Music Monday: Road Mix

A lot of people appreciate the sounds of the road.  There's the roar of the wind through rolled down windows. Birds chirping outside.  The hum of traffic.  The boy and I aren't trying to hear any of that when were driving.  Especially on long trips.  We have to have the perfect mixture that represents both of us to sing along to.

Know all the words?  We don't.  Doesn't stop us from jamming along as best we can.

I've been jamming this one since the late 90's.  It's just as catchy now as it was then.

And an occasional splash of humor is good for when traffic starts driving the boy nuts.  Love, love, love Andy Samberg.

Good Eats: CoronaRita

Have you guys checked out Chili's CoronaRitas?  They're both cute and delicious.

And just as easy to make a version at home.  Fill your glass up with ice and add half premixed margarita and half Corona.  Drink perfection.

Also, my plan for the weekend.

What I Want: Beach Gear

Of course I won't be sporting this gear this weekend but a girl can dream.



Swimsuit: Betsey Johnson
Beach Towel: Landsend
Beach Bag: Go Jane
Flip Flops: Old Navy

Music Monday: Old School

On rare occasions there's that bright shiny Monday where I don't wobble into work feeling like I need at least 19 more hours of sleep.  That was today.  Today I'm all groovy and chill.  And the musical selections reflect as such.

Ah, Stevie Nicks, your sweet, sweet may be one of the nicest that get stuck in my head.  I've been humming this song for a week.  I'm not sick of it yet.

Epic. Rock.  There's likely nothing I could say about the musical dynamic between Plant and Page that hasn't been said before.  This is classic rock for a reason.

This one isn't quite as old but it was on the playlist.  Seems to go with the vibe.  And it reminds me of the awesometastic episode of Criminal Minds with Tim Curry.  And of course Criminal Minds reminds me of Matthew Gray Gubler aka the Hotness. 

It's a pretty good Monday. 

Inspiration: Gulf Shores

Vacation is so close I can almost taste it.  Less than two weeks now.  Must stay sane until vacation....

This photo of Gulf Shores is courtesy of TripAdvisor


This photo of Gulf Shores is courtesy of TripAdvisor


This photo of Gulf Shores is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Good Eats: BBQ Casserole

So, who loves a good casserole?  Personally I think they're the best thing since sliced bread.  And my picky eater will eat pretty much anything topped with chips and cheese so for dinner with no grouching a casserole is the way to go.  BBQ Casserole is one of the boy's favorites.

Ingredients:  1pd Ground Beef or Turkey

                         2 slices chopped Bacon

                         BBQ Sauce (roughly half a bottle)

                         1 16oz can Baked Beans

                         Fritos (Original works best)

                         2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar

                         Seasons of Choice

First, preheat your oven to 350.  Next brown up your bacon and ground meat.  I do them together to save time.  I like to throw some Garlic Salt and Cracked Black Pepper for flavor.

Next stir in your BBQ Sauce and Baked Beans. If you use a BBQ Sauce with brown sugar or other sweet flavor I recommend going with a less sweet Baked Bean or vice versa.  Let those simmer together for just a couple of minutes.   

Then pour the mixture into a greased baking pan (I like to foil and grease mine for quick clean up) and bake for 50 minutes.  When time is up layer half the cheese, the Fritos, and the other layer of cheese then pop it back in the oven until the cheese is melty.

And I meant to snap a pic of the gooey outcome but I was far too hungry and had to gobble it down immediately.   

If you give it a go let me know what you think.

Outfit Post: Attachment Issues

I am not ashamed to admit I get way too attached to inanimate objects.  For example my stuffed Heathcliff my brother won for me at a carnival when I was five has been sewn back together roughly six times over his life span.  He's lost a good quarter of his stuffing and his eyes and nose (both hard plastic.  He was the ultimate weapon during sleepover pillow fights) are hanging on by threads.  But I refuse to let the little guy go.  Sure I say I'm holding on to him for when I have a little one of my own but I'm pretty sure he'll just stay tucked away safe and sound where I can keep forever.  Ripe for therapeutic consideration.

I hold on to clothes until they fall apart too.  For example, my trusty polka-dot dress I've had for somewhere over eight years now.

