it's 60°F this morning. that fills me with such glee! you know how i feel about autumn. i go from looking like a sweaty, glistening hog to a sophisticated Mrs. Piggy in the blink of an eye. so i was happy this morning to be out in the cool crisp air, even though i was still dressed like summer, with my skimmers, no socks, and summer cardigan. i was happily shivering on the train!

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Sunday


photo a day: my father. this is my father with my aunts at my aunt's birthday party (she's the silver fox in the middle wearing a tiara). this was a costume party of sorts, although only half the party attendees actually wore a costume.


Monday


photo a day: far away. there was a wedding at the very classy Belvedere near my apt. as much as i've always wanted to get married, that concept seems so far away right now... i just realized the actual work that two people have to do to get to that point, not to mention i'm almost 30 and have been with my boyfriend for less than a year. i still want it though.


Tuesday


photo a day: mailbox. the one thing i hate about moving into a new apartment is still receiving the former tenant's mail. it's so awkward! so i just leave it in there and hope that the mailman with get the picture. it's been a year and i don't think he will.


Wednesday

photo a day: bright. my commute this week was anything but. i had some time to make up in my work hours this week, so that meant i did three 12-hr shifts in a row! i was up and at work before sunrise and back home way after sunset. i hated it.


Thursday


i've discovered free cupcakes. it makes me so happy. Georgetown Cupcake has a secret password everyday and my coworkers and i have made it a point to take a break, for mental health reasons, to go for an invigorating walk in the mornings and the cupcake is like a free reward at the end of it. but only if the flavor is appetizing, otherwise we're "too busy" with work.


Friday


a bit of déjà vu for you... look back up to the picture from Wednesday... yeah. again, i was so through with my work schedule this week that i had not the wherewithal to take a picture on Friday. i had an interview, a luncheon, still worked late, had dinner with my mother and her boyfriend, and crashed too hard when i got home.


Saturday


photo a day: at night. i guess because i was so wrapped up in work this week, all i wanted to do on Saturday was get out and enjoy the air. i drove for a while, picked up some hair stuff, and relaxed for the rest of the night. 'twas heaven.

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.

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.

totally missed a week. and what had happened was... i was just tuckered out. and lazy. what else is new? i actually had a fun-filled week and weekend and kept putting off later and later on Sunday. next thing i knew, it was Tuesday. triflin'.

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

Sunday


#NaturalMoment - my boyfriend has a secret crush on my grooming habits and it manifests itself in surprise divots in my hair butters and body creams. it's his way of complimenting me... stealing my beauty butters.


Monday


i didn't post any pictures on this day. i have no idea why... must have something to do with me being called a "nigger" by a homeless looking Santa Claus in Starbucks...


Tuesday


riding on the Marc train to and from work, i see some amazing sights. the mist in the mornings, the graffiti under bridges, and the clouds during the evening... just stunning. i don't know if it has anything to do with being so close to the airport, but the clouds sit so low, i swear the sky is falling.


Wednesday


here is some of the graffiti wall art.


Thursday


photo a day: texture - as i've gotten older, i've fallen in love with the texture of runny egg yolks. something we were always warned against as children, i was previously squeamish about yolks and would only eat eggs scrambled. one day, out to eat with my old roommate, who always loved a rare steak and sunny side up eggs for brunch, i was tempted to try it and have been hooked ever since. now, i put a fried egg atop anything... warm salads, pasta, grilled meat, and it's a great excuse to make hash!


Friday


i have to say that i think Friday the 13th typically brings me good luck. i had a great day and was in the best of moods. not to mention, Fridays i have lunch dates with my coworkers. this is a simple and unassuming miso soup from a hole-in-the-wall sushi carry-out. followed by...


a trip to Starbucks for a free sampling of their new beverages, Refreshers. i got the Very Berry Hibiscus flavor, all while watching my back for Racist Santa. the day was topped off with...


cupcakes! we weren't even supposed to get cupcakes because we only had fifteen minutes and the line at Georgetown Cupcake is notoriously long. so what?! i waited nearly 45 minutes for this delectable beauty and i regret nothing.


Saturday


since my boyfriend stole half of my stash, i took the opportunity to re-up on some of my staples. the best news?? my mommy treated me to these hair goodies! take that, Racist Santa!

happy July! hope you are enjoying the heat! you would think with the weather consistently passing the 100°F mark this week, it would be a very miserable time, but i've had a terrific week and i hope you all did too! i'm still broke and i'm still tired but i have so many reasons to smile, to laugh... except for seeing that Tyler Perry movie. that was the only dark moment in my week (>_<)

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

Sunday


nothing like lamb for Sunday dinner served with a side of arugula spiced cousous.


