Tuesday With Moi

Tuesday, September 4

The most important meal of the day, can I get an amen?

We live in the 1800s and only have a washing machine.  No dryer.  All our clothes have to air dry.
We love the environment and the environment loves us.

 Bernadette is thriving.  I don't know what I'm going to do if she continues to grow at this rate.  If you have any awesome mint recipes, send them my way before my house turns into a jungle!
#Jumanji

 Leftover pizza.

I'm not even joking, if someone opened a food truck that served cold, day-old pizza and parked it in my neighborhood, I would eat there every day.  I love leftover, cold pizza.

The glamorous life of Kate Sims...

I looked in the mirror and realized I hadn't put on my eyebrows yet, so I quickly ran to my makeup bag and penciled them in.  I know, IknowIknowIknow- nobody else can tell if I have penciled in my brows or not, but I can tell, and I think I look terribly boring without them filled in. 

Sometimes, when working from home, it's really great to just throw on a some leggings and a pair of slipper socks and then curl up with my laptop on the couch, but more often than not, I like to actually get dressed.  A coordinating outfit, some killer shoes and my aforementioned eyebrow ritual all help to make  me feel put together and do better work.
These were my work shoes yesterday.  Bam.

I haven't named them yet, but let me introduce our new plants to you: Cilantro and Basil.

They've only been with us a few days but are already doing great things for our taste buds.
It's my new mission to turn our home into a greenhouse, or maybe even a working farm. I wonder if our condo association counts goats as pets...
#Jumanji

David came home from work!  I pretended he was Don Draper and fixed him a tumbler of whiskey which he drank while I asked him questions about his day without really listening to the answers.

Then he took a nap on the couch, just like Don Draper.  And just like Betty, I sat on the other couch looking perfect and chain smoking cigarettes whilst contemplating the state of my cuticles.

Okay, so maybe I was lying about some of that... but David really did drink a little whiskey and then took a nap.  And I did paint my nails.  Sooo... it was basically the truth.

I changed shoes to go to the grocery store.  These little flats have been good friends to me, but they're starting to show their age.  I think I'm going to replace them with these beauties: the Jenni Kayne D'Orsay Flat.  Now, I just need to decide on the color... 

Made a simple dinner and then put on our pajamas and settled into a night of Paralympic sport.
The blind football was especially fascinating.  Their coordination was incredible and their dribbling (is that what it's called?) skills were phenomenal!  In my personal opinion, blind football is a lot more interesting than sighted/normal football.  I wish they showed it more often.

 If you like to feel like an underachieving, whiny piece of crap, than you should definitely check out the Paralympics!  These athletes are amazing.  Remember how I said I was constantly crying during the normal Olympics?  Well, I am beating my chest, ripping my hair out and balling watching the Paralympics!  Even though I'm deathly afraid of amputees (I had a traumatic experience with a grimy amputee back when I was home schooled), my heart is filled with love for all these athletes- even the ones missing all their appendages.  It's really moving and really really inspiring to watch them compete in these games.

 Then the broadcast ended and the Redcoat and I started talking.  He was wearing this shirt from his stag night that our friend Pete designed (hi, Pete!).  And since we were talking about our dear friend Pete, we decided it would be fun to call him and talk to him.  So we did.  

And then we called a few more people who we hadn't heard from in ages.

Skype is a wonderful wonderful thing, don't you think?

Finally, it was bed time.  I'd washed the duvet cover earlier which meant we had to semi-drunkenly attempt one of my least favorite chores ever, putting the duvet cover on the duvet.  In the end we got the job done, collapsed into bed, and slept happily ever after. 

Until this morning, when we both woke up with little headaches.

Oy. 

As always, thanks for reading and sorry I'm not more interesting. 

xoxoxoxo

Tuesday With Moi

Tuesday, August 7
Boring Edition

So this is really embarrassing, but it took us two- almost three- weeks to hang these pictures.  The one in the middle was painted by my dear friend Angie our freshmen year in college. 

She's super artistic and amazing.

