Mango for JCP

MNG by Mango dolman sleeve top, $36 | MNG by Mango ruffle blouse, $22|MNG by Mango tote handbag, $104 | MNG by Mango brown tote bag, $40 | MNG by Mango gold chain necklace, $20 | MNG by Mango® Lace Ruffle Dress or Bracelet or Bag, $28

Ohmygoshyouguys! Mango has come out with a line for JCPenny! I am beyond over the moon about this. 

I first encountered Mango while studying abroad. Lunches al fresco with the girls turned into afternoons of window shopping at least once a week. Mango was the only store where my wallet practically jumped out of my purse and paid for things of it's own accord. My will power was no match. Coming back to the states, I was sad to learn Mango only existed in Chicago and New York (they've since expanded to other states, but still not a single one in MN). 

On a (one of many) gift shopping trip last week, I practically squealed with excitement when I spotted the MNG by Mango logo above the racks of party dresses. Honestly, I was a little surprised that JCP is hosting the line but my oh my, I sure wasn't disappointed in the clothes. And I was ECSTATIC to find the above brown tote and gold necklace under the tree this evening (the bf and I opened presents with his family tonight). I wonder how he knew they'd go over well? It couldn't have been my constant ooohing and ahhhing or my inability to walk away with out picking up every single item on display...could it?

Start the week right.

It's not quite time for New Year's resolutions, but I saw this quote while blog-hopping (is that a term?) and it struck a cord.

Expect the people you love to be better. It helps them to become better. But don't get upset when they fail. It helps them keep trying.--Anonymous

We're all thinking about how to show our loved ones we really care around this time of year, but the very best gift of all is support and compassion. Don't forget though, to be kind to yourself as well when you're not quite as good as you want to be. Half the fun in life is the mistakes we make. 

In a completely unrelated note: This is my breakfast today. Pumpkin blueberry cobbler. Oh my, my favorite things! Unfortunately, I don't own ramekins so I used a muffin pan instead. Mine aren't quite as pretty as the ones in the recipe photo, but they sure are tasty! 

Blogger's Block

I've hit a little wall on what to write about. I think that this is because my free time has mostly consisted of Christmas shopping. Both in real life, and on the internets. I have a love/hate relationship with gift giving. I LOVE it when I find the absolute perrrrrrrrfect gift for someone. So much so, that it's really difficult to wait until Christmas and more than once I've ended up letting people unwrap their gifts a few days before December 25th. However, that perfect gift is so rare that most holiday gift shopping causes me lots of anxiety.
I always have an idea in my head of what I'd like to get everyone on my list, but for some reason stores just don't carry exactly what's in my head. If some small detail is off, I scrap the idea and usually end up looking for something different. I then realize how silly I'm being but by that time the item I want is usually sold out in the size/style/color I was looking for and then I'm back to square one. I've been shopping for weeks and only have 2 people on my list completed. This is the reason I'm always scrambling with the last minute shoppers. I suppose it's a good thing I don't have an aversion to shopping or going to the mall, as I've been spending quite a bit of time there lately.

It's the Holiday Season

The last three months of the year are undoubtedly my favorite.  October is full of fall, and pumpkins, and warm colors. And don't forget Halloween. November marks the start of colder weather, which always kicks my home body tendencies into high gear. Then comes Thanksgiving with the great food and family time. Then the Christmas Season. Not gonna lie, I've been known to listen to Christmas music in July. Or even watch Elf in September. December means I can openly show my Holiday Love in stead of closeting my festiveness.
Last week bf and I went on the hunt for a Christmas tree! For the past three years I've had a 3.5 foot tree that fit nicely on a table top, but this year I had my heart set on a full size tree. Target pulls through again, and we bought a 7ft slim tree absolutely perfect for the spot right in front of the window.

My favorite ornaments: the pine cones

Cozying up on the couch with a book and some hot tea in the glow of the Christmas tree is one of my favorite feelings in the world. 

Close your eyes and breathe. I smell snow.

Lorelai: Wait, close your eyes and breathe. I smell snow. 

Rory: Ah, it's that time of year. 

Lorelai: Can't you smell it? 

Rory: You know, it's like dogs and high-pitched noises. I think it's something only you can smell. 

(From Gilmore Girls episode "Love and War and Snow")

Snow guys! Snow! The first real snow is a worthy holiday in my book. I love snow. I love how it makes the world look like a Christmas card. I love how it gets me into the holiday spirit (not that I need much assistance in that area). I love how it makes the trees and the road sparkle and how pretty holiday lights look under a nice healthy blanket of snow.

I celebrated the first snowfall with my aunt creating a holiday surprise for my grandparents' Christmas decorations, sipping coffee and chatting away while the snow steadily fell outside. It was lovely. The ride home took about three times as long as normal due to the roads being pretty slick but I didn't mind one bit. Driving through big fluffy snow flakes and listening to carols is one of my favorite past times.

After a nice hearty dinner ("meatloaf muffins, baked potato and corn), I've settled in with Elf and a giant mug of mint hot chocolate. Do you love the first snow, or does it just stress you out?

Harvest colors

Seriously you guys, I can't stop making boards on Polyvore. I've made one for what I would wear on NYE if I were going somewhere fancy, one with colored skinny jeans (I desperately want a pair), and one for my ideal living room. I won't subject you to all of the boards I've created, but I thought I'd share this one.
 

