UP

Life is large my friends, life is large!

I laugh I cry

Sometimes, when I'm nervous about something, I distract myself with really funny things.

I'm a little nervous now.

Bring on the funny:

First, a thought from Philosoraptor:

Lame Pun Racoon says:

Art Student Owl is pessimistic:

Crazy Girlfriend Praying Mantis is psychotic:

And now, a question:

Vote for Andy and it'll be pizza time ALL THE TIME!

(is this a re-post? who cares! it's FUNNY)

This following pic is deliciously witty.

I really love caterpillars, and I really love hotdogs. Who knew they were one?

I don't have to be nervous. I am the popcorn kernel.

That's it folks. The gong show is over for now.

I'll tell you about the news later, if everything goes swimmingly. 

If not, then it will remain a MYSTERY FOREVER!!!

P.S. This blog post is dedicated to Ms. Madaline Zanni who knows that I own a giant ant.

Ants on a Log

Ants on a Log!

Ants on a Log!

every day it's Ants on a Log!

Peanuts on a log would have been better.

But since there were no peanuts to be had, I had to satisfy myself with ants.

Pinocchio

I wish Phoebe was a real little girl, and not a dog.

It would be so nice.

I could bring her everywhere I go! 

As it is, I cannot bring her into the grocery store with me, or to an indoor restaurant.

It's hard to cut her nails, and a can't get her to brush her own teeth.

Her haircuts are really expensive and she eats my socks.

If she were magically a real little girl I could cut her nails, and get her to brush her teeth.

I could bring her to restaurants. And she could pick out a treat at the grocery store.

She would not eat my socks.

I love my puppy, but sometimes she has to stay behind. Then I feel bad!

Phoebe the friendly dog, the friendliest dog I know!

Eye Candy & Audio Bliss

Today is a really busy day, and there are so many things to do. 

Life is buzzing right now.

I'm sorting through a lot of fashion photography and the

pictures remind me of my friend, the inspirational and incredibly talented, Giancarlo Intini.

His work with hair and make-up is unbelievable.

C'mon, isn't it?? ...WOW....

Since today is mildly insane I'm making it easy for myself and posting some

delicious imagery from Interview Magazine.

And of course, in typical Parrot style, a song to match:

Glamour Vixens by Craig McDean

ENJOY

And my personal favorite from the series:

Weekend Wrap-Up

WOW. What a weekend!

It's been an intro into the world of Twitter!



I got to hang out with my friend Lorine, working out at the gym,
and eating healthy food!

I got to "High 5" my friend Mauro at his birthday party Saturday night!
I could only stay 20 minutes, stop and say HELLO before I ran off to work. This is called High 5-ing!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAURO!
(he makes great wine!)

I got to work with a bunch of my good girl friends, which is always hilarious and fun!
A good chance to catch up!

And if you're interested, there's a Sunshine Girl video of me.
I didn't notice it at first, but here it is if you want to watch it!
CLICK HERE TO SEE ME IN THE VIDEO!

And this is my bouncy theme song of the day!!

Looking forward to another stellar week!

HUGS AND KISSES!!

LIFE IS LARGE

Life is so large for me today.

I feel as if I can't contain it in my body.

It's been a FULL day, leaving me breathless and expansive.

It's been a day of communication, of thoughts, of words arriving to me in all kinds of different ways.

I want to share some of the feedback I've been recieving. 

The following are excerpts from letters, and they are anonymous. I'm writing back to them at the moment:

"...Your posts are great and you offer the world tons of good"

"...you always have something inspiring to share.You are a gem"

"If you were looking for your groove back when you posted the Sad Lisa video, I have to say you've found it and finessed it with great results - I think your blog is outstanding. I find it interesting, artsy, beautiful, ethereal, full of heart and splashes of humor, and I could go on and on (as of yesterday it was also appetite-stimulating - I might have gained a few pounds just *looking* at those desserts)"

I am so incredibly grateful.

Thank You.

Indulgence

Sometimes, once in a while, every blue moon, 

we stray from our health-intentioned paths and

make culinary exceptions that are FULL OF WIN.

Such as today, at Harbour Sixty Steak House.

Be prepared to drool all over your computer screen!!

THIS SALAD WAS AWESOME

Spinach and Arugula salad with slivered pear, 

Monte Enebro goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and roasted apple vinaigrette

Delicious scrumptious steak was next... 

I recently finished a book called STEAK by Mark Schatzker and I've been craving steak since.

You should read this book. 

It is wonderfully written: witty and informative, and it'll have you craving 

dripping delectable meats straight from the grill...

In my steak this afternoon, there were these delectable juicy pieces near the bone. 

When I put the first piece in my mouth I lost all sense of space and time and the flavor just existed and floated around in my head. A moment later I was brought back to the real world and I just started to laugh... 

like WHOAH...

