hiking in stilettos

Thursday, October 29

driving tunes

my daily commute totals a bit over two hours each day

along lovely country roads,with no traffic

and plenty of adorable farm animals to look at.

{last week i had to stop and let a group of roosters cross the road. no joke.}

considering that it is usually dark outside when i begin my commute,

i often need some really great music to pick me up.

i like things a bit more upbeat in the morning,

{to prevent me from falling asleep}

and i often use the drive home to unwind a bit.

here's my list of recent favorites....

in the morning:

in the afternoon:

what are your favorite driving tunes?

Wednesday, October 28

back again

this week i have been enjoying one of my favorite holiday indulgences:

it reminds me of early winter mornings at my parents' house,

sitting on oversized couches on the sun porch,

drinking coffee and talking with my mom.

i know it is a little soon to think about,

but i am really looking forward to the holidays.

speaking of other things that are "back again"

.......

i promise i will be back very very soon.

{lately i have been swept up in a whirlwind

of sulfonamide antibiotics, adrenergic blocking drugs,

pulmonary disorders, and chronic kidney disease.

second year rx school is like finals week, every week.}

xoxo

Thursday, October 22

a peek inside

i love seeing where and how other people live...

what their living rooms look like,

what foods are in their pantries and cupboards,

whether they have messy closets or neat ones,

what they carry in their bags on a daily basis, etc.

that is why i adore this project:

persona by j. trav on flickr

he takes a portrait shot

and then a shot of what is in the person's bag.

i love it.

my lovely friend lesley wrote about it on her blog. check it out!

i looked through all sixty pictures in the set last night,

and i was intrigued by every one.

it's so interesting to see what we all deem necessary daily items.

check out the collection, and let me know what you think!

images courtesy of j. trav on flickr

Wednesday, October 21

so, in case you somehow haven't heard,
jimmy choo is designing a line of accessories and clothing
for select h&m stores, including the one in atlantic station!
{get excited atl people!}
the line is set to debut on november 14,
and the price points for the shoes are $99-$129.
{read more on h&m press site}

images courtesy of h&m

so i know this is kind of old news,
{i think i found out in june?}
but i just couldn't let myself get excited until it was really real,
you know?

even still, i don't want to get my hopes up too much.
we all know that the lower price point collections
are usually not quite as glamorous as we wish them to be,
but jimmy choo?!
yes, please.

we all know where i will be shortly after november14.
i think i'll drag my girl kindredly with me for a second opinion.
she's got a good eye for shoes ;)
keep a look out for a follow up post!

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Sunday, October 18

frogtown trail challenge

last weekend husband and i ran in the
frogtown trail challenge,
a 4 or 10 mile course through the woods,
over streams, through lots of mud,
in the streams {an entire mile of husband's course was in the water}
up and down the stream banks,
over fallen trees, up and down a mountain....

and it was a blast!

making breakfast -- scrambled eggs and steel cut oats

the race began at 8am, so we had to leave ridiculously early.
it was dark outside for the majority of our drive to north georgia,
and we saw a very lovely sunrise once we arrived.

this was the first year we ran in this event,
so, not knowing what to expect,
i took the easy way out and only ran the 4 mile race,
but husband was a stud and went for the 10 miles!

crossing the stream on a fallen log
{this was the one and only time we didn't have to actually go through the water}

the last section of each course was nothing but mud.
it was slippery, wet, and a little bit smelly,
but it was really really fun.

since my course was much shorter, i finished earlier
and waited near the finish line for husband.
he was {understandably} pretty tired when he got to the end,
so i ran the last little bit with him.

we were incredibly muddy and
our shoes were completely soaked,

and it was the most fun trail run i've had in a while.

next year i will definitely be going for the 10 miles with k.
like i said before, it's just not as fun unless you get muddy!

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Saturday, October 17

i like the way you hung the moon...

happy birthday, husband.

there is no one else i would rather...

eat ice cream with,

grocery shop with,

pick pumpkins with,

go camping and hiking with,

run trail races with,

drink strong coffee with,

be ridiculously silly with,

crunch leaves with,

bake cupcakes with,

explore the world with,

share my life with.

i kind of think you're pretty wonderful.

Friday, October 16

happiness {is}

one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite musicians,

drew holcomb and his lovely wife, ellie:

hung the moon uh huh

image credit

i love the song,

i love drew and ellie,

i love how much they are in love,

and i love her voice.

husband and i first saw drew and ellie holcomb a couple years ago

at one of my favorite venues, eddie's attic, in decatur.

i am so sad that i missed their recent show

and definitely plan on seeing them in december.

{i think we'd be friends if we met in person}

they are too precious and so very talented.

Thursday, October 15

09. 05. 09 {i walk the line}

i keep a close watch on this heart of mine

i keep my eyes wide open all the time

i keep the ends out for the tie that binds

because you're mine

i walk the line

as sure as night is dark and day is light

i keep you on my mind both day and night

and happiness i've known proves that it's right

because you're mine,

i walk the line

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
~ Jeremiah 29.11

Wednesday, October 14

09 .05 .09

{for sherry. i wish you were there.}

outdoor ceremony

whimsical table decorations

peanut butter chocolate cupcakes

preparing to see my love

more to come....

