KidzBop

We usually don't bore you with musical musings (mainly because one of us was/is a musical theater nerd and the other once purchased the Friends soundtrack because she liked "Smelly Cat), but today we're going to share the songs that are making us smile through this cold stupid Monday morning. 

Also, it's February tomorrow!

You and Me, by Penny and the Quarters.

"A gem," raved this law student.

Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

This song is like going to a good couples therapist. You can't listen to it and not feel totally in love with your special lady friend.

Crocodile Rock, By Sir Elton John

We dare you to listen to this song and not dance a little. Also, please bow down to the skyscrapers that are Elton's platform heels.

Shattered



As intriguing of an idea as candy making is, we have always left it to the professionals. This slacker attitude comes from the lack of a candy thermometer (a $4 investment that we have yet to make), and a complete impatience for recipes that instruct us to watch for the ''soft ball'' or ''hard crack'' stage. But when an impromptu pantry clean-out presented us with all of the necessary ingredients for brittle, we realized that we were up for the challenge.

20 minutes, and some very sticky fingers later, we had successfully conquered our fear. From these candy virgins to others, it was shockingly simple. The key is to have all of your ingredients and tools prepped and ready to go, as the sugar mixture tends to harden at mach speed. The recipe itself is extremely basic so feel free to experiment. We happened to have cashews on hand, but have already planned out countless brittle variations. Needles to say, we will most likely end this phase of our lives toothless and fat. Sounds fun, right?

Vanilla Scented Cashew Brittle

Recipe after the jump

Summer Lovin'

While we realize we've been bitching about the lack of snow, now that it's here we're pining for summer. As we sat down to post- the grey skies glowing through the coffee shop window, offsetting our sallow skin in a really lovely shade of Forgotten Salisbury Steak- we had no blogging inspiration. And then just like that time the Ouiji board totally moved on its own (seriously, it did you guys) our screen was glowing with vintage shots from Ocean City. Flipping through these images made us nostalgic, warmed our weary winter souls, and helped us forget about the mouth breathing jerk sitting next to us who actually refused to share the only nearby outlet and is offending us even more with his shockingly audible eating habits. 

Ocean City may not be Saint-Tropez, but its 142 streets of junk food, receding beaches, Scopes girls and hungover life guards sound fabulous right now. What could be better than reading a sun block-greased book, clandestinely sipping on a warm sandy beer and digging your toes into the cigarette butt-dotted beach?

Fuck off, Winter and the guy sitting next to us.

(All images courtesy of The Baltimore Sun)

Poor Unfortunate Souls

(Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

When we spotted this cephalopod-chair hybrid on Apartment Therapy, we knew that we had to share. It's bizarre, stunning, impractical, and amazing all at the same time. Will you ever see it in our living room? Hell to the naw, but it's still pretty freaking fabulous.

Bogus

For the one half of A Charmed City whose company does not deem un-plowed city streets a reason to shut down the office, today will be business as usual. But that doesn't mean that I have to be happy about it. In fact, I'm about 30 different shades of green at the thought of my partner in crime and our friends feasting on mimosas and french toast whilst I enjoy luke warm tea and Triscuits. Life is truly good.

Pity party aside, last night's thundersnow (who knew that such a thing could happen) proved to be the perfect time for some comfort food. We hit the grocery store before the hoards of milk and toilet paper hungry crazies ransacked the ailes, and we were ready to go. Our Chicken Pot Pie (albeit a bit more time consuming than the frozen variety) is filled with fresh veggies, and roasted chicken, substantially lessening the cream sauce induced guilt. The finished product was everything that you could ask for in a classic comfort food; rich sauce, crunchy shell, and pipping hot chicken. Oh, and don't you dare forget the hot bourbon cider, it's a snow day must.

Recipe after the jump

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love



Reinventing the wheel



Protection





Organized chaos



Choosy Moms

(Image & recipe courtesy of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody via TasteSpotting)

We're not quite sure how we missed this, but yesterday was National Peanut Butter Day. So unless you have an unfortunate allergy that causes hives and swelling, there is no excuse not to hold a belated celebration. Apparently, the equally brilliant bloggers at TasteSpotting felt the same way and compiled a list of their 100 favorite peanut butter-centric recipes. Have fun perusing, and try really hard not to get drool on your keyboard.

