Unpopular Opinion: Why Brunch is the Worst

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Brunch. 

Bleh.

Brunch is literally the worst. Here's why...

-one- It's indecisive.
It's neither breakfast nor lunch. It's an ungodly union of both. I'm already indecisive so I don't need anything else in my life that is.

-two- It's too current.
It's one of those buzz words you hear all the time, mostly by yuppie people at country clubs. It's popular and trendy and I hate it.

-three- It's not satisfying.
I'm either in the mood for breakfast (rarely since I kind of don't like breakfast foods) or lunch but not both. So, no, I do not want a chicken salad sandwich with grits and sausage egg muffins. If I want lunch, my tastebuds are set on lunch. Not grits and quiche. I don't want to eat my Chef Boyardee ABCs and 123s with scrambled eggs and biscuits. That's disgusting.

-four- It's bourgie.
Self-explanatory.

-five- It's usually ridiculously expensive.
People think they can overcharge for breakfast when it's at 11 AM. NO MA'AM! I see you! I see what you're trying to do. That sausage biscuit was $4 at 7 AM and now it's $11.95?

That's all. Hopefully I've made a completely sound and unbiased argument for why brunch is the worst. :)

Also, this does exclude breakfast for dinner. I often enjoy breakfast for dinner because it's completely breakfast (read: not some hybrid of foods) just at a different time of day. 

Things That Make Me Happy

Mondays are jerks. Here I was having a great weekend and catching up on all my sleep and getting stuff done around the house and then Monday happened. Grrrr.

But, Mondays are inevitable. Without Mondays, there'd be no eventual weekend. So. this is me. dealing with it. By posting things that make me happy today...

Well of course, my husband M, make me happy. He knows when to push and when to pull and when to give me the reins. :) 

This little guy makes me happy. Look how cute he is! What you don't see is the pee spot from where this he peed on my freshly planted snapdragons and the sidewalk. I may or may not have edited that out.

Faceswap...aka...one of the greatest inventions of my generation. I'm obsessed with it. Well, pretty much with all snapchat filters, but especially this one. And the rhinestone eye one I mentioned on Friday.

Pineapples. I'm into them so much right now. And so is Helene so everything she posts with pineapples are giving. me. life.

Fresh flowers. I'm obsessed. I just planted a cutting flower garden over the weekend and I can't wait for them to start growing! I want fresh flowers in the house.

What's making you happy today?

Five on a Friday

-one- Well I've gone and discovered LuLaRoe. Have y'all heard of this? It's a cool clothing company that sells dresses, skirts, tops and leggings. Really their style is all about bright colors, patterns (but also solids) and flowy, comfy clothing. My sister in law had a pop-up boutique and since then I've become obsessed. I love that I can throw on a Perfect Tee and a pair of leggings and it be a nice transition outfit. It's not work/church dressy but it's not yoga pants. A happy medium. And the Perfect Tee is long like a tunic so it covers everything when I wear leggings. LOVE!!

-two- I am traveling to New Orleans for a work conference in 2 weeks. I'm traveling with some coworkers that are *a bit* younger than me and much more into the nightlife scene. Being a married woman of 31, this is not really something I'm accustomed to. I don't really go out to clubs/bars and the last time I've been in one was circa 2006. :) Nevertheless my younger coworkers have expressed an interest in getting acquainted with the NOLA nightlife and it terrifies me. What do I wear? I usually wear cardigans, flats and statement necklaces but I have a feeling that really won't work in a bar in NOLA. Anyone have any advice? 

-three- I'm on the lookout for a new foundation. I was using a CC cream over the winter but I've grown to dislike it. It's doesn't have a lot of staying power. I need something that will stay on but is also gentle for my sensitive skin. Also it should be available in varying shades of pale. :) Any suggestions? What is your fave foundation?

-four- The absolute best thing is being the first person at work. It's quiet and kind of dark and I can get so much done in that period of time before everyone else gets in. Like blogging... ;)

-five- Who else is obsessed with this snapchat filter? I love it so much. I want someone to come and do this to my eyes everyday mmmkay? I could do without the lip color but the eyes are excellent.

Linking up! 

Wardrobe Consultation v.2

I posted before about doing some "wardrobe consultation" and outfit-making for my mom. Well, over the weekend I did it again with some newer items she'd purchased over the last year. Here's a recap of what I did last year if you missed it. You may see some of the same pieces from last year and there are definitely some repeats this time. I'm a big fan of mixing and matching with the same pieces to achieve different looks.

Here are some outfits from this past weekend.

I really enjoyed doing this. Anyone else localish (Charlotte/Fort Mill) need me to come make you some outfits? :)

In Our House

In Our House

M tends to clean the kitchen. I am so blessed.

