We've had some crazy weather in Charlotte. It was 60 degrees on Friday (like, I ran outside in a t-shirt and shorts) and then snowed on Saturday. Since then, it's been windy, raining, and cold. This weather would have been welcomed with open arms for a three-day weekend, but oh wait, Rob and I both had to work on Monday instead of celebrating our Presidents. Bummer. We moped a little but had a really fun weekend anyway, full of delicious eats (pork banh mi at Peculiar Rabbit for all you Charlotte peeps) and beautiful friends.
Now on to better and brighter things...this weather makes me crave spring and summer. I love bundling up and drinking tea and making fires, but I'm so ready for summer weather. Sorry for the overly optimistic list below, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for warm days ahead!
1) This American flag bikini from Target. Every girl needs one, and no girl should have to pay top dollar for something she'll probably only wear for Memorial Day Weekend and Fourth of July. This is the perfect middle ground.
2) These new Lululemon headbands: I think this thick, moisture-wicking headband will be perfect for the sweaty summer weather. I love the colors (especially bleached coral) and am most definitely going to buy one next time I head to the mall.
3) Summer salads. I love Pinterest for a lot of reasons, but today I love it because it's getting my excited for all the light and delicious food I'll be eating when it gets hot outside. How delicious does this look?
4) I'm sure some people think these are dumb, but I adore these little state necklaces. A bunch of friends here have North Carolina ones, but I'm a little partial to this cute California one from Etsy.
1) Sparkling water, specifically La Croix: I can get a pack of 12 from the Teeter for $4 and love having these as something special. One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop drinking soda -- I didn't really have it very much before anyway, but I wanted to completely cut it out. Now, when I want something other than water or tea, I grab a La Croix. To be honest, the Berry flavor is kinda bad and the Peach-Pear is a bit questionable, but no matter - I like the fizz. Grapefruit is the best I've had so far!
2)Breaking Bad: Rob and I are finally on the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad. If you haven't seen it, please go home right now and watch Season 1 (available on Netflix!). My interest in meth, which stems from my reading this book, is totally fueled by watching this show.
Boots, riding pants, black turtleneck, Barbour, Burberry sunglasses? Get it girl. We had lunch together on Saturday and she looked like a little movie star.
4) Flywheel:Have I talked about this yet? My friend Meg got a bunch of coupon codes for this spinning studio so I've have a bunch of free classes. The room is dark, the music's loud, and the bikes keep track of your performance so you can check your progress online anytime. I was a little intimidated at first (they give you clip in shoes and everyone seems super intense), but the people at the Charlotte studio are all very helpful and friendly. The workout is really hard, but I love that spin classes go by so quickly (when you have good music and a good teacher). If you have a Flywheel studio in your city, I suggest going and trying it out! Even better, the first class is free!!
5) Greatist Health Blog: Add this blog to your reader - trust me. There are good articles and podcasts about health-related news and research, interesting recipes, new workout ideas, etc...
1) Pajamas: With chilly weather creeping in (except in Charlotte, where is was 73 yesterday...), everyone needs a good set of pajamas. I love these sets from Victoria's Secret, but L.L. Bean has some cute ones, too. I might be biased since the VS ones were such a hit at Thanksgiving, but they are super soft and fit very well.
2) Peppermint hot chocolate: We all know the holidays are a time for indulgences. As much as I'll try and avoid packing on ten extra pounds this month, there's one thing that I absolutely love in December. Peppermint hot chocolate is absolutely delicious and is my favorite sweet treat for the winter.
3) Hanukkah! My friends, Hanukkah starts on Sunday night. I'll be at a Christmas dinner, oddly enough, but I'm so happy that Hanukkah falls before Christmas this year so that I can light the candles and do my thing.
4) Les Miserables: The official countdown has begun and I am so so so so soooooo excited for this movie. Anne Hathaway, you are too cool.
1) My family, of course. If you have read any post on this blog, you know how obsessed I am with my entire family. I'm so lucky to have supportive, fun parents who always set such an amazing example for me and two three sassy sistahz who I love more than anything.
2) My friends. Even though we're not all in the same city, I am so thankful to have these girls in my life! Thank goodness for cell phones and the internet, or else I'd be spending way more money on airplane tickets to see them every weekend.
3) Rob, because he puts up with my crazy and loves me anyway.
4) And my wonderful cousin Caleb, who drafted into the IDF yesterday. Caleb is six months older than me and is basically my twin. Love him so much and I can't wait for this fighting to end so he is safe.
Happy Election Day! This morning, I woke up bright and early circa 5:45 to exercise my civic duty and vote. The polls opened at 6:30 and I didn't want to be late for work, so I got there right on time along with about 75 other eager voters. The line took 45 minutes, so I stopped at Starbucks on my way to work for an Americano with pumpkin spice.
