Lazy Sunday

Wilson keeps trying to convince me that I ought to get another job because I have every night and weekend off. You know what though? No. No way. Not the good life. His argument is that the good life is early retirement, but frankly, I'd rather enjoy bits of the good life where I can now. Like Sunday mornings.

A local radio station has a great program on Sundays (The Sunday Sessions from 10 am - 12pm) that's all acoustic/stripped performances of great alternative songs. WFNX or 101.7 FM in the Boston area. Right now they're playing an acoustic version of The Ting Tings "That's Not My Name." It's awesome.

You know what else is awesome. My mom. That's right. I'm not too proud to say that my mom rocks. Miss SJ put together a care package for me that includes four jars of PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful and 5 cans of Libby's pumpkin. So I can stop hoarding what I have and use it in delicious albeit every day things like oatmeal.



Over-the-Top Pumpkin Pie Oats
3/4 cup water
dash salt
1/4 cup mix of rolled oats, oat bran, and steel cut oats
1 small banana, sliced
1/2 cup of pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Bring water to a boil, add oat mix, salt, and sliced banana. Whisk! Cover and let cook approximately 4-6 minutes, whisking intermittently until the banana "melts" into the oats. Add pumpkin and spices, vanilla at the end, whisk! Pour into bowl. (Make sure bowl is big enough!) 

Optional topping: PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful and Nature's Path Hemp Seed Granola
(If I had graham crackers or Biscoff cookies, you'd bet your patooty they'd be crumbled on top.)

Fluffy and delicious, oh yes.

Not the laziest vegan in the world, but close.

From Candle Cafe's Facebook

For most of my life I've heard that I'm lazy. It's not entirely inaccurate. It certainly is something that I have a proclivity toward and something at which I excel. I wouldn't say that I'm the laziest vegan in the world, and not because that title has already been taken,  but it's been a common thread in my life. In fact, I'm kind of convinced I should have been born a cat.

Ok, so what does laziness have to do with "la bonne vie?" Well, sometimes the good life is comfort food, and sometimes (often) I'm too lazy to cook. Enter Candle Cafe macaroni and vegan cheese frozen entree. Creamy, topped with a sprinkle of Daiya, it definitely hit the spot on this chilly autumn day. The serving is a bit small, but the noodles are good, and it's all warm and melty.

This is my first time trying one of Candle Cafe's frozen entrees, but I was definitely tempted to get it after reading a review. After seeing a $1 off coupon in Whole Food's Whole Deal Newsletter and a $1 coupon on the package, I decided to buy it for a rainy day, and I'm glad I did. I probably won't buy this regularly, but I will certainly buy it again.

That is, if I'm not too lazy.

Shop It To Me: What I Want Thursday

I don't always open my Sale Mail on Thursday, but sometimes I'll do a cursory glance. It's not that I don't think Shop it to Me is doing a good job, it's that I'm a bit bored with fashion right now. There is one trend that I can get behind though, and I know it'll make you laugh.

Alice and Olivia at ShopBop.com

Palazzo pants. That's right, Palazzo pants. High-waisted ones at that. One of my favorite things to wear in high school was this teal pair of palazzo pants that I inherited from my mom. I'd wear them with a teal and periwinkle tye-dyed T-shirt. Yes, it was as awesome/atrocious as it sounds. Sometimes I'd tie on a little practice ballet skirt that a friend gave me. I wonder if there were such a thing as fashion blogs then, if I would have been Tavi before Tavi was the Style Rookie. Actually, I think this was before Tavi was born. Yikes. Let's not go there.

These days wide-legged trousers like these and a fitted button down shirt a la Katherine Hepburn is very elegant look, pretty far removed from my hippie-dippy past and the bohemian trend that seems to never, ever die.

Also in my Sale Mail today is this wallet from Marc by Marc Jacobs. I am not particularly obsessed with it by any means, but I was intrigued when I saw the description as "faux leather." Yes. This. More vegan-friendly Marc by Marc, please. Thanks.

 'Animal Q' at Nordstrom.com in Black Multi 

Peony Multi

Playing Hooky with Wilson

OK, neither of us were actually playing hooky. Yesterday was Wilson's day off, so I took a vacation day. Our conflicting schedules mean I don't see him nearly as much as I'd like to!

