It was a fun holiday season! Christmas, birthday, new year, mini high school reunion ( Read more... )

I like to make stuff up in the kitchen... I rarely follow recipes other than to use them as a jumping off point. Just in case anyone's interested, here are some easy, cozy fall foods I've been making recently. These are just the ones that are good enough to share ; )
( see recipes here )

Guy #1: They don't speak English [in Ireland], they speak Irish!

Guy #2: Celtic.

Guy #3: Celtic?

Guy #1: Yeah, Celtic.

Guy #4: Gaelic.

Guy #1: Yeah. Gaelic.

Guy #2: That's like the fish, right?
(Everyone stares at him...)
You know, like the fish! Geltic...

Guy #4: ...That's "gefilte fish."

So here's what's been going on in Valerieland! (Yes, it is a place. You should visit.)
( read about my escapades! )

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up ( Read more... )

What a situation I have gotten myself into ( Read more... )

So we ripped down a soggy wall and a soggy ceiling yesterday, and discovered that we have not one, but two leaks: one on the second floor, and one on the third floor. Joy. But the good part is that the one we've seen so far is NOT a leak in the soil pipe... it's a crappy connection job between the shower drain pipe and the main soil pipe ( Read more... )

My boyfriend Lang is the new owner of a house, as of last Friday. It's a big ol' twin in West Philly, built c.1893, and somewhat Victorian in style (as in, the Victorians made an attempt at Colonial Revival, so it looks sort of Victorevival). Do not get me wrong, I think this house is flippin' awesome ( Read more... )

I'm telling these stories because they're so real. Most people who were born in America only hear about these stories in books and in legend. But they happened to people around me. It sort of shocks me every time, how far away these stories seem, and how real they actually are ( Read more... )

So i was training the girl who would soon be my replacement, lisa ( Read more... )