Not Sunny but Good

• I like bullet-points. I like pictures even more but you get what you get when I am blogging from work.
• I have set up my winter term work schedule which is pretty fantastic. 
• I can't wait for snow. I am pretty sure this is because of my complete naivety of impending snowdom. 
• My nails are finally prettified and I feel much more put together now.
• Tomorrow I am going to get a frosty from Wendy's for lunch. I am meeting with some friends and it is what soothes the soul. 
• Still missing proper footage on the shoe front. I just can't seem to win! I bought two pairs of shoes last week and I only kind of like 1 of them. The other one is a little tight. I am going to soon be one of those people wearing the Ugg-like boots. They are so damn comfortable!
• I rearranged my living room so that it feels more homey. I think things will be pulled together when I get some kitchen chairs/stools and perhaps a rug or two.
• Christmas decorations might happen soon too!
• And.....I am getting a microwave tomorrow from a good friend. She is letting me borrow it until I can get one later on next year. 

I am just a little ball of excitement today for some crazy reason.

• And I have an interview for an internship! 

Sugar Calls

I have been doing wonderfully cutting down my sugar intake lately. For Thanksgiving, I made mini chocolate and pumpkin pudding pies that were small portions but just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. The other saving graces have been one serving of the cinnamon sugar almonds from Trader Joe's and Sugar-Free Oregon Chai Tea mix. Tonight I wanted to make something.....but I couldn't figure out what. I knew it was going to be cookie-like but I didn't want to do anything I had done before. Enter in: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

A bunch of the bloggers I follow went to the FoodBuzz Festival last month and fell in love with Annie the Baker's Dough Balls and many of them tried desperately to copy her. Mama Pea over at Peas and Thank You did an excellent job at getting the recipe right the first time! Well, I wouldn't know if she was right or wrong but they truly taste AMAZING and if you make her version, you can eat the cookie dough as is since it is vegan!

Again......go.....make: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

Milk or soy milk or vodka is highly recommended to accompany said balls. I laughed at that because I'm 12.

Design Inspiration

The house I stayed at for the past week and a half had some of my favorite style of furniture. I am very into danish furniture design, simplicity, and vintage touches. While using the Olioboard to dream about what my future house might look like, I noticed that I really can't pick out things from a catalog or just any old store. I do much better scouring vintage or consignment stores, picking up things that I like and making a plan.

Here are some of my favorite things from the house.....

 

The lady of the house was very happy to have someone appreciate her design efforts! Really, the house was pretty much exactly what I would like for myself someday; not very big but spacious, excellent kitchen, great outdoor space, and a garage.

Back to the Grind

School and work start back up tomorrow and I can safely say the stress has returned. I have actual appointments now for my job which is really nice since I can finally be in my own office. I have three weeks left of school and this coming weekend looks to be the mother of all work weekends. I foresee major time at coffee shops and the library as to get everything properly done and turned in. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be thisclose to finishing my first term here.

I left yesterday morning from the dog sitting home and came straight back to my house. I had been planning to rearrange the living room and organize my closet so I can be happy with my wardrobe. I came home, finished up the iced coffee and glazed doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts and promptly took a nap. Go me!

I really miss the dogs and the house. Isn't that strange? I miss having their cute little faces around and have a very solid routine.

 

 

It was nice to feel like I got a lot done even though it was just the routine of everything. Here I have no routine. My routine kicks in on Tuesdays, Wednesday evenings, Thursdays, and Fridays. I enjoyed getting up early to feed the dogs and let them outside then watching the news all morning while eating breakfast and then working on things. Of course, I enjoyed the big kitchen and television as well!

More cute puppy pictures.....

 

 

Too Much Brain Activity

Is there a point where you actually just think too much about the most ridiculous things? I have heavily contemplated every little move this week. From whether to drive to a friend's place for Thanksgiving, when to go grocery shopping, how to phrase emails, budgeting, obsessively pouring over Black Friday ads online, and even to what to eat each day. Annoying, right? I feel like I am trying to consider too many things all at once and then I just get overwhelmed and decide to either research it to death or forget about it all together. Annoying, yes.

www.nataliedee.com

Technically, I did lots of future research to remind myself the good decisions I have made for myself. I looked at apartments in various cities that I am thinking about moving to after grad school, looked at ideal jobs that I would absolutely love to start my career in, and lots of looking at clothes. Not many of you know but I chose my undergraduate institution, Oregon State University, because it offered two of my potential future career paths: Fashion Design or Elementary Education. I thought about doing both and then I got overwhelmed and unmotivated and went with the path of least resistance. I absolutely love fashion though and have seen some opportunities to incorporate all of my passions which is really exciting.

