some pictures + weight loss update

A few pictures from the Fourth of July

 I mean... this face. It kills me.

 Now, for the weight loss update. As of Saturday I was down two pounds and feeling pretty good that I could reach my 2.5 pound goal by Monday. Then, I stepped on the scale Sunday morning to find it jumped 1.5 pounds overnight! I was pretty upset because I've stayed under my calories and worked out 90+ minutes every single stinking day this week. When I weighed in this morning I lost 1/2 pound making a whopping 1 pound loss this week. Charlie is trying to convince me that it's water weight, but I don't really care because it's still weight that I do not want on my body! Anyway, here are a couple of new recipes I tried this week:

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad (recipe below)  

Quinoa Loaf. This was just... meh. I don't particularly care for barbeque sauce, which is why I don't think I liked this very much. I halved the recipe and still have a ton, so it looks like this will be my lunch every day this week!

With my weight gain this week it doesn't look very likely that I'll be able to hit my 10 pound goal by next Monday, but I'm sure going to try! Now, for the pasta salad recipe:

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad 

(found on back of Lucerne Cheddar Jack Cheese pkg.)

1 12-ounce pkg. large shells

3 T. Light mayo (I used 2 T. Veganaise)

1 ½ Cups frozen yellow corn, defrosted

1 ¼ cups Salsa

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

¼ Cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1 ½ Cheddar Jack Cheese (I omitted this to reduce calories)

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and let cool. Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve chilled.

I'm a sucker for pasta salad, so I thought this was pretty good, but next time I make it I will definitely be adding more veggies like red peppers and broccoli.

saarinen tulip table

So, I know I just finished my dining room, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about what I'll do when I have a grown-up house with an actual dining room! I'll for sure be getting a fancy Saarinen Tulip Table. I love this black table with matching tulip chairs.

Or, the white marble top with mixed chairs.

Of course, if you're a girl on a budget like myself you could always get your fill with the popular Ikea Docksta,

and pair it with these affordable chair options.

Can you imagine this pair of chairs re-upholstered with a hot pink cushion? So good.

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marfa in elle decor

After our recent visit to Marfa, Texas, I was excited to find this Marfa home featured in the June 2012 Elle Decor. It's the perfect amount of rustic and modern, which is exactly what I think of when I think of this unique desert town.

All images by William Abranowicz via