Gymming It: An Exercise Update

Fyi, "gymming" isn't a word. Just in case you were somehow confused. Looking back on previous posts, it should be clear that I have a pretty strong, though fluctuating, relationship with the gym/exercise. Currently I'm on an upswing. After moving to Washington in January I stopped going...for months. Mostly because my new job had taken over my life and I was struggling (still do a little) to get control over that. But given how active I generally am, 3-4 months into a mostly sedentary job with no exercise was too much. So around May I joined a racquet club because I like to play tennis sometimes. There were slim options and it was essentially this or Gold's. Because the racquet club has tennis courts and a strong collection of Les Mills classes, it won out. I like it mostly

As noted in much earlier posts, I am a devotee to Les Mills classes, especially BodyAttack and BodyStep, so I've been doing those about 4 times a week. But I know myself and I'm about to burn out in the next few weeks/months. What I need is a more varied schedule. Particularly I think it's time to get back into lifting. Lifting is tricky because its an area I burn out on REAL fast. I have trouble sustaining long term interest. And I don't know how to cut weight. So I find that I mostly just bulk and then get dissatisfied. But, it's time. I think that if I balance a lifting schedule with Les Mills classes, I'll be more satisfied all around. And my body will respond better to the variety. So, that's definitely an area I'll be working on this fall. Instead of "bikini season," I'm all about coming for Winter '16...though November/December really are the best months for bulking (let's be honest). We'll see.

Nevertheless, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Going back to this fall, I think maybe I should train for a 5k. Back off both Les Mills & lifting a bit and incorporate a running plan. I was doing some really nice runs over the summer and I strongly feel that once you get runs back into your routine comfortably, you should keep them there. It's so hard for me to get pumped up about running/ back into real running shape. Even when I'm deep into a routine, it's still sometimes an uphill climb mentally. Running is hard for me, always has been. But, I do feel well exercised after doing it. That's the main reason I keep on with it. It's hard, but rewarding. Thus, I think I need to keep rolling with it. And I find the best way to push running is to train for something like a 5k. So, yea, maybe that's on the fitness dock of '15 too.

When I'm on an upswing, I'm on an upswing. Fingers crossed this upswing won't be stalled by the start of fall term. #TeacherProblems

Oh hair!

I've given this a lot of thought, as I give all hair related things a lot of thought, and I think I'm going natural. Well, truth be told I've been natural. I'm 1 year out from getting relaxers, but I've been maintaining scheduled visits to the beauty salon for regular washing & flat ironing. This wasn't the worst thing when I lived in California. But then I moved to Washington for a job and these hair dressers are NOT gentle. I don't care about normal heat damage (from a blow dry and flat iron), but I do care about damage from yanking a blow dryer through my hair. My father's a hair dresser, I've been doing this hair salon thing for more years than I'd like to count, and these practices just don't fly in my book. (Note, they shouldn't fly in yours neither.) Thus, I think I'm left to my own devices.

Currently my hair is in box braids (which are great and I highly recommend!!!). However, they need to come out in the next few weeks and from there, well, I think I'm on my own for a while. Because I'm still growing out my relaxer and refuse to do a big chop (I've done it before, go back to much earlier posts), the hair texture/ curl pattern is all over the place. The only way to really overcome that might be to alternate between buns and braids. Maybe some clip ins... But longevity wise, I'm convinced I can get a defined curl pattern going with products and without braid-outs/twist-outs. I don't like those latter options because they look great for 1.5 days and then I'm stuck with a mess by Wednesday at the latest. Maybe that's just me, but I don't have the time or patience for all that.

And there is my real concern, time and patience. It's the tail end of summer and I feel optimistic about my ability to keep up a natural hair routine. But once school kicks in, between grading papers and keeping a gym schedule (which I had to re-devote myself to, ugh!), I feel hair may fall to the wayside. Let's just stay optimistic for now and I'll do my best to keep these hair updates coming.

I don't know these women, but I'm dreaming of a similar curl pattern. #HairEnvy

Blog Update

Hey all!!!