You won't have to take off your shoes to come in.

There is a scattering of living (dare I say thriving) house plants, placed high enough so that *someone with 4 legs who shall remain nameless* doesn't mistake them for outside plants...and pees on them.

We have a whole shelf/cart of liquor and almost never drink it.

You won't find a coffeemaker. #sorrynotsorry

We hardly ever open windows because of my allergies. But you will also hardly ever see blinds or curtains closed during the day. LET THERE BE LIGHT!

You won't ever see overhead lighting...well in the areas that I govern at least. In the man cave, who knows?

The throw pillows will be set perfectly if no one is sitting on the couch.

There is a folded snuggie next to the couch if you need it.

Everything has a place.

There are bare walls...not because I like it, but because I'm picky about my art/wall decor.

Surfaces will be clear. A cluttered surface = anxiety for me.

You'll be hard pressed to find anything red. Or warm colors. #teamgraysandblues

We go sometimes weeks without touching the thermostat. Our house stays cool most of the time, which we both prefer. (And by cool I mean between 68 and 72 degrees.)

What about you? What about your house?


Inspired by Steph's post. 

Five Things Friday

It's Friday! (Can I get an Amen?) This week has been a big old jerk. Luckily nature gives us a way to start over and it's called a weekend. Here are 5 things I'm into (or not into coincidentally) today:


-one- In case you haven't noticed, I'm really into sky photos...sunset, sunrise, clouds, etc. If it's of the sky, I have a compulsion to snap a picture. Below are a couple that I've taken this week.

-two- I'm really, really, REALLY over rule-breakers. Let me go back and start from the beginning. I'm a rule-follower. If it's a rule or a process, I do it exactly as I'm told. I loathe when people break rules or do not follow processes. It's really become an issue as of late at work because people are parking in spots they aren't supposed to. AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY. Most of my rage from rule-breakers stems from traffic/driving actually. There's this one place that has a long right shoulder that eventually runs straight into a turn lane. I wait until it actually, officially becomes a turn lane get into it. And all the time people drive down the shoulder of the road when there is traffic and go to the turn lane, so whenever possible, I pull my car out ever so slightly over the right line just so that people cannot zoom past me on the shoulder and turn right. No sir! You may wait for your turn just like I am. Call me a jerk, but I don't care. You will not break the rules on my watch!

-three- Did you guys read about Inky the Octopus? It's a NZ octo that escaped his tank and went back into the ocean! :) Read the actual story here. But what I'm loving is all the tweets about it yesterday and today. Just search #inkytheoctopus on Twitter and enjoy!

Not Inky, but a pic of an octopus I took at an aquarium.

-four- I whipped up this little dandy for my desk at work and I love it so much I might frame it. :) And maybe frame one for my house... If you are from the Carolinas you'll get it. If not, ask me. HA! 

-five- I've blogged before about how I like to browse around on real estate websites to see how people decorate their houses, but what I've started doing as of late is finding houses for sale that are the same floorplan as mine (my house is a Portrait Home which is a fairly large homebuilder in my area) and seeing how people decorate the "problem areas" I've struggled to decorate in my own home. Like we have this weird cubby hole thingy and an oddly-set up kitchen so I like seeing how people decorate theirs. Is that strange?

Linking up! 

Insta-Outfits v.6

And now for another short edition of Insta-Outfits! These are the outfits I've posted on Instagram lately. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see them (and more weird stuff too).

We had some cooler temps in the area so I decided to rock my plaid flannel shirt once more before it gets hot. To soften the blow of the flannel in April, I paired with a pastel cardigan and bright necklace. 

I posted that this is one of those tops I never wear because I have a hard time styling it. I bought this top to pair with other prints since it is neutral colors but I struggle with it. So I decided to pair with my tried and true combo of a bright cardigan and a statement necklace. 

I hate this (blue) dress. It's so weird fitting. Hence, why y'all only got a chest-up shot. But I did love my colors this day. I think that makes up for the weird dress. 

In stark contrast, I went from an ill-fitting, weird dress to two of my favorite dresses. Interestingly enough the ill-fitting one and this pink striped one are both from Old Navy. Go figure. Anywho, I'm obsessed with this pink and white striped one and would wear it more often but I always seem to get a stain on it when i wear it. This is why I have a hard time wearing white. Sigh....

Yesterday's piece de resistance was my Easter dress. I saw this puppy online and loved it so much I bought it right away, having no idea how it might fit. I totally love it an want to wear it every day now. It has a cinched/elastic waist, 3/4 sleeves and comes down to my knees. Literally, it's perfection. It's not actually low in the neckline, but the angle I was holding the camera made the picture look a little...boobalicious. So I spared y'all and my Insta audience from the details. :)

Show Us Your Books: March Reads

I'm so excited to link up today with Jana & Steph. I've took a hiatus on reading anything new in January and February but I came back with a vengeance in March. Here's what I've enjoyed last month.

