A pharmer's clothes: June 30, 2011

I know what you're thinking. Cut-offs and a t-shirt? Really?! Well, what can I say, this is an honest representation of what I wear. I have a mountain of t-shirts, many with awesome science jokes. Plus, I lived in jeans and t-shirts for all of my college years, and I'm just not ready to let go of that girl yet. So now I am constantly trying to figure out how I can remix t-shirts into my wardrobe in a way that is more mature. Less college and more grad school, if you will (ha!) Today, I pilled on loads of bracelets and wore my favorite brown ankle boots. Not exactly ground breaking, but a decent t-shirt look, imo.

At first I kind of hated these pictures. Not exactly slimming in the leg department. But at the end of the day I decided to post them anyway. Because these are what my legs look like. I can use all the lighting and photoshop tricks I have, but in real life this is what I am. Putting something else out there is not only dishonest, but doing myself a disservice. I struggle with body image issues, to say the least. This is another reason why I decided to start a blog - to try to gain a little self-confidence in a way that is not dependent upon shaving off some lbs. And I'd like to think that one of the first steps to being confident about my body is coming to grips with what my body actually looks like. Hence, the thigh-o-rific pictures.

(( t-shirt: free from some vendor // shorts: Urban Outfitters // boots: vintage, from LA Vintage ))

Well, I am off to Boston for a girl-filled weekend!! Do you have any exciting plans for the 4th of July?

A pharmer's clothes: June 28, 2011

 

(( dress: Modcloth // shoes: DIYed Converse // sunglasses: from some gas station many years ago ))

I must admit, I feel a little cheap posting this on my blog. Generally, I try to spice up dresses with some accessories, but I love the little details of this dress and didn't feel it really needed anything additional. Isn't that part of the fun of summertime? Just throw on a dress and go.

Oddly enough, I had a really hard time finding shoes to wear with this. Recently I have wanted to wear my Minnetonkas with everything. So I tried to push myself to pick something different. I ended on a pair of very old and very frankensteined Converse. Once upon a time, these were just another pair of worn out black cons. Then I cut off all the canvas and replaced it with fun, patterned fabric I bought on Etsy. I love the end look, but the shoes are uncomfortable as hell and pretty much are only good for sitting, as they won't stay on my feet. I'd love to try another recon someday, but it would need to be with a sturdier fabric than plain ol' cotton.

And I am sure you are sick of hearing about it, but...jeezus the freaking mosquitoes!!! This photo shoot added quite a few to my already substantial collection. I have, I'm not kidding, nearly FOURTY bites on my legs right now (yep, I counted). I look like I have leprosy or some awful skin disease. Sexy.

And because I can't help myself:

lolz

Take your blog to work day

Hello all! Hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend. Jason and I just hung around the apartment, watching TV and reading. We went to the Nike store and picked up some new running gear then went on a nice run (4 miles- woo hoo!) And I did a little shopping at Nordstrom with some gift certificates from my birthday. I actually got some pretty good stuff, which is surprising because I almost never have luck there. I feel like the normal clothes are too expensive, but the clothes in the BP department are a little too juvenile. But apparently this season I have reverted back to juniors because the BP department worked out just fine.

I had a DIY post planned for today, based off of this tutorial, but the pictures just didn't turn out well. And by didn't turn out well I mean that I finished everything at 9 pm last night, and was too lazy to make myself not look like a hot mess who just got back from a run. Oh well. Instead, I thought it would be fun to show the blog around the lab via Hipstamatic pics. An homage to take your daughter to work day, if you will (how awesome was take your daughter to work day, btw???) Plus, anything that helps change the public perception of science can only be a good thing.

A drawer full of sodium salts (to all the students I tutor: you better be able to name all those polyatomics!), and my always growing stack of papers to read/organize.

 My bench. And yep, that is what an incredibly clean bench looks like.

 A Bradford assay (used to measure the concentration of protein in a sample), and a cell sauna aka the incubator we keep our cells in.

 Our microscope. Turns out I had the "Salvador Dali" lens setting on when I took these, so they look all crazy and awesome. Also, taking pictures of lasers = eye pain. Don't do it. Ow.

