Friday, April 29, 2011

Linkage

Just popping in to mention, fellow blogger Amy included some of my jewelry in her post about accessories with meaning. Check it out here. She's got a pretty nice little blog going.

In other news, did anyone watch the Royal Wedding? Was anyone as disappointed in the dress as I was? I mean, come on. This is a big deal. I thought it deserved a more elaborate gown...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Crises

I am not a good person in a crisis. I am not calm. I am not rational. I am a crying, panicking mess. And I can't help it. Today, one of the outlets in our bedroom started sparking. As in, I turned on the light and watched sparks start lighting up the plastic cover. And. I. Freaked.

Of course, I did the smart stuff: turned off the power to the room, call Matt and let him know there's a situation. Even after I turned everything off, the outlet was sparking, so I switched off the fuses for the whole apartment and called emergency maintenance. I was pretty upset at this point, worrying that my whole apartment would burn down (we don't have a fire extinguisher), but it actually worked out all right. Maintenance came and fixed it in a few minutes.

But what does this have to do with my outfit post today (which is actually from two weeks ago)? Oh, friend.


I had a mini eye emergency. Hence the glasses.


Yeah, I have terrible vision. Usually I wear contacts, but on this particular morning, I got makeup on my contact. To rinse it, I grabbed what I thought was saline solution. It wasn't. It was Clear Care, a peroxide-based cleaner. Peroxide in your eye does not feel good.

Blazer & Shirt: New York & Company
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Guess via Macy's
Shoes: thrifted

So I did what I do best: panicked. I'll spare you the details, but know that I ran around my house crying. I also called my mom and Poison Control, in that order.

Yeah, I'm not good in a crisis.

Promises, promises

I’ve been a bad blogger this week. I’m promising myself that I’ll find a better schedule for everything I’ve got going on, and I’m promising you all that you’ll see better, more frequent posting as a result. In fact, I’m making the promise right now to do an outfit post tonight…I have about seven that are waiting patiently in various stages of editing.

In the meantime, here’s what I made for dinner one night last week. I love this dish because it’s easy and so incredibly delicious. And it finds a better use for Ramen noodles. I got it out of an old issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray—back before it was in a dire financial situation. I actually have measurements for this because, well, it’s a real recipe.

Hosin-Glazed Shrimp over Crispy Noodle Cake

Ingredients:
- two regular-sized packs of Ramen (I like to use the Oriental flavor)
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 20-oz can of pineapple chunks
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- bag of frozen green beans, thawed
- ½ pound large shrimp (I just buy one of those frozen bags for really cheap and thaw it out before I start)
- 3 cloves grated or minced garlic
- canola oil
- salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the Ramen, adding just one of the flavor packets to the water once the noodles break up and soften a bit. When they’re done, drain them and press flat on a large plate. Pop them in the fridge.

While that’s going on, combine the hoisin, ½ cup of the pineapple juice from the can, 2 tablespoons of canola oil and the crushed red pepper, if you’re using it. Mix well.

In a large skillet, heat a few more tablespoons of oil—enough to coat the bottom of the pan. I like to use a little sesame oil with the canola oil for this part, but I’m obsessed with sesame oil. Kind of my thing. Carefully slide the noodle cake into the pan and cook until the bottom is browned (about five minutes). Flip it over and brown the other side as well (about another five minutes).

While that’s cooking, heat a little more canola oil in another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pineapple chunks and green beans, cooking for about two or three minutes. The pineapple should brown and the beans should blister a bit. Transfer these to a plate, add a little more oil, then the shrimp and garlic. Cook for about a minute, then stir in the sauce and add the pineapple and green beans.

Lower the heat and cook everything together for another two or three minutes. Slide the noodle cake onto a large plate or serving platter, spoon the shrimp mixture over it and serve immediately. Note: you may want to cut the sauce recipe in half, as I’ve already cut the Ramen/shrimp proportions in half. I like a lot of sauce with this dish, though, so I make a full batch of that.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wrong side of the bed

That's the side I woke up on this morning.

