#fallen flake taco

[m4g0rtz]

Today's polish is actually a jelly sandwich! I haven't done one of these in forever and I love how this one turned out. The jelly had to be worn today (for what will become obvious reasons 😂) and the topper is a favorite from last year. Together they looked SO GOOD and put me in the mood to cook some turkey. This is Fallen Leaf Taco from Holo Taco over I Yam What I Yam from Cracked Polish. Happy Thanksgiving! 🍠🦃🌽����🍂

[adamsvanrhijn]

matte experiment for fall that i ended up not really loving... dark blue always shows my poor application lol

cirque indigo jelly + holo taco matte topcoat + holo taco fallen flake

[morgenlich]

anyway sfdf my allotted daily limit on tumblr is up but first it’s new nail nsunday

this week i wanted uhh fallen leaves vibes. this is holo taco head hunter + scorched earth + fallen flake taco is…there…but kinda disappears into scorched earth sfdd

[artghoulnailstuff]

Polish chipped so decided to repaint them. New color is Holo Toco One Coat Black with the Fallen Flake Taco on top. Feels very fitting for this kinda chilly day leading into fall 🍂🍁

[wannabeelf]

This week's nail art is Halloween.

Polishes used:

OPI Natural nail base coat

essie - yes I canyon

essie - underground ball

Holo Taco - Fallen Flake Taco

Holo Taco - Scattered Holo Taco

Holo Taco - Glossy Taco™

Revlon Transforming Effects - 790 Matte Top Coat

[longlivetv]

omg another holo taco girlie!! i’m wearing brick wall with fallen flake over it as i type this

Oooh, nice combo! I actually have naked nails at the moment, because I just got my After Party order in the mail and my previous mani was super grown out, but my old one was the Menchie and Zyler magnetics (unmagnetized because I didn’t have time to wait lol) with Fallen Flake taco

[indigoire]

Got some new fall nail polishes from Holo Taco, excited to try out the "Fallen Flake Taco" which is a gold and red flake topcoat. I have several shades I tested and I'm torn.

[bumfool]

hello this is my total list of band names which i started keeping track of in uhh

silly brain thing

puddle of dust

new phobia

dog smell

hello monkey

monkey defense league

gnome child

sex men

look at this cool bug

a little blood

water hog

chilado moledo

wak

moon monkey

shakara

ashkelon

me you storm drain

when the water isn’t clear

dog child

spider tree

ratboy

kingfisher

the hole thing

hadio red

yucky yuck yuck

macramé

we came flying from heavenly worlds

long bob

penis patrol

bucket brigade

stick on fire

tumor tits

earth defense group

bad dream brigade

cat haus

frick sniffer

silly boy

nothing castle

the pareidolics

the miceketeers

bonobo brigade

weird arpeggi fish

billy pilgrim

item nine

el harvey

feline groovy

honey mustard

better than water

gulliver’s girdle

moon bloom

actual flower

the most gigantic

lying mouth

wall of ice

worm buffet

bluku oktan

ricecake

bull sperm

western pleasures

twiggy barlow

letters to abigail

the hat men

punji pit

cockroach prom

cadaver synod

chromatophore

musa velutina

father gunstore

hobo house

woodlouse

slan shack

phantom hand

wisconsin wolfman

aswang

the globster

hunger stone

grazguul thrakka

shudder head

judas hole

repo men

human bean

the julia chord

cosmic sausage

beyond sausage

ilumina

survivor worm

volcanson

god sent the palatine back

ghostly schooner

night clear, sea calm

drive until doomsday

bouteille

mary and the celestes

suicide tuesdays

ballzords

along the coast road

apportioned for foxes

another long walk

nice pen. it’s not a pen anymore

calaguala

pseudodeath

the LD50s

ataraxis

the earth dies screaming

the inseminoids

soft option

donna perola

the gumptions

primordial fungus

protofungus

thick cut bacon band

shaman fraud

fradulent shamans

the chlorindas

the fresnos

saqqara

as chiapas

mop water

the big machine

hexalog

pseudocide

government job

yarn chickn

stiff breeze

we should talk

subproject 3

no. 56 dipper / number 56 dipper

compass moon

no such luck

slop taco

sloppo

cindy the skull

purgatory creek

pig irons

cudbrain

milkweed monster

tulpa florida

denim crown

anna i miss you

the flakes

sugar urine disease

the true story of your death

broken stairway

divine disorder

the crimson hexagon

the senseless perditions

axaxaxas mlö

the plaster cramp

ireneo funes

bliss st.

