July 27, 2009

lovely


The Clothes Horse is so lovely and down-to-earth, and I love how she manages to choose outfits that perfectly highlight her shoulder-blade tattoos.

Drinking my favorite wine, Norton Malbec, from Argentina, eating some fresh bakery bread, olive oil, and cheese, and about to head over to my neighbor's apt. I love city living!

July 26, 2009

IMAGES

I love the Internet for its wealth of images. Like these, from georgasm, which is by a 17yr old (say whaat?!)


This is a My Little Pony. I totally had like 65 of these and all the houses/sets as a kid. I'm actually pretty distraught that they're gone now, lost in a move.



Donut porn. I lust for donuts a lot.




Sparklers should be at every occasion.



I like shiny things


Haaa

Watermelon Love

Homemade watermelon rum punch, grilled squash in the toaster oven, Manager's Special Foccacia bread with olive oil+dressing=great Saturday night. Oh and I also saw Harry Potter. It was long. I liked the teen angst/romance. Emma Watson turned into quite the lovely young lady. I still think Hermione and Harry need to get together. Watermelon is the greatest food ever. It is so juicy and delicious.

Summer


I love summer porch-sitting, even though my point-and-shoot is crappy and takes blurry photos. All photos I want to take tend to happen in low lighting, so I'm pretty much screwed.



Went to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters duck race fundraiser this weekend. We had 6 ducks in the race of 25,000. Sadly, we didn't win, but some guy next to us did. What a visual!
This is the chute through which the winning ducks are chosen. Whichever gets through first wins. The canal is looking particularly algae-y and gross.

Clearly the Travelers Insurance man has drowned here and the real ducks are waiting to jump the plastic ducks who win and take them out.

July 24, 2009

To Eat

Occasionally I like to post lists of what I ate today.

Mixed Berry Lite Yogurt
Coffee
Handful Wasabi almonds
Banana
Hard Boiled Egg
1/2 can of green beans

July 20, 2009

Caaake

I have been really agitated after a phone conversation this evening, but reading Cake Wrecks makes me feel better every time. Like this:

As Cake Wrecks says, "Resistance is futile."

Why?

Why does my cat always wait til I get home and am sitting at the desk next to the litter box to use it? Ew.




Also, I know I realize this is now my second post about yogurt in one week, but day-am, Archer Farms(a Target Brand) has amazing fat free yogurt. The consistency is thick, more like that of pudding than yogurt, and it has cool flavors like Black Cherry, Honey Almond, and Blueberry Pomegranite and are $.54 each. (I did not eat the "Bread Pudding" flavor-EW, this was just the only web photo I could find).

RVA Cheap Places to Drink

Sometimes you just want a cheap drink, it's not happy hour, and you don't know where to go. Some ideas:

Davis & Main Who woulda guessed?! Look how cheap! $2.75-3.50 for bottles $3.50-4.50 for drafts

Little Mexico (near Gold's Gym at Harvie St). I always confuse this with the other one that opened around a similar time also on Cary St--Viva Mexico) Anyway, Little Mexico has cheap beers and fairly priced margaritas, a separate bar, a newly added patio (though not very sunny since it's inbetween 2 bldgs). It's comfy there, and actual Latino folk work there. I hear they have $2 Tecate and $1 off margs Monday - Thursday 3-7pm. They have coupons in every Valpak.

Avalon Light beers $2.75-4.00.Several wines by the glass under $5 and $6. Food menu is very reasonable as well! Also has a late-night menu

Phil's Continental Lounge. Been around forever.Next to the Westhampton Theater on Grove. A dive, with an outdoor patio, cheap food and drink, and famous vodka limeade. Service and atmosphere not so great, but a nice place to sit outside or go grab some fries or a beer after a movie. Domestic beers are under $3. Real cheap drinks.
*I saw a lot of roaches on their front patio last time I was there though. Probably won't stop me from drinking there but may influence my eating choice.

You may also be interested in my other Richmond restaurant posts:
Food/Drink Specials
Outdoor Patios
Brunch

RVA Brunch

Richmond Brunch locations. If you know of others, let me know.

· Banditos: 10am-2:30pm Sat&Sun. Mimosa, Skrewdriver, Greyhound, BloodyM: $3.50
· Black Sheep: Breakfast til 2pm.
Menu. 648-1300
·
Buddy's: 10am-2pm Sat&Sun. Two for 1 til noon : 2 Eggs, any style-$5.95
· Cafe Gutenberg: Dude,
brunch all day. New menu, new insides, to re-open March 18.
· Cafe Rustica: Sunday only. (804) 225-8811
·
DeLux: Sat &Sun 9-3. $6-12 brunch. Looks like they serve other reg menu items as well.
·
Joe's Inn: breakfast anytime
·
Kitchen 64: Sat&Sun
·
Kuba Kuba: my favorite. Tostones and cafe con leche. Mmm. Sat&Sun 9am-5pm.
· Liberty Valence: Countrified American style breakfast.
·
Mojo's: serves and delivers their version of brunch every Sat & Sun 10am -2pm. 644-6676
·
Starlite: 10am-2:30pm Sat&Sun
·
Tarrant's: Sunday 10a-3p. pricier than I like for brunch. more involved food items. $6 Mimosas
·
The Tobacco Company. 11am-2:30pm. Upscale atmosphere, not much more expensive than the other places. Smallish menu. Specialty drinks.
·
Weezie's: 8am-2pm Sat&Sun

You may be interested in my other Richmond restaurant posts:
Food/Drink Specials
Outdoor Patios
Cheap Places to Drink

RVA Patio Dining

When the weather is nice, all of RVA is out trying to find a patio to sit on and eat, dirnk , and be merry. Here's a list of places that have patios. If you know of one I've missed, let me know!

3 Monkeys
Acacia (new location has a couple of tables located outside)
Amici

Babe's
Baja Bean
Baker's Crust Carytown
Barcode (rear patio)
Beauregard's Thai Room (gorgeous patio) -Cary & 1st
Betsy's @ Bin 22
Bogart's
Bottom's Up
Buddy's
Buzz & Ned's
Cafe Caturra (Libbie/Grove)
Cafe Gutenberg
Caliente
Can Can
Carytown Burgers and Fries
Celito Lindo (Forest Hill)
Cha Cha's Cantina
Crossroads Coffee (VCU and Southside locations)
Curbside Cafe
DeLux (patio in the back)
Ellwood's Coffee
Globe Trotter (patio in the back)
Havanna '59 (has big windows that open onto the street, rooftop deck)
Home Team Grill
Legend Brewery (West 7th street, Southside)
Mexico (Forest Hill location)
Mezzanine
Mom's Siam
Moshi Moshi
Mulligan's (rooftop)
Nacho Mama's (Carytown)

New York Deli
Palani Drive
Phil's Continental Lounge
Rowland
Sahara (dive at VCU)
Saigon (on Grace Street in VCU area)

Sette (interior courtyard)
Sine
Star-Lite
Viva Mexico (Carytown)

Water Grill
Weezie's Kitchen


You may also be interested in my other RVA restaurant posts:
Food/Drink Specials
Brunch
Cheap Places to Drink

RVA food/drink specials

Updated for Fall 2010 Here

This is a list I've been compiling for awhile about food/drink specials in Richmond, VA. Feel free to comment with any others you know and I'll add them.

See my other Richmond restaurant posts on Brunch, Cheap Places to Drink, Outdoor Patios.

Anytime
· Avenue 805: M, T, W: a choice of a large house or Caesar salad to split, a large bowl of pasta, a dessert & a bottle of house wine all for only $35. 353-2505
· Baja Bean: M-F , 4-7pm happy hour (doesn't say what it is)
· Blackfinn: 7 days a week, $3.95 menu, 4-7pm
· Cafe Diem: Pizza, wings, burgers, beer 3-7 pm
· Cha Chas Cantina:. 2 dollar domestics, 3 dollar margaritas. 4-8 PM, every day of the week.726-6296
· Cous Cous: Complimentary tapas of the day, everyday 5 PM - 7 PM 358-0868
· Davis and Main: 1/2 price martinis from 4-6pm M-F
· Dd33 Asian Bistro:
M-F 5-7. Food for $5. $2.50 bottles and house draft. $6 wine. $8 cocktail. 3601.a Cox Rd
· Europa: M-F Happy Hour 5-7. Food and drink specials 643-0911
· Grandpa Eddie's Alabama Ribs & BBQ: M-F 4-7pm Sun 12-6, $2 Miller Lite draft, House highballs, House white wine, fried onion straws or okra, smoked kielbasa 11129 Three Chopt Road 270-RIBS
· Julep’s: 20 percent off the entire dinner check for parties of four or fewer who reserve tables Mondays through Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
· Kitchen 64: Daily specials 3-7 pm. Rail Drinks:$4, Domestic Bottles:$2. Non smoking! Smoking allowed on patio after 10 pm.
· Penny Lane: Happy Hour, 4-7pm, when you order a pint, you’ll receive a wooden token for a half-pint: in other words, buy two pints and get one free.
· Stool Pigeons: M-F Happy Hour: $1 off bar drinks, select appetizers are $5
· Tobacco Company: Th-Sat, $1.25 drinks from 8-9 pm (always mobbed in there though)
· Weezie's Kitchen: HAPPY HOUR: 3pm-7pm Monday thru Friday, $1 off all drinks!
· Zuppa: half price appetizers during happy hour


