disposable camera

I like discovering and learning about all the amazing high-tech cameras that are coming out these days. It's amazing! But also, it is nice experimenting with different mediums and sometimes it is fun to try out a disposable camera. You can usually find a waterproof one, which means its perfect for pictures near the water and other sandy locations! I like feeling the freedom to snap away while being aware that you only have 25 pictures to take, so, choosing wisely.

Here are some of my favorite results from a disposable camera from past years, most of them are from the summertime, and the only editing I did was to increase the exposure a little bit to get more light.

Note to self to keep shooting with a disposable camera this upcoming summer!

Random thoughts

1. K. and I are so jetlagged. I don't remember my sleeping schedule being so off like this on my other trips from Korea. Last night we got 3 and 4 hours of sleep respectively. I consider not being able to fall asleep as a legitimate pet peeve. It's up there along with stupidity and ignorant people. I get really cranky when I can't fall asleep and it's bad because I just lay there stewing about how upset I am that I still have not fallen asleep after laying awake in the dark for three and a half hours. The crankiness is mostly due to the fact that I know I will be completely wasted for work the next day if I haven't gotten 7-8 hours of sleep the night before. Lack of sleep is my krptonite, along with cold weather.
K. is less cranky about his insomnia and jet lag, even though he is just as affected by the lack of sleep, and apparently he does things like walk the dog, eat oranges, and watch Seinfeld. I did watch one episode of Seinfeld with him before falling asleep finally. The one with the junior mints. What female body part rhymes with the name Dolores??

2. I really dig swell.com. I keep putting things in my online shopping cart, and even though I will probably not purchase most of the things that end up in there, I get a small sense of satisfaction from collecting things into my cart. A sort of window shopping and therapy, if you will.

3. UK Urban Outfitters always has better stuff than US UO. Also, sometimes, I can't help rolling my eyes at UO.

4. Things I want to get done soon: dress-making, watermelon nails, finding a good bronzer blush

5. Wish I had a tree that grew money just for traveling and vacations.

6. Education reform is so hot right now.

7. I need to pick a hobby or two and just stick with it. My interests are so varied and widespread that I feel that I will miss out if I don't curate myself. This problem could be solved if someone would pay me to cultivate all my interests and hobbies.

8. I would like to throw a grown up dinner party with proper decorations and food and everything, but I am such a perfectionist when it comes to things like this that it might be a while before this goal is realized.

9. Job searching while working a full-time job is tough but it must be done.

10. Regardless of anything else that could and should be a downer for me right now, I get so happy when I think about summer coming. I am thinking about: watermelon, grilling, obx, afternoons at the river with K. and Rusty, summer dresses and flip flops, camping...

happy easter!

GOSPEL = great news.
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is my true satisfaction.

We went to church and brunch, and I also got these lovely dyed eggs from my sister. The brown one is dyed with coffee !

Today I am once again reflecting on the great news, being grateful, and recovering from our trip to Korea. We are back! And although terribly jet-lagged and wobbly-legged, we loved being away. I am not quite ready to face reality yet, but will do my best. It was a busy trip, and it was glorious because we got to spend some time with my family, and for me, I just loved the simple fact that I was traveling with my husband. Being in a different context was refreshing and I got to see even more of why being married to K. is so grand. I am appreciating him more as time goes by, as a husband and best friend. We have lots to learn and challenges to face, but thank goodness I have this man to laugh through it all with.

Art gallery


Jeju


Hot spring

And more smooches:

grilled oysters

We were recently introduced to glory that is grilled oysters by our food connoisseur friend, D. Nelms, for which we are grateful because we love it! Especially paired with this garlic chili and pepper sauce. One of the many reasons that K. and I love the warmer months is because it gives us that many more days to grill, and now we have something else to add to our list of 'things-we- like-to-grill-and-eat.



Last weekend we got our oysters from Yellow Umbrella, our favorite seafood store, because the guys there are friendly and knowledgeable, and they like getting things locally.





You know the oysters are ready when they start to crack open, and then you can use a glove and knife to pry them open. Here is Ken shucking 'em oyster.



Here is hot oyster covered in hot sauce. Yum.


I'd been craving some sangria, so I made up a big batch to have with the oysters!


Our friends, the Hams, were over that weekend, and here we are eating oysters after a really big lunch from Ronnie's Ribs. We are happily stuffed.

health: smoothie

Hellloooooooo, smoothie

I just made the best smoothie! I've been making a lot of different kinds of smoothies for breakfast, but I think this one tastes the best so far. It may also have something to do with the fact that I was feeling kind of low and this helped with the pep.

Ingredients
(the measurements are a guess because I usually just eyeball it):

- 1/2 c. of frozen wild berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
- 3/4 c. of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 c. of vanilla soy milk
- 1/4 c. of orange juice
- small handful of spinach (don't worry, you can't taste it!)
- 2 tbsp of whole ground flaxseed

Really yum, and good for you too.


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day to day: sister art

12/25/10: Christmas card by S

2/12: Handmade birthday invitations by E

snack attack

A few of my favorite snacks these days (also works well as breakfast):


apples + ants on a log


omelet (vegetable galore with turkey or ham) + avocado


fruit smoothies

Lauren Moffatt

I am a big fan of Lauren Moffatt - she does a fabulous combination of feminine and smart, and you can pick up so many styling tips from the colors and textures in her collections.