we’re probably okay

under contract

clodhoppers

black oats

disgusting decrepit rat

saint fungus

hog chariot

enuma elish

akasha

dog in water

pain free prozac experience

no wild dog or fear

old goat skull

great land, house of shades

beneath earth

billenia

gordon through the door

monoxide blue

tiger mask

texas mack

vast poodle

ob dixilis

very velvet

myriagon

fallen glass

chronic wasting disease

seabirds

dozens of ships

moribund understanding

branching of road

safer smoking

pearl sugar

citrus psyllids

napalm stars

carnivorous deep-sea sponge

asterion

rat regrets

electromeat

dumpster cat

willowbush

moon monkey

frogspawn

laïs

asrar nama

zahir (shadow of the rose)

lulu breaks your heart

fungal disease

qaholom

panthalassa

hagstone

stonetops

waxman hides honey sticks on the fridgetop

trash and food

nightswimming

the inca doves

seeds from dead tomatoes

seeds from dead fruit

dreaming bad dreams

lönnrot

camel caboose

sixteen thousand

holding toads

droopy moon

moth brother

cecropia

perpetualcombustion

souvenir society

cages for mutants

mixednuts

pakistani tekken

the film rips

the parallax view

robot subplot

red super bomb

tracing stains

pearlesaint

saint pearl

something sinister

bone bag

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you have any tan lines? Nope. Have you ever wished you could stop time? Yes. I’ve also wished I could speed it up. Is there any pictures on the wall you're in? Yeah, there’s several. Who was the last person who called you? My mom. Did you make any money today? No.

Have you ever fallen and twisted your ankle? No. What was the highest place you've ever jumped from? I haven’t jumped from anywhere. Have you ever gone swimming in a river? No. Ever been so unfortunate to slip on wet rocks? Nope. When was the last time you got completely soaked by rain? It’s been a long time. One of the times that comes to mind is when my mom, aunt, a former friend, and I were at an outdoor festival and we got caught in an unexpected rain storm. It just started pouring down hard and we were not prepared at all. We had to run back to our car, which was parked a good distance away and yeah we were absolutely soaked. 