Monday
· Buddy's: 5-9 p.m. $2.25 sliders (each)
· Can Can Brasserie: wine tastings 6-7
· Capital Ale House: $1 burger nights (with purchase of a beverage)
· Cha Chas Cantina: $2-off quesadillas
· Cous Cous: Order any Meze and get a second on the house. 5 PM - 5:30 PM
· Curbside Cafe: 25-cent wings (5-9pm) 355-7008
· Europa: Pasta Night -all pastas are just $9
· Kitchen 64: Mojito Monday: $6
· Little Mexico: $1 hard tacos, $1 PBRs all day. $3 Margaritas(or $1 off normal price) 3-7pm
· Mi Hacienda: Regular Lime Margaritas $2.25, 4 - 9 p.m.
· Mojos: 35cent Wing night. $1 off all "Philly Style" Cheesesteaks, $6 Miller High Life/Miller Lite pitchers, $6 Yuengling pitchers

· New York Deli: $1 PBR 5-9pm, $2 rail 5-7pm
· Que Pasa: $2 burger nights. Monday Night Football Specials 402-7502
· Richbrau: $1 featured house brewed beer (and Rock Band/Guitar Hero)
· Sticky Rice: half-price sushi (10:30pm-12:30am)
· Stool Pigeons: $2.25 pints all day
· Strawberry Street Cafe: 1/2 off burgers and quiche. 1/2 price bottled wine 353-6860


Tuesday
· Baja Bean: Buy 1 Get 1 Free Tacos
· Buddy's: 5-9pm Ladies Night:20% off purchase
· Can Can Brasserie: seasonal beer tastings 6-7
· Cha Chas Cantina: $2-off taco platters
· Curbside Cafe: tacos are just 75 cents each (5-9pm)
· Europa: three-course meal for just $16
· Kitchen 64: Tequila Tuesday: $4
· The Lucky Budha: 1/2 price sushi 5-9pm
· Mi Hacienda All Bottled Beer $1.99, 4 - 9 p.m.
· Mojos: "Cheap Date Night" Any 2 Pastas AND any 1 Appetizer - $15. Featured Bottles of Wine-$10, 6-10pm
· Pescados: two tacos with coconut black beans and achiote rice for just $10 13124 Midlot Tpke 379-7121
· Que Pasa: $2 pizzas
· Stool Pigeons: $2 Tecate cans, $2 cheese quesadillas, $2 cheese nachos
· Strawberry Street Cafe: school ID gets you 20 percent off food
· Tiki Bobs: 10c tacos, 25c beers til 9 pm


Wednesday
· Baja Bean: 1/2 price Quesadillas
· Buddy's: 5-9 pm Fajitas $6.95 & Half Price Nachos
· Cafe Gutenberg: half-price wine night
· Can Can Brasserie: classic cocktail tastings 6-7
· Capital Ale House: two-for-one chicken wings
· Cha Chas Cantina: $2-off burritos
· Curbside Cafe: half-price burgers (5-9pm)
· Europa: half-off bottles (up to $40) with the purchase of two entrees
· Havana '59: ½ off mojitos 780-CUBA
· Kitchen 64: Wine Wednesday: Merlot and Chardonnay: $4
· Little Mexico: $1 enchiladas and PBRs.
· Mi Hacienda All Draft Beer Only 99 Cents for any Regular Glass, 4 - 9 p.m.
· Mojos: $4 cheesesteaks, drink specials
· Que Pasa: $2 tacos
· Richbrau: 6 -8 p.m. Steak Night: eight ounce Delmonico steak, french fries and a veggie $11 644-3018
· Stool Piegons: Select martinis are $5


