Carpe Diem

If not now, when? Today has been a great day; farmer's market, lunch and beautiful October weather. To top it all off, I went to Jamba Juice before my class today and got a small drink before I got lunch. They were super busy and somehow messed up, and instead of a sixteen, I got the biggest size, a power. Granted I only really needed a small since I was about to eat, but hey! It was an all fruit smoothie and you take what you get :] I love Tuesdays, and this one is no exception. Going to play Wii and make dinner with my friend Susan tonight, should be a blast. October is going by wayyy to fast, but I'm trying to enjoy everyday!

Quote for the day:: This is pretty much the interpretation of carpe diem, the title of this post, and I just love how it is put, a little something more than 'seize the day.' The enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future.

And now, a few outfit pictures. They are definitely not the best quality, but you get the gist. Probably one of my favorite things I've ever found at a thrift store. I scooped this up at a tiny thrift store in Utopia, Texas while working in the area over the summer :]

Dress: Thrifted ($4)

Belt: Thrifted ($.50)

Hooray for thrift stores, and outrageously cheap, cute clothes!

Pretty simple outfit, but I absolutely love this dress. I wore it with some simple white t-strap sandals that I couldn't get a picture of... self timers are hard to work with, haha. But, it can be paired with another kind of belt, chunky jewelry, dressed up, or dressed down. Such a good investment!

Have a fantastic Tuesday, and I hope to post something more soon!

F is for Findings

Today has been an exceptional day. Waking up early was worth it, and now I am home and might just take a nap. Well I don't have any pictures do share today( my iPhoto needs to be installed still!!) But I do have something very cool and inspirational to share. This website is so amazing, you will want to watch the video over and over again. It shows the house you grew up in, interpreted into a music video. Awesome! It's kind of sad, seeing as my home is no longer there, but still amazing to watch. Hope you check it out and get inspired!

Ch-ch-check it out!

TheWildernessDowntown.com

Dinner tonight with my friend Susan, yay! Cooking something in her apartment, then watching One Tree Hill... should be a fantastic night. Hope your week is going well, I hope to post again asap!

-Alex

Tostada Tuesday... with Tofu!

So I made these beauties a few Tuesdays ago for a twist on the basic Taco Tuesday. I have tried tofu before, however only raw and in salads mostly, and I've had such an urge to actually cook it myself. After watching a few helpful YouTube videos on how to cook tofu, I took their advice and froze part of it. After freezing part of the block, and then dehydrating it, it crumbled right into the frying pan. I added chopped onions, chili powder, and some chunky salsa to the cooking tofu. As the tofu was cooking I started chopping some romaine lettuce, black olives and scallions. Working with what I had, which wasn't shredded cheese, as any resourceful college girl would do, I took my sliced american cheese and sliced it into thin strips, making my own makeshift cheese to top the tostadas. I threw a can of refried beans in a pan to heat up, and let the tofu turn a nice brown color. I took my tostada shells and topped them with the beans, my cooked tofu, and all the delicious toppings... lettuce, onions, olives, etc. Overall, this meal was delicious and I was SUPER excited to make a meal using tofu.

I'm definitely going to make these again soon :] Here are some websites about the health benefits and some info about tofu. (ie: it helps prevent some cancers, like breast cancer.. woot woot!) I'm not a vegetarian, but like to be healthy and experiment with all types of food. Oh, and here's the video that helped me oh so much, enjoy!

It is pouring rain here in Arizona, and this is one of the first days it's been below 100 degrees, it's soo cold! I had to wrap my furry bike seat in a plastic bag so I didn't soak my pants! Also, there was a farmer's market on campus today and I bought a bunch of peppers, green bell peppers, jalapeños, and hot banana peppers... for a DOLLAR! I love getting such fresh food, he said he picked it last night! And supporting local farmers makes my heart warm :] Have a great day, hope it goes as swell as mine!

Alex

And so it begins...

So now that my computer is no longer having technical difficulties, and I have a charged camera, a closet full of clothes and my own kitchen, my blog may begin properly. I will be having posts of things I cook, with lots of pictures, from the process to the finished product... on a college girl's budget and smaller than normal kitchen :] Pictures of my outfits that I want to show off, and brag about the amazing clothes I find at thrift stores and on the clearance racks. And finally, about anything else I find inspiring, nostalgic, or just plain cool. So here it begins, as it was meant to be.. and I can't wait.

The picture here is the view from my apartment, looking at the beautiful lights of Tempe and my tiny pool. Oh, and it's October! The best month of the year! It (eventually) won't be in the 100s, there's pumpkin patches, and the state fair, and haunted houses. I love it!

Heading off to San Diego now, hopefully I'll have some cool pictures when I get back, and I can start posting some outfits, recipes and all that fun stuff.

Have a fabulous weekend.

-Alex