Viva La Vista!

I ventured out into downtown Columbia to take part in one of the most popular events, Viva La Vista. This is an all-day food extravaganza where restaurants feature several small dishes and treats and for just a few tokens, you can try a ton of great options! I spent $13 in tokens and it was very much worth it.




Savory:
Corned Beef Mini Reubens from Jason's Deli: these were amazing (hence, I ate too fast to photography)! I am always looking for a good, solid reuben sandwich and the beef on this wasn't dry or fatty. The caraway seed bread was a perfect compliment to the beef, sauerkraut, cheese, and sauce.

Garlic Parmesan Fries with Spicy Aioli Sauce from Gervais & Wine. I am a sucker for a good fry (hell, even a mediocre fry) and these were were good but nothing special. The garlic parmesan dusting on top was nice, if not a bit salty, but the sauce really made the fries special overall. I also grabbed a spicy Belnheim  ginger ale (option of spicy or really spicy) that truly lived up to its name. It was the epitome of what ginger should be and was perfectly refreshing.

Sweet:
I knew I wanted to wait until I was leaving to grab a few sweet options, possibly the Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt. However, as I was wandering around to see what would be the best bang for my bucks (tokens), I saw words "french macroons" and made a mental note. I had missed this treat since being in Portland! Upon approaching the table of Lady Antoinette's Pastries, Cakes, and Eats (coming to Columbia in a few weeks), I saw the biggest macroons I had ever seen! They were the size of baseballs and only three tokens. So worth it! The raspberry macroon itself wasn' too sweet and the vanilla creme was also quite subtle which made everything work together perfectly. There was also a small drizzle of raspberry sauce on the side which was nice. To give you an idea of how big this thing was, it was a five-biter. Oh yeah. I am still drooling over this picture...

 

I had one measly token left as I made my way back to the car so I perused the menu and saw there were mini cupcakes from Cupcake offered. I snagged a Salted Caramel Chocolate and then proceeded to sit down and devour my sweets. Upon looking at the mini cupcake, I worried the chocolate cake would be a vessel for the toppings but instead it was rich, moist (oy, hate that word) and just chocolatey enough. Perfect two-bite treat.

Besides the food there was amazing music! I caught a little bit of indie rock band,  The Fishing Journal, and was pleasantly surprised to really, really love the band Death of Paris. There first song was great and although I needed to keep walking (humidity kills!) I looked them up on Facebook and might end up catching their show in a few weeks.

Overall, great event. I am bummed that I didn't also hit up the Italian Festival that was happening a few blocks over but I was technically already operating outside of my budget for the weekend. I am glad the weather held out today AND I found a local pastry place to get macroons!

Wiz Khalifa, Sweetness?

I don't know a lot about Wiz Khalifa besides that he is a rapper that likes his pot but he has been quoted as saying some of the most sweet, honest, and real things. The following are quotes about his relationship with his girlfriend, model Amber Rose, and their impending parenthood:

“I love my baby. She’s gorgeous and it makes me look even cooler when I show how much I love her to other people… When I met Amber, she loved me for who I was. I had some money, but it was like to pay my bills and literally set myself up for a future. But I was wearing the same camo shorts and high-tops and Chucks. But she liked my swag and she liked me for who I was and I wasn’t afraid of that… She didn’t wanna date any entertainers or anybody in the business. She didn’t know who she wanted to be with, but she knew who she didn’t wanna be with.”

 "The most important thing is knowing that she is there and I have to tend to my babies. This is my first child ever in life. I gotta go hard at everything. As hard as I go in the studio, I gotta go just as hard taking care of my baby and making sure she’s alright, and I’m spending time with her and she doesn’t feel neglected.”

And some popular quotes on the internetz from Wiz:

 

Oh Yeah, Friday!

  It's that time again...

1.  My first memory is     playing in my neighborhood in Medford, Oregon. I had a lot of friends who lived on my block so we would play and cause a ruckus often.

2.  My first love was  man, are we talking first innocent love or first ridiculous, complicated love? Both occurred in high school and one of them still haunts me today :)

3.  My very first favorite color was    yikes...I really don't remember if I had a favorite color. I know I adored my Rainbow Brite doll and her Sprites so perhaps I wasn't as picky back then.

4. The first time I really felt like a "grown-up" was when    buying my car was a very big deal. I had my friend come with me and although I had a lot of help from my employers and their connections at the time, I felt like I was really making a huge commitment most financially and personally. It has since then been paid off at least!

5. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is  think about how much longer I can still sleep without being late, what I want to wear, what the schedule is, and if I will need to allow extra time to buy coffee. I usually curse the fact that I didn't go to bed earlier.

6. The first CD (cassette tape, record, etc...) I ever bought was   it was either Debbie Gibson, Vanilla Ice, or M.C. Hammer. I had/have eclectic tastes, obviously.

7.  My first car was  1977 Ford Mustang II. Please take special note of the II since it was not fancy but instead the odd eyesore of a teal body with white vinyl on top. I was very lucky to have a car in high school though so besides the times that it wouldn't start and left me stranded, I appreciated it greatly.

