Kitties and Eggs

Who spent all her money today? This girl did! There's something about being on vacation and venturing into a street of gift shops that makes you go, "That's a nice keychain of a stuffed cat. I need that keychain kitty. I most definitely have five dollars to spend on that." Of course, this happens with every item that catches your fancy, until eventually your arm is weighed down with shopping bags full of stuff you'd never allow yourself to buy if you were at home. It's all good though, because I bought my mom some stuff and she bought me even more stuff, so really, the love was more than shared today.

My dad and brother headed on a two-day hike in the mountains, so my mom and I got to spoil ourselves with fancy chocolate and handmade jewelery. Before we gave up our wallets though, we started the day by drinking tea while overlooking this fantabulous river. The tea, by the way, was Celestial's Cinnamon Apple Spice and it was delicious ten times over.  We then walked into town and spent the next several hours doing what I described above: blowing our money on things we don't need. (All shopping is blowing your money on things you don't need though. You don't really need those earrings or that bottle of wine.)

The very best part of my day was the burger I had for dinner. Ohmygod I am salivating just thinking about it. I know I've said this about other meals I've had, but I am telling the truth now: the Beaumont Gourmet Burger form the Beaumont Grill is the best thing I have ever eaten. Dear lord, I have never tasted anything so good.  The menu description says it best (mostly because I have no idea what some of the stuff is): Rocky Mountain Certified Angus Beef grilled to order & layered with Crispy Pancetta, Gruyere Cheese, Soft Fried Egg, Crispy Leeks, & Stoneground Mustard Aioli served with House Fries. Say what? It was the egg that sold me, since I've never heard of an egg on a burger and sweet jesus I do not want to know a beef patty without one from this day forward. I would pay $30 for that burger. I would fly from Michigan to Colorado just to have that burger again. And the fries? Best I've ever had.

And now for the fun stuff...CATS! 

My kitty, Mr. Baldy Legs, so rudely interrupting my packing.

This precious muffin got to sleep with me while I stayed at my cousins' house.

Fuzzy lives at his mother's store and walks down the street to check what other animals have peed in the alley.

Are these posts even enjoyable to read? Should I just stick to writing in a journal? Is my writing too technical? Do I lack voice? Honest comments would be nice. Except no one ever reads this far, so I will never know what my readers want. Oh, but you're still reading, are you? Would you like a secret for being such a good friend? Ok...I don't like the Beatles. I think they're awful.

On Repeat: "Swim Until You Can't See Land" - Frightened Rabbit
Days Until California: 35

Whistle Pig

I've been at our vacation spot in Colorado for two days now, and already I've used half a box of tissues and set a personal record for sucking down five Halls in less than two hours.  My face is so raw from constantly blowing my nose, that it burns at the slightest touch, making me look like I dived face first into a poison ivy bush. Having a severe cold makes sleeping nearly impossible, and the sore throat makes a punishment out of verbalizing anything more than a grunt. I'm miserable, but I'm hanging in there*.

Today, my dad drove our family up and down a mountain in his Sierra Pickup. It sounds really lame the way I said it, but I don't know how else to explain it. They call it four-wheeling over here, meaning you're driving off road in extreme conditions. It's definitely not for everyone, but I enjoy the thrill of it. The switchbacks are often so narrow, that only one vehicle can drive through at a time. So if two vehicles are headed towards each other, you better hope there's enough space between the mountain and the edge for both of you, or else you're screwed. Our trip took almost the whole day, and we got to explore the remains of a Ghost Town from 1906 and delight in finding a lake in the valley of a mountain.

The views are absolutely stunning. It's crazy to think that places like this exist in our world. I've never been out of the country, or swam in a coral reef, or backpacked through the forest of America's tallest trees. But seeing the mountains this close, actually driving through them and realizing you're thousands of feet higher than you've ever been in your life...it's truly amazing.

A little treat to share with you: I peed in the woods for the first time today! It was awkward and uncomfortable and seemingly unethical, but after it was over with, I felt kind of powerful. This is what you men have been experiencing your whole life?

*Hanging in there. What does that even mean? Obviously it's a common enough phrase because it's the first way I thought to end the sentence and I was satisfied with it. We've all heard it used before, many of us use it on a daily basis, but do we know what it really means? Where it originated?

On Repeat: "Wolf Creek Pass" - C.W. McCall (It's a Colorado favorite; don't judge me)
Days Until California: 36

Dance like nobody's watching

If I'm having a bad day, or if I'm having a great day and want to pump myself up even more, I set my iPod dock to full volume and dance shamelessly to whatever music excites my soul at the moment. I've told my friends about this ritual of mine and they say I'm a dork, but I have a feeling they secretly do the same when they're home alone. Really, who can resist moving to the heavy bass of their favorite song playing at full blast?

Since the act of dancing sans insecurities can be a bit uncomfortable for some people, I offer my set of rules for the Solo Dance Party:

1. Only go hair-flipping, hairbrush-microphone, Miley-Cyrus'-latest-music-video crazy if you are home alone. Pets, however, are accepted and welcome to join in.
2. The less clothes you are wearing, the more confident you'll feel. 
3. Taking pictures or video recordings of yourself is okay, as long as they never reach the eyes of another human being.
4. Twirl, leap, jump, and steal all of Napoleon Dynamite's dance moves. The more likely you are to tripping and cracking your skull on the floor, the better.
5. When the dance party is complete and you exit your house, do not make eye contact with your neighbors who are sitting on their deck outside and most likely heard your music blasting.

My list of happy dance songs changes quite often, but I thought it would be worth it to share one of the playlists that recently sent my endorphins on a frenzy. The compilation is a bit weird, I admit, but who cares when it's only me and my bathroom mirror.

For those who'd like to have their own solo dance party, I've put all of the songs into a Spotify playlist for easy listening. I'd love to hear from you! What songs make you dance like nobody's watching?

Actually, don't copy Miley in her "We Can't Stop" music video. It's more disturbing than the new watermelon Oreos. 

On Repeat: "We Can't Stop" - Miley Cyrus (Sadly, no matter how raunchy the lyrics and video are, the song is still irresistible.)

Days until California: 38

We do modeling on the side

Unless walking around parks or renting old movies from the library is your thing, there really isn't a lot of free entertainment in suburban Michigan. Though it's fun at first, spending the last of your cash on Dulce DeLeche ice cream cones at Oberweis or tickets to a matinee movie gets old really fast.  So in the summertime especially, you have to get creative with what you and your friends do to hang out. A few days ago, my friends and I pulled the sundresses out of our closets, made some sandwiches, and had ourselves a jolly ol' time frolicking around the gardens of a historical museum near our city. We had a picnic in the Oriental Garden and then went to one of the many fountains for a photo shoot! We are not photographers and we are certainly not models, but we do know how to be goofy and work a tripod...

Will I get worm disease from standing in such dirty water?

Mustard & Ketchup! My friends are gorgeous.

My friends are 5'9" and 5'11" while I'm a measly 5'3", which means I usually stand in the middle. We shorties get special treatment when it comes to posing for pictures. Woo!

This was probably one of the best things I did this summer so far, so we plan on doing it again sometime with more people.  Unfortunately I got sunburn really bad on my shoulders, plus the perfect white line going down the center from the straps of my dress. What a dodo I am. 

Look forward to more pictures, as I'm in Colorado at the moment. Or don't expect anything, because I can never seem to hold up to my plans on this blog. Only time will tell.

*starts singing Asia's "Only Time Will Tell"...you're leaving now, it's in your eyes...*

On Repeat: "Kiss On My List" - Hall & Oates

Currently Reading: Girl Meets Boy by Kelly Milner Halls

Days Until California: 39

Baking Adventures: June

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies: Red velvet has deceived me. Red Velvet is the manic pixie dream girl to my sensitive teenage boy. At school, they would have these red velvet cheesecake bars and I would die every time they were served because they were seriously the most delicious things I've ever tasted. Since then, I've had this idea that red velvet is the delectable yet dangerous gem of the baking world. So when I saw these cookies on Pinterest, I had to try my start at baking something red velvet. When I first made them, I was so disappointed. They tasted like a regular chocolate chip cookie and they were super flat, and it totally turned me off to sweets for a couple of days. But I had left over mix and chocolate chips, so I made them again today when Anna, my baking bestie, came over. I put the dough in the fridge to chill instead of the freezer, and baked them for longer. They turned out wonderfully, and I actually liked them the second time around. If you make these, double the recipe or else you'll have leftover mix. Perfect for Valentine's Day :)
Would I make them again? Yes, only because Anna and my brother absolutely loved them.
Rating: First time: 1/5; Second time: 4/5

Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries: These barely qualify as a baked item, but they took time in the kitchen, and they could pass as candy if I was creative enough with the words in this description. I used blueberry Greek yogurt, but I think next time I'll use raspberry or strawberry. It took a while to spear each blueberry with a toothpick and cover it in yogurt, but that meant I also got a lot of time to groove to summer songs. They're surprisingly addictive for not being the best things ever.
Would I make them again? Yes
Rating: 3/5

Neapolitan Cupcakes: Baking with my boyfriend, part II! These are the best things of my life. When I die, I want to float up to heaven while cuddled on the saccharine frosting of this strawberry brownie cupcake. STRAWBERRY CAKE & BROWNIE CUPCAKE. That's heaven right there. You fill the bottom half of the cake liners with brownie mix, and the top half with strawberry cake mix, and then frost it with your favorite vanilla frosting after baking. I recommend putting the brownie half in the oven for a few minutes before you add the strawberry mix, because after the recommended 20 minutes were up, the strawberry portion was perfect, but the brownie part wasn't cooked enough. After these, I am never making normal cupcakes again.
Would I make them again? YES OMG YES YES YES
Rating: A thousand rainbows and sprinkles and smiles (5)/5

On Repeat: "LA Story" - Sammy Adams ft. Mike Posner
Currently Reading: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
Days until Colorado: 2
Days until California: 42

hopeless romantic

I am a hopeless romantic. If you're anything like the guy who pressured me into dating him in high school, you think a hopeless romantic is someone who is "romantically failed" and completely hopeless when it comes to showing affection. In other words, you make me shake my head in disbelief. Hopeless romantics are dreamers who are in love with love. I clipped this definition from Urban Dictionary that I thought explained it quite well:

So naturally, I'm a fan of all things most other people would consider cheesy or cliche. My favorite movies are Tangled and A Walk to Remember because of how they make my heart swell and my body swoon. I have no interest in reading any book or watching any movie that doesn't have even the slightest romantic plot line. I dream of the fairytale happy ending and being with someone who does everything in their power to show that he loves me.

So whenever I feel like the cheap low-ticket prize that no one wants at the fair (most nights), I immerse myself in the most romantic songs, movies, and books possible. Because for a little while, I feel better. I know that the head-over-heels kind of love exists and that there are people who go over the top to show it too, and that gives me hope.

After watching Dear John last night and sobbing until I couldn't breathe (trust me, this is my therapy; crying over love and loss makes me feel better), I reintroduced myself to Chester See's love songs...

I would pull out my favorite lyric, but they all make me want to cry, so yeah this song is perfect.

"You're everything that every guy dreams of. You're everything that makes me fall in love."

I'm gonna go make some sammiches now.

New Bra Post

My friend Palina recently created a blog and when I asked her if she had written anything new, she thought I said, "Did you write a new bra post?" After a few jokes, it was inevitable -- we had to write a post about our favorite bra. So why continue bradening the intro and get into things, eh? (I came up with that one myself, guys! Ugh, I need to be caged up and shipped to a zoo)

My bra-buying-days began at Victoria's Secret in middle school. I guess when I told my mom I grew out of whatever had been my everyday bra, she had no other idea than to go to VS.  So after she bought me my first real bra from the big and fancy Victoria's Secret, she knew she had made a mistake by introducing me to the store. You spoil me once, mom, you spoil me forever. Muhahahaha.

Anyway, back to the boob-holder. I bought it last month when I was sick of how fast my bra collection was being taken over by push-up bras. So I walk up into VS like whattup I need something pad-less. And that's when I met PINK's Wear Everywhere Lightly Lined Bra and my life was changed forever...really...I mean kind of...you get it.  It's cross-back so I never have to hunch like an ogre trying to keep the straps up. Plus it's super soft and smooth and oh-so-perfect. Not to mention it's in the prettiest neon coral color that I feel fantastic in. The only downside is that it opens in the front, which, when paired with the cross-back, is impossible to take off while keeping my shirt on. What good is a bra if you can't jedi your way out of it? Not completely unforgivable, I tell you.

I guess the creator of Victoria's Secret must thank the lord everyday for making women with boobs or else they wouldn't be sun-bathing on one of their private beaches. Because that's what I'd be doing if I was insanely rich.

Y'all can catch Palina's post about her favorite bra here...except that she hasn't written it yet. So instead, drop her a comment saying she smells like beef and cheese.

On Repeat: iheartradio's Christmas In July playlist
Days until Colorado: 11
Days until California: 52
Days until I no longer have to work at Subway:72
Youtube video of the day: my favorite Meekakitty video that makes everything better

Also, today is awesome because my friend from college emailed me wishing me a happy belated birthday. He was the first one from college to even remember my birthday was in May, which made me feel really good. Boys suck with most things, but there are exceptions.

Baking Adventures: May

During the kitchen safety unit in high school foods class, we were always taught to close cabinet doors and drawers when we weren't searching through them so that we could prevent bumping into them and hurting ourselves. I always thought it was a dumb precaution and that anyone who ran into an open door had to be an idiot. Well today, I was turning my kitchen upside down looking for a cake pan and I became the idiot my younger self would have laughed at -- I bumped my head on the corner of an open cabinet door, smack in the middle of my forehead. I saw stars.

While I've forgotten most things I learned in high school, one thing has stuck with me. That is, when life gets stressful or boring, bake something! There is nothing a few bags of chocolate chips and tons of butter can't fix. Since I've been out of school for a month, I had the chance to channel the true glutton in me and bake a ton of goodies. Join me in my review of this month's baking adventures :)

1. Chocolate Toffee Saltine Candy
My baking-bestie and I cooked up this candy we found from a youtube video. It's basically a chocolate peanut butter bar with toffee topping, but I like to call it Instantaneous Diabetes. If I were to make it again (depending on if I feel like spending my day in a sugar coma or not), I'd use more saltine crackers and only half a bag of toffee.
Stress factor: High. This recipe requires you to work quickly or else the chocolate/peanut butter chips don't melt. I recommend not making this alone, as you'll need an extra set of hands.
Taste Rating: 4/5

ignore the crappy photo quality and take in the beauty of sugar!!!

2. Pumpkin Chip Muffins
I wanted to make something for my boyfriend's family as a thank you for letting me stay at their house over Memorial Day weekend. The recipe called for one and a half cups of canola oil (absolutely fricking ridiculous) so I replaced the half cup with applesauce to make it less fattening. Then disaster struck. I burned the first batch; all the rest came out super oily on the bottom; I didn't bake the last batch long enough so they sunk in; they tasted like nothing after coming out of the oven. I wanted to cry. Somehow by the next day though, they actually looked and tasted good so I was able to face my boyfriend's family without offering them muffins of shame.
Stress factor: Low, unless 1-1/2 cups canola oil worries you.
Taste Rating: 3/5

3. Chocolate Cake
My boyfriend loves chocolate cake. I love chocolate AND cake. So what better thing to do together than make THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE. It called for mini chocolate chips, but we used jumbo ones, and that made it so much better. Then, instead of homemade buttercream frosting, we used whipped vanilla from a can. Still good, considering we used almost an entire can on just the middle. Cake ain't no time for skimping. In the end, it wasn't the best chocolate cake ever, but it will always be my favorite because I made and shared it with someone who is my favorite. *smiles for miles*
Stress factor: non-existent
Taste Rating: 3/5

4. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
My dad's birthday is tomorrow and since I'm the absolute best daughter in the entire universe, I made him his favorite. Out of everything I made in May, this was by far the most fun. The whole thing looks really complicated, but it's actually the easiest thing ever so I felt like a mega bake star. The batter tasted the best too. On the down side, this recipe came with the most dirty dishes...which have been sitting in my sink for the last eight hours. Even more unfortunate, I still have to wait at least another 18 hours to even try this masterpiece.
Stress factor: Low - medium. The directions are very precise, making it seem like if you mix the batter for a second longer than assigned, you.will.fail.
Taste Rating: 5/5 if my other senses are any indication

Bonus: Babycakes Cupcake Maker
My friend and I used her Babycakes maker to make spring funfetti cupcakes. I am in love (in love, I tell you!) with the machine. It bakes eight at a time for as little as five minutes and you can make cornbread, brownies, muffins, and like ANYTHING DELICIOUS. Ohmygoodness I want one, but when I told my mom about it, she absolutely refused to buy me one for Christmas because she's sick of my baking. Ugh, if only she wasn't so paranoid about my weight. Damn you, Freshman15.

On Repeat: "#Beautiful" - Mariah Carey ft. Miguel
Days until Colorado: 18
Days until California: 58
Days until I no longer have to work at Subway:79
Youtube video of the day: Internet Animal Impressions2

Zetus Lapetus, this is a lot of words. Did you read everything? Did you? If you did, comment saying your favorite dessert. If you didn't read everything, you make me very sad and I hope a monkey steals your favorite pair of shoes. Now weird noises are coming from upstairs and I'm home alone for the second night in a row, so I'm gonna go try not to be attacked by aliens now. Good night!