unpacking is worse than moving....

We've moved in!!   And we're still unpacking...we've run into some problems that have called for some "creative" solutions.  I'll post pictures of the before and after once there is an after that I won't be embarrassed about.

In the meantime, enjoy this YouTube tutorial about how to wear a scarf in different ways with a girl who looks like she could be Michelle Kwan's sister!!

we interrupt the regularly scheduled programming

...to bring you the following message: Mark and I are moving!  We'll be packing and boxing all week so forgive the pause in blogging.  We're really excited to move into a modest apt that we'll be able to make our own.  I'm packing and taping just like I did a couple months ago so it's just like old times for me.  See you guys in a bit!

online love : rifle paper co.

I love it all.  'Tis all I can say.  But I shall say much more.  I love the simplicity, the hand-drawn quality, the colors, the texture, the touch, the feel, the fabric of our lives...hang on a second I'm having an Aaron Neville moment.  Anyway,  I love it all.  Just spend an hour on their site looking at all the goodies, www.riflepaperco.com.

korean comfort food

Mark once asked me if I could choose to eat one Korean side dish (bban chan) for the rest of my life which one would I choose?  I think any self-respecting Korean would either say or have to consider saying kimchi.  My father says that in a Korean household it's never a real meal without kimchi.  For us it's almost the visible symbol of being Korean.  It gets added to all sorts of dishes: soup, rice, noodles, you name it we add it.  Even with the famous Kogi trucks kimchi was one of the first ingredients used to create Korean-Mexican fusion food.

One of my favorite traditional kimchi applications is in bbin-deh dduk or "Korean pancake."  The dry mix for the batter is sold in Asian food markets and you basically add whatever additional ingredients you want.  Seafood, scallions, onions, peppers, kimchi, whatever you want really.  Mmm, I love how comfort food just hits the spot, you know?  It's like getting together with an old friend.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : prop styling

inspiration room via www.homegoods.com

When I was planning my wedding I had a very VERY small budget.  Mostly because Mark and I were paying for the damn thing ourselves and because we really didn't want to spend a lot on one freaking day and we most certainly didn't want to be in debt because of it.  But being more sensible about the budget didn't mean that it couldn't look "pretty."  A memorable and beautiful wedding is personal and subjective.  Weddings (nowadays especially) no longer have to fit a mold.  A proper wedding doesn't have to include waiters, fine china, and lofty centerpieces unless you want it too.  It can be homey, simple, casual and anything in between!

Your wedding, whether you're a proletariat or bourgeois, will have a specific look and unless you're able to hire someone to be your prop stylist you'll probably have to do a lot of leg work yourself.  My first suggestion to find cool accent pieces (aka random crap on the tables to make things look cool) is Home Goods.  Home Goods is part of the TJ Maxx family but unlike TJ Maxx these stores do not sell clothes.  You'll find cool stuff from furniture, kitchenware, wall art, and everything in between.  New pieces are frequently being brought into the stores so go back often.

Some pieces that I got from Home Goods were some vintage style wire baskets and a few white wooden picture frames. The prices, I thought, were pretty reasonable and I found myself wishing I could afford more than the few pieces I got there.

pictured by Love and Lemonade

Of course you should also check second-hand stores like Goodwill for awesome finds but in my experience it's usually a shot in the dark if you're looking for something specific.  I went to Goodwill for inexpensive plates and glassware for displaying desserts and reception table centerpieces.  Ikea is also a best friend of mine for prop styling.  Be sure to check the "As Is" department for even more discounted pieces that might be slightly damaged or in complete.  I bought Ikea cabinet doors for $7 a pop to display our family and personal pictures at the wedding.

Another good idea is to talk to people who have recently gotten married.  They might have things you can borrow.  One couple who got married at our church before Mark and I did were nice enough to let us borrow their beautiful glass apothecary jars from their reception.  In fact they even lent them to another couple that got married after us too!  Last but not least, raid your parent's house.  They've been living longer than you so that means they have accumulated a lot more junk.  :)  Take advantage of random objects that your parents and relatives might have around their house.  Happy hunting!

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : dinnerware

Market Street Dinnerware by Kate Spade for Lenox

Larabee Road Dinnerware by Kate Spade for Lenox

Dinnerware.  Love it or hate it.  How many settings do you get?  What color?  Do you need a whole set?  Will you end up using the 5" party plates?  Augh, dinnerware.  My mom's advice to me when I moved was, "Don't buy expensive dinnerware.  Just go to Ikea."  And while I heard her I didn't listen and I bought dinnerware from Crate & Barrel.  C'mon, you're just starting a new chapter in your life, Ikea dinnerware just feels like you're going backward to college.  In some ways I regret not listening to my mom's advice as I stupidly break dishes and freak out because it's a discontinued design.  Dinnerware sets can be satisfying because everything matches but also imprisoning BECAUSE everything matches.  At least for me an incomplete set of something can bug me to no end.  By the way, how cute are these Kate Spade sets for Lenox?!

