Yum

Yum

So it's Friday night and I haven't got much sleep all week, so you know what I'm going to make my self a yummy meal. mmmmm.

I decided out of the box baked mac and cheese with pan fried avocado, broccoli, and shrimp.



Ok, first I made some quinoa mac and cheese like the box said. While the noodles were cooking I browned the frozen broccoli and frozen shrimp and some sliced avocado. After the mac and cheese was ready I put it in a pan and added a little milk so that the noodles didn't dry out. I topped it with some extra chucks of cheese and my pan fried goodies, then sprinkled some parmesan cheese. Pop it in the over at 350 for ten minutes and voila yummy gluten free dinner.






I added some delicious Crispin cider and some ripe mango for desert.

So what's the verdict? I dried the shrimp out a bit, so I need to learn to cook shrimp better. Also quinoa noodles... don't like. I need to remember this, the flavor just isn't good. I need to stick to rice noodles.



And 22fl oz of cider gets you real quick.
Yay, gluten free

Huggles,
Lauren

New Tattoo

New Tattoo

Thank goodness to live with a tattoo artist. So on Wednesday night I got a new tattoo in the attic room of my house. Sounds seedy, but Ray's a pro! I've been wanting an Ohio tattoo for awhile and the shape of the state fits oh so perfectly on the back of one's neck. Ray used a red-orange ink for the line, cause I'm never get black ink on me, color shows sooo well on my skin tone. He also touched up some lines on my color wheel tattoo. And let me tell you the neck didn't hurt AT ALL. But my arm hurt more with the touch ups... That's unexpected. So what do you think? I'm kinda sad the ray is moving out... I forgot how much I love getting a tattoo.

Huggles,
Lauren

New Diet

New Diet

New Year.

So one thing I have determined to try is adopting a gluten free lifestyle this year. 2012 was a year of a lot of health issues that are still continuing, so I'm drawing inspiration from my sister and mom. My sister has been gluten free for two years now and it has helped a ton with many of her health issues. My mom has been grain free for about a year after the suggestion from her chiropractor, and she has noticed a big difference in her health as well. Since many of my own health issues appear to be hereditary, I'm giving it a go with encouragement from my family and coworkers. I'm sure I'll slip up, but I'm really going to try. I'm going to miss bread baskets and beer, but I'll just load up on potatoes, wine and gin and tonics. Thank goodness I'm making a bunch of infused vodka's this weekend with all ingredients picked from my houses garden. One thing is I'm going to have to find a good pizza dough recipe, or this pizza monster will be sad. 

Lucky me, the grocery store near my work is having a 20% off gluten free products this week. I stocked up.

So this will be a challenge… I mean my aunt and uncle owned a bakery, and I worked in a bakery selling yummy breads for years. I'm a bread fiend, and so is my guy… So many temptations will surround me, but I will try.

When I went home

When I went home

So many months ago I went home to Ohio and Michigan to see Sara get married. I never posted any pics so I decided to do that now.

I miss my friends and family. I can't wait to see them at Thanksgiving.

Huggles,
Lauren

Baby Shower Seahorsie

Baby Shower Seahorsie

I did this illustration last year for the baby shower invites my friend and fellow designer Andrea was doing for her friend, Julie. Julie loves the ocean and before she was born her mother's baby shower invites for her featured a pegasus carrying a baby like a stork. So Andrea and I decided to combine Julie's invites with her love of the sea creating this "stork" seahorse for her baby girl's baby shower.



Huggles,
Lauren

2012 in clothes

2012 in clothes

So yeah yeah, I'm awful at keeping this blog up to date. BUT I do have plans that I've been working on to showcase all my design, art and adventures. I'm really excited. I will never forget how this blog started with my daily outfit... man it's been three years since I started this blog... damn. So here is a tribute to that with a round up of some iphone/instagram pics taken mainly in my work bathroom of my clothes. I've had so much fun having a spending income to reinvent my wardrobe. My favorite purchases have definitely been my glasses.


And I've been keeping my hair red. I love it, although I do miss my blonde hair, fortunately red fades back to blonde quicker then I'd expect.

So here you go, bunches of clothes and shoes... my shoe collection has become insane.

I'll have a year and holiday recap coming up too!!
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