the daily julie

Hi! I’m Julie and I read all the Twilight Books. And I found the...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:12:00 -0500

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Hi! I’m Julie and I read all the Twilight Books.

And I found the trailer for Eclipse.

I’ve summed the movie up in a few sentences if you don’t want to watch the trailer:

ZOMG! Edward or Jacob? Edward or Jacob? I want to be a vampire! Edward or Jacob? Victoria! ACK!

You know where to find me on June 30. See you there, trillas.

(Update: For some reason, the Interwebz likes to make me look bad. I promise the video above worked at one point, but now it looks like a bunch of poo. Here’s the link to the video if you see poo, too.)

I’d like to take a moment from my usual awesome blogging...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:18:00 -0500

I’d like to take a moment from my usual awesome blogging to call your attention to something nasty.

If you are a smoker DO NOT THROW YOUR USED BUTTS OUT THE CAR WINDOW.

They do not go to some magical place full of wrinkly fairies and ashy sparkles. Nope, they just accumulate on the side of the road, fyi. And they also probably kill fish and babies. I snapped this photo while sitting at a stoplight earlier this afternoon. And trust me, the row of yuck was much longer than my camera could capture.

If you insist on smoking, keep your butt and put it in the trash instead of littering.

And if you insist on being a loser/litterbug, you better look over your shoulder next time you toss a butt. Jason has been known to see someone toss their used stick of puke, roll his window down and yell, “Hey! YOU DROPPED SOMETHING!”

You’ve been warned.

Christian Siriano for Payless Do we think these are walkable?

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:31:00 -0500

Christian Siriano for Payless

Do we think these are walkable?

Also, there is this

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:29:00 -0500

1. I just farted really loud in my office. I thought that it would come out dainty and quiet-like, but it didn’t and now I am sitting here pretending it wasn’t me, even though I am pretty sure everyone knows it was me. I blame you, fat free refried beans.

2. In addition to all that food I ate yesterday, I also drank a lot of water. So, that’s supposed to be good for me, even if I really hate having to pee. (truth: I got it down to only having to go once/day when I was younger)

3. This Kate Spade purse makes me really, really happy because it’s so pretty but also really, really sad because it’s $400 and I know I should spend that money on more “important” things like a lawnmower and grass seed (BARF!). Wait, hold on a minute. There is someone at my door. Oh, hiiiiiii birthday on Monday, March 29, 2010, how arrrrrre you?

4. If you are in need of some working woman clothes on the inexpensive side, check out my girl Apple’s closet. She selling some of her “sure to get you promoted” clothes along with some cute casual wares (and the most perfect vintage cowboy boots for a size 7.5 girl… aka not me. sadz.)

5. GO PACK! 9pm tonight. YOU CAN DO IT! COME ON! FOR ONCE! PLEEEASE!

6. My fingers smell like the orange I just ate and that is nice.

A Wednesday in Food

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:53:00 -0500

After my post on what I do to stay in “shape” (use of quotes necessary), I had a couple readers e-mail me inquiring about the specifics of what I actually eat. So, to satisfy these inquisitive ~~weirdos~~ nice people who want to see how I stuff my face, I’m going to try to keep a log of what I eat every Wednesday to share with you on Thursday. This will be thrilling, mostly for me and maybe for you. And if I really get my act together, I’ll remember to take pictures.

And in case you are wondering, I’m sharing what I eat on a Wednesday because that’s smack dab in the middle of my week when I’m at the top of my game in terms of trying to eat healthy. If this log were from the weekend, I can already tell you what it would entail: bacon, beer, chipotle, water, bloody mary, guacamole, beer, waffles, pie.

Breakfast: Smoothie made with 1 banana, 1 cup of frozen cherries, 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp hemp seeds and 1 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 piece of homemade banana bread with a slather of lemon curd; a cup of coffee with organic half and half.

