through my window

Hop on over to No. 15 to visit Amy

and to see my featured photo in her Through My Window series!

Thanks Amy!

rice pudding.

All day long, I've been reading Smitten Kitchen. I've read the words "Smitten Kitchen" so many times today I could make up a song about it. Smitten Kitchen SmittenKitchen SMITTEN KITCHEN. I don't know what it is--the witty banter, the gorgeous photos, the scrumptious little baby, or (perhaps) the mouth-watering cuisine.

Either way, I'm smitten.

You see, I'm trying this alternative lifestyle (did I hear someone say diet? I didn't say that. I said alternative lifestyle. You know, alternative to my old gain-ten-pounds lifestyle. The word diet implies it's bound to fail, in my mind. So it's an alternative lifestyle. Say it with me: ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE.) In other words, reading Smitten Kitchen all day is making my insides churn and my tongue seize up. I need some carbs and I need them now.

Fortunately, A Day That Is Dessert somehow heard my inner plea for help and sent out her latest post into the blogosphere for me to find. She made rice pudding for dessert, for her family. Um, PRINT. I brought that recipe home with me and whipped it up pronto. It sure did placate my Smitten Kitchen obsession. I'm not sure how fond I am of rice pudding to begin with, but if I was, this would be one great recipe. It was Vanilla Almond Rice Pudding, actually, and it was divine.

Unfortunately, my body tried to make up for the day-long goodie-starvation and forced my mind into thinking an entire bowlful would be okay. Now, my tummy hurts and I'm pretty sure I just confirmed my fear of lactose intolerance. Oops.

That's all.

if you want to be popular . . .

. . . you can't afford to be skinny?!

That's right, "Wate-On." Better known as, "Lots-And-Lots-Of-Calories-You-Can-Get-From-Eating-Regularly."

1969, please come back?

(Spied via BleubirdVintage.)

coffee shop baby shower.

Don't you just love new blog finds? You stumble upon them and then BLAM! just like that you fall in love. Become a follower? Yes, please!


One of my said new blog finds is Playing Grown Up. You really must visit it. If for anything, just to envy Brooke's bangs.


And check out this Coffee Shop Baby Shower she threw for her sister:





Since her sister loves hanging out in coffee shops so much, they rented out the whole place to hold her baby shower. Isn't that just the cleverest idea ever? If I ever have a baby, (which is always a totally weird thing to say . . . ) I'd like one of these, please.




(Photos via Playing Grown Up)

5 Things on Oh, Mishka

Today, I'm featured on Michelle's beautiful blog, Oh, Mishka!

Every Friday she posts a list of 5 Things to Try This Weekend, usually written by guest bloggers. And this Friday it's meeeeee!

Be sure to check it out!

(Photo via girl seeking grace)

beard revue.

Have you seen this handsome blog?

What? You haven't?

Jump on the bandwagon. It's a blog dedicated entirely to facial hair.



Cute, right? If you don't know, I love me a man with a beard. This blog has kept me smiling and laughing for the past half hour! (What? I'm supposed to be doing work at work?!)

Also, coming up: an update on my new 'do! (And I'm not even crying!)

(All photos via BeardRevue)

start living now.

This provocative quote comes from Oh, Mishka. And I love it.

"Start living now. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift."-Mary Manin Morrisey

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about not feeling complete without a significant other. I guess I really needed to hear this today. Whew!

summed up so well

Nicole Antoinette of More Is Better has a great post on the "quarter life crisis" that is SO spot-on I couldn't stop laughing.

This girl knows her shit.

If only I could turn my sorrows and misery into popular witty banter.

I Wish I Could . . .

. . . speak Spanish fluently.

. . . type really fast. (I guess I should have finished up that keyboarding course in 7th grade, right Mom?)

. . . be more sure of myself.

. . . know how to style my hair better after having it for, oh I don't know, twenty-one years.

. . . master Excel.

. . . have a more successful blog.

. . . live on my own.


Maybe I need to make a goal list like this one

Nothing yet.

My stomach hurts. Uncontrollably, at all hours of the day. I even find myself waking up in the night to it. Don't you think I'd relax while I'm unconscious?

I haven't been hungry. If you know me, you know this is strange. When I do eat, it all tastes the same. Tonight I had corn on the cob, rice, and steak. My mom's cooking is great. It all tasted the same.

I had to babysit today. For the same kids I babysit for four days out of the week. It was like an extended work week. My only solace of knowing that I'd be busy from eight-thirty to five again was that I'd be busy. And maybe I could keep my mind off it.

I've been holding my phone since I woke up this morning. In my hand. If I really need that hand, I put it into my pocket, and promptly turn it to vibrate. When my mom called, I practically shit my pants in anticipation until I saw "Home" show up on the screen.

Nothing yet.


However, looking at beautiful blogs like The Feather Circus is nicely distracting. Just look how gorgeous her photos are.

This Post Brought to You by: Coffee

Caution: Proceed through this post at your own risk. Lack of sleep, PMS, and irritable children have caused me to turn religiously to coffee as a means of getting me through the morning. This post is, right now, my outlet. So I'm apologizing in advance. Don't say I didn't warn you . . .

Maybe it's the full moon. Maybe it's because it's hump day. I don't know. I just need massive amounts of coffee, and then some. Plus shopping sprees and fruit pies and a new iPod/phone and a job with benefits. But I don't have those things. I just have the coffee. It'll have to do, for now.

GeorgeLittle said to me just a few minutes ago, "Ruthie, 'member that time we went to Starbucks and you got the coffee that was double as strong and had too much caffeine? Why'd you do that? Wasn't it making your heart go 'puh FOOM puh FOOM puh FOOM?'"

I could also use a trip back to South Africa. That picture is from April of 2008 when we went on a full moon hike up Lion's Head in Cape Town. Granted, it was an extremely difficult hike (read: climbing ladders and chains up cliffs) and we failed to consider that once we hiked up and saw the sun set we'd then have to hike down in the ever-increasing darkness, it was still amazing. There's another full moon tonight, and it made me think of that day over a year ago. Where does the time go?



Now I'm here, living at home, friends dispersed, nannying for the neighbors and still trying to figure out my post-graduation plans. I guess I'm just still grappling with it. It's almost been three months! I can't help but think that if I were in elementary or high school, my summer would be over already.

What now? I know that I haven't just sat around and twiddled my thumbs since high school graduation, but it gets hard to hear about all the great things other people are doing with their lives while I sit next door and take little children to science museums (no offense to said little children).

I just need a strong drink. Pronto. Is it only 10:30am?

I was recently reading a good blog and found out about The Happiness Project. Once I get some spare time to really read it, I'm going to start using The Happiness Project Toolbox, which also looks pretty cool. Does it make someone sound dumb to say they're using a Happiness Toolbox on the internet? Probably. Do I care? No. (Okay, well, maybe a little.) But I'm doing it anyway.

God must be belly laughing right now because I have to run--the kids just innocently walked in from the deck with Nutella all over their shirts that they ate OUT OF THE RECYCLING BIN. I guess they don't realize that PMS is rearing its ugly head today.

I don't think I've ever asked this but . . . when is summer over again?

Monday Morning Kick in the Pants

(Photo via manysmallguesses, via my creative fling [I seriously look forward to Monday mornings just so I can see what her next Kick in the Pants will be! You should really check her out.])