Goodnite Irene

July 29, 2014

california (1 of 1).jpg

as if my love for all things california couldn’t get more visceral, yesterday my EUREKA! state showered me with the sweetest summer storm.

nothing to get an umbrella out for, but just enough of mother earth’s sprinkle and humidity to get the tongues wagging about hair frizz and a futile, sunday morning car wash.

the weather was begging me to wear my new billabong pullover hoodie, a french terry knit, with a vintage rope draw-cord, and califorina flag print.

it’s the perfect layer for nights at the beach, and will be great when the weather really starts to cool down.

and in keeping with my ode to california, this tupac/jason derulo mash up will be making an appearance this week in spin class for my peeps who “know how to partay!”

california love to you!

July 28, 2014

ch (1 of 1)

lately it’s been the romancing of the cherry around these parts.

suckered in by a farmers’ market sample, i practically bought the stand out of these sweet and sour candies.

most afternoons you can find me at my desk with a bowlful of these summer, baby stone fruits.

of the many benefits cherries offer, one of my favorites is their natural melatonin supply; a hormone that lowers body temperature and makes us sleepy.

i’m not quite sure if it IS the cherries, but our sleep has been very sound {apparently it rained last night.}

as it gets warmer, even during the evening, we try not to go too heavy on our dinner; a cheese plate teeming with cherries has been the go-to meal of late.

oh my gosh!?!? a cherry/goat cheese/honey drizzle is probably the best combo-bite in town right now.

cherries (1 of 1)-2

cherries are also rich in queritrin, an anti-oxidant that not only boosts exercise endurance, but has anti-cancer benefits as well.

some people have reported a decrease in their migraines due to cherries’ anthocyanin and bioflavonoids properties; these compounds mimic aspirin and ibuprofen in the body.

while i {and priscilla} can’t think of anything better than eating them straight off the stem, finger-food style, cherries always make a splash in summer recipes.

i would definitely help myself to seconds {and maybe thirds} of this fresh cherry cobbler.

this cherry salsa, served over grilled fish or bruschetta, is screaming to be served at your next bbq.

and to keep everyone on the dance floor, these cherry mojitos are just as vital to your summer block party as your playlist.

what are your favorite ways to eat cherries?

pitting the cherries is as easy as downing that mojito; the gadgets they have make it super simple.

my oxo pitter does a fine job, but how fantastic is this cherry pitter from william sonoma ↑?

hurry up, cherry season is almost over and we’ll soon have to break-up until next summer {cue sad lana del rey music.}

monday happy to you m’loves.

the fountain of youth in a blue bottle…

July 22, 2014

laurie (1 of 1)

oh happy day my beloved readers!

today’s post could be your winning lotto ticket in the battle against fine lines, discoloration, and slack skin.

we have laurie herman to thank.

laurie herman and her all-natural, AFFORDABLE, effective, skincare fell into my lap last month when ms. herman got in touch after reading about my love of fitness and healthy living.

thinking our obsession for all things ‘mother earth‘ could collaborate, and hearing about my affinity for skincare, sometimes at the behest of my pocketbook, laurie wanted my opinion on her products.

no strings attached, no promises to find the nearest mountain-top whereupon i sing her praises; i agreed to use laurie’s serum, toner, body moisturizer and facial wash.

the first product i tried was the pacific facial wash.

unlike any face cleanser i’ve ever used before, this product comes out in a dry, grainy, powder.

it’s best to wet your face first, and THEN pour out a little bit of product into your hands, mix into a velvet scrub, and then apply to face.

each time i use this wash i am instantly surprised at the difference in texture and softness in my skin.

it’s a bizarre grand finale of squeaky clean and satin-pillow soft.

most skincare lines use heavy fragrances to make their products more pleasing; these perfumes, many of them phthalates are actually very toxic, and have been linked to hormone disruption. using only essential oils, laurie’s products are completely fragrance-free; therefore sometimes the scents truly are NATURAL. the face wash has a strong kelp scent.

i actually like the fact that i can smell the ingredients {even if it is a bit oceany} of this product.

next was the neroli water hyrdating toner.