Is there something you really want to buy at the moment? I’d love to be able to book a beach vacation getaway. Would you ever consider culinary school? No. I’m not a cook and have no interest in trying to become one. Do you ever watch the clouds, to see if they look like objects/animals etc? I did when I was a kid sometimes. When was the last time you didn't want to get out of bed? That’s me everyday. It’s a real struggle. Are you excited for anything coming up in the near future? No. My foreseeable future consists of more doctors and appointments and struggles and spending most of my time in bed. Speaking of dancing, do you know any real dance moves? I know them, but I can’t do them. Do you save cards from your birthday/x-mas, etc? Yes. What was the last souvenir someone got you? A shirt. Do you have a favorite remix of a song? One of my favorite covers is Adele’s cover of George Michael’s “Fast Love” that she preformed at an award show in honor of him after he died. I can only describe it as hauntingly beautiful. I really wish she would have released a studio version of it. When was the last time you printed something off? I don’t recall; it’s been awhile. Are you one of those people who can learn music/songs by ear? No, I wish. There was a guy in my piano class I took my senior year in high school that could do that. It was really cool. Has the power gone out recently? No, but I have a feeling it will happen soon. It always does when we have a lot of triple digit degree weather, which is what this week has consisted of. Do you like driving at night? I don’t drive, but I like nighttime drives. Like, whenever I travel I love leaving really early when it’s still dark out. It’s a different experience. Does seeing roadkill make you sad, or just grossed out? Both. Does wearing heels make you feel sexier? I don’t wear heels. What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument? The piano can sound that way. What day do you go back to school (if you're in school)? I’m forever done with school. When was the last time you've gone shopping with a friend? It’s been a few years. Do you ever go out to dinner with your Mom? We haven’t physically gone out to eat for dinner in quite a long time.  What is your favorite kind of salad dressing? Ranch. Have you ever bought fireworks? Not me personlly, but my dad and brother do every 4th of July. Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies? Sometimes, but I ultimately decide if I want to see it or not. Have you ever snuck in to a theater/dance/bar etc? No. If given the chance, would you go to Ireland? Sure. Who was the last person/website to send you an email? I don’t feel like checking. Has your phone ever rang and scared you? Yeah. I’m such a jumpy person anyway. If you have a cat, does it ever "converse" with you? I don’t have a cat. If given the chance, would you ever fly in a fighter plane like the F-16? No. Are you afraid of standing on the edge of hills/skyscrapers/cliffs etc? Uh, YES. Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar etc)? No. Do you support the funds designed to protect endangered animals? (Like WWF). I haven’t done much myself to support them, but I’m glad they exist. What type of a drunk are you? (Obnoxious, calm, emotional, violent, etc) I was a chatty drunk. I feel like I was annoying, ha. I was also the sad drunk. Do you have an absolute favorite name (boy or girl)? I love the name Alexander. Are you good at pronouncing foreign words? Uhh, depends. If you're not already, when do you plan on getting married? I don’t want to get married. Can you tolerate the smell of cigarette smoke? Nooo. It honestly makes me sick, like I get lightheaded and dizzy, I get nauseous, and I get a really bad headache. When listening to music, do you usually tap your foot etc to the beat? I sometimes tap my fingers and hands. Have you ever literally cried on a friend's shoulder? No. Was there something that "made your day" today? It literally just turned midnight, so today is just now starting. Do you have a favorite kind of chocolate bar? White chocolate. Are you happy that it's summer? Ugh, no. It’s hot and miserable. Is there anything that you should be doing right now? I’m about to make my nightly bowl of ramen.  Has anyone had expectations that you just couldn't live up to? (finishing this a couple hours later...) That’s how I’ve been feeling. Are you currently in a relationship? If so, how long have you been dating? Nope. Would you ever consider being a DJ at a party if you were paid? Nah. Have you ever tried those electric toothbrushes? Wow, this question makes it seem like they’re so futuristic and rare lol. Yes, I use electric toothbrushes. Are you or anyone you know devoted to "being green"? Not overly so, no. When it comes election time, do you vote (if you're old enough)? Yes. What was the last movie you watched that was on TV? I watched Fear 1994 on Netflix recently if that counts. How long have you had an account on bzoink? I don’t have an account on bzoink. Do strapless bras work for you? I don’t like them. I only wear them if I have to, like with a dress. Do you have a favorite hair elastic that you use almost always? No. Has anyone told you that they wanted to marry you/ were planning on it/etc? No. When you were younger, did you have a yoyo? I did. I couldn’t do any tricks, though. What was the last video game you played, if any? Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Has anyone ever called you nerdy? Yeah. Have you ever had to call 911? Yes. Has there ever been a tornado near where you live? No, fortunately. Are you a rollercoaster addict? Noo. I’m a big scardy cat. Do you feel comfortable enough to wear short shorts? No. I’m very self-conscious about my legs. About my body in general, really. If you have iTunes, do you find the Genius recommendations helpful? I don’t even recall what that is; I haven’t used iTunes in almost 10 years. Are you quick at looking up numbers in phonebooks/ words in dictionaries? Phonebooks, wow.  I haven’t used a phonebook or actual dictionary in yearsssss thanks to the Internet/Google.  Have a favorite actor/actress from Old Hollywood? (Marilyn Munroe, etc) Lucille Ball. Out of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, which are you the best at? None of those. Is there a friend you can always talk to about anything? I don’t have any friends. Can you stand spicy foods? Not anymore. :( It’s gotta have like barely anything like McDonald’s or Taco Bell mild hot sauce type of stuff. It’s wild because I used to be obSESSED with spicy food. I put hot sauce on everything and had a high spicy tolerance. Then a few years ago I developed a sensitivity and I can’t even have red pepper flakes now. It sucks. What's your opinion on people who stretch their ears? Hey, do what you want. I’ll admit the really stretched out lobes freak me out, though. Do you think tattoos are expressive art or unattractive? To me they can be either one, it just depends. What is your school mascot? -- Do you find black and white photos to be pretty? Yeah. Food you make doesn't taste as good as food made by others, true? Sometimes. Especially foods like sandwiches for some reason. I think they’re way better when my mom or a deli makes them.  Is there a certain color that doesn't look good on you? I don’t think I look good in anything, so. Have you ever heard anything interesting about Nova Scotia, Canada? Not that I can recall. Have you ever seen a bear in the wild? No, thankfully. Do you know when you will get to see your significant other next? I’m single. What's the book you're currently reading? ”Such a Good Girl” by Willow Rose. Is your room currently a disaster? No. If going to a concert, do you prefer it to be outside or in a stadium? Definitely in a stadium.

