Beach time

Headed out to the lake today! Really excited for sunshine and swimsuits and food and wine with friends. Packing a handmade beach bag with a towel, sunscreen, a book (Players and Gentlemen by Joanne Harris), strawberries, cheese and crackers. Thought I'd throw together a little collage of fun stuff.

Modcloth

Anazara & KaiKini via Etsy

Recycled boat sail tote via tumblr & Points East Surf bag

flickerhivemind and eatmyblog

My stuff is not nearly this cute today, mostly because it looks like it's going to rain on us :( Hopefully the sun will come out for a little bit!

honey bun

Allure

7beautytips

A Beautiful Mess

Want to get better at tying my hair in a knot. 

jam jar

There are SO MANY awesome ideas for what to do with old mason jars out there. I am not super creative, but I want to at least acquire a set of jam jars (via a thrift store, hopefully) for various grains/cereals/pastas in my pantry. I need to keep my kitchen better stocked anyway, since I tend to eat healthier when in cooking-fiend mode. May as well make it look awesome too!

I've been keeping my used (happily empty!) wine bottles the past couple months too, for purposes of flower vases. If only I had more space to decorate! Renting one room in an already-stylish house does save on the bills, though.  

In other business, finally made a (much needed!) haircut appointment today, for Saturday! My hair is driving me crazy. While I'm there, I'm going to get my stylists opinion on... wait for it... color! I've NEVER dyed my hair before, save the blonde highlights I got in 6th grade (you can quit snickering now). Don't really know which direction I might go in, but I'll keep you posted. Happy blogging!

Photo Credits:  theknot.com, potterybarn.com, tumblr.com, thekitchn.com, weepingcherries.wordpress.com, twomenandalittlefarm.blogspot.com, kblog.lunchboxbunch.com, elizabethannedesigns.com

veggie of the week: Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the few vegetables I would eat as a kid. Ridiculously healthy, and easy to prepare. Most people will tell you to avoid boiling it at all costs, for two reasons: 1) Broccoli falls apart/gets overcooked easily and 2) it is especially prone to leaching out all its vitamins into the water, if left for too long. 

So for the most part, steaming or sauteing is best, but last night I threw some broccoli and mushrooms in with a boiling pot of water and quinoa and it cooked up just fine. I think the trick is to only leave them in for a few minutes and make something that uses all the water in the pan (like soup, or quinoa, which soaks up the water it is cooked with). That way, if vitamins are leaching out, you're still eating them anyway!

Topped it off with pesto, and I had a unique little healthy dinner!

Broccoli is high in fiber, vitamins A, C, K, B6, folate, potassium, manganese, protein and a slew of other nutrients. As if that's not enough, research is also linking it with cancer prevention, along with having detoxing and anti-inflammatory benefits. All in all, a pretty awesome veggie.

[Indie moment: I liked nutritiondata.com before it was bought out by SELF and had all the pretty pictures. It's still a pretty awesome resource though. I guess.]

More pretty pictures of broccoli!

Lovely recipes associated with above pictures here, here, here, and here. 

Photo Credits: kalynskitchen.com, (me), onceuponacuttingboard.com, angryasiancreations.com, lapetitegigi.blogspot.com

It's raining, it's pouring...

In true Oregon fashion, the spring rain has turned to summer rain, so I thought I'd share some cute rain boots. (Everyone knows summer doesn't really start until July 5 in the PNW). I really need a pair...

Brands above and below include:

Cath Kidston

Hunter

Brandi's Boutique Shop

Lucky

Photo credits: tumblr (first three and last), hellomonkeyface.blogspot.com, brandisboutiqueshop.com, daggle.com

Run, run, run

I've been running off and on for about six years. I really can't say I'm any better at it than when I started, but I still love it. My body was not built for running, so I'm proud of what it manages to do anyway.

I love the strength in my calves, and the slimming of my thighs that happens if I do it consistently enough. I love the feeling of flying down a hill. I love the slowly increasing endurance and even the slightly sick feeling in my stomach when I'm pushing myself just outside of my comfort zone. I love the feeling of power.

I love the endorphins ;)

Mostly I love it as a component of taking care of myself. Going to try to alternate running and the elliptical at the gym as my sources of cardio. Oh, and I almost forgot.

I love the challenge of it.

Some of my favorite running resources/articles
Map My Run - Your best friend for running outside and tracking mileage
Runner's World - Lots of good articles and magazine-style entertainment
Sustainable Running - A cool interview about making a difference while running

Photo credits: sportsyndicator.com, nationalgeographic.com, treckearth.com

walker bags

My purse is teeny tiny, and likes to surprise me by exploding occasionally. After losing my wallet/iPhone/car keys multiple times in the abyss, I decided to invest in some amazing color mesh bags, called Walker Bags, based out of San Fran. We sell them at my work, and I took my lunch break to find the perfect ones.

They are so neat. My purse is a now happy little camper, no longer straining at the seams, threatening to destroy the world. Here's some more cute little bags from Etsy.

Etsy links here, here, and here. 

solstice

Yoga celebrators in NY

Fremont parade rocks it, Seattle

Solstice bike fest, Ontario

Still enjoying the sunshine on the west coast. Celebrating with a sun dress and a mojito later. Solstice is such a good time to reflect on life's gifts and dance in the sun. I'm so thankful for this beautiful place I live in.

Bought some organizational bags today that I love - I'll post about them later. Also got off of work and cleaned my room to pristine conditions this evening. I now have two and half garbage bags full of clothes I need to thrift, and I still feel like I have too much. Starting a period of simplicity. I'm hoping that will get rid of the feeling of eternal clutter I seem to have developed over the years. Spring and summer cleaning.

Happy summer days.

Photo credits: washington post, tumblr, seattle pi, stonehengetours.wordpress.com

Summer lips

I don't wear makeup much, but bright lips are so gorgeous. I have plenty of dated lip color products around; I just need to rifle through them and maybe blend a few. If you don't and want to indulge, please support your local organic brands, or make your own!

I also stumbled upon this well-written blogpost on Tumblr about safe and natural alternatives to conventional cosmetics. Hope you enjoy!

Photo Credits: womenshealthmag.com, tumblr.com, thesun.co.uk, chasingbow.com