Good News!


Yesterday I started an Etsy shop. If you're unfamiliar with Etsy, it's an online store where you can buy and sell anything handmade, as well as vintage items.


I've started my shop with a few photographs I've taken around NYC. I will be adding more items once I complete a few artistic projects I've been working on, so please check in periodically.


If you're interested, here's the link to my personal Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/applepieandcheddar.

I made a change to how I update the Personal Library Challenge; if you want to see where I'm at in my challenge, just click the link to the right. The page will show my up-to-date progress as well as some commentary along the way.

Happy Reading!
*Amyk

I think it's a common misconception that all people from Wisconsin love cheese; I can't tell you how often I get, "Oh! A Cheesehead!" when I tell people I'm from Wisconsin. Although I'm sure they're referring to the Packer/Cheesehead connection, the name had to have come from somewhere. For instance, when my Dad was growing up he was a Grateful Dead fan and he told us they were called, "Dead Heads." And when my sister and I were kids we were HUGE fans of The New Kids On The Block so my Dad thought it'd be funny to call us, "Block Heads." Of course, not so funny to an 8-year-old, but you get my point:
If Wisconsin=Dairy State, then
Dairy State=Cheese, and
Residents of Wisconsin=Cheese Heads.
Makes sense.

In my case it is completely true. I'm not afraid to say it,

I'm so enamored with it that when I go to the grocery store I will come back with a plethora of different types. A little example of how strong my love affair is, my friend was changing her eating habits to that of a Vegan Diet and I exclaimed, "what about cheese?!" I was so shocked that someone could give up something that I couldn't live without. Imagine. I couldn't. I still can't, I'd die! Well, not actually but I'd be upset. There goes almost half of my dietary intake.

Cheese is a staple in my diet and I'll eat it pretty much everyday, with sharp cheddar being my favorite. And I love it with a lot of different foods, foods that most people wouldn't dream of using. Elvis has been known to love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but have you ever tried peanut butter and cheese sandwiches? It's surprisingly good, and sometimes I'll ignore the sandwich part and just dip hunks of sharp (always sharp) cheddar into a jar of creamy peanut butter. Cheese pairings such as that one have been known to gross out the people around me, but I always offer up a sample, and on the rare time someone actually accepts they learn that it really isn't so bad. Really. That's no exaggeration, I have met other people who like peanut butter and cheese. I'm not the only one, believe it or not.

One pairing in particular that usually gets the biggest grossed out look is warm apple pie with cheddar. Forget about ala mode, serve mine with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Growing up my grandparents always served their homemade apple pie with a hunk of cheese on the side. You take a bite of pie, then a bite of cheese, a bite of pie, a bite of cheese... it's amazing. My grandma always used to say, "apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze." You know this is true if you've ever hugged someone and it was like hugging a lamp post; it's the same thing with apple pie sans cheese, somethings just missing.

Why am I rambling about cheese? (I could go on, but have decided to spare all my cheesy obsessions.)

I wanted to give a little back story to my website address, www.applepieandcheddar.com. It's not just a quirky website name, but rather a little part of my cheese infatuation. I was changing my email address one day and, with the help of my friends, we came up with applepieandcheddar. My friend always thought it was so weird that I loved that combination, so naturally why not make it my email address.

So there you have it, your previously unanswered questions about the history of www.applepieandcheddar.com. You may rest easy now, dreaming of peanut butter clouds and a cheesy moon, and I bet you'll go out and try a piece of apple pie with a slice of cheese. You will, and you'll probably love it.



"'Why did you yell, 'Cheese'?' And The Man would tell him mockingly, 'Because I felt like it, you stupid machine of poo." -Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut

P.S. I was eating cheese while I wrote this post.

Screw Groundhog Day, I'm celebrating Craft Day.

Last night I decided that I would deem today, February 3rd, 2010, Craft Day. I planned a list of things I had been meaning to do, like hem a few skirts and sew up some pillows, and also of things a little more creative.

Here's one of the projects I did in honor of Craft Day.


Lying around the apartment I had a large black picture frame that had no glass. It was still in good shape, but I didn't want to put a picture in it since there was no glass to protect it. So I got a bright idea and decided to create a mural for my bedroom. I've never done one before but I had a vision in my head, and the vision looked amazing (they always do). I believe most good craft projects come from a really great vision you have, whether or not the end result is akin to what you imagined.

The first step in this process was to make the frame match the other frames in my bedroom, and since I use brown and rust-colored frames I needed this one to be the same. Just by mixing acrylic red and yellow paint I formed a color that suited the room perfectly.

NOTE: I kept in mind that whatever color I mixed was going to change a little once applied to the black frame.



Once the frame was painted I started to look for the materials I needed to make the actual mural. My vision included images of birds, different typefaces, yellow ribbons, buttons, and lace.

I basically dug through my craft bins and found pictures, ribbons, fabrics, and buttons that I thought would work well for my mural.