Snack: a taracco orange (variety of a blood orange)

Lunch: 1/2 can of fat free refried beans; 1 chicken enchilada from the frozen section of Trader Joes (TJs); 1/2 of a lumpy bumpy bar from TJs; 1 ferrero rocher

Snack: Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips (from TJs) and salsa (hi. I am not kidding when I say that if you really are what you eat I would be a tortilla chip. there are currently three varieties in my pantry. bye)

Dinner: Wound up going to my parent’s house after work so my original dinner plans were replaced. Filled a third of my plate with chicken penne alfredo and two-thirds with salad.

Rachel Pally Lovin'

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:35:51 -0500

I’ve been a long time fan of Rachel Pally’s easy going and super soft pieces - ever since Jessica Simpson rocked her gauchos on “Newlyweds” and sparked a trend for college girls everywhere.

And honestly, my girl crush has only grown. She’s my first stop when I’m in the market for a jersey dress that I know will be super hawt and that I’ll wear more than once (bc at $200/pop she’s not exactly cheap, but she is good).

The latest looks on RP’s web site feature a model that is not overly thin, nor is she characteristically plus size. She is just… normal looking. And I’m finding that extremely refreshing.

A few of my favorite pieces:

all images via RachelPally.com

Daily Lovely - The 15 dollar store

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:42:28 -0500

Have you ever heard of the 15 dollar store? It is a magical internet place where everything is $15.

Like:

this plaid dress

and

this floral dress with leopard trim

and

this plaid button down shirtdress

and

this sequin and satin white tee

and

this very Olsen-twinish shrug

and

these herring bone t-strap peep toes

and

these red leather wedges.

Now you know.

How do you stay in shape? Do you cut anything out of your diet, or exercise everyday?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:31:00 -0500

When I first saw this question, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Honestly, I’m struggling to feel comfortable with my current physique as I’ve gained about 10 pounds over the last several months, mostly due to a complete and utter lack of thinking about what I’m eating and feeling too tired to exercise (excuses, excuses). The beginning of the year I joined a gym (after almost a whole year without any concerted effort to exercise). I also know that if I’m not going to be too tired to work out, I really need to go to bed at a decent hour to get my rest. I am a major night owl so this is definitely a struggle.

It’s still a struggle to find out what sort of diet/exercise regime works best for me now that I’m approaching 30 and can’t rely on my teenage metabolism to get me through life.

For me personally, I find I have been most successful when I eat healthier* foods. I’ve lost weight that way even when I didn’t exercise. But exercise is important for overall well being and fitness, hence the gym. For me, the only way I would ever workout for a whole hour is if I’m in a class, so I like to go to spin class twice a week and a yoga or pilates class once a week. I also know that exercising in the morning plus planning out my meals for the week and prepping them on the weekends ensures a greater chance that I will stick to healthy eating and exercise on any given week. The prior planning and prep makes it a cinch to whip up something fabulous after a long work day or squeeze in a yummy, prepared lunch when I can’t get away from the desk.

But it is a weekly battle. (Case in point, I didn’t work out at all last week.)

So, I guess to answer your question, I try to find what works for me given my schedule, life commitments and motivation. I don’t try to deprive myself of any foods, but rather swap them out for something else equally, if not more satisfying. For example, instead of a bag of peanut m&m’s I’ll break up a 100 calorie-portioned dark chocolate bar from trader joe’s and toss in a handful of peanuts for a decadent treat. Or instead of dipping my veggies in ranch, I dip them in a totally yummy white bean hummus from Trader Joe’s. Can you tell I heart Trader Joe’s? And I definitely don’t exercise every day, but I try to exercise 3-4 days/week, even if one of those days is just grabbing the dog and Jason and strolling for a few miles in the sunshine.

And finally, consistency is key. Even if I do something small, when I do it consistently over many days, I see results.

*I define healthier foods as wholesome foods. I eat only sprouted grain breads. I don’t eat yogurt unless it’s Greek yogurt. I use real creamer in my coffee. And if I want it sweet, I use evaporated sugar cane as opposed to refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. I also buy local meats whenever possible and aim to stock up on fresh veggies on a weekly basis. Stay far, far away from “diet foods.” No one ever got fat from eating avocados or olive oil.

Daily Lovely - Disco ball eye patch, $40 Don’t ask why,...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:37:08 -0500

Daily Lovely - Disco ball eye patch, $40

Don’t ask why, but this speaks to me. It says “Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah, Roma-Roma-ma-ah, Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!”

