today...is all about pancakes

I took a little blog hiatus.

For, um, a few weeks.  

{Except for #letsgetpraisy. Clearly.}

I was a busy little bee there for awhile. But...I am happy to report that I'm donewithclinicalsomgwhat.

And...I'm back in the game! {name that movie}

Yeah, you read that right.  Boom. And this time, it's for real.  As in, I'm actually for realz, I-really-mean-it, done. 

It feels good.  

...and it also feels really weird.  Like, what am I supposed to do all day?  (Besides study for boards, plan a cross-country move, train for a half marathon?)

You gotta remember that I don't work that nine-to-five.  I'm workin' three days a week. 

Suits me juuuuuust fine.

It also gives me lots of rootin' tootin' free time. 

Rootin' tootin' free time...a good problem to have.  But I can't just sit around on my hiney all day.   

Honestly, what's a girl to do? 

Dream of pancakes, that's what.

Mmm, pancakes. 

Pancakes.

Pancaaaaaaaaaakes. 

Ahem.

Excuse me.

I just drooled a little.

Because of these little babies

I recently had brunch with my sister at one of my favorite restaurants.  They served these lemon poppyseed pancakes that were so darn yummy.  We're talking, stop-traffic-make-you-speechless-holy-Julia-Child-yummy.

They were that good.  And the funny thing?  These yummies weren't overly lemony.  It was incredibly subtle, which was perfect. They were actually just simple old-fashioned pancakes, with a slight twist.  And man, that twist was just right. So I said to myself, "Self-you better make these pancakes."  

And I did.  Now, I will tell you: call me a kitchen fraud if you want, but I used a good quality, unprocessed, pancake mix.  It's so easy to let the grocery store mix your dry ingredients for you.  I just don't pay any mind to the instructions on the package.  

I do what I WANT.

Did I mention these are whole grain? Boom.

Here's how I did it:

...

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

4 teaspoons coconut oil, warmed to liquid consistency

3/4 cup slightly warm milk

1 heaping teaspoon lemon zest, about half of a large lemon

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring)

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

1 tablespoon honey or all-natural cane sugar

Butter or coconut oil, for the skillet. 

...

Heat a skillet on medium heat.  

Mix everything until it just comes together.  It should be wet, but still lumpy.  The less you mix it, the fluffier your pancakes will be.

Butter your skillet between pancakes.  Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup makes your pancakes even in size.  

Serve with warm maple syrup and berries. 

...

Happy Tuesday, y'all

~Libby

HILARITY

Just had to share...

http://whatshouldwecallnursing.tumblr.com/post/22146376449/during-codes

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I have seen in a LONG time. I was legit cry-laughing on my couch for an hour.

Enjoy :)

Happy October, Friends! Pumpkiny things coming soon!

city of brotherly love, pt. 2: the search

Ah, the job search.  It's such a party, isn't it?  (That wasn't sarcastic at all. Riiiiiight.)

It was not a party. To clarify. Unless your idea of a party is something that involves stress, computer problems, and the month of April.

You must be a tax accountant. Welcome to a place where you are guaranteed to feel uncomfortable.

{snickers}

I apologize. We'll talk about spreadsheets later and make you feel warm fuzzies, mmkay?

For now, back to the job talk.  To talking shop. About how I'm going to CHOP.

Bam.

Poet.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Aaaaaand, starting over. I just can't help myself sometimes. Seriously, though, here's what I actually did. It was a pain in the patootie labor of love!

Spending hours upon hours updating my resume, only to have my computer refuse to save a PDF. Boo. Emailing my dad back and forth only forty or one hundred times to address this problem. Phew. Dad and Adobe Business something-or-other to the rescue. Ok...now I have to find a job. So I spend many different hours on many different days poring over job options.  Researching different hospitals.  Talking to coworkers about options. Word of mouth, world wide web, carrier pigeon.  I swear, I think I did it all. 

Then, one particularly boring day in class last Spring (oops), I realized my laptop was in my school bag.  Being the...multitasker...that I am, I pulled that baby out and proceeded to do an excellent job of pretend-notetaking. Basically, I applied for about ten jobs in in hour.  All over the country, all different types of NP jobs (but they were all acute care jobs at children's hospitals).