There are few times in life where I'm proud of being a pack rat, this is one of them--- I didn't have to go out and buy any materials for this project. Since I didn't spend any money on this project and I already had all the materials I needed, I decided to call this my Found Objects Mural.

And here it is in it's finished form...


And it fits perfectly with the decor in my bedroom...


Overall I'm really happy with the result. I took something I had that I didn't know what to do with and made into a little piece of artwork. Artwork that, most importantly, didn't cost me anything.

I had some left over materials I didn't use, so back in the craft bin they go, until the next Craft Day

I finished the first book in my challenge yesterday, The Catcher in the Rye, and moving full speed ahead to the next, Animal Farm by George Orwell. I don't want to jinx myself but it seems I'm moving at a pretty decent pace, 1 book in 3 days is good. I know, however, that I'll have times where I won't be so motivated and 1 book will take 2 weeks so I'll take these 3 days and use them to my advantage.

Happy Reading!

The officially started yesterday, and what do I do? Make a trip to Barnes and Noble of course.

Here's the full breakdown, abbreviated to allow me lots of time for reading today:

Christmas Time includes a lot of things; mistletoe, garland, reindeer, candy, eggnog, and always...presents. This year, no different. I received a Barnes and Noble gift card. Then, a welcome. Now, a distraction.

With free money in hand I stand outside the looming Barnes and Noble, shaking a bit from the anticipation of throwing myself into the lions den. This is it, the defining moment, my first defining moment of this challenge. If I can't stand the temptation on day 1, I'll never survive day 8 or day 365.

As soon as I walk through the glass doors I see those lovely green signs atop wood tables covered in mountains of books saying, "New Non-Fiction", "Buy 1 get 2", "New and Noteworthy". I think I might pass out. But this is my choice, I want to put myself smack dab in front of temptation to see if I can come out fighting. Afterall, Barnes and Noble sells more than just books.

Immediately I dart past all the distractions and head for the safety of the dvd's. Yes! Dvd's, of course! They're a safety zone, no books here. But eventually I realize there's nothing I want and start to venture towards the New Non-Fiction section, it doesn't hurt to look.

And this is where I start to feel it, the nagging desire to buy. Instead, I take a deep breath and chant quietly to myself,

But the wish list is going to grow, I'm going to be tempted again, and free money will appear next Christmas, but I will not succumb!

Yesterday I received an email from my Dad telling me about the death of J.D. Salinger and asking me if I had ever read, The Catcher in the Rye. After thinking about it I couldn't recall ever reading it, maybe I had in high school, but I certainly couldn't remember it. So I went to my personal library and perused the shelves to see if I owned it and sure enough there it was. As I thumbed my way through all my books I came to the realization that I hadn't read very many of them. I owned all these books, and I hadn't even read half of them? That's bad.

Every time I've visited a goodwill store or savers I would make a stop at the book section because I knew I could usually find classics for $1.00 or $4.00 at the most, it's a deal I just could never refuse. So over time this led me to accumulate so many books but yet not make a dent in a majority of them.

So I've decided to make myself a little challenge, The Personal Library Challenge.

The ultimate goal in the Personal Library Challenge is to read all of the books in my library.

I counted 167 books, not counting the 20 or so research books, then I proceeded to count the ones I have already read, and got 37. That means I haven't even read 25% of the books in my library but if we're being exact, I've only read 22% of the books I own. Embarrassing.

This 22% doesn't include the books I've started to read but for some reason never finished. Although I'm not sure how many to be exact, the number is probably around 20. I'm including those in the "not read" category to be fair in this challenge.

I should also mention the books that I've read, but where it's been so long that I don't remember them all too well. Things I've read in middle school and high school, for example. I am including these books in the challenge, but will save them for last.

As I work to complete this challenge, I am not allowing myself to go to the library to check out new books nor can I buy any books to add to the library. One of the reasons I invented this challenge was to not spend money on books when I can just go to my personal library if I want to read something.

Over the years it has become sort of a bad habit, buying so many books when I haven't even read all the ones I already own, so this challenge is my way of changing that habit. And hopefully once the challenge is completed I will only buy books I will read at the moment, and not just store it on my shelf.

I realize this is probably going to take me awhile because I know myself and my attention span. The reason a good chunk of the books I own have only been read half way through is because of my lack of interest and eagerness to start a new one.

Some of the heftier books I own like Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, and Doctor Zhivago will certainly take some time to finish but they are in my library so I will make a commitment to them. If I were to read 10 books a month I could finish this challenge in a year, which is probably not going to happen so I'll have to at least give myself 3 years.

I will post periodic updates on my progress and mental health as I work to complete this challenge, and hopefully I won't loose my thunder after month 5.







I thought I would kick start this challenge by reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, since his death is what catapulted this challenge in the first place.

Wish me luck and happy reading!

