death in the morning, death for breakfast...

Good in theory.

bijoux — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 06:37:35 GMT

For some godforsaken reason I renewed my paid LJ account, so I might as well post something. Does anybody care about what I wore to my cousin's wedding this past weekend? No? Ah, oh well, then this is for my own amusement.

1. Honeycomb Lace Dress (minus that ugly belt) - Anthropologie/Yoana Baraschi

This dress is so much cuter in person. My cousin got married at USC, so I was trying to incorporate some of our school colors (cardinal & gold).

2. Open-Front Jacquard Jacket - The Limited

Up-close this has a lovely but subtle jacquard pattern.

3. Dipped Diamond-Shaped Earrings - Forever 21

Fancy-looking earrings!

4. Dixy - Enzo Angiolini

I've been wanting to rock the nude pumps trend for ages, so I was really jazzed I found an excuse to do it.

5. Quilted Crossbody (in white) - Forever 21

You'll be happy to know I took off the tassel.

6. Hair similar to this braided bun up-do

I'd post a picture of myself, but yeah, no. My makeup was sort of a hot mess, alas. I did get to try a bold red lip, though, which was probably a mistake but whatever :P

Stuck.

bijoux — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:54:41 GMT

So I've come to the conclusion that I'm stuck in a rut. I've grown comfortable with my routine and honestly this routine is going nowhere. I'm working at a great school, but I'm doing a job I don't love (though I love getting a regular paycheck), and I have no real intention of getting into teaching anyway, so yeah... I think I need to move on soon. Maybe after this school year. My boss has been dropping hints that they might not need me next year, which I expected, so this is probably a sign.

Where to from here, I don't know yet. I'll have to work something out.

Anyway, my Spring Break trip to London/Paris/NYC went fabulously. Anyone interested in a recap post? I'm sure I've got pictures around here somewhere.

I see London, I see France...

bijoux — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:11:00 GMT

I keep meaning to update my LJ but I never get around to it, or I start entries and then partway I'm like "Wow, this is fucking boring, who wants to read about this?" and I delete everything to spare you guys. But really, I should update this.

[I'm going through a really odd, distressing phase of Not Caring About My Life. Which is probably a lesser form of depression or something. I'm kind of working my way through and out of it, but it's a process. A long process. A process that I'm slowly making progress on, maybe. I don't know. We'll see.]

Anyway, if you haven't been following me on Twitter, big news for this year - I'm going to Paris for Spring Break! It'll be my first time there, ever, and I'm pretty exited about it even though I have no idea what I want to do/see when I get there (other than the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and a day trip to Versailles). If you have any cool Paris recommendations, please send them my way! (I'm also doing London - again - and NYC, but I already have a plan for what I'd like to do there ;D) Thank you!

Whee, exclamation marks!

I better use this thing.

bijoux — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:28:43 GMT

Just purchased myself another year of paid membership, even though I hardly use LJ anymore (correction: I hardly post, but I do read my flist daily). But I dislike looking at ads and I like having the ability to edit my comments, so one does what one must. Plus I like my icons even though I rarely use them. It's all about options.

My birthday is coming up on Tuesday, EGADS SO OLD. I'll do a roundup post then, probably.

But I do have to thank shemmelle for the gift that keeps on giving: Captain America on Blu-Ray :D SO EXCITED. Thank you, Shem!

Watchathons galore.

bijoux — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:57:42 GMT

Work has been super annoying lately (yesterday I was about ready to slap someone), but the fall break is coming up and I'm trying to channel my Annoyance into Not Giving A Damn (in my brain, I am only annoyed because I care too much - if I cared less, it would bother me less, right? RIGHT? Whatever, let me keep my illusions :P) The only things keeping me going at the moment are my upcoming DC/NYC trip and lots and lots of beautiful television that I've put off forever until this perfect moment where I can marathon them all.

Things I've watched lately:

1. Suits! - I actually haven't see the finale yet (saving it), but wowza, what a fun show. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. I think in my head it was a mix of Psych and White Collar, but it's actually more dramatic/less silly-stupid than those shows (don't get me wrong, I love silly-stupid). All the characters are pretty great, especially the female characters (minus that blonde one - ugh, what is the point of you except to cause relationship drama? get more interesting or go away).

2. Luther - Watched both seasons and totally dug it. I don't know why I waited so long. The Alice Morgan/John Luther relationship is fascinating. They're like friends, but how can a cop be friends with a murderer he is trying to prove guilty? you ask. Well, somehow they are. It is awkward and great.