Celebrity Quotes of 2010

This ridiculous post was on another community but thought some of them were just too funny and some are freakin' brilliant!

"When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host Saturday Night Live, I didn't know what Facebook was. And now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time." 

- 88-year-old It girl Betty White, giving a shout-out to the social network during her SNL monologue 

"That girl is like crack cocaine to me...Sexually it was crazy. That's all I'll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm." 

- John Mayer, over sharing on his former girlfriend, to Playboy 

"When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure 24-year-old girl. Then I say, 'Bitch, you're Lady Gaga, you get up and walk the walk today.'" 

- Lady Gaga, to Rolling Stone 

"Generally for me, slimness comes with a little bit of upset or stress. I'd rather be fat and happy, to be honest." 

- Charlotte Church, singer, offers some diet advice

"I am a femme fatale, my dear." 

- Carla Bruni, French first lady, shrugs off any suggestion of image problem

"Your face tells a story - and it shouldn't be a story about your drive to the doctor's office." 

- Julia Roberts says no to Botox.

25 Days of The Little Things

It is Thanksgiving! I have completed my 25 days and found much more than 25 little things to be thankful for. It is all about the little things, right?

A few more for the road....

• Turkey, cranberry and cream cheese sandwiches.
• Pre-made mini graham cracker crusts.
• All-day TV marathons that continue throughout the weekend.
• Foggy day.
• Organizations like ASPCA that help animals.
• Living simply and enjoying it. 
• Google page today.

I wonder if there will be a Christmas challenge? I know it won't be 25 days of cookies or presents, that is for sure. Maybe each week will be a different cookie/treat that I can take to my office. If my Black Friday excursion (weather-permitting) is successful tomorrow, I will have proper tools for making said treats! Thankfulness is year round so I hope we all continue to think about how lucky we are even when we don't have much. 

25 Days of The Little Things

• Puppies passed out on the floor, side by side.
• I think snow is coming! I just wish it wasn't coming tomorrow. 
• Successful turkey dinner completed!
• Mini cream pies for dessert.
• Water.

Hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Internet Window Shopping: Mod Cloth

I have tons of research to do. I have at least a week to get that going though so....I have been internet window shopping! I have this Amazon wishlist that I constantly add things to in case I get money, I have been playing on Olioboard to "decorate" my imaginary house, and I have been looking at pretty, pretty clothes. I watched "The Devil Wears Prada" last night and it furthered my need for some fashion (that and watching What Not to Wear and Say Yes to the Dress).

Pretty clothes that I am in love with from ModCloth:

One day I will have a job that allows me to afford beautiful clothes like these AND I will be able to wear them to work! (they also have an amazing one-of-a-kind vintage section)

And, shall we add some accessories?

       

               

Remember, everything is from Mod Cloth. If you have some time and extra money, look around and get excited to get dressed in the morning and look all pretty.

Doggy Sitting

I took a job for the Thanksgiving holiday to doggy sit four dogs at a house about an hour away from my place. It is near Big Wolf Lake (I can see it from the backyard) and kind of out in the middle of nowhere. The closest "big" town is Jackson which I drove through today. It is gorgeous! Kind of old school but they also have all the shopping there yet are lacking a Chase Bank. Grrr. That is an area of frustration for me. Moving on.

The dogs are pretty adorable even when they jump up on me with muddy paws or beg for more attention. One of the dogs caught and ATE a tiny mouse outside. I just about hurled. Ew. I wasn't sure what I was more grossed out by: eating the mouse, the tiny mouse suffering, the sight of the mouse in the dog's mouth, or just the entire situation. Besides that, things have been mighty lovely and low-key so far.

On my excursion today, I went to grab some Thanksgiving essentials just in case I end up staying in that day. Don't tell anyone though since apparently it is very, very inappropriate for me to be on my own for Thanksgiving.  I am okay with it but I was invited to a pretty awesome place if I can make it over there. Storms, low temperatures and potential snow make me mighty nervous. That will be a see-what-happens kind of situation.

The house is exactly what I would like to have. Nothing fancy, amazing furniture, and a great layout. Will take pictures later on since I need future points of reference for how I want to decorate my place.

