sarah
i'm sitting in my apartment while it storms outside. i was supposed to go to the Maryland state fair today, but those plans are canceled, obviously, as the sky gets grayer and the lightning becomes more active. this blows. it's also been a week since i've seen my boyfriend, which has caused a bit of friction between the two of us. for couples that spend ample time with each other, missing a day or two is no big deal. but, because we work opposite schedules, missing a chance to spend time together means that 10 days could go by without seeing one another. imagine the pent up emotions, good or bad, that could cause...

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


the week started off with the best intentions. hit the farmer's market with my boyfriend. had to drag him there practically, since he works on Sundays, but once he got there, he fell in love with the sights, the options, and we of course came back and cooked brunch. he definitely noticed a difference in the quality as opposed to what he gets from the regular grocery store.


Monday


photo a day: today. i practice Casual Mondays. isn't it enough that i can barely shift from Weekend Mode to Work Week Mode, but i simply cannot go so far as to set out office wear for the week. fortunately, my job has a very casual dress code, so this outfit works pretty well.


Tuesday


photo a day: cool. the weather has been cooler lately. that means i haven't had to really utilize my A/C since summer started, which the electric bill gawds are smiling about.


Wednesday


photo a day: home. another great shot of the block. i love it here. if only i could pick it up and move it 50 miles south to DC...


Thursday


photo a day: pair. handsome pair of desserts from my fave cupcakery! the one on the right was free. if you follow Georgetown Cupcake on Twitter, they announce a secret flavor right before they open and the first 100 folk to order will get it free! this has been a dangerous revelation amongst me and my coworkers.


Friday


photo a day: path. besides clouds, there are all sorts of amazing sights along the Marc train tracks, including a growing family of deer, foggy valleys, and hidden paths that i'm sure lead to beautiful houses.


Saturday


photo a day: fresh. these are all of the ingredients that go into my fresh pasta. it takes 5 minutes max and is full of great flavor!
sarah
the week before this one ended kind of rough. after not getting a job that i was really thirsting for, i had sort of a breakdown. a lot of questions were swirling about my head and i felt really unsteady. after a long talk and long hug, i entered this week on a more sure foot. not necessarily sure of my professional future, but at least my personal life is right where it should be.

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


photo a day: spoon. i happen to love spoons almost as much as i love bowls and these spoons are particularly sexy. i got them from my housewarming giftcard party. well i should say, i used a Bed Bath & Beyond giftcard to purchase these myself back in 2007. i hate the forks in the set though.


Monday


photo a day: simple. these simple pleasure. just cause i felt like it... a Mexican coke and oatmeal creme pie for dinner. i'm an adult and i can live with my decisions. a little.


Tuesday


photo a day: arrows. a lot of Marc train emergency exits.


Wednesday


back at Bangkok Joe's! met a soRhor there for lunch and decided to try something new. subsequently, also decided to stick to what i know works.


Thursday


definitely the highlight of my week. date night with my handsome, loving, supportive, charming, witty, 15 awesome facial expressions, sometimes annoying, always sarcastic, ratchet music listening, sci-fi entertainment loving, intellectual glasses wearing, Mr. Nice Watch, stickler for grammar but not so much for punctuality boyfriend. the night was magical and he did everything in his power to put a smile on my face, including over-tipping the waitress. she deserved it.


Friday


photo a day: faces. these cute faces are my babies! well, not really. they are my cousin's eldest (my heart) and youngest. and since my cousin and i grew up practically like sisters, her kids are so special to me. they were at my mother's house this day and i got to spend time with them before my mother, her bf, my sister, and i went to the movies to see Sparkle, which was cute but i could've waited for the DVD.


Saturday

no picture this day. why? i was chillaxing cleaning my apartment. yeah.
sarah
right when i thought things were going to start looking up, i'm reminded that i am not completely in control. and i hate not being in control. it makes me feel insignificant. also annoying are the clichés... it'll happen soon... it just wasn't for you... just keep at it... with your qualifications... (-__-) they mean well and i appreciate them for it, but it's getting harder and harder to not feel hopeless.

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


photo a day: logo. i've never had this drink before (it was sitting in my neighbor's recycling bin) but i remember it being very popular in undergrad with the ladies because it came in cute packaging and fruity flavors.


Monday


photo a day: writing. everyone loves my handwriting and i used to write and send letters all the time. now, i rarely pick up a pen... but i can type really fast. i miss blue ink.


Tuesday


this is a wedding dress. pretty dope and unique. i want a nontraditional wedding dress with some color. not to this extent, but i admire her style.


Wednesday


photo a day: glasses. in undergrad, my friends would always call me the girl from Signs. i never saw the movie, but apparently she had a habit of leaving bottles of half-consumed water all around the house, which ended up saving them in the end. i did the same thing in my dorm room and i still do the same thing. i just cannot finish a glass of water fully and will leave cups all over my nightstand.


Thursday


photo a day: messy. there was an ice cream social at my job this week with some premium flavors and topping going on. i thoroughly enjoyed some chocolate fudge brownie and cookies and cream with warm praline topping.


Friday


The Gathering in Baltimore is a big food truck rally where people can come out and get food, treats, and drinks from the city's finest all in one place. i went with my homegirl and had a decadent crabcake cone from Gypsy Queen Café that i've been craving for months! i'm definitely going back as i spied other trucks i want to sample.


Saturday


photo a day: purple. walking past my neighbor's house, i peeped some chili peppers and... an eggplant?! no way! right there on a city street in the window was fresh produce. pretty damn cool.
sarah
happy August! the summer is on its last leg, although i didn't really do much to enjoy it. while most of my friends spent it at festivals and concerts and traveling, i spent it making a meager wage at a temp job... that i'm very grateful to have, might i add. paying my bills is a joy, even though i have no money leftover to have any actual fun. speaking of last leg, the Olympics were somewhat amazing! i say "somewhat" because NBC sports absolutely sucks! look, i get it, the goal of a network is to keep people watching and garner ratings, but how dare you make me sit through four hours of uninteresting events just to catch thirty minutes of the main event! i was up wayyyy past my bedtime and avoided all types of media just to catch certain historical moments. Khaaaaan!

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


i've been in the business of making agua frescas this summer. mostly because my eyes are bigger than my stomach when i see delectable fruits at the farmers market. then i get home and realize i have a real aversion to the texture of most fruits. they're too soft and squishy most times, which is why i gravitate towards apples and bananas. the solution to being seduced by the purple sweet plums? make juice. this concoction here is puréed plums strained and mixed with fresh water and honey. i still have to figure out what to do with all the peaches i bought...


Monday


photo a day: calm. faced with a very important interview the next day for a job i would do questionable acts for without question, i needed a big ole glass of this to calm my anxieties and put me to bed. pray for me? thanks.


Tuesday


this is the style i wish i could recreate in my apartment. soon...


Wednesday


photo a day: outside. hello August. this is the golden time of day. wish i could've captured the morning light, but there was none! for the first time this summer. it'll be sweater season before we know it.


Thursday


photo a day: one. on the other end of the summer spectrum, the opposite of agua fresca-ing is roasting just about everything. this onion was so effing glorious! just an onion, sliced in half, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper transforms after sun bathing in the oven for 25 minutes. it's a sweeter, tanner version of its usual self.


Friday


Friday lunch with my coworkers. i introduced them to my fave, Bangkok Joe's. if you love Thai and live in DC, you must try it, if only for the sexy bowls. you know i love me a sexy bowl!


Saturday


photo a day: somewhere i sat. on my block, gazing at the large moon. it looks like one of the street lights, doesn't it?