3. Downton Abbey!! - Hotdamn, it took me a long time to get to this. I made it only to episode 3 the first time I tried to watch it and then lost interest. Then everyone and their mother started to love this show and the contrary part of me was like, Ugh, no thanks, I'll wait. And so I waited, and lo and behold, I'm finished with the first series and the second one is about to start - perfect timing!

4. Haven - I'm catching up on this now (watching ep 2x04). You guys, this show is actually pretty good (if you over look the mostly dumb weekly sci-fi-ish plots). So many great characters that make the show worth watching, I think. Nathan is my favorite, which is not surprising at all. I love my unfeeling (literally) robots who discover the power of love. Or something. Whatever, he is tall and cute and that's all I need.

I still haven't decided what I'll be keeping up with this fall now that the new TV season is starting. I honestly don't know what is on, I'm so out of the loop. I think The New Girl and Homeland are the two main new shows I'm going to try.

Anyone have any suggestions, for both new shows I should try or old shows I should get caught up on now that I am in the mood to watch stuff again?

Crack Bars.

bijoux — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:58:34 GMT

Officially these are called Salted Caramel and Almond Slice, but you can refer to them as "crack bars" like my work friend L does. All the teachers at work hate/love me when I bring them in, which is exactly the kind of reaction I look for when I bring baked goods into work. Yeah, I'm weird, whatever.

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend making this, and then trying a small piece, and then giving away the rest because they are so freaking addictive.

- - - - -

Above picture and following recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Salted Caramel and Almond Slice

Shortbread Base -
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds, finely ground (can substitute w/whatever nut you like best)
1/4 cup dried coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Filling -
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Topping -
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. (I generally make this in a 9.5 in pie dish. You can probably fit this in a 8 in square dish or a 10 in springform pan, etc. Just use whatever you have on hand that's approximately this size)

2. Make shortbread base. Mix flour, sugar, almonds, coconut, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir until combined and then press into baking dish in a thin, even layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

3. While the base is baking, make the caramel filling. Mix honey, butter, condensed milk, and salt into a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until mixture boils. Let boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and pulls away from the side of the pot.

4. When shortbread base is finished baking, take out of the oven and pour caramel filling on top. Spread filling out evenly over the base. Set baking dish aside to cool a little before putting it in the fridge to chill. (Because I'm impatient, I usually place the warm/hot dish on a folded kitchen towel and then stick it the freezer to cool faster)

5. Make the chocolate layer. In a double boiler or small pot, melt chocolate chips, butter, and oil over low heat. Mix until it is melted and smooth. Spread evenly over the chilled caramel filling. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (coarse, flaky, etc. - whatever you have on hand). Refrigerate baking dish to harden the chocolate. Cut into small squares & om nom nom nom.

- - - - -

Fair warning, these are super rich and totally work the effort. The honey caramel filling is magical. The sweet/saltiness of the whole dessert is really what makes it, so if you want to *ahem* sprinkle a little more sea salt (going for medium coverage instead of light coverage), by all means do it.

If you make these, let me know how you like them ;)

Mmm, juicy.

bijoux — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:02:43 GMT

So I've been thinking about juicing recently ("juicing" as in making my own fresh juice from a juicer, not taking steroids), for health & diet reasons. I caught Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix Instant earlier this month, and I have to say that I thought it was pretty inspiring/motivating. Don't worry, I'm not embarking on a juice fast/cleanse (if I had the willpower, I'd probably give it a try, though). What I'm hoping to do is to incorporate a heck of a lot more fruits and vegetables into my diet, because most days I eat like maybe 1-2 servings if I'm lucky. No, really - it's bad.

This is the juicer I just purchased:

My friend Joey owns one and recommended it, so I'm giving it a go. It's a step down from the $150 Breville I was looking at, which is probably a good thing. I mean, who needs to own a $150 juicer? Certainly not me.

I also bought The Big Book of Juices which hopefully will set me in the right direction. I remember when I was younger, my mom had a juicer and she'd come up with some truly heinous concoctions of her own design and then force it on us kids. I think if I start out with a relatively well-reviewed recipe book, I can't go that wrong.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about this venture. I'm hoping to use juice as a meal supplement in the mornings and/or meal replacement for breakfast. Generally I eat like half a Fiber One bar for breakfast and then save the other half for snack, so honestly I'm not really depriving myself of anything. In fact, I'm probably doing myself a favor at this point.

And lest you fear I am going to stop eating altogether (impossible, seriously - food and me are friends), I also bought a new cookbook which I'd been eying for a while, Super Natural Every Day. Exciting!

Okay, bijoux out.