Look at the blog! It's brand new!!! New title, new backgrounds, and new content! It's been, what, three years here now? I think it was time for a change. Theme of 2014: change. New Year, New Me (Yes, I have been saying this almost everyday since January 1, but it's true!!!)

Here's what to look forward to in the near future:

• New recipe reviews: clean banana pancakes, mini-lasagna. Yum-o!
• Fitness news: Bikini season is around the corner! Are you preparing?? I am!
• Books: I recently discovered Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series. LOVE it! Can't wait to tell you guys about it.
• Life: 10 weeks until graduation!

I don't know if you all can tell, but there are some pretty exciting things on the docket!!! Are you excited? I know I am! Salud!

New Year's Resolutions 2014

Hi!!! I know what you're thinking. Who is this stranger?? Sorry! I'm blaming this unforeseen lack of blogging on the fact that I'm in my final year of graduate school and my time is dedicated to the thesis. It's not glamorous, I promise you. But after June, lookout! I'm coming back with a vengeance. That, you could say, is one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2014. What are some of my other resolutions?? Check below to find out.

Fitness: Keep building muscle, tighter core, stronger upper body. During 2013 I realized just how weak my upper body is. I mean, it's pathetic and really unbalanced with the rest of my body. 2014 seems like the perfect time to change that! 

Professional: Finish thesis, graduate, acquire a full-time job. These are THE plans for 2014 and hopefully, fingers crossed, accomplished by July 2014. If you know anyone looking to hire in the fields of communication, event planning, or program coordination, let a girl know! ...seriously though.

Life: Move out of Oregon, be more social. Do you ever move somewhere and over time realize, this is NOT the place for me? That's how I feel about Oregon. It's rainy & overcast 80% of the time, the speed limits are mind-boggling low, and people are super into things I'm super uninterested in. As a California transplant, this is not the scene for me. Great learning experience, but now it's time to skit, skat, skedaddle! And post-skedaddling I definitely need to try harder to, you know, be friendlier and outgoing. I've become such a reclusive curmudgeon over this past year and a half!

So, those are my goals! I think they're achievable and I'm super pumped for 2014. What are your goals? Is anyone other than me making goals?? Salud!

Clean Blackberry Cobbler

I've had a craving for pie for many...weeks at this point. But I'm trying to stay dedicated to the clean eating cause, mostly because I'm scheduled to run a 5k next week. (I'm not where I should be in training for it.) Despite the dedication, last night my friend ordered a slice marionberry pie and I wanted to offer my first born for a slice. I didn't. But I did look up clean recipes for a berry cobbler. These are the best two I found:
Almond Butter Peach Cobbler for Two and Berry Crisp Recipe for One.

It may not look exactly like this. It will be equally delicious!

I did this thing where I combined the two recipes a little. Really botched it. Tasted like I was eating warmed peanut butter. I did eat it all though and I highly recommend it. Especially if you're hard-up for sweets. Also this recipe is possibly paleo and definitely vegan if you take out that honey! The next time I make this, this is what my recipe will look like:


Ingredients:

1 small peach, cored and sliced cup of frozen blackberries (you can also mix blackberries and peaches, but  let the peaches thaw.)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted I didn't see the point of this addition
1/4 cup almond flour oat flour. It's what I had on hand. Though almond flour is more granular, so you may like it better for the topping.
2 tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter) 1-1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 tbsp honey (I probably used a full tbsp. Shoot me.)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt Forgot it. Oops.

Put the fruit in the bottom of an oven safe dish (I used a ramkin), mix everything else together until it's crumbly (add more flour if it's not crumbly enough) and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 and you have a cobbler! And you'll still be able to run in the morning!! I think. Salud!

Clean Peppermint Mocha

At this point, I know what you're thinking. Wow. This girl is FLAKY! But it's not my fault! Just as I was gearing up to get into the swing of things again, my computer broke. So then I had to go through an extended process of figuring out what was wrong/ buying a new computer. But now that that is all fixed and I've caught up on my papers...I'M HERE for real! As a token of my sincerity, I've also brought along a CLEAN Peppermint Mocha recipe. You're welcome in advanced.

