More Girl Things I Don't Understand

A while back, I wrote a list of Girl Things I Don't Understand. Lately, I've noticed some more things I don't understand. Do you follow any fashion bloggers? Do you read fashion magazines? Normally, I don't. Mostly because 1) I can't afford anything they advertise and 2) I'm just not trendy. However just because I don't follow trends doesn't mean I don't have opinions on them. Here are a few others:

Ear crawlers. 

I do not want to think of anything crawly anywhere near my ears. They need  a new name.

This bag. 

I get that it's cute, but 1) how do you keep the things inside dry when it's raining outside? and 2) I may the only one who thinks this way, and it may be because me and people I know have been victims of theft, but anyone can literally stick their whole arm in there and take whatever they want. No thank you.

Sheer leggings. 
If they were meant to be sheer, they'd be pantyhose. STILL NOT PANTS.

On the same note, patterned tights.
I don't understand the appeal. Every time I see someone wearing them the word hooker comes to mind, and I'm pretty sure that's not what you were going for.

Not dressing for the occasion. 
I'm not really sure how to explain this one, or the example I was thinking of when I wrote this, but yeah...I think you know what I'm talking about.

Denim on Denim.

Especially if they are supposed to match perfectly, because they never do. It's called a Canadian tuxedo and looks foolish, imo. Unless they're colored jeans.

Overalls. 

Please leave them where they belong, in the 90's. They're not coming back, at least not yet. Not even if you make them in leather. I also think they look childish/ridiculous on anyone over the age of 12.

Clogs. 

The last time I wore clogs I was in middle school. And I remember because I could barely walk in them. Also, they don't look good on anyone.

Crop tops. 

Unless you're a teenager with awesome abs, please refrain. Ain't nobody ready for that jelly. Ever.

Am I wrong? Like I said, I'm no fashionista, so feel free to disagree and educate me on these "recent" trends!

Weekend Updates and Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

This weekend was pretty tame. Friday night I was exhausted, and though I've been planning to make these stuffed shells for about two weeks, Blue took the liberty. They were absolutely delicious. That, plus Pitch Perfect and wine were all that occurred on Friday and it was perfect. Recipe below.

Saturday I had a class meeting for our paper and presentation that are due tomorrow (eeeek!). After two hours of bs'ing around (so not a fan of group projects), I left and headed to the Montclair Film Festival to see a documentary on my high school's biggest rivalry. Though football seems to reign in most high schools, the biggest rivalry of mine was actually a talent competition comprised of dance, cheerleading, and exercise called "Girls' Show." It is an annual tradition that dates back to the 1940's. Girls from freshman-seniors would try out for one of the teams, and the captains would choose absolute everything- the routines, the music, the costumes, etc. Everything was very top secret. The girls would be judged based on technique, originality, and spirit. My high school included kids from three different towns. The hometown (where the school was located, and my town) would usually be on and root for the Green team. Everyone else (usually) was on and rooted for the White team. When you lived in one of these towns, you heard about Girls' Show from about the 6th grade- it was the biggest event in this area. Your mom/aunt/cousin/sister/friends were in it. It was everywhere- and tickets would sell out a year in advance.

So it was no real surprise to see a ton of people from my high school there. No one I actually liked, but lots of familiar faces. I thought the documentary was really well done, though it's super weird to see your small town and some familiar faces featured on the big screen. After the show, Blue and I headed to Cuban Pete's. The wait was kind of long, and we didn't realize it was BYOB so it was a dry night, but the food was really, really good, and came out quickly despite the crowds. Blue had the churrasco (grilled skirt steak), and I had the beef stew. We will definitely be going back soon.

Sunday was filled with school work, though we did find some time to get out on the deck with a few beers. And naps. And more work. I'll be really when I'm at least done with my presentation tomorrow. Presenting always makes me super nervous. Until then, I'll be editing and practicing, and drinking boatloads of coffee!

But for now, here's that recipe: Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

20 uncooked jumbo shells

15 oz. ricotta cheese

8 oz. (2 cups) grated Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

12 basil leaves, chopped

1 egg

1-26 oz jar spaghetti sauce 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook shells according to package directions, about 9 min. Drain and rinse in cold water.

2. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, and basil. Spread 3/4 of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.

3. Spoon the cheese mixture into the pasta shells and place in the baking dish. Pour remaining of the spaghetti sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 min. Enjoy!!

Friday Favorites

TGIMFF. I'm so over this week. And next week. Can't wait until these damn finals are over, and I can finally relax and do whatever I want again (and other things, like spring cleaning and laundry). Ugh. I'm going to try to enjoy this weekend, minus the class meetings/writing papers part. Happy weekend friends!

