Old pictures, new camera

As you can probably guess from the title, these pictures are a little old. Several weeks old. Back when it was cool enough to wear a medium-weight scarf during the day and not feel silly. Today it's going to hit 90 degrees, which leaves me wondering why Ohio seems to just skip over spring, which is (in my humble opinion) the prettiest time of year. le sigh.

Shirt: Old NavyScarf: Arden BJeans: Silver via Macy'sShoes: Payless

I realized that even though I wear these shoes about 4 days out of the week, I've never actually
showed
shown a close-up. The stud details tend to get lost in the shadows of my outfit pictures, so here you are: these are the best Payless shoes I've ever purchased. Love them.

In other news, these might be the first outfit shots taken with my new camera. I think. Either way, I love it! The colors are so much more vibrant and the lines are so crisp...and I barely have to edit or color correct them at all. Thanks again, Matt :)

Pool days

I'm so excited to stop by our apartment complex's pool after lunch today! It opened this weekend of course, and the high for today is supposed to hit the lower 90s, so it couldn't be more perfect. I still have a bit of work to do, but that can wait till this evening. It's a pool day!

For dinner, I think I might do this recipe from a few weeks ago. I adapted it from one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks, and it's just fantastic. I season it with some applewood-smoked sea salt from a shop in the North Market here in Columbus. It really adds some depth to the dish!

Tilapia with Balsamic Brown Butter and Creamy Tomato Farfalle

Ingredients:
- extra virgin olive oil
- 5 slices bacon (I like to use applewood smoked), chopped
- 2 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 6-oz cans plain tomato sauce
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 box farfalle bow-tie pasta
- about 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil (optional)

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While that's heating, heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper, cooking until tender but not quite browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes so all the flavors mix together.

Season the fish with salt and pepper, dust with the flour and shake off any excess. Heat about 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove to a separate plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

While the fish is cooking, salt the pasta water (here's where I use the applewood smoked salt) and add the pasta, cooking to al dente. Also, stir the frozen peas into the tomato sauce. Bring it back up to a low simmer and add the cream. Season with salt and pepper if needed. (Again, I throw in some of the applewood smoked salt if I think the dish needs a bit more smokey flavor. I use regular salt if the bacon has done its job.)

Add the 3 tablespoons butter to the pan the fish cooked in. Brown over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer until it reduces by half, about a minute or two. Pour over the fish.

Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and wilt the basil into the sauce if using. Serve together.

I'm baaaaack!

Whew. That's all I can really say now, haha. Before I go into details, I just want to say THANK YOU so much to the ladies who commented with their support and caring words. Mandy, Kara and Sharde: you guys made me smile. A lot.

Last week was such a huge emotional roller coaster for Matt and I. I was stressed to begin with because I put off my freelance work until I realized I had one week to do a month's worth of work (though I know that's entirely my fault). Then funeral stuff took all of our energy on Tuesday and Wednesday (that's all the more detail I'm offering there). Thursday was Matt's birthday, so we had a much-needed night out to blow off steam. Friday was exhausting because we went to bed late after being out half the night, and then we went to Matt's cousin's graduation party (congrats, Robbie!) and saw some friends.

This weekend, I've been doing nothing but freelance work. And a little shopping. Matt's gone camping/climbing at the New River Gorge--I was supposed to go, but I had too much work to do, which sucksss--so I was bored and engaged in some retail therapy. I did pretty well, between Ragorama (this amazing consignment shop that I've somehow neglected for the past 11 months), Old Navy and Target. I got two dresses, a shirt and four pairs of shoes. Yes, four. I had virtually no summer shoes other than flip flops, and let's face it. No matter how casual my office is, I can't wear flops every day. Look for photos of all those in the next few days/weeks!

Wow. Sorry for the rant, guys. Guess I had a lot to get off my chest. Here are some pretty pictures :)

Shirt: thrifted
Tank: Zenana Outfitters via Marshall's
Shorts: The Limited
Necklace: don't remember :(
Booties: Paprika via Burlington Coat Factory
Clutch: Laura Arens

I wore this to the bars a while back. Been hesitating to post it, because it deviates pretty far from my usual style. But I still like this, for a bars outfit anyway.

Best news? These are my last outfit photos with my old camera! From here on out, we're looking at awesome and gorgeous shots from the new camera Matt gave me for my birthday (which actually isn't for another three weeks, haha).

