Reflections

So, I haven't posted anything in a few months and it really sucks. Big time. But anyways, that's gonna change. Hopefully.

Long story short, I've been able to reflect a lot on what important and what life is about. These are some of the things I've learned.

Life is too short to be angry or hateful towards others.

Smile. A lot.

Go ahead and eat that cookie.

Don't sweat the small stuff. 'Cause in the end, it's just small stuff.

Laugh with your parents.

Wear something you love.

Cook dinner for yourself more often. Opening a bag of potato chips does not count.

Indulge.

Le Sigh

To say my life has been crazy this past month would be quite an understatement. In fact, this whole summer has been quite crazy, but also fantastic. I still haven't decided if I've grown from it, but it'll happen soon I hope.

Too many things happened to really tell you all. But once things calm down (and I get Wi-Fi in my apartment) I will go back to blogging more. But for now, please be patient and enjoy the ones I have.

Love Always.

Zucchini Banana Flaxseed Muffins

Yesterday, I received a zucchini. A beautiful zucchini that my friend had grown in her garden. Like the lovely lady she is, she gave me said zucchini so I could bake with it. Isn't that wonderful? The only thing I knew what to do with it was make it into muffins. Shutterbean, recently posted a recipe for Zucchini Banana Flaxseed Muffins. They sounded so fantastic I just had to try them for myself. So, while wearing heels in my tiny kitchen, I made these muffins. They made about 12 big muffins and 16 mini muffins total; perfect for feeding ones favorite coffee shop.

Wait...You want to make them now too? Well, here's the recipe for ya!

Taken and adapted from Shutterbean.

Stuff You Need:

- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 3/4 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini or 1 large zucchini grated
- 1/3 cup mashed banana (I used 2 very brown bananas for this)

- 3/4 cup whole milk

- 1 large egg

- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F Lightly coat muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon. Add zucchini and banana and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg and vanilla. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, Let muffins cool completely in a pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Store in an air- tight container, up to 3 days.

What I Wore: 8.27.2011

Today is beyond beautiful. For reals, it really is. I tell people all the time how everyday I fall more and more in love with Chicago. This is one of those days where I really mean it. Even though I'm walking in heels for the first time in ages, even though my apartment feels like an oven, I still love Chicago. Always. This is what I wore.

My friend, Chris Vaughn, saw me at my local coffee shop. He snapped these pictures for me.

Gotta love sundresses.

These shoes are far too cute to be on my feet. Or are they?

Smiles all around!!

Dress: ModCloth

Shoes: ModCloth

Sunglasses: Ray Bans

Bracelet: Gift from my brother

Rings: Gifts from my Grandma

Like I said, Chris Vaughn, took these. Follow him on Twitter. He's a radd dude. 

The Storm

This storm is intoxicating as it rolls in through the West, pushing me towards my destination. My black dress flies up, showing off my white bike shorts while I walk down the street, but no one was there to see. The storm has caused everyone to retreat into their homes. Those who have chosen to keep outside, do so with caution, not wanting to stray too far away from a door way in case of a sudden downpour. Leaves rustle and rattle against the wind, off in the distance a car alarm is blaring, seeking attention against the coming storm. My pace quickens in my own silent fear of the storm. But even if I did get soaked while on my way to Wormhole, I was prepared. The bag I recently purchased was waterproof, I had an umbrella in said bag as well as an extra change of clothes. Being a nanny has its benefits I guess, it causes me to prepare for the unexpected things in life; a scrapped knee, a sudden storm, a hungry child, all remedies can be found in my bag. 

I turn the corner, away from the quiet residential streets and onto the more lively Milwaukee. More people bustle about, looking for shops or bars to step into while the rain falls. Only a young couple sits on the patio outside Wormhole. Almost as soon as I step inside, greeting familiar faces along the way, the clouds let loose and the skies erupt with heavy rain. The smell of the of the cool rain on the hot sidewalk is comforting in its own way as I sit for a bit and rest. 

