The Corner Girl

Antique locket USB holder

2011-10-17T15:19:00.001-04:00

Designed by Emily Rothschild

For the technology obsessed or those who are a little bit hipster, this locket is specifically created to hold a small usb, which is included when you purchase the necklace, for $235 on this website.

I think the idea of this is simply adorable, and while I might not spend that much on a necklace, now I can go out and buy my own mini USB drive to put inside the antique lockets I find at garage sales! How cute is that?? :)

I don't usually do posts so focused on one product, but after seeing this, how could I not share this with all of you? :)

Have a great day, loves! xx

the Corner Girl

Plants die, people thrive.

2011-09-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

Hello my dear friends! You might remember that I work as a bartender at a Japanese restaurant. Well now that the weather's getting colder, business is getting great! It's kind of exciting to see all of the people starting to dress for winter. Sometimes I see people who are just adorable from head to toe, and it surprises me a bit. Rural Iowa isn't known for being the fashion capitol, after all. ;)

Anyway, I have some pretty good news! We don't know when it will happen, but me and the hubby may get to move from our one-bedroom apartment into an actual house for rent! My parents own a rental house that has three floors, and the way things are looking everybody's basically going to get their own floor plus two living rooms to share. We are looking into moving in with some of our friends who are looking to make the big move out of their parent's house. There is a garden with grapevines, a patio, and three garage spaces. My sister Lizzy also wants to help paint murals in each of the rooms. I'm so excited, I hope it happens! :)

Saturday was the last Farmer's Market of the season. I bought delicious sweet onions, black cherry tomatoes, and Iowa-made Riesling white wine. All so yummy!

Best tomatoes ever! (psst... unless otherwise stated, these photos are copyright to me, and may not be distributed without written permission from me. kthxbye :)

Jacket - Talbots, Shorts - Mimi Chica, Shirt - Just Ginger, Shoes - Sofft (my default heels), Scarf - thrifted

Hope you get through the work/school week without getting down! I'm going to give it my best effort, too. :)
Love,
the Corner Girl.

Rawr.

2011-09-07T12:24:00.003-04:00

I've realized just recently that my sense of fashion is ever-changing. Last year I swore I hated animal prints, and now I like them! When I was younger I thought shorts above the knee were immodest, and now I think they are fine. When I was in highschool pastel, clashing patterns, hello kitty, and Invader Zim were the most fashionable apparel.

I'd describe my ideal style in the year 2011 in the form of an outfit: a loose knitted grey sweater with an adorable Japanese-esque bunny face sewed on, a light grey leather Chanel Purse, oversize gold post earrings, dressy loose (yet fitted) pink or black shorts, and probably Jeffrey Campbell heels. Good golly, I just know someday I'm going to have to buy myself a Chanel purse, and my dear hubby Sam's face is going to turn sickly pale at the price tag.

Shirt - Elstudio, Shorts - Mimi Chica, Necklace - Lucky Brand

I really love this shirt from romwe.com! It's got a cute tiger on both sides and the material has a great texture. The shorts I'm wearing are really nice, but I had to unsew the seam around the hem because they were sort of booty shorts, lol. There are consquences to spur-of-the-moment buying. It's awfully fun, though, so I don't know if I will stop. :P

I love the current trend of wearing animals on shirts, it has that little kiddie charm but since we are older and more fashionable, our teddy bears sweaters with the furry noses get an update. :)

Love,

Corner Girl

Ready Freddie

2011-09-04T20:04:00.001-04:00

Today at work things were very relaxed and it was very interesting meeting new people from out of the state/country. The button-up shirt I got on crazy-sale for only $2.00! :D Not bad for Ralph Lauren.

Tonight I'm going with the hubby to see his brother, who just got back from Afghanistan last month, and the rest of his siblings. I just hope alcohol will be involved, because it sounds like there will be a lot of brotherly bonding over Killer Instinct on the NES. :)

Shirt - Ralph Lauren, Skirt - BCBG Maxazria, Shoes - BCBG Maxazria

Beat back to college woes

2011-08-18T16:26:00.000-04:00

For many of us, college is just around the corner, or may have already started for you. Here's some tips and suggestions for keeping your hair, and your sanity, in place.

1. Squeeze in exercise. Those of us who have normal, busy lives know that exercise often takes the backseat when we have homework, our love lives, and our relaxation time to keep up with. I know I'm doing everything I can to not only beat college pounds gained, but lose weight and get toned!
How? Schedule a dance or zumba class in the middle of that lonely gap in between those two classes twice a week, or simply come to college in sweats and take a brisk walk with some class buddies.

2. Get some sleep. Sleep, what's that? Me and many of my friends have a hard time getting adequate sleep, and we sure as heck know we're not getting any on the weekend (~~hello, apple pie vodka~~).
How? Fit showers or baths into your 'me' time in the evenings so you don't need to wake up early to take one. Cut down your tv/internet time to a 1/3 of your down time, and focus on getting everything else (homework, laundry, snuggle time with the hubby/bf, school supplies) done/planned to save time in the morning. Skimp on super detailed eye/lip makeup and use more bronzer/highlighter and liquid concealer (I looove Loreal liquid concealer) for a natural glow. Also consider getting earplugs if noise keeps you from sleeping.

3. Eat Right. When we have so little time to spare, it's hard to prepare ahead, and vending machines lure you in with their promise of instant gratification.
How? Buy apples, carrots, radishes, and grapes and pack one or two a day in a carproof lunch bag. Take your daily vitamins (b12, omega3's, D, C, potassium, etc) before you leave or bring them along in a ziplock bag. Limit your vending machine food - chips, candy, and soda, even diet soda, should be limited to about twice a week, if that. Eat often in small quantities, which controls appetite and keeps your metabolism revved and burning more calories.

4. Balance studying. Studying is tiresome, stressful, and confusing, and seems to suck up every drop of your spare time in between your job, family, and sleeping.
How? It seems like most of your college profs coordinate their homework so you have everything due at once. This can cause a lot of stress if it doesn't get done, so it's important that you plan out a schedule for when you will study for what, so that you aren't left buried in unfinished work around the due date. Using a bulletin board or planner helps immensely, even if you aren't a 'planning type'.

5. Go out. Even though it's important you finish your work, sleep, exercise, and eat right, it's also important that you are motivated and happy. This means finding the right balance for the times you get out and have fun.
How? Go out on a limb and invite your new classmate to a movie (you can even study together after to ease guilt!), go to your favorite stores and hangout places either AFTER you've accomplished your agenda for the day, or limit the alcohol and comfort food so you will have the motivation and energy to finish your schoolwork and other duties before them end of the day. Go to a nice restaurant during your lunch break occasionally, or leave 10 minutes early to stop at a Starbucks on the way to school for a pick-me-up. Buy a car to iPod hookup so you can have some fun listening to your favorite mood lifting songs.

Most of all... Don't spend time focusing on dreading going to class at 7 am or the mile-long list of things you need to do. Instead, make a genuine effort to enjoy life, and even mundane things like college can be enjoyable if you acknowledge the humor in life. A large amount of your life is going to be spent doing things you don't want to do, and having inconvenient things happen to you, so if you don't learn how to see the brighter side of things, you are going to look back later in life and regret all of the worry and discontent. Don't ever forget to step back and smile. (link goes to Lily Allen's wonderful music video, Smile.)

Marion Square Farmers Market

2011-08-13T20:03:00.001-04:00

Today I got to help out with the downtown Marion farmer's market in Iowa. I painted kids' faces and sold jewelry and paintings.

Me painting Batman on a little boys' face. My sister Lizzy is in the hot pink shirt. :)

Some of our wares :) Our paintings are painted by my mom, and my sister, who won art all state two years in a row. She's a very talented artist!

These paintings are made with real leaves.

Lizzy painted this island paradise on one of the girls!

Our farmer's market had many things, including organic soy candles, pastries, fruits, veggies, organic meats, homemade soaps, and much more! I came home with a Spice scented soy candle, fresh veggies, and out of this world iced chai tea. I really love seeing all of the cool things people bring that they put so much effort into! I know this isn't a fashion post, but my weekend posts tend to be a little less fashion and a little more about what's happening in my life. :) Don't hesitate to try out your own local farmer's markets, there's always something new and exciting there!

Love,

the Corner Girl

DIY Silk Coach Skirt

2011-08-12T21:18:00.001-04:00

You know those pretty silk Coach drawstring bags you get when you buy a Coach purse? Well I cut one up and made a super easy skirt out of one. I also use my other one for a beach bag. :) The drawstring makes it very adjustable as well. You probably have to be a skirt size of a 6 or less to wear one, though.

When I have two quarters to rub together the first purchase I'm making is a nice, full length mirror on my bathroom door.

I went out today and applied at a bunch of local places. To celebrate my efforts in job hunting, I went sunning for a good three hours by the pool. My skin refuses to get any darker even with my tan accelerating oil. :P

Oh, and today is Friday! Which means we will be having our usual Friday night party at our place. *yawn* Hope I can stay awake!

Have a lovely weekend!

the Corner Girl

koolaid

2011-08-10T13:58:00.000-04:00

My necklace is antique ivory and the one underneath is a vintage Japanese silver token, and feather earrings are from Buckle.

As the title suggests, I dyed my hair yesterday with koolaid. Oh yes, all this and more can be yours for 35 cents. :)

Google says that it should last a few months, which is a little scary to me, because I've never dyed my hair before. But I figured that since my 20th birthday is the 15th of August (5 days away!!), I'd better do some crazy thing with my hair before I start getting old. :)

I hope it's sunny and cheerful where you are now!
the corner girl

Fiery Moons and dreamcatchers

2011-08-06T23:14:00.001-04:00

I recently found AMAZING and inspiring fashion blogger Oracle Fox. I am so inspired by her crazy beautiful photos! Here's some of my favorite inspiration from her blog. Check out her lovely blog here.

Brass and pyrite bracelet cuff by maniamania

gossamer;

2011-08-05T21:24:00.000-04:00

Here's an outfit from a couple of weeks ago. I tried it on and bought right afterwards, because it was so comfy and fit really well. I'm seeing a lot of layered silk shirts lately, especially with a bit of skin showing in unexpected places, like the back or the side.

Here's an update on my current job situation too - I couldn't take my telemarketing job any more, so I quit not long after getting back from my vacation. I was getting all sorts of stress-related health problems and found myself getting more and more hysterical due to the pressure. Sam and I can't live on only his income, and I know that it was a bad financial decision to quit, but I don't think I will ever regret it. It was a damaging job to my sanity and health, so it was worth it to quit. I trust that God will provide. I've already applied to a lot of jobs, including several bartending positions at local restaurants. I like mixing good drinks, and I think it could be a great job.

In other news, I'll be 20 years old on the 15th of August, isn't that exciting?!? :)

French braid made of many little braids. :)

bcbg maxazria skirt, Rumors shirt, lucky brand necklace + earrings. Not shown are my bcbg matching sandals I bought with the outfit. I also positively love my ankle bracelets. Most of them are hemp twine, delicate ocean glass and pearl beads, and an ivory piece. Very beach-hippie :P

I really like the sweet peekaboo from the layered silk in the back of this shirt.

I'm enjoying my free time and trying to make the most of it. I'm making a crazy pizza with pineapple, jalepenos, pepperoni, fresh crushed basil and cilantro, oodles of mozzarella, and garden tomatoes for my dear Sam and our friends Trey and Josh.

Have a good night everyone, thanks for reading~ :)

The Corner Girl

Ocean City, Maryland, and West Virginia

2011-08-04T17:29:00.000-04:00

Hello all, I'm finally back from my vacation! I went with four of my favorite people, my hubby, and our friends Josh, Trey, and Adam. We traveled the whole way by our cramped sport car, but it was so worth it for the experience!

Here are some pics from the vacation!

Fresh berries, buttermilk pancake, and a perfect croissant from the Greenbrier.

