the view from Day 59

KC (you remember KC, right?) and I have created a pretty sweet gym + dinner routine that we rock out a few times a week. On our typical post-gym bus ride we swing by pikes place market. Obviously this bus route has been this way for forever, but of course I just noticed this view for the first time tonight. A fail or a win? I can't decide. But here's the view from the #10 bus route to Capitol Hill. I'm kind of loving it... feels very "seattle" to me.

Day 59 is fresh-squeezed

On this crappy gloomy Monday, I was in a crappy gloomy mood for most of the day. My afternoon consisted of procrastination and gchatting. After some good advice things started to look up. What better way to end this day than a glass of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. It's delicious and not bad for me? Sign me up. Cheers to a better tomorrow!

Day 58 knows the muffin man

I officially blog about food more often than life. Perhaps that's the true secret reason for this blog being called the "slice" of 365. Aren't you so pumped you get to see so much of what I'm eating??! Haha just kidding, I'll make a conscious effort to take fewer pictures of food this week :).

But before that - Serena made these killer muffins today. She called me over to look at how beautifully they came out, and they really are beautiful. Blueberry muffins for the win!

Day 58 predicts the winners

How's that for timing? Despite a piece of plywood on I95 making me get back late from my improv class, I got home just in time to watch the Oscars. If you didn't already know, I love the Oscars folks. And I'm posting right now instead of devoting all of my attention to the show, so good night and happy watching!

Day 57 gets creative with chocolate

When these kids were here, we found some funky local chocolate bars at a grocery store in town. French Toast, Ramen Noodles and one other one I can't remember but I'm sure was awesome. Anyway, VA bought the french toast one and gave us all a try and it was delicious. I mean, crazy crazy good. As if chocolate isn't delicious enough already, let's add in the flavor stylings of syrup and cinnamon. Umm, best idea ever right? I finally found these again today, yay!! If any of you ever stumble upon this chocolate at a store near you, seriously give it a try. If you like the taste of awesome, you'll love this. trust.

Day 57 is a work of art

Today we went to my mom's alma mater, Moore College of Art and Design in Philly. They had an alumni show to which she submitted work. In case you don't recognize those two cute ladies, it's me and my mom! Her watercolor is of a trip the two of us took to the Chelsea galleries while I was in college. What a talented lady!

so much to do on Day 56!

In the past few weeks, without knowing how it happened, my life has gone from boring and slow to out of control busy and wild. (That's really only a slight exaggeration.) I don't just have one or two projects that I'm working on, I have like nine of them. all at once. happening. now. omg. I was just okay at multitasking before, but now I'm a rockstar. I've officially promoted myself. This morning for example, I mastered the fine art of brushing my teeth, fixing print files and gathering design research. all at once. I'm sorry, what? So I'm back to making my super intense lists because I was going a little crazy trying to simply memorize everything I was supposed to be working on. (why do I always think that will work??) Here's a peak at my Friday list in the making. It's grown to 2 pages since this picture. Aaaaagh!!

Day 56 caught a glimpse

What a gross and rainy Friday! It's especially hard to handle considering this time last week I was sipping an iced coffee and not wearing a coat. However, for a brief moment this afternoon the sun came out along with a glimpse of blue through the clouds. Let's end this week on an optimistic note, friends!

Day 55 is feeling old

I'm getting old you guys!! Okay, perhaps that is a bit dramatic, but i've reached a quarter-life age and shit is getting real now. I think. Maybe that's just something I read somewhere cause I feel pretty much the same as I did yesterday. Except tonight I did have a fancy dinner with my sister to celebrate my old age. We ended the night with some espresso/hazelnut gelato and tiramisu. It was a party in my mouth. Birthday part aside, I could go for these kinds of meals on the regular. Yumm!

ps. thanks for alllll the birthday love friends and readers near and far! You really know how to make a birthday girl feel loved. :)

Day 55 is a big spender

I decided a trip to the mall was in order on this gloomy Thursday. I always find something cute and cheap from Forever 21. My mom likes to call such items "disposable clothes." If I ruin a shirt it most likely only cost me $4.80. Today I optimistically was browsing the sunglasses stand when I found these little guys for a whopping $1.50. What a bargain! I can't wait to model them on an upcoming sunny day!

(quick birthday shoutout to my beautiful co-blogger Aislinn!)

mmm, mmm Day 54!

