Sunday Morning Sugar

I'm on Wordpress :)!

2013-04-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

When google reader died last week and everyone made the jump to Wordpress, I saw the number of my followers spike on this blog (THANKS GUYS!). However, I'm not blogging here anymore :). I would LOVE to have you over to my new blog so click the follow link below and hop on board. I want to see all of your sweet, sweet faces at my new home on wordpress.

www.sundaymorningsugar.com

Follow me on blog lovin' here: I'll post a few more announcements over the next few weeks because I know it can be easy to miss! See you soon, guys :)!

Bye Google Reader!

2013-03-16T19:47:00.003-07:00

Google reader is going the way of the wolves (that's a saying...right?) If you don't want to lose touch with me (I'd miss you all terribly!!!) Follow me using Bloglovin.

See you on the other side, friends!!

I've Moved On

2012-08-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I cannot express how much I appreciate all of your love and support over the years. It's been so gratifying to watch my personal blog grow into what it has become and having you along for the ride has made it so much sweeter. But the time has come for me to take the next step in my blogging journey. I've officially moved over to my own domain and I would LOVE to have you all come along with me.

I'll no longer be posting here but you can find me at SundayMorningSugar.Com with new content and a new look. Be sure to update the address no matter how you follow along.

See you there!!

xoxo

Jean Paul Gaultier

2012-08-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

I love shopping just as much as the next girl, but now that I've invested in some great classic pieces I have less of a desire to hit the shops while on vacation. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love stumbling upon a great boutique with an eclectic inventory but hitting up Gap, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters in every state I visit just seems like a waste of time. So on the day that my mom and I originally planned to shop, we decided to see the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibit at the DeYoung Museum and I think we made the right choice.

For those who are new, I originally studied fashion design in college and had dreams of being a household name but my sweet, innocent, high-school mind didn't realize the amount of work necessary to turn a love of fashion into a career. I was also pretty awful at creating collections. Luckily, there are people out there who have an unending well of creative genius within them and one of those people is Gaultier.

I had SO much fun walking through the exhibit and seeing his gorgeous work up close and personal. His talent is truly extraordinary. I feel like I should just let the pictures speak for themselves!

After seeing this I think I'd choose culture over shopping any day of the week!
xoxo

The Golden Gate Bridge

2012-08-07T09:53:00.002-07:00

How do you travel to San Francisco and miss the Golden Gate Bridge? I'm not really sure because my mom and I made it a point to walk across the gorgeous architectural attraction and enjoy the stunning views. We got really lucky because the skies were clear when we took our walk so we were able to take some great pictures.

Aside from almost being hit by tourists on bikes ever few minutes, I really enjoyed the bridge! Have any of you ever been? I think it might be fun to visit the best bridges all over the world some day. I'll always remember the Golden Gate as my first ;).

xoxo
Mal

Feelin' Fishy

2012-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

On my last day in Washington my newly married friend and I wandered around Point Defiance Park. We walked through a beautiful rose garden and soaked up the gorgeous weather before I hopped on a plane back to the hot hot heat in Phoenix. It was a great day. This is what I wore...

Sunglasses: Ray Ban
Top: Vanessa Virginia
Jeans: Pilcro and the Letterpress
Shoes: Steve Madden

This fishy top is rapidly becoming my favorite summer shirt. It's conservative yet fun and the sleeves are a blast.

xoxo

Alcatraz

2012-07-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

My favorite day on my vacation, BY FAR, was the day we visited Alcatraz. I just finished reading Public Enemies (a fantastic historic non-fiction about the bank robbers of the 1930's: John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelley, Alvin Karpis, Dock Barker, Bonnie & Clyde, etc.) and was THRILLED at the prospect of seeing the prison that housed three of these men after they were captured. I'm not a big history buff but I do love this type of history--the seedy underbelly of America, if you will.

My mom and I were able to get some tickets to the island before our trip which is something I would highly recommend if you want to go. Apparently tickets sell out pretty far in advance. Taking the ferry over the the island is surreal. It's unnerving to imagine being a prisoner taken away from the wonderful city of San Francisco to this desolate island that's close enough to the bay for you to watch all the action but far enough to make you realize you'll never get away even if you can escape the building.

I took about a million pictures during the audio tour and kept exclaiming how excited I was to be there. I'm certain that some of the other visitors thought I was crazy--but I was learning so much! For example, Alcatraz used to be a fortress for the Armed Forces back in the 1800's and was converted to a federal penitentiary after the threat of attack from the west was ruled out. After the prison closed, Indians took over the island for a few months in the 60's to make a political statement. Now the island is a national park and receives over 5,000 visitors EVERY DAY. It's great to see the remnants of each version of Alcatraz all around; from canons to Native American markings it's evident that the island has a lot of history. Absolutely fascinating!

Ever since I left the rock I want to learn more about it so I'm on the search for a really great Alcatraz book... Any suggestions?!
I'm already excited for my next trip to Alcatraz. By far my favorite part of San Francisco.
xoxo

Sightseeing in San Francisco: Trolly Tour

2012-07-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Our first full day in the city of San Francisco was spent on a Trolly Tour (AND AT ALCATRAZ!!!) which, I begrudgingly admit, is a pretty great way to get your bearings in a new city. We chose the Super Sightseeing Tours Hop on Hop off Trolly because it boarded right by our hotel. They took us all around the city through the Haight, Golden Gate Park, The Golden Gate Bridge, DeYoung Museum, Union Square, Market Street, China Town, etc. and if there's anything you want to explore at one of the official stops you just hop off and catch the next bus that comes along. Here are some photos of San Francisco from the top of that bus.

One of my favorite parts of the city were the great vintage signs marking various buildings. It seemed like every corner we turned had another beautifully lit marquee-style sign that I was trying to get my mom to look at. We got REALLY lucky in terms of weather during this trip and I'm grateful. It was beautiful to be outside and not be sweating my ass off.

xoxo

Senior Portraits Round Two

2012-07-20T08:27:00.001-07:00

In Healdsburg my mom snapped some photos of me in front of a gorgeous tree. I couldn't help but giggle when I looked at them later because they seem like they're my senior portraits.

Since you can see my whole outfit here's where it came from....
glasses: La Font
top: Anthropologie
jeans: Anthropologie
shoes: Nordstrom Rack

And as a bonus, here's a picture of my mom and I together from earlier that day. I'd say we look pretty similar!

Thanks for your good genes ma!!

xoxo

Moustache Baked Goods

2012-07-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I kind of have a thing for small businesses. I love traveling and eating in small local restaurants; it's such a wonderful way to explore a city. In the wine country there is a little gem of a town called Healdsburg that is full of unique shops, restaurants, galleries, and fresh air. My mom and I stopped in to Moustache Baked Goods on our first day in the sweet little town and enjoyed some unique cupcakes and a homemade oreo.

I inhaled a bacon maple cupcake while my mom vacuumed up a strawberry rhubarb cupcake. We split the oreo and now I'm obsessed with the idea of whipping up some Oreos in my own kitchen.

God bless sugary treats.

xoxo

Omelette Express -- Santa Rosa California

2012-07-14T21:40:00.002-07:00

I'm in the wine country right now soaking in the gorgeous weather, some lovely wine, and some divine food. My mama and I grabbed some breakfast at the Omelette Express. I ordered my favorite--eggs benedict and enjoyed all the sweet things on the walls around me. I also laughed for a while when I saw just how many vitamins my mom takes on the daily. Live and learn.

Brunch is my favorite meal and I love trying new brunch spots. I usually order some variation of Eggs Benedict or a breakfast sandwich. Do any of you have a "usual" order when you go certain places? Part of me wants to branch out but the other part of me usually wants a kick-ass eggs benny. Just saying.

Celebrating America's Birthday

2012-07-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I celebrated America by shopping the great Anthropologie sale and photographing fireworks with my dad.

Hope you all celebrated and stayed safe!!

xoxo
Mal

Pie Pops

2012-07-03T09:13:00.001-07:00

Last week I had an unexpected day off so I spent it doing things I loved; hanging out with my little brother, cooking delicious treats, and hiding from the Arizona heat while enjoying a mimosa.

These are best fresh out of the oven but were still pretty damn good the next day as well. If you're looking for a fun treat for the 4th this Wednesday these are a fun and easy place to start.

xoxo
Mal

Where was I?

2012-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

I recently read a blog post about change and thought it might be fun to reminisce with all of you. One of the ways the article suggested tracking change is by noting where you were one year ago, five years ago, and ten years ago so I'll do just that!

One Year Ago I Was...

living in Chicago taking three online summer school classes and working with FanFueled (my first internship). I was spending my days off reading, cooking, taking photographs, and taking walks by the lake. I was complaining about how many tourists were crowding the streets and making me late for work. One year ago I was wondering whether I could really graduate a full year early and working really hard to meet that goal. I was talking to the boy I had been dating through school and missing him being so far away for the summer.
One year ago I dyed my hair back to blonde. I started spending time with my sweet friend Alex and trying to explore more restaurants in Chicago with my friend Cody. I decided partying wasn't really my thing and that I'd much rather spend my time creating and learning. I was 20 years old and enjoying my last summer as a student.

