Friday, December 31, 2010

1-1-11!

I am loving these number patterns. Happy New Year to everyone! I try not to live in the past, but I had a wonderful last day of 2010 with my good friend, Blog Me, Boo in our lovely hometown city of downtown Charleston, S.C. Check out her blog for all the fun pictures!

I've decided not to have any resolutions. I have a 5-year plan that's detailed enough, so as long as I'm working toward that, I'm happy. I do have something else planned though...



365 days. 365 photos. 1 moment a day. 1 photo a day. Some days are super mundane, so hopefully this will force me to find more things to appreciate. I'm not going to lie. The first few days are going to be kind of lame until I get the swing of it, so don't be too harsh on me, haha! You're more than welcome to join in if you'd like and if you do...leave a link so that I can see some photos!


Saturday, December 18, 2010

Shame on me.

I just hop from blog to blog. I'm not sure if Tumblr is considered a "blogging site" but I have one. LoveCourtastic at Tumblr.
Anyway...

Fall semester is DONE! I'm not pleased with finishing with a 3.4...I seriously expected a 3.7 or 3.8 but...it is what it is. Time for the real major courses before my 1st major program. Microbio, biochem, a&p(part II) and then I can sort of relax before taking courses towards my 2nd major(Hi, Physics & organic chem!). Yes, it's crazy but I find that if I don't think that it's crazy, I'll be able to handle it. Mind over matter.

A Special Happy Birthday to my homegirl over at Blog Me, Boo! She's turning 21, again. And in 2 months or so, I will be too. I'll be 21 until I turn 25. Those other years are extraneous to me.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tis The Season...

I must be getting old because the thrill and anticipation of getting Christmas gifts have faded. Plus, I actually enjoy buying things for other people now! Naturally, this frustrates those who genuinely like me and actually want to buy me things during the holidays(love y'all!). I've just gotten to the point in my life where I'm happy to be in good health after having:

  • The H1N1 virus
  • a mental breakdown of sorts which led to...
  • (stress)hives
  • ongoing situations with my family that have pretty much forced me to give up everything that I've busted my ass for.
Honestly, Christmas gifts are the last thing on my mind and the main thing that I do want won't fit under the tree...and if it can, then we have a problem. ...Unless it's in the form of a check, of course.

Another thing that I've been told is that I'm hard to shop for because I'm really picky selective about everything and I buy all of the "would be gifts" for myself throughout the year...which is true.

So with that being said, I'll make it easy this year. Although I don't like making lists of things for people to buy for me because I'm stubbornly independent and Christmas isn't all about me(but my birthday is--February 7, mark your calendars!)I'll make some suggestions with a few of my favorite things/stores.
  1. Sephora
  2. Express
  3. The Limited
  4. Gap
  5. Chocbite
  6. Gucci by Gucci for Women
  7. Nina by Nina Ricci
  8. Fossil
  9. Amazon
  10. Forever21
  11. Ca$h/Gift Cards
There. Go crazy.


The Season of Finals is Upon Us!

Remember this post? Well guess what? It's baaaaacccck. If you're wondering, I'm a mixture of the following right now:


See, aside from printing out review sheets, I haven't done any studying. Luckily I've never have to study like crazy in order to make a half-decent grade in anything(so far) in my academic career, but my lackadaisical attitude towards it all is even making me sick.
All I've been doing lately is listening to music, taking sporadic naps, and complaining about having exams(as if I'm the only one who has them). I'm not worried about what's on the exam, I just don't want to take them. Having a "B" in a hard science as my lowest grade should be enough. Yes, these are insane feelings of entitlement, but I don't care. Hmph.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

I drank the Kool-Aid.

Come get you some!

Yeah I went there. Let's talk about my slow but steady descent into Appledom.  I used to be such an Apple hater.  I felt like(and kind of still do) their products were over priced and the people who loved them so much were either: pseudo-intellectual, wanna-be artists, or extreme hipsters.  I wanted to be ~different~, so I had a Creative Zen Vision:M and a BlackBerry.  Then the iPod Touch came about.  It was tough, but I resisted the temptation to use my employee discount/go on eBay and buy one.  Oh, I resisted temptation many, many, MANY times.  All was going well with my phone, mp3 player, and bank account until I realized that I couldn't really work out with my Zen because it didn't have a flash based memory.  Basically, songs skipped every time I went jogging.

Uh, no bueno.

