Friday, January 29, 2016

Hokkaido Squash


I had never seen a Blue Hokkaido Squash before, but once I saw it I knew I had to have it. I really want to visit Hokkaido in the winter one day for the beer and the snow. And the noodles and the hot springs - you get the point. Back to the blue squash. It does really have a blue rind, which is amazing because I can't think of any other blue veggie. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't blue on the inside, too.



I knew I wanted to use enoki mushrooms in my squash, so I took to the internet and found One Messy Kitchen's recipe. I would have never thought to put cream in squash. It is a truly amazing idea.


I cut the squash in half and took out the seeds. I put a bunch of holes in the flesh (not the rind) with a fork. I then put in the enoki and a portobello mushroom cap with the gills removed. I poured half and half over the mushrooms until it was about half an inch from the top, sprinkled some salt and pepper, and popped it in the over for about an hour at 400 degrees F. 



It was super delicious. This is a great vegetarian main dish. I think it would work with any kind of mushroom and any kind of squash that is not too sweet. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Keep your resolution with the best workout songs of 2015!

With almost one month under our belts, 2015 is officially and undeniably over. But I'm not finished listening to the hits yet. Here are my top ten workout songs taken from the Billboard Hot 100 - 2015, building in intensity. Perfect for running!


There are two Bieber songs on here. I seriously never ever thought that I'd like him but I love What Do You Mean?. It's so relatable, because there are tons of times when I have no idea what I mean but totally expect my people to haha.


Hotline Bling is my favorite song of the whole lot. Before this song Drake was just "meh" in my book but this brought him to a whole new level. I have listened to this song so. many. times. The sweater dance is seriously the best.

I featured Lean on by Major Lazer back in June, always amazing! So happy that it made it to Billboard's 100. The Major Lazer crew is composed of music wizards. So good.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

<3 KM

Friday, January 22, 2016

My Disney Bounding


I went to Disneyland recently for the first time ever. I was obsessing over what to pack when I found out about Disney Bounding. Disney Bounding, if you don't know, is dressing like a character or element of a Disney creation without doing a full-on costume. 

One of my favorite Disney songs is Pink Elephants on Parade. I had been wanting to make my pink elephant plushie into a purse for a long time, so this was the perfect excuse to rip out his stuffing and replace it with my wallet and phone. At some point I will probably post a tutorial on how to make a stuffed animal into a purse.

I put on my grey hoodie - because elephants, obviously, and my black dress because most of the song's animation is over a black background. I also wore my pink and grey stockings to try to up the trippiness factor.


I found it to be a happy coincidence that my shirt and my bag matched the colors on the Tomorrowland sign, but that wasn't my initial plan.  My favorite Disney movie is The Black Cauldron, and while my favorite character is Gurgi, I don't really own that many white clothes. I decided to try and do a Horned King. I put my hair in two buns to emulate his horns and wore a shit the color of his robes. My flannel also has little stripes of maroon, too. 



I made the broach that the Horned King wears out of a safety-pin and some sculpy. This was probably unnecessary, but it turned out cool.

I had a great time - Splash Mountain was the best!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

End of January Calendar Sales!!

Now is the time to shop for calendars and holiday scented candles. Today my bro and I went to Go! Calendars and Games in Pioneer Place off of SW 5th Ave in PDX. I scored a bunch of calendars for only $3.74 each. I am seriously tempted to go back tomorrow haha!



Some calendars are starting to sell out but the selection is still plentiful. I even saw some planners but we visited too close to closing for me to peruse that section. You can also buy them online at calendars.com.



If I could only pick one calendar I would chose the Liz Climo calendar in the upper left corner. Her comics are too funny, and simply adorable. All four of these were less than the retail value of one

Hope that your year is off to a great start! I am feeling super organized at the moment. We'll see how long that lasts haha. 

<3 KM

Friday, January 15, 2016

Seek the Realms of the Great Beyond

I know I am always late on the trends. It's part of my style, I guess. At least I am not so far behind this time that all the stuff is out of stock! Anyway, I love the idea of having this game board on everything. I want a night-table with an Ouija design on top, so my cup can leave me water-ringed messages in the night.
Dark Side Clothing
Think of the party games you could play with this hoodie. You could do light as a feather, stiff as a board at the same time as planchette-ing. 

Etsy
Throw pillows confuse me (I always think of the scene from Coupling), but this one has a use besides just taking up couch space - summoning beings from unknown realms. Sounds like an okay reason to succumb to these strange, evil, squares of fluff.

Rebels Market
Just wear a planchette necklace with this bikini and you are ready for some interesting times with the great beyond, not that I recommend calling in the incubi and succubi.


Monday, January 11, 2016

Just To Be Still - New Song on Soundcloud

Conflicted consumerism.


