the time i remembered i had a blog

the time i remembered i had a blog

Happy New Year! [or otherwise known as my last year in my twenties] And not a single blog post in 2014. That seems crazy to me. Partly because an entire year went by THAT fast but also because I can hardly believe that I made no time to document anything at all and so much has changed. But to all five of you who are reading this, here I am! A new year, a new blog, and am I going to blog like I've never blogged before to make up for lost time.

So many things happened at the end of last year where I had to stop and ask myself, "Is this real life?" And not particularly in a good way. It's not the best way to close up another twelve months but the nice thing about January is that it gives you the opportunity to start new. My main goal this year as a 29 year old is just to do things that will make me happy. It's such a cliche sound but it's been the missing piece of this journey through my twenties. Well, not completely, but do I have to be 100% accurate on here? ;)

I've started to go to ballet classes again and it's made such a huge improvement in my overall happiness. In the process, I've learned that my body at this age is nothing like it was 10 years ago. Like maybe my denial in having to purchase a leotard in a size large. I'm sure I'm too old to have hit puberty but where did these come from? Or the fact that my ankles are weaker. And I'm perpetually sore no matter how much I stretch or how often I go to class. It's a good bad feeling, you know? Like my old self is coming alive. Why didn't I keep dancing after college? It makes no sense. It's a nice reminder to slow down, get to know myself again, stay ambitious, but also make time to do the things I enjoy. It gets harder the older we get, I know. We are so caught up with everything else in life with trying to get ahead or even just trying to keep up.

So #Happiness2015 ... who's with me?

in which Pinterest makes me more marketable

in which Pinterest makes me more marketable

It's no secret that I am no cook. I can bake just about anything but cooking is an entirely different playing field. In all my life, I can probably count on one hand how many times I've been able to actually whip up a meal... and eat it. I went through a quick phase a few years ago where I started collecting cookbooks because I really wanted to learn. Which is funny because you would think that having that experience of living on your own would mean learning how to cook but the sad truth is that my boyfriend did most of the cooking when we lived together. The only thing I cooked that came out decent was tilapia, which I just smothered in breadcrumbs.

But then came Pinterest. 

Pinterest is, hands down, my saving grace. As many other women know, Pinterest has taught me to style my clothes, style my (non-existent) childrens clothes, plan where to travel, plan my (also non-existent) wedding, decorate my future home, attempt DIY projects and COOK! And the last one is pretty important to me because it's part of my quest to bettering myself as a whole. A woman has got to know how to cook even the simplest of meals. Plain and simple. 

That delicious looking meal up above is an orzo scallop salad. Just to paint a picture of how little I know about the art of cooking, I spent about 20 minutes in the rice aisle at the grocery store looking for orzo. I was going by the picture on Pinterest and correct me if I'm wrong but orzo looks like rice, am I right? After checking-- and rechecking-- the rice shelves, I took out my phone and tried to search for where I could purchase the elusive orzo and then it popped up. Oh, it's pasta?! It's pasta! You idiot! So yeah, the orzo was only an aisle away from where I was standing. 

The recipe is actually really simple. And for those of you that are seasoned cooks (haha, pun intended?) then it will take you the 20-25 minutes cooking time that the recipe calls for. If you're like me, then it may take you 20-25 minutes plus another hour. But hey, baby steps. One thing worth noting: I absolutely HATE mincing garlic. Other than that, this bad boy wasn't so bad :) 

Orzo Scallop Salad 

1/2 oz orzo (cooked according to directions on package)

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 cup of cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 orange bell pepper (diced)

1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives

1 cup of arugula

1 lb of scallops

While the orzo is cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium- high heat. Saute the garlic for about 2 minutes. You just want to make sure you saute it until it's fragrant. When it's fragrant, go ahead and add in the tomatoes and peppers and cook about 5 minutes. The tomatoes and peppers should begin to char. 

Combine the orzo, tomato, peppers, arugula and olives with the remaining olive oil and vinegar. Season it with a touch of salt and pepper for taste. 

In a non-stick pan, sear the scallops over high heat. You can choose to grill the scallops too as an alternative. After 2-3 minutes, flip the scallops over to cook the other side but be careful to not overcook. No one likes hard scallops. Top the orzo salad with scallops and ta-da! 

craigslist adventures

craigslist adventures

Tee: Old Navy | Skirt: Madwell | Shoes: F21 | Purse: Kate Spade 

Holy ozone batman! The past few days have been hot. Really hot. Like this chica is en fuego kind of hot. Which is why I think this outfit was a stupid idea. A heat stroke death wish, if you will. The only explanation for why I'd choose to wear all black is because I'm crazy. 

In other news, can we talk about Craigslist for a moment? I'm currently looking for a new place to move into and it's been quite the lengthy process. I know I'm a late bloomer over here but this is actually my first time moving into a place with roommates. My first experience moving out was with my boyfriend years ago. I was hardly 22 and my living situation felt more like an actual home than what I'm attempting to do now. I'm still having a hard time understanding the concept of living with strangers and sharing living spaces with furniture that isn't even your own. 

