How I still lust for OTK Boots.

WANT:

Jeffrey Campbell Lace-up OTK Boots - $298

Free People always has quirky and chic bohemian styles picks. I feel like you don't have to have to dress like a hippie to wear their stuff, rather you could use their versatility in clothing to your advantage. I love how these boots maintain a fresh look while recalling both a post-apocalyptic militant society as well as Victorian fashion in terms of the lace-up shaft, low-profile heel, and pointed toe. While these boots are very masculine, you could easily pair them with very feminine touches, such as tights and thigh-high stockings, or a flowy dress or pinafore. These have a great, sexy height without the look of a street walker if ya get what I mean! In my opinion, edgy and chic are met half way.

Comes in black and taupe.

My life and blueberry pie

The other day I started to worry about all my food spoiling while I was out of town so I have been on a cooking frenzy and Grisha is pretty pleased with the results. I was most proud of my very first blueberry pie that I made for a friend's going away party, which everyone enjoyed (the party and the pie). Suffice it to say that the pie was gone before I could even get a second slice. I used a standard recipe from Simply Recipes and in spite of all my "freak out" episodes during the process of baking the pie was an an ultimate success. Now that my blueberries and all my veggies are mostly done with, what to do with the rest of my strawberries and bananas is the mission I must complete. I stored them in the freezer, I hope that's okay. I'm hoping that by the time I return on Sunday the bananas will be ripe enough for me to make a wealthy amount of banana bread for the return of all my roommates. I'm not sure what I'll do with the strawberries though. Perhaps I'll just save them for my yogurt and homemade granola.

I have been on a 90's streak for the past two weeks, and it's not because of Urban Outfitters's new campaign, I've just been reliving and reconnecting with everything that helped me get through parachute pants and contemporary furniture. I never thought this was possible, but lately I've been channeling all my bitter 90's cynicism by rekindling my passion for Pavement, Sammy, Sonic Youth, and my ultimate love for my best friend, Daria. DARIA! The girl who saved us all from the face of near misanthropy. After watching the entire series again while I was tirelessly bored at work, I now understand a lot of the things that went on in the show that I never understood when I was a kid, although I managed to brush the feeling off because I loved Daria and wanted to be like her. For instance, the witty remarks and references to film and literature (i.e. Gone With the Wind, Heart of Darkness, etc.), or the sort-of break up between Daria and Trent at the end of season 3. I mean I had no idea that was a break up back in 1999. And even I almost cried about that break up, because I'm still not over Trent. That sounds creepy.


Anyway, as I continue to revel in the past, I am doing so in the home of my parents in Virginia Beach. I got hired by VB City Public Schools to teach a viola masterclass at the Visual and Performing Arts Academy to help prepare their students for Regional Orchestra auditions this Fall. What a great and easy way to win $200 for 8 hours in one week!

Rich people day

This morning, I ran 1.5 miles and did a solid muscle-toning routine. I ate my cereal, had my coffee, and read the paper out on the porch. When Grisha got off work, we went on a close-to-2-mile bike ride to Hillendale park (there were many hills), went on a romantic walk in my ideal summer weather (75 degrees, windy!), and biked back to his apartment to make lunch. We watched some British tv shows, took care of our cat, and biked back to my house. Then came time for dinner and I made vegetarian afritada, which turned out yummy and fulfilling. Then we read ourselves to sleep (at least he did).

Is this life boring? Is this what being too "couple-y" means?

Dark choco ganache

The past few days have not been so nice to me. I've been clumsy, grumpy, hormonal, and completely fed up with so many parts of me that one day, I could not stop crying. The other day I even cried because I had to kill a silver fish in my bathroom! I just hate summer so much, I want it to be fall so that I can actually be thankful for my big, thick and heavy hair, or so that I won't have to feel so chubby. I've felt like a Fatty Fatty Mcfat fat all season, and it's not because I am 5'1 and 120 lbs.

So when I usually have problems, I resort to shop therapy. However, since I am trying to be fiscally responsible, I can't justify buying clothes I don't need when I most certainly do not have the money. So to channel all my frustration, I baked a super rich chocolate cake with left-over lemon cream cheese frosting, coated with a dark chocolate ganache. Although the cake texture was not as fluffy as I had hoped (the batter was slightly underbeated because my mixer is broken) the cake was all together so rich and tasty. It was the right amount of sweet and lemon-y, and of course, goes great with some milk. Perfect for a highly and emotionally sensitive girl who can't figure out what to wear.

On the other hand, I have finally started that clothing line, and have almost completed its very first pleated, a-line skirt... :D