recent obsessions

I am the type of person who thrives in familiarity and routine, and lately I've been gravitating towards a new set of favorites:

{grapefruit}

Grapefruit seems to be one of those things that people either really love or really hate and I fall overwhelmingly into the former category. In my opinion grapefruit easily makes up for the otherwise lack of decent fresh fruit available during the winter months, and according to some shoddy Internet research I haphazardly performed - it has myriad health benefits! Adding this beautiful citrus to your diet can apparently jump start your metabolism, help with anxiety, firm up you skin, protect your heart and help prevent cancer.* All that aside, I just crave the bracing flavor, softened a bit with a drizzle of maple syrup, for breakfast every morning these days.

*Please be advised that the next article I read on this website was "Five Household Uses for Vodka."

{zumba fitness radio on pandora}

For a really long time growing up, when someone asked me what I wanted to "be" as an adult, my answer was always, embarrassingly, the same: dance choreographer. Period. Nothing else. And since that never did come to fruition, I think I'm living vicariously through zumba. I have always, always been a fan of pandora, and recently I have been listening to the zumba fitness station non-stop. It's the perfect way to squeeze in a teensy bit of exercise when you're, you know, cooking or laying on the couch or taking down the Christmas tree. You're welcome, neighbors.

{black + white clothing}

I'm not sure if I'm taking cues from the icy white and gray month of January or what, but nearly every clothing purchase I've made in the last month or so has been black, white, gray or a mixture of the three. I know it's a little boring, but I can't help but love this classic color combination, so easily spruced up with fun jewelry and shoes.

{lavender}

Brigid bought me this L'Oreal lavender nail polish for Christmas, and since then I've been on the lookout for things in the lightly floral scent - case in point, EOS Lavender shave cream & a lavender macaroon from Helena's.

{BLAT anything}

Last week at work I randomly started daydreaming about making a bacon, lettuce and tomato salad with avocado and a mayonnaise-based dressing, and later that night I made it a reality. BLTs are probably my favorite sandwich, and this version of the dish, minus the bread, will be a definite repeat.  I'll be sure to share the recipe once I've perfected the dressing.

{a simple makeup routine}

From top: Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm (I own a variety of colors), L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black, Instain Cheek Stain: "The Balm," CoverGirl concealer in ivory, CoverGirl BB Cream in fair to light , and a store brand eyelash curler.

(all but the Instain should be available at your local grocery store)

{perfume}

I'm typically not a huge fan of perfume, but after getting a few samples in my birchbox, I decided I'd like to have a signature scent. Right now I'm loving this Poppy-Freesia scent by Coach, and this song by my girl Britney. ;)

If I could only specifically recommend one, I think it'd be the grapefruit. Stay tuned for some grapefruit and olive oil cake in the near future!