Surya ART81-23 Artist Studio Small Rug, Spa Blue - Home Furniture..., $113, Ferm Living Power Birds Wall Sticker – Black, $110, KARMA LIVING Pom Pom Blanket Yellow, $60, Product Detail - Bright Fringe Pillow, $17, Highbury Fall Garden Dupioni Pillow, $29, Cinnamon Chai 22oz Soy Candle: Home & Garden, $15, IKEA Rotera, $3.99, View All Candles - Candles - Bath & Body Works, $2.50

I'll be working this Thanksgiving, so I won't be headed back to Wisconsin for the holiday. I briefly considered making a small Thanksgiving feast and hosting a few friends but since I'll be working third shift the night before I just don't see myself having the time or energy to do all of that cooking. Especially since I've never even attempted to make that much food at once before. If I had decided to have friends over for the holiday meal, I'd want all of these things making my apartment festive and cozy. 

PS- Have you tried Woodwick candles yet? They are fabulous! Not only do they smell wonderful, but the wood wick crackles as it burns and creates the coziest atmosphere. 

Grey Skies

Lately, I've found myself drawn to all things sequins. And grey. Thanks to my new obsession with Polyvore, I get to share some of the sparkles that are sparking my interest {sorry, couldn't resist}.

{Those Old Navy flats actually ended up in my shopping bag yesterday. I can't wait to wear them this weekend! }
 Dolman sleeve sweater: $22, Slim blazer: $44, Miss selfridge: £20, Old Navy ballerina shoes: $15, Red Herring python handbag: £20, Forever21 cuff jewelry:$13

In addition to playing on Polyvore, shopping, and working, I've been spending the past few days reading Cheetah is the New Black. All the way through. I believe I've only done that with one other blog to date. The author of Cheetah is just so sweet, I couldn't stop reading! I feel like we could be friends. Plus, I want to shop in her closet.

Today, I baked.

Did you know that it has been a week since my last post?! I did not realize it had been that long.

Since my last post I've taken a trip home, attended a breakfast for a good cause, did some shopping, and worked a whole lot. 

Today was my first day off in what felt like a really long time (It's really only been like 4 days...). I started the day off by making some more of that delicious granola from my last post, only this time I made the lower calorie version which substitutes applesauce for the oil. Now, normally I can't really tell the difference between "light" versions of foods and the full fat versions. This is not one of those times. The flavor of the granola is pretty good, but instead of crunchy bits of delicious you get larger clumps of chewy "okayness". I used it to top my breakfast yogurt and it was pretty tasty, but I won't be eating this by the handful like the last batch. 

After some early Christmas shopping and dinner with the boyfriend I came home and baked some more. I've been dying to make Pumpkin Scones and was super excited to finally have the time to try it out. I found a recipe from sparkrecipes.com. I had to make some substitutions due to the fact that I don't have an incredibly stocked pantry. I substituted the cloves with cinnamon, and had to replace 2 T of sugar with 3 packets of Stevia sweetener when I ran out of real sugar. 

I was a bit nervous since I've never made scones before, but they turned out fantastic! Leave it to me to bake scones the day I decide to start tracking my calories again. Well, here goes a lesson in self-disipline! 

{pumpkin shaped pumpkin scones}

Cozy up

After a few weeks of indian summer, I'm more than happy the weather has changed. The air is crisp, cool, and carries the slight scent of leaves and rain. There's something about the smell of autumn air that makes me want to curl up under a cozy blanket with a mug of something warm and watch a movie while something delicious bakes in the oven. So tonight, I did just that. 

After roasting some pumpkin seeds to bring home to my daddy, I decided to make homemade granola for the first time. As with the quiche incident, I'm pretty disappointed in myself for not making this sooner. It's probably the simplest recipe ever, and turns out such fantastic results. I made this version from Tiny Urban Kitchen with the optional vanilla and brown sugar. I also added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for a little something extra. I will never buy granola from the store again.

If you decide to make this, I highly suggest eating a bit of it right after it comes out of the oven. The warm honey makes it slightly chewy which is absolutely delectable mixed with the crisp oats. 

Now I'm off to curl up with some cider, a movie and a bowl of pumpkin pie yogurt topped with some crunchy goodness. 

{don't you just adore the face on my ghost mug?}

Happy Weekend, and Happy Halloween!

In the Trenches.

Guys, I made a purchase today...

{I am in love} 

I've been coveting a trench for years but haven't been willing to commit to the price tag a good trench normally carries. When I saw this one hanging on the wall at Forever 21, I knew I had to have it. Not only was it a great price but the little ruffle made it irresistible to me! I've recently realized that I'm drawn to classic items with a little twist. Like this living room

I love the classic neutrals mixed with the bright pops of blue and red. It's quite lovely, don't you think? 

{image via design sponge}

Weekend Whirlwind

Once again the weekend has disappeared, this time for a totally different reason however.

Since last Wednesday my schedule has basically been work, eat, sleep, shower, repeat. Plus, in between the sleeping and working part yesterday I discovered that my refrigerator had died and my building manager was out of town. Boyfriend brought a cooler and salvaged most of the perishables and today maintenance man returned and brought over two mini fridges.

It looks like it may be a few days until my big, monster fridge from 1963 gets to see a repair man.  I'm wondering what types of odd dishes I'll have to cook up to use the food that belongs in the freezer but doesn't fit into that little shoebox freezer space in the "dorm refrigerator" (as maintenance man likes to call them).

Other plans for this week include: 1. attempting to find a pair of jeans that actually fit me well (I have high hopes for these) 2. antique-ing- still in search of a cool coffee table, coat rack, and vintage frames. 3. A much needed visit home, and maybe passing out some Halloween Candy to the kiddos! :)

Happy New Week loves!

A place to sit.

This may be the smallest DIY project ever, but it's my first shot at anything not involving a scrapbook or construction paper so I'm pretty proud of it.

Back when my bff (the super cool lady of She knows this much is true, and treble and lace {she's always been an over acheiver ;) }) and I were roomies in college she found these dining room chairs at a garage sale for something ridiculously cheap like $5.

You can't really tell (because I like to use my ipod to take pictures, when really I should just use my camera) but the seat cushion is corduroy and pretty gross. We didn't use them a whole lot so we never bothered to recover them. When we finished college she didn't have a use for them so I got them when I moved into my first studio apartment (where I hardly used them, so I didn't bother to recover them). Yesterday I realized that with the limited seating I currently have in my living room, these chairs would be great to use when more than 3 people would like to sit down. I borrowed a staple gun from my aunt, used an old tapestry I bought to use as a slipcover for my couch and went to work. This is the result. 

I thought about spray paint, but the bronzed metal actually goes pretty well with the fabric so I nixed that idea and shall leave them as is. This would be a minuscule project for most people, but it's an accomplishment for me and I am a little bit more proud of them than I should be. 

In way more exciting news: I'm getting INTERNET tomorrow! For some reason I found it incredibly hard to decide which internet provider I should sign up for so I debated for 2 whole months before I finally realized how ridiculous I was being.

Fancy That: Never, Never Land

A while back, I had a small obsession with Flickr. While browsing one day I ran across this image by Chrissie White. I've long admired people who have even the slightest photography skills, and browsing through Chrissie's photostream I was completely enamored {and envious}.  She takes exactly the kinds of photos I would take if I had any hint of an eye for photography: whimsical, fun, and full of awesome staging. I dare you not to be inspired by this girl's work.

Monday Melodies

 On my drive to work last night I was listening to a local radio show, Freedom Rock, on Cities 97. The show was airing past recordings of instudio performances and interviews of artists that will be on this years volume of their annual live performances cd, the City Sampler. This song stopped me dead in my tracks (seriously, someone had to honk at me to signal a stop light had turned green).  The group is the Civil Wars (visit their website here), and it's composed of Joy Williams and John Paul White. They produce hauntingly beautiful melodies accompanied by unimposing acoustic instruments. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks their work is stunning, they've been selling out shows everywhere. Which makes me think, for goodness sake where have I been!?

Their down to earth personalities in the interview made me love them even more. John Paul has a knack for self-deprecating humor and Joy Williams seems sweet as pie. These guys fall in the same folksy genre as some of my other favorites such as Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers, and when talking about the wide audience for such acts John Paul made a comment that I think sums up the growing audience for such music: "When times are hard, people tend to gravitate towards reality based music...people want to devolve a little bit, and simplify their lives...we just need to get some of the clutter out of our lives. We do that when we listen to music, and we do that when we create music. We're all in the same headspace..."I've said before how I've been gravitating towards stripped down music, and I believe that's one of the reasons this band hit the right note for me. 

Pretty for pennies: Hair Edition

If you're reading this, you probably already know that that's me. What you don't know is that's my hair after visiting the Juut Salon in Uptown. 

I'm generally a pretty low-maintenance girl. I usually go to Great Clips to get my hair cut. Never again I tell you. Just like when I had my foundation brush epiphany, I now know why some people spend upwards of $100 on a haircut. It's the salon experience! 

After checking in for my appointment, I was served a cup of peace coffee, sat in a very nicely decorated reception area and read the latest issue of Nylon Magazine.  My stylist came to greet me (exactly at my appointment time!) and what followed was close to 2 hours of bliss. 

It started with a "consultation", which is basically the customer telling the stylist what they want, followed by a pressure point aromatherapy massage (10 minutes later, I was putty).

 After that it was time for a little suds. Juut uses hair washing beds, which means that instead of sitting in a chair and having them wash your hair while your neck is tilted back awkwardly, you lie on an angled cot. Much more comfortable. Then the cut. Since the Uptown salon is a training studio most of the stylists are new (to Juut) and therefore get guidance and consults by master stylists. Which basically means that stylists who charge $90-$120 per haircut are monitoring your cut every step of the way. 

Lastly, a blow out and style. My stylist used a roundbrush to dry and curl my hair. I can barely brush my hair with a roundbrush, and it takes about an hour for me to make my hair look like that with a curling iron (I have a lot of hair). Obviously, I was impressed. And the grand total? $30 including tip. Well worth it, I'd say. 

If you're looking for ways to keep a little more green in your wallet, I'd say going to a training salon is an excellent option. I spent about $5-7 more than what I would spend at a Great Clips or Supercuts, and got a much better cut and experience. But, if you go to a professional salon (where the average haircut is about $45) you could save about $130 over the course of a year! The only drawback is that you're not guaranteed to get the same stylist every time, but unless you have extremely unmanageable hair this probably won't pose a huge problem for you. Needless to say, I'll definitely be returning the next time I need a trim!

Weekend Whirlwind

Seriously, where does the weekend go? I even got a three day weekend and I still have no idea how it slipped by so quickly. It seems time really does fly when you're having fun, because I sure made the most of the past three days. Here's a list of things I did, because I love lists.

- Saw Moneyball. This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Brad Pitt really is an incredible actor (also, he seems to get more and more attractive with age...). I'm a sucker for a heart-felt dramedy, and this definitely falls into that category.

- Toured Target Field with my family. I love going to Target Field to see the Twins play, but this was a whole different ballgame (it's okay you can groan). We got to see everything in the stadium from the visitor's clubhouse (the Twins don't let you tour theirs, rats), to the pressbox, to the dining room that serves only those who hole $250 tickets. We even got to go into the dugout!

- FINALLY did laundry and unpacked all of my clothes! For the past month I've sort of been unpacking stuff I want to wear, wearing it, then washing it and putting it away. This resulted in a lot of hunting for the item I planned on wearing that day, which then resulted in a clothes bomb exploding all over my closet floor. The bomb has been diffused, and my clothes are now neat and tidy. My closet is by no means organized even close to the way I want it to stay, but at least I can find an outfit now! 

-Baked banana muffins. Not an incredibly difficult task, but a yummy one! My mom always used to bake banana bread and muffins for me to take to school for breakfast on days where I'd go in early for one reason or another (usually because I didn't want to have to park a mile away), so baking and eating them always makes me a little nostalgic. 

- Headed back to Aamodt's! A friend I hadn't seen in a while organized a group trip to the orchard for a round of pick our own apples. Sadly, all of the pick your own apples had been picked. Instead of heading out and letting our festive plaid go to waste, we hung out and made the most of the rest of the activities at the orchard. I bought some more of their amazing apple cider donuts (which I mentioned here), did a wine tasting, fed some goats, took a hayride, and enjoyed the absolutely gorgeous day. 

-Watched the crazy people participate in the Twin Cities Marathon. And I mean crazy in the best way possible. I still can't run a whole mile, these people run 26! 

All in all, I had a pretty great weekend soaking up the remaining beautiful weather before mother nature runs her course and sunny and 70 degrees turns into overcast and 20 degrees. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Easy as Pie

Last night I was riffling through my cookbooks looking for something easy and satisfying to make for dinner.  I have a few cookbooks but somehow I always end up overlooking them in favor of online recipe sites (they're just so convenient!). I figured since I have these books, I really should use them every once in a while.

I finally decided to make something from the dusty pages of a cookbook that was made in my grandmother's honor for her contributions to Project Linus in North Carolina. The recipes in the cookbook are all family recipes donated by members of the community my grandparents lived in for over 20 years, so they're all incredibly comforting, delicious, and {most importantly} relatively simple. The winning dish was Crab Quiche.

Now, I'm embarrassed to say that I've sometimes scoured restaurant websites in search of a place where I could get a slice of Quiche for breakfast or brunch. How silly of me, quiche is insanely easy to prepare. Granted, if you make your own pie crust it gets minimally complicated, but I avoided that by purchasing a frozen crust. Here's the recipe:

1 9" pie crust

1/2 c. mayo

2 T. flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. milk

2 (6oz.) cans of crab meat

8 oz. shredded swiss cheese

1/3 c. chopped onion

1/3 c. chopped mushroom

Blend the mayo, flour, eggs, and milk until smooth. Stir in the Swiss Cheese, crab meat, onion, and mushrooms. Pour into the pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

This goes into the oven and 45 minutes later- TADA! Cheesy, yummy goodness comes out. 

I made a side of roasted asparagus to accompany my quiche and it was the perfect mid week meal! 

Now that I know how friggen easy quiche is to make, I'll probably end up making this my lazy day meal. Plus, any combination of meat/cheese/veggies is going to be equally as delicious, which means the possibilities are endless! 

Apple of my eye

Monday, I did one of my favorite things...apple picking! The bf and I had been meaning to do pick-your-own fruit all summer. Sadly, we missed out on strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I refused to miss out on the crisp apples that come with the start of fall. So, Monday afternoon we headed out to Stillwater to Aamodt's Apple Farm, to do some harvesting.

 I'm pretty sure this is the most famous orchard around the Twin Cities, and for good reason. In addition to a great apple orchard, they also have a pretty large vineyard (which produces wonderful wines you can sample for $5)
and an amazing, I repeat amazing bake shop. I would drive the 40 minutes solely for the purpose of purchasing a package of their Apple Cider Donuts (which I would have gotten a picture of, but they didn't last long). Lucky for me, I also got Cinnamon Candy Apple butter, and a bunch of Sweet 16 apples. If you haven't had a Sweet 16 apple, I suggest you go find the nearest orchard that grows them, and get yourself a bucket. They're delicious.  I was a little wary at first, because of their small size, but as soon as I took a bite I realized the error of my ways and devoured the rest... and maybe another one too.

We've got some catching up to do!

Where to start?! Lack of an internet connection, combined with some recent life events have taken me away from the blogosphere for a bit, but now I'm back!

One of my favorite quotes from The Happiness Project (which I've said before is part of my inspiration for starting a blog) is, "It's easy to be heavy, hard to be light." It seems that a lot of people I know have been dealing with some unfortunate luck and some heavy feelings. I've found that I've been struggling to keep some lightness myself as a result.

I love this quote because it reminds me that perspective is key when facing difficult things. It's easy to take events at face value and be discouraged by adversity, or you can put in a little effort and find the silver lining. Not to be cliche, but if you do the work you can usually find the place for a new start and a little transformation when faced with less than ideal circumstances. I'm incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who often do the work and as a result, gloomy clouds never last for long.

I also happen to be surrounded by people who throw awesome weddings, bring me to the Renaissance Fair, and go apple picking. Which are the things that have kept me busy recently. I'll have more to share shortly :)

I hope you've all had a lovely start to the week!

Brush Crush

I'm not one to spend a lot of money on cosmetics. I love doing my makeup, but I've never really seen the point in spending $50 for a brush to apply my foundation. This has generally resulted in me applying makeup with my hands, which I've realized is a big skin no-no. Apparently the people at e.l.f. cosmetics agree that beauty products should be affordable. Like, really affordable. The total price for these three products was a whopping $3. Yes, that's right people the liquid eyeliner, the blush, and the foundation brush were one whole dollar a piece. The amazing part is, they not only do the job, they do it well.

The beauty of a line of quality, affordable cosmetics is that you can try out new trends and colors without breaking the bank. Coral blush for fall end up not being your color? No worries, you only spent a dollar. Can't get the hang of liquid eyeliner? Perfect your technique for only a dollar. Finally stop applying make-up with your hands, and (for only a dollar) realize how much easier it is to blend natural looking foundation with a brush. It's such an incredible difference, I wonder how I ever went without.

Friday's Fancy This!

From now on, every Friday, I will share an image with you (maybe mine, maybe not) that inspires me. Hopefully the inspiration will carry through the weekend. We'll start with this one, which does happen to be mine.

One of my favorite photos, of my favorite memories, in my favorite city. Le sigh.

I took this photo the day I discovered how wonderful the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris is. With Sacre Coeur at the center of a million fabric shops, sandwicheries (yes, that is a real French word), incredibly charming boutiques, cafes, and one of the most spectacular views, it was impossible not to tomber amoureux. Also, I had the best panini caprese I've ever eaten in my life at a sidewalk cafe down the street from Le Moulin Rouge so, bonus points.

Happy Weekend Friends! I hope it's downright lovely.

Guilty Pleasures

Disclaimer: I may be shunned for this post ;)

I (like a lot of people I know) have a laundry list of guilty pleasures. Most of my list isn't really truly guilty, i.e. I actually acknowledge that I enjoy most of them. This list may or may not include Katy Perry, CW TV shows (how many Gossip Girl reruns have I watched?), and eating half of the brownie batter before the pan makes it into the oven.

One thing that has long been hidden on my actually guilty guilty pleasures list is my love for Lauren Conrad. I have had a soft spot for L.C. since my high school days when a healthy number of Friday nights were spent with two of my best friends painting our nails and watching Laguna Beach. When I moved to college, of course, I was too cool to watch the spin-off show so I didn't really follow her career very closely (other than eyeing up most of the pieces for her Kohl's line). Then one night, after seeing the newly mature and pulled together Lauren Conrad on covers of various magazines (combined with a bit of boredom and not much else to do) I watched an episode of The Hills, and put it on my guilty pleasures list.

So, The Hills rightfully belongs on the guilty pleasures list, but Lauren Conrad? I think not. Her look is somehow modern, classic, and chic all at once. Plus her website is a haven for everything style (seriously: beauty, clothes, design, parties, the list goes on), and includes plenty of tutorials. Plus her most recent "Decorate" post is about chalkboard paint, a current obsession of mine. So, rethink what you knew and check it out, you might find a little inspiration!

A lesson for life

I subscribe to a daily e-mail news letter called Daily Challenge. Everyday a reminder to better myself and the world around me arrives in my inbox. Things like "smile at 3 people today", "pick up a piece of litter", "set an alarm to remind you to march in place for 1 minute..." may sound simple and maybe a little silly (what if you're waiting in line at Starbucks when that reminder to march sounds?) but it's surprising what completing an easy little task can do for your mood when you know it's bettering your life even in the simplest way. Also, I'm the sort of person who adds tasks I've already done to my to-do list just so I can cross them off, so getting to check that little "done" box is one of my favorite things. Today the challenge was, "Recall your favorite subject in high school, and list 3 reasons why you liked it." For me that subject was AP Psychology. Now, I know I've already written about psychology, so this may not come as a surprise, but when I thought about the top reasons I loved it so much none of them were subject matter.

The very top reason was my teacher. She was intelligent, funny, a little crazy, but most of all she was easy to relate to. She let her students into her life and get to know her, which isn't something many teachers do. Her antics (she got up on her desk the first day of class and sang "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield to prove to us how much she loved him) made going to class interesting. She always came up with tricky ways to teach us, so that most of the time we didn't even realize we were learning something.
One way she earned our respect was that she treated us as responsible (almost)adults. She expected us to do our best, gave us help when we needed it, and was interested in our lives outside of the classroom. She knew about the things high-schoolers do outside of school (the phrase "I didn't hear that" came out of her mouth frequently) but didn't judge, and so gained our trust. It's been six years since my senior year of high-school but I'm still friends with my teacher on Facebook. I frequently check out her page to see what she's up to, as do many of her former students (as evidenced by the numerous comments on her wall). Although I may have forgotten some of the academic lessons learned in her class I'll always remember how an open-mind, a respectful attitude, and a little bit of understanding can get you a long way.

And just incase you're wondering, the other two reasons this was my favorite class weren't nearly as lofty: it was the last class of the day, and my closest friends sat next to me.

What would you write about your favorite high-school class? How about your favorite teacher?

Falling for Fall

I went on a window shopping spree last week and am a little embarrassed to admit how giddy all of the fall lines made me. Don't get me wrong I love eating on the patio, lazing on the beach, and sunset at 9:00pm, but when summer ends there's nothing (and I mean NOTHING) more exciting than sweaters, boots, scarves, and the day I can finally order a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Seriously, I drink at least 4-5 of these a week once they appear on coffee shop menus.

Last year, I tried my hand at baking these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

I made them intending to bring them to a party, but liked them so much that my boyfriend and I ate the whole batch ourselves (my friends got some homemade cookies, don't worry I didn't show up empty handed).

Needless to say, I'll be making those again. I'll also be making pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, and anything else I can mix a can of pumpkin puree into. But until I get to indulge in my favorite flavor, I'll keep on enjoying the Mojitos and salads of summer.

Is there a particular season you love simply because you get to eat your favorite foods?

The To-Do list!

As soon as my camera cord finds it's way out of hiding, I will share pictures of the new place. The unpacking is almost completely done, furniture is in place (although I have a feeling I'm going to be playing with layouts a bit), even pictures have been hung. As I said in my previous post, this place is feeling quite homey already but there's still quite a ways to go until I'll consider it a finished product. So here's my to-do list:

1. To start with I'll need one of these pretty pretty chalkboards to write my list on.

This one belongs to Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, but I'm hoping to make one for myself in the near future.

2. Separate Rooms- even though this place is still technically a studio apartment, there's a bunch more space (way more than anything I've had since before college) and even separate living and bedrooms. The one problem being that there is an open archway between the two and not an actual door. I'd like to get a screen or even a patterned curtain to separate the rooms.

3. Window treatments- I always put off dressing my windows until eventually I just forget about it and live with plain old venetian blinds. This year, hopefully I find something that strikes my fancy enough to make me spring for something a little prettier. I tend to get overwhelmed when looking at window treatments, however, so I may just end up with floor length white Ikea panels.

4. A new coffee table. Enter Craigslist, the search will be on. I bought most of my current furniture off of a college housemate when she moved off to work for Google, and I moved into my first solo place. The table is from Ikea, and probably the smallest coffee table they have. It was great when I had one room to fit everything in, but looks a little awkward in the now larger living room.

5. Craigslist search numero deux- a new couch. The current loveseat is also a hand-me-down and it has definitely seen better days. I'm also considering a slipcover, but it seems likely that I'll find a decent couch on craigslist for less money than buying a slipcover that won't look sloppy.

6. Artwork! Artwork! Artwork! With more rooms comes more wall space. I need more things to hang on walls. Again, I've got some ideas but they're going to take some searching.

The good thing about starting this blog is that "researching" has led me to a dozen really, truly, amazing blogs that have some pretty great ideas for decorating/renovating/DIY projects on the cheap. I've never been very good at finding things at flea markets or antique shops, but I'm inspired to give it a go!

New digs

For the past week I've been packing, cleaning, and moving boxes into my new apartment. I have to say it's much less stressful to move over a period of a week instead of a day. Also, much less organized.
If you went to the University of Minnesota, then you know that Sept 1st is moving day for pretty much anyone living in a mile radius of campus. The problem with this is that everyone moving into a new apartment on September 1st had to move OUT of their previous apartment on Aug 31st. This leaves much of the the student population "homeless" for a day. A lot of students have family living nearby so, luckily, they have a place to store their stuff short term. Others rent a U-haul truck for the day and leave their stuff inside overnight, or end up having to put some of their belongings in storage. Luckily I have an aunt and uncle who live in The Cities, which means I stayed with them for a week in between apartments one year. The next year, my housemates and I literally moved into the house directly next door to us. We emptied all of our belongings into the shared parking lot and basically hung out until we were allowed to move our stuff into our new rooms.
This year, having 2 whole weeks in which to move was extremely helpful. I didn't have to take vacation from work, or recruit 20 of my closest friends to help me empty boxes before noon. My boyfriend is oddly excited about packing, cleaning, and unpacking and since moving is probably in the bottom 10 of my favorite activities, I was beyond thrilled to learn of his enthusiasm. In fact, he was so anxious to help that he actually unpacked 90% of the boxes while I was at work tonight. He made what was basically a jungle-gym of cardboard this afternoon look like an inhabitable space by 10pm!
Tonight will be the first night of sleeping here and I have to admit it feels like home already!

Where the sidewalk ends.

Listen to the MUSTN'TS child
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
ANYTHING can happen child
ANYTHING can be
-Shel Silverstein

Chances are you've seen this poem somewhere before, and probably more than once. As a kid I believed this whole heartedly, and literally. If I wanted it bad enough, I could learn to fly, be a princess, or become an international pop star (despite my awful singing voice). As I got a little older I realized that no matter how badly I wanted it, I was simply not going to be able to sprout wings and fly away. I set my sights on more practical things such convincing my mom I was old enough to go to the mall without supervision, and planning my wedding to one of the Backstreet Boys.

Somewhere in middle school, around 7th grade I believe, I had a guidance councilor who rewarded students who earned high enough grades with something called a "goals group." We would get to skip one class a month to attend, and basically it was happy hour for middle schoolers. We'd order pizza and soda and talk about our current problems, goals, and plans. The groups were set up by gender so I spent them with about 5 other girls, and I remember feeling truly accepted for the first time of my young life. We all had the same worries about our bodies, boys and school for the most part.

