February 28, 2011

lilly pulitzer + iphone = genius


I am admiring Lilly Pulitzer more and more. The patterns are bright, fun, and beautiful. I recently got an e-mail from the company (yes, I've hopped to that level of admiration) promoting their new iPhone 3G and 4G cases. Since I am a new owner of an iPhone, I was instantly intrigued. The cases are super cute (and reasonably priced). I've listed my favorites below. Now the only question is...which one to buy?!



How do you feel about Lilly Pulitzer? Do you have a fun phone case?






Photo 1, from Lilly Pulitzer e-mail promotion
All other photos, linked to source

(belated) weekly gems


Hello, everyone. How was your weekend? Mine was great! I saw Baldwin-Wallace College's fantastic production of RENT, which one of my best friends Sarah stage managed, and followed it up with a super fun sleepover with Sarah and our friend Kaylyn. I also saw my sister Jackie participate in Tri-C West's Student Theatre Showcase, which was hilarious. My family took my boyfriend out to dinner at Champp's for an early birthday celebration. It was delicious! Other than that, I did some teaching things and took plenty of naps.


I must apologize to you all a thousand times over for the spotty posting last week. I thought things were going to be less crazy, but apparently they were still settling down. Thanks again for your patience and understanding. To make it up to you, I'm doing two posts today: this one, a belated mini-weekly gems list, and another one that's - well, you will have to come back later to see! ; )

February 24, 2011

cook it: new recipe

Okay, so I will admit this post is a bit belated - it's about my Super Bowl Sunday! I spent the evening with one of my best friends, Claire. I don't have cable or a digital TV, so instead of watching the Super Bowl, we made dinner and watched Away We Go. Not too shabby of an alternative, if I do say so myself ; )







Pasta & Broccoli
Ingredients:
- penne noodles (I recommend whole wheat)
- broccoli (frozen is fine)
- olive oil
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- pepper

Directions:
- Cook pasta as directed on box.
- Once the pasta has been in the water for a few minutes, you need to work on the broccoli. You should begin the broccoli before the water for the pasta begins to boil.
- If broccoli is frozen, warm it up in the microwave (my favorite frozen vegetable brand is Steamfresh).
- Once the broccoli is warmed up, pour some olive oil into a pan and saute the broccoli.
- Around this time, the pasta should be finishing up with its boiling. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour in a bit of olive oil and add as much pepper as you desire.
- Add broccoli to pot with pasta.
- Add mozzarella cheese.
- Mix together broccoli, cheese, and pasta.
- EAT! Serve with a white wine and enjoy with good company.
*This dish is good both warm right after being made and cold as lunch the next day.

If you make this dish, please let me know what you think! : )

February 23, 2011

LOL: a new way to eat watermelon

Is talent or hunger at work in this video? Either way, it's pretty cute.



February 22, 2011

things that are making me happy


  • Spending lots of time with family this weekend
  • Day off yesterday due to Presidents' Day (in honor of George Washington & Abraham Lincoln's birthdays!)
  • Having a day off today due to bad weather
  • My boyfriend and our dog being okay after getting into an accident yesterday
  • Knocking lots of things off my to-do list
  • Having electricity (it went out this weekend due to the storm!)
  • Coffee and dinner plans with friends this week
  • Girls' night with childhood best friends this weekend
  • Parks and Recreation marathons
  • New teaching clothes
  • New magazines to read that were delivered while I was away from home
  • An adorable cupcake-making gift bag from my boyfriend's mom
  • Getting enough sleep : )


What things are making you happy?

February 18, 2011

weekly gems



How was your week? Thanks or being patient with me this week when I took my sudden blog break. It was very much needed as this was the craziest and longest week of the year so far. However, I've come out of it feeling on top of things and optimistic. My Facebook status last night read: "First month of student teaching down...after some crazy & frustrating days, I feel like I'm finally on solid ground. Is teaching even more challenging than I thought? Definitely. Still worth it? More than I can say."