Banana Republic, Michael Kors, Steve MaddenShopStyle
(bag, watch, flats, pants, top)

If I could, I would have worn something like this today. But alas, I don't have the budget for any of this...and I haven't done laundry in two weeks...and I woke up way early and couldn't get back to sleep. So I threw on an old blouse-y-T-shirt thing and some slacks and called it a morning. Sorry, guys. Better outfits soon, I promise!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Cheesy Tuna N Noodles

You guys. When I opened my cupboards to start dinner last night, they were bare. Well, not really...there were plenty of pantry staples and miscellaneous cans of soup and baked beans, but nothing I could make a meal of. Or so I thought.

Then I noticed I had some basic ingredients to make a dish my mom used to make a lot. She told me once that she loves casseroles because you just mix them together, throw them in the oven and move on to another task while it cooks. Can you say perfect? I'm swamped right now, so I decided to riff on her recipe to save myself some time.

I wasn't going to blog this, but I took my first bite and decided I probably should (hence the missing chunk of cheesy goodness that I tried so artfully to hide).


Ingredients:
- 1/2 box macaroni noodles (or something similar; macaroni was what I happened to have)
- 1 can tuna
- 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (mushrooms...ew)
- Parmesan cheese
- shredded Colby-jack or cheddar cheese (I used the former, my fave!)

This is seriously the easiest meal ever. Other than Ramen, I suppose, but I hardly count that as a meal. More of a snack, really. Anyway, this is the first dish I've made in ages--maybe ever--that didn't have any leftovers. None. That's how good this is.

Start by cooking your macaroni according to package directions. Making sure to salt the water liberally after it starts boiling, before you add the noodles. I like to overcook them a bit, because the baking tends to dry them out.

When that's done, drain and return to the pot. Drain the tuna and throw it in, along with the can of cream of chicken soup. Mix it all together. Pour in a liberal amount of Parmesan cheese. I never measure these things, but let's say about a quarter of a cup. Mix well and spread into a nonstick or greased casserole pan. Top with as much shredded cheese as your little cheesy heart desires.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or if you want more time to do whatever miscellaneous tasks, cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. Voila! Told you it was easy. Serve with more Parm. Because you can never have enough Parm.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Exhausted!

Okay guys, I just want to apologize right now for (relatively) infrequent/irregular posting. My goal is to post at least twice a day, but I feel like this week is going to be a long one, based on the fact that April has been a neverending line of tasks, trips, deadlines and missed deadlines. This weekend in particular has left me feeling completely exhausted. That being said, I’m popping in quickly today for a brief post. Hopefully, the week will be calmer than I’m anticipating and I can get back on track!
Not quite sure what I was thinking when it comes to poses for this day (sometime last week). Oh, well.

Shirt: thrifted
Skirt/belt combo: Spotted Moth
Faux pearl necklace: New York and Co. or Forever 21?
Faux pearl bracelet: Unclaimed lost & found item at the bar where I used to work
Brown necklace and bracelet: Don’t remember
Earrings (both pairs): Claire's
Shoes: Payless

This was my first-ever purchase from Spotted Moth, and I love it! It’s a kind of faux-suede material that requires hand-washing, however, so I may not wear it as often as I like. I’m pretty lazy about laundry. But this skirt came with a sweet, detachable brown belt (which I’ve desperately needed) AND it has pockets. Score!

I’m not quite sure if I’ll jump on the maxi skirt/dress bandwagon because I’m really tall and ankle-length hemlines tend to make me feel matronly. But I can definitely say that I’m loving the midi-length look. My Easter dress was also a midi; I’m sure I’ll remix it sometime soon (I’m thinking with a blazer), so keep an eye out!

Apologies for the vagueness of my jewelry sources for today. I’ve come to realize that most of my jewelry is years old and I’ve forgotten where I bought it. Plus, clothes and shoes have labels that help me remember where I bought it…jewelry doesn’t.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter weekend

This weekend, I'm taking a little break from blogging to be with my family for Easter. In the meantime, I created an outfit on ShopStyle that is pretty similar to my Easter outfit to tide you all over until Monday (and because I forgot my camera and won't get to document my actual look).
Juicy Couture, Eddie Bauer, Kimchi & Blue

What do you think?

