high low

things i am loving about the detox:  eating all of the yummy fresh strawberries and blueberries that a colleague brought to work today

things i am not loving about the detox:  not eating the homemade pound cake and whipped cream that went with the berries

that is all.

you chose to shine

inspired by QBS and black labs and lilly, i present to you my magic sparklies:

snuggles with the puppy boy
 l.l. bean duck boots and boat and totes
clean, crisp white sheets
the way a certain somebody looks at me
christmas baking and decorating
mountain sunrises and sunsets
chocolate soft-serve in a cake cone with rainbow sprinkles
cigars and beer on the deck with my daddy
gold sandals
dance parties in my car
when guys hold the door and stand when you leave the table
diet cherry limemades from sonic happy hour
that feeling after a good long shower after a good long workout.
my childhood bedroom
gardenias
the smell of a freshly waxed barbour coat
memories of oxford
family food traditions: chinese food on christmas eve, fried chicken for the daytona 500, homemade banana split ice cream at the beach, sliced cucumber with salt and pepper all summer from the garden at every meal
wedding blogs
martinis and gossip with my mama
fireworks
stepping on a particularly crunchy-looking leaf
birthday dinner for me or for loved ones. and candles on the cake.
creating my own little independent semi-single girl life
NARS orgasm.  and the real deal as well.
fresh lemonade
sundresses
violent fits of laughter with the sister while watching home alone 1 or 2
summer tans
fall weather
thank-you notes: sending, receiving, and the stationary that enables them
lemon meringue pie
hearing my dad laugh
guys in pink
monday night girls' nights
a good long outdoor run with only my ipod and the birds to keep me company
my grandmother's cheese toast and my grandmama's eggs in a basket
 perfect pie crust
champagne
aviators
espadrilles
long early-morning walks with the puppy
historical biographies
culinary knowledge passed on from mom in the form of sourdough bread and the perfect chili
tomato sandwiches: sunbeam bread. tomatoes from the garden. duke's mayo. a pinch of salt and pepper. 
basil plants
my mom's homemade waffles
college football
inside jokes with the little sister
watching the pacific northwest ballet's performance of the nutcracker on vhs a million times every december
stand-up comedy
new shoes
the first batch of pumpkin squares on the first day of perfect fall weather
monograms
cherry blossoms..the most wonderful harbinger of spring
monthly arrival of stacks of interior design and cooking magazines
paying down debt
winning an ebay auction
mani/pedis
make-up free days
 jasmine tea
a clean house
being in love

ick, ick, ick

i have been eating TERRIBLY lately and it has got to stop.  i finally understand that whole newlywed 15 thing.  because i can trace back my descent into fattyland to right about the time the boy and i decided to take this seriously.  now that we spend pretty much all mealtimes together when we're both in town, i find myself either cooking for us {and wanting to make "man food" that he'll like} or going out to eat and thinking wow, his double cheese meatball sub looks delicious, so let's make that two.  case in point:  this weekend at the beach.  friday night on the {late night} way into town, we both had a super sonic cheeseburger meal {fries for him, tots for me}.  with a large diet cherry limemade.  saturday morning was fried eggs, sausage patties, and bagels with butter and jelly. lunch was a ham and brie panini with fries.  and lots of beer.  dinner was a very greasy pepperoni pizza.  and several vodka soda splash of cranberries.  sunday was a massive sesame bagel with nova lox cream cheese.  and a bag of dill pickle potato chips.  lunch was a soft-serve chocolate ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles and a split bag of utz cheddar-flavored popcorn.  at least dinner was a homecooked meal at his parents' house that included lots and lots of vegetables.

so yeah...i feel DISGUSTING. i've gained 5 or 6 pounds in the past 2 months and i can feel it.  my chin is breaking out.  i'm tired all the time.  my boobs hurt because they're so swollen from all the salt and the heat.  and i'm just blah.  and that stops now.

the boy is travelling for work until july 9, so i'm going on a very modified {and reasonable} detox diet until then.  no red meat. {and no meat at all on mondays.}  no alcohol.  no processed sugar or "white" carbs.  no caffeine. {except a morning cup of green tea sweetened with honey so i don't effing shoot someone in the face.}  absolutely nothing fried.  and very, very limited dairy.  so i'll be living off of brown rice, fresh fruits and veggies, oatmeal, raw nuts, and lean proteins like chicken and fish, and some local chevre that i just can't say no to.  and lots and lots of water.  i don't think this will be too bad because i really, really love fresh veggies and fruit, but the no caffeine or sugar is going to kill me.

i've also started a new sports circuit class at the gym that i absolutely love and will be going to that twice a week for the remainder of the summer. i definitely want to get rid of the weight i've gained {and possibly a few more}, but mainly i just want to feel healthy again!



