Friday Link Party!

Good morning.

Did you drink too much red wine last night?

If so, I am sorry.  I don't have any idea what that's like.  I don't have the foggiest clue about making dinner with a friend, celebrating your awesome dinner-making skills with red wine, lots of red wine, falling asleep fully-dressed, then staring at your blog the next morning and suddenly forgetting how to type.  Nope!  Would just not know anything about that!

(Or, forgetting how to spell. God bless you and your helpful red underline, Blogger).

Thank goodness it's Friday, or more specifically Friday Link Party, where I point you in the direction of other worthy corners of the Internet.  Today I want to discuss four of my favorite Austin blogs, who have been keeping me in stitches / making me thinking / generally improving my quality of life all week long.

REPUBLIC OF AUSTIN

This is a cute post for Austinites and non-Austinites alike: "1500 Historical Postcards from the 1900's of Austin with water!"  I have a total thing for vintage postcards, and not only did this introduce me to a local archive of them -- AustinPostcard.com -- but Chris Apollo Lynn, Republic of Austin's editor, completely cracked me up with this post.  It's also kind of NUTS to see Austinites in Victorian garb hanging out at Barton Springs ... I guess it took a few years before it became legal to sunbathe topless there.

*Austin Gastronomist*
This food blog is just gorgeous.  I want it to be a radio show.  Or on TV.  Recipes.  Local food news.  Profiles.  Killer photography.  Anyway, the main reason I'm including it in Friday Link Party though is the feature blogger Kathryn Hutchison writes each week: "This Week's Meal Plan."  I've started following it, and getting ideas for my own weekly meals!  Ross (husband) is still the main chef here at Château Moseley-Carnes, but Kathryn has inspired me to look into organic vegetable delivery services here in town.  So much smarter / easier / tastier than schlepping it to the grocery store each week, non?

*Furnish123*
Confession.  I'm co-hosting a party at Furnish123's store here in town on August 30, so this is a teensy weeny plug I am pulling right now!  Are we ok with that?  Still friends?  You the Preppy to my Slater?

Maureen Stevens of Inspired Mrs. Stevens and I are co-hosting this party, and she wrote a super-cute post this week on her first piece of adult furniture.  If you are here in Austin, and enjoy winning free things, like furniture, stay tuned -- I'll have more to say about that next week.  But in the meantime, read Maureen's reflections on getting to the point in life where you say, "ok self.  It is time I buy one piece of furniture that did not come from Craigslist.  I'm going to get something nice and NEW for myself."  Because it's a milestone, non?

*Hipstercrite*
I read Hipstercrite daily, but I love, love Lauren Modery's heartfelt post from Wednesday: "I Need a Blog Mentor." God I can relate to this.  As can almost every blogger I know -- the feelings of inadequacy, the excitement of small blogging victories, the slow, step-by-step build-up of traffic and readership.

*Trophy Boutique*
Are you reading this adorable style blog yet?  I'm lucky enough to know blogger Laurel Kinney in real life, and she is as goofy, funny, and hip in person and she is on her blog.  I bookmarked her post "Summer Job Interview," for all of those work occasions when the outfit called for is cute-but-also-take-me-seriously.  I'm not the best at melding work and play in outfits, but Laurel is.

hope you enjoy those!  what quality posts have you come across this week?

Home is where the bird, I mean the heart, is: Q&A with Ingle Talk.

I'm telling you guys, Jessica Giesey (Bluelight Photography)'s photos are the gifts that keep on giving.

Ever since she came over here and did a shoot, the resulting post has piqued the interest of some home decor people!  Which is great because we are total decor amateurs over here!  The Statesman did a style story on the house, which was nice for Ross, because I vacuumed every single day leading up to the shoot.   And that's not out of character at all.

Now, sweet Maureen Stevens of Ingle Talk has done a little Q&A with me on the house!  She asked good questions too, like "Why are we both so obsessed with birds in decor?"  (I'm paraphrasing).   Because it's true, I can't stop putting birds all over the damn house.  Just like these people.

 

Click to enlarge, or better yet, go have a gander will ya? Maybe leave Maureen a comment for being so awesome! And congratulate her on just getting married ...

That's probably the best dance move of all time.

"Yes, everything is one."

Chris Apollo Lynn from Republic of Austin just sent over the most amazing video.