Now, as I'm sure you all know by now, I like to keep a clean diet as much as possible. But as a mid-twenties graduate student, coffee and coffee shops are simply a fact of life. So to help alleviate how much time I spend at Starbucks, I bring you an equally enjoyable and much more diet friendly The recipe can be found here: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/peppermint-mocha/

I've included the recipe below. Of course, I made a few substitutions according to my tastes:

 

I'm using my Princeton mug in support of the football team's spectacular win this weekend. Go tigers!

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons cocao powder

1 1/2 Tablespoons organic whole cane sugar, sucanat, or honey

6 ounces whole milk
 unsweetened original almond milk (I prefer Almond Breeze)
2 ounces strong brewed herbal coffee *Safeway brand, 1/2 caffeinated coffee to taste. I just poured it in there until my mug was filled. Like a real caffeine addict.
a splash of peppermint extract

2 Tablespoons whipped cream No whipped cream. :/

Instructions

Whisk together milk, cocao powder and whole cane sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When milk begins to steam take off of heat and pour into a mug. Add the herbal coffee and splash of peppermint extract. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream.

I don't know if you can tell, but this recipe is super simple to assemble. And it's mighty tasty. As always, don't be afraid to make modifications according to your diet and don't forget to check out the Deliciously Organic website; you won't be disappointed. Salud!!

Loving It Monday

Quick post. I know, I know. It's been AGES! And I can't promise I'm fully going to get back into the swing of things. But I do miss this space. And so, I thought I would bring you a real gem and a peace offering, perhaps? I introduce to you, The Audrey Brooke Pierre Flat:

Talk about a ballet flat! How authentic is this shoe!? Also, how perf(ect) is it for fall, with some skinny jeans, running around the city, oversized scarf and perhaps and fluff or two of snow!? THE CUTENESS! 

I don't know about you, but I think I have some adorable feet and they would look BEYOND adorable in these shoes. Pre-Christmas present??? (I'm way too excited) Salud!

Where can you get this? DSW!:  http://bit.ly/HhzgGF

Can't Hang With the Hair Gang, Pt. 1

Do I think that title is corny? Yes. Did I stick with it because it rhymed and I came up with it at 2 am yesterday morning? Yes. Are we all ready to move forward? YES. In T-minus two days I'm jumping off the semi-natural hair train. I seriously can't hang. I am not made to personally deal with this kind of volume and upkeep. I think a big reason for jumping ship, for me, is because I currently live in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. It's a nice town, don't get me wrong. Cute coffee shops, friendly residents, quaint small business boutiques. All very ideal and vaguely hipster. But what isn't included in this quaintness are ethnic hairdressers. Add to this the bat shit crazy humidity and lack of sufficient hair taming products and you end up with me. An unhappy, semi-natural girl who's hair no longer curls, but instead becomes irrevocably and unforgivably frizzy. As rapper Chief Keef is so popularly quoted for saying, "That's that shit I don't like!" That is my depth of feeling about the situation, exclamation point included. And so, I am headed back to my OG ways of getting relaxers. Because, truth be told, I'm just a straight haired kind of gal. Especially if I'm going to have to do my hair myself in Oregon. Dealing with unkempt frizziness is added stress I don't need as a graduate student. I will miss, however, the versatility of curly hair during swimming season. Upside, I get to have a new hair cut! Below are some of the options I am considering, all variations on bobs. I'll make a video later this week to show you all the results. Salud!

Where I like to fancy my hair length to be at:
 

If my hair needs to be cut (Heaven forbid):

  

If my hair is surprisingly long (fingers crossed):
  

Sweaters? SWEATERS!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before, but I love me a good sweater. The right fit, length, color and thickness. Ugh, love love love. I die. Now, for more coherent English. Currently, I am DYING over men's sweaters, size small. The current women's trend in "boyfriend" jeans/sweaters/etc pushed me into the realm of wearing actual men's sweaters. If you're going to wear an approximation, why not wear the real thing? Especially because a lot of time women's "boyfriend" sweaters taper in weird ways or are tight in ways that a true boyfriend's sweater wouldn't be. So I wear a men's small. My favorites so far come from Gap and Target, they have these really soft cotton pullovers that go great with scarves and boots. Recently, I was at Urban Outfitters and came across these gems. I don't trust their sizing, so I hesitate to order them, but I die nevertheless. Check it!