I feel like I should update this thing.

bijoux — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:17:46 GMT

It's been a while, so I'll ease myself into this by doing a list. Yay, lists. I love lists.

SOME THINGS!

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 - midnight showing tonight! I'm pretty excited. At this very moment, I'm trying to marathon the first seven movies. It's been pretty slow-going since I started yesterday, am terribly exhausted, and have the attention span of a gnat. So far I'm on Order of the Phoenix and I've been watching at 1.5x-2x speed since Prisoner of Azkaban just so I can get through them. Shit, these movies are long.

2. Seattle! Had a lovely time meeting tons of Dwiggies at DU:2011 (Spring, Wendy, Andrea, Tine, Maria, Jimmy, Meg, and Shem & Erin), drinking margaritas, eating delicious food (Spring's awesome tacos, Maria's fabulous tomato jam, Tine's speculoos, Beecher's mac & cheese, City Fish's Dungeness crab cocktail), shooting things at a shooting range (YOU GUYS, I SHOT SOME GUNS - the Glock might've been my favorite, even though I'm not terribly accurate, but it made satisfying bangs when I emptied the entire clip at Simon's insistence), spa-ing out, and of course some sightseeing. It was an excellent weekend filled with laughter, chickens, bees, huge ass dogs, and lots of cute kids.

3. Work :O I'm technically on break from my day job since it's summer holidays until the end of July. However, my mom is on vacation out of country, so I'm working 12 hr. shifts everyday until she comes back in like 2 weeks. I'M DYING. And then when she gets back, school starts up again and I have to deal with that all over again. Bleh.

That's about it for now. Man, I am so tired at the moment. I don't know if I'll even be conscious during HP7 tonight. I need a nap.

I'll miss you, M&S.

bijoux — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 05:51:44 GMT

Hiiiiii! Made it out of London alive. It was amazing. I want to go back.

I didn't get to see Buckingham Palace. My mom is appalled I went all the way there and didn't see it. It's not my fault. I blame the London Marathon for foiling my plans.

I didn't get to shop nearly enough.

I am horribly jetlagged but stubborn enough to force myself to stay awake.

This post is pointless, but hi, I wasn't kidnapped and sold into slavery and I'm sleeping in my own bed now and my sinks have single faucets instead of the double faucets which seem to be standard over there (I'm sorry, Vals and any UKers, but I just want to wash my hands with warm water and not have to choose between fiery hot and ice cold water and this is in no way an unreasonable request :P) and I had an amazing time overseas but I'm glad to be home.

OH AND ALAN RICKMAN WALKED PAST ME AT THE THEATRE AND IT WAS AMAZING. I WAS A FOOT AWAY FROM ALAN RICKMAN. HE WAS SITTING THREE ROWS BEHIND ME. I can't even.

Mini-update!

bijoux — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:33:05 GMT

Apparently I have not updated this since January - WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Bad me, sorry. Erm, things!

1. Spring break starts in about a week. I have three glorious weeks off, and much of that will be spent in NYC and London. I'm really looking forward to it.

2. Despite being ready as fuck for a vacation (sorry work, you're draining the life out of me), I HAVE NOT PLANNED MY LONDON TRIP YET. I fear I may just end up going there without a plan, which would be terrible. Thanks to everyone who replied on my last London Trip Suggestion post! Your input will be invaluable in the OMGPLANTHIS phase starting this weekend.

3. I have too many new shoes. I had to send some back. Who needs this many new shoes? It's bad.

4. March turned out to be the Month of Baking. After maybe like, IDK, at least half of year of not really baking things (I go through phases), I have turned into a Baking Machine. My co-workers now know me as That Girl Who Bakes Things (And Leaves Treats In The Staff Room). It's become a problem, sort of. Well, does baking 3 times a week constitute a problem? I have no perspective now.

5. I just made double chocolate espresso cookies. YOU SEE? Maybe it is madness.

6. Also, I bought a new dSLR. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. I am too scared to use it. I should maybe dedicate a new post all about it. I might name it Eames :D

There, a quick and dirty post for everyone wondering if I was still alive. Yes, I'm alive. Hi.

London calling...

bijoux — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:51:56 GMT

You guys, you guys, guess where I am going in April! Go on, guess! You have one try.

That's right, LONDON. And if you can believe it, I've never been there. (A layover in Heathrow on my way to Eastern Europe in 7th grade doesn't count :P) I'm very excited. As a lifelong Anglophile, I've always hoped I'd get to go to England one day. And finally, I'm making it happen.