Do you have a case for your camera? I use the camera on my phone, which I do have a case for. Can your cellphone take a beating? I’ve dropped it a few times and so far so good. Is there a month you prefer over others? October and December. Do you ever buy lottery tickets? Just a couple of times. Can you recall the most disturbing movie you've ever seen? A Clockwork Orange is one. Are you more of a tape or a glue person? Tape. Of course, it does depend on what I’m doing. In some cases, glue is the better option.  Has anyone you know gotten mono? Not that I know of. What is/or was your graduating year? I graduated UC in 2015. Have you had a weird dream lately? All my dreams are weird. Have you ever gotten an autograph from someone famous? Yes. Do you own a pair of slippers? No. Do you ever watch VHS movies anymore? No. I don’t even recall the last time. Has your computer ever decided to completely erase itself? No, but I’ve lost stuff because of viruses back in the day. :(

Only when the power goes out do we realize how much we rely on it, true? It definitely becomes quite apparent quite quickly. Have you ever picked an apple off the tree and eaten it? No. Can you say yes / no in different languages? ”Si” and “No”, ha. Are you good at styling your own hair? No. Especially not anymore since I just don’t have the motivation or energy to do anything with my hair, which is why it was always up in a bun. I finally just cut it really short and have been wearing a cute wig if I go somewhere cause that’s all I can to do right now. I am sad, though. It was so long.   Out of the traditional superheroes, which one is your favorite? The Scarlett Witch and Iron Man. What color is the shirt you're wearing right now? Black. Have you ever been lost? Physically and figuratively, yes.

[ihsanxdemirci]

i h s a n     d e m i r c i

bio   /  dossier   /   connections   /   muse

BASICS  :

FULL NAME     :     ihsan demirci

AGE    :    thirty

BIRTHDATE    :    april 13

GENDER ID    :    cis man

PRONOUNS    :   he / his

OCCUPATION   :   army infantry;  tactical linguist

CURRENT LOCATION    :    salem, massachusetts

LANGUAGES    :    english,    turkish,    arabic

PHYSICAL  :

FACECLAIM    :    alp navruz

HEIGHT    :    185cm / 6'1"

WEIGHT    :    80kg / 176lbs

BUILD    :    athletic

DOMINANT HAND    :    left

HAIR    :    black;    messy curls;   too long

EYES    :    hazel;    gold flakes

FACIAL HAIR   :   always stubbled

VOICE    :    soft gravel;    tempered;    subtle turkish accent

LIFESTYLE  :

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS   :   currently residing alone in his family home,   attempting to clean and organize his parent’s belongings,   very little of his personality is present,  but does keep candles lit when he’s there ( enjoys vanilla and cinnamon ).   keeps things neat and orderly,   there is still far too much clutter for his liking.

DIET    :   balanced,    enjoys spices and strong flavors,    doesn’t understand sushi.    cooks very well,    primarily turkish / middle eastern style cuisine.  taco bell is his favorite restaurant ( and yes, is convinced it counts as a restaurant. )  chocolate and anything with lots of cinnamon are his favorite sweets.

CLOTHING STYLE  :  comfortable and practical.   jeans, t-shirts, sweaters;    enjoys texture and earthy colors.   dislikes being cold,    so often layered.   rarely wears accessories.

HOBBIES  :  the violin

SEXUAL ORIENTATION    :    homosexual

DRUG USE    :    no

SMOKING    :    no

ALCOHOL    :    occasionally,   socially

BIOGRAPHY  :

trigger warnings:  homophobia, alcoholism,  abuse,  violence,  war,  ptsd,  parental death

Ihsan's parents immigrated to the United States from Ankara,   Turkey shortly after marrying in their early twenties.   His father enlisted in the army,   while his mother found her passion in teaching private violin lessons and performing with local orchestras.   Between his deployments,   the couple moved around quite a bit as his orders required until,   after some difficultly conciving,   they finally became pregnant with who would be their first and only child.   The decision was made to settle into Salem,   wanting to give their son as stable a life as possible without all of the moving around required by the military.   Because his father would continue to deploy while Ihsan was very young,   he was primarily raised by his mother.   Early on,   Ihsan was a happy child,   bright and friendly,   with hardly a care in the world while attending school,   playing with his neiborhood friends,   and learning the same love for the violin that his mother had.