Also: See that mirror? My dad made it for me for my college graduation gift. I love it, because he made it. I just think that's awesome :)

Hiatus

You know how life sometimes waits until things get mildly stressful for you, and then decides to throw the really stress-worthy stuff your way? Yeah, that's what's going on for me this week. Daily freakouts are not a fun thing and aren't exactly conducive to good blogging, which is why I'm going to take a tiny break from Verbal Mélange. Don't worry, I hope to be back by Friday...or Monday at the absolute latest. I don't really want to go into all the details (and I'm sure you don't want to hear them), but I promise, I'll be back soon. Not giving up on this blog :)

(Re)Mix it up

So I decided it was high time I wore this purple stripe shirt in a different way. I am in love with this top and have worn it this way probably half a dozen times already. Time to get creative! Right. I basically just switched tanks and skinnies. Same outfit, different colors. Oh, well. I (sort of) tried.

Shirt: Ginger G via Marshall's
Tank: Target
Skinnies: Burlington Coat Factory
Shoes: Payless
Necklace: made from a few charms off a bracelet I bought ages ago

In other news, we had an absolutely beautiful weekend here in Columbus. Sunny, 80s, gorgeous. Forecast for this week? Rain. Every single day. I just hope it clears up by the weekend because Matt and I are supposed to go climbing/camping with some friends, either at the New River Gorge or the Red River Gorge. Fingers crossed!

Your opinion?

I bought these shoes on clearance at the end of last summer. Not even sure where I got them (probably Walmart or Target) but they were only a couple bucks so I thought, why not? Today's the first day I've worn them. Isn't that awful? I can't believe I've had a pair of shoes for nearly a year and haven't worn them once.

The problem is the color. I just can't ever find anything to go with them. Today I was just getting my hair cut, so I threw on a black tank, a pair of jeans and these sandals. I think if I somehow colored them black (permanent marker, perhaps?) they might be wearable.

But I want more feedback. Can you think of any way to style these? Or should I spray paint/magic marker them black and hope for the best?

Let me know what you think!

Oh, and if you haven't yet...check out the links on the right to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Alright, shameless self-promotion over :)

Phew!

Ah, what a day I had yesterday. Woke up really early so I could get to Filene's Basement's Running of the Brides event in time to interview a few people in line before the doors opened. I spent two hours talking to brides, watching them dive into piles of 30 or 40 gorgeous gowns and generally act hilarious. Then I spent about 5 hours working on a multimedia project, using the photos, video and audio I got at the event. It's still not done, but I'm pretty excited that I'm teaching myself how to edit videos together.

In between learning and doing the multimedia project, I had to bust my butt to get the magazine edited and ready to ship to the printer by 5:30 pm. After that, I was pretty much exhausted, but I managed to get my act together enough so Matt and I could meet a few friends at the bar for a bit. It was a long, long day.

And today? Volunteering with Canine Collective, getting my brows waxed (they're out of control) and working on my freelance stuff for several hours. I always put it off until the last second and then freak out because I have to cram 3 or 4 extra hours of work into each day, on top of my full-time job and blogging. I guess you can take the girl out of college, but you can't take the college out of the girl.

But, our coffee table finally came in the mail! There was a little shipping mix-up, but it doesn't matter because it's here :) So glad, too, because our old one was on its last leg (har har). This one is much sturdier, and it has a shelf and a drawer (that's disguised as two drawers) for extra utility.

(the front)


(back view)

Now I just have to repaint our TV stand to match, get a nicer ottoman (the one in the picture is just a giant plastic storage tote with some pillows and blankets thrown on top), paint, get a nicer end table to match...ugh. A redecorator's work is never done, I suppose.

If April showers bring May flowers...

...then what do May showers bring? You're probably sick of me writing about the rain. Well, join the club. This has been the wettest spring I can remember. And here's another fun fact: we've had our heat on for most of this week. I keep double-checking the calendar to make sure it isn't still March, because it sure feels like it! Next week is supposed to warm up a bit, though it won't get any drier. Hey, I'll take what I can get.

Shirt: thrifted
Bermuda shorts: New York and Company
Shoes: Mossimo via Target
Necklace: Figleaf
Sunnies: No idea. Target?

Oh, so I have seen the sun this season, and here's proof! I wore sunnies! Apparently, they give me the kissy-face attitude that thus far has been lacking on this blog.