As much as I love to dress up and "look cute" I am always going to be that typical jeans and a t-shirt girl. There's just nothing easier. However there are those times when I have to pretend to be a grown up and dress a little more professional. Those times come around very sporadically in my world, but it must have been time to fill my professional quota because it called me on the phone yesterday.

I received a call from a job I had applied for recently, and they wanted to meet with me. Whoop! Whoop! I love interviews, even though they do cause the nervous chatter I'm prone to and another little side effect that comes with nerves that I won't discuss here (my sister knows that one all too well, it must run in the family). Aside from that, I love to do interviews for a number of reasons but especially because it gives me a chance to sell myself, and an opportunity to have an open forum to do so is always welcome, especially when it's for a potential job. However, with this love comes the little question, "what do I wear?!"

I've always been a little confused as to what is appropriate. I've read articles about it, talked to a lot people, and remembered what my college adviser told me, but all their answers have never satisfied me. It's always been this:

-Two piece suit in either gray or black
-Button up shirt in conservative color
-Sensible/conservative shoes in gray or black
-Hosiery close to natural skin color

Ugh, boring! Why can't you be stylish AND professional?

I've done the suit jacket, button up shirt, and the conservative shoe for interviews before but this time I refuse. It just isn't me, and I believe along with showing your personality through your words you can show it through your clothing.

So Eventually I came up with the three things that are most important to me when deciding on what to wear for an interview,

1. Comfort- Both physically and mentally; the better I feel, the more confidence I have.
2. Style- To include my personal tastes and to show I know what's going on right now.
3. Professionalism- Obviously when for an interview I won't be digging out the mini-skirt

and I came up with this ensemble...
Although it was a jewelry company I was applying at, I'm not usually one to wear a lot jewelry. So instead of a blinging necklace or shiny bracelet I opted for a printed scarf and skinny belt for my accessories. The scarf makes a statement and brightens up what could be just boring black. And because my (fairly) new wardrobe obsession is belts, I chose this green one. Belts are so great because they a.) define a waist and give shape and b.) add a little color/design to a blank palate.

I think I accomplished what I set out to do, and the interview went really well. It helped, of course, that I was dressed in something I felt comfortable in and not something I was told to wear by some random online article.

And after all that, I have to wait and see if I get the job.

Note: In the first picture I'm posing kind of seductively, and that is EXACTLY how I stood as I was waiting to meet with the interviewer. A little sass always helps.

About two times every month I loose myself in the idyllic pages of my Pottery Barn catalog and dream about owning every embroidered sheet set, decorative vase, and wicker basket ever made by the company. Needless to say I'm so enthralled with the catalog as I'm looking at it, I won't talk to anyone unless they offer up words like decoupage, candelabra, or galvanized.

But what always snaps me back to reality is that tiny little number below each item, the price. When I see that 8 snarling back at me with mocking distaste, I'm reminded of the fact that it will be awhile before I can afford my very own Pottery Barn apartment (sigh).

So last week I received another catalog in the mail and began my bi-monthly ritual. Only this time as I turned the next page I saw the coolest wall decoration, and instantly the proverbial light bulb lit up over my head. I had an idea! I was going to make that wall decoration for myself.

After analyzing the photograph, I made a mad dash to the hardware store and bought the supplies I needed to replicate this piece of Pottery Barn heaven.

Burlap Rope: $4.00
Clothes Pins (set of 40): $4.00
Coffee: Already had

If you're wondering about the coffee, I used it to dye the clothes pins to give it a more rustic look. You could also use tea, but being a coffee enthusiast I thought I'd save money and use what I already have. In order to achieve a dark, rich, rustic brown I boiled 2 parts coffee and 1 part water and soaked the pins for about an hour.

I came out with something that is versatile, unique, cheap, and more importantly that looks like it came straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog.

I've been doing some rearranging lately, both in my apartment and in my life, and among other things I'm changing I've decided to change my blog. I suppose I'm not completely changing it, because it will still have kitsch integrated in it, but I'm making it better.

Instead of focusing on one thing I'm going to give everyone an insight on my life, i.e. the things I love, make, listen to, wear, etc.

So you'll be witnessing a little construction on my blog as I venture from one topic to multiple topics, and I hope you enjoy every snippet.

And I'll try not to include my puppy too much in my posts, as you'll surely get sick of it fast.


What I'm listening to:
The Swell Season, Strict Joy
This always puts me in a relaxed, dreamy mood which is perfect for my creative endeavors.

So I've taken a little hiatus from the blogging business and not because of the lack of kitsch in the world. Oh no, the kitsch is still alive and well and living in your neighborhood junk yard. I guess I've just been a little busy with other things like my new puppy:

Yeah, he's pretty ridiculous and I think him being so cool has gotten to his head a little bit. It's time consuming living with a prima donna.

But now I'm back to supplying your world with the kitsch I experience everyday in mine.