To the Mall....

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a mall shopper. I don't like the cookie cutter sameness of malls and anyway I prefer to spend my hard earned money frugally but.....I needed to work on my business wardrobe so I headed out to the local mall in search of black pants. I've been scouting out the local thrift shops but I really can't get by on two pairs of pants working five days a week. I purchased three pairs of black pants in a polyester blend fabric that is machine washable and on sale - great! I have other clothing made by this same company and I find it washs well and is quite durable. So - a good day doing something I do only when necessary.


I popped into the A.C. Moore's to check out fabric only to find they don't carry any. The yarn selection is dismal and the store appeared to be more like a flea market - no reason for me to ever go back. I did find some beautiful, vintage inspired fabric at JoAnn's for an apron swap .....didn't ride my bike on the greenway but did ride my exercise bike for 30 minutes after I got home from this shopping excursion.

Tasty Frugal Cooking

Inspired by this blog entry, I prepared my dinner using the ingredients I have stashed in my refrigerator and cupboards. A tasty glass of California red - don't be fooled by the catchy name and cheesy silhouette - I dug around and came up with this:

Fresh collard greens, garlic, onion, cubed eggplant sauteed in a tasty olive oil and sprinkled with sun dried tomatoes, a quick dash of dried cayenne pepper from my garden, coarsely ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt ....

Over a fluffy bed of organic millet grain - and enough leftover for a hearty lunch tomorrow at work!

I've seriously fallen off the exercise wagon - my bike is in the back of my vehicle and I'm riding the newly opened greenway after work tomorrow!

Autumn's Arrival

While the autumn colors may not be as vibrate as usual, I still marvel at the flaming orange red of these maples.

Ghostly eggplants waiting on the market....

A leaf fluttering on a downtown sidewalk...

Another resting on a downtown street....

A balck walnut slumbering against the curb.... I attended the stage adaptation of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" at Hollins University. I had read the book and found the adaptation near carbon copy. Running at almost 2 and half hours, the play was a tad long but enjoyable throughout. Seven dollars for a general admission ticket in a tranquil setting - and you still say there is nothing to do in Roanoke?

Oh, I did ride my bicycle around the neighborhood for ~1 hour this morning.

Compost

After some much needed rain and cooler, more seasonable temperatures I am ready to tackle autumn garden work. First task - this poor, clay heavy soil could use nutritional supply and I have just what it needs! Almost two years in the making, the first batch of compost is ready to be liberated from the compost bin and laid to rest on my garden....

In my favorite bowl... just a small sample...

Close Up...

Frugal (and not so Frugal) Vegan Clothes Shopping

This week I started a temporary management position that may or may not be permanent. None the less I needed to replenish my business wardrobe. I tend to buy clothes on an as needed basis. I also appreciate well made, quality clothing but am reluctant to spend much money on them and am trying to buy only nonanimal fibers. So......off to my favorite thrift shop I go! I found a like new pair of pants made of a woven polyester that has the body and feel of a lightweight wool and a short sleeved top to wear under vintage jackets or sweaters. The total for both was only $9.75 and the money goes to the American Cancer Society.

I picked up a stylish pair of nonleather shoes on sale and my less frugal purchase was

Vera Bradley bag - nonleather of course!

Finally, A Home Cooked Meal...

A baked sweet potato sprinkled with earthy ground cumin, collards greens sauteed in olive oil with carmelized onions and garlic and beets with a horseradish vinaigrette dressing adapted from this recipe from urban vegan - yummm.....I haven't had a meal this tasty in over a week!

Last Night and Back Home...

We looked for a sports bar to watch the many college football games Saturday night - now how hard could that be? Well, the first place we stopped had one TV on sports and the rest on movies; the second was no better. Oh well, back to the room to the TV...none here...



Or here....


Or even here!


We woke up to a beautiful sunrise...


Just one of the lovely bits of produce I bought at a roadside stand on the way back home.