8.31.2011

Rose Byrne

I’ve seen Rose Byrne in a few movies and always thought she was beautiful. But, while perusing People: Style Watch yesterday, I realized that she also has an excellent sense of style. Oh dear, how I love fashion. I torture myself too often with magazines and websites with gorgeous articles of clothing in unattainable prices. One day…one day…

rosebyrne1

rosebyrne3

rosebyrne5

rosebyrne4

rosebyrne2

Images from We Heart It and Rose Connection

8.30.2011

Outfit: Hurricane Sunday

IMG_0197

Due to icky, gray, rainy weather on Sunday, it was necessary to stay comfortable. I’m not 100% ready to bring jeans (pants) back into the equation yet. But it was necessary for the chillier weather. I bought this top at TJMaxx last week for 3 freaking dollars. It’s a very strange cut, but that’s what I love the most about it. I tried it on at the store and fell in love, and the $3 price tag made it that much better.
Another exciting (for me) but not so important thing, my jeans are fitting a lot better, thanks to my regular gym trips. Yay!!!!

IMG_0201IMG_0204IMG_0206

Top – TJMaxx/Jeans – PacSun/Flip Flops – Old Navy/Necklace- Forever 21

I’m bummed that my big hair debut is actually quite messy. It’s been a bad weekend for hair with humidity and rain.

8.29.2011

This Weekend…

Hurricane Irene really scared the crap out of a lot of people this past weekend. Fortunately, though we did get rain, we ended up getting off pretty easy at Brad’s house. Some people are still waiting for their power to come back, so we are very blessed and lucky. The only bad part for us was losing cable/internet during the brunt of it, when all I really wanted to do was look at pretty things online and watch Mad Men on Netflix. We survived the withdrawal…it’s quite sad to even have it in the first place. I dislike being so reliant on internet, but it can be such a lovely place…

Anyway, this weekend was a great escape from the past 3 weeks. I forgot what it was like to have two days to sleep in (not just one), to have two nights to go out and get a little crazy. Out for drinks and catching up on Friday, dog sitting and wine drinking on Saturday. Everything was pretty relaxed and laid-back…perfect for me. September (which starts this Thursday already…wowza!) is going to be a busy month, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! As for now, looking forward to a good week and nicer weather.

009021023026032

Some pics from the iPhone.

8.26.2011

It’s FRIDAYYYYY!

TGIF. So much. I finally get a full weekend to myself. I couldn’t be happier. Let’s get this thing started already!

I have a new ‘do. Finally. I’ll show pictures next week. I’m hoping to get the blog a bit more organized over time. Focus.

Have an excellent weekend!

8.25.2011

Five Fingers

barefootClick picture for link to source.

I am not an athletic girl. I never was, and I never really will be. Sure, I did cheerleading and basketball in elementary school, when you didn’t have to try out…you were just part of the team. And I’ve gone on fitness kicks (very short ones…) here and there. I never really had much need for serious sneakers. In fact, when I first went to college and realized I would have access to a gym, I settled for a crappy, cheap pair of sneakers at Payless. That was back in 2005. I was still wearing them just a month ago, in near-mint condition because of how rarely I used them. But I knew I would have to go for something more.

Brad quit smoking as a birthday present. It’s really all I wanted. And with that, he ultimately became interested in being healthy overall. We definitely had “relationship guts.” We just didn’t care what we ate (so we ate a lot of Chinese and a lot of wings). Needless to say, when you start to gain weight, you don’t feel so great about yourself. So Brad went primal, and suddenly got interested in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I hadn’t heard about them until he mentioned it, but now they seem to be popping up everywhere.

When he went to go pick up his pair, I was sort of teasing him. The shoes are a little silly looking, you have to admit. I thought for sure that the workers at the shoe store were going to laugh behind his back. (I’m cruel, apparently.) But everyone is so excited about these sneakers. So Brad got his and then convinced me to try on a pair.