Look! It's cheeeeseeecakkkeeeee y'all!

It's a well known fact in the world that the most direct and precise way to my heart is cheesecake. Another way to my heart? cheesecake with delicious, sugary fruity topping action. Oooh, especially the kind from that diner on 9th in the city right by fordham. Hot damn did those guys know how to do a cheesecake. I'm helpless to the powers of cheesecake. Simply helpless. Some anonymous person brought these into the office today. And to that I say dear anonymous person, you are a sweet sweet angel from the heavens. In case you're wondering, these are just as delicious as they look. Also I refuse to reveal how many I ate. At least not yet... It's too soon.... I'm too ashamed. (but it was worth it you guys!)

Day 54 lends a hand

Now that all of the snow has finally melted I'm finding all sorts of fun items on the lawn. Yes, this is a Barbie doll arm. I put it out at Halloween because I thought dozens of little kids would notice this tiny detail as they ran up for candy, obviously. But seriously folks, I just like cheesy decorations. It's nice to know it's still here and that our neighborhood squirrels didn't snatch it up to create some sort of doll Frankenstein monster. Yet.

Day 53 is outraged

There's no way around it, Seattle is a car town. Errrrrrbody drives. No biggie, that's pretty typical for most of the world, except of course, that little town I just moved here from. Oh, new york. You silly old so and so. So basically not only am I not used to driving but I also always forget about those little things having a car involves. Like washing the car, turning the emergency brake off when driving (only happened once.... okay twice.... oops!), and getting gas. Let's please take this time to discuss gas prices. WHAT?! Are you kidding me with this!! How long have prices been like this?? Man, driving is just the gift that keeps on giving.

Day 53 is located in the Literature section

This sucks. My local Borders is closing, so I went there this afternoon for some 20-40% off goodies. While browsing the Literature section I happened upon this unfortunate sight. The Complete Tales and Poems from the master of the macabre nestled cozily above the debut novel from the master of bronzer and juiceheads. I wonder if Nicole Polizzi ever thought she'd be a few spaces down from Edgar Allan Poe on a bookshelf. More importantly, I wonder if Snooki knows who Edgar Allan Poe is.

Day 52 is an editing machine

I'm still on a bit of a high after my shoot yesterday. And then I spent my day off (whatup, Presidents!) editing and processing the pictures and it was an absolutely perfect way to spend the day. This is a little peek at my view. Love it! I can't show off any of the pictures yet, that won't be for a few more days, but I thought this could be a fun way to give you all little look. And I'd like to thank those good ole presidents for allowing me this day to work on all this fun stuff.

Day 52 gets a fresh coat of snow

I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked out the window this morning and saw snow. Nonsense! Three days ago I didn't wear a jacket! What a rude awakening that it is in fact still February. Thankfully my Fundai Elantra heats up really fast!

whatchu look at Day 51?

Look at this picture....


...Right??

I can't even handle it. The cuteness, the awesomeness, ugh! In the middle of a photoshoot I had today (!!), this cool, suave romeo almost stole the show. He was posing for me, fully working the camera. He was giving me top model in a serious way. I'm obsessed with him! No joke took like 14 pictures before I realized I probably looked like a creeper. But come on!! What? Ugh, so good.

Day 51's got a brand new pair of rollerskates

I met my good friend Sarah in Philly for lunch today. But first we stopped at the Hotel Palomar, where she needed to drop something off for work. The lobby is full of curious odds and ends including but not limited to colorful Benjamin Franklin busts and a bunch of gilded bananas. I particularly liked these rollerskate sculptures by the fireplace. I wonder how they'd look in my room?

Day 50 is for display only

I went to the Willow Grove Mall this afternoon. There is a huge carousel near the escalators. It spans the three levels of the mall, ending just above a fountain. Clearly it is not a working carousel - bummer. Even as a 25 year old, I totally want to take it for a spin. I wouldn't want to explain to a child why they can't ride this insanely dangerous looking, display only, sweet carousel. Whoever designed this obviously hates children.

Day 50 loves girls day (and coffee)

I'm in the middle of a fabulous girls weekend o' debauchery with two of my most favorite people on earth. We're taking over Seattle, kids!