Favorite Song:Adam Lambert- Ghost Town

Favorite Video: drunk squirrel! Crazy Squirrel Gets Drunk After Eating Fermented Pumpkins

Favorite Cute Pic: Baby elefantes....d'awww.

Favorite Moment: I picked up this almost-new couch!

Favorite Quote: (Stolen Borrowed from Steph's IG)

Hell.Yes.

Pic Of The Week:  Perceptions.

Favorite Funnies:

Budget Bytes was in a Berlin grocery store and this was the "USA" section lol. Pop-Tarts, Pam, Betty Crocker, FLUFF, and other processed goodness.

Me, all the time...

Do NOT hold the guac...

The Late, Great...

Sorry, bro...

Confessions (Kinda) - In Headlines Form

I don't have a whole lot going on besides work and gearing up for finals, but I have seen a few things in the headlines lately that have made me question our world. Not big, Earth-shattering things (like the earthquake in Nepal or the riots in Baltimore), just little things that made me raise an eyebrow. And also, I like joining Melissa on Wednesdays, so here goes:

My mom was/is a terrible cook. I grew up eating a lot of Kraft mac n cheese (in the blue box) and now, that's pretty much the only mac n cheese I'll eat. None of that gouda, baked, or otherwise fancy crap for me. So you can imagine my horror at hearing that my favorite neon orange food might be "updated" to compete with those gluten-free, organic competitors.

I cannot believe that this decision was made in our country's capital. When is it going to be understood that the government does not own our bodies? And does this belief make me a feminist?

I'm not gonna lie, I'd be pissed too. I generally like Adam Sandler, and his movies, but if you have people from the group telling you that your jokes are racist, then maybe you should listen? Or don't invite them on set? Just an idea.

This is still one of the funniest movie scenes ever

Do people really do this? And what are the peak like hours for IG? Should I know this as a Millenial female? Actually, my friend really does send me text message drafts before sending them to guys... so maybe I just missed the memo that this is a thing??

I'm pretty sure I'm the only blogger underwhelmed by this Full House reunion/ spinoff.

What are you confessing today?

Weekend: Bruce Jenner and the Opening of Deck Beer Season

Friday I was planning on cleaning up quite a bit. That didn't really happen. I got home, did the dishes that were piling up, put out all of my recycling, and then headed to Chipotle. I had been craving a burrito for over 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it was kind of awful. Very soggy. Blergh. And then I watched the Bruce Jenner special.

Saturday morning I got a late start. I had breakfast in bed (the best kind of breakfast, imo), and watched some responses to the Bruce Jenner special. There was one other famous transgender person- the former helicopter pilot Bob Tur from the OJ Simpson trial, who captured the footage of the speeding Bronco- who basically said that Bruce's interview was lacking, specifically because he "dodged" questions regarding gender reassignment surgery and sexuality. She stated that the special was just another spark to fuel another reality show based on his transition. (I'm hoping this isn't true.**)

I don't agree. He answered the gender reassignment question- he says he really doesn't know if he'll do it, but is prepared because he has the necessary paperwork/recommendations from psychiatrists. As for sexuality, he stated that he just wants to be who he feels he is inside- it's not all about having sex with a specific gender, though he has always been interested in women, and never had ideas/thoughts regarding hooking up with other men.  The line that I thought was most poignant was from an endocrinologist who stated that "Sexual orientation is who you go to bed with,” Spack tells ABC News, “but gender identity is who you go to bed as.” Well said, Doc.

The rest of Saturday was spent running some errands, grabbing Five Guys, bowling, catching up on Game of Thrones, and finishing The Incredible Kimmy Schmidt. I really can't wait until it comes back. It took me a little while to get into it, but I kind of love her antics.

I lost. twice. 

Deck beer season has begun

GoT mega-beers!

Sunday I was up and out (fairly) early to meet a friend for brunch in Hoboken. I had this amazing champagne margarita and a delicious breakfast burrito at Cadillac Cantina. Then I headed to an absolute worthless meeting for class. Seriously, nothing got accomplished except deciding when we're next going to meet, and that took 2 hours. Lame. I cannot wait until this semester is over. 

**UPDATE: I heard after I wrote this that it IS true; there will be a docu-series on Jenner's transition. Le sigh.

Friday Favorites

Yayyyy Friday!! Did anyone else feel like this week dragged? Well, at least up until yesterday. 

PSA: Please don't invite me to your birthday party at a wine bar on a Thursday. Or if you do, don't make me do shots with you. Yeeesh. I definitely can't party like I used to. Anyway, the weekend is almost upon us, so it's time for some faves from the week!

