oh jeez...

sometimes i feel like i am the only person left in this world who isn't married or engaged or in a serious-about-to-get-engaged relationship! my goodness. i can't be the only one out there. did all the single girls go into hiding? but in all seriousness, i get so happy every time i hear of a friend getting engaged/married. it's such a sweet moment in life. but on a personal note, i think everything has its time. and currently, i am in no position to get engaged/married. grad school has consumed every moment that i have. i'm either in school, studying, or sleeping. and when and if i have time to do other things, i usually have this nagging feeling inside that i should be studying. it's horrible. i should also mention that i am currently in the middle of preparing for finals. therefore, there is an underlying tone of fear, nervousness, exhaustion and desperation in everything i do during this time period. and that includes blogging. eck. i just hate this.

eh.

oh, my feet hurt.
black friday was exhausting.

more than just food.

it's a beautiful day to give thanks.

image from country living

why are clothes getting ugly?

just in case you want to add more weight to your thighs...you know, the saddlebag look.

the metallic leggings extend to wrap under the foot!...oh dear.

both pieces from forever 21

quantum of solace movie review

i saw the new james bond movie during it's opening weekend. i was so excited to see it! however, i wasn't as impressed with it as i was with casino royale. i suppose that's the reason it has taken me over a week to post my review on quantum of solace.

anyway, here are my thoughts on the movie:

-great action movie, but...

-too many chasing scenes, too little dialogue (i missed bond's wit and charm in this movie)

-the new bond girl, olga kurylenko, is absolutely gorgeous

-daniel craig's sexiest body part = his lips

-the ending seemed a bit too abrupt

-judi dench...such a classy and powerful woman

-the plot line could have been a bit less...messy/all over the place

-very few romantic/sex scenes in this movie...very different from other bond movies

-definitely need to have seen casino royale to understand the tone of this movie

don't know if i would recommend spending $10 to go see this movie at the theatre. if you're not a major bond fan, i would wait till quantum of solace comes out on dvd. but being the major fan that i am, i can't wait till the next one comes out!

not so mellow yellow

this is just SO perfect. ugh.

image via unpretentious style

guess where this lamp is from...

...isn't it cool?it's from deLiAs. i blogged about their stuff before, but i thought i would share another good find. the lamp is so modern and looks so much more expensive than it really is (only $39). i could even see it in a guy's apartment.

pockets please

this dress is so adorable.

oh, the pockets!

oh, the price ($75)!

lucite tables

via coco+kelley

via style & grace

via domino

via here

via here

via alkemie

i haven't decided if i like these clear tables yet. they seem to be quite popular right now. they have the potential to look very glamorous or...cheap and plastic-looking from far away (sorry, i had to say it).

coasters would be needed. that's for sure.

pecan pumpkin filled pancakes

i found this recipe on the williams-sonoma website.

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup pecan pumpkin butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter, plus more for cooking
Directions:
visit the website for the directions!

an ebelskiver pancake pan was used to make these bundles of yumminess. but i was wondering if a pancake puff pan would work as well! i'll be honest, i actually sat through the entire infomercial for the pancake puff pan. oh the ideas that raced through my head! has anyone actually ordered one? what do you think?...i'm seriously thinking of getting one :)

best tortilla chips EVER

hands down the BEST tortilla chips ever made. made with flax, sunflower, seasame seeds, oat fiber, brown rice, soy, etc.
no trans fat, no cholesterol, no artificial colors, no GMO ingredients....just YUMMY!

a bit pricey though....but they have them at costco!

seriously the best.

australia...and kidman's wacky lips

i just saw nicole kidman and hugh jackman on oprah talking about their new movie australia, but the only thing i could focus on were her lips!!

australia is set during world war II, so her plastic surgery lips look just absolutely ridiculous. why do actresses do this to themselves? ugh. it's not attractive and it's so obvious. kidman has been around for good amount of time, but i don't think she is necessarily a good actress. i'm sure there are many australian actresses (with a more natural look) that would have been more appropriate for the film.

anyway, i still want to see the movie. i mean, when it comes out on DVD

trivia: supposedly, the original ending of the movie was concluded to be too sad for american audiences, so the ending was changed. go here to read the article, but WARNING, it gives away the plot. so read with discretion.

some inspiration on a monday

i like the contrast between the lighter bed cover and the darker bed posts/surrounding.

image via elle decor

image via elle decor

great music

i'm going to the ray lamontagne concert tonight!!! i spoke of him before, but just in case you didn't catch it the first time around, i really suggest you listen to his music: go here.

he's fantastic.

pic from here

i just had a great lunch

sliced up fresh strawberries + feta cheese + grilled chicken breast strips + grape tomatoes+ romaine lettuce + sliced green pepper = REALLY GOOD salad.

also, love these wishbone salad spritzers:

only 1 calorie per spray. i can't wait to try ALL the flavors (so far i've tried italian and the balsamic)!

RIP cecil stoughton

Cecil Stoughton was best known for the photographs he took of the Kennedy's.

image via here

image via here

image via here

there is something wonderful about having small children in the white house.

to me, it symbolizes hope.

america baracked the vote!!

history was made. we can all agree on that.

so what do you do with your pumpkins now?

halloween is over and it is now time to use pumpkins for more than just decorative purposes:

pumpkin and cream cheese ravioli in sage and butter sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 ounces cream cheese (room temperature), 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper to taste, wonton wrappers, 2 tablespoon butter, a few sage leaves

Directions:

1. Mix the pumpkin, cream cheese, cumin, salt and pepper. 2. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on a wonton wrapper. Wet the outside edge of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the wonton over and press the edges together firmly to seal. 3. Boil the ravioli for 2-3 minutes to cook. 4. Melt the butter in a pan with the sage. 5. Cook the butter until it browns and remove from heat immediately. 6. Toss the ravioli and sauce and serve.

recipe from here