The Perfect End of Summer Salad

Love me some salad. I always try to outdo myself and make 'em fancier and fancier. I made this one this past weekend and loved it! One of my favorite salad "recipes." (Yes, I know that salad recipes don't really exist because you basically just throw vegetables on a plate.)

- Spinach, Arugula, Swiss Chard, and Basil leaves as a base

- 1/2 of an Avocado

- 1 Cactus Pear

- 1 Raw Beet

- 1/2 cup Brussels Sprouts sauteed in Garlic and Olive Oil

- Any sweet and spicy dressing. (I used a Spicy Mango dressing with shredded coconut.)

Try it out! So yummy.

xo,

e.m.

Gingersnap Cocktail

Although my September 20th birthday qualifies me as a summer baby, I count my birthday as being the first day of Fall. For me. I've been waiting for a month to try this Snap liquor. It did not disappoint. Completely worth the wait! I can't wait to try more recipes but it'll be pretty hard to top this one.

What you'll need: 

 - Snap liquor

 - Spiced whiskey

 - Chinotto

 - Orange zest

 - Ice

 - A shaker

Begin by filling the shaker halfway with ice. Add orange zest, as little or as much as you'd like. (Tip: I like a little more!) Add equal parts whiskey to Snap liquor and shake. Fill the glass halfway with ice as well, and then halfway with Chinotto. Add in the whiskey and Snap from the shaker and enjoy!

I love this drink, it tastes just like a gingersnap cookie, just a little more "fun." Ya know?

xo,

e.m.

goals.

I'm a little sad today. I would be lying if I said I wasn't. I miss blogging, I feel as if I have no time to do it lately. This whole lifestyle change is hitting me a lot harder than I thought it would. I'm still trying to figure out how to "do it all," which is just about as difficult as it sounds. A little encouragement would mean absolutely everything to me, especially from those of you who are employed full time and still have time to blog. How do you do it? I keep waiting to fall into a new rhythm and it just isn't happening.

In other news though, here are my goals for this autumn. A bit different than the ones I had at the beginning of the year, no? They're all a little more "big-picture" than short-term. I've been reading a lot more lately, and this is something that I want to keep up with. If I want to make it in the news industry, I need to constantly be pumping myself full of knowledge. Books, new and old, is how I plan to achieve that. I also have been realizing that I wear a lot of dresses. I love them but I need to branch out more. I think that making a point of wearing more separates will stretch my fashion muscles a lot and I'll come up with some new outfits that I love. The last goal is going to be difficult. I used to see myself as more of a "free spirit." Working for yourself give you that kind of feeling. Now that I have a fixed schedule, my creativity is a little "off." It doesn't have to be this way. I just need to figure out how.

Do you have any goals for the change of the season? It's kind of a strange time to make some new goals but... who am I kidding, it's never a bad time to make some goals.

xo,

e.m.

snapshots

Just some photos from life lately. 

1. I've been eating many, many Brussels Sprouts lately. They're just SO good!

2. I've also been reading every spare second that I have. I get sucked in so easily!

3. Jenna helped me with my outfit pictures this week. Here's a test shot of her.

4. CANDLES, CANDLES, CANDLES! (Also, isn't the owl candle so cute? It's a gift from Red Envelope.)

5. Instruments. Lots of them.

6. I love this simple doormat, I'm thinking that I may purchase it.

7. Window shopping.

Hope you're all having a great last few days of summer!

xo,

e.m.

some tunes for you

Chelsea Wolfe is my #WomanCrushWednesday every day of the week. Her music is hypnotic and she's kind of a babe. She's somehow made her way on to 80% of my playlists so needless to say, I was beyond elated when her newest album came out last week. I listen to hip hop to get my hyped up for work on my drive to Philly in the morning and then I listen to this album on the way home to decompress and reflect on the day. It's good, thoughtful, thought-provoking music. 

That seems like as good a transition as ever to start talking about my life lately. You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been around as much. I'm hoping and working towards this being a temporary thing! This is a big transition and a life change. Working in the newsroom, keeping up with my photography business, keeping up with design work, continuing to freelance write, and maintaining this blog is proving to be quite a challenge but I'm sure I'll find a new rhythm soon. In the mean time, check back on my twitter often, because one of the best parts of my day is getting to share spontaneous little newsroom updates with you all! Once I get settled in a little more, I'll share about some of my experiences formally. Lots and lots of great experiences. Thank you all for your support and your kind words. When I feel overwhelmed, I come on here and read through the comments. They make me laugh and have even made me tear up once or twice. You're seriously all the best and I love you!

xo,

e.m.

sunday best

It's a little warm here to be dressed like this but I figure that fall will see my valiant attempts at cool-weather styling and grace us with its presence a few weeks early. A girl can dream, can't she? 

xo,

e.m.

top/ ASOS, jeans/ Jessica Simpson, shoes/ YSL, bag/ LV (it's a Speedy 30 in Damier Ebene!), ring/ ASOS, knuckle rings/ Etsy, necklace/ F21, bracelet/ H&M 

just some family photos

I had my first shoot since spring last weekend. Isn't this family insanely photogenic? They were so much fun to work with because they welcomed me as one of their own. Great reminder as to why I started my business in the first place-- to meet wonderful people.

xo,

e.m.

these days

Days like today are rare and extraordinary. It was my "first day" at my new job and I feel tender and content but my mind is also running at the speed of light. As in most situations, honesty is the best policy so here's a little bit of what's on my mind.

1. I'm so glad to be in Philadelphia for the time-being. If this is how my career is going to start, I'm honored that I can begin in my hometown. It's a beautiful city and I've never properly explored it.

2. I'm uncertain about how this life-change will affect this blog but I don't plan on getting off of the mighty interwebs any time soon. For a few weeks, I may be posting less frequently but you won't be getting rid of me that easily!

3. I really need to commit to memory the difference between affect and effect. I checked it on Google three times and still am not sure if I used the correct one above.

4. I'm thankful that I can afford a car that I love and also that I enjoy driving, since I'll be spending a considerate amount of time on the road. This is a small blessing but a much-appreciated one.

5. I can't wait to get my appetite back. Seriously though, I've been so worked up that I've barely been able to eat, which is extremely rare for me.

6. I'm going through some wardrobe changes (business casual every day, what?) and I'm strangely excited to share some of my new looks with you.

Here's to new beginnings. Do any of you have any exciting opportunities coming up this fall?

xo,

e.m.

all about you!

It's that time of the month again! No.... not that time. The time when I ask you to tell me a bit about yourself. (Much better, right?) 

1. Your name

2. Where you live

3. Blog/website

4. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

Looking forward to hearing from you and maybe striking up some conversation. This is one of my favorite parts about this blog: getting to know you guys!

xo,

e.m.