Thursday, May 29, 2014

~ girl's day out ~

This morning started bright and early when I awoke to the feeling of teeny tiny teeth being sunk into my feet.  Having two kittens is like taking care of 8 week old twins who have the energy of a 13 year old track and field star.  I'm telling you.  The exhaustion is real.

       

So when you wake up early and in a bad mood, what do you do?  Go to yoga class in your pajamas.  Works like a charm. 

After adjusting moods and running various errands around town, we went out to dinner to celebrate my sister's upcoming move to Atlanta to begin an internship!  Since her accident we really haven't had a chance to go out and do anything, so it was really nice to have that time together.  I miss her already.


After dinner, my mama and I walked around Lake Ella and went to Food Truck Thursday.  Have you been yet?  It's great!  Lots of good food, good music, and interesting people.




Now that the brownies are out of the oven and the boys are sound asleep, it's time to go to bed!  Goodnight everyone.


xoxo,
Eliza

Saturday, May 24, 2014

~ living vegan 03 ~


If you've had a conversation with me in the past week, chances are my love for a good tofu bahn mi was mentioned one or nine times.  I'm serious when I say that if I could marry a sandwich this one would be it.  

Now, because this is a very very messy sandwich, I suggest that you don't take it work, or eat it while wearing white pants, or try to eat it in the car.  But then again, white pants can be washed, a car can be vacuumed, and your coworkers would probably appreciate this amazing sandwich gracing their break room. So screw it.  Take this sandwich everywhere.  Here's the recipe!

Adapted from Marin Mama Cooks

Pickled veggies:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 large carrot,
1/4 to 1/2 of a red onion

Boil vinegar, water, and sugar on a medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Set the mixture in a bowl and in the fridge to cool while slicing vegetables.  Grate the carrot, and thinly slice the red onion and add to the mixture.  Set aside for a minimum of thirty minutes for very strong flavor, but if you're in a time crunch (or just impatient, like me) ten minutes will do just fine.

Sriracha Mayo:
(sounds gross but is SO GOOD)
6 tablespoons mayonnaise (or veganaise for a completely vegan version) 
2 tablespoons sriracha 
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Mix together in a bowl and set aside.  You can add more sriracha is you're braver than me.

Tofu:
1 package extra firm tofu
1 clove garlic,
1/4 cup lemon juice

You won't use all of the package on one bahn mi, but if you become a bahn mi addict you'll want to keep your fridge stocked with tofu.  Start by draining the tofu, cutting about four thin slivers, cutting them into triangles, pressing them with a paper towel to get rid of all the tofu juice (ew), then marinate them in a little lemon juice and some garlic.  Get a frying pan hot and then fry the tofu in a little light olive oil until each piece is crispy, brown, and appears edible.

Now, take out a loaf of French bread (softer is better in this case) and slice an extra large piece.  Cut the piece all most in half, but leave it not cut all the way (like a Publix sub).  Spread your sriracha mayonnaise on both sides, then put in half of the tofu, then I like to add a little straight sriracha to make myself feel daring, then add the pickled veggies (after draining off the vinegar), drizzle some more sriracha mayo, and finally, add some fresh cucumber slices.  


You can also add jalapeños and cilantro but I hate both of those food items and choose to leave them off.  

*cilantro added only for the purpose of creating a pretty photo*


Now grab several napkins, a glass of ice water, inform your loved ones not to disturb you for fifteen minutes, and dig in! 


xoxo,
Eliza

Thursday, May 22, 2014

~ meet the kids ~

I am very happy to introduce two special baby boys to you all: Franklin and Theodore.  AKA Frankie and Teddy.  AKA our new kittens.

Okay, let me tell you the story of these babies.  My mom has been wanting kittens (specifically two orange brothers) for a long time now.  After our older cats passing away through the years, our family needed some youth - losing the cats that you grew up with is a very hard thing to go through.  I like to think that my boy Jack would have loved these kids.

After a lot of thought my sister Emmy and I decided to get my mom a kitten (or two) for a mother's day and late birthday present.  We went to the animal shelter but they were COMPLETELY OUT of kittens - a rare but wonderful feat during kitten season.  Next we looked at the Humane Society and a few other places but none of the kittens felt right.  So we went back to the shelter where we saw a sign for six kittens (four girls, two boys) and their super young mother who were being fostered.

