Color-block totes

Loving the look of color-block totes for spring, especially this Céline one. 

This one is more in my price range however, at Express.

A clutch is another cute option if totes aren't your thing, like this one at Forever21 (even more economical!).

Two edible candles (kind of)

As Pinterest continues to fuel this blog, I have tried two new candle crafts. Here we have the coffee bean candle, inspiration here. Basically, take a bowl slightly larger than a votive candle, fill it with coffee beans, and put a votive in it. Easy peasy.

Verdict: totally works. Smells super yummy, a nice warm coffee smell fills the room instantly!

Also, the orange peel candle, inspiration here. Here, the cutie peel candle. Cuter, and easier to replicate when the "wick" part gets torn over and over accidentally. Cut a cutie (or orange, or tangerine, etc.) in half, scoop out the fruit while simultaneously trying not to tear the stem in the middle (very difficult), let it dry for a few hours or overnight, pour in either canola or olive oil, and light.

Verdict: I was hoping for more of a scent, but it was still visually appealing. Also, what else would I have done with the peel?

Nuggets game

Had a fun time at a Denver Nuggets basketball game this evening. Although we didn't win, it was a very exciting game, and a nice break from the normal quiet Sunday nights.

WaterCourse Foods

I have a new contender for favorite restaurant, WaterCourse Foods in downtown Denver. It is self-described "vegetarian comfort food" and I would definitely agree. So far my (and my mother's) meals have included:

Sweet potato and black bean tacos

the Juan wrap (with sweet potatoes and cilantro pesto)

and the Andalusian pasta (with butternut squash and green olives). 

Scrumptious vegetarian foods that I will definitely be attempting to replicate in the future!

Sock bun

As someone who has very long hair and wants to keep it that way, I am a huge fan of any form of styling that allows me to avoid using heat.

Thus, I had to try the sock bun phenomenon that was all over Pinterest. I slept in the bun overnight.

This is what I had in the morning. I really liked the results. My hair didn't stay like this, by the end of the day it ended up looking polished, with curled ends, and I liked that look even better.

Instructions here.

Low twisted bun (with a twist)

Had an interview today to volunteer at a hospital nearby, and I decided that I needed a special hairdo for the event (naturally). Here's what I came up with. 

A bunch of little twists collected into a twisted bun. This part was pretty similar to a hairstyle I did here. I took the part of the bun that was farthest from my head and pinned that down below the bun. Finally, I added a little flower for good measure. Fun, sophisticated, and very secure. 

This was my inspiration, found here.

 I ended got the position (very likely due to my fantastic hairstyle of course)!

Tips and tricks

Such a good idea! Bobby pins stored in a tic-tac case.

Plus, don't the tic-tacs look better in my cute little Anthropologie jar?

More clever ideas here...

Gnocchetti

Had gnocchetti for dinner tonight, which are basically small gnocchi. I love how versatile they are, almost like pasta. Tonight's meal consisted of steamed asparagus with butter and garlic salt, garlic bread, and gnocchetti topped with pesto, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.

Mondel bread

My roommate's mother makes delicious mondel bread (somewhat similar to biscotti) and although hers is from a secret family recipe, I was able to find one of my own online that produced similarly yummy results when slightly altered. 

I used:

1 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. oil

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup dried cranberries

Cinnamon and sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (except the cinnamon and sugar listed last)

Make two "loaves" of dough on a greased baking sheet

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

Remove from the oven and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes (or until golden brown)

Then enjoy with a drink!

Yummy Sunday

I love it when my roommate announces she needs to make four batches of cupcakes. Absolutely has to. So we go to the store and get strawberry and Funfetti mixes and much frosting. Can you tell that I have such a hard life?

We made many cupcakes, and I got to use my new cake decorating tips (though some of these were decorated by a roommate).

I even learned how to make a frosting rose, a skill I have always coveted. Pretty proud of my first try :)

Necklace alterations

I have a lot of necklaces that I love, but hail from days past when a shorter length was in style. Instead of spending the money to buy new ones, I have found two simple ways to convert the ones I love to longer, more wear-able options. 

First, use the chain from another necklace to add length.

