all types of girls: cozy

all types of girls: glam

The Daily Doodle: More girlies for cards and gifting in the works!

all types of girls: sporty

The Daily Doodle: Here are a few illustrations for notecards in the works...  girlies you can gift to a friend!

Sailfish

The Daily Doodle: After the positive feedback from this all-gussied-up photo, I decided to add another party people picture of yours truly and the mister.

Mr. and Mrs. Kirschenbaum poolside at the Sailfish Club, Palm Beach, FL.

product

The Daily Doodle: Working away at a set of fashionable gift cards. Coming soon!

unveiled

The Daily Doodle: Yours truly self-adorned in bun & veil for a wedding in Palm Beach, Florida last weekend.

Illustrations are stunning bridal gifts. ~ Above, an example of a personal Thank You note or Notepad.

Julian and Astrid Kirschenbaum at the cocktail hour. Marchesa fringe dress.

send a card of yourself

little seed in my mind's eye

The Daily Doodle: Hello Spring! This doodle was inspired by Synergy Kombucha's new flavor and my all-time favorite beverage name: Third Eye Chai. But I am not here to talk chai, instead I've got CHIA on the brain, I before A. This little seed has been in my mind's eye as J likes to add it to fresh juiced apples, my pregnant friend loves herself a mamachia, and I enjoy its tapioca-like properties in sweetened almond milk.  The newest experiment, Chocolate Chia Mousse Cake, was a success, so I simply must share.

Chocolate Chia Mousse Cake
adapted from The Chia Company

1/2 rounded cup Chia Seeds
1 cup water
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
-dark or milk
1/2 cup butter
-and a dash of salt if the butter has none

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup sweetener 

-sugar, agave, maple syrup...

5 eggs, separated
2 cups almond meal

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2. Soak chia seeds in water for 15min.
3. Melt butter and chocolate.
-Set aside to cool.
4. Beat egg-whites and 1/3 cup sugar until soft peaks form.
- Use your arm power if you're a bad-ass!
5. Beat sweetener of choice into egg yolks.
- In a big bowl.
- Until pale and creamy.
6. Fold in chocolate and yolk mixtures.
7. Fold in almond meal.
- Or try ground hazelnuts!
8. Fold in egg whites.
- Gently, now.
9. Pour into a greased/lined pan.
- I used a bread loaf pan.
- A spring form would be classic.
- A bundt would work...
10. Bake about 50 minutes.
- Use a toothpick to check sooner.

Enjoy! Try not to eat too much; from personal experience the chia seeds expand in your stomach like flax-meal, bulk-fiber style. Woah.

Project for School

The Daily Doodle: Helping the hubby bring in the A's. I'm always available for a good old fashioned art project. The assignment: "artwork that portrays how you feel about your internship experience"... Maybe it is meant to be a stress reliever, but all I know is the last thing these Law Students need is more crap to do, so ... Daily Doodler to the rescue!

Legal stuff: Commissioning others to do your homework is not necessarily kosher. The above is Garfield copyrighted work, tweaked by the artist, but by no means an Astrid Kirschenbaum original. 

red cabbage is hot pink

The Daily Doodle: Electric Pink Lemonade without the food coloring: in fact it's organic and super good for you instead. And it's HOT PINK!

Electric Lemonade

1. Squeeze or juice lemons, meyer lemons, limes (all in season in winter). 2. Water down.

3. Add juiced RED CABBAGE, as much as desired.

The red cabbage juice will give you a true and beautiful PINK, from light to fuschia depending on how much you add, I recommend about a quarter head for every liter. 

4. Sweeten with agave or stevia to taste.

This lemonade is GORGEOUS.

and unto dust you shall return

The Daily Doodle: Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return. I am born Christian, my hubby is of Jewish descent and our household combines the two faiths with other beliefs and traditions mixed in.* Above all, we are yogis! These next 40 days of Lent are a season of penance, reflection and fasting. Lent is an opportunity to develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. Christian or not, for the next six weeks let's impose a personal penance. A penance should require a little deprivation, but nothing that hinders us from our duties. Lent is a time for self-scrutinization and healing.

Uttana Shishosana: Extended Puppy Pose or Puppy Bow

In this pose, drop your heart to the earth. This is the pose dogs use when they want to play!

*"Other beliefs and traditions mixed in": The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Ronpoche is a favorite in our household

beautiful nightwear makes a point

The Daily Doodle: Forgo sweats and bring back the nightgown. Or here's a thought: nightgown over sweats! The impeccable Blair steals my heart (as always) in her two piece burnt orange silk nightgown set. From the 2012 Valentine's Day episode of Gossip Girl. 

Today is Fat Tuesday, so have your fun and then meditate on how you may want to pare down for the next 40 days of Lent beginning tomorrow...