Carmen Mariah

Building A Summer T-Shirt Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:29:00 +0000

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

The heat goes up, the clothes come off. At least that's how I'm feeling lately. As the temperature inches higher and higher in Los Angeles, I'm finding more and more excuses to ditch my regular clothes in favor of the rattiest t-shirts in my closet. Something about the heat makes me just want to throw on my "play clothes" and run outside. Remember play clothes? They're what your Mom made you wear when you played outside with your friends- clothes you're allowed to get dirty. Well, when sweating is basically a prerequisite for existing, I immediately grab my adult play clothes. Unfortunately, most of the t-shirts in my dresser are from like 1998, so I'm desperately in need of an update. Who says t-shirts can't be cute? Just because I'm sweating and dying of heat exhaustion doesn't mean I can't look adorable! Bring it on, Summer. I'm going to be so freaking cute in my casual new LA look, you're going to have no choice but to bask in my awesomeness.

On that note- can someone buy me all of these t-shirts? I would wear the heck out of the "Boo you whore" t-shirt! As a bonus, it acts as a friend attracter. You can't tell me you wouldn't immediately walk up to a girl wearing that t-shirt and start spouting off Mean Girls quotes. Insta-bff maker! Love it.

A Visit from My Parents

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, two of my favorite humans- my parents- came to visit LA. I loved having them here, but the trouble with visits is that they end, and now I'm missing home more than ever. Just going through and editing these photos made me want to hop a flight to Ohio and soak up a weeks worth of hangs with my family. UGH- why can't all of my favorite people just live in the same place? Wouldn't that be perfection? Even though I'm missing them like crazy, having my parents visit was just what I needed. 5 days of family time might sound like death to some people, but for me, it's pure happiness. One of my favorite days was the day we drove to Malibu and spent laying out and goofing off at the beach. (Also, there was a squirrel that kept creeping on our little beach spot. He either wanted to eat me or befriend me. Not sure which.) This spot in Malibu is my new favorite beach- secluded, quiet and hard to get to, which means there were only 10-15 other people there the whole time. Can't wait to go back.

Met Gala 2013: Best Dressed

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:42:00 +0000

1. Best Dressed: Cara Delevingne in Burberry Prorsum, Genevieve Jones earrings, Eddie Borgo necklace, and Dominic Jones earrings and rings
2. Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello
3. Nina Dobrev in Monique Lhuillier, Edie Parker clutch and Rupert Sanderson shoes
4. Sienna Miller in Burberry Prorsum, Genevieve Jones ear cuff, and Eddie Borgo tiara
5. Hailee Steinfeld in Donna Karan Atelier, Eddie Borgo jewelry, and Jimmy Choo shoes
6. Ashley Greene in Marchesa

This year's Met Gala's theme "Punk: Chaos to Couture" turned out some hits and some misses. Granted, punk is a style largely epitomized by safety pins, combat boots and ripped t-shirts, so finding an appropriate red carpet gown must have been a difficult task, no matter how A-List the celebrity. It's not exactly easy to incorporate high fashion to the whole Sid Vicious vibe. Somehow though, some of women on the red carpet last night managed to channel their inner punk rock goddess while still evoking Hollywood glamour. These six women were my favorite! I absolutely adore all six looks from head to toe- perfect punk princesses. I love that the Met Gala constantly encourages celebrities, stylists and the fashion elite to push the fashion envelope. It's my favorite red carpet of the year! Who were your favorites from the evening?

images via

Mixtape Monday v14

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:17:00 +0000

Monday morning again! This weekend flew by so quickly. Did you guys celebrate Cinco de Mayo? I certainly did. Lots of guac & a margarita or three. Cinco de Mayo is easily one of my favorite days of the year. I mean, what could be better than a day that we all get together and eat delicious food and drink tequila? So much fun. I'm also entrenched in the search for a new car after my car was totaled (not my fault!) a few weeks ago. Adulthood: big thumbs down. Oh well, all part of life. Here's a little playlist to get your week started out right:

1. Daughter / Human
2. Milo Greene / 1957
3. Beach House / Myth
4. Hudson / Against The Grain
5. Little Hurricane / Haunted Heart
6. Phantogram / Don't Move
7. Girls / Lust For Life
8. Yuck / Get Away
9. WU LYF / L Y F
10. Grouplove / Love Will Save Your Soul
11. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis / Same Love ft. Mary Lambert
12. Benjamin Francis Leftwich- Shine
13. Alexi Murdoch / Orange Sky
14. Walk the Moon / I Can Lift A Car

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

Record Store Day 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:22:00 +0000

