my favorite and my best

the runaways

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:33:00 +0000

i am not at all embarrassed to say that i am very excited to see this movie:

this is probably due to the fact that i have a major lesbo crush on kristin stewart. yes, it took me a while to feel kstew...but now i totally want to be her BFF.
she's all cool and broody and hot. plus...PLUS!!!!! she bangs rob.

i. am. 40.

newness is all around me..

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:13:00 +0000

yesterday i bought this watch on sale at loehmann's for 23 dollars. i thought it fancy and practical all at once. i am not a watch person. in fact i am not a know-the-time type of person. probably agent orange like scars from "the birth"... but a good watch CAN make an otherwise dull pair of jeans and t-shirt look coolballs.

also i bought these boots. i had posted about them last week, well not these exactly..but they were on sale at nordstrom for a song!!! they are very close to the original boot but these are better bc i now walk with a certain amount of shitkickery and stompiness..

also MFAMB is going dot com. with the help of susie of design eye Q we are changing MFAMB around over the next few weeks. i am very excited. i am hoping to have pictures the size of khloe kardashian's head. plus easier blogging capabilities. i find the mac is limited to my previous PC blogging options. maybe i am just slightly retarded, but i can't seem to figure shit out. anyway i was asked to gather images and inspirational photos and these make me supremely happy. if my blog can translate into these images somehow then i will be satisfied...

pretty girly huh? if u have any suggestions or images or anything at all please send 'em my way!!
i am open to anything at this point...

your dinner

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:07:00 +0000

i am making these for dinner tonight and u should too so you can be just like me. these are from the (awesome) cookbook veganomicon. they are potato and kale enchiladas with roasted chile sauce:

For the Enchilada Chile Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, cut into small dice
3 large green chilies, roasted, seeded, peeled (such as Anaheim or even Italian-style long green peppers)
6 teaspoons chili powder, preferably ancho
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon marjoram or Mexican oregano (epazote)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (roasted preferred)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons salt

For the Potato and Kale Filling

1 lb waxy potato (Yukon gold or red)
1/2 lb kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup toasted pepitas, chopped coarsely, plus additional for garnish (pumpkin seeds, page XX)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
12-14 corn tortillas

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches.
Prepare the enchilada sauce first: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions is oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Puree with an immersion or regular blender until the mixture is smooth and even.
Prepare the filling: Peel and diced the potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook the grapeseed oil and minced garlic in a saucepot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned (be careful not to let it burn). Add the kale, sprinkle with a little salt, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic. Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable stock, lime juice, pumpkin seeds, and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Add more salt or lime juice to taste.
Create an enchilada assembly line: Have ready a pie plate filled with about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a lightly greased, heated griddle or cast-iron pan (for softening the tortillas), and the potato and kale filling.
Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated griddle for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla has become soft and pliable. Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side.
Now, place the tortilla either in the casserole dish (the easiest way) or on an additional plate. Layer it with another heated, sauce-covered tortilla or just use one per enchilada; either way, run the potato filling down the middle and roll it up. Continue with rest of tortillas, tightly packing enchiladas next to each other.
Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (reserving some for later), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until edges of the tortillas poking out of sauce look just a little browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Top individual servings with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly.

so...go ahead and make them and then report back on their deliciousness. also i am making black beans on the sizzy.

from the high street

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:05:00 +0000

shiny black gorgeousness for your mantel or tablescape a la david hicks:

i spent some time perusing the new david hicks book yesterday and was amazed at how every single room he ever designed looks completely modern and relevant. and i see the influence in all of our favorite designers working today. from KW to miles redd to charlotte moss to your mother. if u have the xtra 60 bucks lying around i would say it's a sound investment.

and also this room by emma jane pilkington (best name ever) is my new favorite:

green

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:25:00 +0000

i am into green lately... probably b/c it's winter and nothing is green. am i really that predictable?

pretty.

images via weheartit, dti, villaanna, elledecor, abt, hiddeninfrance

PB teen y'all

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:01:00 +0000

ok so you will have to use your imagination here b/c the styling is very juvenile in these pics and the colors for the most part are too but, i think in the right spaces and with the right styling we have some cute, affordable options for budget decorating:

graphic pop bookcase: $499

petite bedside table: $99

pop-up storage bedside table: $199

portico bedside table: $99

c-thru table: $99

circolo nesting tables: $299

locker bedside table: $299

comes in these colors:
these lamps are on sale for $49!! not loving the shades but the lamps r cute:

glass bead chandelier on sale for $129:

duke striped convertible couch: $599 (i don't know why but i love the simplicity and beachy vibe of this couch, plus it converts to a flat daybed..cool)

cushy lounge loveseat: $589 (i know i know...it's...sweet..too sweet but the size is right for a small room or entry and it looks comfy and there is tufting...so fuck you nay-sayers)

and it comes and black and white:
double flip floor lounger: $369: (this reminds me of a ligne rosset only about 32873527305 dollars less)

ligne rosset: italian expensiveness

just use your imagination...mmmkay?
now go to decorno for a re-lesson on photographing your house b/c i am tired of you people using flashes and shit it looks terrible.

