pleasant pheasant

vintage makes sense

2012-01-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm just justifying my own thrift-addiction or trying to find a good explanation as to why Goodwill's employees know me by sight, but I believe there's a lot of down to earth wisdom in buying vintage.

Here's a few reasons why:

1. GREEN
Buying and reusing someone elses' old junk, rather than visiting the mall and buying new, keeps that so-called trash out of landfills. And it reduces the demand for new products, so factories and manufacturers make less of that product.

2. INEXPENSIVE
Five dollar jeans? three dollar sweaters? picture frames for fifty cents? twenty dollar armchairs?
I'm sold. It's addictive. Be warned.

3. OLD = AWESOME
There's something so quirky and personable about old things, that can't be made in a factory. Pants with fake paint splotched are not cool, but broken-in leather boots are nearly priceless.
After a while, you become so used to real, well-made, well-loved products that the shiny, new, storefront items aren't so interesting. Flawless isn't as exciting as it once was. Your mind becomes trained to love imperfections, in people and life as well as in clothing; and to cringe at fake tans.

Are you a vintage lover? What do you like most about it?

friday and saturday and sunday

2012-01-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

weekend favorite:

the puffer fish who looked like an animation. I wanted to give him a hug.

thomas and I visited the aquarium and laughed at all the animals' personalities.

I would never hope to marry a man who couldn't find the humor in a sea turtle.

also,

cleaning the house

watching everyone else do their homework

drinking tea

babysitting the coolest kids on earth

upcycled: rustic chalkboard

2012-01-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

my dad and I found this old piece of tin in the woods, and I brought it home to savannah, liking it but not knowing what to do with it.
who knew that old tin works perfectly as a cool rustic chalkboard?

isn't it wonderful when peculiar thing become new and useful.

this will be our year

2012-01-16T20:34:00.000-05:00

feeling a bit snowed in, though the weather stays so mild here. the plants keep looking sadder and sadder, so I gave them a space on the windowsill and all of us room mates love it, having greenery.

I think if I wanted to have a new year's resolution- and I don't- it would be this:
to keep record of the goings-on.

that sounds simple, and maybe it is. but I want to be sure and have photos and writing of the year, and everything that happens in it.
even so far, there aren't a lot of pictures to be shared but I like this year.
it's sort of a big one, they say.
getting married. being in weddings. all that. I'm looking forward to it.

somehow I hope it's not the best year of my life, though. I know it won't be, and I'm happy for that. I hope my 38th year, or my 74th, will be my best year. goodness I hope that year doesn't get used up so quickly.

lots of reading books and thinking thoughts. thomas and I sit in the sunroom for hours with our books and read. I'm learning a bit of botany. the tiniest bit. but I love it so far, and I'm trying to learn to sketch all the while.

so yes, 2012 will be recorded. kept in memory with pictures and quickly scribbled notes- and keepsake albums, I'm sure.

make me a sandwich

2012-01-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

I waited a week for this sandwich.

Last weekend my family came to Savannah for an iceskating trip and we visited a beloved restaurant for lunch. My cousin ordered a sandwich and it showed up with toasty bread, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and who-knows-what else.
In my imagination it had a tomatoey layer and a good amount of garlic, along with, hopefully, a melted cheese.

Sometimes an idea won't leave your head no matter how you try, and it's for a good reason. In this case, the persistence was well worth it.

What we ended up with is a sandwich, toasty, melty, spicy, creamy, crunchy.
Homemade whole-grain bread. Smashed roasted garlic cloves. Windowsill oregano. Pepper jack cheese. My favorite pasta sauce. Avocado, sliced and with sea salt. Alfalfa sprouts from my own kitchen [hence, the week-long wait].
So many favorites. So little bread-space.

Follow, please, with a bit of chocolate- in my case, a homemade bar full of crystallized ginger and walnuts- and your favorite hot tea. And a book. Always a book.

woodlands and such

2012-01-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

lately on pinterest.

first stop

2012-01-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

my buddy mary and I visited a prospective wedding spot a few days ago-
a tiny chapel with wooden benches and brick floors! the most exciting part, to me, was the location. on a farm!

we visited the chickens briefly.

I believe this place is much too small to really use, but I wonder if they would let me set up camp beside the henhouse?

homebodies

2012-01-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

goodness, it's was nicest weekend.
thomas and I stayed in savannah this time instead of rushing around from family to family, and I think it was a good idea. we love rushing to from family to family; sometimes though you need a rest to just be at home and not make home simply the place you sleep.

clean sheets. peppermint soap. new windowsill herbs. chai green tea. sitting and reading and sketching. making room in the refrigerator for returning room mates. it's all good.

I love the good honest thinking time you have when you begin to clean something.

and you know, in time like these when we get the smallest rest from going and going, it hits me hard how much I love this place.

savannah, where we live, with all its quirkiness and its thousand different hats.

and this place in life, of being a grownup but not too much yet.
enough to be on your own and have a job and have a town that's yours, and people you know and things you learn just from being there.
but not so much of an adult that you feel tired and stuck in a rut of going to the office, and not stepping outside that box you worked so hard to build with your own work, nine to five. a house payment and kids and a dog and a place to settle down.
that's coming, and I love the idea of babies in pajamas and a garden with some chickens. stability and all that.

but for now, it's in the future. I'm glad of that, and this place we have right now.

my mom used to tell me to not worry so much about hurrying up and being engaged, or being married, or being in the next spot. just be glad of the little things you have right now.
know that the next place is coming soon enough, with all of its happiness and woes.
of course she is right, as mothers usually are.

of course it's taken nearly three years and a lot of quiet, slow moments to realize that.

there is just such a sweetness now. such a fun stage.
room mates cooking, or learning to cook. all of us together figuring out how to thaw a chicken.
dishes all over the sink because we all had to run out the door to work and school.
late nights talking about life, and what might happen and what we want to happen.
house decor all eclectic. four girls make things different, and it's so nice.
silverware drawer a mess. goodwill forks and spoons.
leaky faucets. pink tile bathrooms.
early-morning estate sale dates. farmer's market runs.

being not quite settled.

and a happy new year

2012-01-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

how do you feel about the new year? I think it's such an interesting thing.
part of me wanted to roll my eyes and not think or speak about having a whole new year to start with, and being finished with the old one.

but let's be honest. who isn't thinking at least a little bit about the old and the new?
do you make resolutions?

I get overwhelmed with the feeling of a whole year.
my resolutions, if there are any, are always new week resolutions, and I feel better about those.

this year, though, my new year's resolution is to become a mole.

ha ha.

that's going to be my new last name, and I'm excited about that.

I'm sure you will hear plenty of girlish chatter between now and september.
I'll save it for those late-night pinteresting dates, because now I'm thinking about time.

isn't it so funny to have time, and sit and think about what all has taken place this year?
I think my overall feeling is that against resolutions. it's natural in me to make lists and check them off fast, and run from here to there and be busy busy busy and productive all day. I'm sure we all have that tendency. and it's good and bad.
it's good in the sense that you feel guilty until things get done. it's bad in the sense that you judge your days and weeks and months and years by the amount of things that took place.

"is the floor mopped? did I floss? did I have green vegetables today? okay. good day.

aw man, no exercise? and I rested on the couch instead of cooking a meal for lunch tomorrow? what a wash."

but it's not true. we are not just machines made to do things all the time, and live to finish a list or have that perfect magazine house or body or relationship.

c.s. lewis, I believe said something like, "you do not have a spirit. you are a spirit. you have a body."

isn't that nice to think about?

sometimes you need to sit, rest, and let your spirit thrive in just being.
I do this by coming to Jesus and letting Him undo all that stress and those misconceived notions, and then sending me off again in a better state.

sometimes it's good to paint or read or even just sleep.
just be, and don't feel guilty.

what are you thoughts on this? do you have that same go and go and go mentality, or does this come easy for you? any new year's resolutions? [I'm not against the idea of them at all; I just think for myself at this time, in 2012, it's not what I need]

p.s. I love love love meghan telpner's article and you probably will too.

christmas story

2011-12-31T09:23:00.000-05:00

we had a good one.

