It’s been awhile since I’ve had a true obsession. But it’s back. The grip has once again taken hold.
I. can’t. stop. pinning.
On Pinterest, that is.
I remember the exact moment I learned of this thing called Pinterest. I was at a holiday party, and one of the girls was trying to describe to us how to tie a winter scarf in some innovative way she’d seen online.
“Wait,” she said, and sat down at the computer to pull up the photo entitled “50 ways to tie a scarf.”
We oohed and aahhed and gazed at the screen in amazement.
“It’s on Pinterest,” she explained.
And so began my downfall.
After waiting a couple of weeks to “be invited” after requesting access to the site, I signed on. And once I got the iPhone it was all over — I can pin from anywhere. In line at the grocery store. While watching television. Before going to bed. At my desk. At a stoplight. During dinner. In the middle of a conversation. (No, I really was looking up that website while I was talking to you. I promise. Sort of. Ok, not really.)
What is this whole Pinterest thing, you may be asking yourself?
Such goodness awaits you! And you don’t even know!
Pinterest is an online bulletin board of sorts — where you can electronically “pin” your “interests” from websites and from other users. Like Facebook and Twitter, you “follow” people, so you can review pins from your friends or others you’ve decided to follow. Or you can break off on your own like a rebel and “explore” what other Pinterest users may have found. Or you can even be a trailblazer and pin your own items from websites you visit — if the site doesn’t already have a built-in Pinterest button to make that easy, you can download a “Pin it!” item that goes into your browser menu. Makes it a snap.
Well, you won’t believe the cool stuff I’ve found. Great photographs of places I want to travel, neat ideas for craft and DIY projects, all kinds of inspiration in home decor, and food. THE FOOD! Seriously beautiful food porn photos of delectable sweets, creative appetizers, refreshing drinks, luscious entrees and inventive casserole and crock pot creations.
Here are a few of my recent Pinterest favorites:
- Cupcake liners as drink covers: punch a hole in a cupcake liner, turn upside down, stick a straw through and, voila!, you protect your drinks from bugs during outside, summer parties. Well, duh. Sometimes Pinterest can make me feel so stupid.
- Mexican casserole: Mix together some cream cheese, salsa verde, rice, canned beans and chicken, roll up in tortillas, cover in more salsa verde and cheese, then bake. Crazy delicious.
- Organize your drawers: double fold t-shirts and pants, and stack them vertically to save space and allow you to see what you own. Again, duh. I actually did this in my drawers, and my life will never be the same. No more rifling through a 10-layer deep pile of t-shirts to find the one I sort of remember wearing last summer.
- Fantastically breathtaking photos, of my favorite places, or places I want to see.
- And, the best for last. Mongolian Beef: in the style of P.F. Chang’s, this dish has only a few ingredients, was a cinch to make and is literally one of the best things I’ve ever cooked. It’s ridiculous. I froze then slightly thawed my meat so I could shave off the thinnest pieces. Try it, you won’t be sorry.
Then there’s so much else that awaits. Like red velvet cheesecake brownies, nutella hot chocolate, salted caramel cheesecake and this incredible chocolate cake concoction.
Bestill my heart.
**Beware of spam, it’s on Pinterest too. If you click through to a website and it looks funny, it was probably a dummy photo to lure you to some spammish website. Quickly close.
It’s been 17 months in the making, but Mad Men’s back in less than 30 hours!
Next, Oliver and I headed to work, since we didn’t get to partake of a bank holiday. Instead, my coworkers and I spent all day watching the wedding re-broadcasts online and enjoying another spread of English delicacies — tea, more scones, petits fours, quiche. I even made sticky toffee pudding, which we can add to the OMG list. The 
It’s clear that royalty is one of my obsessions, but don’t worry — I haven’t bought the replica royal engagement ring, the commemorative Union Jack flag or even the china with their faces on it. I’m not really in to tacky tchotchkes in general. I will, however, commit to watching television. America’s gone wacky over this royal wedding and the coverage is about to blow up our television sets. It’s like the second British invasion. If you’re royally obsessed (like me) but have room on your DVR (not like me), there are plenty of opportunities to educate yourself on all things royal over the coming weeks. I’ve gathered what information I can find, so get to ready to burn up your remote! 
South & Sundry 