greatest hits part 1

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:35:00 +0000

it was certainly a great year for MFAMB! it was my first year. the birth of my blog. a new adventure. i met a shit ton of cool mo'fo's like you, got paid to write someone else's blog and just..well...put it out there. so here is part 1 of MFAMB's greatest hits: the images:

rob:

blue and white:

gray and white:

random awesomeness:

pink and gray:

amazeballs kitchens:

stacks:

brown and gold:

black and yellow:

bold pattern:

pink and yellow:

tiny cute:

gray and yellow:

happy new year fuckers! i hope everyone had a great one and all returned home safe and sound to the comfort of their warm beds and loved ones.
no resolutions from me. i don't buy into them. mostly b/c it's a lame excuse to be better when we should be doing that every day, like little buddahs all the time.

come back tomorrow for greatest hits part 2.

here's to peace, love, good health and prosperity for us all in the new year!
love,
jenny

this shit is for realz...

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:42:00 +0000

there is a full moon tonight you drunk fuckers....

so please let's not have to deal with any of this...

just be careful.

swiped from petunia face..

birth...warning..this is gross, graphic and i say fuck a lot.

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:11:00 +0000

recently you might have read about jenny's crazy accidental home birth...that went smooth as butter and there was joy and glee and maybe a little afterbirth accident or placenta gloppage here and there but overall it sounded pretty fucking amazing and beautiful and the stuff that makes you sing the lord's name and hug everyone around you..oh..and it happened on christmas eve and she is named evelyn. perfect, i know. now, before you think i am all jaded and bitter (which i am but more on that later) i also know that she ruined a perfectly good chiang mai dragon covered ottoman and that she was like 2 weeks overdue or some such horribleness. that is no fun i am sure. all big and uncomfortable for like ever. but let's define big...i wonder just how big jenny was? she is pretty much a slip of a girl anyway, so i wonder if she even got all that big. me? i weighed 200 pounds at delivery. normally i am about 135. my kid also dropped at 8 lbs. 15 oz. so yes, most of that weight was just me. fat, old me. and it took me nearly 4 years to get it all off. not 9 months as they say. you know, 9 months on, 9 months off...HA that's fucking bullshit is what that is. maybe if you are 25 or under, but i was 35 years old when i had fiona. and that shit doesn't come off so easy when you reach 30 and up. and don't believe all that angelina jolie bullcrap about "i breast feed so the weight just slides off".
bitch, i breast fed for THREE YEARS! all that does is make you eat more bc your fucking hungry as balls all the time. no angie, what you are is anorexic. don't bullshit me q-tip!!

ok ok ok...before i get carried away let me get to my point....today is the birthday of my dearest littlest five year old, fiona honey anderson. and i was asked by a fellow blogger to tell my tale. my tale of pregnancy and delivery and all that it was for me. she shall remain nameless at this time for fear my story will make you hate her for having me tell it. i think i understand...i mean..she is young..married, ready for children in the near future and wants to know from someone who never sugar coats anything on what being pregnant and giving birth is really like...you know...for the majority. b/c no matter how amazing and beautiful jenny's story is...it. is. NOT. the norm. nope. and everybody is different. if u are skinny now you will most likely be a skinny pregnant lady. i was never skinny. i was (am) curvy. i have boobs and a tummy. pretty small butt, good legs. kind of sausage-y arms...and a few chins if the angle is right. and that was before i was pregs. now it's still that way...just gravity has moved in and said...w'sup. so whatever your body looks like now...just amplify it in your mind and that's what pregnancy will do to it. pregnancy changes your body. i mean really changes it. you become more aware. more in tune to things. like taste and smell. in fact for most, things that used to smell awesome will now smell like the inside of a rotten vagina. powerful and strong like. make you leave the room, turn u into a raving bitch. as in, "mike...you cannot cook that tonight or for the next 6 months bc if you do i am liable to fucking chop your torso in half with a hatchet and then throw up all over your two halves". i remember not being able to walk through the produce section at whole foods without wanting to puke for 3 or 4 months. which is how long a normal bout of "morning sickness" lasts. but my friend anna had that shit for her. entire. pregnancy. srsly. she burst blood vessel's in her neck and shit from excessive vomiting. for 8 months. that is just evil..and would make you question the existence of god. mine lasted for 4 months. in fact it's not uncommon for you to lose weight in the first 3 months of pregnancy. i was so sick all i could do was lay on the couch and watch alias on dvd, all 3 seasons. and then it happened...i got hungry. it was joyous. i wanted...no...needed mashed potatoes! i made them from scratch. along with a gravy from scratch. it was so fucking good i am certain that i heard angels. and the rest is history. i became an eating machine. for the first time in a very long time i did not care at all about what i was putting in my mouth. i ate everything. i went from an all organic diet to, someone please go thru the fucking mcdonalds drive through and get me 1 of everything. NOW!!!!!!!!!!! and while your at it why don't u hit up chick fil a?
5 months later i weighed 200 lbs. so...be careful.

