B.

I plan on doing something with my life.

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Life Moves Pretty Fast

Life Moves Pretty Fast

Hello blog-world and assorted Facebook friends. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It doesn’t feel like it has considering every day seems to pass in seconds, not minutes and hours now. It’s been 21 days since my last blog post. 21 days! Doesn’t it seriously seem like just yesterday you were thinking, “How the hell does this girl have this much free time to post 2-3 blogs a WEEK?” These were the early…

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An open letter to my best friends, my parents Mom & Dad: Where do I begin? First off, thanks for giving birth to me, Mom, it's really great to be here.

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5 Reasons to Watch Scream Queens*

5 Reasons to Watch Scream Queens*

*if you haven’t already. For those of you who haven’t heard, Scream Queens debuted on FOX this past September and blew everyone out of the water. I for one didn’t think the show would last past the first few episodes due to its seemingly unoriginal plot. What is the plot, you ask? Kappa Kappa Tau sorority house is being stalked by a serial killer- a serial killer dressed as the university’s Red…

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Hello fellow working folk! Working in an office isn’t that bad (but we can agree it’d be even better if it was filled with kittens like the picture above!) It’s actually pretty great if you ask me.

First of all, you’re not on your feet all day and get a sweet spin-y chair

Secondly, sometimes people are super cool and bring snacks for everyone to eat in the break room and you’re just like!!!!!

And third, you get paid for showing up! (Like any other job, I guess)

8 hours a day, five days a week at a ‘home away from home’; that’s what your desk space, cubicle, or office is to you. You spend more time there than you do at your house– bummer — so why not make it an enjoyable space rather than a drab square of sadness? I decorated my desk for under $100 with small DIY projects (and I like to think that LC would be proud!)

My office was an awkward one to decorate. As you can see from the picture, it’s a corner desk with a ton of space and a serious affinity for a strange greyish beige color. I wanted to fill it up without it feeling cramped and pep it up without being overwhelmingly bright, so here’s my best shot! I love it, think it’s super cute, and have a genuinely happier time at my desk because of the cute pops of color. Check out my before and after pictures!

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To start, I consulted Pinterest on ‘ways to make my cubicle suck less’ and found a TON of different ideas on how to style your space. I knew I wanted something girly and simple so I decided to go with small pops of color, pink being the most frequent. I may not wear pink, usually ever, but I love the color. It’s like cotton candy, and that makes everyone happy! Plus it looks elegant with everything, gold especially.

_Pink and Gold Wall Prints

{You’ll need: white card stock, cardboard (or regular) frames– maybe a gold foil pen}

I wish I could say that I designed the framed prints on the wall myself, but I’m a writer, not an artist and I found them for free on Pinterest. (Yes, fo FREE!) I chose four 8×10 prints, two pink and two gold, downloaded them, and then simply printed them on white card stock. I taped each print to the back of the cardboard frames and voilà, done! I bought the cardboard frames at Hobby Lobby for $3 a piece along with the gold foil pen I used to trace over the gold letters on my “coffee makes everything possible” print and the confetti dots on my “throw kindness around like confetti” print. Now they shimmer in the light, making my wall all the more eye-catching and bright :) The site I downloaded the prints from had so many options, but I chose four that I feel like really represent me and my interests– plus the bunny one is so damn cute! [Find the prints at chicfetti.com/free-printables]

_Lilly Pulitzer Binder Covers

{You’ll need: plain paper or card stock (your preference)}

As for the binders to the left of my magazine holder, I opted out of buying anything for them as they aren’t my binders, and therefore wouldn’t be mine to take if/when I move offices or get a promotion one day and I didn’t want to waste my money on them. So instead of buying new binders with clear, plastic slips on the front, back, and sides to add decorative paper to, I simply printed Lilly Pulitzer prints offline (once again, thanks to Pinterest) and taped them on the outside of the binders in a collage style. I rarely use the binders so they’ll remain mostly untouched. Had I not mentioned they were wrapped in printed paper, you would never know! [Find the binder covers here!]

_Iridescent Glitter Pencil/Paperclip Jars

{You’ll need: a mason jar, glossy Mod Podge, & extra fine glitter}

This was supposed to be pretty simple, so after trying and kind of failing once, round two ended up much better. I bought all of my materials at Hobby Lobby, but you can get it all at Michael’s too. They didn’t have regular glitter, you know, the tiny little hexagon kind, so I bought the extra fine, which honestly worked better in my opinion when it came to coating the glass* (which is really very vibrant in person– the combo of light on the glass and the fact that the glitter only glints purple-green in certain light, it’s hard to photograph just how awesome they look)

*The first time I tried this I bought the hexagon type of glitter in gold and black and my mistake was putting waaaaaay too much mod podge in my jar, and it consequently took THREE WEEKS FOR IT TO BE KIND OF DRY, which is why I tried again with the extra fine iridescent. The hexagon type glitter seemed to lump up more rather than coat the insides of the jar like the extra fine did.

