tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33820236481735762202024-02-07T00:45:19.442-05:00En coloris. | Life in color.Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-20340164172921070392014-12-31T17:50:00.000-05:002014-12-31T17:50:57.081-05:002014: The Year of NewOn January 1st 2014, I decided that I would do at least one new thing a month for the year. I figure todays a great day to share these adventures with you.<br />
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January: Yoga.</div>
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On the second day of the new year, I got a text from my cousin asking what I was up to that weekend. Per usual, the answer was a big fat nothing, so when she invited me down to her yoga studio for the weekend to attend a intensive 2 day training to gain my yoga teacher certification, I was beyond down. I fell in love with yoga a few years ago, and had always wanted to be a teacher- but it was one of those things that I just never got around to doing. This invitation was just the push I needed to step out of my comfort zone and finally get around to something on by bucket list. I had a blast, and not only gained my certification, but also found a love for trying new things. And thus, I vowed to do at least one new thing every month for 2014 to push myself out of my comfort zone and to stretch my newfound love for being independent.</div>
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<i>Namaste.</i></div>
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February: Travel.</div>
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The second month of 2014 found me quite busy, but when I had the opportunity to travel to Pittsburg at the end of the month for an interview, I jumped right on it. I had been to Pittsburg before with family, so I was somewhat familiar with the city, but I had never traveled somewhere entirely by myself. I met up with an acquaintance whom I stayed with during my short trip, but I had a blast doing everything (flying, bus riding, navigating, eating, losing my favorite lipstick, etc.) by myself. I entered the new year struggling a little with being by myself, but by the end of February I was beginning to find comfort in it.</div>
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<i>I know, its Chicago- but the layover was grand and look at that lake!</i></div>
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March: Reunions.</div>
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Despite being less than a year out of my undergrad, I had yet to take the trip back down to my alma matter for a visit with my sorority sisters. Which was not okay. So, when I was able to squeeze a trip down for our big-little reveal to surprise some of the girls, I was over the moon. Being back in Bloomington as an alum for the first time was a sobering experience (yet not, if ya catch my drift), but it was beyond wonderful to get to reunite with my little family and girls that I hadn't seen in so long. </div>
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<i>My little & grand little- aren't they beautiful?!</i></div>
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April: Flyin' solo (or, more traveling)</div>
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April was even busier than February, which I didn't think possible going into the month. However, mid-month I was able to travel to Little Rock for yet another interview. I knew nobody in the city, and I had never been before. I had to book a hotel, transportation, and flights from South Carolina and back to home all on my own. I was nervous when I checked into the hotel, not knowing anyone in the state and being there for 3 days. It was the longest I had been on my own yet, and I loved it. It was oddly relaxing and freeing- and when I got back to Indy I decided that I needed to make solo travel something I do more often.</div>
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<i>Oh yeah- I also had bangs. Yikes.</i></div>
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May: Dreams do come true.</div>
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The reason I had been traveling thru the beginning of the year was that I was interviewing for Genetic Counseling graduate programs. The first week of may I was able to accept an offer in the 2016 class of my dream school- University of South Carolina. It was so exciting, but it also meant that I would be moving south of the Mason-Dixon line, where I knew nobody! While it wasn't something I had the opportunity to do before this month, accepting my offer at SC was the first huge step in following one of my biggest career dreams.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObDrhZRGfLj81VQUft3a1Ew-wd__ao3MjRGft0SqVHSDw5OQQDAoyGlMbbg5gZED0IpHuogUyDGsxjFInsL1rmaHix9TB5vgEQq2hxTVEdBRUOVtAunnrhPXyO_LMTLpSBBbswu2WIEU/s1600/may.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObDrhZRGfLj81VQUft3a1Ew-wd__ao3MjRGft0SqVHSDw5OQQDAoyGlMbbg5gZED0IpHuogUyDGsxjFInsL1rmaHix9TB5vgEQq2hxTVEdBRUOVtAunnrhPXyO_LMTLpSBBbswu2WIEU/s1600/may.png" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
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<i>Some of my biggest fans. Love them.</i></div>
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June: Father-daughter adventures.</div>
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Since I had agreed to move, that meant apartment hunting needed to happen. And there was NO WAY I was signing a lease with just perusing the internet. So, June found me back on a plane to SC, but this time with my dad. We take a fair amount of family trips, but I had never taken a trip with just my dad and I. It was such a fun, awesome bonding experience. It made me realize just how much spending quality time with your parents is worth. And also, how much like my dad I am! Which is a very, very good thing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBzSm_OHCFNBwkNCQArftBVg_FkBljhDoEtp9zCyr8wGXFfg31vbtPPcAuTyIkFDwXrMy7TexPeai7PbxHjnK_pj-u9Cbo9vrpTDohFkF_GdTCgLMVJrdvgV5f-KzGq-JXx6K5XqW0dI/s1600/june.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBzSm_OHCFNBwkNCQArftBVg_FkBljhDoEtp9zCyr8wGXFfg31vbtPPcAuTyIkFDwXrMy7TexPeai7PbxHjnK_pj-u9Cbo9vrpTDohFkF_GdTCgLMVJrdvgV5f-KzGq-JXx6K5XqW0dI/s1600/june.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>BK loves taking selfies.</i></div>
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July: Teaching.</div>
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Despite getting my yoga teacher certification back in January, it took me until July to muster up the courage (and time) to teach my first class. Even though it was just to one of my best friends, I was still very nervous! But, we had some wine and practiced outside, and laughed our butts off because we kept falling over. Looking back, I had nothing to be nervous about, and teaching even just her helped me gain so much confidence to continue teaching.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn12p0XzCFf82_eozHqMXl34e9rxAYIfV_FVsmWi28JbRpGPkC91miM4b-5V0ryBfOC2N6aS98HV8Xzg-7NFAkLRNFeuYh_obWId4e_ImKe7ch-OE_lsS_whdCHbJMg6KIw764wbZc42w/s1600/july.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn12p0XzCFf82_eozHqMXl34e9rxAYIfV_FVsmWi28JbRpGPkC91miM4b-5V0ryBfOC2N6aS98HV8Xzg-7NFAkLRNFeuYh_obWId4e_ImKe7ch-OE_lsS_whdCHbJMg6KIw764wbZc42w/s1600/july.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>No pictures were taken during yoga, as we were having trouble balancing. But here's my BFF Kara & I about to do some other exercise! </i></div>
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August: Making moves.</div>
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August found me packing up a U-Haul and my little Honda with everything important to me, and hitting the road. I was so scared, but so excited at the same time for this new step in my life. I had never lived outside the state of Indiana before, and here I was going to a state where I knew absolutely nobody. It has been such an incredible adventure though, and one of the best decisions I have ever made. For those of you who have the opportunity to make a big move in your early 20's, I highly recommend it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTwDTFTQezqnV7OG-7j-Fi8boiXdQeOkfdhBIplD6wJMFSjn-ky0aG_2MPbFw0UmBcil_TUdk3U3GiO5aTD94jVLFn0n6INXYNn5aXiVj1hyphenhyphenBrpv-9TpFaNuQhGS59I0CkNWZp3agAso/s1600/aug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTwDTFTQezqnV7OG-7j-Fi8boiXdQeOkfdhBIplD6wJMFSjn-ky0aG_2MPbFw0UmBcil_TUdk3U3GiO5aTD94jVLFn0n6INXYNn5aXiVj1hyphenhyphenBrpv-9TpFaNuQhGS59I0CkNWZp3agAso/s1600/aug.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I was excited. Sasha, was not.</i></div>
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September: New friends.</div>
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Full disclosure here- I have always struggled with making new friends. I am quite shy when it comes to meeting new people. Most of my best friends I have known since grade school, which is completely okay in my book, despite the fact that they have some serious blackmail-worthy pictures of me. So, the idea of having to make an entirely new circle of friends in SC was terrifying to me. However, it was not nearly as difficult, or as scary, as I had thought, and I am in love with all of the wonderful friends I had made by September. They've encouraged me to come out of my shell and to be more adventurous and outgoing, and I love them for that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebyxicOI8tGjoVeOqTDTedpNKpzOjBqEegEBysHFs6E_eQFHqUdn90octluHDOvbxvN6MgRzLG069YGnHXlhiclnXBg2CvZolqmWWnZzll7t_Ac638IjuWkq9WzTo2U8qCEjBQJHFuOM/s1600/sept.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebyxicOI8tGjoVeOqTDTedpNKpzOjBqEegEBysHFs6E_eQFHqUdn90octluHDOvbxvN6MgRzLG069YGnHXlhiclnXBg2CvZolqmWWnZzll7t_Ac638IjuWkq9WzTo2U8qCEjBQJHFuOM/s1600/sept.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Just a few of my gorgeous new girlfirandz!</i></div>
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October: Dating. Or...not.</div>
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My new friends convinced me to try something I had sworn I would never do at the beginning of October. Online dating. But, after a few margaritas and the day off of class, I found myself making an OKCupid profile while they snooped, cropped, and edited their way through my photos. It was a hoot for a while, and I'm glad they talked me into it- I had some good laughs and conversations. However, I hated it. I deleted my profile within a month, and when asked why by the website, I said "This makes me too anxious". For real, haha. I'm glad I tried it, because I try to not knock anything until I've experienced it, but I hope I never do online dating again. It made me too anxious and uncomfortable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31IOGOEk5bSfIpifVSa_hYkzN3v_Xap2d5Rnl9awBxpnQNwmcfT5pNE8F7wm8GI5z1hNrALEKV879F5EojlzJgq2bQNTrj8Fd5cBg5VRYLXs-KNLAkLOUTvMT0xJBRUFqXVE8xAZvjLo/s1600/oct.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31IOGOEk5bSfIpifVSa_hYkzN3v_Xap2d5Rnl9awBxpnQNwmcfT5pNE8F7wm8GI5z1hNrALEKV879F5EojlzJgq2bQNTrj8Fd5cBg5VRYLXs-KNLAkLOUTvMT0xJBRUFqXVE8xAZvjLo/s1600/oct.png" height="320" width="187" /></a></div>
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<i>One of those cropped and edited pictures my wonderful friends picked out for me.</i></div>
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November: Embracing the holiday travel.</div>
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By November, I was kind of scrambling for "firsts" to do. School was making my calendar crazy, and with the holidays coming up I was at a loss of what to do. But, hopping on a plane a few days before Thanksgiving, sneaking mini bottles of rum into the airport, and embracing the craziness of holiday travel was new enough for this month. And it was a blast!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEWMgk5zN1ba_kEu3zgd89lV-AwVSr7R5P8oQiaZWByt_B-QaHxYZ8d1ZLG_Jl110RvztHMoCTEB8-_9QJYprid9iJz0J8_YZt-xrQuzpTG8VG0zTje2tGlM2EsNaQlvffo3WlIP2DBU/s1600/nov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEWMgk5zN1ba_kEu3zgd89lV-AwVSr7R5P8oQiaZWByt_B-QaHxYZ8d1ZLG_Jl110RvztHMoCTEB8-_9QJYprid9iJz0J8_YZt-xrQuzpTG8VG0zTje2tGlM2EsNaQlvffo3WlIP2DBU/s1600/nov.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Mom realllllly wanted a photo of us at the airport. </i></div>
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December: Tattoo.</div>
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I've wanted a tattoo for years. And I finally got one- and I'm in love.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3idKobYySel-HicY1tHkFD07gOCgDKogGzd0kD66FfiR0-RgMbL9FVrFt57e1QFf6wDroJLn9yKPVRlYbp2grL3C7nZviMfbL4Fp0SoXy3Y96F03jhidgLlBSLZY9UuICZ-r64dUkFM/s1600/dec.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3idKobYySel-HicY1tHkFD07gOCgDKogGzd0kD66FfiR0-RgMbL9FVrFt57e1QFf6wDroJLn9yKPVRlYbp2grL3C7nZviMfbL4Fp0SoXy3Y96F03jhidgLlBSLZY9UuICZ-r64dUkFM/s1600/dec.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Whoever said tattoos don't hurt is a lier. Ouch!</i></div>
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But more on that later. I'm actually really excited to share it with you, but I need to go get ready to ring in the new year!</div>
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I hope you all have fun & safe celebrations tonight, and I will see you in 2015!</div>
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Cheers :)</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-22596941207731932592014-12-20T15:10:00.000-05:002014-12-20T15:16:08.125-05:00Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8TPYPxH4_9u0U_1X_Xpu4VjJj8ztntwb1aMmQqPYRTEIrhvztTa6HCwOnQpG8q5_xP7xlTQmMIN27Vy_nJjCWYq8c7TjCkQIET2AA7J1y3m4WjEqR58auB4zXnxuEfiNXPo-Hf1wefQ/s1600/IMG_2636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8TPYPxH4_9u0U_1X_Xpu4VjJj8ztntwb1aMmQqPYRTEIrhvztTa6HCwOnQpG8q5_xP7xlTQmMIN27Vy_nJjCWYq8c7TjCkQIET2AA7J1y3m4WjEqR58auB4zXnxuEfiNXPo-Hf1wefQ/s1600/IMG_2636.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you're anything like me, that means you're still scrambling around for those last minute gift ideas.<br />
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Mixed with procrastination, I may have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle. With 5 days till Christmas, I know all of the shops are absolutely cray and will continue to be so until 2015. But, if you're brave enough to venture out to pick up those few last minute trinkets, like I'm going to have to be tomorrow, I have a few suggestions for you that are all in stores- no holiday shipping prices here!<br />
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For him and for her, here's 9 holiday gift suggestions ranging from accessories to kitchen fun. And the best part? They're all under $100!<br />
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It's so easy to get carried away with holiday shopping and forget that budgeting is a thing, so- here's 18 budget-friendly last minute gift ideas coming at ya!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxP8fl_w1CeblWZeDJkdQbOzdrg_auFZ5AspU-zm8qqkhHVtlZpqvallLJR4GTzdEunn-Hk6Ka_7IIkYFeEy8UvQWCurCnCTEfb2Kpbxth9V1urs_nJTzHE6sJWWc5viDUDpvBHVMCas/s1600/LastMinuteGiftGuide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxP8fl_w1CeblWZeDJkdQbOzdrg_auFZ5AspU-zm8qqkhHVtlZpqvallLJR4GTzdEunn-Hk6Ka_7IIkYFeEy8UvQWCurCnCTEfb2Kpbxth9V1urs_nJTzHE6sJWWc5viDUDpvBHVMCas/s1600/LastMinuteGiftGuide.jpg" height="640" width="560" /></a></div>
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1. Naked Basics Palette | <a href="http://www.sephora.com/naked-basics-palette-P376213?skuId=1458157">Sephora</a></div>
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2. Dogeared Karma Necklace | <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/dogeared-reminder-karma-boxed-pendant-necklace/2973530">Nordstrom</a></div>
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3. Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue Rollerball | <a href="http://www.sephora.com/light-blue-travel-spray-P377485?skuId=1429786">Sephora</a></div>
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4. MUK LUKSĀ® Slippers | <a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-muk-luks-jewel-slipper-boots/-/A-16744971#prodSlot=medium_4_9&term=slippers">Target</a></div>
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5. Mule Mug | <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=30664114&parentid=A_FURN_MUG#/">Urban Outfitters</a></div>
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6. Free People Summit Socks | <a href="http://www.vonmaur.com/Product.aspx?ID=233447">Von Maur</a></div>
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7. Classic Plaid Scarf | <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/john-ashford-classic-plaid-scarf?ID=1655544&CategoryID=47657#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D27%26kws%3Dplaid%20scarf%26slotId%3D8">Macy's</a></div>
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8. Silver Lining iPhone Case | <a href="http://www.katespade.com/find-the-silver-lining-iphone-5-case/8ARU0745,en_US,pd.html?navid=xsellPDP">Kate Spade</a></div>