American Redux Sweater


It's so American! I love flag paraphernalia. There is no way this could have been passed over on my to die for list.
http://urbout.co/T6pUhC

Sweaters for All My Friends Intarsia Pullover

That gnome is SO cute. How fun would this sweater be to wear!?
http://urbout.co/R6KmBs

 O'Hanlon Mills Intarsia Ski Sweater

This sweater I am intrigued by because it is very, very manly. This is true man sweater territory. The others have an arguably feminine appeal (at least in my book), a means to fall into the territory of a woman simply wearing a sweater. But this last one...whole new level.
http://urbout.co/T6pEiE

Check out the whole sweater page. It's worth your time if you're truly inclined to forge into man sweater territory.
http://urbout.co/SL91bj

Lovin' It Monday

The title doesn't rhyme at all, but that doesn't change the fact that I wanted to share some things I am currently loving with you all. I was perusing Urban Outfitters website, in hopes of their winter dress collection being available for preview--it was not. Nevertheless, I did come across some totes cute items that I would LOVE to add to my wardrobe. In no particular order:

1. Pins and Needles Tulle Overlay Halter Dress

       

How CUTE is this dress!? I love the peachy-rose-nude coloring of the tulle. Plus the overall conceptual design of having it layered over the white strapless bodice gives the sweet and girly essence of the pale tulle some edge. Just a little bit of edge though, which provides an overall  nice, though subtle, contrast. It's so girly, I think it would be super refreshing to wear this to a Christmas party and then all through spring to dates and picnics and cutesy things of that nature. Super adore this.
bitly.com/WUq2os

2. Wooden Ships Vancouver Ear Warmer

     

I can tell you now, the only reason I am even aware of these ear warmers is because I recently bought a bike and use it as my main form of transportation. It is VERY nippy at 8am and my ears would very much appreciate a cover like this. What I like about these isn't the $42 dollar price tag (I'm going to go ahead and say it: outlandish), but the rich colors they come in and the fact that they are knit. What can I say? I think accessories like this become WAY cuter when knit. How boring would this be if it was just a strip of fabric!?

http://bitly.com/S6yTND

3. MINKPINK Queens Sweater Dress

          

Animal Print. I don't think I need to go further in my explanation of why I love this. Snooks would agree. But, for the sake of those of you who aren't die hard animal print lovers, I will continue on. Not only is the animal print factor amazing, but I love that it is a sweater dress. Sweater dresses are fall staples because they go so deliciously well with, you already know, leggings and boots. Throw some boot socks in to-boot and you just became an instant fashionista. AND you'll be way more put together than the girl in sweats and Uggs, yet just as comfortable. I die. I will admit that I don't actually like the u-back detail. I much prefer cleavage in the front than the back, but your back being cold is a small price to pay for all this cuteness, no?

http://urbout.co/U97EC7

4. Silence & Noise Faux Fur Bomber Jacket

     

There is a vague something I like about this jacket, but I love how they outfitted this model it in. The hair that may not have been washed in a couple of days, the short shorts, the see-through leggings. It's all very...risque and a wee bit, dare I say, sleazy. But it's pulled together sharply and that's what I appreciate.

http://urbout.co/S5b7lZ

Go check all these goods and more out at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com. Overpriced, but definitely worth it; especially if you catch a sale! Salud!

Ps~ Sorry for the blurry pictures. UO's fault, not mine.

