Month: February 2016

OOTD 2.24.2016

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It seems that despite my best efforts to be done with winter clothes, Indiana is not yet done with winter. Womp womp. 

Today was a return to temps in the 30s and snow tonight (remember when it was 72 degrees just four days ago?), but fear not, we’re supposed to be in the 50s by Saturday and 60s by Sunday. This is Indiana, after all. Transitioning weather calls for transitional outfits, and although I posted a version of this one here, part of what I love about it is you can change the outfit up just by changing the scarf. 

Today was a black-and-white plaid blanket scarf from Old Navy last year, but it can just as easily be swapped for a lighter and brighter scarf when the days get warmer. Draping the scarf lengthwise around your neck and belting it gives a bit of a polished, faux vest look, while secretly keeping you warm and cozy at your desk all day. A basic black long-sleeved top  (like I said, I may have a slight obsession with black tops), my favorite Minnie pants from J.Crew, and some black pumps provide a sleek base for the outfit. Topped with my faithful Kendra Scott earrings, monogram necklace, and this pop of bright pink lip color I can’t get enough of, and I was ready for the day. 

Here’s hoping this is the last of the winter things for awhile! 

  

Ready to Run…Sort of…

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The month of May in Indianapolis is a pretty big deal. The city spends the whole month celebrating the 500 Festival, which is capped off at the end of the month with “the greatest spectacle in racing,” the Indianapolis 500. Kicking off the 500 Festival at the beginning of the month is the Mini-Marathon, a half marathon that includes a lap around the 2.5 mile track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To commemorate 100th running of the Indy 500, this year, Mini participants will get a medal featuring a mini version of the Borg-Warner trophy, the trophy the winner of the Indy 500 will receive Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully we’ll be at the Speedway for the Indy 500 at the end of the month, but for the first time ever, I’ll be one of the runners kicking off the celebration in the Mini.

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Am I a runner? Nope. To be totally honest, until last Monday, the last time I’d laced up my running shoes was last March. Over tapas and beers, a friend convinced me I could totally train for a half marathon and it wouldn’t be that hard (Ha…). After a few beers at Bacon Fest and a cocktail at Hotel Tango, my sister and I agreed we’d take on this adventure together. I figured it’d be a great accomplishment for a milestone year, so why not?….Then, my sister sprained her ankle the night before training was supposed to start. Sooo, it’s just me right now, until I can convince someone to take on her spot.

In all reality, I don’t have to run the whole thing to feel like I accomplished something and I was part of a really cool tradition in my city. I’d like to run as much of it as I possibly can, but let’s be real, I’m not above walking when I need to – I just want to kiss the yard of bricks at the Speedway (yes, really, it’s a thing) and not die.

Week 1 of training has been a challenge, to say the least. My body has been pushed and it’s also let me know it’s pretty shocked about the change. Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL 72 degree day, so I hit the Monon Trail for my first outdoor long run. The Monon is this fantastic path that runs through the city, and there were hundreds of people who had the same idea for the gorgeous day as I did, so the people watching certainly helped the mileage go by. The thing about the Monon, is you have to remember you need to turn around at some point, which doubles your mileage. On Saturday, I forgot. So 8.47 miles later, my legs were feeling pretty strongly about my decision. (No, I did not run the whole thing. I ran a total of 3 miles, but not all together…I’ll get there.) Luckily, my sister and her fiancé were waiting at the end of my trail at Big Lug Canteen, a fun new brewery just off the Monon Trail.

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Their Quintana American Wheat Ale was a refreshing treat after my miles, and yes, I drank lots of water afterward too. My sister and I also shared a great salad, but of course we also sniped more than a few fries from Jair too. Today was not so warm and a little more like February in Indiana, and I learned how my asthmatic lungs feel about running in cold air. Spoiler alert: they don’t love it, and I’ll be figuring out a way to take my inhaler with me from now on. Whoops.

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It’s going to be an adventure, but I have 75 days to get myself in gear and ready to cross that finish line. Wish me luck!

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OOTD 2.18.2016: OTK Boots & The Office

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OOTD 02182016

We’ve officially reached the point in February when I am so over winter and winter clothes, I can’t stand it. When the temperatures first dropped in the fall, I was excited to pull out the wools, tweeds, darker colors, and tights. Now? Over it. Soooo over it!

Today wasn’t nearly as warm as tomorrow is supposed to be (62 degrees! A heatwave for Indiana in February!), but I decided to ditch the tights and go for bright colors, despite the temps in the 40s. That’s where my beloved OTK boots came in.