This feels like such a great spring outfit to me. Bright, bare arms/legs, peep toes. It has everything. Also, I love the color combo of light teal and faux-old gold. So pretty and feminine! Kind of wish I had different shoes for this, but I'm not sure what I'd wear. Any ideas?

Finally!

It looks like that nasty flu bug has finally decided to shove off. I'm still pretty exhausted (not eating for two days will do that to you, I suppose), but I'm going back to work to tackle the huge to-do list I have. I'm almost sad that I only have a three-day work week in which to try to do everything...but then I remember it's Friday in two days and somehow that makes me feel better ;)

Matt made this dish last week or the week before, and I think I might make it again tonight. Nothing is as comforting as a chicken soup when you've been ill, right?

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:
- 2 leeks
- 2 small celery stalks
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- a bay leaf
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 pound chicken breast, diced
- 1 12-ounce package gnocchi
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp dry sherry
- fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

I love leeks, but I hate prepping them. They always have dirt and sand inside, so you have to soak them really well. For this recipe, chop off the roots and the top 3 or 4 inches of the leaf. Cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/2 inch half-moon shapes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and drop the leeks in, swirling around to release all that dirt. Drain in a colander and dry off a bit with paper towels. (If you're using the same cutting board for other veggies, wipe it off well to remove any dirt!)

Thinly slice the celery. Heat about a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat and add the leeks, celery, bay leaf and a dash of salt and pepper, cooking for about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the stock and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Stir in the cream, reducing the heat to keep the soup simmering. Add the chicken and gnocchi and cook for another 5 or 6 minutes (note that the chicken should be diced pretty small so it cooks through).

The soup will get pretty thick, almost stew-like. Season again with salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in the paprika, sherry and parsley if using. Toss the bay leaf and serve! We ate ours in bread bowls from Panera. Soooo delicious.

A word on gnocchi: You're supposed to use the refrigerated fresh kind, but we used the dry kind found in a box in the pasta aisle. It's just as good as fresh, but the soup does NOT reheat well at all, partially because of the gnocchi. This recipe is enough for two though, so leftovers shouldn't be a problem!

Rainy days

You know what sucks? The flu. And rain. Guess what's plaguing me today. If you guessed both, you're right. Lame. So I'm posting an outfit from sunnier and healthier days last week. Positive thinking, right?

Coverup: part of a set from Burlington Coat Factory
Cami: Old Navy
Skirt: thrifted
Belt: Plato's Closet
Shoes: Mossimo via Target
Necklace: New York & Company

No more commentary today, folks. I'm going to work for a couple hours and then going back to bed for the rest of the day. Hope you all are feeling better than I am. *weak smile*

One more, I suppose

I thought I'd give you guys an actual original post today as well, rather than just re-posting stuff that Blogger ate. Hey, I try to be a responsible blogger :)

Dress/tunic thing: Figleaf in Athens, OH
Tank: Walmart, I think?
Tights: No idea
Shoes: Mossimo via Target
Earrings: My friend's shop on Etsy

Sorry for not having the details on most of this outfit. The tank and the tights were both purchased ages ago, as was most of the basic half of my wardrobe...tees, tights, tanks, jeans, etc. But let me tell you all about these earrings. My friend Kree makes jewelry and sells it in her shop on Etsy. She names a lot of her jewelry after women in her life, and guess what she called these earrings? That's right. These are the Emma earrings! She gave them to me as a going-away present when I left Panera for my current job.

Kree's jewelry is always gorgeous and she uses really high quality materials. And she puts a LOT of time and effort into everything she makes. Go on, check out her shop! And if you live here in Columbus, stop by Accent on Nature in Grandview to see some more of her work.

(Thinking about asking Kree if she'd be interested in a giveaway at some point, maybe when I have a few more followers. Would you enter? Let me know!)

Take two, part two

Aaand, here's the other blog post from Thursday that went missing! These Asian-inspired dishes, as I said before, are so quick and easy to make. It's a Rachael Ray recipe, so naturally I had to cut down the ingredients list a bit to make this a practical meal. Ray-ray loves her long ingredients lists! (This recipe makes enough for two, just FYI.)

