The month that must not be named

OK, February is always the hardest month for me here in Seattle.  The gray lasts so long here that once the new beginning feeling of January is over it just turns into a waiting game.  Us Seattle-ites are patient patient people, especially this year.  I know I won't feel warmth until July, but hey, some sunshine is going to be my new bfffff.

To start things off, here is a little email I received the other day:

Here is a special discount code JELLYBONES, exclusively created for your readers to get 20% OFF when they shop at eShakti - valid from 02/26/13 thru 03/10/13. We hope you will find it possible to share this with your readers and give them the gift of CUSTOMIZATION.

Note: (*conditions apply) Code has to be entered in the 'Promotional Code' box. No Minimum Order Value. The discount code is not case sensitive. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This code can be clubbed with any other gift coupon or gift card in the same order. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. Not applicable on previous purchases.  YAY!  I hope you use this code friends!  TREAT YO SELF!  I ended up getting a totally free skirt, courtesy of eShakti and little help from Tabetha over at A Closet Intellectual.  Thanks so much, Tabetha!  Check it out:

 I was going to do a full outfit post, but this girl is feeling a bit self conscious today.  A picture from my first outfit post was put onto a "faTshionista" pinboard on Pinterest.  WHAT??!!  I think it was meant as a compliment, but I gotta say........ it doesn't really feel like one.  I immediately went and ran up the 112 stair staircase next to our apartment.  And ate salad for lunch.  ha!  Kind of funny now, but it was a bit rough to take in. 

Anyways......... get to shoppin and use that discount code peeps! 

Here were some highlights, reminding me that I had some pretty good things happening in the month that must be named after all!

I made a little heart book marker.  Mine is currently holding my place in a Storm of Swords. :)

Some very sweet bloggers made me feel like a special lady this month.  I know I've said it before, but I am still always blown away at how supportive the blogging world is.  Love you guys!

Some more heart shaped Valentine's crafts.  This time, a heart doily.

Had my first product review AND outfit post in one.  Had a lot of fun with this.  And I refuse to let anyone get me down!!!! 

Decided on my wedding colors, red white and yellow.  Hooray!

I made some spiced pear cider.  mmmm......

Finally, I made some at home orange body scrub.  This one was my favorite!

Well...... that's it for this dreary February (I mean, month that must not be named)!  I'm uber excited for March.  I'm taking off for a week to see my best friend in New Mexico, then the sun should start a shinin when I get back!

Cheers to a new Spring in March.

Trish

Oodles and oodles of citrus

Yo friends.

Just thought I'd share a little February tradition around these parts: eating SO MUCH FREAKIN CITRUS!

It gets a little rough in February in rainy Seattle, fruit wise.  Not much locally, so we make do with what we get: citrus.  We get the end crop pears and apples too, but sheesh we get a lot of citrus.  Last week we got 10 mandarins, 4 cara cara oranges, 2 grapefruits, 2 lemons, and 4 navel oranges.  The limes we got at the grocery store, but the rest is just a week's worth!  Citrus is one of my favorite things, especially when the winter doldrums are in high gear.  They really do brighten up any room or recipe.  Can they be any more perfect for February??? 
 

  

If you've been following along, you've seen me attempt a few newbie experiments with these.  Simmering potpourri, and orange sugar body scrub.  I made some five spice orange roasted chicken that was killer!  No pics sadly, but it was a Tom Douglas (swoon!) recipe that seriously blew my mind.  I've got some grapefruit creamsicles on the agenda you should look out for!  

 

Got any citrus recipe ideas for me????  I'd really love to hear them, considering we are getting another bin of these goodies today.  

Have a great Wednesday all!

Trish

DIY orange sugar body scrub

Hello there bloggie friends!  I've been really trying to jump on the all natural products band wagon, so I thought I'd try my hand at some DIY beauty.  I'm still trying to find uses for all that citrus I've been getting in my CSA bin, considering it's the end of February, and nothing is growing in Seattle right now that we haven't been eating for months.  It is neat that citrus is so bright and refreshing in contrast to the long and gray winter.  Oranges are definitely a fave.

I've got suuuuuuuper dry skin.  Icky dry skin.  Why is it so hard to find products out there for dry skin that don't have unnatural fragrance or alcohol????  It slays me.  There are few products I can use on my sensitive exterior, and they are so freakin expensive.  GAH!

Enter orange and olive oil to the rescue!  This stuff is awesome.  I mean, my skin was soft and hydrated.  WHA??!!!  And all I had to do was mix up some goodies around my kitchen.

