On A Golden Afternoon

This Sunday I spent my day like most Sundays, doing nothing. First I went to the gym where they were playing Avatar, a particularly good movie to run to. Especially since they usually play Legally Blonde or random war movies starring Sandra Bullock. Those movies make me stare at the minutes and miles passing, anticipating when it hits the 3 mile mark. After the gym, I showered and got ready for the day. Then I begged my brother to go to the library with me, which he declined numerous times. So off I went to the library all by myself to rent me some movies.I originally went there to pick up Singing In The Rain and Wait Until Dark, which I had seen previously when Colin and I were browsing the selections, but he said they were too old ladyish for him. Both movies were checked out but I managed to find Funny Face and Penelope (one I haven't seen yet). So it worked out nicely.

It began to rain when I left the library so I went and got some coffee to warm me up. My cinnamon dolce latte did the trick. I then drove to Target to get the rest of my essentials for the week. I wandered around aimlessly in Target like I usually do, checking out the dollar section and searching for sale items. In the end I only got the things I needed: shaving cream, toothpaste, mascara, sponge wedges, and Sherlock Holmes on bluray (which was also an essential). I went home, put my clean clothes away, washed my sheets, dusted & vacuumed my room, cleaned Mugwomp's kitty litter, ate dinner (delicious lettuce wraps with a patte, tomatoes and avocado), blogged, and now I'm ready to nestle into my chair and watch my movies and get ready for another long week.

New Clothes

Finally, the clothes I ordered from asos.com arrived in the mail. For almost two weeks now I have been checking my mail box everyday for these little black packages to come. After running into the house and ripping open the tape and plastic I tried on each shirt, they all fit perfectly. Its a good thing too because shipping back to London would have been horrendous. So here are the three new additions to my closet.

Left: ASOS Plain Bib Stripe Shirt. Middle: ASOS Rivet Detail Military Cardigan. Right: ASOS Tab Shoulder Shirt.

Travelin'

Colin and Ross made it to Beijing, went to The Great Wall, then to Yangzhou, to visit a friend, and now they are in Shanghai, where they are having the Shanghai, China Expo 2010! It sounds like they are having so much fun over there! I'm missing him but I got a phone call from him on Thursday, I just about died I was so happy! Only three more weeks.

Here is a link to their blog.

Here is a link to their location when they were on The Great Wall...of China.

China Trip

Colin is officially in China and I couldn't miss him more! Luckily I can semi keep in touch with him through email and I get to periodically see where he's at via Google Maps. Yesterday I received my first transmission from Colin and Ross, they are safely in Beijing having a grand old time. The map location I received was of them in The Forbidden City! So only 30 more days till he's back. HERE is the most recent Google Map location of them, and HERE is the blog they will be posting at!

Brownies For The Journey

My boyfriend Colin is leaving to backpack through China for a month and I am going to miss him terribly. So before he left I decided to make him some brownies. Using a recipe of my moms, I made him delicious chocolate cheesecake brownies. Me, being not the greatest cook, and having to listen to the recipe over the phone, I put them in the wrong pan. They were supposed to go into a cookie sheet, and I put them in a brownie pan. So they were more like cake brownies than actual brownies. Surprisingly they turned out ok and tasted really good. I will have to perfect the delectable brownies and make a better batch. But here are some pictures of them!

Summer Essentials

Summer is slowly making its debut with the occasional 60 degree weather and sunny days. But soon enough the sun will be too hot and the layers will be coming off. So slap on the spf 45 sunscreen for my hot Summer Essentials for 2010.

Dress: Everyone needs the perfect summer dress and as always Anthropologie, Around The World Dress will do the trick. It will take you to sunny hills and crashing waves, with its cool linen fabric and flowy silhouette, with ease.

Swimsuit: Usually I like a good swimsuit from Victoria's Secret but when I received the Roxy catalog in the mail I knew this one was a must have. The solid pink frills and the shape, I just adore it! With the Surf Essential Bikini, the beach just got sweeter.

Movie: Toy Story 1: Amazing, Toy Story 2: So much fun, Toy Story 3: Cannot wait! Yes its a kids movie but I absolutely adore these movies. I love the characters and the jokes, its an all around good movie. Woody, Buzz, Jesse and the gang are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. Although at first excited by their new surroundings, and the seemingly friendly toys who also live at the center it isn't long before they become determined to return home. In theaters June 18th.

Recipe: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt I am in love with frozen yogurt, I can't get enough of it! Here is a delicious recipe to make your own summer treat.

1lb strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2/3 cup sugar
optional: 2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often. Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds. Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Handbag: Its spring and everything is floral. Floral belts, floral dresses, floral jewelry. My floral pick? ASOS Canvas Floral Holdall.

Activities: Summer is the best time to do all kind of activities. My favourites are camping, hiking, swimming, running, BBQ's, bonfires, playing sports, vacations...pretty much anything fun to do in the summer I will be doing it. Also I will be taking a wonderful California trip with Colin in August!

Drink: Mmmm ice coffee! Its simply the best in the summer. I always go for the Iced Chai. One sip and of the fresh, spicy, sweet and milky drink, and you'll feel like you've been transported to India. Enjoy it from Starbucks.

Book: This summer be sure to check out the much antisipated Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Game Series by Suzanne Collins. I cannot wait for this book to be released August 24th. Be sure to check out the review at For A Rainy Day.

The Plan

I try and run almost everyday and do pilates the days I don't run. But I can't seem to loose those pounds, casually sitting where they shouldn't be. So as Spring is slowly creeping into the month of May, and when I say slowly I mean it snowed just last week but its coming, those last few pounds need to be shed before swim suit season. I recently bought a 4lb medicine ball specifically for this 8 week workout, and can't wait to start it. You want to do this workout 3 days a week on nonconsecutive days, and complete 3 sets of each exercise, performing the number of reps indicated at the end of each move before you go on to the next. Also you should do a 30 to 60 minute cardio workout on 2 of the days you don't strength train. So without further adieu, The Plan...

First you begin every strength move with a 5 minutes of any light cardio. There are 4 Zones to target specific parts of your body. Zone 1: Abs, Zone 2: Butt, Zone 3: Upper Body, Zone 4: Hips & Thighs. Each Zone works you hard and keeps your blood pumping.

To check out the entire work out Click Here. Also there are a lot of different workout with medicine balls to help tone up but not bulk up.

Books And Quiche

Today I left work a bit early because well its Monday and frankly I didn't want to be there. Also I had forgotten to pack my self a lunch so I decided to leave, go get a quiche from Paradise Cafe and read A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bra, a new book I'm reading for my book blog.Now I am glad to be at home, and getting ready to go to the gym!