9 months and counting...
before i go any further its only fair to point out that i am a type 1 diabetic. have been since i was 29 years old. so i was what you call a "high risk pregnancy" that and that i was 35 at the time of her birth. so double risk. all this means is that your chances increase of having some kind of birth defect and/or a big baby. (diabetics have big babies all the time- but so do normal people so whatever) i was very closely monitored all thru my pregnancy. as in ultra sounds and stress tests every week. each and every time my results came back with applause and back pats, "wow, this is one healthy baby and you are doing great!! i can't tell u how many times we see such tragedy with a diabetic mother...". the doctors love to shove fear and authoritativeness in your face.
anyway...my pregnancy was rock solid. no complications and her size was right on track.
we ran into a little difference of opinion around 8 months in. the doctor said he would induce me at 39 weeks and i said the fuck you will. this baby will come when she is damn good and ready. i mean why induce if there are no complications...if the baby is doing great...if she's not too big..etc.. he said then i won't deliver the baby. and i was all...is this guy for real? can he do that?!? we agreed that i would go my full 40 weeks and then induce no matter what. she wasn't coming any time soon when 40 weeks rolled around, no dilation no nuthin! so on wednesday december 29th at 10 pm the hospital called and said, "we have a room ready for you". i remember we were at home watching anchorman. weird. but it's something i will never forget. just like my mom tells me that when she went into labor with me she was watching tiny tim sing tiptoe thru the tulips on johnny carson.

the hospital
when we arrived they took us to our room and said they'd be back with the cervidil. for those that don't know, that's a drug that they insert into your vagina that hastens labor...at the very least it ripens your cervix. ripens your cervix. like a brown banana? anyway.. this is given in the evening so that in the morning you will be ready for bigger and better things..
next up....pitocin. this basically taps your baby on the face and says..."c'mon it's showtime!"
they just keep increasing the dose if they have to. and they had to. sometime in the afternoon on thursday (i lost all track of time b/c i made mike cover the clock on the wall with a shirt. i didn't want to know at this point what time it was, how long i had been in pain, how much longer i was going to be in pain etc..)i asked for an epidural.

the pain
ok, so no secret that having a baby is painful. i knew it would be. even though for 6months i was practicing the hypno birth cd's. lots of meditation and visualization. at the end of the day a whole lot of bullshit too. when that pain comes on no amount of breathing and visualizing is going to make it less painful. but here's the thing that i think will put it in perspective for you..
for me it wasn't so much about the pain...which when it comes on is like nothing you could have imagined and nothing anyone could ever say to you to try and explain it will help you to understand...but about how long will i have to endure it?? let me back up a bit...i wanted to have a natural childbirth. no pain management other than those stupid hypnosis cd's.
but as i said when that pain hit it was scary to say the least. while writhing in agony i was trying to decide how long will this go on before the actual baby pops out?? if it's an hour...i can do it. if it's 3, maybe. if it's 5 or more there is no way!! i am astonished that anyone anywhere EVER gives birth without an epidural. that said..and here's where it gets tricky...when you are induced with drugs that force contractions on you, you are not giving birth naturally. therefore the pain is worse. end of story. when u fuck with mother nature she fucks with you right back. so know that when you go to have that baby...do whatever u can to have that baby on your own (as a diabetic it just wasn't possible to go as long as jenny did) with no intervention. unless there are complications, of course. but if u are healthy, the baby is healthy...just wait. it will come.

