Home Sweet Sarah

Eleven 11

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Sarah

Holly posted this today and you know I always like talking about myself, so, okay, twist my arm…

1. Two shows you watch every week: Any and all Housewives and whatever we’re watching on Showtime or HBO at the time (right now that’s Shameless, Californication, and House of Lies.)

2. Top three places on your must-visit list: Israel again, the UK, and Costa Rica.

3. Current favorite decorating color combo: I guess shades of orange? I seem to have a lot of orange. Other than orange, our entire house is brown. I’d like to add more blue up in thurr.

4. Do you use the snooze button on your alarm? I don’t really man the alarm, but I think Chris stopped pushing the snooze after I broke the alarm clock by banging it on his dresser when it wouldn’t shut off. I actually think this was when we were painting the orange stripes in our bedroom, so maybe that experience wasn’t as painless as I remember. Anyway! Now the snooze goes off every minute, so we’ve stopped using it.

5. Oldest, middle, or youngest: All three.

6. Do you collect anything? Only the heads I’ve made ROLL, son.

(No.)

7. What is your middle name? Michal.

8. What did you want to be when you grew up? A stockbroker.

9a. Are you city or country? I’d say a little bit of both. I dig cities, but could only live in one if I didn’t have a car, had a big townhouse/apartment, etc. On the other hand, I could totally get down on living in the sticks and owning a vineyard or something. As long as I didn’t have to do manual labor. I just basically want to be rich, okay? God!

9b. Tomboy or girly girl? You know, I don’t consider myself a “girly girl,” but I do love makeup and high heels and accessories. And I’m NOT good at sports. So.

9c. Talker or listener? I like to think I’m more of a listener, despite the fact that I do have a lot to say and also ENJOY saying those things.

10. Fancy label for your decorating style? “I saw this in a magazine/on a TV show/on a blog and I need to recreate it immediately!” Hence the orange stripes, the zebra rug, etc.

11a. What would your friends and family say is your best quality? Loyalty. (Is that right, friends and family? I hope that’s right.)

11b. Your worst? I’m kind of an asshole sometimes. (Right now my mom’s saying, “Sometimes?“)

Your turn! If you do this on your blog, leave me a link!

Posted in All About Moi | 6 Comments

#febphotoaday Week Three C’est Fini

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Sarah

Week One and Then Some

Week Two Plus a Few

Day 21 – A fave photo of me

Or four faves. (All pictures by either Color me Rad or Ashely Forrette)

Day 22 – Where I work

Day 23 – My shoes

Day 24 – Inside my bathroom cabinet

Preeeeeetty sure no one cares about my bathroom cabinet. Here’s some eyeshadow instead (key word being some)

Day 25 – Green

Green roof, green river (at the Virgin Sturgeon in Sacramento)

Day 26 – Night

Allegedly those two specks near the moon were Venus and Jupiter. Or Saturn. Uranus? (No, YOUR ANUS hahaha.) Or some planet. I dunno.

Day 27 – Something I ate

Day 28 – Money

Day 29 – Something I’m listening to
$29 - Something I\'m listening to$
It’s Hipster Radio! Ray LaMontagne/Regina Spektor station playing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Posted in All About Moi | 1 Comment

Meal plan come to liiiiiiiife!

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Sarah

Since I actually planned all our meals*, and really, since I actually carried through with those plans, I thought I’d report how the various meals and recipes turned out.

Just to recap, here’s what the plan was:

Monday’s beef and barley stew was delicious. Highly recommend! Fine holiday fun!

No real recipe to point you in the direction of; I’d just recommend adding cooked barley to your favorite beef stew recipe.

Tuesday’s tostadas turned out SO GOOD. In fact, I don’t think taco night will ever be the same! I was concerned that the method (baking tortillas in upside-down muffin tins) wouldn’t work with corn tortillas, but it totally did.

We served ours with roasted red and green peppers, shreddy lettuce, and cilantro. And pinto beans. And leftover chicken reheated in a little cream cheese and green hot sauce. What! I like food.

Wednesday was going to be chicken thighs, but we decided to swap chicken thighs for spinach salad so as not to have chicken two nights in a row.

This was taken before I put blue cheese on. In fact, I forgot about the blue cheese until Chris reminded me. Grievous error. Let us never forget the blue cheese.

Thursday was, as I said, chicken thighs and Asian slaw. No picture of the chicken, but it looked like a piece of grilled chicken. Very exciting.

I ended up using this recipe from Holly and for the slaw, we just threw a bunch of cabbage, bell peppers, cilantro, and green onions in a bowl and tossed with a rice wine vinegar, sesame seed, orange marmalade, and sesame oil dressing.

Friday night pizza night! My dough rose! Yes!

Used even more leftover chicken to make a BBQ chicken pizza.

So there you have it! Gratuitous food pictures, everyone’s favorite, right?

No menu this week, sadly. Chris I were two days into the menu planning when he remembered he’ll be out of town most of the week. Quesadillas and cereal it is, then!

*Most recipes can be found with that link.

Posted in Food & Wine | 4 Comments

#febphotoaday Week Two Plus a Few

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Sarah

Week One and Then Some can be found here.

Day 11 – Makes me happy

Watching TV with my lady

Day 12 – Inside my closet

Color-coordinated, natch

Days 13 & 14 – Blue and Heart

Earrings were a high-school graduation gift from my mom’s friend; David Yurman heart necklace was a gift from my mom and dad for birthin’ their grandbaby

Day 15 – Phone

Old-school phone booths, sans phones, at work. People use them to talk on their cells.

Day 16 – Something new

New-to-her hand-me-down from my BFF. Well, my BFF’s daughter. If you want to know the truth, the exchange of the hand-me-downs was done in a dark parking lot by the girls’ fathers. Why wouldn’t they go through the bag in the bar, admiring all the cute little girl clothes? Weirdos.

Day 17 – Time

Turd time!

Day 18 – Drink

Day 19 – Something I hate to do

Emptying the compost bin

Day 20 – Something I ate

Some people had Handwriting as the prompt for this day. I did not, but I thought I’d do it as well, hence the writing of Banana blueberry muffin (which was just okay — the recipe needs tweaking.)

Posted in All About Moi | Comments Off

Making it work…Or not

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Sarah

For damn ever ago I asked for some help buying “professional” work clothes and you came through with the advice like the awesome, stylish people you are.

I ended up buying a bunch of stuff online from Ann Taylor Loft. And then I returned a bunch of stuff. And then I exchanged some stuff.

And THEN I found out there’s an Ann Taylor AND an Ann Taylor Loft outlet less than five minutes from my house.

Faaaabulous.

Anyway! The goods!

– I bought a pair of pants that turned out to be that weird cheap material, so back they went.

– I bought a pretty purple silk(ish-feeling) top that made me look pregnant, so back that went.

– I bought a very pretty dress, that, once exchanged for a bigger size, was still too small in the hips and yet gigantic in the boobs. Naturally. Back that went, too.

– I bought a sweater that I loved, but ended up exchanging it for a bigger size, because I like my sweaters roomy. Here I am wearing it; it’s a new favorite:

– I bought two “shells” with sequins and beading and really liked them, but they were a smidgen too small, so I exchanged them for bigger sizes. And of course, the bigger sizes are too big. Again with the boobs. But! Because this turned into such a “to do,” I’m keeping the shells and making it work!

And really, all this matters not at all, because I’m out of work come November anyway, so now I’m in the market for yoga pants and hoodies and whatever else it is unemployed people wear while they drown their sorrows in gin and self-pity.

(I’m kidding. I’ll be fine. Nature of the game. If you’re not looking for a new job every two years, you’re doing it wrong. Etc., etc., etc.)

Posted in Help me be Stylish | 2 Comments

Dinner docket

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sarah

Taking a cue from Holly, and because I actually ~~wrote~~ typed this out for once, I thought I’d share this week’s meal plan with you. I’m no rockstar meal-planner, but I do like to have a general idea what we’re cooking during the week since our time is so limited once we get home from work.

