Monthly Archives: April 2012

Primed

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I haven’t written about beauty products before. It’s not like I don’t use them, or don’t have my little favorites I replenish faithfully. It’s just that it feels a bit presumptuous to take photos of myself using one and exclaim things like “Look how pretty it looks!”

But I’ll trudge through the discomfort to tell you about this set because I’m pretty sure it can’t be lived without. It’s bare Minerals Prep & Prime Creams. One is for all over the face, one specifically for the eyes. It doesn’t make any of the crazy promises of a lot of beauty products, making it infinitely more reliable, seeing as how 98% of those I’ve tried appear to be lying…to my face… literally.

I’ve got several friends as attached as I am, all ready to pounce and proclaim its glory. So take me seriously!

It gets applied before any foundation or powder. If, like me, you have a ginormous face…it’s okay! don’t fret!… you still only need about this much…

It’s impossibly lightweight and adds an almost imperceptible sheen to your skin ( JLo glow? ). Most days I throw it on and forget the bronzer and blush altogether. I love how it evens my skin tone and brightens me up all over. If I’m feeling fancy, I use it as a primer and then dust the other products on top. The eye cream boasts a great sparkle which means it does its job and holds any eyeshadow strictly in place, but is equally great for wearing all by itself.

And that’s the regime. You wake up, gasp in horror in the mirror, feel haggard, sweep this on and viola!

You’re fresh-faced and ready to go!

The products are always sold in the Bare Escentuals stores,  but if there isn’t one near you the eye cream is  here and the face cream, here.

Anyone else use these? Do you love?

Sunday Mornings

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I love Sunday mornings. The world has a little more patience. No mad dashing or darting anywhere. Plus, they flow quite nicely into lazy Sunday afternoons. So I thought I’d invite you over for breakfast today.

First, let’s handle the necessities. Coffee. If you like yours black, more power to you. If you are a 22-year-old girl (or just feeling a bit naughty this morning)… round-up this cast of pantry characters.

Ghiradelli Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. A favorite mug. Truvia natural sweetener.

Don’t have any cocoa powder? Buy some. No need to run out now, I have plenty for both of us, but next time you’re at the store make sure it’s in the cart. It blends into smoothies, yogurt, and homemade peanutbutter amazingly well. It also makes mean brownies.

You only need about a tablespoon for the perfect cup of decadence. But before anyone starts accusing me of spooning them decadence as bikini season continues creeping up, read about the health benefits of unsweetened cocoa here (there are many).

Now that our coffee has cleared the cobwebs and our brains are starting to behave like normal adults… let’s eat!

A brown rice-cereal-fruit-parfait…mixture? I’m still working on a name so, in the meantime, let’s back track to the moment where I decided brown rice should be a sweet breakfast item.

If you cook your brown rice like I do (1 cup dry rice, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup water) you really get to see what a perfect venue this food is for any sort of dish, not just savory dinners. It has such nice weight to it that throwing it in with milk or yogurt works just as well as making pineapple-fried-rice or pilaf.

Give it a try! It is just rice you know.

Because it’s Sunday, it’s worth a little extra time to find the perfect milkshake cup. If we’re having chocolate coffee (perhaps I should just call it a mocha?) and parfait, the cup is necessary.

1/2 cup cooked brown rice, a dash of slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds,

all topped off with some enormous blueberries, a drizzle of honey, and a nice glug of almond milk.

It’s satisfying in every way. Its creamy. Its crunchy. Its bursting with tart berries, sweetened with a touch of honey. And at just about 360 calories, I dare say it’s perfect.

The only thing that could make it any better is to dash off, coffee and parfait in hand, and nestle right back under the covers to enjoy it with your favorite Sunday magazine… which is exactly where I’m heading :-)

Happy Sunday! How is everyone else spending their morning?

Off to (or from) College

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Prepping for my last finals week has me feeling nostalgic. Remembering freshman year, all the eager anticipation I showed up with, and all the crazy things that led to today, four-years the wiser, is what prompts this post.

So for some, this is an open letter of what to expect when you ship off to college in the fall. For others, I hope it is a welcome look back.