This is from a series of experimental LSD sessions performed in 1956.  The doctor you see in the video -- Dr. Sidney Cohen -- was dosing volunteers at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles, and the volunteer below is a California housewife.

Some of my favorite bits:

DOCTOR: What does this all mean to you?

HOUSEWIFE:  I've never seen such intimate beauty in my life.

And then, later:

HOUSEWIFE:  Can't you feel it?  Everything is so beautiful, and lovely, and alive.

The best moment of all, in my opinion, happens around moment 5:10, when she starts pointing at something, asking the doctor to look. "Do you see it?" When he admits he can't, she simply shakes her head (knowingly?) and responds, 

"If you can't see it, then you'll just never know it. I feel sorry for you."

At the end, when Dr. Cohen is interviewing philosopher Gerald Heard -- a contemporary of Aldous Huxley -- Heard says something I hear in Buddhism over and over again.

"Suddenly you notice that there aren't these separations. That we're not on a separate island shouting across to somebody else and trying to hear what they're saying and misunderstanding ... we're part of a single continent."

Click here for original post.

Click here for link to Don Lattin's book, The Harvard Psychedelic Club.  (Which suddenly became the very next selection on my reading list).

Those three little words you long to hear: THE BLEET-UP

Attention bloggers, blog readers, and individuals who spend any length of time whatsoever behind a computer screen:

Do you suffer from mouse-clicking-induced finger soreness?  Do you feel frequent urges to walk away from your computer? Do you long to stop LOLing, and actually laugh out loud, with your fellow humans?

If so, you may be a candidate for a safe and proven treatment called The Bleet-Up.  The Bleet-Up is the natural way to boost real-life social interactions, and increase feelings of joy and connection.

Note: The Bleet-Up is to be administered with delicious food samples. The interaction of The Bleet-Up with alcohol enhances its side effects, namely: Partying, hugging, and potential photo-taking. 

Some individuals may not be suitable for The Bleet-Up. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about partying and/or hugging. The Bleet-Up is available to adults of all ages, and studies have shown that participants in medical trials of The Bleet-Up have felt happier, more confident, and more excited about life following treatment.

THE BLEET-UP

A meet-up for Austin bloggers, blog readers, and everyone in between

Presented by Austin Eavesdropper and Ultra8201

Friday, December 3 

7:00pm

Rooftop terrace of Whole Foods Downtown

With live music provided by:

uLOVEi

Motel Aviv

The Lennings

Politics

23 Positions (Prince cover band)

 *  *  * 

Drink local beer, and taste samples by:

Green Cart

Kohana Coffee

Buddha's Brew Kombucha Tea

Mary Louise Butters Brownies

*  *  * 

Go holiday shopping at our rad boutique pop-up shops:

Magnolia Family Vintage

Rene Geneva Designs

Wonder Craft

*  *  *

Commemorate the best night of your life with a photo booth by:

Cory Ryan

Make Christmas tree ornaments with The Wonder Craft,  and get seeds for your garden from Yard Farm Austin

For the first time ever, witness the Austin Blogger Awards, presented by...

Republic Of Austin

Go ice skating on the roof of Whole Foods on their freaking ice skating rink!

 

Proceeds benefiting...

Art From the Streets, providing twice-weekly art classes for homeless people, and an annual art show where they can sell their work.

Stay connected with Austin bloggers, and get more Bleet-Up announcements at our brand new

¡¡ facebook page !!

CAN YOU GUYS TELL I'M EXCITED?  Because I'm very excited!!

Richard and I have been planning this one, Bleet-Up #4, for a little while now.  If you've never been to a Bleet-Up before, and are confused as to what I'm talking about, just click here.

"Bleet-up" stands for "blogger" + "meet-up," and we throw these parties twice a year.  The Summer one is small, the Fall one, which we are obviously promo-ing right now, is MUY GRANDE.

It's an opportunity for any blogger, blog reader, publicist who would like to know more bloggers, musicians who would like to meet music bloggers, restaurant/food cart operator who would like to meet food bloggers, designers who would like to meet fashion bloggers, or just plain people who like to par-tay to come hang out!

We are doing so much this year that I am pumped about. Chris Apollo of the famed Republic of Austin has teamed up with us to host the first-ever Austin Blogger Awards, with winners honored at The Bleet-Up.  Whole Foods, which is totally wheelchair accessible (kinda super important to me), has been so awesome in providing their gorgeous rooftop terrace.  Our triumphant party at Mohawk last year was exciting enough, but the fact that we will have an ICE SKATING RINK THIS YEAR?  Are you kidding me?! 

