Hello,
I thought I would leave you for the holiday with something to laugh at.. enjoy.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Thirty Days to be Thankful... Week 3
Man these days are rolling around faster and faster!
Nov 14th: Today I am thankful that I get to go home in 10 days. Cant wait to see the family and some high school friends. Dorothy said it best, there is no place like home.
Nov 15th: Today I am thankful that I have almost survived living alone. Never thought it is something I would attempt or enjoy. But, it hasnt been as bad as I expected and at times I really like calling my own shots, finding things exactly like I left them when I get home, and watching whatever I want on TV with no one there to tell me that I cant. Having Joe potentially move in soon is exciting to me and scary at the same time, because I am going to have to give up complete control of my space.
Nov 16th: Today I am thankful there are weekends to end horrible weeks of work.
Nov 17th: Today I am thankful to be going over Joes house to a nice meal he is cooking for me. Its great to not have to cook for yourself every once and a while.
Nov 18th Today I am thankful to have a weekend where nothing is planned. I am looking forward to relaxing and doing whatever strikes me at the moment.
Nov 19th: Today I am thankful for my friend Allie. She is my only friend at work and always there for me. She is one of my few friends that I can always count on if I want to do something spur of the moment. She is the easiest person to make plans with.
Nov 20th: Today I am thankful for my mom teaching me how to be both domestic and handy. This weekend I made a Christmas wreath, cleaned the house, self-cleaned the oven, did laundry, hung Christmas lights and whipped up homemade vodka sauce. Productivity to the max.
Nov 14th: Today I am thankful that I get to go home in 10 days. Cant wait to see the family and some high school friends. Dorothy said it best, there is no place like home.
Nov 15th: Today I am thankful that I have almost survived living alone. Never thought it is something I would attempt or enjoy. But, it hasnt been as bad as I expected and at times I really like calling my own shots, finding things exactly like I left them when I get home, and watching whatever I want on TV with no one there to tell me that I cant. Having Joe potentially move in soon is exciting to me and scary at the same time, because I am going to have to give up complete control of my space.
Nov 16th: Today I am thankful there are weekends to end horrible weeks of work.
Nov 17th: Today I am thankful to be going over Joes house to a nice meal he is cooking for me. Its great to not have to cook for yourself every once and a while.
Nov 18th Today I am thankful to have a weekend where nothing is planned. I am looking forward to relaxing and doing whatever strikes me at the moment.
Nov 19th: Today I am thankful for my friend Allie. She is my only friend at work and always there for me. She is one of my few friends that I can always count on if I want to do something spur of the moment. She is the easiest person to make plans with.
Nov 20th: Today I am thankful for my mom teaching me how to be both domestic and handy. This weekend I made a Christmas wreath, cleaned the house, self-cleaned the oven, did laundry, hung Christmas lights and whipped up homemade vodka sauce. Productivity to the max.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thirty Days to Be Thankful - Week 2
Nov 7: Today I am thankful for something simple - sleep. Sleeping is the best. This week we got an extra hour of sleep and I feel amazing at work -- for a Monday. Sleep allows you to forget all your worries and troubles and is one of the few "natural excapes" from a sometimes stressful life.
Nov 8: Today I am thankful for beautiful fall weather so I can sit outside at lunch. Today is supposed to be a high of 70 degrees, and nothing makes a day better like a little bit of sunshine to break up a long day in a cubicle. UPDATE: I went and sat outside for a whole hour today.. it was glorious!
Nov 9: Today I am thankful for plans with friends during the work week. Making plans with freinds can certainly brighten the long stretch between Monday and Friday. Last night I went out with Sara to our favorite Manayunk wine bar and tonight I am going with Joe and another couple we are friends with to the Tortilla Press, a mexican restaurant in Haddonfield NJ. Cant wait!
Nov 10: Today I am thankful for a little pick me up during my long work day: Venti Starbucks Gingerbread Latte with skim milk. Its the small things..that make a day better.
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| The cup says: "when we are together, I know I'll never fall." Since when did start in the motivational quote business? |
Nov 12: Today I am thankful for old friends... even through today we are seperated by geography... we come together every so often and for that day.. its like nothing ever changed. Whether from high school or college, I have the best friends a girl could ask for.
