31 August 2012

Currently

Reading: Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters and Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger. I'm loving both of them, but I'm more into Fingersmith right now.

Dreaming about: Having my own place, complete with country chic decor. And a cat. I miss my cats quite a lot.

Loving: The farmers markets. Every Tuesday I walk the little girl I babysit to the Lincoln Square Farmers Market. It's about a 20 minute walk both ways, so it's good exercise and a fun way to get the baby out of the house. I love all the fresh produce and she loves looking at all the different sights. Also, there's a crepe stand run by two French guys and one of them is super cute! I have to resist the temptation to buy a crepe every single week.

Looking forward to: This weekend, and the next. I work almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday so the weekends generally don't pack all that much excitement for me. But tonight I'm going to a North Coast Music Festival After Show at House of Blues, so I'm excited for that. And next weekend my darling grandma is coming to visit! I haven't seen her since Christmas, and there was tons of family around so we didn't really get a chance to visit, so it'll be great to see her.

Thankful for: My wonderful parents. I am so blessed to have been born to them. They have always been supportive of me, and I can't thank them enough for that. Without them I wouldn't have been able to move to Chicago and have this life-changing experience. A couple weeks ago I was having one minor disaster after another and I could not have gotten past them without their generosity.


29 August 2012

Dear Wednesday

Dear Maria, I love that you own so many books. It's hardly necessary for me to ever buy new books, as there are so many in my own house that I have yet to read. Of course, that doesn't stop me from buying books once in a while anyway ;)

Dear Joanna Goddard, thank you for posting this letter from Roald Dahl that made my heart happy. Roald Dahl has always been one of my favorite authors, and this made me want to read his biography or revisit a childhood favorite.


Dear Myopic Books, you are my new favorite bookstore. Three floors and a basement of used books. I had to kick myself out before I spent any more money. I realize this kind of contradicts my first letter - refer to the last sentence.

Dear insurance company, please stop being such a pain in my ass. Trying to find a doctor here has been nothing but frustrating. 

Dear cute French guy at the crepe stand at the Lincoln Square Farmers Market, are you perfect? You're adorable, certainly, and you make a damn fine crepe. Plus, you're foreign, which I like. I think you might be...





28 August 2012

Hair Amore

This ombre hair trend has been around for a while, and I actually thought it would fade out by now. When it first started popping up, I wasn't a huge fan. Sometimes it just looks like they desperately need to touch up their hair. Lately, however, I've been seeing some ombre hair colors that I really like.

I absolutely adore Drew Barrymore, but this is an example of why I thought this trend would trainwreck right away.

I'm liking the subtle difference in colors here. Lauren is always the picture of class.

Love Jamie Chung's waves and makeup.

Rachel Bilson always looks on point!

Alexa Chung shows that ladies with short hair can rock the ombre look as well.

Emma at A Beautiful Mess shares her ombre hair story.

I'm thinking about trying this look myself. I'm getting restless with life and need a change. I'm hunting for a new job, and will start volunteering for what seems like a great organization soon, but I'm itching for a superficial change as well. Since my tattoo artist is in Cruces and I'm hesitant to find someone new, a new hair color it is! A cut and color will most likely be cheaper as well.

I wouldn't go bleached blonde on the bottom, but more of a golden blonde, similar to what Rachel Bilson's got goin' on, since I have a darker complexion. I just need to save for a couple of weeks before I hit the salon. If I decide not to take the plunge into ombre, I still want to get some hidden highlights in a lighter color. I'll be sure to post pictures if/when I do it!


27 August 2012

24 before 25 Check-in


Hey guys, just thought I'd give y'all an update on how my 24 before 25 list is coming along. I have to admit, I kind of forgot about it, so I'm a bit behind. Some things are in progress and there are a few that I just don't think will happen (like living on my own and going to Vegas with friends), but that's ok!

1. move to a new city
2. get a writing/editing job
3. discover a new band/musician (that i'll keep listening to)
4. make new friends (which, as it turns out, is harder to do as an adult)
5. go to a music festival
6. take a class (such as cooking, photography, something creative!) In progress
7. take a road trip
8. take a blog tutorial or e-course I have yet to do this, but I have taught myself a lot and given my blog a makeover! Points for effort?
9. learn how to French braid
10. try Dutch food
11. try fried chicken and waffles
12. make at least 5 Julia Child recipes I've made one! And we're celebrating Julia's would have been 100th birthday when my grandma comes to visit so that will be 2 or 3 more.
13. learn how to apply eyeliner well
14. have a spa day with mom and sister
15. go to Vegas with friends
16. cook lobster
17. plan a trip with Brittany I hope she can come visit next month! I miss that girl too much.
18. take a zumba class I might have to modify this to yoga. There are a couple of yoga classes I'm interested in trying - Butterfly Haven Yoga and Sacred Space Yoga.
19. live on my own
20. go to a concert or play in a foreign language I do listen to Edith Piaf quite often... 
21. learn how to ride a bike I have tried on my cousin's bike, but have yet to master it.
22. get a dia de los muertos tattoo
23. make cute jewelry A coworker is supposed to teach me how to make these awesome bracelets she sells, so hopefully that will happen soon!
24. make an outfit for K-lee

23 August 2012

Bookworm


1. Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris. I borrowed this book from a teacher in high school whose name I no longer remember, and I fell in love. I haven't read it since my junior year of high school, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details of the plot, but I remember how it made me feel. The story is narrated by a young girl whose tortured mother is frequently ill. The mother loves to cook, and there are many recipes and descriptions of food, which is most likely a factor in my love for this novel, as well as the curious and intriguing characters.

