A Vivid Memory

Completing this challenge! 31 posts in 31 days wow! While they might not have been the most exciting or pictured filled posts, each of them counted. Some topics were harder than others to find something to write about, but that's the beauty of a challenge.

With this challenge now behind me I will probably go back to my "whenever" posting schedule. I do have some exciting posts coming up that I think y'all will like. They will definitely be filled with pictures. 

Until next time...I'll leave you with a list of movies I've watched this month that I will review at a later date :)

Mud
Pain and Gain
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer
End of Watch
Broken City
Hansel & Gretel
Gangster Squad
Warm Bodies
Hyde Park on Hudson
The Great and Powerful Oz
Mama
Jack Reacher
The Hangover Part III
Star Trek: Into Darkness

Letting Go...

...of a balloon to watch it fly away

...of cancelled shows

...of celebrity obessions

...of a tug a war rope

...of finding that missing sock

...of disappearing bobby pins and hair ties

...of the handle bars on a bike

Songs That Make Me Happy

I have many songs that make me happy for many different reasons. Some because they take me back to my childhood. Some make me start dancing in my head. Or I just fall in love with the artist. Below are my top 5 to this day. Click the song/artist to take a listen.

1. Smoke a Little Smoke by Eric Church - For those of you who have been reading a while, have probably caught on by now that I'm a huge Eric Church fan. I was introduced to his music by my brother in 2008 and have been hooked ever since. Smoke a little smoke was the first song I heard by him. He is my go to music whether I'm baking in the kitchen or working at my desk.

2. Mr Hurricane by Beast - This was a free song of the week off of iTunes and the first time I heard it I just started creating dances in my head. It's also the first song I made Barrett listen to when we started dating and was nervous he would think I was weird (well he actually does think I'm weird ha ha), but to my surprise he liked it!

3. The Garden by Mirah - I fell in love with this song after seeing this dance performed to it on SYTYCD.

4.  Remember When by Alan Jackson - Ok I'm gonna get sappy for a moment...this song makes the list because it was the first song Barrett and I danced to and it just so happened to be at my friends wedding :)

5.  When it Comes by Tyler Hilton - In high school my friend asked me if I wanted to go to a little concert with her to see some guy named Tyler Hilton perform. I had no idea who he was, but was totally down for a concert. And it was indeed a little concert held in a small coffee house ha ha. His music was different from anything I had heard, but I liked it. I saw him several other times and have many many autographs from him. And then wouldn't you know years later he started appearing on one of my favorite shows, One Tree Hill. While this isn't my favorite song of his anymore, it is one of his first so I thought I would share it anyways. My favorite by him right now is Loaded Gun.

A Little Teaser

To You

Dear Readers,

Thank you for continually checking out my little space on the web. It means more to me than I ever imagined. Y'all keep me motivated to keep doing what I do. Thanks again for reading!

Sincerley,

K

p.s. If you ever find something you want me to try and make, bake or watch let me know...I'll take on the challenge :)

Link Time

Today I'm supposed to share a link I found online. While I could share a link about something serious, I've decided to share one I just read about people you should follow on twitter. Yeah it's cheesy, but I've recently gotten more and more into twitter so it actually helps me find funny people...ha ha.

Top 10 Celebs to Follow on Twitter

Hope you enjoy too!

Something I'll Never Forget

Barrett has informed me that I have a very firm handshake for a girl. Oh yeah he added the for a girl part in there...ha ha.

One of the things I hate the most is a weak hand shake. When I shake someone's hand I don't want to feel like I'm going to crush their hand or when someone shakes my hand I don't want them to feel like, because I'm a girl, they have to been gentle.

A hand sake can be one of the first impressions you give someone. So I go into a hand shake nice and strong. You might even catch me checking out my bicep...ha ha...jk...maybe...ok Barrett's caught me doing that before...hey I speak the truth :)

3 Worst Traits

Man this topic makes me feel like I'm being interviewed. You're taught exactly what to say in that situation though. But this time around I'm gonna say what I really think my 3 worst traits are.

1. Sarcasm - I say sarcastic things a lot. Therefore sometimes when I'm being completely serious, people think I'm still making a joke...ha ha.

2. I'm neither a morning person or a night owl -  Why is that a bad trait? Well I think it's bad because I have to get up and go to work early and I know I probably look dead to the world and will not be the most pleasant person. And at night once 11 pm rolls around I start to get cranky...ha ha. Oh how things have changed.

3. Gossiping - We all do it. And it's bad. I know it's bad, but it can be so entertaining!

There you have it my 3 worst traits...what are you? What are your worst traits non interview style?

