The Friday Five 11.30.12

1. What I’m Reading: Oh, you know, cookbooks. This new one, Jerusalem, has beautiful photos.

2. What I’m Eating: As much as Danielle and I eat together, restaurant owners must think we are dating.  We went to Mi Xao for the third time in a week so we could try more of the menu. Give us a month, I bet we’ll have covered the whole thing. The owners are just so nice and they’re now blog readers. Hey guys!

Last night Dani had the red curry stir-fry…

…and I had the green curry. Mine was so spicy my lips were burning. Loved it.

We also got to sample duck crepes and sweet potato & shrimp fritters that are part of their catering menu.

On our way out, Anh showed us that Mi Xao is BYOB. Good to know!

PS: HI JOY! It was nice to meet you. :)

3. What I’m Listening to:  Lykke Li – Possibility.

4. Recipes I’m Bookmarking:  Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes and Kale.

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

ONE HOUR INTO MY DIET

ALL DAY EVERY DAY

WHEN I GO FOR A RUN

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend! 

Kitchen Toys Wish List

Yes, I refer to kitchen gadgets/tools/utensils as toys. The kitchen is my play room. I want all of these things. A lot!

1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer in Green Apple. Best color ever.

2. All of these Kuhn Rikon knives. What a pretty collection of weapons.

 

3. Breville Juicer.

4. CB2’s clothespin chopsticks. And yes, I want a green pair.

5. Prepara herb saver. I’ll never kill another basil plant again!

6. Banana brothers salt & pepper shakers.

7. SmartMix baking bowl. Bye bye, inaccurate measure cups.

8. Luka Or lid slid. Let off some steam!

9. Elevate Kitchen Utensil Set. COLORS!

10. Bambino Soap Dispenser. Precious, just precious.

SANTA, WHERE ARE YOU? I love you..

What kitchen TOY is on your wish list?

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. Doesn’t the chilly weather just make you want to turn on your oven? This is my favorite roasted vegetable combo: sliced carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets with rosemary and salt & pepper. Simple, delicious, and full of antioxidants for your pretty face.

2. I get really excited when any of Christina Perri’s songs come on the radio because I see my name on the screen. Dork.

3. Danielle works for Red Bull and got a shipment of the new Red Bull Editions on Monday. She literally jogged to our apartment’s office to pick up the package, then jogged to my building so we could try them. (Yes, we both get very excited about little things. This is why we are friends.)

The new flavors are: cranberry, lime, and blueberry.

To celebrate, I pulled out wine glasses. Why not? I liked the cranberry best, then blueberry, then lime. We really liked the cranberry and blueberry mixed.The Editions will be available in select bars/clubs next week but fully launch on March 4, 2013. Get excited!

4. Best license plate ever.

5. My grandma introduced me to my new favorite tea, Yogi Bedtime. It’s so good!

I also love the little messages tied to the tea bag. What’s your favorite Yogi flavor? I want to try more!

6. I need these. Need. Thanks for pointing them out, Nick!

7. Over the long weekend, Boding and I picked out a Christmas tree. We got a petite one, about 5’2”…just my size.

Why we decided to take my car and not Boding’s truck is beyond me. It made for a funny picture though.

Last night I decorated it with two kinds of ornaments: neons and Chick-fil-A cows. Surprised? I didn’t think so.

Have you tried any of the Red Bull Editions yet?

What’s your favorite tea?

Have you put up holiday decorations?

Currently…

Inspired by my fellow Charleston blogger, Katie…

Listening to: Diamonds by Rihanna. Loving it.

Eating: Besides Christmas cookies? Pho. Danielle (my pho-ever friend) and I have had it 3x times in the past week. This is the Tom Yum Kung from Mi Xao, our favorite spot in Mt. Pleasant.

Drinking: The Blue Edition by Red Bull. Get excited for the new flavors.

Feeling: Energetic, probably due to the aforementioned beverage.

Weather: Sunny and 61*. It’s so cold at night though! I’m pathetic in the winter.

Needing: A massage. Or 20. I hurt my leg during a 6 mile run on Sunday. :(

Wanting: To put up the Christmas tree! I think Boding and I are doing that tonight. There WILL be Chick-fil-A ornaments on it, don’t you worry.

Thinking: I should really clean out my purse. It is madness inside that bag!

Enjoying: All of the holiday decorations around town, the seasonal treats, and the Christmas movies that I’m DVR-ing this week.

Making me laugh: Kaye cracks me up. I love her. One day I’ll explain why there is a banana next to her name.

Looking forward to: Only 3 more sleeps until the weekend!

• Friday – I’m off work, getting my hair chopped, and then seeing Wild Club.
• Saturday – Annabel’s birthday dinner
• Sunday – 7 mile run with Amanda then…you tell me.

What are you doing now?! I want to know everything.

Peppermint Lollipops Jewelry Giveaway

Do y’all remember when I posted about the anchor bracelet I bought from Groopdealz? Knowing they weren’t available, I linked you to  an Etsy site that had similar bracelets. Unbeknownst to me, Etsy sellers are able to see where traffic comes from. To make a long story short, Jenny from the Peppermint Lollipops shop contacted me about doing a review and giveaway. Yipee!

I browsed her adorably named shop and found very pretty jewelry. She offered to send me three items: one for me to keep and two to give away to my readers. I’ve coveted the J. Crew style link bracelet, so this lookalike immediately caught my eye.

Gold Faux Pave Link Textured Chain Bracelet

My second favorite item was the Amber & Gold Chain Link Bracelet. You could wear this with anything!

For a pop of color, check out this Dark Pink & Gold Chain Link Bracelet

The same bracelet is available in several colors. How cute is the navy?

There are a few styles of anchor bracelets that are just adorable.

 

 

 

 

 

I know you’re drooling over this Large Chunky Gold Faux Pave Link Bracelet.

And these Tortoise and Amber Chunky Link Bracelets.

Want a matching necklace? Jenny sells those too! Here’s the Double Chain Necklace.

Be sure to check out her shop, Peppermint Lollipops, for more!

The Giveaway!

Two of you will win a bracelet! You can choose from either the Amber & Gold Chain Link Bracelet or the Dark Pink Chain Link Bracelet, both shown above.

To enter:

• Mandatory: Please leave a comment telling me which bracelet you’d like. (either the Amber or Dark Pink Chain Link bracelet)
• Bonus Entry 1: Tweet about this giveaway and tag @christinaorso.
• Bonus Entry 2: Blog about this giveaway and link back to me.

Giveaway ends Sunday, December 2 at noon.