  Data from a Western blot. The bands represent specific proteins. You measure the intensity of the bands to figure out how much of the specific protein is in a sample. These experiments take forever and never work, inspiring things like this.

 Lab coats make any outfit look awesome. Truth. And what I am attempting to pass as closed-toe shoes these days.

Sunday table - summertime pasta

To me, nothing says summertime like zucchini on the grill. I adore grilled zucchini, it's almost as sweet as candy and it was one of my favorite thing to make in college (partially because it was one of the only things I could make!) Since Jason and I don't have access to a grill at our apartment, I tried to recreate the essence of this summer staple in a quick pasta dish.

2 zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup diced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, minced (I LOVE spicy so I keep the seeds and ribs in, if you want it less spicy remove them)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes (or use regular tomatoes and add some oregano, etc)
10 baby mozzarella

In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the zucchini and jalapenos and cook until the zucchini are softened and slightly browned. Add the can of tomatoes and simmer for ten minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the baby mozzarella, stir, and them serve immediately over pasta. Linguine or farfalle would be good, but we only had penne so I used that.

All in all the whole meal took less than half an hour to throw together. The result was a bit spicy and sweet, with little jewels of melty cheese throughout. Yum!

My favorite things

I have always been a blog reader. This was in large part why I decided to start my own blog. But now that I have a blog I find I am appreciating other blogs a lot more - especially the photos! I am in awe of these ladies who publish fantastic photos day after day. Here are a sampling of just a few lovelies who caught my eye this week (and who added even more to my burning lust for a DSLR). To see more visit my tumblr.

I just discovered the blog Sidewalk Ready. Kayley's photos are amazing. I particularity love this one. The total blackness makes this photo hauntingly gorgeous.

I have been feeling seriously homesick for Colorado the past few days. Although she is based in Utah, Megan's blog Another Day to Dress Up reminds me so much of home.

The way Veronica from Tick Tock Vintage remade this hideous thrift store find into the above dress blows my mind. Definitely inspires me to try and tackle a few sewing projects this weekend!

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess has the most gorgeous tattoos. She just got married and has been posting a lot about her wedding recently, which was gorgeous. Seriously, check it out. Or don't, because you will see many of the same ideas when I borrow them all someday, haha.

 

Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky is without a doubt my biggest blog crush. She recently two-tone dyed her hair and I love love love it. It is making me seriously consider throwing some turquoise highlights into my hair.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

A pharmer's clothes: June 24, 2011

  

Happy Friday!! This has been a long week at work, and I am very excited for the weekend. Jason and I are planning on staying in and making yummy dinners, playing lots of Starcraft, reading Harry Potter, and working out like madmen. I'm also hoping that we can make time to run some errands (I desperately need new running shoes) and maybe go on some sort of little adventure, either berry picking or rock climbing depending on how the weather is. All in all I am stoked for the weekend. Plus, next week will be nice and short since I am heading to Boston on Thursday for some much needed girl time.

 

These pictures were taken at a little community garden in our neighborhood. I love to daydream about getting a plot in the garden and planting tomatoes and peppers. I love community gardens. There is something inherently romantic about the idea of a shared space for people to come together and enjoy. In this garden it seems that people mark their plots with random objects. Besides the obvious like numbers and gardening gloves, there were also CDs and empty cups on poles. I really liked how these pictures came out - I am sure there will be more here in the future!

The garden was gorgeous, but we were getting eaten alive by gnats! I'm surprised you can't see them in the pictures. What is up with me and bugs?

Because I can't help myself, a jumping picture. I love jumping pictures. They either come out and it looks like you are flying, or you end up with hilarious outtakes. It's a win in both situations. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to be unhappy after doing something as silly as taking jumping pictures.

