my sister is coming into town today,

which basically makes me the happiest person.

have a lovely day. xo, R.

The Quirk Project (No. 3)

Jeffrey is a really special person to me. Not only is he an incredible boyfriend (and person!), but I owe a lot to him. Before Jeffrey and I started dating, I was in a rut — the type of rut where I lost part of myself because I was trying to fit into some unappealing mold that I thought I needed to fit into. I would like to think that I got out of this rut on my own, and that's true to some extent, but I have to give a lot of credit to Jeffrey. He is such a unique person and I think that really shines through in everything he does. His energy is contagious and he really knows how to stay true to himself. That really caught my eye and allowed me to retreat back to my former self and really become myself again. Of course, I also have to give credit to my loving and supportive family, but Jeffrey has always loved me for exactly who I am, embraces my quirks, and encourages me to be no one but myself. So, sappiness aside:

Jeffrey's Quirks

1. I have 6 1/2 dreadlocks that I love. I'm even proud of them. But sometimes I wish they weren't there. They always come out of my ponytail/bun thing, very annoying. But they are pretty sweet too! Most people think they are gross, too bad!

2. I spend way too much time in the ceramics studio. I don't think it's a bad thing, but the loss of sleep is not the best thing ever. I like to think I am dedicated, even though that means staying up until 6 in the morning working on pots.

3. I have this thing for bikes. I just can't get enough of them. I have 5 and I wouldn't hesitate a second to get another one. This collection of mine is very important to me and I'm glad that Roxanne understands, my mom sure doesn't.

4. I twitch. It's not a good thing at all. I will twerk my head or count things. It's weird. End of story.

5. I love the Olympics. More than you think. My life goal is to be in them, though I have no plans of actually pursuing it. I am so proud to be American those 2 weeks, not always so much after.

6. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE pizza. Give me it anytime, I'll eat it, I promise. I could be stuffed to the brim but if you offer me pizza, I will eat it. It makes me so happy. I cannot think of a situation that pizza could not make better!

7. Old things. Old things are so interesting. I have this weird idea that literally anything is better if it is old. Even if it hardly works anymore, I think it's better than something new. It just seems like they are made SO much better, more style, more character. I wish new stuff were old stuff.

read more about submitting your own list of quirks here.

i actually think this would make a stunning wedding dress.
it's so dainty.

xo, R.

*image via anthropologie.

doesn't spring make you so happy?

I have a really hard time picking my favorite season because I love them all so much. But spring is definitely up there. Maybe if I were forced to pick a favorite season I would pick spring. Even though my allergies don't agree.

The other day Jeffrey and I went for a bike ride and stumbled upon these lovely trees.
Then I got a flat, which was unfortunate, but it was hard to be upset after seeing these.

xo, R.

meet andy. he likes it when I scratch behind his ears. and under his chin, too.

My sweet little guy. I got him for Christmas a few years ago and he is the coziest little man ever. And, yeah, we totally planned to look in opposite directions for this picture. Models.

(Petey, our other dog, is absolutely mortified of the camera, therefore pictures are scarce.)

xo, R.

Spring Break 2010: Monday & Tuesday

Unfortunately, this is where I totally forgot that I owned a camera and neglected to take any pictures of these two days. Why, oh why?

Monday, March 8th, 2010
I went out to lunch with my two best friends. We are shameless lovers/supporters of Olive Garden's unlimited Soup/Salad/Breadsticks deal and took full advantage of it. Like I said, shameless. We talked about the normal stuff — you know, things like meeting up at Olive Garden when we're old and still talking about high school and weddings and the future. It was fun, but it always is. Then, we hung out at my house and just talked some more and perused our high school yearbooks; such an entertaining pastime. Love it.
Once again, my mind has totally blanked and I have no idea what I did Monday night. Sometimes I wonder about myself.

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
My mom took the day off of work and we went shopping. This is something that we commonly do. I was blessed with a mother who has impeccable taste and fortunately we share very similar styles. She's definitely one of my favorite shopping partners (my sister is my other favorite). Then, we went to P.F. Chang's and ate on the patio. I shared a piece of my fortune cookie with a sparrow. They're so cute, I had to. My mom and I always have the best time — I'm really lucky to have her. We also went to Crate & Barrel and I contemplated which comforter I liked most.