I felt like the few short days of holiday were stuffed with people and food and presents and activities.

and that's a good thing, right?

we ate tamales for christmas eve.

thomas gave me the gift he's been excited about since easter [almost]: a record player.

my brother scott made me an end table out of old pallets.

we watched "a christmas story" for my first time, and I loved it.

my grandma and I picked kale and swiss chard in her garden.

I slept in.

scott and I wrapped ourselves in layers of blankets and laid outside on christmas eve, looking at the stars; "staring into space", he said. it was maybe my favorite part of the whole weekend.

what did you do that was special?

merry merry

2011-12-24T07:48:00.000-05:00

merry christmas eve and christmas and day after christmas!
I hope all of them are good.

today we will be eating tamales, homemade and taught in the traditional way by our lovely grandmother.
remember last year's tamale day?

we did it again, this time with twelve and a half dozen tamales.
oh such fun.

everyone had their jobs- tearing foil, spreading masa, spreading chili, and folding the tamales.

does your family have any fun traditions?

merry, merry!

weekend happiness:

2011-12-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

-music with banjos
-three christmas gift exchanges
-babies in footie pajamas
-savannah covered in leaves and twinkly lights
-ginger beer
-old old hatchback cars
-avocado breakfasts
-shamelessly stealing neighbors' pinecones
-wearing sleeveless eight days before christmas

recent vintage

2011-12-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

[slightly addicted]

prospero ano felicidad

2011-12-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

there's a recipe that happened accidentally, which I have been eating night and day, but haven't photographed. and then there's the odds and ends of daily life that have endless record.
-which is fine with me.

long walks through downtown savannah getting christmasy....

...golden curries....

...wildflower bouquets...

...merriment in the smallest of places....

...quick simple breakfasts and lunches...

...vintage treasures...

....branches I dragged indoors....

our house is chilly still, so I created a fortress in my bedroom with lights and heater and blankets and festive music. I love it in there and don't want to come out for anything.

how are you feeling about the upcoming holiday?

what have you been busy with lately?

lavender cookie dough

2011-12-10T08:27:00.000-05:00

icebox cookies, I suppose.

this is becoming quite a habit.

you just make a happy little vegan cookie dough, minus all the boring things like baking soda and leavening agents, and roll it out to be frozen. easier and better.

I love the flavor combination of lavender and lime. plus sea salt and vanilla and honey and oats. this is perfect, and so rustic and pretty when you mix it all up. I like to keep some sort of sweets on hand at all times, and these just stay in the freezer until I need them.

this is:
oat flour [oats, ground in a blender]
sea salt
dried lavender
honey or agave
bit of vanilla
juice of one lime

blend together the wet ingredients. add the dry ingredients, and mix.
freeze.

if you want, take out of the freezer after a bit and make christmasy shapes with them. like so.

I hope you love it.

seafoam

2011-12-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

so the day after thanksgiving was another lovely family day.

we had a bonfire and roasted oysters, and walked on the beach right before the sun set.

I loved the sky and the waves and the chilly air, and couldn't stop taking pictures and thinking about how perfect it all was.

last time

2011-12-07T08:04:00.000-05:00

third time's the charm, right?
I know it's annoying to keep changing my name; optimism wasn't working, and neither was the wild oats.

and I loved the name pleasant pheasant so I told myself if thomas wouldn't use it for a band name, I was gonna have it for myself.

time to decompose.

2011-12-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

when I get home from work, I sometimes need to sit and not be productive for a little while.

somehow in my mind the words "decompress" and "decompose" got mixed up, and so now I say to myself, "okay it's time for me to decompose for a while".

lately this means time on pinterest. I'm okay with that. here's what I like.

oatmeal ginger cookie dough

2011-12-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

why cook cookie dough when it tastes infinitely better than cookies cooked?

oats

whole wheat pastry flour

crystallized ginger

sea salt

cinnamon

coconut oil

agave/honey

melt the coconut oil in some hot water.

beat oil and agave/honey together

add all the other ingredients

mix together

freeze

sunday thoughts

2011-12-04T07:18:00.000-05:00

I always have in the back of my mind the nervous thoughts, "does God like me? how does He feel about me?", and I want of course to be loved and approved by Him.

Truth is, yes He loves me. He feels about me the way a father feels about his child; and He listens and instructs and teaches, and he is always close and never far away, and He won't get fed up and quit.

But if I think for one moment that He keeps me around because I'm good to have around, or that I'm pleasing to Him, the whole of the Gospel is empty to me, and I might as well try to crucify myself for the sins of the world.

God loves me not because I am lovely but because He is love.

We didn't meet in the middle with this; He gave, and I partook.

and so, having been washed in the blood of Jesus, and accepted His payment, His covering over me, I am loved.
God likes me. and there's nothing I can do about it.

first harvest

2011-12-03T08:34:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled and delighted to witness the speedy growth of my babies, the winter greens.

my buddy at the farmer's market sold me some kale, chard and collard greens a month or so ago, and these puppies have been slurping up their water and doubling in size.

I went out to collect a few leaves, and noticed some interesting plants in the backyard grass.
a photo text to my outdoorsy pro bro, who confirmed that these were dandelions, and they were good to eat.
so I collected those too.

ate a few, sketched a few.

happy day.

p.s.
my main man thomas built me that sweet 5-box planter from old pallets. isn't it the bomb?

what we saw

2011-12-03T07:40:00.000-05:00

[from the plane]

thomas' and my good friend gave us a ride in their family plane.

we got to see marshes weaving like little ferns, and housetops and trees and smoke blowing.

it all reminded me of those miniature villages you see at christmastime, or with model trains.

the whole time we were flying I couldn't stop thinking of how small we are. I love that feeling.

hello goodbye

2011-12-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

enjoyed november.

hi new month.

what are you looking forward to most about december?

if you are what you eat,

2011-11-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

lately I've been: fancy mushrooms shiitakes and oysters] with garlic and herbs. braided bread. crystallized ginger-dark chocolate bark. roasted brussels.

honorable mentions: sprouted-lentil salad. raspberry-hemp green smoothie. pumpkin-butter muffins. vegan garlic butter.

gee I love to make food.

the seaside

2011-11-29T05:23:00.000-05:00

we took a beach trip the saturday after thanksgiving with some friends, early enough to see the sun just getting used to being in the sky.
the idea was to walk along the beach for the morning, but we picked the day there was a flood advisory!
so we skipped and jumped from tree to tree, clinging to the driftwood to keep our feet dry.

the day was just splendid. clouds and water so photogenic and lovely, I couldn't stop taking pictures. we all agreed this was one of the best things we had done in a while.

happy happy

2011-11-25T05:34:00.000-05:00

how was your holiday? does your family have any crazy traditions?

