{fall break.}

This weekend....I will go from this:

to this:

I am so excited to go home for fall break!! Six weeks is far too long. I have so much planned--I don't think I'll have enough time to do everything! haha. I can't wait to swap my summer clothes with fall clothes, as Boston has gotten cold rather quickly. I'm going to try and hit a pumpkin patch, hang with friends, see some family, and take some photos of my sister {with my new lens!}

Tomorrow cannot come fast enough!

{i love urban schools.}

Reason #346 on why I love my urban college:

{image source: here.}

Impromptu field trips to Starbucks....in the middle of class.

To learn about marketing strategies of course.

Ok.....and taste testing. :)

{wishful wednesday.}

Before my wishes...remember those pumpkins from yesterday? I found the perfect spot...

I had green ribbon left over from wrapping my friends gift...so I put it to good use! I love, love, love it...totally brightens up the space! And it looks cute.

Ok....now onto my wishes.

I want to rock this...totally retro.

{source: here.}

Need I say more?!?

{source: here.}

And finally....Um, yes please.

{source: here.}

Off to babysit!

{o is for orange & october}

Today has been a typical fall day: rainy & chilly. The kind of day that makes you want to curl up in blanket, sit in front of a fire, and read a good book.

OR...

If you're in college...go to the mall. :) I had to get mascara, so I browsed and ate lunch. I also went into Gap & J.Crew. OMG I could buy everything in both of those stores.

As the title of this post says, O not only stands for Olivia, but also for October & Orange. So, the rest of my day will be filled with fall favorites...that all happen to be orange.

This evening, I will...

find a place for these pumpkins...one for each girl in my suite!

for dinner, make grilled cheese & this....

And last but not least,

watch Tuesday night shows drinking this.....

Happy Fall!

{i love my sisters.}

I decided to take a couple days off from blogging. My weekend was jam-packed.

I spent most of my time at my dads, taking pictures of my younger sibs. My little sister is just too cute not to photograph, and I ended up getting some killer shots.

stunner:

silly:

us.

And spending time with that sister only gets me more excited to see my other sister.

4 days.....

{why i'm happy.}

Reasons why I'm HAPPY today:

1. I finally handed in an eight page paper.

2. I am headed to the movies tonight with a friend.

3. Tomorrow is Friday. Which means the next day is the weekend!!

4. I finally convinced my twin sister to get a blog.

5. There just happened to be a sale at Boden yesterday, so I caved and bought the foxy sweater dress on my wish list.

{wishful wednesday.}

Even though the upcoming snowy winter may prohibit my everyday flat-

wearing feet, I adore these shoe clips. Especially in yellow!

{Source.}

I want to look foxy in this sweater dress....

{Source.}

I love this laptop bag.

{Source.}

Cute design? check. Long straps? check. Durable? check. The best part? They put slots in the back so it will slide onto suitcase handles...perfect for the airport! {Also..the designer? Project Runway Season 2 winner Chloe Dao!}

The most wishful thing on my wishlist that will.never.happen? The Canon 7D. Need I say more?

{Source.}

Ahhh, I girl can dream, right?

{busy tuesday.}

Today was busy!

I was up early for class-8:00 am! After that, I met up with my favorite teacher from high school. She moved to the city for a year, so she and her daughter came to visit me! We walked around the park and then I gave them a tour of my dorm. It was so nice seeing a familiar face. And seriously, how cute is she?!?

After they left, I wanted to go to Whole Foods, but once I looked outside, it was pouring. :( I'll go on Thursday!

I have three classes tomorrow. Busy day.

{rainy monday.}

Today the sky looked like this.....

{on the side of the road in Cork, Ireland}

Okay, so not that bad. And yes, that is Ireland. BUT it was still a pretty miserable day (weather-wise). Also, the heat broke in one of our buildings and by the end of my marketing class, I thought I was going to die of a heat stroke.