Thursday
· 821: happy hour all day
· Barcode: Martini Madness
· Cha Chas Cantina: $2-off wraps and burgers (5-7pm)
· Havana '59: 1/2 off appetizers
· Mi Hacienda Regular Daiquiri (any flavor) $3.99, 4 -9 p.m.
· Mojos: "Bucket Night"-Special menu of some of our favorite items served bucket style. 6-10 pm
· Pescados: with the purchase of two entrees; you get a bottle of house wine for only $4 (Chardonnay or a Shiraz-Malbec Blend) and a dessert (entrees range from $14.95 to $28.95)
· Que Pasa: half-price bottles of wine and half-price desserts
· Sam Miller’s: $0.75 oysters during Thur. & Fri. happy hour (4-8?)


Friday
· Cha Chas Cantina: $2-off fajitas
· Sam Miller’s: $0.75 oysters during Thur. & Fri. happy hour (4-8?)
· Sticky Rice: half-price sushi (5-6pm)


Saturday
· Mojos: Order any "Philly Style" Cheesesteak and get 1/2 off another of equal or lesser value , $2 off any large pizza, $2 off all pitchers, 11am-4pm


Sunday
· Bottoms Up: $3 Mimosas and Bloody Marys all day
· Cafe Rustica: $15 per person: three courses with a monthly rotating menu. There's always a "salad-like appetizer," a dessert and "an unusual bunch of wine deals (Mendocino Merlot for $16, French Lirac for $12)." The first Sunday of each month the entrée is roast chicken, the second Sunday is pot roast, followed by Cioppino (shrimp, scallops, mussels, sausage, fennel/tomato broth) on the third, roasted salmon on the fourth, and a chef's surprise on the fifth Sunday (and the chef likes pork). 225-8811
· Capital Ale House: cheap domestic drafts ($2-3)
· Cha Chas Cantina: $1 tacos and 25c wings (9pm+)
· Curbside Cafe: half-price appetizers (5-9pm)
· DeLux: cheap drinks, not sure what yet
· Europa: half-price tapas
· Kitchen 64: Drafts $2.50. Pitchers: $9
· Mojos: Order any "Philly Style" Cheesesteak and get 1/2 off another of equal or lesser value , $2 off large
pizza, $2 off all pitchers, $5 burgers, 11am-4pm
· Starlite: 1/2 off appetizers before 10pm. $2 PBRs.
· Weezie's Kitchen: Food & Drink Specials 3pm-9pm

July 19, 2009

Dinner tonight

Dinner out back tonight


Freshly made bruschetta-like mix on toast


Hometown beer

Photoshoot

I was looking at GQ's website today and found some old photoshoots, including one of Kate Bosworth from a few years back that I had a hard copy of and pulled photos from and have hanging in my apt because they were so beautifully shot and Kate is mesmerizing in them. Here are some of them:












July 18, 2009

What I Wore-Karaoke

Here's what I wore out to Karaoke this Tuesday. I love these skinny(well, as skinny as you get for a gal with hips and a butt!) jeans with these killer zipper heels--they make my legs look really long, and I'm a short girl!

Completely unrelated, how come Kroger brand lite yogurt has all kinds of cool and yummy flavors and the brand names don't? I'm officially a convert. I just had "french apple" and it was like dessert.

Couchsurfing and Food

I hosted a couchsurfer for the first time last night. Couchsurfing is a way to travel the world through the eyes (and couches) of the locals. Here's their misson from their site:

"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding." As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!

I was nervous but my person was great and he was only here for 12 hours so that made it easier. We ended up talking for most of the night about travel, politics, languages, college, and current events. It was an easy way to ease into hosting.


Last night I also tried to recreate the bruschetta type mix that my neighbor and friend from college, Jeremy, and I made last week. We used what we had and made a mix of cucumbers, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a bit of balsamic dressing. Put that on toast and MMmmm. Cooking is always more fun when you have someone to do it with. Came out pretty well:



July 14, 2009

Karaoke

I've had 3 martinis and prob a 4th in a min and seriously considering joining a bunch of randoms from the Internet at a bar to do Karaoke. On a school night. Oh my.

