The Big Apple

As I'm sitting here drinking my freshly brewed out-of-the-Keurig coffee, massaging my aching legs that hurt so good, I'm beginning to realize how much I could actually live in NYC.


We woke up at 4:45 in the morning, and left with huge cups of coffee in hand for the airport at about 5:15.

Our flight's departure was 8:40 am, and we made excelente time, after running through security checks and all that good stuff, we still had an hour left.

We met up with Grammy who had spent the night at a hotel, and then it was just time to wait to board!

Coffee, peanut butter+honey sandwich, plus a really beat up banana to fuel me through to New York!!

 

Flying over Atlanta.....

2 hours later, arriving in Queens....

We took a taxi to Manhattan - and from that point on I had a bit of culture shock, but I completely loved it! The traffic freaked me out, but let me tell you - taxi drivers are badass. For realz.

After checking into our hotel, we really couldn't get anything off of our mind but to get some lunch! Sandwiches at a local deli/grocery place, me and Grammy split a smoked turkey sub that was heavenly. Mainly because we were Starvin' Marvins.

When our tummies were finally full and grumpiness subsided, we took the subway to the MoMA! 

The real Van Gogh's Starry, Starry Night! Be still, my heart.

Henri Matisse

.......wat.....

.....wat......

Ahhh Monet's waterlily muraaaalllll

Creation of the modern scissors....

The first monochrome porcelain dinner set....

We made it through impressionism/postimpressionism, modernism, expressionism, futurism, cubism (I posted like a quarter of the pictures I took), and a few other that I can't really remember. :) We were exhausted by that point and checked into our room.

Glorious, glorious beds. 

After naps, our stomachs were rumbling again and we walked/subwayed to Rebekah's choice landmark: Ellen's Stardust Diner, in Times Square.

The servers sing to you. They run around and sing into microphones and perform. I kid you not. The food was meh, but the entertainment made up for that. There's actually a lot of history behind it, a lot of actors and actresses on Broadway start out by working there!

Speaking of Broadway, we were right across from where the Tony Awards were being held!

Literally 15 steps away from famous people. 

The last stop was Rockefeller Center - Top of the Rock! Nighttime in NYC is definitely magical! I was a little light-headed on the 63rd floor. 

We then trekked back to the hotel functioning purely on adrenaline, and crashed into bed. 

First thing tomorrow: Greenwich Village Food Tour!!

What I'm Loving

I woke up yesterday bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to join my school's summer practice run club, and was greeted by the lovely sight of dreary, wet, drizzle.

Although I already had an idea of the forecast (I might have a slight obsession with checking the weather), I couldn't help but be disappointed that I couldn't go. I woke up at 7:15, after all. Such is life.

So before I start *finally* packing for vacation, here's a few things that I've been loving lately.

1. Mango Sugar Body Scrub

Man, I love. this. stuff. It's so exfoliating and makes me smell like mangoes! Me like.

2. Urban Decay Naked Palette

I'm super picky about makeup because I don't like to wear or look like I'm wearing a lot, and I lean toward neutral eyeshadows, so the Naked palette is great for my preferences. I especially like the shimmery colors.

3. CamelBak water bottle

CamelBak is my new baby. It goes with me everywhere, and I get through probably 3 refills a day. Hydration for the win.

4. Sutra flat-iron 

 This qualifies as a "splurge but so worth it" purchase. It's definitely a high-quality straightener (thanks to the ceramic plates) and leaves my curly, fine, breakable hair silky smooth and completely straight!

5. Kindle 

I go through phases of different subjects and authors that I like to read, and you can definitely tell by my Kindle book list. They're mostly historical fiction - I love learning about different cultures. In the past (read: elementary school), I've read all of Gail Carson Levine and Ann Rinaldi's books, most of Michael Crichton's, and more recently I've fallen in love with Pearl S. Buck after reading The Good Earth, got into Asian history and read the 1000 page Shogun (which has like 5 sequels equally as long), and am currently in love with ancient Egypt. I read a couple of books about Nefertiti by Michelle Moran which were fabulous, and now I'm reading a series about Hapshepsut (the first female pharaoh).  So yeah - loving the Kindle.

6. Nectarines

Thank you LORD nectarine season is here. One of my favorite fruits.

7. I Love Lucy

I want to go back in time and be Lucille Ball's BFF.

8. Larabars

It took me a while to warm up to these lovelies, but now I can't stop eating them! The texture weirded me out at first, but then I tried the different flavors (that involved chocolate ;)), and started popping them in the freezer, and now I'm in love. I need to make some homemade ones!

9. New running outfit

I love running in this outfit; it's so me. So comfy and stylish!!

10. Sunglasses

Nothing says summah like workin' the shades. 

Oscar sez, "See ya!"

WIAW: Old and New Favorites

It really feels like summer is here - we've been making trips almost daily to the pool, the sun is shining, and I have been exposing myself to as much Vitamin D as possible - I'm outside all the time!

I've had lots of fun taking pictures of some of my eats this week, I've had more time to think about it because I don't have school taking space in my brain. :)




Kashi waffles have officially joined my favorites list - a very un-Jessica breakfast. I can't believe I'm growing kind of tired of oats, dare I say it. A big, hot, hearty bowl of oats is just not appealing on mornings that it's 70 or 80 degrees outside.

Waffles paired with a nectarine, melty sunflower butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon is absolute perfection for a summer breakfast.