To make about a cup:

1 cup raw sugar (or some kind of coarse sugar for exfoliating)
1/2 cup olive oil
the juice of 1/2 an orange
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground clove

Mix well and keep in an airtight container.  I'm not quite sure how long this will keep because of the orange juice.  I've had mine for about a week and it seems just fine.  Some warnings though: this makes your tub super slick!!!  Be really really careful about using a glass container with a slick shower bottom.  I would definitely test this on your skin before using, and remember that citrus will make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

It smells divine.  And the smell sticks with you too.  This will definitely be a weekly routine for me from now on.  I'd like to try some different combos though, like an herby lemony one maybe.  I'll be sure to post when I try them out!

Have a great day friends,

Trish

Keep on keepin on {Winter 2013}

Remember those goals I made in December????  Well, it's been months since then.  And guess how many I've stuck with?????  ZERO.  ZILCH.  NADA!  None.

I'm finding myself just waiting for this time to pass.  This gray and dreary winter.  I couldn't be any more ready for Spring than I am right now, and any less motivated to get off my fat (but lovely) ass.  Meh.  I am in a rut I think.

This is how I feel:

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You know, just 2 seconds away from being sucked in to that personal psychic.  Can't figure out what to do next so I just wait until the time passes.

BUT...... this is how I want to feel:

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Except I'm 31.  And not 23.  And not Lelaina Pierce.  And my days of wanting to screw Troy Dyer are long gone (maybe).  BUT...... Troy does have a point doesn't he??? 

Well winter....... you have kicked my ass.  I am done with you.  I'm putting on some make up and heading to Albuquerque in March to see my best lady friend, then I've got some super wedding planning and crafting that has to get done -STAT!  Until then, we will have to agree to disagree.

On a totally different note.....does anyone else find it strange and awesome when you watch a movie you love 10 years later and totally identify with different things and people???  So weird.... like I'm actually growing up or something.

BYE!

Trish

A song for Saturday {Forests and Sands}

Feeling pretty mellow with some Camera Obscura.  Happy weekend. :)

Spiced pear cider

OK, I'm at that "I'm ALMOST done with winter" point.  That point where I need one last jump in the snow (or first this year! sheesh!), one last crock pot meal, and one last taste of a spiced warm drink curled up on the couch with some slippers.  OR, maybe 2 of each of these.  But you catch my drift.  Grayest winter EVER!  Not a single tease of snow, or sun, just gray.  Blech. Ah well, I'm trying to make the most of this last stretch of February, this time with some home made spiced pear cider.

If you live in the northwest, you are probably eating as many citrus fruits and pears as I am.  A LOT!  I'm literally getting 4 different kinds of citrus in my CSA bin this week.  And pears.  and that's it for fruit.  SOOO...... I did something totally shocking very very predictable, I made a drink.

To make 2 cups of spiced pear cider, you will need:

2 ripe pears, the riper the better
2 cups of water
4 cinnamon sticks, plus some ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel your pears, and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Bring pears, cinnamon sticks, and water to boil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until those pears have cooked down quite a bit in the water.  Transfer to a blender, and add the vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Add additional cinnamon here if you wish.  Pears are super super mild and sweet, so I don't add any sugar to mine, but if you like sweet drinks, add some sugar.  Serve hot, with a cinnamon stick and some sprinkled cinnamon.

Don't expect tart apple cider here, pears are much less intense, which makes for a really mild spiced drink.  It really was just screaming for some booze.  Buuuuuut sometimes I need to lay off of that stuff ya know?

Well, hope you have a really grand weekend!  Enjoy it!

Trish

Red white and yellow

These are my wedding colors friends!!!  A deep darkish red, an ashy white, and a mustard yellow.  And actually, this is what I want my bouquet made of.  Strawberries, white peonies, and billies.  I'll probably throw in some baby's breath too.

First off, I want to give a big super thanks to Chrissy for nominating for the Liebster award.    Definitely blush worthy, thank you!

The wedding planning is going sooooooo very slow.  Jared and I really need to get our butts in gear.  Here's what we got so far:

Skillet Street Food is catering!  I couldn't be more excited about this. 

We are having our wedding in Shelton.  At Jared's dad's "cabin".  AKA awesome house on the beautiful Puget Sound.  Sooooooo lucky this girl.

We had our engagement shoot (thanks again Julie!), and have our save the dates pretty much done.... but not mailed.  GAH!

Other than that, we've decided that my best lady friend, Maghag, will marry us.  In front of 80 people (see oh my god post here.)

Haven't officially decided, but I think I'll walk down the aisle to this:

And walk back down as a married lady to this:

or this miraculous tune:

Haven't decided on the dress yet...... but when I do I think I'll keep it my little secret until the wedding. :)

Have a great day friends!

