mipmup.

120 seconds.

apparently, according to this article in redbook, all i need to maintain my marriage is 120 seconds a day of "connection time" with my better half. does im count?

friends?

they've basically been ignoring each other, so this may be a good sign. charlie brown seems confused when haley wants to play with him. he just prefers to rip the skins off of tennis balls. he's a total loner. a rebel, dottie.

i'm officially old.

i have a confession to make and mind you, i'm not a member of aarp. i'm really into public radio. in fact, all i've been listening to during my runs lately is "marketplace" and "the splendid table" (the full versions!) and npr's most emailed stories. ugh. i'm such a christopher guest character with my podcasts and mac and chai with soy. anyway, you too can nerd out and help public radio at the very same time by buying books at public radio booksource. as a bonus, all titles are 20% off the retail price. recent books on my wish list include:

• "the improvisational cook" in which author "schneider helps home cooks declare their independence from recipes and set lists of ingredients and offers an invitation to a fun, more spontaneous way to cook with whatever is on hand." 27.96
• "i like you: hospitality under the influence" by amy sedaris. it's a "...blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair." me likey! 27.99.
• "i feel bad about my neck: and other thoughts on being a woman" by nora eprhon (of "silkwood," "when harry met sally" "sleepless and seattle" and "you've got mail" fame) in which "[she] shares her ups and downs in a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself." 15.96.
  

image credit: public radio booksource.

what can i bring?

i found a great tip on holding a warm clothes drive in this month's issue of martha stewart living that i've embellished upon. this year, when you're hosting your holiday events, if guests ask what they can bring (mine always do and i never let them bring a thing), suggest a (clean) piece of warm clothing to donate to your favorite shelter or non-profit organization. if it's a kid-friendly party, ask each child to bring one of their toys they no longer play with to donate (i'm pretty sure this will go over extremely well with the parents, too!). or if you're a pet lover, ask guests to bring pet supplies such as clean old blankets or towels, toys, grooming supplies, collars or leads. i recommend donating to either best friends animal society or noah's wish; both organizations helped innumerable pets and pet owners during katrina and beyond. check-out the best friends wish list and noah's wish needs list for ideas.

read martha's original tip here.

photo credit: martha stewart.

reincarnation.

if i come back as a cat, i totally want to be this one.

photo credit: brant ward, san francisco chronicle

holiday helper.

in the "one less thing to do department," the us postal service is trying to make our lives a little easier this holiday season. at their holiday site, you can:

• request free package pick-up.
• print mailing labels.
• order packing supplies and stamps, including customized stamps.
• put your mail delivery on hold.
• learn about shipping deadlines.

i highly recommend using these services. not only do they save time, but doing more at home is also an environmentally-sound choice since it means fewer cars on the road. what better holiday gift could there be than less traffic and less pollution? (wait. don't answer that.)

visit the holiday microsite to get started.

image credit: usps

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week.

• cute kiddo boots. why can't these be in my size? 122.

• wake robin dress. such a sweet little dress. 78.

• dreamy coat. i have a thing for coats. methinks this would be a nice add to the collection. 600.
  

• table stories charger. i'm steadfastly refusing to call anything "holiday" at the moment, but this would make a nice cookie platter for santa. 65. 

• mister kat toy. handmade in portugal, non-allergenic and adorable. €12

mipmup's friday favorites is a weekly look at fab-u finds. g'ahead: subscribe to the friday favorites feed.

photo credits: koo de kir  .  sway & cake  .  zappos  .  anthropologie  .  perlimpimpim

my very own thanksgiving dinner.

have i mentioned that i have to "bmom" (bring my own meal) to all my family events? even to my own birthday parties? somehow cooking for a vegan stumps my family, so it is less stress for everyone if i simply prepare my own food. (oh! but my mom is making steamed brussels sprouts this thanksgiving!) and part of me can understand, since to complicate matters, i also avoid refined flour, high-fat oils and sweeteners.

a new blog friend asked me recently if i had any non-vegan cravings. i suppose what i crave at times is the shared experience. i often feel isolated with my own little plate. there are inevitably the comments and if i'm a guest somewhere, i feel awkward if the host makes a big deal. the two extremes of the spectrum make me feel uncomfortable, thus the bmom seems to be a happy medium.

here's what i've made for myself this thanksgiving.

• baked marinated tofu. tofu courtesy of the new find!
• arugula salad with roasted delicata squash, roasted shallots, toasted pine nuts and sundried tomatoes, served with sherry-dijon vinaigrette.
• mashed cauliflower with garlic and "parmesean."
• quinoa, artichoke and hearts of palm salad. i made the heritage white tepary beans instead. they are so flavorful, all i did was add salt and pepper served with the liquid.
• golden gravy from "the real food daily cookbook."

i'm happy with my choice to be a vegan and thankful that i am able to be selective in my food choices, when others have so little from which to choose.

happy thanksgiving!

ending up happy.

sometimes the days that start off on the wrong foot end up great. today was one of those days.

found:

• dahlias that match my shoes. i'll float one in a ramekin and give to my mom, who is hosting thanksgiving, tomorrow.
• a tofu maker.
• cool, old signage that i really need to photograph.
• an old-fashioned ice house that i wasn't sure was open, though it advertised "crushed ice!" must return soon.
• after a ton of research, creating my own recipe for the winter squash side dish i'm bringing to mom's.

won't you be my neighbor?

are you ever out and about and you happen to chat with someone that you totally want to stalk as a friend? this happened to me today when i stopped to get a chai at a neighborhood not my own. i had just been in a restaurant supply store (where i scored some seriously cute quarter-sized baking sheets) and the woman behind me in line had been there, too. we started talking and she seemed really great. i think i would love to be her friend, but i never know what to do in those situations. so tell me, as you get older, how do you make friends without appearing like a weirdo?