Mrs. Snuggle Muffin the stray

Yogurt Mountain, WV

The amazing Greenbrier pool

Mr. Yogato, which had a working NES system and games for customers to play inside. Sam played Megaman.

"Donataye's Pick" (soo good)

rainbow houses in Ocean City, MD

Delicious food from Harborside Cafe

complimentary breakfast at Greenbrier. Cheese and berry brioche, handmade sausages, mushroom and swiss scrambled eggs, sugar cured smoked ham, Greenbrier farms bacon, and Italian cappuccino.

The pool at the Ocean City Hotel. Psh. With a hotel a block away from the Ocean who needs a pool??

Smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, lemon, and capers.

Harborside Cafe food.

strange crustacean which escaped me shortly after and burrowed into the sand.

Ocean City. Super clean beach and water. I found tons of shells here!

Another photo of the pool area at the Greenbrier

one of the many pretty Greenbrier sitting rooms.

Shucker's in Baltimore, MD, is AMAZING. Perfect atmosphere, beer, and seafood!

Heading to Sam's mawmaw and pawpaw's house in WV.

Eating dinner at the Greenbrier. Couldn't imagine a better meal, or better people to eat it with! Everyone at the Greenbrier was convinced we were a rock band and I was the lead singer! haha!

Baltimore

Ocean city

The Greenbrier

Pitango Gelato in Baltimore. Such awsome and unique Gelato! I got a trio of orange dark chocolate, Crema (a cream-like flavor unlike anything I've had), and Pistachio.

The Cat's Eye Pub. We checked out a lot of the bars while in Baltimore (there were many!)

First course at the Greenbrier for dinner, called the Crabby Apple. Blue crab, grannysmith apple sorbet, cucumber gelee, and cilantro. Everyone had a taste of this and loved it!

Pirate tour ship in Baltimore.

Main course at the Greenbrier. Veal, lobster, Greenbrier farm vegetables, and breaded/fried heart of veal in an amaazing sauce. This was sooo good.

Awesome rules on the back of the menu at Harborside Cafe in Ocean City.

Greenbrier

BBQ Oyster soup at the Greenbrier. Crazy good, the favorite first course among our group.

The Greenbrier.

Yummy food from Harborside Cafe.

Our room at the Greenbrier. The bathroom was also very pretty and the room had a walk-in closet!

Picture of the Greenbrier in West Virginia.

We had an amazing time on our trip and are already planning another! I got some souvenirs from each area, which I'm very happy about. A pink Hello Kitty plush from Ocean City, An antique mini porcelain Moonshine bottle from Baltimore that was made in WV, and a big bottle of real moonshine from West Virginia! (lol, we couldn't resist!)I will start my regular fashion posting again very soon, thanks for being patient!

Beach Chic/Ocean City

2011-07-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry for the delay in posts. I just got a very tough job that I really, really dislike. It's a telemarketing job :( Unfortunately when I got the job they didn't tell me that I would be telemarketing, they said I would be calling people who had already expressed interest in buying their product. LIES. I'm calling people during their busy day to sell them a product they've never heard of. :( So I'm looking for another job.
Next week Sam, me, and 3 of our best friends are going on a trip to West Virginia, Maryland, and Baltimore for 2 weeks. The part I'm MOST excited about is that we're staying at a hotel on Ocean City in Maryland. Ocean City is a 10-mile strip of beach, which will no doubt be amazing!!

I bought a couple of new clothing items for my trip. Who doesn't love buying new things for a vacation?? :)
I got this amazing bikini, which I adore! My cellphone is dead now, so no pretty pics, but it's a Rampage black bikini with front ties with gold beads. Originally $119.00, I got it for $20!

Mossimo Poplin shorts in red. I bought these and they are quite cute. Also pondering some black tailored shorts by Mossimo. Ive been looking for shorts like these for a while now. :)

This bag above is definitely more of a wish item, hopefully in the future I'll own one. :) It's a Dolce & Gabbana straw basket tote.

I got this Juicy couture Solid perfume ring last week. I love it and it's a really big ring, but totally adorable!

I applied to work at the same hospital as Sam, but in a different department. I really hope I get hired. Sam and I are really close and even though we're married, we never get tired of each other. :)

Can't wait to go on the trip, I will take a bunch of nice pictures and post a couple on here.

Fruits and pits

2011-07-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

I went to Guitar Center today to buy a present for Sam for his birthday coming up on July 8th. I got him an amp, a 'wah' pedal, and some strings. He's already at it playing system of a down.

Right next door to Guitar Center is an Ulta, which in Iowa is sort of like the beauty final destination. I bought two pretty nail polishes. Going to be perfect contrast with my red, white, and blue top for the 4th. I really hope I can see people's 4th outfits on blogger, I love being able to get so much inspiration from other fashion bloggers who put so much creativity into their outfits.

Even if I don't yet have the skills and equipment to make a legit professional blog yet, I'm just content for the moment being able to talk to and learn from the amazing fashion bloggers that I follow. :)

China Glaze in Papaya Punch

ORLY old school orange

These two are pretty much the opposite ends of the orange spectrum.

When I was at Ulta, I also found the COOLEST necklace ever on one of the salesgirls. It was a necklace made out of a carved peach pit that was lacquered. Her grandpa made it for her. I wish I knew how to do it myself because I really loved her necklace! It was in a beautiful heart shape and a deep red.

I want to find someone who can do carvings so I can have one of my own. :) These are the pieces no one else has and they are just beautiful!

Red, White, Blue

2011-06-27T21:47:00.001-04:00

My hair is turning almost white from going out in the sun so much. Can you tell I got burned? :P

This top is sheer. I'm wearing my swimsuit underneath, but when I wear it on the fourth of July I'm probably going to wear a black bra underneath instead. I'll have to experiment because I don't want it to look slutty, but I can't resist the beauty of sheer tops. :o

This necklace was a birthday present from my sister. She knows I love Lucky Brand. :)

Top: Rheea & Co. Necklace and belt: Lucky Brand Shorts: American Eagle

Versace for H&M

2011-06-25T21:59:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited for this! It's going to be hard waiting for November when it finally happens.

I haven't been able to find any examples of Versace for H&M, but here are some really nice pieces from Versace that I admire.

fox fur purse.

I love this last dress. :) Usually versace is far to expensive for my budget, but when Versace collaborates with H&M I'm sure that I will be much more able to wear Versace.

neon bunnies

2011-06-23T18:34:00.002-04:00

Played a bit with paints today. Both on canvas and on my face, lol. I painted two neon animals, both of which I will sell at our local farmer's market with matching frames. I'm pretty excited about them, even though they are so simple. The bunny below is a New Zealand Dwarf, and I used to own one with markings around it's eyes just like that. We called him Marshy, a.k.a. Emobunny. He wasn't neon pink, though.

I'm going to do a giraffe and an elephant next, both neon. :) It's quite fun to use neon paints!

Lucky Brand jeans and pine needle tea

2011-06-22T21:19:00.001-04:00

I wore this shirt untucked, actually, for most of the day, but tucked in doesn't look too bad.

The pants I'm wearing today are vintage high waisted Lucky Brand jeans. Don't you just love how "Lucky you" is written inside the front zipper? So cute!

My feather earrings are from Rue 21, Leather and chain necklace and jeans are Lucky Brand. Can't remember the brand of the silk tank

My friend Adam brought me some pine needles the other day. I thought this was pretty odd until he told me that I should make a tea out of it. I thought the idea was kind of gross and didn't want to, but when I did, I loved it soo much! This tea is super yummy and mild, like an American version of green tea. The natural sugar content in the needles makes the tea naturally sweet and AMAZING.

Does anyone have any food/drink products they have tried that is totally unexpected? :) I'd love to hear about them!

Love,

the corner girl.

What I love about summer...

2011-06-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

I love growing veggie and herb plants outside,
going sunning,
seeing snakes, baby fish, and tadpoles in the lakes,
wearing skirts and shorts,
the happy warmth of the sun,
going swimming and boating,
no college, of course,
never being cold,
wearing sandals with freshly painted toes,
getting smoothies and iced coffee while driving,
laying in bed in the morning with the sun peeking though my window,
having tanned, healthy skin,
not having to wear many layers of bulky clothing,
how much happier people are in general,
and watching life flourish.

What about you?

I've said it before, but summer is where I come to life. Iowa winters are colder than Alaska's winters. That's pretty sad, considering that I hate out crazy winter weather. If my family and friends weren't here I would definitely be moving somewhere warmer like Hawaii or at least a state closer to the equator.

This post is inspired by blogger Sunlight After Rain, who knows what Summer is all about.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and rest up before the weekdays start!
-the corner girl

Neon

2011-06-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

Neon used to be an eyesore for me. Now I'm more mature and recognize a wild yet permanent trend when I see one. I bought 2 neon tops yesterday, one yellow tank, one pink tank. I wore a black lace shirt overtop my yellow one today at work, which I ended up really liking paired with a black miniskirt.

Now that I'm working at an office, I've been wearing a lot of skirts lately. Above the knee length skirts.*gasp* :O I guess I've gotten used to showing more of my legs, yay! It's really so much better wearing shorter skirts and shorts in the summer instead of capris and jeans.

I'm making chili for my dear Sam in my crock pot and watching The Accidental Spy on Netflix. I love Jackie Chan's movies. TOMORROW IS FRIDAY. So even if tomorrow is a lame day at work I know I have two days to recover on the weekend!

Gemstone Jewelry

2011-06-14T20:48:00.000-04:00

I've been making a lot of jewelry lately for my mom to sell at our local farmer's market. I'm super busy right now but I'm still trying to fit in blogging, jewelry making, and doing art for a children's book I'm working on for FatHat Games. I'm so happy with the pieces I've made recently and I'm really excited about them!

Genuine jade necklace. I couldn't sell this piece. I got this piece of Jade as a grand prize in a drawing at the Iowa annual Rock & Mineral show when I was 13. I love it dearly. :) See the deer cut into the design? The tiny charm connected is quartz.

Adamite necklace. This crystal has a lovely green color that is just a bit more yellow than peridot.

I found my own way of making rings! This one is made completely from scratch from sturdy copper wire, heavy duty copper jewelry sheets, and a genuine opal cabochon.

Just so you know I have a vast array of genuine gemstones, including rubies, emeralds, opals, jade, aquamarine, blue topaz, and many more you probably haven't heard of. I used to be an avid gem and mineral collector and I'm putting my collection to use after all of these years by making jewelry with them! It's exciting and a little sad to see them go. :)

I've got lots of plans for making jewelry very soon to sell! And don't forget, if you're interested in something or have something you'd like for me to create I'd love to sell to fellow bloggers! :)

My hubby Sam and I are going to a local bar, Starlight, with some friends tonight for drinks and super delicious cheap burgers. Can't wait! I just hope I manage to get in some sleep before work again tomorrow.

xoxo,

The Corner Girl

Chia Peanut Butter Smoothie (with Brewer's yeast)

2011-06-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

The point of making this shake was to find out a good way to incorporate Brewer's Yeast into my diet. I bought some yesterday because of some research I did on it on the internets. Apparently Brewer's yeast is not only chock full of vitamins, but it helps with weight loss and acne according to several studies.
Read this article for more info. I'd recommend reading this before trying this recipe. :) Oh, and don't confuse Brewer's Yeast with regular yeast, they are very different. You can pick it up at your local grocery store in the health/vitamin aisle.

So this is a low cal smoothie that you should try, it may just help you lose weight and get clearer skin. :) I use Stevia in this recipe, it sweetens everything naturally without adding calories. Use your skills for good, not evil by cutting out sugar and fake sweeteners. :)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Brewer's yeast
1 heaping spoonful Jif natural peanut butter
2-3 ice cubes
1 cup Silk coconut milk or soy milk
2 packets stevia or 1 dropperful liquid stevia
1 tbsp raw chia/hemp/flax seeds (if you have them handy)

Directions: Just combine all ingredients and blend WELL. WELL well. This is the secret.