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9. Essie 'Good as Gold' | <a href="http://www.target.com/p/essie-nail-color-good-as-gold/-/A-14062055#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=essie+gold">Target</a></div>
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1. Mr. Gray Textile Socks | <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/mr-gray-textile-original-twister-cotton-blend-socks/3967345?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Oatmeal%2F+Blue%2F+Red&resultback=3140&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_9_A">Nordstrom</a></div>
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2. Ralph Lauren Scarf | <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/polo-ralph-lauren-double-face-scarf/3957323?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Windsor+Heather&resultback=5520&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_15_D">Nordstrom</a></div>
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3. Timex Original Easy Reader Watch | <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=26512541&parentid=GIFT-TREAT#/">Urban Outfitters</a></div>
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4. Star Wars Cookbook | <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=33398025&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS#/">Urban Outfitters</a></div>
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5. Sandalwood Starter Kit | <a href="http://www.theartofshaving.com/Sandalwood-Starter-Kit/00670535980377,default,pd.html?start=11&cgid=shaving-products-shaving-kits&navid=shaving-products-shaving-kits">The Art of Shaving</a></div>
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6. Beards Pint Glass | <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18466094l&parentid=A-BAR-PINTS#/">Urban Outfitters</a></div>
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7. L'Eau d'Issy Pour Homme | <a href="http://www.sephora.com/l-eau-d-issey-pour-homme-P6325?skuId=3566">Sephora</a></div>
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8. L.B. Evans Slippers | <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/lb-evans-altin-memory-foam-suede-slippers?ID=476747&CategoryID=65&RVI=PDP_2">Macy's</a></div>
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9. Bellroy 'Note Sleeve' Wallet | <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bellroy-note-sleeve-wallet/3569811?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Cocoa&resultback=6644&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_18_C">Nordstrom</a> </div>
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A few of the picks for the ladies come with personal recommendations. DG's Light Blue is hands down my favorite perfume right now, and I've been pining over those mule mugs at Urban forever. So, if anyone wants to get me one, I'd love you forever :) </div>
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Best of luck to all of you last minute shoppers out there- I'll be among you tomorrow! Time to go make a grocery list for baking tonight- expect some family recipes coming soon!</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-29323700290427191622014-12-19T15:31:00.001-05:002014-12-19T15:35:54.044-05:00Spontaneous Olive Oil Tasting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0dPehzFKOWYwPM0s6H4jHsd-vnuqMeTuljQaMQtqjuRUybZBQRe0vQP8bvSxeAJgJ4gtztPrIAkCxgAHuEAoV7Z_9j80A900WTteoUnXQ17SMiKDo7MTZB4ARiYD3_rpAwGEtn2Wsjc/s1600/IMG_2407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0dPehzFKOWYwPM0s6H4jHsd-vnuqMeTuljQaMQtqjuRUybZBQRe0vQP8bvSxeAJgJ4gtztPrIAkCxgAHuEAoV7Z_9j80A900WTteoUnXQ17SMiKDo7MTZB4ARiYD3_rpAwGEtn2Wsjc/s1600/IMG_2407.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the plus sides of hanging around Columbia for a few days after finals are over is having some time to get a little holiday shopping done. </div>
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This gorgeous little shop is nestled right next to my favorite Mexican restaurant in Columbia, <a href="http://www.cantina76.com/">Cantina76</a>. I've walked and driven past it frequently, and always tell myself "oh, I'll swing by there this weekend and check it out!" Which of course, if you know me at all, never happens.</div>
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So, finally with the excuse of holiday shopping for Mom, I took a break from cleaning and packing and popped over to <a href="http://www.thecrescentolive.com/">The Crescent Olive</a> - a specialty shop for premium olive oils and vinegars. </div>
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I'm very unknowledgeable about olive oils beyond the fact that I'm a big fan, so I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into when I stepped into the shop to be greeted with rows of different barrels of oils. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnTKF5pu7TSG2va-TadGny0alY5HlM481PimjZ7grEpS-7Kq8FBRp8fpg9y4xPSTUnpudNlNpxSGxGR6VF5xEv3VKk6hb2Dcf7gywwGpx6HO8LdXR5BHMAjnXQNxYjaobj8XNvfPW5Hw/s1600/IMG_2406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnTKF5pu7TSG2va-TadGny0alY5HlM481PimjZ7grEpS-7Kq8FBRp8fpg9y4xPSTUnpudNlNpxSGxGR6VF5xEv3VKk6hb2Dcf7gywwGpx6HO8LdXR5BHMAjnXQNxYjaobj8XNvfPW5Hw/s1600/IMG_2406.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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There were plenty of other holiday shoppers perusing the oils, vinegars, and other little things for sale (cheese boards, pastas, all kinds of delicious kitchen-y things!), but I was promptly greeted by one of the girls working there as soon as she was done gift wrapping for another customer. I told her that I had no idea what I was looking for and that I really don't know much about olive oils, to which she responded by giving me a bowl of bread and telling me that I could sample as many as I wanted, since everyone has a different preference for oils. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZrB3sKpGHwbVes54WnJcgdVkkeXjo-I0cGLQEjFKrKkOyovdK4PUrjk3mWCr7qbUrFdXEqrFLewqI4VYDksAWhUVLqe1iWBmsAXCkD9hjhNONRU6dTlsGToLN5LDKcPkHKCFshxW-lI/s1600/IMG_2403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZrB3sKpGHwbVes54WnJcgdVkkeXjo-I0cGLQEjFKrKkOyovdK4PUrjk3mWCr7qbUrFdXEqrFLewqI4VYDksAWhUVLqe1iWBmsAXCkD9hjhNONRU6dTlsGToLN5LDKcPkHKCFshxW-lI/s1600/IMG_2403.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>They even sell EVOO skin and hair care products- what?!</i></div>
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Bread and over 25 types of olive oil? I thought I may have died and gone to heaven. I just needed a glass of wine and I'd be set.</div>
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At The Crescent Olive, they only sell Ultra Premium (UP) Oils, which means that they are the held to the highest standard for olive oils. Each oil must meet various chemical and freshness requirements, and be passed through various boards of individuals before gaining the UP label. Who knew? Another thing that I love is that these regulations aim to improve free trade- which is fantastic.</div>
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There were 2 different "themes" of oils, if you will. There were ones infused with flavors from garlic and onion to lemon, and everything in-between, along with pure oils imported from around the world. After about 20 minutes of circling around the rows, I narrowed it down to either the Picual, a gold medal winner and robust little guy from Peru with tomato leaf notes, or the Cilantro & Roasted Onion infused oil- which was delicious with bread. </div>
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I eventually settled on one, which I'm not going to share with you just incase Mom's reading this. I can't completely ruin the surprise! Once I was reserved to my choice, I told the gal behind the counter, who then bottled up the oil for me. You can choose from 3 different sized bottles, or you can also do a sampler of 6 or so different oils. So many choices!</div>
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Of course, once I thought I was all set, she asked if I had ever tried dark balsamic vinegars. To which I responded that I use it as salad dressing, but that's about it. Apparently there's a billion different infused flavors of dark and light balsamics, and they have nearly 30 flavors in the back room to sample. And the best part is- because of their heavy flavor, you sample most of them over vanilla ice cream. Whaa?</div>
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So how could I pass up an offer to sample all of those?</div>
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After she dished me up my very own bowl of ice cream, I was let loose in the back room with balsamic vinegar flavors ranging from strawberry to champagne, to espresso. At this point, I didn't even need the wine. </div>
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It was quite the art, balancing the spoon full of ice cream while turning on the spout to get just enough, but by the end I'd say I was quite the pro.</div>
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I ended up having two favorites. One fruity, and one sweet. I was surprised at how gorgeously the oil paired with the ice cream. Not going to lie, I was pretty weirded out at first when I was given my ice cream, but it was a very pleasant surprise.</div>
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<i>Raspberry won 'Best in Show' for the fruity flavors</i></div>
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<i>Cinnamon Pear won for the sweet, hands down</i></div>
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You can also use this type of vinaigrette for salads and marinates. I think I'd stick to keeping the sweet flavors like dark chocolate and cinnamon pear on ice cream, but the raspberry and strawberry would be absolutely incredible over a summer salad, for sure.</div>
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After polishing off my ice-cream, I headed back to the counter where they wrapped my olive oil up in a pretty little sac for me, and I was on my way.</div>
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Overall, I was completely impressed with The Crescent Olive. I knew it would be an interesting store before I went in, but the spontaneous olive oil tasting and everything that they had to offer blew me out of the water. I will definitely be taking my mom back when she comes to visit, and will probably drag some friends along to do some more tasting when I'm back in town.</div>
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If you're in the Columbia or Mount Pleasant areas and are rushing around for some last minute gift ideas for any foodie, I'd definitely recommend checking this fantastic little shop out. Or, if you're not in the area but still want to snag some of their awesome oils, you can order online too! </div>
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I hope you like your gift, mom!</div>
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Anyone have any favorite recipes with olive oil they'd like to recommend? I'm sure we'll be using up a lot of it over the next few weeks so suggestions are always welcome!</div>
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Do y'all have all of your holiday shopping done?</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-26447150334200225282014-12-10T20:41:00.000-05:002014-12-10T20:41:40.828-05:005 Things I Wish I Could Be Doing Right Now Instead of Studying forFinals.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes, I think procrastination is a great talent of mine.<br />
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Embarassing Fact. I haven't left thse house since Monday. I have NO idea what temperature it is outside. I brought my french press to my desk this morning so I didn't have to keep getting up for a new cup of coffee. Subsequently, I have a pile of empty Truvia packets also on my desk. I'm not holding anything back from y'all today. I'm on my second french press, and I'm ready to take over the world. Except I'm stuck inside...studying for an exam....<br />
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That tragic fact got me to thinking that there's a few things I'd absolutely LOVE to be doing right now instead of sitting at my cluttered desk reviewing for my last test tomorrow, and so I figured I'd share them with you since my brain is about at capacity. And I'm a marvelous procrastinator, if I may say so myself.<br />
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1. Playing in the sun.</div>
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As mentioned above, I have no idea actually what it feels like outside, but from my desk I can see the lovely reflection of some sun on my wall and it looks absolutely gorgeous. And it got me really wanting to frolick somewhere outside in the warm sun. Beach, boat, lake- I don't care. I would just love to be somewhere right now in a swimsuit soakin' up those rays.<br />
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2. Exploring somewhere new.</div>
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Wanderlust is something that is always present in my life. Always has been, always will be. I've learned to cope with it, but on days where I've been stuck inside and when I've been working too hard, it hits me head on. Moving to a new city and state has given me a dose of adventure, and of course now that I'm somewhat settled in here I have the craving to go somewhere else, even if its just for a day. "I'm in love with places I've never been and people I've never met"- isn't that how the saying goes? I'd honestly be down to travel and explore anywhere. Europe, Detroit, Antarctica, a farm... really, anywhere with that new adventure feeling. Where are some of your places you'd want to go?</div>
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3. Holiday shopping.</div>
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I've been working on my Christmas list for my family for a while now, and I'm ready to start crossing people off of it. I absolutely LOVE giving gifts and finding the perfect one for people- few things in life make me happier, honestly. I wish that I hadn't have been such a procrastinator because I really wanted to make all of my classmates and professors my favorite holiday <a href="http://encoloris.blogspot.com/2013/12/galettes-one-of-my-favorite-things.html">cookies</a> along with some other fabulous DIY gift, but unfortunately I don't think I have the time before tomorrow. Ugh- I do this every year. </div>
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Regardless, I'm hitting the shops tomorrow night after the exam for a Devine Night Out, which is giving me the perfect excuse to scope out some of the little shops in Columbia I've been dying to pop into since I got into this city. Who knows? Maybe I'll share my favorite finds with you all...</div>
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4. Cleaning out my closet.</div>
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Now this is something that would actually be productive. I was contemplating sharing a photo of my closet with you all just to show you how necessary it is, but then I noticed the pile of laundry on the floor that is more necessary (and easily larger than me, I'll add) and decided that I'm not trying to scare you all away. This is one of the first things on my list after finals are over though. I thought I did a decent job of it right before the move, but I realized pretty early in the semester that that is not the case. I am so bad at getting rid of things though! Do any of you have any advice for cleaning out closets? Any help would be greatly appreciated :) </div>
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5. Socializing.</div>
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I miss my friends. And having a social life. While I LOVE what I'm studying, there's just some times where graduate school sucks the life out of you, and you have to retreat to your desk or the library for days on end in order to survive. I feel I've managed to maintain a pretty good social life while in grad school, but for the past week even when I've gotten together with friends its all been about school. I'm ready to go out, goof off, and spend time chatting about things besides genetics and class.<br />
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At least I'll be able to do some of these all in good time... patience is a virtue, no? :)<br />
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Now that I've gotten that bit of whining off of my chest, I suppose I should get back to the grind. Anyone have any study tips?</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-15869635652662566292014-11-24T20:17:00.003-05:002014-11-24T20:17:54.899-05:00Music Monday: The xx<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So lately I've been on a huge music kick, and I wanted to share a little bit of it with you.<br />
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I'm not sure if you're familiar with The xx, but if you aren't, you need to get on that ASAP. This English indie pop band has been around since 2009, and features a trio of amazing artists. Their music is utterly aesthetic- that's the first word that comes to mind when listening to them. Each song is so beautifully written, executed, and produced that they seem to paint images in the back of your mind as you listen along.<br />
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The biggest part of their music that I enjoy is the almost whisper-like vocals. To me that makes them a fantastic group to constantly listen to, whether I'm studying, writing, relaxing, or getting ready for a night out. They have a very unique and minimalistic sound, with hushed tones and a tragically expressive guitar- the majority of their sound is comparable to an emotionally-charged secret being whispered through the dark.<br />
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The group is currently working on their third studio album, which I am beyond pumped for. Most recently their song <i>Together</i> was featured in The Great Gatsby movie, that came out last year.<br />
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Honestly I'm crap at explaining just how exquisite their music is. You'll just have to check it out for yourselves.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pib8eYDSFEI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Photo credit | <a href="http://thexx.info/">Thexx.info</a><br />
Video credit | <a href="http://youtube.com/">youtube.com</a><br />
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-82707148138842975652014-11-17T22:35:00.000-05:002014-11-17T22:35:13.267-05:00Drip.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I'm always on the prowl for new and awesome coffee places. Thank God I finally found one in Columbia. <a name='more'></a>I am a sucker for unique coffee shops- the more local, the better. Well... as long as they serve banging' coffee. I've been sticking to ole' reliable Starbucks since the big move, as I hadn't found anywhere local that had caught my eye. A few weeks ago one of my classmates who has lived in the area for a while mentioned this place called <a href="http://dripcolumbia.com/">Drip</a>. I was in a rush that day, so I find it away in my "eh, maybe I'll end up there sometime" file of my brain.</div>
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The next week I was going stir crazy during fall break. I had a lot of work to do, but man did I need to get out of the house to get it done. So, I packed up my bag and decided to head out to Drip- it was the only local coffee place I've heard of, and I just wasn't feeling like sitting in the busy 'bux up the street. </div>
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Drip is located in the heart of Five Points, one of the more active neighborhoods of the city. They have a second location on Main Street that I'm planning on checking out soon. I had a little trouble finding it, as they're located in the middle of a giant row of shops. I embarrassingly walked passed it twice and then asked a girl where it was- which was of course right across the street from where I was standing. Whoops. Oh well- I'm still new in town, yeah?</div>
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Once I entered, I was hit with the wonderful smell of coffee and cooking. Didn't know this beforehand, but apparently they also serve awesome sandwiches and libations! </div>
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I was promptly greeted by one of the baristas, who quickly offered me an explanation of all their coffees they had available for the day. Being the dark-coffee junkie that I am, I quickly went with the darkest on the menu. </div>
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They brew each cup individually using a pour-over method, so it wasn't instant like at quick chains, but I wasn't in a hurry so I snagged a seat at the bar (next to one of my professors that I embarrassingly did not notice at first), and got to work. I had my coffee by the time I was set up and ready to crank it out.</div>
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The atmosphere was perfect for working. I truly work better with some noise, and I'm not easily distracted by people, so coffee shop studying is my jam. Most of the people in there were reading or typing away on their computers, so I was in great company. The front area is a bit crowded, but they have a room off to the side that has a number of tables for extra room to sprawl out.</div>
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People came and went, all the while with the friendly baristas chatting away with each guest- new or old. </div>
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Definitely a place I will be returning, soon. I've run into a few people who say their different espressos are to die for, and lord knows I need all the caffeine I can get this week. I'm ready for a break!</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-75873856079959054532014-11-12T21:55:00.000-05:002014-11-12T21:55:49.812-05:00Saturday in Charleston<br />
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I'm surprised it's taken me this long to make it over to Charleston for some exploring.<br />
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After finishing up a rather hellish week, getting out of town for a bit was certainly in order. Stumbling out of bed ridiculously early for a Saturday, throwing an overnight bag together, and whipping up a quick green smoothie (my current obsession; we'll chat about them soon, promise), we hit the road and headed for the coast.</div>
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Coffee was in order as soon as we got into the city, of course.</div>
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We found this absolutely adorable minimalist/modernist coffee shop, called <a href="http://www.blacktapcoffee.com/">Black Tap Coffee</a> situated across from a park. </div>
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The vibe of the shop was great- huge tables perfect to spread your work out on, a lot of natural light, and not much going on on the walls to distract you. The coffee was fantastic. The staff not only was very knowledgable about their products, but they were genuinely interested in coffee- something that I sincerely appreciate. I opted for an iced Japanese coffee, since I had never tried it before. Delicious. Very strong, but that was just what I needed for a day full of adventuring. I know if there was one in Columbia I would certainly post up there on the regular. </div>
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After grabbing the coffees to go, we hit to the streets to see the sights. And oh did we see! The homes and shops we walked through in the historic district were absolutely delightful. Unfortunately I was too busy looking around to snap many pictures!</div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666;">I think I need this porch in my life, no?</span></i></div>
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We kept walking past other shoppers and tourists, until we stumbled upon this sign.</div>
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It was situated right outside of a big open gate, leading to a shaded pathway. So, naturally we had to go in and take a peek. </div>
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Turns out it was a very old graveyard dating back to the 1700's, tucked into the middle of the city.</div>
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Such a stunning place. I never thought I'd describe a graveyard as stunning, but the history that was woven throughout with wildflowers growing rampant made it a truly beautiful stroll.</div>
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We continued back onto the main street and kept walking, sipping, and chatting, hopefully wandering toward the water.</div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666;">Found it!</span></i></div>
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All of the gorgeous plantation-style mansions situated along the water were certainly something to see! </div>
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Eventually it was agreed upon that beverages were in order, so we continued our stroll right into the nearest pub, <a href="http://www.macsplacecharleston.com/">Mac's Place</a>. </div>
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As soon as we entered the front door, we realized that there was Midwest memorabilia EVERYWHERE. Chicago Blackhawks flags, Colts signs, and even this gem of a scoreboard.</div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">I'm wearing: Jacket (Last year) - <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bp-hooded-field-jacket-juniors/3671820?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=Faded+Green+Sarma&resultback=2448&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_7_D">Similar</a> | <a href="http://www.target.com/p/crochet-top-xhilaration/-/A-15342372#prodSlot=medium_1_5&term=crochet+tank">Top</a> | <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/112704761/turquoise-jewelry-long-gold-necklace?ref=market">Necklace (Similar)</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Katie's wearing: <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=top&productid=2055879573">Top</a> | <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=ACC&productid=1000065434">Bag</a> | <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=bottom&productid=2000104233">Pants</a></span></div>
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Not only did the place look and feel like home, but it also tasted like home. The owner is from Chicago, and so he had a large stock of one of my favorite Midwest breweries, Goose Island, on tap. Certainly was not going to complain about that.</div>
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After a couple of libations, we left feeling warm despite the evening chill coming in from the water. </div>
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On the continued quest for adventures, we shifted our sights to food. We ended up at <a href="http://a-w-shucks.com/">A W Shucks</a> for dinner, a delightful restaurant right in the heart of the city. The food was so delicious that I dove right in without snapping any pictures of it or my gorgeous cocktail. The staff was absolutely hilarious- overall a great dining experience. If you go, I definitely recommend the seafood casserole- its bangin'. </div>
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Right up the road from A W Shucks (I still can't get over that name!) is <a href="http://henryshousecharleston.com/">Henry's House</a>. An impeccable bar with a lot of different things to offer. The main floor is just your typical bar- nothing fancy. But, if you go up the stairs toward the back and go through the door on your left, you'll enter into the sleekest whiskey and bourbon room. There were just a few people sitting and sipping cold whiskey listening to a rather loud jazz band when we arrived. Overall a very unique atmosphere.</div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Dim lights, stone walls, and an awesome bass player.</i></span></div>
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I ordered a Breckenridge on the rocks, wanting to try something different. Also, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? </div>
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The staff were very knowledgeable about the whiskey choices they had, and actually recommended it for me after I told them what I had tried and liked before.</div>
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After agreeing that the band had become a bit too loud, we grabbed our bevs and headed up to the rooftop. Really- Henry's has it all (including a dance room that we didn't make it into). The rooftop is lit up with string lights and an assortment of couches and chairs are scattered throughout, making the space very inviting for small and large groups alike. As we were heading out to our next destination, they even began to play a movie on the wall for those who were ready to snuggle up on one of their many couches!</div>
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However, as I've said- this was a day of adventure. Every day is perfect for snuggling, but some days you just need to explore. And explore we did!</div>
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Ending up dancing the night away on Ann Street. </div>
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It was a perfect day of adventuring, if you ask me :)</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-50863892249805248522014-11-06T03:02:00.000-05:002014-11-06T03:02:41.913-05:00Healthy Zucchini Mini-PizzasSeriously- don't these just look absolutely delicious?<br />
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Last night I came home from a ridiculously long day, and was craving pizza. Anything hot and covered in cheese would do for me. And of course, thanks to an e-mail for a coupon that isn't valid in the state I live in from an <i>undisclosed</i> pizza chain, I was not willing to pay full price for it either.</div>
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I had seen a couple of pictures featuring zucchini pizzas floating around Pinterest lately, so I decided to give it a go. Hey, if I can get cheesy goodness without all of the carbs, I'll take it! </div>
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These little guys are super easy to make, and honestly turned out delicious! I was very pleased. All you need is:</div>
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Fresh zucchini- I used 2 small ones, but it really depends on how much you want to make</div>
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Mozzarella- again, portions depend, but I probably used about half a cup which was overkill, I'll be honest.</div>
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1 tbsp olive oil</div>
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Salt & pepper</div>
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Italian seasoning</div>
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Garlic powder</div>
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Tomato sauce- I used about Ā¼ cup</div>
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First you've got to cut the zucchini into thinnish slices. I definitely cut a few of mine too thick, but oh well! Don't forget to pre-heat your oven to broil!</div>
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Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet/sauce pan- you'll be sautƩing the zucchini so it gets cooked without spending too much time in the oven.</div>
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Once they're all cooked thru so they're a darker color but still firm, toss 'em onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon out a small amount (I certainly missed the memo on "small") of tomato sauce onto each zucchini, making sure that its pretty spread out. Then sprinkle on as much or as little cheese on as you want. You can also top them with a dash more seasoning- garlic, salt, pepper, you name it! It's your pie!</div>
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You can also add other toppings, if you'd like. I think some finely chopped mushrooms would be divine, but that may just be me. Also onions. Or peppers...</div>
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Once you have all of your mini 'zas ready to go, pop them in the oven! Keep an eye on them, because the cheese burns fast- I learned that the hard way. </div>
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They should be done in about 3 minutes max, or whenever the cheese has melted enough to your liking. Because the zucchini wasn't in the heat long, they should still be decently crunchy. </div>
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I know they look delicious, but at least let the little fellas cool for a few minutes before you dig in!</div>
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I was very pleasantly surprised at how they turned out. Usually when I have a craving for food (especially pizza), only the real thing will do. However, this was just the right amount of melted cheesy goodness to get my mind off of stuffed crust. </div>
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Mine turned out a bit messy and saucy (such is life, no?), but I figure if you just lessen up a bit on the sauce and olive oil, they would be perfect finger foods for a get together or appetizer. Definitely something quick and easy to throw together!</div>
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I'm always on the hunt for healthy alternatives to my favorite comfort foods, and this is definitely one I will make again. I never thought I'd enjoy zucchini, but I am certainly proving 5-year old Fayth wrong! </div>
