royal wedding

i know a lot of people were excited for the royal wedding months ago, but it took me until yesterday to muster up anything beyond curiosity. which is weird, because i used to be such an anglophile. maybe it's because i hate doing things if everyone else is, or because i am not a super-romantic girly girl.



but i did turn on the tv yesterday, at a normal hour, and caught bits and pieces of the big event. i couldn't believe how loud the crowds were and it makes me a little bit sad to think of how many people they had to share their special day with, but it was fun to watch and so lovely. i enjoyed learning bits of history and trivia and loved seeing everyone decked out. oh the hats!

i thought that kate looked beautiful. i've always loved lace wedding gowns and i love to see brides looking more elegant than sexy.



i also loved kate's sister, pippa's dress. first of all, pippa! best. name. ever. and i can't believe she wore white! i think her dress would even make a beautiful wedding gown.



here's my favorite outfits. oh how i wish we dressed up like this.


posh and becks. look at those shoes!


zara phillips, cousin of William


Princess Victoria of Sweden


Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice


Lady Amelia Spencer, Lady Eliza Spencer, and Lady Kitty Spencer


photos from zimbio.com, guardian.co.uk, and telegraph.co.uk

help me out

all right. i'm seriously considering upgrading from a point-and-shoot to a dslr. i don't have aspirations to be a photographer; i just want a better camera that will let me take better pictures. all of you awesome photographers out there, what do you think?

i'm looking at the rebel xs





or the rebel t3








or the rebel xsi.





also, once i buy one of these, how do i learn how to use it?

happy easter!

7 things that made me happy this week . . .

one: having all of my sisters here this weekend.

two: the amazing weather on saturday. we went to the portland saturday market and i loved feeling the sun on my face.

three: the beautiful great dane i saw at the market. my dream dog!

four: watching girls just want to have fun with my girls. cheese bomb but oh so good.


photo from hollywire.com

five: ebelskivers. tried the frozen ones from trader joe's and now i want to buy my own pan so i can make all different flavors.


photo from williams sonoma

six: settling into a really good book.

seven: getting out of class two hours early because it was our last night. i love getting home before dark!

. . . and 3 that didn't.

one: seeing so many beautiful things at j.crew while easter dress shopping but none in my size. wish list!

two: the enormous drops of rain as i left church. in my easter outfit. seriously?

three: not getting to see african cats on earth day. but at least i didn't let my car idle.

back on track

7 things that made me happy this week . . .

one: quality family time. silliness and all.

two: the movie arthur. just as delightful as i had imagined. i love russell brand.

three: finishing this book. now i want to buy the audiobook just so i can listen to tina read it. expect a full review sometime this week.


photo credit: amazon

four: the preview for this movie. loved the book, but until now, i was unsure of the casting choices for the movie. now i'm totally psyched.


photo credit: imdb.com

five: these chips. i used to be a huge fan of ruffles cheddar and sour cream, but kettle chips just knocked it out of the park!


photo credit: here.

six: finding these two recipes from giada at home that i am itching to try.

seven: this post by my old friend adrienne from college. why i don't eat meat summed up so beautifully. and some good thinking about veganism, too.


. . . and 3 that didn't

one: needing a good camera but having neither the camera knowledge nor money to do so. boo.

two: realizing that i have been reading far too many books set in World War II and that i need to get out of my rut. on the horizon: half the sky, water for elephants, delirium, beautiful darkness, and a kurt wallander book. what have you been reading lately?

three: trying to find non-toxic sunless tanner. does it exist? i think not.



also: thank you for all of your kind words last week. i should put up pictures more often! but probably not, since that picture took me about 30 attempts with photobooth. so awkward.

quick hello

hey guys, just stopping by to say hi and then i have to get back to relaxing from this crazy week.
my sister is on her way home from hawaii and she hasn't been home since christmas!

i'll be back soon with lots of great posts, just you wait.

in other news: yay for great hair days!

"it's called the ground, when it's outside"

7 things that made me happy this week . . .


photo via nbc.com

one: since my favorite episode of parks and recreation thus far was "Hunting Trip," i was so excited for this weeks camping episode. it is now my new favorite. i had a terrible time coming up with a quote for my title though because there were just so many great lines! like: "fishing relaxes me. it's like yoga, except i still get to kill something." or "i should lead a teen abstinence project." "that might be incredibly effective." and every scene with andy lost in the wilderness and tom's skymall tent. and also the last scene where ben was trapped in the crazy bed and breakfast. love this show!


photo via nbc.com

two: my new favorite breakfast. greek yogurt, granola, and fresh berries. so delicious and tastes like summer.

three: the beautiful sunshine this weekend! it has been a bleak winter and nothing lifts my mood faster than being outside on a lovely day.

four: the British miniseries, Downton Abbey. it aired on Masterpiece on PBS in January and is now out on DVD. the creator, Julian Fellowes, also wrote Gosford Park. i love everything about this. the intrigue, well-developed characters, amazing attention to period details, the clothes, the class hierarchy, it's all so good! it also makes me really excited for upstairs, downstairs.



five: people watching at the gym. it's great anywhere, but especially fun at the gym. you get to see awesome gym outfits, guys who act like they don't know anyone's watching them, but are totally loving it, and all while working up a good sweat! so entertaining.

six: i think i found my bridesmaid dress. phew! now i have to find the perfect shoes to go with it!

seven: planning a california getaway. so many people and places i want to visit and i hope i can fit it all in one trip. and maybe even sneak in a day at disneyland?! where would you go if you were in california?

. . . and 3 that didn't

one: going back to school and work after spring break. such a bummer.

two: my travel wish list is impossible! california, boston, seattle, new york, utah, france, chicago, memphis, austin, i can't decide! and i also don't have nearly enough money.

three: having to work this weekend and missing conference. good thing it's all online.

let's talk chocolate

i just had to share some new chocolate products i have tried and loved.

i love hot chocolate, but i am very picky about the taste. my favorite is starbuck's nonfat hot chocolate because it is not too sweet. since it's not very cost effective to run out and pay $3 every time i want hot chocolate, i went to whole foods to find some alternatives. a very cute employee told me that dagoba has "won lots of awards" so naturally, i went with that.



well, it was delicious. it has a rich, deep chocolate flavor and isn't too sweet. i also love the little bits of chocolate that don't quite melt all the way. definitely my favorite starbucks alternative.


i love nutella. i love nutella on waffles with bananas and strawberries. my ultimate treat. so naturally, i was devastated when i found out that nutella is made with hydrogenated palm oil. until i found this:



sold at whole foods, this is a delicious chocolate spread made without hydrogenated oils, gluten, or trans fats. it's also fair trade certified. it has a slightly different taste than nutella, but is just as delicious.


what are your favorite chocolate treats?