Happy Friday Y'all! 

Quotes of the Day: Lao Tzu Edition

 A little history lesson for the morning

 Lao Tzu was born around the year 604 B.C. in Louyang, China to the name Li Erh with a head of completely white hair. The was the name Lao Tzu given to him later on in life when he worked for the King of Zhou in Louyang as the keeper of the imperial archives. It translates to mean "The Old Master." It seems that through is experiences working with kings and government, he realized he would not be able to find satisifaction with his life the way it was. He left town and moved along the China border towards Tibet.

Upon reaching the border, a guard stopped him. That guard asked him to record his teaching because he knew that Lau Tzu would not return. Lau Tzu decided for three days to compose a book of all his wisdom. The book was an amazing 5250 word two-sectioned piece of literature named The Tao Te Ching, meaning The Book of The Way. After Writing the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu disappeared into the wilderness and was never seen again. (Source)

Quotations 

 

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.

Take This on Faith.

I saw this on another blog posting and thought I would pass it along. 

Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold
The holding of plans or dreams or expectations
Let it all go.
Save your strength to swim with the tide.
The choice to fight what is here before you now will only result
In struggle, fear and desperate attempts to flee from
the very energy you long for.
Let it go. Let it all go and
Flow with the grace that washed through your days
Whether you received it gently or with all your quills raised to defend against invaders.
Take this on faith:
The mind may never find the explanations that it seeks
But you will move forward nonetheless.
Let go and the wave’s crest will carry you to unknown shores beyond your wildest dreams or destinations.
Let it all go and find the place
Of rest and peace and certain transformation.

- Danna Faulds

My Favorite Taco Pizza

This is a recipe from a place I used to work at throughout high school and college, Papa's Pizza. It is a little more "fancy" but the recipes can easily be recreated at home. Other favorites are their BBQ chicken and the veggie pizza that includes pesto, broccoli and plenty of garlic.

And it goes a little something like this....

Start with a pizza crust of any kind

Spread a decent layer of refried beans on as the sauce

Add cooked ground meat (I used turkey) and onions, if like

I love, love olives.

Throw the pizza in the oven until the cheese is all melty and the crust is crisp. When cooked, generously sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top then add taco toppings that you like; I use shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and shredded cheddar cheese. Slice it on up and serve with salsa, ranch or sour cream. So, so good!

The pizza isn't the greatest for leftovers so I highly recommend eating your heart out!

fill in the blank friday.

Taking my cues from Lauren at the little things we do. I love, love her blog and her little Portland family. 

1.  Right now the weather where I live is absolutely perfect. The humidity died down, the temperatures are warm enough during the day and cool down quickly at night. I've left the windows open for the last few days and turned off the A/C. I get much better sleep now! 

2.  The best piece of advice I've been given is  My mom has told me that there isn't a point in worrying cause eventually it will all work out, especially in terms of money. I don't always believe that but I try. The best piece of advice I have learned over time is to trust my instincts. 

3.  My most favorite person in all the world is  I don't know if I necessarily have a favorite person in the world. Is that bad? I adore a handful of people so it would be terribly difficult to pick just one. 

4. If I were to have a "mission statement" for my life, it would be    Find happiness and love. Do the best for others.  Don't be afraid to love fully. 

5. My most favorite item in my closet is  I have a few but I would have to say my dark blue lace skirt. Every time I wear it, I feel pretty, feminine, and adult. So rare!

6. The best cure for a bad day is  Exercise or drowning my sorrows in 90's reruns.

7.  Today is  almost tomorrow.

Free Will Astrology: See Yourself

Aries Horoscope for week of September 13, 2012

 

You will never be able to actually gaze upon your own face. You may of course see a reasonable likeness of it in mirrors, photos, and videos. But the real thing will always be forever visible to everyone else, but not you. I think that's an apt symbol for how hard it is to get a totally objective view of your own soul. No matter how sincere you may be in your efforts to see yourself clearly, there will always be fuzziness, misapprehensions, and ignorance. Having said that, though, I want you to know that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to see yourself better than ever before.

--------------------------------------------

 

See, some skillz!

Some may ask why I post these horoscopes on my blog. Simply, they give some great insight and make me think about things. Most people don't believe in horoscopes and while I think they are fun to think about, they are a chance to provide some introspection or maybe even some perspective on a situation. I've had a lot of "soul searching" (to use the cheesiest term) lately and am still processing a lot. I have people in my life that I care about deeply but am no where near. I care about people that are kind of in my life but have yet to prove that they want to stay. I can safely say that I have no idea what I want right now. I am waiting for time to show me the truth.

 

Per the horoscope, I am desperately hoping to see myself better; my flaws, my strengths, my wants, and my needs. I can realize what I try to be but the actual reaction and effects are not always known to me. I try to be a good friend but often don't feel like I try enough or that I am relying too heavily on some people because I have come to trust them the most. I also recently found out just how deep my trust issues run....even at 31 years old I am finding out things about myself! I try to do my job and do it well but there is still a large, deep, overwhelming learning curve, which happens at most positions, that I am trying to overcome.