I loved having two families to spend thanksgiving with. we don't have enough time in a day to see everyone that's near us, but that's what the weekend after is for, right?

p.s. shoppers, be careful out there!

yoga people

2011-11-23T07:22:00.000-05:00

I've always really disliked yoga-and-walking people. there's something so annoying about those well-meaning ladies [or men, I suppose] who give their story of health and wellness, and begin with, "Well I used to be a runner...", and then go on to tell of the enlightenment that took place, and how they have come to see light walking and long periods of stretching as being the most beneficial form of exercise.

sweating is really pleasant to me when exercising. something about working my body hard enough to be out of breath and soaked in sweat is nice. it helps me to redo myself and start over the day, and think, and feel and get connected and inspired about things.

you know well enough that running is kind of my new thing.

but you know, my mindset has changed into something close to that of the yoga-and-walking crew.
it's scary to say, and I feel like I'm getting old just by admitting that. but it's true.
I guess I can run some, and add in some walking-and-yoga too, to keep it all balanced. they all help each other out, really.

sometimes I don't have the surplus energy for a run, after a morning of running around at work. but I love the feeling of undoing all my tense nerves and aches and pains on the mat. or just walking around through the autumn leaves while I catch up on the phone with my family.

maybe I'm learning to do both, and find the goodness in each form of activity; out of breath thoughts and feelings, plus slow stretching thoughts and feelings, plus whatever kind of thoughts or feelings you get from doing pushups.

balance was never my forte, but maybe it's coming with age.

and speaking of age, here's the gem of that crowd: they are not afraid of something.
they feel at peace stretching instead of weight-lifting, because they aren't counting calories anymore. they don't know what their exact weight is, and that's a good thing. who needs to?
they don't have a workout printed from a magazine, because they started listening to the limitations of their own body, and where they can improve.
they don't feel like they have to have the arms of someone they saw on the street. they don't think of themselves as a lesser person if their arms look just decent.
they look like arms, really. and that's fine with them.

I think I'm learning how that feels, and that I never knew the lack of inner peace I used to have with myself. does that sound far-out? it's really not.
I just mean, there was always a piece of me believing if I tried harder and ate a little less and bought the more expensive beauty products, I would look just right and have peace with myself. that was normal. harmful, and silly. but just a way of thinking that happened without thinking.
it's like they always say, about girls and body image and all that.
you just believe that running a little more will do it for you.
and maybe it will; I don't know.

I do really like running.
do you see how running isn't the real issue?
it can be fun and great and a nice way to be active and think, in a holistic and fully healthy way.
or it can be a sick crutch to keep you psycho about your numbers on the scale.

what do you think about this? some people seem to grow out of the technicality and numbers of it all. some people like that. and some people don't really have troubles one way or the other. I've always had this stuff on my mind, so it's easy to see changes. how about you?

feeling happy and thankful that these things are coming around.

the holly and the ivy

2011-11-19T05:26:00.000-05:00

no I don't eat them. hot peppers are not my style.
but I went home to my parent's for a day and spotted this little bush.
isn't it the prettiest?
looks like God made a little christmas decoration.

and speaking of which, are you decorating yet? or listening to christmas music?
at what point do you get the out holiday spirit?

I haven't been on my own for this time of year yet so I don't know what it looks like. but lights in my room have already happened. and hopefully a tree!

not it.

2011-11-17T05:53:00.000-05:00

another round of trying on fluffy white contraptions. I found a perfect one, and it's not one of these.

but let's be honest, some dresses are funny on me.

I like the fun of the ones that just don't work.

branches, plumes

2011-11-12T07:46:00.000-05:00

sometimes the perfection of autumn and the outdoors just overwhelms me.
here's a little of that, plus a decoration to bring inside and hang up in my room.

I'm planning to spend the weekend making yards and yards of these banners.

gingerbread granola

2011-11-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

so, granola and I have never worked out very well together.

firstly, I always thought of myself as being healthier-than-thou, and therefore ignoring granola as a breakfast item [choosing of course raw broccoli or some other lovely vegetable].
things change, of course.

secondly, I have never had much success making granola. it always burns or ends up too chewy and doesn't bake quite right.
this time I loosely followed the recipe for "tawny granola" found in miss sophie dahl's wonderful cookbook. it turned out so great!

I've been listening to my mother about "getting more protein", and having yogurt as much as I can to keep my immunity up.
and what goes better with yogurt than granola?

this is a sit-down breakfast for a nice chilly morning, with coffee and tea alongside.

I hope you love it.

waking up on a farm

2011-11-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

thomas had a birthday. the big 2-1!

we celebrated with his family, and bought a mandolin and ate burgers grilled by his roommate.

it was really fun and such a happy day.

p.s. little did I realize that a mandolin is the instrument that it is!
it's something like a cross between a ukelele and a banjo, and it sounds like a sunrise on the farm.
perfect.

weekend.

2011-11-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

wedding, attended with room mates and friends

cheese quesadillas

new plant babies

not marathoning

hot cinnamon apple tea

what did you do this weekend?

grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

2011-11-05T08:52:00.000-04:00

so yes, I love mornings. I feel like we've been over that a few times now.

the other day I had a whole morning off work and spent outside. so perfect.
it involved lake time, sunshine, mumford & sons [specifically this song. I believe it was played no less than five times within an hour], and twisting vines into a giant wreath for the front door.
people kept walking and jogging by, getting curious, and asking me what I was up to.
it's funny how something so simple as a few plants can be so intricate and beautiful.

and I think the happiness was a lot more than mumford and some plants.
truthfully, I've been on cloud nine for a while now- maybe a couple weeks or months?- and I think it's just the place I am in life.
not any one particular thing, but I do just feel this fullness and I know it's a gift from God.
He's given me the job I have and the room mates I love living with, and the newfound comfort in just relaxing and being myself without proving anything in running, or looking made-up and nice; and most recently this shower of weddingness, which is great in itself but mostly just a fun thing to share with my mom and sister, and plan and get excited about.

it's just a good place in every piece of life right now.
I don't mistakenly believe that this feeling will last forever- it hasn't been here that long, you know?
but for what it is, it's perfect and so well worth the wait.

so I'm happy.
when I'm at home, I smile because I love my work and I love the customers and the relationships there and how perfect it was that God brought me there. when I'm working, I smile because it's so fun to be engaged and now, after two years, to be engaged in the engagement, and plan things and text my mom about ideas or email my sister with a hundred thousand questions. I love it and I'm ready for it. just happy.
when I'm running, I think about my family, and both sides of it now- mine and thomas'- and how wonderful they both are, in their own opposite ways; and how lovely it is to have that diversity. when I'm with my room mates, I tell them all of this and get really girly and screamy and happy because of this straight-up happy place.

it's just a stage in life, and it's made better by the stages before and after it of rough times, and growing closer to God and people because of that.
for now I just want to be glad in that, and I am.

love the words of this-

"pardon for sin and a peace that endures
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside"

yes.

go fish

2011-11-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

what did you do for halloween?

anything exciting?

I had a fun time dressing up for work...as a trout.

yeah.

I was a rainbow trout for halloween.

my roommate and I decorated a goodwilled sweatshirt so I could be a flashy sea animal.

sort of looked like a frog, or a glittery hoodie. but it had scales and lips and a pink fishy tail.

people seemed to enjoy a sparkly trout handing out their morning coffee, and I sure like being a spectacle for a day.

and then a little bonfire with thomas and friends. and something crazy like a cheese quesadilla for dinner.

morning glories

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

[I wrote this a month and a day ago, but equally applicable to november second]

the first day of october hit us with a chill, and I, like a happy autumn fairy, went around the house before the sun was even up, opening all of the windows and getting everything ready for glad relief.

there's something so hopeful about a sunrise and a sunset.
you can't feel it at mid-day, or past-dark, though those times have their own glories, but there is a spark in you that starts thinking things out, making goals, feeling ready to do something with that old stagnation in your soul.

it's like you wake up and feel something you forgot how to feel.

every bone and freckle in me longs to go outside; to be as close as humanly possible to the smell and feel of the day.

goldenrod

2011-11-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

goldenrod, just because.
sitting on our kitchen table it needs to be photographed and looked at.

so pretty, right?

I love wildflowers.

well here it goes...