Clean Split Pea Soup Review

Since moving to Oregon and enduring their early onset of fall, I have decided that I like to meal replace once a day with soup. It has also been WAY too long since I used one of the recipes from The Gracious Pantry. To remedy the latter and adhere with the former, I decided to make Clean Split Pea Soup today. This is what the recipe looks like:


Ingredients
8 cups veggie broth
3 cups dry split peas
4 large carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp olive oil


The recipe is given to make approximately 5 quarts, but I have no storage space so I cut everything down to, give or take, 1/3 of what it called for. I also don't like celery seed. I think this is a common ingredient in split pea soups and may be the reason I haven't eaten any in years. If you like the traditional taste then by all means keep it in there. I also added some cubed ham to this dish mainly for the protein and because I have never eaten split pea soup without ham. I wasn't ready to go THAT rogue. One day! All in all, this recipe was DELICIOUS. The flavors were very low-key, but blended together nicely. In addition, it was super simple to make and can be cooked on the stove-top or in a crock pot. Tiffany describes this recipe as "a quick, go-to soup recipe for a busy, cold and blustery weeknight" and I think she is spot on.

Salud!

Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers Review

I was looking up recipes the other day because I FINALLY got tired of eating spaghetti and top ramen. I landed on this new website called Gina's Skinny Recipes. The recipes, as the name notes, are all about making delicious dishes everyone loves using healthier alternatives. I decided to test run the Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers. This is what the recipe looked like:

For the filling:

1/2 lb 99% lean ground turkey chicken

3/4 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cups frozen corn

1 hot pickled fresh serrano pepper, chopped (or jalepeño) more to taste

1 large diced tomato

1 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp chopped onion

2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1 tsp cumin

kosher salt to taste

For the peppers:

3 red [orange & yellow] bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise

1/3 cup reduced sodium, fat free chicken broth water

9 tbsp shredded reduced-fat Sargento Monterey Jack cheese

1 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish

I feel like I didn't make too many changes to this recipe. I'm not the biggest fan of ground turkey. Of course, I only made this decision after made my family to switch from ground beef; now they love ground turkey and I'm just sol. But, because I was cooking for myself, I swapped the turkey for chicken. I love ground chicken. Overall, the peppers were quite tasty. They were a really nice alternative to normal stuffed green peppers. I also liked the use of the colored bell peppers as opposed to green bell peppers because the colored ones are sweeter and lend themselves more to recipes that don't have overpowering other flavors. Overall I think the recipe is definitely worth trying. Especially if you're a person who usually doesn't normally like stuffed bell peppers.

Salud!

Fitness Update

There are two months during the year that I struggle the most with staying motivated, staying fit and eating like I haven't lost my mind. August and December. And let me just say, August 2012 was no different. I didn't adhere to any kind of solid fitness regime over the summer, but August, especially these past two weeks, have been ridiculous. I think it has a lot to do with finally having access to the junk food I love and thereby hoarding it all into my system while simultaneously not exercising because I "don't" have a gym membership anymore. Regardless, there always comes a day when it all catches up to you. First there are little signs such as being extra lethargic, having no energy, being able to eat giant burritos in their entirety. But one day it culminates with your body, or at least my body, saying "Hey! I feel like shit over here! Get it together!" Today was that day for me. So, naturally, I tied up my hair, laced up my running shoes and headed over to my temporary gym. I got on the treadmill, ran for 15 minutes and then honestly felt like I was going to hurl. That is the major downside of falling off the fitness wagon; getting back on the wagon. It is never easy and every time I seriously question WHY do I let myself go on eating crap and not exercising for so long. It is a question that may never be answered. Regardless, here I go headlong into my (mostly) healthy ways again. Salud!

Back in Action/ Kale & Banana Smoothie Review

So I am a bold faced liar seeing as zero posts about my life occurred during my summer position. Never fear, however, because I am here to get back to my roots with a food review!!! I am super excited about this review because I have been thinking about trying a kale smoothie for over a year now and, alas, it has come to fruition! I picked up the original recipe from here, but of course I made changes as I went along.


1 banana (I froze it)
2 cups chopped kale (I didn't measure; next time I will)
1/2 cup light unsweetened soy milk 1/4 cup low fat milk (what I had on hand)
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon honey (I misread the teaspoon part)
Then I added:
2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries

In retrospect, I am unsure why I went so rogue with this recipe. I think there was another recipe I viewed and then just combined the ingredients. I do not think the strawberries were necessary, per se, and the next time I make it I will definitely use a teaspoon (vs tablespoon *forehead slap*) of honey. That being said, this smoothie turned out to be particularly enjoyable. My mother said she could still taste the kale, but I personally did not find the kale taste to be prominent or overwhelming. This is coming from a girl who does not usually like kale because of its bitterness. I think this is an excellent recipe to play around with according to what you want to taste in your smoothie. The next time I make this I might add kiwi instead of strawberries, for example. Overall, I really enjoyed the outcome. Definitely a 5 star recipe. I hope you all take the time to try it. Salud!