The Bridge

The feeling of my legs working, actually working, as I pump up the incline of the bridge is fantastic. My calves, still sore from moving a few days prior, are welcoming this strain. I can feel my backpack weighing heavy on my shoulders as the incline becomes much more apparent. Cars whiz past me, but the wind is down and I have no fear of being hit. Overcast skies, however, threaten to open up with rain and drench me as I make my way down the road. My heartbeat pounds inside my chest and I struggle slightly to keep the pace of my breath even. But when the bridge plateaus, a cloudy skyline appears. Looking out, I still can't believe I've lived in this city for a year, that I have a life and a job and a school here. That seeing that beautiful skyline is part of my everyday life. After the small stretch where the city seems to say "Yes, you are home," the bridge begins to descend. My legs can take a break and I coast down the bike lane and into another six corners. The hardest part of my journey is over. I pause for a moment and catch my breath before the light changes and I move onward.

Moving Day

Today, (almost) all by myself, I moved. I say almost because James is planning on helping me after he gets done with work. But seriously, I moved. Again. The third time in less than a year to be more exact. Of course, my new place would be on the third floor of a vintage building and I'd have to use the back entrance to move everything in, but hey, at least I have a place.

Currently in Chicago it is 84 degrees. That, plus moving heavy boxes for a few hours tend to overheat an individual. So that is why I'm sitting in Wormhole. That, and there is no A/C or WiFi in my apartment so I needed a place to type this as well as cool down for a spell.

That might be another reason why you all may not hear from me for a while, unless of course, I come to Wormhole to type a blog. Look out for a people watching post soon!!

Stay cool. It's important. Hydrate too! If you start to shake, sit down and get water! That is all. =]

Favorite Things #2

1. Watercolors!

I found this while procrastinating on Tumblr! How beautiful is this?

(http://whisperingeversosoftly.tumblr.com)

2. Yummy Soaps!

Can you believe that this is soap?? I couldn't either! I can't wait to try LoveLeeSoaps!

3. Typewriter

Does anyone want to be a dear and buy this for me? I'm so in love with it! The bright red finish looks fantastic against the black keys. Want. So badly. Check out the rest of the etsy store if you want more vintage love!

4. Homemade Pretzels!

How could you not want to eat this tasty thing? Once I get settled into my new place, I'm making this, as well as another recipe from Shutterbean. She knows what she's doing. It's awesome. 

5. Trader Joe's Sparkling French Berry Lemonade

(via http://marieardenpinkliving.blogspot.com)

I'm sooooo addicted to this stuff right now. It's THE perfect addition to any Summer Time treat. Try it. You'll be hooked. But don't come crying to me when you end up buying three bottles that last you one night. 

What I Wore: 7.26.2011

Hello, all!
Yesterday was simply beautiful here in Chicago. Not too hot, not too humid; a perfect day to wear a favorite dress. I'm moving (again) in a week (eek!!), so cute outfits are getting limited. In this cute frock, I went thrifting and played with kids! Yay!

My hallway because the rest of my place is a mess.

So in love with this dress. 

Look at that awesome tan line! Maybe I should use self tanner to fix it?

Opps. Glasses started falling off. 

I found them on the bus! Pretty neat, huh?

Dress: Target

Shoes: TOMS

Necklace: Vintage

Sunglasses: Ray Bans

Night Riding

I officially love night riding. Now that I have my lights on my bike, I feel way more comfortable doing it too. Yesterday, I hung out with some friends in Wicker Park (my soon to be neighborhood) and rode back shortly after sunset. The new night air was calm and cool with just a hint of heat. No need for a sweater or long pants. I felt really free. But at the same time, I was sad because there are only a handful more chances for me to go night riding before summer is over. But I guess that just means I need more excuses to go for bike rides at night. =]

Favorite Things #1

A lot of blogs I read do a "Favorite Things" segment of some-sort at least once a week. I thought this might be fun to try and do because I do tend to find a lot of really cute/fun things on the internets. So here goes nothing!

 1. Purple hair
Currently, I am in LOVE with Kaylah of The Dainty Squid's hair. Is this not the funnest thing you've ever seen??

2. Double Chocolate Indoor S'mores

One of my favorite bloggers, Joy The Baker, posted this earlier this week. My mouth STILL waters when I think about them. 