I don't know. What do you think? Normally green would be the obvious choice because it's my favorite color, but there's something really happy about the yellow and I promise the blue actually looks good in person. The picture is simply not doing it justice. Let me know what you think in the comments.
My mom and I came home after a looong day of shopping and who knows what we did next. Seriously. Who am I? This is so horrible. I can't believe that I am drawing such a blank. I'm pretty sure we watched Where The Wild Things Are, which I had already seen and still do not like it. I'm sorry, but that is not a children's movie and it is a children's book, so shouldn't the movie have been for the children? Let me know if I'm missing something. I'm pretty sure the movie's only redeeming quality was the goat, Alexander, who I would absolutely recruit as my best friend if he were real.

I guess I was just expecting something different and half the time I really didn't understand the point of certain scenes. Like, why was the chicken's arm ripped off and then replaced with sticks, and how would anyone explain the meaning of that to a small child? Anyway, I guess it's pretty clear how much I enjoyed that movie. The book, however, is a masterpiece, and always will be.

xo, R.

*images found here and here.

The Quirk Project (No. 2)

Sarah's Quirks
{This picture is from this summer, when Sarah went on her 3rd trip to Guatemala, for a month. It's one of her favorite pictures, ever, because it reminds her of love and everything that really matters.}

1. I love socks. I have socks for every occasion, my Christmas collection is particularly overwhelming. For every holiday, and for those inbetween days when you need something to cheer you up. I have socks of all lengths, colors, patterns, and textures.They range from plain white running socks to shin-high purple fuzzy toe socks with cats listening to iPods on them. I love being barefoot, but there's something about wearing fun socks that lights up the day.

2. I have a (not so) slight obsession with cheese. As in, I need to have cheese on just about everything I eat. Sometimes I just take a pile of cheese and melt it in the microwave and eat it as is. I've never met a cheese I didn't like, and I'll eat it on just about anything. If I'm having an off day, just offer me a cheese log and I'll be perked up in an instant.

3. Spanglish isn't technically a language, but it might as well be my first one. I tend to speak in varying degrees of Spanish, whether or not the people I'm around understand it. I know quite a bit, and it really came in handy when I went to Guatemala. But now that I'm back in the States, I just can't kick the habit.

4. I love to take care of people. Some people express their love in gifts or words or touch, but I prefer to just care for people in practical ways. I love making and sending cards to people when they're not expecting it, bringing ice cream to someone who's sad, baking cookies for people, and giving them massages if they want them. I have an overwhelming urge to take care of everyone, all the time, and get upset when I can't.

5. I have a subconscious love of penguins. It's not that I purposely go out and buy penguin things, I just somehow accumulate them. I own penguin pajamas, a blanket, and even a hat. I like penguins alright, but I've never done any of this on purpose. Sometimes I look at the things I own and realize that any outsider would think I am mildly infatuated with penguins.

6. I photograph everything. And if someone else takes the pictures, I save them all. I have documented almost every day of my life for quite some time now. They say that you don't take a picture of something you want to forget, so I guess it's my way of making sure I remember. People are always astonished at all the pictures I have on my laptop and phone. I do it because on rainy or lonely days I like to look back and enjoy the life I've lived. I can only imagine this will get better as I get older and the archives get larger.

7. I call everyone by their full name. It doesn't matter if they have a nickname, I will most likely not refer to them by it. Names like Christopher, Michael, and Nicholas get the full deal. If it's a name that you can't make any longer (such as Frank) I will just add on syllables to fit my liking (Frank then becomes Frankenguggenheimer). I also refer to everyone as "love", which is kind of an overarching reference for everyone I come in contact with.

read more about submitting your own list of quirks here.