So here's a little questionnaire that Mark and I asked ourselves and helped us make some dinnerware decisions:

1. Do we see nice china as an INVESTMENT or not, as in is it "worth" extra money?  
2. Do we enjoy ENTERTAINING guests (having groups) at our house?  How many people could realistically fit in our house?
3. Will we ever have to host FAMILY events, i.e. Christmas dinner, Easter brunch?
4. What kind of DECORATING style do we have, i.e. modern, country, boho, Asian?
5. Does one of us have a PERFECTIONIST type personality?
6. What kind of dishes do we ALREADY have?

Q.1. We decided that we didn't see fine china as an investment but I thought it was worth a little extra money to have something nice for the house.  So instead of going for Ikea we settled for an affordable design (that was on sale even!) from Crate & Barrel.  Remember, investment also means you're probably going to have this for the rest of your life so you probably should up the place setting amount you're thinking of getting thinking of the future.

Q.2. I enjoy having small-medium sized groups over for dinner and I knew we might have to host our church small group at some point so we settled on 8 place settings (10 was tempting).  Personally, I think that unless you're a recluse the minimum for any couple is 6 settings (especially if you'll be having kids).  Before you starting over compensating and getting 16 settings you have to think about the second question: How many people realistically can fit in your house or apt?  If only 10 people can fit comfortably then there's no reason to get 16 settings UNLESS you're going the investment route in which case you might want to because you're not going to be living in that small apt forever.

Q.3. If you think you'll ever have to host a family event you probably should get something nicer than Ikea.  Unless both your families are totally casual and are fine with whatever.  In which case you may be in denial or have the perfect family. 

Q.4. This might be a hard question for the couple to answer together.  If your styles clash or have a tendency to fluctuate you might want to consider something classic and neutral like white that will go with everything.  

Q.5. If one or both of you have a perfectionist personality you might want to get matching sets as opposed to a more eclectic/boho style of mix and match dinnerware.  However, be warned that dishes do break and sets may not remain perfectly intact forever.     

Q.6. If one or both of you have already accumulated a lot of random dishes you might want consider donating them to a poor college student or to Goodwill.  But if after all the discussion you're happy to keep what you have in all it's mix and match glory you might consider running with that idea.  

It's not for everyone but if I had enough money and time I would go the mix and match route.  I'd probably stick to a color palette (like yellow and navy, for example) and to a shape (roundish), and a size (8"-8.5" or 10" are standards).  It would be no problem if one broke because it wouldn't have a set to disrupt and they'd still stack nicely in the cabinets.  

Zaine Plate from Crate & Barrel

Mum Plate from Crate & Barrel

Hamptons Yellow Salad Plate from Crate & Barrel

Natural World Dessert Plate, Hummingbird from Anthropolgie

From the Deep Salad Plate, Octopus from Anthropologie

Sen-Gaki Salad Plate from Anthropolgie

Petite Fille Plate from Anthropologie

zaru soba

Zaru soba is a Japanese cold noodle dish.  The noodles are made from buckwheat flour and topped with nori (Japanese seaweed).  Served with the noodles is a dipping sauce that can have grated daikon radish, chopped scallions, and wasabi added to it.  The soba noodles are served on a slotted bamboo mat called a 'zaru' but I didn't have one but I did have a bamboo sushi roller.  On a hot summer day zaru soba is very refreshing and I would think pretty healthy.

Zaru Soba, serves 2
2 bundles of buckwheat soba noodles
shredded nori (optional), I used scissors

Follow the cooking directions on the noodle package.  Rinse the cooked noodles with cold water and drain.  Wrap the cooled noodles around your fingers to create little "nests" of noodles.  Top with nori.

Soba Sauce (store bought, look in Asian food aisle or Asian market) **check to see if your sauce is concentrate or if it's ready to serve as is.  If the sauce is too salty add water to dilute.
grated daikon raidsh, grate on the small holes of your box grater
chopped scallions
wasabi

When ready to eat combine all sauce condiments in the sauce dish.  Make sure the wasabi dissolves or you might get a spicy surprise!  Dip the soba noodles in the sauce and eat.