typically i’m not a big believer in toners. i think they’re kind of a waste of time; like first marriages or foreplay, just let me wear my vera wang dress and buy me my breakfast in the morning.

but as i get older {less hydrated} i’m noticing the importance of toners and their hydrating properties.

this neroli water hydrating toner, designed to tighten and firm, gives a nice boost, post wash.

last but not least is the face serum firm it.

this is a game-changer.

using the neroli firm it serum all the way up to my eyeballs and down to my chest, i noticed an immediate difference–i’m talking “let’s make an infomercial” results here.

it’s like my skin gets a juice-cleanse and barre class every night.

toned, lifted, full of vigor, and more vivacious; my face drinks this serum up like a sad, wilted, dehydrated, desert animal.

i could give you my opinion, but i think the opinion of my friends and husband are more convincing.

hunkiest, a man who typically wouldn’t notice if my hair was on fire, let alone when i cut it 6 inches shorter, has been a factory farm of compliments; churning them out like well-packaged, precise hamburger patties of kindness on how pretty my skin looks; he even missed a crucial left turn opportunity on 17th street one saturday afternoon he was so ~~confused by~~ focused on my new complexion; we’re still in the center divider, by the way, waiting to make that left turn.–i’m typing from the car.

and a couple of weeks ago, in the harsh morning, non-instagram filetered light, my friend alexei, who at 8 months pregnant doesn’t have time to stroke my already texas-sized ego, told me:

“you’re skin looks amazing, what are you doing different?“

i was all:

you, like?

but then her husband marc, excited to also notice my new, dewy skin, tried to play with the big girls in the compliment game, by adding:

“yeah..i was like…is THAT????………that’s not katie is it?????”

um, thank you? i guess.

a compliment, even served wrapped up in a tortilla of insult, is still worth gobbling down.

thank you laurie herman for turning this ~~troll~~ katie into something safe for public consumption.

now it’s your turn to fool your friends.

even if you think your skin is flawless and you’ve been dunked in a vat of perfect, i still implore you to try laurie’s products.

she has a 100% satisfaction guarantee good for 365 days {that’s one year for you english majors} and she’ll even pay your shipping.

laurie has graciously offered a limited time 20% discount and free shipping on all of her products to my readers; thank you so much laurie.

when checking out use the coupon code: xokatie

this will be valid until august 8th.

laurie and i both like to keep you informed on the latest and greatest in health so make sure you stay connected with us for more offers and deals.

find laurie on facebook, twitter, instagram + pinterest.

and you know i love it when you like/follow me/tweet/pin with me …i always follow back…

here’s to happy, shiny, all-natural skin m’loves.

let’s get baked!

July 21, 2014

puppy (1 of 1)

a monday happy to you m’loves.

despite my damnedest to choke back the reins on a runaway, speeding summer, summer still barrels ahead at a breakneck pace.

this weekend was no exception.

my self-esteem got off to a proper, humiliating start on friday afternoon courtesy of the blow dry bar, where i had hoped to get an upper hand on my hair for my saturday photo shoot with samantha jacoby–which as the day neared i was 1000% regretting knowing i was nowhere near the level of subject she typically shoots.

going through the obligatory script, the hair stylist asked me if i had any “big plans” for the weekend. i replied that i had a photo shoot on saturday, and thus was getting my hair done for it; whereby she stopped my shitty head massage, peered down at my figure and face with autopsy focus, and said {I. SWEAR. TO. GOD.}:

“oh. so you’re a photographer?”

i laughed so hard i concussed my head on the shampoo bowl.

serves me right for being such a lazy bitch, and not washing my own hair.

ego decimation aside, samantha was a blast.

i don’t care if i end up looking like an old cow in the photos, i made a new girlfriend which is the bigger win.

with my self-regard in the toilet, compliments of a round-brush wielding witch, the only way to clinically feel better about myself was to get immediate access to sugar and butter.

cuttingboard (1 of 1)

although the plan was try this nectarine concoction; i got all fraidy cat and instead went with an old standby i’ve been making since college that has never disappointed me; kind of like cashmere, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and amy adams, this plum cobbler does not let me down.

plums (1 of 1)

truly a summer dessert, my red plum crunch relies on the sourness of summer {red} plums to give it a very tart contrast to the sweet of a traditional cobbler.

