just unplug it and then plug it back in

ne of my favorite tech solutions is, "have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in again?"  It's the first thing anyone asks when tech problem arises, and it's because a lot of the time... it works.  Sometimes I think we're more like our cyber companions than we'd like to admit, because a lot of our problems or stresses can probably be solved, or at least alleviated, by unplugging for a bit and resetting.  I've got more in common with my wireless router than I thought.  It's been a long time since I got out of Tacoma to warmer climes for pure pleasure reasons, and it's much needed.  I never got any sort of seasonal affective symptoms during the winters in Alaska, despite the short daylight hours, but the Pacific Northwest "winters" hit me much harder than I anticipated when I moved there.  Obviously, my tropical surroundings indicate that we finally have escaped for a relaxing vacation and I'm pretty thrilled.  
On the flight, we sat next to a guy who became our plane BFF, bringing us so many beverages that I was rather tipsy when we disembarked, and exhorting us to get out there and see the world while we are still young and untethered.  I've been feeling quite a bit of wanderlust these days and, despite our travel companion being rather boozily enthusiastic, I feel like he galvanized my desire to see some more places in the coming year.  Travel can feel so prohibitively expensive at times, but I'd rather travel now while things are easier and simpler, than put it off until who knows when.  It will only become more difficult as the years pass and we acquire more and more responsibilities.  

 

dress/courtesy of isla :: top/courtesy of modcloth :: shoes/courtesy of bc footwear bra/free people :: necklace/courtesy of joy dravecky jewelry
Anyway, I hope you guys (well at least those with a holiday here in the US) are enjoying a day full of gratitude and reflection.  I love that this holiday is focused on thankfulness.  It's something we don't do enough of, and I'd like to make gratitude more of a habit in my own life.  Being discontent is so easy, but being grateful takes attention and intention.  Unplugging goes hand in hand with gratitude.  In a lot of ways the hustle and bustle of life seems to get in the way of slowing down and taking notice of all the things we should be thankful for.  It's nice to push pause and realign life back to a more healthy mindset.  

back in el paso

innetonka has been doing a super fun series called One Style, Two Ways, where two girls style the same shoes in their own way.  When they asked if I wanted to be a part of the series I got excited because it reminded me of way back in the day when I used to be a part of the Delightful Dozen swapping group!  I picked Julie from Orchid Grey to style these booties with and it was fun because Julie was a part of the original Delightful Dozen group.  It's crazy that that was way back in 2010!  That group was one thing that got me really excited about personal style because it was so inspiring to see a single item of clothing styled in so many different and unique ways.  It really made me see clothing in a whole new light and I love remixing items over and over. Julie's style and blog has continued to be one of my favorites and she's always one of the people I most look forward to hanging out with during the few and far between times we get to hang out at blogging events.  We'll both be leaders and speakers at next year's Texas Style Council camp (eep! yes, it's a camp this year!) and I can't wait to catch up with her!  There are only 275 tickets this year (as opposed to last year's 400 tickets which sold out) and it's at a girl scout summer camp!  So much fun.  I don't know if I'm in the minority in the fashion blogging world as a rouging-it fan (though, truth be told I'm pretty sure I'm on the outskirts of the fashion blogging world, if I even count as a fashion blogger anymore, haha), but I for one am super stoked that we all get to hang out at a camp!  I seriously miss summer camp.  Does anyone remember that Disney Channel show "Bug Juice"?  Oh my god, I lived vicariously through that show like whoa.  I went to summer camp as a kid, but it was usually just for a week and I remember in that show there were kids who were at camp for like 2 months!  So much fun.  I can't wait to smell like a campfire and eat camp food in a mess hall and chat with bunk friends till 3 AM.