Both shemmelle & legrandeval have been extremely helpful via Twitter and email in sending me suggestions on which things to see/do/eat, but I wanted to get input from as many people as I could. Thus, here is me asking all of you, what things must I see/do/eat during my trip to London? I'll be there for 12 days so time is not really an issue, though most likely I will not have much opportunity to explore outside the main city.

No "obvious" suggestion is too obvious (i.e. Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, etc.), and I'm not above full-on touristy things. Thanks!

New year, new things.

bijoux — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:33:26 GMT

So it's 2011 now. I should probably do a recap of 2010 and all the things that went wrong (and right - there were a couple of good things, including travel and finding a fairly steady job), but I'm not really one to sit and reflect on things. To be honest, I just tend to forget everything, good or bad.

Anyway, back to the new year. In a quest to be more healthy, I'm attempting to mix in more vegetarian recipes into my repertoire. The thing I enjoy about vegetarian recipes is that they use vegetables in interesting, delicious ways - ways I would never even imagine using them. And I'm all for eating delicious things :)

Here's something yummy I made today...

Spinach, Crunchy Chickpea, and Hazelnut Ragout
Adapted from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet
Serves 4-5
Approx. 190-240 cals per serving (not including rice, couscous, etc.)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup whole hazelnuts
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 6-8oz bag pre-washed baby spinach
3 plum tomatoes, 1/2 inch dice
2 tbsp capers w/ a little brine
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the chickpeas in a single layer. Roast for about 30 minutes until crunchy. Transfer to a plate when finished.
3. On another rimmed baking sheet, spread out the hazelnuts in a single layer. Roast for about 10 minutes until golden in the center (cut one open to see). Transfer hot nuts onto a clean dishtowel, forming a sack, and rub the nuts in the towel to remove the skins. Don't worry if you can't get all the skin off. Transfer nuts to a chopping board and coarsely chop.
4. In a bowl, pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over the raisins. Let stand for 10 minutes until plump.
5. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute (do not brown). Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, spinach, capers and brine, and raisins with about 1 tbsp of soaking liquid. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted.
6. Add in roasted chickpeas and hazelnuts and heat through. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Serve over jasmine rice or couscous, etc. Or maybe with some flatbread/pita bread.

- I really enjoyed this. I don't know, it was just... different. But in a nice way! The raisins added a nice sweetness, and the hazelnuts were an unexpected party in my mouth. The only thing I didn't quite like were the actual capers, but I think that's just an acquired taste thing which I will attempt to acquire. I've never liked capers, but I've only eaten them a handful of times, so I think I just need to get used to them. If you hate capers, I'd suggest reducing the amount, but I'm pretty sure the brine does something magical so best to leave that in.

- Do they sell toasted hazelnuts on their own? If so, that'd be a nice timesaver.

Hrm, I should probably take pictures of my food, but I honestly really suck at food-picture-taking. Well, we'll see. Maybe if/when I get my DSLR ;) And some nice plates. And something attractive to put on the table/in the background...

Mayday.

bijoux — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 12:37:22 GMT

Do you ever feel like your life is out of control, even though logically you know it isn't out of control, it just feels like it is, and maybe what's really out of control is you even though you sort of feel okay? If so, then welcome to my world.

I need to be on pills or something. Quick, someone prescribe me Xanax :O

In other news, I'm mostly fine. How are you?

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

bijoux — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:24:06 GMT

Love, ~~Arthur & Eames~~ Me ;)

Venice and Bonnie & Clyde.

bijoux — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:50:10 GMT

I feel like I need to update my LJ more often, so I'm going to talk about some exciting theatre things.

Last night I went with a friend to see Venice at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and wow, what a revelation. I can honestly say it blows a lot of shows on Broadway now out of the water. If this show doesn't make it to New York in the next couple of years, I'd be really surprised.

...Venice is a far more ambitious and expansive work, combining elements of Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, Brechtian allegory and dystopian political fable, all enhanced by rap narration and a melodic, rock-influenced score that is one of the most winning I have heard onstage in years.

The show is set in the vague near future, in a fictional city called Venice that has just emerged from 20 years of war. Among the political exiles — dubbed "the Disappeared" — who have returned to the city is a charismatic young leader, also called Venice (even the names in this show have a fablelike resonance), who vows to usher in an era of peace. Opposing him is his treacherous half brother, an Iago figure who plots not only to poison his brother's impending marriage — to a childhood friend, the daughter of one of the city's legendary heroes — but also to plunge the city back into violence in order to keep its police state intact.

