Calling on you!

Image via White Space

A little last minute, but if anyone is interested in guest posting while I'm on my little ten day trip (August 1st-August 10th), just email me and we can figure something out!  I thought this would be a great way to branch out a little and feature some new things while staying in the realm of this "lifestyle" (or whatever it could be called) blog.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Excuse me, can I have the aisle seat?

I don't know about you, but I get nervous when I (or Erik) go on trips, especially flights.  The possibility of terrible things happening is slim, but I like to think of myself as that special 1 percent because I'm just that cool.  

So what to do to calm those nerves down?  Here are a few things I've learned over the several flights I've taken.

1.  Music.  Have a calming playlist of your most comforting tunes and listen to it often.  I find music to be one of the most therapeutic things I can do in situations where I feel anxious.  The second being putting a hood up and hiding from the world.

2.  Wear something that puts you at ease.  I like to look nice (recall previous post) and knowing I don't look like a train wreck helps me feel better.  I also like hoodies.  Do what is going to make you feel the best, and if it means wearing a smashing outfit while donning your old college sweatshirt, more power to you.

3.  Educate yourself.  You know that emergency planning video they show at the beginning?  I watch it.  I also study the little fold-out.  Even though I've flown a lot, it makes me feel a little more at ease to refresh my memory.

4.  Enjoy your time before the flight.  Usually Erik and I will go to a restaurant for a glass of wine, coffee or a snack, depending on what time of day it is and where we're at in the trip.  It helps to give yourself a little distraction and not spend time before getting on the flight freaking out.  Plus, it feels like a very normal thing to be doing.

5.  Plan.  I definitely pick out my seats.  And often (depending on how long and what time of day it is) I'll choose the aisle seat.  Knowing I can get up and out easily makes me feel better.  I also try to get as close to the emergency exit as I can without being in charge of getting everyone out.  I might freak out at the pressure of trying to open the door for everyone.

Have a great time with your end of summer travels, wherever they may take you!

Travel in Style

In honor of my trip coming up next week (yay!) I've put together what I think would be an ideal travel outfit--with style!  You want to be comfy, yet pretty, no matter if you're going through security at the airport, hitting up a train or spending a few days on the road.  

1.  Blooming romance floral maxi at Ruche
6.  Reach new levels satchel at Modcloth

Perfection Overload

I've noticed a trend lately. 

People are feeling an information overload.

Not just there's-too-much-stuff-to-know-on-wikipedia information overload.  More like a photo overload.  With websites like Pinterest and apps like Instagram, we get to see photos of beautiful people, crafts, homes and food.  And it seems as though there is no way to compete.  All these perfect photos of perfect ideas that I certainly didn't create myself.  It leaves one feeling a little inadequate at times.

And it's not just me.  HelloGiggles recently posted an article about how Instagram often shows the most perfect side of someone's life and not reality.  You shoot the best picture of the prettiest things you can find in your life.  That perfectly plated dinner of yours, your cute cat, etc.  Mrs. Priss, a crafter and motherhood blogger, posted just a few weeks ago about her frustration with Pinterest, as it shows how so many others are doing the exact same--only better.  Beautiful photos, which quite frankly I cannot achieve with my point-and-shoot no matter how hard I try, are all over the place.  Creativity is so easily showcased that nothing feels original.  

We don't feel original.  

So what to do?  How do we deal with this vast amount of public display of perfection?  Perhaps, remind ourselves that these are the most perfect aspects of a persons life.  This isn't what reality looks like.  They have messy kitchens, bad outfit and bad hair days (at least once in a while).  Perhaps, remind ourselves why we do the things we love.  It's not all about taking the best photo, or coming up with the next best thing since a mustache on a stick.  It's about stepping back, doing what you love and enjoying the beauty and creativity of life.  And pictures.

Because in the end, as Mr. Miyagi would say, "Someone always know more." That's just the way it is.  

A day on the north shore

On Sunday, we took a nice long day trip up to north shore.  We haven't spent a whole lot of time there, so it was a new adventure, which is always exciting :).  We played at the beach, went to the Hale'iwa

Arts Festival, had a beer, sno cones.  Overall, a really fun day!

Best of the best//7//

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts.  I was getting really bad at taking photos, so I am determined to do better!  A few things I've been up to...

(left to right, top to bottom)

1.  A have a surfer/climber husband.  This t-shirt is perfect!

2.  I MADE SOAP!!  I didn't document it very well because it was my first go and I was just making sure I didn't burn myself with lye.  But next time, I'll show you a little better.

3.  There was this chocolate peanut butter brownie recipe that sounded divine, so I had to make them.  So good!  And why not try a glass of red wine with it?

4.  beach time :)

5 and 6.  Hiking Kealia Trail.