Friday, April 22, 2011

Hypocrisy! (Sort of)

I know I said in my last post that I'm a messy person. And for the most part, I am. I come home from work and throw my purse on the floor, my jacket on the recliner, my umbrella in the corner and my shoes under the coffee table. But I have this huge soft spot for attractive organization ideas. There's this alter ego in me that is very much type-A. I might even go so far as to say that type-A me is the normal me, and the slob me is just when I'm lazy or tired. That might be a better description.

Self-reflection aside, I saw this on Pinterest and immediately swooned. I might even make it myself pretty soon; my earrings are stored on a really ugly metal loopy thing with butterflies. Ick.




Do you have any great jewelry storage techniques?

A Few of My Favorite Things

Disclaimer: These were taken last weekend at BG. Ellen is like me in that we are both kinda messy...we just throw our stuff willy-nilly on the floor. Abby does it too. Maybe worse, haha. Anyway, when you get all three of us into a tiny tiny dorm room, it gets pretty messy. So apologies for all the stuff in the background.

I just love this outfit in general. It is the absolute comfiest outfit I own, and it is one of the most versatile too. I guess you'd say my "favorite things" are each individual element and the way they work together. The top is so flowy and breathable and soft. The black skinnies are form-fitting without stopping my circulation. The flats are, of course, flats, and the jewelry is all philanthropic in one form or another.


(Side note: I never want to take photos in anything but natural light ever again. The color on these shots is so much better than when I take photos in my dim breakfast nook.)


Did I mention it ties in the back? So cute!

Shirt: Ginger G via Marshall's
Lace tank: Zenana Outfitters via Marshall's
Black skinnies: The Limited
Shoes: Payless
Wire necklace: Global Gallery
Chain necklace: gift from Matt
Bracelets: not sure

Okay, as for the jewelry (except the earrings--those are just off-the-rack at Claire's or something). The I bought wire necklace with the dark bead at my first-ever Short North Gallery Hop. Gallery Hops are awesome in their own right and I'll probably do a separate post about them when the weather gets nice again. But the necklace. It's from Global Gallery, which is a Fair Trade store. I love supporting companies that support Fair Trade...what a great message in an otherwise cutthroat consumer market.

The bracelets I bought at Ohio University a few years back. I don't remember the name of the organization that the sales benefited, but it's similar to this program, which empowers impoverished Ugandans. The beads are made from rolled recycled paper. They're really pretty, and I like that my money is going to a good cause.

(The other necklace, with the diamond pendant, was a Christmas gift from Matt. I love that necklace to death and wear it almost every day, so you'll probably be seeing it quite often.)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hooray!

I just bought this coffee table on eBay: And thank goodness. Ours is falling apart. Every time I touch it, I'm afraid it'll collapse!

Kate Middleton FTW

Here's your morning dose of Royal Wedding Madness!

My coworker sent this to me yesterday; the ladies here at the office have been following the Royal Wedding news (and all the craziness that comes with it) pretty closely. I got a good laugh out of Kate Middleton For The Win, a blog that makes/finds memes of the princess-to-be. Below, a few of my favorites:



Check the link (above) for more irreverent hilarity!

Gaga/Weird Al Update!!

Just popping in for a quick update: Weird Al will, in fact, include "Perform This Way" on his next album!

Allegedly, Gaga never heard the song. It was listened to and rejected by her manager, who made the decision and credited it as hers. Al explains a bit on his blog.

Mostly, I'm just excited for the video. Should be pretty awesome.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Perform This Way

Yes, I follow Weird Al Yankovic on Twitter. No, I'm not stuck in the 90s. I just think he's funny. When I read his blog post about parodying Lady Gaga's Born This Way, I knew I had to hear it. Lucky for me, he did in fact release the song, even though Gaga won't let him put it on the album.



What do you think? As a personal, die-hard Gaga fan myself, I actually love this parody. Win.

