Truth

"The ideas were often elegantly simple and rational; it was in the execution that costs and complications ensued."

-Ada Louise Huxtable in Frank Lloyd Wright: A Life

Image: Robie House, Chicago from Essential-Architecture

WIWT and WIWW

This is actually a twofer post: What I Wore Tuesday and Wednesday. I wanted to document the fact that I do occasionally have to dress like a grown up, on certain special occasions. Like a client meeting.

Cardigan: Target
Blouse: The Limited
Trousers: Banana Republic
Flats: Nine West Outlet
Pearls: Christmas gift from parents via Belk

And for comparison's sake, for when I just have to be in the office all day staring at three monitors. (Yes, three: my usual laptop and second monitor setup, plus another laptop. My eyes are practically bleeding by the end of the day and I should at least be able to launch rockets or something. But, no, just get to work in Office 2003 AND 2007. Don't be jealous of my power.)

Sweater: Kohls
Dress shirt: H&M
Jeans: Abercrombie
Flats: Gap Outlet
Necklace: DIY

How is it only Wednesday? As per every year, this "spring forward" business is destroying me. And that, combined with some other stuff, has just kept me in a terrible mood this whole week.

But on the upside, to be better, I've:

• Kept my room really clean all week
• Finished several books
• Went through a stack of mail
• Turned off the Japan coverage and watched a movie (The Lake House) and only felt a little guilty (But since it's based off a Japanese film, maybe I shouldn't feel that guilty.)

I really love this movie, by the way. I remember seeing it in the theatre with Mom my senior year and then she sent me the DVD in a care package when I was in London. (Though I ended up losing it at some point and had to buy another.) It's romantic without being gushy or cheesy and the house is so beautiful.

In a rut

When will I learn that this is not a real lunch? Even though it looks, and tastes, good. There were maybe six raviolis and it took me all of a dozen bites to finish the "meal." As cheap as they are, Lean Cusines, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, etc. just do not do enough for me. I would need three of them to feel full and to have enough energy to last until dinner. But I love getting a week's worth of meals for $10 and just keep buying them. Last week I had one with just 210 calories in it; I may as well have been eating air. Maybe it's just that after nearly five years in the workforce and at least 200 of these microwaveable meals, I'm in a rut.

WIWW

Turtleneck: Top Shop
Jeans: Paper, Denim, and Cloth
Shoes: Charlotte Ronson
Necklace: DIY using this tutorial from one of my favorite blogs, ...love Maegan.

I'm sort of in love with this necklace. I've been making jewelry for a very long time now and this is one of my favorite things I've ever made. It took me a lot longer than expected, but was so worth it. (Even if it is frayed slightly more than is fashionable.)

The silk is from a vintage scarf I bought on Portobello Road in London. I bought four scarves for £1 five years ago. One scarf is a pillow on my bed, one I use as a belt, one was cut for this necklace and still has plenty left, and one I have yet to use. Not too shabby for just a pound.

Au revoir, carbonation

This year, for the second year, I am attempting to give up soft drinks for Lent. Though I've really limited my intake since college--because they make me gain weight faster than anything and I can feel the cavities forming--I definitely partake often enough that going without for more than a month is going to be difficult. (Maybe I should have given up run on sentences.)

Last year, I came really close to completing my goal, until I felt faint on a flight and had to drink ginger ale. It took me two years to successfully give up pizza, so hopefully the second year is the charm, yet again.

Keeping with the tradition of Fat Tuesday, I gorged myself on Pepsi today. At lunch I bought a 2-liter bottle, kept it under my desk, and then just refilled my glass as needed. (Can we say, classy?) By 4:00 I felt like my teeth were rotting out of my skull, had to use the bathroom every ten minutes, and had a serious case of the giggles. So while right now I never want to touch the stuff again, in a week my feelings will have changed.

Though typically the domain of Catholics, the Baptists I knew in college were frequent participants, and I started trying to participate as well. And despite my general failings at organized religion the majority of the year, I do think Lent is really important. I know that abstaining from something for 40 days doesn't erase what I do, or don't do, the other 325. And that giving up something as simple and first-world as a food item is so small compared to so much else. But it serves as a constant reminder of something greater than myself. Someone greater than myself. That's all.

So if you see me reach for a Pepsi in the next month, feel free to knock it from my hand or tackle me to the ground. Or maybe you can just drink one for me? Is that allowed?

(Mis)Adventures in Cooking

On Sunday I woke up early (for me) to a very wet and gray day. After a few episodes of "The Office" and a little bit of "This Week," it was off to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients for the day's projects. Of the cooking variety.

First up was some guacamole. I've only realized in the past year my like for guacamole, so long as it's fresh and chunky. I looked up online how to cut an avocado and also several different recipes, but ended up just throwing it together. That's right, I threw something together. Mark the date. Two avocados, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a little sea salt, a little garlic powder, and a bit too much lime juice, and this is what I was left with. (I still have a bit of a hangup about how green it is, thus the addition of the tomatoes to trick my mind a little bit.)  

