact it was small. Really small.

You see, I like my space and so does Ryan. We don’t want to be all up in each others grill while we sleep. If we get six hours of sleep a night its a miracle, so we really try to make the most of those six hours.

Ryan actually spent the first year of our marriage trying to convince me that we should get two small beds a la Lucy and Ricky. I’m not kidding, he still talks about it. While tempting, I wasn’t thrilled with the visual appearance of two separate beds and I do like the security in knowing he is nearby. I just don’t want him touching me.

Clearly we’re hopeless romantics.

So we totally indulged and purchased our very first King size bed.

best. purchase. ever.

If I want to be nearby I can roll over and there he is. If not, I just roll back and I’m in the clear. There is enough space I can morph into a starfish position and not touch him. It’s AMAZING! No more cover issues, even if I wrap myself up like a taquito (which I do most nights) there is plenty left over.

So what about you readers? Anyone else have sleeping issues or are all you love muffins into canoodling?

Does anyone out there have two separate beds? Am I missing out?

What about that first year of marriage/cohabitation…how was the sleeping adjustment for you?

I’m all ears!

FRESH SQUEEZED PHOTOS: Lindsey

Posted on 04.25.2012 by Lindsey • 0 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Daily Grind, What's For Breakfast?

Hello Wednesday! It’s a bit of a whacky one…

1. Thanks mom for my camera (I forgot it in California) 2. Tulip Festival
3. Hitting some garage sales 4. Wine with the roomie
5. Pyrex I covet in Fremont 6. My Tony Lamas from the 80′s
7. A favorite coffee shop 8. A sweet-17 birthday dinner (no not me)

We’d love to see your Fresh Squeezed Photos. Send them to goodmorning@breakfastbanter.com…

Fresh Squeezed Photos: Stesha

Posted on 04.25.2012 by Stesha • 1 Comment • Leave a Comment! • Daily Grind, What's For Breakfast?

Good Morning All…

1. Moscato Grapes 2. Beautiful Tulips from the Burke Family 3. Two words: Bread Pudding. Yum. 4. Addie Photo of the Week 5. My new “EAT CAKE FOR BREAKFAST” Tote. I’m in love. 6. Downtown  7. Vegas Glow 8. Date Night
 

Hey Introverts, Be Sociable!

Posted on 04.24.2012 by Lindsey • 2 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Daily Grind, Random Goodies, What's For Breakfast?

I’m an introvert. This doesn’t mean that I’m socially awkward and my books are my only friends. It means that being around people wares me out. Extroverts get energy from being around people. Introverts do not. If you think about it, this is a good thing. If we all were one way we either would never be alone or we’d always be alone. Swinging too far one way is never good. In my opinion of course.

The whole introvert thing sometimes creates a big debate in head. Do I go out knowing I will be exhausted by the end, or do I stay in to ensure I keep a steady level of energy? Mostly, I choose to go out, but my introversion can get the best of me. When that happens I need a gentle reminder.

This is why when I saw this simple piece of wisdom on the side of a vintage Pepsi machine, I had to share it with you. Especially all you introverts out there. Living life is worth being exhausted (unless you have zero battery and cannot even think straight).

I really do believe this. The fact that I’m sharing a PEPSI saying with you proves it, because I am strictly a Coke girl. No joke. One time at a restaurant I had a conversation that went like this:

Me: Can I have coffee please?
Waitress: It’s instant. Is that OK?
Me: Actually, can I have a diet Coke?
Waitress: It’s Pepsi. Is that OK?
Me: I will just have water. Thanks.

You should walk away with a couple things here:

A. I’m a drink snob
B. I’m an introvert
C. Be sociable! Just do it!

Looking forward to hearing from all you introverts out there. How do you convince yourself to be sociable when you want nothing more than to take a nap?

Lots of love…

 

A SPOONFUL OF STYLE: What she wore to a meeting…

Posted on 04.24.2012 by Stesha • 6 Comments • Leave a Comment! • A Spoonful of Style, What's For Breakfast?

Working in a creative environment is exciting, stimulating, and totally unpredictable. It’s definitely something I cherish. Even though some days I am engulfed in retouching, exporting or other mundane tasks, it is all worth it because I’m surrounded by beautiful images and loving people.