You will be surprised at how yummy this is though it's mostly super good for you. Add semisweet cocoa powder to make it a peanut butter cup shake. :)

Mixed prints

2011-06-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

I went shopping today! I bought the jacket, tank, and skirt shown below. I have never owned a skirt this short so I'm going to HAVE to work out more often, lol. These legs don't see enough exercise and need some toning up. I'm also really excited about a hello kitty beach towel from Hot Topic that I also bought. It also doubles as a poncho with a hood (complete with cat ears). I will certainly post it on my blog soon, because it's pretty adorable/hilarious.

Juicy Couture charm necklace.

August silk jacket, h.i.p. button up collared tank.

American Eagle skirt

I'm planning to wear this outfit for work on Monday at the Psych center. Was considering wearing tights with it but I'm not sure yet. I've been having fun planning out my outfits a little more carefully lately. It's nice to dress up for this job because all of the doctors and therapists always look so nice as well.

We had a party with our best friends last night and watched the Mighty Power Rangers movie. We tried to make sexual references out of everything in the movie, which wasn't too hard to do. Aren't we mature young adults? :P I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

The Corner Girl

teal and sierra

2011-06-11T02:24:00.001-04:00

Work outfit for thursday. Lots of teal/turquoise, and sierra brown. I was pretty happy with this outfit, though it was a little warm after a while. Should have reconsidered long sleeve shirt. Wish I had friday's outfit pics but forgot to take them. Oh well. :)
Handmade turquoise and metal earrings and necklace (just made them yesterday!), mossimo skirt, shirt I can't remember, and leather wedge sandals (not shown)

Of the light.

2011-06-08T00:38:00.001-04:00

Most of us girls like adding pretty feminine things to our outfits from time to time. I love cream colored lace, white leather, and quartz crystal. Here are some of my current favorites.

Mohair Lacy Ankle Socks in Cream. (notice the cute buttons on the side!) On ilovelowie.com

Women's I-Maya-Fu cream lace dress. On box-clothing.co.uk This dress is so adorable.

Lace-up Oxford Shoes in Cream. On www.etsy.com/ Love the vintage appeal of these shoes.

Cream lace-up cork wedges. On www.stylecaster.com Vintage meets a modern summery twist.

Sterling snake and quartz ring. Chymiera on www.etsy.com/. I adore this ring. It's over my budget or I'd totally buy it.

Oh, and the hubby has to stay late at work tonight. Miss himmm. He's working a later shift so I get to see him less :( This must change. :P
Don't be bothered, Friday will be here before you know it!

The Corner Girl

Crystal Clear

2011-06-02T19:54:00.001-04:00

BLURRY @__@ Anyway this was my outfit for work today. Featuring a crystal necklace I just made that I'm super proud of. :) Got so many compliments on it already!

This is the necklace I made! It's made of a beautiful quartz crystal and jewelry metal. I love it SO much!

Ain't it purdy? Even though I love it greatly, this necklace is for sale for $50 for those who are interested (including shipping)! I won't shed any tears if it doesn't sell, but I do needs money right now so I thought I'd put it up on my blog. :P Those who are interested in purchasing, please contact sharpkittijello@gmail.com. Some details on imperfetions: Since it's handmade it's not perfect and there is a teensy bit of glue showing on one side, but it's super sturdy and looks lovely!

Here's the second, smaller crystal necklace I made. This one is strawberry quartz. This is for sale at $30. Just letting you know, though the gluing doesn't show in this one, it hangs a little lopsided. Still beautiful! :P If interested contact sharpkittijello@gmail.com. I will also take requests if I have the ability for similar pieces, so if you have an idea I will sketch out what I could do and we can go from there. :)

A Happy Place

2011-05-28T12:27:00.000-04:00

I got a new job yesterday! I'm now an office assistant at a psychiatric center. Things are are going to be interesting! I bought some very nice new capris to wear to work that are a reddish tan. I start work Wednesday! :)

Oh, and I just wanted to mention my thanks for my wonderful followers' support. I couldn't imagine having kinder, more supportive followers! I'll do my best to reciprocate. :) Love you all!

Aren't these shoes so pretty? They are made of leather and crocheting. What a unique combo! They fit like a dream. Also shown are my new Furla sunglasses. Gold with coral temples that have a cute flower pattern on them.

From Jessica Simpsons Naturals collection. These blew my mind. Oh, and the pic is upside down. The branches are the part that has the ear posts. They look so chic on!

My new swimsuit :) It's got underwire cups and ties in the back.

I tried on a beautiful Guess swimsuit that was on sale, but the boobs didn't fit right. :( The pattern and style was so amazing and I am mourning my loss. DAMN YOU BOOBS.

Speaking of boobs, I'm on a diet again. Maybe I'll lose a cup size if I keep this up. ;) Going to many a grad party today, so I'm not sure how I'm going to pull off this diet if I'm going to be surrounded by orange chicken, burgers, beer, and candy.

Have a lovely weekend!

love,

The Corner Girl

Big Thoughts

2011-05-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

Something I find rather funny is that my whole life, starting during puberty, I've thought my body was disgusting and so grossly fat. I felt like everyone was always staring at me. I was so blinded by my own distorted perception of myself that I could never wear shorts. I always wore long shorts over my swimsuits.
Now looking back, I had no idea that even though my legs were shapely and I was curvy, I was not overweight in the least and I was beautiful, to my disbelief. I wore boy's clothes and things that were baggy enough to hide my "fat" legs. Now at 19, I'm finally at the point where I can accept my fuller thighs and not let them burden me. I can wear shorts and be okay with the fact that I'm bigger than the popular, pretty girls and the models that I've always felt like I should look like. I can't keep living thinking that there is only one kind of beautiful, because otherwise I'll be selling short the god-given beautiful body that I was blessed with! I may always have thunder thighs, but that doesn't stop me from doing my best to eat healthy and exercise as much as I can, so I can be confident in the body I've got! :)

love,
The Corner Girl

Mustard Centerpiece

2011-05-23T21:04:00.003-04:00

Mustard Centerpiece by Nekomeme

Yummy Mixed Drink...

2011-05-23T20:38:00.001-04:00

So...Red wine has a new best friend. Yes, even bitter, non-sweet red wine. That new best friend is Mountain Dew Supernova. Combine equal parts red wine and Supernova for a delicious drink. It is neither wine, nor soda.

I promise you, you will love it (if you like wine flavor). The taste is like a mellow, sweet strawberry wine that is fizzy. The impressive part is that before mixing this wine with Supernova, I didn't like it at all. Accidently bought really dry wine that has no sweetness. My husband dubbed this fruity combo the Red Alpine (alpine=mountain=mountain dew, get it?). ;)

This yummy combo will make you feel like this:

And this:

Disclaimer: I own all of these photos. Do not use these or any posted photos on TheCornerGirl's blog without written consent from owner. Copyright to CornerGirl (Melissa Waldron) 2011.

Buffalo chicken Updo

2011-05-23T17:42:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty happy with this messy bun. Moussed up my hair to make my bun bigger. I took another pic of my full outfit but the file on my phone got corrupted? lol. Oh well.

My homemade buffalo chicken pizza in the oven.

Om nom nom. We are currently out of UV and beer. Must...get...job...

Palladio lipstain.in Pinky

At this very moment they are filling up the pool in my apartment! Will be swimming asap. :)

Many Things.

2011-05-22T23:12:00.000-04:00

Charlotte Taylor's new Spring 2011 collection is amazing. Lots of penguins, ants, and elephant prints.

Pawpaw ointment is a popular lip-saver with makeup artists before applying lipstick to models. Interesting, huh?

Lucid New York is a very simple, beautiful jewelry line. This one is 14k gold. The necklaces were my faves, but they have charming rings too! Their inventory is small and they offer free shipping on orders above $75. :)

Idreamofwires has some very trendy pieces right now. I love this playsuit on their website.

Opening Ceremony has some very unique sneaker boots that would look great with cropped skinny jeans.

Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream lipstick in Venere

Tous Bubble Bear - Tous' newest design for their jewelry. My favorite design yet!

Iced mint coffee (low cal!)

2011-05-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

So my hubby and I threw a huge geek party last night with a bunch of friends (I was the only girl, lol!) and we stayed up till three playing video games, watching youtube videos, and eating good food. I made them a secretly healthy iced coffee drink, and apparently now all of them want to marry me because of my cooking. LOL! I also made them delicious spicy mango sirloin steak, which is SO simple to make.

I will post a quick how to sometime this week on the steak, but for now I'll give you my iced coffee recipe! The main flavors you will taste is coffee, mint, and dark chocolate. My favorite part about this coffee is that it includes very indulgent flavors and the wholeness of coconut milk but it's not too rich. It's the perfect balance for me.

Ingredients:
1/8 of a Dagoba Dark Chocolate Bar with Mint (found in the health/organics aisle)
fresh hot coffee (use a simple dark roast such as caribou or starbucks)
1/4 cup or so of Silk coconut milk (I always use this in place of whole milk!)
nondairy Peppermint Mocha creamer (just a tad, as in a tablespoon or two!)
small handful ice cubes
5-8 drops liquid Stevia (can also use powder stevia, use 1 packet)

Directions:
Pour about 1 cup and a half of hot coffee into a blender and add the Dagoba chocolate. Use a butter knife to stir the chocolate so it melts into the coffee completely. Then add all other ingredients. Blend well. Pour into glasses and add extra ice cubes afterwards to cool it down further. Serves about three.

I cannot wait until the pools open up! My parents are waiting for there to be a nice, sunny weekend to go boating on, but so far the week goes like this:
Monday - Thursday, SUNNY.
Friday - Sunday, Slightly gloomy and warm but no sun. :(

OH WELL. Our day will come! And don't forget about garage sales! It's always good to be picky and not buy things you can't see yourself using over and over, as it can be easy to acquire novelty-type buys that you will wear like, once. My favorite thing to buy at garage sales are rings, name brand shirts (watch for stains or shrunkenness), and coats. I love shoes, too, but it's hard to find ones that are both cute and not too worn.

My wedding pictures pt 1

2011-05-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here's some pictures from my wedding that was in October of last year. :)

My dress was the best I could have imagined! It was an Alfred Angelo, brand new and still had tags on - retail it was $1,100! The best part? I got it for $100 at the Salvation Army. A wedding store had just gone out of business and donated their dresses to Salvation Army that day. Felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I found it!! You can't see the detail here, but there's embroidery all down the dress and it's covered with seed pearls and crystals.

Me and my sister Lizzy! :)

Me and my cousin Anna <3

Here's a nice view of the train of my dress. :)

I really loved my hair! My mom did this amazing loopy hair pinned back with pearls.

Aren't the groomsmen snappy? My mother-in-law made their corsages out of real and fake plants. They were PERFECT :)

Sammy with his mouth full :P

My mom made this beautiful cake from scratch! She's so amazing! It was the most delicious cake I'd ever had - pink champange cake!

My daddy giving me a good luck kiss before I walked down the aisle. :)

Floaty tops and leather

2011-05-13T23:48:00.001-04:00

I got to shop a bit yesterday because of some leftover in store credit and I bought some gray American Eagle shorts and a flowy pink tank. I also had a $10 card towards Kohls so I bought a beautiful leather belt, pretty much the exact belt I was hoping to find! :)

Okay, seriously, I am totally aware of how pathetic these pictures are. REALLY wish I could afford to buy a connector and charger for my camera which is currently out of commission. Oh, well. For now, I hope you can stomach the low quality of my pics. :P

Lately I've been wearing my Marc Jacobs shoulder purse almost all of the time when I go out. I like my Burberry bag (present from my sweet mom) okay, but its too heavy and big for warm weather!