For example, I have this necklace that I am quite fond of. However, with the styles of tops I am currently wearing, it would look better longer. Therefore I found a chain of a matching color and weight and simply clasped one to the other, on both ends.

Voila! Versatile new necklace!

Although I used a chain that would have made the necklace too long, looping the chain around one more time gave me the desired length. The weight of the turquoise necklace made for an awkward choker, but it stayed at a more comfortable and attractive length when a small safety-pin was applied to the back of both loops to hold it in place. 

Another option is this, adding ribbon to a necklace to add length.

You are what you eat

Happy birthday to my friend (and blog-reader) Mary! A true lover of the outdoors, the mountains, and climbing, she was surprised with this cake on her birthday. How appropriate!

In the tree house...

...they serve warm deluxe honey buns and refreshing peach maté in a little room that makes you feel like you live in the world of The Lord of the Rings. Open 24 hours a day, the Yellow Deli is a lovely little escape from reality (but it fits perfectly in the "reality" of Boulder).

Live and learn

My inspiration for the remainder of the school year, and my academic career in general. Prior to last semester, I hardly dedicated any time at all to the 'live as if you were to die tomorrow' side of life and focused solely on the 'learn as if you were to live forever' side (aka: read ALL of the textbooks, every last one of them). Now that I have achieved a form of seniority in college (actually, juniority is more accurate) I feel that my life has come into a balance between these sides. I am getting better about really learning during my study time, and really living during my free time. This quote is a great reminder, and thus I own this poster (which can be found here).

No more excuses

I've got the gear,and now I'm ready to keep up my first-week-of-the-year fitness habits! I've really enjoyed having all of this stuff at home so I cannot possibly talk myself out of exercising ("but it's cold, it's snowing, it'll take too long to go to the gym and back, etc"). With a yoga mat, arm resistance band, leg resistance band, balance ball, and hand weights I have more than enough to keep me occupied. Plus, I have my own body as equipment (for example, these simple exercises). Here's to a very healthy semester!

Last day of break

On my last day of break, I enjoyed a relaxing day full of food. 

My parents came up to Boulder and we enjoyed a nice snowy afternoon at a nearby coffee shop with hot chai and adorable truffles (from left: white chocolate decadence, Gran Marnier, mint, and sea salt caramel). I have started reading The Hunger Games in anticipation of the upcoming movie, and got a decent portion read today.

This was followed by a delicious sushi dinner, my absolute all-time favorite food. I was absolutely stuffed...

...but I still had room for dessert! Moshi-covered ice cream balls. The pink were strawberry flavored, the yellow mango flavored, and the green green tea flavored. Super yummy. What a delicious end to a great break!

Skiing

Feeling my Colorado roots today, finally skiing with all of my own equipment. I have skied many times before, but each time with rented or borrowed gear. The extra steps of renting or borrowing equipment are time consuming and make the process much more frustrating. Today, on the other hand, was a fantastic change for better. I simply grabbed my gear, bought a lift ticket, and skied the day away. Although the amount of snow on the Colorado slopes is pretty slim this season, it was nonetheless a spectacular day spent skiing with good friends.

Ombre nails

Tried an ombre mani today, inspired by the one found at this site. First, I painted two coats of the silver color, then I added the black at the tips with a make-up application sponge, darker at the tips.

Finally...

...finished a book that I have been working on for a loooooong time! It's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. As a person whose interests lean toward the biological and medical, it was a fascinating read for me. It is about the life of Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cells were taken, regrown, and used world-wide for research without her knowledge or her family's (for many years). Although there were some slow parts, it was definitely a good reminder that the patient's interests ought to be held above all else where scientific progress is concerned.

Felt so good to finally finish a book I had been working on for about a month, especially considering 99% of my reading consists of chapters in textbooks. Oh well, back to that in just a few days. Bought my textbooks for this semester, costing more than just a pretty penny!

Date night hair

Out for a date night tonight! Didn't have long to do my hair so I went with this option. Here's how to do it:

Braid one side of the hair, first in a French braid then a normal braid. Secure it at the end with a hair tie.

Twist the other side into a bun, and secure it as well.

Wrap the braid around the bun, then hold it in place with bobby pins around the braid.

...and here's the final product!