Stinking Rose



(Boat loads of garlic and onions simmering in butter make the house smell dreamy)

 Once you have been in a relationship for any stretch of time, certain concerns tend to fly out the window. Leg shaving isn't exactly a daily necessity, bizarre forms of OCD are revealed, and you can eat all of the garlic and onions that you want. Luckily, we fall into this category of monogamous creatures who are able to throw caution and fresh breath to the wind.

When we first spotted Roasted Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese, we knew that it was a keeper. Any recipe that calls for 44 whole cloves of garlic has our names written all over. Yes, 44. Believe it or not though, the heat factor here is incredibly mild. Roasting the garlic brings out it's earthy sweetness and cuts back on the pungent burn that we typically associate with it. Trust us, it really is that good. And if nothing else, any Vampire within a 10 mile radius wouldn't dare mess with you.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

We spent an obscene amount of time in Hampden this weekend. It's alarmingly easy to do, even when you're starving and the weather is being an asshole. We wandered in and out of damn near every store on the Avenue and in a rare show of frugality, walked away with more pictures than purchases.

We picked up a shimmery long dress from Minas, perfect for a fancy summer date, First Thursdays or as a wedding dress (seriously though). We also nabbed blood orange, caramel and Campari chocolate bars from Ma Petite Shoe, and came this close to filing bankrupcy for a Marc Jacobs bag at Vogue Revisited. One more beer at Fraizer's might have led us back to the bag, but we were on our very best behavior so we went home instead.

Here are some shots from our day.

Vintage dress patterns

Mad Men Lite

Our mascot

Patriotism and thread

The portal to our time wasting

Cheeky.

Hangman

(Image courtesy of Anthropologie)

After moving into a new house a little over a year ago, it took us literal months to hang anything on the walls. Despite the constant nagging of our boyfriend and friends,we just weren't ready to drill holes into our freshly painted dry wall. As time and verbal lashings continued, we eventually found pieces that warranted the level and hammer to come out of retirement. As it stands now, all four walls are blissfully adorned, and anyone who's name does not appear on the mortgage is not allowed to comment. That being said, some hanging room remains and we are hell bent on jazzing up the space with this guy. Sooner rather than later. We swear.

Flower Power

(Image courtesy of A Cup of Jo)

As we dove into our morning interwebbing, tea in hand, scroll finger ready for action, we headed to A Cup of Jo for our daily fix. One of the first blogs that ever drew us in-and has remained a favorite to this day; A Cup of Jo is our go-to source for non-pretentious New York happenings (among other things). When we came across these pictures of Will Ryman's newest installation on Park Avenue, we immediately reached for our planner (which is actually a desk full of sloppy post-it notes) hoping that we could fit in a trip to see for ourselves.

Starting January 25th through May 31st, Park Avenue will be home to 38 larger than life pink and red roses as well as 20 scattered petals, some of which double as little urban lounges. Call us tourists if you will, but we need to be in New York, camera in hand, freezing our asses off, taking in this spectacular site. More info here.

She's My Rushmore

(Image courtesy of this site.)

After being sick for the past few days and having to work over the weekend, Sunday evening quickly found itself dedicated to leftover chicken soup, lots of water and Wes Anderson. In between naps during our marathon, an idea struck. Perhaps it's the cold meds talking, but how fabulous would a series of stills from the Rushmore scene above be? In case you haven't had the pleasure, Bill Murray pours an airplane bottle of liquor into a soda can (which is, at the time, nestled in his breast pocket) and lights a cigarette while another dangles in the other side of his mouth. It's morose and wonderfully funny and we have no clue how to procure said stills. 

Until our computer skills graduate past forging the river in Oregon Trail and figuring out how to change our Facebook profile pictures, this will have to remain a little kitchsy dream. 

Technicolor Dream Home



(Image courtesy of Plastolux via Apartment Therapy)

Growing up, we wanted nothing more than a sliding board connecting our bedroom to the kitchen (we enjoy eating and sleeping, not much has changed). Our parents called our bluff on threats of emancipation, and we were forced to suffer through a slide-free adolescence. As it stands now, we are 20 years older, marginally less bratty, and still completely mesmerized by this livable playground. As amazing as the rainbow staircase is, it is only a fraction of the playful decor that this whimsical dream home has to offer. Check out the full tour over at Plastolux and then call mom and dad and let them know that you want a re-do.

Happy Hour

(Image and recipe courtesy of Verses From My Kitchen)

With half of A Charmed City feeling under the weather, we figured that a classic Hot Toddy would be the perfect Friday aperitif. Warm honey to soothe, and rye whiskey to kill any germs that the Zicam missed. Bottoms up.

