January 25, 2011

Morning Coffee

This, my friends, is one of my favorite new toys. Coffee on demand. This little Keurig machine has been such an excellent addition to my kitchen. Not only has it saved me some money but on cold snowy weekend mornings I don't have to bundle up (or send James out! haha!) to get a cup of coffee. I can make one and enjoy it in a mug! A mug!

My favorite way to drink coffee--is in a mug. Paper cups or to-go mugs are much less satisfying for me. Weird? Maybe. Don't judge.

I've bought some coffee online and my BFF Lauren was sweet enough to buy me a variety pack as a treat. For those of you who have a Keurig of your own, my favorite kinds are the Donut Shop and the Millstone Hazelnut Cream.

(Today is my last free Tuesday until my class starts--I had TWO cups of coffee while watching morning television and I loved every second of it. Next Tuesday, I'll be taking the train before the sun comes up to dissect animals and learn about your blood vessels. Which kind of Tuesday sounds better to you?)

January 24, 2011

Signed Sealed Delivered!

One of my resolutions this year is to send packages! I've started small and just sent out a round of pretty cards to people near and far. I love getting mail. Honestly--any piece of mail will do.

Netflix DVD? Yes!
Sallie Mae updates? Yes!
O Magazine? Yes!
Visa bill? Yes!

As much as I don't really love getting bills, who does?, I do love mail. So, if I love mail--other people must too right? Thats what I'm going on, so I hope its true.

For Valentines Day, I especially love to send cards and treats. I found this especially symbolic card today that I loved. For one thing, I love breakfast. For another thing, I love bacon.



via fuzzygrapefruit

January 22, 2011

Simple



When it comes to jewelry, simple is best. These are things that could be worn every single day. I've been trying to remember to put on a little jewelry lately, something that is totally not on my radar. I'm loving these simple pieces from Andrea Bonelli.


Cry It Out

Need a good cry?

Go check out 'Rabbit Hole'--it is really fantastically sad and I loved every minute of it.



Anyone see it?

January 17, 2011

On where my money goes..

I'm not really the type of girl who spends her whole pay check on a pair of shoes (not that I don't love shoes--I do, but how hard is it to pick a pair of shoes? So hard. I don't even know what kind of shoes I like nor what looks good to me. I wear shoes until they fall apart and then I buy another pair. I'll save the shoe buying stress for every other year thank you very much)

I'm not really the type of girl who spends her whole pay check on a bar tab (not that a night out on the town isn't fun but I only need a couple beers before I start thinking about the possibility of a hangover or a bad night sleep--shut up, I know I'm lame)

I'm not really the type of girl who spends her whole pay check on a trip (although, if I could be any kind of girl--it would be this kind. I just can't choose where to go! Who to visit! What to see! I need to save for a
long time when planning an adventure and need to make sure I have dotted my i's and crossed my t's before writing that final check)

I am the kind of girl who spends her whole pay check on produce, cheese, thin crust pizza, craft beers, local milk, fresh flowers, sourdough rye, apple cider and basil.

I love food. I love to cook and I love to eat. I love going out for fancy dinners and not so fancy dinners and I love picking up ingredients at the farmers market to make a meal at home.

There are certain things I'm willing to compromise on but typically, food isn't one of them. I crave fresh ingredients and feel better eating them if I know where they came from. Don't get me wrong, I am as guilty as anyone else in terms of having mac n' cheese for dinner or the occasional diet coke with my lunch but I am going to try as hard as I can to make 2011 filled with as much wholesome food as possible.

(As I write this, there is a bag of York Peppermint Pattys sitting on my nightstand--they are my guilty pleasure, they are not locally grown, they are heavenly--the end.)

January 16, 2011

Calendar

Last year I bought a really sweet 2010 calendar that I took apart and strung above my desk. It was really pretty and while not so practical (who is looking up there for the dates?!) it took up some really blank wall space and was filled with gorgeous letterpress design.

If my friend Lauren could comment on this she might tell all of you that I didn't actually hang up that calendar until mayyybeee July but luckily, this is my blog and I can hang up my calendars when-ever-I-want!

I was doing some serious organizing and cleaning today and took down that 2010 calendar and replaced the string with some new cards and pictures for the meantime. While browsing the web tonight I came across this 2011 calendar I really like and think would look great above my desk.


via oh my deer

Always great finds on Etsy--never fail!

January 12, 2011

Home



Thank me later.

January 11, 2011

Home Remedies

I used to consider myself a semi skeptical person when it came to healing/fixing/curing something with an unconventional method. That was until, after many attempts to rid my foot of a plantars wart (yeah--this blog is about warts now, 2011!) I read online that if you soaked your foot in a tub of apple cider vinegar, your wart would disappear. Now, I was willing to try it because after TWO YEARS, I wanted this thing gone.