Update!

Life has really taken off over the past month or so. This, actually, does not account for the hiatus prior to May, but I like to lie to myself so I am going to pretend it does. Since I last checked in I moved on from my job at the Gap and am now working at a summer program on the east coast. I am super excited about this new position. So far it seems that it is going to utilize and expand my broad, but often overlooked, skill of usefulness. I have recognized that I am prime material for working in an office setting in a receptionist/secretary/office manager type position, but without background it was tricky convincing employers of my conviction. With this position, however, I am hoping the tide is about to change. Especially as I look for employment this fall while I am in graduate school. That is my second piece of "life changing" news. This fall I commence graduate studies at Oregon State University. I am also very excited about that.
The reason I am denoting all of these life changes is because it seems there will be a shift in blog content. I assume there will still be periodical posts about "fashion" just because I still really like clothes. However, I do not foresee many recipe reviews (which were some of my favorite posts) in the near future. Instead I anticipate more "life update" posts as well as book reviews...those book reviews I have alluded to yet never actually gone about doing. I'm really on book, like, 7 in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I have actually written down stuff I wanted to discuss, yet nothing has ever made it into this space. Ridiculous. But hopefully over the summer I'll do better. And here ends this quick update. Happy Tuesday!

Salud!

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Oatmeal Review

I recently discovered this youtube site that is all about providing clean, yet tasty recipes. I have tried a couple of the recipes posted and today I tried the "Easy to Make Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Oatmeal". I quite liked the recipe, though I did have to make it twice. I ALWAYS have issues following oatmeal recipes; that liquid to oats ratio kills me every time! So the first time I followed the instructions blind: 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup liquid. HORRIBLE IDEA. After 2 minutes in the microwave my oats were still swimming. :( So I threw them out. :/ (I've tried salvaging oatmeal before, it doesn't work.) On the second go-around I used 1/2 cup of oats and 3/4 cup liquid. Worked out so much better. After that, everything was on the up-and-up. Greek Yogurt, I believe, is an acquired taste and if you haven't acquired it, you most likely won't like its usage in this recipe. Nevertheless, I do agree adding sweetener and vanilla extract takes the edge off. On the one downside, I was not a fan of the strawberries. Maybe mine weren't sweet enough, but I think I would have enjoyed the recipe just as much, if not more, without them. But that's just personal preference. I'll add the video and recipe list below. Definitely a recipe worth trying! Salud!


You will need:
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
1/2 tbsp. stevia Agave Nectar
Vanilla extract

Website Wednesday

Because I know I'm not doing anything this week that will result in a Friday Favorites post, I've decided to be semi-clever and have Website Wednesday. Here are the [Youtube] websites I am SUPER into this week.

1. LeanBodyLifestyle



This site has some SUPER tasty, SUPER easy food ideas for the clean eater that gets bored with clean eating. I 100% recommend trying a good half of his recipes. I personally like to combine his "pizza" recipes for a quick lunch when I have a craving for pizza. Which happens to be like once a week. I also can't wait to try the "Low-Carb Protein Cinnamon Rolls" recipe. I'm pretty skeptical about that one, we will have to wait and see.

2. ThoseGirlsAreWild




Sometimes it is nice to watch videos where a person has an opinion and this is their informing you. Most of their videos are comedy based (and hilarious), but through it all you get an overriding sense that these videos are very personality infused. I think these women are very aware of who they are and what they believe in and they make videos to talk about their...life.  There is this genuineness about it all that makes it infinitely interesting to me. And the videos give me a serious case of the giggles frequently.

