angilio 2.0

GPOYW

2011-03-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

solo dance party style.
it was our last night in austin.
we spent the whole day in the 90 degree sun.
it was glorious.

now i'm home, back at work and it's cold.
now begins the countdown till the next time i get to play in the sunshine.
for the record, that would be 22 days... and counting :)

but mannnn, march has been a good one – as predicted.
at some point, i'll tell you about it.

giggling baby & jumping puppy

2011-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

two of the cutest things ever.

also, in case you want some more cute overload, you're welcome.

march madness.

2011-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

the snow has come and gone. and in just a matter of days, the same will be said for the month of february. goodbye bone-chilling temperatures and a light social schedule. march madness is quickly approaching and i couldn't be more excited for what lies ahead.

the kickoff begins this weekend in cincinnati with a roommate reunion of sorts (plus husbands and babies). fingers crossed mother nature behaves. lord knows lu can't take the wheel for me when the weather freaks out. i don't get to see these college girls all that often but when we do, we gladly pick up right where we left off.

a couple weeks later, the bff comes to town for some early birthday-partying. plans pending, but they will be grand. you can bet on lots of food and even more champagne. we haven't had a proper weekend together in far too long.

a few days later, i'm entering my senior year of my 20s and venturing off austin for five days of new adventures in the sunshine. yeehawwww.

not to mention the warming weather, saint patrick's day! and basketball.
oh yes, march is going to be a good one.

GPOYW

2011-02-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

aaaand i thought it was bad getting trapped on lakeshore drive for 3.5 hours last night. these people win.

best cheeseless pasta there is...

2011-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

period.

i would be the first to admit pasta and cheese is natural and magical combination. i'm italian, after all. but tonight i experienced one of the most amazing flavor combos there is – creamy avocado, basil, lemony goodness.

when you eat a dish and you don't even think cheese could help it, you know you've done something right...
or copied someone's recipe right.
cause that's what i did. and you should too.

then i stole her photo too. props lady.
nom.

a lil taste of summer

2011-01-31T21:06:00.000-08:00

it's no secret how i feel about winter. it's cold. it's wet. you have to lug so much shit with you everywhere you go and one second you are freezing and the next you are dying of a heat stroke. it gets dark far too early. you take way too many cabs when you are brave enough to leave your house. the wind hurts your face, ruins your hair and makes your eye makeup run. yeah, you get it.

naturally, warm trip planning is necessary. but it's not everyday you can hop a plane out west and bathe your worries away in the sunshine. so sometimes, you need to get creative. this time, i used the kitchen. instead of vats of hearty soups and comfort casseroles, i turned to a torn out cooking light recipe from june. yes june.

june – when things are alive and warm and lovely. for me, the idea of june is far more comforting than a pile of mac and cheese could ever be.

so i present you, cobb salad pizza. light, delicious and easy as can be.

what you need:
• refrigerated pizza crust (TJs has amazing ones, but i just used a pillsbury can - the ones that you twist open) i suppose you could make your own, but that's not really my thing.
• 2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
• 1/2 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 2 strips crumbled bacon
• 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of dijon
• 1 tbsp of light olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

how to:
1) grease your pan and cook the 'za crust. (10-15 mins depending on heat and choosen crust)
2) meanwhile, fry bacon and warm chicken (i had my chicky precooked to move this along faster)
3) in large mixing bowl, add vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. then add tomatoes, chopped chicken, bacon crumbles and mixed greens to mixture.
4) bring out your lovely browned crust, top with tasty mixture and sprinkle with blue cheese and avocado.

bam, dinner is served.

warning: this doesn't keep well. crust gets soggy and those lovely avocados get brown and mushy. so, guess you better share!

tonight i...