I tagged along with him on errands, and I got to go to Grasshopper for lunch! Hooray! How did I get to go there with the curmudgeonly omnivore? Wilson misunderstood my response to his question: Only vegan food? I said it's Asian food so it doesn't matter, and he took that to mean there was meat. What I really meant is that in most Asian dishes, I think it's all about the preparation, sauces, and spices, and I don't think one can tell so much if you're eating chicken or gluten. Finally, an instance where something is lost in translation and I gain!

Wilson, look happy about eating vegan food!

We were still in time for the lunch specials, so I ordered the Battered Gluten with Steamed Vegetables in Sweet and Sour Sauce. Wilson kind of refused to order, asking for "vegetables and rice" only. Well, that's what he got—Stir-fried Assorted Fresh Vegetables and white rice. Mine came with a Hot and Sour Soup starter, and I chose a side of brown rice. 

Spicy Hot and Sour Soup

The Hot and Sour Soup was really tasty. (I'm learning it's difficult to capture how tasty some food is in a picture though; sorry if this looks a little gross!)

No Name listed on lunch menu as Battered Gluten in Sweet and Sour Sauce with Veggies

My main dish was basically a smaller portion of Grasshopper's famous "No Name." The lunchtime portion means I only have enough for two meals instead of four.

Stir-fried Assorted Fresh Vegetables

Wilson ordered for the regular menu, so he was given enough food for four meals.

We left full and happy; although, Wilson did mention that he'd pay me back for tricking him. (The vegan kids know what I'm talking about.) But hey, it'll all work out in the end. 

Warning: Vegan Rage Level 4 (Slightly Elevated)

Does eating this seem difficult? (Image from Daily Candy: Boston.)

An article on Boston.com decrees going vegan: Not easy. Or rather, easier talked about then acted upon. What a load of malarky.

Don't get me wrong, going and being vegan can be incredibly frustrating at times, but I would not call it DIFFICULT. If you're committed to the decision, it's just something you do.

It's certainly not as hard in Boston, where we have several vegan and vegetarian restaurants, and more and more restaurants are offering a vegan entree option or are willing to whip something up.

The intrepid reporter appears to have staked out Allston's Peace O' Pie to find sources for this article. Which is a gimme and a little lazy, in my opinion. It doesn't even sound as though she walked two doors up to Grasshopper (another vegan restaurant) to find additional interview subjects.  

Don't eat, use, or wear animal products. Be specific in restaurant (I don't eat cheese, cream, milk, butter, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, or anything with those ingredients or cooked with those ingredients. Annoying? Yes. Difficult? No.) Read labels. Be diligent, persistent, and vocal.

BOOM. Done.

And if you don't want to be vegan? That's cool. I'm not judging you. Honestly! And yes, I'll still share my cookies.

More Everyday Luxuries

I used to spend money. A lot of money. It was money that I didn't have, and it went toward things that I didn't need.

I had a wake-up call, as many of us have during the last few years given the ECONOMIC CRISIS, and now I'm sticking to a budget. Mostly. I'm not going to tell you that it's easy, but so far it's been working for me. I've been tracking all of my bills, spending, and income with Google calendar. It's not the most advanced system, but I like being able to see everything laid out day-by-day, what I spend when and where, when bills will be withdrawn, and when I'm getting paid.

I will say of my prior spending: It was fun while it lasted. One of my favorite ways to indulge was to get a manicure and pedicure. It wouldn't be unusual for me to go once or twice a month. When it comes down to spending that money now, I've several better places for it to go. (Mostly it goes into my belly, and I'm very happy with that.) Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't not buy fancy groceries before, I just would do that AND get manicures. AND buy coffee out everyday. AND pick up a cute pair of flats because they were a good deal, I mean, it's only $25, right? Except that it all adds up.

That being said, it still feels really luxurious, like I'm living la bonne vie, when I'm well groomed. Two of the areas that I think make the biggest difference (besides general hygiene) are eyebrows and fingernails. These are also two of the things that GASP! I've started doing myself.

