TALKA NATALKA

I MOOOOOOVED

2011-04-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

blog.talkanatalka.com

still a work in progress...but it's getting there! :D

i do miss blogger though.

fancy a cuppa?

2011-01-03T21:31:00.001-08:00

In my 5-6 years as a baking enthusiast, and more importantly in my 5 years at a tech school, I’ve decided there are two types of bakers: the technical, and the home grown kind.

The technical bakers, like one of my former roommates, are awesome at cake decorating, complicated recipes that involve zero tolerance for error, and anything involving yeast or a candy thermometer. The home grown kind are sloppy, rarely if ever measure things, don’t level off cups of flour, and experiment with recipes.

I’m definitely the second kind, mainly because of my God-given natural laziness. I can’t help it – I hate washing dishes, I despise following recipes too closely, and I rarely if ever have all of the ingredients necessary for a recipe on hand at any given time (this is another result of my laziness. I never plan ahead for baking!).

Luckily, most of the things I like to bake don’t require precision or specific ingredients that can’t be substituted! Brownies, cookies, muffins, and some types of cakes are all great for that kind of style. Bread pudding is also one of those great slop-it-all-together kinds of recipes – it takes well with almost any ingredients as long as you have the basics of bread, custard-type dipping stuff, and any extras/spices.

I found this great Earl Grey Bread Pudding recipe on a blog while I was wandering the internet looking for some new recipes to try. I didn’t make many modifications, only adding in coconut to the layers with almonds and chocolate. For that reason I’m not posting the recipe here, but please click the link to see the recipe! Yum.

la la latte

2010-12-20T23:19:00.001-08:00

probably the most adorable coffee I’ve ever had.

I was all around downtown today finishing up my Christmas shopping before I pack up to go home to be with family. Some rough news hit my family on Sunday so it was nice to enjoy the good weather and just focus on the holidays!

At one of my favorite coffee shops I encountered a bit of an unpleasant surprise – not just a lunch rush, but a lunch rush staffed by EXTREMELY grumpy employees. Now, I’ve worked every kind of customer service there is – food industry, retail, retail during the holidays, telemarketing, and summer camps (if you don’t think summer camps are a customer service industry, just think about the parent aspect for a bit! ;)..). I understand bad days, bad customers, and working through those difficulties. But being in that coffee shop made me feel so unwanted and so physically uncomfortable that it took all of my willpower to stay in that line and wait for my coffee instead of running back to my car!

It really turned me off of the whole experience for awhile. As a social scientist, it’s my job (and passion!) observing situations and picking out and analyzing social cues. So I tend to receive them about 10x stronger than most people, and often have to hold back my responses accordingly. Or, on the other side of the spectrum, I won’t respond at all because I’m so involved in watching in thinking. Sometimes I forget how to be normal. I think that happens when you go to a tech school though!

Anyway. Even though being in the shop was a very unpleasant experience I couldn’t help but grin as soon as I was handed my drink. How freaking adorable is that?! I couldn’t stay mad after that. And then I hit up my other favorite coffee place and had a much better customer service experience, and all was right in the world :). The end!

another info design project!

2010-12-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

How to Throw a Frisbee Properly: Poster. Fall 2010.

Project Requirements: Illustrate a how-to using human subjects.

Include at least 10-15 photos that have been rendered from their original forms.
3 PMS Colors + Black
A timeline showing the history of the subject you choose
A brief paragraph explaining the subject of the poster
Steps written to explain the how-to
Sources and team members listed on poster

Marguerite was one of my team members on this project! Go to her Flickr page to see other projects she’s worked on!

(click to enlarge)

find this project on flickr | behance

how to reverse several weeks' worth of damage to your body in 2 days or less: part 1

2010-12-13T02:17:00.001-08:00

Or, how i am definitely trying to do right by my body, but sometimes I slip up because I am a college student so please don’t judge me! (part 1)

So, there's this person I know. A person who I have seen a bit in the past week but not too much in the last few days where all the abuse I have been handing my body hard and fast in the name of Getting Shit Done has started to show itself. This person is going to be in Not-Troy for the next few days which will give me what I hope is 2 days of sweet, sweet recovery time for my tired, splotchy looking face and less-than-stellar mental capacities after the hard academic activities of the end of this semester. In other words: I am embarrassed by how horrible I look from overworking myself the last few weeks (but mainly the last week or so). And I want to fix it!

We all have experienced that unfortunate, inevitable moment in Academia where we look at our syllabi and realize: there is NO WAY these things can get done while keeping a normal sleep schedule. Sometimes it just works out that way. Sometimes it's due to laziness, sloppiness, or just bad planning. For me, it's almost always a little bit of all of those things.

This is my 2-part guide to Getting Shit Done, and then Cleaning Yourself Up After. Yes, it’s better to avoid the situation altogether. Yes, this is not always possible. After many years of learning, I’ve learned to be realistic about when assignments are and aren’t salvageable during daylight hours. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.

My first rule: PLAN for whatever you need to do to get it done.

My biggest point is that planning for these situations can help a LOT. Look at your course schedules and see when the big crunch times will happen - that way, if it happens to all fall into several consecutive nights' worth of work (whether by chance or of your own doing) it's not a huge surprise or drag. And as a friend once said, you’re already going to be putting enough stress on your body – why put it in more stress by loading it up with junk food and ignoring the rest? Stocking up on fruits, veggies, snacks like fresh popcorn or sushi (maybe that's just me?) and TONS of water helps. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A few pieces of fruit from the dining hall and air popped popcorn kernels work for me. Exercising regularly before the week or night of hell helps. Planning out naptimes - even if it's 20 minutes at a time - gives your body some times to rest. Take the next day off from work several days in advance.

Obviously, it bears repeating: if the whole situation can be avoided, that's ideal.

Example: Last week, I had major projects due on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Small victory for me: I made it to the gym the first 3 days of the week! I also was fighting off a hefty cold and knew I needed to at least sleep a few hours a night to avoid that awful situation. I kept myself alive and working through a series of coffee/5 hour maximum energy/20-30 minute nap binges for days at a time, followed by a crash and burn of sleeping all day and then pumping myself full of vitamin C/Airborne when I was awake on the off days. Then I repeated it all for Wednesday-Friday. It totally sucked.

But in the end it would have sucked even more if I hadn't thought it through and just expected work to magically get done during that week. And it was the last week of classes and everyone was experiencing a crunch. I hung out with friends on study dates instead of lingering over meals, and chatted online about project requirements instead of the latest class gossip. Important points here!

Second rule: DO whatever you need to do to get it done. Yeah, it might be easier to treat yourself better throughout the whole process. But in the end, it almost always breaks down because of overcommitment. So first do what you can to keep up, and add in the extras after. Manage what is manageable before overloading yourself. If things don't work out as planned, they didn't work out. Pick up the pieces and keep trucking. Eat when you have to eat. Ignore your inbox (I can't even tell you what a wreck mine is right now), stop taking calls, don't answer text messages. Keep asking yourself: "is the work I'm doing now better than being asleep?" If it's not, go to bed and worry about picking up the pieces in the morning.

(this badly Photoshopped brushwork is a tribute to how pathetic this line up around my bed is)
Powerade, Nyquil (for the cold), green tea chai, clementines, and face lotion: how I prepare

I don't need anyone to tell me this cycle is unhealthy. I sure as heck know. After Thursday's all-out experience (in which I had a Flash project due at 8am Friday, directly after my project due at 4pm Thursday), I am very aware that my body needed to recover. I much more enjoyed Wednesday's sleep-until-11:30,-work-all-day-on-my-Information-Design-project pace. I had that project done during the light of day. It was fantastic! But that schedule is not always realistic and only worked because I thought to take the day off from work (and used up a remaining absence in a course that was meeting that afternoon).

After last week, I treated my body and mind to lots of sleep, vitamins, and healthy food this past weekend. But here I am again, 7 hours away from a 30-page thesis paper due, and the cycle is continuing. The only difference is I know this is going to be one of the last ones of my academic career!

But I digress.

My point is in finding recovery from this awful slough of mistreatment and stress. I am currently working those parts out and trying them in the next two days. I'll be reporting back on them tomorrow, where I'll continue with part 2 of this series.

Wish me luck!

change of style

2010-12-12T21:27:00.001-08:00

Zoro shoe from irregular choice

Sometimes, I wish I were a hipster so I could wear shoes like this. They look so cozy…

T-minus 11.5 hours until my undergrad thesis is due…

information design

2010-12-09T17:02:00.001-08:00

Just turned in my final Info Design project, where we were assigned to design a booklet on the history of 6 designers (4 from an assigned list, 2 of our own choices) under severe constraints (we were given an assigned length, size, typeface, 2 pre-determined colors only, a specific grid, and set margins). I’m super proud of this!

slightly better quality available at Design History & Innovation on the Behance Network

PDF version will be up someday, I hope.

17 days!

2010-12-08T20:59:00.001-08:00

My friend Zac sent this to me today. Love it!

Only 17 days!…

essentials

2010-12-06T18:18:00.001-08:00

flickr photo by [Stuck in Customs]

For late night homework/studying:

eye drops
white noise: rainymood.com
big bottle of water
snacks (coughsmartfoodcough) (but fruit is good too)
trident extra white gum (I like the crunch)
earbuds
glasses/contact case
xacto
cutting mat

…those last two might be specific to me and my major!..

on the classification of holiday snow…

2010-12-05T15:37:00.001-08:00

It’s the holiday season!

I am excited.

I have been waiting for this moment for quite some time.

Today I saw it snow, just the tiniest bit, but it snowed!

Even though we had quite the snowstorm on a Monday a few weeks ago, it was November. It was pre-Thanksgiving. Didn’t count towards the holidays at all, in my opinion. Also – it was the huge, rainy, blizzard-y snow that melts after it falls. Kinda leaned more towards depressing and too early rather than HOLIDAY SEASON.

It’s going to be a good season – I can feel it!

Now…back to my obnoxious amounts of reading and designing for tomorrow!

big break

2010-12-04T20:18:00.001-08:00

So even though I’m nowhere near finished with everything that’s due at the end of this coming week (the end of the semester!!!), I’ve already begun to compile lists of things to do during the break. I have to stay here until the 21st since I’m a Learning Assistant, so after this week I’ll have 2 weeks of glorious free time all day every day. I’m psyched!

This is my big list of tv shows to start/power through during break! I haven’t had a chance to watch tv much at all this semester, so I can’t wait to zone out and just enjoy some good tv – hope that doesn’t sound TOO awful! :P

Weeds seasons 4-6
the Dresden Files
Ballykissangel (British)
Californication
Coupling (British)
Degrassi
Freaks and Geeks
True Blood
Mad Men
Oz (British)
The Wire
Breaking Bad
Veronica Mars
Extras (British)
Skins (British)

little victories

2010-12-03T15:45:00.001-08:00

This semester has been hard. Really, really hard. The (kind of) comforting thing has been that most of my friends here are in the same boat – none of us can believe how difficult and serious this semester has been, but we’re all getting through it together. I’ve never had the luck to share my classes with friends or get to know the people in my classes really well until this semester, and I love every second of it. As one of my friends said to me last night, I feel comfortable talking to any one of the students in my classes – kind of like high school, but without the crappy drama!

my friend Marguerite and I on the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Cruise earlier in the semester.

Even though this semester has been really intense, not always in a good way, I’ve been really lucky to have my friends by my side. It makes such a difference to have a support group there and to be able to compare notes with friends about what we’re going through in our lives – especially being seniors this year. This week has been horribly unproductive, work-wise, for me, but I’ve had a lot of fun with my social life and it’s starting to be time to buckle down and get my crap together.

I was only mildly productive today but I did want to share one last thing. Today I figured out how to make the Windows Media Player controls appear in my taskbar, even though it’s not technically supported in Windows Media Player 12 running on Windows 7. But I made it work!! It was a small victory, but it made me feel awesome! I conquered that. So, that was the most productive part of my morning. Ha. I’ve also started using Pidgin and now feel like I’m getting a nice fresh start with that program. Sometimes, change is nice!

So I guess in conclusion, good luck to anyone reading this who is finishing up their semester. Don’t forget about all of the people who are there to support you when the going gets rough – and cut yourself some slack once in awhile! :)

birthday drinks

2010-12-02T20:46:00.001-08:00

Today is my good friend’s 21st birthday! In honor of that I’m posting a holiday drink recipe today: homemade eggnog!

Homemade eggnog is delicious and so much better than the stuff you find in stores. Plus, you can add all sorts of additional ingredients – like rum, brandy, or bourbon. Definitely much better than store bought!

This recipe is reposted from simply recipes – head over there for the original.

photo from flickr (elanaspantry)

Eggnog Recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 whole cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp each of bourbon and rum or brandy, or to taste (can omit for kid-friendly eggnog)
*4 egg whites (optional)

METHOD

1 In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until they become lighter in color (can whisk by hand or use a mixer for this). Slowly beat in the sugar, whisking until fluffy.

2 Combine the milk, cinnamon, and cloves in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Slowly heat mixture on medium heat until it is steaming hot, but not boiling.

3 Temper the eggs by slowly adding half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly while you add the hot mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4 Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it begins to thicken slightly, and coats the back of the spoon. It helps to have a candy thermometer, but not necessary; if you have one, cook until the mixture reaches 160°F. Do not allow the mixture to boil, or it will curdle. (If the mixture does curdle you may be able to save it by running it through a blender.) Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the cloves. Let cool for one hour.

5 Mix in vanilla extract, nutmeg, and bourbon/rum and brandy (feel free to omit for kid-friendly eggnog). Chill.

Optional: Beat egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add a teaspoon of sugar and continue to beat until they reach stiff peaks. Gently fold into eggnog.

Makes 1 quart. Serves 4-6.

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

2010-12-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

...supposedly, at least.

Today it rained in EVERY direction, as hard as humanly possible. So, forgive me if I'm not in the holiday spirit yet! My shoes are still drying out.

This post will be a quick one, since it's only the start of the holiday season! I unfortunately can't access any of the beautiful holiday photos I've been waiting to post, but those will be coming soon. For now, I'll just say happy December 1st and hope your weather is a little better wherever you are! :)

bon anniversaire!

2010-11-10T20:23:00.001-08:00

image by seadam on flickr

happy 2 years to this blog :) (well, as of yesterday!)

can’t believe it’s been so long!

for your viewing pleasure:

my birthday gift to this blog: 31 days of blogging in december! BRING ON the holidays!

Not much more to say – this is a completely gratuitous post and I need to get back to my homework. Happy almost Friday everyone!

-Talka

fall fall fall

2010-11-07T20:45:00.001-08:00

fall is…

long leafy drives…

delicious lattes…

(nutella and hazelnut mmm)

high school football games in new england…

we won 35-7!…

bringing a kitten back home to troy!

ok so maybe the last one isn’t fall-specific but I couldn’t resist. Happy November!

unexplainable

2010-10-24T21:09:00.001-07:00

FYI – personal post ahead. Could be a big dosage of ‘I don’t care’ for this post. Up to you. But frankly…it’s my blog anyway!

Pepcid – what my doctor recommends for my hives.

Every year, since at least senior year of HS, I get hives really badly during the last week of October and into November.

I’m prone to hives anyway for little to no reason but this is just bizarre. I’ve experienced hives pretty frequently all my life, but it was mainly anxiety related (just before going onstage, etc). Freshman year of college, I started to get hives several times a week for no apparent reason. It got to the point where I wasn’t able to sleep from the itching unless I was on a double dosage of benadryl. I headed to my doctor and he explained to me that I was experiencing hives not only on the outside of my body, but lining my stomach, intestinal tract, and occasionally my throat as well.

Not good.

The problem is, I was diagnosed with chronic hives. Normally a diagnosis solves most problems – but not in this case. Chronic hives means there is no particular why I get hives. It’s just unexplained, unknown. I was finally able to link up a few reasons for hives back in my first year of college – staying up too late (although I’ve sort of trained myself out of that); wearing tight pieces of clothing on certain joints (watches, socks with elastic); really dry air in my room. But honestly, that only explains away about 40% of the times I experience hives.

I have no idea about this month-specific weirdness. About 2 years ago, I was convinced for about a week that it was related to eating Halloween candy. It may sound crazy but when you’ve been looking for an explanation for 4+ years, anything starts to sound good.

So anyway, I guess my point is that sometimes you have to live without knowing the answers to things. Maybe someday I’ll figure it out – or maybe it’ll just stop. But for now, I just have to accept that there is no good reason and keep popping that Pepcid AC!

this is why I miss spain.

2010-10-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

“A doctor checks as people sleep during the first Siesta Championship in Madrid Thursday. The participants of the siesta contest win points for the first person to fall asleep, the loudest snorer, best original sleeping position and best dressed sleeper. Doctors are present to check if the contestants are really asleep.”

via salon.com

synesthesia

2010-09-26T17:34:00.001-07:00

This is what my alphabet looks like :).

I first read about synesthesia in my 10th grade Science Research class and studied it for 3 years. I never knew there was a name for this – I thought everyone experienced it. Certain school subjects tend to emote colors for me as well – math is red, history is blueblueblue, science is green. Darker colored letters are hard for me to pin down. First letters of a word are black. Double letters in a word are black. Numbers are combos of whatever color the individual numbers are.

recent projects: advanced typography

2010-09-18T10:37:00.001-07:00

view full size on flickr

Typographic storyline of a roadtrip I went on in the summer of 2009. Photoblogged here and again here.

Created in Adobe Illustrator CS5. View full sized on flickr!

“selling out”

2010-09-18T10:21:00.001-07:00

Well, not really. But sort of.

I’m a Learning Assistant for freshmen residents in the dorms that I live in this year. I put on 5 workshops a semester based around academics with packets of information as takeaway. I create many posters and door tags to advertise for these events, as well as other college and study tip related handout materials for rounds that I complete a few times a week.

Because of this, I spend hours at a time pouring through tons of free font sites (dafont.com I’m looking at you) looking for the best flame-themed font for my pizza and wings study skills session (hint: there isn’t one). I take the decision of neon orange or hot pink paper choice for packets very seriously – will pink be too girly? Will orange burn everyone’s eyes out? Does it matter that I used orange on my last flier and there are 3 more of that color on the bulletin board right now? What’s left in the supply closet?

These are the serious design questions I face every day.

While I think it’s (always) super important to focus on design quality in everything I do, I also understand the limitations of design and the audiences I am responsible for. I love spending time typesetting my posters and fliers and creating type hierarchy in my packets. But in the end, it comes down to a fine balance of design and content (not to mention time). My students attend my programs in order to learn the most they can about the transition from high school to college academics – and for the free food, naturally. They are largely engineering or science students. They can’t tell Times New Roman from Georgia and frankly, they probably think Comic Sans is the perfect font choice for anything other than essays.

So while I could probably spend minimal time and effort on my materials, I still choose not to. I certainly don’t spend the same amount of time on (most of) these that I would on my Information Design or Advanced Typography comps – but occasionally I’ll come close. This is where I start thinking about the notion of selling out, or whatever term is appropriate here.

As designers, how much should we play to our audience? When do we decide enough is enough, or minimal effort will slide us by? If we can spend less time on a project, should we? These questions are especially relevant for students, in my opinion.

At the moment, I am not working as a freelance designer, so of course the answer for me is not as economically driven as it may be for those who are. Freelancing artists definitely have another angle to consider – time is money and money is time. I’d like to believe (and think it’s true!) that this is also tempered with a good amount of design consideration, but sometimes a project or project leg has to just be declared done in order to move on and continue your livelihood.

As a full-time student, the answer is a little less clear at times. I am certainly not getting paid monetarily for the work I do, and frankly it’s not even necessary that I “design” my materials for activities outside of classes. But if you follow this train of thought, the fact that I’m a student is even more important than nonpayment – I am paying for an education in this field of study. Shouldn’t I take every opportunity to exercise and train myself in this field? Even if it requires more time on my end, don’t I want to be proud of what I am producing?

It definitely doesn’t hurt to be known as “the EMAC*” who designs all of her materials. In fact, it’s quite flattering. However, it’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges – the other students in my position are not design students and thus don’t face these questions. And in the end, this fact means that designing my materials doesn’t necessarily teach me more or push me about design. But it does make me more aware of the materials I’m producing in “everyday” life, in addition to my design work.

I can’t be the only one who experiences this dichotomy. I’ve often faced the same problem with presentations for classes, fliers for clubs, and report covers. I think it’s enhanced because I am a dual major in arts and not-arts at a primarily engineering school where form is rarely thought about and function rules all. Switching between the two schools of thought can be exhausting and tends to lead me into a haze of perfectionism where no final product is satisfactory to me. It can be frustrating to see the importance of design aesthetics where many don’t see or appreciate the purpose in print design, and that line that we must balance as students occasionally becomes frighteningly hard to see.

Have you ever experienced this as a design student or professional? What about as a non-design student? How do you deal with it, in either situation?

*EMAC = Electronic Media, Arts, and Communications – the graphic arts major at my school. I am concentrating in Graphic Design.

happiness

2010-09-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

picture by Alex Koplin and David Meiklejohn

Great post on LifeHacker today.

Step 1: Identify one thing you do that makes you unhappy. Write it down.

Step 2: Look at what you wrote down. Replace it with something that makes you happy.

Step 3: Repeat one week from now.

This week:

When I procrastinate I am unhappy. It gets me into all sorts of messes and just gives me that sinking feeling in my stomach.

My friends make me happy. I will study with friends instead of procrastinating this week.

classes start tomorrow

2010-08-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

Oh Troy….why do you tempt us so???

summer lovin’

2010-08-22T20:04:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I sort of had my last real days of summer. I mean, yeah, it’s still summer. But life and responsibilities and SCHOOL all start very very soon and so I decided to call those days my last and start looking forward to the fall semester.

This post is a pretty personal one for me – I had a fantastic summer and learned a lot about myself and others, and I don’t want to forget that. I have a few fun fall posts coming up soon but I’d like to close out the summer with this!

..I had a truly amazing summer. I made so many new friends, was constantly surrounded by wonderful people at all of my jobs, and got in a lot of time hanging out with friends from home. It’s been long and not so long, bumpy but smooth, a fun and serious summer. Dorky, maybe. But so true. I learned how to be happy and healthy and independent this summer.

For 3 years, I was with someone who was my rock. He was my pillar, and, a bit unfairly, the person I almost solely depended on for my happiness. Things didn’t work out and it has been so difficult to realize that and deal with it – there wasn’t any one defining thing that pushed either of us away from each other, which makes it harder in my opinion.

I also lived with two very close friends for two years in an apartment until this summer. Unfortunately, the living situation we were in did not bring out the best in any of our personalities and at the end of 2009 I decided to apply for the Learning Assistant position I have now and move back onto campus for my final year. The perks for this job are great (free housing!) but I also decided it was time for my next challenge. I really needed to get out of the negative environment we had created and start fresh. Meeting new people and trying new things is part of that.

This summer has slowly rebuilt my happiness with myself, and my respect and love for the people who surround me every day of my life. I learned that living alone does not have to be lonely – I just had to look for and make the opportunities to bring people into my life who could remedy that loneliness. Working 3 jobs this summer and living alone in a mostly-empty dorm could have been an awful, depressing experience. But instead it was warm, exciting, fun and helped me meet and get closer to some of my favorite people right now!

Self-fulfillment and actualization is a great theme to start the year on. Some links I really like on these topics:

11 things to do (and not do) when you’re burned out
You Have Not Walked In Their Shoes
Do What Makes You Happy
2 Ways You Think Yourself Unhappy (and 10 Things to Do About It)
16 First Steps to Creating The Life You Want From Some of the World's Best Bloggers
Bruce Mao's Incomplete Manifesto for Growth
How To Turn A Creative Brainstorm Into A Completed Project

daily dose of happiness

2010-08-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

what's been making me smile these days...

♥ string cheese

♥ finally being old enough to be on a first name basis with my professors

it makes me feel respected and validated as a student in my major!

♥ the first time you notice an acquaintance is now someone you call your friend :)

♥ eminem's new album...still.

♥ travel opportunities (here's to many this coming year)

♥ giving people study abroad advice

it gives me an excuse to reminisce!

♥ NEON yellow nails.

inspiration

2010-08-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

I mentioned awhile back that I was helping out at a Creative Writing camp for kids for a week earlier this summer. I’m not sure if I mentioned also though that I’ve been doing a workshop twice a week this summer for inner-city kids at the Boys and Girls Club with a few other students from RPI. I’ve worked with kids before, but just barely. It’s always been a pretty low-key interaction, or just long enough ago where I don’t remember much. In Spain I taught English to 3 girls for a few months with a friend, a gig brought to us by our Business professor. It was pretty easy and I mostly supervised homework, so I don’t really count that. Not to mention I was horribly awkward what with my lack of experience and expertise in the Spanish language!

This week is my last week with the workshop at the Boys and Girls Club. To be honest it’s been a huge struggle to find the energy for the four of us to keep going each week. The students are hostile (I mean, we’re teaching them math on computers. In the summer. Right after lunch. Right before pool/outdoors time. I really don’t blame them!). The computers rarely if ever work consistently. The building is not air conditioned and 10 computers generates a LOT of heat throughout the day. None of us have great experience working with kids – collectively, we probably have an almost complete knowledge but it’s a stretch.

So it surprises me that I’ll really miss it after this week. I’ve taken on the same job for the fall and although I’m looking forward to it, one of our group of student teachers is returning to Singapore from her study abroad at RPI and I’m really going to miss her. The other two…I’m not sure if they’ll be back. The particular facility we were at was hard to handle in the summer – I can only imagine what it’ll be like in the fall with the added load of courses and social commitments.

Over these past few weeks I’ve learned that inspiration can come from the most random sources. I learned so much from these programs I’ve been involved in and the people I’ve met as a result. During Creative Writing, the kids constantly surprised and delighted me with everything from their passion for reading and blunt observations about each other.

When you think about, it’s a rare thing for college students to interact with children, especially children who are just starting to really develop their personalities before becoming teenagers. There’s such a huge generational gap that I never considered – unless you are specifically teaching children in large groups while in college, or happen to have a much younger sibling and are extremely connected to your family still…there is a whole generation of beings that we don’t know. We don’t get their pop culture references. We don’t know what gadgets and toys they like. We don’t understand their senses of humor sometimes, or what they think is “cool” or not.

I hope that I can always keep this in mind and work on lessening that gap for myself. The kids I’ve been teaching for the past several weeks are all unique individuals. As much as it’s been a challenge, it’s been the kind of challenge that’s really stretched me to the limits and discover things about myself and these kids that I never knew. I used to think working with kids was one of the scariest things I’d ever do – what the heck do I know about it! I’m awkward in real life with adults - how would it be better with kids?? But really? It’s been fantastic! It’s not a mystery anymore. I’ve done it and enjoyed it and will keep teaching in the fall. As cheesy as it is….I can’t wait!

The cold weather can wait though ;).

rotw: easy blender gazpacho

2010-08-08T21:19:00.001-07:00

Yum yum. I’ve been on a raw-food kick, about 70/30 raw food to not the last few weeks. I’m working on a post about that, actually!

Anyway, ever since I got a fantastic blender from Macy’s, I’ve been fixing smoothies every morning for breakfast. All sorts of delicious combos of raw fruit + almond milk. But until now I’ve limited the blender to only smoothie production…what a waste!

All of a sudden I craved gazpacho the other day. Perfect! No cooking involved, minimal ingredients, super easy preparation (just blend it all and go). And healthy to boot!

After much searching online and through my notes from Spain (totally disorganized, surprise surprise) I managed to find a really amazing recipe. I’ve modified it a bit to be more friendly towards what I had at the time and I must say, it’s delicious and SUPER easy. Give it a go!

The Gazpacho Variations from the LA Times

Andalusian Garden Gazpacho adapted from the LA Times

makes about 2 servings

Note: The gazpacho should be the consistency of light cream. If it is to be served for sipping, thin with additional water.

1 slice bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup cold water, plus extra to soak the bread, divided
2-3 tomatoes or several cherry tomatoes (1/2 container or about 1.5 cups)
1/2 clove garlic minced
Small pieces of green bell pepper
A few squirts of fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 small white onion, finely chopped

1. Break the crustless bread into chunks and soak it in water & about 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar to cover until softened.

2. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces (for cherry tomatoes, just cut in half).

3. Add all ingredients including bread to blender. Blend until smooth. If there is trouble blending (mixture is too thick/not wet) add a bit more olive oil. If the mixture looks too thin, you can leave it be or add a few more tomato pieces.

Serve and enjoy! Told you it was easy. :)

daily dose of happiness

2010-08-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

short but sweet list. much more coming this week- stay tuned!

in the meantime…

things i loved this week/end:

♥ my job!

i truly love it. :) i will be so sad to cut back hours once classes start!!

♥ Top Gear on Netflix instant!

♥ late night walks across campus – barefoot :)

♥ hanging out with old friends

♥ hanging out with new friends

♥ getting a paycheck!!! never gets old.

♥ the cooler weather (although it seems to be heating up again…)

♥ long, open, interesting conversations

♥ me time at the coffee shop after early days at work

♥ iced coffee at said coffee shop. YUM.

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, with old friends last week-ish

things i’m loving: glitter nails!

2010-08-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

Loving these nails ever since I saw the last photo on Gala’s latest fall fashion post.

Lavender 3D nails from Cut Out + Keep

Silver Glitter Nails from Flickr user zoebateman

Summer 2010 Nails from Jenny Sokol’s blog

And of course, glitter tipped nails from Gala’s fashion post

I’m going to be honest, long nails (fake or real) creep me the heck out. I’ve felt this way most of my life, to the point where having long nails makes me really uncomfortable and twitchy feeling. I think it comes from playing violin most of my life, starting when I was 4 and the teacher would clip my nails for me if they were too long.

Anywayyyyyy.

That being said, I would totally consider growing out my nails a little bit just to make these glitter nails work! So adorable. I need to make this happen, and soon!

Fall fashion post coming later this weekend – in the meantime, keep looking for more things I’m loving post in the next few days!

weekend plans…do you have them?

2010-07-24T10:59:00.001-07:00

It is FINALLY the weekend, after one of the longest weeks I’ve experienced this summer!

Anyone else feel this way? Something about this week just stuck to me…the days were too long, I was too tired, the weather was just blah. It was such an odd feeling.

But now it’s the weekend!

HERE’S WHAT I’LL BE DOING:

♥ Painting my nails like Color Me Katie’s :)

♥ Listening to Gala's Love & Sequins Podcast #7 & #9

(BLOGGING 101 and MANIFESTING & MAGIC-MAKING)

♥ Smoothies and lots of writing at my favorite MochaBlend Cafe

♥ Hunting down a cheap blender at Goodwill (a must!)

♥ Making Spain connections for my Fulbright app & research project

♥ Cleaning out my closet & making some fresh outfits!

ANDDD…

♥ Loading my FAVE new music onto my mp3 player!

♥ Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself

♥ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes – Up From Below
(fyi for those in the Capital Region, they’ll be at Northern Lights on Tuesday!)

♥ Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Hope your weekend is fantastic! I’m definitely planning on mine being awesome. :D

a fruit fly just flew into my nose

2010-07-22T21:39:00.001-07:00

Things you might like to check out this week:

♥ How adorable are Color Me Katie’s fingernail polishes?? It makes me so happy! Definitely painting my nails this weekend.

♥ Gala Darling is having a half price sale on her Love & Sequins podcast until Monday! Go go go!!

♥ Consider What Your "Top Idea" is Making You Do article from Lifehacker…so true, and so interesting! A good way to take your thoughts into perspective. I need to start remembering this!

♥ P. S. I Made This DIY Projects…perfect for the weekend and some wardrobe updating.

♥ (If you’re local) Opening day at the Saratoga racetrack on Friday! Craziness. So fun but not looking forward to the traffic these next several weeks! Although I’ll admit it, I love being a local :)

That’s it for now…time to get to bed already! Weekly goals update coming soon…

Goals for the Week

2010-07-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

Well, since I don’t have a recipe of the week post ready yet, I figured I’d give myself something else to do: goals for the week. Sunday nights are generally pretty awesome/depressing for me for a number of reasons – I love the feeling of finishing up a good weekend and getting ready to face something new, but I’m never ready for a new week to begin! It always feels like I still need some time to relax and rejuvenate…and most of all, plan for the coming madness of the work week.

So with that in mind, I’m trying a new series where I work on productivity, goal-setting, organization, and all of the goodness that a Sunday should entail. I’m planning to post some awesome links and resources for myself and everyone reading this, and hoping that this and my weekly goals will give me a decent list of things to focus on and accomplish this week.

My goals are all pretty personal rather than work-related, for several reasons. My job is pretty awesome (well, jobs really) BUT it’s really based around working with day-to-day variances rather than weekly goals. I’m also going to be working a lot less during the school year with this job, with different responsibilities (summer program marketing rather than planning and execution). And most of all, I just really need to focus in on my own life and its workflow.

Screw productivity.

This week the focuses will be lingering things I need to take care of, and establishing new routines.

GOALS FOR THE WEEK of 7/18:

Call my credit card company and get a new card. I’ve been needing to do this for awhile; I need to settle a dispute with a company in Spain and I’ve been avoiding this because I know it’ll be a long call. I just need to get it over with already!
Cash my workshop paycheck. I’m always hard-pressed in finding time to go to the bank and end up putting it off for weeks. Trying to nip that in the bud!
Go grocery shopping and prepare lunch for the week.
Go to the gym 3 times this week. I really need to get into this habit. I’m ok with going on walks after work, but I need to add in a more intense workout to my routine.
Practice yoga every day. I was doing this for about 2 weeks in the end of June and I felt FANTASTIC – just doing a few sun salutations in the morning makes such a difference. But then, just like every other routine I tend to try to start, I stopped.
Take a vitamin every day. Have tea every day. Both are good for me. I have an excess of both. Need to use them and benefit!
Lastly…clean out my inbox and tabs. My reading list in Chrome has grown to incomprehensible sizes…same with my inbox. I really want to work on implementing a system that works and manage everything as it comes, rather than let it build up and deal with it later. This will be just the first of many steps I need to take!

HELPFUL LINKS:

Smart Wallpapers for High Productivity via Lifehacker. Love the dual monitor version!
Daily Burn. I use this to log my workouts and weight daily – it helps me keep track of what I’m doing and not slack off! (Well, most of the time at least). Plus it’s fun to have a place to look at everything you’ve been doing.
Healthy. Happy. Life. Vegan food blog. This website is AMAZING – there are sooo many great recipes for smoothies, lunches, dips, anything and everything. Such a good, healthy recipe resource.
How to be Positive on Social Networks This link has been making its way around every site. It’s not too relevant to this week’s topic but I think it’s a really great read either way – there are a lot of interesting points and I have been trying to implement this without realizing it since May!
Gmail Notes helps you remember what’s important in your saved inbox messages.
Along those lines…the Trusted Trio of Gmail labels. And Gmail as a journal – setting up labels and filters to record notes.
Lastly, one of the most inspiring blog posts I have ever read about organizing your life, Gala's Getting Organized for 2010 post. This is going to be referenced again and again – it’s so all-encompassing and full of amazing ideas!

What are your goals for the week? Day? End of summer? I can’t believe it’s already the middle of July – time to make progress on summer goals!

rotw: garlicky popcorn with nutritional yeast

2010-07-15T20:43:00.001-07:00

New recipe + new look! I’m forcing myself not to change the layout again for the next few months at least. WHEW.

Anyway, it’s been a crazy crazy week. I’ve been helping out with the Creative Writing day camp for 9-13 year olds here, and MAN is it an experience! This was my first time working with a large group of kids and I’ve loved almost every minute of it ;). They’re so freaking adorable!

This week I have a recipe for popcorn with an ingredient I’ve been wanting to try for awhile: nutritional yeast! I finally found some at a small health food store near me.

I make popcorn a lotttttt. It makes a fantastic snack and it’s so easy to make. I always air pop or stove pop my popcorn, for several reasons:

1. It’s just as easy and fast as microwave popcorn, but with no added chemicals!

2. You can add anything you want to it – yum.

3. It’s WAY cheaper. A decent-sized bag of generic popcorn kernels is $1.99 at my local grocery store, while a box of 3 microwave popcorn bags is $2.99.

Not convinced yet? Try this recipe! YUM.

Garlicky Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast

adapted from Mac & Cheese (the blog not the food!)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
cracked black pepper

1. Add vegetable oil to 4-quart lidded pot, then add popcorn kernels. They should just cover the bottom of the pan.

2. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking pan occasionally to move kernels around and avoid burning. When popping subsides to about 3 seconds between pops, remove from heat.

3. Pour popcorn into a large bag along with the nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Shake the bag to distribute the ingredients, then pour the popcorn out into a serving bowl.

Enjoy!

low maintenance

2010-07-04T15:41:00.001-07:00

So, I’m starting this new feature called recipe of the week in an attempt to fix the “to food blog or not to food blog” problem I have! I’ve just moved back into the dorms for the summer/next year due to one of my jobs, so I’ll be having less time to cook (and much less convenience in cooking, unfortunately) but that won’t keep me away completely! So I give you – recipe of the week, week #1. Look for this every Sunday(ish)!

One of my absolute favorite cookbooks is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. I love cooking – I consider myself a good cook and am always learning. But it’s really great to have a resource like this book for the simple things, like roasting chicken or making soup. Those are the things that have a million recipes online or in books – everyone has a family variation or preference. Having a starting point (like the recipes in this book) is important! So go forth and cook, my friends :).

mark bittman’s fettuccine alfredo

note: i added in frozen peas and chopped spinach since i had it laying around the apartment. this recipe does well on its own, or with any added vegetable or meat.

makes: about 4 servings
time: 30 minutes

salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound long pasta, like linguine or spaghetti, or any other pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Melt the butter gently. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add cook pasta until tender, but not mushy. While the pasta cooks, whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 cup grated Parmesan in a warmed bowl. Sprinkle with pepper. When the pasta is cooked, toss it with the cheese-egg-cream mixture, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to keep the mixture moist. Drizzle with the butter, toss well, and serve immediately.

enjoy!

insanely crazy busy day

2010-06-23T21:42:00.001-07:00

In the midst of all this chaos (workshop planning, working 2.5 jobs, and trying to manage 2 courses) I was replying to a friend’s post on my Facebook wall and it hit me:

I am talking to a girl who lives in England, who I met over a year ago. A girl who I was best friends with for 4 days in our adorable little hostel in Portland, OR after I took a roadtrip with an almost complete stranger across the USA. A girl who I haven’t seen in almost a year now (more than a year?), who has nothing other than the thread of our shared hostel experience (and bunk beds!) connecting us.

Isn’t that amazing? I am so lucky to meet the people I have so far.

Now back to my reply :).

sometimes all it takes is a step back to be inspired…

2010-06-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Tired and hot and grumpy. Today I ate too much, exercised too little, and accomplished nothing. I spilled everything everywhere. I am cranky with a capital C!

My entire life has revolved around writing for the past 4-5 months and I have done everything I can do to avoid doing so! I found this fantastic quote via Gala Darling today, and I think it describes my entire day/year/life pretty well:

“Usually, writers will do anything to avoid writing. For instance, the previous sentence was written at one o’clock this afternoon. It is now a quarter to four. I have spent the past two hours and forty-five minutes sorting my neckties by width, looking up the word “paisley” in three dictionaries, attempting to find the town of that name on The New York Times Atlas of the World map of Scotland, sorting my reference books by width, trying to get the bookcase to stop wobbling by stuffing a matchbook cover under its corner, dialing the telephone number on the matchbook cover to see if I should take computer courses at night, looking at the computer ads in the newspaper and deciding to buy a computer because writing seems to be so difficult on my old Remington, reading an interesting article on sorghum farming in Uruguay that was in the newspaper next to the computer ads, cutting that and other interesting articles out of the newspaper, sorting—by width—all the interesting articles I’ve cut out of newspapers recently, fastening them neatly together with paper clips and making a very attractive paper clip necklace and bracelet set, which I will present to my girlfriend as soon as she comes home from the three-hour low-impact aerobic workout that I made her go to so I could have some time alone to write.” — P. J. O’Rourke

Ayup. When I was in high school, I wrote like crazy. Senior year especially – I wrote in my journal, in my blog, I wrote poems and lyrics and short stories. I was so into writing and somehow it just flowed back then. I suspect it had something to do with the fact that I had a gigantic crush on a writer at the time and wanted to impress him in our Creative Writing class. But hey ho, it worked and I wrote more and he broke up with me after 4 days but that gave me even more writing material! I wish I could draw from that pool of motivation right now.

Anywho, this is really a completely unproductive post (hey see a theme here??) but my big project for the summer can be summed up in one word: SPAIN. I am attempting to get all of my memories in one place, be it writings or notes or ticket stubs or photos. Brochures, menus, maps, phrases, receipts….everything needs to be organized. It is a mess and I am attempting a book (yes! a book! more on that later) so I would very much like things to be neat and organized or at least in a folder shoved in the same drawer.

I unfortunately did not keep a completely coherent journal in Spain so I’ve been trying to freewrite memories 10-15 minutes every day, we will see how that goes over the next few weeks. After that I’ll need to type them up and then re-work/write passages that make sense and connect everything with events and humor and notes I took in my research book over there. It will be fun and interesting and frankly a little bit depressing every time I remember something I briefly forgot. I still can’t get over this whole “once in a lifetime experience” thing and keep thinking that come fall I will be back in my room with the cold marble floors and I have a good Spanish breakfast, say hasta luego to Loli, and amble off to class with my study abroad besties, planning our next long weekend adventure. Le sigh. I will be inconsolable once the one-year mark comes around.

I am so for sure applying for the Fulbright. My topic is going to be bitchin’. Enough babbling for now though. Time for bed!

oh dear

2010-05-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

current projects:

finishing 3 back essays by thursday
writing an extra credit Language & Culture essay for thursday
2 research papers – thursday
interviews for Language & Culture research paper/senior STS thesis

non-school related current projects!:

watching criminal minds like it’s my job!
researching fantastically awesome inspiring people, like matthew gray gubler, mindy kaling, bruce mau, and more
reading through my pile of books (awesome YA fiction I haven’t kept up with and books like Never Eat Alone, On Writing Well, and Will Write For Food)
listening to classics on free audiobook while i design
catching up on spanish – watching CSI: Miami dubbed, Pasapalabra (I MISS IT!), and reading Gabriel García Márquez in spanish
planning my next travel adventure! deciding on where to go for the summer…midwest roadtrip, northeast roadtrip, or west coast trip again (if i find a cheap ticket!)
making the perfect iced coffee

whew!

california dreaming

2010-04-24T23:30:00.001-07:00

Between all the damage I have been inflicting upon my poor electronics (water spillage, mysterious start up files missing, you name it), I’m lucky to be online at all right now! And after looking back at all of my photos from a recent trip, I’m feeling even more lucky.

I was in LA visiting my little sister a few weekends ago. She’s doing an internship out there – she’s so glamorous! She and I had a fantastic time! And best of all, she is such a chill person, it really got me ready to deal with all of the stress of finishing the last semester of my senior year. Insanity, controlled. (Mostly.)

and because I have to…

how could I not?! It’s the view from my sister’s window…so cool!

circles

2010-04-18T22:44:00.001-07:00

(reminder to self)

I was in Italy several months ago.

Spain before and after that.

L.A. last weekend.

Sun and sand and family.

Old (and new) friends and fun.

Ok…my life is now back in perspective.

It hasn’t been that long of a semester after all.

totally obsessed with…

2010-04-17T15:20:00.001-07:00

Matthew Gray Gubler.

“I feel like I have accomplished a life long goal I never knew I had.”

Artist, cinematographer, actor, former model. Plays Reid in Criminal Minds (LOVE that show at the moment!) Has a totally awesome website here. I love that his talent is so authentic – he’s not just dabbling in everything, but is truly passionate about it.

old news

2010-03-21T22:03:00.001-07:00

I’ve gotten so behind in blogging and so wrapped up in school work that I just realized I never shared the cake I made for my sister’s birthday. It’s been a crazy few months and I’m still working on catching up…especially on food posts!

Merging the two blogs (food and design) has proven a little difficult organization-wise, but I’m working on it! I have lots more to share throughout this week, so keep checking back for more.

For my sister’s cake, Nina asked me for a lemon cake with chocolate frosting and coconut flakes. I’m not a huge fan of coconut but it made the cake look so pretty….like a winter wonderland cake! It was absolutely delicious.

Happy late birthday Nina!

spring-ish

2010-03-20T11:03:00.001-07:00

I’m not going to fool myself, I know there is probably more bad weather around the corner. But for now, I’m going to enjoy the 70 degree March days.

Kinda like this gal. :)

odds and ends

2010-02-12T07:51:00.001-08:00

Hilarious list of authors and the people who read them summed up in a sentence
Background Pattern Maker
Typography jokes: Pentagram What Type Are You (password: character)
Interesting thought on boy vs. girl toys: “The powerlessness of pink”
50 of the world’s best design blogs according to the Times. Adding some to my reading list now!
I (heart) New York necklace! More states on Etsy by truche. I so want this!

pretty things:

Rebecca Thuss's illustration portfolio – I love the elegant, clean design of this site! It has just enough character to make it unique, but it isn’t overwhelming.
Decor8’s mugs and books photo post. Gorgeous. Makes me feel all cozy and wintry.
Daytum. Cute personal graphing site, love the infographics.

Have a lovely day!! Views brought to you courtesy of Portugal…can’t believe it’s already been so long since studying abroad!

got my sunshine

2010-02-10T22:34:00.001-08:00

“Ask any questions you want. Ask anyone you want. Do what you can with the answers.”

Bright kitchens, colorful workspaces, sunshine yellow scarves, floaty tops, watercolor paintings. Beating the winter blues with bright colors…perfect!

I have a bad habit and just dump all the photos I like into a folder and usually forget to save the credits…if this is yours and you want it removed, just let me know. Similarly, if you know who I can credit, let me know that as well!

Emilio Pucci Spring 2010 Runway collection – thanks to Cheeky Madame!

I found this beautiful image on a blog where a girl makes these almost daily..I wish I could remember the name!

The adorable, gorgeous Lydia from Chictopia!

Kat Macleod (illustrator) She is absolutely amazing…please check out more of her work! :)

Samantha Hahn – click for full size wallpaper!

jr/sr art show

2010-02-03T20:56:00.001-08:00

My Spain photos were accepted into my school’s Junior/Senior Art Show for the end of the year :). They want to see more from me!

times of stresssss

2010-01-30T20:20:00.001-08:00

my kitty has been sick, and I just finished my first week of classes. It was a whopper of an end of break, not the best way to end it obviously…but my cat’s home, recovering, and hopefully on her way to being healthy again. We’re all still not completely sure what happened, but it had to do with undiagnosed diabetes, an infection, liver complications from the infection, and a few other things.

It’s been a rough few weeks.

In terms of classes, it’s going to be a pretty hard semester and I’m still trying to get myself back into the game. I’m taking Marketing Principles, Graphic Design Studio, Language & Culture, U.S. History of Technology, Public Service Internship, and an Independent Study thesis project for my Graphic Design degree. Wish me luckkkk.

More thoughtful/interesting posts coming soon, I promise.

new year, new hair!

2010-01-12T10:40:00.001-08:00

Decided to go brunette. LOVE IT. I used Natural Instincts Nutmeg – it made my hair shiny and soft too!

Working on my “action plan” for 2010 – it’s about time I pulled things together for that!

What changes have you made for the new year?

link round up for the new year

2010-01-08T16:11:00.001-08:00

Vintage Ad Browser via Lifehacker’s article
Photograbber app from Google Code
Best tips for New Year’s resolutions I’ve read ever – Lifehacker’s Top 10 Mind Hacks for Making Your Resolutions Stick
Issues with Low-Fat, via Lifehacker. I loved this article. My favorite snippet:

Stop associating "food" with "activity"
"Candy" has nothing to do with "working behind a desk"
"popcorn with loads of butter" has nothing to do with "watching a movie at home."
"Eating a whole box of Oreos" has nothing to do with "watching Sex In the City."
"Turkey" can be eaten any time during the year, so there’s no reason to overload at Thanksgiving.
Snack if you feel hungry, not because you’re doing a certain activity!

Martha Stewart Organization index, a great resource for quick (and not so quick) DIY organization projects
Use Better Tools to be a Better Student, via Lifehacker again. Great article with some useful tips on programs that will make your life easier in school.

Be back soon with my new year’s resolutions! Feel free to share yours in the comments if you drop by!

a study in breakfasts

2010-01-01T23:35:00.001-08:00

In Spain (every day)

Toast with coffee and milk

In the U.S. (Christmas Day)

Maple smoked bacon, spinach and caramelized onion quiche, bread machine cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate.

Hehe. Yum.

happy belated holidays

2010-01-01T23:19:00.001-08:00

I’ll make this quick – it’s 2am and I’m exhausted but motivated! I didn’t get around to making a holiday post, since everything was hectic what with getting to see family and friends again and my luggage being lost. But I had a fantastic holiday and I hope everyone else did too! Some snippets:

Last year post-Christmas, my roommate and I scouted out some awesome deals at Wal-Mart and picked up an awesome white tree for a pretty good price. I was so sad I wasn’t there to decorate it with my roommates but they left the tree up for me to see after Spain – sooooo cute!

I baked cookies with my little sister. She’ll make you think she did all the work, but I decorated them too! So there. They’re so pretty it makes you want to eat all of them!

My friends and I have basically taken over the Dunkin Donuts here (the only place to hang out past 7pm) and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been eating my weight in cookies and sitting in front of the woodstove catching up on blogs…I love being home for the holidays!

happy 2010

2010-01-01T09:30:00.001-08:00

Good riddance to 2009 – it was a decent year (I did study abroad after all!) but other than that, it was rough and crummy in my opinion.

Some highlights (the good) from 2009:

Taking one of the best graphic design courses I’ve taken yet! (Graphic Design for Corporate Identity) and getting my first official design “job” (Opus Igor freelance work)
Meeting new people – friends of friends, CEA Sevilla, road trip buddies, Portland hostel roommates. It was a good year for new faces.
Reconnecting with old friends and with family. Studying abroad really made me appreciate how important family and friends are, and I was really lucky to be able to keep up old friendships and talk with family more than ever when I needed it most.
TRAVEL. Visiting my sister, roommate, and 2 good friends while they all spent the summer in Boston. Then, seeing more of the US on a road trip than most people get to see in their lives. It was fantastic and beautiful, and I hope I get to do something like that many times more in my life. And the last bit of travel in 2009 – Spain. SPAIN. Not to mention all the traveling I did while in Spain, and how lucky I was that my mom and my boyfriend both visited me. It was the best experience I’ve had in my life, and I intend to never forget it!

ROAD TRIP Summer 2009

BOSTON Summer 2009

SPAIN Fall 2009

PORTUGAL September 2009

SWITZERLAND (Interlaken) October 2009

ITALY (Florence & Rome) October/November 2009

Here’s to a happier, healthier, more prosperous new year! :)

I’M HOME!

2009-12-21T09:45:00.001-08:00

After getting delayed overnight and finally getting onto a flight that was supposed to go to Chicago but they cancelled that flight for ours…

….and after waiting 5 hours for my luggage at IAD only to finally find out my bags never left Germany…

….and after waiting in line for 3 hours while missing 3 connecting flights…

…I got the last seat out of DC to Albany at 10pm last night!!!

Never flying during the holidays again. 48 hours straight of traveling and not knowing if I’ll make it home before Christmas or not….not for me!

Thanks to all of the awesome people on flight UA 933 from Frankfurt for all of the friendship and support. It was a heck of an ordeal but the people I was traveling with made it so much more bearable – we were all in the same boat (well, flight) and bonded over it. It was great meeting everyone and hope everyone got to their final destination!

on way home

2009-12-19T16:30:00.001-08:00

Stuck in Germany. Snow on the East Coast. Oy.

At least I get a hotel and meal vouchers! (And internet!)

Pros: I get to say I’ve legitimately(ish) been to Germany now. And I’m not stuck in Heathrow till Tuesday, like some of my friends. Eek!

Some post-Spain deep thinking coming soon. Hasta luego!

down comforter

2009-12-15T06:23:00.001-08:00

Apparently, all I had to do was ask.

………Duh. Oops.

one week

2009-12-14T10:27:00.001-08:00

Less than one week from now I will be waking up in my bed at home in the U.S.

That is too weird to think about! I’m excited to go home and see family and friends, but I don’t want to leave this place. I think that’s pretty much the sentiment all around. I’m also just realizing how much more there is to see of this city, and have been trying to cram that all into one weekend! Chris coming last weekend (still a blog post owed on that) was really, really fun, and among other things, was an awesome way for me to play tourist all over again here!

Things have been tense on and off here – finals, presentations and papers, all coupled with the fact that we have to deal with this THING, this finality of saying goodbye to the only friends and family we’ve had here in Spain for the last 3 months, these people we’ve gotten close to and the city we love that we have never previously known before, on top of all of these school stressors. It’s a strange situation. At times I’m ready to leave and just get the whole traveling/packing thing over with, but most other times, I’m scrambling to fit everything in I want to do before I leave. I’m not ready!

I’ll leave you with the video I created for our Farewell Reception last week. The songs are “Moving” by Macaco (watch the music video if you get a chance!) and “Bamboleo” by the Gypsy Kings.

celebrity sightings

2009-12-01T15:03:00.001-08:00

Well, not by me. But a movie Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are starring in has been filming in Boston for awhile, near my sister’s school campus. Then, a few weeks ago, they started shooting in none other than Sevilla, Spain for a couple of the action scenes! Too cool!

Although it was just their stunt doubles for the first several days of shooting, it’s still exciting! They were shooting all over Sevilla’s center, plazas and sidewalks I walk through every day. I was walking to class one morning past the bullring, which is on the main road by the river, and they were filming a car chase inside of the ring. I realize I sound like a 10 year old boy here, but…neat! I am definitely going to see the movie just to be able to say, I’ve been there!

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz arrived in town a few days ago, and were shooting down in Cadiz for a running of the bulls scene when the bulls got loose and did some damage. I saw it on the news here and it looked like the bulls were out of control! Anyway, not sure if they’re still in town, I heard they’ll be here through December but who knows. Maybe I’ll spot one of them in line at Starbucks while I’m studying one day!

happy december!

2009-11-30T16:26:00.001-08:00

This will be quick, since I should be getting to bed. But WOW. It’s December already! Who can believe that…time has flown! In less than 3 weeks I will be on a plane on my way home, starting the process of being an American student again. It’s a bittersweet ending for all of us I think –we all want to go home and see our families for Christmas, but none of us want to leave this place we’ve called home and the wonderful friendships we’ve created in the last 3ish months.

The weather has definitely turned “December-y”…it’s been more overcast lately, although unlike home it clears up a lot faster! The air has a chill to it, too, and the breezes are less welcome and more like wind. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s been about 60-66 degrees here and honestly, it feels COLD. I’ve been bundling up with the rest of Sevilla in a fleece coat, multiple layers, boots, hat, scarf, and gloves. And it’s only been 1-2 mornings where I’ve been able to see my breath…I’m going to have quite a surprise when I get home, I think. As if I needed to be less tolerant of the cold!

Can’t wait to update more later – for now, goodnight! :)

quick link round-up

2009-11-30T16:02:00.001-08:00

Happy December all! (In Spain right now, at least!) It kind of makes me shudder to realize it’s already December…where did the time go!?

Unclutter Your Life In One Week – It’s a review of the book, but has pointers on how to take control of one cluttered aspect of your week a day. Definitely trying this next semester!
Rise of the Internet Style Icon – Interesting article concerning the popularity of style blogs and what it means to be a “fashion celebrity” now
Idea Cartoons – ADORABLE. Little paintings Scott Campbell depicting when creative ideas go wrong…love it!
FaceOut Books Book Cover Project - James Bond – love the illustrations and interviews. Check out all of the covers!
Saying Farewell to a Hobby – via Unclutterer. Again, checking this out once I get home – it is way too often that I feel bogged down by hobbies.
61 Best Free Apps for Computers- via LifeHacker. Already have some of these, downloaded a few others…great resource list!
Top 10 Tiny Awesome Windows Utilities – via LifeHacker again. Some repeats from the above links, but great nonetheless.
Google Voice Is Cool - Do You Need It? I got an invitation over the summer but it was so close to me leaving that I never set anything up. Now I’m excited to once I get home, but need to research why to use it a little more.
The Benefits of Pissing People Off – interesting article.
Why Breaking Dawn Must Be Made into a Movie – made me giggle. A good laugh!

Been obsessed with several things lately: music (Sea Wolf, Imogen Heap, Sufjan Stevens, Jason Derulo – ha); books (basically anything I can get my hands on by Nora Roberts – I know!); and videos of college acapella groups.

change is good!

2009-11-29T03:49:00.001-08:00

…At least, I keep telling myself that!

I just imported my food blog (delicious talka) into this one – I think I’m going to be merging them. It’s becoming redundant to update two blogs at once when I want to be able to blog about all of my interests on talkanatalka. So, time to condense and keep on trucking along :).

More later!

computer woes, solved

2009-11-29T03:15:00.001-08:00

Taking a break from study abroad for a moment…my faithful T60 Thinkpad school-issued computer pretty much died a hideous death before I left for Spain (2 days before, to be exact). At RPI we make give our computers a LOT of crap, both mentally and physically. Although the T60 line is ESPECIALLY not known for its problem-free, trustworthy-computer usage, it was a workhorse and handled my Adobe software suite as much as its tiny little processor let it.

Ok, I’ll admit it. The thing was a pain in the you-know-what. My class to special pride in trash-talking our computers and bragging to those freshmen with shiny new computers who complained about theirs that WE had T60s…the most defective, recalled versions of the school’s issued laptops (every class gets the next newest model). Among other things, ours were recalled for defective/explosive batteries, and known to have issues with the BIOS, motherboard, CD/DVD drive, processor, and pretty much every other piece of hardware known to man.

I’m not bitter at all!

So, I shouldn’t have been surprised that after a long and drawn-out battle (VERY drawn-out, I can’t even emphasize how painful this process was – nights and days of sweat and tears and screaming “WHY WON’T YOU BOOT UP MY PROGRAMS IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES!!! WHY!!!”)…my laptop died. One morning it just decided, I’ve had enough.

Yeah.

Luckily!! My dad and I had been thinking about this (well, more that my computer might break while I was IN Spain – guess it jumped the gun – or that if it was stolen, that computer has everything important on it, tons of software, and even more personal information). So, we decided the best bet would probably be to get one of those fancy new-fangled netbooks:

Mainly it was the colors that drew me in. I’ve always been a sucker for packaging ;).

Anyway, there it is. My one and only computer since I got to Spain. And I love it! It’s so easy to pack into a purse and go, it weighs literally nothing compared to my old computer, and it does exactly what I need it to while here – surf the internet, post blog posts, upload photos (built in memory card slot, swoon!), makes calls on Skype (built-in webcam – I’m spoiled now!) and that’s about it. It handles heavier programs (I may or may not have some video editing software on here, oops) very impressively, too. I’m sure it wouldn’t work for an entire year’s worth of, say, graphic design classes, but it’s not supposed to. This little computer does everything it’s supposed to and a little more, and handles it beautifully.

I’m so not used to that!

Anyway, I’m a little scared about what I’ll come back to once I turn on the T60 again (ugh). I need some files off of it and I’m hoping the (4-month) break will have let it rest a little and, I don’t know, be more agreeable? I fully believe that computer has a mind of its own and just likes to spite me!

Wish me luck with that….T-minus 3 weeks until I find out what’s up with it!

thanksgiving, spanish style

2009-11-28T13:40:00.001-08:00

First of all, I’m going to apologize for the awful photos before anything else! I could only take photos with flash, the lighting was way too yellow and too dim to take no-flash shots. So, I’m sorry!

Anyway! CEA brought us all out to dinner on Thursday night for an American Thanksgiving meal! It was really nice to be celebrating together. Surprisingly, lots of people have asked me if I was homesick spending the holiday away, and my answer was “no”. I feel almost guilty feeling this way, but I think the reason why I wasn’t homesick is pretty simple.

It didn’t feel like a holiday here in Spain at all. We still had classes, I went to study later in the day at our usual cafe (ok, ok, it’s Starbucks but whatever!). I went home and siesta-ed, Skyped with family and Chris, and read my book. In Sevilla it’s already Christmas season – decorations and commercials started 2ish weeks ago. So my thinking pretty much leapt to that and not Thanksgiving.

I have to say though, once I got all dressed up for dinner and started walking to our meeting point, it started feeling like a holiday – it felt special! Especially once I met up with everyone and we were all dressed up and excited. Dinner was really fun!

We went to a nearby Italian restaurant (believe me, we had a fun time with that – having an American dinner in an Italian restaurant which is in southern Spain…lol). We even got our own room :). The dinner was interesting…turkey (of course!), green beans, corn on the cob (extremely sweet and not very crunchy, but still somehow delicious – but no butter!), and the most goopy, pureed mashed potatoes ever! (But still good.)

I think you can see what I mean with the potatoes ;).

The pumpkin pie was the surprise of the night! It did not look too impressive, but it was DELICIOUS. It tasted like pure pumpkin! (Which it probably was, lol.) Yum.

They even let us have champagne at the end of the night! :) So much for the no-alcohol policy…I think this was a good occasion for it!! On the right, the bar 3 friends and I went to down the road after. It was a very cool place, lounge-y and relaxing. Exactly what we wanted – a place to stay out a little longer, but not crazy. So cute! I’m actually heading there in a few minutes, so as always, more later!

in a funk

2009-11-25T02:14:00.001-08:00

It seems that all of us here are officially in a funk. The one month left marker passed by without much fanfare last week – I remember that the halfway mark was sometime immediately after our Ronda daytrip, and everyone couldn’t bear to think about it. Although it definitely still feels that way, we’re at a weird point in our experience.

We’re getting so close to leaving that we can count the number of weekends left on only a few fingers, and it’s depressing. At the same time, the midterm week blues are only just starting to wear off, but finals week wear and tear is already beginning. None of us want to leave Sevilla but we’re starting to think about packing and seeing our families and what the first thing we’ll do when we get back is. I’m starting to think about writing rent checks again, fixing my spring semester schedule, and cleaning my room at home. It’s a very strange mix of emotions.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on lately. A lot of us are feeling a strange mix of homesickness and a desire to never leave Sevilla, as unrealistic as that is. It’s dramatic, but none of us will have this exact experience again with all of us together, here, hanging out, traveling throughout Europe and Spain and just being together at this point in our lives. Of course part of the appeal at first was that it’d be a finite experience. We’re being forced to come to terms with that part of the agreement now, and it is not too pleasant.

Enough depression talk now. Fortunately, all of this drabble means that we’re all dedicated to making this the best next few weeks that we can! This Thursday, CEA is hosting us at a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. The email told us to “dress up” – I can’t wait! It’s strange because I’m sitting here in Starbucks, drinking from a red Christmas-themed cup, listening to Christmas carols, and looking across the street at a giant Christmas Nativity scene market next to the Cathedral. All of the decorations have jumped straight to Christmas with no fall in between, because there’s no Thanksgiving here – so I don’t even feel like it’s the Thanksgiving time of year. But I still can’t wait! :)

things that make me happy

2009-11-22T05:12:00.001-08:00

flannel sheets on my bed!

new slippers because my old ones stunk (ew)

holiday drinks at Starbucks!

new perfume (don’t judge me on the name! it smelled good)

going out for drinks with friends :)

emails from my mom!

and, this last thing…which was the biggest surprise to me ever and I cannot wait!!!

…

Yep, that’s right!!! :)

feliz cumpleanos and other news!

2009-11-18T01:32:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile, I know I know. Happy late birthday to MY MOM!!!!! :) Sorry I didn't post this yesterday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!

Anyway, in other news! I feel like I've really become a part of this country and am loving living here. I went to a copy center the other day, close to the Starbucks I like to do homework in, because I wanted to print out a series of cards to send to my mom for her birthday (sorry Mom!). The lady gave me a hard time there - kind of standard problems with the paper types, files, whatever. It was almost funny because I've experienced the same problems at Kinko's at home!

I was pretty proud of myself - I carried out an argument completely in Spanish. And the best part is, it felt natural - I wasn't translating in my head, the words were just flowing out and moving fast. Those are the moments where afterwards, I feel the most legitimate studying in this country. I can carry on heated conversations in Spanish!

Also, I feel like I've been dressing the part of "Spaniard". They really care about how they look here and it's rubbing off on me in a good way. I like feeling pulled together and looking my best. No Spaniard here would be caught dead in their sweats or ill-fitting clothes. I love it.

The one thing I've held on to though, and refused to part with is my backpack. I cannot bring all the stuff I need for class in a cute small purse and hold onto the books - first of all, I can't leave home without about 232,246 notebooks "just in case". Not to mention, I have more classes in a row than most Spaniards (all of us do in the program). So, even though I know it makes me stand out pretty badly, that's the one thing I'm still hanging onto that's ridiculously "American". We'll see how it is at the end! :)

Goodbye, Italy! Take 2

2009-11-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

It’s my second last night in Italy within the past month. I am too freaking lucky. Look at all this great food!

Caffe Latte and Pastry at a Cafe at the corner of Via Nazionale and Via Faenza in Florence.

Pastries from Il Forno, by the Mercato Centrale.

Firenza salad, Mostodolce pizza (tomato, mozzarella, truffle, mushrooms – AMAZING), and the Martellina beer – this restaurant/pizzeria brews their own beer. I tried the honey brew, and WOW. It was so good! I haven’t have house-brewed beer since I left the States, so this was a real treat – very sweet with spicy notes and a just-bitter-enough finish. Perfection!! All from Mostodolce, Via Nazionale in Florence.

Sadly, I didn’t get ANY pictures of our pasta courses we ate out our first night. Extremely disappointing. It was amazing and I forgot my camera. More later.

I am super sad to be leaving Italy.

Goodbye, all you lovely Italian pastries and caffe lattes :(.

I will be back.

last night in italy :(

2009-11-08T16:16:00.001-08:00

Not that it’s much of a “night”….getting up at 4:30am with my mom to catch the bus at 5:20am, fly out of Bergamo, Italy at 6:25am..eek! As soon as we got to Bergamo we both wished we were staying another night here – it’s an adorable, amazing city. Very small, feels safe, and has SUCH a Christmasy hint of winter in the air! I love it! Reminds me of Lake Placid, a lot.

On the train from Florence to Milan with my mom (which was an AWESOME train, way nicer than one I’ve taken before – so cool!), we met a really friendly, CUTE Italian guy sitting next to me/across from my mom. He was born in Sicily, lives in Rome, has a best friend who lives in Sevilla! We also met a shopkeeper in Florence who adores Sevilla, and has many friends there as well. It’s so nice running into people like that “abroad” from Sevilla! Almost the same feeling as running into Americans in Spain…I love it.

My mom and I are both super sad to be leaving Italy.

Goodbye, all you lovely Italian pastries and caffe lattes :(.

We will be back.

Florence Day 2

2009-11-08T14:37:00.001-08:00

(happy with the apartment!)

(our view)

(rainy Florence)

(breakfast)

(just hanging out)

italy take 2!

2009-11-08T14:33:00.001-08:00

My mom’s been visiting me for the past few days in Spain! It’s been hotter than hot, definitely weather that calls for a siesta. I really don’t remember the last time it was so hot in Sevilla – I can’t figure out if it has been, and I just don’t notice because I’m usually in classes, or if the temperatures suddenly soared again.

Anyway, my mom’s visiting at a really great time for me because not only did I just happen to have a 5 day weekend, but my normal “weekends” are 3 days long, and 2 of my classes were cancelled this week. So we have maximum time together!

I wanted my mom to be able to experience more of Europe than just Sevilla. But, I didn’t realize how much she would like it there! For me, it’s the place I live and go to school every day now – it’s still super awesome, don’t get me wrong! But I love travelling and wanted to grab the chance to be able to travel more and most importantly, travel with my mom. I know she loves it too and I thought it’d be really cool for her to get to do that, since she was already in Europe!

So, right now we’re in Florence, Italy (again for me!! :D)! I found an amazing deal on an apartment here, $34/night each, bringing the total per night here cheaper than most hotels in the U.S., which is pretty great! We have a huge bedroom with 2 beds, a really cute bathroom, balcony with a wonderful view of the Duomo, a kitchen(!!!), a dining area, couch…it’s amazing! The couch may or may not be a futon – I’m currently sitting on it and a little afraid to find out…it keeps creaking and sliding around!

BUT ANYWAY. Yes, we are in Italy! We had an amazing dinner last night at Trattoria Za Za – definitely, definitely a place we are visiting again. My mom got spinach, ricotta, and truffle ravioli that actually almost had me shedding some tears it was so good. And I ordered a delicate, tasty fettuccine with pesto sauce. Yum! Sadly, no pictures, since I stupidly decided not to bring my camera.

All this build-up, just to get to the bad news…it is raining. Hard. And the weather report for the rest of the week is rain as well. I feel so ridiculously guilty – weather really hasn’t been an issue for me while studying abroad (Sevilla doesn’t really get weather! It’s just varying levels of HOT), so I don’t make a habit of checking. But even when I do check the weather, I don’t really care much about what it says – to me, rain is rain, either way I’m in Europe!! :)

But stupidly, I didn’t think about my mom. She came to Spain out of upstate-NY crappy pre-winter weather – rainy, cold, and gross. So of course, she loved the weather in Sevilla. I didn’t think about this until the plane tickets were booked (and we booked RyanAir, so pretty much our flight was set in stone), and basically I feel pretty guilty because all it has done so far is rain, rain, and forecast more rain. Oops :(.

Anyway, I feel a little better only because of these two things: 1. the amazing food; and 2. this apartment. It is such a great deal! So, I have high hopes for this trip, but I hope they don’t get smashed by this weather….more updates as I can find internet access!

-Nat

soooo off topic

2009-11-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Guys, I totally freaking suck for not updating so much. BUT COME ON. I'M STUDYING IN SPAIN.

It seems like a good excuse to me, at least ;).

Anyway, I saw this post on LiveJournal (ahh I know) and I really want to make them when I get back. Can't wait to get into a kitchen again!!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit Recipe

BIG NEWS!

2009-10-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

So, ok, as probably every single person who reads this blog knows…my mom is coming to visit me this week for a LONG time!!!!! :D I AM PSYCHED.

I’m also grumpy as HECK trying to find a freaking flight to Italy and back for us!!! There’s been airline strikes in Italy, starting with the Air Traffic Controllers from what I understand, and now with Iberia as well – I’m not sure if they’re related, honestly, but it’s a freaking pain to plan around! Prices have jumped like crazy: tell me if this makes sense. I paid 70 E to Pisa, Italy, and 65 E from Rome to Sevilla. Right now, Iberia is running one-way flights to Pisa from SVQ for a WHOPPING 1,500 E and ROUND TRIP to Pisa 258 E. WHAT! Does this even make any sense to you?????

Ugh rage rage rage. I cannot WAIT to go to Italy again, I just wish the airlines made it a little easier for us ;). I resent the amount of work I have to go through for this!

(Side note: Mom, if you’re reading this and I know you are, YOU ARE WORTH IT. Ok? So don’t worry about it!! I’m just frustrated with the airlines and the nonsensical pricing!)

ANYWAY. I’ve been planning and plotting and Googling and can’t wait to play tour guide for my mom! This is just my type of “thing” – apparently I love steamrolling people into doing things (hehe!) and there is no better way to do that than play tour guide! I can’t deny it, I am a bit bossy, but it’ll be really fun to really show off “my” city. I think it’ll help me realize how many cool things are here too – there’s so much I haven’t done yet!!

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS!! :D

Time change

2009-10-26T17:09:00.001-07:00

Also: I am now officially only 5 hours ahead of home, until next weekend at least! Daylight savings time in Spain ended Saturday :).

Little things.

2009-10-26T17:07:00.001-07:00

The other night Loli made me Cream of Mushroom soup…well, not cream, but it was thick and floury, my favorite kind :). I think my eyes lit up when I saw it and I couldn’t stop telling her how much I LOVE mushrooms…and I lucked out because she gave me some the next day too!! THEN.

Last night my dinner was: sauteed mushrooms and onions. OMG. ONLY MY FAVORITE FOOD EVER(ish)!!! I’ve ALWAYS wanted to eat just that for dinner, too. Hehe. You should’ve seen how excited I was to see all that heaped on a plate.

So, a little deviation from the usual Spanish meal, but WOW. Yum.

BIG NEWS coming tomorrow! For now, bed.

sick.

2009-10-19T14:15:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s been building up for awhile, but this weekend it’s come out completely: I’m sick. For the past few weeks I’ve been breaking out in night sweats and have suspected I have a fever, but since I had no way to tell, I couldn’t be sure. I was hoping it was just from the seasons (not) changing and traveling a lot, moving between different climates, etc. But this weekend was my first in Sevilla for awhile and my body seemed to know it.

I’ve progressed through the stages of a bad cold pretty fast – it’s only been the last 3-4 days. But I’ve experienced the sore throat, the stuffiness, then the swollen throat, runny nose/watery, small cough turning into huge annoying cough symptoms. This morning I went to the doctor with a CEA director and came out 5 minutes later with 3 prescriptions – one for a cough, one for ibuprophen (I didn’t buy that, I already have some), and one for…well, I’m not really sure. It’s like Airborne I think, but for cold symptoms? I’m not really sure, but I do know that I accidentally read the Spanish wrong and tried taking one without letting it dissolve in water. EWWWW WORST IDEA EVER. I was foaming at the mouth with cold meds.

That was a mistake I won’t make again.

Anyway, just an update, and I’m still alive (although really all I want to do it pass out). Lots to do – tons of homework this week, not to mention I have a midterm or two this week, CEA excursion to Ronda on Saturday, and then the rest of my midterms sometime next week. Eek! Wish me luck!

Well hello.

2009-10-18T05:28:00.001-07:00

Oh mannn I do not want to write my paper today!!! I’m updating everything I can possibly think of in order to avoid writing it. Which means I have about 500 posts to happily write for this blog – thank goodness!

So I'm sitting in my room with the door closed, because Loli (my señora) opened the windows in the dining room and said that it's cold out today and the cold isn't good for my throat.

It's 70 degrees out. Lol.

(Side note: have I mentioned I’m sick? For the past 3 weeks or so I’ve been waking up with awful night sweats, and my balance has been completely off. It’s become a joke on all the trips we take, waiting for me to trip on something at some point and completely fall over. Typical of me, but still! Anyway, it came to a head this weekend because we’ve finally had a weekend at “home”, and I’ve been plugged up, coughing, and then all sniffly and gross. Luckily, I think this is just a 3 or 4 day thing I have to put up with – I’ve already moved past the coughing stage from yesterday and last night!)

Anyway! I have much catching up to do about Switzerland & Italy the past two weekends before this! I’m slowly uploading all of my photos while I have the time, and the patience. I’ve been learning to keep up with things in small chunks. This blog is the next I have to practice with! So, some highlights from my trips these past weekends.

SWITZERLAND.

I touched an alpine lake in Interlaken.
Drank Swiss wine.
Experienced the perfect fall day in Geneva.
Hiked in the Alps!
Saw the highest peak in Europe.
Had tons of Swiss chocolate (YUM)
Took a beautiful train ride through part of the Swiss countryside.

ITALY.

I had real gelato! (let’s not count how many cups I bought in 5 days please!)
Spoke Spanish to the Italian and managed to get by.
Went inside the Colosseum.
Wandered the Roman Forum.
Walked in a gay rights protest (by accident, but still cool).
Drank Italian wine on the Spanish Steps with friends.
Took shelter in McDonald’s from crazy rainstorms in Rome.
Ate real Italian pizza and pasta in Florence.
Had the best coffee of my life in Caffe Taza D’Oro.
Had the best coffee in general all throughout Italy.
Was surprised by the Pantheon, just hanging out in the middle of the city..what!
Tossed a coin into the Trevi Fountain.
Bought a real leather purse at the mercato in Florence.
Ate melt in your mouth just-baked focaccia.
Saw the Sistine Chapel.
Got lost in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Was amazed by the opulence and beauty of the Vatican.
Ran through the rain in Rome.

I had SUCH an amazing time on these trips. I’m so happy I was lucky enough to have the opportunity, and time, and money to see and do all of these things! How amazing! I’m lucky too that I had such awesome people to go with.

Alright, enough of the sappiness. I need to start that paper now…maybe.

weekend trip!

2009-10-01T05:43:00.001-07:00

Off to Switzerland for the weekend!!!! Staying in Geneva, I cannot wait!!! :)

skipping around…

2009-09-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

WELL hello there! I have accidentally abandoned this blog! Unfortunately, that means I’ve missed out on some amazing stories, like these perfectly ripe and delicious strawberries my mom and I picked in June.

…and strawberry ice cream..

…and the perfect foamed tea latte (finally!).

But all of that is a moot point right now, because by the way: I’m studying abroad in Spain! The food here is incredible, yes, and my goal is to blog as much as I can, of course! I don’t have steady internet access as of yet (it may be changing soon), but keep your eyes out for many new posts throughout the year. I’m returning to the states on December 19th, just in time for the Christmas season: aka, BAKING SEASON. I cannot wait!

Enjoy!

twitter on blogger

2009-09-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

Quick update: had the feed from my Twitter linked above here on this blog, but something funky's going on and it was displaying the wrong feed, and far too much of it, for whatever reason. It's temporarily removed until the issue is fixed but you can still follow me on Twitter if you want!

P.S. If anyone has any idea what was happening with it, let me know :).

a spot of shopping in Sevilla!

2009-09-21T06:50:00.001-07:00

So, Saturday I went on a glorious shopping trip a mere few blocks away from me. Uhoh. The shopping is AMAZING here – so many good deals and (almost) everything is really good quality! Some pictures from my shopping:

Pretty ivory crocheted tee – wore this out on Saturday night.

2 blouses that were on sale also.

My downfall: 3 pairs of shoes. I’m wearing the white leather sandals now – they are SO COMFORTABLE! The women here wear BEAUTIFUL sandals, all leather and just so amazing. I want to buy so many, but I have to keep remembering it’ll be winter when I get back! The sandals and the heels (they are SO HIGH and SO COMFORTABLE) were both on sale for 9 Euros – score! The boots were quite a bit more, but still a good deal. And I can definitely wear them when I get back!

P.S. Mom – see, I got boots!! Before you told me even :P. Nina wants me to buy her some too, without a heel!

Left: Proof of cheapness – it was half off the marked price!

Right: DELICIOUS mini muffins, I got them as a snack. Yum!

quick foodie update!!

2009-09-20T06:47:00.001-07:00

YES, I am still alive and doing very well!! I have no regular access to internet as of yet, and have been slammed with TONS of homework this week, so a real update will be coming soon, I promise!

I wanted to update about the food here though – it’s about time! Right now I’m in a cafe bumming off their internet. I usually just order a cafe con leche, it’s about 1,20 – 1,80 euros and always VERY good. I do miss the coffee drinks at home (ahhh I cannot WAIT to go to MochaBlend when I’m back!) but the coffee here is good and strong!

Anyway! I asked my senora if I could take a picture of my lunch yesterday – it was delicious!! I had a lentil stew/soup, and “pimientos fritos”. YUM! I think those are a kind of fried pepper, obviously from the translation at least, but they are really really good. Even though everything here is fried or cooked in olive oil, it’s not that bad and pretty healthy overall! No processed foods whatsoever, and no snacking, so it really adds up.

More later! :)

P.S. Loli MADE SURE the fruit was included in the picture! She’s so nice :). She said she didn’t want my parents to think she wasn’t giving me any fruit! Haha!

Day 2 pictures: Winery & Beach!

2009-09-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

Day 2: Day trip to Tio Pepe vineyards/winery in Jerez (origin of Sherry) & the beach at Conil:

I’m testing this photo album feature, so I hope this works! Anyway, here are photos from the winery and the beach. The winery was GORGEOUS – they use the grape vines as a ceiling for most of the room, to create shade and to catch the evaporating alcoholic fumes from the barrels of aging wine, to kind of infuse the grapes with extra taste and alcohol. The fumes were strong, haha. There are also some photos from their celebrity barrel room – any time a famous person or celebrity visits Tio Pepe, they have them sign a special barrel. There were some awesome signatures there!

The beach was GORGEOUS! The only problem was that it was super windy, as in, the sand took out chunks of our skin windy! So, yeah. Apparently most of the beaches around here are like that! I couldn’t believe people still went to the beach. But once you’re in the water, it’s beautiful and the wind doesn’t matter. I swam in the Mediterranean!!

View Full Album

Settling in!

2009-09-13T02:52:00.001-07:00

Heyyyyy folks!

So, I have been in Spain for over a week now! 98 days left in the program!! Craziness!

I’ve been struggling on and off with homesickness, but it’s a lot easier now that we’ve started classes, I’ve made friends, I can’t leave till this is over, etc etc ;). Thank you everyone SO MUCH for all of the encouragement, advice, and positive thoughts – it means a lot to see that and read them every time I’m starting to miss home again.

It’s really nice to be able to talk to everyone here about it as well – EVERYONE is going through the same thing, and we all just have to remember we’re going home eventually, and we will probably all be crying about leaving! Not to mention, we’re paying good money for the experience (haha!) and there are tons of people who would love to be able to have this experience as well! Personally, I’m in it for the weather and the tan I’ll have when I get back in mid-December ;)…..ok ok that’s only part of the reason.

Here are a crapload of pictures from my first 2-3 days here – I’ve tried to limit them, believe me, but there are just so many I want to post! You should be able to click on the images for full-size, I believe.

Day 1: Settling into our housing, and walking tour of Sevilla:

Walking to CEA, where our program and main classes are located. (I’m also studying on a university campus though, so my classes are split.)

Outside of my apartment building – how cute is this??? This is what I see when I leave the house everyday…so cute!

It’s an outdoor bar/restaurant, I definitely need to check it out soon. It seems to be pretty popular judging by the noise at night! ;)

My room!! My bed is on the right. The door is across from Frida’s bed. It’s a pretty small room, but they warned us about that, and we’re hardly ever in the room anyway. It’s like dorm living again lol! (But wayyyyy cleaner, and our beds are made for us….pretty sweet.)

My closet as I see it from my bed, I usually leave it open during the day so I can see all this stuff. That’s my bed from the doorway, and the closets are built in along that wall.

This is my view every day walking across the bridge from my neighborhood towards the “downtown” Sevilla. HOW BEAUTIFUL! I keep looking at the picture to remind myself how lucky I am to be here. Right???!

P.S., This is called the Torre del Oro. It’s a Moorish watchtower from way back. Yep, and that’s me…woooo!

A tour through the “labyrinth”, the old section of town.

This is kind of like, the center of the city. I’m not sure they refer to it that way but it’s a pretty central shopping/street location! You can see the Catedral in the background, on the left.

The Catedral! Christopher Columbus is rumored to be buried here.

Sevilla and the Catedral at sunset. Muyyyyy bonita!

Not to just plop down images here, but isn’t it gorgeous??? I think it’s the palm trees. They help a lot. I’ve always had a thing for palm trees! They’re so exotic!

I’m going to separate my pictures in two posts…hope you like these!! Let me know what you all think :).

Talka :)

more than 24 hours of traveling later….

2009-09-13T02:49:00.001-07:00

Before: Still (sort of) fresh in Brussels, Belgium

After: Greasy, unshowered and disheveled in Barcelona.

my lunch in Barcelona. Looks good, didn’t taste that great sadly. The coffee was amazing though!

Still waiting on my flight to Sevilla. Not by the time I post this, though, since I’m pretty sure the next time I’ll get internet to publish this will be at the hotel there!

oh boy…

2009-09-04T00:55:00.001-07:00

So I am sitting in the Brussels Airport, which I won’t be at once I post this because I can’t find the free wifi here that was advertised boooo :(. (Edit: Ok I broke down and bought access at the hotspot near my gate for an hour. Ugh.) It’s pretty cool here otherwise, though, and full of beer and chocolate which really makes me miss Chris but anyway: I am having a ROUGH time right now, guys.

It finally hit me on the plane here (DC to Brussels, blargggg don’t do it!) that I AM LEAVING THE U.S. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER FOR 3.5 MONTHS. I DO NOT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. I DID NOT THINK THIS THROUGH. It was SCARY (and still is, but the freak out I mean), and I basically wanted nothing else than for the plane to turn around towards home. Maybe for engine trouble or something. I would cry with relief.

Most of it stems from the unfamiliar: I have no idea what I’m getting into, only what (and who) I’ll be missing from home. I have never been to Europe, I don’t speak most of the languages here, I’m used to everything being American and in English and accessible to me. I’m comfortable with my apartment, and RPI, and driving and getting around NY and the general northeast area. I’m used to seeing my friends and family every day, seeing Chris regularly and talking to him once a day (texting multiple times), and talking to my mom AT LEAST twice a day.

None of this will be the same in Spain, and knowing this fact is really throwing me off. Not to mention the fact that I am currently going through this experience alone, with none of my loved ones to share this with. Everything I see is something that reminds me of someone from home, and I want to have that experience WITH someone. Of course, I’m sure once I get to Spain and the hotel for orientation I’ll immediately start meeting people and going through everything with them. This transition is really rough though – especially for a girl who is used to being connected with her friends/family 24/7, no questions.

Anyway, please comment with any tips and things like that for me. Anything at all would help, I think. I know everyone keeps telling me I’ll have a blast once I adjust and all, but it is a really rough adjustment for me right now just traveling alone out of the country – that’s the part I’m having the hardest time with right now, being alone. :( Booooo. Comment please!!

holy moly, i’m a-travelin’!!

2009-09-03T10:48:00.001-07:00

SO!!!! I am at BDL sitting in the boarding area for MY FIRST FLIGHT ON THE WAY TO SPAIN!!!!!!! AHHH!!!! Apparently I am EXCITED!! Craziness. I was so depressed last night!! My flight boards in 20 minutes so this has to be fast, but it’s looking like I have decent seats (window, aisle, window, ??). Of course the aisle seat is on the freaking overnight flight, but I’m hoping to get it changed. It worked once so far!!! (out of like 10 times but shhhh!)

I really want to stay positive about this trip, so I haven’t let myself cry yet. I have cried lots this week for lots of (legit) reasons and I just really want to view this as a positive opportunity rather than a sad departure. So here is a list of reasons to be excited (for me to remember!!) and things I will look forward to at home!!

REASONS TO BE EXCITED!

THE FOOD! Sevilla is the origin of the tapas, yum!

The people! Southern Spain is supposed to be the most hospitable and friendly area of the (already-friendly) country!
Learning the language (a challenge): I love challenges, and pushing myself, and my Spanish is nothing if not really rusty. Plus, this is an AUTHENTIC Spanish experience – I’ll really be learning the language from the natives!
EUROPE! I will have an amazing chance to visit any part of Europe I pretty much want to – and I intend on taking full advantage of this.
Scoping out the joint for future outings! Aka, getting a feel for all of the countries I hope to travel to in addition to Spain, and planning my next trip to Europe!
An amazing sociological experience. Let’s face it, I really need to find a topic for my STS Senior Thesis, and I ADORE observing and analyzing people. What better chance than this, a semester abroad?!?!
The people!! Not just the Spanish people, but the people in my program. They are all Americans and are going through the SAME THING as I will be! How lucky for me :).
Have I mentioned the food? I love food!
A semester away from RPI: I really need a break from all of the drama that I have been dealing with vis-a-vis my major (or lack thereof, according to them), my degrees, financial aid, etc etc etc
Also: the food!

all photos from the Sevilla Tapas twitter!

a goodbye, sort of.

2009-09-02T22:31:00.001-07:00

So, I wanted to write the One Last Blog before leaving the states. A sort of goodbye post, if you will. I had it all planned out: create a collage of my outfit for tomorrow/the next 28 hours, write out a list of positives to keep in mind for the trip (I am pretty much freaking out about leaving the country for so long right now), and a thank you to all of my family, friends and my boyfriend for being SO supportive and encouraging.

BUT. (The big But in the story, here.) I just got a new netbook for the trip, with the thought in mind that it’d be easier/safer/smaller/faster to carry around while abroad, doing just the bare essentials (not like I’m going to need the Adobe suite in Spain anyway) and having much better performance and battery life than my battered old T60. THANK GOD for this, since my laptop bit the dust MONDAY. No joke. POS.

Anyway, getting a new computer and basically using it for my whole life for the next few months means transferring everything over, remembering my passwords to every site once again so I can reset auto login, downloading programs and browsers and putting in all of my favorites. Thank goodness I’ve had a few days to do this.

All of this to lead up to: I am getting REALLY sick of Opera. I have been going through spurts of using Opera exclusively, then Firefox, then having both running at the same time, and back again, since I met my boyfriend Chris and was convinced to try Opera. I LOVE Opera’s speed and load times, the option to open a tab in the background, mouse gestures, and the magic wand. But man, does it have bugs! I am sick of it constantly hanging up for no reason, and making it impossible to use some sites and bookmarklets that aren’t compatible with Opera (actually I’m mad at the developers of the sites for that, but whatever). After using Firefox exclusively at work for 2 years now, and seeing how the upgrades have consistently gotten better, I’m getting pretty tempted to switch back again.

I’m giving Opera my official warning here.

Anyway, I have FINALLY made this collage that I have been hell bent on creating, after downloading and installing Firefox. Whew. So I give you, my traveling outfit!! Just pretend the shirt and cardigan are the same brand as the ones I actually own.

traveling by talkanatalka featuring Old Navy

Also, let me take the time to brag about our SWEET hotel. I’m really having a great send-off here, when you consider everything. I went out to dinner with my parents and boyfriend in CT (where I’m flying out of tonight) at the Cambridge Brew House. It was pretty awesome. There was a $40 deal called Wine Night going on – 2 house salads, bread, a bottle of wine (your choice, and you can bring it home if you don’t finish), 2 entrees, and 2 desserts for $40. NOT BAD! I had a delicioussss steak with garlic mashed potatoes (my fave), White Zinfandel, and an amazing piece of cheesecake. Excellent!

What else?

OH! The hotel. Jeez. I forgot. Ok, so we’re staying in the Springhill Suites by Bradley International Airport, and I HIGHLY recommend it. So cool!!

Just pretend there’s a king bed in that second picture. Anyway, this hotel was built in January, so it’s VERY new. Aka, awesome! The bathrooms are really cool (yes, bathroomS). I wish they had pics of it on the site. I’m sure my mom will have pictures soon enough though, and I will share eventually.

I think that’s about it for tonight, I’m exhausted and Chris is meeting us early for breakfast. I’m going to try to do one last post before I leave with some thank yous and reminders for myself to stay positive on the trip. Spain, here I come!!!

xoxo Talka

reminiscing

2009-08-23T21:36:00.001-07:00

One of the most beautiful drives I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of.

So many pictures to share...these are about 1/10th of them. So hard to choose which to post.

(imagine that...something as mundane as mailboxes in such a beautiful, unsettled area...about 20 minutes outside of West Yellowstone entrance.)

I'm still sort of in shock that this trip actually happened. It was so last minute and out of character for me, but I am SO HAPPY it worked out! I want to go back. I want to experience all of that beauty and newness again!

sweet jumpsuit o' mine

2009-08-22T20:57:00.001-07:00

...well, if only they were mine. A girl can dream, can't she??

Loooove the purpley color and casual fit of this. It looks like it'd be the perfect outfit to wear on a lazy hot summer day!

all jumpsuits by aryn k from www.80spurple.com

Ok, I don't know about anyone else who reads this, but this jumpsuit shape and model reminds me SO MUCH of my graphic design major advisor!!! This is such a great casual/dressy jumpsuit. I want it!

superstitious feeling baby

2009-08-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

I don't care what anybody else says, I love horoscopes! I am 100% an Aquarius and totally proud of it. I fit the "profile" perfectly!

