Labor Day Fall Festive Picnic!

Labor Day this year was rather chilly in Ann Arbor, so HanKimSus (Nearly Normal Girls + Susie) decided a fall festive picnic was in order. We grabbed thick blanket, our cozy fall clothes, and tasty picnic treats to enjoy in University of Michigan's Arboretum. 

Once we found a relatively flat area Kimmy and Susie lay the blanket out. We packed a two baskets. Our savory basket was filled with french baguettes, walnut & cherry cheese spread, veggies, and hummus. The tasty dessert basket (pictured above) satisfied the sweet tooth with glazed pumpkin donuts, apples with caramel dip, and a sparkling grape juice.

Everything was delicious! We were a bit disappointed that it was too early in the season to find cider at the grocery store, but the compromise ended up working out. We especially love sipping our sparkling Welsch's out of adorable mason jars. We brought the lids to protect from the bugs, and keep the rest of our goods from getting sticky after we packed up. Mason jars were also used as storage for our Fuji and Golden Delicious apple slices. Can you tell we can't get enough? Useful and pretty! Our favorite combination.

From left to right & top to bottom: Hannah, Susie, Kimmy and the beautiful boots

Our picnic was phenomenal! So many aspects brought smiles to our faces. The food, the conversation, and the crisp fall air. It was so much fun people watching the park-goers, including the man who stopped to do some push-ups uncomfortably close to us consuming donuts. That's awkward...

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your fall festivities :)

PS - If you want more pics check out our Facebook page for the PICNIC Day album. And like us while you're at it :)

Pumpkin Spice Latte!

On September 6 the pumpkin spice latte returned to Starbucks! Of course the Nearly Normal Girls took a lovely field trip to indulge in a couple of these delightful fall favorites. We encourage all to take a taste & feel free to customize! Hannah got half the syrup and soy milk :) As You've Got Mail points out, "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self." As  indecisive young women of today we are advocates for such a phenomenon!

A-Z Movies: (500) Days of Summer

Last week, I watched one of my absolute favorite films of all time, (500) Days of Summer. Little did I know I was embarking on a journey that would give me a front seat to the lives of complete strangers in all sorts of places. I love movies so much, so I have decided to share my collection from A to Z and let you know why each film has earned a position on my ikea book shelf.

Image from here

(500) Days of Summer, for those who are unaware, is "not a love story, but it is a story about love." This may sound confusing, but the movie illustrates this phenomenon so beautifully. The story is about Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel. Their characters are so well developed that I truly believe they have been derived from real people, with whom I hope to befriend in some alternate universe. The movie time travels, in a sense, through the 500 days of Tom and Summer's interactions with each other. The way the story is told is innovative and pulls the audience into the movie so much that it feels almost as if it is not a story, but a recollection of past moments and relationships in the viewer's real life.

Most can relate to one of the two main characters more than the other. Summer is portrayed at the start as someone who lives, and loves for that matter, in the moment. The narrator says that Summer loved two things, "The first was her long brown hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not mean a thing." Summer believes that relationships always end in hardship for both parties.

Unlike Summer's belief about relationships, Tom has always believed that contentment is found in the perfect woman. He lives his life looking for "the one," and won't be happy until he is with her. When he meets Summer, he thinks this happiness will finally be achieved. I can't go on to spoil anything, though I desperately want to.

The movie sends me on an emotional ride every time I watch it. I simply become so involved in the lives of Summer and Tom, that empathy for the two of them pours out of my pores. The cinematography, the story, the acting and the writing are so phenomenally breathtaking. I could go on for days and give away every stitch of this story, but I wouldn't be doing it justice. This is not a movie that can be explained, or even watched. It has to be experienced. ADD IT TO THE NETFLIX QUEUE THIS VERY MINUTE. (I feel very strongly about it)

Thanks for reading.
More to come,

Hannah

Whoever thought Kim was the new Kate was seriously disturbed.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/hold-it-people-kardashian-wedding-was-not-the-royal-wedding-2530777/;_ylt=AiF5E69FujN0OnWRgf1OPGlabqU5

    

      There are few issues I will fight people on, I live by the philosophy" To each his own." One of America's best qualities is that we are blended nation, you can wear whatever you want(although you might end up on what not wear), say whatever you want(even if it fills my newsfeed on facebook), and believe whatever you want(whether your place of worship is Target or a church  we will except you! ).

