After a 3.5 month hiatus, I'm back!
I just received my internet install kit Friday, so I got it all set up last night. So I can get back to blogging soon! I'll make a real post asap. :)
Miss y'all bunches!
August 12, 2012
April 22, 2012
Work tests, ballet silliness, and apple dumplings!
This week has been:
♥ Making apple dumplings for the office.
♥ Trying mochi ice cream for the first time. Yum!
♥ Seeing my very first ballet.
♥ Realizing I'm too immature for the ballet.
♥ Getting my masquerade mask and shoes and new running shoes in the mail.
♥ Lots of fun thrifting finds.
♥ Passing my tech test with a 98! WOOO!
I'm so excited about passing that test! I was so terrified. I chatted with my old lead, Chris, to let him know that I passed, because he knew how nervous I was. And he let me know that I had a really good score. Yes! So I feel so much better about jumping into it next week. I get to take a little bit of time away from answering calls for the next 6 weeks to tackle tech tickets so I can get some practice and get more comfy. And I definitely need it!
I've been getting lots of help from some wonderful people at work. Anytime I get stumped, I just ask, and everyone's been so stinkin' helpful. I'm learning the signs of specific issues, how to find information about them, and what steps to take to troubleshoot. I feel like I have so much friendly support, so it makes me a little less nervous about going back to tickets for a bit. I'm not technical at all, so it just takes me quite a bit of time to figure out issues. So I'm hoping I can just speed it up a bit. Fingers crossed!
In not work-related news, I went to my first ballet! Katy, Autumn, Lauren, and I went out for yummy sushi beforehand, where I tried mango mochi ice cream. And I loved it!
Then we headed to the ballet. It was really pretty, but I just kept giggling at certain parts (see picture below), and then I fell asleep at one point. I wanted to appreciate it and love it so badly! But sadly, it does not seem to be for me. :( I just need constant action to keep my attention. So next time, we're doing the roller derby! I am so very refined, obviously.
When the curtain raised, this was waiting for us. This is just a picture from the pamphlet, and it seems innocent enough. But from far away and with the angle of his stance, how the item was placed was really, really silly. And he stood like that. Forever. Hence the giggling.
I got my new running shoes in the mail, and I'm so excited!
I've been trying to go walking at least 3 times a week for about 30 minutes or so. The biggest, most amazing cemetery is at the dead end by my house, and it's awesome for walking after work. It's seriously huge! And it's so lush and green and pretty. It's such a gorgeous atmosphere to just get lost in. Not to mention my obsession with graveyards and history, so it's perfect. And I joined the work gym, too, and I plan on going at least once or twice a week. So I'm super excited that these little babies were delivered!
Oh, and I also wanted to share my apple dumpling recipe! I know Rachel had asked, so here you go! :D
♥ Country Apple Dumplings ♥
2 large Granny Smith apples
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew
I try to use lighter options, so I use the following as substitutes:
Reduced fat Pillsbury crescent rolls
Land O Lakes light butter with canola oil (50% less fat and calories!)
Diet Mountain Dew
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside.
4. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
6. Pour over the apple dumplings.
7. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings. (I only use about a cup. It can get really liquidy if the whole bottle is used.)
8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
They're so yummy! Let me know if you try making these and how much you love 'em!
♥ Making apple dumplings for the office.
♥ Trying mochi ice cream for the first time. Yum!
♥ Seeing my very first ballet.
♥ Realizing I'm too immature for the ballet.
♥ Getting my masquerade mask and shoes and new running shoes in the mail.
♥ Lots of fun thrifting finds.
♥ Passing my tech test with a 98! WOOO!
I'm so excited about passing that test! I was so terrified. I chatted with my old lead, Chris, to let him know that I passed, because he knew how nervous I was. And he let me know that I had a really good score. Yes! So I feel so much better about jumping into it next week. I get to take a little bit of time away from answering calls for the next 6 weeks to tackle tech tickets so I can get some practice and get more comfy. And I definitely need it!
I've been getting lots of help from some wonderful people at work. Anytime I get stumped, I just ask, and everyone's been so stinkin' helpful. I'm learning the signs of specific issues, how to find information about them, and what steps to take to troubleshoot. I feel like I have so much friendly support, so it makes me a little less nervous about going back to tickets for a bit. I'm not technical at all, so it just takes me quite a bit of time to figure out issues. So I'm hoping I can just speed it up a bit. Fingers crossed!
In not work-related news, I went to my first ballet! Katy, Autumn, Lauren, and I went out for yummy sushi beforehand, where I tried mango mochi ice cream. And I loved it!
Then we headed to the ballet. It was really pretty, but I just kept giggling at certain parts (see picture below), and then I fell asleep at one point. I wanted to appreciate it and love it so badly! But sadly, it does not seem to be for me. :( I just need constant action to keep my attention. So next time, we're doing the roller derby! I am so very refined, obviously.