And then...

...{crickets}...

Literally.

Nothing.  For a few weeks, I was sweating a little. (Why, no, that's not my makeup giving me that...glow.) Until I started getting phone calls! Turns out, my job application spree actually worked. I told myself I would stop applying for jobs, interview for the ones in which I was currently interested, and then I could always go back later and apply for more if needed.

There were a few standout places, which then narrowed down to 3-4 potential options. Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Philadelphia.

I interviewed in Dallas, San Diego, and Philadelphia. I did some phone interviewing with Houston, but they don't currently (or didn't at the time) have positions available for the type of job I'm interested in.

Now, all of those hospitals are great.  All have great cardiac programs, teaching hospitals, high surgical volumes, good patient outcomes. So, what's a girl to do?

There were several a few late night phone calls to my sister and friends. Some praying. Some research. But, I got a really good feeling about CHOP the second I walked in the place. Something about it just clicked. I remember talking on the phone with my sister the night after my first day of interviewing and saying, "It would be so cool to work here, but..."

Lots of "buts."

But...I am fresh out of school and have no NP experience.

But...it's, hello, in Pennsylvania.

But...I don't want to leave Austin.

But...there's all these schedule conflicts with my current job and school requirements.

...

And then they kept calling me. I would call them back, and they were so nice.  All of the people I met there were so nice. You can tell everyone really takes pride in the hospital, and you can tell all of the people who work there like what they are doing.  Is it perfect? No. It will be a lot of long hours, hard work, weird scheduling. Lots of sacrifices of my "free time."

But, it will also be amazingly good experience. Working with innovative people, innovative technology. It is the #1 children's hospital in the country. Gulp.

I'm so excited to work there. Like, full on, nerd-out excited. I am also quite excited to buy some new clothes. Can't go walking in a place like that, looking like a scrub.

 I also want to vomit. I think someone forgot to tell them that I am a twenty-six year old duckling. Shhh...

Anyhoodle, that's how it happened! Crazy to think about sometimes. My sister and I are going to Philly in a few weeks! We'll be doing some fun things, some job things, and some apartment things. Can't wait!

city of brotherly love pt. 1

Well, here it is...the long-awaited explanation of how I decided to move to Philadelphia (which will happen in the Spring). When I say long-awaited...I mean, by me, of course.  I'm pretty sure I'm talking to myself :)  Honestly, though, in a few--months? years?--I'm sure I'm going to look back on the whole move-across-the-country thing and wonder how.did.i.do.that?  So I figured I should write it down. Because it's sort of a big deal. You know, moving to a place where I know no one. Also: where it is freezing.  Also: where they don't sell Rotel at the grocery store. (I know. Omg.) Also: where they don't say "y'all."

Y'all.

Holy moly.

Now, let's clarify something. Well, two somethings.

Number one: It's not that I don't know how to be away from home.  Hello, Summer 2007 in Spain. I actually think I won't be seeing much less of my Houston family. We're on a sporadic visit schedule anyway, punctuated by a whole lot of phone calls.  (Trust--AT&T wasn't looking at us when they decided mobile-to-mobile minutes would be free. Suckers!)  At any rate, I see my parents every few months, and it works.  All this to say: being away from "home" (Houston) is something I've done for ~8ish years. I can keep up with them, no prob :) Lots of phone calls and the occasional care package <cough cough MOM>

Buuuuuut, then there's my sister. Also known as my sometimes boarder.  I say "sometimes" because I'm her sometimes boarder, too.  Basically, we have joint custody of each other. (What?) Every other weekend and holidays, yo.  That's what's up. And then there's my friends. The ones who live here, and the ones who are a mini-roadtrip away. We are also on a sporadic visit schedule, but it largely involves one having the ability to drive somewhere (relatively close) for a weekend.

Being away from Austin will be hard. I would be lying if I said I could keep that schedule up.

Yikes.

Now for number two...

Number two: Texas is like a piece of my soul. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but you just don't seem to hear people talk like that about South Dakota. Nothing against South Dakota, I'm sure it's lovely and very...Dakotish. But, it's no Texas.  Trust me when I say, you had to have been raised here.  Seriously. Warm sunshine, open hill country road, Randy Rogers on the radio...heaven. Truly, one of the best things in life.  If you've never experienced it, then...fail.  Big fail, player. Get on it. You'll be glad you did. :)

Ok, with the somethings in mind, let's think about this: why would I willingly choose to move a few bajillion miles away from people and a city and a state I love?

Enter: The j-o-b.

Oh, hey, j-o-b! It's about time you showed up!

Now, those of you who know me (i.e...all of you, ha) know how I am about my job.  More specifically, about what I do.  It's purty important to me.

I mean, lots of people go to work everyday, and then they go home, and that's that.  They like their jobs just fine, but those jobs don't really define them. Their jobs give them good careers and enable them to have good lives. Other things are more important. Like being a good spouse, or parent, or volunteer.

Ain't nuttin' wrong with that, honey. That's some good stuff.

But, that's not me.  Because, you see, I get serious personal fulfillment out of my job. If I were to define myself in a few words, some of them would definitely include "ICU nurse." It's part of who I am.  Daily, I am reminded God called me to this job, called me to this career. From my first job as a sixteen-year-old nurse aide in an adult cardiac unit, I knew God wanted me to be a nurse practitioner. It's hard to explain how I knew.  I just knew.

So, when it was time for me to make some decisions about life after grad school, I knew I wanted a job in which I would feel fulfilled. In which I would feel satisfied. In which I would feel like what I was doing mattered. I also desperately wanted the right job.  Not a perfect job.  But a job that's perfect for me.

After much searching, resume editing, phone calling, and interviewing (and praying)...I think I've found it.

Here's how I did it (how God did it, really):

Stay tuned for part 2: the job search.

(And Happy Tuesday. I ended my Tuesday with some super delish crockpot tacos. Mmm tacos. More on that later).

winter say what?

You guys. I think the earth just ceased to spin upon its axis. I'm sort of, maybe, kind of, a little bit...looking forward to some cooler weather. Like, chilly weather.  Like, jackets and boots and pumpkin bread and blankets sort of weather.

What just happened? Seriously. 

I abhor winter.  Like, everyone who knows me? One of the first things out of their mouths when I say I'm moving to Philadelphia? "Um, you hate cold weather. It's really cold there!"

And they are no longer right.  I do hate cold weather!  Jackets are annoying, boots require a certain cut of jean, scarves are nice in theory, but quite constricting in actuality...personally, I like the freedom to go outside and water my plants or walk the dog without a whole lot of outfit preparation needed.  And one of my favorite things?  When it is fuh-reezing in the grocery store, but it's exactly one million degrees outside?  The best feeling in the world is to climb in a piping hot, stuffy car. That's how much I like the heat! Mmm. (And to think, all this weirdness is free)...

At any rate, I have spent most of my life toting the merits of the sunshine.  And heat. And a general need to be in city with a minimum temperature of 75 degrees. Well, friends, times are a-changing.  Because the past week or two? I've been getting crazily sort of excited about winter!

First of all, I bought red jeggings.  There are so many things wrong with that statement. That I bought jeggings is pretty scary.  But fire-engine-red ones? Bandwagoneer, my friends.

They look like this:

...except they aren't cute and from J.Crew. They are cute and from Marshall's! Dang, girl. I also got a sweater, some new jeans, and a cardigan. This is a big deal in my www. (Oh, you thought that meant the interwebs? Warm weather world. Durr.)

Secondly, I've been eyeing pumpkin-containing recipes on Pinterest for weeks now.

I really want to try these waffles. <-- link Wonder if the whole wheat makes them tough?

Or maybe this squash soup. <-- link Mmmm. Definitely making this one.

Or perhaps a cake, <-- link which looks so delicious, I'd probably have to eat it for breakfast.

Seriously, what has come over me? Ugh. Moving on...

Third, I've been avoiding going outside during peak heat hours.  Insanity. I love being outside. I especially love heat! And here I sit, with it being nearly ninety degrees out there, fanning myself in the air conditioning. Good gravy.  I've really lost it.