That's where my interest in psychology started. From that point on I've pretty much been on the psychology track, with minor detours around interior design (hence the increasing number of design aspects in this blog) and small business ownership (I dreamed about owning a bookstore/coffee shop for a short while). Now it's time for me to figure out what comes next. The problem is is that college was sort of the end of my sidewalk. Now I'm sort of floating, and trying to decide which sidewalk is next. The exciting part is that anything can happen child, anything can be.

Are you on your dream sidewalk? Or on your way?

Pretty for Pennies

If I owned this dress, I don't think I'd ever take it off.

I instantly fell in love with this Rachel Gilbert dress, but even if it wasn't sold out that $700 price tag would have made it impossible for me to afford.

This forever 21 dress has the same romantic, flowy style for much, much less.

The sparkle can be added with accessories, like this sequined belt and headband, which can be purchased from here and here.

I've seen quite a few fashion blogs that use high end pieces for inspiration, then try to imitate the look without creating sticker shock. I've come to realize this is an amazing idea because it allows you to start with pieces that you truly love regardless of budget. This is my first shot at using this idea, so what do you think? Did I get it, or did I miss my mark completely?

Stripped Down

I have always preferred live versions of songs over their studio produced counterparts, but lately the stripped down acoustic versions have really been drawing me in. Podcasts like NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts and KEXP's Live Performances podcast are loaded on my ipod to form the soundtrack for my drive to and from work. Something about the setting of these mini concerts really makes me happy. It's sort of like seeing your favorite artists as they were before they hit it big: just hanging out, playing music.

This got me thinking, are all things better stripped down? I've been packing up all my odd and ends and things around my apartment that aren't essential, and I realized... I have a lot of junk. I have drawers and piles of papers that I'm pretty sure I don't need. I keep way too much including old birthday cards, happy meal toys (yes, I still buy happy meals, albeit very rarely), old magazines, old school notebooks and papers, the list goes on. I just have a hard time throwing things away, it feels so wasteful. I know I'm probably never going to need my pay stub from last January, but it makes me nervous to throw it out. How do you pare down what gets put into drawers or filed away, and what to toss?

I have this problem with little knick-knacks and decorations too. I have a ton of candles, photo frames, and little momentos. Most have meaning to me, some I think are just plain pretty, and some I just haven't bothered to throw away (like the incense burner I purchased in college and haven't used for at least 3 years). I've done some purging of unnecessary things while packing but probably I'm going to have to do some more as I unpack as well.

I'm going to have to find a way to hit a happy medium so I don't end up with an apartment that looks like this

or this

Eggplanted.

My last trip to the St. Paul farmer's market was simply an excuse to get together with my aunt for a morning of catching up and enjoying the splendid Minnesota weather while it lasts. My purchases included another fresh bouquet (sadly, this one didn't last more than a couple of days and a lone perky sunflower is all that is left on my windowsill) a baguette, and some sweet corn. My crown jewel purchase, however, was an eggplant. Mind you I had absolutely no idea what to do with an eggplant, but the perfectly shaped, perfectly purple little vegetable wouldn't let me walk away without it.
I spent some time sorting through all of the grilled eggplant, roasted eggplant, eggplant parmigiana recipes until I found this little gem: Stuffed Eggplant with Shrimp and Basil. Seeing as I have a basil plant threatening to outgrow it's second pot, this was absolutely perfect. It was flavorful and simple to prepare. Even though I have to admit that I will definitely cut the amount of breadcrumbs next time, there will be a next time for this dish.

And now, some more eggplant flavored treats currently asking me to bring them home.
I'm convinced I would be uber productive if this were my work space.

Room lust

I'm moving to a new apartment in a few weeks and as a result I have found myself obsessively reading design blogs and magazines searching for inspiration to make my new apartment feel a bit more "grown-up." I came across this image on Avant Garde. Have you ever seen a room more me????

I think not.

You're going where?

I work in the healthcare field and as a result I rarely get entire weekends off of work. A couple of weekends ago I ended up having Saturday AND Sunday off so the boy, his brother, and I decided that a trip was in order. We contemplated Chicago, but 12 hours round trip would give us little time to enjoy the city. Instead we decided on Des Moines, Iowa. Upon telling almost anyone where we were headed they promptly asked "You're going where? What's in Des Moines?" As it happens, it's quite a lovely midwestern city.

Every Saturday, they have an absolutely wonderful farmer's market. More than four blocks long, and 2 blocks wide, they have everything from fresh picked produce to hand made hats. I sipped on the most delicious mint iced tea as we browsed. There were plenty of things I would have purchased, but ended up walking away with only a bottle of wine from these guys. The wine has since been consumed and the bottle will make a splendid vase.
The rest of the weekend was spent casually strolling the sweet little shops, eating some fantastic food (if you find yourself in Des Moines, don't miss Dos Rios or Fong's crab rangoon pizza) swimming. It ended up being a great choice for such a short trip; with just enough to do to keep ourselves occupied and no feeling like we had to be running around every minute of those two days to fit it all in.

Pear-ed Up.

I've never really been a rule follower. Not to say that I'm a rule breaker either. I'd say I'm a rule bender. I usually try to follow the rules in my own way.