However,   when he was thirteen years old,   everything changed for the family after his father was hurt in a conflict overseas,   and the army had to make the decision to medically retire him.   Losing his career and the only way of life he'd known was a devastating blow to his father,   and to cope with the loss he turned to whiskey to numb his anger and depression.   With nothing else to occupy himself with,   and in chronic pain from his injuries,   his father's focus turned a critical eye to his son and the way he was developing.   While there was a lot to be proud of,   Ihsan was,   in his opinion,   too soft;   he played no sports,   preferred to spend his free time with books and music,   and had close to nothing in common with his old man.   His father's sudden and often times overbearing involvement in Ihsan's hobbies sparked heated arguments between his parents,   often resulting in slammed doors and broken glass;   at one point,   Ihsan even recalls the local police being called,   as the neighbors feared their fighting had escalated into violence.

Ihsan,   feeling responsible for his parent's disagreements,   tried to placate his father by beginning to show interest in sports at school,   signing up for jiu jitsu lessons,   and going with him to the gun range to learn how to shoot.   For a time,   it worked,   and it appeared as though they'd all found a way to live within their new normal at last.

That is,   until a rumor found it's way to his father that Ihsan was seen kissing another boy in the parking lot after a school dance.   When he got home that night and curled into bed,   his lungs rattled with the pain of his father's disapproval and his split lip stained his pillow with blood,   his father's liquor-scented voice growling on repeat in his head,   "no son of mine..."

In time,   Ihsan was able to convince his father that it all had been a misunderstanding.   A lesson,   hard learned,   that in order to keep the peace in his family,   he would have to carefully navigate his own life,   to wear a mask and keep secret the parts of himself that would set off his father's temper.   This façade of his became a routine that followed Ihsan even after graduation,   when he felt he'd met the love of his life;   Milo Boone.   But what he'd used to protect himself all these years was the very same thing that drove Milo to eventually have to end things between them,   Ihsan's insistence on living in secrecy suffocating Milo's own vibrant truth.

Heartbroken and entirely without direction,   Ihsan decided to chase his father's footsteps and enlisted into the army.   He wanted out of Salem,   and away from everything that reminded him of his own failures and cowardice,   to run from his perpetual knack for disappointing those around him.  He joined the infantry,   and was trained as a specialist in tactical linguistics,   being already fluent in english,   turkish,   and arabic.   Ihsan threw himself into his career,   signing into back to back contracts and forcing himself to stay as busy as possible.   So much so that when the news his mother had died in a car accident,   he was unable to get home in time to even attend her funeral.

Years passed in a repetitive blur of deployments and combat,   and just as his contract is due to expire,   he gets word that his father had fallen critically ill;   his years of drinking ( which worsened after the death of his wife ) had finally caught up with him.   Ihsan,   planning to return home to care for him,   in a final let down,   didn't make it in time for him,   either. Rather than being at his father's side in his remaining days,   he finds himself at his graveside instead.

Ihsan is currently living again in his childhood home as he takes some time to organize his parent's things and figure out what to do with himself next.   Part of him is considering returning to the military,   but with that thought comes a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach as another part of him insists that,   for now at least,   Salem is where he needs to be in to try and reacquaint himself with the person he'd been meant to be all along.   Beyond figuring out his future,   Ihsan struggles with his past;   his time in the army leaving perpetual dark circles beneath his eyes as sleep evades him,  cut short by nightmares of combat,   loud noises jarring him wide awake in the middle of the night.    

[m4g0rtz]

Today's polish combo is one I've been looking forward to wearing for a while now! There is an olive green cream topped with a multichrome flakey topper. The cream on its own was beautiful, but I really loved the combo with the topper. There are just so many fall colors packed into that topper. I can't wait to try it over different colors. This combo also looked fantastic matte. This is Fallen Flake Taco over Not Pressed both from Holo Taco.

