FALLin'...

for (faux) furrrrrr.

Pun intended.

images via weheartit

jazz clubs.

who knew they could be so sensual?

A couple of weeks ago, Jon and I paid a visit to a St. Paul jazz club - Artists' Quarter - in order for him to meet a requirement for his Jazz History class. Either of us had been to one before and we didn't really know what to expect. Jon was a little hesitant to go, at first, and said he could probably wing his paper without going. I agreed that he probably could wing it, however, some things just require experiencing and I was bored, nonetheless, so I (the lovely girlfriend) encouraged the little outing.

So, we made our way to Saint Peter Street, right in the heart of downtown St. Paul. After we found parking, we meandered our way through the more historic part of downtown and followed the amazing architecture to our destination. I soon realized that downtown St. Paul had such a different feel to it, than downtown Minneapolis - it's cleaner, classier and most of the people living there are a bit older (30s+) and are somewhat more distinguished. As we entered the building, we were led undergroung by means of a concrete stairwell, which reminded me of a subway station. As we entered the club and found a place to sit amongst the others, I noticed paintings of the legends upon the walls, surrounding the stage - Miles Davis, Roy Haynes, Eddie Berger.. The band (The Tyler Anderson Quarter) was just starting a new song. The ambiance of the club was electrifying - consisting of soft lighting, exposed bricks and air ducts and velvet curtains draping across the stage. The air was warm, yet stiff, with the aroma of brandy.

Jazz is such a unique genre of music - the band was so dependent on the audience, as they played off of their emotions. As a past band member myself, I was impressed by each player's ability to keep their own, different beat. There was a sax, cello, piano, drumset and trumpet - quite impressive.

I was amazed, mostly, by the audience and observed them for a good portion of my time being there. Every person in that room (probably besides me, at that point) was so absorbed in what the band was doing. Bobbing heads and tapping toes were to be seen all around. Moods changed with the music, from smiley, upbeat tunes to somber sounds. The boy even got to interview the lead musician during intermission - so proud. :) Overall, it was a very unexpected, relaxing experience. I would now recommend anyone to pay a visit to a jazz club. Best part of all, it was free!

who's who. . .

in the zoo?

This past weekend consisted of my parents and two out of my three siblings (Erin and Jason) visiting the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. We thought it was time to find something fun to do as a family, so we outweighed our options and came to a consensus that a trip to the Minnesota Zoo would be fun. None of us had been to a zoo for years, so we thought that, although somewhat kiddish, it would be fun. As I wandered about the zoo, observing the different animals, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards the caged beings, especially animals like birds and leopards - animals that are born to run and soar - not to sit stationary, day after day. The everlong paths along 'the northern trail' featured animals found in the midwest, mostly. As we came upon the turkeys, which we are all more than familiar with, I just sat on the deck and stared down at them for a while. Bird feeders were hung above the ground-dwelling turkeys, who would run to the feeders once the birds started eating, in hopes of snatching a dropped seed or two. The turkeys were lucky to have such a 'natural habitat' - they were merely in a fence outside, almost like a set-up that you would see at a farm. Just then, a small, yet plump, squirrel caught my eye - as it sat comfortably on a tree branch just above one of the feeders and a few feet from us. It stared at me and I stared right back - At that exact moment, I wondered which one of us was the spectator and which one was the exhibit. 

pumpkins & plaid.

lovely, lovely.
Pumpkin picking and carving is definitely in season.
As well as beautiful plaid.
Of course, plaid is never out of season, in my opinion.
Retailers are surely aware of our undying affection, so they find many different ways to incorporate it into our wardrobes ALL YEAR round.
However, fall is - hands down - theeee most popular of the plaid seasons, especially for flannels, so let's see 'em! :)

images via weheartit

men are from mars.

without a doubt.
So, Jon had forgotten his workout shoes at home this past weekend. He decided that he just would rather get new shoes, because the other ones were shot anyway. Ok, I told him - but we didn't have time to go until about 8:45pm, since we decided that we would go to the Mall of America, we were cutting it pretty close, since they closed at 9:30pm. I had faith in Jonboy, because he'd been 'researching' online for a month or two and already had a good idea of what he wanted. We proceeded to get there at 9pm. Once we were greeted by an overactive sales associate/manager, I took my seat on the nice, comfy 'locker room' bench. After about 15 mins., he narrowed it down to 2 pairs - one the was ideal for lifting and another that was more versatile - didn't have the structure of a lifting shoe, but could be better used for running and agility (it's interesting that myself, along with thousands of other women, base decisions mostly on looks and brand - function of the shoe? ...eh, not so much). Comfort was the key term of the night, looks were a close second, brand wasn't so relevant. Anyways, time was ticking. . .after I shared my opinion and he agreed (most men will not buy anything that a woman doesn't first approve of) - of course, I didn't point that out to him, but it makes me smile most of the time. As we were about to decide, another sales associate almost secretively hands Jon a receipt that gives you $20 off a purchase of $100 or more. "Now this changes everything," Jon says. All that was going through my mind was, wowwwwwwwwwwwww, we are NEVER going to get out of here. He goes on to request his, what fifth? (i lost count) pair of shoes to try on..the $90 Pumas (apparently they were 'sick'). After brief disappointment, saying they weren't what he thought they were going to be, he decided to take the Adidas, weight lifting shoes. Since the shoes were only $80, themselves, Jon was instructed by the sales associate to add on (like music to a salesperson's ears) either buy one, get one socks or sole inserts, which would allow for better speed performance and would be more optimal for running. Jon opted for the inserts and we were good to go. It was now past closing time - around 9:45pm. When we got up to the counter to pay, the associate mentioned that Jon was 2 pennies under the $80 total and needed to buy something small to make up for the difference. Really? What the hell did the store have that was less than $5? - apparently shoelaces were popular...Jon, having no use for the shoelaces decided to get the socks and add on another $10...since they were buy one, get one, they would still be a steal. Everything was figured out, rang up and totaled. . . close, but no cigar. Insufficient Funds, read the computer screen....of course, my lovely bf didn't remember that transferred funds usually take 24 hrs. before spending could take place. . .Since they couldn't hold anything overnight, we decided we would come back tomorrow. After we stomped back to the car - me, drained by the whole experience (and men thought shopping with women was exhausting) a tiny, indecisive voice broke through the silence. . "You know, I'm not quite sure exactly which shoes I liked."

soup from a stone. . .

fancy that.

I know you all remember that childhood fable and it's something that I have in mind (don't know exactly why) every time I make my own creation of an AMAZINGggg soup. Although it doesn't quite feel like fall in MN yet, since it's been in the 80s for the past week and will continue to be in the upper 70s for the next, it's always good to keep in mind food for the soul, for those colllllld, long, winter months. Sorry to remind you. I'm not looking forward to it either - I HATE being cold. I eat this soup often, especially when it's chilly, blustery, what have you - it never ceases to satisfy. Plus, it's extremely healthy, which I know I shouldn't be concerned with even a tiny bit, since I need to start packing on the 'insulation' for winterrrrrrr.

Cheap, Easy Vegetarian Vegetable-Noodle Soup.

Needed: Medium-sized pot
To make a larger pot – double recipe
2 – 14oz. cans of Swanson Vegetarian Vegetable Broth
2 – medium-sized potatoes (I prefer garden/red potatoes)
2 – cups of egg noodles (I usually opt for the wide/extra wide)
1 – large carrot, peeled and coined
½ - cup of red/yellow onion - chopped/thinly sliced
½ - cup of whole kernel (canned) corn
½ - cup of frozen peas
½ - cup of thinly sliced celery
Salt & pepper to taste – I usually add veggie pepper.
And ANY other veggies you care for – string beans, broccoli, cauliflower…

Directions:
1] Mix vegetable broth, celery, onions and potatoes – set on medium heat
2] When potatoes start getting tender, add rest of veggies – carrots, corn, peas
3] Keep on medium to high heat until desired texture of veggies is met – TASTE OFTEN :)
4] I usually go about noodles this way – in a separate pot/pan – boil noodles until they are al dente, strain and pour into the soup, once it’s done cooking.
5] VOILA!

daily, weekly, monthly. . .

It doesn't matter when or how we get there, only that we do.

I finally finished Paco Underhill's Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping. I loved his first, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, so I just knew that I couldn't pass this one up. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in shopping, spending time at the mall, architecture, visual merchandising, advertising, design, retail, in general - and the list goes on and on. I cannot wait to fall into his next and final book, for now, What Women Want. Now, although my background is in retail and soon-to-be more of the psychology of the consumer, as a consumer myself, I found this to be such a great read. We have ALL been in a mall, COUNTLESS times and, like the book mentions, I'm sure we have all had a few 'wtf/scratching the head' moments - mostly in reference to asking the question: what were those companies thinking? Or maybe that's just me? Nonetheless, Underhill puts everything into perspective for both the consumer and corporate minds in charge of all of these shenanigans; what works in the mall and what doesn't - and what should be changed immediately (small tweaks that could raise profits DRAMATICALLY). He refers to the Mall of America and Southdale (the first enclose shopping space, or mall, which help us locals paint a better picture. It also makes me so much more interested in consumers, in general, how they act and why and what these retailers are doing similarly and differently over the years that have been fool proof.

This book also brings me back (about a year ago) to working at a mall kiosk. If you are really curious, I sold calendars and games - at times, it was very insightful and interesting, on the other hand, it was boring and often times embarrassing (never thee ideal job), but really - I learned a lot from that job. I would stand there (yes, we weren't allowed to have chairs - even for the 9 hr. shifts) just observing/people-watching. To think back on it, I had a front-row seat to the mall, all of the action, especially during the 3 month holiday season, when our kiosk stood strong, and we did well, might I add. I would place items on the ground (we had a toy monkey that rolled around on the floor, laughing) or start playing with toys (bouncy balls, hand-held, wooden puzzles, ANYTHING) that would attracts kids to the stand. This strategy (although it was done mainly to keep my sanity) worked about 80% of the time - even if they wouldn't buy anything, it got them interested, asking questions and, ultimately, looking. This is just one of the many examples of an on-the-job activity that I would 'experiment' with while working in a retail setting. However, one could only stand there bouncing a ball for so long. Eventually, I got smart, went down to Border's and got lost in a good book.

He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me.

Scarves and Sunflowers.
Although the sunflowers are slowing dying off (tear) - the scarves are back in full swing for this lovely fallllll weather.
Annnd, since I love 'em both - I thought I'd pay homage.
Hope you have those pretty scarves ready, ya'll - it's going to get blustery out there! ;]