Forget Me Knot

(Image courtesy of Everything Fabulous)

Could someone please teach us how to turn our messy coifs into this twisted wonder?

What's A Girl To Do?

As you may have noticed, we tend to surround ourselves with a delightful little group of people. Naturally, they are all super models, Mensa members, and independently wealthy (a good friend will lie through their teeth for you). We've selfishly hoarded these wonderful folk for long enough and it is now time to share our riches with the rest of the world (sorry in advance).

Our dear friend Patrick is an expert of men's fashion (according to Sloane Brown) and all things fabulous. He has superbly floppy hair and legs for days. Without further ado, Patrick...  

Man bags. I would venture to say, and correct me if I’m wrong (which I’m not), that most modern, cosmopolitan, confident men are secure enough to carry one- gay or straight. What with the deluge of “meterosexuality” we were cursed with in the early 2000's (Jesus I’m old), it has become far more acceptable to embrace- gay gasp- FASHION- as a man. No longer satisfied to carry the boxy, beat up briefcases of yore, it’s time to man up and get yo’self a man bag. Now, as someone who is WILDLY independently wealthy, I understand not everyone can afford the high end purchases that I can (actually I use the vinyl shoe bag from my parents’ honeymoon luggage to tote my wares to-and-fro). So I have assembled a list of bags that run the fashionable, and dare I say, masculine, gamut.



Muted main colors with a pop of yellow, sturdy canvas, works for all four seasons. And it’s 25 clams. Why wouldn’t you?

Who doesn’t love a little throwback wood paneling? And who doesn’t love an old school hippy dippy shoulder strap posing as a guitar strap? It looks just like the one on my dad’s guitar. Hm.



Yes, it’s quite expensive. But it’s LOUIS VUITTON. It’s a collector’s item. You’ll literally have it forever. And think of the fun you’ll have watching your kids fight over who gets it when you die.



Faux Real

(Image courtesy of Fime)

Desperately seeking an equally wonderful faux fur vest. The inclusion of the Chanel brooch will not be frowned upon.  

A Spoon Full Of Sugar

(Please enjoy this totally unrelated picture of the tart maker and two phat tart eaters who ate the tart so fast that there was no time for picture taking. And in case you were wondering, we can assure you that this picture was taken in St. Tropez. And definitely not in Annapolis.)

This past weekend has been a whirlwind of kneading, slicing, and piping, so we are obviously going to share the details with you, ad nauseam. From friend's dinner parties to catering gigs (an actual exchange of currency went down) we are officially bloated and tired. The stove area resembles a meth lab and the KitchenAid is about ready to quit this bitch. That being said, it was the epitome of time well spent.

As any sensible person would, let's begin with dessert. We made this Salted Caramel & Chocolate Tart on a whim, and let's just say that no one was mad about it. The process is a bit time consuming but primarily because the dough has to rest, and get a facial, and then rest some more. It's worth it though. We would offer the names of our references, but last we heard they were in rehab from the lingering sugar high (ZING! Lame, yes).

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love

Monthly inspiration.

Getting our product fix for cheap.

Using flowers as middle fingers at winter.

Take Me Away

(Dream library courtesy of Wicked Thrifty)

While the prospect of a long weekend is a beautiful thing, actually having to return to work after one is an absolute nightmare. We lose track of the days and have the same amount of work to do, just in less time. We could continue staring down the throat of the present pony (it sounds better that way) or we could take a dip into our magical dream box of places we would rather be. The latter will suffice.

All Aboard

(Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy via If The Lamp Shade Fits)

After spotting a gallery of stacked suitcases as room accents on Apartment Therapy, we are seriously in the market for some of our own. We're not sure if it's the function meets fashion angle or the fact that you will forever feel like you have a train to catch, but this is definitely the beginning of a new obsession.

Bottoms Up

(Image & Recipe courtesy of Over The Hill And On A Roll)

We don't know about you, but we will most certainly be dipping into one (or seven) of these this weekend.

Wednesday's Own... Things We Love... On Thursday



Any surface we can write on



Refusal to blend in with our surroundings

Letting dinner guests know how we really feel

AHHHHHHHH!