Someone send out a search party, will you? If you don't hear from me in awhile?  Probably best to look in the Tundra and/or the North Pole first.

things i'm lovin' lately {beauty}

Here's a few things I've been loving lately!

1) Kiehl's Photo Age Corrector Deep- Action Exfoliating Cleanser $22

Seriously.  Be amazed.  At first, I thought it left a funky residue on my skin after washing...and then that funky residue did something great to my skin. My skin feels super clean, soft, and smooth. The only downside: it works best when you remove your makeup first (not a 2-in-1 product).

Where to find: Kiehl's Online

2) Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner $22

Two of my good friends (and fashionistas) used this long before I did.  Whenever we were together, I would be all, "Give me that eyeliner!"  Finally one of them bought it for me for my birthday-and I'm obsessed! I used to have a horrible time with eyeliner...it either a) smudged so terribly I looked like I was on drugs, b) was so faint it couldn't stand up to my monster eyeballs, or c) didn't smudge and looked nice, but required the removal of no less than fourteen layers of eyeball skin to get it off at night. (Gross). Bobbi Brown for the win!

Where to find: I get mine at Saks 

3) Philosophy 'Hope Springs Eternal' Deep Sea Revitalizing Mask $25

This might be my favorite thing of all, but it comes with a catch.  I'm worried Philosophy isn't making it anymore! As my Gran would say, "Oh, horrors! (Alternatively, "Oh, hauras!"). I recommended it to a coworker, who told me she couldn't find it at my go-to spot, Ulta.  Sure enough, she was right.  I found some online at Nordstrom and bought, um...several. It's a weird, green, salty, smelly goo. And it really works. I use it once or twice per week. Oh well: I suppose if they stop making it, I'll just plunge my face into a deep sea.

Where to find: You tell me! (Please. Tell me. My face will revolt without this mask.)

4) Laura Mercier Secret Concealor $22 (No, everything on this list is not twenty-two dollars.  Evidence: #5. Zing!)

Dark circles are a problem for me. Always have been.  (You should have seen me in college--between the smudgy eyeliner and dark circles, it's a wonder anybody let me become a nurse. "Good morning, Mr. Jones.  I'll be your nurse today, and I solemnly swear not to steal your Percocet. What's that? You don't believe me? Well, you will in 2012...because I'll have found makeup by then.")

Where to find: Always available in many shades at  Sephora 


At any rate, this concealer is fabulous.  It hides wonky eye circles without making me look like a highlighted raccoon.

Ahem.

Someone should have told Eva she looked like this guy:

Happy Friday Y'all!

on organization

Firstly, raise your hand if you like the new look! Got the template at The Cutest Blog on the Block. I think it suits me :)

Now, let's talk about organization. (And all God's people said, "Amen.")

Amen.

That was easy.

NOT.

See, the thing is...I love organization.  In theory.  In practice, it's just irritating. Irritating enough that I've actually googled "personal assistants, Austin, TX." It's the truth, man. (Sorry I keep calling you "man."  It just fits. Like a square peg into a square hole. Not a round hole, because that wouldn't fit. A square hole. Which, by definition, wouldn't be a hole. It would be an opening. Holes are round. Hello, doughnut holes. To clarify. Excuse me. I'm done now.)

Ok, I'm starting over.  That just got weird.  Sorry about that. But, I actually have had that little Google moment I told you about.  (And then I got a ding dang grip.  I mean honestly. You know you have a problem when you think, at the ripe old age of twenty-six, that your modest income and single life necessitate an assistant.) Don't worry, I promptly got a grip. See, like I was saying, I really appreciate organization.  (It just doesn't come naturally for me.)

I mean, I grew up with two of the most organized, efficient individuals this side of the Mason-Dixon.  Shoutout: my mom and sister.  And I'm here to tell you: it is in their DNA.  There has got to be a gene for that. (Which, excuse me, the Human Genome Project failed to identify.  But whatever.) I was just not born an organized person.  I was born a disorganized person who reallyreallyreally likes organization and wantstobeorganizeddarnit!  Now, I'm really making myself sound like a hot mess.  I mean, I will tell you, I'm a bit...accident prone. Ahem. And, yes, I run late a lot.  And forget things at home. But, I'm not a total waste of space.  I think I do a pretty good job of holding it together.  But, I'm going to let you fools in on a little secret.

