For those of you who don't know, I kind of have a food obsession. Or as Mr. TwentySomething would say, I am "a fat girl trapped in a skinny girl's body." Which is fairly accurate considering I used to be a fat girl. I have outgrown the baby fat, but have not outgrown my love of food. Baked goods to be exact.
It's not my fault really, food obsession runs in the family. I am genetically predisposed to salivate at the sound of the oven timer. You see, both my mom and my grandmother are foodies. Each important event is marked by a signature pastry. Easter is homemade cinnamon rolls and coconut cake...not at the same time, but I wouldn't put it past us. Birthday cakes are adorned with sugar flowers and sweet rolled fondant (both my mother and I have taken cake decorating classes). The Fourth of July calls for our family's Strawberry Shortcake recipe (which Mr. T is thinks is not sweet enough because he has been brainwashed by the cheap snack cakes that they sell in the supermarket). Thanksgiving, of course, means Pumpkin Pie. But not just any pumpkin pie, pie that has been developed through years of experimentation until the perfect crust emerged. Laced with vodka, it comes out of the oven all golden and flaky with specks of butter. Christmas has given us my grandmother's traditional Swiss cookie, Biberli.
I spend most of my time trying to suppress my food addiction, which I am fairly effective at. In general, I am a very healthy eater (ie. "fat girl trapped in a skinny girl's body"). Mr. T's comparison used to offend me a bit, but when a new cookbook comes in the mail, as it did yesterday, I feel the warm fuzzies rush over me and I can't help but blog about its amazingness and own up to my obsession.
The famed America's Test Kitchen has a book called Baking Illustrated. It is a 350 recipe Bible for pastries, breads, and the like. It gives scientific explanation for why particular recipes "work" and why some don't. It would probably bore most people, but it produces an indescribable feeling, to which Mr. T rolls his eyes in pitiful ignorance. It tests dozens of recipes, from apple turnovers to blueberry muffins, to present what they believe to be the absolute best of each confection.
I am contemplating creating one dessert a week. In attempts preserve my skinny-girl facade, I have a devious plan of dropping off all of the leftovers at work. Mwahaha! If that doesn't win you friends, I don't know what will!
Unfortunately, I stayed up an hour past my bedtime last night while reading my new cookbook, so I will have to survive the morning on coffee. But I don't fret much because I woke up in a surprisingly energetic mood. That's probably because I spent the night dreaming about Cinnamon Rolls. No lie. My mom and I were both making cinnamon rolls for Easter and I was extremely concerned that people would like hers better than mine. But she typically leaves that job up to me now, so I shall be Queen once again :)
hypertext markup...what?!
I haven't been posting a lot lately, because I'm in the process of figuring out a bit more about html so I can create a new....er, updated blog. I absolutely love the theme I have going for this blog, but I think my excitement got the best of me. I jumped in head first, without laying some of the ground work. Now, as I have been blogging and reading blogs a lot more lately, I see the necessity of better formatting and planning. The look of your blog is the first thing people notice, and I want to give the right impression! Therefore, between working and homemaking, I am attempting to do a little revamping. I have a lot to say, I'm just not sure that I want to waste good posts on a less than stellar page.
I will, however, give you a quick update on things. Work has been coming along as well as work ever does....punctuated with some good friend times and a wedding here and there. In more exciting news, we close on our house mid April and will start the massive repainting process. I will wait to share with you all of the decorating plans I have milling about in my brain. Stay tuned!!
I will, however, give you a quick update on things. Work has been coming along as well as work ever does....punctuated with some good friend times and a wedding here and there. In more exciting news, we close on our house mid April and will start the massive repainting process. I will wait to share with you all of the decorating plans I have milling about in my brain. Stay tuned!!
Simplicity
**I promised you a rant about simplicity...and here it is.
Humans were not made to sit at a desk for 40+ hours a week. People were not made to be separated from their families for 40+ hours a week. We were not made to eat processed foods and only have cyber-friendships. Humans were not made to live lives in which we must squeeze in five minutes for ourselves each day.
I believe that our purpose is to love God and love others. Humans were made for relationship...and not just the facebook kind, the real thing. Face-to-face, come-over-to-dinner, share-your-life kind of relationships. But the modern world, especially America, is so backwards. We value and reward working and individuality. The more time we put into a work week, the more of an asset we are. If we can climb the career ladder, then we will have really achieved something. Meanwhile, families are neglected, marriages end, and we become overburdened, bitter shells.
The effects of this problem are almost limitless. Because we have no time to ourselves, we eat fast food and our health takes a hit. Not only do we consume extra calories, but also an increasing number of fake, processed imitations of the real things. We spend most of our time sedentary, when our bodies were built for strength and movement, thus affecting our health even more. Magazine articles read, "Find Five Minutes of YOU Time!"
Social interactions have become alarmingly electronic. Text, e-mail, facebook, twitter, myspace, gaming over the net. Social competence has been de-emphasized and produced a generation of youth that no longer have deep, meaningful relationships. It is a self-serving system that demonstrates a persons value based on the number of "friends" they have and how many pictures are tagged.
I hate this system. The world is backwards in so many ways. I will never be a person who works more than forty hours a week. We were made to love people. We long for unconditional acceptance and support from others. How can this be accomplished when the main priority is to make more money and work more? We care more about living up to employers expectations than we do about really caring for people. What would it look like if Americans worked a little less and cared a little more. What if, instead of going into the office on a Saturday morning, we invited a new neighbor over to our house for breakfast? What if we spent time with our children in the evening instead of working late? What if we invested some of that hard earned money into charity rather than buying a new car? What if we were selfless?
It is a difficult task in America, but I believe we are called to simplicity. Lives filled with people and the Gospel. Things that are best in their simplest form. We should work hard, but it should be directed towards those things that point back to God and people, especially our families. Jesus said, "I have come so that you might have life, and have it abundantly." Are you living an abundant life?
**photo is from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34657321@N02/3780881873/
BIG NEWS!!
The TwentySomethings bought a house!
The build is absolutely beautiful. Only problem is, the previous owner painted it some horrific colors. The outside is a baby blue and the inside is all, yes all, lemon yellow. It looks like summer puked. We have a lot of changes to make!
It's also a liiiitle guy...not even a full 1000 square feet. I've been looking at decorating ideas and ways to maximize small spaces. I'm leaning towards fresh, earthy colors like sage green, dusty blue, and creams. There will definitely be some before and after pics.
We close April 15th and will spend two weeks painting before we move in on the first of May.
Give me your ideas! I'm a little overwhelmed....but excited :)
The build is absolutely beautiful. Only problem is, the previous owner painted it some horrific colors. The outside is a baby blue and the inside is all, yes all, lemon yellow. It looks like summer puked. We have a lot of changes to make!
It's also a liiiitle guy...not even a full 1000 square feet. I've been looking at decorating ideas and ways to maximize small spaces. I'm leaning towards fresh, earthy colors like sage green, dusty blue, and creams. There will definitely be some before and after pics.
We close April 15th and will spend two weeks painting before we move in on the first of May.
Give me your ideas! I'm a little overwhelmed....but excited :)
Advice from a Kindergartener
My first day of kindergarten was not a good experience. You're probably thinking it is because I had separation anxiety or maybe there was a little mini-bully. Good guesses, but no. The real reason is because I didn't learn how to read on the first day. Apparently, what I had picked up on over the weeks leading up to the beginning of my education was that kindergarten is where you learn to read. Obviously I missed the memo that it takes longer than one day. I have always had the tendency to be an overdramatic, need-to-have-all-my-ducks-in-a-row kind of girl.
I still feel this irritation begin to emerge as I am trying to learn to be an adult. I want to be the "good" kind of adult that is selfless and responsible. The kind that effortlessly blends childlike zest for life with a mature sense of self and the world. And the six year old inside of me WANTS IT NOW!!!