April 20th- one of my favorite days of the year for many reasons. Not only is it exactly a month before my birthday (thus typically marking the beginning of BIRTHDAY MONTH!), but it is also Record Store Day- a day in which all vinyl nerds and obsessive compulsive music junkies flock to local record stores in droves. A happy day, indeed. I dragged myself out of bed at 7am to stand in line at Amoeba Records for nearly three hours and get my hands on some exclusive Record Store Day releases. By the end of the day, my feet were about ready to fall off, but I happily walked away with 3 records- Best Coast, Tegan & Sara, and the Grouplove/Manchester Orchestra/Frightened Rabbit split. I was a little bummed I didn't get the At the Drive-In re-release of Relationship of Command, but it's all good. I'll be obsessing over my Tegan & Sara vinyl for days/weeks/months/years. Plus the entire day was so much fun- hanging out with Juliette and my roommate Caitlyn, standing in line and crossing our fingers and toes that we would get the records we wanted before they sold out, then stopping for a beer or two at Stout. Perfect day. Did you guys go to Record Store Day? What did you pick up? And more importantly, who has the At the Drive-In re-release that they want to sell to me?!!

1. Caitlyn heading to Amoeba // 2. Standing in line // 3. Juliette, me & Caitlyn with our RSD "Menus" (DORKS.) // 4. Can't even handle Caitlyn's purple hair // 5. So I like Seafoam // 6. JuJu being pretty // 7. They gave us binder clips to mark our place in line. Mine ended up in my hair // 8. WHOA. Insanity inside Amoeba // 9. The impossible- a picture that is good of BOTH of us. We should frame this.

What I Wore: Playdate in Pale Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday! I'm so freaking happy to be back into the swing of blogging things again. It feels so good to integrate this into my life again. Ya know? It strangely feels like a way for me to connect with myself, even though it's totally public. Truth is, as I hinted at last week, this whole "moving to LA" thing has been a bit more complicated than I originally planned. I mean, DUH. Turns out, finding a job, a group of friends, a boyfriend and starting a whole new life isn't as easy as they make it look in the movies. In fact, it kind of sucks. THERE- I SAID IT. I cry a lot (A LOT) because I want a great job, a great boyfriend and a social life filled to the brim with fabulous parties. But at 24, that's a lot to ask for- and I am trying to remind myself of that daily. (That being said- if anyone knows of an awesome job/boy/anything in LA- holla at ya gurl.) Just because someone else has it all together doesn't mean I have to right now. I mean, it's a fucking bummer and a half to realize that of any of the characters on Girls, you're Marnie- but you know what- DAMN IT, I'M MARNIE. Well, really, I'm like a fatter, less pretty Marnie with tattoos and without a Charlie. (Where is my Charlie?! Anyone?!?!) My reality right now is a little less than perfect. I constantly drive my roommate insane with all my self-indulgent pseudo-analytical diatribes, and she reassures me that it will all be okay. I blame my parents for not preparing me for the difficulty of adulthood, and most nights end with me indulging in a little bit of self medication. (In moderation.) Certainly that's now where I want my life to be right now, but whatever! And instead of acting like everything is rainbows and glitter (srsly, shouldn't it be?) I'm just going for brutal, ugly, awesome honesty now. Nine times out of ten, reality is so much more interesting anyway. Because damn it, I'm on a journey! And for whatever reason, there is this weird little part of me that enjoys the struggle of this part of my life. There's some kind of nobility in struggle. Don't get me wrong- I totally hate it and would give anything to fast forward to that time in my life when I've finally got it all sorted out. But there's this little hopeful piece of me that whispers "It will all be worth it." And I have to believe that one day, it will. Figuring life out isn't easy, but I have to hold out hope that in the end it will all make sense, even if it doesn't right now.

Until then, I'm going to continue planning little photoshoots in my back patio, because the sun is shining and to paraphrase Hannah Horvath, it's a Wednesday, baby, and I'm alive.

Outfit details: top- Forever 21; skirt- Target; shoes- Payless

(It's moments like these that I realize that my Mom really did raise a bargain shopper. And I'm kind of proud of that fact.)

Wise Words from Patti Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Patti Smith: Advice to the young from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

I tend to err on the side of thinking I'm right. I think I know a lot. I consider myself a smart person. But then I do something like watch this video of Patti Smith extolling wisdom to young people, and I immediately realize how little I know about the world- and more importantly, how much people like Patti Smith know about the world, and life in general. Her advice reminds me of Ira Glass's Advice for Beginners, which is potentially my 2nd favorite thing on the internet (right behind the He-Man video) and is something I want to remind myself of everyday.

I hope she inspires you as much as she has inspired me.