The Pretty Goods

These two were about 3 salted caramels on my scale from one to five. 

The Light of Hidden Flowers by Jennifer Handford

I liked the inside look into Alzheimer's and how it can affect someone but it was also a bit scary. Overall I liked this book and enjoyed the different points of view as I read. This book seemed like real people and not characters, if that made any sense. Some of the human emotion complexities surprised me and I thought the author defined them well. This book is about a successful woman who works in her father's business and takes over after he dies from Alzheimer's. The entire second half of the book is about her finding herself and was a tad "Eat Pray Love" for me but still good. 

Green Lake by S.K. Epperson

I enjoyed this book simply because it intrigued me. This is another book that's told from multiple character's viewpoints and I enjoyed getting into the heads of some of them. I did not enjoy reading the perspective of the murderer though. The book kept me guessing and I didn't guess the killer until it was revealed. That's a good sign for me! 

The Excellents

These got either four or five out of five salted caramels.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

First off, I found a new author I like. She writes really well and I loved this book so much I found a few of her other ones to read. This is about a woman who is abducted and held hostage for a year in a remote cabin in the woods by a deranged man. The book takes place after she is rescued but the details are unfolded in sessions with her shrink. I couldn't put this book down! Seriously, you should definitely read this one! 

That Night by Chevy Stevens

I think this book was written after Orange is the New Black came out. There were prison scenes that really reminded me of the show. Anyway, this is about a woman who is wrongfully imprisoned for a murdering her sister when she was 18. She  gets out and tries to rehabilitate herself and move on with her life in the same town she used to live before she went to jail. The only problem is that the same person who killed her sister is still loose and is now killing others. Being an ex-con she gets the short end of the stick and must find the killer before she is framed and sent away again. I laughed and cried with this book and found myself rooting for the main character. I didn't guess the killers either so it was a good surprise! 

PS: If you haven't noticed yet, I got a new blog look thanks to Sarah. If you want to give your blog a new look on budget, I recommend checking her out. She's got some awesome designs and installs everything for you. (seriously a lifesaver) If you're reading in a feed, click here to see the new look!

PPS: Today is M and my second anniversary! Happy Anni to you, my heart! I love you! 

Hike Training - Crowders Mountain State Park

In the last 2 years I've become a bonafide amateur hiker. I credit this 100% to meeting and marrying M because otherwise I'd probably just do it when forced to.

We are going on a vacation this summer where will be hiking almost every day so M and I are trying to prepare for this trip to the Canadian Rockies by hiking some of the local "mountains" to build up our hiking stamina. And yes, I fully realize that what we are climbing here on the East coast are a lot smaller than the Rockies we'll be climbing in August...but it's a start. :)

M and I decided to try hiking Crowders Mountain, about an hour away from where we live. This would be my first actual mountain hike since I've only done flat or hilly trails in the past. It was also a good opportunity to break in my new hiking shoes I bought for our trip.

This sign greeted us twice on the trip in two separate areas. Obviously these signs REALLY helped psych us up to hike. :) Also, you literally scale the back of the mountain here. Like climbing up and over rocks...the trail is marked but it's not really a trail. Where you see M in the right picture was part of the trail we hiked up. Crazy!

The views from some of the cliffs were amazing. The weather was absolutely perfect. A little cool and definitely not hot so perfect for hiking. At one cliff, you could even see uptown Charlotte which is over 30 miles away!

We could have just sat on the rocks and gazed for hours, but unfortunately everyone and their mother decided to go hiking so we only spent a little time at each cliff.

We had a great time hiking and definitely want to go back and do The Pinnacle and a few of the others trails as well. It was a pleasant surprise to see that according to my Fitbit we climbed 70 floors and had 84 minutes of hiking.

Maybe after a few more times we'll be considered legitimate hikers? Stay tuned for more hiking updates as we train.

Five on a Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

-one- M and I are trying Blue Apron for the first time. Last night's meal was Meatball Ragout with vegetables. On deck are Fettuccine with Mushroom Bolognese and Chicken Tarzaki with Garlic-Spinach rice. There are definitely some pros to this...mainly it pushes me out of my food comfort zone. Last night I ate a dish that was 80% vegetables and loved it! The cons are the cost (around $57/week which is 3 meals for 2 people) but I wonder if it will end up balancing out in the long run with all the fresh produce and organic meats? Anyone else tried Blue Apron? So far, I'm enjoying it...they literally include everything! Oh and I ate swiss chard! I never would have tried that before.