once he's back in town and i'm cooking again, i want to start making much healthier fare for us, driven by local and/or organic in-season ingredients.  y'all are always whipping up all sorts of delicious things, so tell me: what are your go-to summer recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner {and maybe even dessert}?  i would really love your help and support in this, because honestly, i'm probs going to be a raving bitch for the first few days of this!

just out of curiosity

hello my lovelies!  i'm off to the beach for a quick weekend with the beau and his siblings + significant others.  but before i leave, i just need to put this cosmic question out there:

am i a total snob for unabashedly judging people whose so-called love of sushi only involves california and shrimp tempura rolls?  don't get me wrong, i love a spider roll as much as the next poser, but can you really claim to love sushi if you don't eat anything raw?  i think not.  several of my girlfriends fall into this camp and it just kills me.

just wondering...

what's cooking wednesdays: the single gal edition

scared ya there, didn't i?  no, no, things with the beau are still going absolutely swimmingly.  but unfortunately he left town for work this morning and won't be back until july 9.  {cue dramatic wailing}  we have a little beach weekend in between now and then, so it's not all bad, but i will be back to cooking for numero uno for the next two weeks.

and honestly?  i'm a little excited about it.  why?  because he doesn't like blue cheese.

i LOVE blue cheese.  actually, i love any and all cheese.  i have never met one that i don't adore.  yes, some more than others {my most rabid devotion is reserved for the unpasturized variety}, but cheese is my one true love.  and going on 5 months of not making a dish with blue cheese in it?  c'est tragique!

so when i saw this beauty posted on smitten kitchen yesterday, i knew this was going to the top of my list to make while the cat's away.  a slice of this, a simple green salad, and a glass of buttery white wine....mmmm i can hardly wait!

more things i want, but cannot have

dear ann taylor loft,

i need this.

and this.

if you wanted to send them to me for, i don't know...let's say....totally free?, that would be fabulous. k thx bai.

merci, moi

new favorite

between crazy work hours {= no time to cook} and nasty southern humidity {= no desire to cook in lack of bought air kitchen}, i become a frozen entree devotee this time of year.  not that i don't love me some swedish meatballs, wannabe cpk bbq chicken pizza, and cheese ravioli, but they all start to taste the same after awhile.  plus, they really aren't all that good for you with all the sodium and that crazy processing magic they do to make the veggies and meat last FOREVER. 

so today i thought i'd try a little something different and oh holy deliciousness batman!  meet my new fave frozen entree:

yum, yum

18g of protein.  7g of fiber. only 300 calories. the lemongrass flavor is a wee bit much, but not enough to turn me away. and unlike every lean cuisine i've ever had {which are basically snack food}, i was super full after i finished off this tray. look out red curry chicken, you are next!

housekeeping

hello, lovelies!  blogging is going to have to head to my back burner over the next few weeks, as things have officially entered crazytown, u.s.a. at work and will stay there until june 30th~ish. 

in the meantime, i just noticed today that i hit 220 followers! inconceivable! i want to do a little giveaway in honor of this milestone, but that's going to have to wait until payday next month, so in the meantime, i would really like to update my blogroll so that i can follow along with YOU, all of my wonderful readers!  if you would like me to add you to my blogroll, just leave me a comment with the link to your blog  on this post and i will add you to the a-list and hop on over to your site so i can read all about you.

thank you so much for reading all of my little nonsense.  i love sharing my life with y'all!

the beautiful game

my family are COMPLETE soccer fanatics.  my dad coaches my high school alma mater women's soccer team as well as a u-16 women's travel club team.  my sister was a star keeper in high school and played for two years at the university of richmond {go spiders!} before a shoulder injury sidelined her.  i played rec soccer all through middle school and one year of high school jv until i devoted my "athletic" life to cheerleading.  suffice it to say, we big pink puffy-heart freakin' LOVE world cup.  i was in europe for world cup 2006 {had just landed at heathrow when england was ousted.  not the place you want to be} and the passion for the game is infectious.

true to my WASP roots, i'll be rooting for the good ole U.S. of A., alongside of ze germans {sprechen sie deutsch?} and the three lions {my dad's side of the family is german and scottish, my mom's side of the family is british through and through}.  but you read it here first:  spain is going to win it all.  they're the team to beat this year, mark my words.

if you've never watched or cared about soccer before and even if you know nothing about the sport, i would encourage you to support team u.s.a. and watch the big match tomorrow at 2:30!  it's hard not to get swept up in the pride and emotion of world cup.  i bawled my eyes out this morning watching desmond tutu dance in the stands at the south africa v. mexico match.  there's a reason they call it the beautiful game.

truer words.

here.

summer afternoon, summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the english language.