Thank you so much for sharing, Sarah. xo

I know God would never give me something that I couldn't handle, but I've been feeling so discouraged lately. Lots of stuff on my plate and I can't seem to make it all work. Thank God my sister is coming home soon. I could use her radiance. Thank God for my parents and going home this weekend so they can give the kind of TLC only parents can give. And thank God for this guy who holds my hand and kisses my forehead and carries my groceries even when I insist that they aren't too heavy and for always telling me how beautiful I am. I have some good people in my life and that makes my full plate seem pretty manageable. Even on nights like this one when I feel a little bit defeated.

junk.

About 20 minutes outside of my college town, there is a little lady that has a garage sale everyday of the year (except Sundays). She has a garage sale that outdoes every single garage sale you've ever seen. Ever. She has tables upon tables upon tables of other peoples' junk — and she knows it's junk. And she is lovingly called the junk lady by every single person that has any idea who she is. The first time we drove to the junk lady, we didn't know what to expect. My sister had heard about her and so we ventured out onto a long stretch of road for what seemed like miles. After driving for about 20 minutes we thought maybe we'd missed her, but then.

After coming over a hill

we saw it.
Unmistakable.
A treasure hunter's dream boat.
So much junk you wouldn't even believe it.
Now, we frequent the junk lady. On a recent Friday, Jeffrey and I ventured out to her humble abode and had a fantastic time. And, can I just say that it's impossible not to have fun when you're surrounded by other peoples' junk?






xo, R.

What's the Good News?

Good News #1: I made chocolate chip cookies today.
Good News #2: I got a ton of school work done today.
Good News #3: I had a really rejuvenating weekend.
Good News #4: I have two Chobanis in my fridge waiting for me.
Good News #5: I'm going home this weekend.

For more good news look here and here.

Have a beautiful week. xo, R.

happy birthday.

my blog celebrated its 1st birthday yesterday.
so happy birthday, little blog. i love you.

xo, R.

*image via flickr.

Spring Break 2010: Sunday

My gosh, I wish I had done a better job of taking pictures over spring break.

Note to self: Keep a diary, take more pictures.

Sunday, March 7, 2010
When I go home it is almost a rule that we have to make a stop at Lighthouse Donuts at least once. Donuts are so, so good for the soul. My favorite kind of donut is Maple frosted and Lighthouse has one of the most delicious renditions I've ever tasted. So, on Sunday my parents and I made a stop there and sat on the deck and enjoyed our donuts. Such a pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning. We originally planned to go to an art show downtown, but our planning was poor so we didn't make it.
And here's where my only picture of this wonderful day comes into play: Jeffrey is the proud owner of a 1966 Red VW Bus and we love it. So much. And so whenever we see another bus our eyes get kind of wide and our mouths drop and we just can't help but stare. My parents and I saw this darling little thing sitting outside of a produce shop and had to take a closer look!
What a gem. And doesn't she look so summer-y? Love that yellow. And I don't think you can see too well, but there was a little Hula Girl on the front dash. Precious. Anyway, this was for sale, but did not have a friendly price tag. It was fun to look at, though. And yes, I called Jeffrey while he was camping in the mountains just to inform him that I had seen a bus.
As for the rest of the day, we spent the afternoon in Borders. I poured over wedding magazines (Have I ever mentioned that I am completely in love with weddings and the mere mention of one makes me giddy and gives me the fuzzies? Now you know.) and then we stopped at Super Target, which is basically a given in my family — if you are in a plaza with a Target in it, you must go to Target. No questions asked. I got some spring-y nail polish and we headed home. And I wish I could remember the rest of this lovely day. I'm pretty positive that we made Not-So-Red Velvet Cake that night, but we didn't start it until around 9, so I'm missing something. I guess that's why a diary comes in handy.

xo, R.

Happy, Happy, Happy St. Patrick's Day

Green is my favorite color, so I like this holiday a lot.

Here are some green inspired pictures.
And I hope you have a most wonderful holiday.

xo, R.