This morning we had a fantastic brunch to start our day and of course I busted out my camera mid meal to capture the moment. While the coffee did photograph well, it left much to be desired taste wise. wah wah! But it's okay, Seattle is certaintly not a town lacking in delicious coffee so our next stop was an amazing espresso bar where we each picked up a proper cup of caffeine. Here's to more fun tonight!

so much space on Day 49

I was moved to a new desk/cube area today at work. I was soooooo excited because the space I was in before was making me a little bit crazy. I could never tell when someone was behind me so I was constantly getting scared when it was dead silent then all of a sudden there was a person standing right next to me watching me work. Truly terrifying. Besides being able to see people approaching me, this new space has so many new things to see and play with! There are a ton of drawers and cabinets, all with keys hanging from the locks (see picture). And all empty. Why so many? I'll never know. But I like having options. I can put snacks in one drawer, purse in another, notebooks in yet another... so much freedom! Whatup new desk!

Day 49 has a Spring preview

The weather today is beautiful! Perfect for a late afternoon trip to Starbucks for some iced coffee and a treat. My mom (lady in green, not some random weirdo I sat with) and I celebrated the Spring preview by splitting a rice krispie treat or as Starbucks likes to call it, a "marshmallow dream bar." Sadly tomorrow and Sunday will actually feel like February. But for tonight I'm soaking up the warmth by going out for dinner and drinks. Happy Friday, friends!

Day 48 is gettin organized

My oh my, so much has happened since yesterday!  I've got about a million projects going on all at once and I have this super annoying tendency to get really lost in everything I've committed to, leaving things undone and not completed. My weapon of choice? The notebook. For serious. This thing is where it's at. Even if there are pages of nonsensical scribble and doodles and half-completed sketches, at least they are ideas that have left my brain and have been put on paper, not to be forgotten. This thing saves me all the time. Sometimes the simplest things, like a blue notebook, are all you need to try and get your projects and your life in focus. Deep.

Day 48 drives with the windows down

Today marks the first day in months that I've driven with the windows down, albeit just a little bit. The weather was lovely in the low 60s today. Tomorrow will be even warmer and tomorrow is Friday - win win! I'm getting way too optimistic about Spring rapidly approaching... (Sidenote: Yes, that is in fact a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on the guardrail. Silly Yardley!)

Day 47 is over it

This has been my life for the past week and I am seriously over it. Being sick aint cute. Hacking away till 3am, keeping yourself awake because you can't stop coughing is certainly not my idea of a party. These bad boys have been by my side through it all. It's really too bad you can't enjoy cough drops while sleeping without risking choking because I would be all over that. Actually, it's too bad I can't just be done being sick already. I'll take that instead!

Day 47 loves television

Wednesday is TV overload for this girl. It's like the networks are rewarding me for getting through humpday. Tonight I have to choose between two guilty pleasures: Survivor and American Idol. We can't forget about Modern Family and most importantly Top Chef All Stars. This is my life people. In the words of Kenneth the page, "There are two things I love in this world; everybody and television."

Day 46 is a travelin'

more bus adventure pics! I used to love riding the bus around new york - it was oddly peaceful and I loved seeing parts of the city I would have otherwise missed. Same in Seattle (so far). Though I still hate the bus pass/ORCA card situation here because it makes absolutely no sense (pay when you get on? pay when you exit? free rides downtown? what is happening?!), the buses in general are still a good way to get to know any new city you might find yourself in. Especially if you have a deep-seated fear of driving, like I happen to have. :)

Day 46 is making a donation

Tomorrow the American Cancer Research Center is doing a donation pickup in our neighborhood. What a perfect opportunity to support a great organization and do some Spring cleaning! My closet is currently overflowing. I need a donation every week to get it under control. I am parting with several pairs of pants, some shirts, and a sweater or two. Who am I kidding, I'll use this as excuse to go shopping.

rainy, rainy Day 45

Remember this? Yeah, forget about that. That was, as I was told, a total lie. A psych out. Seattle was all, "jk! No more sunshine for you mwauhaha!" Not appreciated, Seattle! I was enjoying basking in the 45º sunshine, but I knew this was coming all along. We've got 5 solid days of rain predicted for us and I've got my rain-boots and umbrella at the ready. Bring it, Seattle!

