Accidental Ambivalence

Things I Love Thursday

Things I Love Thursday is one of the things I consistently missed when I stopped blogging last fall. A concept originally borrowed (read: blatantly stolen) from Gala Darling, it forces me to stop and recognize all of the lovely things in my life that bring me happiness. I have a feeling that living in Small Town again will change the way these lists look, but I'm no less excited to write them!

Food Food in general, yes, but lately I'm loving some things that are newer additions to my diet. Ricotta cheese is good with everything - it's so much more than lasagna. My current favorite way to eat it: mixed with fresh basil and dolloped on top of linguine with marinara sauce. So yum. I've begun to appreciate the protein-y goodness that is lentils, sometimes just eating a bowlful (with a bit of white wine vinegar and olive oil) instead of preparing a real meal. My final food love: homemade tomato "jam." I peel, seed, and chop roma tomatoes, then cook them until they're thick and sweet and jam-like. I add a splash of balsamic vinegar and enjoy, mostly on bruschetta (and often with little blobs of the aforementioned ricotta).

Astrology For me, it's kind of an exercise in narcissism. I study my own chart almost exclusively and am always most interested in topics that pertain directly to me. This means that when I do look at someone else's birth chart, it's because they're important to me. Impure motives aside, it's fascinating. My favorite moments in astrology are those in which something you've never quite understood about yourself is crystalized through an aspect you never paid much attention to. One example: I believe my Mercury in Pisces has predisposed me to the ambivalence which is so pervasive in my life. (Mercury is also my chart ruler since I'm a Gemini Rising; Gemini is another sign of duality.)


Rediscovering When I took a break from blogging, I also took a break from reading a lot of the blogs and sites I'd once read regularly. And, honestly, for a while I spent almost no time on the internet. This week, I've been exploring some of the archived material I missed from Gala Darling. I prefer her "lifestyle" work to her fashion work, and I can't get behind all of it, but I do believe her heart is in the right place. Self-loathing is an issue for our generation, and her series in February on Radical Self-Love is a wonderful counteraction to that. It's worth a browse to absorb the tidbits that speak to you.

Nature It is unbearably, hideously, sickeningly hot right now. Still, nature gives me the gorgeous blooms that I planted (lantana, celosia, coleus, verbena, dahlia, geranium, and petunias are still going strong) and Grandma's favorite hummingbirds enjoying the feeder I hung outside the kitchen window. The Moon, stars, and planets have been particularly bright this week and absolutely beautiful. About a week ago, the most gorgeous rainbow I'd ever seen painted the sky - and it was a double rainbow on top of that. Beautiful.

Brad, Jen, and Angelina - in cupcakes Ignore most of the writing parts. Look at the pictures and captions. Snicker.

Bunches and bunches watching Puck chase his tail; caramel frappuccinos; So You Think You Can Dance; catcalls ("Nice ass!"); making petit fours for Mom's birthday; the new khaki shirtdress; Atlas Shrugged; 1000 Awesome Things; sticking to my guns for nearly two weeks; hula-hooping; baking experiments; Gossip Girl on DVD (I'm so predictable); preordering Mockingjay for less than it'll cost in-store - including shipping; acceptance; psychoanalysis; slipping into familiarity; Everyday Food magazine; having my ass kicked by Carmen Electra; Nigella Lawson's choice of words when she cooks; long, long baths; Rachel Maddow; Tarte lip stains.

Now, here's how it goes. I shared, so you share. Because it's only polite.

What are you loving this week?

Labels: TILT

posted by nicalyse @ 12:41 PM