The Sip ‘N Dip

Yes- that is a mermaid you see…

Oh the Sip ‘N Dip. The only place in Montana where you can go enjoy a large fishbowl cocktail while watching mermaids swim behind the bar as you watch from your tiki themed booth while listening to Piano Pat play some Johnny Cash. I have been this diamond in the rough a few times since thanks to a couple weddings and other shenanigans that have taken me to Great Falls and it never fails to amuse me.

The one on the left was being sassy

While on our way to Whitefish to ski, we stopped in Great Falls. It was Valentine’s Day and we decided that the best way to spend it would be at the Sip ‘N Dip. The place is famous. It has made the top 10 of GQ’s best bars in a America. Piano Pat is a living legend who is pushing 80 and still singing, CBS even did a story on her.

Piano Pat

Such an unassuming front

You kind of have to go if you are in Great Falls on a Friday or Saturday night. The bar is located on the second floor of a hotel and the mermaid swim in the pool with windows behind the bar. The more you tip them, the more tricks they do. Robin and I managed to finish a delicious fish bowl all by ourselves. These are bigger than your head. It’s such a funny place and I love checking it out every chance I get. You should too.

Robin & I are pretty awesome at posing for pictures- thanks for taking many Greg!

Sunday Afternoon Coffee [Twenty-nine]

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you that I love skiing! Yesterday was another beautiful day up at Bridger. A bit cold in the morning, but it was sunny and there was fresh snow. That said, I am getting excited for spring! 

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you that I love Nate Berkus. He is adorable, plus his designs are great too. This new Banana Republic ad campaign just makes you sick because of how cute he and his fiance. Why are all the good ones gay?

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you that I had a blast Friday night with a group of friends who went out to Belgrade see The Max. We danced nonstop and had such a blast. The bassist has his own little fan for blowing his long hair around. One of my friends knows the bad members, so we ended up taking some pictures with him and our hair blowing. We were also singing Disney songs in the car on the way home. Again. Loudly singing Disney songs seem to be our thing lately, in public, in the car, where ever.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you that I am officially a Montana Architect. My license finally showed up. For the next few months, I will be an architect in two states! Fancy. Now I need to get a stamp here.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you to look at this piece about John Steinbeck on New York. While I don’t feel like it “had beat the pants off me.” Or that it was ” an ugly city, a dirty city.” It did take a lot to try to stay on top of things. I do agree with this part:

But there is one thing about it—once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough. All of everything is concentrated here, population, theater, art, writing, publishing, importing, business, murder, mugging, luxury, poverty. It is all of everything. It goes all right. It is tireless and its air is charged with energy.”

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you I am currently killing it with my March Madness picks. I rarely win anything. For once I did a little bit of research before making my picks and at the time of this post, was in first place in my friends pool and have been for two days. Too bad it probably won’t last for long, but I will take it for now:)

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would show this video of how last night ended. I blame the green hat. Every time I wear it, something ridiculous (and let’s face it, entertaining happens). It was one of those nights that was just suppose to be dinner. Then it was and drinks. Then and dancing. Then and after party. Then and trying to recreate dirty dancing.  The third try was slightly better. 

I need to work on my core strength. And for the record, I was the DD both Friday and Saturday nights, so how I let myself get talked into this stuff sober is unknown.

Whitefish Skiing

Big Mountain ahead

Over President’s Day weekend, some of my friends from New York were in Whitefish for their annual ski trip. I joined them a couple years ago when they came to Bridger and Big Sky and had a blast. When they decided on Whitefish, I figured I had to go at least one weekend to see them and try out the skiing up there. My friend Robin wanted to go to, originally we were going to go for longer and stay at her parents cabin in Big Fork, and we asked Greg to join us too, who we picked up in Great Falls on the way. It was an awesome, if non-stop, weekend.

Friday night Robin and I headed to Great Falls after work We met up with Greg for a couple drinks before crashing. The next day we took our time heading up to Whitefish since the boys wouldn’t be there until about 5 PM. I had to bake a birthday cake anyway. Last time where were all skiing, I made one for Greg, which was dumped on the floor by accident by Kurt, see here. So I thought it would be funny to make the same cake again for Erik’s birthday, gluten free of course. It was pretty good for gf and the boys did find it pretty funny.

The Cake

Anyway, the drive was beautiful. Robin drove the whole way since she knew the way (and fell in love with my parent’s Acadia that I had at the time), Greg was our grand master deejay, so I was able to relax, enjoy the ride and views.  Montana never fails to amaze me.