25 Days of The Little Things

• Thankful I saved all of my nConnect materials that I developed for job seekers. I am currently using two of the handouts to develop a cover letter and redo my resume. 
• Thankful for a potential opportunity that could really add value to my graduate school experience and my resume.
• Music cable channels and sleeping puppies.
• Excited by cute yet purposeful purchases from the $1 bins at Michaels. 
• Yoga Pants. Pretty sure that the whole world is grateful for these though. 

Food Bucket List

I have grand plans to try and cook or bake certain next year. I would love to try all 30 things (magical number) but more likely, I will get to at least 15. These are things that I am so interested in creating but have decided that it is either too hard or I don't have the skills. Bull-ongia.

My Must-Make List:

1. Chicken Makhani
2. Macroons (flavors to be determined)  (June 2013--finally!)
3. Tamales (and possibly some horchata to go along with it)
4. Stuffed Pork Loin
5. Pie (crust and filling; flavor to be determined)
6. Cinnamon Rolls (Yes! I made the Pioneer Woman's recipe and they were amazing! 12/31/10)
7. Souffle (sweet or savory, not sure which yet)
8. Manicotti (Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Manicotti 12/6/2010)
9. Chicken Soup
10. Stuffed Cupcake from Bake in a Cake (made crappy red velvet mini cupcakes from a mix and decided to put them into a known amazing chocolate cupcake recipe so they wouldn't go to waste. Each cupcake has the velvet center and cream cheese frosting on top with Valentine themed sprinkles and m&ms. Sugar overload would be an understatement. Let's ignore the fact that I also ate the frosting with a spoon. 2/13/2011)
11. Baked Macaroni & Cheese Used the recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod. Delicious and pretty healthy! (1/1/2012)
12. Fresh Pasta
13. Meatballs (yes! made turkey pesto meatballs with a bit of shredded zucchini in it, 12/15/12)
14. Crab Cakes with Spicy Garlic Aioli
15. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (4/10/11, cheated a little on the cake but made the frosting from scratch!)
16. Doughnuts  Made baked chocolate doughnuts with vanilla glaze and sprinkles. Nothing terribly fancy but they came out more like round brownies with holes than anything else. Next to try: apple cider doughnuts with cinnamon and sugar.
17. Breaded Chicken Tenders (3/26/11 and it makes me want to be a vegetarian....I don't do raw meat well :)
18. Muddy Buddies
19. Chili (3/10/11 it was so delicious! I used a bunch of different recipes and also added in some quinoa which made it a much more thick chili.)
20. A completely vegan meal (likely a recipe from Oh She Glows or Eat, Live, Run)
21. Eggs Benedict (Hollandaise sauce and all; possibly with crab cakes ala Veritable Quandary in Portland)
22. Homemade Pop Tarts
23. Cheese Fondue
24. Marshmallows (or this recipe)
25. Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
26. Phad Thai or Pad See Ew (4/10/11, used a mix of three different recipes and added some delicious tofu as my protein, turned out well!)
27. Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing (inspired by i am baker) (Made for Christmas)
28. Egg Rolls
29. Homemade Peanut Butter Cups (made homemade pumpkin cups which are just about the same thing--calling this one good! 11/30/12)
30. Pulled Pork Tacos 

This took me days to actually think about! Some are ridiculously easy I just haven't gotten around to them. I don't particularly like cooking with large hunks of beef but I am very comfortable with pork products. The raw meal is something that just intrigues me to the point where I can't not do it. I'm happy that there seems to be an equal amount of savory and sweet. I have a notorious sweet tooth that I am trying to tame so at least some of these will allow me to make meals, have leftovers and get more comfortable in the kitchen. I linked several of the recipes from Eat, Live, Run because she makes things seem really easy and rarely ever uses fancy gadgets. My fancy gadgets are all in Oregon which is of little help here in Michigan. 

Pay It Forward

Source

After browsing on Design*Sponge, I found this amazing post of little ways to pay it forward this holiday (and everyday) season.

Here is a link to Small Measures with Ashley: Pay It Forward.

25 Days of The Little Things

• One of new buddies is letting me borrow her microwave for the next semester! I can't wait. 
• Tomorrow night I will be getting to watch actual television. I have never been so excited to watch the local news and CNN!
• Big purple grapes.
• An opportunity for an internship that is right up my alley. Only downside? The application and requirements are due Monday. Um...hmm. 
• Two new magazines in the mail today. Martha Stewart Food and Marie Claire. The jury is out if I will renew the Marie Claire subscription though. Issue #1. Issue #2. 
• I am in the process of getting yet another friend hooked on Gilmore Girls. She has only seen a few episodes and there are two long breaks coming up. I think my success rate will remain at 100%.

