list three: my favorite foods.

I could go on and on and on about foods that I love. Sharing a meal with others is one of the most personal, intimate, lovely ways to spend time with someone, in my opinion. One of my favorite things to do is find new places to eat or new recipes to try. It's not all about food, but it kinda is.

1. Cheesecake. I. Love. Cheesecake. So wrong for you, but so, so right. Cheesecake is my dessert of choice, but only if it's really good. If I'm going to eat something that decadent, it has to be incredible. My two favorite pieces of cheesecake ever are the slice my family shared at Carnegie's Deli in New York and the one my sister made me for my birthday. I also have fond memories of eating cheesecake for dinner during a family vacation in Washington/Canada, and sharing chocolate-packed slices with my mom at Cheesecake factory (on 2 or 3 occasions). Or the one time Jeffrey's dad saved me an entire cheesecake platter from a work party. I think I enjoy cheesecake so much because I save it for special occasions.

2. Granola. I just can't get enough of the stuff. In yogurt, on its own, smooshed between two slices of bread slathered with peanut butter. Love, love, love the stuff. And, lately I've been into making my own (yeah, I got it from a website for fast & easy toddler food. So?)

3. Raspberries. I've mentioned the story behind that here. And I still love them. Probably more than I did when I wrote that entry.

4. PB&J. Classic. Non-fussy. Easy. Simple. Tasty. I eat PB&J sandwiches like they're going out of style. Sometimes I spruce them up with some shredded coconut or some thinly sliced banana, but PB&J can easily stand on its own.

5. Ice cream. Don't even get me started on my love affair with ice cream. Please.

6. Smoothies. Does this count as food? It's liquid food so yeah, it counts. I drink a smoothie practically everyday. I just like how versatile they are. And it doesn't hurt that they're really delicious.

7. Grapefruit. Because when I was little my sweet little neighbor used to let my sister and I pick the grapefruit off her tree. I'll never forget how special that made me feel. Such a small gesture that made me feel so good. Ever since then, I've been hooked.

8. Crackers. Usually of the whole wheat variety, but I'm really not picky.

9. Cashew Nut Chicken. From my favorite Thai restaurant of all time. With a Thai Iced Tea. Will forever go down as my favorite restaurant meal. Ever.

14. Spaghetti. No explanation needed.

11. Strawberries. They're really pretty. And they also taste really good.

12. Cucumbers.

13. Grilled Cheese. It just reminds me of home and rainy days and old movies. And those are all really wonderful things.

14. Pizza. Preferably the one my dad makes from scratch starting with a packet of yeast and some warm water. But I'll also accept the restaurant variety.

Here's the thing: I could go on and on about foods that I love. My favorite part of food is the memories that are often associated with it. Like the one time my family got bagels from H&H Bagels in New York. I specifically remember standing in line asking each other what kind of bagel we were getting and changing our minds an insane number of times. Or my Grammy's shortbread cookies that we make every year for Santa. Or making chocolate chip cookies in Jeffrey's apartment on an otherwise kind-of-boring day. Certain foods bring me back to certain moments and I'm thankful for that. I'm sure there are a number of foods that I love and have forgotten to mention here, but the fact is, we'd be here all day if I really listed off my favorite foods.

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day and found a special way to honor the men and women who gave their lives serving the US — whether that be a BBQ, a day at the beach, or a walk through a park.

I'll be back soon with some exciting posts.

xo, R.

can't sleep & blueberries.

I always have the most difficult time falling asleep on nights that precede mornings when I have to wake up early.

But never anytime else. Every other night I can fall asleep just fine.

Sometimes I have a million thoughts running through my head and I can't turn any of them off. I think about really unimportant things all throughout the day and suddenly, before bed, all these really significant things come rushing to my mind.

What's with that?

Anyway.

I hope you're all having a pleasant week. And I hope your weekend is even better.

I'm going blueberry picking this weekend. Yee Haw!

(Oh, and Blogger HTML is frustrating. Just in case you were wondering.)

(And the old Header is back. For now.)

xo, R.

*image via flickr.

What's the Good News?

Good News #1: Jeffrey will be home in three weeks.
Good News #2: Strawberries are in season.
Good News #3: Smoothies are delicious.
Good News #4: I made some granola and burnt it a little, but it still tastes good.
Good News #5: We got some popsicle molds, so we can finally make our own popsicles.
Good News #6: Valentine's Day was The. Cutest. Movie.
Good News #7: I found the perfect straw hat at Urban Outfitters. Let's hope I make it there before it's gone.
Good News #8: It's sunny and beautiful outside. A little hot, maybe, but still totally beautiful.