cassis (1 of 1)

i’m pretty sure this is the same bottle of créme de cassis i used in college.

you cannot taste the alcohol; i hate desserts that taste like liquor.

i don’t even like my cocktails and wine to taste like booze.

the créme de cassis gives the dish a rich, almost smokiness that plays so well with vanilla ice cream.

oatmeal (1 of 1)

if you ask me though the “crumble” is really the upshot of the recipe.

brown sugar: good.

butter: good

oatmeal & cinnamon: good

i double the recipe for the topping.

scarf (1 of 1)

and even with the double there may or may not have been an extra bowl of crumble made for the emotionally borderline, ”photographer” and her need to binge it out.

plumcob (1 of 1)

the finished product….made prettier with flowers and china.

priscilla (1 of 1)

i have a feeling that “look” back there is how pillow-mageddon began last week.

bowl (1 of 1)

although delicious on its own, the red plum crunch becomes a bowl-scraper with vanilla talenti gelato.

my 20 year old recipe still holds up to the emotional eater test.

i devoured my bowl in olympic record time.

tummy love to you my darlings.

it’s friday i’m in love…

July 18, 2014

shiny, happy, friday to you my doll-babies!

another week in the books, another year older for my most significant of others.

last night, alongside family from out-of-town, we celebrated with chocolate cake and mint gelato; hunkiest’s two most favorite foods.

the weekend foresees to be one, long spree of extolling the people i love; but first here are few of my friday favorite’s:

i am digging jenny lewis’ new single “just one of the guys.”

her video with anne hathaway, kristen stewart, and brie larson {in and out of drag,} is a sweet, silly counterbalance to, a lyrically, melancholly song. jenny lewis wrote the song the night after her father died.

brie larson, a girl crush of mine since her days on the united states of tara, more than makes up and cancels out my involuntarily gag reactions to kristen stewart and anne hatha-vain, in this fun video.

those who have been to my house have seen my fanaticism:

i’m addicted to the color white.

in all of its shades, moods, and variances, white makes me happier than any other ‘color’ in the paint box.

finally someone else feels this same fancy; in an article for THE LINE, master colorist donald kaufman, who with his wife taffy dahl {what a name!!?}, works with top architects and designers to create over 104 variable shades of white, talks about the power and beauty of this often “un-romantic,” misunderstood color.

pardon me while i swoon.

this week i finished a great book, “ordinary grace” by william kent krueger; a coming of age story, about two young brothers during the summer of 1961, in a small town of minnesota, where death and loss are as common as the 90 degree heat. krueger’s message of grace, in both the young and the old, the tortured and the guilty, is one that has stayed with me for days and i know will linger on for months, maybe even years to come.

tomorrow i’m getting my photos taken with the famous samantha friedman jacoby; samantha takes insane fitness photos, and i’m so excited to work with this talented genius.

i’ve been living on a diet of cigarette’s and spin bikes.

{oh and chocolate cake with mint gelato}

in truth, it’s just been a week of less peanut/almond butters {my crack} and more cardio.

except for last night i’ve made an enormous version of this salad for dinner every night this week; no cheese {which is like water boarding for me,} this bibb lettuce/tarragon combination is delicious and crazy easy to make.

although saturday night, post photo shoot, all bets are off, and i’m face-planting into a baking dish of brown sugar and butter.

i’m making this nectarine and plum crisp with oatmeal streusel to negate all the cardio and clean eating i’ve committed to this week.

wish me luck angel-babies.

here’s to sucking it in, high eyebrows, and photoshop.

cheers to making a weekend splash so big, you get everyone else to join in your pool party!

see you on the other side of sunday m’loves.