The Quirk Project (No. 1)

For the first list of quirks I thought it would be appropriate to publish my dad's. I think it's fairly obvious to anyone who knows me that I admire and adore my dad with a love that is so unbelievably strong. He has such a positive influence in my life and always gives me sound advice that I can really listen to. If I'm having a bad day, I know I can call him and tell him whatever it is that's wrong and he'll truly listen. And I think that's pretty special because some people don't really have the listening skills that he does. I think some of the weird habits that I've acquired have come from him, and although most people would assume that I'm a lot like my mom (I am!), I think it's also fair to say that I'm very similar to my dad.

Dad's Quirks
{Us after canoeing the Hillsborough River on Father's Day.}

1. English music. I was born and raised in the good old U. S. of A., but all of my favorite music is English. If I believed in reincarnation, I would be tempted to think some past life was calling me back home to the British Isles...my love of English music is that strong. Of course, I do love plenty of music from my homeland, from the songs of Gershwin and Johnny Mercer to The Band, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Wilco. But I consider England to be my musical “home,” and the songs of The Beatles and The Kinks on through to Blur and Radiohead are the ones that are in heaviest rotation on my iPod.

2. Buttons. I don’t like them. It’s irrational and, therefore, I can’t explain it. They bother me and I want them to leave me alone.

3. Eyebrows. I like eyebrows—strong, thick, shapely, interesting ones. Some great famous eyebrows? How about Jennifer Connelly, Mark Twain, Donald Sutherland, Brooke Shields, Paul McCartney, Frida Kahlo...you get the eye-dea.

4. Saxophones. The sound of a saxophone solo has always reminded me of black bananas for some reason (no, I’m not kidding). I don’t love black bananas. I prefer them, however, to the sound of a saxophone.

5. Boats. I love kayaks and canoes, but I don’t like powerboats. I suppose if you want to go deep-sea fishing, a powerboat is the way to go. But I’m all about enjoying the trip...I love canoeing down a lazy florida river or kayaing through the mangroves.

6. Beets and Lima Beans. I am famously omnivorous and unpicky at mealtime -- I’ll usually go along with anyone’s whim and enjoy it. Beets and Lima Beans, though, are on my “uh-uh” list.

7. Baseball. Although millions also love it, I know there’s a certain faction that thinks of baseball as slow and boring. It lacks the “warfare” metaphor (as in football) that so many seem to find so exciting. For some reason I love baseball’s measured pace, the easygoing picnic environment of sitting in the stands with a hot dog and a coke, the wind-up, the pitch, the sudden explosion of a hit, a great diving catch or a towering home run. Call me boring if you want; baseball was my favorite sport to play as a kid, and it’s my favorite sport to watch now as an adult.

8. Birds. I love birds of every size, shape and species. I admire plumage, be it dazzling or drab; I love birdsong, from the virtuosic warblings of the Mockingbird to the primeval croak of the Great Blue Heron. I recently spent a morning birdwatching with my daughter, Roxanne, on Honeymoon Island off the coast of Dunedin, Florida, and it was sheer joy.

read more about submitting your own list of quirks here.

Spring Break 2010: Saturday

I have a horrible time recalling past spring breaks, summers, etc. even though they have all been very near and dear to me. And I should really keep a diary since I enjoy writing so much, but I don't.

Maybe this is a sign that I should start.
I'll be sure to make a note.

Anyway.
Saturday, March 6, 2010.
My parents and I woke up and had Dutch Babies, which can also be called German Pancakes. Dutch Babies have the tendency to look pretty crazy, at least in our house.
We then headed to the Farmer's Market where my parents showed me their favorite booth to get organic produce.
Lots of awesome chalk art at the Farmer's Market.
Then we ate at El Cap.
And took pictures of things we thought were cool.
Then, we spent some time in our favorite scrapbooking shop. We love their paper selection.

xo, R.

Not-So-Red Velvet Cake

My mom had never tasted Red Velvet Cake before and as a classic/iconic/American cake, I think it's a crime, so we decided to make one. It's true that Red Velvet Cake is nothing more than a glorified chocolate cake — if it's possible to even taste the chocolate (I've had some red velvet that didn't really taste like much of anything, to be honest) — but there's something sort of whimsical about a cake that looks average from the outside and upon cutting into it, a fluffy, rich red filling is exposed. It just feels kind of special. My mom was a little skeptical about adding red food coloring because, let's be honest, there's nothing real natural — or necessary — about adding random drops to food to make it change color. It's a little weird and I'll be the first to admit it. But every now and then, it's kind of awesome to eat a cake that would otherwise be brown and that's where Red Velvet comes in. So, we decided to cut down the amount of food color originally called for and crossed our fingers that it would still turn out red.