[sugarskullserenade]

Liz Bio

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.”

Name: Elizabeth (Liz) Briar

Age: 21

Code Name: Cheshire- Due to her fondness of hiding in the shadows and tricking people. While she has cat-like reflexes in combat she tends to be fairly clumsy outside of it. Liz will also sit on places she is not supposed to or knock things over.

History: Liz was an artist before the Great Collapse and her death. She knew Cruz before she became queen (her fiancé worked where she was held and often visited her) While human she was engaged but her lover became one of the lost shortly after they both came back as revenants. Before her lover joined the ranks of the lost, both were part of project Queenslayer. She now wanders looking for a way to end the revenants suffering. 

Blood Code: Kore, a code specializing in halberds and healing(at the expense of ichor). Consists of thorn like projectiles and a high defense at the expense of stagger, however it makes up for its lesser strength with quicker strikes and heightened agility

Blood Veil type: Modified Night Thorn (Ivy type)

Quirks: She likes to fall from high places and does not retain much damage. As previously stated, she likes to sit where she is not supposed to. Her free time is spent playing the piano, reading or drawing. She likes to play innocent though she is not ( an example is acting like she does not drink before drinking Yakumo under the table) Though it takes a lot to get her noticeably drunk, she is rather childish when she is, often clinging to whoever is near her. Louis rarely lets her drink herself truly drunk. While she likes most drinks, sake is her favorite.

She is often found asleep around the base in random areas and has fallen asleep in the hot springs more times than she’ll admit. While at first glance she seems elegant and put together she is childish once she opens up. Her favorite past time is hiding in the shadows before jumping on whoever passes (has been accidently hit by Jack, Yakumo and Davis several times but it has not stopped her) She leaves her sketches around and draws what interests her (mainly anyone she finds attractive). She has to stop herself from taking pictures of opponents during battles. While she is fine with heat, she is terrible with the cold. She will fall asleep on whoever is near her, while she sleeps a lot, she does not feel tired.

Favorite Valuables(5-4 points): Fragrant Tea, Boutique Sake, Antique Coin, Flower Seeds, Retro Game, Select Coffee Beans, Elegant Fountain Pen, Undamaged Paint Set, Chocolate, Stuffed Toy and Spotless Instrument

Liked Valuables(3-2 points): Blood Bead Candy, Geisha Noodles, Sushi Tacos, Bugarally Doll, Organic Soap, Classic Camera, Bottled Jam, Antique LP Record, Vegetable Seeds, Curious  Novelty, Board Game, Faded Comics, Aged Brandy and Yellowed Book

Disliked Valuables(1 point): Local Pendant, Powerful Spices, Aromatic Spices, Fancy Cologne, 35 mm Reel and Pungent Cheese

Hated Valuable(0 points): Custom Gun Parts, Well-Worn tool, Expensive Cigars, Protein Powder, Tomato Oden Sandwich and Chocolate Garlic Flakes

Given Gift: Small drawing 

Weapon: When she was first brought back she used a sword, however the last time she used that weapon was to slay her lover when they joined the Lost. Since then she has refused to wield any sword and uses her lover's halberd/scythe instead (which is modified/customized with rose thorns and their rings near the top)

 Song/Voice: Meet Me On The Battlefield By SVRCINA 

[adamsvanrhijn]

mid-september nails

jelly sandwich of l.a. colors ghosted & holo taco fallen flake

[aleekandahead]

Fish Taco Salads with Mango Black Bean Salsa

Since finals week ended--you know, nearly 8 weeks ago--I've been meaning to get back into posting about the amazing meals we make each week. But to do that, we would need to make amazing meals. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few. But not the weekly event that is typically our meal prep. Without a class schedule, my life has fallen to shambles. I stay up past 10, drink wine on weekdays, and am only about 70% sure of the date on any given day. Ah, the bliss of summer. This week, however, I told C I wanted to meal prep. My true motivation? My mom made this amazing mango bean salsa when I went home a few days ago; I knew C would love it, but I don't like picking cilantro. Fortunately, C is a cilantro-picking pro, and agreed to cook with me on one condition: I must blog about it. So here I am! After a brief--ok, more than brief--hiatus, we bring you..*drumroll*..fish taco salads with mango bean salsa. And it's so, so good. Especially the cilantro.