Even after all of that, I had a very productive day. Rainy days are perfect for getting things done. My favorite teacher from high school is visiting me tomorrow (along with her adorable daughter), so I cleaned my entire suite. I vacuumed the floor, scrubbed the bathroom, and did all of my laundry. Everything smells so clean....I love it! I'm so glad I got all of that done because now I don't have to worry about it the rest of the week.

Now if only I got my Communications paper done...

{brown vs. harvard.}

BROWN WON!!!!

I had such a fun time in Providence! It was such a perfect night for a football game and time with friends.

{Look at the sky!}

After the game, my friend and I walked around Thayer Street. We went to a delicious mexican place and then went to an old-school movie theatre.

{Thayer Street}

I can't wait to go back!

{weekend!}

I am so happy the weekend is here! I have done absolutely nothing tonight. :) Just ate raspberry sorbet (yummmm) and watched Will & Grace.

I'm so excited for tomorrow! I am headed to Providence for the Harvard/Brown football game! I do not attend either school, so technically I don't really care who wins. I have close friends who go to both schools, but I will be wearing a Brown shirt tomorrow. My college is in a city and has no major sports teams, so this will be my first college football game!

The weather should be beautiful, too. The northeast isn't getting the memo that fall is here. I'm ready for chunky sweaters, leaves changing color, and warm apple cider. Another reason fall needs to get here asap? I can't wait to wear my new Anthropologie jacket. {it was a a bit of a splurge, but soooo worth it! :) }

LOVE.

Happy weekend!

{monday fun-day? not.}

::Sigh::

Today was not a good day. :( So many annoying little things kept happening. I'm glad it's almost over. The silver lining? Finishing my homework, "Gossip Girl" & "House."

Until tomorrow...

{what i'm loving today.}

I love Sundays. This morning on the agenda: wrapping a birthday present! And where is the best place for supplies? Why, Paper Source, of course! If you have never been to Paper Source, drop what you're doing and go now. I went there to buy one thing, and ended up browsing for a half hour and spending way too much money. :)

Check out this fabulous wrapping paper and wrapping job, done by yours truly...



I think the outside should look just as pretty as the inside.



I'm also loving my new wall decals. They really make a difference in my {boring} dorm room. I wish I could paint my walls! Birds & Frames.



And last, but not least...my new shoes! I love DSW.



Have a lovely Sunday!

{oh, hello there.}

I miss blogging. Even though I had a total of 3 posts :) . I read so many blogs...but I want to start writing again. And maybe get more readers.

I transferred colleges, and am SO.MUCH.HAPPIER. I even have a kitchen! This fact means that I will be blogging about easy gluten-free recipes.

I want to try and blog everyday. To make it easier, I'm thinking of doing "Thankful on Thursday" posts, or "Wordless Wednesday." I always like when bloggers do that.

Let's see how well this {continual blogging} goes!

{o is for oatmeal cookies.}

Oatmeal cookies, I have missed you so.

Ever since I was diagnosed with Celiac, I have missed oatmeal cookies big time. After some research, I decided to take the plunge and attempt baking Bob's Red Mill Oatmeal Cookies. And they didn't disappoint. They are so good!! My suite-mates even liked them! (and they don't even need to eat gluten-free!). I decided to save some of the batter and freeze it too. That way, whenever I was in the mood, I could bake them!

Here is the recipe, courtesey of Bobs Red Mill.

Don't they look delicious?

{restaurants.}

As time goes on, Celiac awareness is rising. The best part: this includes restaurants. Here are a few places with gluten-free menus I've tried:

1. Uno's Pizzeria: Their only gluten-free specific item is their gluten-free pizza. I have tried it at three different Uno's, and at all places, I've been pleasantly surprised. Mind you, it is not the BEST GF pizza I've tasted, but I really like it. The crust is thin and flakey, and the sauce is really good. They have a separate GF menu which is very helpful. My picks- pepperoni pizza and Caesar salad

2. PF Changs: I.LOVE.PF.CHANGS. Enough said. Their food is always delicious, and their separate GF menu is amazing. My picks- Cha.ngs spicy chicken or chicken fried rice.