That is until it comes to fashion. For some reason, I tend to follow the few rules of fashion I know: Don't pair black and brown, don't wear socks with sandals, ect. I've never really thought of myself as a particularly stylish or trendy person so the rules give me some guidance when I would otherwise feel lost. When I decided to focus on finding my personal style as part of this project, naturally, the first thing I did was turn to the internet to look up the current rules.

I am a classic pear shape. I definitely have a larger bottom and fuller legs compared to my waist. Here are the rules I've found to be pretty standard across the board for someone with my body shape:

- Wear darker bottoms, whether it be jeans, skirts, or a swim suit bottom. Darker shades are more effective at camouflaging fuller areas.

- Wear brighter colors or patterns on top. This brings the eyes up and in conjunction with the dark bottoms  will have a slimming effect

- A-line skirts are best. They sit close the waist and skim the areas I'd like to keep the focus off of.

- Nude shoes will make your legs look leaner and longer. Add a little heel and the effect is intensified.

- Jeans should be bootcut or wide-legged to balance out a full set of hips.

Armed with these tips I've scoured a few of my favorite stores for pieces that fit the bill and here are a few of my favorites.

Steve Madden Unifyy shoes. I've never been a heels wearer but I have these in black and they are wonderfully easy to walk in and stay comfortable for hours.

I love the neck detail, the sash, and the playful elephant print on this dress, it's a little out of my price range, but maybe it will go on sale soon :)

I've never purchased anything from Anthropologie, but have always loved the sweet, vintage inspired clothing.

Since this is not a fashion blog I will stop with those 3 things, but promise to share any exciting purchases with you.

Farmer's market fare

Monday morning, on my way home from work, I decided to make a quick pit stop at the farmer's market. I wish it was possible for me to buy all organic food at the store, but it is simply too expensive. The farmer's market is a great way to get my favorite fresh produce for a decent price.

The raspberries will hopefully be turned into these . The mini summer squash are wonderful simply grilled with a little bit of salt and butter, and the flowers add insta-cheer to my little studio apartment.

It was the first time I've made it there this season, but the wide variety of veggies and fresh cut flowers are sure to see me back again next week!

Yogahhhh

Last night I attended a yoga class for the first time in months, and it made me remember why I love it so much. Yoga is one of those things that serves double duty for me. First of all, it's great for my body and my frame of mind. Whenever I practice yoga I notice a significant change, for the better, in the choices I make. I tend to eat better, decisions seem a little easier, and I generally feel more motivated. Secondly, since a lot of my friends also practice yoga it usually serves as a social outing as well.

The reason I decided to roll out my mat last night was because two of my friends are celebrating birthdays this week and following yoga we all brought out treats and vino and had a little post zen pick-nick. Did I mention this was an outdoor, lakeside class? I had to leave a little early in order to make it to work on time (I work 3rd shift 3 nights a week) but even the idea of 30 minutes of socializing was all it took to get me to the class. Which made me realize, my fitness routine is a whole lot easier to keep when I work out with other people. Example numero dos: I have never been a runner, and I mean NEVER. I was the slowest kid in gym class from kindergarden all the way through middle school. Once my boyfriend suggested we run together it was immediately easier and more fun. I've now promised a few friends I'd run a 5k with them. I figure the next logical step is to schedule work-out dates once or twice a week.

I am a little curious though, I know I'm not the only one who is more motivated with a partner, but what are ways to keep your motivation when no one can come work out with you?

Introductions

At 24 years old I've had a pretty wonderful life. However, inspired by friends, family, and a little book called The Happiness Project, I've decided that I could be a happier more productive person. Of the many aspects of my life that I value there are few that I feel I've given the proper attention and enthusiasm. So, as a beginning I've decided to focus my efforts on a few small* things:

1.  My outer appearance- I go through phases of eating healthfully, exercising, and putting adequate effort into making sure the image my clothing projects is the one I'd like people to see. However, I also go through phases of eating nothing but burgers and fries and never changing out of yoga pants.
2. Friendships- I also go through phases here. There are times when my schedule is so full that I don't end up eating a meal in my apartment for a week. However, there are also days when I don't end up going outside for anything other than work. This results in me watching entire seasons of TV shows and leaving a sizable indent on my love-seat. 
3. Being Ashley- In the Happiness Project, Gretchen Rueben talks about differentiating between things she actually enjoys doing, and things she likes the idea of enjoying. I have come to realize I also have this problem. And, as my lovely friend Jennifer touched on in her blog here, I also have a problem differentiating between things I like doing and things I do because my friends like to do them, and I like to spend time with my friends. 
4. Communication- I tend to be a wall up sort of gal. I don't readily discuss my feelings with very many people. I studied psychology in college and have wanted to be a psychologist of some sort since the 7th grade. I have an inkling that this has contributed to my less than eager attitude when it comes to talking about myself.

The way I see it, a blog is a wonderful way to work on each of these aspects of myself. By nature a blog is focused around the author. Therefore, I won't feel guilty or narcissistic talking about myself. It's also a creative way to social network and forge new relationships (or strengthen existing ones) because you open yourself to your friends. Lastly, it allows me to analyze what it means to be me. In whatever way I feel is necessary: clothes, food, crafts, hobbies... it's all fair game here.

*I say small because it's less daunting that way. Clearly, people have devoted entire blogs (and loads of time and energy) to any one of the things I hope to work on.