Day 45 is like a box of chocolates

Mama Gump was right! Today was one of those "you never know what you're gonna get" days. I'll let you in on a little secret friends, I'm a bit of an overthinker. Whether it be making an important life decision or choosing a chocolate without a flavor cheat sheet. Without getting into detail, February thus far has tested my overthinking abilities and I've been relying heavily on my friends for advice on matters of the heart (you know who you are - thanks!). So on this Valentine's Day I'm going to sit back, enjoy the view and eat some delicious chocolates (except the caramel ones, I don't like them).

Day 44 hates the mall

Except for a nasty cough that I can't quite seem to kick, I was feeling well enough for a trip to the mall today, which looking back was absolutely the worst idea ever. For the following reasons: day before valentines day, sunday, middle of the day, day before valentines day, and of course, because malls are horrible places in general. We managed to escape unharmed and on our way out saw a jam-packed Cheesecake Factory full of couples on their pre-valentines day dates. Gross. Give me small hole-in-the-wall diners and midnight pizza over any cheesecake factory any day!

ps. sorry for all the anger in this post! didn't mean for it to be so violent. oops! :)

Day 44 is getting cozy

There's nothing like throwing on a comfy pair of slippers after a long day. Also, this is my second post in a row featuring a primate in some form. I just might be going ape over Jesus!

Day 43 goes to the cinema

In the spirit of continuing my tendency to do things you shouldn't do while sick, I went to the movies today. Correction. I went to the cinema. Seriously, that's what it was called. A groupon deal led the sis and I to a very cute and very old "cinema" in Columbia City. There are only 4 movies showing there, and you're greeted by a very cute old lady at the door who takes your ticket and directs you to the your theater. She's also there when you leave asking patrons how they liked their movie and wishing us all to stay warm and dry on this wet Seattle night. Absolutely delightful! Such a treat from the massive 14 floor theaters where you're grunted at my 17-year-olds like you're bothering them my daring to go to a movie on their shift. The nerve! I really have no idea what I'm rambling about right now because I'm pretty sure I've taken my quote of dayquil for the day. Yay cold medicine!

Day 43 goes ape over Jesus

I saw these amazing erasers at the Dollar Store this morning. Classic. What exactly does it mean to go ape over Jesus?

Day 42 loves new toys

Cure to practically anything that's ailing you? Shopping. I know, I know. So wrong, and yet... feels so right. I got a few pieces of new equipment today thanks to a sweet Amazon connection my sister has, (whatup Amazon!) and so instead of resting and getting better, I spent the better part of this evening playing with my new toys. So fun!

ps. this is a new film (yes, film) camera I got. It's manual focus and way old school. I love everything about it and never want to stop looking at it.

Day 42 hit a wall

...Not literally. I went to Target this afternoon for an item or two. This is the state of the parking lot, weeks after our snowstorms. It's just a gentle reminder that winter is still hanging around. It's supposed to be in the 40s this weekend, which will feel like a heatwave I'm sure. But for now I still feel like I'm sitting in a car staring at a huge mound of snow.

Day 41 overdid it

I decided to see if I could handle another trip to the gym tonight. I felt good about going, I was pumped to go, I had my workout clothes and sneakers. I was gonna be a champion..... I did 35 minutes of a workout then suddenly felt a little like I was going to die. Not something you want to feel at a gym or ever really. Long story short: don't try to go to the gym when you know you're sick. Lesson learned. Anyway, while waiting for my ride (aka. the bus!) I snapped this shot of the Beacon Hill Light-rail station. It's quite gorgeous and that clear blue sky doesn't hurt it one bit.

Day 41 got mail

Today I received not one but two Valentine's Day cards from my friend Emily! Last year for my birthday she sent "The Top 5 Worst Birthday Cards" for my birthday one of which included a cat dressed as Miley Cyrus. She's a gem (Emily, not Meowley Cyrus). These are way classier but still Valentine cheesy. "Fever chills... I've got it bad for you!" "You set my everything on fire!" Really? How can I top these!? A Justin Bieber Beagle card?

Day 40 knows what's coming

Well friends, it's happening. Every.single.year. of my life I get sick around my birthday. It's probably less because of my birthday and more because it's February and thats when people get sick, but either way, I choose to believe my impending aging is directly responsible for my being sick. This morning I felt the early signs and knew what was coming. A sore throat usually turns into a throat infection and a slight fever turns into the flu and a runny nose turns into a full blown ear infection. I'm not kidding, this always happens to me.