So, you know what this means.  Until we launch the RSVP site in a few weeks, mark your calendars!  Please tell your friends, and "like" us on Facebook!  Please feel free to check back here or Ultra8201 for updates, as Richard and I will certainly have some later this month.

Speaking of which. I'd just like to publicly express my admiration of Richard, and my delight about having him as a co-planner. I told him last night that he was my Fairy Godfather, which is kind of like having magic, plus the Mafia, combined.  And I think you and I both know how serious that is.

       

Love in the time of networking.

This was that last picture I took at #BATTH, i.e., the Big Ass Twitter Happy Hour held once a month here in Austin.

Do you recognize this handsome man? It is Chris Apollo Lynn, of the award-winning Republic of Austin blog!  Damn Chris. You so fly.

(And I am, very clearly, white.)

Anyway, tonight I am going to #BATTH.  I tend to treat these things like a National Geographic photographer, watching excellent networkers in their natural environment. Oh, I'm an OK conversationalist. But networking?  Eh.

Some people are networking naturals, like my boss Marika, or my friend Kelly. A popular Twitter personality and blogger, Kelly is years younger than me, but the kind of networker I only hope I can be someday. She asks intelligent questions, she is ridiculously informed about social media, she can talk about her interests and involvements without domineering the conversation. It is a gift, and an especially valuable one in a city that treats its social media users so respectfully. I really love that about Austin. That people take bloggers / Twitter users seriously, and treat us as for-real information sources.

Where was I?  Oh yeah. I am a shy networker. Are you guys?

I tend to corner Peter Tsai at #BATTH events and be like, "HELLO. TALKING GOOD. YOUR DAY, HOW WAS IT."  We go on like that for a few minutes, Peter graciously humors me and laughs at my weird cavewoman remarks, and then I feel socially lubricated enough to go forth and talk to more people.

But tonight, I won't abuse Peter's attention span. Tonight, I'm bringing real business cards. Tonight, I am looking forward to meeting more Austin Twitter users, because frankly, it's a neat group of people that I want to get to know. Everyone is so jazzed and excited by social media, and that, in turn, energizes me.

One more thing. Are you wondering about the "Crushworthy" sign Chris and I are holding? That was an idea we had for a "show," where we both interview (like, together, two-on-one) someone in Austin that we have a "crush" on.  For me, that would definitely be James at Hancock Center H-E-B, who is only the loudest, proudest, most cheerful sample giver EVER.  I am going to post about James someday so you can all know about this man.  In fact, you already do, if you've ever been there on a Saturday and heard,

"MY GOO'NESS!  ISS A HOT ONE TODAY!  GOOD THANG WE GOT WATAHMELON HALF OFF!  WITH RANCH FO YO SALAD!  AND, AW NAW, WAD ELSE?  SHAKE N' BAKE, Y'ALL!  SHAKE!  N'!  BAKE!  BUY ONE GIT ONE FREE Y'ALL!"

I love James. I am, in love, with James.

Chris may have had other folks in mind to interview for Crushworthy, but sorry, James is my first choice. I can't wait.

Who would you like to see interviewed for Crushworthy, if we ever seriously made that a little show? (By which I mean, YouTube vids embeddeded on our respective blogs).

In other words, who in Austin do you have a crush on?

ATTENTION DESIGN NERDS: Tonight, Apartment Therapy Meet-Up.

It's true, I'm a little obsessed with interior design.

Not that I am an expert at it. I simply make an effort, wherever I have lived, and always on a tiny budget. Which makes you get pretty inventive, and at times, reckless.  I have so many paint-stained articles of clothing that I still insist on wearing, including an ugly, brown, workout top that has bright orange stains on it. Stains on the BOOBS.

Ross shakes his head in shame whenever I walk out of the house with it on.

Also, I have a mental list of design sites that I frequent. Like Design Crisis (run by two Austin girls!), Desire to Inspire, and - of course - Apartment Therapy. They are my version of internet porn.

Tonight, Apartment Therapy is hosting a meet-up at House + Earth on W. 6th St. for design nerds like us, organized by my friend, Apartment Therapy writer, and lovely fellow blogger, Adrienne Breaux.

apartment therapy august meet-up

6:30pm - 8:00pm

1214 W. 6th, Ste. 120

special space tour

free wine

raffle of house + earth eco-friendly cleaning products

Attendees are encouraged to bring an old design book (I've got plenty) to trade with someone else, and, House + Earth (a new local business, selling eco-friendly home decor products) will be taking us through a tour of their space. According to Adrienne, they've got a floor made of old wine barrels! 