Fish Taco Salad

Recipe inspired by Neighbor Food  and Pinch of Yum

1 T chili powder

1 T cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3-4 tilapia filets, or fish of your choice

2 cloves minced garlic

Olive oil

 1. Preheat your oven to 375. Mix spices together in a bowel and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fish in a large Pyrex dish. Rub the spices in. We added all of the spices, but feel free to add less.

 2.  In a small pan, heat a drizzle of oil. Saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes, or, like I did, just burn it. It's fine. Top the fish evenly with the garlic and oil. 

3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for another 5 minutes. Check the middle for doneness; the fish should be white--not translucent--and flake easily.

4. Let the tilapia cool. Meanwhile, prepare a salad with toppings of your choosing. We chopped romaine and topped it with pico de gallo, corn, black beans, jalapenos, cilantro and red bell peppers. You may also choose to add sour cream, guacamole, or shredded cheese.

5. Drizzle with Sriracha Lime Dressing and enjoy!

[brideylee]

Jared and Nicole’s Love Story

           “Wee! If you gotta puke do it while you're near the ground!”, the slim Ferris Wheel operator squealed before leaning his face to his chest and hacking up tobacco lung muck, pausing the smiles of the kids in the carriages as they rose towards the sky. "How does a person grow into that sort of thing?", the kids pondered.The man was skin and bones and his front teeth faced towards each other in a stand off. Freckles littered his translucent skin, all over his shaved, fragile skull that he’d constantly bang around carelessly, listening to some terrible music in his head. Jared felt like he could never be alone if he listened to the voices in his head. The ones singing Papa Roach, Slip Knot, Jane’s Addiction, and sometimes when he wanted to cry, Aerosmith. He masturbated to pictures of happy looking naked women, porn was too intense for him. The prettiest girl in the world was always and will always be Nicole.

Nicole worked at the bank, her hair was straight and dead, hot ironed every morning, and bleached so many times that her scalp was crispy. She picked at it during the half hour before lunch uncontrollably with her square french manicured nails, rubbing the flakes between her fingertips. She hated this habit of hers but it helped time pass at the bank, where the most interesting thing to look at was the small triangles in the grey carpet. They were so mundane, and pointless. They added no dimension or personality or cheerfulness. Why did the carpet need these intermittent triangles? Who picked out this miserable design for the bank? Was it someone who wanted the people working at the bank to be reminded of their depression? There’s no escaping the corners of a triangle."I'm trapped.", Nicole thought.The three corners: bathroom break, standing at the counter, lunch break. Nicole checked her phone, it was time to eat and no one had texted besides her uncle who apologized for “having one too many beers”. His puke was composed of meaty chili and she still hadn't discovered the chunks that had fallen between the couch cushions.

She walked to the parking lot, her khakis were tight and cheap. When she was just standing they worked fine, but every time she walked they’d ride up between her legs so brutally, she felt like her crotch would be permanently mutilated if she wore them for another year. She imagined the review she'd write: "Wore these pants to work for two years and now my pussy looks like the face of a children's clown discovering a horse head in his sheets." There was no way around stopping and giving the pants a forceful tug. She didn’t feel pretty as she shut her car door, and took out her salad.  The salad was wet. Her car was dusty and the cloth seats smelled like mildew and old Taco Bell. She could never figure out why it still smelled like Taco Bell, she hadn’t eaten there in months, the heat brought out the smell. She ate her wet salad, glancing at her part in her rearview mirror. She worried the picking was giving her a bald spot. The lettuce was soggy, eating healthy sucked; a new years resolution, she was trying. "

Jared was banging his head around his 1995 Altima, it was his moms old car. He had had it ever since she died of lung cancer. He didn’t love the Altima, and always swore he was gonna sell it for something better, but it was truly the only thing his mom left behind for him, and somewhat begrudgingly he felt he had to keep it. He had two hundred bucks he wanted to deposit right away because there was no way he could hang on to two hundred bucks for too long. He liked to gamble, there was something adult and classy about it. He pulled into a spot, collecting the money from an envelope on the front seat. He made terrible hacking noises that startled Nicole. She looked over at the car next to hers. Jared’s head thrashed around like a shark killing a baby seal, his coughing was incessant and if he did have someone in his life, it would annoy the shit out of them. Nicole didn’t recognize him at first, focusing back on her terrible salad. The sounds his throat were making were demonic like a jackal was inside him munching on his lungs and esophagus, slicing through slimy tissue with razor teeth. Nicole put the Tupperware lid on her salad. She thought about the triangles in the carpet.

