in the kitchen

| October 26, 2010

BJ tested out a few recipes from Fresh, Fast, and Green over the weekend and they were delicious and easy to make. As a sorta newbie in the kitchen, it was helpful to read about preparing and storing different veggies. Am I the only person who didn’t know you’re not suppose to keep tomatoes in the fridge? I think this book is going to be a frequent go to in the kitchen!

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Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Butter & Japanese Dipping Sauce*

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Caramelized Tomatoes in an Olive Oil Bath

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Mini Sandwiches w/ Central Market bread

*Thanks for the bowls, Esther & Dan

watercolors

| October 24, 2010

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While we watched Good Will Hunting (which never gets old), I worked on some sketches and added some color at the end.

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I usually don’t wear jewelry regularly, but when I do, I like to reach for these. Plus a few are gifts so it makes them extra special.  from Anthropologie, Odette, and Scout-Holiday.

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I think we had 2 full moons in a row, or something else be up with my kiddos, because the last few days of last week were one of those hair pulling I can’t wait to go home kid of days. But something I’m slowly learning this year is to look at those moments, and they are small, as isolate incidents and really be grateful for the rest because this year has been a smooth transition with great classes/students.

By Friday, I definitely needed a distraction/pick me up. While waiting to pick up Beej, I stopped into Urban Outfitters and picked up two of these peter pan collar dresses from Cooperative. One in black and the other in a dark teal. I’m pretty happy with how versatile (shirt, dress, rolled up or down) and comfortable they are. Plus, I rarely have much luck finding clothes I really like in UO that can be part of my everyday wardrobe.

dress envy

| August 17, 2010

Sometimes I say things like if I was going to get married again*… usually when I eat a really delicious piece of cake or see a nice dress. But what I really mean is if we were to get married again then …

steven alan crochet lace dres

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This piece from Steven Alan would fall into the “this is what I would wear to our backyard reception in Yakima next September” category. But I will probably get some more wears out of my other dresses and add a cardigan or sweater. We’re super excited for our trip back to B’s hometown as well as spending a short bit of time in Seattle.

*It’s okay, he’s amused.

vain & vapid

| August 12, 2010

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My back-to-school shopping will be limited, so I’m looking for versatile pieces that could be dressed up or down, worn in the classroom or out to dinner. This hand-dyed wrap dress by Vain and Vapid fits the bill!

I’ve been called Mr. Rogers by a few observant students because you’ll never catch me without a cardigan, hoodie, or wrap because they set the a/c super-high in our building.

NYC P.2

| July 19, 2010

During our stay in NYC, the first two days were spent buying essentials that we didn’t have time to pack. Honestly, we were happy just to make it to the airport on time. So we ventured down to Rockefeller Center to pick up things like socks, underwear, t-shirts, shoes, etc. We didn’t buy too much after that, but here are some of my favorite things we snagged besides the books BJ got.

Madewell Oxford229.99! oxfords on final sale at Madewell. They kind of slip off my feet when I walk, but I’m determined to fix it!

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WarriorsRadness2Yoshitomo Nara towel (already doubling as my movie blanket) & a Warriors of Radness sweater from Opening Ceremony.

1968_Calendar1968 (BJ’s favorite year) calendar towel from 10 ft. Single *

NY_Ties2J.Crew tie & Steven Allen Tie from Bird **

Bird_EarringsMelissa Joy Manning triangular earrings from Bird

* Kudos to Lena C. for the tip
** Spotted George O’Malley + was probably very obviously about it

New York I love you P.1

| July 14, 2010

We’re back! Our feet are worn out, our bellies are full, and our brains are about to explode from all the noise, art, people, sights of New York City. We ended up taking more photos with our new Diana Instant back (Thanks you Catherine!), and once those get scanned, I’ll post them here and write more about our trip later…

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10.75 lunch specials at Azusa, Grand Central market lobby, Pearl River Market, Despana tapas, water towers, MOMA, the Met with Annie, Brooklyn Museum to see Kiki Smith + the fashion exhibit, Vanessa, and looking at the skyline from a dock in Brooklyn.

summer is coming

| May 19, 2010

Yesterday, I played volleyball for the first time in a while with my high school students at the park. The boys trash-talked a lot, so I was happy to get a spike in now and then …. directed at them. :) Then again, I also let my serve drop on my own head, so it was humbling. It is really getting hot and humid in Houston, but I’m looking forward to summer fruit!

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And I finally found another pair of shoes that could withstand the school day, bringing the total to 3! These Cynthia Rowley sandals came from Marshalls, and they’re surprising comfortable. It’s nice to let my toes breathe a little because my other shoes were getting errrr not so pleasant.

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some color

| May 16, 2010

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City Safari Belt from AnthropologieSS10_083

Camper Twins Ruffle Sandle at Habitat

With everything coming up, I won’t be buying anything soon but I bet these colorful pieces would be fun to wear. Don’t you think the belt is a nice twist on the fanny pack? I tried it on in the store and it’s actually pretty functional and versatile. And I can’t help but think of the cute older homes in Providence, with the Queen Anne-style fish scale shingles, when I look at the sandals.

lula

| April 5, 2010

Hooray for student holidays. I’m about to go into school and work alone in the classroom. We had a very chill weekend—hung out with my family, woke up early Saturday and patted ourselves on the back, tried Chick Fil A’s breakfast (two thumbs up), bought bread, carrots, macaroons, and dark chocolate at the farmer’s market, bbq outside, slept in, went to Easter vigil, bought books, and picked up a copy of Lula at Issues. A few of my favorite pages:

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