Things You Don't Learn in School

You learn a lot in school, but there are a two things you learn right after you graduate...

1. Your degree can get you a job, but you might not use what you learned to earn it
2. It's more about who you know than what your resume says

Just having a degree is a big deal, but even if your degree is in finance you may not end up in the the financial industry. I know of people who earned their degree in management and went on to work in the accounting department. Or people who decide to get their teaching certificate in their field of study to become a teacher, but did not go to school to become a teacher.

Also, you can have awesome resume, but more times than not it's about who you know. The reason I'm at the job I am today is because my friend gave my resume to her mom who gave it to her friend who's daughter worked at my company and passed it along to her boss...wow...did you follow that?!?!

Of course there's so much more you learn being out in the real world than just that, but I don't have all day to type...ha ha.

What have you learned after graduation??

Just a Little Rant

I've talked about the people I've encountered at the gym in my apartment complex...well I think it's time to talk about my neighbor downstairs.

I live on the top floor and have been luckily enough to live on the top floor of every complex I've lived in. But back in the dorms I was not on the top floor so I know what it's like to be able to hear the people above you sometimes. Just want to clear that up...I do know what it's like to have upstairs neighbors...

The lady that lives below me banged on the her ceiling/my floor one night. Was I being loud...maybe for like a hot minute, but nothing that required her to bang on the ceiling. I conscientiously try to walk quietly and try my best not to drop things, but sometimes things happen.

Ever since that night I've been walking on egg shells to avoid her wrath. Well a few months later I was on my way to the gym and sure enough she was in the pool area so I had to walk by her. She stopped me and asked if I was moving out. I said no, why? She said that the past Saturday I was being extremely loud and it sounded like I was moving furniture. I told her that I had barely even been home that day. Then she informs me that I must have been doing something and that she is a night owl and likes to work at night and she couldn't concentrate. So I think about it and told her that I vacuumed that evening so I moved a few chairs and what not to get under them, but at like 5 pm not late at night so I don't know what she heard.

What I really wanted to say to her was that I could tell she dinged my car with her car door (she parks next to me and it all matches up) and I didn't appreciate that. I also wanted to tell her that while she might be able to hear my foot steps, I can hear her yell at her daughter, yell at her dog and slam doors. And mostly I wanted to tell her that we live in apartments. The walls are thin. You are going to hear stuff so either move or get over it!!!! Ugh!!! Some people...

My Personal Favorites

Today is the day where I share links to my favorite posts of the past. I think some of my favorite posts of all times are my vacation posts. I just love looking back at where all I have been and seen. I also love looking back at old recipes. So today shall be all about vacation and food...which go hand in hand since I feel like all I do on vacation sometimes is eat!

Argentina: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

San Fransisco: Day 1, Day 2, Day 2, Day 3, Day 3, Day 4, Day 4

Seattle/Portland: Day 1 and 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7

Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Cake Batter Balls

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Roasted Strawberries

Overnight French Toast Casserole

S'more Cookies

Ok and let's throw in one craft...my favorite wreath...Halloween Wreath

Time to get Real

Currently I've been struggling with the fact that I may be burnt out at the gym. I was doing really good for a while. Especially when people stopped going to the gym during the winter and it was nice and quiet and empty!

If you've been following along with my weekly workout updates (wwu) you've probably noticed that I'm doing a lot more steady cardio instead of circuit training or HIITs. I think my body, while not sore, is physically tired. Lately, at least once a week, I've decided to take naps in my workout clothes instead of actually going to the gym .

I also think the weather may be an issue too. It's starting to get hot and when that happens my gym becomes a sauna. I mean you walk in and start sweating. It's even sadder when you walk out of there and it's actually cooler outside even though it's in the 80s. It's mentally draining preparing yourself for the heat.

Either way I know I need a break mentally and physically. Which is going to be hard because I'm afraid if I stop I won't start again...well until I have to put my bathing suit on. Here's to hoping y'all keep me honest and make sure I get my butt back to the gym starting in June!!

My Top 5

I already shared my current favorite 3 blogs with you and they just so happened to all be workout blogs. While I do read a lot of fitness/healthy living blogs, it's not all I read. So today I will share my current top 5 non-fitness blogs.

1. The Lunchbox Diaries (http://www.thelunchboxdiaries.com/)
Colleen tells it like it is. One of my favorite posts she has ever written was a breakup letter with running. It spoke right to me.

2. Sami's Shenanigans (http://www.samisshenanigans.com/)
Every friday she shares her favorite tweets from the week and they are hilarious. Because of her I have started checking out twitter, but I don't tweet (yet). She also watches a lot of the same shows I do, so it's fun to read her take on episodes when she posts about them (like series finales).

3. Day Old News (http://www.dayoldnews.com/)
I love celeb gossip and fashion and pictures. Therefore I love this blog.

4. Happily Grey (http://happilygrey.com/)
While some of her outfits are a little out there for me, quite a few give me great inspiration. I may  or may not own two outfits she posted.

5. Half Orange Photography (http://halforangephotography.com/half-orange-blog)
I just recently discovered this photography blog. They have absolutely gorgeous pictures. I could seriously browse all day.

Deep in the Vault

This story is coming to you from way way way back in my vault of memories. The day my baby brother was born. It's a short story, but boy do I remember it.

I can't recall what it was like or whether I even knew what was going when my mom was pregnant with my brother. I also, don't really remember what it was like to meet him for the first time...I was 4 1/2 at the time so it's understandable.

What I do remember is that it was during the week. I was at my school downtown and it was nap time. I was asleep on my mat when all of a sudden I was woken up. My Aunt was standing over me telling me it was time to go meet my baby brother. So because of my brother's arrival I missed out on valuable nap time and I think I've been trying to catch up ever since...ha ha. Don't get me wrong I love my baby brother, but to this day he still disrupts my sleep at least once a year. But I can forgive him because it's usually Christmas morning...ho ho ho. (<---- couldn't resist)

Since that one was so short, I'll give you another story. It took place at the same school downtown. My dad had been away on a trip for work for a while and while gone had let his beard grow. I had never seen my dad with a beard before, so when he came to pick me up the day he got back I refused to go with him. I didn't know who this orange bearded fellow was. Even the front desk made him show ID. I'm guessing after a few minutes I recognized him because obviously I left, but I remember him walking in with an orange beard like it was yesterday...ha ha.

My Favorite Pic

This will always and forever be one of my favorite pictures. It was the first time I got to hold my puppy and the only picture I have of her as a puppy. It sits beside my sink so I get to see it first thing every morning and the last thing every night. :)

This might be difficult

On today's agenda I am supposed to talk about something difficult in my life and how I'm working to overcome it. As of right now, I have no idea what to talk about. I'm not saying I don't have difficulties, but the only things I can think of are silly things and I'm not really working on them...ha ha.

Such as having a too expressive face. I tend to make faces without even knowing it. Needless to say I would not be very good at poker.

Or the fact that I probably laugh wayyyy to hard at some stuff that is funny but not that funny. But hey...like I've said several times before I love laughing so excuse me while I laugh so hard I start to cry.

Hmmm...crying...maybe that's my difficulty. I don't cry. I can watch the Notebook and Titanic and not shed a tear. Of course they are sad, but yet they never make me cry. I guess I'm just used to being the tough girl that doesn't show pain or sadness. Right now I can only recall 2 instances where I really cried...but I don't need to go into the details. Chipping away at the wall I have built will take time, but maybe one day I'll cry at the end of a movie...

What a Typical Work Day Looks Like

I showed you what a day off of work looks like...so now I will share what a day at work looks like...I gotta warn you it's not that glamorous. This time I'm gonna do it by the hour :)

 

6 am

wake up call, get dressed in roughly 13 mins then out the door to fight traffic

 

7 am

Breakfast with the girls aka the Breakfast Club...Plain oatmeal with a spoonful of White Chocolate Wonderful PB and a hot cup of Ginger Peach tea

 

8am

Time to catch up on google reader and run reports

 

9 am

2nd glass of tea...this time green tea...Tazo Zen. More work...

 

10 am

Snack time!!! Usually a banana, but sometimes not. Get up stretch out my legs then back to work

 

11 am

LUNCH!!!!!! Forgot to actually take a pic of my meal, so you get to look at my drink...an Arnold Palmer...ha ha.

 

12 pm

Got back from lunch early and took a stroll outside with a friend. Write a blog post or two and then back to work...

 

1 pm

Time for checks...gotta get that money to the bank!

 

2 pm

Time to file stuff away/contemplate cleaning out my file drawer. More work...

 

 

3 pm

Start making a grocery list for the weekend...then back to work

4 pm

Time to wash my morning dishes...I know I shouldn't let them sit all day, but oh well. Also time to start wrapping things up for the day

 

5 pm

FREEDOM!!! Fighting traffic home

6 pm

Pre-workout snack and some TV catch up...NCIS

 

7 pm

Gym time!

 

8 pm

Dinner and more TV catch up...Hart of Dixie!! Love it! That's cheese-less pizza with spinach, italian sausage and mushrooms...in case you were wondering 

 

9 pm

 

Dessert and my last TV catch up of the night...Law and Order: SVU plus New Girl

 

10 pm

Shower time/getting ready for bed!

 

 

11 pm

Goodnight world! See ya again tomorrow

 

 

 



9 Pictures of 10 Pieces of Happiness

Today's post is all about things that make you happy.

From left to right:

1. Puppies
2. Chocolate
3. Sparklers/Fireworks
4. The lake
5. & 6. Green sweat pants and that guy (this was taken several years ago before the beard)
7. Penguins
8. The beach
9. Nice weather for a baseball game
10. Dance

Class of 2013 and a Big Surprise!

This past weekend two of my favorite people in the world finally graduated from college, my baby brother and one of my oldest friends (more like a sister). I couldn't be happier for them. A few days before graduation my brother requested a graduation cake. So I gathered all my supplies and this is what I created...

It's white cake with white icing and white chocolate chips around the side. The middle also had white icing and mini m&ms. You may be wondering how I made the letters. I bought red candy melts from Hobby Lobby and black candy melts from Michaels to make maroon. It only took a few black ones so now I have a ton of black candy melts left over...ha ha. I printed out the aTm logo and put wax paper over it. After melting the chips, I poured the melted candy into a plastic baggie and snipped off one corner (very small snip). I traced the letters first and then went back and filled them. After everything hardened back up, I took a regular butter knife and a lighter and heated up the knife to make any corrections and cut out the hole for the "a". I would like to say this didn't take me very long, but I think the hole cake took me 3 hours with the longest portion spent on the letters. But of course my baby brother is worth it :)

On my way home from my brother's graduation, I got a phone call that my friend who graduated from UH the same day got a huge surprise after her ceremony. Her boyfriend of 8 years (maybe longer I lose track) proposed!! I'm so happy for her! Just the other day I was talking to a friend about who I thought would be next to walk down the aisle...well I guess I know now...ha ha. Here's a pic of the ring since we all love looking a shiny things! He did good.

My Apologies

To the people who think I look mean,
           Exactly what time is it? Is it before 9 am? If it is, then I'm not awake. If it's after 9am, what do
           you want from me? To be that crazy person smiling for no reason while walking down the
           hall? Either way, sorry you got that impression from me. I think I'm a pretty nice person :)


To the people who can't drive worth a crap,
           I try really hard to not honk my horn at each and every one of you, but it's getting old people.
           Use your blinker, look before you move over and for heaven's sake read signs!! Sometimes
           the light has a double turn lane therefore you can not turn to the outside lane when you are in
           the inside lane!!!! If I didn't honk at you, but you saw some other gestures I'm sorry. Next time
           I'll lay on the horn instead :)


To my boyfriend,
           Sorry for that one time I tried to grill you a hot dog that ended up still being cold in the middle.
           And sorry for topping your cold hot dog with chorizo that I swear looked just like chili. And
           sorry for trying to correct the chorizo mistake with dried out relish. But thank you for still
           eating everything else I make. I promise no more hot dogs.


To my friends,
           Sorry for tempting your sweet tooth every other week. My own sweet tooth gets the best of
           me, therefore y'all should indulge your cravings as well :) But really thanks for eating all the
           desserts I bring!


Ok...I think that's enough apologies for one day :)

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Don't get me wrong...my 20's have been pretty sweet, but when you think about what life was like as a kid you start to realize how much you took some things for granted. Below is a list of a few things I miss from my days as a carefree kid :)

The days when you were too young to have to pay bills.

The days when you wanted to carry a purse just for fun and not necessity.

The days when you were chauffeured everywhere.

The days when it was all about playing kickball while waiting for the bus.

The days when there were good boy bands...*nsync and backstreet boys.

The days when it was Justin Timberlake and not Justin Bieber.

The days when it was still the WB and not the CW.

The days when these things were all you needed for makeup (definitely rocked a scrunchi, glitter and dark lip stick)

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Let me know if I left any crucial memory from the 90's and early 2000's off this list!

10 words or less

Hmmm...today I am supposed to sell myself in 10 words or less. This is gonna be hard...

Independent.

Baker.

Crafter.

Chef.

Friend.

Daughter.

Sister.

Traveler.

Smart.

Leo.

Ok that last one is really because I couldn't leave off at only 9...ha ha. So did it work? Did I sell myself to you?? I hope that doesn't sound as weird to you as it does to me...ha ha. I don't even want to tell y'all how long it took me to think of that list...I guess I don't like talking about myself...which is weird because I'm a blogger...guess I'm a contradiction just like the Starburst commercials :)