Three Years Ago I Was...

a fresh high school graduate. I was spending time with all of my friends in a house one of them was watching over the summer. I acted as a designated driver for my friends who liked to drink and enjoyed dreaming about the future with my other friends before we all headed away for college. I was RAKING in the dough because of graduation money and WASTING it all on clothes, shoes, and other frivolous purchases. I was packing and trying to say my goodbyes to the place where I grew up.
Three years ago I was 18 and had never lived outside of Arizona. I was afraid of starting school and living with a stranger. I was nervous about moving to Chicago but imagining my life would be more Sex and the City and less Two Broke Girls (spoiler alert: it was more Two Broke Girls). I was having a summer fling and holding on too tightly to my past. I was hoping to meet someone special in school and dreaming about being an adult. I was getting ready to be a fashion design student and spent my time reading magazines and watching Gossip Girl in preparation. I was young and couldn't wait to get a taste of my future.

Five Years Ago I Was...

feeling lost. High school is such a tough time for so many kids. I had lost many friends after quitting Speech club and was struggling with the idea that most of my friends (who were a year ahead of me in school) would be graduating and moving away soon. I was depressed and spent many days by myself watching TV. I felt like things would never get better (they did) and that I would never find new friends (I did). I felt like I had missed my chance to date a nice guy (turns out he wasn't really a nice guy...) and was wondering what I had done wrong. I started rocking heels and pretty dresses in an attempt to feel better about myself and thinking about going to school in California. I spent a lot of time researching various California art schools that had Interior Design programs. I couldn't wait to get my creative degree and start getting paid to "move furniture around and paint peoples houses". I was... reallllllly young and quite the dreamer.

Ten years ago I was 11 so I'm going to go ahead and skip that one. It took me 20 minutes to think back over the past five years of my life and realized just how far I had come. I'm stronger than I ever used to be. I've lived on my own, experienced new cultures, graduated from both high school and college, achieved far-fetched goals I set for myself, and grown so much as a single lady.
I've gone through times of heartbreak and loneliness and dark depression and come out the other side brighter, stronger, and surrounded by more love than ever before. I've learned how to better maintain the good relationships in my life while letting go of the people who want to bring me down. I'm finding that I prefer I night in with a glass of red wine and a good book over a bar. I'm learning that I want to expand my skills and always be trying new things. I've learned that it's really okay to not fit in with the people in your age group. I've learned that it's okay to be sad and that you can control the effect sadness has on you. I'm also learning that life is just going to keep getting better and better for me. I've always felt that I'm an old soul and I really can't wait to see what the future holds for me.

How have you guys grown in the past five/ten/twenty years? Link up and share!

xoxo
Mal

Stand Up Paddleboarding

2012-06-18T07:06:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend I got a bit wet and wild. One of my adventures involved a paddle-board on the lovely Tempe Town Lake.

I'm really not a fan of the gym. I think it's a huge chore to work out on machines and I find it pretty intimidating because I don't know how to work most of them. My quest this summer is to find some fun alternatives to keep me fit. When my mom suggested stand up paddleboarding I knew I had to give it a try!

The verdict? It's a pretty solid workout! My arms are really feeling it and my core got quite the workout as well. In addition, it was really beautiful and anything on the water gets major brownie points in my book.

I know I'm not the only one who hates traditional exercise. Are there any odd workouts you've tried and loved? Please share in the comments! I just signed up for some pole-dancing fitness classes because I've heard it's a REALLY great way to work out! Plus it sounds like something that will induce a lot of laughs which is so so great for my soul.

xoxo
Mal

all images courtesy of Rojo Brothers Photography

Wine Tasting Fashion

2012-06-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a wine tasting event with my mama and this is what I wore.

At the event an extremely drunk man tried on my shoes and told me that I had "a lot of attitude for a 14-year-old". Ah drunk strangers.. So special. For the record I am, in fact, 21 years old.

xoxo
Mal

Clines Corner

2012-06-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Nova Rella (you may know her as Four Eyes Rella or from her new blog Glitter and Doom) did a feature that I really loved and want to adopt here on the Sugar. It's really a simple concept--just two images I want to post. Sometimes I'll include a story but I think I mostly want to let you create a story on your own :). For the first week I want to share some signage from my roadtrip!

xoxo
Mal

P.S.
If you have a moment check out Nova's blog. She's one of the best!!

Cadillac Ranch

2012-06-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

On the road between Chicago and Arizona you drive past a great American landmark. I've been on this road trip a few times and never stopped (or even knew to stop) at the Cadillac Ranch in Texas. This roadside attraction is seriously cool. I had many questions but few answers so when I came home I googled it and found this site which is full of great information!