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Monday, October 12

how far can one pair go?

for those of you who liked the TOMS post,

here's another great shoe charity opportunity...

Soles4Souls

now through december 31, soles4souls is teaming up with Gore

(think GORE-TEX)

to encourage people to donate to the cause

and see just how far one pair can go

coinciding with the launch of the shoe drive,

many footwear manufacturers

{ara, ecco, mbt, mephisto, merrell, and new balance among others}

are introducing new shoe styles featuring waterproof GORE-TEX technology

i like these - merrell siren sport w/ GORE-TEX

so, i know what you're thinking....

why in the world do i need shoes with GORE-TEX?

i used to think the exact same thing
{i can see your eyes rolling}

BUT

if you plan on doing any trail running or hiking

you will want GORE-TEX on your shoes.

example:

while running through stream crossings

and long stretches of mud during the
frogtown trail challenge this weekend,

i was really wishing for Gore on my Salomons...

maybe then my feet would have been a bit less soaked.

{more about that later}

you can donate and/or shop online at how far can one pair go

and enter for a chance to win a Soles4Souls distribution trip

to hand out shoes to people in need

finally, Gore will donate $5 to Soles4Souls

for each pair of shoes with GORE-TEX technology

purchased through the website during the campaign.

it's really a win-win situation.

so, go to the website and pick up a pair of trail running shoes,

break them over the next few weeks,

and come do a half-marathon trail race with me in november!

and remember,

it's not a fun trail run without a little mud.

Saturday, October 10

{sweet} zucchini cupcakes

last week i tried my hand at martha stewart's

sweet zucchini cupcakes

and was pleasantly surprised by their deliciousness!

the taste and texture are similar to carrot cake, but a bit less spicy.

plus, i love them simply because they are made from zucchini.

I used a cream cheese frosting,

which complemented the cinnamon and walnuts quite well.

next on the baking list are chocolate coconut cupcakes

and perhaps some pumpkin-apple muffins.

so now i am curious.

what are your favorite types of cupcakes?

Wednesday, October 7

birthday wishes

today, as i turn the page on another year, i am wishing for...

more time spent with friends and family

the chance to dance and perform again

an iphone

a night out with husband

pumpkin-apple muffins

a polar bear date in the city

my sweet kitten to be allowed in our apartment

a camping trip in the mountains

a pair of fryes

also, happy birthday to my bestie.

there is no one else that i would rather share this special day with.

je t'aime ma petite.

xoxo

Monday, October 5

saturday night lights

i have a confession to make....

i love college football

{don't judge}

i know it's not the most fashionable of hobbies,

but there's something really exciting about a college town on game day.

everyone is grilling great food, laughing loudly, playing games...

the energy is the air is tangible,

and the excitement is contagious.

this past saturday, husband and i met up with some friends

to celebrate another year of georgia football.

this group of fans went all out.

notice the paint job on the van... bulldog colors.

i would even go so far as to call them professional tailgaters.

they've clearly done this a few times before.

i think it is such a wonderful tradition that the georgia girls dress up for games.

girls at most other schools, especially non-sec schools,

wear jeans and tees and tennies to the games.

not at uga.

the vast vast majority of ladies are decked out in skirts and dresses

and fancy flats and sandals.

since i never wear red and black together in "real" life,

i honestly struggled with what to wear to the game.

it was a bit strange for me,

as this outfit is one that i would never wear outside the stadium.

however, i am really looking forward to the cooler games,

so i can wear my adorable black and grey wool dress

with bright red tights!

what did you do this weekend, my lovelies?

Sunday, October 4

chilly night chili

the perfect companion for a cool, rainy night:

blackbean turkey chili

here's what i used:

1 lb ground turkey breast

1 can seasoned black beans

1 can garbanzo beans

2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatos

pinch or two of cumin

1 clove of garlic

black pepper to taste

sautee the garlic in a bit of olive oli,

then place turkey in the pan and cook until white

add in undrained beans and tomatoes

season to taste with cumin, black pepper, and garlic salt

{or you could use a chili packet}

i let mine simmer on low for about 45 minutes

in order to let the chili thicken.

being raised in the south, chili just isn't the same

without some ritz cracker and sweet pickles {homemade of course}

which just sweeten the experience.

it almost makes me wish for more rainy days.

Saturday, October 3

fall favorites

recently my friend lesley posted a list of quintessential fall activities.

since october is by far my favorite month,

i decided that i should continue lesley's tradition

and share my own list of fall necessities.

image uploaded by junkgarden on Flickr

homemade pumpkin bread {while drinking}

cinnamon vanilla nut coffee with vanilla soy creamer

picking out the perfect pumpkin(s) from the local pumpkin patch

{and carving said pumpkin with my two adorable nephews}

reading on a bench outside in the cool breeze

finally wearing my plethora of colorful tights

harvest moon pumpkin spice ale

eating my mom's carrot cake cupcakes in celebration of my bday

a bday date with my bestie who shares her birthday with me

numerous camping and hiking trips

making smores and roasting marshmallows over a campfire

crunching through piles of fallen leaves...

just to name a few.

what is on your quintessential fall list?