The Real McCoy

In third grade my class went to the library to learn about the term "the real McCoy". At the time, I remember being completely baffled by the fact that the term "McCoy" didn't relate to the term "decoy". The McCoy is the real thing and a decoy is a fake - and they're both coys.

How did they not come about at the same time?

In my third grade mind, I thought that there must have been an instance of something, at the time I envisioned a rubber ducky (the only explanation for this is the fact that I was nine), that was the original. It was called Coy. Then, someone created another version of the rubber ducky, but it wasn't quite right.

People looked at the new ducky and said: What is that? That is not Coy.

Then the creator said: Yes it is, it looks just like Coy.

To which the original's owner replied (annoyed): No, that's not Coy. This is my Coy. This is myCoy! This is McCoy.

And then, to really drive the point home, he said: This is McCoy and that's nothing but a dumb decoy.

And that's how the real McCoy and the lesser decoy came about.

And although I really love the McCoy version of the Lanvin Pom Pom Espadrille's, for one eighth of the cost, the decoy version from Gap is looking pretty nice.

My, how far that library lesson has taken me...

Cooking with Skippy

My dad is easily one of the most precise people I've ever met. He measures spaces before he buys furniture for them, he researches products, he tests paint colors...

And all of this creates a stark contrast to my mom and me.

So, when my dad and I decided to host a little HGC cooking show, it was bound to be entertaining. While he suggested I look at the recipe, measure, and test before taking action, I was more into the idea of just dumping in the ingredients and seeing how it all turned out.

However, while I may be impulsive, I'm not afraid to admit his accuracy typically leads to him being correct. So, I let him play chef while I played sous.

First, we made Court's Dried Fruit and Nut Clusters and, for the second batch, we tweaked the recipe by adding peanut butter and vanilla, switching out a few of the fruits, and turning the whole shabang into a dessert.

The actual rolling of the clusters was up to me and the combination of my patience and disliking of sticky hands led to the little guys looking a funny (compare them to Ashley's gems if you dare). But they still tasted decent and we got to take the old Cuisinart for a nice spin. And, of course, it was a lovely activity Skip.

Go nude this summer

Although it is hard to make horizontal stripes translate well into real life, I love how J.Crew is working them with their new arrivals today.

And while I typically prefer bright colors for summer, there is something especially appealing about the abundance of nude in the line. The black silky items mixed with a touch peach chiffon feels very fresh. For more subdued hues, check out my post on the Examiner.

Muffy's afternoon DIY

When it comes to dealing with people, my mom has been blessed abundantly with patience.

However, last week, as we took on a little afternoon DIY, we laughed at the fact that someone who truly has more patience for people than anyone I've ever met, could be so impatient when it comes to inanimate objects.

She decided it was time to repaint a cabinet from our old house so it would fit with the color scheme of the new house. Instead of sanding it and testing colors, she just carried it outside, put it on some newspaper, and started repainting.
It was at this point that I returned home from work. She was about 40 percent finished with the painting and told me that she thought it was going to be fun - but it wasn't really. And she was ready to be done. I decided to help her out and, my patience for projects very similar to hers, employed the great technique of pouring the paint onto the cabinet and quickly smoothing it out before it dripped to the grass. Competitive I am not, but with a hint of competition from my mom and a whole lot of desire to get the paint job done quickly, we raced to see who could complete her side first. After it dried (it was the kind of paint that dries in minutes, which is perfect for us) we hauled it back inside, filled it up, and stood back to appraise our work.
Unfortunately, as the sun began to set and the light changed, we realized it wasn't exactly the color we were going for (now we know why my dad always tests his colors). At this point, I had to leave because I had dinner plans. My mom, however, took it back outside, ran to Home Depot to get another color, repainted it - this time with a roller, not a paintbrush - and had it back inside by dusk.
I'd say it was a job well - and efficiently - done.