Favorite Song: Estelle- Do My Thing (ft. Janelle Monae)



Favorite Quote:

Favorites Reads:

This is hilarious, especially if it fits the crime! It kind of reminds me of the time the girlfriend that a girl took a hammer to her (ex) bf's PS3.

Okay, I thought mosquitos liked a certain blood type more than others, but it seems that I wasn't too far off from reality.

CHIPOTLE IS DELIVERING! But is it worth the price? One New Yorker reported that the delivery was $20!

I love this list of dirty jokes we missed from movies from our youth, particularly the one from Mrs. Doubtfire (though I was old enough to TOTALLY catch it!)

Mrs. Doubtfire: "Oh, dear, now I'm sorry, am I being a little graphic? I'm sorry. Well, I hope you're up for a little competition. She's got a power tool in the bedroom, dear. It's her own personal jackhammer. She could break sidewalk with that thing. She uses it and the lights dim, it's like a prison movie. Amazed she hasn't chipped her teeth...I hope you bring cocktail sauce. She's got the crabs, dear, and I don't mean Dungeness."

Favorite Video: Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" with dance scenes from your favorite movies. The only one missing imo is the one with Ben Stiller from Along Came Polly!

Favorite Funnies:

80 last Saturday, 39 today. Srsly.

Shopping "Haul" // Colored Pants

I have a hard time choosing between buying things for myself and saving money. However, sometimes, you just need to replace some of your essentials. That's what this last shopping "spree" was for me. My short sleeve shirts needed some replacing, and what better time to invest than when there's a sale? I got the two fitted tees below at Old Navy for $5 each ($7 saved). The gray tank (pictured further down) was full price ($13...hmph), but it's so, so soft, I couldn't resist and also I didn't realize it wasn't on sale.

I don't have much of an excuse for the Bath and Body Works purchases, other than again there was a sale, I had run out of candles, and I absolutely love how long these last and how awesome they smell. The candles, in "Fresh Bamboo" and "Bow Ties and Bourbon" were 2/ $24 (originally $22.50 ea), and the body spray was thrown in just so I could cash in on the free shipping with a $30 purchase. It's a new scent ("Sheer Cotton Lemonade"), so it was on sale for $6 instead of $14 . I was a little weary because I'm not a huge fan of overly sweet fragrances, but this one is very light and fresh. I would definitely get it again. And BOOM! I stayed at strictly $30!

Both of my sneakers needed replacing. I've had them for over two years, so they were way overdue and both had huge holes in them making them unwearable, especially in rain. I always like having (at least) one pair of white sneakers and one pair of black sneakers. I really, really love how comfortable the Puma Soleil II are so I just got them again, though now they look slightly different.

You should not be able to fit your fingers through your shoes

I'm always slightly appalled at how much sneakers cost these days. The last time I bought sneakers, I had hit up the outlet mall around Labor Day. This time I could either wait for the Memorial Day sales, or shop around. I can't say I used any special app for this. I checked 4 sites- Puma.com (full price- $62) , 6pm.com because I had a coupon code ($45) , Famous Footwear because I saw that I could get 4% cash back on E-Bates AND free shipping over $50 ($40), and DSW because I had a gift card there ($55). So obviously, I went with Famous Footwear, and the socks were B1G1 1/2 price, and I needed socks and wanted the free shipping, so I got those too.

I've been wanting Converse Allstars for a few years now, so I finally bought them with my DSW gift card. 

12 socks for $12 and my new sneaks

If you're in the Northeast, you may have noticed the near-summer temps last Saturday. We hit 80! I'm so tired of cold and rain, that it was a welcome surprise. It felt like Spring had finally sprung, and therefore the spring wardrobe, including my colored pants, started making an appearance. 

My ex was very, very much against colored pants. Or more specifically, he was against me wearing colored pants. He claimed that the only reason why women wore colored pants was "to call attention to their asses," and "why would you want other guys looking at your ass if you're in a committed relationship?" Therefore, I've had these for two years and only wore them twice ever... last Saturday being the second time. Honestly, I don't agree with him (especially since as you can partially see here, my arse is mostly covered) but alas, that's just another reason we broke up. I wasn't much into colored jeans because 1) I don't normally follow trends and 2) I don't love calling attention to myself with bright, bold colors in general. However, I thought I'd give these a try, and I have to admit that they are quite comfortable, and really brighten up my wardrobe overall. These are the Old Navy Rockstar Skinny jeans, which I also own in black and cobalt blue. I wore the black ones the most, and they've seemed to lost their shape, so I'm hoping the same doesn't happen with these now that I'm actually allowing myself to wear them again!

Old Navy head to toe-wishing I had wore sandals

What are your thoughts on colored jeans/pants? Do you/would you wear them? Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping them in shape?