a new leaf.

Me and 2 of my girls got together for a night of mexican eatery. i guess they didn't trust me, since they left me in charge of guacamole, limes & salsa (how rude!). so i decided to make pico de gallo. i love it like a sister, but have never taken the time to make it. it was easy.


i learned online the easiest way to peel a tomato. that's boiling water on the left and ice water on the right. it has to be transferred from one to the other very quickly. it basically peeled itself.


i don't appreciate the time it takes to chop things up. this $7 food processor and i have a close relationship.


el fin.

free ninety nine!

i'm not into christmas, but i'm into the free photo booth that was at our company holiday party!

i'll be the 1st to say it.

i noticed recently that how busy i am is directly proportionate to how "put-together" i look. nails, waxes and shoes with lots of buckles will reconvene when i get a chance to breathe again.
(and despite it all, i've managed to scrape together a few sentences and a picture to put on here. hmmm...)

false advertising.

i saw this in the store this weekend. they're right, Allysen is sooo amazing. she ages before your eyes!

she should be called Amazing Cicely Tyson.

giving thanks.

thanksgiving was smaller than usual this year, it didn't feel the same. my sister and her family were out of town, so the guestlist total was only 6. plus, with her being gone, there were sooo many leftovers. she's the type of person that rolls to my mom's house with lots of tupperware - claiming that it's "for the kids". chile please! also, with her family gone, it was really quiet...until we got out Taboo! ahh, that game gives me life. i think it goes without saying that my team won (even though I offered to have my dad on the team - a certified 'tard. love you daddy!) i have a million things to be thankful for. being a genius is definitely one of them.

elle and salmon sittin in a tree...

smoked salmon and i have this "thing". it understands me and i understand it. we just work really well together. i've been looking into enjoying it in more unconventional ways. this recipe is my salmon roll. you will need...

smoked salmon, crescent rolls, smoked provolone cheese and chive & onion cream cheese. this particular brand of salmon is the absolute best i've ever had to date. i got it from the Your Dekalb Farmer's Market.
roll everything up nice and tight, and space evenly on the cookie sheet.

your end result will look a lot like this, but even better (i need a new camera for Christmas, hint hint :)

me & my little muffin head

my new thing is projects. so when i decided to keep my niece overnight, i planned for us to make a bunch of stuff. she's 4 (and some change) and very impressionable. i want her to take on my creative spirit and do even more with it than i have. luckily, she's a genius too. so not a lot of coaching is needed. she watches me do it, then she finishes. this particular day's episode was "pizza and girl stuff".



her inner fat kid was working on overtime. she ate all of her slices and all of my crust.

like mint & chocolate: sweet harmony

the recessionista in me screams a little every time i hear of a worthwhile fashion collabo. more and more designers have started using their right brain along with the left, to offer more affordable options to the masses. *screaming* YESS!!!
some noteworthy partnerships:



Christian Siriano 4 Payless




Jimmy Choo 4 H&M (which isn't in atlanta because most chicks here just don't get it)




Miley Cyrus/Max Azria 4 Wal-Mart
this tank is great, i got mines for $3

let's give EVERYBODY a contract!

how can i take a chick like this seriously? how can YOU take a chick like this seriously? i realize it's too early to decide whether she's talented or not, so i'll withhold any statements regarding that. BUT, i will say that her voice makes me wanna throw baby animals from the roof. additionally, on the last track i heard from her - Da Cypher - this chick did like 4 different voices in like 90 seconds. i was so confused. but it quickly turned to anger. tig ol' bitties and long weave will get you everywhere you wanna be.

"the show"

i've been seeing movies in the theater a lot lately. i'm not like normal americans. i love movies, but i never make it a priority to go see them. anyway, i'm changing that. let's review, shall we?

Paranormal Activity ruined my life. i'm a self-proclaimed punk about scary movies, but i keep on watchin'. it's a hint of retardation, i'm aware, but my need to be entertained is strong. it was really tough to sleep the following couple of nights. some of the stuff that happened in this movie happened to me in real life, so knowing what comes next makes me sweat a little bit.


i learned a lot watching Good Hair. black hair care is a multi-billion dollar industry and hair is india's #1 export. insanity! i also learned that i'm tryna be at that Bronner Bros. show next year. it's a lot more than i thought it was.

Precious was heavy. i've never seen a movie like that. it's been a week and it's still on my mind. so i bought the book. i don't want to ruin it for anyone (it comes out 11/7 nationwide), but i will say that if you watch it and are unsuccessfully moved, you are an animal.

most recently i saw Saw VI. i know you Saw haters are thinking "why are they still making these movies?", but like i always say, the purpose of a movie is to be entertained. i'm not watching it for the cinematography. it's creative, and it's smart. Saw doesn't scare me, but i almost threw up in my lap. twice.

next on my list is Takers. it comes out this February. i semi like action flicks, but i really wanna see it because this film is full of sexies. guilty. so far, it deserves 2 awards; one for the most sexies in one non-porno film and one for the worst photoshopping done on a cover. yikes.

I &hearts Derwin

BET is officially picking up a new season of The Game!
Much like sex & the city, i started watching the game late, right before its finale. so you can imagine how annoying it is to get sucked into a show, the characters and that sexy Pooch Hall only to find out it's all over. well apparently, there was heavy protest from viewers because it's bizzack! i don't know exactly when, but it's coming.

independence day.

the 4th isn't major for me like most. every year i hope for sun and a bbq rib or 2. since i was off work on the 3rd, i got my sun then. (and my glow is fabulous, might i add!)
so my boy Dugger invited me to the Jaspects bbq - my only real plan for the day. i met mom for pedicures, went to the mall and helped her pick out her outfit for that night, baked some cupcakes, partook in fun bbq time, gave myself an at-home mani and stepped out briefly. this nightlife, btw, is not for me. all in all, a solid day.