It's all lies!  Lies, I tell you!  I really am a hot mess! I just have a little system that I've tweaked over the years. And thank goodness for systems.  It goes like this:

-Write everything down.  Seriously, everything.  If you think you're going to remember it later...you are not an elephant.  Ergo, you will forget.

-Use the iPhone calendar that you've stared at for the past few years.  My life changed once I started using that thing.  My work/school/life calendars all go in there, and it makes for a really quick go-to reference.  It also interfaces with my email and MacBook calendars, which is handier than I originally thought.

-Have a filing system.  This, too, changed my life.  My mom and sister, those smarties, have filed everything that's ever happened to them.  It's nice to have a different file for everything...for example, receipts. When my apartment got broken into, it took minutes for me to provide the police with serial numbers for my stolen items.

-Periodically go through areas where stuff seems to accumulate.  For me, this is my closet and my desk. About twice per year, I go through my closet and make a keep/toss/donate pile.  (Did this last week!) For some reason, I like to keep my hoarding private.  As in, I don't hoard in my living room in plain view. I shove things in my closet until my poor closet can't take it anymore. So every once in awhile, I have to do a closet recon mission.

-Make a pact with yourself about cleaning.  It goes like this: "If I don't have the house cleaned by ______, then I'm going to call the cleaning company to come.  Which means money taken out of my fun (shoe/manicure/eating out) budget for the month." Having a clean house is like yoga for my mind. I seriously cannot function in a mess.  But, I'm a huge procrastinator. So my motivation is dollars.  Is it worth it to me to pay for someone to clean my house, and then have less dough for the fun stuff?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  But the end result is the same: my house is clean either way!

-Take a few minutes at the end of the day to tidy up before going to sleep.  This might mean folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher. For me, it sometimes means just picking up the junk that's scattered around my apartment.

-GET A PLANNER!  Take it wherever you go, and write everything in it.  I would be lost without a planner.  I've tried to live without one, and it really only works when I'm on vacation. If I have a schedule, I need a planner.

I saved the best for last! Enter: my new customized Erin Condren Life Planner! I am seriously so excited about this thing.

 Isn't it cute?!  It has monthly and weekly pages.  It also comes with a bunch of tabs for appointments, birthdays, vacation, meetings, etc.  You can customize the heck out of this thing.  I just did my name and picked a color scheme.  But you can add photos, too!

I did add notepads to my order.  Aren't they fun?  They stick right in the back of the planner.

So, the planner is definitely a win.  It's big, but not too big to fit into my purse. It's sturdy and should last me for the next long while.  I ordered an eighteen month calendar, and I wish I'd ordered more! You can find the planner here: http://www.erincondren.com


Any other organization tips I've been missing?

Hope everyone is having a good week.  Happy Wednesday!

i'm alive, i swear!

Well, so much for starting a blog...and then (epic) FAIL. Whoops.  I did actually intend to keep up with this thing in the beginning. So here goes! I'm back at it :)

I've been a busy little bee lately! Here's a list of mini-updates.

-I had fun in the hill country with the fam + sister. I've gone to SA twice in the past month, which is pretty on par for my joint custody arrangement with my sister (ha).

-I accepted a job in Philadelphia! (More on this later).

-I got to see some lovely friends for Labor Day. Excuse the rolls around my middle.  Those will be dealt with shortly. (Um. After I eat the doughnuts, obviously.)

-I've been on a trendy nail kick. I guarantee I will look back on this and think: "Why did I do that?" But for now? Success!

That's it! Ha. Jus' kiddin'...

