Friday, December 16, 2011

My heart, be still

My twin sister emailed (and facebooked) the good news to me.....COLDPLAY IS COMING TO DC!

{via}

Merry Christmas to ME! Now comes the hard part of convincing A that Coldplay is totally worth the $200/person seats that I want.

Hurry up, July 8th!!

We're headed to Raleigh this weekend to watch A's sister graduate from NC State.
Wishing you a happy weekend!

Till next time-
M

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Martha's Magazine Christmas Trees

A few weeks ago, I was perusing my girl, Martha's website and came across a crafty (and cheap) Christmas decoration.

If you're like me, you have a lot of magazines laying around and even more so now due to the holidays, so this is a perfect way to recycle something that you'd eventually end up tossing.

Magazine Christmas Trees


Tools and Materials
Old Magazines of any size
Gold, Silver, or Clear spray paint
Glitter in desired colors
Bone Folder (optional)

Magazine Trees How-to
1. Open magazine and bend to break spine.
2. Fold individual page from top right corner to inside seam. Fold same page from bottom right edge to gutter.
3. Fold bottom triangle of each additional magazine page up, making the bottom of the tree flat. Then, fold top of all pages down to form tree shape.
4. Spray-paint folded tree desired color. Immediately sprinkle glitter over wet pain. Let dry.

I ended up not spray painting my tree because 1. I didn't have any paint and/or glitter handy and 2. A and his friend both agreed they liked the look of it without it. We all agreed it looked more "festive" our way.

Here is an example of before, during, and after (mine looks like the middle picture):

{via}

Happy Crafting!

Till next time-
M

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Name that candy bar

{via}

I've got candy on the brain today due to my work colleagues. We always seem to have some sweet treat floating around the office - sometimes due to me (oops)!

Can you name the candy bars in this picture? I'm pretty sure I see Almond Joy, Charleston Chew (my Mom's absolute favorite), Butterfinger, and Snickers....what about you?

Till next time-
M

Friday, December 9, 2011

Back to the start

The other night, before going to sleep, A showed me a video. He prefaced it by stating that this video included three of our favorite things and asked me to guess what they were.

Coldplay, Willie Nelson, and see if you can spot the third....


Till next time,
M

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Rabbit, Rabbit

{via}
Can't believe its Decemember already!

I'll be in Charlotte for work through tomorrow night...Wishing you all a very Merry weekend!

Till next time-
M

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Pre-Black Friday

No Black Friday, Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday shopping for me this year, but I did manage to do a little shopping before the holiday weekend hit!

I went to an Erin McDermott jewelry party with some friends a few weeks back and found the most beautiful bracelet...


I knew when I saw her, she was going to be mine!
She was so beautiful, in fact, that both of my friends bought her too!

Check out Erin's website and blog - she seriously has the BEST stuff. Everytime I visit, I find something new I want to buy! (cough, A take note - Christmas IS only 25 days away, cough)

For the meantime, I'll be anxiously awaiting my bracelets arrival on my doorstop!

Till next time-
M



Monday, November 28, 2011

4 words

This isn't much of a "catch up" post, but I liked this so much I just had to share:
{Thoughtful, Restless, Elegant and Sentimental}

What are your four words?

Till next time-
M

Monday, November 7, 2011

Super surprise

Why do I have the best boyfriend ever?

Because on a night that I think I'm home alone (he was out of town for work), I get a phone call from A that our neighbor had left something for us on the front porch. I go to the door and tell him I only see the paper, and then guess who pops up on the front stairs??
....A!

{via Pintrest}

Oh boy, I just love that kid...I think I went to sleep smiling.

What a super surprise!

Till next time-
M

Thursday, November 3, 2011

No longer neglected

My poor kitchen. Its been so neglected for the past few weeks - the only items that have seen ANY action were the coffee pot and the toaster oven (for my morning Bagel Thin).

Last night, I decided to break back-in the kitchen - my only Terms and Conditions were to make something healthy (mine) and it must include Chicken (A's).

I went to my go-to website, Foodgawker.com and found a recipe that immediately sparked my interest:

Healthier General Tso's Chicken
from the blog, Kitchen Simplicity


When I found this recipe, I quickly noticed that it had originally come from the one and only, Martha Stewart - BINGO! This was what I was making for dinner!

It was pretty easy to make and it came out wonderfully. I doubled the recipe, so we could take it for lunch  and also added Onions and Sriracha to the sauce.

Healthier General Tso’s Chicken

Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups snow peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Chicken and Coating
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
  1. For sauce: Mix together water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.
  2. For chicken: Whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken.
  3. To cook: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil. Add half of chicken to pan, dripping off excess coating. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan, add more oil if necessary and repeat with remaining chicken. Set the chicken aside.
  4. Add sauce to skillet and cook until snow peas are tender and sauce is thickened. Add chicken (and any collected juices) to skillet.Toss to coat.
  5. Serve with rice.
Serves: 4
Enjoy!