Nov 13: Today I struggle to find something to be thankful for becuase I am in a really bad mood. So I guess today I am thankful for tomrorow.. tomorrow I get another try at today in hopes I've learned something from yesterday.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Thirty Days to be Thankful - Week 1
Since it is officially November and almost time for Thanksgiving, I thought I would take this month to think about all of the things in my life I am thankful for and post them here at the end of each week. Here it goes
Nov 1: Today I am thankful for my job. It may not always be the job I want, or the job I would love to have. Sometimes its stressful, and other times it bores me. But it also affords me a great life style and the money to see and do all of the things that I want to do it life and for that, I am thankful.
Nov 2: Today as I was sitting at my desk I got a call from a cruise planner who planned a vacation for me and my girlfriends, what seems like ages ago. So today it reminded me how thankful I am for my girlfriends. My UD girls have stuck by me through thick and thin and I am so appreciative to have people like them to share my life with. Because lets face it -boyfriends provide support and understanding in their own way, but no one understands a woman like another woman.
Nov 3: Today I am thankful for the other women in my life: mom and my grandmas. My mom is my best friend and the person who I go to with any problem. I am so lucky to have such an amazing mother. I hope we can stay close and share this life for a very long time like her and her mom. Speaking of grandmas, I am so lucky to have both of them in my life. I hope they are around long enough to meet my future children.
Nov 4: Today I am thankful for my boss. Let's face it, a boss can make all the difference about whether or not you like your job. My boss is relaxed, laid back, and definitely a great boss. As long as I get done what I need to do, he lets me run my own show. I appreciate that he doesnt try to micro-manage my whole day and tell me how I am going to spend every minute of my day.
Nov 5: Today I am thankful for my boyfriend. We may not have it all together all the time but he makes a my life better in so many ways. Today we spent the day cleaning the gutters, it was a dirty, disgusting job, and he was a champ about it. He helps me out a lot around my house and he is always there for me even if he may not express it in the ways that I expect. I am really lucky.
Nov 6: Today I am thankful for my brother, Brendan. He drove down from Wilmington to eat dinner with me. I made us a nice dinner and we got to chat and catch up. Even though I am far away from the rest of my family, I am so fortunate that he is only an hour away and that we are close siblings.
One week down.. 3 to go... I must admit, this is tough for me. I am really good at looking at the glass half empty.. not as good at looking for the positives in every day. A good lesson.
Nov 1: Today I am thankful for my job. It may not always be the job I want, or the job I would love to have. Sometimes its stressful, and other times it bores me. But it also affords me a great life style and the money to see and do all of the things that I want to do it life and for that, I am thankful.
Nov 2: Today as I was sitting at my desk I got a call from a cruise planner who planned a vacation for me and my girlfriends, what seems like ages ago. So today it reminded me how thankful I am for my girlfriends. My UD girls have stuck by me through thick and thin and I am so appreciative to have people like them to share my life with. Because lets face it -boyfriends provide support and understanding in their own way, but no one understands a woman like another woman.
Nov 3: Today I am thankful for the other women in my life: mom and my grandmas. My mom is my best friend and the person who I go to with any problem. I am so lucky to have such an amazing mother. I hope we can stay close and share this life for a very long time like her and her mom. Speaking of grandmas, I am so lucky to have both of them in my life. I hope they are around long enough to meet my future children.
Nov 4: Today I am thankful for my boss. Let's face it, a boss can make all the difference about whether or not you like your job. My boss is relaxed, laid back, and definitely a great boss. As long as I get done what I need to do, he lets me run my own show. I appreciate that he doesnt try to micro-manage my whole day and tell me how I am going to spend every minute of my day.
Nov 5: Today I am thankful for my boyfriend. We may not have it all together all the time but he makes a my life better in so many ways. Today we spent the day cleaning the gutters, it was a dirty, disgusting job, and he was a champ about it. He helps me out a lot around my house and he is always there for me even if he may not express it in the ways that I expect. I am really lucky.