Close, barista, but that's not even how you spell "Margaret."
I'm excited to watch all the election coverage tonight. As much as I hate political ads, robo-calls, and dumb Facebook status updates, I'm excited to see how today turns out. After nearly 12 months of political back-and-forths with Rob, I'll also be a little relieved to have election season behind us.
Now, some of my favorites for this week...
1) This song of T-Swift's new album. I can't get enough of it. At over 5 minutes long, I doubt it will get released as a single, but I'm obsessed and you should be, too:
2) Um, prepare to salivate: Pulled Pork and Butternut Squash Chili. Saw this on Pinterest and can't wait to make it. Sounds delish and perfect for an easy weekend meal.
3)These Mossimo Katherine boots from Target. Have I told you about these yet? Literally identical to the super expensive Frye boots, but only $60. I have them and I love them.
Target (less shiny in person)
Frye
4) Pippa Middleton's new book, Celebrate, and the scandal surrounding it. Pippa is definitely my biggest celebrity girl-crush and her new book is full of gorgeous pictures of her in really cute outfits and delicious looking food. There are a lot of haters out there, but don't believe them. She's totally adorable and I just might buy her book for all my friends for Christmas prezzies.
In honor of Halloween, today's Toggy Tuesday will be spooktacular.
1) This set of costumes for your pooches. I have spent more time looking at puppy costumes than I care to admit, but this lineup takes the cake. If I had four dogs, which will never happen (don't worry, Mom!), I would most definitely make them wear this:
3) This sweet potato and turkey chili. It's on the menu for Thursday night's family dinner (along with some Whole Foods cornbread if Brett remembers). The weather here has dropped over 15 degrees in the last four days thanks to Sandy, so I'm all about soups and chilis this week. To top it off, the recipe makes a ton and I am already planning on freezing a few portions for later this winter.
4) This baby costume. If I had an infant child, s/he would absolutely be this for Halloween. Or Thanksgiving. Weird to dress your child as food? Maybe. But I love food and I will love my child, so it's really one and the same.
1) My obvious obsession this week is Revenge. I watched the entire first season last week and Season 2 premiered on Sunday night. This show is a mix between The OC, Gossip Girl, and...something with guns.
Not to mention, I have a huge crush on Jack Porter. We'd make a great couple, right?
2) This cheetah shift dress from Loft. I got it for 40% off and now it's 50% off so go buy it. Now. I'm promising myself not to buy any clothes or shoes for the rest of October since last month was a bit...out of control...but as soon as this dress arrives, I'm sure all the guilt about spending money will fade away. I'm hoping it's fabulous enough to wear for Thanksgiving dinner! My sisters should get the same one and we can match. We used to have three long-sleeved cheetah print leotards and this is sort of the same thing, right?
3) This White and Warren Cashmere Travel Wrap. It's scary expensive, but I was lucky enough to win one at a silent auction last winter. Mine is cobalt blue with white stripes - which I love - but I think the neutrals this season are even better. It is ridiculously soft and comfortably. There's a video on the website showing all the different ways to wear it, too. If you need any more reasons that this is God's gift to scarf-wearers everywhere, Blake Lively is often photographed rocking W&W.
So cuddly. So soft. So warm. This gets me so excited for cooler weather!
Although I'm sure posting pictures of my dinners every day is thrilling for some of you, I'm going to spice this blog up a little bit with Toggy Tuesdays wherein I'll post my current obsessions.
1) Uber Lara Bars: These crunchy, textured Larabars are really, really good. At around 200 calories, they make a substantial morning or afternoon snack. Like traditional Larabars, these treats boast natural and wholesome ingredients. My favorite flavor, Cherry Cobbler, just has almonds, dried cherries, brown rice syrup, pecans, cashews, raisins, dates, honey, and salt.
2) Monogram necklaces: I've had my eye on these for a while and am officially obsessed. I like gold ones the best, but there are some fun colored ones that could be very cute for the fall. I've seen them on their own and paired with statement necklaces and love both styles. This will definitely be at the top of my Hanukkah wishlist!
3) This Bob Dylan cover by Miley Cyrus: I used to think Miley's most valuable contribution to society was "Party in the USA," but then I saw her singing a duet with Dolly Parton and realized that her raspy voice can do some good stuff without the dreaded audio tune.
4) J.K. Rowling's new book: As someone who devoured the Harry Potter series, I am beyond excited for The Casual Vacancy, Rowling's first attempt at a novel intended for adult audiences.
5) Homeland: New season starts Sunday! This show is incredible, just swept the Emmys, and is filmed in Charlotte. Need more reasons to watch? Claire Danes is a total babe and used "holla" in her acceptance speech.
