Viking Cooking School in SLC

A few weeks ago, Shug and I were lucky enough to get invited to a Salt Lake City food blogger event hosted by the Viking Cooking School in Salt Lake City.  The cooking class of the evening was focused on farm to table fare, stuff Shug and I are very interested in.

The evening began with a salt tasting.  Salt?  Yup.  Taking the time to differentiate the subtleties in just salt got our palates ready for fresh herbs and veggies that have been locally grown, some from the Viking Cooking School's own vegetable garden!

Our menu of the evening consisted of a fresh tomato tart, garden vegetable soup, a peach and apple crisp, and an assortment of delicious cheeses and wine.  Our instructor showed us the basics like knife skills and onion-cutting tricks, but also gave us unique tips on how to make your meals special with what's available and in season.  This not only is a great way to adhere to the "locally grown" dogma, but also less expensive because you're buying what's in season, so it's cheaper!

We had some great company for our class, too!  VintageMixer, KooDeKer, FoodieSLUT, BarbaraBakes, and Heidi from Salt Lake Magazine were just a few of the Salt Lake foodies in attendance.

It was a lovely evening and a delicious meal!

Bestest Best's Wedding

Bestest Best had her wedding at the beautiful Red Butte Gardens at the end of July.  The ceremony took place in the Fragrance Garden that was alive with bees and the heavy scent of lavender.  Hearing Bestest Best and her betrothed exchange vows while the summer breeze carried it away was such a lovely gift.

The weather was truly perfect for a typically hot and sunny Utah July day.  The entire morning was sweltering, that's why I look so frumpled in all of the pictures Shug took of me!  But the breeze started blowing about 15 minutes before the ceremony and then rain came after everyone moseyed down from the Fragrance Garden for the celebration to begin!  The rain lasted only a bit, but it cooled off the gardens so we could start to dance!

An old German saying is that it's good luck to have bad weather on your wedding day, but Bestest Best and her betrothed got an even more auspicious sign: a little rainbow peeked out after the rain stopped!  It was one of the happiest days.

Bestest Best's Wedding Teaser

This was one of the most beautiful days and I'm honored to say I got to be a part of it!

Bestest Best's wedding was a little under a month ago!

I can't believe how quickly the time flew!

To tide you over until Monday,

here's a shot of Best looking luminous as her parents 

walk her down the aisle.

She was the most beautiful bride!

Have a lovely weekend!

xo.

Road Trip

Leaving Vegas from Brandon sloan on Vimeo.

I wish that Shug and I had been able to go on a road trip this year.

Sometimes the road time is the best part about the trip!

I forget how beautiful and open parts of this country are.

LocalLibrary

It seems I've been coveting some jewelry lately.

I love this understated coolness of Lauren Haupt's LocalLibrary line.

Her smaller, more delicate pieces have an 

"I can wear this everyday and look like I planned this outfit" feel.

That's called MAGIC where I come from.

Beautiful Day

Yesterday was a gorgeous day.

The temperature was perfect.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

And I had five minutes to just breathe and enjoy it!

Ruby spent the better part of the evening playing fetch with Shug.

She was sooooo tired, but she wouldn't drop the ball!

Let's try to take a little time today to enjoy the summer,

it'll be gone before we know it!

xo.

Yard Sale Insanity

Do you know what people want?  What compels them to get up at the taint of dawn to rifle through other people's wares?  To have verbal altercations with other like-minded bargain hunters over ONE DOLLAR?  Answer: Yard sales.

Shug and I had our very first yard sale on Saturday.  The weather was perfect, as was the circumstance: our fence is in need of dire repair and we had been accumulating a room full of stuff that needed a proper exodus from our residence.  We posted on KSL.com and Craigslist, made bright signs, and were ready for the fun by 7am.

What I wasn't prepared for was the uniform the majority of the professional "garage salers" had adopted.  Almost all of the "professionals" had long gray or white hair, long scraggly beards, and the sweetest demeanor to antagonize their scruffy looks.  All of these pros had checklists and specific treasures they were hunting for and all wished us good luck on our sale without ever buying a thing.  Things of value: Barbies, musical instruments, and old toys.  We had none of these to offer.

What we DID have were mountains of clothes, dishes, and books.  And by the end of the day, Shug and I had made $324, just enough for materials for our fence!  The other advantage to selling our stuff was just the act of purging our lives and living space of things we were never going to use again, but were hanging on to for...no reason. 

I know there is a minimalist movement growing among many of the urbanites that adopted the organic and locally sourced movement a few years back, and I understand its draw.  To clear your life of unnecessary "stuff' is a lot like prioritizing your life.  Do we have "space" for superfluous, energy-sapping things in our home or schedule?  No.  Is it healthy to "make room" for the things that give us comfort, recharge us, and improve our lives?  Yes.

On being alone...

This is as heartbreaking as it is lovely.

Catch-up

Well, I finally got around to getting a haircut.  I haven't even had a trim since the wedding last year!  In an attempt to let my awesome grey grow out, I had to lop off about six inches!  I really was sad to part with my long hair, but, as they say, it'll grow...

So, what do you think? I was going for a more Alexa Chung look, but I'd have to lose about 500 pounds and start smoking, so it's kinda leaning into soccer mom territory...

P.S. Isn't Ruby so cute curled up on the chair...?

MAD MEN Charity Auction

Remember how I was drooling over the furniture and styling of MAD MEN?  Well, tons of the office furniture from Sterling Cooper and a few costumes are being auctioned off for charity!  While I know I won't win any auctions, I'm going to bid just to feel like a part of it!

Benefits from the charity auction will go to City of Hope, an independent biomedical research, treatment, and education institution that works to conquer life-threatening diseases like diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.