Mixtape Monday V13

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:01:00 +0000

I think you can tell a lot about a person by their favorite band/artist. Sure, if someone's answer to that question is "Dave Matthew's Band" you should probably run screaming in the opposite direction (no offense), but I always find people's answers to the question "What's your favorite band?" very telling. That is- if people actually answer the question. Most people avoid it and say it's the hardest question ever. It's a tough call to make- so many greats out there. But my answer has pretty much always been the same- Nirvana. For me, they've just always been the be-all and end-all to rock music. I can (and sometimes do) listen to their music for hours upon hours. There's just something about the melodies, lyrics, Kurt's vocals and just the general awesomeness of their music that I just love. Truth be told, I'm a pretty gigantic Kurt Cobain fan. So much so that I actually have his mean mug tattooed on my arm. Trust me- I get a LOT of questions about it/weird looks because of it, but I love it so much! I figured it might be time to share that "tattoo" story here on the blog- it's definitely an interesting one. But first! I wanted to give those of you who haven't listened to his music a chance to thoroughly enjoy the raw grunge magnetism of Nirvana, with a carefully crafted playlist featuring only my favorite of favorite Nirvana songs. (My all-time favorite Nirvana song is their cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" at their MTV Unplugged in New York session. I'm also partial to their cover of The Vaselines song "Molly's Lips." BUT- my favorite original Nirvana song is "About A Girl." Runner up- "Drain You." Clearly, I really like ranking things/picking favorites. It's kind of a problem.) ANYWAY- enjoy the best that the 90s have to offer:

1. About A Girl

2. Sliver

3. Love Buzz

4. Smells Like Teen Spirit

5. Drain You

6. Floyd The Barber

7. Territorial Pissings

8. In Bloom

9. Dumb

10. Heart-Shaped Box

11. Something In The Way

12. Where Did You Sleep Last Night

13. All Apologies

14. Molly's Lips

15. Molly's Lips (Original Vaselines version)

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

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Recipe / Sweet Potato Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:49:00 +0000

And then God created the carb. And it was good.

Is there anything better than a plate full of carbs? Well, maybe a plate full of cheese and carbs. But that's another post for another day. Today, we focus on the healthy option on the spectrum of delicious carby goodness. Baked Sweet Potato Fries!!! Sweet potatoes don't have to be relegated to Thanksgiving festivities- they're the perfect solution for a carb craving without majorly giving in and indulging in a visit to McDonalds. Plus, I'd go as far as to say this at-home healthy version of the french fry is even more delicious than its fast food counterpart. I mean, who invented such deliciousness? And they're healthy, too? Get out of town with that business. Too much awesome to handle. I could eat sweet potato fries all day every day. Except I would probably overdose on Vitamin A- there's 219% of your daily allowance in one serving. So much vitaminzzz! Let's get cookin'.

ingredients:

1 Sweet Potato

Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

Cinnamon

Salt & Pepper

directions:

1. Place a half spoonful of coconut oil on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and cut the sweet potato. My Mom somehow cuts sweet potatoes in perfectly even strips. I, on the other hand, do not. It's just not a skill I possess. Uneven sweet potato fries taste just as yummy if you ask me.

3. In a bowl, drizzle sweet potato with olive oil and mix until they are all coated. Sprinkle with cinnamon, a tiny bit of pepper and generous salt.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and distribute melted coconut oil across the baking sheet.

5. Lay out sweet potato across the baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the pan. (That's why I only cook 1 sweet potato at a time.)

6. Cook for 15-20 minutes, then turn the fries over.

7. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, then remove from oven. I tend to prefer my fries a little on the darker side. If you're not a fan of the char- remove your fries from the oven after cooking for around 25-30 minutes.

*Note: Cooking times also vary depending on how thick you slice your fries. Just keep an eye on your oven, friends :)

LE YOUTH // COOL MUSIC VIDEO

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:06:00 +0000

I tend to think of myself as a pretty "hip" person. (Do people use the word "hip" anymore? What's the hot lingo- kewl? Rad? Totes bomb? The bomb dot com? I'm old.) I also tend to think I have good taste in music. As lame as it sounds, it's probably one of my favorite things to have someone tell me they like an artist I've recommended, tweeted about or posted on my blog. Helping people discover new music makes me ridiculously happy- like giggly happy. Sure, some people help people by volunteering at soup kitchens and doing good in the world. Me? I just help people by improving their taste in music.

