Take The Road Less Travled

This is an idea for a project that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have been looking for an inexpensive landscape print at thrift stores and hadn't found one that I thought would be large enough so I got the idea to use an older map as my background. I already had a frame so I glued the map to poster board using the all powerful Mod Podge. Then I arranged sticker letters to form my saying. I wanted a quote that had something to do with travel because the background was a map. This quote being a variation of a Robert Frost passage. The letters that I used were removable so some of the edges weren't firmly stuck. I went over those edges with a little bit of glue stick.  I had to make two extra letter E's because the pack only came with three of each letter. After I had the letters where I wanted I took it outside and spray painted the whole thing, let it dry and then peeled the stickers off. Some of the map paper came up a little with the stickers but I liked the weathered look that it gave it. Handmade things shouldn't look too perfect.  I was going to seal it with another coat of Mod Podge but I liked the way it looked so I put it in the frame and now it hangs on my wall. I smile every time I look at it not only because of the sentiment but because I spent zero dollars on art that I made myself.

Mad Men 6:01& 6:02 The Doorway Rodger Sterling

I Heart John Slattery

Rodger Sterling has been one of the best characters of this show from the beginning.  He makes us laugh with his one-liners and cry when he lost Lucky Strike. Plus he did LSD more than once and is now in therapy (at least this is the first time we see him there). I know Matt Wiener got his TV feet wet on The Sopranos so it really brings me back to the therapy scenes that we got to see there; more so than the therapy scenes with Betty or even when Sally needed to talk to someone. When Rodger makes a joke and the shrink explains to him that he can’t laugh at everything Rodger says, I about died. Rodger gets through life with his charm and wit and when you take that away from him, who is he really? Is he silver fox that just lost his mother? A mother that only ever let him eat vanilla ice cream because chocolate stained? A mother that left all her fortune to the Zoo so she could make them name all the animals. A mother whom we find out used to say that her son was her sunshine.

When Caroline came into his office to deliver the bad news it reminded me how much I like Caroline.   She doesn't take Rodger’s shit (“no one is going to see your shoes”) and she’s good at her job. When she downed her drink it made me think that she could be my new favorite secretary, second only to the great Ida Blankenship.

At the funeral I loved that Cooper complemented Rodger on the decor of the room. I thought it was funny to see the differences between Jane and Mona. One of them is offering her support and even his mother’s ring back and the other bringing a date and making a scene. Not as big of a scene as Don made being drunk and loosing his liquid lunch in front of everyone. Seeing Rodger connect with his daughter and hopefully invest in her and her husband’s future. We now see that she has a son and that makes Rodger a grandfather. This may change the way he feels about the money he has made and the way he’s spending it. Or not, his character could really go either way and that’s why he’s so great to watch.

He says he feels nothing but when Georgieo the shoe shiner dies he finally breaks down and cries. Is this him really mourning his mother or is it his own mortally that saddens him so? Is it the heartbreaking fact that he was the only one who asked about him so his family passed his shining kit down to him that broke him? When he said that he feels nothing I don’t think this is what he was looking for. I think he’s looking for what a lot of people were looking for in the 60’s. The world must have felt so out of control and no matter how much money Rodger has, no matter how many coat check girls he sleeps with and no matter how many LSD trips he goes on he has no sense of control.

Craft Project

I have only been using spray paint for a short time but now everything I see I can picture it a different color in my mind. I've seen variations of this project on Pinterest and I had all the materials and supplies so I gave it a  go. I point out my inexperience with the spray paint because I didn't shake the blue paint up enough so the paint was uneven and dried in little blobs. The frog figure turned out to not be plastic so the paint didn't dry on him at all. The next time I make these I would probably use a stronger glue, I just had my hot glue gun handy. Overall I think they are very cute and I learned a lot. I have already given a few filled with salsa away to friends and they have all requested custom ones.

Learn from my mistakes! Shake that spray paint can!