Trish

eShakti eShocked me

Hello there my friends!  Welcome to my very first "outfit" post, AND my first product review!  I was recently contacted by eShakti to do a product review for their clothing site.  I was like..... "wha?  me??"  I was so shocked!  Because, well, I don't post photos of me and clothes on my blog.  I decided to give it a whirl, and man, was I so glad I did.

eShakti is an up and coming clothing website that allows the customer to customize pieces by size and embellishment.  There are hundreds of adorable pieces to choose from, but then, the best part..... you can alter anything you want.  I chose the high collar double weave dress, which originally had really short sleeves, and a longer skirt.  I altered it to have 3/4 length sleeves and a short skirt, to give it more of a 50s feel.  Also, I was able to enter in my measurements so the dress was sure to fit like a dream.

It took quite a long time for the dress to get to me..... about a month.  BUT.. when I opened the package and tried the dress on, I couldn't believe I hadn't been using this website for years.  Let's be honest..... I've got some big tatas, and this baby's got back, so it's really uplifting for me to have a dress fit like a glove the minute it comes out of the box.

The quality of this dress is really quite fantastic.  The fabric is sturdy, but not heavy, and I don't feel like it's going to fall apart in the washer.  It does wrinkle if I move, but hey, not such a bad con right?  And get this all you Dirty Dancing lovers out there- it twirls!  Like, show my underwear like Patrick Swayze's dancing with you twirl.  Ah sigh.... love that.  This day was soooo windy (as you can tell from my SWEET bang action), and the dress discovered a mind of it's own.  Pretty sure I flashed at least 3 people.

Overall I am very very happy with my experience with eShakti.  Although a lot of their pieces are a bit on the conservative side for me, it is the perfect website for the best fitting little black dress, or the best fitting every day skirt, or the best fitting...... well...... you catch my drift.  Thinking my next dress will be the contrast trim poplin dress.

Outfit details:  dress: c/o eShakti; belt: target; tights: Hue; shoes: Modcloth; purse: Xmas gift, made by a friend.

So..... what are you waiting for????  Check it out!

++  This post is sponsored by eShakti.  I received product in exchange for a blog review, but all of the opinions in this post are my own.  I was not told by eShakti to say anything other than my full and honest opinion.  Thanks eShakti!

Let's get together yeah yeah yeah

Let's get together yeah yeah yeah
Why don't you and I combi-ine
Let's get together what do you say
We could have a swinging ti-ime

OK,  Just pop on over here and clickety click that mouse!  All of my ad sizes are free if you are willing to swap! I would love to swap feature spots with someone if anyone out there is into it.

Still not convinced???  Need more Haley Mills???

Let's get together yeah yeah yeah
Think of all that we could sha-are
Let's get together every day
Every way and every whe-ere

Bye friends.

Trish

Stupendous Sunday {2/17/13}

Not much to say about the last 2 weeks...... lots of relax time  with Tootsie Roll. :)

Tootsie, just being cute little Tootsie, waiting for some pets.

Getting a bit further on my rug!

A boy and his dog......

Pretty evening stroll

This lucky lady has a friend who works for KEXP, a local music station.  Free Ra-Ra Riot show!

Showin some thigh.  Tramp.

Turned my closet into a little craft area!  Love it.

New dining table. :)

First there was this.........

Then there was this!!!!  Good god......

Reading cooking mags with my girl. :)

It's been very mellow around these parts.  The weather has NOT been cooperating, and my mood is starting to get pissed off.  At least I've got a cute little pup and a burly mustache man eh?

Trish

Thoughts {on being 31}

When did I turn 31?

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Ah, my 20s.  A time of extreme indulgence and picking myself up from my boot straps.  I found almost every emotion you can overturn.  It took forever, but I made it through.  I loved it.

Ah, my 30s........... wait...... I'm already 31?  Seriously..... I feel like I just turned 30.  It still feels like my 31st birthday came and went in the blink of an eye.  Is this what it's like to be in your 30s?  Time goes by so quickly you don't have a moment to think?  Tetris pieces come at you without the time to adjust them?  ACK!  

Really though.  My 30s so far have been about reinvention and discovery.  Being 31 has been a bit rough, considering I'm starting from scratch with my career and life goals.  How does one figure out what to do next in their 30s, aren't we supposed to have it all together already?  I suppose 31 is staring me in the face whether I want it to or not.  It's here, and I really just need to embrace it.  

"What day is it?"

"It's 2.5 months into year #31."

"My favorite day."

This is how I see 31.  A bit freaky, but definitely worth embracing and tackling like a Tetris pro.  After all, I've still got a couple of years until I want children, and I'm old enough to not give a shit about where the party is, and old enough to eat ice cream for dinner if I want to.  I'm right in the middle, where I can just sit back, relax, and figure out my life deets. 

Cheers to being 31!

Trish

Dreaming of {cozy reading nooks}

January was quite the loungy, laid-back month for me!  I couldn't help but dream of a cozy little reading spot by the water, or a wildflower field, or some snow white mountains.

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That underground one is like a dream!!!!  But the first is definitely my fave.

Can't wait till I have a house so I can create one of my own.

Trish