~images: helmut newton

trippin’

July 17, 2014

yesterday afternoon a stranger, grabbed my un-manicured, heavily purell’d hand, looked me straight in the eye, and said:

“young lady, you’re in mighty need of a road trip.”

after what seemed like the world’s longest, awkward silence, where i’m pretty sure mexico heard my stomach growl, he then, like nothing happened, asked if i’d like a raffle ticket for bringing my reusable bags.

completely random and unexpected, but anyone who addresses me as “young lady” these days will get my attention; ever since this exchange my brain has been on vitamix level 10.

what is about my day six, unwashed hair, my carefully curated wardrobe, an outfit that drew the “oh you’re still in your pajamas?” comment from my neighbor, and my angry attempt to pay for groceries with a blockbuster video card, whereby i accused the inept credit card slider of conspiracy; what was it about this display of woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown that begged such unsolicited advice?

apparently i got a fever, and the only prescription is a road trip.

to be honest, i don’t really care if i come off as a malnourished soul, whereupon the only sustenance involves gps, a good playlist, and few other emaciated spirits looking for a change of scenery and to co-pilot.

but i do want to remedy this void.

i’ve never really been on a true road trip.

i’ve driven places before, and tried to dress them up as road trips with books on tape and games of I SPY, but ‘point A to point B’ doesn’t really reckon as a road trip.

these expeditions haven’t been of the vacation nature either; not the type of trips to warrant a facebook album.

now, like priscilla and her pillow fetish, i’m pining for that facebook album experience.

i want to ride shotgun, my feet on the dash, belting out my best “forever in blue jeans“ and “queen of hearts.“

i want to live on a diet of red vines and punch lines; where the itinery is loose and the schedule is even slacker than my boyfriend jeans.

tumblr_n7vxi5uOKr1r34g1eo1_500

my dog and pony-show needs a one horse town.

a single road, one general store on main street, a sunday service in a lean-to church to tame my fitful heartbeat.

i want to eat donuts and coffee at a countertop of cowboys, served by a chain-smoking waitress, with more salt and vinegar than the homemade spicy mustard you can only find in a roadside diner.

i long for a night where the star rating of my lodging correlates to the number of stars i see in the sky. {please do NOT mistake this statement for me wanting to camp!!}

being a california girl, i’m thinking this route may be a good place for me to start; i’ve been to each city, but not in a road trip capacity.

then again, i’ve had this physical, aching pain for all things northeast of late.

this new england itinerary has me salivating for apple-picking + antiquing come october.

although not a delineated passage this list of 59 jaw-dropping roadside attractions in the midwest has me hankering to be dropped off in kansas to see the world’s largest ball of twine, an amuse bouche for dorothy’s house and land of oz in the next city over.

i don’t condone recreational drugs…..but what the fuck is going on in kansas?

“toto, i think you’re high?”

i don’t think i have a fancy enough camera for this next one, but this tour among the four corners of the southwest looks like a trip of a lifetime.

colorado, new mexico, arizona + utah all in one swoop.

one photo opp after another; this is probably the area where the “no-filter” preference is used most.

this oregon trail has me hankering for flannels, eddie veder, and coffee in a tin mug.

tumblr_n8nnh1JbzO1tnevs1o1_500

so what do you say?

who’s in?

are you the road trippin’ type?

what have been your favorite places to road trip?

where do you long to visit?

happy trippin’ my loves.

don’t put another dime in the jukebox!

July 9, 2014

shimmy-shimmy right, shimmy-shimmy left..

wednesday head-bop to you m’loves.

one week into july and i hope you’re jazz-hands-in-the-air enjoying it.

here are a few new tunes i’m currently double-fisting into my ears:

canadian artist and katy perry crush, allie x, has a new single, “bitch,” which is blowing up my walkman and spontaneously breaking out my solid gold dancer within.

my spinners will surely be finding their inner bitch come this weekend when i play it in class; we already know mine was never in question.

here’s a free download of the song from alli x’s soundcloud account.

happy head-flinging to all!

i pretty much love everything from angus & julia stone; the newest single from this sibling-duo is no exception. it’s been all but four years since their last collaboration; an effort that almost didn’t happen.

not speaking, the brother and sister were well on their way to a permanent break-up if not for the music producer, rick rubin. this is an interesting little write up on how the band “got back together.“

even the video breaks my heart a little…like the song, it’s a peppy & upbeat facade, but the underlying tone is so sad.

switching gears, back to “getting your sweat on”…gucci mane’s new album is pretty dope.

it’s the rappers fourth installment to his trap series.