- Excerpt from TIME

It's being billed as a vaguely hip-hop/R&B/operatic modern update of Othello, but it's more than that. Honestly, it was a superbly engaging show with wonderful music, and I really I wish I could tell everyone I know to go see it before it closes, except that it's closing tonight - ack! But anyway, if they ever do another workshop of the show near you, or open in NYC sometime, you should definitely check it out - I know I will :D

- - - - -

In other news, I just saw this about the Asolo Repertory production of Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie & Clyde (now starring Laura Osnes as Bonnie & Jeremy Jordan as Clyde - you'll be missed, Stark Sands *sniff*):

Wildhorn and Black wrote at least a half-dozen new songs for Bonnie & Clyde since La Jolla. One of them addresses a crucial aspect of Clyde's character that was missing in the first staging. "The poverty of the 1930s made Clyde a criminal, but it was his experience in prison that made him a killer," Black said.

"I'm Ready is a tour de force for Clyde when he's in jail," said Wildhorn about the song that was completed during rehearsals in Sarasota. "I think we're attacking some of the edgy qualities of the story. That time he spent in prison was unbelievable, the stuff that happened there. So that changed him. He was a different guy when he came out of prison. We wanted to write a song that could show that change. We did not have that in La Jolla, and we have it now."

Source

I'm glad to hear that they've made some sorely needed changes. I enjoyed the show when I saw it in La Jolla last year (and not just because Stark was in it, though that didn't hurt), but there was a lot of interesting character-developing things about the real Clyde that they didn't mention (his time in prison changing him being a big one). So it's nice they're adding it in. I honestly hope the show makes it to Broadway (with or without Stark, though if he came back, wow would I be excited ;D) because I loved a lot of the score and a lot of the cast are superb (Laura Osnes, Melissa van der Schyff, and Claybourne Elder coming to mind)!

WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?

bijoux — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:37:58 GMT

BREAKING NEWS (TO ME, AT LEAST - THIS IS PROBABLY REALLY OLD NEWS): TOM HARDY AUDITIONED FOR GENERATION KILL. Now obviously he didn't get it the part, and to me the GK cast is perfection, but now I'm super curious what role he went up for.

Excerpt from Hard Man Melting:

When it is not focused on his work, Hardy's over-active mind can easily turn on itself. The day we meet, for example, he is still reeling from the events of the past week. A few weeks previously, he had auditioned for a part in a new American mini-series called Generation Kill. Written by the actor/writer Ed Burns, it chronicles the experiences of a Marine during the first wave of the 2003 American-led assault on Baghdad. Hardy is no stranger to playing a soldier. Not only does he look the part, but he also lives the part, running at least seven miles a day in nearby Richmond Park, often with a weighted backpack. His grandfather was in the SAS. He loves watching war movies. He wanted the part badly.

'And I couldn't get f***ing near it!' he yells. While most actors would feel jilted and move on, Hardy became so obsessed with proving that he could play 'a f***ing soldier standing on [his] head', that he decided to do it for real. 'I went to an induction day for the Reserve Forces, to see what being a Para in the Territorial Army would involve. But, before I knew it, they had brought out all these forms which, as far as I could see, would have committed me, there and then, to serving at least three years.'

I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. MY BRAIN, IT CAN'T HANDLE THIS COINCIDENCE.

Nothing big.

bijoux — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 23:19:13 GMT

Wow, hey, I haven't updated this in a while. My bad. I have no excuse. No real big life changes going on, no big news to tell you. My situation in life is like 90% the same it was back the last time I updated (which means I still haven't done my secondaries for med school because I don't want to and it's kinda too late and I'm not going to get in this year anyway so why bother, but I think I'm still going to do them anyway in the end just to ~~please my parents~~ do it).

Oh, I was in NYC about 3 weekends ago, and had a fabulous time with mydocuments and Joey, and I got to meet godofwine and fourfreedoms. There was a lot of musical-watching and concert-going and some drinking and dancing to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in a gay nightclub and wandering around Chelsea, slightly drunk, and eating pizza at god-only-knows o'clock. NGL, you get me even slightly tipsy (it's not hard, I'm a lightweight), I'm the happiest person on earth. Sometimes I feel that kindadrunk!me is the most interesting/fun version of me, TBH. Like, you would not catch sober!me dancing, anywhere, for any reason - that's for sure.

The one main thing that *is* different is I've legitimately entered the workforce again, meaning I got a job on my own merits (surprising). Technically I've been working for my mom since I finished grad school in 2008 (egads), but IDK, working for family doesn't really count in my book. So now I'm working with autistic children for The Man (school district) which is excellent, and I'll talk about it more in another post.