After recounting his money, Jared glanced up from the front seat. He saw Nicole, staring forward blankly. He stared at her, the prettiest girl. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. His nostrils were cracked and red, his face perpetually chapped and sore. He wish he looked better. Nicole felt his gaze, and turned her head towards him. She smiled politely. He stared parting his lips, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't smile, or cough, and the voices in his head were silenced to a record scratch in the middle of a Taking Back Sunday song. Nicole didn’t recognize the boy she grew up with. She was now 32 and high school was marred with memories of her folks fighting and drinking, the noise of that; the stomping, door slamming, constant howling from her mother, and seldom, but huge explosions from her father. It was war zone of a home that led to her tweezing her eye brows to thin lines obsessively and storing booze in her closet. Jared remembers high school differently. For him, it was awesome.  He made out with a lot of girls, none of whom bragged about it to anyone and he generally stayed out of trouble. Those were the years where his mom was her sickest, bed ridden, also her kindest years.

Nicole got out of the car and started walking back towards the bank, her lunch break was over and Jared’s gaze bothered her stomach. She tugged at her khakis as the seam made its way up. Jared stared from his car, growing more and more confused by the presence of his goddess, the prettiest. She looked more like he remembered her mom looking. He was still in awe of her. Stunned, he sat rubbing his chin, looking back at the bank debating on how to approach her or if he should wait until he had something fancy to talk about. Finally, he got out of the car. His pants were covered in crumbs from a subway sandwich and he smelled like one too. The sky was overcast, blank and unmoved by Jared's courage.

He made his way to the ATM machine, peering through the glass doors to see if he could see her. There she was, staring off at the carpet triangles perhaps if she'd stare long enough she'd start to hallucinate them moving in some psychedelic way, offering wisdom that would inspire some big life change or at least help her shed some weight. To Jared, Nicole was as poised and refined as a mannequin at Sears. The machine spat out his card, his deposit accepted. He opened the door to the bank. His ears got hot when he got nervous and his knees began to rattle like his bones suddenly age two hundred years. Nicole's eyes hadn't moved. She was planning the next boring healthy meal in her head when she glanced up to see Jared sway like he was drunk, his eyes rolling back in his head. He collapsed on the triangle carpet, seizing. Nicole stared at him, too numbed out to react instantly. He was just the probable junkie from the parking lot. Seconds ticked by while Jared's limbs tossed around uncontrollably. Should she call the police? An ambulance? She brought her thumb to her mouth and chewed at her cuticle. She dreaded all outcomes that involved leaving her position behind the glass.

When his writhing didn't stop, an older woman working in the back office rushed over to Jared. She knelt down next to him feeling his heart. His convulsions had settled down and a cold sweat now poured out behind his ears polishing the top of his head that glistened like a newborn with all that good placenta stuff on it. Janet, the nondescript woman from the back office, got him a Dixie cup of water from the water cooler, remaining calm and stoic. Nicole felt jealousy over Janet's human impulse to help. "Why didn't I feel anything?" Nicole thought to herself. As Jared came to, Janet helped him sit up right. He couldn't look at Nicole, he was embarrassed and weak. Janet offered to call an ambulance, but he convinced her quickly that he could drive home. Jared left the bank, vowing to never ever repeat the incident to anyone. Nicole wondered if she'd feel anything if the man had died. Guilt? Morbid curiosity? Satisfaction? Luckily, the triangles were still there and she didn't have to think long.  

[wannabeelf]

This week's nail art is a do over.

I couldn't think of anything to do this week, so I just repeated what I did the week before last with a different base color and one coat less of Fallen Flake Taco. I like the new base color so much that I almost wish I hadn't done the stamping so more of it would be visible.

Polishes used:

OPI Natural nail base coat

essie - lights down, music up

Holo Taco - Fallen Flake Taco

Twinkled T Stamping Polish - Liquid Gold

Holo Taco - Glossy Taco™

Also used:

Pueen  Theme Park Collection - Secret Garden 01