growing up in louisiana, we ate a lot of watermelon in the summer. i have some really wonderful memories of having a backyard full of family, my dad manning the grill, my cousins and i running back and forth between the pool and the pond, and only stopping long enough to grab a slice of watermelon before running off again. but for all that watermelon eating, i never really thought you could eat it any way but the way my mom served it. which was sliced up and in a bowl. so when a friend came over recently for a cookout with a tray full of watermelon and feta kebobs, it kind of blew my mind. i love watermelon. i love feta. but together? questionable. in the spirit of trying anything once as long as it is not on my "i will not eat that" list, i figured i'd give it a shot, and at the very least i could smile and nod while i was feeding the rest of it to the dog under the table. um. i am pretty sure i ended up eating the entire tray, and i was rather unapologetic about it. poor lincoln did not even get a crumb.

so when i recently found myself craving watermelon again, i made salad with it, and tossed in chopped mint, red onion, crumbled feta, mixed greens, and topped it off with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. hello, heaven? it's lindsey. where have you been all my life?? needless to say, i have been eating watermelon salad for lunch and dinner for the last two days, and since i still haven't made a dent in the watermelon, i think it's safe to say this will be the case for at least a few more days. which is fine with me. had my mom sprung this on me when i was 6 or 7, there's no doubt in my mind i would have turned my nose up and gone back to playing mermaids in the pool with my cousin, but as i've gotten older i've been surprised at how much i love foods that i had previously turned down on the basis that it was a weird color, or a funny shape, or i didn't like the name of it. can one grow out of being a picky eater? considering the fact that my mom probably spent an extra 5 hours a week trying to cater to my particular palette when i was a kid, i should probably not let on that i have expanded my horizons lest she write me out of the family will out of sheer aggravation.

outside of the peach/goat cheese/almond salad that i have already been eating all summer, the watermelon/feta/mint salad might be my new favorite thing. which is a good thing, since i have enough to eat it every day for the next two weeks.

that's MS. mayor to you

if i had to venture a guess, i would say there are currently about (or at least) 50 pairs of shoes in my closet. i mean, i am no imelda marcos, but i am aware of the fact that my collection of footwear is pretty much on the border between what is considered acceptable insanity and full on being the mayor of crazytown. what is most ridiculous about this collection is the fact that of my 50 or so pairs of shoes, there are at least ten that i have never worn, probably 30 that i have worn one time, and another ten that i have worn so many times i have to have the caps on the heels replaced on a regular basis. i realize that this makes little to no sense whatsoever (which is probably what puts me so close to the mayor of crazytown end of things), but for the most part, i literally have no defense against a pair of heels. none. (unless, of course, their offensive tactic is that they are out of my price range)

enter my newest addition to the collection. seriously, i have NO IDEA where i am ever going to wear these shoes. they are NEON yellow and not so easy to walk in. they are also COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS. but perhaps that is why i am so in love with them. it makes me happy just to open my closet and see them (which i can even do in the dark, because they are so neon they practically glow) sitting there, waiting patiently for me to take them for a spin. i have serious doubts about my ability to walk more than a block in them, and seeing as how i live in dc and not tokyo, i am sure i will probably get a few strange looks from bewildered midwestern tourists on the metro. but i suppose that when one steps out in a pair of heel-less platform wedges, there is a certain amount of "LOOK HOW BEAUTIFULLY RIDICULOUS MY SHOES ARE!!!" going through one's head anyway.

i am pretty sure this purchase has pushed me into crazytown. but as long as i'm here and since i get to be the mayor, at least i can vow to clean up the streets a little and do something about the public school system. bonus that i get to do it all in the most un-sensible shoes ever known to my closet.

color me happy

last night i did something i haven't done since college. and no, it wasn't drink jungle juice out of a 24 gallon barrel that is lined with a trash bag. last night i found myself standing in front of an empty canvas, with a paintbrush in my hand, and an unlimited amount of colors to chose from. totally unbeknownst to me (i was instructed to wear sensible shoes (BORING!) and something i wouldn't mind getting messy), i was surprised with a trip to art jamz, and i have to say as soon as i walked in the door, my smile hit one ear and then the other, and it did not go away for the rest of the night. the concept is very simple and actually pretty cool: just a big art studio - a room lined with canvases on easel stands, a bar on one end (for what they call "liquid inspiration"), an endless supply of acrylic paint, and pretty much any kind of brush you could possibly think to need. they crank the music, keep the drinks flowing, and just let you have at your canvas. it's kind of intimidating to be face to face with what seems like a LOT of empty space and to challenge yourself to create something out of nothing. and it's SO fascinating to me to watch the different way people approach it...some people sketch first in pencil, or try to plan out a design, or manage to not get a single drop of paint on them, and some people (ahem, ME) pretty much start throwing paint down before they even have their smock properly tied and leave with paint in their ears. (i know, how did it even GET there??) it has literally been YEARS since i've painted anything other than a bathroom or bedroom wall, but as soon as i got started, it was like it had been no time at all. it's pretty easy to zone out and forget there is anything else even going on around you (well, except when they started playing that kanye song that i needed to dance around to), and two hours flew by in a matter of minutes. not that i created any sort of masterpiece by any means, but i was pretty excited about my finished painting and it was a really fun and unexpected way to spend a wednesday night. and to think i was going to just stay at home and watch the new cheerleading moms reality show on tlc. i'm thinking next time i go, i may have to get some friends together, get a little sauced, and see who can paint the most life-like self portrait. and by "self portrait," i mean "something that looks even remotely like a human being."