Till next time-
M

Monday, October 31, 2011

I'm baaaaaaaaack.

I'm thankful to be back in the regular swing of things - hopefully my posts will get back to normal as well.

My trip to NYC was mighty successful - I got to see most of my awesome customers, eat really amazing food and even do a little sightseeing & celebrity spotting!

My sales rep Julie and I had about 3 hours to kill on Monday afternoon and decided to walk around the city.

We breezed into Tiffany's where I got an awkward photo with the World Series Trophy:


And also popped into Bergdorf Goodman's to do a little drooling (hello, Louboutins!!). On our way out, we saw a Paparazzi in the window taking photos. Before I knew it, I was shoulder to shoulder with Jessica and Ashlee Simpson!! No photos to prove it, but this is a photo of them walking out of the store (Jessica is totally pregnant, btw):

{via}

Unlike many New Yorkers, I was actively celebrity watching the whole time I was in the city and managed to also see Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma walking down the street. They are a hard-to-miss couple due to how beautiful (and pregnant) Huma is, and well....you know what Anthony looks like...

All in all - a great trip but I'm so happy to be back with A!

We took advantage of Richmond's restaurant week on Friday night by going to Bistro 27.
I'd never been there before and frankly, never really paid much attention to the place but I really enjoyed it! Smaller atmosphere, great service and awesome food...doesn't get much better than that!
If you get the chance to go - definitely take advantage of it!

Tonight, some friends and I are planing to walk up and down Hanover Ave. Hanover is a well known street in the Fan district (where I live) that has become known for it's "Halloween block party." Most of the homeowners go above and beyond decorating their house for this one day event and thousands of people come to the area to experience all the fun.

{via}

No costumes for me this year, but I'll leave you with the cutest Rockette Toy Soldier I've ever seen - my little sister, Eliza (costume made by my amazingly crafty Mother):



Happy Halloween!!

Till next time-
M

Monday, October 17, 2011

Excuses, excuses

Excuse my absence from blogging for the next 2 weeks. This week, I've got a Regional Sales meeting here in Richmond, and then I'm off to NYC for customer visits next week.


{image via Pintrest}

Hopefully I'll find some time in between to do a little catching up.

Till next time-
M

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

On repeat

Can't get enough of this song.

Whiskeytown - Don't Wanna Know Why

Till next time -
M

Monday, October 10, 2011

Highlights...and a haircut

Lets see...where shall I start?...

Friday night, A and I (once again) went to Cinebistro and saw:

{via}

It wasn't the best or the worst movie we've seen, but we walked away agreeing that it wasn't as exciting as we thought it would be. Don't get me wrong though - I'd gladly sit through a boring movie if Ryan Gosling was in it!
Saturday morning, I chopped 4-1/2 inches off my hair - I was ready for something new (mentioned here). I'm pretty happy with it, and surprisingly A is too (he wasn't so keen on the change).
After an afternoon spent cleaning up the apartment, this pretty lady came to visit from NC:


We ended up sitting outside for most of the day/night with our neighbors, watching football and laughing around the fire.

Sunday, A and I drove up to the VA State Fair. We rode the ferris wheel, ate some funnel cake and got to see The Band Perry!



All in all - a great weekend!

Till next time-
M

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Governor's Cup

Last night, A and I attended the kickoff for October Wine Month at the VMFA (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) - which is one of my favorite places here in Richmond.

A is a big supporter of VA wine, so it was exciting to see and meet the difference vineyards.

{via}

During the event, the winner of the 2011 Governor's Cup of White Wine was annouced - which was New Kent winery.

I was holding out hope that Barrenridge Winery would win - but, I guess I'm a little biased. Barrenridge was where A and I had our first "official" date while I was living in Roanoke. We couldn't wait to see each other so we met half-way in Staunton, VA. A planned the date - wine tasting and then dinner downtown at Staunton Grocery.

He did pretty well, wouldn't you say?

Cheers!

Till next time-
M

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

If you haven't, you should

If you haven't, you should rent the movie: Bill Cunningham New York.

I had the house to myself last night and happen upon this documentary on Netflix. Ever since watching The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue's Editor in Chief, Anna Wintour - I've been fasinated with the folks behind the scenes in fashion.

The documentary follows the life of New York Times fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham:


At the age of 82, Bill still writes, photographs and narrates his pages, "On the Streets and "Evening Hours" for the New York Times. Pretty darn impressive, right?

