In 2010 I ... ate Lebanese food

At a place called Emily's Lebanese Deli, nonetheless. This divey little hole in Northeast has been featured on The Food Network, where I first learned about it and was not surprisingly drawn in because 1) it's called Emily's and 2) it's not every day you see a Minneapolis feature on national TV and 3) I'll watch almost anything on television.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at Emily's

Food Club had slowed a bit with the business of summer activities in full effect, but since Carmelo's we've visited Sea Salt Eatery, Haute Dish and now Emily's. Unlike the others, this one is quite a sight. Considering the complete lack of any sort of ambiance, this place is rolling out seriously good food. Which is critical, because you wouldn't venture there for the service either. But really, the food is that good.

Most of the group started off with tabouli ...

... while I devoured mistah bread.

Of course we also couldn't resist a plate full of hummus, and after all this it was difficult to fathom still being hungry for main courses. Our table was eventually covered with kabobs, cabbage rolls, rice with almonds (sooo good!) and various preparations of lamb and chicken. Yum.

We all left completely stuffed, and if you've never had Lebanese (like me before this week) I'd highly recommend Emily's. But take a minute to consider the take-out option. I now know why it was the more popular option throughout our dinner stay ...

Next up: Tavola Fresca, this crazy-amazing sounding private backyard dinner series.

In 2010 I ... thrifted, again.

I'm hoping that one of these days Hunt & Gather stumbles across my blog and decides they want to pay me to blog about everything I find, make and love there. It is seriously just the most glorious treasure haven ever. In introducing Jennie to it this past weekend, I came across this lovely:




The gold detail! The perfectly historic and modern font choices! Swoon. While this one will be living with me, several other "Quips and Quotes" posters (in orange, yellow and cream) will be framed and available in the Etsy shop soon, including:

Yellow: "Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them."
-Francis Bacon

Blue (with magenta detail): "A Slip of the Foot you may soon recover, But a Slip of the Tongue you may never get over." -Benjamin Franklin

Yellow: "If you write a better book, or preach a better sermon, or build a better mouse-trap than your neighbor, the world will make a beaten track to your door." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Orange: "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cream: "The history of the world is but the biography of great men." -Thomas Carlyle

Shoot me a note if you might be interested in one of these - I'd be happy to mount and frame them to your specifications.

On an H&G-related note, I also managed to grab this adorable white vintage clutch on sale for just $9:

Perfect timing to coordinate with the polka dot number, no?

In 2010 I ... attended a lovely outdoor wedding

Niki & Ryan were married this past Saturday and the event couldn't have reflected them more perfectly. Even through the constant drizzle N & R showed you don't need perfect weather to have an outdoor ceremony:



Because I was wrapped up in my flasher-like trench coat (thanks, Morgan) I failed to grab a shot of my nautical polka-dot dress - which conveniently but unintentionally coordinated with my gift wrap - so this random back shot will have to suffice:



The crowd behind the dress was for the evening's second stop, Patty's long shirt/short pants/Lady Gaga-themed birthday soiree. Also in NE Mpls, it was a relatively quick walk from the wedding and an outrageously fun way to end the night. Seriously, that much craziness/karaoke/drinking should be illegal. Then again, maybe it is.

In 2010 I ... chopped my hair

These posts are getting increasingly violent. Shot. Chopped. I'm going to have to monitor my subject lines a bit better so as not to scare my lovely blog followers!

But I really did chop it. Quite a bit in fact. And for summer, I'm bringing the blond back, too.

Before. (And before this cut was grown out into unrecognizable sloppiness. And I want this tan back right now.)

After.

I've never been very attached to my hair. It's been most every (natural) color, cut and style and I like to keep a "why not" attitude about the whole thing. If you never experiment, you might never find the best one! Although I've never been willing to settle on a "best" choice, which leads me to believe I'll be on a lifelong hunt. At least it'll be a fun one.

In 2010 I ... shot a baby

Ellie is already 2+ months old, and Jenny & Toby wanted to get some shots before everyone forgets just how small she used to be! E's a precious little bug, but she had absolutely no intention of smiling when I took these last weekend. Maybe she's already been watching America's Next Top Model and picking up some non-smiley model poses?




I'm going to count that last one as a smile. Although if she keeps working the camera like this, maybe her modeling career can fund J & T's retirement? Just a bit of wishful thinking ...

In 2010 I ... planted.

Planting on a 3rd floor Uptown condo patio is no easy task. Keeping the planted items alive falls in the same category. After several failed orchid attempts, I've managed to keep a hearty aloe vera plant alive for just over a year now - a major feat. I mean, I had to move it indoors for the winter and everything.

Happy 1+ Birthday, AV!

So this year I was feeling more plant-confident. Almost cocky enough to try for blooming greenery ... but not quite. Enter my new coleus plant:


I fell in love with the oversized leaves and nearly-neon green trim, but unlike the pre-potted aloe vera (thanks, IKEA) the coleus required repotting. Thankfully my mom gifted me a pot filled with potting soil last year (So this was something I intended to do last spring? So what?), making the transfer about as easy as microwaving popcorn, my cooking skill equivalent.

In lieu of a traditional saucer I threw a bright blue galvanized tub beneath the pot, snagged at the Target Dollar Spot last year. In all seriousness, it's a small update to the ongoing patio upgrade, but it feels really great to have some added greenery out there.


Pot and soil: Gifted (thanks, Mom!)
Tub/saucer: $1
Coleus: $5.33

For under $7, this is my kind of upgrade. Here's to hoping there won't be a need for a subsequent in memoriam coleus post.

In 2010 I ... bid another friend adieu

Unfortunately, Carissa's pending departure has been a long time coming. As a great friend and regular mention on WLHitD, C is a neighbor, friend, Books & Bars attendee, bowling league teammate ... the list goes on and on. So this weekend began what will likely be similar to George's weeks-long send off, starting with a lovely afternoon soiree at Jennie & Eli's. Nothing says "We'll miss you" like beverages, lawn games and cake:

Eric butchering/graffiti editing C's cake

Shockingly, I like C enough to have even had thoughts of attempting to bake a cake myself. I printed a recipe off the interwebz and everything. Then I realized I liked her enough to buy a cake and save her and others the torture of choking down my "baking."

The party was enhanced by the uncanny matching abilities that J & E's daughter Violet, Patty and myself managed to unknowingly pull off. Instantly a brief, Sears portrait studio style shoot was born:

Me, P & V - and yes, we're together. Isn't it obvious?

Nothing says family like subtle softening effects with a healthy dose of pastels.

[Note: This whole "shoot" brought with it horrendous flashbacks of a darker time when my mom made me wear a red, velvety blazer (of the shoulder pad variety) circa '94/95. I was maybe 12, there were some serious bangs involved, and it was a very difficult time in the heart of the ugly years.]

Saying goodbye to C will be no easier than it was with G, and I'm already dreading the official June 22 takeoff. However, I intend to begin planning a New Zealand trip/European meet-up asap. That'll make for a stellar 2011 blog post, won't it?

[Note: I need a haircut. Like yesterday.]