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What are some of your favorite healthy comfort food alternatives? Any good recipes to share?</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-40065542592245288372014-10-25T01:44:00.001-04:002014-10-28T00:41:18.179-04:00A Southern HomecomingUnbeknownst to me, last week was homecoming down here.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It was also homecoming back in Indiana, which made the weekend slightly unbearable. But the gorgeous weather certainly made it better.<br />
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We realized Friday evening that it was homecoming, so I suppose it was nice that some of us had plans to tailgate early in the morning, no?</div>
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The weekend was overall fantastic. And surprisingly, the actual homecoming game was not remotely the highlight of it. I spent most of the weekend out and about in the community giving back in some of my favorite ways.</div>
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Friday evening my classmates and I cooked dinner at the Ronald Mcdonald House. </div>
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For those of you who are unfamiliar with the RMH, it is temporary housing for families of children in the hospital. There's one near pretty much every major children's hospital. It is an amazing resource for families going through a hard time. If you're curious about it, you can read more here.</div>
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After class, we booked it to the grocery store to gather the goods, then high-tailed it over to one of the cutest houses I've seen since arriving in South Carolina.</div>
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The other RMHs I've worked at have all had a very hotel-esque vibe. Rather cold, unfeeling in the common areas and generally somewhat uninviting. This house felt like home right away. From the welcoming families and staff waiting at the door to help us with our groceries to the rocking chairs on the porch- it was very clear that this was a home, no matter how temporary.</div>
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We made tacos. Nothing too fancy, something very easy to make in bulk. </div>
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They were delicious. We stayed to eat with some of the family members who were staying there, listening to their stories. Honestly the strength some humans have is incredible.</div>
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It was a wonderful start to a weekend that I used to associate with only crazy parties and hangovers. I've been so busy with studying and work that I forgot how good it feels to get out into the community, give back, and get to know people who you wouldn't normally have the opportunity to spend time with. It made South Carolina feel just a bit more like home. </div>
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Speaking of home, the next day was homecoming. Instead of going home and going to bed like good girls, the roomie and I, along with another classmate, stayed up way too late enjoying the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family. (Best. week. ever. Just sayin'.) And still managed to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed to head out for some mimosas before the tailgate.</div>
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The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which I may have gloated about to my friends back home. I never thought I'd be able to run around in a dress in the middle of October. I love it though! Gave me another opportunity to don one of my lbds from Forever 21, along with a garnet scarf I picked up from one of the adorable boutiques down here.</div>
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After spending ample time wandering the fields o' tailgate soaking up the sun and people, we trudged back home where I decided the weather was far too nice to stay inside. Also, I was far too sleepy to get any work done. So, what else is a girl supposed to do except put it in park at the pool and take a cat nap? Exactly.</div>
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I never thought I'd be able to say I go to the pool (and don't get hypothermia) in October. I know I sound like a broken record, but the weather down here is just impeccable. </div>
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After spending a bit too long in the sun (fear not, my rosy face was tan by morning), I returned home to catch the end of Harry Potter week. Priorities, am I right?</div>
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The rest the evening was tragically lazy for a Saturday night, but I was up bright and early Sunday for some more outdoor enjoyment and volunteering at the 15th Annual Columbia Buddy Walk. Honestly one of the best days I've had since moving down here. </div>
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I fear I've talked too long though, so I will share more about the buddy walk later. </div>
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How is your homecoming season going? What is your favorite way to celebrate?</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-59452793037825484302014-10-19T21:22:00.001-04:002014-10-28T00:41:57.377-04:00Instagram SundayDishes done, laundry in the wash, workout completed, wine poured. <br />
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As I'm sure you can deduce from my steady lack of blog posts, I've been busy (sorry!!!). And not just this weekend. So, I thought- what better way to fill in the blanks than with an abridged version of what I've been up to for the past 2 and a half months. And what better way to do that than with some Instagram snaps?</div>
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For some reason, the Carolinas have a wonderful selection of Goose Island beer. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Goose Island is a magnificint brewery out of Chicago. They have all kinds of beer, ranging from light and wheaty (the 312) to the super crafty (I'd recommend the Sophie- its a bit harder to find though), to the super dark (I'm at a loss there- dark beer is not my spot of tea. or beer). Needless to say, I was jazzed at finding it down here. </div>
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Tailgating. Its an entirely different experience down south. Up north, we wear oversized tanks and sweatshirts, leggings or norts, chucks and fannie packs. Comfies for the win. So, I was more than just a bit shocked when my roommate and I were discussing tailgate plans and she asked what dresses I had to wear. Dresses?! Luckily the gamecocks are garnet and black, so I just popped over to forever21 and picked up a few cotton little black dresses. What can I say? Any excuse to buy a new dress. I just dearly miss my fannie pack.</div>
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As soon as I decided to move to South Carolina, I was already planning beach trips. While it's still a bit of a hike from where I live, its definitely within a reasonable day trip distance. While in Indy, the nearest not-frigid beach was like... 4 lightyears away or something. Sadly, I've only been to the beach once so far, but once is better than not at all! Still, its blissful to know that a beach getaway is just 2 hours away.</div>
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One thing I love is food. One thing I love about being in a new place is finding new places to eat. And Columbia has plenty of wonderful restaurants to wander into. After celebratory post-exam drinks, a few classmates and I wandered into Gervais & Vine for some nibbles, and of course more drinks. They have an extensive wine menu, with unique food options and an extremely friendly and knowledgabe staff. Its a tapas restaurant, so there's more than something for everyone! Definitely a spot high up on my list of places to return to, soon.</div>
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A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a symposium up at the Greenwood Genetics Center. It was a fantastic day, focusing entirely on talks dedicated to the treatment of genetic diseases. So often in studying genetics it feels as though what we have is what we're stuck with- so this day-long talk was a great reminder that there are ways to change our deck of cards. Of course, the GGC has many wonderful named roads, so the roomie and I couldn't help but have our driver pull over and snap a pic of us in front of this gem of a roadsign. </div>
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I've definitely had more time for myself and for fun than I originally thought when moving down here. Not that I am complaining in the slightest! I've definitely had a blast getting to know the area and making new friends. Of course, I didn't move down here just for the fun. So, while I've been getting up to quite a few adventures in the past 2 months, I've defintely been doing my fair share of work. After all, all play and no work... wait. That sounds magnificent. </div>
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Sasha has been getting things done too, of course. #productivity.</div>
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Speaking of work, I unfortunately have a spot of reading I need to graze over before I head back to the grindstone tomorrow morning. Time to pour some more wine and read a book. </div>
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Goodnight!</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-49771053479715386812014-10-01T00:16:00.001-04:002014-10-21T19:45:28.575-04:00Changes in Latitude...I've been noticably absent from Indy for the past few months. It started out innocently enough- a trip to South Carolina here, Vegas there. South Carolina again... and wouldn't you know it I fell in love with the South.<br />
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So much so that I decided to relocate. </div>
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See! I told you I had some big news for you all. Its just... significantly delayed in its delivery. And for that I terribly appologize. </div>
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By April of this past year I decided that a significant change of scenery was just what my wandering soul needed. Oh, and also I was gosh darn tired of those Indiana winters!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLpLoHdvadyF1BLJ7BWjnuv-WTMCyH5GURfDqVd6cUXufx0YAd2_JO4lQIkJcEaGDbwHByI28jXUjlVHWzAXiQpxZXrZvIYtU4G6_szFSMD5nzL5Ii0nDdMFOL4KSVZzEMtQrAh8q_0k/s640/blogger-image--1481057143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLpLoHdvadyF1BLJ7BWjnuv-WTMCyH5GURfDqVd6cUXufx0YAd2_JO4lQIkJcEaGDbwHByI28jXUjlVHWzAXiQpxZXrZvIYtU4G6_szFSMD5nzL5Ii0nDdMFOL4KSVZzEMtQrAh8q_0k/s640/blogger-image--1481057143.jpg" /></a></div>
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So, what else was a gal supposed to do except pack up her belongings and cat, and migrate south for a couple of years!</div>
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After a couple of tear-filled weeks and honestly wondering if I made the right choice to venture down south of the Mason-Dixon Line (I'll be compltely honest with you), I was nervous albeit beyond excited to hit the road and begin the next big chapter in my life.</div>
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Sasha on the other hand, not so much. I was shunned for the majority of the drive, despite putting the saucy minx up in a very nice hotel for the night. What a diva.</div>
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Upon arrival I was greeted with the most sultry weather I had experienced... well, possibly ever. It was muggy and sticky and the sun was blaring down on us during the entire day while we unpacked. I'm not going to lie, it was slightly miserable. But once the AC was cranked, necessities were unpacked, and bevs were cracked open, the light at the end of the tunnel that is moving was visible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSq8Gck_o8KdEh7ReJ82n0NX4jiC2W9__bLsHpMifjEigJJUQxfuBJKFZnFUXpHUf45BjwXaTx_9dKzlISXfLzQequefbidcQ3nCLO4Xlo5B5T0AouYPpplH_nMbMVCyM54pnKlgYHY/s640/blogger-image--1470806659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSq8Gck_o8KdEh7ReJ82n0NX4jiC2W9__bLsHpMifjEigJJUQxfuBJKFZnFUXpHUf45BjwXaTx_9dKzlISXfLzQequefbidcQ3nCLO4Xlo5B5T0AouYPpplH_nMbMVCyM54pnKlgYHY/s640/blogger-image--1470806659.jpg" /></a></div>
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Even Sasha agreed that this could be home.</div>
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Not to mention it felt even more like home with my spectacular parents helping with the move, and my wonderful sister driving all the way down from DC to surprise me!</div>
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Unfortunately, with the craziness of moving and settling into the capitol of the Palmetto state, I did not take a single picture of any humans during the great move!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tQMj4mYyhVA0PU_FfjWYOimuTq_GlLIwr96_xMAoh3FJpiXWMZYRqV0hLf0N1tRicmDE6QJQIgeOhpPz_aehQlXbzkfmFokM921kwP0DwTbk1Pz4Hh_Xa1zIrQFDA6tBabBzllb0jAY/s640/blogger-image-1401226336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tQMj4mYyhVA0PU_FfjWYOimuTq_GlLIwr96_xMAoh3FJpiXWMZYRqV0hLf0N1tRicmDE6QJQIgeOhpPz_aehQlXbzkfmFokM921kwP0DwTbk1Pz4Hh_Xa1zIrQFDA6tBabBzllb0jAY/s640/blogger-image-1401226336.jpg" /></a></div>
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So here's a photo of 2 fabulous '90's kids, also known as Haley & Fayth</div>
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My parents left after 2 days of moving and settling in, while Haley was fantastic and agreed to stay for another day of seeing the sights. And thank goodness she did! The weather was finally nice enough (and we had enough unpacked to justify) seeing the sights of a bit of the city before deciding to hit up the pool. Yup- there's year round pools here. South Carolina has been great to me so far.</div>
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The next morning we awoke bright and early for H to grab some Bojangles (apparently a southern staple of chicken and biscuits) before hitting the road back home to work in her classroom. With some tears (on my end- I can't help that I'm a crier), and promises to visit soon, we said our goodbyes and I was left to unpack the rest of my clothes. Because despite 2 incredibly organized women tackling that which is my closet head on for the better portion of a day (thanks again, Mom & H!), it still wasn't enough time to get everything fit in. </div>
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My new place still had plenty of energy left behind by my wonderful family, and of course a few design touches from Mom, so I felt right in my element. Of course, it helped having a furry little friend to warm up the abode! After all, you know what they say.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-JjB043Ry8ThIqhwr02SC4JnVPry9DMjmJs2YlaS0K2gsTnrm3TNCmXVg3j8o4d-X4qMlKmo1Wgn_oply22bj0LTJ2Up7cANxKcdxcRY09PPc09frpeFB57XR3U8WGjLdENKGvDIc8c/s640/blogger-image--1992654657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-JjB043Ry8ThIqhwr02SC4JnVPry9DMjmJs2YlaS0K2gsTnrm3TNCmXVg3j8o4d-X4qMlKmo1Wgn_oply22bj0LTJ2Up7cANxKcdxcRY09PPc09frpeFB57XR3U8WGjLdENKGvDIc8c/s640/blogger-image--1992654657.jpg" /></a></div>
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Home is where your cat is!</div>
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In all honestly, the entire move I felt beyond blessed to have such an amazing family and support system to help me through all of life's transitions. It was so bittersweet saying goodbye to my family at the end of the move, and to all of my friends (who are all like family, lets be real) back home, but I am so lucky to know that each and every one of them has my back. I love you all, and I cannot wait to see all of your gorgeous faces when I am back to visit!</div>
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Until next time, y'all!</div>
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(Because I'm totally allowed to say that now)</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-74626269659906668422014-07-29T23:31:00.001-04:002014-10-21T23:46:11.714-04:00Since I've been gone...<div>
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Holy cow. So, disregarding the Shoefly snap from a few weeks ago (which was written back in May- I won't lie- it just finally made it to the internet this month), I have been quite invisible for the better half of this year.<br />
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And for that, I truly apologize.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xhm2AAqCgfhwYikGmidMNtCwkLcLN652Y73rvOoYznDLzPBjhA1qDFN3gHS794xfbyZJqAIcMrObV_0vqjwnlGzngPi3lDij9S64sxMbaknQzqgvCLLj1T5UyteWFDsB-Rd3he723c/s640/blogger-image-598937554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xhm2AAqCgfhwYikGmidMNtCwkLcLN652Y73rvOoYznDLzPBjhA1qDFN3gHS794xfbyZJqAIcMrObV_0vqjwnlGzngPi3lDij9S64sxMbaknQzqgvCLLj1T5UyteWFDsB-Rd3he723c/s640/blogger-image-598937554.jpg" /></a><br />
