Week in Photos: Week 47

My most favorite photo right now.



Muesli layers.



Perfectly wavy bacon strips.



I'm so jealous that he gets to hang out in bed with the cats every single morning when I'm leaving for work...



Messy cake balls. Not that kids care whether they look messy or not...



I wanted to eat this beautiful cheese plate, but it was for a catering order :(



It snowed in the kitchen! Just kidding.
I'm such a jerk for posting photos of food all the time but no recipes.



The cutest little quinoa salad cups.



I made turkey chili. And it was spicy. Like, super spicy.



Graffiti Bar in Philly, with two lovely lady friends/colleagues.



It was like a mojito and a moscow mule combined, and it was delicious.



We shared so many delicious plates. The fried spicy shrimp was the best!



Naked eclairs! Without their chocolate robes; how naughty!



I woke up with this guy on my chest.



Did someone say cat heaven?



Bought some friends a bonsai as a housewarming gift.



The most beautiful pizza. Do you like Hawaiian pizza? We love it!



I totally folded and bought myself a coat. Went for the olive to deviate from my usually 'safe' color choice (black). I kindof love it!



The only thing I ever bake at home anymore.

This was a great week, filled with friends and food. (The only two requirements to a great week, honestly.) I went downtown after work for a dinner date with two friends and after getting some drinks at Graffiti Bar and walking around the city trying to find a decent restaurant with less than a 45-minute wait (Philly was packed for a Thursday night!), we found ourselves back at Graffiti Bar for more drinks and a few shared plates. It's an outdoor bar, but they have huge heat lamps that keep it cozy in there even on the coldest nights. On Saturday I drove across the Ben Franklin bridge to catch up with an old friend and her girlfriend at their new place; we ate meatloaf and mashed potatoes and brownies, and I brought them a beautiful bonsai tree that I almost kept for myself. And Sunday Shawn was actually off from work for once, so we got to spend the day lounging around together after I got home from my shift at the yoga studio. What an awesome weekend! I can't say it was particularly productive, but sometimes life doesn't have to be. Of course I folded and bought myself a new winter coat which arrived on Friday, right before the temperatures worked their way back up into the 50s. (And they're calling for low 70s tomorrow!! What is this madness?!) But then they're predicting snow for Wednesday (I love snow, but couldn't it wait until after we have to drive to New Jersey for the holiday?), so chances are I'll get to wear my new coat soon enough.

I hope you had an amazing weekend, and that you have fun things planned for the week ahead. I'm looking forward to an extra day off work this week, to seeing my siblings and checking out our friends' new (first!) house, and to cashing in on Shawn's birthday gift to me this Saturday. (I'm not saying more than that - you'll see! I've been excited about it since July!)

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Quintessentially Me

coat: thrifted / scarf: LOFT / shirt: Gap / pants: Anthropologie / shoes: Seychelles




Do you have an item of clothing that feels quintessentially you? Something that screams your name when you see it because it's OMG-the most perfect _____, ever, no question about it, and when you wear it out you feel like anyone that sees you is getting an accurate representation of your true character? That's these pants for me. I bought them over five years ago, after coveting them online for months... (they were on my Pinterest wish list, back when Pinterest first started out...) and I finally stumbled upon one lonely pair on the clearance rack for a quarter of their original price. They were a size too big when I bought them, and I had every intention of getting them tailored... but I just never got around to it. Good thing, too, because now they fit me almost perfectly! I don't know whether I should be happy that they fit now, or if I should be upset... that they fit now. Either way, they fit now!!!

I wore these downtown with some girlfriends the other night to The Franklin Institute for their Science After Hours event (side note: which was AWESOME). On our way there, a bum called me a "clown with wings" (in reference to all of us looking like angels, after also saying a few other things to us that were hilariously inappropriate and should not be repeated on the internet...) I don't know if he meant my pants, my hair, or the whole shebang, but I guess he wasn't too far off. Anyone who knows me in real life will tell you I am a bit of a clown. I'm clumsy, I'm silly, and I like ridiculous things. Maybe these pants are a little over the top for some people, but they're just right for me! And if they help show off my silly side, then so be it. I love them, and I love my silly self, and I'm gonna keep on rockin' both.

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The Cat Life - Lounging Around

Cats, cats, cats. Because.... cats.

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Week in Photos: Week 46

This is what autumn looks like.



Our turkey taco game is on point.



Philadelphia at night is a whole different city.



Science After Hours at The Franklin Institute. Science, booze, and big kids.



I walked through a giant heart!



It wasn't a contest, but I won!



Never been this close to one of those before.



I had a little fun with my hair. Knots knots knots!



This is the view from the observatory at The Franklin Institute.



We're cat-sitting for some friends for a few days.



"Hey! You're not my human!"



I've been working a Sunday desk shift at a yoga studio in exchange for free classes! It's like nectar for my muscles.



Bought myself a new bracelet. I like it.



Couldn't resist the purple cauliflower at the farmer's market. That color!



Add a little egg and some cheese and you've got yourself an omelet.



My dad posted this on my wall and then I found this cat at TJ Maxx. So cute.
(That tea is super yummy but it slips through every strainer I have!)

Last weekend I switched the two closets we have (one is for cleaning supplies/storage, the other is for all my clothes) and now they're both so much better organized; this weekend we switched the two bedrooms because the one stays really warm and the other stays really cold. Neither one of us can sleep when we're a sweaty mess, so after five months of hoping it would get better, we finally decided to do something about it. Now the bedroom is spacious (and cold!) and the office is cozy (and warm!). Things are finally starting to come together around here. Maybe I'll get some stuff up on the walls this week and finally post some photos... if you care to see them!

Hope you had a great weekend!

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Cold Weather Covets

The weather has gotten colder and I find myself reaching for my warmer sweaters and coats. I've also realized that most of my winter coats and fleeces are pretty old now and could use a replacement. My dilemma has been whether to go for practical or stylish. I'm in love with the wool coat from Modcloth, but I also know I could definitely use a 3-in-1 jacket, or at least a water-proof weather-resistant outer layer. Or do I just keep my current water-proof jacket and just buy a new warm fleece to wear with it? Decisions! (First-world problems!) But my heart still wants that Modcloth coat. I've also been on the fence about buying rain boots because I hadn't found a pair I liked enough to splurge on... until now. Here are some of the things I've been coveting.

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What cold weather clothing have you been coveting lately?

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