halloween cupcakes part deux

raaawwrrr vampire fondant topppers!

rocky horror lips

generic happy face + fangs

for once i only had a teeny tiny bit of fondant left over instead of...shitloads like usual

lemon cupcakes with dark chocolate buttercream and vampire tops

and just for good measure... our pumpkins

what i want to buy

ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE!!!

due to probable image copyrights...no picture. 

• what: photorealistic oil paintings of food
• artist: mike geno
• via: cakespy
• price: $150-$600

more realistically.. i would also go for an 8x10 print.  

seasonal garden die-off

 left bed looking wilty and sad

 right bed looking tilty and bad

 unrhyming tomatoes with late blight

 brussel sprouts stem, oh what a sight!  [lame rhyme.  sorry]

 super closeup

nekkid.

fin.

hell hath frozen

as of 2:30am on monday october 18th, i, liz zelnick, am finished with homework for the following classes with the following deadlines:

monday: enviro disputes-progress report for term paper on ethanol
tuesday: risk assess-probabilty box plot homework and term project topic choice
thursday: enviro politics-outline and source list for term paper on hydrofracking
saturday [oct 30]: low carbon society-download and explore renewable energy project analysis program

I AM FUCKING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL.

possibly ever.

celebrations are in order but it is a bit too late for that tonight.  it turns out its also probably too late to vacuum my room which is an absolute disaster of papers, laundry, kitty hair, my hair, sewing projects, and miscellaneous stuff due to rampant procrastination, but that's pretty much a given.

pre-halloween costume

blue shiny?  "china silk polyester lining" to be exact.  this has actually been sitting in my room since...february.  but now, my $1.98 yard of fabric has a purpose!  two 33" by 17" rectangles, serged top and bottom, sewn on the sides

tulle super close-up

finished slip/crinoline and...satin/poly blue gingham?

tada!  for my next trick i will sew a dorothy/wizard of oz skirt with suspenders!  be assured dear friends, this is NOT A SLUTTY DOROTHY COSTUME.  or a "sexy wizard of oz" costume.  or anything of the like.  cos indeed-halloween is not dress like a slut day.  i actually dont know if my flimsy crinoline will support any type of skirt..but it gives a silky slip-type lining and avoids the whole see-thru issue of my gingham. 

i was actually hoping to make a dress like in the new alice in wonderland, but couldnt find light blue striped fabric.  or anything even remotely similar.  even on fabric.com.  but the clearance bin at jo-ann's yielded the gingham.  so there.

halloween cupcakes!

why are there not more red velvet cupcakes around halloween?  when else are blood red cake products more apropos??!

 super close up of chocolate sour cream frosting in all its shiny smooth glory.  too bad once the chocolate cools more it is a bitch to decorate with.

unfortunately.. black foil liners burn cupcakes easier than orange.  or maybe it was the pan.  ...

what to wore to school today

 as suggested by hiking in stilettos, dressing for grad school is basically jeans + top.  and this week has pretty much been about my new [sale!] gap jeans.  unfortunately, i went for the size that fit perfectly when trying on instead of the size smaller that was slightly muffin-top-forming.  unfortunately..as these jeans stretch out so frikkin much i need a belt after about half an hour and have to be washed and dried between each wearing, totally defeating the purpose of jeans-multiwears. 

monday: diagnosis of environmental disputes

• jacket: pacsun clearance
• shirt: calvin klein
• jeans: gap [already baggy-assed and need to be dried on extra high heat]

tuesday: risk assessment and hazard management

• sweater: calvin klein
• scarf: h&m [very similar to the one hiking in stilettos was wearing coincidentally]
• frilly tank top: j crew [from the sister]
• jeans: gap $10 clearance!

thursday:  environmental politics and policy

• sweater: inc from macys
• scarf: h&m
• grey satin dress: h&m
• jeans: gap
• not pictured-black short wellies: target

only after seeing these last two pics side by side did i realize i pretty much wore the same outfit twice.  skinny jeans with grey top, black and grey scarf and a cardigan.  difference being.. thursday there was a torrential downpour so i was akin to a drowned rat.  and the super-stretch skinny jeans are more obviously stretched out in their second wearing.  damn the man.

praying frilly mantis?

check this beast out.  and my obscenely long nails.  [i cut them after taking this picture]

 super creepy closeup-cross eyed mantis?  are they all like that?  they gross me out too much to google. 

• modal sweater: uniqlo
• tank: h&m
• belt: charlotte russe [3pack for $9]
• skirt: kenneth cole
• bike short/leggings: ny&co

perfect weather today-70 and sunny with a breeze.  after class i went downport and sat on a bench in the harbor like a creeper watching the boats do their boaty thing.  and talking on the phone like the loud new yorker i am becoming.  eep.

mac and fucking cheese!

yaaay!  tis the season.  crisp fall air, cool house so i can both boil water, sauce, and use the oven for an hour, plus its mac and cheese.  do you need a reason?  no.  but how bout a recipe i adapted from here:

crispy edged sour cream mac&cheese

1 box short pasta
1/4 C butter
1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C soy milk
1/4 C parmesan cheese [fake kraft is ok]
1 teas ground mustard
1 T salt
2 T pepper
1 C fat free sour cream
2 C extra sharp cheddar

boil pasta molto al dente, drain, and set aside.  heat butter in 1/2 C soy milk until melted.  stir in 1 T flour at a time until well mixed, slowly adding soy milk to avoid flour chunks.  add parmesan, mustard, s&p, and heat until boiling.  remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 1 1/2 C cheese.  pour over pasta and mix carefully.  spray 9x13 pan with nonstick coating and pour pasta in.  top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 for one hour until bubbling and crisp on the edges.  [yield: 8 large servings]

 pretty produce [eggplant and tomatoes from el jardin]

 homemade garlic basil marinara

 frank overseeing his domain

 roasted broccoli and cauliflower with white balsamic vinegar

fin.

what i want to buy

• what: japanese masking tape!!!  [washi paper]
• description: adorable colored paper tape
• from: happy tape via zakka life
• price: expensivo
• why: cos its ADORABLE??!  

fuck.  i need a full time job again.

old lady activities

friday night after the dinner shift at curry club i came home and immediately succumbed to some kind of cold/flu/bacteria/sickness.  yesterday evening i ventured out to buy 2 things: cat food and kleenex.  i am officially a cat lady.  fortunately not to this point yet and i dont tuck tissues into my sleeves.  but that is probably only because i rent a house and frank doesnt play well with others.  and i wear short sleeves most of the time.

he does however think he is master and commander of the tv and enjoys when toni and i watch xfiles marathons. [almost done with season 2]  he can lounge atop the tv with paws and tail hanging down at the most inopportune moments.

i also ambled out to the back yard after totally neglecting my garden for over a week.  fortunately it has been pretty rainy so it hasnt died from my lack of watering

but my lack of attention has produced some mangy looking tomatoes that will be made into a delicious sauce.  tomorrow.  or wednesday.  whenever i have some free time not devoted to homework or snotting all over myself.