I really like this shirt because the sides show just a bit of my hips, especially when my posture is good. :) The material is very breezy and flows around me like water. I almost bought a gray-purple color instead but I'm soo glad I chose this pinky purple color instead, it looks much nicer on my complexion.

Today my aunt posted some old pics of me on facebook from when I was about 14. My gosh, during my awkward puberty phase my nose was SO big compared to the rest of my face. I am so glad that I grew into it later on. I've been working out regularly but today I totally cheated on my vegetarian diet and pigged out on brats and ice cream because Sam and I had our bff Joshy over. We also drank a lot of mike's hard cherry lemonades and southern comfort with orange juice. So yummy. :) But tomorrow I must go back on my diet! No gaining weight!!

2011-05-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

Curled my hair today and dressed up a bit. No work this Sunday so I felt like doing a little shopping today and hanging out with my sisters! :)
I bought lots of veggies and a little fresh mozzarella at the cheap store, Aldi (trying to find a job right now so broke, lol). Even though I'm still vegetarian/vegan 99% of the time, I have decided to allow a little cheese and greek yogurt into my diet occasionally. The enzymes and bacteria in yogurt are so good for you! I also take supplements which have the yogurty goodness in them, as well as cinnamon pills every day. Cinnamon is good for digestion and for sugar and fat metabolism, and I really like the effects from taking them.

I've been working out for about a half hour almost every day for the past week! Soo proud of myself, lol. I am grateful to the random stranger who unfailingly pops in to work out halfway through my workouts. Having someone there, silly as it sounds, motivates me to do my best the last half of my workout because towards the end I get a little sluggish. I watched Indiana Jones on cable while in the workout room of my apartment complex, yay! :) Unfortunately my thighs are not looking any more toned, but my calves are really firm and starting to get shapely. :) I always ride the eliptical and the excersize bike, does anyone know if my legs would get better toned throughout if I use a treadmill instead? Seriously trying to tone my thighs before swimming weather.
Well, I hope your weekend is as relaxing as mine! I'm relaxing this one last day before I spend tomorrow working on studying for finals (so I tell myself.)
xoxo,
The Corner Girl

All we can do is all we have.

2011-04-30T01:06:00.001-04:00

I got some very beautiful jewelry from my mother for Easter, and I am so happy with how it looks in my outfits! It adds an elegance and the colors are so fresh and light. Most of these items are from the wonderful land of Tjmaxx, where you get quality designer clothes and accessories for a little less than everyone else pays. :) Here's some of my recent pillages:

Clockwise from right to left: Rue 21 pastel feather earrings(bought these myself, $2!!), matching gold and faceted resin earrings and necklace (I threw away the box, so I forgot the brand name! around $40 each), turquoise pendant - wire-wrapped by my sweet mother, Lucky Brand gemstone and white leather bracelet, Marc Ecko gold and crystal watch (LOOOVE this watch. retail $250 but my mom gets them for cheap since she works for Timex).

oooh, shiny...

Trying on a Lucky Brand shirt. Was $75. It was adorable and soo comfy but I could not reason myself into buying it given the price.

Kinda hard to see, but I'm wearing a carved ivory necklace that someone at a local annual Gem and Mineral show gave to me a few years ago. Those are the best! I wish I could have gone this year.

I don't usually wear skirts, but I really thought this one was something special. Would be so cute with wedgy leather sandals. I love the style this spring! I've never been into what's 'trendy', but I think I kind of fell in love with the current fashions trends this spring.

For supper I made mini Tofu Burgers with homemade buns!! They were AMAZING and I am sooo happy with this recipe! Will do a post later with a recipe for you. It has very few ingredients and when they are made small the tofu behaves better when you bite into one. :)

Vanilla Rum and diet A&W is my new favorite light nighttime drink. Having ~~five~~ one right now. ;)

I swear, as the sun gets brighter, so does my mood. Anyone else getting a sunshine high? :P

Have a beautiful weekend!

Love, The Corner Girl

Spring Outfit one

2011-04-22T00:39:00.000-04:00

I French braided the front part of my hair and loved the result! Very unique yet not crazy. :)

Someday I will get a real camera and not my stupid cell phone.

Thought it was about time I did a fashion post. Too much focus on recipe posts lately when I've been having fun dressing for spring!

Clothes are: Baby Phat dark jeans (had these for sooo long) that are self-bedazzled, lucky brand earrings, Chanel necklace, silk shirt, Mossimo cardigan, Burberry bag, OPI toenail polish, Urban Decay teal eyeshadow as underneath liner.

Summer is almost here and finals are on their way! I am worried about my math class, as my tests haven't had good results. I think it's just cruel to give two (count them, two) math classes as a prerequisite to graduating from an ART degree. Oh well, I suppose I had better do my best and just get through it, as there's not anything else I can do. I potted tomato plants today! They are only a few inches tall. I can't wait, I hope I can take good care of them! Those of you who haven't lightened up because of summer yet, take a deep breath and smile! Sun and flowers make everything better!

Wishes for Japan

2011-04-19T21:24:00.001-04:00

My friend made this beautiful necklace to sell for her school's effort to support Japan. She customizes each one if they want so they have different contents. This necklace has tiny origami and metallic star confetti. Her school also has all sorts of cool Japanese tshirts and trinkets, but I loved this necklace because of the sweet handmade quality. :)

Summer Skincare Recipes

2011-04-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

All recipes I came up with back in my early teens. Very easy and most contain ingredients already in your kitchen! In light of spring and fake tans, my sugar scrub recipes help to create a perfect tan and exceptionally smooth skin!

Brown Sugar Scrub with black tea

1 packet black tea
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/8 olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
in a small bowl, add sugar. Cut open tea packet and add in. Mix up, then add the olive oil and vanilla extract. mix evenly. Use right away or store in airtight containers. Keep refrigerated.

Avocado face mask (works wonders on smoothing and softening skin. The citric acid in the lemon gently exfoliates skin and works on preventing blackheads)
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
Mash up avocado well. Add lemon juice. Apply to face evenly, not getting too close to your hairline. Let sit for 15 minutes or so and wash off well.

Quick Lip Polish
1/2 tbsp flaxseed oil
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:
Combine ingredients. Using a soft toothbrush, apply a small amount and brush lips gently to remove excess dead skin.

Avocado Chocolate Cake

2011-04-16T19:01:00.002-04:00

Today is Saturday, and my day off! I went shopping and picked up a bunch of salad and veggies to eat. :) I used one of my fresh avocados to make chocolate cake! I knew there had to be recipes already made for chocolate cake made using avocados, because zucchini chocolate cake is also popular. I found this delicious recipe for vegan chocolate cake on eatwritethink.com, which has a lot of great recipes!

Here's the recipe from their site:

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Avocado

makes 2 8-inch rounds or 2 thinner 9-inch rounds

from Vegetarian in the Middle East

3 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used almond oil)

1 soft avocado, well mashed

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch rounds. Set aside.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar. Set that aside too.

Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

(I poured all of the cake batter into one pan, so by doing that I had to let it cook for more than an hour. The first time I tried to take it out it shlumped into a gooey mess onto the cooling rack. It made a big mess, but after put it in for another 20-30 minutes it turned out great!)

Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before glazing/frosting.

Blood Orange Chocolate Glaze (by CornerGirl)

2 blood oranges

1 tbsp Ghiradelli ground chocolate

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups brown sugar

1 pinch pink salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Halve blood oranges and squeeze juice into a small saucepan, getting all of the juice possible into the pan. Add salt, vanilla, sugar, and cocoa powder. Turn stove to medium and let cook until reduced and bubbling. Don't let it burn, but let it cook as long as you can before it cooks out too much.

When you slice the cake, drizzle the orange glaze over. You won't need too much for each piece. This cake is super yummy! It's very moist, but not too dense! Here's my result:

Summer Inspiration

2011-04-12T20:49:00.001-04:00

Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.

As summer brings you contentment and happiness, express your feelings with earthy, yet feminine clothes. Get some sun, ride that excersize bike, and cleanse your body by not eating junk food. You will radiate and feel your best!
Lucky Brand is a perfect example of this. Leather and metal accessories, neutral, soft clothes with punches of color, and laid-back hair is my favorite way to do summer.

Vegetarian Chili

2011-04-12T19:22:00.000-04:00

I've never in my life had chili without meat. When my mom used to make it the ONLY thing in it was meat because my dad hates beans. Now that I'm married to my wonderful Sam, who was born in West Virginia, I learned the "right" way to make chili according to Sam's mom. :P She makes a good and inexpensive pot of chili!
Because I decided to stop eating animal products for a week, I translated this recipe into a vegetarian recipe! This chili is super hearty so you won't need much to fill you up!

Ingredients:
2 cans dark red kidney beans (keep the juice)
1 can pinto beans
1 (smallest size) can diced green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 pckg presliced portobello mushrooms (I've tried using a whole one before - waaay too much mushroom flavor)
1 cup tofu approx. (two 1/2 inch slices of tofu pckg chopped as THIN as possible)
1 cup Simply Heinz Ketchup
1 can Hunt's tomato sauce
Olive oil as needed for sauteeing
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cumin (added at very end)

You can make this chili in a crock pot or a large soup pan. I don't own a large pot, so I used my crock pot.

Directions:
In a medium pan, sautee onions and mushrooms in a pan with olive oil. Add brown sugar. Sautee until onions are clear and slightly browned. While this is cooking, put beans, tomato sauce, ketchup, chopped tomatoes, and chiles into your crock pot or large soup pot and turn the stove on med-high (or turn your crock pot to 4-6 hrs/high). Once mushrooms and onions are sauteed, add everything to your pot, including any juices (extra flavory goodness!). Add in all spices, except for the cumin. Once chili has been cooking for a while (use your own judgement on done-ness as I have only made mine with a crockpot and not on the stove), taste a little bit and see if it needs anything. If not, cook until done and add cumin at the end. Stir well and serve.
Makes a whole lot of servings, and the leftovers are just as good! Serve with your favorite toppings - I like a little cheese on mine, and my hubby always likes to add Tabasco sauce to his!

<3, The Corner Girl

Taco Pizza

2011-04-04T00:47:00.001-04:00

I found out a new way to make pizza crust which is even easier! No yeast needed so no waiting! I have never seen tofu used as a egg substitute for dough before but once I tried it it definitely did the trick! Trying to alter recipes to be vegetarian is really fun for me so I hope you get something from the recipes I've been posting!

Dough:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup Silk coconut milk
1/2 inch thick slice of tofu (about 1/4 cup)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 pinches sweet basil

Mix all ingredients except tofu and coconut milk in medium bowl evenly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine coconut milk and tofu in blender and blend till smooth. Mix into dough well, using hands if necessary. The standard kneading and folding technique works really well. Rub a little extra flour onto the ball of dough so it doesn't stick to your hands and stretch it out and flatten it was much as you can without tearing it. Then use a rolling pin and flatten it out a little further. Spray the pan you wish to bake the pizza in with olive oil. Lay out pizza, rolling and pinching edges so it forms a little crust.