And that's about it. Apologies for this rambly, confusing, not-very-informative post :P

So wrong it's right.

bijoux — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:13:20 GMT

I promise I'll stop talking about Inception soon. Maybe. Oh screw it, that's a big fat lie. But I'll talk about other stuff in addition to Inception. Maybe. Later. I dunno, we'll see.

Two instarecs of hotness:

1. Hallefuckinglujah by weatherfront (who just de-anoned as the writer of one of my favorite AUs of this fandom, Buongiorno, Felicita - I should've guessed!) - FAKE!PRIEST ARTHUR. I can't even. If you're at all religious/Catholic, don't read this, I beg of you. You'll probably be offended six ways to Sunday. Everyone else, enjoy.

2. University AU, Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3 (so far) by onelittlesleep - I want to roll around in this universe forever, IDEK.

Just when I think this fandom can't get any better, it tops itself. Wait, that sounds dirty. LOL.

Inception Instarecs.

bijoux — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:45:34 GMT

Dude, you guys, I've read some great stuff since the last time I did recs, but unfortunately I've been reading it all on my iPhone and didn't remember to bookmark anything on my delicious, so I'll have to go back and reread everything. WHAT A HASSLE ;)

But anyway, these are things I've seen in the last couple of days that made think, "Holy crap, this fandom has spoiled me for all other fandoms." Because seriously, the level of awesome is beyond anything I've ever experienced. It rivals Generation Kill fandom, which has been like 95% awesome (unless I've been picking and choosing the good stuff and bypassing all the bad stuff by luck, who knows?)

Natural Dreams by svilleficrecs - Because everything Sville writes is brilliant and so in character and crazyhot. I don't even know why I have to convince anybody to read this, YOU JUST SHOULD.

Les Jeux Sont Faits by tequilideas - So many wonderful turns of phrase. I mean seriously, the writing is incredibly good in this (I thought), and this story will hurt you, but in a good way. Loved it.

Boy in the Angora Sweatervest by Anon - So Arthur somehow finds his way into the porn industry, and Eames is a pornstar (in the making) who requires Arthur's services as a fluffier. Nothing better than a cracky idea that's executed flawlessly. I mean, funny + hot? You can't ask for much more :)

London Bridge & The Night You Can't Remember by sorrynotsorry - In which Eames is a stripper and Arthur is drunk and wildly (but reluctantly) attracted to him.

The Die and the Bishop by nami86 - Gorgeous gorgeous Arthur/Ariadne fanart. I don't even ship A/A at all, but this art is just so pretty, it smacked me in the face with its prettiness.

I love this fandom so much, you guys. NEVER LEAVE ME, H'OKAY?

Shameless plug.

bijoux — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:03:20 GMT

Just to complete the cycle, as I've already mentioned this elsewhere:

Holy crap, it's the $9 Threadless t-shirt sale!

Shirts are normally $18 (hot damn, I think they used to be $15 last time I bought something :P). Sale ends in a little less than 24 hours, so get 'em while they're hot. And please use the link above as it'll earn me StreetTeam points. Thank you, bbs!

Today.

bijoux — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:03:23 GMT

1. I made Smitten Kitchen's Peach Shortbread, which is delicious. I went the softened butter route because I was running late for a dinner party, but I can only imagine browned butter would put these over the top ;) The best part was that they're not too sweet, which everyone seemed to enjoy.

2. I submitted my AMCAS after months of avoiding them.

Anything exciting going on with you?

Oh hey more Inception recs.

bijoux — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:47:46 GMT

I know it's only been a little while since my last post, but I felt the need to rec a couple more stories:

1. A Fool From Any Direction, Part 1 & Part 2 by syllabic - I recced this in the last post, but I had to rec it again because the author deanonned and finished it, and it's medieval knight Eames trying to woo reluctant stablehand Arthur and it's wonderful and there's kissing and it makes my heart happy.

2. This Modern Love by pyrimidine - EAMES FALLS IN LOVE WITH ROBOT!ARTHUR. My god, why are standing there, go read this.

3. (Dis)arm Me, Darling by Anon - A quiet little story that's really lovely.

4. The End of the Celibate Life by fermine - After about a year of dating, Arthur tells Eames about his (Arthur's) son and takes Eames to meet him. (Not really kidfic, in case that's not your cup of tea.)

5. Penguins Mate for Life, Don't They? by slash_iirima - After a first date at a zoo, Eames steals a penguin for Arthur because he said it was cute. They name the penguin Arthur, and Arthur tries his best not to like penguin-Arthur. This is ridiculous and cute.