Ingredients:
- 1 can each chicken broth and beef broth (or two cans chicken broth)
- 1/2 box linguine
- 1/2 lb stew beef
- a few scallions or chives, cut into bite-size pieces on an angle
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots (I used my mandolin, or you can buy them shredded at the store)
- 1/2 bag frozen snap peas, thawed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously, then add the linguine. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a separate pot (one large enough to hold the broth and the meat). Drain the linguine just before it's finished cooking and divide into two bowls. Put veggies on top of noodles.

Add the beef to the boiling broth and poach until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, depending on how thick the pieces are. Then add the meat to the bowls and ladle the broth over them. Cover the bowls tightly with small plates or foil and let steep for 5 minutes to finish cooking the noodles and the veggies. Uncover and slurp away!

A note: I don't really like to add raw meat to a broth that I'll be eating. Ray-ray insists it's okay, but it weirds me out, so I browned the meat on all sides first in a separate pan with a little bit of sesame oil. You could just as easily use canola oil or another vegetable oil substitute.

Take two?

Well, still no sign of my lost posts coming back, so I'm going to try to re-create them. I happened to have the copy from my outfit post saved, but I'll have to re-write the food post. Blerg. In other news, here's the outfit post from last Thursday.

Button down: Banana Republic
Cami: Old Navy
Capri/short things: New York and Company
Shoes: Mossimo via Target
Necklace: Tiffany
Bracelet: American Eagle?

This necklace is one of the nicest pieces of jewelry I own. My aunt gave it to me as a college graduation present. The second I saw the Tiffany blue box, I cried. No joke. It was pretty exciting. I can't remember where I got this bracelet, on the other hand. Just like most of the rest of my jewelry.

In other news, Jill mentioned yesterday how great it is to have a bit of wind when doing blog shoots, and I have to agree. When I took these photos, there was just enough of a breeze to make things interesting...but not so much that my hair or shirt got out of hand. Lovely :)

New toy!

I'm still holding out that Blogger will be able to restore the two posts that are still missing...I'm going to wait a day or two longer before I try to re-write them.

In the meantime, I got a new camera! Matt gave it to me as an early birthday present. It's a Nikon Coolpix and we got a pretty nice deal on it. And it. Is. Amazing. As an example, here are a couple shots I took with my old camera...

And here are a few I took with my new camera, using the macro setting (which the old one didn't have).

This was the quickest photo shoot with almost no setup or planning at all, using a very yellow-hued indoor light. I'm so pleased with the results! It has a huge number of scene modes and filters, and it even has a food scene mode that optimizes...well, food. I'm about to have some sweet food posts! I just have a few outfits and dishes from last week that I haven't posted that need to go up before the awesomeness of my new camera :)

Hopefully Blogger doesn't eat this too.

Well, better late than never, I suppose. Here are the outfits that I styled for my good friend Emily. She mentioned on the phone last night that she bought a high-neck, cap sleeve black shirt and has no idea how to style it. I couldn't find the exact shirt on ShopStyle, but I found something similar, and here are my picks! Note that most everything on here is way out of actual normal-person spending range...I need to update my ShopStyle brands from what I wish I could afford to what I actually can afford.

(blazer, necklace, shoes, belt, jeans, top)

This is more of a dressy outfit, good for a date night or a casual day at work...though with the weather being what it has, you could probably drop the blazer and save yourself the trouble of sweating to death.

(bag, watch, jeans, heels, necklace, top)

For a daytime outfit, I balanced the darkness of the top with some brightly colored accessories (though I wish I could've found a bag and a shoe that matched better). I kept the long necklace, to break up the shirt a little--Emily's is solid, not ruffled, so it's necessary.

What do you think? If you like what you see and want me to style an outfit or two for you, email me using the button in the right-hand sidebar :)

Damn you, Blogger

Well, it looks as though Blogger has eaten two of my posts. Pretty annoying that I'll have to spend time tonight/tomorrow re-creating them, not to mention the post I originally had scheduled for today, but I guess you'll have that.

Considering WordPress...any feedback?

THE ONE

I do believe I have found The One. Bed set, that is. It's not yellow, which was my color of choice, but it's still in the citrus family. Matt's not a fan of yellow anyway, so I guess this works.

Source: macys.com via Emma on Pinterest

It comes with three throw pillows, four shams, a comforter and a bedskirt. How fancy! We'd have to buy sheets, I suppose, but that's not so bad. We already have a white set that looks nice enough, and a $25 gift card to Bed, Bath & Beyond left over from Christmas, so that's that.