Nov 6: Today I am thankful for my brother, Brendan. He drove down from Wilmington to eat dinner with me. I made us a nice dinner and we got to chat and catch up. Even though I am far away from the rest of my family, I am so fortunate that he is only an hour away and that we are close siblings.
One week down.. 3 to go... I must admit, this is tough for me. I am really good at looking at the glass half empty.. not as good at looking for the positives in every day. A good lesson.
Monday, October 24, 2011
#autumnlife
October has flown by! I don't know where the days have gone honestly. I cant believe next week we will start November, then December and another year will be done. Not too many super exciting things happening lately, but I have been doing a few things to keep busy/amused. Lets start out with a few recipes I have made in the last few weeks which I loved so much I want to share:
Butternut Sqush Risotto: This was a great fall dish! I really really enjoyed it and so did my friend Allie when she made it last week by my recommendation. If you cant find pancetta, use prosciutto and cut the amount of salt used in the recipe because prosciutto is saltier then pancetta. I also did not use a dutch over, just did everything on the stove and it came out fine.
Broiled Salmon with Peppercorn Lime Rub: This was quick, easy, and really healthy. I didn't have cracked peppercorns, so i put some whole peppercorns in a little zip lock baggie and crushed them with a rolling pin. The peppercorn/lime combination really cut down on the fishy taste of the salmon.
Butternut Squash Lasagna: Another great fall dish and a modern twist on a classic recipe. Joe and I really enjoyed this one over and over because it made so much! It would be great for a dinner party, or if you have a busy week ahead and do not want to think about cooking a bunch of different meals.
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan: This was a recipe I found when I was googling easy tilapia recipes. Don't be fooled by the weird combinations that make up the sauce, once you put it in the broiler it turns into a delicious cheesy cream sauce that is light and flavorful!
The past few weekends have been fun. The second weekend in October we went to the Phillies Divisional playoff game. It was a fun night, but a disappointing loss for the Phils that ended baseball season.
The following weekend, Joe and I were hanging out in NJ at his place and he decided to take me out to Union Trust Steakhouse for a nice dinner. Union Trust was a restaurant I had tried during restaurant week in September with Brendan and had told Joe it was one of the best steaks I had ever eaten. So, when he received an applause award bonus from his job, he was excited to try Union Trust completely on their dime. We had a great dinner and a nice night out. On Saturday my old roommate, Laura, came into town for a conference, and to visit. We had a nice night out to dinner and met Sara out for a drink at the bar. It was nice to have the old roommates back together once again!
This weekend Joe and I went to his parents house at the shore. It was a beautiful fall weekend and we had a nice time hanging out with them. We arrived late Friday night and just hung out and relaxed. On Saturday, we went out for sushi with his parents and then to Atlantic City to gamble/people watch. I ended up winning $275 bucks which made me super happy! I decided to be super un-fun, and put that money towards some bills.. wooohoo free electric this month! On Sunday, we went to Ocean City, NJ and walked the boardwalk. It was a beautiful fall day and great to be outside. Here are some pictures I took of the ocean.
Wishing you a joyous fall season & Happy Halloween! xoxo
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Connecting the Dots
Until yesterday, to me the founder of Apple was merely the name behind anything starting with 'i', from ipod, to ipad, to iphone. However, upon his death I started reading about him, and his life story. The truth is, he was a brilliant man who was years ahead of his time, obviously we all know this. But what I wasn't aware of was the unique path he took to become successful and the many inspirational words he said as he navigated personal struggles such as being fired from Apple and having cancer. At a Stamford commencement speech he said the following:
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. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path; and that will make all the difference.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
These two quotes especially hit home for me because I spend a lot of time trying to rationalise with myself that the path I've chosen is the 'right' one. I often doubt myself based on what others have chose... the choices that are painfully obvious thanks to social media. Jobs was right though, I think the key is that you do have to follow your inner voice and don't let it be muddied by what is around you. Follow your path and hope that some day the dots end up connecting you to the place that you wanted to be. Although it is sometimes hard to see how life will end up in the future, amidst the everyday struggle, when you look back you can see the obvious path that led you to where you are today.
