Sunday, November 25, 2012

Sunday Social!

Look at me! TWO posts in one day! I'm like a real blogger!

Sunday Social


1. Name 4 jobs you’ve had in your life: My first job was at a dry cleaners (I went swimming through plastic-covered clothes to find the right numbers). In college, I had an all-too-long-and-awful summer cleaning hotel rooms. I spent a few months sitting in front of a computer doing brainless tasks that a computer could do at a mortgage titling company (at least I think that's what it was...who the hell knows?). My first real job was as a Child Care Consultant, which sounds so fancy, but really just put a lot of miles on my car.

2. Name 4 movies you would watch over and over: Mean Girls, The Notebooks, Pirates of the Caribbean, Annie.

3. Name 4 places you have lived: Freedom, Pennsylvania (actually New Sewickley Township thankyouverymuch!); Ambridge, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Baltimore, Maryland

4. Name 4 of your favorite foods: PIZZA!! GRILLED CHEESE!! ENCHILADAS!! PASTA!!
I love food.

5. Name 4 things you always carry with you: iPhone, credit card, driver's license, chapstick

6. Name 4 places you have been on vacation: My favorites: Tuscany, Italy; San Francisco; New York City; Hilton Head


Scavenger Hunt Sunday!



1. Home or Thankful
It is the house that built me!

(Sometimes, I like to be artsy and I really have a
love affair going with macro and depth of field pictures.)



2. In the Kitchen
Sweet potato biscuits for Thanksgiving dinner!
I wanted more pictures in the kitchen but my mom
got mad because it was so messy in there. Haha!



3. Couple
My newest subject with my oldest friend.



4. Bubbles
Went back in the archives for this favorite of my other friend's daughter.



5. Trees
So trees are one of my favorite subjects...had to pick more than one...






Sunday, November 18, 2012

Scavenger Hunt Sunday!


Usually I am not with it enough to participate in Scavenger Hunt Sunday, but yesterday I went out on a mini-adventure around Baltimore with my camera. When I looked at the items on the scavenger hunt, I was happy to see that I could make some of yesterday's photos fit right in! And, ok, one I had to swipe from my archives. Don't judge!

1. Vision:



This art is from The Baltimore Love Project. The Baltimore Love Project "expresses love by connecting people and communities across Baltimore City through love themed murals". What a beautiful vision!

2. Strong:



This one I had to raid my archives for, but when I read "strong" I immediately thought of military. I don't know this man, but he's a cutie!

3. Buttons:



So last winter the button popped off my favorite pair of jeans. I had no idea how to put a denim button (they don't have holes) back on so the jeans so I went out a bought a regular button with holes. It had to be big enough not to slip through the original hole and this sparkly one was the winning button! It is so not my style at all. Unfortunately, sewing a button on jeans was low on my priority list, so the jeans and button sat sadly in my closet for almost a full year. This past week, I missed my jeans and finally sewed the button on. Good thing I only wear longer shirts because this button is ridiculous.

4. Map:



Not my favorite picture. :(

5. Favorite Fruit:



I mean, I know I can't eat it, but Apple is by FAR my favorite fruit...


Saturday, November 10, 2012

Sunday Social: All About Thanksgiving!

Sunday Social


Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!

It was not always my favorite holiday. I was a Christmas girl all the way up until I moved to Baltimore. Now, I completely understand and appreciate the beauty of Thanksgiving and all it has to offer. I mean...food, football, family, shopping the next day...what's not to love?

So here goes!

Favorite Thanksgiving Memory: I have two.

I'll start with the funny one. A few years ago I was in the kitchen helping my mom get the turkey ready for the oven. We had it unwrapped and removed all the inner disgustingness. For some reason her and I started goofing around with the turkey and she ended up picking it up to make it dance. It slipped out of her hands and landed *THUNK* on the floor. We picked that bad boy up real quick, gave it a quick bath, and shoved it in the oven, laughing so hard the whole time.

The second story may seem sad, but stick with me. Two weeks after I moved to Baltimore from Pittsburgh, I received the most awful phone call of my life. My brother had passed away. This was early September. As I said, I had only been in Baltimore a few weeks. I did NOT want to return to Baltimore after the funeral was over. I think I cried harder on the drive BACK to Baltimore than I did on the drive up to Pittsburgh for the funeral. I was a mess and was convinced that moving here was the worst mistake ever (I eventually got over it and have grown to love BMore). Anyway, the next time that I went home after that was Thanksgiving. I counted down for that holiday for months and could not have been more happy to be home. It really made me appreciate everything that family represents. I know that seems like an odd choice for best memory, but it was like an awakening about the true importance of family and thankfulness. That is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Favorite Thanksgiving Food: You know, people ask me all the time what I eat for Thanksgiving dinner. I am vegetarian and for some reason people can't seem to see anything but the turkey. I think they are all crazy. It's all delicious. But, I am sorry, I will NOT be confined to just one favorite choice! I love, love, love mashed potatoes. I don't make them for myself, so mashed potatoes are a holiday luxury. But, my mom makes great cornbread stuffing and there is always an awesome vegetable casserole too! Plus, cranberry sauce and warm bread! Yum! And pumpkin pie with whipped cream! Oh, Lord. I love everything but the turkey.

What is a Thanksgiving Tradition you and your family have? We usually watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and whatever awful teams are playing football. Good football never seems to happen on Thanksgiving. We always pray before eating and some Thanksgivings I can get people to play board games with me. :)

Show us a favorite Thanksgiving picture(or 5) from years past: We don't take a lot of pictures for Thanksgiving. :( I have Christmas pictures and random pictures from when I am home for Thanksgiving. But, they are not Thanksgiving-ish to most.


Here is my mom and her cat.

Here is me during some early morning shopping on Friday


What are you most looking forward to about this Thanksgiving? Being home. :) Seeing my family and friends. Seeing my baby Goddaughter for the first time since she was a newborn. And mashed potatoes.


Sensations

I'm in the library, which is one of my favorite places of all time. I just sat down in a big, comfy chair, which is my favorite chair in the whole place. And I am in the study room, which is the best space in the whole library. So I am feeling pretty content.

As I was walking in this morning I was overcome with sensations. I love this time of the year. When I can wear comfy sweaters and jeans. When I can walk outside and feel sunshine but not heat. When I feel the cold, crisp air rushing past my face. When I can when my hair down and not sweat.

My roommate and I were talking this morning about how nothing tastes as good as food your mom cooked when you were little. Mostly because of the memories. As I sit in my big, comfy chair I think about my favorite sensations. These are sensations that evoke happy feelings, memories, or thoughts.

sight:
autumn leaves
the house that built me
the ocean
purple

touch:
soft fabrics
my cat's ears
cool sheets in the winter
my hair
my Mom's hands

smell:
old tupperware containers
old library books
campfires
fall air
spring air
Snuggle Blue Sparkle fabric softener

taste:
iced tea
mashed potatoes
cheese fries with ranch dressing
macaroni and cheese

sound:
the crinkle of newspaper
silence
campfires
crunching of leaves
crunching of snow
the squeak of hard-wood floors


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What I'm Lovin'



I'm lovin' the feeling I got from voting yesterday!

But, I'm lovin' that the election is over.

This is going to sound awful...I'm lovin' that some students have transferred which makes my class a more reasonable size.

I'm lovin' these lyrics to a song by the Eli Young Band.



I'm lovin' that I have had time to read 3 books over the last week!

I'm lovin' my fuzzy, purple blanket (and so is my cat)!

And I'm lovin' reading about Cory Booker on Twitter.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sunday Social: Catch Up!

Sunday Social


I love Sunday Social!

What is currently on your wish list? Would I sound completely hokey if I said I don't really desire material possessions right now? :) I'm in a deeper state of want right now. I want time with my family and complete satisfaction with my job. I always have a desire for a house, but I'm just not in the right place for that right now. If I did buy a house, it would need this.


And this...

And this...



I am toying with the beginnings of a desire for a new TV, only because mine has started to show signs that a volume monster is living inside it. The volume monster likes to turn the volume waaaaay up and then waaaaay down. But, I'm not sure if I want to get a new one yet.
Here is a smaller item on my wish list.


RAAAAWWWWRRR!

What is a new fall TV show you have added to your DVR? Nashville! And I've even started listening to more country music because of it too!

Share your social media links for us to follow you on. Tell us which is your favorite and why?

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest

My favorite is probably Facebook, although I feel that my love for each of these is deep its on way.

What is a TV show or Movie or Song you could listen to or watch over and over and over and never get tired of…feel free to name one of each:

TV show: Gilmore Girls
Movie: Mean Girls
Song: various John Mayer songs. He's a douche, but I love his music.

Friday, November 2, 2012

It's OK...

Its Ok Thursdays


It's OK...

...that I never have enough energy to write this blog on an actual Thursday.

...that my favorite month of the year is over because it means my favorite holiday is coming!

...that I am learning to praise myself at my job since no one else will.

...to email a long-lost friend to reconnect.

...to start loving country music.

...to only work 2 days this week and feel more tired than a 5-day week!

...to want to be home.

...that I feel like its THEIR turn to contact me.

...to be suspicious...my gut is usually right.

...that I ate a Kit-Kat every day this week.

...that I turned out the lights and hid from the trick-or-treaters. That's OK, isn't it? :/