What's your good news?

xo, R.

a happy weekend + a darling bouquet of flowers.

I had such a wonderful weekend with Jeffrey. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but Jeffrey is taking summer classes at school so we're currently not living in the same city — we're actually about 3 hours away from one another — and it's really difficult. I have a new appreciation for all the people doing long distance relationships full time. I visited him for the weekend and we made a pie, went canoeing, watched about a million romantic comedies, made enchiladas, finally got around to seeing Babies (It is so, so precious. Go see it now.), went to all my favorite local restaurants, and had so much fun being reunited. I'm so lucky to have such an awesome best friend.

Needless to say, I was really upset when I had to leave him yesterday afternoon. When I got home I walked into my room only to find a big bouquet of my favorite flowers (daisies!) waiting for me. Jeffrey arranged for my dad to go get me some so they'd be waiting for me when I got home. I can't tell you how comforting my little vase full of smiling daisies is.

I just wanted to share that little piece of happiness with you.

I hope you're having a lovely, lovely week.

xo, R.

Want to make some carrot cupcakes? Look here.

today.

Today I miss my sister.
Today I want a big, floppy, straw beach hat and a Coke slurpee.
Today I want a big bouquet of flowers.
Today I want to plant a garden.
Today I'm thankful for friends, family, and a boyfriend who loves me.
Today I'm glad the record player was invented.
Today I want to take pictures of people who are in love.
Today I love bumblebees and carrot cake and tea cups.
Today I want to eat a peach.
Today I like handwritten letters filled with secret messages.
Today I like sitting in Jeffrey's room waiting for him to come home from class.
Today is a good day.

tips & tricks.

I am not a beauty expert. In fact, I'm the exact opposite. I'm sure I commit numerous fashion/beauty faux-pas throughout the day. However, I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve that I've learned throughout the years. These could be obvious to the rest of the human population, but I remember being extremely excited/thrilled/awe struck when I came across these. Starting today, I'd like to post a beauty tip that I know (and love) so that you, too, can use it.

(I'll probably post these about twice a month.)

If it's one you already know, then maybe you can laugh at how uninformed/unoriginal I am and then continue on with your daily life. If it's one you like (and had never heard of) — great! So glad I could help. And if you have one, leave it in the comment section or email me here: xosimplyR [AT] gmail [DOT] com and I'd be more than happy to post it here!

...

Does anyone else have really tired/puffy/awful looking eyes in the morning?
I do.
And for the longest time I didn't know how to cure it. Sure, concealer does the trick, but I'm not always into applying a bunch of makeup just to cover a dark circle that can be combated in other ways. Plus, I don't always wear makeup and so I like to have other [makeup-less] options.

All you need to do is freeze two spoons. I always, always keep two in my freezer. No matter what. In the morning upon waking up, walk to the kitchen and slap them over your closed eyeballs with the spoons facing outward. In other words: apply the spoons so that the rest of the world can see the side that you eat from. Does that make sense?

(Concentrate exclusively on the actual puffy/dark/tired section if you're only trying to get rid of the circles. Concentrate on the entire eye if you're using this tip as a I-need-some-energy-right-now tactic.)

I usually let them rest there for about 20 seconds and that does the trick. If I'm super tired sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes I even do it, leave, and then come back and do it again, but I'm telling you, this really works. Not to mention, the burst of energy it gives you. Seriously, try it. And let me know what you think.

Hope your weekends are filled with love! xo, R.

*image via flickr.

happy happy joy joy.

My sister came into town today.

I'll be back later this week with a proper post.

Hope you guys are having a lovely week! xo

starbucks & whispering.

Babysitting my sweet little one-year old (first? second?) cousin today. I know people always talk about how cute babies are (even if they're ugly) but she really is cute.

My dad came over to keep me company.

(You can only talk to yourself for so long.)

But, also I had him come over because the Pest Control Guy had to stop by and I had to open the garage door for him and since I'm really paranoid about everything, I was scared to open the door if I was going to be alone. Yes. I'm really that paranoid. Ever since taking a RAD class (self-defense) I have been extremely over-prepared to use my moves, so Pest Control Guy kinda freaked me out.

My dad brought Starbucks (loooveee) and now my cousin is napping. Even though we're about five rooms away from her, we're still whispering. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I love us.

