fairytale

May 19, 2012  ·  Leave a comment

is this real life? i am taking so many photos but won’t be able to share until i return. Follow me on instagram to see a few sneak peeks!! i’m in love with praha already!! signed, a smitten kitten x

as if i needed more confirmation. . .

May 16, 2012  ·  10 comments

oh ya know…finishing up my last day of work, twitching in my chair with excitement and anticipation. we leave tomorrow! oh. and i haven’t packed a thing. so there’s that…
anyway, i wanted to share with you my love for dry shampoo tigi rockstar is THE BEST!

messy hair is en vogue! luckily for me, it means that i can continue with my infrequent washing of hair. you know those films where the woman tries to avoid a potential suitor quipping ‘i have to wash my hair!’ i’d rather suffer through a miserable date than lather up my coif. i.just.can’t. i prefer the sport band 1930s era updo that takes less than one minute!

here are some other beautiful ways to embrace your messy hair:

more details at honestlywtf & a cup of joe

…posts will be brief for a bit and not much detail but i’ll just throw up some snapshots of prague & paris in the meantime! x see you soon ^_*

i love you wall

May 13, 2012  ·  5 comments

we leave for prague this week!!!! i hope we see this when we stop in paris for a few days before we return! ::squeal!::

via atlas obscura

we might be a bit travel weary from hitting it hard doing the tourist thing in prague but we are very much looking forward to spending some time with peter who is living in paris (nate’s bro & my BIL). i become the most adventuresome when i’m traveling so here’s hoping to drinks, good talks & always discovering new things!

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

washed out

May 11, 2012  ·  9 comments

you know those days that are the perfect temperature with bright blue clear skies? yep. in the forecast for this weekend! take advantage and do something nice for your mother while you’re at it ^_* i am in constant day dream mode right now (vacation is looming!!) here’s what i’m listening to: enjoy!

what’s on your agenda this weekend? i’m whipping up a mother’s day brunch! quiche is in the forecast along with some prosecco & fresh berries! ^_^

viewfinder cinq

May 7, 2012  ·  7 comments

in review, some good times and glimpses into our lives lately ^_^

thoughts: use leftover juice pulp + 1tbsp flax oil or evoo + mushrooms & dijon mustard. roll up in a big chard leaf and you have a raw vegan wrap! it was a nice change for a sweltering day!
-also, i rainbowed my closet and it’s making me very happy :)
-watching people run the marathon makes me tired or i’m just that lazy.

what are you up to this week?

happy weekend cinco de mayo style

May 5, 2012  ·  2 comments

you MUST make these now. a sophisticated jello shot? and yep. in an empty lime rind!! you’ve got time since i posted this in the morning to hit the store before you get outside and enjoy this amazing weather tonight! CALIENTE! P.S. that’s pretty much the extent of my spanish…i took french in school haha

via brit & co

or. . . treat yourself to a mint julep for derby day! i like this recipe, simple & straight to the point ^_*

what are you up to this weekend?we are eating here for the first time. taking lots of walks & probably yelling at marathoners since i’m not crazy enough to move my legs for that long ;)

it smells like feet

May 3, 2012  ·  17 comments

as per some of your suggestions and mark’s daily apple the other day for vit K2… i decided to try natto. what is it you say? it’s a fermented soy bean with a stringy bacterium called Bacillus subtilis. it’s a popular component of meals in eastern prefectures in japan. the little lady at the japanese grocer nearby said “you eat that?” as i checked out. i knew right then and there it was gonna be interesting lol.here are some examples of dishes. from the wiki medical benefits portion page:

Nattō contains large amounts of vitamin K, which is involved in the formation of calcium-binding groups in proteins, assisting the formation of bone and preventing osteoporosis. Vitamin K1 is found naturally in seaweed, liver, and some vegetables, while vitamin K2 (Menatetrenone) is found in fermented food products such as cheese, miso, and Nattō. Nattō has large amounts of vitamin K2, approximately 870 micrograms per 100 grams of nattō.

According to a study, fermented soybeans, such as nattō, contain vitamin PQQ, which is important for the skin.[7] PQQ in human tissues is derived mainly from diet.

According to recent studies, polyamine suppresses excessive immune reactions, and nattō has a much larger amount of it than any other food.[8] Dietary supplements containing the substances extracted from natto such as polyamine, nattokinase, FAS and vitamin K2 are available.

Nattō contains chemicals alleged to prevent cancer, for example, daidzein, genistein, isoflavone, phytoestrogen, and the chemical element selenium. However, most of these chemicals can also be found in other soybean products, and their effect on cancer prevention is uncertain.

so i tried it.

my verdict? it was better hot rather than cold. the smell was a little overwhelming at first until i mixed in some mustard and put it over a fried egg. next time i think i will use the stir fry with chicken + spices method. i love trying new things but i must say that i felt like this after i ate it:



have you tried natto? would you give it a try?

how to start a whiskey rebellion

May 1, 2012  ·  12 comments

recently, we had the opportunity to tour a local distillery that specializes in small batch whiskey. at present, they are currently making a wheat and rye version from organic grains. wigle whiskey is working to restore a pennsylvania tradition championed by some rebellious distillers. they take their name from phillip wigle, who in typical yinzer fashion loved to drink and spoke his mind. . .sometimes with his fists. ^_* you can read more about their story here.

we learned about their craft process which is done entirely on site in the strip district! they have only been open to the public for 7 weeks so get in there before the secret is out! they grind their rye into flour by milling, make a mash with hot water, ferment with a high quality yeast and finally distill until desired product is reached! we learned how to ‘open up’ the samples, cocktail recipes & of course get a photo with a giant still ^_^

you didn’t think we could walk away without some goodies did you? you can only purchase wigle whiskey at their warehouse in pittsburgh at the moment! we thought we would try our hand at aging the rye whiskey in an oak barrel as a tiny science experiment. how cute is the barrel?!

for those of you in pittsburgh, i HIGHLY recommend doing this tour, it’s a great way to spend a saturday afternoon! enjoy x