Okay, but seriously- being ahead of the trend is such a cool feeling. But it's one of those things that you're not actually supposed to admit you like, right? It's not kosher to say "Oh, I listened to The Lumineers WAY before they were on the radio" because then everyone thinks you're a douche. And it's true- if you say things like that, you probably are a douche. So don't be like that. But I can unequivocally say that I have been listening to DJ/Producer, Le Youth in some form or another for longer than nearly everyone else on the planet... Mainly because Le Youth (otherwise known as Wes James) is actually my brother and grew up in the room next to me. See? All you have to do to be ahead of the trend is be related to someone who's super talented. Easy enough! Even before he was making music, Wes was blasting music in his room, creating this pseudo-soundtrack to my childhood. Were it not for him, I never would have grown up listening to three of my all-time favorite artists- Nirvana, Elliott Smith and Death Cab for Cutie (or more recently- STRFKR and Disclosure.) Sure, my first introduction was muffled through the wall separating our bedrooms when we were younger, but I almost preferred it that way. I learned to decipher lyrics through the wall (let me tell you- trying to understand Bush lyrics with additional muffling is nearly impossible) and I now actually miss going to sleep to the sounds of a hand picked playlist provided by my brother. Any semblance of good music taste that I have is due in large part (if not entirely) to Wes. And thank god for that- without music, I don't know where I would be.

All of this is to say that I am super stoked to share with you all my brother Wes's very first music video, for his song "C O O L"

I'm so extremely proud, it would probably just annoy everyone if I actually explained how I feel about all of the amazing things going on for him right now. Suffice it to say that this day has been a long time coming and I'm so excited for everyone to see how talented my big brother is- I am so lucky to be his little sister.

If you want to listen to more of Le Youth's music (AND YOU BETTER!)- here's his Soundcloud. Also, sometimes he tweets funny things.

PS- I was on set for this video shoot and had THE best time. Everyone was SO nice- especially the model. She was gorgeous, super sweet, AND she skateboards. SERIOUSLY. Like, I want to grow up to be her... And I'm pretty sure I'm older than her, too. So, that's where things are at in my life.

A Weekend Away From Home (Kind of)

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:04:00 +0000

This past weekend, I left my cozy apartment to spend a couple of days at my brother Wes and his fiance Megan's place a few miles away. I was dogsitting their hideously awesome dog, Owen, while they were both out of town. Sometimes, a change of scenery is exactly what's needed. A new environment to mix things up a bit. (Plus they have way better food at their place than I have at mine.) Staying at someone else's apartment always makes me feel like a little kid. Like I'm at a slumber party without any friends or something. At least I had Owen! Still, every morning when I woke up, I had a moment or two where I looked around and thought "Oh my God, where am I?!" Kind of a terrifying feeling, especially in the early hours of the morning. I was always brought back to reality by a snoring Owen a room away, oblivious to the remarkably loud noise he somehow produces. He's lucky he's so darn cute.

(That little canvas was my Christmas present to Wes & Megan a couple years ago. I posted a DIY tutorial a while back if you're feeling crafty!)

Mixtape Monday v12

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Happy Monday morning! Apologies for my lack of blogging lately (or, who are we kidding- the past month or two.) That will all be changing in the next week or so. I've been feeling like I haven't shared too much of myself and my life on this blog lately and I can't stand it. I know we, as adults, have to be careful about the things we post online and how we represent ourselves. But don't you ever get sick of it? Yes, I know there are certain things that shouldn't be shared, but I'm really tired of only sharing .05% of my life on my own little corner of the internet simply because some future employer might happen upon my blog and think less of me for posting about that one time I burped and sneezed at the same time. (Total hypothetical. I actually don't even think that's possible, but you get the point.) I recognize that my favorite blogs to read are the ones that share the most- where I actually feel like I know the blogger- their hopes, goals, struggles, and everyday adventures. I'm really ready to dive back into blogging again, especially because a LOT is about to change in my life as of the end of this week. (Spoiler alert: it involves FINALLY leaving a no good, very bad job.) ANYWAY- this is all to say that, Internet- I'm back in you. Full force. I hope you don't mind.

Onto the music! There's something about mid-level, almost depressing music that I love. It's not the music you put on when you're really, really sad and want to just cry for no good reason- that's The Weepies and Elliott Smith. It's the music you put on when you're not quite ready to give into sadness or happiness. You just want to wallow in between. It's good living music. Just noise in the background of life. Enjoy the noise...