What's making you happy today?

list two: people i'd like to have dinner with (dead or alive).

Does anyone else think about this while walking to class or driving in their car? No? Just me? Okay. This list is obviously not exhaustive. I could probably write a book about this subject.

1. My Grandparents. My grandparents died when I was very young. Some died before I was even born. My Grammy died when I was in elementary school. I've always known my grandparents to be with me. I know they never really left my life and I know they never really will. However, it would be nice to sit down with them and share a meal together. It wouldn't need to be anything fancy. A picnic would probably be nice. And plenty of time to talk about whatever we want for as long as we want.

2. Audrey Hepburn. My adoration for her could not be expressed in words or gestures. I think she was grand. And to eat dinner with her? Well, that'd be really swell.

3. Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter). Just because I'm sure he'd have some really amazing stories and I love his accent. I'd make sure his wife and daughter got an invite, too.

4. Barack Obama. Because I think that man gets a lot of flack, and I would want to tell him that I think he's doing a splendid job and that no one should expect change to happen over night. And I'd tell him that I'm sorry that people make hurtful comments toward him, especially since he has such young children.

5. Sandra Bullock. Doesn't she just seem like a nice person to have dinner with? She's a no-nonsense kinda gal, and I like that. She could also bring her adorable baby. Pretty sure I'm in love with that little guy. I'd also tell her that she looked stunning at the Oscars. Hands-down incredible, actually.

6. Abraham Lincoln. Who wouldn't want to have dinner with him?

7. Bob Dylan. Because he's the only person that Jeffrey actually thinks: "Hm, I wonder what Bob Dylan is doing right now." This would really be more like a gift to Jeffrey, but I would come along. He seems like a pretty interesting guy.

8. Chris Martin. Because I love Coldplay and want to personally tell him that I was hurt and confused when he canceled the concert that Jeffrey had bought us tickets for. And then he could give us a personal concert, which would be much better anyway.

9. Tom Hanks. He just seems like a really awesome guy, right?

10. Anne Frank. She was brave and sweet and kind. Everything a person should be.

11. Frank Sinatra. His music makes my heart happy. And it also makes me want to dance, which is a pretty big deal since dancing isn't really my thing.

12. Jeffrey's Papa. I've heard countless wonderful things about this man. And I believe Every. Single. One. Of. Them. I've been told that we would really like one another. So it would mean a lot if we could share a meal.

heaven in the form of an italian market.

Jeffrey and I headed out for a lovely adventure last weekend and ate lunch at this incredible Italian market that I've been wanting to take him to for months now. We got a huge sub on delicious bread, a Frostie root beer, and a Cannoli and Chocolate Hazelnut gelato. Of course we also spent some time browsing the aisles filled with about 3 million different kinds of olive oil and an impressive selection of chocolate. It really just made me want to go to Italy. Right. Now. The best part was spending time with Jeffrey, though. I love that guy.

Have a really splendid weekend! xo, R.

What's the Good News?

Good News #1: I think I'll go to Starbucks today.
Good News #2: My sweet little dog is laying right next to me.
Good News #3: I'm having a sleep over with two of my closest friends tonight.
Good News #4: It's still summer. And I'm still not working.
Good News #5: It's still breezy for the month of May.
Good News #6: My sister's coming into town for a couple days.
Good News #7: I started running again and I love it.

What's your good news?

And check out our sisters blog!

hair.

Does anybody else have this problem? My hair always looks good the day before I get it cut. Always. Today my bangs are doing just what I've asked them to do for the past 6 weeks almost as if they realize what's about to happen tomorrow and so they've been scared into obedience. Unfortunately, I've been dumb enough to believe my hair's tactics before — thinking to myself "Oh! I don't need to get my hair cut. I think I'll cancel my appointment." And then, the next day, my stupid hair is back to its old ways. So, I'm not falling for it this time. I just wish I had somewhere important to go today so I could flaunt my good hair day. To the grocery store, it is!

xoxoxo,
R.

P.S. Really not sure how I feel about the banner. What do you guys think? I also had to have a computer screen replacement a few months ago (which mutes the colors) so I don't really know how they all look together. Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Lovee.

full of fun things.

Almond Biscotti. Let me be clear: I have never liked biscotti. I always think it tastes like a stale cookie, and not a good one at that. So, I thought I'd try making it myself. It. was. so. delicious. Please go make this right now. Oh, and I used orange juice in place of orange liqueur and I thought it tasted fabulous.