the epidural
did i mention that i still had not slept at all? yeah, so sometime around noon maybe? on thursday i was in tremendous pain and asked for the epidural. i was hoping that it would relax me enough and take away the pain enough so that i could go to sleep. so the anesthesiologist came in with a needle the size of my arm and told me to be still as he inserted it into my spine. internal guffaw was he kidding? be still? how still? every 3 minutes or so the pain would be so intense that i couldn't be still. it became a game for us all. he would sit there looking like he was dealing with a 7 year old at the dentist's office as my contractions came and went and i just prayed that i could be still for the 2 minutes he needed to put that motherfucker in my spine. tears..always tears streaming down my face. in all honesty i do not remember the pain of the needle b/c the pain in my uterus was way worse. but..as soon as that thing did it's thing...no more pain. but let me tell you...the feeling..or should i say lack of feeling in your legs is the weirdest physical experience i have ever had. you just can't feel your legs. your brain says i want to move my legs and you can move your legs you just can't feel them. which essentially makes them impossible to move. farting? pooping? can't feel it happening...more on that later..
there is a phenomenon that happens with the epidural for some people and that is extreme shaking. like if you had been out on a north pole expedition and you got locked out of your tent naked all night long and were partially frozen shaking. that happened to me. it was awful. teeth shattering crazy fucking shaking= no sleep. but at least the contractions were gone.

let's recap...wed. evening around 6:00 was the last time i ate anything or drank anything. thursday morning started having mild contractions...manageable even. where for a split second i was all...this is nothing..like period cramps! then sometime in the afternoon the wrecker ball contractions started happening and i was all...are u fucking kidding me with this bullshit? please give me the GD epidural. no sleep, no food, no water. i felt like i might die. dramatic but very very true. this is when all time started to standstill and i drifted into crazy jacobs ladder type hallucinations.

active labor
sometime thursday evening? the middle of the night? no idea here...i was told i was finally dilated enough to start pushing. this was good news. wasn't it? wait..why is there a fish standing in the corner smoking a cigar and giving me the finger? oh...no one sees that but me.
so i started to push. and push. and push. for so many hours. and here is the bit about the pooping. ok, so when you first get to the hospital you might be a little shy about being naked with your hairy (lets face it the last few months of pregnancy there is no grooming going on down there) birth cannon hanging out for all who enter the room to see. but by day 3 trust me when i say you could care less. after about 10 different nurses came in and had there hands all up inside me and i pooped so many times during the pushing- awesome really bc you smell something and are all..who farted? and then you realize it's you! you can't feel anything waist down. but everyone is all cool about it. they just quietly clean it up and throw it away. gross i know but it is what it is. although i honestly don't see how my husband could ever get those passionate feelings for me ever again after watching poop come out of my butt. or a vagina that looked probably like someone had chopped it up with ginsu knives. but he did, does...bless him.

ok, so after all those hours of pushing the fruits of my labor (pun intended) weren't panning out. so finally in walks the doctor for the first time ever! and says..either you go in for a c-section now or i pull with forceps. apparently there was a lot of stress on the baby b/c i was under so much stress. i think there were whispers of "we might lose the mother if we keep this up". i said, forceps first then c-section. well, i am sure it sounded like this: "hfuoyuopqiuehtqeu beoufhoq;ei qihr qhfnouhoe".

delivery
in all honestly i was so relieved when doctor said forceps. it was like a little metal leprechaun was going to move into my vagina and pull the baby out for me. no more work for me!!! hooray, a thousand times HOORAY!!! after about 10 minutes there were some concerned glances and silence. not only were her shoulders coming out straight on but the cord appeared to wrapped around her neck. i think they were more concerned about her shoulders. why? hmmm...that's weird and then i heard the 'pop'. an undeniable pop. thank christ i couldn't feel anything. that pop was my vagina and about 4 inches of flesh connecting it to my butthole. you see, when you give birth you are more than likely to tear a little bit and a great nurse/doula/midwife will massage that area and make it all pliable and shit. as a diabetic no doula/midwife was given to me even though i asked, so i did not have a pliable vagina..but in my vagina's defense my baby's shoulders would have torn the most relaxed vagina on the planet. see babies turn on their way out. so their shoulders are more curved. mine came out like a linebacker making an offensive play.
so she came out all beautiful and quiet. this was a concern but the doctor reassured me she was fine. but i wasn't so sure. the cord was wrapped around her but they fixed that right away. all i know is before i even wanted to see my child i wanted a glass of water. i was begging in the quietest voice imaginable for water. once i felt quenched it was back to the child. once i heard her cry i was relieved. happy. alive again. but i was stuck..on that table for 2 more hours!!! i had 4th degree tears. i think there are 4 degrees total. which essentially means the tears went so far up that stiches (2 hours worth) were required. ladies...please....massage your vagina...get a midwife!