-two- I'm participating in a cool 7 day Instagram challenge with Helene. It's the #7in7challenge and there's a different prompt each day. The first day was Spring Vibes and yesterday's was Happiness. Follow me on Instagram to see the rest of the posts.

-three- M got me some magazine subscriptions for Christmas to Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living and HGTV magazine. Bless. But now I'm in magazine overload. I barely have time to read them all and then I feel guilty if I throw them away afterward. I found a coworker who will take some but I don't know what to do with them! Anyone else have a problem throwing magazines away after you read them? I think I can recycle them right?

-four- I'm on the lookout for a pair of nude wedges for this season at work. I had to toss my old ones because they broke. I'm considering these or these.

-five- Have y'all seen those adult coloring books floating around? As an adult who has always loved and indulged in coloring, I approve of this trend. But here's my qualm...all of the designs I've seen are super intricate and detailed so you couldn't use actual crayons to color. You have to use either colored pencils or fine-tipped markers. That makes me sad. There's nothing I love more than a fresh pack of Crayola (only...don't give me that Rose Art crap) crayons and coloring away.

Linking up! 

20 Things I Hate More than College Basketball

College basketball is pretty much the bane of my existence. Even though my state's got a pony in the race, I'm over it. All of it. Brackets, games that start at weird times, games on all #overit I'll be glad when tonight's game is done. :)

However, there are some things I loathe even more than college basketball. Here's a brief list. (inspired by Sarah)

1. Soft grapes
You know the ones in the bag that are mushy and soft. GET OUTTA MY WAY.

2. Mud
Always. It serves no purpose except to complicate my hikes and mess up my shoes.

3. Cucumbers
What are you? Why do you smell weird? Why do you have seeds? How are you so watery?

4. MMA/Wrestling
Gag me. Seriously.  I hate it all.

5. Video games
I'd much rather have a good book to occupy my time.

6. Very windy days
No ideal if you are wearing a dress. Or clip-in hair extensions. A windy day when you're wearing  both is devastating.

7. Uggs

8. Sunburns
A frequent thing for those as pale as I.

9. Unloading & loading the dishwasher
Literally my most hated household chore. I'd do just about anything before I chose to unload and load the dishwasher.

10. Country music
#sorrynotsorry

11. The term "girl boss"
Read my post from last week in case you missed it.

12. Nuts
Any kind. I don't hate nut products (like peanut butter) but I hate actual whole nuts. Gross. And if you put them on my brownies or in my cookies, I will cut you.

13. When wrapping paper doesn't fit your gift and the corners don't mix
You know what I'm talking about. I hate it with a fire of a thousand suns.

14. People who do not follow the rules of driving
Stay in your lane. Do not try to cheat the system and cut in at the last minute. Go the speed limit and stay in the right lane if you are traveling slower than the other traffic. Also, big trucks - stay in the right lane.

15. Lettuce
Any and all forms. Get away from me.

16. Humidity
And unfortunately I live in one of the most humid parts of the US.

17. Watching golf
Or golf in general. With the exception of Wii golf.

18. Google+
I hate this with the fire of a thousand suns. Google won't just let it DIE!!!

19. Pollen
Everything has a thin yellow film on it this time of year. And it's disgusting.

20. Deciding where/what to eat for dinner
The nightly debate of where/what to eat is literally the worst.

Five on a Friday

I recently discovered two local (Charlotte) bloggers that I adore! It's fun to find local bloggers because a lot of the restaurants/activities they post about are things I could actually do. They are part of a weekly link up so I've decided to join it for the very first time. Here are their blogs: April & Caroline!

{1} I blogged last week about my venture into the world of hair extensions and let me just tell that after a month or so of wearing them almost every day, I'm hooked! I feel like a new woman! 

{2} If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen that I recently started doing 9Round kickboxing/circuit training with M. This is my second week and I'm obsessed with it. It's unlike any other workout I've ever done. I'm like intensely sweaty after a workout (which is unusual for me since I'm not a huge sweat-er) and even though there's only a small component of weight training I still feel sore the next day. Like...the good sore. I'm totally hooked!  (punching pun intended!)

{3} I am feverishly planning our trip to Banff this August. This is the first time I'll have planned a vacation with an itinerary and such. The only other time I've traveled internationally was for our honeymoon in Jamaica. I'm so excited about this trip, I can hardly stand it. I've even changed my computer desktop wallpaper to photos of Banff. Man, y'all are going to have to put up with a lot of trip talk in the coming months. #sorrynotsorry

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{4} I just started season 6 of one of my guilty pleasure tv shows last night. I can't quit with RuPaul's Drag Race. Their costumes and makeup are amazing...

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{5} Finally, I'm going to try my hand at this recipe this weekend: Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts with Veggies. (but swap out asparagus with green beans) 

Linking up!