3. BeiMaejor



I think this man is infinitely talented. (Infinitely is apparently the word of the day) Watch the "Bei Maejor Makes A Beat Out of Christmas" to see what I mean. His talent just seems so spanned, he has a musical ear and it shows through his singing, his beats, his lyrical compositions. I feel he's a nice break from what main stream society is peddling. Don't get me wrong, his commercial debut of "Trouble" is decidedly commercial and I am a HUGE fan of Drake so I undoubtedly appreciate the commercial, but listening to music coming from a different angle is always pleasant.

Well, have a wonderful Website Wednesday! Hope you enjoy some of these sites. Salud!

Best! Week! Ever! (Part 1)

Do you ever have those weeks that are SUPER SPECTACULAR? Everything is going right and everything seems to be going from good to better to great ALL WEEK. I'm having one of those weeks. I have them everyone once in a while, a few times a year, and I LOVE them every time they come around. I am on cloud nine. So, I am going to detail my week for you thus far (and since I'm an augur, I'll include the rest of the week as well.)

• Monday: I received my first acceptance to a Graduate school. Indeed, the Director called me personally. <- That was, in my opinion, the bossiest part.
• Tuesday: I got the okay from my work to dye my hair multiple unnatural colors!!! You DID read my Multicolored Hair post, no?
• Wednesday: Got my nails done. Now the tips have a pretty pink glitter to them. I've decided that I can for sure do this on my own and decided to purchase an acrylic nail kit for my birthday...3 months in the future. Lol!
• Monday-Friday: I worked out all week, every day, according to my new exercise regime AND I cleaned up my eating for the week.
• Sunday: Mikey is coming to visit and I get to spend all day with him in San Fran. THEN I get to experience Sunday Funday with Binx. Hopefully adding Mikey to that mix as well. I'm pre-excited for this.

I hope you lovelies have an exceptional week as well! I'll fill this in more as the week continues; of course I'm assuming more goodness is headed my way! Salud!

Multicolored Hair

I am obsessed! Post Rihanna-fire-engine-red-hair, women have fallen HARD for ridiculously colored tresses. And up until now I have been very take-it-or-leave-it about it. Ombre hair wasn't even on my radar, I only caught onto colored tips because of Lauren Conrad's peach tips (still think that was novel) and I was never into a whole head dyed crazy colors because it was such a tricky look to pull off and 85% of those who tried failed. Unbeknownst to them, of course. However, I came across Stephanie Bettinger's photo on Instagram when she tried out multicolored streaks and I was instantly sucked in!


Look at her! Her hair is FIRE. Complete and utter FIRE! I can't get enough. These women with 3 or more colored streaks are making me so jealous.
Katy Perry rocked it! LC [supposedly] rocked it! These other random girls rocked it!
     

I want to rock it too! I honestly think it is a combination of my genuinely liking the controlled wildness and the result of my recently reading J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series and the character Phury who has, you guessed it, multicolored hair. My life is always being influenced by the fictional literature I read. Nevertheless, I am 100% going to have to ask my work how bad it is if I add pink, grey & blue/purple streaks to my hair. I know I am not 16, save for at heart, but this as a summertime hairstyle is SO appealing. I have months to make this happen. We will see. Salud!

Romp It Up, Part Deux!

Yesterday's post about denim overalls gave me food for thought and lead me to the conclusion that a much safer alternative to denim overalls would be: denim romper. I actually thought of this as I was creating the denim overalls post, but wanted two separate posts in the end. Anyway, Free People has the cutest denim romper.
 

It is also an astronomical amount for a romper. Baby Phat has a pretty cute one as well, below. (Side note- I didn't know Baby Phat was still in business!?)
 
 Further, ASOS, quite possibly my new favorite online store, has some out-and-out overall shorts. They are all over this trend.  I think these are my favorite because they stay true to the denim overalls concept, which is what has me intrigued. And, to top it off, they have it in a different color!
 
 
Free People: http://bit.ly/wjJ0fy
Baby Phat: http://bit.ly/xlLKhb
Asos: http://bit.ly/yM3Gvv
Asos (Colored): http://bit.ly/zywIqZ

Also, I just found this gem! Asos is truly on top of their game. Check it out: Colored Overalls!
 
Too cute, yea?!? Salud!
Asos: http://bit.ly/wffes6