SweetGirlSmirk

Happy Twin Peaks Day! To any true fan of this David Lynch and Mark Frost phenomenon of a tv classic, you know just what that means,  it is February 24th and Agent Cooper has arrived in the mountainside town of Twin Peaks. To the rest of the world, this means nothing. But it should. It really, really should. It debuted in 1990, and I was only 6 years old at the time I obviously wasn't too into supernatural murder arthouse tv. Thankfully with time, and a love affair with Blue Velvet and IFC, I started to worship at the altar of Lynch and fell in love with this baffling tv show. It really is baffling. But it is worth the ride. Don't take notes, just go along with it and when you are done the binge watch (which as of this writing you can do on Netflix) you will just want to start all over again. I don't want to tell you anything about the story, but here are my three favorite things that ever happened on the show and sum up just where Lynch and Frost were willing to go to ...

One of my favorite artists is AWallStar. Not just because he is one of my favorite people, but he is also super talented. Currently in school for graphic design, he has a style all his own. He works in digital design, illustration, and fashion design. His lifelong love of punk rock and comic books shines through in everything he touches, lending to some pretty unique stuff that is sure to be a conversation starter and turn heads. You can follow him on twitter @awall299 ! I will feature his work often, but click here to check out a few "wearable art" pieces currently up for purchase! KimmayJ is an artist and writer always trying to satisfy her head with beautiful things. When she can't travel, she is often found wandering art museums or books. You can also follow her on facebook , instagram , tumblr , pinterest , and twitter !

Forgot to chill your wine? The night is not lost. Pro tip: put some frozen reusable "ice cubes" in the glass! You get a quick chill without watering it down. And they look cute. Cheers!

Friday nights at the bar are often full of disappointment. It's overcrowded and you're getting way too intimate with sweaty pit stains because you're smashed between him and guy with tie too tight, or it is under-filled with people and you just know that you are missing out on something better somewhere else. The app is cold. And the drinks are super pricey with way too much ice. But some nights you stumble upon something perfect. The DJ nails it and that drink you ordered was just right. It was refreshing, not too filling, and you immediately take to twitter to let everyone know about the most on-point bartender in town.  And then comes the void with realizing just what you no longer have. In my 10 years of being allowed to grace the barstools of the region, I can name 3 times I have had the perfect cocktail. Number one is the appletini at the Loews Hotel Philadelphia . I had this beauty in 2011 and still remember it 4 years later. It was not too sweet, not too bitt...

Every time I talk about my age, someone always pipes in with “don’t worry, it’s just a number.” Like I am just some crazy who is willing myself into a world of joint pain and boredom instead of drinking from the fountain of youth like all the normals. Well, explain this to me, then! 1. You’re too tired for Sunday Brunch.   They seat at 1pm, right?   2. You pay more for that “fancy” food so you don’t feel sick afterwards Farewell, Ramen! 3. The same goes for vodka Six dollar bottles are a young man’s game. 4. Your favorite comedies suddenly feature parents or career driven breakdowns. I wanted my 30 th birthday to be just like Something Borrowed. 5. Skipping a couple of days at the gym is not an option.   It would be nice if body parts could just stay in their place when I ask them to. 6.   People stop asking what you’re going to do with your life. Face it, if you aren’t in your career your meddling aunt has pro...

Valentines Day is a landmine of a holiday. Women, be nice. I mean it.It is hard on our men to know just what to do, where to do it, and when this should take place. It is stressful enough to get it right without us adding to it. Here's some tips on how to get through it gracefully and happily, and not covered in your significant other's drink (though throwing a martini is on my bucket list, to be honest) It's a holiday, not the Olympics. Stop judging! Valentines Day is the one day a year we all get to be cheesy romantics. Poetry, roses, enough sugar to keep us fat for the remaining weeks of winter... we get to act out our high school journals again. But it is not a competition. Stop making it one! Did the woman at your work get flowers? Great. Maybe her husband is going to be away all week. Did you only get a stuffed animal and a mediocre meal at a sub-prime restaurant? Okay, but maybe your boyfriend gives amazing foot rubs every day. If it's that bad, don't judg...

I mean it, because I did just that. The kitchen is a scary place, kids. There are hot ovens, sharp knives... and soup cans on shelves. Yes, soup cans, the arch nemesis of fingers everywhere. Thanks to a very devious one of these buggers, who decided to descend straight onto finger yesterday morning, my left hand is temporarily out of commission. But, I forged ahead with the apple pie because recipes need to be shared and, well, I really love apple pie. Most of my cooking involves giving convenience food a twist. For this pie, get a pre-made graham cracker crust and some apple pie filling and your work is halfway done for you. The magic is in the crumbly topping. I made this gluten free, just replace the flour with 1 cup gluten free baking flour, certified gf oatmeal, and a gluten free crust. This is what I used. Either way you make it, the recipe does not change. For the magic topping, you need a packet of instant oatmeal (I used a cinnamon raisin blend), a cup of flour, a quarter ...

In my house, we rarely listen to pop music. If it is super catchy it may penetrate the walls (Blank Space for example. Yeah, sorry, I gotta give it up for that one) but typically we turn on the tv and have no idea who is bouncing around on stage. But we all need something to have a solo kitchen dance party to, something to blast in the car without depressing our friends, and sometimes I am just simply not that angry. So, I am sharing with you my current playlist of alt jams. Crank it up and enjoy! You can follow the playlist on Spotify here! Black Black Hills- I Can't Stand You at All The Menzingers- I Don't Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore Royal Blood- Loose Change Cold War Kids- Hang Me Up to Dry The Gaslight Anthem- 1000 Years Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness- Cecilia and the Satellite Lana del Rey- The Other Woman Family of the Year- Hero Arctic Monkeys- Do I Wanna Know? The Mowgli's- I'm Good New Politics- Harlem Fitz and the Tantrums- Out of my League ...

If you've ever been on Tumblr, you know how strange it is. Some things take on a life of their own, others should and never do. But man, it is jam packed with emotion. So, here's something I came across (and tweaked a lot) because it is just so beautiful. The original source is unknown (because, you know, Tumblr). Last I checked it was at 3800 notes, the most I've ever had on another post is 200. So, safe to say I'm not the only one it hits in the Tumblr feels. So here you go. Oh, and  thank you 3000 notes and counting, I cry every time I get a notification. So here's a Valentines quote of the day for all my ladies out there: To the one who loves her next, She is a total textbook introvert. She won’t reply for hours and sometimes you won’t see her for a week. You will take this personally. Don’t. She’s simply taking care of herself and she’ll tell you how much she missed you while she was away. She’ll get very jealous. My god, she gets so jealous. Those brown...

Have plans for Valentines Day weekend? Need a cheap date idea that also says you're interesting and thoughtful? This Friday, February 13th and Saturday, February 14, 2015, the Wilmington Drama League will be presenting the Ruby M. Stanley One-Act Play Festival. The shows are:  “Approximately 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse,” by Don Zoldis and directed by Rob Tietze,  “The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year,” by John Guare and directed by Frank Bartkowski,  “Prereq for Life,” written and directed by Ken Mammarella, and  “Shakespeare’s Bromance,” written and directed by Alan Harbaugh. The super fun part is not only do you get to support local, live theater just by attending, but the audience votes and the winner* gets to go on to the state competition. It's like thespian Pitch Perfect. So, not only do you get to wow your significant other with a bit of  culture , you get to be pro democracy! It is a win-win for all.  Tickets are $10, show starts at 8...