It has been quite a summer since finishing undergrad! So much so, that I've let this get dusty! I'm presently buried beneath a hefty to-do list - a few fun projects that have me tethered to my desk. Photos and updates forthcoming!
Only Team Worth Biting Your Nails
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| For giggles, I PhotoChopped my way into Mr. Zetterberg's life, and [already funny] wedding photo. What a dashing striped duo! |
When my family uprooted from Virginia Beach and settled in Mid-Michigan during my awkward middle-school years, it was difficult to ignore the sea of red and white that would take over our school when the Wings made it to playoffs. Prior to moving to the mitten, my understanding of hockey was limited to what I'd seen in The Mighty Ducks. I probably couldn't have told you if they scored goals or baskets, but I took note that no other sport was as exhilarating to watch as hockey - if nothing else for the requisite fist flailing. Our tube was typically tuned in for playoff games and having made it to the playoffs for 20 consecutive years, the Red Wings have certainly earned the rights to Hockeytown.
My athletic prowess certainly has not developed like my interest in watching the Wings, save for a brief burst in my sophomore year at Grand Valley when I maintained a steady gym routine. It was fall semester when I (a) doubted my preternatural metabolism (b) wanted to spend time wooing Ryan, a [then] GV Lacrosse player. I'm planning on a hula hoop class for this month and, beyond that, my athleticism is limited to what I like to call recreational eating [see: throwing table manners and caution to the wind in the presence of hot dogs, cookies and all things slathered in butter].
I did woo the lacrosse player who helped me finally learn more about the foreign world of sports, and I have been genuinely excited to cheer on the best (and best looking) team in the NHL. I've even made it to a few games at the Joe. Who doesn't like drinking an $8 beer with a stranger's knees digging into their head while shouting at the top of your lungs for a consistently awesome team?
I appreciate other sports, but for different reasons: football has Super Bowl commercials, and soccer has devastatingly handsome soccer players. Sports stats largely sound like another language to me, and I can't get behind the yelling in Sports Center. I am also still confounded by most sport culture. In a nutshell, comedian Whitney Cummings expresses my feelings best:
Diane & Diana Do Easter Brunch
Easter Brunch
This is the third time I've posted food from Rose's. I swear I've been to plenty of other wonderful restaurants! Diana had yet to experience brunch there and all else seemed closed Easter morning, so we sat down for a late brunch. We even saw a cute little bunny fussing around in the grass outside our window!
For Lent, Diana decided to go vegan. A life without butter, cheese, ice cream, steak and bacon would be an absolute nightmare for me. I know there are great vegan recipes out there, although I could never adapt to it as a lifestyle. I applaud Diana's perseverance, but I was excited to accompany her for her first tasty, meat and dairy filled meal:
They can't serve alcohol before noon on Sundays here. The last couple of times I visited I was disappointed I couldn't enjoy a mimosa with breakfast. Thankfully sloth paid off this afternoon when we dragged ourselves out for brunch at 1p.m.
To omnivores!
I'm not sure how she isn't drooling after 40 days of torture.
My "grilled cheese" was pretty tasty. Pancetta, mixed greens, sharp white cheddar &tomatoes were stuffed inside and served with root chips and pasta salad. I wasn't crazy about the bread, but pancetta can do no wrong.
Things I Love
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| Went Back to Rose's for Round II with the Creme Brulee French Toast |
The last couple of weeks of undergrad have had me holed up in my room into the early hours of the morning working on final projects. Even with meticulously planned to-do lists and working ahead of schedule, I've still been on the grind. Suffice to say sleep deprivation and rising anxiety are requisite for any college student, but I'm eager for commencement and more eager for the steak that I will enjoy afterward.
Here are some things I've been loving the past couple of weeks:
♥ Anna's visit to Grand Rapids. It was an incredibly indulgent weekend [see photos] ♥ Inheriting summer threads from my roommate ♥ Eating pizza in the dark and watching thunderstorms ♥ Completing a portfolio website ♥ The Red Wings sweeping the Coyotes this week ♥ Successfully making sugar wax at home (so cheap!) ♥ Hemp lotion and free scrubs, butters at The Body Shop ♥ Tasty, addictive mango lip balm ♥ Opportunities for improving my copywriting/design portfolio ♥ Celebratory drinks and nachos on the last day of classes ♥ Rewatching Veronica Mars
It was 82F by 10a.m. when we went to breakfast.