The key to OTK boots at the office ensuring you’re not showing much – if any – skin. OTK boots can pack a whole lot of va-va-voom, which is the opposite of what you want for your standard 9-to-5 office environment. I never wear mine to work without opaque black tights and/or as much coverage as possible to tone them down, usually in the form of a knee-grazing skirt. Since I was boycotting my tights today, coverage was extra important.

My fit and flare dress is a few years old from Old Navy, but a good fit and flare is always a comfy classic. This one also comes to my knees, so only a centimeter or so of skin would show when I was walking, meeting the coverage requirement. Not satisfied with the bright dress alone, I had to add in my Lilly Pulitzer Murfee scarf (a birthday gift from a sweet friend a few years ago), and my hot pink Kendra Scott earrings. I topped it all off with some bright lipstick. For being described as a balm, the color of this bareMinerals “Lip-Oil Balm” sticks around all day.

Bring on spring!

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Be My Valentine

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Valentines - 3 colors

When was the last time you made homemade valentines for your friends and family? If you haven’t done yours yet, it’s not too late! I decided that this year I’d do some DIY instead of agonizing over the options in the card aisle. I made them using one of my favorite crafting techniques: heat embossing!

I was first introduced to heat embossing when my friend Erin did her rehearsal dinner invites a few years ago. When it came time for my wedding, I quickly learned that doing my own gold heat embossing had all of the wow-factor, without the price tag of printing with gold foil. I loved it so much, we used it on our save-the-dates, and then we kept the theme going on our ceremony programs.

Once you buy your initial supplies, heat embossing is super cost-effective. The heating tool is less than $25, the powders are $5 – $6 (and one little container will last and last – we still have PLENTY from the wedding), and then all you need is the rubber stamp of your choice, and an ink pad. I prefer the watermark pad, but you can also match your ink color to your embossing powder.

Valentines - supplies

For my valentines, I made a quick stop at Paper Source, aka, my happy place. I’m obsessed with Paper Source, and doing all my wedding crafts only made the love grow. This time around, I snagged these fun valentine stickers, heart doillies, a “love” stamp (the little hearts were leftovers from our wedding), and a grabbed a pack of cards.

Heat embossing is so easy, but I do recommend making sure you have extras, because slip-ups happen. Let’s get started.

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I like to use paper plates, because it contains the loose powder and makes it easier to go from one to another. The key to heat embossing is getting the powder on before your stamp ink dries, so it’s good to be able to quickly go from one to the next.

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When you place your stamp, you want to be firm without any wiggles, because your embossing powder will stick to any place there’s wet ink. This is also why I prefer the watermark ink, because if there is a little slip-up, you can brush off the powder and the translucent ink will dry without being as noticeable.

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Dump on your powder, and make sure there’s enough to get a good coating. I use more than enough, because as I mentioned above, I like to be able to move quickly from one to the next without “refills.”

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When you pick up the card, the powder that didn’t stick to any ink will fall off. Be sure to tap/blow off any excess (I also keep cotton swabs around for the tiny spots), because any leftover powder will be heated and adhere to your card. Now, here’s where the magic happens.

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I like to get multiple done in a sort of assembly line, then they can all be heated in one go. Turn on your heating tool, and hold it over the powder. After a few seconds, you’ll see it turn from the loose powder to a shiny, raised print of your stamp. So cool, right? It’s like a magic trick every time.

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I used a glue stick to attach the heart doillies to my cards, then got to work on the insides.

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A simple message and some of the cute stickers inside (how fun are those gold lips?!), and you’re good to go!

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For those of us who can’t write in a straight line or visualize spacing, the Lettermate is a great little find for addressing envelopes. After trying to corral a million different pieces of paper with people’s addresses during the wedding, my husband got me this adorable address book from May Designs with our married monogram for Christmas, and I love it. May Designs are some of my favorites, because you can customize your planners, address books, notebooks, anything, and they’re so reasonably priced.

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It’s not too late to still show some love to your family and friends with a little homemade Valentine’s Day fun!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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OOTD 2.11.2016

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OOTD 02122016

Do you ever have those weeks when it seems like everything is on fire? That was this week. Lots of long and crazy days, and Wednesday was an especially late night of work. Going to sleep on nights I’ve worked late is near impossible for me – it’s like my brain just can’t turn off and still needs hours to wind down again. While it gives me some solo quiet time to catch up on the day’s social media I missed, it’s not so great for waking up the next day at my normal time. On day’s like that, I like to have some easy outfits I don’t have to think about, so I can just throw them on and go.

