polka dots and candy bars

Sorry that I've been away for so long! I have some GREAT excuses as to why--I'm an entire year older! That's not to say that I had an entire week long celebration, but I the time that I'd normally set aside to blog, was spent celebrating with friends! Not a bad thing, obviously, just made for a change in schedule. I'm back now though, and better than ever! I'm leaving you with some pictures from the birthday celebrations. See you tomorrow! Me and my biffle! Let's be real, life wouldn't be complete without a  food porn pic

Sorry to mislead you with the title, since I couldn't be happier making a meal just for me. Perhaps it is only child syndrome, but I've never understood why lady mags (and non-lady mags for that matter) bemoan cooking for one. Yes, I enjoy a great meal with my friends, but I also REALLY enjoy eating a meal that I've made just the way that I like it. Hey, I know that it's possible that not EVERYONE likes hot sauce on popcorn, which is why it's nice to not have to share (the NOT sharing is key). Though, coming up with a meal that's not pasta and sauce, steak and potatoes, or pasta with veggies and heaping amounts of cheese, is hard to do. And most of the time/all of the time, I'm generally coming from the gym, so I'm sweaty, hungry, impatient, and tired (waaahhhh!) and completely content with eating chips and salsa for dinner....or fries, mountains of fries. Luckily, I have friends that, like me, send food inspo (sorry, I am one of those people that takes ...

via Madewell, available her e via Gap, available here So, anyone that's talked to me in the last two months knows that my current fashion obsession is the chambray shirt. It's incredibly versatile--can be dressed up or down, worn as a shirt, take the place of a light jacket, basically, OBSESSION STATION. So, it might be weird to hear that I haven't actually taken the plunge and purchased said obsession. I know, I know. You'd think that I would've just handed over the plastic to any one of the fine retailers that have a chambray stock and call one mine, but, here's the sad part, I'm scarily obsessive about how I want it to look. While I'm all about the one above by Madewell, I'm also partial to the one by Gap. Though, since I tend to be loyal to both brands, I'm thinking about branching out and trying something new. Over thinking one purchase? Why, yes, yes, I am. Completely obsessed with the outfit combinations that...

Spring has sprung!   Which typically means, getting rid of clothes that don't fit or are never worn, shoes that have been loved  for entirely too long, and other useless crap (no, but seriously, I found a random toy cable car with "San Francisco"emblazoned on the side when cleaning out my jewelry chest---I don't know why I have that either. Sadly, that had to have been purchased as an "adult"). So, I'm committing to cleaning out my closet and organizing it (if only to buy other stuff that I'll get rid of next year) and also, to be one of those people that starts their day off with a green juice, rather than cups upon cups of coffee. Let's tackle the first item of business, shall we! My first criteria when getting rid of clothes is generally fit/condition. I am, admittedly, a clothes-horse. I have tons  of clothes that I've gotten either because they looked great on other people (don't ask), they were on trend, or acquired them from...

Thomas Friedman's article "Need a Job? Invent it." struck a chord with me. The title is equal parts "YOU control your own destiny" and "quit your whining and get a job!". I choose to see it as the former. Perhaps I happen to be surrounded, both physically and virtually, by some incredibly talented people, but I feel like everyday someone is rolling out a new business plan, striking out on their own, or following their dream to a foreign country. Gone are the days when one's only hope for success lay in working your way up the corporate ladder. Now, you can start a blog, hire a photographer, get viewed by millions and become an "overnight" success. This is not to underscore the hard work, dedication, and, quite frankly, shrewdness that it takes to become an internet sensation, but it just goes to show that the old model of "making it" no longer holds true. If blogging's where it's at, then what role does education play...

Trend alert: The Accent Nail vs. One-color manicure  Add caption                 Versus   The accent nail is a trend that I've embraced wholeheartedly (evidenced by the picture above). Among one of my favorite aspects about the trend is that you can wear multiple colors, patterns, or effects on the same hand without your nails clashing. The accent nail adds a little something extra to a ho-hum manicure. I recently tried nail strips on both of my ring fingers (I always tend to make my ring fingers my accent nails) and loved the effect. Tip: painting your nail with a base coat before applying the nail strip, allows for easy removal. That said, I'm also a gal that  loves a bright one-color manicure in subtle shades, look-at-me nail color, or metallics. Which do you prefer: the accent nail or the one-color manicure?