Lobster and Brie mashed potatoes, and garlic mushrooms were the sides. 

I know. I shouldn't have. But I did. 

And I'm damn well pleased about it too.

Dessert? 

I've been so good, eating healthy things, not going overboard, exercise, etc. Why not?

Lemon tart with lemon gelato

and mind-blowing Banana Crepes!

I hope I've succeeded in making you all green with envy or growling with hunger.

Every once in a while you've gotta throw caution to the wind and indulge in really yummy things!

Now I'm going to try and reproduce that salad. When I perfect the recipe, I'll let you know!

TWEET TWEET!!

I am on TWITTER!

What a fun little world this is. Something new to explore!

NAUGHTY!!

This is why I never have tissue paper for presents... 

It is STOLEN and shredded by the tissue paper monster!!

Look at my puppy's happy expression as she sits in her fluffy white nest.

GLEE!!!!

Phoebe delights in being naughty and then being chased around and getting caught.

Sounds like she gets it from her mommy ;)

Grocery Day

Grocery Day is nice.

Other people dislike grocery day,

but I really love obtaining all my ingredients, bringing them home, and prepping the ingredients for the coming week. Then I put them into containers in the fridge. This is useful because the work is already done (pre-wash and chop celery, peppers, carrots, etc). I also like making most of the week's meals ahead of time.

 

What's on the menu for this week?

Veggie Soup

My soups often turn out like stews because they are so hearty.

I add the beans at the end so they don't turn to mush. You can also add small pasta noodles.

Roasted Vegetables

I could eat roasted veggies all day long and never get tired of them.

Today I sliced and roasted fennel, zucchini, eggplant, and acorn squash. 

The squash was SO HARD TO CUT!

Baked Sweet Potato 

So delicious. I was tempted to make sweet potato pie but that's a project for another day.

Hard-boiled eggs

Eggs are nice. They're great in a lunch, and are portable! 

I mark them with pencil to tell them apart from raw eggs.

Salmon Salad 

I've used hummus as a substitute for mayonnaise and I added hot sliced peppers in oil.

It tastes amazing spread on romaine lettuce leaves.

Chai Tea and Coffee with Almond Milk

I've started using almond milk in my coffee and tea which is really nice. And I've developed a new affinity for chai tea. Yesterday I had some chai and some coffee so I mixed them and added the almond milk and sprinkled some cinnamon on top.

Pumpkin Bread

Today I'm experimenting with this new recipe. 

This is the batter in the pan, and I'm heading out now for coffee with my friend and fellow blogger Aret! 

When I'm back I'll take another pic, and then everyone can drool and gaze in awe at the deliciousness!!

I'm back after a fun coffee and tons of chatting with Aret.
Man, do we ever talk!
And here is the finished pumpkin bread (who are we kidding, this is a cake!)

It's absolutely delicious, but I can imagine it being even better, so I'll make it again with some changes.

ALSO
To make it crazy good I'll use cream cheese icing and top it with walnuts!!

At the grocery store I love exploring and finding new things. Actually, when ever I'm having a terrible day or if I have a big decision ahead of me I go to the grocery store to zone out and think.

Snap Shots

Now that I have my iPhone I can share little snippets of my life as 

I wander around the city, work, and when I'm out with friends.

 

Everything tastes better with a straw!

 

 YAY!! GO PARROT GO!!

In my room I have many bookshelves, and this is one of them. Along the bottom we have cookbooks and Martha Stewart magazines. The second row is reference and past journals. The third row is classics going into youth literature (like The Chronicales of Narnia). And the top row is more contemporary fiction, non-fiction, and then poetry and philosophy.

I really love making soups. I throw a whole bunch of ingredients in and just leave it to simmer while I do other things around the house. Then, after a while, all the flavours have blended. Sometimes I add noodles, rice, or quinoa at the end.

Art by Denial shown at The Artist Project. It's my iPhone wallpaper right now.
WAKE UP! MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!!

Last Monday I was on CP24 with my friend Adam. We were modeling eye-wear for 

Kaltenbock Opticians. I really like these incredibly nerdy frames.

On my travels around Yorkville I saw this pretty dress in the window. I would wear this in the summer time, but without the long necklace. I'd wear stud earrings and a short necklace instead.

This outfit is so nice. I like the colours in it too.

The white dress, why do I NOT have it already? And the wrap is beautiful. 

WANT!!

Beautiful storage boxes at Winners.
I'd describe my decorating style as Traditional French - natural tones, linens and untreated wood... 

I love how Restoration Hardware looks right now - check out their design gallery. :) 

SUPER LIKE 

Loving these adorable bug pillow/seats at IKEA. I want them!! 

Except I'd opt out of buying the iinflatable insert and use some styrofoam, or even fabric scraps.