I need to learn a lesson from my kindergarten self: one doesn't learn to read in a day and neither does one learn to be an adult overnight. If I were already perfectly responsible there would be no "quarter-life crisis." The key is to keep the good parts of being a kid (catching fireflies, sleeping in and watching cartoons on saturdays, dreaming) and cut out the bad (avoiding veggies, throwing tantrums because you didn't learn how to read, sticking silly putty up your nose). I think if we master that, we're better off than a lot of "adults."
In the words of our good friends from Scrubs, "I thought growing up was something that happened automatically as you got older. But it turns out it's something you have to choose to do."*
*borrowed from the blog Playing Grown Up
I still feel this irritation begin to emerge as I am trying to learn to be an adult. I want to be the "good" kind of adult that is selfless and responsible. The kind that effortlessly blends childlike zest for life with a mature sense of self and the world. And the six year old inside of me WANTS IT NOW!!!
I need to learn a lesson from my kindergarten self: one doesn't learn to read in a day and neither does one learn to be an adult overnight. If I were already perfectly responsible there would be no "quarter-life crisis." The key is to keep the good parts of being a kid (catching fireflies, sleeping in and watching cartoons on saturdays, dreaming) and cut out the bad (avoiding veggies, throwing tantrums because you didn't learn how to read, sticking silly putty up your nose). I think if we master that, we're better off than a lot of "adults."
In the words of our good friends from Scrubs, "I thought growing up was something that happened automatically as you got older. But it turns out it's something you have to choose to do."*
*borrowed from the blog Playing Grown Up
Introducing....Antoinette!
In the end, we didn't end up getting any of those pets. Three of the Four (all except Putnam) had already been adopted! I guess that's what we get for going on Valentine's Day!
We ended up getting a cat named Antoinette. She is a gorgeous, midnight black. As her name implies, she is a diva. And we have catered to that by getting her a sparkly pink collar. The whole reason we got her was because we didn't want a "stand-offish" cat. She was the friendliest and snuggled into our necks. It was adorable.
But don't be fooled. She is an affection whore. She must be receving attention and chin scratching 24/7 or she'll walk on your head until you do.
I've been doing some research on how to fix the problem. Any suggestions??
We ended up getting a cat named Antoinette. She is a gorgeous, midnight black. As her name implies, she is a diva. And we have catered to that by getting her a sparkly pink collar. The whole reason we got her was because we didn't want a "stand-offish" cat. She was the friendliest and snuggled into our necks. It was adorable.
But don't be fooled. She is an affection whore. She must be receving attention and chin scratching 24/7 or she'll walk on your head until you do.
I've been doing some research on how to fix the problem. Any suggestions??
New TwentySomething Baby!
It's time for the first addition to our family!
A pet! I made you a little nervous, huh? It's time for a vote. Which kind of pet should we adopt? We went to the animal shelter yesterday and here are our top choices:
-Joe Moe: a brown, short-haired tabby cat. When we got to the shelter, he was definitely trying to get our attention. As soon as we opened the cage door, he crawled onto my chest to be held. Definitely a sweetheart!
-Horatio: a terrier/schnauzer mix. He was such a sweet, snuggly looking lap-dog. He was calm...a people, er dog-watcher.
-Macy: a beagle/blue healer mix. She is a medium sized dog that snuggled up to my hand when I pet her, but was ready for a good run when we went for a walk. Seems like a good mix of energetic, but peaceful.
-Putnam: a black dachshund! I opened the cage and he darted off in his little sweater. By the time I caught him, he was shaking and scared. I picked him up and he burrowed into my neck. His nerves calmed a bit as I held him.
Okay, in making your selection, try to disregard the fact that one of them is named Horatio. How awesome is that?! We want to even the playing field as much as possible.
Rock the Vote!