I kicked off my morning with some Emergen-C hoping it would at least help me get through the day. It definitely helped, but I know I'm not off the hook. I'll be sick in bed just like Katie soon. The real question is, who's gonna bring me a heart-shaped dunkin donut??

Day 40 is sick and tired

So that donut cold cure I mentioned didn't work out. Still sick. Even after napping for a good portion of the afternoon I'm ready to go back to bed. When I was younger one of the things that always made me feel better when I was sick was a good book. This is one of my favorites from the same author who brought you the wonderful and frightening "Where The Wild Things Are." It's about a sassy little boy who doesn't care about anything, gets eaten by a lion and realizes the error of his ways. In closing, "The moral of Pierre is: CARE!"

fortune favors Day 39

Heck yes fortune cookies! Tonight I had a gym + pho date with my fave KC. We sweat some, we walked some, we ate, we conquered. And along the way we got some sage advice from some delicious post-dinner cookies. Advice general enough to apply to every and any aspect in your life, but isn't that what makes these so perfect. I can't wait till I'm approached with a proposition! It's gonna happen soon, cause my fortune cookie said so... duh.

Day 39 runs on Dunkin'

What's the cure for the common cold? A heart-shaped donut of course! My mom would know; she's a doctor. I actually do feel marginally better after scarfing it down. I think we're onto something...

(Thanks mom!)

Day 38 will take you to the sandwich shop

A great whirlwind of a weekend with my amazing chicago friends is now over. le sigh. But now it's back to work and my normal daily routine. That deserves another le sigh I think.

The area I work in is pretty empty in terms of places to eat and hang out outside of the office, but today i stumbled upon this sign which, as you may have guessed, led me right to a little sandwich shop! Victory! I'm already trying to decide what kind of yummy sandwich I want for lunch tmw. It's the little things... :)

Day 38 is located in the cold and flu aisle

It's cold season! And I feel an impending chest cold abrewing. This is kind of expected after spending two freezing hours in a poorly heated theater in Philly last night. So, I'm doing everything in my power to get rid of this cough. A special thank you to CVS for helping me fight the war on cold germs, affordably.

no strings attached on Day 37

Last day of the weekend adventure with my Chicago friends. Sad. One of our activities for the day was to rock out at the EMP (aka. the rock & roll exhibit). We took some time to jam out and get in touch with our inner rock stars and it was all kinds of awesome. Best part of the exhibit was definitely getting to play with the instruments and pretend we knew what we were doing - that alone was worth a visit to the museum!

Day 37 is a Cake Boss

Last night I visited one of my good friends who recently moved to Hoboken. On the walk to her apartment last night we passed the bakery from Cake Boss! A stretch Hummer dropped off a group of giddy teen girls, all gussied up. They were pumped, to say the least. This morning was much quieter so I snapped this shot on our walk to the train station. Next time I visit I plan on grabbing a treat for the road!

(Fun weekend 10C!)

Day 36 explores the wild

Day 2 of visit with friends was fantastic! We went on a 5.5 mile hike at a state park in Washington and it was a freaking workout. We're all pretty sore now - some pizza and napping went down post-hike and any plans we had for after were shot because of sheer exhaustion and pain. yay hiking!

Day 36 has flair

Last night my friend and I went out to dinner to celebrate the end of a long week. This celebration included girlie drinks, complete with little sunglasses pins. What a perfect way to flag unruly drunks! (*Note: we weren't even a little unruly.) I used to have pins like these when I was younger. I'm bringing this fashion statement back.

Day 35 goes to the market

I wish I could bottle this feeling of happiness that these two crazy awesome kids bring me. The strangest thing is we're kind of... strangers. Really. Except it doesn't feel like that in any way -it feels more like we've been friends forever. I thank Amanda for creating this epic friendship and the only thing that would make their trip here perfect-er is if she was here with us to enjoy trips to smelly fish markets and quaint island towns and whiskey bars at midnight. We're keepin it disney for you, manda!

Day 35 goes to the Amish Market

Quit drooling! Today I went to our local Amish Market and left with a little less self-control. Everything there is delicious and made from scratch. Now it isn't exactly a health food store, but we all need a little indulgence from time to time right? Besides donuts, cookies, cake, and fried food they have a lovely produce section. And if you don't like fruit, just drench it in chocolate.