recovery
this is the part no one tells you about! what happens to you after you get home. first of all i had to pee thru a catheter while at the hospital for the remainder of my stay. i was constipated from all the junk (drugs) in my system, no food, no water etc..plus the stitches were in my butthole, making pooping ridiculous if not impossible. imagine having the feeling that you are about to diarrhea all over the place but someone has sewn your butthole shut. that's all i'll say on that subject b/c it's too gross even for me!
in fact i'll just give you a checklist of what you can expect:
crazy raging hormones like someone has killed your best friend (now this is also known as post partum, mine was very mild and short lived, others are not so lucky)- CHECK!
complete frustration as to how in the fuck breastfeeding will ever work-CHECK! (hang in there, get help, call a lactation consultant..whatever it takes!)
yellow, sallow skin and melasma all over your face- CHECK!
hemorrhoids for days-CHECK!
still no sleep-CHECK!
your nether regions so sore it will feel like you have been gang banged every hour on the hour for a week straight. (not that i have any idea what that feels like but it has to be similar-tell me gayhooker would i be close?)-CHECK!

they say you forget the pain of childbirth over time. clearly i haven't. in fact it remains the primary reason fiona is an only child. if i weren't a diabetic and 40 years old i would for sure have another. but the hospital intervened too much resulting in a very dissatisfied experience.
this is not true for everyone. i know, i get it. this is my experience. but all too often i think women rely on epidurals, inductions, c-sections as time savers, etc...i think this is why jenny's experience was so wonderful. it just happened. the way nature intended. thus less pain, more joy.
if i were to do it all over again (minus the age and diabetes) i would labor at home with a midwife or a doula and we would decide when i needed to go to the hospital (home births are messy and if it's your first time- too scary). i would have a lactation consultant in the delivery room with me ready to go as soon as that baby popped out (barring any complications of course) and then i would ask for a sleeping pill and i would sleep for 8+ hours (waking only to feed) while grandma's took care of the little one. yep. that's the best way i feel. then go home and commence motherhood forever.

there is more that happened in terms of hospital rules vs. me that i would be glad to go into with anyone who was curious via email. and if jenny is reading this please know that i think your home birth was amazing and i am super jealous of that. i couldn't even hold fiona for the first day of her life b/c i was too weak and sick. i will never have that back either. granted, she ...SHE was healthy, strong and happy. it was me that was a fucking mess.

and today she is 5. happy birthday my little angel. i love you more than anything in this entire world. you taught me unconditional love. what it means to love fully no matter what. and i would do it all again.

art by frida kahlo

enjoyable

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:44:00 +0000

this little terrarium costs 40 dollars on etsy. and i think it is really cute. what a sweet little surprise hanging somewhere unexpected...

but i would not pay 40 dollars when i have one of these from cb2 already and it holds a candle that i never light..so off to the plant nursery i go. btw this candle holder/TERRARIUM costs 3.95.

dreaming of an AIR-MEZ blanket..

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:13:00 +0000

no...really...i had a dream last night that i had a hermes blanket on my bed. this was most likely due to the fact that yesterday i saw kelly wearstler's pretty hermes blanket in the dec. issue of vogue living....i assume she has one in every room of the house. all of her houses. this was one of those early morning dreams where you wake up, realize it's morning and are pissed that you can't go back and dream some more of robert patt...i mean the hermes blanket.

in my search for images of hermes blankets this morning i didn't come across very many...most likely due to the fact that they are well over a thousand dollars a pop so only the ridiculously rich or stupid have them. you have probably seen most of these. in case you were wondering my blanket was orange and white. but this one is the one i would buy if i were ridiculously rich and/or stupid:

see....kelly wearstler's son has one:

she probably has one too:

images via your mother

new years head

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:48:00 +0000

even though i will more than likely be sleeping by 11:30 on new years eve i intend to wear this all day long.
forever 21 hair clip purchased here.

fresh and exciting and then more black

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:48:00 +0000

canadian house and home's jan issue is all about the trends for 2010. i don't know about you but i could care less about trends. least of all when someone "spots" a trend or "calls" a trend a trend etc. bullshit bullshit...my line...bullshit bullshit... as soon as you label something trendy i want to set myself on fire. i am fond of some trends but can a new trend for 2010 be to not tell me what is the latest trend? that said could we please do away with anything that looks like a grain sack? ok thanks.

