dark chocolate chunk raspberry swirl brownies

{photo credit: me}

just another easy recipe for brownies. is there a limit as to how many of these i can have? let's hope not because i have another coming your way soon. 

we have a super hip intern who comes to our office once a week and hangs out with us. we make her do the jobs that we don't want to do-filing charts, making reminder calls, calling patients who are past due for their dental appointments. one time my co-worker actually asked her to separate the paper clips that were jumbled in her jar. even though i was not the one who assigned that task, i still felt ashamed. it was not a proud moment. lucia being the cool girl that she is, separated the paper clips and still remained friends with us. amazing, that one. 

she celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago so as a way of saying happy birthday/thank you for doing our dirty jobs i baked these brownies for her. i also baked carmelitas, but they have had their shining moment in this post. let's focus on the chocolate at hand, shall we?

{photo credit: me}

ok. so there's chocolate, right? and there's sugar. and butter. and eggs. and a few other things. everything goes into one bowl. you stir it. you put it in a baking dish and swirl some raspberry goodness all up in there.

bake it. eat it. do some sort of raspberry brownie dance that you make up on the spot. you will feel inspired, trust me.

after you dance, eat more.

for the full recipe, click here. but i'm pretty sure my instructions were spot on.

happy belated birthday, lucia! come visit us at the office soon. there are rubber bands that need to be counted. 

happy birthday little etsy shop

{photo credit}

today marks humrightalong's first birthday! 

release the balloons. cue the big band. confetti, confetti, confetti.

the process leading up to me starting an etsy shop was slow. i was afraid. what if i'm completely in over my head, and it's a huge flop? i was lazy. ehhh, i'll do it tomorrow. i have a bunch of shows to catch up with on hulu. i was indecisive. what should i name my shop? what should i name my shop? what should i name my shop?

i had to learn how etsy worked and figure out how much i needed to charge for shipping and where i needed to order my supplies and what kind of supplies i even needed. i had to decide what kinds of items i was going to sell and how much i was going to charge for them. i needed a shop banner. i needed to write my specific shop policies. it took some research, some guesswork, and a good amount of nagging from close friends and family before i finally opened up shop last july. 

i am so very glad i did. from my very first order (thanks, dad!) to my very latest order (thanks, mrs. felix!), i have enjoyed myself immensely. when i check my email and i see an order notification, my insides get a little wobbly, and i feel a rush of excitement. 

over the past year, i've shipped orders to north carolina, south carolina, washington dc, louisiana, california, maryland, michigan, las vegas, and ohio. (!!!) to the remaining states, territories, and districts: i'm coming for you. 

i've made very special custom orders for people who wanted to remember their loved ones. i've made silly custom orders for people to give to their best friends as inside jokes. i have even recently added a few new styles of beaded necklaces and earrings which i am really excited about.

thank you to everyone who has supported me by being my personal cheerleader or who has show their support by purchasing an item from my shop. it means so much to me, and i am beyond appreciative.

as a way of saying thank you, i am offering free shipping on all items purchased this week (monday, july 22nd-sunday, july 28th). just enter code "FIRSTBIRTHDAY" at checkout, and the shipping cost will be waived.

so, uh, i guess this is the part where i shamelessly plug my own shop. GO BUY SOMETHING. 

trying to be cool

trying to be cool : phoenix

this music video was shot live in one continuous take. have a look-see. 

buzzing just like neon

{photo credit: ryan}

{photo credit: ryan}

{photo credit: me, ryan}

i can barely believe it myself, but i am wearing a sweatshirt in the middle of summer in north carolina. it's a beautiful mystery that i don't care to understand. 

i really like wearing long sleeve shirts with shorts. the contrast is fun and comfortable, but i rarely get to do it because the weather cooperate much. if it's cold, i'm wearing pants. if it's hot, i'm in my bathing suit at the pool. if it's sort of drizzly and overcast, the weather is high 70s/low 80s, and i'm going to the library, i'm wearing this outfit. 

compliments to the gap for supplying nearly every single piece of clothing/jewelry i am wearing. i made the two necklaces myself but that's it. when the gap has sales, you obey. 

so here you have it. photographic evidence of a rare moment when i actually put an outfit together. even if half of it is technically athletic wear. 

the joy thief

{photo credit}

i complain a lot. i worry a lot. i think other people have it all together while i seem to flounder through life. my hair is too fine, my stomach not flat enough, my legs are strong but hers are stronger. my friends' careers are taking off, my friends are getting married, my friends are having babies.

to the voices in my head: shhhhhh.

i read recently that comparison is the thief of joy. how true. how could you ever be truly happy if you are constantly comparing yourself to other people? there will always be someone to be jealous of. there will always be someone who seems to have a better handle on things than you do. there will always be someone with a better tan, a more expensive wardrobe, a more glamorous career, a more darling group of friends.

how can you possibly compare? well, you don't. you don't compare to anyone else because there is no one who can possibly compare to you. why do we think we are not good enough? why do we think we have to be someone we're not? we were made intentionally. our fibers were constructed with purpose. do we think God made a mistake when he crafted us? 