2011-01-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

• talked to mom about her new panera-inspired kitchen.
• read 250 pages in my book without realizing the time drifting away.
• watched two episodes of how i met your mother. why did it take me so long to fall in love with this show?
• danced with a newfound energy and pony tail on the very top of my head. it was fun and i felt like a 12 yr old in junior jazzercise. did anyone else do that shit? it was awesome.
• ate some leftovers i wish i would have just trashed. sometimes kitchen experiments don't always go as well as planned, but i feel compelled to eat my hard work. sometimes.
• threw the ball to lulu approximately 152 times.
• started a fun journaling challenge for myself. 30 days of concentrating on some angie stuff. like!

how was your monday?

true story.

2011-01-21T10:24:00.001-08:00

scene:
riding the train home from a movie with a friend discussing our youth and permed hair. why wouldn't we be?

me: i permed my hair in 8th grade. the long, crunchy, gelled curls lasted 2 days before i went back and told them to cut it all off. i looked hispanic. aaaand that was too much for 14 year old angie.
her: I KNOW! same thing happened to me but i was in 4th grade, and really tan. definitely did not look white.

scene:
15 minutes later, homeward bound via bus discussing cold weather with a mustaged old man.

om: something something preferio me gusta reallyfasttalking
me: blank stare. yeahhhh I have no idea what you just said.
om: (shocked) but you are hispanic.
me: no i am not.
om: but you have the right skin look…they call it olive?
me: (laughing) well, i am half italian.
om: wow, that must be what it is. i was sure you were latina.

the conversation quickly moved to pasta and kitchen talents.
finally, something i could understand.

GPOYW

2011-01-12T19:57:00.001-08:00

this is my new dark hair and hey i'm going to vegas tomorrow face.
na na na na naaaaaaa!

monday smiles

2011-01-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

i never thought i'd be one of those girls who has a dog that she can fit in her purse or that pees on a pee pad in her house. then again, i never thought i'd own my own place on my own or be 28 and still have never made it to italy. life certainly has it's own agenda.

this little dog is the perfect addition to my household and she has more spunk and tennis ball love than any other pup i've ever met. miss lu had a photoshoot over the holidays.

it's monday morning. everyone needs some cute puppy pics. right? thought so.

tennis balls, peanut butter and snuggles,
lulu

be (a sort of resolution post, a tad late)

2011-01-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

i'm 100% a resolution person. i love the idea of starting fresh, writing your goals down and striving towards them with a new found energy. as cliche and predictable as can be, mine are often strewn with nutrition, fitness and weight loss — and generally, last about six months before summer blinds my resolved soul with outdoor patios and beer soaked afternoons.

this year, i'm taking a less concrete approach. i want to be more of myself. through the years, angie has faded in and out, changing slightly along the way. this year i want to highlight the good things and bring my talents, passions and energy to the surface. more creating with my hands, less laying on my butt - more being present in the moment, less planning the days that follow - more pushing myself out of my comfort zone, less talking about it.

this year i will be: creative, present, inspired, mindful, strong and undoubtedly, challenged.

can't wait.

oh hay there adorable

2011-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

{internet cuteness compense}

who there such a talented mini me of TKTC out there?
(is he whistling through his teeth?)

fresh start, clean slate: introducing angilio 2.0!

2011-01-03T16:58:00.001-08:00

happy new year friends!
time sure does fly. i hope your holidays were filled with lots of laughter, love and heavy handed wine pours.

today, it's back to reality and the launch of this shiny new blog. woohoo! i'd been noodling over the idea for sometime, but it took proper timing and consecutive days away from the office to make it come to life. 2.0 will be a lot of the same, but with a few inspired twists. excited about the new, especially my the 365 photo challenge i've tasked myself with. yep, one photo everyday. i'll post them on my flickr page and do a weekly 'best of.' to the right, you will conveniently see the link to the photoset. this is going to be the year of creating. new recipes! new jewelry! new design-y stuff! frankly, i've gotten lazy. it's time to get my crafty groove back.

but don't worry the old blog isn't going anywhere. that angie has just grown up some and needs a clean slate for 2011. there's no doubt it will be linked back to. i mean who doesn't want to remember times like these?

excited to be back in the swing of things and looking forward to a brand new year in this brand new space!

cheers to 2011 :)