Bedroom style

So I realized I've really only been doing style and food posts, for the most part. My bad, guys. I guess I'm more obsessed with some things than others.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how college-y our apartment looks. I mean, it's no surprise; despite the fact that Matt and I are both graduates, we still live a very college-esque lifestyle. And I'm pretty happy with that. I don't want to grow up yet, and I don't think he does either. But I mean it, our pad is so...eclectic, but not in the best way. I want our home to look nice, especially since the likelihood of us moving anytime soon is relatively low.

One of the rooms that really gets me is our bedroom. It's so...girly. I feel really bad that Matt has to sleep under a flowery white duvet that I bought nearly two years ago, before we moved in together. I saw this today on Pinterest board I follow (originally from this blog) and kind of fell in love.

image via SF Girl By Bay

It's perfect! Beautiful, but still masculine. Though I have been mooning over some reds and browns in the bedding department, so who knows. Alas, I have not the money for a true redesign yet. Time to continue daydreaming...

Pork Chops and Pan Sauce

So here’s the thing. I love to cook. I’m a terrible multi-tasker in the kitchen. I can cook one dish really well, but if you ask me to make sides with it, things usually get pretty crazy. This meal actually turned out semi-okay, minus the slightly undercooked asparagus, but that’s only because Julia Child is a goddess (I used a recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which Matt gave to me for Christmas).

First, a disclaimer: I am not a huge fan of instant mashed potatoes, but when I’m cooking a new recipe or one that’s a bit complicated, they’re a huge time-saver. I don’t like to admit it, but sometimes, a girl has to compromise her culinary standards.



Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 pork chops, about an inch thick
- dried thyme, about ¼ tsp
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 bundle asparagus
- 1 package instant mashed potatoes
- ½ cup beef broth or stock
- salt and pepper

Julia’s recipe originally calls for you to roast the pork in a casserole dish in the oven, but I modified this for the stovetop. It’s just easier when you’re cooking for two.

Heat the oil in a large skillet; while it’s heating, dry the chops with a paper towel (Julia says this is the key to getting a good browning on this, or any, meat). Brown the pork on all sides, just a couple minutes on each. Season with salt, pepper and the thyme and set on a side dish for now.

Pour the oil out of the pan. (I transferred it into a separate pot in the sink to cool, then threw it in the trash. Just in case your mother never warned you, NEVER pour cooking oil down your sink drain.) Add the butter and garlic. After the butter melts, add the chops back to the pan and baste with melted butter. (Oh my gosh, I’m drooling as I type this and I just ate it last night. I love butter.) Cover the skillet with a large lid and cook for about five minutes.

Flip the chops and baste again (mmm), then cover and cook for another four to five minutes. The chops are done, according to Julia, if you make a deep cut next to the bone and the juice runs clear or yellowish, with no red. Easy way: get a meat thermometer for $3 at Walmart. Pork is fully cooked at 160 degrees. Put them back on the side plate and cover with foil.

Pour the broth into the skillet and bring to a high boil to deglaze the pan, making sure you scrape up all the browned bits at the bottom. Let the mixture reduce slightly as it boils.

Meanwhile, trim the ends off the asparagus and drop into a pot of salted, boiling water just before the five minutes is up. Mix the potatoes into a second pot of boiling water; cover and let rest while everything else is cooking. The asparagus should blanch in the water for about four to five minutes, I think. I didn’t cook mine quite long enough at three minutes. After blanching, give them a quick dip in ice water to stop the cooking.

Just before serving, drizzle some of the chops’ pan juice over everything. I also drizzled some butter over the asparagus, but that’s just because it’s the only way I’ll eat my veggies. Yum.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Gaga for...many things.

More weekend outfits!


So on my first style post, I talked about how awkward I felt in front of the camera. And really, awkward is kind of an understatement. But when Abby took photos for me this weekend at BG, it was completely different. I’m not sure if it was because she’s a girl and therefore understood the whole fashion blogging thing better, or if it’s because she’s my sister and I’ve known her for 20+ years and she’s the one person in the world I may never feel uncomfortable around. Probably a combination of both.


The above pose was actually her idea. She kept telling me to push my feet out farther, but the room was such a mess that I kept bumping into things. And laughing. This was supposed to be a serious face.