A pet! I made you a little nervous, huh? It's time for a vote. Which kind of pet should we adopt? We went to the animal shelter yesterday and here are our top choices:
-Joe Moe: a brown, short-haired tabby cat. When we got to the shelter, he was definitely trying to get our attention. As soon as we opened the cage door, he crawled onto my chest to be held. Definitely a sweetheart!
-Horatio: a terrier/schnauzer mix. He was such a sweet, snuggly looking lap-dog. He was calm...a people, er dog-watcher.
-Macy: a beagle/blue healer mix. She is a medium sized dog that snuggled up to my hand when I pet her, but was ready for a good run when we went for a walk. Seems like a good mix of energetic, but peaceful.
-Putnam: a black dachshund! I opened the cage and he darted off in his little sweater. By the time I caught him, he was shaking and scared. I picked him up and he burrowed into my neck. His nerves calmed a bit as I held him.
Okay, in making your selection, try to disregard the fact that one of them is named Horatio. How awesome is that?! We want to even the playing field as much as possible.
Rock the Vote!
The Woes of NOT Making Babies
I've always had a beef with women being the ones responsible for ensuring the existence of a childless life until a couple is ready to conceive. Meanwhile, men go about enseminating whatever they please. It's just a fact that men are irresponsible and women are nags, so the duty falls to the woman. I bet doctor's have already come up with male contriceptives, but quickly realized that, with men in the driver's seat, the world would quickly become even more overpopulated than it already is. It's really not an option, you see.
At the risk of sounding man hating, I will amend my statement by reminding my faithful readers that, while my husband is a neenerhead at times, he is a loving, sweet man. In addition, I occassionally may be the slightest bit of an airhead. It's rare...but it does happen. So, we'll call it even.
The most recent episode was a couple weeks ago. I was about to start a new pack of good ole BC pills. If you've ever seen a standard pack, you know there are four rows of seven pills each....three "active" rows, and one placebo row. My particular pack has rows that are all different colors. So, they are difficult to dicifer.....if you don't read the labels.....which I didn't. I was in a hurry one morning, and popped out the first pills, and continued to do so for the next five days. By the end of the week, Mr. Twentysomething brought my pills to me and showed me a quite unfortunate sight. In my early-morning haste, I had flipped my pill pack upside down and had been taking the placebo pills for almost a full week. Are you catching the problem?
I called the doctor (who laughed at me) and now my privileges are suspended for a month. Not only that...but who knows what other surprises could await me in nine months??? I'll keep you posted.
How do you feel about the issue? Should men be equally responsible for baby control? Is there a particular BC that you favor?
New Layout!
I have selected a new layout! Lucky for me, there are people who do it for you because I have zero html skills. While I feel that an aspiring blogger should have some, I have no desire to learn which creates quite the predicament.
I chose the houses because that's where one lives in adultland. But, you'll also notice that they are drawn in a really childlike way. That's right where I'm at in life...stuck between adultland and childville...and this causes my sun to frown. See all the thought that went into my selection? I really chose it for the pink stripes though. Since I live with a boy now, my usage of pink in decorating has been severely limited.
I think when we get a house with an extra room, I'll turn it into an obnoxiously pink reading nook. Everything sounds cuter and more quaint when you add "nook" to it, don't you think?
I chose the houses because that's where one lives in adultland. But, you'll also notice that they are drawn in a really childlike way. That's right where I'm at in life...stuck between adultland and childville...and this causes my sun to frown. See all the thought that went into my selection? I really chose it for the pink stripes though. Since I live with a boy now, my usage of pink in decorating has been severely limited.
I think when we get a house with an extra room, I'll turn it into an obnoxiously pink reading nook. Everything sounds cuter and more quaint when you add "nook" to it, don't you think?
Love and Boogers
Today Mr.TwentySomething and discussing an article I had been given a few years ago. We found it as we were going through our bedroom and trying to de-clutter in order to finally decorate after eight months!