A thousand apologies if we frightened you with our 50's B-Movie nostalgia, but it isn't nearly as horrifying as the pictures that actually accompany this recipe. The meal itself was utterly delicious, but every single picture looked like something found in the cafeteria at Three Mile Island. That being said, Brie Stuffed Chicken with Sherried Mushroom Sauce may taste and sound amazing, but when the editor of Food and Wine comes over for dinner, you may want to consider something with a touch more curb appeal.  

Brie Stuffed Chicken with Sherried Mushroom Sauce

Recipe after the jump

Mmm Mmm Good

(Jeffrey Campbell Lita courtesy of Sole Struck)

We have mentioned once before that we are engaged in a deeply passionate love affair with Jeffrey Campbell and his crazytown amazing footwear. Due to the Kilimanjaro-esque vertical on the heel, 90% of his shoes appear to have the comfort level of jumping on broken glass, and should probably require a waiver before purchasing.
 Au contraire. Despite looking like something that could cause even the most tenured model to eat runway,  they are shockingly comfortable and easy to wear, even against Baltimore's stiletto murdering cobblestone streets. But if you hate getting compliments from every girl (and gay) you encounter, we recommend that you stick with Shape Ups.

Envy is a Good Color On Us...

We just found this Apartment Therapy tour (via SimplyGrove)and are now debating getting the hell out of freezing Baltimore to buy a house in a milder climate. Maybe it's our arsenal of empty Chap-Stick tubes or the fact that we're debating Bikram yoga solely to sit in a warm room, but we can't take it anymore. 

This incredible Californian home features a stunning kitchen separated from the courtyard with a garage door. That they keep open. Can you imagine having anything open in your house right now? We've barely been opening our fridge because it's too damn cold.

Pull your space heater a little closer and scroll through these lovely images. This space reminds us a little of the upper floors and guts of Center Stage- super high ceilings, long velvet curtains, and an industrial-but-warm feel.

And excuse us, but any house with green bricks and a lounge in the bathroom is worth a cross-country move.

Crackhead

(Image courtesy of M Beauty Lounge)

Of the two of us, one is a bit of a self professed product junkie (ahem, hey Lauren). This has resulted in cabinets, and drawers full of the latest and greatest miracle products (read: overpriced crap). Although this obsession was forced to see itself to the door when we began cohabitating with our lovahhh, we still manage to sneak a few goodies past security on the reg.* Of these pieces of cosmetic contraband will most certainly be OPI's new Shatter Black nail polish. This crackle polish is weird, fun, and will be worn at most, twice. In other words, it is a perfectly justified purchase.

* Just kidding Mitch (no I'm not)

ThreeWay

We want to wake up to this...

...then warm up in this room...

...and spend all afternoon lost in this book.

Bring It



(Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Regardless of how old we are, the prospect of snow will forever be the most exciting thing in the world. So forgive us if we fly into a tizzy every time the ever so reliable meteorologists of Baltimore threaten us with a day of flurries. This time around, we have a realllllly good feeling about it though. No more bullshit forecasts that leave us as down and out as the creepy skeleton who went home on The Bachelor last night (don't judge, tis the season for crappy reality show obsessions). Oh, and could we have this to die for fireplace too?

Wonderland

(Image courtesy of Thirteen and South)

Currently daydreaming/coveting/obsessing over filling our homes with glamorously modern oddities.

Squashed

(Compliments of Chrisotpher)

This weekend was fa-bo-lo-us. The Ravens advanced in the playoffs (anyone up for a terrible towel vigil this week?) and we spent all of Saturday shootin' guns and drinkin' beer on Gibson Island. After a long day of being outdoorsy and shooting (among other things) a can of corn and a stuffed rabbit, the party moved back to the city. It was one of those rare occasions where 20-some people converged on our house (which looked like an actual crack den) and somehow everyone had plenty to drink, eat and do. 

While our chefs spent hours in the kitchen making squash soup and tomato-sausage sauce for penne, the other 18 of us stood firmly in their way, insisting that the kitchen was the best and only place to play slap the bag with our disassembled Black Box; to wait like dogs for scraps of food, and to color on our chalkboard wall.

The recipe for the last minute squash soup (entitled "BoomBitchButtnernut Squash Soup by its inventor) is after the jump. Here's to many more unexpected parties in 2011!

Represent

(Image courtesy of Blaster Case)

Have a fabulous weekend. Great. Thanks.

Over Easy

Just saw this Lisa Perry spread over at seesaw. 

It's basically the adult version of every dream house we designed on paper as kids.

(Minus the egg omelet. We weren't that clever yet.)