That being said, her Spring 2011 collection, "The Honeymooner," is no different. There is definitely a vintage throw-back to this collection and I am in looove. Here are some of my favorites.










So inspired! You can see the rest of the collection here.


Just for fun, and because its still one of my favorite spring collections, let's look back on her Spring 2010 collection.

Fennel and Orange Salad

Since I had the Fennel and Orange Salad at Black Sheep, I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I've been craving it for the past few days and I knew I could not rest until I had made some at home. Good news, I got my hands on some organic fennel at Kroger's yesterday and I finally made my very own fennel and orange salad! And yes, I am a happier woman.

A word about fennel: I had never tried this vegetable until recently, and if someone had described it to me beforehand as how it usually described, 'licorice-tasting', I might have stayed away. Fennel is a root vegetable with a white bulb and a tall leafy top, and you usually eat the bulb, although sometimes the green shrub and its seeds are used as garnish or in spices. Yes, it does have a hint of licorice in the taste, but the bulb is also crunchy and sweet. It may not be for everyone because the taste is very distinct and slightly bitter, but if you like the combination of crunchy sweet with a tang, then it will be worth introducing to your palate.

On to my salad! The really awesome thing about fennel is how it becomes amazing in combination with other foods. I think the flavor of fennel brings out the taste of other foods brilliantly so that you get loads of flavor. In this case, the lucky ingredient is the orange. It's just too gloriously simple - arugula, orange, fennel, light vinaigrette - and voila, its a party for your taste buds. The salad is really easy to make and very satisfying.

Fennel!


Fennel again.


How to slice fennel: 1. Cut off the leafy greens at the top. 2. Slice away the bottom stub and peel away and tough or browned exterior. 3. Slice bulb in half and cut out tough core at the bottom of the bulb making a triangular shape on the bottom half. 4. Lay down halved fennel and slice away.




Peel and slice orange.


Make a bed of greens with arugula and top with sliced fennel, orange, and dried cranberries.


Top with dressing: mix olive oil (2 Tbsp), orange juice (1 Tbsp), and white or red wine vinegar (1 Tbsp) together before pouring on salad.

Soo good.

Notes: At Black Sheep they had toasted pistachios instead of cranberries, and the nuttiness went really well with the flavors of this salad. You could also try adding in some goat or feta cheese to make it into a meal.

Monday inspirations

We woke up to a tremendous thunderstorm this morning and I kind of liked it. Yesterday was the first day of spring, so I am feeling particularly kind, and in my kindness I acknowledged to myself that the rain is going to be imperative for all the growing and budding that needs to happen. It is spring, after all! The storm quickly cleared away to 74 degree weather and clear skies, which helped my benevolent mood, and may have contributed to my feeling of productivity. My to-do list seems never-ending (as always), but I am feeling inspired and rested. I am attributing some of my peacefulness to the great weekend we had with family in Virginia Beach.

In light of this spring-has-sprung atmosphere, I am taking a break from my to-do-list to share some of the things that have been inspiring me lately:




1. I am tearing through this book, and I am learning so much. It is inspiring me to write more, which is always a good thing, and it is inflating my love of stories and words.

2. Smoothie Recipes: I love smoothies, and I can't wait to try all these different combinations and come up with some of my own!

3. Fitness Magazine: I like checking out the healthy food recipes and different kinds of work-outs on this site. If you are feeling sluggish and need a boost (it is Monday, after all), check out this 20-Minute Energizing Workout, or this All-Day Energy Guide. Personally, I've recently found that ants on a log (peanut butter in celery stalks with raisins on top) as a snack is a great energy booster.

4. Idealist.org: Job-searching, baby! There are some great job opportunities out there, for some fantastic causes. Now if someone will just give me a chance...

5. Rex Arrow films: Ken showed me some of Mac Miller's music videos last night, produced by a Brooklyn production company called Rex Arrow. The company is headed by Ian Wolfson, an independent film maker who makes music videos, short films, and feature films, and I am inspired by the initiative and cinematography.

6. My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers): This is my favorite devotional book, and I have gone through it several times with my small tattered version. I have just discovered however, for extra convenience, that you can find both the updated version as well as the original English, online. Oh, the wonders of the internet.


Back to work!

It's a-comin'

The weather was great today and made everything outside look beautiful. Rusty and I did a lap of our neighborhood and said hello to everyone we met on the street. I spy hints of spring.

romper love

I love a good romper! I always have, and so I'm glad to see lots of rompers in this upcoming season's line-up for spring. Rompers can be tricky because there is a time and place for them, and you need to make sure the fit and size is appropriate to your body. There are also other things to take into consideration - like the fact that when you go to the bathroom you're taking your whole outfit off to pee. Things like that. But once all is said and done, rompers can be a fun addition to your spring and summer wardrobe. You can go classy with black and ruffles, fun and flirty with feminine prints, or beach-ready with loose and soft fabrics (my personal favorite).

modcloth & modcloth again


Nicole Richie

Motel & Pacsun


The snail and the cyclops blog

Insight & Roxy

VS

You can also find cheaper options here, here, here, and here.