1. Of Monsters and Men // King And Lionheart

2. The Dig // Break the Silence

3. Death Cab for Cutie // Styrofoam Plates

4. Band of Horses // Cigarettes, Wedding Bands

5. Manchester Orchestra // Colly Strings

6. We Barbarians // Chambray

7. The Lumineers // Slow It Down

8. City and Colour // The Girl

9. Neutral Milk Hotel // King of Carrot Flowers Pts 2 & 3

10. Yellow Ostrich // Hahahaohhoho

11. Bright Eyes // Bowl of Oranges

12. Telekinesis // Please Ask for Help

Listen: Spotify // Grooveshark

Happy Birthday to One of My Favorite Humans

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:59:00 +0000

Today is my Dad's birthday!! It's on days like this that I realize how lucky I am to have my Dad as my Dad. He's pretty much the best- anyone who has met him can attest to this fact. Definitely one of the greats. I mean, he raised me, so he's OBVI pretty rad. Srsly though, my Dad is the best. Always helping me out with anything and everything, and always 100% supportive of me & my craziness. Couldn't ask for more.

(Also- plz note that photo on the bike. My Dad is old enough to have kids in their 20s/early 30s, and yet has more muscle definition than most people my age. Ridiculous. Ummm, here's hoping it's genetic!)

Happy birthday, Dad! I love you! xoxo

Mixtape Monday v11

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 22:34:00 +0000

This gloomy LA Monday has me dreaming of lazy Summer days spent by the pool, soaking up the sun. I can't wait for 80 degree days- they're my favorite. Saying goodbye to pants for a few months and collecting a copious amount of dresses? Don't mind if I do! In the meantime, here's some new music to get you through your Monday because, let's be honest, no matter how warm it is outside- most of us are stuck inside toiling away. Oh well. At least there's music :)

1. Wavves / Sail To The Sun
2. Funeral Suits / All Those Friendly People
3. The 1975 / Sex
4. The Neighbourhood / Sweater Weather
5. High Highs / In a Dream
6. Owl Eyes / Love Run Dry
7. EMA / California
8. Love Inks / Skeleton Key
9. Soley / Pretty Face
10. Still Corners / Hears of Fools
11. Haim / Falling
12. CHVRCHES / Recover

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

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On the Art of Internet Abbreves

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:42:00 +0000

Happy Friday! I created this little graphic to explain how I feel when people use internet abbreves. It's supposed to be funny so plzzzzzzz don't take it too seriously. But SRSLY- if you're a dude and you LOLOLOL me, Ima think some things. Just sayin'.

Have a good weekend, loves!

Mixtape Monday v10

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:24:00 +0000

This weekend, as I watched Clueless for what I can only assume was the 500th time, I remembered just how utterly obsessed I was with the soundtrack when I was younger. Were it not for Clueless, I might never have listened to Supergrass, Radiohead or the Counting Crows. SO many amazing artists and songs on that soundtrack. Cher Horowitz broadened my musical horizons, even at 7-years-old. (Seriously, Clueless came out when I was 7. How is that even possible? I'm imagining my 7-year-old self running around saying "AS IF!" like I actually knew anything about life. Ridiculous. Also- living in LA and FINALLY getting all of the hilarious LA references in the movie- kind of awesome.) ANYWAY, I digress. This is just a long winded way for me to explain that I have been introduced to some of my favorite bands/songs through movie soundtracks over the years. I love the memories tied to music and movies. Anytime I hear a song from a John Hughes movie, I immediately have visions of Molly Ringwald dancing in my head. Music and film are inexplicably linked. These songs are some of my favorites from over the years:

1. The Muffs / Kids In America / Clueless

2. Teenage Fanclub / The Concept / Young Adult

3. Coyote Shivers / Sugarhigh / Empire Records

4. Foghat / Slow Ride / Dazed and Confused

5. The Shins / Caring Is Creepy / Garden State

6. Mumm-ra / She's Got You High / 500 Days of Summer

7. College / A Real Hero / Drive

8. Iron And Wine / Flightless Bird, American Mouth / Twilight

9. Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs / Stay / Dirty Dancing

10. Dawn / Knock Three Times / Now & Then

11. Elton John / Tiny Dancer / Almost Famous

12. Air / Playground Love / The Virgin Suicides

13. Alexi Murdoch / All My Days / Away We Go

14. Kimya Dawson / So Nice So Smart / Juno

15. Simple Minds / Don't You (Forget About Me) / The Breakfast Club

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

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Errday I'm Tumblin'

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:19:00 +0000

AND I'M BACK IN THE GAME!

Back at that Tumblr thing, ya'll!! Pre-actual blogging days, mostly in college, I spent every spare minute of my life on Tumblr. Yeah, I was a really cool kid. LOTS of friends. SUPER active social life. Jealous? I get it- it's cool. ANYWAY. Now that work/life/everything has me about 200x too busy to blog every night, Tumblr is the perfect solution. For me, it's almost like a better version of Pinterest. I get to curate a website full of my favorite images and words from the internet, whether they're reblogged or posted originally by me. Plus, I can't resist a good GIF.

