Didn't we all go together to see Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

My boyfriend was really hesitant to watch The Landlord with me, his half-black, half-white girlfriend, because it's so probable that a movie about a 1970s WASP-y white kid becoming a landlord in the ghetto would be offensive. What we wound up watching was a hilarious and sweet film that handled the subject of race relations beautifully.

The film begins with a talking head starring Beau Bridges playing Elgar Enders, a 30-year-old who is still living in his (wealthy) parents' home. He shows himself to be very naive and arrogant, but he's still Beau Bridges, so he's adorable. He might actually be my favorite Bridges, but that's like trying to choose between a puppy and a (really adorable) baby. Anyway, to escape, Elgar buys a tenement house to manage in ~dark and dangerous~ Park Slope, Brooklyn. These houses are so cheap, they are "given as Bar Mitzvah presents." His parents object, Elgar calls them out as racists, and the rest follows.

"A$AP. Get like me."

I love A$AP Rocky. I think he's fine, fresh and has the benefit of some seriously sick beats (mostly produced by Clams Casino). You should really listen to him, starting with Palace or Peso. That said,  there's a lot working against this song for me. Kendrick Lamar isn't really my cup of tea [JK listened to good kid m.A.A.d city] and Drake... is Drake. There is also the issue of being totally offended as a woman, but I've learned to ignore it in this genre because, come on.

But I really love this song. I'm about to ruin it and listen to it a million times. Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Salad

I never really was a chicken salad person until I had this, to be honest. This is adapted from the Pioneer Woman's version, but the only difference is I used green grapes instead of raisins and omitted the pasta.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Chicken, Cooked And Diced/shredded
• 4 whole Ribs Celery, Thinly Sliced - Leaves Included (use Interior Ribs)
• 1 cup Grapes
• 3/4 cups Slivered Almonds
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Curry Powder, More Or Less To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar, More Or Less To Taste
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Boil chicken to cook. 

Dice/shred chicken. 

Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, heavy cream, curry powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until well combined.

Combine chicken, drained pasta, sliced celery, grapes and almonds in a large bowl. Pour curry dressing over the top. Fold together with a rubber spatula. Make sure it's all combined, then add more of whatever it needs. 

Chill for several hours. Serve by itself or on a sandwich.

One drink, two ways

Ever since I bought this enormous bag of lavender, I've been looking for every excuse to use it up.  I found a recipe for a delicious lavender lemonade from The Kitchen is My Playground. How cool is it that lavender can make pink lemonade like this?

Lavender Lemonade

Source:  Adapted from A Taste of Lavender: Culinary Delights from Mountain Farm compiled by Linda Thompson & Marilyn Cade

For 2 quarts:

4 sprigs fresh lavender (flowers & stems) or about 1 T. dried lavender flowers

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 quarts water

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan.  When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat.  Add lavender, lemon juice, and lime juice.  Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill.

Serve over ice garnished with lemon slices and lavender sprigs.

Granted, by itself this is a delicious summer beverage and couldn't be easier to make. However, I cannot resist the urge to add liquor to this. Here is my cocktail recipe for the end of summer:

Alicia's August Cocktail

1. Pour 1-2 fingers of whiskey (however much you're comfortable with, but not too much!) into a glass.

2. Fill the glass with lavender lemonade, but leave an inch at the top.

3. Top off with club soda.

4. Optional, but you should, garnish with lemon and lavender.

Enjoy!

We can't all be this flawless

My queen, Kerry Washington, for Vogue Italia. 

Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried

Moby Dick

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Catcher in the Rye

Source

In the Navy

I recently painted My boyfriend, on his day off, recently painted our bedroom navy blue. It is a color I picked out after being inspired by J. Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons' chalk black bedroom, something I've been worshipping since the first time I've seen it.

At first he was worried, but since we had two gallons of the stuff, we had to commit. Two coats later, it's amazing! I'll be sure to post pics once it's finished, but for now I can only provide you with some inspiration. Enjoy!

apartment therapy

Carrie Bradshaw's bedroom in Sex and the City

An awesome bathroom.