For those who want the short version of the story, I'll share what I learned. In Texas on the side of Route 66 there are 10 Cadillacs from the 1950's and 60's buried nose down and covered in graffiti. Visitors are invited and encouraged to graffiti the cars so it's a very interactive exhibit. The cars were driven into holes in the ground at the same angle years ago for the purpose of creating a quirky art exhibit. Over the years the cars have been painted time and time again and featured in countless advertising campaigns, movies, and television shows. But above all, it's seriously badass.

Next time I'll be sure to bring my own can of paint so I can leave my mark on this great American landmark.
Mal

Road Trippin through Santa Fe, New Mexico

2012-06-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

After my cooking class my dad and I spent a few hours putting the final touches on my apartment and loading the car. We left Chicago on Saturday evening and didn't make it to Phoenix until Tuesday afternoon. Rather than squish the entire drive into two days (manageable but miserable) I requested a fun road trip full of decent food, some fun sights, and lots of the comedy station on the radio. One of our stops was in historic Santa Fe which was truly a unique place. Generally I'm not much of one for history but this little town is great. Some of the buildings have been around since the 1600's and every corner you turn brings new mouth-watering scents of their famous local cuisine. I can't wait to go back someday and truly explore the area.

xoxo
Mal

A Cooking Class at the Chopping Block

2012-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

The day I left Chicago I took one last cooking class at The Chopping Block. This was my third class with them and I cannot sing their accolades enough--they're just wonderful. This class was titled "What Grows Together Goes Together" and focused on seasonal veggies that taste great together.

We cooked up a risotto with peas, parmesan, and saffron along with some rhubarb cupcakes, a roast chicken, and some bacon-wrapped asparagus. Everything tasted heavenly but my favorite dish BY FAR was the cupcakes. Rhubarb isn't too common in Arizona so I'm hoping I can find some to recreate them.

I'm back in Phoenix and hoping to take some more cooking classes here. Does anyone know of a good recreational cooking school I should try? If you're looking for something unique to fill your time try a cooking class. It's so much fun. My sweet friends Kieran and Megan joined me and we had a blast!!

xoxo
Mal

NATO 2012

2012-06-05T18:24:00.001-07:00

I GOT MY COMPUTER BACK! I want to start by sharing my NATO experience with you so here goes!

Two weeks ago the NATO summit plopped down in Chicago bringing along all sorts of crazies. I am excited I was around to see a little part of history in the making and to document some of it. My older brother and I chased the protesting hippies in a cloud of marijuana and body odor stench and laughed so hard our sides hurt. Below are some of the sights I saw when following the protestors through the streets of my beautiful city.

That is my brother with Boot man. When asked what the boot was for he replied with "It stands for everything that's wrong with America, man". Protest on Boot Man. Protest on...

These are the protestor's medics. They travel with the protest and when someone gets hurt they have the option to get patched up on the spot. I thought they were pretty badass.

See you all tomorrow!!
xoxo
Mal

Radio Silence

2012-06-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

I just wanted to pop in for a moment to tell you the move went well and I'm home trying to dig my way out of all my boxes. I left my computer charger in Oklahoma so I haven't been able to blog because all my pictures are on my computer. As soon as I get the charger back I have so much to share!!!

Can't wait

Mal

Share a Little Laugh

2012-05-25T10:33:00.001-07:00

I'm spending my last day in Chicago putting my last belongings in boxes, cleaning my apartment, and touching up paint. I'm enjoying my Pandora comedy station and I'm especially enjoying Mr. John Mulaney. I figured I'd share a clip in case one of you could use a laugh :).
There's some explicit language so cover the ears of youngsters and don't watch youtube videos at work ;).

Have a beautiful day

xoxo
Mal

Lincoln Park Zoo

2012-05-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

I've wanted to go to this zoo for years--literally. I remember begging my crush freshman year to go to the zoo with me (to no avail) and it was one of my goals for spring break (freezing cold and rainy) so I when all the regular Chicago attractions were closed for NATO I knew it was my chance to get to the zoo.

For a free zoo, I was extremely impressed by the beautiful grounds, wide variety of exotic animals, and overall fabulous experience. If you're in Chicago I'd recommend it in a heartbeat!

Ariel's favorite animals were the meerkats.

My favorite animals were the monkeys and the giraffes.

What about you? Any favorite animals?

xoxo
Mal

Bean

2012-05-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite friends from Phoenix came out to Chicago to visit me last week. We spent a lot of time parked on my couch relaxing but we also got to do some fun touristy things. It was tough because NATO is in town and has closed the majority of the tourist attractions for the weekend but we made do. I dragged my sweet friend to the bean because I think it's so beautiful. I realized I haven't ever really taken pictures of it so I brought my camera along too. If you're ever in Chicago this is a sight that simply MUST be seen.

xoxo
Mal