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.

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'.

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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 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 (^_^)

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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.

this was a very interesting week for me, full of highs and lows. in the end though, everything culminated into a lovely Saturday spent at Spring Fair featuring lots of shopping, walking, and calorie consumption. fair food and Coldstone. bawse. Saturday was so full that i crashed as soon as i hit the door, so this week in photos is a day late.
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Sunday


photo a day: sunset. this is the sunset as seen from my boyfriend's apartment. his view though is way nicer than his actual neighborhood.


Monday


Monday was a really rough day. nuff said.


Tuesday


i follow a couple of interior design blogs (to help balance the thirty or so natural hair and food blogs) and i come across some pictures that really speak to me. i love a home that integrates outdoor and indoor living and i soooo want to be able to incorporate that into my dream home, some day.


Wednesday


photo a day: speaking of natural hair, here is a close-up of mine. kinky and curly at the same damn time!


Thursday

and another one... this house features lovely wooden floors and an indoor atrium. swoon.


Friday


photo a day: something i drew. i cheated a bit, but i'm a chemist, not a sketch artist. so here, molecules and mechanisms. i live to push arrows.


Saturday


a great way to cap off the week. it was HOT on Saturday, so to cool off, my boyfriend treated me to a brownie sundae. he knows my heart. also, peep the Starbucks in the back... yup.

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Sunday



i was excited about the start of the Baltimore Farmer's Market, only to get there and see it was about 33% occupied. just like last year around this time. i did score some lovely spinach and parsley (same as last year, oddly enough), which i used to make a great Easter salad.


Monday


photo a day: younger me. at prom in 2002 having a photo opp with a friend, back when no man smiled in pictures.


Tuesday

photo a day: cold. a close-up of my beloved Starbucks cold cup.


Wednesday


my lunch: pan-seared salmon with couscous and sautéed spinach. i'm still having flashbacks about it.


Thursday


i want her hair. getting my hair to that length is further away than previously thought since my birthday trim. le sigh.


Friday the 13th


sushi night with my sorority sisters started off with copious amounts of krab at Maté and ended with copious amounts of waiting at Georgetown Cupcake. i regret nothing.


Saturday


photo a day: how i feel today. especially after seeing how much i owe in taxes this year.