I've done more than that, I promise. But those are the important things! I've loved getting to see my sister and my friends! Talk about separation anxiety. In the past month, I've also:

-had my car break down twice in two days.  Also, Jeepy wanted to stay at the dealership so badly that he decided to break something else while there. So, I go to pick him up, and he's all "PSYCH!" Yeah, that was fun. Being an adult has its drawbacks. I mean, sure, there's the wine and ability to make your own bedtime. But $600 of "routine maintenance" in two days? Sheesh! 

-had my apartment broken into. Goodbye personal items I once cared about! Hello, smashed door frame and general creepy feeling.  Thank goodness for friends who will take you in at midnight and thank goodness for renter's insurance.

-had multiple things in my apartment break and/or cease to function. Within a two week period, the shower has broken, the A/C has broken, and the door is still janky. Can you tell I'm ready to move?? Haha. Thank goodness for nice maintenance guys.  (Who, incidentally, swear they aren't sick of me yet. I ply them with cookies. Manipulation with baked goods. Works like a ding dang charm.)

What's a sister got to do to get a break around here? It's been an interesting little month, to say the least. Let's just say, I won't be playing the lotto anyyyyyy time soon.

What's everyone else been up to lately?

***And, I promise, more regular posts. After all, did I not say I started this so as to have a nice journal for myself one day? 

TGIF, bro

I love Fridays! Even though I work a lot of weekend days, I still love me a Friday.  Remember that feeling as a little kid, like "Yo, it's Friday! No school for two whole days! Pancakes for breakfast! Imma play hide and seek like a boss!"  Yeah, I still feel that way. (Minus the hide and seek part). Today I...

...had a busy day at work but had the cutest patient ever.  He was such a little jokester!

...had a "PIVOT" moment a la Friends...hospital beds are not intuitive objects

...forgot my lip gloss at home this morning. Um. I will be put in the grave with lip gloss on. Cardinal sin, forgetting one's lip gloss at home. #whitegirlproblems

...came home and started watching the Olympics! Olympics junkie, straight up.

...listened to quite a bit of TLC's "CrazySexyCool" album at work.  Don't ask.  ("...so I creep, yeahhhhh, just creepin' on the downlow...") Yep.

...realized it is almost school supply time!!!  I will forever love the ability to purchase an 8-pack of mixed highlighters, judgement-free.  Hey, Lisa Frank...why don't you up your game and make some adult-approp items?

All in all, a successful Friday! I'm excited about this weekend, too.  Charlie Brown and I are going to be little roadtrippers!  Spontaneous weekend trip to SA -> Kerrville -> SA -> Austin.  My aunt and uncle will be in the hill country this weekend, so my sis and I are going to hang with them on Sunday.

For the record, aunts and uncles are some legit relatives.  I keep threatening my parents with the concept of an old people compound, to which they will be banished lovingly sent once they are old people.  No lie, George Washington.  My sis and I have it all planned out.  My mom, her two sisters, and all the husbands are going to have to live on a giant piece of property with an electric fence.  (Don't want them getting out). Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em. Sort of like at camp...there will be a schedule of activities and snack times.  So, today, I'm randomly thinking about the OPC (Old People Compound), and I said to myself, "Self! That is such a legit idea! How awesome would it be to live with fun relatives ALL THE TIME!" (Rhetorical question.  Clearly, it would be awesome).

(Hold on, judgey pants. I for reals will take care of my parents when they are all sorts of old. I am not going to really put them in the OPC. Probably. Unless you aren't judging me, in which case, I absolutely plan to do this).

Happy Weekend Party People!

lately

***This is out of order and weird, but you should totally go to the bottom of this post and hit "play" on the video.  Then listen to CCR as you read this, and it will fo sho put you in a good mood.***

Lately, I've been doing a lot around this apartment of mine!  Literally, for the past six months, I've wanted to torch my entire apartment.  Like, woke up one day, hated everything.  Sometimes, you just need a change, man.  (Sorry I just called you man.)

So I decided to do it!  A friend of mine was in town, and was a big help.  As in, this probably would not have happened if she wasn't here.  

Projects:

-Painted and striped a free shelf I've had since college. It's a little piece of junk particle-board thing. I keep my printer on it, next to my desk. Now it doesn't look so accidental and out of place!