Please ignore the mud. While it was a beautiful drive, it was messy

We meet up with the guys at the apartment they rented for the week and caught up with everyone, enjoyed a few drinks before heading out to find dinner. The thing about Whitefish is that it is a bit pretentious. The best description I’ve heard so far is that it is what would be left if you took all the poor people out of Bozeman.  We were a group of seven, so had a few failed attempts and dealt with at least one snotty hostess before settling on a sandwich shop. And that sandwich shop, which was run of the mill, good sandwiches, nothing too crazy, had a huge table doing a wine tasting. It was just all sorts of funny to us anyway.

After dinner, we headed to the bars, avoided the many with covers, and settled at the Bulldog Saloon for a few drinks, which was much more our style. Robin and I naturally wanted to some dancing, but failed to find a bar without a silly cover and let the boys convince us to go back to the apartment where beer and Greg’s music was waiting. The dancing, bed jumping and box fan are really unexplainable. We had an awesome time. You really had to be there. The pictures below may give some idea to the ridiculousness that closed out the night.

Dance Party- All Pictures by Kurt, except the 2nd & 3rd, where he is dancing with Box Fan

The next day, I went up with the guys skiing and Robin stayed in town to hang out pretentiously at coffee shops reading and relaxing. The mountain is huge. From the top you can ski down multiple faces of the mountain. There was a ton of fresh snow, and it was replenishing itself all day. The weather varied depending on where you were on the mountain. At the base is was sunny and warm, the middle was an eerie calm in the clouds. People and objects would just appear out of the clouds. The top for most of the day was cold, windy with really bad visibility, but once you dropped down a bit it was fine.

I was a bit nervous skiing since the weekend before I had a wipe out at Bridger that gave me whiplash and my neck was still a bit sore. I don’t think I ever really let go and skied without hesitation and the poor guys were probably sick of how slow I was at times, but I still had fun. I would love to go back again when I am not so skittish and really enjoy it. The views as you came down the mountain were beautiful, you could see the whole valley below.

The views of the valley from the top of the mountain were spectacular!

Greg and I left around 3 so that we could get back on the road since Robin and I both had to work on Monday. We had a seven hour drive ahead of us and wanted to get through the area where deer are everywhere before it was dark. We said good-bye to the guys at the top of the mountain and headed out. Robin drove all but the last 30 miles home. She really loved that car. Greg took a long nap before resume his role as road trip deejay and we made it back to Bozeman before midnight.

It was such a fun trip and so great to see the guys. I may have to continue the habit of meeting them part of their trip if they keep heading to western destinations. Now if I could just convince some of their girlfriends to join too!

Bourbon Soaked Birthday Cake

Our Oscar party doubled as a birthday party for our friend Ben. I love baking birthday cakes and ridiculous things for parties like this, so I decided I would make a Bourbon Soaked Mocha Cake with Buttercream Frosting. And dip chips in dark chocolate. Luckily M was stuck here another day and was able to help me get it all together before the party.

I didn’t even bother with the sugared/candied fruit, not enough time, patients or care really. I mean, it’s a BOURBON SOAKED CAKE!  Do you really need to add sugary fruit to the top? I think not. You should also note that this thing has a lot of alcohol in it. You kinda thought you were eating a delicious chocolaty shot.

It is actually really easy to make. I don’t have a double boiler, so I melted the chocolate in the microwave, the main thing is to watch it and not let it burn, it will happen fast. I used tin pans, so I skipped the parchment paper step. I figured I could tear the tins apart if needed, The cakes came out fine with all the butter, so I am not sure why you need it to be honest. If you are going to bake this, remember to allow time for the cakes to sit in the fridge. We baked the cakes the day before (and dipped the chips).

Right before the party, I started the frosting then M finished whipping it up while I was getting ready for the party.

Frosting in a poofy dress | Picture thanks to Robin

Then I put everything together over at Mikki’s so it wouldn’t fall apart on the way. We put some candles on it, sang a song and enjoyed it. You should do the same.

There are a lot of candles on that thing & my dress did not go up in flames | Picture by Mikki

Makes 16 servings

For the cake:

• 2 sticks butter, softened, plus more to grease pans
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, plus more to dust pans
• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup instant espresso
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup good bourbon like Bulleit, plus more to drizzle onto cake layers
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp good vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the mocha buttercream:

• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 5 oz milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 1/2 tbsp instant espresso
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp good vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

The cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Using a pastry brush, paint a thin layer of softened butter all over two 8-inch round by 2-inch high cake pans. Be sure to paint along the crease.
3. Dust the pans with cocoa powder, tapping and tilting until the interior is completely coated. Empty leftover cocoa powder from first pan into the next and repeat until it also is well-coated.
4. In a microwave safe dish, melt bittersweet chocolate on high for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 10-15 second intervals until just smooth. Allow to cool a bit.
5. Boil some water. Combine cocoa powder and espresso in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour enough boiling water in to reach the 1 cup line and stir until dissolved. Add salt and stir to dissolve, then pour in bourbon. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and beat until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, baking soda, and chocolate. Continue mixing on medium high, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is well combined.
7. Add about a quarter of the bourbon mixture to the mixer bowl and with the mixer on low, blend well. Next, add about a third of the flour, mix well. Repeat like this until you finish with the last of the bourbon mixture.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans, smooth the tops, and smack the pans onto the counter a few times to settle the batter.
9. Place into the oven and rotate the cakes halfway through, baking for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
10. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack.
11. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of bourbon over each cake. Wrap in cellophane and chill for at least an hour, as long as overnight.

The buttercream:

1. In a microwave safe dish, melt the chocolates on high for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 10-15 second intervals until just smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Using boiling water a couple tablespoons or so of boiling water, dissolve the espresso powder by swirling it in a small dish. Allow to cool for a few minutes. (I didn’t let it cool enough and it took awhile mix with the butter, let it cool if you can!)
3. With an electric mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the espresso and beat to incorporate. Add the chocolate and beat until well mixed, then add the vanilla and kosher salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, mix everything together.
4. With the mixer on its lowest setting, add the confectioners sugar in stages and beat until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat for a few more minutes once well incorporated, until mixture becomes even lighter and more fluffy. (You can  also refrigerate this over night if you want)

To Assemble:

1. After having chilled the cakes, remove cellophane from one and set on top of a piece of parchment. Carefully slice each layer in half so you have 4 equal layers, each about 1″ thick.
2. Place one layer on your cake stand. With an offset spatula, work a quarter of the frosting from the center outward and in back-and-forth gestures to spread it towards the edge.
3. Place the second cake layer, centered and level with the first. Press down lightly with your hand flat on the surface of the cake to even cake and frosting.
4. Continue stacking layer atop frosting, until everything looks level and top it off with one more layer of frosting. Chill the cake until you are ready to present and share!

Enjoy!

A2 Updates

I know at least one person, okay maybe only one person, who reads this thing has been patiently waiting for me to share plans and some updates on my little Bozeman apartment. There is a pretty big list of to do’s and DIY’s before I will really be happy with it, but it’s looking better with each little project I do. Some of them will have to wait for spring when I can take things outside and paint them after the snow melts.

I’ve keep the main color palette pretty neutral in greys and blacks and used accessories and decorative items to add color punches. I’m not sure if they come through in the pictures below, but I like it so far. I was thinking of sticking with one color family, but since nothing in color is a huge item, I have just been using all bright colors. I will admit to being swayed towards the teal/blue family a bit though.

The kitchen and my bedroom are the most complete rooms in the place. I want to hang a few things on the wall in the kitchen and refinish the island. This is priority number one once it warms up enough. Otherwise I love all the little color pieces I have in there. And I kind of want to get another Ikea sheepskin to cut in half and put on the stools. I love the one Melissa sent me!

In the bedroom I will need to get a real dresser sooner or later. I also have my eye on some curtains for the bedroom. I love my bedroom right now. Maybe it’s just that I love my new mattress so much, but it is my favorite room.

The bathroom is probably the next best room to me. I love the color of the rugs and shower curtain Robin basically picked out for me. I am also in love with the shells I found on Martha’s Vineyard that I use for jewelry. I am not a big fan of the wall color, though I think the blue color scheme works well in there and it annoys me less. I just can’t stand the cabinet over the toilet. It is so glaringly white, but it would be a pain to paint because it’s a veneer. I might also paint the little vanity. These are low on the to do list, unless it drives me crazy enough to bump it up.

The living room needs the right furniture, which will probably be a while. And the closet in there is so damn big. I am basically ignoring the one door and will continue to put the TV or something in front of one of the doors for now. My birthday present to myself will probably be a flat screen TV, the first TV I will ever buy. My parents gave me that huge box one for now. I also have and idea for a credenza that it will sit on, just need to give my friend the money and go ahead to build it. I would love to get a couch like this in there and move the futon to the office, but for right now it works. I want to really like the pieces of furniture that I get and purchase ones that will last, so it may be slow going.

The office is the mess, it was full of boxes up until a couple weeks ago.  I finally put my “desk” (my old portable drafting board on two sawhorses) before my friend M showed up to stay with me. I had to get the boxes out of there so the air mattress had some place to go. I was going to clean off the “desk” and deflate the air mattress before taking pictures then was too lazy. Plus this is an update not a final showing. I have several things that will go on the walls, just need to get them framed and decide where they are going.