See the Facebook event page here.

I'm so excited! Especially because I think these meet-ups are monthly. I will definitely be there, old design book in-hand.

*Images graciously provided by Design Crisis and Apartment Therapy.

TOMORROW: Cupcake Smackdown 2.0!

So I'm a little fuzzy-headed today, but for all the right reasons.

Last night, Ross and I had dinner with two amazing friends, who made enormous, juicy hamburgers for us. If I had been thinking, I would have whipped out my camera and taken a picture ... but I was so overwhelmed by flavorful meat, it was difficult to concentrate.

Also? I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm a snobby little sorority girl when it comes to beer.  Which is sad, because I want to like beer.  I WANT to have a beer with hamburgers. I WANT to clink bottles with Ross, like a cool, laid-back wife would do. I WANT to hang, but I can't, because my taste buds recoil in horror when they come into contact with the stuff.

However. Last night, our friends introduced me to a chocolate, cacao nibs, coffee-like beer. I think the name was "Yeti." And while I didn't love it, I didn't spit it out, either. Progress.

Anyway, I'm thinking about the beer this morning because I'm thinking about Jennie Chen, Misohungry blogger, and host of tomorrow's hugely anticipated Cupcake Smackdown 2.0.

Do you all know Jennie? She's like an industrious, brilliant, force of nature. She researches. She trains dogs. She makes cupcakes with liquor inside of them! Which is how I came to sample my very first chocolate/bacon/beer cupcake, one she brought to the very first Bleet-Up, over a year ago. And people, that cupcake BLEW MY MIND.

Tomorrow, her annual Cupcake Smackdown will take place at 11:00-3:00, at both The Westin (11301 Domain Drive) and Le Cordon Bleu, across the street.

The event is free, and there will be about a million cupcakes for you to sample and savor, including ones by The Cupcake Bar and Sugar Mama's (mmm), as well as a cupcake piñata and a Guinness World Record contest for Most Jaffa Cakes Eaten in One Minute.

But the most exciting part (to me)? A cupcake CANNON!

How great is that?

see you tomorrow!

I have the most amazing friends ever, plus, when do you create a Facebook page?

So yesterday, as a joke, I posted on Facebook probably the best photo of me ever taken.

I don't know why I got rid of this look.

Anyway, I'm going about my day today, blah blah errands work etc., then come home later this evening to discover this ... also on Facebook. (PS, my name is Tolly).

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are ever in the Sacramento, California area, please stop by the offices of this magazine and shake the hand of their art director, Jason, who created the above "cassingle."  Jason is my old work buddy, but more importantly, he is the reason I currently cannot breathe because laughter is making my esophagus convulse and hurt.

Also?  HOW COOL IS THIS. Andrea, a pal of mine and a reader of Austin Eavesdropper, nominated this blog for an award today!


Isn't this cute? I was having one of those "my blog sucks" days, and this made it all better.

I'm going to go post it in the margin so people can vote if they want to, along with a couple of other things I'm putting in the margin. I've really been neglecting the margin lately.

Finally, can I ask you guys a question? I go back and forth all the time about creating a page for this blog on Facebook, à la Republic of Austin. In some ways, I think: "yeah, totally! Facebook page. People can submit Austin-y post ideas and it'll be all interactive and shit." And then in other ways, I think: "meh ... it'll be just one more thing cluttering people's already messy Facebook feeds ... I don't want to be an ass ..."

What do you guys think? Would a Facebook page for Austin Eavesdropper be helpful to you?

Austin Bleet-Up: Blogger Smorgasbord!

I'm not gonna lie, people. This Bleet-Up photo booth got a little out of control.

Maybe because we were all so deliriously happy it didn't rain.

Maybe because Jennie Chen (from MisoHungry) brought a puppy!

Or, maybe, because our props included a coconut bra, Bon Jovi wig, and fake chest hair.

All of which bring out a different side in people!

which austin bloggers do you spot?

Pause. This is the crew from Kohana Coffee, who came and sampled their delicious Cold Brew at the Bleet-Up!

Event planner people, I'd like to strongly recommend this group for your next party.