2011-10-29T08:06:00.000-04:00

my mom and I went looking for a special dress.

[the one in the photo is not it]

I just wanted to get that out there because it's not going to not be on my mind these days.

lots of pinteresting and girlish chatter about colors and fabrics and things.

I'm kind of loving it.

curry cabbage

2011-10-28T17:16:00.000-04:00

like many other recipes, I came up with this dish by experimenting on an empty stomach, and then recreating the recipe a day or two later upon sudden craving.
roommate approved!

here's what you need:
cabbage
garlic
onion
ginger root
olive oil
curry powder
salt and pepper
[chopped red pepper and corn are delicious too, but not essential]

chop the onion and garlic, and get them started in a little pan with some olive oil.
grate or chop the ginger and let it hang out in there as well.
scoop out some curry powder, salt and pepper and let that mingle too.
while all of this goodness is cooking, chop your cabbage.

chop a little at a time, in batches, and when you have your first batch ready, add some water and turn up the heat before adding.
keep going in this pattern. I realize it sounds complicated but chopping cabbage and adding water isn't too tough. so worth it.
just continue stirring the whole mixture and taste-testing.

once you have the desired amount of cabbage curried, scoop it all into a bowl or on a plate and enjoy.

I hope you love it.

why I'm not marathoning

2011-10-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

some months ago I shared an excited if not crazy announcement:
I would be running in this year's local rock and roll marathon.
[maybe the half, if not the full.]

and there hasn't been much said about this since, so several of you have asked me if I'm still marathoning.

no.

I still think the race sounds like a blast, seeing as how it's a ton of music and a ton of crazy people all together on a chilly november morning.
come on, that sounds awesome!

but when I began running more over the summer [got up to a thirteen and half distance!!!], I realized how much I truly just enjoy running for running's sake.
and how little I care about timing, or numbers, or competing, or any of that.
every once in a while I maybe get a bee in my bonnet and try to outrun someone who is also having their saturday morning long run. but that's the extent of my competitive side, and that's only fun because it's short.

truthfully, I don't want to be a runner runner who has a fancy watch with their mileage and calories, and keeps a 26.2 sticker on the back of their car. it's cool if you're into that. but I don't care to do that.
I just want to keep enjoying it, and not worrying about upping my speed or my distance to pay a lot to compete in something to have a sticker to be a runner runner.

just give me some led zeppelin and some coffee, and let me run trails and laugh at turtles while I run.

case in point: saturday's run was cut short in order to have time to pick wildflowers and visit the farmer's market.

smart choice, duh.

getting older, getting younger

2011-10-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

went home for a day and a night, visited my brother and parents and grandparents. isn't it so nice to be with family? and I had a lot of thoughts about growing up and such. I guess coming home sort of does that to you.
I feel like I'm slowing growing back into the self I was when I was seven, except hopefully with a bit more maturity added on.
you know how high school tends to rob you of your creativity, imagination and individuality?

gee, when I was little I had the best imagination.
I always wanted to be outside, and I wanted to keep away from school and have animals to love on and write stories about interesting people, and play games out in the woods. I wore stupid ugly sweatshirts with neon animals on them. I always wanted a farm. I still want a farm.

there's something about being sixteen or so that makes you think you can't leave the house looking less than perfect. or that you can't laugh really hard and have real fun. like you have to prove yourself to total strangers who could hardely care less who you are. know what I mean?
thankfully we usually grow out of this stage. I'm so glad. it's not healthy to care so much about your self.

I feel so much happier when I think of myself a someone who does things, and creates and laughs and makes people feel better, instead of thinking of myself so seriously and with such critisicism.

life happens when you stop thinking of yourself at all, and think of what can be done with that one happy moment.

taste the rainbow

2011-10-19T07:53:00.000-04:00

...of chard.

so I found some rainbow chard at the farmer's market and couldn't leave without it.
so pretty, right? the colors are out of this world.

but after taking pictures of the chard, I realized there wasn't any recipe for chard coming to me. so I looked up some of my own, using fabulous foodgawker.

here's what I came up with. maybe we will choose one for the week, or try a little of every recipe.

cranberry bean chili with winter squash and swiss chard
raw vegan chard wraps
swiss chard lentils with indian five spice seasoning
chard chips
{and much much more}

anyhow, seeing as rainbow chard is growing as we speak, I do hope you try out some of these recipes yourself.

the fair in photos

2011-10-16T08:38:00.001-04:00

this weekend was the state fair. my fiance has a huge family with a bunch of kids, and it's so fun to hang out with them.
we all went to columbia, sc for the annual state fair. [check out last year's recap]
and I took a lot of photos. if you don't have the patience for all of them, at least scroll down to the baby pigs sleeping, the gentle burro, and the piglet races!

best day ever.

I want my own burro so bad.

I love october.

common grounds

2011-10-11T14:50:00.001-04:00

here's a little upcycle/recycle tip for all you fellow coffee lovers and plant keepers:

give your plants your old coffee.

I'm sure having a full-on compost bin is a great thing, but I haven't gotten myself together enough to do that yet.
plus, our old pile was at the back of the yard, and I was too afraid of the snakes to go out there and dump our food scraps.
maybe that will come in time; if so, you will be the first to know about it.

for now, here's what I do.

I take my old coffee grounds and dig a little around the plants, and mix the coffee into their soil.
in my imagination they sing when they see me coming, filter in hand, and do a little dance to have this delicious-smelling fertilizer.

the stevia started producing little flowers all over the place, and the basil went a little nuts too.

it's just an easy little step to take to reuse a common household ~~NECESSITY~~ item.

happy planting.

roasty toasty

2011-10-07T19:52:00.001-04:00

lately we've been having a lot of room mate dinners. so much fun to check the pantry and see what we've got around to make something neat out of.
usually someone has an ingredient or an idea to start with, and we go from there.

one of the best and most versatile dinners is roasted vegetables. just chop up your favorite vegetables, mix them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and cook at 400 degrees until crispy-brown and beautiful.

anything goes!
sweet potatoes, brussells sprouts, carrots, onions- whatever you love most or have around.

I hope you love it.

paint and kids and paper

2011-10-06T05:35:00.001-04:00

another way to use up those brown paper bags.

I brought a big pile of them and had a little craft afternoon with my fiance's younger siblings.
we painted doilies, and painted doily patterns onto brown bags, and basically just had a lot of messy, colorful fun.

calico beans

2011-10-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

sunshine

farmer's market with a friend

jeans weather

visiting families, mine and his

chilly air

persimmons for sketching

loud music and the windows down

[and have I mentioned the remarkable cool temperatures?]

the guy who sold me my kale introduced himself as someone who bought coffee from me the day before. which is just awesome! I love people.

what did you do this weekend?

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

2011-09-30T16:19:00.000-04:00

happy october, fellow autumn-lovers.

crocodile rock

2011-09-27T17:05:00.000-04:00

this weekend I got to see something cool up-close[r than I ever really wanted to].

baby alligators!

someone brought them by my fiance's family's house, and we held them for a little bit and
relished the chance to see these ferocious animals right in the living room.

they were so small and interesting to look at.
I did get up the courage to hold one of them for a minute, but mostly I wanted to look at them.
their little claws are so intricate, and their eyelids are funny, and they have little bellies that stay full for days. so funny!

animals are the bomb.

brown bagging it

2011-09-22T16:29:00.001-04:00

there are many benefits to my job.

working in a coffee shop, you get to smell lattes all day and bring the smell home with you on your clothes. you get to listen to sweet tunes while baking. you get to try all kinds of delicious treats. you get to meet fun customers and have relationships with them.

you get to upcycle brown bagel bags.