Blazer: New York & Company, thrifted
Tshirt: Tour shirt from Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour (Which. Was. Amazing.)
Jeans: Silver via Macy’s
Shoes: Payless
Clutch: Laura Arens
Necklace: Thrifted
Watch: Walmart (I know!!!)
Bracelets: Don’t remember
Lipstick: Mary Kay in Red

I just love blazer-Tshirt-jeans combos. I usually wear heels with an outfit like this, but I am way out of practice in walking around a college campus in heels, so I went for the flats. So glad I did.

The clutch was hand-made by a friend of my cousin’s. She has her own site where you can check out a ton of awesome bags…I hope you do! They’re really high-quality and there’s a little something for everyone.

A note on Lady Gaga: I love her. She is my idol, and seeing her in concert last month was the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten (thanks, Matt). I wear this shirt all the time, particularly under blazers because a pop/dance sensation flipping you off from under a blazer just screams class, in my opinion.

Ellen just started selling Mary Kay, so she gave Abby and me tons of samples, which is why I’m wearing lipstick for a change. I really liked it though, and may start wearing lipstick more often. Wow. I really am a grown-up. Ew.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Seeesters!

So last weekend was Sibs & Kids Weekend at BGSU, where my sister, Ellen, is a freshman. So Abby (my other sister) and I decided to drive up to good old Blowing Green, as Ellen calls it, to relive the old days when we all lived under the same roof and shared a room. Only with more alcohol; we weren’t the kind of tweens who get drunk on a regular basis. Or ever.

I asked Abby and Ellen to both shoot an outfit for me, which I will be posting later in the week. I have to say; posing with my sisters as photographers is FAR less awkward than posing with Boyfriend as a photographer. Abby gave me such great direction, I almost hired her as my professional photographer on the spot. But alas, I have no money to pay her and I’m sure she’d rather finish getting her degree in Genius and make far more money than I could ever pay her (or make myself, for that matter).

On Ellen (far left)
Shirt: AX Paris USAJeans: Rue 21Shoes: Payless

One of Ellen’s hallmates shot these pictures for us. She seemed a little surprised at our rate of conversation. Apparently, when the three of us get together and have a drink or two, we converse like the mom and daughter on Gilmore Girls. Pretty funny to listen to, I imagine.

On Abby (far left, this photo):
Shirt: Ellen’s, from Rue 21
Jeans: Forever 21
Shoes: American Eagle via Payless

Of course, we had to do a Charlie’s Angels pose. Those are just the rules.

(Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about my outfit. I’ll blog that in a separate post tomorrow.)

Springtime Spaghetti

I worked in a dining hall in college. You won’t be surprised to hear that most of the food was just not good—mass-produced food rarely is. But there was one dish that I really liked. Loved. So much so that I actually went to the head cook and asked her how she made it. So I scaled down the recipe (hey, no one’s cooking for 150 here) and voila! Springtime spaghetti. (Perfect timing, too; it just started heating up here!)



Ingredients:
- 1 box of spaghetti or linguine
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-2 whole carrots
- fresh dill
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1 pint heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you’re waiting for that, julienne the carrot(s), bell pepper and zucchini. (Note: cucumber also works for this, as I discovered when Matt--aka Boyfriend, he said he doesn't mind if I use his name--accidentally bought the wrong produce. I think I like it better with cucumbers, in fact.) I like to use my mandolin to julienne the carrot and zucchini/cucumber to ensure equal cuts, but I usually do the bell pepper by hand.

Also, chop up your dill. How much you use is up to you; I usually use an entire pre-packaged container from Kroger (minus the stems), which is about a quarter of a cup. Or something like that. I could be entirely wrong. I love dill though, so for me, the more the better.

By now, your pot of water should be hot, but not quite boiling. Grab a very large frying pan and melt the butter in it over medium heat. I usually use more than two tablespoons, but I’m a sucker for butter. I can’t get enough. It’s really not healthy.

Mince the garlic while the butter is melting. I use a knock-off SlapChop that my grandma gave me for Christmas one year. It’s so easy! I wish I had the knife skills to mince garlic evenly by hand, but I'm kind of a klutz. Fake-SlapChop seems safer.

