FLASHBACK 2737 bc

BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY WORTH REPEATING...
"you get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing. tea when the weather's fine..."
rumor has it that tea is discovered by chinese emperor, shan nong. supposedly, this emperor likes to boil his drinking water...which, if you watch survivorman at all, you know this is a good idea...and, one day, while strolling thru the gardens, a few tea leaves fall in his mug. KABOOM!! tea inventor! (all of this MUST be true...i read it on the internet. here and also here. )
FLASH FORWARD today
today is a brrrrrr chilly rabbit sort of day. a day where you get hypothermia just looking out the window. it's the perfect day for snuggling in with a great read...or a horrible lifetime movie...and sipping on a nice...hot...cup of tea. and what a perfect month to do that...it just happens to be national hot tea month!

             

^i'm telling you...brrrr chilly rabbit!^

so, you don't know the first thing about hot tea? or how to enjoy it? the following is a list of the different types and their health benefits. yes. i said HEALTH benefits!

• GREEN TEA: this is made with steamed tea leaves. it contains the most ECGC, an antioxidant known as as a flavanoid. green tea's antioxidants are thought to interfere with the growth of some cancers. specifically: bladder, breast, lung, colorectal, and stomach cancers. it is, also, thought to help burn fat. BONUS!!! plus, it's delicious. 
• BLACK TEA: this is made with fermented tea leaves. it contains the most caffeine. studies show that black tea may protect lungs from the damage caused by cigarette smoke. don't ask me how...i'm not gonna do that much research. also. it's delicious.
• WHITE TEA: this is uncured and unfermented. again, it's antioxidants have been credited with preventing cancers. it is, also, thought to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. ummmm...i have never ever tried white tea, so it might suck. but i imagine it's delicious!
• OOLONG TEA: this is a semi~fermented tea. it has been credited to lower bad cholesterol levels. and, it has been marketed as a weight loss supplement but no studies have substantiated this claim. again...delicious!

the best way to enjoy hot tea? well...some people add sugar. some people add cream. some people float a nice slice of lemon. there is NO wrong way. i, personally, enjoy a flavored tea, with a bit of splenda , while snuggled on the couch, covered in my nightmare before christmas blanket. 

                                   

BECAUSE IT'S THURSDAY?

"puff the magic dragon lived by the sea...."

dragon: a mythical monster like a giant reptile. in european tradition the dragon is typically fire-breathing and tends to symbolize chaos or evil, whereas in east asia it is usually a beneficent symbol of fertility, associated with water and the heavens.










just a quick list of my favorite dragons in honor of "appreciate a dragon" day:

1. puff the magic dragon

2. falkor (the never ending story)

3. elliot (pete's dragon)

4. smaug (j.r.r. tolkien's the hobbit)

5. the hungarian horntail (j.k. rowling's harry potter)

6. maleficent (sleeping beauty)

7. (and my all time favorite) h.r. pufnstuf

have you appreciated a dragon today? 

                                        

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"photograph - all i've got is a photograph..."











okay...so it's, technically, two weeks in the life. but i've been busy. the past few weeks have seen visits from spawn (and a girlfriend)...haunted trails and hayrides...premiere parties...antique shopping...blood moons...and throwbacks...what's been good with you?

                                                                                                          

                                                                             ^awkward family photos at the haunts^

 ^as goth as a blond can get^

 ^memories for sale^

 ^antique bi~focals are all the rage^

 ^creepy cupids^

 ^always watching^

 ^throwbacks^

 ^blood moons^

                                                                                               ^(horror) flicks and football^

 ^reasons to watch walking dead^

^new must have^

HAPPY INSTAGRAMMING!!!

THE SUNDAY PAPER (or book or blog or mag)

"free your mind and the rest will follow..."                                      
FLASHBACK 1966
in hanover, virginia, parents complain that a discussion of rape, in to kill a mockingbird, is immoral and call for it to be removed from the school reading list.
FLASH FORWARD 1977
in eden valley, minnesota to kill a mockingbird is banned because of the words "damn" and "whore lady".
 FLASH FORWARD (1980 something)
i'm given a reading assignment. i'm not excited. how can i be excited about a book, written in the 60's, about people living in 30's? but, to kill a mockingbird will quickly become one of my favorites. i want an atticus finch and boo radley in my life. *for those unfamiliar with the story, to kill a mockingbird is a lesson in social inequality as told thru the eyes of six year old scout. and you should totally read it*
FLASH FORWARD 1984
the waukegan, illinois school district bans to kill a mockingbird because the "n" word is used 48 times in 211 pages.
FLASH FORWARD 2003
to kill a mockingbird is banned from normal, illinois community high school's sophomore literature class because it's "degrading to african americans".
TODAY
people continue to attempt to ban books from schools and public libraries. and to kill a mockingbird is always on the list of banned and challenged books. it's in good company with the great gatsby, the lord of the flies, and the grapes of wrath. the top 10 banned books of 2012~2013 are:

1. captain underpants, dav pilkey (offensive language and unsuited for age group)
2. the absolute true diary of a part time indian, sherman alexie (offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
3. 13 reasons why, jay asher (drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group)
4. 50 shades of grey, e.l. james (offensive language, sexually explicit)
5. and tango makes three, peter parnell and justin richardson (homosexuality, unsuited for age group)
6. the kite runner, khaled hosseini (homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit)
7. looking for alaska, john green (offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
8. scary stories, alvin schwartz (unsuited for age group, violence)
9. the glass castle, jeannette walls (offensive language, sexually explicit)
10. beloved, toni morrison (sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence)

september 22 thru 28 is banned books week. celebrate your right to read whatever you choose by selecting books off the banned books list and participating in the virtual read~out! 

^two of these books have been banned, or challenged, from schools or public libraries. can you guess which two?

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly and a baseball bat..."
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what? i know...just a few days ago...but i tell my stories how i want. so...
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what's your favorite cookie? bk "honestly? peanut butter.". really? bleck. but..you never eat peanut butter cookies. "because tah's allergic to peanuts, so i couldn't have them before. and then, we move in together. and you HATE peanut butter." yeah. i do. but that doesn't mean you can't have peanut butter. i mean...you do what you want...even if it does make me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
FLASH FORWARD august 16, 2013
i feel like i should surprise the bk and try to bake his favorite cookie. i search pinterest and find a "healthy peanut butter cookie" recipe that calls for applesauce and egg whites. off i go to the store because...surprise!!...there is no peanut butter in this house. bk will have peanut butter cookies when he gets home.

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

ingredients:
½ c unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 c peanut butter, crunchy
¼ c applesauce
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
¾ c egg beaters
2½ c all~purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda



whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. beat together butter, peanut butter, applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar. add egg beaters and beat until smooth. stir flour into peanut butter mixture. refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
preheat oven to 375〫. roll dough into small balls (size of a walnut) and place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart. flatten with a fork in a crisscross pattern. *hint: dip fork in water to keep from sticking* bake until just turning brown...about 10 minutes.
makes about 4 dozen cookies.

on a side note: i decided to face my fear of the dreaded peanut butter and actually taste one of my creations. so, after working a late shift and making everyone's handbag dreams a reality, i poured all the milk in the universe into a gigantic glass and ATE one of these peanut butter cookies. at first, i thought "hmmmm...not so bad." and then i couldn't get the taste of peanut butter out of my mouth and it will haunt me forever. however, bk claims this recipe a PINTEREST SUCCESS!!

not so MANIC MONDAY

repeat :)
"a little less conversation a little more action baby..."
FLASHBACK july 2009
one of the first things i notice about jamie, he has an amazing tattoo of elvis on his right ankle. yep. he's an elvis fan. i am a closet elvis fan. i watch his movies when no one is looking. i have a cd with all of his greats. i only listen to it when no one is in the car with me.
FLASH FORWARD today
i am no longer a closet fan. i love elvis. i sing along with jamie every time he comes on the radio (which can happen a lot with sirius xm). not too long ago we watched "clambake"...an elvis great as long as he wasn't singing about "goop". okay. i admit it. sometimes his movies made him look like a dork. but we all know he was the coolest person in the history of ever. even my beloved beatles thought so.
saturday marked the beginning of elvis week. so from today thru the 17th, take some time to unleash your inner hound dog. HAIL TO THE KING BABY!!

                   

WHAT UP WEDNESDAY

FLASHBACK 1978/79
kat and i are in 7th grade...and we love make~up. we. L~O~V~E make~up. we spend all of our free time listening to blondie and experimenting with mascara and eyeliner. we apply...and, then, we wash it all off with noxzema...drench our skin in seabreeze (we love the way our skin tingles)...and we start all over again. we get it wrong. we wear so much eye make~up you can't even see our eyeballs. 
FLASH FORWARD today
i still love make~up. and sometimes i like to experiment with a smokey eye...or a bombshell eye...or pin~up girl red lips. but, most of the time, i like to look like i'm not wearing any makeup. a natural look just fits my hippy freak personality. how do i get that look? cheaply.  with the exception of my clinique different lipstick (a free gift when i picked up my mama's moisturizer), all my face care and make~up comes from the drug store. look inside my make~up bag and you'll find products that i have used for **cough cough** 35 years **cough cough**. do you have any favorites that you will never ever out~grow?

inside my bag:

• rimmel lasting finish foundation in sand
• maybelline cover stick in medium
• covergirl professional loose powder in translucent medium
• covergirl classic color blush in soft mink
• maybelline expert eyes liner in blond
• maybelline great lash in dark brown
• clinique different lipstick in shy
• love's baby soft cologne spray (i am not even kidding)
• olay complete daily moisturizer

don't forget: it's important to remove your make~up every night to prevent clogged pores and break~outs. i still prefer noxzema, followed by a gentle astringent (i've used witch hazel since high school...thanks kat!).