Isorhythm

2013 ended up being a pretty eventful year, especially compared to the never-ending 2012: Moved from Carrboro to Greenville. Christopher graduated and got a job, so we packed up and headed east. Coastal North Carolina isn't the most exciting location, but leaving the cancer center and finding a two-bedroom has been positive overall. It helps knowing that neither of us hopes to be here forever. Summited five state high points and one territory. Christopher and I are highpointers, which means we make a sport out of traveling to the highest natural point in each of the fifty states. We started the year by grabbing Cerro de Punta in Puerto Rico, our second US territory, then continuing to collect east-of-the-Mississippi states, including Brasstown Bald, GA; Sassafras Mountain, SC; Spruce Knob, WV; Hoye-Crest, MD; Mount Davis, PA. Kittens took up residence on our porch. I left the door to our bike closet open one night in September, and Mittens the stray cat crawled inside

December has been busy with gifting, travel, and preparing for the new year. I'm ready to head south, put things back in boxes, and start fresh.

Have some kittens on a Roomba to celebrate! Students and faculty have been out for almost a week, so I expected this week to be a breeze, but it's been unexpectedly busy! Lots of fires to put out before the new semester begins in January! In a few days, I'll head north until the new year. Many busy days ahead. I will never tire of kittens on Roombas. :)

Dress: American Eagle; Shirt: Target; Scarf: Gift; Socks: Target; Boots: Steve Madden via eBay

I'm not a big believer in cutting any one thing out of my diet. Going cold turkey on red meat, dairy, or grains to improve health seems like an over simplified solution to a complex problem. But I have tried to curb my reliance on cream and cheese, which led me to this no-cream mushroom sauce. And I have to say now that I prefer it to any cream-based mushroom sauce I've tried. It's still rich and smooth, but those qualities come from the fungi themselves rather than filler. The original recipe is tweaked from one I found at  The Kitchn  (mostly to accommodate what I had available in my fridge), and it's absolutely my favorite mushroom sauce. No-cream Mushroom Sauce Adapted from  The Kitchn Ingredients 2 8-oz. packages of baby portobello mushrooms, washed and chopped 1 medium yellow onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 c. dry white wine 1 c. chicken, beef, or vegetable stock 2 Tbs. fresh chopped sage (or 2 tsp. ground sage) 2 Tbs. butter

Dress: ASOS; Sweater: American Eagle; Belt: Target; Socks: Target; Boots: DV by Dolce Vita; Necklaces: Gifts This navy ASOS dress might be the best clothing purchase I've made all year. It's amazing all the things you can do with a simple blue skater dress. My real pride with this outfit, though, is the necklace, which is really two short necklaces that I clasped together to make it look like one statement piece. Ingenuity, guys.

The cold weather and dark evenings make me wish I owned more things that sparkle! Free People Shimmy Shimmy Party Dress in Silver, Pim + Larkin Sequin Mosaic Mini in Multi, ASOS Sequin Top Cami Dress in Oxblood, ASOS Sequin Top Skater Dress in Navy, Corey Lynn Calter Regence Tunic in Gold, Little Mistress Maxi Dress with Sequin Bodice in Cream/Navy

Books Thomas Mann,  Der Tod in Venedig Richard H. Hoppin, Medieval Music Inna Naroditskaya, Bewitching Russian Opera: The Tsarina from State to Stage Der Tod in Venedig  is still ongoing, but I haven't been keeping a steady regimen. The same goes for Medieval Music . Inna Naroditskaya's Bewitching Russian Opera , however, is a page-turner. Clothes Mossimo Women's Solid Skater Dress in Dark Red Sam & Libby Dominique Pointed Toe Pump in Pewter J. Crew Factory Double Stripe V-neck Sweater in Cloud/Brilliant Coral J. Crew Factory Always Cardigan in Black J. Crew Factory Colorblock Boatneck Tee in Ivory/Navy J. Crew Factory Clare Cardigan in Champagne The dress and shoes were emergency purchases for a wedding I attended. I realized at the last minute that all my semi-formal wear was only spring/summer appropriate and definitely not warm enough for a November ceremony. Now that it's over, I'm thinking about altering the skirt to make it a more