When your water comes to a boil, add a big helping of salt to flavor it. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, minus a minute or two so it's al dente. Drain it and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic to the pan with the butter and sauté for about a minute. Then add the carrots and dill (set a little extra aside for garnishing), sautéing for about three to four minutes. Then add the red pepper and zucchini/cucumber, sautéing for another two or three minutes. Add the cream and let it come up to a simmer (you may need to increase the heat if your pasta is done cooking at this point).

Once the mix is bubbling gently, add the Parmesan. Again, I don’t measure and I love parm, so I use way more than is probably necessary. I’m guessing that about one-third of a cup should do it. Maybe half a cup. Stir everything together, and turn the heat down or off altogether. Then add the pasta and let it finish cooking in the creamy, dilly deliciousness. Garnish with extra dill and Parmesan as desired. Makes enough for about four people.

Best news? This dish is great as leftovers. Just make sure you reheat it relatively soon after you cook it, within a few days, or that cream will get really, really gross. Trust me.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Asian-Inspired Rice Bowl

There’s one thing you should know about me, if you’re going to read my food posts. I. Love. Carbs. I have yet to meet a carb that I don’t like, except maybe barley, which doesn’t count because apparently your body doesn’t process it like a carb. It’s kind of weird to admit this, but I’ve been known to eat just a bowl of rice (with some butter and salt) as a snack.

So it’s no surprise that I love Italian- and Asian-inspired dishes. When I was watching Iron Chef a few weeks ago, I saw Morimoto (my favorite, of course) make this delicious-looking rice bowl. He topped it with fish and a fried egg. It looked so simple, I just had to try it!



Ingredients:
If you read the “Food” tab above, you’ll note that I rarely measure ingredients when cooking. Don’t get tied to your measuring cups and teaspoons! Experiment with me :)
- 1 cup uncooked rice (I used Minute Rice, but the real stuff works great too)
- 2 eggs
- 1 package frozen snap peas (you will have leftovers!)
- 4 filets of a firm fish, like tilapia
- flour
- sesame oil (can substitute butter or canola oil)
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- soy sauce

Start by cooking the rice. If you’re using the real stuff, it’ll take about 20 minutes. If you’re using Minute Rice like me, it’ll only take about five minutes. Once the rice is ready, spread it out onto a plate and pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes—just enough to cool it down, but not long enough to freeze it.

While that’s going on, dredge the fish in flour. You can use a little egg or milk to help the flour stick, but I usually go without on this dish for a lighter finish. Plus, I usually use fish that has just come out of my freezer and is still a little damp from the defrosting process, so extra moisture isn’t as necessary.

Heat the sesame oil (or substitute fat) in a skillet. Actually, heat it in two skillets. One for the fish (medium-high heat), and one for the eggs (medium heat). These will take about the same time to cook, unless you have a really thick cut of fish. Start cooking the fish, seasoning with a tiny bit of salt, some pepper and a dash of garlic powder. When you crack the eggs in the other pan, be careful to not break the yolks. Season those with salt and pepper too. In the meantime, start cooking the snap peas. I buy the kind that you can microwave right in the bag; it usually takes about five minutes.

Flip the fish after about three or four minutes. Just before you flip it, pour some soy sauce over the whole thing. Don’t go overboard or you’ll have a salty mess. I usually use about a tablespoon, maybe two. Ish. After you flip the fish, drizzle a little more soy sauce over the cooked side that is now facing up—just a couple drops.

As for the eggs. I prefer to flip mine to make an over-easy/over-medium yolk, which I still find a little difficult sometimes. In the pictures, you might notice that I did in fact break a yolk. If you want to play it safe, just cook them sunny-side up.

Now, the rice. Morimoto re-fried it in a pan, but I think it’s so much easier to nuke it. Grab two bowls and make two rounded little hills of rice in each one, making a medium-sized indent in the top (this is where the egg will go). When the snap peas are done cooking, set them aside and nuke the rice for 30 seconds to a minute, until it’s good and hot.