Before

Finished Project

Mad Men 6:01 & 6:02 The Doorway Betty Francis

As for Betty Francis we open this season to find that she is still trying to reduce and therefore passes up the shared candy at the ballet. Then we see her get a ticket in one of my favorite Grandma Pauline scenes ever. Trying to name drop to a cop in NY isn't the best idea but they way she gets so pissed about it is great. Then she gets very dramatic and says that she “can’t imagine how things could get any darker than this.”  To which Sally’s friend Sandy replies “my mom’s dead,” and the three girls giggled like, well little girls. This shows us how truly immature Betty still is and how much more grown up Sally is becoming.

Sally says in the car that she “hates cops.” How much interaction has she had with cops? Is it all from watching TV and seeing the news or are we going to find out that Sally has grown up faster than we thought. It also killed me watching her be so mean to Bobby. She used to be so sweet and I know her example of how to act is Evil Betty but she was just so… so…. teenager.  I think her story line is going to get more adult as she grows and I’m so glad they kept the same actress when we've have so many kids play Bobby. Kiernan Shipka is such a great little actress.

The interaction between Betty and Sandy is a great Betty scene. The bond that she has with this girl and wanting to see herself in her, made the dialogue more meaningful.  It isn't often that Evil Betty says things like “it makes me feel so much.” As if being cold is something she just got used to.  When she was describing rape to Henry in bed, I was reminded how shocking the things she says are. Why shouldn't Sally grow up being mean when Betty once told her she was going to cut her fingers off? Getting advice from Betty Francis is not the mothering that this girl needs. Plus Sandy is 15, smokes cigarettes, uses tampons and plays the violin; she’ll be fine on the streets.

After seeing the dirt and filth of the city through Betty’s privileged eyes, it made me feel sorry for her that she really hasn't had many life experiences. I wonder if she felt the same and that’s why she went dark with her hair. It’s a safe way to walk in another woman’s shoes for a while and still go back to being her. Or is this the real her and the Betty from a bottle is gone; after one talk with a street kid? I think Betty’s selfishness trumps progress any day but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe being a few sizes bigger than she’s used to is helping her to be less shallow. Maybe it’s Henry’s influence, how he puts up with her I don’t know.

Kitchen Upcycled

I've always wanted a large kitchen that is decorated in a theme but until then most of my kitchen is DIY.  This little can sits on the counter and holds my sushi making tools. I made it from a clean coffee can and some contact paper. Because I don't really throw anything away I have a bunch of cans filling the shelves of my garage and so I'm always making them into something that I can use for years. 

Mad Men 6:01 & 6:02 The Doorway

Mad Men has been one of my favorite shows on TV for years now.  I have spent many hours re-watching episodes and reading all I can about the show and its creator, Matt Weiner.  Fans of the show know that this will be our second to last season and so the end begins.  Last season we left Don trying not to be a Dick (Whitman) and not doing a very good job. It wasn’t as jaw-dropping as season finales in the past but you got a sense of things to come. Not just for our characters but for the world as the late 60’s and all that changes with them is upon us. 

I usually get the episodes Monday morning through iTunes and this way I own them and can watch them without commercials. This means that my “Two Hour Premier” was really only and hour and thirty-four minutes. I remember reading that Matt Weiner has said in an interview that AMC asked him to do either a two hour premier or finale.  

This episode was very dark and morbid with a strong theme of death. It follows Don’s story but it also gives you stories for Peggy, Rodger and Betty.  This post will be about Don and Megan and then there will be more for the other three. There was a lot of catching up and a lot of pot smoking, but overall a great season opener.