Dear Freshie,

First, congratulations on graduating high-school. For some of you it may have been a struggle, for others it was a breeze. Accordingly, your parents are either very proud or sincerely relieved.

As hard as it is to pack up and say good-bye to your family and friends-since-forever, remember to be excited. The most important chapter of your life is about to start; going in with your chin raised high and your cheeks dry from tears is important.

College has a way of laughing at your idea of who you thought you should be and showing you just who you really are. Don’t worry, you’ll like this person more.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re young exactly once; growing up is nothing to rush into. Stay out a little too late. Laugh just a bit too loud. Do something embarrassing every now and then. It’s okay.

Don’t be surprised that the first year is hard. This is normal. So while being far from home hurts your heart in unique ways, be mindful that everyone on your hall feels similarly.

Bond over this.

Don’t wallow. Go out, help each other get ready, share clothes, be generous with compliments, take lots of photos. Someone wants to throw a theme party? Get into it.

The only way to look stupid at a theme party is to act too cool for the theme.

Time will scoot by faster than you can imagine.

By October, you’ll have the famous freshman flu (hot tea, lemon, and a big squirt of honey cures all).

By November, you’ll have run out of money and Ramen noodles will be your new best friend…especially when they’re eaten with your other new best friends.

By the time Christmas rolls around, you’ll throw on some antlers (please no sexy Mrs. Claus outfits), organize a secret Santa (with a strict price limit), and stay up all night before heading home to a mom sure to gasp at how thin/fat you have gotten.

Take this with a grain of salt, whether you gain or lose weight its temporary.

And that’s it. You survived your first semester. The rest of them will pass far too quickly. But I don’t want to ruin all the surprises so instead, I’ll leave you with a few final survival tips.

1. Choose your friends wisely. You need them now more than you ever have before.

2. As exciting as these new friends are, remember the ones you left behind. Call frequently.

3. That goes for siblings as well. If you’re like me and all of you are close in age, there’s a chance your locations now dot various far-flung cities. Stay close, have group texts, send pictures, visit as often as possible.

4. It’s okay to miss class. Skip a couple, sleep in, stay in bed, go for a walk, take a long weekend, go to that concert even though its two hours away. And please, if the cute boy from the party last night asks you to breakfast, say yes.

5. Have a wonderful, wonderful time.

It’s That Time Again…

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Finals are here. Which means that, aside from a few, fleeting moments of sleep, my bed has looked a lot like this the past few days…

But a girl can really only take so much forced reading, especially when it’s about the different pathways Asian economies have taken to enter the global trading market.

So when my eyes glaze completely over and all those tiny letters are one big fuzzy mess, I find myself here.

Because truly, there is no place to relax quite like Barnes&Nobles. I buy a Starbucks drink… I wander the aisles… I eventually load my arms up with as many magazines as they can handle and melt into one of the comfy chairs in the corner.

For some reason it feels like reading the books for free is against the rules, but magazines…I’ll go through those just as I please :-)

Truth be told, I’ve never left a bookstore empty-handed and saw no reason why today should be any different.

E L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey is a book I was wanting to read for a little while now. So when reader Kelsneeze requested that I read and review it, it was that last little push I needed. I am now officially one book the richer.

All I’ve read is the back cover and I’m already hooked! I have a sneaking suspicion that my nose will find itself between those pages more than I planned this weekend.

And because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t…I came home with these beauties as well.

Anyone read this book? What did you think? No spoilers please!

We Meet Again

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Just shy of a year ago, I hopped the pond and visited one of my best friends in London. It was a ten-day adventure I’ll never forget and while I’d love to relive it with you, I’m only here to recap one five-minute memory of our shopping day in Notting Hill. While meandering the many shops and sidewalk venders I found the most delicate and wonderful necklace. I loved everything about it, it was a dangling orb that contained the most perfect vintage clock.

The only thing I didn’t love? The price sticker of eighty-pounds (~$130). After ten-days of eating, drinking and touring London and Paris I promise you would groan upon seeing it as well. So it was left behind, but it has popped in and out of my mind many times since.