I'm certainly no professional, but with practice I've grown proficient in both areas. (I think.)



Here are some of the products I used in my last manicure, SpaRitual Instinctual Organic Moisturizing Lotion, butter LONDON Horse Power Nail Strengthener, butter LONDON All Hail the Queen enamel, butter LONDON Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat, and Sinful Colors Quick Dry. After removing old polish, I used a cuticle remover cream (be natural cuticle eliminator) and pushed back the cuticles. Then I washed my hands and dried them thoroughly before polishing with base coat, two coats of enamel, and top coat. I followed up with a swipe of Quick Dry. Once nails were dry, I used a ton of lotion and cuticle oil (Nail-Aid Cuticle Cure).

And, since Ulta is currently having a buy two get one free on butter LONDON nail polishes, I thought I'd show you my new favorite neutral.

Photos don't really do it justice (or at least my photos) as this taupe has a fine, holographic shimmer that makes it remarkable.

All Hail the Queen!




Methinks I should have gotten a picture before it started chipping? Although, after four days of wear, this isn't too bad.

It's only my first butter LONDON manicure, but so far I love the formula (thin, but good coverage in two coats), and the durability is on par with most polish in this price range.

That being said, I'll probably only buy it on sale, because that's the economically responsible thing to do.

(butter LONDON is a 3-Free/non-toxic English brand of polishes and nail treatments. More information available on their site here. Be sure to check out their dictionary for a fun explanation of polish names, lest you be confused and think the name 'Bluey' comes from the color being blue.)

They may not look pretty...

But they sure did taste good.

I feel like that sounds like something my father would say. Or at least I'm thinking of him saying it in his accent, and it's funny. (Think stereotypical hillbilly drawl, but do so lovingly.)

Many of my friends get incredibly excited about Fall due to the return of the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. The last few years it's been incredibly too sweet for me, even when I get only two pumps instead of the usual four. So now that I'm vegan and won't be having them anyway, I don't feel like I'm missing anything.*

Lest you label me an Autumnal Scrooge, please know that I love pumpkin! I do! Why just this morning I ate pumpkin pancakes! And I had to share.



They may not be my most photogenic subject, but they were pretty darned tasty. I had a Sandra Lee semi-homemade moment, as I usually do with pancakes, and as always, I didn't really measure a thing. I guess if I'm going to be sharing things with people, I should start measuring?

The mix I've been using is Cherrybrook Kitchen, and I am very happy with it. I mean, pankcakes! It's good for kiddos with allergies or vegans, and it's available at Whole Foods (and probably other places as allergies become more commonplace).

I started with 1/2 cup mix. The smallest quantity on the directions is seven pancakes, which I have no business making (and subsequently eating until I'm in a food coma), so I always cut the recipe in half. Standard recipe calls for rice milk (or milk of choice) and oil. I usually substitute apple sauce for the oil, as meh, why not? I got some of the little unsweetened apple sauce cups, and they're perfect for cases such as these.

This morning though, as I was lying awake with a terrible headache, I thought, why not use pumpkin instead of the apple sauce? But the half recipe oil sub of 1 TBS just wouldn't do. So I mixed 1/2 cup mix, 1/2 cup pumpkin, and poured is some unsweetened almond milk until it started to look like pancake batter. It  didn't really, so I put in some more mix. And then some more almond milk. And then I shrugged and thought to myself, whatever, let's fry 'em.

The secret to pumpkin flavored things is Pumpkin Pie Spice. I put a good hardy shake of that and a glug of vanilla and another half stir while my frying pan preheated.



Like I said, they aren't pretty, but they sure did taste good. While it's omnipresent this fall, throw a can of pumpkin into your cart. (I like the organic canned pumpkin at Whole Foods, but I'm kind of weird about things.) You'll be surprised all the places you can stir a spoonful in. Well, unless your vegan, then maybe you know that it's a great substitute for eggs.**

Heck, some wacky New York Best-Selling author puts pumpkin in smoothies!

I hope you are having a beautiful Fall day, and if you're not, mix in a spoonful of pumpkin.