As much as I love my blog (and I really, really do!) sometimes it's nice to have another place on the internet to post stuff. Not everything "fits" with this blog. I like to keep this blog fairly LOL/cute/happy centric, because that's who I am most of the time. But Tumblr is where I go to explore the other bits of me that I don't post here. Yes, I prefer to smile rather than frown. I prefer optimism to pessimism. I am totally a glass half full girl. But I love having a space to post a copious amount of Nirvana pictures/videos, skull photos and angsty teen crap. And sometimes, a few words of my own writing.

Stop by and say hi :)

Recipe / Brussel Sprouts

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:19:00 +0000

All of my friends and family know me as the girl who exists solely on pizza and candy- the most unhealthy Vegetarian that ever was. Since moving to California though, I've been putting more of an effort into eating healthy and incorporating a bit of green crap into my diet. Over the past couple weeks, I've doubled down my efforts and cut out about 95% of my favorite unhealthy foods. (Minus the Diet Coke, of course. I could never give up my DC.) Let me tell you- it has NOT been easy. As a person, I pretty much crave pizza from the second I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep at night- dreaming of dancing pizza topped with crushed red pepper. But just because I want pizza 24/7 doesn't mean I need to indulge in it 24/7. Crazy, right?! It's like this never occurred to me before. So, at 24-years-old, I'm finally trying to eat like an adult.

My newly revamped diet consists mainly of fruit, veggies, nuts, beans and eggs. Sparingly, I eat whole grains, vegan cheese, vegan yogurt, and almond milk. Also, I'm drinking a CRAP ton of water, and peeing like a racehorse. (Sexy, huh?) The biggest adjustment has been actually cooking most of my meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner nearly every day. It takes a lot of time, but I can already feel a difference in my body. I'm hoping this change can last for a while. Still, that doesn't mean I won't ever have pizza again. I think we all know that's inevitable. But when it becomes a treat instead of a default, pizza actually tastes 100x more delicious. (Who knew that was even possible!?)

For lunch this weekend, I whipped up some super easy and delicious brussel sprouts. I know, I know. Brussel sprouts- delicious?! But it's true!! Green things can be yummy.

ingredients:

brussel sprouts (I used an entire bag bought at Trader Joe's)

extra virgin olive oil

coconut oil

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes

directions:

1. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with the pan in it.

2. Wash and chop the ends off of the brussel sprouts. Then cut them in half.

3. Drizzle with EVOO, add generous amount of salt and pepper, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Mix so everything is coated.

4. Remove the preheated pan from the oven (careful- it will be hot!) and place the brussel sprouts on the pan

5. Cook for 30- 40 minutes. (I like to flip mine halfway through cooking.) The cook time will vary depending on the size of your brussel sprouts, so keep an eye on them. I prefer mine burnt- so good!

Yum yum yum! Enjoy your greens!

Mixtape Monday v9

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:59:00 +0000

New week, new music. Lots of good stuff released in the last couple of weeks. These are all of the newest releases that I'm digging as of late:

1. Wild Belle / Keep You

2. Kate Nash / 3AM

3. She & Him / Never Wanted Your Love

4. Matt Hires / Restless Heart

5. The Mary Onettes / Hit the Waves

6. STRFKR / While I'm Alive

7. The Virgins / Prima Materia

8. Palma Violets / Last of the Summer Wine

9. Mona / Goons

10. Paramore / Now

11. Foals / My Number

12. Ciara / Body Party

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

That One Time I Lost My iPhone...

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:55:00 +0000

This past weekend, something really awesome happened to me: I lost my iPhone in the back of a cab. Yep. That happened. And it was absolutely the worst thing that has happened to me in a LONG time, and I had no one to blame but myself. Here's how it went down:

Drinks were had.
More drinks were had.
I convinced some guy to give me his glowstick. (That's not a euphemism)
Cab ride
Exited cab sans phone, but with glowstick
Mental breakdown.

Yeah, it was not pretty. This used to happen every so often when I was living in New York, but it was a company Blackberry at the time so my freak out was on a much smaller scale. I was completely shocked when I got home and couldn't find my phone anywhere. I feared it was missing but was still 100% convinced that I had it somewhere. Usually it likes to hide in dark corners of my purse. Fun thing about this night, though- I took a teeny tiny clutch. AIN'T NO HIDIN' IN A CLUTCH! So slowly, I started to realize that it was gone. Like, what kind of person loses their iPhone? Then suddenly, it dawned on me. I am the kind of person who loses their iPhone. Being a forgetful hot mess is an art form.