The only thing that makes me nervous is it's on sale for $150 now...marked down from $300, which we definitely could not afford. How long will it be on sale??? Arg!!

So frustrating. Oh, and larger photo available here.

Missing school

Today, I miss school. College, maybe even high school, but more so college. Because in college, if I woke up not feeling well, I just didn't go to class. Usually. But it was nice to know that if I didn't feel 100%, I usually could just go back to sleep until I did.

Not so, anymore. So when I woke up this morning feeling like crap for no reason, I still had to drag my butt out of bed, still had to get dressed (albeit I'm styled far below my standards today and probably won't blog the outfit I'm wearing) and still had to prepare for a day of work, freelancing and blogging. Being a grown-up is fun, isn't it?

Shirt: thriftedSkirt: Spotted MothNecklace/bracelets: don't rememberShoes: Payless

Speaking of Spotted Moth, they're having a sale today! It's their first anniversary, so if you enter "HAPPYFIRST" at checkout to get 30% off. I might have to go spend some grocery money today...heh.

Also, I have no idea what's going on with my hair in the middle picture. My hair kind of has a mind of its own...and it's not friendly.

What do you guys think of the three-photo format instead of four? I think I like it better...the posts take up a little less space, and let's face it...why do with four what you can do with three? (Ever the journalist, I am. Less is more.)

[Update: Just realized the Spotted Moth sale goes till Friday. Which might be nice for you, but it's great for me...Friday = payday = not spending grocery money on clothes!]

Everybody, Everywear: Florals

Normally, I'm not a fan of florals, so when I saw this month's Everybody, Everywear challenge was the very same, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't think I even owned any floral patterns. Then I remembered I bought this dress for Easter. I restyled it for work, and voila! A floral-wearer is born.

Blazer: New York and Company, secondhandDress: Karin Stevens via Burlington Coat FactoryShoes: Mossimo via TargetWatch: Walmart
Necklace: New York and Company

I think I did pretty well styling this one. I actually got compliments! The real secret, though, is that this blazer isn't really a blazer. I think it's just a really heavy button-down shirt. The button holes kind of reveal that. But you know, I don't care. I think I'll keep wearing it as a blazer.

Bedroom redesign

Matt and I decided that we're probably not going to move to a new apartment or house when our lease is up in September, so I've taken it upon myself to make this apartment look less collegiate and more...well, post-collegiate. Or at the very least, nicer.

I'm starting with the bedroom, which is in desperate need of some cohesion and a more masculine feel. I mean, we use the bedspread I bought last year, which is white with an abstract floral design in pink, blue and green. I kind of feel bad that it's so girly. I'm using Pinterest to collect inspiration and ideas.

If you're not familiar with it, Pinterest is a website that lets you collect pictures from the web on a "board," like pinning a magazine clipping to a bulletin board. Only this site saves all the links, so when you click on an image, it takes you back to the original site it was pinned from. Pretty cool.

Anyway, I can't link the images to Blogger (at least, I don't think I can) so check out my bedroom inspiration board here and let me know what you think!

Reaction to Lady Gaga's Judas

First, a disclaimer: I have nothing against Christians, or any other religious following for that matter. I think religion is great for those who use it in a positive manner (as opposed to those like the WBC who use it to preach hate). But this girl just cracks my sh*t up.

As a dedicated fan of Lady Gaga (and someone who is completely in love with the newly released video for Judas), I find this pretty remarkable.

First, honey, Jesus is not Judas. In fact, Judas is pretty much the complete opposite of Jesus, which is kind of the point of the song. It's an allegory.

Second, telling people that "I hope your pastor touches you" is a pretty bad way to phrase things, given the Catholic church's scandal in recent years.

Third, you should know that Gaga was raised Catholic and, in my opinion, still seems to have a very close relationship with God. Just because it's different from yours does not make it wrong or evil.

Finally, take a chill pill and learn to laugh at things you find offensive. I find you offensive, but I'm still giggling.

What? You all haven't seen the video yet??? Well lucky you. Here it is.

TGIF

Can we just pretend it's Saturday? I'm exhausted. Probably because I didn't eat enough yesterday...carrot sticks, Sun Chips and a protein bar do not a lunch make. (It's a long story that involves both my regular lunch AND the random backup microwave meal in my desk being absolutely disgusting, and my being too busy to go out and get food. I'm not dieting, I swear.)

