Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Midweek Confessions!

I'm a pretty avid reader of the blog E, Myself, and I and each week she decides to do confessions on her blog.  Well each week she encourages readers to join in and I figured, why not?!  Here goes nothing:

This just seems like a fitting picture...

1.  I signed up for kickboxing classes and I went for the first time yesterday.  During the warm up the trainer made us do mountain climbers and after the third time down, I went to get up and fell over.  The trainer caught me and I chocked it up to bad balance, but the truth is my legs gave out because I'm out of shape.

2.  I've been trying to do better about my road rage but today I yelled at a woman so bad in the DMV inspection line that my little brother looked embarrassed.

3.  I threw a hissy-fit the morning of my 21st birthday.  So much for turning 21.

4.  Sometimes when I am in a food store and I see a bunch of things stacked up really high I get the urge to karate chop the pile and knock everything down.

5.  I really hate my hair cut.  A couple of weeks ago I had it cut short and it really is a cute cut and my hairdresser is fantastic but it's just not for me.  I miss being able to throw my hair up in a bun and God, can we talk about how annoying side bangs are?!

6.  I found this book in a local library last week and I couldn't stop laughing.  I think this is something I'd buy someday as a parent to provide myself and my husband some comic relief.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

My birthday weekend!

As I got older, the significance of my birthday weekend seems to become as important as my actual birthday, especially these last two or three years.  This year is absolutely no different.  Yesterday two of my best girl friends, Sejal and Mercedes came to town and we ate at literally the cutest place on the face of the earth.  It's called Charlotte's Tea Room and you eat scones and finger sandwiches, all the while enjoying your pot of tea.  I felt like I was in England....not to mention a queen considering when they found out it was my birthday, they gave me a crown.

Later that night, Tim came over along with some family friends and we bqq'ed and ate cake and celebrated that fact that my parents are old....old enough to have a 21 year old.

Overall, Friday was a good start and I look forward to what the rest of this birthday and age bring to the table.  I promise to spend more time here on Monday to give you all a much more detailed review of 21.






In other news...

Here is a picture of Tim with a tiny fish.


Happy weekend guys!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Some random thoughts this Wednesday

First, let me start this by saying that Blogger and I have a bone to pick.  I just finished writing a great blog post for you guys about something I signed up for and poof...computer error...gone...I tried getting it back, but it's nowhere to be found and I've got to say, I'm pretty bothered by it.

Rather than trying to pick my brain to rewrite that exact post right this minute, I figured I'd move on to something else!! Bare with me...things are about to get random...

  • Today, I had to go to the bank and mail three things so I of course bought three stamps.  Two of the pieces of mail already had stamps on them and that sorta annoyed me but now I have extra stamps.  This is one of those weird "you lose, but you also kinda win" moments.
  • While running those errands of mine I happened to notice that the local Hallmark store was going out of business.  What?! SAD.  I have no idea why this is bothering me so much, but it is guys.  I live in a pretty small town and am pretty far away from the mall or any other really big shopping complexes.  My mom and I have been going to this Hallmark store since I was a very little girl since it was right next to the local grocery store.  It kind of took me by surprise to see something that I'm so used to being there...well, leaving I guess.  I went in and the women were all talking about how sad they were and that they guess it was time to retire and I left feeling pretty sad about the whole thing.
  • This morning I came home from Tim's to a big box on my bed from my girlfriend Maura.  We lived together at the beginning of the summer and I always used to laugh at her Pillow Pet's.  Well, thanks to Maura, I now have a big pink Pillow Pet of my own and I couldn't help but burst out laughing when I tore this box open.  It maaaaddddeee my day!  Along with the Pillow Pet was a handwritten letter and a Winnie the Pooh (my favorite, ever) birthday card.  I was blown away.  It was just so kind and I really feel lucky and blessed to have a friend like her.
  • Where the heck did July go?! I've never had my birthday sneak up on me like this...I have to go back to school in less than a month and that makes me feel bleh.
  • My dad is so handy and just made thisfor my desk and I'm just obsessed...

That's it for now!  Thanks for hanging in there while I got that off my mine.  See you tomorrow morning :)



Friday, July 19, 2013

New York, I will always love you

Back in February, New York City started feeling different to me, like I was falling out of love with the city streets that once caught my eye.  As a girl, I was enamored with the flashing lights and the idea that this city never, under any circumstances slept.  Soon after pursuing a job in Manhattan, those city streets that once enamored me only made me sad.  Granted I was commuting during one of the coldest winters, but regardless, it was tough to find myself second guessing the place I thought I loved so much.

I think it had a lot to do with the people.  New York City is home to millions of diverse people, which for me, was what made it so appealing in the first place.  Yet, with all of those people comes a lot of sadness and struggle.  The more I frequented New York, the more I saw and the more I began resenting the city. My heart ached for those people...it still does. I've learned a lot since that internship ended and I've especially learned to love New York again for both its pluses and minuses.  The people are what make New York and their experiences are what keeps it going.

I recently stumbled upon a truly beautiful project called Humans of New York where Brandon (no last name given) photographs people on the streets of New York and gives their picture a home on his increasingly popular blog.  The photo's are accompanied with quotes from those pictured usually prompted by Brandon, but if not, he adds his own commentary.  It's truly a beautiful blog, please check him out.  Here are my favorites:

"I like that she is super strong and tough, but that sometimes she just likes being 'a girl'."
"The Australian Consulate asked me to give advice to an incoming group of Australian immigrants, so I'll tell you what I told them."
"What's that."
"It doesn't matter how good you are, or how hard you work.  There will always be someone in this city who's better at your job than you are."
"I'll give you the same advice that I give everyone."
"What's that?"
"Have a short memory for offenses, and a long memory for kindnesses."

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Sinful chocolate cookies

Holy delicious cookie guys...I was really in the mood for a chocolate cookie that was easy too so I searched online and combined a few recipes to make what I think it probably the best cookie I've ever had.  I'm not just tooting my own horn, they are so easy and so delicious!!!


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Also grease 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
  • Put the confectioners' sugar into a little container and set aside as you will use this later to coat the cookies.
  • In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt
  • In another bowl, using your mixer, beat butter and sugar until it's combined and creamy.  Add one egg at a time and mix until blended.  Then add your vanilla to this mixture.
  • Add the two mixtures together and beat until blended
  • Using a tablespoon, scoop some of the dough out
  • Roll the dough into small ball's using your hands (time to get dirty guys!)
  • Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar that you set aside in the beginning
  • Place the balls on the baking sheets (12 on each) about 2 inches or so apart
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are cracked and puffed!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Road Rage, a story

I have a little bit of a temper when I drive.  If Tim were here right now, he'd say I was lying, that I have a huge temper when I drive.  It's just that I am quick to become frustrated while on the road.  Other drivers do stupid things and ain't nobody got time to deal with that!  Yet, after a incident on the road yesterday, I think I need to reevaluate my road rage.  Yesterday, while driving home from my meeting on a major highway no less, a gray Tacoma truck showed up behind me.  I was in the fast lane trying to get past a more congested middle lane and was only driving, at most, 10 above the speed limit.  The truck began driving very close to my back bumper and then would hang back a bit more.  It wasn't enough to make me super mad, but I was definitely aware of him.  After a while I decided he was making me a little too nervous and I sucked it up and moved over to the middle lane.  Well this truck started driving really close to the red car that was previously in front of me and honking his horn.  I thought at first, maybe they knew each other since they were two younger guys and the one's behavior was just so odd.  The truck abruptly sped and cut me off and then almost hit the little red car as he cut back in front to the left lane.  We were approaching a red light and slowing down and the gray truck stopped short on the highway, put his car in park, and got out of his car.  GUYS...he got OUT OF HIS CAR ON THE HIGHWAY.  He began screaming profanities at the guy he had been tailgating and later cut off.  I was terrified for the guy in the little red car, so much so that I almost called the police but couldn't catch his license plate in time.

It got me thinking.  Road rage is scary for both the person angry and the person they are taking their rage out on.  It's true, some people are just bad drivers and do things that will inevitably make you angry.  However, sometimes, that road rage is all on you.  Regardless, I learned yesterday that I need to have more patience on the road.  I obviously would have never done something so extreme, but it really scared me to watch it happen.  It's not worth putting anyone in that kind of danger, including yourself.

Just a thought today.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

A Beautiful Mess, the photo editor app

I know I'm pretty behind on this adorable little app, but I downloaded it when it first came out and honestly, wasn't terribly impressed.  Last night I sat down to play with it a bit more since it had a recent update and I came to the conclusion that I was wrong about this app all along.  I think where I went wrong the first time around was that I didn't give it enough attention.  I didn't take the time to play around and combine different things to make a cute picture.  I'm a huuuggge fan of their recent update and had a good time last night playing around on the app.  Here's what I came up with:








Go to the app store to download the app "A Beautiful Mess" or keep up with the creators on their blog, A Beautiful Mess.

Happy weekend everyone!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Woo hoo! It's Friday!

I love the dynamic of the weekend and the good vibes it brings.  Despite being on my summer vacation and the fact that I work from home, I feel like my favorite summer moments happen on the weekends.  It's when I unplug from the blog and step away from any and all work that I have.  On top of that, I feel like it's a good opportunity to spend time with both my family and Tim's since everyone is around!

I have a pretty busy week ahead of me so I am looking forward to taking the weekend to relax and prepare for a week of meetings and one very, very important interview.

For now, here are a few things I'm loving right now...

1.  This blog.

2.  These shoes from Target, which I bought today...along with like 4 dresses....oops.
 

3.  The idea that Fall clothes are on the horizon.  They were all over Target in a "Fall Preview" section and I was so excited.

4.  This perfect little guide from specialsections.suntimes.com:
5.  Birchbox...I can't wait to get mine!

6.  This article on public relations and how to have better objectives



That's it for now!  Have a lovely weekend and come back soon :)




Thursday, July 11, 2013

Some fun DIY projects for any space

A dear friend of mine's boyfriend just got an amazing new apartment and so she asked that I write a post related to home decor and DIY.  While I don't have my own place just yet, I think if I close my eyes tight enough I can really dream up a perfect room.  I think for me, a space needs to feel like a home even if it's just a tiny bedroom or perhaps your dorm room.  If you can bring life and love into a space, that space will bring you happiness.  So, I sat down this morning and began reading some of my favorite design blogs as well as went through my Pinterest to see what I could find for them and I picked out some of my favorite's that I think they will love!

This cutie comes from The Painted Hive.  It's such an adorable blog and oh my goodness do I just love the idea of printing your own decals for a kitchen or even the bathroom!  Check it out!
 I loooovvveee this idea.  It's such a clean way to showcase books and for my friends, this is perfect for their future space!  Check out diycollegeideas.blogspot.com for ideas like this one!
 Ignore the lounging model because these letter print outs are to die for.  I am obbssssesssseddd with these guys.  What a perfect way to add personal art to a space and these really can go in any room!  These originally came from Black List Studio Prints, but are super simple to do yourself.
 These decals are great.  I just love them.  I think this would cater more towards my girlfriend...but I think her boyfriend could live with this :)  You can Google things like this to find a ton of different options!
 On the subject of decals....check this baby out!  I really enjoy the idea of having a grown up decal.  I feel like I see them a lot in college dorm rooms and hate them.  They are lame quotes and I just can't stand them.  This however...is perfect.  From simpleluxuriouslife.tumblr.com
This is a perfect find for my friends!  They love to hang on to their ticket stubs and this could be a great way to showcase them!  Just take a ticket stub or whatever and have it blow up.  After that, print it on fabric transfer material and turn it into a pillow!

Two of my favorite blogs that feature DIY home design are 6th Street Design School and Creature Comforts.  I often reference their blogs for DIY ideas and if you are looking for something fun to do around your own space, I suggest you check them out!

Also, Ikea anyone?  Such a great place for fun, cheap, items for any space in your home!

No part of this post was a sponsorship, just a favor to a friend and personal opinion!



Wednesday, July 10, 2013

So I think I'll cut my hair...

I get bored really easily with my hair.  Sometimes I wake up and love it and other days I stare at my thick, long, brown, boring hair in the mirror and think "yuck!"  I've never feared cutting my hair like I think some women do.  I've always been aware that it grows back and even if my haircut totally sucks, I try to make the best of it.  (I was not always like this...one time, when I was 12, I cried for like...a week straight over a botched haircut.  I've come a long way!)  Anyway, I'm getting very bored of my hair again and have been perusing Pinterest for things to do to my hair that are a little different sans getting it cut.  It's help me hold off on wanting to get a haircut for a bit, but alas here we are and I have an appointment next Wednesday.  So it's crunch time...time to find a style that suits me and wont drive me nuts.

Here are some pictures I am thinking of referencing!  What do you all think? I'm also totally considering dying my ends a bit...sorta the whole ombre vibe but not quite as noticeable.




Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Wedding wear

I love love love, LOVE weddings.  Watching two people so in love make that commitment to each other just gets me every time.  This summer Tim's sister is getting married and then roughly three weeks later, my uncle is getting married as well!  So, while my mind is of course is on the lovely couples and their impending nuptials, I can't help but obsess over what to wear!

I'm that type of girl that dresses for comfort.  If I don't feel comfortable in it, it will show.  I will tug and pull and grab at the dress the entire night and I'll be asking Tim a million times, "are you sure I look good in this?!" Even though I think I dress for comfort, realistically I typically don't.  So, this time around, the goal is to find something that I feel comfortable in.  Something I can eat in and dance in and overall, just enjoy the love in.

When shopping for weddings, what do you all typically buy?  Help a girl out!!

Here are some options I am thinking of!

Click on image for bigger view!!!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Our trip to Buffalo

I have been going to Buffalo, NY since I was a little girl.  My grandparents, aunts and cousins have lived there my whole life and each trip meant time to spend with my family.  I've always appreciated my grandparents home because of the chaos.  I love the idea of a big family with a house that's always open for people to come and go...and that's their house in a nutshell.  Last summer I was excited to bring Tim so that he could meet my family, it was important to me...and a little nerve wracking ;)  It could not have gone any better, they loved him.  By the end of the trip...I was chop liver to all the little cousins in the family.

This summer we were so excited to see everyone again and were super eager to jump in the car and make that 6 hour drive.  Five days later, it's time to reflect on what was a perfect trip.

There was an outstanding circumstance that seemed to change the trip for us a little bit while we were there but my family really went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time.  I really enjoy Buffalo because it gives me a chance to spend time with my family, but I really loved this trip because of the time it gave me with Tim.  We had such a phenomenal time together guys...I can't even begin to tell you.  We really like to dote on each other and this vacation gave us the opportunity to really do so.  Were that couple that just enjoys doing things for each other, you know like making the other a cup of coffee and making sure they have everything they need just to relax.  I don't mean to brag, but Tim is so phenomenal and I for sure already knew that but this vacation was just the cherry on top.  He really made sure I was perfect at all moments of the day, he was just great guys...so great that I really can't find the words.

Just enjoy the pictures...I'm all sorts of jumbled with my words right now ;)


 First off...Tim is so great with all my baby cousins.  I don't have pictures of even half of them considering there are like 1,000.  This little girl right here...looooovvvves him and watching them together just, ugh, I can't.  It perfect.
 "Look guys I made batman!'


 I have no idea how this little picture thing happened...but it showed up on my phone...so cool?



 On Saturday we got out of the house a bit and went to Elmwood Village for some breakfast and a farmer's market!  Food was great :)










I didn't take nearly enough photos this time and I'm totally kicking myself in the butt for it, but it is what it is!

This was a seriously perfect vacation <3