However, working in such an environment also presents an unusual problem: How to look polished and professional, without taking yourself too seriously.  In the beginning, coming from corporateland, I really wrestled with appropriate office and meeting attire for my new environment. Slacks are too formal, some jeans are all right, funky – great, but a certain level of conservativeness is appreciated. It really wasn’t until late last year that I stumbled upon what others consider to be geek chic.

And let me tell you… geek chic totally works. A sequined zebra shirt and flowing skirt? Sold. Tights with shorts? Made for my pasty legs. Stripes and stripes – the more the better.

I’m still no expert on the perfect combination, but it is getting closer. At the very least it is a heckuva lot better than it used to be. And every now and then I have one of those moments. You know them, the day your hair looks AMAZING, your skin glows, you fit into those jeans, you find your unicorn of shoes. Yeah – those moments.

So when this outfit came together around a pair of Black Friday shorts from Kohls (Can you freaking believe it!? Kohls people!) I almost squealed. Not going to lie – I was a bit more than self conscious to pair shorts and tights, but it was so so good.

Seriously, go try it before it gets too hot. Oh wait, you’re in Vegas? That ship has sailed. It was 100 degrees this past weekend. Really.

People of the desert, you’ll have to settle for the recreation of my meeting attire…

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Lula Dot Print Blouse 2. J Crew Patent Belt 3. Lauren Conrad for Kohls Shorts 4. Betsy Johnson Tights 5. BCBG Black Pumps 6. JCrew Edie Tote

I’m trying extra hard to be diligent with my pictures and this time I managed to con my husband into taking a quick image before I darted out the door. Forgive the questionable iphone quality.

So what do you think? Are you a tights with shorts convert? Any ideas for fun and quirky office style?

Trying to solve the pasty leg problem too? Pull up a chair.

SUNDAY BRUNCH: Beans & Rice Sunnyside Up

Posted on 04.22.2012 by Lindsey • 0 Comments • Leave a Comment! • Other, Sunday Brunch

I don’t know about where you are, but here in Seattle Springtime is a joyous time complete with chirping birds and frolicking deer (kind of like the cartoon opening to Grease or all of Snow White without the animals helping with dressing and cleaning). I am stoked to say that Springtime is here. At least for the weekend, and people are out and about hyped up on Vitamin D. There is just a fresh clean feel of rejuvenation in the air. New birth. Simplicity. Happiness.

Yesterday, I thought about how so much of the time my body doesn’t feel fresh, clean, rejuvenated, simple, or happy. It is mad at me a lot. Actually, it just kind of mumbles under its breath things like, “why are you giving me this? It is so much work,” and, “this takes energy away from me. How about something that gives me energy, Lindsey?” Don’t worry, I don’t actually hear my body talking to me. I just know it is uncomfortable, but I choose to ignore it over and over.

I know the foods that give me energy, leave me feeling satisfied, don’t break the bank, and just feel clean in my body. In honor of the overall feeling Spring brings, I chose to make something containing only those foods. Something deliciously simple. I call it Beans & Rice Sunnyside Up.

Here’s what’s in a single serving:

1. 1/3 cup black beans (drained)
2. 1/4 cup brown rice
3. 1/3 cup green enchilada sauce (organic)
4. 1/2 cup spinach
5. 1 egg
6. 2 tbs crumbled feta
7. 1 tsp oil to cook egg in
8. 4 green chilies

Here’s what you do:

1. In a pint size mason jar layer beans, feta, rice, enchilada sauce, and spinach.
2. Put lid on and refrigerate overnight. This allows the rice to really soak up the sauce.
3. The next morning, cook egg sunnyside up (or to your liking).
4. Pour contents of the mason jar into a pot to heat up. Put in a bowl.
5. Top with egg and green chilies (adjust depending on your spicy likeness).
6. Enjoy!

How do you welcome this lovely season? Clean? Picnics? Fresh produce? Pedicures?

Savor the last of your weekend by doing something you love (hopefully in the sun)…

 

 

 

P.S. The cat wanting my brunch is Oscar. I’m currently cat/house-sitting for some friends and contemplating getting a kitten…it might be crazy with a move coming up. Thoughts?