Travelling Lore

I had a pretty low key weekend, so I had time to do some Pinterest-inspired nail art. Light purple: Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro "Wild Orchid" | Dark purple: Rimmel 60 Seconds "Deliciously Dark" Pink: Orly "Cotton Candy" | Silver: Revlon "Sequin"

Food time!  My basil plants needed a haircut, but I didn't want to waste all of that fresh herb-y goodness, so off to Pinterest I went for a basil-inspired recipe.  I decided to make Basil Quinoa Cakes found on the Greatist .  Mmm, delicious! Although they took a while to make (from prep to finish), it's a super easy recipe.  Just cook the quinoa, combine all of the ingredients, and plop 1/4 cup at a time into a pan.  The recipe calls for bread crumbs, but I took the suggestion of using 2 slices of gluten-free bread and 3 tablespoons of gluten-free flour and it worked great without compromising the taste.  (I don't have celiac disease, but I choose to go gluten-free as often as I conveniently can because it makes me feel less bloated.)  I also chose to fry each side for about 5 minutes instead of 10 because I didn't want my quinoa basil cakes to be super crunchy.  The best part about this recipe?  That it makes about 12 cakes, which c...

Let me start off by saying that I have no intention on making this blog's primary theme about fashion.  Unless it's a fashion blog about daily or weekly outfits, new clothes purchases are an expensive thing to blog about and I'd rather put my money elsewhere.  Also, the prices of some brands out there are ridiculous.  However, I do enjoy an afternoon of shopping every now and then as many women do.  No shame in that. I hadn't gone on a big shopping spree in quite a while and was looking to update my wardrobe with some chic basics to incorporate both in and out of the office.  I was inspired, via Pinterest, by the chic, modern-day Audrey Hepburn look meets casual prep (minus all the polo stuff...not my thing) with some nautical notes mixed in.  It sounds like a lot going on, but obviously you don't have to mix all of these looks into one outfit.  So, without further ado.... H&M: white and blue jeans | white blazer (only available in blac...

Happy belated Fourth of July!! I hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the USA's independence! :) Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and therefore wasn't able to document how I spent my holiday.  I did enjoy my time at Lake Anna, though, with my boyfriend and a lovely mutual friend and her family.  Smorgasbord galore!  I'm still full! We drove back on Saturday and stopped at a couple of wineries on the way.  One of my favorite things to do is visit Virginia's wineries when given the opportunity. Our first stop was at Gray Ghost Vineyards .  They have a cute set up with wrought iron chairs and tables from which you have a lovely view of their grape vine varietals.  They don't have a view of the mountains, which is always an added bonus, but I always appreciate when I can look out at the vines from which they pick their grapes and make their wine.  Since I prefer visiting wineries that grow and use their own grapes, the whole farm-to-ta...