6. Dial by Fire by weatherfront - Eames and Arthur are terrible at phone!sex, lol.

7. Any Way You Choose to Give It & Warmer Places by pyrimidine - Boarding School AU. Enough said, I think.

Netflix, you are my crack.

bijoux — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:34:30 GMT

Netflix is now available on iPhone and iPod Touch!

Via notmartha: "The Netflix iPhone app launched today. It's pretty cool. If you have a Netflix account it lets you watch from your streaming queue, it even loads the information on which episodes of a series you've already watched, or watched part of. You can search for new movies and add them to the instant queue or start watching right away. What you cannot do from the app is access or add to your regular queue."

Hopefully they'll fix that queue issue in a future update *crosses fingers*

Because Vals wanted some recs...

bijoux — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:11:15 GMT

So Inception has pretty much overtaken my life. Maybe you were aware of that, maybe you weren't. Suffice it to say, I love it with a burning passion, think about it all the time, and have been reading fic for it whenever I can. legrandeval FINALLY saw the movie tonight, and as promised, I said I would write up a rec list. So here it is:

Note #1: This is not comprehensive in the least. The majority of fic I've read I either found via other people's rec lists or I found myself skimming through the inception_kink meme. I haven't even glanced at the other fic comms, where I'm sure other great fic resides. Also, I only read Arthur/Eames or Gen. Also, I'm terrible at descriptions or explaining why I like a fic, so you'll just have to accept that "because I liked it and actually remember to bookmark it so I could find it again" is a good enough reason for it to be listed. Also, my tastes range from cracky to schmoopy to occasionally angsty and dirty!hotlikeburning. And AUs, I fucking love a good AU like a fat kid loves cake.

+ + +

MOVIE UNIVERSE, MORE OR LESS

Save Lay My Rifle Down by queendombythe_c - Ariadne, Arthur, Eames, and Yusuf break into the Louvre.

Too Much Like the World We're Stuck In by anowlinsunshine - Arthur/Eames get stuck in Limbo.

Equilibrium by atomicskull - Arthur/Eames's shared history pre-movie and a cat named James Bond.

Dull Boy by sparky77 - The team rob a bank and Arthur/Eames are delightfully snarky.

Documentation of an Affair by onthecount - A brilliant little story told entirely through letters, notes, emails, recorded conversations, instant messaging, etc.

The Man of My Dreams by andrealyn - Eames first meets Arthur in Cobb's dreams.

Dirty Dancing by jibrailis - The team hit a gay bar for research and Arthur wears leather pants.

Flannel: A Love Story by jibrailis - Arthur/Eames do a job in the snowy wilderness of Canada. There's flannel and sexytimes.

Leading with My Heart by acidpop_25 - Arthur is asexual, but he and Eames are in love all the same. Not your typical love story, but it's rather lovely in its unusualness.

The Short Fuse and the Long Con jibrailis - An "extended meditation on unrequited love" - or basically Arthur sleeps with everyone else besides Eames and Eames doesn't know how to deal.

Shades of Mediocrity by balphas - Arthur tries to have a normal life after the events of Inception. Eames wheedles his way into that life.

Eames gets his tongue cut out by Anon - That pretty much says it all.

Of Those Who Say Nothing, Few Are Silent by balphas (scroll down a bit) - [WIP] OMG, this so needs to be fucking finished one day, but basically it's another fill of the prompt where Eames gets his tongue cut out. I loved this a lot.

Pretend!marriage by Anon - Arthur and Eames pretend to be married for a job, the marriage becomes real.

ETA: Lazy British Summer by fandomatemylife - Arthur holidays in England, Eames takes him to eat fish & chips and teaches him about cricket. Cute.

ETA: Desperate Romantics by fermine - Arthur and Eames have been in relationship for years, but neither want to admit it first. My heart has a special place for domestic fic, my goodness.

+ + +

AUs/CROSSOVERS/CRACK

The Kind You Could Sing by foxxcub - Inception/His Dark Materials fusion. Pretty fucking brilliant. I think this may be my favorite thing I've read, for the sheer loveliness of the writing, and the fact that the author seamlessly merged together Inception and His Dark Materials. I mean, genius.

A Fool from Any Direction by Anon - [WIP] Eames is a medieval knight, Arthur's his reluctant stablehand. I love this like burning, and I refresh the page everyday to see if there's more installments. Guh, longcourtship!fic, get at me.

The Greedyhearts by weatherfront - Eames is a high-end art thief, Arthur is the investigator out to catch him. Hijinks ensue. Detective Yusuf is hilarious. It's also spawned art and it's own website.

Buongiorno, Felicita by Anon - Arthur's a mafia heir, Eames is his bodyguard. It's pretty much awesome and there's people carrying people out of flaming warehouses in the rain, which is so perfect I don't know why you're reading this when you should be reading the fic.

