Five pretty love songs and one ugly one

My good friend Casey is the director of the Underline Gallery, a really great art gallery in New York. The next show at the gallery is entitled "Bright Lights, Big Love" and it's opening this Thursday, February 9. Just in time for Valentines Day! 

To help celebrate the opening, Underline is inviting one and all to submit their favorite songs about love to be included on the opening night playlist! How fun! You can submit your songs via Facebook, twitter (@underlinegaller), or info@underlinegallery.com. 

I had a very hard time narrowing my choices down, so I chose five very pretty love songs and one great song for a breakup:

Magnetic Fields, The Book of Love- One of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. If this song doesn't describe love to a tee, I'm not sure what does. 

Jay-Z, 99 Problems- There are so many problems in the world, and you should be able to count on the one you love. Shouldn't your sweetheart have your back?

Elvis Presley, Can't Help Falling Love- Because this song (alright the UB40 version) was on both our minds when Matt and I first got together. 

Neutral Milk Hotel, In an Aeroplane over the Sea- Because it's absolutely heart breaking. 

Bjork, Big Time Sensuality- Describes falling in love, or lust perfectly. My college roommates could always tell when I had a crush because I'd play this song over and over again.....

And one perfect break-up song:

Chairs and such

Image via

A Thursday treat- Matt and I went to the Nelson Atkins Museum to see a documentary: Charles and Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter. The Eames, of course, are known for their furniture (like the coveted molded plastic chair). But the documentary was as much about furniture as their other work- with corporations such as IBM, at the 1964 World's Fair, and on museum exhibitions. 

We arrived early enough for G&T's at the museum

A unique form of transport

Leisurely Stroll 1/31/12

I love walking across the Broadway bridge to work because it goes right over Union Station. Trains are ever present in Kansas City- I can hear the horns from my house. Train travel can be so lovely- especially on the eastern seaboard and in Europe. I have a friend in Kansas City who takes the train once a year to Chicago to shop- she sits up in the second floor scenic car, drinks wine, eats panini, and reads magazines during the six hour journey. Blissfully old fashioned.

a moody train yard on an unseasonably warm (60!) Kansas City morning

Meditation: Cooking single-y

One of my very best friends recently moved into her own apartment after cohabiting for quite some time. She's very sweet, smart, funny, and gorgeous-- she'll be perfectly fine very soon. But for now she's got a quandary- what should she eat?

Cooking for oneself can be liberating and fun- you can eat whatever strange things you'd like, at whatever times of the day you wish. But cooking for one after cooking for more than one can be a little lonely. We talked all this over the other day and I started thinking about what sorts of things I loved to make and eat when I lived alone- and what I'll eat when I live alone (albeit temporarily) again. Matt is deploying next month and he'll be gone for almost a year. All this thinking made ME a little sad. But I cheered up a little bit once I started compiling some good things for my friend to eat.

Some good-to-great recipes, when you're eating alone:

Wonderful salmon, but it will stink up the house- This is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant. I learned about M.F.K Fisher from this book and she's become one of my favorite writers.

Something I've written about before-- French Meatloaf. This makes excellent leftovers and sandwiches. 

Brussels sprouts in a bowl are always a favorite. If I have bread on hand (and I try to always have good bread on hand) I'll have some of that, warmed and dipped in olive oil, sea salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. 

I always love daal and you can double the recipe- it freezes very well. It's got maybe 200 calories, costs about fifty cents to make, and is filling and spicy-- the perfect meal. 

This Nigella Lawson recipe is hands down my favorite comfort food. For some reason, I don't think I've ever made it for another person. I eat it all up by myself, lounging on the couch, just as she directs in the recipe. 

I usually try to roast a chicken on Sundays, especially when I'm by myself. It will last for a few days, you can make salads or sandwiches with it and your house will smell like a (delicious) home. When I really want to indulge myself I buy a bag of frozen french fries and make some curried mayonaise (to make: stir curry into mayo). You can also use the carcass to make stock and then freeze it- it's good for stir frys, soups, whatever. This Grant Achatz recipe is my very favorite. 

Lady Dinner

It's all too easy to get a little lost in the midst of a relationship-- and I don't think that your mate, no matter how much you adore them, can or should be your one and only everything. More and more in the past few years, I've been certain to keep in mind how important female friendship is.

Once a month, my friend and (ex) neighbor Sabine and I go out to dinner- lady dinner. Our husbands/fiances make fun of us every time for calling it that, but that's what it is- a dinner just for us to chat, gossip, commiserate. So far we've had a feast at The Rieger and good Mexican food at El Patron (followed by a nightcap and dessert at The Rieger). Is it obvious The Rieger is my favorite place in Kansas City? It's the KCMO version of my loved Cleveland spot, Fire. 

Last weeks dinner was at Nara Sushi in the Crossroads District. I've been going there often lately-  after seeing a movie at Screenland Crown Center a couple of weekends ago, Matt and I had great snacks and drinks at reverse happy hour (starts at 10, ends at close). 

Dinner was last week, and I've already begun thinking about next months. Maybe martinis and rare steaks at the Golden Ox?

Nara Sushi

Leisurely Stroll 1/17/2012

I'm in love with this sofa- looks like a totem pole motif! In the window of an art gallery near my yoga studio.

An alternative to ubiquitous roses

Valentines Day is approaching- what a wonderful holiday. It can be about loving your sweetie, your besties, or family. I saw this lovely alternative to a Valentines bouquet on the Oh Joy! blog today: 

bespoke balloons for Valentines Day!

I always think that the best gifts are things that aren't needed, but that surprise and delight- flowers die, balloons deflate but they are such a treat while they last.

Image via Oh Joy!