the lyrics are nasty, x-rated, and terribly offensive; do NOT listen to the above link if you’re easily chafed by mysogynistic, un-pc “libretto.”

but if you like hip-hop and trap…it’s a great album.

if anyone can find me the clean verson of “top in the trash,” i’ll make you homemade strawberry shortcake.

and then there’s this….i mean a cat power/coldplay sandwich? is there anything more blissful for the ears? it’s like taking a cashmere q-tip and massaging my audio senses…

“wish i was here” is the new single from zach braff’s new movie of the same title.

from the trailer alone, i can tell he’ll deliver another killer soundtrack just like he did with “garden state.”

the movie looks a little too hallmark for my taste, but i give him a A+ on music.

and there it is: my wednesday playlist…

happy listening m’loves.

happy fourth of july…

July 4, 2014

fourth of july happy to you m’loves.

i hope you’re enjoying a day of leisure and revelry; where getting corn on the cob out of your teeth is the most strenuous thing you’ll do today.

i love this holiday; i’m a sucker for all things red, white & blue {well, ideally just navy and white, but i make an exception for red on the fourth,} and at heart i’m a true-blooded patriot. i love me my america, and believe it’s the most beautiful land on earth.

speaking of beauty, i’m digging this post on the 9 most iconic american beauties of all time…wouldn’t have mentioned it if my “ali” wasn’t there…do you disagree with the list; anyone they forgot? i’m not so sure about the stephanie seymour….

this morning i’m the opening act of a three-hour spin-party; if you can’t join us, you can at least listen to what we’ll be dancing our faces off to; tap it back + turn it up!

i think i’ll deserve a major sugar and gluten-party after my AM cardio olympics. i plan for this strawberry shortcake to make its way into my tummy come 6pm.

all week-long the neighborhood has sounded like its own baghdad. unfortunately, the illegal fireworks get louder and louder each year. priscilla has been on heavy prescription medication since tuesday. the poor baby has tried thunder shirts, meditation, barricades, strawberry shortcake, and nothing seems to calm her down except doggy xanax.

she’s agreed to meet me at the corner tonight and sell me some. party on!

if you were an american hero, which one do you think you’d be? take the quiz and find out...don’t forget to tell me.

although, i’m not sure the accuracy…

i got “teddy roosevelt?”

um “hunting rifles the size of baby elephants?”—can i get a retake? or put out of my misery. please.

how many of you will be eating watermelon today? it’s kind of against the law if you don’t. lately i’ve been making a delicious red, white and blue salad i learned from my girl crush, raquel perry.

easier than taking a nap; you cut up watermelon, blueberries, feta cheese, mint, balsamic vinegar and olive oil; mix them in a bowl, and eat/serve. voilà!

and lastly here’s a friday funny for you: 26 of the most american comebacks in the history of the world…thank you buzzfeed.

happy fourth of july!

love,

katie

pore vous!

July 3, 2014

as the eastern seaboard battles hurricane arthur’s inclement weather, i’m having my own state of emergency.

on. my. face.

the summer heat is taking a toll on my already stock-plummeting skin.

last week my pores swelled to swimming pool-size status.

no joke.

i hosted games of marco polo and day-long chicken fights across the bridge of my nose and chin; all of course post-gay pride parade.

this week it was time to bring in my summer arsenal for pore clearing, sunscreen excavating, and overall deep cleansing.

here are some of my favorite weapons in summer skin treatments:

clay (1 of 1).jpg

i can’t remember if i’ve written about canus all natural moisturizing mask before.

i should have.

although this mask confuses me, i’m wrapped around its fresh goat-milk finger.

it’s like that super-cold, loner guy in high school, who seems to hate you for wearing penny loafers, smirk during your passè composè oral, and will no doubt shatter your heart with the first chance he gets.

but once you got to know him, he’ll quote t.s. eliot with tears in his eyes, and pick all the poppy seeds off an everything bagel for you.

that’s like this mask.

at first feel this mask feels too strong; like it’s going to leave your face looking like lunchmeat from all of the dirt and grime mining, but give it a minute or two and your face feels like a lucky, frosted birthday cake.

wash the mask off and your skin feels like it’s your 18th birthday….well maybe NOT 18, but it’s definitely softer, smoother, and uber moisturized.

