this weekend's finds

This weekend Matt and I were at his annual family reunion and we stopped by a nice little antique mall. Here are some of the things I picked up:

silk scarves, thrifted, $2.00 (left) and $6.00 (right)

hair clip, thrifted $6.00
locket pendant, thrifted, $4.00

During our almost weekly trip to the great vintage store, Good Style Shop, I picked up a pair of heels I'd been eyeing for months, plus a cute pair of wedges.

tie-up heels, vintage, $28

textured wedges, vintage, $15

Thai spicy chicken with basil

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger (jarred ginger works too)
4 small red chili peppers, halved and seeded*
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 lb. skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used chicken breast)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
6 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
steamed jasmine rice, for serving

*I had a hard time deciding just which peppers I wanted. I'm sure any of the dried Mexican varieties of red peppers would work, but I used 2 fresh jalapenos instead. Adjust to your taste and preferences.

Warm vegetable and sesame oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Raise heat to high, add bell pepper and chicken and stir-fry until chicken is golden. Stir in soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and scallions. Spoon into bowls and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

from Asian Hot and Spicy by Vicki Liley

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summer/winter

Tonight we took advantage of Madison Restaurant Week and had dinner at fresco for a great price (I'll post pictures of the meal later). When we left, I had Matt snap a picture not unlike one he took of me on Valentine's Day, the first time we went to fresco. They are both on the steps from fresco to the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

7/26/09
navy shirt-dress, Forever 21
belt, shoes, and feather pin, thrifted
bag, Etsy
(click photo to enlarge)

2/13/09

Today's outfit included a lot of new summery thrifting finds, which I will share here as well.

shoes and belt (same from photo above), thrifted, $2.65 and $0.99 respectively
pleated wool skirt, Good Style Shop, $5

tassel necklace, Good Style Shop, $10
leaf necklace, thrifted, $1.99
feather pin (same from photo above), thrifted, $1.99

Also, here are a few snippets of wintery finds that I picked up for a good price. Yes, that is a fur collar you see, but I don't feel so bad since it's second-hand. The coat is also in pristine condition, so it was hard to resist. Then, below is the interesting collar and scarf of a gorgeous, albeit slightly smelly and holey, 60's Italian virgin wool dress. It fits like a dream, so there's a lot of potential to be had--once I sort out the stink and the holes.

3/4-length coat, thrifted, $14

wool dress, thrifted, $6

Finally, possibly the best find lately, a set of iced tea spoons from the great Atomic Interiors in Madison. I know iced tea spoons seem like an unnecessary purchase, but I really do love my iced tea. Plus, these are amazing.

"Ebony Elegance" Iced Tea Spoons

swanky anniversary dinner

Dinner at L'Etoile

first bite: flaky cracker with herbed goat cheese and hickory nut

amuse bouche: strawberry puree with muscat wine, buttermilk blue cheese,
edible flower, and toasted brioche

rolls with whipped butter

iced tea with strawberry-rhubarb puree and elderberry syrup

my entree: pan-seared Alaskan halibut with mashed potatoes, house-cured bacon, spring vegetables, and Pinot Noir-bacon sauce

Matt's entree: pan-seared pheasant and crispy pheasant confit with mashed potatoes, braised bok choi, and brandy jus

last course: hickory nut popcorn cluster, dark chocolate-covered applewood-smoked bacon, sugared rhubarb gel

Dessert at fresco

my dessert: honey-poached pears brulee with honey sauce and lemon whipped cream

Matt's dessert: dark chocolate soup with pound cake croutons and peanut butter mousse

day dresses

The past week has brought me some great finds. And with the return of "Mad Men" to AMC in the past few weeks, I'm even more excited when I come across beautiful vintage dresses that would have fit right into the office at Sterling Cooper.

flower & cross-hatch dress, Good Style Shop, $28
tie heels, Good Style Shop
belt, Target

close-up of fabric pattern and button

cotton block dress, Good Style Shop, $20

wedge sandals & locket, thrifted

The second dress has a couple of small tears at the seams that will need to be fixed, but nothing major. I also picked up two cute and very cheap items at garage/estate sales on the way back from the farmer's market Saturday.

scale, 25 cents
says "Weighs 30 Pounds by Ounces"

leaf-patterned vase, 10 cents

cold again

The cold and snow are back for awhile, so it's a good thing I found this sweater while shopping at Savers with my visiting friends. No one else liked it, but I got it anyway. It's really warm and it makes me feel like I could hang out in a ski lodge in the 60's. More of my weekend finds to come next time.

cable knit sweater and whistle necklace, thrifted
jeans, H & M
shoes, Urban Outfitters

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