With all our differences there are some similarities that are cohesive throughout America.  We believe in the american dream; that no matter where you are from you can be successful,  That friday nights aren't complete with out pizza and pop (or beer if you are of age.), that summer is filled with bbqs & fireworks, and we know every move of american royals- the Kardashian Family. WAIT WHAT? I don't think I have ever been so appalled in my entire life. Kate Middleton is a classy, educated, duchess and Kim is famous for her horrible eating habits and big behind.  Just because Kim is on TV doesn't make her wedding the new Royal Wedding! I am sure that people who have been calling the Kardashian wedding the royal wedding are the same people who think Snookie from Jersey Shore is intelligent. Sometimes America, I wonder about you.

Here is an article that depicts my same feelings on this touchy subject.

Kate > Kim 

 Thank you for listening, I hope you feel a bit more educated on Celebrity/Royal Trivia.

-K

Quick Update and Heaven in a Bundt!!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I am extremely sorry that we are such slackers. We have been busy enjoying the end of summer. Lots of fun has been had and blog entries will hopefully follow with all of the craft projects we've done and trips we have traveled. Already time has flown by and the start of school is only weeks away with Fall officially starting in only a month!! The chilly winds of Ann Arbor have put me in a baking mood. I dug out The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and life has been sweet ever since! I first baked delicious oatmeal raisin cookies and today I crafted up some mini bundt cakes with the carrot cake recipe in the book. My mother has named these little treats "Heaven in a Bundt." Below is the recipe. I didn't have walnuts, so I added extra raisins. Enjoy! --Hannah

Ingredients

3T ground flaxseed

1/2c water

2/3c canola oil

1 1/2c finely grated peeled carrots

1c chopped walnuts

1c raisins

1 1/3c all-purpose flour

1c granulated sugar

1 1/2t baking soda

1t baking powder

1t ground cinnamon

1/2t ground cloves

1/2t ground nutmeg

1/2t ground allspice

1/2t salt

Directions

1- PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 degree

2- Lightly grease 9 x 9 cake pan (I used my 6 mini bundt pan)

3- Whip together flax seed and water for about 2 minutes

4- Add oil and blend completely

5- Add carrots, raisins and walnuts and stir

6- In a seperate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt

7- Add wet ingredients to dry and combine

8- Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly

9- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 mins (I only baked the bundts for about 18)

10- Let pan cool for 15 mins

11- Loosen cake from edges and invert cake out of pan

YAY! Mad Men Collection coming soon at Bananna Republic!

First off, let me say that I am 2 seasons deep in the amazing show that is Mad Men. I am loving the clothes so much and feeling so drawn to the 60s style. Thrifting is always an option, but sometimes the quality is sub-par. I went in search of some at the mall, but nothing was truly 60s through and through. But the fashion gods were working! I got home from the mall to find an advertisement for a Mad Men inspired collection coming to Banana Republic! I screeched with joy and have been flipping through the pages over and over trying to figure out what I don't want to get... I may just buy it all. Take a look at the collection through this blog entry I found through Google. Try to act like you don't love it---a impossible!

Da Wolfpac

Before I begin this post, i must tell you an important fact about me. I HATE WEARING HATS. However with that said. Like life there are exceptions to every rule. I love fascinators (which is more of headband, but some would argue that it is a hat.) and I really adore these funky yet fantastic fuzzy hats. Wolf hats were created by my designer friend Elise. Each hat is handcrafted from recycled faux and/or real fur coats. Elise can custom make a specific hat to your paticular fancy, or you purchase one she has already creatively constructed!

 some close family friends and I (Elise on far left) sporting the Wolf Hats, We like to refer to ourselves as "dawolfpac" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To find out more about purchasing a Wolf Hat ,follow one of the following links.

Facebook: Sheeps-Clothing-and-Art-Production


Twitter: Dawolfpac