Wishful thinking.

What we were left with was a delicious, brown cake that had no right to call itself Red Velvet, so we'll go ahead and call it Not-So-Red Velvet Cake. I would absolutely recommend this recipe — it's Smitten Kitchen, when have I not recommended her? — but if you are set on a red filling, then it would probably be wise to follow her directions rather than ours, which were to add a measly three drops of red food coloring. And if you don't really care either way, then skip the food coloring altogether, because it's still a really delicious cake. I think it would work well as a classic chocolate cake and it uses canola oil instead of butter, which I can totally get into.Enjoy! xo, R.

An Idea: The Quirk Project

So, I think I'm going to try something. I know the readership on my blog isn't insanely large, but I still think this could be a worthwhile project: if you are interested, please send me 7 of your most favorite, personal quirks and I will post a list on my blog weekly.

What to include:
1. Please list 7 quirks. You can look at my list here, but you can also make it your own and add your own flavor to it.
2. Also, if you feel so inclined, include an inspiring photograph (or one that embodies your quirks,etc.) and I will post it at the top of your list. If the photo is not your own, please send me the domain that you got it from, so I can give credit.
3. If you have a blog, please also send me your URL, so I can link back to it. But, of course, this is open to those that don't have a blog and still wish to share their quirks.

I hope this is something people are interested in. I know I am!

...

Please send me your list at:

xo.simplyR (at) gmail.com

El Cap.

I'm not a huge burger lover. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them, but they're not my favorite thing and I certainly don't find myself craving them on a regular basis. El Cap, however, is on a totally different level. They make burgers that are off-the-charts-incredible and I can confidently say that they make the best burger I have ever tasted.
So. Delicious.
xo, R.

diana f+

The newest member of my family, courtesy of my lovely boyfriend.
Beyond excited and cannot wait to try it out.
xo, R.

Quirks.

I love quirks. There's just something so uniquely awesome about them and I feel about 100x closer to a person if I know 1 or 2 or 25 of their quirks. It's comforting to know that everybody has them and I, for one, am extremely proud of my quirks. I really think they're something to celebrate and I can honestly tell you that quirks are what make me truly adore people. They're like the sprinkles on top of a cupcake, or something. The cupcake's good, but the sprinkles just make it that much better.

7 Quirks:

1. I love to sing. I sing in the car, in my room, in the shower, and I especially love singing on my way up and down the stairwell of my dorm because it's so very echo-y. And I have the habit of grabbing whatever might be lying around (i.e., a pencil, an i-pod, a book, a cell phone, a remote control, but rarely a hairbrush) and using it as a microphone. It is so lame, but I do it at least once a day, if not more often than that. I guess there's something liberating about it because I really cannot help myself.

2. I am painfully quiet in my classes. I dread classes that have a participation grade because there's something so scary about speaking in a large group of unfamiliar people. It's not even like I think that my opinions aren't valuable — I know they are — but for some reason my palms get all sweaty and my heart starts racing when I know I have to speak up. My English classes often require us to break into small groups of 3 or 4 students and my peers are always shocked at how outgoing I am in those small groups. I don't know why I'm so quiet in classroom settings and I've tried to 'cure' myself so many times by just pumping myself up to participate, but nothing's worked.

3. I am a Parmesan cheese junky. I load it on pizza, spaghetti, salads — anything that may taste remotely good with Parmesan, you better believe I add it. And it's weird because it's not so much that grated Parmesan has a whole lot of flavor. As a matter of fact, I really don't think it has much flavor at all, but apparently that doesn't bother me because I'm pretty sure my pizza slice has more Parmesan on it than anything else.