peel (1 of 1).jpg

ok, definitely more of a tingly, pop-rock party on my face, type of mask, this mini-peel from alba botanica does the job and then some.

a clear, is-that-gel-in-your-hair mask, this pore purifyer unearths “embedded toxins” with a 6% alpha hydroxy fruit acid.

i like this because it’s gentle to use {for me} all the way under my eyes; which helps exfoliate my not-so-fine lines.

even (1 of 1).jpg

and here’s another gem from alba botanica: this deep-sea facial mask goes subterranean diving into your pores.

consistently rated high by bloggers, magazines, and home reviewers, the marine complex + kaolin clay combo-bite provides a noticeable brightening of the skin and face.

i like to use this one in the summer because it also is very cooling….great after a sweaty spin session or hot yoga flow.

i’m not much of a toner girl, but in the summer i recommend avalon organics balancing toner. it’s anti-oxidant rich, anti-aging, and just gives you that extra layer of clean without stripping your skin’s natural moisture.

all of these products are cruelty-free, free of parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and sodium methyl sulfate.

none of these products cost more than $11….

here’s to deep pore diving.

dog days….

July 2, 2014

it happened overnight.

summer.

gone is my cool, springtime, sweater-inducing breeze; kidnapped, along with the sun, by humid-heavy clouds, replaced with an oppressive, dank, july heat that makes my hair dreadlock down the back of my neck into a thick, sweaty mullet, and whirls the ceiling fans into hours of overtime.

find me a hammock-hanging porch, an unlimited supply of coffee, a good read, and let’s order some change of address labels until november.

always the last one {invited} to the party, how is it that i’m JUST now finding out about the magic of iced coffee?

i’ll admit the idea of serving coffee other than the third-degree-we’re-going-to-the-emergency-room-HOT kind has always seemed a bit, blasphemous to me; kind of like doing push-ups on a spin bike…oh wait…

but last weekend i inadvertently grabbed the wrong drink at a coffee bar, took a sip of some poor fool’s delicious iced coffee, fell in mad love with his icy mocha dream, and then made like a bandit out to my car.

like a dog who’d stolen steak from the dinner table {i’ve seen it done first hand!} i took off with my new prize and slurped it down before the barista police caught me; brain freeze be damned!

i’ve since been trying to perfect the iced coffee at home….not as easy as it i thought it would be..

did you know it has to steep for TWELVE hours…twelve hours!?!? twelve hours for something i just drink? i might as well grow my own coffee beans.

…any tips would be appreciated.

so far i like this recipe the best.

..mason jars help…

speaking of mason jars, currently my house looks like it had a bad case of the mason jar stomach-flu.

i helped throw a baby shower over the weekend and the theme was:….mason jar…

not really, but pink hydrangeas and spray roses just seem to demand a mason jar.

i want to keep the theme going.

these mason-jar recipes look delicious and super easy.

i don’t want be in the kitchen when it ISN’T hot and sticky, let alone in this, are we in florida or on the sun?-weather; these portable, pretty meals will get you outside, hopefully to the beach or into somewhere else equally beautiful, like a mall or target?

how many times can i say/write “mason-jar” in one post?

if you are staying inside have you been watching the leftovers? or tyrant?

SO good!

i’m back to tomorrow with some summer skin savers.

see ya then, ‘kay?

wishing you a wednesday of both tides high + vibes good.

peace out m’loves.

california LOVE

July 29, 2014

Similar posts:

a cherry on top….

July 28, 2014

Similar posts:

the fountain of youth in a blue bottle…

July 22, 2014

Similar posts:

let’s get baked!

July 21, 2014

Similar posts:

it’s friday i’m in love…

July 18, 2014

Similar posts:

trippin’

July 17, 2014

Similar posts:

don’t put another dime in the jukebox!

July 9, 2014

Similar posts:

happy fourth of july…

July 4, 2014

Similar posts:

pore vous!

July 3, 2014

Similar posts:

dog days….

July 2, 2014

Similar posts:

welcome!

Nightstand

MORE KATIE

get social

Subscribe

Instagram

recent pins

Copyright & Disclaimers