The article is entitled "Passive Men and Wild Women." The idea is that men, in their relationship with their wives, tend to be inactive, inarticulate, and withdrawn...PASSIVE. Women, in turn, puts on the pressure in order to feel some kind of connectedness, which causes her husband to retreat further. It finally ends with the remedy. First is the realization that men and women are different. At times, we must try to see things from a different viewpoint And second, it takes hard work. This is how the author explains it, "It's not just talking; it’s also listening. And not just listening, but also hearing. Not just hearing, but also responding, calmly and kindly." In other words, acting unselfishly in your partnership.
Speaking of the difference between men and women, here's how our conversation ended:
Me: That was such a good article! We should save it and read over it every now and then.
Mr. T: I just threw it in the trash and put a booger on it.
The article is entitled "Passive Men and Wild Women." The idea is that men, in their relationship with their wives, tend to be inactive, inarticulate, and withdrawn...PASSIVE. Women, in turn, puts on the pressure in order to feel some kind of connectedness, which causes her husband to retreat further. It finally ends with the remedy. First is the realization that men and women are different. At times, we must try to see things from a different viewpoint And second, it takes hard work. This is how the author explains it, "It's not just talking; it’s also listening. And not just listening, but also hearing. Not just hearing, but also responding, calmly and kindly." In other words, acting unselfishly in your partnership.
Speaking of the difference between men and women, here's how our conversation ended:
Me: That was such a good article! We should save it and read over it every now and then.
Mr. T: I just threw it in the trash and put a booger on it.
S-O-S!
Can anyone out there in blog land give me some tips on how to format or otherwise improve upon my blog? I'm the kind of girl that does want to have to read about it. You know the type...they get a new phone, but refuse to read the operation manual. Instead, they decided to mess around with it until they figure it out....or permanently lock their phone so they have to call the company to get it activated again. That's me.
Any help would be appreciated!
Any help would be appreciated!
The Golden Globes
We watched the Golden Globes a couple nights ago and spent some time developing a few fashion rules.
Rule Number One: If you're over 40, dress like it.
Exhibit A:
And, during my research, look what I came across. This is Jennifer from the Golden Globes a few years ago.
Now, I love Jen as much as the next girl at the hair salon, but these are some really unfortunate fashion decisions. Obviously she has fired her stylist....or her stylist is a hooker.
Rule Number Two: If you have breasts the size of Pluto, you are not allowed to wear a dress cut down to your knees.
Not Okay.
Rule Number Three: Leave your curtains at home.
That completes our comprehensive list. Learn it. Live it. Message me for my mailing address if you'd like to send a thank-you card.
On that note, I'll leave you with the ever classy, Kate Winslet. This is how an age-appropriate woman SHOULD dress:
Rule Number One: If you're over 40, dress like it.
Exhibit A:
And, during my research, look what I came across. This is Jennifer from the Golden Globes a few years ago.
Now, I love Jen as much as the next girl at the hair salon, but these are some really unfortunate fashion decisions. Obviously she has fired her stylist....or her stylist is a hooker.
Rule Number Two: If you have breasts the size of Pluto, you are not allowed to wear a dress cut down to your knees.
Not Okay.
Rule Number Three: Leave your curtains at home.
That completes our comprehensive list. Learn it. Live it. Message me for my mailing address if you'd like to send a thank-you card.
On that note, I'll leave you with the ever classy, Kate Winslet. This is how an age-appropriate woman SHOULD dress:
Adultland
I always knew that I'd be a really good grown-up. I'm an old soul, or so I'm told. While everyone was being rebellious in high school and out partying in college, I was dreaming of a cozy little home to come back to after a long day of saving the world via social work. My friends were busy working their way up the popularity totem pole while I lamented the world's seeming lack of kindred spirits.
Okay, I suppose I'm making myself sound like a complete nerd. I wasn't a nerd, per se, I just refused to follow the crowd when it came to ridiculous adolescent behavior. It caused me a lot of grief. I always had conflicting emotions between what popular culture said I should be like and who I really was or wanted to be. Still, I never compromised. Sometimes I feel the urge to make up for it a bit...but I'm all too sensible for that.