Our folks were crazy about their coffee, and on top of that, Piper Jo - second from left, one of the co-founders of Kohana - is just really cool. When I got to Four Seasons, visibly flustered because I was 99% sure it was going to rain, she hugged me and said, "so what if it does? We'll party inside!"

It was exactly what I needed to hear.

By a singular miracle, it did not rain! But all the same, I really want to thank Four Seasons for graciously agreeing to do the whole event outdoors, even though the sky was threatening to open up and pour on us. The staff went out on a limb to accommodate our group, and speaking of the staff, they're extra fun to hang out with!

Heh. Here's a server I grabbed to take a picture with me. We're holding appetizer sausages.

More madness:

Flicktress Cory Ryan is a little bit magical, non?

Cory has the ability to make all of her subjects look so warm, energetic, and vibrant. I joke with her that since she was my wedding photographer (three years ago), she doesn't have a choice - she's stuck with me for LIFE! I don't plan parties that often, but when I do, she's my go-to gal for photo booths.

More glorious Bleet-Up pics here.

And finally, thank you to everyone who came to the Bleet-Up! It's a crime how much fun I have doing this.

Thank you, Candace Carlisle, for getting there early and calming me down. Thank you badass goodie bag sponsors, Snap Kitchen, TRIO, Austin Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, and more. Thank you weather, thank you glass(es) of wine, and most of all, thank you bloggers  for helping make our city the radass place it is.

You all are too fun!

RSVP's now open: The Bleet-Up!

Remember our secret last week, about the Bleet-Up?

Well, SECRET'S OUT. Our fancy blogger party happens next Thursday, July 22, at 6:00pm at TRIO, Four Seasons (98 San Jacinto Blvd). Here's what you can look forward to, bloggers and blog-readers!

*Happy hour wines-by-the-glass.

*FREE passed appetizers until they run out: Pintade Sausage, Steak Fries, Tuna Tartare, Sliders, Shrimp and Corn Fritters, Salmon Belly. (Salmon belly! Teehee). 

*Goodie bags for first 50 arrivals. (With a little spa treat from Four Seasons ...)

*Complimentary valet. 

*Photo booth by the undeniably fabulous Cory Ryan.

*Enlightening conversation with Austin's finest bloggers.

*A book exchange. Yes, I am an incredible nerd. I love to read! So bring a book that you would like to pass onto another, for an informal book exchange. Can be anything you want, I've got the Dalai Lama, food politic manifestos, Jane Austen, trashy hot pink books. I'm bringing them all.

rsvp here.

I've got a secret.

And my secret is this: I wear a retainer each night when I sleep!

Aren't you happy you know that?

Anyway... my real secret is this:

the BLEET-UP is in two weeks!! 

I was going to wait until the poster art was finished, but I'm so excited I can't hold it in any longer.

See, I have to admit something to you all. (This post is very confessional, non?)

Ever since the last Bleet-Up, I have steadily become less tech-addicted.

I am an average Tweeter. I don't have Twitter lists or anything. I'm a little too lazy to create a Facebook page for this blog. I've been going through this phase, or personal paradigm shift, or something, where I'm all about setting boundaries to my social media usage. Is that not strange, for a blogger to fear these tools? (Even texting! I'm considering disabling my phone's text messaging capabilities, just to see what it's like. Teach myself how to talk on the phone again.)

But leading up to that, things were different. For most of last year, I was all, TWITTER! Gimme!!

I - like many of you - jumped in, and in the process, discovered some awesome local blogs. Which I gobbled up by the handful.

So when we had the first Bleet-Up, I realized that my MOST favorite part about social media was meeting fellow bloggers in real life! Even more than stalking them online. During that first one, I met Seth Mazow, Year of the Pizza blogger. I met the man who ran that delightfully bizarre horror blog, the girl who turns beer and chocolate into cupcakes, and the woman who writes one of my favorite politics blogs, a blog I never had the guts to leave a comment on. (I still haven't. And I still love your blog, Betsy).

I got to talk to all of these people whose sites I read constantly, and that to me was a treat.

Some of you are really good at translating your social media connections into real-life connections. Me? I am so-so. The more time I spend with social media, the more I just end up feeling like I am better friends with my computer. But the Bleet-Up helps me meet you guys face-to-face, and you all are so funny / quirky / obsessive about very specific things! Like ME!