Thanksgiving is next week and I was very kindly invited to three dinners. I am deciding on choice three because it will allow me to spend some excellent time with an old friend and her family. Let's hope the weather holds out for me to get there! Even though I will be going out, I still plan to do up a little somethin' somethin' of my own for leftovers sake. On menu: turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted veggies and fresh bread. Might throw in a dessert or two but after my decrease of sugar the last few weeks, I don't crave it nearly as much. 

Words of Wisdom....

.....come from everywhere! Maybe it is when you are looking for it but there is always wisdom to be learned (shared? embraced?). A new Facebook buddy had this on his profile:

My 10 steps for becoming a better person (posted here so all can see and so I can remind myself)

1. Take as many advantages to have fun as you can.
2. Never, NEVER, pass on a chance to be there for a friend.
3. Listen first, talk second.
4. Do what you say you'll do. Set goals and follow through.
5. Write often and heartfelt...even if it is only to yourself.
6. Listen to music as often as possible. It is the window to the soul.
7. Take time each day to reflect on who you are and who you want to be.
8. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
9. Let those who are important to you know that they are important to you.
10. Understand that failure is a part of growth.


I feel like I need to wallpaper my living room wall with the many, many words of wisdom and quotes from people far more experience in life than myself so that I can constantly see them and remember them.

One thing I am going to have to teach my kids is that life is tough but it always gets better.

(P.S. I have had the new Pink song in my head all day. All day. And really, just the chorus.)

Amen.

“You can focus on what is tearing you apart, or,

on what is holding you together.”

Taken from Confessions of a Fat Girl blog. A wise girl indeed. 

No Original Title

Sorry, not terribly creative at the moment. Have had a bit of a stomach bug and add some stress equals me not super together today. I believe tea and snuggling into the couch while continuing my Buffy marathon will make the whole world better.


Sides of Note:
I ran to Target to grab a few things (of course, few as in Christmas stuff everywhere influenced me to buy holiday cards and wrapping paper) and I picked up People magazine to skim. I was going to go full-out Barnes and Noble magazine reading but just didn't feel like reading very much tonight. The cover just totally irked me!

Do you see the issue? Well she is 30 and "I thought I'd be married by now." Oy. Then of course I turn into the ladies from Sex and the City and think "Oh God, I can't believe it! I hope she can get help for that!" Yep. 


Carrie: When did being alone become the modern-day equivalent of being a leper? Will Manhattan restaurants soon be divided up into sections -- smoking / non-smoking, single / non-single?

Miranda: [Reading from a singles introduction pamphlet] "Don't let him slip away!"

Carrie: I know. It's almost like a threat. We have him, but he's slipping away, slipping, oops, there he goes!


Samantha's been reporting on last night's weird date...

Miranda: Y'see, this is why I don't date -- the men out there are freaks.

Carrie: Well that's completely unfair.

Miranda: I'm sorry, if a man is over 30 and single, there's something wrong with him, it's Darwinian -- they're being weeded out from propagating the species.

Carrie: Okay, what about us?

Miranda: We're just choosy. I'm getting more shrimp.

BUT despite the above silliness, I have things to be grateful for! I found the most perfect aforementioned Christmas cards and wrapping paper, have some lovely 7-Up to soothe the tummy and my neighbors downstairs took the garbage and recycling to the curb in the pouring rain. 

30 is on the horizon....

I love www.dumblittleman.com. There is always useful wisdom and quotes. The most recent posting discussed all the life lessons learned in your 30 years of being alive. Turning 30 so soon as I am (soon being within 6 months) doesn't scare me as much as it makes me grateful for what I have learned.

Here are the 10 Life Lessons they posted AND I agree with all of them.

#1: Let it go.
#2: It's really not about you.
#3: Others have gone through the same problems that you have today.
#4: Enjoy it now. Get over your own bullshit and enjoy the little moments.
#5: Power of Persistence. Never give up. 
#6: I get it now when people talk about having a passion as a requirement for excellence. Do what you love and you will succeed. 
#7: Relationships can be your greatest teacher.
#8: Don't sleep on the power of the internet. Not sure this is terribly important but basically the fact that we rely on the internet for everything makes the playing field more equalized. It is all about how you present yourself. 
#9: Don't be a "put off" person. Don't put off your own happiness. It will never be the perfect time.
#10: What you say/write is your own lesson. Reflect. 


