Splurge or Save?

I've had my eye on this J Crew striped blazer:

But recently, my mom gave me an old striped knit cardigan, that happens to have a collar and buttons so it kind of looks like a blazer. It's a little more boxy... and the top half of the collar is solid, which is weird.... but it was free. And that one from J Crew is $118. 

Thoughts? 

Chicken Tacos with Red Cabbage and Chipotle Aioli

Made these the other night for dinner and they were delicious! I will say, they were missing something. I had bought black beans to make to go either inside or as a side, but couldn't find a can opener. Fail. We had them with grapes, which was not only a great healthy side, but also a fresh break from the spicy sauce on the tacos. 

The chicken: 

I had actually made this the weekend before for camping and had it in my fridge ready to go, so that was easy. It's just grilled chicken with salt, pepper, chili powder and then pulled. 

The slaw:

I used half a red cabbage, which made approx 5 tacos. Heated a little olive oil in a pan and tossed in the chopped red cabbage. Let that wilt a bit, then added some apple cider vinegar and stirred. Sprinkled with salt, pepper and sugar and stirred again. Pretty good for me just guessing!

The sauce:

Disclaimer - I have no idea if this qualifies as an aioli or not. I just mixed mayo, garlic, chopped chives, lime juice and chipotle powder until I got the taste I wanted. 

Camping at Meramec State Park

The other weekend, our new Marmot tent finally made its debut! We went down to Meramec State Park for a little fishing and camping adventure. It's not exactly roughin' it - there's an outhouse, a shower house, cleared spaces for parking and fire pits.... but hey, you've got to start somewhere.

If you recall, last summer, we went fishing at Meramec State Park, and then camped there again in the fall. It's just an hour south of St. Louis, so it's really easy for us. Far enough away to feel like a trip, close enough to not waste a weekend driving.

Yes, this was the weekend of the big storm in St. Louis. And yes, it rained on us. But that was it. I'm actually glad that we were camping and not at home. There was no hail, no strong winds, barely any lightning or thunder! Just heavy rain! Lucky for us, we ate dinner pretty early and, of course, recently splurged on that nice new tent and ponchos... and I brought my rain boots, because I'm a genius. 

The Last Couple Weeks {5.4.12}

Alternate title: 'Food and Coffee'

{crawfish boil at Broadway Oyster Bar}

{treating a hangover} 

{new mug that makes me smile} 

{breakfast at the desk} 

{iced coffee chronicles}

Why I Love Food Trucks

This really should be a 'Part 1' or something, because I love food trucks for tons of reasons. They encourage/require outdoor eating, they are part of super awesome events, and the food is pretty kick ass.

But one of the reasons I most love food trucks is how amazing the service is. Every food truck I've ever been to has been a positive experience. The people working them are so nice, so friendly.

In fact, just this week, I was making some chicken tacos at home and really wanted a sauce similar to Cha Cha Chow's cha cha sauce. I tweeted them, asking what was in it and even though they didn't give me all the details, they pointed me in the right direction with a mayo-base and chipotles. My sauce wasn't nearly as good as theirs, but it was pretty good.

I then went to the Cha Cha Chow truck for lunch on Thursday, and they (a) recognized it was me and (b) started joking with me about stealing their recipe. They're awesome.

Then today, I had this exchange with the Holy Crepe truck. Can you believe it?

Please, I implore you. Find a food truck. Go there. Find an event with food trucks. Go to it. 

Thank me later. 

Once Upon A Time: Storytelling in Business

In business, storytelling is all the rage. Without a compelling story, we are told, our product, idea, or personal brand, is dead on arrival. 

Guber argues that humans simply aren’t moved to action by “data dumps,” dense PowerPoint slides, or spreadsheets packed with figures. People are moved by emotion.

Guber tells us that stories can also function as Trojan Horses. The audience accepts the story because, for a human, a good story always seems like a gift. But the story is actually just a delivery system for the teller’s agenda. A story is a trick for sneaking a message into the fortified citadel of the human mind. 

from Why Storytelling is the Ultimate Weapon.

I have this new goal of trying to be a grown up. I'm 25 now (I know, right?!) and there are little things I feel like a 25 yr old should be able to do.... keep her house clean, do her dishes, not let laundry pile up a mile (and a half) high, wash her face before bed, use fancy hair products and face lotion, not have rotten food in the fridge.... (related: My Closet Purge is part of being a grown up. I'll have you know I already have one box of items ready to be given away! Go me!)

This morning, I took a step towards adulthood.

I cooked chicken this morning while I was getting ready for work. 

Yep. Sure did.

I had bought chicken to eat for lunch on Saturday (when we go fishing!) and it was to the point that I need to either cook it of freeze it. I absolutely hate the time it takes to defrost things, so I decided to just cook it while I was getting ready for work.

Talk about multi-tasking!

Oh, and I stopped for an iced coffee on my way to work (which may or may not have made me 20 minutes late...) and that always makes me feel like a grown up.


The coffee part, not the being late for work part.