Time to assemble! Carefully slide an egg into the indent in each mound of rice. Make a small little pile of snap peas on one side of the mound, and arrange the fish on the other side. You’ll notice in my photos that my fish isn’t a filet; it’s a mess. I used cod, which is too flaky for this dish and fell apart while I was cooking it. Tasted good though.

This dish is particularly fun to eat. Break open the egg yolk and let it drizzle down over the rice. I like to dip my snap peas in it, too!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Virtual Modeling

I found this through one of Huffington Post's Twitter feeds (@HuffPostStyle), and I had to share it with you all!



What do you think? I'd love to see this as the future of runway modeling. Plus, recording it in advance lets you do re-takes if you trip on those insanely high heels :)

Morbid Musings

This story blows my mind, so I thought I’d share it with you all. I found it on The Hairpin, who linked to the AP’s original story.

The world’s oldest man died yesterday. Walter Breuning was 114 years old. (Strange irony: The world’s oldest person is a woman who was born about a month before him.)

Walter lived through the turn of two centuries. How many people in the world can truthfully say the same? I’m the type who’s entertained by the thought that my parents didn’t have color TV when they were little, that my grandparents grew up listening to the radio for entertainment. This man lived the first years of his life without electricity. He saw the invention of nearly every modern convenience we know and take for granted.

He left a few pearls of advice for the rest of us. The AP included several in the story, but the one that really sticks with me is to accept death.

“We’re going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you’re born to die,” he said. Morbid as this statement is, it is also completely honest. From the very second you’re born, you start the long journey toward death.

Then, I think of
another site I recently found via a friend. It attempts to predict the future of man, how humans as a species will evolve. Predictions are based on current research, not science fiction. And the site predicts that man may one day achieve a sort of immortality. And I can’t help but wonder…would I even want that? Would anyone?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

I want to learn sign language now.

This is, without a doubt, one of the coolest girls I've ever seen. I found this via StumbleUpon, and it honestly just made my day. Warning: content is fine, but language is NSFW.






If you're not smiling right now, then clearly you have no emotion.

Saturday Night's Alright

This is the first time I’ve ever posed in front of a camera as a model (as opposed to posing for a family portrait, or drunkenly leering at a bar or party). I know it’s hard to tell, because I look so incredibly comfortable in front of the camera.

Not.
Truth be told, this was one of the most awkward things I’ve ever done. And that is really saying something, as I’m one of the most awkward/self-conscious people I know. Maybe it’s because Boyfriend was shooting, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he thought this was dumb. Or vain.


In true form, I started pouting halfway through the shoot. Eventually I stopped being stupid about it and just smiled.

Shirt: H&M via Plato's Closet
Jeans: Silver, via the clearance rack at Macy’s
Shoes: Payless
Necklaces: Claire’s, about four or five years ago
Bracelets: don’t remember…maybe gifts?

And let’s face it. It's highly likely that Boyfriend is right. This probably is a little dumb/vain. I mean, the odds of this blog becoming a must-read for anyone other than my mother and good friends are slim to none.

But I want to get back into the habit of documenting my life, and what better way to do that than with a blog? And who knows. Maybe a few awkward, self-conscious people will see this and think, “If she can dress well, then anyone can!” (That, my friends, is true. The question remains as to whether I can develop any personal style.)

In the meantime, I say it's time to celebrate the beginning of what will probably be a fun project at the least. I propose a toast: To success, be it self-discovery or Internet semi-fame.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Welcome!

It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I start this blog. One could nearly call it nervousness. I can hear my mom’s voice in my head, “Now, Emma, a blog is a big responsibility. You have to love it, feed it…” No. That was the puppy talk.

But the same concept applies to blogs, doesn’t it? To make it thrive, I have to dedicate a part of myself to it. I have to feed it content as frequently as possible. Confession time: I have killed a few blogs in the past. Thank you, neglect.

But this may be different. Instead of forcing myself to constantly think about one subject and what I can say about it, I can just write about anything. That’s the point of a lifestyle blog; it is limitless.

Another big difference: I actually kind of know what I’m doing. (Famous last words, right?) Well guys, here goes nothing. Enjoy.