Sunday, July 25, 2010

live like a locale - orange county, cali!

we just returned from a vacation in cali
& mexico,
to see my aunt get married on a cruise.
more on that later.

i love getting to see the west coast fam.
i was so excited to see the first issue of LOCALE magazine.
see my cousin ashley is the chaos manager.
seriously best job title ever?

she brought us all copies.
she's a fellow jersey girl
who followed our aunt to cali
& then was followed by her mother to cali.

that girl on the front on the website..
yeap my cousin!
if your an orange county resident..
check it out for all things LOCALE.
:)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

etsy.

as most of you know,
i spend more money than i make on etsy.
& i'm okay with that.

two recent purchase:


love this.
super cute,
durable,
& fits great!

rocked this to work today,
got a compliment.
didn't get a headache.
which is a big + in my life.
may attempt to make one on my own!

in other news,
leaving for a family cruise.
and my etsy shop will close tomorrow morning.
and will reopen tuesday, july 20!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

veggie meal.

fresh garden veggies are abundant in jersey right now.
i was so happy to incorporate zucchini
& basil fresh from my garden into this rachel ray recipe.

i've been trying to fix veggie meals once a week.
j was initally resistant,
but he has ate the last few meals with no complaints.
this summer vegetable pasta was a hit!
rachel's ray summer vegetable pasta

1lb rotini
1/4cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves chopped
1/2cup italian style bread crumbs
1lb zucchini (1 large or 3 small) thinly slice
4 ears of corn - kernels cut off
6oz swiss cheese - shreded
salt & pepper
1/4cup fresh basil chopped

1 - cook pasta according to directions & reserve one cup of pasta water, set pasta aside
2 - heat 2tbs of olive oil in pan, add 1/2 garlic & cook until brown, add bread crumbs and set aside off heat
3  - in pasta pan - cook 2tbs olive oil & garlic until brown - add zucchini and cook until zucchini lightens to almost clear
4 - add corn, pasta, 4oz of swiss & water to zucchini & toss
5 - add 2oz swiss cheese & basil to bread crumb mix
6 - place pasta mix in bowl & top with breadcrumb mix
salt & pepper to taste

delish!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

mindfulness.

mindfulness is a great concept i learned this year.
being aware.
being present.

can you feel your toes.
can you feel your backside on the chair.
try and feel the keys on the keyboard as you type.
listen as your friends speak.
try and paraphrase back to them.
did i hear you right?
acknowledge their feelings..
you seem upset/happy/enraged?

breathe through your nose.
count your breaths until 10.
when you hit 10 start again.
lose count?
start back at 1.

purchasing this for my vacation to learn more!
already purchased this for my vacation because i need a new obsession.
oh my vacation.
cali, mexico
& an aunt's wedding.
in 9 days!
continue for a few minutes.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

oregano & butterflies.




a beautiful butterfly enjoyed my oregano today.

an hour after work i sat down on the deck
& read the long song.
after a three day painting escapade i needed an hour.
it felt good to sit
& rest.
but my mind wanders.
so much to do.

this butterfly caught my attention.
reminded me of one of my goals..
slow down.

the house will be cleaned..
eventually.
the paint will be completed.
and will be worth the wait.

but today will never return.
are you watching deadliest catch?
what a reminder of how short life really is..
& why i need to slow down.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

the great zucchini

the second zucchini i picked from my garden weighed in at 1.5lbs
this zucchini..
2.5lbs of love.

i don't think anything beats the taste of your own homegrown veggies.
i already made this zucchini lasagna
& it was delish.

have you checked out the danskin workout line at wal-mart?
yeap i said it..
wal-mart.
currently loving the $10 sweat capris
& the sports bra tank for $11.