Black and camel is one of those color combos that never fails to feel classic and polished, with minimal effort required. These wool skimmer pants are actually from last year, but I can always count on J. Crew Factory to keep the classics in stock. There’s no camel left, but it looks like the ones they do have left are marked down to half price (love the crimson or black). Add on a black top – I have so many variations of black tops, my husband thinks I’m crazy when I come home with another one – my favorite Kendra Scott earrings, black heels, red lips, and you’re out the door!

I was exhausted, and it was another crazy, long day, but I felt put together enough that I still looked ready for the invite from one of my girlfriends for a much needed impromptu sushi and beer break after work.

How do you make late nights and long days better?

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Buffalo Chicken Pasta

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Buffalo Chicken Pasta - After

This version of buffalo chicken pasta was originally a “what’s in the pantry?” dinner on a night we had leftovers to eat and weren’t really feeling any of them. I not-so-secretly love a good pantry dinner, because it makes me feel like I’m on Chopped, without the pressure or crazy ingredients. I’ve made it a few different times in a few different ways depending on what we had around, so this is the most recent version.

The best part about this recipe is you can adapt it to creatively use a little bit of leftovers or a pound of leftovers – it’s completely up to what you have around, the time you want to spend, and what you’re going for that time around. 

You’ll need:

  • pasta (whatever you have around, but we like penne or spaghetti)
  • leftover shredded buffalo chicken (from when you made this recipe)
  • alfredo sauce
  • plain Greek yogurt
  • milk
  • shredded cheese (mozzarella, your favorite Italian blend, whatever you have around)
  • hot sauce/buffalo sauce if you like the extra heat
  • breadcrumbs (if you have them)

Cook your preferred amount of pasta according to the directions on the box and set aside to drain. Tonight we were making a baked version, so we used about half a box of penne.

In a sauce pan (or the pot you just cooked the pasta in, because who wants to dirty another dish), warm the alfredo sauce (we used about 1/2 the Trader Joe’s jar) and chicken together with a bit of milk to thin it out, and if you like the heat, a tablespoon or so of hot sauce or buffalo sauce over low heat. The added dairy ingredients can sometimes tone down the spice of the buffalo, so we like to kick it back up a notch. 

I like to add some plain Greek yogurt for the extra tang and some lightened-up creaminess. If my husband would touch it, I’d use blue cheese for the tang, but no go. Throw in a handful (or two, no judgement here) of your shredded cheese. If you don’t have any alfredo sauce around, we’ve done this with just the milk, yogurt, and cheese, and it still totally worked, just use a little more of each. The sauce will thicken up a little as it warms on the low heat.

If you’re not doing a baked version, you can stop here, but the baked version is our favorite.

Heat your oven to about 400 degrees and spray your dish with cooking spray. Combine your pasta and sauce in the baking dish, and top with more shredded cheese and breadcrumbs, if you have them. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until you see the edges bubbling. We like to finish with the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese and breadcrumbs.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta - Bowl

I like to top mine with some avocado, because I like to have the contrast of the cool avocado with the spicy buffalo chicken. If you’re feeling extra decadent (or used that extra hot sauce I warned you about), you can give it a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese to cool it off too.

Don’t you love easy ways to use your leftovers that aren’t the same old thing?

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

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You know that buffalo chicken recipe you’ve probably seen 4,000 versions of on Pinterest? Maybe you’ve tried it and it’s already in your rotation, or maybe you’ve just looked at it and wondered if it’s really good enough to show up on your page over and over. It was one of the first things we tried when we first bought our crockpot, and it’s been a favorite ever since. It’s beyond easy, perfect for football games or any other night of the week you’re looking for a little heat, and it’s become mandatory whenever my husband’s office has a pitch-in. When he takes it for a pitch-in, we just throw everything in before we go to bed so it cooks all night, and it takes all of 5 minutes to toss in before you leave for work in the morning.

Buffalo Chicken - Potato

You’ll need:

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (we use frozen, but raw is fine too)
  • 1 12 oz bottle of buffalo sauce
  • 1 packet ranch seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons butter

One thing to note, if you’ve grabbed the bottle of Frank’s Extra-Hot Buffalo Sauce thinking it can’t be that different, it’s HOT. Really hot. So hot we could barely handle it hot, and we love heat. Consider yourself warned.