I take after my grandmama. can't throw away perfectly good items that may be reused in a fun new way.
so I noticed that our bagels arrive in a fun little brown bag that is large and sturdy and so brown and beautiful you just can't toss it.
what to do except kidnap these baggies after their first usage and give them a new job: letter-writing paper.

a gorgeous, earthy background for dozens and dozens of letters full of colorful artwork and heartwrenching stories [because I do have so many of those, you know].
it really is perfect.

and it's so much more fun, to know this is something that would have been thrown out otherwise!

what do you have around that could be turned into something more fun or interesting?
I don't want to make you crazy about throwing things out; not everything can or should be saved for a purpose.
but sometimes one or two regularly-trashed items can be salvaged for a new life.

any good ideas? I want to know!

the best thing about today

2011-09-17T22:06:00.000-04:00

weather getting autumnal
the smell of my new lemon-ginger tea
the huge floppy bulldog named willy who came through our drive-thru
crystallized ginger
baking yeasted bread from scratch

oh weekend free time. I love you.

raw food weekend

2011-09-16T20:11:00.000-04:00

sometimes I feel sleepy, or "sluggish" as they say, and think, "gee if only I were a raw foodist, I would never feel tired, or even limited to human emotions. I might be a superhero if I only ate raw pumpkin seeds and beet juice".

admit you've wondered, too.

so I had a little two-day thing, eating only uncooked plants. it was fun and interesting, and gave me plenty to think about. I'm not a die-hard raw foodist now, but I definitely plan to eat more salads and drink more green smoothies.

first I went grocery shopping. then I prepared some salads. then I tried kombucha. have you tried it yet?
I was, truly, scared to taste this stuff but it sounds so beneficial I wanted to give it a go.

went like this:

thoughts:

"this is a weird sour soda

um. fizzy.

eyes watering.

wait, wait. tastes sweet now.

it's good!"

I got the gingerberry flavor to be safe.

all in all, I enjoyed the discipline and challenge of eating only raw but definitely think that I should find out more about balance and, oh you know, protein, before embarking on any kind of uncooked journey.

that cilantro-zucchini-walnut salad was good though.

anyone have any killer raw recipes? [link please!]

our victory garden

2011-09-13T11:29:00.000-04:00

Do you remember being little and receiving letters or cards in the mail?
Remember how it made your day to see something with your name on it, no matter how small?

Don't you still love personal snail mail?
I do.

In high school my cousin and I lived in the same town, twenty minutes apart, but we wrote letters- one or two a week -just because it was fun and because forty-something cents is a very little expense for such a rare and wonderful thing as a handwritten letter.

I still love to write and receive letters.
Of course, my goal is to be more consistent than I am and to write more people than I do.
But no guilt.

Just the satisfaction of sending a letter than I spent time writing and decorating is worth it.
And knowing I'll make someone's day.

I heard sad news which may or may not be totally accurate- but it makes sense: that the US Postal Service is losing so much business due to email and texting that they may have to cut back their deliveries to three or four days a week, instead of six.

Doesn't it bring you to tears to imagine the faithful mailman, out of a job because of electronic communication? I won't stand for it.
Our mailman is especially great because he walks the whole neighborhood daily. We don't even have a mailbox, just an old-fashioned mail slot for hand-deliveries.

I don't want to see this go.
You probably don't, either.
So let's do our part.

It's like growing a victory garden or collecting scrap metal.
We ought to do what we can to support something as American as the good USPS.

Send a letter.
Hug a mailman.

Save America, one stamp at a time.

breakfast of gardeners

2011-09-11T07:01:00.000-04:00

this morning I was on the computer, inside. getting aggravated and tired of feeling cooped up. I planned to do some sort of strength training, but wasn't getting anywhere with that.
so I went for a walk.
and it was cold.

THE AIR WAS CHILLY, PEOPLE.

this is unusual for a savannah september.
I walked around the neighborhood texting thomas poems about feeling reborn, and laughing with happiness at pinecones and leaves.

something about this new chilliness, and pleasant weather, has me so ridiculously inspired.
I ended up working on the yard, weeding out a bunch of crap and trimming plants with my novice paper
scissors, and sweeping up the patio.

it was amazing, and I felt alive like nothing else.

I also felt like I was becoming my mom. but that's what they warn you about.

then I got hungry for breakfast and felt like eating some plants. and this is what I ate.

my advice to you is to try raw spinach AND raw zucchini in a shake. because you can't taste it, that's why. and because the whole things turns out green but that's fun to drink.
put some fruit and herbs and stevia or honey in there, and you will not taste a salad in your glass. promise. I used an entire raw zucchini in this shake, fearful but also excited, and it totally worked. you would never have known in was in there.

another note: freeze your herbs! it works.
just freeze the leaves of whatever you grew or bought, and tear or chop them as needed.

anyway, here is what I used. it was awesome, and you can vary the fruit or herbs as you choose.

[including but absolutely not ever limited to]

zucchini

spinach

plums

figs

mint

stevia

water

ice

I hope you are brave enough to give it a go,
and I hope you love it.

swallowed by the sea

2011-09-08T15:45:00.000-04:00

the only labor we did over labor day weekend was the hard work of holding ourselves up on waterskiis.

dad, my brother scott and I all gave it a go, and all did pretty well.

I will be sore for another two weeks, I believe, but the boys say they didn't have to work that hard.

my dad is actually a secret pro-waterskiier. he threw off one of the skis and went along balancing on one foot. which is nuts.

scott did cool flips upon hitting the water.

I stayed up for 260 seconds straight, screaming and laughing the whole time.

oh, and oscar came along as well.

it was so, so fun.

feeding waffles to goats

2011-09-06T15:25:00.000-04:00

over the weekend I drove home [to my parent's house in south carolina, an hour away] for a visit with my family. and the goats, of course.

my brother scott has four goats of his own and we played with them and fed them and tasted their food and let them taste some of ours.

it was great fun, and I'm dying to bring a goat back to savannah with me.

[p.s. look at his little face! this is archie. isn't his hair so funny? he's my favorite.]

8/30/11

2011-08-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

this weekend I got to go home for an afternoon and visit my family (...and oscar)

mom and I played this fun game called take two. like freestyle scrabble.

yes, this was my idea and yes, I found myself extremely clever.

then she gave me some plants. I gave them a happy home in my new planter. pray they don't die.

anyone remember this?
well, the good people at luna sent me a birthday luna bar!
I don't remember how they would know my birthday [or my favorite flavor], but they did.
also, a little card with a handwritten note.
geez. for such a large company, they definitely know how to be personal and do customer service.

what did you do this weekend?

a place to call home

2011-08-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

thomas made me a sweet planter from an old pallet at his work.
they are getting thrown out anyway, why not make something awesome and make your girl like you even more?
I pitched in and helped by handing him nails.

he also made a planter for his mother; you can see it, that little one being painted. aren't they so fun? it only took a couple of hours to make each planter!

I'm super excited about getting a new plant or two or three to live in here.

the quarter acre farm

2011-08-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

this book. I started reading it at barnes & noble one afternoon, and then brought it home with me, and have been reading it in every spare minute. it's a story this woman wrote about how she got started gardening in her little neighborhood yard, and lived off of the food grown in it for a year.
my favorite part is how down to earth she is. and the easy recipes, two of which I have already tried and loved.

this isn't a how to live off your own yard book, unless you want it to be.
I just wrote down a few little tips, like composting coffee ground or trimming plants.

anyway, it's a nice little read.

I love this book. here is her blog, too.

life lesson # 72

2011-08-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

sometimes it is more beneficial to dance than to wash the dishes.

raw ice cream

2011-08-21T21:29:00.000-04:00

have we talked about this?
I'm not a huge lover of the banana flavor, but I do love ice cream and I do love the idea of something totally simple and healthful as a raw-food ice cream.

here it is, one ingredient: frozen bananas.
preferably old, ripe bananas that have been frozen for a whole day or more.

all you need is a food processor to make this ice cream. just throw the still-frozen bananas in the food processor, and whirl them until they are the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. like whipped frozen bananas.
it's a similar process to homemade peanut butter, but much quicker. and it makes a ton of noise.

my normal-eating room mate tried this and got just as excited as I did.

you should too!

I hope you love it.

8/19/11

2011-08-19T05:45:00.000-04:00

this girl is really cool
this music site is really sweet [free? come on now]
this seamstress is talented, and now selling handmade "vintage" dresses that I love
this song/video is catchy
this etsy shop makes me laugh out loud. check it out if you're feeling blue.

also:
eating leeks for the first time
$.50 yard sale pillows
ducks at the lake
birthday art supplies

what have you been up to this week?

coconut babies

2011-08-17T06:45:00.001-04:00

I love the idea of whole-food desserts, homemade treats, and things naturally lower in sugar and processed poo poo.
honestly, dates are my favorite, favorite dried fruit. so sweet and incredible.
but they are expensive, and I can't justify spending $7 on a little box of dates when I know I'll go through it so quick.

so I made up a little treat for myself using two and three ingredients [three!], and I'm happy.
it's just raisins, coconut, and agave. of course you can use honey in place of the agave, or dates if you're a high roller. also, I had unsweetened coconut flakes.
and I didn't measure too carefully. I will leave the numbers up to you, because the consistency is based on preference.

anyway.

here's what you do:
pulse the coconut flakes in a food processor until powdery

two-ingredient baby:
add agave to the coconut powder a little at a time, until smooth.
roll into little balls and roll the balls in more dried coconut.
refrigerate until hardened.

three-ingredient baby:
boil water, and soak the raisins in the water for ten minutes
take the coconut powder out of the food processor.
drain raisins and pulse, with agave, until smooth and pasty.
add the coconut powder in a little a time, until a nice mixture forms
again, roll into little balls and roll the balls in dried coconut.
refrigerate until hardened.

really easy and delicious. and good for you, though that doesn't have to be your motivation here because these are yummy.

I hope you love it.

restful saturday

2011-08-15T18:47:00.000-04:00

I got up and ran twelve miles again this morning. it's just so rare that I get a morning without working these days, I can't bear to waste the sunrise.
my feet were hurting before I even put my running shoes on, but I told myself to just run a little, and a little turned into a lot.
I'm telling you, there's nothing special about me being about to run nine or twelve miles in one go; I just have more time on my hands than some people.

went straight from running to the farmer's market, because I can't bear to show up too late and miss out on the good stuff.
kale, peaches, mint, baby watermelons, and an oregano plant were all purchased. pictures were taken. it was super busy down there, and I spotted a pug I wanted to kidnap but couldn't manage to even get his picture.

and then, rest. it takes everything in me to make myself sit down sometimes.
agree?
my reason was to stretch out a good bit, and I guess I only did it because I ran so much.
but just sitting down, thinking, reading, praying. so good.
I watched a couple of these yoga videos on youtube to help me with my hips and things. polly is great and really down to earth [here's her blog, too]. usually I just watch what she does, pause the video and hang out in that pose for a good while. and today I read 2 peter and 1 john. refreshing like nothing else.

thomas is my neighbor now, and it's wonderful. we get to see each other pretty much daily.
he came over for a bit and ate a watermelon.
I'm making some pizza for our dinner tonight, and just relaxing.

goodness, it's so nice to rest.

tacos and well wishes

2011-08-11T16:20:00.000-04:00

the night before my birthday, my family came to savannah to hang out with me.
yay.

we got a sweet camera bag for my new friend, and ate mexican food at my favorite mexican restaurant, and went to target, and took family pictures together.
check out that enormous burrito scott and I shared!

I really like being twenty so far.

a present to myself

2011-08-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

well I got myself a nice camera. my old one got dropped on the pavement in february and hasn't had a display screen for six months.

plus, I've wanted a canon rebel for years ;)

thomas is just as excited as I am to use it; I think he's become my camera adviser, figuring out all the dials and explaining it to me in simple terms.

so I bought myself an early birthday present.

here's what the weekend looked like:

enjoying a mini-melon from the farmer's market
thomas' family and their swimming pool
getting the hang of these dials and buttons
early-morning TWELVE MILE run [without injury. that's a record]

I loved it.

twenty

2011-08-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

well my birthday is coming up, and I'm turning twenty.
no more teenage years. hurrah.

I remember being little and feeling worried the night before my birthday, thinking something might happen to be before I ever got to be the new and exciting age.

a lot has happened since my nineteenth birthday. that's always so reassuring, isn't it?

moving to savannah, getting an awesome job, going nuts with farmer's markets and running and trying out new foods.
thomas is even more my best friend than he was last year, if that's possible.
plus, a bunch of new friends.

things are just good. wonderful, even.

I am looking forward to so much, you know?

being twenty has a good balance of past experiences and all the growing-up you've already done and how you've gotten through the teen age years, and that newness of opportunities and being able to do just about anything with your life.

happy birthday to me.

the time we gave ourselves pencil mustaches

2011-08-05T22:20:00.000-04:00

[thomas' brothers and sisters are the coolest]

taste the rainbow

2011-08-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

remember those crazy vegetables I told you that I found?
a watermelon radish and a black radish.

well I sliced them up and roasted them with garlic and basil and olive oil.

honestly, it kind of scared me to slice up a normal-looking veggie and see neon pink inside.

and the black radish turned out solid white on the inside.

so peculiar, these vegetables.

I roasted them at 450 degrees for an hour or so, until they looked brownish at the ends, and they were yummy.

you should give them a try!

additional watermelon radish links
additional black radish links

weekend...

2011-07-31T22:32:00.000-04:00

...pool tricks. farmer joe. a real, surprise date. this catchy song. homemade fig newtons.

hanging in there

2011-07-27T21:26:00.001-04:00

usually it's about this far into the summer where I feel mentally ready for a good sweater.

do you get tired of the summer where you're at?

in savannah it lasts for about nine months of the year.

I know that doesn't sound optimistic...

but let's count our summery blessings.

what are your favorite things about this season?

mine are...

long days: early mornings and late nights

good food [farmer's markets!]

wearing shorts and just feeling comfy everywhere

watermelon

{other good things:

vegan white chocolate-lavender cookies with NOT VEGAN cream cheese frosting.

pretty plants.

bike rides.

if all else fails, thrifting}

got a list?

I wanna hear it.

what do you love about summer?

wild honey pie

2011-07-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

this week's trip to the market included
plums, peaches, blueberries, figs, pears, kale, tomatoes, carrots, lemon balm, mint, basil, bee pollen [information here] and four varieties of honey in little tasting tubes- as well as this pretty succulent plant and a yarrow plant lizzie and I split and shared.