Source

Quotes of the Day: Sir Isaac Newton Edition

Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian. He is considered by many scholars to be one of the most influential people in the history of the world.


“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.”

“We build too many walls and not enough bridges.”

"No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess."

"I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people."

Inspiration & Quotes taken from here.

Little Things

I took a few days off from being online at home. I noticed I would just get carried away doing stuff, checking email, looking up recipes and then before I knew it, it was midnight and I had to get up early the next morning! It was like detox: super strange and felt like I should be doing something else instead of sitting here watching "Three's Company" DVDs. It was good though because I leisurely read a magazine I received three weeks ago AND actually went to bed at a decent time.

However, all this fabulous ignoring of the internet meant I didn't update any little things to be thankful for! Even in my incredibly overwhelming week, there are definitely little things that remind me life is good.....

• Looking out my kitchen window while waiting for the water to boil and seeing the sunrise breaking through heavy fog.
• Kiwis. Seriously though, these are delicious and I forgot about the crazy about of Vitamin C.
• Incredibly patient advisers and students baring with me this week as I learn.
• Getting graduate assistant business cards. No specific name but...well....GA pretty much is my name, title, and occupation.
• Snail mail. I swear it has to be one of the best things that I am worried will become obsolete one day. 
• Cinnamon almonds from Trader Joe's. 

Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.  ~George Eliot

25 Days of The Little Things

In desperation to find comfortable yet professional pants this morning, I tried on an old pair that I thought I had grown out of. Turns out they are comfier than most of the pants I have! Thank goodness. Perfect length for boots and make my butt like nice as well. These pair, along with a Gap curvy style grey pinstripe pant that I picked up at Value World for $4.80 over the weekend, are helping along my little wardrobe of decent clothing.

w00t for that!

Ann Arbor Picture Post

I finally got a good opportunity to explore a little piece of Ann Arbor over the weekend. I knew I wanted to make it to the farmer's market but once I was out and about, I just kept wanting to walk some more! It was cold so a hot beverage was a must. And donuts.

Blueberry Donut

Apple Donut

I stopped by Zingerman's, an institution in Ann Arbor, for a quick snack and something warm to drink. A roasted garlic bagel with cream cheese and a cafe latte was perfect. The cute man behind the bread counter that chatted with me for a few minutes didn't hurt a bit!

 I ended up walking down to the Fourth and Fifth Street areas where there are little shops and restaurants. It was a gorgeous day!

And one more for the road...

Veg, veggies, vegetables....

I finally made it over to the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market yesterday and was excited by all the produce to be seen. It was a crazy cold day but I felt good wandering around and deciding which things to buy and what I could make with them. I have all these recipes in my head from things I have seen on other blogs but so hard to figure out what looks good and what I will actually make while staring at perfectly purple eggplants and a hearty bunch of beets.

In order for me to really remember what I have, I usually have my fruits and vegetables out on the table like

This is so that I encourage myself to use everything up before it goes bad. I see the bananas getting more and more ripe and know that I need to get on the ball there. I saw a bad Clementine tonight so took them all out and lined them up across the table. I had kiwis during a presentation last week and fell instantly in love. How did I not love them before now? Crazy, I know, but I had two this morning and they are amazing.

Same deal in the fridge about making everything easy to see

That lovely eggplant is chillin' (oh, bad pun, right?) near some zucchini, beets, romaine lettuce, carrots and a bag of huge purple grapes. All of this is just so pretty! I need to find interesting ways to use them all though. The beets are going to be roasted cause that is my favorite but also thinking of a layered veggie lasagna type of dish. There is tofu hiding in one of the bins so that will be incorporated.

One last shout-out for these HUMONGOUS honeycrisp apples from a local farm. This picture doesn't do it justice because the apple is roughly the side of a grapefruit!

Tonight for dinner, I roasted the delicata squash, baby carrots and red potatoes in the oven for about 45 minutes. While those were cooking away, I threw in some turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's for the last 20 minutes. It was the perfect dinner!

Oh, Pumpkin Bread

In an effort to decrease my sugar intake, I haven't been buying any "sweets" like I did during the month of October. I never used to buy that stuff but turned to Peanut M&Ms and candy corn quite a bit last month. I am going back to my old ways where if I do want a treat I have to make it. 


