Well, this is it! I’ve officially been an interior design student for the past 3 weeks. It’s a ton of work, and I will definitely have less of a social life during the next few years, but ultimately it feels right. Change is good.
I thought I’d do a post to commemorate my beloved mid-century vanity table and all my little trinkets on it. It is now covered in books, drafting equipment, and half-completed assignments. RIP vanity table! Welcome, work desk. 
I love cookbooks. As much as I use the internet as my main resource for recipes, I love the feel of a solid good cookbook. I read them like bed time stories, pausing to look at beautiful photographs and fantasizing about recreating dishes in my own kitchen. Clearly I can’t be the only one, because there have been tons of new release in the last little while. Here’s a round-up of the ones that have caught my eye.
1. The Art of Eating Well: Hemsley and Hemsley: By now we all get that eating healthy is a lifestyle approach. What better way to encourage that than delicious, accessible meals?
2. Plenty More by Yottam Ottolenghi: I’m always looking for new interesting ways to make vegetables. Now I just wish I had a fresh herb garden year round.
3. Cairo Kitchen by Suzanne Zeidi: My love for Middle Eastern food holds no bounds, and it’s about time I learn how to make some of my favorite meals.
4. Three Times a Day by Marilou and Alexandre Champagne: a.k.a “Trois Fois par Jour”, this local Montreal duo has created quite a buzz in the last year. With new recipes that are not featured on their blog, as well as some favorites like buttered chicken,
5. A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones: Packed with vegetarian recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes. Ideal for the real world where you just give in after a long day of work and throw a frozen pizza in the oven.
6. Audrey at Home: Memories from my Mother’s Kitchen by Luca Dotti: Both a scrapbook of Audrey Hepburn’s life and a cookbook, nostalgia-lovers can fully indulge in the vintage photographs, anecdotes and foods from another time.
7. Baking from Food52: Because sometimes, after all that healthy eating, I just want to make something entirely out of sugar and flour. This go-to site compiled a book of classic baked recipes (like banana bread) to mind-blowing new desserts (like black sesame cupcakes with matcha icing!!!!!)
8. Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food by Nigella Lawson: are you noticing a trend here? Cooks offering recipes that are less complex, more accessible? Well last but not least, Nigella is on board, offering meals that can easily be made during your workweek. Butternut and halloumi burgers? I’m totally down.
Anything I missed? What are your favorite cookbooks?
What are you reading these days? One of my favorite parts about summer is getting caught up in a good book (or two, or three) and allowing myself time to read, preferably outdoors in a park or near a lake. I’m still in denial about fall approaching (46 days to be exact), so I like the idea of extending the feeling of summer and diving into a new book. I usually like to read about relationships or coming-of-age stories, so if we have that in common, here are 5 books you might be interested in: Continue reading “5 Good reads to stretch out your summer”
Last year I read Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” and I’m currently getting into Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild”. Non-fiction literature has been pretty awesome at exposing readers to powerful female voices lately, with so many women opening up about their experiences. I couldn’t have been more excited when I recently heard Kim Gordon’s interview on NPR about her new memoir, “GIrl in a Band”.
I first saw Sonic Youth play in concert when I was 17. It was after having watched Richard Linklater’s SubUrbia, which featured the band in the soundtrack, that I became so interested in their unique sound. During their live shows, my eyes were always drawn to Kim Gordon, the bassist/singer. Women in the alternative music scene were especially rare back then, and she had this way of performing… she came off as shy and mysterious, but at the same time was so self-assured and feminine that I forgot about the other members sharing the stage
As someone who was learning to play the bass throughout my teens, I mimicked men in terms of my attitude, clothing and hobbies. Most musicians were male, and it felt like the only way to be part of that scene. I tried to skateboard, wore unflattering punk shirts and adopted an almost “macho” persona, which I mistook for confidence. Kim Gordon made me realize a very important thing as a young woman: You don’t have to pretend to be a guy to be in a band. You can still be you. Seeing her twirl on stage while playing bass in vintage dresses quickly turned her into a role model and style icon of mine.
I can’t wait to read her memoir and get to know her. From interviews I’ve seen or read, she never sounds like she’s trying to be anyone but herself. I just wish my teenage self could have learned that a little sooner.
littlekokomo.com 