Monday


Spiderman saves the day.


Tuesday


photo a day: where i shop. believe it or not, Anthro is very affordable if you know how/when to shop. catch a sale and you'll have a quality, unique, extremely well fitting piece of clothing that'll fast become a staple in your wardrobe.


Wednesday


curious culinary combinations. Cheetos and... a latte?!


Thursday


if i had this kind of view, i would be the kind of lady who took baths. with milk & honey while wearing an oatmeal face mask and burning lavender and vanilla candles. instead, my viewless bathroom makes me a hot 10 minute shower kinda girl... that burns incense and has almost empty amenities.


Friday


Friday should've sucked. i received a laughable paycheck, i was dragged to see the travesty that was Madea's Witness Protection, and there was a freak storm that stranded my family and me in a restaurant and knocked out some towers. BUT, Friday was awesome because the evening before was a great night spent with my bf, my paycheck came through on time, and i was stranded with the people i love in a fantastic restaurant eating fantastic food. if you're ever in Baltimore, check out Woodberry Kitchen and get the CMP for dessert, if for the brûléed marshmallow topping alone.


Saturday


another Saturday with me spent catching up on sleep. it wasn't quite the sleepy haze as last week, but it was the same schedule of sleep, tv, food, sleep, light cleaning, tv, food... and i loved it! i've found a Saturday groove and i ain't ashamed! one of the meals i made was simple Hasselback potatoes, which i imagine to be a lazy man's scalloped potatoes. it's yummy and i topped it off with the remainder of my roasted chicken tossed with my housemade BBQ sauce. i roast off some chicken on Sundays and shred it up to toss in quick meals throughout the week so i'm not stuck with the prospect of making a full scratch meal on a Tuesday night when i get home at 7.30p. it saves me from going to sleep tired and hungry or eating a huge bowl of cereal at 10p.

another week down and what a rough one it was. i mean, my spirits are high right now but i'm sooooo tired! this was my first full week at my new job and i'm just getting used to the commute, which is a lot rougher than it should be. it should take 1.5hrs, but DC traffic is terrible! i don't remember it being this bad and the scary thing is, i don't think there is anything the city can do about it; it's just overcrowded. it takes 2 hours for me to get home, if i'm lucky, and by the time i do, i have three hours to maybe cook, maybe shower, and catch my breath with a bit of TV. then i pass out before 11p and wake up at 6a to do it all over again. i'll get used to it tho. i am grateful for the job and that i'm not in the house on my ass all day.
follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


in celebration of Father's Day, here is a picture of me and my daddy at my master's graduation this year. my father and i are kindred spirits... i get my extroverted, pensive nature from him and as such i've always been a daddy's girl.


Monday


photo a day: something you didn't know about me - i used to play tennis with a passion. you wouldn't know it these days because i haven't picked up my racket since my junior year of college. i played my last game a week after my ex and i broke up in 2005 and even didn't play my last year in undergrad. i've been wanting to get back on the court for the past three years, but grad school, lack of time and money... one day.


Tuesday


photo a day: imperfect. my pinky fingers are a bit imperfect. they both bend inward instead of being straight, like my other fingers.


Wednesday


photo a day: fave photo i've ever taken - Tiffany would kill me if she knew i posted this picture, LOL! this is from senior year of undergrad. for Tiff's 21st birthday, we decided to do 21 shots. chaos ensued and i snapped this picture. crazy night. drink responsibly.


Thursday


i was really feeling this lady's style... her turban with a side bow, her pageboy haircut underneath. it made me frown at my own frumpy style. moreover, working in DC a block away from a mall and tons of shops, i feel so shabby, not chic. a couple of weeks ago, i was sobbing on my bf's bed about how unpretty i felt. he was there for me though, telling me all the reasons why he was there by my side. i still wanna go on a shopping spree though. i could only afford to buy one pair of shoes this day. so i did.


Friday


after a kinda rough Thursday, this gif i found made my Friday really breezy. it had me giggling well into the evening.


Saturday

because i'm just getting used to my new job and my commuting schedule, i didn't even make it out of bed Saturday, so i have no picture to post for this day ( ._.) sorry! good news is, i feel really well rested today and am ready for the work week!

