kale, avocado, grapefruit dip

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a self diagnosed foodie. When given the option between working out or going out for a nice big breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner/coffee date. I will always choose food. Even if I’ve already committed myself to a nice long workout. Food always wins. It’s inevitable. 

Anyway, I have a favorite restaurant. It seems a little silly to fully commit myself to one restaurant when there are so many out there that I have yet to try, but True Food is my restaurant soul mate. My true love. My one and only. I just know. You know? 

So anyway, my friend and I went to True Food for dinner the other night and there was a new appetizer on the menu. It had a cute name, but it was basically kale, avocado, grapefruit dip and it was amazing. So good. Like mouthwatering good. As soon as I got home after dinner I looked up the recipe because I needed to have this dip sitting in my fridge waiting for me at all times. It was seriously the best thing ever, no exaggeration. 

So I found the recipe online, thanks to the amazing invention that is Google. And I made it, like the professional chef that I am. Obviously, it wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it was (and is) still super yummy. I totally recommend making it so you can impress your tastebuds, friends, parents, co-workers, or anyone really. Just serve with some tortilla chips or the healthier flax seed cracker option and you’re good to go. 

I found the recipe from Well ATL. 

So if you end up making this recipe please let me know how you (or your friends) like it! 
Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

summer jams

I’ve never really been a “music” person, so to speak. When people ask me what kind of music I listen to or like to listen to, I usually turn fifty shades of red and mumble, “oh, um, well, whatever is on the radio, I guess.” Or some variation of that not so clever response. I was talking with one of my friends the other day about how I get embarrassed about sharing the kind of music I like. It’s not like I’m listening to Justin Bieber circa 2009, or some unheard of screamo band. It’s just that I love my music when I’m jamming in my car by myself or listening to it, headphones in, at a coffee shop, but when I play it for someone else I feel like I’m releasing a secret part of my soul that not everyone gets to see. Weird? Absolutely. Over reacting? Oh, most definitely. Normal? Apparently, because my friend felt the same way. 

I think music, or personal choices in music, is just that, personal. It’s weird because there are probably so many people out in the universe, floating around, that happen to like the same exact music as you, but it just feels so isolating (“isolating” is too dramatic of a word, but you know what I mean) to like a certain type of music that you know your friends aren’t also into.

                                                                             via

However, I’ve decided to unleash that secret part of my soul into the black hole known as the internet. This is the playlist that I’ve been listening to, and adding to, since the weather started warming up this year (i.e. late March). It’s kind of a mixture of songs, and I guess the best way to describe it is “indie, pop, eclectic.” Actually, I have no idea how to describe it. Those are just the first adjectives that came to mind. Let me know what genre you think this playlist belongs to in 

the comments below. I’d appreciate it very much to know exactly what “type” of music I happen to like so I can actually respond when people ask me. 

Here’s the link to the actual playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/12136150995/playlist/2qVhgU3qB9z06XXBpjtleM

And then here’s a list of the songs + a link to them on YouTube if you’re more into that than Spotify, idk what your personal preference is so I’m just going to appeal to the masses here and give myself more work. You can thank me later, I guess. 

Wasted Time / Vance Joy 

Barcelona / George Ezra 

Cassy O’ / George Ezra 

Lean On / Major Lazer 

Walking On A Dream / Empire of The Sun 

I Got U / Duke Dumont 

Shake It Out / Florence + The Machine

Flashed Junk Mind / Milky Chance 

Stolen Dance / Milky Chance 

Budapest / George Ezra 

Banana Pancakes / Jack Johnson 

Put Your Records On / Corinne Bailey Rae 

Three Little Birds / Bob Marley 

Shots / Imagine Dragons

Leaving Now / Rose Quartz 

Rock & Roll / Ark Life 

Watch Out For This / Major Lazer 

Listen to D.J.’s / Long Beach Dub Allstars 

Cheerleader / Omi  (this is probably my current favorite!)

Sunlight / The Magician 

One Day / Asaf Avidan & The Mojos 

Down By The River / Milky Chance 

Stole The Show / Kygo 

Ain’t Nobody / Felix Jaehn

Treasured Soul / Michael Calfan

Ok, so there you have it. I’ve peeled back the superficial, “I like radio music” to unleash my inner “indie” (I think) liking human that lies within. I hope you like this kind of music too so I don’t seem like a super freak. But whatever, super freak or not, this is who I am and what kind of music I enjoy. 