4. I cannot stand butterflies. Real life butterflies are great, but any kind of butterfly on clothing items, accessories, purses, furniture, fabric, etc., bother me. And not just kind of bother me, — really, REALLY bother me. I don't even consider purchasing items with any kind of butterfly-like design. I didn't always dislike butterflies. I was never in love with them, or anything, but I'm pretty sure my intense dislike for butterflies started in 6th grade. I can't really pinpoint the reason, but since then I have steered very clear from them. Of course, butterflies in nature are beautiful and I adore them, but reproductions of butterflies? No thanks.

5. I LOVE freckles. I get a light speckling across the bridge of my nose in the summertime and it never fails to make me happy. I just think there's something so whimsical about freckles and I am so envious of girls (or guys) who are covered in them. I've always kind of enjoyed my randomly appearing freckles, but there's something really endearing about a face full of them.

6. I feel like this is going to be hard to explain, but you know how at fast food restaurants the lids have special 'buttons' the employees press down so that they can specify what kind of drink is in the cup? (Pretend that makes sense). If I go to McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A or any other random fast food restaurant, I ALWAYS press every single 'button' down. I've been doing it for years. I think there's something really fulfilling about it. I love it. So much.

7. I hate breaking the binding of a library book (and will never, ever do it!), but I love when the binding is already broken. I feel kind of guilty doing it myself, but if it's already done, I enjoy it so much. There's something comforting about a broken binding. I guess I just like the idea that someone else has read the book and worn it in. It just makes me feel happy. It's kind of like the last person who read the book and I have a secret together. I don't know, there's just something kind of magical about the whole library thing. It just feels so personal. Like, everyone who has ever read that particular copy of that particular book is connected, or something. Kind of silly, but really, really wonderful to think about.

xo, R.

favorite things.

Often times, I have things in my life that I really, really like, but don't particularly need. They're the kind of objects that I come across and i think to myself, "Man, I don't need you, but you sure make my life a whole lot better." Those items can easily be classified as my favorite things. These little trinkets have the ability to make a not-so-special day seem pretty spectacular. In my book, anyway.

My parents gave me this body scrub for Valentine's Day. It's mixed with big crystals of sugar that make it excellent for exfoliating, but it still manages to foam up really nicely just like a regular body wash. I use this about once a week and I got it in the Green Tea & Cucumber variety. It smells so fresh and makes my skin feel so smooth. You can purchase it here. (It's a little costly, but I imagine if you use it sparingly like I do, it should last a long while.)
Last time I was home my dad bought some Chobanis at the grocery store. I've tried Greek Yogurt before, but wasn't impressed. I think the fruit on the bottom is what really sold me on it. I bought plain the first time and found it to be too bitter, but the fruit adds just the right amount of sweetness. Greek Yogurt can be a little pricey, too, but Chobani is kind enough to offer coupons on their website and they will send them to your e-mail.
A few weeks ago while I was at Target, my mom told me I needed to pick up some Ticonderoga pencils. I have been using mechanical for so long, I forgot what it was like to use the traditional No.2. I have to say, I'm really enjoying them. They write so smoothly and their erasers work like a dream. Plus, there's nothing like the smell of freshly sharpened pencils.
This little guy always amuses me. He sits wisely on my bed and I can't get enough of his face. Jeffrey made me this pillow for my Birthday and I think it's one of the greatest gifts I've received. It's just so personal and one-of-a-kind and it never fails to make me smile.
The weather lately has been so rainy, I've been wearing these almost everyday. I can't say I mind, though. They're just so cheery. I got these at ForLove 21 last year, but I'm almost positive they're no longer selling them. I think every girl should own a pair of colorful rain boots. They give rainy days an element of pizazz!

xo, R.

What's the Good News?

For past good news, look here.

Good News #1: The weather is absolutely beautiful today. Thank you, March.
Good News #2: Jeffrey and I ate lunch on a grassy lawn.
Good News #3: I work with 18 of the most adorable Kindergarteners.
Good News #4: Spring break starts on Friday!
Good News #5: There is a jar of dark chocolate M&M's on my desk.

I hope your Monday is beyond beautiful.

xo, R.