meet frankenstein

This little monster has been with me a long time. Formerly a small chest of drawers, it's served as a nightstand, a side table and as a general crap collector. When D and I were searching for a solution to our electronic jumble D decided to raise it from the dead one last time. He removed the top drawer and inserted a shelf for our cable box, then defaced the bottom drawer and turned it into a cabinet with a magnet closure. After a new paint job... it's alllllllliiiive!

When you're on a tight budget, there's nothing better than making something old new again.

new city necessities : public park

When D and I moved, we left more than our house and friends behind. We left all our most frequented spots, including our favorite park.

On Monday, we celebrated D's birthday (and great new bike) with a ride to Jacob L. Loose Park in KC. It was such a beautiful place, and it reminded me that I've been missing out on fall for pretty much my entire life. Leaves don't really change colors in Texas or Oklahoma. One night in about mid November, they simply fall off their trees or turn a crispy brown. We had so much fun exploring this enormous place and I got my fill of watching teetering toddlers and spying on high school love birds.

During our excursion we ate a little picnic, and even though I don't usually talk food on this blog, I can't resist giving you the recipe for my friend Whitney's perfect picnic pasta.

All you need is...

pasta

a small tub crumpled goat cheese

cherry tomatoes

arugula

olives (optional)

olive oil

salt

pepper

Simply cook your pasta, chop your veggies and throw everything together while the pasta is drained and still hot, then season to taste. This is my kind of cooking- no measuring/15 minutes. It's perfect for a picnic because it's great warm or cold and of course super tasty.

I hope you enjoy your last few weeks of warmth (if you have any left)!

ch ch ch changes*

A little less than one year ago, I started this blog. A lot has changed since last November and I thought Hide the Good Scissors deserved a bit of a revamp in both style and substance. Just last week, D and I moved from Norman, Oklahoma to Kansas City and it feels like I'm writing a new chapter in my life.

I love our new place and I've been unpacking and painting while guiltily reveling in this hopefully brief period of unemployment. One thing I particularly love about this house is that it is two stories (three if you count the basement). It's kind of novel to me, because I've never lived in a two story and I don't think I'll ever tire of watching our dog Maybe patiently wait to pounce on Dingus as he climbs down. I'm also a big fan of our fireplace and can't wait to cozy up to it as winter approaches.

Our bedroom upstairs might be my favorite room in the house. It's huge and loft like, with big windows overlooking our neighbor's amazing garden.

It's amazing how fast a place can start to feel like home with people, pups, and things you love filling it up. I'll have more pictures and updates soon!