How Annoying Are: Can Openers!

Mike and I were making dinner last night, as usual, and I grabbed the can opener so I could get started on the tomato sauce for our tilapia, and whatta ya know?  The damn opener gets stuck mid-way and the top of my canned tomatoes is nearly impossible to get off without slicing my finger off.

ARG! Why do can openers suck so bad?  We can put a man on the moon, but we can't invent a decent instrument to open cans with?  This boggles my mind.

For all you cooks out there - is there a decent can opener on the market that actually works, and will continue to work after 10 uses?  If so, let me know please!

Sunday Dinner

It's a cold Sunday night here in DC, and Mike and I decided that an easy, yet satisfying Sunday dinner was in order.  So what did we have?  See below!

Eggs for our chicken cutlets

Our blend of Italian breadcrumbs

Cutlets ready for the oven

Fresh spinach with garlic and olive oil

Penne pasta with spinach, garlic and oil and chicken cutlets

So, whatever you had for Sunday dinner I hope it was yummy!  Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

How Annoying Are: Backpacks

I officially decided yesterday that backpacks should only be worn by people on camping trips and school aged children, period.

It's confusing to me that a grown man wearing a suit, on his way to work, would choose to throw on a giant, overstuffed backpack rather than carry a nice briefcase, or cross-body messenger bag.  Day after day I see men and women walking to work with these ridiculously large, ugly backpacks on, and I think to myself, that's a really awful look.

Not only do they look unprofessional, but they look immature somehow.  Like they're on their way to 8th grade biology class.  Not to mention that fact that if they turn around too fast they make knock a few people over with their monstrous pack...

A word to the wise people...backpacks are good for carrying food stuffs when hiking, or camping.  They're also good for carrying books and pencils when you're a student.  But they are not good for adult professionals to wear while commuting to work.

P.S.  You know those teeny-weeny backpacks that some women also carry?  Yea, I hate those too.

Happy Spring!

I sense some shopping on the horizon!  Lightweight cardigans, cotton dresses and skirts, being able to layer and peel off  your clothes throughout the day to reveal another great look...

The birds are chirping, the breeze is refreshing, and the sun is warm, but not blistering.  So, get out there and enjoy Spring!

Spring shopping report to come soon...

Girl Time

Remember the episode of SATC when Carrie is in Paris and looks into the window of a cafe to see four girlfriends sitting together, laughing and gossiping, and it reminds her of her best girlfriends back home in NYC?  Well, lately I've been missing my girlfriends back in NYC and it just reinforced the fact that girl time is essential to a woman's life!

Don't get me wrong.  I love my husband and I really enjoy spending time with him, but sometimes I just need to be with the girls and that's just the way it is. 

So, I'm dedicating this post to all my girlies back home in NYC!!  And to all the ladies out there -- spend some QT with your girlfriends today...they're the best!

Not too Farfetched!

One of my favorite shopping websites, farfetch, is highlighting the hottest new looks straight off the runway of Paris Fashion Week.  What I love is that when you go to the website, they give you an overview and brief history of various French fashion houses and designers like Balmain, YSL, and Givenchy.  There is also a French style guide so you too can obtain that oh so chic Parisian look!

I think this is way cool and I'm looking forward to learning more about these iconic designers and then shopping their designs!

You can learn more too here.

The Ugly Shoe Train

I know that I may sound a little bitchy when saying this, because they stand for a good cause and all, but I hate Toms Shoes!  They are so hideously ugly and they are EVERYWHERE.

First came the foot shaped running shoes, which made me want to hurl, and now it's the classic canvas Toms shoes that I'm seeing women wear everyday.  What's up with this?  These Toms shoes look like really bad fake versions of Classic Keds -- which I totally endorse, by the way.  At least Keds are classic and they actually have some structure to them.

The only style of Toms shoes that I can stomach are the canvas wedges.  They, I will admit are cute and reasonably priced.

Okay, okay, I know that with every shoe you purchase from Toms a child in need receives a new pair of shoes, which is really a great movement and I stand behind it, but good lord, can't the shoes they sell be any cuter?! 

All right, I'm done, and now I feel terrible.  Maybe I'll jump on the ugly shoe train for a good cause...then again, maybe not.

Compliments

Do you own an article of clothing, or a favorite accessory that you always get compliments on?  Well, I do.  I'm wearing it today and I call it my Spring sweater because it's bright yellow with white stitching, and to me yellow and white are fun and fresh Spring-y colors.

Every time I wear my Spring sweater, I get tons of compliments, which I love!  Today a girl in the bathroom at work was just gushing at how adorable my sweater is.  "Where did you get it?"  she asked.  I told her it was from Anthropologie and that it's at least 4 years old!

Anyway, it just goes to show you that well made, cute clothes are timeless and make you feel good!  Here are two picutres of me in my Spring sweater. These are from our engagement pictures almost three years ago.



The sweater is by Moth -- isn't she cute?



I realize that I am making a funny face here, but I had just heard a very funny story...

What do you own that you get tons of compliments on?  And don't the compliments make you feel great?!

Back to Reality

I wish I was on that boat on warm waters, sailing into the sunset...

It's amazing how fast a person can become wound up again after being completely relaxed for 4 days.  My walk to work today was extremely trying on my nerves.  Although it is sunny here in Washington D.C. it is also very windy and rather chilly.  I guess temperatures in the upper 40's will seem cold to someone who has just returned from a place where the high's were in the mid to upper 80's.

Anyway, our trip was fantastic and I suppose that I'm just bitter about being back in the office and back in the cold.  The good news is that Spring is just around the corner, so it won't be cold for much longer.

The problem now is, how do I get my tan to stick around?

Old San Juan

Yesterday was another great day in PR.  We spent the morning at the beach and pool, and then headed into Old San Juan for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Old San Juan is a beautiful place.  The architecture is colonial style and all the houses are painted bright pinks, yellows, greens, and blues.

Old San Juan was once completely walled and what were once fortresses where armed soldiers kept a lookout for enemies arriving by sea, are now publicly accessible, and really fun to visit.  The city is very European-esque with winding blue cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes.

Definitely a must see when you travel to PR.  Here are some pictures from Old San Juan.

Castillo San Cristobal

Cannon balls

View from Castillo San Cristobal

San Juan Cathedral - the oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere

Cementario Maria Magdalena de Pazzis and El Morro in the background.

A sidewalk cafe menu.

Hasta luego!

Hola!

Here we are in lovely, sunny Puerto Rico!  Last night for dinner we tried mofongo stuffed with ropa vieja and it was dee-lish!  We are having a great time so far.  We've been laying by the pool all day, and tomorrow we'll head into Old San Juan for some sightseeing and shopping.  Here are some pics from our hotel.  Hope you're all enjoying your Wednesday!

One of the four infinity pools looking out onto the ocean.

Other hotels along the beach.

From a balcony.