Get your bidding on and let me know if you won anything!  This really is a win-win-win situation.

Craft Lake City 2010

Saturday was a busy day here in Salt Lake City!  Not only was the Downtown Farmer's Market in full swing (tomatoes are finally here!), but the Second Annual Craft Lake City took place down at the Gallivan Center.  The handmade movement has "officially" made it to Salt Lake City and it is going strong!

From letterpress and screenprint innovators, like Ryan Perkins, Whitney Shaw, Colt Bowden, and Amber Heaton to unique jewelry and clothing artists, like my favorites Nobletown Vintage and theFullSpectrum, the craft fair had everything your little-handmade-lovin'-heart could desire.

If you missed CLC, don't worry, many of these artist make their genius available online and can be linked from the SLUG homepage!  Make sure you mark you calendars next year for the fun!

Giveaway Winner!

Happy new week!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

So much happened, I feel like I'll be blogging about it for the rest of THIS week!

But, first things first,

we have Goldteef's first giveaway winner!

The Water Girl was chosen at random!

She said, “The 50s Vintage Glenna Gold Clutch Purse is FABU!!!”

Email me at igotgoldteef@gmail.com 

with your address so I can get your prize in the mail! 

Source

...In which I discover I'm old as the hills.

I've kinda been on board with being an adult for awhile.  Ok, maybe not that long, but I do realize I'm not a spring chicken anymore.  I also realize I'm not an old bat...not yet, anyway.  If you ask me about new music, I can have a conversation with you.  If you ask me what new trends are on the backs of the populous, I'd be able to point you in the right direction.  I have a facebook page and I know that MySpace is for losers.  I tweet.  Sadly, I know who Justin Bieber is.

Last night, while laughing and talking with my cousins, scary movies came up.  We stated talking about all of the scary movies we can't stand and those movies that are the perfect mix of storyline and startling.  My cousin asked, "I was watching this old movie the other day and it was SO scary! I don't know what it was called but it has the Ghost Whisperer in it!" 

Shug's and my jaws dropped.  OLD. This OLD movie.  A movie that every single one of my friends had seen a least once because it was the perfect date movie (because you could grab your date when you were scared and eat popcorn during the not-so-scary parts).  "You guys haven't heard of I Know What You Did Last Summer?" I asked.  BLANK STARES.  "No," they all answered.  "What about Scream?"  Another no.  Shug and I both slumped down in our chairs, heavy with the burden that we were, indeed, old people.

Breather

This looks BLISSFUL.

I'm going to take an imaginary snoozer today,

because it's going to be crazy!

Goldteef Givaway!

Today,

is Goldteef's first giveaway!

What's up for grabs is this 

80s Vintage Mikiko Green Sarong 

from WrenRetro!

It's a really cute piece for summer and can be used as 

a head wrap, bandeau top, skirt, picnic blanket, hobo satchel...

you get the idea!

To win, all you have to do is click on over to the WrenRetro shop 

and say what pieces you think are cute in the comments by 5pm MST Sunday!

 

A winner will be picked at random on Monday!

Be sure to click back to Goldteef to see if you won!

Good luck!

xo.

Nobletown Vintage

It isn't everyday that you find amazing handmade jewelry in Utah. 

We Utahns have been known for, how shall I say this, 

being a little behind the times when it comes to fashion and trends.

That's why I was so impressed with Nobletown Vintage's jewelry line.

It's fresh and very fashion forward.

Oh, and it's a steal, too!

It's Happened...!

This is a glorious day!

Goldteef was invited to live Tweet from a Viking cooking class this evening!

I don't have any idea what the menu is, but I do know it's a six course meal.

I will be tweeting from 6pm - 9pm MST.

You can either follow from the Goldteef homepage or my Twitter!

I'll be hanging out with other food bloggers from Utah.

Wish me luck!

Do. Work.

These pictures of America in the early 1940s are amazing. And beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend!

Acorn

I love this big statement necklace.

It would be the perfect way to dress up a simple white tank and cutoffs.

From Fauna and Flora.

Guilty Pleasure #29 - Pedicures

If you were to ask me to take $40 and light it on fire, I would argue with you.  If you were to ask me to use that same $40 for a pedicure, I'd have the appointment already booked.  But lighting money on fire and getting a pedicure are one in the same in my world.

I've already elaborated on my lack of disposable income and my crafty ways at still being able to engage in retail therapy every once in awhile, but, when it comes to pedicures, I REFUSE to bargain shop.  And that's also why, up until Bestest Best's wedding, I hadn't gotten a professional pedicure since my OWN wedding!

Why shouldn't you bargain shop for manis and pedis, you ask?  Unsafe pedi practices can lead to serious health issues.  Always look for a UV sterilizer or autoclave if you don't bring your own tools.  Whirlpool foot tubs are also a big no-no, which can harbor bacteria and fungus.  The tub should also be drained and cleaned with a medical grade disinfectant in-between clients.  Bargain shopping for pedis usually means a lot of these safe practices are left by the wayside to cut costs. 

Sure, sure, I know we can all give ourselves a budget-conscious pedicure experience at home, but I, for one, am not a master contortionist with super-human flexibility.  And I have a super-wonky pinky toe that demands a perfect angle of attack to get some polish on the lil'bugger.  Plus, it's just nice to sit back for half and hour and be pampered, right?

Devil Hornz...

Tame Impala - Half Full Glass of Wine from Modular People on Vimeo.

This sounds so old and familiar.

And by "old and familiar" I mean PERFECT.

Bridesmaid's Dress 2.0b

Well, I made it through Bestest Best's wedding and only cried the ENTIRE ceremony!

Now to search for September's party in Ireland!

What do you think of this J.Crew classic cut?

In navy, of course;)!