its monday.

{photo credit}

but i don't wanna. 

three day weekend

{photo credit}

helloooooo and happy friday! i started a new job last week that allows me to have three day weekends every weekend, and i think i might just burst from happiness. i've only been on the job a total of seven days, but it's going really well. my new co-workers are awesome, and it doesn't hurt that cup a joe is directly across the street from our office. 

i feel like i was just telling you guys that i had gotten a new job and, now, here i am starting a new one. i promise i'm not a flighty job hopper, but since i've lived in raleigh, i've had six different jobs (if you count professional sunbather during my unemployment). does that sound bad? i hope not. i promise i'm a good employee and a hard worker. if you hired me to work for you, you wouldn't regret it. i make really yummy french press coffee, and i actually like organizing and filing. weirdo. 

anyways, since i can no longer wear scrubs (waaaahhh), i am going through my closet, trying to pull together some professional outfits. it's not as fun as going out and buying a whole new wardrobe. well, it kind of is. it's fun to put different pieces together and see what i come up with. the problem is that i've looked at my wardrobe about 7,000 times, so all i see is one skirt, two skirt, red shirt, blue shirt. i need fresh eyes. thank goodness for pinterest.

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

{photo credit}

oh, and i forgot to mention. my new job gives me an annual $200 to send on work attire. um, what? did me and my work just become best friends? yup. i can't decide if i want to buy ten items at target or one item at j.crew. who am i kidding? i'm going to goodwill. 

19 truths

{photo credit}

inspired by lori and lindsay...

1. i have never broken a bone, but i think crutches are really cool. my mom bought me a pair as a present last year. it was easier than breaking my leg.

2. sometimes i use my hair straightener as an iron.

3. one of the first things i do in the morning is eat a spoonful of peanut butter.

4. leggingsaspants. yes.

5. i was once chased down/followed by a cop. for miles. at night. on a lonely country road. i accidentally drove though an ID checkpoint, and i was too scared to pull over for fear that he was not a cop but a murderer. what? that's not irrational.

6. i have a huge crush on dennis quaid.

7. i really like going to the batting cages, but i hardly ever go, and i'm pretty sure i'm bad at it. 

8. one year, when i was homeschooled, i dressed up as a rock for halloween. a rock. a. rock. 

{photo credit}

9. i climbed a water tower in college.

10. i think it's a-dorable when boys drink milk. like, i want to melt into a puddle and die it's so cute.

11. i have a phobia of whales. ironically, free willy was my very first vhs.

12. i pride myself in drinking my coffee black and driving stick shift.

13. two years ago, i marched in the raleigh christmas parade dressed as a chef.

{photo credit}

14. if i don't die in a freak accident/murder (see number two), i'd like my last meal to be brownies and ice cream.

15. i love to making cards to sell at swank coffee shop, but i rarely give cards with gifts. dude, i bought you a gift. you want a card, too? really?

16. i've driven and crashed a moped.

17. my older brother pulled my arm out of socket when we were younger.

18. i'm not going to say it's a life goal, but it'd be pretty sweet to be a mascot.

19. this is a life goal: to be part of a flash mob

little riles

{photo credit}

today is my little brother's 18th birthday! holy mack. 18 people. i remember when he was shorter than me and not as cool as me. now he towers above my head and gets more text messages in a day than i do in a week. he's a social butterfly. but the manly version of that. so, like, a social swiss army knife. 

i get to go home this weekend and celebrate with my family. i haven't been home in a few weeks, so it will be great to visit and catch up over slices of birthday cake. 

{photo credit: me}

i love this kid, and i hope he has the greatest birthday! 

(what i really hope is that this blog post makes up for the fact that i haven't gotten him a gift. i think yes). 

make a statement

{photo credit: me}

you like me. i like you. let's be adults about it and avoid eye contact.

{photo credit: me}

practice also makes you frustrated and tired and cranky and in need of chocolate.

{photo credit: me}

small town murica.

{photo credit: me}

all packaged up and ready to go.

{photo credit: me}

i heart you a bushel and a peck.

{photo credit: me}

"i am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." song of solomon 6:3

my friend shameka asked me to make this matching keychain set for her parents as part of their christmas present. on the inside of each of their weddings bands, this verse is inscribed. oh, sweet love.

health monster

{photo credit}

i can't stop thinking about this green juice that i had about a month ago. it tasted like grass and celery and earth and health and it was delicious. i got it at the juice bar at the whole foods in chapel hill, and i've been craving it like a pregnant woman. (i realize this is how internet rumors are started. this and perez hilton. i'm so very not preggo). the whole foods store that is closest to me doesn't have their own juice bar, so i am trying to make my way back over to the thrill to get my fix.

 i guess green dirt juice is a trendy, popular thing to drink these days because several food blogs have been featuring their own version. the only difference i see is that these versions look like they actually taste "good" and not like bitter roots. my rooms got a food processor and a blender for christmas, so i think i'll be trying out some different recipes. maybe substituting bitter roots for the bananas and pears and such because i'm a tree hugging crunchy hippie, and i like the taste of bitter roots.



green machine smoothie
at cookie and kate

{photo credit}

green energy shake
at shutterbean

{photo credit}

kale spinach and pear smoothie
at joy the baker

{photo credit}

spring green juice
at whole family fare

{photo credit}

and i'm totally not bitter that amy got two great kitchen appliances for christmas. justin bieber's under the mistletoe trumps all. (gah, it so doesn't.)

last friday night

{photo credit}

take away the gorgeous stone, replace the roaring fire with my laptop, stick a jammie-clad me on the couch, and this is what my friday night looked like. i had an invite to eat sushi with friends, but i couldn't bring myself to leave my apartment. i poured myself a glass of wine, put my finest pajama pants and fuzzy socks, and caught up on new episodes of the office and parks and rec on hulu. it was glorious.

i also rented midnight in paris from redbox. seen it? i wasn't blown away, but it was entertaining enough. it definitely made me want to visit paris again. maybe i'll start saving my pennies now, and by the time i'm old and gray, my hoveround and i will embark on a european vacation.

what did your friday night look like?

the lovely list. part six.

so many little things to be thankful for.