Pizza Ingredients:
tomato sauce, to taste
1 chopped tomato
1/4 small chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup vegan shredded organic cheese substitute (mine is made from mostly rice and is surprisingly good!)
1/4 chopped red pepper
1/2 cup or so shredded lettuce
guacamole, salsa, and sour cream to taste as topping

Spread out all red peppers and sweet onions on pizza. Use half of the tomatoes on pizza. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes. Baking it this way makes this crust veery crunchy. You can make it a little softer by baking crust and tomato sauce first for 10 minutes or until ready, then adding toppings and baking for another 7 or so minutes until cheese is melted and crust shows some color. Take out of oven and add lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole, and pop back into the oven for about a minute. When you take it out, cut into individual servings and top with more guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
This pizza is soo good! I have been craving taco pizza lately so I'm just glad I could figure out a delicious vegetarian version! :)

I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 7 am for a potential cavity. :( Yay, my first ever cavity! Then off to work for another busy day. I work as a customer service rep at a Tax Preparation software company, so it's going to be getting suuuper busy here in a week or so! Let's get through another tough Monday together. :)
-TheCornerGirl

Chocolate pudding

2011-04-03T00:06:00.000-04:00

Vegetarian Chocolate pudding:
1 tbsp Ghiradelli ground semisweet chocolate (or more to taste)
a 1/2 inch thick slice of firm tofu
2 tbsp coconut milk
5 drops vanilla liquid stevia

Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth (abt 40 secs). Makes 1-2 servings. I actually prefer the vegetarian version to my homemade pudding with milk and eggs. :) The ingredients are all refrigerated or at room temperature so no more waiting, plus this version is a VERY low-cal dessert and hits the spot! :)

I am by no means opposed to animal products but I've found that going vegetarian for a while has helped me to lose a little extra weight. When I start working out regularly, look out bikini season! ;)

I also made veggie pasta tonight, which was kind of blecky. I bought some noodles at the store recently that were on sale, and apparently no amount of cooking makes them completely cooked through. The inside was still uncooked. :( The sauce was pretty good but suddenly I lost my appetite for that, so I wasted the rest of it. >.<;
Instead, I went to sushi with my mom at Oyama (a sushi place right near my parent's house)! I am so in love with the avocado and cucumber sushi! I heap on lots of wasabi and just a tad of soy sauce. I am very grateful I can still spend time with my mom every week even though I'm married. :)

Work tomorrow is going to be grueling, because my hubby got me sick. We both have colds and are feeling yucky. I'm going to have to press on anyway though, because I've already gotten sick twice and forgotten about a shift in four months, and from the sound of things, I can't miss any more work no matter how bad I feel. Let's hope I get over this quickly. I'm drinking lots of tea and taking plenty of vitamins, so I hope that helps!
Hope no one else is experiencing beginning-of-spring colds, it's going around a lot over here!

Wishing you a great weekend,
The Corner Girl

Vegetarian for a Week

2011-03-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

DAY 01

This week I am not eating any dairy or meat products, in other words, I am going vegetarian for the week. *scary music* I'm also trying to use as little starchy products as possible. When I made this pasta it was 70% veggies and 30% pasta so that I can stay as healthy as possible (and maybe even lose a pound or two, as I have gained a little weight after all of the way too indulgent suppers (think loads of chili, bratwursts, and West Virginia Hotdogs) which were made for Sam's friends the last week during spring break.).
I made my first vegetarian meal last night and would like to share the recipe with you, since it was surprisingly yummy! I wish I would have taken a picture, as it was beeaauuuteefull. Alas, I will have to suffice with a similar pic from Google Images as a replacement.

I think the main thing that makes this dish rich and hearty is the raw avocado and sauteed mushrooms with olive oil. Avocados and mushrooms are my favorite veggies, right after steak, seafood, and dairy. lol! Oh wait, I can't eat any of those last foods this week.

In honor of my decision to not ingest in any cows, piggies, chickens, or any other animals/animal byproducts, I bought a few yummy drinks, like guava, mangosteen, and young coconut juice from Jojo's Oriental Store. YOUNG COCONUT JUICE. It's my favorite drink EVER and I crave it often! It's the strangest taste...almost like sweet popcorn. definately not for everyone, but it's my favorite drink ever! It's expensive at Hy-vee (abt $3.00 per tiny glass bottle), so when I saw it at one of my local Asian grocery stores for less than half the price, I was estatic! I think that in the future I will not buy the guava and mangosteen juice, because unfortunately they contain sugar, which is uneccesarily fat-making. If you love mango, guava, or any other exotic fruit juice, visit your local asian food store, and you may be pleasantly surprised. The selection and prices beat out any retail mega chain store by a landslide! */ end advertisement */ lol ;)

SO... Now onto the recipe! :)

Maybe after reading this you will make a meal of your own using my recipe as a vague reference point. After all, with pastas, there's no need to follow recipes to a tee! :)

Ingredients:
about a cup of portabello mushrooms
1 avocado (ripe but somewhat firm)
1 tomato
pasta noodles or 1 pckg ramen noodles (I used ramen without the flavoring, and it was surprisingly fitting!)
Olive oil
dried basil
pinch garlic
dash lemon juice
salt black pepper
dash soy sauce

Cut up all veggies, dicing tomatoes, and making sure the large mushrooms are cut in half. With the avocado, slice half into full slices (should resemble flower petals), and dice the rest. Cook mushrooms in pan on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside avocados and tomatoes.
Fill up a small saucepan with water and put on high heat until boils. I added some olive oil and soy sauce to the water once the ramen was added. If mushrooms need more oil, drizzle with olive oil again. Add in all spices at this point and move around often so that they cook evenly. If you like a bit of sauce with your noodles, you can add some coconut milk and cornstarch to your mushrooms to make a sauce, but I didn't feel mine needed that.
Strain ramen noodles once ready (let these get extra well cooked), and run under cool water for a second. Then add noodles to the pan with the mushrooms and toss around, adding water if neccesary to let the juices soak into the noodles. Add half of the diced tomatoes to the pan to cook for just a bit. I also added a little more olive oil at this point (not too much though, as oil adds a lot of extra fat). Take off from heat.
On a plate, delicately place the petal-like avocado slices around two plates, along with some of the raw tomatoes. Then divvy up the noodles and cooked veggies on the two plates. Add the remaining raw veggies on top.

I am definately making this recipe a few more times and I hope that the next times I make it are just as good! I'm still a little incredulous that something with only vegetarian ingredients can taste this good. I could never give up meat for the rest of my life, but eating a meal without meat is foreign to me, so I was happy to find out how yummy it can be! The end result was very Italian and yummy tasting. I may try again later incorporating tomato sauce and regular pretty colored pasta spirals. :)

Because I'm going to be eating a lot of vegetables this week, if you have any posts on vegetarian meals or just have a tried and true recipe you'd like to share, please leave it in a link below, I'd really appreciate it! :)

Weekend

2011-03-19T23:43:00.001-04:00

I plucked my eyebrows a little thinner with a bit more arch. I'm very happy with the result!

French Sea Salt Caramels - this is the third kind I've tried. Unfortunately the least yummy I've had as well. Oh well, they were still nice. :)

Trying on a beautiful shirt at Von Maur. On sale from $65 to $35. :) Not very good with the whole taking-cellphone-pics thing. I am usually wary of taking mirror pics. :P

I love the detailed metal beadwork! This shirt has the most lovely weight.

Today was my day off, so I went out shopping a bit and bought a few things. I bought a very simple light blue leather bracelet that ties from a small shop and a shiny August Silk bronze tank top .

I also went to Petco, a local pet shop, and picked up some spiral bamboo and a sucker fish to keep my goldfish company.

For supper tonight I made chili and bratwursts with sauerkraut. I had never had a bratwurst with sauerkraut before so I was kind of wary, but my hubby really wanted to try them, so I decided to make them for tonight's supper. It was very delicious and not at all like I thought it'd be.

To wrap up our night, Sam and I had Irish car bombs and watched Full Metal Alchemist.

If you've never had an Irish car bomb, you're missing out on the calorie-filled super awesome goodness that will leave you warm inside. It's got an almost coffee-like flavor. A link to the traditional recipe is above in slightly overdue St Patrick's day spirit.

Hope the warm weather is treating your well, I know I'm enjoying it! :)

Springy Buys

2011-03-16T18:17:00.001-04:00

Juicy Couture Macaron shaped vanilla tea candles. So unnecessary! But I had to have them!! I love candles and I love Juicy Couture. I just don't know if I can bear to burn them. ;__;

Loooovely Betsey Johnson Earrings. Alice in Wonderland theme. I have been wanting these earrings for half a year and they finally showed up at Tjmaxx for a little cheaper than at Von Maur. :D

Beautimus new sandals. Shinier in real life. :)

Purty leather and jewel bracelet. I love shiny things so dearly. I am only waiting for the perfect brown jacket to pair the sandals, my Juicy necklace, and my bracelet.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!!!!

Quick and Healthy Smoothie

2011-03-11T10:54:00.002-05:00

I love making healthy smoothies with fresh fruit.
My favorite smoothie is super simple and even though it's very filling, it's got only healthy things in it!

Ingredients:
a half banana (freeze other half for later),
1/2 cup coconut milk,
stevia* (natural zero-cal sweetener) to taste,
a teaspoon of organic peanut butter,
a spoon of plain Greek yogurt,
a raw egg (from my family's farm - don't try this with store eggs)
and some ice.

Blend all ingredients together in a blender. I love this shake with a very thin consistency, so I may add more coconut milk or water to thin the smoothie down if need be and give it another quick blend.

So refreshing and these shakes help me lose weight even though it's very filling. :)

*Stevia is my all-time favorite sweetener. I love natural honey as well, but I mostly use stevia as it has no calories. But, unlike splenda, sucralose, etc., it's natural and doesn't have any ill-side effects. :)

There are endless combinations of shakes and smoothies that you can make! The main thing is to keep it healthy and well balanced, especially if you are using it in place of a meal. The main things you want to limit is sugar and other high-fructose sweeteners. Use as many natural/organic ingredients that you can. Start out simple and then start making wilder combos. It's fun to experiment with different flavors!

My mom always made a chocolate banana mint breakfast shake for breakfast.

Because the flavors were so strong, she always added in some fresh spinach and you couldn't even taste it at all!

Happy Friday everyone! :)

-The Corner Girl

Hotdog Burger Puff Pizza

2011-03-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Instead of going out to eat like I wanted to last night, I decided to make some pizza from scratch using some ingredients in my fridge. I had no tomato sauce on hand so mine was sauceless. I was a little pretentious about the pizza while it was baking, but after about 15 minutes and the intoxicating smell started coming from my oven, my fears disappeared.
One thing I didn't expect from this dough was that it rose to a huge amount! It was definately a thicker crust pizza but Sam and I pretty much pigged out and ate most of it in one sitting.

I made the pizza again this afternoon, but the bread was a little too dense this time. Anyone know why this might be? I'm thinking I added too much flour, as my dough was sticky even after two cups and I didn't want it on my hands.

Here's the dough recipe that I adapted from allrecipes.net:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg quick-rise dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sea salt
drizzle olive oil

Directions:

In a medium glass bowl, pour warm water and add yeast. Stir a bit and wait about 10 minutes until the mixture is creamy.
Add flour 1/2 cup by 1/2 cup, stirring with a regular spoon. Add honey and salt halfway through. Add more flour if needed. Once mixed, cover bowl with towel and place somewhere warm and let rise for about 20 minutes... (continued directions for dough below)

For toppings:

1 frozen beef burger
2 hotdogs
1 slice Farmland thick bacon
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used mexican style)
green onions
black pepper
light beer (optional)
drizzle olive oil or a little butter

Directions:

In a medium skillet, add burger and let cook on medium heat. Cut hotdogs length-wise and lengthwise again, then chop finely. Chop up green onions. After about 5 minutes of the burger cooking, add in onions and hotdogs as well as spices. Chop up the burger with your spatula very finely once thawed enough.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Once dough is risen, sprinkle with a little flour if needed to make kneadable, and knead for a bit. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray and spread dough out inside a square pan and make sure it touches the corners if possible.
Once burger is cooked through, add half to dough. Add cheese. Add the rest of the meat. Cut up the strip of bacon into tiny square pieces and arrange evenly on top of pizza. Let pizza cook for about 20 minutes. I also bumped the heat up to 400 degrees for a few minutes at the end to get the cheese a little bit golden around the edges.

Serving suggestion: If you know how to make marinara sauce, it would be perfect with this pizza instead of regular sauce!