I decided ahead of time to just go a little nuts with the produce and then freeze whatever will freeze and cook whatever won't.
so much good food! it's a wonderful thing.
saturday's trips to the market inspire me enough to last the whole week.

my strange purchase for this week was a rainbow radish. truly, I don't know what to do with it but that's the whole fun of it. can't wait to let you know what happens with that.

how was your weekend?
any highlights?

blueberry lavender

2011-07-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

have we talked a lot about green smoothies?
you know, the ones with spinach that don't taste like spinach?
I feel like it's come up some on here.

the idea is to make a fruity smoothie filled with good things, and especially with raw spinach.
it sounds intimidating, and it looks...like pond sludge.
but the taste is not influenced by the green-ness, promise!

there's an off and on relationship I've got going with these things. sure, bright green drinks are great. but sometimes I forget to buy more baby spinach, and it falls off my to-do list.
my skin always seems to notice first, though.
and then my energy levels try to remember a time when they didn't need coffee four times a day.

so I go back to my spinach smoothies, and I feel a million times better.

there's a post about green smoothies on the violet blog that inspired me to get back into it.
these days I'm experimenting with interesting flavors, too. bananas get old to me.

my recent favorite?

oh yes.
two handfuls of raw spinach.
one little handful of lavender.
one big handful of blueberries.
water.
ice.
stevia.
vanilla extract, if you want.

blend it all up together and drink with a smile.
I hope you love it.

to market

2011-07-19T08:28:00.000-04:00

saturday mornings are my new favorite things.
get up [fairly] early and rush to get downtown to be first at the farmer's market
I always listen to my favorite album on the way
{p.s. this cd has not left my car since it came out, nearly two years ago}

this week I met two friends there! girls from work who really are the bomb.
[I think God was all over my job, because who can say they love to hang out with co-workers? so lucky]

we picked out fresh figs and homemade popsicles and herbs and veggies and sourdough bread

I got a sweet tshirt with a watercolor of rainbow carrots, made by the guy who first sold me those treasures.
a farmer who paints! it blows my mind.
[p.s. I will show you that shirt asap. let me get a worthy photo...]

then I come home and unpack my things, and show them to my roomies before heading off to work.

best day[s] ever.

itchy

2011-07-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

guys, I loved being at summer camp, but I've been itchy ever since.

so my friend lizzie told me about vintage remedies, and this video for homemade anti-itch calendula salve.

three ingredients!
homemade goodness!
it's super easy, and I loved the feeling of doing everything myself.

plus, I'm not itchy.

here is the link for the vintage remedies videos
[you should check out the other videos while you're there. so many great recipes!]

the fourth [two weeks later]

2011-07-16T07:45:00.000-04:00

for the fourth of july, I went home to beaufort and hung out with my family.
scott [brother] found a snake and dealt with him.

then we went to goodwill and took full advantage of their holiday sales.
grilled food ensued.

it was a lovely day.

real quick

2011-07-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

you're gonna want to make this.
real roasted garlic cloves.

I know it sounds boring but it is perfection.

here is the link....
go!

three little thoughts...

2011-07-13T14:31:00.000-04:00

I have a tough time calling myself a photographer when I've only got a little beat-up camera and take pictures when I'm not with strangers.

and I don't call myself a runner when I haven't run a real race ever.

but the other day I went home to visit my family and brother scott and I went for a lil run.
where I spent the whole two+ mile run talking his ear off about how to start off when you've never really run before.

so I guess I've learned a couple of things since whenever it was I began running.

1. start slow
meaning, don't try to run fast.
you probably can run fast, but maybe try to run long rather than fast.
it's tough.
especially because I might have developed asthma recently; therefore running fast like my mind wants to makes it hard to breathe [lame].
so, start out at an easy little jog and see how far you can run doing that.

and isn't it easy to feel like you've gotta run faster than everyone else who is running?

don't try to prove yourself.
just run.

2. have good music
doesn't have to be go crazy, get your heart rate up and out of this world music; just anything you like and can find an easy pace with.
again, when trying to run slow, music makes such a difference.

for long runs, I will pick artists and just listen to albums all the way through.
stuff like the temper trap and needtobreathe, nothing fancy or too exciting.
or sometimes an oldies run is very beneficial and fun.

3. fun!
that's the most important part, honestly.

it's good to be active and work your heart and burn calories or whatever you're concerned about, but really my best motivator to go on a run is for fun.

it's fun to challenge yourself!
go outside, run to music that you like.
don't worry about showing off your running to anyone or beating their time.

I know it's stupid but I usually smile pretty much the whole time I'm running, especially after the first few miles [which are the hardest for me].

it's just FUN to do something difficult and be outside and feel tired and energized and sore and happy.

so my advice to non-runners who want to run: run.

smile and don't worry about your time or caloric count.

just do what you can and pretty soon you'll be doing what you thought you couldn't; and that's fun.

new baby

2011-07-11T14:19:00.000-04:00

there's this girl at the farmer's market who I secretly think is so cool.

she sells herbs.

she knows all there is to know about her plants, and loves them to death.
today I heard her fuss at someone for planting their purple basil in too small of a pot.

anyway, a while back I bought a plant from her and now it's dead.

I guess that traveling, maybe?

or I'm just a bad mother?

well that's okay because now I've got a new baby.
a stevia plant!

took it right home and gave it a pretty little terra cotta bed. I hope it's happy here.

someone help me keep this guy alive. I really want to be good at gardening.

let the earth be glad

2011-07-09T09:08:00.000-04:00

a few days ago, I was looking for something to read in my Bible and I came across this psalm, 104.
so beautiful.

it talks about the earth, and how all is God's, and He cares for it with intricacy and precision.

the animals and their food; the mountains with their heights and depths; the sun and moon in their seasons.

I hope you get a minute to look up and read the whole chapter for yourself, because it really is such a wonderful one.

for me, it was neat to read this right after returning from being in the mountains and seeing the hugeness of cliffs along with the tiny, sweet ferns and the smooth river stones and insects so small you can hardly see them.

I love all of this, and I sometimes feel like, "oh no. the Bible says to not love the earth. I'm completely loving it right now. is this wrong?"
but God made this earth with His wisdom and insight and goodness, and He cares for the beautiful things in it.

this psalm kind of let me see that side of things, and I'm so so thankful for that.

[p.s. if you don't have a Bible lying around, you can check the chapter out right here]

eighteen thousand words

2011-07-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

home again, home again!

I had the best time at camp last week,

hiking and laughing with high school girls, and leading a group for the first time, and watersliding at eleven pm.

there are so many thoughts and lessons.

a million stories.

but first, here's some snippets.

great fun.

going camping

2011-06-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

well guys, be back next week at this time.

I'm peacin' out on ya for a while.

okay, okay....

I'M GOING CAMPING IN THE MOUNTAIN FOR A WEEK WITH SOME CRAZY HIGH SCHOOL KIDS!
IT'S GOING TO BE THE BOMB!

see you soon.

a few good things

2011-06-24T08:40:00.000-04:00

packing for a trip

sweet potato hummus

finding a favorite movie for a dollar

[SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON]

spending a whole day at work baking

rainy days, cozy indoors

really natural skin help

avocado for breakfast

oldies music

[JACKSON FIVE? THE SUPREMES? AHH YEAH]

what are you thankful for?

pesto lentils

2011-06-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

[and bulgar]

do you know of bulgar?
it's a nice little grain that you can soak in water or any other liquid and it drinks it up.
no cooking.

which means experimentation!
[I'm thinking of a sweet bulgar recipe with coconut milk, in the future...]

for this recipe, the bulgar soaks up some tomato sauce.

here's what you need:

bulgar wheat [1 cup]
lentils [1 cup]
tomato sauce [little can]
pesto [1-2 tablespoons]
parsley [1 tablespoon]

1. put the lentils on to boil.
then let them simmer with a lid.
they can cook while everything else comes together.

2. get the bulgar in a bowl with the tomato sauce and pesto.
stir them up together and let them sit for five or ten minutes.
it will look liquid-y, but the bulgar continues to soak and soak.
no worries.

3. you can add in the parsley whenever you feel like it.

4. the lentils should cook for fifteen or twenty minutes, but check because you don't want them mushy.
or too crunchy.
when they have finished, drain them and add them to your bulgar mixture.

5. refrigerate until all is cool.

the end.

