Squirrel Print Clothing - What?!

Apparently squirrels were a print trend this Fall...in the UK. I thought only Alpha Gam's were keen on squirrels, so this blew my mind and I felt a need to share a round-up of the items I found. 

The NW3 dress and the Dorothy Perkins shirt are my favorites, though I'm still not sold on wearing squirrels on my everyday attire. My squirrel charm on a chain works nicely for when I want to wear this woodland creature!

In case you want to indulge in any of these items or see them from different angles you can click through the pictures to the websites.

YMC Silk Squirrel Dress, $375 at Urban Outfitters

Pink Squirrels All Over Animal Print Socks, $8 or 3/$20 at Urban Outfitters 

(Strangely enough these hot pink squirrel socks are for men.)

NW3 Woodlands Dress, $218.22 at Hobbs NW3 

(They also have a maxi skirt and tie-neck blouse.)

Jersey T-shirt, $70 at Eley Kishimoto

Squirrel Print Tee, $38 (Sold Out) at Dorothy Perkins

Camilla Norrback Dorothy Squirrel Print Blouse, $118.17 (Sale Price...Sold Out)

Its Fun to Squirrel Around Dress, $38 at Aristocracie (Clever name, right?)

$19.95 at Hey Cupcake 

(They also have an apron, a onesie, etc... I surprised Amanda with the t-shirt for her birthday!)

T-shirt, $14 one day, $19 the next, so ?? but hilarious!

Guys... Lest you feel left out here is one for you too and what a deal at that price. ;)

Common Sons Squirrel Cardigan, $172.71

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.   

Britney Spears Volunteers Airbrushed Photos. I still <3 Britney; this is a cool move.  

Had Kevin.Murphy's Color.Bug Hair Shadow been available when I was in high school, I and my Mom would have been much happier. It gives the satisfaction of a crazy color without the commitment of Manic Panic or markers.

Want to lose weight? Shut your mouth by Jacque Wilson at CNN provides a perspective contrary to the norm. "To reach an identity goal, you need indicators of your accomplishments. ... Gollwitzer's studies found that when you tell people what you intend to do, and that intention is acknowledged, the recognition qualifies as an indicator of accomplishment. 'The danger is that you feel that you have already reached the goal and because of that you don't have to act on it any more,' Gollwitzer says."

Andrew Schneider's Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey: Ultra-filtering Removes Pollen, Hides Honey Origins was interesting. NPR's reply reassures that "Supermarket honey doesn't have pollen, but you can still call it honey. Call it filtered honey." It is always good to get several perspectives on a story.

Finally! An explanation for why I forget things when I transition between rooms... 

Recipes Bookmarked
Cider-Brined Turkey with Star Anise and Cinnamon via Tartlette
Mint-Flavored Sugar at Pretty, Tasty Things (I had this last Saturday at Sheila's shower and was blown away. True story.)
Portuguese Cheese Puffs (Pao de Queijo) at the New York Times

 One Golden Tree Remains, November 2011, Mechanicsville, Virginia

The Sound of Winter

Today I Am...

Thinking
Happily
About
Needs Being Met
Kindnesses
Family & Friends
Understanding and
Lots of other little things that make me smile.*

Our feast is Sunday. I am making pumpkin pudding, chocolate pie and Alejandra at Always Order Dessert's Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprouts Hash. We also will be enjoying this unbelievably large sweet potato that I am tempted to give eyes. It is, of course, from Red Dog Farm whose bountiful harvest has been generously shared with me this year.

I hope you are enjoying the celebration of Thanksgiving today too...or if you are elsewhere I hope you are enjoying your Thursday.

*I'm also thinking about Organic Chemistry. In the spirit of Thanksgiving I have even found things to be grateful about it: having the opportunity to take it without getting into debt or dealing simultaneously with a crazy schedule, having an encouraging professor and having access to a tutor one hour a week for free, SI sessions and TA sessions.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.   
 