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Last I left off, I was in Arkansas. I promise I didn't set up camp and stay there- I did indeed return to Indianapolis. Just upon getting home I became swamped with work and transitions and life. Everything kept piling up and I could not find time to post any of the awesome posts I had thought to do.</div>
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But fear not.</div>
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I am back :) </div>
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And before I return full swing to the blogosphere (which believe you me, I will), here's my past few months, abriged.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTgn4hmMctl1qm2fmafHVosRzbgn6Roxr7gr77mZ3w8jQAdhiJOiFGtVQ_1JMUolPg-7D8qWIPOOoN-4vnvbz7JLl-6wiJZa1jesZdzFCeOzEj5yvXO9HyNjOH0w1bnEZ4IComV4xkSg/s640/blogger-image--1136866910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTgn4hmMctl1qm2fmafHVosRzbgn6Roxr7gr77mZ3w8jQAdhiJOiFGtVQ_1JMUolPg-7D8qWIPOOoN-4vnvbz7JLl-6wiJZa1jesZdzFCeOzEj5yvXO9HyNjOH0w1bnEZ4IComV4xkSg/s640/blogger-image--1136866910.jpg" /></a></div>
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An obligated selive in front of my gorgeous view from Little Rock- the overpass behind me does not do the view justice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xhm2AAqCgfhwYikGmidMNtCwkLcLN652Y73rvOoYznDLzPBjhA1qDFN3gHS794xfbyZJqAIcMrObV_0vqjwnlGzngPi3lDij9S64sxMbaknQzqgvCLLj1T5UyteWFDsB-Rd3he723c/s640/blogger-image-598937554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39xhm2AAqCgfhwYikGmidMNtCwkLcLN652Y73rvOoYznDLzPBjhA1qDFN3gHS794xfbyZJqAIcMrObV_0vqjwnlGzngPi3lDij9S64sxMbaknQzqgvCLLj1T5UyteWFDsB-Rd3he723c/s640/blogger-image-598937554.jpg" /></a></div>
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Celebrating some news (I promise I'll dish in a bit) with my wonderful parents and champagne.</div>
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Music festivals, color runs, and plenty of nights out with some of the greatest friends.</div>
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My 23rd birthday :) </div>
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A last minute trip back to South Carolina with my Dad</div>
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And of course, Vegas! Which is another story for another post, which will come very soon, I promise.</div>
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I just wanted to pop in and ensure that you all know that I'm not dead. Quite on the contrary, actually. I have been as alive as ever over the past few months.</div>
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I'm so sorry I've been neglectful of this little corner of the internet, but this is my way of crawling back into the sunlight- I will be posting on a regular basis of a few posts a week. Fear not!</div>
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I also have some big, big news- stay tuned! :)</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-50394876091530541992014-04-23T11:31:00.001-04:002014-10-21T23:47:23.239-04:00Shoefly, don't bother me.Saturday afternoon while I was sitting in the kitchen writhing in pain from the run I just went on (I blame my mother for that), I got a call from one of my oldest friends asking if I was up for a culinary adventure downtown.<br />
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I managed to muster up enough energy to hastily agree to meet her downtown at Shoefly Public House around 7, and then promptly take a nap.</div>
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I parked a few blocks away from the restaurant, which is located in a gorgeously revived part of the city, met up with Steph and chatted as we walked to the restaurant.</div>
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Shoefly is a newer restaurant,and very eclectic in the best of ways. It is rustically urban, minimalist, and very casual. I did not feel out of place at all in heels though :)</div>
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We were informed as we arrived that it would be a 30 minute wait for a table, but that we were welcome to check out the basement. The basement was a very unique space filled with bar tables, a Ping pong table, and a makeshift bar. Not where 2 single gals were interested in sitting and eating dinner, but a super great space for a large group, especially if you're looking to get a little rowdy and play some games!</div>
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We made our way back upstairs and to our luck a couple had just vacated their seats at the bar. So we slipped right in and scoped out the beer menu. Shoefly has a fantastic wine and beer menu, with a lot of smaller breweries that I had heard nothing about. </div>
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Unfortunately they were all out of my current beer obsession, Three Floyd's Zombie Dust, so I trusted the bartender's recommendation and ordered a Headwaters Pale Ale. I was definitely right to trust her.</div>
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We ordered the Maryland crab dip for starters. It blew my mind. If you go to Shoefly to get anything I personally feel it should be this. Different cheeses mixed perfectly with soft shell crab and flatbread crisps. If I could've ordered a second bowl of it for my meal, trust me I would've. I'm often slightly distrusting of seafood in the Midwest, but this was just perfect.</div>
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I quickly set my sights on the falafel for dinner. I always ate them down at IU, but haven't had one since I returned to Indy. Steph got the No Meatloaf. </div>
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We chatted and caught up, and within 20 minutes we had our food.</div>
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My side was Yuka fries, which I had never heard of. Apparently it's a root vegetable cousin of the potato but not nearly as greasy when fried. I'm sure there a perfectly healthy substitution for French fries, right?</div>
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We ordered another round and dug right in, trying to continue our conversation with full mouths. </div>
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We finished our food and continued to chat until the sun went down and our glasses were empty. I always love spending time with Steph- she's known me since I was in diapers, and always gives the best advice.</div>
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We trotted back to our cars admiring the gorgeous houses that lined the streets, be bid adieu with promises to get together sooner next time.</div>
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I told her we should meet back up at Shoefly next week! If you're looking for a less conventional restaurant off the beaten path, I'd definitely recommend you check out Shoefly. You may even see me there!</div>
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Happy Wednesday, everyone! We're halfway to the weekend!</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-86944445442037219542014-04-13T00:21:00.001-04:002014-10-21T23:48:12.864-04:00Bye South Carolina, Hello Arkansas?Originally written on 4.8.14. I blame airport internet wholeheartedly for the delay in uploading this. Pretend like you're going back in time, yeah? :)<br />
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Currently I'm sitting in the O'Hare airport enjoying a glorious (well deserved, in my opinion) margarita. I've been ridiculously busy on an adventure for the past few days, and did not have time to pop in like I thought I would.<br />
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Saturday night, my friend wanted to take me to down-home South Carolina bar, and show me some southern hospitality. We went to her favorite place, Jakes, which is in the Four Points neighborhood of Columbia. Usually this neighborhood is where all of the undergraduates hang out, while The Vista is more for graduate students and young professionals, but Jake's is an acception to that rule.</div>
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I borrowed a little skater dress of hers, threw on some sandals, and we headed out for a night on the town. </div>
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As soon as we got there, and convinced the doorman that my Indiana license is indeed real, we grabbed some bevs. Since we were in the Deep South, I figured I should go ahead and have a beer, lest they see that I'm a Yankee. </div>
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I asked the bartender what a good local beer was, as they had a good selection of beers on tap. I hear a chuckle from next to me, and the man beside me recommended a bud light.</div>
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Whoops. I guess my Yankee just couldn't be covered up. </div>
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I settled for a Purple Haze, from California, and fell in love. It's flavorful, but light enough to not weigh you down. Definitely a brew I'll be looking for when I get home.</div>
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We had planned on hopping over to the vista after a drink or two, but ended up chatting with some lovely southern gentlemen (somehow I forgot how polite they all are) and ran into some friends of here, and before we knew it the bartenders were hollering (yes, I said that) last call. But not before I snagged a shot of Jack. After all, who knows how long it'll be before I'm back in the south?</div>
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We left giggling and had full intentions of swiging by Cookout. Cookout is apparently a beautiful fast food restaurant that serves divine milkshakes and an outrageous amount of food. As in you can get chicken nuggets and corn dogs as sides to your burger. Unfortunately, everyone and their brother had the same idea as us, so we bailed and agreed to make up for it by going to Waffle House before I left.</div>
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We snuggled up at home with popcorn instead. Good life choice.</div>
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As promised, we got up and I sadly packed my things, and we headed to the Waffle House up the street. Seriously, they're everywhere. </div>
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I forgot how much I loved Waffle House.</div>
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We chatteds bout my visit and everything that will hopefully be happening in the next few months. Then tragically we had to make our way to the airport.</div>
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We said our goodbyes with promises to visit soon, and I hopped on the plane. 4 hours later I was landing in Little Rock, Arkansas. </div>
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But that's a story for tomorrow.</div>
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Happy Tuesday, y'all! (I had to say that just once)</div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-51576100425022396122014-04-05T20:06:00.001-04:002014-10-21T23:48:46.556-04:00Long Time, No See.Hello friends!<br />
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So, life is still in full swing of craziness, but I am on the home stretch! Work at the center has been busier than ever, and thank goodness the hospital has been very forgiving with me because of it. </div>
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However, none of that matters right now because I'm on vacation! It's not really a vacation, but it's as close to one as I'm getting until July, so regardless of all the meetings and things I have to do it is my vacation.</div>
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I'm currently sitting outside in gorgeous Columbia, South Carolina, and I am in love with it here. I got in late Thursday night, and the weather and people both have been absolutely beautiful to me. It's April here, and I've been running around in shorts and swim suits in my free time- it's truly a miracle. </div>
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I'm staying with a Kappa Delta sister of mine from the glory days at IU. Man, it has been so wonderful to just relax and catch up with her. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">She picked me up from the airport nearing midnight on Thursday, and despite us both having early mornings the next day we chatted for hours. I regret nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Friday morning we both were out the door super early- her to classes and me to meetings. I won't tell you all about what it was about until things are settled- I don't want to jinx anything! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We met back up in the late afternoon. Her thesis is due next week, so we just lounged around the house so she could get some work done. That was fine by me! I set up shop outside in a lawn chair with my sunnies and a new book and took in the wonderful atmosphere the southern gentlemen across the lawn were providing with their cranked up country music. I'm currently reading 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)' by Mindy Kaling. It is a magically hilarious book. I devoured over half of it in one day, and found myself laughing out loud rather loudly on multiple occasions. This warranted a lot of strange looks from the gentlemen across the lawn, but I don't care- I do what I want. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We lounged for the majority of the evening. And then suddenly realized we were both ravenous. Sarah wanted to take me out for some full on southern cookin, but our plans quickly changed when we drove past a lit up sushi restaurant next door to our destination- Miyo's. We snagged a table outside and quickly started gameplanning our attack on the menu. Since we wanted everything, we decided that our best bet was to just get a ton of different rolls and split them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We both got salads- Sarah just got a house salad, while I tried their avocado salad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Avocado and crab purƩe with flying fish roe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It was a really light and fresh flavor, and very unique. Beyond good though- I'm currently trying to figure out how to make something similar at home. I'll let you know if I'm successful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Then out came our schmorgasboard of sushi rolls. Yum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We got 5 different types to split between us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Eel roll- broiled eel, cucumber, and eel sauce. One of my personal favorites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Alaska roll- salmon, cucumber, and avocado.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We were daring and tried the spicy yellowtail. We weren't sure how we would feel about it, but clearly it was devoured before I could snap a photo of it. So obviously we hates it...yup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The Red Devil roll- salmon, tuna, and avocado on top of a spicy tuna roll. We were both very much looking forward to that one, but unfortunately it was not what we had in mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And the delicious Nagasaki roll- spicy scallops and crunch topped with sweet shrimp, red tabiko, and crunch. Almost missed a shot of thus guy too, it was so good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Overall it was a wonderful night out. The weather was gorgeous (I still can't say enough how nice it is to wear shorts and flip flops) and despite the one roll the food was delicious. The atmosphere at Miyo's was very nice- modern and clean, but not too upscale. Their cocktail menu and the atmosphere would make it great for a nice yet casual date or to kick off a girls night out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we could not finish all of the sushi, so we snagged a box and took it away with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We stopped by Target to grab a few things including wine and a movie and headed straight home to pop open the bottle and snuggle down with the talented Rachel McAdams and About Time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Not before cracking open our fortune cookies though! And giggling when we added "in bed" to the end of them. I promise we're adults, really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">All jokes about bed aside though, my fortune is very true. Throughout this rough past few months, I have realized just how many beautiful people in my life are willing to stick with me through thick and thin. I have been bombarded with prayers and good mojo being sent my way lately, and I can honestly say I have been feeling the love, and that all of the prayers and mojo are certainly working. So thank you to all of you- you're all so lovely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Were going to head out in the town tonight I think, so I need to pop off of here and start getting ready. I spent most if the day in the glorious sun, so I smell like sun screen. And that ain't that cute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I will share more about my southern adventure with you all tomorrow! It's so good to be back :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Happy weekend!</span></div>