-Framed a piece of fabric.  These are janky iPhone pics, and I promise the photo doesn't do it justice.  The fabric and colors are a lot more vibrant in person.

-Disassembled, painted, and reassembled a bookshelf I got at Target (again from college).  This is probably my favorite thing.  Totally changed the look of the shelves.

-Painted my coffee table and end table (not pictured). They used to be this heinous wrought-iron and now are clean and white! Mind you, I chose the heinous wrought-iron...whatevs.

-Painted a lamp

-Covered said lampshade with cute fabric

-Bought new pillows for the couch

To Do:

-Paint or toss iron phrases above TV.  If I paint them, I'll move them someplace better

-Paint candle holder above couch

-Get chair/ottoman reupholstered

-Picture/art frame wall for above TV. (Trying to work with this banana wall...)

-Address the curtain situation

All in all, I think it looks pretty good!  I'm estimating total cost so far at under $200, which includes the pillows and picture frame (most expensive items). Charlie B. is loving these news pillows.  Evidence:

I've also been doing more cooking and baking around here.  I used to cook all the time, and that sort of fell to the wayside with school. Ch-ch-ch-changes, people. I did a cleanse (Advocare if you're interested, highly recommend) and have been feeling great.  I started eating really wonky about a year ago, and there is nothing like poor nutrition to make you feel gross.  I've got some l.b.'s that have taken up residence in the general zip code of my jeans, and they need to g-o!  So, now that I've cleansed (and believe you me, I cleansed...), I'm really trying to eliminate processed food from my diet.  I read about all of these carcinogens in our food, and I'm here to tell you, I don't need any help in that arena.  I've got a sufficient amount of cancer in my DNA, so I'd like to offset my chances by not putting carcinogens in my mouth.  (And...stepping of soapbox. Thank you for your time.)

At any rate, I made these biscuits yesterday.  Completely devoid of processed ingredients, and delicious to boot. Only four ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking powder, butter and milk.  All organic, too.  They freeze really well and make me happy. Mostly because I like kneading dough and using a juice glass to cut the little babies into circles.  Then they puff up in the oven and everything smells delicious, and all is right with the world.  And then I remember that I made organic whole wheat biscuits, and omg (!) are they going to taste like hockey pucks? OMG! They don't. Damn, girl.

Lastly, I've been on a real CCR kick.  I love their version of Proud Mary.  Makes it feel like summer time!

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Hope everyone is having a good week.  Happy Wednesday!

Oh hey girl, hey!

I did it! I started a blog.  Clearly, an obvious statement, sort of like exclaiming, "There are clouds up in that sky!" or "Dang! Pie is delicious!" Yes, very obvious. Duh, I created a blog.  Otherwise you peeps wouldn't be sitting here reading this.  But, still.  Felt like I had it say it.  As a blog stalker aficionado, I sometimes have thought of starting a blog myself.  Then I quickly un-think it.  I mean, who's going to read this? Then I think it again. Because when I am old and have cleverly dyed hair grey, I think I would like to have something to remember my life by.  

When I was in elementary school, I kept a journal in my desk and would write in it on the fly. (Well, I figured it was on the fly.  My teachers probably knew what was going on, but they let me keep at it because it kept my mouth shut. Points, teachers, points). I used to write the most groundbreaking things. 

Ex: "Today I am at school.  We are learning about math. Bor-ing. N-e-wayz, g2g b4 the teacher catches me. BYE." Yep, I distinctly remember telling my journal "bye," but apparently I was shouting it in my mind.  You know, shouting at the inanimate object in which I was writing.  Apparently, I felt my journal had a personality and was hearing-deficient. Cool kid right here. 

All this to say, I wish I had kept at that whole journal thing.  How hilarious would it be to go back and read that?  So, this little blogthing here is my attempt at chronicling my life, because we all know I won't be able to remember it when I'm old (Old, please.  We all know I won't be able to remember it in a year...)  I don't actually expect anyone to read this, which definitely takes the pressure off me to be interesting. :) 

I'm just a twentysomething girl, figuring out life.  I tend to have a large propensity to be the Peanut Gallery, so hopefully that should make for some good commentary along the way!