{via}

Throughout the movie, many people are interviewed about the influence Bill has on fashion - including Michael Kors, Patrick McDonald, Iris Apfel, and Anna Wintour.
Even though his work involves society and fashion, he is often times seen riding his 29th Schwinn bike (the other 28 were stolen) on the streets of New York and takes "the cheaper, the better" approach for his personal life. Examples of this shown in the movie are when he repairs his ripped up rain poncho with black tape rather than buy a replacement and the fact that he prefers to wear $20 street cleaner shirts when photographing people on the street, events and fashion shows.

{via}

As a deeply religous man, Bill goes to church every single Sunday and has a life deeply rooted in morals - seen as he tears up when questioned about his faith, when he refused a sizeable check from Conde Nast after Details magazine was bought out, and when he turned away a plate of salmon at a swanky event. In fact, he makes a point to eat before events and won't even take a glass of water when working.

Bill Cunningham New York was an excellent portrayal of an iconic artist who refers to everyone as a "child" and whom has an outstanding work ethic - he accepts nothing that might damage his reputation.
We truely need more people like him in this world.

{via}

"He who seeks beauty ...will find it"
-Bill Cunningham
Till next time-
M

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Big debate

Debating a short hair cut.
I've been growing my hair out for a while now, but I think I might be ready to go short again, like this:

and this:
Or this:

Thoughts?
Yes, no, maybe so?

Till next time-
M

Monday, October 3, 2011

Photo-booth

Black and white photo-booth pictures from our great friends, Sara and Robby's wedding over the weekend!
Wishing them a fantastic and relaxing honeymoon in St. Barth's - they definitely deserve it!


The whole weekend was so much fun - filled with great food, wonderful friends and lots and lots of dancing!
Happy Monday!

Till next time-
M

Friday, September 30, 2011

Celebrities - Just like US?

The totally inconspicuous Michelle Obama (do you sense my sarcasm?) shopping at Target in Alexandria, VA.


Wonder if she was in on the ridiculous Missoni for Target craze??

Happy Weekend everybody!

Till next time-
M

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

On Repeat

Morning Joe got it right this morning by playing Coldplay - because its definitely a Coldplay kind of day..
(But then again, when isn't it a good day to listen to my favorite band?)


Till next time-
M

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Falling into Fall

I never thought I would say this but...

I'm so ready for fall weather!

There. I said it. 

It miiiiight have something to with my newest purchase:

Hi, pretties.  Welcome to my closet!

Or, it might be the awesome fall photos I saw on my friends gmail status today (I'm looking at you, Jessa)!






{all images via}
I can't help it....I'm falling into fall!

Till next time-
M

Monday, September 26, 2011

Bestest

Had the best time with the best people this weekend!


Hope you all had as much fun as I did!

Till next time-
M

Friday, September 23, 2011

Will you be my neighbor?

How appropriate is it that yesterday was National Elephant Appreciation day, because today I'm not feeling very appreciative of the "Elephant" that lives upstairs.
{via}

A and I have an upstairs neighbor that is just plain LOUD but this mornings antics take the cake!
At 4:30am we heard a very loud noise that woke both of us up. Since our liquor cabinet crashed earlier this year, I think we both are more sensitive to loud noises that occur during the night. Anyways, we heard this loud bang upstairs and both agreed that our neighbor must have dropped something (I swear shes an insomniac), and tried to go back to sleep.
Well, not 2 minutes later - she starts running the vacuum...at 4:30am...in the room right above us!!
Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe it!

But even my annoyance at my neighbor can't deter my good mood and excitement for this weekend!

Why?

Because on Saturday, A and I are heading to Charlottesville to go to the UVA/Southern Miss football game with this cute couple:
MZ & D {photo completely stolen from FB...oops!}

MZ is my best friend, whom I met while living in Roanoke. I can't wait to see her!



Cheers to the weekend! It's Friday!
{via}
Till next time-
M

Thursday, September 22, 2011

I'm addicted..

to Foodgawker.com.

Seriously.

....it has become a problem.

Why focus on work when you can find any recipe to anything you want - all the while looking at some of the most delicious pictures?

Case in point:
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
{Foodgawker via}

Early Fall Ratatouille
{Foodgawker via}

Bananas Foster French Toast
{Foodgawker via}

Slow-Baked Mac and Cheese
{Foodgawker via}

Italian Tomato and Mozzarella Crostini
{Foodgawker via}

Caramel Apple Cake
{Foodgawker via}

Chipotle Turkey Burger
{Foodgawker via}

I might have just loosened my belt after looking at those pictures...

But even with the increased appetite, angry bank account and weight gain - I can't stop looking at this site.

Its official...I'm a FoodGawker addict. And most likely, after you read this blog post - you are too!
(Sorry, I'm not sorry??)

Till next time-
M