So here is the current to do list:

1. Get a light fixture for living room corner.
2. Refinish the island in same grey paint as little dresser.
3. Finish organizing office- get all boxes out!
4. Get office art framed.
5. Get the door that is to be the headboard from home, strip and refinish.
6. Replace cabinet door knobs in bathroom.
7. Do something about the light fixture in the bedroom and living room maybe kitchen too.
8. Spray paint tops of sawhorses- gold? green? purple? ombre it?  or just get a real desk made to match future credenza, top choice.
9. Get a dresser.
10. Take off bedroom closet doors and replace with curtains.
11. Get stuff to organize insanely large living room closet.
12. Get a tv credenza.
13. Get flat screen TV.
14. Paint bathroom walls or white cupboard
15. refinish library cart (on the to-do list since I got it like 3 years ago…)
16. Get a modern couch.
17. Reupholster Nintendo chair- or get a real chair.
18. Repair trunk.
19. Repaint bathroom vanity

That’s a lot. I kinda wish I hadn’t written it all out, yikes. Wish me luck and stay tuned for the DIY’s as I go!

Thrift Shop Oscar Party Recap

As many of you know, the Oscars were two Sundays ago. For the past few years, my friend Christine has hosted a viewing party in Brooklyn that has always been fun and involved many tasty treats. I have always enjoyed these parties and wanted to do something with friend here in Montana. At some other gathering some of us started talking about them and I proposed we have a party. Mikki was kind enough to offer to host. Then the idea was thrown out that we all must come dressed in red carpet attire, Thrift Shop Red Carpet Attire.

The whole crew

Everyone looked great and got into the theme. Winston, the bulldog was dressed up. There was even a red carpet and an Oscar for best (worst) dressed. Robin wore a pantsuit we found at salvation army and was my date for the evening. M helped me get my hair up high for the occasion and acted as our proud mother before we left for the party.

I love this series of us trying not crack up taking these pictures, Robin looks great in all of them!

At the party, I dumped Robin for our friend Brandon, because our costumes matched, then went back to her. It was all very high school.

It was his fluffy shirt that won my high school heart over. We needed instructions on how to stand & again, very hard to be serious.

You may wonder were I found such a crazy dress. The answer, is my little sister.  It is her prom dress from four years ago that I called the Candyland Queen dress or Cotton Candy Dress. I had my parents throw it in the car with all my stuff. This thing is huge. It is bright. It is amazing. I had to stuff the top with three pairs of socks, and it still wasn’t enough. I took home the Oscar for best dressed. 

The whole this was awesome and fun and I have to admit that I didn’t pay as much attention to the Oscars as I normally do. (It was also my friend Ben’s birthday, so we were celebrating that at the same time.) And I am keeping that dress for Halloween this year. 

 

Sunday Afternoon Coffee [Twenty-eight]

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would apologize once again for being a bit MIA the last few weeks. I have been busy with work, had multiple guests, hanging out with friends and playing outside. There are only 4 weeks left in the ski season! I have to get up there as much as possible! I do promise to get some of the many posts I have drafted up or ideas of up in the coming weeks. Yes Melissa, this includes floor plans.

Friday night at Copper

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would want to talk about Amtrak’s new program for writers and will they extend it to artists and other creatives? Architects please?

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would ask you if you had seen this app or plug-in or whatever it is, that sorts out your email and shows you how all your contacts are connected, when you first emailed them, if some one connected you and how many you have. I could play with it all day. It perfectly broke out the circles of friends or work and I was surprised by who I emailed the most. Not at all who I thought. You will get sucked in, beware.

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you I had a blast when my friend Greg was in town for all of last week. I went up to his aunt and uncle’s house for his and his brother birthday dinner one night and crashed an acquaintances wedding that he was in last weekend. My friend M was also in town staying with me for the MSU School of Architecture Advisory Council meetings. We are both going to be a part of the graduate council most likely and we had a ton of fun while she was here.

M showing off her Montana Mule at Ale Works

Her flight was canceled Saturday night, not due to the terrible weather, but other dumb stuff, so she crashed the wedding with me and we got to ski on Sunday, which was a beautiful day before she caught her evening flight home. I am working on getting her to move here. And Greg to move back.

I got M to look like a girl with curves!

M & I at Bridger

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would tell you that I find these three things pretty funny:

• What the conversations would be if Disney princesses found their princes on tinder.
• Would you really want to wake up to the smell of bacon every morning and not have it for breakfast? Is this thing real? Either way, funny.
• I love Kerry Washington and this SNL skit made me love her more:  

If we were having coffee this afternoon, I would share this sunset picture with you that does not do much justice to the real thing, the mountains were beautiful pink. And you thought you would get a whole Sunday conversation without a mountain picture!