while flipping thru said issue i saw this dining room and was smitten. i think it is fresh and exciting and it pleases my eyeballs. the big ass light fixture, the cool shelves in the back (love those), the sconces painted black (doing this to mine tomorrow), the settee and industrial looking chairs...it's just fun and cool and i haven't seen it a thousand times.......yet.

and then there's this- black walls. glimmering gleaming glowing black walls:
a major "trend" right now and i am so not over it. how could you be? it's so gorgeous! it's warm and sexy, bold and neutral, and it just plain makes me want to butter my corn. so perfect with the light floors and the woven blinds.

what are the trends you would like to see go and stay forever? even though it is understood that we as a group hate the word "trend"...

girlish bohemian charm

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:37:00 +0000

if i were going to have a flat in london it would very closely resemble this:

this is lamp porn:

open shelves and art in the kitchen is good:

upon further inspection we see that this is an eat in kitchen with sitting room tendencies (i just made that up):

i daresay i will never tire of this nina campbell wallpaper :

all images via living etc

i can't fucking stop

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:27:00 +0000

those are vegan peanut butter cups and before you turn your nose up at them let me just tell u that they are retarded. and by retarded i mean fucking awesome. forget the bullshit nuts on top. they are a time waster and i don't need little nut nibs in my teeth dragging me down. nope. fuck em. not worth it.
do however make them. u will be so glad u did. and they are vegan and healthful and shit so u will feel inherently better about eating them.
i made them for christmas and i have had 2 every day since christmas. there is one left and i am hoping supermike eats it before i get to it. (that is a lie)
anyway..where was i? oh yes. FUCKING MAKE THESE!!
here is the recipe provided by cher aka alicia silverstone (with my modifications which i feel make them better):

INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 cup Earth Balance butter (u could use reg butter but let me tell u..earth balance is delicious)
3⁄4 cup crunchy peanut butter ( i used creamy-unsweetened, unsalted)
(preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares
1⁄4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener ( i used maple sugar and i grinded it up with the graham crackers in the food processor b/c maple sugar granules are BIG- also maple sugar is crazy expensive but worth it)
1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips (fuck this bullshit too, grain sweetened choc chips are no where near as good as the reg and carob chips taste like dirty balls. but i make sure i use mostly dark chips with NO dairy or filler. whole foods 365 brand dark choc chips are what i used)
1⁄4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk ( i use so delicious brand unsweetened coconut milk in the dairy case at whole foods. it is perfect. but if u are into the dairy thing milk would work too)
1⁄4 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts (no thanks)

STEPS
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.)
Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat.
Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.
Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan.
Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.
Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture.
Top with chopped nuts.
Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

ok..i have made these a few times and after the first time i learned the hard way that after u pour the peanut butter/graham cracker/earth balance mixture into the muffin tin FIRST refrigerate it so that it gets firm and chilled for about 30 minutes...THEN pour the chocolate mixture over it.

then chill according to the recipe.

for more vegan recipes via the kind diet cookbook go to the kind life website.

do this

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:13:00 +0000

this is pleasing. the styling. and also the placement in an otherwise who cares corner.

image via livingconcept

keep your eyes peeled

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:23:00 +0000

i am on the hunt for these boots:

so that come summer i can channel this:

i am so not kidding.

problem is i cannot find these perfect boots in my size (8.5 to a 9).

happy birthday mom

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:58:00 +0000

i love you.

a priest, a guru and a rabbi walk into a bar...

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:01:00 +0000

the almighty waspy jew gpaltz..aka gwyneth, gooped about jesus this week and for once i was intrigued. every once in a while gwyneth rounds up a few experts on any one subject and then lets them wax about it on her goopy blog. the 3 xperts this week were an episcopal priest, deepak chopra and a jewish scholar. you can read all three takes on her blog. but my favorite was that of the jew. here it is:
Michael Berg replies:
Almost all spiritual leaders of history are different than what most of us have come to think of them, be it Abraham, Jesus, Mohammad, or Buddha. In the case of Jesus, for instance, it’s known that many cultures have their own version of how he looked. In Africa, for example, he is often portrayed as having African features, whereas in North America he typically has North American features, and so forth. In most cultures his physical visage is made to look like the people of that country.
In truth, his teachings, as with his appearance, are often misunderstood.
To understand Jesus, it is important to understand the environment from which Jesus came. As Alfred Edersheim writes in The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, “The Galileans are said to have inclined towards mystical (Kabbalistic) pursuits. Among such people, and in that country, Jesus spent by far the longest part of his life upon earth.”
Jesus descended from a long line of spiritual teachers. Therefore, the focus of his teachings was not so much on the physical practices of religion but more on the inner spiritual aspects. That is why he rejected rote observance of religion. He felt that in his time many who were practicing religion were coming from a place of just that – practice, not a process of inner change. This wrought all kinds of corruption and negative interpretations of religion, spirituality, and the understanding of God’s purpose for putting man on earth.
When you look at it from this view, one of Jesus’ important messages was don’t get stuck in the ritual. If you are authentic in your spiritual work, then you are constantly growing and improving on the inside. Never practice religion simply as an external action. The purpose of it all is to bring internal change to become a better person.
In line with this, therefore, was his great focus on the teaching of love and compassion. It is impossible for a person to call himself spiritual and yet have anger and animosity towards another human being.

