Sunday, July 7, 2013

I wonder what XXXX means...(modern goth bedroom furniture)

We had this bed and night tables custom made to fit our wants/needs.  As much I love victorian style furniture, I find that it looks tacky in a house that is not pompously oversized (even then, it tends to look pretentious).  For my own house, I prefer a more sleek, simple, and modern look.  This bed features carved out X's on the headboard and footboard.  We actually requested three X's, but somehow ended up with four, probably because of the bed size we ordered.  Did you know that there is a bed size in between queen and king?

We bought this bed with our honeymoon money, insisting that we would have our honeymoon at a later date.  As it turns out, when you're in love, every day, anywhere, is a honeymoon.  At least, that's what I tell myself to avert the attention away from my loathsome art of procrastination.






I wanted to keep the bedroom as simple as possible.  We have one black wall, three grey/blue walls (to create a relaxing atmosphere) and black heavy curtains to keep the room dark.  And what would a love den be without some tacky Ikea heart lights to set the mood?

Friday, July 5, 2013

Metropolitan (drink recipe)

I write this as I sip on a delicious dark drink that I just finished concocting.  I wanted to make a cosmopolitan, but decided to substitute the regular triple sec for Blue Curacao.  It ended up looking quite pretty, and equally delicious.  I also added extra lemon juice because I'm a sucker for sour things.  If you like sweet drinks, then you will most likely love this.

2 shots vodka
1 shot blue curacao (I used Bardinet)
1 shot of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 cup cranberry juice
lemon peel or slice for garnish

Mix vodka, curacao, lime juice and cranberry juice in a mixer.  Put desired amount of ice in a cocktail glass and pour in your wicked mix.  Enjoy!

It is a blackish drink with a charming purplish hue

 That's right, I buy vodka in jug-size ;)

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Beauty in Vinegar

I've recently become quite enamored with apple cider vinegar.  It literally smells like death (and tastes like hell), but works like some magical fairy dust, curing many ailments.  I may sound a bit like some 1800's peddler, selling my wunder-tincture out of the back of a horse-pulled wagon, but I swear on my un-dug grave, it really is a wunder-tincture.

I take about a tablespoon with a glass of cold water twice a day, and after a couple months, I now require a belt to keep my pants up.  It aids in digestion, and supposedly increases your metabolism and helps move lipids out of your intestines.  Here are some things that I can contest to that ACV works on...

~weightloss:  take a teaspoon of raw organic apple cider vinegar mixed with a glass of water 10-20 mins before each meal.  Most people say it works slowly.  Perhaps they are just impatient, but I've decreased pant sizes pretty rapidly, and I'm not even overweight.

~digestion:  ACV makes your stomach a very unpleasant place for candida and other nasties.  If taken regularly, it can help with chronic bloating and diarrhea, and generally just help you digest your food more easily.

~hair care:  mix about 1 teaspoon in a cup of water.  Shampoo your hair as usual, and follow with this rinse.  Leave it in for a couple minutes and rinse it out with luke warm water.  It seals the hair shaft and reduces product build-up, making your hair shiny, light, and very manageable.

~psoriasis/dandruff:  apply with the hair rinse above, or mix the vinegar 1:1 ratio with warm water and apply to psoriasis with a cotton ball before bed.

~skin care:  ever wonder how Scarlett Johansson has such flawless skin?  She uses apple cider vinegar on her face as a toner.  You can mix this 1:2 ratio and apply after washing your face.  I prefer to use cream afterward, but that is up to you.

It is important to get raw and unfiltered ACV because of the nutritional properties of the sediment at the bottom.  If you are like me, and live in a country where only filtered vinegar is available, you can easily order it online (I order from Vitacost, they ship to outside of the US).