Let me know if we have similar taste, or just let me know if you have any songs that I should hear! Or just leave a comment telling me what you had for breakast/dinner/lunch, because I love getting comments! 

Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

an open letter to the male species

Let’s talk about boys for a second. I love them, and hate them, they’re annoying, they're flirtatious, they’re good, and they’re bad. Lately, I’ve been having some boy issues. Well, I guess issues isn’t necessarily the right word, but "inconvenience" is more like it. I decided that I should write an open letter to the male species. I figure if just one guy reads this and learns something from this letter, then maybe, just maybe, we can have less of the bad guys (bad being the opposite of a gentleman; a f*ck boy if you will) and more of the good guys, the gentlemen. 

image via

So here it goes. 

Dear the male species,

Girls, however seemingly “complicated” are actually super simple. In fact, in order to woo a lady, one must follow the simple steps outlined below. They aren’t difficult, they’re fairly cheap (and often free), and are almost 100% guaranteed to sweep a girl off her feet, and into your loving arms. So please read the list carefully, bookmark it in your preferred browser, print it and hang it on the mirror you probably so often stare longingly into, or just, simply, read and understand what I’m saying. Please, I beg of you. 

1. If you like a girl, tell her or at least let her know. Don’t ever just expect a girl to make the first move. If you really want her in your life, you’ll put in the effort to make her part of it. You can text to make the first move or whatever, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to talk to her in real life. A text is just an introduction, a real conversation is where you really make the magic happen, so to speak. Nothing compares to a real life “hello” or, you know, an actual conversation. 
2. When you pick her up to go on a date, walk to her door, ring the bell or knock on the door, and talk to her parents (shake their hands, make small talk about the weather/sports/whatever, ask what time she needs to be home, etc.), and then laugh about how awkward it was afterwards while driving to your date destination. Parents aren’t scary, they just want to get to know the person that is taking their daughter out on a date. Don’t be nervous, just be yourself. 
3. Plan the date yourself. Don’t ask a girl to come up with the idea. She’ll most likely be happy with anything you plan, girls like it when the guy is in charge. She might be a feminist, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t plan a date. The movies are great, dinner is great too, but it’s nice to come up with something creative sometimes too. Make her think you put some thought and originality into your plans. Go play glow in the dark putt putt, attend a local farmer’s market, go rock climbing or hiking, or just have a picnic in the park. Creativity = extra points, trust me on that one.  
4. Always tell her how your feel. If you think about her right when you wake up, shoot her a good morning text. If you think she’s prettier than the entire milky way, please, please, tell her that. On the flip side, if you feel like your relationship isn’t really working out, let her know, preferably not over text. More times that not, I’ve seen guys just stop talking to their girl instead of telling them how they feel. Don’t ever let a girl wonder where you stand with her. It might be hard for you to tell her, but it’s easier than having her mad at you or leaving her upset and sad. 
5. Be yourself, be honest, and be kind. These don’t really need elaborating… at least I don’t think they do. Just treat your girl with the respect that she so deserves. 

So there you have it. Five, relatively easy, ways to become (or remain) a gentleman. Please try them out and see what happens. 

If you’re a girl who’s reading this, feel free to share it with, you know, every single boy you’ve ever met. Or just one, I’ll settle for it just getting into the hands of one guy. 

Let me know if you have any more things to add to the list, there are probably infinite ways to woo a girl… am I right ladies??

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe

addicted to change

image via

I’m addicted to change. I’m addicted to the idea of “new.” I’m addicted to seeing new things, trying new things, doing new things, and meeting new people. I like the idea of different. Different makes me uncomfortable, because it’s, well, different, but it also makes me excited. I like learning new things, and understanding new things. I think it’s mostly because when life is too consistent, life gets boring. Consistency equals boredom and being bored is something I strive to stay away from. 

I could blame this craving for the new on the fact that I’ve lived in six different cities and seven different houses. Or the fact that I attended three different high schools, in five years, in two cities. But I don’t want to “blame” anything on my love of the idea of newness. As a matter of fact, I don’t think “blame” is the right word, I think “thank” is a better word. I feel lucky to have had these experiences that have allowed me to embrace change. In fact, I embrace change so much that I crave it. I constantly crave something new. I am, in fact, addicted to it. 