     

After meeting them once we know the boys were perfect!  After her birthday and mother's day came and went, and after the boys were neutered and formally adopted, we surprised her with her new babies!  It all went perfectly!  We made her close eyes while we opened their carrier and held them out for her to see.  I should have recorded the reaction!

They're both curled up in my lap right now, had a bath this morning, and have already claimed the grey blanket on my bed as theirs.  I guess you could say they're adjusting well...




Welcome to the family, boys!  Get ready to be the most photographed kitties in the world.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

~ little things ~

Whenever things get really busy, I rely on the little things to get me through it all.  Trying new recipes, singing around a campfire, trips to the beach, photoshoots, and long walks.  Things like that keep me a little more sane and my emergency chocolate stash a little more full!

01. canoeing at the Rez


02. Friday's outfit

{Gap shirt, Old Navy skirt, Target flats}

03. The view from the passenger seat


04. Chinese food dinner date



05. Singing around a campfire until after midnight 


06. Homemade tofu bahn mi (recipe coming soon!)


07. Reading Salinger on the beach


08. Red lips and a Florida headscarf


xoxo,
Eliza

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

~ mint condition ~

Today we took a little trip to Thomasville for a good meal.  Literally.  We drove 45 minutes to eat butter beans, mashed potatoes, green beans, creamed corn, fried chicken (well I didn't eat that), and cinnamon buns.  And it was worth it!

Also, because I was too excited to eat, I forgot to take a picture.  I did take one of my empty plate, but somehow I don't think anyone wants to see that....

{Gap shorts, Gap sandals, F21 top}

If you ever go to Thomasville, make sure you go to The Bookshelf.  It's amazing!







This day trip had everything I needed: massive amounts of food, good books, and good company.  I want to do it again!

xoxo,
Eliza

Sunday, May 11, 2014

~ mother's day ~

Today is a day to celebrate our mothers: the strong women who impact our lives in innumerable ways.

 

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mother.  You have the strength of a million and a kindness that compares to no one.  I know that the "I don't know how you do it" phrase is overused, but it's true!  I honestly don't know how you do it.  

Actually, I take that back.  I DO know how you do it.  You are strong, smart, logical, empathetic, and you are brave.  That's how you do it all.  With passion and a mind boggling combination of power and grace.  The lessons you have taught me could fill all the books in the Library of Congress with no room to spare!  


You've been through tough times, but recovery is one of your strong points.  You have an amazing ability to overcome and I'm so proud of you!

Thank you for letting me share today, and every day with you.  To celebrate Mother's Day, we went to the Sweet Pea Cafe after I got off work.  Then we went shopping and finished the day reading by the pool.  A perfect day!

So Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.  And to my sweet grandmother - thank you for raising such an awesome mommy!


Mommy, thank you for putting up with so much over the years.  You rock.

xoxo,
Eliza

Saturday, May 10, 2014

~ life's a beach ~

Going to the beach never gets old, but sometimes you need to shake things up a bit and go to a different beach!  That's what we did yesterday as a pre-mother's day escape from everyday life...

{Bald Point}


When I've been in the sun for more than twenty minutes, the freckles start popping up.  But every year they show up in a different place - a sure sign of summer!


             

{my new favorite photography book}

{my gorgeous mama}


{driftwood + shadow}

{doing my best bathing beauty pose!}

I hope everyone has had a sunny weekend.  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

xoxo,
Eliza

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

~ coming of age ~

I've always loved the scene in Bye Bye Birdie when Kim sheds her innocence and puts on her big girl sweater.  Watching it as a ten year old, it made me long for the days when I could go to parties and wear lipstick.  You know, a ten year old's idea of "grown up" things.

Now I'm going through a coming of age, similar to Kim's.  I'm eighteen.  An official highschool graduate with one year of college under my belt.  I have a job, I own a business, I can legally vote, and I can schedule my own doctor appointments.  In other words, I'm an adult.  (insert Psycho theme song here).



I'm not so sure how I feel about this.  I'm at the age that I used to see and think "psh...that's YEARS away.  I'll have it all figured out by then!"  Well here I am, and trust me when I say how wrong my ten year old self was.

Maybe I have a few things figured out, but the vast majority is still a dizzying array of options, which I feel very fortunate to have.  But there's no denying the fact that it's scary.  And there's no denying the fact that I feel old - I don't think I'll ever get used to being called "ma'am."



As my wise mama said to me, "You never get used to how old you are.  That never changes."  Amidst a constantly changing world, finally I've found something that never will.  And for this new adult, that makes things a little less scary.

xoxo,
Eliza