Anyway! Here are some notes and links about what we’re cooking:

I don’t have a recipe for the beef and barley stew; I’m just sort of winging it, but it’s on the stove right now and it smells great, so I have high hopes.

Tomorrow night’s tostada bowls will be made employing this method via Food Lush. Except crap, I just realized that recipe is for flour tortillas and I was planning to use corn, so I may have to re-think the bowls and just shallow fry the corn tortillas instead.

I’m not sure what recipe we’ll use for the chicken thighs, but Holly’s Grilled Maple Mustard Chicken Thigh recipe was a hit the last time, so we may very well go that route again. Apropos of this, did you know that Holly is on a one-woman mission to make everyone in the world love chicken thighs? She is! Let’s all support her in her endeavor, shall we? Chicken thighs 4 EVA.

Spinach salads pretty much speak for themselves, yes? I’ll make a homemade balsamic dressing, but everything else is easy-peasy.

I’ve been making my own pizza dough recently, but haven’t found a recipe I love. Hillary recommended Jay’s Signature Pizza Crust recipe, so I’ll try that this week. Hopefully my dough rises, as I’ve been having problems with that!

That’s what we’re dining on this week at Casa de Dulce Sarita. What are you eating?

Posted in Food & Wine | 5 Comments

#febphotoaday Week One and Then Some

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sarah

Last month I did a photo-a-day challenge and (of course) didn’t save any of the pictures (other than the LG pictures.) This month I’m participating in the challenge again and decided to blog my pictures so those of you who don’t follow me on Instagram (my username there is, shocker, homesweetsarah) can see my pics. Of course now February is almost over, but whatever, it’s been a surprisingly busy month (another round of the sickness, my birthday, etc. etc.) Anyway! Here’s week one (plus a couple extra) of the challenge. I’ll catch up on weeks two through four, oh, sometime in May, probably.

First, The Prompts:

Day 1- My view today

Day 2 – Words

Newspaper clippings collecting — it’s all a part of the job!

Day 3 – Hands

Day 4 – A stranger

Day 5 – 10am

Or 9:45am, as I was probably working on my ujjaiy breathing at 10am

Day 6 – Dinner

Quinoa blackbean burgers with homemade guac and salad with blue cheese

Day 7 – Button

The button I press to escape the building when I’m working late

Day 8 – Sun

Day 9 – Front door

I think this was the original front door of the state Capitol…Maybe?

Day 10 – Self portrait

Good god, the iPh0ne’s front camera function is AWFUL

Posted in All About Moi | Comments Off

Easy as…

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Sarah

I stole this from Sara who stole it from K who stole it from one Ms. Jive Turkey.

A. Age: 29-in-5-daaaaaays.

B. Bed size: Cal King.

C. Chore that you hate: Emptying the compost bin and then cleaning it. Also, dealing with garbage of any kind.

D. Dogs: None. Maybe one day, when LG is old enough to deal with its shits. (See above re: garbage, my hatred of.)

E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE. Also, going into LG’s room to gently wake her up, which is…Basically never, as she’s usually already awake. I swear she wakes up at 5am and just LAYS THERE, staring at the ceiling.

F. Favorite color: Green.

G. Gold or silver: Both.

H. Height: 5′ 7″.

I. Instruments that you play: Zero.

J. Job title: Communications Director.

K. Kids: The one and only Cheeks McGee.

L. Live: Northern California.

M. Mother’s name: Caren, or Queen Caren, as she’s known here in the comments.

N. Nicknames: Sar-Bear.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Just once, for birthin’ ol’ Cheeks.

P. Pet peeves: THERE ARE SO MANY. Getting trapped into conversations I don’t want to be in, people who do my crossword puzzle IN PENCIL, people who keep their animals off the leash when I’m walking around the ‘hood with LG (Jive Turkey really captured my feelings to a T with her thoughts on this), and people who try to beat me to the door going into work. I don’t know why this bothers me, but it does. We’ll all get in the building, dude. Chill.