We shared a lot of great food that weekend.
Read on for more photos!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins...Again
I can say with certainty that there is no other food I enjoy watching grow brown, black and mushy more than a bunch of bananas. With these in mind, I usually buy a few bunches as a typical batch will take 5 or 6 bananas. I've tried plenty of banana muffins...chocolate-chocolate banana, banana Nutella, cinnamon banana, and I've finally found those I like best are from a banana bread recipe that I modified. They are unbelievably soft, packed with bananas and just the right amount of chocolate. Read on for the recipe!
These muffins are very dense!
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| Closer... |
5 minutes before these were done baking I take them out to brush a brown sugar/water paste on top for a sweet crunch.
When it comes to muffins, there aren't many that I don't like [except for anything low-fat...] I want to branch out from these suckers, but these are just too good not to make as often as possible.
Springing Forward
I'm falling in love with winter things again - drinking tea, being swallowed in blankets, tights and comfort food...namely butternut squash soup. This might be because my 100 year old house is a veritable 20 degrees colder than it is outdoors, or because embracing spring would mean I've accepted that I am graduating from university in 23 days. [Didn't I just finish high school?]
In addition to coincidentally coordinating my fingernails to my mug of tea, here are some small things that made the past week pretty amazing:
♥ Finally seeing The King's Speech. Amazed by Colin Firth once again. ♥ Thunderstorms before bed, or listening to Rainymood. ♥ Finishing my Whitestrips ♥ Browsing cheeky swimsuits ♥ Yale offering therapy dogs to students. Why hasn't this idea gone viral? ♥ Not drinking soda in ages. ♥ Finding $15 in my Babar cookie jar. ♥ Helping an adorable client and her mother find the perfect graduation dress. ♥ Finding my own graduation dress - with school colors &bold pattern to boot. Need: pockets for snacks during commencement. ♥ Realizing I'm not the only senior experiencing anxiety attacks while looking for jobs
♥ French toast brunch at Marie Catrib's. Long wait &my eggs were a bit dry, but the french toast was pretty fluffy. Challah!!
♥ Did I mention french toast? This creme brulee french toast from Rose's with Michigan maple syrup and strawberries is the best of them all. Talk about incentive to wake up before noon.
♥ This song, which takes me back to aperitivo with the Ed Banger crew in Roma.
♥ 90s music like this, which remind me of dancing around in piles of costume jewelry with Bridget in our Catholic school uniforms.
Exploring the Mitten
I'd hardly call our vacation last week "spring break" as we were bundled in at least two pairs of pants most of the time and slipping around in snow nearly half a foot thick in northern Michigan. We found a small cabin on a lake for rent in a [very] small town not far from Traverse City. I had never been so far up north, and certainly never stayed in a log cabin before our trip.
The family who owns the cabin filled it with plenty of cute details like this wood frame as well as requisite woodsy tchotchke like ceramic moose heads and pine cone candles. We also had a nice full kitchen, a fireplace, and a huge bathtub.
Roast
One of my favorite parts of the trip was the amazing food we made together. With the exception of a 2p.m. breakfast at a quaint cafe in town and a stop to a couple of breweries in Traverse, we cooked all of our hearty meals in our awesome kitchen.
Read on for more photos!
Monday Mad List: Roundabouts 101
(source)
I'm certainly no speed racer in my little car, but I am proud to say that I do know the difference between a yield and stop sign, and how to get around the roundabouts near my home downtown. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the incompetent drivers I encounter there on a daily basis.
Whether it's prolonged hesitation while approaching this simple intersection, veering into my lane in a panic, stopping at a yield sign [since when did yield = stop?] or otherwise creating unnecessary chaos, there's a good handful of drivers that need to wise up and stop driving like idiots. It's a pity they can't get it right because, given they are used correctly, roundabouts cut costs, improve traffic flow, and keep me from racing through yellow lights.