The core of spirituality is non-judgmental love.
Unfortunately, some take religious teachings, and even Jesus’ teachings, and use it as a platform for separation, looking down on people, or instilling fear and self-loathing. Clearly, one of his overriding messages was the Old Testament concept of “Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself”. There is nothing a person seeking spirituality can be doing in their lives that leads to anything different than or opposite from this message. Jesus wanted us to understand that religious practice is here to bring us back to this goal.
If this is truly understood, then love and compassion must lead to tolerance. Through his experience as one who went against the status quo, he was both marginalized and persecuted. As a result, he clearly gained a great appreciation for the importance of holding a space for others who have opposing views. He spent his “Light” railing against intolerance and lack of human dignity for those who are different and to those with whom we very much disagree. What he taught us is that underlying all our spiritual pursuits must be an understanding of human dignity and tolerance for all people. As Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”During this holiday season, we all have so much we can learn from the life and teachings of Jesus. To be religious or spiritual means a constant process of growing and changing, consistently becoming a better and better person, knowing that none of our beliefs can – nor should they – bring us anything but a growing sense of love, compassion, and tolerance for those whom we love, and, more importantly, for those with whom we disagree.
May all these teachings enable us to experience the great Light and power of this holiday season.

i think jesus is awesome. it is generally the people who follow jesus who i find to be not awesome. either way. happy birthday jesus. merry christmas and happy holidays readers. i love each and every one of you and i have had a great time getting to know you and myself through this blog.

minimal

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:34:00 +0000

i just don't see the appeal. so sad. so dreary.

head clearer

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:26:00 +0000

if you're like me you more than likely have some sort of head cold. in fact i think the ol immune system checked out of here sometime back in october. she's somewhere in the south pacific warming her t cells. bitch! anyway, i made this soup 20 minutes ago. it's that easy. 20 minutes start to finish.

SPICY COCONUT NOODLE SOUP

serves 2

1 tbsp red curry paste

1 15 or so ounce can full fat coconut milk. not the creme, not the lite and the ingredients should just say coconut milk, you will salt and sweeten it later. (although if u just have the lite that will work too)

1/2 package of mushrooms (i used button), sliced

1 sheet wide rice noodles (i used rice vermicelli b/c that's what i had and not the whole package, half of it) cook these according to package directions FIRST. they need to be cooked before you add them to the soup

1 jalapeno (i did not use it b/c to me the red curry paste is plenty spicy)

1/2 bunch spring onions, sliced

put a little veg oil in a med-large saucepan.

fry the red curry paste for 1 minute.

add the can of coconut milk and then fill it halfway with water and pour it in too.

add 1 tbsp of sugar to taste. i like mine sweet (though not sickly) and i used about a tbsp of agave nectar instead of sugar.

add 1 tsp salt to taste.

simmer for 5 minutes while you slice the mushrooms and green onions.

throw in the mushrooms after 5 minutes is up and simmer for another 2 minutes.

stir in the drained noodles, add your jalapeno if using, and spring onions. serve in deep bowls and squeeze a half a lime over each serving.

so good. so easy.

and it will liquefy the contents of your head. just don't let it drip in your bowl. although i won't judge. i put boogers in my pocket, remember?

pimp the coolness

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:04:00 +0000

ok, so yes. some very awesome people have nominated MFAMB for apartment therapy's homie awards. not sure who did it first...kate maybe?? of domestikatedlife? either way i am honored and humbled. if u think i have a great blog go vote for it mf'ers!

vote here. just know that if you don't someone gross and stupid and boring as piss will probably win. and you will have to live with that forever.

do you know about the christmas krampus?