Waking up hungover sans iPhone was even worse than the night before. I knew my phone had to be in the cab. But the question was whether or not the cab picked up people after us who made off with my phone, or if he found it and was keeping it safe because he's an awesome human. I was stressed out as hell and about a million worst case scenarios ran through my head.

Thank GOD for the geniuses at Apple! They saved the day on this one. I already downloaded and installed the Find My iPhone App a few months ago, thinking I would never need it. (HA!) This past Sunday it came in handy like no other. I logged on to iCloud.com and immediately located my iPhone. I could literally see the exact building where the convict who stole my iPhone was holed up. (This is what my mind unravelled to in a matter of minutes. I imagined them tearing my poor little iPhone apart and using her for parts, and throwing my adorable case away like it wasn't the cutest thing ever made.) Knowing my phone was still on, and in an apartment complex near my apartment sort of put me at ease though. After calling the phone a few hundred times with no answer, I immediately put the phone on Lost Mode, which locks the phone and displays a message for the finder to call you at another number. (I used my friend's number.) When this didn't help, I hit the "Play Sound" button which plays a loud annoying noise that makes whoever found the phone immediately aware that the phone they have isn't theirs and the owner knows exactly where it is. Still, after doing this a few times- no answer, no text back, blah. Then I called the cab company and everything in my life got better. They let me know that the cab driver worked nights, so he probably wouldn't be back on duty until 8 or 9 at night. Then I realized that he probably wouldn't even be awake until the evening anyway, since he picked us up at 5AM. (I don't want to talk about it.) I continued checking on the location of my phone throughout the day and was happy to see that it remained in the same location the all day, supporting my "fast asleep cabbie" theory.

Cut to 9:00 at night. Established contact with the cab driver, via a very helpful man at the cab company, who told me he had my phone and would be happy to drive it to me. He dropped the phone off by 11:00pm, and all I had to pay for was cab fare and a tip. I couldn't believe it worked out so well. Like, a gift from God. Just perfectly simple and easy. I feel SO lucky that it didn't turn out to be a worst case scenario. Granted, I still had about a million freak outs and stress attacks before getting my phone back, but in the end it all worked out. So take my advice on this one- if you have an iPhone, install the Find My iPhone App NOW. Do it. It will make you feel 100x better if and when you're an idiot like me and misplace your iPhone in the back of a cab.

Mixtape Monday v8

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Last week, I blogged about my major obsession with Nashville and this obsession has full on extend itself into my music choices. I seriously can't get enough country music lately. I'm all about the twang, dudes. It's kind of a problem. For some reason, I just feel 10x more dorky when I'm blasting the Dixie Chicks in my car than I do with any other kind of music. But I don't even care anymore. I'm a sucker for good lyrics. I love that (most) country music tells a story. It's so fun to get wrapped up in another world for a few minutes. What about you guys- are you into country or no? When putting together this week's playlist full of my country favorites, I tried to balance some of the classics with newer songs. Embrace the twang!

1. Johnny Cash & June Carter / Jackson
2. Dolly Parton / Jolene
3. Miranda Lambert / Only Prettier
4. Tammy Wynette / Stand By Your Man
5. Billy Currington / People Are Crazy
6. Loretta Lynn / Coal Miner's Daughter
7. Kellie Pickler / Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You
8. Gwyneth Paltrow (LOL) / Country Strong (SUCH A GOOD MOVIE!!)
9. Nashville Cast / Telescope
10. Dixie Chicks / Goodbye Earl
11. Sheryl Crow / Leaving Las Vegas
12. Pistol Annies / Hell on Heels
13. Sara Evans / A Little Bit Stronger
14. Carrie Underwood / Jesus, Take The Wheel
15. Nashville Cast / If I Didn't Know Better

Listen: Spotify / Grooveshark

photo

Currently.

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:43:00 +0000

Watching: NASHVILLE! Okay, you guys- I don't want to make any grand generalizations or over-hype this at all, but Nashville is the best thing ever in the world. Like, better than anything ever created before. NO EXAGGERATION. I'm full on obsessed. Country music, Connie Britton, glitter, drama and lots of hot dudes. Oh the hot dudes. So many. Can we talk about Gunnar? SWOON. I mean, hi, hello, thank you Universe for putting everything awesome into one show. (However, would be great to get a Coach Taylor cameo. FNL for life, son.) If you haven't watched- you definitely need to. I'm adding it to the list of prerequisites to be my friend.