Fast forward to my excitement a few weekends ago when, during my shopping trip in New York City’s SoHo district, I happened upon this gem,

There is a chance that my eyes literally bugged out of my head and a shriek of delight slipped out of my mouth. I had been thinking about this necklace for too long! Now was my chance.

Again… I didn’t love the price. But $50 for something I spent a year lusting over was considerably more reasonable than the previous tag. So after careful thought and just little encouragement from my girls…it was mine at last!

I’ve worn it a couple of times since; sometimes to fancy-weekend occasions and sometimes, like today, to casual endeavors like sociology class.

And when it just doesn’t seem to fit… it hangs here: front and center on my jewelry stand.

If you find yourself drooling over this as much as I did, no need to worry! They are currently for sale here.

Also, please head over to a favorite blog of mine, Carrie Bradshaw Lied, because yours truly is doing a guest post today!

Muse

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Ever since I titled my last music post, “MuseMuseMusic” this band has been on my mind, as well as the majority of my Spotify endeavors (check sidebar playlist for evidence)…

(source)

Muse is an English rock band made up of school friends Matthew Bellamy (more on him in a minute), Christopher Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard. “Rock” is used here in the most general sense of the word because this is a band famous for fusing together multiple music genres. You get space rock, you get progressive rock, you get alternative rock, there’s a smattering of heavy metal components, a decent classical music influence, and more recently a bit of an electronica feel.

Overwhelmed? Just wait ’til you see them live. I promise three people this small have never made so much noise before.

Think you’ve never heard a Muse song? If those abominably addicting Twilight movies are a part of your past…you would be wrong. Remember this?

That’s Muse. This song, ”Supermassive Black Hole”, off their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations, was inescapable after the first movie’s release.

Unfortunately, this soundtrack isn’t my favorite showcase of their work. Kristen Stewart‘s acting is potentially more to blame than the actual song, however.

Their 2009 studio album, The Resistance is really what drew me in. It’s an incredible blend of music. Every song flows so magically into the next that suddenly the whole album has passed and you haven’t done a thing with your life for a solid 54 minutes.

Matthew Bellamy is a pretty amazing component of the band. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s had a baby with and is now engaged to Kate Hudson. My jealousy for her is unspeakable. Just because she’s beautiful, charming, and starred in this movie doesn’t mean she gets to marry all the best rock stars…am I right?

More impressive than his life of glamor is that he is the lead vocalist, pianist, lead guitarist, and main songwriter for the band. Is it safe to say Muse wouldn’t exist without him? It is for me!

Not many people are blessed with so much talent, and I must say…he uses his very well. He’s been ranked as a top guitarist by numerous publications (think: Gigwise, Total Guitar, NME) and in my opinion is right up there with Eddie Vedder for best voices of our generation.

So give them a listen! Tell me what you think!

Me & Running

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You know how people like to say, “As long as you run, you’re a runner?” Well, if we’re being honest, they have yet to convince me. I’m not a born runner and from all the years of volleyball training (think short sprints and quick plyo movements) I never really developed any knack for it.

But now these days are over…

…and I don’t have any upcoming seasons or sprinting and lifting tests to prepare for. So what do I do?

It was a question I asked myself repeatedly when season first ended. I considered everything…except doing nothing or going to Zumba. “Nothing’ wasn’t possible. I love exercise. Pushing my body, testing my limits, and that oh-so-beautiful shaking sensation you get after an impossible workout all keeps me going. And then Zumba had to be avoided; a brick wall has more rhythm than this body.

I know I’ve mentioned that I read stalk several healthy-living blogs. There, sentences like, “I just went out for a quick 5 miles” are commonplace. But not for this girl, volleyball training never took me over a mile at a time. One measly mile. So while I happily threw myself into yoga and spinning, my relationship with running remained a bit tumultuous.

Running is hard. Hills make me want to die. Other runners frequently pass me. I require at least a million walking breaks.

Basically, it didn’t gel with my athletic ego.  But then, in a freakish turn of events, that became its biggest selling point. It was (and is!) a challenge. And after four years of DI athletics, I sure do love a challenge.