We open with a first person view of someone having a heart attack and based on the sound of Megan in the background you assume that it’s Don. Then we see a Hawaiian paradise and have Don’s voice quoting The Inferno. It seems as though we are in some sort of death or dream state and then Megan charges her giant blue drink to their room and you see that they are on vacation. Dan really only takes working vacations so it’s no surprise that we find out that he’s on assignment for the Royal Hawaii Hotel. [Side Note: When I saw him reading a book, my Man Men spidey-sense started to tingle. We usually see Don reading magazines but in the past when he was reading a book it was either because of a woman (Rachel Menken) or a client (Honda)]

Other than his Inferno quote in the beginning Don barley speaks at all in these first few scenes. The audience can feel his disconnect from Megan but she doesn't seem to notice.  When she was approached for an autograph she seems a bit flustered like it’s a new experience but she signs it her maiden name and not “Draper”.  It seems a little strange that she wouldn't have taken his last name. I've heard people in the office call her Ms. Draper and it’s not like she was famous with her maiden name and that’s why she would use it professionally. It just makes me think how long they are going to last.

We see Don meet PFC Dinkins (it’s usually printed right there) and how uncomfortable Don is talking about war, both in Korea and Vietnam.  The conversation is quite morbid as he describes shooting the water buffalo with the machine gun. How he could paint the room red. It really shows how desensitized our soldiers come back from combat are. I know the war brings up powerful memories for Don for other reasons, but just watching him have to talk about it made me uncomfortable for him.

When flying from New York to Hawaii they would have had a layover in California. If they stopped at all to see Anna’s house or Stephanie then we didn't see it and it wasn't mentioned.  The last time I remember Don talking about the house was on the phone with Stephanie saying that she could stay there as long as she needed.  Maybe it was just too painful to go there knowing that Anna would not be.

We have a moment with Don and Dr. Rosen in the elevator and at Don’s office where we get to see Don be a dude, a bro, a friend. We get to see him be charming for no other reason than he can and he wants to be liked because he likes that person.  He’s not trying to please a client and he’s not trying to sleep with a women. I think back to Don and Lane’s Bro-Date and even the trouble Don and Rodger used to get into. It makes me think that maybe Don is making friends in the building and then the Doc skis off to save a life and I’m like “YES! Doc Rosen is a badass! He and Don should be BFFs.”  Then, I find out that Don’s diddling the guys wife and it all becomes clear. Don didn't give the Doc a camera because he’s a bro… he probably feels guilty about breaking the bro code. He probably feels more guilty about that than being unfaithful to Megan.

Oh Megan, poor Megan. At the New Year’s Eve party Megan is, of course, the perfect hostess making me think back to the days of Betty Draper stressing over company and Francine telling her “Oh Betty, you really do have the worst luck with entertaining.”  Megan is becoming a success and seems to have it all: an awesome apartment that we now know cost Don Seventy-Five Thousand dollars, youth, beauty, perfect husband and joints in her bikini bottoms. I can feel her bubble about to burst.

Upcycled Pallet Gardening Shelves - Back Yard

These shelves that I use for my garden supplies are made from an old discarded pallet. They were made by cutting the pallet in half and using some of it's wood as shelves. There is on on either side of our back door and give me much needed storage for gardening things and was best of all : FREE.

From This Into That - Salad

Growing our own food has been an important part of our lives for years now and with summer right around the corner we have been planting up a storm.  One of our favorite year-round/indoor plants is this lettuce. The seeds come in a strip and it is really easy to grow.  It looks great and tastes just as good.  This salad also has the green onions growing in this window as well as carrots, croutons  Parmesan cheese and the dressing is a home-made oil and balsamic vinegar. YUM!

The Walking Dead Season 3

This is just a quick recap of how I felt about this last season of The Walking Dead.  I wanted to write reviews for each episode but it got away from me so I only did a few.  I plan on spending more time on my Mad Men reviews. What can I say? AMC has me hooked on Sunday nights.

As I look at this picture of the cast it makes me miss T-Dog. Even though his character didn't get much of an arc (we never even knew his last name!) he was still hard to watch die.  There were some fans of the books who thought that the T stood for Tyreese but that's just one more way that Robert Kirkman is taking the show a different direction. I have only read a few volumes but I know that in the graphic novels the Gov gets to torture and rape Michonne so I'm glad we didn't have to see that. It's almost as if Kirkman gets to make a new story for his same characters and I can see that he's having fun with it.  I've heard him interviewed on a few podcasts (the Nerdist and Doug Loves Movies podcasts stand out) and he's a funny guy but he's also kind of a dick.  I'm sure that this show is his baby though because it has lost more than one show runner due to "creative differences".