 

 (( top and skirt: Urban Outfitters / shoes: Blowfish / purse: Nordstrom BP / ring: Forever21 ))

A pharmer's clothes: June 23, 2011

 

 ((dress: Target / belt: Forever21 / shoes: Melissa / glasses: Urban Outfitters))

I am starting to feel quite frustrated with my camera. I am really unhappy with how these photos came out. The colors are off and most of the pictures came out blurry and grainy. And then uploading them to blogger makes them look even worse. Grgh!! I am infinitely jealous of bloggers with amazing pictures. How do they do that? I am sure that have a DSLR helps a lot. But I feel like even with a point-and-shoot I should get pictures that at least look better than the ones I take on my iPhone.

Any tips out there for taking better pictures? Or do you know of any bloggers that take great pics with a DSLR camera?

A pharmer's clothes: June 21, 2011

Although I will always be a Colorado girl at heart, there are a few things about DC that have really grown on me. First, I love how green and lush it is here. You can tell that before the city was here it was the densest of forests. Even now, the trees will conquer any tiny crack of land unoccupied by buildings. I can look out my bedroom window and it is so green that it's easy to forget that you're in the city.

Second, I love the history here. I've never been a big history buff, but it's impossible not to be transfixed when living in an area that is so intertwined with American history. My ordinary run takes me past all the monuments that others travel across the country to see: Lincoln, Washington, World War II. Yep, DC definitely has it's charms.

In the spirit of this, I want to try taking more outfit photos around DC. I'm somewhat inspired by the 'adventures' that Tieka of Selective Potential takes around her home. She always has such great stories to go with her pictures. DC has so much history to offer, posts like this can practically write themselves. (And I feel way less awkward taking photos of myself in these touristy areas - bonus!)

These photos were taken at the Marine Corp War Memorial, more commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, to commemorate Marines that have given their lives in the line of duty. It is near Arlington Cemetery and the Fort Myer Army base, so you can see Army guys running around the memorial in the morning (often with huge backpacks on!). The hill the memorial is on gives one of the most beautiful views of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Capital Building. If you are in DC for the Fourth of July I highly recommend watching the fireworks from the large, grassy hill at the Iwo Jima Memorial.

 

 

((Top: Nordstrom Rack / jeans: Express / shoes: converse / necklace: modcloth / cocktail ring: Forever21 / bracelets: Bead for Life, Nordstrom, and DIY))

Here is another shot of some of the bracelets I made this weekend. Right now I'm working on a large ROY G BIV one (or I guess if you are a normal person you would call this a rainbow). Making these friendship bracelets is so fun and relaxing! It really helps that they are quick too. I have such a short attention span when it comes to finishing projects.

The shirt I am wearing is actually on backwards. Now that I have my tattoo I am finding that all I want to wear are shirts with cut-outs on the back. I think I may prefer this shirt worn backwards anyway - putting the lace in the front makes it more intriguing. I never would have thought to do this if not for reading so many fashion blogs. I love hearing about ways to remix your wardrobe using the pieces you already have. What are your favorite tricks for restyling the same piece?

Over the weekend

Hope everyone had a great weekend! My weekend was relaxing and lazy. On Friday night Jason's friends stayed over. We played Star Trek shot monopoly. You can elect to take a shot of beer, wine, etc instead of paying your debts. The worse the alcohol, the more the shot is worth. I took it pretty easy due to my hangover allergies, but even so I was in pain on Saturday. No where near the worst hangover I've had, but enough to make me just want to sit around and do nothing all day. Which is what I did, despite the fact that I should have stopped in lab for a few hours. Oops. Just means I'll have all the more to do this week.

 

The back of each property card had trivia about that property. Which is good because my Trek knowledge is embarrassing next to Jason's.

Tried out the scarf-as-a-headband thing, as inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Valentine. I love everything she wears. She always looks so prototypically Parisian.

 A few of the friendship bracelets I made this weekend. I seem to remember these taking a long time when I was little, but each took less than an hour. Love a quick project!

Jason made homemade bread last night. I am so spoiled  :)

Fresh, homemade bread + bruschetta + mozzarella  = best dinner ever.

Reading Harry Potter in bed, the perfect end to a great weekend. Jason and I are trying to get through all seven books before the movie next month!

(All pictures taken with the Hipstamatic app for iPhone - I love this app!)