Q. Quote from a movie: “What would you say if I told you I haven’t seen Evil Dead 2, yet?”

R: Right or left handed: Right.

S: Siblings: None, some halves, some in-laws — my answer depends on my mood.

T: Travel favorite: What’s travel? I haven’t been on a vacation in for damn ever. But let’s say Europe.

U. Underwear: Victoria’s Secret “The Lacie.” Best ever.

V. Vegetable(s) you hate: Sweet potatoes/yams. No, not even the way you make them that surely EVERYONE, even sweet potato-haters, loves. Not even that way.

W. What makes you run late: Finalizing my ensemblè, when LG poops unexpectedly.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Jaw, teeth.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Pizza, enchiladas, lasagna, big salads (seriously!), chicken tortilla soup, Thanksgiving.

Z. Zoo animal: Giraffes!

Your turn! (And leave me a link to your post if you do this!)

Posted in All About Moi | 4 Comments

Odds and ends and baby cheeks for your viewing (and my munching-on) pleasure

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Sarah

I was sick this week — sicker than I’ve been in a long-ass time. I worked a total of about five hours and spent the rest of the time on the couch, trying to nap, but wishing I could just claw my face off instead.

I spent the greater part of Friday morning draining my tear ducts of all their fluids as I bawled my way through both Country Strong (wasn’t expecting that ending) and Temple Grandin (Claire Danes, man) but I luckily felt human again yesterday, so I was able to go to a friend’s house for a ladies’ night.

Of course, when I came home, it appeared I’d passed the sickness on to both Chris and LG, so that sucks. Little lady, who looked cheerful and delightful yesterday…

…Slept from 6pm last night to 9am this morning…

—And then took a nap in the crook of my arm (that never happens!) this morning….

…And then took a real nap in her crib.

She’s up now and in much better spirits, so I’m hoping she’s on the mend. My scientific analysis is that since she’s an eighth my size, she’ll get over this cold in an eighth the time. Right? Right.

In news completely unrelated to this, I decided to not drink until my birthday (thankfully in February and not, like, in December.) It’s been almost two weeks and it’s been surprisingly easy, although I think a lot of that probably had to do with the sickness this past week. (Although damn, I bet a shot of whiskey could have helped with the congestion.)

I also finished The Marriage Plot, the first book-book I’ve read in a long time. (I read a lot of James Patterson, but I’m not sure his count as book-books, since they all have the same plot, not to mention, they’re not even written by him anymore.) Anyway, so I finished a book, which makes me feel all studios and shit, and I am now starting in on The Hunger Games.

As I mentioned in my 2011 recap, I am not good with big sweeping goals or resolutions, but smaller ones seem to be my jam (says the girl who hasn’t even yet completed the first small goal she set for herself) and I’m hoping to, like, improve upon some areas of my life via these small, manageable goals, rather than big, impossible ones that make me want to give them the finger.

And now that I’ve taken this blog into some unfamiliar self-help territory, I’m going to go make my fifth cup of tea of the day and munch on some baby cheekage:

Posted in All About Moi, LG | 5 Comments

It’s Friiiiiiiiiiiday

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Sarah

It’s Friday, work sucks weekend woo-hoo, and the start of a three-day weekend for a lucky few of us.

After the holidays and guests, going back work and then more guests, I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend…

…Lunch with my grandparents (The GGPs, as we call them) tomorrow…

…Yoga, a mani/pedi, and much-needed eyebrow maintenance on Sunday, followed by the Golden Globes and tamale pie (recipe from a coworker; I’ll report back) Sunday night…

…Then who knows what on Monday, but I suspect it will involve a lot of LG and I catching up on our Real Housewives. Girls gotta watch their STORIES, am I right?

A few outtakes from our daily pictures, which I send to Chris in the mornings. I usually look like a total fool, making funny faces to get LG to smile, but more recently I’ve just been to trying to get her to not steal my phone and shove it in her mouth. So. It’s fun.

What do you have planned this weekend? I hope you enjoy it!

Posted in All About Moi, LG | 1 Comment