I'm not sure why people make something so simple so difficult, but a simple Google search yielded [haha] these helpful links that should be sent en masse to the drivers that just can't seem to get it right:
How to Use a Roundabout: The nice folks of Grand Rapids City provide an illustrated guide to navigating roundabouts for those lacking in common sense. If you're not a roundabout master after viewing this .pdf, at least there is a map showcasing the intersections downtown so you might avoid them [and annoying more adept drivers like myself].
Around the Roundabout: MDOT's less idiot friendly guide even explains what it means to yield!
Lunch for Dinner
If I had a few extra Benjamins I'd be toiling away at my meat costume to see Gaga in GR. However, I wouldn't mind putting the rest of my bacon to work in another one of these amazing sandwiches that my boyfriend and I made for dinner Sunday.
We packed avocado slices, roast beef, bacon, spinach, muenster cheese, tomatoes and a custom dressing into these sexy sammies. I think I might add sandwich artist to my resumé.
Sartorial Resolutions
I've made plenty of great goals for this year, but I also want to revamp my closet & change the way I get dressed. Too often college students resign themselves to sweatpants, North Face jackets & battered Uggs. As I get ready to transition into my "grown up" life, it's important to remember to: get dressed! Here are some of my aspirations for my [changing] closet this year:
via Oh Joy
More color. Mix patterns, find more bold prints a la my DVF dress that looks like a Lisa Frank leopard. by ginnybranch
Lace. Embrace sheer, tastefully lacy clothes not necessarily intended for the boudoir.
Heels. Wear more heels and "tranny heels". After I walked around on cobblestones in stilettos & discovered platform heels I realized some offer more comfort than new, stiff flats. [When I broke in my last pair of leather flats my feet were more bruised &battered than any time I wore stilettos]. This goal may have to wait until West Michigan isn't covered in ice, but I can't wait.
Shimmer. I am very fond of my sequin black hoodie that I bought two years ago before trampy types began raiding their closest Charlotte Russe for sequined club wear horrors. I want to tastefully wear my sequins at any hour.
Bangles & Neckerations. I want to expand my collection of cheap, fun earrings but also find more bangles [for my unnaturally small wrists] &necklaces that I can wear for years. Presently I wear a big watch &maybe earrings.
Also: More blazers!
Heels. Wear more heels and "tranny heels". After I walked around on cobblestones in stilettos & discovered platform heels I realized some offer more comfort than new, stiff flats. [When I broke in my last pair of leather flats my feet were more bruised &battered than any time I wore stilettos]. This goal may have to wait until West Michigan isn't covered in ice, but I can't wait.
via Vogue Nippon
Shimmer. I am very fond of my sequin black hoodie that I bought two years ago before trampy types began raiding their closest Charlotte Russe for sequined club wear horrors. I want to tastefully wear my sequins at any hour.
Bangles & Neckerations. I want to expand my collection of cheap, fun earrings but also find more bangles [for my unnaturally small wrists] &necklaces that I can wear for years. Presently I wear a big watch &maybe earrings.
Also: More blazers!
2k11
2010 was both wonderful & trying. Though I could never really get behind waiting for a new calendar to introduce change, I am eager for a fresh Moleskine agenda & achieving all of my goals [more proactive and measurable than "resolutions"!] a third year in a row!
- Try the 52 Weeks project
- Take more photos &videos [Beef up that portfolio &Flickr photo stream!]
- Keep computer [&hard drive] organized!
- Find a big girl job after graduation [Perhaps my biggest goal]
- Feel healthy again - figure out what's going on with my crazy stomach
- Only buy things I love
- Find proactive ways to relieve stress&anxiety [Be it exercise or turning off my phone]
- Choose my battles - realize that I shouldn't sweat the small things, or lash out when stressed
- Eat better
- Make the dean's list again
- Continue drawing [complete 1 drawing a week!]
- Maintain blog
- Keep a balance between quality time with myself, friends &manfriend [something I've been doing, but can be difficult]
- Host more dinner parties with friends
Perhaps my biggest wishes that might not be attainable for some time would be to visit Rome after graduation &to have my own dog [pug, French bulldog or any other pup with a scrunchy face] to love & to hold.
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