Just to Be Still
- KM

I need a day
Just to be still
Just to lay here
Against your will

And I wont eat
And I wont drink
And I wont listen
I'll barely blink

Cuz I don't wanna 
I don't wanna
I don't wanna want
But I 
I want it
I want it all 

And I don't wanna 
I don't wanna
I don't wanna
I don't wanna cry 
But I'm 
I'm bawling 
My makeup is ruined 

And I don't wanna 
I don't wanna 
I don't wanna fight 
But I'm 
I'm yelling
I'm screaming at you

I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna want

Please just hold 
Hold On

Friday, January 8, 2016

Secret Pocket T Shirts



I have debated for a long time about posting these shirts. I didn't want anyone to know the secret held against my breast. But now, I am throwing caution to the wind and saying "what the hell?"  I mean, I've never put anything other than a little cash in the secret pocket, so it's not like I'm giving away anything big.


This the first one I made. I had a problem with two of my favorite t-shirts. The grey shirt developed a hole in the front. My boyfriend bequeathed me the green Kurt Cobain one, but it was made out some horrible overheating, sweat inducing fabric. 


I did a messy cross-stitch around the edge, except for one corner where I just did the stitching on the Cobain fabric leaving a small opening for the pocket. I could've just left it with the hole in the back, but I didn't want it to get bigger and it would be pretty awkward getting anything out of it.



I love pockets so much, especially secret ones, so I made another one. This one I did with a fancy stitch on my sewing machine and started with the secret opening so I wouldn't have to struggle getting the fabric under the machine. I loved the color of the main shirt, but it had a graphic on it that I wasn't fond of. My Tank Girl shirt was always a little tight across the chest and as much as I loved to wear it, it just wasn't comfortable. You can see this shirt before I destroyed it here.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Beer Shampoo. I love it!

Who would have known that beer is good for your hair? I would have never thought about pouring it over my locks, although apparently some people do. I had no idea that it's a thing. Turns out, I love BROO beer shampoo!
I have been growing my hair out for awhile now. I take Biotin along with a multivitamin to support the growth, which helps, however it is still important for me to be gentle to my hair. For this reason I avoid SLS and other chemicals which are found in most shampoos.

I find that this helps my hair grow better, however it really limits my options. Many shampoos that are labeled "Natural" still have SLS or other chemicals in them. BROO avoids the big ones which is the main reason that I considered it. 


Natural and Vegan
Why beer? 

According to this article from Truth in Aging, "When you soak, rinse, or spritz your hair with beer, its natural ingredients coat each strand and lend hair-nourishing benefits. In addition to B vitamins, the proteins found in malt and hops are said to repair damaged hair and boost overall body. Meanwhile, the maltose and sucrose sugars in beer tighten the hair's cuticles for enhanced shine." 

Choosing a shampoo that contains beer, or mixing beer with shampoo or conditioner avoids stank-y hair. Even Catherine Zeta Jones is known to use beer to condition her locks! 

Why avoid SLS? 

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is one of the most common shampoo ingredients because it makes a nice lather. It is not good for our bodies though, because it is a known irritant and could possibly be carcinogenic. SLSfree is a good source for more information. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also has a database called Skin Deep which rates the safety of common beauty products based on their ingredients.

BROO's Shampoo Ingredients
BROO's conditioner ingredients
Conclusion

After using this shampoo for over 4 months I can honestly say that I am still loving it. It doesn't give my hair a ton of volume, but my hair is naturally very straight so I always need products to thicken my hair anyways. I have noticed that it does leave a bit more volume than my other go-to natural shampoo, which is Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Shampoo.

I find that this shampoo works best when I alternate it with another shampoo once a week. This is pretty common with natural shampoos. The scent is pleasant, natural and light. When I want something to smell a bit stronger I add some sort of product. BROO really does leave a nice shine in my hair, especially when I rinse with cold water after applying the conditioner.

Happy 2016!!!! Wishing you all the very best this year.

<3 KM

Friday, January 1, 2016

3 Ingredient Lotion


There are so many weird ingredients in store-bought lotion. You don't want to be rubbing unknown synthetics into your body's largest organ, right? I tried to just get away with coconut oil for a while, but the winter makes my skin super itchy so I had to add a couple things.

2 parts Coconut oil
1 part Shea Butter
3 parts Vegetable Glycerin (try to get this ethically sourced to you don't end up vicariously killing orangutans)


You can fool with the ratio of the ingredients because everyone's skin is different. I like this one because for me it doesn't leave too much of a greasy residue and doesn't make me break out.

 Just mix up those three ingredients in whatever container you are using.  If you heat it, it will come together better, but it is entirely unnecessary. I just mixed mine with my fingers. 


The glycerin works better with some added water, so I put mine on after my shower. I wouldn't add water to the lotion or it might mold. I had a test batch sit in the open for months and it did not spoil one bit, so it is fairly shelf stable.

You can also add essential oils to make it smell nice. As is, it had a bit of a musty smell from the shea butter. 

It also works pretty well as a hair moisturizer, if you don't put too much in.