a cinematic confession

GUYS.  I have something I need to share with you.

I have never read The Great Gatsby and I find this to be incredibly embarrassing.  

there are so many reasons why this is a completely unacceptable thing for me to have not done.  first of all, the only short story that I can even recall reading in my high school Major American Lit class was A Diamond as Big as the Ritz.  I loved that story.  it is so lavish and wonderfully written in a way that completely held my attention in a way that Gossip Girl novels did, which is quite the accomplishment although I now see where my interests did and continue to lie.  so that actually jumpstarted my love for the great F Scott Fitzgerald and I've even read 80% of The Beautiful and the Damned and thoroughly enjoyed it.  so why not read this one?

also, I love the 20s more than perhaps the Owen Wilson character in Midnight in Paris. I wouldn't say that I suffer from overwhelming nostalgia for a different time, but I can't get enough of art deco, champagne-based cocktails, headbands and flapper dresses, and the sheer sense of opulence that we get from that decade.

the long-running hype for this coordinating movie has been overwhelming, and I can't deny that I haven't eaten every little bit of it up for months.  from the soundtrack, the Prada costumes, Tiffany's jewelry, to the Carey Mulligan-covered May issue of Vogue, I've spent entirely too much time appreciating the beauty that is so eloquently described in the novel (well, as I can only imagine since I haven't read it).  I even had a great time watching the Colbert Report's interview with Ms. Mulligan as she (jokingly, I assume) admitted that she had neither read the book nor read the script and Lavar Burton was brought in to tell her to just read it already.

this is the worst reason of all: I OWN IT.  my mom got me a special hardcover edition of it for Christmas, which I asked for because I wanted to read it before Hollywood ruined the story for me.

here is my internal debate: should I just read the darn book, and then go see the movie?  or spend a rainy weekday evening at the nearest theater, 3D glasses on, and ruin the mystery of the story?  

I'm dying to see Leo in action but want to start actually reading again...these are my problems.

iced out

looking back at these photos that I recently had developed makes me incredibly happy that it's mostly sunny and on the positive side of the thermometer these days.  Lake Champlain looks lovely in the cold, but I, with frozen fingers and a numb nose, do not.

spring dressing

somehow, summer has arrived way too soon and I've woken up to this unseasonal weather every morning going, what the hell do I wear?  I've been scrambling through my clothing stores to try and find clothes that 1. fit 2. are work appropriate 3. don't make me feel like it's 2008.  it's a struggle.  and for this reason, I've taken to the internet yet again to try and feel something that I can thinly veil as inspiration.  and yes, that means lots of stripes.

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visit my style inspiration page to check out what looks good to me now

mmm... bagels

somehow, I've made a lot of gluten-free friends in the past few months.  sadly, these wheat-intolerant people will never be able to appreciate the newest addition to my neighborhood: Feldman's Bagels.  

they opened their doors on May 1st, and it was love at first sight.  at least it was on my end, I don't know how they feel about me.  

I heard a rumor that it would have the same fluffy, perfectly chewy bagels that I would get from a place down Rt 7 in high school that sadly closed sometime in the late 2000s.  thankfully, that rumor is 100% true.

so far, I've only had the everything bagel with plain cream cheese.  it's simple but amazing, and their addition of sea salt to this heavenly pillow is the best thing since sliced bread.  and it only costs $2.15, including tax.  

I love gluten.  I love carbs.  I think I've found my new happy place and I'll be sure to report back on their assortment of soups, bagel-based sandwiches, and any of their other offerings.

Feldman's Bagels

660 Pine St Burlington, VT

open 7 days a week

cucumber + basil + lime gimlet

on Sunday I had a wonderful, sun-soaked day that was only made better by my first ever gimlet at the Daily Planet.  such a perfectly refreshing summer beverage!

  • 2 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 thin slices cucumber
  • 1.5 oz  vodka
  • 1 oz lemonade
  • .25 oz lime juice

In a shaker, muddle the basil and cucumber. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

Vermont gimlet at the Daily Planet | recipe