the summer sun's calling my name

Happy Weekend dear readers! I missed my Friday post due to just plain craziness and then an unexpected late night out -oops - at least it was fun. It's another hot hot weekend in the area- even late night it's still almost 90- which is not pleasant. Today I am off to see the Jersey City Museum - I am not sure what to expect, but hoping for some delightful art and perhaps some local flair. Tomorrow I am running (hobbling) through my first ever 10k race out in Queens (it's a multiple river crossing weekend). I am really excited, but also extremely nervous - hopefully it stays cooler while we are racing. What are you doing this weekend? Are you enjoying the heat?


(photo from Crush Cul de Sac)

oh little bear

I am planning to visit my family in a few weeks, and it's the first time I will see my sister since her in person announcement about my nephew. If you can't tell I've been waiting forever to be an aunt, so I am so excited to bring her and Norby their first of many gifts. Almost all the baby gifts I get for friends come from Baby Gap, because I think everything is so adorable. Norby's first gift is no exception- since he's coming into the world in November I wanted to make sure I got something with long sleeves and long legs (is that the right description?). This little jammie seemed so perfect- and I love the little bear detail on the shoulder. I look forward to many pictures of him on my walls wearing this outfit.

you gave love a bad name

Online dating- I’ve often grappled with doing a post on this, because well it still seems a bit taboo to me even though I think I’d be hard pressed to find people who haven’t at least tried it at some point in their lives. I know many people who’ve had very successful relationships with people met on dating sites, some even married. I am currently trying my luck on two sites, as my mother is constantly wondering if I am dating enough (love you mom, and don’t worry, we are looking at quality here not quantity) and I have a few pet peeves when it comes to interactions on these sites. There must be a way to stop the madness, really (or is it Honestly – T? – can you confirm?). First of all, I don’t understand when someone emails you “hi, I like your profile, we should chat”.  Ummm, hello? What exactly did you like about my profile , can you please at least pick out something I took my precious time to write hoping it would lead us to something to chat about? It could be as easy as telling me about loving dogs too, or that you like to drink, I don’t really care what you pick out, but please pick something. I really think that’s the laziest approach  to finding a date, please don’t copy and paste your blanket email into the message box for all of us. I get that we are all looking to go out have a good time, and it probably will not be a love connection but the tiniest bit of effort goes a long way. I also cannot stand text message slang in emails, look I am not the best speller in the world, but I shouldn’t feel like I am receiving a text message from a fourth grader. Misspelling a hard word, fine – too lazy and typing l8er or 2 c if u want 2 hang out, come on now, we are adults – impress me with your ability to make your computer’s spell check do its job. Not being able to  These are two things that actually will cause me not to respond back to a gentleman, unless he is completely channeling Ryan Gosling or Channing Tatum – if you’re that good looking perhaps the brains aren’t needed (kidding of course).
Have you ever done online dating? What's some of your pet peeves about it?


(photo from The New Yorker)

a garden party to reminisce

Lately, I’ve been enjoying books that alternate between present day and historical fiction, telling a story that is interwoven through time.  Wildflower Hill by Kimberly Freeman takes the story of a present day ballerina, as she copes with the end of her career and inheriting her grandmother’s old estate. The story from the past involves the grandmother’s journey as a young mother leaving Scotland and settling in Australia in the 1920s. I loved the twists and turns, the questions of morality and the puzzle at the end that still left you wanting more. Both women are finding love and loss, as well as discovering their true identities and passions.

wear t-shirts

I am going to be an auntie to a little boy in a few months - my family just found out the baby's gender and I am so excited to start looking at dapper clothes for my nephew. This shirt is absolutely adorable from Little Willys, part of me wants to buy this just for when my favorite person who I haven't met yet turns four. I'll probably hold off, but I do promise that this kid is going to be one of the best dressed individuals if I get any say in it.

spotted the ocean at the head of the trail

I love the beach and the ocean- I can't imagine not getting to spend time near the water at least once or twice a year. I took this picture while on a jog in Miami on a gorgeous morning. It was really busy despite the early hour, but people were making their way to the beach for what I can only imagine was for a breakfast picnic and an early morning dip in the ocean. Mornings like this make me long to live close to the beach so that this could be an every day occurrence.

buzzing like neon

Fast Socks - definitely stealing that name from my friend who runs all the time (she's the marathoner who's often bringing me and others to great places to see and cheer her on). I ran ever so quickly into to a sports shop for new socks for the gym as loosing socks is something I do oh so well, and I had to have the day-glow neon socks. I probably need to get about 18 more pairs of these because I love them so much. This is one of those things that motivates you to get out to the gym and work out and show off your hot socks.

lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

One of my secrets to returning back to work after a vacation, is to try not to come back home the day before you return to the office. Every time I don't follow my own sage advice, I always feel like I am behind on the week, because I didn't get time to do some of the things one would normally do on a weekend- grocery shop, laundry, unpacking the suitcase. The extra day gives me time to get into a bit of a routine without having to deal with the stress of the office as well. I usually try to make it to the gym and take a walk. The next day going back to work is so much better because I've had a day to get back to reality.
(photo)

here in this diary

I am not big on keeping a written diary- I think mainly because as a kid I didn't trust that my big sister wouldn't have read my journal and use it against me at some later point. Also, I just never had the patience to maintain one, so the idea of keeping one has always been interesting to me - what a way to reflex on things, or just sort thoughts out on paper. I was inspired though to at least consider maintaining one after spotting these hysterical journals from Knock Knock- I loved the sarcasm right on the cover and the prompts on the pages of the journal.