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Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-46593380461560515462014-02-14T00:17:00.001-05:002014-10-21T23:56:24.701-04:00Pausing.Hello beautiful people.<br />
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I just wanted to stop by and apologize for not updating in what feels like eons. Life has kind of snowballed into a massive pile of busy, and I've been taking some (okay, a lot) of time to try and sort through all of it.<br />
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I've been taking an online course on top of my 2 jobs for the past few months, and thus have been vigorously studying for my final exam in what feels like all of my spare time. I've also taken on a few new clients at work, which has more than doubled my caseload. This all of course has left time for outings with friends, cooking, and anything remotely fun pretty much nonexistent.<br />
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Luckily, once this exam is over I will be more than ready to re-join the blogosphere. I've got all kinds of craft projects and new things that I want to try, and I cannot wait to share them all with you.<br />
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I will also be traveling, quite a lot I hope, within the next 2 months which will provide plenty of adventure tales as well.<br />
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Until then, I'll share with you something that popped up onto my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/faythful/">pinterest</a> newsfeed a few weeks ago that I have found quite motivating.<br />
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Although, technically it is Friday. And I am quite happy with that. </div>
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Cheers!</div>
Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-89438820208316599392013-12-25T10:09:00.000-05:002014-10-21T23:56:41.650-04:00Galettes: One of My Favorite Things.I absolutely love baking during the holidays (and just about any other time of year). There's just something special about donning a holiday apron and making delicious treats that you know you're going to eat way to many, and end up giving the rest away instead of using your self control :)<br />
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Every year, my Aunt sends us a lovely little package from <a href="http://www.harryanddavid.com/">Harry & David</a>, filled to the brim with yummy snacks. My favorite thing in the box is their galette cookie- a light sugar/shortbread cookie hybrid crafted into an incredible jam sandwich. I'm usually not one for fruit mixed in with my dessert (chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate please!), but these cookies are truly something special, and I've found myself looking forward to them every year.<br />
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So, this year I decided, 'why wait for Aunt Fran to send them?' and spent quite a few hours in the kitchen trying to perfect the recipe myself. Goodness knows it would be cheaper to be able to make them myself! And then that way I can share them with the world and have them any time I want :)<br />
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They're actually fairly simple to make, and have a total of 9 ingredients, all of which are fairly standard kitchen-y things so this is one cookie recipe that doesn't require running out to the grocery in the middle because you don't have some crazy random thing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbnCgVEH8AiAm7-w8M_nLinD7qF5PdnhHFqSWoMorslehXUSVX0CBIU1JqbYnlfnQAwrWyKDfEV-58KvAHcBQsDeAdUqKWXNf7Dbt2O5-JJz2ZeIc7R-ZmowvMsGZPxnrONkqAtStiBY/s1600/IMG_2480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbnCgVEH8AiAm7-w8M_nLinD7qF5PdnhHFqSWoMorslehXUSVX0CBIU1JqbYnlfnQAwrWyKDfEV-58KvAHcBQsDeAdUqKWXNf7Dbt2O5-JJz2ZeIc7R-ZmowvMsGZPxnrONkqAtStiBY/s320/IMG_2480.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's what you'll need:<br />
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3 1/4 cups of flour (whole wheat or white, doesn't matter!)<br />
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (NOT soda! I definitely grabbed the soda at first...yikes!)<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 1/4 cups of butter, softened<br />
1 cup of granulated sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
1T of milk<br />
2 1/2 tsp. of vanilla<br />
A jar of your favorite jam or fruit preserves for the filling<br />
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As far as the flour goes, you get a very different texture of cookie if you use white vs. whole wheat. The first time I made these I did all whole wheat, and they turned out wonderful- a bit firmer than the galettes I'm used to, and slightly more "grainy" in texture, but I really enjoyed them. The dough, however, was a pain in the butt to work with. So, the second time I used half wheat and half white, and it was about the same outcome. Yesterday I made them with all white flour, and the dough was so much easier to work with, and the cookies were basically of a 'melt-in-your-mouth' texture. They're all delicious, so its up to you what type of cookie you want, and what type of dough you're willing to work with.<br />
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And yes, I love these cookies so much I've made 3 batches in the past week. Judge me- I dare you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUNt8xl5cUQ9-4P36QIpP3eXn5ST_2jaxIP11wpGt9_8xEVd6tjSHT_a0W5UgHm0y07SXUxNIp_N2uP99L4pWpCzpDF7zRGaOpfhXSTeELyzGfN05JU2Tc5aC_9tionunHLbgAZn-9iI/s1600/IMG_2484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUNt8xl5cUQ9-4P36QIpP3eXn5ST_2jaxIP11wpGt9_8xEVd6tjSHT_a0W5UgHm0y07SXUxNIp_N2uP99L4pWpCzpDF7zRGaOpfhXSTeELyzGfN05JU2Tc5aC_9tionunHLbgAZn-9iI/s320/IMG_2484.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Start off by just mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set that aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and softened butter until its fluffy. And I mean fluffy- this is one of the keys to getting your dough to have the right consistency. The photo above still isn't fluffy enough. I'd beat the butter and sugar together probably for 5 minutes or so, just to be safe :)</div>
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Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla, and keep mixing! Once everything is mixed together, slowly add in the flour mixture, and keep beating. Eventually you'll get dough :)<br />
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If you used whole-wheat flour, and/or didn't make the butter and sugar fluffy enough, you may have to press together the dough to make it into lumps- no worries if this happens, just knead it for a while and that should help!<br />
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Separate the dough into 2 halves, and let it chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Note: when I used the white flour, I let it sit for almost an hour because it was very soft. Once its set for long enough, knead it a bit and roll one of those halves out! </div>
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Use your favorite cookie cutters to start cutting the dough. I'd recommend small shapes or just a simple circle because these cookies are meant to be small. As in one or two bites small. And if you don't have a cookie cutter anywhere in your house, like yours truly, you can get creative. I used a cup :)</div>
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It works quite well!!</div>
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Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet (you'll need about 3, I'd say), and pop those babies in the oven. I've baked mine for anywhere from 7-12 minutes, but the minute the thinnest cookie starts getting brown on top, take them out! I burned the second batch, and that was a big no-bueno. </div>
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I bake one tray at a time- it takes a bit longer, but it ensures that all of the cookies get the same lovin' in the oven. :) </div>
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Let them cool for a few minutes, and then be sure to move them to foil or to a plate because they'll stick super quickly to the sheet. And then once they dry they're breakable. I also ruined half of my second batch this way. You live and learn though! </div>
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Once they cool completely (aka after 2 or so hours), you can start jamming those babies up. Just spread or dollop about half a teaspoon onto a cookie, and top with another one. You're basically making sandwiches with these suckers. </div>
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If you want to eat them right away, I don't blame you at all- they're magical! However, if you let them sit out overnight on a plate covered by clingwrap or foil, the texture will completely change by morning- they'll become much softer and buttery, and more like one cookie than two stuck together by jam. I've used peach, strawberry, and blueberry jam, and they're all fantastic.</div>
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I've brought these cookies into the office, to get together, and just served them last night after dinner, and everyone has loved them. I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends and family have!</div>
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Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope that you all have wonderful days filled with love and happiness.</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-86675829825069711122013-12-22T22:32:00.000-05:002014-10-21T23:56:53.521-04:00Oh Christmas Tree!Last weekend the parents and I decided we should finally get around to finding the family Christmas tree. So, we bundled up and ventured out to one of the nurseries nearby that I used to frequent as a little kid to find ourselves a tree.<br />
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Mom was struggling to keep the 'muffs on. </div>
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Considering the wind chill was at a toasty negative 4, we all split up and quickly got to work. Since we were tree shopping so close to Christmas, there wasn't much of a selection. Luckily the second tree that I spotted was quite the beauty, and I called everyone over to check it out.</div>
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Behold! Ain't she a 'beaut?</div>
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Dad hung around looking at it close up, checking for squirrels, I assume, so mom and I took a quick spin around the rest of the garden to make sure we weren't missing out on anything.</div>
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Everyone was saying it was cold, but I was so bundled up, I could hardly tell!</div>
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Coat: Kristen Blake | No longer for sale, but here's a few similar ones!</div>
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<a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/burberry-brit-belted-down-jacket/3539640?origin=category&BaseUrl=Coats">Burberry</a> | <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/ellen-tracy-belted-coat-with-detachable-hood-regular-petite/3563999?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=BLACK&resultback=3102&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-3_10_A">Ellen Tracy</a></div>
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Sunnies: <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/tory-burch-56mm-cat-eye-sunglasses/3080010?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=TORTOISE&resultback=2802&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_8_B">Tory Burch</a></div>
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Hat: <a href="http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/cable-minna-beanie.html">The North Face</a> | They only have it in purple now, but it is SO warm</div>
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After snapping a shot of the 3 of us, mom and I scampered off into the shop and left dad to sort out the tree deets. The name of the nursery/shop is Allisonville Nursery, and it is always such a delightful place to go. I grew up not too far from there, so we'd frequent there to get seeds and things for my dad's garden. They used to have a cat, named Boo, that lived at the shop- which was always my favorite thing about going to the nursery (I've been a cat lady at heart since birth). They have all sorts of things though- ranging from home decor, to garden tools, to plants, and Indiana memorabilia. During the winter though, they have all of their halls completely decked!</div>
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How gorgeous are these sundials? They're all hand-crafted, and I'm in love with them all.</div>
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We ended up taking home our big ole tree, and a few other things that we hadn't planned on, but isn't that always the story?</div>
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We trekked home thru the snow, and as soon as we got inside I fixed some coffee to help thaw us all out. Mom and I left dad to bring the tree in and we took off to finish our Christmas shopping. </div>
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By the time we got home, dad had the tree inside and all of the fixins out of the basement. We sat down to dinner, and then got to work decking the halls!</div>
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She doesn't know I snapped this picture :)</div>
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Dad was pretty proud of his light-stringing skills.</div>
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We decked the tree and finished up the rest of the house as well. I had planned on getting started on my holiday baking, but was so knackered from being out and about all day that I decided to put it off for another night. Fear not though, I've been playing in the kitchen and have perfected a knock-off Harry & David gallette recipe that is out of this world, that I promise I will share with you all soon :)</div>
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Merry almost-Christmas, everyone!</div>
Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-5751663601812756962013-12-11T19:51:00.005-05:002014-10-21T23:57:04.812-04:00Not So Sinful Pumpkin BarsDespite the snow thats currently falling out side, it is still <i>technically</i> fall. Doesn't look (or feel) like it, I know. But I figured what better way to keep everyone in the fall spirit, than with a tasty pumpkin recipe?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>These little beauties are absolutely delicious, and easily under 80 calories per bar. Which for some people means an awesome low-cal dessert, but I take it as "yay I can eat like 5". Whichever way you take the low calorie count of this snack, don't worry- I won't judge ;)<br />
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These bars are just a simple pumpkin cake bar. When I was first making them I expected the texture to be more of a brownie, but they're quite moist. The frosting is a simple low-fat cream cheese frosting, and the little tang of the cream cheese goes fantastically with the warm pumpkin.</div>
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Here's the ingredients for the bar batter :</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 & 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup almond flower</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 T cinnamon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li>4 medium-sized eggs</li>
<li>1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce</li>
<li>1 tsp olive oil</li>
<li>1/6 cup agave nectar</li>
<li>2 small cans (15 oz each) of pumpkin puree</li>
<li>3 T brown sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>Truvia to taste (I used about 6 packets)</li>
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And here's what you'll need for the cream-cheese icing:</div>
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<li>2 T almond flour</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>5 oz vanilla yogurt</li>
<li>One block of reduced fat cream cheese</li>
<li>1 tsp almond milk</li>
<li>2 T agave</li>
<li>1 T brown sugar</li>
<li>Truvia to taste</li>
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First you're going to want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I always forget that part! </div>
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Put the flour (both kinds) the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Then sift them all together.</div>