3. Bertucci's: Not the best GF menu. I mean, the rolls at the table are already torture. Although they do have a separate menu, they do not offer GF pasta, which would be nice considering it is an Italian restaurant. There is nothing really worth mentioning on the menu. Just chicken, steak, etc. My pick-Something not on the menu that I asked for- chicken parmesan (with grilled chicken, of course)

4. Maggiano's: By far, my favorite. They offer GF pasta on every pasta dish they make. 3 of the many times I have gone, the chef personally came to my table, discussed my gluten allergy, and gave me his card. He even made my previous favorite, the fried mozzarella, with corn meal. I hardly noticed a difference! My picks- fried mozzarella and the pesto chicken pasta. SO GOOD

Until next time....

{celiac & college.}

*Just FYI before I start...I did not know I had Celiac disease before I applied for colleges. Unfortunately.*

Okay. So college and celiac disease don't mix. I learned this the hard way. No one else has it at my school, so obviously the dining hall isn't going to prepare a gluten-free meal for me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This makes it tough.

My dining hall is set up in different stations: pizza, sandwiches, salads, grill, etc. (notice 2 of those 4 are automatically poisonous for me?) They always make grilled chicken, which SAVES me, but I get sick of it. But how could I not? I eat it all the time. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, they will have turkey, or roast beef. But seriously, this school is carbohydrate-obscessed. Most lunches and dinners are pasta. Imagine my frustration.

Breakfast is always fine. Everyday I get scrambled eggs or an omelete. Pair that with fruit or a yogurt and I'm golden. It's lunch and dinner that is the issue.

Luckily, there is a Who.le Fo.ods within walking distance. I am able to stock up on biscuits, pretzels, soy crisps, and other GF goodies every Saturday. However, my meal plan is already paid for at school, and the extra bill from Who.le Fo.ods isn't ideal. So after a few meetings with the dining hall manager, they ordered some GF pasta and cookies for me. This was great news. The only downside is the planning. Having celiac disease, you must always plan ahead. I have to call them 25 minutes prior to wanting pasta. I know I shouldn't be complaining, because it is really not a big deal. But it's just another frustrating reminder of how different my life is now.

::sigh::

I must point out, though, the one silver lining in all of this: If I were not gluten-free, by now I would have gained the "freshman FOURTY". I mean HELLO?! Belgian walffles, cupcakes, french toast, hamburgers galore, fries....oh my.

{random notes.}

I will soon do a post solely on the topic of eating gluten-free in college because, believe me, it'll be a long one. But since returning for my second semester, I have started a few habits worth writing about.

For one, I have started keeping a food journal. The main reason is just in case I have my "Celiac" pain, I can look back and try to figure out what caused it. There are many additional benefits, however. This lets me physically see what I have eaten. I wouldn't say I'm an emotional eater, but if I have a bad or lazy day, I eat more. The journal has made me very conscientious of what I put in my mouth.

Secondly, I have stopped drinking soda. I have not had one sip in two weeks, and let me tell you- it makes a huge difference. I feel healthier and most significantly, my skin looks amazing. I have had my battles with my skin over the years, and I cannot believe what the absence of soda has done. In place of soda, I have added more water...the best thing I can drink!

And finally, I have added much more fruit and vegetables. I have a least one banana a day, eat berries all the time, and eat melons to mix it up. Although the berries are a bit pricey (thanks a bunch Who.le Fo.ods!), the fruit fills me up and decreases my craving for junk food. Because I have added so much fruit, I have not eaten one bag of chips in two weeks! Mom, you should be proud...I finally listened.

Overall, I feel much healthier. My body is a normal, healthy weight and I look so much better. I feel good about myself. If only I could get on a treadmill!

More to come...

{official welcome.}

Hello!

I know there is no one reading this yet, but that's okay- this is for me too. This is the ups and downs to living with Celiac Disease. This is my daily struggle, yet daily blessing of a diagnosis.

But most importantly-this documents how my life became lively again.