Slowly, its other pro’s started drawing me in as well. There is no set class schedule; I can take off whenever I want and run for however long I want. I don’t need a gym membership or special equipment. And, above all, I keep finding myself in places like this…

So…I still can’t go for a “quick 5 miles”. I’ve actually never run that far in one outing. In fact, the runs where I feel like I really accomplished something look a lot more like this than most the blogs I follow,

But we’re each fighting our own battles right? This is mine for now, and one I intend to keep plugging away at.

MuseMuseMusic

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It’s finally starting to feel like summer. Last night we went to the baseball game, had dinner outside, and ran around downtown in shorts and tank tops :-)

The time in between such activities has been filled with hours of end-of-the-term assignments. So here’s what I’ve been listening to to stop myself from pulling my hair out…

What’s everyone else listening to this weekend??

Shady-Lady

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Sometimes…just sometimes…happiness really can come in a box. I say this because I literally squealed in delight when this little guy appeared on my doorstep.

Matthew Williamson Aviator Sunglasses that were an absolute steal on gilt.com recently. I’ve worn a pair of Marc Jacobs for a couple of years and sometime in the last month they up and walked out of my house, never to return. So when this sale popped up (almost 75% off) I was a kid in a candy store.

I think I’ve worn them every day since…

And just couldn’t be happier!

Matthew Williamson is an English fashion designer. He’s relatively new to the U.S,  his flagship store in NYC opening in 2009, but has dressed fashion favorites like Sienna Miller, Cat Deeley, and Whitney Port for many events (see an entire gallery here). Aside from being a fairly good-looking man himself, his clothing is to die amazing. I peruse his site regularly so that in the event that I win the next Powerball I can finally click the “Proceed to Checkout” button fully prepared.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am left to scour the likes of gilt.com in desperation. Gilt is an invite-only shopping site  providing designer goods at amazing sale prices. My love for it probably deserves a post of its own so let me cut myself off and say if anyone would like an invite, I am happy to email you one! You (male or female) won’t regret it, I promise!

While the Gilt Group sale has sadly ended, these sunglasses can still be found here for a relatively good deal! Happy shopping!

7 for 7 Challenge

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Some of you know I am good friends with the beautiful Bess who writes the ever-entertaining Bess Be Fit blog. A few days ago she proposed a challenge: stretch every day for seven days. As someone who regularly practices yoga, I often slack off with stretching on days when I run, lift, walk… or basically do anything but go to the studio.

Eagerly, I accepted the challenge, and after only three days I’m already feeling a difference. My quads loosen up faster after longer runs. My lower back isn’t as tight after sitting in class all day. And overall, I feel more relaxed and rested after unwinding in a 20 minute slow stretch.

So today after suffering through a cold, windy, and rainy 3 miles here…

I returned home, lit my favorite candle, and practically melted into my mat,

By the time I looked at my clock, 25 minutes had flown by and my whole body was feeling warm and rejuvenated.

Heart of Healing goes into wonderfully deep detail about the benefits of stretching if you want further reading. Here is just a brief list of the general ones it mentions:

  •  relief from pain
  • increased energy levels
  • increased flexibility
  • better range of motion of the joints
  • greater circulation of blood to various parts of the body
  • relaxation and stress relief
  • enhanced muscular coordination
  • improved posture
  • greater sense of well-being

Heading into the enormous array of papers, projects, and presentations due before graduation, that all sounds pretty good to me! If you’d like to join in the challenge, head over to Bess’s blog and leave her a comment! She’ll add you to the list and fill you in on some cool stretches and foam rolling techniques.

Following one healthy habit with another, I assembled a quick, easy, and absolutely delicious dinner.

I chopped up some vidalia onion (on sale at Whole Foods this week!), sautéed it in some olive oil and threw in a chopped up black bean burger (I love Morning Star). Once warm, I served it on top of some mixed greens and 1/2 a mango. All topped off with some tons of spicy salsa!

Question: Does anyone else feel ridiculous chopping a mango? Any tricks out there for dealing with that tricky pit?