The Atlantic's highlights from the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011 are serious eye candy. My favorites are 14, 35, 36 (those feathers look like sequins!) and 39.

"Our children are suffering from a lack of any fruits or vegetables whatsoever. Canned, frozen, dried, juiced—anything would help. Here's a simple dictum for public health, endorsed by nutritionists across the land: All forms of fruits and vegetables matter." Not So Fresh: Does Michelle Obama's war on obesity give short shrift to canned and frozen produce? I'm learning this lesson, again, right now.

A recap of David Chang of Momofuku's Science & Cooking Public Lecture at Harvard... “It’s like a spice rack, if you collide micro-organisms with food – it makes the food delicious.” The lecture series has covered some fascinating topics and past lectures can be watched online. I'll be checking some of them out over the holiday break. 

My Slow Prose Manifesto by Karen J. Ohlson sounds exactly like me in the kitchen (and perhaps elsewhere). "When I ask myself why I do things slowly, my stock answer is: I’m not choosing to be slow; it’s the only way I know how to be. But if I’m honest, I know it’s the only way I can feel satisfied."

DIY Glittered Flatware at Oh Happy Day because sparkly things are pretty and for this tip "The secret to this whole project is the glitter paint. Unlike regular glitter the glitter paint doesn’t get glitter everywhere and when dry the glitter doesn’t come off on your fingers! Really!!"

Recipes Bookmarked
Green Beans with Dates, Oranges and Hazelnuts at Deliciously Organic
Homemade Chicken Stock at Deliciously Organic (of interest is the concept of simmering it for 24 hours)
4-Ingredient Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt at Babble
Frozen Coconut Yogurt with Cinnamon via VitalJuice
Homesick Texan Carnitas at Smitten Kitchen
Porchetta at Home at Amateur Gourmet
Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce at Simply Recipes

Mosaic Tile at The Little Chapel in the Woods, Denton, TX, October 2011

Cough Syrup

Green Tea, Tofu, and Noodle Soup

Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook using tea with recipes from Tea Cookbook by Tonia George and The New Tea Book by Sara Perry.

We could choose our own savory,  tea-based recipe or make Beef Braised in Rooibos Tea with Sweet Potatoes, Chinese Tea Eggs and Green Tea, Tofu, and Noodle Soup. As I constantly feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland right now I was thrilled that the Green Tea, Tofu, and Noodle Soup required only 30-minutes and I chose it so I could complete my first challenge in months.

I followed the provided recipe using local napa cabbage for the greens, substituting soba noodles for the egg noodles and adding cilantro for visual flair (and flavor) at the end. The broth was very delicate, too much so for my taste. I ended up adding lime juice, s'rircha and additional soy sauce and sesame oil to amp up the flavor yet still felt like something was missing. Perhaps the soba noodles were too much for the broth? Either way I don't plan to revisit the recipe.

That said based on the descriptors used by my fellow Daring Cooks - luscious, refreshing and delicious - I will be looking further into cooking with tea. Especially as tea is a great way to add flavor without calories or a lot of cost. View the recipes and Sarah's other ideas for cooking with tea here and check out those tasty sounding results here.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.  

I can relate to this sentiment 100% - It’s Always Market Day Somewhere. Plus the photos are amazing. (via David Lebovitz)

With the holiday baking season coming, Whole Foods' Guide to Natural Sweetners might come in handy! Then again maybe we should all just avoid sugar since it is like a drug...as is fat.*sigh*

The story behind from From Me To You's cinemagraphs. (via 101 Cookbooks)

Tom's Ballet Flats look cute! Hopefully I will remember them come spring. (via Amy on Pinterest)

Recipes Bookmarked
Butternutscotch Pudding at Pinch My Salt (if only for the name)
Pan Seared Salmon Over Fettuccine Noodles with Skinny Alfredo Sauce at Self
Quinoa con Queso at Simply Recipes

Dallas, TX State Fair's Ferris Wheel, October, 2011

Don't Stop Believin' (Album Version)