Place your chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot, sprinkle on the ranch seasoning, and dump in the bottle of buffalo sauce, making sure to coat the chicken breasts. That’s it.

Cook on low for about 8 – 9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The meat is ready when it shreds easily. After you’ve shredded the chicken, mix in the 2 tablespoons of butter and let it cook another 20-30 minutes. If I’ve been at work, I usually just switch it to warm until we’re ready to eat.

We put it on baked potatoes this time around, but it’s great on sliders, nachos…the possibilities are pretty much endless. We usually sprinkle a bit of cheese on top (whatever you have around), and I like a little bit of avocado to balance out the heat. A drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing is also a good way to add a bit of cool creaminess.

Another perfect thing about this recipe is that it’s great to throw in the freezer and pull out a container when you aren’t sure what to do for dinner. This brings me to my favorite round 2 use for this recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Stay tuned!

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Devour Downtown!

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The past couple weeks were Devour Downtown in Indianapolis, which is always a fun way to try a prix fixe menu at some of the city’s best restaurants for a fraction of the price. Though my husband and I have taken advantage of the semi-annual event before, he’s not always the most adventurous eater, and a night out with girls was a great way for me to test the waters of a restaurant to see how he’d like it. On Saturday, I found two winners that I cannot wait to go back to!

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A girls night out is always a great time to pull out the fun things from your closet. My tunic is on clearance at J.Crew Factory for a crazy $9.99, and I wear it alllll the time. I took advantage of the night on the town to test drive the “leather” leggings I was finally brave enough to buy, and I have to say, I’m a fan. My cape/vest/coat hybrid was a steal at $22, and you can also find an even cheaper version of it here. I liked that it was an extra layer without being too hot, so I didn’t have to worry about taking it off and trying to keep track of it. After being so in love with my black OTK boots, I decided to buy another pair in brown (they only seem to be available in black now), and I’m loving the versatility of having two pairs without breaking the bank. I finished everything off with one of my favorite necklaces and monogrammed earrings.

We started the evening at Bluebeard for cocktails and appetizers while we waited for our dinner reservation at Marrow. I’d heard amazing things about Bluebeard, but hadn’t had a chance to go there yet and now I’m totally hooked. They make their ginger beer and sodas in-house, and every cocktail we had (because let’s face it, when you’re with ladies, you get to sample everyone’s) was perfect. The meat and cheese assortment we had was also incredible; I could’ve gorged myself on charcuterie and never made it to dinner. One of my favorite parts was that they give you your check in an old book – how cute is that?! Kaitlin’s came in Little Women, and I had to snap a pic and pretend it was mine since Little Women is my all-time favorite.

Our dinner reservation was at Marrow, and it’s definitely a place I can’t wait to go back to! Naturally we started with cocktails, so I got the Royale with Duck (no actual duck in the cocktail – yes, I had to ask), and Alex and Liz got their House Old Fashioned, which is actually made with “bone marrow-washed” rye.

We didn’t all stick with the Devour Downtown menu, but there was plenty of food to go around! I started with shrimp and mussels in a Thai peanut sauce (so good), and I didn’t get a picture of the Paneer with Shells, but it was this delicious version of shells and cheese (my favorite comfort food on earth) that I’ll definitely be back to have again. We each got different entrees, and every single thing was that level of amazing where everyone stops talking and is just focused on eating. I had the Thai-style Fried Catfish (surprisingly light and refreshing), Kaitlin got the Tandoori Fried Chicken (also incredible), and Alex got the Spare Ribs (perfectly sticky/spicy/sweet), but the star of the show that I can’t wait to go back for more of was Liz’s Pork and Noodles. The combination of the noodles, pork, and that runny egg was beyond amazing. Our Devour Downtown menu came with a dessert, and all of us got the Chocolate Miso Creme Caramel, which magically tasted like a s’more and was the best way to end the meal.

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Of course, we couldn’t resist playing with Kaitlin’s Polaroid all evening, and the fun part is that everyone gets to take home a real picture! So fun!

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OOTD 2.5.2016: Travel Days

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It’s been a crazy busy week, but what else is new. I realized I hadn’t done any OOTD posts this week, so I thought I’d share a travel day look from Friday. My job requires a decent amount of travel to our other offices in the state, so I’ve gotten used to figuring out what travels well and is comfortable for the long days.