Listening to: Other than lots of country music because of my undying love for Nashville, I've been listening to a LOT of Tegan and Sara lately. Hearthrob is my jam. It's been on repeat pretty much ever since it came out. It's the perfect mix of happy/dance music and depressing lyrics. Also- Icona Pop. Never before has such perfect dance/party music been created. It automatically puts me in a good mood. Apparently I've got a thing for dance music right now. Hm.

Thinking about: How guilty I feel because of my lack of blogging lately. I'm the worst, I know. Sometimes though, after a full day spent in front of a computer screen, the last thing I want to do is come home and sit in front of my laptop. Sucks. But I'm planning on getting some posts queued up this weekend. Pinky promise.

Loving: Weekends full of activities. I think being stressed at work tends to make me favor spending the weekend lounging around the apartment and getting lots of sleep. But sometimes the best way to take your mind off of a stressful week (or month) is having fun with friends and drinking entirely too many margaritas. Last weekend, my roommate and I drove down to San Diego to see a band she works with, Native, play at the Soda Bar. Even though we didn't make it home until 4AM, (SO TIRED) it was probably one of my favorite nights since moving to LA. (Also, we stopped for burritos at 2AM. Every good night ends with burritos.)

Reading: I keep on coming back to Rob Sheffield's Talking to Girls About Duran Duran. I've tried to read it a few times and never quite seem to finish it. His book, Love Is A Mixtape, is my favorite book ever. So I feel like I need to really sink my teeth into his second book and finish it. Books about music are my favorite. Anyone have any recommendations? I want to finish this book soon and then jump into something else.

Making Me Happy: That I have SO many friends moving out to the West Coast in the next couple of weeks/months! Seriously, it's kind of becoming a problem. Everyone's doing it! A lot of my absolute favorite people are relocating out to LA and I couldn't be happier about it. The West Coast is the best coast, we all know it's true :)

Thanks to Danielle for inspiring this post!

Mixtape Monday v7

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:28:00 +0000

Instead of the usual Spotify playlist, this week I bring you a roundup of my favorite new(ish) artists and songs that I've been listening to recently. I love nothing more than the excitement of finding a new artist/band/song to obsess over. These seven songs have been making my ears very happy lately. (Seriously, I think I listen to "Chocolate" by The 1975 at least 10 times a day. Completely obsessed.) Enjoy :)

The 1975

Disclosure

CHVRCHES

Miner

Dan Croll

Kishi Bashi

Skizzy Mars

I've been a Skizzy fan for a while now, but this new song is my jam! (Did I pull of saying "my jam" or no? I feel like it's a no, but I'm ready/willing to be pleasantly surprised.)

Happy listening, loves!

Twitter Roundup- 4

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hi friends and internet stalkers! I hope you had a good week. Mine was about 10x more stressful than I would have liked and consisted of about 10x less wine/reality TV time than I would have liked. Oh well, can't win 'em all. I'm excited for this weekend though. Things on my agenda: 1. Sleep. 2. Wake up to pee. 3. Sleep more. Just a super busy, jam-packed weekend. I don't know how I'll fit it all in. JK, I have some plans to actually leave my apartment this weekend. It's supposed to be super nice weather, so I'll defs be spending some time outside, sans bed, with actual humans, having human conversations about human things. Anyway, on to the tweets from this week! Hope these funny people put a smile on your face :)

1. Morgan Murphy
2. Lauren Caltagirone
3. Molly McAleer
4. Rob Delaney
5. Chelsea Peretti
6. Kevin Christy
7. Paul Feig
8. Sophia Rossi
9. Jaded Punk Hulk

A Thruple's Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Mariah) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Blog absence due to extreme levels of fun. This past weekend, one of my best friends, Liz, came to visit LA! She's been BFF status ever since my very first day in New York. Some genius in the housing office decided to pair us up as roommates Freshman year and it's been lots of inside jokes and giggles ever since. She's one of my favorite humans and my absolute favorite ginger, so I spent pretty much the whole weekend with a smile plastered across my face. I love when friends come to visit! We like to say we're part of a thruple- AKA a three person relationship- with our other BFF, Juliette, who also lives in LA. I guess that's kind of creepy, but whatever. I LOVE MY THRUPLE! The whole weekend we were pretty much all attached at the hip. So thankful to have these two crazies in my life.

1. Liz lookin' all pretty // 2. Quality for brunch- YUM // 3. Juliette being really social // 4. Showing off my major sleepy eyes // 5. Jules & Liz at Venice Beach- home to LOTS of crazy people & marijuana // 6. The person that took this photo of the three of us could NOT have cared less about us or how the photo came out. It was extremely awkward. // 7. Liz being a professional photographer // 8. Friday night work event that I dragged my friends to because I'm an awesome person.