And frankly, these are pretty much right on:

Aquarius Date Guide
Insights into Likes, Dislikes, Motivations and Desires

Taking an Aquarius out could be the easiest or hardest dating experience of your life. Aquarians like anything different, new, technological or progressive. If you are feeling up for it, take your Aquarius on an adventure date -- windsurfing, hang-gliding or spelunking. Think out of the box, because for this Sign, anything goes. How about a political rally, a midnight bike-ride, a trip to the science museum or kite flying? Get creative, and don't shy away from something intellectual -- your Aquarius will love you for it.
Suggestions for the perfect date:

go snowboarding together, play a virtual-reality game, go to the zoo, go to a political rally, go to a conference, take a midnight hike in the forest, go skinny dipping, cook sushi together, go to an interactive art exhibit, go skydiving, go camping, take a yoga class together, go rock-climbing indoor or outdoor, go for dinner at a place that serves really foreign food, go parasailing, fly a kite together, go to an air show

Dating Do's and Don'ts for Aquarius from Yahoo.com

Aquarius Woman
Personality Insights into Gift Giving for Aquarius

Those born under the Sign of Aquarius are the visionaries of the Zodiac and have an affinity for progress, technology and anything that is radical. What's a good gift for the Aquarius in your life? Technological gadgets. (Handheld electronic organizers are a good start!). They also love to learn, so books on their current project or something in which they are interested will also be a big hit. The key to getting a gift for an Aquarius is novelty. Try scuba-diving lessons, yoga classes or Chinese herbs. If you are feeling more conservative than your Aquarian loved one, the Sign Aquarius rules the ankles, so socks or an anklet would be appreciated.
Suggestions for the perfect gift:

books or magazine subscriptions, music, scuba-diving lessons, socks, a nice pen, candles, gadgets, acupuncture session, science-fiction or fantasy books, sky-diving or windsurfing lessons, yoga classes, incense, unusual clothing, tickets to an avant-garde film, a cell phone or beeper, Internet access

Gift Guide for Aquarius from Yahoo.com

That's all for tonight! More Spain planning tomorrow, hopefully!

how can I say this without sounding old...

2009-08-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

...the other night I was watching Antiques Roadshow.

...at 2am.

...sprawled out on my bed.

WAIT!!! DON'T LEAVE!!!!

I swear this isn't a regular occurrence. At least, not regular enough for me to admit to on the internet. SO. I was watching Antiques Roadshow (gah!), and some really gorgeous Art Deco posters came up on the show. I absolutely loved the style and colors, they're those often-imitated posters that just aren't as good as the real thing!

These two Monte Carlo posters are so colorful and fun (click for larger)! I love the type in them, of course, and the style of illustration is just so appealing and wonderful. I would love to have one of these images for my wall if I ever got my act together and redecorated my room.

OH NO. As I am typing this, another episode is starting! Make it stop!!

Anyway, I looked up the artist that created those posters - his name is Louis Icart. Here are some more of his works:

These two, above and below, are such a different feel than the first two posters, but carry the same illustration feel. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the shape of the woman's body on the left! It's so wispy but curvy, and I love that the feet trail off into a point (almost like smoke).

Some more beauties:

Have a lovely night!

packing for spain: part 2

2009-08-17T23:14:00.001-07:00

I have a huge thing for bags - purses, rolling suitcases, carry ons, basically any kind of bag. I think it's mainly 2 things: how pretty a bag is, and imagining myself using it and packing and all of that organizational goodness. I also am very attracted to planners and usually end up with 2-3 (that I ultimately don't use) per year. Coincidence?

I think not!

I'm considering buying a new carry-on bag, for a couple of reasons:

I don't have one
I don't want to borrow one from home (not pretty enough, what if I lose it, etc)
It'd be so much fun to have a new travel bag!

I'm also considering not buying one, because....I'm pretty darn broke. And about to get even MORE broke after this semester! I'm pretty psyched in general, no joke. This is the "worth it" kind of broke!

Convertible Carry-On Bag on Overstock.com, $99

Athalon Handy Tote - Houndstooth at Target.com, $39

Swiss Gear Zurich 17" Upright - Pewter at Target.com, $79

Pacific Coast Executive Rolling Tote on sale for $50 at Macys.com

Ricardo Essentials On-Board Rolling Tote, 16" at Macys.com, on sale for $53

And lastly, this freaking CUTE purse! I only wish they had one left in brown or black. Hmm...

Twisted Hardware Doctor Bag at Urbanoutfitters.com, $39 on sale

Now that I think of it,I'm not sure I'll have time to get these shipped to me..GAH. I'll have to work fast! (If at all!)

fashion planning: spain

2009-08-16T23:30:00.001-07:00

It occurred to me that I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WEAR while I'm going to be in Spain!! I seem to have either misplaced or donated ALL of my summer clothing, which has only JUST become apparent and inconvenient, now that it's burning hot in NY for the last two weeks of summer, instead of raining like it did the rest of the summer.

No, no bitterness here!

Have I mentioned how disgustingly pale I am? And how I haven't been to the beach since May?....

ANYWAY.

I've been collecting pics of cute summer looks, to help me put together a bunch of outfits before leaving. I have a ton of basic tees and tanks, which will help a lot, and my aunt is taking me shopping(!!!) before I leave. I'm planning on stocking up on shorts, jeans, and probably sandals then. I'm lacking in those 3 departments. Ugh.

I gathered these from all over the place, and have linked where I could. If I'm using your photo and haven't linked it, please let me know and I will give credit where it's due!

Smile by LolaHaze featuring Calvin Klein

Daria W. by LolaHaze featuring American Eagle Outfitters

mischa barton-inspired by LolaHaze featuring Converse shoes

TO ♪☼~darknessfallsforme~☼♪ by ♡•SimplyMoi•♡ featuring Marni bags

I'm Getting Really Mad That The Background Is Grey by lilac. featuring GAP shoes

There were times when I could have strangled her by Bethiesue08 featuring McQ by Alexander McQueen tops

Hilary Duff street style by LolaHaze featuring Clu

left: fashion toast right: karla's closet

Summer in the Hamptons (ft. Jennifer Aniston) by LolaHaze featuring James Perse

Because by Autš. featuring claire's accessories

you're husband will never leave you for me by Bethiesue08 featuring Bullhead

Am I sexy? by Angelvs °SIENNA MILLER°contest featuring Miu Miu bags

You Got Moves, I've Got Shoes, Let's Go Dancing by lilac. featuring American Eagle Outfitters

Casual MKO by LolaHaze featuring Converse shoes

la petite fashionista

Today's the day that all the world will see by chick-a-dee featuring Alexander McQueen accessories

animal farm by fashiongeek™ featuring Coach shoes

inspiration

2009-08-16T18:19:00.001-07:00

There are days where it scares me that I'm in my 20s already - just barely, that's true, but still. When I was a kid I used to think that by now I'd have traveled the world, written an award-winning novel, and become some sort of celebrity (of course!). Now that I'm almost out of college, I feel like my time to do something amazing early in life is coming to a close - which makes such driven and talented people like Mindy Kaling all that more amazing to me!

Mindy Kaling:

"The following year, she began attending Dartmouth College, where she was a member of the improvisational comedy troupe "The Dog Day Players" and the a cappella group "The Rockapellas," as well as the creator of the comic strip "Badly Drawn Girl" in The Dartmouth college newspaper. She graduated in 2001.[4] In 2003, she portrayed Ben Affleck in a play entitled "Matthew & Ben", which she also co-wrote. The play was named
one of Time magazine's "Top Ten Theatrical Events of The Year"."
-Wikipedia entry on Mindy Kaling

I know this is my 2nd post about someone from The Office in a short time period, but hey! It's only my favorite show, after all. I love seeing stories like her - she is so focused and driven. You can see how all her side projects and hobbies have led her to where she is now: a talented and hilarious writer/actress!

image source

original article text : 10 things you don't know about women

Jenna Fischer and I are twins!!

2009-08-10T21:25:00.001-07:00

Jenna Fischer is SO DARN CUTE! Not only is she a freaking awesome (and HILARIOUS) actress, but she's also so refreshingly wholesome, in a not sicky-sweet way. And she has a cute blog on her MySpace!

Anyway, I found this adorable picture of her at the celebration for the 100th episode of The Office, and I realized....I know that look! I make that face in about 95% of the photos of me on Facebook! (The other 5% are split between awkward/scary pictures of me while I'm sleepy, and actual normal pictures of me.)

source

Pshhh I totally CREATED that look!

source

So I put together a uh...little medley of photos here. Yes, I searched all of my photos on Facebook. I am THAT lame. And clearly have nothing better to do (definitely not cleaning my room...or packing for Spain...or watching my backlog of Netflix movies....or catching up on emails......)

P.S. That bottom right picture is of me and Chris - probably my favorite funny picture of us together :).

Credit Card Link Round-up

2009-08-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Been researching about credit cards and fees while abroad...some links to look into more:

Whew!

folks, I seem to have a problem...

2009-08-03T22:28:00.001-07:00

This is my new phone.

IT IS AMAZING. It's the newest LG Vu from AT&T, in this awesome Wine Red color. It's really more of a deep purple - really pretty! Anyway, this is basically the non-iPhone iPhone (so, like, if you're like me - like the iPhone, don't really want it enough to bother getting it or dealing with all of the required data plan stuff. Perfect!)

Apparently this phone is kind of a big deal. I've never really had a phone anyone's heard of before, so it's pretty amazing to me that there's entire sites and message boards on the internet dedicated to mods and hacks for this phone. SO COOL. I can't wait to try it out!

I'm thinking of waiting until after Spain to try out most of the mods/hacks/etc for my phone - I don't want to screw up anything too badly before leaving, and plus there's definitely a learning curve involved. I'm going to take a look at it more in the coming weeks, but in the meantime...

LG Vu 2 batteries, USB cord, and battery charger bundle: $14.99, shipping + insurance incl.

LG Vu assorted cases (Clear hard case, rubberized hard case, silicone case), $2.49-5.95 each; LG Vu holster clip, $3.56; Mirrored screen protector (looks mirrored when screen is off, see thru when screen is on - we'll see how that goes!), $0.94.

Ebay is apparently the MECCA of cheap electronics and electronic accessories. I am having a ball here. Also, spending all my money, but it doesn't feel as bad when it's useful (although I don't need that many cases, it's true), and CHEAP! I'm especially excited for the extra batteries - I've been trying to think through electronic logistics for Spain, and part of my plan is to make sure I have a USB charger for almost everything (just in case, and it'll save on travel adapters/etc...I'll only need one for my computer), and extra batteries.

The one negative (main one at least) about the Vu is that it uses up its battery charge VERY fast. I haven't been able to get through more than one day yet without depleting the charge, although this was due to a few factors. First, I was loving the vibration feedback with the touchscreen until I (quickly) figured out how much battery it was using. Then, I was getting really into taking tons of photos and videos (the camera is pretty amazing - it has an auto focus feature and takes great macros!). Plus, I went to 3 concerts this week (!!! - more later on that!), so I was definitely using those features. But that used up the battery pretty quickly as well. This weekend I was in a mostly no-service area, so I know a lot of the battery went while searching for service. Oh, and I was on the phone a ton today, I'm sure that didn't help either! I just remembered that.

I'm planning on doing nothing too unusual tomorrow with the phone. Just normal texting usage, maybe checking my email once, and possibly taking a few pictures. We'll see how that goes and I'll be reporting back!

UPDATE: Typical. I just went onto Yahoo Horoscopes inadvertently...my financial horoscope for today?

"Put financial restrictions on yourself. It's time for you to be a bit more frugal. "

...oops.

identity crisis

2009-07-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been crazily changing the layout on this blog for the past 24 hours, and finally came up with something I'm happy with. I've kinda been having this same whole identity crisis thing in my personal life right now, so it's no wonder I couldn't even decide on a color for this blog...ridiculous.

Anyway, that's all for now.

working out as a couple - yay or nay?

2009-07-28T21:50:00.001-07:00

I am a huge fan of Chelsea Handler and her late-night show, Chelsea Lately. I've been on a real kick of trying to 'tell it how it is' ....ok maybe not to extremes, but the fact that I'll be in Spain for the fall has really made me think about getting things out in the open. I want coming back in December to be a fresh start all around - I really need this. That means cleaning my room (here and at home - ugh), tying up loose ends, and most importantly, not letting big things slide when I'm upset.

So, all of that lead in for this very important question....is working out as a couple too sicky-sweet? According to Chelsea, it's gross. This is what she had to say about it:

"Star magazine claims that Demi Moore loves to challenge Ashton Kutcher to sit-up contests. She calls it an “Ab Off,” and apparently she thinks it’s a blast. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. The only thing less fun than a sit-up is sticking your tongue in a blender, and the only thing you should challenge your lover to is naked thumb war."

Now, I'm not going to lie...Chris and I have given ourselves working out challenges before! As part of each of our 101 things, we made goals to get into better shape and be healthier all around. We both tracked what we ate for a few weeks, and periodically set exercise goals for ourselves.

I find it easier to achieve my exercise quota if I know someone is counting on me, or checking in with me about it. So I don't think it's dumb! I think the fact that we've been in a long distance relationship while we do this probably helps justify it. It's another way to bring us together with a shared activity - or at least as close to shared as we can be with the distance.

So, unknown and possibly nonexistent readers....what do you think?

hello there!

2009-07-28T20:34:00.001-07:00

I am back, in some capacity. I still have roadtrip pictures to put up, but no reason to stall blogging on that account!

i'm impressed with myself!

2009-07-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

more soon :)

create your own personalized map of the USA

to make this week: another link round-up

2009-02-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup: I still have some canned pumpkin leftover from the All-Purpose Holiday Cake we made last weekend for our parents. I want to try making something savory with it!
Double Chocolate Layer Cake: YUM. Note to Chris! ;) This would make a great birthday cake....