So Craigslist. Is there any other reliable source out there that you have used that may be beneficial for this girl? Because so far, the search hasn't been working out really well for me. I really liked one of the places I visited but then I was told that I had to be able to cook dinner with everyone every Tuesday, go out for drinks on Fridays and list my favorite tv shows so it could be synced with everyone else's shows which everyone watched on Sundays. Another place I liked had a strange deal in which I was expected to not come home on weekends or that I would be sleeping elsewhere some days during the week. Which makes me wonder, why am I paying a good amount of money if I can't sleep there? And what the heck are you doing in that house that you feel like I shouldn't be around to see or know? 

And I know, what's so bad about cooking, hanging out and watching favorite tv shows with potential roomies? I don't have anything against it. I'd actually appreciate being able to get along with roommates except I kind of want a friendship to happen organically and if it fits with the crazy, rotating schedule that a nurse has. Sometimes after 12 hour shifts, you just want to go home, shower and pass out. I just didn't know the process of finding a place could be this hard. Don't even get me started on the, Oh you're not vegan? You don't work in international development? You're not a Pats fan? deal breakers some people seem to have. 

So yeah, Craigslist. Sometimes a strange place to venture in. But mostly, it's just interesting.

cherry blossoms, flowers & sun

cherry blossoms, flowers & sun

I know I talk a whole lot about the weather. Ok, I get it. You get it. I hate winter. And for awhile, it seemed like spring would never get here. March fooled us with a snowstorm and Easter was fah-reeee-zing! But, you guys, guess who decided to show up afterall? That's right, spring!

One of the things I love love love about living so close to DC is we get the cherry blossoms every year. I like feeling like a tourist just like everyone else. When I first saw them this year, the buds hadn't even bloomed yet. When I went today, they had already hit their peak. So I missed the blossoms at their peak but it didn't stop me from taking out my bike and riding around the city today which just really hit the spot. And Hains Point, man. It is the place to go. 

Other fun activities that have me spreading happy cheer: buying flowers for the garden and patio we just finished building in the backyard, filling the kitchen up with tulips, taking walks with family, driving with the windows down, smoothies. The little things, you know. 

So really spring... why don't you stick around for a bit?

hello hello

hello hello

Dress: Topshop | Bag: Nine West | Shoes: Old | Sunnies: Marc Jacobs

I'm completely slacking tonight. There's some stuff I need to get done but I'm putting it off to blog. That's right. My priorities are completely in line. The truth is, I'm having a bum day. No scratch that. I had a marvelous day. It was beyond gorgeous out and I spent the entire day outdoors with some people that I love a whole lot. It's more like having a bum night. Let's just chalk it up and say it's a girl thing where stupid hearts get involved. I'd like to veto a lot of the things that little pitter patter machine is making me feel tonight. 

Can we all agree it's nothing a glass of wine can't fix? ;)

a reminder to be happy

a reminder to be happy

Dress: H&M | Shoes: Guess | Bag: Nordstrom | Sunnies: Marc Jacobs

Lately, I've been going through a somewhat odd time in my life. It's silly because all things considered, I have it pretty darn good. And I know this. So sometimes, when I am emoting this strange and sad feeling, I have to remind myself how blessed I am and how others are so much happier with so much less. And that makes me feel ashamed. But, I suppose everyone goes through weird feelings every once in a while. Or maybe it is the fact that I'm turning 27 this year and eeeek, you guys, I am just not ready. The number makes me cringe, makes me want to run for the hills. Because the number is discretely yelling at me to get my life together, even though I am just now starting to feel like I am accomplishing great things. But every once in a while I get these little rainy clouds hovering over me that say I need to accomplish other things; things like settling down, having kids before I hit advanced maternal age, buying a house... But then another part of me wants to travel to South America to deliver babies, Africa to help with the HIV/AIDS population, live in Hawaii and San Francisco while being a pediatric nurse, then go back to school AGAIN... and I can't help but think if maybe I started planning too late?

It's really helped that when I went to nursing school, I met some incredible women my age who were on a similar path... not married yet, starting a new career, and most importantly they were happy! It was such a relief to know that I wasn't the only one in the world who wasn't settled. We had big plans for our future and we were working hard for it. These forever friends that I am so grateful to have made are all I need when I need a reminder that I'm actually doing quite well in womanhood. And gosh darn, when I start freaking out about 27, I can remember that it's nothing more than just twenty-sexy. Because that's what I'll be celebrating another year of. Why shouldn't women take over the world in their little black dress and high heels scrubs? It's always good to remember that it doesn't matter what your station in life is because you can always live life to the fullest. And in celebration for my current station, I'm breaking out the little black dress.