 

 Dress: Lux via Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Vince Camuto via Rue La La

Music Monday: Soothing Beats

Another Monday. No matter how much I whine it still rolls around every week. This week I'm feeling relaxing beat driven tunes.

First up: As The Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Chillout Remix) by Motorcycle

 

Although trance is more beat focused, Jes Brieden's vocals blend seamlessly with the sound. There's a ton of remixes of this track but this one is by far my favorite.

Even more chill is Magnetic Girl by ATB

 

A buddy of mine suggested I listen to this and try not to take a nap afterward. Since hearing this track I've developed a taste for ATB.

Rounding things out with a little more oomph is Strange Behavior ft Tasha Baxter by Feed Me




This one turns the bass up a bit more than the other two tracks however, this is another example of amazing vocals blending with amazing results.

So, who's ready for the weekend... or at least Tuesday?

Inspiration: Beach Body

I don't have the words to explain how much I'm looking forward to Memorial Day weekend.  Big sis, Broinlaw, the boy, and I are spending the weekend at Gulf Shores.  *Happy Dance* The condo is rented.  The plans are finalized.  The leave form is submitted to Boss.  Now I just have to get myself into bikini shape.  Thank you internet for keeping me motivated.

Outfit Post: Great Pumpkins and Karma

When I was playing high school basketball we occasionally played a team whose team colors were black and orange.   We referred to them as pumpkins.  That was kind of jerky of us.  Now, in a bizarre twist of karma I can't pair orange and black together without fear of looking pumpkinish.   I tried to exercise my demons with this outfit.

I think the little pop of orange is fun.  And not pumpkiny at all.  It's not, right?  Right?!

Shirt: Mac and Jac via Ideeli

Pants: Banana Republic Factory

Shoes: Madden Girl via DSW

Music Monday: Digital Daggers

Who hates Mondays? Show of hands.  Oh, everyone huh?  Yeah, me too.  However, I find it’s not quite so bad if I have a good soundtrack.

Today I’m feeling pretty mellow since  called in to the job and spent the day with the boy.  On the play list today is Digital Daggers.  They’re a pop duo with a slightly electronic sound.  Recently their music has been popping up on TV fairly often, like this cover of Head of Heels which was featured in The Vampire Diaries



Covers are often risky but they pulled it off nicely.

Surrender is the track that originally turned me onto the band



This song is sex for your ears.  The lulling vocals and whispering melody are the perfect soundtrack for candles and romance.  Or daydreaming about candles and romance while you’re supposed to be working.

Lastly, No Easy Way Out has a little more bite to it but keeps with the mellow vibe



If you looking for some mellow tunes be sure to check these guys out.  And here’s hoping your Monday didn’t suck too bad.

First Impressions

Here's the thing about opening lines, the good ones are taken.  I mean I could start this off with "it was the best of times it was the worst of times" but then you'd be bored already.  And I'd be plagiarizing and that's a real asinine thing to do.  So perhaps we start with a good old fashion introduction?  Hi, I'm Nikkole.  (And most likely if you're here it's because you already know me (yes, I'm counting net/blogger friends) and that was kind of wasted on you.  However, the internets are a vast place and I'm thinking eventually people who don't know me may wander over.  That was for their benefit.  Moving on.)  I've been doing the "outfit of the day" kind of blog for a while now and I kept losing interest.  I'd dip off for weeks at a time but then miss blogging and my blog friends.  Then I figured out what the problem was.  I'm not just an "outfit of the day" kind of girl.  Sure there's plenty of days when I feel I look nice but clothes and getting dressed aren't the only things I dig.  I dig lots of other stuff.  So this new format, a format to say whatever was born.

What should you expect to find here?  I'm not one hundred percent sure.  Some stuff about clothes, fashion, and shopping for sure.  I'm not giving up on getting dressed (I'm pretty sure my boss would frown upon it).  Some stuff about music since I have a passion for good tunes despite the fact that I can't carry a tune or play anything other than a kazoo.  Mostly likely there'll be things that happen to be inspiring or pissing me off or confusing me or simply worth passing along.  And there'll definitely be gratuitous cat pictures.  Like this

So if you think you can get behind all that jump on board and we'll see where we go.  If it doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then I understand.  Neither I or my feline partner in crime are offended.  But I hope you guys stick around to see what I have to say and have some stuff to say back.   

N