The Incepted Bride by jibrailis - Inception + The Princess Bride.

The Sun's in the Sky by misao_kunoichi - Eames works in movie theatre and gives free cherry slushies to Arthur. Lovely little fic that makes you think of lazy summer days.

Eames wakes up one morning and finds out he can only speak in LOLCAT by Anon - I laughed so fucking hard at this, IDEK.

The A-Team by citiesfalling - Arthur takes Eames home to meet his family.

Champion Sound by pyrimidine - Arthur's a DJ, Eames is a bartender.

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by pyrimidine - Short but cute.

Ariadne/Sassy Gay Friend crossover by poptartmuse - You probably should watch all the Sassy Gay Friend videos first, if you haven't already.

We Can't Change the Past by soxdamnxcute - Inception/RocknRolla crossover. Eames used to be Handsome Bob.

Our Shiny City by atomicskull - Eames is a painter. Arthur's an art history grad student. Together they're giant fucking hipsters and I love them.

Motherboy & I Believe In Your Victory by pyrimidine - Judi Dench's M (from the James Bond movies) is Eames's mom. That's all you need to know. Fantastic.

Inception/3rd Rock From the Sun crossover by Anon - Arthur is Tommy from 3rd Rock From the Sun. He takes Eames home to meet his real family, the Solomons. Cracky fun.

ETA: Say I'm The Only Bee In Your Bonnet by laliandra - Arthur and Eames meet on the Subway.

ETA: Waiting On by thehoyden - Eames owns a diner, Arthur comes in every morning and eats the same breakfast, much to Eames's dismay. Wonderfully schmoopy :D

+ + +

KINDA PORNY

Sharp Dressed Man by annundriel - Eames really likes to watch Arthur get dressed.

Knickpoint by recrudescence - Barebacking for the first time. (Yes, I totally blushed when I typed that out :P)

Eames teases Arthur with descriptions of past sexual encounters by Anon - Basically hot phone!sex.

ETA: Fall to Pieces by cherrybina - Eames wants to make Arthur fall apart. Holy shit, son.

+ + +

Note #2: Also I haven't even read all their fic yet, but I'm just going to say that anything by pyrimidine, soxdamnxcute @ mossy_garden, and jibrailis is probably going to be good.

Also, you might want to check out hackthis's fic recs and godofwine's list, which cover stuff I might've missed.

And of course, inception_kink, which is still ongoing.

+ + +

It physically pains me how much excellent fic I know I've read but forgotten where that I've had to leave off of this list. Also all the excellent fic that already exists that I have yet to read because I haven't had time. (OMG there are a million highschool AUs that I haven't even gotten to!) I am dying that this list is not comprehensive, you don't even know. WHY HAVE I NOT READ EVERY SINGLE INCEPTION FIC IN THE WORLD YET? asdfghjkl;!@#$%^&*

/dumbass

ETA: Last updated, 8/26 @ ~~6:52 7:23~~ 8:32 PM

How is it August?

bijoux — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:45:32 GMT

And how have I not updated my LJ since July? That's crazy. So some things:

1. I'm addicted to Twitter :P Anything that's too weird/fannish for me to put up on FB, but too inconsequential to mention on LJ, goes there. If you want to follow me, just ask, no problem.

2. And I'm newly addicted to Tumblr, too. Oh fuck me, it's awesome and lets me do exactly what I've always wanted to do on LJ but didn't to spare you all: post pretty pictures all the time. Plus, if for some strange reason you're curious what I'm obsessed about rightthissecond, all you have to do is look at my Tumblr to see what/who's making me happy. FYI, my tumblr name is the same as my Twitter name.

(I know, you're asking "Dude, why are you being so secretive about your Twitter/Tumblr?" I'm not really, I just would rather keep them semi-separate from my LJ, in case RL ppl track me down via that avenue. But honestly, anyone on LJ who wants to follow me over there is more than welcome :D)

3. Still doing med school apps, but I'm making progress. Should be done very soon.

4. And last but not least, I'm headed to NYC for a weekend in October, to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (saw it twice off-Broadway, but now it's opening on Broadway so I had to check it out), American Idiot (saw it way too many times this summer, but I might as well see it again because I can), and John Gallagher, Jr. in concert. Will be hanging out with mydocuments who will protect me from muggers and rapists, so it should be a good time :) ETA: Plus, bonus meet-up with godofwine! Huzzah! ETA2: And fourfreedoms! Whoo!

And that's about it for me at the moment. I hope you guys have been well!