So, then I caved in and bought an 8GB iPod Nano 5G.  I justified my "traitorness" by reminding myself that it wasn't as expensive as an iPod Touch and I'd only use it when working out.  However, I somehow ended up not only throwing my Zen in a drawer(never to be touched again) but also buying an iHome Speaker System for my iPod.  My logic for that purchase?  "It matches my TV and it was on sale!" ...Yeah.  So, now it's just me and my BlackBerry.  We were going pretty strong for a while until I got bored with my 8320, bought a 9700 and then:
  • had some error pop up when I was surfing the internet on it.
  • saw everyone else bragging about their phones with all their fun apps.
  • succumbed to my monthly impulse purchase that usually is in sync with my cycle(TMI? Oops.)
So, 8 months later, I'm downloading apps on an iPhone 3Gs and feeling slightly guilty.  Brand loyalty is a female dog.   This isn't an iPhone vs BlackBerry blog. Both phones have their ups and downs.  In fact, I still have my 9700 in case I need to switch back.  And it's on the drawer and not in it, FYI.  But for now, BBM, instant email updates, and a "professional looking" phone aren't enough to keep me.  But a FREE app for pretty much anything that can keep me entertained will.

Oh, and I didn't get the iPhone 4G because of this.  Why even make it that difficult/risky?



Sunday, October 24, 2010

Fall = Holidays = FOOD

I love autumn. The air smells cleaner, it's cooler, and it's just really mellow. The fall season also means that:

  • the fair is coming up
  • halloween is approaching
  • Thanksgiving is approaching
  • Christmas is looming
  • the year is ending
The last one is cool because what's better than being able to survive another year and starting all over again? The first 4 deal with one of my favorite things in the world...FOOD. Halloween candy doesn't really classify as food, but I threw it in there anyway. I like pretty much anything that will leave me with the itis after eating it. That's when you know it's the good stuff. Haha!

One of my brothers had a school project that involved pumpkin seeds and since the actual pumpkin was cheaper than the prepackaged pumpkin seeds, we got ambitious and got all of the seeds out of a small pie pumpkin. Then we were left with a gutted out pumpkin & my brother ditched me after he got help with his project, so technically I was left with a gutted out pumpkin. Since I was off that weekend and feeling particularly crafty, I decided to do my research & make something using the pumpkin...including the puree.

Oh yes, your girl made everything from scratch. No canned goods up in here! The only prepackaged thing was the butterscotch chips. Anyway, here's the recipe for Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies*.
Sidenote: An electric mixer isn't necessary, but it will make things easier.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

1 cup canned pumpkin(OR pumpkin puree ;))

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.


They came out really nice and now I need to figure out what to do with the remaining butterscotch chips. I'm thinking butterscotch icing topped off with pecans for the cookies. Yes?

*recipe & image credit goes to Joy the Baker.

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/xoxocourtastic/blogsig2.png?t=1287965074

Friday, October 1, 2010

Raising Awareness

If you didn't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's pretty important to me because fortunately, my Nana is a survivor of breast cancer. So in a way, I feel more "genuine" towards this cause because it has had an effect on me. On a lighter note, it kind of sucks how our best um... accessories can even have malfunctions. Sigh.

All of my people in their 20's, remember to self-check because early detection is the best way to fight it! Aren't sure how to conduct a self-examination? No problem, here's how, courtesy of Cancer.org.
  • Lie down and place your right arm behind your head. The exam is done while lying down, not standing up. This is because when lying down the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it much easier to feel all the breast tissue.
  • Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue.
  • Use 3 different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast, but you should tell your doctor if you feel anything else out of the ordinary. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot.
  • Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone (sternum or breastbone). Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone (clavicle).

Illustration of a breast self-exam

It's best to move in an "up-down" motion, so that you're less likely to miss any areas.

  • Repeat the exam on your left breast, putting your left arm behind your head and using the finger pads of your right hand to do the exam.
  • While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes of size, shape, contour, or dimpling, or redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. (The pressing down on the hips position contracts the chest wall muscles and enhances any breast changes.)


Cancer is one of those things that can creep up on you and once you discover it it's either extremely difficult to remove/control or even impossible to do so. So, I strongly advise everyone(not just women) to visit www.cancer.org to learn more information not only about Breast Cancer but about the other forms of Cancer as well. Knowing is definitely half the battle when it comes to our health!



Monday, September 27, 2010

I Can't

sidenote: I wrote this last month(8-12-10, to be exact). The emotions aren't as strong but they're still there. I won't go in depth about what's going on but it's frustrating to say the least. However, those who know me well enough know that I'm headstrong and no stranger to prayer, so I'll be okay.

This is probably THE most personal thing that I'll post on here. I don't hate many things but I do hate being a burden. I'm stressed out. I'm angry that nothing is going the way that I planned. I'm tired of obligations and seemingly permanent rain clouds. I'm tired of always being the one to "save the day". Who's going to be there when I need help? I'm tired of trying to hold it together because I don't want to be that "Emotional Wreck" or "The Girl That Couldn't Handle It". I'm tired of carrying a chip on my shoulder due to me holding everything in & walking the line between extremely happy and on the brink of crying

I'm pretty sure that my coworkers know that something's up but what do I look like confiding in them? I've been there a little over a month. Superficial greetings & jokes aside, these people are still strangers to me and again, I don't want to be known as "The Girl That Couldn't Handle It". I'm 21 the things that I have to deal with aren't normal. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Life isn't fair but this is ridiculous.


Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Can I Have Your Number? Can I Have It?!

Hey y'all! I've been so busy lately with work & school that I've neglected this whole blogging thing. My bad. I wish I could update with some lengthy amazing Labor Day update but...I was working the ENTIRE weekend & then some. No joke. I can't even recall a Labor Day where I wasn't working, so it's kind of like whatever to me. I'm also saving for something big, so why complain?

In addition to having goals, this video from MADtv got me through the past couple of days. It's hilarious!



Grace Kelly...Grace Kelly...Grace Kelly. I'm DYING. There are so many quotables from this!


Thursday, August 19, 2010

iDryHeaved

Chik-fil-A would never!

Listen, I don't care if this was a hoax. I think what's worrisome is the fact that no one would put this past KFC. As if the Double Down wasn't gross enough.

The joke consisted of a sandwich that KFC decided to bless us (read: kill/lower our life expectancy rates) with, called the Skinwich. As the name suggests, this is a sandwich made with multiple layers of fried chicken skin, topped with American cheese and slices of bacon. Yum!

I'm gagging as I type this, but those who know me know that I don't like to suffer alone, so here are a few more pictures of this culinary delight below for your viewing pleasure.


skinwich-2.jpg

skinwich-3.jpg


Sad thing is, I'm pretty sure that this will become a reality within the next 5 years or so.
Bon App
étit!


Saturday, July 31, 2010

Ain't That The Truth

Snagged from my buddy, ArzNova.

Every New Semester:

After First Week:

After Second Week:

Before the Mid-Term Test:

During the Mid-Term Test:

After the Mid-Term Test:
Before the Final Exams:
Once Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule:
7 Days Before the Final Exam:
6 Days Before the Final Exam:

5 Days Before the Final Exam: image
4 Days Before the Final Exam: image
3 Days Before the Final Exam: image
2 Days Before the Final Exam: image
1 Day Before the Final Exam: image
The Night Before the Final Exam: image
1 Hour Before the Final Exam: image
During the Final Exam: image
Once Walk Out From the Examination Hall: image
After the Final Exam, During the Holiday: image


FYI: I've been in a mixture of image imageand imageas of late. Last semester, I've enjoyed myself more while taking a full course load and working two jobs. My summer classes were easy too. However, until I figure out what went wrong, I'm never voluntarily taking summer classes again.



Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I told you gimme a minute and I'll be right back!

So much has changed since the last time I've blogged! New job, new upcoming semester, etc. I'm not content, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't proud of myself. As happy as I am, I did have a few hang ups. Although I didn't(and never do or will) show it, life got stressful and real. My life is actually pretty close to perfect but those who I'm closest with keep getting kicked in the ass by unfortunate events...that means that I can't fully enjoy my little piece of heaven that I've finally achieved. I won't go into details but it led to me getting sick(again), getting hives for a week, and spending 2 weeks to completely get rid of them...dry skin patches and all.
Hives are not fun.
I've never had the chicken pox and after that experience I think that I'll die if I do catch it. I also stepped outside of myself and had a "moment" this summer when I found out that I'd be wait-listed for my Dental Hygiene program, leaving me with a year to squander away add to my credentials and work towards my biology major.

Seriously though, I was pissed. In addition to the heat, college/university bureaucracy left me frustrated, angry, and cranky for about 2 weeks straight. But hey, it's all business in the end, right?


Monday, July 5, 2010

Big Faces

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/xoxocourtastic/boyfriendwatches.png

If you know me, you know that I like *big* things. My handbags (aka 'bodybags' because I can practically fit a body in one), hair, money, whatever. BIGGER IS BETTER. It's crazy because I'm a slim girl but that's what I love about it too!

I've had an obsession with menswear inspired watches for the longest time now. They're like statement pieces. Normally, I would've already purchased one but I was stuck on the unfortunate possibility that the watch's face would have been wider than my wrist, which meant that I would have to physically take time out of my schedule to try on watches...and at that point I just decided that I wasn't that serious nor was it necessary at the moment. That and the fact that I already had a pink Baby-G that suited my "girl on the go" needs. However, with the start of a new job in a office environment that actually allows me to have nice things without the risk of dropping them in milkshakes and lattes or having sketchy strangers run up on me like they're going to rob me--OK, I'm going on a tangent.
The point is, I can finally get one of these and "look the part" for my new job.
OK...Actually, my job is pretty casual and they encourage that in order to make everyone(customers included) comfortable. Why lie? I just want it. And now that my schedule isn't as chaotic, I can set aside time to shop around and have the watch links removed as needed. Now, if only I could decide on a gold, or silver one...