As for me, my hate for the end of high school led me to choose a school far away. Looking at a map, I happened upon UDEL because it was exactly 6 hours from my front door and a comfortable days drive. Choosing to be an Accounting major at UD, a very good business school, got me the internship at Deloitte in Philadelphia, which ultimately landed me a permanent position upon graduation. My move to Philadelphia brought Sara into my life and made Philly my permanent home. Without Steve meeting Sara, I wouldn't have met Joe. Without meeting Joe, I would have never bought a house. When I was looking for a new place to live in Philly during the recession, I was going to rent again, but Joe convinced me to buy so I can thank him for Chez Terrace. And so, my life is firmly planted in Philly, a place I never really planned to be, but ended up through a connection of dots.
I dont know what will happen in the future, but I know that so far listening to my gut has never failed me. Now that I've accomplished all that, I sit here waiting to see what the next major dot is that will shape my life.... in 86 days, I will let you know...
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. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path; and that will make all the difference.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
These two quotes especially hit home for me because I spend a lot of time trying to rationalise with myself that the path I've chosen is the 'right' one. I often doubt myself based on what others have chose... the choices that are painfully obvious thanks to social media. Jobs was right though, I think the key is that you do have to follow your inner voice and don't let it be muddied by what is around you. Follow your path and hope that some day the dots end up connecting you to the place that you wanted to be. Although it is sometimes hard to see how life will end up in the future, amidst the everyday struggle, when you look back you can see the obvious path that led you to where you are today.
As for me, my hate for the end of high school led me to choose a school far away. Looking at a map, I happened upon UDEL because it was exactly 6 hours from my front door and a comfortable days drive. Choosing to be an Accounting major at UD, a very good business school, got me the internship at Deloitte in Philadelphia, which ultimately landed me a permanent position upon graduation. My move to Philadelphia brought Sara into my life and made Philly my permanent home. Without Steve meeting Sara, I wouldn't have met Joe. Without meeting Joe, I would have never bought a house. When I was looking for a new place to live in Philly during the recession, I was going to rent again, but Joe convinced me to buy so I can thank him for Chez Terrace. And so, my life is firmly planted in Philly, a place I never really planned to be, but ended up through a connection of dots.
I dont know what will happen in the future, but I know that so far listening to my gut has never failed me. Now that I've accomplished all that, I sit here waiting to see what the next major dot is that will shape my life.... in 86 days, I will let you know...
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Fall Crafts & Such
This weekend was full of fun activities. I decided to go down to Baltimore and visit Michele since I had not seen her new place. I arrived on Friday night, late since the weather was awful, and she took me out to dinner with a few of her friends. I had some awesome quesadillas that were toasted on the outside and filled with Jerk Chicken on the inside.. so yummy. After dinner I was pretty tired from the drive that took double the time, and so we went to bed on the early side.
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| Fall Wreathe |
On Saturday we woke up and went to breakfast and then went shopping around Fells point. I stopped and got some Oysters from a street cart that were very yummy. The guy, who was also very cute, showed me how to properly shuck an Oyster so I could do it at home by myself. I am an Oyster feign. Since I had been shopping the past few weekends, there wasn't really any clothing that I needed so I asked Michele if she would like to do some fall crafts. We ended up going to AC Moore and getting some things to make some decorations for her house and some decorations for mine. I had seen this on the Better Homes & Gardens website and thought it was a really cute idea. I really like how my fall crafts came out! Do you like my rendition of the BHG centerpiece? (ps. when did I get so old that I go look at the BHG website?!)
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| Fall Centerpiece |
On Saturday night we went out to dinner at a very nice restaurant with a few of Michele's friends. I had mussels and a caprese salad and it was delicious. Then we headed out to the bar for a bit. On Sunday we went to brunch and I had bacon infused french toast! Again, delicious. After brunch I headed back to Philly to get some things done before the week started all over again. It was nice to see Michele and I wish we all lived closer like the old days.
Its Tuesday, its dreary, I am tired... more tired then normal. Something about when the seasons first change makes me exhausted! I feel like I am in the clouds this week and like every task takes monumental effort. Anyone else get the post summer slumber feeling?
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