5 Changes

It's strange to see all the Back to School signs and posters everywhere I look. It's odd because for the first time since I was 2 years old, I will not be going back to school. I continue to look for a full-time job where I can use my writing skills while I watch as 25% of my friends go back to school or continue on to grad school. I'm truly beginning to feel like I am at the next stage of my life, and with that, I've been feeling the need for more structure. I'm currently redoing my work space and desk as well as planning an actual structure for this blog. There will be an update on my blog schedule soon, since my favorite blogs are the ones that post every weekday or 3x a week. I can tell you this though; I will post at least one "5 Changes" post like this once a month (possibly twice a month).

Without further ado, here are 5 recent changes I've made and recognized in my life:

I've been plagued by dry skin this summer, particularly dry elbows. In June, I purchased a Vaseline lotion which hadn't been doing the trick but I continued to use it for a while anyway. Recently, I picked this lotion up on a whim while shopping at HEB, and it's been great. I can actually feel a difference in my skin.

For the first time ever, I was the speaker at my church last Sunday. I grew up in this church and I've read scripture, passed around the offering, served communion, lead the singing, and played my violin, but I had never been the speaker. This summer, my church did a series where individuals were asked to speak about a person or persons who inspired their faith. I talked about a female bible professor who I'm still friends with today and how she encouraged my experience with prayer. I read several quotes from Prayer by Richard Foster, and ended my speech with the paragraph above.

This necklace from JewelMint. I was introduced to JewelMint a few years ago while watching beauty videos on youtube. Lately I haven't heard much about it. Baublebar seems to be what everyone loves now, and I do enjoy that jewelry site. It's been over a year since I bought something from JewelMint, and when I saw this particular necklace, I fell in love. Contrary to my family's first reaction to my "very spiky"necklace, I received many compliments when I wore it to church on Sunday. It stood out in a great way against my navy shirt.

Thanks to my Gregory Alan Isakov Pandora station, I've found some great artists. (Side note- listen to his song Big Black Car) Recently, one artist named Josh Garrels has caught my ear. His songs Jacaranda Tree and Train Song have been on repeat whenever I'm on the computer. When I looked up lyrics to some of his songs I found them to be just as wonderful as his music.

I saw this little one minute mask in the September issue of In Style and decided to pick it up. Most masks I've used are cooling or make my face stiff, but it was so refreshing to put this mask on my face and feel it heating up. There was also the added bonus of it only being on my face for one minute. The reason I don't use masks often is because of how much time they need to work, so I will be using this more often.

Going All Out

My style is bohemian. Comfy and girly too, but mostly bohemian. There are times when I get dressed and a family member will say, "Really?" or "That's interesting." Not necessary in a bad way, but my family does think I dress boldly sometimes. Whenever I wear the white fringe vest I'm wearing above, instantly look boho. Even though the outfit I'm wearing here is comfy, casual, and perfect for summer, I did get looks from strangers because I went full boho.

I'm not someone who dresses for the sole purpose of getting attention. Like most people, I dress the way I do to express myself. Most of the time, I don't dress in a crazy, bold way. But there are times that I do feel like going all out, or full boho. It's hard to work up the courage, because no one wants to look like a caricature or like they are trying too hard.

Tank: Wet Seal, Vest: Forever 21, Maxi Skirt: Wet Seal, Sandals: Old Navy,

Mixed Metal Bracelet: Ten Thousand Villages, Nail Polish: Essie Bikini So Teeny

For the record, I could've gone farther. I could've worn a head chain or braided my hair like a flower child, which I often do. It still surprises me that an outfit like this, which I am completely comfortable in, can elicit stares from others.

My advice to anyone would be to ignore others who try to get you to dress differently or question what you're wearing. I love my family and friends, but respectfully, they tend to have girly, classic, or casual styles that don't match up with mine. It's hard for some to appreciate an outfit when they don't like that particular style. Look to those who share your love of style. I am always drawn to clothing worn by the Olsen twins, Vanessa Hudgens, and Nicole Richie. When you've found your style, look to your inspiration and stick with it! And don't be afraid to go all out.

Zucchini Bites: 2 Ways

Zucchini is something I've been eating a lot of lately. There are so many different ways to prepare the vegetable and with such different flavors. Sometimes I'll toss it chopped up into some pasta. Other times I'll just eat raw slices with hummus. This week for lunch and also snacks, I experimented with different ways to make zucchini bites, and I found 2 recipes that I enjoyed.

1- Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

• 1-2 zucchinis
• flour
• 2 egg whites
• Panko bread crumbs (I used Italian but any flavor works)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Chop zucchini into wedges.
• Place some flour (approx 1/2 cup) into a bowl, next to a bowl with 2 egg whites, and a bowl with some bread crumbs.
• Roll each wedge into the 3 mixtures, starting with the flour, then egg whites, then the bread crumbs (Tip: easiest way to coat the wedge with bread crumbs is to place it in the bowl and then shake the crumbs on top of it).
• Place the wedges on a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they look golden brown.

They should turn out looking somewhat like this. Don't worry if each wedge isn't entirely coated in breadcrumbs, it still tastes delicious. I've had these for lunch several times and they're so filling! I even dip them in ketchup and I imagine any other sauce would taste great with them as well.


2- Oven-Roasted Zucchini Wedges

Ingredients:

• 1 Zucchini
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic powder

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the zucchini into 4 wedges.
• In a bowl, stir some olive oil onto the wedges (not too much, enough to lightly coat them).
• Place wedges on a cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, parmesan, and a little garlic powder onto each piece.
• Bake for 15 minutes.

The result is this savory side dish that you could serve with dinner, with each person getting 1 or 2 wedges. These recipes are incredibly easy and so far I haven't gotten tired of zucchini yet.

What's your favorite way to eat zucchini? Have you tried making it like this before? Let me know if you make these and what you think!

The Good Ones

Everybody Loves Raymond was a show that my family used to watch sporadically throughout my childhood and teen years. Some episodes were too full of family members insulting each other, but then there were also episodes that had me laughing until my sides ached. Today, I thought about the 2-part episode in which Robert marries Amy and his mother Marie objects at the wedding, ruining the whole event. At the reception, Ray somehow fixes everything in his best man speech by urging them all to put aside these bad memories and to remember "only the good ones."

Halfway through the week, I caught a cold that I'm still currently trying to fight off. It's difficult not to think negatively when I'm feeling so poorly since I'm constantly drinking hot tea and using an infinite number of tissues. But today I felt compelled to take Ray's advice and remember my "good ones" of the past week. Sometimes when I stop focusing on what's currently wrong in my life, I'm able to see all of the amazing things around me, big or small.

Finally tried the Oprah Chai Tea Latte at Starbucks. It's so tasty! I think that it'll be particularly heart-warming in the colder months of the year, but I'd drink it anytime and I highly recommend it. Also, it's Oprah.

I dog sat for a family last week and absolutely loved it. This is my main man Parker, a beagle mix. He's sweet and incredibly energetic.

I've never been one to eat a heavy breakfast, so having a bowlful of blackberries and strawberries this week really hit the spot.

I got free henna done at the Ten Thousand Villages Eid Extravaganza this weekend. I love the flower design I picked! A friend of mine told me to rub lemon juice and sugar on it before it peels (which I did after some had peeled, so the finger is darker than the rest). She told me that at traditional Indian weddings they have a saying: the redder your henna is, the more your mother-in-law will love you.

I picked up this card at Paper Source for my parents' 29th anniversary. They both wear glasses, and thought the card was cute. My mom even said she'd put it in their anniversary scrapbook. It makes me feel like it was worth it to drive out of my way to the store, walk through crowds once I parked, and then have the staff hunt for the card when I couldn't find it, all while I was feeling extremely sick.

Looking back on some of these good bits of my week, I'd say it wasn't so bad.

A-maize-ing

One of the most comforting sights to me is Illinois corn. That sounds odd, but it's abundant, green, and the signal that I'm close to my grandparents' house. Even when visiting earlier in the summer than usual, the corn still towers over me.
One afternoon, my sister and I decided to take walk down the road to a park/campsite, and with the corn right there, we just had to take pictures. I was wearing one of my easiest summer outfits, so it was perfect.

This outfit works well for me because the shorts are light and go with everything, I can slip off the chambray top whenever I get too hot, and gray shirt underneath has shoulder cutouts so I'm never too hot. Additionally, I'm rediscovering my earring collection this summer. Lately, I've taken a small step away from all my statement necklaces and started wearing my dangly earrings again. The pair pictured here are quite long, but the feathers and beads are so light that I hardly notice.

Chambray shirt: Eddie Bauer, Feather shirt: Primark, Shorts: Unknown, Earrings: JewelMint

Uncommon

Earlier this summer, my family and I drove 3 hours to Austin, TX so that my sister could attend her CPA swearing in ceremony. For the ceremony, I opted to wear something more on the breezy, more casual side of things. I wore sandals, a vest, and a maxi dress with a slit. To complete the look, I did a milkmaid braid hairstyle.

After the ceremony, we had lunch and then walked around, window shopping. My favorite place we stopped in was an antique store called Uncommon Objects. It is packed full of every vintage item you could imagine. If I ever go back, I'd like to pick up a bunch of small clear bottles that look like they belong in an apothecary for my own decor.

Dress: Forever 21 Vest: Forever 21 Earrings: Fairtrade at St. Michael's

Inspiration: 5 Things

Vacation and a busy schedule has kept me away from this blog- but I'm back in full force! There are 5 things in my life giving me little happy doses of inspiration, so here they are!

Peace Tea is an all-time favorite drink of mine. I originally bought one because the can looked particularly cool, but they also taste amazing! Finding new flavors like Sno-Berry and Georgia Peach have been great on my vacation.

Fair trade is a cause I've been part of since I was in high school. I regularly volunteer at the fair trade store Ten Thousand Villages, and last month I became part of their Houston media team. I'm honored and excited to be a voice for their fair trade message. You can see what I post on their Facebook page and their Instagram for photos like this one showing off their fair trade products.

Ed Sheeran's new album X has been on repeat ever since I bought it. So far my favorite songs are One, I'm A Mess, Tenerife Sea, Afire Love, and I See Fire.

I happened upon this dusty pink dress on the clearance rack in Anthropologie, and I'm in love with the details. I'll be wearing it to a wedding later this month.

In honor of Steak 'n Shake's 80th birthday, they have a special birthday cake shake right now. I've talked before on this blog about eating healthy, but sometimes (especially on vacation) you should just eat the dang milkshake. Life is short, and it is also full of delicious treats, some of which you should sample. Being from Houston, there are no Steak 'n Shake restaurants close to where I live, so being in Illinois, I thought it made sense to take advantage of where I was.

What's inspiring you in your life? Whether it be a new volunteer position, a drink, or a dress, it's important to take note of and appreciate it!