When the curtain raised, this was waiting for us. This is just a picture from the pamphlet, and it seems innocent enough. But from far away and with the angle of his stance, how the item was placed was really, really silly. And he stood like that. Forever. Hence the giggling.
I got my new running shoes in the mail, and I'm so excited!
I've been trying to go walking at least 3 times a week for about 30 minutes or so. The biggest, most amazing cemetery is at the dead end by my house, and it's awesome for walking after work. It's seriously huge! And it's so lush and green and pretty. It's such a gorgeous atmosphere to just get lost in. Not to mention my obsession with graveyards and history, so it's perfect. And I joined the work gym, too, and I plan on going at least once or twice a week. So I'm super excited that these little babies were delivered!
Oh, and I also wanted to share my apple dumpling recipe! I know Rachel had asked, so here you go! :D
2 large Granny Smith apples
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew
I try to use lighter options, so I use the following as substitutes:
Reduced fat Pillsbury crescent rolls
Land O Lakes light butter with canola oil (50% less fat and calories!)
Diet Mountain Dew
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside.
4. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
6. Pour over the apple dumplings.
7. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings. (I only use about a cup. It can get really liquidy if the whole bottle is used.)
8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
They're so yummy! Let me know if you try making these and how much you love 'em!
April 15, 2012
Masquerade work party!
Yes! That! My work is having their 10th anniversary party, and this year's theme is a masquerade! I've never been to a fancy work party, or a masquerade. A work party at CD Warehouse was us all drinking beer at Chili's. Ha! So I am beyond excited about this event! Can you tell by all of the exclamation points? They are very abundant! Very!
In all of this excitement, I've been racking my brain to figure out some cute ideas for my outfit and mask, so thought I would share my plans to get some opinions and input from you helpful friendlies!
♥ The Mask:
I've been searching high and low for the perfect mask. I wanted something pink and black and girly. But everything I've found is either the wrong shade of pink, or it's a little too big and boisterous with lots of feathers, or it's a little too plain. Or it's really super expensive. I just haven't been able to find a mask that just stole my heart. So I decided to decorate my own! And I decided that I wanted to get extra cutesy with it, so I ordered a plain white mask in the shape of a cat face, with little puffy cheeks and all. If you can't find the perfect one, make your own, right? So here's the nekkid mask that's headed my way:
My plan is to paint it black and then add some white and light mauvey pink stuff to match my dress. I'm still working on the design, but I know I want to put pink roses and maybe a few feathers along the top or sides! I might even try to add some whiskers to those cute little cheeks, too. I plan on making a Hobby Lobby trip next weekend. I can't wait!
♥ The Outfit:
At first, I purchased a ballerina-style dress from Target. But once it arrived, I started thinking that it might be a little too poofy for my liking. It's pretty voluminous, which isn't necessarily bad at all! I love it, and I think it's super cute. But me plus beer plus my already ridiculous amount of clumsiness will not mix well with anything large and obtrusive. I can just see myself knocking things over and catching the fluffy tulle on anything and everything in my path. So in rethinking that dress, I thought about possible backups. I had my eye on one in particular on Modcloth, and since they only had 4 Mediums left in stock, I went ahead and got that one. I think it's going to be a much better choice! But I'm keeping the other for the time being just in case the second one doesn't fit when it gets here.
And in keeping with the me plus beer equals silliness, I knew tights were an absolute must. So I found some super cute polka dot tights that I think will help tie in the cutesy cat mask with the lacy girliness of the dress.
As for shoes, I cannot walk in heels. Just plain cannot do it. I always wear boots, but I knew I needed something a little dressier than that. So I figured I'd compromise and try a bootie!
I'm not 100% sure about accessories yet. I might just try to find a cute necklace and that be that. There's already going to be a lot going on with the mask! But here's the final outcome of the items headed my way for now. Fingers crossed everything fits! (I already own a black 3/4 sleeve sweater, so I just grabbed a similar one for the image.)
I sent this image to my mom, and she loved it. So I really hope everything works well together and fits nicely when it gets here! If not, I still have the ballerina dress, just in case. So I'll be okay either way. :)
In all of this excitement, I've been racking my brain to figure out some cute ideas for my outfit and mask, so thought I would share my plans to get some opinions and input from you helpful friendlies!
♥ The Mask:
I've been searching high and low for the perfect mask. I wanted something pink and black and girly. But everything I've found is either the wrong shade of pink, or it's a little too big and boisterous with lots of feathers, or it's a little too plain. Or it's really super expensive. I just haven't been able to find a mask that just stole my heart. So I decided to decorate my own! And I decided that I wanted to get extra cutesy with it, so I ordered a plain white mask in the shape of a cat face, with little puffy cheeks and all. If you can't find the perfect one, make your own, right? So here's the nekkid mask that's headed my way:
My plan is to paint it black and then add some white and light mauvey pink stuff to match my dress. I'm still working on the design, but I know I want to put pink roses and maybe a few feathers along the top or sides! I might even try to add some whiskers to those cute little cheeks, too. I plan on making a Hobby Lobby trip next weekend. I can't wait!
♥ The Outfit:
At first, I purchased a ballerina-style dress from Target. But once it arrived, I started thinking that it might be a little too poofy for my liking. It's pretty voluminous, which isn't necessarily bad at all! I love it, and I think it's super cute. But me plus beer plus my already ridiculous amount of clumsiness will not mix well with anything large and obtrusive. I can just see myself knocking things over and catching the fluffy tulle on anything and everything in my path. So in rethinking that dress, I thought about possible backups. I had my eye on one in particular on Modcloth, and since they only had 4 Mediums left in stock, I went ahead and got that one. I think it's going to be a much better choice! But I'm keeping the other for the time being just in case the second one doesn't fit when it gets here.
And in keeping with the me plus beer equals silliness, I knew tights were an absolute must. So I found some super cute polka dot tights that I think will help tie in the cutesy cat mask with the lacy girliness of the dress.
As for shoes, I cannot walk in heels. Just plain cannot do it. I always wear boots, but I knew I needed something a little dressier than that. So I figured I'd compromise and try a bootie!
I'm not 100% sure about accessories yet. I might just try to find a cute necklace and that be that. There's already going to be a lot going on with the mask! But here's the final outcome of the items headed my way for now. Fingers crossed everything fits! (I already own a black 3/4 sleeve sweater, so I just grabbed a similar one for the image.)
I sent this image to my mom, and she loved it. So I really hope everything works well together and fits nicely when it gets here! If not, I still have the ballerina dress, just in case. So I'll be okay either way. :)
April 1, 2012
Beep boop beep, cannot compute.
I swear, it's been such a busy week at work! I started tech training this week, so I'm currently learning all about display issues and drivers and diagnostic tools and other computery things. I'm definitely not a technically inclined person, so I've been super nervous about this training for a good month. Thankfully, we have some awesome resources and step-by-step charts for most issues. So hopefully I won't completely suck at this and won't bomb the test when that rolls around! Also, thankfully we don't do tech via the phones, so I will only be using it to start tickets for people with technical issues. PHEW. If I had to walk people through a technical issue on the phone, I'm sure I would be like "Uhhh, just turn it off and eat a sandwich." :|
Oh, and the second day of training (when I was super stressed out), my QA, Lauren, left me this amazing present on my desk! She ordered a cute messenger bag online, and this gigantic Hello Kitty one came with it. I thought it was sooo sweet! She had it hanging on the leaf that hangs above my desk, and it surprised me and just plain made my day! Oh, ps- the other side is My Little Pony!
Here's a picture I found online. Seriously, it's enormous!
And here's mine with toesies included for size. Enormous, I tell you!
I've also been trying to get back in the social swing of things! Going to Nashville wore me out big time, so I've been staying home a bunch and trying to focus on Spring cleaning and getting things back in order after being gone and then sick. But I'm over that now, I think! So I'm hoping to take part in the weekly game night at work on Tuesday. And I made a new friend at work, so we're trying to hang out now and then, too! And hopefully I can start going back to girls' night with Lauren, Katy, and Autumn, too! They introduced me to margaritas. Friends and drinks errrrwhere! I love it. ♥
Oh, and I finally sucked it up and made my first hair appointment in yeeeears! I've only had my hair professionally colored once, and that was back in like 2006 when I had the black stripped out, went back to my natural brown, and had blonde peekaboos put in. And I've been touching them up myself since! But my roots have gotten out of control and now that my hair's gotten so long, trying to touch them up myself is just crazy. (I also won't let anyone cut it, so that's going to be another venture when I need a trim.) So I'm going to the Ulta Salon on Wednesday, and I'm so excited to not have to bleach my stripey babies by myself.
I finally got some real monies after being back at work, so I went on a little spring shopping spree!
Things I've bought this weekend:
♥ 3 plaid shirts
♥ 7 new pairs of undies
♥ grey jeans (since I loved the pink ones so much!)
♥ shoes for summer that aren't flip flops!
Also, I gave Matt a super cute summer haircut, and he shaved his beard (both his idea). I told him he looks like a 12-year-old with a moustache. It's cute, I swear! I haven't had short hair in years, so I forgot how much fun I used to have cutting hair.
We tried so hard to get out and do some thrifting yesterday, but I was just not feeling it. I think the combination of being super busy all week, all the stress from tech training, really mean calls from customers (seriously, people were sooo angry this week), and then all the rain just put me in such a poopy mood. And neither of us found a thing! I think I really just needed to be at home and relax a bit. So I've just been eating cheese and crackers and soup and loving on Peaches all weekend. There's always next Saturday, though!
I havehavehave to get up off my butt and do more laundry! I've been watching Frozen Planet and playing Fairway Solitaire all stinkin' day. Pfft!
Oh, and the second day of training (when I was super stressed out), my QA, Lauren, left me this amazing present on my desk! She ordered a cute messenger bag online, and this gigantic Hello Kitty one came with it. I thought it was sooo sweet! She had it hanging on the leaf that hangs above my desk, and it surprised me and just plain made my day! Oh, ps- the other side is My Little Pony!
Here's a picture I found online. Seriously, it's enormous!
And here's mine with toesies included for size. Enormous, I tell you!
I've also been trying to get back in the social swing of things! Going to Nashville wore me out big time, so I've been staying home a bunch and trying to focus on Spring cleaning and getting things back in order after being gone and then sick. But I'm over that now, I think! So I'm hoping to take part in the weekly game night at work on Tuesday. And I made a new friend at work, so we're trying to hang out now and then, too! And hopefully I can start going back to girls' night with Lauren, Katy, and Autumn, too! They introduced me to margaritas. Friends and drinks errrrwhere! I love it. ♥
Oh, and I finally sucked it up and made my first hair appointment in yeeeears! I've only had my hair professionally colored once, and that was back in like 2006 when I had the black stripped out, went back to my natural brown, and had blonde peekaboos put in. And I've been touching them up myself since! But my roots have gotten out of control and now that my hair's gotten so long, trying to touch them up myself is just crazy. (I also won't let anyone cut it, so that's going to be another venture when I need a trim.) So I'm going to the Ulta Salon on Wednesday, and I'm so excited to not have to bleach my stripey babies by myself.
I finally got some real monies after being back at work, so I went on a little spring shopping spree!
Things I've bought this weekend:
♥ 3 plaid shirts
♥ 7 new pairs of undies
♥ grey jeans (since I loved the pink ones so much!)
♥ shoes for summer that aren't flip flops!
Also, I gave Matt a super cute summer haircut, and he shaved his beard (both his idea). I told him he looks like a 12-year-old with a moustache. It's cute, I swear! I haven't had short hair in years, so I forgot how much fun I used to have cutting hair.
We tried so hard to get out and do some thrifting yesterday, but I was just not feeling it. I think the combination of being super busy all week, all the stress from tech training, really mean calls from customers (seriously, people were sooo angry this week), and then all the rain just put me in such a poopy mood. And neither of us found a thing! I think I really just needed to be at home and relax a bit. So I've just been eating cheese and crackers and soup and loving on Peaches all weekend. There's always next Saturday, though!
I havehavehave to get up off my butt and do more laundry! I've been watching Frozen Planet and playing Fairway Solitaire all stinkin' day. Pfft!
March 24, 2012
My very first Polyvore creation and my favorite trends!
I own super similar pieces to all of these, and this is my new favorite outfit for Spring! I just bought a pair of blush colored jeans, and I think they'll go perfectly with denim tops and cute boots. I got a pair of darker pink as well, and I'm super excited! I've always avoided the colored jeans trend since I have such a curvy bottom half. I've had big ol' hips since I can remember! Even when I lost weight a few years ago, some things got smaller, but my bottom and hips seemed to stay the same. HRMPH. But I've started wearing leggings as pants, and I mean, that's pretty unforgiving. And it's made me a little more comfy. So I'm like WELP might as well, because colored jeans are super cute! So I can't wait to get my 2 pairs soon! I hope they look as cute on as they do in this set. ♥
I seriously love the whole denim and chambray trend. I have a nice little collection going now!
My closet contains:
♥ a light denim button up shirt
♥ a darker denim button up shirt
♥ a lightweight dark chambray button up shirt
♥ a chambray tunic
♥ a chambray skirt (blogged two posts ago)
♥ a belted denim button up dress
♥ at least 3 denim jackets
And I'm currently waiting on two more denim tops as well. So in love! I normally don't jump on trends, but being from Nashville, I feel like I'm a little obligated to love denim and western inspired anything. I mean I've always had tons of plaid shirts, and I have 3 pairs of cowboy boots (plus my harness boots that I practically live in). So of course I'm loving all of the denim lately!
It's so funny because I remember my mom wearing the oversized denim tops back when I was young. I remember a few so vividly! One had a Hard Rock Cafe logo that she got from a trip to Chicago, and one had tan, suede-feeling collars and cuffs with tortoise shell buttons. It's so crazy that they're back in style! I love it.
What trends are y'all currently obsessed with? I'm curious!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)