7.  I've been drinking more tea lately.  This was a pot of Yogi Bedtime Tea

8.  Remember that embroidery sampler I was working on?  I finished it!  Now to find a matte and frame for it..

9.  While many prices in Hawaii differ from the Mainland, one thing remains the same.  $4.99 20 piece chicken nuggets.

10.  I don't think I'll be purposely flat ironing my eyes anytime soon.

11.  Erik caught his first fish while spearfishing!

A little island wear

Dress: Gift

Necklace: Maurices

Satchel: Modcloth

Wedges: Ruche

Yesterday I received this beautiful dress from my mother-in-law!  She recently went on a trip to the bahamas and a woman running a shop/stand apparently thought she needed to have it--so she sent it to me!  I love the colors and the pattern.  It's a perfect island dress.  Don't you just love surprise packages?

What we're eating this week//3

A little late in getting this put up, but (just spelled butter) better late than never!  

With my trip coming up, we're trying to keep our spending more limited, so I'm pulling out the lentils, pasta and pinto beans that have been sitting in the cupboard.  Also, we're eating lots of green salad, since I found a tub of greens for a good price.  And as you can see, there is going to be lots of yogurt eating this week :).  

How do you cut back grocery spending?

Oeufs en tomate

As we get into the middle of Summer, I Know How to Cook has become one of my very favorite cookbooks.  The vegetable and fruit sections are wonderful, providing excellent recipes centered on a specific fruit or vegetable.  I found this delightful recipe for oeufs en tomate (eggs in tomatoes) in the eggs section.  Erik isn't a huge fan of cooked tomatoes, but he said it was the best cooked tomato he has had thus far (hooray!)

Rather cute, no?

We each had one tomato with sauteed spinach and mushrooms.  A really tasty meal!

I found a somewhat similar recipe on Martha Stewart.com if you want to try this out yourself! 

Travel travel travel

Trip logic

In about two weeks, I get to jet set off to Washington for ten days!  My family is doing a trip to the coast, which I initially thought I wasn't going to be able to attend but was able to shuffle a few things around.  Afterwards I'll spend a few more days visiting friends and family.  It's pretty darn exciting, and I'm looking forward to the chilly coastal air.  Sweaters, here I come!

If you want this awesome travel-inspiring subway art, check out trip logic for the free printable.

What We're Eating This Week//2

Realizing that I haven't been sharing many regular fun photos for best of the best, but the reality of the matter is, I haven't been trying very hard to take many photos.  I'll get back to it, I know I will.

I received a lot of positive feedback from my menu plan the last time I posted, so I think I'll make it a regular deal as long as I've got a menu to share.  Several people asked for recipes, but I take them out of cookbooks (shocking, I know) but I'll share some as I can.

You'll note that I don't plan for a typical Monday-Sunday.  I refuse to grocery shop on the weekends, so I shop on Monday.  We finally found a Farmer's Market that works for our location and time but it's on Thursday, so you may see the days change pretty soon.

Anyway--here's what we're eating this upcoming week!

Party style

I love parties, especially fun summer parties.  Regardless of dress code, fanciness is my cup of tea.  Here's what's I would be wearing if I went to an evening party or wedding right now.  It kind of matches the colors on my blog :).

Food Reviews // Phuket Thai

I'm a sucker for thai food.  It's the coziest comfort food, all that curry any yumminess.  So when it was overcast and a little sprinkly yesterday, it seemed like a good day for it (especially after getting rained on at the beach).

Phuket Thai is super vegetarian friendly.  The menu has an entire section just for vegetarians, and they seemed incredibly helpful.  I got the green curry, which was absolutely delicious.  We also opted for spring rolls, which are always tasty.  One thing to note, dishes are not automatically served with rice so you need to be sure to take them up on the rice offer when they ask.  It's only $1.95 so no big deal.  This is how it is pretty much anywhere I have been on Oahu.

Spring rolls.  Or should I say.... big pile of lettuce?  I promise there are six spring rolls on the other side.

Not the best photo (thanks Erik..) but hey.  I'm enjoying my food.

Green curry tofu

Now that I've put myself in the thai mood all over again, I think I'll go eat some leftovers.

Happy Friday!

Recipe//Avocado, Bean and Corn Salad

I've been a little absent lately.  After browsing the web so much, I begin to feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of information and great things available.  There are times when I think I don't have much to offer, that everything is a little unoriginal.  I'm not very good at coming up with ideas on my own, as I need a little creative nudge most of the time.

I've realized I'm a creative cooker, though.  Everyone knows about my lack of ability to correctly utilize a cookbook.  I love having them there, but I'm not very good at using them.  I may not come up with some crazy new recipe, but I make a lot of original dishes.  So perhaps I'm not creative outside the kitchen, but there is something about me that is unique.

Here's a delicious salad/dip recipe for your next summery event!

Avocado, Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients

2 Avocados

1 15.5oz can Corn, drained

1 15.5oz can Black Beans, drained

2 large Tomatoes

1 small Onion

1/2 cup chopped Cilantro

5 cloves Garlic

2 Limes

1 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper 

Directions

Chop avocados, tomatoes and onion and place in a medium bowl with corn, black beans and cilantro.  Mince garlic cloves and place in bowl.  Roll the limes to soften, then quarter them and squeeze over the bowl to get all the juice out of the fruit.  Add chili powder, salt and pepper and stir until well mixed.  Chill and serve either as a salad or with tortilla chips to dip.