~henry james

what's cooking wednesdays: the u.k. edition

le sigh.  miss this place oh-so-terribly.

i am a gal who loves sandwiches {do not say sammies under any circumstances.  one of many terms rachael ray has termed that gives me reason to hate her.}  i am also a gal in the south without central air, so i'm always up for a meal that doesn't require turning on the oven between the months of may and september.  enter sandwiches.  i present to you my three favorites, in no particular order.  i discovered all of these during my study abroad at oxford.  the english know sandwiches and crisps.  this cannot be disputed.  give me one of these sandwiches and a bag of walker's prawn-flavoured chips and i am a happy girl.

roast beef, parmesan, and arugula, pret-a-manger style
*mix mayo, horseradish mustard, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, seasoned salt, and lemon pepper together and spread on one half of the baguette.  spread the other half with a teensy bit of softened butter.  layer roast beef, arugula, and paremsan shavings on one half and top with the other.

brie, bacon, basil, and tomato, sofi de france style. a.k.a. reason numero uno i gained 15 {!} pounds during my study abroad
*spread both halves of the baguette with a teensy bit of softened butter.  layer cooked bacon {or country ham or proscuitto}, brie slices {i like the rind on, but that's your call}, tomato slices, and basil leaves on one half of the baguette and top with other half.  grill to melty perfection with a panini press {or in my ghetto-ass case, a george foreman grill}.

cucumber, goat cheese, and tomato, random edinburgh french bakery style
*liberally spread softened goat cheese {PLAIN, not that stuff with garlic and other assorted herbs in it} on both halves of the baguette.  sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper.  layer tomato and seedless cucumber slices on one half of the baguette and top with the other half.

being broke sucks

damn you, devon baer designs. 

red and white preppy, these pineapple earrings are for you!  and are those starfish earrings not divine?  just envisioning them with a breezy white sundress and these gorgie cole haan sandals {on sale!}.  will someone please buy these and allow my wardrobe to live vicariously through yours?  much appreciated.

ooh la la

feeling very continental this morning after a breakfast of a croissant and an espresso.

yes, i realize this is in nyc and not paris.  but it's the croissant and coffee, you see.

never mind that the croissant came from food lion and the espresso from our shitty office basically instant coffee machine.  if i close my eyes and drown out the sound of the copy machine, it's almost like i'm sitting chanel and louboutin-clad outside of a little french cafe.

damn it, now i want some brie and macarons.

it doesn't take much...

...to excite me these days.

about three weeks ago, my vacuum died a rather violent death.  i had the blinds on my living room window pulled all the way up, so the cord was just laying in the floor.  not paying attention, i ran over it with the vacuum, which proceeded to rip the blinds off of the window and tangle them all up in its junk.  insert sadface here.

now, as much as i love, love, love my puppy boy, that little beast is a shedding machine.  daily use of the furminator kind of keeps it under control, but with the temperature and humidity increasing every day, so has his fur output.  it ain't pretty. 

i also have about zero discretionary income right now.  so my darling mother took pity on me and bought me a new vacuum.  and not just any vacuum.  no, it's not my dream vacuum, but it is pretty darn close.  i present to you the bissell momentum cyclonic bagless vacuum.

i'm in love.

i used this sucker {pun intended. mwahahahahaha.} for the first time last night and wow-wee-wow-wow.  i'm embarassed at how dirty my floors were.  i had to empy the canister like three times.  this baby picks up everything.  i was literally dancing with glee when i used the attachments on my couch and chair.  those things have a death grip on pet hair but they look practically brand-new.

so those of you in the market for a new vacuum and/or those fighting the losing fight again pet hair, skedaddle over to the tar-jay website and pick yourself up one of these bad boys.  free shipping and clean floors!  a domestic gal's dream come true.

note: neither target nor bissell compensated me for this review.  sadly.

smorgasbord

hello, darlings and happy monday!

first off, aplogies for my totally random/lack of posting of late.  i haven't really felt like i've had much to say and between work {this is our INSANE time of year} and the new boyf and all of these weddings and showers and birthday parties, i haven't had time to post even if i had something interesting to tell you.  i'm going to try to get back to posting at least three times a week, but bear with me if the posts are totes rando for awhile!

so i guess this one will be a weekend recap.  let's do this in pictures, shall we?  i just love pictures.

friday and sunday nights watched these.  first one scared the bejeezus out of me, second one almost made me cry.  phenomeal acting in both {josh brolin = dreamy and j'adore jeff bridges}

on saturday went winetasting here, here, and here with these lovelies. 10 points to the first person who correctly which one of these ladies is moi.

ate this on sunday morning for the first time since high school.  disgusting? yes. delicious? ABSOLUTELY.

attempted to burn off said brunch by taking this little dude for a walk. sweated off approximately 85% of calories in the muggy virginia heat.