Do you prefer consistency or newness? I’d love to know! 
xox
chloe

behind the 'gram

Instagram is weird if you think about it. It’s kind of like a life highlight reel, mixed with a diary, mixed with a whole lot of filters and hashtags and captions. It’s weird to think that so much thought can go into one, seemingly, simple picture. It’s also sad how much time I spend on the planning of an Instagram post. I try to think about the color scheme, the framing, the subject matter, the filter, the lighting, the caption, the hashtags, and then if I should or shouldn’t push the photo to Twitter. So much goes into one picture. 

I was recently tagged by Jamie from The Fashion Newcomer to post never posted Instagrams, but I usually delete the pictures that don’t make the cut so that I can make room for new pictures. So I decided that I’d post a behind the ‘gram post. Now, I’ve done this kind of post before, but you all seem to enjoy them for the most part so here goes yet another one. I hope you enjoy.

Dang Clementine 
I had an independent study class second semester this past school year and I basically got to come up with my own projects for the class. One of my projects was to continue working on my calligraphy so I brought all my supplies to school. As I was writing I was also simultaneously eating a clementine that happened to be disgusting. Then, I was stuck with inspiration for what ti write. I initially just posted this picture to my snapchat (it’s chloeg1 if you want to see me embarrass myself) but I decided it was good enough to make the Instagram cut. 

Scotland Skyline
I went on a school trip to Scotland for spring break and it was absolutely amazing. One of the days we visited Edinburgh and my friends and I climbed to the top of the Gothic Rocket. We had to go up hundreds of steps via a seemingly never-ending circle staircase and by the time I got to the top all I wanted to do was sit down. But the view was so beautiful. As I took this picture I was so extremely worried that my phone was going to fly out of my hands because it was so windy, but I managed to capture this photo, keep my phone in my hands, and enjoy the scenery. Props to me for restraining my clumsy self. 

Poolside Lemonade 
My friends and I adventured to the pool a few days ago, and we decided to bring our own lunch (aka buy lunch from Whole Foods). One of my friends and I decided that we were in the mood for a trendy drink and Hubert’s Lemonade caught our eye. Right when we got to the pool, I made my friend take a picture of our Lemonades. I took at least seven pictures at different angles and different ways of holding the bottle before I settled with this one. It then took me forever to figure out which filter to use. 

Instagram is an art form, I’m telling you. I’d love to read your behind the ‘gram post, so feel free to post one of your own and leave a link to it in the comments!
Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe 

senior year reflection

Caroline from Citrus and Style just wrote a great blog post on her junior year reflection. In fact, it was such a great post that I decided that I should write a reflection of my senior year. Senior year was honestly my most favorite year of high school. I don’t know if it’s because I was finally back in “real school” after two long agonizing years of online school, but whatever the reason, it truly was the most amazing year yet. While it was amazing and great and fun, I did learn a few things in the process. 

So here’s what I learned…

+Be friends with everyone. Each person at your school, however seemingly weird, has something so cool about themselves and something you can most definitely learn from them. Whether it’s the band geek, the math prodigy, or the super poplar and supposedly stuck up girl, they are all cool in their own individual ways. Don’t get caught up in trying to surround yourself with a certain “type” of friend group, because in the end, everyone is actually really cool.
+Grades matter, but don’t stress ‘till your breaking point over them. Don’t waste your time away studying for something ridiculous. Obviously,  try your best and do your best, but don’t put so much pressure on yourself. If you don’t get an A+ on a math test, don’t beat yourself up. Just go to some extra tutoring sessions or try harder next time. I spent the first three years of high school absolutely paranoid over my grades, and this year I didn’t, but everything still worked out perfectly. 
+Don’t get caught up in having to have a boyfriend or a significant other. If it happens, it happens, but don’t harp on it. Boys are dumb. Well, most boys. Go on a few dates, kiss a few boys, just have fun with it. 
+Stop caring what other people think. This is clearly easier said than done, but if you enjoy reading alone at coffee shops, playing a weird sport, or posting dumb videos of yourself on your Snap Story, just do it. Who cares what everyone thinks? You do you, flawlessly. 
+Spend time with your family. Of course they annoy you, but next year, in college, you won’t be able to just chill on the couch and watch a dumb movie with your dad, go shopping with your mom, or go on fun random adventures with your brother. Don’t take family time for granted! 

So there you have it. A list of five things to remember for your senior year, or just life in general I guess.
What’s something you learned from your senior year of high school? Any advice for me for college next year?

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe