7.31.2012

Bridal Shower

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Brad’s cousin is marrying the cutest, sweetest little lady I ever did meet. I’ve only known Rebecca a little while, but it’s hard not to fall right in love with her. I am so excited to watch her and Shawn, Brad’s cousin, get married in October. They are truly best friends and it is so great to see a couple that lovely and happy come together for the long haul. Until then, it was fun celebrating her upcoming nuptials at this extremely beautiful bridal shower. Rebecca works on party/wedding planning, so it was no surprise that every detail was handled impeccably.
And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a fun gal who knows how to throw a good party.

Delicious food, peach sangria, a raffle (I actually won a “Beer Basket,” an Igloo cooler filled with some Leinenkugel brews, a pack of cards, some dice, and Koozies for both cans and bottles…all good things!) and the sweetest Pre-Newlywed game. Thumbs up all around!

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From the top:
Me with the bride-to-be and Brad’s mom.
A table decorated with bamboo plants and candles floating in water filled with pebbles.
The delicious drink special, a peach sangria.
The fun menu (the food was amazing!!!).
Our favors: A mini bamboo plant and a jar of s’mores goodies.
Bubble lights and bridal tapestries.
Rebecca with some of her bridal party, giving a beautiful speech.
A HUGE sweets table with different goodies from friends and family.
During their Pre-Newlywed game, when asked who is smarter, they both said the other! Such a sweet moment.
The cute centerpiece at the bridal party table.

I can’t help but take notes for my future wedding. I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon, but weddings are a beautiful thing and it’s nice to daydream about. And of course, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the subject.
One day…

7.30.2012

Weekend

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This picture is the most accurate portrayal of this past weekend.
Yesterday was super busy (a bridal shower, a wake, and a church bazaar all in one day), but I worked Saturday and spent the rest of the day napping on and off, finishing my book, and eating 3 cotton candy popsicles (Philly Swirl SwirlStix…$1 for a box on sale!).

I have a bunch of pictures to share of the bridal shower I attended, and a few other things throughout the week, but I figured I’d ease into this week with a simple post. It’s been 3 weeks since I worked on a Saturday, and I forgot how terribly annoying it is.
Especially when you literally only have half a day to yourself without plans (no matter how fun those plans may be!). 
I'm bummed that it’s Monday already, but I’ll be counting down the days ‘til the next weekend and enjoying what I can of the days!

Have a happy Monday!

7.27.2012

Dinner Last Night: Turkey Tacos and Tornado Warnings

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My sister had a bit of a tough week, so I decided to let her choose what we’d be having for dinner last night. I don’t even know why I bothered, because I knew it would be tacos. Don’t get me wrong, I love making (and eating) tacos, but I’ve been having fun coming up with things from scratch. I suppose I could make tacos from scratch but…those boxes are so damn easy!!!

I did take it upon myself to add my own little twists and turns to the meal. For starters, I got ground turkey instead of beef or chicken. I make sure to get 2 lbs of whatever meat I’m using, and two boxes of the dinner. We are big eaters at the house. I got both hard and soft shells. I decided to get some refried beans and create a “double decker” taco like they have at Taco Bell. Refried beans are spread on a soft shell and you wrap that around your hard shell filled with whatever the heck you want. I also made another batch of guacamole. I’m getting pretty good at it, and it’s incredibly tasty. I also bought a Rice Side of Mexican rice and added black beans to it for a side.
I try to make sure no one goes hungry. And I think I done good.

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As for the tornado warning…we were hit with a pretty bad storm in NEPA. We don’t get tornados around here really, so the warning was scary. I always stop at the grocery store after work to pick up my dinner ingredients on Thursdays. The skies were still clear, not as foreboding as it would become. My mom and sister kept calling, though, and insisting I’d get home as soon as possible. I really wanted to pick up some
Bud Light Lime to drink while I cooked/ate, and the bummer is none of our grocery stores have little beer sections like they do in Kingston/Wilkes-Barre area. I was prepared to cut my losses, since my family wanted me home in order to miss the storm, but I realized I would be passing a beer distributer. I decided to duck in, grab what I wanted, and leave.

The only problem was, that’s when the storm decided to start. As the woman behind the counter was ringing up my purchase, a massive gust of wind blew both the entrance and exit doors open, and fliers and signs flew everywhere. They wouldn’t close on their own. So the other shoppers helped close the doors before everything got whipped and wet and the woman locked the doors. Just because I needed beer so bad, I ended up getting locked in a beer store with a bunch of strangers for about 10 minutes, waiting for the storm to calm down. Once I was finally able to leave, it was still torrential, but the wind had calmed down. As I was driving, I passed so many branches and bunches of the trees that had come down on the road and nearly hydroplane on rushing water and puddles. It was scary, but I think the beer store kind of saved my life. What’s to say I wouldn’t have been at the wrong place at the wrong time, getting my car whipped around and hit with tree branches? It’s silly, but my craving for a crappy beer kept me out of danger? Though being locked in a store wasn’t exactly…comfortable.

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Needless to say, my family was a little scared.
But once I came home with the beer, everyone took one and we were happy to be home together, safe and sound.

7.26.2012

Diana Mini Double Shots

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Finally got another roll of Diana Mini film developed. It’s been so long. This roll had pictures from last OCTOBER for Pete’s sake.
I really need to use all of my cameras more. And I need to be more consistent, methinks. Though it is pretty cool to see the random mini shots I take that end up side-by-side. Some are completely compatible, and others make no sense. That’s the fun of analog.

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7.25.2012

A List of Favorites: Redux

 

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Once upon a time, I followed in the footsteps of another blogger and posted a list of little favorite things at the moment. That same blogger went ahead and did it again two years later, to see if anything had changed. So I figured I’d be a copycat once again and test myself as well…

My favorite letter is (still) M.
My favorite numbers are 27 & (still) 19.
My favorite color is every color mustard.
My favorite flowers are lilies not flowers, but succulents.
My favorite place is (still) wherever I am when the sun is shining and I’m surrounded by people I love and everything feels right.
My favorite animals are (still) elephants.
My favorite smell is cinnamon and baked goods coffee.
My favorite season is summer late summer-early fall.
My favorite food is mostly from the Chinese buffet Szechwan-style green beans and tacos. 
My favorite show is Misfits (though I still love all the others I listed).
My favorite candies are Swedish Fish and Lindor Truffles.
My favorite movie is Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Or Black Swan. 
My favorite time is 5:19 4:40 PM (5:40 PM on Fridays).
My favorite bands are Radiohead and Minus the Bear (I don’t even listen to Kings of Leon anymore).
My favorite drink is ice cold water or an Arnold Palmer.
My favorite book (currently) is Looking for Alaska by John Green. (I started obsessively reading.) 
My favorite word is bodega.
My favorite thing is love.

7.24.2012

Recent Reads: Gone Girl

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Welcome to a new feature on the blog…Recent Reads!
At least, I want it to be a continuous thing. I’ll showcase noteworthy books I’ve recently read (obviously)
and let ya know if I feel you should take the time out to read them or not!

I’m starting with Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. I first heard of the book the way I hear about most books these days…my favorite magazine Entertainment Weekly. They gave it a rave review, and shrouded the story in enough intrigue and mystery to get me curious. The thing is, this book would be categorized as a Mystery/Crime Thriller, something I don’t usually read. But I was willing to open my mind and check out this bestseller. I purchased the actual hardcover (it was only a dollar more than buying it on the Kindle) and deemed it my vacation read.

I can’t even begin to explain the story to anyone who wants to know. And I believe you should read the book knowing as little as possible going in (I also believe you should read this book). I will give you the gist: On the 5th wedding anniversary of Nick and Amy, Nick comes home to find an open door, the house in disarray, and his wife missing. As things go these days, it is often that the finger pointing aims at the husband. The story is told in alternating perspectives – Nick’s present day experiences in the investigation of his missing wife, and Amy through old diary pages…and that’s all I’m going to say!

This book hooked me with the first paragraph. And that’s hard to find sometimes. I read it every spare moment I got and finished it within the week of vacation (I probably would’ve finished it sooner, but I also wanted to have a life and do activities!). There’s so much that goes into this story, it’s hard to believe only one person wrote it, considering the two narratives. It’s a brilliant book and I just want everyone to read it so I finally have someone to talk about it!

I declare this book a Must-Read!

7.23.2012

48 Hours to Celebrate

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What a happy weekend filled with love and celebration!
Let me break it down for ya…

Friday was my friend Lauren’s birthday. She planned a little gathering for it on Saturday, but I went over with a bottle of wine and watched the ickiest movie ever and got crazy wine drunk with my favorite housemates. On Saturday, I got to witness two friends (who have been dating 9 years, the bride being a friend of mine since 5th grade) get married. It was so lovely and also surreal. People I know are starting to get married! I mean, we all saw it coming and I couldn’t be happier for them! But I just can’t believe I’m at that stage. It’s exciting and weird.
After the wedding, I headed back to Kingston for Lauren’s birthday party. Her parents decorated the deck with all kinds of beautiful garden furniture, candles, lamps, and lights. It was the perfect way to celebrate one of my bestest friends in the whole world.

I have been truly blessed and lucky to have an excellent summer this year. I have great friends who all get along, especially with my boyfriend and my sister! Which is super important and awesome for me. I couldn’t be happier.
It’s always sad to say goodbye to a weekend, but I can’t stay sad long. I just know there are more great days to come.

Here’s to a stress-free week!

7.20.2012

Dinner Last Night (AKA Green Bean Queen)

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This was my first time cooking again in a couple of weeks. I was craving after my guacamole experience. I’m loving the process of cooking and creating more and more. This meal was easy to make, but I still got my hands dirty and perfected my favorite veggie.
Last week, I bought a bunch of fresh green beans at the Farmer’s Market and couldn’t wait to do something with them. I knew they were gonna be my veggie, but I didn’t know what else to make. I decided on crispy baked chicken tenders and some mac and cheese (from Kraft, with the squeezy cheese…so good). The baked chicken was tasty. I love the process of coating the chicken. I added a bunch of spices to the flour and used panko crumbs to add a good crunch. I baked the chicken for about 30 minutes on 375. It stayed juicy but I didn’t have to worry about salmonella (I’m still learning how to cook chicken comfortably).

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But the deal is, I love making green beans. After having fresh veggies, it’s hard to go back to steamed, boring frozen vegetables.
I prefer to sauté my green beans with olive oil and chopped garlic. I add some salt, but I also added a squeeze of honey. They got nice and crispy but soaked in all the lovely flavors. So, not to toot my own horn but…TOOT. Everyone in my family loves them, too. My mom even said that she’d be completely content just eating tons of green beans on top of some rice. There are never enough!

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In other news, it’s Friday! I survived my first full week after vacation. And it wasn’t so bad.

Tomorrow, one of my oldest friends is marrying her man of 9 years. I can’t believe it! We’ve grown so much since they first started dating and now they are getting married! I’m 25, people I know are starting to get engaged and married and maybe have kids eventually (eek!).
I’m not ready for all this stuff! But I’m excited to start celebrating all the love!
I’m also excited to celebrate my friend Lauren’s 25 birthday!
Life is so good lately.

Have a great weekend everyone!

7.19.2012

Making Me Happy Right Now…

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Yummy flavored iced coffees. (Toasted Marshmallow? Almond? Tiramisu? Bring it on!!)
Laughing until I’m in pain, crying, coughing.
Ice Cream sundaes with pretzel sticks. BRILLIANT.
Always having a stack of books so that I never go long without something to read.
Silly nicknames for all my friends.
Using a terrible British accent 90% of the time I talk (I’m just so addicted to Misfits).
Mexican food! ALL THE TIME. On Thursday, I had it for dinner. And then I had it for every meal on Friday. And I made my own guacamole last night. I just crave it constantly.
Pandora’s Chillwave station. Perfect summer jams for lazy nights on porches.
Buying people presents and treats…even though I don’t have much money to do it.
Cooking. It’s becoming a more comfortable thing for me. I’ve strayed from recipes more, trying my own thing. Picking pieces of recipes I like and adding or subtracting to make it my own. And how that little mess in the picture above made something amazing.

7.18.2012

Etsy Lust List

Oh, Etsy…how I love thee. If only I had the money to buy all the adorable things I find on this fantastic site.
I feel bad that there are still people who don’t know the wonders of Etsy.

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I have always loved rock-and-roll tank tops, with arm holes so wide you could show off a fun floral bra or shiny bandeau. You can make your own, which is mighty crafty and cool, or you could check out So You Think You Can Rock?, an awesome shop I stumbled upon while looking through treasuries. It’s impossible to find something you wouldn’t like. They have all kinds of shapes and lengths, but this
classic Radiohead shirt caught my eye. Hard to choose just one shirt, though.

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I am not the watch-wearing type, and I don’t really need to check the time with my trust iPhone on me at all times, but this Double Faced Watch from Sodalex is utterly charming. I’d be staring at the time all day. Sodalex has a lot of beautiful pieces, but this one really stood out to me. I just might have to take this item for the lust list and put it in my jewelry collection.

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I love reading so much, I’d gladly wear my pride on my chest. And that’s easy to do with this adorable Leather Book Stack Necklace from Baggy Fitted. Once again, this shop is stacked with tons of adorable handmade goodies. I wish I could go to the Greenwich Market London on Saturdays and shop the stuff in person. I’ll have to settle for lusting for now…

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My love for Misfits is strong. I don’t know if you can consider it a love…it’s more an obsession, an addiction. I’m glad to say I’ve turned a few of my friends onto the show too, so we can butcher Cockney accents and make references all the live long day (much to everyone else’s annoyance). But I’m serious…WHY AREN’T YOU WATCHING THIS SHOW???? During a strong fit of obsession, I decided to search Etsy for cool handmade things by fans of the show. These dolls blew my mind. They are adorable and accurate. Dangercat Dolls has a small variety of dolls based on various other strong points of pop culture. These just happen to be my favorite.

That’s all ‘til next month!!