I needed new sneakers, and these seemed simple enough. Barefoot technology. There aren’t as many options so it’s not so scary or confusing. When I finally put on a shoe, it fit like a glove. I love the feeling of being barefoot, but with the support and traction of a sneaker. Now, Brad and I go to the gym a few times a week. It’s a small start to a life of fitness and healthy eating and being aware of my behavior. But I can feel improvements already. I love the challenge of cardio and of weights (Thank you, Planet Fitness!). I just feel better, and I keep getting better. It’s silly, maybe, but I kind of have to thank the Five Fingers. And Brad, of course.

002

I own the Bikila shoes (I just had to get the loudest color). Brad has the KSOs. We are both obsessed. No turning back here.

8.24.2011

Kirsten and Jake

Do you remember when Kirsten and Jake were dating? I know they’ve been apart for a long time, but I saw the cutest picture of them from back in the day (they look so young, but it was 2002-2004 after all) and went on a bit of a Googling spree.

kandj6

kandj

kandj4

kandj3

kandj2

kandj5

I imagine it’d be hard to find a picture of them together that isn’t cute.
And, even though they are no more, each picture is a pretty great depiction of real, happy, young love.

8.23.2011

Freaks and Geeks

freaksandgeeks1

I liked Freaks and Geeks the first moment I saw it, when it was actually still on television. I didn’t know a soul from the show (which is funny, because the “freak” men are basically household names now), but my whole family enjoyed it. It disappeared all too quickly, but luckily, TV shows started to get released on DVD and the show was no longer just a memory of the past.

My sister owns the series, and I’ve borrowed it a lot. I’ve been through the whole show (there are only 18 episodes, so it’s easy to do) at least 4 times. And I love it every time. It’s a toss up between happy and sad…when I come to the last few episodes, I get frustrated that I’ll never learn what happens with the characters I’ve come to love. It was a brilliantly written, funny, heartfelt show. If you haven’t watched it, I suggest you get around to it pronto.

The show was created by Paul Feig, who directed this year’s  hugely popular Bridesmaids. And, Judd Apatow (come on, you know who Judd Apatow is) wrote and directed several episodes, and produced the series. It stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel…these are all people who have become popular and successful quite a while after the release of the show (And I crush on Jason Segel then, now, and forever more). It’s so sad that it couldn’t have caught on earlier…if you love Apatow movies (which always mix a specific type of humor with heart), then you would love this show. The writing and acting are just brilliant. And since the show takes place in 1980, I love the clothes, the pop culture references, the music…it’s just so very good.

freaksandgeekspopfreakscurly

freaksbionic

freakssethandjason

freakscandids

freaksstoned

Just a few photos and screencaps from the show I found on WeHeartIt.

8.22.2011

Foodie Weekend

I am a seriously lucky girl to have a boyfriend who loves to cook!
This weekend was filled with lots of different and new home-cooked meals, all of which were very satisfying.
(Be warned, this is a picture-heavy post!)

As I mentioned in a previous post, Brad is following a “primal diet” and it limits a lot of things (namely wheat, gluten, and grains), so he has been especially cautious and creative in the kitchen. For me, it can be frustrating. But at the same time, I’ve become “accidentally primal,” and it’s been kind of fun. The best part is making things from scratch, of not relying on lots of boxes and processed foods. Organic meats and eggs, veggies and fruits, paying attention to what’s in everything you eat…there’s nothing wrong with that. And again, we get to be inventive. Brad, luckily, gets excited about experimenting with food. And he’s a fantastic cook, so I’m always left satisfied.

Brad and I have been craving pulled pork for quite a while, so we planned on doing it this past Saturday. The meat takes 4 hours to cook, so we loaded up on Mad Men episodes (we are newbies to the show, only on the 1st season yet!) in the meantime. I thought it’d be a good idea to make a crunchy and tart slaw to put on top of the meat (I did eat my pork on a bun, Brad did not). So we grabbed a bag of Wegmans Broccoli Slaw, and Brad mixed apple cider and balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Why yes, it was delicious.

IMG_7688IMG_7689IMG_7697IMG_7700

The pork was insanely good. It just fell apart…slow-cooking is fantastic. And the slaw complimented it perfectly. Yum.