However, warm weather also calls for big bowls of pillowy, chewy, perfectly chilled bowls of overnight oats. The banana, cinnamon, and peanut butter combo is always, always a favorite (next to Chai-spiced pear!).

Creamy and dreamy....

Mid-morning snacks have been involving almond milk as a post-run snack/hydration. After a run one day, I got to hang out with my Frogg-Togg and sip down some dark chocolate almond milk, aka my two best friends. I attempted to take a decent selfie for this post, but quickly gave up on that plan. ;)

I think the last one is the least weird/creepy. The one above it is definitely sketchy.

Back to food, my favorite lunch always involves a big 'ole salad. They're light, refreshing, and filling, and I love overflowing the bowl with veggies.

The usual mix: lettuce, turkey, salsa, sundried tomatoes, carrots, salsa, roasted pepitas, and chunks of Mom's homemade bread.

But when the fridge is low (read: has none of) my favorite toppings, I have to shake it up a bit. :) Yesterday I had a salad of green-leaf lettuce, sliced barbecue chicken from zee deli (so good), orange+green bell pepper, and roasted pepitas. Whole wheat tortilla on the side.

Yummy lunch; but I wasn't that satisfied so I grabbed an apple for a fruit component, and a couple of pieces of dark chocolate I had stashed in my room.

Summertime means...poolside snacks! Grab-n-go bars never fail me.

As I was munching on my Clif bar, I was brainstorming other snack ideas. Hummus with carrots and red pepper slices sounded so appealing after swimming for a couple of hours. Or frozen grapes, mmm. Maybe new summer snack favorites?

I've gotten really lazy with dinners because I don't really like taking the effort of actually making something after a long day outside, so most of my meals are quick, easy, and always delicious. No TV dinners over herr. Wraps/fajitias/tacos are normally my favorite go-to "I don't feel like applying effort" meals.

This salmon fajita was possibly the BEST fajita I've made in a loooooonnnnnnggggggggg time. And I made it in like 4 minutes!

I heated up a piece of leftover salmon, stir-fried some frozen veggies, chopped up a little raw bell pepper for crunch, and added a few cubes of mango for a tropical addition and punch of flavor! Topped off with a spoonful of greek yogurt.

Heaven in a tortilla, I tell you. 

A new favorite is this Trader Joe's Pesto-Margarita Pizza (or something like that...I threw away the wrapper before I could remember the name!). De - li- cious. I forget how much I love pesto until I actually have it!

Subbed an apple for a salad because our veggie drawer is running low. D'oh! 

New favorite midnight nightly snack - banana peanut butter chocolate smoothiiiieeeee.

Yup. Eaten drank drunk?  in bed. Livin it up. 

Have a wOnDeRfUl WeDnEsDaY!

Weekend Roundup

It's June already?! I can't believe how quickly time flies. I also can't believe that this time, one week from today, I'm going to be in NYC!

I keep experiencing major writers' block for some reason - maybe it's just the beginning of summer laziness relaxation? Luckily this weekend was productive, which is always a plus in my book. 

Friday, Mom and I spent the majority of the day out and about and running errands. We were pooped by the time we got home! I got some new clothes and a pair of desperately needed running shoes - my poor tennis shoes have been with me through a lot. Like, mud, hiking, crossing over a creek, running, walking, biking a lot.

I was really, really picky when it came to choosing these shoes. I've been having knee problems, which I'm almost sure my old tennis shoes were a factor in, and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. After like 30 minutes of trying on and walking around in different tennis shoes (and blocking the path for any others who wanted to browse in that section), I decided on the Nike Dual-Fusion. Definitely not the color planned (blue or green is always my fave), and not the brand planned either, but they fit well, were light, and I loved the shades of pink and orange.

I also picked up a Camelbak water bottle that I've had my eye on for a while. I'm really glad I invested in one, because I really like it - it hasn't really left my side since I got it! :) Hydrate up.

My mom and I are blessed to have a really close relationship - I always have such a fun time hanging out with her. She's the best.

Saturday morning I laced up and went out for a great run.  

It was a really, really nice run at an easy pace for the first 20 minutes, but when I hit about 25 minutes - BAM - crank up the heat!!! I swear out of nowhere the temperature went up about 10 degrees - I was a complete sweaty mess by the time I got home. I'm going to have to motivate myself to get up earlier if I don't want to end up with a major runner's tan/overheating. No bueno!

My favorite vanilla almond milk plus a nectarine to refuel the muscles.

The rest of the day was just the usual chores (although I completely reorganized my closet and cleaned my room --->what ensues when I'm feeling especially productive), and burying my nose in my Kindle.

There was also an incident in which Rebekah and I spent half an hour taking extremely attractive unattractive attractive selfies that I refuse to post on the blog. Just thought you'd be interested.

Sunday, oh Sunday. I started the week with a non-traditional breakfast of frozen Kashi waffles, melty TJ's sunflower butter, and a another completely perfect nectarine. Mom always chooses better (read: riper) than I do.

I'm obsessed with the turqouise+orange color combo

Sundays are always low-key, and I was planning on going for a walk after church/lunch, but it started thundering so a 2 hour nap took place instead.

Typical of Georgia weather, when I woke up the sun was shining and all the moisture from the rain had evaporated. I then got rained on on my way home. Go home weather, you're drunk.

I finally got a Pinterest craft done (homemade camera strap cover), and ended the day hanging out with this funny lady.

So there's my weekend - I'm looking forward to taking on the week!