7.17.2012

Tipsy Tuesday

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Vacation Tuesday (seems so much longer than a week away) ended up being…pretty interesting. We started the day off sorta early, by vacation standards, and headed to Brad parents’ house to swim for a little with my friend (our friend) Lauren before she headed off to work at 2. It was fun floating and soaking in the sun (I definitely got my tan lines from that day), eating delicious hoagies for lunch, and listening to great music. After Lauren left, Brad and I ran a few errands and then immediately jumped into the pool afterwards. The interest part: I accidentally got a little tipsy. Like, I was floating in the pool, had a SkinnyGirl margarita and felt fine, then dried off to go inside the house and felt wobbly. It snuck up on me! We joined Brad’s parents for dinner (and some Summer Shandys) at a place called the Tipsy Turtle. It was delicious, and I polished off a quesadilla the size of a pizza without uttering a single syllable. By the time we got back to his parents’ house, I was face down on Brad’s childhood bed, fast asleep. Food and Shandy coma, for sure. But worth every second of it.

All photos taken using the Hipstamatic app. Bettie XL lens and Blanko Freedom13 film (for anyone interested).

7.16.2012

(Not) The End

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As this posts online, as you read this, I am sitting at work, staring at the clock, waiting for 4:40 PM once again.
It is so weird, and yet so predictable and normal. Strange because it’s sad but strange because it feels like what I’m supposed to be doing. Vacation was amazing, but it didn’t completely take me away from that daily duty, those responsibilities I can’t avoid.

All of the pictures in the tiles above are from the weekend alone. I had such a relaxing, lovely vacation. But I have amazing friends who make any day a billion times better. I’m sad that I can’t sleep in, or do whatever I want all day, relax and carry on stress-free. But Saturday and Sunday reminded me that I have great friends that make any moment better. This might be the end of my “vacation,” but it is mostly certainly not the end of fun, of all the good times, of summer or beyond.

7.12.2012

At the Farmer’s Market

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For starters, I do apologize about the lack of posting. I wanted to keep on top of everything, but each day has brought a new adventure. Both today and yesterday were focused on farmer’s markets. Wednesday = Hometown Auction, something I used to venture to nearly every week but has since turned to once a summer, thanks to my job. Today, we hit the Wilkes-Barre Farmer’s Market. I just love being outside, looking at fresh, locally grown produce, checking out little flea market knick-knacks, and eating excellent food. How can you argue with that?

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So many whoopie pies! You could buy 6 for 5$, so I did that! Yum.

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Love those handwritten signs.

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And in Wilkes-Barre…

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It was SO painfully hot today, we ducked into a local dive bar for a few tasty beers and waters.
And I rocked my new Jay McCarroll sunglasses the rest of the day.
Good times, my friends.

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All photos taken with my iPhone and edited with PictureShow.

7.10.2012

1st Day Fun

Today was our first “official” day of vacation. Like, we would’ve had Saturday and Sunday off anyway, so Monday would be the actual vacation! Like I mentioned before, we really don’t have any actual plans. Today was the day we tackled a few of the things we actually wanted to do, which means the rest of our week is seriously open. Tomorrow will probably be a swim, lounge, read, watch a movie day.

Today, we slept in. 9 hours of sleep. We were out. Like, we slept 2 hours past our alarm.
But that’s okay because we were up in enough time to get ready for the day, eat some breakfast, and head to the IMAX theater about 40 minutes away and catch the first IMAX 3D show of The Amazing Spider-Man. I will say, I liked it. The 3D was well-done, I have a massive crush on Andrew Garfield, and Emma Stone has poreless, perfect skin. Thank God we enjoyed ourselves.
It cost 31 bucks just to see a damn movie. Two of us. At a matinee. YEESH.
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How funny are the IMAX 3D glasses? We look like we should be going skiing.

Next, we headed to the bookstore and the mall for a bit of shopping. Couldn’t be done without the aid of a refreshing, cold coffee beverage.

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I got a yummy Almond iced coffee, and Brad got a S’mores frappe.

We headed to the casino for a teensy bit of gambling before dinner. The plan was to gamble 20 bucks a piece on the penny slots, but we always lose control (and we always lose each other, parting ways to feel out the machines). 20 turned into 50 very quickly (spending, not winning) and I was getting pretty discouraged. Until I sat down at this Wizard of Oz game, and before ya know it, I was coming out with a couple hundred bucks! This happened to me last vacation, too, which I’m extremely grateful for. I don’t have much money in general, let alone for vacation dilly-dallying. I’m glad I have a little extra spending money, or saving money, even.

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We ended the evening with an enormous, delicious dinner and a couple of glasses of wine at one of my favorite restaurants in the area. You can’t go hungry. Every entrée comes with a salad bar, a cup of soup, bread, veggies to share, a potato or pasta, and dessert! The prices are amazing and the service is excellent. I’m glad Brad’s mom gave us a Restaurants.com gift certificate.

All in all, it was an excellent day, vacation or not. I can’t see what tomorrow brings.