  • Loving this fashionable bunny!
  • How fun are these cha-cha-cha directions?!
  • Entertainment news: first look at Andrew Garfield in his Spider-Man costume, interview & video with Topher Grace about Take Me Home Tonight, Tim Allen returning to TV!, Something Borrowed movie trailer, and road to the Oscars fun.
  • Further proof Google is taking over the world: they now have awesome FREE wedding planning tools!
  • Are you a Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan? If so, this tumblr is for you.
  • The description and photo of this salad literally made my mouth water.
  • Love love LOVE this idea and the adorable cookies that go along with it!
  • Obsessed with Artessen.
  • I can't stop looking at photos of this garage converted into a home. I would totally live there!
  • Adoring all the pink, & all the cobalt : )


Photo: delicious cookie cake the boyfriend
& I had for Valentine's Day and for our two
year anniversary, which was this week : )

February 14, 2011

my life: happy valentine's day & a blog break

Hi, everyone. Sorry for the late post today and for not being an awesome blog reader/commenter the past couple weeks. My time has been totally taken up with student teaching (trying to learn the best methods for my students, learning how to plan and assess well in general, adjusting to the full-time job schedule of teaching, etc.), and when I haven't been working on student teaching, I've been watching movies and sleeping in efforts to relax and not get sick. This week is going to be even busier, so I'm going to take a break from updating until Friday. I plan to be back full-force with some awesome posts next week. In the meantime, check out the blogs under recommended reads, have a great week, and enjoy the valentine from NPR below : )


February 11, 2011

weekly gems

the loves of my life cuddling away!



This week has been crazy: full of teaching ups and downs, a sore throat, two-hour delays due to low wind chills, and multiple trips to Starbucks. I am ready for the weekend! I plan on sleeping, crafting, getting my haircut, having dinner with friends, planning lessons/grading, job searching, and watching movies. What are your plans for this weekend?


A small list of weekly gems for you all...

February 10, 2011

stay focused




That quote has been getting me through this week.


(thanks Ashley for the quote and story, and Mary for writing this post I just found but made me remember my life is so blessed)

February 8, 2011

my life: seven things

The "seven things about me" post has been circulating the blogosphere as of late, so I decided to take a cue from Mackenzie of Design Darling and do my own edition of it. Here we go!



1. I attend Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. I am studying AYA Integrated Social Studies Education (grades 7-12). I am currently student teaching and I love it!


2. Nothing is more important to me than my family. We are a crazy bunch, and we might get on each other's nerves, but we are always there for each other. I am proud of the fact that in addition to an amazing immediate family, I have a huge, close extended family. I wouldn't trade a big family for anything!


3. I love Ohio, and more specifically, Cleveland. Both get a bad rap and are totally underrated. I am incredibly grateful I got to grow up where I did and will always, always love it.


4. I adore holidays - any holiday. I'm a big fan of traditions and holidays are chock full of them (as well as family get togethers)!


5. Music plays a central role in my life. I don't think I go a day without listening to music and I have playlists for every occasion. I actually played alto saxophone for seven years before I started college and didn't have time to anymore with my schedule. (I would love to get back into, but I'm a little stumped as to how when I live in an apartment. Any tips?)












6. In addition to my family, my life would not be complete without my friends. College has definitely taught me a lot about friendship, and I'm so grateful for the caring and fun people I have in my life. Similarly, my life today would not be the same without my own little family, my boyfriend and our dog Madison. I love any time we get to spend together.



7. I love movies and TV. Before I realized I was meant to be a teacher, I planned entering the entertainment industry or becoming a film critic. I love watching both old and new movies and shows, and totally get into trivia, behind-the-scenes material, and award shows.


Photos:
1. Bowling Green campus, fall 2009
2. Family, summer 2009
3. Cleveland skyline as seen from the Flats, summer 2009
4. My dad as Santa Claus, winter 2010
5. My friends Kaylyn and Sarah, along with myself, summer 2007 (at our last marching band event!)
6. Dan and Madison, fall 2010; Elizabeth, Courtney, Katie, Sarah, and myself at Alpha Phi Omega semi-formal, fall 2009
7. Netflix DVD and movie tickets, spring 2011



What are seven things about you? Leave a comment listing them or with a link to your seven things post!