*Pumpkin spice syrup contains dairy state by several sources found via Google. I'm not really concerned about investigating further because, as stated, I don't like 'em.
**Depending on what you're making, if the pumpkin flavor may effect the end product positively or what purpose the egg serves in the recipe, i.e. to bind or to moisten.

I'm going through changes.

So the blog revamp--what can you expect? Well, someday if I get off my lazy bum, I'll create a new header! (Submissions welcome.) The biggest change is a shift in focus. You may or may not have noticed the change in subhead from "Qui adore la mode" to "Qui adore la bonne vie." If you didn't don't worry. If you did, you get extra points*.

Sometimes "the good life" connotes an image of luxury and opulence, but fear not, that's not what I'm going for. Or maybe I am, but more in the way of everday luxuries. Recently I ran in a relay race called Reach the Beach. This is kind of shocking for a lot of reasons. First, it was my first race ever!


Number 1 for first race, not for me being number one; although, I was pleased with my time.

Second, it was with STRANGERS! Seriously look at those silly kids!


Third, it went on for more than 24 hours, and there were NO SHOWERS! (See post-race photo above. Be glad it's not scratch 'n' sniff.)

Needless to say, coming home to take a hot shower and put on clean pajamas was one of the most luxurious feelings ever. My bed has never felt so soft, my husband never so snuggly.

I'm so proud of myself for doing it; It was miles outside of my comfort zone, but I had a great time and met some amazing people.

Other everyday luxuries? The joy of riding a bike on a sunny day! Seriously, when was the last time you road a bike? It is so much fun. Also, eating good food. I know people say 'eat to live, don't live to eat," but food can be such a simple joy. (Cough, especially when it's plant-based whole foods, cough.) Seriously though, I've never felt better than when I'm eating real food. I'm not talking about health food necessarily either. Just simple ingredients.



Don't worry, there will still be plenty of fashion, too, with a little beauty sprinkled in, because yes, I do know what the best vegan mascara is, and yes, I will share.

(Race photos courtesy of Steve Gintz)

*Point redeemable for photos of baby animals that I find on the internets.

Guess who's back?

It's been a while. I'm planning on revamping ye olde blogge, but for now, I wanted to get a post in about MOFO! MOFO is the vegan month of food, where bloggers try to post bunches about delicious vegan food.

Those wacky vegans. Always telling people about their delicious food.

So what do vegans eat? I'm probably not the best at answering this right now, because I have a cold, and I'm grumpy.

That being said, there is one thing that I'm grooving on right now. It's packs a nutrient punch, is delicious, and I'm sure will probably KO this cold shortly. Also, Wilson refuses to go around it, so it's all for me.

Behold, the green smoothie.




Many 'healthy living' bloggers rock on the green smoothie, so for some of you, this is nothing new. I don't ever really measure anything I make, but I'll give you the approximation of this tall glass of awesome.

'Tropical' Green Smoothie
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup almond milk (I prefer unsweetened original)
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/3 cup frozen pineapple
1 TBS protein powder (I used Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein)
1 TBS peanut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful from Peanut Butter & Co).
1/4 cup of orange juice (To get it blending and for EVEN MORE VITAMINS!)

Blend on med-high for approximately a minute and a half. I blend until it seems liquidity. Sometimes I don't, and I pretend that it's soft serve and eat it like that. Either way, it's awesome.

AND, LOOK AT ALL THAT SPINACH! (Bee tee dubs, you can't taste it!)

Inspiration Ignition

Today's Style Stalker email from Who What Wear Daily features San Francisco blogger Blair Eadie. Finally, without a doubt, I feel the stirring in my soul of fashion inspiration. I've never read Ms. Eadie's blog, Atlantic-Pacific, so I mosied on over. Eadie has something that feels at once girlish, fresh, and sophisticated at the same time. I'm broke as a joke right now, but you'd better believe that I'm going to scrape my pennies together for a pair of denim cut offs.

The Coveted Rant

OK, so I'm not the best fashion blogger in the world. In fact, sometimes I do things and forget (or am too lazy) to "cover" them. It happens.