For Sunday morning breakfast (one of my favorite times of the week), Brad snagged a recipe from his brother, and baked these bacon and egg “cupcakes.” It’s a fairly simple recipe. Eggs, Bacon, and garlic and tasty spices make this a delicious and hearty breakfast, while still maintaining and bit of surprise and changing it up a little.

IMG_7708IMG_7720IMG_7725

We weren’t sure what to make for dinner, but a co-worker had recently mentioned chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and feta. Needless to say, it sounded delicious and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Luckily, it’s pretty primal so we went for it.

IMG_7730IMG_7737IMG_7744

The chicken breasts were cooked in a pan with sautéed onions…it was delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly. I topped mine off with some Ore-Ida roasted potatoes. Not exactly primal, I know, and I could’ve just bought some potatoes and done it myself. But Brad isn’t really a potato guy (yes, an Irishman who doesn’t really like potatoes…), so I figured I’d take the easy route. Excellent Sunday dinner.

We had such a good weekend trying out different recipes, all of which turned out incredible.

8.19.2011

Friday

It’s that time again.I still have my (third and final in a row) Saturday shift to work, and I just cannot wait to get it over with. I am simply fried. Sure, I only have one weekend in between before I have to do it again, but at least I’ll get a breather. And then it’s back to my regularly scheduled two off, one on. Can’t wait, guys. Just can’t. 6 day work weeks should not be allowed.

Not sure what the weekend holds. These are stingy times, financially….but I can assume there will be Planet Fitness, Mad Men marathons, cooking, cuddling, and lots of zoning out to be done. I’m becoming a bit of a gym addict. If I could, I would go right now. I hope it stays!

Wishing everyone a happy and relaxing and restorative weekend!

8.18.2011

Dinner Last Night: Taco Salad

016

I spend my Wednesday nights with Brad, and we’ve taken to making our dinner as opposed to going out to eat. Both of us have to be financially stingy, but it’s fun to experiment with new things with anyway. Brad is actually following a “primal diet” (he has this book, which gave him the idea), so it can narrow down the options quite a bit. He already knows how I feel about it, and diets in general. I dislike when things get eliminated, and believe in an “everything in moderation” approach. But it’s also interesting to make things from scratch and get inventive. (He made pancakes using bananas and almond butter…that’s it. And they were tasty!)

Anyway, I get sick of the same ol’ same ol’. So I decided we should make some sort of taco bowl/salad without any kits or unknown items. Brad mashed together an avocado with tomato and onion for homemade guacamole, we used organic ground beef with a mixture of spices from the cupboard, and loaded it all on a bed of romaine. Tortilla chips are off-limits on Brad’s diet, but that didn’t keep me away from them.
I like the multigrain variety. And, as always, everything is delicious with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese.

014

019018

That plate in the first photo was my own dish. Needless to say, it was a lot of food and I couldn’t handle the whole thing. But, man, was it good.

8.17.2011

Fall Forward

The weather has gotten a little cooler in NEPA, and it seems everyone is thinking about the impending season change. Okay, so Autumn doesn’t start until the end of September, but time is moving faster than I’d like to admit. I actually happen to love fall, but as someone who is always looking even further ahead, it leads to winter…and I don’t like winter very much. Still, the fact is…fall will be here soon enough. I’m not necessarily ready for summer to end…I still have some more swimming and grilling I’d like to do…but there are lots of great things about fall. And I’ve come to the conclusion that October is one of my favorite months.

IMG_8026IMG_8168IMG_0404IMG_0599IMG_0958IMG_1369IMG_1468

I’m looking forward to knit sweaters and tights and boots, drinking hot spiced beverages and holding hands, all the beautiful colors of fall foliage, warm days and cool nights, pumpkin patches and hay rides, Halloween costume stores, bright sunny days with chilly breezes, cuddling and staying in bed longer than usual, warm comfort food and plenty of photo opportunities.

Above all photos from last fall…it was a great one.