Anyway. It's not Saturday, so I can't just go back to bed...it's off to work in a bit. And outfit photos as well. At least those make me smile.

White button-down: New York and Company
Yellow cami: Forever 21
Pencil skirt: H&M
Shoes: Xhilaration via Target

Are these photos too big? Too small? I'm experimenting with loading them via imgur, rather than Blogger's image tool because it's annoying. What do you think?

I don't have too much else to say today, so here's a little blast-from-the-past, Myspace-esque quiz thing that Jill of Spoils of Wear did the other day, that I liked.

Age: 22
Bed size: Full. Or double. Whichever is smaller :(
Chore you hate: Most of them, but especially cleaning the bathroom.
Dogs: None, but I'm working on it...just have to convince Matt!
Essential start of your day: Coffee
Favorite color: Emerald green
Gold or silver: Silver, but gold is growing on me.
Height: 5'8"
Instruments I play (or have played): Clarinet for several years in junior high and high school, trumpet for a couple in HS.
Job title: Assistant Editor. Freelancer (on the side).
Kids: Oh, no. No, no no. Not yet, anyway. Not for a long, long time.
Live: Columbus, Ohio. I had a big debate on whether or not to reveal my location, but there are nearly two million people living in/around Columbus. I'm pretty sure you'll never find me.
Mom’s name: Kim
Nickname: Hey, you. Yeah, I don't really have nicknames. People call me Em sometimes, but not often enough for it to be a nickname.
Overnight hospital stays: When I was 4 or 5, they thought I had leukemia and I sent my very-upset mother home to get my stuffed bunny. Turns out, it was a weird virus.
Pet peeve: Bad grammar. People who are ignorant/inconsiderate/hateful. People who use "gay" and "retard" as insults.
Quote from a movie: "Ah know becauhse...Ah know becauhse...becauhse Ah don't love him lahke Ah love you!" I don't even know what that's from, but I love it when my mom quotes it. Hysterical.
Right or left handed: Righty tighty.
Siblings: Abby, Ellen and five minors whose names I won't mention because that's apparently something to avoid online. Yeah, I'm the oldest of eight kids. We all have the same parents. I'll wait while you pick your jaw up off the floor.
Time you wake up: 7ish
Underwear: Really? I know I blog about style, but I'm not going to talk about my underwear.
Vegetables you dislike: Most of them. I'll eat celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, peas. Some of those aren't even veggies.
What makes you run late: Traffic or something on TV/Internet. I absolutely hate lateness (falls under the "inconsiderate" pet peeve thing) so I'm rarely late.
X-rays you’ve had done: Had one on my arm after I fell into a dumpster a few years ago. Not fun.
Yummy food you make: All of it? Well, that's not true. Sometimes I fail miserably. But most of it.
Zoo animal: I like anything with an underwater viewing area. Swimming animals are fun.

Afternoon time-waster

Today's afternoon giggle-slash-time-waster is brought to you by The Kitchn. I seriously cannot stop watching this. I want to make it a video with some cool, ocean-sounding music in the background to play on my TV when I can't sleep. Or when I'm bored. Or all the time.

Slow motion video just makes my day. Every time. (Though I'll admit the chubby fingers toward the end kind of weird me out. Why do they look wet? Ew.)

Oh look! It's the sun

For the first time in what seems like ages, the sun is out and the skies are clear today! Of course, we've had patches of sun recently--that's what I've been using for posts this week (and today), since indoor lighting in my apartment is God-awful for pictures. And even though Matt and I woke up to frost on our windshields and it's still only 40 degrees, the forecast is supposed to hit the mid-60s today, with no rain. I'll take it.

Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt & Necklace: The Limited
Belt: TargetShoes: Franco Sarto via Marshall's

Can I just say how much I love these shoes? I freaking adore them. There. I'd been looking for a nude heel for a while, and when I found these at Marshall's I about died. The only problem is they're about half a size too big (the next size down was far too small), so I have to walk slowly in them. Oh, the four-inch heel kind of adds to that.

I think Matt dislikes these shoes because they make me an even six feet, which means I tower over him. For the record, we're both around 5'8" in bare feet. Oh, the joys of being a tall lady.

By the way...anyone out there know why my photos are loading to Blogger with different widths, even though I size them all the same in Photoshop?