Long story short, one fashion week I was able to go to the IFB Evolving Influence panel discussion, and it was amazing. All of the heavy hitters were on the panel, and I learned a lot of technical marketing type stuff if I really wanted to 'monetize' my blog. This is certainly not my full time job, so I just absorbed everything and took notes, but I didn't put too much into practice.

At the panel I was blown away by the elegance and poise of Ms. Jennine from The-Coveted. She's just a really cool, smart lady who is as chic sartorially as she is whipsmart with business acumen.

That's one of the many reasons I'm so disheartened and sad to hear of her latest woes surrounding a group of people that are infringing upon her brand. The OTHER Coveted is blah blah blah. Check Refinery for the info if you like, but seriously? I am outraged and cannot support this in the least bit. I was so put off that Daily Candy mentioned it today, that I might cancel my subscription to their email newsletter. You can read about her response here.

Basically I'm just writing this post to say, "BOO!!" And I think you should know about it, and I think you should be anti-, too.

Just my $0.02.

ETA: Petition up here. Or buy some bad ass Wendy Brandes rings, and Wendy will donate cash to Jennine. I don't have the cash, nor the occasion to wear a ring that says, "F@#!" but it's pretty cool.

Fashion Inspiration from Unlikely Sources--Shocked?!

I tossed Women's Health magazine in the cart yesterday at Whole Foods along with bananas and blueberries. (I know, right? I wasn't kidding when I said I've gone through some changes.) I haven't changed that much though.

One of the Style + Beauty Lab section stories jumped out at me "Stylish by Nature." It isn't your typical hippie chic story. In fact it could be a chic, chic story. It also introduced me to an online boutique that I've never visited, which is a feet in and of itself.

What stood out the most?

This Moto Jacket in Cognac $62.

Of course, black is a little more me. (Motorcycle jacket $78)

And you can continue to get in touch with your inner bad ass with this Thumb & Index Ring $30.

OK, maybe you can find a little hippie-chic on the site.

Peace Love World At Peace Crew Fleece $78

If you had over to the site, be sure to check out the celeb style section!


Don't be shocked if get myself a birthday present from here!

To continue my bag lust, please see mattandnat.com!

Matt & Nat are the BOMB for any fashion lover, but an absolute God-send for the vegan fashionista.

They are also on sale today at Rue La La. I'm not crazy about what they're featuring in this sale, but I love that Rue La La is selling Matt & Nat.

It did, however, inspire me to check out the company's newer offerings. Oh yeah, and I fell in love.


I've been heading more toward neutral hued bags, but for some reason I just absolutely adore this. And how long have I been coveting a satchel? Seriously. It's starting to get ridiculous. (My birthday is in March, kthxbye).

Vegan Dreams are Made of These

Chelsea Boots from MaraisUSA


Pebbled Cross Body Mini from Need Supply Co. currently sold out

Who am I to disagree?

Oh Hai! Happy New Year!

Hello, stranger! Ok, so I'm the stranger round these parts. Where have you been? You may be wondering. Either that or you didn't notice that I haven't blogged since last July.

Well, a lot of things have happened, and not very much has happened at all, if that makes sense. I grew increasingly uninspired by my sartorial options as my body ballooned. I decided around my one year wedding anniversary that enough is enough! And I started to get in shame. (Ok, I admit that I was also inspired by Jackie Warner's Thintervention on Bravo. What? I love Jackie's style, especially when she wore a Debbie Harry T to the 'getting your sexy back' themed episode. She has that kind of moto/tom-boy style that I've always loved, but I was really too short and chubby to replicate it and feel comfortable/attractive.

Long story short, I buy her book, realize I've been addicted to refined sugar and processed foods for the last, oh, 28 years, so I changed my diet, started working out, and I've lost 19 pounds.

I read a couple of other books while getting my health groove on, one of which was Skinny Bitch. I picked it up thinking I'm just going to look for ideas, I'm not going to go vegan or anything crazy.

Except that Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin really made a lot of sense. And after I'd started to 'eat clean' I had fewer meat/dairy cravings.

Then I read Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz. Then I watched Earthlings.

I came out of the closet, as a vegan.

Yep. So needless to say, I didn't get that Marc by Marc Jacobs bag I last posted about.