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:26:00 +0000

lately there has been a lot of krampus (please say this the correct way and that would be "krampoose") talk around here. up until a week ago i had never heard of the christmas krampus before. apparently he's been around for a long time, originating in austria. anyway the short story is that santa gives presents to the good children and the christmas krampus kidnaps the bad children and takes them away, to eat them maybe? that's some pretty scary shit to a little kid. which is exactly why we have been using krampus as leverage here in the anderson household. such as.."fiona, krampus is watching" or "fiona, do we need to call krampus??!!" to which we are met with a bewildered "no".

to this day in parts of europe krampus day is a big deal and there are all kinds of krampus costume contests.

so anyway...be good and don't make me call the krampus! merry merry lovers!!

sometimes i put boogers in my pocket

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:07:00 +0000

and not fiona's either. her i make go get a tissue. i must teach her right from gross, right? my point of this is to say that i am all at once incessantly clean and lazy. no way in hell am i gonna throw that booger on the floor or wipe it under a table but i am also not going to get up from my cozy spot to grab a tissue, so in the pocket it goes. sort of for safe keeping until i pass the trash can or some toilet paper. but mostly it stays in the pocket until the washing machine can properly dispose of it. and that's just cuz i honestly forgot about it.

there's a crazy clean side of me that tends to emerge at this time of year, anticipating the big spring cleaning. it's not yet christmas but i feel the need to start taking inventory of what i am going to toss, donate and buy as well as the master plan for cleaning shit top to bottom. fuck you christmas..move on already!! in fact i feel like after christmas all cold weather should just go away. lets just get to the window-opening and bird chirping. i especially feel for you people in the northern climes. i mean farts!!! once that snow starts it just keeps dumping on you. sorry about that, really. at least here in the southeast the winter is relatively short. although in the south there's this evil indian giving thing with the weather...where one day it's 75 degrees and you are all psyched outside doing some much needed yardscaping and then bam! the next day it snows. i think this boils down to retarded weathermen. not global warming. srsly. does everyone out there have dumb as fuck weathermen like they do here in atlanta?

anyway, as i was thinking about all of this cleaning i came to the cleanclusion, you can't REAAALLY clean in a rental..the scary anal german housekeeper with thick rubber gloves that lives inside me wants to move the refrigerator away from the wall and clean under it, behind it and also remove the coils, filters and clean that shit out too. but the lazy renter that i am would rather stick toothpicks in my eyes than clean up after every renter that ever called this place home. so my thoughts turn to moving. when you rent this is not so big a deal. apart from packing shit up and the actual move sucking ass, it's not nearly as crazy as selling and buying and the headaches and heartaches that go with it. unless you're ally. she moves a lot. and i think she actually enjoys it. although i would too if my house buying budget were the same as hers. so that's where i'm at. cleaning like crazy in a house that's not mine or moving to a house that's not mine, cleaning it but not have to move shit around first. do we call that a double edged sword? or is that too dramatic? and this post really did just start as a way to tell you that i put boogers in my pocket, like a four leaf clover, a love letter or a cheap bowling alley vending machine trinket.

ladybug girl and her party

cleeclacker@gmail.com (my favorite and my best) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:26:00 +0000

so this picture was taken about 5 minutes ago...her friend ailey's mom made this adorable costume for fiona and it came with the book ladybug girl and bumblebee boy...needless to say it was probably her favorite present. sorry about the toilet and trash can...hoping Her Cuteness can detract from that bullshit. (*anthropologie morroccan towel in blue stripe picked up on sale for half the original price. note to readers...never ever buy full price at anthropologie..their shit goes on sale for tons less. )

this was my masterful artwork:

the pom poms. so easy. really, do it. it's simple as hell. in fact supermike made all but 2 of them.

my camera cast a blue glow to everything...if i knew jack about cameras i would have fixed it:

these were all taken with the video camera. so much better:

there were also pink and lavender balloons to match the pink and lavender roses:

looking through all the pics of the table it looked a little gloomy. the table cloth in hindsight was too dark and dreary...but it had squirrels on it!!!!! ultimately it just made the lavender cupcakes look blaaahhh...ah well..it wasn't as dreary in person:

i built a fort for the girls and then led them in a round of rudolph the rednosed reindeer:

after lots of chasing and tormenting nicolas it was time for dreary cupcakes and ice cream:

there was no time for makeup or hair:

but there was all kinds of little mermaid:

cast from left to right: bailey, phoebe, ailey, fiona, ridhi, and grace. sugar and spice and everything nice.