happy halloween!

the halloween cat.  looking sane for once.

pumpkins need hats, no?

obligatory frank post

ZOMG LOOK OVER THERE!!! ITS A ... ITS A...

pie!

or so it appears to the naked eye...

a super close up of the delicious cinnamony gingery apple filling and crumble top.  some 3 pounds out of the 12+ roommate's girlfriend brought us

liz's laundry

• dress/tunic: urban outfitters [super $5 clearance]
• leggings: charlotte russe

how i ended up wearing the tunic.  coat for semiwarmth... scarf for more semiwarmth and yes i probably had that sad bored look on my face throughout class.  be jealous.

• coat/blazer hybrid with ruffles: gap [$8 clearance last year]
• scarf: h&m

 

• jacket: kenneth cole
• scarf: thrifted
• dress: gap
• leggings: charlotte russe [a different pair than the day before.  jeez]

• sweater: uniqlo
• top: thrifted
• obi belt: thrifted in nz
• skirt: gap
• tights: target

oyster fest

every year the town of oyster bay [specifically the village] throws a 2 day event appropriately named oyster fest.  here are the gritty details:

200,000 people
30 food stands
90 craft stands
tall ships
pirates
bands
free transport from LIRR stations

after 4 years in long island i FINALLY made it to oyster fest.  and it was amazing.

the fairway full of screaming children

a mozza-repa.  2 arepas with mozz in the middle.  DELECTABLE. 

pickle on a stick..  i also ate a steak sandwich, 1 1/2 ears of corn, and some pumpkin ravioli.  no oysters.  do. not. like.

liz's laundry

• dress and jacket: thrifted
• tights and boots: target
• itty bitty purse: ny&co

• dress: thrifted
• bandeau: h&m
• sweater: ny&co
• awesome elephant: random kiosk at oysterfest

• 90's jacket: h&m
• silk scarf: indian imports store
• tshirt: green audit
• pants: uniqlo

• dress: thrifted
• scarf: indian imports store
• belt: kenneth cole
• leggings: f21

food, sparkles, and dye

what else do you need, i mean really? 

first: curry night!  i made roti to go with roommate's curry dish since none of us wanted to go to the store and buy naan.  i used these recipes for roti and self-rising flour.  i was a bit worried about the cooking process, but the end product was delectable. a little misshapen and i didn't add enough flour to coat for the second rest and a bunch of pieces formed the large blob you see on top. 

to make the curry, have on hand chicken, potato, indian spice paste, yellow curry powder, and guyanan roommate.  cook, take blurry picture in all the excitement, and gorge.

next on the magical mystery tour we have...

sparkle spikes for some kind of wreath thing, feathers

other sparkle spikes, and a mask. add hot glue... and voila!

halloween mask

and butterfly wings!  i still havent figured out quite how to attach them, but i think it will involve removing the felt i glued on the back and attaching a flap of cardboard..  we'll see.

last: the trials and tribulations of dying clothes. 

heres what i attempted to dye:

• green and white [dingy] dress from honduras
• white and black thrifted skirt
• aqua used-to-be-maxi-dress that i chopped into knee length
• a $5 macys skirt that matches with..nothing
• 2 h&m bras
• pink bunny scarf

heres the result:  the scarf is pretty much impossible to dye and after trying to dye it green previously and blue time.. nada.  i tried an ombre dye on the former maxi dress but ended up dumping it into the rinse cycle too soon.  the frilly purple skirt is now more iridescent purpleish with dark in the middle.  a bit easier to match...we'll see if i manage to wear it though.  the bras and the wool skirt turned out quiet well ..and a tea towel was sacrificed to clean up but it turned out rather nicely as well.

a peek into the past

seen in the apartment of someone's dearly departed mother.  a lot of kitsch but quite a few amazing pieces. 

liz's laundry [and a surprise]

would you let this person into your house to do a comprehensive energy audit?