I hope you love it.

bolt chomps

2011-06-22T05:33:00.000-04:00

so after eating watermelon on father's day, scott and I fed the rinds to the goats.

this goat, bolt, chows down.

enjoy the true sound of a goat loving his dinner

watermelon, sing-along

2011-06-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

father's day at home went like this:

dogs in the pool with us
watermelon. dad likes his with salt on it.
feeding the goats
baking [dad's fav] oatmeal cookies
dancing around with scott, listening to pandora's "mary poppins" station. singing along.
plant-in-a-shell mom made for me

returning to farmer joe

2011-06-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

this week at the farmer's market:

my friend met me there, and we foraged together through the stands.
so fun!
I'm by myself way too much.

free books!
I love children's books, and know lots of children, so I took nearly twenty home with me.

of course, I had to go see my favorite singing farmer

also: a chocolate mint plant, three zucchini, two bell peppers, a bunch of peaches.

saturday mornings are my favorite.

sweet little june.

2011-06-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

remember my june ~~goals~~ ideas?

here's the list again:

so far, I have
-eaten herbs.

thomas loves homemade pizza, so we made a few good ones with olives and mushrooms and PARSLEY and garlic.

I feel like a proud mother, to have those baby seeds really grow the way they have.

-got new running shoes
finally.

it's been two years, and so much mileage.

my poor feet are so happy, and I'm going to go try them out this morning. yay!

-got the rhubarb for the "something" to make with it.
[so, halfway there]
not sure what to make, but I want it to not involve strawberries.

have you ever eaten rhubarb?

I don't know what to expect.

-going to summer camp!!!!!
I asked for the week off work, and got the go-ahead.

so I am screaming with excitement!

guys, this is the camp I went to all of high school.
and now I'll be a leader for it. and I could not be more excited to go!!!!!

-beach day happened.
yesterday.
roomie day.
so fun.
no photos. lots of burntness. all good.

-no pocahontas yet. I'll keep you updated for sure.

here's some other odds and ends lately...

eating amazing food, like blue potatoes, roasted beets, zucchini gingerbread, carrot fries, ginger limeade....

thrifting for summer camp-type clothing

black bean-tomato-pesto flatbread goodness

[failing to take pictures of the activities involving real people]

reading the gospels while stretching. much-needed rest all around.

what are you up to?

how are your goals for this month comin along?

turning orange

2011-06-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

honestly, 79% of the reason I ever juice anything is because I can bake with the pulp.

like carrot cake without grating carrots.

does that subtract juice benefits?

pesto flatbread

2011-06-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

something about pesto, it can be used for anything. everything.
it's wonderful and makes all food in its path wonderful.

so I made some pesto bread, and it turned into flatbread.

my room mates tried it and really loved it- which means it's time to share with you

I hope you love it.

the cats pajamas

2011-06-13T08:54:00.000-04:00

sometimes God just hands me these days that are the bees knees.
I love 'em.

today was all baking at the coffee shop and laughing with co-workers; getting to know the farmers at this week's market; stuffing myself with $.75 worth of chocolate-covered espresso beans and going for a sunset run at my lake, post-work.

farmer joe sings to his customers.

I wasn't planning to buy any blackberries today, but when a friendly farmer sings, what can you do?

there's little I enjoy more than cooking and listening to folk music. somehow it's the nicest combination.
tonight was kale tacos and ginger limeade, and this album.

p.s.

I bought some beets and don't know yet what will come of them, so be on the lookout for new beety recipes.

and...if you have any killer ones, SHARE please?

eating pineapplemint

2011-06-11T07:56:00.000-04:00

well friends, my favorite etsy shop is now also my favorite smoothie.

I know, right?

the shop is called pineapplemint. which is a cute little name, and happens to be two flavors that work nicely together for an afternoon tea-time break.

hopefully you were here for the little fashion show the other day.
here is the link if you missed it.
and here is the pathway to the loveliest vintage etsy shop you ever will meet.

and here is the recipe for the pineapplemint smoothie.

[I used a good cup or two of pineapple chunks + 5-10 mint leaves + stevia in the raw ]

I hope you love it!

awkward easter us

2011-06-10T09:07:00.000-04:00

okay, I don't know what it is about someone pointing a camera at thomas and I, but as soon as it happens, we both goof off and take awful pictures and act like retards and complete second-children.

my cousin was nice enough to withstand the stupidity for three whole shots this past easter.

lavender-lime oatmeal cookies

2011-06-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

here's what you need:

oil {nice glug}

honey {a good amount}

apple cider vinegar {the tiniest bit}

oats/oat flour {a few cups of each}

flaxseed {1/2 cup or so}

baking soda {a pinch}

salt {quick shake}

dried lavender flowers {handful}

lime zest {one lime}

mix together the oil, honey and apple cider vinegar

add in the oats and oat flour, stirring in a little at a time until the consistency seems right.

add flaxseed, soda, salt. stir.

add lavender and lime. mix.

bake at 350 degrees until brownish around the edges.

I hope you love them.

pineapplemint

2011-06-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

don't you just love these sweet little dresses?

I was browsing through addictive old etsy and found myself at pineapplemint's shop.

love. it. all.

gotta catch myself before I spend a lifetime's earnings.

check it out if you have a minute:

pineapplemint etsy

pineapplemint blog

PB is EZ

2011-06-07T13:18:00.000-04:00

making peanut butter is a lot more fun than buying peanut butter.

it's cheap, exciting, and gives you a sense of true hippie pride.
{because hippies use food processors and read blogs, of course}

once you experience all the joy of homemade nut butters, it's hard to get a pre-made jar and not feel ripped off.

here is what you need:

peanuts.

food processor.

{and maybe a book to read while you work}

put the peanuts in the processor
blend
[read]
maybe scrape the sides down
blend
[read]
continue blending and reading

if you keep at it for long enough, the consistency should go from

this

to this

and p.s.
you can make any sort of nut butter this way-almond, pecan, pistachio, whatever you like!

I hope you love it.

three days in...

2011-06-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

got any plans for this month?

ginger limeade

2011-06-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

for food and healthie stuff, I like to keep it simple.
nobody wants a health-lovin recipe that requires a bunch of crap you can't pronounce and a detailed list for the local organic health-food store.

so I'm divided about sharing juice recipes. do most people even own a juicer?
it might be silly. I don't know.

my juicer was a rather-impulsive buy a year or two ago, thinking I would somehow start juicing and turn my life around one celery stalk at a time.

didn't happen. in fact, I hardly use my juicer because I so hate to clean it afterwards.
but here's a nice idea: juice a bunch at a time and bottle the juices.

aha!

purists would say that the juice loses its benefits if you drink it more than thirty seconds after juicing. but this is homemade vegetable juice- who can judge me on that? it's this or chocolate water, people. take your pick.

anyway, ginger limeade.
if you do have a juicer, you will probably enjoy this.

juice people, I hope you love it.

windows and white and weddings....

2011-06-01T08:24:00.000-04:00

thankful.

I got to be in a wedding this weekend, and it was so fun.
my fiance's brother got married. which means all of that family, which is my favorite [other] family to be with.
and weddings mean fun things like photoshoots and emotions and wearing heels and trying not to sob on stage.

I loved every bit of it and took fewer photos than I can count on a hand.

but here's one that I like:
the bride climbing through her own window after getting locked out.

life is so fun.

tea party

2011-05-31T05:57:00.000-04:00

friday morning brunch at my house.
a little tea for the girl senior friends graduating SCAD, to celebrate them and their friendship and awesome examples for us younger girls.
I actually worked, so I had to peace out right after people started arriving. but it was so fun to get things ready.

we moved the couch into the kitchen and frosted tiny cupcakes and set out dozens of teas for girls to choose from, and I loved it all.
sometimes it's fun to get out all your prettiest belongings and make things look nice.