Now let me tell you: Wart + Apple Cider Vinegar = NO WART!

I am now the biggest home remedy fan on the planet. Any ailment, in my mind, can be eased or even cured with a combination of household items.

Canker sore? Baking soda! Salt water!

Pesky pimple? Toothpaste!

Burn? Baking soda + Milk!

Itchy hives? Oatmeal bath!

So, when I started reading a little bit on how you can beautify yourself with kitchen staples--I was thrilled. In college, Lauren (my bff) and I started mixing white vinegar with a little lavendar extract (to mask the smell) to put in our hair to make it shine a little bit more. It worked like a charm and while I haven't done this in a while, Lauren is still using this method regularly.

I came across this article on design*sponge about using avacados for winter hair care and can't wait to try it.


photo via design*sponge

If you are a skeptic, I can understand, but it is going to be hard to resist my temptation to say told you so when you have a terrible sunburn this July and are bathing in a tub of black tea!

January 9, 2011

White Christmas

As soon as the holiday season started, I was constantly bugging James about watching some holiday movies. He grew up in a HUGE movie family, with tons of organized VHS/DVDs of almost every movie you can think of, so he is no stranger to the Christmas flick.

One pre-holiday weekend, we had the chance to lounge around and watch a favorite of mine--'White Christmas'.



This movie hits closer to home now because James' parents have retired up to Vermont, exactly where this movie takes place. After I make the trip to Boston to spend Christmas with my family I went up to Vermont for a little White Christmas of my own. It was beautiful, as you would expect, and while it didn't really snow while I was there--the two feet that fell in Boston after Christmas was plenty of white for me.









January 6, 2011

Clean Slate Club

I, like everyone else, enjoys a little bit of a break once in a while. The holidays are the perfect kind of break for me. Not only does it mean time off from work but also time off from--healthy eating! working out! saving money! getting enough sleep!--it is basically a couple weeks of slighty tipsy chocolate filled fun.

I'm glad its over.

I love Christmas, but I almost love the idea of starting off another year with a clean slate better.

This year, I only have one real 'resolutions' for myself:

1. Be honest. Now, you are probably thinking this sounds strange but the truth is it doesn't mean that I've been lieing to you all about the color of my hair or whether or not I really like your dress but more being honest with myself about what I want and what is best for me. Maybe that means saying no to some plans that come my way or the chance to make a little extra money babysitting because I could really use a good night sleep. Maybe it means dealing with something right away instead of putting it off until it magically disappears. Maybe it means having a difficult conversation instead of just avoiding the subject all together. Whatever it means, I'm sticking with honesty in the new year.

However, there are a TON of things I hope to accomplish this year and I'm hoping to chronicle my progress here all year long. I've made a list, subject to additions, and hope that most will be accomplished by the time Santa comes near year. Maybe you can help.

1. Re-start and refocus my blog for Jan 1--CHECK!

2. Get an A in both semesters of A&P class

3. Run 4 races

4. Visit 4 (new) states

5. Take more yoga classes

6. Make a budget

7. Find a volunteer opportunity for nursing school

8. Send 10 packages to friends

9. Send cards for every occasion

10. Home in February, April, June, August

11. Watch all Oscar nominated 'Best Picture' movies

12. Create excellent college graduation present for my brother

Off we gooooo...

January 5, 2011

2011 FTW!

Hello! I'm back!

Oh, you are probably gone. Have you forgotten about me?

I didn't even mean to be gone but I was and then I was ashamed for quitting this pretty little blog AND THEN I realized that if I missed it it was probably a sign! A sign! A SIGN!

In redesigning this space a little bit and thinking more about why I stopped blogging, I realized (with the help of some wise friends of mine and my supportive thinker boyfriend) that I need to do this for fun! The things I liked to blog about the most are the things I should be, well-- blogging about the most! Sounds easy enough but when you are also trying to put up enough content to keep it interesting you can lose sight of the original goal.

As my tag line reads, I am interested in a whole lot of things, ideas, peoples, places and styles -- this space will continue to be a place to share that but maybe in a little bit more of an organized fashion? Or maybe not.

Either way, I'm starting of 2011 with this blog. I missed sharing the end of my 2010 with you and I have to say I feel like 2011 is going to have some seriously excellent adventures. I have some trips planned, I am starting a class for nursing school in just a few weeks and I have the honor of being a bridesmaid in a wedding of a friend I love.

The blogosphere is full of resolution posts this week and while some might find it a little bit much, I have realized that a little publicity about your goals never hurt anyone and perhaps even helps you hold up your end of the bargain. So my lovely readers, tomorrow I will share with you what I've got cooking for myself in 2011 and maybe you can help!

xo

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