met the parentals for dinner here.  yummy diner food, kitschy atmosphere, halfway between where we live.

best part of this weekend? that all of the above {minus the drunkfest winetasting with my gal pals} was done with the boyf. yes, including dinner with the parents. his first time meeting them. my first time bringing a boy home since i broke up with my high school boyfriend during my third year of college. they approve. he thought they were great. check that one of that list.

capped off the evening here with strawberry {for me} and chocolate {for him} milkshakes and watching the sunset on the front porch.  le sigh. perfection.

frugalista friday

i haven't done one of these posts in ages, truthfully because the past three months have each seen some unexpected financial burden.  i don't want to say i'm off track in my goals of paying off debt, because i have been exceptionally diligent in cutting my shopping budget.  despite the four {one down, three to go!} weddings i have this summer, i have resisted buying any new dresses.  no new shoes {which is something akin to giving up oxygen for me}.  no new kitchen gadgets.  and hardest of all, no new home decor.  le sigh.  but these unexpected expenses are killing me.  i'm trying to look at them as a lesson learned in why i need to pay down this debt as soon as possible and get myself a nice little savings cushion. 

so now on to the fun stuff.  i may be a gal on a {very restricted} budget, but that doesn't mean i don't obsess over care about looking good.  i've never had nice skin.  now, that doesn't mean i have bad skin per se.  i rarely, if ever, get a pimple.  i have all of one little wrinkle on my foreheard and i'm pretty sure i'm the only person who notices it.  it's not overly oily or dry.  but it's just blah.  several of my girlfriends just have skin that glow and i am so jealous.

but since dermatologists are out of the question for anything other that skin cancer check-ups {diligence, ladies!} and there are no department stores in sight of small town, va even if i could afford la mer, i have to look elsewhere.  i keep reading and hearing all of these reviews of the olay regenerist line that basically all say the same thing:  this stuff is as good, if not better, than a lot of high-end skin care products and it's available at the drugstore at a drugstore price.

bingo.

so last saturday morning when i ran out of my usual daytime moisturizer, i headed to wally world and picked up the uv defense regenerating lotion with spf 15.  ummm....oh holy god, this stuff is awesome!  first of all, it smells SO good.  i'm picky about stuff like that.  it's been less than a week and my skin just looks better.  can't give you any scientific explanation, but it just looks and feels healthier.  the texture is really light, so my make-up goes over top of it easily.  my skin is supersoft.  and best of all, it has started to even out my icky, ruddy skin tone already.  seriously, cannot WAIT to see what happens after i've been using this for two weeks +.

when i run out of my nighttime moisturizer, i fully intend to switch over to the golden child of the regenerist line, the micro-sculpting cream. i'm also itching to try out the anti-aging eye roller, the daily regenerating serum and the microderm/peel kit.  and if you visit the olay homepage, you can dowload a rebate coupon of $20 back from any purchase of $50 or more on olay skincare products.  oooh, i'm like a kid in a candy store!

have any of y'all tried these products?  any other budget skin-care suggestions?  i'd love to hear what you're using!

note: olay did not compensate me in any way to provide this review.  but if they wanted to, that would be lovely.  teehee.

THE update

i don't even really know where to start.  i don't like writing too much about my personal relationships on here, because i don't really know who's reading and i guard those relationships quite fiercely.  but i'm so damn happy that i want everyone to know. 

basically, after the incident before california, things have been wonderful with the boy and me, but i was pretty certain that it would be a long time {if ever} that he decided he wanted to actually commit to me and move forward in that relationship.  i figured that we would continue to have fun as long as we could and then eventually i would run out of patience and that would be the end of our little fling.  i hated thinking that way because i have been crazy for him for a long time, but that just kind of seemed to be the road we were heading down.

so imagine my surprise when i got back from nyc last week and he came over to my house to tell me that while i was gone, he realized that he was falling in love with me.  and then proceeded to ask me if i would like to spend memorial day weekend with him and his family at his parents' home. 

which is exactly what we did.  and on sunday night, he finally {!} told me that he was in love with me, that he didn't want to be with anyone else, and that he was done looking.

so after 4 months of "hanging out" and uncertainty, we are "official".  i feel totally 7th-grade for being so excited about the label of girlfriend, but it's so right where i want to be with him.  we have both been loopy with happiness since then.  lots of goofy grins.  my favorite part of this is that he told his roommate/one of his best friends that he was in love with me the night before i got back from nyc.  and he just looked at him and said, i'm glad you're finally admitting it, man.

so that's my update.  as painfully cliche as it is, i will say i am now a firm believer in second chances and following your heart.  it's a little soon to tell, but i'm pretty sure that he was worth the wait.

happy

this weekend was so, so perfect.

more to come later...