"i praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

you works are wonderful, i know that full well." 

psalm 139:14 

so, here's to being thankful for my flaws, my warts, my nervous laughter, my tendency to dwell on things of the past, my double chin. 

and here's also to being thankful for my ability to laugh at myself, my love for the creative, each and every one of my freckles, my hope for the future, the friends and family who love and support me. 

to all of these things and more. cheers!

the one where i talk about cats

{photo credit}

let it be known. i'm not a cat person.

aaand four of you just unsubscribed from my blog.

don't freak out. i'm not an animal hater. just one kind of animal. and hate may be too strong of a word. strongly dislike?

i have my reasons. they tend to act prissy. they lick themselves too much. when cats gain weight, they don't wear it well. belly dragging on the ground is not becoming of anyone.

they knead blankets and pillows with this contended look on their face for hours. stop, already.

you're in a room with a cat. you're not looking at it. you're not paying any attention to it, and then you glance over, and it's staring straight into your soul. and you just know it's been staring for a long, long time.

they run right in front of your path, causing you to awkwardly shuffle/trip out of the way.

they rub against your legs and raise their butt right at the end. {what is that?}

also, litter boxes.

{photo credit: me}

however, i don't think i've seen a funnier video than a cat video.

cats chase string, and that's pretty cool.

it's fun to tie a sock around the middle of a cat and watch it fall down.

they're small, but they're feisty. {have you ever been scratched by a cat? sucker stings}. 

they find the best sleeping spots. paper bags? sock drawers? doesn't matter. they'll sleep for years.

and, i hate to say it, but they look pretty dang cute as kittens.

as with most things, i do have a few exceptions. there are a few cats that i don't completely despise including our family cat margo, my friend liz's cat because she inserts his name into rap songs {stanley got low, low, low, low, low, low, low}, and my friend chelsea's cat because he acts more like a dog.

so, there you have it. i know i'll probably receive some hate mail for this one, but it's called freedom of blogging speech. look it up. it's in the thing.

p.s. i was just browsing pinterest, and i see someone has tagged a cat picture as "inspiration". 

#neverinamillionyears. (if i had twitter)

tennessee

sing it, drew. he and his crew will be playing at the lincoln theater on august 29th. anyone want to go!? it's a thursday night, and i already asked your boss if you could have the next day off.  he said why not.

i'll go with you and dance to every song. and maybe sing to a few. so, you're really getting two shows in one. think about it. 

pink lemonade pie

{photo credit: me}

i want you to think that i am a goddess in the kitchen whipping up gourmet recipes with imported ingredients like blood orange olive oil from italy and cocoa powder straight from spain. i have every kitchen gadget you can imagine, and i never burn anything. also, i am wearing heels and lipstick. 

such is not the case. i try to be a fancy chef, but then i remember things like powdered mashed potatoes exist. this pie requires pink lemonade concentrate from the can and cool whip. i'm not ashamed.

this recipe came into my inbox from lulu the baker with such authority and confidence that i couldn't say no. instead i said siryessir. the ingredient list is six items long, and i actually reduced it to four because i bought my graham cracker crust instead of making it. ain't nobody got time for that.

{photo credit: me}

pink lemonade pie 

the crust: 
buy it, fools. don't be an overachiever. 

the filling:
6 oz pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-oz container cool whip, plus more for topping 

in a medium bowl, whisk together pink lemonade and sweetened condensed milk until combined. gently fold in cool whip. spread filling evenly in completely cooled crust and freeze until solid. cut and serve immediately. if desired, top with more cool whip or whipped cream. 

done and done! the pie was delicious and perfectly tangy. i made it for my co-workers the day before our 4th of july holiday, and they ate it up. literally and figuratively. this same recipe would also be great served in mini graham cracker crusts as individual desserts. maybe a blueberry or two on top as a sweet garnish?

and there you have it. the easiest pie recipe in the world. thank you, lulu. 

the lovely list. part eighteen.

{photo credit: me}

remember when i had a blog? yeah, me neither. life is lovely, and it's summertime (pool! beach! tan!) see? so many other places to be! can you blame me? it's not that i haven't thought about you guys (you guys = my one faithful reader, my mom). i've definitely missed writing my blog posts. i have a few recipe posts lined up for your enjoyment so get ready because this girl is back. well, at least until a friend asks me to go to the beach, and then i'll probably be MIA again for another two months. 

{photo credit: me}

lots and lots of crafting! i have been in the creative zone with my jewelry making. i can't get enough of it. i saw one inspiring picture on pinterest (that's all it ever takes), and it's been one big craft party all over our dining room table. good thing my roommate is kind and patient with my "creative environment". it's really just a plain old mess but calling it something else makes me feel better.

{photo credit: me}

coffee dates with my boy. he likes most anything topped with whipped cream. which works out beautifully because i, too, like whipped cream. and i especially like taste testing. we frequent bean traders coffee which is conveniently a few miles from my apartment. they have this one drink that tastes like a reese's peanut butter cup. uuuh yeah. get at me. 

{photo credit: me, liz, megan}

beach trip to oak island with two of my girlfrands. it was basically a mini luxury vacation. her wonderful parents showered us with food and drinks for two days straight. there was also an afternoon at the club pool that involved poolside service. where am i?

{photo credit: me}

this steak dinner that i am extremely proud of even though one of my roommate's expensive cookie sheets was ruined in the process of making it. i can't own nice things and neither can my roommate (because nothing is safe if i'm around). 

{photo credit: me}

i am now the proud owner of a durham country library card. *squeals with delight* FINALLY. it's only been over a year since i've moved to durham. the first stack of books i checked out? all craft books. can't wait to get my grubby paws all over these pages. 

{photo credit: me}

so. many. baked. goods. i have been busy in the kitchen baking up a storm. i keep finding these delicious recipes that look so easy it would be wrong not to make them. don't worry. each of these delicious treats will get their own, individual blog post. you do not want to miss out on the glory that is cookie dough stuffed brownies. i said it, and i meant it. 

what's lovely, ya'll?