So tonight I wanted something yummy and satisfying. I ate really well today (all 7 servings of fruits/vegs) and had some pumpkin puree left in the fridge. I totally knew I shouldn't have bought the big can of Libby's pumpkin puree (not pie filling, people!) because I can never use it all up fast enough no matter how much oatmeal and yogurt I throw it into. Enter in: pumpkin bread. (Dun, dun, dun!)


I found a great and easy recipe over on Two Peas and their Pod for Nutella Pumpkin Bread but I didn't want to have any chocolate in it so I went simple and accidentally vegan too!

____________________________________________________

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

Pumpkin Nutella Bread
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used 3/4 whole wheat pastry flour, 1 regular flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar (Went a little less on the sugar)
1/2 cup canola oil (substituted applesauce)
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs (used chia egg. For 1 egg combine 1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water, let sit for at least 5 minutes til all goopy and jelly)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (omitted)
8 tablespoons Nutella (2 tablespoons per mini loaf) (didn't have but looks good!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside. (I used two regular sized loaf pans)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and extracts. Whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pans, making sure batter is evenly divided. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto each loaf pan. Swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin batter with a knife. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Place the loaf pans on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then carefully remove the loaves. Cool completely before slicing.

*Note-You can make regular size loaves. This recipe should make 2 8×4 loaves. Adjust baking time to about 60 minutes.

___________________________________________________

The bread is still baking but I can tell you the batter is delicious! It was safe since I used the chia egg and I am excited to see how the bread turned out considering my substitutions. I plan on freezing one of the loaves so I don't feel pressured to eat it before it goes bad. Anyone else ever do that? Eat everything fast since it might go bad? 

This also doubles for my little thing to be thankful for: making fresh bread, getting my homework done, and soon to be enjoying bread while watching some internet "TV." Have an excellent night!

25 Days of The Little Things

I had a lovely day despite being tired and lacking proper nutrients.

Great things in life never, ever have to be grandiose or elaborate.

A perfectly made cafe latte.
A homemade apple donut.
An amazing sunset.
Finding a perfect outfit at a thrift store.
Finally making it to the Post Office to get a wonderful package from Portland!

Smiles from strangers and having the sun warm you up on a cold, cold, cold day.

25 Days of The Little Things

Is it okay if these are ridiculous?

• Free bagels and cream cheese at the Friday staff meetings. Despite the fact that I woke up 10 minutes before said meeting began, those amazing bagels held me through the morning. 

• My favorite pants from Target. I bought these denim, pin-stripped trousers on clearance about a year ago and they are absolutely my favorite thing in my closet. They make my butt look mighty nice.

• Pepsi Max. Caffeine. It helped me get through my last year of undergrad AND today. 

• Getting my car loan bill and realizing that by the end of this year, I won't be getting it anymore! I can see the end! 

And on a "the BIG things" note:

• I love knowing the people that are there for me and making a place in my heart for all the new people I have met. 

Tomorrow: Pictures perhaps? Farm fresh veggies? Will April actually find a coffee table or a dining room chair for little to no money? Oh, the intrigue!

Enthusiasm!!

I wish we all had this kind of self-confidence and zest for life! I don't know if I necessarily encourage you all to stand on your bathroom counters BUT I do encourage you to stand in the mirror and list all the things you love with wild crazinesss!

Jessica's Daily Affirmations

25 Days of The Little Things

So, I am bad and forgot to post yesterday BUT I thought about all sorts of good things!

Yesterday's little things:

• Only needed a oil change (for now) which I was worrying I would need much more expensive work done to car
• Found $2!!
• Went grocery shopping and grabbed a bunch of colorful fruits and vegetables including some local HUMONGOUS Honeycrisp apples.
• Had lunch with new buddies and continued gossiping and gabbing all the way through a professional development session AND through class.
• The people in my program are pretty fun and I have the Facebook conversation to prove it!
• Have a partner for my final project in one class and I am thankful it is something that I like.

Today's little things:

• Actually advised two students while being evaluated. It should have been more students but there was a lot going on today and I am absolutely exhausted and loving it!
• My hair looks cute since I curled it with my straightening iron.
• I had a delicious breakfast of vanilla yogurt with a scoop of pumpkin, chia seeds, and Go Crunch! clusters. 
• Got my Netflix movie for the weekend: Get Him to Greek. Very excited!

Hope you all are finding things to be thankful for!

25 Days of The Little Things

This is a completely silly one but.....http://dogs.icanhascheezburger.com/

It always makes me laugh or "awwwww" and it makes my heart warm. I don't have pets so I must live vicariously through other people.