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In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients- eggs, applesauce, olive oil, and agave. Then dump in the pumpkin and mix until its smooth. </div>
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Add brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl of wet ingredients, and then add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ones. Note- you should use a pretty big bowl for the dry ingredients just so everything will fit! </div>
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After you have thurougly mixed everything together, add the Truvia to taste. And by taste, I mean taste the batter :) Its part of baking! Don't be afraid to eat the batter!</div>
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Once the batter is to your liking, spread it out evenly in a greased/oiled pan. I used a 9x13 pan, but use whatever fits your fancy!</div>
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Proceed to bake for 20-30 minutes. I left mine in for about 26. To see if they're done, put a toothpick in the middle of the pan, and if it comes out clean you're all done!</div>
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While the bars are in the oven, go ahead and prepare the frosting. This is the simple part- you just mix everything from the list above together evenly in a bowl, and pop it in the fridge! Make sure you try it before though, to make sure you've got enough Truvia in there. Again, I used about 5 or 6 packets. It sounds like a lot, but remember its for the entire pan!</div>
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Put the frosting in the fridge, to let it sit up, and let the bars cool completely. If you put the frosting on while they're still warm, it will melt! Once the frosting is on, sprinkle some cinnamon on top (because its both delicious <b>and</b> pretty), and then cut them into tiny squares. I cut mine to be about an inch on each side, because I was going to take them into the hospital with me. But again, whatever works for you! </div>
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Keep them in the fridge until you're ready to eat them. The bars will go a little soft, otherwise because of the frosting. </div>
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Overall, these turned out delicous. They were very moist, so next time I'll add a bit more flour to them, but they were certainly a fan favorite at the hospital! And the few I left at home were definitely appreciated by mom for their low-cal quality. They're great for having around the house for a late fall treat, or to take to a potluck!</div>
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I'm denying the existence of winter for as long as possible, in case you couldn't tell. We've already gotten a decent amount of snow here, and they're calling for more this weekend, so I have a feeling my resistance won't last much longer.</div>
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I hope you all had wonderful thanksgivings though, and are enjoying the season! I'm about to dig into some chinese food from the place up the street. Mom's out to dinner with friends, so Dad & I are splurging! :) We're so sneaky.</div>
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Stay warm, friends!</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-11395043895538191132013-10-24T20:35:00.000-04:002014-10-21T23:57:28.189-04:00Pasta PrimaveraToday was my second day off this week. And I suppose I should own up to the fact that it was not nearly as productive as my day off earlier.<br />
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Oh well- you can't win them all, right?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I spent most of the day lounging around with the animals trying to figure out what to get everyone for Christmas. About this time every year I feel compelled to get a head start on my shopping and try to find the perfect gift for everyone, only to still put it off till last minute. I think I know what to get everyone, except my sister, but now its just a matter of finding the best deal on everything. Which means plenty of waiting and scoping.<br />
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I also drank way too much coffee. But that's never a bad thing!<br />
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Did some yoga, pinned some things on pinterest, and added a few things to my mental 'crafts to do' list. Overall, pretty productive, yeah?<br />
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By the time mom got home and I had ran a few errands I was pretty ready to get started on dinner. Mom and dad were too. We've been picking off leftovers all week because with the amount we all love to cook, a fridge fills up pretty fast with only 3 people in the house. Pets not included :)<br />
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We've killed off most of them, but we still had a huge vat of pasta leftover from the weekend. I had planned on trying a new chicken recipe, but we decided the pasta should go first before any of us try to add anything to the fridge, except wine. I was craving squash for some reason, so mom and I decided to just throw a few things together from the fridge, and we got this:<br />
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It was a gloomy day filled with clouds and random snow showers, yes snow (I don't want to talk about it), so what better way to warm up than with a delicious pasta dish stock full of veggies and cheese?</div>
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The dish was very simple to throw together, and we just used things we had around the house. Here's what you'll need:</div>
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1 box of your favorite pasta</div>
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3 yellow squash (or zucchini, or a mix of both)</div>
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8 oz/ one small box of mushrooms</div>
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1 bell pepper</div>
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1/2 white onion</div>
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1 jar of pasta sauce</div>
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2 cloves of garlic</div>
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Handfull of fresh basil leaves</div>
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Splash of EVOO</div>
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Salt & pepper</div>
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As with all good dishes, you always start by chopping up the veggies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqZQxYw8Nh4LZkxaUB1mkmX5c6cZxOqCjzYx7k1GZ5e73v0BzlhmPerGVAEjg9kN0v5v7GSaNWC93Y-g8rnTTC70daju21IIW13FAoW1nJvvufQ4RYDdP42PpnFn5SMxbycP6Jye9FRY/s1600/IMG_2131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqZQxYw8Nh4LZkxaUB1mkmX5c6cZxOqCjzYx7k1GZ5e73v0BzlhmPerGVAEjg9kN0v5v7GSaNWC93Y-g8rnTTC70daju21IIW13FAoW1nJvvufQ4RYDdP42PpnFn5SMxbycP6Jye9FRY/s320/IMG_2131.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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The onion and garlic did not feel like being in this photo, but chop those up too!</div>
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Throw a pot full of water on the stove for the pasta, and break out that skillet. Put your EVOO in there and sautee the garlic, then throw in the rest of the veggies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmZPl0tyvrezXwzTsu6JEBwxj7JOIbU1yqvuFYD2v7rvBt1U5utpjwTov92qlzockI-wj-3iJFNhyXH5Wh1nZ1hmeN4FdCkum3OrI1ObLRBI07qMYv847P0t90KHkXL_I2_GMzeMyZbE/s1600/IMG_2133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmZPl0tyvrezXwzTsu6JEBwxj7JOIbU1yqvuFYD2v7rvBt1U5utpjwTov92qlzockI-wj-3iJFNhyXH5Wh1nZ1hmeN4FdCkum3OrI1ObLRBI07qMYv847P0t90KHkXL_I2_GMzeMyZbE/s320/IMG_2133.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once the mushrooms and squash have softened up a bit, add in the basil. By now your water for the pasta should've boiled as well, so if you haven't already throw the box of pasta in the water!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-kHOwthU25cA3CqqTtyEsrS8OhGCol_rGdTv3UYhoSaGwX-gZ_5rcNKhcmWmP8ztzyRAh0XUS-jnzcysYvo1kQ8Yk3FCCKcDjjlP01JGyORNJaTeuUIeMcyMk4QkZ_QWqwUUbv_VU08/s1600/IMG_2134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-kHOwthU25cA3CqqTtyEsrS8OhGCol_rGdTv3UYhoSaGwX-gZ_5rcNKhcmWmP8ztzyRAh0XUS-jnzcysYvo1kQ8Yk3FCCKcDjjlP01JGyORNJaTeuUIeMcyMk4QkZ_QWqwUUbv_VU08/s320/IMG_2134.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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And when the veggies are almost done, dump that whole jar of sauce in there too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLDBOeFi0N_7VRmAaSCKkPtYph1UkpoE_AAMsTaGDvK0q1-oGoaywzCh5WM2CwQNxgpnS8IphpOlYV71Zw_jGUfm8stRFiJKylgAGf2SLGBWC41OGXOf2Hc3sQY61Cz3B6_wIWCPe2Os/s1600/IMG_2136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLDBOeFi0N_7VRmAaSCKkPtYph1UkpoE_AAMsTaGDvK0q1-oGoaywzCh5WM2CwQNxgpnS8IphpOlYV71Zw_jGUfm8stRFiJKylgAGf2SLGBWC41OGXOf2Hc3sQY61Cz3B6_wIWCPe2Os/s320/IMG_2136.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once the sauce has heated and the veggies are soft enough (we left ours a bit crunchy for the texture), throw in some salt and pepper, along with your favorite spices. I'd recommend some oregano- I didn't add any, but next time I definitely will. </div>
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Once your pasta is done and the sauce is seasoned to taste, drain the pasta and plate it. Throw the veggie sauce on top, sprinkle on as much fresh parmesan as you want, and dig in!</div>
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A seriously surprising gem of a recipe, and a great way to make something delicious out of what you've got laying around the kitchen!</div>
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I definitely didn't get around to the baking that I wanted to today, but this weekend is looking to be both cold and uneventful, so come back soon for a fall desert recipe! </div>
Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-37976027455469243082013-10-23T00:04:00.003-04:002014-10-21T23:58:19.852-04:00Playing HookeyI absolutely adore unexpected days off. With the doctor being out of the office for a few days, and one of our publications about to go to print there isn't much for me to do in the office.<br />
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My other job still hasn't given me my training schedule or anything (yes, I forgot to share with you all, but I finally found a job! Had to right my karma before everything fell into place, but isn't that how it always is?) and we're taking a few days before we delve into our next publication...<br />
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Long story short, I found myself with an unexpected day off today. So did my mom. So, we had a bit of a play date. I got to sleep in, which is always a significant plus. Once I finally managed to roll out of bed, I poured a tumbler of coffee and threw on a jacket, and mom and I took the dog for a walk.<br />
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You'd be surprised at how fast those tiny little legs can move!</div>
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Holy cow, I don't know what's happened in the Midwest over the past week, but it has gotten SO cold. I always love when the weather starts to get cold, because boots and sweaters are two of my favorite things in life, but seriously- its supposed to snow tonight. Side note, I know- but that's just not okay. It isn't even halloween yet.</div>
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Once we got the dog back in the house and warmed up (more coffee, yes), we threw on some flip flops and our heaviest sweaters and headed out to get pedicures. I hadn't gotten one in months, and with the dry weather I've been needing one something fierce for quite a while now. </div>
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We've gone to the same little hole-in-the-wall place next to a pizza joint for probably 8 years now. Everyone there is just so sweet and they do an awesome job for great prices. Mom went with her signature grey while I opted for a very deep plum. A bit daring on my part because I absolutely never do anything purple, but the color was just too gorgeous to pass up. And besides, who looks at your feet in the freezing fall?</div>
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I thought about getting my hands taken care of too since for some reason my fingernails won't stop peeling and shredding, but for time's sake I figured I'd just take care of them at home. Which never happened. Whoops. Which reminds me though, does anyone know of any good tricks to get nails to stop peeling? I need serious help! Tips would seriously be appreciated!</div>
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On the way home we stopped into Target to pick up a few things for the food pantry. But of course that turned into getting new face products and almost an entirely new fall wardrobe. I was floored by the amount of cute things Target has out right now. If you're looking for great priced nice pieces, definitely check them out!</div>
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I hadn't shopped like that... maybe ever. Which is sad because it was a blast, but probably the truth. I made out like a bandit though. 3 pairs of trousers, a gorgeous houndstooth dress, 4 tops and a sweater later, I think I'm beginning to get a professional wardrobe together.</div>
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I still need shoes though. And accessories. Story of my life.</div>
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I've needed to do some serious clothes shopping for a while. I've delayed it because I've been losing weight, and honestly I wanted to lose a few more before I did shopping like that, but I like to live in the moment and it just happened. I've also been struggling to find a clothing type flattering on my body type, so having my mom there to critique my clothing choices was definitely helpful. I'm a short yet curvy gal, and finding professional yet stylish clothes (especially for working in a pediatric field) is super difficult for me. Does anyone else have that problem, or is it just another manifestation of my fashion incompetence?</div>
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After a 15 minute trip turned into a 3 hour one (no joke, its rather disgusting), we were knackered and hungry so we headed home. I heated up some soup for lunch. There is nothing better after being out in the cold weather all day, and the best soup ever that you can make at home from a box undoubtedly comes from Trader Joe's. </div>
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We lounged around for the rest of our day off. I spent some time playing laser light with the cat, and then we both took a nap. </div>
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She's a much prettier sleeper than I.</div>
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Went to yoga after dinner, which is always a great way to begin to wrap up your evening. Unfortunately the gym I go to only offers it twice a week (and I am really not a fan of one of the instructors), and I refuse to pay out the wazoo to go to a studio. I'm poor- so what. So I don't get to practice nearly as much as I'd like.</div>
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Stopped by a friend's house to pick up my pumpkin that I had carved over the weekend along with a dish from the dip I made for their party on the way home, and still caught the end of the Voice. I hate reality TV (with all due respect), but that is one show that I do truly enjoy.</div>
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Now I've got a lovely glass of pinot grigio and the new copy of Vogue to finish my night. It's back to the grindstone tomorrow, but it should be a good day. We're going to start really pushing on our big research project and I think there's another one we're going to brainstorm on, which I always love. Brainstorming is just such a neat word. </div>
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Looks like its time for a refill :)</div>
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I'm taking Thursday off as well though, and I plan to bake that day (as well as try to fix my poor fingernails), so if everything goes well I should have a fall recipe for you all soon!</div>
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Goodnight lovies!</div>
Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-58696360148129504742013-10-07T09:45:00.000-04:002014-10-21T23:58:38.076-04:00Eastern MarketI'm going to tell you all about one of my most favorite places in the world. At least that I've been to.<br />
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Eastern market is the neighborhood just a bit east of the Capitol building. Its characterized by wonderful little shops and restaurants; most of them being independently owned- so very few chains, at least in the area that we wandered.<br />