3. Bee Mine Earrings

Totally in love with these earrings from ModCloth! Maybe I'll treat myself to them after I move into my new apartment. 

4. Minimal Movie Posters

LOVE this movie poster from the Tumblr blog I was introduced to recently. Scott Pilgrim is a favorite of mine so I got quite excited to see this.

5. Pixie Haircuts

This intense heat here in Chicago just makes me want to cut off all my hair. Should I do a pixie like Carey Mulligan did? I think it's adorable!

Keepin' Cool

Living with no A/C is kind of a bummer. Like. A huge bummer.

Having a guest (or best friend actually [and future roommate {fun times await!}]) staying with you for a few days is fun! But no A/C is still a huge bummer.

Hanging out in a Starbucks that has tasty iced drinks and A/C is, in fact, a win! (#winning)

So this is my night, taking pictures and creepin' on passersby in a Starbucks with my very best friend.

Hope y'all are staying cool!

We make faces while drinking and texting.

My face got licked. It was not fun.

We really are best friends. 

She didn't know I was taking this picture! <3

Movies in the Park

Last night, my friend James and I went to go see Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in the park. It was hot and humid, but still quite fun. I had planned on doing a "What I Wore" for this event, but by the time I met up with my friend, I was far too sweaty to even want to be reminded that I left the house with the intention of looking cute. Anyways, here are some pictures of our adventure.

My TOMS tan. Yes, it really is that bad  fantastic.

Screen before the movie. Good thing we got there early, it filled up really quickly.

James being James. <3

Me before leaving. So glad I didn't ride my bike. 

Flowers

I'm gonna be honest and say that every single time a boy has gotten me flowers, I tend to get uncomfortable and (even more) awkward. Maybe it's 'cause I'm not used to it yet. But I love flowers. No joke. My parents have a great flower cutting garden that I miss terribly. There were always flowers on our kitchen table in the summer time. There is just something beautiful about flowers sitting in the middle of a table. 

Even though I have no flower cutting garden in my new place, I do have a Trader Joe's a few blocks away. The vase on my table has been home to sunflowers, Gerber daises and currently, yellow daises. Perfect for the cloudy days as well as the sunny ones. 

What I Ate: 6.27.2011

Breakfast:

2 eggs
handful of shredded cheese
2 red pepper slivers
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 pieces of toast, dry
1 cup of coffee with half & half
Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Saddness














Lunch:

1 Organic Gala apple
a few bunches of grapes
Dollop of hummus
Handful of pita chips
Water















Dinner:

Tomato, Red Pepper & Mozzarella sandwich
Chips
IBC Root-beer

Brownies. Pies. Cookies.

My list of things I want to make is growing quite rapidly. Sure, I cook healthy stuff like zucchini and take my vitamins, but there is just something about taking a tray of warm cookies out of the oven. It's heaven.

So far, my list consists of

Dark Chocolate Brownies
Peach Pie with Crumble Topping
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
more Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

It kinda sucks living alone, 'cause I feel like a lot of this stuff has the potential to go to waste. Good thing I have my wonderful friends at Wormhole Coffee (my favorite coffee shop ever). They will gladly take all my unwanted baked goods. Maybe I'll make them all a proper dinner one day instead of getting them fat with cookies and banana bread.

What I Wore: 6.16.2011

Blah. What an awful day today was. I mean, it started out pretty good at my favorite coffee shop. They take such good care of me there.

But this past week and a half, my laptop has been acting...well...odd. To say the least. It wasn't charging, and would randomly shut off when I was in the middle of things. My friends who are much much smarter than me told me that there was either a hardware problem or a battery problem with my laptop. After much frustration and lots of trips on the bus, I now have a new netbook. It's totally adorable.

Yesterday was much better. I spent the day with Dieter, the 7-year-old I watch. We went to my coffee shop, ran errands, baked cookies, played in the park and just had fun. He's a great kid and I love having that one on one time that I don't usually get. Anyways, this is what I wore.

Eww. Gross sponge in this picture.

nom.nom.nom.

Pale legs.

Heaven.

Sweater: Fred Flare

Shirt: Old Navy

Shorts: Thrifted

Shoes: Converse

Cookies: Joy The Baker