Weekly shot of Le Chat.  She has the best life ever.

"Paint it black" is kind of my new mantra.  Over the weekend, I painted the bathroom black.  It feels cleaner, now.

Still in the bathroom.  I was doing a hair mask and thinking.  It was deep.

David's son moved out last week and I've taken over his bedroom as a studio.  This gives you a taste of the current state of the room.  Super depressing, no?  I cannot wait to re-paint and turn it into a welcoming, inspirational space.

Being good, drinking water.

YUM YUM YUM.

The Redcoat and I were suuuuper tired yesterday because I made him watch The Sound of Music with me until 2:00 AM the night before.  I love the Von Trapps and sang along to every song.  Needless to say, our late night with Maria, the Children, and Christopher Plummer made us a little sleepy yesterday and David had to take a nap.

This is what our pictures look like from a different angle.  Love!

Ooops!  I took a nap, too.   My hair is super conditioned, but I'm still sleepy in this picture.  Also, please note my sweater.  IT IS STILL FRIGID HERE, PEOPLE. 

Picking up Indian food.

YUM YUM YUM.

I always have a notebook and pen with me, just in case...

I'm skipping around here because my life is too interesting and I don't want to make you jealous.

Actually, I spent all night working and watching the Olympics (surprise surprise!).  I was really into the wolf-man Russian high jumper who won gold.  He was so aggressive and, like, had high jumping autism or something.  Whatever, I totally have a crush on him.  He's crazy and I love it.

Also, three high jumpers won bronze.  How is that even possible?  I mean, I understand the scoring and know how it's possible, but why not make the three bronze medalists have a jump-off or something?  It was just too much.  Does the Olympic federation have extra medals hanging around just in case?  Considering they're giving them away so liberally, can I have one, too?

I don't want a bronze one, but I'll have an extra gold.

Hell, I'll even settle for silver... Please?

After the Olympics were over, I just hung out on the couch and drank more water.

Then I went to bed.

GLAMOROUS.

Okay, you guys.  You're all like, Kate, do not be ridiculous.  Please stop taking stupid pictures of your apartment, your cat, and your super sad life because you're making me depressed! And I totally hear you.  I promise that next Tuesday I will do something awesome.  Or, awesomer.  PROMISE. 

Okay?  Okay.  Great.

As always, thanks for hanging in there for another week.  xox

So Fresh & So Green Green

Let's be real- the closest I will ever come to having a baby is having my mint plant.  I mean, I have a cat, which I suppose is more like a baby than a plant is considering it's a living, breathing organism that pukes a lot and always needs to be fed, but the cat is more David's than it is mine so the cat is his baby.  The mint plant, however, is mine all mine, and she is GINORMOUS these days!  (I'm an excellent mother, what can I say?)

Over the weekend, I decided my plant- who from this point forward will be referred to as Bernadette- needed a new home to stretch and grow her roots, so I turned an old paint can into a planter and adorned it with ribbon (many thanks to Brent for the pretty chevron ribbon!).  I can already tell that she loves her new home and both of us are super happy.

Other than painting my bathroom, replanting Bernadette, crying, and cleaning, all I did this weekend was watch the Olympics.  While the Olympics are obviously super inspiring, they also make me feel fat, old, and really under-motivated.  Like, there are people with blades for limbs who are running 400m sprints in way less than a minute while I have two perfectly normal legs and complain when I have to walk up stairs while carrying groceries.  Not hot.  So, last night as I stuffed myself with chips and salsa whilst watching the Athletics, I decided that I'm going to start making a couple changes in my life.  Changes that will help my posture, healthily allow me to release some stress, and become a little more of a superhuman.  I mean, nobody's going to give me a gold medal for anything I do, but if I do it right, maybe I'll be able to buy myself some diamonds or a car, or something.  Though I definitely don't want a car in this country unless I have a full-time driver, too.  Driving on the left hand side of the road scares the shit out of me.... for realz.