It was the perfect lunch and accompaniment to some DVRed "Saturday Night Live." Then, after a little relaxation and two episodes of "Gilmore Girls" on SoapNet, I started on my next dish, carrot cake muffins courtesy of a recipe in the New York Times.

I took this before picture of the batter in case they turned out so amazingly well that there were doubts as to if I actually made them.

There really was no need for the proof. 

But, even if they look like mud, the taste is all that matters. Except, they actually taste kind of blah. No idea why. They smell amazing and I followed the recipe exactly. Well, except for using the brown sugar I had instead of the "turbinado" kind. Could that have been the key? Or the nutmeg from a bottle instead of "freshly ground?" Maybe I'm just not refined enough to use recipes from the Times.

I did, however, manage to still eat three of them during the "Indiana Jones" marathon on USA. One for each movie watched.

It's officially March

The word "winning" has been tossed about a lot this week, and in a manner that makes me question if some people actually understand what the word means. So, just to clear things up, let's look at what the word really means.

A little visual evidence.

One more, just to make it absolutely, crystal clear.

That is winning, America!

And one more thing, and on a completely selfish note.

My favorite Carolina player when I was in school was David Noel. He had so much heart and was such a strong leader, especially our senior year. I follow him and many other current and former players on Twitter. He posted something about a bad memory in regards to the 2005 Duke/UNC game clip CBS played. At that moment I was sitting on my couch, hundreds of miles and six years later, proudly wearing his jersey. And I just had to tell him that. So I did. And he replied back with "haha thanks." Which are pretty much the best two words one could ever hear. On one of the best days to be a Tar Heel.


Sources: 1, 2 my screen grabs from ESPN.com; 3, 4, 5 from Yahoo Sports; 6 from Yahoo Sports, with my additions; 7 my screen grab from Twitter.

Fountain Friday

Summer 2005



Fall 2006

Italian Garden Fountains

Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, London

My first trip to London I spent only a few hours in Hyde Park, racing around to see the Diana memorial and the Peter Pan statue. But even in my racing I was of course able to find some fountains. Covered in green moss on a gray day, the Italian Fountains seemed like something out of another time. And they sort of are. When I moved back in 2006, I lived just a few blocks from the Park and spent a lot of September and October days there. And on a November day, with my mom and aunt in tow, we hit the fountains right as the sun was setting, casting a glow on everything. My only regret is I didn't see them covered in snow.

Holiday Rewind Part 6b: Carolina Way

Hallowed ground. The Dean Dome. We were lucky and had great seats between the player's tunnel and the press table, only a few rows from the court. The boys were up against St. Francis (PA) -- as it appeared on the ticket -- and did not disappoint.

Exiting the tunnel for the warm up. I would kill to have that carpet in my home.

Roy! Just before he did NOT throw a t-shirt anywhere near us.

Game time! Barnes and Zeller.

Henson and his crazy legs. This game made me really love Henson. Partly because he's a great player, partly because he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and partly because of the kinship I feel with him and his knobby legs.

Marshall before I realized how important he would be just a month later.

Roy getting a little angry. 

Hansbrough's jersey! Too lazy to look it up, but Joey and I don't think we had seen this yet.

Can you spot the problem with this picture?

Yep, there it is. Ball on wrong side of the basket. But my favorite part of this is later, when we were talking about the game to the parents. Mom asked if they brought the broom out and Daddy chimed in with "No, I'm sure they have some special tool for that." He was right, of course. Because seriously, my Dad knows everything.

Me and the court.

Joey and the team. And yes, he wanted it to look like his head was about to attack the team.

My favorite part of the game. They put the benchwarmers in -- aka Blue Steel -- and the rest of the team were just giddy for them. Henson stood up the entire time they were out, waved his towel around, and hugged or high-fived all of them at the end. Everyone else was also very excited for them. It just warms my heart.

Final score. Biscuits!

Thanks, boys. Thank you so much.

And that was our day in Chapel Hill. After the game we got some garlic knots and cannolis from Franklin Street Pizza and Pasta, and headed east toward home. Joey spent the drive playing me all his favorite songs and singing along. I spent the night packing and watching an "Axe Men" marathon with mom and the next day it was back to D.C.

And that was my holiday. Next time maybe I'll finally write about the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg interview I attended...one month ago. And then maybe I'll find my efficiency. But probably not.

WIWW

Cardigan: JCPenney Outlet
Dress shirt: Thrifted, with a Banana Republic tag
Belt: Macy's, came with my Halloween dress
Jeans: Gap
Shoes: Payless

Not pictured:

• The belt loop I pulled off today and the subsequent hole on the side of my jeans.What are belt loops on skinny jeans for if not to help you get them on? 
• My healing leg! It has been three weeks since The Burn and it's truly healing. I finished the antibiotics and the cream and now just apply Vitamin E oil like a fiend to prevent itching and scarring. (Note: This really works. Maybe everyone else already knew this, but my doctor told me and I'm so thankful she did.)

Sort of pictured:

• My new hair! I got it cut tonite by a very talented British man. There are layers, though they are kind of hard to see. But it is lighter and has movement while keeping length and simplicity, which I guess is the mark of a good cut. And since I had lived in London and that's all we talked about, he knocked $20 off the price.