Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday Inspiration

It's Monday. I hope you have your coffee in hand. You may not be ready to start the day yet, so here's something pretty to stare at for a minute, while you get your bearings.



Today I'm feeling inspired by things that are soft but strong, like these gorgeous images from a J.Crew blog post, featuring the artwork of their set director, Tracy Morgan.



These giant canvases just make me want to go grab a paintbrush, shrug off work for the day and spend the whole afternoon creating something. 

And then there's this...



I mean, could your desktop look any prettier? Go here to download this and more awesome desktop designs by my favorite computer background source (and a place for a lot of other awesomeness) - DesignLoveFest.

A good reminder. My sister took this picture in Norway. 



Friday, July 25, 2014

Friday Favorites #10: Heat Wave Edition

Good gosh. Just last week I was talking about how chilly the weather felt outside, and now I'm staring out the window at 100-degree temperatures and a whole lot o' humidity. Bleh.

Of course, that means there's no better time for the Heat Wave edition of my Friday Favorites.

It also just occurred to me that I haven't posted since last Friday. Please bear with me while things are happening. Life and whatnot. We're potty-training a puppy, and there isn't time for much else.

Below are a few of my favorite things for this end-of-July heat wave: the perfect orangey shade of lipstick, a light jacket for when restaurants have their A/C on full blast, ear cuffs that look cool even when your hair is tied up on top of your head, a hat for ballgames and general Saturday laziness, a solid pair of metallic sandals  (now an extra 40% off!) and the coolest (and cheapest!) sunglasses you'll need for summer.


Friday Favorites: Heat Wave Edition

Friday, July 18, 2014

Friday Favorites #9: What's in My Bag

The original title of this post was, "Friday Favorites: Heat Wave Edition," but I didn't take the weather forecast seriously when I was jotting all my handy ways to beat the summer heat.

It was 64 degrees this morning when I stepped outside. In July.

I contemplated running back indoors for a sweater, but then I remembered that this is Texas, and I would probably be sweating by 3 p.m. So instead, let's talk about what's in my bag!

I think that the true test of favorite items is whether or not you allow them to take up real estate in your purse. My bag of choice? The Kensington Satchel by Madewell. I have no shame in telling you that I have this bag in both English Saddle and True Black.


What's in my bag?

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

What to Cook When You Don't Know What to Cook

I had a plan. I printed off a recipe, I bought ingredients. But then, life happened. The dog threw up in her kennel and I had an hour's worth of cleanup to tackle, the husband had a surprise after-work commitment, and just like that, my plans for these enchiladas from How Sweet Eats circled the drain and died.

No matter, the enchilada idea will live to fight another day. 

Whenever I get a night all to myself, I usually resort to takeout or a very sophisticated spread of goat cheese, baba ganoush and pita chips.

Kidding.

That is what I eat, but it's far from sophisticated, as I down a bag of TJ's pita chips dunked in goat cheese while chugging a can of Coke.

But there are other options. Other delicious options. 

Enter the following parade of ingredients: ground turkey, bacon, sourdough bread, sweet potato, arugula, a poached egg, lemon, and a generous sprinkling of sriracha salt.

Excuse the quality of the photos below. I didn't have time for my real camera... I was starving!


Cook your turkey first, sweet potato second, bacon third, egg fourth. 

  1. Brown ground turkey in a cast-iron skillet with seasonings of your choice. While the turkey is cooking, wash your sweet potato and slice it into matchsticks. 
  2. After the turkey has finished cooking, transfer it to a bowl, add butter to the cast iron pan, and toss in the sweet potato matchsticks to cook through. Once cooked, remove from heat. 
  3. Start a small pot of water boiling with a generous splash of white vinegar. 
  4. While the water boils, cook three pieces of bacon in the microwave for 3 minutes.  
  5. Allow the pot to reach a soft boil, then crack your egg into the water, gently so the white doesn't break. 
  6. Remove egg from water at desired doneness with a slotted spoon. 
  7. Arrange everything on the plate however you want to, and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the items that you want to have a bit of acidity. I added a few drops to the sweet potatoes, arugula and even the watermelon. Sprinkle sriracha salt over everything on your plate (including the watermelon... holy moly) and consume.


I'm gonna call this pale-almost? Everything except the bread fits.

Find this little bit o' heaven here.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Your Week's To-Do List

Do or Die Notepad

I'm big on To-Do lists. I get a great bit of satisfaction from striking completed items off, one by one. Since I'm trying to jump-start my week after a holiday weekend (ugh), here's a peek inside my week's To-Dos:

1. Clean out clutter.

I feel like I am forever cleaning out my closets. Shoes, bags, clothes that I no longer wear... Every time we move, I shed a few more outfits, and whenever I pick up a new item that truly replaces a bevy of other duplicates, I try to choose the most quality, functional item to keep. The rest go on Poshmark, or on to friends. I love The Everygirl's tips for cleaning out a closet.


2. Turn off the TV, and read a book.

I know I'm not the only one who gets seduced by Netflix's siren song. Just one more episode! But in all truthfulness, I feel as though I get more out of my down time when I'm turning the pages of a novel, not cranking up the volume on my TV. Head over to my Goodreads page to see the books I'm reading now! 

Books to Read


3. Try out some new heat-proof styles.

I keep going back to the standard, high, half-pulled-through pony as my go-to dirty hair look, but it always feels like a cop-out. The temperatures here in Dallas are supposed to hit 100 starting tomorrow, and I need some new frizz-proof styles. 


What are some things you've been meaning to do, but haven't found time for? What's on your To-Do list this week?