Welcome to Miami

Hello palm trees and sunshine! Can't believe tomorrow it's back to home after lazing by the pool with drinks and nothing to do but contemplate if I should go back in the pool or ocean for a dip.

good day sunshine

Happy Friday dear readers! Are you ready for a nice weekend? I just returned from a short trip for work at this beautiful mountain resort- Crystal Springs. Playing in the crisp air of New Jersey is certainly a welcomed break from my normal days in the office. This weekend I am off to Miami for some fun with some friends, so a lot of travel this week. I can't wait for the beach and the pool, and of course the nightlife.

a little love

I find that I am like most women, carrying a ton around in my bag - mainly because I have room to do so. I really wanted to lighten up this summer, and give my shoulders a bit of a rest from carrying around my life in a bag. This small purse from JCrew was the ideal solution for my goal of lightening up. I can carry what I need, and that's about it. The purse has room for a small wallet, my phone, my work blackberry (yes, I realize it's a bit much to have two devices), keys, and a few other items depending on where I am off to. I love that it's cross body and I don't have to worry about it slipping off my shoulder and I run around the city.

a vegetable will respond to you

I cannot remember the last time I made food to write about on my blog... far far too long. I blame the fact that I never seem to have time to hit up the kitchen these days to make complex meals, or experiment. Why the return? I am ever so tired of eating the same things over and over why I eat at home - I stay away from take out when I am home by myself, just because it feels like I should be eating at home- it's better for you and you know how it all is made.

Anyway, enough about not making food, I managed to make a lasagna over the weekend, however a much healthier one then the normal noodles with cheese. My lasagna was made with eggplant and zucchini instead of noodles, and it was fantastic. I'll definitely be adding this one to my list of repeating recipes.

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
1 Medium Eggplant
2 Small Zucchinis
1 Jar of Tomato Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of your baking dish with cooking spray. Dice eggplant and zucchinis into bite sized pieces. Start layering the bottom of the pan with a layer of eggplant, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the eggplant, then a light layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of zucchini, then a layer of mozzarella, followed by more tomato sauce, keep alternating vegetables with the cheese and sauce until you reach the top, then add more sauce and a final layer of mozzarella. Bake for 35 minutes, the vegetables will be tender.

got my orange crush

This summer is about bright colors- something that I tend to shy away from in my clothing choices. One of my good friends is constantly on me to wear more then just navy and black, but I love them so! However, one day my Boden catalog showed up and I loved this pinky-orange skirt- and well it's now a part of my bright summer wardrobe. I wear this often with a navy blue t-shirt because I can't quite get on board with multiple bright pieces just yet, but the summer's young so I might be able to venture out more.

set off the geese

I spotted these baby Canadian Geese on a long walk over the weekend. It was really cute to see the family all together - and the parents let me get way too close to snap these pictures (I was waiting to get attacked by the Geese like Jess was attacked by a swan in Gilmore Girls).

happiness is

I am feeling happy today about the following things:

a well stocked bookshelf
a long weekend planned in the very immediate future
new t-shirts in bright colors (and on sale)
plans to see a new movie tonight, and probably not be able to sleep later
a salad from my favorite place near work

and of course that the weekend is finally here!

we are family

Ever find one of those books you cannot wait to see what happens, and that you feel kind of sad when you are done reading because you want to know what happens next? I absolutely enjoyed every page of The Sleepy Hollow Family Almanac by Kris D'Agostino. I really enjoyed the voice of the narrator – Calvin, who at 24, still lives at home with his family – a father battling illness, a matriarch mother holding the family together, a gym obsessed older brother, and the younger sister still in high school. Calvin tells it like it is and had the voice of someone we all know in our lives. The book had a very honest approach to how people handle situations, and showed how a family truly can band together in good times and not so good.  The story conquers highs and lows – as well as shows that how much our families shape who we are.

foolish games

I wish I had a cleaner apartment, since I live alone I find it quite easy to turn about every room into a place to lay clothes down, drop my purse and work bag, and leave dishes in the sink for days. I know, it’s sloppy and not fun to clean the entire place when people decide to visit for the weekend, or when I decide to put my hostess-ing skills to test and invite friends over for dinner.  Long ago, to combat some of my lazy ways around good housekeeping, I started playing my own game while I watch TV at night, I like to call it “10 items or more”. The general gist is that when there’s a commercial break (which means not fast-forwarding during DVR’d shows), the goal is to try to get 10 items back to where they belong in my apartment. Once the commercials end, I can happily view my show, until the next break, and the game kicks off again. For some reason, this absolutely silly game works for me – like my own little minute to win it, and before I know it, I am convincing myself to put a few more things away, or wipe down the counter, or sorting out the closet.  All of a sudden those daunting chores don’t seem as bad, and oh wait all I have to do is vacuum? How did that end up to be?

Does anyone else trick themselves into cleaning?


(photo)

pieces of me

Not too long ago, I vowed to put more of me in my blog - my thoughts on some boarder topics. I came to this decision because even though I love sharing clothing, experiences, and just general things, I feel like my blog is missing that extra personal touch that so many of my favorite blogs to read have. I am also not going to stray into a completely different direction either, I plan to keep showing some great things I find while I shop, highlights from trips, and great things about New York. I just also plan on giving a little more of me on a regular basis, hopefully you feel like you get to know me a bit better and keep on coming back to visit!

(photo)

zigzag 'cross the floor

I really have to stop going into Banana Republic- I keep finding things I love and cannot stop myself from buying. This dress is going to be worn all summer long, as it just fits in all the right ways. I love the pattern and it looks great dressed up for a night on the town, or can be paired with flats and a cardigan for a more work appropriate look. I wore this out and about Memorial Day weekend and just felt amazing in it, so I am looking forward to wearing it again and again.

nothing but a hound

I had to share this adorable photo of my sister's dog - Desmond- or as I like to call him my fur-nephew. He's just such a happy guy on this amazingly beautiful day!