Instead, I waited out my time. It's steadily gotten better, and now I'm at a place I love. High school....blah. College....definitely not a bad time. Adultland....I'm hitting my stride. I hear that once you become a thirty something, most of that nagging self-consciousness goes away. One can only dream. For now, TwentySomething is just peachy.
Okay, I suppose I'm making myself sound like a complete nerd. I wasn't a nerd, per se, I just refused to follow the crowd when it came to ridiculous adolescent behavior. It caused me a lot of grief. I always had conflicting emotions between what popular culture said I should be like and who I really was or wanted to be. Still, I never compromised. Sometimes I feel the urge to make up for it a bit...but I'm all too sensible for that.
Instead, I waited out my time. It's steadily gotten better, and now I'm at a place I love. High school....blah. College....definitely not a bad time. Adultland....I'm hitting my stride. I hear that once you become a thirty something, most of that nagging self-consciousness goes away. One can only dream. For now, TwentySomething is just peachy.
One Week Down
I have endured my first ever 40-hour week. The verdict is still out as to how I feel about the whole situation. I decided to create a pro-con list to help me decided.
Pros:
1. I'm the youngest, cutest employee
2. I have an awesome automated signature that I get to attach to the end of all of my emails.
3. I get business cards
4. I'm now above poverty level
5. I can afford insurance
6. Since this is my first job and I have to adjust to a new schedule, I have an excuse to use all of my downtime to read and play Mario instead of cleaning (we'll see how much longer that holds up).
Cons:
1. I have to work eight hours a day
2. I have no energy to invest in relationships...or a pet. I really want a pet.
3. I don't have office space yet, so I spend my time trying to look busy. Sorting paper clips, assist with saran wrapping the Christmas tree, reading irrelevant state laws....
4. I used to cook. Now I make meals with titles like "Rush Hour Chili"
5. Coffee cake, chocolates, and pop are always lurking, waiting to attack upon my approach.
Honestly, I had a harder time coming up with cons than pros...obviously I've found my calling. It really is a good job and one that will pick up a bit after we find office space in the locations I'll be at. In fact, I have made an important decision that I must update you on. I have decided to put off graduate school for a year. After much contemplation, I decided that an extra year of money and experience would greatly benefit me. It's a new position that I'm launching and I wanted to give myself enough time to really make some headway. That said, I'm enjoying the idea of neglecting studying for a year and a half.
I finally have peace with my decision and I'm loving where I'm at.
Pros:
1. I'm the youngest, cutest employee
2. I have an awesome automated signature that I get to attach to the end of all of my emails.
3. I get business cards
4. I'm now above poverty level
5. I can afford insurance
6. Since this is my first job and I have to adjust to a new schedule, I have an excuse to use all of my downtime to read and play Mario instead of cleaning (we'll see how much longer that holds up).
Cons:
1. I have to work eight hours a day
2. I have no energy to invest in relationships...or a pet. I really want a pet.
3. I don't have office space yet, so I spend my time trying to look busy. Sorting paper clips, assist with saran wrapping the Christmas tree, reading irrelevant state laws....
4. I used to cook. Now I make meals with titles like "Rush Hour Chili"
5. Coffee cake, chocolates, and pop are always lurking, waiting to attack upon my approach.
Honestly, I had a harder time coming up with cons than pros...obviously I've found my calling. It really is a good job and one that will pick up a bit after we find office space in the locations I'll be at. In fact, I have made an important decision that I must update you on. I have decided to put off graduate school for a year. After much contemplation, I decided that an extra year of money and experience would greatly benefit me. It's a new position that I'm launching and I wanted to give myself enough time to really make some headway. That said, I'm enjoying the idea of neglecting studying for a year and a half.
I finally have peace with my decision and I'm loving where I'm at.