 

Each time I move I learn something new about myself. In Michigan, I learned that I am much stronger, more independent, and more capable than I ever thought possible. So far, in South Carolina, I am finding out that I desperately want to be settled and have structure in my life that includes others. I am tired to being the adult, the person who knows everything and can handle everything. I love that I have the ability to figure things out for myself and be strong but it takes a toll on me that it is always me moving, re-establishing roots, and creating relationships. I would love to see myself in a more honest, brutal light that can lead me towards understanding of what I want my life to be.

Life Lately, In Pictures

Intriguing, aren't I? Hope y'all had a good weekend!

This Week...Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks...Thursday? I just feel like doing a post and my head stop hurting finally after three days! I know it is temporary and I need another dose of the happy stuff but still, here's something:


Smell that makes me smile: fresh cut grass and a guy's cologne.

My go-to sick foods: saltines, diet ginger ale, bananas, orange juice.

My go-to happy foods: mac & cheese (preferably Spongebob Squarepants), Silk Almond Milk Dark Chocolate, pizza with pineapple and olives.

Favorite author as of right now: Jonathan Tropper. I have three of his books and read "Everything Changes" in two days.

Oddest sensation: Missing Michigan. I don't think it is the state I am missing but rather the people and my old job...oddly enough. I also just might be missing my grad classes....maybe.

Newest television show obsession: The Vampire Diaries.

Biggest pet peeves of this week: Lack of parking in general, existence of traffic, the fact that all the younger girls wear workout shorts every single day. Kudos to them for working out but...put on some real clothes!

What about you all? What are your biggest pet peeves of the week? What about your go-to sick foods?

Free Will Astrology: Time is Slipping Away

Aries Horoscope for week of September 6, 2012

 

Life tests you all the time. Sometimes its prods and queries are hard and weird; they come at you with non-stop intensity. On other occasions the riddles and lessons are pretty fun and friendly, and provide you with lots of slack to figure them out. In all cases, life's tests offer you the chance to grow smarter, both in your head and heart. They challenge you to stretch your capacities and invite you to reduce your suffering. Right now, oddly enough, you have some choice in what kinds of tests you'd prefer. Just keep in mind that the more interesting they are, the bigger the rewards are likely to be.

Life's testing me, oh that it is!

A New Month

Now that it is officially a brand new month, I would love to set some goals and actually make some progress in life. It is no surprise per my many prior blog entries that the last few months have been challenging. I can't pinpoint WHAT the hell is going on but here, it is a new month and I can hope for better things to (be)come.

So far since moving to South Carolina, I have tried the socializing, dating, getting my apartment to feel like home, establish a semi-healthy daily routine, and get used to my new job position. All of those things have been a struggle but instead on focusing on entire life "big picture oh my goodness overwhelming kind of want to puke" goals, perhaps I should take some serious baby steps and be realistic. Let's see what is possible...

One Day: Pinterest

1. Dating. Put on hold temporarily until I get my head straight. You know that saying that you can't expect someone else to love you if you don't love yourself"? Well, let's start there. Don't be so damn hard on myself everyday and instead make progress in being a healthier, happier person overall.

2. The Fashion. I have an incredibly limited budget but the ladies here seem to dress with a simplicity and ease that I have yet to master. I hope to make my closet a bit more lady-like and professional while still maintaining my tight budget. Outfits like these are my goal.

  

 3. The Health Factor. I don't consider myself the most unhealthy person ever but improvements definitely need to be made. I have a 5k coming in October that I would like to not suffer through and I also want to have more energy overall to be active. I actually had planned a hike this weekend but with the heat and humidity so high and my lack of knowledge about the area, I didn't trust myself going it alone. I have upped my vitamins and lowered my little indulgences to better resemble my diet last year when I lost 15lbs. and right before I started working out consistently. Now to move and drink more water. Not hard, right??

4. Sleep. Have the new bed set up but basically crash into it every night. I used to have this great bedtime routine of reading or doing a Sudoku puzzle right before falling asleep to help clear the chaos in my head, which I desperately miss.

5. Happiness. I need to do the things that used to make me happy but I haven't done for a while. All of my crafting/artsy goodness is in Michigan but I have a fun bedroom project in mind. I used to stay at the bookstore for hours looking through magazines and new fiction. I went thrift store shopping only spending a few dollars but coming home with great things. Walking in my neighborhood and gawking at the ridiculously gorgeous Southern homes (couldn't do that in Ypsi!). Baking and cooking. Sending little notes in the mail. Going on long drives.

We'll do a check in at the end of the month to see what progress was made!

Quotes of the Day: Trust.

Pinterest Link

Just a little early Sunday morning thinking...

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. 

--Steve Jobs 

 Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson 

There's as much crookedness as you want to find. There was something Abraham Lincoln said - he'd rather trust and be disappointed than distrust and be miserable all the time. Maybe I trusted too much. 

--John Wooden 

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. 

--Ernest Hemingway