vintage.notebooks

Can be purchased HERE.

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

vegan.eats

As a vegan, there are two questions I get a LOT. The number one question is "where do you get your protein?" and that's getting old, so if you are still wondering, check out the answer HERE.

Number two is "what do you EAT??," usually followed by the most obvious punch line, delivered by a bystander: "grass, duh..."

So here's what I do eat! To show some good examples I wrote down everything for 7 full days, and these are the most interesting, and most boring/unhealthy days, respectively.

the.outfit/09.27

Today we had some of that totally perfect fall weather, where a plaid shirt is just enough, and nothing else is really needed. I had fun getting to use my new Photoshop skills (thank you BlogShop) while working today, and got to enjoy the weather while running a few errands. For me right now, happiness is staying put - as much as I enjoyed New York this weekend, I have the entire month of October (my favorite month) completely free of weekend plans, which means I'll be getting in lots of time at home in St. Louis. I'm seeing lots of orchards, museums, movies, and pumpkin carving in my future...

plaid shirt-f21, wide leg jeans-alexa chung for madewell, watch-marc jacobs

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

the.recipe

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

all things cozy

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

food for thought

So Bikram yoga = my newfound love. (Bikram is a series of 26 yoga postures done in multiple sets, in a room set to anywhere from 100 to 104 degrees with 40% humidity). I've only been going for two weeks, but I'm loving it so far. Sounds insane, I know, but that's not the reason I'm writing about it. I just had to tell you how it even became possible for me to make it through a class.

I went to my first Bikram class back in April, before I became totally vegan, and let me tell you, it was an epic fail. I sat down every 5 minutes with my head pounding, and finally ended up just walking out before the class even ended because I was about to pass out. I felt incredibly weak a defeated (and truthfully, a little embarrassed), but brushed it off with a confident "it just wasn't for me." Except that I really wanted it to be. I had taken yoga for 4 or 5 years, and it had never really resulted in a big change in the way I looked, although it was always the only type of exercise I really enjoyed. The people in that Bikram class looked amazing, and although I don't necessarily aspire to that kind of athleticism, I knew how great it could make a person look & feel.

So last week, after eating an entirely vegan diet for 4 months, I went back.

It was night and day. I was still incredibly challenged, don't get me wrong, but rather than pant my way through the entire class and not even make it through, I actually found myself enjoying the challenges AND (if you can believe it) the heat. I was able to control my heartbeat through my breathering, and when we were done I was actually surprised at how short the class felt. In addition, I have bounce-off-the-walls energy pretty much all day after class, and actually look forward to getting up before 6am to go.

This isn't me saying that everyone should take a Bikram class, or that I'm now such a perfect devotee and I'll never miss a day - I'm sure I will, and I'm sure it's not for everyone. I tend to go through phases with my workouts. But I am saying that maybe just eating vegan a few days a week could make a difference in everybody's workouts, whatever you choose to do and the gym, and what you get out of them. Just food for thought...

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

heart tights

It's really hard to capture the cuteness of these tights in the self-timer photos (also, I clearly have not yet learned how to model with my face), but these tights are indeed so cute. I love them. It's been a high of 64 (where did summer goooooo?) and rainy all day today in St. Louis, so I took the opportunity to break out some of my new favorite fall things, as well as some old. These Coach clogs might be my favorite shoe from last fall, and they might end up being my favorite shoes this fall as well - so comfy!! I'm always an advocate of a good & cheap pair of shoes, but your feet can FEEL the money you spent when you wear these shoes.

dress-urban.outfitters, cardigan&earrings-f21, tights-target, shoes-coach

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

fate knocked today

If you read this blog much, it may not shock you to hear that I am not the MOST organized person on the planet. So when I tell you I completely forgot Missoni for Target came out TODAY and that I live 5 minutes from a Target but somehow didn't make it there until 7 pm, you shouldn't be surprised. Before I went, I checked the website - crashed. Drove to the store and EVERYTHING was gone. The perfect blanket throw, gone. The patterned tights, no more. Seriously. I'm pretty sure the only items left were a toddler bikini bottom and a candle. I almost saw hope in the above shoes (truly the #1 thing I wanted, I could see their subtle perfection with every single one of my outfits this fall) hanging out on an endcap, but obviously not in my size. (Though you're delusional if you think I didn't try to squeeze into them anyway.) So when I got home, I flipped open my computer to browse the collection, disappointed, and saw that my target.com browser had magically refreshed....and when I clicked to the "Missoni Women's Accessories & Shoes" section there was one shoe not sold out. My shoe. In my size. Now that's fate.

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

All Things Green

So lately, I have become addicted to all things green. Seriously, as we speak, I'm eating green soup. This all stems from an encounter a few weeks ago with these -



They are like crack for me. Seriously, and they're not even that low-calorie, considering that I can eat a whole bag in one sitting and one bag is equivalent to basically an entire meal. In addition, they cost $5.99, at the Whole Paycheck store (i.e. Whole Foods).

I blame this on Mama Pea (vegan blogger extraordinaire). God knows I love the woman - I like to call her my vegan savior, because ever since we made the switch, she seems to be the only recipe inventor I can find who genuinely satisfies Darrell. If you haven't seen her blog yet, you must go check it out HERE. And you can buy her book HERE. Even if you aren't vegan, I promise almost all of her recipes are worth making!

Thankfully, rather than desert me to come up with a way to fit in a second job in order to keep my kale chip habit up, she offers a delicious, and healthier alternative.

BBQ Kale Chips (slightly modified from the original to be a little spicier.)

• 1 t. paprika
• 1 t. garlic salt
• 1/4 t. sugar
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/4 t. cayenne
  
• 1 head organic kale (I like the pre-sliced bags at Trader Joe's & Whole Foods)
  

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Wash and tear kale into chip sized pieces and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl combine all spices.
• Spray kale with cooking spray and then sprinkle with spice blend.
• Bake kale chips for 15-25 minutes, checking every 10 minutes. Chips should be light and crisp, but watch them so they don’t burn.

So good!

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse