Yes, I am a Trendoid

I’m the first to admit it. I am a trendoid. Beauty trends, fashion trends, jewelry trends… I love them all. Every time I look at the People’s style section of “Would You Wear This Trend?”  a little part of me always usually says “Yeah, I could rock that.” When Glamour beauty editors inform me that “plum lips were all over the fall runways”, it takes everything in me to not run to the nearest drug store and purchase a plum lipstick ASAP. Yes, dear friends. My name is Rachal, and I am a trendoid.

The thing is, this is actually a recent realization for me. I asked my friend recently, “Why didn’t you tell me that I’m a trendoid?” She looked at me with a sideways glanced, laughed (actually, guffawed a little), and said, “Well, Rachal. I assumed you knew.” And although I can mark my childhood years by what outfit I was rocking (most notably, around 5^th grade I simultaneously was into the Spice Girls and grunge, resulting in permed hair with bright pink bows, baggy jeans, flannel shirts, all tied together with some platform sneakers), I had never considered myself a trend devotee. When I was about 14, my dad told me “You don’t really have style if you only follow 'what's in.'” Funnily enough, that stuck with me and for the first 2 years of college I was determined to NOT FOLLOW TRENDS. I tried, really really tried, to develop my “personal style” and avoid whatever fashion craze was sweeping America. And while I think that my “personal style” is evolving, I must admit to myself (and to my dad) that I. Love. Trends.

Yes, I’ve made fashion mistakes along the way. Yes, I will continue to make them. I’ve looked back at outfits, and the only excuse I have is “Well, it was in style at the time…” But in the name of fashion, I will continue to test out trend after horrible trend. And when I fall, I will pick myself up again, put on my stilettos, and walk out the door in plum lipstick and harem pants. Why you ask? Because I’m young, I’m fabulous, I’m fun, and dammit, because I can. This is my pledge.

While my budget can’t afford the peep toe oxford wedge bootie shoe trend I’m dying to rock,

I can paint my nails in homage to Skittles, a la Kelis: 

I'm a trendoid, and I don't care who knows. 

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

Yum! As much as I would love to have a 6-month summer, I can't deny that I look forward to the beginning of fall. The air is crisp and clean (usually - around here, it's muggy right now!), the leaves change colors, it's cold enough to wear a sweater but warm enough to be comfortable. Ah, fall. Along with that beautiful weather comes the fall harvest - squash, pumpkins, potatoes. And I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of autumn food. I absolutely love squash, and last night I decided to try and make it for myself. I settled on spaghetti squash because (1) it's still pretty warm around here and it's not too heavy and (2) it was on sale at the grocery store.



What You'll Need:
1 spaghetti squash
2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into strips or decided (whichever preferable)

half sweet onion, diced

about 10 garlic cloves, minced

kalamata olives, halved
artichoke hearts, bite size
half sweet onion, diced
about 10 garlic cloves, minced
1 large tomato, diced
3/4 cup pesto (more or less, taste dependent)
feta cheese crumbles


I decided to cook the squash the lazy way - in the microwave! It takes about 15 minutes, rotated every 3-4 minutes. Make sure to pierce the squash with a sharp knife to avoid explosion.

When the squash is done cooking, cut in half length wise. Scrap out the seeds. When you've scraped out the seeds, take a fork and "scrape" the flesh - it will break into noodles, like so:



In a large non-stick sauté pan, sauté the onion and garlic in a generous amount of olive oil. When the garlic and onion are browned, add the spaghetti squash "noodles" to the pan. Stir, making sure the squash gets tossed with the olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Next, add the pesto, mix thoroughly, to get everything covered. Add the tomatoes and the chicken - you're done!

Put on a plate, top with feta cheese, and enjoy! It's surprisingly tasty and a healthy substitute for noodles. You won't even miss the noodles. Yum!

Tastes better than it looks, I promise! 

To Life: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise

There is nothing better than a good love story. Wouldn't you agree? I hate to admit it, but sometimes I purposely make myself cry in romantic movies because then I enjoy the movie more! Speaking of things that bring tears to my eyes, this video totally does. I love that the groom and father-of-the-bride are willing to make fools of themselves for the sake of the beautiful (and happy!) bride. Watch the whole video - it gets better as it goes along! 

Didn't you love it? I can only hope for something half as romantic, sweet, and fun as this when it's my turn! 

Guilty Pleasures

As a law student, I sometimes get the sneaking suspicion that I should be "above" certain things in life. Alas, I am not. And never will be. And that's how I like it.

Things that should be considered "guilty pleasures" but are, in fact, just regular ones.



Glamour Magazine



Gossip Girl


Burger King Chicken Sandwich


Bonne Bell Lip Lites



People Magazine


Booty Music!

What are your guilty pleasures? Do you want to admit to them? Share!

Fettuccine Alfredo

I had been craving some Fettuccine Alfredo, but I knew the stuff in the jar just wouldn't cut it. I decided to make my own sauce, using cream cheese! I tossed it with mushrooms, broccoli, and grilled chicken. Yum! 

Alfredo Sauce Recipe: 

Minced garlic (to taste) 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil 

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese

2 cups milk 

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese

Sauté the garlic in the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. When butter melts, add the olive oil. Stir with whisk. Add the cream cheese, melt completely until there are no lumps. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring until reached desired consistency. Note that it will get thicker as it cooks. If it gets too thick, add some milk. 

Here's the results!