Anyway, I hope you find it within you to become a better superhuman, too.  Together, let's rule the world!  xoxoxo

Tuesday w/Moi

Tuesday, July 31

Olympics Edition

I spent my first wakeful hours yesterday morning in bed with my laptop, catching up on some work and drinking copious amounts of coffee.  Delightful!

My mint plant is scary big and has just started sporting these delicate periwinkle blossoms.  Guess my green thumb deserves a gold medal!  Unless of course this is a bad thing... I suppose I ought to look into this further...

Our leather couch is covered in ring marks from people putting beverages on the arms.  At first these rings annoyed me, but I've recently given into them and, in the spirit of the Olympics, I'm pretty gung-ho about them.  It's like an explosion of Olympic rings right on my couch! Coooooool.

For all of you who are not in the UK and are watching the Olympics wondering why Beach Volleyball players are donning wet suits and why audience members are wearing parkas, it's because it is winter in the UK.  I sat huddled in a giant wool sweater all day yesterday and I was inside.  For real, you guys, it is cold.

I painted my toenails navy blue.  GO AMERICA, GO!

As I said yesterday, I am totally into badminton this year.

I also really enjoy Men's Volleyball.  Those guys defy gravity, it's ahhhmazing!

Diving is also one of my favorites.  Especially synchronized diving!

I was totally invested in the Tsonga vs. Raonic match yesterday afternoon.  I took this photo when the score was 18 - 17 in the third set.  I'd never really seen Raonic play before but I fell a little bit in love with the 21 year-old Canadian as he stayed poised and consistent against the #6 in the world.  In the end, he lost the match 25 - 23, but he put in a tremendous effort and I'm really looking forward to watching his career unfold.

All of a sudden I was like, Oh my goodness, it's so late and all I've done today is watch the Olympics!

But there was so much to watch, so many athletes to fall in love with, and so many wonderful stories to weep at, so I just kept watching... 

This is how I feel every time an athlete I like loses.

#BrokenHeart

SO ANXIOUS watching the Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay last night.

SO HAPPY when Team USA swam like dolphins and won the gold!

Contrary to what this post may lead you to believe, I did in fact leave the flat yesterday.  Early in the evening, I briefly left to purchase a bottle of vino for David and I to enjoy as we sat on our bums eating ginger biscuits and watching the Olympics.

WE ARE SO ATHLETIC.

We closed-out the night with the Beach Volleyball.  Here we are watching the men's match, which the cute Italians sadly lost to the domineering Austrians with bad tattoos.  After, we watched the American ladies beat the Dutch.  I definitely believe there's a correlation between the amount of clothes a player wears and their winning a Beach Volleyball match, for both teams that played in wet suits (basically) got their asses kicked last night.

And that was my Tuesday!  I'm working on a more comprehensive collection of Olympics illustrations that I will share in the next couple days.  Until then, please know that I will be sitting on my couch and cheering on all the Americans and underdogs competing in these wintery Summer Games.
xx

Oysters & Olympics

David and I treated ourselves to some oysters whilst in London recently.  They were harvested in the north and were surprisingly creamy, like poached eggs with warm, runny yolks.  They tasted like calm salty pools and made my heart ache for New England, for the beaches and humidity and the sounds of the ocean.  We drank a bottle of crisp white wine and then left to meet a friend.

-----------

The Olympics are in full-swing and I feel incredibly fortunate to be in (and near) London in the midst of the games!  I'm thankful the BBC doesn't break for commercials (sorry everyone in the States...) and love how thorough the coverage is.  The Olympics have always inspired great emotion within me and I'm constantly weeping with happiness at the sportsmanship and pride of the athletes.  They have accomplished truly great feats and I'm so inspired by their dedication and hard work.  And here I go getting teary again.... it's just so beautiful! That being said, the Opening Ceremony was not beautiful, except at the very end when the fireworks went off and a group of us ran up my friend's fire escape to watch the stadium alight on the other side of the city.  The sky flashed with light and for a moment we felt like we were at the center of the Universe.  That moment was beautiful, very beautiful indeed.

What's been your favorite part of the Olympics this year?  I'm hopelessly addicted to badminton...