Midwest Blues

Got back from Milwaukee last night. It was quite the trip. Miles upon miles of barren, minimalist landscape dotted with stark industrial horizons. Just beautiful. We pulled in to a little sleepy town named Wausau where the central hub was the paper mill and I took a photo. It made me think of Harlan County USA and everything I think I know and love about the heartland. 

I drove and DP Lisa documented the passing landscapes as well as me.

Rigging camera ghetto style. On this trip I acted as teamster, production assistant, assistant camera, key grip and assistant director. 

Suspicious person... Me? Apparently.

In the elevator at the überhip brand spanking new hotel Iron Horse in Milwaukee where we spent 2 nights. Yikes can you say outta place? 

In the lobby of our other abode, the Motor Lodge in Boulder Junction - the musky capitol of the world, dontcha know. Don't know if I'm more or less outta place here...

Checking the effectiveness of a polarizer. I think we'll use it.

And what do you take home from Wisconsin? I couldn't take a cow so I had to settle for the next best thing - cheeeeeeese. Of course.

So dinner tonight is MAC N CHEESE. Of course.

With smoked ham and green peas. I looked up a sort of overly fancy recipe but I like cooking so I'm always looking for a bit of a challenge at least.

Here's what went in the pot:

Boil 2 cups of macaroni

Melt 3 table spoons of butter

Add 3 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon dry mustard

Simmer and stir for 5 minutes

Add 3 cups milk, 1/2 cup shredded onion, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon paprika.

Then I had to temper an egg for the first time and I botched it. Not bad enough to toss the whole mess but enough to want to toss the whole mess. I cracked the egg in a separate bowl and whisked it good. Then I added a spoon full of the hot mixture and mixed it. When I added the egg to the big pot it got slightly scrambled. Hmmmm. Anyway, I went ahead as nothing had happened. 

In goes 1/2 pound of shredded cheese! And salt and pepper.

I mixed this with smoked ham and green peas and poured in a big oven pan. 

Melt 3 table spoons of butter and toss 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs in it.

Top off the mac n cheese with another 1/4 pound of shredded cheese and the breadcrumbs.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour!

It was the treat of a lifetime to sit back on my couch after my midwestern adventure. Feet up, fire going, some wine, music and my man. Mmmmmmmmm.

I saw this picture in a design magazine in the early stages of house planning and fell in love with the fabric (it also makes up the long luscious drapes behind the chair). Rosemary did some research and found the exact match but in a cheaper knock off. Anyway, for  a second I thought we would use it for drapes in the living room but then we realized that the cleaner look with the wicker shades was better. Right?

(Funny thing is the little spotted Rosemary pillow on the right chair is almost the exact fabric of the one on the magazine chair.)

But I really wanted to use it somewhere...

And this is it! I ordered the fabric (from Calico Corners) and Rosemary is going to sow drapes for the blue room/pastry shop/music studio/Linda's creative headquarters. It's gonna look gagagagaga amazing. We still have a lot of painting to do and a floor to lay but it's fun to jump ahead and get started on detailing.

Oh and since I already ruined my reputation of brassy punk broad...

(then)

and have now become someone who orders things from places called Country Curtains I might as well show you the fabric that is becoming drapes for upstairs. Don't get me wrong - it's gorgeous and THANK YOU to Rosemary AGAIN!!!  and will make the bedroom look GREAT but we may have to throw in some token skull ornaments or an Iron Maiden poster to balance it all out. 

I'm mostly joking of course - I want all this beauty and I want it now.