Cole says Happy Tuesday to you. It should be noted that he...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:11:32 -0500

Cole says Happy Tuesday to you.

It should be noted that he placed that toy there himself. It should also be noted that he’s on the third version of that same toy because he loves it so much. After this weekend, he will be on his fourth.

Caramelized Bananas

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:48:00 -0500

Most Sundays, I whip up brunch for Jason and me. It always involves bacon and typically also involves some sort of bread entree (waffles, pancakes, french toast) and eggs.

I was all set to whip up some waffles when lo and behold I realized that we were out of maple syrup. After arguing about who was going to run to the store and coming to the conclusion that neither of us would, I realized I had all the ingredients to make caramelized bananas. They are a quick, delicious waffle topping for a decadent brunch treat.

Ingredients:

3 bananas, sliced into fairly large chunks

3 tablespoons of corn syrup

6 tablespoons of butter (never said it was healthy)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

To do:

Add your butter to a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the corn syrup and the vanilla extract. No need to wait for your butter to fully melt.

(robe-clad. that’s how I roll on Sundays) Note: I use light corn syrup, but you could also use a dark one; it would just yield a darker caramel color.

Let your buttery mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When it’s ready, it should have darkened slightly and thickened slightly, yielding a buttery, liquid caramel.

Remove the pan from heat and add the bananas. Toss until coated.

Bon Apetit!

The Way I Wore: A hot date to Eric Clapton

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:13:00 -0500

Monday night, Jason picked me up after work, we stopped by the Whole Foods buffet to pick up some dinner and some brews and headed over to Eric Clapton. He was pretty awesome in concert and my date was pretty fab, too.

The Way I Wore

Mustard Lace Cardigan: Rodarte for Target

Gray T-shirt: Alternative Apparel

Funky Skirt: Lllavender (local designer)

Gray Tights: Spanx

Suede Mary Janes: BCBGeneration

Necklace: House of Harlow

My Seksi Date:

And the man with a plan:

p.s. I am due for a bang trim.. they are long and hang in my eyeballs so I have to push them to the side. My hair girl gives free bang trims but how much do you tip on a free bang trim? Anyone know?

Seriously Torn

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:13:00 -0500

Have you ever been so excited to do something but know that you’ll be missing out on something else that will be totally awesome. It’s like how do you choose which awesome thing to pick when you can’t but you have to?

You don’t choose. You just get a DVR. Thank GAWD for technology.

My pal DVR will be recording Gossip Girl while I’m at the Eric Clapton concert tonight. Saving grace.

Factual Monday: A bunch of little facts

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:02:53 -0500

I wear a size 9 shoe.
One of my top 5 requirements in a husband had to be that I could wear heels and he’d still be taller than me. Thanks for being tall, Jason.
Speaking of Jason, my girlfriends and I lovingly refer to him as Hazon amongst ourselves. This is because, he showed up at my townhouse one drunken night in college when I wasn’t there and left a message on our dry erase board signed “Hazon.”
I can pretty much guarantee that anyone who shares my maiden name is related to me.
Growing up we always had weird pets (ferrets, sugar gliders, lizards) because my dad is allergic to cats and dogs.
My dad was not always allergic to cats and dogs
I married the first man I loved. Sometimes I think I am missing out on some part of life because I’ve never really been heartbroken, but then I think that’s probably okay.
My front tooth is 1/5 fake.
Oh, and my bottom teeth are crooked. Maybe braces (again) one day?
My favorite flower is a daffodil.
Sometimes I purposefully weigh myself after going #2 and pretend any weight loss is due to working out.
I get a lot of satisfaction from peeling a sunburn.
Current favorite snack: 1 handful of m&ms, 1 handful of pistachio kernels, 1 handful of goldfish crackers… shoved in mouth.
I am a mixture of both terrified and exhilarated at the thought of having a baby. Right now the terrified part weighs a little more heavily.
I still sleep with my “blankie”
I cannot stand to eat squash (of the acorn variety) and sweet potatoes (unless they are of the fry or pie variety). These foods incite my gag reflex like no other. In fact, as a youngster, my mom thought I was just being a drama queen and made me eat them. Then, one day, I vommed all over the table and she never made me eat them anymore.