So anyway, to make these jars all you need to do is pour about an inch of mod podge in the bottom of the jar, then add two tablespoons of glitter on top. Roll the jar around in a circular motion, letting the glittery-glue mixture slather along the sides, coating the inside entirely. Add more glue or more glitter as you see fit once you start working. There CAN be too much glue, but there can’t be too much glitter. Once you think it’s got a good coating, set it upside down on a plate to allow the excess glue to run out. After a day or two of letting the glue run out, I flipped them right side up to let them breathe, and dry faster. The dry time varies on how much glue you put in, but I’d say give it at least four days, maybe a week if you used a lot of glue. Mod podge is way thicker than Elmer’s glue so don’t expect to be using your jars a day or two after making them like I did.

_Phone Holder

{You’ll need: mini display easels, white acrylic paint, paintbrush, & patterned washi tape}

This was an easy, yet time consuming task, but was so worth it because now my phone has adorable, designated space that will allow me to easily see if someone texts me, and it won’t get lost in the shuffle of papers on my desk anymore! I covered my mini easel in a very light coat of white acrylic paint to make the washi tape stick better I think (you could probably skip the painting step, honestly.) It’ll only take a few minutes to dry, and then you begin to place your washi tape directly on to the easel. And ta-da! You have an adorable phone holder no one else does. So cute and convenient.

Beyond my DIY projects, I “Brooked” up the space by creating book shelves– no pun intended– using some of my favorite novels. It added some nice height to the space, while also showcasing my obsession with reading. I bought some fake flowers and a tiny vase at Hobby Lobby (as I cannot be trusted to keep real flowers alive for more than a day), brought an adorable elephant figurine from home, a book of short stories signed by the author, I bought a pink Harry Potter mousepad from Etsy (that I’m sadly still waiting to arrive from the UK), and downloaded some awesome wallpapers to make my desktops into ‘art’. I also lifted my laptop with a ream of paper (that I put another Lilly Pulitzer binder cover around, call me Cheap McGee!), a book, and two rubber doorstops to allow for ventilation! The only things left to buy are a new candle and a candle warmer so my office will smell great without the risk of torching the building! Everything on my desk represents me, who I am, and what I like. It couldn’t be more perfect for me. I hope you take a stab at my DIY projects to dress your desk too! Happy crafting!

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Dress Your Desk: A DIY Attempt Hello fellow working folk! Working in an office isn't that bad (but we can agree it'd be…

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SS2: Why Monday is the Worst

SS2: Why Monday is the Worst

I’m taking a page out of my favorite whining web star Matt Bellassai’s book and going for a “why _____ is the worst” post and dedicating it to the horrendous torture that makes up a Monday. Maybe it’s just Chattanooga, or maybe it’s just me, but it seems like Monday’s are generally grey, rainy, and sad. I’m not sure if it’s just a way of the universe representing how hungover everyone is or if…

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Oh, Valentine’s Day. A holiday loved by all those in relationships and despised by all those who are single. Whether you plan to have dinner and a movie with your sig-other, a girls’ night with your best friends, or stay in with the always-there-for-you-when-you-need-it Netflix (Chill to be determined), nothing makes Valentine’s Day better like dessert. Chocolates, candies, brownies, cakes, it is all fair game on V-Day and if you’re planning  a night in, I have a sweet ending to the evening regardless of if you’ll be flying solo.

Since I got my crock pot for Christmas this past year, I’ve yet to create a dessert in it despite the hundred and one Pinterest dessert recipes I’ve pinned. So when I decided to do a Yummies post for Valentine’s Day I figured what a perfect opportunity! This dessert will be a two parter, one part cake and one part fruit (although it won’t lessen the guilt of indulging as they will be soaked in sweetness)! I’ll be making slow-cooker molten chocolate lava cake and chocolate covered strawberry hearts (YUM!) because you can’t have too much chocolate on Valentine’s Day, right? Both look relatively simple, with few ingredients so let’s see how this thing turns out.

 We’ll start with the lava cake as it will obviously take much longer to cook than the entire strawberry-chocolating process. There aren’t as many pictures to accompany the cake, one, because it’s pretty self explanatory how to put together a boxed cake mix and boxed pudding mix and two, I was trying to get this thing in the crock pot in a hurry to prevent it from being done at like midnight. Anywhoooo, to embark on this quest of chocolaty goodness you’ll need the following for your mixes:

SLOW-COOKER MOLTEN LAVA CAKE

1 box of chocolate (or devil’s food) cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of water

(according to my devil’s food instructions)

1 box of instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups of cold milk

**I actually screwed up and bought cook & serve pudding instead of instant as you can see in the picture. I just heated 2 cups of milk on the stove, stirred in the mix, and should have waited for it to cool and thicken before pouring it into the slow-cooker, but I was impatient and just poured half of the warmed, liquefied pudding into the slow-cooker and stirred it into the cake batter. (It still turned out fine, but it would certainly be better with the instant as intended!)

Start by spraying your slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray, or if you have slow-cooker liners put one of those in and spray it with cooking spray for easier clean up. I like to use liners whenever I cook in my crock pot because I hate cleaning up after myself and all I have to do is take the bag out and throw it away! Just make sure you actually have some before you get home to find your box is empty… le sigh.

Mix eggs, oil, and water with cake mix in a large bowl with a mixer for two a half minutes on high; set aside while you mix your pudding. Add 2 cups of cold mix to instant chocolate pudding mix and blend with mixer for 2 minutes (or cook it on the stove like an idiot who bought the wrong package.)

Pour your chocolate cake mix into the crock pot, followed by your chocolate pudding mix. Put the lid on that bad boy for 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours and move onto putting together some adorable chocolate covered strawberry hearts!

Now onto a more sophisticated treat and my personal favorite. I have yet to make chocolate covered strawberries let alone some in the shape of hearts so we’ll see how this goes! To make your chocolate strawberry hearts, you’ll need the following:

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY HEARTS

1 box of fresh strawberries

1 bag of semi-sweet milk chocolate chips

toothpicks

(I didn’t end up using that gel in the picture. Don’t buy it. Definitely not what I thought it was and is so not intended for chocolate covered strawberries.)

First, you’ll need to wash your strawberries and cut off the stems. Then slice each strawberry in half length-wise. Once your strawberries are sliced, pin them together with toothpicks to make a heart shape like so:

Lay your heart strawberries out evenly on a cooling rack or parchment paper while you melt your chocolate. Place chocolate chips (use your discretion here, I used about half the bag and it was plenty 15-20 strawberries) in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave on half power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and stir the chocolate. It will still be in chip form, but stir it for 30 seconds and it’ll get gooier (more gooey?) Pop it back in the microwave for 1 more minute at half power, stir again, and begin to immediately covered strawberries. After a few minutes the chocolate will become stickier and it’ll be harder to coat your strawberries.

(Make sure your strawberries are very dry before applying the chocolate as it won’t stick as well if they are wet. Dry them until they couldn’t be drier. And then dry them again.) Using a spoon, pour chocolate over strawberries, and in the same swirling motion you’d use to ice cupcakes, coat your hearts until they looked evenly covered. By the time you’ve finished coating your last row, the first one will be ready to flip for the second coat.

If each side of the heart feels firmly connected to the other, remove the toothpicks and finish coating your strawberries. Some of mine were harder than others so I left the toothpicks in longer for a few. After they’re all coated, place them in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes to completely harden.

**If you don’t want them to become sweaty and sticky after a day or two, don’t store them in the fridge, keep them in a container at room temperature and eat within 24 hours. They’ll still taste great from the fridge, they’ll just have condensation on them.

And voilà, chocolaty goodness you won’t want to share! Bon appètit!

V-Day Desserts Oh, Valentine's Day. A holiday loved by all those in relationships and despised by all those who are single.

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The Proposal

It’s the week you can’t wait to arrive. The one you count down to with X’s on your calendar, each day inching closer to summer. The one week of the year where you have no responsibilities other than getting a fabulous tan and downing margaritas seaside. Say it with me…. ahhhhh, Vacation. I am my mother’s daughter and I live for the beach, the sand, the salt, and the sunburns that I always try to…

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Budgeting… What is that exactly? When I imagined my life as a grown-up, it was as the picture above. Flitting from designer store to designer store, buying whatever caught my eye because I was a big girl and I made big girl money (which is way more than I ever made lifeguarding).

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Dogs. They’re the cutest little bundles of energy when they’re puppies, and they grow up to be the sweetest friends you can find. No one understands you or cares about you more than your fur-baby. You’re their everything, the reason they wake up in the morning, the precious person who walks them, feeds them, cuddles them until their eyes bulge out. Nothing is as special as the bond between you and your dog (unless you’re a parent to humans, then I guess that’s special too.)

If you’re like me, owning a dog simply isn’t enough to quell the incessant desire for more. More giddy whimpers, more tug-of-war, more accidental licks to the mouth. I’m the girl that will cross the street just to pet your dog. I’m the girl that will cry watching Too Cute! because it is literally just too. freaking. cute. I’m the girl that will bring home any animal she finds (this has so far resulted in me taking a dog out of its own yard [it had fleas and looked sad and didn’t have a collar, I’m not a crazy dog-napper] and getting to keep a kitten for a week after Jared rescued it from heat exhaustion over the summer [Hank hated it. We had to give it away. I was devastated]).

I’m personally the proud mother of two adorable fur-babies, Winston, my 12 year-old Jack Russell Terrier who is just as spunky as he was when he was a wee lad, and Hank, the Australian-Shepherd, Border Collie mix that Jared and I have. These two guys are polar opposites of one another. Winston needs constant love and attention and will not get comfortable unless he’s touching you, consequently leaving you covered in tiny white dog hairs. Hank on the other hand is insanely independent. Jared and I joke that we have a teenager because of how much time Hank spends alone in his ‘bedroom’ (he basically took over the unused guest bedroom with his toys and fur and since we never have guests, that’s his room now where he plays, naps, and does pretty much whatever he pleases.)

The best part of all? Both Winston and Hank were rescues! My parents and I rescued Winston back when I was in the seventh grade. He’d wandered up to this woman’s farm with her Rottweilers (ever the badass, Winston [formerly known as Two Paws, I have no idea if that’s a play on Tupac but I like to think it is]) one afternoon and they welcomed him into their little family. But unfortunately, one of the female dogs was about to have puppies and, worried for Two Paws/Winston’s safety, she decided to give him away in case things got territorial. My dad took me to get him after seeing him one day while making a sales call on the woman’s business. I think back to the moment I saw him, his tiny little sausage tail pinging back and forth wildly. I picked him up, he licked my face, and we’ve been biffs ever since. It seems impossible it’s been that long. 11 years? No way.. He’s my little buddy, my nugget, my biggest fan. He was the only boy I needed when all those losers didn’t want to kiss me in middle school. He didn’t care that I had strangely hairy arms, inch-long dark brown roots in my blonde hair, or that I suddenly had braces and glasses at the same time. Winston was and is my #1, my ride or die.

Hank, the cutest sheepdog to have never seen a sheep in his life, has more personality than most people, and given how shy he was when Jared rescued him from McKamey about a year and a half before we started dating, it’s surprising just how human this dog is. His face literally looks like he’s smiling when he’s excited, and he has the guiltiest please-don’t-hate-me looks when he’s done something wrong. It’s like catching your kid in a lie, except he can’t even talk. If he could, Jared might like him better than me. Hell, I’d like him better than me. His intelligence level is unreal. He’ll notify you if he’s hungry, but his food bowl’s empty. Or if he needs to go to the bathroom, but you haven’t come upstairs in a while. He’ll lead you to whatever he wants, be it front door or food bowl. It’s safe to say that we kind of hit the jackpot with Hank and his self-serving nature. “Best seventy-five bucks I ever spent,” Jared always says when Hank does something especially adorable (which is everything.)

I love my little guys, and they love me. I may not have given birth to a child, but I don’t think loving a dog is all that different. While we may have a million and one things on our minds, we are all they want and need. They probably think about us more than squirrels, and what’s that if not true love? To quote a truly heart-wrenching/warming dog meme, “They’re only here for part of your life, but to them, you’re their whole life.”

Well, I’m off to scour the internet for dog videos!

Confessions of a Serial Dog Petter Dogs. They're the cutest little bundles of energy when they're puppies, and they grow up to be the sweetest friends you can find.

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My Childhood (and Forever) Favorite

My Childhood (and Forever) Favorite

I’m not a seasoned cook, let’s get that straight right now. I’m an expert at baking cupcakes from boxed cake mixes and crisping Pizza Rolls perfectly in the toaster oven, but I’m no Gordon Ramsay. I grew up with my mom’s incredible cooking, something I took for granted. Hindsight is 20/20 and I know now that I should’ve eaten a million more plates of French Toast before I decided to get married,…

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Sons of Anarchy Welcome to Binge Watching, where I get out allllll my feels about television shows I've watched or am watching instead of just posting a million statuses on Facebook about them!

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SS:I Rainy Days There's something about a rainy day that makes me giddy inside. Don't get me wrong, I'm begging for the sunshine after two or three days of this crap just like the next girl, but just one day, I can handle.

[quiero-ser-diferente]

[konzizi]

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book things » bookshops

“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore it knows it’s not fooling a soul.”

― Neil Gaiman, American Gods

[twloha]

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." - Henry James

Illustration by Lisa Congdon

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