Ugly Shoes

I might have to stop reading The Cheap Chica because they just endorsed a high heeled sneaker. And suggested THIS for cheap chica readers. THE very shoe I made fun of on Go Jane just this month:





Sigh.


WMP

I want all white, male justices to be grilled about their racial and gender bias. White male privilege, anyone?

July 12, 2009

MTV Awards

Remember when they were good?

I don't know why Blogger doesn't allow embedded videos, or perhaps I haven't figured it out yet. Anyway, I found this performance by Michael Jackson from Suicide Blonde. I guess there was lip-synching even back in '95, but he makes up for it with the dancing. And the moonwalk, it is so good. Slash plays with him for a bit, but my favorite is the group dancing at the end. There should be more choreographed group dancing in the world.

1995 MTV Music Awards

"I like my women like I like my coffee"

And if you are cool, you'll know where the second half of that sentence goes.

I saw this on the front of a shirt on some guy at the Farmer's Market yesterday at the Shockoe Tomato Festival. So I finish the sentence for him, and he turns around and points to the back of the shirt where the answer to his "I like my women like I like my coffee" was this:

Ground up and in the freezer
(with a picture of a freezer)
EW, just EW. You took a perfectly good joke, and made it creepy. I'm sure that guy gets lots of dates (NOT).


For the record, the Eddie Izzard joke goes,
"I like my coffee like I like my women... hot, and strong?"
Clip here, go to :55


There was also a 15 year old girl there with a skirt that barely covered her vag. At like 4 pm. It was SHORT. I mean it's one thing to wear something like that at a club (but still major ew). Seriously if she'd moved any way but completely vertical, she'd flash the world. EW. Where is your mother? I wanted to walk her back to wherever she came from--you cannot walk around dressed like that downtown.

Decisions


I just realized that if I go to $1 burger night with my friends from college tomorrow night, I'm going to miss Gossip Girl. See, I just started watching it, like 100 yrs behind the curve (I've done this with most popular shows, i.e., West Wing, X-Files, Dawson's Creek, Bones). I never thought I'd watch it, but damn if a soap about a bunch of rich, slutty, beautiful teenagers with hot clothes isn't watchable, then what is?

[Goes to make herself another martini and sing along with Elton on Bennie and the Jets.]
(image of hot Blake Lively from Go Fug Yourself)

Holga and Pinhole Photography



I desperately want a Holga camera. It is a medium format, plastic-based camera. They are known for their unpredictable coloring and effects on photos. I love that they look old-timey and often have layers of light and distortions. Even though it's made of plastic, they aren't cheap. I've seen them on the web and at places like Urban Outfitters for around $70.

Rockstar Diaries had great success with hers in the Dominican Republic, see?:







Belt it Out

The chorus I sing in is on break now and I always forget how much it gets to me when I'm not singing regularly. Sure, I sing to radio every day and in the shower, but singing regularly, especially in an organized fashion is such a release for me. Today I'm belting out my favorite chick rock in my apt, like these, and damn it feels good:

Same in Any Language, I Nine
1234, Feist
Hands Clean, Alanis Morrisette
Portions for Foxes, Rilo Kiley
Come Clean, Hilary Duff
Crazy On You, Heart
Silver Lining, Rilo Kiley
Breathe, Anna Nalick

When the loneliness leads me to bad dreams,
and the bad dreams lead me to calling you
and it's bad news
Baby, I'm bad news

S&M in shoes


I love all the dominatrix and S&M style of shoes that are out right now. Everyone loves a f*ck me shoe.
(photos via ShoeLust)

Icons

I wonder where nostalgia comes from? I'm a very nostalgic person. More than most people I know. I think it comes from being a Taurus--we're very loyal and in tune to what's going on around us.

(via Lavender Lines)

Attachment

"Don’t attach yourself to anyone who shows you the least bit of attention because you’re lonely. Loneliness is the human condition. No one is ever going to fill that space. The best you can do is know yourself… know what you want. "

— Ingrid, White Oleander. (via Pagan Poetry)

Drinking Alone

When life gives you lemons, make white grape+lime martini's