And then Jeffrey and I made whole wheat apple muffins for Teacher's Appreciation Week, which I think is probably one of the most wonderful weeks out of the year. I mean, a week dedicated entirely to honoring teachers? So brilliant. And since I'm going to be a teacher, I might be a little partial.

On a particularly balmy night, Jeffrey and I got takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant and had a picnic. It's one of our favorite places to picnic and we actually carve the date into a nearby bamboo shoot every time we visit. It was perfect picnic weather.

I also made brownies from scratch for the first time ever. I can't believe I hadn't done this sooner. They were so spectacular!

I have some really exciting projects in the works. I can't share them yet because they all have to do with Jeffrey's birthday, but I promise I will as soon as I can. What have you been doing lately? I hope you're spending plenty of time outside — can't believe the beautiful weather we are currently being blessed with.

xo,
R.

to my mom.

To my best friend, confidant, shopper extraordinaire, beautiful, loving, wise, gracious, humble, kind, glorious mother: I love you. You are the epitome of a graceful woman and a brilliant mother. For all you do, I am eternally grateful, today and all the rest of the days of my life. You are a true beauty. Grammy would be so proud. Love. Always.

xoxoxoxoxo,
R.

homemade spaghetti sauce.

Spaghetti is a big deal. In my family, we eat it all the time. Jeffrey and I cook it once a week and never tire of it. It's just one of those meals that means a lot to me. I went through a phase where I refused to eat Ragu. Then, once I started college, I stopped being picky about my spaghetti sauces. However, if given the option I'd still pick other sauces over Ragu. And I'd pick this homemade sauce over any other sauce, so that must mean it's really good. Here's a philosophy that I really like to live by when I can: if I can make it from scratch, I should. And this recipe is so easy, it's almost ridiculous not to make it. The only thing I added was a clove of garlic (minced). I think it just helped with the flavor. Oh, and also, I'm a huge lover of onions and so I opted to cut my onion up so I could leave it in the sauce. It was a good choice for all the onion lovers out there. And one more thing, I used Earth Balance instead of butter and it tasted just as good as the time I made it with real butter.

And what's a meal without a salad, right?

Have a wonderful Thursday.

xo, R.

just in case you were wondering: yes. he's still my favorite.

Also, I think you should watch Nie's video. She's so sweet.

xo, R.

with all the destruction lately, i think people begin to doubt God.

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He can do something about it, but I'm afraid he might ask me the same thing."
-Unknown

I think this beautiful quote sums it all up.

Have a beautiful day.
xo, R.

list one: things i like.

Hula Seventy inspired me to start a series of lists. I love her. You should, too.
(I'm going to write 100 lists. We'll see how it goes.)

1. Makeup. Personally, I get such a simple pleasure out of purchasing makeup. Browsing Sephora and MAC could occupy my time for an entire day and I wouldn't mind one bit.

2. Mail. The old fashioned kind. I like letters. I find handwriting to be extremely personal. There are few things that make me happier than an envelope addressed to me in my mailbox.

3. Guys who love their girlfriends/wives/significant others. There is nothing more charming than a guy who is really in love with his girlfriend/wife/significant other and is not afraid to show it. Guys who aren't afraid to admit that they miss their counterpart while she's away, guys who call just to say 'i love you,' guys who really listen. I like those kind of guys. Good thing I'm dating one. :)

4. Dogs. I am in. love. with dogs. Really, though. It is not uncommon for me to comment on the extreme cuteness of any and every dog that comes my way. I can't help it. Their snouts, their ears, their eyes. Everything about dogs melts my heart.

5. Raisinets. They deserve their own food group.

6. Pillows. I love pillows so much. Cute pillows, sleeping pillows, handmade pillows. They're all fantastic and warm my heart.

7. Cheesecake. I wish I could accurately express my love for cheesecake.

8. Bicycles. And everything having to do with them. When I was little, I rode my bike all over the place with my neighbor. Then, as I got older I neglected my bicycle. Thank goodness that phase is over. Now I have a teal and white bike that I could not adore more.

9. World maps. They make me feel inspired.

10. Audrey Hepburn. I really cannot express my adoration for her. I think she was a wonderful human being and her compassion for the world and the people around her is absolutely breathtaking.

11. Flowers. Who doesn't love flowers?

12. Coca-Cola. I really, really love Coke. If I'm having a bad day, Coke can probably fix it.

What do you like?

xo, R.