{photo credit: me}

hot, steaming coffee from my bright red french press as SOON as i roll out of bed.

having the last three days off to craft, meet friends for coffee, sleep in, clean.

discovering new music. in love with this guy's voice. 

new beads from ornamentea resulting in my dinner table being turned into craft central.

{photo credit: sarah's mom}

a whole weekend spent with my girlfriends from college AND meeting my new "nephew", parker. swoon.

a run that i thought would kill me, but i finished and felt like a red hot champ. (also, new running shoes!)

paper*source and anthro catalogues in my mailbox. 

watching dan in real life for the zillionth time. that movie will always make me happy. 

{photo credit}

iced coffee served in mason jars at jubala. 

rediscovering v8. it's not a grandma drink. especially if you add vodka and a celery stick.

it really is all about the little things that brighten my week. a vacation to the bahamas would be nice, but i'm also perfectly content with brownies and a good dvd. in my pajamas, of course.


psssst...linking up here!

megaroo

{photo credit: friend}

well, it looks like my new years resolution is already being put to the test. ah, so much pressure to keep it up! today is my friend megan's birthday! i met megan the first month i moved to raleigh two years ago. 

my roommate amy had told me of a small group that she had attended a couple of times. she wasn't able to go on this particular night, but i really wanted to meet new people. it was within walking distance of our apartment, so i went by myself. i had just quit my new job earlier that day (i'd had the job for two weeks), and i came in the door not knowing a soul. i come to find out later that megan was "not sure of me" when i plunked myself down in the middle of the group and introduced myself to everyone in the room. i think her words were who is this chick? what really did it for her was when i started crying during our time of sharing prayer requests. i think i blubbered something about new in town, just quit my job, don't know what i'm doing with my life. i mean, i guess i can see why she was a little wary of me at first. 

fortunately, she gave me another chance and eventually warmed up to me. she has become one of my good friends, and i love her very much. she is a woman who loves Jesus and stands up for her convictions. she loves her friends and family dearly. she throws really great birthday parties. she once drove us miles and miles to the middle of nowhere for pelican's snoballs. she let me wear her prized cowboy boots to a concert because they looked cute with my outfit. if you know her at all, you know that's surprising for two reasons. one, she guards those things under lock and key. two, "because they looked cute with my outfit" is not a good reason for her to lend you her boots. she must really like me. sadly, she moved to boone last year for grad school, and i miss her mucho. 

megs, i hope you have a stellar birthday! see you soon!

they say it's your birthday!

{photo credit: me}

ok, so i'm going to get better about posting birthdays. i feel like out of all my friends and family members i've posted two? three? it's not intentional that i don't post certain birthdays. i just forget. i feel guilty when i post someone's birthday the day after i didn't post someone else's birthday. and, come on, you know all of you guys out there want your 15 minutes of fame on my extremely popular and super trafficked blog. (i promise i'll try to pick the most flattering picture of you as long as i also look good in the picture). so, i guess in a weird way, this might be my one new years resolution. most lame new years resolution of all time.

happy birthday to dale! i wish my stepdad the very best of birthdays. he's been a great role model to my brothers and i and a wonderful husband/best friend to my mom. he is really great about being calm when the situation is chaotic or crazy. when i have a favor to ask, sometimes i go to him first because he's a little softie. he's also a genius when i have a fix-it problem that i don't know how to fix-it. he makes delicious homemade bread, he builds and creates art pieces from random findings, and he helps my mom color her hair when she needs a touch up. he's basically a modern day renaissance man.
happy birthday to dale! hip hip!

addicted



{photo credit}



joining coffee, facebook, gum, and chapstick, i have a brand new addiction to add the to ranks. it's called poor man's toffee, and it's the WORST.

ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 bag chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk-your preference)

40 saltine crackers

preparation:

preheat oven to 350º. line cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. place a layer of crackers on the foil. melt sugar and butter until a boil is reached. reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. after removing the pan from the oven, sprinkle on the chocolate chips. let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened. break into pieces. (see full recipe here).



{photo credit}



do not make this if you have little to no self-control or if you don't have friends to give it away to. don't even buy the ingredients. that's called playing with fire, and it's dangerous.

january mix

{photo credit}

new year, new playlist. let's do this.


*january mix*

january white : sleeping at last

winter song : sara bareilles and ingrid michaelson

magic : leagues

wouldn't it be nice : the beach boys

moon river : the honey trees

remind me who i am : jason gray

101010 : sleeping at last

airplanes : local natives

my hallelujah : sweet talk radio

ritual union : little dragon

limit to your love : james blake

chapel song : we are augustines

bloodbuzz : oh land

it will rain : bruno mars

you got the love : florence and the machine


happy twenty twelve, my dears!
on new years, i tend not to make resolutions. if i can't keep them throughout the year, why would a new calendar suddenly make magic? however, i do like to imagine how i will be different one year from now. where will i be living, working? what new friends will have found their way into my life? a year from now, will i finally know how to properly curl my own hair? where will i have traveled? what new experiences will have happened to me? will i have done things that scared me? made me proud? made me happy? most importantly, how many fried things will have found their way into my diet? a lot, i hope. that's one resolution bad habit i know i can keep.
love and fried butter on a stick,
laces