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for! The Factual Monday Winner from last week is…

….

SPARKLEOFMYVERYOWN, who writes:

I like to leave random things on people’s doorsteps. Sometimes it’s something good, and sometimes it is something funny, or funny to me. Example: Once, not too long ago, me and a friend left a copy of Purple Rain (the movie) at someone’s door. (I would like to live in your neighborhood)

____________________________________

Now it’s your turn. Go forth and leave your amazing, weird, inspiring, totally awesome fact(s) about yourself in the comments section and see if you’re next week’s winner! (pretty, pretty please leave a fact/comment. I love to read them. kthxbai)

Alice

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:32:57 -0500

She drank from a bottle called DRINK ME
And up she grew so tall,
She ate from a plate called TASTE ME
And down she shrank so small.
And so she changed, while other folks
Never tried nothin’ at all.

-Shel Silverstein

(recently rediscovered my copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends that my grandma gifted to me in 1990 (!!!) aka TWENTY YEARS AGO!)

p.s. It’s still pretty awesome.

The Way I Wore: First Friday

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:39:00 -0500

Raleigh has a knack for pulling people together. Every downtown shop, art gallery, office, and restaraunt comes alive with the buzz that is “First Friday” - an evening of socializing and merry-making dedicated to the first Friday of each month. Jason and I got home from work, swapped out our casual friday for a first friday look and headed out to be part of our community. We saw art; we drank wine; and we ate food.

It was all good.

The Way I Wore

Striped Top: Eight Sixty

Skirt: French Connection

Tights: Hue

Shoes: BCBGeneration

Earrings: Forever 21

Rings: Wedding and Kenneth Jay Lane

definitive. (via)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:27:06 -0500

definitive.

(via)

A few weekend reminders

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:08:51 -0500

Gratuitous:

1. You can still shop my closet

2. You can still ask me a question. (Truth: I really like answering your questions)

Not gratuitous:

1. March 6 is National Chocolate Cheesecake Day. Who are you to forget important holidays like that?

2. Sign up for the amazingness that is Groupon.

This is how I envision my weekend panning out. (via...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:47:04 -0500

This is how I envision my weekend panning out.

(via carolinablonde:squashheartblow: thechocolatebrigade)

My Spring Picks

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:30:00 -0500

If I’m being completely honest there is really nothing that stands out fashion-wise to me as screaming SPRING 2010 (!!!!). Perhaps it’s a result of the recession, but many of the trends from spring’s past still work this year. So, instead of picking up major clothing pieces, this spring I’m focusing on a few key things that can be mixed and matched with what I already own to make my look au courant.

Here’s what I have my eye on.

A Leather Vest. Springs answer to the never-ending army of leather jackets that infiltrate winter and fall. Pick one up in a fun neutral like gray to pair over floral dresses and with denim shorts and a tank.

Mike and Chris, $294 (was $495); Forever 21, $32.80

Polka Dot Dress. I’m partial to navy with white polka dots as opposed to the more traditional black. Something about the navy just seems more fresh and all-American to me.

Paul and Joe, $460; ASOS, $82.05

Leopard print in an unpredictable color like RED. I would wear these sexy hot shoes with everything from my favorite LBD for a night on the town to my denim cut-offs and a plain t-shirt while getting day drunk with my honey. Show off them seksi legs, girlfran!

Dolce & Gabbana, $643; bebe, $159

Denim in an unexpected silhouette. Swap in your standard denim skirt for a lightweight version in a poofy silhouette. Pair with a striped tee, your biggest sunnies, and some espadrilles for a weekend picnic.

Marithe Francois Girbaud, $374; Ann Taylor Loft, $69.50

Bright pink lipstick. Nothing screams warmer weather then hot pink. And what better way to wear it than on your lips. It’s such a non-committal change that’s sure to draw admiring eyes.

shu uemura (color: PK 369), $23

This is what I’m saving my pennies for this spring. What are your must-haves?