• scarf: h&m [again]
• shirt: romeo & juliet couture
• tee: green audit
• belt: kenneth cole
• skirt: dkny

large jewelry i was wearing

how about this person?  who showed up at frikkin 7:30 am only to be turned away on the riduculous excuse that the homeowner didnt "want to release utility records to the state".  he means... his electric and oil usage to the state of new york environmental research and development agency.  owned by new york state, that also owns the electric company.  for that little episode i woke up at 6 and left the house without showering.  and definitely looked more like the first unhappy/angry photo.

but you should have an energy audit.  i can save you a bunch of money in car insurance.  i mean energy usage and bills. 

• scarf: thrifted
• jacket: wilson's leather
• tank: target
• jeans: gap

liz's laundry

• dress: newly thrifted!
• jacket: converse outlet [no im not a hipster]
• teal heels: kenneth cole

• scarf: h&m
• barcode forest tee: threadless
• skirt: target
• leggings: charlotte russe

linking up to patti's visible monday!  recently i have begun to move away from just bold accessories over relatively plain outfits and have acquired quite a few more outlandish print items.  certainly more visible in the obvious sense..

goodwill trip

so far within the past 30 days i have been to 3 different thrift stores.  my hands down favorite-savers, selden thrift, and a goodwill "super store" i happened to find on my way home from kickboxing.  besides the top in the previous post, i bought several others and a couple dresses.

the frank nesting in my clothes while i removed tags

oddly flattering house dress from unknown japanese brand

 semi-sheer floral dress with ruffles and bottom pintuck.

click for more

white and blue thrifted top

this top was $4.99 at goodwill and the retro print caught my eye.  it has the unfortunately named "pussy bow" necktie which was my sole purpose for buying.  and yes it is a size ginormous.

updated layout

sooo in all my free time [that should be spent sleeping/homeworking/working/studying/etc] i learned a bit more about photoshop and blogger.  thus, new header, background, and blog buttons!  feel free to add one [or not].  and let me know what you think of the changes!

roasted red pepper soup

perusing tastespotting [time sucking danger zone] i found a recipe for roasted capsicum [red bell pepper in aussie/kiwi speak] soup with hummus.  naturally, i drooled a bit and pinned it.  then in a rare moment of clarity, decided to make it for dinner.  but i have problems following directions.  hence my inability to bake.

hack off top of garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, broil for 20 minutes or until translucent

de-seed 4 large bell peppers, cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, broil until blackened ~20 minutes

stuff peppers in pan with relatively tight fitting lid to allow skin to steam off.  meanwhile, cut 3-4 large tomatoes in half, remove stem part, and fry/steam skin up for 10 minutes until skin peels off

pepper skin remnants and a silicon mat that needs serious scrubbing

throw in pot with several [4-5] garlic cloves, and about 2 cups of vege broth. 

blend the shit out of it.  add salt and pepper to taste.  as recommended in recipe link, top with hummus instead of sour cream.  devour like a pack of rabid dogs.  serve with random potato mash.

delicious fresh hummus and nekkid garlic.

very unspecific directions to make hummus:
1 can chickpeas [low salt if possible]
~1/2 cup tahini [or whatever was left in the jar from before]
olive oil
minced garlic
s&p
lemon juice

saute garlic lightly in olive oil until translucent, or use 2-3 cloves of roasted garlic-see first step.  pour off and discard about 1/2 cup of chickpea brine.  blend remaining [unrinsed] chickpeas with tahini, garlic-olive oil, salt, and pepper.  add lemon juice to taste. 

random potato mash experiment:
large korean sweet potato [batata koreana]
1/2 bag baby carrots
2/3 C buttermilk
3 T butter
s&p

peel and dice sweet potato [korean sweet potato is white not orange on the inside and a little smoother, but generally the same].  dice carrots into coins.  boil potato and carrot until fork-tender.  drain, and add remaining ingredients.  mix by hand [annoying] or in a stand-up mixer.  reheat if necessary and serve.

linking up [very nearly too late] to tasty tuesday

liz's laundry

• brown top: victoria's secret
• green tank: esprit
• ponte leggings: target
• scarf: thrifted

super secret back view [mostly hidden under hair so still work-appropriate]

new nail polish.  i was apprehensive about the crackle coat, but its oddly reminiscent of the shell ice cream topping. 

• sheer crop top: target clearance
• halter dress: old navy
• leggings: charlotte russe

high waist polka dot skirt

the lovely polyester housedress i bought at the thrift store