February 7, 2011

update: month one

Hi, everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. I spent time with my friends, boyfriend, and dog, worked, and knocked some things off my to-do list. I did a lot for the blog this weekend, and I have to say, I'm excited for what's coming up the next few weeks! (One big development to note thus far is the movement of my blogroll from the sidebar to a separate page of the blog.)

Today is the first Monday of February, which means it's time for my New Year's, All Year Challenge update! To be honest with you all, I haven't done as well so far on the challenge as I wanted to be doing at this point/thought I would be. However, I know that I am doing well in other parts of my life and I can use that knowledge to inspire and motivate me.



So far, of all my 2011 goals, the ones I have made substantial progress on are as follows:
  • Develop blog further through establishing fixed features, etc. - I have started to post humorous stories or videos every Wednesday. How do you all like it so far?
  • Cook one new recipe a month - winter salad
  • Create and wear wardrobe with intention - got my first pair of Sperrys! I love them, I wear them whenever I can.
  • Eat at least two servings of both fruits and veggies every day - my favorites are apples and carrots.
  • Go to mass once a week - I've missed a week or two, but I think I've done pretty well so far.
  • Teach Madison to stay and give paw - we're making substantial progress with stay!
  • Complete at least 40 service hours - I just finished organizing/executing the last curriculum night I will be in charge of for my teaching community

This month, I hope to make further progress on the above goals and progress on the goals I haven't worked much on yet. And it's not too late for you to join the New Year's, All Year Challenge! Any time is a great time for change. If you're going to join the Challenge, leave a comment saying so/linking to your goals, or shoot me an e-mail.



How are you doing with goals you've been working on? Any problems/tips to share?




Photo: author original
taken with Instagram

February 4, 2011

weekly gems








On Snow Day 2 of 3, Dan, Madison and I climbed the mountain of plowed snow in my apartment complex's parking lot. We could slam dunk!










How was everyone's week this week? Mine was awesome! I had school Monday, but thanks to the crazy blizzard that hit so many states this week, school was closed Tuesday-Thursday! I got all caught up on the things I was behind on, and now I can use this weekend to relax and get ahead. What are your plans for the weekend?









  • I want pretty much all of these love posters.
  • Definitely looking forward to reading the magazine High Gloss this weekend!
  • I loved The Dark Knight, so I've been excited for The Dark Knight Rises. Then I heard about Anne Hathaway joining the case. And now Joseph Gordon-Levitt is, too? So pumped!
  • Fascinating article about Swedish surnames.
  • My awesome friend Kaylyn hooked me up with this interesting "Which Founding Father are you?" quiz. (If you take it, make sure you tell me what you got in a comment!)
  • Totally obsessed with Scholastic's You Are What You Read.
  • I definitely enjoyed this slideshow of top romantic movies.
  • Love this quote post.
  • Favorite weddings of the week: one, two, three.
  • Like this idea for a resource party.
  • Interesting (and brief article) about the Oscar curse.

February 3, 2011

things that are making me happy



having a third snow day in a row!
being all caught up on grading and planning
having plenty of time to bake
trying a new type of wine
watching episodes of Arrested Development
reading the new People magazine with Reese Witherspoon on the cover
my sweet boyfriend cleaning off my car for me
fun cards from my parents
endless cups of hot tea
watching Madison play in the snow
gaining a fresh perspective on a problem


What things are making you happy this week?

February 2, 2011

LOL: a pupupine

All right, so now I officially need a porcupine to play with - although I'm not sure how Madison would like it!




February 1, 2011

winter survival guide

In honor of today being the first day of February, and today being a snow day (yay!) due to the almost-blizzard hitting Ohio, I put together a winter survival guide for you all. Enjoy!




What items make your winter survival guide?
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