The key factors for travel day outfits are how comfortable I’ll be in the car for two (or more) hours there and back, and how well what I’m wearing will hold up through the drive. There are few things worse on travel days than leaving the house looking your best, then arriving looking like a wrinkled mess after sitting in the car for so long. My pink skirt is a thick wool find from a few years ago in the J.Crew sale room, but they have a pretty consistent variation of it from year-to-year. This year’s is on sale with an extra 30% off, and I love how they come in classic colors that go with everything and hold up over the years.

I’m a big fan of stripes (just look in my closet), and I love how spring time seems to mean stripes are everywhere every year. My shirt is an oldie from Ann Taylor Loft, and you can’t see it very well, but it has the cutest bow on the neck to jazz things up a bit. This version doesn’t have the bow, but is still just as cute and versatile.

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that driving in my heels will tear them up. I wore my go-to black booties for this pic, but one of my comfort and shoe-preservation secrets is that I always drive in Uggs, flats, or sandals depending on the weather. This is a lesson learned from experience, because these little booties were in need of some desperate repair after the backs of the heels were DESTROYED from driving too much in them, plus walking around on the salty/snowy sidewalks when our office was downtown. Tip: Find a good cobbler near you to revive your shoe investments. I have my father-in-law to thank for introducing me to the guy who SAVED these favorites from the trash and my wallet from a new bootie investment. I’ve also learned to wear boots when I’m commuting, then change into my heels or booties once I get to my office – live and learn.

Add on some sparkly crystal drop earrings (mine no longer available from J. Crew Factory, but look how pretty these are!), and I felt comfortable and polished for the long day!

Do you travel for work? What are your travel day style tips?

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Adventures in Courage

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This may come as a surprise, but dipping my toes into the blogosphere has been, well, pretty scary. It’s that first day at a new school or a new job feeling. Sure, I’m here for my own personal fulfillment, but putting yourself out there to try something new never stops being nerve-wracking, – especially when you’re putting yourself out there for the whole world to see and you’ve never been much of an all-eyes-on-me kind of gal. I mean it when I say starting this took a lot of convincing from my sister and husband telling me I needed a creative outlet. Every time my sister brought it up, I fought back. 

What makes me worth reading compared to the glam fashion bloggers who have their perfectly coordinated closets/lives captured in beautiful pictures? (Not to mention the regular posts/Instagrams I can’t seem to schedule for the life of me.) What makes me so special that I could suddenly become the person saying, “Hey everyone, come see what I think is awesome!” I’m sure you’ve noticed, but the internet can be a pretty viscious place. People are mean, and I’ve never exactly been the queen of confidence. It’s hard to shut up the voice in your head wondering, “What if they hate me?” 

My very wise coworker and mentor told me the key was to think of it like no one was reading, it’s just here for me. But um, suddenly there were a whole bunch of you here too, and I have to admit, that’s pretty awesome.

I’m not writing this post to fish for compliments, believe me. If anything, I’m saying that, for those of you who think the ladies who post selfies and share their lives are all crazy narcissists, we’re not. My first instinct is to hate pretty much any picture of me, and I’m in complete awe when there’s one I like (thrilled if there’s magically more than one). It takes roughly 400 pics before I find one that doesn’t make me feel like a troll, and even then, hellooooo, editing apps. (Don’t worry, I’m not skilled enough to be a complete fraud, but a little filter here and there never hurt anyone.) It takes a lot of effort for me to not go awkward and silent when someone offers a compliment of any sort, even if it’s for something I know I’ve worked hard on. Which may actually be a lesson in itself. Why do we only see our flaws first and refuse to believe those who disagree? When did the mirror or a camera become my enemy? How did confidence in ourselves and our abilities become immediately equated with vanity and ego? And does this fear ever go away? I’m 30, not a teenager, after all.

It may say more about me than I care to share to admit how completely terrified I am to put myself out here, but well, here I am. I’m going to try to have a little more faith in myself and try to embrace my passions and abilities. I’m a people-pleasing Libra who loves pretty things like clothes, crafts, or food (you have to admit, that poached egg was a thing of beauty). I do my best to find them on a bargain…with occasional treats, of course – like I said, I’m a Libra. I try to write well and make this a blog worth reading. I promise I don’t take myself too seriously; my little corner of the Internet is still just my fun little creative outlet. I’d love it if you stuck around, and I hope you find things you like too. 

Now back to the regularly scheduled clothes, food, and pretty things.