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Its a cute neighborhood, nothing exceptionally special, until the weekend hits. Early Saturday & Sunday morning, the actual Eastern Market opens up, which is a wonderful outdoor farmers and flea market. Last visit I bought a dress, this visit I snagged some gorgeous bar soap made with real avocados and olives. If I could post the scent to share with you all, believe me I would.<br />
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What I'm trying to say though, is that you can find just about anything you need here. Local farmers come out to sell their various produce, ranging from typical potatoes and corn to white peaches (I'd never had one before- they're beautiful!) and fairytale eggplants (adorable, by the way). Butchers set up inside to sell meat, fish and cheese. People sell jams and bottled sauces, salsa, and homemade soaps and organic cleaning products. There's also some vendors who sell fresh flowers- one of my favorite things.<br />
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Then there's clothes and furniture for sale, both new and vintage. Along with all types of artwork, jewelry and... well- like I said, basically anything you could ever want/need!<br />
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We picked up some delicious apple bbq sauce from one of the salsa vendors, on top of the soap and a few other things that we didn't reallly need. And then some fruits and veggies for the week, as well as what we needed for dinner. We had plans to spend the rest of the day out shopping, so I decided to whip up my <a href="http://faithfullyfayth.blogspot.com/2013/09/single-pot-pasta.html">Single Pot Pasta</a> for everyone. It was definitely a huge hit after being on our feet all day!<br />
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Long story short though, I absolutely adore outdoor markets. There's just something about buying your food and things straight from the people who had their hands involved that makes shopping special. If you live in DC, I definitely suggest you check Eastern Market out. If you live in another city or town but have a farmers market or something similar, then I say next weekend you hit that up! It adds such a great element to your cooking experience, and its great for your local economy.<br />
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I know whatever city I end up digging my heels into, there will be something like Eastern Market there. And I guarantee you'll be able to find me there every weekend!<br />
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-28044235277015268712013-10-05T10:30:00.001-04:002013-10-05T10:30:12.250-04:00Back in the Capitol Hello again beautiful friends :)<br />
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So it seems like I'm finding myself in DC about once a month since my sister moved out here. Not gonna lie, I don't mind it one bit!!<br />
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We've had family plans to road trip out thru the beautiful mountains for a visit, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go because of the job hunt. (Yes, I'm still looking for a job. No, I don't want to talk about it right now.)<br />
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But since I'm still unemployed, I figured "what the hell!" and tagged along with my parents. Its about a 10 or 11 hour drive from Indiana with stops, so we left at the crack of dawn yesterday and hit the road. We were taking my sister's roommate back out with us, and her cat Roger. We rolled into DC (after getting a bit lost) right as the sun was going down- so it was a full day of driving. As much as I love driving and road trips, after about 6 hours in the car I'd rather just hop on a plane.<br />
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But the trees thru the mountains were absolutely gorgeous. We stopped in West Virginia to take in the air and sights (and get coffee, of course), but none of the pictures I could snap from where we were or from the car window did it justice.<br />
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But the first pumpkin spice latte of the season sure hit the spot with the fall foliage! </div>
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We unpacked a bit and said our hellos, and then headed over to Eastern Market to a little pub to grab a bite and a bev, because Lord knows that's two necessities after a long car ride. We went to Tunicliff's Tavern and sat outside. Holy moly it's hot here! Despite it being October, its supposed to get up to 90 today. Yikes! I'm just ready to wear boots and sweaters, not shorts.</div>
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Anyways, we sat and caught up outside on their tiny little patio. Eastern market is such a cute neighborhood- so many different restaurants and shops to check out. I had a delicious crab cake sandwich with plenty of beers. I wasn't feeling too adventurous, so I stuck to a typical Goose Island 312 out of Chicago. Had to keep a bit of the midwest with me! The food was absolutely fabulous though- if you want some pub fare, I'd definitely recommend it! All of their entrees and sandwiches looked good, but for a side definitely get the potato salad. It was delicious. I could've just eaten a big bowl of that for dinner if it were socially acceptable.</div>
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Today we're heading back to Eastern Market. On the weekends they have an absolutely adorable farmers and flea market. I snapped a ton of pictures of it last time I was out here and never got around to posting about it. Story of my life. They have so many neat jewelry booths so I'm hoping to snag something from one of those today. And some produce for dinner, of course! We're staying in tonight for dinner, so I'm sure we'll whip up something tasty!</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-32179373015843017442013-09-25T23:41:00.000-04:002014-10-21T23:58:52.024-04:00Single Pot PastaHello sweeties!<br />
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Wow. I am SO sorry that I haven't been on here in so long. As soon as I got settled into my parents house (yes, I am living there now), I hopped back off to DC to help my sister get settled into her new digs and classroom for the better part of 2 weeks. I had a ton of photos and a mile-long post prepared, and then one of the last days there we went to the beach and I got awful 2nd degree sunburns all over, including my face. After that all motivation to have energy to do anything besides ice my face and smother myself in aloe completely left me.<br />
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By the time I got back home to Indy I was so focused on the job hunt and diving headfirst into my internship and applying for grad school that blogging quickly lost its spot on my must-do list.<br />
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Fear not though! I am back. And I am going to keep making a conscious effort to update this puppy more. Living at home has opened up a lot of "me-time". Basically since my social life has restricted itself to maybe on the weekends if at all, I've had a lot of time to craft, cook, bake, and work-out. Which means I should have plenty of things to share with you all, granted I remember to take photos.<br />
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Today though, beautiful friends, I took plenty of photos and I have a new recipe to share with you all. Its absolutely delicious and you cook everything in one pot! And one cutting board too, if we're counting.<br />
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All you need for 4 and some leftovers is<br />
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1 box of linguini (or spaghetti or angel hair, whatevs)<br />
1 10 oz box of cherry tomatoes<br />
1 8 oz box of baby 'bella mushrooms, sliced<br />
1/2 white onion, cut into small strips<br />
2 sprigs of basil (or a small handful)<br />
2 cloves of garlic<br />
4 tablespoons of EVOO<br />
4 cups of chicken broth (I always use all natural low sodium)<br />
Dried oregano<br />
A few dashes of pepper flakes<br />
Salt & pepper<br />
Grated parmesan & mozzarella <br />
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Simply cut all of your veggies into thin strips, except the basil- I left it whole. Do with it what you please though!<br />
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& dump it all into one big cookin' pot on the stove, on top of your pasta. If the pasta doesn't fit in the pot, just snap it in half! Then pour in your broth and EVOO, and add your spices. Definitely do not add the cheese. Just had to say it :)<br />
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Bring the pot to a boil. Once it starts to bubble, take it down to a simmer and make sure to stir it pretty often. Keep it simmering until all of the broth has evaporated. While waiting (it takes about 20 - 30 minutes for this to happen), pour yourself a glass of your favorite vino!<br />
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Just popped open a bottle of Barefoot's new Refresh "crisp white" wine. I definitely like a <strike>glass</strike> bottle of bubbly every now and then, and this was a very nice take on it. Not nearly as bubbly as a glass of champagne, but just enough to give it a little kick. It was definitely sweet, but perfect for a warm fall evening. It was also ridiculously cheap! So, if you're into yummy and budget friendly wine, I'd definitely recommend it!<br />
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Don't get too distracted with your beverage, or your homework though! I definitely got a bit too focused on my cell biology discussion paper and forgot to stir as often as I should've. And unfortunately when the broth had boiled away and I put the gorgeous pasta into a bowl, this happened...<br />
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Yes, tragically some of the noodles got stuck to the bottom of the pot. And were a bit crispy. So, learn from my mistakes- check and stir the pasta often! You don't want to burn it, and in a dish like this it is rather easy to do.<br />
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Luckily 99% of the pasta was perfectly fine. Rounded up mom and dad for dinner, put some of the mozzarella and parm on top, and tucked in.<br />
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I'm definitely pumped for leftover night tomorrow, now!<br />
<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382023648173576220.post-26476067118002642202013-08-06T14:10:00.000-04:002014-10-21T23:59:01.404-04:00Chicken GyrosAfternoon, Internet! :)<br />
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So sorry I've been gone again for a few weeks, I've been very busy packing up and moving. I'm finally settled back into Indianapolis, and am currently writing this to distract myself from unpacking. I had no idea how much junk I've not only accumulated over the past 4 years while at university, but that I've also stashed at home. Yikes!<br />
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It still hasn't hit me that I'll most likely be spending the year as a roommate to my parents for the first time in 4 years, and I have a feeling that it won't truly sink in until I'm all settled. Yet another reason why I'm refusing to unpack, I suppose.<br />
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Leaving IU was very bittersweet, but I truly enjoyed the last few weeks I got to spend with my best friends and roommates before we all headed our separate ways. We spent most of our time sipping on drinks, eating good food, and playing in the sun since this late-Summer weather has been absolutely gorgeous. We spent a lot of time posted up with beers around our dinky little charcoal grill on the front porch, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.<br />
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Not that we were sick of burgers and dogs (how could you ever?!), but week before last I decided to try something new. I'm just beginning to get into cooking, and had a hankering for some Greek food. Now, one thing that Bloomington has in abundance is absolutely gorgeous restaurants that have food from just about anywhere, including Greece, but I wanted to test our dingy old kitchen and see if I could make something just as good. Using inspiration from a few blogs and websites I tried my hand at some good ole chicken gyros, and I (as well as my roommates and friends) were all very pleasantly surprised.<br />
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Mostly I was surprised at how simple it was to make something so delicious!<br />
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All you really need for the chicken and marinade is:<br />
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1.5 pounds of chicken (I cut mine into smaller chunks for easier cooking)<br />
3 tbsp of EVOO<br />
Juice from 1 lemon<br />
1 tbsp dried oregano<br />
1 tsp basil (I just used dried basil from a tin)<br />
4 cloves of garlic, diced<br />
Salt & pepper to taste<br />
A bottle of your favorite wine<br />
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Mix me, baby!</div>
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Open the wine and pour yourself a big glass. Mix everything else besides the chicken in a bowl, and then pour over the chicken. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Pour yourself another glass of wine afterwards.<br />
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While I was letting the chicken sit, I went ahead and got to work on the Tzatziki and the salad I planned to make.<br />
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Tzatziki:<br />
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2 cups plain non-fat yoghurt<br />
Juice from 1 lemon<br />
1/2 of a cucumber, finely diced<br />
A splash of EVOO<br />
1 clove of finely diced garlic<br />
Salt & pepper to taste<br />
A sprinkle of dried dill<br />
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Just mix it all together, season to taste, and then throw it in the fridge to set! I absolutely adore Tzatziki. Its very similar to a snack common in Persian culture that I've fallen in love with, so naturally I stole a few bites after it was made.<br />
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The Tzatziki is super easy to make, and I wanted a bit of salad with my gyros, but wasn't feeling lettuce. My best friend Cameron was in town for the week and was coming over for dinner, so I decided to make a bit of a variation of his favorite salad since its absolutely delicious and would go great with the gyros. Its a Persian salad, called 'salad Shirazi'- I'm not sure if that's the actual name, but thats what his family calls it.<br />
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Salad Shirazi:<br />
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1 cucumber, diced<br />
2 tomatoes, diced<br />
1/2 of a white onion, diced<br />
1 red pepper, diced<br />
2 tbsp EVOO<br />
Crushed mint leaves or dill (I used dill, from a tin)<br />
Juice from 2 lemons or limes (I used lemons)<br />
Salt to taste. Its traditionally a very salty dish, so I used a lot of it.<br />
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Lots and lots of salt...</div>
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Making the Tzatziki & salad took about the whole hour, so I proceeded to trade the salad for the chicken in the fridge and heated up my pan to medium, and put the chicken pieces on the stove to cook. It took about 7 minutes for the chicken to cook up to a nice light brown, so it was relatively quick, which was good because we were getting hungry!<br />
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& thirsty!</div>
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Once the chicken was done, I put all of the fixins' out on the counter and called everyone 'round to dig in! I cut up some extra tomatoes and cucumber pieces, as well as onion and avocado to top our gyros with. I had never tried avocado on a gyro before, but got the idea from one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.thelondoner.me/">The Londoner</a>.<br />
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Needless to say, everything turned out even more delicious than it looked. The prep was a bit time consuming just because of all of the vegetables that needed to be cut up, but it was well worth it! I'm certainly adding this to my recipe book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJv6F61Ztn_8MslVEjAh8_9YjzCEzn6_aaCKNBVludSz-nEDmXNe4ijybZ7s7xdeesLz0tdmnlilqdVMp0OxrcKXmiquauEeDisjKNzId27qPzb3DQTox1nu1tR7VBwIi1tCkCI5tXk8/s1600/IMG_1587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJv6F61Ztn_8MslVEjAh8_9YjzCEzn6_aaCKNBVludSz-nEDmXNe4ijybZ7s7xdeesLz0tdmnlilqdVMp0OxrcKXmiquauEeDisjKNzId27qPzb3DQTox1nu1tR7VBwIi1tCkCI5tXk8/s320/IMG_1587.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now if only I could actually go to Greece! :)</div>
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<br />Faythhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16699741867536647575noreply@blogger.com