2. The Mercy of Thin Air, Ronlyn Domingue. The novel is set in the 1920s and starts with the death of the narrator, Razi. Razi opts to remain in the "in between," a space between the living and whatever lies beyond. I'd consider it a love story, as it jumps from Razi's own love story to the story of Amy and Scott, a couple that Razi is haunting almost 75 years later. The language is beautiful and I am completely sucked into the world contained within these pages every time I read it.

3. Velva Jean Learns to Drive, Jennifer Niven. Velva Jean's story is set in Appalachia, in a land of mountains, music and simpler times. Velva Jean is ten when her mother dies and her daddy takes off, leaving Velva Jean only with her siblings and her mother's last wish, for her to "live out there in the great wide world." Velva Jean has dreams of moving to Nashville and becoming a famous singer, but those dreams are shut down when she marries hooligan turned preacher Harley Bright, at 16. I was completely immersed in Velva Jean's story, and was genuinely upset when the book ended. I continued to visit Velva Jean, Johhny Clay, Butch and the Woodcarver for days after in my mind. 

4. Paint it Black, Janet Fitch. If you have read or seen White Oleander, you know what a gifted storyteller Janet Fitch is. Dark, twisted and dramatic, Paint it Black begins with the suicide of Michael Faraday. lover of Josie Tyrell. As she struggles to cope with his death, she forms an unexpected connection with his mother, Meredith, whom she is both fascinated and repelled by. This story is powerful, if painful to read at time.

5. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo. Edward Tulane is a china rabbit. Yes, this is a children's book, but it is so good. Edward is quite satisfied with himself, and despite having a loving child to care for him, his heart remains cold. The book takes us on a journey through the bottom of the ocean, to the fireside of a hobo's camp, to the bedside of a dying girl, to a china doll shop. At the end of it all, Edward finally realizes the most important thing: to let himself love and be loved. "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless."

6. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. I had no idea what this book was about when I started it (for some reason I didn't even look at the back cover), and to be honest, I wasn't all that interested in reading it. That changed right away. This novel is set in the Republic of Gilead, which is dominated by a repressive Chrisitan fundamentalism. The main character, Offred, is a handmaid, which means she has been chosen to bear children for important men whose wives are not performing properly. As a protagonist, she's a bit passive, but we have to remember that she has effectively been oppressed and shamed into submission. If you enjoy dystopian literature, give this a read.

7. City Boy, Jean Thompson. City Boy follows newlyweds Jack and Chloe as they struggle to build a life together. As Jack tries to become the perfect husband for Chloe, jealousy and misbehavior lead to the dissolution of their marriage. Mesmerizing and incredibly emotional, this book was hard for me to put down and left me feeling a bit empty. While that might sound like a bad thing, I love books that make me feel anything, whether it be joy or sorrow.




22 August 2012

Dear Wednesday

Dear Elsie and Rachel, I am so excited to start my art journal with your ecourse! I've been feeling like I'm stuck in a rut and I think this will be a great way to nudge my creativity.

Dear Breaking Bad, why are you so good?? I kept up with the first two seasons before I fell behind. I'm currently re-watching all the seasons to get to the current and last one. I had forgotten how great it is.

Dear Lisa, thank you for creating these adorable prints that make me smile so.

Dear Nikki, thanks for coming up with this oreo truffle brownie recipe that I will definitely be trying out soon!

Dear Next Week, please be better than this week. It's been rough.

18 August 2012

Rise and Shine!

As I've mentioned before, I start almost every weekday with a smoothie. I put together this gem of a smoothie earlier this week and it was so delicious, I thought I should share the recipe with y'all.

Sunshine Smoothie

1 c frozen peaches
1 banana (cut into smaller chunks)
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1/2 c apple juice
1/2 c carrot juice
handful rolled oats

Blend until smooth.

I'm not a big fan of carrot juice, (I don't know why I bought it!) but I've been using it in my smoothies. Not only is it super healthy and good for you, but the berries, bananas and apple juice neutralize the carroty flavor and you can't even tell it's there!



17 August 2012

Also,


In With the New

You're probably wondering about the recent changes I've made on here. Or maybe you haven't even noticed. Either way, I'm going to ramble about said changes. Back to my original thought. Why the blog changes? Well for one thing, I'm restless. And fickle. I just can't seem to find the right theme, or direction, to take this blog in. I'm still working on this aspect, but I do have ideas about what I do and don't want to incorporate. For the most part, I don't want this blog to be about my personal life at all. Obviously, I can't remove myself completely from it, and it wouldn't be good if I did. But I do want to keep my distance from it.

So what's with the name? I feel like whiskey and glitter represent two aspects of my character. Whiskey is my rougher, DGAF side. Glitter is the girly, sometimes childlike part of me. Combined, these two things definitely don't represent my whole being, but separately they do show two faces that I turn towards the world.

14 August 2012

Statement Necklaces

Although I love jewelry, I tend to keep my day-to-day accessorizing pretty simple. The times when I do get a little more ambitious with my style, I tend to drift towards flashy earrings and rings, rather than necklaces. (My go-to accessory is big earrings, because I think I have ugly fingers.) Lately, however, I've been seeing so many beautiful bib necklaces that I'm thinking it's about time to learn how to style a statement necklace appropriately and effectively. Apparently, the key is to keep your outfit simple. Thanks, LC! Here are some of the styles I've been admiring online. Of course, I can't afford any of these, so I'll have to settle for window shopping.

This colorful J. Crew necklace is the first one that really caught my eye and started my fascination with this trend.

These cream baubles are classy, elegant and timeless.

I love the edginess of this spiked chain.

 
This bib has an antique, yet, exotic feel to it.

The metalwork on this floral bib is truly stunning.

This one might be my favorite. I love the intricate filigree.

This rocker chic look is a close second, though. I love that it's shown on a model, to give an idea of what sort of top might look good with this piece.

What do you think of this trend? Would/have you attempted this bold style?

11 August 2012

Salsa

I recently came across this salsa recipe on A Cup of Jo, and I just had to try it! The basic premise is that it uses just three ingredients to make a tasty and flavorful dip. And since the tomatoes are broiled, you can make this salsa any time of year and still have that fresh flavor. The three ingredients are plum (roma) tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic. That's it'! I made two batches and added cilantro and lime juice to the second one for a different flavor. They were pretty tasty, albeit a bit sweeter than the salsa I'm used to. I think this is due the broiling of the tomatoes. My aunt tasted them both and gave her approval - she even said the cilantro lime version was "restaurant quality!"

I started out with five fairly large roma tomatoes, three jalapenos and four cloves of garlic.

I love this cilantro paste in place of fresh cilantro, as I can never get through a bunch of fresh cilantro before it goes bad.

Roasted garlic and jalapenos... yum.

I used half the tomatoes and half the garlic in each batch. I put three jalapeno halves in the cilantro lime batch and only two in the basic batch.

The one on the left is the basic batch and the one on the right is the spicy cilantro lime batch. I've been obsessed with blue corn tortilla chips lately. (Trader Joe's makes the best!) I've been snacking on these for the past couple days and still have so much left. This morning I made an onion, sweet pepper and jalapeno omelette and ate it with the basic salsa and it was delicious, if I do say so myself!

*On a side note, Joanna Goddard found this recipe on The Homesick Texan blog, which is now my new food blog obsession. How yummy do these armadillo eggs look?!!?

09 August 2012

Cinnamon Banana Toast

In Among Friends, M. F. K. Fisher mentions this snack from her childhood that I found simple yet intriguing. The snack in the book consists of a slice of toast topped with a mixture of mashed banana, dark brown sugar and nutmeg. I decided to try a version of it this morning for breakfast. SO good! Since I'm tying to be healthy I used whole wheat bread and omitted the brown sugar (bananas are pretty sweet anyhow). We didn't have nutmeg, so I used cinnamon instead. Visually, it was not all that appealing, but it was damn satisfying with a hot cup of coffee. When I was younger I used to eat cinnamon sugar toast (or tortillas) for breakfast quite often. This is just a slightly healthier version of that childhood favorite!

01 August 2012

USA! USA!

I've never been an Olympic fanatic like my friend Jenna, but I do keep up with them and there are certain events that I've always loved watching. My favorite has always been gymnastics, probably because I took gymnastics as a child. I really enjoyed it, but dropped out when I got to the level where everyone had to compete. I was terribly shy and hated performing in front of other people.

But I digress. The U.S. women's gymnastics team took home the gold this year! I'm so proud of all the girls. Floor has always been my least favorite gymnastics event to watch, but the girls blew me away this year, especially Gabby Douglas. Congratulations girls!!! I'll be working tonight, but hopefully I can sneak into the billiards room to catch some of the men's gymnastics tonight.


Quote

"An intimate relationship does not banish loneliness. Only when we are comfortable with who we are can we truly function independently in a healthy way, can we truly function within a relationship. Two halves do not make a whole when it comes to a healthy relationship; it takes two wholes."

- Patricia Fry