what to buy?

The Easter bunny may or may not have sent me a Gap gift card a few days early :) So after some online shopping, I have a few options for when I do go to the store this weekend sometime.

First of all, I'm kind of in love with these:

And these too:

I think I could pull off my platforms with both pair as seen in this picture without feeling like I'm showing too much leg.  But blue jean or khaki... that'll be a dressing room decision!

And then there are so many beautiful tops! These are my top four as of now:

I seriously love all of these pieces, so narrowing down my buys is going to be quite tough. I've got this new rule that if I can think of three or four ways to wear the item, I'm allowed to buy it.  Shorts are easy, because I definitely have tops to pair with them. Tops aren't quite as simple though. But I think all four of these could be worn as seen in the picture, paired with a blazer or a cute sweater, and worn with shorts, pants, or a skirt.

Can't wait for my little shopping spree! Thanks Easter bunny :)

my friday five

So it's Friday, and I have a few things that I would like to call my favorites this week.

First and foremost, my new watch that my parents gave me for my birthday :) Isn't it a beauty?!



Next are TOMS shoes. I do not currently own a pair, but I hope to sometime in the near future. Every morning this past week, when I put on my clothes for classes, I couldn't help but think how much cuter my outfits would have been if I were wearing TOMS. So they deserve spot number two.

And the next may seem silly, but I am loving my new knee brace that helps me work through my patellar tendinitis and allows me to participate fully in my bootcamp classes. And I obviously look more hardcore with it on. And who knew they came in colors? I may need to invest :)

This past weekend, my parents came to visit, and we did A LOT of shopping. I managed to not spend too much money, but I did discover a Pottery Barn at a mall nearby. Big trouble. I'm obsessed with these lanterns hanging from a ladder. Perfect to go over a dining room table. I NEED this for my house.

And last, but not least, Georgia Tech baseball combined with gorgeous weather.  My dad and I went to a game this past Sunday. I will definitely be attending a few more of these and a few softball games before the seasons end.

Now, it's back to schoolwork for me. Have a lovely weekend!



planning

I am officially in cram mode, seeing as the semester's end is quickly approacing. Just three weeks and I am done with semester two of three here at Georgia Tech. It is bittersweet. I wanted so badly to come to school that I was counting down to when I'd finally arrive for 18 months. And now I'm here, away from my husband, puppy, family, and friends, and it makes me ready to graduate and to be back home.

It always seems that people rush their lives away, and it's heartbreaking. I am guilty of it myself. We live in a time-oriented culture, and we all operate on schedules. We set alarms, we get to work and leave work at specific times, we have dinner reservations, small groups to get to, and the list goes on. This makes it hard to not be looking toward what there is to do next, and even harder to truly enjoy the current moment being lived.

Personally, I am a planner, and I will continue to plan, because I enjoy setting goals and acheiving them. But, I am trying hard to embrace and find blessings in my current situations, and I encourage everyone to do the same. I do not know if I will have tomorrow, but I do know that I can appreciate today.

husband

I don't usually brag about my husband on here, but today seems like a good day to do so. If you haven't met him already, this is Jared:

So cute, right?

As I've said before, I am trying to eat preservative free here at school, with hopes to bring that back to my home with Jared in August. Currently, Jared lives five and a half hours from where I am located for school. It's difficult being apart, but we still communicate all the time and we are both busy with his work and my school, so we make it work.

Anyway, back to why Jared is so wonderful - take a look...

And so I open the picture to find...

Note the bottom two lines on the bottle. I'm not even in town, and my wonderful man goes to publix to find preservative free marinade for his chicken and tries it out for dinner. 

Honestly, who deserves this kind of support? He's just the greatest. And for so many reasons. He is so encouraging in everything, and I mean everything, I do. It's an incredible feeling to be so loved.

Best. Husband. Ever.

:)

so excited

This may seem like a very silly thing to be getting excited about, but I just can't help it.  My friend sent me the link to a blog by the Leake family, who gave up eating processed foods and refined ingredients for 100 days, completed that challenge, and then committed (and completed) to doing it again, but on a budget. Their goals are little more strict that mine have been, but it is very encouraging to see that "eating green" can be done, and it can be a long-term change. The Leake family defines their rules here and why to take on this challenge here.

These are the rules I have been abiding by since the beginning of this semester (mid-January):

No Preservatives
If I read the ingredients, and any of them look like something I may have learned in chemistry, I put it back. I only buy things that I actually know what each ingredient is. And just because I know what citric acid is, doesn't mean I'm allowed to bring it home - NO preservatives, period, dot. Reading the labels on everything is key. My biggest challenges have been bread and yogurt. I have completely given up on yogurt and I have temporarily given up on bread (until I am done with school and reunited with my stand mixer), aka I buy it however it comes.

Healthier Eating Out
If and when I go out to eat (which is not often) or I am a guest at someone's house, I try to make healthier choices. I do not heavily restrict myself, but I am hoping to become more disciplined as time goes on.

Water (and coffee)!
This probably falls under the "No Preservatives" Rule, but I feel it's still a good one to draw some special attention to. I limit myself to only drinking water with meals. And for my sanity and GPA, I must have coffee. I have parted with my delicious flavored creamers (pumpkin spice, I miss you!), and now only use organic milk and organic sugar (unless I'm at starbucks - regular milk and sugar). Oh, and I also have the occasional glass of wine when I visit the hubs :)

I must admit, there have been a few slips, but I feel like I have come a long way in my eating habits, and I am finally figuring out how to do it in a more budget friendly way (I spent less than $100 for this 2 weeks - record!). I think it would be amazing to move toward what the Leake family does to further discipline my eating habits, but that will come with time. Until then, I will definitely be using their blog to find some new recipes and tips.

PS - I've almost been married ONE WHOLE YEAR!

03.06.10

chicken pad thai deliciousness

I made a super quick and easy Chicken Pad Thai last night, and just reheated it for dinner tonight. It was and still is so good that I just have to share it. I took a picture on my phone, but it doesn't do it justice, so I'll let you try it out for yourself and see how good it looks in person :)

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8 ounces rice noodles
4 tsp vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 chicken breasts, cut into small, thin slices
2 cups mung bean sprouts
6 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp chili-garlic sauce
chopped peanuts (to top off this glorious dish)

Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 10 seconds. Add eggs and scramble for about 30 seconds.  Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add drained noodles to wok, toss about 1 minute. Add bean sprouts, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Toss for about 3 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. 

Sprinkle with peanuts and serve! This makes about 3 decent sized servings.

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A few learning points from my first go at Pad Thai:
1 - Have everything out, sliced, and diced before hand.  Because the oil is heated over high heat, it does not take long to cook anything! I made the mistake of not having my eggs out or chicken chopped before I added my garlic, so it got a tad too toasty.
2 - I thought I had checked all of my labels, but it turns out the chili-garlic sauce was not preservative free :(  I found a recipe here that I will be trying for my future makings of this dish.

Enjoy!

project complete!

I am happy to report that I have officially completed my first real before and after project (that wasn't just a matter of organization and decorating).  I bought the supplies last June to redo this set, but life got in the way and I just now got around to this project.  I made a spontaneous, quick trip home this past weekend and decided that instead of studying, I should make this set (left behind by the previous owners) pretty. So here we go!

Before... Worn and Rusty

 And After!

And how about a little close-up action:

Serious Rust

Ahh yes, happiness.

I am so excited! It is now safe to sit in the chairs and have coffee dates on lovely mornings with my husband.  Sadly I haven't had one yet because I had to get back to school, but soon enough!