Free Web Button Maker

2011-03-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

I found some lovely software via my Web Programming class that may be just what you need for creating your own buttons for your blog or personal shop!
It doesn't require any graphic design experience and is as easy to use as Paint or MS Word.
It's called DeKnop (German for The Button), and you can follow the link here to download it free or just google DeKnop. My favorite thing about it is it's a small program that doesn't take up much space on my old lappy.

I love using Adobe Illustrator to make buttons and am pretty art-savvy myself, but I know many Bloggers are looking for a simple, easy to use program (it being free doesn't hurt also) to create button graphics that can easily become a button on a personal webpage. Button images can be saved in PNG, JPG, BMP or GIF format.

I don't have anything to do with the program or it's owner and get nothing from referring you, I just thought this would help a lot of fellow bloggers!

Flowers and Lashes

2011-03-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

Loveau Salt caramels (soo good)

I am in LOVE with Maybelline's new One by One mascara! Separates and lengthens my lashes more than I thought possible! The wand is simply perfect. I have a new makeup staple. <3

Outfit for today: Juicy Couture chain link necklace, merino wool sweater, basic off-brand dark gray tank, BKE embellished jeans, Lucky Brand fur shoes, Lucky Brand ring, Marc Jacobs shoulder purse.

I went shopping with my mom this week and bought a lovely vintage flower pot for my new beauties (mentioned in previous post) to grow in. It will hold either the vine cuttings after they have sprouted roots (grow roots already why doncha!), or the sexy tropical leafy hanging plant which I don't have the name of. I also have big plans for the tiny patio outside my 2nd floor apartment. I will get a cute metal stand ($12 at Tjmaxx) and a pretty flower pot for some plants that I will move outside once it gets warm. I also plan to get a honking big pot to put on the ground for a mini garden (I'm thinking tomatoes so I can make fresh salsa 24/7).

Anyone have super exciting plans for spring/summer? I know I'm going to swim and go bike riding every chance I get! :)

Mango Ginger-Ale

2011-02-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

I have been eating things with too much sugar and milk today, so I made a very healthy drink that is delicious, mango ginger ale! Ginger is very heathy for digestion and is supposed to give energy. The only calories in this yummy drink are from the fresh mango, so drink away!

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup diet sierra mist/fav lemon-lime soda
1/2 a fresh mango, diced
stevia (natural sweetener) to taste.

In a saucepan, add fresh ginger and diced mango along with a cup of water. Heat until starting to bubble and pour into glasses. Put glasses in freezer for 10-15 minutes, then add ice and sierra mist.

Here is the finished product (I poured it into a Starbucks cup I had handy. :P It is sooo yummy!

Adding some Green

2011-02-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

Today after my Design Fundementals class I took a quick drive down to the Kirkwood greenhouses, which are owned by Kirkwood Community College, which is my current college. :)

There I met Ben Grimm, who is a young horticulturist and tends to the many, many plants at the Kirkwood greenhouses. They use plants for many purposes there, including selling plants for mother's day, photography opportunities, teach horticulture to students, and showcase plants for Art students to do sketches of.

I mustered up my courage and asked if they let students take home snippings of the plants, and Ben told me that yes, they did, in some cases. Ben told be to be wary of the poisonous plant section but after that let me free to "shop". :) I decided on the plants I wanted and he cut off a literal bucketful for me!

Plants are great mood boosters and make things pretty and fresh. I am super-excited to try and get these plants started! He told me that all of the snippings he gave me would have to be started out in water, which I didn't know before. I learned quite a lot of plant-cartaking today and he pretty much gave me a crash-course in horticulture!

A bamboo snipping. Ben taught me how to snip bamboo so it will grow. The trick is to snip it in between the "nodes", or the sections of the bamboo.

Lots of pretty different plants put into water to grow roots so they can later be potted. Vines, tropical hanging plants, and other plants I don't know the name of.

A snipped baby hanging plant.

The pale asparagus-looking vines above have the least chance of surviving the rooting process because they don't have the "nodes" which would let the plant root. For this plant to root it will have to be under perfect conditions. In order to give them a better chance of surviving, Ben told me to cut it into three pieces in the hopes that one will live. :)

This lovely plant is another snippet of a baby hanging plant that was growing off of the mother plant. Isn't it pretty? Once the roots turn white and soft (right now they are brown and hard because it was an air plant living off of the mother plant) it will be ready to plant. There is also a gorgeous creeping vine coming from this glass. I am really excited for it to start rooting.

The containers for the plants are all from old candles that wouldn't light anymore. I cleaned them out and am using them to start out my plants.

Here's hoping that these plants continue to be healthy!

Spring 2011 Style

2011-02-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

Mixing patterns is always a modern way to incorporate granny prints. Balancing sweet pastels with canvas and cargo is a great way to make your look easy on the eyes.

Spring doesn't mean you can't layer - just keep things light and chic. Part of the point in spring style is shedding the bulk from winter. :)

An angelic outfit or two doesn't hurt for sunny spring days.

I fell in love with this girl's hairstyle. I wonder how she got it to stay?

This spring, try to strike a balance between springy florals and darker, muted colors. I am definitely going to look for rosy bronze metal jewelry this spring. I love this beautiful metal color! I bought this Juicy Couture necklace for spring, I'm still waiting to buy the earrings:

Just a suggestion for the first nice days of spring - don't make the mistake of wearing a sundress the second it gets above 32 degrees - start with cropped pants, tanks with nipped jackets, and moccasins or shoes that show just a peek of your freshly painted toesies.

Don't go anti-spring and stubbornly refuse to leave winter colors at all, or you will look dulled down and lacking vibrance. Work your way into brightly hued pieces and lighter layers, and you will find that the transition will be natural and breathtaking at the same time, just as a flower takes it's time to bloom into a beautiful flower.

Making the transition slowly also helps for you to avoid making any huge faux pas or fashion bloopers that can result from an overeagerness to bust out in the summer clothes you haven't worn in 6 months.

Here are some summer clothes you may want to rethink wearing:

belly shirts

(unless you are at the beach).

The shorts you own that are just a bit too tight

(just buy new ones!)

Clogs

(no. just no.)

Crocs

(not applicable if you live in a small hick town where everyone wears them)

Booty shorts

(believe me, you are beautiful enough to get attention without being half-naked)

The top you love but is ill-fitting on your boobs

(instantly turns any top into a fashion nightmare)

Any other suggestions, either things not to wear, or summer 2011 tips? :)

The Chef Man Wrap

2011-02-09T20:58:00.001-05:00

One of the hubby's (and my) most-loved dishes in my house is what we call the Chef Wrap. It is requested several times per week and we never get tired of it. I think I've finally come up with my "final version" of this wrap.
It's got loads of meat, veggies, flavor, and a mild kick to it. :) It's probably the best wrap you'll ever eat and is a good antidote to a long day of work. :)

Here's the recipe I use that serves two hearty portions!

Ingredients:
1/8 lb fresh lean and tender meat for making steak
1 pckg Budding Honey Turkey deli meat
3 strips Oscar Meyer applewood bacon
freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, Vlassic mild yellow pepper rings, red peppers, 1 (very finely chopped) hot pepper (I used a Jamacain hot pepper)
Market Pantry ranch dressing
1 tsp stone ground horseradish or wasabi
2 slices pepper jack cheese
2 good size tortilla wraps

Directions:
Cut up bacon width-wise into 1/4 inch wide strips and add to a medium-high stove. Use a scraping tool to turn these every minute or so to ensure they will cook evenly. Once they are cooked to your liking (I usually cook mine to medium-doneness), transfer to a small plate lined with a paper towel to allow some drainage of extra grease.
Cut steak into thin strips. You can't make these too thin, as they are easier to eat and more tender when they are thinner. Make each strip about 2 1/2 - 3 inches long. Turn stove on med-high. You have the option of cooking the steak in your fresh bacon grease (heart attack, anyone?) or your cooking oil of choice. The steak will create a lot of juice. It's best to ladle this steak juice out with a small soup spoon so the texture of the steak isn't damaged while cooking, or you will start to make stew. You can add this juice back in later for added flavor once the steak dries up. You can season with sea salt, cracked pepper, chili sauce, and lime juice while cooking. Cook until no longer pink inside.
On two large plates, lay a wrap flat on each and put 3-4 slices of budding deli meat to each wrap. Break a piece of pepper jack cheese in half and lay each half along the wrap. Cover with a tablespoon or two of the freshly chopped veggies. Lay cooked steak along wraps, then sprinkle bacon bits over the wrap. Top with a line of ranch dressing and 1/2 teaspoon of horseradish sauce spread with a butter knife along the length of the wrap. Fold up wrap and dig in immediately!

For an illustrated demonstration of how to wrap a wrap or burrito, see the link below!
http://billgrady.com/wp/2002/11/14/how-to-wrap-a-burrito/

Steak, bacon, fresh salsa, ranch dressing, and some heat, what more could you ask for? :)

Wishing you a happy belly,
The Corner Girl

Picture Me Documentary and Pizza

2011-02-07T21:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I watched Picture Me, a documentary made of a somewhat well-known model. I loved her wonderful personality, and I didn't just enjoy myself learning about the lives these models live, but I felt such empathy for the models when the more dark and sad parts of their lives were revealed. I will never, ever put down these girls any more than any other girl, and I don't think anyone else should either.
No one has the right to call these girls stupid, or what they do shallow. Art is a point of view and I hugely believe that modeling, and the clothes that they wear are a wonderful art. Even if some people don't think modeling is a good job, they should at least respect models as people and not let jealousy or disapproval make themselves look ugly and cruel. People have the right to make their own decisions in life.
Okay, enough ranting. :) Ahh~ I wish I could be at my parents house right now so I could make something, jewelry or clothes! Watching all of these model and designer documentaries makes me want to make something, even if it just means modifying a shirt.
Oh, here's a rather blurry and awful picture of me sporting my new Marc Jacobs bag (I had to hurry because I am not supposed to use my phone at work, shh!)

Instead of making clothes I have decided to use my creative juices elsewhere and have made my famously delicious bacon, sausage, and jalapeño pizza, which is sitting happily in the freezer waiting for me to bake it just before my dear Sammy gets home. Pizza! (which I must eat very little of and shouldn't have made in the first place.) :P

Cheers,
The Corner Girl
(Melissa Waldron)

Musing of Marc Jacobs

2011-02-07T01:12:00.000-05:00

So this weekend I officially bought my first Marc Jacobs purse, the Petal to the Metal flap pouchette. It's the first bag I've owned in years that doesn't have the logo/name plastered all over it. Wearing this bag feels a lot different than my instant-gratification shiny gold Coach purse. People see that it's Coach from across the room and that's that, but with my new purse it's like stepping into the void of the unknown. I realized after wearing this purse for a day -a teeny little shoulder purse means you don't feel as secure and protected as with a huge, carry all bag that shields you.
You also can't carry your entire lunch in your bag (which I almost always do for work and college), lol! I think I've gotten so used to my superficial (though I still love it) Coach purse with it's unmistakable brand identification that wearing my new Marc Jacobs that has NO logo, just a beautiful artistic sparrow clasp on the front, makes me feel a little insecure. I really hate to admit it, but I've really grown into the idea that a woman's purse marks her status. While Marc Jacobs is a more expensive and luxurious brand than Coach or Juicy Couture, it is much less up-front and is more about design and art versus a logo, therefore only people who actually know the brand or have seen this purse in a magazine/etc will recognize it.
I think wearing this purse may force me to shed some of my shallow reasons for wearing a purse. Since I am almost twenty years old, I think it is appropriate for me to venture into the classy, more subtle side of things (maybe).
I don't think I can resist buying a Marc Jacobs keychain as well that might identify the purse a little better. I admit it's silly for me to be thinking about status and how other people see me when it's me who is wearing the purse, but I think that anyone who loves fashion fights the battle between their personal preference and what is popular and liked by others. I think that a little delicate keychain on the side of my purse would be an acceptable compromise between the in-your-face logos and the sleek, classy design.