Last year, my friend/role model Rose Reyes said: "I've been to a lot of parties before, but the people here were so interesting. I just wanted to listen to everyone, for hours."

That's exactly how I feel. Bloggers are a special breed, because we ruminate over personal passions in a public forum. Sometimes, we wade around in our blogs for a long time before we figure just what exactly our passion IS. This trial-and-error process requires a lot of mental mining, which is why I typically find bloggers to be quite good conversationalists. We have a lot to say.

SO! Soapbox over, here are the details about our party:

the bleet-up

thursday, july 22

6:00-8:00pm

trio / four seasons

selected appetizers

happy hour wines by the glass

goodie bags for first 50 arrivals

Also, after that big long emotional post, would you believe what I have to tell you next? It's LIMIT 150 PEOPLE! NO! But yes. 150 is Trio's limit and we are respecting that, because they are wonderful in every way to us.

So know that you MUST RSVP to attend, and as soon as the RSVP site it up, I will post a link to it. I also have a couple other fun party details that I'll tell you about soon.

Note also that this is one of two Bleet-Up's that happen each year, and this summertime one is very much bloggers-among-bloggers. Low-key. The second one, the BIG one, happens right before Fun Fun Fun Fest, in November, with bands / drinks / food / ridiculousness / etc.

Because this blogger love-fest ain't a one-time deal, y'all.

PS: If you are new to this blog and have been wondering, "excuse me, what is a 'Bleet-Up?'" Here is the etymology:
Bloggers + meet-up = Bleet-Up
Click on the Austin Bleet-Up tag below to see our history.

Fourth of July in Austin: Eat, Play, Love.

Hey 'mericans!

What are y'all doing for the 4th of July?

This little lady is headed to a lake house. Remember how Ross is gone? His parents, my sweet-in-laws, and I are doing the 4th together, complete with burgers, boating, and babies. (Alliteration non-intentional ... but I'm rather pleased with it).

Here is one of the babies! We have twin nephews on Ross's side, and last time we got together with them, Ross tried to teach them how to play ukulele. As indicated by the instrument being pointed to.

Way too much adorableness!

Anyway, if you're an Austinite, and are sticking around town, here are three ideas I had for local 4th of July fun. Enjoy!

eat:

The Final BUNtier: 4th Annual Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest

What red-blooded Austinite doesn't have a weakness for texturized soy protein? I sure do!

In all honesty, I've wanted to go to this event every year, but I'm always out of town. Someone go, and take pictures?

play:

Everyone needs a place to watch fireworks on the 4th. And you are no exception.

Beginning at 4:00pm on Sunday, the 4th of July Celebration at Seaholm Power Plant is dishing out beer, barbeque, TexMex, and music. But most importantly, killer fireworks viewing.

Entry is free, but the food/libations are for-purchase. You can also bring a donation to benefit the cause, Anthropos Arts, which brings professional musicians into local Title I, low-income middle and high schools (primarily East Austin) to offer free music lessons, workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities to economically disadvantaged youth. That almost made me tear up just typing that.

rsvp here, where you can also find parking info.

love:

Are you cooking and/or grilling for friends? For recipe ideas, please check out my new local blog crush, The First Kitchen.

So, every once in a while, I stumble upon a blog that I frankly geek out over. This time, it's The First Kitchen. And it's written by Natalie, a college student at UT.

Now, many food blogs feature good recipes. Ditto with photography. But The First Kitchen is written by a girl cooking for herself for the first time, which feels like my experience in the kitchen, every time. Also, call me nuts, since I don't know her in real life, but Natalie seems like the type of girl I'd like to hang out with! Her posts are so funny and cute. Observe:

"The First Kitchen is more than a blog. It’s a learning process. It’s you watching me learning how to feed myself. And this week in Natalie’s learning curve: buying too much of one product and then eating nothing but said product for the entire week."

Well this is somebody I can relate to. I am constantly learning how to feed myself, with varying degrees of success, and even more unpredictable levels of culinary inspiration. Isn't it funny how some weeks, you're all, "YAY Farmer's Market! Fresh fruit smoothies and hand-tossed salads, ahoy!" And then the next week, it's back to instant oatmeal? 

Anyway, I am greatly looking forward to learning cooking techniques along with Natalie, and I hope you guys find her food blog as delightful as I do. Her roasted tomatoes in particular look like the perfect complement to your freshly-grilled burger.

happy 4th of july weekend, friends!