I miss Merle but mostly for his bad ass one-liners. I'm glad we got to see more of him this season but I hate the way he got the most screen time in the episode that he dies in. I would have liked to get to know him longer but his death is what I think is going to change Daryl. When he made the choice to stay with his brother even though he was quite an asshole, it really affected Rick. It was almost like it brought up unresolved feelings that Rick has regarding Shane. Merle is dangerous but Daryl won't leave him behind. Shane was dangerous and like a brother to Rick but he couldn't live in a world (even a post apocalyptic one) where his wife and best friend could be having a child together. Oh well maybe we'll get to see the Dixon brothers together in a flashback or fever dream.

I don't really miss Lori or Andrea. They were both weak and made decisions that made me roll my eyes or yell at the TV.  I thought Lori's death was important to show and was shot really well.  

Andrea just needed to die.  I'm glad Michonne got to be there and hopefully get a little closure. 

I was very happy that in episode 3:12-Clear we got to find out what happened to Morgan.  It just sucked that he ended up being bat shit crazy. They seem to be making a big deal out of Milton's tea when we first get to Woodbury in episode 3:03-Walk With Me and then it's never explained or even brought up again. I think my favorite thing this season was Michonne's "Walker-Gram" warning Merle to "GO BACK".  I'm getting a little sick of Maggie and Glenn but at least his proposal didn't make me want to gag too much.  Except the fact that he cut the ring off of a walker's hand. Gross Glenn, you couldn't have looted a jewelry store?

Spray Paint Cans

Last summer I painted some soup cans and planted wildflowers in them to add some color to our backyard. All I had at the time was regular craft paint so as time pasted the color began to fade. They looked nice and lasted most of the summer but this year I wanted to make more using different colors.

Last year's pained flower cans

This year I used spray paint on the same cans and they turned out great. 

I can move them around to chase the sun or use them as a centerpiece.

Finished Cans With Flowers On Fence

Easter Eggs

Garden DIY

 This last few days I've been spray painting cans to use as planters. Green and Blue are going to be the main outdoor colors with a little orange as well. I can't wait to hang them in the back yard with spring flowers!

Mozzarella and Pesto Strata

We have been talking about eating less meat. We already try to do our Meatless Mondays but lately I have been looking for more tasty veggie recipes. This was my first Strata but it came out great. I added green onions and roasted my own green pepper. We had Basil Pesto leftover from Trader Joe's but as soon as my garden is going then I'd like to try to make that from scratch as well. You can really change the ingredients in this recipe to your tastes. I think I'll use sourdough bread next time and I'm thinking some grilled portobello mushrooms might be good.

Mozzarella and Pesto Strata

French Bread (sliced into ¾ inch slices)

Basil Pesto (about ½ cup)

Sliced Ripe Olives (1/2 cup, I used black)

Roasted Bell Peppers (12 oz. jar drained and sliced or one pepper oven roasted)

Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups)

Large Eggs (about 8)

Milk (about 2 cups)

Parmesan Cheese (1/2 cup)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.                  Spray 9x13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread one side of each bread slice with Basil Pesto.  Arrange bread, pesto sides up, in bottom of baking dish, cutting slices to fit if necessary.  Sprinkle with olives, bell peppers and mozzarella cheese.

2.                  In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper with a fork or wire whisk until well blinded. Pour evenly over cheese in dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but not longer than 24 hours.

3.                  Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes clean and top is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  

Back Yard (in progress)

Last summer we build raised garden beds in our small backyard. In them we grew strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and lettuce. 

 We are always looking for ways to use what we have and we have a lot of glass bottles, so we put them upside down between the beds. They act as a decorative trim and add different texture. These pictures were taken to be some of the before shots because of all the things we have planed for the yard this summer.

Indian Food

My Honey made me Indian food for dinner. It was Naan bread, Couscous, and Masala Chicken. So Good!