Now that I've gotten used to the idea of not wearing a giant pattern of logos on my bag, I just need to get used to the size of the darned thing. Must lose weight in order to not engulf the sweet little bag. I just need to find some time in the afternoon to work out. I also need to not be a total glutton at parties and eat everything served (bad self!). My sweetie and I had a fun little get-together Saturday night and we ordered Little Caesar's Pizza. ***This is seriously the BEST pizza you can find around (except for a couple of choice places), and it's $5!
Our lovely friends (all of our male gamer friends) brought additional junk food, like buffalo ranch Doritos, loads of soda, and cheesecake.
Good freaking thing that I'm not bloated after all of that, but I'm not just looking for staying my current weight but I'm looking to lose a little weight off of my thighs. Cheesecake is not good for losing weight, just saying. So I will be trying desperately to eat healthy while I go to work and school to make up for my binge.
To end things, wish me luck in my new voyage to the unknown world of subtlety! ;)

Keeping things healthy

2011-01-20T00:19:00.000-05:00

It's a constant struggle to maintain my health and general non-bloatedness. There is really nothing I hate more than being bloated. Except for not getting enough sleep.

My eating habits are (mostly) a dream when I am at home the whole day and don't have to do a bunch of mentally or physically draining activities, but when it comes to leaving the house for a day, I find it hard not to revert back to the normal energy drinks, sugared coffee, and starchy, sugary snacks to make me filled up and feeling better. So how can we apply healthy eating to our CRAZY, long days away from home while still getting enough to eat so we don't reach in our purses for that $1.00 for chips?

1. The first and BEST thing you can do is to shorten your precious few hours of free time the night before your next shift/day at school, and make food AHEAD of time. This is something I dislike but which saves me from buying junk food later when I find out I didn't bring enough food along with me in my 1-minute dash to grab food before heading out the door.

2. Have LOTS of good, fresh veggies and fruit prepared beforehand to take with you. Make only a small portion of your lunch be meat, and hardly any starch. Starchy products like rice, potatoes, grains, etc turn to sugar in your digestive system once cooked and will pack in a lot of calories (that's why they are so satisfying!). Stick to whole grains and whole wheat if you can to have the healthiest and lowest-carb starches possible.

3. Take your once-a-day, B12, D, C, and Omega-3 fish oils in the morning or night before your next torturous day. This helps you control your appetite, increases your mood and general well-being, and helps with energy levels. All of these can help to make you less likely to overeat on the wrong foods.

4. Also consider getting weekly massages or investing in a massage chair. My hubby and I own one and it is great to use after a day at work when our backs feel awful. Having a back without any bad knots will really help you to not rely on other ways of trying to feel good, such as eating instant-gratification foods that contain high amounts of sugar and carbs.

Lastly, do your best to push on through, and focus on the health benefits and overall good feeling you get from healthy foods. Junk food only creates a temporary high that will drag you down later. So just keep focused on the positives of eating healthy instead of focusing on the instant high that you're missing out on! If you put a little extra planning into your daily routine and do some preventative measures you will, in time, feel MUCH better both now and later in your life. :)

Sushi Time

2011-01-18T21:03:00.001-05:00

I made sushi for family and friends last weekend at our apartment! It was a great experience. I had my sisters and their boyfriends over, and I made enough to put into a big container for my sissies to bring home for my sushi-loving mom. It's also quite cheap to make compared to buying it from a restaurant!

Sushi is a great way to get whole grains, veggies, and seafood all at once! I made spicy salmon and avocado rolls, california rolls, and spicy salmon california rolls.

Though I'm too tired to lay out every detail of how I made my sushi, I will tell you how I made the delicious spicy salmon filling I used in most of my sushi and that everyone loved (it's spicy though!!). You can get just about everything in sushi at your local oriental store. I use Jojo's Oriental Store in our local Town & Country shopping center a lot. :)

Ingredients:

1 Jamacain pepper, seeded and chopped

3 (small) Korean, Chili peppers, chopped

1 frozen salmon burger

1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise

Big drizzle of olive oil

splash of soy sauce

splash of Rolling Rock beer (my fav! - or other light beer)

Directions:

Fill a medium bowl with hot water and put salmon burger in to soak. In a medium saucepan, add olive oil and all peppers and sautee on medium heat. It may make you cough because of the chilies wafting through the air, so don't stand too close!

Once you have determined that the salmon is thawed, squish into 4 seperate pieces and mush with your hands in the water to relax it. Pat dry on a paper towel before transferring to the pan with the peppers. Add another small drizzle of olive oil, and add soy sauce and mix together on the stove. After it starts getting dry, add some beer. Once salmon is cooked through (but don't brown it!), put into a blender along with mayonnaise and a little more beer. Blend until peppers are well incorporated, but not completely pureed. Now you have some very spicy, very tasty sushi filling! Use leftovers mixed in with white rice and stif-fried veggies for a delicious and flavorful meal! (We did this and thought it was the best we'd ever made)

While I'm not very experienced in making sushi (this is my second time), I definately know that I enjoy it! I hope that in the future I can make perfect rolls that my hubby will melt over. :)

Kohl Eyeliner

2010-12-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

I've always had a fascination with Indian culture and their natural beauty methods, especially kohl eyeliner and henna. I tried making Kohl for the first time, and it's very entertaining, and it also worked perfectly!
A fellow blogger named Liz from Sweetfern Studios created a how-to on making kohl eyeliner, and it's got plenty of pictures to help you along if you're a visual person like me.
Amazingly enough, all you will need to make kohl is almonds, a lighter, and olive oil, along with something to burn it in, which is discussed in her post. You will also want to use a mortar and pestle to get a very fine powder. Follow her instructions and let me know how it worked for you!
http://sweetfernstudio.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/how-to-make-kohl-from-almonds/

Here's my results via webcam:

I made about 5 almonds worth, and it gave me a bit more than a teaspoon, which I put into a teeny container for later use. Kohl is believed by many to be much healthier than using storebought chemical-ridden makeup. The natural vitamins and oils will protect your eyes and nourish your lashes. That combined with the velvety dark color- I couldn't ask for more from an eyeliner!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T01:50:00.000-05:00

It may be a day late, but Merry Christmas from the Waldron family! We had a great time with our families and spent the whole time being generally lazy and watching movies while stuffing ourselves with food.
My hubby had to work for the first part of the day, but we still got to open presents together and we had everyone over to our apartment later.
My family means a lot to me, and I'm glad that I still got to spend Christmas with my parents and sisters, as well as with my out-of-state cousins. :)
Now I must be diligent about eating healthy or I will feel bloated...

p.s. My family's cat, Moki, says hi. :P

Candy Cane Cocktail

2010-12-23T16:06:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd share this one with you before Christmas is here. Last year, my cousin Anna, who is attending Bartending School, made this AWESOME drink for all of my family. I can't imagine a more festive cocktail for the holidays. So bottom's up, and Merry Christmas!

3/4 oz Berry vodka
3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
3/4 oz white Crème de Cacao
1/4 oz grenadine
half and half
Soda water
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Pour the vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, white Creme de Cacao and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake well.

Pour into a cocktail glass.

Fill with half and half.

Top with a splash of soda water, a fresh mint leaf, and one candy cane. :)

Honey Rosemary Steak

2010-12-23T16:05:00.002-05:00

This steak has the most delicious combo of caramelized honey and rosemary. I have had a honey rosemary fillet mignon at a restaurant before and went completely gaga over it. I can't afford to buy fillet mignon (especially after Christmas shopping!), but I just had to try my hand at making one of my favorite meals ever. :)
This wonderfully spiced, sweet steak, would make a great holiday meal idea if you are still looking for something yummy to make for the family. The great thing about making steak for a holiday meal is that it is fairly easy and quick. I bought some delicious flank steak, which I had never tried before, to make this recipe with, but choose any steak you like.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean steak
2-3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the marinade:
drizzle olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
water

Directions:
Using steak that is already thawed, cut steak into desired portion sizes and place into a shallow glass pan. cover with olive oil, vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Fill glass pan with water so that the steak is covered. Seal with saran wrap. Let the steak sit for a half hour to an hour.
(You can also marinade this a day ahead so you can just pop it on the stove at suppertime!)

In a large pan, heat oil, rosemary, and half of the butter on medium-high for 30 seconds. Pat steak dry on a paper towel, then put in pan to cook. Cook well, flipping the steak every minute or so. Add in the garlic, pepper, and salt. Make sure that you move the steak around in the pan to get the maximum flavor infusion.
Watch the steak carefully. You want to cook it so that the edges are seared but be careful not to overcook. Add extra butter or oil if necessary. Add the honey tablespoon by tablespoon on each side, flipping often. Continue cooking so that the honey caramelizes onto the steak.
Bring steak onto cutting board using tongs and cut into strips
or butterfly if you don't like the inside bloody, then return them to the
stove and cook on the pink sides until they are the same color as
everything else.

Make this steak alongside a Caprese salad or Caesar salad for a rounded
meal.

Favorite Christmas Gift ideas of 2010

2010-12-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

These items are all great presents for family, or those special girlfriends in your life (or for rewarding yourself for all of your hard work :P) I love them all! Most of these were found at Ulta, Tjmaxx, Kohl's, Bed, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria's Secret, all stores within a few miles of where I live.

Republic of Pink Bliss products, all of them. Pomegranate and Shea Body Butter, Republic of Pink Bliss Peel The Blues Away Facial Peel, bath salts, hand creme, body mist, and many others are all wonderful gifts. As you can tell this brand is my FAVORITE. Their products all have a very sugary but not overdone pomegranate smell, even the facial peel! It is very relaxing. :)

.99) Ulta brand Berry and Mint bath bombs (great stocking stuffers!) - these are only in the Ulta store, apparently they don't sell them online.

30.00) Thomas Sabo sterling silver gray crystal drop earrings and matching necklace - these are GORGEOUS. I couldn't find a Google Images picture of it and they are already wrapped for Christmas...

28.00) Lucky Brand Sterling silver flower crystal ring. I have also already wrapped this one, so no picture. :(

25.00)Victoria's Secret PINK Laptop case

Victoria's Secret vanilla sugar edible body shimmer (a gift a little more on the wild side)

Victoria's Secret mini holiday gift set fragrances and cosmetics - these are a great deal and so cute!

35.00) Victoria's Secret Heavenly Perfume Gift Set (their best fragrance, in my opinion)

Hello Kitty mini purse (for little girls) - Now, aren't these just adorable? I bought one for my cousin Evie and filled it with candy and crayons. :)

Leopard Swarovski Crystal dangly earrings. Almost everyone loves leopard, including my little sister Staci. I myself am not a fan of animal print, but believe me, I understand why people do. :)

C.O. Bigelow Spiced Latte Mentha Lip Gloss - This has a minty kick that is great!

C.O. Men's shower gel (the one in the red container is my favorite!) - It has a sweet yet musky smell not far off from Old Spice, but it has a slightly sweeter fragrance. I loooove Old Spice on my hubby. *drool*

Gourmet olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and adorable pasta - make your own gift set and arrange into a pretty basket with a big bow -great for any aspiring cook!

Juicy Couture socks ($7-$14

Juicy Couture candle and home fragrance rocks ($20.00-25.00 each

Aquolina Pink Sugar silky shower gel (I own it and it smells lovely) $20.00. I also own their shimmer roll-on perfume, their hair perfume, and spray body deodorant. I hope they stop making products or I'll have to buy them all!

cashmere socks - the ones I bought were grey with sparkly metallic zebra print, but you get the idea. ($14.00

Betsey Johnson pink teddy bear ring (retail $40, but I got mine for $10 on clearance!!!)

coral, red velvet, and lilac ELF nail polish ($1.00 ea. and last freakishly long while being perfectly tinted.