 

top + sweater + shorts/courtesy of modcloth :: tights/target :: boots/courtesy of minnetonka necklaces/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis + joy dravecky jewelry :: hat/thrifted

matchy matchy

've been preoccupied with wanting to get a juicer and start juicing.  I've never done it before, but I love juice.  I know I'm supposed to drink X glasses of water per day, but I just have never been a very good water drinker.  Juice, though?  I can get down with juice.  So, since I'm a juicing newb, I thought I'd see if you guys have any recommendations as far as juicers go.  It seems like there's a huge range, from $50 juicers to $250 ones.  I'd rather get something tried and true rather than take a shot in the dark.  Also: favorite juice recipe resources?  All your juice things are belong to meeee.  But seriously.  Are you a juicing pro?  Gimme your knowledge.  In all honesty I should've gotten a juicer at the beginning of our CSA this summer.  We get boatloads of kale in our share and I wish I could just make ultra healthy juice out of it instead of having to pretend I enjoy eating it.  Okay, okay, I like kale chips and sometimes it's alright in a scramble or a quiche.  Kale and chard are just not my favorite.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

 

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: scarf/ruche :: necklace/handmade jacket/modcloth :: shoes/courtesy of blowfish shoes
Shortly after I dyed my hair I put this dress on and found that it perfectly matched my new hair!  Some of the green has washed out since then, but I still love how the colors jive.  Black and teal FTW!  I don't know if it's the season or what, but I'm feeling more inspired lately.  I have tons of homemade beauty product recipes I'm dying to try, I'm feeling really motivated to eat more healthily, I've been consistently working out for about a month, and I'm excited about all my photography clients.  Maybe green hair is good for inspiration, eh?  Or maybe the green hair was just evidence of my inspired state of mind.  Either way, I've got some momentum going and it's doing wonders for my mood.

wild + free

 don't know what it is about green hair, but it feels totally normal to me.  Sometimes people will say something about my hair and I'll get all squinty-eyed for a sec because I'm not sure what they're talking about and then I remember, oh yeah, I have green hair and that's sort of weird.  This past weekend I spent quite a bit of time with people of an older generation and was surprised how many of them really enjoyed the green!  Though I suppose those who weren't fans were probably polite enough to just not say anything.  My family has always been pretty supportive of my crazy style and hair changes, even if it wasn't their favorite thing in the world.  I guess they're used to my stubborn personality, whether it was my I'll-only-wear-leggings phase when I was four, my I'll-only-wear-sweatpants phase when I was 10, or green hair when I'm 27.  Though I know that stubborn-karma is going to bite me in the ass when I have a kid someday.  Le sigh.

 

top/courtesy of vol25 :: cardigan + coat + jeans/courtesy of modcloth necklaces/courtesy of joy dravecky + adorn by sarah lewis boots/courtesy of cat footwear :: photos by Dan

my fitness routine // easy healthy granola bars

omething I've wanted to do for a while is try my hand at making my own granola bars.  I liked the idea of being able to customize what was in them and play around with different ingredients to make them more healthy, or more sweet.  They're super nice because you can make a bunch and keep them in a tupperware bin in the fridge or freezer and pull one out for breakfast, or throw one in your lunchbag.  It's a great quick snack to munch on and they don't take very long to make either!

The last couple months I've been trying to get back to a more healthy lifestyle.  I let myself get super lazy during the summer months, both with exercise and with eating, so I'm trying to shift my focus again towards more healthy living.  I got an 8 week gym membership through Groupon which I plan on activating in January after all the craziness and frequent travel of the holidays dies down.  For now I've been doing Insanity at home, trying to teach my body how to be active again.   For some reason it's way easier for me to be mindful of my eating and workout routine during the colder months, those summer months just make me want to laze around and eat/drink all of the things.  Also, it's just way too hot without A/C to want to do a workout and most people in the PNW don't have A/C, including us.  Hot Yoga is horrible (sorry hot yoga fans, I just can't), but Hot Insanity?  That sounds like death.

Anyway,  I'm trying to make a shift back towards a more healthy life and I love being able to make my own granola bars instead of buying ones that inevitably are packed with sugar or unnatural flavors.  These ones are a little less healthy because I added a bit of chocolate, but omit the chocolate and they're a lot more fit-friendly.

(Recipe adapted from MinimalistBaker)
INGREDIENTS

2 cups packed dates, pitted (deglet nour or medjool)

1/2 cup honey 

1/2 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter

1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped

1 cup banana chips, chopped

3 cups rolled oats, baked

2 cups chocolate chips, melted

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain and forms into a "dough" like, balled up consistency. 

2. Toast your oats in a 350 degree oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl - set aside.

3. Melt chocolate chips, pour into a 9x13 dish lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Place in the refrigerator for a couple minutes.

4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.

5. Once thoroughly mixed, press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.

6. Remove bars from pan and chop into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn't necessary.