Happy Father's Day! i hope you all had a great week. mine was interesting. again, the weather was beautiful and i started a new job. it's great to be back in DC on a regular basis, but i must get my commute under wraps... because 3 hours just to get home is NOT the business. but, i spent the weekend with my family in DC for my mother's birthday/grandmother's birthday party/father's day. a lot went down on Saturday and i saw close to 200 family members and friends. it was great (^_^)

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

Sunday


this is me. this is my hair. i don't talk much about my hair and being natural as much as i thought i was going to when i started this blog, but that may have something to do with the fact that i think there are other people who do it well enough... Curly Nikki, Quest for the Perfect Curl, Naptural85... no need to reinvent the wheel. but i do lurve my hair and i still contemplate sharing my regimen, tips, and fave products. one day.


Monday


photo a day: door. this is the door on my wall-to-wall built-in wardrobe in my room in my apt. one of the main reasons why i got the apartment was for the hardwood floors, the built-ins and...


Tuesday


the decorative fireplaces! photo a day: from a low angle. there are two fireplaces in my apt. i've been meaning to get nice candelabras for them, but i've been meaning to do a lot of things. the ambiance hasn't suffered. i remember when i first saw the apt... i went the same day the ad went up on Craigslist because it's in my desired location, i was the first to see it, i saw two other apts afterward and ran back over immediately and signed the lease. i play no games.


Wednesday


i've got plans for agua fresca and pickled watermelon rind... hello summer!


Thursday


my first day at my new job assignment and i find out it's directly across the street from one of my favorite Thai restaurants... it only made perfect sense to go there for lunch!


Friday


photo a day: yellow. this was the only photo i took on Friday and i'm sorry for it... these are some really fugly shoes and i wish i had something better to share with y'all.


Saturday


Saturday was my mother's birthday, but it was also the day of the surprise birthday party of my grandmother (whose birthday was actually the month prior. my mother loves to celebrate her birthday by giving thanks to my grandmother... and it was the only way we could really surprise my gramma. she's nosey). we spent most of the morning pulling out pictures and here is where i noticed a lot of our pictures are scarily similar. me and my mother look like the same person.

another roller coaster week. things started off kinda wonky but ended on such a high note... graduation, a wine festival, family, friends, love... i'm still smiling and my head is still spinning.

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


Sunday




photo a day: something i can't live without... my DVR. as a Capricorn, i hate to waste time. my DVR affords me the luxury of watching 3 hours of television in less than two! the downside... no commercials, although i don't know how much of a downside that is.




Monday




photo a day: where i stand. this is the front half of my living room. that open doorway on the left leads to my tiny charming kitchen. as you can see, i need way more pillows on my daybed/sofa and i should probably empty my recycling bin.




Tuesday




photo a day: pink. the fact that there is pink ink on my eggs telling me its expiration date makes me never want to buy eggs from the mini mart down the street again. but i'm broke and they were something like $1.29 for a large dozen. #shruglife




Wednesday




photo a day: technology. i've been keeping a secret. no, i don't love Apple products. but, i do have a job. i'm a tele-agent. you call with issues about your Apple products, i answer. it's a home-based position and i hate it. hate it so much that i no longer do it and have to return all of these Apple incentives. #NCT




Thursday




photo a day: something new. these are a pair of really cute and deceptively uncomfortable shoes my mom bought me for mother's day.




Friday




graduation day! if i'm honest with you, i was not looking forward to this day. graduations have been very anti-climatic in my experience. it's supposed to be a joyous occasion, then something happens and everything is ruined. someone has a bad attitude, doesn't feel like waiting, it's notoriously hot as hell... but i have to say, this was the best day ever! my family and friends really showed up, i actually enjoyed crossing the stage and was the first person in line, and the ceremony was really short and sweet. i enjoyed this day so much, i'm gonna post another picture!



these are some really pretty flowers, two bouquets of lilies. the white ones are from my father. the orange ones, my favorite, are from my boyfriend. i went out to lunch with my friends where i lavished over my accomplishments, the past, where we see our futures, and i opened my cards and cried. life was great right there over lunch eating cheap Chinese food, as it should always be.


Saturday


went to the Caribbean Wine Fest Saturday with my sorority sisters. this sea of people... that was just the mosh pit! there were twice as many people in the tents surrounding it. there was food and music and wine/drinks galore. it was a blast and a great way to end the week (^_^)