So there are my (very girly) favorite Christmas gifts for 2010! I would have never guessed everything on my favorites list (save for the pasta set) would be drenched and suffocating in mounds of sticky, sweet, jeweled pink. Maybe next year I'll go for Goth. jk, jk.

Caprese Salad

2010-12-21T20:36:00.002-05:00

This salad is the best I have ever eaten. I crave it all of the time and it is soooo fresh and wonderful tasting! This is a classic Italian dish. The reds, whites, and greens would be a very pretty side to a Christmas meal. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds assorted tomatoes, sliced (I mostly use extra firm vine ripe ones)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil (much prettier and fresher tasting!)

Directions:

In a shallow glass container, arrange mozzarella and tomatoes so that they are as flat as possible. Add remaining ingredients. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours, the longer the better. This will insure proper blending of flavors. Serve straight from the fridge, layering tomato and mozzarella so that it is red, white, red, etc. Garnish with fresh basil.

This wonderful salad can be made into a light meal with some choice wine, crusty bread, and kalamata olives.

Best Ever Queso

2010-12-17T00:37:00.001-05:00

The hubby and I ran out of queso and I wanted some anyway, so I tried my hand at making some using ingredients in my fridge. I think I landed on the jackpot, because mine is flavorful, simple, and doesn't crust up. Make sure you use shredded cheese to that everything heats up evenly.

Ingredients:
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup asiago cheese
1 slice of pepper jack cheese (or about 1/8 cup)
1 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and olive oil on med-low. Add in tomatoes, onion, and jalepenos (Add in jalapeños later on for milder flavor). Adding the veggies right away create a delicious flavor throughout. Heat for a couple of minutes, then add in remaining ingredients except for flour. Continue heating until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be quite runny, not much thicker than milk. Add in flour tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring constantly. Wait a minute or so in between scoops. Once it is thick, serve and eat right away.
Should serve about 4-5 people.
This queso is a little lighter and much more fresh tasting than storebought, but still has it's delicious flavor and gooey cheesyness!

Frozen Mango Daquiri

2010-12-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

You were wondering what to do with the other half of that mango from the Mango-Lime salsa in my last post, right? Well not to worry, because I've got a super simple, almost effortless drink recipe for you. It might cost you one dollar and a trip to the store (unless you have rum on handy), but that's about it. :D

Ingredients:

1 mini spiced rum (I used a 50ML of 70 Proof Admiral Nelson's)
1/2 mango (cut into cubes and freeze for a couple of hours beforehand)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 packet Stevia (I used this to cut down on calories. If you don't have it substitute for another tablespoon of sugar)
1/4 cup Sierra Mist, 7up, or other

Directions:

Blend away, baby!
Blend until you are SURE there are no chunks left. Pour into one large glass or two small ones. Heavenly and just the right amount of mango and rum! :) Garnish with curled lemon rind and mint if you wish to impress your friends. If the flavors are too strong for you, simply add some ice and a little more soda and blend.

Tropical Mango-Lime Salsa

2010-12-14T18:01:00.000-05:00

There are tons of healthy vegetables packed into this flavorful salsa! I am eating some right now, and it's sooo good and fresh! This would be excellent alongside a Mexican-style meal or spooned on top of cooked seafood. :)
I chopped my salsa by hand because I have a crappy blender that turns salsa into soup. I prefer the chunkier hand-chopped salsa, because it's easier to get more veggies on your chip so I have to do it by hand. :)
If you have a good blender, just throw everything in to save time. I've included directions for both methods for your convenience.

Ingredients:
1/2 mango, finely chopped
1/2 onion, very finely chopped (take your time, you don't want big pieces of onion in this salsa.)
1 1/2 - 2 firm vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped into cubes (these can be a little bigger)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil or other oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (If you want your salsa extra limey add a teeny bit of zest first pureed in the blender with a little of it's own juice)
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/4-1/2 large red or yellow bell pepper
a dash of ground cayenne pepper
*optional: small amount of fresh cilantro
*optional: small handful of sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped

Directions (Without a blender):
The size of the ingredients are important, as you want each bite of salsa to have mostly a mango and tomato flavor. Big pieces of jalapeño or bell pepper will not taste as good, So here's your size reference:
Mango pieces will be larger than tomato pieces, which will be larger than pepper pieces, which will be larger than onion pieces, which will be larger than jalapeno pieces.) This will also result in a more interesting look to the salsa.

Peel, pit, and chop mango into bite-size pieces. Place in a small to medium bowl. Chop jalapeño finely, removing seeds if you prefer a milder salsa. Chop tomato into bite-size pieces. Seed and chop bell pepper. Remove skin from onion and chop finely. Add your chopped veggie to the bowl every time you finish one. Add in lime juice, spices, oil, vinegar, and salt, and mix in bowl to spread the flavors.
If you own a blender at all, even a junky one, don't add one tomato right away. Finish above instructions and then chop tomato into large chunks, then add to a blender until pureed. Add to salsa and stir.
For best flavor refrigerate for couple of hours.

Directions: (With a blender)

Peel and pit mango, peel onion, seed bell pepper, seed jalapeño if desired. Chop all veggies and fruits into blendable sizes. Throw all vegetables and fruit, oil, vinegar, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and salt into blender. Pulse lightly until desired size of salsa is reached. Stop a little before you think you should so that you don't turn the salsa too soupy or frothy.
For best flavor refrigerate for couple of hours.

Freebie shopping

2010-12-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

I love getting those little cards in the mail that scream $10 FREE!!! if you spend enough in their stores. I got a handful of them the other day, so I took advantage of them today and went shopping at Victoria's Secret, Kohls', and Bath & Body Works.

For only $10 (It was a buy $10, get $10 free coupon), I got a wonderful Spiced Latte lip gloss, a cranberry-scented reed diffuser (only 5 bucks), and a heavenly musky shower gel/shampoo combo for the hubby for Christmas. Smells just like Old Spice only a little less musk and more sweet.

At Victoria's Secret, I pondered over the makeup and mini perfumes, but they were either too far under 10 dollars (I wanted to use my coupon's full potential!), or not to my liking. I finally came to a showdown between two things; either the edible vanilla shimmer powder, or the kissable massage oil. *blush* Well, since I'm married, I can finally try them out! I've wondered what they were like for a while now. haha.

I decided to go with the shimmer powder. It seemed more useable - I can put it on before going to work, and come home and still smell good. :) The massage oil sounded kinda odd - I can't imagine wanting to taste flavored oil during the deed. Okay, okay. I'll stop making things awkward by talking about this item. But I was very pleased with the coupon because it covered the tax too! The Shimmer powder was exactly 10 dollars but the coupon covered tax as well. Yay!

I've already gotten two of the $10 off a purchase coupons from Kohl's. They are really fun and allow me to shop even when I'm broke and have to pinch pennies. I bought some lovely Leopard print earrings by Candie's for my sister Staci, some awesome layered bracelets for my sister Lizzy, and some metallic cashmere zebra print socks. Christmas presents for my family are almost done!

So today I had an (almost) free shopping spree. It's nice to have some fun and stress relief before work.

Finals are tomorrow, wish me luck!

Melissa Waldron

(The Corner Girl)

Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Rollup bread

2010-12-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

I made this recipe as a twist on the classic pepperoni bread. It's heavenly heated up again spread with a little cream cheese. Great for those who love a little spice and bacony-goodness. It's also super easy to make!

Here's the link to make the kneaded bread dough I used for this recipe, or use your own!
http://www.grouprecipes.com/106965/master-bread-dough.html

Ingredients:
premade, prerisen bread dough
jalapeños, finely chopped
bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 asiago cheese

Coating
1 egg
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon parsley
1/2 tablespoon cilantro
1/2 tablespoon garlic
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients under "Coating" and whisk. Roll out premade bread dough onto floured surface, into a flattened rectangle. Brush top of dough lightly with egg mixture, saving at least half. In a small saucepan, add bacon and turn heat to med-high. Cook bacon until edges turn golden and bacon is sizzling. Remove from heat and set aside. Arrange cheese evenly on top of the flattened bread dough, then sprinkle jalapeños and cooked bacon on top.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Starting from one end of the dough, roll up dough like a jelly roll. Pinch the edges of your roll sealed and pinch where you rolled it up so cheese doesn't ooze out. Gently roll the dough until it lengthens into desired shape. Make sure you have a pan long enough for your roll. Lightly spray your cooking pan (size varies with desired length of roll) with olive oil cooking spray before transferring dough roll, sealed-side down, to the pan. Brush on leftover egg mixture all over the bread dough. This creates a beautiful shiny coating on the bread which tastes great. Place in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Slice diagonally and serve warm! Serves about 10.

Pretty little things...

2010-12-12T01:26:00.000-05:00

Here's some pretty little details I've been adding to my ensemble every day that make me feel great and very put-together. Little delicate details add femininity and sparkle - especially great during winter when you feel cold, chapped, and a little more wallflower than the summer sun and humidity which made your skin glow.

Pretty nails. This nail polish makes me happy inside. Their Lilac and their Red Velvet are my favorites. It's long lasting and dries quickly. It's only a dollar, too. :)

Eyelash curling. I haven't done it much in the past, but it makes a very noticeable difference. I use a metal one with a rubber coating that doesn't pull at my eyelashes. I curl mine a couple of times from base to tip to give a softer, rounder curl.

Leather Jackets

I bought myself a wonderful and feminine leather jacket - oh my. I've gotten so many compliments when I wear it. Apparently wearing leather jackets means you get stared at a lot. Why is leather so sexy? lol!

I have no photo for you yet, but I will edit it in soon. Buy one leather jacket for winter. You won't regret it.

Okay, you got me. This isn't pretty, but it's a darned good beer. It's made with orange peels and cloves, and is MADE to have an orange squeezed into it. Veerrry yummy. Another of my favorites is Moose Drool - it's a dark beer with a coffee aftertaste. I'm not a big beer drinker though.

I loove my gray winter boots. I also like my black suede ones as well, but these are great for when I wear black skinnies and my favorite clingy gray top. Yay for monotone!

..I know it's in style for winter, but just don't lose ALL of your color for winter. Switch it up and wear pretty and bright colors every once in a while too, or you will look like you got the life sucked out of you.

Kay I'm going to sleep now bye.

-Melissa Waldron

(The Corner Girl)

It's the little things...

2010-11-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

I just got my ear pierced today! I got a second piercing and a cartilage piercing on my left ear. It kind of hurt this time, which I wasn't expecting, because the first time I got my ears pierced it didn't hurt at all. I love the delicate look that the tiny diamond studs give. I chose to get both piercings instead of just my cartilage because I thought it would look better artistically if it was asymmetrical and heavier on one half. (residual artistic knowledge from summer drawing class).

I met my mom and sis at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble and had a couple of peppermint mochas. Dang, those are yummy! And if they use skim milk and skip the whip it's not bad calorie-wise. So I got warmed up and read some ~~advertisements~~ magazines. There's just something really comfy about reading in a coffee shop. Perhaps it's the knowledge that you can have as much coffee as your wallet will allow for. Perhaps its because the people who work there are such personable sweethearts. Whatever it is, I like spending an hour or two every so often just relaxing with reading material that further lowers my IQ.
My sister made me the tiny little necklace in the first photo - isn't it sweet? :) I don't normally wear such understated necklaces but I'm really enjoying the look. It especially looks nice since I'm being good and sticking to my diet. I've always liked delicate accessories when I don't have extra chub (you wouldn't want that teeny little chain to disappear underneath one of the rolls in your neck, would you? lol).
Oh, and I decided to match my eyeshadow with my nail polish, which documented via my cellphone camera. Both are an iridescent purple. I also stuck gunmetal-colored jewels to a few of my fingernails. Who knows how long they will stay on when I start work tonight, but they are still cute!

What are the little details in your outfit that you are loving lately? Write a post about it and give me a link or comment below!
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
-Melissa
(The Corner Girl)