I made Larry some congratulations brownies last weekend and was going to write CONGRATULATIONS, ARCHITECT! on them in icing, only I was on the phone with my mom while I was doing that and apparently not paying attention, because I ended up writing CONGRUTIONS, ARCHITECT! instead. So then I had to pretend that the word CONGRUTIONS was just a design and put a lot of curlicues of icing over it, and then to balance things I had to do the same under the word ARCHITECT! as well, so it ended up with basically a solid smear of icing with the word ARCHITECT! in the middle. I am awesome.

I hate to write these words, but uh, Top Chef was a little boring this week. It’s the challenges — they aren’t challenging. Or maybe the people aren’t inventive or something, but dear lord those were some ugly ass plates of food Wednesday night. You know Marcel would’ve put some tomato gelee on top of that meatloaf or that Dave would’ve told that tuna casserole that he wasn’t its bitch, bitch. Sigh.

I found an awesome recipe today in a cookbook completely devoted to rice. I’ve seen a lot of cookbooks devoted to funny things today, including popcorn (the book was called, no joke, Cornzapoppin’!). This particular recipe intrigues me for many reasons, but mainly because it includes bananas, cheese and IS ON FIRE.

Ham Banana Rolls (more…)

• First off, let me say that Larry is awesome and also an official architect! He got the word on Friday that he passed the last of the NINE tests he had to take for his licensure! Go Larry! (To top it off, on Saturday he ran a 5K for the first time — and came in third — while I was busy eating donuts. Woot!)

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• Vanity tags:

DAR2DRM
4 SEXY J
ABCLUT*
BALLIN

*Note: Larry really wanted this one to be pronounced “abc slut,” like it was a slutty kindergarten teacher’s tag. (more…)

Sloths! Cats! Laugh track! (more…)

Y’all, if the first challenge is any indication, Top Chef is going to be brutal this season.
Evidence: (more…)

Dear Internet,

The other day I was doing a bit of chatting with my friend J. Bubba Cots, and he started typing as if he had a lisp. People: thith ith the funnietht thing ever. Try it! You won’t be able to thtop, ethpecially when you dithcover a particularly good lithpy word. Like thuckth. Or et thetera. Or The Thopranoth.

Thintherely yourth,
Thally

P. Eth. I am tho exthited about Top Chef thtarting tonight. On latht week’th reunion/thmackdown, every time a theathon one perthon (perthon!) came on the thcreen, I thaid, aw, I mithed him. Even Thteven. Theathon two? Eh, not tho much.

Last night I was digging through some files looking for things I could throw away. That is one of my life’s great passions, the searching for and disposal of stupid things in my house. Perhaps my definition of “stupid things” differs from yours: I threw away all my student loan forms and kept a file of head shots of opera singers. (more…)

Larry and I were taking Lulu for a walk Friday night and Larry found a cd. Anytime I’ve ever found a lone cd on the street or in a parking lot, it’s always scratched up or is broken or is by an artist I’ve never heard of. But this, what a find! It’s a mix cd with songs that you know and love! Some that you know and tolerate! Some that you don’t know at all! We had just had margaritas and I was a little overenthusiastic about finding this, so if you live in Belhaven and heard someone shrieking, THIS IS THE BEST MIX CD EVER!!!! Friday night as I was trying to read the track list by streetlight, that was me. (more…)

I love television! And pictures of cats! Shut up, it’s my website. (more…)

If you are as in love with AB Chao as I am, you will pore over these photographs of her home, featured on Apartment Therapy.

If you want more, more! here’s her Flickr page as well.

In which new appliances, a sleepy Larry, and summer television are discussed. (more…)

Today I encountered the following actual, human names in a single volume — all of these fine fellows were postmasters of various post offices in Mississippi pre-1860. Every time I wrote down another name I told myself, enough, enough! And then I’d turn the page and another Sampson Botters would be there, waiting for me. (more…)

1. Sometimes I get Nutella and Nigella confused.

2. Today I said these words to someone I just met: Maybe one day Butt Day will be a holiday.

3. I almost always have overdue library books. I have some now. I consider it community service.

4. I deeply love “Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg.