A Vintage Joy

Leap Day Giveaway!

2012-02-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

This is my first giveaway! I'm so excited! It's also leap day and my 100th post so all in all this is a pretty exciting day. In preparation for this post I kept thinking about what would be a nice giveaway; to begin my thought process I started painting then it hit me, I should giveaway a cute little painting. They're 6in x 8in so they're both perfect for a house or an apartment and the best part is YOU get to choose which one you want!

To enter simple leave a comment saying which one you choose if you win! That's it. One entry per person, please.Open to USA and Canadian readers. The giveaway will open until one week from today, March 7th, and the winner will be chosen at random and announced the next day! I'm really excited to have my first giveaway and I hope you are to. Good Luck!

Little Moments

2012-02-24T03:01:00.000-05:00

A couple little sneak peeks from my life recently. Mainly I've been

working and focusing on school work, but I did manage to spend

some time at a couple cute boutiques, ate some great food, wore

sandals for the first time this year (can you see my tan lines?) and

made a "love" ring out of some leftover wire from my homemade

stacking bracelets. Hope you're week has been amazing!

Valentine's Day/ Single Awareness Day

2012-02-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

Whether you call it Valentine's Day or SAD candy is always delicious and flowers brighten up any table! Have a great day full of candy and smiles!

All pictures from Pinterest; video from youtube.

Rollin' Rollin'

2012-02-09T23:12:00.001-05:00

This week I'm thankful for a day off. I haven't been rollerskating since I was

probably ten; it was so much fun! I loved it! And yes I dressed 80's, why

not right?

I really don't like mirror pictures but sometime you gotta do what you

gotta do.

Thankful Week 1

2012-02-02T17:27:00.001-05:00

Honestly, the last few weeks have been hard. However in life when small frustrations begin to pile up, it's always good to take a step back and remember what's important and what you've been given. This year I truly want to take more time to be thankful for what I've been given and what I see.

Once a week I'm going to try to post a picture of something I'm thankful for. It's always nice to encourage one another and that's really what this blogging community is about right? So if you decide to post something per week let me know; I would love to talk about it with you! Not every week has to be monumental; this week I'm thankful that although I haven't been consistent with watering my plants they are still alive and were able to fight through the winter. What are you thankful for this week?

Stacking Bracelet DIY

2012-01-25T23:15:00.001-05:00

The look of stacked bracelets is something that is timeless. One of my favorites is when I see people building it around a watch and wearing a feminine skirt or flowy blouse with it. Shopping for bracelets can get expensive so why not try to make your own? The total cost was around five dollars and there are still enough supplies to make more!

-Any sort of crafting wire. I used 24 mm wire because my beads had a small hole, and it was easy to bend.

-Beads. These could be colored, black and white, anything! I used multicolored pearl ones because I wanted my bracelet to be more feminine.

-Clasps. My first attempt at this bracelet I finished it with a bead. It worked at first but after a couple minutes the bracelet kept falling off. The best solution is sometimes the simplest, a clasp.

-Pliers. These come in handy when attaching the clasp.

1. Size your wrist and cut out however much wire you need.

I wrapped mine around twice because I like the look better.

2. Make one end of your bracelet

3. Add your beads

4. Finish off your bracelet by adding the other end.

5. Stack your bracelets!

10 Random Facts About Me

2012-01-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

1. I am obsessed with faris wheels and hot air balloons! I want to go to a hot air balloon fair where all the balloons go up in the air at once.

2. I love hand written letters. Basically if you have ever given me a hand written letter I have it up on my wall or somewhere in my room. Including the post card swap from a few months ago.

3. I always have either a blanket or pillow with me when I watch TV.

4. When I take a break I prefer peanut m&ms instead of a kit kat bar.

5. I love coffee. I will try basically any kind, I'm equal opportunity.

6. I'm the worst at estimating my pasta consumption. Either I make four times too much pasta, or I have to make more because I'm still hungry.

7. I'm really good at packing. I can fit everything I need in my suitcase and still have room left over for things I'll buy while there. It's also super handy for moving.

8. When I make my cereal in the morning I always put the milk in first.

9. I very much so want to learn how to crochet.

10. I finally caved and got on pinterest and I'm obsessed! There are so many amazing photos out there. Every photo from this post is from pinterest.

Vinyl Record Player Tips

2012-01-09T14:52:00.000-05:00

This year for Christmas I bought a record player, and I love it! It isn't an original but I don't care; it has three speeds and is easily transported. A couple tips I have learned since I got my record player are:

1. The more speeds the better. There are three sizes of records and they all require a different speed to play. To get the biggest value for your money get a record player with multiple speeds. I have a 33 (which is the largest and most easily found record), 45 (these are smaller and have a larger circle in the middle), and 78 (which I believe is the oldest) correct me if I'm wrong.

2. Lift straight up! When you place the needle on your record or take it off you want to make sure you lift straight up to prevent any harm to your needle.

3. For me, portable is best. I live in an apartment and if I ever want to move the record player from room to room, or even transport it, it's so much easier to have a small player. Now, I absolutely love the look and sound of a huge built in player but my portable one is so convenient.

4. If you see a vinyl you love, buy it! I have been collecting vinyls for about four years so when I finally got a player I automatically had a collection I wanted to play. The easiest and cheapest place I find records is any thrift store. There is usually an entire stack of them you can look through.

5. Check the quality of you vinyls. Before you play them check to see if they are extremely scratched up or if they are in pretty good condition. They don't have to be perfect, but the more they're scratched the more likely they will eventually cause you to have to buy a new needle.

Who would you most like to hear on your record player?

Slavery Still Exists

2012-01-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

To start off the year I got the opportunity go to to Passion. Conference 2012. Passion is a group of 18-25 year old students and college age students who gather in Atlanta Georgia at the beginning of each year to grow closer to Jesus. God did so many amazing things this year during Passion. The focus was on slavery from bondage, both labor and sexual.

Did you know that today there are 27 million men, women, boys, and girls in slavery around the world? I know I didn't. That is more than any other time in history, yet their stories are going untold. Think of the largest crowd of people you have ever been in, maybe it was at a concert or at your school. Now no matter how large that crowd of people was imagine if every one in that crowd was a slave. It's pretty unbelievable once you start to think of it that way.

Many of the products we buy are unknowingly, to us, being made by slaves. And there are so many young girls and boys who are being sold into sex trafficking. I do not say this to make you feel guilty or sad but I do say this to make you aware and hopefully to inspire you to do something now to stop it! There are so many great causes you can volunteer at or donate money to, but don't make this a cause you send money to but that's all. These aren't statistics these are people who every day wake up with no hope. They need to be rescued and we CAN do it.

One resource I know that is a great one is do something now, but you can also do research and get involved with any other great one. If you decide to donate, first take time to research and look around the website and pray for those who are in such imaginable circumstances. To start off this year you can do something to aid those in need!

This past week has been so convicting to me about how I say that I follow Jesus, but how often I live as though He is a part of my life but not my goal and my everything. I pray you have a great week and if you are starting school have a smooth transition.

It's a New Year!

2011-12-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

"Each day is full of new possibilities." Everyone of us has probably heard some variation of that saying but how often do we forget it and live as though each day is full of closed doors? When we feel down we forget all of the great moments we have been apart of; we forget that we are not alone, ever. On those days that life is feeling awful, take time to consciously remember how blessed you are. Write down three things you want to accomplish that day and go do them! Paint a jar and start saving for that trip you've always wanted to take, take some time to relax and spend all day watching movies and baking, or even go to the gym like you've been planning on but never got the time; do something that helps your mind get back on the right track. Remember that every day is a gift! I can't believe tomorrow is a new year! I'm so excited to see what 2012 has in store! Happy New Years Eve!

A Living Room Fort

2011-12-29T00:10:00.000-05:00

Today was a fort building kind of day! I ate a little too many

chocolate covered oreos, took two tums, and watched movies.

Today was a good day!

And my hair worked with me today, bonus!

2011-12-25T23:02:00.003-05:00

Indoor Wreath DIY

2011-12-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, I hang a wreath on the front door but I also love hanging them

on the inside of my house too. You can use any colors and any

patterns you want!

-Cardboard

-Hot glue gun

-Scissors

-Coffee filters

-Food coloring and water

-Red marker

Cut the cardboard into strips and hot glue it together. It

doesn't have to be glued in a perfect circle because the

decorations will cover it.

Take the filters and dip them in your colored water then

let them sit. This is the step that takes the longest because

of the waiting time. My red started to look pink so I decided

to make some candy cane ones instead. Using any red

marker is perfect!

Decorate your wreath! You can add a layer on the outside

and the inside to make it have the classic wreath shape or

make it boxy to give it more of a modern twist.

The final step is buttons! I love buttons on basically anything,

and on the wreath they make the perfect center for your

candy cane flowers.

December 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-12-19T21:25:00.001-05:00

1. Buy all my presents at least a couple days before Christmas so I'm not having to spaz and figure out what to get people. Not really. I've gotten a couple small gifts but I haven't gotten anyone their big present yet.
2. Start the blogging e-course. Check! I got the "Blog Love" e-course from abeautifulmess. I'm on session 5 and I love it. Great Christmas present for a blogger.
3. Decorate my apartment. Check! I even put up a Christmas tree and decorated my door.

Who says you can't have a reindeer in your living room

4. Finish reading one book. I'm reading Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit right now, not sure which one i'll finish though.
5. Watch AFI's number 1 movie- Citizen Kane. I'm going to the library on Monday.
6. Find/Buy a record player. Looking!

I want to hear my records so bad!

7. Find at least three fabrics to start my quilt. One down two to find.
8. Paint something. Check! I painted a caricature picture of the forest.

I know it's not awesome but, for the first time painting, I love it!

9. Spend time with my friends and family. I have my week at home; I love that I get to spend time with my family.
10. Remember what the season is about. I'm trying. I love this season!

Coffee Cozy DIY

2011-12-16T00:54:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love homemade presents; I love giving them and receiving them! Here's a super cute stocking stuffer for the coffee lover in your life.

-Sewing machine or you could hand sew it

-White and caramel felt

-Scissors

-Red and white thread and a needle

-A cozie from an old coffee

Trace the cozy, from your previous coffee, two time. (It gives you a front and a back.)
Draw or trace a gingerbread man. I drew mine on paper then transferred that to the felt before I sewed it on.
You can add snowflakes or Christmas trees or anything you want!
The last step is to sew the two sides together. Don't do it at the beginning or the entire process gets super complicated, I know from experience!

It took only 30 minutes and you have a cute homemade present. And the best part is you can change the decoration and the colors and make it for every season!

A blogging E-course

2011-12-12T23:46:00.000-05:00

I finally saved up enough money and I bought the blogging e-course from abeautifulmess and I love it! I'm only two sessions in and I've already learned so much about myself as a blogger and I'm inspired to grow and learn. I'm trying to take every step I can to expand my knowledge about myself as a blogger.

One suggestion she has and one I've been wanting to do for a while anyways is to buy a notebook and write in it when I have an idea. I chose a small notebook so that I can carry it in my purse so that whenever inspiration hits I can write it down! I'm so excited. I've already filled two pages!

Current Obsession November/ Early December

2011-12-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Uh. I'm all sicky, and during finals week. My brain is all random. I hope this is coherent, haha.

T.V. Show: Once Upon a Time

It's amazing! If you don't watch it yet you should try it.

Via google

Clothing Item: Cardigans with elbow pads (coming soon as a DIY!)

Via invasionista

DIY: ReStyle a sweatshirt

Via: delightfully tacky

Food: Peppermint in anything. It's such a great Christmas treat!

via a DIY I did

Song: Baby it's cold outside

Doris Day and Bing Crosby. You got to love old Hollywood!

Via google

Recently November

2011-11-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

Christmas is on its way and school is almost over! I'm so excited. I will finally get to take some time to relax and refocus. November/ December is my favorite time of the year.

1. I put up the Christmas tree in the apartment!
2. My favorite, a tall cappuccino with a pump of caramel.
3. Got lazy and ordered pizza. It was really good though.
4. Decorating the apartment. I put these above the stove and I teleported up north. I love it
5. Super cute mail box
6. I finally got leopard print shoes. They hurt my feet but that shall not stop me from wearing them

Revitalize Thanksgiving Day 2

2011-11-25T14:36:00.001-05:00

It's thanksgiving day 2. Here are a couple ways you can redo your menu to keep it interesting.

Super Easy Whipped Cream
Ingredients:

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 table spoon of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe:

Taste it to see if you like the taste or if you need to add any more sugar or extract. Mix together until peaks form. Hint (it will take four times longer if you try to hand mix it. If you have a mixer use it!)

Redo Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

Cranberries to the color you want
1/2 cup water
1/16 cup of sugar
A couple walnuts

Recipe:

Bring your water to a boil and add in the sugar until it dissolves. Add your cranberries in and bring the sauce back to a boil. ( I only had canned cranberries. I was a little nervous that it wouldn't turn out but it stilled tasted good.) Add in your walnuts. Only let it the walnuts stay in for a minute or so. Don't let them burn. It may look a little thin but it will thicken once you let it cool in the fridge.

A couple add ons to the top:

Add a little brown sugar on top of the sweet potatoes
Add garlic to your white potatoes
OR rub some garlic on the plate before you add your white potatoes or your stuffing

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

In everything remember what is important and who is important. Thank you Jesus for days like today and thank you for the men and women who have fought for our freedom! Even more though, thank you for your freedom and love you give.

Take some time today to step back and remember how blessed you are! Also eat some turkey and pie because it's delicious! Happy Thanksgiving!

November 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-11-21T20:32:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is this week!! I'm so excited! My favorite thanksgiving tradition is spending time with my family and taking time to remember what's important...and eating pumpkin pie. What's your favorite thanksgiving tradition?

1. See if I can get a new job. I would love to work at a small inn! I applied for one and called about the other.

2. Decorate my room for Christmas. I'm bringing all my decorations back from home when I visit for thanksgiving. But I did buy a dumbo ornament today.

3. Focus on school and my tests. It's November and one week into December and the semesters over. It's getting harder to focus only two weeks!

4. Make at least two payments towards my trip in January. I have the money saved up but haven't actually given the check yet.

5. Go rollerskating. No and I'm sad about it I want to go. Probably the week after thanksgiving will be when we finally go.

via fossil

6. Buy a new sweater, I only have one that I wear almost every day. I'm still looking I for one. I super love this one from fossil but it's $88.

7. Take time each day to stop doing other things and study. I'm trying to but it's getting hard to focus. I especially need to study for managerial accounting though.

8. Get back to journaling, I really miss it/ make time to journal and not got to bed so late that I have no time to journal. I've journaled once; I need to fix that.

9. Take more pictures. No. This is my final food prep class though. I make a cranberry and apple stuffed pork. It was really good.

10. Begin the DIY on my livingroom wall and coffee table. I finished the wall, now to the coffee table.

5 minute Christmas Apple Dessert

2011-11-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

I was hungry yesterday and felt like making a snack. At first I was going to add peanuts instead of peppermint but I saw peppermints on the counter and thought it would taste good, and it did! It's a super simple dessert, but it's really delicious. I'm definitely making this for my Christmas party.

Ingredients:

2 apples
3oz milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of caramel
3 crushed peppermints

Directions:

Cut up your apples into slices
Melt the chocolate
Drizzle the chocolate and melted caramel on top
Sprinkle the peppermint on top while the chocolate and caramel are still melted so it sticks too it
Put into the fridge to harden
EAT

A Vinyl Wall

2011-11-11T00:22:00.000-05:00

This weekend the walls in my apartment looked too white so my roommates and I decided it was time for a remodel! So far I'm winning the battle against myself decorating the entire place for Christmas before Thanksgiving; we'll see how long I can hold out.

I also found a coffee table for $5. It is now my new DIY project.

I love thrift stores!

November 10 in 30

2011-11-07T11:17:00.001-05:00

It's been forever!! My life lately has been so busy, I have so many blogposts to read and post, ahh. I've had this list sitting here for about 6 days now, So whether or not I like it, I'm posting it. I just really want to post this before I over think it again! Have a great day! And I would love to know...what are your goals for this month?

1. See if I can get a new job. I would love to work at a small inn!!

2. Decorate my room for Christmas.

3. Focus on school and my tests. It's November and one week into December and the semesters over.

4. Make at least two payments towards my trip in January.

5. Go rolerskating.

6. Buy a new sweater, I only have one that I wear almost every day.

7. Take time each day to stop doing other things and study.

8. Get back to journaling, I really miss it/ make time to journal and not got to bed so late that I have no time to journal.

9. Take more pictures.

10. Begin the DIY on my livingroom wall and coffee table.

I Love....

2011-10-21T15:37:00.000-04:00

I love seeing a rainbow. I love the beach. I love being a nerd. I love Having just enough milk and cereal to make one more bowl. I love watching the sunset. I love drinking a warm cup of coffee on a cold day. I love Jesus. I love turning my alarm clock off and going back to sleep. I love sweaters and scarfs. I love laughing. I love making someone laugh. I love flowers. I love cooking a delicious meal. I love spending time with family. I love thrifting. I love ice cream with hot fudge. I love finding the pair of shoes you want in your size. I love finding out those shoes are on sale. I love reading blogs. I love traveling. I love exploring a new culture. I love making a collage on my wall. I love hand written cards. I love helping others. I love finding pennies on the ground. I love a purse that doesn't hurt your shoulder when I wear it. I love watching the rain knowing I have no place to be. I love listening to stories about my grandparents. I love holding a book in my hands rather than reading it online. I love making it back in time to watch a show. I love remembering not to stress out as much as I tend to. I love Christmas. I love decorating. I love learning new things. I love music. I love watching classic Disney movies. I love taking naps. I love pick nicks. I love swimming. I love my family and friends.

I love taking time to remember what's important in life. Have a great weekend!

Recently

2011-10-17T17:04:00.000-04:00

My life, recently, has become very hectic. This month I don't have a 10 in 30 because I need to take this month to focus on school and work and making sure everything stays where it's suppose to. There are a couple cool thing that have happened so far though.

1. I planted sweet pea seeds and they're growing!

2. I made beef stew in food prep class last Thursday.

3. Roommate made me French toast after a long day-Thanks; it was very much appreciated!

4. I've been playing a lot of video games.

Another really exciting aspect of my month was realizing today that I have completed one of my "life list" goals! I think I'm going to add Sponsor a child in need, via any of the great outlets that are available.

Magnet DIY

2011-10-10T23:35:00.000-04:00

Food Prep

2011-10-09T13:19:00.001-04:00

Honestly I don't spend the little free time I have cooking, but I'm in a food prep class at school and I love it! Here are a couple dishes I have actually made. My favorite was the chocolate truffles, what's your favorite thing to cook?

Contentment and Not at all!

2011-10-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

The past few days of my life have been, honestly, up and down. It hasn't been one big incident that has happened but a multitude of smaller items that have piled up. I've accidentally locked my car in a parking garage, forgotten about assignments due, lost one of my ID's, missed the bus and had to spend time and gas driving, and not gotten a chance to breath. But I also have gotten so see fireworks, and laughed with friends. I'm normally not the long paragraph type of blogger because I know I get a little board when I read super long blog posts, but it's also nice to remember whenever you're feeling like you're starting to crack that you're not alone, and that when you hear a pastor speak on Contentment and the following week is full of situations that are trying so hard to make you feel anxious and frustrated that it's not by accident that's happening!

I really do love my life and am very grateful for everything I've been blessed with. So I guess this is just a little reminder to both of us to refocus on what's important in life and what will be a funny story later when you retell it but right now-not so much. I named my car Winston and now looking back it was pretty funny to see him locked in the car cage; it was like he was in a car kennel.

Two hours after writing the two paragraphs above I check again and someone had turned in my ID. Grateful I went home without having to buy a new ID, ate some food, and took time to breathe; sometimes you just need a reminder. Have a great day!

Current Obsession September

2011-09-29T18:34:00.000-04:00

T.V. Show-New Girl. Go watch it, Now!

Via google

Game- COD Black Ops

Via google

Most Hoping for-Fall weather! I want to wear clothes like these

Via Delightfully Tacky

Via Kendi Everyday

Two great blogs to check out if you aren't already following them!

Food- Stir-Fry. My luch for the last two days

Activity- Napping. This is my puppy from back in the day!

Watermelon!

2011-09-23T17:12:00.000-04:00

This year my parents decided to try to grow watermelons in our backyard. I was a little skeptic but they turned out great! Except for one, sad day.

September 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-09-21T16:00:00.001-04:00

1. Understand my accounting class so when we get a pop quiz I don't feel my stomach flop. We had our first test today so I guess we'll see how that goes.

2.Learn how to order clothes online. So far I bought a top and a pair of shoes online and they both fit! Win

3. Decorate my day planner into something that makes me want to write in it. It's simiple but I like it.

4. Shave Chocolate over something. I read a cookbook about chocolate and really want to shave chocolate over some dessert. I have made a dessert recently but I didn't have chocolate. This week I'm going to buy chocolate and a lemon zester because I think that would make cool chocolate shavings.

5. Make my lunch at least one of the three days I work a week! I'm getting tired of paying to be on my break. I keep leaving late, I did bring my lunch one day this weekend though, but then I was still hungry. Food is the one random thing I spend my extra money on.

6. Do more DIY projects. I've been slacking the last few months. I feel like if I'm looking around my room right now trying to find something that I have DIYed that's not a good sign.

7. Update the icons on my blog. Not yet

8.Make a blog love page. I'm working on it. I'm not sure If I want to make it a top ten blogs I follow page or if I want to do something else with it.

This is all I got so far

9.I started playing a video game on PS3 and it would be nice to actually be good at it. I've been playing when I can find the time and I'm getting better it's so exciting!

10. Research more about the boutique hotel/coffee shop side of the hospitality industry. I've been looking up a few things about it and I really would love to talk to someone who has opened their own shop and successfully stayed in business.

Talk Not Text

2011-09-12T19:04:00.000-04:00

I love texting! It's so convenient and you can be doing something else and talking to someone at the same time, but I've noticed that the people who I am closest to are the few people that I call on the phone. So for the next few days I'm trying something new and not new at all. I'm going to kick it old school and try my hardest not to text unless I really need to.

I started this today and so far it's been much harder than I thought it was going to be. There have been at least ten times that I started to text someone and stopped myself. I've also called two people who texted me and both times they asked why I was calling instead of texting, that's sad.
I don't know how long I can keep this up but it's been nice to hear people's voices instead of reading a message. Personally I'm a much bigger fan of hearing a voice!

Recently

2011-09-10T16:53:00.000-04:00

Life has gotten so busy lately. Here are a few snapshots of what I've been up to recently.

1. The first time I used my employee discount! I saved $1.10 I believe.

2. God created bacon and saw that it was good.

3.Yup that's me in my bathroom mirror. I liked what I was wearing that day.

4.It was 7:30am and I was standing waiting for the bus when I looked up and saw a huge double rainbow in the sky. I don't know if you can see both in the picture though. It was amazing!

5. A recent girls night feet picture. I'm the feet at the top.

6. I finally got a grown up watch. It looks like a black band in the picture but it's really a dark brown leather.

What have you been up to recently?

September 10 in 30

2011-09-07T19:12:00.000-04:00

1. Understand my accounting class so when we get a pop quiz I don't feel my stomach flop.

2.Learn how to order clothes online.

3. Decorate my day planner into something that makes me want to write in it.

Those are chocolate shavings in case you're wondering

4. Shave chocolate over something. I read a cookbook about chocolate and really want to shave chocolate over some dessert!

5. Make my lunch as least one of the three days I work a week! I'm getting tired of paying to be on my break.

6.Do more DIY projects. I've been slacking the last few months.

7. Update the icons on my blog.

8. Make a blog love page.

9. I started playing a video game on PS3 and it would be nice to actually be good at it.

It's Lukes from Gilmore Girls via my LA trip

10.Research more about the boutique hotel/ coffee shop side of the hospitality.

August 10 in 30 Finale

2011-09-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

1. Get enough sleep this month! Please I was doing so well there for a while. This past week though hasn't been so good. I've been getting 4-6 hours a night if I'm lucky.

2. Finish decorating my room before school starts, because once that happens my room is staying in whatever condition it is currently in. Very big YES. On top of making the necklace holder I also put together a small collage of picture frames/art work on my wall, another picture collage on the opposite wall and started a DIY with my bedside table.

3. Have a good birthday. It's towards the end but it still counts as August.I had an interesting birthday. It was a lot of fun but my friends decided to surprise me with a birthday party which was awesome but scary seeing as I've never had a surprise party let alone a party at all since I was 16. There's nothing like walking into your house and having people yell at you. It was awesome though! I got balloons and a cake and a icing war (well maybe I started that one but it still counts.)

4. Buy books and supplies for school. Yay online shopping, and now we wait for them to arrive.

5. Learn how to get to and from work without fully relying on the GPS. Check! I haven't gotten lost once, well since the first day.

My desk and the reason I need to keep my job.

6. Finish reading Crazy Love and start reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I finished Crazy love, it was a really good book. I also finished Something Borrowed. I have mixed emotions on it there were some parts that were not my taste in books, but I was basically reading it for the John Krasinski parts and they were really good. Now on to reading The Help!

7. Do more cooking around my dorm. I usually only make basic meals or stick something in the microwave. Not so much, besides pasta and cookies, but I did get groceries yesterday so we shall see.

8. Be more proactive when it comes to school work and talk to someone to see how I am actually doing when it comes to my class schedule. Managerial Accounting is harder than I though, but I've learned a lot and it's only week two so I'm pretty excited. And I have a food preparation class which I'm even more excited about!

First photo I took on my phone, my birthday dinner.

9. Actually use the gym at my school. I need to buy shoes!

10. Update the layout of my blog. It's something I've been slacking on lately that I really need to get back to! I think I'm going to start an e-course on blogging, I just have to find the money in my budget to do so.

Current Obsession August

2011-09-01T23:10:00.000-04:00

T.V. Show:

via google

Numb3ers

Clothing:

via spotted moth

Trying to find a tan, blush, or white flowy blouse

Food:

Cereal: I think it's because I haven't gotten to eat breakfast

regularly so when I do it's super exciting

Random:

Sticky notes: I love them they're so handy

DIY:

Song Lyric Wall Art. I love Elsie. Her blog is so awesome

and she has the best DIY's and style! If you don't know

of her yet you should definitely look her up!

August 29!

2011-08-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

It's my birthday, very exciting! Haven't done too much today, but I did have a surprise party two days ago! I got a new phone which is super exciting because mine was ancient, and not the kind of ancient that people say now but seriously, about seven years old. I'm pretty sure it was time for an upgrade. (wrote this yesterday then decided to drive an hour to visit my best friend, hence the last posting.)

School and other Shenanigans

2011-08-23T18:09:00.000-04:00

The new school year has officially started and all activities start back up this week. Coming back to school is always a mixture of emotions; it's exciting to see people again, but hoping that seeing people doesn't eventually lead to any drama. It's exciting to learn new material especially because I'm fully in my major now but not so exciting to have to do homework and tests. I did get to learn how to be a barista coffee person which was a lot of fun, we shall have to see how that goes on Wednesday (I mean tomorrow, yikes) when I have to serve people drinks.

Other more random note. I spent some time the other day and sat down and doodled which is a completely new concept to me. I think the last time I tried to draw something was at least two years ago, maybe. I didn't think any of them would turn out well at all so it's on lined paper. Now I must go clean my room! If you're starting school back up-have a great first week; if you're not in school-have a great week!

August 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-08-19T02:37:00.000-04:00

How can a month be slow and fast at the same time? I don't know but this month is doing it.

1. Get enough sleep this month! Please I'm sleeping but weird hours which is confusing my bodies sleeping schedule. This weekend the earliest I get off of work is midnight! Yikes

2. Finish decorating my room before school starts, because once that happens my room is staying in whatever condition it is currently in. Very big YES. I think this is one of the first times I have actually decorated my room in a way that I really like. And I finally got to make a picture frame into a necklace holder. I was so obsessed with this idea, mine is pretty simple. What do you think?

I'll upload more pictures later

3. Have a good birthday. It's towards the end but it still counts as August. It's in about two weeks and I have no idea what I'm going to do! At least I don't work that day.

4. Buy books and supplies for school. I have about three notebooks and my planner so far.

5. Learn how to get to and from work without fully relying on the GPS. I know how to get there the way the GPS takes me but if for some reason I have to take a detour I would be lost.

I did bake cookies tonight though!

6. Finish reading Crazy Love and start reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I'm about half way through Crazy Love and I've started reading Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. John Krasinski is amazing, and I want to see the movie, but I want to read the book first.

7. Do more cooking around my dorm. I usually only make basic meals or stick something in the microwave. I think I've made pasta, but that about it so far.

8. Be more proactive when it comes to school work and talk to someone to see how I am actually doing when it comes to my class schedule. Nope

Saw this while driving today. It was raining but it was so pretty!

9. Actually use the gym at my school. I was going to today but when it started raining I decided not to. Looking back I probably just used it as an excuse; I'll try again tomorrow to go.

10. Update the layout of my blog. It's something I've been slacking on lately that I really need to get back to! I've only done one thing. I'm not trained on how to do blog layouts or anything so I need to do more research!

A Rainy Day top 5 Songs (Instrumental and Upbeat)

2011-08-12T16:40:00.001-04:00

Rainy days are always welcome around my house (as long as I don't have to drive, that makes it less fun.) I love listening to music curling up with a fluffy blanket on the couch and either watching a movie or reading.

Via google

Instrumental:

Hans Zimmer is always a great choice. I don't know how he does it but his music is amazing. He composes music for movies like The Holiday, King Arthur and It's Complicated. Two of my favorites are No Regrets from It's Complicated and Maestro from The Holiday, but you really can't go wrong with anything he does.
Heart of Courage by Two Steps from Hell. It makes me feel like I'm back centuries ago watching a battle between good and evil.
Fairytale by Ludovico Einaudi is another great one. I would say it's a little on the sadder side, but still so calming.
A Beautiful Mind by James Horner Jim Brickman. It's like the sound of a nap during a thunderstorm; that's the best way I can describe it.
River Flows in you by Yiruma. So pretty, his music is so great.

Upbeat:

In the Sun by She&Him. I just adore Zooey Deschanel! She is just so talented.
When I'm With You by JJ Heller. It's too cute.
Sunny Day by Joy Williams. Yes, it is about a sunny day but I like the irony of playing it while it's raining.
You and I by Ingrid Michaelson. Who wouldn't want to buy their parents a house in France?
Dream by Priscilla Ahn. It's a little slower but still great!

And for when the rain is ending- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles. There is really nothing you can say besides it's just such a great song!

Via google

P.S. I've always wanted to run around in the rain, but haven't done it...yet!

DIY Cake Bunting

2011-08-06T18:34:00.000-04:00

I love bunting! This do it yourself project is super easy.

Supplies:

Paper
Scissors
Pens, colored pencils, or markers
Something to use as the posts (I cut a straw in half)
String of some sort

Directions:

Cut about two inches off of the paper and fold long ways in half
Cut out diamond shaped pieces
Decorate them however you want
String them across your cake!
Remember to grease the tin before you bake the cake or it will stick. (We forgot that step, oh well it adds character)

August 10 in 30

2011-08-04T12:42:00.001-04:00

I'm really excited for this month, a lot of things are happening. I officially move back and start school again, I start my new job, all school activities start up again, and it's my birthday month!

1. Get enough sleep this month! Please

2. Finish decorating my room before school starts, because once that happens my room is staying in whatever condition it is currently in.

Via google

3. Have a good birthday. It's towards the end but it still counts as August

4. Buy books and supplies for school

5. Learn how to get to and from work without fully relying on the GPS

6. Finish reading Crazy Love and start reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett

7. Do more cooking around my dorm. I usually only make basic meals or stick something in the microwave.

8. Be more proactive when it comes to school work and talk to someone to see how I am actually doing when it comes to my class schedule.

9. Actually use the gym at my school

10. Update the layout of my blog. It's something I've been slacking on lately that I really need to get back to!

P.S.- Word of the day superfluous. Means unnecessary or more than is needed

July 10 in 30 Finale

2011-07-31T18:40:00.000-04:00

1. Get some homemade goods from Ohio during my visit. I got a candle and a cup that I'm going to use as a pencil holder for my desk. Which I left at home; now I have to go back and get it.

I love taking a day and floating around a lake!

2. Get back on track with my schedule of focusing on the lessons for the Bible study for the upcoming school year. I definitely did this one. The most important thing for me to bring to the group this semester is refocusing on who God is and who we are; also to rebuild a community of people who really care about each other.

3. I'm moving into a new apartment..therefore my goal is to decorate my room the way I want. While movie it was crazy hot outside (probably about 100), and I'm on the third floor so it was challenging to say the least. But the basics of my room look like I want them to. Now I just have to decorate and add all the finishing touches.

4. Buy/ make decorations and furniture for my room. I have a lot of great ideas and I really want to do them. That's what next week looks like for me.

5. Hopefully get a new job for the school year. I'm super excited I got the job I really wanted to get!

Can you figure out where?

6. Finish reading The Princess Bride and the HOBBIT. I started both in the last two months but finished neither. I finished The Princess Bride, and switched out the Hobbit for Crazy Love. I'm starting to feel bad for the Hobbit it's always my back up book that I don't seem to ever get to.

7. Research what a Roth IRA is and maybe open one. I've heard the earlier you open one the better, but I'm not sure yet. I called and the financial guy said I should check with my employer to see if they offer any sort of program that will match what I put into an account and if not to get back to him. I haven't checked yet though

8. Finalize my school class schedule for the fall. Done! And I even got a better class schedule by doing so; it helped a lot! If you are in college and didn't get into a class you wanted to because it filled up too fast, keep checking back because people will drop it for one reason or another and you can take a spot. That's what happened to me.

Oh how I love dessert!

9. Try to bake something I haven't tried before. I made chocolate covered pretzels, and made a salad I hadn't before but as far as hard core baking goes, I didn't get to that this month.

10. Go to my local flee market. Nope, I had no time.

Current Obsession July

2011-07-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

This month...

TV Show:

Via google

Food: Sweet Potato Fries (I'm making some right now!)

Activity: Making my summer scrap book

DIY: Using picture frames to hang my jewelry

Via google
Book: Crazy Love by Francis Chan

via google
P.S.- Moving/cleaning has been fun and exhausting, thank God for Lysol wipes!

Movie Night

2011-07-20T17:57:00.000-04:00

Last night my family did an impromptu movie night. My mom made apple strudel and I made chocolate covered pretzels; I saw them in the store for $3 for three and decided to make them instead. It's a really simple DIY.

Melted milk chocolate+ Jumbo pretzels+ sprinkles= a simple delicious dessert

We watched "My girlfriend's boyfriend." It's really good actually, I was happily surprised. I love movie nights

July 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-07-18T00:14:00.001-04:00

Uh, this month is such a failure in the 10 in 30 aspect of it. Last month I did so well; I guess that's the way life goes.

I had never seen one this close before, they're huge!

1. Get some homemade goods from Ohio during my visit. I did this one actually. I got a candle and a cup that I'm going to use as a pencil holder for my desk.

2. Get back on track with my schedule of focusing on the lessons for the Bible study for the upcoming school year. I have looked over the lessons. I also do a dinner for the Bible study every Thursday night and I'm trying to come up with some cheep, healthy, fast meals that we can cook. (Ya try that combination together, it's harder than I thought last year when I first started out.)

3. I'm moving into a new apartment..therefore my goal is to decorate my room the way I want. I haven't moved yet; that's next week.

4. Buy/ make decorations and furniture for my room. Nope, I made a bookmark though, haha. I don't think that counts

5. Hopefully get a new job for the school year. I have to call when I get home and set up an interview.

Two things simultaneously flew into my mind when I saw him. 1) Please don't fall. 2) I'm glad that's not my job.

6. Finish reading The Princess Bride and the HOBBIT. I started both in the last two months but finished neither. I finished The Princess Bride. As soon as I got into it, it took me about two days and the book was finished. It was really good!

7. Research what a Roth IRA is and maybe open one. I've heard the earlier you open one the better, but I'm not sure yet. I'm calling someone, hopefully in the next two days, to figure things out.

8. Finalize my school class schedule for the fall. Not yet

Little cousin and I fell asleep while watching Aladdin. It was past our bedtime.

9. Try to bake something I haven't tried before. Not by my kitchen

10. Go to my local flee market. Not yet, but I really want to do this one!

7 Road Trip Must Haves

2011-07-10T23:43:00.000-04:00

We drove to Ohio yesterday/today. Some road trip must haves!
.
1. Motion Sickness pills. I didn't bring one with me and paid for it! We had to stop and get some.

2. An adapter that can plug your computer into the cigarette lighter. This is the most important technology I bring! It may look a little funny at first but trust me this will save you when your computer battery gets low. (There are two pictures of it because it's hard to describe how it looks without visual aids.)
.
3. GPS. No more getting lost
.
4. A book, music, dvds or all of the above. When you're locked in a car for hours on end it's all about keeping yourself entertained.
.
5. A pillow and a blanket. This may seem a little like I'm three, but it's so nice to have something comfortable to take a nap with.

6. Water and food. It's really important to keep yourself hydrated and well fed; if you think you can make it without, pack something just in case. Water is a must have!
.
7. A Camera. It doesn't matter if it's a throwaway one or a 2,000 dollar camera. If you can document your trip years down the road you will remember a lot more details than you would have without pictures.

July 10 in 30

2011-07-08T16:21:00.001-04:00

Ahh, I'm already failing this month...I haven't even thought about what my 10 in 30 is going to be..help..What are your goals this month..the only goals I know are

A picture from my last visit..It made me laugh

1. Get some homemade goods from Ohio during my visit.

2. Get back on track with my schedule of focusing on the lessons for the Bible study for the upcoming school year.

3. I'm moving into a new apartment..therefore my goal is to decorate my room the way I want

4. Buy/make decorations and furniture for my room

5. Hopefully get a new job for the school year

That is all I got... oh no. I'll think of more and update the list

6. Finish reading The Princess Bride and The HOBBIT. I started both in the last two months and finished neither. (updated July 13)

June 10 in 30 Finale

2011-07-06T18:40:00.001-04:00

Uh! I couldn't get to interned for a week! It was a forced absence from technology; it was frustrating but at the same time nice to take a break. Back from LA and now suffering from Jetlag..no time to waste though, we leave for Ohio in two days.

1.First and Formost- Safety for the trip! The farthest west I've been is Ohio, and that's definitely the eastern part of the United States, haha. Thank you God for keeping us safe!!

2. Buy a camera!! It would be very beneficial if I could get one this week so I could figure out how to use it before I leave. I really like my new camera, the only thing is that sometimes it acts up and starts blurring and making the color yellow...it took artsy photos like this one night. It's kinda strange but I like this photo.

3. Go to local thrift shops while in LA. Hopefully I can find some good ones! I finally found some, and was super excited. I bought one top one skirt and a raincoat.

4. Find books to read on the plane. I finally started reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman and I really like it. I'm about 1/3rd a way through!

5. I made my own summer book! Now my goal is to take a pictures while on my trips and actually put them in my summer book. Stared, now I just got to keep putting the pictures it. That's always where I fail, I take a bunch of pictures then they sit on my computer

With the Gilmore Girls house!! (From the tv show Gilmore Girls, it was a great show)

6. Work as much as I can till my trip. Done! I worked about thirty hours a week!

7. Go back and continue to learn Italian; I've been slacking. I'm trying to use the program as much as time will allow.

8. Work out in the hotel gym. Yes! I worked out about half of the day's that I was there. I kept having to take breaks because it's hard to start cold turkey working out for an hour each time!

9. Eat at some of the local "mom and pop" places in LA. Very much so a check! La is such a great place for food!

10. Have my garage sale this weekend! I did, and I got enough money to help pay for some of the expenses of the trip. It was very good.

Current Obsession June

2011-06-28T16:37:00.000-04:00

This month...

TV Show:

The Big Bang Theory

Via google

Activity:

Going to the Farmers market

Random trend:

One nail painted. I don't know why but I like it. If you look closely
it's in all of my photos up till now. What do you think, cool or lame?

Food:

Italian...What can I say it's my people, haha

Only in LA moment:

Dog wearing sunglasses

Chinese Grauman Theater

2011-06-24T18:26:00.000-04:00

Some pictures from the theater.

The first person I put my feet in their shoes

The first person I put my hands on their prints. It's harder to

get a picture than it looks.The left is a success-the right a fail.

And the person is Frank Sinatra in case you can't tell.

People looked at me weird for putting my camera up to the binocular

things you put a quarter in, but I got the picture!

June 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-06-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

I'm in LA!! I can't believe it. I've been so looking forward to this trip and it's finally here!

1.First and Formost- Safety for the trip! The farthest west I've been is Ohio, and that's definitely the eastern part of the United States, haha. So far so good

2. Buy a camera!! It would be very beneficial if I could get one this week so I could figure out how to use it before I leave. I have my new camera, and it's such an upgrade from my other camera! It's a purple Nikon coolpix and I love it!

3. Go to local thrift shops while in LA. Hopefully I can find some good ones! Not yet, I'm still looking, but I have been to plenty of boutiques. I didn't buy anything though because even a simple tank top was about 90 and I don't have that kind of money to spend.

4. Find books to read on the plane. I brought The Princess Bride by William Goldman, I've had it for a few months now and haven't gotten to read it yet, it's killing me!

5. I made my own summer book! Now my goal is to take a pictures while on my trips and actually put them in my summer book. Plenty of pictures have been taken already and it's only been one day, now to find a way to print them off?

6. Work as much as I can till my trip. Done! I worked about thirty hours a week!

7. Go back and continue to learn Italian; I've been slacking. I haven't even opened the book since writing this...oops.

8. Work out in the hotel gym. Nope

9. Eat at some of the local "mom and pop" places in LA. So I'm starting to realize that there aren't really the same type of "mom and pop" places in LA as there are back home. The places here are less mom and pop and more cool indie places that if you don't know how to get to them you're most likely not going to find them. My best friend's cousins live here though and do know where to go, they've been so nice and really helpful. We ate at a burger place last night that had the best burgers I have ever eaten!! And to top it off I had some sweet potato fries to go with it! I'm hungry writing this and now want to eat there for every meal!

10. Have my garage sale this weekend! I did, and I got enough money to help pay for some of the expenses of the trip. It was very good.

I'm so excited looking over all my goals for this month seeing I've been doing really well. I think this has been my best month so far!

Dad's Day!

2011-06-17T15:07:00.001-04:00

Since I'm going to LA tomorrow, I can't believe I'm going tomorrow!, we moved father's day up and celebrated it yesterday.

To celebrate my dad and I went golfing. I hadn't tried to golf since I was about ten so needless to say my golfing technique is not very good. It was a lot of fun, but I think my dad had more fun watching me try to golf than he did golfing himself. Final score my dad hit par on every hole and I got 6 on every hole except for one that I hit par on. I was very excited!

Happy early father's day to all the dad's out there!

Blueberry Smoothie Recipe

2011-06-11T15:01:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

Ice
Handful of blueberries (or any other fruit you want)
A little less than a cup of milk
Honey
Vanilla extract (Put a little in then test how it tastes. Too much and it will taste weird)

Directions:

Put everything in a blender and tada! It's really that simple. It only took about 5 minutes and I had a great snack, and it was healthy!

June 10 in 30

2011-06-06T13:53:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited because this month I get to go to LA!! So most of my goals for this month are surrounding that trip.

1.First and Formost- Safety for the trip! The farthest west I've been is Ohio, and that's definitely the eastern part of the United States, haha.

My mom in LA back in the 80's. I love that her clothes are still in style!

2. Buy a camera!! It would be very beneficial if I could get one this week so I could figure out how to use it before I leave.

3. Go to local thrift shops while in LA. Hopefully I can find some good ones!

4. Find books to read on the plane.

5. I made my own summer book! Now my goal is to take a pictures while on my trips and actually put them in my summer book.

6. Work as much as I can till my trip.

7. Go back and continue to learn Italian; I've been slacking

8. Work out in the hotel gym.

9. Eat at some of the local "mom and pop" places in LA

10. Have my garage sale this weekend!

May 10 in 30 Finale

2011-06-03T15:04:00.000-04:00

1. Save up for a new camera to take to California. Any thoughts on Cannon vs. Nikon? Nope. I do have the money, but not the time to look for one

2. Pre pay my car insurance for the next four months. Check! I feel like all I did this month was pay bills and buy gas, boo.

3. Work, a lot! and save that money. I did pretty well, the last two weeks I haven't worked as much as I would like to have, but overall I've been working about 25 hrs a week.

4. Make a patchwork quilt to take to the beach. I didn't do this one. The more I looked into it the more I realized how expensive and time consuming it would be to make my own so I opted out of this one.

5. Actually go to the beach. I went four times!! I'm very proud of myself in this category, and yes I am that person who takes 5 pictures of birds and one picture of myself, haha.

6. Find some new shoes for summer. I've been looking all over and haven't found a pair that I really want/will actually wear. I've found a couple wedges that I like, but I can't see myself wearing wedges around campus or walking a long distance in them so they're not practical. Sad day

7. Find a good book to read this month. I started reading the Hobbit, but haven't finished it yet, I also want a book from Paul Ekman called emotions revealed, but I haven't gotten it yet.

8. Buy a map of the world and mark the places I want to visit. Nope

9. Organize the yard sale piles/ find new items to go into the piles/ find a weekend to have the yard sale. It's going to be next weekend and I keep trying to add things to the pile every day! Hopefully this will help me with spending money this summer.

10. Start a recipe book. I made a recipe book!

Current Obsession

2011-05-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

This month...

TV Show: Lie to Me

Via google

Clothing: Nude Platform Pumps

Via google

Food: Subs

Via google

Color: Mint

DIY: Dinner/Dessert in a mason jar

Via postcardsandpretties

Hair Details

2011-05-25T20:44:00.001-04:00

The other day I needed to add something to my hair, so i decided to braid a couple strands and add some beads. It turned out pretty well, so much so that I put it back in my hair the next day.

Now I'm on the search to see what else I can do with my hair in 5 minutes!

Summer Flowers

2011-05-23T18:42:00.001-04:00

I love fresh flowers on any table, and the best time to get flowers is when they are in season. These are a few of my favorites that bloom in summer months.

Dahlia via google

Gladiolus via thefloweringgarden

Hydrangea (Yes it's cupcakes but they were too cute not to use) via thecupcakeblog

Lisianthus via bouquetweddingflowers

May 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-05-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

Via google

1. Save up for a new camera to take to California. Any thoughts on Cannon vs. Nikon? Not yet, I'm still saving

2. Pre pay my car insurance for the next four months. I have the money I need, now my work just needs to pay me!

3. Work, a lot! and save that money. I'm definitely fulfilling this one. I've been working crazy hours every week trying to save up for car insurance/a camera/ rent/ life

4. Make a patchwork quilt to take to the beach. Not yet, it's much harder than I thought, and every time I look for fabric I get overwhelmed and confused on what kind of fabric I want/ am supposed to use.

Via flicker

5. Actually go to the beach. I went once so far. I had plans to go a couple more times, but there are lovebugs everywhere. (If you don't know what lovebugs are or have never had to live with them flying everywhere, trying to get into your car/hair/everywhere consider yourself blessed.)

6. Find some new shoes for summer. I found a pair I really want, but they're heels and not very practical. What I really need is a couple nice pairs of gladiator sandals, but I haven't found a pair.

7. Find a good book to read this month. Found one, The Hobbit :)

Via google

8. Buy a map of the world and mark the places I want to visit. Nope

9. Organize the yard sale piles/ find new items to go into the piles/ find a weekend to have the yard sale. Kind of. I've added a couple things of things to the pile, but haven't organized anything

10. Start a recipe book. I made a recipe book! It's really cute. It's the first picture

Cupcake Loveliness

2011-05-17T19:34:00.000-04:00

4 hours+ 2 people+ 2 packages of icing+ 1 funfetti mix= Awesome cupcakes

Can you name the tv shows and/or movies?

A Day at the Beach

2011-05-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

Ok so I'm pretty sure the blogger freak out that happened a few days ago hit everyone! Basically every blog I'm now catching up on reading mentions it in some way, it was really inconvenient, but it's better now. Moving on, I got to go to the beach for the first time this summer and it was so nice and will hopefully be going back really soon.

I did find a book for this month, I'm going to start reading The Hobbit. Reading all the Lord of the Rings books is on my life list and it's something I can start now. I also added buttons to my page which turned out to be much harder than I expected, and honestly I'm not sure if I like how they turned out. After the time spent, I have buttons now though, I'm really excited! Have a great weekend!

Something to watch this weekend: Shades of Ray. It's really good, and has Zachary Levi
Something to do this weekend: Pack a lunch and head to the outdoors!

It's A Mom Thing

2011-05-08T20:17:00.000-04:00

My mom's senior picture

We all know our moms aren't perfect. If you've spent time with my mom you know that, but you would also know she is a woman who has done everything she can to allow me to grow up in a home where I'm loved, encouraged, God fearing, and supported. Being a mom is something she has always wanted to be and something she takes seriously yet has humor about it. There are many pictures of me as a kid that prove that, especially one where I'm sitting in a pile of baby powder that I had just discovered can come out if you shake it.

Happy Mother's day to every mother out there! You have one of the greatest impacts on your children's life that they will ever have! Support your child, but don't be afraid to discipline them. It's never fun to get in trouble but in the long run it has kept me out of trouble.

And to the daughters and sons out there, take every day as a blessing, even on the days that they annoy you!

"Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it." Proverbs 22:6

Have a great mother's day!

Steak and Potato Salad Recipe

2011-05-05T17:04:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

8 ounce boneless sirloin (1.5 in. steak)
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium red potatoes diced
Any type of lettuce (the more color the better though)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Halved grape tomatoes
Bacon

Directions:

Drizzle steak with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for half and hour
Preheat oven to 400 F
Lay potatoes on a baking sheet
Mix garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and drizzle over the potatoes
Roast the potatoes for about 15 minutes till golden
Cook the seasoned steak
Place salad on plate and add toppings

Sour Cream-Bacon Dressing:

Mix 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 strips bacon-cook till crisps then chop
2 green onions chopped

It's pretty easy to make, cheap and most importantly tastes very very good!

May 10 in 30

2011-05-03T17:39:00.001-04:00

Via google

1. Save up for a new camera to take to California. Any thoughts on Cannon vs. Nikon?

2. Pre pay my car insurance for the next four months

3. Work, a lot! and save that money

4. Make a patchwork quilt to take to the beach

Via flicker

5. Actually go to the beach

6. Find some new shoes for summer

7. Find a good book to read this month

Via google

8. Buy a map of the world and mark the places I want to visit

9. Organize the yard sale piles/ find new items to go into the piles/ find a weekend to have the yard sale

10. Start a recipe book

What are your goals this month?

April 10 in 30 Finale

2011-05-01T23:13:00.001-04:00

1. Make macaroons. I keep seeing them everywhere and they look delicious!

The way the tops of my macaroons looked, burned

A Blog With No Name macaroons

You be the judge...

2. Find out were I can locally find henna temporary tattoos and possibly try one.

I looked in a couple stores and they didn't sell henna but I'm going to keep looking.

-Quick funny story. When I asked my mom if she knew of any store by the house that possibly sold henna, she kept thinking I was looking for the hair shine (also called henna apparently) and kept asking for it in places. Thanks mom, but hair shine isn't what I'm looking for, (but I may go home to find a bottle of hair shine in my room. haha)

3. Finish out this semester strong! Only three weeks, only three weeks.

I'm so close to summer, one more exam and I'm free! So far I've been doing really well though.

4. Take time to stop and think not just run through life. Take the time to stop focus on what is important in life and talk to my creator.

From writing this till now I've had a lot of refocusing happening in my life on what is actually important. I'm very grateful for this month and what I've learned from it.

Via google

5. Watch AFI's 15 top movies of all time. I've already seen a couple

Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Godfather
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
~~The Wizard of Oz~~
The Graduate
On the Waterfront
Schindler's List
~~Singin' in the Rain~~
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunset Boulevard
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Some Like it Hot
~~Star Wars~~

The only movie from this list I watched was Gone with the Wind. It was very long, but it wasn't bad, and I failed making macaroons during it, but I did have a fun Saturday with one of my best friends.

6.Use coupons when grocery shopping. I keep reading stories about how much money people are saving; I wonder how much I can save in a month?

I changed the couponing into buying as many "buy one, get one" deals as I could and cooking at my apartment. I ended up saving about half of my food budget, which was awesome, but expenses kept creeping up, so from that I have about 20 in my wallet.

7. Have a good Easter with my family!

I did! I even decorated the table

8. Dress up a little more. Don't always wear shorts and a t-shirt

Nope. I think I may have dressed up one day, but that's it.

Via PhotoAtlas

9. Start actively learning either Spanish or Italian

At first I started learning French, but then changed to Italian once I got a computer program for it. So far I know a couple words like la bambina is girl, and simple phrases like un uomo guida la macchina- the man is driving a car. I'm really excited!

10. Take at least an hour a day to take a break and relax.

Yes and No. This semester, and month especially, has been a busy one. I would say the most relaxing thing I did most days was listen to stand up comedy while studying.

I'm pretty proud of myself this month. I actually accomplished most of my goals. Lets hope next month goes as well.

A Royal Wake Up

2011-04-29T14:49:00.002-04:00

The royal wedding was very elegant. I have finished three out of my four finals, I'm so close to summer I can see it, but just far enough that I can't enjoy it. For this year and to celebrate I woke up early and watch a wedding. The only downside is my wake up call was 5:50 am because I'm in America and not London so the time difference hurt a little.

The wedding was very elegant. What the wedding dress looked like and who designed it was kept very much so quiet until Kate arrived at Westminster Abby and it was reveled that it was in fact designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. More important than the dress though, it was nice to see that William and Kate truly love each other.

During the ceremony Romans 12 was read as was a prayer that William and Kate wrote together. The Westminster choir sang songs including the National Anthem and songs written specifically for the wedding; I can only imagine how it must have sounded ringing through the church. The wedding was genuinely a sign of hope and excitement for not only one country but a light of what is good to the whole world.

While it doesn't solve the worlds problems seeing a woman, of my generation, who is loved by her country and does what she can to help those in need is a lovely sigt. Taking part of William and Kate's prayer, I pray we too "In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy."

Easter!!

2011-04-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter! Today was spent with family, decorating a table, and remembering how grateful I am for my loved ones and most of all the sacrifice that was made for me! Love you Jesus!!! The only downside today is that I ate too many sweets and now have a self inflicted stomach ache. I hope you all have a great Easter.

Inspiration

2011-04-20T16:01:00.002-04:00

Yellow for Spring and Summer

I need a new desk for my apartment. Possibly this DIY desk

Lace shorts! How I love Anthropologie

I think this is going to be my next headboard

What's your Spring/Summer inspiration?

Cake Pops Recipe

2011-04-18T15:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday my small group didn't know what to eat for dessert so we decided to make cake pops. They were super easy and delicious. We even ended up making too many expecting the guys to eat like 12 each. They were so rich and filling that we only used one cake mix and had leftovers. All in all cake pops were a great decision! Can you tell which one I made?

Ingredients:

Cake mix (any kind)
All the necessary ingredients to make a cake (for example- eggs, water, oil)
Icing (we used vanilla)
Chocolate (we used both white and milk)
Any extra toppings you want to add
Ice cream scoop
Cookie sheet(s)
Sticks/ lollipop sticks (we found ours in the baking aisle)

Directions:

Bake your cake using the normal ingredients and time
When you take it out of the oven instead of adding the icing on top and eating, tear the cake apart and put it into a bowl
Mix in your icing (one tub of store bought icing per cake)
Take your ice cream scoop and mold the cake into small balls and place on your cookie sheet
Put the cake balls into the freezer till they're cold
Melt your chocolate and dip the end of your sticks into the chocolate then put them into your cake balls (you dip them into chocolate first so the chocolate acts like a glue and helps the sticks from falling out)
Cover the cake pops in chocolate and add any extra topping or design you want
Put them back into the freezer to harden
EAT!

April 10 in 30 mid-month update

2011-04-15T12:02:00.001-04:00

1. Make macaroons. I keep seeing them everywhere and they look delicious! I haven't made macaroons yet, but me and my friends have made some pina colodas but instead of rum we added more pineapple.

2. Find out were I can locally find henna temporary tattoos and possibly try one. I've asked where to buy henna but I haven't gotten any yet

3. Finish out this semester strong! Only three weeks, only three weeks. So far so good. Now only two weeks left!

4. Take time to stop and think not just run through life. Take the time to stop focus on what is important in life and talk to my creator. I've been on and off with this one. Since I wrote this my life has gotten so busy I've been spending less and less time where I should; that's probably why I'm so stressed. I need to fix my priorities, and in the last few days I have been.

Via google

5. Watch AFI's 15 top movies of all time. I've already seen a couple

I haven't watched a single movie from this list yet

Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Godfather
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
~~The Wizard of Oz~~
The Graduate
On the Waterfront
Schindler's List
~~Singin' in the Rain~~
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunset Boulevard
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Some Like it Hot
~~Star Wars~~

6.Use coupons when grocery shopping. I keep reading stories about how much money people are saving; I wonder how much I can save in a month? I'm doing pretty well with this one so far. Update to come at the end of the month!

7. Have a good Easter with my family! Easters not here yet

8. Dress up a little more. Don't always wear shorts and a t-shirt Nope. I've been wearing shorts and t-shirts every day

Via PhotoAtlas

9. Start actively learning either Spanish or Italian. My mom has books on speaking French so I may start learning French instead.

10. Take at least an hour a day to take a break and relax. Hahaha. Wouldn't that be nice

Why Worry?

2011-04-08T00:52:00.002-04:00

Lately I've been thinking about how everything connects. Don't zone me out yet, just track with me for a second.

When my parents first met (nearly 26 years ago) neither was impressed with the other. My mom saw my dad as the new guy who was standing at the punch bowl by himself and she was told by a leader to be nice to new people, and my dad saw my mom as nice but not too memorable and too tall (my mom is 5'9" and my dad is 6'). To make a long story kind of short my dad asked out my mom thinking she was a different Rose from the group. That's so amazing to me because if he had asked out the "right" Rose, they may have never gotten to know each other, dated, and therefore they may have never gotten married.

They were pretty bad, but it was their first time playing. I'll give them a break.

I believe there is a plan and a purpose for everything that happens and that although I may not see it yet it all is for an end goal. Having that in mind is very helpful on the days where life seems to be spinning and I'm standing still, but how often do I really remember to think that when I am spazzing out? It takes me till that night or hearing someone speak on the fact before I remember it. So this is my self reminder and I hope a reminder to someone else too that although right now life may not be making sense, and one day may be up and the next seem like it's down there really is an end goal and there is someone who loves you and cares, and know the end of the story. So we can all try our best to relax. If you can change something- change it, but most of what we worry about we can't change anyway so why worry?

April 10 in 30

2011-04-04T13:12:00.002-04:00

Via A Blog With No Name

1. Make macaroons. I keep seeing them everywhere and they look delicious!

2. Find out were I can locally find henna temporary tattoos and possibly try one

3. Finish out this semester strong! Only three weeks, only three weeks

4. Take time to stop and think not just run through life. Take the time to stop focus on what is important in life and talk to my creator

Via google

5. Watch AFI's 15 top movies of all time. I've already seen a couple

Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Godfather
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
~~The Wizard of Oz~~
The Graduate
On the Waterfront
Schindler's List
~~Singin' in the Rain~~
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunset Boulevard
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Some Like it Hot
~~Star Wars~~

6.Use coupons when grocery shopping. I keep reading stories about how much money people are saving; I wonder how much I can save in a month?

7. Have a good Easter with my family!

8. Dress up a little more. Don't always wear shorts and a t-shirt

Via PhotoAtlas

9. Start actively learning either Spanish or Italian

10. Take at least an hour a day to take a break and relax.

What are your goals this month?

March 10 in 30 Finale

2011-04-01T18:03:00.002-04:00

1. Spring book fail; didn't get to this one but I'm hopefully going to the craft store tomorrow!

2. ~~Buy a new summer purse!~~ Done. I got a vintage Dooney & Bourke from a local thrift shop

3. Floss regularly. Yes and No. I was off and on about flossing but I did start a mouthwash routine before bed which is good (don't judge)

4. ~~Figure out what I'm doing over summer. To work or not to work? That truly is the question~~ I did actually figure out what I'm doing; hopefully working half the summer and focusing on next school year/traveling the other half

5. ~~Finish reading my book!~~ Finished it at like 11:30 pm on the 31st; close but I made it!

6. Have my days happen on purpose. I really tried but I'll give myself half credit I did have some really off days

7. Build a tent. Nope, I'll try to make one this weekend!

8. ~~DIY 5 things~~. Let me count

Homemade peanut butter cups; recipe from here

2.My Bundt Cake

3.Birthday present for friend

4. I also made her wrapping paper

5. Shorts

9. Dye a top-nope
10. ~~I did manage my time better~~

DIY Shorts

2011-03-29T23:36:00.002-04:00

Super simple jeans to shorts DIY, no sewing involved (which is a big plus for me because I don't have a sewing machine at my apartment!) I really needed some shorts but didn't want to spend 25 dollars or up to have a pair so I made them. In the before and after picture I know it looks like I cut them unevenly but that's just the way I'm standing they're even I promise.

Put a mark on the jeans somewhere on the jeans below where you are going to cut them. I wanted a cuff to my shorts so I put a dash right above my knee because I knew I was going to be folding them. If you're not going to fold them then you just have to be more precise with your marks and especially when you cut them.

Then simply cut them and fold if you want to do it the simple way, or cut them then sew them at the bottom and fold. For scissors I don't like to use a regular pair of scissors because the bottom will fray faster. The pair above are pinking scissors (they have a ridged cut to them instead of a clean straight cut.)

Hope this helps!

Weekend Fun

2011-03-26T00:56:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to finish up my 10 in 30 for this month, and was thinking what would be fun to do over the weekend besides schoolwork; here's three things that sounded fun...

Make my own bubbles-
Material: (tip- just remember to multiply by 2 if you forget the numbers)

Water-1cup
Dish Soap (I'm partial to Joy soap)- 2 tablespoons
Corn Syrup or Karo syrup- 4 tablespoons

Mix (don't use a whisk though it adds too much foam)
Let sit for 24 hours
Have fun!

Learn a new song on the piano
I usually either look up youtube or type a song into google

Go on a walk

Sounds simple but I haven't been on an actual walk in a long time.

Have a great weekend, take some time to relax, and do something out of the ordinary.

Weekend overview

2011-03-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

Homework, almost done! I'm working on a DIY project (more to come later in my recap of this months 10 in 30). I got to go to a local art fair, it was really nice to see local artwork, the only thing was I couldn't afford to buy any of it. Finally my day was made today by seeing Sir Gus on the highway. Good start to this week.

When silence falls what will you do?

2011-03-19T23:31:00.002-04:00

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" -Martin Luther King, Jr

Since the tragedy that happened in Japan I've seen a lot of people doing what they can do to help, and encouraging others to help as well, which is amazing. My biggest fear though is that when the cameras stop rolling and the media moves on to another crisis, however terrible it may be, that we forget all the lives that still are in need in Japan. My plea to you is to not forget those in need, including those still in need in Haiti and those who are in your life who could use extra help. You aren't asked to fix all of the problems at once, but just ask them if you can help with something.

In love, prayer and humility this is my plea to you- "He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27

Spring, hurry up

2011-03-18T00:01:00.002-04:00

I made 24 cookies yesterday and now there are only 5 left, not sure if that's healthy. They are organic cookies though so I hope that gives me some type of health break. The past few days have been so hectic! I have two group projects, two papers, discussion boards, a scholarship paper and other homework to do this weekend, uh.

On the bright side, this week has been very productive, full with music (mostly country which is unusual), cookies, and a lot of online time. I also lost my camera briefly which wasn't fun, but I found it! I was very excited.

Vintage Bundt Cake

2011-03-10T18:13:00.003-05:00

I went thrifting and found a beautifully buttercream yellow vintage bundt cake mold, and as soon as I saw it I felt like baking! It turned out to be very simple. I took a regular cake mix, swirled in some cocoa, and baked it normally. For the frosting I put it in the microwave for 15 seconds then drizzled it over the top. It turned out great and the pan only cost $1

Owl be watching

2011-03-04T16:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!! A week ago I went to Fire It Up, a ceramic pottery place where you get to pick and paint your own cup, plate, vase, etc. It was a lot of fun, and I think it turned out pretty well. I hand drew and painted a plate and a cupcake; not sure what the cupcake is for but we shall see.

March 10 in 30

2011-03-01T21:59:00.005-05:00

First 10 in 30, Yay I'm excited!!

1.Start a "Spring" book of pictures, quotes, stories, etc.

2. Buy a new summer purse!

3. Floss regularly

4. Figure out what I'm doing over summer. To work or not to work? That truly is the question

5. Finish reading my book

6. Have my days happen on purpose

7. Build a tent

Via orangesparrow

8. DIY 5 things

9. Dye a top

I found this video and it looks super fun, and eco friendly!

10. Manage my time more wisely/ Be aware of the needs of others.

What are your goals this month?

10 in 30

2011-02-25T13:47:00.003-05:00

New Idea!!

10 in 30 is a way to keep accountable to my goals. Every month has around thirty days in it, and accomplishing 30 goals in 30 days would become overwhelming so I figured 10 goals I could do.

Each month- 10 goals- 30days!!

Beauty and Trust

2011-02-21T15:42:00.003-05:00

This weekend was so beautiful and I'm happy to say it has carried over into Monday! There's no humidity, and the sun is a welcomed difference from the chill that has been inhabiting Florida lately.

I went and visited one of my best friends this weekend and she showed me a little shop downtown that had one of the best smoothies I have ever eaten!
In life not every day will be as beautiful as today, or as calm as this weekend was, and that's the time when I have to look back at the cross and know that Jesus is there and He is trustworthy and in all things He will work them out for good (Romans 8:28 paraphrase), but I may not see it as good at the time and that's ok, because He is God and He knows what is good for my life!